Ch. 5: Inuyasha vs. Moritsune, another Mystery unfurled
Sesshoumaru looked out his window with a disgruntled frown. The sounds and sights of battle were apparent as trees rattled and fell in the Jikininki forest, but he could not participate.
"What good is being alive if the slightest exertion brings me to my knees?!" he asked his companion, Jaken.
Jaken searched his thoughts. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you do need to train your heir. At the moment, if he were Lord, the West would be the laughing stock of all Japan!"
"I suppose you are right," Sesshoumaru admitted.
***
The Jikininki had surrounded Inuyasha and Miroku, and were closing in. To make matters worse, they seemed immune to Miroku's air rip. "Looks like this is curtains." Miroku grunted.
"I don't think so," a familiar voice called out. A boomerang cut through the air as well as a dozen Jikininki as a blue flame struck down several more. "How many times do I have to tell you to not follow strange women into the forest?"
Inuyasha looked up and saw their reinforcements standing on a branch in a tree as the female caught her boomerang. "Sango, Shippou, you two sure are sight for sore eyes." Miroku grinned.
Sango leapt down from her branch and landed next to Miroku, and Shippou landed on Inuyasha head. Inuyasha growled and Shippou jumped off hastily. "I'll deal with you later, Miroku," Sango threatened, "but for now lets take care of these Jikininki."
***
"That was an awful large risk you took," the female voice scolded him
"I was in no danger, and I had to insure Naraku didn't interfere in our plans." Matsuo replied smugly.
"But now Inuyasha will recognize your scent! Need I remind you of Sesshoumaru's banquet? And what if Bishamon had found you there?"
Matsuo merely grinned.
***
Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga on his shoulder as he, Sango, and Miroku emerged from the woods. Sango held Shippou, unconscious.
"So, who was that guy?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.
"No clue. He was standing downwind the whole time, and I didn't get a good look at his face."
As they made their way to the house, Kagome ran to Inuyasha side, and inspecting him for any injuries, she noticed Shippou.
"What happened to poor Shippou? Is he okay?" she asked.
"He's fine," Inuyasha said, annoyed at Kagome's worrisome examinations.
"He tripped over a root at the start of the fight and hit his head," Miroku continued.
Inuyasha looked around, until he spotted Moritsune standing near Sesshoumaru, he walked over and gave a menacing stare at the shinobi. "You said you'd come back after you brought Sesshoumaru to the house," he said angrily, "Where the Hell where you?"
"My duty is to protect Lord Sesshoumaru and Miss Kagome, not to baby-sit a hanyou. I merely did what is expected of me," Moritsune replied.
Inuyasha growled.
"You want a fight? Anytime, little half ling." A confident Moritsune replied. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and Moritsune drew his own blade. They stared each other down as the others stood back Inuyasha swung, and Moritsune leapt into the air, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Inuyasha followed closely behind, until he reached a small clearing, the other stayed closely behind.
"Tell me Kagome, do you know what clan this shinobi belongs to?" Miroku asked.
"He said he was part of the Oni Clan. Why?" she responded.
"I see," Miroku said. "That means Inuyasha has just walked right into a trap."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Moritsune struck. A sharp pain filled Inuyasha side, but before he could retaliate. Faster than he could think, his leg was hit, then an arm. Strike after strike coming seemingly from thin air, leaving Inuyasha in a small panic. He looked up, seeing Moritsune's silhouette against the noontime sun chanting a strange incantation. He prepared to strike, but saw Moritsune look up, and the light of the sun seemed to grow a thousand times brighter.
"Amaterasu's Mirror. A technique known only by the Kami clan of the shinobi... but that Oni Deception technique he used is unique to the Oni clan..." Miroku mumbled. "What manner of being is Moritsune?"
Inuyasha tried his best to get back on his feet, but to no avail. Moritsune chuckled "I'm no ordinary shinobi, as you can see." He said. He turned and left, as Sesshoumaru arrived.
"You shouldn't be picking fights if you are to be my successor," he told the fallen Inuyasha. "Pick yourself up, and clean up. I'm holding a banquet in a few weeks to pronounce you as my heir, and we still need to work on your etiquette."
