Author's Note: This is my first attempt at any sort of a fight scene. If you see discrepancies...sorry :) If you have any advice for future ones I'm open.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or characters of Inuyasha. Only the characters that I've come up with all by my little self.

It had only been few days since Sango had arrived at the immense fortress. Sango was still amazed at its size and beauty. She had no idea that Sesshoumaru had begun building an empire as often as he ventured out alone with only a small toad demon and a human child as some form of company. Things here were so peaceful and relaxed.

She was fast becoming restless.

With Inuyasha, something was always going on. Whether it was the search for Naraku or traveling to certain areas to assist a village with a demon problem. She was always going somewhere, always doing something.

Kohaku absently entered her mind. She had learned quickly that where Naraku was hiding wasn't necessarily where she'd find her brother. However, she was vastly aware that once Naraku was gone, then she'd have a chance to find her brother. Except for one thing:

The jewel shard that kept him alive.

How was he going to live if it was required that the jewel be whole in order to destroy Naraku?

Sango gave a small forlorn sigh. Even the beauty of the Cascades couldn't keep her mind from wandering what she was going to do were she not, in a sense, trapped in this beautiful prison.

"You are troubled?" came a gentle voice, but still managed to startle Sango out of her self-induced conflict.

Sango turned quickly only to relax once she saw the concerned visage of Kiyoushi, his bluer than blue eyes held his concerned question and she marveled at its unusual wonder.

"No more so than usual," was her casual reply as she glided to a wooden bench near the large pond that she walked beside.

"You seem somewhat…" Kiyoushi couldn't find the diplomatic word.

"Bored?"

At that, Kiyoushi's mouth turned up in a quirk. "I should think your little shadow would keep you busy to the point of even my exhaustion," he said as he laid a hand upon his chest.

Sango chuckled lightly. "Rin tends to wander to do her own thing along with her curriculums. No offense, Kiyoushi, but I am a demonslayer and I'm just used to more…" it was her turn now to find the correct wording. She didn't want to simply blurt out that killing demons could be quite the exercise.

Kiyoushi raised a thoughtful brow. "…a more rigorous routine?"

"Yes! Absolutely," she replied quickly. "Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a rest just as much as the next person, but this lack of activity is starting to take its toll. I fear the more I simply sit, my use as a fighter will diminish while my backside will begin to increase."

Kiyoushi delicately brought a hand up to hide his full-fanged grin. With a quick clearing of his throat, "Then perhaps I have a viable solution to your…dilemma."

At that, Sango perked up, her brown eyes widening in anticipation. Kiyoushi thought perhaps she reminded him of Rin for a moment. Wide-eyed innocence and hopefulness.

"Come with me," he said as he motioned for her to follow after him.

Curiosity and hope of something other than drifting around like a piece of fuzz pushed Sango to her feet as she followed after the demon clad in black.

"If you wish to enhance your skills I am certain that Kane would be glad to assist you," Kiyoushi casually informed.

That was the most interesting offer she'd heard since she'd arrived. "And who is he?"

Kiyoushi grinned knowingly. "He is head of the guard and most accomplished in several different arts. In addition that he knows a few little tricks you could put up your sleeve."

Sango could hardly contain her exuberance. She was badly in need of exercise or she was going to turn into a lump of mush. "Then what are we waiting for?"

With that, Sango followed Kiyoushi to the third bailey, the training area for most of Sesshoumaru's men.

Sango stood for a moment as she watched a group of demons, all in perfect lines practicing their movements. Yet one demon stood out from the rest before the group. His wild auburn hair pulled up into a ponytail with long, jagged locks hanging down the sides of his face. While he looked no older than she in appearance, she was positive that he was older than even Kiyoushi. His eyes glinted green. Despite his young appearance, a nasty jagged scar that ran vertical from forehead to cheekbone directly in the middle of his right eye gave him a rough countenance.

'Or it could be that he had a rough countenance period,' she thought wryly.

