The screen flickers for a bit before the author appeared.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here and welcome back to another chapter of Hanyo of Snow.*
*Anyway this is day four of the week long series of updates and this would have been released in February of I hadn't pushed the update to this week for this event.*
*So let's get started shall we.*
*First off I do not own Inuyasha, it is owned by 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.*
The author snapped his fingers and the story began.
Sesshōmaru
(Touma POV)
Dinner was a success, if the happy expressions from everyone was to say the least.
Also the fact that Inuko was scarfing down the last of the pheasant was so any indication.
Had to make a pheasant stew for dinner, made by poaching the pheasants in the stew pot first to cook them and make the broth before adding in the vegetables.
Yura was a big help with cleaning out the birds and dicing up both the vegetables and pheasants. Though she suggested using her hair, I couldn't really trust that method. I really did not know where it came from after all. So we used her hair, tipped with blades of ice to do the job.
Much more sanitary if you asked me.
Anyway before perpetration, I slipped of the wings and legs incase anyone wanted to eat them.
Only myself, Kagome, and Inuko did.
She ate more than any of us though.
Speaking of which, she had just finished the last leg.
"I have to say that was the best pheasant I've ever had." Inuko praised. "I take it that you used some techniques from where your from?"
"Actually I did somewhat, though I have to thank Kagome for teaching me how." I said honestly, causing Kagome to red at my praise.
After all I was living alone a good portion of the time, so I had to learn how to cook for myself after all. When I asked about it, Kagome immediately volunteered and immediately taught me everything she knew. And I've picked up a few things myself since then from some of my father's notes.
Including a way to poach poultry by the French. It sure came in handy tonight.
"So are you to cook for us all the time on this journey, master?" Yura asked eagerly.
I had given up on trying to get her to stop calling me that.
At least she stopped teasing me with that, that was awkward as hell.
"Sorry, but I can't cook all the time. It wouldn't be fair for me to cook all of the time during our journey." I said honestly, causing Yura to sigh, Inuko's ears to droop, and Kagome to smile a bit.
She likes to cook more so then I do as she was the one who taught me after all.
"Well I agree that this meal was perhaps one of the best I've had during my long life, it is time to talk about all this nonsense about your sister, Inuko." Kaede said.
"Alright I will, but I have a question of my own that needs answered." Inuko said before facing me. "So have you gotten any information from Yura about any possible jewel shards?"
"In fact I did, but she only knows the possible location of one shard." I said honestly.
"I did spend most of the day after the Shikon Jewel shattered chasing you master and have spent most of today passed out." Yura said while glaring at Kagome and Inuko, her tone conveying a slight bitterness.
Not that I blame her much for it.
"So what is this about the shard?" Inuko asked.
"I got it from a bandit with excellent hair before I came after Touma. He claimed that a star had fallen in a pound on the grounds of a daimyō's castle located a little far from the prefecture's border. I thought it would be something to check out after getting the Shikon Jewel, but with the timing and revelation that it shattered it could only be a jewel shard." Yura answered, getting us to nod.
"So how far away is it?" Inuko asked.
"About a day and a half from here." Yura said, causing Inuko to sigh.
"Damn it, I'd thought that we had plenty of time to gather a bunch of shards. But apparently I'll have to settle for one. Though I think a chance to take down that overgrown bitch a few pegs will make it worthwhile." She said with a small smirk at the end.
"Speaking of which, can somebody explain who her sister is?" Kagome said.
"If you want answers fine. We are dealing with Sesshōmaru, the person I despise the most behind, an overgrown pompous bitch, and my older sister. All in that order." Inuko said with a snarl before facing Myōga. "So why is she coming after me this time? The both of us generally stay out of each other's way, so why is she coming after me now of all times?"
"It is because she believes that you will lead her to your father's tomb, Lady Inuko." He answered.
"Why would she even go after me for that, he died literally not that long after I was born. So what gave her the idea that I would know?" Inuko said.
