Chapter 9: Inuyasha
"Die witch!"
"Such a temper," the female youkai purred. The angry wolf facing her bared his teeth as his eyes glowed red in fury.
"I will avenge my comrades!" Kouga shouted.
"Pathetic little wolf," Kagura hissed. "Naraku has already taken your jewel shards." The wolf youkai responded by howling and throwing himself in a rage at her.
"Kouga!" Kagome shouted.
"Leave him alone, Kagome. The blood's gone to his head," Sango said. Kagome gritted her teeth in frustration, but slowly nodded her head. The priestess turned her gaze to where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were currently arguing with each other. Naraku had temporarily eluded them, but instead of following his scent, the brothers were too intent on picking a fight with each other.
"Inuyasha!" she yelled. If only there was some way she could make both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru sit. A high pitched scream cut short her thoughts.
Kouga grinned in savage delight as Kagura stared in horror at the bloody hole in her chest. He flexed a blood soaked, clawed hand as the blood wrath slowly drained from him. The female youkai gave a choking gasp as she tried to speak.
"H…how…" she never finished. The female incarnation of Naraku slumped over onto her side, dead eyes staring unseeing into the horizon. The wolf youkai gave a chuckle before he fell to his knees. Blood poured out from his many wounds as he growled softly in pain.
"Kouga!" The wolf looked bleary eyed up at the woman he loved. The mortal he would never have. By gods, but she was beautiful. Kouga noticed faintly that Inuyasha and his brother were both staring at him and the dead Kagura. The wolf opened his mouth, intending to give the hanyou some smart remark, but found he didn't have the energy.
"Kagome, I'm sorry I didn't kill Naraku for you," he whispered before closing his eyes. Kagome stared down at the wolf, her eyes welling up with tears. Some inner strength she didn't know she had left caused her to suddenly stand up straight and swing around. This strange inner strength also caused her to glare at the golden eyed dog youkai.
"Sesshoumaru! Please bring Kouga back to life!" she begged. The Lord of the Western Lands gave her an impassive look, which further angered the mortal. "What the hell is that sword good for if you won't use it?" A very faint look of astonishment passed over Sesshoumaru's features as he considered her. Then the Tenseiga began to pulsate at the youkai's side.
"It would appear," Sesshoumaru murmured quietly, "that Tenseiga has decided for me." With that, a clawed hand grasped the hilt and he withdrew the powerful sword.
Shippo slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. His pointed ears twitched as Yahiko and Kaoru's loud snoring reached his ears. The kitsune had intended to keep watch all night, but Kenshin and Sanosuke had wanted to keep a lookout for a few hours. Megumi had since left after they'd cleaned up the damage and eaten.
The kitsune carefully stood up, taking care not to wake his daughter. Sango had curled up next to her father and was currently sleeping peacefully. Sometimes he envied her and his two older daughters. They didn't have the troubling memories that he had.
Shippo lightly stroked the girl's hair before padding quietly to the door. He silently slid it open as he stepped lightly outside. Kenshin and Sanosuke both looked up at him before staring back out into the darkness. It would be morning soon.
Kenshin slid over so that the kitsune could have a seat between them. The kitsune gave him a nod in thanks as he sat. Sanosuke waved a half empy bottle of his favorite drink at the youkai.
"Sake?" he asked.
"Sure," Shippo answered. Sanosuke grinned and poured him a cup.
"What?" the kitsune asked.
"Kenshin hardly ever drinks. It's nice to know that there's at least one other normal person around here."
"Oro?" Kenshin asked.
"Kenshin," Sano explained with mock patience, "you're probably the weirdest person here." Shippo gave a laugh as he drained his cup. The red-haired mortal gave his friend a glare before smiling sweetly.
"Sano?"
"Eh?"
"When this one thinks of normal, you don't come to mind, that you don't."
"Feh," Sano grumbled, "Like you…hey! Shippo!" Kenshin looked over at the kitsune and blinked in surprise.
"Oro?" he asked. Then he threw back his head and laughed. Shippo had shape shifted into Sanosuke's image. Now the fox was mimicking Sano's every expression.
"Shippo!" Sano yelled.
"Shippo!" the kitsune mimicked. Kenshin laughed harder.
"You stupid fox!"
"You baka human!" Kenshin decided he'd better stop this before it went too far. He waved his hands at the two men.
"Now, now you two…" But Shippo wasn't finished. Still transformed as Sanosuke, he rose to one knee and held out his arms.
"Oh Megumi, my love, would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"
Sanosuke socked him good and Shippo transformed back to his original form. Kenshin hung his head in defeat as the door slid open. The three men looked up to see Kaoru and little Sango glaring at them with crossed arms. Shippo and Sanosuke pointed accusing fingers at each other.
Kaoru cleared her throat loudly before addressing the other small youkai at her side.
"Jaken, would you please tell these three idiots what time of night it is?" Jaken gulped as he hastened to obey the irate female.
