Chapter 12: Inuyasha

A/N: Inuyasha is about (at the start of this chapter) eight years old. He ages like a human for the first few years up until puberty so he literally has only seen 8 years. If you look back to his past he'll grow up developmentally the same, meaning aside from keen senses. He's got no demonic ability until teen years.

Also location wise think of the Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Lands as the main countries of this world. The four of them combined is about the size of the Asian Continent. A sizable portion of it under the rule of the Western Lands. NWES Lands are all next to each other in their respectful geographical location, but surrounding them are various small independent countries, and islands. Inuyasha is currently in one of those lands.

His eyes opened and was greeted harshly by the afternoon sun. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the light. He was lying down, that much he knew, it was hard and cold, but it wasn't completely uncomfortable. He looked at his surroundings briefly and after ascertaining that he was in fact outside and in the middle of the woods he slowly moved the foliage that seemed to have been lain on top of him with careful thought.

He sat up from where he had been lying and continued to watch his surroundings, he watched the birds, took the time to feel the cool breeze and looked at the trees that seemed to sing. He felt their presence as if he was surrounded by people. He smiled at them fondly while saying good morning. He liked the way they felt. It seemed as though he was not alone.

He didn't remember anything or know anything. He didn't know who he really was or where he came from, he didn't even know what he looked like. All he knew upon waking and taking his surroundings was that trees were a good companion, rabbits smelled good enough to eat and he was pretty sure that he had lost something. He just didn't know what it was or where to find it again.

He decided not to worry about finding his lost item yet, instead he focused on his growling belly. The rabbits were definitely good enough to eat. He set out to hunt a rabbit or two. He knew the theory behind hunting, but he couldn't recall ever having done it.

The hunting was messy. He knocked out two rabbits and used his semi-dull claws to kill the rabbits. He knew he didn't eat raw animals, but he could definitely cook it. He set the rabbits down and prepared a little fire. He wondered if it took this long for others. By the time the rabbit had started cooking, the sun was much lower from the sky than when he first woke up.

By the time he was done eating, he was messy. He looked at his hakama that was covered with blood, dirt and other kinds of grime. He needed a bath. Once he found a stream he could wash and get a drink. He quickly smelled the air and used his keen sense of hearing to listen for the roars of the waters. He quickly found his way to a small stream and immediately took a drink of the cool water. Mid drink he paused. Instead of drinking the water he had palmed in his hands, he used it instead to wash the grime off his face. He hadn't remembered what he looked like at all, but the reflection in the water immediately showed him what he looked like. He knew the world consisted of demons and humans and as he stared at his reflection he realized he was a demon.

The pale complexion was about the only thing human about him. The small fangs, his claws from earlier had hinted his species, but the puppy dog ear, honey golden eyes and silvery tresses were definitely of a demon nature. He was a demon, he had not wanted to be one or the other, simply accepting that he was a demon. At least he knew he'd be able to defend himself in the wild, because after all, aside from the trees as company it seemed as though he was alone. No parents and no siblings. No family. But it didn't sadden him though, instead he was filled with a nagging emotion to find what he knew he had lost. Although nothing in his memories helped him remember what he had lost.

It didn't take long for the young demon to find other fellow demons. He was cautious and found many lower level demons that had no humanoid form or the ability for speech, he either ran from them or killed them in a very messy and bloody battle. Often resulting in him recovering on a high branch for a few days.

But today he found one demon with a humanoid form that had the ability for speech. This demon though was… there was no other way to explain it...it was ugly. He tried not to grimace at his looks; aside from the trees, he'd had no other companions and none that he could talk to. This was the first opportunity he's had since he had awoken from his slumber from which he couldn't remember his past to actually talk to someone.

Inuyasha cautiously stepped forward, he immediately regretted his decision when once he was seen, he had been viciously growled at. The demon with the ugly face growled and sneered at the sight of him.

"You filthy half-breed! You've got guts showing your face to a pure blooded demon like me!"

Inuyasha stared at the demon, slowly he backed away as the demon took a menacing step forward. He listened to the demons ravings. Half-breed? What was that supposed to be?