"It's because he must've wanted you to find it and whatever laid inside."I said, figuring it out. "She must've wanted whatever was inside the tomb, but he hide it from her."
"That is correct, except that he hid the location of the tomb from everyone except one and he has been missing for quite a while. Though a number of fake tombs were erected, they have all been found out with the one I was looking after was attacked by Sesshömaru was the last of them. With it gone, the only lead we have to Lord Tōga's tomb is Lady Inuko." Myōga said, confirming my suspicions.
So she was related to him then, well that's an interesting little tit bit to know.
"I take it that Inuko's father must've been extremely powerful and wise then if he had all those tombs established and he is anything like how everyone seems on a slight edge when he or Sesshōmaru is mentioned." Kagome said after hearing that.
"You are correct on that." Kaede said. "Inuko's father, the Inuko's no Taisho ruled over the western lands of Honshū. Fighting off invaders from the continent and rival daiyokai who wished to challenge his title as the strogest of daiyokai." Kaede explained, getting Kagome to nod before turning to face me.
"I can get that, but what is a daiyokai." She asked me, causing Yura laugh at her. "What are you laughing at me for!"
"You are even more pathetic then I thought if you don't know what a daiyokai is." Yura said before I pulled out her comb and caused her to wince.
"Yura, can you please back off. Kagome and I are from a place where yokai are quite rare and not a daiyokai in sight. Because of that she is a bit ignorant in the ways if yokai and had never encountered any until a few days ago." I said, causing Yura to sigh.
"Fine I'll back off this time master, but you better teach her about what to expect on this journey master." Yura said as I put the comb away.
"I was planning on it." I said, getting her to nod. Before I turned to face Kagome
"Thanks Touma." Kagone said gratefully with a small smile on her face.
"No problem Kagome." I said with a smile of my own. "Anyway a daiyokai is a extremely powerful type of yokai that is much stronger then a regular yokai, although a regular yokai can out match them in raw power on rare occasions. They are also extremely rare and the only ones that I know of before meeting Inuko was Tōga and of a moth daiyokai from Asia called Hyōga. Although I think that my father mentioned that it was actually a title, but I have to look at it later. Anyway from what I know the clash between them was so powerful they caused the original kamikaze." I explained, shocking both Kagome and Myōga.
"No way!" She said shocked.
"It's true, at least I believe it is. The fight between the two is one of the few things I know about him as my father used to tell me about it when I was young." I admitted.
"Well you are right about that, it's just that there wasn't really anyone around to witness the confrontation by myself. Even then I had to cling on for my life as the gales created by their clash nearly blew me halfway across Nippon! So the area was cleared right away. I haven't heard that many stories about that fight. So if your father knew about that he must've been quite the scholar." Myōga praised.
"He was." I said, smiling at his praise.
"Well that's interesting and all, but I feel like we are getting off topic here." Inuko said seriously, getting the rest of us to nod.
"So with that out of the way there is still the question of what Sesshōmaru could be after." I said while trying to think about it.
The only things I could think of was any if Tōga's three swords. Each was a powerful weapon and one of them was possibly the second strongest sword in Japan behind the Ame no Murakumo.
Though which one she would be after was hard to tell.
"Well whatever it is, it must be powerful. That bitch is obsessed with the idea of one day surpassing our old man." Inuko said.
"Then she must be looking for Tessaiga, the sword of destruction." Kaede said, getting Myōga to nod.
Okay so a sword capable of wiping out multiple opponents with a single swing, much better then Sō'unga. Anything capable of reviving the dead to fight under your control usually doesn't end well for anyone.
"Never heard of it." Inuko said, shocking us all, but Kaede and Myōga.
"How do you not know that?" Kagome asked and unintentionally mirroring my thoughts.
"I have my reasons and you better listen up, because I'm not repeating myself again girl. I had never met my old man and the mere mention of it often brought my mother to tears. He had sacrificed himself to save her and me shortly after myself. So besides a few things that she and Myoga told me all I know about him is from a few stories and various grudges that yokai had against me for simply being his daughter. After so many would be attackers being lut down by yours truly, I decided that I don't really care all that much about him. Sure I respect my old man and I'm grateful for what he did, but he has long been dead and his reputation has brought more ruin then blessings for me. So I unless circumstances concern myself or anything around me at that moment in time and had connections to my father, I could care less." She said with the upmost seriousness, shocking us all but Myōga.
