The Fox's Son

Chapter 39 - Forbidden Truths

The clearing remained silent as a light breeze passed by. It was at this moment that Kikyo noticed the long red hair that fell about his shoulders and down his back. His feet made no sound as they trailed upon the ground. This made the priestess more weary of him. She had to trail lightly with this stranger. She had yet to learn anything about him except for the color of his hair. Her eyes never left him as he slowly walked about the clearing.

"You want to know what I think, Lady Kikyo?" He finally spoke.

"Your foolish beliefs are no concern of mine for I have spoken the truth." Kikyo said, standing her ground. "If you choose not to believe so, that is your own choice, assassin."

Naruto narrowed his again as he looked the ground while still circling the clearing. She had lied to him once again. Taking a deep breath, Naruto continued, knowing that the truth would come out one way......or another.

"I think that you don't hate Inuyasha at all." he said before he stopped in his tracks and turned towards Kikyo. "Isn't that right? Lady Kikyo?" he asked again, this time all traces of mirth gone and replaced with dead seriousness.

The dead priestess narrowed her eyes at him. "Your opinions do not matter." she said. "However, I am curious as to how you arrived at such a conclusion."

Naruto stared at her a moment. A smirk etched his way onto his face. She really shouldn't have asked that question. With an Uchiha like 'hn' the red head turned away from her. He began to twirl his staff around him, playing with it as he resumed his walk around the clearing. Under his hat, his eyes held a mischievous, yet calculating stare.

"It's pure logic really." Naruto said with a shrug. "If you truly hated Inuyasha like you claim, why is it that on the day of your death, the day you bound him to the Goshimboku, the day when the emotions of hurt, anger, and raw betrayal flowed freely through your entire being with all restrictions tossed into the wind, the day when you looked into the hateful eyes of your lover will the same degree of hate........" he said with a pause. "Why didn't you just simply end his life, at that moment?" he asked.

Kagome stifled a gasp as she remained hidden within the trees. In all honesty, she had never thought of the situation that way. The red head indeed had a point. If Kikyo really did hate Inuyasha as she says, she would have outright killed him the day Naraku tricked them, instead of sealing him to a tree. She remained quiet and continued to listen to the conversation.

Kikyo's eyes widened by a fraction, indicating her shock at his statement. Quickly recovering from being caught off guard, the priestess masked her emotions and retorted with a simple glare. "Fool. I simply did not have the strength to do so on that day." she replied heatedly.

"Ohh......?" Naruto said with an raised eyebrow. "So you didn't have the strength to aim your bow and release an arrow into his heart......" he started. "Yet, you had enough strength to cast a spell on an arrow that would seal him until your reincarnation broke it." he continued. "The former would have required less energy, ne, Lady Kikyo?"

Naruto noticed her grip on the bow tighten considerably. He was making her uncomfortable. Naruto inwardly nodded in approval, wanting to ruffle her feathers. It was the only way he was going to get the truth from her, knowing that she wasn't going to directly say so herself.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Naruto said almost tauntingly. "You never did hate Inuyasha, did you?"

"Be silent." the miko said harshly, her eyes alight with anger. "You know nothing of the things you speak. And you know nothing of me. I despise that filthy hanyou and hate him with all of my being."

"Hn." Naruto said unconvinced. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Kikyo snapped her eyes towards the walking figure and glared. With the precision and speed of a master archer, she had another arrow in her bow. "I said. Be. Silent." she said warningly.