Disclaimer: I can not claim what can not be claimed and therefore have no rights to Inuyasha, those solely belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Hidden Beneath a Smile

Prologue: A Smile Never Ending

The summer nights of Hokkaido were always quite, always still and extremely warm. So warm in fact more crickets came out to play their lovely harmonies, and a person could sleep within their beds without the covers upon their bodies in their air-conditioned rooms. In fact most welcomed the cool air upon their skin, reveling in the shivers and goose bumps such an action brought about. This night was no different, the moon hung in all its radiance, while the clouds attempted to hide the stars from those gazing up searching for their presence within the night darkened sky.

Hidden from all of this, well not quite so, with in the wilds of the island of Hokkaido, is an average shrine barely lit by what light the moon offered through the ever presence of the trees that tried to block all view of the skies from those gazing below. No lights were on within the shrine house. Every inhabitant of the shrine lay safely tucked with in their beds, soundly asleep as the shadows flickered in the little moonlight as they drew nearer to the main house; metal glinting as they moved.

Shooting up from his bed, the youngest of the house bolted to his sister's room looking for the safety his young heart wished for. He could hear the noises down stairs, the door as it opened, the sounds of the house being ransacked, and it scared him, so he went to the only place he knew he could find security. Trekking through the upstairs hall as deftly as possible for the ten-year-old boy, he paused at his sister's doorway and eased it open carefully, slipping through. At the sight of her wrapped snuggly in her bed, the younger boy ran and then jumped unto her full sized bed, all thoughts of stealth and quite sailing to the four winds. His sister would keep him safe.

Crawling up to her face, he wondered briefly how she was able to sleep through all of this, and he cringed when the sound of their grandfather's muffled yells reached his ear along with foreign voices. His heart beat painfully in his chest, and he could hear its pulse in his ears. Swallowing hard, he shook his sister gently. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up, someone's in the house!" He whispered in her ear frantically.

"Souta, go to sleep, no ones in the house." She mumbled in to her pillow, shifting so that she could move her blanket aside to admit his small body. "Hurry up Souta, I'm tired and have school in the morning." In her new position her face smashed into her pillow caused her words to be muffled slightly and took a few moments of her brother to understand all of what she said, and hearing nothing of what the wished to began to shake her again.

The noises down stairs began to get much louder, and Souta thought that he could now hear his mother's voice along with their grandfather's angry yells. It sounded like a fight was going on down there, and not just one involving words. Trembling, he yanked her blankets down and got into position to shove her off the bed, but became as still as death. Four gun shot's in rapid procession sounded out in the night fallowed by the screams of his kaasan and jiichan, fallowed by, at lest he dearly hopped not, the sound of bodies colliding lifelessly to the floor.

He nearly screamed his head off, when Kagome jumped from the bed but reframed from doing so, and watched as she kept her eyes to her bedroom door her movement deliberate as she walked to her dresser. Slowly easing the drawer out, she shifted the clothes around, all the while trying to calm her jumble of thoughts and her steady increasing heart beat, her hand came to close around the cell she got a couple weeks ago. Tossing it to her brother, she whispered lowly. "Souta, call Miroku and tell him what's going on, and then call the police and let them know someone may have been shot. Tell them you're all alone, they'll come faster that way." Not looking back, she headed toward her closet and slowly slid the door open.

Pushing aside her clothes at the back, she came across her myriad of weapons, Miroku, her older brother, had always thought it best to train her in the ways of self-defense as well as offense. She may not have bested him in anything, but perhaps the handgun, she came close and anyone who wished to mess with her aniki also wished for death. Her brother is a federal agent working for the CIA, and all though she hasn't seen him much of late, he was always there for her and Souta when they called and knew he wouldn't let her down now. Belting two handguns around her waist, some knives up her pajama sleeves and taking her katana, Kagome cast a look at her brother clearly telling him not to move and he nodded in acknowledgment.

Stealthily walking past the door, Kagome monitored her breathing, lowering it as not be heard by the intruders and made sure her steps were just as deliberate. One wrong move, one slight noise could alert them of her presence thus taking away the element of surprise and her possible upper hand in the fight. She moved down the hall blending in with the shadows of the night, just as Miroku had taught to her, and paused listening for the movement of her prey in hopes to gain some idea as to their location.

