InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tangled Ambitions ❯ Greed ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer - I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Chapter 2: Greed

The Monk and Taijiya stare at the objects in the old woman's hand with concern for their small owner.

Sango takes the length of blue ribbon and draws it through her fingers, picturing it tied in a jaunty bow on the Kitsune's head. "They definitely belong to him," noting a few golden-brown hairs tangled around it.

"Where did you find them, Kaede-sama?" Miroku takes the wooden top from her, Shippo's favorite prop. `He wouldn't leave these unless he had no choice…'

Kaede points towards a small rise just visible through the trees, "Up there, next to a large pile of acorns." The three exchange looks; they all knew how the Kitsune loved those nuts.

The old woman continues, "I had my suspicions when Shippo's friends told me he was looking for them. It's the wrong time of year for acorns," she explained.

Sango nodded in agreement, "But why…?"

Kaede looks at the young woman and further explains, "When I found the pile of them - out of season and piled neatly under a tree that they couldn't have come from - I searched the area and found those." She points to the objects in her friend's hands.

"I continued searching and wasn't as careful as I should have been, tripped and rolled down the slope." This was said with some embarrassment. "I should have asked for someone to come with me, or at least said where I was going."

Miroku lays a hand on the Miko's shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "We all make mistakes and you couldn't know what would happen." He looks at the top in his hand and gives it back to her, watching her fingers close around it, "…or what you would find."

Sango had stood up and was staring at the small rise. She calls Kirara over and looks at her friends, "I'm going to take a look before we take Kaede-sama back to the village."

She sprints away up the rise with Kirara alongside.

The Monk's eyes follow her until she is out of sight and then he sighs. Kaede slants a look at him, `If he could only see his face,' she thinks amusedly.

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Sango and Kirara stop in the small clearing atop the rise, the pile of acorns lying obviously to one side. She walks over to inspect them, crouching down and picking up first one then another, comparing them. `These are from different kinds of trees.'

Aware of the huge cat-youkai walking the perimeter, she stands and examines all the trees surrounding the clearing, and a few outside the initial ring. `None of these trees bear acorns.' She looks back at the pile of capped nuts, `Squirrels and monkeys don't gather them like that, either.'

She starts scanning the area intently, ground and trees, looking for anything out of place.

There were an unusual amount of dead leaves on the ground, mostly near the pile. She looks up frowning in concentration and sees something dangling from a branch overhead. Climbing up she notices small gouges in the bark now that she is closer, some deep enough to ooze sap. `Fresh,' she concludes.

She reaches the branch and edges out to reach her target. It appears to be dark string or very fine rope, and it's wrapped and tied around the branch, not just draped as she had thought. She anchors her legs around the limb and leans out to untie it. `It looks like string or cord, but…' She sits up to examine it, `…it feels cold and a bit stiff,' holding it up to the light coming through the leaves above. She peruses the ragged end where it had been cut, "Metal wires?" She touches the fray and pokes her finger on the fine wires, `twisted together like rope!'

She carefully tucks the strange length under her belt and swings down to the ground. Kirara comes over and Sango holds it out for her to sniff. "Who would make a rope out of wire?"

The cat grimaces with whatever she smells there. Sango pats her on the head and puts the rope back under her belt, `…and why?'

She climbs on Kirara's back to ride back down the small hill to her injured friend, worry growing for the fate of the littlest member of their group.

- - - The Day Before - - -

Shippo follows the odor, anticipating a quick snack, `Yum…acorns!' Every few yards he would stop to test the air, changing direction as needed to stay with the scent.

After a short while he tops a rise and comes to a clearing. Stopping at the edge just out of the direct sunlight, he looks around and sees a rather large pile of acorns lying under a tree across the clearing. His eyes grow big at the amount he could clearly see.

"Wahoo!" He shouted and bounded over, "Plenty for now, and plenty for later!" He halts next to the pile that was almost as tall as he and reaches for a handful…

Chaos! The leaves all around him rise up, enveloping his little body and lifting him off the ground. "EEEAAK!"

Shippo struggles to escape, as the hard binding grows tighter, leaves falling with every motion exposing the net that had trapped him.

`Net?!' He wraps his tiny hands around the strands and yell, "KITSUNE BI!!"

Bluish flames burst forth incinerating the remaining leaves that were caught up with him but the net remains intact. The flames die and the net is as strong as before and unharmed.

