Hanyo of Snow

Ch38 Ne no Kubi

(Y/N POV - Modern Era - A Park near the Higurashi Shrine)

"Higher Y/N, higher!" Shippō cried out with a smile as I continued to push him on the swing.

"Alright, here you go!" I said, pushing him even higher I to the air.

This little playground just a short drive away from the Higurashi shrine, it was located away from the hustle and bustle of the local neighborhood behind a patch of trees.

Given most of the kids his physical age would be at school and after scouting here through Yura and myself scout for a week I can determine the best time to bring Shippō without worrying about anyone discovering him as a kitsune.

And if anyone noticed that we were here, Shippō can always apply a quick transformation to cover our tracks.

Figured that I could give him at least some experience here in our era before we head back to the Sengoku Jidai today.

Shippō had been having a blast playing on the playground so far, with Grandpa relaxing on a nearby park bench.

Kagome was currently with her mother and brother, currently walking the later to his school in order to spend a little more time with Sōta before we go through the well once more.

Speaking of which last night...I am still over the moon from that.

Also relieved that me and Grandpa were able to calm down Kagome if barely.

Pretty sure will still try something against Yura the next time the two of them saw each other.

Thank Amaterasu that she is directing her anger at Yura, would have hated to end our new relationship after it just started.

Really should have expected Yura to have tried something like that. Going to need to have a few words with her after Kagome gave the tsukumogami a piece of her mind. Without making sure she killed her after all.

The feeling of something vibrating in my pocket cut me out of my thoughts as I slowed down swinging Shippō.

Pulling out my phone it was a text from Kagome, saying they had dropped off Sōta and that they were on the way back.

Looks like it was about time to go.

"Is it about time to go Y/N?" Shippō ask, sounding a little sad.

"Soon, but we still have some time to kill." I said, sending Kagome a confirmation text and telling her we might be a little late cause Shippō was having fun.

"Then come on!" Shippō said excitedly, jumping off of the swing and started to drag me by my pants legs to no success.

Shaking my head at his attempt to pull me along, I just followed the kit.

Making sure to text Kagome that we might be a little late as Shippō still wanted to stay a little longer.

We didn't have a set time to go back so it will be alright. Besides I am pretty sure that she would have done the same thing.

I followed Shippō until I saw what he wanted to do.

"You want me to go down the slide with you again?" I asked, getting Shippō to nod as he started to climb up the playground.

I chuckled at his enthusiasm and followed after him.

Only to pause as I got another text from Kagome.

Basically saying she understands.

And somewhat shyly asking for photos of Shippō enjoying the playground.

Well, that was a simple enough request.

"Hey Shippō can you hold on a second?" I asked as followed after the kit.

Kagome was going to love these.

(Kagome POV)

Not a minute after I put away my phone I felt it vibrate.

I pulled it back out to see two messages from Y/N.

Let's see what he sent me...

Oh Amaterasu, they were more adorable then I could have imagined.

The first photo was of Y/N and Shippō at the top of a slide. The latter on the former's lap, looking in confusion at the camera as Y/N held it with a smile.

The second was them going down the slide. This time with Shippō holding the phone, a wide grin on the kit's face as they both went down the slide.

"It certainly looks like they are having fun." Mom said as she looked at the photos.

"They certainly are." I said with a small smile.

I will have to remember to take Shippō to that park myself the next time we have to go back to the past.

It is best to enjoy moments like these whenever we get them. Something that I have learned to do especially this past week in our era.

There is no telling what we are going to being up against in the Sengoku Jidai. But it was necessary to make sure nothing crosses the well to attack my family like the Nikuzuki no Men did.

I was looking forward to this, along with inflicting some payback on that hair manipulating harlot.

Sadly I can't kill her no matter how much I wish to. We probably wouldn't have survived against Hiten without her and Y/N does care for her.

Sometimes he is too kind for his own good...but he wouldn't be him without it.

I guess I can settle for maiming her the first chance I get.

I was broken from my train of thoughts when Y/N sent another text, asking if I wanted more pictures.

Push my thoughts of vengeance to the said, I decided to focus on my main priorities.

Getting more adorable pictures of Shippō.

(Y/N POV - 35 minutes later - Y/N's house)

Alright let's see, got everything ready and the items Inuko requested. Just need to lock up my home everything will be good.

Me and Shippō played in the park for another 20 minutes before Kagome texted us that she was at the shrine.

So we left the park, only stopping at my house to lock up for the next few days.

And to pick up a few items that Inuko asked for.

Turns out she had developed a small appreciation for modern literature. Who knew.

"Got everything Y/N?" Grandpa asked as I got into his car.

"I did, we are all ready to go." I said, getting Grandpa to sigh as he pulled out and started the short drive back to the shrine.

"Just try to be more careful Y/N. I would hate for you to come back in a similar situation to last time." Grandpa said as he pulled up into the driveway.

"I know, but with everyone else with me and Kagome we should be fine. Though I can't guarantee what we will encounter, if the past two weeks and a half have been any indication we can weather whatever comes our way." I said, getting Grandpa to nod as all three of us got out of the car.

Walking to the wellhouse I could see a sight that I honestly hadn't expected to see.

Inuko watching with a small smirk and Mrs. Higurashi looked on in surprise as Kagome had her hama ya drawn out with a grin.

And at the entrance stood Yura clutching her shoulder as she removed an arrow.

"Okay what exactly happened her?" I asked.

"The girl shot the hairy bitch with an arrow as soon as she exited the well. Simple as that." Inuko said with a grin.

"She deserves it." Kagome said, getting me to sigh.

Honestly I should have expected that she tried something like this. And it seemed like her aim is getting a lot better too.

Another reason not to tick her off.