He had assumed he was a weaker form of a demon, considering he had no abilities aside from his keen senses and his claws and fangs. He had assumed he was just weak. But by the reaction this demon was giving him, he was something worse…

Before any further thought could be completely analyzed he noticed the brute demon about to attack. His little legs couldn't possibly outrun a fully grown demon like this. An ogre demon was slow, but definitely faster than him.

The large ogre demon was able to catch him with ease, he was knocked against a tree in almost an instant, his breath was knocked out of him and he grasped for air. The demon was relentless. He was beaten until his eyes had swollen shut and when he could no longer move he was left on the ground.

"You filthy abomination. I hope you've learned your lesson."

At those parting words, the little puppy demon's last conscious thought was, what lesson was I supposed to have learned?

After that incident it took the puppy demon a week to recover. His eyes were still a bit bruised as well as a majority of his torso, but he was able to hunt for food. When he happened upon another demon he was even more cautious. This one was a bit prettier than the ogre demon he had encountered, but not much more so. The young demon wondered if perhaps this one would be nicer…

The pup slowly showed himself.

When the demon saw him, the same disgusted sneer that had been placed on the ogre demon from before marred the somewhat handsome face. Except it seemed this demon was trying harder to conceal his emotions regarding his status.

"Half-breed. You should run back to your parents."

Although the sneer was there and the look of disgust did not leave the demon's place, Inuyasha felt he would suffer less physical damage with this one than the last.

"My name isn't half-breed. And I don't have parents." The pup had never thought of his name, but when he had been called a half-breed again he wondered if perhaps that was a common name for things like him.

The demon looked as though he was an idiot, "I know that isn't your name… I won't bother explaining, you're just a half-breed. There's probably something wrong with your brain or something. Probably didn't form right. Your parents probably threw you out."

The pup couldn't argue, he had no knowledge of his parents. It was very likely that he had been thrown out.

The demon sighed as if taking pity on him, "Look you retarded half-breed. You might not understand everything I say, but take it from someone as merciful as me. You can't go showing your face to demons. No one likes you. You're an abomination, a stain in your family, a disgrace, something that shouldn't even be alive. Demons are not your comrades. I won't bother killing you, but that doesn't mean others won't try. Hope you live to puberty half-breed."

The pup watched the demon walk away. His name wasn't half-breed. What was his name?

He didn't know why among everything the demon said that's what had stuck, but now he couldn't think of anything else except, what was his name?

It took him until the end of the day before he finally had an epiphany!

His name, it was Inuyasha!

The third demon he encountered had fed him and welcomed him in the pack, but young Inuyasha quickly realized that the food didn't just taste "funny" for no reason and it certainly didn't just smell "funny" either. It had been poisoned.

Inuyasha had eventually learned his lesson. It took a few more beatings and harsh words until Inuyasha accepted the truth, he was a half breed, half demon and half human. Demons were not his friends, but maybe since he was half human, humans would accept him. Maybe he had value to humans.

Inuyasha travelled where his feet wanted him to go, that thing he had lost, his instinct seemed to know where to look for it, despite him not knowing consciously.

The first human village that Inuyasha had ventured in a human villager had seen him, he had grinned, hoping to come off as friendly and perhaps find shelter for the next few days as well as food. But as soon as he grinned, a scream pierced through his sensitive ears, ones that forced him to cover his delicate hearing. The shrill scream was followed by slamming doors, closed curtains and humans running away.

The second one was almost the same except the men were braver and had thrown rocks and bricks and anything they could throw at him. He had been scratched and bled a bit, but it was the same and he learned his lesson quickly after that.

Demons thought of him as an abomination and could beat him and he wouldn't be able to fight back. He would bleed and break bones and they would say words that made him feel as though his existence didn't matter. Demon would try to kill. They were not safe.

Humans were scared of him, most ran away from him, but others liked to throw things at him. Some stung, but they didn't create as much damage as demon. Humans were not safe either, but they were safer than demons.

The only thing that Inuyasha had found to be safe were trees.

He hid in the high branches of trees or in holes, caves and other such places during the night. Trees were still a source of comfort, they didn't speak, but he felt their presence as though they were alive, each unique in their own way. It was as if they were people too.

He was thankful for the ability because he could always tell where he was, if he were ever stranded in a jungle or a very thick forest he would be able to easily find his way out. Afterall each tree was so unique from the next that it was almost liking meeting a new person on the road, albeit one that never moved.

