I Remember The Cherry Blossoms

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad that you guys enjoy the fic. As for if the general was youkai or not, you are simply going to have to wait for the story to unfold to find out. So, read and review, please. It makes me feel loved and happy, happy.

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Kagura and Kanna sat on the floor, staring at each other, when Naraku finally decided to grace them with his presence. He looked at the corner of the room and saw that boy, Kohaku, staring out of the window. He knew it was wrong to continue to use the boy for his purposes, but if he wanted to become a full-blood youkai, the boy was necessary, though the boy reminded him of himself when he was just a boy.

Oh well. What was done was done and there was no changing it. His lips curled up in a sneer when he glanced over at Kagura. The wind youkai seemed to be in deep thought and he could not help but wonder what she was plotting, because the bitch was always plotting against him. Soon, she would not be needed and he could reabsorb her. After all, she had served her purpose.

Kanna was, well, Kanna really was not that much of anything at all. She was quiet, cold, and served him without question. It was because of her mirror that he could see what his enemies were plotting against him. She could stay.....until she became a bother to him, that is.

He moved into the room and sat down at his usual place. He saw Kagura's red eyes slide over to him and quickly stood when he nodded. Clearly she didn't wish to spend any more time in his dungeon. She moved quickly and produced his meal in front of him. As he ate, he took note that Kohaku had turned to look at him and he slowly stood up. As the boy approached him, he noticed that the boy appeared aggitated.

“Master, may I please be excused?” Kohaku asked, his voice soft. The boy's eyes avoided his own and in a moment of calmness, he finally said, “You may leave. Kagura will bring your evening meal to you. I will have need of you in the morning, so get all the rest you can.”

The boy's stunned eyes turned to his own, and he nodded and bowed before quickly leaving the room. Both Kagura and Kanna stared at him. Such kindness was not known to come from him and he simply continued to eat. He need not explain his actions to anyone, least of all those two.

The night was quiet and he could hear the sounds of crickets as he quietly ate his meal. When he was done, he glanced over at Kagura.

“Tonight, I want you to go and find Inu Yasha's small group. I want to know their whereabouts and tomorrow, you will take Kohaku to them so that he may follow them. I am not going to let that pififul excuse for a dog disrupt anymore of my plans.” He said as he carefully wiped his mouth.

Kagura slowly nodded and turned to leave. However, his voice stopped her. “Take the boy his dinner. He has a long day ahead of him and I want him well-fed.”

It never failed to amaze her that Naraku could show the assassin boy such mercy, yet showed her nothing but malice. Her shoulders slumping, she nodded and left the room.

A small smirk crossed his lips and with a wave of his hand, he dismissed Kanna. When he was alone, he reaching into his haori and lifted out the small vial that he always wore around his neck. Inside the vial was a small amount of dirt. It was the dirt of his former village and it served as a reminder to him that his true cause must never be forgotten. When he gained his revenge, only then would he take off the trinket.

$$$$$

Kagome smiled apologetically at the young man before sending Inu Yasha into the ground. Again. They arrived at the small village and were greeted by the village leader, a young man named Hino. The young was was tall, handsome, and had a smile that could melt even the coldest heart.

Inu Yasha didn't like the way the young man was smiling at Kagome and decided to inform the village leader of that fact. Once he ate dirt, he listened angrily as Kagome apologized.

“Please don't take offense to Inu Yasha. He is just really protective of me.” She explained, a smile lighting up her pretty face.

Hino smiled. “I can see why. It is obvious that he cares for you greatly. Perhaps I overstepped my bounaries.”

“You sure the hell did, asshole.” Inu Yasha muttered, earning himself a glare from Kagome. Thankfully, she didn't sit him again, but the look she sent his way sent his ears flattening against his head.

Hino grinned and offered to show the small group around his village. As they walked, their guide began to tell the history of his village.

“My great grandfather came to this area with a group of people. They wanted a quiet settlement so that they could raise their families and build homes that would last for a very long time.” He said, a grin lighting up his handsome features. “His name was Yoroki and he was the first village leader, and now, I have followed in his footsteps and hope that I can be half of what he was.”

