Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox ❯ Tension ( Chapter 13 )

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer:
I don't own either
Inuyasha or YuuYuu;
Somebody else does.

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Chapter 13: Tension

This ain't no party,
This ain't no disco.
This ain't no foolin' around.
No time for dancin' or lovey-dovey,
I ain't got time for that now.
--Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime"

The boy hid his confusion well.

That's not to say that Naraku didn't notice the way he blinked at the strange color of the sky, or the furtive glances at the odd landscape surrounding his castle. But any questions the boy had about their location, he kept to himself. No, curiously enough, he had other questions to ask.

"How did you know where to find my sister?" Souta asked. After a lunch of onigiri and water, Naraku had taken him outside for a walk in the 'garden,' if the dry, barren patch of ground in the courtyard could really be called such. As it was, he and Naraku were the only living creatures in the 'garden.'

"I am a man of great patience," Naraku replied. "It was simply a matter of keeping an eye on that shrine and waiting. I knew she was bound to appear there sooner or later."

"Why didn't you just take it from her when she was a little kid?" Souta asked. After all, Kagome had the completed Shikon no Tama within her for fifteen years before she ever went through the well.

Naraku frowned. "You may think that I am a despicable creature. No doubt you do, from the stories your sister must have told you. But believe it or not, I have more honor than to attack a defenseless child." It was a lie, but the boy didn't have to know that. The truth was, Naraku was afraid that stealing the completed Shikon no Tama from the girl before her adventures began would have changed history to negate his very existence. It wasn't a chance he could afford to take.

"You didn't seem to have a problem attacking me," Souta pointed out.

"You were far from defenseless," said Naraku. "At least, I thought you were. One would have expected your sister to take better care of you."

There it was again, that nagging doubt in the back of Souta's mind. He had never questioned his sister's love for him before, never questioned her altruistic motives or the trustworthiness of her friends. After all, he was just a kid. Who was he to question his youkai-ass-kicking, big-time-adventure-having sister? He had always taken her word for it when she told him the stories about Naraku. But what if she was mistaken? What if she was lying? After all, hadn't he learned in history class that there were two sides to every story?

Souta glanced over at his captor. Naraku wasn't anything like how he had imagined the evil hanyou. From Kagome's stories, he'd pictured Naraku to be a giant tentacle-monster with horns and claws and fangs. But to his surprise, Naraku looked even more human than Inuyasha did. He knew Naraku was more dangerous than he appeared, though. Souta unconsciously fiddled with the bandage on his left hand. He cut off my finger without a second thought. Kagome would never do something like that. Inuyasha would never do something like that.

It didn't take a telepath to see where the boy's train of thought had taken him. Naraku knew he was thinking about his finger. He smirked. Time to pull out the big guns...

"Do you know how many of my children your sister and her friends have slaughtered?" he asked.

"Children?" Souta was surprised. Kagome had never said anything about Naraku being a father.

"Of course, she wouldn't tell you. She probably thinks you're too young to understand. Nevertheless, the truth is undeniable. Your sister and her allies have killed my children. What do you think my honor demands of me? Do you not think me lenient, for taking only your finger?"

Souta knew there had to be more to the story than he was hearing here, but he didn't doubt that Kagome and her friends had killed some very close allies of Naraku. So why hadn't Naraku killed him, if Kagome wasn't coming for him? On the one hand, it gave Souta hope that his sister was coming for him after all, and that Naraku had been lying the whole time. The other possibility...Souta wasn't so sure how that made him feel. If Naraku was telling the truth, and he had spared Souta's life out of benevolence, then maybe he wasn't all bad. But what would that mean for Kagome?

Naraku could feel the confusion pouring off of the boy, and he was pleased. So far, everything was going according to his plan. "You are tired. Come, you should lie down and rest. The gardens will still be here tomorrow, and so will you." Naraku led Souta back inside the castle and down the stairs to the basement. To Souta's surprise, a small futon had been laid out for him. Naraku still insisted on the shackles, but Souta was grateful for a soft place to sleep.

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Kagome was the first of the humans to wake that morning, surprising even herself. Seeing that everyone else was still asleep, she closed her eyes and attempted to get a little more rest before their mission began, but found that the adrenaline had already kicked in, and she couldn't sleep. After ten minutes, she gave up, grabbed her clothes, and headed outside for what would surely be her last opportunity to bathe in a long, long time.

Kagome had been surprised and delighted when Botan told her about the waterfall not far from the palace. Botan and her colleagues used it regularly to ritually cleanse themselves, and as a miko, Kagome could understand the importance of these rituals.

As she approached the waterfall, which seemed to fall straight out of the sky into a barren rocky pool, Kagome could feel the strong, peaceful presence of the waterfall's slumbering kami. She kneeled and bowed toward the waterfall, silently thanking the kami for allowing her to bathe and purify herself here. Then she stood, removed her clothes, and stepped under the falls.

Kagome let the cold, clean water flow over her for a good five minutes before she retrieved the shampoo bottle and got to work on her hair. She washed her hair three times and scrubbed her skin until it was practically raw. Just as she was ready to step out of the pool and dry herself, she felt the sleeping kami stir.

Kagome stood perfectly still as she felt the spirit reach out to her and brush up against her. She could feel the kami's curiosity, and so she waited patiently for it to finish its inspection of her. When she felt the kami retreat back into its ageless slumber, Kagome stepped out of the pool and reached for her towel.