Trees always welcomed him and sometimes he swore that they moved to cover him from potential enemies' view whilst asleep. He liked trees.

After the end of the first month, Inuyasha had panicked. He lost his senses, his dull claws and fangs and the puppy ears he had grown fond of had all disappeared.

Fear had gripped him and he was chased by demons far more avidly, he had mistakenly ended up in a human village and he had meant to steer clear of that too. But he needed to run somewhere.

What surprised him though was he had been welcomed and protected. He had been fed food not poisoned and he had been given shelter for the night.

He had been grateful, but quickly realized that the transformation was not a permanent one.

He was chased away as soon as his puppy ears popped back. It was a confusing time and it took him at least 5 transformations to realize that he became human on the moonless night.

He took advantage of it. He was a smart demon. He knew that he was young based on human standards so if he came in his human form in the middle of the night, begged for food in exchange for labor the older village women usually cuddled him.

He said his thanks and disappeared at the break of dawn when his puppy ears returned with a twitch.

After one year he had created a routine. He travelled leisurely to that place his instinct told him to go, that unknown location that perhaps held what he had lost. He made sure to stay away from humans and demons when he was in his half-demon form and when he turned human on new moon nights, he ventured in a human village and let himself get spoiled.

It was a good routine. It kept him alive and well. He wasn't lonely despite what other's said.

Nope, not lonely at all.

The trees kept him company and he knew, he knew that as soon as he found what he had lost all would be well.

Inuyasha = Pre-teen

Inuyasha learned over the years that his instinct to travel in that unknown direction was actually not unknown. He had been told during his travels that if he continued on he would reach the borders of the Eastern Lands. He didn't really know what that meant, but apparently, unlike the villages he'd been passing by, the Eastern Lands was more... More in what way, Inuyasha didn't really care to find out.

The young half-demon ventured inside the human village and waited for the onslaught that was sure to come and the humans clearly didn't disappoint.

"Demoooon!"

Inuyasha continued to walk through as the rocks pelted him, some scratched him, but most of the rocks he had dodged. He'd gotten quite skilled at dodging flying objects. He had actually made a game out of it at one point. After all, being alone only provided so much entertainment.

"Geez ya old geezers! I'm just passing through!"

Inuyasha moved a little quicker, he really just wanted a leisure walk...

"Get out of here demon!" Inuyasha waved his hands as if to say "yeah, yeah."

"Take the kids to the huts! The demon will eat them!"

At that Inuyasha made a disgusted face and turned to the old villager that had yelled it, "That. Is. Disgusting. Ugh, I mean come one I have no idea where those brats have been! For all I know they haven't bathed in a month. Ugh, you're disgusting."

At his reply and their shocked and insulted expression, Inuyasha laughed. It was always funny to see them so insulted at the thought that they weren't good enough to eat.

Humans were odd creatures. As they continued to yell obscene things, Inuyasha moved quicker until his paced changed into a run. After all, despite what the humans said he really didn't wanna eat them or kill them and if they continued with their aggressive behaviors they may just fall faint and die. Humans were delicate creatures.

As Inuyasha passed through the village and eventually came through the other side he heard another faint yell in the distance from the same village. Well damn, it looks like a real child-eating demon came into the village borders.

Inuyasha stared straight ahead, the border he had been told about, the one that would lead to the Eastern Lands was just up ahead.

Inuyasha sighed, he can't very well ignore the screams and it's not like the his lost thing would move.

So he turned back around. He still didn't have much in terms of demonic abilities, but his strength was definitely better than a human's feeble attempts at fighting a rogue demon.

"The other one came back! Hide your kids! There's two of them now!."

Inuyasha ignored the shouts and insults and instead prepared to pound the demon into the ground. This was a good thing, he got practice.

As he fought the demon that had tried to grab a kid and run, he continued to hear the whispers and the shouts from the villagers.

"Would ya all just give it a rest?! Geez! If you got something to say to me, say it to my face!"

At the end of his sentence the demon he had been fighting was knocked dead to the ground by a hard punch to the gut. At his triumphant smile the human villagers backed away from him, cowering in fear.

