The sound of swords clashed as Jaken led them through the gardens and into a dojo. Shippou looked around excitedly, soldiers moving fluidly through various positions in unison.
Even Inuyasha perked up, watching as the myriad of youkai switched between offensive and defensive, the dance calculated and rehearsed.
Disciplined.
Sesshoumaru stood at the front of the group, hand resting on the hilt of Bakusaiga. The panels behind him were ripped and broken, leaving Kagome to wonder just how hard the soldiers were pushed.
Naraku and his hoard had been gone for almost eight years, but the worry that someone else might replace him still hovered at the back of everyone's mind.