FINALLY! This chapter is finally done! Seriously! I had a lot och trouble this time. After my summer job was over a lot of crappy things happened in my life after another. Nothing to serious but it seriously stressed me out and made me unable to concentrate on the story. I am very happy about this chapter but if you see something that is wrong, like misspelled words or something like that. Please do tell me so I can correct it. I am personally really happy with the ending. Being able to introduce ome of my favorite charachters from Inu Yasha. Please do let me know if I made the personality as like the original as possible. The Character will probably be slightly out of character, that I know. Please enjoy this chapter. Next chapter I think will be focused om I´nu Yasha and Jakotsu or Naraku, maybe both but probably not.
TaxLady0415: Thank you sooo much for you review! I makes me so happy that you enjoy how I write the story, you always gives me confidence in my writing making it much more fun to write. I also like it that when you notice something that needs to be fix you tell me in a good way. I makes me really happy and gives me the push I need to correct what I did wrong and learn from it. Thank you for your support.
Guest: Thank you from telling me to make smaller paragraphs, I will work on that and hopefully this chapter is easier to read for the readers that have the same problem you had.
ArcticVixen94: Thank you for your support and for being understanding of me having a hard time with a language that is not my first. Hope you like this chapter. Yes I really love this story, I will continue to write my very best.
Guest2: Thank you for reading and I am happy to know that you like this story, about what you told me, I might just have missed doing that. I was confident that I had showed my readers how Bankotsu was able to make Kagome feel comfortable around him. It was the fact that he helped train her but even then he just instructed her. He did not try to get close unless he actually told Kagome he would approach her. when they weere in the future he just continued to help to train her but also showed that he cared for her feelings. maybe I should make a chapter or two that has some flashbacks on them. We will see. Thank you again for reading.
Chapter 25.
After what Bankotsu told them Kouga was ready to rip Naraku apart. But he kept himself calm, even if his aura showed how furious he was. Sure, one would normally think that Kouga would rush away to start look for Naraku with a much fierce vigor but that wasn't the case. Oh, Kouga wanted revenge for his fallen pack members there was no secret but there was a different between his killed pack members and Kagome. The members of his pack had been killed they couldn't get their revenge on their own. Kagome, she was alive and even though she was hurting, even Kouga in his angered state could feel that the young woman was slowly healing. No, he wouldn't leave the woman just to act recklessly, she was a pack sister. He would stay with her and her group of friends and help her by showing her he cared. He knew that Ginta and Hakkaku would agree as well, heck everyone in the group could feel even those two's anger at what they had been told.
"Kagome, I am sorry, if we had been close by maybe we could've saved you… we would've been there for you. We will stay and travel with you. I am actually a little bit curious on what the bast… ehm, I mean Bankotsu and the others has taught you in the ways of fighting." Kouga said as he gave her a calm and gentle smile even though his angry aura was still visible. Ginta and Hakkaku nodding in agreement to them staying with them. Inu Yasha growled in anger and annoyance but he hadn't missed the barely hidden barb towards him not being there to save Kagome when she was kidnapped, and the half demon felt his anger rise but he kept his mouth shut since he still blamed himself. Kagome looked at them in surprise, just like Miroku and Sango was. They had all been so sure that Kouga would rush away with a loud and overconfident promise to take revenge on her behalf. The surprise made Kagome give the three wolf demons a small and gentle smile and nodded in acceptance.
"Okay…" Kagome said quietly as she then let out a soft yawn and stood up. Bankotsu following her motions and lifted his halberd. He looked at her and kissed her on her forehead.
"Why don't you get ready for bed? I will be there soon I just want to talk to the monk for a second." Bankotsu said gently and Kagome looked at him but then nodded and went to her bag, which was beside the sleeping bag where Shippo laid sleeping, she quietly pulled out her pajamas and went behind a large tree, Kirara following her to guard and once she was changed she carefully climbed inside the sleeping bag, carefully hugging Shippo to her chest and snuggled a little. Kirara laying, beside them until Bankotsu was ready to sit beside them. Miroku had raised his brow at the knowledge that Bankotsu wanted to speak with him but decided to wait since it seemed that Bankotsu wanted to ensure that Kagome was safely in her sleeping bag before speaking. Sango looking at Bankotsu in curiosity.
