Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale
The Ringenkai Plant
Chapter 5: Shards of Stricken Sorrow
It was nightfall at the tiny village where its inhabitants were furiously working hard to replenish the crops that were damaged hours ago from Naraku's previous arrival. Deep holes of dirt and soil were all lined up like craters on a distant planet in outer space, with rocks and debris also merging in with the scene to form a collage of destruction and recreation. Although the only food they put so much dedication to growing was destroyed, what fate could never take away from the villagers was their determination and will to survive on their own. If it was one thing they all knew after today, fate was grateful to them, as they were saved three times in succession by a threatening force none of the likes of their human ability could ever face fairly.
Inside the doctor's hut, a weakened Kagome Higurashi was lying down on a flat bed with a damp warm washcloth on her forehead. Her face was flushed a bright red from the never ending fever she contracted from the poisoning, and her breathing was nothing more than short and fast gasps of air as usual.
Shippo was sitting right next to her in an uneasy tone, his little bandaged legs tucked together. He also had some bandages around his head, tied tightly with a shade of red beneath the fabric. He nervously rolled a spinning top between his fingers, his eyes flat from the constant worrying of his friend. He drew out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"Poor Kagome... I wouldn't wish the worst on her for anything in this world. I can't help but worry about her ever since we got here. I still can't believe that there's absolutely nothing we can do to get rid of the poison seed inside her. It scares me to death knowing that... she won't make it through any of this." Shippo said in a low voice, his eyes becoming watery.
In an instant, tears rolled down his light colored cheeks, flowing as freely as the crashing waves of a waterfall. The old doctor was nearby preparing some hot soup in a heated pot on a table. He came up from behind Shippo and put a hand on the little fox boy's shoulder, patting it in comfort.
"I understand how you feel, Shippo. But please try not to worry. Although I do understand the situation, I have a feeling that somehow we will find a way to save Kagome. In terms of speaking medically, I find it amazing how she hasn't lost complete consciousness despite the initial increased poison flow in her now sealed up wound. The extremity of the poison might as very well knocked any other person out. But as for Kagome, something is keeping her from falling victim it to sooner than later. Even I can't seem to explain it." the doctor said thoughtfully.
"I can. I can take a guess that since Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo, somehow the holy energy inside her body must be reacting as in some sort of defense against the poison. Had it been any other human, they wouldn't even be alive right now. While Kagome's energy is trying to protect her, it could only do but so much for the next five days. And unfortunately, that's all the time she has left." Shippo thought.
"So, where have your other friends run off to?" the doctor asked, breaking Shippo's thoughts. Shippo looked up at him.
"Oh, Miroku and Sango said they were going to go collect some water and firewood for us. But I don't know where Inuyasha is. He didn't say anything the last time I saw him." Shippo replied.
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Outside in the middle of the village, Miroku found himself surrounded by a small crowd of young beautiful women, all squealing with delight and excitement. Sango was sitting on the edge of a well nearby, her jaws clenching at the sight of the adamant monk making his usual immodest passes.
"Oooh!!! Is it really true that you're a monk? Can you really exorcise an entire town all at once with just one spell?" a girl asked, tugging at Miroku's sleeve.
"Of course he can! Didn't you see how brave he acted when that big ugly fire demon showed up? He blasted through its stomach and seemed so calm and fierce when he did it! He's sooooo manly!" another girl on Miroku's opposite side shot back. Miroku's face was a big shade of red as he blushed from the barrage of praise and interest from these attractive females.
"Heh heh heh!!! Well, ladies, it was merely an effortless deed for a common monk of my stature and fortitude. While I appreciate your compliments, need I remind you that without my assistance, my party of associates would surely have lost to the gigantic demon." Miroku said, still flushed from trying to make a decision on which girl he should make his ultimate move on.
"Hmm. The black haired one appears to have a pleasantly plump rear end... and yet, the tall lady to the left sports some very luscious thighs..." Miroku thought, his eyes shining like gold.
Sango clenched her fist, a vein in her forehead pulsing. Kirara was on her lap, brushing her little head against her stomach. A bucket filled with water was at Sango's side, having been sitting there for the past twenty minutes.
"Grrr!!! Who does he think is he is, overly flirting like that? Those girls are only going to build up his already piggish ego..." Sango commented, groaning out of annoyance.
The girls then drew their attention to Miroku's left arm, which was bandaged into a cast along his shoulder. "Aww, you risked getting hurt to save the life of your friends, too! That is so manly of you!" another girl said.
"And he's not even fazed by his injuries either! Its like it doesn't bother him at all! Miroku, you are totally the hottest and bravest guy I've EVER met!" a girl chirped happily.
"Ladies, ladies! As I've said before, it's barely a hindrance to my fighting skills. Even though fighting with my staff will be a little less effective, my arm should be better in a day at the very least." Miroku lied.
The girls continued to rant and rave even more by his fake display of awesome strength. Miroku felt his entire body start to tremble, his hormones cascading in an uncontrollable wave of pressure.