"Your lucky that I can repair this body in an instant girl." Yura growled out as she strung the arrow onto a line of hair and sent it back to Kagome gently. "You are going to need that arrow. The old miko wants us all to meet her and her house. Something is going in the surrounding villages."

At those words Inuko's expression turned serious.

You have got to be kidding me, we haven't even entered the well yet!

"So what is going on then?" Inuko asked.

"No definite idea, but there have been a bunch of skeletons of human and their livestock appearing in the surrounding villages.

All of the human skulls taken as well. The old miko was taking care of one such instance when she asked me to bring you all back.

" Yura said, getting both me and Kagome to grimace.

Well this was not going to be easy to deal with.

"Alright then, let's go." Inuko said out as she walked past Yura and into the well house.

"Looks like it's time to go, Shippō." I said getting the kit to nod a little reluctantly as one of Yura's hairs wrapped around his arm and around my arm as well.

"Ready to go master?" Yura asked as the rest of us walked towards the well house.

"We are." I said, getting her to nod.

"Take care you two." Mrs. Higurashi called out while waving goodbye.

"And for the sake of my sanity, please don't end up in Yomi again!" Grandpa called out.

"Don't worry we won't!" Kagome called out as Yura jumped down into the well. "So ready to face whatever awaits us on the other side?"

"I am, and you as well?" I asked, getting Kagome to smile.

"More than ever, now let's go." Kagome said as Shippō jumped into the well followed by the both of us soon after.

Back to the Sengoku Jidai and to whatever lurked in the other side.

(Kagome POV - Sengoku Jidai - Kaede's house - 20 minutes later)

We have been waiting at Kaede's home for a bit now.

Currently I was sitting next to Y/N with Shippō on his lap, happily snacking on a rice cake.

To his other side sat Yura, who had more or less been ignoring the glares I have been giving her.

Considering the circumstances I will have to settle for this as there was a threat lurking around here somewhere.

Believe me I am still pissed about what that harlot pulled last night and I will get her back later. So I will have to settle with just sticking an arrow in her for now.

As for Inuko she sat next to her, having remained mostly silent the entire time.

I guess wondering about were Kaede was, hoping that she was alright.

We were lead into her house by Rikichi, saying that she would be back at any moment now.

But it has been a little while since then. Hopefully nothing bad had happened to her...

A minute later after Shippō had finished his rice cake, Inuko's ears seemed to perk up.

"She's here." Inuko said, looking towards the door.

Entering through the doorway was Kaede, who looked exhausted and battered.

"Kaede are you alright?" Inuko asked, getting her to shake her head.

"I'll be fine. But I am nearing my limits." Kaede said as she cracked her back and pulled an arrow out of her quiver and presented it to us.

The arrow was older and had a subtle pulse of reiryoku to it.

Both of these traits seemed familiar to me. But I couldn't exactly recall why...

Wait a minute, isn't that-

"That's one of Kikyō's arrows!" Inuko growled out venomously, breaking me from my thoughts. The ferocity in her tone surprising Shippō.

Not that I blame her considering the last one she saw strung her to a tree for decades.

So if Kaede had another such arrow, then that could mean one thing.

"Is whatever Yura told us was something Kikyō had sealed away?" I inquired, getting the old miko to nod.

"Correct, before she met Inuko she used this arrow to seal away a persistent yokai called the Ne no Kubi away.

It was buried away in a small tomb, but it was disturbed last night.

From the signs of things a group of bandits had set up camp nearby and took advantage of a landslide to raid the tomb.

Only instead of finding anything of value, they only released the Ne no Kubi and killed them all.

" Kaede said, getting me to internally groan.

So we are dealing with a mess that my previous live caused.

Well that's just great.

"I should have guessed it was the Ne no Kubi, but it did disappear before my birth." Yura sighed out. "Master this might be trickier then we thought. It is an utterly massive root yokai."

"And if it's reach can spread to nearby villages, then it is going to difficult to track down it's real body. Even if we can draw it out. Also I would hate to think of what kind of bloodbath could have created such a thing." Y/N said with a slight shudder.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Root yokai are commonly born from a type tree yokai that is called the Jubokko.

It grows in areas of former battles or just saturated with human and yokai blood.

The branches make for good medicine and when cut they will bleed.

Other then that it is like a regular tree, unlike how it is portrayed in modern media.

Instead the most dangerous part are the roots.

The Jubokko often sprout root yokai, the most common being a parasitic type called Hitōkon.

Sometimes large groups of the trees produce larger yokai, a whole amalgamation of their roots. " Y/N explained.

"And we about to fight one such as this." I sighed out.

"Well that might be true, the Ne no Kubi is more than an annoyance for all that you have faced thus far. It creates extensions of itself to gather it's prey. Those are easily dispatched. However without destroying the true body completely it will keep coming back." Kaede sighed out.

"So we just need to find where it is hiding and drag it out. Though given it's size and the ability to travel underground it is easier said then done." Y/N stated with a sigh.

So we are dealing with a persistent yokai that will just keep coming back unless we find it's true body.

So a bit like Yura, except this yokai was larger in comparison and if what they have said is true it's true form is just as dangerous as it's extensions.

Already not even a half hour into the past and already we have quite the problem on our hands.

I let out a sigh before steeling myself.

What's done is done.

The Ne no Kubi was lose and Kaede seems to have been keeping it at bay as best she could.

However I am not sure how much longer she can keep this up.

So we are going to do what Kikyō couldn't and put the New no Kubi down for good.

But exactly how to do it is going to be difficult to do.

"Lady Kaede the yokai has been sighted once again!" Rikichi said, running into the house.

"Where?" She asked sternly.