Inuyasha's smile fell almost instantly at their cowering. It never changed, he thought to himself. Even when he helped them they were still scared of him. With a huff he was about to turn and leave, but as soon as he turned and walked away he felt a grip on his hakama.

"Thank you Mr. Demon, Sir." It was the little boy that had been grabbed by the demon.

Inuyasha was grateful for the kid, for acknowledging him, but he could practically taste the fear and distrust from the adult villagers. It was always the same.

He reached his dull claws towards the kid, ignoring the gasps of fear and patted the kid on the head, "It's always us kids that have more sense."

Teen

It turns out Inuyasha had been wrong. So wrong. He had in his travels always assumed that his lost thing would stay in one place. He assumed as a child that it was an object, even to this day he still fully believed that whatever he had lost was a thing.

But he was in the Eastern Lands now. He had made it and in fact he had crossed the entire country from east to west and had found that this thing he had lost was not a stationary thing. His feet moved him all of which way, one day he would be headed in one direction and the next he would be in the other. His lost thing was definitely a pain in the butt.

For what seemed like the hundredth time Inuyasha let out a huff. He had assumed a long time ago that whatever object he had lost had been found by someone that travelled a lot.

Instead of changing directions like he would on a given day, he had decided instead to lounge about in one of the trees. It had been a long day indeed and he was starving. So decidedly he thought to himself that some rabbits would do him good.

After he had hunted down a few rabbits, skinned them and cooked them he gulped them down. That was some very good rabbits.

With his belly full and deciding not to follow his lost object futilely he had walked among the trees and perched his bottom on the "nicest" and most welcoming tree.

Not even a second after he closed his eyes, a shrill scream let out in the air.

"Aaaaaahhhh."

Inuyasha's ears immediately perked, that was definitely a kid. What the hell was a kid doing in the forest?!

Inuyasha immediately jumped off the tree and dashed through the woods, the trees never spoke to him, but they could guide him to the sound of a very distressed human?

Inuyasha happened upon an ogre that was currently fumbling about staring at the ground. Inuyasha for a second wondered what he was looking for when all of the sudden a mess of brown glomped down on his chest.

Not a human then. It was a kit. A very small kit trembling in his arms. "Papa!"

Ignoring the cry for his father, Inuyasha grabbed the kit shoved him behind his back and using his now much sharper claws beheaded the ogre that had preyed on the shaking baby demon.

After making sure the ogre was dead, inuyasha hunted another rabbit, just one. The kit would probably need it to calm his nerves. He lit the fire he had earlier once again, skinned the lone rabbit and cooked it for the kit.

When after all of that, the kit had still refused to say a word or let go of his mane he finally plopped to the ground in front of the small fire he had used earlier and grabbed the kit from underneath his hair where the mere baby had burrowed.

"Oi! Eat the rabbit before it gets cold!"

Inuyasha watched as the kit calmly ate the rabbit and when the fox demon looked to be consumed with eating, he asked his question.

"Where's your papa?' Inuyasha tried to sound nonchalant, after all it was questions like that that could either have a very good answer or a very depressing one. He didn't know which he would get.

At the sound of his question, the kit stopped eating, "He was killed by the Thunder Brothers."

Inuyasha sighed inwardly, that's what he was afraid of. When he noted the dirty appearance and the rather eager way he had devoured the rabbit, it was safe to assume that this fox demon hadn't been alone for that long.

"What's your name?"

"It's Shippo. Mama named me."

Inuyasha stared at the way Shippo's eyes looked longingly at the bones of the rabbit.

"Ya want another one?" The kit nodded.

He made a move to to get up and tell the kid to wait for him, but before he could even finish his sentence he felt the kitsune burrow underneath his mane.

Looks like he was adopting.

"Shippo! You brat! Come back here!"

"Stop being such a party pooper Inuyasha! The spring is soooo refreshing!"

Inuyasha eyes the kitsune he had brought along with him the last few months. After he had saved the kit, they had stayed together. It seemed the kitsune had grown fond of him. But at this moment the kitsune was being a pain in the butt.

He had stopped chasing his lost thing so feverently as of late because of his newly found companion and in any case his lost thing kept moving so he decided instead to keep track of where it went. There were two places. One was in the northern area and the other was in the western area. Inuyasha decided to go to the Northern Lands first to see if perhaps that would lead him to his lost thing. Perhaps he would meet the person that had found his lost thing and ask for it back. How that would work out Inuyasha didn't know. After all, how was he supposed to asked for something back when he didn't even know what the item was. He didn't have proof of ownership either. He sighed. He may as well follow Shippo's example and relax in the springs.

