A/N: Please excuse the lateness of this. I had some family issues, like my grandparents getting hospitalized, and then I had to study for finals and shit. I just now got around to writing it, and I'm sorry for that. I'll be able to update more frequently now though, so hooray for that! Don't be too mad at me! I'm truly sorry!

And without further ado...

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The carriage ride had gone on for hours and Inuyasha was bored out of his mind. Sure, it was kinda nice having Kagome leaning on him and all, but she wasn't very good company since she had fallen asleep on him. Speaking of asleep….his arm had gone numb from her laying on it!

Thankfully, he could a village in the distance. He had been informed earlier that this particular village rested just on the outskirts of Shikon Kingdom. The hanyou felt impatience rise up inside of him. He really needed to stretch his legs, and this carriage was confining…

Kagome shifted in his arms.

'Bout time the bitch woke up.' He thought in annoyance.

And awaken she did. Kagome sat up quickly, smacking him in the face with the palm of her hand. Inuyasha recoiled from the blow, clutching his cheek where a red mark was surely forming. He growled as he saw her use the same offending hand to stifle a yawn. She must have heard, for she turned her head and looked at him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked innocently, wiping sleep from her eyes. Inuyasha growled again.

"No, not really. Except you just smacked me in the face and don't seem the least bit remorseful!" he snapped, pointing to the handprint on his face.

Kagome blushed slightly and smiled in embarrassment. "Gomen, sorry. I didn't know I slapped you…"

Inuyasha mumbled a few choice words before shoving her roughly off his lap. Kagome landed ungracefully on the seat beside him.

"Hey! Watch it!" she yelled.

Inuyasha looked away. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know I pushed you. I just wanted my arm back!" he said sarcastically, casting convicting golden eyes down at her.

Kagome sighed and brushed off the corners of her blue kimono. "I see how things are going to be…" she said softly, before turning to face him with a determined look in her eyes. "Don't think you've won so easily, though!"

Inuyasha blinked. Won? 'What the hell is she talking about?' Suddenly it clicked. 'Oh…so the wench wants to challenge me, then? Well, is she in for it…'

He smirked at her and earned himself a glare.

'Enjoy your victory while you can…' the princess thought evilly. 'I'll get you back, one way or another…'

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Somewhere in the Miasma Kingdom, the evil Naraku sat and stared into the mirror of his youngest daughter, Kanna. He saw the exchanges between hanyou and princess, and it made his blood boil with rage.

(A/N: I know Kanna is the eldest of Naraku's offspring, but she's younger than Kagura in this 'cuz I think it would be kind of awkward for a child to be older than a full grown woman.)

"So…" he began calmly. "I see they've taken a liking to each other."

Kanna looked up at her father with emotionless coal black eyes. "Naraku…what action…will you take?" she said slowly.

Naraku glanced down at her and patted her head in a soothing manner. "Patience, Kanna. We will wait. Let's just see if we can use this hanyou to our advantage."

At Kanna's silence, Naraku smiled. 'She always was my favorite. So quiet and obedient. So unlike the other two…' "Kanna, leave. That's all I require from you for now…"

Kanna bowed her respects before picking up her mirror and walking out of Naraku's quarters. She decided to look for her siblings and began walking down the hall. She peered into the weapons room and saw her little brother inspecting a particularly sharp halberd.

"Hakudoshi…" she whispered softly, as her brother turned his white haired head to look at her.

"Kanna. What do you want? I thought you were helping our father with business."

Kanna nodded slowly before answering him. "He said…he was finished with me…"

Hakudoshi lowered his violet eyes to the ground. What was she asking of him? "Um…I don't suppose you'd like to watch me cause some destruction then?" He asked, smiling maliciously at the thought of causing mayhem. He was surprised when Kanna nodded. 'Well…that's strange…Normally she just hangs out in her room or something.'

As the two walked out of the weapons room, Hakudoshi rammed straight into his eldest sister, Kagura. She glared down at him with her ruby red eyes.

'How I despise this child…' she thought bitterly as she covered her mouth with her decorative fan as she spoke. "What is it? What do you want?"

Hakudoshi scowled up at her. "Nothing. Kanna and I are doing some target practice."

Kagura's eyes widened in surprise. "Kanna is doing target practice? Don't be ridiculous."

