"Not even if it's to protect the very people he claims are his children!?" Kenji glared.
"Too much is left to chance. It is not Lord Asahi who promised us. It is you. Therefore we cannot see if he will uphold your promise should you perish and he lives. If both of you die then no one can open the door."
Lao tilted his head at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.
"Besides, you have the strongest pair at your side. Together they surpass their father. Especially now that they're mated their power is increased tenfold. But, if you're still paranoid, Mauntenrodo has granted permission that I stay here and protect the villagers."
"...I sense a boon in there." Kenji frowned.
"It is my boon to carry. One I've accepted. But to ease your concerns, if Lord Asahi survives, then I pass all of my knowledge onto him. And he takes my place."
"...I'm not a good leader." He saw the implications.
"On the contrary, you have proven that you are. I believe Lord Sesshomaru of the West can attest to that."
Eyes turned to the daiyokai. He blinked slowly. He considered everything that has happened.
"You learn from your mistakes and adapt to change. From what little I know of your brother, he doesn't even do that. It is proven when he loses a piece of himself over the loss of certain family and refuses to change as if the loss was still fresh."
"If I may speak freely? You were the one who stepped up, cos. Yes, he carried the usual lordly duties. But when it came to the difficult decisions, you stepped up and came up with solutions to better us." Takumi added. "The people grew fond of you, cos, not Lord Asahi."
Kenji considered their inputs. And he recognized that they were right. That didn't make it any easier to accept. All his life he accepted being the second son, just the back up to ensure the bloodline continued if anything happened to his brother. Therefore he had no ambitions to take his brother's place.
"If Chiyo hadn't died the way she did, none of you would be telling me to take my brother's place right now." Kenji lowered his gaze.
"Even so, he's the only one who heard me initially. I only reveal myself to you because it is necessary. Asahi heard my calling. It is the way of passing down my knowledge onto the next. Should he ever produce any children, they will most likely hear Mauntenrodo as well." Lao concluded that it wouldn't matter either way.
"You all don't see what I see. But I also see the point. The duties as Lord is too strenuous on him." Kenji sighed.
"Come, let us talk of this later. I imagine most of you haven't had a good meal in a while." Takumi offered, and most of them felt relieved at the prospect of better food.
Later towards the evening, Takumi found housing for everyone. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shared a small house. Although the daiyokai would prefer to be outside, the idea of privacy won him over. As the sun began setting however, Sesshomaru couldn't shake a feeling.
"Have you been able to use the Meido Zangetsuha?" He asked.
"No. It won't come to me." Inuyasha shook his head.
Sesshomaru began to ponder. And his instincts begin to tingle at him. Inuyasha sensed something was up, but his mate was being silent on the matter. That was until an hour later when they heard a familiar entrance of someone landing just outside.
"Who the hell is this?" Someone yelled.
"Sorry! He's a friend!" Inuyasha knew that scent anywhere.
He turned to Totosai, almost glaring. Sesshomaru wordlessly tossed the Tenseiga. The old man caught it, tilting his head.
"So then it was you who called? What for?"
"Give the full Meido Zangetsuha ability to the Tessaiga." Sesshomaru surprised those who overheard.
"What? That would make you completely defenseless!" Inuyasha argued.
"How are you supposed to fight tomorrow? Can it actually be done in time?" Kenji wondered.
"If there's a forge nearby this can be done within a few hours. But, I am curious, why?" Totosai was still confused.
Sesshomaru wouldn't say. It was difficult to explain because his instincts tell him to. Inuyasha used the bond to have a better understanding. His ears perked.
"There's a small forge here, actually. It's not much in use. The old blacksmith died when Naraku took over the castle." Kenji offered.
"Now hold on, you're telling me that on the eve of battle against Naraku, you want me to handicap you so Inuyasha stands a better chance?" Totosai was at a loss.
"I will stay behind to guard the village." In other words, Kohaku will have a reason to stay behind, too.
"Sesshomaru, this is insane!" Inuyasha couldn't fathom this. "I won't allow it!"
"Don't push your status on me, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru glared icily.
The hanyou hesitated. He felt the fury rising through the bond. For the first time he sensed that if it came down to it then Sesshomaru would do something drastic. Reluctantly Inuyasha turned to Totosai.
"...Just get on with it." He gave in, tossing the Tessaiga.
"I really have no idea what's going on, but understand once this is done there's no going back. It cannot be reversed." Totosai was giving them one last out.
Sesshomaru walked away. Inuyasha watched, feeling torn. He glanced back at Totosai, but didn't speak out. He went to follow his mate instead.
"All right then. Will you show me to this forge then? Guess I have work to do." Totosai sighed. Kenji and Takumi lead the way.
"Why would you do this?" Inuyasha asked when they were alone.