He begins to panic and renews his struggling. His blue bow is snagged from his head, caught in the mesh and falls like one of the leaves lying below him on the ground. He pulls and bites at the strands but makes no mark.

A dark clad form drops from above and stands next to him where he dangles, a low chuckle and the man's deep voice startles him to attention, "Feisty little one, aren't you?"

Shippo stills and peers through his tangled mop of hair at the man, and sees him reach toward him, his face hidden behind a mask, `That's like…'

The desperate Kitsune furtively tucks a hand inside his shirt and wraps it around a familiar wooden toy.

Just as the man was about to touch the net, Shippo pokes his arm through the mesh and tosses the wooden top at him. The man's reflexes move him amazingly fast and he dodges it, the suddenly huge top spinning harmlessly away, wasted.

"Now, now…we'll have none of that, my valuable little prize."

Shippo twists around and watches the man pull out a small clay jar and unstopper it; a thick viscous smoke rises up to envelop him where he hangs helplessly.

Shippo covers his nose and mouth with both hands, but begins to choke on the sickly-sweet vapor. His heart pounding wildly with fear and his vision blurring, the man's chuckle follows him into darkness. His last coherent thought, `Why is he dressed like Sango?'

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Shippo slowly claws his way through the shadows, a long seeming climb. He hears creaking first, and odd chitterring noises nearby. He then notices an uneven swaying, jerking motion that enhances his dizziness. He moves his hand over the smooth surface he lay on. It felt hard and cold - like metal.

The air is moving freely over him and the creaking keeps time with the rocking movement. Shippo opens his eyes and squints, trying to focus, `Where…?'

He blinks at the vertical bars that dominate his view, and pushes himself to a sitting position with difficulty. He braces himself against a feeling of nausea and breathes deeply until it passes. With his vision improving and the fresh air clearing his head, he begins to explore his surroundings.

He was in a small cage, just high enough for him to stand and twice as wide, made with heavy metal bars. The top and bottom appear to be made of metal as well and a heavy lock dangles from the door.

Night is falling, but there is still enough light to see that he was on a wagon and that he was not the only cargo. Other cages containing not animals but… His eyes open wide and he whispers, "…youkai."

The cages were filled with different kinds of lesser demons, some noisily protesting, others lying in apathy or asleep; possibly drugged as he had been.

The sides of the wagon are too high to see the passing countryside, and too high to see the driver, but he could hear the clop of hooves from the beast pulling it. `No…beasts; that's the sound of eight feet, not four.'

Still too unsteady, he crawls over to the door and grabs it, rattling it loudly disturbing the other creatures around him. "Hey!" He shakes the door again, "Let me go!" No response and the wagon continues to roll on.

"Hey!!" Shippo yells loudly as he rattles the cage door incessantly, *Clang Clang Clang* The noise incites the alert demons around him to complain, growing louder with his cries. "You better let me outta here!" *Clang Clang Clang* "You're gonna be sorry!" He listens…still no response except for the growing volume of agitation from the other cages.

*Clang Clang* He tries to yell louder, "Who do you think you are? Hey!!" *Clang Clang Clang* "You don't think you can get away with this? Do you?" His rising ire urges him on, "You don't know who you're dealing with!" *Clang Clang* "You're gonna have more trouble than you've ever seen!!"

He pauses…'nothing, dammit!' and takes a deep breath, "Are you listening out there?! Did you hear what I said?! …pause… "I have friends you know! They're gonna come after you!" *Clang Clang* Angry tears start to fall and he screams, "They're probably gonna kill you and I won't stop them!!" …pause… "Did you HEAR ME?!!"

Suddenly a loud bang, like something solid thudding into the wooden side and the man's voice, "Quiet down back there!" Most of the squalling demons obey.

Shippo grows angrier and rattles the door furiously, "OH YEAH?! You just wait you scummy piece of crap! When my friends find me, they'll MAKE you let me go!"

He breathes heavily and listens…nothing.

*Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang*

"FINE THEN!! LET INUYASHA CUT YOU UP IN LITTLE PIECES, AND THEN GET SUCKED UP UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO BURY - YOU BASTARD!!!"

Shippo halts to catch his breath and notices that the creaking, that had been steady behind the noisy youkai, was gone…the wagon had stopped.

Half hopeful and half dreading the owner of the deep voice and the approaching footsteps coming around to the back of the wagon, Shippo stands and steps back from the door until he is right up against the bars, and swallows hard.

