InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Charade ❯ Someday ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Charade

Chapter Seven: SOMEDAY

"Oi, wench, wake up! You can't sleep yet! I need you to do me a favor."

"Huh…?" Kagome said sleepily, lifting her head from Inuyasha's shoulder. "Whatsa matter?" She yawned widely.

"No yawning," Inuyasha said, turning around to grin at her evilly. "You've only been up twenty-four hours; what's the big deal?"

"Only twenty-four hours?" Kagome said indignantly. "I usually get at least four hours of sleep a night! I can't do the whole stay awake for three days straight then sleep for three days straight like you maniacs do."

"Well, you're traveling with one of us 'maniacs' now, so get used to it. Besides, I need you to scan the area for any youki."

"Believe me, if I felt any youki, you'd know about it," she mumbled.

"Does that mean we're clear?"

"Yeah, we're clear."

"Good, 'cause I'm ready for a quick nap."

"A what! You hypocrite, weren't you just lecturing me for yawning?!"

"Hey, I've been up forty-eight hours now, show a little respect."

"Hypocrite," she maintained under her breath.

"I heard that. Maybe I should just drop you right here?"

"No, I'll be good," she sighed.

"That's better." He stopped in a little alcove not far off from the path. "Half an hour, okay?"

"What happened to finding Yoshida as soon as possible?"

"I can't find him if I'm asleep on my feet and my senses are all screwy, can I? Half an hour wench-don't forget."

"Okay." She sat on the grass, watching Inuyasha as he fell asleep in the breadth of a second. She sighed and stared up at the rising sun, basking in the sunlight. This is so surreal, she thought. Sitting here in the middle of a grassy field…I should be back in the hospital right now, caring for the wounded. A small smile flitted across her face. I wonder if Kitosumo even noticed I'm gone? Chances are he's sending frenzied prayers of thanks up to heaven right now.

She ran a hand through her hair and winced; her hair was so tangled and snarled that she wasn't able to move her fingers another quarter of an inch without ripping a couple hundred hairs out. "Man, I need a bath." She looked around, half hoping to see a lake appear out of nowhere. Not to her surprise, when a body of water didn't spring up out of nowhere, she shrugged and laid down on the grass beside Inuyasha. She watched the clouds above her float by at a leisurely pace. Her mouth twitched in amusement as Inuyasha started snoring quietly. She began to list every possible way she could wake him up in half an hour's time…

Inuyasha woke slowly, his eyes blinking away the sleep. Yawning widely, he rolled his head a bit, loosening the muscles and joints.

Then he noticed the color of the sky.

It was completely black.

He bolted to his feet in a rush of dread. Hell, how long did I sleep? His ears twitched convulsively and his eyes shifted so fast he nearly gave himself a headache. Where was Kagome? She should have woken him up hours ago!

He knew better than to dash through the proximity yelling her name like an idiot-but at least he could spare a few minutes looking for her. A growl rose in the back of his throat. What had happened to her? Had she been kidnapped? Murdered?

He knew better than to call out her name. Instead, he flicked his ears, tuning into the slightest sound. Nothing.

What a pain. Now he'd have to go search for her.

Sango's form grew more tense with every step they took towards her village.

"Sango, are you sure you want to-"

"Yes," she said forcefully. "See that big white tent in the middle of the commons? That wasn't there when I left. Does it remind you of anything?"

"A impromptu field hospital?"

Their eyes met and in one accord, they sped up their pace.

"You think it's Kitosumo and the lot?" Miroku asked.

"Most likely," she replied, "if they followed the same path we did."

"You thinking of joining back up with them?"

She shrugged. "What else is there to do? Nursing is all I've got right now. I can't go back to being a demon exterminator, now that everything I've ever fought for seems to be a farce, and my family's all dead. Hell, the only reason I'm alive is because I'm with you. I've probably got a bounty on my head already; I'm surprised Inuyasha didn't recognize me."

"You're not in uniform-and aside from that, an exterminator's actual aura changes when they're in battle mode. I noticed that when we were fighting together back in Sapporo."

"Yes," she said, "but you forget Inuyasha's an inu-hanyou. He knows my scent."

Miroku couldn't find a reply to that.

"What about you, Houshi-sama?" she asked, unconsciously falling back into the pattern of tacking the honorific onto his title. "What are you going to do?"

"Stay with you. I have work to do, anyway." He didn't tell her that Kitosumo was under suspect by those higher up in the ranks of the Channel. "And it's 'Miroku', remember?"

"Not if we're reverting back to our old roles. Wouldn't it be a little odd if a nurse and monk started calling each other by familiar terms?"

He saw her point. "I suppose you're right," he sighed, lamenting the loss.