She could hear shelves being tipped over, and hear the books collided with the ground; Kagome mentally seethed. She knew where they were, where they had no right to be, where they had no right to ramshackle. Moving down each step with explicit care, she paused at the foot of the stairs, and moved her back along the wall still covered in shadows, out into the living room. Her legs nearly gave out and she had to bring up a hand to stifle the sob that wished to escape her mouth, steadying herself against the wall and squeezing her eyes shut to banish the images from her sight. Only to have them seen before her in the darkness of her closed eyes. Her mother and jii-chan sprawled out on the floor like lifeless rag dolls, their blood pooling out around them. Her mother was shot once in the head and again in near the heart region and her grandfather shot in the heart in what appeared to be twice and another in lower regions near his liver. Blood trailed their lips and their eyes stared lifelessly ahead, and Kagome once again had to stifle another sob. Steeling her resolve she opened her eyes, but did not once look upon the scene before her, and continued her journey to her father's study where it would seem the criminals were located.

She was trembling, and not just with the sadness and sobs that wished to make themselves known. She shook with anger and hatred so fierce that it startled her. Never before had she ever felt these emotions run through her, being that she, normally, never felt such for anyone no matter what they had done. She always tried to be understanding. Did this make her a bad person? That she could feel this way and so strongly as well, a picture of her mother's lifeless body lying beside her grandfather's flashed through her minds eye and her body trembled. Her blood felt on fire with the emotion of anger, and adrenalin. Making sure to step over shelf, Kagome emptied her mind and entered an emotionless state. Miroku, when he had taught her to fight, always explained that she must keep her emotions in check because they could be the thin line between victory and defeat. By reading ones emotions one could predict their opponents next move. Had he not taught her this the blind rage and sadness that had wrapped its way so firmly around her heart would have surely controlled her movements getting her killed. She was a skilled fighter, trained by the best, but even she would fall prey to the men raiding their house. As far as she knew they could be armed with more then a gun, but as is were she only knew of the firearm having heard the shots within her bedroom with Souta.

One of the most important lessons Miroku had ever bestowed to her would be this; while she was strong when facing a man she will almost always be weaker. So her brother honed her speed, reflexes, grace, but most importantly her mind. The majority of the male fighters in the modern world were all muscles and no brains, thinking it was all they needed to survive in this harsh world of conflict. He had trained her to think, to be shrewd. So in this fight this would be the weapon she would use, she would out smart them into their own graves.

Shifting her grip on the hilt of her Katana, Kagome pushed her back up against the wall near a shelf that wasn't over turned. Taking in a deep breath, she took the heel of her foot and knocked it into the wall, and waited a few moments. She heard the movements freeze in the other room, and the low mumbles of their arguing but could make out not a word of it. There were movements, and she could distinctly hear the dragging of feet upon the wooden planked floors; her father always preferred it to carpeting or tile. There were three individual movements she could make out, so her guess would be that she had three opponents to dispose of. Her ears caught the voice of one man ordering another to investigate the origin of the sound she had made. Her heart was beating a million miles per hour, and her gut twisted; whether from anticipation or nausea, she did not know, though she hoped it was from sickness of what she was about to do.

Kagome had never killed before, but she would have too with these intruders. They would kill her and Souta if she didn't; already they've killed her mother and grandfather. Her parents needed to be avenged and the only way to do that, the girl rationalized, would be to end the lives of the ones who committed the act of murder. Her muscles tensed in preparation for movement as her gray-blue eyes spotted a hulking male figure -never had she see such a large man- coming to stop before her, searching the room without once turning his head in any direction. She slipped a knife down from her sleeve and made sure to be one with every shadow she moved in, stalking up behind her prey; the silent hunter. In one deft sweep, she had slit the throat of her first victim before he could even scream for the help of his comrades. Thick, dark blood ran down her hands as the body slumped lifelessly against her, soaking the edge of pajama sleeve; the one that held the knife. Wiping the mans life essence upon his shirt, Kagome slipped the knife back within her sleeve, hooking both her arms around the man's middle as she proceeded to drag him around the corner. She left him to lean against the wall to retrieve her katana.

Her stealth feet brought her across the room and into the large kitchen of her house. As far as she knew there were only two men left for her to take down. She could not defeat them both at once and thus she went with the old saying that went along the lines of 'divide and conquer', another lesson her brother had given her should she be up against a group. Opening up a cupboard, Kagome delved her hand into the depths to pull out a pot and pan. The hint of a grin lit up her face as she began to bang them together, before throwing them across the room with a deafening clamor. She cast a worried glance to the cupboards that hung upon the wall, before climbing upon the counter, using her upper body strength to pull herself up to the top of the shelves. She brought her self to a low crouch in the safe-haven of the shadows the hung there, holding her Katana out to the side in preparation for the strike as she waited.