"This it!!! Now is my chance to make my prominence known amongst many a female in my ongoing search to continue my legacy! I can't believe this is happening!" Miroku thought. Then, with all of his courage, he directly all of his built up energy into one shocking proposal. Miroku cleared his throat before speaking.
"Well, I do see you ladies are quite fascinated with my portrayal of demon slaying. On a side note, which you all could consider a commitment, no less... would any of you young girls consider to be blessed with the miracle by bearing my child? Think of it as a contribution to the good of the world so that I, a common monk, can wholeheartedly pass down my vast knowledge of exorcism and spell casting to a future generation." Miroku announced, trying to contain every ounce of sexual excitement brewing inside him.
At this point, Sango was thoroughly pissed off, raising her clenched fist. "Yeah, to a future generation of perverted Miroku Juniors!!!" Sango thought, her eyes lit with flames.
"Oooh, I don't know if I'm ready for such an act." a girl said disappointedly. "Gee, I don't think we're even of proper age to be pregnant... don't you have be to be an old maid before you get married and have kids?" another girl asked.
"Yeah, and won't something like that be painful?" the girl holding Miroku's sleeve wondered. A sweat drop rolled down Miroku's head. He wasn't expecting this kind of reaction to so many eager looking females. He waved his free hand out of reassurance.
"Ladies, relax, please! Don't be afraid, as I have sufficiently enough of the required substance to provide the properties of child bearing. Why, you could even say I have more than enough for two, three, or maybe even four children, if you so request. And I assure, there will be no pain involved... (well, only for the first few minutes upon penetration...)" Miroku said, tacking on the last line in a voice under his breath.
"Grrrrrrrrr!!!!" Sango's anger was now way past the maximum level, as she stomped her foot hard on the grass. Kirara sensed her body heat flaring, and promptly hopped off of her lap as she got up and stomped towards Miroku. She grabbed his ear, pinching it hard and nearly sending Miroku tumbling to the ground.
"Owwwwww!!! Sango!!! I----Ackkk!" Miroku choked out. Sango leaned towards his face, her eyebrows twitching.
"Well, what do you know? After all of that spider exterminating, and for someone who's suffered SO much injuries during a battle with a really powerful demon, you sure seemed to have bounced back in time rather quickly! Just in time to make babies and run off!" Sango accused loudly, a small surge of disgust and jealousy shooting through her.
"No, Sango! You don't understand! I was merely conversing with the women to show how----- OWWWWW! HEY!!! AHHHHH!!! HELPPPPPPP!!!!" Miroku shouted, while being tackled by Sango. Sango repeatedly bashed Miroku upside the head with her Hiraikotsu without the slightly mercy, and the crowd of girls looked on bewildered.
"Wow, maybe he's not as tough as we thought." a girl commented.
"Nah, maybe she's his ex-girlfriend or wife, and she's just really jealous, so she follows him around on his adventures." a girl explained.
"I have to admit, I sort of feel sorry for him. No wonder he's itching to get away from a hostile girl like that." another girl said, laughing.
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About a mile away from the village, Inuyasha was peacefully sitting on a small upraised ridge near the edge of a lake. The half demon's right leg dangled over the edge, swinging back and forth aimlessly. Too mentally upset to think, Inuyasha decided to lay onto his back, dropping the sheathed Tetsusaiga to his side onto the soft green grass. He stared up into the stars of the night sky past the large surrounding oak tree nearby, the leaves shaking from the gentle breeze that swept over him. His point of view concentrated on one specific star that seemed to pulsate like a beating heart, his imagination lost in its beautiful twinkle. It was then that Inuyasha's thoughts began to wander.
"Damn. No matter how much I try to relax, no matter what the heck I do, I still can't seem to get it out of my head. All I can think about is poor Kagome suffering from that blasted poison seed that the spider demon infected her with." Inuyasha thought, raising his arms to fold them behind his head.
"Kagome... she knew it wasn't my fault. She even said so. But why... why can't I shake this feeling that I failed to ensure her safety this time? It wasn't as if I've never neglected her before... and to think in the seemingly short amount of time I've known her... who in the world would have thought that I would develop... feelings for her. The same deep feelings that I share for Kikyo, I share for Kagome. I know that even though they're two completely different people, there's something about them where they seem to share the same point of interest. But personally, I can't begin to figure out what those points are." Inuyasha's mind briefly wandered back to the time he had first met Kagome under the 1,000 year old Sacred Tree. He remembered it like it was almost yesterday, the first real live human being he has seen after his fifty year slumber.
"The Sacred Tree... Where I was bound by Kikyo 50 years ago. And after all of that time, that was when I suddenly woke up..."
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"Hey, Kikyo! Weird looking get up you got there! I don't know what the hell you call yourself doing, but why don't you just let me loose from here already!" Inuyasha barked to the young black haired girl on her knees in front of him, baffled by the scared look she was giving him. He didn't know why Kikyo was acting so strangely, or why was she wearing those foreign looking green and white clothes to begin with. But if it was one thing, he was very agitated after such a long sleep and he wanted to be set free this instant.
