Summary: In which Inuzuka Kiba finds himself in a world filled with demons. He meets the Inuyasha gang and joins in hopes of going back when he helps Rin.

Warnings: dubious chakra shenanigans, demonology, and clan going ons. Just dubious stuff going on. Maybe some Kagome bashing and Strong!Kiba. There may be some slash pairings.

-XxX-

Maybe Kiba shouldn't have been so surprised that the impossible happened to him. After seeing all the bad luck and outrageous situations that Team 7 got themselves into, then perhaps their bad karma passed onto others because how else would the Inuzuka Heir find himself in a completely foreign land inhabited by humans and demons?!

Before the ordeal, the young shinobi had been in a seemingly regular C-Ranked mission but then all the sudden the young shinobi ─ along with his comrades that was Team 8 ─ had been attacked by what looked like rogue shinobi. Said rogue turned out to an S-ranked missing ninja. To Kiba's deep regret, he recognized the shinobi from the pages of the Bingo Book. It certainly wasn't a reassuring thought.

To say the least, the fight that ensued was on a scale of epic proportions. Team 8 very near died but they were a part of the Rookie 9, a new generation of shinobi that was unlike anything they'd ever seen. This new generation was filled with promising shinobi, regardless of their deceiving looks. Team 7 was a power house all around, Team 8 was filled with the best trackers that Konoha had to offer, Team 9 also offered some the best combatants there was, and finally Team 10 had exceptional skill in information gathering.

They were a strong generation that was for sure but still their opponent was a formidable foe. The S-Ranked shinobi was a rogue from Hoshigakure, or the Village Hidden Among the Stars. Kiba couldn't remember their enemy's name but in the heat of battle, he couldn't waste time or thoughts on the matter. The only thing that was clear, was that he needed to protect his teammates. They were all he had and he was damned if he'd let anything happen to them.

Team 8 was putting up a fight but it still wasn't enough. Shino was losing chakra, Hinata was getting tired and running on fumes, and Kurenai-sensei was trying her best to protect her students but her genjutsu's were sliding off the missing nin like water. It left Kiba in a demanding situation because he knew that he'd have to resort to some his jutsus that he's never revealed before and had never really intended to use, until the right moment that is. Akamaru was the only one that knew he had an arsenal of techniques outside that of what was taught in the Inuzuka Clan.

Many had believed that Kiba was a loudmouthed and hyperactive shinobi, second to the blond-haired idiot that was Uzumaki Naruto, but he had changed drastically in the recent years ─ most of the Rookies had, in fact. It was after the Sasuke retrieval mission that the Inuzuka realized that he couldn't keep going the way he had. Never had he felt more powerless and it wasn't something that he was inclined to experience again.

The solution? Train. Train hard enough so that he'd never feel that sense of powerlessness that he had that fateful day.

He wanted to be a strong shinobi, a shinobi that could be as renown as those of Team 7 and maybe even the Sannin. Kiba had scoured the Inuzuka Clan Library for anything that could have been of use to him, even the techniques that at first glance seemed useless. Kiba didn't stop there however. After a lot of thought, the Inuzuka had decided that he would become proficient with a variety of weapons. His efforts were paid off as he had found an obscure shinobi in Konoha that trained him in the art of Kenjutsu and Bukijutsu. It took many years and arduous hours of training that was filled with sweat, blood and tears. Finally, the Inuzuka had decided to perfect and create a number of jutsu, even those that were outside of his affinity. It was decidedly, an idea that he had almost regretted but remembering his moment of weakness and the sense of overwhelming despair… Kiba persevered and decided to continue his training. The Inuzuka had almost decided to end his training there, thinking that perhaps he was strong enough to be respected. He had wanted to show his clan his prowess, to his teammates and comrades so that he could maybe even advance through the shinobi ranks but then he'd paused. He was a shinobi, a warrior that struck from the shadows… Perhaps it was better to remain anonymous? After all one shouldn't boast their power because if all his strengths were known then what would be the use of such power if it could be countered?

It was bad enough that he had a glaring weakness already that came in the form of Akamaru. He respected and cared deeply for his partner but he was a liability, something that could be taken advantage of. It was hard, but he knew that he needed to better than what he was as an Inuzuka. He needed to go beyond what was there, become greater than the feared Hyuuga and even the revered Uchiha.

He trained and trained. He taught himself discipline, bettered his chakra reserves and control, had an arsenal of jutsu, trained himself to be proficient in a wide array of weapons, and he even bettered his physical body with the help of Might Gai. It was a long grueling few years, years bettering himself and hiding behind a façade that had become so ingrained that he didn't know how to act anymore.

It had puzzled friends and family alike because they could see that something was not quite right with the Inuzuka Heir. He hadn't been since the Sand and Sound Invasion and they couldn't quite put their finger on what was happening. Every inquiry they had towards the Inuzuka was rebuffed and deflected to be brought up another time or so that it could be completely forgotten in the recesses of one's mind. No one could quite resolve the situation or really know what was going on but it had never been much of a situation to be concerned with because… well, the Inuzuka had seemed fine despite the few inconsistencies and they had faith that if there was something to be really concerned about, they figured that the Inuzuka would bring up his concerns with them, after all, they were there to help him right?

It had taken a toll on the Inuzuka's mind, honestly. Kiba didn't do himself any favors either because each time that he had reflected on that fateful day, it felt like a piece of himself was dying. It was a bitter pill to swallow because hadn't he been trying to better himself? Wasn't that why he had trained to his breaking point so that he wouldn't feel as weak and powerless as he had?! But with each mission, each encounter with death… he found himself feeling that there should have been more to life than what he was doing now. He felt that he didn't have a right to feel the way he did, so hollow and empty. After all, didn't others have it worse? Team 7 lost their teammate to the darkness and now it turned out there was an organization hunting the jinchuriki, hunting Naruto.

He didn't want to feel the way he did. The Inuzuka didn't understand why he felt so alone when he had been surrounded by his loved ones. It just didn't make sense. He had a family and friends that loved him as much he did, if not more, so then why was there a sense of hollowness entrenching its claws so deeply? He didn't know how to get rid of it, so deeply ingrained that it was, but what he could do at least, was distract himself. There was a new battle to fight after all.

The Akatsuki would be defeated, that was something that the Inuzuka was sure of.

Inuzuka Kiba had taken a deep breath and as much as it hurt, he locked his feelings of incomprehensible pain away.

"There's no way we can win like this." Kurenai said, her red eyes staring calculatingly at their opponent.

The nukenin stood before them, taunting the Konoha shinobi with his sheer air of arrogance and superiority. He looked at them as if they weren't even worth the dirt beneath his shoes and it angered her so much because her students, Team 8, has progressed into amazing shinobi worthy of their title.

"What do w-we do, Kurenai-Sensei?" Hinata stuttered but it contrasted sharply with her steady stance and look of determination. "We can't get c-close to him like t-this…"

"Correct. It is illogical to continue this venture. It would be wise to call for back up." Shino cut in, his insects buzzing with agitation around him.

Beside Kiba, Akamaru growled lowly in his throat. The ninken looked ferocious, his fangs bared in a snarl and his sharp claws dug deeply into the forest floor. He looked ready to lunge towards the nukenin at any moment but no matter how much he wanted to, he stayed by his master's side.