Kagome tried to stay awake to try to listen to what Bankotsu wanted to say but as soon as she laid her head on her pillow she was already drifting to sleep. She had used a large amount of her reiki after all, she just couldn't keep herself awake. Once Bankotsu saw Kagome fall asleep he looked at Miroku.
"I want to ask you to help train Kagome in her reiki. Renji has done a good job but she needs to be able to train on this side of the well also. I can help her with hand to hand combat and weapons combat but when it comes to her training with her reiki, I can't do much. Of course, I know it will be hard since she is still scared. She keeps close to me all the time. But I want her to slowly become comfortable with you all again soon. She needs you all in her life. I am asking you on her behalf to help with her training, Miroku." Bankotsu said as he bowed to the waist making Inu Yasha sputter in shock as Kouga's jaw fell open in shock. The rest in the clearing that saw Bankotsu bow towards Miroku stared at the former mercenary in shock. Miroku was the one that shook of the shock of the sight first and he cleared his voice before he spoke.
"I will help her with her reiki. It will probably be a slow start, but I promise that I won't let her feel scared around me." Miroku said and Bankotsu raised from his bow and nodded.
"Thank you." Was all Bankotsu said and as he was about to go and sit by Kagome's Sango spoke.
"I can help you with her other training as well." She offered and Bankotsu looked at her over her shoulder and nodded in agreement and then went to sit down at Kagome side, Kirara standing to leave. As soon as Bankotsu was seated Kagome unconsciously snuggled closer to him and sighed in contentment and a tenseness in her shoulder that no one had noticed before vanished and they saw her completely relax as Bankotsu slowly let his hand pat her on her head. Everyone watched the interaction for a few seconds but then they all decided to get ready for bed as well.
It was just as the sun started to rise over the horizon that something woke up Bankotsu and he slowly opened his eyes and saw Kouga looking at him and he raised his brow in question.
"Why does Kagome trust you so much after what she has been through? You said yourself that her trust in males is almost gone." Kouga asked quietly, the wolf demon had an inkling on why Kagome trusted Bankotsu, but he wanted to hear Bankotsu's answer. Bankotsu looked at him for a few minutes and then spoke.
"She didn't trust me and my brothers at first either. I told you and the others yesterday what happened to her and how I decided to try to save her. I didn't go into detail with how it was in the beginning since that would have made it a rather long tale to tell. When Kagome first woke up after what Naraku did she was terrified. Suikotsu was the one that was with her when she woke up. He was preparing more medicine for her and she got scared. After he had, carefully, made her take her medicine he left the room to get me and the others. Once we came and saw that she was awake and scared and approached her and told her what I spoke of last night. In exchange for training her and making her stronger we were going to help her and you all fight Naraku if she could try to find a way for us to go back to life completely. Of course, she told us frankly that it wasn't something she could promise us, she said she would do what she could but accepted to help us. At first, she needed to rest and purify the rest of Naraku's miasma that still lingered inside her body. Renji… in other words, Renkotsu helped her since he used to be a monk in training. After that we started her training. I became her instructor while Jakotsu, whom, she felt the safest with was the one that became her sparring partner. Not very surprising since Jakotsu has no interest in women whatsoever. Of course, she felt scared around him too but not as much. Weeks of training slowly made her able to trust me and the others. After that we helped her get to the well without Naraku even seeing her and helped her go back home. After that she found out how to give us our lives back. Or rather restore the ones we had in the future. Her training continued, on the other side of the well and well… she trusted us the same way she trusted her family by the time we let Inu Yasha see her. I asked her if she would become my girlfriend, in this time I guess it is equal to that of a man and woman courting each other. She said yes and now we are here." Bankotsu said and Kouga nodded.