Inuyasha followed suit and Shippo immediately glomped him as he waded through the water.

"Hey Inuyasha, where are we going now?"

"The Northern Lands I think."

"What are you looking for anyway?"

"None ya business! You'll find out when I find it."

Shippo groaned and pouted, "Ugh! Why won't you just tell me!?"

They spent only a bit of time in the spring, relaxing and on occasion splashing the water in each other's faces before finally stepping out.

"Come on, I want get to the Northern Lands quickly. We need to cover as much land as we can during the day."

Shippo nodded before jumping on Inuyasha's shoulder and resting there as the taller demon walked a path.

"Hey Inuyasha, what are we gonna do after you find your lost thing?"

Inuyasha stared ahead. This wasn't the first time that Shippo had asked and just like all the times before. He didn't answer. He had no idea what finding his lost item meant. All he knew was that once he found it, life would get better. He was sure of it. But he didn't know what to do if it turns out that nothing would change.

He didn't know what he would do if his lost thing, just wasn't as important as his memory seemed to think it was. After all, his memory wasn't really reliable.

The trip to the Northern Lands was a long one, but as they ventured farther away from the west and further into the Northern Lands, Inuyasha quickly found that half-breeds were tolerated more than any place he'd ever been.

Now that Inuyasha thought about it, starting around the area Inuyasha had happened upon the kit, there were less hostile acts towards his status than at any other place. He wouldn't say half-breeds were welcomed or wanted, but he wasn't considered an abomination either. He wasn't beaten for it and he wasn't abused with words. He wondered briefly if, these lands were more civilized than the area he had originated from.

The travel to the Northern Lands was a bit harder on Inuyasha, the terrain was rough and steep. A type of travel that the half-demon just wasn't used to.

As they neared the peak of one of the mountains, Inuyasha caught a whiff of demons.

Inuyasha's thought immediately went to Shippo. Ever since he had taken responsibility for the kit, he had been less reckless. He tried not put himself in situations where he would have to fight, but it seemed in this case there was no choice. He had smelt two distinct demons. A bird and a wolf.

Inuyasha could tell from this distance that the two species were fighting one another. Fights like this was something that Inuyasha tried to avoid. And while neither smelt particularly pleasant, Inuyasha was more inclined to side with the wolf than the bird. After all they were both of the canine persuasion.

Inuyasha could just turn around, but his instinct told him that he should be part of this, that he should continue forward and help the wolves. Maybe it was a canine thing. After all aside from Shippo, this was the first demon of the canine family that he had ever happened upon.

Before he could make a resolute decision, one of the bird demons were flung to his side. He quickly told Shippo to hide in his mane and stay there until any and all threats were taken care of.

As it turned out the bird demon that had been thrown in his direction was currently alive and clutching on a wolf demon. The bird demon was injured, and couldn't fly, but it seemed determined to not let got of the wolf demon that it was trying to injure by clutching on it tighter.

"Ugh you stupid bird! Let me go!"

Inuyasha stepped forward as he saw the wolf try to struggle free.

"Kouga! Ginta! Help me!"

Inuyasha stared at the wolf demon for only a second longer before, he lengthened his claws and drove it through the bird demon's throat. At its death, the grip it had on the wolf demon was loosened.

The wolf demon hadn't even looked at him yet and he was already expressing his gratitude. Inuyasha wondered briefly what kind of reception he would receive once the demon took note that he was a half-demon.

But as soon as the wolf demon turned towards him, he had been smiling, "Hey thanks a lot! My name is Hakkaku. I'm guessing you're here to talk to Kouga right?"

Before Inuyasha could deny the assumption, another bird demon came swooping down.

Hakkaku had tried to fight it alone, but Inuyasha seemed to be a better fighter than this demon and so he had taken the bird down. The wolf demon continued to thank him all the while explaining the these birds, better known as the Birds of Paradise were their lifelong enemies. They weren't as bad as they used to be, especially with the help that the Western Lands sent out, but they were damn persistent.