Kiba stayed silent, which was unusual for the Inuzuka and it made his comrades glance at him more than once but they said nothing, after all the situation that they were in… it didn't offer much room for the Inuzuka's usual boisterous nature. It was true that the Inuzuka greatly resembled a certain blond but he was more mature than the blond and less hotheaded to a certain degree. Lately, however, they found themselves seeing a more serious side to the feral looking shinobi. They never thought more of it, unfortunately.

"You Konoha shinobi always think so highly of yourselves." The nukenin taunted, a grin stretching over his face. His eyes shown menacingly, glinting with an unholy light. "You may as well give up…" The shinobi's hand rose with insulting slowness. "Your fight ends here!"

Kiba's eyes widened and his body tensed in alarm. A growl ripped from his throat before he could stop it and the sheer ferocity of it startled his teammates but he could care less. The Inuzuka could feel the monstrous amount of chakra that building up and just knew that what came next would be nothing good. They needed to stop him but they were all very near chakra exhaustion. The only thing that could be done…

The Inuzuka surged forward, regardless of the cries of alarm that followed him. Akamaru surged forward with him, unwilling to leave his master's side but with a sharp glance from the Inuzuka he stayed where he was. A whine of distress was let out and the Inuzuka could only give a reassuring glance towards his partner and comrades.

"Stay with them Akamaru!" The Inuzuka commanded, his hands blurring with the speed of his hand signs. His chakra flowed along with his intentions and it seared under his skin, almost as if it was alive. It coated his body like a cloak of white chakra and it was startling, because for it moment it had reminded the other Konoha Shinobi of Kakashi for a moment.

Kurenai gasped at the sight. "White chakra!?"

"How is that possible?" Shino asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"T-the only ones who h-have white chakra is the Hatake C-clan!" Hinata said. "What i-is going on?" She wondered out loud.

Kurenai spun a kunai into her hand, her grip tight. "That doesn't matter right now! We have to help him! As much as I hate to admit it, he's beyond our power. I can't let Kiba charge ahead recklessly like this!" She knew that Kiba was a formidable shinobi but the one before him was beyond his skill. "We need to get out of here! We need to get backup!" She muttered to herself before she signaled sharply to Hinata and Shino. "Shino try to distract him with your Kikaichu! Hinata help him!"

The two did as they were told. Shino's insects billowed out in a great cloud of black and Hinata stayed close to the Aburame, however, their efforts were in vain as the shinobi prepared to launch his attack.

The very air seemed to choke them with its heavy pressure. Their hair stood on end as the very air itself was charged with energy, which it may as well have been. The wind stopped altogether and there was a sudden unnerving silence. There was a moment where everything stood still and the shinobi remained frozen, as if in shock.

This feeling… I know what this is! Kiba snapped out of his stupor. I need to stop him! I can't let him hurt the others! Kiba thought determinedly. His chakra flowed around him as if it had a mind of its own. It spread out, oddly enough, in the form of a dome barrier that around his comrades. He could only spare so much to protect them and still have enough to at least counter the oncoming attack. Our backup won't get here quick enough. I can sense them coming in fast… but at the rate that they're going… It won't be enough.

The rest of Team 8 tried to approach the duo but they were stopped by the barrier of pure white chakra. It stopped them like a physical wall, seemingly impenetrable no matter what they did to disrupt it.

"Kiba!" Kurenai screamed, a sense of horror and disbelief clutching at her as she watched. It was all they could do. "Don't do this! Help is on the way!"

Akamaru could only whine in distress. He was stranded behind the barrier and he couldn't understand why, after all, wouldn't it have been better to be beside his master and aid him? Why wasn't he by his master's side?!

"Don't do this Kiba!" Shino yelled, his nerves on end and his composure lost in the face of his teammate and friend in danger.

Hinata could only watch.

I'm sorry, Kiba thought before there was a deafening roar.

There was a great flash of light that forced the others to look away and shield their eyes but they couldn't decide between doing that or covering their ears from the sheer volume of the roar. It sounded like glass breaking, like the wind was howling all that it could and moving with the speed of a hurricane. In the cacophony of sound, the name of the attack was lost to their ears as well as that of Kiba's own counterattack.

Hinata who stared determinedly ahead, could only stare as she saw her teammate stand steadfast and determined amidst of the chaos. He looked like a warrior. His odd, white chakra clung to him like a flame and shone like a beacon in the darkness. He seemed undaunted in the face of their adversary and he showed nothing but grim resolve that made his admittedly feral features look like a regal mask. His swords rested on his back, easily within reach need be but he made no move toward them.

"Kiba…" She choked out as she saw his lips move but she couldn't hear what he was saying. "Kiba!" She screamed with all the agony of losing a loved one but her desperate cry was lost in the sound of a great explosion whose force knocked the remaining shinobi and ninken back.

Hinata's scream was lost to the wind as she was forced back, pain blooming through her torso as she rolled but all of the sudden she was caught in a pair of strong arms. They protected her from the ferocious winds and debris. She hid her face in her hero's chest, not yet knowing who it was that helped her.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the wind died down and the dust settled. It was a few moments later, that Hinata gathered the courage to look up. Eyes as blue as the sky greeted her along with bright blond hair as bright as the sun. Naruto was talking but she couldn't hear anything beyond the unending ringing in her ears. She couldn't hear him but she could still read his lips.

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, concern evident in his eyes.

She motioned a shaky hand towards her ears before she shook her head. "I can't h-hear, Naruto-kun." She responded, her voice louder than usual. She stood after a moment, Naruto helping her all the while. As she looked at her surroundings, she spotted her teacher being treated for a small headwound by Sakura. Sai and Kakashi stood beside her with the latter looking calculating as his eyes roamed over the clearing, trying to determine what happened. She saw Shino near the other end of the clearing, surrounded by Team 9 and 10 but her attention was stolen by what they were staring avidly at.

Before them, stood a gaping crater on the earth. It scarred deep into the ground and as her heart pounded in her chest, her only thoughts were of her missing teammate.

"No… No, no, no!" She cried, uncaring of the tears running down her face as she ran from Naruto's grip and towards the huge scar on the earth. "Kiba!" She screamed and the sheer agony of it had others looking away.

Kiba was gone.

-xXx-

Honestly, the pain didn't register in the Inuzuka's mind. At the moment, his eyes were trained through the green canopy of leaves and towards the sky. His ears were ringing with the most unholy of sounds and a pounding headache formed because of it. He didn't move from his prone position on the forest floor. It hurt to move but he knew that if he remained where he was, he'd be vulnerable and that was the last thing that the Inuzuka wanted.

He took a deep breath before gathering what semblance of strength he had left, he pushed himself up. He grunted at the spike of pain from his torso and arms but he dismissed it, after all, there were more important matters at hand. Such as the completely different location that he found himself in.

It was obvious to him from the start that he was far, far away from his teammates. In fact, his instincts were going haywire and if there's something that a shinobi didn't do, was dismiss their instincts. The air smelled different and the greenery around him was as well. What was damning most of all, was the complete total lack of chakra around him. It was startling and it unsettled him deeply. It was a common fact that there was chakra in everything so when he felt the absence of it… it was shocking. As far as he knew, there was no technique to totally remove chakra in such a manner that is, unless, one was abysmal at sensing it.

