"The pain of losing someone is the price we pay for having them in our lives. And sometimes, that pain is accompanied by guilt, a shadow that lingers long after the light has gone"

Haruki Murakami

The sun set on a battlefield littered with the remnants of Naraku's defeat. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the lingering energy of a hard-won victory. Kagome trudged through the forest, her heart heavy with exhaustion and relief. But as she neared a secluded clearing, a chilling sight froze her in place.

Inuyasha stood at the edge of a stone altar, his eyes fixed on a lifeless figure—Kikyo. Her ethereal beauty was marred by the cold stillness of death. Shippo lay sprawled on the altar, awake and afraid, surrounded by a faint, glowing aura.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?!" Kagome's voice cracked with a mixture of shock and disbelief. She was too far from Shippo to get him out of harm's way. Hand clenched around her bow, Kagome relaxed her muscles, she had one arrow left and if she had to use it, she'd made damn sure she didn't miss.

Inuyasha's gaze flickered to her, guilt and desperation etched into his features. "Kagome, I have to bring her back. I can't lose her again."

Kagome's heart pounded in her chest as she took a step forward. Betrayal fought tooth and nail to come up to the surface, but Kagome stomped it down. This wasn't the time to give into her feelings. She had to focus on getting to Shippo.

"By using Shippo as a sacrifice? How could you even think of doing that?"

Inuyasha's grip tightened on Tessaiga, his knuckles white with tension. "It's the only way. Kikyo's soul...it needs a vessel. Shippo's spirit is pure—"

"No!" Kagome's voice rang out, firm and resolute. "I won't let you do this, Inuyasha. Shippo is our friend. He's family. You can't trade one life for another...Please, Inuyasha, he's my kit."

Tears welled up in Inuyasha's eyes as he turned back to the altar. "Kikyo...I've lost her so many times. I can't bear it again, Kagome."

Kagome's voice softened, her own tears brimming. "I understand your pain, but this isn't the way. Sacrificing Shippo won't bring her back the way you want. It will only bring more suffering."

For a moment, silence hung between them, thick and oppressive. Then, slowly, Inuyasha's resolve began to crumble. He lowered Tessaiga in its untransformed state and stepped away from the altar, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Kagome rushed forward, gathering Shippo into her arms. Her breath shook with relief as she blocked him from Inuyasha in a protective embrace.

"We'll find another way, Inuyasha. Together." Kagome said, her voice trembling as the fear of what could have happened settled at the pit of her stomach.

Inuyasha stumbled towards her, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Inuyasha," She replied softly, hiding Shippo behind her as her eyes narrowed on Inuyasha suspiciously.

The relief of having Shippo safe with her burned away any ounce love she had for Inuyasha, and like a rising tide, it was replaced with anger. But they weren't out of the woods yet. Inuyasha was still very much armed and too close for comfort.

With a move she did not quite see, Inuyasha had twisted his body and hurled Tessaiga towards them. Grabbing Shippo by the collar and throwing him out of the way, she only had a split second to dodge the sword that was once used to protect her.

If she had only known that she had made the biggest mistake of her life, Kagome would do anything to turn back time once more.

Quickly notching an arrow, Kagome had her bow loaded and aimed at Inuyasha. From her peripheral vision, she could see Shippo curled into a ball on the side, whimpering from the impact of hitting a tree. She crushed the guilt before it could distract her.

Inuyasha, though a half-demon, was by far stronger than any other demon she had come across. She trusted him for three years, but she refused to let that blind trust cost her Shippo.

"Don't even think about it, Inuyasha." She warned.

Inuyasha's eyes flicked between her and Shippo. He was crying, choking on indecision, but it did nothing to soften her hardened heart. When he moved towards Shippo, she let her one arrow fly. But she underestimated Inuyasha.

He was a coward through and through.

Using Shippo as a shield, she wanted in horror as the arrow stabbed right through his back. It flared a pale pink, but Shippo's gruelling scream broken her from the horrofic trance. In a desperate attempt to call back her powers, she cried out in despair, but it was too late. Kagome stumbled towards Shippo who was carelessly thrown aside by Inuyasha.

His body wasn't fully purified, but he was crumbling right before her eyes.

"No…no, baby, please…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She begged Shippo, trying to put him back together again.

"Mama," Shippo choked weakly, his small hand stroking her cheek. "It's okay."

Kagome buried her head into his bright orange hair. Her whole body shook violently, as if trying to expel the pain that consumed her from within.

"It doesn't hurt…please don't cry." But when Shippo's hand fell to his lap, Kagome's heart fell along with it.

For a moment, everything else faded away. The world outside ceased to exist, and there was only Shippo and Kagome. Those seconds felt like years had passed, and Kagome was trapped in the trauma of Shippo's death.

