Ch17
Naraku sat in his room when a shadowed figure appeared in front of his shoji door. "What do you have to report, Shisou?"
The figure bowed, "The miko and the henyou have switched again."
"Anything else?"
"The wind demon has joined their group, and at the rate they are traveling they shall be here two days before your calculations suggested."
"Then I want you to stall them."
"Yes, my liege." Shisou bowed, then seemed to disappear.
~*~*~*~
Shippou and Inuyasha were arguing about whether or not Kagome should be the dominate figure of the body. They had been going at it all morning, and everyone had a headache. Even the ever-stoic SesshouMaru was irked. The demon lord growled and was ignored by the two. So, he was going to try the more direct approach of attacking Inuyasha.
Before he could, Yoko spoke, "Inuyasha, I believe it would be best if you simply let Kagome take control for now. You're upsetting your half- brother, as well as the rest of us, and it would be a shame for a body a fine as Kagome's to be damaged because of your selfishness."
Inuyasha gave a pissy "Feh." before he receded into the debts of Kagome's mind. Kagome smiled at Yoko, "Thanks, I thought I was going to be stuck there a while. I can only imagine all the fights Inuyasha would've gotten my body into." ~Hey!~ Kagome ignored Inuyasha and turned to Jin, "You're sure that when you 'met' Kouga, there was a black fog-like substance, right?"
Jin nodded, "Yep."
"Did you see anyone in a baboon's pelt?"
Jin rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner, "Now that 'ya mention it, yeah, I did."
SesshouMaru spoke, "Then Naraku, or a puppet, was indeed there and probebly still is. This is obviously a trap."
Yoko nodded, "From what I've heard over the years, Naraku is very tricky and not one to be taken lightly. Everyone, be on guard." They nodded, and continued walking.
The group didn't get more than nine feet before a dark figure appeared before them. He was about as tall as Jin, and in loose black cloths, and wore a mask that covered everything except his blood red eyes. After a minute of looking over his opponents he spoke, "I am Shisou, the sixth incarnation of Naraku. Prepare to die." The group got their weapons ready for the upcoming battle.
~*~*~*~
Souta was standing in front of the God-Tree. He couldn't explain it, but it felt as though the tree was calling him. Warning him of something. His mother was inside with his grandfather, both trying to come up with another excuse for Kagome's absences from school. Souta sighed, "Kagome, are you alright?"
"You know Kagome?" A boy, about Souta's age, appeared before him.
"Y-yeah, I'm her brother, Souta." He said, backing up a bit.
The other boy smiled at him, "I'm Kohaku. My sister is a friend of your sister."
"If you're Kohaku, that would make your sister Sango, wouldn't it? Kagome talked about what happened in the Feudal Era a bit, and I'm pretty sure she's mentioned some things about Sango."
"Have you ever met her?"
"No, the only one I've actually met, is Inuyasha." Souta sighed, "I met him when this Noah Mask thing came to life and attacked. He saved me and my sister, although I wish I was strong enough to defend myself."
"Well, why don't I teach you some thing. I was a demon slayer when I was alive.....kind of." Kohaku frowned.
"Are you alright, Kohaku?" Souta asked.
Kohaku smiled, "I'm fine. I'll tell you what, meet me in the park in about an hour, alright?"
"Sure." Souta smiled, "Thanks a lot."
"No problem." Kohaku waved, "See you in an hour." he said as he faded away.
~*~*~*~
The sky darkened as black clouds appeared out of nowhere. Shisou disappeared into the darkness. Rin and Shippou were staying by a transformed Kirara. The group looked all around them, but saw only darkness.
'Inuyasha, can you smell him?' Kagome asked.
Inuyasha growled, ~No, I can't. What about the fox, or SesshouMaru?~
"Yoko, SesshouMaru can either of you tell where he is by his scent?"
Yoko looked around, "I haven't smelt anything from him, even when he was standing right in front of us. What about you, SesshouMaru?"
"No."
Jin flew up a few feet before yelling back down. "I'll try to fly up there and get rid of some 'a those clouds." Before he could get any higher, a black orb came out of, seemingly, nowhere and engulfed the wind demon.
Another flew out and captured Rin, Shippou, and Kirara. Soon, Kagome was also trapped in an orb. More orbs kept coming, but Yoko and SesshouMaru were able to dodge. It took an hour before both mighty demons were overcome.
Shisou walked out of the shadows, "Too easy."
~*~*~*~
Souta left his house and was at the park in an hour as he had promised. He sat on a bench and didn't have to wait long for Kohaku to appear. "What are you?"
