Chapter Twenty-One: Autumn

Six weeks had passed since Kagome died. InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were still grieving; InuYasha still wanted revenge.

Neikotsu's ankle was starting to feel better. She didn't even need Ginkotsu's assistance to move around. Bankotsu's mood had lightened and he wasn't quite as depressed as he'd been.

"Is it just me, or is it starting to get cooler?" Suikotsu asked Neikotsu as they tried to find some dinner.

"Hmm… Yes, I suppose so. Well, I think it's the 9th month by now, so it's not too surprising," she said for the first time realizing that it was turning into fall. The bright green leaves on trees were turning yellow, orange, red, and brown. Some had already fallen off and were swirling around in the autumn breezes.

"That means it will be winter in a few months…" Suikotsu said, mostly to himself.

"So it will be. Why, what's important about winter?"

"It will be eleven years since we were killed. I remember it was early winter because it was the first snow of the season. It's rather depressing, really."

Neikotsu couldn't think of anything comforting to say. She figured Suikotsu didn't care, but she felt dumb not saying anything. Truthfully, she'd wished her first death could have been doing something in the name of the Shichinintai, not drowning because she got stuck while hiding from Bankotsu. 'Maybe my next death will be noble,' she thought.

"Well, you're alive now," she said in a rather blunt way, which made her mentally slap herself for just blurting it out.

Suikotsu laughed. "Yes, I am…."

A silence fell for a moment. It wasn't really uncomfortable, but Neikotsu still thought it'd be best if she said something.

"Suikotsu?" she said, but he never got a chance to answer. There was a quick rustle in the bushes and in the blink of an eye, someone popped out. Before Neikotsu had a chance to go into defense mode, she felt a familiar attack that she had used many times herself- a sharp twisting jab in the back, used to paralyze the lungs. It only caused the victim to pass out, and not actually die, so she knew the attacker didn't want her dead… yet.

"Neikotsu!" she heard Suikotsu yell, followed by the blurry sight of him trying to fight someone off, then everything went black as she fell to the ground.

"Ugh…" Neikotsu mumbled, coming to. "Wha… What happened?"

"Hey! Good thing Suikotsu saved you. Whoever that person was, they tried to kidnap you. According to him, the person was a ninja, but they wore a mask, so he couldn't tell who it was. Do you know the person? Do you know if anyone he a vendetta against you or a reason to want you dead?" A familiar voice asked eagerly as she sat up.

"Cho… do you think you can give me five seconds to grasp what happened before you start the interrogation?"

Chouyouma shrugged and sunk down so he was at eye level. "Well, go ahead. Tell."

She glared at him for a second, then told him how the person popped up out of nowhere, attacked her, and that was all she remembered. He sighed exasperatedly and coughed. "You know, I think I may know who it is… the person who attacked you, that is."

"Y-you do? Who is it?" she asked, suspiciously. She didn't even have a clue who it could've been. It was odd that he did. Neikotsu wasn't even completely sure she could trust the ghost. He was, after all, one of Naraku's henchmen. Not only that, but he knew the traitor Kageyu and was helping the person who tried to trick her. Not to say, she didn't like him. Over the short time she'd known Chouyouma, Neikotsu had actually become pretty good friends with him. But still, he was a bit suspicious.

Before he answered, Bankotsu and Jakotsu walked in. The moment they did, Cho smiled widely and sunk down into the floor and disappeared. "Hey! Come back here!" she shouted, but he didn't return.

"What was that about?" Jakotsu asked examining where he went through the ground.

Neikotsu sighed. "Nothing…. How's Suikotsu doing?"

"Fine," Jakotsu said, plopping down next to her. "He's not hurt or anything. But way to go! I heard it was a ninja who attacked and he wanted you. Great, put us in danger because you make enemies."

Whether he was joking or not, Bankotsu laughed. "Now, now, Jakotsu. It's not her fault people want her dead. Do you have any idea who it could've been?" he said, looking at Neikotsu.

