Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. This amazing anime was created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Editor / Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you)

Rated Mature for violence, blood, coarse language and sexually contents, readers have been advised.

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Tangled Web

By: Swanna

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Two Years Later

Chapter 1: The Proposition

Sesshomaru's expression revealed nothing but his usual exercised calmness as he attempted to concentrate on his real estate company's reports stacked on the glass-top coffee table. Ever since his father, Inu no Taisho had vanished without a trace after the death of his mistress twenty years ago, Sesshomaru had become the head of the prestigious Convenance Corporation and the sole heir of over twenty business hotels and resorts across the globe.

Although Sesshomaru was involuntarily thrown into the mortals' business world with no experience, he had spent all his time studying the family businesses and learned about economics within three months. In the span of six months, he was able to close deal after deal, and even bought out other companies. In the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru was already at the top of the ladder and businesses were better than ever.

With the companies being solid on their own now, Sesshomaru was able to take a more hands-off approach and delegated duties to his four loyal retainers. While they conducted meetings and attended business or social events on behalf of Sesshomaru; he stayed in the background and did his real work behind the scenes where he knew he could be most effective. Not to mention he disliked gracing mortals with his presence unless it was absolutely necessary.

He leaned back against the dark brown contemporary rattan outdoor sofa and watched Rin playing in the courtyard nearby.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The child waved at him, beaming widely as she held up the colorful bouquet of flowers that she had freshly harvested from the garden. "Look at how pretty these flowers are!"

"Rin! How many times have I told you not to pluck flowers from the garden! You are ruining my hard work of maintaining an elegant landscape for Lord Sesshomaru's pleasure!" Jaken protested in irritation.

Rin shrieked and ran away at the sight of the imp. "Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken is bullying me again!"

"Just because Lord Sesshomaru has bestowed a little kindness on you doesn't mean he will let you get away with everything!" He bellowed as he chased after her.

"Jaken."

His servant stopped dead in his tracks by the call of his name. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Leave her be," Sesshomaru commanded without looking away from the reports that he once again tried to focus on.

"But my Lord, she-"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Sesshomaru looked at him sharply. The authority in his voice sent the imp scurrying away.

"Y-yes my Lord!" Jaken bowed deeply before hastily dismissing himself.

Once the commotion ceased, Sesshomaru took a momentary break from his dismal duty and glanced around the terrain, taking in the picturesque scenery of the land.

His land.

His family mansion was surrounded by lush greenery with over three hundred acres of land and an appeasing view overlooking a rural forest; a safe haven for many demons who had chosen not to coexist with the mortals in their world. Since his father's disappearance, Sesshomaru had not simply fallen heir to the accumulated family's wealth of over hundred years, he had also assumed his father's throne as the new Demon Lord of the West. Aside from making executive decisions concerning how his businesses operated, it was also his duty to protect his territory and the demons of his land.

But he had found the latter to be much more appealing as he had always lived for bloodshed.

Like most of the young great demons, Sesshomaru inherited a hunger for chaos and danger. In fact, he thrived on it. When he had barely grown out of his pup phase, he'd singlehandedly wiped out the black crow clan during an invasion of his territory. By the time he'd reached adolescence he was able to defeat his father's four powerful guardians. His ultimate goal was to vanquish his strongest opponent in battle and become the Demon Lord who held the power to destroy and conquer all at his whim.

And he had always viewed his father as his greatest challenge; the only demon who had proven to be a worthy adversary. But his goal was taken away when his father had decided to give up everything overnight just because of an insignificant mortal.

All this over a human woman, he mused to himself darkly.

Though Sesshomaru's life was completely different now, the lure of violence and the challenge of battles was in his blood.

Sesshomaru shut his eyes and allowed his mind to drift back to the calming forest. With his enhanced smell, he breathed in the earthy freshness of the soil; the damp woods and ferns. The wind was soft and gentle, but it still carried a familiar yet distasteful scent that slammed into him like a wall.

He opened his eyes just as his servant, A-Un approached with an unwanted visitor trailing from behind.

"Lord Sesshomaru, this man claims to have an important matter to discuss with you." He bowed down to Sesshomaru respectfully and continued. "I can ask him to leave if you do not wish to speak with him."

