Ch. 97- The Span of a Life


Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi


"MIROKU!" Inuyasha yelled in desperation. "HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?!"

Miroku grunted as the Wind Tunnel continued to suck up the many demons in its range...and the hole in his right palm seemed to get a bit wider.

"Miroku, stop!" cried Kagome.

"The Wind Tunnel's getting bigger!" Sango shouted, but even then, Miroku continued to let the Wind Tunnel roar as it sucked up the demons. However, he grunted as he began to stagger, the power of its suction beginning to overwhelm him.

"The fool!" Mushin exclaimed with a bit of fear in his voice. "He plans to kill us along with him!"

Inuyasha growled before he glared at Mushin, cracking his knuckles in fury.

"Screw this!" he yelled before he punched the old monk in the face. "GET OUTTA MY WAY, YOU OLD DRUNKARD!"

"OOF!" Mushin cried before he fell to the ground while Inuyasha pulled off the beads on his body, then ran up to Miroku, who tried to keep a hold on his right hand...but as he did, the cut on the Wind Tunnel's entrance began to split open further!

"Oh, no...!" Miroku whispered. "The Wind Tunnel...it's...!"

"STOP IT, YOU IDIOT!"

All of a sudden, Miroku gasped as he felt a familiar clawed hand grabbed at his arm, and as he looked up, he gasped upon seeing Inuyasha, who quickly wrapped up the monk's right hand with his beads.

"I...Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"If you open that Wind Tunnel again," Inuyasha began, "I'll rip your damn arm off, you moron!"

"Inuyasha...you..." Miroku muttered.

"AAH! LOOK OUT!" Shippo suddenly shrieked.

"THE DEMONS ARE COMING AGAIN!" Hachi screamed in terror, just as the demon horde came flying in for the kill. With a growl, Inuyasha soon drew the Tetsusaiga while he stood in front of Miroku, who leaned against his father's grave.

"If you're gonna die," Inuyasha began, "you won't do it on my watch, Miroku! I don't want no guilt trips!"

Miroku's eyes went wide, just as the demons were getting closer.

"You're not coming one step closer, you bastards!" Inuyasha yelled before he raised his mighty blade. "Take THIS!"

WHOOOOOOOSH! With one powerful swing, the Tetsusaiga unleashed a huge blast of demonic power...completely obliterating the demons!

"The...the demons...!" Miroku whispered. "They've all been vanquished!"

"I don't believe it...!" Sango gaped. "And with just one swing?!"

"It's...it's just like what happened when Sesshomaru used the sword!" Kagome exclaimed. "Inuyasha just used the full power of the Tetsusaiga for the first time!"

Even Inuyasha was stunned as he looked down at his sword, which seemed to have this golden glow about it.

"...Whoa...!" he whispered in awe. "What was that...?!"

Just then, out of her peripheral eye, Sango spotted something darting off into the shadows: it was the urn grub charmer, attempting to make his escape.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Sango yelled as she threw the Hiraikotsu, completely slicing the demon in half and causing it to drop the urn on the ground. Kagome panted as she ran up and grabbed the jar, then ran over to the motionless Mushin.

"Is he okay?" Kagome asked.

"Probably just unconscious from when Inuyasha clocked him," Sango answered. "You and I both know he'd never kill a human, right?"

"Right," Kagome nodded with a smile of relief, then she placed the urn's tip toward Mushin's mouth, where the urn grubs soon came slithering out and crawled inside the pot. Kagome sighed in relief before she glanced down at Mushin, who still remained motionless.

"Huh?" Kagome muttered. "How come he's not waking up?!"

"I don't understand it," Sango said. "We got the demon worms out of him, right?"

At that moment, Inuyasha trudged toward Mushin and, without warning, kicked the old monk in the head.

"Wake up, you drunk old codger!" he shouted.

"Ugh...where am I...?" Mushin asked as he looked around. "...Has anyone seen my sake flask? I could use a drink."

"He's fine," Miroku deadpanned as Hachi carried him over with Shippo at his side.

"Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"...I am, now," Miroku smiled. "Thank you...everyone."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Thank us when you get that wound of yours fixed, first."

XXX

The following day, as the sun began to rise, Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara all sat outside Mushin's temple, waiting for the good news on Miroku's wound.

"He sure is taking his time, isn't he?" asked Sango.

"Well, he did say he had to use sutures," Kagome answered. "This could be a while."

At that moment, they heard the door open behind them and out stumbled Mushin, who took a sip of his sake.

"That foolish boy," he grumbled. "You'd think he know better by now."

"Master Mushin!" Kagome exclaimed. "How is Miroku doing?"