That is actually a very good reason. Considering all the yokai attacks she must've fended off her entire life and Tōga never being in her life, it makes sense that Inuko would like to separate as much of her father's life from her own while she could. Only accepting it when she had no other options or whenever she decided it.
"You know what, I can't but respect that a little." I said couldn't help but to say, snapping the others out of their stupor.
"Thanks Touma, you are probably the third person who understands that and it took Myōga here 20 years for him to accept." Inuko said while jabbing a finger at the flea yokai.
"I'm still a bit apprehensive about your decision. But it is your choice Lady Inuko, so I will respect it." Myōga said respectfully.
"If Touma and Myōga are two of the three, then Kikyō was the third person you told. Wasn't she?" Kagome guessed, getting Inuko to nod.
"She was, and that's all your going to get out of me about this girl." Inuko said.
"I wasn't going to pry anymore, I was just curious." Kagome replied honestly.
"Good, now Myōga what is so special with this Tessaiga." Inuko asked the fly yokai.
"Don't take this lightly but Tessaiga is one half of the Swords of Life and Destruction. The sword at it's full power was capable of vanquishing 100 enemies with a single strike. He crafted the swords out of his own fangs for one purpose, to protect your mother, Lady Izayoi. He last used them the night you were born and he hid Tessaiga before his death." Myōga explained.
Upon hearing that Inuko could only whistle at that.
"No wonder my sister wants that sword so badly if it could do something like that. Though she would also hate the reason it was created for." Inuko said, snickering a little at the end.
"I'll hate to agree with the bitch, but the irony of that situation is a little funny." Yura said with a smirk.
"Your right about that." Kagome grumbled out, reluctantly agreeing with the two before facing Myōga. "But what about the other sword? If Tōga made two where is the other one?"
"The other sword Tenseiga was given to Sesshōmaru after Lord Tōga's death. He had also willed for Inuko to posses Tessaiga once she was ready for it. I believe that she is ready for it." Myōga said, causing me to grit my teeth.
So Sesshōmaru is going to be bringing that sword with her great...
"Great another reason for that bitch. to hate me." Inuko sighed out. "I'd put this right below her blaming me for his death and my mere existence annoying her and right above her breast envy." She grumbled out, catching us all off guard with her last comment.
"Your joking." Yura said exasperated, mirroring my own thoughts.
"I'm not, she's even smaller then Kagome." Inuko said while jabbing a finger at Kagome.
"Hey!" She cried out indignantly.
"Well she is. But she makes up for it with inhuman beauty." Inuko said, with the last part with a little jealousy laced into here tone.
Okay, I was not expecting anything like that at all.
"Well that was interesting to know, but what about the other sword, Tenseiga. Do we have to worry about Sesshōmaru using it against us?" Kagome questioned.
"You don't have to worry about that sword Kagome, but I feel like Touma might be the best to explain it." Kaede said as all attention was now focused on me. "I saw your reaction when Myōga described the blade, so you must've had some experience with it."
Judging by the looks everyone was giving me it was best that I answer them.
It wasn't something I wasn't planning on keeping secret anyway, I'd just didn't think I would have to speak about it like this.
"Honestly I've never encountered to sword, but my father spent 2 and 1/2 months looking all over Nippon for it after my mother had died. He dragged me all over with him, but I was too young to remember about it." I said, getting nods from everyone one but Kagome and Inuko. They never knew about the sword until now, so it would make sense why they didn't get it right away.
"The sword is capable of bring people back to life isn't it?" Kagome asked me. I just nodded in answering her.
"Our old man must've had a strange sense of humor in giving her a sword that revives others. Then again considering what she would do if the Tessaiga is all that you guys are making it out to be, he made a good choice." Inuko sighed out. "Still I feel like there is a bit more to more to what your telling us, isn't it Y/N."
