It had been 100 years since the pups had been cared for by Sesshomaru in the woods near Inuyasha's home village, the two pups now looked like a couple of pre-teens. Inuyasha's Fire Rat cloak had grown with him, much to Nastukaoru's surprise; the young DaiYokai was now wearing a fiery red kimono with white trim and a golden obi. They had been living in the Western lands for their own protection, as well as a shared will of the late Inu No Taisho and Kyuubi No Kitsune. Sesshomaru would not be presented with the demand of his late father and the late Lord of the Eastern lands until Natsukaoru had reached the age of 300, watching from the balcony of his room the Inu DaiYokai watched the two as they roamed the gardens. Inuyasha had proven to be a rough and tumble Inu youth, not even the occasional wasp was safe from his claws, Sesshomaru couldn't hold back the growl from his throat watching his younger half brother. Natsukaoru on the other hand was admiring the vast ocean of tulips, his deep blue eyes just as passive as his expression leaving the Inu Lord to question what the calm DaiYokai was thinking.

"Ne, Natsukaoru," Inuyasha said looking over the DaiYokai's shoulder, "Do you miss the village?" Inuyasha asked letting his ears fall back.

Natsukaoru looked up at the sky to ponder his answer; there wasn't a lot for the DaiYokai to miss about the village.

"This Natsukaoru did not know enough to miss such a place." The young Yokai said, turning to make Inuyasha look at him.

Inuyasha backed away before he looked down at the ground, he could not deny that the answer wasn't expected, but he did not think it would be so cold to hear. Natsukaoru didn't grow up in the village; it was merely a point of passing in the young DaiYokai's life, unlike Inuyasha. The village had held so many memories for the Hanyou even if most of them were of the ways ningen could cruel to something they did not understand. A soft hand tipped the Hanyou's face up making gold meet a calm blue before Natsukaoru ran his tongue over Inuyasha's forehead, much like a comforting older brother. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the gesture even though Nastukaoru's answer to his question made him feel uneasy, the young half-breed couldn't help but wonder if there was anything about the village that the DaiYokai did miss. Sensing his younger brother's distress, Natsukaoru nuzzled his cheek against the Hanyou's giving a faint purr to try and relax his silver haired brother. Sesshomaru was still watching; he could hear the faint purr coming from the DaiYokai below. Golden eyes narrowed watching as Inuyasha hugged Natsukaoru, there was a twinge of jealousy festering somewhere in the Inu Yokai at the sight of affection being shown between the two below him. Though Sesshomaru was known to be cold and uninterested in most forms of affection, the way Natsukaoru was comforting the Hanyou was almost no different than how Sesshomaru's father would comfort him when he was a pup.

'Such thoughts are unbecoming of this Sesshomaru.' The DaiYokai thought turning away from the scene in the garden.

Sesshomaru walked from the balcony and out of his room, turning down the hall and opened the door to a large library. The library had been a collection of old and new books, handed down from Inu Yokai born over a millennium ago to his late Sire. Everything from blood lines to lore had been recorded and kept in the Western lands. With a sigh Sesshomaru ran a hand over his mokomoko and glanced over a long row of books he had recently found 90 years ago, 10 years after taking in his half brother and Natsukaoru. The book was on lore of Hanyou and DaiYokai of mixed breeds, one he thought would be useful for dealing with the two when they were in their teens and experiencing their first heat cycles. One of the pages was marked by a long strand of silver silk; it was on Yokai of mixed breeds within the same creed. Natsukaoru was not a very common sight, a Hanyou born of a Kitsune and an Inu of pure bloods, a half-breed yet a full blooded Yokai. Sesshomaru opened the book and leaned against the wall, he had found sitting uncomfortable when it was merely casual reading. A paragraph caught Sesshomaru's eyes when it came to the unique hybrid Yokai and their breeding patterns, with narrowing eyes Sesshomaru found that he could not turn away.

