Recap: Inuyasha and Kenshin/Sesshoumaru believe they know of a way to defeat Naraku. By using the Tetsusaiga and the Tenseiga, they may be able to open a gate to the netherworld. However, their plan to seal him inside is complicated. Shippo has been able to temporarily gain back enough control to hold Naraku still. If the brothers continue, the kitsune will be sealed in hell along with Naraku.

The Samurai of Tomorrow

Chapter 43: Endings

"WINDSCAR!"

"TENSEIGA!"

Twin waves of energy shot towards Shippo and Naraku. Naraku hissed in fury as the Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga's attacks swirled around its brother, each glowing more brightly as it reacted off the other.

There was an unnatural stillness to the air, as the world was holding its collective breath.

Kenshin and Inuyasha shielded their eyes as a sudden bright flash of light threatened to blind them. It was followed shortly after by a thunderous boom. Kenshin forced his eyes open in order to see.

He gave a sharp intake of breath. Thousands of ghostly arms appeared to be reaching through a doorway. They snaked around Naraku and Shippo, tightening their hold around the two men.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha yelled.

Naraku roared in hatred as the demonic hands began to pull him and the kitsune down. His eyes glowed a furious red as he lashed out with energy. However, powerful that he might be, he was still inferior to the powers that lay in the next world.

"Fox!" Naraku threatened. Inuyasha stared as he saw the grim smirk on the fox's face. I can't let him die! His hands tightened on his sword. But even if I were able…Naraku could escape.

"Inuyasha!" Kenshin suddenly yelled. He pointed his hand at the duo. Horrific screams filled his ears as the gate to the netherworld widened. More deformed hands latched on to the pair. However, this wasn't what got the swordsman's attention.

Naraku had managed to cast Shippo from his body. Demonic hands wrapped around the freed fox, who was too weak to attempt to fight back. Damn! Inuyasha thought. Now Naraku can…

There was a blazing trail of light as something zipped by Inuyasha's ear. A single arrow embedded itself into a surprised Naraku's chest before he could teleport to freedom. There was a sharp twang as another arrow flew by the hanyou's ear.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. She, Sango, and Aoshi raced up to join the other two. The priestess gripped the possessed bow determinedly as she gazed out at Naraku.

"That should hold him," she said grimly. "At least long enough until…SHIPPO!"

Shippo, now unconscious, had been pulled halfway down through the gate. Without giving a thought, they raced towards the fox.

"Kagome! Aoshi! Stay back!" Inuyasha ordered. "Kenshin and I will get him!" At least, I hope we… Inuyasha sniffed suddenly as he smelled the five newcomers.Kirara, Namu, Kouga, Sanosuke and an unknown human male came down from the sky.

"Mutt Face!" Kouga shouted. "What the hell's…"

"I don't have time Wolf!" Inuyasha shouted back. "Protect Kagome for me!" With that, the hanyou turned and raced after Kenshin, who was nearly at the gate. Kouga's eyes followed them and widened at what he saw.

"What the hell is…?" Sano started.

"I think that is hell," Kouga growled back. "Rooster, stay here with the others." He growled to himself before also racing after Kenshin. He soon caught up to Inuyasha, being the faster of the two.

"What happened?" Kouga yelled. Inuyasha growled in reply.

"No time Baka! Let's get him first!"

Another of Kagome's arrows zipped by them to further seal Naraku from escaping. The demonic hands were quickly pulling him down as well. Inuyasha and Kouga gritted their teeth as they latched their eyes on to Kenshin and Shippo.

"How are we going to get him out?" Kouga growled. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he caught sight of the red haired swordsman and came to a sudden halt.

"The Tenseiga," Inuyasha hissed. "Kouga, stay back! I'm not sure what Kenshin's doing, but we might get in the way." He and Kouga suddenly each gave a yelp as several demonic hands grabbed their ankles.

"Damn!" Inuyasha yelled. He felt himself being pulled towards the gate. The hanyou swung his sword down at the ghostly hands, but to no avail. The Tetsusaiga could only work on the living.

