Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted/licensed/trademarked materials mentioned in this fanfiction (from InuYasha to my references to Nine Inch Nails or Harry Potter). They are the properties of their respective copyright holders and I in no way am insinuating that I own them. (Consider it free advertising.) I only own the storyline and any new characters that may crop up.


Chapter Twenty: Offensive Strike

Totosai sat in the forge staring at the remnants of Tokijin. He sighed while gazing at the broken blade that was forged by his evil apprentice. The last piece of Kaijinbo's work will soon leave this world at last. I had to wonder at times why Sesshomaru continued to wield this sword. It was made from an incarnation's fang, and you'd think that he'd be loathe to bear anything that had a tie to Naraku. Totosai took the two pieces of Tokijin into his hands and tossed them into the bellows. The materials began to glow and sparks ensued as the demonic aura was released. Finally the sparks ceased and the fang began to disintegrate. Totosai's nose detected a fell wind, and in the corner of his eye he saw the silhouette of a woman lurking in the shadows. Totosai did not even grace her with a glance. "Ah, Kagura. I have just disposed of what's left of your brother, Goshinki."

"One less piece of my master left to defile this world," she droned in her haughty voice. "But that's not why I'm here."

"I know. Naraku sent you for the shards."

Kagura was taken back. How did he know? Have I been informed by a double agent? "Very well old man, you know why I'm here … but what are you going to do about it?"

"Not much. I am old and my tasks in this world are complete. I have fulfilled my duties and can face Kami with my head held high," Totosai wheezed.

Kagura approached him with her fans ready while Totosai sat in a meditative position with his hammer propped on his shoulder. "You are prepared to die?"

"Of course. I have seen my time approaching for a while." Totosai slowly stood, never taking a defensive pose. "My son is grown. Hell, my grandchildren are grown, too. I have only one thing left to do in this world."

Kagura asked, "And what's that?"

"This." In a flash, Totosai swung his hammer around and struck a brick in the wall of the forge. Kagura quirked her brow in confusion as the brick slowly sank into the wall. A high pitched siren began to ring throughout the vicinity and Kagura hissed.

An alarm!

Totosai brought his hammer back around to strike Kagura. The hammer walloped Kagura in the chest and she flew back against the opposite wall of the forge. Totosai jumped atop the oversized anvil and took a defensive position. He growled, "I may have said that I'm ready to die … but I will not go down without a fight!" Totosai leaped at Kagura as she readied for his attack.


Senkotsuke and Sango were sitting in the living room drinking coffee when the alarm sounded. "What the fuck is that?" Sango sputtered into her coffee.

"The alarm!" Senkotsuke slammed his mug down sloshing coffee everywhere. "Get your hiraikotsu! There's an intruder in the house!" The pair bolted for their weapons. Minutes later they reconvened in the foyer and heard a tremendous crash beneath them. Senkotsuke blanched. "Grandfather …" he whispered. They ran into the cavernous basement. The ruckus grew louder and louder as they neared the forge. Senkotsuke made to open the doors but they were jammed. "Grandfather!" he bellowed as he began to kick and punch at the doors.

Sango had an idea and shouted, "Senkotsuke, get back!" He moved out of the way. Sango flung the hiraikotsu at the doors and they crumbled. The doors fell away to reveal Totosai battling against Kagura. Sango gasped. Kagura! But how? Senkotsuke charged into the room as Sango's mind continued to reel. She has to be here for the shards … Kagome! Sango turned and ran back up the stairs. She did not get far before she found herself almost being run down by an armed Kagome and Jinkaru.

"What's going on?" Jinkaru asked.

"Kagura … is attacking Totosai …" Sango said, slightly out of breath from all the adrenaline pumping its way through her system. Sango led the way back to the forge. But before they could reach the forge the sounds of battle had stopped and were replace by weeping. Sango and the others ran into the forge to see Senkotsuke cradling Totosai's bloody form. Senkotsuke's shoulders shook from his lamentation. The forge lay in ruins around them.

Jinkaru weakly walked through the rubble to kneel beside his son and father. "Father … no …" Jinkaru bowed his head and began to weep as well. Sango and Kagome slowly made their way towards the three men. The girls cupped their hands over their mouths when they caught sight of Totosai. He was dead.

