Inuyasha:
The Wrath of Shiroizume
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Story and OCs © Me
Summary- Kagome is pregnant with her and Inuyasha's fourth child and is due to give birth any day, but Ichiro, who is now 11 years old, is shirking from his responsibilities and is going off, getting himself into all sorts of trouble. However, Ichiro might have bitten off more than he can chew when he accidentally breaks a seal and releases a powerful demon from his grandfather's past: a great white tiger demon from China named Shiroizume, who causes all sorts of havoc, and it isn't long before it catches Inuyasha's attention.
Prologue
It was a cold and dreary autumn night. The wind blew wildly and the quarter moon hung in the sky, hidden beyond the clouds. Animals such as deer, birds, monkeys, and small rodents hurriedly scampered through the forest, frightened and pushed by their instinct to survive. Even a pack of wolves fled from the forest, whimpering and howling in fear...and with good reason.
Suddenly, a gigantic paw suddenly slammed into the ground, causing the trees to topple over and the ground to tremble. It was soon revealed that the paw belonged to a gigantic, white, dog-like beast with glowing red eyes and blue stripes across his face. He growled viciously, saliva dripping from his mouth as he faced his opponent. Before him stood a giant feline with silver fur and black stripes, as well as two green stripes across his jaws. Two large bloody claw marks marred his left eye, and both eyes were ablaze with hatred.
The bitter rivalry between a dog and cat...at least that's what it would look like to some.
Soon, the two beasts charged at each other, both letting out powerful roars as they clashed. Their very steps shook the earth, fangs piercing flesh and claws tearing into each other. Wherever their blood sprayed, it soaked the ground. The dog soon had the tiger by the throat and threw him across the forest, sending him crashing into a mountainside. The tiger didn't give up, however, for he stood right back up and opened his jaws wide, gathering his demonic power before he fired off a blast of energy. The dog seemed to gasp before leaping out of the way, while the energy blast destroyed many trees, leaving a giant scorch mark in the earth.
The dog soon plummeted down, biting the tiger's back. A clean bite would certainly sever the feline's spine, but the tiger soon threw the canine off before he lunged, sinking his fangs into his foe's right foreleg. The dog howled in pain, but wouldn't relent. He slammed his left front paw into the tiger's face, forcing him to release his hold before the dog rammed into him from the side. The tiger roared as he felt the dog's fangs pierce his flesh, but a well-aimed kick to the jaw forced the dog to let go. The tiger opened his mouth, preparing to release another beam of demonic energy, but the dog saw this coming and opened his mouth, as well, releasing a huge cloud of noxious fumes which caused the trees around them to melt into nothing. Even the soil and stones were disintegrated.
The tiger snarled in disgust, his vision growing blurry, and that's when the dog made his move. He clamped his jaws down on the tiger's left foreleg and dragged him through the forest, and though his opponent struggled, he could not get free. It wasn't too long before the dog had dragged his opponent down into a deep cavern. Their vicious roars continued...but then, there was a pained howl...and silence.
Out of the cave, a dog did not emerge...but rather, it was a man...a man with silvery white hair who was clad in armor. He seemed to bear the wounds that the tiger had inflicted upon the dog...and for some reason, tears stung at the corners of his eyes. He bit his lip and screwed his eyes shut before he began to walk away...uttering these two words.
"Forgive me..."
XXX
In a castle bedchamber, Princess Izayoi sat on her knees, staring out toward the night sky. Her face was etched with worry, for she had felt the tremors of the demons' great battle. She sighed quietly, closing her eyes in prayer...and then, she heard the sound of the sliding door opening, causing her to turn around before she gasped in shock.
"Toga...?!" she whispered.
Toga smiled...even though he was covered in blood. Not wasting a second, Izayoi got to her feet and put her hands upon his chest. She attempted to ask what had happened to him...but all she got in response was him gently caressing her face, causing her eyes to soften before he soon planted a small kiss on her lips. Izayoi could taste blood in his mouth, but she didn't care. He was safe, that was what mattered.
As the two pulled away, Toga glanced down...and placed a hand over Izayoi's bulging stomach, rubbing it tenderly, which caused his wife to place her hand over his own...and if they held their hands still, they would've felt their unborn child make a small kick.
