Chapter 18.- Mounting pressure
At the rate they were going, they likely wouldn't be able to get back to the village on time according to their original schedule. But Itachi couldn't say he was surprised to see that the priestess had yet to even mention the issue, let alone complain about the sudden pressure to speed up their pace while going on the opposite direction.
He'd noticed how irregular the stretches of time Kagome spent in this time period were. The time she spent here could go from a couple of days to weeks on end. It made sense for anyone to prioritize the hunt for the fragments when lives were at stake, but it felt like the rest of the group had entirely forgotten about her life on the other side of the well. Someone like Kagome wouldn't put her studies first. If anyone noticed the tiredness weighing down her steps or the wince hidden beneath her reassuring smile, no one said a word about it either. Then again, it seemed like the group was willing to humor the half-demon's demands. It was easier to deal with that than Inuyasha's precious behavior. The Uchiha considered speaking up anyway, it wouldn't be hard to ensure the worst of the backlash fell on him.
Jealousy and anger were nothing new to him. Nobody cared what he thought about the treatment he received or whether he enjoyed the recognition that came from being not just an Uchiha, but the prodigy. Experienced shinobis had a lot of pride to protect, and having a child being placed on their teams tended to bruise their egos. As professional as ANBU members were, there had also been friction after Itachi joined the ranks. He was used to the glares and resentment that came with it; if it could help his butterfly have an easier time during her travel, he didn't mind going through it all over again. The half-demon's temper was too volatile, however, and since they were currently chasing the group's most dangerous foe, triggering such an explosion could backfire. He'd seen what the consequences of poor teamwork could be, he wasn't about to gamble with Kagome's safety.
"Do you think we can take our time this time ?" Miroku-san's voice rose from the front of the line as they entered one of the bigger-looking houses in one of the villages around Mt. Hakurei.
"Quit complaining." The gruff reply from the silver-haired man was exactly what the Uchiha had come to expect. "We'll find him."
"Let's hope it's the right one…" Kagome mumbled at his left.
Slender fingers softly tightened around his, there was a a tired smile on his butterfly's lips that had to be yet another request to let go of potential protests. Perhaps he was being persuaded too easily. Even if worst came to worst, the Uchiha should be able to keep her safe, but he didn't want to go against her wishes, and she wouldn't benefit from him taking over her all battles. Maybe he was being tempted by the closeness he was getting in return, but his decision wouldn't change, so he swallowed down his complaints once more and nodded at her. No one here had reached the point of exhaustion, so they should be able to hold their own if a fight were to break out. He could wait until she was ready to confront the silver-haired male.
Besides, it wouldn't last much longer.
This hunt was little more than a wild goose chase; Itachi hadn't truly met the spider half-demon, but he didn't need to. Strategies revealed a lot more about the mind that planned them than many thought, and the shinobi had already had enough of the spider's plan. Not bothering to confirm whether his cover was blown or not, Naraku had rushed ahead with an ineffective plan, all to direct their attention in the opposite direction. Self-preservation was clearly what the spider valued the most. Leaving behind a trail scent obvious enough for them to follow was the type of rookie mistake someone like that would never make. Everyone in the ragtag team had to be familiar with such tactics, yet they seemed all willing to walk straight into a trap. Of course, the cause of the commotion that pointed to this being the correct body of water had been a child desperately pleading to borrow a boat so the boy could go look for his father.
"Near the middle of this lake, there's an island ordinary people cannot enter," the boy, Shintaro, said as he guided them to a fairly open room. His three sisters gathered around him as they all sat down. "The males of this family alone are allowed to cross to Hijiri island to take care of Hakushin-shounin-sama."
"Hakushin-shounin-sama?"
"A great priest from over a hundred years ago." There was a sense of pride in the kid's voice as he answered the monk's question." He became a living Buddha and was enshrined in the small temple on the island."
"That means…a living sacrifice, correct?" Itachi asked for clarification.
