Daaaaamn Daniel. Back at it again with another chapter upload after nearly half a decade away hahaha

please review! I'm happy to be back (until I disappear into the abyss for a time once again lol but I will try not to!)

xoxo

-vQ*

Inuyasha huffed and groused the entire way to the village in the northeast.

"Why do we have to get involved in the affairs of these human villages, anyway?"

"Inuyasha, don't you find it strange? How a fire could spread through a village so rapidly, leaving nothing behind?" Miroku asked.

"All I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be a demon!"

"What you're really implying is that you didn't want to leave Kagome behind." Sango deduced.

"Keh! What's Kagome got to do with anything?"

"You have been by her side nearly every day, have you not?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha's face was kissed with a furious blush." I-It ain't like I just choose to follow her around. She asks me to help her with stuff."

Miroku and Sango looked at one another knowingly.

"Right...and I'm certain she enjoys your company, just as much as you enjoy hers." Sango Replied.

"Can we stop talking about Kagome and just go to this damn village?"

Inuyasha sped up ahead of them.

"W-wait!" Kirara transformed and Sango hopped on, as Miroku rushed ahead as well.

Back in the village...

"So your father was a priest?" Kagome asked Shin curiously as she poured him some herbal tea.

"Indeed. I was merely an apprentice when he died. I only progressed as far as learning about medicinal herbs, so I'm not a very enlightened or spiritual individual myself." He hung his head down.

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Kagome smiled reassuringly. "I had a rough start as a priestess. I still have a lot to learn, and some big shoes to fill."

"Yes, I've heard this village used to be home to a powerful priestess, that once protected the Shikon jewel."

"That's right. I'm her reincarnation, actually."

"Oh? Wow! You're incredible! Truly incredible!" He praised.

Takeshi waddled over to Shin and began grasping at his necklace.

"Please stop!" He exclaimed, backing away.

Takeshi fell onto his bottom and his lip trembled.

"I apologize, young warrior. I did not mean to shout. You see," He began as he showed him the beaded necklace "this belonged to my father. It is the only memento I have of him."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kagome said apologetically as she picked up the boy. "Takeshi is very attracted to shiny things, spiritual items and food, of course." She smiled.

"Well I understand being drawn to such items with the blood of a priestess in your veins."

"Demon, demon!" Shin said as he pointed to Shin.

"What demon?" Kagome asked. She turned to Shin. "Oh, he must smell the blood of that demon on you."

"Ah, of course! Perhaps I should go bathe in the river. Will you be alright alone? I-I know you're very powerful and capable but all of your dearest friends seem to have taken off and—"

"We'll be alright. Take your time." Kagome smiled sweetly.

Shin was swoon. He smiled back at Kagome and rushed off to the river to cleanse himself.

Kagome set Takeshi down and began cleaning around her home.

"Demon, demon. Shin is a demon." Takeshi said as he sat with his toys.

"Takeshi, sweetie." Kagome knelt down as she began to explain. "Shin was attacked by a demon. You smell it's scent on him."

"2 demons."

"What do you mean?"

"Shin demon and different demon."

"Takeshi, I don't sense any d—" Kagome was confused. 'Is shin concealing his aura? Why would he hide the fact that he's a demon? Unless...'

In the burned village...

"Looks like we're too late. Everything was burned to a crisp." Sango observed.

"Yeah and all I smell are burned corpses and ash. We're not gonna find anything in this." Inuyasha said, eager to return home.

Kirara began to hiss at something nearby.

Everyone readied their weapons, when a little girl lifted a plank and crawled out towards them.

"A survivor!" Sango rushed towards her. "Are you alright?"

"W-where is he? He promised to come back for me."

"Who?"

"Big brother Shin. He went to the forest to collect herbs and told me to wait in here."

"That's strange. Isn't Shin the same name as the man staying in our village?" Miroku wondered.

"Why did he ask you to wait here?" Inuyasha asked.

"He said everyone was going to die."

"How would he know that?" Sango asked, looking over at Miroku.

