Servant By: OtakuSailorV

Chapter 6: Healed

Naraku was aware that the coyote hanyou, Yuhi, was visiting the two kitsune that he had locked away in the dungeon.

He had to say that he was impressed that she would go down the dark steps without any order from him, but then again, he had never forbade her to go anywhere, she simply seemed to sense what he would and would not allow her to do.

Naraku saw no harm in allowing her to continue meeting with them 'secretly'. All he need do is watch their conversations in Kanna's mirror, which he did quite often enough if he happened to be looking in when they were talking.

Though there was one thing that confused him. Her loyalty. He had not thought that making her a servant would make her happy.

That day in the rain, he had seen her, her eyes pleading for help, for death. Those other demons had been fools enough, and he had been in a foul mood when he happened to pass by and saw them plaguing her. She was bloodied and broken, from humans he had guessed, and the group of demons around her had just stumbled upon her themselves when he passed and caught a glimpse of her face. He had been concealed, the group of youkai had not sensed him, but the hanyou had looked at him directly in the eyes, her eyes sending him a message that made his eyebrows rise. She wanted to die, he could tell. She was calling him to kill her. But he had always preferred to make people miserable and had killed the group of sneering demons and taken her to his castle to heal. He was sure that when she heard what had happened, when she found that she was alive and had a debt to him that she would be filled with blind rage and grief. Two things he had always inserted into the hearts of others with pleasure.

But she had not. Something that puzzled him. She had not acted in the way he had assumed, the way he was sure that she would act. Unlike the kitsune twins, she had not worked with his plan.

He had had a mind to kill her at the moment that he heard her say she was not miserable here in his castle. He would not allow anyone to foil his plans, even ones that had been made on a whim. Still, he had not. He had instead formulated the idea that he could make her hate it still. He would make her work hard and long, and order her to listen to every order that was give her, whether it be from him, Hakudoushi, or Kagura.

Still he could not break her. She smiled and went about her tasks without complaint. She had not even stopped that time that she had nearly fallen ill. . .

Naraku paused as he roamed over this bit of information. The hanyou girl had willingly helped him when he had been near death. She could very well have turned her head the other way, but she had not. Instead she had helped him. And not only that, but she had waited out in the cold rain for him for hours until his return. She had been worried.

This puzzled him even more.

Why had she done such a thing for him? It was strange enough in itself that she would wait for him, but to help him so when he had been in such a tattered form? Given he did not expect her to get sickly at the sight of blood, she had been quite covered in it the first time they had met, but he had not expected her to be so vigil about it all.

She had even come to check on him while he had healed.

While he had healed. . .

The dark hanyou's mind roved again, remembering the few days in which he had been bed-ridden from his injuries. Those days where he could do nothing but go over and over the plan he had formulated to fight Inuyasha and his companions. He had wanted to taunt them; to have a little fun that day, but something had gone wrong. He had shown up. That demon lord. Sesshoumaru.

Naraku had had nowhere to escape from the pair. It was only when the girl Kagome had been accidentally hurt, and Inuyasha became distracted did Naraku see his opportunity to disperse. He had been sure that he was to die there. A fool.

Naraku growled to himself, going back over his near perfect plan. How had Sesshoumaru known? HOW?! He had made sure that the Youkai Lord was nowhere near the area when he had left, but somehow he had appeared, as if he had expected to find them there.

Had it been Kagura? No, he had kept an eye on her for several weeks prior to informing her of what was to conspire. She had no foreknowledge, and no time. Unless. . .had she snuck out when he had left? Somehow sent a message to the Lord and informed him that it was a good time to strike him then?

Naraku grated his teeth. This was all very troublesome. Why did everyone have to go ruining his perfect plans so? Why did they always find a way to play out of his hand? He was a master puppeteer, and they his puppets, so why did they refuse to go along with his play so often? Others were not this troublesome, only this small group of idiots dared defy him.

There was a slight tap at the door, brining him from contemplation's. Naraku snapped back into awareness and turned his head toward the door. "Enter." He ordered.

He could see the outline of her ears against the shouji screen and knew it was she before she opened the door. He scent wafted in, confirming what he already knew. Yuhi smiled as she opened the door. "Good evening, M'Lord."

She greeted him sweetly and bowed before she entered, bringing forth what he supposed was his afternoon meal. But his eyes were not on the food, he was watching her.

