By: Lady Tiger LiLy
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. I own what I own.
Chapter 11: The Confrontation
"What are you doing with Tetsusaiga, kitsune?" Were the first words Sesshomaru spoke.
"That's none of your business." Shippo said in a low but angry tone.
"I beg to differ." He replied coldly.
Shippo's body tensed up at these words.
"Shippo, what's going on?" Junko asked.
"Open your eyes and you will find that your search is at an end…" He replied.
Junko opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Shippo's stern face as he grazed out at something. She shifted her gaze to follow his and saw what she could have sworn looked like… but it couldn't have been. So then…
"Sesshomaru?" She said aloud.
Sesshomaru sniffed again. "Where is Inu-Yasha?"
"He is not with us." Miroku spoke in a stern voice.
Sesshomaru seemed unsure. He could pick up his lowly half bread brother's scent but faintly. It was his brother's scent but there was something different about it. Was he mistaken?
"I have searched for some time for Inu-Yasha and not found a trace of his whereabouts. Can I assume that he is dead since you have the Tetsusaiga and without it he will surely go mad? Well, I'm glad to see that Tetsusaiga is finally out of the hands of that pathetic half bread, though I wish I had the pleasure of doing that myself. Foolish hanyou. Stupid enough to leave Tetsusaiga behind so that I can easily collect it." He observed Shippo. "Though you may be a youkai as well, Tetsusaiga still should be in my hand."
"The reason you have not found Inu-Yasha is because he is now with Kagome in a far off place that you will never be able to travel too!" Replied Shippo.
"The human wench?" He tried to remember what she looked like. That's when he noticed Junko; really noticed her.
Junko was angered by his words towards her mother. She then realized he was looking directly at her.
"You have her face." He recalled. He sniffed again. "I see. It's all clear now. His blood flows inside you. You are my brother's kin."
Junko took a deep breath. "Yes, I am."
"So this scent is coming from you. It would seem you smell of his disgusting scent."
Junko gave him a dirty look.
"Now, kitsune, hand over Tetsusaiga." Sesshomaru said in a monotone voice.
Shippo held up the sword in a defensive way. "I can't do that." He replied.
"Don't be foolish." He warned.
"What makes you think you can wield it?" Shippo retorted.
Sesshomaru lifted up is once severed arm to reveal a new one in its place. "My new appendage will grant me that privilege." He had recently obtained it when he discovered the scent of Inu-Yasha nearby.
"He has a new human arm…" Shippo said aloud. Now he was worried. There was nothing stopping Sesshomaru now from taking Tetsusaiga from him.
"As you can see, there's nothing preventing me from taking Tetsusaiga by force. I am eager to test out my new appendage so if you do not hand over Tetsusaiga, I will simply take it."
Rin sat silently as she stared at Sesshomaru 'Why isn't he attacking?' She thought. 'He has the power to do it, why hasn't he done so already?'
Shippo looked nervous but did not back down. He then felt Junko pull out of his hold on her. "Junko!" He called to her. They may have been a good distance between the two youkai, but Shippo knew that Sesshomaru is very fast and didn't want Junko put in a vulnerable place where he could not protect her. He reached out to take her arm to pull her back to him again but she snatched her arm back from him. She took a few steps towards Sesshomaru; he but only met her stare.
"I will not let you have my father's sword." She said sternly.
Sesshomaru said nothing as they both stood silently like statues.
Shippo suddenly ran out to Junko and pushed her behind him. "You stay back, Junko. I'll keep you safe, ok?" He said to her without turning around or breaking his glare from Sesshomaru. He felt her grab onto his fur vest from behind.
"Sesshomaru-sama! Please don't!" Rin shouted with tears in her eyes.
Sesshomaru turned slightly to see Rin with her head down as her tears flowed freely.
"Rin…" Junko said quietly.
Sesshomaru then turned and walked over to Rin. She still sniffled with her head down, Mamoru still in her arms, until his shadow fell upon her. She looked up, tears still running down her face.
Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment and then looked down at the pale boy in her arms.
"Shippo?" Junko spoke, her voice tainted with worry.
Shippo said nothing as he watched the inu youkai closely. Miroku, who could still not find the will to move from his spot, only stared at Rin with his son in her arms. The tears having long since welled up in his blue eyes.
That's when Sesshomaru drew his sword.
Junko gasped in horror. Shippo watched intently. Miroku, too, looked at Sesshomaru for the first time since he arrived. Rin stared up at Sesshomaru in wonder.
SLASH!
Sesshomaru sheathed his sword.
Rin gasped when Mamoru's blue eyes opened once more.
"Lady Rin…?"
"Mamoru!" She cried out with great relief.
"Mamoru!" Miroku also cried out. With a burst of energy, he ran to his son's side.
