Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Finally, they all went to sleep.
What the Future Holds
Chapter 8
"What are we supposed to do?" asked Shippo, pulling on his tail in frustration, "Naraku's place could be anywhere!"
"We know that Shippo!" barked Kagome, "We need to pick up his scent but that fucking bastard doesn't seem to have one! Damnit!" She pounded her fist against the Earth, willing it to open up and give her children back to her. InuYasha stared at her in a daze, his eyes not really seeing Kagome's frustration. How? How are we to find them? That asshole, we know that are children are strong, but, InuYasha thought to himself, What does he really plan to do with them? Why is he always so interested in what I or any of my friends do? Of course, InuYasha was asking the questions that could only be answered by Naraku himself.
***
Sakura shook herself awake, trying desperately to remember the dream that she was having. She felt someone stroking her cheek gently, but somehow, she knew that it was not her father. This man's hand was cold and emotionless, not caring for others around him. Sakura shook her head and looked around her. She was laying on a fur pallet, her brother sleeping quietly next to her, but there was a bruise forming on the side of his head. She felt his pulse, fearing that he was dead, but he merely moaned and twitched away. She sighed in relief; he was going to be fine.
"Do not worry about your brother," came a man's smooth voice, who happened to be sitting near the fire, "He will be fine. You two are very lucky to be alive, seeing as I rescued you from that youkai."
"A youkai? I don't…remember anything," Sakura muttered. She frantically searched her mind, trying to decipher the cobwebs that clouded her head. She remembered her brother, they lived together, and she remembered the youkai rising up out of the Earth, clutching its body around them and plunging back into the surface. Everything else, however, was a complete blur. Sakura looked at the man sitting next to the fire closely. He was old, maybe about 60 years in age, with a kind, wrinkled face and a gentle smile playing upon his lips. His shoulders were a bit slumped from age, his wise hands outstretched towards the fire, embracing its heat with an almost loving effect. His hair was white and Sakura could make out his cranium faintly from beneath it.
"Sir," she said, rising from her seat, "Did you see my parents anywhere?" Even though she couldn't remember anything, she was quite certain that she had parents.
"Ah my child, I did see your parents," the old man said sadly, "I found their bodies, mauled by the youkai who stole you from them. I burned their bodies, sending their ashes in the river so they may be embraced by the gods." Sakura's eyes were wide like saucers, but then she realized something. The old man was lying. She searched her mind, feeling the presence of two hanyous, one male, one female, both alive, well, and pissed off beyond belief. She didn't think about what she did next. Sakura drew back one of her talons, and slapped the old man across the face, drawing blood with her claws.
"Who the fuck are you?" she spat out, drawing her talon back yet again, "Explain yourself!" The old man's hand was raised to his face, pain was lanced through his eyes and etched into the furrows of his aged skin.
"I am but a humble old man who took you in and this is how you repay me? You are an ungrateful child!" he cried out, rising to his feet. Sakura was not convinced that this man had only good intentions for her and her brother. She positioned herself into a fighter's stance, teeth bared, claws poised for an attack, but she cleverly waited for the old man to move first. The old man stood still, his smile growing wider as he sensed the youkai's frustration grow, waiting for him to attack first. Suddenly, the old man went sprawling to the ground, hit from behind by a small ball of force.
"Ryuujin!" cried Sakura, "You're awake! Oh good, because now we can take out this guy together."
"Sakura, this old man is a youkai, by the name of Naraku. I remember overhearing Sango and Miroku talking about him once when they thought I was sleeping. Apparently, Naraku is a shape-shifting demon who once was human, and fell in love with the priestess Kikyo fifty years ago. He was enraged that Kikyo fell in love with our father and he pitted the two against each other, making them believe that they betrayed each other. He's the one who caused the wind tunnel in Miroku's hand, the loss of Sango's family, the death of Kikyo and the death-like sleep of our father. He deserves to die Sakura."
The old man had gotten to his feet at this point, and began to laugh, transforming back into his original shape of a fur cloak and a baboon mask hiding his face.
"You are a naughty youkai child and should be punished," Naraku growled at him, "Have your ungrateful parents taught you nothing?"
Before Ryuujin could make a reply, Sakura doubled over with laughter. She held her sides as tears welled in her eyes, cracking up at some joke she seemed to have heard inside her head. The two males looked at her; Ryuujin's expression was in puzzlement, while Naraku's was an expression of a baboon.
"He's hiding behind a baboon!" laughed Sakura, pointing at Naraku's face, "Is your ass blue and red like a baboon's too? Do you dance around and do a funny dance while you wear that outfit? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! I never…I never…woo ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!" Ryuujin saw the humor behind Naraku's appearance and joined his sister in the laughter, leaning against the wall as his laughter doubled at the image of Naraku dancing around like a primate. Naraku threw off his mask and glared at the children, but this only caused more shrieks of laughter to erupt from their bodies.
"Oh kami! He wears make-up too!" shrieked Ryuujin, sliding to the ground.
"Hey, can I borrow your eye-shadow Naraku?" asked Sakura as she pounded the ground with her fist, "I like that color you're wearing!" Naraku could take no more of this. He swooped down upon the twins and picked them up by their throats, pinning them against the walls.
"I will not be laughed at, nor will I be mocked by you two runts," growled Naraku.
"I will not be laughed at, nor will I be mocked by you two runts," Ryuujin imitated, while he clawed at Naraku's hand.
"You wanna bet that we won't laugh at you?" Sakura said, and dug her nails into Naraku's skin. He pulled his hand back, dropping the twins, and shrieked in rage.
***
Sesshoumaru cocked his head to the side as he heard an angry yell coming from somewhere to the East. He sniffed slightly in the wind and smelled three familiar scents. Two were of his own kin, but the other was indeed a hated enemy. Where the hell are InuYasha and Kagome? Why aren't they with the twins? Sesshoumaru thought in wonder.
"Mi lord, what is the matter?" Jakken asked as he clutched the two headed staff, "Do you sense something?"
"Yes, it seems our old 'friend' Naraku has taken my family. For this, he will pay dearly," Sesshoumaru said coolly. Jakken and Rin glanced at each other as they noticed the small tick in Sesshoumaru's vain.