"There is Inuko. Truthfully I haven't known about this long, just found it about 3 months ago while looking through my father's notes. He had grown obsessed with finding Tenseiga. AI much in fact he carried me into Totori Sand Dunes for a potential hint about it's location." I said with a bit of venom in my voice and the other's but Inuko to wince.
"Never heard about place before, but I take it that it's bad." Inuko said.
"It's a desert, the largest in all of Nippon if I heard correctly. Master's father brought his son, who is half yuki-onna to a fucking desert! He was lucky to have survived being there as an infant!" Yura snapped, causing Inuko to growl.
"Okay that was incredibly foolish of him." She growled out.
"It was, but he snapped out of it at that point and rushed me to a doctor after I nearly joined my mother in the afterlife due to the same reasons. He gave up looking for it or anyway to revive her afterwards. He always felt guilty about nearly killing me if his note was correct." I said while standing up.
"Touma?" Kagome said worriedly.
"I'm fine Kagome, I just need to get some air." I told here. "I thought I got over it, but looks like I'm still a bit bitter about it." I also admitted.
"Fine, but please wait just outside the door. I don't want you to be kidnapped again. We already had enough of that yesterday with Yura." Kagome said dryly at the end before sending a glare at said yokai.
"I suppose I deserve that kind of reaction." Yura said without a hint of remorse.
"You do." Inuko said flatly at her before facing me. "Just make sure that Sesshōmaru doesn't kidnap you, alright?"
"I'll try." I said honesty before walking out the doorway.
I needed to cool down a bit.
(Inuko POV)
Never thought I'd see Touma get like that, then again we each have a way to deal with something from our pasts that bothers us.
For him all I know is probably just getting some fresh air clearing his mind.
For myself it is taking out my frustrations on something and killing it.
Not that I'll admit it.
"Hopefully Touma will be arlight and I don't mean with his issue with Tenseiga. Considering the week we've been having, something is bound to happen." Kagome sighed out.
I would of refuted that, but it made sense.
He has nearly been killed by myself, knocked out more times then what should be healthy yesterday, had a jewel shard embedded into his chest, kidnapped twice, and nearly raped by the hairy bitch sitting next to me.
It has not been a good week for him at all.
"That's why I have placed several hairs on Master to know his current location. He has my comb after all, so it will be beneficial for the both of us to survive if I knew his location." Yura said, disturbing us all with her words.
"Okay you are probably taking this devotion a little too far." I said, my tone portraying the fact I was a little creeped out by that.
"Not really, I still want to go with my original plans for him. But without the whole forcing him thing this time. That didn't end well for me in the first place. So I'll do anything that master says and protect him via any means to get what I want in the end." Yura said, with a slight disturbing gleam in her red eyes. "Well within any way that he would find acceptable. This method is already proving to be more fruitful and beneficial. Though I wish that was a bit more proactive in his stance, but I suppose that just makes him who he is." Yura also added, slightly gushing at the end.
We should have killed her. But due to Touma now we have to deal with Yura on a daily basis now.
She's already disturbed the rest of us into silence and this was day one.
This is going to be a long journey if we survived tonight...
"Kaede is there a way to use the binding of Yura's comb without it or Touma being around?" Kagome questioned.
"Sadly there isn't." She replied.
I could only sigh at that, we could really use that right now.
"Moving past the issue of the most disturbed tsukumogami I've ever seen in my entire life." Myōga said, causing Yura to pout and myself to snicker. "There is still the issue of locating Lord Tōga's tomb."
Oh right, almost forgot about that.
"How are we going to do that? Sesshomaru spent 200 years looking for that, but found nothing." I said, getting him to nod.
"That is true, but I do believe if I remember correctly Lord Tōga took something with him that day incase he didn't survive that night. Something that might lead to his tomb" Myōga said with a sigh. "Sadly for the life of me I can not remember what it was."
