Chapter VII

After Sesshomaru and Inuhime's match, they went to the family bath. It was a place where family members could bathe with each other. As they were walking, they sensed the bitches following them. They were like following Sesshomaru like a puppy dog. When they got to the family bath, there were a couple of guards guarding, so that those who weren't family couldn't enter. Unless, of course, one of the family members invited a person(s).

Sesshomaru and Inuhime nodded at the guard of the entrance of the baths. The bitches followed, but the guards crossed their spears to denied them access. The bitches whined and pouted, but the guards stay true to their post.

Inuhime giggled at them. She knew what they wanted. They wanted to see Sesshomaru in his naked glory. They disrobed and walked into the bath. The water was so warm. It was perfect for unwind and relax after a good fighting match. Sesshomaru and Inuhime had been bathing together since they were pups. They'd always groom each other.

Inuhime walked around her twin with some shampoo-like substance. It smelled of cherry blossoms and fresh rain. She pour some in the palm of her hand and began working through Sesshomaru's long whitish silver hair. She massaged his scalp with her clawed fingers. She heard Sesshomaru gave a purr-like growl. She giggled.

"You know, brother, once you are mated, she will be the one doing this, instead of me."

"Hn. This Sesshomaru will have his sister to do this forever, then, because this one intends not to mate anytime soon."

"Brother, why are you so against mating? You are in your prime, now."

"Hn, this one could say the same thing to you."

"Hn." There was a long moment of silence. "If I were to pursue a mate, will you?"

There was another long moment. "Perhaps."

"Hn, that settles it, then. I will inform mother about this later."

"No, sister, I will."

"What? You don't trust me," she faked whine.

"Hn. The last time this Sesshomaru entrusted you to tell whatever information that we had to our parents. You got this one in trouble with Father."

"Ah, are you still angry with that, little brother? That happened centuries ago!"

"Hn, you had always been the rebellious one while this one had been the good one. You and your friend, Zokushi, had always been..." By this time Inuhime tuned out her brother. She heard the same story over and over again. Yes, she was rebellious, so what? She turned out fine.

"Alright, you won this one, Sesshomaru." The smirk on his face didn't go unnoticed. Sometimes, she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. "However, we need to discuss something. You see, I'd been thinking that you need an outside observer, other than mother and I. You need someone who has a good sense of character. You know someone who could read people. Someone who would have nothing to gain from this. Someone you could trust and so forth."

"Hn, and who you have in mind, sister?" Sesshomaru asked warily.

Inuhime smiled a real smile. "Kagome."

Sesshomaru's eyes widen. "Why?"

"Because she's that type of person that you could trust. She also has nothing to gain from this either. She's perfect."

Sesshomaru wasn't really sure that he should go through with this. What she said did make sense to him, though. Kagome would had nothing to gain from this and he found her trustworthy. At least, he would explore this. He wanted to see what Kagome would say to him about those bitches.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have..." She didn't have to finish that question because he knew what she was asking.

"Yes, let me fight with him, before you decided for or against a mating. I know that you'd noticed that those bitches didn't just arrived alone. They'd have either their brothers, male cousins, uncles, nephews, and widowed males with them. My guess is that the Cardinal Lords or our minor lords wanted to..."

"Hn. Yes, I noticed," she said as she finished washing his hair. Sesshomaru ducked to rinse out the shampoo like substance. He then did what Inuhime had done to him.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari