InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Daybreak ❯ A Sense of Normalcy ( Chapter 24 )

A/N: Bloody hell this took a long time to get out!! Twas the season to be busy!, But still, I'm pretty angry with myself! Seriously, I sincerely apologise *bows deeply* m(_ _)m

 

Anyway, it's out now (Thank God!) so enjoy. Don't know when I'll get the next chapter out and I don't want to make any promises (because I just can't seem to keep them)! And I'd like to apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes. Can't seem to keep my right eye open.

 

Thankyous:

Nowyouseemenowyoudont, Lunabell, Kagome_rocks, Silver Dog of the Snow, Angel At Risk, Laur, Shaun You guys are all so awesome for putting up with me!

 

I realise I haven't said this for a while, but just in case you were wondering, no, I don't own Inuyasha. You're surprised aren't you?

 

 

Chapter 24- A Sense of Normalcy

 

 

Inuyasha stared at the blue sky where the strange black mass from Oniugmo had coiled like a cloud and disappeared.

 

He couldn't believe what had just happened. He was fighting Onigumo and the next second Kagome sat him before she released some fearsome spiritual attack that was unlike anything he'd seen before. Gingerly, he flexed his fingers in the dirt beneath him, trying to calculate any possible damage from the attack. He trusted Kagome completely of course, and he knew she wouldn't ever take a risk that may hurt him, but damn… his hairs were still on end from that raw blast of energy.

 

“Hojo-kun!”

 

Inuyasha heard the light patter of feet before he saw them pass his head and saw Kagome kneel down by the unconscious boy's body lying a few metres away. He watched as she managed to flip the half naked human on to his back and check for his pulse beneath his neck.

 

“Is he alright, Kagome-chan?” asked Sango coming up to the miko's side.

 

Inuyasha felt a rush of irritation as Kagome's hand came up to rest on the young man's forehead. “His heart is still beating…”

 

Feeling jilted and more than a little pissed off with Kagome's undivided attention on the boy, Inuyasha growled and managed to get to his feet. “Hey! What about me?! Wasn't I the one who was doing all the hard work just now?!”

 

Kagome looked up at him and frowned. “Don't act like a baby! Hojo-kun is a lot worse off than you!”

 

Eyes flashing, Inuyasha folded his arms and turned away. “Well, geez! Thanks for your concern!”

 

“Ah, bad luck, Dog Turd!” said Kouga coming towards him and patting him on the shoulder. “Just goes to show you how important you are to Kagome. Or should I say, un-important.”

 

Inuyasha felt a vein pop on the side of his head and turned to punch the wolf who easily avoided him by landing on the other side of the unconscious human. “Who is this guy, anyway?” he asked peering at the sleeping boy's face.

 

“He's Hojo-kun, a friend of Kagome's,” answered Shippou, seated next to Kagome's knee.

 

“Let's hope he still is,” said Miroku grimly. He looked down at the young man's face and frowned. “After the sort of trauma his soul has been through, I wouldn't be surprised if there was lasting damage.”

 

Inuyasha's ears pricked a little and looked towards the monk.

 

“What do you mean?” gasped Kagome.

 

“He might never regain consciousness, right, Houshi-sama?” whispered Sango.

 

“Indeed. Now all we have to do is pray he'll wake up.”

 

 

*****

 

 

Kagura waved her fan hurriedly as the shouji doors instantly slid open. Entering the room she came to a stop to stare at the being hidden by dark shadows that was her master. `Master…' she snorted to herself. She closed the fan in one hand and rested her other on her hip taking on an unintimidated posture. At least that's what she hoped it looked like.

 

A cup of sake halfway to his lips, Naraku's piercing red eyes locked onto hers.

 

“Kagura…” he rasped deeply. She repressed a shudder at his dark voice. “Where is it?”

 

The wind sorceress forced herself to take a deep breath, determined not to lose face. What a cocky bastard he was. One elbow on an arm rest, expensive sake bottle settled on the fine wooden table… There was no way in hell he would be relaxing in this elaborate room if he thought the time pearl was still around. He would be pacing around impatiently for her to get back so he could play with his new weapon.

 

Kagura's nose wrinkled but she quickly managed to relax the muscles before she answered. He knew all too well she didn't have the pearl, but she didn't have any choice but to go along with the question anyway.

 

“It's gone,” she said dully.

 

Naraku continued to stare at her, his blood iris gleaming, unwavering. “Gone?”