She towel-dried her hair, scowling at her reflection in the pool below. Her eyes were still red, of course; the extended-wear contacts could be worn even while she was sleeping. She brushed through her hair a couple of times and decided to let it air-dry in a loose bun, so it would be a little curly later. Then she donned her taijiya uniform and armor, with the new green yukata to cover it. After a bit of maneuvering, she managed to conceal her wakizashi under the yukata without too many bulges. She took one last look in the reflective pool, surprised that she didn't look half bad. With her hair up like that, she actually looked a bit more mature.

Kagome went back to the room to double-check her supplies. Kirara was still curled up asleep on Sango's futon, but Miroku, Sango and Hiei were absent, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the room. She took a deep breath when she walked in, a bit nervous at the confrontation she knew was coming. She didn't say a word, but instead went straight to the new backpack laying next to her futon.

"So, it's Hiei, is it?" Inuyasha asked quietly. Kagome flinched.

"Yeah, I guess," she said.

"How long?"

Kagome was thankful her back was turned to the hanyou, so he couldn't see her blush. "He kissed me the night Souta was taken."

Inuyasha grunted. "Three days, then? You seem to be moving fast, Kagome."

Kagome didn't miss the bitterness in that statement. She couldn't really blame him. After all, she'd had a crush on Inuyasha for two years and never once really acted on it. But then again, he'd never given her any indication that he returned her feelings. She felt the color rise in her cheeks again, but this time with anger. She whirled around to face Inuyasha.

"You have a problem with Hiei? Tell me right here and now. I want to clear the air before we leave for Makai," she said.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "I just want to be sure you're not distracted. Don't forget that it's your little brother out there in Naraku's clutches."

Kagome was seething. "You think I could forget something like that? Do you really think it ever leaves my mind? Gods, Inuyasha, I would have thought you'd know me better than that right now!"

"Well, you sure as hell aren't acting like it!"

"What do you want me to do? Mope around and act like it's the end of the world? I'd think that you, of all people, would understand. After all, your former lover is wandering around undead back on the other side of the well, feeding off of the energy of innocent souls, and yet you still have the wherewithal to fight with Kurama over how he looks at me. At least there's some hope for Souta that he'll live a normal life again. What hope does Kikyou have? How do you cope with that?"

Inuyasha was stunned. Kagome had never called him on his relationship with Kikyou before, especially not like this. Kagome saw the crestfallen look on his face and immediately regretted her words.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"No, you're right," said Inuyasha. He slumped against the wall and sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't be angry that you're living your life. Time doesn't stop just because the ones that we love are in pain, does it?"

Kagome smiled sadly. "No, it doesn't. And if they truly love us back, then they'd want us to be happy. If we can find joy in the midst of all this pain, if we can find light in the darkness, then maybe we're worthy of that love, too."

Joy in the midst of pain...do I have that? Inuyasha wondered. He thought about Kagome, and all the great times he'd had with her. Goofing off with Miroku, sparring with Sango and Kirara, chasing Shippou around the campfire after the kit's latest prank....yes, those were good memories. He smiled.

"You're absolutely right. But I want you to be careful. If Hiei so much as harms a hair on your head, I swear, Kagome, he's going to--"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll tear him limb from limb. Get in line. There's at least three other males threatening to do the same." Kagome smiled wryly.

"Feh. You know I'd be the first to protect you, Kagome."

"I know. You always have been." Kagome turned back to her new pack and resumed her perusal of its contents. She was glad that they'd gotten this last little fight out of their systems. Oddly enough, her relationship with Inuyasha seemed to improve after every little fight lately. She could only wonder how the others would react when they found out the true nature of her relationship with Hiei.

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The group gathered in Koenma's office after a quick breakfast. Miroku was now wearing a pair of khaki pants and a black t-shirt, topped by a zip-up hooded sweat shirt. Hiei, who had been absent all morning, walked in last and took his place beside Kagome.

"Great. We're all here. Everybody ready to go?" asked Yuusuke.

"Where's Kouga and Sesshoumaru?" asked Kagome. "I thought they were going with us."

"They will be meeting up with you in Makai," said Koenma. "You'll be taking a portal to the place in the north where the Consumption was last reported."

"Hey, are you taking the kitty with you? I don't think that's a good idea," said Kurabara, eyeing Kirara in Sango's arms. Sango chuckled.

"There's more to Kirara than meets the eye," she said.

"Everybody got their packs? We're not coming back just because you guys forgot something," said Yuusuke.

"Let's just get going. I'm sick of all this waiting around. I want to see some action," said Inuyasha, cracking his knuckles.

Botan opened a portal to Makai. "There you go! Take care, and keep in touch!" she said cheerfully.

"Only Botan could treat a mission to Makai like a vacation," grumbled Yuusuke as he stepped through the portal.

"Yeah, only 'cause she isn't going," said Kurabara as he followed Yuusuke through. Botan's cheerful facade didn't slip until the last of the group had gone through and the portal closed. She shook her head and sighed.

"This mission...it doesn't feel like any of the others," said Botan.

Koenma frowned. "That's because it isn't. Naraku holds most of the cards. We've gathered some powerful allies, but for now, all we can do is watch and wait."

"I hope they'll be okay," said Botan.

"So do I," said Koenma. For all our sakes...

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Kouga was waiting for them, leaning up against a tree near the clearing where the portal opened. "It's about time," he said as the last of the group stepped through and the portal closed.

"So this is where Naraku's shouki was last detected?" Miroku asked. Kouga nodded.

"This is the place. It was three days ago now."

