A/N: Written for Challenge Destiny's first prompt, Independence. I only had 600 words to work with and didn't accomplish near what I wanted to, but I had fun. Go check it out on LJ if you are a member.

Since the full title didn't fit in the box, the full title to this is How To Confuse And Frustrate A Dog Demon In One Easy Step

-Momo

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all related characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am not profiting from this in any manner.

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Kagome grimaced as she pulled herself out of the well. It was midsummer, and the heat was just as fierce five hundred years into the past as it had been in her time. It made her glad she remembered to pack her swim suit; if the weather held she was going to go swimming after she settled. Once out of the well, she picked up her bag and started her trek toward the village.

As she closed in on the village she caught a red and silver blur out of the corner of her eye before said red and silver blur parked itself in front of her, making her stop short mid-step. "Inuyasha! Glad to see you came to help me!"

"Keh," he scoffed, yet took her bag from her. "Got held up in the village helping repair a roof for Toshi."

"That was awfully nice of you."

"I'm not an asshole all of the time, ya know. What the hell is in this bag? Rocks?"

"Not as many rocks as you have in your head," Shippou quipped as he popped out of a bush and ran away laughing.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and dropped the bag. "Come back here you little squirt, I'm gonna show you who has rocks in their head!"

Kagome shook her head and picked up her bag as the hanyou dashed off after Shippou, looking like he was ready to pound the little kitsune into the ground.

The rest of the trip into the village was uneventful. Once in Kaede's hut everyone met up to greet her and she dumped out her bag to divvy out the goods she brought back. After the ramen, Inuyasha was instantly attracted to the small trinkets she had brought back to the village children. He shuffled through the items, picking some up and smelling them before tossing them aside. Kagome tried to hide a grin as he picked up a small cylindrical object made of woven bamboo.

"What's this thing?" he asked, sniffing it carefully.

"Oh, that? You put your fingers in it," she replied.

When he didn't seem to get what she was talking about, Kagome scooted toward him and grabbed the cylinder from him, then proceeded to stick each of his index fingers into the ends. Immediately he tried to yank them out, clearly growing angry when it wasn't going to happen.

"What the hell is this thing?" he bellowed, yanking at his hands and growling at the offending thing.

"It's a Chinese Finger Trap! I picked it up at a festival while I was gone." She smiled as he doubled his efforts to get out of the trap.

"This isn't funny, Kagome!" he said, struggling even more. "How do I get out of this thing?" He seemed almost desperate to get out of the thing, his movements almost frantic in his attempts to escape the toy.

"It's a puzzle, Inuyasha - hey! No claws!"

Inuyasha stopped moving and dropped his other fingers away from the contraption. "Then how am I supposed to get out?" He brought his fingers up to his face, then slowly pulled one finger out to scratch his ear. "This is confusing! Wait….hey!" He grabbed the trap and slowly pulled it off of the other finger. "I get it now!"

"'Bout time, Dog Boy."

A range of emotions passed through his eyes before settling on something that Kagome only could describe as borderline evil.

"Inuyasha, what are you thinking?"

An evil grin soon followed the look in his eyes.

"Inuyasha!"

"Hey Miroku! Get your ass in here! I got somethin' to show ya!"