Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha . . .
ROCK ON!!
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Junichiro stared into the darkness of the forest, the cool, night air engulfing him as his ears twitched uncontrollably underneath his midnight black hair.
We're sleeping . . . in the woods?!
"Here."
The young man jumped, jerking his head back to see Kagome holding out a bowlful of soup. She blinked, before smiling and sitting down next to him, her hand still offering the food. "You must be hungry," she tried again.
"Arigatou," he mumbled, taking the bowl out of her hands. Taking a deep breath, his spirits were slightly lifted. Ramen!
Kagome watched the young man eat slowly, clearly starved from the long trek they had. They had immediately left Kaede's village and headed towards the direction of the supposed shard sighting, not resting until night had fallen. The young miko had glanced back at Junichiro a couple of times, and was surprised to see him keep up with the rest of them, his stride never slowing.
He might be strong . . . but he's pretty hungry . . .
"So, Junichiro, Miroku tells me your mother was a miko," Kagome began, trying to make small talk.
The dark-haired man paused from his food to glance up. "Yeah . . . she was," he said softly, staring into the broth.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," the miko said quietly, staring at the ground. "I . . . I lost my father when I was young too. I . . . know what it feels like . . ."
Junichiro set aside his food, crossing his legs as he watched a small squirrel scamper up a tree. Loss . . . but I have you two now . . .
Kagome yawned and began to stand. "C'mon," she coaxed with a smile, "It's warmer near the fire."
Feeling the need to organize his thoughts, he motioned her to go. "You go on . . . I . . . uh . . . I need to use the bathroom."
Junichiro watched her back as she retreated towards the fire with the others, all laughing and smiling as Miroku told stories. Scrambling to his feet, he silently made his way into the forest.
What am I doing here? This place . . . this time . . . it's not my place . . .
He walked until the group's merriment was out of his hearing range. Stepping in between a couple of bushes, he came upon a small stream, its water gleaming in the moonlight. Sighing, Junichiro sat on a nearby rock, throwing pebbles into the clear liquid.
Does Inuyasha know who I am?
Do I even know who I am?
Shaking his head, he stared up at the moon. Even though I'm here . . . with my parents . . . they're not my parents . . . they're just Inuyasha and Kagome . . . they won't have the answers I'm looking for . . .
Mother . . . Father . . . what happened to you? Did you really die at the hands of that demon?
Suddenly feeling a strange aura, he turned, nearly falling into the stream. Someone's coming . . .
His ears twitched as he listened for any type of sound, but heard nothing. "Must be a raccoon," he mumbled, turning his gaze back to the water, only to find a disturbing reflection.
He wasn't alone.
Turning slowly, he came face to face with a golden-eyed intruder, the wind kissing his long white hair. He was of immeasurable stature, and his ancient robes depicted that of nobility.
Junichiro felt his head spin as flashbacks of his childhood came flooding back to him. Of a tall, white-haired man visiting the shrine, his piercing gold eyes staring at him with such intensity that he thought he would explode. His usually bright and cheerful Uncle tower in fear of the annual visitor as he pushed his nephew in front of the stranger, the young boy's knees wobbling as the white-haired man asked him a few questions . . . if he was happy . . . if anyone was picking on him . . . if anything strange was happening to him . . .
The young man then remembered the strange markings he saw on the man . . . a crescent moon on his forehead and two stripes on his cheeks . . .
They were the same markings as the man in front of him had.
"You . . ." Junichiro breathed, his eyes widening.
The white-haired man stared hard at him, his face remaining a mask. "I?"
"I've seen you before . . . at my Uncle's shrine . . ."
The older man's face hardened, his eyes growing colder. "This Sesshoumaru does not visit shrines, especially with humans."
Junichiro opened and closed his mouth a few times before reality hit him. This is the past . . . he wouldn't know about the Shrine or myself . . .
"You, child," Sesshoumaru monotoned, "Who are you?"
"Uh . . ."
"Junichiro!"
The two turned to see Inuyasha and his companions running through the forest, each armed with their weapons. The hanyou and monk chopped the shrubbery that blocked their path to the young man, as the miko, demon slayer, and kitsune ran behind.
"Junichiro! Are you alright?" Kagome shouted, Inuyasha eliminating the last bush with his Kaze No Kizu.
"Ye-yeah," the dark-haired man answered back, his voice shaking.
"Damnit runt, don't run off lik--" Inuyasha stopped, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Junichiro's companion.
"Well look who it is. Hey bastard, what are you doing here?"
