Sorry about taking so long to update. Things have been hecitc with work. I luckily did get time to go to Otakon. I only went for Friday but it was my first anime convention and it was great. The only thing that sucked was that I went to the Robotech panel (which is what I was really looking forward to) and they raffled off a cool collector's toy piece. I didn't win it and to make matters worse, my older brother who doesn't like anime too much was the one who did win it. Anyway on with the show. I'm not going to do responses this chapter since I'm in a bit of a hurry. I need sleep and I have to drive to work tomorrow.
Disclaimer: I don't own IY.
Chapter 50: A New Evil Comes Knocking
Sesshomaru looked up at his father. He had a hard time believing it. He had fought a long hard battle against his father only to find himself staring up at his father's sword from the ground. "It seems I have lost," Sesshomaru said.
"For now you have, but you are welcome to try again in one year," Inutaisho said as he helped his son up. "You have progress so much. If you had fought me with this skill the night I had died, you would have beaten me. I look forward to you challenging me again."
"I expect next year will be the last time I shall challenge you," Sesshomaru said.
"I will await you," his father responded.
Izayoi soon came over and joined the father and son. She had watched the battle from a safe distance. "I should warn you, I have a bad feeling about things. I just know something bad is at work."
"I feel you may be right. Be on your guard, son," Inutaisho said.
"I am capable of taking care of myself," Sesshomaru replied.
"I am aware that you can take care of yourself but that doesn't mean you can do everything yourself. I have a feeling you will learn this soon enough but I will not be there to help you." Sesshomaru looked at his father in disbelief. His face had remained stoic but Inutaisho knew what his son was thinking. "I am not going to die. I just want to tell you that if you need help I will not give it. I believe that it would be best if you would go to your brother."
"Why would I go to him for help?" Sesshomaru questioned. "Besides that would reflect on me as being weak which I am not."
"There are some things that Inuyasha has knowledge in that you do not. Through his voyage to piece together the Shikon Jewel, Inuyasha gained much knowledge and experience," Inutaisho replied. "Besides you are not weak by relying on another, especially a family member. Let me tell you a story son. Long ago, I had a person that I hated about as much as you do Inuyasha. He was not a family member. Takeo was an older youkai lord that refused to acknowledge me as more powerful than he. He would not fight me in an open battle to prove it either. It was because of this that I would have nothing to do with him. We hated each other for hundreds of years. Then Hyouga came to Japan. I have told you of him many times. He was a fierce demon that lead many humans and demons alike to try and take over Japan. I fought with my armies but I was defeated on many occasions. Then to my surprise, one day a messenger from Takeo showed up saying that his lord requested a meeting with me. I went and found that Takeo sought an alliance between our armies to fight Hyouga. After much deliberation, I agreed to the alliance. I fought along side Takeo in that war and because of our alliance we were able to defeat Hyouga."
"So you are saying that with Inuyasha's help, I might defeat this new evil," Sesshomaru replied.
"That is part of what I'm trying to say but there is more to the story. After the war was over, Takeo and I remained on good terms. Our anger for each other had passed. He recognized me as a valiant warrior and where I had thought him a washed up old man, I knew he was a wise and skilled fighter. It was almost fifty years later though that our peace was put to the test. I asked Takeo for his daughter's hand in marriage. I feared that all the peace that had been before would be gone but I was willing to risk it. It surprised me when Takeo welcomed me as part of his family. He passed away not long after we were married. It is a shame. You see his daughter was your mother. It is a shame that he never got to see you. You take after him so much. You are about as stubborn as he was."
Sesshomaru was surprised at this piece of news. His father rarely talked about his mother let alone her family. He let this knew information sink in before deciding to speak. "Thank you, father for this information. I will consider your advice. Now if you will excuse me I must be going."
"Are you still staying at the castle in Kyoto?" Inutaisho asked.
"Yes, I am," Sesshomaru said. Over the years, Sesshomaru realized he needed a place to at least call home at some point. It also wasn't good for Rin to be constantly traveling. Before his father had returned, all the castles his father once owned had been his. Since his father returned, the castles where his once again but his father allowed him to have the one in Kyoto which is where he now resided.
"We will have to come visit you sometime," Izayoi said. "Just be careful in the meantime." Sesshomaru just nodded and walked off.
Kagome laid back in the small hammock that was in front of her house. For the last five years, she and her husband had enjoyed a simple happy life. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure how well Inuyasha would adapt to this life. During their travels, he had always been restless and itching for a fight. She wasn't sure how well he could handle the quiet life. As she looked down and saw the arm around her waist and could feel Inuyasha sleeping quietly while huddled up against her, she knew. He was content as long as she was around. A few times, she had snuck away back to the village to visit Kaede or even Shippo and when she returned she usually found Inuyasha a bit of a nervous wreck. He was still as over protective of her as always. He would grant her the freedom to go where she wanted but he still worried. She found it slightly annoying but she had fallen in love with Inuyasha for all his qualities – good and bad.
She was stirred out of her thoughts as she could feel his chest rumble against her back. She looked back and he was growling even though he was just starting to wake up. As soon as he was fully awake he got off the hammock and stood in front of Kagome. "What's up, Inuyasha?"
"Go inside, quickly. Get the swords," he told her.
"This must be bad," Kagome thought. "Inuyasha has barely touched Tetsusaiga these last 5 years and I know I have touched mine. If he wants them so bad, something must be wrong." Kagome slowly made her way off the hammock. She didn't know if it was good to make and sudden movements. "What do you smell?"
"I don't know why," Inuyasha said. "But I smell Naraku!"
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Sorry for the long chapter but I wanted to give you guys and gals something since you've been waiting. I also wanted to end on the cliffhanger. The other reason chapters are taking a bit longer is because not everything has been totally thought out for this saga. It will be a short one but at this point I don't know how short. Probably only 7-10 chapters. Well join me next time for:
Chapter 51: Naraku's Contingency Plans