"Indeed." Nodding, Miroku explained. "Sokushinbutsu is a saint-like priest, who while still alive abstains from all food and enters Nirvana while their flesh mummifies."
Right, he'd read about similar sacrifices being practiced by Shinto priests and priestesses while going through the information he could gather back in his butterfly's shrine. Men and women would offer up their lives in order to put an end to a natural disaster, gain a god's blessing, or increase their spiritual power. He would've dismissed those tales as nothing but old stories, but considering how many beings in this era belonged to legends, the Uchiha couldn't discount those practices' effectiveness. If there was a relationship between the sacred barrier Naraku was hiding behind and the seemingly virtuous individual, he had about a hundred more questions. Fighting a man whose death was verified over a hundred years ago wasn't something seen everyday back in the Elemental Nations.
"So, when you mentioned your father hadn't come back…" Kagome trailed off.
"It's been more than half a month." Worry dripped from the boy's words. "I want to check up on him."
"We are worried about father, and the villagers are concerned about the curse…but going by yourself is impossible." Shaking her head, one of the sisters hugged her brother's arm.
"Then we can go." Unsurprisingly, the girl didn't hesitate to offer their help. "We need to check those sacred grounds anyway, right?"
"It sounds far more promising than any of the other places we've been so far," Sango added.
"Sure, we'll go check it out ourselves." At least this wasn't something they'd need to fight Inuyasha on.
"Wait, you need me to be your navigator." Shintaro jumped up. "It's dangerous, there's always a fog hanging over Hijiri island, and it's really easy to capsize a boat if you don't know where the rocks are."
"Fine, we're leaving now, then!"
It wasn't shocking that the silver-haired half-demon was, again, forgetting about his companion's human limitations and restrictions. Whether it was meant to reassure him or to gather herself, Kagome's hand found his, and once more, he could only nod while the monk proceeded to earn a hit on his head by propositioning to the three sisters at once. Idly, the shinobi wondered how much of the man's antics was genuine and how much of it was done to serve as a distraction. Not that it made much of a difference.
Dull pain was relatively easy to ignore. Sore feet were leagues better than the assortment of injuries she'd collected since falling down the well; still, she leaned back as much as she could without making it obvious.
After months of constant walking and hiking through the countryside of Feudal Japan, she'd gotten used to being a little tired all the time whenever she was on this side of the well, but she still struggled when Inuyasha's tunnel vision got this bad. She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to find out where the puppet came from, though it didn't make it any easier. A soft hold on her hand made her lips turn up into a soft smile. By now, Kagome had gotten fairly good at hiding the unimportant aches and strains in her body, she didn't want to bother anyone with things that wouldn't affect the group. One way or another, Itachi always saw through her, and it was…oddly comforting. The best thing she could do for her friends was to remain cheerful and upbeat, and the girl didn't mind it, but it'd be a lie to say it wasn't nice to have someone looking out for her. Even though there was nothing he could do about the increased pace, his concern was more than enough, so she returned his gesture with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
Between their earlier stop at Shintaro's house and their current boat ride, they had a chance to rest a bit. They could handle a fight. In fact, what worried her more than whatever Naraku had waiting for them on Hijiri island was who they wouldn't find…or the estate they'd find them in. Naraku wasn't the type to keep innocent people alive unless he thought he could use them as weapons against his enemies. A man with no special skills would have no value in his eyes, and youkais didn't tend to leave bodies in presentable conditions.
Even Inuyasha chose not to say anything about it.
"While Hakushin-shounin-sama was still alive, he had very strong spiritual energy." Azure eyes followed the boy as he pointed to a barely visible outline. "At the base of Mt. Hakurei is the purification place where the Shounin-sama opened up a temple; they say if you pray there, all sins can be forgiven."
"He certainly sounds like an admirable man," Miroku nodded along.