"There have been two sightings, in the forest to the south and on the pathway to Akebi village." Rikichi said.

"The Ne no Kubi is spreading itself out even farther out then it has been previously. I suggest that the best course of action is to deal with both sightings at the same time." Kaede sighed out, getting both me and Y/N to nod.

It sounded like a good course of action, though it depended on who went with what.

And I had more then enough reason to guess who Yura was planing on going with.

"I will be heading towards Akebi Village with whoever wishes to come." Kaede said.

"Then I will be coming with you then." Inuko said as she got up and stretched.

So that left myself with Y/N, Shippō, and Yura to deal with the forest. Not quite the group I would have preferred to be in to be honest. Especially after last night.

I was kind of expecting Yura to try and get Y/N into a group with only her.

"Master I believe it is best for you to go with the old miko and the bitch. I will go with the girl to the south." Yura said.

What?

"What?" Y/N said, voicing my thoughts.

"Did I hear that correctly?" Inuko said with an ear twitch.

"You did." Shippō said, looking a little surprised.

Okay, I was not expecting her to say that!

"Are you sure about this Yura?" Y/N asked her.

"Of course, my nest is in the forest and I would know the best locations on where the Ne no Kubi could emerge. I am pretty confident that we can handle whatever it can throw at us on our own, especially if we bring the kit with us master." Yura said seriously.

She's up to something.

I've had the displeasure of knowing her long enough that she wouldn't willing sperate from Y/N of her own violation most he told her to or it was something she wanted to do.

And I am pretty sure her wishing to go somewhere with me especially after I shot her with an arrow earlier.

She had something planned and I can't figure out what.

Y/N comtiplated on what to do for a few moments before turning to me.

"What do you think if this plan Kagome?" He asked me.

Honestly I wanted nothing to do with her idea. I would rather have her go with Inuko.

Yet I can not refute that she has a point about the forest, considering she must have lived her entire existence there.

So it would probably be for the best that she goes that way.

And as much as part of me disagrees with this idea...perhaps I should go with her.

Not only will I be able to get that hair manipulating harlot away from Y/N, but also have free reign to put a few more holes into Yura if she tries anything.

I would have Shippō with me as backup and I am confident that we can at least hold her off if Yura tries anything.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Yura's plan does makes some sense. I'm sure we can handle it, but if she tries anything I will make sure she regrets it!" I said, making my thoughts on the matter known.

"I won't unless you start anything girl." Yura said pointedly.

I just glared at her, getting Y/N to sigh.

"Are you both sure about this?" Y/N asked us both.

"Yes/Yes master." Both me and Yura said at the same time, getting me to send her an inquisitive look.

"If the two of you are done with your squabbling, then it is best to make haste before the Ne no Kubi claims any more victims." Kaede said as she began to walk out of the door. Followed soon after by Inuko and the rest of us.

Outside Rikichi already had a horse ready for Kaede and was helping her up.

"Alright, you ready to go Y/N?" Inuko asked him.

"Give me a second." He said before turning to face us.

"Shippō, make sure to stick with Kagome." He said, getting the kitsune kit to nod as he clung to me leg.

"You don't have to tell me twice to stay away from the creepy lady!" Shippō said as he clung onto me.

And I noticed that Yura's expression didn't even change in the slightest. Considering she has tried to at least take his pelt at least once this past week, it was a little odd to see her not reacting with the slightest iota of disappointment.

So I can at least take some solace that she probably wasn't aiming to kill him for his pelt. But it did little to ease my nerves about what she could be planning.

"Kagome, Yura-" "You don't have to say anything Y/N, we will be alright and not try to kill each other. We will be alright." I said, figuring what he was going to say.

Only for him to sigh and shake his head with a small smile.

"I was just going to say good luck to you both, but I suppose that works as well." He said.

Oh...my bad then.

"I suppose you are right...then good luck to you then Y/N and try not to get kidnapped, knocked out or anything like that happen this time." I sighed out.

Seriously it has happened way to often with him in this era.

Then again the same could be same for myself given that is how we got into this era in the first place.

"Can't promise anything considering our luck, but I can guarantee that I will do everything to prevent that. Along with Inuko watching my back as well." Y/N said to me with a smile, getting me to sigh.

Considering the past few weeks, that was honestly the best response I was possibly going to get.

"And I will make damn sure that never happens, now come on Kaede is already going on ahead." Inuko said, jabbing a finger to the old miko as she started to ride out of the village.

"Alright." He said while nodding. "See you soon Kagome."

"And you as well Y/N." I said as he waved while walking over to her, with Shippō waving back.

Soon the two of them took after Kaede and given Inuko's speed they should catch up to Kaede soon enough.

"Do you have everything you need for this girl?" Yura asked evenly.

"Just need to grab my bike to keep up with you, it's at the edge of the village on the way we came." I said, getting her to nod.

"Good I will meet you just outside the southern enterance then." Yura said before using her hairs to propel herself in that direction.

What was she up to I had no idea.

But I do know that I will figure it out. And if she tried to cross us I will make sure she regrets it.

(Y/N POV - 1 hour later - Roadside outside of Akebi Village)

It had been a while since we arrived at Akebi Village, and the people over were high alert.

It seemed like the Ni no Kubi had managed to reduce a pair of villagers to a pair of headless skeletons lying just outside it's outskirts after they sent word that the yokai had surfaced.

Other then that it had killed at least a pair of cattle a little bit before we arrived.

After that the trail for the yokai had gone dark until a few minutes ago. Another cow had been turned into a pile of bones and Inuko had caught it's scent.

Currently she was leading myself and Kaede out of the village searching for the Ne no Kubi, utterly silent and focused on the task at hand.

