Hi, I almost forgot it was my day of posting today. I haven't written anything new for this story all week; it's all about my other fic, The Bones of Seven Men. It's not as popular as this story, but the idea kept bugging me so I had to give it precedence to Target: Inuyasha. I'm so sorry! Now here we go!
Recap:
Hakudoshi watched silently and with glittering eyes as Kanna began to fulfil her chosen purpose. First, she took Akago into her pale, ghostly hands. There was a silence, broken only by Moryomaru's breathing, which was slightly heavier than usual. Kanna walked slowly towards Moryomaru, and then she placed Akago inside him.
Koga, being Koga, had not noticed one little bit of Moryomaru's actions. He was now fixing Hakudoshi with an insolent stare and saying, "Well, I'll just kill two birds with one stone. Bust up Moryomaru and Akago is defeated. It's simple!"
The smirk that came to Hakudoshi's face upon hearing Koga's brash words quickly diverted into a scowl as Sasuke and Naruto appeared behind the wolf-demon. "It's you," he spat. "The Ninjas." The tone of his voice was mocking.
It really wasn't a very good situation. Naruto was fighting someone who couldn't be killed; Sasuke and Koga were currently having their spines broken; and Sakura, Ginta, and Hakkaku had lost their souls. Talk about a bad day.
Sakura's Second Soul
The harsh wind blew strongly on Kagura and Kohaku's faces as they flew purposefully through the night sky. Kagura looked down at Kohaku's blank face and called out his name. That seemed to stir the young boy, and as he woke out of his daze he gasped, startled to find that he was on Kagura's feather. He nearly lost his balance and fell, but Kagura caught him in time.
Without waiting for any words of gratitude from Kohaku, Kagura launched into an explanation of her job and voiced her suspicions: "I think Hakudoshi has involved Kanna in his whole plotting with Akago thing, presuming those two are in cahoots."
Kohaku frowned. "If Kanna is plotting," he stated, "don't you think now would be a good time to turn against Naraku?"
Kagura nodded. "Yes, but I think we should make sure, just in case, what Hakudoshi and Kanna are doing. Also, whether or not they would consider helping us."
"Okay," said Kohaku as he scanned the landscape urgently for any signs of Hakudoshi and Kanna. In his mind he was thinking out the possibilities and, examining his bleak situation, he thought he might be beginning to see the light of hope glimmer.
Upon looking around and discovering that not only was Koga and Sasuke in peril, but that Sakura, Ginta and Hakkaku were in trouble too, Naruto yelled in a hoarsely, "Sakura!"
But he had to turn his attention to Hakudoshi and avoid a strike from his halberd. The situation was grim; Naruto had to fend for himself—he couldn't watch the other's backs.
Sasuke had come to the calm realization that he was suffocating in Moryomaru's grip, and that he seriously needed to get himself out of this unpleasant situation. With a glance downwards, he saw that Moryomaru had lifted him into the air, locking his arms in front of him. Feeling the breath being squeezed out of his lungs, Sasuke hurriedly set to work trying to perform a Jutsu. It was tough, given the circumstances, but desperation spurred him on, and his hands flitted through the hand signs necessary for liberty.
Just then, Moryomaru turned his head to the side to see whether or not Sasuke had been crushed yet, and immediately heard an ominous crack sound from the boy's direction. He snarled when he saw the source of the noise was only large a tree branch. Sasuke had used the Substitution Jutsu!
Koga, who was grimacing in pain, opened a previously screwed shut eyelid and witnessed this phenomenon. He gasped in relief when Moryomaru let him go. Moryomaru was hunting among the branches of the nearby tree for Sasuke and had forgotten all about Koga. This was without doubt a good thing. But Koga, being a headstrong fool, was determined to make his own impression on Moryomaru. "Face me, you cretin!" He spoke in a vehement tone, bringing his feet up to perform a kick.
While that was going on, Kanna was further back, staring at Sakura, Ginta and Hakkaku's bodies. Her mirror was very luminous it seemed, though she was inactive, that she was the first spotted by Kohaku and Kagura in the sky above. Kohaku pointed down at her and yelled, "They're there!"
The wind blew the feather that he and Kagura were riding down, towards the pale child. Kanna noticed this and said, in her infuriatingly toneless voice, "Kagura, Kohaku, you come."
Landing on the ground, Kagura scowled at her sister and said, "Kanna, what are you doing here?"
Kohaku bit his lip and looked around. There was no hint of Akago anywhere, although there was quite a dosage of violence occurring nonetheless. Kohaku couldn't help but notice what Kanna had done to Sakura, Ginta and Hakkaku, but he said nothing, letting Kagura do all the talking.
