Whisper
By: akemiryuu
Summary: Having been promised to one of the princes of the west, Kagome has finally been given the chance to meet her soon-to-be mate. The eastern lord gave her a choice of taking one other person with her. The person she had chosen was sure to make hell freeze over.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha characters!!! I own plot and made up characters!!
Chapter 4 The Hunt Begins
Naraku's voice boomed throughout the entire room as he laughed. He threw his head back letting his curly black hair drape his naked shoulders. He let his head fall so he could stare at Hanayoshin. "You look as beautiful as I remember," he said.
Hanayoshin said nothing. She merely took a step forward making everyone in the room step back. Kagome reached behind her wear her sword was hidden. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword waiting for the right moment to strike.
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" he joked.
"Do not insult Hana-chan with your jokes Naraku. What do you want?!" Tonari yelled.
Naraku shook his head. "Tonari, the little princess of the north, you have grown. I'm amazed your big mouth is still intact. I would have thought your elder sister would have ripped it right off your pathetic face," he said.
She growled she charged forward. He smirked. He knew how to get right under her skin. He lashed out at her with one of his tentacles. At that moment, Kagome drew her hidden sword and detached the tentacle before it hit Tonari. Naraku looked at her.
"So the princess of the east is present as well. I should have known. You are after a puppy, following Hanayoshin where ever she went," he mocked.
Inuyasha's demon blood was boiling with anger. No one insulted his mate and got away with it. He charged. Naraku lashed out again. This time, Hanayoshin incepted his attack. She grabbed his tentacle.
Naraku smirked. "You shouldn't have done that," he said. He jerked his tentacle back a little bit letting poisonous miasma seep out of the tear.
Hanayoshin had no intention of moving, so instead she pulled onto the tentacle making him loose his balance. She let her whip wrap around his tentacle and make its way up the tentacle to straight to his chest.
Naraku jerked roughly ripping the tentacle completely. He stepped back and ducked as Hanayoshin's attack hit the wall. Thinking that her attack was spoiled, he laughed. "Is that all you've got?" he mocked, "That's pretty pathetic. And to think I was a little nervous facing you again after so many years of hunting you down."
Hanayoshin smirked. His smirk disappeared. "You should be," she said. She pulled her fingers towards her. From the ground, her whip burst out below him ripping his body in half.
Naraku cursed. He lashed out at her. She knocked his attack away as she stood her ground. "Do not think that you can fool me with such simple attacks, Naraku," she said.
Naraku smirked. "Oh really?" he challenged.
The aura she sent to swirl around Kagome flickered. Kagome turned to see a tentacle coming her way. She severed it in half but failed to notice the tentacle behind her. Inuyasha slashed it and stood back to back with her. Four of Naraku's tentacles surrounded them as he trapped Tonari with Sesshomaru.
"Now is the time to choose Hanayoshin. Who will it be? Your beloved sister or your precious childhood friend?" he mocked.
Hanayoshin didn't even turn back. "Neither," she said surprising him.
"What?"
She lifted her hand in front of her fully. From all five claws, five whips were summoned. Two whips freed Sesshomaru and Tonari as the other two free Inuyasha and Kagome. The fifth one shot out at Naraku striking him right in the chest pinning him to the wall.
"Why have one when I can have both?" she mocked.
He hissed. He let all his tentacles fly at her with as much speed as he could muster. The poison in her whip was quickly spreading. He need to at least land a blow before making his escape.
Hanayoshin had seen this before. She closed her eyes. Just as they came into range, her eyes flashed opened. Kagome and Tonari jumped from their positions beside her and threw their swords at her. Using a small portion of her aura, she controlled the blades dicing his tentacles into bite size pieces.
She withdrew her whip and stabbed him with the swords. She lifted him into the air with the swords. She was about to end his miserable life when miasma seeped through his wounds engulfing his body.
Hanayoshin quickly drew the swords out of him and jumped back. Kagome followed her as she grabbed Tonari. She pushed Tonari against the wall and pressed her back into her face preventing her from smelling the miasma.
Kagome covered her face just as the miasma settled below her feet. Naraku's laugh was heard throughout the entire room. Kagome slightly shivered. She felt Inuyasha press his back to her making her relax.
