" No, Yuki. Careful."Miroku shouted.
" Ah!" Yuki was indecisive about which card to pull out of Kagome's hands. She move her fingers from one card to another then finally pulled it out into the pile of the other matching cards." I can't believe I won, again." She cheered with a very cute smile on her face.
" She hasn't spoken about anything since that night when we spotted her with Sesshomaru... Man, this is really bothering me! Did she see Naraku? What does she know? Something on her mind but she acting like she's fine." InuYasha thought to himself as he leaned against the tree behind everyone else, slightly away from the campfire as he looked up at the starry night sky.
" Yuki and Kagome are tied up," Shippo said and wrote the score in the dirt with a stick.
" You guys are really good at this game" Sango complimented.
" It looks like I have some competition."Kagome laughed as sweat dropped from the side of her head.
" Would you call it that?" Yuki picked the deck of cards and began shuffling then looked up at Kagome.
" These western karuta cards for fascinating," Miroku said and observe the single card in his hand.
"As I said, they not karuta cards, they're playing cards." Kagome pointed out.
" Playing cards?" They exclaimed
" Yeah, it's just a game. Something you do for fun." Kagome added.
" I would always play this game with my parents-- We would call them taroump." Yuki said then paused and stopped shuffling as an image of them popped up in her head.
" Taroumps?" They said in confusion.
" Do you mind keeping it down?" InuYasha complained." Can't you play a little more quietly?"
" Quit your whining and join us-- And sitting there and complaining, is not going make the situation any better," Kagome said.
" Not interested," InuYasha replied.
" Why he's so angry?" Shippo asked concerned.
Kagome glance from the corner of her eye and looked at InuYasha.
" He's in a bad mood," Sango said.
" InuYasha! Sulking away won't make Tessusaiga any stronger." Miroku advised.
" Shut up! That's not--" InuYasha sat up as he turned his head to look at the others.
" Naraku barrier..." Kagome said and the entire mood changed.
" Until he's able to break the barrier, we can't even touch Naraku," Miroku mentioned.
" It's a problem alright. Naraku will continue to grow stronger." Sango said and sigh in distress.
" Ha! No need to worry. I'll take care of it!" InuYasha stood up confident.
" What would you do?" Yuki asked
InuYasha's eyes twitched as he remained silent.
" Knew it! You haven't got a clue." Shippo crossed his arms and said.
" I shouldn't have got my hopes up," Kagome said.
Yuki slapped her neck and saw a bug drop on the ground. She jumped up terrified and it sent shivered down her spine.
" It's okay, I got you," InuYasha said as he grabbed Yuki and held her close. They both blushed then turn away.
Kagome turned her head to the side.
" I'm fine, InuYasha," Yuki said and took a couple of steps back.
" Is it me or did things just get a little awkward?" Shippo questioned.
" Kagome, are you okay?" Sango said as she put her hand on Kagome's shoulder.
" Yeah, I'm fine," Kagome answered but she sounded depressed.
" They actually look good together," Miroku said.
" Miroku! Are you stupid!" Sango hit him in the head with her weapon.
" Ouch!- InuYasha who's that new beauty? She tastes delicious " Mygoa said laying on the ground injured from being slapped.
" I-Its talking!" Yuki was about to step on it but InuYasha stopped her.
" She's Kagome's friend." InuYasha said." But what are you doing here, Mygoa?"
" I know a way to make your sword stronger and able to break through Naraku barrier. It took me a long time to find you." Mygoa said.
" Just tell me already, and you can suck as much as Kagome blood as you want," InuYasha said.
" I'm not a bloodbath, InuYasha," Kagome said upset.
" Shippo, what is that thing?" Yuki whispered.
" That Myoga the flea. He means no harm. He comes to help then leaves when it gets tough." Shippo said.
" What do you mean?" Yuki asked a tab bit confused.
" Master InuYasha, this is not time to be telling jokes, I'm afraid. You must go immediately to the cave of The Demon Bats. The Tribe is located near a village on the western shore, the cave is protected by a barrier nobody is able to destroy it but guarding of the barrier has been passed down from generation to generation. The current guardian demon must be slain in other words, you must kill the demon guardian who has the power to retain this barrier and let Tessusaiga suck its blood" Mygoa informed.
" By killing such a strong opponent the sword will absorb the demon and the Demon Bats power," Miroku said.
"And that would make the sword much stronger," Sango said, observing the situation.
" Yes, exactly." Mygoa nodded and said as he appeared on Kagome's neck." Now then, Kagome, about our little deal."
" Forget about it," Kagome said and smack him as he deflated.
" Alright, what are we waiting for? It's time to go demon hunting. I'm in if that's all it takes to make my sword stronger. I'll kill a thousand of them if I have to. The sooner, I can defeat and kill Naraku!" InuYasha said all pumped up.
Everyone went to sleep since they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow. While two people watched over the same fire site.
" Miroku?" Yuki turned her head then looked back at the fireplace.
" What is it, Yuki?" Miroku questioned.
" Why do InuYasha want to harm his own kind?." Yuki said.
The others told her what Naraku have done.
" Naraku didn't seem like that type of person. For some reason, I had this sense that he was the only person that been honest to me" Yuki said and poke the fire with a stick.
" What did he say to you?" Miroku questioned. He promised not to mention it but was curious and it just seemed like the right time to say something.
" Nothing really. He just wanted to meet me. I'm still trying to figure out if there was some truth of what he told me." Yuki answered and deep thought." Moreso, I don't want it to be the truth."
" Naraku love to find people's weaknesses and manipulate them. He tells lies and uses people's secrets against them. He's very untrustworthy so you don't have anything to worry about." He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.
" Is that so? I really hope so" Yuki thought to herself and felt a bit relieved. The ache in her heart started to hurt a little less.
" You changed a lot Yuki, you used to be so different," Miroku said and looked over at her. He remembers the girl that used to always be timid and shy about everything and everyone around her.