Wel that's just great we have one possible lead and the old flea can't remember. Maybe I shouldn't fault him too much for that, he is ancient after all.
However something was bothering me.
"If the old man did bring something like that with him, mom would have told me. She did give me everything he gave her for my 40th birthday after all and it was just this robe." I said while smiling a bit at at the end.
That was a fun day, especially annoying those stuffly nobles.
Sweet Amaterasu they were so stuck up you would think they had trees lodged up their asses.
Then again they couldn't exactly stand living around a hanyo, no matter how important my mother's clan was.
Speaking of which I wonder if it is still in power during Touma's and Kagome's era?
Maybe it was since it has been around for centuries after all.
I'll ask either one of them after we survive the night.
I can't wait to see their reactions when they find out, it nearly gave Kikyo a heart attack when I told her.
Now I wish it actually happened, would have saved me a lot of trouble in the future.
"That is true Lady Inuko, but I can't remember it clearly so I might have been mistaken after all." Myōga said with a sigh.
"It's alright, but looks like we have nothing now." I sighed out.
"Not quit." Kaede said. "What if your father did bring something, but his it inside your body."
"Like how the Shikon Jewel was inside of me." Kagome said while wincing. She did get it dislodged from her body by an ōmukade after all, I can tell you from experience that have one trying to dislodge chunks of your flesh wasn't a pleasant experience at all.
"It is a possibility." I grumbled out.
This is karma for my original plan to gut out the girl to get the Shikon Jewel isn't it, because it feels like it.
If there is something like that inside my body then I'd prefer to find where it is and not remove it. I'd heal from it probably, but it will hurt like all Yomi to do so.
"If there is something, I suggest we cut it out now." Yura said while reaching for her blade.
"Try it and I'll slice you into ribbons again!" I growled out, only for my anger to vanish when she developed a fearful expression.
A quick sniff and I immediately knew why.
"Kagome, your with me!" I barked out while shoving her bow and arrows to her.
"Why?" She questioned nervously.
"That overgrown bitch is here and she is outside with Touma!" I said before rushing to the doorway.
Honestly we shouldn't have allowed him alone outside with Sesshōmaru around.
Then again I didn't expect her to have walked into the middle of a human village to come after me. It just wasn't her style after all.
Looks like I've underestimated how much she wanted this Tessaiga and how far she was willing to get it.
Something that I'll make sure not to repeat again.
(Touma POV- A little earlier)
I did not like my odds.
I had just gotten all of my anger out of my system when someone appeared from right next to me. I drew my sword out and the figure caught it with one hand, revealing her appearance to me in the moonlight.
The figure was a tall woman wearing a regal white kimono with red sakura crests on the sleeves. She wore armor, boots, and a long flowing obi drawing influence from the mainland. The along with her golden eyes, long silver hair, and her facial markings complimented her inhuman beauty.
This has to be Sesshōmaru, the resemblance to how Inuko described her is uncanny. Seriously her description was spot on, but I was not going to speak about it as I valued my life too much.
Honestly I'm a little terrified right now, her very posture radiated power and her eyes radiated a cold stoicism and no trace of emotion at all.
Facing her head on would be suicide.
"Human, where did you get this sword?" Sesshōmaru inquired in a voice about as regal as she appeared and emotionless as well. Her eyes showed a spark of emotion that if I had to guess was interest.
I made a silent prayer to the entire Shinto pantheon for this. Apparently she thought that I was just a human and hadn't sniffed out my yokai heritage yet. Or she has and is just toying with me. Either way it would probably be a good idea not to use my powers until I got the perfect opportunity.
"I got it as a gift." I said honestly. "I don't know the true importance of this sword, but I can tell that if you are inquiring about it then this sword must be related somehow to Lord Tōga." I added in a respectful tone.
While I'm curious about the sword now, I'm just buying time for the others to show up now. I was once again thankful that I can now see Yura's hairs now. So I froze the tips of her hair connected to me and hopefully she will get the message. If not then I'm screwed, hopefully not the kind that Yura tried to do yesterday.