"Come on." She broke into a run, as if sensing an impending danger on their heels. Miroku followed suit, sprinting after her. How far behind was the Russian army? How were Kagome-sama and Inuyasha faring? And what on earth were they doing? Surely Rocky would allow Inuyasha to drag Kagome on a mission; that was just stupidity.

"Houshi-sama." Sango had stopped in her tracks.

"What's the matter?"

"Look." She pointed at the tent. "Jyaki."

Miroku started. "You can…sense jyaki?"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Taijiya training. It's essential. But more importantly-what's going on in that tent?"

"Stay beside me," he said quietly.

She looked at him, surprised, and then her face broke into a smile. He'd just handed her the best compliment possible: he didn't tell her to stay behind him-he told her to stay beside him.

Damn it, Kagome, what happened to you? Inuyasha shifted through the foliage, searching for a glimpse of black or blue. Could you really have wandered off so far in such a short period of time? He looked up at the sky. He didn't have much time left to look for her. Yoshida was still out there, and if he didn't find him first, some Naraku thug would and undoubtedly kill him.

Buried in thought, Inuyasha almost missed the one clue that saved his hide. He did a double take and then squinted through the leaves. Was that…light? Seeing no better alternative, he sprung forward into the foliage and sprinted towards the pale blue light glowing in the distance.

When a good half hour had gone by and he still hadn't reached this mysterious light, he began to doubt his instincts. What if it's a trap? Unlike one I've ever heard of before, but it shouldn't have taken me this long to find this damn light-especially being hanyou. He paused for a minute, uncertain whether to continue forward, but decided to push in.

Another half hour, he thought. If it takes any longer than that, I'm turning back around.

Fortunately, the blue light did seem to get brighter the longer he ran, and before long he crashed headlong into some unseen force. Rubbing his head in pain, his eyes darted back and forth, looking for the source of his downfall. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing but the same trees and bushes he'd been running through for the past hour.

He didn't slip. He never slipped. He'd crashed into something-or something crashed into him.

Magic? Holy powers? Maybe Naraku's gotten on the good side of some dark priest? He moved forward, certain that the light seemed brighter now, and bumped his head against something.

What the-?!

Feeling somewhat like a mime, he placed his hands straight in front of him, and jumped when the rested on…something that could not be seen.

What in the hells was this? A…barrier of some kind?

His ears twitched at the memory. Rocky had mentioned something like that before… priests and priestesses having strong enough holy powers to form a protective bubble around them. Usually, Rocky had explained, these powers lay dormant until times or war and extremity. "That's why no one's really heard of such a thing before-these occurrences are too infrequent to be remembered as more than oddities of war."

"But then why don't we discuss this in military school?" Inuyasha had asked. "That's kind of an important point when planning strategy."

Rocky had given him a look. "You really think soldiers want to hear that they're going to be fighting against a relatively unknown force of religion and magic?"

"Absurd or not, it's better to be prepared!"

He had shrugged. "Hey, some nutcases still refuse to believe that youkai exist. I hear them and the International Flat Earth Society still get together annually for New Year's bashes."

Now, Inuyasha tried pounding against this barrier thing. Unbreakable. Typical-what did he expect? That a protective force could be shattered with the scratch of a nail?

"Hey!" he yelled, kicking at the barrier. "Anyone in there?"

His eyes narrowed. He'd seen a glimmer of something…

Stepping back, he raised his claws and yelled, "Sankon Tessou!" His blades bounced harmlessly off the barrier, leaving him back where he started. "Dammit!" He pressed his face against the barrier. "Kagome! Yo, wench, are you in there?! Because if you're not, I'm going to just leave right now!"

Was it his imagination, or did the barrier pulse a bit?

This is insanity. Did he actually believe that the little miko had put up this barrier? He hardly thought she was strong enough to do harm to someone with her power… but then again, she had fried that guy back at the hospital… He shivered involuntarily and began to yell again. If she had erected the barrier, that meant she was in some sort of danger. "Kagome! It's me! Open up!"

'Open up.' This gets more ridiculous by the second.

The barrier pulsed again, and gradually began to shrink. Inuyasha moved forward with each consecutive decrease in size, hoping to reach the center of the circle.

"Stop!"

He froze, recognizing Kagome's voice. "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha? Is-"

He flinched "Gah! Stupid wench, don't speak the name!"

"Oh…sorry…"

"Where are you?" He peered forward. "I still can't see you!"

"I'm in here… but how can I be sure that's you?"

"How can I be sure it's you? You could be another marionette of Naraku's. Of course, if you are, I can just rip you to shreds when you reveal yourself."

