InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference a Little Time Can Make ❯ Chapter 27 ( Chapter 27 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

 

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

 

You wouldn't believe how many times this chapter has been edited and rewritten. I actually had this chapter written months ago and it was much shorter, containing only part of what it does now, and the next chapter was originally part of it. But I had trouble writing the previous chapter as evidenced by how long it took me to update. But in this case, I think that it was a good thing that it took me that long to update as during that time I constantly reworked this chapter into what it is now. Several scenes, including at least the first half of this chapter, would not have been included if I had posted the original draft. So when you review, I want to know what your favorite part was.

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The sun was high in the sky and even the shade offered by the trees failed to provide any relief from the unbearable heat its rays created. Kagome wiped at the sweat streaming down her face with a small cloth before regarding her companion with an annoyed glare. He noticed her look and grunted before turning his head away. His actions only increased her annoyance, and the fact that the sweltering heat was affecting him just as much as it was her did little to soothe her. She huffed as she adjusted her sticky clothing in an attempt to cool off. No, this heat was definitely not helping her temper.

 

Inuyasha scowled as he heard her huff. He was just as uncomfortable as her, if not more so. Fire-rat fur was great for keeping warm, but not so good when one was trying to cool off. But he had stubbornly refused to remove his haori when Kagome had made the suggestion, refusing to show any perceived weakness. He now regretted that decision, as well as the fuss he had made about not being a weak human who couldn't stand the heat. Now his pride wouldn't let him remove it and give her the satisfaction of seeing that she was right.

 

His ears twitched on the top of his head from the continuous buzzing he heard from somewhere nearby. It had been annoying him since they started this trip. He clenched the hilt of the Tessaiga in one hand as he fought the urge to find every insect hive in the area and destroy them in retaliation for the irritation they had caused him. Feeling Kagome's eyes on the back of his head and hearing another irritated sound from her, his frayed temper finally snapped.

 

“What do you want from me?!” he yelled out as he whirled to face her. “You want that next time I should let the youkai kill you?!”

 

Kagome glared back at him as they finally broached the topic that had caused her main irritation. “Baka! You know better than that! But how are we going to find out more about this baboon-man if you keep killing every youkai that might have some answers before we can learn anything. We've been traveling for nearly a week and we still don't have any more information than when we started.” They had been attacked by youkai at least once a day since leaving Kaede's village but Inuyasha had always killed them before they could learn anything about the baboon-man.

 

“Well excuse me for trying to keep you safe! These youkai are trying to kill you! You think they'll stop if we ask them nicely?!”

 

“I know that! But there has to be a way to stop them without killing them. Otherwise, how were you planning to get information in the first place?”

 

Inuyasha huffed as he conceded that she had a point. What she didn't understand was that each of the youkai had made some comment or threat against Kagome and his instincts had asserted themselves before he could think things through, leading him to kill the threat as quickly as possible. “Fine” he grudgingly said. “The next youkai that attacks, I'll try not to kill right away. Maybe if I cut off its legs” he pondered.

 

Kagome turned green as she listened to him wonder how to cripple the next youkai that attacked so he could beat the information out of it. She tried to clear the look from her face when he glanced at her but didn't succeed.

 

“What?” he asked as he saw the squeamish look on her face. When she looked away, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Baka, how else do you think we're going to get any information?” Turning, he continued to walk through the trees.

 

“We could try asking first.” She pointed out.

 

“Oh sure. The next youkai that attacks, I'll just offer a cup of tea and say 'Wait. Before you attack and violently rip us apart, would you mind telling us who sent you to kill us?'” He whirled around to face her. “Are you fucking nuts?! You can't just ask a fucking youkai a question like that. They'll kill you before you can finish the question. That is, if they're not to busy laughing their asses off!” He scowled and punched a tree, which promptly fell over. Then he grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder before continuing the journey through the forest, cursing and muttering about baka bitches and their idiotic ideas.

