The screen turned to static before it cleared up to reveal the author at his desk, fiddling with a laptop.
*Damn it, is there any other way to install it without going into developers mode!*
The author cursed out, before noticing you looking at him.
He let out a sheepish laugh as he banishes away the laptop with a wave of his hand.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here, sorry you had to see that and welcome back to another chapter of Hanyo of Snow.*
*My technical difficulties aside, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.*
*Anyway this chapter is day two of my week of updates for this holiday season so I hope you will all enjoy it.*
*Now then, I believe it is time to get started shall we.*
*First is that I do not own Inuyasha, as it belongs to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi.*
*Secondly just sit back, relax, maybe put some music on, and enjoy. I will see you all at the end of the chapter.*
With the clap of his hands, screen turned to static and the chapter began.
The Binding
(Touma POV)
Whatever Inuko and Kaede had said had obviously pissed her off if the rage in her eyes, the yokai blood staining her sleeves, and the dead pheasant in her hands were of any indication.
She only said that we were needed to finish binding Yura and that the pheasant was for dinner.
Considering her mood, she left no room for arguments.
Thankfully after a few minutes of walking she seemed to have calmed down somewhat, but Kagome and Myōga were still hesitant of approaching her. Which was understandable as she seemed to be in no mood to talk about it anytime soon or ever.
So we walked all the way to Kaede's house in silence, until right at the door there was the sound of something shattering and a loud thud.
"Looks like Yura got up." Inuko sighed out as she peered through the doorway. "And it looks like Kaede had gotten to her first."
"So I'm guessing that Kaede knocked her out?" Kagome asked while Myōga jumped over to Inuko, apperntly choseing to jump onto her now that she had finally calmed down.
Well mostly anyway.
"She was prepared for her anyway." Inuko said simply as there was another shattering sound coming from inside.
We went inside to find bits of clay everywhere and a groaning Yura collapsed onto the floor.
Judging by the way she was moving down there, she wasn't going to stay down there for long.
"Touma, catch." I heard Kaede said. Looking up I swiftly caught Yura's comb in midair.
As soon as I caught it, Yura seemed to twitch and as seemed to be stirring.
"Touma, no matter what I tried the comb won't completely bond with you no matter what I tried. It's been so saturated with the blood and hair of countless victims that it acts like a shield to the binding. So I'll need some more of each to complete it." Kaede said as she walked up to me.
"How much?" I asked while already plucking a hair and creating a single cut on my finger. Yura was starting to wake up, so we needed to get this don before she regains her bearings and injures someone.
"A single strand and drop will do. Once you have them, clench the comb in both of your hands and I shall complete the final step of the binding." Kaede said.
I simply nodded and did exactly as she said. Kaede places her free hand onto clenched hands it is glowed a light purple for a few moments. Then she removed her hand as red light began to seep through my hands.
"It is done, you are now bound to Yura now." She said, although trufully I didn't feel anything.
"I'm what now?" The yokai in question said groggily as she finally got up. It took her a few moments before she reagained her bearings and when she did she saw the comb in my hands. She immediately panicked.
Also I noticed that I could now see her hairs as she made an attempt to snatch the comb with them and ensnare me with them.
And it also gave me an idea.
"Bind!" I said instantly and the comb flashed red.
Yura's hair instantly retreated back to and quickly found bond herself to it.
"What did you do to me?!" She snapped out me while trying to struggle out her her restraints to no avail.
"You have been bound to Touma, and with a single utter of the chosen word you shall be detained by your very hair until he says otherwise or he lets go of the comb." Kaede explained, causing her to pale.
"That means..." Yura trailed off.
"That you are bound a hanyo and now find yourself tied up in your own precious hair. That's irony for ya you bitch." Inuko said with with smirk causing Yura to seething.
She tried to make a move towards Inuko, but all she did was focus her momentum in one direction and face planted into the floor.
"Ow." She said, causing Inuko to let a small laugh.
"And that's karma." Inuko said.
"I hate you, so much." Yura groaned out.
"The feeling is mutual." Inuko shot back.
Having enough of their banter I kneed down next to Yura.
"Yura if you are willing to not attack anyone, I will undo your bindings. But if you lash out, I'll put them back on. So do we have a deal?" I asked her.
After a few moments, she just sighed.
"Fine, it's not like I have a choice anyway." She sighed out as I let go of the comb. Once the hair seemed to sink back into her, she got back up with a resigned expression on her face. Though she was glaring at Inuko, who returned it back.
It looks like it is going to be a long journey with those two.
"Actually you do have a few choices." I said, surprising everyone in the room.
"Touma are you sure that is a good idea?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is a worse idea then when you went through the hassle of sparing that hairy bitch." Inuko growled out.