"You sure sound like In- err, Hanyou," she muttered. "Yet still…"

"It's him," a rasping voice said. "I can smell him."

"Sir?"

"What? Who the hell is in there with you?" Inuyasha demanded.

"It's…oh you'll see in a minute. You said it-smells like him, sir?"

"Can't run from inuyouaki blood," the voice said wryly.

"Kagome! Get rid of this damn thing right now!"

"That's Inuyasha all right," he heard her mutter.

The bubble suddenly disappeared, and there sat Kagome, her hair tangled and knotted, her face sporting a myriad of scratches and cuts.

But what Inuyasha was more concerned with was the man resting on her lap.

Miroku held his hand out, motioning for her to stop. He leaned towards the opening of the tent, listening for any sounds inside. Everything was still.

Sango suddenly pushed past him and burst into the tent, brandishing her measly dagger in defense.

"Sango!" Miroku cried in alarm, rushing in after her. "What d'you think you're…doing…"

Sango held her stance, scanning the tent in confusion for a moment. "It's the element of surprise, Houshi-sama," she said in a low voice. "Catch a youkai off guard, you have that small window before it has time to transform or react. If you take advantage of the opportunity and attack, you can be done with it in a sliver of time."

Miroku stared at her. "What if it's innocent?"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Most of the time it's not. And that window is only to wound it and gain the upper hand, not kill it. That'll take much longer."

Miroku didn't particularly hold with her method of reasoning…but then, he'd never killed youkai for a living. And I usually deal with the smarter youkai, he reminded himself. Sango's mainly been dealing with the thugs of youkai society.

"What," Sango breathed, "is this?"

Miroku shook his head. "Good question."

They were looking upon the typical setup of a field hospital tent: the bodies laid side-by-side on linen sheets, a small operating "table" set up in the far right corner… only, there was no one here, save for the bodies, which looked very much dead.

"A poison gas attack?" Miroku guessed.

"By whom? As far as we know, the Russians are still a good day behind us. The radical youkai groups have been keeping low profiles for a while now… when one goes underground, the others tend to as well, so as to not give away their position…" She glanced at him, as if just remembering who she was speaking to, and fell silent.

"How is it that you know so much about radical youkai groups?" he asked softly.

"Well, I was in league with one for a while, remember?" she answered sarcastically. "But when your livelihood is dependent on tracking moves of youkai, you tend to pick up patterns. They're not so different from humans, Miroku. Once you learn the patterns of the human race, just amplify that a bit, and you're set."

He inclined his head slightly. She was smarter than he'd given her credit for. Perhaps if he convinced Rocky to let her join their cause… that could possibly throw Naraku off balance. And she did have inside information that could aid them.

And possibly aid the other side as well, he reminded himself. Do you really want to put her in that kind of danger? If Naraku got his hands on her…

"There's something…fishy about this," Sango was saying. "It feels unnatural. All these dead bodies, laid out so properly, and not a soul here."

"There might have been danger and they had to leave quickly."

"Maybe." She suddenly moved and knelt by a soldier, touching his skin. "It's-warm," she said in surprise. She laid her hand on his cheek. "As is his cheek." She pressed her ear to his heart. "But…it's not beating. And he's not breathing!"

"He hasn't been dead long, then."

"Bodies turn cold a few minutes after the heart stops, Houshi-sama, you should know that!"

"If it was a slow death, some of that heat may still be retained. Which means these bodies have just died recently."

"All at the same time? There's no hint of gas in the air…" She moved to the next body. "Warm…warm…warm… Miroku, all these bodies are warm! They couldn't have all died at the same time!"

Miroku's brow furrowed, and he leaned on his staff. What in the name of Buddha is going on here?

"Unless…" Sango suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth. "Houshi-sama…get out now."

"What?" he stammered as Sango forcibly pushed him outside of the tent. "What's the matter?"

She dragged him a good ten feet away from the entrance before she removed her hand from her mouth. "A gassed death seems the only logical explanation. I was afraid that perhaps a colorless and odorless gas may still linger…"

"Could that have anything to do with the bodies still being warm?" he asked.

"I don't see how it could…unless it's some rare condition I've never heard about…"

Miroku's eyes narrowed.

"Houshi-sama…?"

"Something's…not right…" He stared hard at the tent, an unease growing within him.

"What?" Sango unconsciously moved closer to him. "What's the matter?"

"The jyaki has…changed."

"What the…hell…are you doing here?" Inuyasha yelled, dropping to his feet beside Kagome to roughly pull the man off her lap.

"Well, when is wandering through the forest trying to escape a group of terrorists after one's hide, one really doesn't care where one is going," the man snapped.

"But you of all people should know how important it is to submerge yourself in a large group of people," Inuyasha shot back, taking his pulse.

