A/N
Chapter 51! I am sorry I have not updated this in so long. I am so sad too, cause it is nearing the end. :( ← Sad. Anyways, I am still very excited that this was nominated! I feel that I have accomplished something! Yay!
I know it has been a while since I posted this story. I apologize! However, I am working on the next chapter right now!
I hope you guys enjoy it.
Enjoy and review!
~SMO
Disclaimer: I do not know any characters associated with the manga/anime InuYasha. I just like to use them in my stories. :3
Chapter 51
It confused him. She was just a human, which meant there was really no importance to her. Still, his master seemed so perplexed over the innocent woman that it was causing the other servants injury.
He sighed, flipping some hair from his eyes with a quick movement of his head. He continued to pour some tea into the small cups. The pastries were already placed delicately on a small saucer plate with some powdered sugar sprinkled over them.
A clatter of noise brought his attention to the servant that was scampering into the room. Fear filled the air and the look on the servant's face told him all he needed to know. Naraku had snapped again and had probably killed or marred one of them. "What happened?" He asked, turning back to make sure the honey to tea ration was correct.
"H-He through his cane at-at her," the servant managed to get out, even as the butler brushed past him. "Be careful," the servant added. The butler found it difficult to keep from rolling his eyes. Naraku had never harmed him, and he doubted Naraku ever would.
"Master," he greeted. Naraku was sitting in the chair. The high back hid him from sight, but he could see the tight grip he had on the arm of the chair. "Your lunch," he added, setting the tray on the desk in front of him. "You seem to be... antsy," he allowed.
Naraku hummed in thought. "I hate being patient," he relented. "Where have those silly mercenaries gone too? They were supposed to be digging for information."
"Can I speak freely, Master Naraku?" The butler asked. The topic of what Naraku was doing with the dog family and the innocent girl was still fresh in his mind. He, being a demon of the East clan, had served Naraku ever since the spider had destroyed the clan and displayed such power. Ever since, he had wanted to serve him, learn from him, protect him. "She is just a human woman, and he is the heir to a family that has no pull in this world anymore," he trailed off. "Why do you want to destroy them?"
A few moments of silence ticked by. Then, Naraku's sudden laughter itched into the quiet room. "She is a priestess. I thought they had all died or been ruined in the 'New World' but she isn't. With her powers, we could own the world. We could create one massive tool of power!"
The butler saw the greed and power hungry desires in his master's eyes. However, he felt the sudden urge to retrieve her pulse through him. "Send me, then. I can bring her back without anyone knowing. I am useless in this mansion!" He argued.
Naraku sighed, bringing the cup of tea to his mouth and taking a small sip. The butler knew he was deep in thought as Naraku closed his red eyes and let out a calming breath. "I do not want you to bring her back just yet. I want to use her to destroy Sesshoumaru," Naraku explained.
The butler nodded, knowing that his master was not finished talking. He knew that there would be some sort of instructions that would soon be coming out of his mouth. "Go to the pub and find the mercenaries," Naraku instructed.
The butler moved to leave, but a hand gripped his wrist. He turned around, his black hair falling in front of his face. "Also," Naraku stated, "figure out when this 'wedding' is going to be."
The butler rose one of his fine eyebrows, but gave a nod to confirm his new mission. "Right away, master," he proclaimed, giving a bow, before he turned and left the confinement of the mansion. The fresh air assaulted his senses and he felt his body begin to morph. He was lucky, being one of the most powerful shadow demons. He didn't have to hide amongst the humans most of the time.
He passed through the town. His shadow molding into others. The pub was only a short distance away, and as he morphed back into a humanoid body once more, he noticed that the pub was more lively than usual. "So you see, it is a perfect plan!" A demon shouted while laughing, drinking the pint of ale as he clapped his hand against another demon's back.
He sank into the pub quietly, gesturing for the bartender to bring him a pint but keeping his ears open for any other chatter. He spotted the usual. The short and chubby man that was usually here issuing orders. The butler had never liked him, and now, he noticed that he was speaking with the mercenaries he had been ordered to find.
A cold beer against his hand had him slamming a few coins in payment. "Who is that?" He asked, even though he knew clearly who they were. That was Bankotsu and one of his brothers, talking to another underground demon boss that went by the name of Jaku.