Kagura demanded, "Where is Akago, Kanna?"
"I sealed him," Kanna said.
"Where?" Kagura asked sharply.
"In Moryomaru," was Kanna's reply.
Kagura was starting to get frustrated with Kanna. She wasn't being rude but her long silences followed by short, dreamy replies simply got on Kagura's nerves. But before she could lose her temper, something happened that made her turn around in shock and Kohaku narrow his eyes.
Sakura had gotten to her feet, although her head was still down. Kanna stared at her, wondering how she could do that when the mirror had stolen her soul. Is she like Kagome? Does she have a very large soul? She shook her head. No, it is not a soul sustaining her… it's something else.
Inner Sakura had been very pleased in taking possession of the body since she was normally shoved into the corner of Sakura's mind. Lifting Sakura's head and splitting her face into a devious grin, Inner said, "Time for the party to begin!"
How can this be? Kagura thought incredulously. Her lips parted but no sound came out.
Hakudoshi caught a glimpse of Kagura in the midst of fighting. He scowled and, in a very displeasured voice, said, "Kagura." Ducking to avoid a punch from Naruto, Hakudoshi made his way towards Kagura and asked roughly, "How did you come to be here?"
Kagura was about to explain when Kohaku cried out, "Look!"
Everyone, including Koga, Moryomaru, Sasuke and Naruto, turned to see what Kohaku was pointing at.
Sakura had rushed at Kanna, who stood motionless, apparently unaware of the imminent danger. Kagura gasped but did nothing; Hakudoshi, the same. Only Moryomaru performed an act of charity towards Kanna, placing himself between her and Sakura.
"Out of my way, you ugly mug!" Sakura shrieked, and, as hundreds of spears started to protrude from Moryomaru's body, she rammed through the obstacle and sank her teeth into Moryomaru's neck.
The pain both must have felt, Sakura from being impaled by spears and Moryomaru from Sakura's suddenly vicious strength, was immense. Sakura was bleeding liberally and her eyes were streaming with gut-wrenching tears; but her gaze only reflected an overpowering desire to fight, and this sentiment even the savage Moryomaru could not return.
Sasuke, who was up a tree gazing down at Sakura and Moryomaru's tussle, gasped, "I never realised that Sakura…!" He left the sentence hanging; he did not know how he could finish it.
"She's stronger than she looks," Koga said as Sakura snarled and started crushing Moryomaru's spears with the strength of her limbs. She wasted no words on boasting or explaining her methods and only pulled back an arm and screamed in bloodlust as she punched Moryomaru directly in the face. Moryomaru scowled as he collapsed; Sakura paid him no more heed and continued her rampage towards Kanna.
Kanna stood, attempting vainly to activate the mirror's effect on Sakura. Nothing happened, so Kanna's mind began to wonder, Am I about to die? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She blinked calmly. I am void; my life is meaningless.
Naruto was completely flabbergasted upon witnessing Kanna's reaction to Sakura's surprising show of power. And he, as well as the others watching were doubly surprised at what occurred in the next part of the tale.
Instead of aiming for Kanna's neck, Sakura reached out and prised the mirror loose from Kanna's weak grip. Then, holding the mirror tightly with her left hand, Sakura pulled her right arm back in preparation of a crushing palm strike.
"I don't get it," said Hakudoshi. "Kanna's an expert with barriers. How did she let that girl touch her mirror?" Widening his eyes, he wondered aloud, "Did Kanna just attempt suicide?!"
Kanna almost seemed disappointed when Sakura shattered the mirror with an effortless show of taijutsu. From the shards of the broken mirror, there shone brightly the three souls of Sakura, Ginta and Hakkaku. The souls did not linger and were only briefly seen as they filled the three bodies they had departed from.
"Wow," said Koga.
Sakura blinked and shook her head, as if snapping out of something. "Wha... what happened?" she asked, gazing at Kanna, then at Hakudoshi, then at Moryomaru's sprawled form. You kicked butt, that's what, Inner told her excitedly.
Kagura and Kohaku both simply stared at Sakura then glanced at each other. "I'm sick of this," the felled Moryomaru growled. "I'm leaving." They were his first words for the night. The fact that he could speak was probably attributed to Akago's presence inside of him.
Koga could only stare in disbelief as Moryomaru retracted his spikes and shuffled away into the woods. He had met Moryomaru before and the demon was quite strong, so possibly, he was upset at having been beaten by a girl. Ginta and Hakkaku, who were looking around, yelling bewilderedly, "What's up? What's going on?" hadn't noticed a thing.
Hakudoshi didn't seem to favour the arrangements. "Moryomaru!" he snarled. "Wait up!"