"Excuse me for my momentary lapse of reason-it tends to fluctuate when my life is in danger."

"Which makes you even more vulnerable. Those who can keep their heads in life-threatening situations are the ones that survive."

"Excuse me, Mr. Darwin," Kagome interrupted, "but I'm afraid the last thing Prime Minister needs right now is a lecture."

Inuyasha glared at her. "He needs this lecture so he doesn't pull something this stupid ever again."

"Inuyasha!" she hissed. "This is the Prime Minister you're talking about!"

"What did I say about the name?!"

"Like he's going to remember it!" she cried, exasperated. "Don't flatter yourself. We need to get him to safety."

"What the hell have I been saying for the past five minutes?" He threw his hands up in the air.

"Something about survival of the fittest, I believe."

"And you, wench," Inuyasha snarled at Kagome, "what possibly compelled you to wander off by yourself and erect this barrier thing?"

"I felt a youki."

This caused Inuyasha pause. "Huh?"

"When you were asleep," she explained patiently, "a sharp pain in my chest jolted me awake. I felt a strong youki not far away, so instead of wasting time by waking you up, I went to see what it was."

"You-went-to see-" Inuyasha spluttered.

"Don't mind him," she told the Prime Minister. "He tends to have convulsions when he misses out on the action."

"Ah," Yoshida nodded.

"Action? What action? You could have been killed, wench!"

"Oh please." She waved a hand at him. "It was only a small youkai-weird little squirrel thing that was about to chomp this good man's head off, but I fried it before it could have a taste."

"You made it sizzle in that pink light of yours?" he clarified.

"Yep. Not hard to get rid of. Then, fearing its friends would come back, I put up this barrier to protect us until you came."

"How did you know I would come?"

"I just did," she said simply.

Inuyasha colored a bit. "Oh." His brow furrowed. "But you said it wasn't far away…I traveled for nearly an hour before I reached you guys."

Now it was Kagome's turn to blush. "Oh…well…there was a bit of a chase…"

"Between you and the squirrel?"

"Between her and a pack of squirrels," Yoshida put in. "I had run ahead when I saw those big bushy demon things; she ran after me, and the squirrels after her. She would sent back a bolt of power every so often, between calling me various names."

Inuyasha gave her a slanted look, which she pointedly ignored. "Hypocrite," he said under his breath.

"Hey-I didn't know he was the Prime Minister. I had an excuse!"

He openly stared at her. "You didn't know he was the Prime Minister."

"It's not like I've ever seen him before!"

"You've never gone to any elections?"

"I'm a woman! You think men would appreciate me involving myself in politics?"

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Of course I know it; that doesn't make it any less true."

"Excuse me," Yoshida interrupted. "But weren't you going to get safety, somehow…?"

Kagome blinked down at him. "Oh yes," she said. "Inuyasha-pick him up."

He glared at her. "What am I, a pack mule? That's all I'm good for, huh? Carrying stuff?"

"Oh get out of your funk," she snapped. "Unless you want this man to be murdered and Naraku take complete power of the nation."

"Fine." He hefted the man onto his back. "You'll have to walk," he directed towards Kagome.

"Fine," she echoed, lifting her chin.

They set off, slowly making way through the forest.

"Ano…" Kagome said after a while. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Somewhere safe," replied Inuyasha tersely.

"And where exactly would that be?"

"A crowded village where no one can find us."

"Do you think there's one nearby?"

"Oh who knows. Stop complaining-you had your nap today. And we're traveling at night, so we're not visible."

"I'm not complaining!" she protested. "I just want to know what's going to happen!"

"Bothersome nag," he muttered.

Kagome drew back a bit. So that's what he thinks of me, huh? She withdrew into a moody silence.

"Umm…" Yoshida coughed.

"What is it?" Inuyasha snapped.

"This may not be the best time…but have either of you seen my signet ring?"

"What do you mean the jyaki's changed?" Sango asked incredulously.

"It's different. More powerful-stronger."

"But there was no one in there!"

"There apparently is now," he said grimly. "Let's go."

She nodded and they simultaneously burst into the tent. Only…nothing appeared to have changed.

Perplexed, Sango turned in a circle. "What's going on here?"

Miroku didn't answer.

"This place gives me the creeps," she whispered.

"Sango," he said in a low voice, "look at the bodies."

"Eh?" She stared hard at the cadavers. "What are you getting at, houshi-sama?"

His facial expression didn't change. "Look at their wounds."

"What wounds?" She was getting rather exasperated now.

"Exactly. I was almost certain that man over there had a cut on his arm…now he doesn't."

She shot him a look. "What-"

"And that man over there: look at his leg."

