InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Exchange ❯ New Deal ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: Christmas in NINE DAYS! Ah - and if anyone's read the translations - it's so cute!!!! Miroku proposed to Sango and she said YES! Very emphatically I might add. until that moron had to go ruin it. But she was well on her way to agreeing to twenty odd kids.











Soul Exchange

New Deal













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"One... two... three..."

"Kouga's an asshole!"

"Four... Five..."

"Kikyo's my cousin!!"

"Six... seven... eight... man, I'm bored." Inuyasha pulled a face. "Can't be bothered counting all the way - might as well just kill you now."

"No - wait!" Kagome struggled to find some leverage for her feet. Her throat was killing her now. "How do you know Kouga and Kikyo?!"

"I asked first!" he hissed.

"Yeah, well I answered - now you answer me..." she gasped.

Inuyasha stared at her a moment before releasing her with a disgusted expression. "I fear if I hang around you much more your effervescent dirtiness might just rub off on me."

"My what?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Peasant..."

He turned to walk away, before finding his way blocked by the girl. He raised an eyebrow at her... seeing as that was an awfully quick movement for someone who had just been knocked about pretty badly.

"Wait - tell me how you know Kouga." She asked quickly. "How come-"

"Would you just get out of my line of sight - I think I feel nauseous." He gave her a push that sent her staggering to the side.

A dark expression crossed her face and she ran to block him again. He glared at her. "What? You want money? Fuck off!"

Kagome remained undeterred and glared at him shrewdly. "You burst in here like you own the place and dangle me against a tree, demanding to know what I know about Kouga and Kikyo - and then you just leave without saying anything? I haven't even told you what I know yet!"

"You want to tell me what you know?"

"No!"

"Then get out of my way - I don't have time for this crap!" Inuyasha looked up at the sky... which was slowly turning a lighter shade of dark blue than before, meaning the sun was bound to rise soon.

"Not until you tell me why you want to know about those two!" Kagome stood firm, refusing to let him pass.

He gave her another shove, but this time she shoved back, just as hard, making him stagger ever so slightly. He stared at her in surprise before getting angry. "Bitch!" He lunged at her, intending to shove her to the ground completely.

Surprisingly, she evaded him and punched him in the stomach. It didn't really hurt... it just surprised him. He could see that she was making to run away again, and quickly swept his foot out and knocked her off her feet. She yelped as she fell forward and landed on her outstretched hands. He came up behind her, feeling no more inhibitions about killing her.

She surprised him again by the sheer nerve to strike out with her own foot and kick him in the shin. He gasped in pain lifted his leg to rub the offended limb. She saw her chance and tackled him straight to the floor, pinning him down. "You want dirt?! I'll give you dirt!"

She gouged a fist full of dirt from the ground beside his head and smeared it over his face and shoved a great deal of it into his mouth. He threw her off, hearing her squeak in shock as he did so, and began coughing. "EW! You put a worm in my mouth!"

"Well you already have one in your personality so what's the difference?!" she snapped back, wiping at a small trickle of blood from a cut on her cheek. "Who are you anyways?! You ain't a samurai, and you aren't a farmer either - are you a warlord's son?"

"I'll kill you for this!" He lunged at her again, wrapping his hands around her throat and deliberately trying to suffocate her.

Kagome coughed and wheezed and reached out for something to help her. Her hand landed on a rock, which she grabbed firmly and smashed it against his brow. He winced before knocking her hand down and pinning it there while his other hand kept a grip on her throat.

"Get... off... me... pig!" she found her leverage in her legs, and pulled her favourite stunt... a knee right in the crotch.

He gasped and rolled off her... in obvious agony. Kagome rubbed her throat for a moment before scrambling to her feet and kicking his side with her bare foot. "Serves you right! THIS is why I hate human men! They're all the same!"

"Bitch..." he grunted in pain, trying to force himself up.

Kagome looked up at the whinny of a horse and took off towards the slope leading to the road.

