The summons from Nobunaga came as a total surprise to Yengnnan. He knew that the Great Idiot was in Kyoto but he did not know for what reason. Many Buddhists had a great deal of hostility towards Nobunaga, most notably the Ikki-Ikku. Yengnnan did not feel that animositiy.
He grieved for the thousands who were killed on Mount Hiei, but he did not condemn Nobunaga for his actions. In life sometimes terrible things happened to people. One did not hate another for doing these things. Life would go on or not.
As a Zen Master he did not require the actual politcial power that sohei and the Ikki-Ikku wanted. His life was comprised of learning the teachings of the Buddha and taking care of his administrative duties. He was happy discussing the teachings of the Buddha with the faithful or with the Christian missionaries. It did not matter to him which particular shogun was in power or which daiymo controlled him They were all irrelevant to his life's work of serving the Buddha.
Living in Kyoto Yengnnan understood political power. He knew the shogun personally. Recently, he had introduced a Spanish priest whom he had befriended to the shogun. Today he was receiving a summons from the who currently held the power of the shogun even as the shogun stretched out his hands to Nobunaga's enemies to take back that power.
He hurried up the steps of the kuge dojo o f the Oda clan in Kyoto. The guards viewed the summons from Nobunaga. They decided it was genuine and passed the eminent monk from the Zen temple of Kennan-ji through the doors for his audience with Oda Nobunaga.
The monk found the great man sitting in his council chamber. He presented his summons to an aide and took his seat on the floor before the great man. He knew that he was not allowed raise his eyes to look at the daiymo unless he gave you permission. What could Nobunaga want of him? He was not a warrior. The political connections he had to the shogun would not put him in good graces with the Oda clan. His temple was not a violent one. They did not have the power of many of the Buddhist Temples. Their area of concentration was the repeating of the mantras of the Buddha. It was said that if there no one left who knew the Shurangama Mantra that the demons would be released to ravage the world.
At last the great man motioned for his aides to bring the monk to him. The monk was hoisted to his feet and brought to Nobunaga's side. At length Nobunga spoke " I have a problem . One of m yweapons is broken. It used to be a hanyou. Now due to an offuda which is still attached to it, it is human and unconcious. I need you to release it from the offuda, restore the demon to it and allow me to control it so that it does not go on a rampage again as it did at Mt.Hiei.
Yengnnan stared at Nobunaga. The first part of the request would require undoing whatever offuda had been placed on the hanyou. Once it was removed the hanyou should be restored and awaken. They must place him inside a pentacle before they remove the spell in case there were any adverse effects.. At last he said to Nobunaga
"Can I see the demon.?"
Nobunaga nodded and led him into an underground chamber which was obviously a dungeon. A locked door was opened by the guard. There in one corner of the chamber was a very thin albino boy with long black hair. He had a red robe and hakama. The smell coming from him was overpowering. Yengnnan and the guards had to cover their noses. Yengnnan walked over to the hanyou.
The offuda which had been slapped on him in the heat of battle was clearly visible. He called for some paper and ink to trace the offuda. This project would require some study.The offuda he was told had been copies out of book kept by Tendai monks on Mt.Hiei. Releasing it should not require too much difficulty. He must be careful. The a hanyou was Nobunaga'a pride and joy he could not afford to any mistakes.
He would have delve deeply into his temples store of Mantra to find just the mantra and sutra which would open the correct Dharma doors. It would require further study. Yengnnan took his leave and returned to his temple. He promised to return within a week. To meet such a promise he would have to use all the manpower and resources of his temple. He would have to get right to work.
Nobunaga was left dissatisfied. Would the monk meet his deadline? There was enemies on his borders and enemies even within Kyoto. The sooner his weapon was returned to full power the better.
He reread the scroll from Tokugawa. The Takeda and Hojo threatened to take everything from his ally. Until Inuyasha recovered he could spare only a few thousand troops. He should have killed the monk who did this to Inuyasha instead of sending him on a fools errand to Sesshoumaru. Oh well, too late now. He would have trust in the abilitiy of monk to heal Inuyasha and the ability of Tokugawa to hold out in his castles against the Takeda and Hojo until help could arrive.did this to Inuyasha instead of sending him on a mission to Kyushu.
A week later the monk returned together several other monks of his temple. They had many ornate scrolls and sutras. They were ushered into the dungeon where Nobunaga and Inuyasha
were waiting for them. Inuyasha was place in the center of the penticle. Yengnnan began to chant. As he chanted he began to remove the sutra on Inuyasha. The other monks were also chanting mantras to protect themselves against demons.
As the sutra was removed there was a flash and the sound of thunder. Inuyasha slowly began to awaken and return to his hanyou form. He tried to move outside the penticle and found that he could not.. He gazed among Nobunaga. What were they doing? Why was Nobunaga using monks to imprison him.?
"What the fuck is going on?"
"Silence, hanyou, you turned into a monster. These monks just revived you. You were out of control and killed some of my men. We are going make sure that you never lose control of yourself again."
Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He did not remember losing control of himself. But then he did not remember being unconcious for a week.. He was not sure how to react. Certainly, he did not want to lose control to his demon. He had been devastated by the results in the past. If Nobunaga thought that the monks could control the reappearance of the monster that he sometimes became he had no choice but to accede to the request. He had not desire to kill humans.