Kagome frowned. "Three days...that was when he took Souta," she said.

"He probably sent a kugutsu for Souta," said Inuyasha. "That coward wouldn't dare show up in person where one of us was likely to find him."

Kagome took a look around the clearing. Even after three days, it was obvious that a struggle had taken place here. The ground was torn up in long gashes, and a few of the smaller trees had been uprooted.

"Maybe someone saw what happened," Kagome said. "Should we ask around?"

Kouga shrugged. "Probably won't do any good. Sesshoumaru already tried, and the locals weren't exactly forthcoming."

"Keh. Like his methods of persuasion would get anyone to open up. He probably beheaded them as soon as they clammed up," said Inuyasha.

"Well, it's as good a place as any to start," said Yuusuke. "Kagome, you sense anything?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. There aren't any shards nearby."

"Are you sure you can sense them, even if they're masked? You said the pendant you keep your shards in can hide their presence from youkai. What if Naraku has something like that?" asked Yuusuke.

"I can sense the shards even through the pendant. I don't think Naraku can hide them from me."

"Well, does anyone have any idea which direction we should go?" asked Yuusuke.

"There was a rumor about a human boy seen near here," said Kouga. "I heard he showed up in a town not far to the south four days ago."

"Could it be Kohaku?" asked Kagome. From the look on Sango's face, she knew that the taijiya was thinking the same thing.

"It's likely," said Yuusuke. "There's not exactly a lot of humans running around this place. Maybe Naraku sent him out as a scout."

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's get going!" At Inuyasha's statement, the group turned toward the south and started walking to the town where the human boy had been seen.

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"The town is just over this rise," said Kouga. It had taken the group the better part of the day to get this far on foot, and everyone was tired.

Yuusuke turned to Kagome. "Kagome, maybe you and Sango should stay here. The town's going to be full of youkai, and we don't want--"

"No," said Sango firmly. Yuusuke opened his mouth to retort, but Sango said, "This concerns my brother, and I'm not going to be left out. Besides, I didn't put up with having my appearance altered for no reason."

"We really can take care of ourselves," said Kagome. "I realize you haven't seen us in action, but I assure you, Sango and I aren't your typical human girls."

Yuusuke sighed heavily, but he could see that the two girls weren't going to back down. "We're going to need a cover story for why we're looking for a human boy. The locals won't give up any information if we say he might be connected to Naraku. Any ideas?" he asked.

"Are they likely to give us any information anyway?" asked Kagome. "After all, Sango and I may be able to pass as youkai, but you, Kurabara, and Miroku are obviously humans. Kurama probably smells human, too."

"And Inuyasha is half-human," Sango pointed out.

Yuusuke frowned. "That just leaves you two, Hiei, and Kouga," he said.

"Don't forget Kirara," said Sango, petting the firecat on her shoulder.

"I don't like this," growled Inuyasha.

"I can take care of Kagome just fine," said Kouga, draping an arm around her shoulder. "She may not be my woman, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone-- Hey!" Kouga blinked, surprised at Kagome's sudden disappearance from under his arm. He turned to scowl at Hiei, who was now standing in front of the miko.

"She has no need of your protection, wolf," said Hiei, staring impassively back at Kouga.

Kouga looked at Hiei, and then Kagome, and then back at Hiei again. Realization dawned on his face, and he laughed. "You? You think you're good enough for her, short-stuff?" He snorted. "You're an idiot if you think Kagome would fall for someone like you."

All eyes turned to Kagome, who was glaring at the wolf. "I'm so sick and tired of everyone thinking they can decide who's good enough for me! I'm not a little girl! I am more than capable of making those decisions for myself!"

Hiei smirked at Kouga, who was staring in shock at Kagome. "You-- You're not--" He turned to face Inuyasha. "You're supposed to protect her! How could you let this happen?"

Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest. "Like she says, she's a big girl. She can make decisions for herself." Inuyasha wasn't too happy with her choice, but at least it wasn't the wolf or the kitsune.

Kouga growled. "I don't like this one bit, Kagome. I've done some checking up on that so-called fire apparition. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"On the contrary, Kouga, I know all about Hiei's past, and I don't care," said Kagome.

"I've got half a mind to take you back to the caves and keep you there," said Kouga. "You're obviously incapable of making sound decisions, and I have plenty of sons who would be more than happy to make you a proper mate."

Before Kagome could reply, Hiei's sword was at Kouga's throat. "You touch her and you die," snarled Hiei. It took every ounce of self-control Hiei had to keep himself from slitting the wolf's throat then and there. It didn't help matters at all that the Jagan had somehow recognized the threat Kouga posed to Kagome, and was pressing him to get rid of the obstacle that could interfere with its access to the girl.

Kouga looked sharply at Kagome, but she shook her head. "This nonsense has gone on long enough. If you have any intention at all of kidnapping me again, you'd better reconsider. If Hiei didn't kill you first, you'd have one unhappy miko on your hands. Trust me. I am not someone you want as an enemy." Kurama and Inuyasha both stepped forward to stand at Kagome's side, silently letting the wolf know that he'd have to get through more than just Hiei if he tried to take Kagome against her will.

"Fine," Kouga said bitterly, jumping back from Hiei's blade. "I only want what's best for you, Kagome."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I think I'm best person to be the judge of that," she said.

"If we're all finished bickering, perhaps the four of you had best head into town," said Kurama. "Nightfall is nearing. The rest of us will set up camp nearby and wait for your return."

