A/N: Okie, WARNING.
They fight with Naraku in this chapter, alright? Not a lot of gore – coming from me, it means not a lot. Lots of swords clashing and running around, though. If that doesn't agree with your asthma or something, don't read. Onegai shimasu, arigatou.
Also, some choice words use. I mean, some characters just LOVE cussing in battle. And Jaken cusses all the time. :large grin:
Ooh, and review issues.
Thanks Massao-na-Mizu for all the reviews. All fifteen! O.O
The whole issue about mizuage. Yes, I know Arthur Golden painted a bit of a different picture of it in Memoirs of a Geisha. Yes, I know it is a rite of passage from girl or woman – the geisha's changing hairstyles from that point in time shows it. But please bear in mind this is mizuage from Kagome's standpoint. To her, rite of passage be damned, no old man was going to deflower her.
And for my sources, I don't use Memoirs of a Geisha. No author should ever go ahead and write stuff from one source only. I have used Geisha by Lesley Downer, as well as first-hand sources from my grandmother's gossip clubs. You'd be surprised how loud old ladies can get, talking about secret stuff when among themselves.
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Chapter 16: Miroku's Awakening
Four heads peeked out from the battlement's edge.
"He needs troops to fight his battles," snorted Inuyasha, watching the sea of men milling around far away. "My sword alone can wipe that wimpy Naraku out." He placed a hand on the handle of his sword, as though he was going to draw it any moment.
"Shush," Kagome said. "You'll draw attention to us."
"Ha! Yeah right! I'll -"
"Shut up," Sango said bluntly.
"Where did Sesshoumaru go?" asked Miroku.
Inuyasha looked bored. "Probably off beheading Jaken somewhere. About time, too."
"Wait, so what are we doing here again?" Kagome said.
"Keeping watch. And um," Sango glanced at Miroku, who was stretched so far over the wall he looked ready to fall over. "Um, checking out the women apparently."
Two girls at the bottom of the city's southern fortress giggled and carried baskets of fruit into the city. Miroku looked on, seemingly fascinated.
"Ok, give me one time the houshi isn't thinking about women," Inuyasha said.
"Well, when I'm arguing with you," Miroku said.
"You all know Miroku's supposedly some lord's son, right?" Inuyasha asked the girls. They nodded, and he carried on. "Well, if Sesshoumaru didn't make emperor and Miroku did, how many concubines do you think he would have?"
"Let's see… ten?" Sango asked.
"Yeah, ten per night," snorted Kagome.
"Sounds about right to me," Inuyasha said.
"I am a connoisseur of women," Miroku declared stoutly, "not some pervert."
"Fine words coming from the houshi," scoffed his friend.
"You guys stop bickering and keep watch!" yelled Jaken, who had unceremoniously appeared behind them.
"Who died and left you in charge?" demanded Inuyasha. "Wait, scratch that, I wouldn't leave you in charge even if I died."
"Bah!" Jaken looked disgusted. "Like you little hanyou would ever get left in charge for anything."
"Naraku..." Houjo run up, panting. "Naraku said… Naraku said…"
"What did he say, you stupid little thing?" snapped Jaken.
"Hey! Houjo is a lord. Apologize for being so rude," Kagome said.
"Naraku said that he would duel any one of us. If he won, he got the throne," Houjo said.
"Idiot doesn't want to risk his men's necks," Inuyasha said derisively.
Houjo continued. "And if we won, Naraku would give us that girl Kagura back."
"What?" blustered Jaken. "A throne in exchange for a whore! Wait till Sesshoumaru-sama hears, oh, it'll be -"
"Do us a favour, Jaken, be quiet; you're scaring the ladies away," Miroku said, eyeing a group of girls from over the wall.
"And go fetch Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha added. "Tell him what Houjo said."
"Where is he?" asked Jaken.
"Well, I don't know… let me see… well, you being as important as you are, you should know… so… GO! Little idiot," muttered Inuyasha as Jaken scrambled off.
"Be nice," Sango said reproachfully.