 

Kagome was too stunned to react when she was tossed over his shoulder. But after listening to his derogatory comments for a few minutes she snapped out of her shock and realized the position she was in. Pushing at his back she began to demand “Inuyasha, you baka! Put me down!” She felt herself becoming dizzy from the blood rushing to her head.

 

“Keh! I don't think so, bitch. If I put you down, who knows what kind of crazy idea you'll come up with next. At least this way, I know exactly where you are and what you are doing.” He bounced his shoulder to emphasize his point and Kagome's breath left her with a grunt.

 

“I mean it Inuyasha! Put me down, all of the blood is rushing to my head.” She hoped that pointing this out might convince him.

 

It didn't. “Good. Maybe some blood circulating in that pretty little head of yours will knock some sense into you and keep you from coming up with any more stupid ideas. I swear, I don't know where you come up with these things.” He trailed off into mumbling again.

 

If Kagome had been able to think straight without all of the blood rushing to her head, she might have blushed at the fact that he called her pretty. But all she felt at the moment was her own irritation returning with a vengeance. Part of her, the analytical and rational part, knew that Inuyasha had a point. It also pointed out that a large amount of her irritation was caused by the summer heat and that if they could just find some relief from the heat they would be able to calm down and discuss things rationally. But the rest of her was too upset to care. She was hot, missing her family after not seeing them for nearly four months (though she tried not to think about that), someone wanted her dead and was sending youkai to do it, and to top it all off Inuyasha was pissing her off! Part of her irritation with the hanyou was also because he had taken to spending the nights in a tree guarding their camp, which had also fed fuel to her doubts about whether he still wanted her with him. Actually, other than carrying her on his back at various times and now on his shoulder, he had been avoiding contact with her, she realized, adding to her doubts which only added to her anger. All of this combined to make her respond in a way that she may not have under normal circumstances.

 

Grabbing a handful of his long hair that was directly in her face, she gave a sharp yank. A feeling of satisfaction briefly surged through her when he let out a startled, pained yelp. The satisfaction was short-lived as she was immediately yanked off his shoulder and dropped onto the ground. Standing up while absently rubbing her rear, she took in the dark look on the scowling hanyou's face.

 

“Bitch! What the hell was that for?!” Inuyasha glared at her. He couldn't believe she had resorted to hair pulling and had to fight his instinctive urge to put her in her place.

 

She glared right back at him. “I told you to put me down. You wouldn't listen. So I made you put me down. What gives you the right to -” She trailed off and looked around as the sound of trickling water caught her attention. The fight and her anger were forgotten as she took in the sight of the nearby stream. The water was clear and looked very inviting. They were just past a bend in the stream, so the current wasn't very strong. There were even some boulders set on the shore that would hide someone in the water from the view of someone on the shore. Daydreams of taking a bath in the inviting water caused Kagome to give a loud squeal. 'What luck! A way to cool off from this unbearable heat.'

 

Inuyasha gave her an odd look when she suddenly went quiet. A strange, dreamy look crossed her face before she let out a high pitched sound that plastered his ears to his head. 'What the hell has gotten into her?' he wondered as he looked at the dreamy smile on her face.

 

The smile still in place, Kagome turned to him and said “Inuyasha, I'm going to take a bath.” That said, she proceeded to walk over to the boulders and set her bag down while removing the bathing supplies Kaede had provided her with.

 

Inuyasha could only gape after her for a long moment. Then, her words sunk in and he marched over to her. “Keh! I don't think so, bitch! We don't have time for you to indulge in your obsessive need to be clean. We have a baboon-man to find remember?! We don't have time to waste on your stupid bath! Now let's go!” He crossed his arms and waited, a foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

 

Kagome carefully placed her supplies on the ground before turning to look at him with a calm look on her face. Slowly she walked towards him and as she got nearer he could see that the look was forced. “Inuyasha” she began, and something about the tone of her voice made him nervous. “I am hot, sweaty and sticky, as well as tired, and very, very annoyed.” With each word she took a step closer and, unconsciously, Inuyasha took a step back until his back hit the trunk of a tree. Then she began to poke him in the chest to emphasize her words. “I am going to take my bath-”