Sango handed the Hiraikotsu to Miroku, who staggered under its weight. "I'll leave this here with you," she said. "It would draw unnecessary attention." Kagome left her bow and arrows behind as well, opting to rely on the protection of the wakizashi concealed beneath her clothes. The rest of the group watched in silence as the two girls, Hiei, Kouga, and Kirara walked over the hill toward the town. Yuusuke kicked at a pebble on the path.

"A taijiya, a miko, a hotheaded wolf, and the Forbidden Child," Yuusuke grumbled. "We'll be lucky if they don't slaughter the whole town."

"Wait...Hiei and Kagome...what the...huh?" Kurabara scratched his head in confusion. Inuyasha clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we can't figure it out, either," Inuyasha said. "It's probably best not to think about it."

Shaking his head, Kurabara turned and followed the rest of the guys into the forest, where they would set up camp and wait for the others to return.

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As their little group topped the hill, Kagome handed Sango a small piece of white plastic. Sango looked at her curiously.

"Fangs," said Kagome, demonstrating by putting her own fake fangs over her real teeth. They were one of the items that Botan had added to Yuusuke's shopping list. They weren't too comfortable, but thankfully, they were much higher quality than the fake vampire fangs Kagome remembered from costume parties. Sango shrugged and fitted the fangs into her mouth, grimacing at the strange feel.

Kagome turned and gave Hiei a toothy grin, and he rolled his eyes. 'I thought you didn't like 'playing dress-up.''

Kagome stuck her nose in the air. 'Humph. You're no fun.'

"There's the town," said Kouga, pointing at a small group of buildings in a clearing at the bottom of the hill. At this distance, Kagome could just make out a few figures moving about in the streets, but she couldn't make out any details. Sango stroked Kirara in her arms, soothing the agitated firecat.

Kagome double-checked the ofuda on her back, just under the neckline of her clothing. She breathed deeply, calming herself as best she could. The slightest hint of fear could ruin everything for them.

Kouga took the lead, with Sango and Kagome side by side behind him and Hiei walking behind the girls. They got more than a few curious stares from the locals, but the group ignored them and headed straight for the best place to gather information: the local tavern.

Kagome and Sango stopped just inside the door, allowing their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Kouga headed straight for the bar and took a seat, motioning for the girls to join him. The girls stood behind him with their heads lowered in false humility. Hiei sat down next to Kouga at the bar.

The bartender, a hulking purple oni, ambled over to the newcomers, wiping the inside of a glass with a disreputable-looking rag. "What can I get you?" he asked, eyeing the two females standing demurely behind the males.

"Information," said Kouga, tossing the oni a small bag of coins. The bartender glanced inside the bag and shrugged, leaving it on the counter.

"Depends. What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Heard a rumor about a human boy seen in these parts a few days ago," said Kouga casually. "You know anything about that?"

The oni's eyes narrowed. "I might," he said, picking up another glass. "Why do you want to know?"

Kouga tilted his head back, indicating the females standing behind him. "The girls have developed a taste for human blood. Thought it might be a nice treat for them," he said with a grin.

The bartender chuckled. "I see. I take it you're rather attached to the girls then, going to all this trouble for them?" He leaned to the side so he could get a better look at the females, and his grin took on a lecherous quality. Hiei glared at him and let his youki flare up in warning.

The oni held up his hands innocently. "Hey, you can't blame me for lookin'. We don't get many females in these parts. New blood always draws a lot of attention," he said, indicating the way the rest of the bar's patrons were leering at the girls.

Kouga pounded his fist on the bar. "Do you or do you not have the information we're looking for? Because I'm sure I can find someone else who will appreciate my generosity." He shifted his hand to take the bag of coins, but the bartender quickly scooped it up.

"Okay, okay. It was four days ago that the kid was spotted on the northern outskirts of town. Young one, but dressed like one of those youkai slayers from the old world," the oni said with a shudder. "A couple of the locals went after him, but he left before they could stop him. Teamed up with a wind sorceress, he was."

Sango looked up sharply at the mention of the boy's clothing. Kohaku...it has to be. Kouga could sense her fidgeting behind him, so he decided to wrap things up here.

"That's it?" he asked, glancing around at the rest of the youkai in the bar. If we don't get out of here soon...

The bartender shrugged. "If it's human boys you're looking for, I heard a rumor about one showing up in a town to the south. No specifics, but it might be worth checking out."

"Thanks," said Kouga. "Let's go." The four of them left the bar quickly and headed out of town in the gathering darkness.

"We're being followed," Kouga said quietly once they had passed the last of the buildings in town.

"How many?" asked Sango, slipping her hand into her kusode to grasp the hilt of her sword.

"Four," said Hiei. "Hardly worth the energy."

Kagome gripped the hilt of her own sword beneath her yukata. She found the prospect of a fight oddly exciting. It's been too long, she thought. In unspoken agreement, the four of them stopped on the path and turned around to face the youkai who were following them.

They didn't have to wait long. Four figures came into view in the darkness, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

"State your business," Kouga said sharply.

One of the youkai - a tiger, from the look of him - stepped forward. "Where are you going so late at night?" he asked. "We were insulted that you didn't take advantage of the inn's hospitality."

"We had no desire to remain in your filthy presence any longer than necessary," Hiei answered. A chorus of growls rose from the three youkai standing behind the tiger, but he sent them a sharp glare.

"Very well, then. I'll get to the point. How much do you want for the girls?" the tiger asked.

Kouga bared his fangs in a disdainful sneer. "They're not available," he said.