As Sango gazed at the demon that seemed to command her attention merely by standing there, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness that he reminded her of someone.

Someone she knew.

Someone that was gone.

She looked back to the demon's eyes once more. Benign at first glance, but she could see the experience that comes with skill and age crinkling in the corners, the discipline in his unwavering expression of concentration.

'Father,' she thought, the bittersweet emotion causing her to smile in the demon's direction. She was willing to bet that he was as strictly disciplined of his men and even more so of himself. He demanded nothing less than excellence.

He had been the one to hand down Hiraikotsu when she had killed her first demon.

She was abruptly pulled from her daydream when she noticed the demons had dispersed and were staring at her.

"Well Kiyoushi," a voice demanded and Sango nearly winced at the abrasive sound. "Do you mind explaining why you've interrupted my training by bringing this…this…?

He wouldn't finish as he gestured to Sango. His disgust was very plain.

"Now Kane, is that any way to speak to a guest?" Kiyoushi replied in his usual good nature.

"Guest?" the demon scoffed and to Sango it sounded almost painful. Did he take pottery fragments as part of his daily diet? However, she was still quite aware that he was insulting her.

"The last that I heard, a mere human child had to save this 'guest' from a mere lower class demon," he said with a snort of derision.

Okay, that was enough.

"Then perhaps you'd care to test my skill," Sango finally spoke up as she stepped in between the two towering demons.

Kane burst out laughing. Also an ugly sound and it was followed by scoffs and guffaws from various demons behind them.

Sango whirled to glare at them and then back to Kane.

"I understand," she replied calmly as she stepped away from them. "Losing a challenge to a human would be quite the blemish on your otherwise perfect record."

Sango watched with pure delight as the demon's face fell from a mocking expression to pure anger.

"Good day, gentlemen," she waved lightly and turned to walk away.

Kane was near shaking with fury at this human that had just insulted him, his honor and in front of his men no less. 'To hell with Lord Sesshoumaru', he thought rashly and lunged for Sango's back, sword drawn.

Sango knew exactly what she was doing as she sidestepped him. Her father, despite his touting of discipline, was the worst for allowing someone to goad him. She assumed that was where she got it from for she willingly admitted she was just as bad. Her guess had been correct that Kane would be no different.

However, a mere sidestep was not going to deter Kane. He swiped at her with his blade and she flipped backwards in avoidance to land in a crouch a few feet further away from him.

"I would never guessed that you would be the type of creature to attack someone's back, much less someone unarmed," Sango berated him with a teasing glint in her eyes as he lunged for her again, his sword raised over his head to strike.

Sango swept her feet under him, but he avoided her attack by leaping into the air and came down hard with his blade.

But Kane didn't hear the satisfying sound of torn flesh, but the clang of metal as he saw the girl had ejected a blade from within her clothing to block his attack.

Sango forgot berating him as she now realized that she was fighting for her life. Kane would kill her, of that she didn't doubt for a moment. Releasing the blade in her other arm, she swung at him, but his deft demon skill evaded her easily while swiping down at her again.

'He is only using his blade to fight me', she thought as she barely managed to avoid the tip of his sword. Surely he has some form of demonic power, yet he isn't using it. Perhaps a show of demonic force would prove he needed extra protection against a mere human and he wouldn't display that sort of weakness.

She watched as Kane threw away his blade and came at her with his claws. Hand to hand.

Now it was getting serious.

Sango ran towards a large bamboo stake driven into the ground to hold targets for practicing archery. She leapt to grasp the sturdy pole with both hands and used her body weight as momentum to spin around. As she hoped, her feet came into contact with Kane's chest with a loud thud and "whoosh" from him as she knocked him away from her to land hard on the ground.

Kane was up in seconds and slashed the pole with his sharp claws while Sango was still in mid-spin. She collapsed to the ground, the bamboo still in her grip and Kane leapt on top of her to press the cane into her throat.

