Ichiro-maru: Friend or Foe?
An InuYasha Fanfic.
By YoukaiAlchemist2
Incase you can't tell, I'm not the owner of the InuYasha series. All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi (technically including Ichiro-maru). Wait…Shouldn't I call her Takahashi Rumiko…Sometime Japanese names are confusing.
Kagome stared off into space as the class bell rang. "Okay, class," her teacher said, "We have a new student. His name is Ichiro-maru."
The new guy came in, bowed, and took a seat next to Kagome. He waved to her and she waved back with a slight, nervous giggle. "He looks kind of familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen him before," She thought.
"Damn it!" InuYasha growled as he waited by the well. "Why does Kagome always have to take so long?" "I only need three days to get ready for my tests," InuYasha said, trying to sound like Kagome. "Feh, always feels like three weeks."
Shippo popped up out from behind InuYasha. "That imitation stunk!" Shippo shouted.
"Like you could do any better?" InuYasha muttered.
"Of course I can!" Shippo bragged, then he shape shifted to look almost exactly like Kagome (except for the fact that you could still see his tail) and said in a perfect Kagome imitation, "InuYasha, you should be kinder to poor Shippo."
This caused Shippo to get a fierce bonk on the head from InuYasha. "Show off," InuYasha muttered.
"I'm back," Kagome announced as she climbed out of the well. "What happened this time?" she asked when she saw Shippo holding his head.
"Shippo was being a little brat," InuYasha told her.
"Nuh-uh," Shippo sobbed, "I just wanted InuYasha to see my imitation of you!"
"You were being a show-off!" InuYasha yelled.
"Was not!" Shippo countered. The two of them got into a was-too-was-not argument, which Kagome broke up by shouting "SIT!" InuYasha slammed into the ground.
"Won't you ever learn, InuYasha?" Miroku asked as he came over the hill with Sango.
"You just shouldn't argue around…" Sango stopped in mid sentence when she felt Miroku's hand on her butt. SLAP! Sango nearly sent Miroku flying with that one. "Pervert," Sango murmured under her breath.
The group had left the well several hours ago, and Miroku was still holding his cheek. Sango was about ten feet in front of him, followed directly by Kagome and Shippo. InuYasha was only a little behind them, complaining to himself about how Kagome makes him sit for the smallest thing.
"Huh?" InuYasha suddenly glanced down the road. "I know that scent…Naraku!"
Everyone took a fighting stance (except Shippo, who hid himself in Kagome's hair.) The man who came down the road was dressed in a dark blue kimono with a lightening bolt design running up and down the whole thing. He wore a low straw hat with some small holes cut in it to see though. He had a long katana in his belt and he rested his hand on the handle. As he drew near the group he suddenly stopped, and bowed.
"Good day," he smiled, "Where are you heading?"
"Drop the act," InuYasha growled, "I know you're with Naraku!"
"Whose that?" the man said. "I'm not with anyone."
"Oh, yeah?" InuYasha said. "Prove it."
Miroku stepped forward and put his staff in front of the angered honyou. "Everyone one who serves Naraku has a spider shaped burn mark on their back," Miroku explained. "Please let us see your back."
The stranger shrugged, turned around and lowered his shirt to show his back. No burns. He pulled his shirt back up and turned back around. "My name is Ichiro-maru," he said as he pulled off his hat.
Everyone gasped. "He looks like that bastard Muso!" InuYasha shouted.
"Muso? No I told you, I'm Ichiro-maru." He looked at each of them. His eyes narrowed when he saw Kagome.
"Ichiro-maru," Kagome stuttered, "how could you be here? I saw you in my time."
"Yeah," Ichiro-maru smiled, "See I have this watch," he held up his arm to show her, "that lets me travel in time."
"So you're from Kagome's time?" Sango asked, putting the hiraikotsu on her back.
Ichiro-maru nodded. "I came back because of the adventures this time offers. I see that Kagome also is able to come back here. How? I don't see any time machines anywhere."
"None of your business," InuYasha answered for her.
"Chill, dog-boy," Ichiro-maru laughed, "as I said, I just want to have a little adventure. And as I can see from your appearance you are on an adventure yourselves, can I join you."