It was not a long wait.

Another large man pushed open the door a bit hesitantly, holding a gun out before him as his only protection. The room was full of shadows, the moon providing little light to see by. She could not see the face of the man, only the dark shape; that is until he stepped into the light. He looked oddly familiar with his drawn in features and brown shoulder length hair neatly tied back. She had no time for these thoughts. Springing forward, Kagome leaped toward the man swinging her Katana around and efficiently removing his head from his body. Blood painted her with the action, splattering to the floor like rain, while the body fell in slow motion unlike the head that collided with the floor with a thump rolling a few inches from its original location.

Her legs gave out as she sighted what her actions had accomplished, grabbing at the counter to steady her body. Her throat constricted as she forced breath from her lungs, as the world seemed to close in on her; gray blue eyes wide like a dear caught in the headlights. Kagome could hardly believe what she had done this night. Already she had killed two men, one slitting the throat and another by removing his head. She felt as if she were going to be sick. She pushed it all down and forced it to the back of her mind for later, now she needed to stop the other man before he got it in his head to travel up the stairs, finding Souta. She stood a chance, but her brother had no skills in the fighting arts what so ever, being that he was too afraid to learn. He was always afraid of something, and it was her job as big sister to protect him from those fears until he learned to deal with them. Souta would not be able to deal with a murderer, nor would he be able to deal with the weight of ending ones life. It would likely drive him to insanity.

It would probably drive her to insanity as well, but she ignored this thought. Her older brother lived well enough and so could she. Her legs began working once more as she hardened her resolve, abandoning the bloody mess behind her for the living room. Actuating deftly through the darkened room, Kagome kept her ears open to the sounds around her considering her sight was next to useless in the dark, while every nerve ending upon her skin was attuned to the feel of the air around her. This would give her some insight into any possible movement around her.

"Oi, where the hell are you two!" A rough voice shouted. "We don't have time for screwing around, we need to get the damn files and get out of here."

So there truly was only one man left. She was in the living room; she could see the shadowy outline of the couch as well as the shadowy outline of the TV. Running her hand along the bottom of the big screen, she made sure to his every button nearly deafening her when a multitude of sound blasted from the speakers. Whatever the show was, it held tones of explosions. She grinned slightly when the man's cursing reached her ears along with threats towards his companions if they were messing with him. Kagome just stood there in the fighting stance her brother had shown her, muscles taut to spring at any given moment.

The moon shined upon the ocean surface, making the water glisten as it lapped against the docks. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky, and the lack in lighted streets allowed any passerby see the stars shinning quite clearly. The docks were always quiet, no one moved about the shadows there without a purpose or without a right to be in the vicinity. To do so could mean the ending of your life. It was a well-known fact. These docks belonged to the notorious Shikaku brothers, and none that did not belong in their circle would dare cross their paths if they could help it.

Two men walking side by side, one in a black trench coat and black slacks, his hair pulled at the nap of his neck in a rat-tail with two earrings in the left ear. His violet eyes glittered in amusement, yet the contours of his face held nothing but a somberness to them that seemed to be every part of his character as the purple glove to his left hand. The other was his companion's exact opposite with his long silver tresses were untamed by any hair product, nor was it held in place by any object made for the action. Dressed in a black leather jacket, gray shirt visible, along with baggy black jeans. His amber eyes glittered dangerously, yet they held traces of annoyance within their depths. The contours of his face told of one use to expressing such an emotion, and yet expressing very little else. His clawed hands shoved within his pant pockets, he allowed his amber orbs to slide to the man walking beside him. Though his face did not show his usual farcical expression, he could feel the amusement radiating off of the other man in waves. This alone provoked him beyond anything else. The other man knew this as well and yet he still risked his health.

"Damnit, this isn't funny so shut the hell up!" He yelled.

The other man shook his head; still amused. "I'm not laughing Inuyasha, and I have been as silent as yourself for the last few minutes." Was his rueful reply.

Inuyasha glared, and then turned his sight from the other man. "Miroku," he growled, "if you weren't a weak human I'd have shoved my hand through your stomach by now." He shot in aggravation, speeding up his gait a bit more. There had never been a creature alive, well, besides his brother that could grate upon his nerves like the man keeping up with his strides beside him could.