"People say he saved the region from starvation," clearly proud of his history, the boy continued. "That's why so many people go through the pilgrimage."
"Should we start slowing down?" Itachi's voice forced her back to reality.
"Ah, that's right!" Panic settled in an instant as the boy's gaze scanned his surroundings. "Slow down, slow down!"
The boat swayed as Inuyasha forced the small craft to stop; her grip on the young warrior's hand tightened in a hurry as she tried to find her balance. Letting out a sigh of relief when the boat's movements finally calmed down, Kagome scooted away from the water, azure eyes scanning her surroundings only to freeze.
Describing the way the fog had fallen upon them merely as hanging over the island would've been an understatement. It was as if they'd crossed some invisible line and all of a sudden the world around them had been painted over. The fog was so dense she struggled to see anything beyond the boat. Even Inuyasha was little more than a red blur. It'd be scarily easy to run straight into a rock without even noticing. But while she could barely see a thing, the fog couldn't do a thing to hide the bright light of the Shikon fragments. Fragments…more than one. Azure eyes narrowed as she struggled to estimate the distance. There were at least three shards, all equally tainted, but they were too close together for her to figure out if this was just one of the Shichinintai who'd been given more fragments or if they were far enough from the island that they only looked closer than they actually were. Then again…it didn't matter.
Of course this was a trap.
"I can see Shikon fragments on the island!"
"How many?" Inuyasha wasted no time in jumping up.
"Three, maybe four…but it might just be one person." Kagome shook her head before trying to get a better view."They're not moving, I think they're waiting for us."
"What about my father?" Shintaro-kun was looking at her, hands clasped together.
"I…I can't tell from here." She should feel something, surely. "The sacred barrier is missing within my senses."
"We'll look for him once we land…but it might be better for you to wait on the boat, Shintaro-kun." Thankfully, Sango-chan backed her up.
"But…"
"Sango's right," Inuyasha added before turning towards the priestess. "You should stay here too, Kagome."
"Excuse me?"
Keeping the hurt from bleeding into her words was hard, but the girl tried her best to maintain her voice calm. He was trying to keep her safe, that was all. None of what he said was meant to hurt her; Inuyasha didn't understand what his words could do. After doing all she could to smooth things between them, blowing up on him would be like throwing all that effort down the drain. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, the miko pushed down her grown frustration. If she could just explain her reasoning, it'd be fine.
"Someone else should stay with the boat anyway." Inuyasha scoffed.
"I'm the only one who can see the shards." Tension was slipping through her voice, but it was still fine. "They're waiting for us; it's too dangerous to go in blind."
"That's why you should stay back." He wasn't listening to her, was he?
"Look, I know there's a lot of risk involved." All she needed was to be patient; that was all. "But things have always been dangerous."
"More than one shard means it has to be Bankotsu; we already know which bastard's in there. What else can you do?" Anger made Inuyasha's words sound harsher than he likely intended them to be. He'd run out of steam soon, and she'd get the chance to push back.
"The barrier around the island is made from sacred energy, isn't it?" Itachi's voice forced the hanyou to a stop. His hand went back to hers. "In that case, can't it affect those with youkai blood?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" The boat rocked as Inuyasha leaned forward, clearly trying to get into the young warrior's personal space, and Kagome wasn't sure what to say.
"Hold on, Inuyasha…" Miroku was quick to jump in. "Itachi-san's not wrong. This barrier is weaker than the one around Mt. Hakurei, but we don't know if it'll hurt you; even if it doesn't it can still hinder you."
"It does feel a bit stuffy," Shippo added from his spot on her lap.
"It'll probably get worse the closer we get to the island." Trying to help out, Sango had Kirara swim closer to the boat."Would spiritual energy get affected the same way?"
Explanations blended into one another, and Kagome couldn't bring herself to pay much attention to the words. She knew they were speaking up for her, and she was grateful for it. In the middle of a sacred barrier, her and Miroku's power was the most reliable, and even while she still had a lot to learn, so it wasn't like the were trying to make her feel better, she could help. That's what was important.