Kagome grinned. “Well, from the looks of things, it seems that you are making a good start.” She said, and glanced over at Miroku when a loud smack was heard.

Sango's face was red, and she was glaring at the ground, where Miroku was currently taking residence. When she noticed that all eyes were upon her, she huffed and said, “He is such a hentai.”

“Again, Sango?” Kagome asked, her tone mildly amused. When Sango angrily nodded, Kagome sighed and glanced at Hino. “Our friend, Miroku, seems to have a problem keeping his hands off of women.”

“Ah, I see.” Hino said, and he shrugged. “Well, he is going to find that in this village, the women are even more anxious to fight than the men. He'll be broken of the habit after meeting a few of our women.”

Inu Yasha snorted. “Don't count on it.”

Hino simply stared at the hanyou for a moment, but then shook his head. He offered the group lodging for the night and invited the group to his home.

As they ate, Kagome could not get over the beauty of the surrounding area that the village was in. This would be a really nice place to settle down, especially if a certain hanyou would ever pull his head out of his ass and see her as a potential mate.

But, Kagome was not stupid. Kikyo was still walking around somewhere, and she knew that should she appear, then Inu Yasha would run after her and leave Kagome behind. Forgotten.

When they were shown to their rooms, Kagome giggled and realized that Miroku and Sango were to room together. Hino whispered to her that it was because the slayer could keep him in line and keep the monk away from the girls. She could not help it, but it was actually a good idea.

She, however, was rooming with both Inu Yasha and Shippo, and she knew that the inu hanyou would probably stay up all night, watching for any kind of danger. Shippo, being worn out from the day's events, settled down to sleep quickly, and snuggled into the blanket that Kagome laid over him.

Before she laid down, she glanced at Inu Yasha and softly asked, “What are you thinking about, Inu Yasha?”

Bright golden eyes turned to her, and he shrugged. “I'm just thinking that I will be glad when all of this is over. Kikyo and I can then figure out where we stand after Naraku is dead.” He said, his eyes misting over at his love's name.

Kagome felt her stomach twist in knots. “In your eyes, I am never going to match up to her, am I?” She asked, already knowing the reply, but she needed to hear it out loud.

Silence loomed in the quiet room, and it was several minutes before Inu Yasha spoke. “In my mind, I know that you are Kikyo, reborn.” He said, his eyes filled with sympathy. “But, in my heart, Kikyo is still very much alive for me, and because she is around, my heart simply can't use you as her replacement. You deserve better than that, Kagome. You are not a copy, clone, or double. You are Kagome. You are my friend, and I can't see you any other way than that. I'm sorry.”

The hanyou turned his back on the girl, knowing that she would probably cry herself to sleep. But, he knew of no other way to tell her that there would never be anything between them. He was not cruel, nor was he one of those men who used women until something better came along. Better her go to a man who loved her for who she was, instead of being a stand in for a man who only wanted her because she looked like his former lover. No, what he said to her was merciful. Now, maybe she could move on.

But, not with Kouga. That stupid wolf was forever calling her 'his woman'. But, Kagome did not know that Kouga was already mated to Ayame, and simply calling her that just to piss him off, which it did, simply because they both knew that Kouga already had a woman at his den. No, Kagome needed a good man. One who would walk to the ends of the earth for her, and one who would die for her. She needed to meet her soul-mate, and now that he had shot down her hopes of being with him, he prayed that she would finally meet the one her heart called for.

Kagome lay on her side, her eyes wide and glassy. The tears simply would not come. She heard his words, she understood them, but she simply did not think that her heart could bear accepting them. She heard the rustling of cloth, and then heard the screen door open and then quietly shut.

She crept out from underneath her blankets and walked to the screen. She watched as Inu Yasha moved into the court yard, and then held open his arms. She bit her lip to keep from whimpering as she watched Kikyo emerge from the shadows to walk into his embrace. Kagome watched as the miko lovingly traced her finger down the hanyou's cheek, and then give him a soft smile. She listened as Inu Yasha quietly recounted the question that Kagome asked, and she waited for Kikyo to break out into laughter.