"It's fine," Sesshomaru answered curtly with a wave of his hand.

After all, he couldn't deny the budding curiosity and wondered what had brought the son of his father's former attendant here today. A-Un understood his master's gestural implication and offered another bow before walking away.

"You really have your father's face and strength, don't you?"

Sesshomaru leaned further back against the sofa, his eyes assessing the mortal standing before him. "State your business."

"Cutting to the chase, I like that," he gave a quick smile. "But please allow me to formally introduce myself first. My name is Miroku, I am officially your father's fifth attendant and I also serve The Council. My purpose for visiting today is to offer a proposition."

Sesshomaru's brow arched slightly at the offer. "A proposition?"

"As the Lord of the West, I'm certain that you are fully aware that ever since the Shikon Jewel resurfaced two years ago, demons have been going on a rampage and fighting over the broken shards for its immense power."

Sesshomaru had heard of tales from his mother when he was young of the ancient stone that would grant its owner infinite powers. Many believed that the item itself was cursed as it only brought disorder and suffering to those who possessed it. It was rumored that the Shikon Jewel had been destroyed when the second generation White Lotus Priestess had requested to cremate it with her body after her death so that it would never fall into the hands of evil.

But somehow, this object had now re-emerged a thousand years later.

"Weaker fiends could possess the strength of a great demon by simply having just a tiny shard embedded into their bodies," the man continued. "And there are a small number of demons who want to use the jewel's power to take control over the mortal world once and for all."

"What happens to the mortal world does not concern me," Sesshomaru stated matter-of-factly.

From his point of view, the world had already centered around corruption and violence long before the reappearance of the Shikon Jewel.

Miroku ignored his statement and said, "The Council has forged an alliance with the White Lotus Clan, and with our combined forces we are able to keep the situation under control for the time being. But we all know that the only way to truly restore balance again is to gather all the missing shards and destroy the jewel for good."

"This is your proposition? To have me search for the scattered shards?" Sesshomaru felt offended at being requested to do such a tedious and frivolous task.

"This is only half of the proposal. There is someone who has the ability to sense and detect the shards' whereabouts and we want you to work together for a greater chance of success. She is a half-demoness and even though she was your brother's lover, please don't let the awkwardness get to you-"

"He is not my brother," Sesshomaru glared at him with narrowed eyes. If he was feeling offended earlier, then he was outright insulted right now.

He would never acknowledge the offspring of his father and a human woman as his half-brother. Just the thought of his father's great demon blood coursing through that useless person's veins revolted him.

"I have no interest in being The Council's puppet and doing their bidding. Nor do I want to cooperate with anyone, especially not a half-demon who used to share that worthless lowlife's bed," Sesshomaru rose from his sofa and turned at his heels. "Leave now before I change my mind and kill you right here."

"I didn't come here under The Council's order," Miroku tried to explain but Sesshomaru ignored him and continued to walk away.

"It was your father who asked me to come see you." Sesshomaru froze at the unexpected revelation, though he kept his back facing him.

After twenty years of neglect his father had finally come out of hiding, and wanted him to do the most ridiculous thing that anyone could ever ask of him. He really wanted to know what was running through the great dog Demon Lord's mind.

"Sesshomaru…" When he remained unresponsive, Miroku carried on but with obvious hesitation. "Inuyasha is dead. He was killed by a spider demon named Naraku two years ago."

There had been countless occasions all these years when Sesshomaru had imagined the immeasurable pleasure of hunting down his father's second son and killing him. He'd always thought of how it would have pleased him vastly to know that the lower being's existence had been wiped out. Oddly now that Sesshomaru was informed of his death at last, the highly anticipated rush of satisfaction was absent.

"And he wants me to avenge his precious second son's death?"

"No," He heard Miroku's footsteps approaching from behind as he spoke. "If you killed the spider demon for taking Inuyasha's life, his family and followers would come after you for vengeance. Your father doesn't want you to get pulled into the world of endless vengeful retaliation. He only wants to prevent the war between demons and mortals from happening, because we all know in the end it would be the humans that would suffer in this struggle for power."