"What? Hey! Just who do you think you are to speak to me like that? And who are you calling Kikyo!?" the girl shot back. But they had no time for banter, as eventually she was forced to break the sacred arrow that was pinned to Inuyasha's chest, thanks to the stalking of a scary looking demon called Miss Centipede.
"Kagome had freed me from the tree, even after Kaede and the villagers couldn't help her very much from Miss Centipede trying to take the Shikon Jewel inside of Kagome. At the time, I swear she looked exactly like Kikyo. She had the same hair, the same looks, even the same aura. But little did I know I was in for a shock when she revealed to me she wasn't the woman I loved so long ago."
Inuyasha then thought of the time that Kagome was bathing in the cold depths at the base of a waterfall, with Kaede nearby. Inuyasha at the time had briefly caught a glimpse of her naked, which he didn't intentionally mean to do. But in either case, he was returned with a dreaded "Sit!", having his face slammed into the rocky ground.
"Heh, that really hurt that time! Just thank god she doesn't do that as often as she used to when we first met... But what really got me that time was when..."
Inuyasha found himself staring at Kagome shortly after she came out of the waterfall bank. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes off of her for the fact that she was donned in a white top and a red hakama that was he was all too familiar with. She even had the audacity to tie her hair back in a ponytail.
"Now what is it? What's with all the staring?" Kagome asked, holding a folded towel between her hands, her appearance glowing. Inuyasha barely said anything, instead letting out a forced grunt.
"I didn't ask you to talk... is just that the clothes you're wearing is bothering me." Inuyasha admitted, folding his arms.
"Why? Because I look like Kikyo!?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"No! Look, would you just stop talking? Take off your clothes." Inuyasha instructed.
Kagome's face immediately turned red from his lewd response. "WHAT!?! SIT, BOY!!!" she yelled, and down went Inuyasha, as the rosary around his neck shone with a mystical power and sent him slamming into the ground.
"Ackkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!" Inuyasha groaned.
Recovering from the pain, Inuyasha glared back up at Kagome. "No, stupid!!! I didn't mean for you to get naked! I meant to switch into something else! What, are you that stupid to misinterpret every freaking thing I say?" Inuyasha complained.
Kagome narrowed her eyes, turning around and walking away from the dog demon, extremely upset. "If you had any sort of respect for me, you'd know I'd have a name. And its not stupid, its Kagome! Not Kikyo, KA-GO-ME! For a half demon you sure have a hard time speaking proper Japanese." Kagome said.
"Wait! Hold on! I said, wait up, stupid!" Inuyasha clambered to his knees, chasing after Kagome.
"SIT!!!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled, sending Inuyasha crashing to the ground again.
"ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, frustrated.
"Tell me, why on earth should I EVER have a reason to talk to him ever again?" Kagome said to herself, walking back to the village.
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Inuyasha's thoughts raced from one scenario to another, reminiscing upon the happy times to the various arguements they've had over the course of time. But there was one thought in the back of his head that was beginning to drive him mad. He clearly kept hearing Naraku's accusing words repeat over and over in his mind like a broken record.
"Yes, that is it. Let your anger fuel your hatred towards me. But it will never change the fact that you failed to save the girl. No matter how many times you try to convince yourself, you can never ignore the truth. Placing the blame upon yourself would only ease the conscious by little." Naraku sounded as if he had such pleasure in seeing Inuyasha and his friends all in a rage. That kind of sick pleasure that Inuyasha hated to see, that twisted smile on Naraku's face which made his demon blood boil to a burning temperature.
"Naraku... Soon, one day... I'll make sure you won't be laughing anymore..." Inuyasha thought, no longer unable to contain his anger. He slowly rose up, his eyes darkened in shadow beneath the front of his white hair. He grabbed the Tetsusaiga and unsheathed it in one shift motion, transforming into its long fang blade. He became surrounded by a very powerful wind, the Tetsusaiga forming a faint glint of energy around the blade. He let out a ear splitting roar of rage, the wind around him blowing even further out into the open.
"NARAKU!!!!!!!!! KYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, spinning around and swinging his Tetsusaiga, sending out a powerful tremor along the ground accompanied by a thin ray of energy. The energy decimated an entire field of trees in front of him, causing them all to topple over a bright flash of light. The physics of nature itself could never comprehend what Inuyasha had felt, setting free several crows into the air, their nests destroyed by the sword's attack. They squawked as they disappeared from the view of the glaring moon.
"He'll pay for what he's done! He'll pay for it all! No one will ever hurt Kagome and get away with it. I'll hunt Naraku down to the ends of this planet if I have to!" Inuyasha said, lowering the Tetsusaiga to his side. He cocked his head upwards and screamed, letting all of his confusing emotions out of his body, exerting every last shred of decency he kept hidden inside him for so long since yesterday. Breaking out into tears, his shout of might exploded into an invisible wave of terror, disrupting the balance of the peace that created the forest that he was standing in.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, practically feeling his heart explode. After what seemed like an agonizing five minutes, he tumbled to his knees, his tears still flowing freely down his shiny face like a rolling river. Inuyasha knew that deep down inside, the only time he could ever express what he was exactly feeling was whenever he was alone.