"No way in hell, asshole," InuYasha growled.
"Maybe we should let him join," Miroku said, putting a hand on InuYasha's shoulder, "after all, it couldn't hurt."
"Perfect," Ichiro-maru thought.
It was night now. Ichiro-maru had been traveling with Kagome and her friends for a few days now. It was time to put the plan into action. Time to avenge his past life.
"Kagome," Ichiro-maru whispered, "Wake up." Kagome groaned slightly and sat up.
"What?" she yawned.
"I want to show you and Sango something," Ichiro-maru smiled.
After waking up Sango, Ichiro-maru and the two girls went out into the forest. "What did you want to show us?" Sango asked.
"There's supposed to be a lunar eclipse tonight," Ichiro-maru said as he wandered into a clearing. Suddenly he vanished in some high grass.
"Where'd he go?" Kagome asked.
"Here!" Ichiro-maru shouted as he ambushed both of them.
InuYasha woke up at first light. "Where's Kagome?"
Miroku ran into the room, "InuYasha, have you seen Sango?"
InuYasha shook his head. That's when he noticed the carvings in the wall. "Naraku has the girls. Follow the glowing footsteps tonight to find them. I'll help you kill him. Ichiro-maru."
"Damn it! I knew e worked for Naraku!" InuYasha shouted.
"No wait," Miroku said, "It sounds like he wants us to kill Naraku."
When Kagome woke up, she was lying on the floor with her hands and feet tied. Sango was about three feet away, tied up and still asleep. "Heh," Naraku chuckled, "Gook job, Ichiro-maru."
"I hope this proves I'm not angry about you killing me last time," Ichiro-maru said. "InuYasha and the monk should be here tonight. We'll leave the girls alone until then, right?"
Naraku nodded.
"You bastard!" Kagome shouted.
Naraku laughed and walked off. Ichiro-maru, on the other hand, walked up to Kagome. "Listen," he whispered, "You'll be alright. This is all just part of my plan to kill Naraku. Just act like I never told you this though." Ichiro-maru loosened Kagome's restraints so she could slip out of them later. "I'm supposed to guard you until InuYasha gets here. When I tell you, you slip out of the ropes, untie Sango and sneak up on Naraku. Your weapons are in a small room down the hall."
Kagome, who was slightly confused by the whole thing just nodded. Ichiro-maru left the room and stood at the door.
When Sango woke up Kagome rolled over to her and explained the whole thing, as well as she could understand it.
The night didn't seem to come quick enough for InuYasha, Miroku, or Shippo (who was forced to stay at the hut.) But when night did finally fall, the glowing footprints appeared as promised. Their green light led straight to Naraku's castle.
InuYasha burst through the barrier around the castle and charged into the main room. Kagura was waiting for him.
"I don't want to fight you," She told him plainly. "Ichiro-maru has come up with the perfect plan to free me, and it requires that you live."
"Really?" Miroku asked as he came into the room.
"Ichiro-maru," Kanna whispered quietly as she cam down the steps, "Naraku wants you to bring the hostages to the courtyard."
"Kanna, don't you remember? The plan to free you and Kagura, and avenge myself," Ichiro-maru asked.
"I never said that I wanted to be free," Kanna said in her creepy, quiet voice. "I've been told if you refuse to suck out your soul."
Ichiro-maru went into the room and tightened Kagome's ropes. "What's going on?" Kagome demanded.
"A slight problem. I think Kanna blabbed about the plan."
InuYasha left Kagura in the main room with Miroku, who had his wind tunnel ready incase she tried to pull any tricks. InuYasha made his way to the courtyard.
"Kagome! Sango!" he shouted as he rammed through the door. Kagome and Sango were tied up on a pedestal near Naraku with a small army of youkai surrounding them. The only thing keeping the girls safe from the evil creatures was one of Naraku's barriers.
"InuYasha!" Kagome screamed as a youkai leapt at the barrier and bounced off.
"Let us go, Naraku!" Sango demanded.