"Totosai …" Sango gasped as tears began to stream down her face. She shook her head. "I should have stayed. I ran to check on Kagome …"

Senkotsuke spoke gently, "It wouldn't have mattered, Sango. She delivered the final blow before I got two steps past the door's remains." He sighed, "You did right going to check on her."

Jinkaru's voice shook slightly as he asked Kagome, "Where is my mother?"

Kagome wiped her tears away and said, "When the alarm sounded I told her to look after Shippo. They should be hiding in Shippo's room."

Sango looked around the forge. Before she could stop herself she asked, "How did she get in?"

Jinkaru and Senkotsuke perked up and looked at each other. "The passage," they muttered in unison. Senkotsuke carefully laid his grandfather's body down while Jinkaru walked towards a wall. Jinkaru reached for an old knife mounted on the wall and twisted it clockwise. The sound of grinding gears rent the tension in what was left of the forge. A piece of the wall slid away to reveal a dank tunnel.

Senkotsuke approached his father. "But how did she know?"

They heard angry screams echoing from the end of the tunnel.

"We will soon find out, son," Jinkaru said.


The night sky began to lighten as Megami and Sesshomaru were pulled from their peaceful slumber by a siren sounding in the distance. Megami sat bolt upright and gasped, "The alarm!"

Sesshomaru sat up and asked her, "What's that noise?"

Megami stood and began to scramble to find her discarded clothing. As she hustled into her pajama pants she said, "There's an intruder in the house! We have to hurry!" Sesshomaru joined her and he rushed into his sweat pants. Megami hustled to hook her bra and she started running as she pulled her tank top over her head. Sesshomaru ran beside her at breakneck speed. The pair wove through trees and ducked to avoid low hanging branches. As the house came into sight they saw a woman dressed in a kimono fleeing through a passage concealed by a mound of earth.

Sesshomaru's eyes bulged. Kagura!

They put on a burst of speed to intercept the intruder. But Megami's breath caught in her throat as she saw another figure scramble out of the passage behind Kagura. She saw white hair and the tell-tale single red stripe down the center. Megami's steps faltered slightly as she breathlessly whispered, "Kintotsuke …" Her vision blurred red again and she ran as fast as her clawed feet would carry her. Kagura took to the air upon her giant feather and Kintotsuke watched her flee upon the winds.

Megami's lip curled up over her fangs and she flexed her claws. She leaped the final distance and shrieked, "Kintotsuke, you bastard!" Megami tackled him roughly. She pinned his arms down with her knees and began punching him in the face. "You fucking let her in! What did you do? Damn it Kintotsuke, what have you done?" Sesshomaru stood back and bore witness to her fury unraveling.

"Megami! Stop!" Kintotsuke begged as he tried to wriggle out of her hold.

"No! I caught you red-fucking-handed!" she grabbed him by the collar and started shaking him. "What have you done?"

"Megami! Megami, stop!" a new voice shouted from behind her.

Megami turned her head to see Jinkaru, Senkotsuke, Sango, and Kagome running towards them.

Jinkaru came to stand beside his daughter. "Megami let him up. What are you doing? Did you see the intruder leave?"

Megami began to shake, "Father … he helped her. He watched her flee. I saw him crawl out of the passage with her."

Jinkaru's countenance was tinged with green as he looked upon Kintotsuke with the utmost abhorrence. Kintotsuke shook and looked at his father pleadingly. "Father …" he choked out, "Please …"

"You are not my son," Jinkaru said quietly. His face became contorted in disgust and wrath. He screamed at Kintotsuke, "YOU ARE NOT MY SON!" Jinkaru turned away from him and said in an acidic tone, "Now thanks to you, Senkotsuke and I get to bury my father."

Megami took a sharp breath. "What? Grandfather is …?" She dared not finish her sentence. Megami began to put the puzzle pieces together in her mind. If a servant of Naraku was here, they must have come for the shards. But Kagome is unscathed … that means someone got in their way. Grandpa triggered the alarm so everyone was alerted; including Kagome … She turned her eyes and glared at Kintotsuke with a look of severe malice. Despite her expression of hate and anger, tears dripped down her face as she clutched Kintotsuke's face in one of her clawed hands. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you aren't responsible. Look me in the eye and tell me that Grandpa is alive."

