Author's Note: Yes, I really do suck about updating, and for that I sincerely apologize. My life has been just plain overrun, with both school and emotional issues that shall not be stated here. Anyway, I shall get on with posting the story, I don't expect many reviews as many people will have given up on this fan fiction, and I'm perfectly all right with that. I'm only writing the thing because I enjoy creative writing in general. And now, onto Chapter 4 so that this fan fiction can finally be updated!

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The first thing that left Sesshoumaru's lips was a pained groan as he shakily moved the poor excuse for a comforter off of his back, blinking a couple of times at the little girl who had helped him the previous day. She was sleeping with her back propped against the wall, she must have stayed in here the night to watch over him... It was unnecessary of her, the thought flitted through his mind as he stood, giving the girl one last glance before he made to move out of the room. However, he had just barely stepped out when he was pressed against the wall by one of Naraku's brutish guards, a hiss of pain slipping between the young man's lips as this happened.

One eye was opened towards the guard in front of him as Sesshoumaru began to growl a threat at the man, "Is it your business to make sure that I am restrained, or am I not free to roam the grounds of this cursed fortress?"

"Lord Naraku told me that you are to stay in your quarters and that the girl in there is get out here," Venomously did the guard speak to the man he was restraining, glaring into the room as if searching for the other he sought, "She disobeyed the lord's order and gave you food, didn't she?"

The sword smith's son could think of nothing in response to the question he was asked, but instead he narrowed his gaze at the guard in front of him. He was far too intent on his task, a pathetic servant of Naraku, and yet...he could tell that the man in front of him wasn't entirely loyal. Through both his tone and his gaze did the man begin to suspect that this man wasn't even a guard that Naraku knew about...

"You do not serve Naraku, do you? What does the girl have to do with you?" Taking a step away from the man in front of him and blocking the doorway, Sesshoumaru brushed away the now loose grip the other held on him, for now he seemed too stunned to respond, "You are here for a different purpose than serving the lord, you too are here against your will."

"...busted," A sigh left the other man before he removed his helmet, revealing thick hair of ebony tied high on his head, bottomless blue eyes looking at Sesshoumaru while a smirk touched at his tanned lips, "Yeah, I'm not here to serve that tyrant and probably never will serve him. I managed to get enough information to try and trick you so I can get that kid out of here, but apparently it didn't work. What're you gonna do, turn me in?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head at the man before him, causing a thick eyebrow to be raised at him before he began to explain himself, "I too loathe the lord, I only stay under my father's final wishes. That girl has given me aid, and if you wish to free her then I will assist in any way I can."

"Ah, you're a demon too?" It was almost as if the impersonator hadn't heard a word Sesshoumaru had just said, which began to anger him to no end for two reasons. One, the sheer fact that the other hadn't listened to a word he had just said; and two, what did he mean by saying that he was a demon? "Judging by the look on your face, you want an explanation? Eh...might as well start with names. Name's Kouga, leader of the wolf demon tribe from the western part of the state."

Kouga...I've heard that name before, while trying to remember where he had heard the name, Sesshoumaru took yet another step away from Kouga, maybe if he was fast enough he could reach his sword, "And what do you want with this girl, Kouga? Is she too a 'demon', or are you just looking for a meal that comes with a challenge?" The question was asked as Sesshoumaru continued to move towards his sword, if he was lucky then he'd be able to draw it at any given moment.

"That girl's mother helped my tribe out before she died; her last request was to get the brat out of here. Otherwise I probably would have just raided this castle already," A sigh left Kouga before, just when Sesshoumaru blinked, the other was pinning him to the wall again, causing Sesshoumaru to wince, "Look, you're not gettin' in my way, pretty boy. I'm just gettin' this kid out of here, then I'm gone-"

"Let go of me."

With almost no effort at all, Sesshoumaru threw the other off of him, causing the armour to crash rather loudly into the opposite wall. But, Kouga was no longer in that armour; he was standing in the center of the room now, a smirk on his tanned face while his light brown tail swayed behind him. The man was dressed in the strangest attire the young man had ever seen; black armour covering his chest, a wrap of the same hue of light brown fur his tail possessed going around his waist, that same hair being used as shoulder pads, and a katana strapped to his side. But, that wasn't the problem at this point in time; the problem was keeping this guy away from Rin.

"Nice try, but I'm not gonna be defeated that easily. You're not nearly as strong as you think you might be," A growl came from Sesshoumaru as Kouga began to laugh, right before he drew his katana and started to come at Sesshoumaru, "But, talk is cheap, let's see what you can really do!"

Jumping back as the foreign blade was swiped at him, Sesshoumaru quickly grabbed his Masamune and while abandoning the sheath on the ground, the clash of the two blades begun with two powerful strokes colliding against each other. A hiss of pain left Sesshoumaru as he felt five sharp nails going into his right arm, and after withdrawing he saw a familiar crimson liquid on the opposite hand belonging to Kouga. This man fights with no honour...he shall pay for such a crime. It wasn't as if Sesshoumaru cared about the wolf demon's intentions, if he was going to fight dirty then (in Sesshoumaru's mind) he didn't deserve to live.

