Chapter XVI
Clash of Three Fangs
"Sesshoumaru!"
The young tai-youkai froze when he saw her. His stoic eyes narrowed. He looked older than when she last saw him. That young face he had was completely gone leaving an overpowering cold stoic profile.
"Nobara," he states flatly. "Jaken." Even though he never took his eyes off of Nobara the small imp youkai knew he was addressing him.
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Come, Rin," the imp responds, as he leads the young girl away. Nobara realizes that they were traveling with Sesshoumaru. She thought the association they had with Sesshoumaru was odd, but she knew better than to be distracted with Sesshoumaru right there.
"Sesshoumaru," Nobara states, pretending to relax a little to take him off guard. "It has been a long time."
Sesshoumaru narrows his gold eyes again. Gold eyes just like Inutaisho, but Nobara realizes that she never saw his father in Sesshoumaru's cold gaze.
"I heard you were dead," Sesshoumaru said bluntly, his body remaining motionless.
Nobara smirks coyly at him and glances down to the swords on his side.
"I am dead," she states calmly and glares at him with her ghostly pale blue eyes. "The Nobara you knew no longer exists."
"And which Nobara is that?"
"I see you that you still have Tenseiga," Nobara points out, deterring the conversation from herself. She also notices the other katana at his side too. This one had an aura of dark jaki that was faint but present upon the blade. She wonders where he had gotten such a katana. A breeze blows past them freezing the silence as Sesshoumaru's silk kimono wavers in the breeze Nobara's eyes go wide when she sees the left sleeve. It was empty.
"Sesshoumaru lost his arm?" she could not hide her surprise and looks at Sesshoumaru wide eyed. Sesshoumaru glares back coldly, realizing what she had seen.
"What are you doing here, Nobara?" Sesshoumaru spoke trying to take the attention off of his missing arm.
"Keh, I should ask the same to you," she replies, her characteristic smirk returning to her lips. "You should be in the Western Lands watching over Inutaisho's domain."
Sesshoumaru's lips curl in a slight smirk.
"Other matters must be resolved before I can return, Nobara," his flat voice drifts to her as he then glares her in the eye. "You should understand that."
Nobara senses the hate from him. She knew he still remembered the day that Nobara saved Inuyasha from his grasp. She glances behind her briefly, back to where she knew Inuyasha and the rest were waking up and realizing her absence.
"Feh, this is the Gesshokudeba. Naraku said you would know what this means."
"According to the legend, if the blood is not wiped off the Gesshokudeba by the next full moon, the hanyou will lose their soul."
The spot over her heart tingled a little as she remembers the dagger. She holds up one of her slender clawed hands and smiles wickedly, as she faces the young tai-youkai.
"What do you say Sesshoumaru?" Nobara chides as she cracks her claws. "To end it."
Sesshoumaru narrows his eyes as he realizes the challenge that was offered before him. The young tai-youkai stood in the clearing as the morning sun shines in his long silver hair; his face remaining expressionless as he strokes the fur on his right shoulder and contemplates the situation. In the back of his mind he remembers the last encounter he had with Nobara. He never forgot those dark red eyes.
"Keh," Nobara states and suddenly runs towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru quickly leaps away and his poison whip extends from his fingers and lashes at Nobara. Nobara dodges the glowing green whip as it snaps at her kimono. The two engaged in this strange dance until finally Nobara seeing a way to finally get close enough, contorts her body passed the crack of the extended whip and lunges towards Sesshoumaru. Her claws fill with shouki, ready to feel his flesh.
Sesshoumaru allows his whip to retract and prepares his Dokkasou. Poison begins to steam out of his claws. He runs towards her, as fast as she remembered as she approached him. Both swiftly pass the other as they lash at eachother with their claws in a passing attack. She feels the sharp pain of his claws scratch in to her right shoulder and she leaps away.
"Kuso!" she states and glances at the wound through her kimono sleeve, the poison from his Dokkasou smoldering slightly. "Don't get too cocky." She reminds herself as she poises herself for the next attack from him.
"Nobara," Sesshoumaru starts, a small satisfied smile on his lips. "Have you become so old and tired to not easily beat this Sesshoumaru as you did before? Even with this Sesshoumaru missing a limb?"
Nobara sneers and growls a little at his words. She glares fiery blue eyes at him and holds her hurt arm. The pain was tolerable but lingering. She could tell that Sesshoumaru had 50 more years of experience on her now. He had become tougher than she remembered. She prepared herself again for the next attack. She rolls her shoulder trying to roll the lingering pain away and smirks as she cracks her claws once again.
"Senko Tessou!"
Sesshoumaru moves swiftly out of the way as Inuyasha's claws come down.
"Inuyasha!" Nobara says alarmed. The memory of when the three were faced in the past fills her mind.
"So, Nobara has once again found her beloved Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru teases. "Interesting how things have come full circle. And how fitting a hanyou with a hanyou"
"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?"
"Keh," Inuyasha starts, cracking his claws and then unsheathing Tessaiga; he was ignoring her question. "So are you still searching for Naraku as well, Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru just narrows his cold eyes in response to Inuyasha. He did not seem all that interested to start engaging his younger brother.