"I have to agree with Lady Inuko on this. Letting a yokai like Yura have any sort of freedoms can end up with yourself dead if you don't have anything planned." Myōga advised...from my shoulder.
When exactly did he get there?
Well never mind that, I already had an idea.
"Wait!" Yura shouted out suddenly. "What do you mean his idea to spare me? As is his alone?"
"You got that right you bitch. Still did you think that the idea to spare you was from Kagome and Touma?" Inuko inquired with a raise eyebrow.
"Yes I did. I figured that Touma alone wouldn't have done so considering that I tried to rape him multiple times, knocked him out more times then that, and basically kidnapped him. The girl could be from any reason with the smallest reason being shear jealousy of my physic which is far superior to both her and yours." She said, causing Kagome's eye to start twitching uncontrollably and for me to move away from her.
"I'll admit that you probably have me beat in one place, but I could care less. Especially if it means that you can't use it at all." Inuko said while looking between her own and Yura's chest. Causing Yura to twitch and Kagome to gain a murderous aura. "Though I feel like I was interrupting you, if so continue on if I'm interrupting." She finished smugly.
"Please do." I said, while trying not to get a feel images in my head. And trying and succeeding in avoiding Kagome's wrath.
I'd rather not die from my best friend, thank you very much.
"Yes you were, If that is all I'd rather continue." Yura said while glaring at Inuko. "Also I figured that a lowly hanyo like yourself would want me dead anyway. So I figured that the human and Touma would've only spared me as some form of mercy as they never killed before, if I'm guessing correctly." Yura said.
Well she was certainly perceptive, I'll give her that.
"That is part of the reason. Though even without the reasons you mentioned and what you did, Kagome would probably snap your comb." I said.
"And is that, because it is out of jealousy?" She asked.
"No it's not!" Kagome snapped before calming down. "You kidnapped Touma from my family's shrine and you put them in danger when you came after him."
"That is understandable I suppose." Yura replied whilst shrugging.
"And the real reason I decided to spare you besides not willing or ready to kill is because your ability to gather information. We are about to go on a journey to look for the Shikon Jewel shards and our only source of information on what we should expect has been is about 50 years out of date." I explained to her.
"So I help you out on the journey as some kind of information guide while bonded to you as your vassal if the talk about freedoms is to be believed. And if I do anything that goes against you or anyone else in the group, I die." She summerized.
"Basically but not the dying part, unless you actively try to kill us. Also the freedoms are true, you can have as much as you can. But you will have to follow a few rules though." I told her honestly.
For what felt like minutes, Yura studied me for any signs of deception. Once she found none, she sighed.
"What are the rules?" She asked.
"First-" "First thing is to cover yourself up." Kagome imterjected, rather rudely if I have to say so myself.
"No can do!" Yura shouted, with anger clearly out. "I can deal with a lot of things, but I'm not covering what I've been blessed with just because of the whims of a jealous human!"
"What do you mean blessed with, you're a comb given sentience and the ability to create a body made out of hair!" Kagome countered.
"Actually I've always had this body since I came to be and it isn't just for show. Besides I still bleed, I still need to eat in order to maintain it, and I still need to sleep. So this body is just as real as yours." Yura said, while running her hands along her body to emphasize her point. Only enraging Kagome more, and causing my face to turn red.
I needed to end this now.
"Kagome can you please drop this matter?" I said, before flinching a little as I became the object of Kagome's wrath.
"Do you mind explaining why Touma?" She questioned in a tone so sweet that caused me the feel chills down my spine. Which should be near impossible considering my heritage.
Luckily I knew just diffuse this particular situation before she went on a rampage.
"Kagome if you are honestly going about this about jealousy then you have nothing to be jealous of. You are beautiful in every sense of the word just by being yourself." I said honestly as I watched Kagome going from enraged to a blushing, stuttering mess in the span of a few seconds.
It also took the same amount of time to realize what I said and blushed. Besides that I felt some pride for two reasons.
First I had just admitted that without losing courage.
Second is that I had just done the impossible.
I had calmed down a raging tsundere without being beaten up.
Kagome rarely showed that side of her and when she does it never ends well.
Still I had did something very few men had done before and I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment at that.
Though I could relish that later, I still had something to do.
"So do you have any more problems with that, Kagome?" I asked her.
"N-None at all Touma!" She stuttered out before moving over to the side. Most likely in order to compose herself.
"Well I'd never thought I would see the girl get so flustered before." Inuko commented as she saw Kagome move out of the way.
"I've never thought it was possible myself. But let's not say anything as too incure her wrath." I said, before turning to a pouting Yura. "That includes you too Yura."
"Fine." She sighed out. "But let us get back to the rules."
