With the wind gleefully playing with his silver tresses, Inuyasha stood atop a high cliff in the feudal era. Looking at the breathtaking scene before him, he smirked. Up ahead lay the Western Lands that belonged to his brother and him. Not really caring about his lands, he had given the responsibility to his older brother, who was happy to accept, as it brought more power to him.
With the rich green hills rolling in the sun, and mountains towering above the land as far as the eye could see, all this beauty passed the notice of the hanyou, who was dimly aware of it even existing. No, our favorite hanyou's mind was somewhere else; the events of last night. An unexpected attack by Naraku had caught the Hanyou, Youkai Taijiya, Houshi, Kitsune, and the Miko by surprise.
He was furious with himself for letting the demons get Shippo, who was no more than a child himself, on demon terms. Looking back at what happened, he realized that he had been neglecting something; what each demon child should know, the basics. Without Shippou knowing the basics, defense and attacks, he would not become a powerful demon he had the quality to become, and Inu Yasha didn't want that. Surprising himself, Inu Yasha realized that in order for him to keep the little Kitsune safe, he had to take on the role of fatherhood, at this point he cringed, and teach the little demon safe. Unfortunately, or fortunately? He didn't know. Kagome would, actually, she already was the mother of Shippou in a sense.
Inuyasha needed some time to think by himself. With all the commotion, he didn't think that he could keep up with protecting everybody, while Naraku attacked them. Also, there was Kikyou, the dead miko, to think about who gave most of the Shikon no Tama to Kagome to give to him. Inuyasha had not heard from the wandering miko ever since she gave it up. He had heard, though, that the miko has been helping villagers all around Japan. He also thought that Kikyou was still in pursuit of Naraku, and wanted to avenge her death.
Inuyasha was sitting in his favorite tree, on the high branch, when Shippou came bouncing out of the demon house they resided in and out into the open, right upon the roots of the tree.
"Hey Inuyasha!! Dinner is ready!! Kagome-mama wants you to come in, too!" the young Kitsune yelled from the bottom.
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled the hanyou, gracefully jumping down from the tree, "I'm coming!"
Later
"Yummy, that was good, Kagome-mama!" commented the Kitsune to his adoptive mother. Smiling down at him, she bent and kissed his forehead.
"Why don't you go outside and play? Sango and me have something to do. I'm not sure you'll like them," she hinted. Making a face, Shippou hastily agreed, and made his way to the backyard, where Inuyasha was.
"Hey, kid," called Inuyasha gruffly.
"Yes?" answered the young Kitsune.
"It's high time you learned how to defend, attack, tame your powers, hunt like a proper demon, and strengthen you natural skills, if you posses any," he answered with a sniff.
"How can you teach me? Do you even know what to teach me? Where did you learn all this? I thought your father had passed away before you were my age!" inquired Shippou, curiosity getting the better of him.
"First thing's first. Don't ask so many questions!"
"It's not like you don't ask as much as I do," snapped the child.
"Whatever," grunted Inuyasha," First of all, I learned from Sesshoumaru, my half brother. He taught me most of what I know today. If I don't teach you, who will? You'll barely live past your seventh birthday without someone to teach you the basics. Also, if I wasn't here, you'd be taken in my another demon, as it is the custom, you know."
"It is?" asked Shippo in wonderment. It had never occurred to him that at without Inuyasha, he could be teared away from his mother, Kagome- mama, uncle Miroku-sama, auntie Sango-Chan, and Inuyasha, his...mentor? Father? Somehow, 'Brother' didn't appeal to Shippo very much.
"Yeah, Kitsune, it is," growled Inuyasha, impatient with all these questions fired at him.
"So...what do I have to know, 'sensei'?" Questioned the laughing Shippo, getting the hang of how to have a civil conversation with the older half-demon, yet not missing a laugh
"I wouldn't take advantage of that, kid. Now back to the subject. First of all, you have to build up you strength, tracking abilities, hearing, smelling, and your alertness. To start off with, I'm going to teach you how to run long distance without tiring, and in a fast way. You're sloppy way of running isn't good at all," Inuyasha informed the Kitsune.
"Hey!" objected Shippou, chasing after Inuyasha, who had already started sprinting away.
Laughing for the first time in many a time, he let Shippou run after him until the young Kitsune learned how to run without tiring himself easily. This is a good start, thought Inuyasha to himself, got to admit, the kid learns fast...
Unknown to him, the very same thought passed through another's mind, in the shadows of the forest. Allowing a small smile play across their lips, the two figures silently left, their presence unknown.
"Hey kid! That's enough for tonight. Don't want you to fall asleep when Naraku and his youkai friends attack us." Inuyasha said, hiding his smile from the panting kitsune.
"But pants I still can pants keep training." Protested Shippou, and with his last word, the young kitsune fell to the ground, tired with the loss of energy, and day's work.
"Kitsune no baka." Inuyasha mumbled, as he took the now sleeping kitsune in one arm, and tucked him around his waist, as he walked back to the hut.
When they arrived at the hut, Sango was asleep, with the de-transformed neko youkai, Kirara, at her side, while Miroku was sitting, cross-legged not far from where Sango slept. Kagome then stood up, quietly as the two youkais came in.
"Inuyasha. I hope you did not go hard on him. It's just his first day." Kagome scolded as she took the young Kitsune from his sensei's arms.
"Feh."