 

Kagura gritted her teeth. Bastard really wanted to play? “Yes,” she answered. “It turns out youkai and humans are affected by the youkai powers of the pearl. The information regarding humans being immune was false. As soon as Kagome touched it, it was gone. Instantaneously.”

 

Naraku finally raised his cup and took a swig of the remaining liquid, never taking his eyes of her. The `chink' of the cup being placed on the lacquered table seemed to echo in the thick silence. Kagura involuntarily swallowed as he continued boring holes into her eyes.

 

“I left Kagome,” she blurted out, unable to take anymore of the pressuring silence.

 

His calculating eyes didn't waver. This obviously wasn't a surprise either. “You did not do away with her?”

 

“It's not like I could; I was outnumbered. Even that wolf prince freak came along. But I'm sure it's not like you weren't watching through Kanna's mirror. You should have sent Onigumo to help if you wanted it that bad.”

 

Kagura saw his red irises flicker. Her eyebrows knotted together. “…What is it?”

 

Naraku stood and walked to the open window on the far side of the room where the grey-brown mountains rose, intimidating. “It seems,” he began after a long tense silence. “I have misjudged the human entity of myself.”

 

Still completely confused, the wind youkai watched as her master turned around to look at her darkly. “He has gone against me. Me, who has given him life after all this time… all for the sake of satisfying his lust for one pitiful girl.” He turned away mumbling. “Tch! `Humans can touch the pearl'…”

 

Kagura's eyes widened. Onigumo had betrayed Naraku? How on earth had he done it?

 

Her thoughts were pushed away from her as the evil hanyou turned his attention on her. “So, Kagura,” he purred sinisterly (she struggled to suppress a shiver). “I have another mission for you…”

 

 

*****

 

 

Kagome wrung the cloth in the tiny bucket of water and glanced up at the sleeping boy. Hojo was still completely knocked out lying on Kagome's sleeping bag, bandages wrapped around his shoulder. Carefully she pulled away some of the binding and tenderly dabbed at the wound that was slowly healing. Despite the exorcising attack being purely spiritual, the arrow head was still sharp enough to cause a normal sized gash. Kagome glared at the angry red sore more annoyed than guilty that the attack had to hurt her school mate. She would have to make sure it healed over perfectly. Mind you, on the plus side, she wouldn't have to worry about the risk of infection thanks to the purification.

 

It was mid morning now, the sun shinning generously down upon their quaint little clearing that they had temporarily claimed for their own. After the fight with Onigumo yesterday the group had decided to move to a spot that wasn't as completely and utterly decimated like Inuyasha's battlefield. With the sun fading fast, they had managed to haul Hojo's body over Kirara and move him to an area close to a rushing stream; something which came in handy when they addressed Inuyasha and Hojo's wounds.

 

Finally finishing the changing of Hojo's bandages, Kagome's eyes swept up one of the trees that lined the grassy clearing to land on a flash of red. Inuyasha was draped over a thick branch, head resting on his hand, with his back to the group. He was in a surprisingly grumpy mood and had been ever since Onigumo had been defeated. Especially with her - though he had absolutely no reason to be!

 

As soon as she knelt down by Hojo's unconscious side after the exorcism the hanyou had gone into his full-blown Egotistical Jerk Mode. He started raving about how they shouldn't be taking care of `this half-dead guy', how Onigumo might not be gone and how (just to make sure), they should kill the kid in case he was still the wild thief. This last suggestion was happily suggested with the assistance of the one and only Tessaiga whose gleam seemed to reflect in Inuyasha's golden eyes maliciously. Kagome had swiftly (and loudly) told him to stop acting like an idiot and that Hojo was completely harmless. Inuyasha clearly disagreed and the arguing couple continued their squabble until Sango and Miroku intervened. It was decided, much to Inuyasha's chagrin, that no one would harm Hojo until the nature of his soul was revealed. Of course, Kouga's taunting didn't help the hanyou's mood to lighten either.

 

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she gazed at the red haori up the tree. The sulking hanyou had been up there since last night, refused to look at her and only spoke to say some sarcastic comment. But that was fine with Kagome. She was more than angry with how juvenile he was behaving and so was silently thankful he was giving her the silent treatment (minus a few snide remarks) instead of antagonising her which would likely result in a quite a number of painful sits. And that was something she really didn't want to do especially since she had only recently returned to the group.

