Chapter 14: Kohaku!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!
A/N: I'm going to write a one shot because it won't leave me alone lol. But it'll be up either tomorrow or the next day and will be called 'Don't Look Back.' So, be on the lookout for that!
"Kanna, show me where they are." Naraku spoke smoothly watching as Kanna looked down at the mirror that Naraku had given her just a week ago in hopes that it would help them find the jewel shards. He smiled evilly as the picture of Inuyasha and the group walking through a forest towards a destination that he knew with no doubt possessed a shard of the jewel. He decided that he was going to hold off on finding any of the shards himself, thinking that he would allow Inuyasha and the others to think that they would save the Earth but then he'd crush their hope and steal the shards from them, but first, he'll put the first part of his plan into action.
"Kagura!" Naraku shouted out and a minute later watched as Kagura walked up the stairs to the helms deck that he was standing on.
"You called?" Kagura asked with a bored expression.
"I want you to go down in the dungeons, release my secret weapon and take him to Brazil where Sango and the others are." Naraku ordered.
Kagura scoffed. "I'll do anything to get off this boring ship." She muttered as she turned to walk towards the stairs that led to the dungeons.
Naraku smirked nastily as he watched Kagura walking away.
Entering the room that held the cages, Kagura scrunched up her nose at the putrid smell coming from the piss buckets that was given to the prisoners to use as a toilet. Walking up to one, she put the key in the keyhole and opened the door. She was greeted by a boy of no older than 13 standing in the middle of the cell with cold dead brown eyes and an emotionless look upon his face.
"Let's go, boy." Kagura said with authority leaking past her lips. "We have someone that we want you to meet." She turned around and didn't have to look to know the boy was following her. She climbed the stairs, walked out on the deck and threw a small white feather that she kept in her hair - watching it as it grew in size, big enough to house her and maybe another on a flight to wherever she wanted to go. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to freely go anywhere because she knew the bastard that stood on the helms deck held something very precious to her - her heart - and that made it physically impossible to go a great distance away from the half demon.
Sighing that thought away, Kagura climbed on the feather once it stopped growing and waited for the boy climbed on as well before taking off towards Brazil.
Naraku cackled lowly as he watched as Kagura flew away with the boy sitting behind her. "I do hope you enjoy my little surprise Sango."
-X-
It had been a week since Kagome and the others left Spain - a week since Kagome was on her ship telling her crew that she wouldn't be able to go on as their captain and a week since the reelection of the new captain of her old ship. She sailed on Inuyasha's ship now - and most likely will for the rest of her life, if she had it her way. She sighed as she stepped over, yet another tree root in the dense forest her and the rest of the group were walking through.
"Are we still going in the right direction Kagome?" Inuyasha grunted as he cut away at vines with his sword.
Kagome huffed as she trailed behind Inuyasha along with Miroku and Sango. It had felt like they were walking for days now, when in reality it was only a few hours. "Yeah, it's only a couple of miles away now." She answered before letting out a shriek as she tripped over a hidden root but, before she fell, Miroku grabbed Kagome's elbow - while being mindful of Shippo who was perched on his shoulder, making sure she had her footing back before he let go. Nodding her thanks towards Miroku and looking back towards Inuyasha, who had stopped and turned around at the sound of her shriek. "We're almost there."
Inuyasha nodded before turning back around to continue down the path they were making. A few moments later the group came upon a small cabin in the middle of woods and two small gardens right beside the cabin. One garden was vegetables and the other seemed to be medicinal herbs, however, neither the cabin nor the gardens is what caught their attention the most. No, what caught their attention was a huge half demon with orange skin and blue eyes. The half demon stopped picking herbs from the garden to stare at them with wide eyes that the group immediately recognized the fear deep within the blue orbs.
"Ma!" The orange half demon yelled out in fear and the group saw as an old woman came running out with a log held up over her head.
"You all need to leave! This boy never done any harm to none!" The old woman demanded as she swung the log from side to side in front of her.
"What the hell are you talking about, old woman?" Inuyasha asked.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed between her teeth then looked back at the woman. "I'm sorry about him and we're not here to hurt anyone, we are merely seeking for something."
Sending a disbelieving look towards the group, the old woman lowered the log. "Well, come inside for some tea then." She muttered as she turned to head back in the cabin.