More so then I have usually seen her. But considering that this yokai had also been sealed away by Kikyō and had been running Kaede ragged all morning I couldn't blame her. Or what her exact feelings on this matter was besides ripping it to shreds.

"Keep on guard, the Ne no Kubi has never been one for subtlety in my encounters with it." Kaede said tensely as she notched an arrow.

If that was true then we could be walking into an ambush.

So it might be best to set up some mist for when it does emerge.

I had only barely begun to spread it around when Inuko stopped moving and turned to face Kaede.

And jumped into air and grabbed Kaede off of the horse.

Saving her from a large root that was going to skewer her.

The Ne no Kubi was here.

More roots erupted out of the ground to try and impale the horse, but it ran off in a hurry.

"You alright Kaede?" Inuko asked as she set her down.

"I'll be alright, but we have more pressing concerns to worry about." She said as the Ne no Kubi burst out of the ground.

Yura wasn't kidding when she said that it was massive, it was already towering over us and this was just an extension of it.

"So this is it, not all that impressive but keep an eye out." Inuko said as she drew out Tessaiga as I nodded and did the same with Shūsui as I continued to generate mist.

The Ne no Kubi looked at us before grinning.

So it looks like the Ne no Kubi has caught up with the time it missed, but from were though?

"Seems like you are well informed for an overgrown weed, except you got one thing wrong." Inuko growled out, "Someone else got to her before I could." She said, startling the Ne no Kubi and confirming something I had been suspecting for a while.

However to our surprise the massive root yokai started to laugh.

With that multiple roots shoot out of the ground in a attempt to skewer shards.

Only for myself to grin as the roots made contact with the mist and began to freeze and wither away.

"And I believe you are mistaken to think that we would not fight back." I said, getting the the Ne no Kubi to pull back briefly.

Right before Kaede notched an arrow and released it, damaging it's eye with a burst of reiryoku.

Once it roared out in pain Inuko lunged forward and furiously hacked away at the Ne no Kubi, reducing it to splinters.

Which I froze over once they fell into the mist to prevent it from regrowing from those parts.

However we didn't have long to wait as multiple tendril like roots emerged from the ground from everywhere in order to attack us.

For the next minute the three of use went of the defensive.

Hacking away at the roots with Tessaiga and Shūsui with Kaede shooting the occasional arrow while I froze the remains and any roots that entered the mist. They might be easy to dispatch, but the roots just kept coming in seemingly an endless swarm.

That and at the rate roots kept coming my yoki was rapidly being chipped away at it inorder to make sure that it doesn't regrow from them.

The Ne no Kubi kept up it's assualt before it seemed to grow impatient as another extension burst out of the ground right in front of me followed suite by several roots surrounding me.

Aiming to either impale me with it's roots or slam into me with it's head.

I created a burst of mist in an attempt to fell it, but the Ne no Kubi pulled it's head back and it was only partially frosted while most of it's roots froze over. The few roots that remained pulled back before they could wither away.

It growled out in pain before sending more roots at Kaede and Inuko to keep them at bay before charging at me.

Only for it to slam into an ice pillar and break it in half before being impaled by several ice spires I created before pouring as much yoki I could into it before the extension shattered.

Alright now just need to keep on guard for whatever else the Ne no Kubi could-

And now their was a root wrapped around my leg right now, great.

Before I could even react the Ne no Kubi tossed me high into the air. Another extension burst out the ground and let out a rustling laugh as I plummeted back down to earth.

I was too high to connect to the quickly fading mist and anything I could create possibly would save me all that much as the Ne no Kubi shot out several roots up towards me.

So I until I tried to think of something to get out of this situation until I looked at Shūsui in my hands.

And started to gather mist directly to the blade, coating it in ice and quickly pouring more yoki and building it up.

Until it formed in was covered in ice to look like a hunk of raw ice that was longer then I was tall.

But I knew better then that.

I had created a makeshift longmaul, one that if my sudden increase in falling speed was of any indication I had created exactly like the one I had inagined to the last detail.

Including a weight comparable to needing at least 10 people to move it.

The Ne no Kubi looked in shock as I fell past it's roots and slammed the longmaul into it's head.

The longmaul broke in half as the mass of roots roared out in pain as I continued to fall towards the ground.

Only to be caught by Inuko before I could reach the ground.

"Thanks." I said as she put me down, trying to regain my footing, the ice breaking away from Shūsui.

"Your welcome, now then." Inuko growled out as she extended her claws and jumped towards the Ne no Kubi. "Sankon Tessō!"

With that Inuko clawed through the root yokai with ease, reducing it to splinters before preceding to cleave the remaining roots with Tessaiga while I froze it's remains.

We didn't have a moment to rest afterwards as another extension burst out of the ground.

It let out a growl as a large root burst out of the ground, which immediately started to sprout wooden spikes from. With a single flick it shoot the spikes and forced us to dive for cover.

A moment later we got to see the spikes rapidly withering away and the Ne no Kubi itself was partially withered. Infact a few small roots began to break it seemed to pant despite lacking lungs.

Odd, if that attack drains the Ne no Kubi that much and just shoots wildly then why use it at all?

Unless it had some kind of purpose to it?

Something I believe was answered when I heard something rustling from a nearby tree before it jumped towards me.

Shit a Hitōkon.

It flew towards me before I created a thin barrier of ice of which it crashed into. Applying a quick burst of mist to quickly freeze it and destroyed it.

Okay now where did that come from?

The Ne no Kubi lashed out with it's roots, causing us to go onto the defensive again for a few moments before I noticed another Hitōkon.

Emerging from an intact wooden spike lodged into a tree.

So that's it.

The Hitōkon leapt towards Kaede, only to be disintegrated by her launching a reiryoku charged arrow at it.