For some reason, even though he had the best of friends to be at his side during his travels, there was something that always prevented him from opening up the imaginary bottle that contained his emotions. He always trusted Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, and he knew that they would never hold anything against him no matter what the circumstance. So why would he choose to be so secretive? Especially around Kagome? That was a question even Inuyasha himself could not answer.
Not having the patience to confront his own demons, Inuyasha instead opted to calm himself down. He sat back down, sheathing the Tetsusaiga. His eyes traveled back to the full moon above again. There was always something about the moon's rays he cherished, because he always brought him some sort of serenity whenever he was too tense to deal with a problem he was forced to face. For a few moments, his body felt at ease, and his tears stopped. He pictured Kagome's face appearing just before the moon, smiling and laughing.
"Kagome... I know if you saw me right now, you wouldn't want me to be so down like this. You defended me when all seemed to be lost, and with your injuries, you still wanted to help me fight Naraku. That flair you have on the inside can never compare to any other. That's the reason why I can never bear the thought of losing you. And I swear, no matter what Naraku says, I'll make it my task to find a way to rid your body of that poison seed. You can count on it." Inuyasha whispered.
In the distance, some fireflies burned their little oranges lights to illuminate the grass, and the baby birds in the trees sung their heavenly song. Inuyasha closed his eyes, hearing the quiet running of the glistening crystal lake in back of him.
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About roughly an hour and a half later, Inuyasha had arrived back at the village. He saw Miroku, Sango, and Kirara returning from assisting in burying some of the locals who had died from when the fire demon attacked earlier that day. He approached them, still stricken with grief.
"Inuyasha! Is everything okay? We noticed that you had left and we hadn't seen you for awhile." Miroku greeted, knowing that Inuyasha was most likely taking the time off somewhere to gather his thoughts.
"We had to gather some supplies for the doctor, and we also had gotten caught up in preparing some burials for the dead villagers. We were worried about you." Sango said.
"Thanks, guys. But I'm okay. There's no need to worry. I just went for a little walk, thinking about a couple of things. But what I'm really concerned about is Kagome. I was thinking that maybe we should head back to the doctor's hut to check up on her." Inuyasha said in a nearly flat toned voice. It was easy for Miroku and Sango to read Inuyasha's thoughts because he made it too obvious, even though the half demon was never aware of it.
"Agreed. Hopefully, things will have had a positive spin this time around." Miroku said, leading the way back to the hut.
A few minutes later, they had came back inside the doctor's home. Upon brushing through the curtain, they were met with a very tense looking quack, and that had immediately set an uneasiness through Inuyasha and the others.
"Doctor? Has something happened? What is of Kagome's current condition?" Miroku asked.
"Please don't tell me its anything serious, old man!" Inuyasha said, his jaws tight with fright. The doctor shook his head, motioning to Kagome on the flat bed. Shippo was nearby, his arms crossed. The young fox boy was too upset to say anything.
"I'm afraid its taken its toll for the worse, my friends." the doctor replied, putting a hand on Kagome's forehead. "She hasn't spoken a word ever since you had brought her in her after that horrible demon had left, and her temperature has shot up considerably to a point where it feels as if she's burning up." the doctor said.
"Her eyes are also dilated, and breathing is still shallow as ever. At first we were hopeful that she'd be able to fight against it, but now things really don't seem to be improving. Kagome can never seem to afford to speak, as if trying to pains her so much..." Shippo added. He sighed, trying to fight back another wave of tears. He wanted to brave through this situation like Inuyasha was, although he also knew that Inuyasha eventually couldn't hold it all in like everyone else.
"That's correct, too. But despite the delayed reaction, the poison is slowly but surely spreading. The purple area has increased across her stomach now. If had it been anyone else, their heart would have been paralyzed by the poison by now." the doctor said, raising Kagome's shirt to show everyone what he meant.
During this whole time, he was unable to directly look at the shocked expressions of Inuyasha and the others. It was too much for the old man to bear. Never has he been involved in such a deep situation where he couldn't save his patient. He was far too afraid to break it to the others that any ideas to counter the poison was nonexistent, and that there absolutely nothing he could do to help Kagome.
"What are we supposed to do at this point? It scares me to even think about what may happen next." Sango said, staring down at the floor.
"I don't know, Sango. Although we can't give up. There must be some way to get rid of the poison in Kagome's body... but the question is, how?" Miroku said, frustrated.
Inuyasha took a step forward and bent down, taking Kagome's cold hand into his. He squeezed it gently, while using his other hand to brush back her bangs against her forehead. Inuyasha was almost compelled to kiss Kagome upon seeing her. At a distance while it may have seemed she was dreaming in such a deep peaceful sleep, up close she was suffering all over with no hopes of her being saved. Inuyasha's heart throbbed out of nervousness. He turned to the doctor, his voice all shaky.
"How... how long do we have until the poison seeps through her whole body?" Inuyasha reluctantly asked.