For someone like Inuyasha, accepting change was difficult. That's something the miko had come to terms with a while ago; she'd known from the moment she decided to start fighting for herself. She'd been prepared for him to lash out; she'd expected words like that, and she knew he didn't mean it. His childhood had left severe wounds that hadn't fully healed. Even when things were changing for the better, he struggled not to push everyone away. He was just scared, and it'd take time for him to break out of those habits. In his own way, the hanyou cared for her, and he was getting better; this was just too abrupt of a change for him to calmly take in.
Blunt nails dug into her skin as she bit her tongue, willing herself not to jump into the ongoing discussion.
There was a routine of sorts between the two of them. Inuyasha would get angry at one thing or another and start yelling; the girl would try her best to keep calm until she inevitably snapped back, and it devolved into a screaming match, and things would be tense for a while. Eventually, Kagome would cool down, and the hanyou would start an awkward apology she'd stop because she'd already forgiven him. It was a comfortable habit she was tempted to fall into now more than ever. But doing that would only set her back. Sooner or later, he had to understand that she could keep her promise and be there for him even if her feelings were no longer the same. It was the best for him too. These growing pains were something they'd need to go through at some point.
Gentle fingers brushed the back of her hand.
Dark eyes aged at her, concern hidden under a calm facade. Attempting to pretend nothing was wrong likely not going to work and yet, the smile that came to her lips was more honest than she'd thought herself capable of. Itachi had spoken up to help her before any of the others. The way he'd done it all but ensured the hanyou's anger would be directed mostly at him too. All of it was just to give her a chance. She wasn't about to let the backlash she'd expected to stop her from moving. This was a chance for her to prove she could do more and pull her weight and that progress alone was worth keeping her spirits up.
Chakra ran through his system and the Uchiha took a moment to study its flow.
After finally forcing the hanyou to accept that it'd be foolish to leave Kagome behind, the half-demon tried to target him next. Thanks to the sacred barrier around the island, Inuyasha's strength was no longer reliable so of course, the silver-haired male attempted to cast doubt on the Uchiha's own skills. For minutes on end, there had been one question after another, wondering how efficient chakra would be when surrounded by holy energy. To be fair, it wasn't entirely illogical to doubt whether his performance would take a hit, but considering what the composition of chakra was and the fact that there didn't seem to be any other significant differences between the humans of this world and his, the odds of him being significantly impaired were low. Wariness wasn't something that couldn't be faulted, however, so he'd agreed to do a cursory check as soon as they landed on the island. If by any chance he found his power was sealed in any form, he'd stay behind together with the less human members of the group and the boy in the boat.
"Nothing seems amiss," he said as he opened his eyes, trying to assess the terrain. "Though I can sense something else."
"Great, I don't think whoever's at the center has moved. We should get going." Kagome's voice was soft, and somewhat unfocused, clearly trying to see through the fog.
"The temple should be right in the middle of the island," the boy yelled from the boat. "Please look for my father!"
"Worry not, we'll look everywhere, make sure not to move from here unless it looks dangerous." The last bit was directed more towards the fox kit, but Miroku-san was clearly trying to make the human boy feel less restless.
"You got it!"
A few more instructions later, the group began making their way into the island. White flowers blended in with the fog, covering almost every patch of land, ruining any chance of getting some decent visibility.
Unsurprisingly, activating the sharingan did little to help things, the fog was created by more than natural means. In any other situation, he would've considered testing out if the barrier could have any effects on regular ninjutsu, as it was, it'd be more prudent to simply stick to taijutsu. Not that he was supposed to be the one driving the attack. As far as their strategy went, the Uchiha was meant to be the last line of defense only acting if whoever was waiting for them managed to get past the half-demon. Something that would be far from an impossible accomplishment considering he could see the silver-haired male's form was starting to suffer. It was subtle enough that he didn't think anyone else had noticed and it probably wouldn't fully stop him, but the barrier was having an effect.
