Ch. 104- Enter: Jinenji


Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi


It was the following day and things were relatively quiet in Kaede's hut. Sango was lying on the mats with Kirara still curled up at her side, mewling and twitching in pain. Just as Kaede had said the herbal remedy she had made for Kirara only dulled her pains, but not enough to the point where she was cured of her poisoning. At the very least, she could survive for a few more days...but there was really no telling.

All Sango could do was gently stroke her fur in an effort to comfort her.

"It'll be okay, Kirara..." Sango whispered. "I promise."

Kirara only gave a small, weak mewl in response.

XXX

Outside, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo were all conversing with each other about Kirara's condition when Myoga finally came back after being gone since earlier that morning after Inuyasha sent him to fetch information about where to get some medicine that could cure their feline friend. Thankfully, he returned with good news.

"What?!" Kagome asked in surprise as the flea demon conveyed his findings to them. "Medicinal herbs that heal even the most fatal poisons?!"

"That's right," Myoga replied.

"And these will really help Kirara?" asked Kagome, hopefully.

"Indeed, they will," Myoga answered. "However, the field is quite a long way from here...and that's not all."

"Oh, of course, it wouldn't be that easy..." Inuyasha muttered. "All right, Myoga, spill it. What's the catch?"

"Well, sire," Myoga began, "rumor has it that the field is being guarded by a fierce demon. It's not as easy as walking up and picking them."

"A...a demon?" Shippo asked, nervously.

"Well, demon or no demon," Kagome began, "we have to help Kirara! She's counting on us!"

"Then we'll leave right now," Inuyasha began, "that way, we can get there by morning, get the herbs, and then come back."

"For once, I agree," Kagome said. "The sooner, the better."

With that said, the half-demon and priestess soon gathered up the former's backpack and pedaled off on her bike, leaving Miroku to look after Sango and Kirara while they left.

"Inuyasha and Kagome left, already?" asked Sango.

"Yes," Miroku answered as he sat by her side. "They're going to find some herbs that will help cure Kirara, even though these herbs are said to be guarded by a demon. I am staying here to look after you until the wound in your arm has healed."

"...Somehow, I don't feel very safe," Sango said as she hid beneath the covers.

"...So you still don't trust me, do you?" Miroku asked.

"Don't worry, Sango," Shippo said as he sat nearby. "Kagome told me to stay here so that I could look after Miroku so he won't get up to any funny business."

"Thank you, Shippo," Sango said, gratefully while Miroku sighed in indignation.

The one time he's actually being sincere, and yet, everyone still doubts him so.

XXX

Out on the open road, Kagome pedaled her bike as she and Inuyasha rode out to this field that Myoga spoke of. As they did, Kagome couldn't help but smile at the warmth that rose up in her chest.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked.

"Since what?" Inuyasha asked.

"You know," Kagome began, "since we've been alone like this. It used to be just the two of us just starting out, remember?"

"...Huh," Inuyasha muttered. "I guess it has been, huh?"

Kagome tried not to show it, but she seemed a bit disappointed at how unenthusiastic Inuyasha sounded.

'You'd think he'd be just a little excited about it,' she thought...but then, she tensed a bit as she felt something leaning up against her back, causing her to glance back and see, to her surprise, that Inuyasha had fallen asleep, his head propped up on one knee while he balanced on the back of the bike.

'He nodded off?' thought Kagome. 'Come to think of it...Naraku did give him a bit of a hard time, the other night. No wonder he's exhausted...maybe, if I'm real quiet, he won't wake up.'

With that, she pedaled as slowly as possible...but she accidentally hit a light bump on the road as she went on.

'Quiet, now...gently...' she continued thinking.

"Excuse me!"

"Huh?" Kagome muttered before she turned around, only to gasp as she saw that Inuyasha had fallen off her bike and landed on his head.

"A little help, if you don't mind!" Inuyasha barked.

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!" Kagome cried.