"Jaku and some new meat," the bartender shrugged his shoulders. "Those three have been talking the last few nights about the new Commissioner," he added, wiggling his eyebrows. The butler sighed once more and pushed another few coins along the counter. He issued a small thanks out of gratitude before he pulled himself off the stool and began to saunter over.
Many of demons quickly got out of his way. He was well-known for being Naraku's personal go-to demon, as well as the butler. They knew not to mess with him, especially if they worked for Naraku. The three beings at the targeted table stopped talking to look up at them. Two of them held disinterest in there eyes, while the younger brother had a look of cautiousness.
"Mind if I join you?" The butler asked. Although, the tone of his voice told the three that he wasn't asking, but was ordering. Jaku was the one to clear his throat. He kicked a chair out from under the table and nodded to it.
"What can I do for you?" He asked. His voice was raspier than the butler remembered, but it was easily ignorable.
"It is not so much as you, as them, that I need," he told him, nodding his head to the brothers. "You see, they have already taken a job under Naraku. I am sure you have heard of them. As soon as that job is finished, you may do with them as you please," he explained.
The two brothers looked from Jaku to the butler with sudden interest in their eyes. Jaku, however, leaned forward with a irked expression. "You do not want to play games with me. Your owner should show his face around here if he wishes to do anything. Are you saying that these two men can't multi-task? I am sure they can handle more than one job at a time, or does Naraku hire such... imbeciles?"
The blatant insults regarding his master made the butler angry. His shadow suddenly collided with all of theirs and shot a warning spurt of his aura through them. The younger brother was the only one to give any kind of reaction. It was pure shock. Jaku began to laugh once more. "Run along now, little doggy. You should follow orders well, won't you?" Jaku asked, bringing his wrist up and gesturing for him to leave in a quick flick.
The butler sighed. He would get nowhere. Jaku had been in this scene for far too long, and wasn't one of the new bosses that could be manipulated. In fact, Naraku had never approached this one, not that he understood why. He stood up, pushing the chair in out of habit before looking at the two men he had been looking for. "Do not forget our bargain," he said. A warning was clear in his eyes.
If they were to take Jaku's job, their brother, who was still in the dirt, would never be alive again. "We won't," Bankotsu said, his teeth clenched together tightly in anger. The butler merely huffed, walking away and leaving the two brothers angered.
Bankotsu looked back to Jaku. He suddenly sneered when he felt the butler's aura disappear altogether. "I hate that guy," he cursed. His brother nodded in agreement, before he looked back to Jaku. "Can we kill him?" He asked.
Jaku snorted. "You could try. He may just be a butler, but he used to be the heir to the Eastern Lands when demons owned Japan," he explained, nodding his head to the door the butler had used to exit. He didn't miss the two shocked faced in front of him, but continued to explain seriously. "My lord is fetching the tool. Before we make the deal, we will make sure that reviving your brother is possible. That way, you two will be sure that it is a fair deal. After that, we will begin our task of disposing of the giant insect."
Bankotsu thought it over. He was more comfortable that they were willing to revive their brother beforehand. He and his brothers had just woken up with Naraku saying that he had done it. No proof at all was given. However, they hadn't wanted to risk upsetting him and cursing his brother for eternity in the dirt because they had been wrong.
"When do you want to make this presentation?" He asked, leaning back in the chair. "I want to meet him too."
"You have already met him," Jaku returned, referring to the night Sesshoumaru had gone to Sanctuary and saved Kagome. Also, he knew that his lord had met Bankotsu at the duel. "We will make the resurrection in four days. Five hours after sundown," Jaku explained, looking to them for a nod in agreement.
"Will he be there?" Bankotsu asked. When he saw Jaku nod again, he relaxed and gave his own nod. "Then, if he can resurrect Jakotsu, we will target the spider," he whispered under his throat, not wanting anyone to hear. He then crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in awe. "To have the heir of the Easter lands as a butler, it sort of makes me scared of Naraku," he laughed out quietly.
Jaku merely gave them a half-hearted smile and a shrug. "It is a mystery, I agree. Naraku destroyed his clan, but he, being a power hungry fool, followed in Naraku's footsteps. They say that when Naraku dies he will take over."
"Well then, I guess wewill have to kill both of them," his younger brother added with a small chuckle. Bankotu laughed, patting him on the back before he stood up and tipped his head to Jaku.