"I'm a ghost, kind of..." Kohaku held a staff out to Souta, "Here. I figured that since your sister is a miko, that might mean that you have the blood of a monk flowing in your veins, and the monk I know uses a staff."
Souta took the staff, "So, what do you want me to do?"
"Just dodge." Kohaku said, as he used his sword, in favor of his chain and sickle. Kohaku charged Souta who, out of instinct, put up the staff horizontally to stop the decent of the opposing blade. Kohaku slashed at his adversary several times, and was blocked or dodged on every strike. "Good, now fight back."
Kohaku decided to use his chain and sickle after a few minutes of neither of them prevailing. He threw the blade at Souta, who used the staff, and speed of the blade, to wrap the chain around the staff. He then yanked the staff back, thus pulling Kohaku forward, and kicked Kohaku in the gut.
The force of the kick caused Kohaku to let go of his weapon, and be thrown back a few feet. Kohaku stood up, "Wow. Are you sure you can't defend yourself?"
"Well," Souta blushed in embarrassment, "I've never actually fought before."
To more people appeared in the park, a man and a woman. The man was the first to speak, "It appears that he's a natural, wouldn't you agree, Sango?"
The woman nodded, "You're right, Miroku, he dose seem to have some skill."
Miroku sighed, "I still think that it would be better if Lady Kagome had a younger sister, and not a brother."
"What's that suppose to mean?!" Souta asked.
Sango hit the monk on the head, "That's what I want to know!"
"Nothing, nothing." Miroku waved his hands in front of himself to show that he meant no harm. When he was sure Sango wasn't angry, Miroku turned to Souta, "From the looks of things, you *do* have the blood of a priest. I know that your grandfather already asked, but, would you like to be trained to be a monk?"
"I *would* but, the only one who would train me is my grandpa, and he's a bit senile." explained Souta.
Miroku smiled, "I'll train you. The last time I checked, I wasn't senile."
"No, just a dirty lecher."
Miroku faked a pout, "Why, Sango, I'm hurt that you would think of me in such a way." The conversation was interrupted by a piercing scream. They all turned in the direction the noise came from, and saw smoke.
Souta gasped, "The shrine's over there!" Without another thought, the young ran towards his home. Soon, the other three followed after him.
~*~*~*~
Naraku smirked as he looked upon his handy-work. "Well, little miko, you ruin my plans, I ruin your life. I think it's a adequate trade."
Naraku sat in his room when a shadowed figure appeared in front of his shoji door. "What do you have to report, Shisou?"
The figure bowed, "The miko and the henyou have switched again."
"Anything else?"
"The wind demon has joined their group, and at the rate they are traveling they shall be here two days before your calculations suggested."
"Then I want you to stall them."
"Yes, my liege." Shisou bowed, then seemed to disappear.
~*~*~*~
Shippou and Inuyasha were arguing about whether or not Kagome should be the dominate figure of the body. They had been going at it all morning, and everyone had a headache. Even the ever-stoic SesshouMaru was irked. The demon lord growled and was ignored by the two. So, he was going to try the more direct approach of attacking Inuyasha.
Before he could, Yoko spoke, "Inuyasha, I believe it would be best if you simply let Kagome take control for now. You're upsetting your half- brother, as well as the rest of us, and it would be a shame for a body a fine as Kagome's to be damaged because of your selfishness."
Inuyasha gave a pissy "Feh." before he receded into the debts of Kagome's mind. Kagome smiled at Yoko, "Thanks, I thought I was going to be stuck there a while. I can only imagine all the fights Inuyasha would've gotten my body into." ~Hey!~ Kagome ignored Inuyasha and turned to Jin, "You're sure that when you 'met' Kouga, there was a black fog-like substance, right?"
Jin nodded, "Yep."
"Did you see anyone in a baboon's pelt?"
Jin rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner, "Now that 'ya mention it, yeah, I did."
SesshouMaru spoke, "Then Naraku, or a puppet, was indeed there and probebly still is. This is obviously a trap."
Yoko nodded, "From what I've heard over the years, Naraku is very tricky and not one to be taken lightly. Everyone, be on guard." They nodded, and continued walking.
The group didn't get more than nine feet before a dark figure appeared before them. He was about as tall as Jin, and in loose black cloths, and wore a mask that covered everything except his blood red eyes. After a minute of looking over his opponents he spoke, "I am Shisou, the sixth incarnation of Naraku. Prepare to die." The group got their weapons ready for the upcoming battle.
~*~*~*~
Souta was standing in front of the God-Tree. He couldn't explain it, but it felt as though the tree was calling him. Warning him of something. His mother was inside with his grandfather, both trying to come up with another excuse for Kagome's absences from school. Souta sighed, "Kagome, are you alright?"
