Hanyou Hunters

AN: thanks for your reviews. Sorry I left you in suspense!

Ch.4 : Claimed

"Aha!," the Lord chuckled. "His neck did not break. I guess we'll have to watch him strangle to death."

"Ugh!" Inuyasha gagged as the rope continued to strain the life out of him.

"Ahahaha! Quick, light the post," the Lord ordered. "Let's see if he burns or hangs first." A few men came up bearing torches and flammable liquid. "Quickly now," he demanded.

A few of the Villager men clapped at the sight. But many seemed to have a change in heart, now deciding that what their Lord was doing was indeed distateful. However they did nothing to stop him. Only continued to watch the demons useless struggle. A few women sheilded their childrens eys and others made them leave.

Inuyasha's eyes started to roll back just as the fire began to lick at his feet.

"Hiraikostu!"

All the Villagers ducked down in fear as the giant bone boomerang came barrelling through, knocking down the beam to which the Hanyou was attached. Inuyasha fell to the ground, narrowlly escaping the flames.

Sango flew in with Kirara, landing infront of the crowd, just beside of Inuyasha, who now lay still. "Inuyasha." She ran to him, worried that she might be too late. She lifted his head up to check his condition. She let out a breath of relief, as she heard a slight moan come from him.

The villagers looked at the sight in awe and confusion."What is the meaning of this?," The Lord Temaru bellowed, no longer able to remain quiet.

"I'll be asking the questions around here!," she spoke, her voice taking on a harsh demanding tone, making the Lord step back. "I demand this Hanyou be returned to me. He's already claimed!"

The Lord was taken back . He didn't know what to say. He already knew the Hanyou was claimed. But he had ordered him to be captured anyway, feeling pretty confindent that no one would come to look for him. "I...I wouldn't know anything about that," he lied.

Sango leaned down to Inuyasha, grabbing his rosary beads. "You see this? This means he belongs to me!"

Inuyasha woke up to full conciousness as she jerked at the rosary. His heart skipped a beat when he heard what came out of her mouth. But he remained still, feeling to soar and weak to move. He heard Sango yelling at the Lord and the other villagers. She sounded different. Almost scary. She scolded the Lord for his actions, claiming that what they were doing was wrong.

"You of all people must understand," the Lord spoke. "I can see from your attire that you are a demon slayer."

"I only slay demon when it is called for. Only for the protection of others!", she argued, outraged that he would compare what he was doing to what she did.

"Well whatever you choose to do, I hope we can all put this whole mess behind us," the Lord spoke, trying to act more civilized infront of his people. "Please, by all means take your demon.... ah.... Hanyou," he smiled."

Sango gave him a dirty look, then turned to Inuyasha, helping him stand up. "Come on Inuyasha. We're getting out of here." The Hanyou allowed her to help him and lead the way to Kirara.

"Just be sure he doesn't wander far off from home," the Lord called to her. "Wouldn't want this incident to happen again."

Sango narrowed her eyes at the Lord, seeing the sides of his lips curve into a smirk. Using all the energy he had, Inuyasha let out a low growl.

"Let's go Kirara," Sango ordered, more than ready to leave the village. Inuyasha embraced Sango for support as they took off.

He watched as the village got smaller as they flew farther away. He breathed a sigh of relief once he felt a safe distance away, then rested his head on Sango's back, feeling unable to hold it up on his own.

"Inuyasha, are you allright?," Sango asked, noticing his weakness.

"Nnn," he moaned softly.

"Did they hurt you?"

"Nnn," another moan.

She gave up after that, deciding that he would talk when he was ready.

After a few quiet moments of flying, Inuyasha spoke. "Why'd you tell them that?," he asked, his voice still wraspy and hoarse from getting the life choked out of him.

Sango was quiet for a moment. "Tell them what?"

"That..(he cleared his throat).. that I was claimed. You were speaking like you owned me."

Even how weak he was, Sango could easily sense his anger. "I said that because it was the easiest way to get you back. They wouldn't have understood any other way. They would have believed I owned you before they believed I was your friend."

