Disclaimer:: ::still looking for her papers:: They're here, I swear!
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Seventeen :: The Proposition
"Ok? Let's do it."
Inuki leaned in closer to Kagome, his face close. His dark eyes glittered seductively. The girl's face flushed slightly as she sneaked discreet glances around at the other students to see if any were watching. Everyone else was bent over their desks, not paying any attention to the tall dark-haired student who had leaned over the aisle between their desks, his voice a husky, alluring whisper.
Regardless, she shook her head, mouth tightly pursed. Her eyes beheld the innocence of a virgin in this particular situation, but her voice held firmly. "No, Yashagawa-kun." His mouth broadened into a stiff line, eyebrows knitting in frustration. "Oh c'mon," he whispered, "it's not like anyone's gonna know! Don't be so uptight!"
Kagome shook her head again, leaning away from him. "We can't do this, it's wrong!" Inuki snorted quietly, deftly reaching out with his right hand and snatching hers. "Who cares, just--" Kagome tugged away, in an effort to rescue herself, and Inuki gave it another yank, "--show me the answers!~!"
RRRRRIIIIIP!
All of their fellow students looked up at the sudden noise upsetting their quiet environment. At the chalkboard, Kenko --aka the Overenergetic Harpy/Math Teacher-- narrowed his ever-smiling eyes in the general direction of the back of the classroom. Behind him, written in bold, chalky white letters were the words, "QUIET! TEST IN PROGRESS."
And in the back, by the window, Kagome's mouth dropped open in a mortified gawp at the one-half of her test paper in her hand. Inuki barely managed to stammer out an "Uh," of dismay, eyes wide at the second-half of the paper clenched and crumpled in his hand. He looked from the half he held, to the half she held, and then at Kagome. The girl was seething, her eyes full of an embarrassed anger he'd yet to see her possess. He sagged in defeat, his face deadpan.
*After class I'm gonna die…*
~*~
After the attack in the Sengoku-jidai, after what they'd learned and gone through, it had taken a couple of baby steps for life to regain the simple normalcy that Kagome and Inuki were used to. But by the end of the week, things had fallen back into their usual flow.
By Friday, Inuki was complaining about Kagome's rotten cooking, lazing about the house playing video games, and trying to cram for the big math test . By Friday, Kagome was yelling at him for being insensitive, winging flower pots and other random objects his way for being a lay-about, and trying to tutor him for said math test.
It was normal again.
Except that there was an unspoken connection between the two of them now, that they understood each other. Inuki now realized the trauma Kagome had been put through, and she remembered the feelings and thoughts of a reincarnation labeled second.
But that didn't stop her from winging more random objects when he arrived home Friday evening, far later than her because of the subsequent detention he'd been given because of trying to copy her test.
"Oi!" he yelled, ducking behind a bookcase by the stairs, "We have shit to do, we don't have time for you to be mad at me!!!" Ignoring his shouts, Kagome flung her alarm clock at him from her perch atop the stairs, followed quickly by a teddy bear "You jerk!!! I got a ZERO!! Kenko-sensei won't even let me make that test up!!!! It's your fault!!"
"My fault?! If you'd just quit being so damned stubborn and given me the freaking test paper, it wouldn't have ripped!!" he roared back up at her, slipping to the side in time to let her trash can, full of balled-up pieces of paper, come crashing into the floor a hair shy of his dark little head.
"You think after spending this entire past week staying up into the wee hours of the morning trying to cram that empty head of yours with geometry I'm gonna let you cheat!?!! YOU'RE NUTS!" she screamed down at him over the railing, and Inuki glowered at her. "I suck at math!! It's not my damned fault if I can't grasp that bullshit! How the hell am I supposed to get by in class if you won't help me!!"
Kagome shot him a poisonous glare that sent chills down his spine, and she spun on her heel, stomping back into her bedroom. When she came back, the seven hundred and fifty page math book they used in class was in her arms, and the flung it down at him with all her might. "TRY STUDYING!!"
