Disclaimer: Ok yeah, I don't own Inuyasha and I never will so let's get on with the story.
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CHAPTER EIGHT: Friend, Foe or Long-Lost Family Member?InuYasha, Shirrow, and Mushin were still by the stream catching fish. They were all standing in 2-foot deep water and were catching fish with their bare hands.
"Do we have enough yet?" Shirrow asked, bored out of his mind.
"No."
"I don't see why we need anymore fish, Dad..."
"Just keep catching them."
Shirrow looked back at the pile of fish they had caught. They had at least 30. That was plenty for a dinner for nine people, even if four of them were ½ demon. They would be having fish for a while. By the looks of it, they'd be having a LOT of leftovers. Not counting the fish they would give to Miroku and Sango to take home.
"How are you doin' over there, Mushin? Catch anything yet?" InuYasha called over his shoulder.
"Do you even need to ask? I'm only human…"
"Feh… Your father can catch fish and he's only human, so what the hell's wrong with you?"
"Hmph…"
They all were silent for a few minutes before Shirrow decided to break the silence.
"Hey… Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Are we done yet?"
":sigh: Yeah… we should be about done… Mushin, grab that net that you an' your dad were usin'."
Mushin ran over and grabbed the fishing net, then ran back. Shirrow grabbed the other end of the net and they held it open for InuYasha to put the fish in it. After a few minutes all the fish were in the net and Miroku came walking towards them with Sango who had a little girl in her arms.
"Oh good you're back. Let's get goin…"
With that said, the group of six walked off towards where InuYasha and Kagome lived. They walked about ten minutes through a small group of trees, over a bridge that went across a stream, through a small field, through a few more trees, and finally they arrived at their house. InuYasha and Shirrow went inside first.
"Kagome!" InuYasha called, "We're back! …And we brought Miroku, Sango, and their kids!"
Kagome came into the front room with a wide smile on her face. "Hi everyone!" she said cheerfully.
"She doesn't seem angry..." Miroku whispered to InuYasha.
"Only 'cause you guys are here. Hopefully by the time you leave, she won't be angry with us anymore..."
"I see…"
Noriko came in from her room with Kotaro following behind her. When Noriko saw who was there she ran up to them and yelled, "Aunty Sango! Uncle Miroku! Where's Sakura? Did you bring her?"
Sango laughed. "Yes, Noriko. We brought Sakura. She's right here, see?"
Sango knelt down to let Noriko see the baby girl in her arms. She was only a year old and was still very small.
"Awww…! She's so cute Aunty Sango! Can I hold her, PLEASE?"
"Of course you can, but be careful with her, Noriko…"
"Don't worry; I'm always careful with babies…" Then as she turned around she smacked Kotaro in the forehead with her elbow. Kotaro landed on the floor and looked up at everyone dazed and confused. Then he remembered that he had been hit and started to cry.
Noriko handed Sakura back to Sango and knelt down besides Kotaro.
"I'm sorry Kotaro; I didn't mean to hit you…"
Kotaro continued to cry.
"Want me to give it a kiss and make it all better?"
Kotaro cried louder and shook his head 'no'.
"Are you sure?"
Kotaro continued crying.
"Will you stop crying if I take you to Mommy or Daddy?"
Kotaro kept crying but shook his head 'yes'.
"Ok…" Noriko picked up Kotaro and carried him to InuYasha since he was closer. "Here Daddy, you're closer than Mommy and Kotaro's heavy."
InuYasha sighed and rolled his eyes then bent down to get Kotaro. "Alright little guy let me see… Feh, there won't even be a bruise there you little wuss… I dunno what you're cryin' 'bout… Alright come on, quit cryin' already…"
Kotaro stopped crying; instead he only sniffled and let out a little yawn.
"InuYasha let me have him." Kagome said. "He's just tired because he hasn't had a nap yet and he's been playing with Noriko the whole time you and Shirrow were out."
InuYasha nodded and handed Kotaro over to Kagome.
"Keh... whatever, can we eat now?" Shirrow asked.
Kagome smiled. "Alright, alright… Sango, would you like to help cook?"
"Sure Kagome. Miroku, watch Sakura."
"Oh he doesn't have to, just put her in the baby chair I brought back from the present era. Sota and I used it when we were babies."
"Oh, Alright…" Sango then put little Sakura in the baby chair thingy. "I was wondering where you were…" she said to Kagome. "You were all in the present era then?"
"Yes, that's where we were…" Kagome was saying. And the two of them continued talking about what had happened.
Kotaro was now sleeping peacefully in his bed in the room where Shirrow and he slept, (Noriko has her own room) Shirrow, Noriko, and Mushin decided to go exploring in the woods near the house, and Miroku and InuYasha went to go sit on the porch while Sango and Kagome cooked. It was a pretty casual day now that Kagome was happy again…
……………………………………"Shirrow," said Noriko, "We've been in these woods zillions of times!"
"Yeah," Agreed Mushin. "Let's go somewhere else."