"It is nearly two hours until dawn, Miss Kaoru."
"And would you please explain to them that people are generally asleep at this hour?"
"Actually most youkai are usually…" Kaoru glared at Jaken before he could finish. He jumped at the look on her face before obeying meekly.
"Miss Kaoru would prefer it if the three of you quieted down so that she could sleep," Jaken could hardly believe that he was obeying Kaoru. In fact, he found it almost ghastly that he was giving an order to his lord and master!
The three males nodded dumbly before Kaoru stalked back into the house, followed by Sango and Jaken. Yahiko was still snoring unconcerned in the house. They each stared wordlessly at each other for a moment before reaching for the remaining sake. Even Kenshin wanted a drink now.
"Hey Shippo," Sanosuke whispered.
"Eh?"
"I'm guessing that Sango takes after her mother, doesn't she?" Shippo drained his cup before answering him.
"It doesn't matter if she's youkai or human, old or young. An angry woman is a dangerous woman."
Kenshin and Sanosuke both agreed with that.
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Yahiko rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Sanosuke licked his lips. Shippo sniffed the air curiously. Jaken stared in astonishment.
Kenshin ignored them all.
The red-haired swordsman checked on the boiling rice as he chopped up the tofu for the miso soup. After he added the tofu to the soup, he paused in thought. What next? Oh yes, of course, the miso.
Jaken couldn't take it anymore. He fell down in shock. The reincarnation of Lord Sesshoumaru was cooking breakfast…and he was enjoying it!
Shippo decided to be brave and snuck up next to Kenshin. He sniffed the pot and watched the man work for several minutes in astonishment before finally asking.
"Why isn't Kaoru cooking?"
"Because Miss Kaoru can't cook, that she can't." A faint female voice of denial drifted in from the other room, causing the two men to jump.
"Yeah," Yahiko added anyway, "If Kaoru cooked breakfast, we'd all die of food poisoning!"
"YAHIKO! I HEARD THAT!"
Shippo took the opportunity to sneak outside. He shook his head in amazement. Kenshin cooking breakfast, wait until Inuyasha heard about this. Inuyasha. Shippo's head snapped up as he caught the hanyou's scent. Inuyasha was here, and he'd brought Namu with him. The kitsune felt his back stiffen.
Moments later, the hanyou lord burst through the trees. A few seconds later, the younger fox hanyou appeared as well.
Namu fell to his knees in exhaustion. Finally. They were here. The young hanyou sniffed the air as he smelled food. His stomach rumbled in reply.
"NAMU!" The hanyou looked up just in time to see his youngest sister barrel into him. The young fox hanyou gave a tired grin as he gave Sango a hug. He tousled his sister's hair before looking up at his father.
His father stood stiffly before him. His green eyes seemed to pierce his and Namu self-consciously realized that his clothes and hair were dirty from the long night's run. Somehow though, Inuyasha had managed to stay almost immaculately clean. Namu felt his face redden, but forced himself to speak.
"Father."
"Namu."
This was how it always went. First the silent appraisal, then the brief acknowledgment of the other. Finally, next would come the curt questions about each other's health.
"Your trip?" Shippo asked gruffly.
"Fine. You?"
"Fine."
"Good."
Inuyasha shook his head at them. Eventually he was going to force father and son to sit down and have an actual conversation. He felt sorry for young Sango, who was currently watching the exchange between her half brother and father with worry. Unfortunately, Inuyasha didn't have time to deal with Shippo's family problems at the moment. He had his own.
"Shippo, where is he?"
The kitsune turned to the house. Sanosuke was standing in the doorway. They met eyes for a moment before Sano turned back into the house. The human had understood. Inuyasha was here.
The hanyou lord followed the kitsune into the house. Inuyasha paused in the doorway as he sniffed the air.
"Breakfast?" he asked.
"Yeah," Shippo hesitated before adding, "Kenshin's cooking." Inuyasha stared blankly at him; his ears twitched in surprise.
"He's what?"
"He's cooking."
"What?"
"Your brother? I said he's cooking."
"What!"
"Inuyasha!" Jaken yelled as he ran to the hanyou. He then barely managed to get out of Inuyasha's way as the hanyou barreled past.
"Inuyasha! You wretch!" the old youkai yelled in outrage.
Inuyasha burst into the kitchen and stared at the scene in shock. A young boy was standing nearby with an empty bowl. He had a wooden sword tucked into his sash. The hanyou glanced briefly at the tall brunette that towered over him. He gaped at the red-head holding a handful of scallions in one hand and small knife in the other.
The hanyou gaped wordlessly as his golden eyes widened. He pointed a clawed hand at Kenshin, closed it, pointed it again, then closed it. He stared stunned at the human in front of him. Then he began to laugh hysterically.
The stunned Kenshin could only find one response to the laughing Inuyasha.
"ORO?"
