Chapter 7-Half-demon Surprise
"Damn! You really let Inuyasha have it," said Koga who would have smiled if he wasn't in so much pain.
"Yes and now I'm beginning to think we shouldn't have," said Miroku sadly.
"Well I'm not! Inuyasha got what he deserved for killing Kohaku," said Sango who was still angry that Inuyasha was still alive and that Kohaku was not.
"Well now that we know Inuyasha is alive he will probably come after all of us…that includes Sesshomorru as well," said Miroku as he looked from Sango's angry face to Kogas wounds with worry.
(Far away in a castle)
"You read my mind monk. That is exactly whom I intend for my apprentice to attack next," said Naraku as he watched Miroku and the others talk in Kanna's mirror not knowing that they were all being watched by him through it.
"Master where is Kohaku?" said Kanna curiously.
It was no surprise to Naraku that Kanna asked such a question. She herself had not seen Kohaku in the castle for some time and actually suspected that the boy was dead. "Do not worry Kanna the boy is safely tucked away some place safe in the castle till I need him again," said Naraku as he poured himself some wine and drank from his cup.
"But according to 'them' Kohaku is already dead," said Kanna who didn't quite understand what had happened.
"Heheh. It's quite simple Kanna. I have manipulated everyone into believing one thing of an event when the truth is something different entirely all together. And only I know what the truth is, but enough about Kohaku and manipulation, I want you to show me my apprentice on the mirror," said Naraku as he finished his cup and put it down.
"Yes master," said Kanna as her mirror glowed white for a moment until it showed Inuyasha in his chambers meditating in the center of the room with the spider amulet on his head pulsing stronger with each second.
As Inuyasha meditated dark veins started expanding from the amulet in his skin and forming a web like formation over his face as it started to spread through his body. "That's my boy. He makes me feel proud as if I were father to him. He has progressed even faster then I had hoped. All he needs now is little...excitement to really get the evil nature in his heart going," said Naraku with a smile as he looked at the two knew jewel shards Inuyasha brought back from Kogas two legs.
"Inuyasha took these out during his carving of Kogas flesh and delivered them to me as a sign of success. Not even Kagura could have done such a thing and she had engaged Koga in combat on several occasions," said Naraku
"What about Kagura? How will she be dealt with master?" said Kanna.
"Kagura as gone into hiding and will seek protection from Sesshomorru. He will probably do so in exchange for the protection of that little human that follows him everywhere. She will be reluctant to do it, but I believe she will give in to such a demand if she wants my head along with the others," said Naraku as he opened next him open slight to let a cool breeze in.
"Why didn't you have Inuyasha just kill them all?" said Kanna curiously.
"You're starting to develop your own curious mind Kanna. The reason I didn't have my apprentice kill them all is because they are all key in his development as my successor. Each one of our...mutual enemies is very powerful. Everyone he fights whether its Sango, Miroku, or even Kikyo. My apprentice will fight them and win. With each fight Inuyasha will become stronger and more powerful then anything I could have imagined. To kill them would be to stop development. And I want what's best for my apprentice...if he to one day surpass me," said Naraku as he put his hand in the mirror that still showed Inuyasha meditating in his chamber.
(In Inuyashas chamber)
Inuyasha sat their meditating in the center of the chamber shirtless as he focused deep within himself as he focused the demon power inside him through the spider amulet. He could feel its power making him stronger with each passing moment and with each passing moment he could feel his body changing. NO! He was…adapting to it. The spider amulets power coursed through his veins like an intense adrenaline rush that never seemed to stop. "My apprentice! Can you hear me?" said a voice that echoed in the chamber from his mind through the power of the spider amulet on his forehead.
"Yes...master. I hear you. What do you wish of me?" said Inuyasha out loud as he opened his eyes.
"First, I want to say how proud I am of you in accelerating your powers since you became my apprentice. You make your master proud," said Narakus voice.
"I am honored my master," said Inuyasha as he finally rose from the ground and released a heavy breath of air from his lungs.
"That you should apprentice. Second, I have a new assignment for you that you may feel is more...satisfying then your last one," said Narakus voice as Inuyasha grabbed his upper clothing and sword and then started leaving his private chambers.
"Really? What's the assignment? Butchering some humans? Going after Kagome or the others for revenge?" said Inuyasha who was feeling anxious about his newest assignment.
"Not exactly, but still pretty close. Tell me. How do feel about Sesshomorru?" said Naraku voice stopped echoing from the spider amulet as Inuyasha had just entered the room.
"Sesshoooooomaaaarrrrrrruuuu," said Inuyasha in a quiet, but still chilling voice as Inuyasha turned his hands into fists causing them to bleed around the palms.
"I see you have a lot of aggression towards your older brother, which is good because your next assignment...is to hurt him by taking away that little girl who follows him. They are traveling north from here and are headed to the perfect spot for you to ambush them," said Naraku.