"This isn't good," Kouga muttered. He tried to rip through the hands with his claws. A ghostly tendril wrapped around his outstretched arm and began to pull him forward as well.

"Inuyasha! Kouga!" Kagome screamed. Aoshi placed a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from racing after them. He knew full well that there was nothing they could do.

"The Battousai…" Saito murmured. He and Aoshi stared wordlessly at the red haired figure in the distance. Whereas Inuyasha and Kouga were also being attacked by the ghostly hands, Kenshin seemed to be immune to it.

"Kenshin…" Sano muttered.

………………………………………………………………….

Kenshin reached a hand out to grab the unconscious kitsune. Horrific, ghostly screams rent his ears as he forced his way through the field of demonic hands. He briefly had a vision of walking over a field of skulls. A faint image of Shishio smirked at him across a river of blood, as if mocking him.

The Tenseiga pulsed furiously in his hand as Kenshin swung it at the image. The image of Hell shattered. Kenshin sliced then through the demonic hands that we imprisoning Shippo.

"You can not have him," Kenshin said coldly. His hair flickered between silver and red as he threateningly held up the Tenseiga. The demonic hands seemed to recoil from the aura of the youkai sword in his hands. Kenshin's eyes glimmered a dangerous crimson red as he whipped around to also slice through the hands that were binding Inuyasha and Kouga.

"Be gone," he ordered. A great youkai aura poured out of the swordsman's body as Sesshoumaru's soul threatened to overwhelm his human body. The Tenseiga continued to glow in his hands.

After several long moments, the gate finally pulled Naraku inside and closed.

"Kenshin!"

He faintly heard Inuyasha call out his name. Kenshin had the sensation of shaking his head, as if to clear his mind. Great enormous power, power that he had never felt before, was threatening to burn through his body.

My body can no longer hold my youkai power.

Kenshin's hand loosened around Shippo's arm and released the kitsune from his grasp. Whatever restraints that had been formerly holding his youkai soul in check seemed to have vanished.

"Kenshin!"

Another call. Kenshin's body continued to tremble as the dormant youkai energy in his body continued to wake up. His vision blurred and became a fuzzy red haze.

I'll die if this continues.

A pulse of his youkai energy pushed back Inuyasha and Kouga as they attempted to reach him. It flashed out, striking the surrounding area. His body continued to tremble as his uncontrolled youkai soul threatened to destroy his frail human body. He unconsciously dropped his sword.

I can't control it!

A vision of Kaoru floated into his mind, clouding out all other sensations. She smiled sweetly at him and Kenshin could almost smell her scent.

I want to see her.

He couldn't die. It would destroy her.

Images of Sanosuke, Megumi, Yahiko, Inuyasha, all of the people who had come to care for him flashed through his mind, always with Kaoru at the center. It would destroy all of them.

Kaoru!

His body began to shudder as his youkai energy began to diminish and pull back inside of him. Her face continued to loom in his mind. She held a bokken now. The imaginary Kaoru brandished the wooden sword angrily at him and Kenshin got the message.

Kaoru…this one won't die yet.

Kenshin collapsed as the rest of the latent youkai energy returned to its sleep, yet again to lie dormant in his body. The last image he had before closing his eyes was of a distant Saito and Aoshi staring at him with uncharacteristic surprise.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kenshin opened his eyes some time later. He gave a groan as he attempted to sit up. His entire body ached.

"You should rest," said an unfamiliar voice. Kenshin looked up to see a silver haired woman. She had red eyes, as well as bat ears on her head.

She's a hanyou, his inner voice thought. She smiled down at him.

"My name is Shiori," she said. "We're at Inuyasha's castle in the Western lands." A soft noise caused Kenshin to turn his head. Both Megumi and Kaoru were sitting at his side.

"K..Kaoru…" Kenshin murmured. Kaoru placed a hand gently on his face and didn't remove it for a long time.

"I was worried about you," she murmured. Kenshin smiled as he weakly reached a hand up to grasp hers. Kaoru blushed slightly at this contact, but didn't move her hand.