"I can get it from here."
Kagome's words got the group to stop.
The strategy the group came up with was decidedly lacking, then again, it was evident they didn't make a habit of planning out their battles. They over-relied on the half-demon's strengths now that they were forced to be more careful, they'd clearly struggled. It was better than blindly letting their enemy make the first move, and they'd also be able to figure out how much protection this barrier could provide in a single go.
Crimson eyes stayed focused on the direction Kagome pointed, he could feel the girl move behind him, the warmth of her energy was gathering, increasing as she prepared to let her arrow fly. He didn't flinch as the rose tile passed him. Bright pink chased away the fog as it raced towards their waiting opponent. Her power tore through the sacred energy blanketing the area. He didn't need the priestess' confirmation to know that the attack didn't hit. Light burst in an explosion. A second barrier was raised, just around their enemy. But there was little time to focus on that. A flash of red passed by him, the half-demon was chasing the arrow, not bothering to wait for any clarification, though he wasn't sure Inuyasha's reasoning was sound. Until the male slipped up, however, all Itachi could do was wait on the sidelines.
Reminding himself to be patient, the Uchiha took a step back, getting closer to his butterfly as the loud clash of metal hitting metal destroyed the stillness.
"Get out of my way!" Wrath dripped from every syllable the undead mercenary shouted. "I'll spill that archer's blood!"
"Like hell you're getting past me, you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled back.
"You're even weaker than before, aren't you?" Both fighters jumped back only to clash again. "If even a human like me feels bad in here, I bet it's even worse for you!"
"I don't need to be at full strength to beat you!"
The Uchiha had noticed before, but there really were quite a lot of wasted movements in the silver-haired male's swordsmanship. Wide, open swings followed by quick but poorly aimed thrusts. Nothing Inuyasha attempted landed, the attacks either easily dodged or blocked. On the other hand, the half-demon was barely able to stop the onslaught of swings the undead mercenary made. If not for both the weapon and its wielder's superhuman abilities, Inuyasha would've already been cut down. As things stood now, they were evenly matched.
Soon, this would become a battle of attrition.
And inside this barrier, there was no telling who'd tire first.
"Inuyasha! The new shards are on his sword!"
"Now I see…that's how you aimed…" Purple eyes snapped to the girl. His attempt to get to her was forcibly blocked."Just can't keep from barging in, can you, bitch?!"
"Don't get distracted, you bastard… Kaze no Kizu!"
The wild swing the half-demon had been clearly waiting for delivered nothing but a gust of air.
So the protection granted by the human blood in the male had reached its limits then.
Delicate fingers grasped his sleeves, the Uchiha risked a glance back. There was obvious worry in her eyes, but she remained unsure. By now, she knew that were she to ask, he'd jump into any battle, even if she didn't understand why. But his butterfly was stubborn, and she took her responsibility to gather the shards far too seriously to simply pass on all her battles to him. She wanted to do this, her own way, and though a part of him would've preferred it had it been the other way around. It certainly would've been easier had the girl decided to hide behind him and just point him at her targets. That would never be her. And perhaps more importantly, such an approach would leave her vulnerable in the case of an unforeseen incident.
As long as he could find a way to find a way for the others to help, he could justify his own involvement.
"Is it possible for a second barrier to be raised from a distance?" The Uchiha made sure to keep his voice low. "Without any sort of physical conduit?"
"Pardon?"
"What blocked Kagome's arrow earlier was a second, smaller barrier." Crimson eyes remained focused on the fight. "I can't hear anyone else on the island, so if a barrier like that can't be raised without a physical conduit, then something here must be acting as one, and if that's the case…"
"Then we can destroy it," Kagome finished for him.
"If such a thing exists…" The monk was fast to catch up. "It might be holding up both barriers!"