"According to my analysis... I... would have to say almost exactly five days. Five days total. No more, no less." the doctor responded. "This means that if somehow she cannot be saved... then on the fifth day she will surely die."
Kagome's body suddenly stirred, just happening to come back into consciousness to hear the doctor's last sentence. Her eyes opened, but she was too weak to open them all the way. She groaned, shivering all over. She was so scared beyond explanation to know that she was going to die like this. She knew that everyone that she was close to... her mother, Sota, her grandfather, Miroku, Sango, Shippo... and most of all, Inuyasha... would be all devastated if she was gone forever.
Kagome was more worried about her friends and loved ones having to live their lives without her around, which would make them extremely unhappy. Kagome didn't want that to happen... but there was no way to prevent what was going to happen to her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't even move her eye muscles.
Inuyasha was upset all over again. He grabbed the doctor's collar. "Is it necessary to say such a stupid ass thing like that?! I don't care what, even through the worst of the worst, don't you EVER say anything like that again! You hear me, doc?" Inuyasha shunned the old man.
The doctor held Inuyasha's fist, looking the half demon straight in the eye. "You cannot deny the inevitable, Inuyasha. I understand how you feel, but for your own sake, don't misdirect your anger. It will only make things harder to accept for all of you." the doctor said. Inuyasha paused, slowly letting go of the old man's black robe. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of air.
"You're... you're right." Inuyasha agreed. "But... tell me. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Can you tell me that? I don't want to lose Kagome. Neither any of us want to." Inuyasha said, with Miroku and Sango behind him, looking off in their own directions. Even they themselves were struggling to stay strong and calm through this.
Shippo walked over and hugged Inuyasha's arm. "We know that, Inuyasha! You're not alone." Shippo said forlornly.
Inuyasha put a hand on Shippo's head. He sighed in defeat. "I never even had a chance to tell her how I truly felt about her. Why does fate have to be so cruel to good people like us? Why take away the ones we love so dearly? I lost Kikyo before. Do I have to lose Kagome as well? All because of... Naraku." Inuyasha thought. The room was shrouded in silence for the next few minutes, with everyone's minds racing for a solution to this utterly impossible problem.
Inuyasha had finally broken the silence. He stood up, facing the doctor. "Doc, I've made up my mind on what to do. We're going to take Kagome and leave the village. We all know that we can't do anything for her here, and we have to find a way to stop the poison from spreading inside her. I'm not about to sit here and do nothing." Inuyasha said, a new ambition burning within him.
"What!? But are you sure about that?" the doctor said, surprised.
"I don't know, either. Do you really suppose we should do that, Inuyasha?" Sango asked. Inuyasha looked back at her, a serious expression on his face.
"Yes, Sango, we have to. We can't take a chance now that Naraku knows where we exactly are. Its a possibility that he could try to catch us all off guard with some demon of his. Knowing him, he'd probably could any type of trick up his dirty sleeve regardless of his intention on poisoning Kagome. He'll never be satisfied, even it means gaining a messy victory." Inuyasha explained.
"He's right. Naraku may have wanted to get rid of Kagome this whole while, but nothing won't particularly stop him trying to get the rest of the jewel shards from us. He's bent on getting the shards no matter what the cost." Miroku agreed.
"Then I'm with you, guys then. Let's take Kagome along with us to a much safer place where Naraku won't be able to lay a hand on her! You ready, Kirara?" Shippo said. Kirara came up beside him, shaking her body.
The doctor sighed, unable to go against it. "I sure hope you all know what you're doing. You can take Kagome from my care if you request." the doctor said.
"Thank you, doctor. We might as well set out now before midnight breaks." Miroku said.
"Right. Let's get the hell out of this dump." Inuyasha said, as he and the monk bent down to lift Kagome from the bed.
Minutes later, Inuyasha and the others were leaving the village, with Sango supporting Kagome against her while riding on Kirara's back. Nearby however, in the shadows of the forest, a dark and slim figure was watching from behind a large tree, watching them very closely.
"Hmmm..... and there they go. As expected." the figure said in a low nonchalant voice.
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Later on that night, Inuyasha and his friends were all camped out in forest farther up north. It was shortly after midnight, and Kagome was inside a makeshift tent. Everyone else was outside, all crowded around in a circle. No one could sleep, for all they could think about was Kagome's sickness. Especially Inuyasha, who was not only worried about Kagome, but the effectiveness of his Tetsusaiga as well. He raised the sheathed sword and stared at it with worn bloodshot eyes.
"Hm? What's wrong, Inuyasha? You seem a little distracted." Miroku asked.
Inuyasha shook his head. "I just don't get it. Its about my new Tetsusaiga. Even after I managed to master wielding it from its tremendous weight, for some reason I think the overall performance when it came to battling Naraku back at the village was disgustingly pathetic. I mean, I barely put a scratch on the bastard. It may not have looked it at first, but that weird electric barrier he hit us with was pretty strong. But I should have been able to break right through it." Inuyasha commented.