The book landed heavily on his foot, and the boy bellowed a curse that made all his former utterances seem like a child's sing-along. At this point, Jiichan came out of the den where he was watching the news. Up until this point, the rest of the family had just been ignoring the scuffle, but now the older man stomped out, looking slightly miffed.
"Now look here, the both of you!" he began, waiting until both teenagers turned his way before continuing, "Leave what happens at school there! I'll not have the both of you disturbing the peace of this household with your ruckus!! Forgive each other and get over it!"
Kagome crossed her arms defiantly, looking away, and Inuki muttered something under his breath. Finally he waved a hand in her direction. "Whatever." Kagome snorted at his dismissal and looked at her grandfather. "Sorry, Jiichan, it won't happen again."
The old nodded once and turned back into the den, sliding the doors shut. Kagome turned to come down the stairs, slipping past Inuki coldly to retrieve the items she'd thrown at him. He, meanwhile, headed up the stairs towards his room. A few moments later, her things at her hip, Kagome was making her way back up the stairs, while Inuki was coming back down them, Tessaiga and his stuffed backpack on his shoulder.
Having cooled off a smidgen, Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Where are you going?" She was still angry with him, but not enough to not worry about him if he was just going to leave. Especially since he had the reputation of running away; after all, that's how he had ended up on their doorstep anyway.
He raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. "Didn't you want to spend the weekend with Miroku and Sango? I'll be downstairs waiting for you."
Kagome watched him head to the kitchen, feeling mildly despondent. He was the one at fault, yet he had the odd ability of making her feel guilty about not cheating. Maybe it was the fact that math wasn't exactly his strong point, and she felt bad for him.
She went back upstairs, deciding to drop it. It was stupid fighting over cheating or not cheating on a dumb test. She changed clothes and took the straps of her old knapsack. She had stopped using it for awhile, but now it was stuffed with three days worth of clothes, not to mention her homework and her toiletries.
Kagome had also packed Inuyasha's coat, knowing it would be useful if a youkai situation arose. The Shikon no Tama she brought also, regardless of the fact the jewel had not lit with magic in over 6 months. She felt better having it on her, out of habit.
*It feels like old times again…* she told herself, glancing at the picture of Inuyasha and their friends, which she now kept propped on her desk. It was odd to her, how a mere month ago she could barely stand to look at it without crying, but now she was able to smile at it, if not vaguely bittersweet.
"That must be his power over me," she said softly, smiling. She turned the photo up a bit, gazing down at Inuyasha's face. "See you later…"
~*~
The sun had just set in the Sengoku-jidai, and the skies were a deep navy, tinged with a light purple. Clouds still feathered with gold from the departing sun dotted the heavens. In the trees and burrows in the forest around them, little animals snuggled in for sleep, while others roused for their nightly activities. In front of Kagome, Inuki tromped through the grass, clearing a path for her. It seemed almost gentlemanly of him, but she guessed things like chivalry probably didn't cross his mind at all.
In the village, everyone was beginning to settle down. Dinner was being made, beds were unraveled as yet another day of hard work wound down. A farmer dragging a stubborn goat back to its lean-to waved to the pair as they made their way down the dirt road.
Crossing the bridge from the village towards the shrine, Kagome noticed Sango waiting cheerfully by the door of Kaede's hut. She jogged past Inuki towards her friend. "Sango-chan!!"
"Welcome back," the taijiya greeted her, smiling at Inuki also. The boy grinned back as the younger woman held the roll door aside to let them through. Inside, by the floor hearth Kaede was stoking the flames. Miroku sat across from her, eating Kaede's stew. The old woman smiled pleasantly in greeting. "Welcome back, the both of you. Have you eaten?"