"Alright then, as I was saying first rule is try to tone down your remarks about Kagome and Inuko. We will be traveling together after all. Also while I'm at it, could you stop calling Inuko a lowly hanyo. Not only is it insulting to her, but it is to me as well." I said.
Yura seemed to struggle with this for a moment, but she eventually complied.
"Fine, but I could always find some more creative insults for her." Yura said.
"And I welcome you to try you hairy bitch." Inuko said with a smirk.
Well that seemed to have succeeded, although with some mixed results. I'll just take whatever I could get.
"Since we got that out of the way, but the rest are basically just stay close unless told so, help in battle unbiased of allies, make no attempts of escape, no more attempts of rape, and no attempts at killing anyone else that is apart of our group. Follow these rules and you find not find yourself bond by your own hairs or you comb snapped. So do you think you can live with that?" I asked a wincing Yura.
"I can accept, but I have two conditions of my own." Yura said.
"Very well." I said, cutting off any complaints that Inuko or Kagome might've had.
"First off, I will not take any orders from anyone else but you unless it is an emergency. I do not want to be forced to do anything humiliating, unless you deem it fit of course." Yura said.
"That I can get behind." I said earnestly.
"Damn it." Both Inuko and Kagome cursed silently, much to Yura's apparently satisfaction. Apparently they were thinking about that.
"Okay then, and the second is that if we come across any bandits with some well conditioned hair then-" "You can't kill them unless they are too dangerous or some mix of that with stupid. That is never a good combination. Anyone else that meets your criteria you can take all of their hair." I interjected, already considering the possibility that she would ask for something like that.
"I can agree with that." She said simply.
"So with all of that done, do we have I deal?" I asked while extending my hand.
"Oh, we have a deal." Yura said with a smile, that did not bode well with me.
"Master."
I did not see that coming at all, neither did anyone else in the room if the looks of shocks were of any indication.
"Wha-""It's simple really master, since we have made it official now I am your vassal so that makes you my master. Though technically it would be lord, but to be honest." Yura said with what I could now tell was a teasing smirk.
Ok, I never saw this or her reaction coming. If I had to say any better, I was guessing she planned this once the deal was done.
"I knew that this was a bad idea." Kagome sighed out after a few moments of silence.
"Honestly I kind of find this situation to be a little funny." Inuko admitted with a small grin.
"Is there anyway I can get you to stop calling me master without resorting to using the comb." I sighed out.
"None at all, in fact I wouldn't mind if you used the comb for me disobeying that at all master." She practically purred out.
Well this was awkward, and apparently everyone with me agreed if their silence and expressions were telling.
"Touma as much as I hate to say it, just let it go." Kagome sighed out, sending an irritated glare at Yura.
"You're right." I sighed as I put the comb away. "Just try to keep the master thing to a minimum please."
"Or what, you are going to punish me master." She teased back, causing everyone to turn red at the thought.
But what she didn't know is that she just gave me an idea.
"Actually that sounds like a good idea." I said honestly.
"What!" Kagome, Inuko, and Yura all cried out in shock.
"I was just thinking that her punishment should be that she is tied up and turned into Inuko's punching bag." I said with a small smirk, watching Yura turn pale.
"Do you mind explaining what a punching bag is, because it sounds like fun." Inuko said with a feral grin.
"Ever heard of a makiwara?" I asked, getting an eager nod from her. "It is much stronger and larger version of a that."
"That actually sounds like fun." Inuko said while cracking her knuckles.
"That won't be necessary!" A clearly panicking Yura said. "I'll cut down on the teasing, just please don't sic her on me!"
"I won't as long as you hold your own end of the deal." I said.
"I can do that." Yura said while sighing in relief.
"And here I was hoping to use her to deal with some stress." Inuko sighed out.
"You will have plenty of time to do that soon Lady Inuko, though I fear that for your safety that you should flee as soon as possible. However considering who it is, that option isn't possible for you." Myōga said grimly, causing Inuko's mood to turn sour.
"She's coming, isn't she?" Inuko inquired, her tone ice cold.
"Your sister has heard of your awakening and has set her sights on you." Myōga said seriously.
Upon hearing that Inuko growled and marched straight to the door.
"I'm going to get another pheasant for dinner. Myōga, Kaede please don't explain anything until then. I'll be back." Inuko said coldly before rushing out of the door.
With her gone, the room fell into silence as we were left to process that.
Inuko had a sister.
If who I think her father is correct then and judging by her reaction to Myōga's news then we are in big trouble.
"I'm going to prepare the news to the guardsmen, they need to be especially wary tonight." Kaede said as she got up as well, before turning to face Kagome. "Kagome I need you to come with me."
"Okay, but why do you need to come with you?" She questioned.
"I figured that this would be a good time as any to practice your archery. You're going to need it for tonight and your journey." Kaede explained.