"Yeah I guess… let's go further this way," Shirrow replied, pointing towards the west.
The three continued walking for a while. Noriko was starting to regret saying anything about being somewhere else. Mushin was feeling the same way.
"Shirrow?" Noriko asked.
"Yeah?"
"You know where we are right?"
"'Course I do! Where's the trust, huh?" Shirrow snapped.
"I'm jus' worried 'cause I've never been this far into the forest without Mommy or Daddy before and-"
"Don't worry 'bout it. Dad would be able to find us if we did get lost, but we WON'T, ok? You're with me. So if anything DID happen I'd protect you. So you've got nothing to worry abo-"
Shirrow suddenly stopped walking and Mushin and Noriko bumped into his back.
"What?" asked Mushin. "Why'd you stop?"
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear w-what?" Noriko asked looking around franticly.
Shirrow looked around him and the others cautiously checking every shadow in the forest. He checked every tree. Nothing. It must have been his imagination. He started walking again. Noriko and Mushin followed close behind him. He heard it again. It sounded like a twig snapping. Then some leaves rustling. Shirrow's ears perked up. The noises were coming from the right.
"……"
"Shirrow?" Noriko asked. "I wanna go home."
"Yeah Shirrow, let's get outta here. We're getting too far from your house." agreed Mushin.
Shirrow nodded and started walking back in the direction they came. He walked for a little bit before hearing the noise again. He stopped and looked directly at the place where the noise was coming from. He started walking again then turned sharply and pounced on the bushes where the noise came from.
There was a rustling of leaves, various growls and yells of pain. Then Shirrow was tossed out of the bush. Noriko and Mushin crowded around him to make sure he was okay. Shirrow sat up and glared at the person emerging from the bush.
He was a little older than Shirrow and at least a foot taller. He had long silver hair that faded into black at the end. He also had black crescent moon shape on his forehead ((A/N: gee I wonder who he's related to)). He wore blue and white kimono-y shirt thingy and white pants. ((AN: MC Hammer pants to be exact))
"Who are you?" Shirrow demanded.
"Hmph… My name isn't important. What is important is why you're on my father's land. So tell me. Why are you here?"
"That's none of your damn business!" Shirrow yelled.
"Well if you won't tell me maybe the girl will."
The boy seemed to disappear for a moment, and then reappeared in front of Noriko.
"Tell Me, little girl… why have you come onto my father's land?"
":sniffle: W-we were jus' explorin' in the woods and went to far and w-we were gonna go back… :sniffle:"
"Hmph... went too far into the woods, did you?" The boy smirked. "Well you'll just have to learn not to wonder away from home now won't you?" The boy flexed his claws and was about to attack.
He didn't get to attack them though because Shirrow pounced at him, causing him to stumble to the ground. Then the three started running back the way they came towards their home. The boy kept chasing after them though and was catching up to them very quickly.
"Don't look back, guys!" Shirrow ordered, panting. "Jus' keep runnin!"
They kept running and started to lose him as they got closer to the border of the boy's land. The boy was still chasing them, but had slowed down. Noriko was starting to run slower and slower because she was getting tired. She didn't notice a root of a tree and tripped on it. ((A/N: That's typical of a chase scene, isn't it?)) The boy noticed this and ran to catch up to her.
"Noriko!" Shirrow yelled. He turned around and looked at his fallen sister who was staring at the boy who was running closer and closer to her.
"Noriko get up! Keep running!"
Tears stared to form in Noriko's eyes as she jumped up and continued running. But she didn't get far when the boy caught her.
"Noooo!" Shirrow and Mushin yelled together.
"DADDY! HELP!" Noriko cried.
Shirrow ran so that he was about 5ft away from the boy.
"Let go of her!" He yelled.
"No. I think father would rather have a word with the three of you trespassers instead of just letting you go."
Shirrow growled.
"Come with me. Or the girl dies."
Shirrow and Mushin reluctantly followed him further into the woods.
…………………………………………………
Back at his home InuYasha's ears perked up. It was faint and far away, but it sounded like Noriko. He stood up and started running in the direction of her voice.
"InuYasha! Where are you going?" Miroku called after his friend.
"It's Noriko! Something's happened. You stay here!" InuYasha called back over his shoulder and continued to run.
He ran through the forest and leapt over logs and rocks. He continued running for 5 minutes until he could hear Noriko crying up ahead. He made one final leap over the tops of the trees and landed in front of the group.
Dad! Shirrow thought, relieved. He and Mushin tried to run over to him, but the boy blocked there way.
"Who are you?" The boy yelled. "Why has everyone decided today would be a good day to trespass?"
"That isn't important right now and if you don't want to die, I suggest that you let those three go."
"Now, now InuYasha..." said a voice from the shadows. "It wouldn't be wise to kill your own nephew." ((A/N: Is it just me, or does that sound like something that should be in The Lion King?))
InuYasha just growled as his older brother came into the small clearing they were in. "Sesshomaru…" he growled
"I've missed you as well, little brother." ((A/N: Haha! Stock voice!))