Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I mean no copyright infringement. Enjoy the story.
My name is Mori. I am fifteen years old.
It has been two weeks since I masacred my castle, and joined the Shichinintai.
For the first day or two, they were unwelcoming, and gave me a lot of trouble about being a woman. However, when they recieved word that they were needed, things were beginning to change. They were sent after a village. I had been there. It was a village of thugs and theives.
One of them had stolen a hair clip my mother made for me, and I was more than ready to take it back. So, while they began to kill, I went straight to the theif's place, took back my clip, and tortured him to death. Bankotsu looked amused when I came out covered in blood, putting my hair up like nothing had happened. The others accepted me better after that.
They killed a lot in that two weeks, whether it was a job or not.
My white kimono had blood spatters all over it from my revenge killing.
In a sick way, I liked the way the spatters made a pattern on it.
But, I hadn't bathed that whole time. I was a little too nervous to try.
Now, I felt very dirty, and I desperately needed to clean the dried blood off of me.
I picked up my bag, and headed for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Renkotsu called up.
The others had left to do something other than sit in a cave all day.
I was stuck with Renkotsu in the cave.
"That's not really any of your business, is it?" I said.
He glared over his shoulder at me.
I smiled. "Made you angry!" I laughed. "Don't worry! I'll be back!"
I headed on up. I lifted the door slightly, peering around for any sign of a passer-by.
When I was sure the coast was clear, I climbed out, and closed the door behind me.
"Alright. Hasu-chan, show me to the river!" I said.
"Hai!" Hasume said.
She flew off. I followed her about a mile away, to a wide river.
The trees hung low over it, and the water ran fast.
This would work to my advantage.
I hung up my bag of one of the branches, and jumped into the river.
The water was cold, but, it felt nice on my skin.
"Ugh..." I sighed. "I so needed this!"
I began removing my kimono.
"Hasu-chan, hang this up for me." I said.
I gave her my kimono and obi.
She took them, and hung them on a branch above the river
These would serve as a changing curtain.
I took off my yukata, and had Hasume hang that up, too.
"Won't you need soap?" Hasume asked.
I shrugged, sinking down neck deep into the river.
"I'm not sure I care!" I said. "The water's running pretty fast, and it's really clean. I figure I'll get clean just sitting here!"
I rubbed my body down anyway, helping the fast current any way I could.
All the while, I felt a pressence. It was human, and very close.
"Hasu-chan, I'm still sore from my last brawl, would you get this one for me?" I asked.
"My pleasure!" Hasume said.
She flew off.
Moments later, I heard shouting.
I groaned in annoyance, took a deep breath, and submerged myself in the river.
Watching the sunlight dancing on the surface, I felt peaceful.
It was nice to relax for once. I had been really tense since joining the Shichinintai.
I smiled lazily, as I sat up, and breathed in the fresh air.
Hasume came back. "Thanks, Hasu-chan!" I said. "You've been such a good friend to me all these years...Wow! I make it sound like I'm really old!"
Hasume laughed. "Yeah! You do!" She agreed.
We laughed together for a moment.
When we finally stopped, I sighed, and leaned back in the water again.
"Mori...chan, why have you been killing?" Hasume asked.
I frowned.
"I'm not sure." I said. "I've made sure I had at least a small reason to kill...probably so that I fit in? No...I don't know."
"So, why not stop killing?" Hasume asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know." I said. "It's an interesting challenge, and hard for me to do. It's easier every time, though."
"You still get sick every night." Hasume said. "And you still have nightmares."
I looked at her. "Nightmares?" I said.
"Yeah. I'm just worried. I don't want you to suffer anymore." Hasume said.
I scrubbed the dried blood from my hair, and got out of the river.
"Don't worry about me." I said. "Onii-san said it will pass, and I trust him. I'll be fine."
I put on my clean clothes, and sighed.
Why have I been killing? I asked myself.
I threw my back pack on, and started back toward the cave.
I know why. I thought. Humans are foolish, evil creatures. They must be killed before they destroy someone else's life.
I walked back to the cave, knowing that I now had a powerful reason to keep going in this world.
Bankotsu's POV:
My name is Bankotsu. I am a mercenary.
I am the leader of the Shichinintai.
Recently, after the death of one of my men, I picked a new member to take his place.
It was a woman, and I had my doubts about her.
But, the girl could kill. She didn't kill much, but, when she did...man! She was something else.
I had noticed that she was running out alot at night, and began to suspect betrayal.
So, when I heard her laughing in the forest, I headed over to listen in on her conversation.
I took cover behind a tree, and sat to listen.
"Mori...chan, why have you been killing?" her Shikikami asked her.
She was silent for a moment.
"I'm not sure," Mori answered. "I've made sure I had at least a small reason to kill...probably so that I fit in? No...I don't know."
"So, why not stop killing?" the Shikikami asked.
I heard water splashing. "I don't know." Mori answered. "It's an interesting challenge, and hard for me to do. It's easier every time, though."
"You still get sick every night." the Shikikami said. "And you still have nightmares."
Sick? I thought. She gets sick every night? Come to think of it, Mukotsu did step in some nasty puddle when he came out today.
"Nightmares?" Mori asked.
"Yeah." the Shikikami said. "I'm just worried. I don't want you to suffer anymore."
I heard light splashing, and then water spilling.
"Don't worry about me." Mori said. "Onii-san said it will pass, and I trust him. I'll be fine."
I heard cloth rustling, a sigh, and the flop of the strange sack she carried with her.
She walked away, never noticing my pressence.
"Hmm." I said.
I now knew that it was a wise decision to take her in.
She was a loyal member of this group, and that probably wouldn't change any time soon.
I headed back, to the cave, feeling better now that all my doubt was lifted...