My Most Favorite Disclaimer: "Sharp Knife. Keep out of Children." (Real disclaimer on a Japanese utility knife.)
My Least Favorite Disclaimer: "InuYasha does not belong to me." (Reality sucks doesn't it.)
It seems like I'm pretty constant on updating this fic every two week. I think that's pretty good that I haven't gotten bored of editing and posting. If you think it is too, then give me a lil review to urge me on. Remember, I don't get bored of writing, only of connecting all the amusing scenes together, spelling and grammar checking something three or four times and wrestling with FFnet to post it. What's the point if no one cares?
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Sesshoumaru stared out over the meadow. Kagura seemed to prefer open spaces, where the wind could ruffle her hair unimpeded by any forest. At the moment, Kagura was busy whispering with Rin over something, while trying to keep the flower garland that Rin made for her straight upon her head.
Sesshoumaru assumed that the subject of their conspiracy was the small origami cranes and other birds he had watched them make out of some ripped out pages of Jaken's account scrolls. Of course, Jaken hadn't figured out the sad state of his papers yet, being too busy fussing over the group's supplies.
Rin threw the paper birds up into the air where they were soon made to fly by the gust of wind from Kagura's fan. Rin giggled and chased after them as they circled and flew around the small human child.
Part of Sesshoumaru insisted that this was an odd scene. The other part insisted that this was the way it was supposed to be.
"Jaken." Sesshoumaru didn't turn to address his loyal retainer who was scurrying around readying their supplies. "Tell me your opinion on Kagura."
Jaken paused, swelling with pride. He blinked back a tear for a second, overcame with the joy of serving his master and the slight implication that his opinion actually mattered.
"She's very beautiful, milord. And somewhat powerful considering her youth."Jaken bit his lip, seriously and nervously. He didn't think Sesshoumaru would like his answer but he had to give it. "But she isn't nobility. She has no position nor land that would make her an ideal match. Still, I guess, she might be trained to be a decent concubine for Sesshomaru-sama."
"Concubine?" Sesshoumaru blinked and turned to stare at his follower, the thought obviously never had occurred to him.
"Gentlemen need wives for only certain things. They like other women for other things, if you get my drift. This humble Jaken wasn't always your servant." Jaken winked. Sesshoumaru inwardly grimaced at the amount of information about his follower that he never wanted to know.
He still didn't see why Jaken would mention Kagura in that context.
~*~*~
Kouga sniffed the air. It was harder than before due to the sulfur and phosphorus vapors from the area interfering. He took a moment but he finally caught the scent unique to his quarry.
The battle the other day wasn't enough for the wolf prince. He wanted a rematch. Imagine his confusion when he came back to smell Sesshoumaru's presence with Kagura.
Kouga had held off and bided his time, though he had no grudge with Sesshoumaru and vice versa. They both held to the policy that they stayed out of each other's way. To canine youkai, respect for each other's territory was the most basic principle of manners. So he waited until Kagura seemed to finish whatever business she had with the dog demon lord and set out on her own. Now she was fair game as far as Kouga was concerned.
"Thought you could hide from me by traveling through the hot springs did you?"Kouga chuckled to himself as he snuck through the underbrush. Seeing her vague profile amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that she hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it.
~*~*~
Kagura yanked out the ribbon out of her hair, letting her hair to fall to her shoulders.
She'd have an hour all to herself while Jaken roasted for Rin the rabbit Kagura's wind blades had killed. Kagura was a bit surprised at the fuss and tears Rin produced over it though. She was only trying to be nice and get dinner for the brat. It was a clean kill by decapitation and Rin should have been used to Sesshoumaru slaughtering bandits and demons.
Still, Kagura thought it best to take some time away from the group even if Sesshoumaru had calmed the child telling her to be quiet and have Jaken explain that bunnies are part of the food chain.
"And a bath was the ideal way to relieve my weary nerves." Kagura mused to herself as she untied her sash and slid her kimono off her shoulders . . .
~*~*~
Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey.
"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the wide-eyed look she gave him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into her and tackle her to the ground.
Pinning her to the ground, Kouga suddenly found himself in a situation he never imagined he'd be with his enemy. Her kimono had flown wide open in the fall and her hair was fanned around her, framing her pale face and wide crimson eyes. Kouga slowly propped his weight with his right arm braced to the side of her head and his legs to the sides of her hips. He blinked as blood rushed to his cheeks. His still shocked brain tried to cope with the fact that his eyes were tracing down past the hills of her chest to the subtle curves of the plains of her stomach as his left hand squeezed the mound of flesh under it.
Of course, Kouga didn't have much time to cope with those facts because Kagura's mind had automatically gone into action, which was to will her knee to make a very hard contact with Kouga's crotch.