"Can you shoot another arrow, Kagome?" Crimson eyes flickered back once more.
"Yeah, but…" the girl flinched as another loud clash joined angered voices in the discordant cacophony. "Won't that make too big of a distraction?"
That much was probably true.
Right now, the balance of the fight was precarious, and both combatants were too close to one another; an explosion of spiritual energy was sure to have a bigger effect on the half-demon. Usually, that'd place the male at risk. But the mercenary leader would definitely take the chance to go after Kagome. Bankotsu was desperate to avenge his fallen comrades, and he'd decided the priestess was the one to target. Her interference would redirect his temporarily diverted anger back towards her. The half-demon would be fine, and Itachi would make sure Kagome would remain safe.
"A big distraction can work in our favor," Itachi said, forced to stop when the half-demon's pained yell cut him off. One of Bankotsu's attacks finally landed. "Destroying the conduit is the only way for this fight to be fair."
"Regular attacks should work to get rid of whatever relic is serving as a conduit, but even if they don't I should be able to deal with it."
"Miroku-sama and I will handle it." Nodding, the demon exterminator moved to the side. "When you're ready."
Azure eyes bore into him, wary but determined. Yes, this approach was certainly for the best.
Concentrating despite the noise was harder than it should. This wasn't the first time she'd jumped into a fight; this wasn't the first time she'd gotten a furious monster aiming at her…getting nervous would be ridiculous.
But she wasn't the only one who could get hurt.
Actually hitting Bankotsu wasn't necessary, but it had to look convincing; she couldn't just aim somewhere meters away from Inuyasha. It would be close. With the added fragments, her barrier likely wouldn't be enough to stop one of Bankotsu's attacks. She'd need to rely on Itachi to keep him at bay until Sango and Miroku broke the conduit. It'd certainly rub Inuyasha the wrong way; if he tried to pick a fight right now, things would get ugly in a hurry. She couldn't ask Itachi to deal with that mess. Not because she'd messed up on the timing of when to start making changes. This had to work on the first try, and they had to move fast.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, she willed her hands to remain steady.
"Don't try to aim with your regular vision." Itachi's words almost caused her to jump. "It'll be easier if you focus on the shards alone."
"Right…"
That was an advantage she had; she should use it.
The bow felt less heavy as she raised it this time, and she refused to stop and start doubting her skills. Reiki flowed through her as she went to notch the arrow. All she needed to do was lure out the person behind this barrier, and if they'd reacted to her first shot, they'd have no choice but to react to the second. She felt it before she saw it, the unmistakable surge in energy. Her arrow cut through the spiritual energy only to be blocked by a second barrier…and light blue was shining a few away, half hidden among the flowers a few ways from a wooden structure.
"Over there!"
"What the…!"
"You fucking bitch! I'll take your head for sure!"
Vaguely, Kagome could see Sango and Miroku race away from them, but the girl's attention was caught by the mercenary lunging at her. Panic stopped her thoughts as she stumbled backward. She didn't have to. Itachi didn't budge, his movements faster than she could see. Despite the massive difference in the size of their weapons, it didn't look like the young warrior was struggling to push the mercenary back. As far as she could tell, he still was.
"So you're her bodyguard?!" Bankotsu jumped back, barely managing to attack the warrior's follow-up attack. "And it looks like you're the stronger one."
"Don't butt in!" Tessaiga's wild swing was easily dodged by the mercenary; it went far too close to Itachi as well.
"Inuyasha, that doesn't matter!" Kagome yelled from her place, anger mixing in with worry. "The shards are in his neck and in the halberd! Four in total!"
"One guy or two makes no difference!"
Inuyasha trying to interrupt the young warrior's attack was dangerous. Someone was going to get hurt. Would it be better if Itachi fought alone? Should she just force the hanyou to step back?
Energy vanished.
The barrier around the island was gone.
Completely gone.