He was an Inuzuka, a person who was closer with their basic instincts and more connected to nature. He was different from the average shinobi, but he had a suspicion that even among his clansmen he was different. It was something that he's held in his mind for a long time but he had never once paid it any mind for fear of the repercussions. The day that he raided the Inuzuka Clan Archives however, was when his suspicions had been proven right. He held a strong endurance and strength and it had only amplified during his training to better himself. Not to mention, his senses were far superior to a point that they could sometimes be detrimental but he had long developed a discipline over them. He looked different too, what with his more feral than average features of sharp fangs and claws, markings on his face and intimidating sharp eyes.

With a deep sniff of his surroundings he took in the myriad of different scents. He could easily identify some that were familiar but as he closed his eyes and found his focus, his senses sharpened that had it been any lesser being, they would have more likely have had a sensory overload.

There was a moment, a sharp focus, and then the sound of rushing water.

"Might as well go that direction," Kiba muttered. "But I need to see what I have with me." He lifted his hands and he bit a thumb with a sharp fang. He smeared the blood on one of his many tattoos that decorated his arms but their purpose was to hide the many seals that he had, such as his storage seals. It was one of the many useful aspects that he's found in fuinjutsu. They had an enormous potential that many shinobi, unfortunately, didn't take advantage of. After all, in fuinjutsu one was only limited by their knowledge of the art and their imagination.

He eyed his reserve critically. He had about 50 shuriken and kunai, a few hundred senbon, about 30 yards of wire, a pack of explosive tags, 4 windmill shuriken, a small pack of blood replenishing and thickening pills, a pack of chakra replenishing pills, a pair of trench knives, a tanto and the twin katana that he had strapped to his person, and a fully equipped first aid kit filled with essentials recommended by a medical ninja, a few rolls of sealing paper and ink, at least two weeks' worth of food and at least two weeks' worth of clothes. It was overkill, admittedly, for the mission that his team had been sent but Kiba believed in being prepared. It was better than regretting it later.

"This will at least last me a while…" Kiba resealed his supply. "But something tells me that'll be the last of my worries."

The Inuzuka turned and he began his journey to the river. It was an unsettling thought but as he observed his surroundings and stretched his senses out for any dregs of chakra, a foreboding feeling rose. He pushed it to the back of his head. He didn't want to think about his teammates, about Akamaru who must have felt the keen absence of his presence, or the fact that he was what must have been a long way from home.

He found the river without much problem but he kept an eye out for any potential threats. As he stopped near the bank of the river he glanced around. His surroundings reminded him much of the Fire Country (Hi no Kuni). After a moment, he stepped onto the river with confidence. His chakra automatically balanced to the right amount to walk atop of it. It has long become second nature to him. He ran atop the river for what seemed like an eternity.

That is, until a scream broke the air.

The Inuzuka stopped immediately as he zoned into the direction of the sound. It was loud enough to discern the direction. It sounded like a little girl. Without hesitation, the shinobi turned to the direction. He was positive he could handle whatever was at thrown him. He only had superficial injuries from his ordeal with the enemy shinobi and his chakra had recovered surprisingly fast.

The sight that greeted him had him staring for a moment.

Before him, a little girl was cowering at the edge of the rushing river with her hands held up instinctively, as if it would help her. A swarm of what looked like failed experiments of Orochimaru was circling around the girl, almost mockingly. The deformed creatures looked menacing and their foul scent made the Inuzuka bare his fangs.

The little girl screamed as one of the demons flew towards her. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable pain but after a few moments of waiting, she tentatively opened her eyes. Her eyes widened in shock. The demon before her was writing in pain from the force of the grip that the stranger before her. In her eyes though, the stranger was her hero veiled in a halo white light that almost reminded her of the way Sesshomaru-sama looked and when he turned to look at her for a split second, she saw the markings on her face, the exotic sharp eyes and the fangs… well, the warm ball of emotion in her chest intensified.

"You okay kid?" The Inuzuka asked before he turned back to the writhing deformed serpent in his hand. He easily cut through the flesh with his claws. A frown formed on his face as he eyed the rest of the swarm. Their numbers were great and for all that he was wondering 'what the hell were they?' He wanted to kill them quickly. "Let's get out of here kid." He muttered as he turned to the small child who was still looking at him with wide doe eyes. "Hold on!" He ordered as he easily scooped her up.

He distanced himself from the horde by leaping out. It was a jump that easily distanced the two and as he did so his hands flashed through hand signs. He turned to the horde once again and he breathed in deep, pooling the chakra in his throat and chest for a moment before he exhaled deeply.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique) As breathed out, a great ball of fire flew towards the horde with great speed, which shouldn't have been possible with its size. It engulfed the horde of demons and Kiba watched in satisfaction as they all fell under the might of the intense flames.

"You don't see that every day." Kiba muttered to himself as he watched the flames gradually die out. He glanced towards his new addition. She was very young, with long black hair, big brown eyes and was dressed in cheerful orange and yellow clothes. "What's your name?" He asked gently, noting her frightened expression.

She sniffed and she looked like she was about to cry so Kiba blinked when she seemed to do a complete circle. "Rin's name is Rin! Thank you for saving Rin!"

"What are you doing here alone Rin?" He asked as he shifted the little girl in his arms to something more comfortable.

Rin's smile slipped as she remembered. "Rin was separated from Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama had left and he had left Jaken to take care of Rin but then we were attacked by the mean demons!"

"Demons?" Kiba asked, his eyebrows furrowed before he turned his eyes to a few of the still burning corpses. The air was thick with the scent of burning flesh and smoke.

"Yes! They're everywhere! Rin is worried about Jaken! He was left alone!" She said as a few tears gathered in her eyes but then she looked at her savior with a small smile. "But Rin is thankful for saving Rin's life! Uh, what is your name?"

Kiba smiled at the little girl in his arms. "My name is Inuzuka Kiba." He took a final glance around before he nodded to himself. "I'll get you to, uh, Sesshomaru was it?" He asked.

Rin nodded happily, a smile instantly taking over her face. "Yes! Thank you Inuzuka-sama!" She said as her small arms gripped the strange material of Kiba's clothing. He was so warm and Rin simply couldn't resist. She was tired and all that she wanted to do was get back to Sesshomaru-sama.

"No need for the -sama kid. Just Kiba is fine." He said as he began his journey. He could trace back her scent and hopefully her guardian, Sesshomaru, would be there but he was wondering what kind of person he was to be named Destruction of Life. It was a curious thought but another thing stole his attention that cemented his earlier worries. The child in his arms was definitely human, he could tell that much just by her scent but as close as he was to her he still couldn't sense a single trace of chakra.

It could have been that she might have been born with a defect like Lee had been. The thought had some merit, but Lee had chakra. It was just trapped inside him and although the Green Beast of Konoha couldn't use it, it could still be sensed.

Rin should be dead from the lack of chakra. But she wasn't.

It was confusing the Inuzuka more and more and he didn't understand what was happening. All that he remembered was meeting the nukenin's attack head on with one of his own. Then he woke up in an entirely different location, free of any evidence of battle, and the whole area devoid of any trace of his teammates or enemy. It could have been a trick of the enemy, the Akatsuki, or who knows what else but… The fact was that he was alone, in a complete foreign land with ferocious creatures that apparently had a taste for human flesh.

The Inuzuka banished the thought from his mind. He could throw around theories later, right now he had a defenseless little girl to protect. The Inuzuka chose to move through the trees. It startled Rin as she let out a squeak of surprise but then she appeared to enjoy herself as she let out peals of laughter.

"Inuzuka-sama is just like Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin yelled with a face breaking smile on her face.