Kagome, setting her possessions at the door, shook her head. Kaede smiled and filled two bowls, presenting them to the younger people as they sat. They passed the time by chatting about some of the things that had happened in the past week; Kagome and Inuki about the studies in their world, Miroku and Sango about the training of the new taijiya.
"I'm especially pleased with Mitaka and Sakuya," Sango told Kagome, "Mitaka is doing a little better than Sakuya, but both are becoming very skilled."
"It's good that they are, too, because they will have to take on this next job." Miroku added, and Kagome looked up at him in confusion. "Next job?"
At this, Sango nodded, shifting a little to get more comfortable. "In the next village over, a half-day's walk from here, there's been some disruptances from a youkai. I was asked to exterminate it--" Before she could say more, Miroku interrupted with, "And I asked her not to."
"Because of the baby?" Inuki guessed, and Miroku nodded in accord. "She helped fight off that mukade the night you returned, Kagome-sama, but that was simply because we were so shorthanded." Kagome nodded, smiling. "I agree, Sango-chan and the baby need to be protected."
"Besides," his wife added sternly, "it will be good training for them. They are the best of my students, but they have never had a mission. It's time they did." Kagome giggled slightly, nudging Sango slightly. "You sound like a mother already."
"I'll go with them."
Abruptly, Kagome and the others turned their gazes to Inuki, surprised. The teenager leaned back against the wall, propping his arm on his knee. His playful grin belied the seriousness of his statement. "I might as well; I need the practice too."
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "No way."
"Why not!?" the boy demanded.
Kagome turned a fierce stare on him. He leaned back slightly, wincing at her grimace. She could be frightening when angered, after all. The girl simply shook her head. "There's no reason for you to! It's not like when I was here a year ago, they needed me to stay because of the Jewel. But you--"
"What is Katsuseki comes back? You want to just let him do however he pleases?" Inuki interjected, and Kagome shut her mouth. He looked at her intently, his eyes intense though his expression mellow. "I can't protect Tessaiga, or you, if I don't know what I'm doing. I need to build up my strength."
"He has a point, Kagome," Kaede concurred, "Right now Inuki has only begun to tap into his dormant youkai powers. The same as you were a year ago." Hearing the old woman say this, Kagome's face lightened, as if she had forgotten that she too had once been inexperienced. Kaede noticed this but continued. "It would be best with he went along with Mitaka and Sakuya for the experience. Actually…"
"Actually…?"
The miko's eye turned to her, bright with what she knew was a clever idea. "You should go also." Kagome made a "uh" noise, irked. "Me..?" She shook her head, shoulders sagging. "I haven't used a bow… in over half a year. I wouldn't be any good."
"It didn't look that way last time," Miroku said with a grin. Sango nodded, her face also broadened into a cheerful, reassuring smile. "Yes, if you hadn't come when you did to take care of that mukade, the damage to the village would have been much worse."
Kagome looked up, a little embarrassed. "I hardly think.."
"Come with me."
She turned her head, looking at Inuki. The boy flushed slightly, looking away. "I could use the help anyway." Kagome sensed, slightly happily, that there was more to his words than there seemed, and she nodded then. "Okay. Let's go together."
~*~
"This is Mitaka, and this is Sakuya."
Inuki and Kagome narrowed the eyes at the pair. Sango looked extremely proud, the way a mother is of her children who are finally growing up. Almost like they were her own children. Despite that, Kagome couldn't help but wonder if Sango knew what she was doing, giving these two off on her.
Mitaka was about eleven, short and spunky. Her long black hair was pulled up into two pigtails on either side of her head, and she had huge brown eyes that seemed a little too large for her small face. Freckles dotted her button nose.
The armor she wore was in the same style as Sango's, except made for a child. It still seemed a little big for her, as she was rather small anyway. But her face was determined, and on her back she wore twin blades. They weren't as long as a katana, but neither were they very small. Kodachi, Kagome realized.