Shrugging their shoulders, the group followed the old woman inside to find her preparing some fresh tea. Inside there wasn't much but a little table and two mix matched chairs, a hutch with a few chipped plates, saucers and cups that were mix matched as well and an old wood stove.
"It's not much." The old woman said with a shrug. "But it's enough for Jinenji and I."
"It's nice." Miroku spoke. "This is Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo and I'm Miroku." He pointed at each person as he introduced them.
"I'm Hima and he's my son, Jinenji." Hima introduced. "So, what are you seeking that brought you in the middle of the woods?" She asked as she poured the hot tea into the chipped cups and passed them out. "Sorry, I don't have any sugar." She sighed as she handed her son a small cup. Kagome and Sango were secretly impressed by the gentle nature of such and big man as he handled that fragile China cup.
"That's okay." Kagome said as she took her cup. "We are looking for the sacred jewel shards so we can save the world from dying. I sense one close by, that's why we're out here." She explained as she took a sip of her tea making a slight face at the bitter taste secretly wishing there was some sugar but sighing with the knowledge of the impossibility of that.
"Sacred jewel shards?" Hima grunted. "Well, you won't find any here." She dismissed the topic fast as she took a sip of her tea.
Kagome saw the surprised look that Jinenji sent his mother but ignored what she already knew and changed the subject. "Ms. Hima, what were you talking about earlier when you said that Jinenji wouldn't harm anyone?"
Hima sighed. "It's the damn villagers! People keep dying and everyone thinks that Jinenji's doing it just because he's a half demon."
Though Inuyasha and Kagome didn't show any surprise - used to it they were - Sango gasped. "That's horrible."
Kagome turned sad eyes towards Sango. "Yeah, it is. It's the life of a half demon. While some may accept us - others don't and everything is always your fault." Inuyasha snorted his agreement but didn't say anything.
Hima nodded her agreement. "I figured as much. I had a suspicion of you two being half demons as well. What could you possibly want with the jewel shards? To make you stronger? To make yourselves into full demons?"
"Just like she said, old woman, to save the world. I don't know if you had noticed but the world is dying. I'm sure you took notice when your little gardens started not to do so well, by the way I saw the way they're wilting I couldn't see how you wouldn't notice." Inuyasha grumbled out.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided but before she could berate him anymore, there was angry shouting coming from outside making everyone jump into action and run outside to see what was going on.
"What's going?" Hima yelled out.
"We're tired of that damn half demon killing people! We found another dead body just now! Now, either leave or die!" The chief of the tribe shouted.
"Just now?" Sango said. "But he's been here with us the entire time!"
"Yes, that's right!" Miroku added.
"Shut up! You can't hide the truth!" The chief argued back.
Inuyasha stepped forward. "And what truth do you have that proves Jinenji did it?" He growled out.
The chief stepped forward as well. "The dead bodies, what else do we need? Who else could be doing it?"
"Keh, dunno but you better go on and find out who's really killing your people." Inuyasha ordered.
"We don't need to find him because we are looking at him!" The chief yelled out. "If you don't want to leave then parish!" He shouted as him and the other people with him threw their flaming sticks towards Inuyasha and the others and the cabin setting it on fire.
Inuyasha turned to shield Kagome from the fire and Miroku grabbed Sango's arm and ran behind the cabin to get away from the flames - Jinenji stepped in front of his mother to protect her.
Inuyasha lunged forward, prepared to attack to protect his pack, however - before he could land a hit on anyone a piercing pain ran through his right shoulder then his left hip then another right through his gut. He grunted in pain as he looked to see what had caused his pain but could see nothing protruding out of his body. He grunted again as he fell to his knees and his vision grew blurry.
"What-" Inuyasha started but was stopped as a coughing fit started bringing blood to dribble out the corner of his mouth. He wiped the blood away as best he could before he finished his sentence. "Is this shit?"
Having seen what happened Miroku and Sango ran from behind the cabin to help in any way they could.
What's happening? Kagome thought. Why isn't he healing!?
The chief chuckled as a man beside him lowered his pistole. "Those bullets are designed to render a demon useless. It drains all their power and slowly kills them if we allow them to live long enough to suffer that is."
"Damn... It." Inuyasha gasped out in pain.
Kagome didn't notice as Miroku and Sango came running up beside her as he took her first step forward towards Inuyasha then broke out into a run. However, before she could reach Inuyasha a huge centipede demon erupted from beneath the ground. One of the strong hard legs smacking Kagome upside the head and sending her flying backwards and crashing into the cabin effectively knocking her unconscious.