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere in a deep, dark forest...a young woman was seen, running as fast as she could, carrying a bundle of herbs on her back. Her heart pounded and her lungs felt tight as she kept running, her body exhausted, but her instincts were pushing to keep going until she couldn't anymore. As she ran, she momentarily glanced back, only to gasp as she saw a pair of glowing red eyes behind her.

At that moment...she tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground, just as an enormous shadow came towering over her.

"You..." a deep voice growled. "You look delicious...!"

"No!" the woman cried. "No, please! I beg of you!"

The creature lunged...and all that could be heard was the sound of the young woman's dying shrieks as her flesh was ripped apart.

XXX

"I said I was sorry, Inuyasha..."

"Keh!"

Kagome sighed as she walked alongside Inuyasha, who held her bicycle in his hand...and he was sporting a rather large bump on his head, too.

"Don't tell me you're still sore at me," Kagome said. "I didn't mean to knock you off my back!"

"Will you shut it?!" Inuyasha questioned. "I told you, I'm not mad!"

"You sure seem mad to me..." Kagome muttered. "Then again...you kinda always look like a grouch."

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha asked, causing Kagome to grin at him.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," she said as she walked by...and Inuyasha snorted for a moment before an amused smirk as he walked after her.

'I think he's actually starting to have fun,' thought Kagome as she glanced back. 'It's been a while since I've seen him grin like that.'

Suddenly, Inuyasha tensed and he froze in place, causing Kagome to stop as she noticed his sudden change in mood.

"What is it?" asked Kagome.

"...I smell human blood," Inuyasha said.

"What?!" Kagome questioned. "From where?!"

"Somewhere up ahead," Inuyasha answered as he walked forward. "Stay close, Kagome."

Kagome nodded before she quietly followed after Inuyasha, concern welling up in her very core. It wasn't very long before they soon stumbled upon a human village...where they saw a group of villagers, mostly old and middle-aged men, covering the same young woman from before with a reed mat.

"This is the third one," said one of the men. "All of her guts, completely torn out...!"

"Is this really the work of that damn Jinenji?" asked an older man.

"It has to be!" shouted another. "If we don't do something, he'll kill and eat us all!"

"But how?" asked a younger man with a scruffy beard. "We're not a match against that monster, even if we all banded together!"

"Uh...excuse us?"

The villagers turned to see Kagome and Inuyasha approaching.

"Is there something the matter?" asked Kagome, only for the villagers to gasp as they quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from Inuyasha, who gasped. "AH! Hey!"

"Run, girl!" shouted one of the men. "We'll hold that beast off!"

"Stay back, dog demon!" shouted another as he pointed a spear at Inuyasha, who growled as he attempted to advance, but Kagome quickly pulled herself away from the panicked villagers and stepped in front of him, arms held out defensively.

"No, wait!" she cried. "Please, Inuyasha is my friend! Don't hurt him!"

"Eh?" the men muttered.

"So you tamed this beast, girl?" asked one of the elders.

"She did NOT tame me!" Inuyasha barked.

"Inuyasha, let me handle this," Kagome urged. "Please."

Knowing that he couldn't argue against her saying "please", the half-demon wisely backed down.

"We're sorry to intrude like this," Kagome said, "but...do you happen to know where we can find some herbs that could be used for an antidote?"

"You mean the herbs that grow on Jinenji's farm?" asked one of the men.

"Uh...I suppose," Kagome said.

"This Jinenji or whatever it's called," Inuyasha said. "Is it a demon or something?"

"Where can we find the herbs?" asked Kagome.

The village men all clamored at once before they turned to the duo.

"Jinenji lives on the outskirts of the village with his mother," said one of them. "He guards a vast field of the most potent herbs, said to cure even the strongest poisons! In the past, we'd ask for those herbs...but lately, it seems that Jinenji has taken a liking for human flesh."

Kagome gasped silently while Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"Take us to this field," he said. "I'll deal with this demon, myself."