Kintotsuke turned his face away from hers.

Megami snapped. "NO!" Her cry echoed through the trees with a sound that lingered somewhere between a wounded howl and a Nazgûl's screech. Megami's hands shot for Kintotsuke's throat and clamped on his windpipe tightly. "You motherfucker! You let her in! You may as well have killed Grandpa yourself!"

Senkotsuke turned away from the scene as Megami spat in Kintotsuke's face repeatedly. Sesshomaru watched Megami's actions as one of their conversations played through his mind:

"What do you think, my lord? Do you think me a mere prep school brat? What would you do to a demon that has dishonored their blood by aiding Naraku?"

"I would kill them."

"Exactly."

He thought intensely. She has the will to carry on with this duty … but she will hate herself for it. She will never be able to live with herself. I have to do something. I cannot let her do this … Sesshomaru now came forward. "Megami," he said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. Megami's grasp slackened slightly, allowing Kintotsuke to breathe. "Megami, he will pay for his crimes … but we need information."

Megami fully let go of Kintotsuke's throat. She understood Sesshomaru's intentions. Megami stood up and looked at Sesshomaru. "I trust you to handle this. I have nothing to say to this scum."

Sesshomaru nodded solemnly, "Help your father and brother. I'll handle this worm."

Megami rushed into Sesshomaru's arms. He held her tight and felt her crumple from her grief. Megami moaned and wailed for her grandfather's passing. Sesshomaru smoothed her hair and kissed her brow as she wept. Kintotsuke slowly sat up and Sesshomaru gently ushered Megami to her father. "Help her, Jinkaru. I will handle him. No matter what you hear, stay away." Jinkaru half carried, half led his grief-stricken daughter away with Senkotsuke, Sango, and Kagome in tow. They walked around to the formal entrance to the house. Kintotsuke had rose to his feet and approached Sesshomaru.

"Thank you, my lord –" Kintotsuke began but was soon silenced by the back of Sesshomaru's hand striking his face.

"Don't act so pretentious as to call me your lord! I know now whom you truly pay homage to. Don't ever insult my intelligence again! I am not doing you a favor. I simply don't want my mate to have to live with the fact that she was forced to kill her brother. It won't weigh too heavily on my conscience if I have to do it. I assure you of that." Kintotsuke hung his head and Sesshomaru continued, "With that understood, I want you to know that you will tell me all that I need to know. You can volunteer the information or I can force it out of you. But regardless if you tell me or if I force you, for what you have done to my family tonight you will be in a great deal of pain." Without warning, Sesshomaru grasped Kintotsuke's hair and pulled violently. Kintotsuke was forced to the ground and Sesshomaru dragged him towards Senkotsuke's Silverado. Sesshomaru opened the tool box mounted against the cab of the truck. He browsed through the contents and began filling a small tool box with various tools and cruel looking instruments. Finally, Sesshomaru closed the little hand-held tool box with a satisfied look upon his face. He grabbed a large, thick tow chain and draped it over his shoulder as if its weight were no more than a bed sheet to him. He took the small tool box in his free hand and turned away from the truck. Sesshomaru marched into the woods dragging Kintotsuke in the dirt behind him.


Megami stumbled as Jinkaru walked her into the living room. He stooped slightly and lifted his lamenting daughter into his arms with care. Jinkaru could not help but coo to her as if she were young again. "It's all right, little one. It's all right." Megami just dissolved into tears again as Jinkaru laid her on the couch. Senkotsuke mechanically dropped into an arm chair as Kagome and Sango sat on the floor beside the couch to comfort their distraught friend.

Jinkaru took a deep breath to steel his will against the agony and grief. "Girls, remember what Lord Sesshomaru said: No matter what you hear, stay away. Senkotsuke and I still have work to do." He turned to his son, "Come on. We have to tell my mother before anything else happens." Senkotsuke got to his feet with a sloth's speed. Father and son left the room quietly, leaving the three women to themselves.

Megami wept on as Kagome petted her hair and Sango held her hand. After the sun broke through the windows Megami's sobs slowed and she began to speak. "I'm not sure how much you knew my grandfather, but beneath the cowardly and ornery façade he was a great man. In his youth he was an extraordinary fighter and his weapons are a testament to his skill." Her voice wavered slightly as she said, "I loved him so much."

