Disclaimer: Even though we detest having to admit it, Valese and LadySword04 do NOT own Inuyasha or any characters affiliated with the series. (Both of us would LOVE to have Sesshoumaru though!)
The Case of the Missing Sandwich Bags
Chapter One: Failure and A New Evil Scheme
A startled shriek broke the silence of the night. Outside, crows took flight and other nocturnal creatures hastily departed for fear that whatever was inside the dwelling would come out and devour them.
The simple yet elegant ancient Japanese compound was dark, save for one room. Inside, a few candles, as well as a hanyou's temper, burned brightly.
"Impudent WENCH!" Naraku yelled at a sorceress. The sound of a wooden doll being broken and then thrown into a distant wall could be heard. The objects connected with the unforgiving floor and rolled over to where the witch was kneeling. Naraku's red eyes pinned her to the spot.
"I thought you told me you could kill the girl and her hanyou companion. The plan was idiot-proof and yet you couldn't even accomplish such a menial task! I was told you were the best in all of Japan! Now you shall pay for your ineptness with your life!" His eyes flashed and a strange wind picked up in the room, which blew out the candles and ruffled both clothes and hair.
Just as Naraku was transforming his arm into a few tentacles, the witch pleaded, "Milord! Please I beg of you! I did exactly as you commanded! The girl's spirit was too strong and her friends were able to see past my illusions. I didn't have time to implant the jewels in that girl's shoulder because Inuyasha and his blasted sword were able to cut through our barrier. That allowed all three to enter and both the houshi and the taijiya were going to kill me as the hanyou went to his friend. I had no choice but to retreat lest I lose possession of the jewel shards you gave me. It's not entirely fair to blame me completely for the failure! I should be allowed to leave and go about my business. I have things to do, people to curse, and money to make."
"You won't have to worry about any of those things anymore. You seem to have forgotten our agreement. Let me restate our bargain for you. If you succeeded, then you would get my share of the jewels. If you failed, as you clearly have, you agreed to allow me to absorb both you and your powers. It's time to pay your dues and hold up your end of the deal."
With that said, Naraku finished transforming his arm and wrapped a few tentacles that closed in around her like boa constrictors. The witch's ice blue eyes told of her horror and her mouth was agape; clearly her ability to speak let alone scream was lost to her. Naraku breathed in the scent of her fear and laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. However, so caught up in his delight was he that he failed to see an important change in the demeanor of the sorceress.
A few more tears trickled down her face before a twisted smile replaced her feigned terror as Naraku fully absorbed her into himself and took on her powers. Little did he realize that in a few hours he would have to allow her to escape or risk his life.
From within his body, the witch was able to cast a spell rendering Naraku powerless. 'He only thinks he runs the show. I shall turn him into nothing more than a mere human for his treachery. He set me up to fail. Naraku knew the barrier wouldn't hold. He may be laughing now, but in all reality, I will get the last laugh! I'll show him no-one blames and punishes me for his failure! Then, once he's in human form, I can escape and go about my business. But, before all of this, I shall kill him and get those shards for myself.'
In the meantime, Kagome and company were settling down for the night. Today had been especially rough as they battled a tiger youkai with six shards; one embedded in each limb and two more he had ingested. Inuyasha was wounded badly enough to request being brought to Kaede's for treatment, and both Kagome and Sango sustained various cuts. Miroku didn't escape unscathed either. However, Shippo and Kirara fared much better, managing to avoid getting wounded at all.
Wounds had been treated, places to sleep prepared, dinner eaten, and evening wishes of a good night to each other had been exchanged. All fell into a deep sleep rather easily and quickly, save for Inuyasha who wanted to keep watch as always, despite his injuries. Eventually though, he too joined his companions in sleep; he was drained from the day's fight and he knew he required sleep in order to heal properly by morning. With an extremely low growl that was below the register of a human ear, Inuyasha got Kirara's attention and requested that she keep watch; she could sleep tomorrow on Sango's shoulder during their journey. Kirara willingly agreed, turned into her larger form, and sat directly in front of the hut's only door.
Thoroughly frustrated at the inability of even the top henchmen to bring down the hanyou and his friends, Naraku decided to take matters into his own hands. 'I shall face them myself this time. No dolls, no useless demons to be sent in my stead. I am going to plan everything myself, and see to it that this time I do not face another failure. I will be patient, take my time in developing this plan and ensure that I will succeed. I must think of a strategy, I require something Inuyasha and his friends cannot defeat and use that against them. Poison wasps will be necessary for that blasted houshi. The neko youkai will have to be restrained, and the kitsune cub scared into hiding. As for the slayer, a few well-placed tentacles should be enough to keep her at bay. The girl on the other hand will not harm any creature she isn't directly threatened by. That just leaves Inuyasha with that undefeatable sword of his. What can't he destroy with it? What can't Kagome kill with her sacred arrows?'
After coming up with the skeleton of his plan, Naraku decided to wait until morning to find out exactly what the weaknesses of his top two concerns were. From there, things would be finalized, and he would be rid of his only rival for jewel shards. If Inuyasha and company were eliminated, Naraku could rule all of Japan and have any wish he wanted when the jewel was completed. Hanyou though he may be, Naraku was still not to be taken lightly, even by other youkai.
End Notes: Both Valese and I hope you enjoyed this, being the first chapter of the first story we have written together. Let us know what you think of it! We'd love to hear from you all!
Til next chapter,
LadySword04 and Valese