"Of course a human would be ignorant of such a thing. However you seem a bit more knowledgeable then the rest of the lowly beasts that make up your kind." Sesshōmaru said evenly.
"Thank you...I think." I said evenly as the daiyokai began to put some pressure on the sword.
Taking the sword away from her hand I then held it to my side. With a swift motion I broke the frozen hairs and quickly sheathed the sword.
Hopefully they got the message now, because by myself I would be dead soon.
"If you don't mind me asking, but would you mind telling me about the sword." I asked.
"I'll consider it, but not here." Sesshōmaru said. "Did you really think that I wouldn't notice that you were stalling."
"Honestly I considered that you would find out. I just hoped that Inuko or someone would have noticed by now." I sighed out.
This was not going to end well for me.
"That is what you get for putting any sort faith in my sister, nothing but disappointment." Sesshōmaru said before vanishing in a burst a speed and sent a quick chop to the back of the neck. "As promised human, I will discuss the sword with you after you wake up in a minute. I need something to do while waiting for her after all."
"Damn it..." I could only mutter as darkness overcame my vision.
(Inuko POV)
"Let him go you bitch!" I howled at Sesshōmaru while lunging at her.
I had just gotten out of Kaede's house to see that frigid bitch had knocked Touma out.
I had my claws drawn forth to strick her, until she brought out that accursed yoki whip of her's out and forced me back.
I've always hated that technique of hers.
"Inuko, it has been far too long." Sesshōmaru said while picking up Touma.
"It has, so do me a favor. Let Touma go and leave before I'm forced to kill you." I growled out with my claws drawn out.
"As much as I wish to stay and catch up with you, this is not the correct place for it." She said, before using that accursed whip to destroy two arrows shot by Kagome and Kaede. "I see you have now surrounded yourself with some lowly humans, typical of a lowly hanyo like yourself. At least you found one with some potential." She said as she slung Touma over her shoulder.
"So this is Sesshōmaru, you were right Inuko she is nothing more then a flat chested bitch." Kagome said as she notched another arrow and let it fly.
Sadly it missed by a wide margin, but I'll let it slid this time due to her annoying Sesshōmaru if her twitching eye was of any indication. That was always fun to watch her stoicism shatter when you mention the one thing that I know she feels inadequate about.
"You are so lucky that I need you alive right now." Sesshōmaru said as she pulled out a piece of cloth and tossed it towards me.
"What is this?" I asked while studying it.
"Incentive. If you wish for both humans back come and find me in the forest. I will let him go there. The other human you will have to earn back." Sesshōmaru said before taking off with Touma.
I was going to question about the second human, but the scent from the cloth finally clicked with me.
It was a scent that I haven't picked up in over 150 years. It should have been impossible, but I was dead for 50 years and the Tenseiga was capable of bringing the dead back to life after all.
"Kagome where is Yura?!" I asked sharply upon noticing that she was gone.
"She went after Sesshōmaru after she left." Kagome said nervously upon noticing my reaction. "Inuko are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'll explain on the way." I said to her before lowering myself down for her to climb on.
"Inuko, Kagome take care you two. I'll keep an eye on the village incase Sesshōmaru tries anything again." Kaede said
The two of us just nodded in her wards before taking off after her and Touma.
She has just made this personally by not only kidnapping Touma, but also by desecrating my mother's grave and bringing her to back to life. That bitch was going to pay in blood for disturbing my mother's resting place. Screw the Tessaiga and screw my old man, I'm going to do this for one reason and one reason alone.
Payback.
I am going to enjoy delivering it to that overgrown bitch and reveal to her where she truly belongs.
Beatened and bloodied at the end of my claws.
The screen flickered before the author reappeared.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 and I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter.*
*I will keep this short, but next chapter will be out in March 6. Simple as that.*
*Nothing really that much to say here, and I would prefer it. Think I might be coming down with something and I am dead tired.*
*So if you have any questions let me know and I will get back to you later. Until next time, ciao!*
The author waves goodbye as the screen fades to black.