Chapter 11: Possession

It had all started with a sword. From the moment he had met the boy, it had all begun with the sword.

A group of bandits had attacked a young boy who could have been no more than nine or ten years old. The swords master had killed the men and left. But his conscience had kept preying on him until the man finally went looking for the boy. He'd found the red-head standing amidst freshly dug graves the next day, staring at the three graves of his friends. The boy had even buried the slave traders and the bandits.

"What's your name child?" The boy looked up at him solemnly before answering.

"Shinta."

Shinta. Hiko Seijuro studied the child and wondered if he dared to do what he was considering. With the way the country was, the boy didn't have much for options. That is, if even lived into adulthood.

"Shinta is too soft a name for a future swordsman." No going back now. "From now on your name is to be Kenshin." Kenshin…Sword Heart. The boy looked up at him in surprise before nodding his head.

It had all started with a sword.

A little more than a year later, Seijuro looked behind him with an air of annoyance. Although he really wasn't irritated, it did serve as a great motivator for young Kenshin.

"Kenshin!"

The boy staggered up the mountain path to where his master was waiting impatiently. His short legs wobbled from the strain and his breathing came in ragged gasps. His now soaked red hair clung stickily to the back of his neck.

Kenshin didn't complain. He was old enough to know the alternative route his young life might have taken. The former slave had only complained once and Seijuro had given him a thump to the head for it.

The Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi watched the boy struggle up the treacherous terrain. His heart was in it; that was good. But his strength was waning. Perhaps he needed a little encouragement.

"Hurry up Baka-chan, before I'm old and decrepid!" That did it. The boy's eyes lit up in outrage as he raced up the trail with newfound energy.

"Don't call me Baka-chan!" Kenshin yelled. Seijuro grinned as he turned and sprinted effortlessly up the mountain. The swords master gave an arrogant swirl of his long white coat as he laughed at Kenshin, further agitating the young boy.

"Shut up!" Kenshin yelled at him.

"Hah! I see you still have energy left; I guess I'm not working you hard enough!" Seijuro yelled from up above.

"Working hard enough! I can barely walk!" An amused Seijuro began to fire off a retort when he heard Kenshin scream.

Had the man now known as Hiko Seijuro not been the current master of the Hiten Mitsurugi, then Kenshin surely would have been dead.

Seijuro's blade met the boar youkai before it could sink its tusks into the exhausted young boy. The youkai's mouth frothed with foam as its bloodless eyes stared into Seijuro's own. As it prepared to charge him, Seijuro calmly slipped into a Gedan stance. He was not prepared for what happened next.

His young apprentice slipped between them and leapt at the youkai. Seijuro tried to grab him, but somehow the child eluded his grasp. Kenshin screamed inhumanly at the youkai as he wrapped a hand around a tusk and swung up onto its back.

Seijuro watched in astonishment as the boy rammed a sharp stone into the back of the youkai's neck. Momentarily stunned, the boar lost its balance and Kenshin fell from it. He landed on all fours and stared up at Seijuro.

A pair of red-tinged golden eyes glared up at the stunned swords master.

"Kenshin," Seijuro said. The boy growled at him. Alarmed, Seijuro tightened the grip on his sword. What had happened to the child?

The boar youkai shook itself and refocused its eyes on the human child in front of it.

"Kenshin!" Seijuro yelled again. The boy turned around, but not quickly enough to entirely avoid the charging youkai. The force of the blow knocked Kenshin aside.

"Kenshin!" Seijuro boomed. Before the youkai could mount another assault, Seijuro swiftly killed it. Its decapitated head fell to the ground with a thump. He resheathed his sword and raced after the boy, who had tumbled some ways down the mountain.

"Kenshin?"

Seijuro's eyebrows furrowed in concern. The boy lay motionless as he approached. A heavy gash had formed above Kenshin's eyes. Seijuro lightly touched his apprentice, causing him to groan. Kenshin's eyes fluttered open in confusion as he stared blearily up at his master. His eyes were normal again.

"Master?" he croaked.

"Careful Kenshin, I think you have a concussion."

"What happened Master?"

Seijuro paused. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the young red head.

"You don't remember anything?" The boy winced as he tried to shake his head no.

"No, I just remember chasing you."

"…That's all?"

"Yes."

Seijuro stared down at Kenshin in astonishment before gently picking him up. He carried the boy up to the youkai and showed him the body.

"Do you remember now?"

"…No Master, I'm sorry," Kenshin replied. The Master looked down at his apprentice, but the boy had already closed his eyes. Seijuro studied the unconscious child for a long moment before finally starting down the mountain.

Hiko Seijuro opened his eyes and sat up. Of all the memories to dream about, why had that one come up? The swords master walked outside to stare up at the night sky.

The Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi wasn't a superstitious man, but he also believed that a smart man paid attention to his dreams. Seijuro looked out to the horizon, to where Tokyo lay many miles away.

What was his bumbling apprentice up to now?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"What is it Kenshin?"

Kenshin was on his feet, staring at the door. His reverse sword was halfway out of its sheath.