Miroku did crack a smile this time as he tilted his head to the right to get a look at the rippling ocean. "Then for once I shall be glad that I am only a weak human." This comment was only met with silence, and the violet-eyed man wisely did not break it. They continued on, never breaking their pace, towards their intended destination. The top of the yacht they were meant to have the meeting upon came in to view, and both unconsciously slowed their walk, both not wanting to deal with the heads of other groups in their society. They only complained, and nothing was ever good enough for them. There were times even he felt the urge to run them through, despite his calm and easy going nature.

"It wasn't even that funny." Inuyasha said so suddenly that it caused Miroku to nearly trip over his feet. The amber-eyed man having caught the little fumbled grinned ever so slightly, but oddly enough made no comment upon it.

Miroku nodded his agreement and then in all fake seriousness said. "Of course not." He replied placating. "I agree. The detective's daughter jumping you screaming: look daddy, a puppy, it's a puppy! Over and over again causing you to fall from the pier to ocean is not at all amusing." He could not help the slight choked laugh that made its self-known. Just recalling that moment would have been enough to send any cold-heartless person to their knees in unrelenting laughter; he was lucky to be able to hold back the torrent that was begging for release.

Inuyasha rounded upon his companion, quickly picking him up by the edge of his shirt, slamming him against the metal wall of a storehouse situated before the docks. It was one of the many storehouses that held their supplies; those included a great range of objects. Miroku had been expecting this, but it did not lessen the pain of the blow and thus he could not hold back the groan that escaped his lips. The sound reaching his ears, the amber eyed man dropped his friend, but not before stating firmly. "Erase the image from your mind, Miroku, or else you'll have to sit through the entire meeting with your face rearranged."

Before Miroku could even respond to the threat, his cell rang. All movement ceased, and the violet-eyed man looked at his companion briefly in concern, the emotion being reciprocated in the other mans eyes. There were not many that had his cell number, but if it was whom he thought it could mean trouble tonight at this meeting. A man might have gone rouge. It had happened before, and they would be forced to end the life of a companion in their society; but then that is how their world worked. There was no room for betrayal. Miroku flipped his cell and placed it to his ear. "Hello?" His tone emotionless, contradicting his early self when joking around with his friend; or partner in crime you could say.

"Oh gosh, Miroku!" A frantic voice yelled. "There's someone in the house, Kagome went down to investigate, but Miroku we heard gun shots!"

It was Souta, Miroku realized, his little brother he had not seen in less then a year because of his switch in occupations. He wanted to save his family from a life of running, of being targeted. When the hysterical words finally registered in his brain all color drained from his face; it seems his efforts did not work. "She did what!" He yelled, but forced himself to calm. Souta was already upset enough; the boy did not need his older brother's hysteria as well. "Is everyone alright, where are you?"

"I'm in Kagome's room, but Miroku, mom and jii-chan were down there! We could hear them arguing, Aniki, I think one of them was shot!" His voice trembled, and Miroku knew that he was crying. How he wished that he could take his little brother in his arms and comfort him like he had when the boy was younger. "I'm scared, aniki, pleas come home."

"Stay put and do not move from that spot, I'll be there in a few." He ordered.

"But what about Kagome!"

"Do not worry about her, she is as tough as myself maybe even more so, just stay where you are and don't call the police!" He flipped the phone closed, before opening it again; all the while he ignored his companions curious stare. Dialing in a number rather quickly, he only hopped for a quick answer and let out a relieved sigh when he got one. "Ready the chopper for Hokkaido, I'll be there in ten." He shut the phone once more and turned form the direction of the yacht with hurried steps.

"Oi Miroku, where the hell do your think your going." Inuyasha yelled, halting his violet-eyed companion. "If you haven't forgotten, we've got a job to do." He reminded, his tone laden down with exasperation.

"Something came up, you're going to have to do it alone this time Inuyasha." He then turned around, and the dog -eared man was taken back by the somber expression in his eyes. Never had that reached his eye before, his eyes always held good humor even if the rest of his silhouette did not. "I know that you can handle those fools by yourself, you do not need me for this." He assured. The only problem would be that, he as a man of reason, would not be there to stop his friend from offing a few of them. It was not like it would be a great loss, but then they did not want to make too many enemies.