 

With that thought Kagome's eyes angrily snapped down to her curled fists in her lap. Honestly! She just got back! Couldn't he be a little nicer?! Kagome looked up at the others in the clearing. Miroku was silently stirring a pot of water that was bubbling quietly, a signal of its boiling while Sango was chatting quietly to Shippou as she polished her favourite and most lethal weapon. Kouga sat with his arms crossed, his back against a tree, huffing impatiently.

 

A soft smile graced her lips. It was amazing… Even though she had been held hostage for weeks, everything was still the same, except for Kouga's presence and the dishevelled kimono she was wearing.

 

“How much longer till the kid wakes up?” barked Kouga suddenly.

 

Kagome looked up at the wolf youkai. “He's still unconscious Kouga-kun,” she said gently.

 

“Well, yeah,” he said. “But how long until we know he'll never wake up or whatever? We can't just be sitting here forever.”

 

Miroku looked up from the boiling pot. “It's difficult to say, Kouga. I've never come across anything like this before. His mind has been crushed beneath the consciousness of Onigumo's for the past few weeks, so I should imagine it will take a while for it to readjust to its body.”

 

“But what if his body's been so physically damaged, even if his soul was fine, he might not wake up?” asked Sango softly.

 

“Then we can just blame Inuyasha,” said Shippou bluntly as he walked over and sat down next to Kagome.

 

Inuyasha's ear had twitched at that remark. “What was that?!” he yelled down at the camp.

 

“Relax, Dog-Breath!” called Kouga, putting his arms behind his head as a wide grin spread over his face. “He's only saying the truth. You were pretty violent with Kagome's friend back there, so if he never wakes up at least we know who to blame.”

 

Inuyasha, who had now moved into a squatting position on the branch, started before letting a smirk of his own reach his lips. “Heh, at least I actually did something. Who was it who was acting like a coward by the sidelines?”

 

Kouga lost his grin and stood up from the tree trunk. “I wasn't being a coward! I was aiding Kagome `cause she actually had a way of defeating that bastard, instead of watching you continuously get your ass handed to you!”

 

Inuyasha jumped down from his perch and the two shoved their noses in each other's faces. “Yeah, well, when was the last time you actually fought against that guy, huh? I know a coward when I smell one!”

 

“And I know a Mutt-faced half breed when I smell one!”

 

“What was that, Asshole?!”

 

Kagome sighed. She watched the two idiots continue their childish verbal spar when she felt someone urgently tugging her sleeve.

 

“Kagome!!” shouted Shippou, jumping excitedly. “He's waking up!!”

 

“Ho… Hojo-kun?” gasped Kagome peering over his face. His eyelids scrunched together as consciousness came back.

 

“Hmmm….”

 

Slowly, the boy opened his brown eyes a crack, as he took the girl's face in. “Higurashi-san?”

 

“Hojo-kun!” cried Kagome happily. “How are you feeling?”

 

The boy blinked a couple of times before he bolted upright, looking at the bewildered girl with wide round eyes. The shock of such sudden movement had Shippou fall off Kagome's lap in surprise. “Higurashi-san! Are you alright?! I must say, I had the strangest dream! I dreamt I followed you down a well and met a monster and- Oh! By the way, how is your arthritis fairing? That `gobo' root is supposed to be good for strengthening your body and-”

 

He paused and looked her clothes. “Higurashi-san, what a beautiful kimono! Are you going to a festival?”

 

Kagome smiled weakly and raised her arms trying to calm him down. “Not exactly, Hojo-kun…”

 

Over her shoulder, Kagome felt Inuyasha come up beside her. Even without looking at him, she knew he must have had his arms crossed and his frown plastered all over his face. Hojo's face shifted from cheerfulness to a genuinely polite expression as he took in the angry dog hanyou.

 

“Ah, you came to pick up Higurashi-san that day,” he acknowledged with a bow of his head. Inuyasha didn't make any gesture of greeting.

 

Hojo's turned his head as Miroku knelt down beside him. “Hojo-sama? It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Miroku, a humble servant of Buddah who travels trying to spread peace and devotion to all who dwell in this land.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “More like trying to spread his hands on all women who dwell in this land…”

 

“Miroku, did you hit your head or something?” asked Shippou sarcastically.

 

Miroku looked down at the fox and frowned in feigned offence. “First impressions are everything, Shippou.”

 

“Hello, are you all Higurashi-san's friends?” asked Hojo, taking in everyone who had crowded around him. “Ah! Are you doing cosplay?” He shivered for a second and looked down at his bare torso and the hakama that covered his legs in surprise. “Am I doing cosplay?”