Inuyasha didn't really understand, but well, Hakkaku seemed to be expecting him.

Hakkaku led him through their lands to meet this Kouga and Inuyasha followed along. Perhaps it was bad manners to not say that he was clearly not who they thought he was, but how else was he supposed to get the direction where his lost things often ended up at. This Kouga might know who had his lost thing.

"So you never told me your name?"

"It's Inuyasha."

"Ah okay, so Inuyasha, how are you related to Sesshomaru-sama? You're half dog demon right?"

Before Inuyasha could answer him, a shout interrupted them.

"Hakkaku! You're alive." It was said jokingly so Inuyasha assumed they hadn't really been worried.

He quickly listened for their names and tried to pinpoint who Kouga was. He was sure that name meant something. He could perhaps direct him to his lost thing.

He quickly found the wolf demon named Kouga.

"Hey! Dog-breath you're new! Where's Sesshomaru at?"

At the nickname, Inuyasha frowned, "Who you calling dog-breath you mangy wolf."

Kouga laughed as he approached the the dog demon with the puppy ears, "It's rare to meet a dog demon with a sense of humor. Sesshomaru and his followers always seem to have a pole stuck up their ass!"

Inuyasha tried to twist away from the rather familiar one armed hug remembering that Shippo was still hidden underneath his mane. He still wasn't sure if these guys were friends or foe.

"As I was trying to tell your lackey over there. I don't know who Sesshomaru is. I was just passing by when I saw that wolf demon being crushed to death by a bird."

At his statement Shippo, who had been doing so well with hiding peaked out and exclaimed, "Sesshomaru-sama is the heir of the Western Lands Inuyasha! How could you not know him!"

As soon as he stopped talking, Inuyasha was glaring at him and the baby fox demon immediately remembered that he was supposed to be hiding. Oops.

Kouga stepped away from the pair. He eyed the half demon in front of him.

He was looking wary now, Inuyasha immediately moved to stand at a more defensive position making sure to angle Shippo behind him instead of in front where he could easily be hit or snagged away.

Had he insulted the wolf demon by saying he didn't know this Sesshomaru? If he was an heir maybe it was against the law or something to not know about him, or just extremely offending.

The wolf demon continued to eye him, "The kit, he said your name was Inuyasha. Is that true?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, he had problem with his name? "Yeah, what of it?"

"Are you lying?" Kouga narrowed his eyes. How likely was it for another half demon to be named Inuyasha?

Inuyasha sighed, "Why the hell would I lie about my name? It's my name, ya mangy wolf!"

Kouga continued to eye him before resolutely ignoring the tense atmosphere and once again making the atmosphere more lively and welcoming.

They pretended as though nothing was wrong and he had been given food and shelter for the night for helping Hakkaku with the Birds of Paradise.

It was nice being able to talk to other demons. This was perhaps the only time that Inuyasha had ever remembered being welcomed by someone other than Shippo and the occasional human villagers that took pity on a lone human with a pet demon.

When night had fallen, Inuyasha remained awake and outside of the cave where the wolves had taken to sleeping. He had made sure that Shippo was safe first before going outside to stand guard. Although, the demons had welcomed them, he wouldn't take further risk by falling asleep in their presence. It was good enough that Shippo could get some rest. The female wolf demons seemed to be far more determined to make Shippo comfortable and snug as he slept. Inuyasha let him, assuming he missed his mother's embrace. He'd get his rest too once he found a nice safe tree away from the wolf demon's dwelling.

"Hey dog-breath, can't sleep?"

"Mangy-wolf, can't leave me alone?" Their banter had quickly become the norm, as if it had always been so. The comadre that he felt while with Kouga was an unfamiliar one, but it was welcomed, extremely so. He hoped it would continue, even once he left.

Kouga plopped down next to him, "Is your name really Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha sighed, exasperated, "What is so fascinating about my name?"

"Nothing really, I just knew of someone with the same name that's…"

Inuyasha didn't need him to finish the sentence. So he had the same name as someone who had already died? That was saddening.

Kouga changed topics again, "And Sesshomaru, do you really not know who he is? Never met him?"

"Is that bad? Is he someone I'm supposed to know around this area?"