"Kagome!" Sango shouted as she ran towards Kagome preparing to do anything to help her.
"What the hell is that!?" One of the villagers screamed.
Inuyasha, though worried about Kagome, knew he couldn't do anything to help her in his condition refocused his attention on the people in front of him - willing for each person's 'twin' to go away. Blinking several times, he gave up the hope of not seeing two of each person. "Keh." He grunted out, trying desperately to hold his demon in check - letting him out wouldn't help anything right now. He tried to continue on with what he was trying to say but even more of his strength left him them and he fell forward quickly bringing his hands down against the ground to keep him from falling all the way.
"See there!?" Hima called out. "Now there's your man-eating demon!"
There were many murmurs amongst the crowd trying to figure out what to do but was cut off as the centipede swoped down and grabbed of the men and his screams were abruptly cut off.
The quiet murmurs turned to panic shouts as they aimed their guns and spears at the demon only for everything to bounce off its body.
Inuyasha looked over and saw Jinenji cowering back with his mother still behind him.
"Jinenji!" Inuyasha called out, his voice hoarse. "You have to do something! Show them that you aren't the monster they fear you may be! Show them that you can protect them!" With that said the rest of his strength left him and he crumpled to the ground unconscious.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted running towards Inuyasha and falling to his knees beside him with his hands hovering over his captain's body not sure what to do.
Jinenji looked from Inuyasha to the centipede demon then started walking towards the beast as it started attacking another villager. Without thinking Jinenji ran towards the scene as fast as he could and reared back his fist sending it flying through the centipede's chest then pulled out its heart. The monster gasped from pain, letting the man it held in its jaws fall to the ground before falling, right after the man, lifeless to the ground.
The shocked whispers exchanged from villager to villager as they just witnessed what he did. Jinenji didn't listen to what the villagers were saying as he turned around to rummage through his medicinal herb garden. Finding the wilted herb that he needed before pulling it then grabbing a small bowl and a stick that he could use to crush up the herb, he then turned toward his water holding basin and dunked the bowl in to get a little water. He then dropped the herb into the bowl and used the stick to grind the herb up to make a tea like mixture. He then walked over to the villager the centipede attacked and told him to drink it and the pain will go away.
Miroku watched as Jinenji did that and gasped, desperate enough to hope. "J-Jinenji!" He stuttered and watched as Jinenji turned to look his way. "I-is he alive? I-I can't tell. Can you do something? You have to save him!"
Jinenji quickly walked towards the still unconscious Inuyasha and knelt down to assist him and his injuries. He lowered his head and tilted it to try and hear the heartbeat, then nodding when he found it. "He's still alive." Jinenji murmured without looking away from his patient as he gently turned Inuyasha from his stomach to his back.
The villagers sat silently watching Jinenji work on the demon laying on the ground.
When Jinenji turned Inuyasha on his back Miroku saw Inuyasha trying to gasp for air and felt his heart start to sink. He couldn't lose Inuyasha he just couldn't! This man saved his life, has been there for him ever since he's been fifteen years old. He couldn't die on him now! This man gave him life where the people who was supposed to be there for him tried to take his life from him.
"Please, Jinenji, you have to save him." Miroku whispered.
"I have to take these bullets out or the poison in them will kill him." Jinenji murmured out loud.
"Kill him?" Miroku whispered and fell to his butt as he watched Jinenji take what looked like to be a skinny knife and jammed it in the bullet hole in Inuyasha's right shoulder. He watched as the man that showed him what life could really be like winced in pain even with being unconscious still. He watched as Jinenji made quick work of getting all the bullets out making Inuyasha wince every time the blade pierced in a bullet hole.
When all the bullets were out, Jinenji turned and walked back toward his herb garden looking for a specific herb used for counteracting poisons. When he found it, he made quick work of making it into a paste before lathering it onto each bullet wound before bandaging them up to keep the paste from wiping off. He then made another tea concoction of the pain meds before gently tilting Inuyasha's head back so he could swallow the tea.
Miroku watched as Inuyasha's labored breathing evened out and the wince on his face smoothed out and the tense muscles of Inuyasha's body relax making his own muscles relax.