Kagome pulled Megami into a tight hug, "I know, Megami. He loved you, too."

As Kagome released Megami, Sango pulled the tear-stained demoness into a hug. Once the embrace had broke the girls sat back and looked at each other. Megami wiped her remaining tears away and smiled at her friends. "You know, I consider you two the sisters I never had."

Sango smiled back. "Same here, Megami."

The trio smiled at each other and Megami sat up. Their moment was interrupted as they saw movement in the doorway. Senkotsuke moved into view and he was supporting his grandmother. Shippo trailed behind them looking quite sullen. Yamashita looked as if she had aged twenty years since they last saw her. "Come on, Grandmother," Senkotsuke said as he fought off tears. "Megami, Miss Sango, and Miss Kagome will keep you company while Father and I …" his voice trailed off as he bit back a sob, "Get things ready."

Yamashita nodded weakly as Senkotsuke seated her on the couch. Shippo curled up against Yamashita's side. "Yes, Senkotsuke, help you father." She patted his hand and said, "You were always such a good boy … always willing to help …" The old demoness settled back and cried silently.

The girls looked upon Yamashita with care and concern in their eyes. Sango braved a suggestion, "Would you like some tea, Yamashita?"

Yamashita sluggishly turned her head to the young woman, "Yes, dear. I would. And I've told you, too; call me Grandma."

Sango smiled at her, "Yes, Grandma." She turned to Kagome and Megami, "Would you two please help me in the kitchen?" Kagome and Megami rose and followed Sango into the kitchen. The girls seamlessly moved to prepare tea.

As Megami finished setting the tea pot and cups on the tray she said, "I have never seen her like that."

Kagome handed Megami the tea leaves while saying, "She's suffering. We all are. Totosai has always been good to us."

A faint howl of agony pierced the quiet atmosphere of the kitchen. Sango flinched and dropped the water filled kettle. Megami looked ahead with a stony expression, "My mate has begun his task."


Kintotsuke rolled on the ground whimpering and clutching his hands to his chest. Sesshomaru stood over him holding a pair of pliers. Kintotsuke sat up carefully and looked at his hands. After Sesshomaru broke a few of Kintotsuke's ribs, each claw had been removed by the pliers as Kintotsuke answered every one of Sesshomaru's questions.

"Now," Sesshomaru droned, sounding quite bored, "You have told me that you sought Naraku about six months ago because you were tired of always hiding in the shadows. You wished for power and wealth." He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Greed is such a pathetic motivation; especially when the price that you offered up was your own family." He dug through the tool box and found the hunting knife he had retrieved from Senkotsuke's truck. He unsheathed the blade and tested its sharpness against his thumb. Razor sharp … nothing less from this family … now they are my family and this bastard must pay for hurting and betraying us. Sesshomaru kicked Kintotsuke onto his stomach and took a firm hold of his tail. He placed the blade against the base of Kintotsuke's tail and hissed, "Where is Naraku?"

Kintotsuke whimpered, "He resides north of Seattle. He poses as the head of a logging company, but he also has power over shipping companies, antiquity deals, and pharmaceutical research."

"Where?" Sesshomaru growled, "I want details!"

"It's a little town about an hour north! Arlington! It's out in the country!"

Sesshomaru applied pressure to the blade and demanded, "I want directions!" Kintotsuke began to rattle directions off while whimpering as blood dripped from his tail. When he finished Sesshomaru continued, "And what can we expect? Guards? Dogs? Demons? Booby traps? I want to know everything!" Kintotsuke sung like a canary and every time he began to hesitate in an answer Sesshomaru would apply more pressure, cutting deeper into his tail. When Kintotsuke had relayed every minute detail he could remember Sesshomaru's lip curled up, baring his fangs, and he severed Kintotsuke's tail.

Kintotsuke shrieked. "What the fuck was that for?"

Sesshomaru put his knee into the middle of Kintotsuke's spine brutally to pin him down. With his free hand, he pulled Kintotsuke's head up by the hair and growled, "You do not deserve to bear the markings of a dog demon. I would pull your fangs out but they would just grow back in half a day. Your claws may take some time but the tail is gone. This will take some time as well." The great demon lord raised the knife and chopped off the mass of Kintotsuke's hair that was held in his fist. With rough strokes from the blade, Sesshomaru shaved his captive's head to the scalp.