"You are better then I would have imagined. It's sad really to see you defend the lands of another lord. I would have expected this from Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. Maybe even Kagome for that matter but not you. Pity," he said. His tentacles shot out in all directions aiming for the guests. "Time to recover."
Hanayoshin unleashed her whips. She blocked his attacks by creating something similar to a spider web above their heads by entangling her whips. Naraku laughed. "Impressive…but risky. Let's see if you can dodge this," he said.
Four tentacles shot out at her. She let her eyes glow blue just as they came into range. But before she could do anything, the tentacles were severed by none other then Sesshomaru.
"Oh, so you do know how to fight. Good, more fun for me," he mocked.
Sesshomaru snarled. Naraku let an endless barrage of tentacles shoot towards Sesshomaru as his demons surrounded him. Sesshomaru blocked and dodged his attacks while keeping his ground in front of Hanayoshin.
Hanayoshin glance back at Tonari. She was okay. She nodded. Slowly, Tonari lifted her kimono sleeve up to her nose to cover the smell. Hanayoshin stepped closer to Sesshomaru letting Tonari slip away from the wall. She slid under Sesshomaru's legs and held her swords in front of her.
She let her aura flare at full power. She quickly harnessed it. Her eyes flashed opened just as her sword began to glow red. "Lightening Dragon!!!" she called. From the tip of her blade, more than a thousand bolts of lightening eliminated the demons that stood in front of her surprising Sesshomaru.
Naraku hissed. He sent a tentacle shooting into the ground hoping to surprise her by striking from below. Kagome, seeing his actions, ran over to Tonari and grabbed her just as the tentacle shot out from below. It was about to hit Kagome's neck when red whips severed it into a thousand pieces of flesh.
Naraku's head jerked up to Hanayoshin. His eyes widened. Both her arms were raise in front of her with her whips all extended. She held an evil smirk making him visibly shiver. He stepped back as she took two forward.
"Enough of your games," she said oddly calm while still holding the smirk. She let her hands fall. Naraku felt a chill run down his spine before he was entangled in her whips and knocked right through the castle walls.
He let his miasma seep out of his body again. Hanayoshin took that chance and let her whips melt sending her deadly poison into his blood stream. Once her whips were completely melted and her arms resting at her side, Naraku summoned a barrier around whatever was left of his body and fled.
Hanayoshin walked over to the hole in the wall. She placed her hand at the side of it. Slowly it began to reconstruct itself. As soon as it closed, Hanayoshin turned to the guests. She bowed shocking them all. "Please forgive the interruptions. Let the ceremony continue," she said.
Everyone nodded. They returned to their original activities before Naraku attacked. Hanayoshin brushed passed Sesshomaru who was standing close to the door. She kept her gaze forward until she stood in front of Inutaisho. She bowed to him. She turned to Inuyasha and then bowed to him. Inutaisho was just about to ask when Hanayoshin brushed passed him. "We will speak later tonight, after the ceremony," she said.
Tonari joined her side. Without sparing her a glance, Hanayoshin walked over to the lord of the south and greeted him. She began to engage in conversation and introducing Tonari while Kagome, Izayoi, Yura and Sango went back into the kitchen to prepare the last of the food.
Inuyasha and the other men went around greeting the guests. They went through with the ceremony as if nothing happened. Hanayoshin let her aura roam around the entire room as she walked around making sure that everyone felt at ease.
xXxXx
They all gathered in the court room waiting for Inuyasha and Kagome. As Hanayoshin said earlier, they were going to discuss what had happened. All heads turn to watch Kagome and Inuyasha enter the room and took their respective seats beside each other while still holding hands.
Inutaisho cleared his throat to silence the chatters of the generals and other elderly lords. "As you all know, the incident that had occurred tonight was unexpected. I'm glad that Lady Hanayoshin was here to hold back the intruder and calm the guests enough to complete the ceremony," he said.
All heads turned to Hanayoshin. "You seem to know a lot about the intruder," said Suikotsu.
Hanayoshin only nodded. "Naraku used to serve the northern lands as the general of the imperial army. He was appointed to that position by his father, Hyouga, the head general of the northern imperial army. During that time, Naraku was going by the name Onigumo, his birth name.