With Inuyasha done for now, Jinenji turned back towards Kagome knowing that she was hurt too and went about putting an ointment on her head wound to fight infection before wrapping her head up. With that done Jinenji stood back up and looked at Miroku and Sango. "We need to get them inside to rest. There are two guest rooms in here that you can share for the night. I'll carry them to the rooms."
"Jinenji?" The chief called out and watched as the man in question turned to give him a questioning stare. "After you're done putting them to bed could you come back out? I would like to talk to you, if you don't mind."
Jinenji let out a quiet gasp and nodded his head before disappearing inside with Inuyasha in his arms.
-X-
Kagome let out a groan as she lifted her hand to her forehead and cracked her eyes open only to snap them back shut at the blinding sunlight that pilfered into the room. Oh God, but her head was pounding, the room was spinning, there was a ringing in her ears, and she felt like she was about to vomit any minute. She tried to open her eyes, but much slower this time and found she was able to, and she took in her surroundings.
The room she was in was a bare room with wooden walls and a big winder on one side. She laid on a sleeping mat and was surprised to see Inuyasha laying on a different sleeping mat still asleep. What happened last night? She thought to herself as she desperately tried to remember what had happened. It took a minute but when she finally did remember she let out a gasp as she shot up only to suffer an immense dizzy spell. She bent her knees and place her head between them, closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply several times before the dizziness and the ringing in her ears went away. She opened her eyes, crawled over to where Inuyasha was laying and ran her fingers through his hair and down his face. She trained her ears on the slight pitter-patter of his heartbeat and sighed in relief because he was still alive. Running her hand through his hair again and gasping when his eyes fluttered open. She jerked her hand away like he'd burnt her and muttered out an apology.
"'S okay." Inuyasha muttered as he pushed himself in a sitting position and stretched. Kagome noticed, quite appreciatively, that Inuyasha was still shirtless. Kagome ran her gaze down the counters of Inuyasha's biceps, to his abs and lower to follow the patch of hair that disappeared underneath his sweatpants that he was wearing.
Inuyasha noticed that she was staring and, judging by the scent that was coming off of her, he knew that she definitely liked what she saw. "Like something you see, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked with a smirk.
Flushing darkly at being caught gawking at his body, Kagome quickly tore her eyes away from the happy trail of hair to his face then off to the side mumbling out an apology once again. She only heard Inuyasha's slight chuckle as she heard him standing up. She turned around to notice, with dismay, that Inuyasha put his shirt back on.
"Come on, we have to go soon." Inuyasha said as he walked over and held out a hand for her to take.
Kagome sent him a small smile as she placed her hand in his and he pulled her in a standing position, catching her slight weight as she wobbled against him.
"How's your head feeling?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome lifted a hand and lightly ran her fingers against the bandage on her head. "I'm okay. That centipede wacked me in the head knocking me out, but I'm fine."
Inuyasha nodded as he braided their fingers together and led her out the room.
"Hey, guys! How are you feeling?" Sango asked when she saw Inuyasha and Kagome walk into the room.
"We're fine." Kagome answered for both of them.
"Yeah, how about we do not give anyone heart attacks again." Miroku said giving a pointed stare at Inuyasha before walking over to him. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Keh, I'm fine Miroku." Inuyasha said as he walked past him and sat down on the floor close to the table. "We have to leave soon."
Hima sighed. "Well, we'll be sad to see you leave."
"Before you leave, I want to say thank you for helping us. Thanks to you, you gave me the courage to stand up for what and who I love. Now the villagers like me and want me to be the villages doctor. So, thank you." Jinenji bowed deeply. "And to truly show how thankful I am I want to give this to you." He said as he pulled a fragment of a jewel from under his shirt. "It's a shard of the sacred jewel."
"Take it as a token of gratitude." Hima nodded her approval.
"Thank you." Kagome said taking the jewel piece from Jinenji's hand.
About an hour later the group exited the cabin and started the walk back to Inuyasha's ship.
"Wait." Kagome said freezing in place.
"What's wrong Kagome?" Sango asked.
"I sense another shard of the jewel, and it's moving this way fast."
A few minutes later two people came stepping into view. The woman had black hair and blood red eyes and the boy had dead lifeless eyes and black hair.
"Who the hell are you guys and what do you want?" Inuyasha asked with a growl.
Sango gasped and whispered a single word that made everyone freeze on the spot.
"Kohaku!"
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and see you next time!