"One on one, huh," Kagome stated, staring off into the distance once more. "I'd take him on." It was the bastard who had decided to let Kikyou pose as her, after all. He got was coming to him.
Inuyasha was quick to jump on her. "You? One on one with Naraku? He'd topple you flat, look how skinny you are."
"I could beat you any day!"
In a flash Kagome had knocked Inuyasha to the ground, conveniently straddling him and pinning him down. "Take that back!"
"No!" His face a beautiful shade of pink, Inuyasha struggled against her. "It's perfectly true."
"Children, let's make peace amongst ourselves in this time of war," Miroku lectured in a perfectly saintly voice.
"Let's not ogle women in this time of war, too," retorted Inuyasha from the ground.
"Let him go," Sango told Kagome anxiously.
"See how generous I am?" muttered Kagome. She hopped off Inuyasha, and he sprung to his feet immediately.
"Can't get stand your own ground against a smaller opponent, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru drawled languidly from the distance.
"Jaken just went to find you," Miroku said.
"Naraku says he wants to fight one-on-one," Houjo added.
"And if we win we get Kagura, if he wins he gets the throne," Inuyasha informed Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru didn't flinch, but looked at Inuyasha instead. "A bit of an unfair trade, don't you think?"
Kagome snorted. "I think he thinks you like Kagura."
"Even if any of us did, he should know better than to try and propose such ideas. A throne in exchange for a woman?" Sango said, incredulously.
"Did Naraku send a messenger?" Miroku asked Houjo.
"No, a letter carried by a large bird. It's still perched on one of the lookout towers' battlements."
"Then, as courtesy dictates, we'll write a letter back. Houshi, you can read and write, can you not?"
"Of course."
"Inuyasha, go find Jaken -"
"Why me?"
"- and Kei, go help Miroku."
"Sesshoumaru," began Inuyasha, looking indignant.
"Go."
And as they ran to do as they were bid Kagome noted ironically that while Inuyasha had had to yell his lungs out to make Jaken scuttle off to find his lord, all his brother had to do was mutter a calm order for the lot of them to rush off in a flurry.
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"Dear Naraku," read Houjo. "We have received your letter inviting one person from our side to a one-on-one fight with you. We have decided that -"
Jaken, having before looked bored, now looked plain furious.
"WHAT WILL THE SHOGUN THINK? THAT LORD SESSHOUMARU IS A WIMPY LOSER? WHAT ARE YOU WRITING, YOU FOOL, LOVE LETTERS OR WAR DECLARATIONS?"
"Calm down, you crazy toad," Inuyasha said, looking over the letter. "Seems perfectly reasonable to me."
"THIS IS… IS A TRAVESTY! A… A – You can't even read!" howled Jaken.
"Yes, I can," Inuyasha said, oddly calm, though he grinned wickedly. He looked at the letter. "And it says here Jaken is the brave man who has volunteered to fight against Naraku."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Jaken? Brave?"
"Oh, please."
"That's a joke, right?"
"Of course it's a joke," Inuyasha said, crumpling up the letter. "Ok, Jaken here says we have to make a new one, quick, before he shits a log..."
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Kagome yawned. "So if we win, we get Kagura, and Naraku will surrender completely to our will? That sounds like an easy way to end this war without any bloodshed."
"But here's the catch. He wants five on five now," Houjo said.
"Not to difficult. Me, Miroku, Kei if he's strong enough, Sesshoumaru, and Kei's pal," Inuyasha said petting Tetsusaiga.
"No." Sesshoumaru glared at his brother. "You will cover the base and any injuries."
"True, that weakling of a Kei probably wouldn't last two seconds," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Stop picking on me!" snapped Kagome, thwacking him.
"So who else would fight, then?"
Sesshoumaru shot the two of them withering looks. "Kei and Kohaku, myself, and Bankotsu and Jakotsu from the Higurashi household will fight. The houshi stays with Inuyasha here, at the main gates. Kouga and Houjo will take the other city gates."
"Ooh, Bankotsu and Jakotsu!" squealed Kagome in happiness. Her friends were coming!
"Forgive me," Inuyasha said, sweat-dropping, "but that sounded like a girl."