XXX
Many years later, on a crisp autumn day in a forest near a rural village...trouble was rearing its ugly head. A little girl, no older than 7 years, panted as she raced through the forest floor. Her dark brown eyes momentarily glanced over her shoulder, but she gasped before she put her eyes forward, again. Behind her, a shadowy creature crawled after her with glowing red eyes. As the little girl broke through the trees, she let out a shriek, alerting the adults nearby...and soon after, it appeared: a gigantic praying mantis with two scythe-like forearms and huge pincers in its mouth. It let out a screeching roar as it emerged from the forest, sending the villagers screaming and running for their lives.
The mantis' eyes darted left and right, trying to find its prey...and it soon spotted it. It reached down, grabbing an ox, which lowed loudly before it was soon devoured. Not even its bones were...but that wasn't enough for the giant demon insect. It wanted human flesh.
That's when it spotted the same little girl from before. She was trying to flee amongst the crowd of panicked villagers, but the insect soon reached down and grabbed her, effortlessly lifting her into the air by the back of her kimono.
"AAH!" she shrieked. "MAMA!"
"MAYUMI!" screamed a woman. "SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!"
Mayumi gasped as the mantis raised her over its head...its jaws soon gaping wide as it prepared to drop her into its mouth.
"NOT SO FAST!"
SLASH! Suddenly, the mantis' forearm was sliced off by a huge blade, causing it to screech in pain as it dropped to the ground. Mayumi shrieked as she fell from the insect's grasp, but not long after, she was caught in a pair of arms, clad in leather and armor.
"Huh?" she muttered before she looked up and saw the smiling face of a woman with dark brown hair and pink eyeshadow. On her back was a giant boomerang of some sort...and she was mounted on the back of a large two-tailed cat.
"Hi," Sango greeted. "Are you all right, little girl?"
"Uh-huh," Mayumi nodded.
"Kirara, bring us down!" Sango ordered, and Kirara roared as she obeyed her mistress, landing in front of Mayumi's mother, who hastily took her daughter into her arms.
"Thank you!" the woman said, and Sango nodded back in response.
"Get as far away from here as you can," she told the mother. "Trust me, this is gonna get messy."
The woman nodded before she hurriedly ran with her daughter in her arms, and meanwhile, Sango and Kirara turned to face the huge mantis...but they weren't alone. As the mantis glowered down at its attacker, only one stood his ground. He grinned, a glinting fang poking out from his upper lip while his silvery white hair and Robe of the Fire Rat whipped about in the wind. His pointed ears pinned back against his head, and his golden yellow eyes glowed fiercely.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal, you filthy bug," Inuyasha quipped while brandishing the Tetsusaiga.
"Be careful, Inuyasha!" Sango called.
"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "I got this."
The mantis screeched before it tried to hit Inuyasha with its other forearm, but the half-demon leaped out of the way. However, the insect managed to knock him out of the air by swatting him with its arm, causing him to yell as he crashed into a hut.
"Okay, maybe I don't got this," he said.
The mantis demon crawled toward the house, but then, a chain was suddenly thrown and wrapped around its neck before it was forcefully yanked down. It looked to its left and saw a young man adorned in the same kind of armor as Sango, only his was more of an amber color and he had a scruffy mustache forming on his face.
Kohaku grabbed his huge Kusarigama from behind his back and threw it with as much strength as he could muster, and with it, he chopped off the mantis' left forearm. It remained undeterred, however, as it turned to attack the young man, but Sango wasn't having any of that.
"Kirara, go!" Sango ordered, and Kirara roared as she soon flew through the air. Sango held out the Hiraikotsu, which began to release its powerful demonic energy before she threw it at the mantis' two right legs, severing them and sending the beastly insect toppling. As it struggled to keep its balance, Miroku suddenly ran up and chopped off its remaining legs with his staff, causing it to collapse on the ground and wiggle about, helplessly.
"Inuyasha, now!" Miroku called out, and that's when a blur of red leaped out of the destroyed house with the Tetsusaiga held up high.
"TAKE THIS!" he shouted. "WIND SCAR!"
With a single swing and a powerful blast, Inuyasha reduced the mantis to nothing but smithereens in a matter of seconds, thus finishing the job.
XXX
Sometime later, the villagers had returned after the chaos and were thanking the quarter for their services.
"We can't thank you enough," said the village headman. "That mantis demon has been plaguing us for many months, now! We were beginning to lose hope."
"Yes, thank you," said Mayumi's mother, still holding her daughter in her arms.
"Thank you!" the girl chirped.