"This one would have died if not for you," Kenshin said quietly. "My soul threatened to overwhelm my body after Naraku was defeated. It was your face that pulled this one back…"

"Hah! It's about time!" Inuyasha barked. The hanyou bent down to smirk at Kaoru and Kenshin.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Let them be!" The hanyou smirked before wandering off to go see Shippo, leaving the priestess to apologize for Inuyasha interrupting them.

The kitsune was sitting not far from Kenshin. Namu and Sango were sitting by his side, while his wife and two older daughters were helping Inuyasha's daughter to scout the Western lands for any remaining youkai.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked. Shippo gave a grimace as Jinegi, another hanyou, reattached his severed arm. Jinegi and Shiori, the two hanyous that they had long ago encountered had eventually met and fallen in love. The two hanyous had later become renowned healers in the youkai world.

"I've been better," Shippo said dryly. He was still amazed by the change of attitude his son had towards him. Never once since he had woken up had Namu said an ill word towards him. The young hanyou had instead insisted on staying by his father's side.

"Where're the others?" the kitsune asked. Inuyasha smirked.

"Aoshi!" Misao yelled happily. She threw her arms around the tall swordsman, not caring what his reaction would be.

"Misao," Aoshi said quietly. "We are all alright." Misao grinned at him before turning around to see Kouga and Saito watching them. Saito hid a smirk by lighting a new cigarette. The wolf, on the other hand, was giving the young woman a curious look.

"What?" Misao asked him icily. Kouga scratched his head as he peered at her.

"A weasel?" he questioned.

"I'M NOT A WEASEL!"

Saito spit out his cigarette and gave a rare chuckle as the enraged Misao threw several shuriken at the retreating Kouga.

"You sure look like a weasel to me!" Kouga yelled back.

"SHUT UP!" Misao roared, chasing after him.

"They're okay," Inuyasha said dryly. "The Weasel Girl tried to kill Kouga and Miroku possessed Aoshi."

"Wait a minute, the monk did what?" Shippo asked in surprise. Inuyasha smirked again.

"Curious," Aoshi said. He leaned against a door frame as he watched Megume, Shiori and Jinegi tend to the wounded. Yahiko's bokken was currently tucked into his belt. He and Miroku had spent the last forty-five minutes discussing the Naraku's origins.

Aoshi cast his eyes over to where Megumi and Misao were currently standing. They were side by side as they glared down at Yahiko, who had committed some offense against them.

Aoshi suddenly felt his hand twitch and his mind briefly went blank.

Megume and Misao stiffened as they each suddenly felt a hand caressing their rear ends. They each whipped around and planted a hand on the face of Aoshi. They gaped at the tall man, who flashed them an uncharacteristic lecherous grin.

All of a sudden, Aoshi's face darkened as he quickly pulled the possessed bokken out of his belt and threw it at the wall. He unsheathed his short swords and chased after the dead monk, who was trying to escape down the hall.

"Miroku!" Aoshi threatened. Miroku chose not to reply as he sent the bokken flying down the hall.

Shippo chuckled as he looked over at Kenshin and Kaoru. Kaoru was sitting quietly next to Kenshin. The youkai marks on his face had disappeared. The part of his hair that had been silver had since reverted back to red. His swords lay not far from him.

"It was close, wasn't it?" Shippo said quietly.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said. He looked down at Sango and Namu, who were anxiously watching Jinegi reattach their father's arm.

"Finished," Jinegi said quietly. The giant hanyou wiped his hands on a cloth as Shippo moved his arm experimentally.

"I guess you'll want your sword back," Namu said. Shippo gave him an unreadable expression before placing a hand on his son's head.

"No," Shippo said quietly. "It's yours now." He pulled his oldest child into an embrace. Tears glinted in Namu's eyes as he tightened his arms around his father.

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The next chapter is "Epilogue", which is the official ending of this story. However, as I stated before, I have a small series of shorts I'm going to add as bonus chapters.