Seeing that the first phase of control had been successful, he decided to proceed to the second stage. He began to chant the Shurangama Mantra while his monks chanted the Shurangams Sutra
Though he was familiar with the Mantra, having recited it many times, he had never recited for the purpose of summoning and controlling demons. However, this is only mantra he had which answered the request of Nobunaga to control the demon.
Nobunaga was already impatient. He had his hanyou back. Now the monks needed to give him a control mechanism over the hanyou. Time was of the essence here.
The chanting increased. in volume. Inuyasha was surrounded by swirling lines of energy. Above it all was a crown which was dispelling the darkness. Light began to pour from Yengnnan ashe chanted the mantra.
The three lights universally illumine, permeating the three forces.
In all this world of Jambudvipa you may not come upon it.
Only those with great virtue and great goodness will attain it.
Those lacking virtue and goodness just won't understand it.
The three lights were being emitted by mouth, the body and the mind of the monk representing heaven, earth and the people. These lights were a pure white. As Inuyasha stared at the lights there was suddenly a swirling red light.
A thousand petaled red lotus supports one's body.
As one sits firmly mounted on a black unicorn.
Seeing this, the hordes of monsters go far away to hide.
Dharma Master Ji, the Venerable,
mastered these wonderful sounds.
It seemed to Inuyasha that the red lights had been transformed into a thousand red lotuses which now supported the monk. The monk now appeared to Inuyasha to be riding a black unicorn. The monk now recited the lines which protected the Triple Jewel and caused demons to flee.
take refuge with all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas,
all the Hearers and Condition-Enlightened Ones,
and all the gods throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm.
Inuyasha felt the urge to flee but being trapped by the penticle, he could not do so. The mantra was said to each of the ten Buddhas from the ten directions to defend against the five demons armies.
Unendingly miraculous and mysterious,
it's extremely hard to fathom.
This vajra secret language wells forth from your own nature.
Inside the Shurangama Mantra is marvelous magic!
Then come five eyes and six penetrations and the Way opens up.
Having trapped Inuyasha within the five divisions of the Mantra.,Yengnnan prepared the the Hooking and Summoning Dharma. Inuyasha slowly began to change. His eyes turned a bright red with blue pupils. His fangs grew so long that they overlapped his mouth. His claws nearly doubled in size.
Nobunaga was shaking with fear. He had wanted to control the demon. Instead the monk had summoned the demon. It looked like it might escape and kill them all.
Yengnnan had anticipated this eventuality. He knew that the only way to control the demon was to summon it and then subjugate it. The monk began to chant the Dharma of Subduing. Inuyasha howled in pain. He railed against the barrier which the monk had established. Finally, the monk completed his chanting. All of the Dharma-doors had now been opened. Balance had been achieved.
" Demon, behold your master. It is he that released it is he controls the reins over you. From now on you shall obey his commands. Your freedom is gone. His enemies are your enemies. His will is your will. Your strength, your heart and soul belongs to him."
Nobunaga was not sure what to do at this point. To his surprise the demon began to speak to him
"I was banished the day I was born. The sword that the hanyou carries controls me. I am not allowed to see the light of day. This cruel banishment was my own father's doing. I was only released when the sword was broken. You may control me., but you have given me a freedom that I could never hope to attain. By summoning me , you have banished the hanyou and the human deep within the sword. I will never allow to return. This is my time. I am grateful to you, master. I am yours to command. All I ask for is blood. This is my payment. So long you keep me sated with the blood of your enemies you have nothing to worry about from me."
Nobunaga realized that the creature in front of him was very different from the independent soul of Inuyasha. This beast could be both a blessing and a curse. It would kill without mercy. He must make sure that it killed only those persons that Nobunaga desired to kill.
The monk waited. He was not sure what to make of the demon standing before him . The demon was certainly subjugated, but it would test the reins which Nobunaga kept on it. The monk approached Nobunaga.
"Lord , am I finished here?"
Nobunaga stared at him " I think that you should remain and make sure that your creature remains under my control. If that control should ever fail the first person to die would be you.
The monk quivered in fear. He had not anticipated this happening to him. The demon chuckled.
"Well,monk, it appears that we are all trapped together. Have no fear I will make your death a quick and painful one."
The monk fainted and the demon laughed
Nobunaga wondered what he had gotten himself into.
At last Miroku arrived at the Western Shiro on Kyushu. He was ushered before Sesshoumaru and handed him the scroll. Before opening the scroll, the Lord of the West questioned the former monk at length. When he was finished. Miroku waited. He was curious as to what was in the scroll. Instead, he was summariliy dismissed by Sesshoumaru. Miroku went to seek out Kagome whom he had not seen since Naraku had defeated eleven years ago. The two of them had a lot of reminiscing to do.
Sesshoumaru unrolled the scroll and stared at it for some time. The contents were troubling. He had long tried to avoid human entanglements. Nobunaga and his gaijin allies had made his life difficult. Now here was his first message from a person who saw himself as the Lord of Japan.
This Sesshoumaru would have to go to Gifu and see what was happening.Then he would knowhow to deal with the '"Great Idiot" and his baka little brother. No challenge could ever go unanswered.