Chapter 16: The Thunder Brothers
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!
A/N: I started writing the second part of Don't Look Back! So be on the lookout for that because it's going to be posted in two or three days! :) Oh! This chapter has two non-major character deaths, please enjoy!
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Kagome asked really not in the mood for anymore bullshit then gasped as she got a closer look. Moving closer to Inuyasha so she could whisper in his ear - "they each got two sacred jewel shards in their foreheads." She watched as Inuyasha nodded but didn't say anything.
"I'm Hiten." The one that looked more like a human said. "And this is my brother Manten - better known as The Thunder Brothers!" As he said that the sky filled up with thunderous booms and striking lightning making Kagome almost jump out of her skin and reach for Inuyasha for comfort.
"Oh, scared of a little thunder and lightning - dear one?" Manten laughed making Kagome growl and her blood to boil but before she could do anything another crack of thunder rent the air making her jump and cower closer to Inuyasha.
"Shut up and prepare to die." Inuyasha snarled, while allowing Kagome to clutch onto the back of his jacket for comfort, as he unsheathed his Tessaiga and pointing it straight at the brothers. Inuyasha wanted to hurry up and finish this fast before Kagome either has a panic attack or passes out with fright - as it was now, she was shaking like a leaf huddling as close as she could get to him. He could feel her heart pounding rapidly on his back. It had always been like that, though, she has always been afraid of thunderstorms, and he was always there to shield her from them up until she left on that pirate ship.
Both brothers laughed and quickly set several of lightning strikes, successfully separating all five of them and knocking Sango and Miroku unconscious. Shippo and Kagome was with each other, while Inuyasha was several yards away from them. Kagome noticed that Sango and Miroku were laying, unmoving on the ground, and her heart sunk but before she could do anything to help them Manten blocked her path to them.
"Hmmm," Manten purred. "What a delectable woman you are! Maybe I'll save you an immediate death and take you with me carving your organs out while you're still alive and make my potions with them." He laughed manically while Kagome's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
Kagome started backing up and got her bow off her shoulder and hooked an arrow up in it bleeding her demonic power into the arrow - but her clumsy-self tripped over a large rock as she was backing up and, in her attempt, to break her fall some - she let go of the arrow just managing the skim his bald head with just a little tuff of hair on top. She looked at Manten and watched him as he stared as one of his three strands of hair, that was on top of his head, fall to the ground.
Growling, Manten ran after Kagome with murderous intent.
Thinking quickly Shippo jumped into the air yelling out - "spinning top!"
Kagome watched amazed as a small top turned into a huge spinning top that was now spinning on top of Manten's head pinning him down on the ground.
"Wow, Shippo, nice works!" Kagome said with a smile.
"Thanks! I've been practicing!" Shippo said proudly as he puffed out his chest before deflating as he added in a whisper. "But remember, it's only an illusion. Here soon it will stop spinning and he'll be able to get up - the only damage to him will be but a small bruise."
As Shippo finished talking, the spinning top shrunk before falling off Manten's head. He stood up on shaky legs bringing his hands up to rub his head with tears in his eyes.
"What's wrong with him?" Kagome asked out lout, to no one in particular.
"No idea." Shippo whispered back anyway.
Manten watched as his last two strands of hair fell to the ground joining the one that fell earlier. "Every single last hair has fallen!" He wailed as lightning shot out of his mouth and into the sky.
"Uh oh, Shippo - I think we're in real trouble now." Kagome said.
Hearing Manten scream out, Inuyasha turned and looked over to make sure everything was okay over there - but before he could get a good read on the situation, Hiten walked and stood in the way.
"You shouldn't concern yourself with a woman." Hiten scoffed as he sent a thunder bolt towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha just barely jumped out of the way of the thunder and sent out a wind scar that Hiten flew off to the side to avoid.
Damn it! Inuyasha growled in his mind. I can't get a clear shot when he's flying through the fucking air
Hiten lifted up the staff he held and spun it super-fast in his hand, building up what looked to be a huge thunder ball that was coming right at Inuyasha.
Shit! Inuyasha yelled internally. There's no way I can dodge that! At that moment the sheath for the Tessaiga started to pulsate. "What the?" Inuyasha whispered as he looked down at the sheath but didn't have any time to think about it as he held Tessaiga in his left hand while he raised his right hand up that was gripping the sheath as the ball of thunder came at him, the sheath cutting straight down the middle without being touched by the deadly electricity.