 

“What the hell is `KOS-PURAY'?” exclaimed Kouga, stumbling over the foreign word.

 

“Hojo-kun, what is the last thing you remember?” pressed Kagome.

 

Hojo looked at Kagome blankly and put his hand under his chin. “Hmm… The last I remember… Oh yeah!” he cried bringing down his fist in his palm. “I wanted to return that pretty piece of glass to Higurashi-san! But then I think that's when the dream must have started…”

 

“What dream?” asked Shippou, slightly excited.

 

Hojo paused for a second as he looked at the kitsune child. He broke into a beaming smile. “Wow! That's a great costume you have there!” he said happily oblivious. Shippou looked at him as if he was mad, the corner of his mouth twitching.

 

“What dream was that, Hojo-kun?” urged Kagome. How much had he seen of this world before Naraku got him?

 

“Well, I tried to follow you into the well house at the back of your property. B-but only to return the glass piece to you!” he said frantically waving a hand in front of his face. “I think that's when the dream started. When I got inside, the well and the glass piece started glowing and I jumped in, but when I climbed back out I was in the middle of a forest! Then it felt like I walked for hours and then a blue giant attacked me! But then a strange gentleman with scaled tentacles on his back saved me and then took me to a cave, but when he touched me… well, that was it. Such a strange dream…” he pondered putting his hand on his chin again.

 

Everyone exchanged looks, apart from Kouga whose eyebrows were knotted in complete confusion. “Anything else, Hojo-kun?” asked Kagome gently.

 

“Just weird flashes and images,” he said looking at her honestly. He looked up at everyone around him, taking them in. “How strange, some of them involved you, and yet I don't believe we've met.”

 

“So, Hojo-san, you started dreaming when you followed Kagome-chan into the well house?” asked Sango.

 

Hojo nodded. “Yes, but actually, I think it must have started when we were at school; because I dreamt Higurashi-san kept slamming Inuyasha-san into the ground whenever she said `sit'…”

 

Sango and Miroku turned their heads and raised their eyebrows in complete synchronicity at Kagome. Kagome shifted uncomfortably and glanced up at them sheepishly. “He deserved it…”

 

“Deserved it fifteen times?” asked Inuyasha snidely, his arms crossed smugly.

 

Kagome got to her feet and thrust her nose in front of his face. “You're about to deserve it again!”

 

“Alright, alright,” said Miroku stepping in between them. “Let's focus on the matter at hand.

 

“Keh!” Inuyasha flicked his head away.

 

“Higurashi-san… um… where exactly are we?” asked Hojo finally looking around at the dense forest that surrounded them.

 

Kagome smiled weakly and sighed. “This is going to take some explaining…”

 

 

*****

 

 

“I see…” said Hojo. “So all this time you were coming here.”

 

“I am sorry, Hojo-kun,” said Kagome, her hands around Shippou's waist as he sat contentedly in her lap. “It just made things easier if everyone thought I was sick. It's not like anyone would believe me, apart from my family. I'm sorry for all the gifts you wasted on me.”

 

“No, no! Not at all!” said Hojo, frantically waving his hand again. “I'm just glad you weren't really as sick as your grandfather said. It's a relief knowing you don't have diabetes!”

 

Kagome had a sudden shock of déjà vu. She had had the same conversation with Onigumo back at the castle months ago and she had thought she was talking to Hojo then. Looking back on it now, she realised there had been a dark air around Hojo then, but now, all she saw was a happy schoolboy. How she thought Onigumo as Hojo was being sincere back at the castle, she'd never know.

 

“And that man who was controlling my body, the man I'm supposed to be the reincarnation of… he really did all those terrible things I dreamt about?”

 

“I'm afraid so…” said Kagome gently. Poor Hojo… She couldn't imagine how hurt and confused he must be feeling now.

 

“Damn, that Onigumo bastard!” said Kouga, sitting next to Kagome. He slammed his fists together. “If I ever see him again, he'll wish he was dead!”

 

Hojo looked down at his clenched fist for a moment before looking back up at her with round concerned eyes. “I-I swear, Higurashi-san! I am most definitely myself this time! I am not that bad man! I am not tricking you this time!”

 

Kagome looked at him in surprise and smiled warmly. “I know, Hojo-kun, I can tell.”