"Bloody," she noted. "Stab wound, looks like."

"Mmm. Just watch it."

"Watch it," she repeated dubiously.

"Just humor me."

She complied and stared hard at the man's leg. They stood like that for a good amount of time before Sango said, "Is it supposed to do tricks?"

Miroku didn't laugh. "Do the wounds look smaller to you?"

"Smaller…?"

"Turn away."

She gave up trying to question him, and obeyed his order. A few minutes later, he commanded, "Now look at it again."

Again, she obeyed and look at the wounds. Sango frowned. "They do kind of look smaller…but that's probably because you said something."

"Oh yeah? Wait another five minutes."

Sango grew more uneasy as the minutes passed. When the wounds on the man's leg disappeared a few minutes later, she exhaled heavily, her face confused. "But…they're not youkai. I can't sense any demonic powers within them."

"No…me neither. Which means that something foul's afoot."

Inuyasha gave Yoshida a Look. "Listen, old man, I know all this expensive stuff is important to you and all, but we're in the middle of a crisis here-"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked. "Don't be so rude!"

"Stuff it, wench, I know what I'm talking about."

"But-"

"It's not that hard of a question," Yoshida said patiently. "Do you have the ring or not?"

Inuyasha groaned and stuck his hand under the man's nose. "Does this answer your question?"

"Ah." The Prime Minister carefully slid the ring off of the hanyou's finger and onto his own. "It's safe, then."

"It's just a ring…" Inuyasha muttered.

"Inu-"

"The name! What did I say about the name!"

"Young man, you should learn to treat women with a bit more respect."

"Thank you," Kagome huffed.

"And I certainly wouldn't have expected you to be so blind. Doesn't the Channel usually pick exceptionally perceptive warriors?"

While Inuyasha was spluttering, Kagome asked, "What do you mean by 'blind', Yoshida-sama?"

He sighed and regarded his ring carefully. "This is why Naraku's out to kill me."

"Sango?"

The taijiya-turned-nurse had walked over to one of the wounded and was now kneeling beside him…sniffing?

"Um…what are you doing?"

"Demon's blood," she said softly. "I smell demon's blood."

Miroku instantly kneeled down beside her. "Injected, do you think?"

"Yeah…look at this: a whole regiment of men practically revived from the dead."

"Something tells me this isn't the first occurrence," he said quietly.

"I'm inclined to agree." She sat back on her heals. "So…this could explain why Japan is even still a part of this war. The Russian army outnumbers us multiple times over."

"Because we're losing half as many men."

They shared a look. "It's… not pleasant to realize we're fighting dirty," Sango murmured.

"And yet," said Miroku, "if we lose, it's certain that Yoshida will lose power, which will give Naraku a free path to claim authority."

Sango shook her head and looked over the bodies lying on the mats. "We're screwed."

"Yes." He blew out a breath and stood. "I think we should go now."

"Reviving people from the dead," she said to herself. "Poor men."

Miroku realized that she was thinking back to her own near brush with death. "What does it feel like?" he asked. "To… wake up like that?"

She was quiet for a moment. "You're disoriented at first. Your next thought is family and friends-are you really back from the dead? How much time has passed? And…who are you, really? Are you still yourself? It's a scary feeling." She blew out a breath. "And I'd imagine it'd be even scarier if these men are being brought back to life over and over."

"Who's done this?" Miroku wondered aloud.

"That's what I'd like to know," a new voice joined in.

Both their heads swiveled toward the flap of the tent that opened to the outside. Sango scrambled to her feet the minute she realized who it was.

Miroku immediately stepped in front of her. "Doctor Kitosumo," he said guardedly. "Aide Tonner. What brings you here?"

"That?" Inuyasha snorted in disbelief. "You're saying that Naraku's out to kill you because of that little ring and not because of your political standing?"

"Oh no, of course not," Yoshida said. "Of course he wants to be ruler of all Japan and leave me in the gutter so he can achieve that, but his first priority is this little ring right here."

"And pray tell-"

"Ignore him, please," Kagome said. "Yoshida-sama, why do you think Naraku wants that ring so much?"

Yoshida gave her a patient look. "My dear, does the name Shikon no Tama mean anything to you?"

Inuyasha nearly tripped. "The what?"

"Ah, so you have heard of it. Good, boy. You've redeemed yourself a bit."

Inuyasha was still shell-shocked. "Are you trying to tell me that the Shikon no Tama is in that ring of yours?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," the man sighed, twisting the ring a bit. "This signet ring has been in my family for over eight generations-and each ruling member of the family has been murdered for it."

Kagome started violently. Inuyasha gave the man an incredulous look. "Wouldn't that be reason enough to chuck it?"