"Do you want me to kill her or capture her?" said Inuyasha curiously as Kanna showed him Sesshomorru with Rin riding on the back of Sesshomorru's two headed dragon and Jaken pulling on the dragons reigns to command it to follow.
"I want her alive...for the moment. You cannot hurt her unless I say otherwise. Understand...my apprentice?" said Naraku in a serious, but calm voice.
"Yes master. I understand. What about Sesshomorru? What do I do with him when he engages me?" said Inuyasha.
"You are not kill him...at lest not yet anyway. Fend him off till you get the child in your hands. Once you do that he will be very obedient to ensure her safety," said Naraku who motioned Inuyasha to go.
"Yes master," said Inuyasha who bowed and started walking out the door.
"One more thing I almost forgot to mention. Watch out for Kagura. She may have sought out Sesshomorru to aid her in protecting herself from me. If you see Kagura...kill her. No mercy. No exceptions," said Naraku in a serious voice.
"Yes master. I'll take care of her when and if I see her," said Inuyasha with a smile as he nodded to his master and immediately hurried off to his destination.
(Several Hours Later)
It was sometime in the day as Sesshomorru and Rin along with Jaken and the two headed dragon Ah-Un walked through he forest as they searched for Narakus castle. "Master Sesshomorru can we rest my legs hurt from walking for such a long time?" asked Rin in a polite voice.
Sesshomorru stopped and looked at Rin and then at her feet, which he noticed were becoming sore and swollen from walking on the ground barefoot. "Very well Rin. When we continue our journey I will be to get you a pair of sandals for your feet so walking doesn't hurt so much," said Sesshomorru as they all stopped to rest (except Sesshomorru of course) while Rin's feet could rest.
"Sesshomorru never stopped for me when my feet got tired," mumbled Jaken who believed Sesshomorru's caring for Rin was beneath his Lord.
Sesshomorru ignored his servant as he looked around the forest for possible enemies that may try to attack them. As he looked on felt as if they were being watched by someone they could see. It was at that moment he looked up and saw someone he never thought he would see again. "Hello brother! It's been awhile hasn't it?" said the figure in red fire rat clothing who was way up in a tall tree.
"Inuyasha! You're alive?" said Sesshomorru in disbelief.
"What? Surprised to see me? You should be considering YOU...along with the others nearly killed me. Fortunately, the gods blessed me with mercy and I was saved from your...deadly assault on my life. Now its time for me...to return the favor," said Inuyasha with a smile on his face as leaped down off the high tree branch and faced Sesshomorru.
"Jaken protect Rin while I take care of Inuyasha," said Sesshomorru who released Tokijin from the left side of his waist.
Inuyasha just stood in front of him with a confident smile on his face as if he was the full demon and Sesshomorru was the half-demon. "Before we fight I need to ask you a question about Kagura. Did she ever come by to see you?" said Inuyasha.
Sesshomorru frowned slightly at the question. "No, she hasn't. Even if she did I would have killed her after I forced her to tell me where Naraku was," said Sesshomorru who readied his blade against Inuyasha who did not draw his.
"That's a shame because I have orders from my master to find her and kill her myself. After I steal Rin from you that is," said Inuyasha as he got Sesshomorru's full attention.
"You forget little brother that you are only a half-demon and your power pales in comparison to mine," said Sesshomorru who made the first attack with his sword even though Inuyasha had strangely not unsheathed his own.
"Heheheh. I think Sesshomorru that you will find that half-demons...are full of surprises," said Inuyasha as he moved successfully away from Sesshomorru's blade. He then jumped over him as Sesshomorru did a back swing to cut Inuyasha in half only to have Inuyasha land right behind him and received an elbow to his back causing Sesshomorru to stumble toward a tree.
"You are unnaturally fast for a half-demon Inuyasha. How are you doing it?" said Sesshomorru as he turned around to face him only to see Inuyashas back towards.
"It's a secret Sesshomorru. And we half-demons have many close guards secrets that we reveal...to no one," said Inuyasha whose head turned slightly for Sesshomorru to see his wicked smile as the amber eyes turned their attention to Rin.
Rin looked worried and Jaken readied himself when Inuyashas eyes met theirs and started walking over to them and ignoring Sesshomorru all at once. "You won't get near them Inuyasha!" said Sesshomorru as he swung Tokijin again at Inuyasha.
To Sesshomorru's surprise Inuyasha spun and around and grabbed Tokijin with his left and at the middle point of the blade just before it was about to slice of his shoulder. "This is a little technique I developed during my meditations under the teaching supervision of...my master," said Inuyasha as his entire left arm was consumed in red energy.
"Imp...impossible! This sword should have sliced you into nothingness," said Sesshomorru who still could believe what had just happened.
"Actually its not. And right now even as we speak your body is being infected by a powerful poison that I control through my body," said Inuyasha with a smile as Sesshomorru found himself feeling weaker by the second.