The Inuzuka glanced at the little girl from the corner of his eye for a moment before a small smile formed on his face. I'm not with the others, but at least I'm making someone's day. I'll get back to the others, one way or another.

They moved for a long time. The sun was creeping down the sky and the wind picked up. It was getting late and as the Inuzuka glanced at the fading light, he slowed down.

It's better to stop now. He looked at Rin. The little girl was looked tired and she was fighting off sleep from the looks of her frequent yawns. "We'll stop here Rin. It's getting late."

The girl only nodded in response.

He moved out a bit more before he found a small clearing. It looked like no one has been in it for a while, which was perfect. He set down Rin carefully near the base of a tree. He ruffled her hair gently, unable to resist the temptation. The Inuzuka let out a sigh before he moved to the center of the clearing. He made a small pit before making a seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." (Shadow Clone Technique) There was smoke and soon enough, the Inuzuka was facing his clone. "Get firewood and after that, search the perimeter. Make sure to lay down some traps too."

"Is that magic Inuzuka-sama?" Rin asked, the interest and wonder in her voice abundantly clear.

"No. Well, I guess you can call it that but it's actually chakra." Kiba replied as the clone came back with kindling. He swiftly started a fire with a flint. There was no use to waste chakra after all.

"Chakra?"

"Yeah… It's hard to explain." Kiba unsealed one the many sleeping bags that he'd stored. He had a whole lot of odds and ends stored in his seals. It was mostly out of paranoia but after the destruction of the Konoha at the hands of the Akatsuki, he wasn't going to take the risk. He handed the little girl a sleeping bag and tucked her in.

"Oh… You remind me a bit of Kagome." The little girl muttered absently before she gave into the welcoming arms of sleep.

Must be a friend of hers or something… The Inuzuka turned to his shadow clone and swiftly dispelled it. It disappeared in a billow of smoke and he was left alone with the sounds of a sleeping little girl and the sounds of the forest. He sat next to Rin with his back to a tree and looked at the bright moon. I hope everyone's fine… That was the last thought of the Inuzuka before he went into a light sleep, which may as well have just been a meditative trance. He didn't want to go into full sleep, not with a forest full of unknown predators and terrors.

The night passed relatively quickly with no problems and the Inuzuka had awoken rested well enough at the crack of dawn although it wasn't quite the same as full night of deep sleep. He was a shinobi though and he'd been in worse conditions.

One shadow clone later and breakfast was cooking over a fire in the forms of freshly caught and cleaned fish. Rin had awoken at the smell of food a few moments later. It seemed like she was a morning person and it was clear to the Inuzuka that she was a little girl with an abundance of energy and cheer that briefly reminded him of a certain Uzumaki.

"Good morning, Inuzuka-sama!" She greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning Rin." The Inuzuka replied, a faint feeling of amusement coursing through him. It could have been worse. He could have died for one. "Ready to move out today?" He asked as he handed her a fish. "Careful, its hot." He warned gently.

"Yes, Inuzuka-sama! Rin is grateful for your help!" The girl replied between careful bites of her fish. "Rin wants to go back with Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama had been fighting against the evil bad man Naraku before Rin got separated. Sesshomaru-sama must be worried about Rin by know…" The girl deflated a bit, her mood turning sad.

Kiba gave her a comforting pat on her head, mindful of his claws. He wasn't so friendly towards strangers usually but Rin was a little girl with no chakra and her sheer honesty and demeanor made him doubt that she'd ever try anything sinister. That, and he was keenly feeling the absence of his partner and being from a clan that was a pack and cherished their bonds to a deep level, didn't make it easier. His team had gotten used to the little touches that the Inuzuka initiated. It was reassuring to the Inuzuka and it forged deeper bonds with them. The habit had stemmed from his clan. The Inuzuka weren't afraid to get up and personal and touch was everything in their clan.

"How did you get so far away from everyone Rin?" He asked as he put away his belongings. He soon cleared away any trace of their existence. It wouldn't hurt after all and it was important.

Rin quickly finished her meal. "Rin had been with Sesshomaru-sama traveling back home but then Inuyasha came!"

"Inuyasha?" Kiba asked, curious.

Rin's frowned a bit as she made a look of concentration. It seemed more like she was pouting however, and her cheeks puffed out. "Inuyasha is Sesshomaru-sama's brother! Well, Inuyasha is Sesshomaru-sama's half-brother. They, uh, had different mothers. They fight each other almost every time they meet even though Rin wishes that they didn't." Rin said sadly.

Kiba paused for a moment, thinking over her words. "Like, fighting as if..." He trailed off.

"They try to kill each other!" Rin clarified.

"Ah." Kiba couldn't imagine family trying to kill each other, well his family anyway. What she said only brought up images of bloodthirsty Uchiha's. "Come on Rin, get on my back. I'm pretty sure that we're close to your pack."

"Pack?" Rin repeated confusedly.

"Uh, your Sesshomaru-sama." It was weird that the little girl referred to someone as -sama but who was he to judge? It only brought up more question, like who exactly was this Sesshomaru person, more specifically who was he to Rin? "Is Sesshomaru your guardian? Father or something?"

Rin obediently climbed onto her saviors back, wrapping her hands around the others neck and gripping the strange material tightly. She giggled delightedly at the thought of the piggyback ride. "Rin had been saved by Sesshomaru-sama. When Rin was dying Sesshomaru-sama brought her back and has been protecting Rin ever since. Rin loves Sesshomaru-sama!" The little girl shielded her face against the wind in the Inuzuka's neck. "Rin would do anything for Sesshomaru-sama. Sesshomaru-sama isn't Rin's real otou-san but to Rin he is!"

Kiba smiled at the devotion of the little girl. The brutal honesty of the little girl was a bit startling for the Inuzuka coming from a profession such as his but still… it was nice to hear and clear the see the love that Rin exhibited.

The day was spent with Kiba gracefully going through the trees at half his usual speed, which to others was may as well have been extraordinary had there been others to witness it. Rin had filled the air with her thoughts and Kiba had indulged the little girl. She was very sweet honestly. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to harm her so this Naraku being must have been a real piece of work.

It wasn't long before the two ran into trouble however.

They had been attacked by demons, judging by what Rin had screamed. Kiba had been reluctant to believe that they had been demons, because in his mind such things came in the form of nine towering beasts that were the Biju, beings of extraordinary power and chakra. What he was seeing were deformed creatures that reeked of evil and exuded a malevolence that made Kiba bare his fangs and his claws to sharpen.

They had came towards them in droves but the Inuzuka finished them off easily with his weapons. The attacks didn't end however, as they came towards them sporadically during their journey. They were weak and the Inuzuka didn't have any problems with them but it was certainly tedious.

"Kami, these things don't stop coming." Kiba growled.

It seemed like the Inuzuka had jinxed himself, however, when the attacks seemed to stop coming. He didn't drop his guard however. It would have been foolish to do so.

An uneasy feeling welled in the Inuzuka. It seemed like Rin sensed it too, however. Her arms gripped tighter around the Inuzuka's neck and she stayed uncharacteristically quiet. He stopped in his trek, choosing to instead observe his surroundings for a moment.

Something isn't right, Kiba thought. He made the decision to switch Rin from his back to his arms for more safety. The little girl didn't protest, she merely returned to hiding her face in the Inuzuka's neck and returned her death grip on him.