Naraku laughed. "If I did that, my dear Sango, then this monsters would eat you. If you really want, I can make that happen, otherwise keep your mouth shut!"
"Where's Ichiro-maru?" InuYasha demanded, "Where is that betraying bastard!"
"Hmm?" Naraku grinned, "You mean the one who tried to set your friends free so they could kill me?" Naraku pointed over to the far corner where Ichiro-maru was trapped in a barrier, which was quickly filling with a myasthma. "He'll be dead soon, like your friends here will be if you don't do as I say."
InuYasha growled, but put away his sword. "What do you want, Naraku?"
"I want you to kill that pesky monk," Naraku smirked. "His hand is an inconvenience."
"Someone talking about me?" Miroku said as he entered the courtyard with Kagura, whom he had tied up to keep from trying to escape him. "Let everyone go unharmed or else I'll kill Kagura," he announced.
"Go ahead, I have no need for her," Naraku motioned for him to go on and do it.
"I will," Miroku lied.
"I've called your bluff, monk," Naraku said, "you wont kill anyone."
InuYasha took advantage of the distraction and pulled out the Tetsusaiga. "Wind Scar," InuYasha cried as he swung his blade. The wave of energy engulfed Naraku.
"Bad move," Naraku growled and snapped his fingers. The barrier that protected Kagome and Sango broke down.
Just before the first youkai could get close enough to take a bite out of the helpless girls, Ichiro-maru appeared out of nowhere and slashed it in half. "You okay?" he asked.
Kagome and Sango nodded. "Good," Ichiro-maru smiled. "Then it's time." Ichiro-maru began to glow.
"What the hell?" everyone asked at once. Ichiro-maru began to develop strange markings all over his body, and grew horns.
"It's night time now, Naraku," Ichiro-maru laughed, "And that means that the curse of humanity is lifted. I have become full-youkai." His kimono-top burst into flames and as it dissipated it revealed the spider-shaped burn. "It's time to make you pay for killing me, for making me kill the woman I loved. I am Oni-Gumo reborn, and I am going to kill you, bastard!"
Ichiro-maru darted through the youkai, killing every one of them. "You won't kill me this time," announced the transformed Ichiro-maru, "I've got a brand new body, with brand new powers, and I'm coming at you with full force!" He sped towards Naraku and slit him down the middle.
"Heh," Naraku laughed, "you think you can kill me?" His body came back together.
"Damn!" Ichiro-maru spun around in mid air and flew at Naraku. "Why won't you die!" This time Ichiro-maru cut Naraku into tiny pieces. He landed right behind where Naraku had stood. "Is it over now, you cocky son of a bitch?"
"Not quite," Naraku disembodied voice proclaimed as every tiny chunk of flesh enveloped Ichiro-maru.
"You fell for it," laughed Ichiro-maru. "InuYasha, Miroku, get Sango and Kagome out of here now!"
InuYasha grabbed Kagome and Sango, flung them onto his shoulders and darted for the exit. Miroku chased after them, accidentally knocking over Kagura.
"What about me?" Kagura shouted. She was still tightly bound and couldn't get up.
"You'll survive this," Ichiro-maru promised, "Spider-bite Explosion!"
"InuYasha," Kagome shouted, " I could run for my self if you untied me!"
"No time," InuYasha said as he leapt through the hole he left in the barrier. Kagome and Sango looked back at the castle as it exploded in light. InuYasha sat them down and cut the ropes with his claws.
"Did you see it?" Sango asked. Kagome nodded, but Miroku and InuYasha both looked at them with a blank expression.
"Ichiro-maru blew up the castle!" Kagome told them.
"Do you think he survived?" Miroku asked.
"No," InuYasha shook his head, "I can't smell him, and his aura is gone."
"What about Naraku?" asked Sango as she rubbed her wrists to get the blood to flow more freely into her hands.
InuYasha sniffed the air and his eyes narrowed, "He survived." As he said this a purple cloud lifted into the air and vanished, followed immediately by Kagura's giant feather.
This is my first Fanfic I hope you liked it. Oh, and the whole Naraku killed Oni-Gumo thing is for a different Fanfic, so no angry E-mail or anything like that.