However, the miko simply nodded. “In time, my reincarnation will see that you made the best choice for her by letting her go. You were correct in refusing to use her, and one day, she will thank you for that. But, I think that perhaps we should stop our visits for a while, until she is able to heal and move on.” She said, her voice soft with understanding.

Inu Yasha sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I think that you might be right. I don't want her to hurt, and if she caught us together, it would hurt her terribly. Especially if she learned that I have taken you for my mate.” He said, his golden eyes trained upon Kikyo's form.

“You have truly grown in the last couple of years.” Kikyo replied, her voice full of pride. “Once upon a time, you would have said to hell with what people thought, but your concern for my reincarnation's feelings reenforces my belief that I chose well for myself.”

Inu Yasha growled and pulled her closer to him. “Damn right, you did. When Kagome returns home to her time, I'll come and find you. We'll figure this out, I promise.” He said, and hugged the miko close to his heart.

Kagome backed away from the screen and finally felt the tears she had been waiting for. So, that was it. It was over, and so were all of her dreams.

Turning back to her blankets, she laid down and closed her eyes, sickened by the pain her heart felt. However, sleep eluded her and she wished that for once, she could simply fade away. It would be so much easier than to deal with the heartache that she was now dealing with.
$$$$$

The next few days proved to be busy for the small group of shard hunters. They were able to find three shards, Inu Yasha managed to get into a fight with Sesshomaru, when they came into contact with the full-blooded youkai's small pack, and they paid a visit to Shiori and her mother.

As Kagome watched Shippo and Shiori play, she sat and contemplated her life. Inu Yasha had given her much needed space, and kept to himself, but managed to stay close enough to be able to protect her should anything threaten her.

As she thought about everything that has happened to her, the one thought kept surfacing that she was simply insufficient. She could not fight, though she did have a pretty loud voice on her, and she could not shoot her bow and arrows all that well. She was lucky of one arrow out of ten hit the target, and as for her miko abilites, well, she was pretty powerful when angered, but other than that, she couldn't call a barrier if her life depended on it.

She was nothing more than a damsal in distress. Now she could see why Inu Yasha chose Kikyo. No man wants a woman who can't take care of herself, and those men who do chose weak women quickly grow bored and move on.

The echoing laughter hit her ears and she sighed. It would be so nice to have someone look at her, and see only her. She would love nothing more than to go to sleep at night in the arms of the one who belonged to her, just as much as she belonged to him. It was a nice fantasy, but she had to be realistic with herself. How was she supposed to go about finding the one for her? Sure, she supposed that she had Kouga, but he simply irritated her with his attitude at times, and she also had Hojo, but the boy was so damn dense it wasn't even funny. No, she wanted a man who would be a perfect match for her, if that even existed.

When Inu Yasha bellowed for everyone to get their stuff together, Kagome got up and brushed the seat of her pants off. Turning, she trudged towards the hanyou and noticed that his eyes were watching her carefully. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but quickly shut it and crossed his arms.

When she passed by him, he could feel her pain rolling off of her in waves, and he felt his gut clench. He didn't want her to hurt, but that is exactly what she would continue to do if he allowed her to live in the illusion that they could be together. No, he wasn't going to back down.

Calling to the group, he motioned for them to follow him and after waving at Shiori and her mother, the group began walking down the path that would lead them into the north of Japan.

$$$$$

“Tell me.” He ordered, his voice soft. He watched as the slayer boy's eyes flickered and he began to recount the activities of Inu Yasha's group, especially the human miko. He noticed that his master did not smirk as he normally did, but simply nodded and dismissed him.

Kohaku left the room and bumped into Kagura, who was kneeling by the door. Once the door was shut, she stood up and asked, “What does he want with that group, now?”

“I don't know. All I was told to do was watch the group, and report their activites, especially the miko's activities.” He replied, his tone dull. He moved down the hall and into his personal chambers.

Kagura watched the boy go and felt pity for the young human. After what he has endured, it was a wonder that he was able to go on, but it was probably because Naraku had erased several memories from the boy.