"No, not at all. I suppose, maybe, it could be someone who wants revenge because I killed one of their loved ones or something…."

"I doubt it. Someone like that probably wouldn't be from a village we attacked. And even if they were, why would they go after just you and for that matter, kidnap you?" Bankotsu said, trying to think of someone who could have the motive.

"Nothing we can do about it," Jakotsu stated simply. "She's tough enough to fend off one of her own," he gestured toward Neikotsu. "Come on, Aniki, I think Mukotsu got the sake!" He got up and ran off, leaving Bankotsu and Neikotsu alone.

Bankotsu took Jakotsu's place next to her. "Are you worried?"

"Not really. It's probably a scheme of Naraku or something. It doesn't matter."

Bankotsu smiled smugly and stared at her.

"…What?" she said, when he didn't stop.

He just smirked and stood up. "Do you want to come drinking with us?"

She gave him a questionable stare. "Why? What are you up to?"

Bankotsu gave her one of his famous sweet and innocent looks. "What do you mean? We haven't had sake in ages and the last time we did, you didn't join us. So, I was merely being polite and asking if you wanted some."

Neikotsu raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?"

"Nooo, I'm trying to get everyone else drunk so they'll be passed out the rest of the night and we can have sex. …You were close though."

She could feel her face get really hot and she knew she was blushing a badly. "Um… okay…."

Bankotsu laughed sweetly. "I never get tired of seeing you blush. Anyway, are you coming or not? If you remember, you didn't keep the promise you made at Mount Hakurei."

"Oh, yeah. Um, I guess so. Are you sure that will work?"

Bankotsu shrugged absently and looked off into space. "Maybe." He gave her a nervous look for a second. "Just…" he continued, "Make sure that…. Uh, never mind."

Neikotsu gave him a puzzled look. "What? What is it?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was going to tell her, but instead said, "It's nothing. Just forget it."

Neikotsu joined the rest of the Shichinintai in their drinking. Slowly, one by one they all got drunk and were stumbling about, laughing, and talking loudly, not using coherent sentences. That is, all but one. Unfortunately, it wasn't Bankotsu who was the sober one; it was Renkotsu.

'Well, there goes that plan,' Neikotsu thought kind of irritated. She had been slowly sipping her sake to ensure she wouldn't get drunk, but started taking bigger gulps, not caring either way. She glanced over to see that Renkotsu hadn't drank much either. He sat there watching them all, an unfamiliar look on his face. Renkotsu usually looked annoyed when they acted like fools, but that night he mostly just looked sad. Letting curiosity get the better of her, Neikotsu wandered over and sat down by Renkotsu.

"Renkotsu no Aniki, is something wrong?" she asked in the most pleasant voice she could muster.

He stared blankly at her for a moment. "What do you mean?" he said eventually, in an emotionless voice.

She shifted uneasily, not being skilled in the art of human interaction. "I mean you seem a bit depressed tonight. Is everything alright?"

Like Bankotsu had done earlier, he looked as if he was going to tell her something, but didn't. Instead he hardened his glare and said in his usual cold voice, "Nothing's wrong." But Neikotsu could tell that there was something bothering him. She had noticed quite a while back ago he was acting different at times. She didn't pay much attention to it, but now that made her feel bad. Even if they weren't the best of friends, he was still one of her teammates, and she felt, perhaps, if she was nicer, he would be too.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me? I'm a good listener and maybe it'd help to tell someone," she said, surprising herself. Neikotsu had always felt that if something wasn't her business and someone didn't want to talk about it, then the matter would not be pressed and she'd stay out of their business.

Renkotsu gave her another look. This one bothered her though. He gave her the familiar look that Bankotsu had given her so many times before. And without any warning, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Author's Note: Gah, sorry it took me so long to update. Busy with stuff…. This chapter was annoying to write. It seems so… choppy. I haven't written in so long, maybe I'm just out of whack or something. I don't know. Anyway, please review, I'll try and get the next chapter up faster.