Part 5

With the tree now ablaze, Jaken praised himself for his heroics.

But what Jaken didn't know was he had completely missed Kohaku. Kohaku had quickly fled from the tree before the blast. It was obvious to anyone who had a watchful eye. Kohaku had jumped to a near-by tree with the swiftness of a cheetah. Sesshomaru knew exactly where Kohaku was.

"You missed," Sesshomaru warned, but calmly.

"Huh? Where did that child go?" Jaken let his eyes wander, but all he could see was the tree he had just fire blasted. He turned his staff towards trees near-by and was about to set them ablaze just in case Kohaku had escaped within, but an instant later, a half-moon shaped bone boomerang came soaring out of the trees and hit Jaken in the side of the head, knocking him out. It continued on its path and returned to his master in the trees.

Kohaku dropped down from a tree, still tightly grasping the bone boomerang in hand, along with the chain-sickle that he used to bind Sesshomaru. Kohaku was only a teenager, but he was a quick and smart for a human. And to Sesshomaru, that was a dangerous combination.

Kohaku pulled the chain taut and Sesshomaru grunted with a little discomfort.

Rin ran over to Kohaku and she began to hit him with the underbelly of her fists. Though the effort was in-vain, she had the spirit of a true warrior.

Sesshomaru could see this, and yet…

"Rin, stop it!" Sesshomaru ordered. "You can't win."

Kohaku cast his gaze on her, then pushed Rin down. She landed on her rump. "Oof!"

Sesshomaru was not a caring person by nature, but what Kohaku did angered him, and he snapped the chains around him with ease. Sesshomaru's sudden breakout startled Kohaku and he jumped away, backing off to a more strategic position.

Sesshomaru glared at Kohaku as he made his way over to Rin. He touched her head with his hand. "Are you hurt, Rin?" he asked. Rin looked up at him and smiled, shaking her head.

Rin had been a voiceless child when Sesshomaru rescued her. The tragedy of losing her family was so traumatic that she chose not to speak, and yet, over time, she was slowly coming out of her shell. Her attempt to rescue him was proof of this.

"Thank you, Rin," he said, "but let me do the rest now. Go, and hide, and do not come out until I tell you that it's safe to do so."

Rin nodded, and then followed his orders, running into a thicket of trees.

"You surprise me, Sesshomaru," Naraku said. "I didn't think you had a spot in your heart for humans." Sesshomaru did not respond. "They're disgusting creatures! When I get the Shikon Jewel in its whole form, I'll exterminate them all!" There was a pause. "I thought you would be reasonable, Sesshomaru, and accept my more than gracious offer, but I see you are just as stubborn as your hot-headed, egomaniac brother, Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru pulled the Tenseiga from its sheave at his side and jammed the blade in the ground in front of him.

Naraku looked bewildered.

"You're welcome to try to harness Tenseiga's power on your own, but I won't help you. Your efforts will be futile. Only one who knows how to utilize its secrets can use it properly. I won't help you resurrect Inuyasha and the others. They say the hand of fate is predestined, so if this is Inuyasha and his friends' fate, then so be it."

"You're a fool, Sesshomaru!" Naruku cursed. "I see I'll have to use more persuasive methods to make you realize my intentions."

"If you kill me, you'll never claim the Shikon Jewel shards," Sesshomaru said.

Naraku chuckled short. "I have no intention of killing you, Sesshomaru. But perhaps the sacrifice of one of your companions will convince you that I'm not a man to refute." Naraku pointed to the forest. "Kohaku, go find the girl, and kill her!"

Kohaku produced hesitation, his eyes blinking, his fists clenched. He was obviously trying to fight the order. Sesshomaru knew the boy was not a killer, yet he was forced to harm others under Naraku's control. He wondered how much it weighed on the boy, how much guilt he bared in doing so. But then Naraku enforced his control and Kohaku's eyes appeared to glow.

He pulled out a sharp blade from a sheave from behind his back. He then threw it, and it soared through the air towards the forest with a seemingly indiscriminate path.

A short yelp was heard and suddenly Rin's body dropped out from her hiding place, blood exiting a deep wound in her throat. She fell forward. Sesshomaru ran over and caught her before she hit the ground, cradling her in his arms—blood staining his clothes.

"Lord Sesshomaru…" she spoke softly.

"Don't speak," he replied softly.

He bared his fangs at the boy, but he knew it was not his fault.

