Disclaimer: Hiten and the world of Inuyasha are creations of Rumiko Takahashi.

AN: I've been mulling over this chapter for a while and decided just to give it a shot and get it down for now. I also changed the format a bit so its easier to read.

Chapter Nine: Burning Bridges

Leaning his head back, Hiten let his scarlet gaze stare up into the canopy of the ancient tree. His precarious perch in its tangle of branches granted him some degree of privacy from the aggravating hanyou or was it human, he still wasn't sure what to call him. Even now he could feel Inuyasha's eyes on him. The earlier twist of events weighed on his mind more than anything else. He watched the evening sky as the first of the stars started to shine down through the gaps in the foliage. Letting out a heavy sigh, the thunder demon let the words echo in his mind.

His usual confident nature had been completely undermined. His stomach grumbled its complaints, scolding his pride for preventing him from eating. It hadn't taken much for the delicate situation to decay into a border line violent confrontation. Wriggling his toes, Hiten subconsciously noted that he had abandon his boots in the entry way of the house when he had stormed out. Curling his fingers protectively around his concealed armor, his thoughts drifted to meeting his sister after so much time had passed for her but so little for him. 'Will she be ashamed of me?' He had supposedly died an honorable death. She, although sad at his passing, would have held her head high, proud of him.

The doubts that he had kept hidden and the shame he felt for failing his brother weighed heavily on him as his shoulders drooped. Brought out of his self pity, his muscles grew tense as he mentally hissed the hanyou's name.

"What do you want?" the thunder demon spat, suddenly feeling out of his element, vulnerable. Not bothering to look below, Hiten acknowledged Inuyasha as he casually crossed his arms and leaned against the trunk of the massive tree.

"This is my tree. If you don't like it you can leave," the hanyou retorted, tilting his head just to add to his hostile stance. Slipping out of the tree, Hiten landed lightly on his socked feet. Giving his braid a defiant flick with his free hand, he paused for effect before answering.

"So that is why it reeks," he baited. The lack of reaction from the other fueling his temper. Tensing before shrugging off the insult, Inuyasha decided he could agitated the demon more by not responding. The air grew thick as the moment dragged on. Energy crackled as Hiten's short temper slipped away. "Its too bad you're human. It will be so hard to not kill you quickly," he ground out between exposed teeth. Turning on his heel, Hiten could only smirk at the now trapped Inuyasha.

His human eyes betraying the underlying fear as Inuyasha tried to reign himself in. How he hated being right at this moment. Kagome had misjudged how much the thunder demon had changed. Pushing himself off the trunk of the tree only to be slammed back into by the clawed hand of the youkai, Inuyasha gave a chocked gasp as Hiten's talons pieced his chest. "Was it worth it?" Hiten laughed as he started to close his hand around the exposed sternum. A questioning glare flicking across the hanyou's face before he squeezed his eyes shut again. His futile attempts to dislodge the death grip went unnoticed by his attacker.

The racing but, fragile pulse under his finger tips seemed to fall into sync with drumming beat in Hiten's ears. The position of power, boosting his battered ego, Hiten watched the hanyou squirm. The tough cartilage around the sternum gave a stressed snap as powerful digits continued their carving trails to the bone, youkai fangs flashing dangerously close to the hanyou's unguarded neck. Sink his teeth in like a predator and suffocating his prey, Hiten's youkai nature ran entertaining scenarios throughout his mind to over ride any conscious thoughts. Inuyasha heaved to draw in air before he threw his head back in a anguished scream.

Snapping awake from his blood lust, memories of Manten's death cry rung in his ears. Dislodging his hand, Hiten took a faltering step back as the bloodied hanyou slid down the tree. The box under his arm, all but forgotten, slipped form his slackened grip to burst open on impact, his armor clattered upon the stone walkway. Only a split second registered before searing pain engulfed the youkai. The blinding white-pink light swirling in enraged plumes scorching his exposed skin, bring him to the edge of passing out before unceremoniously dropping him on the icy pavement. Landing with a sickened thunk, Hiten's fleeting thoughts including a voice mocking him, something about karma.

Opening his eyes, which had some how managed to be spared at the last possible moment, his vision dimmed at the edges, creating a tunnel. His body in shock, Hiten shivered only to bite back a cry of agony as charred skin twitched. The chilled stone did little to ease the pains of burned flesh. He could only stare out at the world from half lidded eyes, another voice wondering if he was going to die for real this time. Taking in a labored breath, aching nerves lit up again with renewed fury. 'Can't do much right can you?' one of the more dominant voices in his head accused. 'You can't protect your brother, can't avenge him, can't kill a human wench, can't find your way home... you can't even die right, can you?' Hiten groaned as he instinctively covered his ears with his blacked hands. Squeezing his eyes shut, the voice continued it's torment, unfazed.

"Just die already," he mumbled to himself. 'That's right, just die,' the voice echoed, changing pitch to a more feminine range. His eyes grew watery as he could only imagine how deeply he has shamed his sister, his family. Scorched skin stung bitterly as the salty liquid snaked along the edges where the smooth skin met the burnt. Low mummers, muffled by his hands gathered close. 'Is there nothing I can do?' he asked himself.

'You can just die...'

AN: Well, this chapter turned out a bit shorter than I had originally intended, but its been a while since I updated. I started writing the chapters a bit out of order so I'll cut it off here so they fit correctly. A few surprise guests are showing up in the next chapter! So please review!