"Keep your guard up, the Ne no Kubi has never done this before." Kaede said wearily, getting the yokai in question to let out a rustling laugh.

A single Shikon Jewel shard seemed to give the Ne no Kubi the ability to cannibalize it's own life force to produce Hitōkon on it's own. Sure it took a good portion of it's structure, but this was one extension out of who knows how many.

If used correctly to could quickly overwhelm a village with it's own power and creating Hitōkon to cause chaos if it couldn't control them as well. If it could and gather enough shards, then the Ne no Kubi could quickly grow into an even bigger threat.

However we didn't have to wait long as I spotted it darting through the trees tops. Inuko quickly caught onto what I saw and jumped up after it.

She slashed at it with Tessaiga cutting the branch it was on and a small portion of the parasitic yokai.

But there was enough left for it to jump away and onto Kaede.

"No!" Inuko growled out as the Hitōkon quickly took control as her lone eye turned red and a red pattern spread around it.

However Kaede still obeyed it's orders and quickly notched an arrow. I barely had anytime to create an ice barrier to block the arrow before she released it. It barely held and the arrow released a small burst of reiryoku that severally cracked it.

Kaede quickly notched another arrow, but was forced drop it and her now as Inuko grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her.

"Y/N if you are going to try something, do it now!" Inuko said as Kaede struggled to get out of her grasp.

Which I quickly did as rushed forward and generated mist as Kaede continued to struggle in order to get free. As I got closer Kaede continued to struggle, until the Hitōkon decided to exit her in an attempt to save itself.

Which proved fatal as I froze it with a burst of mist, causing the root yokai to wither away.

"You alright Kaede?" Inuko asked as she let go of Kaede.

"Not really, I feel drained and my entire body aches but I will life." Kaede groaned out as she picked herself up and grabbed her bow. "And the Ne no Kubi?"

"That damned weed is long gone. It's smell is faint and it is getting further away as we speak." Inuko growled out.

"Then we need to find it soon. Inuko if you lose its scent let me know.

The Ne no Kubi will most likely leave this area alone now and the people of Akebi Village will be relieved to hear it.

However the Ne no Kubi is more dangerous than I could have imagined with a jewel shard.

Y/N how much yoki do you have left?" Kaede asked.

"I wasted quite a bit, put I still have plenty of it to spare." I said, getting her and Inuko to nod.

"Make sure to keep it that way. That damn weed stands little chance with your powers. So I would recommend saving your strength for when we find it." Inuko said, getting me to nod.

"For now we need track down the Ne no Kubi, and the horse. We already lost enough to the Mukade Jōrō." Kaede said a little bitterly.

"Then let's get going then." I said, getting Inuko to nod as she gestured for us to climb on.

We might have beaten the Ne no Kubi for now, but it was more dangerous then we could have thought with it's Shikon Jewel shard.

And there was possibly more to this as well given the Ne no Kubi knows information that it should not due to it being sealed away at the time.

It certainly couldn't have been from a group of bandits as with how determined it was to kill us, they were nothing more then a source of nutrition after being sealed away.

Something else is going on here, but I have no idea what.

I just hope that everyone else will be alright.

(??? POV)

So it would seem the Ne no Kubi decided to go against my word with trying to kill Y/N when it thought I wouldn't keep watch.

I expected such an outcome, but I couldn't expect Y/N's growth. It showed an increase in strength from what I had projected it to be.

Not much but it was quite unexpected, and promising at the same time.

His abilities make a perfect counter to the Ne no Kubi's abilities and with his potential, perhaps he is worth my attention.

I will have to wait to see how this trial to end before proceeding with the next step.

A brief rustling in a nearby tree broke me up from my musings.

It was probably nothing, but just in case...

With a swift motion of my hand, a nearby Saimyōshō to rush in. Creating a ruckus and an indignant hoot as a large brown owl flew out of the tree.

Not just any owl, a tatarimokke.

"So someone else is observing them." I grumbled out as the Saimyōshō flew down and dispensed a few brown feathers into my hands.

I hate to have anyone interfering, but the tatarimokke seems to be observing for now. If it decided to interfere, then I will be most displeased.

Perhaps it will be a good idea to summon my main self to watch the conclusion and to have over the last jewel shard in my possession.

Since if my predictions are correct then I will have at least one shard added to my possession and the Ne no Kubi dealt with before the sun rises on the next day.

(Kagome POV - 5 minutes later - Forestsouth of Kaede's village)

"Another pile of bones. And judging by their condition the Ne no Kubi was here awhile ago." Yura sighed out as she inspected the skeleton of what I believed to be deer.

At least it wasn't a human this time.

I have already seen 3 human skeletons and while Yura might be uncaring, I am still not truly desensitized to such a sight.

Something I will have to shake off when the time comes.

I have been to Yomi twice, had a chunk of flesh ripped out of me, faced that accursed mask using a blob of rotting flesh as a body, and saw a Hiten cave someone's head in with a single blow.

Yet the sight of a human's remains still have me a little squamish.

The last one we encountered not even a two minutes ago.

For over the hour the three of us have been looking all over for any signs of

the Ne no Kubi. Honestly it took us a while to find the first remains awhile ago and we would have been lost if it wasn't for Yura.

The headless skeleton that we had found had been there for about half a day and soon afterwards we found another one that was more recent.

Follow suit by another and this deer skeleton. All of them killed recently.

"So the Ne no Kubi could possibly still be here, looking for more victims?" I said, getting her to nod.

Just another thing to worry about besides whatever Yura was planning.

She has had plenty of opportunities to attack myself and Shippō over the past hour, so I can possibly rule that out.

Nor has she tried anything else for that matter, staying as serious as when she suggested she goes with us. Which with the Ne no Kubi around I wouldn't blame her, it still had me on edge.