So, when she heard cries of frustration from behind her, Kagome decided right then and there that she will make sure Inuyasha felt the very same pain and fear Shippo felt.

Her voice was a broken whisper, tears streaming down her face, but her eyes spoke of revenge. "You fool."

Inuyasha's gaze faltered, his ears flattening against his head. The faint glow had faded around Shippo, but Kikyo was still lying on the cold slab of stone – unmoving.

"Kagome, I... I had no choice. Shippo—"

"Don't you dare say his name!" Kagome protested, her voice rising in a furious crescendo. "All this was for nothing!"

Inuyasha took a step back, his expression torn between guilt and resolve. "I thought...I thought it was the only way to bring her back."

Kagome's hands trembled as she gently laid Shippo's body down. "You were wrong, Inuyasha. So wrong."

The weight of his actions seemed to crash down on Inuyasha, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I never wanted this."

But Kagome's sorrow had turned to a cold, burning rage. She stood, her eyes blazing with a fury that Inuyasha had never seen before.

"Sorry won't bring back what you've taken from us. You betrayed us, Inuyasha. And for that, I will never forgive you."

They could do nothing but watch. Kagome's façade was crumbling right in front of them, but they were not prepared for what happened next. 'Expect the unexpected' – as shinobis, they lived and trained by those words. But Kagome was not a shinobi. Kagome was nothing they had ever seen or experienced.

Naruto, who was standing on the ledge of the window, was grabbed by an unseen force and dragged to Kagome. Before any of them could make a move, a barrier erupted around them, trapping them in a pale pink dome.

Kagome clutched onto Naruto's jacket, pulling him closer, desperately searching for a comfort that would never reach her. Her voice cracked, breaking into a desperate wail that seemed to carry all the sadness in the world. It was a sound that made the heart ache, a visceral reminder of the depths of human suffering. Each sob was a knife twist, each tear a testament to the unbearable weight of her loss.

She could still see Shippo's innocent face, his wide eyes filled with love and pain as he fell limp in her arms The sound of his small, pained whimpers echoed in her mind, a haunting reminder of the moment she had failed to protect him. Inuyasha's betrayal had been a cruel twist of fate, one that had shattered her world and left her grappling with an unbearable weight of guilt.

Confused and weary, Naruto could do nothing but sit frozen in an awkward hug. He watched with wide eyes at the others surrounded the barrier attempting to break it down. He saw them yelling, angry and frustrated, but he couldn't hear them past Kagome's cries.

"Shippo," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry. It was my fault. I did this to you."

Unsure of what to do, Naruto would only wrap his arms around her and cradle her hoping it would soothe her pain away. He didn't know how long they'd been sitting in the barrier Kagome created. He didn't even know who the strange lady was, but with every whimper of apology, he felt an urgent need to pull her closer.

Outside, Tsunade was losing her mind. Jiraiya, who followed in not too long after him, was being used as a punching bag while Kakashi and Shizune were just as equally stressed. He tried so many times to tell them it's okay, but eventually he figured they couldn't hear him at all. So instead, he held out his arm and gave them a thumbs up with a toothy grin, even if his heart wasn't fully in it.

With a gesture to wait it out, they finally stopped their attempts and waited with him.

By the time Kagome had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, Naruto perked up when he saw the pink barrier fade into thin air. The others on the outside also straightened up, but when Kakashi made a move to grab him, he violently thrown back.

"What the fuck?"

Looking dead straight at Tsunade, Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Say that again." He called out.

All eyes where on him immediately.

"You can hear me?"

Nodding cautiously, Tsunade spoke up.

"Are you okay, Naruto?"

"Yeah," He grunted, "But, who is this and what the heck is happening?"

Picking up a disturbed Kakashi, Jiraiya brushed off some invisible dust on his clothes.

"Might as well get comfortable, time for a tale of Jiraiya's amazing adventure." And with that he quickly spotted a bright-red bump on his head. Courtesy of Tsunade, of course.

"This isn't the time to joke, Jiraiya." Tsunade spat. "We need to get Naruto."

Humming to himself, "Actually, Naruto is fine. It's what's inside him that needs to get out."

"Wai-what? Kurama is..." Looking down at the sleeping stranger in his arms, Naruto muttered in bewilderment, "He's quiet."

Dumbfounded by the ambiguous, but ominous, meaning behind Jiraiya's words, they waited impatiently for him to elaborate.

"It's futile trying to breach the barrier she's got there. But I do have information, so why don't you hear me out first and then we can decide on what to do later." For extra measures, he added, "Naruto is the safest he's ever been in there than out here."

Whew! That was hard to write. Please enjoy and review! :)