The Samurai of Tomorrow
Chapter 44: Epilogue
"Hold on Kenji, we're almost there."
"I wanna get down!"
"Kenji! Hold still!" Kaoru attempted vainly to get the young child to keep still. Giving up, she turned to glare at her husband. "Kenshin! Control your son!"
Kenshin smiled as he reached his hands out to the boy. Kenji grinned widely as he ran to his father's arms.
"Almost there?" the boy asked.
"Almost there," Kenshin promised. He, Kaoru, Kenji, Yahiko, and Megumi were on their way to the Western lands. Hachi had come over to give them a lift, so they were currently floating over somewhere in the country side.
"Hopefully Rooster hasn't got into trouble," Yahiko muttered. The sixteen year old crossed his arms and gave an Inuyasha like smirk. Sanosuke had left yesterday with Shippo and Saito.
"Look," Hachi said. "It's up ahead."
The four humans looked on ahead to see Inuyasha's lands appear in the distance. Yahiko snickered to himself as he thought about the fight he and Namu would have. The fox hanyou and his younger sister had since also become Kaoru's students in the Kamiya Kasshin.
Perhaps they could try ambushing Inuyasha again.
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"Okina!" Misao bellowed. "Hurry up or you'll be left behind!"
Kirara mewed to herself as she, Misao, and Aoshi waited for Okina. Inuyasha and Kagome had decided to invite everyone over to their castle to meet their newborn son.
The cat youkai had flown over to give them a ride. She spent part of her time in Tokyo since Namu and Sango had started training at Kaoru's dojo. The cat also occasionally helped Saito Hajime when he felt he needed her instincts on a case. The policemen always paid her for her efforts with some fresh fish from the market.
"Old Man!" Misao yelled. Her new husband checked their bags to be certain that they weren't forgetting anything as they waited for the old pervert.
"Perhaps you should check on him," Aoshi said. "He is most likely trying to find some new piece of interesting literature to show Miroku."
Misao grumbled to herself and stalked into the house. The two perverts had become good friends over the past few years. Okina even occasionally allowed the monk to briefly possess him so that he might be able to interact with the ladies.
Which, of course, irritated Sango to no end.
"OLD MAN!" Misao threatened. "GET OUT HERE!"
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"Come to Grandpa," Inuyasha said. He held his hands out to his granddaughter Izayoi. She looked at him with wide golden eyes and then looked over at her other grandfather.
"No, don't listen to him. Come to me!" Kouga insisted. He and Inuyasha glared at each other as they competed for the attention of their grandchild. The dark haired girl looked back and forth until a new scent caught her attention.
"Uncle Kenny!"
The young girl streaked off and plowed into Kenshin's legs. She hugged his legs and insisted on being picked up, much to the chagrin of her grandfathers.
"Traitor!" Kouga yelled. Inuyasha, however, was appeased when Kenji launched himself at the hanyou. The young boy grinned as he gave a playful tug on the man's dog ears.
"Uncle Inuyasha play?" he asked. Inuyasha grinned as he tousled the boy's hair.
"Sure. We'll play later," the hanyou promised.
"How are you Kenji?" Miroku asked. His bokken was tucked into Inuyasha's sash next to the Tetsusaiga. The boy grinned at the wooden sword.
"Mr. Bokken!" Kenji yelled. Inuyasha gave a bark of laughter as the monk grumbled inside the sword.
"Miroku, it's Miroku," the dead monk corrected yet again. He swore; the boy did it just on purpose to annoy him.
They turned around at the sound of a crash, followed by two yells. Namu and Yahiko attacked each other with their bokkens before racing down the hallway. The young fox hanyou had his father's sword stuck in his sash as well, which Shippo had given to him several years ago.
"Get back here Fox!" Yahiko threatened. Namu paused long enough to smirk and call back.
"Better hurry up if you want to catch me Dog Breath!"
Megumi shook her head as the two young men continued to chase each other down the long corridor. She looked down as a tug on her sleeve to find another fox looking at her.
"Megumi-sensei," Sango said. The young girl grinned up at her. Megumi smiled back at the youkai. Shippo's daughter had decided to become a healer, so she spent part of her time training with her and Doctor Genzu, and the rest of the time training in youkai medicine with Shiori and Jinegi.
"Where's the rooster at?" the doctor questioned. Sango smirked as she pointed down the hall.
"He's drinking sake with my father and Saito."
"I see," Megumi said. "Has he caused any trouble?"
"Well…" the girl grinned. "He did get into a fight with Saito-san and Kouga, but Father used his fox magic to tie them up. Then they chased him around the castle until Kagome, Sango, Ayame, and Mother threatened them."
"Where is Kagome anyway?" Kaoru asked.
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Kagome hummed happily to herself as she changed her new son's clothes. The infant grinned up at her with large golden eyes. Unlike Amaya and Inutari before him, the boy had inherited Inuyasha's silver hair instead of her own raven hair.
"Stop squirming," she admonished. The priestess finished dressing him in a smaller version of Inuyasha's red haori.
"He's a lot like his father," Sango said. "He can't sit still."
The baby waved his hands and gurbled as his father walked in, followed closely by Kenshin, Kaoru, Kenji, Megumi, Yahiko, and Namu. Inuyasha gave a silly grin as he picked his new child up and swung him around.