Kagura closed her kimono and leaped to her feet while Kouga doubled over in pain.
"You crazy bastard! Don't you know not to interrupt a lady's friggin' bath!" She screamed at him, punctuating her statement with several kicks to the side of the red faced, wheezing Kouga on the ground.
"Who's a la-umph!" Kouga grunted, his attempt at a comeback ruined by the irrate woman still kicking him. "Stop it! You can't kick someone when they're down!"
"The hell I can't!" Kagura huffed and kicked him extra hard, wishing she had brought her fan or feathers to the springs instead of worrying that the steam would wrinkle them. She grabbed her sash angrily and stomped off.
~*~*~
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he noticed the flushed cheeked demoness storming into the camp. He didn't ask any questions of why her clothes were in disarray or where she was going.
It was her business in Sesshoumaru's opinion. So he just leaned back against the tree he was sitting under and tried not to note too much that, even though she was still clutching shut the upper part of her kimono, she was showing much more than usual amount of leg as she jumped on her giant feather. She flew off, leaving only the faintest scent as evidence of her passing.
"Is that . . . wolf?" Sesshoumaru mused out loud to himself.
~*~*~
Kagura flew around for about an hour, letting her anger and irritation ebb away with the winds rushing around her.
As much as she wished differently, Kagura couldn't keep her mind off the fight with Kouga the other day. She hadn't seen him since Sesshoumaru returned which did seem strange. He should have sensed that the margin of ability between them was razor thin. And the hot springs scene that morning proved that Kouga wasn't going to quit.
As much as she wished differently, Kagura had the feeling that Kouga wasn't going to give up. He just wasn't the type. Worse yet, he had improved since Naraku's death, even without the shards. Or maybe she just wasn't on her toes enough.
Whatever the problem was, she needed to fix it. She didn't want to ever be ambushed like that again. She liked things only on her terms.
~*~*~
Kagura narrowed her eyes and concentrated at the leaf a couple dozen feet from her. With a sweep of her arm and a flick of her wrist, she sent a concentration of wind (known as a "Wind Blade") at the doomed leaf. The object of this exercise was to split the leaf. Unfortunately she missed the leaf entirely.
Kagura tried it again, only to get the leaf next to it. The third time only resulted in slicing the edge of it.
"Calm down and focus." Kagura commanded herself as her eyebrow twitched. She took a deep breath and tried it again. This time she succeeded in accidently slicing off the whole branch.
"I wouldn't have thought you'd let yourself go like this." A familiar voice came from behind her. Kagura glared at Kouga from his seat on a large boulder behind her. "I'd like you to know that I would never want to see, let alone touch something as disgusting as a nude Detachment of Naraku. I hope you know it was all a mistake. I was just trying to get my revenge."
"Is that an apology, asshole?" Kagura yelled right back at him
"Take it however you want." Kouga glared at her. "By the way, what were you doing with Sesshoumaru this morning?"
"I'm traveling with him."
"Why?"
"None of your business." Kagura folded her arms, turning away to hide the blush on her cheeks. How could she explain the alternating calming or fluttery feelings she had when she was in Sesshoumaru's presence? If she didn't have an answer for her behavior to herself, she'd be damned to give an explanation to others.
"Oh, so that's how it is."Kouga's cheeks flushed angrily, suddenly instantly irritated, as his mind jumped wildly to conclusions. He had left his family, traveled all this way, and, here she was, enjoying her time with Sesshoumaru. "Never thought Sesshoumaru would be that desperate."
"It's not like that! I'm just traveling with him for the moment."Kagura blushingly growled not liking the subject of conversation. Then she calmed herself. A scruffy, flea-bitten, sad excuse for a tribe prince wasn't worth it. " Anyway, I'm trying to move on now that Naraku's dead. Why don't you do the same? Why don't you go off and get a some stupid mountain wench and make bunches of furballs with her off somewhere else? Much more healthy than this 'quest for vengeance' crap."
Kouga stood up and leaped down off the large boulder, landing in a crouch. "I told you I wouldn't give up until I got you."
"You know girls don't like obsessive guys. You should quit while you're ahead and leave me alone."
"I wouldn't be talking. You're one hanging all over that Dog Lord."Kouga sneered as Kagura clenched your jaw. "Then again females are like that. Get the slight scent of power and they go into heat. Do you think he'd fall for you if you got close? That you wouldn't be something expendable?
Kagura turned away, not bothering to look at Kouga, while her grip on her fan tightened. "It's like not that."
"Oh? So it isn't power? Then what do you like about him?" Kagura glanced at Kouga, raising an eyebrow, then smiled. From the darkening expression on Kouga's face, he was really starting to get worked up. Kagura didn't know what his problem was but whatever was making him angry, perked her up.
"What? In comparison to a loser like you?" Kagura scoffed.