The book was theorizing that full blooded hybrids were compelled to mate only with those sharing the same breed as their parents, more commonly following the blood of his or her Sire over the mother. With a frown Sesshomaru read on; wanting to know of those whose gender changed during a new moon, his lip curling up to find that there was no information on such a phenomena. Shutting the book with a snap Sesshomaru put the book back and walked out of the library, the mokomoko flared out and writhing with annoyance as servants rushed by him in a hurry. A low growl rumbled from Sesshomaru's throat as he walked past his room and headed down a flight of stairs that lead to the outside no far from the gardens where Inuyasha was laying under a sakura tree, his back against the tree as his hair softly blew in the wind with his kimono. Sesshomaru glared but let it fade catching Natsukaoru's scent not too far from the tree, the hybrid was watching over the Hanyou, Sesshomaru was sure of it but wasn't going to openly assume before walking towards his half brother. When Sesshomaru was a few feet from Inuyasha a voice called to him from near the roses,

"Good afternoon Sesshomaru-Sama." Natsukaoru said walking up to the Lord with his hands in his sleeves.

The Inu didn't say a word but merely nodded, the hybrid looked exotic and regal in the colors that Sesshomaru had seen the Kyuubi wear on occasions when his kingdom was at peace. Natsukaoru sat on his knees a few feet in front of the sleeping Inuyasha, his hands resting in his lap. Sakura petals fell from the tree, floating upon the gentle breeze only adding the feminine sight before Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's mokomoko stopped its thrashing and flicked from side to side as Natsukaoru looked to Inuyasha then to the older Inu before him; there was a thoughtful expression in the hybrids eyes as they looked into the cold golden ones. There was a small tension in the air before Natsukaoru spoke softly; his voice was concerned yet passive.

"Does Inuyasha have a guardian of sorts?" The hybrid asked making Sesshomaru tilt his head, why would the hybrid ask of the Hanyou with such concern.

Sesshomaru was confused.

"Why would you ask that of this Sesshomaru?" The Inu Yokai said with a soft growl.

The hybrid's eyes regained their passive expression; if the growl was meant to offend the hybrid Sesshomaru's attempt had fallen on deaf ears.

"The Hanyou has a dangerous ambition, one this Natsukaoru can understand." The hybrid said looking the Inu dead in the eyes. "Inuyasha is searching for a way to rid himself of his human blood."

The mere mention of Inuyasha's human blood made Sesshomaru's lip curl up slightly; Natsukaoru remained calm as his brow furrowed slightly. Sesshomaru did not wish to talk about his half brother and his human blood, turning to walk away the Inu stopped at the next thing the hybrid said with certainty.

"The Hanyou's human blood is why you hate him." The moment the words escaped the hybrid's mouth Sesshomaru was upon the young DaiYokai, a strong hand around his throat.

The two glared at each other before Sesshomaru felt his grip tighten before it relaxed against his will, the Inu's eyes faintly widened watching his mokomoko move between them. The interference of his own mokomoko made Sesshomaru growl loudly, the snarl making Inuyasha groan before he shifted in place and rubbed his eyes with his hands rolling over to avoid the rays of the sun. Natsukaoru looked beyond the mokomoko at Sesshomaru who was growing angry with the hybrid; Sesshomaru was nearly 500 years old; 300 years older than the Yokai under him. A question burned in Sesshomaru's throat before it escaped him in a harsh whisper.

"What is the Hanyou to you?" Sesshomaru snarled, "This Sesshomaru cannot grasp why you care so much for him."

Natsukaoru looked up at the older Yokai, his blue eyes dark with concern for not his own safety but for that of the Hanyou Sesshomaru had tried to ignore. The hybrid looked to the sleeping Hanyou and then to the older Yokai above him, his voice was calm yet firm with purpose.

