InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Taste Of Power ❯ For The Good Of The Group ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 4: For The Good Of The Group

Sorrell greeted Kohaku as she entered their cave. "Look what I have little brother." She held out a strand of Kagome's hair that she had acquired at the hot springs.

"Do you know what this means?" Kohaku stared into space silently. "Soon Kagome will aid me in healing you Kohaku." Sorrell smiled sweetly, "Just one more ingredient."

Sorrell moved to the back of the cave and deposited the hair carefully in a box already containing two wooden dolls and a crystal shard.

*

Kagome sat staring numbly at the fire, waiting for her hair to dry. When Sango rejoined the group she sat next to Kagome, a sad far off look in her eyes.

Shippo turned to the other two males beside him, "All I know is I'm not going to be next to ask Kagome what's wrong."

Miroku returned his eyes to the two girls across from them. It did appear to be spreading.

InuYasha just scowled. He was getting tired of Kagome's listlessness, all he wanted to do was get a jewel shard so he could send her home as soon as possible. For a few days anyway.

Soon enough it was once again time for bed. Kagome slowly stood and walked around the fire.

"Good night Shippo." Kagome knelt and kissed him on the forehead.

Then once again she slowly stood and approached InuYasha. The whole camp watched as she walked up to him and knelt.

"Good night InuYasha." She said. Then she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. InuYasha closed his eyes and leaned into her ever so slightly, only to have her pull back.

Kagome looked somewhat confused. It worked just like the last time, tasted just like it had then. Only it was faster, and more power flowed into her. It frightened her a little, so that she didn't even noticed InuYasha's response to her kiss.

"Good night Miroku, Sango." She said absently, giving Miroku's hand a pat. Quickly she stood up and trotted over to her sleeping bag.

"Odd," Miroku said once Kagome was snuggled into her bedding. "She seemed to improved greatly immediately after-"

"Shut-up houshi-sama," Sango perked up. "No one wants to hear your perverted observations."

Miroku was startled, sure he was known to make inappropriate comments from time to time, but this time his observation was legitimate. "Sango, I merely found it strange that Kagome seemed to perk up as soon as-"

"Maybe she was just happy to be going to sleep, she was tired at the springs." Sango fumed, "You always manage to find the most perverted view of any situation, and I think it's starting to blind you to what's right in front of you."

Sango stood up and marched over to her own bedding.

Miroku sat silently considering the truth behind Sango's rant long after InuYasha had abandoned him for the tree over Kagome.

InuYasha watched as Kagome slept peacefully for the first time in days. He remembered the last time she slept like this. She had kissed him then too. He decided to confront her about this in the morning, and this time he would get an answer.

*

Kagome stretched luxuriously before slowly opening her eyes. She gave a startled yelp when she saw InuYasha's golden eyes mere inches from her own.

"What are you doing InuYasha?" Kagome gasped.

InuYasha sat back quickly, and folded his arms in his sleeves. "Keh, I was waiting for you to get up." He looked around at others to make sure they were still asleep. "I wanted to talk to you. Why did you-"

"InuYasha I would think you learned a long time ago not to hover over sleeping girls!" Kagome glared at him.

"Shut-up! I'm not letting you distract me again." InuYasha glared back, "Why did you kiss me last night, and a few nights ago? Answer me, Kagome!"

Kagome flinched at the command in his voice. "I-I was just so tired, I didn't know what I was doing, I-"

"Bull-shit Kagome, you didn't kiss Miroku or Sango." InuYasha huffed, "What's going on?"

Kagome stared at her lap, "I'm sorry InuYasha, I just, it helped me sleep the last time. And it worked this time too. But if it bothers you, I won't do it again." There were tears in her eyes when she finished her speech. She felt guilty. Guilty for taking his energy, even if it was hers, and guilty for lying to him. She was afraid that he would demand that she never come near him again.

InuYasha noticed her tears and then he felt guilty. He was more annoyed then upset; Kagome was kissing him and then denying it. "Feh," He turned away from her, "If it keeps you from slowing us down then I don't mind."

*

Near the end of their days travel a youkia stepped out of the forest into the road. He was a young male… something; he looked like a rabid mole and stood at about Kagome's height.

"I want the miko of the shards!" He shouted at them.

"We don't have any shards!" Kagome shouted back before InuYasha could respond.

InuYasha shot Kagome an annoyed look before shouting his own answer, "Don't be stupid, you're too weak to fight me. Go away."

The mole creature looked at InuYasha briefly before charging at Kagome with surprising speed. InuYasha moved to intercept but the youkia jumped and landed behind the group.

"Give her to me and I'll let the rest of you live." He yelled before jumping again and pulling one of InuYasha's ears as he landed.

"OW! Fuck! You little shit, now you die" InuYasha roared as he ran off into the woods chasing the laughing youkia.

"…Should we follow them?" Sango asked.

"No," Miroku looked around, "InuYasha can handle that one on his own, we should stay here and guard Kagome in case it was a distraction."

In the forest, the mole ran, staying just ahead of InuYasha, `The woman was right, he is too powerful' he thought. He just had to make sure that she got hers now or this venture would be completely useless.

He took a hard right, diving under some brambles and immediately up into thorn tree with InuYasha hot on his tail. InuYasha cut through the brambles with his claws but was forced to follow the youkia into the tree to see his next move.

The mole jumped to the ground a few feet away and ran took off. InuYasha stayed right with him.

Once they were far from the tree the mole decided that InuYasha wasn't going to give up, and seemed far less winded than he was, so it was up to him. He stopped and fell down on his back with his arms over his head and sobbed.

InuYasha was forced to jump to avoid tripping over the ugly mass of sobbing youkia. He turned in mid air and landed on the other side, eyeing his quarry suspiciously.

"Please don't kill me!" He begged, "I see now that you are too powerful for me. Let me live and you will never see me again!"

InuYasha straitened, "Feh, if I do ever see you again I will enjoy killing you, no one threatens Kagome." With that InuYasha jumped into the forest returning to the group he left behind.

The Mole youkia sat up as his crocodile tears dried up. It worked, just like she said it would. All that was left was for him to claim his prize.

*

InuYasha returned to find the others had made camp and dinner was almost done.

"Just in time InuYasha." Miroku stated from his post by the fire. "I trust you took care of things."

"Feh." InuYasha scowled at the snakes roasting on the fire. Yet another reason to find a jewel shard soon, they were out of ramen.

*

Sorrell approached the thorn tree and looked up into the branches where several white strands of hair flashed silver in the moonlight.

"I got you your hair, where's my recipe?" The mole walked up behind her.

Sorrell reached into the toga and pulled out a small scroll. She tossed it to him without ever once looking away from the hair tangled in the thorns. "Choose your prey wisely and that is all the speed you will ever need." She said, dismissing him.

*

A/N: What does Sorrell have in store for InuYasha's hair? How is Sango going to keep Miroku from realizing the truth before Kohaku is healed? Will Miroku realize the truth anyway? Find out the answers to most of these questions next time!

Oh, for those of you who might have misread, it is a normal old crystal shard, not a Shikon shard.