"Inuyasha, leave," Nobara then said stepping forward and unsheathing Hisuibara. "This is between me and Sesshoumaru. This began long before you."
"Keh, still such a stubborn baka," Inuyasha spats, keeping an eye on his older brother. "You don't think I have my own reasons to hurt him."
Nobara looks at Inuyasha slightly alarmed as Inuyasha walks over to her and takes his place at her side.
"Inuyasha," Nobara thought, tears forming in her eyes. The memory of the child she loved being replaced by the strong warrior she always dreamed him to be.
"We fight together, Nobara-oba," Inuyasha said quietly, as he glances his warm gold eyes toward her. She saw it then, she saw Inutaisho in his eyes at that moment. The sight took her breath away slightly as Inuyasha returns his gaze to sneer at Sesshoumaru. Nobara nods and focuses on the young tai-youkai as well.
"Ready? Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yells as he leaps forward. Sesshoumaru takes out Toukijin to block Inuyasha's advance and the hanyou is thrown back.
"Keh," Nobara smirks. New blood for the fight brewing in her veins as she leaps in to attack the young tai-youkai.
Sesshoumaru for the first time in awhile missed the convenience of his left arm as he relied on his speed to keep a step ahead of the two hanyou's. Nobara was still faster than his nuisance younger brother. Yet ever since Inuyasha had stolen Tessaiga from him he has also become a difficult adversary. But Sesshoumaru still noticed that Inuyasha was slower than usual. Little did he know that his younger brother was still fighting the after effects of Toushoudokuso. Finally Sesshoumaru tires of blocking and uses Toukijin's attack of Kenatsu. Both hanyous were leaping in together to attack the fast blocking Sesshoumaru. The force of Kenatsu knocks both hanyou's back unexpectedly. Nobara and Inuyasha fly in different directions and Inuyasha rams against a tree and knocked unconscious. Nobara quickly rises and shakes her head; she then gazes over at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha!" she quickly leaps before the fallen hanyou as Sesshoumaru prepares another assault with Toukijin. She maneuvers cautiously trying, like years before, to keep herself between Inuyasha and the young tai-youkai.
"Honouikari!" she cries preparing to swing Hisuibara as the katana blade burns with shouki.
Sesshoumaru leaps forward towards her and Nobara blocks with flaming Hisuibara. The cold eyes of Sesshoumaru right in her face. She grits her fangs and quickly releases one hand from Hisuibara to swiftly scratch at Sesshoumaru on the face. Sesshoumaru sneers angrily and blasts Kenatsu. The blast knocks into her body heavily and she flies back and lands unconscious.
Sesshoumaru sneers as he feels the three gashes on his left cheek smolder with shouki. He holds Toukijin ready to blast the unconscious Nobara again until Tessaiga clashes with the blade.
"Don't forget about your brother, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha says confidently as he pushes Sesshoumaru away and quickly swings Tessaiga. "Kaze no Kizu!"
The young tai-youkai narrows his eyes and quickly dodges the blast of Kaze no Kizu from Tessaiga. He then counterattacks with a Kenatsu blast from Toukijin. Despite his body still not reacting to its full potential, Inuyasha leaps out of the blast and attacks Sesshoumaru head on to keep him from Nobara. The blades clash several times, inu-fang against oni-fang; until Inuyasha remarkably knocks away Toukijin. Sesshoumaru underestimated Inuyasha's illness. Inuyasha stands there confidently, feeling as if he had won. Sesshoumaru though was not about to have his hanyou brother get the better of him and with incredible speed knocks his Dokkasou fist into the torso of the hanyou. Inuyasha gasps alarmed at the sudden unexpected speed of his older youkai brother. The wind knocked out of him he quickly tries to recover as Sesshoumaru suddenly hits him in the face with the Dokkasou fist. The green poison from his fist smolders in Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha yells out as he feels the toxin burn his eyes. He flies back and hits the ground, Sesshoumaru standing over him. He quickly forces his eyes open but all he can see is white.
"Kuso! I-I can't see!" the young hanyou realizes as he smells Sesshoumaru near him and blindly tries to leap away, still holding Tessaiga. "Kaze no Kizu!" he swings blindly and misses Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru smirks slightly.
"Where are you aiming at?"
"Kuso!" Inuyasha sneers realizing he had missed Sesshoumaru. The next thing he knows he feels the force of Toukijin rip through his body. His body is tossed along the force and suddenly lands on the hard unforgiving ground. He was wondering where the others were; Miroku, Sango, Kagome. He told them he would go and find Nobara since he could follow her scent. Little did he know that Nobara had met up with Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha's body felt numb with pain. His arm must have been broken, for he could barely feel the grip of his fingers around Tessaiga. He heard Sesshoumaru's footsteps approach, but all he could see when he opened his eyes was white still. He closes them and grits his fangs. "Nobara-oba!" he pleads not knowing where she was.
Sesshoumaru walks over to the fallen Inuyasha and replaces Toukijin on his obi. With his hand free he kneels down and picks up the battered Inuyasha by the neck. Inuyasha gasps as Sesshoumaru holds him up before him. Sesshoumaru smirks triumphantly.