"Without the guidance of a DaiYokai the Hanyou will destroy himself." Natsukaoru responded, his eyes passive.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened a fraction before he slowly rose, the young hybrid was taught well for one so young, even if his parents had been murdered years ago. The remaining elders of his father's council kept up with teaching the young DaiYokai what he would need to know, even on new moons he was taught both the ways of a Lord and Lady. Inu Yokai were more suited for battle but Kitsune were sharp of mind and keen on finding ways to help if they could, having both traits would make the young hybrid a great Lord of the Eastern lands. Sesshomaru took a moment and regained his composure before getting back to his feet; the hybrid sat up and carefully dusted off his kimono, his face in a soft frown before he looked back to Inuyasha for a moment. Sesshomaru watched before he rubbed his temple in thought, the hybrid was 25 years older than his half brother but Natsukaoru would have to bee 300 years of age before he could be the guardian of another.

"Guide the Hanyou if you wish, when you are of 300 years and reclaim your kingdom, this Sesshomaru will appoint you its guardian." Sesshomaru said coldly, his voice harsher than he had wanted it to be.

Natsukaoru nodded softly before he walked to the Hanyou and rubbed the soft puppy ear.

"One day Lord Sesshomaru, you will be able to call this pup by his name." Natsukaoru said, just loud enough for the Inu Lord to hear.

Sesshomaru gave a low growl and slowly walked off as the Kappa named Jaken walked up to the hybrid and the Hanyou, fighting back a sneer as Inuyasha woke and rubbed his eyes softly. Jaken bowed to Natsukaoru and merely nodded to Inuyasha, the Hanyou yawned as his ears flicked softly as sakura petals brushed them. Jaken frowned as Inuyasha yawned loudly, not bothering to cover his mouth, sending Jaken into a short rant.

"You filthy half-breed when will you learn not to yawn showing your fangs," The Kappa yelled stomping his feet. "Not even Lord Natsukaoru yawns showing his—!" Inuyasha growled punching the Kappa on the top of its head.

"Will you shut up, you're so damn loud." Inuyasha growled as Jaken rubbed his head and pouted to the hybrid.

Jaken got on his knees and whimpered.

"Oh my little Lord, why do you insist on keeping this thing safe?" Jaken whined, expecting to be hit but instead he felt a soft hand on his head.

Looking up Jaken saw blue eyes looking down at him with amusement and a faint smile as the hand softly massaged the bump, the Kappa couldn't help but blush, Natsukaoru often did such things on new moons nights after Sesshomaru or Inuyasha had hit him. Even after 100 years the Kappa wasn't used to the kind gestures that the hybrid directed at him. Jaken felt himself relax before Natsukaoru gave a very faint chuckle looking at Jaken before he looked to Inuyasha,

"Because not all that glitters is gold and not all that is flawed worthless." The young hybrid said as he rose, Inuyasha quickly rose as well.

Jaken leaned against his staff in thought; the Kappa looked up at the hybrid before he nodded. The small Kappa was an odd sight in the Inu palace; some of the servants kicked him on accident because they couldn't see him unless they looked down. Natsukaoru had been the first person in kneel down to look at him other than Sesshomaru, but Natsukaoru would refrain from striking him if the Kappa got on the hybrid's nerves. With a nod in return the two young boys had walked out of the gardens, Jaken not too far behind to take them to their evening lessons; Inuyasha was still struggling with his mannerism as Natsukaoru was going over the history of the Western lands. Inuyasha frowned and hung his head in frustration, the Hanyou didn't enjoy being told how to act by a bunch of old men who sneered at him and tried to make him act as if he was a lower class than they were. Natsukaoru was slightly interested in the history lessons but was preoccupied but other thoughts; he missed the Eastern lands where he was born. Sesshomaru had told Natsukaoru that when he was 250 the Inu Lord would help him reclaim his kingdom in return for following along with what the two late Lords of the East and West had in store for the two. Natsukaoru had agreed, whatever was going on was the reason the hybrid was going over the history of the Inu breed. There was a fleeting thought in the back of hybrid's mind that make him gave the setting sun a very soft, unnoticed smile.