"I see his pointless attachment towards mortals didn't fade away after all." So typical of his father. Sesshomaru felt he would never truly understand the stem of his father's fondness for humans even if he tried.

"When your father recently found out that your brother was killed, he became devastated. He blames himself for Inuyasha's death. He said that if he hadn't granted Izayoi's last wish before she'd passed away and taken away Inuyasha's demon powers, he would've still been alive right now."

Sesshomaru glanced up at the mansion filled with memories of his childhood; associations of his past. A small part of him wondered if his father would become as distraught with grief if Sesshomaru too, ceased to exist one day. For a Demon Lord like himself who revelled in battle, he was not afraid of dying. But he couldn't help questioning, would anyone care if he died?

Sesshomaru turned his head to meet the man's eyes, his voice low. "Our agreement ends once all the shards are gathered."

X X X

The boar demon was forcefully slammed into the wall of the shadowy, putrid alleyway. His mouth fell open as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, staring up at the hooded dark figure stood above him.

"Wait, wait! Y-you just want the shard, right?" With his clawed fingers, he dug out the piece of Shikon shard that was inserted into his left forearm and handed it over. "Here, take it. Just don't kill me, please!"

Kagome took the shard that was now tainted in a hideous shade of black-violet and turned to the demon on the ground. "When that family begged you for mercy, did the thought of sparing them cross your mind before you slaughtered them in their home?"

The demon widened his eyes momentarily before baring his bloodstained fangs and charged at her. Kagome lifted her palm and used her demonic force to bind him against the concrete wall. She caught his neck in a vice grip with one hand, and with the other covered his face. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as her hand glowed azure and she began to rapidly drain away his life force.

She watched detachedly as he thrashed under her strong grip and screamed out in excruciating pain. All too soon he stopped moving as she drained away the very last ounce of life from the boar demon's body, and he was reduced to nothing but a dried-up corpse. She released his body and it turned to ash the instant it hit the ground.

Kagome flexed her hands, she could feel the surge of boosted demon power. For one demon to absorb another demon's life force was considered condemnable in their realm, but Kagome had been broken by an evil spawned of their own race. If this was what it'd take for her to increase her powers to take on Naraku then so be it.

"It may be the fastest way to increase your demon powers in the shortest period of time but it will backfire on you one day."

Kagome turned to the owner of the voice as a young man with short black hair stepped out of the shadows. Although he was a human, she could sense his sorcerous aura. Since there were no signs of Shikon shards in his possession, Kagome decided not to engage with him and turned to leave.

The man placed his hand on her shoulder. "Wait, we need to talk."

Kagome grabbed the man's hand and spun around with a kick to his chest, but he blocked the impact with his arm and stumbled back.

"Oh, you're fast," he stated with a grin as if he was impressed by her speed.

As the electric force gathered at the tip of her fingers, Kagome delivered a blast of azure energy balls at him with the intention of diverting his attention instead of killing him. The man quickly pulled out a piece of scroll filled with words she did not recognize and chanted under his breath to form an invisible shield around him.

Kagome took the fleeting opportunity and darted out of the alleyway.

"Hey, wait!" She heard him shouting out to her as she blended into the crowd of humans.

The sun was down hours ago, leaving the moonless night sky pitch-black now. The bustling street was livelier than usual tonight; Kagome had strolled past waves of seemingly endless groups of people on the edge of the sidewalk. Positive that her trail was no longer being followed, she hopped on a transit bus that would take her back to her temporary hideout and retire for the night.

X X X

The cool night air along the narrow cobbled streets was fragrant with the scents of spring despite the urban setting. The stars were visible, shining brighter from the lack of city lights here. Others may have found the grimy, isolated maze-like streets to be ominous but for Kagome, it served its purpose as refuge the past three months.

Kagome entered the shabby building and walked six flights up a winding, darkened staircase to her apartment. The moment she opened the door, she immediately sensed another presence in the room.

"You're finally back! I thought I'd turn to stone from waiting. What took you so long?"

The interior light was turned on, revealing the intruder to be the same man she had crossed paths with earlier in the alley. Kagome's guard rose and she was already gathering her demonic energy at the palm of her hand, ready to strike.

"Wait! I'm not your enemy and I mean no harm. I just want to talk to you, Kagome."

The use of her name caught her attention and after hesitating slightly, Kagome slowly released her energy. "Who are you? How did you find me and why do you know my name?"

"My name is Miroku and I've been following you for quite some time now. I know your full name is Kagome Higurashi; the only daughter of Shina Otsuka and Tsuneyo Higurashi. Your mother was supposed to be the sixteenth chief Priestess of the White Lotus Clan, but her title was stripped away and she was banished from the clan when she fell in love with your father. He was a water demon who was also one of the four guardians of the great dog Demon Lord, Inu no Taisho. I know all there is to know about you, at least insofar as what our records say about you."

Kagome frowned. She was vexed by the fact that this stranger had such thorough knowledge of her past and knew so much about her family history. "What do you want from me?"

"I also know that you are the Shikon Jewel's protector, and because of that you are able to sense its presence and purify the stone."

If this person also knew about the existence of the Shikon Jewel then he definitely wasn't just an average sorcerer.

Miroku continued. "I came to request your assistance and collaborate with Inu no Taisho's first son. With your combined efforts, we hope that you can both collect all the shards before other demons get their hands on it and use its power for evil."

"I am already gathering the shards on my own, and I have no need to cooperate with others," Kagome commented sharply as she whirled around, hurrying towards her bedroom and retrieving her black duffle bag from under the bedframe.

Knowing that her whereabouts had been compromised, it was time for her to move on and find another hiding place again.

"Why do I have a sense of déjà vu while having this conversation with you?" Miroku chided, following after her. "Listen, you're only a half-demon. Even if you continue to absorb other demons' energy to enhance your powers, you are still no match for the strength of a pureblood demon."

Kagome grabbed the bag and filled it with the few hanging clothes that she had from the bare closet. "I will find my way."

"I'm sure you understand the dire consequences of your current method of boosting your demon powers."

"What I choose to do is none of your business," she stated defensively.

"Is this what Inuyasha would have wanted?"

Kagome stopped. The name echoed in her head and her heart burst into a dizzying flight. For a moment she couldn't find her breath and when she looked into the man's eyes, everything was suddenly echoing.

"Kagome," he walked into the room, closing the distance between them. "I was sent by Inu no Tashio. He is Inuyasha's father."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she said abruptly. "Inuyasha was a human. Stop with your lies just to get me-"

"Inuyasha's father is the former ruler of the western lands and his mother was a mortal woman," Miroku cut her off with firmness. "Inuyasha was a half-demon much like yourself."

Kagome shook her head, sucking in a deep breath and whispered softly, "That is impossible, I never once sensed a demonic aura from him."

"That's because right before his mother has passed away when Inuyasha was an infant, she pleaded to Inu no Tashio to seal away Inuyasha's demon powers so that their son could grow up and lead a normal life as a mortal."

Kagome felt the sting of tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall; a dull thud reverberated from the room as the bag she was holding fell from her trembling hand. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. All this time, she had been trying so hard to push Inuyasha away; to keep him at arm's length simply because he was a human.

If only Kagome could go back in time. If only she could have a second chance to make things right. But it was too late. For her, and for Inuyasha.

Miroku stepped up to her, placing both hands on her upper arms as he spoke, "I know we all have battles to fight, Kagome. But you can't fight this battle alone, not if you want to succeed."

X X X

AUTHOR NOTE:

Thanks to those of your who have reviewed (Seralyon88 – thank you!) / favourited / followed this fic since the prologue was posted. I know it was a short prologue so I wasn't expecting much response but I really appreciate the motivation.

Seralyon88 – I hope this chapter answered your question. You know what's funny? My Beta Reader, Waffle said the exact same thing as you. He wondered how I am going to turn Sesshomaru into the major love interest when Kagome and Inuyasha have such a strong bond right in the beginning already. I know it will be challenging but I promise I will make it work (somehow) without rushing the plot!

I hope you guys enjoyed chapter one and I will work on next chapter ASAP. Thanks again for reading and see you all soon!