The Inuzuka was right to worry as a wind blew into the clearing and with it the familiar scent. There was a moment of complete silence and all movement seemed to cease, including the wind.

A moment later the ground exploded upwards.

Rin screamed in surprise and the Inuzuka had already jumped into the air before the ground had opened underneath them. The Inuzuka took to the trees once again and he could already hear whatever was after them coming their way. He gently pried Rin off and put her in one of the sturdier, higher branches of a tree.

"Stay here, Rin. I'll be back, I promise." The Inuzuka ordered and he gave the little girl a toothy grin when she only nodded. Rin certainly seemed to be made of sturdier material than most little girls.

The Inuzuka bounded his way to his enemy and he certainly wasn't expecting what greeted him. It was a demon of course but Kiba could already tell that this one wasn't like the others. It was at least three times Kiba's size for one but the biggest difference was the spark of intelligence in the beast's eyes. And it certainly was a beast, a humanoid one at that, with dark scaled skin over grotesque musculature and patches of fur, husks protruding out of a snarling mouth that looked capable of impaling someone, wicked yellow claws and a tail that whipped menacingly.

"Okay, ugly." Kiba muttered as he eyed his opponent, his chakra surging under his skin almost excitedly at the prospect of a fight. He lifted a hand and motioned with a hand, "Give me all you got!"

The beast roared in rage before he began to charge at the Inuzuka. The beast's heavy steps uprooted the earth. The beast was admittedly slow but the Inuzuka could tell that a hit from it would certainly hurt.

It threw a punch toward the shinobi and Kiba easily side stepped it, frowning at the disruption of air that it caused. It seemed that the beast also had a temperament as it once again roared in rage. It charged at him once again but the shinobi once again dodged and the punch sailed right into a tree, splintering the tree and leaving a gaping wound on the tree and after a moment the tree fell under its weight. The shinobi distanced himself once again as he decided to keep it that way.

Kiba unsealed one of his windmill shuriken along with some of his wire. He tied it to the shuriken and he threw it with so that it would do at an angle and it'd circle the beast, along with the wire. The beast, as Kiba had taken to calling him, grew more and more angry especially with the wire cutting into its skin.

It took a deep breath and the next moment, the Inuzuka was left crashing through many trees and ears ringing from the sheer volume of the beast roar.

There's no way that wasn't noticed, the shinobi thought sarcastically. He groaned in pain as he lifted himself from the remains of a decimated tree. Clearing his thoughts for a moment, he focused on Rin. She didn't have chakra but that didn't mean he couldn't sense her. Good, he sighed in relief, she's fine. But that was stupid of me, underestimating whatever the hell that thing is. It won't happen again, I know that much.

The shinobi dusted off the remains of the tree from his person. He took a breath, focus sharpening and killing intent coming from him in waves. "I have to protect Rin," he vowed. He wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to Rin. She reminded him of Naruto, of the reason that he became a shinobi. He wanted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves and his loved ones, even at the cost of himself because, after all, a shinobi is one that endures.

A swipe of blood and a moment later his tanto was in hand. He surged forwards and leaped onto the beast's shoulders, dodging the clawed aimed at his torso. He spun on a hand and with the other, brought his tanto down. There was a spray of blood and a cry of pain.

The beast's arm laid on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

"Bet you didn't like that, huh?" Kiba muttered as he swiped his tanto through the air to rid it of the blood coating it. "Time to finish this." In a burst of speed, the shinobi appeared before the beast in a blur of movement and swiftly decapitated its head.

The head rolled to the floor with a heavy thud.

Kiba sighed and rolled his shoulders, trying to rid them of the sudden tension that they held. "This is the weirdest shit to ever happen, I swear." He muttered to himself as he raked a tired hand through his hair. God, he was tired, not physically but mentally.

He was away from his family, friends and home. Such things would be taxing on anyone.

The Inuzuka made his way to the tree where he'd stashed Rin in. He found her staring at him with big, wide eyes and an amazed look on her face. "That was amazing, Inuzuka-sama!" The little girl shouted.

The Inuzuka raised an eyebrow and scratched at his cheek with a clawed finger in embarrassment. "It wasn't that great kid. I messed up."

"But you were so fast Rin couldn't even see you! And strong too!" The girl praised. "It was amazing! Rin's never seen anything like it!"

"Never?" Kiba repeated. "Like never, ever?"

"Never!" She parroted back, missing the look of absolute confusion and grim resignation. "There are only certain people that have magic but Rin's not too sure of exactly who, except for a few."

"Ah." The Inuzuka sighed, his feeling of dread returned with force. "Okay, Rin, let's go. We've been here long enough."

The girl gave a happy nod before hopping on the other's back before it was even asked of her. "Let's go!" She shouted happily.

Kiba gave a grin at the girl's enthusiasm. He'd bet that the little girl would have gotten along splendidly with the Konoha 11, especially Lee and Naruto. The shinobi didn't say anything, choosing instead to resume his journey. The pair were silent, with Rin taking in her almost blurring surroundings and the Inuzuka wondering whether his friends had declared him dead yet.

It was unlikely that they would, not yet, because if there was anything that the Konoha 11 had in common was their stubbornness regarding teammates or friends. Basically, the Konoha 11 were really protective of their friends and would go to hell and back for anyone of them. They'd have forged deep bonds with each other and it was unlikely they'd let anyone go, not like this.

Kiba certainly wouldn't have allowed his friends to come to harm, in any way, shape or form. He knew that they were very capable of taking care of themselves, very much so in fact, but he cared a lot for them. He'd protect them however he could, be there for them like they had for him.

The Inuzuka shook the thoughts from his head. It wasn't the time to dwell on such things. He would have time for that later, but now wasn't the time… He took in the air, trying to find Rin's scent in it. It was very faint, eroded down by time, but he was an Inuzuka and his nose was one of the most heightened senses he had and was one of the best trackers Konoha had to offer.

We're close, the Inuzuka's speed increased as he caught several scents in the air, along with the sounds of several voices, and energy signatures. It made him feel relieved that he had found others in this unknown land that he was in but he'd be cautious. He didn't know how they'd react to a foreigner, especially one like him but perhaps he'd be able to get in their good graces because the closer he got to his destination, the more evident it was that there was a battle in motion.

He could, unfortunately, also smell the now familiar scent of decay of the deformed demon. It made him frown but he could tell that this wasn't like the other times. The foul scent in the air was stronger and had he not been disciplined enough, he would have cringed at it. The energies that he felt ahead were also far stronger than he had felt so far. There was one, however, that made his eyes narrow and claws flex. It was strong, verily so, and the signature felt malevolent.

Many had expected the Inuzuka to be unable to sense chakra signatures, much like sensors, but he had been determined to get strong and it had been a very important ability to acquire, in his opinion at least. It was strange, here there was no chakra but there was an abundance of spiritual energy and something that was almost like a chakra, but different. It felt livelier, more feral and uncontrollable in a way that had made the Inuzuka confused.

The Inuzuka broke free from the trees and into a clearing where a full scaled battle was being waged. There were several beings fighting against the deformed demons, as he'd taken to thinking them as.

There were two males with long silver-white hair. One was clothed in red and wielded a sword that radiated power. He made a downward slash with a battle cry and a huge torrent of energy tore through the forces of various demons but the ranks were quickly replaced. The other male, dressed in white and armor, looked the complete opposite from the other although Kiba could clearly see that there was a family resemblance between the two. Where the red clad male was headstrong and fought with sheer brute strength and passion, the other fought with grace and seemed coldly calculating but his power was undeniable.