The tiger leaned forward and sniffed. "They don't smell like you're too attached to them. In fact," he said with a frown, "they don't smell like anything at all."

Kagome gave him a toothy grin. "The males insisted on the extra protection. They're very possessive, you know."

The tiger chuckled. "I can see why. You two are quite a catch. I'm surprised they let you out in public at all." He flexed his claws. "Rest assured, it's not a mistake that we will be repeating."

That seemed to be the signal to attack, because suddenly the four youkai leapt forward. With a snarl, Kouga jumped to meet the tiger in midair, delivering a preemptive punch to the gut that left the youkai staggering. Sango and Kagome stepped back and drew their wakizashi. Kagome tried to send her power into the blade, and cursed softly when she found that she couldn't. Stupid ofuda isn't just masking my ki, it's repressing it!

Meanwhile, a second tiger youkai swung a handful of razor sharp claws at Hiei, who dodged effortlessly. He dispatched the youkai in the blink of an eye with no less than a dozen strikes with his sword. The tiger fell in pieces at his feet, and Hiei flicked the blood off of his blade. "Weakling," he said derisively.

Kouga had snapped the first youkai's neck without much of a struggle and moved on to the second attacker, a moth youkai with a nasty poison attack. "Shit!" yelled Kouga as a stream of acid shot out to burn through his jeans at the knee. "You have no idea how hard it is to get good denim in Makai!" Even without the shards in his legs, Kouga was quick, and before the moth youkai could react, Kouga lashed out with his claws, severing his opponent's jugular vein.

That left only one youkai, a smallish reptilian creature who was trying to quietly slink away from the carnage. Kagome saw the youkai turn and run toward the town. "Hiei! He's going back for help!" she yelled.

Hiei took off after the reptile, and seconds later he was back, wiping black blood off of his katana on the grass. Sango and Kagome sheathed their wakizashi.

"You could have let us practice on one of them," Kagome complained.

"We were just protecting you," said Kouga, still frowning down at the hole burned in his jeans.

Kagome scowled. "Come on. Shippou probably could've taken them down."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just find the others and tell them what we know." Kouga turned and followed his nose toward the camp with Sango and Kirara following close behind. Kagome glared at Kouga's retreating back for a moment before she followed him with Hiei at her side.

'We really can handle ourselves,' she said to Hiei.

Hiei shrugged. 'There's no shortage of youkai to kill here. No doubt you will be able to slaughter to your heart's content soon.'

Kagome was taken aback at Hiei's wording. 'Is it that obvious that I'm spoiling for a fight?'

'You hide the rage well, but it is simmering just beneath the surface. You need to fight to ease the frustration before it overwhelms you.'

'I guess so. But I'm not like that, I'm not like...'

Hiei raised an eyebrow. 'Like what? Like me?' He snorted. 'You are only fooling yourself. You are miko by birthright, taijiya by training. Your anger over your brother's kidnapping has only awakened the killing instinct. You have killed before. It is only natural for you to thirst for the blood of your enemies.'

'But...but that's awful,' Kagome protested.

'Is it really? Does Naraku not deserve to die?'

'He will die,' Kagome said firmly. 'But what hope do I have for a normal life now? Can I ever go back to living like a regular human girl?'

'Probably not.' 'But is that what you really want?'

Kagome couldn't answer that, because she wasn't sure what she did want. Would she ever be truly happy with the life that most girls her age dreamed about, with an office job and a husband, a couple of kids and a mortgage? After what she'd been through, that sounded awfully boring to her. But what choice did she have? Once Naraku was defeated and the jewel destroyed, she would have no reason to continue this fantastic lifestyle.

Inuyasha jumped down from his place in a tree when the group straggled into camp. "Well?" he demanded. "What happened? What did you find out?"

"Not much," said Kouga grimly. "From what the barkeep said, it was Kohaku who was seen nearby four days ago, but he was with Kagura. He said that there were rumors of a human boy showing up in a town to the south."

"Should we go there?" asked Kurabara.

"Unless we come across a better lead, it's our only clue," said Yuusuke.

"Sesshoumaru has spies scouring the lands for information," said Kouga. "He said he would let us know if he picked up on anything."

Inuyasha frowned. "You reek of blood. You didn't say anything about a fight."

Kagome glared at Kouga. "Just a few youkai up to no good. Sango and I didn't even get a chance to fight."

"I told you, I was just protecting you, woman! You should be thanking me! And why aren't you yelling at Hiei? He killed just as many as I did!" yelled Kouga.

Miroku could feel the tension rising between Kouga and Kagome, and he decided that now was the perfect time to distract everyone before the situation escalated. He inched closer to Sango...just a little closer...

"Hentai!" Sango shrieked as she slapped Miroku's offending hand.

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. Goodnight, everyone." She snuggled into the sleeping bag that someone had laid out for her and closed her eyes.

"We leave at the crack of dawn, so I suggest everyone get their rest," said Yuusuke before settling down into his own sleeping bag. Kouga sat down with his back against a tree and munched on a strip of dried meat, while Hiei, Kurama and Inuyasha all took up positions in the trees. The rest of the humans were soon asleep around the dying campfire.

A cold drizzle greeted the hunters early the next morning. After a quick breakfast, they were on their way, taking a path through the forest to the north. Their second day in Makai was largely uneventful, except for a brief scuffle between Yuusuke and Kurabara during lunch over who had to carry the heaviest pack for the rest of the day (Yuusuke won.) Surprisingly, not a single youkai crossed their path, but that was probably due to the massive amounts of ki and youki they were broadcasting.