 

She gave him a glare when he opened his mouth to interrupt her and he shut it as he took in the sight of her miko aura forming around her body. Then she continued “-and you are going to sit, quietly, behind those rocks, with your back to the stream without arguing with me. Once I am done, we can continue on our journey. Do I make myself perfectly clear?!” She nearly shouted the last part, and her aura seemed to spark around her. Inuyasha could only nod meekly in reply, dumbfounded at the display from the normally easygoing girl in front of him. She smiled at him, and just like that was back to her normal self as she said “Good” before turning and heading back to her bathing supplies.

 

Inuyasha could only stare after her in shock as he thought 'What the hell just happened?!' After a few moments he muttered “Keh!” and crossed his arms but after a look from Kagome, he walked over to the boulders and sat down with his back against them, though he had gratefully removed his haori first, while he berated himself for losing control of the situation and contemplating how he had lost that control.

 

A few minutes later he was stifling a groan as the full brunt of the situation made itself known. His ears twitched at the splashing he could hear as well as Kagome's happy sighs and near moans of pleasure. He tried to ignore the sounds but his body betrayed him. 'Damn it, how did I let her talk me into this?' He tried not to think about her behind him, naked with the water streaming down her body, the cold water making her nipples-

 

He flushed and tried to break off that line of thinking but the damage was done. It didn't help that he had memories of seeing her in various states of undress that only served to heighten his imagination. He glared down at the tent in his hakama, trying to wish it away. He nearly had it under control when Kagome's voice broke into his thoughts. “Inuyasha the water is great! You really need to try this, I bet you'll feel better and your mood will be improved in no time.” Instantly his mind was flooded with thoughts of joining her in the water, of seeing her naked body, pressing it against his own-

 

“KEH!” He scowled down at the evidence of his body's betrayal. Why was this happening now, he wondered. 'Before I met Kagome, this had only happened to me a few times in my life and I was always able to make it go away. But this has happened more times since I met her than it did prior to me meeting her. She isn't even in heat this time!' He once more tried to will the problem away but this time nothing happened. “I think I'm gonna need that cold bath after all” he mumbled while trying to keep his thoughts away from the reason that bath was necessary. He shifted, as he tried to get more comfortable in his condition.

 

Kagome was thoroughly enjoying herself. The water had an immediate cooling effect on her, and washing the dirt and sweat off of her had improved her mood greatly. A sudden noise from the shore had her suspiciously looking at the spot where Inuyasha was sitting. She could just make out the tops of his ears. Sinking slightly into the water while keeping an eye on the boulders she called “You better not be peeking.”

 

His flush deepened to match his haori at her words. “Keh” he muttered loud enough for her to hear as he again shifted in his seat.

 

Satisfied with his answer, Kagome returned her attention to her bath. Though she couldn't help but wonder, would it really be such a bad thing if he was sneaking a peek? Maybe she should ask him to join her. She gasped at her own thoughts as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She quickly ducked her head under the water to cool her flushed face and regain control of her body as she wondered what had come over her.

 

Suddenly, Inuyasha stiffened and went tense, his whole body alert. 'Was that-' His ears twitched and he heard it again, the rustling of some leaves. But there was no breeze to cause it. 'It could just be an animal' he thought but he doubted it. His ears twitched upon his head, trying to locate the direction the noise had come from while his nose went to work sniffing for signs of trouble. When the noise came again, he leaped on to the boulder clutching Tessaiga, still searching for the source.

 

Kagome noticed the movement and gave a short scream, while wrapping her arms around her body and ducking down. Recognizing Inuyasha she angrily began to demand “Inuyasha! What are you-?” She was cut off when threw his haori at her and gestured for her to be quiet. Seeing how alert he was and how he kept glancing around, one hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga, Kagome quieted down and wrapped his haori around herself before moving out of the water and to his side.

