CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Inuyasha VS Naraku Take Two
Naraku stood transfixed at the scene rolling out before him. His mind was still in denial but his eyes knew better. The fluttering crimson robes… The long silvery hair… The dangerously outstretched claws and bared razor sharp fangs… the hanyou that only moments ago Kagura had reported as dead. It wasn't until they were directly in front him that Naraku reacted. The hanyou was sailing through the air with his blade arced backwards… a shimmering light launched out from behind his right shoulder towards Naraku. There was a yell… And then a sudden burst of energy engulfing the ray of light seconds before it struck Naraku's shield. Once again he was flung backwards by the magnitude of the blast as a powerful heat wave pulsed over him burning his skin through the barrier. The yell, of course, had been Inuyasha invoking his attack… the kaze-no-kizu.
Inuyasha landed gracefully on the forest floor where Naraku had been standing only moments before. Keeping his tessaiga trained on the enemy which had fallen not far off, the hanyou bent his knees slightly and allowed Kagome to slide off his back. Glancing down Inuyasha grimaced at the sight of blood on his white under shirt but quickly dismissed the sight and the pain as well. With his sword out in front of him Inuyasha stood for a moment in silence… Kagome hadn't left his side yet.
Kagome had just slid off of Inuyasha's back and was now standing directly behind him. She searched fervently for the words to make him stop… The words to make him sheath his sword and leave with her unscathed…. Yet she knew such words did not exist. Standing for a moment more behind Inuyasha she realized that he wasn't moving. 'Is it because I'm still here? Maybe I'll just stay here and then he won't have to fight at all.' She knew that these were just empty thoughts. Sighing deeply she placed her hand on his back and clutched a fistful of his robes.
"Inuyasha?"
"….."
"Promise me that you'll be careful?"
"….."
"Promise me that you'll be safe?"
"….."
The hanyou didn't seem to know the answers to her requests. Kagome let her head fall slightly and sighed once more.
"Inuyasha?"
"….."
"Promise that you'll come back to me."
This wasn't a request… Kagome listened in total silence for a moment but it was to no avail. The hanyou didn't answer. Taking one last look at the back of his head she let her hand drop and turned to aid her friends. As she walked away…
"Kagome…"
Her head shot up, eyes on the verge of tears turned to face the hanyou…
"I promise."
With that Inuyasha darted forward into battle, his tessaiga glimmering as it crystallized along the way.
Kagome ran over to where Sango and Miroku were. She quickly shrugged off the beige pack that she had brought with her and opened it to pull out some bandages along with some peroxide. Miroku lay unconscious with his head on Sango's lap. Sango, though strong willed and brave, showed streaks on her face where she had been crying. Kagome quickly cleaned the wound and bandaged it like a pro. With much practice Kagome had become quite good at dressing wounds and was getting better at it with time. It was after she finished wrapping Miroku's arm that she noticed Sango staring at her in bewilderment. She looked up and met Sango's gaze with her own eyes.
"How…….?"
Kagome gave a faint smile.
"It appears that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru don't completely hate each other."
Sango gave her a confused look.
"It's a long story. But first we have to move Miroku somewhere safe. He's lost a lot of blood and he won't be able to move for a while."
At that moment the words, "KON-GOU-SO-HA!" reverberated through the forest and the ground shuddered as a sign that the battle between Inuyasha and Naraku had initiated. Sango shot a glance at the patch of smoke that now rose over the trees.
"What about Inuyasha?"
Kagome turned to face the rising cloud of dust as well. She wanted to run over and do anything she could to help, but assessing the situation correctly, Kagome realized that they were in no condition to run into a fight. Miroku was unconscious, Kirara was protecting Shippou, she had just fired her last arrow, and Sango's hiraikotsu was nowhere in sight. Kagome knew that they would only get in the way. Turning back to Sango the raven haired girl felt pain run through her as she spoke.
"It's ok… He's buying us some time to get a way… he'll come back to me."
Sango called for Kirara who was lurking in the shadows with the shivering kitsune. When Kirara picked up her companion's voice with her sharp ears she leapt into the air and came crashing down at Sango's side. She immediately knew what to do. Leaning down slightly she let Sango and Kagome gently place Miroku on her back. The mononoke purred softly as she felt the weight of Miroku pressing on her back. Then, as if to tell them that someone was missing, she let out a soft growl. Sango seemed to pick up on her concern. She patted Kirara on the head. "We have to get houshi-sama somewhere safe first Kirara… then we can come back." The mononoke purred in acceptance and nuzzled Sango's side with her head. With Kagome climbing on her and Shippou trying to rouse Miroku, Kirara started running beside her friend. Sango was quite fast at short distances and knew she only had to run as much to get Miroku somewhere safe. After which she intended to turn around and aid her friend that they had left behind.