"His name was changed when his father had strapped him to a wall and beat him nearly killing him for disobeying my father. Hyouga summoned demons to eat the flesh of his son making him the only half breed within the spider demon generation. With is increased abilities, he changed his name to Naraku and took after his father's position when, as rumored, his father died.
"He challenged my father and over threw him. Naraku took my father's head in return Naraku lost his original body to the hands of my elder brother. After the battle, Naraku disappeared and was rumored to have been capture and killed. As you all have seen, he is still very much alive," she finished.
"Why has he come back?" Yura asked.
Hanayoshin's eyes averted to the shadows in the corner. Out stepped a wolf demoness with a darker shade of red orange hair and bright aqua eyes. Within her hands was a small box. She walked over to Hanayoshin. She nodded. The demoness turned to the others and opened the box. They all gasped.
"The Shikon no tama," Izayoi whispered.
Hanayoshin nodded. "He wants the power of immortality. He wants to over throw all of the lords and ladies and control this world. If he were to succeed, this world will be forever engulfed in a world of death and eternal darkness," Tonari said.
"Not necessarily," Hiten said already knowing of this. They all looked at him. "The jewel isn't the only thing Naraku is after."
They looked at each other. "The Shikon no tama is the most sought out jewel in the entire world. What else does he want beside the jewel?" Suikotsu asked. Everyone nodded and began to chatter.
"The one person that has the ability to completely harness and control the power of the jewel without any flaws," Inutaisho said.
Once again the court room grew loud at their chattering. "And who might that be?" Kaguya asked.
"Whom else?" Hiten countered.
Hanayoshin kept her gaze on Inutaisho when everyone looked at her. Kagome was shocked. Hanayoshin had had the jewel with her the whole time and not once had she used it on something.
"How can she be the only person to control the jewel? She is not a priestess," one elder said. Everyone within the room agreed.
"How do we know the jewel still works?" asked another. All the elders nodded their heads and began asking one question after another.
Kagome was beginning to grow angry at their doubts. She slammed her hand down on the table catching their attention. "Have you all no shame?! Hashin has had the jewel with her all this time. If she has made her wish, the jewel would not reside within her hands," she said.
They all looked at her. She was right and they knew it. But their prides were shoved so far up their ass that they weren't even going to bother admitting it. Kagome sat down again.
Hanayoshin explained everything they needed to know about the jewel and why Naraku truly wanted it to them. After further accusations, doubts and Kagome yelling, only the three lords, four ladies, Tonari and two of Hanayoshin's guards were left.
"What are we to do? Naraku will not give up so easily," Kagome said turning to Inuyasha.
He sighed shaking his head. "I don't know," he said honestly. Kagome laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Hana-chan, do you have a plan?" Tonari asked.
Hanayoshin looked at her and nodded. Tonari let the breath she had been holding escape her lips. Hanayoshin turned to Inutaisho and Izayoi at the head of the table. "I believe it is time to have my dear younger sister to mate, don't you?" she asked.
This grabbed the attention of all that were present. Inutaisho looked at her. "Go on," he said.
"Lord Inutaisho, Lady Izayoi, in the name of my father Reinaji, I give the hand of my younger sister Tonari to Sesshomaru," she said.
Tonari and Kagome gasped. They looked at Sesshomaru who held a shocked expression. Inutaisho stared at Hanayoshin. She kept her façade up as she stared back. "Why?"
"She needs to be protected. I will be much too busy taking care of Naraku to look after her. With Sesshomaru, she will have Kagome's smile to cheer her up, Inuyasha's joke to keep her smiling and Sesshomaru's protection to keep her alive and well," she said.
Inutaisho sighed. All heads turned to him. "Father, you're not considering this, are you?" Sesshomaru asked.
Inutaisho sighed again. He looked from Hanayoshin's calm unscathed face to Tonari's horrified face to Sesshomaru's pleading face. "I can do nothing but accept," he said.
"Father!!" Sesshomaru bolted out of his chair at the same time Tonari did.
"I refuse to mate him!!" she said.
Hanayoshin stood meeting her gaze with her own. "You dare defy me?" she asked. Tonari backed up and bumped into the wolf demoness who held her in place. Hanayoshin walked up to her. She lifted her clawed hand and Tonari flinched.
Hanayoshin lifted her face up to meet her gaze with two fingers. "Tonari, please," she gasped, "mate with Sesshomaru. He will protect you."