"No you don't!" Inuyasha tried to give chase... but he wasn't going anywhere fast.

Kagome took advantage of her head start and scrambled hurriedly up the slope, using anything and everything to help her drag her way up to the road. When she finally reached it she looked up and saw the knight-in- shining-armour's horse. She smiled and walked up to it with open hands. "Hello... any chance I can hitch a ride?"

"Don't you dare let her on!" Inuyasha yelled as he reached the road, only to find that the horse had already let Kagome sit in the saddle. "Bitch - get down for there!"

He started forward, but when he neared the animal it reared and fended him off. Inuyasha dodged back quickly before he got clobbered and glared at the horse. "Traitor!"

"Nicely trained ride you got here." Kagome patted the gelding's neck affectionately. "Now if you don't mind we'll be on our way now."

She urged the horse on which immediately obeyed and started forward. Inuyasha clenched his fists and stepped in her way, to block her route.

"Get out the way or get flattened!" Kagome called to him.

"Get off my horse or I'll flatten you!"

"We'll see who gets flattened first!" Kagome urged the horse to move faster, bearing down on him.

Seconds before it impacted with Inuyasha it slowed to a halt and both people glared at it and said at the same time "Chicken."

Before Kagome could make any more moves, rough hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off the saddle. "Hey!"

"Now beat it - I said I don't have time to waste and I meant it!" He gave her a forceful shove to the side and swung himself back up into the saddle. "If I see you again you'll be dead before you can recognise me."

Kagome glared at him angrily. "I suppose I should thank you for saving my life."

"A better way to thank me would be to GET LOST!" he spurred his ride forward, but Kagome walked fast to keep up.

"How come you know Kouga?" she demanded. "Do you know where he is?"

Inuyasha sighed angrily. If she didn't know where Kouga was then she was of no use to him after all. He needed to know where Kouga was NOW so he could ring that wimpy wolf's neck.

"Go away, girl."

"How do you know Kikyo?"

"How do you know her?" Inuyasha countered, trying to speed up and lose her, but the horse was having none of it.

"She's my cousin, I told you." Kagome frowned. "How do you know her? Do you know what happened to her?"

Inuyasha's hand clenched around the reins a moment before forcing himself to relax. "No."

Kagome watched him suspiciously. "You're lying. I can tell. You know how she died - tell me!"

"No!" Inuyasha growled angrily, casting a quick eye skyward again. "Can't you take a hint! Just piss off and leave me alone!"

Kagome bit her lip before running forward to stand in the horse's path, bringing it to a halt. Inuyasha discreetly tried to get it moving to just trample over her. She fixed him with a hard glare. "How do you know my cousin?"

"The same way everyone else in the fucking world seems to know her." Inuyasha snapped. "Who hasn't met Kikyo?"

"Me..." Kagome said quietly. "Do you know what happened to the Shikon she was carrying?"

"Don't know, don't care..." it was starting to get light over the horizon... the sun would rise soon... "Get out of my way, wench!"

"Who are you!"

"An elephant - now move it!"

"What's your name?!"

"Krampus!" Inuyasha jerked the reins, making the horse walk around her. "Would you just go jump off a cliff and save everyone the trouble of doing it for you?!"

"But-"

"This is the trouble you get for trying to help people - you just get delayed!" he grabbed the horses ear. "You hear that?! DELAYED!"

The horse reared slightly, trying to dislodge him.

"You have to be a lord of some kind." Kagome commented sceptically as she followed him along the road.

"Uh huh..." Inuyasha said flatly.

"I mean... you've obviously dressed down to hide it - but your clothes are new and immaculate... you can't be a real merchant like you're pretending to be."

Inuyasha bit his tongue, trying very hard not to lose his temper again. It would just mean getting distracted again from his task at hand.

"You don't talk like a lord... but maybe you're just an obnoxiously rich, self-centred, asshole like the rest of them." She said casually.

