Almost a full month before they crossed paths again. Inuyasha was having trouble breaking the shell of a powerful demon. His strong attacks weren't even leaving scratches on the hardened shell.
Inuyasha tried desperately to figure out how to use the Meido Zangetsuha. He hoped the Tessaiga would guide him. Give him some sort of indication, similar as to how he figured out how to use the Backlash Wave.
But the Tessaiga was silent.
"Have you figured out how to use that portal to Hell ability yet?" Shippo yelled across the battlefield.
"Tch! Stop pestering me and focus on the fight!" Inuyasha snapped.
"In other words, that's a no." Miroku sighed. "I wonder how Sesshomaru is doing with learning this ability."
"Shut up! I'll learn before he does!" He snarled with his promise.
"Well you better learn quickly! This shell doesn't look like it's going to break anytime soon!" Kagome urged as she sent another arrow.
"I can do it!" Inuyasha yelled.
His friends inwardly sighed. It hasn't escaped their notice that lately he's been angrier than usual. And any mention of Sesshomaru or the Meido Zangetsuha ability that is still eluding him, Inuyasha is worse.
They really hadn't given themselves proper time to grieve. And they wondered how Sesshomaru was faring. Probably senselessly killing random demons.
Suddenly Inuyasha stiffened. The wind had changed and with it carried that familiar scent. He glanced around. How long had Sesshomaru been watching?
"The hell you standing back and watching for?" Inuyasha called out.
"What are you on about this time?" Kagome turned to him. He ignored her completely to yell once more.
"Come out Sesshomaru! Don't tell me the Tenseiga actually can't be wielded to fight!" Inuyasha challenged.
The cry of Dragon Strike answered and Inuyasha leaped out of the way just in time. The attack had come from behind him, aiming for Inuyasha and the giant demon before him. He glared as he turned.
"What the hell is your problem!?" Inuyasha blinked as Sesshomaru slowly approached.
His eyes.
They were so dead and lifeless.
The shock on his face must have said it all for everyone to study Sesshomaru. And they too felt just as uneasy.
Sesshomaru was always a proud and confident individual. Being strong mentally and physically with only Inuyasha to beat him down gave him an ego bigger than his true form.
But before them almost seemed like they were staring at someone else. An empty shell of the once proud daiyokai. If it weren't for the Tenseiga in his hand, some would have thought they were looking at a failed copy of Naraku's creation. There was no denying when the sheaths of the Tenseiga and Tessaiga calling out to each other.
"Hmph. Pathetic. Wasting your time on such a weak demon." Sesshomaru spoke without the spite in his words.
"And what the hell makes you think you can do better!?" Inuyasha snapped.
Sesshomaru glanced at him. And the hanyou felt his anger subside. They ignored the strange glow to the Tenseiga as they stared into each other. And Inuyasha knew the answer as to why Sesshomaru split that special ability in half.
But he was in too much in shock to yell.
No, that can't be! Inuyasha wanted to deny it. Deny all that he was seeing. Deny everything because his brother was always too stubborn.
"You're all too weak for my armor!"
Sesshomaru broke eye contact to stare at the enemy. After calculating his next strike he leaped forward. As he closed in he aimed a perfect strike.
The Tenseiga cut through the air. In its wake a dark portal opened. It was the shape of a crimson moon as it opened up a terrifying darkness as it began to suck in Sesshomaru's target.
And when it succeeded the portal closed.
Sesshomaru sheathed the Tenseiga before taking his leave. Inuyasha grit his teeth. In a flash he moved to stand in front of the daiyokai, glaring heatedly.
"Do you honestly think that dying would be any better? That it would solve all of your problems? You may be the most selfish person I know, but that just makes you a coward unworthy of the Tenseiga!"
"Inuyasha!" Many of his friends reprimanded at once.
"You all stay out of this!" He glared at them briefly. When he returned his focus on Sesshomaru, he noted the faintest hint of emotion in his eyes.
"Think about what would happen if you died. What would happen to Rin? To Kohaku? Hell, even to that annoying bastard Jaken!"
"Don't insult my charges." Sesshomaru snarled.
Yes, a little more life in those eyes.
"Just think for a moment and humor me! Without you, there would be no one to protect them. Yeah, there's me, but I won't immediately know when you're gone until it's too late. And without being able to use the Tenseiga, I can't save them."
Sesshomaru's hand twitched. His claws ready to rake across Inuyasha's face. But he withheld that notion because there was truth to his words.
"And want to know what else? I would live on with the guilt that in some way, I am at fault. It was my actions to help you during your heat, which resulted into the pregnancy, and my inability help when you were struck down that caused the loss of Hinata. And that I'm the cause of killing you." Inuyasha's voice broke.
Sesshomaru watched as the hanyou shook violently. Tears welled up in Inuyasha's eyes. His ears pulled back all the way down. As he continued to speak tears flooded down.