"Think nothing of it," Miroku smiled.
"We're just doing our job," said Sango while Kirara sat on her shoulder. Kohaku stood beside his sister, quietly, but as he noticed a couple of women his age, waving to him and giggling, he only blushed while giving a sheepish grin while he waved back.
"Please, take this," said the headman, handing out a bag of money. "It's not much, I know, but I'm sure it will be of some use to you."
"We do have children to take care of back at home," said Inuyasha. "We appreciate it."
"And please, do come back again!" the headman offered. "Our village is famous for its hot springs!"
"Sounds lovely!" Sango exclaimed. "We know someone who might enjoy that, don't we, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha only chuckled while playfully and nudging Sango in the arm with his elbow.
Soon, the group of five were headed off for home with the villagers waving them off.
"That was really impressive, today, Kohaku," Sango said while putting an arm around her brother's shoulders. "What'd I expect from my younger brother?"
Kohaku only chuckled as he lightly pushed his sister away.
"Cut it out, Sis," he said. "Seriously, you're embarrassing me."
"I couldn't help noticing the looks you were getting from the village ladies," Miroku smirked while putting a hand on his younger brother-in-law's shoulder. "You're becoming quite the heartbreaker, aren't you, Kohaku?"
"S-stop it!" Kohaku stammered. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! Really!"
Inuyasha chuckled as he walked alongside the three, then looked out to the horizon with a warm smile.
"I'm just ready to go home," he said.
"So, how's Kagome been doing, Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Is she all right?"
"She's okay," Inuyasha replied. "She gets tired easily, though, but that's nothing new. I just hope she's resting like she should."
"How much longer do you think she has?" Miroku asked. "It's been 9 months, now, hasn't it?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. "She's due any day, now."
"Four kids, already, huh?" Kohaku quipped. "I suppose that's what happens when you marry a half-demon! Hahahaha!"
"Real funny," Inuyasha replied, although he didn't seem to take offense, given that he was smirking, too.
"Still, it's kind of hard to believe," Sango said. "I mean...at first, it was just the two of you, but then along comes Ichiro, and then Yamako and Sanka come after. It's hard to believe you have such a growing family."
"You should talk," Inuyasha replied. "You and Miroku pretty much do it like rabbits."
Sango gasped before she playfully punched the half-demon in the arm, causing him to laugh, but then he heaved a quiet sigh.
"I just wanna hurry and get home," he said. "I have to be by her side, just like I've always been, each and every time."
Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku all smiled at their half-demon friend before they all continued the journey home...which wouldn't really take too long.
XXX
It was close to dusk when Inuyasha finally reached the top of the hill, and sure enough, his house was within sight. He smiled, taking in the sight of the large house that was once a rundown old mansion...or at least a small one, but he and his friends worked to clean and fix it up from top to bottom. Now, it was his home...his family's home...and out on the front yard, he could see two little heads, poking out of the tall grass around it; one white and the other black.
Inuyasha exhaled through his nose, taking in the sight of his five-year-old son, Yamako, and his 3 3/4-year-old daughter, Sanka playing together on the lawn, but as they turned, their eyes soon lit up brightly as they spotted their father approach. Not wasting a single second, they immediately ran to greet him.
"Dad! Dad!" Yamako exclaimed.
"Daddy!" Sanka chirped while Inuyasha soon took them both into his arms, hugging them as tightly as he possibly could (but not too tightly).
"Hey, you two!" Inuyasha greeted as he kissed Yamako on the forehead, first, then Sanka, next. "Have you been good while I was away?"
"Uh-huh," Yamako nodded. "Dad, guess what? Mom says I grew three inches!"
"I can see that!" Inuyasha replied. "You're really gettin' big, Yama!"
"Daddy, look!" Sanka exclaimed as she held up a bunch of seashells, all bound together in a thread. "Look what Mommy and I made with the seashells we found at the beach in the summer!"
"Oh, you made a pretty necklace!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "It's beautiful, bugga-bug!"
Sanka giggled at her father's pet name for her before she placed the necklace around his neck.
"Don't take it off, okay?" she asked.
"I won't take it off, I promise," Inuyasha replied as he gently set the two of them down. "Now, where's your mother?"
"In the house," Yamako replied, and with that, Inuyasha walked inside, sliding the door open.
"Kagome, I'm home!" he called out.