"Just like Kouga then." He replied evenly.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched. "Hey - you don't know him! How would you know what he's like! You just ASSUMED that! Well don't go assuming things that aren't true! Kouga is actually a very nice guy..." she trailed off as realisation hit her and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Inuyasha pulled the horse to a short halt and smirked slowly. Without much effort he leaned down the side of the saddle and looked her dead in the eye. "You must love him very much, Baby."

Kagome's shock disappeared in flash, and there was a loud smack as the flat of her palm connected with his cheek.

"Ow..." Inuyasha said without much expression before sitting back upright and kicked the horse in the flanks. "We're going."

"No - wait!" she hurried after him, determined not to let him get away. "I'm sorry - don't run away!"

Inuyasha stopped again and glared at her, his red cheek very noticeable. "I am NOT running away! I'm leaving because I am busy - I have to be in Inaki country by morning."

"Inaki?" Kagome perked up. "Are you going to see the warlord there?"

"What of it?"

"Take me with you."

"No." Inuyasha responded bluntly.

"Just drop me off in one of the towns then!" Kagome pleaded.

"No!"

"Please?!"

"You can walk there - what's wrong with your legs?!"

"Nothing wrong with my legs..." she answered. She couldn't tell him her problem straight off. Only that she didn't want to run into Naraku... and so far Naraku only appeared to her when she was alone...

As long as she wasn't alone she was safe. "Please... just take me as far as the first village and I won't bother you anymore... I don't want to be out here in the woods... especially after what just happened..."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, debating on what to do. The devil side of his conscience probably wanted him to leave her to rot... and the angel side totally agreed. But common sense told him that if he refused her she would just keep following him and drive him insane... and with such a wretched horse, he was never going to outrun her.

He gave a resigned sigh before nodding once. "Fine... but don't speak, or move, or scream... and you have to get off before sunrise."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever..."

They stood silently for a moment until Kagome shifted impatiently. "Well aren't you going to let me on?"

Inuyasha glowered before giving her a hand. Kagome took it and was about to get on behind him when he stopped her. "I don't trust you to sit behind me, you might stab me."

"A wee bit paranoid are we?"

"Did Kouga tell you that?!" he glared.

Kagome sighed. "Do you want me to sit up front?"

After a moment he nodded and released the reins to lift her by the waist to seat her just in front of him, her legs dangling off one side. Kagome shifted slightly to give him enough room to put his arms around her to hold the reins.

"I'm Kagome, by the way." She told him suddenly as they set off.

"I don't care."

"What are you called?"

"Your highness."

Kagome laughed slightly. "Good one." She didn't mind if he didn't want to tell her. After all... he obviously didn't like her (proven by the fact that he had tried to kill her) and they'd only just met after all.

After a while Kagome began unconsciously leaning back against him. She was only aware of it when Inuyasha gave her a sharp shove. "I'm not a post, sit up on your own."

She sat up quickly and wished that someone more noble could have picked her up. But as long as Naraku wouldn't be dropping by she would be fine.





^_^





It was beginning to reach the crack of dawn when they arrived in the first village in the Inaki country. Kagome yawned and stretched in her position and turned to look at Inuyasha. "I'll just be on my way then - ah!"

He gave her a sharp shove out of the saddle that sent her sprawling on the ground beside the horse. She gasped and looked up at him in time to see him toss two silver coins down into the dirt beside her.

"There. Go get yourself a bath of something... you might wanna burn those clothes and get some new ones." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "I know I'll burn mine."

"Two Mon...?" Kagome asked picking up the coins with awe. "You're giving me two whole Mon?"

Inuyasha frowned at her. "Don't get thrills now." He urged the gelding on along the road through the town, heading towards the warlords palace that could be seen amidst the trees on the slop of the mountain just ahead of the town. Kagome watched him go.

"And remember - if I see your face, or hear the name Kagome, I won't be so lenient in killing you." He said rather coldly.