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The woman straightened the collar of her kimono. It was the color of blood, as was the obi sash around her waist. The color matched her eyes perfectly. She briefly straightened her dark green hair and checked the poisoned shuriken hidden in her sleeves. One could never be too careful. The youkai then made sure that the gold necklace and earrings were in place. Such an odd thing, this jewelry. She'd taken them from a foreign human, a Spaniard if she recalled correctly. The intricate gold contrasted sharply with the blood red of her clothes. The youkai rather liked it.
The air was dank in the corridor. The female youkai didn't understand how the Master could stand it. She followed the lantern lit pathway until she came to two giant, oak doors. Two lioness youkai lifted their heads and growled at her. Another foreign oddity. The Master had brought them in from Africa.
Each lioness had twin tails, which were currently beating the ground in warning. Their ears flattened as the females' silver eyes glowed.
"Oh shut up," the woman growled at them. The lionesses glowered at her, but let the youkai pass. The woman pushed open the doors and walked in. The Master was waiting.
"Did you get them?"
"No, Master. I fear we did not."
"I did not expect you would. The reincarnation of Sesshoumaru, mortal or not, is still dangerous."
"The kitsune was with him."
"Was he now?"
The woman lifted her red eyes up to study the other youkai. The Master seemed deep in thought. The decapitated head of her Master looked at her and the woman lowered her gaze. The body of her Master had been lost in a battle many years ago.
"Inuyasha will be there soon, Raizel."
"Yes, Master."
"Take care of him."
"Of course, Lady Kagura."
Kagura watched as Raizel bowed and left. Loyal, but calculating, the woman had become her hands as she had none of her own. Curse that wolf. She would make him pay dearly. Kagura had in fact been dead, and would have remained so if not for the intervention of a dark sorceress. However, her body had been lost and it was a miracle that her head had survived at all. The cursed wolf had hung her head outside the caves of his mountain home.
Kagura licked her lips as she imagined Kouga's death to come. She would hang his corpse from the tower of her fortress. Of course, she had killed the dark sorceress. Pathetic human, thinking that she could enslave a bodyless youkai to her will. Kagura was not powerless. Soon she would have another body. Soon she would have her revenge. But first she had to destroy the sword.
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"ORO?"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Shippo groaned. Where was Kagome when you needed her? Inuyasha really needed a sit. Badly. Fortunately for Kenshin, Kaoru had just entered the room.
"Inuyasha…" Shippo warned. Inuyasha wiped tears from his eyes while Namu and Sango pretended not to be associated with either of them. The hanyou seemed to bring himself under control for a few seconds, that is until he looked at Kenshin again.
Snicker.
Shippo was about to take drastic measures to shut him up, but Kaoru beat him to the punch. Literally. Actually she used a bokken, but it was the same principle.
"Oww!" Inuyasha yelped.
"That's what you get for laughing at Kenshin!"
"It's not my fault! It's not like I was expecting the asshole to be cooking or anything!"
"INUYASHA!" Shippo yelled and this time he did punch the hanyou. Namu and Sango both covered their faces in embarrassment.
"SHIPPO! DAMN YOU!" Inuyasha punched him back.
"HE'S SESSHOUMARU'S REINCARNATION, NOT SESSHOUMARU HIMSELF!"
"I KNOW THAT DAMMIT!"
The kitsune and the hanyou growled at each other in agitation before they each gave a 'feh' and calmed down. Inuyasha glowered as he imagined what Kagome would say.
Inuyasha, apologize to him. No, he would protest, I won't do it. He imagined her glare. She'd have sat him by now. Inuyasha, apologize. Inuyasha opened his mouth.
"I'm…sorry," he muttered. Dammit, he hated apologizing! But Kagome would make him do it if she was here. He faintly imagined her next words in his mind. There, was that so hard? She'd have asked cheerfully. Then Miroku would have given some smart remark. For Inuyasha, always. Stupid monk. He could have used his insight right about now.
Kenshin and Inuyasha stared at each other for a long moment. Kenshin finally decided to take the initiative. He gave the hanyou lord a polite bow.
"My name is Himura Kenshin, as you probably already know. Shippo has spoken highly of you, that he has."
Inuyasha looked at him with surprise. He wasn't sure what to make of this red-haired mortal. It wasn't going anything like he had imagined it. Again, he imagined Kagome prodding at him. The hanyou gave a bow as well. Damn it. Today of all days was the day he needed her and the others.
Young Sango took it upon herself to introduce their new friends to Inuyasha and her brother. The hanyou was civil, having recovered from his initial shock. After pleasantries had been exchanged, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Inuyasha turned to find a grave Shippo eyeing him.
"Inuyasha, there's something I want you to see."
"What's that?"
"The Hand of the Spider."
"Huh?"
"A group of youkai attacked us yesterday. They called themselves the Hand of the Spider. We saved two of their bodies."
"The Hand of the Spider?"
"Yes…and they have Naraku's spider mark on their chests."
Inuyasha stared at him. Then giving a low growl, he replied.
"Show me."