"Possibly, though I doubt it would nearby.

Not a lot of large animals in this patch of the forest, it got lucky with a deer and a few travelers.

It could still be here. Or it could be attack someone anywhere else from here with the same ferocity the kit is with eating fried tofu.

" Yura said, her tone a little bland at the end.

Wait what?

Looking around I saw that Shippō wasn't around me like I last saw him.

Instead he was a little ways away from where I had parked my bike near the last skeleton we found, happily snacking on something from a small bag we had found around it. Which I guess must have been fried tofu.

"Shippō you shouldn't run off like that. And you shouldn't be eating food from someone's corpse." I said to him.

"Sorry Kagome, but this bag is filled with atsu-age." Shippō said excitedly, getting me to sigh.

I should have seen that coming.

Atsu-age was just a thicker form of abura-age, and supposedly the favorite food of Inari ōkami and kitsunes.

Wasn't really sure if there was actually truth to that myth, but here is Shippō happy munching on another piece without a care.

I was about to call him back to us, before I noticed a series of hairs suspended in the trees around him.

"Let the kit be, if the Ne no Kubi does show up I will be able detect it and cut up it's roots.

And if I just move you will get a clear view of him.

" Yura said as she walked past me before stoping.

"I have been meaning be alone with you girl for just a minute.

So if you feel the need to notch an arrow do so.

But I will not attack you or the kit, master would be distraught if anything happened to either one of you. "

So this is what she wanted all along. Just to have a chance to be alone with me.

She why was she perfectly willing to give me a chance to kill her, something she would never have given me.

Unless there was something she wanted.

"Shippō stay there, just make to finish your atsu-age." I said as I notched an arrow onto my bow.

"Okay." Shippō called out as he resumed eating the atsu-age.

Not to self, remember to bring some next time we return to the Sengoku Jidai.

Now then...

I trained my bow at Yura while she had Benigasumi drawn.

We stood there for a few moments, waiting for the other to react. Until Yura planted her blade into the ground between us.

"Try anything else and I will not be afraid to stick another arrow in you." I said coldly.

"Believe I will not start anything unless you do, all I wanted was to talk with you alone for a minute or two." Yura said simply.

"Then why didn't you, we have been out here for over an hour already?" I inquired.

"Simple, the kit wouldn't stop clinging to you like master asked him to. I believe as an extra incentive for the both of us to not kill each other just in case. Besides I thought that you would have preferred to hear this alone girl." Yura said, getting me to sigh.

Honestly I should have seen that coming. Y/N had asked Shippō to stick with me not only to protect him incase Yura came after his pelt once again but to act as a buffer incase either of us tried to kill the other.

Guess his idea worked, just not in how any of us could have predicted.

"So what is it that you wish for Shippō to hear about? It's Y/N isn't it?" I said bitterly.

"Correct." Yura said, seemingly without a care in the world.

"And this is about the stunt you pulled last night?" I said, feeling my reiryoku starting to activate.

"I will admit I am jealous that master chose you. But considering what I did and your shared history I suppose it was only a matter of time. So last night I decided to stake my claim on master." Yura said, only angering me more.

Reiryoku began to glow off of my arrow tip as I tried to restrain myself from killing this hair manipulating harlot!

"If you are insinuating about trying to steal him from me, then I will make what torment will await you in the deepest pits of Yomi feel like a paper cut." I said venomously.

Considering that I was just there days ago, I am more than willing to follow through.

So just say one more thing Yura, just say one more thing that pisses me off and I will release this arrow. It won't kill you, but it will just be the beginning of the Yomi to come.

Yura just looked at me with a smile.

"Such ferocity girl, your killer instinct is showing." Yura said with a shake of the head. "Sadly with you alive that will never become a reality and your death will greatly upset master. So instead I have decided that the best option would be the first to share master."

...wait what!?

My reiryoku faded away and I almost dropped my bow in shock.

She couldn't be serious, couldn't she!

Yura's unchanging expression told me that she was completely serious.

"You have got to be kidding, you are suggesting polygamy!" I spat out.

"Something you humans practice in this era, a part of your culture have seemed to have forsaken after millennia of practice. Honestly your society is backwards in your era compared to the now." Yura said, getting me to flinch.

Okay maybe she had a point with some aspects with her last remark. But not the rest!

"Still no, especially with you after what you did." I said, getting her to shake her head.

"I am afraid that if you take that route, then you better be prepared to kill or be killed." Yura said seriously. "I mean look at how much trouble master had caused by yokai planning on raping him."

I wanted to blast that hair manipulating harlot and make her suffer. But she had a point.

Mukade Jōrō, Yura, and Hiten all three had made that desire known. The latter two came the closest and Hiten had planned on including myself and Yura once she started to go mad. And even seemed that she wished to continue on that idea after her revival.

Plus factor in that flat chested bitch Sesshōmaru had an interest in Y/N and what happened during our last trip to Yomi things didn't look all that well in the future.

"As much as I hate to admit it, the crazy thunder bitch had a point.

She wanted all of us in her sick mind as a group.

I am not suggesting anything like that, would rather be burnt to a crisp.

Basically sharing him, keeping an eye on master as he is basically a trouble magnet, and making sure we don't kill each other or those that get closer to him.

And there will be others considering his heritage, power, looks, and his bleeding heart.

" Yura sighed out irritably, and I was very much feeling the same way.

There was no way I was refuting any of Yura's claims considering she had valid points.

Especially with how kind and caring he could be, that was the only reason why I haven't killed Yura yet. He wouldn't be the Y/N I know without it.

But there was still one particular issue with her statement.