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A courtyard much, much larger than the average dojo gleamed in the sunlight.
Sango eyed Naraku and his group of fighters.
"A big, clumsy creature," she muttered, looking at one tall, ugly monster. It looked straight at her and roared.
"Another mind-reader," Sesshoumaru said, indifferent. "Goshinki number two. You have to block your mind or think faster than he can act, neither feat being easy."
"I'll take on Naraku," Kagome said. She had personal scores to settle with the bastard. "Sesshoumaru, you can have that fat beast."
They each faced off to different opponents. Bankotsu complained about being stuck with a little girl. Jakotsu snorted and said to wait till she sucked your soul out of you.
Kagome would have enjoyed watching Sesshoumaru fight Goshinki. But Naraku was already bearing down on her.
Finally, time to put her long and dreary training hours with her father into practice.
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"Annoying bitch," cursed Naraku.
"What bitch?" asked Kagome innocently, barely dodging his blow.
"You're a girl!"
"Wow, then it must be sad for you. You, Naraku, losing to a girl?"
"Silence!" He roared, his aura flaring. Immediately, a glowing pink bubble encased him.
"Shields aren't allowed!" yelled Kagome, furious.
"And just what are you going to do about it… bitch?" taunted Naraku.
Kagome glared at him, her swords quivering. The blade of her fire sword began to smoke.
Slamming the blades together in an 'X', Kagome watched as two intertwined bolts of electricity flew towards Naraku, hitting his barrier square.
"Cheat!" shrieked Naraku. "You used a magical attack!"
"And you used a magical barrier!" screamed Kagome.
"Wow, Kagome, I didn't know you could do that," panted Sango, while running past her to catch Hiraikotsu as it flew back to her, the big boomerang having just given a faceless minion a nasty cut.
"What the hell are those two doing, fighting or having a screaming match?" Bankotsu yelled at Jakotsu.
"Don't know," Jakotsu said, sending an attack towards his opponent, Kagemaru
Bankotsu darted after Kanna, keeping her floating around dodging his attacks. She wouldn't be able to stop moving, meaning she wouldn't be able to concentrate on sucking his soul out.
"Holy…" Jakotsu watched as Kagome sent another similar electric attack Naraku's way.
"Pay attention, you idiot!" cried Bankotsu, blocking Jakotsu with his sword from another of Kagemaru's attacks.
He froze. Kanna's mirror was beginning to tug at his soul.
"Kagome!" yelled Jakotsu. "Do something! You, white girl! Give Bankotsu's soul back!"
Kagome looked over, narrowing her eyes at the sight of Kanna. And if could just concentrate… she could see white glowing balls of everyone's souls, just like with Kagura and the blood bond.
And Bankotsu's was fading into Kanna's mirror.
"Don't get complacent," Naraku whispered in her ear. She whirled around, and he landed her a nice long cut along her arm.
Bastard. If he ever got the chance to, Kagome was betting he would kill her slowly, and painfully. Breaking into a run, she dashed up to Bankotsu and Jakotsu, Naraku following closely.
"Jakotsu, cover for me," yelled Kagome. She could do this, she'd purified Naraku's blood bond before. Stretching out her arm, she concentrating on turning Bankotsu's fading soul bright again.
Growling, Naraku swung his sword in her direction, but Jakotsu blocked easily.
"Watch your back!" Sango shouted. Hiraikotsu flew past Jakotsu, cutting off Kagemaru's attack. The faceless monster Sango had fought lay dead on the ground, the pieces beginning to scuttle towards Naraku.
Goshinki roared and started stomping its way towards Sango.
"And where are you going?" asked Sesshoumaru, his whip landing square on the monster's chest.
He stomped towards Sesshoumaru, eyes red with fury, waiting for Sesshoumaru to make his next move.
I could shut my mind. Or think faster than you, stupid creature. Or wait for you to attack me first.
Goshinki howled in exasperation, and Sesshoumaru knew he had read his thoughts.
Kagemaru was keeping Jakotsu busy, so Naraku looked Sesshoumaru's way for a moment.