Kanna glanced up at her sister. "It is true…I am merely there…to watch. I must see if Hakudoshi…has improved his skills…"

Kagura arched an eyebrow. "Why? What use is that to you?"

Kanna stared at her blankly. "I sense…that a battle…is in our futures…"

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"Finally!" Inuyasha yelled with joy as he stepped out of the carriage. He immediately began stretching his arms and legs.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "Well, somebody's happy…"

He stopped stretching and glared at her. "Not my fault if I had to share a cramped little carriage with a certain stuck up wench."

Kagome scowled at him. "I am not stuck up!"

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, you keep believing that."

Kagome growled and got ready to strangle him.

"Kagome! Inuyasha! Did you both have a pleasant trip?"

'Damn…' Kagome thought, angry at the fact she didn't get to kill him. 'Mother has the worst timing!' "It was great, Mother! Wasn't it, Inuyasha?" she nudged him with her elbow and earned herself a scowl.

"Yeah…it was marvelous…" He said sarcastically, rubbing his side where she jabbed him.

Queen Higurashi laughed heartily. "That's spectacular! Inuyasha, would you like to meet the inhabitants of the castle?" Seeing his shrug, she gestured to her daughter. "Kagome, show him around will you?"

Kagome sighed but obeyed. "C'mon Inuyasha…" she said, leading him away by his sleeve.

She dragged him into the castle, and began scanning each room as they walked by. She did this for about ten minutes and Inuyasha was growing impatient. Apparently, so was Kagome.

"Miroku! Shippo! Can you guys just get out here? I'm sick of looking!"

Inuyasha heard a muffled reply, and about three minutes later, a monk and a kitsune fox walked up to them.

"Lady Kagome! I see you have returned from your journey!" the monk said, hugging Kagome and at the same time, allowing his hands to wander down to her backside.

Kagome's face turned a bright red and she prepared herself to smack him, but Sango beat her to it. Kagome looked up at her friend slightly surprised.

"When did you get here?"

Sango shrugged and tried to calm herself. "I was bringing in some of my things, when I saw that no good monk behaving….most inappropriately."

"No kidding…" Inuyasha said, nudging the unconscious man with his foot. "That was fucking hilarious though."

Kagome laughed nervously. "Miroku's always been that way…"

"Kagome! What about me?" the kitsune asked, pouting.

Kagome laughed and lifted him into her arms. "Aw, Shippo. I could never forget you. Just don't you dare turn out like that lecher. Okay?"

Shippo smiled cutely at her. "Don't worry, Kagome! I couldn't bear all those beatings anyway!"

Kagome smiled and laughed. "That's good to hear." Sango nodded her head furiously.

"So, anything happen while I was gone?" Kagome asked conversationally, stepping over the unconscious Miroku.

As Shippo started going into detail about some acorns he found in the woods, Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder about the monk.

"Yo, you guys just gonna leave him there?" he asked.

Sango snorted. "Of course. He deserves it. Houshi-sama always wakes up in about thirty minutes or so after he's struck. So don't worry."

"Please…I wasn't worried. I was curious."

Kagome laughed up ahead of him. "That sounds wonderful, Shippo!" she giggled again. "How would you like to help me give Inuyasha a tour?"

Shippo looked over at Inuyasha skeptically. "You mean that half dog?"

Inuyasha growled. "Watch your mouth runt, or I'll tear it off!"

Shippo wailed and clung to Kagome for protection. She glanced over at Inuyasha angrily. "Don't worry Shippo, he won't hurt you. But watch what you say. Inuyasha's going to be living here now."

Shippo crossed his arms defiantly. "Well, he's not staying in my room."

Kagome laughed warmly. "No, of course not. Let's just continue our tour." She gestured over to Inuyasha and he and Sango began to follow.

'Great…' he thought miserably. 'I'll be living in a castle with a kitsune brat, a pervert, and a nosy wench. If I'm not put into an asylum by the end of the week, it'll be a friggin' miracle.'

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I know, shame on me for ending it there, but my hands hurt and I'm kinda tired. And I gave Kanna a nice role since she usually just sits there and says nothing. I thought that I'd be nice and let her have her moment in the sun. I'll update next weekend, or earlier this week if I find the time. Thank you all for reading!

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