He put Rin down and went to retrieve the Tenseiga. He ignored both Naraku and Kohaku and returned to her. With a quick air-swipe across her throat, he sealed her wound. Rin felt her throat and then smiled. She bounced up with joy and hugged him.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru," she said quietly, her voice masked in his fur parasite.

Sesshomaru smiled thinly. "Decorum, Rin," he said.

Rin backed off and then gave him a military salute which Sesshomaru thought was cute.

Sesshomaru turned and gave Kohaku a wicked stare, the boy backed off to a safe distance. But Sesshomaru was not angry with him. "I don't blame you, young warrior," he said. "You're a puppet of Naraku and can't help yourself." He looked at Naraku. "I can accept you attacking me, but I won't tolerate harm coming to Rin."

"Such rubbish!" Naraku chided. "Humans are inferior beings. They were born to be controlled and used as food. They're weak animals without the brain capacity for true intelligence. They're not to be coddled by the likes of us demons. Accept my offer, Sesshomaru, and no further harm will come to the girl. Otherwise she will never be safe!"

Kohaku began to approach, poised for battle. Sesshomaru extended the Tenseiga and brought it to bare to face Kohaku. Out of instinct alone Kohaku backed away, unaware that the power of the Tenseiga couldn't harm him. But there was still Sesshomaru's unpredictability and swift fighting ability. "I won't hesitate to murder him, Naraku," Sesshomaru said vexed. "He may not be acting on his own accord, but he's just as much of a threat as you are."

"Kill him, I don't care," Naraku said. "There's always others to take his place."

"You have such a cold, empty heart, Naraku," Sesshomaru said. He paused thoughtfully. Kohaku was Sango's younger brother, a member of Inuyasha's party. Kohaku was most likely unaware that Sango was dead at Naraku's hands. He wondered what Kohaku would do, even under Naraku's control, if he learned of her fate? It was not something he wished to see.

He sighed. "Call him off and I'll help you," Sesshomaru said, although he was not afraid of Naraku, Rin's safety was another manner. Even though he could protect her, he didn't wish for Rin to keep looking over her shoulder for attackers. She had suffered enough. "I never thought you were the one to resort to blackmail. Such tricks are reversed for the simple-minded."

Naraku chuckled. "If the opportunity arises, seize the moment," he said. He waved Kohaku back. The young warrior complied, but still held a weapon at the ready. "I'm pleased you've accepted the situation, Sesshomaru."

"I've agreed to your terms because true power is nothing without the ability to use it judiciously when called upon to do so," Sesshomaru stated. "You've played your hand well."

Naraku chuckled. "Indeed," he said. "The hand of fate wields many tools."

Just then, with a wave of Naraku's hand, they were all whisked to the valley that Naraku spoke of, where Inuyasha and the others had perished sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu were there. They met up with Naraku the moment they saw him.

Sesshomaru eyed them both with distain and Bankotsu gave a cocky smirk as he balanced his massive barbaric Dragon Sword across his right shoulder.

"Nice," the leader of the Band of Seven said. "You've 'persuaded' him to come."

Jakotsu cocked his head. "I like tall men, but he's not as cute as Inuyasha," he said.

"Quiet!" Bankotsu admonished his brother.

Sesshomaru knew of Jakotsu's unusual nature, but paid it no mind. "What is it that you want of me, Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked him bluntly.

Naraku, still a baboon, said, "I want you to slice open the void with the Tenseiga and bring Inuyasha and his companions back here."
"And how do I do that? They're dead."

"They're not dead," Naraku said. "They are merely lost, floating in a void of emptiness, where the corporal body doesn't exist. With the power of the Tenseiga, and its ability to heal the dead, you can bring them back by accessing this plain of existence."

"If I access the void, will I not also bring back all the demons Miroku has locked away in his wind tunnel?"

"No, I'll make sure of that," Naraku said. "I'll temporarily endow you with the ability to locate the marker in which the void can be opened."

"What makes you think I won't try to kill you when you give me this power?"

"Betrayal is not your forte, Lord Sesshomaru," Naraku said derisively, "and if you try anything deceptive I'll order my enforcers to kill you. There's strength in numbers and you're not invincible, the lack of your arm is proof of that. But I trust you'll be smart. So, what shall it be? Save your brother and his friends or let them wallow in nothingness forever?"

To be continued...