Once finished, he stood and walked away from Kintotsuke. The battered young demon watched Sesshomaru stride back to the pile of tools and begin to place the knife and pliers back into the tool box. As he closed the lid Kintotsuke asked, "Can I go now?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed at Kintotsuke, then he bent to pick up the tow chain. "Oh no. You see," he laced the links through his hands until he found the middle of the long chain, "what I have done so far has been for what you have done to Totosai." He snapped the steel in half like a dry twig and got a very sadistic look on his face. "But now I will make you suffer for what you have done to Megami."

Kintotsuke's eyes dilated and he turned to run. Before he took half a step Sesshomaru had him caught by the wrist. He wrapped one of the chains around Kintotsuke's wrist. Sesshomaru summoned enough force of his light whip to weld the links firmly around Kintotsuke's wrist. He pulled Kintotsuke to where he left the other half of the chain laying in the dirt and repeated his actions on the other wrist. Sesshomaru took the lengths of chain and affixed them to nearby trees. Kintotsuke was stretched helplessly between the tree trunks. Sesshomaru backed up and stood roughly fifteen feet behind Kintotsuke. With a flick of his wrist the light whip unfurled from his fingertips. He raised his arm and brought the whip down over Kintotsuke's back with violent force to begin the onslaught of his wrath.


Jinkaru and Senkotsuke solemnly drove their shovels into the soft grass as they began to dig a hole for Totosai's ashes. Smoke rose from the remnants of the forge where they had erected a make shift crematorium for their lost loved one. Totosai's body was now being consumed by the flames he once commanded. Jinkaru tossed a shovelful of dirt aside as he heard the clanking of chains. He looked up and saw Sesshomaru walking towards them. Sesshomaru ambled by them without a word and strode to Senkotsuke's truck. He opened the large mounted tool box and placed the smaller tool box back in its place. He dropped the chains beside the truck and walked back to Jinkaru and Senkotsuke. Sesshomaru looked to the both of them, "I owe you a new tow chain, Senkotsuke."

Senkotsuke propped his arm on his shovel and said, "Don't worry about it."

Jinkaru swallowed hard and asked, "Where is the traitor?"

"I got the information we needed and put him through agony before sending him back to his master, helpless and alone."

"You didn't kill him?" Senkotsuke asked.

Sesshomaru shook his head, "He begged me to, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction."

"Good," Jinkaru said in a rough voice.

Sesshomaru put his hand out, "Give me your shovel. We'll finish this up. Go be with your mother and Megami. Tell her we'll be in soon." Jinkaru handed the spade to him and headed for the house. Sesshomaru took the shovel in his hands and drove it into the earth to continue Jinkaru's work.

Senkotsuke looked at him, "What's the news?"

"About what?"

"My sister and the traitor."

Sesshomaru smirked slightly, "Are you going to lecture me like your father did?"

Senkotsuke picked his shovel up once again and scooped up a pile of dirt. "Now, why would I do that? I've been rooting for you two since the beginning."

"Ah," Sesshomaru said as he pushed the spade back into the earth, "Then you know very well what happened tonight."

"Then welcome to the family, Lord Sesshomaru," Senkotsuke added more soil to the pile beside him. "And what happened to the turncoat?"

Sesshomaru tossed another load of dirt aside. "Kintotsuke paid dearly for hurting her," he looked to Senkotsuke, "Hurting my mate has a serious price."

Senkotsuke smiled slightly, "So where are we making travel arrangements for, brother?"

Sesshomaru continued to dig as he said, "Washington State. Naraku is hiding above Seattle."

They finished Totosai's grave in silence. Senkotsuke opened the passageway that led to the forge and they tromped through the tunnel carrying their shovels. Once inside the ruins of the forge the two men looked around mournfully. The crematorium still burned strong and the great anvil was covered by rubble. Senkotsuke laid his shovel aside and leaned against the wall. Unexpectedly he felt part of the wall yield from under his shoulder. Senkotsuke jumped and Sesshomaru looked about rapidly. A section of the wall gave way and a hidden compartment slid forward.

"Hello … what's this?" Senkotsuke asked.