"Hey, welcome home!" Kagome's voice called from the kitchen, which Inuyasha followed, only to gasp upon seeing his heavily pregnant wife trying to reach up to a very high shelf and standing up on the tips of her toes, trying to grab a jar.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Inuyasha cried as he hurried to her side and grabbed the jar for her. "There, got it. What are you doing, Kagome?! Are you outta your head?!"
"I was trying to grab the jar, Inuyasha," Kagome answered.
"Kagome, you're not supposed to be on your feet!" Inuyasha argued. "You should be resting!"
"Oh, boy, here we go, again..." Kagome muttered. "Inuyasha, I keep telling you each and every time, I'm not helpless, I'm just pregnant!"
"You still shouldn't be moving around too much, Kagome!" Inuyasha replied. "You're due to give birth, soon, and I'm not taking risks!" He then looked around. "Wait a second...where's Ichiro?"
"He went out to play with Tsukihime and Roku for a while," Kagome answered.
"What?!" Inuyasha questioned. "He's supposed to be here with you, helping you with the housework! Did he even do any of his chores?!"
"He told me he'd back to finish them, later," Kagome answered, "but...it's almost sundown, now, and he hasn't been back yet."
Inuyasha could only groan as he ran his claws through his hair. He just gets home and he can't even relax!
"Wait here, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he stormed off. "I'll find him."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, causing her husband to glance back at her. "Try and go easy on him."
"Kagome-" Inuyasha started.
"Please?" Kagome interjected. "He's only 11 years old. He's still learning."
Inuyasha's ear flicked in slight irritation...but then he sighed.
"Fine, I'll try and be patient with him," he replied. "I'll be back, soon."
With that, he stepped outside on the porch and flew off with lightning speed, and all Kagome could do was sigh while Yamako and Sanka stood at one side, each.
"Mommy?" asked Yamako. "How come Ichi doesn't stay home all the time?"
"And how come he doesn't like to listen to Daddy?" asked Sanka.
"...Because your brother has your father in him," Kagome answered.
XXX
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest that surrounded Inuyasha and Kagome's home...
"Can't catch me!" an 11-year-old Ichiro called as he ran through the trees, autumn leaves crunching beneath his bare feet. Not far from him, Tsukihime, also 11, laughed as she chased after him while running on all fours. Only Roku, about 11-and-a-half, now, seemed to struggle to keep up with the pair.
"Hey, come on, you guys! Slow down!" he called after his full demon and quarter demon friends.
Ichiro laughed as he kept running, but made sure to hold fast to the sword that was fastened to his waist by his obi. It was a birthday gift from his father: a sword crafted from Ichiro's baby teeth by Totosai. Of course, Kagome was against her eldest son having a sword at his age, but Inuyasha figured that since Ichiro had fangs and claws, he decided that perhaps his son deserved having a sword of his own. He just had to promise to be careful with it.
"Guys!" Roku called. "We should really get back home! My parents will back soon! We're gonna get in trouble!"
"Ah, lighten up, Roku- WHOA!" Ichiro suddenly cried out in surprise when Tsukihime accidentally tackled into him from behind, causing him to try and fall into a cave opening.
"Ichi!" Tsukihime cried as she looked down and saw him tumbling through the darkness, and then she heard him land with a loud THUD!
"...Ow...!" he groaned.
"Ichiro!" Tsukihime called.
"Are you okay, down there?!" asked Roku as he looked down along with the wolf demon princess.
"Uh...yeah...I think so," answered Ichiro as he stood up and rubbed his head, then took a look around. The cavern was dark and a little cold. He could hear an eerie wind, echoing through the cavern. It gave him a bad chill that went down his spine...and that's when his eyes fell upon something that caused him to gasp.
"Ichi?" Tsukihime asked. "What's wrong?"
"Tsuki! Roku! Come down here!" Ichiro called. "You gotta see this!"
Tsukihime and Roku both glanced at each other before they carefully climbed down into the cave.
"What is it, Ichiro?" asked Tsukihime.
"Look at that!" Ichiro pointed his finger straight ahead, prompting his friends to follow it...only to gasp in shock.
Pinned to the cave wall by a gigantic claw in his chest...was a man with pointy ears, clad in samurai armor.
This is another attempt at making a new Inuyasha adventure-fic with the kids. It might still have some kinks to work out, but I think you guys might like it! It won't be updated regularly, but I won't leave it hanging!
Review, please!