"Oh no," Yoshida said, "this gem in the ring has been passed down through the ages-it is our blessing and our curse. It is the destiny of the Yoshida family to protect this ring."

"That's stupid-it if were me, I would get rid of it the minute I found it," declared Inuyasha. "From what I've heard, it's nothing but bad luck."

"Don't try and fool yourself, my boy," Yoshida said, "you'd do exactly what everyone else wishes to do with it." He laughed at his own pun. "Wishes…get it?"

Kagome was more than confused. "No."

"You don't know the legend of the Shikon no Tama?" Yoshida said, seemingly delighted to find a person who didn't know the story. "By all means, let me enlighten you!"

After five minutes had passed by and Yoshida had barely stopped to take a breath, Kagome was sorry she'd asked. She yawned again and turned to look at Inuyasha, surprised he hadn't said anything yet. They'd been walking for quite a while now, and they still hadn't managed to find their way out of the forest. They had to stop sometime, she thought reasonably. Yoshida was considerably heavier than Kagome: surely Inuyasha was uncomfortable carrying the man.

She opened her mouth to voice her concerns, but closed it when she caught the look on Inuyasha's face.

Pensive. Worried. Grim. Determined.

What was going through his head?

"Is something wrong?" she whispered, taking the chance that Yoshida wouldn't hear her over the sound of his own droning.

She was lucky; he didn't.

But Inuyasha, being hanyou, did. His ears twitched and he shrugged slightly. "Whatever," she heard him mutter.

A bit put out that he wouldn't confide in her, Kagome went back to listening to Yoshida.

"So…this little pink ball will allow give demons superhuman…er…superdemon strength, or allow one heart's desires?"

"In a nutshell, yes," said Yoshida.

"You make it sound like some kind of fairy-tale object," Inuyasha said angrily, speaking for the first time in a while. "It's not some 'fix-all' type of magic that will let you live happily ever after. You know how many people have died because of that gem?"

"Quite a few, from the sounds of Yoshida-sama's story," Kagome said matter-of-factly. She winced at the look Inuyasha sent her for that comment. What's he so upset about?

"Guess anything over ten is a statistic," he muttered.

"Huh?"

"Body count. No one cares after five people die-with no connection to faceless names, what do people care? It's just another pointless fact in a history book, only useful for boring school children with." He turned blazing golden eyes on her, glaring accusingly. "Will anyone remember us when we die, Kagome? If we gave our lives for this man right here, would anyone give a damn?"

"Inuyasha-" She was almost frightened at the look on his face; she'd never seen him so upset. You said my name…

"Naraku sure doesn't," he continued, looking away into the trees. "He will stop at nothing to gain that jewel-I realize that now. We're just a couple of trees blocking the path-if we're cut down, no one will hear us scream."

"Wait-you know about this? That Naraku wants this little stone?"

"Yes."

"So why are we still traipsing around the country? What exactly are we doing?"

"I thought…" He expelled a breath. I thought that I could defeat him by treating him like a common criminal…but now I understand that I've completely underestimated him. Hell, he probably knows Kagome isn't Kikyo-because of my blind stupidity, he's probably searching for her now!

He cast a glance towards her, picturing a death warrant stamped on her forehead. He didn't want to investigate why this upset him.

I'd thought that all he wanted was to boot Yoshida out of power…and I thought that by tripping him up with Kagome, I could buy myself more time.

Yoshida was just a pawn in the scheme of things. Naraku's real desire was the jewel-with it, he could have all the power he wanted. Yoshida just happened to be his link to the jewel.

An idea dawned on Inuyasha so suddenly that he stopped short. Kagome followed suit; he could see question in her eyes, but she didn't ask.

Naraku didn't give a rat's ass about politics. The radical youkai group was only a front; if Naraku's real intention was to obtain the jewel, he obviously didn't care about politics. If he didn't care about politics, then a radical political group didn't fit with his plans.

It was nothing less than a terrorist group that had every intention of obliterating everything in its path to achieve total and complete power.

They were in deeper shit than he'd originally thought they were.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, laying a hand on his arm, "what's the matter?"

He jumped and scowled. "Nothing."

"Don't tell me 'nothing'-your face looked like a thundercloud."

"Don't worry about it," he said in a clipped voice.

"Fine then," she said, an edge to her voice. He didn't want to share his problems? Fine-he could stuff them all inside him and explode for all she cared.

Only problem was…she did care. Which is what confused her. She felt protective towards this enigmatic man who was half-human, half-demon.

…Okay, she was attracted to him.

But who wouldn't be? With his white hair, muscular body, and heartbreaking (albeit rare) smile, he was a dream to stare at. And yet, she really knew nothing about him… except that he was somehow involved in espionage and that he was very committed to whatever cause he was rooting for.

