Disclaimer: None of the Inuyasha characters are mine

The sun was beginning to set into the horizon when Sesshoumaru and Rin saw the village in the distance. "There it is, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin said as she extended her arm to point it out to him.

"Yes, Rin, I see it," Sesshoumaru said in a nonchalant manner as he glanced over at her for just a moment. "You will stay here until I come for you. Jaken will be joining you shortly."

"But Lord Sesshoumaru! Can't I come with you? I'm not a little girl anymore. I want to help!"

"No, Rin. You may not come. Stay here. I will come back for you."

Rin sighed deeply and plopped herself somewhat ungracefully down on the ground. "Alright, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said with a disappointed tone in her voice.

"That is better, Rin," Sesshoumaru said as he looked down at her. "I will not be long." Without a second glance, he began walking along the road once more, alone now. As he walked, he wondered what he would find in the village. Jaken would answer any questions that were going through his mind once he found him. Jaken. He was nowhere to be seen, Sesshoumaru realized. He looked around, having expected him to not linger close to the village once he had found out the information that Sesshoumaru needed. There was no need to worry, though. Jaken, though seemingly inept, could take care of himself, though Sesshoumaru felt that Jaken relied on him a little too much. Of course, that was to be expected since Jaken was his servant.

As he approached the village, the smell of death assaulted his sense of smell. His nose crinkled slightly from the offensive smell, and he paused for a moment to allow himself to grow accustomed to the odor before continuing onward. As he set foot into the village, he saw no one. He heard nothing, save for the wildlife making their various sounds. He made his way further into the small village, his hand moving to the hilt of Tokijin, preparing himself for a battle if there was to be one. As he walked and looked around, his foot came into contact with something. He glanced down at the ground, and was slightly surprised to see Jaken's staff. He removed his hand from the hilt of his sword as he bent down, and he picked up the staff. Where could Jaken be, Sesshoumaru wondered as he began walking once more, becoming more alert than before.

As he walked further into the village, he noticed that blood was beginning to paint the outer walls of the homes. Some of the curtains that covered the doorways were pulled away, and he began walking towards one of the seemingly abandoned homes. He noticed a man sitting at his table, slumped over so that his forehead was pressed to the smooth wood. Sesshoumaru walked over to the man slowly, knowing he was dead. With Jaken's staff, Sesshoumaru pushed at the man's shoulder, causing him to fall backwards. The man was young, perhaps twenty years of age. His face was frozen in a position of great fear, but there were no markings on him that would point to how he died. Sesshoumaru looked at the fallen man for a moment longer before turning and making his way out of the tiny hut.

As Sesshoumaru continued investigating, it began to grow apparent to him that the demon, or demons that had attacked the village were no longer there. They had obliterated every human there and moved on to repeat the process in another village. Of course, there was still the puzzlement of where Jaken had gone to. Sesshoumaru continued walking around the village slowly, looking for the small creature. After looking for only a few minutes, he found Jaken's body lying on the ground facedown. Dead, Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he drew his Tensaiga. Death meant nothing to him. He could reverse its effects with a simple flick of his wrist. He looked down at Jaken's body and concentrated, narrowing his eyes a little. Soon, everything began to fade and all he could see was Jaken's body, and the messengers of the Underworld crawling over him. He flicked his wrist, cutting through the messengers, making them disappear. After he had done this, Jaken took his first breath after death and hoisted himself up onto his knees. Slowly, he looked up and gasped in surprise. "Lord Sesshoumaru! It is you! Can it be, that you have resurrected me?"

"Of course, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said as he re-sheathed the Tensaiga. "Must you ask me that same question each time I resurrect you?"

"I am sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken said quickly as he bowed to his master. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru! Thank you!"

"That is enough, Jaken. Tell me what you have found."

Jaken stood shakily, and retrieved his staff. "Well, there was more than one demon, Lord Sesshoumaru. They were very powerful, killing all the villagers quickly. I was unfortunate enough to be caught between one of the demons, and its attack on a villager."

"Tell me of their powers, Jaken," Sesshoumaru commanded.

"Yes, Master! There were only two that I saw. One was very powerful physically, and very big, Lord Sesshoumaru. It seemed to rely on brute strength, and was very sluggish, master. You should have no problem getting rid of that one."

"Heh. And the other?"

"Oh! The other… It was very powerful, too, Master. It could look at a person from across the path, and they would be dead. That was the demon that killed me. My heart just suddenly felt like it was being clamped down on, and I couldn't breathe. To think that such a tiny thing could kill me! It was so scary, Master!"

"I am sure," Sesshoumaru said boredly as he turned to begin walking once more. "We will keep an eye on the village closest to this, and if the demons attack, I will kill them. If not, then it is none of my concern."

Jaken followed close behind Sesshoumaru, looking at him admiringly. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. That is a very good plan."

Sesshoumaru remained silent as he continued walking, until he heard a woman's scream piercing the quiet atmosphere. It was just not any woman; it was Rin. Sesshoumaru began running quickly when he heard this, leaving Jaken behind.