"Goshinki! You useless creature! What are you waiting for?"
At this scolding Goshinki stepped forward, raising one arm threateningly.
Sesshoumaru leapt into the air. I'll merely dodge to your left.
Goshinki paused, before lifting his arm towards the left.
Or the right.
Fumbling, the creature began to swipe at the air wildly.
Or the left.
Or the right.
Or I'll kill you with my sword.
Or I'll get you from behind.
Goshinki turned as fast as his mass would allow him.
Sesshoumaru sent his whip flying straight through the demon's heart.
The monster was dead, no doubt of it, the way the whole place reeked of blood.
He sped towards Naraku. The hanyou would get what he deserved.
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Kagome cursed as she felt Bankotsu's soul race back into him, the shock of it hitting her in the gut. Kanna's mirror shattered, throwing her straight into the wall behind her.
Naraku seemed to be capable of screaming only one word now – bitch.
"Bitch!" he screamed, driving his sword straight home. He slammed her onto the wall Kanna had flew at – not caring that she lay in a crumpled heap, crushing the girl under her.
He laughed sadistically – under a sharp crack and a hissing poison sinking into his woke him up.
"Your creation was no good at all," Sesshoumaru informed Naraku haughtily. "And neither are you."
"Well, guess what, Emperor-sama? I just killed that bitch."
"And you were bragging about it?" Sesshoumaru casually fingered Tensaiga, before unsheathing it and killing the four hell demons clambering their way towards the wall.
A large fire cat landed on its paws, not too far from Naraku.
"No pets!" yelled Naraku.
"Do stop yelling, shogun-sama, it's incredibly undignified," Sesshoumaru said.
"Kirara!" Sango exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I'll take Kagome back," Bankotsu said, looking white in the face – Sango couldn't blame him, the man had had his soul sucked out for crying out loud. "Can you and Jakotsu fight Kagemaru?"
"Hell yeah." Sango petted Kirara, stopping to wipe sweat off her brow. "Can you collect Kagome? I need to help Jakotsu."
"You make it sound like she's in pieces," Bankotsu said, wry.
"And like she's not? You'd better get that Kanna too, in case Naraku tries to get funny with bargaining over Kagura. And -" Sango paused, mouth slightly ajar.
"Don't stab ladies, you rude brat!" Jakotsu swore loudly and sliced off Kagemaru's arm. "And Sesshoumaru? A bit of Tensaiga here would be nice…"
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"What's happening now?" asked Miroku, while Inuyasha helped Bankotsu pull Kagome off Kirara's back into one of the city wall's inside rooms.
"Well, let's see… Naraku is pretty pissed at the world right now, Sesshoumaru killed his demon and seems happy to have a go at Naraku, Sango has just died and is probably being revived now and together with Jakotsu she is trying to kill Kagemaru. Myself, I had my soul sucked out, but I'll live."
"Sango?" asked Miroku. "Who's…"
"See, I have to tell you something," Bankotsu began, but he saw the frown on the monk and figured the houshi was beginning to put two and two together.
"Kohaku is a girl? Called Sango?"
"What? Who told you that?" demanded Inuyasha.
"He just did, you idiot, you weren't listening," Miroku said.
"Well, forgive me if I was trying to figure out how to heal Kei instead of mindlessly chattering away!"
"Bankotsu!" Miroku grew serious. "If Ko- I mean, Sango was a girl, how come Kei never found out? They spent just about every waking moment together, and slept in the same -" His eyes went wide.
"Exactly," nodded Bankotsu. "Two girls go missing from Gion, Kyoto. Two under-sized men conveniently show up at some toad's half-witted recruitment camp. Ever wonder why Lord Sesshoumaru would bother with two worthless recruits?"
"I can't believe I didn't think… Hey!" Miroku rushed up Inuyasha. "Don't touch her!"
The hanyou looked puzzled. "Who?"
"My sister, you idiot!"
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For those who read it, how did it go? I thought for a moment cracking into Sesshoumaru's thoughts was kind of an impossible feat, and I hope I didn't bungle it too badly. n.n;