 

“Speaking of which, Kagome-chan, how did you get that powder?” asked Sango from across their circle. The group had since sat around for Kagome's explanation minus one inu-hanyou who sat away from them, his back turned to the group.

 

“Yes, never have I heard of it before, but it worked a treat!” praised Miroku. Everyone looked at her expectantly, although Hojo was smiling blankly (they had yet to properly explain everything that had happened with the time pearl and the Shikon no Tama, hoping not to overwhelm him with everything else that had happened).

 

“Well, when I touched the time pearl I went back in time, because the rumour was a lie,” she clarified.

 

Everyone nodded.

 

“And I met a beautiful princess and her son…” she said, her eyes darting to Inuyasha's back. “...who was a hanyou…”

 

She saw Inuyasha's ears twitch.

 

Everyone blinked at her. “A princess had a hanyou son?” asked Shippou.

 

Just then, a loud yell from the distance interrupted her explanation.

 

“Kougaaaaa!!”

 

“About fucking time!” called out Kouga getting to his feet. Ginta and Hakkaku stumbled into the clearing gasping and wheezing before collapsing onto their behinds, desperately trying to catch their breaths.

 

“Sorry *wheeze* for taking so long!” gasped Ginta.

 

“We *gasp* we were looking for you *pant* all night!” panted Hakkaku.

 

“We've been here the whole time, idiots! You need to get faster!”

 

Sango got to her feet. “Would you two like something to eat?”

 

“Oh, are you two Higurashi-san's friends as well?” asked Hojo enthusiastically.

 

In the commotion of their new arrivals Kagome placed Shippou down and walked over to Inuyasha. Upon seeing her approach out the corner of his eye he stubbornly flicked his head away.

 

“Inuyasha, let's go get some firewood so we can make some soup,” she said gently.

 

“I'm sure you'll have no problem getting it yourself! Why don't you ask Kouga or that Hojo guy if you're scared of going off alone?”

 

Suppressing the twitch at the side of her mouth Kagome put on a smile. “I actually wanted to talk to you.”

 

“Well I don't wanna hear it,” huffed Inuyasha, sticking his nose in the air.

 

“Really?” asked Kagome looking down at him. She looked away and put a finger to her lips. “It's about Koinu-chan…”

 

Inuyasha's ear flicked again and slowly opened an eye to look at her.

 

“It's important, Inuyasha. Please,” she said turning serious.

 

Inuyasha stared at her for a second before heavily sighing and getting to his feet. Neither was noticed by the raucous group as they silently left the clearing.

 

 

*****

 

 

“So what'd you wanna talk about?” asked Inuyasha gruffly as they walked through the trees in silence. He didn't actually mean for it to come out so short. He was actually quite relieved to get away from the noise and spend some alone time with Kagome, even though he was still fucking livid that she and the others insisted on taking care of that Hojo freak. He still didn't trust the innocent looking human male. But Inuyasha had to admit, he didn't seem possessed by Onigumo anymore. If he had acted irrationally… Well, maybe he would admit it was a good thing he didn't commit the finishing blow. Maybe.

 

He watched Kagome shuffle past him, being mindful of the long pink kimono she wore so as it didn't drag on the ground. She bent down and picked up a piece of wood.

 

“Well, we never really had a chance to talk before…” she mumbled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

 

Inuyasha breathed in her scent. When she had returned to the present, he was knocked off balance by the potent, nonchalant smell that surrounded her. Now, though the smell was nearly all but gone. The thought crossed his mind by how lucky he was for that warm scent to reach his nose again, especially when he never thought he would again.

 

It was the smell of his mother. Kagome was wearing his mother's kimono. The same pink one that she wore when she held him on the bridge saying her tearful goodbye, two hundred years ago.

 

Inuyasha suddenly felt overwhelmed by the turn of events. Who would have thought that now, his past was returning to him? All this time when he thought it was someone else, it had been Kagome. Kagome… His first love, all this time…

 

“It was you…”

 

It came out as a whisper, but it was loud enough that Kagome turned to look at him, her eyes wide with hope. She must have understood the look on his face because her expression softened to match his own; an expression full of awe and mutual understanding. They had been through so much together, but this strangely seemed to have changed things. Made their unbreakable bond deeper.

 

“Who did you think it was?” she asked softly.

 

“I thought it was Kikyou…”

 

Kagome's face froze.

 

“What?”