Kouga's thoughts had been correct. Bankotsu and the other in his group had slowly helped Kagome gain her trust back and she had given it to them. She was still hurt but thanks to Bankotsu and the others and Kagome's family being there for her she was slowly healing. Kouga slowly closed his eyes.
"Sleep some more. I will keep guard." Kouga said quietly and Bankotsu smirked a little and then closed his eyes as well to get in some more sleep. Kagome's training this morning would be skipped. She had used quite a lot of reiki and she would need to be fully rested.
It was in the late morning when Kagome finally woke up. Inu Yasha had been sulking about them still being there but a very dangerous glare from both Bankotsu and Kouga had made him shut up. Everyone in the group knew that Inu Yasha was trying to be considerate of Kagome but they also knew that it wouldn't last forever. They all just hoped he wouldn't go back to his usual way with the little miko since Kagome clearly didn't seem comfortable with him being too close. While Kagome ate her breakfast Bankotsu told her about how he had asked Miroku to help her continue her training with her reiki while they were in this time and, also told her that Sango wanted to help her with her combat training. She had smiled at them though she had seemed tense when she had looked at Miroku. Bankotsu had just given her a small but careful hug and said that he would be near the both of them while they trained. Miroku had also piped in and said that he would behave and not be too close to her. The monk had also said that he looked forward to seeing how much she already knew. Kagome had smiled a little brighter at that and once she had eaten and the dishes had been washed near a stream, they all continued their search for shards and Naraku. Inu Yasha in front with Bankotsu and Kagome behind him. Sango and Miroku close to them and Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku and the wolves taking up the rear.
They had been walking for a while when Kagome suddenly felt the presence of a jewel shard and jerked her head towards the left. The road that way leading towards a small village they had been to before but hadn't been back to because of the shrine of monks living there. They had saved the village from a group of demon snakes. The villagers and the monks had been grateful but had asked their small group to continue their journey after a night's rest. The monks hadn't wanted those of demon blood to stay to long. The group had left the very next day like they had been told and hadn't been back that way since. Kagome had been very angry at how the monks had treated Inu Yasha and Shippo, even Kirara but Sango and Miroku had at the time calmed her down. Kagome shook her head at the memories and then looked at Bankotsu and nodded and then yelled out what she sensed and then her and Bankotsu was already running down the road towards the village. Sango, Miroku and Shippo was quick to climb up on an already transformed Kirara's back and was soon in the air, flying after them, Kouga and Inu Yasha right after that as Ginta, and Hakkaku and the wolf run behind them. Everyone in the group save from Bankotsu all thought the same thing when they saw Kagome and Bankotsu run. They were fast. Like, really, fast. Inu Yasha had never seen Kagome move the way she did and not at the speed she was currently running at either. He hated to admit it, but she really had become stronger. Of course, that was good, but he hated how Kagome had been hurt for it, to happen. He watched how Kagome run at pace with Bankotsu without a problem, his vision suddenly changing to a memory of seeing Jakotsu running away after he had played with Inu Yasha's puppy ears in the future and immediately remembered the night when he had gotten drunk with him and blushed cherry red and shook his head to chase away the image. He took a deep breath and then his ears picked up the noise of screaming.
Kouga was also impressed with how fast Kagome had become. Oh, sure he didn't use his full speed but that was because he wanted to keep an eye on his pack sister and Bankotsu. He wasn't sure if he could trust him completely. He didn't sense, nor smell any deceit from him but he wanted to be completely sure before he made any final judgement. When their now larger group arrived at the village, they were met with the sight of a moth demon enhanced with a dark, nearly black, shard of the Shikon jewel. Kagome trembled slightly and everyone knew why once she told them all how tainted the shard was. The moth demon had gotten the shard from Naraku for some reason. That put them all on edge since if Naraku was involved then there was more to this attack then just destroying the village. Kagome took a deep breath and took her bow from her shoulder and slowly notched an arrow. She saw people injured and some even dead. Many of the monks that had chased them away before was either dead or injured. Kagome looked up on the moth demon that even though it didn't have a human form obviously was very strong. Kagome could sense that this demon probably had been very strong even before it had gotten the shard but like most of the other demons that didn't have a human form it had now lost it senses and now only strived for death and destruction. Kagome noticed how Kouga and Inu Yasha prepared to jump in to attack and spoke.