The sound of chains is followed by the tailgate dropping, letting a little more of the fading light into the back of the wagon, and silencing all the demons.

The man wasn't wearing his mask this time and there was a cruel slant to his mouth as he glares at the now quiet Kitsune. He grabs hold of the bars of Shippo's cage and gives the whole thing a hard little shake, knocking the unsteady occupant forward onto his knees. Shippo stares fearfully through his unbound hair and begins to shake all over.

The man bends close to the bars, squinting his eyes with malevolence, the scar across one cheek pulling one side of his mouth up and bares his teeth, "Did you say, InuYasha…the hanyou, InuYasha?"

Shippo blinks, `maybe he's heard of him and will let me go because he's afraid of him…' He clears his throat and rasps, "Umm…yeah…"

The man begins to smile and Shippo shrinks back from the unholy glee that spreads across his twisted face, scaring him more.

He lets go of the bars and starts to chuckle to himself, "Well, well, well. Hehe, it seems you're even more valuable than I thought." He braces one arm and strokes his chin in contemplation, a sinister figure in black and laughing in the deepening dark. "He's the one gathering the Shards of the Shikon no Tama, correct?"

Shippo gulps, realizing his mistake and tries to remedy it, "No…umm…no, no…I lied. I don't know him…never met him…"

The man violently shoves the cage back, slamming it into the ones behind it. Shippo is bounced off the bars and lands heavily on the bottom, stunned. "Do you take me for a fool?" The man scoffs at him, "You're just a filthy little demon trying to save your own skin."

Shippo stares up at him, guilt rendering him speechless. `No! No, it's not like that!' His mind screams in defiance but fear seals his voice.

The man reaches out to give the lock a twist, testing it and satisfied with it's strength, "Now, we have a ways to go yet, and I'm tired and want to get paid. The night will be long enough without all your whining, so…" He bends down and lifts the tailgate up, holding it halfway closed and snarls, "I don't care how much your worth - If you don't keep quiet I will rip you apart!"

With that, he slams the gate shut and latches it.

Shippo listens in the darkness to the man's footsteps, feels the wagon tilt as he climbs back onto the front, and hears him call to the horses and get them moving. The Kitsune rests his head on his crossed arms where he lay in his small prison, and begins to sob quietly in despair. `Oh, Kagome…I'm sorry…'

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Shippo is startled awake with the dropping of the tailgate, the bright torchlight making his puffy eyes hurt. He hears many human voices, but one stands out from the rest…His. Another rises above the chatter in excitement, "A real one? Are you sure Akunin?"

The man's voice answers, "Just as I promised. A prize specimen for My Lord's collection." Akunin and a richly garbed man approach the open back of the wagon, two others more meanly dressed were following them and carrying lanterns. "See for yourself, Sakutaro-sama." He allows the important-seeming man to pass in front of him and peer into Shippo's cage, watching with satisfaction.

Sakutaro waves one of the others to bring his lantern closer and Shippo scrambles to the back of his cage, feeling a growl creep up his throat and escape in a raspy hiss.

The pompous man jumps back and looks at the dark clad man, "My word, you are a very gifted Taijiya, Akunin." He looks back at the cage, "To capture a live Kitsune…the Master will be very pleased." Sakutaro removes a bulging bag from his belt and tosses it to him. "The agreed upon amount."

Akunin weighs it in his hand and ties it to his belt, bowing to him, "Thank you, Sakutaro-sama."

Sakutaro glances at the other cages and comments, "These, I assume, are the replacements?"

Akunin nods, "Hai, Sakutaro-sama. A large variety as usual."

"Good, good…that is very good." Sakutaro clasps his hands behind his back and motions with his head at the wagon and speaks with command, "Get it unloaded, quickly."

The two assistants wave over more servants that had been waiting for this summons by the doors of the large building half hidden in the shadows of the pre-dawn darkness. Four are carrying two long poles between them. They approach and slide the poles through the top of Shippo's cage, pull it forward and using the poles, lift the cage and begin carrying it towards the open doors.

"Sakutaro-sama?"

He turns to the Taijiya, "Yes?"

Akunin bows to him, "May I respectfully request the smith to construct a new cage? The large size - but stronger than any before. Very strong. It needs to be ten fold stronger and reinforced, top and bottom. If all goes well, I will need it in 2 days."

"Oh?" Sakutaro looks at him questioningly, "You have plans?"