Naraku was gaining his consciousness when he heard Inuyasha summon the kon-gou-so-ha. Instantly his body was shredded by the series of diamond spears that hurled through his body. The attack wasn't enough to knock him back, but it was enough to disorient him quite a bit. When he regained focus once more on the ghost before him the blade was already rushing forward, threatening to cleave him in two. Naraku summoned his barrier just as the sword came down on his head. In a flash of light the ghost was thrown backwards into the forest.
'Ghost? No… not ghost. Kagura… I'll get you for this.'
Naraku's eyes narrowed as he watched the hanyou recover from his fall. 'This actually works out perfectly. Now I can absorb his healing powers.' Summoning his primary weapon forward, armies of flesh congealed in front of Naraku and rushed forward to meet the oncoming hanyou half way across the battlefield. Using all of his cunning, Naraku planned to wear Inuyasha down and then absorb him. Even demons got tired… and when that moment came Naraku would seize his prize.
Inuyasha had thrust himself into the barrage of tentacles and was mercilessly cutting them down when he remembered something from the past. There had been a time when he had done the same thing, been surrounded by Naraku's flesh, and had almost been absorbed into it. He suddenly felt vulnerable as the slashed tentacles around him began to pulsate and move on their own. Leaping up into the air and looking down, Inuyasha knew he had been right in getting worried as the tentacles reformed and came after his legs. Using his tessaiga the hanyou pointed at the ground and let out a resounding roar.
"KAZE-NO-KIZU!"
The energy wave of the attack struck the ground and propelled Inuyasha even farther up into the heavens. The hanyou then stretched out his arms and let his himono fill with air. This made his rate of descent slow a bit and gave him time to asses the situation. Directly below him the pieces of flesh were gathering again to reach out and pluck him from the sky. Up ahead Naraku was watching, plotting something evil no doubt. And right next to him…
"Kagura!"
Inuyasha didn't have time to raise his tessaiga as the tornados Kagura generated from her fan pummeled him back into the ground. Falling hard onto the surface Inuyasha couldn't help but think that it could have been worse… like if Kagura wasn't using her full potential. Getting back up and dusting himself off the hanyou now realized that he was between Naraku and the hoard of tentacles that had tried to consume him. 'Damn… I'm trapped!!' Quickly scanning the area, Inuyasha looked of a way to get out of this death grip. Then suddenly both sides began to advance on him.
"Shit!" Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha held tightly to his tessaiga and braced for the impact. The blade pulsated and started to glow an eerie green.
'Of course! Inu's poison blood!'
Bringing down the tessaiga, Inuyasha let out a deafening roar and flung his now emerald sword forward. Hundreds of tiny shards the size of the shikon shards themselves raced across the field and met Naraku's tentacles head on. Plunging into the flesh the shards began to dissolve everything they touched. At that same moment Inuyasha was twirling around, changing his tessaiga from emerald green to fire burning red, he made a slashing movement at Naraku who was still charging and the villain's barrier dissipated… Only it was too late. Naraku's tentacles rushed forward and grasped the hanyou's right hand, knocking the tessaiga into the forest and flinging Inuyasha in the opposite direction.
Naraku had no intentions of making any smug comments at his downed enemy. He stared interestedly at where his tentacles had once been. There was now only a festering pool of green acid. Somewhat like… blood. He heard a chuckle from behind him and turned to face the lowly hanyou. Cradling his right arm Inuyasha struggled to gain his footing. Naraku waited silently for the hanyou to speak.
"You thought I'd never figure it out Naraku? That you could cut me and with my new healing powers I'd be fine in seconds… but that the cheap little imitation's cuts would take hours if not days to heal?" Inuyasha had a hint of a smile on his face as he addressed his adversary. "Now I know why you didn't just put that new shouki in your own body… it's too strong for you isn't it? That's why you had to make that bullshit demon that looked like me… his strength was his own blood." Inuyasha was now standing straight, eying the tessaiga. "But there's one thing you didn't count on Naraku… and that was the ability for my sword to absorb demon powers."
Naraku smiled inwardly. "Inuyasha, I must give you credit… you're not as stupid as you look. But you seem to have a lot of confidence to speak of your blade's powers when it isn't even in your hands… I believe now would be a perfect time to kill you." Naraku summoned his tentacles once more. 'Perfect. Without his precious sword I'm free to absorb him at my leisure.' He locked eyes with the hanyou who hadn't moved an inch… probably scared. "Die, Inuyasha!" With lightning like speed the twines of flesh sped out towards the statuesque hanyou.
