Chapter 1 - Picnic

The sun stood high in the sky as the beams of light faded through the Sacred Tree. The trees enormous branches stretched over the small village nearby as they swayed in the direction of the Bone Eater's well.

"Phew!" A large yellow backpack came flying out as Kagome Higurashi pulled her slim figure out of the well. "I'm glad mother packed food for everyone." Kagome said to herself. "Especially InuYasha."

Hosting the large backpack over her shoulder, when suddenly a red blur came fast and the next thing Kagome saw was the ground.

"InuYasha!"

"Oi! What took so damn long!?" InuYasha snapped as he got off Kagome's back, and started to sniff her backpack. Kagome looked up and glared at him.

"I had exams I had to finish, stupid!" Kagome brushed herself off and grabbed her backpack away from InuYasha's prying hands.

"Hey! I was looking..."

"Oswari!" InuYasha's face slammed into the ground by the power of the beads that lay around his neck.

"Grrr...Damn you women! What the hell was that for!?"

"For being a greedy pig! There is plenty of food for everyone!" InuYasha gave her a look and bounded off to Keada's village with Kagome at his heels. Kagome shook her head. "InuYasha can be so selfish."

As Kagome approached, Shippo, the young fox youkai, bounded over and jumped on her shoulder.

"Kagome! Your back!" he smiled and sniffed her pack. Kagome held back a laugh.

"Yes, now don't be like InuYasha and hog all the food."

"Feh." InuYasha smirked.

"What did you bring Kagome?" Sango asked. She was dressed in her traveling cloths that covered her youkai exterminator outfit. Miroku, the Buddhist houshi, stood next to Sango, carefully moving his cursed hand to her rear.

"Don't even think about you henti houshi!" Sango snapped. Miroku jerked his hand away and looked down trying not to turn red.

"Now, now, my dear Sango that is a misunderstanding..." SMACK! Another hand print was now on Miroku's face. "Sigh." Miroku rubbed his cheek and looked at Kagome. "My, you have brought us a nice lunch."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I brought a table cloth to go with our food. We are having a picnic!" Kagome opened the thin fabric that her mother had sewn for her and laid it down in the grass. Placing her backpack on her hip she carefully distributed the dishes. Kirara, the two-tailed cat youkai, purred around Kagome's legs and began sniffing a certain dish. "Oh, I guess you know cat food when you smell it, Kirara."

"Oh boy, Ramen!" InuYasha snatched the plastic container and began eating rapidly. Kagome made a face.

"Can't you eat like a normal person?"

"No, unless you've forgotten, I'm a hanyou." InuYasha sneered between his teeth as his rapid chomping continued, he reached for another dish.

"InuYashaaa...don't make me say it." InuYasha ignored her and continued to eat as fast as he possibly could. Miroku shook his head.

"One must learn not to take more then their fair share." Miroku calmly said.

"One should take the same advice, houshi." Sango pointed out and at the same time giving Miroku the eyes of death. "You henti."

"Sigh." Miroku looked down and ate his dish. "Your mother is an excellent cook, Kagome."

"Thanks Miroku." Kagome yawned and stretched her arm. "I was hoping we could possibly find more Shikon no Tama shards before Naraku does."

"Feh, If Naraku gets anymore damn shards; I'll kill him with my own two hands."

"You do that InuYasha" Miroku said, "then you become closer to your goal."

InuYasha brow shot up in surprise. "What goal?"

"To become full-youkai, am I not correct?" Miroku asked.

"Sango, can you please pass the sushi over her?" Kagome asked interrupting the unwanted conversation between InuYasha and Miroku.

"Sure." Sango moved one of the bigger dishes over and handed two chop sticks to Shippo, who of course got his octopus dog. Shippo opened his mouth to eat his food when InuYasha's hand snatched the young youkai's food away.

"KAGOME! InuYasha is being mean!" Shippo cried.

"InuYasha that was rude! Apologize to Shippo and give him his food back!" Kagome snapped. "Don't make me say it."

"Feh, the runt doesnt deserve it."

"Oswari!" InuYasha slammed to the ground, cursing. Shippo snatched his octopus dog away and ate it quickly before the spell on the beads wore off.

"Such immaturity." Miroku sighed. He moved his staff to the side and nibbled at his food. "Keade told me that Naraku has disappeared once more. Not even your onii Sesshomaru can catch the scent of Naraku's youki, InuYasha."

"How would you know the ware bouts of my jackass onii anyway?" InuYasha sneered; he adjusted the Tessaiga next to him and gobbled down more food.

Kagome ate her sushi in silence. Something was wrong. She had sensed an impending youki nearby and yet the direction from where it came from was unclear. There was no Shikon no Tama shards, but no doubt it was the strongest youki she had ever sensed with her miko powers.

"Miroku, Sango? Do you not sense that strong youki nearby?" They both looked at her in surprise and glanced quickly around them.

"I do now, but its slight." Sango said. "It seems to be hiding its true nature." Miroku nodded in agreement since his mouth was full. Shippo looked at Kagome with fearful eyes.

"A youkai here!?" Shippo jumped onto InuYasha's head with his tail bristling in fear.

Get off my head, you runt!" InuYasha grabbed Shippo and threw him across the clearing. Shippo did not land far and got up fast and hid behind Kagome. Kirara had begun to growl and Sango stood up, her Hiraikotsu ready.

"Well this is strange indeed." Miroku broke in. "It appears to have a strong fuyouheki surrounding it."

Kagome looked at Miroku, worried. "Do you think that you can at least sense the direction on where the youki is coming from?"

Miroku smiled. "You're a miko, Kagome. You would probably find out quicker then I would."

"Feh, if it is a youkai then I'll kill it." InuYasha interrupted. "Besides its been to long since my Tessaiga tasted youkai blood anyway."

Kagome turned her head and glared at InuYasha. She was about to correct his behavior when the youki suddenly intensified, and to Kagome's horror it was leaking off InuYasha.

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