Kouga smirked in return. "So that's what it is, his flawless good looks? Isn't it kinda disturbing going after a guy who's prettier than you?"
Kagura's eye twitched as her smile turned to a frown. She didn't know what irked her more. That he wouldn't get it through his head that she wasn't after Sesshoumaru that way. Or that he was implying that she wasn't as pretty as Sesshoumaru.
"Maybe it's his demeanor? Do you think you'll be the one to melt icy heart? I didn't know you were a romantic."His smile turned cruel. He could tell by the firey glint in her eye that she was getting agitated. Something he said must be hitting her. Very close. Then again Kagura always did have a lot of anger. "Or is it that you like amputees?"
Kouga never did know when to leave things alone.
~*~*~
"That was actually fun, wolf-boy."
"Good. I just live to make you happy." Kouga said, sarcastically and bitterly. He groaned as he tried to sit up, his youkai longevity still healing the scraps and bruises covering his body
Halfway across the ruined field, Kagura picked a stray leaf from her hair, still smiling from the battle's adrenalin rush afterglow. She really didn't realize that she'd feel so good having fights. She always seemed to resent it in Naraku's service. Evidently she didn't resent fighting, just Naraku.
Of course, she was starting to feel grimy and needed a bath after that afternoon's battle . Talking about baths...
"So you're going to keep coming back to fight me, aren't you?"
Kouga's eyes widened and he flipped over and moved into a wary crouch. Was she going to try attacking him and finishing him off so she wouldn't be inconvenienced? "Yes. I'm not giving up."
"Okay then. But let's have some ground rules."
Kouga's jaw dropped. "What?"
"You've got something you want to prove, or are you're a masochist. Now, I can spare some time to kick your ass once in a while, but on my terms. First off, no more ambushes."
"Fine."Kouga growled trying not to remember what happened that morning, as it still seemed to elicit a blush from him.
"So, I'll find you. We-" Kagura corrected herself. "The group I'm traveling with stops off for dinner about an hour before dusk." Kagure knew Sesshoumaru liked to go a certain amount of distance each day but even with Rin riding with the burden beast, Ah-Uh, half the time, Rin was too delicate. Rin never complained but Sesshoumaru disliked the listless, dark-eyed look Rin had when tired. "So I'll usually meet you then. How 'bout a fight every seven days or so? I thought you still had a tribe to take care of."
Kouga grudgingly accepted.
"Any other terms?" Kouga asked, suspiciously.
"None. If you want to get your can kicked, and you're not too stupid to follow the rules, I'll oblige."
~*~*~
A couple weeks later...
Kagura slipped back into camp to retrieve her bathing supplies. Sometimes she didn't even think Sesshoumaru noticed her absence, now or anytime she went to meet and duel Kouga.
Disappointed, she turned to leave again. "I'll be back in a little while." She said, not resisting the urge to bring herself to Sesshoumaru's attention.
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he stared into the fire, not looking up at her and barely nodding in acknowledgment. Truthfully, he already knew she had returned. Her scent was enough to alert him to her presence. Of course, the slight stench of the wolf's blood and sweat trailed after her as it did every time she returned. The first time it happened, he had thought the incident resolved. But Kagura seemed to have a reason to fight him repeatedly.
Thankfully, she took a bath afterwards, to get rid of the offensive scent of another male canine youkai that wasn't his kin, so only her clean scent of sweet wind and femininity was left behind.
Sesshoumaru blinked, wondering when he had stopped smelling the hodgepodge of youkai that was Naraku when he caught her scent. Then again, her scent had never been offensive, as her creator's had been. If it had, he wouldn't have let her into his group.
Sesshoumaru absently wondered why she continued to fighting with the wolf, Kouga, then stopped himself. It was her business and didn't concern him. He didn't want to, but he would respect that.
---
An now for another thrilling episode of Pointless Omake Theater! (Slight Spoiler for beyond around Episode 100 in the anime.)
Seeing the vague profile of a short ponytail and someone with delicate feminine features, amid the cloud of steam in a clearing, Kouga could see that his victim hadn't been alerted to his presence. Now he had the advantage of surprise and planned on using it.
Kouga charged through the underbrush and the tendrils of steam obscuring his prey.
"Bitch! I have you n-!" Kouga began to yell as he prepared to throw a punch, but his step faltered for a split second as he was startled by the wide-eyed look given to him. Unfortunately, his forward momentum caused him to still plow into his victim and tackle him to the ground.
"Ah! But you're supposed to be dead!!" Kouga screamed, scrambling backwards off the half naked human male, traumatized.
"Only a couple of times." Jakotsu smiled, blushing demurely. "But you seem *very* alive! Maybe you might be my type of guy after all..."
"I hate omakes!" Kouga whimpered.