"But… how?" Junko asked Shippo.
"Tenseiga." Shippo replied. "The sword that cannot kill. It brought back Mamoru from death."
Junko was silent in wonder.
Sesshomaru turned from Rin back to Shippo and Junko. "Mark my words, I will obtain Tetsusaiga." He then turned around and headed off into the forest.
Rin watched him leave. 'Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama.' She smiled to herself.
After he left, Junko sighed. "I didn't get to ask him…"
Shippo turned around and looked at her. "He probably wouldn't have answered you anyway. What is it that you wanted to ask him?"
"I wanted to ask him a lot of things. I wanted… I wanted to know about my family." Junko looked down at her feet before looking back up at Shippo. "My father knows nothing really about any of his family. I wanted to ask what my grandparents were like. My father told me only that he never knew his father. He had died when he was a baby and his mother died when he was just a small boy. I wanted to know what he was like, Sesshomaru. I was going to ask him why he hates my father, his brother, so much that he would want to kill him…"
"I don't know. I don't have the answers. I'm just glad he didn't take out the sibling rivalry on you!" He said with relief.
Junko gave a small smiled.
Shippo then collapsed backwards onto the ground. "I thought Sesshomaru was going to kill me for sure!"
Junko gave a nervous smile as she sweatdropped.
"Sesshomaru-sama!"
Everyone looked over at the bushes to find a small green demon come running out.
"Jaken-sama?" Rin blinked.
The toad demon stopped and leaned on his staff to catch his breath.
"Jaken-sama!" Rin smiled as she scooped him up in her arms and hugged him.
Junko sweatdropped. "What an ugly little toad…"
Jaken choked until Rin released him from her embrace. "R-Rin…?"
Rin smiled and nodded.
"Which way did Sesshomaru-sama go!" He asked in a panic as his head swiveled around to see if he was in sight.
"What happened, Jaken-sama?" Rin asked.
"Oh my! Sesshomaru and I were traveling just west of here when he suddenly smelled something and dashed off, leaving me behind!"
"Sesshomaru-sama left that way." Rin pointed.
"Ah! Thank you!"
"Wait!" Junko shouted before Jaken left. "Rin! If this Jaken guy is a friend of Sesshomaru's, might he be able to answer your question?"
Rin hadn't thought of that.
"A question?" Jaken asked.
She looked at Jaken. "Jaken-sama, why… why did Sesshomaru-sama leave me in the village? Is he mad at me?"
Jaken looked thoughtful as he shook his head. "Even though Sesshomaru-sama doesn't tell me much of anything, I know he is not mad at you, Rin."
"Then why did he leave her with the village?" Junko spoke.
"Sesshomaru-sama doesn't share your dream, Rin, of achieving harmony between the humans and youkai. But I think Sesshomaru-sama wanted you to be able to try and achieve your dream. Though, you are so loyal to him, he knew you would never leave him of your own will. Because of this, you would become unhappy. I don't understand why, but it would seem that your happiness means something to Sesshomaru-sama. Maybe because you were so loyal to him, I suppose. That is why he left you with the village."
"He did not want you living your life his way, but your own way." Junko summed up.
Jaken nodded. "I believe that is what it is, otherwise he wouldn't come by the village so often to see if you are safe and well."
"He… He what?" Rin questioned in surprise.
"Ever since he left you with the village, Sesshomaru-sama has been keeping an eye on you."
"It sounds like her really cares for you." Mamoru smiled at Rin.
"That's why… That's why he didn't attack all of you and saved Mamoru… Because of me."
Jaken nodded. He suddenly came to the realization that he still had to catch up with Sesshomaru. "Oh dear! I must find Sesshomaru-sama! Good-bye!" He waved as he ran off in the direction Rin said Sesshomaru left in. "Oh, Sesshomaru-sama!"
Junko bent down and put her hand on Rin's shoulder. Rin turned and looked at Junko. "Now, aren't you glad you came with me?" She smiled.
Rin smiled. "Thank you, Junko."
"Mamoru?"
The boy looked up at Miroku. "Father?"
Miroku embraced his son tightly for a moment before pulling away to look at his son. "Let's not tell your mother about your little visit with death."
Yes, let's not worry Sango over the death experience her son had witnessed! What a tense chapter! Luckily Shippo didn't need to tap into Tetsusaiga's full power because I don't know if he'd be able too do it… Well, now we know why Sesshomaru left Rin in Kaede's village! Oh! And I decided to make Jaken useful for once! I don't know why everyone hates Jaken. Yeah, he's ugly and annoying, but he's funny as heck and he means well!
Now what about Junko? Didn't her and Shippo have a deal before they started out after Sesshomaru? (Chapter 5) What's going to happen now? Find out in the next chapter! Please review!
Lady Tiger LiLy