Off to the side, there was a man garbed in purple robes and held a shakujo in hand. In the other hand, he held what almost looked like tags to the shinobi. He seemed to be muttering something, praying he then realized, before he threw them to the demons before him. They hit their targets with accuracy and the moment that they touched the demon's recoiled and a moment later, dissipated.

There was a roar and Kiba looked to the sky to see a flying two tailed cat. It made his eyebrows rise because there was only one two tailed cat that he knew, and that was the Nibi. The Inuzuka's sharp eyes spotted the black clad woman atop of the flying two tails, and there was a shout, and then a giant boomerang was cutting through the demons.

There were bows flying with a small pink glow and impaling various demons. He spotted a girl, probably a bit younger than he was. She had black hair and was dressed in a green skirt and white shirt. She held the bow with steady hands but the Inuzuka could see that she was tiring. A small child clung to her leg. A demon, he noticed as he took in the fluffy tail and paw like hands. A demon lunged towards them and the girl readied her bow but she was panicking.

The shinobi could see that she wouldn't be able to ready her bow in time.

There was an explosion of air however, and in the next moment and a show of extreme speed, a person seemed to materialize right in front of her just in time to tear the demon apart with the force of his kick. He looked like a demon too, with long black hair, blue eyes, pointed ears.

The Inuzuka had been skeptical to believe in demons but the more he saw, the more they were proving to be true, which was damning because it also meant that he was nowhere near his home. There was no chakra, there were deformed looking experiments that, apparently, were demons, and it seemed that there were different types as well with varying degrees of intelligence.

Kami, the Inuzuka frowned as he resisted the urge to sigh, again. I can already feel the headache. There was a tug and he could see Rin grinning at him happily, in fact she was the happiest she's ever seen her. She pointed towards the intimidating male in white and then she yelled happily, "Sesshomaru-sama!"

Not a second later the others turned their way, eyes widening in surprise.

"Thank you Inuzuka-sama!" Rin said before she began to dart her way to her Lord.

"Oh no you don't!" The Izuzuka scooped her up before she could get more than a few feet from him. "It's dangerous Rin." The Inuzuka could feel the stares of the others on his back but he knew that they shouldn't linger on him and instead turn back to the battle at hand. "Just stick close to me, Rin. Like last time remember?"

Rin nodded, understanding. "Yes, Inuzuka-sama!"

"I won't let anything happen to you." The shinobi muttered. He took a deep breath, his focus sharpening and chakra moving restlessly under his skin, as if alive. "Let's do this then."

The Inuzuka lunged forwards into the fray, Rin laughing happily all the while. He would have left her in a more secure location but the area was crawling with demons and not to mention, he still hadn't seen what exactly was the source of the malevolent energy that he'd sensed earlier. It was there with them, that much he could tell, but until they were rid of the lower demons Kiba wouldn't be able to find it. Not yet. Not to mention, the other fighters were busy enough with their own battles. They wouldn't be able to protect themselves without hindering themselves if they had Rin with them, or at least Kiba thought so. He wasn't sure of their fighting capabilities as he hadn't seen enough of it to properly gauge their skill.

It was just a precaution that Rin was with him, that and he knew that he could protect her.

This is going to be interesting, the Inuzuka thought as he unsheathed his twin katana. They were a few of his favorite weapons. The blades had been a gift from the Weapon Mistress of Konoha, Tenten herself, for his birthday. They were a beautiful piece of work with sharp chakra conductive blades, seals carefully etched into the blade itself that from a distance formed the image of ferocious wolves, and a handle was a crisscross of very leather and purple cloth, and the hilt had the kanji for Inuzuka.

The Inuzuka began to go through the swarms of demons with a fanged smirk on his face. The adrenalin was pumping through him and his heart was pounding in his chest. His swords cut easily through the various demons that lunged toward him with roars and snarls and they glowed a white with chakra. Each cut rung through the air ominously and displaced the air with their sheer power. The Inuzuka had gone through dozens of demons in the few minutes that he'd entered the battle but there were demons still coming from the ground and air.

"Okay Rin?" He asked as he kicked a demon away from him before breaking apart into pieces. He flicked the blood from his blades with a huff as his eyes surveyed the field for his enemies and allies.

"Yes!" Rin answered, her hands gripping tightly to his vest.

The Inuzuka nodded in reply. I need to get those things out of the sky, the Inuzuka thought as he eyed the swarm of demons, particularly the bug like ones that were plaguing one purple robed man. Let's do this! The Inuzuka cut a circle of much needed space around him, through the demons. The shinobi sheathed his swords, concentrating on his chakra.

The others glanced his way, sensing the rise of power but the Inuzuka paid them no mind. He sped through hand-seals, concentrating on the swell and flow of chakra. He breathed deep, relishing the feel of his chakra.

"Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique) He breathed out a great swell of fire in the shape of a dragon. He wasn't done yet however as his hands once again sped through hand-seals. "Futon: Daitoppa!" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) Then, there was a great gale of wind and suddenly the bullet of fire intensified and increased greatly in size. The fire consumed everything around it but the Inuzuka was careful as to not hit his comrades. The demons came down like flies and the insect like demons that were plaguing the monk disappeared as well.

Then, there was a yell and the remaining demons were sucked up by a vacuum of air, curtesy of the purple robed monk.

There was a silence that reigned over the field for a moment. The fighters stood panting and tired, some more than others. The few that Kiba suspected to be demons, however, stayed tall and resilient.

Kiba straightened his back and in a swift movement, unsheathed one of his swords. A growl was building in his throat and his eyes narrowed. He made a seal and then there was a shadow clone taking Rin off his hands.

"Inuzuka-sama!" She asked confusedly.

The Inuzuka paid no mind to her as he lunged forward with a burst of speed aided by chakra that left a crater beneath his feet. The red clothed male saw him come toward him and raised his sword, anticipating an attack only to widen his eyes in confusion as the Inuzuka came sped by him.

Alarms were ringing through the Inuzuka and his shinobi side was demanding he put down his enemy before he struck. He could feel the malevolent energy clearly now. It was right in front of the red garbed male, Inuyasha, judging by the screams of one of the females. Kiba raised his sword just in time to take on an attack that was clearly meant for Inuyasha.

The sheer physical power behind the attack almost sent the shinobi flying before anchoring himself to the ground with chakra. Then there was an explosion of energy and the Inuzuka hissed at the feel of it. Never, has he felt anything so vile. It made him coat his chakra over himself in defense. His katana glowed a fierce white, along with the seals. He ran a hand along the edge of the of his sword, coating it in his blood and activating the blood seals.

"Raiton: Rairyudon no Jutsu!" (Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Technique)

"Kaze no Kizu!" (Wind Scar)

"Soryuha." (Dragon Strike, Blue Dragon Blast)

Kiba, sensing the immediate swell of energy, had luckily distanced himself from the enemy. It was a man, a demon no doubt, that reminded him so much of the Uchiha. He was what one would consider beautiful, with long wavy black hair, fair skin and exotic eyes but his sheer dark energy and cruel look in his eyes denounced all of that.

The combination of the attacks, was bluntly, massively devastating. The wind uprooted trees and along with the earth. It caused many to shield their faces but Kiba never removed his focus. He frowned after a moment, sensing something amiss. His eyes narrowed and then he sheathed his sword.

