Chapter 4: Kenji, Heaven's Sword

A young Kagome smoothed down her kimono and sat on the grass. She plucked a small white flower and touched the soft petals with her tiny hands. Her caretaker, Suki, watched over her under the shade of the tree. The wind blew. She dropped the flower as she scented blood in the air, her father's blood to be specific. "Father!" Kagome turned and ran back to the palace.

"Kagome!" Suki ran after the child, confused.

Another scent mingled with the cat demon lord's, Kagome's mother's. "Mother!" Kagome pushed herself to run faster. She came to the blood-strewn courtyard, decapitated bodies of people lay on the ground. Her eyes watered. Who could've done such a thing? She hurried into the castle, following the scent of her parents' blood. She fearfully slid open the doors, the scent of blood that flooded out making her gag. "No." She said shakily, tears streaming down her cheeks. She went over to her parent's corpses. "Mother. Please wake up." Kagome shook her mother's unmoving form. Blood dripped from a wound in her stomach. "Father! Wake up! I don't wanna be alone." She pleaded.

"Ka...go...me." The cat demon lord stirred. "He...stole...the...sword." He breathed in raggedly. "Find...Kenmi...the...sword...find...it..for...your...mother." (A/N: Kenji means 'sacred sword with jewels'.)

"What sword?! Please don't leave me Father!" Kagome begged. All she had for a reply was the rustling of leaves from outside. "No! Father!"

Kagome shot up, screaming. A thump was heard from outside and InuYasha came running in. "What?! Is there a demon?!" He sniffed the air, all senses trying to locate the threat. Kaede glanced at the girl worriedly.

"Something troubling you, child?" Kaede asked.

"No. Just a nightmare." Kagome whispered.

"You made me fall off a branch just for that?! Next time, scream when you're actually need help!" InuYasha shouted then turned to go back outside.

"Sorry for bothering you." Kagome apologized. Kaede nodded and settled back down in her futon. Kagome forced herself back to sleep, without having much success.

Kagome walked out of the hut in the morning, looking completely miserable. InuYasha stayed on his perch, a tree overlooking the small hut. "Oi wench! You look horrible." He said, taking note of her tired eyes and sluggish movements. He added in his mind, 'Even more than usual.' Kagome would've probably sat him for that. He cringed at the thought.

"Shut up and mind your own business." Kagome said and continued walking.

"Jeez. You don't have to bite my head off."

"I'm not a morning person. Now go chase carts or something." Kagome waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

"I ain't a pet dog!”

"Hey, where the hell are you going?! We have to find the jewel shards!" InuYasha stood up on the branch.

"Relax, they won't crumble if we don't find them. I'll be back soon." The inu hanyo dropped down and followed her. He noticed that she looked fully human, no claws or cat ears. he strode out in front, halting her.

"What happened to you? Did you get cursed or somethin?" He brushed back a chunk of hair to reveal human ears.

"No, I'm using a spell. Now if you don't mind, get your hand off me." Kagome's hand closed around his wrist and pulled it away from her head. A look of terror flitted across his face. "Sheesh, I won't purify you." She let the appendage dropped and continued walking. (A/N: I tend to imagine that being purified would kinda be like being electrocuted, and that would certainly not be a pleasant feeling.)

"Kikyo would've shocked me for that." InuYasha said and followed.

"Well I'm not Kikyo. I'm Kagome." She replied.

"Keh." He said half-heartedly. "Where the hell are we going anyway?"

"To find Lady Kaede. I wanna ask her something." Kagome said, spotting the elder priestess gathering herbs. "Lady Kaede, may I ask you a question?"

"Aye, what is it?" Kaede straightened up.

"Do you know about a sword called Kenji?"

"Tis a sword that can control the elements fire, water, earth, metal and wood. That is all I know. Why do ye ask?"

"My father told me that someone took the sword and I needed to find it." Kagome said, leaving out the fact that he told her this as he was dying.

"That does not surprise me. Kenji is a powerful sword."

"Thank you." Kagome turned and left the elder priestess to continue her work. InuYasha opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome beat him to it. "Yeah yeah, we're gonna look for your stupid shards."

"Do you sense anything?" InuYasha asked for the hundredth time in the span of 2 minutes. Kagome was tempted to sit him. 'No, don't sit him, no matter how much you want to.' Kagome said in her mind. "Do you sense anything?" He repeated.

"Quit asking! I'll tell you when I sense a jewel shard!" She said irritably. InuYasha shut up for a few seconds then asked again.

"Sit!" Kagome stormed away, leaving a face planted InuYasha behind her.