Shippo grabs the bars and sees Akunin stare right at him and smile as he answers, "Hai, Sakutaro-sama."

Just before Shippo's cage enters the building, he hears this last.

"I'm going hunting."

- - - Back to now - - -

InuYasha sits up in a tree overlooking the Bone-eater's Well and stares fixedly at the dark opening, `It's morning already…' Glancing around he sees that the early morning mist had completely disappeared from among the trees. `Where is she?'

He crosses his arms and leans against the trunk, swinging his leg impatiently while glaring at the Well, `If she's not here soon…'

"InuYasha!"

He looks down at the Monk crossing the clearing to stand next to the Well, cupping his hands around his mouth and interrupting the birdsong. "InuYasha!"

The Hanyou sighs and jumps down, startling him, "Inu - Oh!"

InuYasha folds his hands into his sleeves and glares balefully at the Monk, "What is it, Miroku?"

"I had a feeling you would be here."

InuYasha rolls his eyes and sighs, "So?"

"We have a problem…We believe that Shippo has been kidnapped."

InuYasha's eyes had wandered to the well-mouth and they snap back to the Monk's face incredulously, "Nani?"

The Monk takes a deep breath, "He disappeared 2 days ago, and we could really use your help, InuYasha. The clues are few and, with your keen senses, there may be something you might notice that we cannot."

InuYasha frowns, `Shippo…gone?' He pictures in his mind the annoying little Kitsune…teasing him…playing tricks…whining… InuYasha feels anger swelling at the thought of the orphaned fox-child in someone's clutches, hurt or dead, torn away from them…from Kagome. `She's gonna cry…'

He looks at Miroku, his eyes gone hard, "Show me."

They turn toward the path back to Kaede's. InuYasha takes a few steps before grabbing the Monk's arm and stopping him. "Wait…"

Miroku looks at the Hanyou whose eyes were aimed at the Well, "Kagome's back."

They both watch a stuffed yellow backpack land heavily on the ground next to the Well.

"You go ahead, Miroku." InuYasha starts walking back, "We'll meet you at Kaede-baba's."

Miroku nods and follows the path to the village.

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Kagome holds onto her friend's waist as they ride on the large Cat-Youkai through the air, the wind blowing her hair and tangling it in the string of the bow slung across her back.

"You should have stayed with Kaede-baba, Kagome," InuYasha yells at her as he follows with great leaping strides.

She looks over her shoulder angrily and yells back, "Like hell I should!" Her voice drops and she says, "I may not be able to do much…"

Sango looks at her in surprise, "Kagome-chan!"

The girl's brown eyes look sad, "…but there is no way I could just sit at Kaede-obachan's and wait." Her vision begins to blur, "Poor Shippo…He's so little…He must be so scared…" She blinks and anger burns the tears away, "Who could do such a thing?"

Sango feels the girl's grip tighten with her rising temper. "Kagome-chan, we'll find him," she promises.

They share a determined look and Kagome nods in agreement.

Sango faces forward and points, "There…that's where he was taken!" This was said loud enough for the following Hanyou to hear.

Kirara lands in the clearing with InuYasha close behind, and the women dismount. The Cat walks over to the diminished pile of acorns, evidence of others enjoying the bounty.

Sango follows and shakes her head, "I wish there were more here to find." She looks at Kagome, who has joined her, "I'm not sure if searching here will help after 2 days."

She scans the now familiar glade, having come back yesterday to go over it again until night had sent her back to Kaede's with empty hands.

Kirara makes several "whuffing" sounds and grimaces. InuYasha walks over, puts his hand on the huge Cat's furry back and nods, "Eh Kirara…I smell it." He starts quartering the area, senses open wide and fully aware of the invisible clues that were beyond human detection. "Feh!" He snorts with suppressed anger, `I can smell Shippo's fear…'

He looks at the girl watching him with total faith. `There is no way I'm telling her that,' he thinks as other scents wash over him. Out loud he begins a running commentary to keep them occupied.

"Several animals have been through here recently…" He walks to the pile of nuts, Sango and Kagome moving aside and paying close attention as he crouches over them and then bends over the scattered leaves nearby. "Yes…the same over-sweet smell is here too, but stronger than on that piece of rope, Sango."

He steps up to the tree overshadowing the pile and examines the minute gouges in the bark, dried sap beading over the wounds. The smell is faint… "Metal - not claws made these marks."

"Yes?" Sango moves closer to look again, always amazed at his accuracy.