"I can understand that, but can you please tell me what is going on tonight and what's this has to do with Inuko's sister?" She asked.
"I can not tell you and I've only heard a little about her when I was a young girl. But knowing who Inuko's father is, she is an extremely strong yokai. Stronger then anything that you have faced yet." Kaede said grimly, freaking Kagome out a bit.
"So we have to face someone that strong so soon!" She said.
"It's either now or she will track you down." Myōga stated.
"So we have no choice about facing Inuko's sister then." Kagome sighed out.
"None at all." I said while noticing something out of the corner of my eye. "Bind!"
"Damn it!" Yura cried as she slammed to the floor, apparently trying to sneak out of the house.
"Look Kagome, how about you go train with Kaede while I stay here to prepare dinner and deal with Yura." I said as she got up after another few moments of silence.
"That sounds like a plan Touma, but I guess that you have an idea about what'll be dealing with. So do you think that we have a chance against whoever Inuko's sister is?" She asked.
"Honestly a small chance." I said.
We honestly stood a close to impossible chance against what was possibly the daughter of the one who single handily prevented two invasions from Asia at the same time. And he prevented one of them without even noticing.
"So we do have a chance, then hopefully you have a plan?" Kagome asked.
"I do." I replied.
"Then fill me out on it later. I'll see you in a bit." She said as she exited with Kaede.
"So, has she awakened her full power." I asked Myōga once they were gone.
"As far as I know she hasn't." He said unsuringly.
Well that's great, our chances have gone from absolutely slim to a close to plausible. A huge leap from what I originally thought.
"Also why are you still on my shoulder?" I asked him curiously. I figured that he would've followed Inuko out the door by now.
"It's because you remind me of Lady Inuko's father." He said bluntly, shocking me and the still tied up Yura.
"Wait how do I remind you of him?" I questioned.
How the hell do I remind him of one of the strongest yokai to exist period.
"The way you delt with Yura was similar to a number of yokai he had added to under his wing. That and the fact you're surrounded by beautiful women is also reminiscent of him." Myōga said with a sigh as he looked like he started to reminisce about the olden days.
"Thanks." I said, but I got no response from the flea yokai as he hopped off my shoulder.
I guess I must've inadvertently dragged up some old memories then if his reaction was telling.
So with that out of the way, I turned to Yura.
"Let me guess, you know who Inuko's sister is and you were trying to make a get away." I asked her.
"You got that right, fighting Sesshōmaru is borderline suicidal!" She shouted. "If she really is after Inuko then it is better to run before she catches us. She will have no problem annihlating this village just to get to her!"
Sesshōmaru, well now I know her name at least and if what Yura described is true then that name is a very fitting one.
"Well I'm sorry, but I think I have an idea on how to at least by us plenty of time or just to detain her and you are key to it." I said to Yura.
"Let me guess I'm bait." Yura said while rolling her eyes.
"Actually I'll be the bait, but I'm trusting you for the main part of the plan." I said honestly. Yura spent a few moments studying to discerning if I was telling the truth.
"So you actually have a plan..." She said, before she sighed. "So do you mind filling me out on it?"
"I have no problem, but you promise not to run and I get to ask one question about anything and I'll fill you in while preparing dinner." I said.
"Fine, but hand me back Benigasumi and I get to leave if you die if this plan falls apart and you have yourself a deal." Yura said.
"Deal, but I'll hand it back to you after dinner." I said while putting away the comb.
"Fine, but what is this question?" Yura asked as she got back up.
"Simple, have you heard anything about any possible Shikon Jewel shards?" I asked her
(? POV)
Everything is falling into place.
If Touma survives agains Sesshōmaru then he will be worth the effort to study.
If not I got other plans, including sending these two jewel shards to my original self.
Honestly at this point I'm baffled on how no one noticed them. They were right on the outskirts of the village in the open. Though I guess I can chalk it up to human error.
Still if he does make it then I have the perfect trial in mind for him next. However it will be awhile yet till he is even ready to face it.
Considering that it was one of the strongest yokai around 50 years ago it would make sense for him to be a bit stronger to face it.
But it doesn't matter now, I need to find a place out of view to watch things unfold.
Even right now as my original self has gathered a number of shards, I'm still not at a level where the percentage of me surviving an encounter with her is around 50%.
So it would be best just to watch unnoticed as everything was starting to unfold.
The screen turned to static as the chapter ended as you returned to the author, still fiddling with the laptop.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.*
*Anyway I'll keep this short and just say that next chapter Sesshōmaru arrives and the Tessaiga arc officially begins. The next chapter would be out in February...if I didn't decide to move into this week for the holiday special.*
*Which day though you will have to wait and see.*
*So until next time remember to leave a PM or a review if you have a question and until next time, ciao!*
The author waves goodbye as the screen fades to black.