"Inuyasha!' Kagome warned. "Be careful with him!"
"Naw, it's okay," Inuyasha replied. "He's a strong little guy." His son grinned back at him.
"What's his name?" Kaoru asked. She and the others smiled at the young infant. Both Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged grins before Inuyasha held his son out to Kenshin.
"Kenshin," Inuyasha said with sudden seriousness. "Meet Shinta."
Kenshin's eyes widened in surprise as he took the child from Inuyasha. Shinta grinned cheerfully up at him and grabbed a small fistful of his namesake's hair.
"We named him after you," Inuyasha said quietly. "Your real name, not Kenshin."
"He's adorable," Kaoru cooed.
"I wanna see!" Kenji insisted. Kenshin smiled and bent down to show Inuyasha and Kagome's child to his son. Kenji and Shinta stared curiously at each other as the adults looked on in amusement.
Suddenly, Shinta's small hand let go of Kenshin's hair and locked on to his son's. Kenji gave a wail as Shinta gave a tug on his red hair and giggled.
"Let go let go!" Kenji demanded. Shinta giggled happily. Kagome and Kaoru sighed as they bent down to dislodge the red hair from Shinta's grasp.
"It looks like the start of a beautiful relationship," Megumi said dryly.
Kaoru picked up Kenji and talked softly with him, telling him that Shinta hadn't meant to hurt him. The red haired boy stopped crying, but he still shot a glare at the silver haired infant.
"What about you Yahiko?" Miroku said slyly. "When are you and Tsubame going to have children?" Yahiko's face reddened. He began to sputter and shake his fist at the dead monk.
"We're not even married!" Yahiko yelled.
"Ah, but you want her to have your children, don't you?" the monk continued. Yahiko glared dangerously at him as his face deepened into a darker shade of red. Kagome giggled as she leaned close to Kaoru and Megumi.
"He looks so much like Inuyasha when he's embarrassed," she whispered. Inuyasha's ears twitched when he heard that, but wisely chose not to reply.
"Miroku, leave him alone," Sango ordered. The monk stopped antagonizing the teenager, lest his wife become angry.
"Let's go into the Main Hall," Kagome suggested. "Misao, Aoshi, and Okina should be here soon." Miroku brightened at the thought of Okina. Perhaps the old man would have some new books to show him.
"Inuyasha," Kenshin said. The hanyou turned around to look at him. Even though Kenshin rarely mentioned it, he knew that he now remembered most of Sesshoumaru's memories. They had spent more than one night discussing their past relationship.
"This one has something for Shinta," Kenshin continued. "It is a gift for him when he is of age, that it is."
"Huh? What is it?" Inuyasha asked. He blinked in surprise as Kenshin unsheathed the Tenseiga and held it out to him. He's giving up the Tenseiga?
"I can't accept that, it's yours," Inuyasha insisted. "I can have another sword made for him when he's older. Besides, you might need it." However, Kenshin shook his head.
"No, this one wants Shinta to have it. This one does not entirely know how, but your son is the one who should next wield the Tenseiga. If it must be used before he is old enough, then this one can borrow it, that he can," he said. Inuyasha looked at him before nodding his head and taking the sword. He looked down at it before casting a look at his infant son.
"Look at you, you little brat," Inuyasha said. "You've already got a sword!" Shinta gurbled happily at his father from his vantage point in his mother's arms. Inuyasha smiled and held the Tenseiga next the boy. The sword pulsed once when Shinta touched it curiously and then remained silent.
"Inuyasha," Kenshin continued. "It may also serve to extend Kagome's life a little longer." Inuyasha looked at him in surprise and suddenly understood. The Tenseiga could have extended Kenshin's life and possible even Kaoru's. However, the red haired man wanted to live a normal, peaceful life. There was no guarantee that the sword would also extend his wife's life and Kenshin didn't want to live on after her.
Inuyasha nodded once to show he had understood Kenshin's other meaning.
"Well," Sango said. "I suppose we should go meet…" There was a crash in the hall, followed by Misao's angry yells and Kouga and Sanosuke's hysterical laughter.
"Hey! It's the Weasel!" Kouga yelled.
"I'M NOT A WEASEL!"
"Weasel!" Sano insisted.
Kagome and Kaoru sighed as they heard the argument escalate. They walked out into the hall just in time to hear Saito give a sarcastic reply, followed by an additional witty comment from Shippo. Misao glared around at the men while Aoshi, Kirara, and Okina tried to stay out of the line of fire.
"SHUT UP!" Misao warned. Inuyasha smirked before rushing out to join the fray.
"Hey! Weasel Girl!" the hanyou bellowed. He thumped her lightly over the head to further agitate her.
"AARRGH!" Misao bellowed.
"Weasel Weasel!" Inuyasha continued. Kagome's eye twitched.
"Inuyasha…" she warned. Inuyasha paused as he cast his wife a horrified look.
"No! Wait! Kagome!" he pleaded.
"Sit boy."
Inuyasha plummeted to the castle floor.
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Well, that's the official end of this story. I have three or four mini-chapters to add on. I might also do a sequel in the future, but it would probably be a little while before I did that.
I'm glad all of you enjoyed this. Thank you for the reviews.