He looks up and leaps into the tree, testing each branch until… "This one, Sango?"

She'd been watching his progress and nods, "Hai, InuYasha. That is the limb the chord was tied to."

He looks down at her, "He hid his scent well; it's not on the acorns, not on the ground, not on the rope…" He smiles ferally, "But he was here for a long time, waiting…" He jumps down, landing next to her, "and left his stench all over up there."

Kagome speaks up, "He?"

His eyes narrow with satisfaction, "Hai, and I have his scent now." He picks up an acorn and twists it in his fingers then encloses it in his fist as if he would crush it. "A human man," he throws the nut, bouncing it off a distant tree. "Definitely," he spits out.

Kagome's worry grows and Sango turns thoughtful. The Taijiya walks over to Kirara and hops up, looking back at her companions, "I'm going to search some more farther out-" She pauses then asks, "do you want me to take you back to Kaede-sama's, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome shakes her head, "I couldn't, Sango-chan. I'll stay with InuYasha."

Sango understands, "Then I'll meet you back there by nightfall." Kirara leaps into the air.

InuYasha stares at the girl waving goodbye, his hands hidden in his sleeves. "You should go back to Kaede's, Kagome…"

She turns on him, fire flashing in her dark brown eyes. "Don't you start! I'm staying with you, and that's that." She adjusts the strap holding her quiver over her shoulder and raises her bow in her hand, "I'm not completely helpless you know!"

"Okay, okay…" He turns and prowls around the edge of the clearing, crouching, sniffing, and sometimes crawling with his nose almost touching the ground. "Damnit…" he mutters. "I should be able to get a direction now that I know his scent."

Kagome watches intently, too worried to laugh, scanning the forest ringing them and praying silently, `Please Shippo…be safe.'

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The densely forested area was a good place for hiding. Lying in wait for his prey, Akunin stretches his length along a broad branch with a clear sight of the red-clad figure making his way closer, followed by a girl in strange clothes that bare her legs and carrying a bow.

Akunin strokes the long polished pipe in his hands with anticipation. He carefully removes a thin metal needle with a padded end from a special container and gently pushes it into one end of the wooden pipe.

`Yes, a good place for hiding…' He raises the tube to his mouth and aims it at the silver-haired Hanyou, his dog-like ears betraying his heritage.

`…And a good place for an ambush.'

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Kagome walks behind the erratically tracking hanyou, zigzagging here and there but slowly following the faint 2-day-old trail.

InuYasha stands up, "Damnit!" He stretches to get the kinks out.

Kagome asks him, "Nani?"

He rotates a stiff shoulder and turns to look at her, "That Damn Bastard! What ever he's doing to hide his scent, he's frigging good at it." He sighs with frustration and shakes his head, "I've never seen anything like it!"

Her frown of worry deepens, "Please keep trying InuYasha," she pleads.

He looks up to reassure her, "I'm not giving up Kagome." He steps close and puts his hands on her shoulders, "We'll find that -" He stiffens and his grip tightens painfully, "SON OF A BITCH!"

She grabs the front of his haori in reaction, "InuYasha?"

He twists around out of her grasp, trying to reach backwards, clawing at his shoulder, "SHIT!!"

Kagome sees something on his back and yells at the contorting Hanyou, "Hold still!" She drops her bow and rushes to him.

He stops, bent over with his hands on his knees and gritting through his teeth, "It burns!"

She locates the small object and easily plucks it free. She glares at the small needle, the tip red with his blood.

He straightens with a wince and looks at it, then at her, "What is it?"

"A dart," she looks up and around at the now sinister-seeming trees, grabs his arm and drags him against a tree, hoping she chose the right side. "Someone shot that at you!"

He winces again and takes the needle from her to get a closer look at it. "This little thing?" He tosses it aside and laughs, "He's gonna have to do better than that."

They look at each other before they both start scanning as far as they could see, watching for any movement.

InuYasha inhales deeply and says, "It has to be Him. No one else could get this close without me smelling him."

Kagome glances at her bow lying useless in the grass, afraid to expose themselves just to retrieve it. She whispers at him, "What do we do?"

He looks at her scared face, and says to himself, `I can't leave her, not knowing where he is…I've got to take him down…fast.' He glances at her bow then back at her, "We have to draw him out." He backs away from the sheltering tree and her eyes widen with realization. She puts out a hand, but he is out of reach and walking calmly to where her bow lies.