Kagome smiled placidly until he was a good distance away, before pulling her hand out from behind her back and swinging Inuyasha's money pouch between her fingers. "What a guy..." she chuckled and checked how much money he'd been carrying.

She gaped upon finding money that would probably last her until her old age. She looked up again quickly at the departing Inuyasha and shook her head in disbelief... "That's no merchant..."

With all this money she could practically buy her way into a noble title... she could become a lady if she put her mind to it... but first things were first... and she needed to find some place to wash.

There was a stream running down from the mountains... it would be fresh and cold around this time in the morning, so she headed in towards it with great vigour. When she reached the bank she sighed happily and breathed in the fresh humid air around the water. She couldn't wait to take a dip...

But of course... she was alone... and when she was alone... something always happened so that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Boo."

"Crap!" Kagome screamed as she threw her kimono up to cover her chest as she spun around to face Naraku. "Go away! I'm taking a bath!"

"Don't worry, I can barely see you under all that grime." He sniffed.

"I'm surprised you can see anything through that baboon face." Kagome commented, holding her kimono tightly against her.

"Let's cut to the problem at hand." Naraku sat down promptly on a rock beside the stream. "Who was that man you were riding with?"

"Um..." Kagome struggled to remember his name, before remembering that he hadn't given it. "Krampus?"

Naraku seemed to regard her in silence for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"He didn't tell me his real name..." Kagome frowned slightly, shifting uncomfortably.

Naraku paused for a beat before chuckling softly and standing up to walk towards her. Kagome didn't know why she recoiled backwards... since he couldn't really do her any harm. "I have a deal to make with you Kagome."

"Oh no..." Kagome leaned away. "I'm not stupid enough to agree this time, Naraku."

"Actually this may be in your best interests." Naraku raised his chin. "You do this for me and I will give you your soul back..."

His words caught Kagome's attention... and she stared at him in silence for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Whether you can handle your conscience afterwards,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome frowned deeper.

"There is Prince who lives in the Southern kingdom of an island off the coast..." Naraku said slowly so that she understood every word. "His name is Inuyasha."

"So?"

"I want you to find him... I want you to work your way under his skin... and I want you to gain his trust completely... I know you can do it, you really are a very charming girl." He smirked.

"And then what?"

"I want you to kill him."

Kagome laughed and quickly stood up so her back was to Naraku and stumbled a few steps away. "That's ridiculous... even I'm not evil enough to trade my life for another. I am NOT killing anyone!"

"You haven't heard the details yet." Naraku told her.

"I don't care - I'm not doing it!" she would depend on finding the Shikon. There was no way she would ever take human life.

"He's an Inu Youkai."

Kagome stiffened as she began to shrug into her kimono. She wrapped it tightly around her before turning back. "What did you say?"

"He's an Inu Yoikah... the leader of the Inu Yoikah actually." Naraku said patiently. "Kill him and your Kouga will have no one to fight. He will return to you."

Kagome remained speechless.

"He's evil... he's aggressive... he's destructive... and he takes human life without hesitation." He rattled off. "Believe me, baby, you will be doing everyone a lot of good by ridding us of him."

"Why me?" Kagome winced. "If this guys so dangerous why don't you send someone else?"

"Because no one else can do it." Naraku told her seriously. "Maybe I could have... but I can't nowadays... I'd send a warrior... but I doubt I would find one strong enough to succeed. I would send a prostitute, but I don't think his tastes run in that direction." Plus, Kagome was the perfect image of Kikyo... the one certain person that had managed to work her way under the hanyou's skin.

"If... if I get rid of him... I will be free?" Kagome asked slowly.

"Indeed."

"And Kouga will have no one to fight?" She asked in a small voice.

"He will return." At least that wasn't a lie.

"All I have to do is kill him?"

"I doubt you could do it face to face." Naraku said realistically. "I suggest you do as I say and work to gain his trust... and then when you feel safe and secure in his presence... strike..."

Kagome frowned.

"What is your answer?"

"You already know it really..."











AN: So tired... better go to bed now...