Her ears, though not exactly large, twitched once or twice, turning toward whatever noise could be picked up, and her tail swished back and forth once before resting against her again. While he examined her, Yuhi prepared what little she needed to for the meal and placed it near him, still smiling. "How was M'Lord's day?"

He was slightly taken aback by the question. She was making small-talk with him?

He stared at her for a moment, and when he did not answer, her ears went limp. His eyes must have held some message, for as soon as she lifted hers to his, she shied away slightly. He felt slightly guilty at her saddened appearance. "I'm sorry M'Lord I was out of li-"

"It was fine." He cut her off. Naraku, for some strange reason, did not want her to apologize for his apprehension in answering.

Yuhi looked up, ears alert and eyes wide. She appeared startled by his words. "Eh?"

"My day was fine," Naraku did not meet her eyes, but rather avoided them by looking the other way. ". . .And yours?"

Yuhi brightened again almost instantly. "Mine was very good, M'Lord. Thank you for asking."

Naraku smirked slightly. He formality toward him was also quite surprising. He was used to being addressed as either simply 'Naraku' or 'bastard'. He was not used to be called 'My lord' or 'Naraku-dono' least of all.

Yuhi waited to be dismissed after that, but he wasn't ready to stop this small talk so soon. Now that she was here, he wanted to talk a bit longer. "Does the castle suit you?"

"O-oh yes M'lord!" She answered promptly, taken aback by the abruptness of his words. "I'm very happy here, Naraku-dono."

He finally turned toward her and smiled, though it still resembled a smirk in all aspects. "Good."

Yuhi had been dismissed not long after, and she was left in a state of puzzlement. 'Did Naraku-dono. . .smile at me?'

A small smiled touched her features, and she felt her heart flitter suddenly, singing like a canary inside of her. 'Naraku-dono smiled at me!!'

She stopped suddenly as she noticed that a blush had tinged her cheeks, and that she had become quite elated from such a simple thing. 'But it's not a simple thing!' She denied defiantly. 'In all the time I have known him, Naraku-dono has never smiled. He must really have had a good day.'

Yuhi stopped again, her smile fading to a frown. 'But I haven't known Naraku-dono that long. Maybe two months. . .still, in all that time, I have never seen him smile. And there's no way that he was having a bad day all that time. Or that I ever missed it before now. Today must have been special.' The hanyou put all her doubts to rest with these simple thoughts, and clenched her fists tightly in determination.

"What are you acting so weird about?" A voice nearby snarled in her ear. Yuhi jumped, she had been lost in her own thoughts and had not noticed that she was passing her Mistress.

"Ah! Kagura-sama!" She gasped, eyes wide.

"Well?" Kagura snapped at her in reply. "What stupid notion has gotten into your little head now?"

Yuhi flinched at her tone. Obviously, Kagura wasn't having a good day like she and Naraku were. Yuhi felt suddenly embarrassed and flushed a little. She knew it was nothing to be so happy about, it had only been a smile, and Kagura was making her aware of that horribly. "It's just – Naraku-dono smiled today, Kagura-sama." Yuhi replied bashfully. "I've never seen him smile before, so I guess I just got carried away. I'm sorry."

Yuhi bowed her head, and Kagura huffed, obviously cooling herself. She shut her eyes in exasperation. "What are you apologizing for?" She grunted, turning away. She stopped halfway away and turned back to look over her shoulder; Yuhi had just barely lifted her eyes to look up at her retreating form. "Have fun while you can, little girl. That 'Master' of yours has another plot cooking. We'll all be busy around here again soon. Better pack lots of bandages."

With that, Kagura disappeared with a soft smirk on her lips.

Yuhi was left staring after her with wide, wavering eyes. Both hands were clasped to her mouth in shock. She could only guess a few things from what Kagura had told her.

Naraku was going to fight again, and most likely the same people who had harmed him last time.

Kagura was sure that the plan would work out the same as last time, if not worse.

Yuhi had no idea why, but the images from the last time she had seen him bloody and torn like that entered her mind, and she felt tears welding up inside of her. "No. . ." Yuhi whispered, knees hitting the floor, her hands pressed onto her face to hide her tears. "No. . ."

Ah, this week passed by so quick for me. And had so little time to write too. groan

Sorry minna-san, you'll have to forgive this one. V-chan is in one of those 'complaining' moods. gomen, gomen.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews, as always. And for your continued patience with me and my horrid school schedule. I truly appreciate it. Smile

See you soon! Ja'ne!!

Review please!!