"Wake Miss Kaoru and the others up Sanosuke."

Sanosuke needed not to have bothered. Inuyasha pounded on the roof and yelled for everyone to get the hell up. Jaken awoke with a snort and grabbed his staff. Sango and Namu were already alert.

"What's going on?" Kaoru asked, now fully awake. She and Yahiko were both gripping their bokkens. Her words fell on deaf ears. Kenshin had already run outside. Sanosuke ran after him, pausing only to grab the Hiraikotsu that Shippo had given him.

Raizel fanned herself as her green lips smirked at the gathering. Inuyasha and Shippo were both standing in front of her now with drawn swords. Her smirk deepened as Kenshin joined them.

"So this is the mighty Sesshoumaru," she purred. "How does it feel to be a mere mortal now?" She was rewarded with a cold reply.

"This one is Himura Kenshin, not Sesshoumaru, that he is." The green haired youkai chuckled lightly to herself as Inuyasha took a threatening step forward.

"What the hell do you want wench?"

"Wench? That's not a very nice way to address a lady, hanyou."

"Feh," Inuyasha growled. "I've known ladies and you ain't one. Now answer me wench, who the hell are you?"

"Me?" Raizel licked her lips seductively. "I'm the Hand of the Spider."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he stared at the woman. He heard Shippo growl softly at his side while Kenshin told Sanosuke to look after the others.

"The Hand of the Spider huh? Tell me wench, why did your cronies have Naraku's mark on their chests?" Inuyasha growled. The female youkai threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh, I'm not the leader of the Hand. I will say that those youkai that your friends faced yesterday were just low-class soldiers, I however, am not."

Inuyasha turned to Shippo and the kitsune nodded his head in agreement. The youkai he had killed were just low-class scum. They turned their attention back to the youkai as she took a step forward.

"Not another step wench, what do you want?" Inuyasha growled.

"Such manners…" she purred. "I would have expected better from the Lord of the Western Lands, unless you…" Inuyasha didn't let her finish. He leapt at her with the intention of slicing through the wind scar, but she teleported out of the way.

"Where the hell did she…" Inuyasha spun around to see the youkai standing next to Kenshin.

"My my, what a pretty face you have," she crooned at Kenshin. She reached out to touch his cross-shaped scar, but Kenshin pulled one of his own disappearing acts. He's fast! Inuyasha thought with some shock. Kenshin was now standing next to Sanosuke.

"That wasn't very nice," Raizel purred, "You're just as well mannered as your brother." Kenshin replied coldly again.

"This one is Himura Kenshin, that he is. Now please answer Inuyasha's question, what business do you have here?"

"Hmm, you're even polite when you're angry. That's rare in a man. How would you like to be my pet?" Kenshin's eyes narrowed into slits and Inuyasha saw them flash yellow. Kaoru, for her part, had become enraged at the female youkai.

"KENSHIN'S NO ONE'S PET! NOW GET OUT OF MY DOJO!" Kaoru went in to attack the smiling youkai, but Kenshin pulled her back.

"Kaoru stay back…" Kenshin warned.

"But Ken…" Kaoru gasped in realization. He hadn't called her Miss Kaoru, which meant that the Battousai was near the surface. This wasn't good.

Raizel smiled to herself. So Sesshoumaru has a woman…interesting. She could make use of that new piece of information. She supposed she had better get to the point.

"I've come for your swords, Sesshoumaru."

Kenshin said nothing. Inuyasha felt a few hairs rise on the back of his neck. The human's personality seemed to have taken a whole turnaround. Shippo turned to his children.

"Look after the swords," the kitsune ordered. Sango nodded and ran back into the house. Namu raced after his sister, for once not arguing with his father. Jaken was torn between following them or staying near Kenshin. The kitsune turned back to the intruder.

"Who are you woman?" Shippo asked. She gave a hrumph as she answered.

"My name is Raizel and I serve Kagura, even if not for long."

Kagura? Inuyasha and Shippo's eyes narrowed as they stared at the woman.

"But how…?" Shippo asked. Kagura was dead; they had both watched her die. Kouga had stuck her head on a stake in the mountain side. Her head…he and Inuyasha looked at each other as realization hit them. Kagura's head had disappeared nearly seventy years ago, but they hadn't thought much of it.

"Sorcery…" Shippo growled. Sanosuke tightened his grip on the Hiraikotsu as he stared at the youkai.

"What do you mean by 'not for long', wench?" Sanosuke growled. Inuyasha and Shippo looked back at him with surprise. They had forgotten he was there. They looked at each other before staring back at her.

"Answer Sanosuke," Shippo warned. The youkai merely smiled malevolently as she flipped out her fan to wave herself again.

"All this talk is boring me to tears, give me the swords," she demanded.

"Go to hell," Inuyasha replied. Raizel smirked as she held out the fake Sacred Jewel. Both the kitsune and the hanyou gasped.

"Inuyasha…" Shippo started.

"There's no way that's the Sacred Jewel," Inuyasha replied.

"Of course not you fools, it's a fake. However, even a fake Shikon jewel has some power if given to the right person."