"We'll take our leave now. Thank you for the information and I hope you are serious about the deal," he explained, bowing quickly before departing from the pub. Jaku sighed in relief as he sat all alone at the table. To be honest, that butler gave him the creeps. The demon was too cocky for his station.
Quietly, Jaku stood up and shook his head to clear the night's events. He had been waiting in this pub for two days now, and all he wanted to do was go back to the mansion and get a good night's sleep. "Tab it," he ordered to the bartender, who only waved and gave a grunt as Jaku left and hopped into the carriage waiting for him outside.
The driver knew where to go. It had been a close friend of Sesshoumaru's mother. They had entrusted him to escort Jaken around the town and pub. The small toad needed a little extra help with his horrible sense of direction.
"Any stops?" He asked, even though they were nearing the outskirts of town and growing closer to the lord's property. With a shake of his head, Jaken told the man to continue going, feeling slightly relieved when they passed the gates. He heard the horse's hooves collide with the familiar sound of gravel.
He leaned out the window, letting his toad form take over. He sighed in relief, cracking his neck and back in annoyance. Those humans had such tight and confined bodies. It was just too uncomfortably sometimes.
Jaken hopped out of the carriage with ease and skipped up the steps. One of Sesshoumaru's demon servants opened the door, but he stared into slightly wide eyes. The flush on the woman's face left him in confusion until the scent assaulted his nose. "They're home?" He asked, covering his nose with the robe of his trademark cloak.
The servant only returned with a nod. "Yes, and they seem to be going at it as if they'd been separated the entire time," she grumbled out, turning to go back into the kitchen. Jaken followed her tiredly. He had just wanted to sleep, and now that seemed like a distant dream. "Where is the Lady Mother?" He asked fearfully.
"She went upstate with the Lord's brother to retrieve the heirloom," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. "They should be here tomorrow evening," she added, focusing on preparing some pastries for the following breakfast. Jaken sighed once more. Dawn was already nearing.
"Here," she said, handing him a mug of coffee. "There's some sleeping herbs in it. It will help you sleep through the noises," she encouraged nodding her head for him to take it. Skeptically, Jaken sniffed the drink. It smelled like coffee with a few hints of some other unnameable herbs.
"Thank you," he politely added, turning around and beginning to ascend the staircase. The moans and grunts from Sesshoumaru's room only got louder. Quickly, as if he had been in a drought for months, he took up the coffee and chugged it down, ignoring the burn the hot liquid sent down his throat and stomach.
By the time he reached the rooms, he was sure the woman had felt her climax. He had heard his master's name urgently spilled from her mouth. Quickly, he dove under the pillow, awaiting the roar that would soon follow. Strangely, it never came.
However, a few minutes later, he heard the steady rhythm of footsteps. They were also nearing his room. Patiently, Jaken awaited the door top open, and, when it did, Sesshoumaru stood before him. "Jaken," he said.
His lord's hair was pulled into a short ponytail. His amber eyes were slightly filled with exhaustion. There was something else in the gaze that Jaken couldn't read, or maybe, it was something he didn't want to read. His shirt was loose and some buttons were hanging open, and the black slacks he wore were crooked. "What did you find out?"
"L-Lord, I am sure it could wait until afterwards," Jaken argued, knowing what he was saying could be taken offensively but not being able to hold back. Sesshoumaru gave him a glare, but Jaken realized what had been going on when his lord's tongue licked over his lip. Dear god, that woman was just too lucky sometimes to get such treatment from Sesshoumaru. "I understand," Jaken chirped. "They agreed to do the exchange in four days," Jaken answered. "The servant also informed me that you shall have the sword tomorrow evening."
Sesshoumaru took the news easily, giving a nod that he understood. Jaken sighed, giving the last piece of information. "Naraku's butler may be onto us. He came into the pub and warned the mercenaries. We must proceed with extreme caution, mi'lord."
Sesshoumaru gave a nod, turning on his heels to leave the room once more. "I trust you to take care of all the details. Do not worry about Naraku. I don't think he is relying on those men. He is using them to cover up his real motives."
"Real motives, sir?" Jaken asked for clarification. Sesshoumaru only shrugged his shoulders and left the room. He was sure that Naraku had some sort of plan. Naraku was taking things slower because he had learned Kagome was a priestess. Sesshoumaru was sure that was the new detail in this game. He was waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
Suddenly, this wedding didn't sound like a good idea.