"Finally," he states. "The end to my family's disgrace."
Inuyasha could feel Sesshoumaru's fingers start to dig into his neck.
"Kuso," he gasps.
"Die," Sesshoumaru says narrowing his eyes, a light of sinister delight glowing in them.
"Nani?" the young tai-youkai suddenly turns around alarmed as something was brought to his attention. Nobara stood behind him where she had fallen earlier. Hisuibara was held above her head and her eyes were closed. She seemed to be chanting something inaudible to Sesshoumaru's youkai ears. Suddenly the katana erupts in a ghostly red flame as a spirit figure in the shape of a dragon rises from the blade. Its eyes flash a bright red at Sesshoumaru as it begins to coil its long body around Nobara. She opens her eyes, the pale blue lost to a brilliant shining red that consumed both eyes. Sesshoumaru stands stunned, remembering the dragon spirit from the last time they had an encounter. He once again senses the change in her.
"She is! She is a youkai! A tai-youkai!"
His thought breaks off as Tenseiga suddenly throbs in its saya, warning its master. He drops Inuyasha to be more ready to face her. He could sense this change in her. This change from hanyou to a youkai, the change like Inuyasha had done before. But he realized this was different from when Inuyasha transforms. Nobara seemed to have control over her bloodthirsty youkai blood.
"Hisuihikari!"
She yells as blades of jade burning with shouki suddenly shower towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru leaps away out of the blast. He then turns quickly and leaps back into the path of the blast and grabs something from the outlying trees and quickly moves out of the Hisuihikari's blast. Nobara suddenly falls to her knees gasping for breath. Her body strains to recover as the throbbing blade quiets. She looks down at her hand and barely makes out the massive claws extending from her fingertips before they shrink back to their normal size. She then turns her pale blue eyes towards Sesshoumaru. He was still standing in the clearing. She stood up, leaving Hisuibara on the ground as she tries to focus on what Sesshoumaru put down next to him. It was the girl in the orange yukata. Nobara's eyes widen as they focus on the girl.
"She must have been in the path of the blast of Hisuihikari," She realizes. Sesshoumaru looks down at the young girl quietly.
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama," the young girl said quietly.
Nobara runs over to Inuyasha and prepares to protect him. Sesshoumaru does not address her. He turns and walks into the woods. The young girl walking cheerfully beside him.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the imp-youkai he called Jaken calls and runs after him. "Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Nobara watches him leave, the young girl running behind him.
"He withdrew?"
"Nani?" Nobara looks over at Inutaisho shocked. "I thought Sesshoumaru was to inherit your katanas'?"
They were sitting in the gardens outside of Izayoi's home. Inutaisho looks down, a sad glow dimming his gold eyes.
"My musuko," he sighs. "He has not learned what is needed to be the master of this blade. He only thinks of himself and is arrogant to the needs of others. He does not know what it means to protect."
Nobara looks away almost to defend herself, it sounded like he could have been speaking of her.
"Sesshoumaru shall receive Tenseiga."
"Sesshoumaru will not be happy with your decision," Nobara responds thoughtfully.
"It is my decision," Inutaisho said sternly as his gold eyes gazed away into the distance. "The Fang is meant to protect, and Sesshoumaru protects nothing but his own pride."
"It is fitting then," Nobara says quietly, looking down. "That Inuyasha should receive the Fang that was made to protect his mother."
"Hai," Inutaisho responds thoughtfully. "Perhaps through Tenseiga, Sesshoumaru will learn the need to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
Nobara watches Sesshoumaru with the girl.
"Sesshoumaru…you protected that girl by withdrawing. Do you finally acknowledge what Inutaisho was trying to tell you?" she wonders as the proud tai-youkai vanished into the early morning shadows.
Inuyasha begins to stir a she leans down to check on him. She suddenly hears running feet and turns ready to attack the approaching footsteps.
"Nobara-san!" Miroku gasps as he and Sango entered the clearing where the battle once was. Kagome and Shippou followed on Kirara. Nobara held up Inuyasha and helped him to his feet.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome calls jumping off Kirara and running to his side to help him walk.
"What happened?" Sango asks.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha answers wearily.
"Sesshoumaru was here?" Miroku asks looking around. Something was tingling his jaki senses, it felt as though a great aura was still present.
"No, he is gone," Nobara says as she helps put Inuyasha on Kirara. "He needs to splash the poison out of eyes, he will be alright."
Shippou jumps off of Kirara and sees Hisuibara lying on the ground where Nobara left it. He scurries over to pick up the blade. Nobara glances back and sees Shippou running towards the katana. She quickly turns.
"Shippou! No!" she snaps and leaps over to the katana just as he reaches it. She glares at him angrily. "Never touch this katana," she warns him as she picks up Hisuibara and sheathes the blade in its saya. Shippou and the others look at her stunned that she snapped at him like that. Nobara ignores their glares and walks past them. Miroku watches her intently; he could sense that something was wrong.
...End Chapter