"That is strange, now that you mention it. But you still have to remember the fact that Naraku has been doing some strange things as of late, such as absorbing more demons, creating extensions, and gathering more jewel shards. All of this combined is virtually making him more powerful each time we see him, and as much as we all want to kill him, the job in itself sadly, is not getting any easier." Sango said.
"You're right about that. It pisses me off that while we're slowly making progress with finding shards of our own, it irks me to know that Naraku has all the time in world to do nothing but set traps and trick us constantly into doing something he wants." Inuyasha said.
"Hey, why don't you ask Toutousai some questions about the Tetsusaiga? Maybe he could help you out, Inuyasha. I mean, if he took the time to make a new sword from your fang when your old one broke, then he should be able to figure something out." Shippo suggested.
"You may have a point there, Shippo. I have to admit, while I hate having to visit the old fart and listen to his nonsensical blabbering, he has come through for us a couple of times. Maybe I should drop him a visit..... ----- Huh?" Inuyasha was interrupted as he sensed something falling from the sky nearby.
"What the!?" Miroku said, standing up.
CRASHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was the cue for Momo, the three eyed cow, to crash directly into the campsite. His unexpected entrance had scared everyone half to death, making them jump.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!" Sango said, a sweat drop rolling down the side of her head.
"Ooooohhhh.... Why does that thing ALWAYS have to do that? Has it ever heard of making a calling first?" Shippo said, flipped upside down against a tree trunk, his eyes swirling.
"Ughhh... I agree... I'm rather tired of Momo dropping in on us.... forgive the pun." Miroku said, making a prayer. Sango came up and punched him over the head, knocking him to the ground. "OWWWWWW!!!!!! Now what was THAT for!?!?" Miroku held his head, annoyed.
"Now's not the time for lame jokes!!!" Sango said, grinding her teeth.
"Moooo!!!!" Momo mooed. Inuyasha stood back up, dusting himself off.
"Hey, that figures. As soon as I think about the old fossil, his pet cow shows up right on time. And I think I smell another visitor to come with the beef package..." Inuyasha said, walking over to Momo and searching its fur.
"MASTER INUYASHA!!! Boy, am I glad to see your presence!!!" a familiar little voice squeaked, as Myoga the flea bounced out of the depths of Momo's fur and leapt towards Inuyasha's face. Myoga wasted no time clinging onto Inuyasha's nose, puncturing it with his little pointy mouth.
"And also I might add have I missed this succulent nose and all of the nutritious nutrients it contains within!" Myoga said, feeling his small stomach begin to fill with blood. However, Inuyasha simply responded by slapping his face, squashing Myoga against his hand.
"YEOWWWWWWWWWCHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Myoga wailed, as Inuyasha removed his hand. Myoga could be seen flat as pancake against the half demon's palm, his mouth dripping with blood. "Owwww.... Master Inuyasha, can't you give an old flea a break? I'm long overdue for a drink, you know!" Myoga said, groaning.
"Oh, just cut the crap, Myoga. I'm surprised to find you here. I guess ever since that fight I had with Kajinbou half a month ago, all you've been doing is hanging out with Toutousai, huh? Well, as they always say, cowardice goes hand in hand." Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey!!! I'll have you know that I haven't been hiding! I've been doing my best as your retainer to collect as much info I could about the jewel shards you seek, not only learning a thing or two about your newly forged Tetsusaiga. Now, you haven't been playing the part of the fool and went off transforming into your full demon form, have you? I've told you many times not to do that." Myoga said, closing his eyes and folding his four arms.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I haven't had any reason to do that in awhile. But if push comes to shove, nothing will stop me from going all out during a battle. But in the meantime, I'm actually glad you're here. I was just thinking of going over to Toutousai's place to ask him some questions about the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha said.
"Hmm, that's interesting, indeed. Why don't you tell me about as we go back there? Coincidentally, Toutousai had sent us out to search for you to see how the search for the shards were going. But seeing as this important matter has come up, we had better get back so we can see fit to it." Myoga said.
"That sounds fine to me. Anyway, Miroku? You and the others stay here with Kagome for now. I'll be heading off to Toutousai's. I shouldn't be very long. Hopefully the fart can help me." Inuyasha said, climbing onto Momo.
"Right. We'll be right here in case anything happens, of course." Miroku replied.
"Well, let's go, Myoga-jiji!" Inuyasha declared.
"HEY! I told you not to call me that! Honestly, sometimes you can be really rude and immature....." Myoga mumbled, as Momo quickly took off into the woods.
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"WHAT? You came here to ask me such a stupid question?! What are you, brain dead?" Toutousai mocked Inuyasha. Toutousai was sitting in front of a large plate of stone with a long piece of metal in front of it, slamming down his hammer onto it. He blew a stream of fire onto it to heat the metal into the shape of a sword. Inuyasha was standing at this side, his arms crossed.