"Probably, since he is the heir of the Western Lands, but I meant to inquire if you knew him on a more personal level, ya know?..."

Inuyasha eyed the way Kouga had said that and once again he sighed, he understood what was going on now, "It's not me."

Kouga looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Look, it's obvious that this Inuyasha that you knew meant something to you, meant something to this Sesshomaru that you keep mentioning, but aside from our names, we aren't the same in any way. I don't know who he is and I can guarantee you that I am not him."

"The fox kit with you said you lost your memory, maybe…"

"Stop. When did you know this Inuyasha?"

"More than 50 years ago…"

"Then it's not me. Shippo doesn't realize it, but your nose is working properly right?"

Kouga nodded solemnly, "I know. You're still a pup."

"Exactly, Shippo's older than me even if he doesn't realize it. I aged faster physically but in terms of years he's seen more than I have. I'm just a pup. Perhaps the Inuyasha you knew was my namesake, but I doubt even that."

Kouga nodded, he had hoped that maybe this was the same Inuyasha, that he had been reincarnated, but…

He couldn't really push the issue. Not to someone that clearly believed otherwise.

"He's missed."

Inuyasha nodded, had he been welcomed because they had thought he was the other Inuyasha?

"I can see that."

The silence quickly enveloped them after that and the sun eventually rose above the horizon. Inuyasha and Shippo stayed for a few days, enjoying the company, the shelter and the food. Inuyasha had even taken to sparring with Ginta and Hakkaku, both of them having lost quite spectacularly against him. He had challenged Kouga but was denied. He became more adamant about it when he found out that Kouga was the current tribe leader, but he had been refused; Kouga's explanation was Inuyasha was a few years too young to be challenging him.

Inuyasha had a feeling though that he reminded Kouga too much of the other Inuyasha and that was the main reason for him staying his fist.

"Hey Shippo, let's go." Inuyasha dusted off his hakama and maneuvered through the crowd. It had been four days since they had stayed with the wolves and while Inuyasha knew that their offers for them to stay was sincere, he couldn't help, but feel like Kouga had an ulterior motive.

Inuyasha wondered if maybe Kouga wanted them to stay until Sesshomaru came to stop by. The one that seemed to be missing the old Inuyasha more than anyone else. Inuyasha didn't want to meet him. Didn't want to meet anyone that knew the other Inuyasha. He didn't want to disappoint them. The other Inuyasha was loved and wanted, that just wasn't him.

After Inuyasha and Shippo had been fed and given some game for food later in the day they made a move to leave.

Before they had turned to leave however, Kouga had called out to them.

"Hey Mutt-face, you're welcome to come back anytime!" the emphasis on "you" wasn't lost to Inuyasha. Kouga had been subtly trying to tell him that he was welcome even though he wasn't the same Inuyasha they had been waiting for.

"Next time ya mangy wolf, I'll wipe the floor with you!"

Once they were far away enough, Shippo settled on his shoulders, "That was fun. Will we go back there again after we find your lost thing?"

Inuyasha grinned, "I think so. After all I gotta kick the mangy wolf off his high horse right? We both know he was just scared to take me on!"

Kouga watched Inuyasha and Shippo leave and continued to stare into the distance long after they were gone from view.

"You got the hots for Inuyasha or what?"

It was Ginta that had said it and immediately he balked at the thought. He shuddered. The image of Sesshomaru's wrath coming first and foremost in his mind's eye.

"I rather be roasted alive."

Kouga didn't bother to give an explanation for the abrupt and direct refusal, but whether or not this Inuyasha he had met was the same Inuyasha as the spirit that Sesshomaru had once known there was no denying it.

The name Inuyasha, just like the spirit Inuyasha belonged to Sesshomaru. It was almost impossible to think otherwise. Even if it turns out that they weren't the same, the name already had a connotation that made it so that Kouga would never have the "hots" for him or any other Inuyasha thereafter.

One thing was for sure though, Kouga would be telling Sesshomaru about this encounter the next time he saw him.

A/N: Sorry for the rather long wait! I had wanted to post this immediately after the previous chapter since that one was so short, but well… that didn't go as planned. So yeah Inuyasha from this point on would be as he looked in the anime, but instead of being 200 years old, he is literally, around 15-17 years old. However starting from the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next he has stopped physically aging.