Yahiko's eyes widened at the jewel in her hand. He felt something strange from it, as if it had a faint presence. He could be blind and still be able to point at its exact spot. The young swordsman didn't understand what this meant.

The boy looked over at Kenshin, who was still standing silently. A deadly calmness had settled on the former Ishin Shishi, raisng a few chills in the young boy.

"Kenshin!" he yelled.

"Yahiko, stay back." Kenshin's voice seemed to have gained a greater intensity. The part of his mind that was still the Ishin Shishi was screaming for him to kill the woman. Kenshin's self-control was slipping.

The red-haired swordsman lunged at the youkai, but she disappeared with a laugh. Kenshin paused before breaking out of the Battousai in a panic.

"The swords!" Kenshin yelled. "She's in the house!"

Inuyasha swore as he, Shippo, and Kenshin started for the house. Sanosuke had already pushed Kaoru and Yahiko out of the way as he headed in. Shippo beat him to it as fatherly concern for his children took hold of his heart.

"Sango! Namu!" A blast pushed Shippo and Sanosuke out of the house. The kitsune was immediately on his feet and racing back toward the house with his heart beating in his chest.

Raizel stood in the doorway. She had one clawed hand around Namu's throat and another wrapped in Sango's hair. The small kitsune hugged the swords to her chest, unwilling to give them up.

"NO!" Shippo lunged in fury at the youkai, with an enraged Inuyasha not far behind. The kitsune's eyes were now glowing red in hatred.

"Not another move," Raizel warned, "Unless you want your children to die kitsune."

Shippo paused before he could strike her. He wanted nothing more than to rip the youkai's throat out. Inuyasha was having similar thoughts as he growled dangerously at the green-haired woman.

"The swords girl, give them to me," Raizel ordered. Sango shook her head and cried out in pain as Raizel yanked her head back. Shippo lunged at her.

"I said stay back kitsune!" Raizel shoved Namu in front of her and Shippo stopped himself. His blade hovered just inches from his son's heart. The kitsune hastily pulled it back. A deep growl burned his throat as he hatefully glared at the female youkai.

Inuyasha growled to himself. It was a stalemate. She needed to be distracted, but how? He cursed the youkai, causing her to smile sweetly at him. The hanyou spat at the ground and charged the woman in anger. Raizel threw Namu at him before he could do anything. Both hanyous crashed into the ground and rolled.

"DAMN YOU WENCH!" Shippo yelled. He ran at the youkai with the Kadouki in hand. Raizel teleported out of the way before the infuriated kitsune could attack. She held Sango in front of her.

"I spared your son, shall I kill your daughter kitsune?" The kitsune bared his fangs at her. Raizel reached down to take the Tenseiga from the girl, but the sword rejected her touch. The blade clattered to the ground. This caused Sanosuke to smirk at her.

"I guess it doesn't like you," he quipped.

"No matter," Raizel said, "It's the Toukijin I'm after." She reached down for the other sword, but Yahiko brought his pick pocketing skills into play. The young boy had managed to sneak close enough to the youkai that he was able to grab the Toukijin and run. Raizel smirked to herself. This is too easy. Yahiko had done exactly as she wanted.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru yelled.

"I got it!" Yahiko yelled, but then he froze. A shiny fragment on the sword drew Inuyasha's attention.

"She put the fake jewel on the sword!" The hanyou yelled. Kenshin and Sanosuke ran toward Yahiko, but a blast of youkai energy threw them back.

"YAHIKO!" Kenshin yelled. Raizel began to laugh. The others watched in horror as a demonic miasma poured from the Toukijin's blade and enveloped the boy.

"What the hell…" Inuyasha muttered. Raizel threw Sango to the side as she started for Yahiko.

"What fools," Raizel laughed. "To keep a sword that was created from an incarnation of Naraku."

Yahiko gave a hoarse scream and was suddenly silent. The miasma poured into his mouth and the boy's body jerked back. He stood silently for a moment before opening his eyes. They glowed a violent red as a familiar deep laugh boomed from the boy.

"That voice, it's…" Shippo started.

"Naraku," Raizel finished. She smiled coldly at the others. "Naraku poured his soul into that sword before he died. That fake Shikon jewel and the boy's spiritual powers have woken him up."

"YAHIKO!" Kaoru screamed. Kenshin stood deadly still as he shook in cold rage. Something snapped inside of him. As Jaken took a step back, he looked to where the Tenseiga was still lying. It was pulsating. The little youkai yelled at Kenshin.

"Master! Your sword!"

Kenshin didn't hear. The Battousai had broken loose and all he wanted was blood. As the enraged Kenshin raced toward Raizel, the unseen form of a human spirit looked on in horror.

The human soul reached an invisible hand out to the living. The dead monk could not just sit back and watch.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Author's note: Next time on Chapter 12: Battle for Yahiko- As everyone fights to release Yahiko from Naraku's control, can Kenshin control the Battousai within?

As you can see, I've decided to throw the arrogant Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi himself into the fray. I do plan to throw some minor RK characters in as well, but am still undecided about Aoshi or Enishi.