"You might hold a point if it wasn't the fact that not only that you tried to rape Y/N but you were after him for his heritage, power, and looks.

It is only thanks to him that you are alive and I will admit you have been nothing but loyal too him.

Yet I have to actually see you do anything except lust after him.

I have yet to see that actually like him for who he is.

" I said pointedly, getting Yura to stiffen and look a little away from me.

Wait...you have got to be kidding me...

"You do." I said incredulously.

"Thank master's bleeding heart for that.

If it wasn't for him I would be dead by now and he has been such a good master to me.

I would be saddened if anything happened to him.

It is true that I would be free, but I suppose that it wouldn't exactly be the same.

" Yura sighed out with a smile before turning serious.

"You do not have not make this decision right away.

Just give it sometime to think about it.

Know that no matter what I will still go after master.

This way there will be less chance of heartbreak for everyone involved. So please Kagome, just consider this."

I was at an impass here as my reiryoku flared up once again.

On one part I felt like letting this hair manipulating harlot suffer before snapping a comp.

On another I recognized the first part made me sound like a jealous bitch.

And a final part of me recognized that she was right on some part and just how serious she is.

Yura never really called me by my name before, never. It only showed how serious she was on the whole issue.

And she had a point. If the past few weeks are of any indication this situation could be getting any worse as time goes on.

And I know Yura isn't giving up on him either...

I needed time to process this, that and I need some advice on what to do in this kind of scenario.

Honestly this whole idea of hers is insane, and I must be crazy for even considering this.

But it is best to figure this out before it could lead to major issues down the line.

"Fine I will think about it, but after this situation with the Ne no Kubi is over. I will not guarantee whatever answer I create will satisfy you or not, but I will think about it. But try anything again like last night and the answer will be a no!" I growled out.

"Didn't hear a no about what I usually do." Yura said with a smirk.

"Don't push it Yura!" I growled out before sighing. "Fine you know what it's fine, just don't go any further than what you usually do. But push too far and the answer is no."

"I'm just glad that you are considering this girl." Yura said, getting me to sigh as I tried to shut off my reiryoku.

"Let's just kill the Ne no Kubi already." I sighed out, wishing for this conversation to end already.

I really hope that I am making the right decision with this...

"Shippō are you done with the atsu-age yet." I called out to him.

"Almost, but are you okay Kagome? You have been arguing with the creepy lady for a while?" Shippō said as he took another piece and threw the now empty bag back towards the pile of bones.

With myself enjoying Yura's annoyance at his nickname for her.

"Don't worry, we got everything sorted out for now. Just come back here Shippō. " I called out to him.

"Alright then." He said, starting to run over to use.

Not even a few steps forward I began to sense something.

It was a Shikon Jewel shard, but it's presence felt weak, almost if it wasn't there.

And it was rapidly catching up to Shippō from underground.

Oh don't tell me!

"Shippō run!" I yelled as I channeled the excess reiryoku into the arrow and trained it right behind the kit.

He proceeded to run even faster as what I presumed to be the Ne no Kubi burst out from the ground and reached out several roots towards him.

I felt my anger rise a bit more as the arrow glowed a vibrant pink and released it.

The arrow pierced the corner of it's eye and the root like monstrosity didn't have time to growl as the reiryoku proceeded to break it apart. With Yura quickly slicing through what little remained.

Though it drained me quite a bit as I nearly doubled over.

"Kagome are you okay?" Shippō asked as he ran up to me.

"I'm fine just stay close to me." I said, getting him to nod as he pulled out a top.

"So that overgrown weed posses a jewel shard then." Yura stated as she pulled Benigasumi back into her hand.

"It does, but it felt quite faint. Now I can't sense it at all." I said as I notched an arrow.

"Than that would mean the main body has it. So you can sense the extensions as well then girl." Yura said, getting me to nod before I sensed another presence quickly approach us.

"It's quickly approaching us from the left." I said, getting Yura to nod as we heard the sound of something emerging from the ground behind the treeline.

As myself and Shippō took a few steps back, I found myself angered and a surge of reiryoku envelope me.

I was being compared to Kikyō again and being called lacking. It probably meant in terms of reiryoku and that was fair.

But still being compared to her just pissed me off!

Calming down for a second I saw a hair attached to arrow and immediately figured out what Yura was doing.

"Well I am not going to let that happen." I growled out as the arrow tip glowed pink. "Cause I am going to do what she couldn't and make sure your dead!"

I released the arrow and it traveled along Yura's hair into the treeline.

Which was soon followed up by the sound of it roaring out in pain, which got me to smirk at getting some payback at its remark.

However I could still feel it's presence as it drew closer.

"Be on guard." I said as it soon emerged, a good portion of of the right side of it's head burnt and blown apart.

"Take this!" Shippō said as he threw his top at the mass of roots.

Which promptly enlarged and slammed into it's head, getting the Ne no Kubi to roar out in pain.

"Nice shot, Shippō." I said as I notched and launched another arrow at it.

"No problem." Shippō said with a smirk as he pulled out some fire crackers and threw them at several roots, forcing them back as they blew up.

"Enough talk, just keep focusing on cutting this overgrown weed up." Yura said as she kept cutting up the roots with the her hairs and Benigasumi.

The three of us kept this up for a few moments fighting off the roots or Yura pulling us back with her hairs, with myself occasionally shooting a arrow into it's eye help by Yura's hair guiding it. Didn't have anytime to charge any reiryoku with how fast the roots kept coming in.

Until the Ne no Kubi let out a frustrated roar as a large root burst from the ground.

"Hang on." Yura said as she quickly pulled us away as a volley of wooden spikes sailed all over the place.

Quickly the spikes started to wither away and the Ne no Kubi looked even more ragged and started to fall apart.