Sakuya was taller, his dark hair pulled up in the ponytail common in boys and teens in the era. He was still a boy, perhaps 13 or 14, but already was almost Inuki's height. He had dark eyes possessing an attitude all their own, as if he were fed up with the world.
He too wore the taijiya uniform, and proudly. You didn't have to look at him twice to realize this boy took pride in what he did. And he held, the handle resting on his shoulder, a zanbatou. It was simple and plain, no intracacies or elaborate ornaments on the hilt. The blade itself was as tall as Sakuya himself, the hilt a few feet's addition to it, and a good three feet wide. There was a plain cloth sheathe over it.
"They're just brats," Inuki muttered. Before Sango could say anything, Sakuya's eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you say?!!"
"They're young yes, but it's customary for taijiya to take their first missions shortly into adolescence," Sango explained. "These two are my best students and learn the quickest. They won't let you down."
Hearing Sango's praise, Mitaka's freckled cheeks flushed and Sakuya shut his mouth. "Sensei.." She smiled at them. "I want you two to do your very best. Remember what you were taught and be quick about it. And be polite to Kagome-chan and Inuki. They're two of my dear friends."
"Hai," both students agreed, and Kagome smiled at them. "Well then, let's go?"
The four of them turned into the morning light onto the road to Midorikawa Village. Sango and Miroku watched them go, and Sango reached up, clasping his hand. "This'll be good for her, ne?"
"Yes," her husband replied, "I'm sure that the journey will be hard, reminding of her how it used to be, but… in the end, it'll be easier."
Easier to remember Inuyasha without heartache.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: A better idea of a what the zanbatou is would be Bankotsu's Banryuu, or Sanosuke's blade (from Rurouni Kenshin.) Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. 2bwu has a super long chapter, and it took a lot out of me. ::passes out onto floor:: Anyway, yay!! Inuki's adventure begins!!! ::so so happy:: I LOVE Mitaka and Sakuya (especially Sakuya, he's just freaking cute.) I may be able to have pictures of them up soon, and chapter 18 will be out shortly! Please review~! v^^-
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Seventeen :: The Proposition
"Ok? Let's do it."
Inuki leaned in closer to Kagome, his face close. His dark eyes glittered seductively. The girl's face flushed slightly as she sneaked discreet glances around at the other students to see if any were watching. Everyone else was bent over their desks, not paying any attention to the tall dark-haired student who had leaned over the aisle between their desks, his voice a husky, alluring whisper.
Regardless, she shook her head, mouth tightly pursed. Her eyes beheld the innocence of a virgin in this particular situation, but her voice held firmly. "No, Yashagawa-kun." His mouth broadened into a stiff line, eyebrows knitting in frustration. "Oh c'mon," he whispered, "it's not like anyone's gonna know! Don't be so uptight!"
Kagome shook her head again, leaning away from him. "We can't do this, it's wrong!" Inuki snorted quietly, deftly reaching out with his right hand and snatching hers. "Who cares, just--" Kagome tugged away, in an effort to rescue herself, and Inuki gave it another yank, "--show me the answers!~!"
RRRRRIIIIIP!
All of their fellow students looked up at the sudden noise upsetting their quiet environment. At the chalkboard, Kenko --aka the Overenergetic Harpy/Math Teacher-- narrowed his ever-smiling eyes in the general direction of the back of the classroom. Behind him, written in bold, chalky white letters were the words, "QUIET! TEST IN PROGRESS."
And in the back, by the window, Kagome's mouth dropped open in a mortified gawp at the one-half of her test paper in her hand. Inuki barely managed to stammer out an "Uh," of dismay, eyes wide at the second-half of the paper clenched and crumpled in his hand. He looked from the half he held, to the half she held, and then at Kagome. The girl was seething, her eyes full of an embarrassed anger he'd yet to see her possess. He sagged in defeat, his face deadpan.