It wasn't until they were preparing camp for the evening that Sango managed to corner Kagome. The taijiya 'volunteered' the two of them to gather water from a nearby stream, and once they were away from the rest of the group, she turned a serious face on Kagome.

"Kagome? Are you sure you know what you're doing with Hiei?" Sango asked.

Kagome nervously shifted the cooking pot in her hands. "We haven't done anything...big yet. It's just... He makes me forget about everything, even if it's just for a few minutes. And it's nice. He makes me feel... It's just incredible," she added with a blush.

Sango regarded her curiously. "Really? What exactly do you do?"

"So far, it's just been kissing. But Hiei is so intense..."

"So far?" Sango prodded.

Kagome blushed again. "Yeah. I know that now really isn't the time to be pursuing a relationship like this, but I'm beginning to wonder whether my life will ever be peaceful. I deserve at least a small amount of happiness, don't I?" Kagome asked.

Sango smiled. "Of course. Even in times of war, life must go on. But remember, he is full-blooded youkai. This isn't a hanyou you're dealing with here. If it's just a physical relationship you're looking for, that's one thing, but if you want something more, you might want to reconsider. For a youkai and a human to be together... It's never easy on either of them."

At this point, the girls reached the tiny stream, and Kagome knelt down to fill the cooking pot. "I'm not sure what I want from Hiei," she said softly. She turned a sly grin on Sango. "As long as we're being honest about relationships, what about you and Miroku?"

"What about him?" Sango asked defensively.

"Don't play innocent with me," Kagome said, waggling a finger at Sango. "I know you two are attracted to each other. What I want to know is, why haven't you done anything about it? Is it because of those wandering hands?"

Sango sighed. "That's part of it," she admitted. "He is a lech, but I get the feeling that he wants something more serious with me. I just don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"You can't wait forever," said Kagome as she fell into step next to Sango, heading back to the camp. "There might never be a perfect time. In the end, all we really have is the moment."

Sango laughed. "You're beginning to sound like the houshi. You've changed, Kagome."

Kagome shrugged. "Not really. With everything that's happened, I've just learned that I have to enjoy the time I have with my friends whenever I can."

"Maybe you're right," said Sango. "But I still don't think I'm going to be bearing anyone's child anytime soon."

An hour later, after a hot meal, Kagome approached Hiei.

"So I hear you're pretty good with a sword," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Hiei kicked up an eyebrow at her understatement.

"You think you could show me a thing or two? I haven't had much practice lately, and I think I'm getting rusty," Kagome said.

"But, Kagome," said Kurabara, "I thought that you and Sango usually--" He was cut off when Yuusuke elbowed him in the gut. "Damnit, Urameshi! What the hell was that for?" Yuusuke just shook his head as he watched Kagome and Hiei walk into the forest.

Once they were out of hearing range of the others, Kagome slipped out of her yukata and drew her wakizashi. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Hiei eyed the blade warily. 'I doubt that you could actually hit me, but I still don't relish the idea of being purified.'

Kagome laughed. "Don't worry. The ofuda is blocking my ki, so I can't send my powers into the sword." She leveled her blade at him. "Come on, are you scared?" she taunted.

"Hardly." He drew his katana, and even though he slowed himself down to human speed, Hiei disarmed her in no less than three moves.

They continued to spar for the next half hour. Hiei didn't offer any verbal instruction, but Kagome was attuned to him enough to know when he was pointing out an opening with a simple glance, or correcting her form with a light nudge. Her sessions with Sango usually lasted an hour, but in only half that time with Hiei, she was thoroughly exhausted.

"Okay, I think I've had enough," Kagome said breathlessly after Hiei had disarmed her for the third time. She bent down to retrieve her wakizashi and her yukata and started to head back to camp, but stopped when she found Hiei blocking her way.

'You didn't bring me all the way out here just for a lesson,' Hiei said.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "No, but we're so close to camp. What if someone sees us?"

"Let them," Hiei growled. He tackled Kagome to the forest floor, cushioning her fall with his arm. He wasted no time in covering her mouth with a searing kiss. Kagome ran her hands up his bare arms and under his shirt, digging her nails into the flesh of his shoulders when he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

She was writhing so deliciously beneath him that Hiei felt himself losing control. When she hooked her legs around his waist, he rocked his hips against her and was rewarded with a delighted mewl from the girl. As he distracted her with a trail of kisses along her throat, Hiei slid his hand up to the line of buttons that ran from the neckline of the catsuit and across the chest, ending under the right sleeve. Nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons, and soon Hiei was tugging at the fabric, pulling the top of the taijiya uniform down to her waist and effectively trapping her arms at her side.

Kagome was too far gone to care about modesty. She shivered when she felt the cool night breeze kiss her bare skin. Hiei trailed his tongue down to the center of her chest, stopping when he reached an unexpected obstacle of cloth. He growled at the minor setback and fiddled with the front clasp of the bra before giving up and simply pulling the straps down to Kagome's elbows. His gaze lingered appreciatively over her breasts for a moment before he dipped his head to lick a rigid nipple experimentally, glancing up at Kagome's face to see her reaction. When she closed her eyes and gasped, Hiei grinned wickedly and gently tugged on the nipple with his teeth, eliciting a low moan from the girl.

While he nipped at her breast, Hiei sought out the heat between her legs with his right hand, rubbing his thumb against her center, making her quiver for him. He had just made up his mind to rid her of the catsuit completely when the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears.

