Sesshoumaru had called upon his father's retainer, Totosai. They met in Bokuseno's glade for the complete privacy that only the old tree could provide.

Sesshoumaru had been looking for ways to prevent Inuyasha's demon from taking over. As he had reached an age where the demon blood would become more volatile the concern was losing him to this.

Myoga happened to be on one of his periodical check ins to let Sesshoumaru know how Inuyasha was fairing during this meeting. The tiny flea informed Sesshoumaru that Tessaiga had the ability to calm the imbalance in his blood, he just needed to be in contact with it.

The knowledge there was already a way to calm the demon blood renewed the search for Tessaiga.

"Seen but not seen.

Protected but unknown to its protector" he muttered

He could not understand the riddle, looking at the faces around him, he realized they all knew where to find it.

"Tell this one where it is"

"Well, um, it's hidden in plain sight, you see." Totosai said, scratching his head. Myoga, ever the coward, had disappeared, and Bokuseno had merged back into the tree, leaving the old swordsmith to take the brunt of Sesshoumaru's anger.

He would find that sword. At any cost.

Over the next three decades, Sesshoumaru attempted to Crack the riddle. If the protector didn't know he couldn't ask and wait to be lied to so he could scent the lie. So he was at a loss.

During this time a tribe of panthers had begun testing his border to the north east, he'd had reports for months about the damn cats.

This day however, a bruised and bloodied soldier arrived at his Shiro with a scroll. He knew by looking at the state of the soldier that he would not be happy at the contents of the scroll.

The panthers offered a truce, on one condition. Sesshoumaru would mate one of their females and they would receive a portion of the west.

That was not going to happen.

Sesshoumaru gathered his troops to answer with his own brand of response. His troops may be strong, but there were not as many as the panthers numbers had swelled to. He knew if he attempted to take on the panther tribe it could mean trouble for the west.

He returned to Bokuseno's glade and asked the old magnolia to have Myoga bring Inuyasha. If Inuyasha proved his strength, he could finally bring him home.

A day later, a note arrived from Myoga that Sesshoumaru was needed in the village of Edo in relation to Inuyasha.

"He fell in love with a priestess. The Priestess was the protector of the Jewel of Four Souls. I have heard talk from the village that he attacked her and tried to steal the jewel so she pinned him with that Sacred Arrow to this sacred tree and then she died."

Sesshoumaru attempted to remove the arrow from his brother's chest, but the purity and spell in the arrow repelled him. The spell was powerful, made stronger by heartache felt by the caster and only a miko of equal or more power would be able to remove it.

"If only Master Inuyasha had listened to me" the old flea whined from upon his shoulder, "he was going to wish to be human to be with her, but I told him how he could get the Tessaiga and they could protect the Jewel together!"

He was so angry. Angry with the Panthers, angry with Myoga for not telling him what was going on, and angry with his brother for getting pinned to a tree for eternity.

It turned out the assistance he got from Inuyasha was not the one he had expected.

In his rage he decimated the panthers and sent the few survivors scattering to the wind.

As he stood, overlooking the land the panthers had been on Jaken approached him.

"My lord, were the panthers females so distasteful that you had to kill them all?"

"Hnnn"

"My lord, I have found that the staff, the woman's head will tell us if we are going in the wrong direction, and when we find where the sword is hidden, it will change to the man's head"

With that information, Jaken and the staff had them traveling all over Japan. Occasionally he would stop into his Shiro to ensure things were still running smoothly, but for the most part, he did not return.

Over the next few decades it seemed every time they would get close to the answer, it would vanish. His frustration mounted and each time he would go to the sacred tree and see Inuyasha, his ire would grow.

If that pup would have just understood. If he had just waited like he was told.

The anger changed to bitterness and the bitterness became resentment.