“Kagura, get in here.” Naraku ordered, his voice cold. She shivered at his voice and quietly entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She slowly approached her master and lowered herself to her knees to bow before him.

It was several long minutes before Naraku spoke. “I want you to attack Inu Yasha's group. I want you to inflict damage on all of them, except the miko. She is not to be harmed. The slayer, is only to be incapacitated, but able to recover. The males, I don't care.” He said, his tone bored.

Kagura's red eyes moved up to look at her creator and she hesitantly asked, “Why am I to leave the miko alone and only incapacitate the slayer? Are they not enemies of yours?”

Naraku glanced at Kagura and shrugged. “I have plans for the miko, and as for the slayer, it's none of your business. Do as I say, Kagura.” He warned.

Kagura clutched her breast and gasped. She stared up at Naraku and quickly nodded her head. When he looked away from her, Kagura quickly scrambled up to her feet and bolted out of the door, her chest still buring.

She returned to her chambers and allowed a tear to slide down her cheek. Taking in a deep breath, she consoled herself by looking forward to the next day when she would attack the small group. Perhaps she could gain a shard of the jewel and that should please her master.

Satisfied, Kagura laid down on her futon and closed her eyes, but her chest continued to burn as a painful reminder never to question Naraku again. Oh, how she hated that male.

$$$$$$

Naraku quietly walked to his chambers and closed the doors behind him. He made his way out to his little paradise and took in a deep breath. As he stared up at the night's sky, he wondered why he didn't strike Kagura for questioning him, but her question did have merit. Why did he care if the slayer got hurt or not? Oh, yeah. It was because she was a female. He didn't want a woman's blood on his hands, and would rather see her out of the way instead of dead.

The miko, however, was not to be touched at all. He needed her, wanted to corrupt her, and most of all, he was going to turn her against her companions. By darkening her heart, the shikon would also darken, meaning that he could become the youkai he was destined to be. Finally his revenge would come to pass.

He reached into his haori, and pulled out the small vial of dirt. He rolled the vial in his fingers, and then carefully tucked it back into his haori. He would like to say that once his vengence was complete, then he could move on, but to be honest, could he move on? He didn't know. He couldn't move on from the deaths of his family, though he tried. He could not move on from Onigumo, despite all of the attempts to silence him. So, could he finally move on after he got what he desired after all these long years?

$$$$$$$$$

“Kagome! There's my beautiful woman!” Kouga exclaimed, a large grin upon his lips. He quickly grabbed Kagome's fingers and lifted them to his mouth. He shot a smirk over at Inu Yasha, who was growling and snarling.

Sango and Miroku stepped back and quickly grabbed Shippo before anything got started. Sure enough, Inu Yasha darted forward and yanked Kagome back, his eyes glaring at the wolf before him.

“She isn't your woman, you ass.” Inu Yasha snapped, his tone cold. He watched as Kouga winked at Kagome and then glared at him.

“Look, mutt-face. This isn't any of your business. This is between me and Kagome.” Kouga growled, his claws flexing.

Both males snarled at each other, but Kagome's voice suddenly snapped, “Will the two of you give it a rest, please?”

Kouga snorted and jeered, “Be thankful she stopped me, fool. I'd have ripped your head off and handed it to you.”

Inu Yasha finally had it with Kouga's attitude. He smirked and crossed his arms. “Don't you think that Ayame will be pleased to learn that you are still proclaiming that Kagome is your woman? How will that make your mate feel?” He asked, his tone mocking.

Kouga's face paled and he noticed that it had gone quiet. Everyone was staring at him and he growled. “Well, how do you think that Kagome is going to feel knowing that you mated some other bitch?”

“Kikyo is not a bitch!” Inu Yasha snarled and charged Kouga, who was able to block the blow. Neither male noticed that Kagome now had tears sliding down her cheeks and that she was softly sobbing.

Miroku moved towards Kagome, but gasped when the girl moved away and ran over to where the two males were fighting. However, before she could get to the males, a female's voice cut through the air, and he watched as Kagome was cut down before his eyes.