I wondered what it was thinking weakening itself, until I felt jewel shard's power seem to pulse.

"Be careful, it's up to something." I said while notching an arrow to fire at the Ne no Kubi.

Until I heard something rustling in the canopy above.

I aimed my bow above as two small root like yokai leapt towards myself and Shippō.

I let lose my arrow after enveloping it in a small amount of reiryoku, it snapping the yokai in half and burning it to a crisp.

Yura caught the one that was going after Shippō in her hair, getting him to let out a sigh of relief.

"So the shard allows it to create Hitōkon then." Yura stated as she sliced it apart.

If I remember correctly Y/N said they were parasitic, meaning if either one of them had landed on us it would not have ended well.

But it never got the chance as it was soon entangled in Yura's hairs.

"Oni-bi Gushi!" Yura shouted, lighting her hairs on fire.

The Ne no Kubi only had a brief moment to scream out in pain as it was lit aflame before I notched and shot off another arrow. With it being lit aflame and the damage we have dealt, it soon broke apart into a smouldering wreck.

However we didn't have time to rest for a second as I quickly sensed another extension was quickly approaching us.

A large root emerged from the ground and wooden spikes began to grow over it.

Not again...

It launched a volley of wooden spike at us, causing Yura to pull us back once again. Only for another large root to emerge and repeat the process again. Although this time a wooden spike would have pierced my head if Yura hadn't pulled my out of the way.

That was way to close for comfort.

"You alright girl?" Yura asked as she cut down another root that emerged from the ground.

"I'm fine, but keep your eyes out." I said as multiple roots started emerge around the ground around us.

Yura began to cut them down while me and Shippō kept an eye out for any Hitōkon or the Ne no Kubi.

Didn't have to wait long as I heard rustling above us.

I notched an arrow and prepared to-

"Kagome get down!" Shippō said as he threw a firecracker towards my head. Forcing me to duck to see it detonate infront of a Hitōkon that had kept off a nearby tree.

The explosion blasted it back before the parasitic yokai was cleaved in half by one of Yura's hairs.

"Thanks Shippō." I said, getting him to nod as I noticed some more rustling above him and shot my arrow.

In a small burst of reiryoku several branches fell down along with a charred Hitōkon.

Okay two down and two to go. But where was the Ne no Kubi...

"Yura it is right beneath you." I called out to her.

Yura used her hairs to propel herself out of the way as a ragged looking Ne no Kubi burst from the ground, trying and failing to bite down on her.

However the other two Hitōkon jumped towards her, but I quickly shot an arrow that fell one of them. Yura just bisected the last one with Benigasumi.

Before I could even wonder what it meant, the Ne no Kubi burrowed underground and unleashed more roots after us.

As Yura cut down the roots, I quickly realized what the Ne no Kubi was doing.

It was separating us from Shippō and was emerging not that far away from him.

"Shippō get away from there right now!" I called out to him, but it was too late.

The Ne no Kubi burst out from the ground behind him and with a feral grin brought down a large root to impale him.

Shippō barely had anytime to gather some leaves from some fallen branches before the root impaled him.

I could only watch in horror as it happened...until I noticed that there was no blood. That and Shippō was see through.

"You missed!" Shippō called out as he emerged from a nearby bush.

I let out a sigh of relief to notice that he was alright.

"Creepy lady catch!" Shippō shouted, throwing something towards us.

"Don't call me that." Yura said, her tone filled with annoyance as she wrapped the object with her hairs. It was then I recognized what it was.

It was a mini, poorly drawn jinzo statue.

I grinned once I realized what he had planned and drew another arrow, focusing my reiryoku into it as it started to emit a violet glow.

Focusing on the anger and hatred of it. Of nearly losing Shippō, of being compared to Kikyō, and having to exterminate this overgrown weed in her stead.

The Ne no Kubi reached out with several roots towards us as Yura swung the miniature statue towards it's head.

"Now!" Shippō called out.

The statue was covered in a puff of smoke as it grew to full size, much to the shock of the Ne no Kubi.

Right before it had it's eye smashed in before the statue returned to normal.

As it roared out in pain I trained the arrow to where it had emerged from the ground and let it lose.

The arrow flew true and struck one of it's roots, letting lose a large burst of violet reiryoku.

The Ne no Kubi didn't have time to react as it started to break down, followed suite by all the roots it had around us. And if I had to guess right, any other roots it had in the nearby arrow

I felt out of breath and nearly collapsed to the ground, using my bow to support myself from collapsing.

Practically out of reiryoku after that, I only had a little left.

But after that I doubt the Ne no Kubi would be returning anytime soon.

"You alright girl?" Yura asked as she and Shippō approached me.

At the sight of her, what little reiryoku I had briefly flared up with anger and hatred. Before I forcibly closed it off.

There was no need for that, at least for now. I needed to save it for incase the Ne no Kubi showed up again.

"I'm nearly out of reiryoku and arrows, but I should be alright. Wish I could say the opposite about the Ne no Kubi. I believe that only stopped it in this area." I guessed.

"That is more than enough for now, let's finish checking up on this area just to make sure. Hopefully that will be more than enough time to recover some of your reiryoku." Yura suggested.

"Hopefully." I groaned out before facing Shippō. "Please trying not to scare me like that again okay?"

"Alright." He said with a nod as I propped myself back up and started to walk to my bike followed suite by Shippō.

We might've stopped the Ne no Kubi in this area, but it was still too soon say it was all over. What we experienced here was only a portion of what it could do.

But it didn't matter to me, compared to Sesshōmaru and Hiten this overgrown weed was nothing more then an annoyance.

We survived the both of them, so we will overcome the Ne no Kubi.

(Chapter 38 end)