Kagome didn't know what to think when Hiei suddenly rolled off of her and crouched between her and the path back to camp. She sat bolt upright and tried to cover her chest when she heard a rustling in the underbrush, but her arms were still trapped at her sides by the sleeves of her taijiya uniform. She was struggling to pull it up when Kurama stepped out from behind a tree.

"I apologize for the untimely interruption," Kurama said smoothly, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace to the fire apparition who looked to be about a split second away from beheading him, "but the camp is under attack. Someone had to see if you were as well." His eyes sparkled with amusement as he surveyed the scene: Hiei giving him a glare that promised a slow and painful death, while the half-naked miko tried in vain to preserve what was left of her modesty.

"Leave us. Now. We will return shortly," Hiei growled out between gritted teeth. Kurama shrugged and took one last look at Kagome before he disappeared back into the forest.

Hiei could sense the fading youki of whatever had attacked the camp. He picked up Kagome's discarded yukata and waited for her to pull the catsuit back up before he handed it to her. She tucked her wakizashi into her obi and didn't bother to wrap the yukata around her. Kagome took off at a sprint back to the camp with Hiei on her heels.

Kurabara was kicking the dead boar youkai's belly when Hiei and Kagome skidded to a stop in the middle of the clearing. All eyes turned to the miko, who was suspiciously disheveled and still blushing from the encounter with Kurama.

"Um...I guess you guys have everything under control," she said, stifling a nervous giggle.

Hiei glowered at Kurama. 'You interrupted me for a mere boar?'

Kurama smirked. 'Turnabout is fair play, my friend.'

'You're lucky it was us and not Kouga,' Youko added.

'The wolf would be dead by now.' Kurama didn't doubt it for a second.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Kagome avoided the curious stares as she unrolled her sleeping bag. Miroku sidled up to her with a devious grin. "Did you enjoy your run?" he asked innocently.

Kagome frowned down at her sleeping bag. "I would have, if we hadn't been so rudely interrupted. At least I got a good half hour of sword practice."

Miroku chuckled. "Sword practice. That's a good one, Kagome." He winked at her before he noticed the threatening glare he was getting from Hiei. Miroku cleared his throat and retreated to a safe distance across the clearing before he laid down in his own sleeping bag.

*****************************************

It took the group two more days to reach the small town to the south where a human boy had been sighted. Yuusuke had insisted that everyone stick together after the boar incident, and while Hiei was more than willing to disobey his orders, Kagome wouldn't even consider it. She had no desire to let anyone else catch her in a state of undress again.

This time, Kouga and Hiei went into the town alone, leaving Sango and Kagome behind with the rest of the group. The girls had protested strongly, but Kouga held firm, insisting that he didn't want a repeat of what had happened in the last town.

Kagome and Sango blew off a bit of their frustration in hand-to-hand sparring while they waited for Hiei and Kouga to return. The guys sat in a semi-circle around them, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the two taijiya-clad women beating the shit out of each other.

"Kagome's improved since I last saw her fight," Yuusuke whispered to Kurama.

"I'll say," Kurama responded, wincing sympathetically when Kagome landed a rather hard sidekick to Sango's side. "She's letting the anger fuel her now. I can't wait to see how she fares in a real fight."

Yuusuke shook his head when Sango recovered quickly and punched Kagome in the kidney. "Looks like they're both a little upset about behind left behind."

Inuyasha stepped in between the girls. "All right, that's enough," he said before they did any real damage to each other. "Save some of that for the real enemy."

Kagome leaned around Inuyasha and gave Sango a sly grin. Sango nodded, and before Inuyasha could figure out what was going on, Kagome ducked down and rammed her shoulder into the hanyou's side, knocking him to the ground. Inuyasha yelped in surprise, and Sango took advantage of his momentary distraction to roll him onto his stomach, sitting astride his back and pinning his arms behind him.

"Give up yet?" Sango asked.

"Like hell!" Inuyasha twisted to the side and threw Sango off of him, only to have Kagome knock his legs out from under him before he could stand. In seconds, the whole scene degenerated into the three of them wrestling on the ground. Inuyasha had to be careful of his claws and rein in his strength, so the girls had the upper hand. The clearing was filled with the sounds of catcalls and laughter from their bemused spectators. When Kagome started pulling on Inuyasha's ears, that was the last straw for him. He leaped up into a tree and scowled down at Sango and Kagome, grumbling something about 'girls who fight dirty' under his breath.

"Aw, you're no fun," Kagome complained, sticking her tongue out at the hanyou.

Sango hefted Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder. "Come on, Kagome, let's do some target practice." Kagome retrieved her bow and arrows and followed Sango to the edge of the clearing. She put what was left of her anger into the arrows, firing them rapidly at the surrounding trees. Sango chose to level the trees at the opposite side of the clearing, launching and re-launching Hiraikotsu as quickly as it came back to her.

"Well, I guess we don't have to go far for firewood tonight," Kurabara observed.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha with a shudder. "You should see her when she's really pissed."

Once Kagome and Sango had completely exhausted themselves, they settled down to a meal of steaming hot ramen that Miroku had prepared. Kagome was jabbing at Yuusuke's hand with her chopsticks, insisting that he leave enough ramen for Hiei and Kouga, when the two youkai arrived back at the camp. Yuusuke promptly forgot all about the food.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" he asked.

Kouga shook his head. "The locals are a tight-lipped bunch around here. They wouldn't talk to us, but Hiei heard a few things being whispered in the back of the tavern."