Sesshomaru turned, but couldn't form the words to properly explain. Beside them Lao appeared. His presence, although slightly unwelcome, distracted them from an oncoming argument.
"Sometimes instincts are felt so strongly, that one has to act out on them. And sometimes at the lowest point, one can find a lot about himself and give way for something new." Lao advised.
"So...you're saying that something better will come his way?" Inuyasha tried to make sense of it.
"Quite possibly, yes. What that might be, I have no idea."
"I thought you were an all seeing spirit." The hanyou deadpanned.
"Yes, but seeing into the future is not my field. The option was there, but it never fancied me enough to try. I like to believe there are endless possibilities, not one outcome then proven wrong."
"In other words you don't want to be held responsible for a misunderstanding." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.
"Quite observant you are." Lao laughed nervously. "I'll leave you two be. I have some barriers I need to put in place."
The kitsune disappeared. Inuyasha stared at his mate. On the outside Sesshomaru seemed like himself. Stone cold, and regal despite his armor missing. He had taken it off a few hours before, stating he needed a break from it.
But his eyes spoke volumes. He felt troubled, as if questioning if he truly was doing the right thing. Inuyasha stepped closer to wrap his arms around his mate. He felt Sesshomaru tense at first, still unused to being hugged. But after a moment he relaxed.
"I still don't like this. But I trust you." Inuyasha spoke softly.
Sesshomaru leaned their foreheads together.
Meanwhile Byakuya had been spying for Naraku. He had seen the whole exchange. Naraku smirked at the newly mated pair. He had actually made plans to try and claim Sesshomaru, but it seems he had been a little late into trying.
Even so he found it endearing enough to leave the mirror to wander towards the royal bedroom. He came upon Lord Asahi, sitting up. The barrier was still in place, keeping him trapped but also protecting him from Naraku.
"It seems you're finally doing better." Naraku commented.
"What do you want?" Asahi put up a brave face.
"I figured out what placed this barrier here. A spirit of the mountain, it looks like."
"And you're telling me this why?" Asahi raised an eyebrow.
"It seems you don't know what it is. Interesting. Speaking of, I found something else. It seems your betrothed found another." Naraku produced a mirror that showed the sight of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha embracing each other.
"And? Is this supposed to anger me? Because all you're doing is irritating me." Asahi glared, earning a laugh.
"You may act all indifferent, but you're doing a terrible job of doing so." Naraku placed the mirror so the lord can watch it. "I'll leave this here for your entertainment. After all, it must be so boring being trapped in there."
Naraku turned and left. Asahi relaxed, almost growing tired again. Despite himself he studied the mirror. While his heart did feel torn, it didn't effect him as much as the news his brother might very well be dead.
Have my family not suffered enough? Asahi wondered.
He closed his eyes. Although he was at his strongest since the poisoning, it still lingered within. Asahi had been taking small doses of multiple poisons to grow immune. Although it still took a great amount of strength of a poison to have any effect on him.
Whatever Naraku used, he used a lot. And Asahi was at first expecting to die. Some days later he awoke to find a barrier had been placed around him. So now he's trapped inside a bubble as he healed. And Naraku enjoyed toying with him rather than destroying the barrier.
Sometime later there was movement. Asahi opened his eyes to glance at the mirror. He saw Sesshomaru being handed a sword. And his mate was also being given one. A memory surfaced, Asahi recognized the blades by their sheaths.
"So they're both his sons." He concluded.
He recalled meeting the Inu No Taisho. Although young for a lord at the time, he was wise and kind. Asahi had been searching for Kenji and Sesshomaru and lost them. In his search he bumped into the Inu No Taisho.
He apologized politely before taking his leave. The Inu No Taisho chuckled as he knelt down to his level. Asahi stared, confused.
"Don't lose sight of your brother. Someday he will be all you have left. A brotherly bond is nothing like no other." He spoke kindly.
At the time, Asahi had no idea what he meant. But now he knew. It was strange, thinking about that memory now. This was years before the birth of the hanyou, who will be Sesshomaru's younger half brother. Did the Inu No Taisho know he meant to have two sons?
Suddenly there more people gathering the pair. Asahi blinked. No, that couldn't be. Right? He leaned forward until his forehead touched the barrier. There was a figure, just between the height of the brothers. Taller than the hanyou, but not as tall as Sesshomaru.
The armor was that of the guard of the castle. The kimono was different, however. And the hair was in a braid. But there was no mistaking the twin blades.
"Turn around, turn around." Asahi urged.
And finally the figure did. And he almost cried. Kenji was alive! Asahi placed a hand to the barrier, he so desperately wanted to reach out to hold his brother. Tears of relief flooded as he gave into his emotions.
Outside at the village, Lao appeared before Kenji.
"Your brother is alive." He informed.