She shook her head. "You can protect me," she said.
Hanayoshin shook her head. "I am who Naraku wants. I will deal with him. I will not let your life be endangered for the decisions I make. I refuse to repeat the past," she said. Tonari gasped. An image of a man identical to Hanayoshin flashed into her mind before it disappeared just as quickly.
"Tatsuke," she whispered.
Hanayoshin pulled her into an embrace once again surprising her. "This decision is for your protection regardless of your protests. Accept it like the princess that you are," she said. Tonari buried her face in her shoulder as she sobbed. She nodded as Hanayoshin stroked her hair.
Sesshomaru didn't know why this scene had slowly softened his heart. Some how, he somewhat understood the sudden decision as Tonari was doing.
Hanayoshin pulled out of Tonari's grasp and kissed her forehead. She wiped her tears with her thumbs. "No more tears. As a princess you will hold your head up high and support your mate-to-be with whatever decision he makes. You will remain strong and firm at his side until he dismisses you otherwise," she said.
Tonari straightened her posture and met Hanayoshin's gaze. "Understood," she said.
Hanayoshin nodded. She looked at her guards. "Ayame, Kouga, prepare for our departure. We before day break. Quickly prepare and rest before then," she said.
"Yes Milady," they said simultaneously.
Hanayoshin brushed passed them and out the door. She made her way down the corridor and rounded a corner towards her room to gather her things.
xXxXx
Hanayoshin let her hair drop to its full length. She tightened her red kimono to her body with the matching silver silk obi. She lifted her armor over her head and slipped it on. She tied it tightly then strapped her swords to her side.
Sesshomaru watched from his spot against the wall. He noticed Tonari had strapped her sword to her side in much the same way Hanayoshin did. The only differences between the two were their height and their posture.
Tonari's posture was that of a princess, graceful and elegant. Hanayoshin's however, was that of a merciless warrior. The way she stood was very much like the same way he stood. Somehow, that didn't surprise him.
Hanayoshin had caught his eye the moment he saw her cloak was removed. She was beautiful, powerful and held a lot of authority. She was tough and independent. She was kind and yet at the same time brutal.
She was everything he wanted in a mate. Tonari was her exact opposite. Tonari was kind hearted, played around and she wasn't as strong as Hanayoshin. Tonari was young compare to the two of them. She was at least nine years younger then the two of them in human years and ninety years in demon years.
He shivered at the thought. She was much too young to bear him a worthy heir to the west. She was too small. Hanayoshin would be perfect, at least in his opinion she was. He snapped out of his thoughts when Tonari approached him. She stood beside him and turned towards Hanayoshin.
Hanayoshin rested her hand on the hilt of one of her swords. She turned to exchange a few words with Kouga and Ayame.
"You like her don't you?" Tonari asked.
Sesshomaru was caught off guard. He looked at her and found her looking at Hanayoshin. "Why do you say that?" he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. I see the way you stare at her when she's not right in front of you," she said. She shrugged again. "She's everything a demon like you could want."
"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about mating with me now," he said.
"Of course I am. You and I are not meant to be," she said simply. "My safety is the last thing on my mind."
Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. He couldn't understand why she was having second thoughts. All the demoness he had met wanted him for themselves and yet here he was standing beside a teenage demoness who doesn't want to mate him and in the shadow of a demoness who rejected him the moment she challenged him in the main hall.
He snapped out of his thoughts as Inuyasha and Kagome joined them. Everyone was ready and prepared to leave. Hanayoshin turned on her heels and walked out into the courtyard just as Shippou jumped into her arms. Hanayoshin's eyes flashed blue. A wolf demon and a tiger demon swooped down from the sky and stood before her. The other mounted their horses as she and Tonari mounted the wolf and tiger. 'Wait a little longer Naraku. I am coming to grant you your death wish,' Hanayoshin thought as they took off. The wolf spread its wings and they were off. 'Let the hunt begin.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here you all are, Chapter 4!!! Yes, Hanayoshin has a hidden past that is connected to Kagome's which makes Inuyasha and Sesshomaru a little anxious to find out what the girls are hiding. The twist is, Kagome doesn't remember a thing. R&R!!! Chapter 5 up soon!!!