 

“Don't get mad! You two look similar, that's all!” said Inuyasha louder than he meant to. He looked away, now ashamed of ever getting the two confused. “Over the years my memory started to get blurry and I forgot what that woman looked like. Well, not completely… You two have similar faces so when I met Kikyou, I always thought it was her. And you said you wouldn't remember me when we met so I just assumed… Besides, I was just a kid then…”

 

He felt Kagome's eyes on him, but still refused to meet them. “So that's why you never mentioned it to me…” At her words Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink. Of course he didn't mention it. That was something too personal. Too special.

 

“When I was with you in the past,” continued Kagome. “In your childhood, I often wondered why the you now never mentioned me. I thought you had forgotten.”

 

Inuyasha snapped his head up at her. “WHAT?! How could I forget something like that?!”

 

Kagome blinked at him, surprised at his sudden outburst.

 

“Do you have any idea how much I thought about those times as I was growing up? About that promise you made to see me again?” he asked walking towards her, his golden eyes boring into hers. His hand clenched at his side as he looked down at her, their chests only an inch apart. “Kagome, I… you were the first one aside from my mother to ever accept me. You didn't care what I was.”

 

“Inuyasha…” whispered Kagome, the same longing expression on her face he had come to crave. He gazed at her delicate features, her round deep eyes, pink cheeks before coming to stare at her lips.

 

Slowly he brought his arms up to wrap around her shoulders and gently pull her flush against his chest. He could see Kagome's blush spreading and feel her breath against his mouth.

 

“Kagome…” he breathed, his own heart pounding in his ears. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek. All this time, all these years, and she had finally returned. He was finally reunited with the woman who had kept his promise to see him again. His Kagome…

 

The mood was suddenly broken when Inuyasha's head suddenly jerked up, surprising the young woman in his arms.

 

“Inuyasha?” she asked confused.

 

“Darn, he was so close too.”

 

Inuyasha swung his head around to see Miroku and Shippou peeking at them from behind a rock.

 

“Oh, he saw us!” said Miroku, genuinely surprised.

 

“That's cuz you're being too loud!” scolded the fox demon.

 

“What the fuck do you guys think you're doing?!” roared Inuyasha as he and Kagome jumped away from each other.

 

“We came to check on the firewood, but we didn't want to interrupt,” said Miroku simply.

 

“Then you should have gone back to camp!!”

 

His cheeks blazing as red as Kagome's, Inuyasha lead the miko back to the camp with Miroku and Shippou following behind, both nursing large bumps on their heads.

 

“Higurashi-san,” said Hojo coming up to the young woman by Inuyasha's side, a worried look on his face. “I must apologise. I… I had no idea you were engaged.”

 

Kagome and Inuyasha stopped and looked at the human. “Engaged?” they asked simultaneously.

 

“To Kouga-san,” Hojo answered innocently, if not a little deflated. “He just introduced himself. I guess all this time, I never read the signs that you were involved…”

 

“WHAT?!!” screamed Inuyasha, a vein popping out the side of his head. The rest of the camp looked up at the returning group, startled.

 

“Kouga-kun! Why would you say that?!” yelled Kagome, her fists clenched.

 

“Because it's true!” said Kouga simply, his hands resting on his hips. “It's only natural that I would wed my woman one day. I thought we went through this.”

 

“Don't go deciding things on your own!” yelled Kagome and Inuyasha.

 

Hojo looked between them and smiled. “So he's not your fiancé?”

 

“No!” shouted Inuyasha while Kouga shouted yes at the same time. The two demons glared at each other, their teeth gnashing.

 

Poor confused Hojo just smiled. “I don't really know what's going on, but it's a good thing more people are staying with us!”

 

Inuyasha looked at the human boy with narrowed eyes. “More people?”

 

“Kouga said he's coming along as well until we get Kagome home,” said Sango looking up from the steaming pot Ginta and Hakkaku was watching intently.

 

“Damn straight,” said Kouga nodding. “After the hell Kagome's been through this past month, I'm making sure nothing else happens to her! And since she insists on staying with you, Mutt, I guess that means I've gotta put up with you. Hey, it's a small sacrifice for Kagome's safety!” he finished shrugging.

 

The hanyou felt his eye twitch. So not only was he going to have to keep an eye on that Hojo guy, but now he was going to have to put up with the mangy wolf?!

 

Inuyasha mentally screamed. This was going to be a fucking picnic.

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: DONE!! Don't know when the next one will be out, cuz I'm off on holiday. Happy New Year everyone!!