"Did you even hear a word I said, old man!? I won't repeat myself again! I SAID that I think the Tetsusaiga might have weakened a little. Now, I'm not completely sure, but just today I fought with Naraku and I was barely able to hit him. I thought you said that since the new Tetsusaiga was forged from my fang this time around, it would be much stronger. What the hell is the deal? Is there something you're not telling me?" Inuyasha said, tapping his foot, completely impatient. He had no time to deal with Toutousai's mockery or riddles.
"You just don't get it, do you, boy? Yes, while its true that the Tetsusaiga is much stronger from your fang, the only problem is that you still can't seem to harness the power from within required to break through the barrier of releasing its full power. Remember, Inuyasha, just as the old Tetsusaiga was forged from your father's fang, though it had taken some time, you did master the ability to use the Kaze no Kizu (Wound of the Wind), the Wind Scar. Now, you have to learn all over again to become one with your own fang. Have you already forgotten about the Bakuryuuha, boy?" Toutousai reminded Inuyasha, lightly hitting him over the head with the hammer.
"What? The Bakuryuuha... Explosive Style Tear... Yes, now I remember. Tetsusaiga's true ultimate attack, which is far stronger than the Wind Scar. Even though I've only managed to pull it off once, but I could never truly understand how it exactly worked again. I was still struggling with the sheer weight of the damned thing at the time." Inuyasha said, scratching his head.
"That's because you're too quick to do and not think, boy! Do I have to explain it to you all over again?" Toutousai said, blowing another ball of fire onto the sword before him. After the sword had cooled off, he put it aside and took Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga and laid it onto the plate, examining it. "By the gray hairs on my head, what did you do with this thing? Use it to clip your toenails or go spearheading with it? The blade is far more serrated compared to the old Tetsusaiga when I first saw it." Toutousai grimaced.
"Just fix the thing and tell me more about the Bakuryuuha, old man, or you'll be wearing your wrinkled ass for hat!" Inuyasha threatened, raising his fist.
"Gyaaaaaaah!!!! Calm down!!! My god, you can be such a violent and ill tempered little demon." Toutousai's eyes bugged out its sockets. He took his hammer and slammed it down onto the sword and breathing fire onto it.
"Yes, anyway, about the Bakuryuuha. You see, as you know its Tetsusaiga's strongest and only ultimate attack. It is a very deadly attack that envelopes your opponent's energy in the Wind Scar and reverses the actual flow of it. What happens next is a sort of a coiled up version of the Wind Scar, where the collected energy takes the form of a tornado wind. This same winds gets pushed right back onto the enemy, and the enemy is blasted by their own energy in addition to the Tetsusaiga's." Toutousai said, smoothing out the edge of the Tetsusaiga's blade.
"Oh, I think I'm beginning to understand what you're saying. So basically, the more powerful my enemy's energy is, the more powerful the Bakuryuuha is?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yep! You're learning, my boy! This means double the damage the attack can dish out." Toutousai nodded.
"Hmm, that's interesting. And to think I've never understood exactly how it worked when I first used it." Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "At least now I know how it works."
"Yes, but you still must learn to become one with the Tetsusaiga. You can't just rely on brute force to slay your enemies, Inuyasha. That'll end up getting you in twice as much trouble than you originally were in to begin with! Just remember to focus all your strength into the Tetsusaiga and not to attack so forcefully without thinking. You've done it before, and you can do it again. Your father, Inutaisho, didn't treasure you with this sword for nothing." Toutousai said, putting the finishing touches to the Tetsusaiga.
"There, its all done! Good as new! Reinforced and tougher than ever. Should take months before the blade even begins to wear down!" Toutousai said. Inuyasha picked it up, having the relief of not having to have such a hard time lifting it such as when he first received it.
"Thanks, old man. I'm going back with Myoga to the camp. I've already told him about what had happened Kagome. We're on a mission to find a way to cure her poisoning." Inuyasha said, sheathing the sword.
"The poor girl... I have to say that I'm sorry for not having any idea to help her... I'm more of a sword smith than a doctor... but I have to wish all of you good luck and I pray that she'll be cured." Toutousai said.
"Thanks, Toutousai. Anyway, I'm off! I'll see you later!" Inuyasha said, leaving the small cave like home.
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About twenty minutes later back at the campsite, Myoga was inspecting Kagome's healed wound. The little flea carefully examined the purple shade that laced the skin of Kagome's stomach, nodding over and over again. He closed his eyes.
"Hmm, I agree with everyone, alright. This is definitely something Naraku of his kind would pull off. I can sense an unmistakable dark aura coming from the poison seed within her side. This is most unfortunate turn of events, so to speak." Myoga said.
"Isn't there anyway to eliminate the seed and its poison altogether, Myoga?" Sango asked.
Myoga remained silent, thinking to himself. "Well... now that I think about it..." Myoga trailed off, leaving everyone in suspense. They all closed in, eager to hear what Myoga was going to say. The flea finally opened his eyes and looked up at everyone.
"I have NO clue." Myoga said.