*After class I'm gonna die…*
~*~
After the attack in the Sengoku-jidai, after what they'd learned and gone through, it had taken a couple of baby steps for life to regain the simple normalcy that Kagome and Inuki were used to. But by the end of the week, things had fallen back into their usual flow.
By Friday, Inuki was complaining about Kagome's rotten cooking, lazing about the house playing video games, and trying to cram for the big math test . By Friday, Kagome was yelling at him for being insensitive, winging flower pots and other random objects his way for being a lay-about, and trying to tutor him for said math test.
It was normal again.
Except that there was an unspoken connection between the two of them now, that they understood each other. Inuki now realized the trauma Kagome had been put through, and she remembered the feelings and thoughts of a reincarnation labeled second.
But that didn't stop her from winging more random objects when he arrived home Friday evening, far later than her because of the subsequent detention he'd been given because of trying to copy her test.
"Oi!" he yelled, ducking behind a bookcase by the stairs, "We have shit to do, we don't have time for you to be mad at me!!!" Ignoring his shouts, Kagome flung her alarm clock at him from her perch atop the stairs, followed quickly by a teddy bear "You jerk!!! I got a ZERO!! Kenko-sensei won't even let me make that test up!!!! It's your fault!!"
"My fault?! If you'd just quit being so damned stubborn and given me the freaking test paper, it wouldn't have ripped!!" he roared back up at her, slipping to the side in time to let her trash can, full of balled-up pieces of paper, come crashing into the floor a hair shy of his dark little head.
"You think after spending this entire past week staying up into the wee hours of the morning trying to cram that empty head of yours with geometry I'm gonna let you cheat!?!! YOU'RE NUTS!" she screamed down at him over the railing, and Inuki glowered at her. "I suck at math!! It's not my damned fault if I can't grasp that bullshit! How the hell am I supposed to get by in class if you won't help me!!"
Kagome shot him a poisonous glare that sent chills down his spine, and she spun on her heel, stomping back into her bedroom. When she came back, the seven hundred and fifty page math book they used in class was in her arms, and the flung it down at him with all her might. "TRY STUDYING!!"
The book landed heavily on his foot, and the boy bellowed a curse that made all his former utterances seem like a child's sing-along. At this point, Jiichan came out of the den where he was watching the news. Up until this point, the rest of the family had just been ignoring the scuffle, but now the older man stomped out, looking slightly miffed.
"Now look here, the both of you!" he began, waiting until both teenagers turned his way before continuing, "Leave what happens at school there! I'll not have the both of you disturbing the peace of this household with your ruckus!! Forgive each other and get over it!"
Kagome crossed her arms defiantly, looking away, and Inuki muttered something under his breath. Finally he waved a hand in her direction. "Whatever." Kagome snorted at his dismissal and looked at her grandfather. "Sorry, Jiichan, it won't happen again."
The old nodded once and turned back into the den, sliding the doors shut. Kagome turned to come down the stairs, slipping past Inuki coldly to retrieve the items she'd thrown at him. He, meanwhile, headed up the stairs towards his room. A few moments later, her things at her hip, Kagome was making her way back up the stairs, while Inuki was coming back down them, Tessaiga and his stuffed backpack on his shoulder.
Having cooled off a smidgen, Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Where are you going?" She was still angry with him, but not enough to not worry about him if he was just going to leave. Especially since he had the reputation of running away; after all, that's how he had ended up on their doorstep anyway.
He raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. "Didn't you want to spend the weekend with Miroku and Sango? I'll be downstairs waiting for you."
Kagome watched him head to the kitchen, feeling mildly despondent. He was the one at fault, yet he had the odd ability of making her feel guilty about not cheating. Maybe it was the fact that math wasn't exactly his strong point, and she felt bad for him.
She went back upstairs, deciding to drop it. It was stupid fighting over cheating or not cheating on a dumb test. She changed clothes and took the straps of her old knapsack. She had stopped using it for awhile, but now it was stuffed with three days worth of clothes, not to mention her homework and her toiletries.