Inuyasha just gave Shippou to Kagome, and sat cross-legged near the door with the Tetsusaiga in his arms, his eyes closed. Kagome sat across from him, with Shippou in her arms, cradling him. Then she too, fell into a deep slumber.
With the rich green hills rolling in the sun, and mountains towering above the land as far as the eye could see, all this beauty passed the notice of the hanyou, who was dimly aware of it even existing. No, our favorite hanyou's mind was somewhere else; the events of last night. An unexpected attack by Naraku had caught the Hanyou, Youkai Taijiya, Houshi, Kitsune, and the Miko by surprise.
He was furious with himself for letting the demons get Shippo, who was no more than a child himself, on demon terms. Looking back at what happened, he realized that he had been neglecting something; what each demon child should know, the basics. Without Shippou knowing the basics, defense and attacks, he would not become a powerful demon he had the quality to become, and Inu Yasha didn't want that. Surprising himself, Inu Yasha realized that in order for him to keep the little Kitsune safe, he had to take on the role of fatherhood, at this point he cringed, and teach the little demon safe. Unfortunately, or fortunately? He didn't know. Kagome would, actually, she already was the mother of Shippou in a sense.
Inuyasha needed some time to think by himself. With all the commotion, he didn't think that he could keep up with protecting everybody, while Naraku attacked them. Also, there was Kikyou, the dead miko, to think about who gave most of the Shikon no Tama to Kagome to give to him. Inuyasha had not heard from the wandering miko ever since she gave it up. He had heard, though, that the miko has been helping villagers all around Japan. He also thought that Kikyou was still in pursuit of Naraku, and wanted to avenge her death.
Inuyasha was sitting in his favorite tree, on the high branch, when Shippou came bouncing out of the demon house they resided in and out into the open, right upon the roots of the tree.
"Hey Inuyasha!! Dinner is ready!! Kagome-mama wants you to come in, too!" the young Kitsune yelled from the bottom.
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled the hanyou, gracefully jumping down from the tree, "I'm coming!"
Later
"Yummy, that was good, Kagome-mama!" commented the Kitsune to his adoptive mother. Smiling down at him, she bent and kissed his forehead.
"Why don't you go outside and play? Sango and me have something to do. I'm not sure you'll like them," she hinted. Making a face, Shippou hastily agreed, and made his way to the backyard, where Inuyasha was.
"Hey, kid," called Inuyasha gruffly.
"Yes?" answered the young Kitsune.
"It's high time you learned how to defend, attack, tame your powers, hunt like a proper demon, and strengthen you natural skills, if you posses any," he answered with a sniff.
"How can you teach me? Do you even know what to teach me? Where did you learn all this? I thought your father had passed away before you were my age!" inquired Shippou, curiosity getting the better of him.
"First thing's first. Don't ask so many questions!"
"It's not like you don't ask as much as I do," snapped the child.
"Whatever," grunted Inuyasha," First of all, I learned from Sesshoumaru, my half brother. He taught me most of what I know today. If I don't teach you, who will? You'll barely live past your seventh birthday without someone to teach you the basics. Also, if I wasn't here, you'd be taken in my another demon, as it is the custom, you know."
"It is?" asked Shippo in wonderment. It had never occurred to him that at without Inuyasha, he could be teared away from his mother, Kagome- mama, uncle Miroku-sama, auntie Sango-Chan, and Inuyasha, his...mentor? Father? Somehow, 'Brother' didn't appeal to Shippo very much.
"Yeah, Kitsune, it is," growled Inuyasha, impatient with all these questions fired at him.
"So...what do I have to know, 'sensei'?" Questioned the laughing Shippo, getting the hang of how to have a civil conversation with the older half-demon, yet not missing a laugh
"I wouldn't take advantage of that, kid. Now back to the subject. First of all, you have to build up you strength, tracking abilities, hearing, smelling, and your alertness. To start off with, I'm going to teach you how to run long distance without tiring, and in a fast way. You're sloppy way of running isn't good at all," Inuyasha informed the Kitsune.
"Hey!" objected Shippou, chasing after Inuyasha, who had already started sprinting away.
Laughing for the first time in many a time, he let Shippou run after him until the young Kitsune learned how to run without tiring himself easily. This is a good start, thought Inuyasha to himself, got to admit, the kid learns fast...
Unknown to him, the very same thought passed through another's mind, in the shadows of the forest. Allowing a small smile play across their lips, the two figures silently left, their presence unknown.
"Hey kid! That's enough for tonight. Don't want you to fall asleep when Naraku and his youkai friends attack us." Inuyasha said, hiding his smile from the panting kitsune.
"But pants I still can pants keep training." Protested Shippou, and with his last word, the young kitsune fell to the ground, tired with the loss of energy, and day's work.
"Kitsune no baka." Inuyasha mumbled, as he took the now sleeping kitsune in one arm, and tucked him around his waist, as he walked back to the hut.
When they arrived at the hut, Sango was asleep, with the de-transformed neko youkai, Kirara, at her side, while Miroku was sitting, cross-legged not far from where Sango slept. Kagome then stood up, quietly as the two youkais came in.
"Inuyasha. I hope you did not go hard on him. It's just his first day." Kagome scolded as she took the young Kitsune from his sensei's arms.
"Feh."
Inuyasha just gave Shippou to Kagome, and sat cross-legged near the door with the Tetsusaiga in his arms, his eyes closed. Kagome sat across from him, with Shippou in her arms, cradling him. Then she too, fell into a deep slumber.