"It would be strange to assume a human has such powers." He replied.

"Unless he's not human at all. Maybe he doused himself in the blood of another demon to throw us off, and he's concealing his demonic aura."

"In that case, Kagome is in grave danger." Miroku deduced.

"Let's go then!" Inuyasha demanded with urgency.

"What about this young girl?" Sango worried.

"Leave me. I'm going to wait for Shin to come back like I said I would."

"Why would you do that? What about your parents?"

"I don't have parents. Shin took care of me and he'll come back." The girl said confidently.

"Just leave her. If she wants to wait for a demon, we can't stop her." Inuyasha huffed.

"We can't leave a child in a place like this!" Sango turned to the little girl. "We believe that Shin is in our village. Come with us."

"Really? Okay!"

Back in the village...

Shin returned to Kagome's hut.

"Can I tell you something in confidence?" Shin asked her.

"Of course."

"I...was adopted. Takeshi was right about me." Shin removed the beads, revealing his demonic aura to Kagome. "Please forgive me for my lies. I was merely trying to protect myself."

"You don't have to explain that to me."

"Oh, but I do." He grasped Kagome's hand. "I'm in love with you, Lady Kagome."

Kagome looked down at his hand, and remembered how Koga would always do the same. It was such a sweet and genuine gesture.

"Shin, that's so nice of you to say and—"

"Back away from her." Inuyasha said through his teeth in a threatening tone.

"Inuyasha?"

"I'll kill you right here," He unsheathed his sword "and right now."

"My friend, I-I mean no harm." Shin stammered, as he let Kagome's hand out of his grasp and slowly stood.

"That's a lie and you know it. You're the demon that's been starting all those fires, aren't you?" Inuyasha drew his sword.

"W-what? You think I did that?"

"Inuyasha, where is all of this coming from?!" Kagome questioned.

"We went to the village and spoke to a little girl that knows him."

"You found Nazuna?! Where is she?"

Shin rushed out the hut.

"Hey, I'm talkin here!" Inuyasha shouted.

"2 demons! Nuyasha it's 2!"

Inuyasha turned to Takeshi. "You sense 2 demons?"

"Shin is 2 demons."

"I'm not sure I understand." Kagome said. "Shin admitted to me that he is a demon. He never said anything about another demon."

"You can't trust him, Kagome. I'm not sure what his angle is but—"

"Inuyasha, I really don't think he had anything to do with those fires. He seems like an honest person."

"Honest? Didn't he lie to you about being a demon in the first place?" Inuyasha argued.

"He said it was to protect himself."

"And you believe that?"

"Well...yes. He's been nothing but kind and sincere since he got here."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "That village we visited was completely charred to ash, and only one person survived, who happens to be a little girl that knows Shin."

"But—"

"On top of that, he knew everyone in the village was going to die! How d'ya explain that?" Inuyasha folded his arms.

"There has to be some other explanation. Shin wouldn't do this!" Kagome attempted to persuade.

"Oh, I get it. You're into this guy, aren't you? I forgot that full-fledged demons are your type now." He responded sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Inuyasha paused and turned towards the door. "Just forget it." He stomped out.

Takeshi began to follow.

"Takeshi, where are you going?" Kagome asked.

"To Nuyasha." He sped out.

Takeshi ran behind Inuyasha on all fours.

Inuyasha turned to see Takeshi behind him. "Hey, kid. Shouldn't you be inside with your mother?"

"You runned away."

Inuyasha sat next to Takeshi. "Yeah. Your mother doesn't seem to understand what you and I seem to know about Shin."

"Shin bad?"

"I'm not sure. It seems that way. Now that he isn't hiding his demonic aura, I sense the 2 demons also."

"Shin has a necklace."

"Yeah, it was probably hiding his aura."

"I'm hungry."

"Let's go to the river, then."

Kagome peered outside and saw Nazuna with Shin, as Miroku and Sango watched suspiciously from nearby.

What was going on? What was the truth? Kagome was concerned.

Just then, a familiar aura approached the village.