Kagome had also packed Inuyasha's coat, knowing it would be useful if a youkai situation arose. The Shikon no Tama she brought also, regardless of the fact the jewel had not lit with magic in over 6 months. She felt better having it on her, out of habit.
*It feels like old times again…* she told herself, glancing at the picture of Inuyasha and their friends, which she now kept propped on her desk. It was odd to her, how a mere month ago she could barely stand to look at it without crying, but now she was able to smile at it, if not vaguely bittersweet.
"That must be his power over me," she said softly, smiling. She turned the photo up a bit, gazing down at Inuyasha's face. "See you later…"
~*~
The sun had just set in the Sengoku-jidai, and the skies were a deep navy, tinged with a light purple. Clouds still feathered with gold from the departing sun dotted the heavens. In the trees and burrows in the forest around them, little animals snuggled in for sleep, while others roused for their nightly activities. In front of Kagome, Inuki tromped through the grass, clearing a path for her. It seemed almost gentlemanly of him, but she guessed things like chivalry probably didn't cross his mind at all.
In the village, everyone was beginning to settle down. Dinner was being made, beds were unraveled as yet another day of hard work wound down. A farmer dragging a stubborn goat back to its lean-to waved to the pair as they made their way down the dirt road.
Crossing the bridge from the village towards the shrine, Kagome noticed Sango waiting cheerfully by the door of Kaede's hut. She jogged past Inuki towards her friend. "Sango-chan!!"
"Welcome back," the taijiya greeted her, smiling at Inuki also. The boy grinned back as the younger woman held the roll door aside to let them through. Inside, by the floor hearth Kaede was stoking the flames. Miroku sat across from her, eating Kaede's stew. The old woman smiled pleasantly in greeting. "Welcome back, the both of you. Have you eaten?"
Kagome, setting her possessions at the door, shook her head. Kaede smiled and filled two bowls, presenting them to the younger people as they sat. They passed the time by chatting about some of the things that had happened in the past week; Kagome and Inuki about the studies in their world, Miroku and Sango about the training of the new taijiya.
"I'm especially pleased with Mitaka and Sakuya," Sango told Kagome, "Mitaka is doing a little better than Sakuya, but both are becoming very skilled."
"It's good that they are, too, because they will have to take on this next job." Miroku added, and Kagome looked up at him in confusion. "Next job?"
At this, Sango nodded, shifting a little to get more comfortable. "In the next village over, a half-day's walk from here, there's been some disruptances from a youkai. I was asked to exterminate it--" Before she could say more, Miroku interrupted with, "And I asked her not to."
"Because of the baby?" Inuki guessed, and Miroku nodded in accord. "She helped fight off that mukade the night you returned, Kagome-sama, but that was simply because we were so shorthanded." Kagome nodded, smiling. "I agree, Sango-chan and the baby need to be protected."
"Besides," his wife added sternly, "it will be good training for them. They are the best of my students, but they have never had a mission. It's time they did." Kagome giggled slightly, nudging Sango slightly. "You sound like a mother already."
"I'll go with them."
Abruptly, Kagome and the others turned their gazes to Inuki, surprised. The teenager leaned back against the wall, propping his arm on his knee. His playful grin belied the seriousness of his statement. "I might as well; I need the practice too."
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "No way."
"Why not!?" the boy demanded.
Kagome turned a fierce stare on him. He leaned back slightly, wincing at her grimace. She could be frightening when angered, after all. The girl simply shook her head. "There's no reason for you to! It's not like when I was here a year ago, they needed me to stay because of the Jewel. But you--"
"What is Katsuseki comes back? You want to just let him do however he pleases?" Inuki interjected, and Kagome shut her mouth. He looked at her intently, his eyes intense though his expression mellow. "I can't protect Tessaiga, or you, if I don't know what I'm doing. I need to build up my strength."
