The General

Chapter Two

Live for those who are dying.

Everyone was introduced and Inuyasha nodded curtly to everyone. The whole affair was pretty boring and the only thing keeping Inuyasha in their company was the interest of who this grand soldier was.

He was afraid that that would take awhile when Nagaharu began launching into how they met and blah, blah, blah, but luckily Gengo, in his quiet and terse way, managed to cut him short.

"Would you like to see the rooster now, Haru?"

Nagaharu blinked, derailed from his train of thought but quickly brightened, "Yes, yes, I can't believe ya'll found him! Are the spoils piping hot?"

"Yes," Jinsei whispered. "And he's fresh."

"We're thinking that he was the last one to fall." Fumina pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "This one's sad. He was a beautiful rooster."

Inuyasha had enough of this. "What are you talking about?" He bellowed in frustration.

Everyone was taken aback by his outcry, that is, except Nagaharu. "Oh! Sorry, sorry, Inuyasha, didn't mean to leave ya in the dark. The rooster is the leader and the spoils are his treasures that the kind sir left behind for us. By piping hot, we mean that it is expensive and of good quality! Yes, yes! Do ya understand, now?"

He was talking so rapidly with growing exhilaration that Inuyasha wasn't sure if he did. He said he was nonetheless, not particularly wishing to hear the explanation again.

"What side is he?" Inuyasha wondered.

"Don't know." Gengo huffed, his breath turning into vapor. "We haven't dug him completely out yet."

"But his clothing is made of exquisite material." Jinsei added.

Fumina took the reins by also saying, "It took a lot to kill him. I had to take out up to four spears, twenty arrows, and that was just what was popping out of his back. This guy put up quite a fight." She sighed. "But lost."

Nagaharu clapped his hands together, "And we should thank him when we join the afterlife. Come, come, let us get him out! Would ya like to help, Inuyasha?"

"He sh-shouldn't, Nagaharu. We don't need his help!"

"Oh, Ukyou…there you are." Jinsei's tongue darted out in aggravation.

"We missed you earlier." Gengo rumbled.

Ukyou visibly swallowed but maintained his glare on Inuyasha. The hanyou couldn't help but smirk. Yep, a rookie. He didn't know what he was dealing with.

"I…well, I…we don't need his help! Otherwise, we'll have to share!" Ukyou pointed his finger accusingly at Inuyasha's nose and trudged the rest of the way up to stand level with his companions.

"Don't wave that at me or you won't have it anymore." Inuyasha bared his fangs.

Ukyou paled and quickly took back his hand. The threat, however, didn't disrupt his cocky attitude. "I can't believe you guys are telling him all this stuff about the rooster when we don't even know if he can be trusted! He probably just wants to steal it from under our noses and keep it all for himself."

Inuyasha chuckled dryly, "I don't want anything, got it? And you're one to talk, you ran off mighty fast with your tail between your legs."

"What are you saying--?"

"I'm saying that you're a coward and a waste of breath." Inuyasha looked off to the side, his bored expression igniting Ukyou's wrath ever higher.

"How dare you insult me, you disgusting half breed!" Everyone gasped and Gengo wrapped his burly arms around Ukyou's waist, tossing him effortlessly to the ground.

"How dare you, Ukyou! How dare you insult Nagaharu's new friend." Fumina took the butt of her spear and knocked him good in the stomach when Ukyou tried to respond. "No! I am tired of hearing your excuses, rookie. Inuyasha here helped us, complete strangers, while you deserted us."

"Your narrow-mindedness has shamed you greatly today, Ukyou." Jinsei shook his head gravely.

"Ukyou…" Nagaharu couldn't even look him in the eye. "Go back to the camp."

"Wh-what?" The dingo youkai gasped. "W-why are you sticking up for him? His blood is tainted and…"

"I said go back to the camp, Ukyou!"

The boy shakily got back to his feet, holding his midsection and glowering. He glanced pointedly at Inuyasha—a look of murder—and limped off, grumbling, "Filthy hanyou."

Inuyasha figured he should be feeling smug, but instead, secretly, he felt rather embarrassed and confused. In a matter of a few minutes, four full-blooded demons had stood up for him. What was going on? Did he pass out and was dreaming?

It had to be a trick, a trap.

But why?

Nagaharu recovered from his rare burst of anger and looked ruefully over at the hanyou, "Our apologies, Inuyasha. He is new to this life. I had thought…that he would learn…but his…"

"Prejudice." Jinsei supplied.

"Yes, yes…his prejudice…I think it is hatred, has only grown stronger. I am sorry…"

"Don't be." Inuyasha ruffed. "It doesn't matter."

Nagaharu blinked and opened his mouth to protest, but Fumina placed a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. "Inuyasha," she whispered, "we would be honored if you could help us with this rooster of ours. I, oh, I'm sorry, that is a strange request but…on second thought, in penitence of Ukyou's behavior…we would gladly allow you to take whatever you wish…uh, oh, that sounds even stranger…"

Inuyasha lifted a brow, understanding their dilemma. They had nothing to give and found nothing bizarre with their job in the least. To offer a stolen good from the dead has penitence didn't seem strange to them at all. He shook his head, "I don't want anything. But I don't mind helping." I've done it before…

They were surprised. Nagaharu was quick to recovery, like always, and clapped his hands in glee. "Then let's get started ya'll, before more worms come to try and stop us!"

Inuyasha followed behind them, a bit bewildered by his decision. Why did he say that? He should be getting back. But for some reason, it was imperative to him to know the identity of the soldier.

Below his awareness, Tetsusaiga was continuously humming at his side.

"Let's get started." Nagaharu and the others went to their knees, circling around the body, and began digging the snow out and dusting the soldier off.

Inuyasha still couldn't smell anything, not even the scent of death. He figured, though, that his nostrils must have went numb by the cold…and by the scent of this disgusting rag still tied around his face. He lifted up his hands, to do the same as everyone around him…

He couldn't do it.

Something caught his eye.

No one questioned why the hanyou suddenly got to his feet. Nor did they even notice when he began pulling at something that was jettisoning from the ground not far from the body.

They were delved deep in contemplative conversation and Fumina said, with a voice that was as cool as a surgeon, "Do you think we'll have to slice him apart."

"I do not think so. He is not as frozen as the others but get your dagger out just in case."

Fumina nodded at Jinsei's words and did what he suggested.

"No, stop." The neko gawked when Inuyasha's calloused fingers enfolded around her wrist. He had misjudged what she was about to do, not hearing the conversation before, and was too distracted in his revelation to hear their words now.

"Inuyasha, what are ya doing?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Inuyasha was peering intently at the mound of snow. The only appendage of the body uncovered was a pale hand, encrusted with blood and tinged blue from the cold. "Don't touch him."

"But why…?"

"What are ya talking about?"

"Shut up." The harshness of his tone effectively forced them to comply. They watched in confusion as Inuyasha un-dug the rest of the body by himself, using his shoulder to push the rooster over.

Nagaharu and Inuyasha were the only ones who recognized him.

"Lord Sesshomaru…"