Inuyasha laid his head in the grass, and groaned.
Sesshoumaru looked out his window with a disgruntled frown. The sounds and sights of battle were apparent as trees rattled and fell in the Jikininki forest, but he could not participate.
"What good is being alive if the slightest exertion brings me to my knees?!" he asked his companion, Jaken.
Jaken searched his thoughts. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you do need to train your heir. At the moment, if he were Lord, the West would be the laughing stock of all Japan!"
"I suppose you are right," Sesshoumaru admitted.
***
The Jikininki had surrounded Inuyasha and Miroku, and were closing in. To make matters worse, they seemed immune to Miroku's air rip. "Looks like this is curtains." Miroku grunted.
"I don't think so," a familiar voice called out. A boomerang cut through the air as well as a dozen Jikininki as a blue flame struck down several more. "How many times do I have to tell you to not follow strange women into the forest?"
Inuyasha looked up and saw their reinforcements standing on a branch in a tree as the female caught her boomerang. "Sango, Shippou, you two sure are sight for sore eyes." Miroku grinned.
Sango leapt down from her branch and landed next to Miroku, and Shippou landed on Inuyasha head. Inuyasha growled and Shippou jumped off hastily. "I'll deal with you later, Miroku," Sango threatened, "but for now lets take care of these Jikininki."
***
"That was an awful large risk you took," the female voice scolded him
"I was in no danger, and I had to insure Naraku didn't interfere in our plans." Matsuo replied smugly.
"But now Inuyasha will recognize your scent! Need I remind you of Sesshoumaru's banquet? And what if Bishamon had found you there?"
Matsuo merely grinned.
***
Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga on his shoulder as he, Sango, and Miroku emerged from the woods. Sango held Shippou, unconscious.
"So, who was that guy?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.
"No clue. He was standing downwind the whole time, and I didn't get a good look at his face."
As they made their way to the house, Kagome ran to Inuyasha side, and inspecting him for any injuries, she noticed Shippou.
"What happened to poor Shippou? Is he okay?" she asked.
"He's fine," Inuyasha said, annoyed at Kagome's worrisome examinations.
"He tripped over a root at the start of the fight and hit his head," Miroku continued.
Inuyasha looked around, until he spotted Moritsune standing near Sesshoumaru, he walked over and gave a menacing stare at the shinobi. "You said you'd come back after you brought Sesshoumaru to the house," he said angrily, "Where the Hell where you?"
"My duty is to protect Lord Sesshoumaru and Miss Kagome, not to baby-sit a hanyou. I merely did what is expected of me," Moritsune replied.
Inuyasha growled.
"You want a fight? Anytime, little half ling." A confident Moritsune replied. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and Moritsune drew his own blade. They stared each other down as the others stood back Inuyasha swung, and Moritsune leapt into the air, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Inuyasha followed closely behind, until he reached a small clearing, the other stayed closely behind.
"Tell me Kagome, do you know what clan this shinobi belongs to?" Miroku asked.
"He said he was part of the Oni Clan. Why?" she responded.
"I see," Miroku said. "That means Inuyasha has just walked right into a trap."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Moritsune struck. A sharp pain filled Inuyasha side, but before he could retaliate. Faster than he could think, his leg was hit, then an arm. Strike after strike coming seemingly from thin air, leaving Inuyasha in a small panic. He looked up, seeing Moritsune's silhouette against the noontime sun chanting a strange incantation. He prepared to strike, but saw Moritsune look up, and the light of the sun seemed to grow a thousand times brighter.
"Amaterasu's Mirror. A technique known only by the Kami clan of the shinobi... but that Oni Deception technique he used is unique to the Oni clan..." Miroku mumbled. "What manner of being is Moritsune?"
Inuyasha tried his best to get back on his feet, but to no avail. Moritsune chuckled "I'm no ordinary shinobi, as you can see." He said. He turned and left, as Sesshoumaru arrived.
"You shouldn't be picking fights if you are to be my successor," he told the fallen Inuyasha. "Pick yourself up, and clean up. I'm holding a banquet in a few weeks to pronounce you as my heir, and we still need to work on your etiquette."
Inuyasha laid his head in the grass, and groaned.