Sango knew she was now outmatched, but she poured every ounce of strength in preventing his choking her to death while pushing at his abdomen with her feet in hopes of flipping him off of her.

The two locked gazes as both struggled for dominance. Both paid no heed to the crowd of demons that had gathered to watch this entertaining fight between one of the best demon fighters around and a mere human woman.

Sango could see the scar on his face begin to turn red with strain. His eyes displayed no emotion as he continued to try and press the life from her. Her arms were growing weary and she knew that she could not last much longer, but yet she continued to put as much of strength into her survival.

"Enough!" came a bellow that even managed to startle Sango despite her state.

She watched as Kane eased off of her to sit back on his haunches and stare at her. He displayed no emotion as he carefully stood and took a few steps to where she still lay propped on her elbows.

Sango looked up at him, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath from her exertions, while Kane didn't even appear to have broken a sweat. Without so much as a word, Sango watched as the demon with sea green eyes extended a scarred, clawed hand towards her.

Dumbstruck at the gesture, Sango took his hand and marveled as he helped her to stand. No more malevolence or anger from this demon, whom just a moment ago, tried to kill her.

"I suppose you've done well enough," he remarked coolly. "However, not excellent."

Quiet mumbles from the demons surrounding them caught Sango's attention as she looked around at them. She caught no jeers, no snide remarks, but perhaps genuine opinions as to her skill.

"Then teach me," she declared, taking a step towards him.

"No," he replied quickly. "Surely it is a sacrilege for a demon to instruct a demonslayer in the arts of fighting and defense."

Sango's shoulders fell. So why put her through such a rigorous test if all for nothing?

"Tell me Kane, have you ever killed a demon?" His face showed no expression and he said nothing, but his silence was her definitive answer.

"So what makes you so different from me?"

"I do not kill demons for a fee," he replied curtly.

"So you have never killed a demon for your lord's land, to acquire status, or simply to defend your people?"

Still no response, but he relaxed in his stance and crossed her arms over his chest. She knew then that she'd won the argument.

"Very well," he conceded. "But I will only hone your skill to a greater perfection. I will teach you nothing of our methods."

Sango smiled. "Understood," she replied with a gentle smile. "I am greatly honored," she added and bowed to him at the waist.

For only a second of a moment, Sango saw an unguarded expression pass quickly across his face, but was soon replaced with his typical discipline.

"Bright and early," he commanded and then walked away from them back to the training field. "I will not tolerate idleness or tardy behavior."

After a quick nod of understanding from Sango, Kiyoushi then escorted her back towards the donjon where she was certain that Rin waited for her.

"You did well," he complimented as they walked along the gravel path.

"I suppose," she sighed.

"You do not sound pleased," he remarked with confusion.

"He could've killed me easily, Kiyoushi," she replied matter-of-factly. "He took it easy on me and I'm not sure why."

"Perhaps, he could sense your strength and determination as a warrior and found admiration in that," he insisted.

"But I'm human."

"Sango," Kiyoushi began. "Not all demons hold Lord Sesshoumaru's seeming disdain for the human race. I would think your friend, Inuyasha, should prove to be a great testament to that."

At the mention of Inuyasha, Sango's felt the cheer of familiarity and then a wave of longing. Apparently Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father didn't have a great dislike for humans.

Her friend.

She hadn't realized that she was growing to miss the pompous, loud mouth half-demon.

"Sango!" Rin cried as she ran up to them. "My new flowers bloomed. Come see!"

Kiyoushi politely excused himself as the two human females trotted off towards the gardens. 'Wait until Lord Sesshoumaru catches wind of this,' he thought wryly.

The head of his guards training the human female.

Author's Note: Just want to say that I had already written this chapter long before I'd ever seen 'Rurouni Kenshin'. Needless to say, I thought it was an amazing coincedence, but I was so used to Kane in that way that I didn't want to change him. I promise, no Kenshin inspiration on my part in regards to Kane.