Junichiro's eyes widened as he saw the two white haired men stare each other down. They . . . they know each other?!
"I, Inuyasha, am not the bastard here," Sesshoumaru returned, his voice dripping with malice.
"Oh, real original baka," the hanyou spat, pointing the edge of the sword at him.
Sesshoumaru gave a little exhasperated noise as he made to leave. "I am in no mood to play with you today, little brother. I merely wished to know who was giving off the rather, unusual demonic aura in this area."
Little . . . brother?! Junichiro gaped at the Lord of the Western Lands. Then . . . that man that visits the shrine every year . . . he's my uncle?!
"You . . . you two are siblings?" he asked weakly, feeling all the blood drain from his face.
The two inu-youkai brothers turned to stare at Junichiro. "Half-brother," Sesshoumaru corrected cooly, frowning at the young man.
"Don't be fooled, kid," Inuyasha snarled, "This baka is no brother of mine, as far as I'm concerned."
Sesshoumaru studied Junichiro for a moment, then took a step forward. "You there . . . your parents . . ."
"Are dead," he quickly answered.
The youkai blinked, before nodding. "Right . . ." He turned, and without a word to the rest of the group, sauntered back into the forest.
Junichiro felt his heart resume its normal pace as he watched the youkai lord disappear into the forest. He was about to return to the group when he heard a familar, cold, voice in his head.
Your parents may be a secret to them, but they are no secret to me . . . I can sense who they are . . . to think, my bastard of a brother would produce a child such as you . . .
The young man closed his eyes, the telepathy between him and his uncle clear. So, why didn't you tell them?
This Sesshoumaru knows when not to interfere . . .
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"WHAT?!?!?"
Kagome waved her hands in front of the hanyou's face, trying to hush him. "Be quiet! You might wake him up!!"
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You've got to be joking me, Kagome. Sesshoumaru having a hanyou child is just plain crazy!!"
The young miko scratched her head, glancing at the sleeping Junichiro across the fire. "But you saw the dog ears too! I know you did!"
"I know . . ."
"He has to be Sesshoumaru's kid!"
"Like I said, wench," he growled, "that's crazy."
"Then who do you think are his parents?!"
Inuyasha stared at her a moment before replying a gruff, "Beats me."
"I know where you're trying to go with this, Kagome-sama," Miroku jumped in, "But be reasonable. Sesshoumaru would never mate with a human."
Kagome groaned in frustration. "But he has dog ears, Miroku! The only living inu-youkai left are Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, and--"
"That's not true."
Miroku poked the fire as he spoke. "There was a pack of dog demons in the north who only died out recently because they insisted on mating with humans. He might be a hanyou child of them."
"That kid isn't hanyou."
The group turned to look at Inuyasha, his face etched in a frown. "His demonic aura isn't strong enough to be half . . . he should only be a third or so."
"And besides, the northern pack Miroku's talking about had a reputation for kidnapping human women and taking them for mates; I doubt they would kidnap any miko."
Kagome sighed, rubbing her temple. "Well, we're not any closer to finding out who he really is . . ."
"Why is it so important anyway, Kagome?"
The young miko looked down at the kitsune in her lap. "We just want to know who he is, Shippou," she said gently. "He has distinct inu-youkai qualities that are rare, especially since there are hardly any youkai in my time."
"The question is," Inuyasha muttered, "Is he friend or foe?"
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Junichiro stirred awake, listening to the group's conversation across the fire.
They're talking about me . . .
" . . . friend or foe?"
The young man felt his heart skip a beat, as he slowly sank further into the sleeping bag. Friend or foe?
Neither . . . I'm your son.
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AN: and yet . . . another chapter . . .
did you all get that little paragraph up there? when Junichiro first saw Sesshoumaru? I know it might be a little vague, but let me explain the flashbacks he was having . . .
Once a year a man would visit the shrine, a tall, white-haired man with golden eyes, and he would ask Souta to see Junichiro. That man turned out to be Sesshoumaru in the future, and their chance meeting in the Sengoku Jidai struck a memory in Junichiro's head.
And no, Inuyasha doesn't know that Junichiro is his kid. He's just confused as everyone else is . . .
Kagome's silly, ain't she? Still going on about her theory that Sesshoumaru is the father . . . heeheheheheh . . .
to answer your question, Yusuke Brat, when Kagome goes through the well, she goes back to her time, not to Junichiro's time.
thanks for the reviews! you guys are awesome!
stay tuned!