HAKKEN NO AI
Chapter 1 – Sesshomaru's Warning.
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Inuyasha's POV
The day started out just like every other day. I was the first to wake, watching over the gang from my spot in the tree a little ways from the camp, seeing the Demon Slayer and Monk arise soon after. Kagome and Shippo awaking last.
Once they were all up, I headed down and helped them with clearing the site before heading off in search for the remaining Jewel Shards. But little did I know that this wasn't going to be like every other day.
We soon found ourselves confronting yet another Jewel-crazed demon, I using my Tessaiga to defeat it after Kagome located the Jewel in its neck. That's when I noticed it. The faint smell of another demon close by. I knew this scent; it was the scent of my full-blooded demon brother, Sesshomaru. 'What was he doing here?' I didn't know, but it was obvious he didn't want to cause a scene as he stayed hidden behind the bushes and trees of the forest.
As we continued south, I could sense him following us. I frowned, 'What is he up to?' Kagome must have noticed something was up, knocking me out of my thoughts she asked me if everything was okay. I nodded in reassurance but continued to keep guard as we headed to our next destination.
Sesshomaru's POV
I woke this morning by a strange scent; my first thought that it was my half-demon brother, Inuyasha. As I became more awake however, I noticed that this was not the case, although it was the scent of a half-breed. I set off to find out more, Jaken and Rin following close behind. It wasn't long before I found the source of the scent, a campfire. It was fresh; I could still smell the embers slowly burning themselves out after burning in the fire just hours before.
"Lord Sesshomaru, look at this!"
"What is it Rin?" I asked, looking into the direction of the human girl. "Look at this marking" she said looking down at the ground. I walked over to her and followed her gaze, what I found sent a shiver down my spine. The aroma was so intense, I could barely breathe. The marking I saw was no ordinary marking. It was a mark left by a Demon, a scratch mark in blood. It was carved in an old fallen tree trunk. The scent from the marking insulted my nose almost to tears; Jaken could smell it as well and was clearly shaken by it.
"Lord Sesshomaru, is this what I think it is?"
"Yes, it is" I heard him gasp before muttering a low mumble. "I wouldn't say that if I were you Jaken, you know the consequences of your actions if you're found to be saying such things about a demon, especially this demon" I said, turning to give him my cold stare. "Y-yes my lord, f-forgive me"
"Lord Sesshomaru, what is this?" I turned back to look at Rin, bending down over the marking, attempting to touch it. "Rin, stop" I said, my voice cold and stern as it was when I had spoken to Jaken.
She froze immediately, obeying my orders, but unaffected by my tone. I tell her to move away, when she did, I threw a rock onto the marking. The rock slowly melted, steam rising from the poison and acids as it attacked the hard object that was suddenly put in its way.
I then noticed another scent far off into the distance. The scent of a strong demon and a half-breed. 'Inuyasha…' I walked off in they're direction, the girl and servant following my steps once again.
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"Kagome!"
Kagome turned around to see Shippo race over to her and hide behind her. She was about to ask him what was wrong when Inuyasha came bowling around the corner and into her direction. "You dirty little brat! You get back here!"
"Inuyasha, what's going on?"
"That little brat wouldn't stop annoying me, and when I ignored him, he decided to pull on my ears" he growled. "Well you weren't listening to me!" Shippo countered. "That didn't give you the right to pull on my ears you little runt!" "It was the only way I could get your attention!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough you two" said Miroku stepping in. Inuyasha turned his head to the side and made an 'hmph' noise in annoyance but otherwise stayed silent. "Inuyasha can be such a brut…" mumbled Shippo, stepping out from his hiding spot. "What'd you say!" Shippo immediately hid behind Kagome again.
"Why you pesky little-"
"…Inuyasha?" asked Kagome when he suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?" Inuyasha turned around to see Sesshomaru only a few feet away, Rin and Jaken behind him. 'Damn it, I was so caught up in the argument to notice him come closer!'. "What do you want?" he asked. "Just to talk to you my dear brother" Sesshomaru spoke calmly. "Talk about what exactly?" Inuyasha spoke, getting a better grip on his sword.
"This morning when I woke up I was surrounded by a demon scent I haven't sensed in a long time now…" he spoke again in his calm voice, letting the sentence hang before he continued. "Before our father died, and before you were born, our father went on a trip to see his long lost friend, who's wife has just given birth to his pup. Like our mother, she too was human. But unlike most humans, this one was special."
"Special how?" asked Inuyasha, now curious as to where this was going. "She had amazing powers, though I doubt she knew how to control them. That is, if she knew she had them at all. Her pup inherited her powers as well as fathers, and became as strong if not stronger, then a pure full blooded demon. She was the strongest amongst many, but one day she met her match. This demon was unlike the other demons she had fought, this demon was not of natural ways, and went around hidden by a either a baboon suit, or some other fake identity."
"A baboon suit?" asked Miroku. "Naraku" said Sango, following Miroku's thoughts.
"Yes, it was Naraku. But before he killed her, she uttered the words 'My body may die at your hands now, but the myth will live on'" he answered. "Myth? What myth?" asked Kagome. "In…Inu…yasha?" she asked as a low growl was heard. Sesshomaru, understanding what the growl meant, continued.
"I followed the scent that awoke me this morning, and came across a campfire that had been put out only hours before. Beside the smoldering embers there was a marking… scratch marks in blood on an old fallen tree trunk." At this Inuyasha's eyes widened, all growling stopped. 'Blades of blood!' he thought. Behind him, Shippo had begun shaking for the first time since Sesshomaru had arrived, while Kilala, who had been perfectly quiet the whole time, had started to hiss angrily.
Miroku, Sango and Kagome, who of which had no idea what this meant, were left in confusion as the demons looked on worried. Since no one spoke, Sesshomaru continued. "Do not die on me little brother. If you shall die at all it shall be by my hands alone. This is my one and only warning. The Myth has returned."
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R+R!