Kouga and Inu Yasha stopped moving, and stared at Kagome, who was lying face down and had a large gash on her back. Sango's scream shattered the silence, “KAGOME!!”

$$$$$$

Naraku noticed that Kagura's feather was nearing his barrier and he watched as it opened. He saw that Kohaku was with her and he breathed a sign of relief. Despite his regrets over the boy, he needed him and didn't wish to see harm come to him.

He casually walked outside, and allowed a smile to form on his lips. Both of his minions were covered in blood, so he could only assume that it had been a bloodbath. Kagura finally did something right.

However, all satisfaction left him when Kagura's feather hit the ground and he noticed a prone form upon the feather. Both Kagura and Kohaku moved away quickly and watched as their master moved to the miko's side.

Naraku examined the wound and snapped his eyes up before demanded, “What happened?”

Kohaku stepped forward and calmly said, “When we arrived, the wolf and hanyou were fighting. Kagura unleashed her wind blades, but did not see the miko running towards the males. She was hit from behind, and it was too late for Kagura to pull her attack.”

Naraku shot Kagura a look that promised a lot of pain later, but the motioned for Kohaku to come forward. “How did you get her?”

“Once the miko was down, Kagura released several more attacks and managed to injure the rest of the group. Once they were unable to stop me, I grabbed the miko and Kagura brought us here. Master, there was a female slayer with them. She called my name. Does she know me?” Kohaku asked.

Naraku shrugged. “Only from previous battles, Kohaku. For now, let us get the miko into the palace and see what we can do for her. Kagura, you are to go into the court yard and wait for me.” He said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Kagura gulped and bowed her head. She had a feeling that this was the end for her.

$$$$$

As he walked down the long corridor, he made the decision to go to his chambers. He had things in there that may help the young miko and the air was much cleaner there, as well. He would simply have to move her to the adjoining chamber later on, but for now, she could rest in his private domain.

Moving into his chambers, he laid her face-down on the soft rug that he kept on his floor, and quickly tore through her odd-looking shirt. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he stared at the material, and wondered why the hanyou would allow a female in his care to dress in such a manner.

Tossing it aside, he noticed that she was wearing some kind of strange breast binding, but the material holding it together was almost completely cut, so he removed it and stared at the wound. At first, he was worried that Kagura's blades had dealt the miko a fatal blow, but upon inspection of the wound, he found that it was not as bad as it looked, and that she would recover, though a scar would probably be left behind.

He cleaned her wounds, and moved to remove her other clothing. He needed to check her over to be sure that she was uninjured. Finding no other injuries, he decided that when the miko was hit, she probably passed out from the shock, and would need rest from the loss of blood.

He finished cleaning her, and covered her wound with a soft cloth before quietly turning to retrieve something for her to wear. He was not some sexual pervert, nor was he a lech. He quickly wrapped her up in one of his kimonos and then placed her into his large futon. It was getting late, and he needed to deal with Kagura before the day was over. He would have Kanna watch over the girl until he returned.

He opened the doors that led to his garden and turned to watch the young miko sleep. As the fresh air wafted into the room, he saw her take in a deep breath, and settle into her dreams. He moved to the door of his chambers and left, his anger somewhat diminished.

He noticed that Kanna was standing in the hall, staring blankly before her, and simply nodded when told to sit with the miko until he returned.

Once he was satisfied that all was taken care of, his face hardened and he walked into the court yard. He faced Kagura and watched as she shook in terror. His lips curled into a sneer and soon, Kagura's screams could be heard throughout the palace.

After he was done, Naraku simply stared down at the wind youkai and quietly said, “This is the last time you will fail me. If she died, you would have followed. Be grateful that she will recover, and get your ass out of my sight.”

Kagura didn't need to be told twice. She crawled away from him and made it to her chamber. Once she was sure he would not hear her, she allowed her tears to run down her cheeks. This time, he had nearly crushed her heart, and laughed when she screamed. Gods, all she wanted to do was be free. When would her hell be done with her?