For a second, the fight stopped, the realization that there were no longer any shackles to either side far more important than the sudden disappearance of the white.
"Do you think you're saved?" The mercenary mocked them. "Sorry, but I'm also feeling a lot better thanks to that barrier thing being busted. I can take both of you on."
"I'm more than enough to deal with him, so fuck off!" One more missed swing.
"Hah! You think you can beat me when you're injured?!" Confident, Bankotsu raised his blade. "Fine, this time, do a proper shot of that attack of yours!"
Crimson eyes found hers. She could taste blood as she bit on her tongue. She knew what he was asking. There was no time to deliberate; she barely had time to shake her head before Inuyasha jumped.
"Kaze no kizu!"
Nothing stopped the cutting wind this time around…and yet…Bankotsu wasn't backing down. He was countering Tessaiga's attack. In a one-on-one battle, there was no clear winner. The Shichinintai had left destruction and tragedies in their wake. Entire villages razed to the ground, countless victims they didn't even have the time to bury. Naraku was also counting on them for protection; if they could defeat them now, they could deal a real blow, save future victims. That was more valuable than a few more days of peace.
Slender fingers closed around an arrow. It didn't even take a thought for her body to follow through with it.
"Itachi!" She'd be the one to land the final hit…she just needed a bit of help. "Don't let him move!"
"Just try it!"
"Stay back, Kagome!" Inuyasha was racing too, trying to get another hit out. "I've got this!"
The arrows flew straight, pink bursting after it, and she could see the young warrior's form flicker only for blue to explode right around Bankotsu. Instinct had her look away, even as she noted the tainted shards fade away from her sight. Frustration threatened to reach a boiling point as she looked back to find nothing there. Itachi's blade pierced the ground next to her arrow, hitting nothing. Naraku saved the mercenary again.
"They vanished together," Miroku said as he walked back to them. "Bankotsu and the relic."
"We should've broken it beyond repair." Clearly, Sago was just as frustrated as the miko.
"At least we know for sure he got the saint to help him somehow." It wasn't much of a silver lining, but it was better than nothing. "I don't think there's anyone else…here…we should look around to see if there's anything we can bring back to Shintaro-kun."
"What the hell was that for?!"
Inuyasha pushed her to the side as he walked right towards Itachi, clearly determined to start a fight, but her hand shot up before he could reach him. She couldn't allow this.
"I told you not to get in my way!"
"Not doing anything wasn't an option…" Kagome said through gritted teeth. "We don't have time for this."
"Kagome-sama is right; if Naraku is this determined to keep the remaining Shichinintai alive, it must mean he can't get his hands on new accomplices that easily. We have to get to Mt. Hakurei. There's no time to waste with fighting." At Miroku's stern warning, the hanyou could only back off.
Unwilling to let the out the monk gave her slip through her fingers; Kagome rushed forward, taking Itachi's hand in hers and pulling him away from the group. The faster they could find anything to take back to that family, the faster they could get back to the boat and resume their chase. It'd only take a few more days. They'd get a shot at Naraku, and that'd be enough to distract him. However bad the fallout was, she couldn't deal with it after facing Naraku. It'd be fine.
She could do this.
A/N: Dear god it feels like it's been ages since I wrote or posted anything. I am so sorry for the unexpected hiatus, it takes quite a while for me to upload on my normal schedule as it is, having to sit even longer is definitely not fun. Honestly the new year hit me hard, managed to get myself sick twice in aa row only to get hit with a very heavy financial blow I'm still not sure how to deal with, and I really really needed to write again because stress was threatening to do me in again. In any case, there should be enough time for me to start writing regularly again (knock on wood and any other thing you can come up with) so chapters should be coming back on a regular fashion.
I had to fight the urge to re-check this chapter over and over again but I think I'm getting tunnel vision at this point, so hopefully the build up in tension here is working as it should.
As always thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/comment/criticism is greatly greatly appreciated.