 

Inuyasha felt a bit more at ease when Kagome moved to his side but he remained alert, looking for danger.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked quietly, nervous at his actions. Were they about to be attacked, she wondered.

 

“Feh. I heard a noise from upstream. It's gone now” he told her as he relaxed slightly when he heard nothing else. Turning to face Kagome he couldn't help but to stare at her. Wrapped in nothing but his haori, drops of water continued to drip down her exposed skin, while the fire-rat clung to her in places, showing off her body's curves. Swallowing hard he was suddenly very thankful for how baggy his hakama were as his body's condition managed to recapture his attention. He quickly jumped into the water. “Stay here and get dressed” he called back to her before moving further away. “I'm going to check out the area I heard the noise in.” With that he began to splash upstream.

 

He reflected that he hadn't exactly lied to her. He was going to check out the spot, but it was just an excuse to remain in the water. He hoped that the cold water would have an effect on his body. He blushed at the thought of having to explain to Kagome. Would she understand or would she be angry? He might just find out, he reflected, as he noticed that the cold water didn't seem to be having any effect.

 

But all of those thoughts fled when he reached the spot upstream where he thought the noise had come from. It was right at the bend of the stream and could not be seen from where he and Kagome had been because the foliage blocked it from view. Right away, he could detect the scent of a male human. It was recent too. But the thing that made him forget his body's problem was that it wasn't just the male scent that he detected, but the scent of an aroused male. Moving to where the scent was strongest, Inuyasha found that from where he was standing, if he shifted a branch slightly, he had a perfect view of the spot where Kagome had been bathing while remaining hidden from her sight.

 

Inuyasha was enraged. Someone had been spying on his bitch! 'How dare he?!' He was growling at the thought. “If I ever find the pervert, I'm gonna tear his eyes out of his head!” he snarled. He was tempted to track the man down by scent when he heard Kagome calling him. He forced himself to calm down before memorizing the man's scent and promising himself a chance to express his displeasure if he ever came across him, then started back to where Kagome was nervously waiting, bow in hand.

 

As he approached, he wryly mused that at least his anger had solved his 'not so little' problem. Upon reaching Kagome and seeing the expectant look on her face he scratched his head while wondering what to tell her. He absently took his haori back and pulled it on, not caring that it was damp as he pondered how much he should tell her.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

“Feh.” He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away. “I found the scent of a human male. He had been there, recently, but he's gone now.”

 

Kagome caught the implications of his statement and flushed a bright red. “B-but it might have just been somebody passing by right?” When Inuyasha didn't answer, her blush deepened. “O-or maybe someone just stumbled upon us, realized I was bathing, and left?” Inuyasha gave her a look but didn't say anything and she quieted down, her blush even deeper if possible.

 

Finally Inuyasha sighed and told her “Come on. You've had your bath and now we need to get going.” Nodding, a still embarrassed Kagome grabbed her pack and allowed Inuyasha to pull her onto his back. They traveled in silence for the rest of the day, Kagome because she was too embarrassed about someone (other than Inuyasha) possibly spying on her and Inuyasha because he could tell she was embarrassed and he was still angry that someone had dared to spy on HIS Kagome. They eventually made camp for the night, both hoping that things would be better the next day. Before falling asleep, Kagome reflected that at least their earlier argument was forgotten, something that Inuyasha unknowingly echoed.

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Things were back to normal for them the next day as the events of the previous day were pushed to the back of their minds. It was a bit cooler than the previous day and both were in better moods. They traveled as usual for most of the morning. But shortly before midday, disaster struck.

 

As they were walking through the forest Kagome pointed out some herbs that Kaede had taught her about. She went to collect some while Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her actions. Suddenly, Inuyasha stiffened and called for Kagome to stop. He sniffed, detecting the scent of a bear youkai nearby. His ears twitched atop his head, flickering back and forth as he tried to determine where the scent was coming from but the annoying buzzing was back and interfering with his hearing. He cursed when the large youkai emerged from their left, close to where Kagome stood. It was too close to her. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to move fast enough to prevent it from attacking her. He cursed himself for allowing her to wander so far away from him. The wind had been blowing its scent away, allowing him to get almost on top of them before Inuyasha detected him. “What do you want?” he growled at the bear as he tried to unobtrusively inch himself closer to Kagome.