In response, everyone face faulted hard, even Kirara. Inuyasha stood back up and grabbed Myoga in his hand, shaking him all over the place. "YOU BLOOD SUCKING POOR EXCUSE OF A FLEA!!! YOU'D BETTER TELL US WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OR THIS TIME I'LL REALLY SQUASH YOU TO DEATH!!!" Inuyasha screamed, his ears perked up.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! No, please, master! ANYTHING but that!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!!!! Please, put me dowwwwnnnn!!!" Myoga yelled for mercy.
Inuyasha lowered Myoga back onto Kagome's stomach, and Myoga took a few deep breaths. He calmed down and started to speak again, suddenly having an idea that came to him. "I think I may have an idea that might be able to help Kagome after all. After all of that razing Inuyasha gave me, I suddenly thought of something..." Myoga said.
"Hmph! Looks like my threats are good for something after all. Good thing your memory's been jogged." Inuyasha scoffed.
"Looking back, I remember hearing a tale many years ago about a special type of plant that could be also used as a medicinal herb to treat any type of wound or injury, and even could be provided as a cure to even the strongest type of poison. It was called the Ringenkai Plant." Myoga said, everything coming back to him as clear as day.
"The Ringenkai Plant?" Miroku asked.
"I've never heard of it myself, either." Sango said.
"Tell us more about it, Myoga." Shippo said, leaning in closer.
"Yes... well, during the feudal war across Japan, the plant was heavily and constantly used as a healing herb for soldiers who fought, especially during the Battle of Sekigahara. It worked wonders for most of the sick, but as time went on and as the years had gone by, the reliance on the Ringenkai Plant had grown low, as the plant itself begun to grow particularly scarce due to the harsh environmental changes. All of the plants had started to slowly die off, especially during the severity of the summer and winter seasons. Even though there have been rumors that the plant can still be found in some places, it can be at most considered very rare to this day, practically right up to the point where only up to three plants in total can grow once a year." Myoga recalled.
"So in a sense this would mean that there's a chance Kagome could be cured because of this plant." Inuyasha said, his interest peaked.
"Myoga, while knowing all of this is a great relief to us all, we still need more information. Such as, do you know any specific locations where you think the Ringenkai Plant could possibly grow?" Miroku intercepted.
"Well, unfortunately, that is all the information I know about it, Miroku. If I had any more knowledge on the plant, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second to tell all of you. But sadly, I know nothing more." Myoga said.
"Grrrrr!!! Myoga-jiji, you're so freaking useless! You get all our hopes up like that, only to tell us in the end you don't even have the slightest clue where the goddamn plant could be? What's the point!?" Inuyasha said angrily.
"Wh... wha... what!?!? I help you guys out of the goodness of my heart and this is the thanks I get!? Master Inuyasha, you are such an ungrateful brat!!! Had your father been still alive he'd have given you a thousand spankings for having such a foul attitude!" Myoga yelled back.
"I'm far too OLD for spankings, buddy! I'm a demon in a class of my own! I'll pass judgement on something whether you like it or not!" Inuyasha leaned in against Myoga's face.
"Keep talking like that and I'll... I'll... I'll suck the blood out of your nose!" Myoga threatened.
Shippo came in and pushed Inuyasha and Myoga apart. "That's enough!!! Quit arguing, you guys! We have to concentrate on helping Kagome here!" Shippo said.
"Shippo is right, Inuyasha! Had it not been for Myoga, we would have never known of the plant at all, and Kagome would be doomed. We were lucky that he came across us when he did." Sango said. Inuyasha sighed and leaned back against a tree, crossing his arms and giving up.
"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm sorry about that. I'm just angry for the fact things couldn't have been any more difficult for us. I mean, while its great that we know a plant exists for the cure to Kagome's poisoning, thanks to your knowledge, that only leaves one burning question. Where the hell is the Ringenkai Plant?" Inuyasha said, grinding his teeth.
A few feet away, hidden deep within the foliage of the forest, stood the same figure that was spying on Inuyasha and the others back at the village upon their leaving. In the figure's hand was a large white fan, which the person had held close to their chest. A soft female laugh disrupted the silence, revealing her appearance as she turned around.
"The Ringenkai Plant... the only antidote to Kagome's poisoning." the woman said, as the light from the moon rained down on her, showing her face. The woman was Kagura of the Wind, a beautiful wind demon with deep red eyes and short black hair in a bun, which had a white feather attached it. From her pointed ears hung pearl shaped earrings, which had a small glint to them, and she was dressed in very colorful red and white robes. She took the feather in her hair and transformed it into an even bigger one, as Kagura gracefully hopped up onto it. She rode the feather high up into the night sky, leaving the vicinity of the forest.
"Naraku would be one to know of such valuable information, no doubt. I suppose now that Inuyasha's chances of rescuing his dear Kagome have receded to that of nothing. How sad." Kagura said in a unemotional tone of voice, as she quietly flew off into the night breeze.
Back at the camp, Inuyasha paused for a moment and turned around, alerted. Miroku and the others looked up at him. "Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha waved his hand, shrugging, but still suspicious.
"Well... I thought I had sensed someone a moment ago, but maybe I was just imagining things. It was nothing." Inuyasha replied.
The End of Chapter 5.