"A youkai of unknown origin brought a human boy into town three days ago. I did not hear what his purpose was there, but one of the youkai mentioned that the two headed east after they left town," said Hiei.

"Three days?" asked Yuusuke. "That gives them a pretty good head start on us."

"They said that the human boy had a crippled right leg," said Hiei. Sango and Kagome exchanged worried glances.

Yuusuke tapped his chin and frowned. "Well, that means they won't be moving too fast. If we keep up a good pace, we might just catch up with them." He turned to Kouga. "How far is the nearest town to the east?"

"From here, it's about two days on foot, one and a half if we're lucky," Kouga responded.

"We can take turns riding on Kirara," Sango offered. "She can carry two at a time. That will help a little bit."

"Ride...Kirara?" Kurabara asked. Sango grinned and set the firecat on the ground.

"Okay, Kirara, show them." In a sudden burst of orange flames, Kirara transformed into her giant sabre-toothed form. She turned her huge red eyes on Kurabara, who slowly backed away from her. Kirara snorted - a sound that was suspiciously similar to a chuckle - and turned back into her smaller form.

"She can fly, too, you know," said Kagome, amusement coloring her voice.

"Right," Yuusuke drawled out. "Sounds good to me. Everybody get some sleep. We'll wake early and leave at first light."

As Kagome slipped into her sleeping bag, she could see Hiei's red eyes glowing down at her from the branches of a nearby tree.

'You reek of the dog,' he observed.

Kagome giggled. 'He got in between Sango and me while we were sparring. It wasn't the best decision he's ever made.'

'You are bruised,' Hiei said disapprovingly. She had taken off her taijiya uniform and wore only the yukata to sleep in. He could see a few bruises coloring her arms and legs.

'Yeah, Sango and I kind of got out of hand,' she admitted sheepishly. 'We weren't too happy about being left behind.'

'Ch. You didn't miss anything.'

Kagome yawned. 'I'd better get to sleep. Good night, Hiei.'

Hiei didn't reply. He was too busy plotting out exactly how he was going to get the miko alone, and this time, there would be no interruptions.

*****************************************

The group made better time than Kouga had expected. The humans took turns riding on Kirara, while Inuyasha, Hiei, and Kurama ran along the path below. The sun was setting just as they passed the last bend in the road before the next town.

"Same plan as last time," Kouga said, looking pointedly at Kagome and Sango. "Hiei and I will go into town, and the rest of you set up camp and wait for us to return."

The girls weren't any happier with that than they had been the night before, but they didn't put up much of an argument this time. The day's journey had left them too exhausted.

Hiei and Kouga walked silently down the road toward town. As they neared the first buildings, a lone figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Rumor has it a wolf is searching for human blood," the youkai hissed.

"Yeah, so what's it to you?" Kouga asked.

The youkai chuckled and bowed. "I am Hiroshi. If you will follow me, I can take you to the boy." Without waiting for an answer, Hiroshi slunk back into the shadows and headed for the far end of town.

"Should we follow him?" asked Kouga.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "He is deceiving us. He hopes to lead us into a trap."

Kouga shrugged. "Well, I'm up for some exercise. You with me?"

Hiei didn't answer, but he followed Kouga in the direction that Hiroshi had gone.

*****************************************

After an hour and a half of waiting for Hiei and Kouga to return, Kagome was starting to get antsy. She motioned to Sango to join her at the edge of camp.

"Something's wrong. They should be back by now," Kagome whispered.

Sango frowned. "You're right. They've been gone far too long. Either they're in trouble, or they've found something."

"Do you think we should go after them?" Kagome asked.

"I'm fairly certain they can take care of themselves," said Sango. "You don't think they'd hurt Kohaku if he attacked them, do you?"

"No," Kagome said firmly. "But if a fight did break out, it would draw a lot of attention from the local youkai."

Sango stood up quickly. "That's it, we're going after them."

"Wait!" Kagome hissed, pulling Sango back down. "Do you want the guys to find out? They'll follow us, and if everything really is all right, it won't be once a bunch of people with human blood show up in the middle of town."

"You're right," Sango said grimly. "We'll wait until they're distracted."

It didn't take long. The guys were sitting around the campfire, chatting over a pot of ramen. Kurama turned his back for a moment, and Inuyasha reached over to replenish his empty bowl with what was left in Kurama's. He froze when he felt something snaking its way up his leg...

...and the rest of the guys jumped back when the ground suddenly erupted with vines, twisting and winding their way around Inuyasha until he was held immobile a meter off of the ground. Inuyasha took one look at Kurama's face and immediately knew who was to blame for his predicament.

"You fucking bastard! What the hell is this?"

Kurama looked mildly amused. "You didn't think I had forgotten about your little ploy back in Reikai, did you?"

Inuyasha twisted, trying to cut the vine with his claws, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, he finally freed himself. "You're gonna pay for that, asshole!" The ensuing scuffle kept the guys entertained for the next fifteen minutes, until Kurabara looked around and tugged on Yuusuke's sleeve.

"Hey, Urameshi."

"Hm? Shut up, I'm watching them fight!"

"Uh, this is kind of important," Kurabara said.

"Fine! What is it?" Yuusuke asked, finally turning away from Inuyasha and Kurama.

"Does anyone know where the girls went?"

The fight immediately came to a halt, and everyone was quiet for a moment until Inuyasha's shout broke the silence.

"Oh, fuck!"

Edited 17 May 2005