"If you ditch a job Miroku, you know as well as I do that your as good as dead." He called. It was a law, a code, amongst those in this society of theirs. Botch a job and your boss might be forgiving and allow you another chance, ditch a job and your boss won't take something considered treason to lightly. Inuyasha growled lowly in his chest when the Miroku showed no signs of yielding.

Fishing around in black trench coat, he stared down the silver haired man with hard violet eyes. He pulled forth a gun, tossing it to his companion, his partner watching impassively as he caught it effortlessly. "The only way I'll stay is if you can shoot me in the back as I am walking away from you." Miroku announced and then turned continuing on his way.

Inuyasha looked down at the gun in his hands and then back at the receding figure of his partner with wide eyes. What the hell was so important that he would do this? He wondered silently. Being who he was in this society he could let the man get away with it, but the question was did he really want to deal with his brother over the matter? Shrugging he took aim waiting a few moments before he shot the gun off, hitting the ground at Miroku's feet. "Oi Miroku, you better hurry it up with whatever your doing! I'll only cover your ass for so long!" With that said Inuyasha shoved the gun through his waistband and began his trek alone, to take on bosses from other groups.

Suddenly he grinned widely as a realization hit him, with Miroku out of the way there was no one stopping him from killing every single one of them. He had no weapons on him before, being that he was too trigger happy when annoyed, but since he had a gun now… suddenly things weren't looking so bad. Then he sighed heavily, he could not kill them all though, they still needed at lest some of the idiots alive. Even if they were foolish humans, they still had their uses. Inuyasha did not seem to see what they would be, but his brother said that they were there, so who was he to argue with youkai that loved to stick his hand through his chest every chance he got, right?

Breathing heavily, Kagome watched with a large amount of trepidation as the door handle turned ever so slightly. Holding her breath entirely as the door was shoved open with a great amount of force, she watching in confusion as a man walked through the door, sword held out before him; cautiously. Neither of the other two she had defeated held any other weapon but a gun, what made this man so special. Maybe she should not have been standing out in plane sight waiting for him. Kagome made a noise in the back of her throat when the man's hard coal eyes pinned her with a dangerous glare. It would seem that he noticed the blood of his accomplices decorating her pajamas as well as the cream colored skin that was visible.

"You witch." The man spat like disgusting curse. "You do killed them didn't you?" He did not wait for an answer before he continued on. "He no ever said anything about a young lass being able to fight, but he did say something about a young man. The bastard." He cursed once more under his breath.

Kagome did not waver from her stance, and placed aside her fear, entering once more into an emotionless state. "Leave here peacefully, or I will be forced into killing you." She didn't want to kill anymore, she did not want to kill anyone in the first place, but she could not allow either of them to reach Souta. Already she had let them murder her parents.

The man laughed. "I don't doubt you have some skills with you lass, but I do no think they could be anywhere near as close to my own." He boasted. "I am no leaving without the disc I came for." He rushed forward, and in one swift movement made an attempt to slit her own throat, but she managed to put her blade in between his own her flesh. As he applied force to her own sword Kagome deftly pivoted around him using his own strength against him so that he was unbalanced, removing her Katana she ran the swords edge against the flesh of his stomach. The bit of it caused her attacker to flinch back in pain. He looked up at her with murder in his eyes and slammed his sword down forcefully and it was all Kagome could do to block against it. He then kicked her middle causing her to propel backwards unto the couch. She looked up without an ounce of fear in her eyes, being that she was still in the emotionless state her brother had taught her to maintain in battle. "Do you have any last words little lass?"

Kagome never heard the gunshot, and thus looked on in confusion as the man slumped to the ground, blood pouring from the corner of his mouth. "The question would be, do you?" At lest she was confused until she heard his voice.

With tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, the young woman jumped from her position on the couch and launched herself at her big brother; burying herself in his embrace. He held her fast, resting his cheek at the top of her head while smoothing the dark hair down her back. Miroku tightened his hold as he realized how close he had come to losing her. When he had entered the house, he had seen his grandfather and mother; rage had held him fast. Never before had he killed a man out of rage, and never before had his sister killed. He was sorry that she was forced into doing this, guilty that he was not there for her; there to protect both his siblings from such a situation. "It's okay Kagome, its okay." He murmured into her hair. "I'm here, I'll always be here for you and Souta." He assured, trying to calm her shivering body as sobs escaped her throat.