"The idea that I would be responsible for your death will kill me. In some ways I always looked up to you. I wanted to be like you. I wanted to become a full demon to be accepted by you, for you to finally look at me like a brother instead of a waste of space."
The daiyokai's expression softened. And finally the fire that had always been present in Sesshomaru's eyes ignited in their rebirth.
"Inuyasha." He spoke gently, and those ears perked. "I've already accepted you. It is whatever you wish between us, whether as mates or brothers, is up to you. And if it ever came down to my ultimate demise I wouldn't blame you. If given the chance I would haunt you to knock some sense into your skull."
That earned the softest chuckle as the tears stopped. Inuyasha wiped them away. He could honestly see that happen. Whenever Sesshomaru set his sights on something he would pull any means necessary to achieve his goal.
"Aniki, please don't give up?" Inuyasha asked tentatively.
"As if I would give up." Sesshomaru was almost back to his old self.
In fact, now that he remembered, he lunged forward to send Inuyasha down to the ground. The hanyou yelped as he fell. No one else had the time or distance to react other than to shout.
"That's for calling me a coward. And if you dare say I'm unworthy of the Tenseiga ever again, I will cut off your arm."
"Noted." Inuyasha groaned from from ground.
As his head cleared, the hanyou picked up a strange scent. Inuyasha blinked, trying to recall why it was familiar. As he straightened up he watched as Sesshomaru walked away.
"Do you have someone new traveling with you?" Inuyasha had to ask.
"You mean Kenji?" Sesshomaru wanted to bite his tongue.
"Kenji? That idiot who caused you to miscarry? You're letting him travel with you!?" Inuyasha demanded. "What the hell is going on with you?"
"He's under my services to repent for what he had done." That somehow didn't come out right.
"Services! What kind of services, huh!?" Inuyasha yelled.
"Why does it matter to you?" Sesshomaru couldn't help himself but toy with the thoughts his brother was having.
It was a little payback for the insult about inheriting the Tenseiga. Of course Inuyasha was too pissed off to realize as he continued.
"Just answer the damn question!" Inuyasha refused to allow the tables to be turned around.
"I've humored you enough." The daiyokai was beginning to feel a headache coming along. He continued walking.
"Damn it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha lunged forward.
In a flash Sesshomaru grasped the collar of Inuyasha's outfit before using it to send him face down on the ground. This time he stood over him, claw flexing as he debated to poison Inuyasha or not.
"You don't have the right to be jealous. But if you must know, all he's doing is protecting my pack. Nothing more. Do you think so lowly of me to spread my legs to the same demon that killed our daughter?"
This time his words cut like ice. And even though Inuyasha couldn't see the eyes bearing down at him, he knew that they were focused on him. And now that he had a moment of clarity he knew Sesshomaru to be right.
"Now that I think about it, that would be really messed up." Inuyasha mumbled as he lifted his head.
"Hmph." Sesshomaru walked over him to continue leaving.
Inuyasha watched him disappear still slightly peeved. His friends gathered around him. Albeit the majority of them gave space with the waves of fury coming off of Kagome in waves.
"What was all of that?" Kagome demanded.
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha didn't realize the danger he was in.
"You! Acting all jealous over some new person traveling with Sesshomaru!" She snapped.
"I wasn't jealous!" He defended. "And it's Kenji who is now traveling with him!"
"I know that! But you didn't have to be all jealous over nothing!"
"I SAID I WASN'T JEALOUS!" Inuyasha yelled.
Everyone froze. In the distance, even Sesshomaru heard those words. He ignored them and kept walking. Inuyasha meanwhile realized the extent of the trouble he put himself into. He warily glanced up at Kagome, who was absolutely seething.
"Uh...Kagome..." The apology died in his throat.
"SIT BOY! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!"
Inuyasha's cry was drowned out as the beads brought him further into the ground. She continued on, surprising everyone how long she could keep shouting on the top of her lungs. When she was finally done he had made the deepest hole yet from the commands.
"Next time we see Koga, maybe I should run off with him! Since you're showing you want Sesshomaru! But you refuse to admit to yourself that you want him!" Kagome shrieked, tears streaming down her face.
Inuyasha didn't even call out her name as she walked away. The rest of their friends were too scared to move or speak. For a long while the hanyou didn't move.
Meanwhile Sesshomaru reunited with his pack. Everyone noted the fire within his eyes had returned tenfold. In fact he seemed infuriated with something.
"Trouble in paradise?" Kenji smirked.
"Stupid hanyou and his priestess." Sesshomaru snarled under his breath, but the other demon heard him all the same.
"Is it bad I'm rooting for you to be the one he chooses?" Kenji paled at the deathly glare sent his way.
"...Too soon?" He asked.
Sesshomaru turned away and Kenji wisely decided to avoid the subject altogether for a long time.