Actually, she knew nothing about him. What was she doing traipsing across the country with this man? He could be a serial killer; why should she trust anything he said? What if he wasn't who he said he was? She only had his say-so that he wasn't part of the Black Mask.

She felt gentle hands take her by the arms and spin her around. She drew in a sharp intake of breath as Inuyasha's golden eyes scanned over her body. She felt herself go numb and a tremor of fear washed over her. "Inu-"

"Name," he hissed.

"Like he hasn't heard it enough times already," she said wearily, shooing a look at the Prime Minister, who Inuyasha had deposited on the ground. "What are you doing?"

He was running his hands over any exposed skin, as if searching for something. When he pushed her hair off her shoulders, she could feel his breath on her neck, and she shivered.

"Hah," he murmured in satisfaction, brushing his fingers against the base of her neck. "Thought so."

"Huh?" she said breathlessly.

"Two puncture wounds-typical way to insert poison in a body." He released a breath. "That explains why you were sick."

"Eh? Poison? What are you talking about?" She spun around to face him, propping her hands on her hips.

"You've been targeted," he said matter-of-factly, watching for her reaction.

"By…whom?"

"Who do you think, wench? Naraku, of course."

"I don't see any 'of course' about it-is Naraku responsible for all the evil in the world?" Poisoned? Me? "And why aren't I dead?"

His eyes widened comically, and Kagome realized how ridiculous her sentence had sounded. "I mean, if I was poisoned, theoretically, wouldn't I be dead?"

He shrugged. "Low dosage; they probably didn't mean to kill you, just incapacitate you."

"And why the hell would they want to do that?"

To slow us down so they could capture us. You. Probably kill me and Yoshida-but kidnap you. He didn't know. His head was aching from the lack of sleep and adrenaline rush. His heart rate had definitely bumped when he realized she was missing. And then the sinking feeling he'd gotten when finding the puncture wounds…

You don't know anything-she could have been bitten by a snake. No; she would have been dead by now. Those marks were definitely made by a double-notched syringe. How many times have I seen a dead body with those distinctive marks?

What does it all mean? Why Kagome? She's a miko, but her powers are nothing extraordinary. Why didn't they just kill her right off the bat?

Another thought came to mind, and he frowned. Why didn't they kill me? Obviously someone had the opportunity to finish both of us off.

"So…where is this person?"

"Say what?" He jerked himself out of his thoughts.

"Where is this person? I was sick before we went to sleep; that means someone poisoned me sometime after you fought with that Wind lady. Do you think it was her?"

Possibly. Poison darts, maybe?

The lack of sleep was getting to him. He couldn't think. All he knew was they had to get out of this goddamned forest. He shuffled over to Yoshida and hoisted the man back onto his back. "Let's go, Old Timer. C'mon, Kagome-I promise we'll rest at the nearest town we find."

Too tired to do anything but nod, Kagome dutifully trailed after him. How had she gotten into this mess?

Doctor Kitosumo frowned at Miroku and Sango. "What are you two doing here?"

"We could ask the same of you," Sango replied, her fingers tightening around the dagger hidden in the folds of her skirt.

"This is the old site for our field hospital. We moved out last night, after hearing a rumor of Russian proximity. I decided to return in case any stragglers had wandered behind…" His gaze slowly traveled across the bodies laid neatly on the ground. "Did you do this?"

Miroku shook his head in the negative. This man was working for Naraku; did he have anything to do with reviving dead bodies to be reused as soldiers? "We were looking for your hospital workers and stumbled upon this. What do you think it is?" he asked, hoping to draw the answer out of the man.

Kitosumo shrugged. "Odd death ritual would be my guess. Tendency of the locals-maybe it's a tradition to lay the dead in a position such as this."

"Superstition, perhaps," Aide Tonner suggested.

"How do you explain the jyaki, then?" Sango asked tensely.

Miroku stiffened. Sango didn't know about Kitosumo or Aide Tonner. Did she even realize they were brothers?

Of course not, you fool-she's not involved in the Channel. How could she know?

He hadn't told her anything about Kitosumo because he'd wanted to protect her. No, that wasn't true-he hadn't trusted her. Now… was that decision about to stab him in the back?

"Jyaki?" Kitosumo lifted a brow. "And what, my dear nurse, would you know about jyaki?"

Aide Tonner-who Miroku knew as Manten-snickered definitively. "Women're all the same, Kitosumo-san," he said. "Suspicious, superstitious, and simple-minded. She prob'ly can't tell jyaki from rotting oranges."