Using her wind power to become invisible, Kagome was able to roam around and hide while she aimed a demonically charged arrow - dropping the wind barrier right before she shot the arrow. Watching the arrow fly through the air - right passed Manten - then watching as Manten started laughing menacingly again.
"You stupid woman!" Laughed Manten. "Don't you know how to aim?"
"Did I get it?" Kagome asked to herself as she looked just as her arrow hit Hiten's shoe, breaking his ability to fly giving Inuyasha a fighting chance.
Having seen what Kagome did, Manten got exceedingly pissed off - turning deadly eyes towards Kagome and moving too fast for her to react, he wrapped his hands around her neck and slammed her hard on the ground squeezing as hard as he could around her neck. "You shouldn't have gotten in their fight, little girl, now you've made me mad!"
Seeing black spots in her vision, Kagome started to panic not being able to pry his fingers from around her neck. Right as she was about to pass out, she saw green flam surround Manten and was suddenly able to breathe again. Coughing and gulping in air, Kagome didn't waste any time as she scrambled to her feet and as Manten was still distracted from the fake flames she took her aim and shot a charged arrow right at Manten hitting him between the eyes where he housed two sacred jewel shards. Manten fell in a lump of unalive flesh as the jewel shards were forced out of his head.
Noticing the change in the air, Hiten looked towards his brother that was unmoving on the ground with an arrow sticking out of his head. Feeling unimaginable sadness seep through his body, Hiten was distraught by the image of his brother. "Manten." He whispered out as he started walking towards his brother.
While Hiten was distracted, Inuyasha raised his sword up and cut Hiten down with a wind scar. Once both brothers were done, Inuyasha and walked towards Sango and Miroku to assess their injuries and Kagome walked towards the fallen enemies to collect the jewel shards - the bird of paradise had three and Hiten and Manten had two each. Holding all eight shards encased in her hands Kagome closed her eyes and seeped her energy into the shards to fuse them together.
-X-
Growling and slamming Kanna's mirror out of her hands to the ground, Naraku got up started to pace floor of the capain's cabin with a glass of red wine in his hand - thinking seriously about his next move knowing that they just acquired eight fucking jewel shards and losing some of what he thought were his strongest men! In other words, he was way past pissed off.
"What do you suggest doing now?" Kagura asked in her normal bored tone.
Naraku sent a piercing glare at Kagura and threw his wine glass at her barely missing her face as it smashed into thousands of pieces on the wall right next to her splattering red wine all over her face.
"You don't fucking question me ever!" Naraku roared absolutely seething that she dared question him like that.
"In other words, you have no idea, do you Naraku?" Kagura mocked, not heeding the warning but then gasped as her eyes grew wide. There in Naraku's outstretched hand he held her still beating heart in his grasp, giving it a hard squeeze bringing her to her knees and clutching at her chest.
Smirking evilly at Kagura gasping with pain as an idea came to him. "We have a stop to make. I have one more person that owes me a favor."
About week later they arrived at Sweeden and Naraku along with Kagura and Kanna left off the ship to start their track to their destination. Around two hours later they arrived at a shabby cabin in the middle of the woods, he raised his hand to knock on the door.
A minute later a beautiful woman with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes with a white snake draped around her shoulders. "Naraku? To what do I own the pleasure?"
"Ah, hello Tsubaki. It's time that I cashed in that favor you owe me." Naraku beamed evilly.
"Ha!" Tsubaki barked. "Favor? What favor? I owe you nothing!"
Naraku's beam turned into a scowl. "Oh really? Well, if that's how you feel." He said nonchalantly as he flicked his wrist towards her. "I'll just take the youth I gave you back."
Tsubaki gasped as a white mist came from within her, her black hair turned to silvery-white, her bright blue eyes turned a dull dark blue and her fair skin turned wrinkly. "Oh no! My youth! Please, give it back! I'll do anything you want me too! Please!" She bagged then gasped again as the mist went back inside her giving her, her youth back.
"That's what I thought." Naraku sneered. "Now, come, I need you to travel with me on my ship as we track down some troublesome pirates."
Rolling her eyes but not saying anything, Tsubaki followed after Naraku.