Chapter seven: Sango's very secret plan

Myoga had screamed, pulled, cursed, even bitten, but Shippo didn't have a clue and Inuyasha and Sango barely paid him any attention. His last resource was to jump all around them screaming nonstop the same question; what on earth had Inuyasha done with Tessaiga?

At last, Inuyasha, having enough of the annoying little voice, yelled that he had thrown the katana away and that it had gotten lost in the woods.

Poor Myoga felt several emotions at once; rage, indignation, shock, denial and disappointment, but his attempts for admonishing Inuyasha had been in vain and so the flea youkai got away from his master, crying over the invaluable, sacred, honorable weapon and complaining in loud voice about ungrateful sons.

So, it wasn't that difficult for Sango to find him, and there he was, sitting on the top of a leaf, soaking up in tears.

"Can't believe it!" –he whined— "The great Tessaiga, from the very fang of my lord Inutaishou-Sama! Gone! Lost!"

The tiny youkai would have surely continued with his grieving if a huge (for him), chocolate colored eye hadn't appeared right in front of his face.

"Agh!" he stepped back at the sudden view and fell off the leaf.

"Sorry, Myoga-jiji, I didn't mean to startle you," apologized Sango. Myoga jumped back onto the leaf and shrugged his shoulders. Sango almost felt sorry for him, but she knew his sadness would dissipate in a moment.

"Don't worry Sango-san, I'm fine… but still, I can't believe what that… that knucklehead did!"

The girl smiled and said, "well, the good news is that—"

"That katana was a precious gift!"

"Yes, that's why I managed to—"

"And a part of his father's spirit lay within it!"

"I know, but it's not--"

"Gone! And now it's gone! In hands of some hanyou that could bring mayhem with it or maybe a stupid human got it!"

"I got it!" Sango had to raise her voice in order to shut the old youkai up.

"What? You have it?"

She smiled. "When Inuyasha threw it away I retrieved it, I just couldn't abandon it like that. It represents so much!"

Myoga jumped on her nose, practically shining in joy. "Sango-san, you clever girl! Kami bless you!" Immediately the flea started swelling and irremediably was slapped and fell on an extended hand, but he didn't care. It seemed he was smiling, though Sango couldn't tell; he had no lips.

"Um… I guess" –he said after his outburst— "it will be the best if I take Tessaiga with me, I'll hide it where no one can find it and where it can have a honorable place to rest, you'll understand it can't stay here, it's too dangerous and we can't give it back to that irresponsible of Inuyasha. He'd lose it again!"

Sango tried not to laugh at the mental image of minuscule Myoga dragging the katana all around Japan. Well, she would save him from such problem.

"I think I have a better idea about what to do with it, and perhaps, Inuyasha will keep the katana, as his father would have wanted."

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"What are you up to?"

Sango turned around and instinctively wrapped her hand around the wakisashi she always carried beneath her clothes. "Eh? Oh, Inuyasha, you scared me!"

She eased at the sigh of him; he was resting on a branch, his feet balancing back and forth. His habit of climbing trees hadn't disappeared with his dog ears.

"So?" he waited.

"So what?" Sango smiled nervously and rubbed her nape absently.

"I saw you sneak back to your hut and then come out with something wrapped in your mo-bakana, then you vanished all afternoon until now."

"Ah-- I don't know what you're talking about, I just went for a walk, you know, being in the village all day is boring."

"Keh! If you want to go all secretive that's fine by me." He went back to the important task of dangling his feet.

"Then… I'll see you tomorrow at first hour? We can practice in the clearing by the well, if you want," she said an Inuyasha eyed her with a frown.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We'll start your training, remember? So we can go youkai hunting?"

"Keh! That's ridiculous! I told you I didn't want to do it! And I don't need any training!" Inuyasha turned his head away, his arms over his chest and an obstinate gesture upon his features, his raven hair moved with the soft wind.

Sango smirked slightly. "Come on, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" This time she had his full attention. Oh she knew how to play his pride; she had seen Kagome do it countless times.

"It's okay, Inuyasha, I promise to go easy on you."

He jumped off the branch and faced the taijiya. "Ha! I'm not afraid and no one has ever had to go easy on me!"

She raised an eyebrow. "So… Will you come?"

"You bet, wench! At first hour tomorrow morning."

"Alright, we'll see what you are capable of doing without big claws or magical swords."

She knew what his answer would be.

"Keh!"

And there it was.

- Wakisashi: A sword smaller than a katana. Usually a katana and a wakisashi are worn together. They are the symbol of the samurai. Sango wears a wakisashi, not a katana.

- Mo-bakana: The green skirt (apron?) Sango wears.