"Dammit all. I was just asking." He got up and followed the irritated priestess. Kagome stopped in front of a cave. "Why'd you stop? Did-"

"Yes I sense a jewel shard. Stop before I hit you over the head." Kagome cut him off. "It's in there." 'That scent. It seems so familiar.' Kagome thought as she followed InuYasha inside.

A piercing scream echoed through the caves. They ran inside, Kagome, an arrow fitted into her bow and InuYasha, prepared to tear anything to shreds with his claws.

A blue haired girl was held up by her throat by an ogre. She had a cut on her cheek and a few bruises. "Lemme go, you big ugly freak!" She squirmed. The ogre merely laughed and squeezed her throat tighter.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" InuYasha severed the ogre's arm and the girl landed on her feet. "Keh, that was easy." He commented as he landed.

"Serves you right for trying to eat me. The girl said then went to Kagome.

"InuYasha! Look out!" Kagome warned. The severed arm flew back to its owner and fused with the body, as if nothing happened. The ogre lunged at InuYasha, who jumped out of the way in time. InuYasha sprang at him, landing a punch at the ogre's jaw, twisting its neck from the force. Kagome fired a purification arrow, which was blocked by a dark barrier. InuYasha jumped back to Kagome and the girl.

"Where's the shard?" InuYasha asked.

"In its forehead." Kagome replied, fitting another arrow. She fired it, shattering the weak barrier on contact and InuYasha charged at it. He plunged his hand into the ogre's forehead, retrieving the shard.

"No, my jewel shard!" The ogre cried out, extending a hand towards InuYasha.

"Too bad pal. It's mine now." InuYasha tossed it up then caught it. The ogre collapsed and it turned into ash, which was blown away by the wind.

"Priestess, do you know of a woman named Kagome, and where she might be?" The girl asked.

"I'm Kagome. Is there anything I can help you with?" Kagome knelt down at the girl's eye level.

"I'm Mizuki, my mother sent me to find you. I'm the daughter of Suki."

"Suki? You mean my caretaker?" Mizuki nodded.

"She said that Shugyoku no Mizu was entrusted to her by your father." (A/N: shugyoku - gem, mizu - water) Mizuki brought out a jewel, which was glowing a soft blue. "It's what controls the water element in the sword Kenji."

"Do you know of anything else about the sword?" Kagome asked the child.

"It's a heirloom passed down from generations in a line of priests and priestesses. And that a shapeshifting demon stole the sword, along with the fire gem, which were both in your mother's possession." Mizuki informed her. Kagome straightened up. "Oh, wait, I remember something else too, about the demon. I think my mother called him Naraku." 'So his name's Naraku.' Mizuki bid her farewell and set off. She waved off InuYasha's call of ' Avoid getting eaten by demons again!'

"Hey didn't you say that one of my siblings' scent was in the air when you found your parents?" InuYasha asked. Kagome nodded. "I'm pretty sure my half-brother's name is Sesshomaru, not Naraku. He's the only living relative I have, though I can't say we're a close knit family." InuYasha suddenly slapped his neck. He extended his hand and a small shape fluttered down. "Hey Myoga. Long time no see."

"Master InuYasha! It's great to see you up and around. Not to mention taste your blood after a long time." It said. Kagome peered at the small figure that sat on InuYasha's hand.

"Lady Kikyo! What?! But I thought-" Myoga looked at the priestess, then to InuYasha, then back at the priestess.

"I'm not Kikyo, I'm Kagome." The priestess said.

"Pardon me, it's just that you two look exactly alike." Myoga bowed to her in apology.

"I've been told."

"So Myoga, what did you come here for?" InuYasha asked.

"Oh right. Master InuYasha, your elder brother Sesshomaru, he's after Tetsusaiga!" Myoga hopped up and down on InuYasha's palm.

"What the hell's Tetsusaiga and why should I care?"

"Master InuYasha! Tetsusaiga is a powerful sword created by the sword-smith Totosai from your father's own fang! It is yours!" Myoga stopped his bouncing.

"And where is it?" InuYasha asked the flea.

"Erm...that, I don't know." InuYasha crushed the flea with his other hand. "Such is the fate of a flea." Myoga said as he fluttered down to the ground.

"InuYasha! That was mean!" Kagome said then bent down to scoop up Myoga.

"Keh!"

"Myoga, do you know of a sword named Kenji, or a demon called Naraku?" Kagome asked. Myoga paced her palm, thinking.

"It's a sword also forged by Totosai, which could control the natural elements. It rivals Tetsusaiga in strength. It is believed, that the sword was wielded by a beautiful goddess. The mighty priestess Midoriko also wielded it. Is there a reason, you ask me this, Lady Kagome?"

"It was stolen from my father, so I'm getting it back."

"As of this demon named Naraku, I've never heard of such a person." The ground started to shake.