Miroku noticed Sango's jaw tighten. Stay calm, Sango, please… He laid a hand on her shoulder, hoping that it would look like a casual gesture.

"Ignorant…ass…" he heard her mutter.

Kitosumo watched them thoughtfully. Did he suspect anything? What if… Miroku's hand tightened on Sango's shoulder. What if he recognizes Sango? She had been involved with the Black Mask…although it sounded like she dealt with the group indirectly, there was still a chance of her identity being discovered…

It was amazing she'd been able to protect herself for so long. One didn't mess with the Black Mask and simply walk away. Which again brought up those doubts that she might not be completely truthful…

But at the moment, what other choice did he have but to trust her?

Kitosumo opened his mouth to speak-

Diversionary tactic! Quick, anything to keep his suspicions at bay…

"So, Kitosumo-sama, have you heard? Sango-san has agreed to marry me."

Off in the distance, a lone cricket could be heard.

Sango slowly turned to look at Miroku, her glare blasting at full force. He winced, getting the feeling he'd pay for that later…

"Inuyasha…? This doesn't look like an inn to me."

"Who said anything about an inn?" Inuyasha carefully laid Yoshida on the back doorstep of the tavern. Raucous laughter and shouts drifted out the open window and the stench of booze was overwhelming.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said warningly, "we are in a dark alley behind a tavern where anyone and everyone can see us. You call this a 'safe place' to 'get some rest'? Or am I missing an important piece of this puzzle?"

"Use you head, idiot," he said, flinging a scrap of cloth he found in a pile of trash over Yoshida. "Who'd think to look for the Prime Minister in a back alley? The first place they'd look would be an inn." He leaned against the wall and folded his legs Indian-style.

"But isn't this a typical place for members of the…Channel-" she whispered the word, certain that no one inside could possibly hear her-"to hide out?"

"I don't know," he said with a smile. "How many Channel members do you know?" He leaned his head back against the wall. "Get comfortable, wench, we're rising with the sun."

Gritting her teeth, she stomped over to where Inuyasha was and all but collapsed next to him. Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder and tried to find a relatively comfortable position.

"Oi, do I look like a pillow to you? Since when does 'get comfortable' translate to 'snuggle up with me'?"

"Personally, I do not find the hard ground even remotely comfortable. You're the closet thing to a pillow around this place. And warm too-my lord, you're like a radiator."

"Eh…"

She looked up at his face and then straightened. "Are you blushing?"

"No!"

She began to giggle. "Everyone gives off body heat, you know-it's a physiological fact. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Keh!" He resolutely closed his eyes.

Still smiling, she rested her head on his shoulder again. "'Night, Inuyasha," she murmured.

He just sighed.

"Hey. Hey, you-lady sleepin' on the floor."

She raised her head slightly, the moonlight shining through the bars of the prison cell. "What."

"The boss wants ya."

"At this time of night?"

"Whenever the boss calls, ya come." The guard shrugged. "'s that simple."

To you, maybe… poor pathetic creatures. Your only reason for existence is to do the will of "The Boss." Quite witty, aren't you, Naraku? Torture the youkai with low intelligence levels until they promise to remain loyal to you under the threat of a painful death…

"Fine." She stood and waited for the guard to painstakingly unlock the cell door. "Those keys can be handful, ne?"

"Tricky little bastards," he muttered in agreement.

She followed him down the hall, duly noting the change in decoration once she passed through the door that served as the junction between the prison cells and Naraku's mansion. The man was obscenely rich, but was he happy with his wealth? Oh no, he wanted to rule Japan and obtain the Shikon no Tama as well.

Greed will destroy you someday, Naraku, she thought. You've been lucky so far…you've gotten away with hell…but good fortune can't last forever.

The light from the lamps flickered on the gilded walls. Their footsteps echoed loudly on the tiled floor. The guard knocked on the door and waited for the customary "enter" before fumbling with the lock on this door as well.

She watched in amusement. Only Naraku was cocky enough to have his lackeys lock him inside the room.

The guard opened the door and made a point of not bowing as she entered. She got the message: she was a prisoner. And a women. A double negative, she thought. Does that make me positive? One notch higher up?

Yes, she'd definitely been in this nut house too long.

"Ah," Naraku said. "Daughter. How good to see you."

Revulsion twisted inside her stomach. You pathetic little man…one day I will break free of your clutches and remedy the wrong I have done-and the many, many wrongs YOU have done…

"Hai, Father, what did you need?"

Yes, someday…

Author's Notes: Yes, I realize this chapter was extremely overdue. Gomen nasai! It just didn't want to be written. ^_~ Hope you enjoyed it… please tell me what you think I'm doing all right, what you think I could fix, what you liked, what you didn't… you get the picture. Later, all.