Chapter 10
Kaoru waits patiently for his wife to bring down Sota. It's not everyday you get the news that your deceased parent is back from the dead to meet his own flesh and blood. But that's kind of what happened. Sota was just a baby when Kaoru died. So throughout the first 8 years Sota had not been given the chance to meet him. The door closing from the upstairs has signaled that Sota is about to come into the living room. Soon enough Ai has brought in Sota. "Sota, this is your father, Kaoru." Ai said to the boy softly so that Sota wouldn't get scared.
The moment Sota looks at his father, he looks sad. "What the matter, Sota?" Kaoru asks him first as he kneels down the boy's level. All of a sudden Sota runs off. No one expected that from Sota. Even hearing the back door slammed shut has got the group completely confused as well as concerned. "What is something I said?" Kaoru asks Ai as he stands up with confusion in his voice. "Not that I know of. I wish I had the answer." Ai responds to him with the same look. Kagome is about to go after him but Inuyasha takes hold of her shoulder. "Don't. I'll take care of this." He offers and goes after the child outside.
Inuyasha comes out to look for the kid. He doesn't need to yell out for him since the kid's scent is fresh for Inuyasha to track him down. He follows the scent to one of the sheds that resides on the shrine grounds. He opens up the door to see Sota crying into his folded arms, sitting on the wooden floors of the room. "What do you want?" Inuyasha heard his murmuring. Inuyasha comes up to him. "Why did you run off?" Inuyasha asks him instead. Sota refuses to show his tears. "Listen to me Sota. You're not alone in this. I lost my old man when I was born and I never got to meet him at all." Inuyasha sympathizes with the child as he sits down next to him. "It's not fair, no father should die." Sota comments to him. "I don't blame you. If only my father was alive, I would've been in a whole different scenario. As such I would never have met your sister." Inuyasha tries his best to lighten up the kid's spirit.
"But your father was very powerful. Why would he die when he could have helped you and your mother?" Sota looks up to him. Inuyasha frowns a little the moment he looks back at the kid. "My old man was in rough shape when he saved me and mother from the moment the mansion was on fire. He knew that somehow he had to stay behind to prevent the man who killed my mother was going to come after us." Inuyasha explains to him.
"What do you mean that he was in a rough shape? Was he in a huge battle before your birth?" Sota asks him curiously. Inuyasha nods. "According to my father's servant, Myoga. He was fighting a demon who was just as powerful as himself. When he found out about my mother being in labor, he had to use one of his claws to seal the demon away and escape unscathed." Inuyasha tell Sota more what he knows from either his mother, Myoga, or Totosai.
"So the bottom line is that I shouldn't run off." Sota concludes. "Exactly Sota. I know not having a father in your live is very hard. But this could be the only chance you are given to make memories with him despite him being dead." Inuyasha ruffles his head. Sota nods. "might as well get that started." He said proudly. Inuyasha smiles back and follows the kid out of the shed and straight back to the house.
Kaoru is sitting on the couch. "I don't know what I did to make him run off. I know not being there for him was hard." He starts off. He heard about Kagome's friends' backstories and how everyone of them used to have a father but lost them some time ago. The door shuts closed to alert the house that Sota and Inuyasha have return. "Dad…" Sota asks him the moment he comes into the living room. "What is it, Sota?" Kaoru asks him with a warm smile. "Can I have a moment to spent with you. Alone?" The kid requests his father. "Absolutely." Kaoru nods his head as he and Sota go upstairs to the master bedroom to get them the privacy they deserved for so long.
Once the father and son left the living room, Inuyasha sits onto the floor since the couch is occupied with everyone else. "What did you say to him?" Kagome asks him as she leans to his level. "I just told him what I've been through. Nothing more." Inuyasha answers her casually. Kagome sits back up on her spot on the couch. "I never knew that you were the counseling type." She comments to him. "I don't know what that means." Inuyasha turns around to her. Kagome giggles at his lack of the language in this time. "It's when a person tries to guide someone in the right direction on how to approach personally issues. And from you managed to do to convince Sota to talk with dad is a good example." Kagome explains to him. Inuyasha grins in return. "Might as well take that into consideration from now on." He leans back onto the bottom of the couch with his hands behind his head.
Sota and Kaoru get themselves comfortable on the master bed. "This has never changed one bit." Kaoru comments to see that nothing major has changed since his death. "Yeah. Mom thought that it was best that she keeps this room the same." Sota nods back. "I can see you've grown so much. I wish I was still alive to help you on with personal things. If you know what I mean." Kaoru looks down to his son. Sota nods again. "Yeah. Even though you were gone, mom and grandpa did their best to raise me. But I kept my secret of not having a father around that made me lonely most of the time." He said sadly. Kaoru can see the frown on his face. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you before I have to return to the afterlife?" He asks Sota.
Sota sighs deeply. "I was hoping you could go trick-or-treating with me." He asks him curiously. Kaoru smiles fondly. "Of course, Sota. I wouldn't have it any other way." He ruffles his son's head. Sota laughs as he hugs him around his stomach. Kaoru hugs him back. He knows for sure that this will never happen again. So he has to make sure that this is very memorable as possible.