However, there was something that caused both men to stop fighting, the young man's gaze shooting to the door as footsteps approached. Naraku. Sesshoumaru then skilfully threw his blade so that it went into his scabbard almost perfectly, the wolf demon jumping right out the window and into the thick fog surrounding the castle's walls. Just seconds later did the lord enter through the doors, his eyes of crimson madness flashing dangerously as his gaze was turned onto Sesshoumaru.

"That bandit Kouga was here again, was he not?" Now Sesshoumaru remembered where he had heard of Kouga before; he was an infamous thief who only stole from the lord's provisions, not once had the royal guard been even able to deter him. It was amusing to see Naraku this infuriated, but then Sesshoumaru heard the other bite out his words again, "He won't escape again. I'll see to it personally."

In a truly horrific transformation did the other's arm turn into living wood, swiftly it lengthened and went out the window, a satisfied smirk on Naraku's face as Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the sound of Kouga's protesting cries, "Oiy! Let me go you bastard! I'll murder you the second I'm free of this damned wood!"

"Ah...but you won't ever be free again, Kouga," With utmost mockery in his tone did Naraku speak the wolf demon's name, the branch then proceeding to slam said demon's body into the ground, a strangled yelp of pain leaving Kouga while he was lifted again, the wood seeming to be tightening around the body to the point where Kouga couldn't breathe, "No...the rest of your miserable days are going to be spent in here, you're going to be treated like the criminal you are-"

In one swift motion was the branch cut right away from Naraku's arm, a hiss leaving Naraku as Kouga's limp body fell to the floor. Naraku glared at Sesshoumaru at that point and, as if re-growing instantly, another branch from Naraku's arm shot out at Sesshoumaru, wrapping around his neck and slamming him into another wall, causing Sesshoumaru to grunt in pain as the whip marks from the previous night were struck once more. Damn...why had he acted out anyway, when that wolf demon had already threatened to kill him?

The wood then turned back into skin, Naraku's arm returning to normal length as he swiftly approached the captured man, their lips almost touching as Naraku breathed his next few words onto Sesshoumaru's flesh, "You truly are a fool, defying me four times within three days, son of the great sword smith. Your actions will not go unpunished, I shall see to that personally...but, I have other business to take care of first."

With those last words was Sesshoumaru dropped onto the floor, his lungs working hard to now collect the air he so sorely missed as Naraku once again picked up Kouga's limp body. He was still alive, that much was certain, but for how much longer? After all, he seemed to be the largest possible thorn in Naraku's side, and that tyrant was as far away as possible from merciful.

"Take him to the dungeon and chain him in the strongest you can find," Giving the order to the guards who had just appeared at the door, Kouga's body was then taken out of sight, just as Rin was waking up, "And...the girl, too, shall be taken down. I have yet to deal with her for her actions against my orders."

A low growl rumbled in Sesshoumaru's throat as Rin was taken away by even more of the palace guard, he wanted desperately to help the poor girl...but, he couldn't even move. Kouga and Naraku both had weakened him so, and it was about to get worse as he was left alone in the room with only the tyrannical lord as company. And, just as he was getting back to his feet, Naraku was in front of him once more, a harsh knee colliding with his stomach and forcing him onto all fours.

Before Sesshoumaru could even recover, a foot was pressed against his back to pin him to the ground, a wince briefly tugging at his face before he straightened it, glaring up at Naraku above him before he began to speak again, "This display of your cruelty only shows your weakness, Naraku. You're scared of Kouga, so you lock him away in order to rid yourself of that fear-"

"Silence," The lord dug his foot ever harder into Sesshoumaru's back as he glared down with fury unmatched by any mortal force. Then, with great speed was a knife pressed against the back of Sesshoumaru's neck (he felt his hair being moved aside before the blade was placed), causing him to be perfectly motionless as Naraku began to whisper into his ear, making sure that his hot breath would touch the skin in a sensual manner, "From this point on, I am three things; your master, your tormentor, and the meaning of your existence. Fail to obey me again..." He felt hot pain as the knife was slashed roughly against the back of his neck, it was surprising that it didn't kill him right then and there like he so wanted it to, "...and your life will be worse than anything Hell could ever bring you."

Suddenly and viciously Sesshoumaru's ear was bitten before he could hear Naraku walking away, for the moment he decided to stay where he was, lying there with anger coursing through his blood, that same blood coming out of his neck and his ear. He had been beaten. Brutally, swiftly, so obvious was the gap between Naraku's power and his own displayed in those moments. And even now two more victims of his power were here, that little girl and the fugitive of the west.

But...there was an odd feeling that came when his ear had been bitten. It wasn't entirely pain, but he couldn't put his finger on what else there was. It didn't matter though...he had to tend to his wounds, no one else would. The rag that had been used to shield his body from the cold of night was torn before he wrapped part of it around his neck, just so that the bleeding would be aided in ceasing. I'll have my revenge on you Naraku...for all of the suffering you have caused, especially my own.