"He's gone." Kiba muttered to himself, but it appeared that he had been heard as Inuyasha turned to him.

"What the hell do you mean!? There's no way he could have survived that!" Inuyasha growled, eyes narrowed.

"Inuyasha!" The girl with the bow came running towards them, panting with exertion.

"Not now, woman!" He yelled in aggravation before his attention was stolen away by the clearing dust.

The ground was simply annihilated. It was the only way that it could be described. Numerous trees were uprooted and splinters of wood were everywhere, along with rocks and boulders that used to be a part of the earth.

There was no enemy before them, but there was blood staining the ground.

"You injured him!" The purple robed monk came up beside them, sheer surprise on his face.

"Oh, my." The black clothed woman from earlier eyed the stain of blood with satisfaction. "We've never injured him like this before. He always flees before we can or it turns out he was just a puppet."

"Well, it looks like you weren't so useless after all mutt." The black-haired demon said before turning to the shinobi. "The question is, is who the hell is this guy?" He said, pointing a thumb towards the Inuzuka with narrowed eyes.

The shinobi tensed, his clawed hands flexing in response. The mounting tension was interrupted however when he felt a small form tackle his leg. He blinked in confusion before seeing a blob of black and orange attached to his leg.

"Inuzuka-sama!" Rin looked up to the shinobi, small hands gripping his black ANBU styled pants. "Are you okay?" She asked, the concern in her voice clear.

"Where the hell were you, brat?!" Inuyasha said, arms crossing as he stared irritated at the little girl. "The bastard came after us thinking we had you!" He said, making a rude gesture to the imposing demon in white.

Rin just grinned in response. "Inuzuka-sama saved Rin! If it wasn't for Inuzuka-sama, Rin would be dead!"

"He saved you?" Kagome asked, looking wearily at the stranger before her eyes widened at the attire he wore. There was no way he could have the type of clothes he had. It was way too futuristic. "Are you from the future?" She blurted before cringing at the glare that Inuyasha gave her.

"You dumbass!" He yelled. "Why would you say that!" Why would she not think about what she said? If anyone knew about the secret of the well, of time travel, others would come looking for it and her. It'd put lives at risk.

"Shut up, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, settling her hands on her hips. "Sit, boy!"

The Inuzuka stared confused as Inuyasha gave a yelp and crashed to the ground with a great force that caused a crater the size of his body. He had sensed the minute use of spiritual energy when she had yelled 'sit'. A command? He wondered, and what'd she mean by time travel? He glanced around him and saw many staring between him and Inuyasha. "Time travel?" He asked, his tone skeptical before he took in the others before him, really took in.

The hakama's, kimono's, strange robes, and the armor… and Kagome, short skirt, different material, along with the artificial scent of perfume and shampoos.

"Oh." He muttered to himself. But that didn't make sense. This world held no chakra… "What era is this?" He turned to Kagome who was twirling her hair nervously. "I need to know." He snapped when she made no move to answer.

"The Feudal Era." The other female answered calmly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She completely disregarded the baffled looks Kouga gave.

"The Feudal Era?" That couldn't be right. That had been the time Senju Hashirama had been alive, along with Uchiha Madara. Even back then chakra had existed, it was how the clans warred with each other. He had seen the way that they had fought. There was spiritual energy as well as demonic energy but there had been no chakra present whatsoever. Looking at the others, he could see that most were in a good physical state. Chakra was a mixture of physical and spiritual energy, so why didn't they have it? Unless, the world that he was in was completely different than the world he was from but the girl was from the future of the world that he was currently in.

"Ah." He nodded to himself. "Nope. No time travel." He said before turning to crouch down before Rin. "It was nice meeting you, Rin, but I have to go."

"What?!" Rin looked ready to cry. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay, to travel with her, Sesshomaru-sama, and Jaken! "Don't go!"

The Inuzuka smiled sadly. "I'm sorry Rin, but I have to go. I can't stay here. I need to find my way back home." He tried to explain but it seemed like Rin wasn't having any of it.

"B-But Inuzuka-sama is strong! Maybe if you stay with us and fight that bad guy Inuzuka-sama, you can make a wish! Inuzuka-sama already found a piece of the pretty jewel!"

"Wait, what?"

"What!"

"He did!?"

"Wait, you mean this?" Kiba dug through a pocket and he took out a dark shard. He had found it when he had taken down the hog like demon. It had been glowing and the Inuzuka could sense it clearly within the demon's body. At first, he had nothing of it but when the demon died the power refused to fade so he dug it out. It hadn't been hard to find but when he had first held it, he felt that there was something wrong with it and looking at it again, he was reminded of that.

"You have a piece of the jewel!?" Kouga said, incredulous.

Looking at the demon now, the shinobi would sense that the other had a similar power in his legs. It was different, however. The demon's 'pieces of jewel' ─ whatever that was ─ radiated an energy that felt purer and more natural so looking at the dark jewel in his hand now, he guessed that it wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

"Hand it over!" Inuyasha demanded, having recovered from his crash.

The Inuzuka glanced at the weary faces around him and he let out a sigh. Man, Kiba thought, this is so troublesome. He felt tired. All he wanted to do was return to the village. He couldn't afford to be missing now, especially when the Akatsuki was on the move. He ran a weary hand down his face before bringing his chakra forth to coat the shard. It glowed white, making the others back away in surprise, but the glow died a moment later.

He threw it to Inuyasha, who looked at the Inuzuka in surprise before a look of shock formed on his face. The jewel, once black with dark energy, glowed a brilliant pink. In fact, it looked a lot more purified than even the ones that Kagome had cleansed.

"He purified it?!" Miroku came closer to Inuyasha, peering at the jewel more closely. The monk could sense that there was no longer any trace of the jewel's taint and it surprised him. "I thought Kagome was the only one who was capable of such a feat."

The shinobi ignored their murmurs, choosing instead to turn his attentions to Rin. "I'm sorry Rin, I have to go." He told the little girl, patting her head gently.

Rin's eyes teared up but she nodded nonetheless. "Rin understands."

The Inuzuka gave her a fond look and he could already feel the protest from his Inuzuka side. He gave her a hug, surprising the little girl but she didn't hesitate to return it. He let go a moment later. Another sigh escaped him but as he turned to leave a hand descended on his shoulder. The shinobi tensed, resisting the urge to throw the person over his shoulder.

"Wait." Miroku said, his expression serious. "Join us." He said simply and disregarded the questions and protests immediately thrown his way. "Everyone, hear me out." Miroku said calmly but his uncharacteristic demeanor made them obey. "I know this sounds crazy but Inuzuka-sama," he glanced at Rin, who was looking at him with a hopeful expression, "should join our group, along with Sesshomaru-sama and Kouga!"

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled, "Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He ignored the growl thrown his way.

"I proposed it because I believe they could be of aid to us Inuyasha." Miroku explained as his shifted his group on his shakujo. "Look at this Inuyasha," the monk pointed towards the bloodstained ground, "we actually managed to injure Naraku this time. Do you know how monumental that is? Every other time we attacked him we accomplished nothing. When we fight Naraku, he always manages to deceive us one way or another with his puppet or he flees! By combining our forces, we can at least have a better chance. I mean, we all have a common goal of defeating Naraku so it makes sense that we should join forces. It'd increase our fighting power and our defense." The monk glanced to the stranger. "And if I am correct, we would also be gaining an asset of having another person being able to sense and purify the Shikon no Tama."