"What were you doing with Moryomaru and Kanna, Hakudoshi?" Kohaku asked evenly. Hakudoshi turned to him and scowled.
"I got Kanna to seal Akago inside Moryomaru for his protection, okay?" he explained irritably. "Now leave me." He gave Kohaku no choice, for he ran off in Moryomaru's direction.
"It seems," said Kohaku softly, "that Moryomaru is developing a desire for vengeance which is overpowering his call to do as Hakudoshi says."
"Who are you?" Naruto demanded bluntly, pointing his finger rudely at Kohaku. Sakura blinked and Inner asked the same thing, although Sakura didn't speak up.
Kohaku stuttered, "I-I'm Kohaku." For a moment, he looked quite docile, so much like a little brother.
Sango's little brother.
When Sasuke had been travelling with Sango, he had heard her speak of that brother she loved, despite what he had done to and what heartache his prolonged existence caused her. And Sasuke, looking into Kohaku's eyes, thought of Sango and felt an urge to help her.
"Won't you go back to your sister?" he asked in a voice uncharacteristically tender. "Why don't you go see Sango?"
Sakura gave Sasuke an odd, furtive glance, and then stared at her feet.
"No," Kohaku said. "I'm still... Naraku is…"
"Listen," said Kagura, effectively cutting off Kohaku. "Kohaku and I plan to turn against Naraku, and only when he's gone, we'll think about the future. Would you help us?" She glanced at Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura; her voice was almost pleading.
Koga stepped forward. "If you're against Naraku, we'll help you," spoke the man whose tribe Kagura had slaughtered under Naraku's orders.
Kagura regarded him lazily. "Thank you," she said. Then she turned to Kohaku. "Come on, Kohaku, we've got to get Kanna back to Naraku."
As Kagura, Kohaku and Kanna departed, Sakura realised that, underneath her pride and mockery, Kagura was a soul as desperate as Kanna. She was truly not the person she made herself out to be. She was strong-willed, but she showed concern for others, namely Kohaku.
"Of course we'll help you, Kagura," she whispered, and her voice echoed softly in the wind.
Deep, deep, deep into the dark, dark foliage Moryomaru dove into, hiding himself from the wan moon. He crushed twigs and rocks with his heavy, disfigured body and snarled liberally, causing the forest to silence itself for Moryomaru's approval. Stepping into a clearing, Moryomaru halted and, turning, he caught sight of Hakudoshi running to catch up to him.
"Come here, Hakudoshi," he said.
Propped up against a firm tree branch, Kikyo the priestess had been resting languidly in peace. But as soon as her subconsciousness felt the presence of Moryomaru, her eyes flickered open and she turned her head towards the clearing. She said nothing, only watched intently as Hakudoshi walked to Moryomaru's side. These were her enemies she was looking on, and she did not want to ruin a good opportunity to learn something.
"What did you want to speak about, Moryomaru?" asked Hakudoshi inertly.
"Kanna," Moryomaru answered simply. "It's in her power to lift the seal at any moment, so do you think it is wise to keep her alive?"
"Yes," said Hakudoshi. "Naraku thinks that Kanna is his most faithful sentinel, so she can do more for us yet, other than hide Akago inside of you."
Kikyo narrowed her eyes.
Moryomaru chuckled softly. "Soon, Naraku will be taken down and we shall rule in his stead. But there is something I want to do first."
"What is it, Moryomaru?" Hakudoshi inquired, although it seemed to Kikyo that he already had an idea from his expression what Moryomaru's request was going to be.
"I'm going to kill that pink-haired bitch," Moryomaru replied, scowling in a very threatening manner.
Hakudoshi seemed to know who Moryomaru was referring to, since he didn't ask any more questions. He only said, "It's such a pity those interfering Ninjas came in." He sighed. "You can have your wish, Moryomaru."
Moryomaru grinned.
"I'll return to Naraku and inform his as to what has happened tonight," Hakudoshi said after a long pause. With that, he set off back in the direction of Naraku's castle. Moryomaru settled into the middle of the clearing to think. Kikyo peered intently at him, and then she turned and left. Something significant had occurred that night and it didn't sound good for her.
"Now who are you guys?" Koga demanded of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. "I've never seen any of you before."
"We're from overseas," Sakura explained hastily. "I'm Sakura, that's Naruto and this is Sasuke. You're Koga, right? Ginta and Hakkaku told me about you."
"Oh, right!" said Koga, laughing.
Sasuke was of the opinion that Koga could be trusted. He seemed to be a dependable leader, in any case, and that lead to Sasuke's next thought about him, which he voiced aloud.
"We need a leader to replace the former Jonin of our team, Kakashi Hatake. Koga, you're against Naraku; will you join Team 7?"
Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Koga's mouth opened slightly. For a moment, he looked indecisive, and then he nodded and spoke earnestly: "Why not? You're Ninjas; we can do some damage."
The implication of Koga's conceptualising hit home on Ginta and Hakkaku and they whined, from their position in the sophisticated background, "Hey, Koga, what about us?"
What about us indeed! Koga bowed his head briefly. When he turned his head back towards his comrades, a firm line had set on his mouth. "You guys have to go home, back to the mountains," he told them seriously. "It's gotten much too dangerous now for you, what with Akago inside Moryomaru. Besides, you'll slow us down."
At least Koga's honest, Ginta and Hakkaku thought, slightly ruefully. Glancing at Koga's legs, they thought about the two Sacred Jewel shards embedded there and wished that they too could have a share of Koga's power. But, knowing there was nothing they could do concerning their leader's decision-making, they only nodded and said, "All right, Koga. We'll see you around."
Koga, at this point, could not contain his emotion. This could be the last time he would see Ginta and Hakkaku, the two who had stayed by his side through thick and thin. To him, the two were his family who he loved dearly. "Take care of yourselves," he whispered, and he embraced Ginta and Hakkaku in a fierce hug.
"We will, Koga," Ginta said when the hug had ended.
"Good luck defeating Naraku!" yelled Hakkaku, waving.
Ginta and Hakkaku left, cheerfully saying goodbye to their leader Koga. And Koga was smiling fondly at them.
All this time, Naruto had been scratching his head with bemusement at the touching scene. When Ginta and Hakkaku had left, he asked, "What was that about, Koga-sensei?"
"Sensei?" Koga answered question with question, flashing Naruto an odd look.
"Well, yeah!" said Naruto, smiling. "You're our sensei now, you know!"
Koga had never been addressed as 'sensei' before, but somehow, the term sounded good to his ears. "Why, thank you," he said, grinning. "And this team shall be called Team Koga after your handsome leader," he added. Sakura giggled.
"Then we'll defeat Naraku together, shall we?" Sasuke said.
He was smiling.
As Kagura, Kohaku and Kanna returned to Naraku's castle, they found that not only had Hakudoshi gotten back before them, but Naraku was in deep conversation with Kakashi. After telling Kagura that he would continue working for Naraku, Kakashi had gone to Naraku and explained to him that, because his students would get in the way, he could not attack Inuyasha and his friends again.
Naraku had supplied: "Why don't you attack Kikyo instead?"
Naraku despised Kikyo. The part of him that was Onigumo had not allowed him to touch her, but even after expelling his human heart, Kikyo had proved too wily for Naraku to exterminate. He was a demon and she was a priestess; she still had powers over him. But Kakashi was human and a Ninja at that. He should have no trouble killing Kikyo. Perhaps the whole hiring thing had not been such an unpleasant idea.
Hanging around Naraku was more than a bad experience for Kakashi; it was like being with sin itself. Kakashi had not a temperament to be spooked, but even he could not help but feel mortified by his surroundings. He did not know how much more of it he could take, but he knew it had to end it soon.
As he left Naraku's presence, Kakashi saw Kagura enter the room. For a moment, their eyes connected, and Kagura turned away. There was a lot about Kakashi she didn't know, quite a bit, in fact. She knew he was with Naraku to protect his students, but not how faithful he was or whether he would ultimately be an obstacle to her freedom. He intrigued her as much as Sesshomaru had initially, but this interest which had spurred her to fall in love with Sesshomaru (an action she almost regretted) was not really shared by Kakashi. She knew he was a prospective enemy, but Sesshomaru was instead somewhere in-between. That was what made the difference in her mind.
"Kagura," whispered Kohaku suddenly. "I think Naraku knows what we plan to do and what Hakudoshi plans to do."
"How?" asked Kagura, suddenly feeling afraid.
"He's got an extra sentinel," Kohaku explained, pointing at something behind Kagura.
"Yo." The strange voice caused Kagura to turn around; where she saw the most peculiar thing she had ever come across. "The name's Pakkun. I've got my eye on you!" Upon saying this, the dog indicated his task by placing a paw on his eyes and then pointing it at Kagura.
Naraku had told Kakashi to spy on Kagura through Pakkun!
Preview
Naruto: We're off on an adventure! Believe it!
Koga: It seems a woman has lost her child thanks to an evil lord.
Naruto: Now it's up to us to get the kid back!
Koga: But what does that have to do with the strange peach tree in the garden?
Naruto: Well, it looks like you're going to find out, eh?
Kagome: Next time in Target: Inuyasha! "The birth of Momotaro the Peach Boy!"
Sakura: I suggest you google Momotaro and read his story before reading the chapter next week! See you soon!