"Don't. The monks will not see favorable to having their village saved by those of demon blood. It will just end like before." Kagome spoke as she looked Bankotsu and took her bow from her shoulder and an arrow from her quiver. Bankotsu met her eyes and nodded and stood ready to dash in as soon as Kagome shot her arrow. Kagome took her aim and looked at the rampaging demon and let her reiki flow all around her to get the moth demons attention and once she saw she had it she let her reiki flow into her arrow until only the tip of the arrow was glowing pink.
When the moth demon Kagome and her friends it let out a roar and charged towards them. Kagome looked and saw that the jewel shard was in its chest and then took a deep breath and let her arrow fly, mentally saying her usual mantra of 'Hit the mark'. The arrow shot through the air towards the demon and it dodged but as soon as it did another arrow flew and hit it in the chest, purifying both the demon and the shard. Once the demon had turned to ashes the wind scattered and the shard fell into the ground Kagome walked quickly forward. Putting her bow back on her shoulder, Bankotsu close behind her while the rest of her friends stared in shock at what had happened. They all saw how quick Kagome had been, before if Kagome's arrows missed it usually took her a moment to get a new arrow but now they all had seen that once Kagome let loose her first arrow she had reached for the second one and shot that right away when the demon made its move to dodge. She really had improved and they all were happy for her. Inu Yasha though had very mixed feelings about that.
Inu Yasha watched as Kagome picked the now pure shard up from the ground and smiled at Bankotsu and then walked to help the villagers and the monks that had been injured. Bankotsu walking with her. Sango and Miroku hurrying after them, only Inu Yasha, Shippo, Kouga and his two sidekicks and the wolves stayed since it would just make things complicated if they went to help. Well that was at least the reason for Kouga and the others. For Inu Yasha though it was for several reasons. One, was that he was still slightly annoyed with how he had been treated here in the past and the second was because he just couldn't stop thinking on how proud he was at Kagome for her newfound strength but at the same time he wanted the old Kagome Back. The one that always stayed close to him. The third part of him was jealous of Bankotsu. Inu Yasha slowly shook his head and continued to watch Kagome and the others as they went about to help the injured. Kouga and his group watched as well though he did notice that Inu Yasha seemed to let out a lot of different emotion. Pride, sadness and a small amount of anger and jealousy. Kouga rolled his eyes and then looked with a guarded expression at the monks that had not been injured looked towards them and then walked up to Kagome that was currently treating a small child that had injured her leg. The monks seemed to talk to Kagome for a few minutes and then bowed towards her and then walked to help some other injured. Kagome looked towards Inu Yasha and the others and game them a calm smile, making Kouga relax. It seemed like the monks decided to not start up any trouble.
It was very late in the evening when all the injured had been treated and the dead had been buried. Kagome and her group had been allowed to camp outside of the village in a clearing. The monks had remembered Kagome and the group from when they had been to the village the first time and had learned from back then not to judge. At least the younger monks had learned it. The still remaining elderly monks was still skeptical towards the ones with demon blood. Especially since the group know had increased in that department with Kouga and his two pack members. But not even the elderly monks could go against their own feelings of gratitude and had agreed to let them camp outside the village for the night. Before the sun set the younger monks and some of the villagers had come and given them some food and blankets as a thank you for helping saving their village. Once the sun however started to go down, they all left, wishing them a good night but not wanting to stay outside of the village and the shrine after dark.