He turns in a circle to watch all directions as he moves forward and yells, "Why don't you come out? Coward!"

His bare feet touch the wood of the bow. He sweeps it up in one smooth motion and tosses it back to Kagome, his eyes constantly searching…

Kagome catches it and notches an arrow immediately, never taking her gaze off of the reckless Hanyou, using himself at bait, and sees him stumble.

InuYasha shakes his head, beginning to feel a little dizzy. `What the…?'

"InuYasha?"

He looks back at Kagome, her eyes wide and bow held firmly, and shakes his head again, blinking. Vertigo hits him and he drops to one knee, bracing himself with one hand on the ground.

She calls him again and makes like she would come to him. He shakes it off and stands up again, putting up a hand to stop her, "No! Stay there!"

He blinks furiously, the small wound on his back on fire, and grits his teeth, `No! This can't be happening!'

Kagome watches as he stumbles forward to grab a nearby tree, digging his claws into the bark to keep himself upright. `Shit!' He forces his eyes to focus, trying to regain his balance. `This is bad…'

Another dart thudding into his neck knocks the unsteady Hanyou backwards, spinning him around before hitting the ground.

"NO!!" Kagome runs to him, falls to her knees and drops the bow to snatch the new needle from his neck and throws it away. "InuYasha!!"

His neck on fire, his breathing labored, and his world spinning…one thought remains. He rasps out, "Kagome…run…"

He feels her hand touch his cheek, her voice muffled by the ringing in his ears before blackness overcomes him.

Kagome watches in horror as he goes limp and screams, "NOOOO! INUYASHA!!!"

She whips her head around in the direction the second dart had come from, grabs her discarded bow, and stands up with an arrow notched. She aims at the dense cluster of trees, at nothing in particular, but she knows that that is where he is…watching…waiting.

"Come and face me, Damn You!" She stares hard, taking aim and lets fly her arrow. It blazes a path through the trees and burns an opening, exposing branches…but no hidden attacker.

She quickly notches another arrow, and screams, "I'll find you sooner or later; if I have to burn this whole forest down!!"

The second arrow rips through another section and she notches another arrow, beginning to glow as soon as she touches it.

A small thud heralds the arrival of another dart…stuck in the wood of the bow…between her fingers. Her eyes widen. It was sheer luck that it missed her, it was that close.

But now she has a direction and aims her next arrow back along the darts path, the needle acting like a telltale pointer.

She sends it flying, pulsing with energy, and incinerates a whole section of trees. A dark figure leaps out of the way…barely. He tumbles to the ground and comes up running.

She pulls another arrow, aims on the moving target and shoots.

He tucks and rolls to dodge it, narrowly missed again, and dives behind a tree.

She curses and yanks another arrow from her quiver, and slides it into place. Before she can shoot, she sees him duck out lightning fast and feels heat bloom in her chest.

She gasps and steps back, shock causing her to drop the arrow. She fumbles for another, hoping for one more chance…

A deep male voice calls out, "Give it up! You don't stand a chance." He chuckles, "I know I hit you."

Kagome swallows, looks down and sees the dart sticking out in the middle of her chest, bobbing up and down with each rapid breath. She yanks it out, throws it in disgust, and notches her arrow and aims it. "I have you now, You Bastard!!"

She lets fly, hits the tree he was hiding behind and it explodes. `Did I get him?' Kagome lowers her bow, feeling the first wave of dizziness hit her and barely catches herself.

"Where are you aiming at, Pretty?" A hand reaches around her and plucks the bow from her loosening grip.

She gasps, spins about and lands on her backside. She looks up in disbelief at the sneering man standing over the unconscious InuYasha.

He was dressed as a Demon Exterminator, the sneer on his face enhanced by the puckered scar on his cheek, her bow in one hand and the deadly Blowgun in the other.

He tosses her bow aside and cocks his head in amusement at her, "You won't last as long as he did," his tone was conversational and confident as he lightly kicks the senseless Hanyou.

Kagome gasps and puts up a supplicating hand, "Don't!" Her vision starts to blur and she feels like her head is spinning. "Please…"

Her breathing becomes increasingly shallow and she can barely focus on his dark form, though she has no problem hearing his amused, "Go to sleep, my pretty bird."

She feels herself fall over sideways, unable to prevent it…feels the grass against her cheek…then nothing.

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Author's Note: Akunin literally means villain or bad man.

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