 

The bear lumbered forward another step. “Hanyou” it rumbled at Inuyasha before turning its gaze on Kagome. His eyes widened. “You miko. You reek of spiritual power.” He looked between Kagome and Inuyasha before letting out a loud laugh. “You miko that destroy Shikon no Tama. I kill you and claim reward. Feast on hanyou tonight.”

 

Inuyasha gave up on stealth and ran as fast as he could. He was too late. For a being as large and bulky as the bear youkai was, it could move surprisingly fast. It swiped at Kagome who tried to dodge but couldn't completely avoid the strike. It connected with her side and she was knocked off her feet into a nearby tree, hitting her head.

 

“KAGOME!” Inuyasha felt his heart stop when he saw her collapse unmoving beneath the tree. He took a step in her direction when the bear was suddenly in his way.

 

“Fool hanyou. No worry about miko. You soon join her.” It swung a meaty paw, connecting with Inuyasha's cheek and causing him to slide back a few steps.

 

Inuyasha slowly raised his head and spat onto the ground. His eyes once more landed on Kagome's still form before turning enraged and catching sight of the bear youkai. “You..will..PAY!” He lunged forward and quickly tore the youkai to pieces.

 

A few moments later, he stood panting over the remains of the bear youkai, snarling and fighting the urge to tear the remains into so many pieces that they would never be identified. Then his eyes landed on Kagome's still form once more, and the rage immediately left his body. “Kagome!” He ran to her side, fear clutching his heart in a vise like grip. She had to be okay, she couldn't be-

 

He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached her and saw her chest rising and falling with every breath. As he began to calm down, the pounding in his ears ceased and he was able to make out the steady beat of her heart. Carefully, he checked her over for injuries, and was relieved to find very few. Her side was bruised but nothing felt broken and she had a lump and a small cut near her temple where her head had struck the tree.

 

Relieved that she was okay, or would be, he gently shook her shoulder. “Oi, bitch this is no time to be sleeping.” His worry began to build again when she did not respond. “Come on Kagome, open your eyes and say something. Yell at me, anything, just wake up.” Only the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and the steady beat of her heart kept him from completely panicking.

 

Inuyasha removed his haori and wrapped it around Kagome before reaching forward and gently lifting her into his arms. Holding her against his chest, he began to look for a place he could set up camp. Catching sight of the remains of the bear youkai, he growled before turning away in preparation to leave the area. He paused as the wind shifted again. “Fuck” he cursed as he detected the scent of rain. Glancing at the small amount of sky he could see through the forest canopy, he judged that he still had some time before the rain would reach them. But glancing at the unconscious girl in his arms, he knew he had to find shelter fast. It wouldn't do any good to let her get caught in the rain.

 

Looking around, all he could see was the trees of the forest. He cursed again, knowing that the trees would provide little protection in a storm. He paused to think as he recalled that earlier they had passed the foot of a mountain that bordered on the forest. He quickly began to run back the way they had come, hoping to find a cave to shelter in before the rain arrived.

 

Reaching the bottom of the mountain a short time later, he quickly found a small opening in the rocks. Realizing that there was still some time before the rain reached them, he gently set Kagome down near the cave entrance while he entered to ensure it was safe and unoccupied. He warily eyed several rocks set above the entrance but determined that it would take a lot of force to make them fall. Entering the cave he was relieved to find that it was bigger than it looked from the outside and was unoccupied. He could detect that it had been previously used as a den by some animals but not any time recently. Satisfied, he turned and exited the cave to retrieve Kagome.

 

He had just made it to the entrance and was turning to face where he had left Kagome when he felt something touch his back. He tried to move but found that he couldn't. His eyes widened in shock as he belatedly felt the spiritual power in the area. 'Fuck!' Slowly, his attacker walked around his frozen body into view.