XXX

Soon, the villagers led Inuyasha and Kagome to a huge field of herbs. Nearby there was a little wooden hut, but it looked like it was barely staying together...but that wasn't the only thing. Out in the field was a huge, lumbering creature. He was at least twice the size of the average man, muscular and covered in scars. He had the snout of a horse and two bulging blue eyes, plus he also had claws on his fingers.

"Is that him?" Kagome asked as she, Inuyasha, and the villagers hid behind some bushes. "Yikes...!"

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "He doesn't look so tough."

"So, will you fight him off for us, dog demon?" asked one of the villagers.

"His name is Inuyasha," Kagome corrected as she glared at the villagers.

"Forget it, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Either way, we gotta get those herbs, right?" He then walked out toward the field. "This shouldn't take long. Just stay here and wait for me."

"Be careful," Kagome said.

"Do you really think he's strong enough to defeat Jinenji?" whispered one of the men.

"Who cares?" whispered the other. "If one of them kills the other, that's one less demon in the world."

Kagome could only glare at the villagers before she sighed and shook her head...and when she saw Inuyasha's twitching out of the corner of her eye, she knew that he must have heard them, too.

'Even now...there are still people that don't tolerate demons...' thought Kagome. 'I guess it can't be helped, though. It's just like Inuyasha said: it's human nature.'

At that moment, Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga, the glint of the sword gaining Jinenji's attention.

"Huh...?" Jinenji muttered.

"So, you're this man-eating demon that everyone's so scared of, huh?" Inuyasha asked. "Well, that ends today! I'm gonna lop your head right off!"

"Huh?!" Jinenji questioned...suddenly looking rather nervous. At that moment, Inuyasha's nose twitched, causing him to gasp quietly.

'Wait a second...' he thought. 'I don't even smell one drop of human blood on this guy.'

Suddenly, Jinenji grunted as he was pelted with stones, causing Inuyasha to turn and see the villagers throwing rocks at him and holding spears and pitchforks.

"No, wait! Stop!" Kagome cried. "You'll hit Inuyasha, too!"

"Jinenji!" one of the men shouted. "Your days are numbered, you monster!"

"What are you men waiting for?!" questioned one of the elders. "Kill him!"

Inuyasha and Kagome gasped while Jinenji's eyes suddenly flashed red. What sounded like a deep growl began to thunder from within him, causing Inuyasha to hold up the Tetsusaiga...but then...

"BWAAAAAAAAAAHH~!" Jinenji...started wailing with tears pouring out of his eyes.

"What in the hell...?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief.

"MA~!" Jinenji cried as he turned and ran away.

"H-hey! Wait! Come back!" Inuyasha called as he ran after him. "Hold it, I just wanna talk!"

"MA! HELP!" Jinenji cried.

At that moment, a shadowy figure suddenly came rushing out of the old hut: a very old woman...hefting a wooden log over her shoulder like it was nothing!

"WHY YOU!" she yelled.

'A mountain witch?!' thought Inuyasha in shock as he stopped in his tracks.

"You tryin' to steal our herbs, again, you rotten thieves?!" the old woman, Jinenji's Mother, yelled as she whacked Inuyasha on the head with the log...but the lumber only ended up snapping in half as it met his skull.

"Uh...ow," Inuyasha muttered.

"AAGH!" the villagers shrieked.

"It's the old hag! He's gonna kill the dog boy!" shouted one of the men. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

With that, they all turned and ran away.

"I don't believe them!" Kagome exclaimed before she went to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Pfft!" Inuyasha razzed. "Please...I didn't even feel that."

"Listen here!" Jinenji's Mother barked. "I don't know what those villagers told ya, but Jinenji would never hurt a fly, let alone eat human flesh! The only reason they're so quick to judge him is because he's a half-demon!"

"Half-demon?!" Inuyasha and Kagome questioned before they looked to Jinenji, who cowered behind his mother.


Finally, Jinenji is here!

Review, please!