There was silence for a few moments.

"That," Sango began, throwing Miroku a surprised look, "makes so much sense."

"I never thought of it like that before…" Kouga murmured to himself. The prince glanced at Inuyasha who had a surprisingly contemplating look on his face.

"But, we don't know them Miroku!" Kagome hissed towards Miroku, trying but failing, to be discreet. "I mean, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha would just fight with each other and for all we know that guy could be a psychopath!" She said, pointing rudely towards Kiba who scowled at the gesture. "And besides, I can detect and purify the jewel just fine!"

"I know that Kagome, but there are times where we are in need of you that you are not here. This will merely allow us to make the most of time." Miroku said with a raised eyebrow.

Kagome's face reddened in embarrassment. "B-But ─" She closed her mouth not sure how to reply because she knew that Miroku didn't have time, not with what he had in his hand. "What do you think Inuyasha?" She turned towards the half demon, trying to appeal to him instead. She found him staring at his brother. "Inuyasha?"

The half demon disregarded Kagome. What Miroku said had some merit, though he hated to admit it. He didn't like the idea of fighting with his bastard of a brother but they had a common enemy. It'd be useless to fight against each other when they could be fighting against Naraku. He could, maybe, put aside his differences with Sesshomaru for the time being but the question was could Sesshomaru?

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, her voice causing many to wince, particularly Kiba. He had been near her after all.

"Damn it, shut up Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled before turning to his brother. "Do you think you can stop your crap long enough to kill the bastard?"

"You can't be serious Inuyasha!" Kagome said, anger clear on her face.

It made Kiba wonder just what she was angry about. It was obvious, now that he thought about it. Kagome was jealous and angry that they were turning to him for help when they had always turned to her. She had things to do, judging from what she said, and sometimes the others had to wait for her. They couldn't afford to do that, however. She had liked that they had waited for her, depended on her… and now… The proposal that Miroku put forth sounded very appealing, although he didn't know what Rin had meant by wish but judging by the name Shikon no Tama, he could guess. Making a wish didn't really sound appealing to him however. He was sure that there was a catch. Great power like that always required something in return most of the time, like the Sharingan.

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin bounced to him with her eyes to full affect. "Can we join! Please?"

Sesshomaru remained silent. He held no expression on his face but his gold eyes drifted over the group. Then he turned to the newest figure in the group. The 'daiyoukai' could see and sense the power that the other had. It was undeniable but he could also see that the other was suppressing the majority of it. He could see that the other was capable fighter, most of the group was with the exception of the so called 'priestess' and the children. He would have preferred to have wondered his lands alone with just his own pack but now he'd have more additions, although he 'tolerated' humans… He couldn't deny, however much he wanted to, that the idea had some held merit.

"This Sesshomaru accepts."

There was a moment of silence once again before Kagome yelled, again.

"What?!" She screeched, inconsiderate of those with more sensitive senses.

"Hm. I'm in, mutt." Kouga said, rubbing one of his ears as he frowned towards Kagome. He's never seen her like this. It was a different side of Kagome and it left him uncomfortable because it contrasted sharply with her gentle and caring attitude that he'd thought she had.

"Whatever, you flea ridden wolf." Inuyasha muttered but he was sent crashing to the ground once again by Kagome's command to 'sit'. It took him a bit to recover this time but he was surprised to feel other hands on him. He lifted his face up to see concerned gold eyes.

"Are you okay man?" Kiba asked, wondering why the hell no one else was bothered by this but he could see that the other, Kouga, was looking confused. Sesshomaru had frowned but he doubted that anyone else had caught it, brief and as small as it was. "Is this normal?" He asked, eyes checking to see if there was any sign of trauma.

"Unfortunately." Inuyasha muttered before hesitantly taking the hand offered to him. He was pulled up by the other surprised a bit by the others strength but he shouldn't have been, not with the attacks the others had pulled. The half demon could tell that the human before him was very different from any other that he'd met before. From his scent to the power that he sensed within the other, it set him apart. "What's your name?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh." Kiba rubbed his neck and offered a slight smile to the other as he sensed the attentions of others on him. "Inuzuka Kiba," he offered as his smile widened at the other's bewildered look. It was in that moment, however, that he finally noticed the dog ears on the other's head. Now he was really believing in demons…

Noticing the other's stare, Inuyasha frowned. "Got a problem, pal?" Inuyasha snapped defensively. It was habit by now. He was always weary of demons and humans. He'd long learned that he wasn't tolerated in either worlds.

Kiba frowed. "No man, just surprised is all. My bad, I didn't mean to be rude." Kiba offered sincerely.

"So are you staying Inuzuka-sama?" Rin pulled his attention away from Inuyasha. She was gripping to his hand, not at all intimidated by the other's claws.

"I'm not sure…" Kiba said, hesitant. It might be a good idea to stay with the group and he could see that they held good intentions. It was only Kiba that was limiting himself.

"So what, you're too good for us? Is that it?" Kagome sneered, unminding of the gasp that Sango gave.

"Kagome!"

"What's your problem?" Kiba snapped, a growl building in his throat. He didn't like her at all. His Inuzuka side was in hackles and protesting her presence.

"Problem? I don't have a problem." Kagome replied, arms crossed against her head. The anger radiating from her was practically palpable though.

"Please calm down, Kagome." Miroku urged. "We are merely gaining allies. There's no need for hostility."

The girl merely frowned, turning away from them. Shippo stared after her from Kilala's back.

"I'm sorry for that, Inuzuka-sama." Miroku said, bowing a bit to the other in apology.

Kiba raised his hands a bit in protest. "There's no need for formalities, Miroku-san. Just Kiba or Inuzuka is fine."

Miroku smiled. "Then I insist you call me Miroku."

"Well then," Sango cut in, her boomerang on her back. "I think we've lingered here enough as it is. We need to get moving." She said, a hand on Kilala's back.

The others nodded and made their way to get their weapons. Kiba stayed where he was but Rin was still there waiting for his answer, judging by her impatient tugs on his hand.

"Fine. Rin, I'll go with you." Kiba offered but he smiled at the cheer that the other offered. "Man, what have I got myself into this time." Kiba muttered to himself. He turned to leave and follow the others that began to make their way out of the clearing but he was stopped by the imposing and regal form of one Sesshomaru.

The Inuzuka didn't say anything and neither did Sesshomaru. They just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. The Inuzuka had a feeling that he was being judged though he didn't know what exactly the other was looking for.

A moment later, the regal demon gave a small, minuscule nod before turning. "Come, Rin." The demon commanded and Rin bounded happily after the other.

"Come on, Inuzuka-sama!" Rin yelled before catching up with Sesshomaru.

Beside Kiba, Inuyasha and Kouga were staring at the daiyoukai with surprise.

"Damn." Kouga whistled.

"You actually got that bastard to show some goddamn gratitude." Inuyasha muttered in surprise as he stared at his brother's back. "I guess the bastard isn't as much as an asshole as I thought." He turned to the others before gesturing to follow. "Let's go."

Kiba hesitated for a moment before sighing and following after the others. What have I got myself into now? Kiba thought despairingly.

TBH

Be prepared for OPness, Kagome bashing and dubious explanations of various things. And maybe some MM pairings.

Don't like don't read. Please Review. Thanks.

REVIEW! I KNOW YOU SEE THE BOX!