"He's sleeping right now," answered Mushin before he glanced at Inuyasha. "You, there. Inuyasha, was it?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Inuyasha replied.

"Come with me," Mushin ushered as he walked to the other side of the porch. "There's something I must discuss with you."

Inuyasha noticed the slight concern on the monk's face, which prompted him to stand up and walk with him, but not before he turned to the others.

"You guys can go and see Miroku if you want to," Inuyasha said. "I know you guys have been worried about him."

The girls and Shippo nodded before they soon headed inside while Inuyasha went and stood outside with Mushin, who took another swig of sake.

"So?" Inuyasha asked. "Out with it, old man...did you fix the cut on his Wind Tunnel or did you?"

"...I only have this to say," Mushin answered before he turned to Inuyasha with a serious face. "You must find and defeat Naraku as quickly as you are able."

"Hmm?" Inuyasha hummed inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

"...While I did manage to suture the wound," Mushin said with a grim sigh, "the Wind Tunnel has widened quite a bit."

Inuyasha tried not to show it, but he did make a slight noise of alarm at the news.

"...Are you saying...he doesn't have much time left?" he inquired.

"I'm afraid so," Mushin answered.

XXX

Inside the temple, Miroku lied on his futon, asleep while Kagome, Shippo, Sango, Kirara, and Hachi all sat around him.

"...Miroku..." Kagome whispered, worriedly.

"I...I didn't even realize just how much he's been through until now," Sango spoke up, causing Kagome and Shippo to turn to her. "He always seemed so confident and sure of himself...but I never once thought that he was so..."

"...Yeah, I know," Kagome replied. "Miroku's just like Inuyasha in some ways. He puts up a front, but I think deep down, he's terrified at the thought of dying by the Wind Tunnel. He just doesn't want us to know that because he probably doesn't want anyone to worry about him."

"Poor Miroku," Shippo said, sadly.

"Oh, Master..." Hachi muttered in concern.

XXX

"...How much longer do you think he has left to live, old-timer?" asked Inuyasha.

"I can't say for certain," Mushin said. "He might have a few months ahead of him. At any rate, the Wind Tunnel was a curse that was placed upon him by Naraku...so if you destroy him, then you will remove the curse on Miroku and his life will be spared."

Inuyasha nodded his head, knowing how dire the situation was.

"Trust me," he said. "The next time I see Naraku, I'll be sure to kill him in one fell swoop."

"...I'll hold you to that," Mushin replied.

XXX

"Uggh..." Miroku groaned as his eyes began to open.

"Oh! Miroku, you're awake!" Sango exclaimed.

"Yay!" Shippo cheered as he hugged the monk, who chuckled as he lightly patted his head.

"How are you feeling, Miroku?" Kagome asked.

"Mmm...a bit lightheaded," Miroku answered, "but...I'm alive...aren't I?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded, trying her best to hold back her tears of relief and joy. "Master Mushin managed to suture your wound closed."

"...I see," Miroku replied as he looked at his right hand...but then he seemed to gasp in horror, causing the others to gasp as well.

"What's wrong?!" Sango questioned.

"Is something wrong with your hand, Miroku?!" asked Kagome...but then, Sango let out a yelp as she felt something rubbing against her buttocks.

It was Miroku's left hand.

"...Yeah...he's okay," Kagome muttered.

"Oh, Master..." Hachi bemoaned in disbelief.

BONK! Sango whacked Miroku in the head with a nearby water basin before she stood up and stormed out.

"I can't believe I took pity on you!" she shouted.

"...I don't think Miroku's gonna die anytime soon," Inuyasha deadpanned.

"His bloodline is something to be feared, indeed," Mushin mused before he took another drink of sake.

XXX

Concurrently, at Hitomi Castle...Naraku sat within his bedchamber, awaiting the news from his saimyosho. At that moment, he heard a familiar buzzing sound, causing him to look up to the sky and see just one of the demon hornets.

"...So...just one returns," Naraku said as he held up his hand, allowing the insect to perch on his wrist. "And the rest have been slain..."

The saimyosho buzzed and clicked its mandibles, causing Naraku to widen his eyes slightly.

"...100 demons...slain in just one swing?" he asked.

'Inuyasha...he is getting stronger,' he thought. 'Which means that rather than sending a horde of demons...I must release something that even he cannot kill.'

That's when he turned to a shadowy figure that sat behind a shade.

"...Your time has come, my faithful servant," said Naraku. "Your body should be able to move as you wish, by now."

"...Yes, Lord Naraku...I hear and obey," the shadowy figure answered while Naraku chuckled darkly.


Well, here comes another arc that I don't like, BUT it's gotta be done!

But first, another interlude, this time containing a bit MirSan!

Review, please!