Inuyasha stood his ground as a wave of tentacles dashed his way. He never took his eyes off Naraku. "Bastard, don't think I'll die that easily!!" Taking a step back Inuyasha dodged the attack and then leapt over the flesh, running at Naraku with outstretched claws. He felt the tentacles beneath his feet shake and leapt once more as they attempted to grasp his heels. Sailing through the air Inuyasha locked eyes once more with the livid looking Naraku and gave a mischievous little laugh.
"Naraku, let me show you another trick that you didn't know about my tessaiga!" With that the hanyou held out the sheath of the sword. 'Does he plan to fight me with the sheath's barrier? I think I gave his intelligence too much credit.' Naraku prepared his barrier for the flimsy attack when he caught a shimmering light out of the corner of his eye. Turning in disbelief, Naraku watched what appeared to be a sword fly through the air. Tracing it with his eyes Naraku followed the blade all the way across the skies and straight into Inuyasha's hands. As the hanyou's claws wrapped around it the blade shimmered white and crystallized. The movement was so fast that Naraku could do nothing but watch.
'Damn!'
Inuyasha grasped his tessaiga, tightened his grip, and pulled it back behind his shoulder. He was falling towards Naraku and knew there was only going to be one chance to do this. Trying to block out the pain in his chest, the hanyou concentrated on his attack and slashed the air in front of him wit hall of his strength.
"KON-GO-SOU-HA!"
Most of the spears caught Naraku in the chest; some went off target and ripped through his arms and face. He was pushed back into the forest and slammed into a tree, tearing its roots out and knocking it down.
"This isn't over you filthy little nuisance."
Inuyasha felt the alarm raise inside of him as he knew what these words usually meant… Naraku was making his exit. Running with all his strength he willed the tessaiga to crystallize once more… it did no such thing. Instead it lost it's majestic fang shape and returned to being a dull sword. Inuyasha's demon energy was completely spent. Quickly sheathing his blade the hanyou kept running. "Damn, looks like I'll have to do this the old fashion way!" he yelled as he jumped into the sky, claws at the ready. The hanyou caught up to the evaporating silhouette and slashed across repeatedly with both hands. There was nothing there… Naraku had already escaped. Feeling fatigue for the first time in hours Inuyasha yelled in frustration and let his body plummet to the ground. Landing head first the hanyou didn't seem to mind the pain, but instead welcomed it.
"Why the hell did I let him get away?!"
Inuyasha resented himself for not finishing the fight sooner. His eye lids became like rocks and his body started to ache all over. The wound in his chest pulsated with an aggravating pain. It was as if someone were branding him with a searing hot piece of metal. The hanyou closed his eyes and willed his body to get up. He was met more pain as his body rejected is request.
"Inuyasha?"
The voice came not from around him, but from inside his head.
"Promise that you'll come back to me."
Kagome's face seemed so close that he could reach out and touch her. Unconsciously he raised a hand and tried to hold her soft cheek only to find her moving away. The pain in his arm was excruciating, but he none the less reached out and tried. Without thinking he soon found himself sitting up and after a moment standing. Doing a wobbly legged walk, Inuyasha followed Kagome's face into the forest. With every step his legs sent up a shock of torture into his body.
"Wait Kagome." He whispered weakly as the image seemed to be getting farther and farther away. "I promised." The hanyou walked further into the forest, ignoring the now unbearable pulsating pain that was coming from his chest. "Wai…" Letting the last of his energy drain from his body the hanyou fell to his knees. The forest trees blurred before him. For an instant he saw a glimmer of green and white and then completely passed out.
Kagome and Sango were just in time to see Inuyasha fall to his knees. Kagome jumped off of Kirara while she was still in the air and landed a few feet away from him, spraining her ankle in the process. Hobbling over to the crumpled hanyou Kagome kept her eyes on his chest. It was covered in what appeared to be his own blood. When she got to Inuyasha he was in danger of falling back and she caught him before that happened.
"Kagome…."
His voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, but Kagome's ears sharpened at the sound of her name.
"I promised…. Don't be mad... I'm sorry…"
Tears threatened to run down Kagome's cheeks as she held Inuyasha's head on her chest. He had lost a lot of blood and, like Miroku, had a high fever and was probably delirious from the pain. Kirara's padded feet landed softly beside her. Sango came to her side and offered help. Between the both of them they lifted Inuyasha onto Kirara's back and turned to the spot where they had left Miroku in Shippou's care. Kagome held Inuyasha's hand for and instant and almost felt a slight twitch from his in return. The miko and the demon exterminator walked along side the mononoke. It had been a trying day for everyone.