CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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The demon flicked her closed fan in a bored fashion. Her red eyes fixed on Naku for a moment, before her husky voice said, "I trust your mission is going well. Naraku sent me to see how you were doing." She frowned. "Are you any closer to capturing Kagome?"
Naku smiled thinly. "Closer? I already have her inside."
"Unharmed?"
"Of course she is."
Kagura actually looked slightly surprised. "How very fortunate. I presume you will be bringing the girl to Naraku, as you were instructed."
"Not just yet." Naku crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on Kagura. She might be Naraku's thrall, but she could still stab him in the back. "First I need her as bait. I plan to collect the second half of my fee, as well as the silver bars."
"So you intend to kill Inuyasha," Kagura said smoothly. "I should warn you that he is not to be trifled with."
"Neither am I," Naku replied flatly. "I can deal with Inuyasha, Kagura. Just leave it to me."
The demon glared at him for a moment, then pulled a feather from her hair. In a sweep of wind, she was airborne on the feather, rising high into the sky. She spared a backward glance at the human below her, walking back to his hidden home. Arrogant fool, she thought angrily. Condescending to me! Well, he'll learn about Inuyasha soon enough.
.
Kagura had flown him that first time he visited the demon Naraku, when he had first been hired. Through heavy, hazy mists and over a castle wall, down into an empty courtyard. He had walked into a darkened chamber, where a man was sitting. No a man, Naku had correct himself. A demon who had taken the form of a man.
He looked ordinary enough -- tall and richly-dressed, sitting languidly by a window. But his face was just slightly strange, with eyes that seemed to glow a faint red. "So," Naraku said quietly. "You are Naku, the assassin."
"Yes, I am."
Naraku slowly looked over the young man. He was only a human, albeit clearly a strong one. But from the mind of a demon he had absorbed, he heard of Naku -- a human bounty hunter who killed for a small fortune in silver. What was more, unlike other human assassins, he sold his services to kill and capture demons as well as humans. And, most intriguingly, he was said to have never lost his prey -- even powerful demons.
Yes, Naraku thought. A human, but still he might be able to deal with Inuyasha. He has cunning as well as strength.
"I know of your terms," he said, sitting back. "And I am willing to pay substantially if you find a certain human girl. Her name is Kagome, and I wish for her to be brought to me. You may do whatever you wish with her, so long as she is brought to me with her body unharmed."
Naku smiled slightly. "You know my price. I'll find this girl, if you give me some idea of where to find her."
"There is more to your mission than that," Naraku said. "Kagome will be relatively easy to capture. However, she holds shards of the Shikon jewel."
"I see," Naku said.
"You are not interested?"
"If I were given shards of the jewel, I'd take them. But I'm not about to go hunting after them."
"I see," Naraku said, smiling. "Then listen carefully. Kagome travels in the company of Inuyasha, a powerful half-demon. When he learns that she is missing, he will surely come after you. Kidnap Kagome, and bring me Inuyasha's head, and in addition to your price in silver, you will receive Kagome's Shikon shards."
Naku's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"If you succeed in both ventures," Naraku continued, "I will have a pair of more challenging commissions for you. And if you succeed in those, then you will have the Shikon jewel in its entirety. Even a human can possess immense power with it."
Naku smirked. "You must want these four dead very badly," he said in a low voice. "Very well. I'll deal with Kagome and Inuyasha first -- one dead, one alive. Then I'll take on your other commissions. Just tell me where to find Kagome, and when, and I'll deal with the rest."
Naraku's eyes gleamed slightly. "We have a deal, then."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The demon flicked her closed fan in a bored fashion. Her red eyes fixed on Naku for a moment, before her husky voice said, "I trust your mission is going well. Naraku sent me to see how you were doing." She frowned. "Are you any closer to capturing Kagome?"
Naku smiled thinly. "Closer? I already have her inside."
"Unharmed?"
"Of course she is."
Kagura actually looked slightly surprised. "How very fortunate. I presume you will be bringing the girl to Naraku, as you were instructed."
"Not just yet." Naku crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on Kagura. She might be Naraku's thrall, but she could still stab him in the back. "First I need her as bait. I plan to collect the second half of my fee, as well as the silver bars."
"So you intend to kill Inuyasha," Kagura said smoothly. "I should warn you that he is not to be trifled with."
"Neither am I," Naku replied flatly. "I can deal with Inuyasha, Kagura. Just leave it to me."
The demon glared at him for a moment, then pulled a feather from her hair. In a sweep of wind, she was airborne on the feather, rising high into the sky. She spared a backward glance at the human below her, walking back to his hidden home. Arrogant fool, she thought angrily. Condescending to me! Well, he'll learn about Inuyasha soon enough.
.
Kagura had flown him that first time he visited the demon Naraku, when he had first been hired. Through heavy, hazy mists and over a castle wall, down into an empty courtyard. He had walked into a darkened chamber, where a man was sitting. No a man, Naku had correct himself. A demon who had taken the form of a man.
He looked ordinary enough -- tall and richly-dressed, sitting languidly by a window. But his face was just slightly strange, with eyes that seemed to glow a faint red. "So," Naraku said quietly. "You are Naku, the assassin."
"Yes, I am."
Naraku slowly looked over the young man. He was only a human, albeit clearly a strong one. But from the mind of a demon he had absorbed, he heard of Naku -- a human bounty hunter who killed for a small fortune in silver. What was more, unlike other human assassins, he sold his services to kill and capture demons as well as humans. And, most intriguingly, he was said to have never lost his prey -- even powerful demons.
Yes, Naraku thought. A human, but still he might be able to deal with Inuyasha. He has cunning as well as strength.
"I know of your terms," he said, sitting back. "And I am willing to pay substantially if you find a certain human girl. Her name is Kagome, and I wish for her to be brought to me. You may do whatever you wish with her, so long as she is brought to me with her body unharmed."
Naku smiled slightly. "You know my price. I'll find this girl, if you give me some idea of where to find her."
"There is more to your mission than that," Naraku said. "Kagome will be relatively easy to capture. However, she holds shards of the Shikon jewel."
"I see," Naku said.
"You are not interested?"
"If I were given shards of the jewel, I'd take them. But I'm not about to go hunting after them."
"I see," Naraku said, smiling. "Then listen carefully. Kagome travels in the company of Inuyasha, a powerful half-demon. When he learns that she is missing, he will surely come after you. Kidnap Kagome, and bring me Inuyasha's head, and in addition to your price in silver, you will receive Kagome's Shikon shards."
Naku's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"If you succeed in both ventures," Naraku continued, "I will have a pair of more challenging commissions for you. And if you succeed in those, then you will have the Shikon jewel in its entirety. Even a human can possess immense power with it."
Naku smirked. "You must want these four dead very badly," he said in a low voice. "Very well. I'll deal with Kagome and Inuyasha first -- one dead, one alive. Then I'll take on your other commissions. Just tell me where to find Kagome, and when, and I'll deal with the rest."
Naraku's eyes gleamed slightly. "We have a deal, then."
TO BE CONTINUED