"You know Kagome?" A boy, about Souta's age, appeared before him.
"Y-yeah, I'm her brother, Souta." He said, backing up a bit.
The other boy smiled at him, "I'm Kohaku. My sister is a friend of your sister."
"If you're Kohaku, that would make your sister Sango, wouldn't it? Kagome talked about what happened in the Feudal Era a bit, and I'm pretty sure she's mentioned some things about Sango."
"Have you ever met her?"
"No, the only one I've actually met, is Inuyasha." Souta sighed, "I met him when this Noah Mask thing came to life and attacked. He saved me and my sister, although I wish I was strong enough to defend myself."
"Well, why don't I teach you some thing. I was a demon slayer when I was alive.....kind of." Kohaku frowned.
"Are you alright, Kohaku?" Souta asked.
Kohaku smiled, "I'm fine. I'll tell you what, meet me in the park in about an hour, alright?"
"Sure." Souta smiled, "Thanks a lot."
"No problem." Kohaku waved, "See you in an hour." he said as he faded away.
~*~*~*~
The sky darkened as black clouds appeared out of nowhere. Shisou disappeared into the darkness. Rin and Shippou were staying by a transformed Kirara. The group looked all around them, but saw only darkness.
'Inuyasha, can you smell him?' Kagome asked.
Inuyasha growled, ~No, I can't. What about the fox, or SesshouMaru?~
"Yoko, SesshouMaru can either of you tell where he is by his scent?"
Yoko looked around, "I haven't smelt anything from him, even when he was standing right in front of us. What about you, SesshouMaru?"
"No."
Jin flew up a few feet before yelling back down. "I'll try to fly up there and get rid of some 'a those clouds." Before he could get any higher, a black orb came out of, seemingly, nowhere and engulfed the wind demon.
Another flew out and captured Rin, Shippou, and Kirara. Soon, Kagome was also trapped in an orb. More orbs kept coming, but Yoko and SesshouMaru were able to dodge. It took an hour before both mighty demons were overcome.
Shisou walked out of the shadows, "Too easy."
~*~*~*~
Souta left his house and was at the park in an hour as he had promised. He sat on a bench and didn't have to wait long for Kohaku to appear. "What are you?"
"I'm a ghost, kind of..." Kohaku held a staff out to Souta, "Here. I figured that since your sister is a miko, that might mean that you have the blood of a monk flowing in your veins, and the monk I know uses a staff."
Souta took the staff, "So, what do you want me to do?"
"Just dodge." Kohaku said, as he used his sword, in favor of his chain and sickle. Kohaku charged Souta who, out of instinct, put up the staff horizontally to stop the decent of the opposing blade. Kohaku slashed at his adversary several times, and was blocked or dodged on every strike. "Good, now fight back."
Kohaku decided to use his chain and sickle after a few minutes of neither of them prevailing. He threw the blade at Souta, who used the staff, and speed of the blade, to wrap the chain around the staff. He then yanked the staff back, thus pulling Kohaku forward, and kicked Kohaku in the gut.
The force of the kick caused Kohaku to let go of his weapon, and be thrown back a few feet. Kohaku stood up, "Wow. Are you sure you can't defend yourself?"
"Well," Souta blushed in embarrassment, "I've never actually fought before."
To more people appeared in the park, a man and a woman. The man was the first to speak, "It appears that he's a natural, wouldn't you agree, Sango?"
The woman nodded, "You're right, Miroku, he dose seem to have some skill."
Miroku sighed, "I still think that it would be better if Lady Kagome had a younger sister, and not a brother."
"What's that suppose to mean?!" Souta asked.
Sango hit the monk on the head, "That's what I want to know!"
"Nothing, nothing." Miroku waved his hands in front of himself to show that he meant no harm. When he was sure Sango wasn't angry, Miroku turned to Souta, "From the looks of things, you *do* have the blood of a priest. I know that your grandfather already asked, but, would you like to be trained to be a monk?"
"I *would* but, the only one who would train me is my grandpa, and he's a bit senile." explained Souta.
Miroku smiled, "I'll train you. The last time I checked, I wasn't senile."
"No, just a dirty lecher."
Miroku faked a pout, "Why, Sango, I'm hurt that you would think of me in such a way." The conversation was interrupted by a piercing scream. They all turned in the direction the noise came from, and saw smoke.
Souta gasped, "The shrine's over there!" Without another thought, the young ran towards his home. Soon, the other three followed after him.
~*~*~*~
Naraku smirked as he looked upon his handy-work. "Well, little miko, you ruin my plans, I ruin your life. I think it's a adequate trade."