 

The human male was dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, or houshi, and carried a staff in one hand. His dark hair was tied at the back of his neck and earrings adorned his ears. “Now, now” he admonished as he waved one finger at Inuyasha as if rebuking a naughty child. “I'm afraid that I can not allow you to carry out your foul intentions for this fair maiden.” He glanced down at where Kagome lay and Inuyasha didn't like the glint that appeared in his eyes when he looked at her.

 

Inuyasha growled and tried to force his body to move. The houshi noticed and laughed. “I'm afraid that won't do you any good. My ofuda will keep a foul youkai like yourself contained for a long time. Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery after I see to the girl. I'm sure she'll be grateful to me for saving her.”

 

Inuyasha's eyes widened further at the houshi's words. “S-stay...away....from...her!” He managed to force out as he saw the man reach down to lift Kagome off of the ground. He felt Tessaiga pulse against his side, and slowly his hand inched towards it.

 

It was the houshi's turn to be shocked as he saw Inuyasha fight against the effects of the ofuda. “That's not possible” he mumbled. Quickly, he grabbed Kagome and stepped further away from the cave entrance and Inuyasha.

 

That only increased Inuyasha's rage and his struggles. His hand closed around the hilt of the Tessaiga and he felt the power holding him start to fade away.

 

The houshi was now gaping at him in shock but then he placed Kagome down behind him. Then he used his left hand to grasp his right. “I didn't want to use this but now I see I have little choice.” It was then that Inuyasha noticed that the houshi's right hand was covered with cloth and prayer beads, almost as if it was sealed. “Behold the power of the Kazaana!” He undid the prayer beads and opened his hand in Inuyasha's direction.

 

Immediately, Inuyasha felt a powerful pulling sensation, as everything in the path of the houshi's right hand began to get sucked into what appeared to be a hole, or a void. He felt himself start to slide forward, and realized that he could not allow himself to be pulled in. He could see small bits of rock and dirt disappearing into the hole, and had a feeling that once he was sucked in he would never escape. But he was still unable to move due to the power of the ofuda. Inuyasha could only watch as he was dragged closer to the houshi's hand.

 

Suddenly, he stopped moving any closer. He could still feel the tug of the Kazaana and see other objects being pulled in but he wasn't getting any closer. Forcing his head to move, Inuyasha was able to see that the Tessaiga, still attached to his side, had gotten wedged into a crack in the cave entrance. Now all he could do was hope that the Tessaiga was stronger than the houshi's Kazaana.

 

Then his eyes widened as he felt himself regain control of his body. He turned his head just in time to see the ofuda get sucked into the houshi's hand. “Keh” he said as he smirked at the houshi as he brace himself against the winds pulling at him and began to plan a way to get close enough to attack the houshi without getting sucked in himself. A loud rumbling noise pulled him away from those thoughts and he quickly looked up just in time to see the boulders he had eyed earlier tumble down in his direction. Then everything went dark.

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Author runs to hide from the angry readers. Pokes her head out waving a white flag and calling for a truce. If you kill me for the cliffhanger, you won't get to see the next chapter. But I promise that it will be out by tomorrow. I made sure to finish writing it before I posted this chapter. All I have to do is edit it and give it one final read through then it will be up. I know I was evil for ending this chapter where I did but it was the perfect place to end it.

 

And hey, I did show Miroku like I said I would. I said he would be in this chapter, I didn't say how big an appearance he would have. You will see more of him in the next chapter. And we saw some real Inuyasha/Kagome interaction in this chapter. I mean, they have to fight every once in a while or they wouldn't be who they are. You wouldn't believe how many times this chapter was edited. I actually had part of this chapter and the next written months ago, it was the intervening chapter that I had trouble with. But the down time was good in a way, if I had posted what I had originally wrote this chapter and the next would have been one chapter and the scene at the stream never would have happened. So, when you review tell me what your favorite part about this chapter was. Do you think it works better with their argument and then the scene at the stream?