"Miroku it was so horrible." She choked into his trench coat. "I couldn't save them, I was too late to save them." She whimpered, and it tore at Miroku's heart. He could not protect her from this, no matter how hard he had tried.

"It wasn't your fault imotou." He soothed, as she wrapped her arms around his waist to gain more comfort. Maneuvering a hand into his trench coat, Miroku pulled forth his cell, flipping it open. Hitting the speed dial button, he placed the phone to his ear. "Inuyasha, I need you to send a clean up crew to the Sunset Shrine in Hokkaido." He requested. "I need it now."

"The place you supposedly became a monk at?" He questioned skeptically. "What for?"

"Five were killed tonight, three men that need to be tossed off somewhere and two innocents. A woman in her forties, and an old man nearing his seventies." Miroku explained tonelessly. "I believe the three men were sent by you know who."

"How certain are you?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Not very but," he hesitated and then reluctantly said, "there are two witnesses that saw and heard things. I also want them under surveillance while they say at one of the safe houses." Miroku did not know how he was going to get Inuyasha to agree to such a measure, but then maybe if he made them sound irreplaceable. He knew, that if they were whom he thought, what they would want with his home. They were looking for something of his father's, something that he was killed for by his own government. Anger seeped into his bones at the remembrance. When he had found out about how the people he had sworn his allegiance to betrayed him, Miroku then found himself with the men of the society he use to take in to what the government claimed was justice. He looked down and noticed that his little sister had fallen into slumber within his embrace. He smiled warmly. He would do anything to protect them, to protect his remaining family, Kagome and Souta.

"Why go through all that trouble Miroku, why not just get the answers you want and leave them with their lives?" There was a long pause on the other line, before he could hear Inuyasha sigh heavily in annoyance. "Don't tell me, it's a gorgeous woman, right? Damnit Miroku we can't be using our resources like this because you want to get laid!" He yelled into the receiver. Miroku had to hold the phone away from his ear a bit.

He does not know that she is your sister, nor can he ever find out. He told himself mentally to calm the rising anger Inuyasha's comment brought about. "Of course she is, the most beautiful that I have ever seen." He replied softly to the hanyou's other comment. Every brother, despite what they say verbally, thought that their sister -or even mother- was the most beautiful woman/ women in the world. When that special someone is found then she of course in mentally added to that list. "That is not why I want this done, she and her brother over heard something very interesting and I think that should we let them alone he will only send more men after them for their lives."

There was another long suffering sigh and then a few moments latter a voice replied, dripping with defeat. "Fine!" He grumped. "Take the girl and her brother to my apartment in Kyoto, the one I never use, and you had better make sure Sesshoumaru finds out nothing about this. He'd kill me, and I've already ticked him off enough as it is this week." He confided tiredly. "I'll have the crew over in a few."

"Thanks, I owe you one." Miroku responded heartily, and though Inuyasha thought it odd he did not comment upon it.

"Damn right you do! First you ditch the meeting forcing me to cover you, now your wanting a clean up crew, surveillance and a safe house." He snapped over the line. "You had better know what your doing, Sesshoumaru finds out about this and it won't be you with the fist protruding from you back." The line then went dead and Miroku knew that Inuyasha had hung up on him. With a heart felt sigh he shoved the phone back within his trench coat pocket. Sesshoumaru really wasn't the sadist Inuyasha made him out to be, still, if he were to catch him on a bad day this assessment of the hanyou's may come to pass. It made him feel guilty, or at least it would have had Inuyasha not put him in the same pot with that one incident a couple years ago.

Standing while securing Kagome in his arms, Miroku did not spare a glance to the man he had killed, he began his trek up the stairs to check upon Souta. The boy must be out of his mind with fright, considering how long it had been since he had talked to him.

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed this story!!!

Okay, I've got a question for you all. Should I make Sesshoumaru with Rin or Kagura? I now what all the other pairings will be, but I can not decide on this one. Who do you, the readers, want to see with Sesshoumaru? I will place the votes up with every new chapter -k- and whomever has the most votes by like the fourth chapter will be who Sesshoumaru ends up with.

Another question: Do you all like the title of this story, or do you think I should change it? I'm not so sure upon it myself. I had two other names that I was going to go with, they were:

Eyes of Darkness

Devious Intentions

What do you all think, which one suites the story better?

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my story R&R

This chapter has been revised, if there are any mistakes that I have missed feel free to tell me about them. This chapter is pretty long and if is easy to miss some things