"He has a point, Kagome," Kaede concurred, "Right now Inuki has only begun to tap into his dormant youkai powers. The same as you were a year ago." Hearing the old woman say this, Kagome's face lightened, as if she had forgotten that she too had once been inexperienced. Kaede noticed this but continued. "It would be best with he went along with Mitaka and Sakuya for the experience. Actually…"
"Actually…?"
The miko's eye turned to her, bright with what she knew was a clever idea. "You should go also." Kagome made a "uh" noise, irked. "Me..?" She shook her head, shoulders sagging. "I haven't used a bow… in over half a year. I wouldn't be any good."
"It didn't look that way last time," Miroku said with a grin. Sango nodded, her face also broadened into a cheerful, reassuring smile. "Yes, if you hadn't come when you did to take care of that mukade, the damage to the village would have been much worse."
Kagome looked up, a little embarrassed. "I hardly think.."
"Come with me."
She turned her head, looking at Inuki. The boy flushed slightly, looking away. "I could use the help anyway." Kagome sensed, slightly happily, that there was more to his words than there seemed, and she nodded then. "Okay. Let's go together."
~*~
"This is Mitaka, and this is Sakuya."
Inuki and Kagome narrowed the eyes at the pair. Sango looked extremely proud, the way a mother is of her children who are finally growing up. Almost like they were her own children. Despite that, Kagome couldn't help but wonder if Sango knew what she was doing, giving these two off on her.
Mitaka was about eleven, short and spunky. Her long black hair was pulled up into two pigtails on either side of her head, and she had huge brown eyes that seemed a little too large for her small face. Freckles dotted her button nose.
The armor she wore was in the same style as Sango's, except made for a child. It still seemed a little big for her, as she was rather small anyway. But her face was determined, and on her back she wore twin blades. They weren't as long as a katana, but neither were they very small. Kodachi, Kagome realized.
Sakuya was taller, his dark hair pulled up in the ponytail common in boys and teens in the era. He was still a boy, perhaps 13 or 14, but already was almost Inuki's height. He had dark eyes possessing an attitude all their own, as if he were fed up with the world.
He too wore the taijiya uniform, and proudly. You didn't have to look at him twice to realize this boy took pride in what he did. And he held, the handle resting on his shoulder, a zanbatou. It was simple and plain, no intracacies or elaborate ornaments on the hilt. The blade itself was as tall as Sakuya himself, the hilt a few feet's addition to it, and a good three feet wide. There was a plain cloth sheathe over it.
"They're just brats," Inuki muttered. Before Sango could say anything, Sakuya's eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you say?!!"
"They're young yes, but it's customary for taijiya to take their first missions shortly into adolescence," Sango explained. "These two are my best students and learn the quickest. They won't let you down."
Hearing Sango's praise, Mitaka's freckled cheeks flushed and Sakuya shut his mouth. "Sensei.." She smiled at them. "I want you two to do your very best. Remember what you were taught and be quick about it. And be polite to Kagome-chan and Inuki. They're two of my dear friends."
"Hai," both students agreed, and Kagome smiled at them. "Well then, let's go?"
The four of them turned into the morning light onto the road to Midorikawa Village. Sango and Miroku watched them go, and Sango reached up, clasping his hand. "This'll be good for her, ne?"
"Yes," her husband replied, "I'm sure that the journey will be hard, reminding of her how it used to be, but… in the end, it'll be easier."
Easier to remember Inuyasha without heartache.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: A better idea of a what the zanbatou is would be Bankotsu's Banryuu, or Sanosuke's blade (from Rurouni Kenshin.) Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. 2bwu has a super long chapter, and it took a lot out of me. ::passes out onto floor:: Anyway, yay!! Inuki's adventure begins!!! ::so so happy:: I LOVE Mitaka and Sakuya (especially Sakuya, he's just freaking cute.) I may be able to have pictures of them up soon, and chapter 18 will be out shortly! Please review~! v^^-
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen