Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters, welcome to the wonderful (and addicting) world of Fanfiction!

Warning: Bankotsu is a guy (and 14 in the ficcy in the beginning), Jakotsu is also a guy (and 18 in this ficcy in the beginning). So if you didn't know this fic contains at least SHOUNEN-AI (guys kissin' and cuddlin') and possibly YAOI (explicit sex scenes between guys). And throw me one for Pedophile since Bankotsu is under aged in our time. Oh and Necrophilia since Kikyou is dead. Cannibalism, because Kyoukotsu will eat anything including humans.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy it. This is so short! You know me all blood and details. Well I realized too late that the village was really too small and had no defenses. And therefore with seven members would have been boring to write out. So for all you sadist sorry.

"Deutsch" means Jakotsu's speaking German

"Deutsch" means Jakotsu or Bankotsu is speaking German (and both understand it) Bankotsu will only know key words and a few phrases.

Happy Reading!

Na

The Right Pebble

Once the soul is stained with blood, no amount of water will wash it clean. The chains of hell have already claimed the red marked soul, so what is the point in stopping the blood flow?

Chaputa-shichi

A thick fog coated the village that had the potential to be one of the largest trade pinnacles in all of Nippon; it held the roads from coast to mountains in its arms. But the people of this small village were quiet and frightened for just over the ridge was a dead village, where an evil apparition lived. Days ago they had sent six fool hardy youkai taiji-ya to the dead village and now all eyes were on the road eager to see them return or not.

Through the fog came the sound of slow steady footsteps, though it was the sound of only four separate feet. Being dragged along was the creaky sound of an old cart loaded with a good sized burden.

It was a sound that the people of the village had never heard in over a decade; the sound of something approaching them from the dead village at a slow leisurely pace. A hurried pace they have heard a dozen times or more, but the creature that lived in the dead village soon quelled such hast in death.

So fear and anticipation rose as the fog parted and the silhouette of two large men pulling a cart could be seen. A collection of gasps rose through the crowd one of the two men, the redhead was one of the taiji-ya they had sent off. A bit closer still and the people could recognize their rice cart, although not laden with rice but with five men. Breathing a sigh of relief, the taiji-ya returned, they were no longer plagued with the demon of the dead village.

The crowd dispersed seemingly happy to go about their normal peaceful lives, once such a thing was assured. The Daimyou stood before his home daughters at his side, the elder man his hair slightly graying was all smiles; today would prove to be a good day.

The slightly lopsided cart, due to the fact that one of the wheels was bigger then the rest, came to a noisy halt and the passengers all got off thanking the to large men for pulling the cart. The six men arranged themselves in front of the cart weapons drawn but lax, as the youngest stepped up to deal with the Daimyou.

"As you can see we delivered the rice," stated Bankotsu an easy yet knowing smile graced his lips.

The smile made the small village leader nervous, "Were there not six of you before?"

"Six? Iie we are the Shichinin-tai, we always had and will always have seven members," chuckled the teenager, blue eyes hard and piercing the man before him.

"The Shichinin-tai? But they died years ago," stuttered the Daimyou stumbling back a few steps.

"Ara, that was just a minor set back," the grip on Banryuu tightened, as the boy drawled, "You know Mitokku-sama sent us on a mission of his own; to retrieve something of this village."

"Ara, really what would that be?" asked the man his eyes darting every which way, he saw his daughters huddled together just inside the door.

Bankotsu smiled, his eyes became small and manic, "Your lives." Banryuu was swung in a swift arch, that the moment those words settled in the man's head it fell to the ground. The three girls screamed, and cold blue eyes turned towards them.

Immediately the three girls threw themselves at Bankotsu's feet bowed, "Onegai," said one, "We'll do anything just let us live."

Not one to be partial to begging, Bankotsu growled readying his oohoko for another strike. Mukotsu quickly stepped forward, "Bankotsu no Oo-aniki, give them to me."

Everything was deathly still for a moment before the young leader quipped, "Show them your face Mukotsu, if one of them screams or won't have sex with you, Jakotsu will get to kill them."

Almost eagerly removing the white cloth that covered his face Mukotsu looked at the girls for a reaction. All three had gasped three golden-brown orbs wide, but none screamed. Mukotsu laughed maliciously with glee, as the young leader turned towards his men, "Kill the villagers, and load the bodies onto the cart! Renkotsu no fire, Mukotsu watch your pets, until we need your poison." The village that once thought that the return of the men meant that their lives would be peaceful, were about to breathe their last breathe.

Children running in the streets halted at the shadow of a tall man, his hair black and face painted with green markings. They were going to question the man to whether he wanted to play with them or not. But before a sound could be uttered a clawed hand rose and slashed down across the chest of the nearest child. Using that as leverage to pull his body weight forward Suikotsu brought his other hand down upon the next child.

Screams erupted from the remaining three children as they ran off, the insane doctor chasing after them. A few concerned grandparents too old to be working in the field came out of the huts to see what the matter was; only to fall at Suikotsu's passing claws.

The river was lined with women doing the weeks wash, each one peacefully talking to another. They never even saw the figure clad in a yukata, his lips painted bright red sneering at the women. One of the women a younger mother on the end heard an odd zipping noise as something rustled a few of the nearby leaves. Turning her head she could not even utter a sound before Jakotsutou struck her dead, a clean cut to the throat.

Another one of the ladies upon feeling the sting across their own neck looked up and screamed upon the sight of her friend floating face down in the river shallows, crimson trickling down stream. Six pairs of eyes rose to see what the matter was, only to meet with Jakotsutou on its return trip.

The pale wrist flicked back over the pink shoulder, as black eyes scanned the eight bodies, "Filth," sneered snake bone turning and walking up the bank to the edge of the rice field, black eyes scanned the dozen female forms, "more filth."

The men in the fields fought back against their attackers, with pitch forks and hoes. But one-by-one they fell to the hands of the mercenaries. Some fell early on to the two large men that rushed the fields ax and ball and chain swinging. The cowards that headed for the woods were shot by Renkotsu. And the brave men who had made it back to the village were caught by the manic doctor.

Bankotsu had decided that he would start loading bodies onto their lopsided cart. He had known prior to getting to the village that as much as the Doctor needed his rest, Suikotsu would need blood. And thus the sleep bone would be little help with the clean up.

Picking up the bodies of a couple nearby children the braided leader was happy to see a few of the other already collecting bodies and bringing them towards his direction. Jakotsu came up the path from the direction of the lower lands he smiled and waved before bypassing the dead bodies of an old woman protecting a now dead child, and picking up a dead man his leg splinted.

"Oi Ban-chan, there are some filth by the river and in the rice field," said Jakotsu, as black eyes watched the young leader pick up the body of an old man in addition to the two children he already was carrying. Blue eyes nodded as they walked towards the cart.

Putting the bodies on the cart Bankotsu looked up at Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu; far behind them he could see Renkotsu dragging a couple bodies out of the forest. Blue eyes returned to the taller members, "Ginkotsu, could you collect the bodies by the river and rice field. Kyoukotsu, Jakotsu and I will work on the fields and Suikotsu's kills. I don't think I need to tell you to leave Suikotsu alone for now."

The villagers were quick to kill as they were quick to believe that with the return of the 'taiji-ya' they were safe. But it took two horse drawn cart loads to bring all the bodies to the center of the dead village. They also picked up all the skeletons along the path to the dead village and placed them in the center with the bodies.

At which point a calmer Suikotsu opting to see no more blood, watched Mukotsu's pets; as the poison wielder took a ceramic jug very carefully to the dead village. Placing the jug on the top of the pile of dead bodies some not even cold; he walked quickly to the only hut and the other mercenaries.

"Renkotsu, can you shoot that jug from here?" asked the mist bone.

Aiming his rifle at the bottle the ex-monk nodded, "Hai."

"O-ke, this is highly dangerous so we should all leave- and as soon as the jug breaks leave Renkotsu," stated Mukotsu turning and beginning to walk back to the other village.

"Matte Mukotsu, are you sure this will clean everything up?" asked Bankotsu glancing at the short white back and then the pile of bodies and back again.

The white clad kotsu turned to look at his leader, "The contents of that jug might cause a small explosion upon contact with the bullet, but either the vapor released or the fumes will literally melt through the flesh and bone perhaps a few trees. If we find dead fish in the river then the water is contaminated and not safe to drink or use till there are live fish again. And the ground should be fine for the next planting season."

Bankotsu nodded and then turned to their large green haired friend, "Are you sure you are all right with this Kyoukotsu? This was your home."

"It is time to move on," replied evil bone turning and leaving the dead village. Slowly one-by-one the members all left, until there was only Renkotsu.

Once more setting his sights and aiming his gun he let the powder light and watched the iron smash the ceramic jug. Green eyes were curious of the mist bone's science and lingered. There was no explosion, but he could see that the pile had shrunk as if the bodies on top simply disappeared or perhaps they did melt.

Turning on his heel, Renkotsu walked swiftly back. Yes it was truly time to move on and they had such a great beginning all on Bankotsu own will.

Author's Note: The chemical used is Hydronium perchlorate or Perchloric acid all though not the strongest acid it was the best I could find that all its ICSC warnings stated 'Corrosive' even for 'inhalation'. Over 72 concentration could explode from something like friction. Since 19-year-old undergrads can't buy Hydronium perchlorate to run experiments for writing fanfiction I'm guesstimating that Mukotsu's solution was 50 or under. I highly doubt they would have Hydronium perchlorate in that time period but let me have my fun oke? Oh and if you didn't know acid can't corrode ceramic.

And I lied; Mukotsu will be getting some now. I swear I was typing and the next thing I knew Ben was sparing their lives! But before I deleted it I thought of some future twists I could put in because of them so they are here to stay for a few chaps at least.

So what did you think love it, or hate it just tell me. I hate to beg for review but I have very few reviews for this fic and none since chapter three. So I don't know if there is want for it to be continued so fast, since I refuse to stop a fic. Just so you know next chap is when things on a personal level start to take off for Ban and Ja, now that the group is together although it is a year after this chap so Ban is 17. Anyways one positive review is all I ask, or I might put the fic on hold, if I think no one is reading it and liking it. Thanks!

Na