He lifted his head up and backed away, as the slightly discomforting information sunk in...much deeper than it normally would have. He was definately not having a good day. First Kagome calls him a freak, then an entire village ridicules him for being a half breed, then Sango comes in claiming that she ownes him. At this point, he just wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

He rested his head back down and sighed, watching the ground they were passing over. "Where are we going?," he mummbled into Sango's hair.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "We're going straight home."

'Home', he thought. Such a place should bring him comfort and happiness, at the mere mention of the word. However, that was one place he wished not to return to. Not yet anyway. He only wanted to be left alone. Even though it was too late for that now, considering Sango was with him. But then again, if she wasn't, he'd be dead. Also he'd have no place to rest his head.

"I don't want to go home," he told her weakly.

"You, don't, want to go home?," she asked, confused.

"No."

"Why wouldn't you want to go back? I'm shure everyone's worried sick."

"I'm not going back," he answered stubbornly.

"Inuyasha,!" she scolded, getting irritated and a bit worried. She knew the others were worried. They didn't know where he was. They didn't even know where she was. And she was anxious to get back to them.

"Just because you found me, doesn't mean I was ready to go back. Now put me down before I jump off!," he demanded with sudden energy.

Sango's mouth dropped. She couldn't believe how stubborn he could be. And after she saved his life! No wonder Kagome and him fought all the time. She sighed as she lowered Kirara to the forest floor. She hated to let him get his own way, but she wasn't shure how serious he was about jumping. She decided not to take any chances.

Slowly and gracefully, the demon cat landed. Inuyasha took no time in getting off. He jumped down, stumbling to his knees. He got up quickly, grumbling at his weakness and walked off.

Sango followed closely, not wanting him to leave her sight in his condition.

Inuyasha sensed her closeness and quickly turned around, growling at her. Sango froze in her tracks, seeing that he meant business. She let him walk ahead by himself, feeling a little unnerved. She'd never admit it, but sometimes she wished she had the ability to 'sit' him like Kagome did.

She watched were he was going and eventually went after him. She was fairly confindent that his senses weren't fully functioning, and as long as she kept her distance, he'd be unnaware to her presence. She followed him to a small brook, where he was drinking from. She watched as he scooped up the water and tried to swallow. After a few coughing fits, he managed to get some down. When he was done, he got up and started to walk away. He walked awkwardly, feeling dizzy and a bit fatigued.

Sango hid behind a tree as he faced her direction. To her surprise he was still unnaware of her. 'He must be worse than I thought.' She followed him to a quiet part of the forest, where he found a small tree which he was currently trying to jump up into. He tried a few times to reach the lowest branch, each time he failed and fumbled back. Eventually he gave up and collapsed at the base of the tree, breathing heavily.

Sango watched him for a bit longer. The longer she watched, the more annoyed she became. How long was he planning on staying there? She wanted to go home and she wasn't leaving without him. Once she had enough, she slowly and cautiously approached him. She walked right up to him and he still didn't move. 'Was he sleeping?' She knelt downto his level and studied him. 'He was sleeping!' She'd been so anxious to get home and this whole time he'd decided to take a cat nap!?

"Inuyasha," she called out in a moderate tone. She waited for him to wake, but instead she still got no response. She furrowed her brow, getting annoyed. "Inuyasha," she called out louder....Still no response, aside from gentle breathing. She grumbled under her breath. She raised he hand to the half demons head and flicked his fluffy ear. It flicked back in retaliation, but the Hanyou remained asleep.

Deciding that there was no other way to get him to wake, she smacked him lighty, but not too lightly, across his face. But to her surprise it wasn't enough to wake him. "Hmmph," she stood up slowly, wondering what to do. She folded her arms and grimaced at the Hanyou. Slowly that grimace turned curled into a smile when she decided what to do.

She whistled to Kirara. Then slowly and carefully took Inuyasha's arms around her neck and heaved him onto her back. Kirara lowerd herself for easy access. And within a few seconds, she and the clueless Hanyou were on their way back home.

An: Next chapter: Home sweet home. (Sorry to dissapoint, but the chapter is the last.)