Kagome and the others all watched them leave and once the group was alone Kagome relaxed and let out a heavy sigh as she slowly leaned into Bankotsu. Resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The monks that had come had showed a little bit too much interest in her and though neither of the young men had said anything clearly. Kagome and the others in their group had known that they were interested in her as a woman to marry. Thankfully the monks had backed of once Bankotsu had sat by her side and clearly stated for everyone to hear that she was off limits. Bankotsu looked at Kagome in worry.
"Are you all right, Kagome? Do you want to go to sleep early?" Bankotsu asked her gently and everyone looked at them as Kagome slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head slowly to look him in the eyes. A faint blush coloring her cheeks and she gave a tired smile.
"No, I am just glad that you got the monks to back off. I am not ready to deal with that yet. Kouga was easy because I knew that he deep down loved Ayame and that he would never really do anything that I wouldn't want. I just need a moment." Kagome said and Bankotsu smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and then looked back to the fire were their dinner was cooking. The kiss made Kagome blush a little more but smiled as she closed her eyes again and leaned her body more into the warmth of Bankotsu's. Sango, seeing the interaction smiled brightly as she was happy her friend was getting better and that she had found someone that loved her and had the patience to help her get back to herself. She looked at Miroku, who smiled at her, the feeling Sango felt mirroring in his eyes about Kagome as the both om them continued their usual routine, Sango giving her hiraikotsu the normal maintenance and Miroku closing his eyes to continue his meditating. Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku watched how their pack sister acted and grinned, though Kouga had a very faint blush on his tanned skin. Not that it was very noticeable. His two, pack member noticed but didn't comment. Inu Yasha sat up in a tree, looking down at them all, he had a slight scowl on his face, but he stayed silence. He didn't know why but he felt strangely agitated and it had all started when he had watched how Kagome had purified the moth demon. No, he wasn't agitated towards her or anyone else in the group. Sure, he still didn't like having Kagome depend on someone else than him and he didn't like that Kouga and his sidekicks had joined them, but he didn't feel like this had anything to do with them. It had nothing to do with Bankotsu either. It was like Kagome's show in her more controlled reiki stirred something in him and he couldn't understand what. He let out an annoyed huff and decided he could think of it while he waited to the food to be ready and closed his eyes. Shippo sat on the other side of Kagome and watched her closely and smiled at how she was slowly, very slowly, showing signs of her old self. He was really happy about that and he grinned towards Bankotsu, his whole being showing how grateful he was and though Bankotsu only showed that he noticed that the kit was looking at him was watching him from the corner of his eyes, the smirk that appeared on his lips showed the child he had understood the message.
Far away from the group's campsite was another camp set up. A stoic being sat leaned again a tree, one leg pulled up and his remaining arm resting on it, his long silver hair falling down his shoulder. His pristine white silk kimono and armor glowing in the moonlight and campfire. His two swords still strapped to his waist. A young human girl already sleeping against his dragon steed and his ugly and annoying green retainer snoring near the fire. The being looked towards the south where he earlier had felt the strong, yet familiar wave of reiki as well as felt the aura of Inu Yasha and how it had slightly changed. His eyes narrowed as he thought of the miko that had that signature reiki. Not in anger or hatred but in confusion his thoughts then went to the so-called leader of the weird pack that said miko belonged to and he scowled in disgust. His bastard half breed half-brother. 'Since when has the miko been able to use that much power… Has Inu Yasha finally made sure that she has gotten the training she needs?' The being, Sesshomaru, thought but then mentally scoffed at the thought. 'No, Inu Yasha has made it clear with his actions over the years they have been a pack that he doesn't want her to be able to fight properly, the boy probably does it unconsciously and is probably not even aware of that he want's her to stay dependent on him. So, who has trained her?' Sesshomaru thought and then he realized that this was the first time in a very long time that he had felt any of their powers. Sesshomaru looked slowly to his small human ward and for once let a smirk grace his lips. Maybe he should pay his brother and his pack a visit come morning. He was sure that Rin would be happy to see the miko. Over the years the relationship between the cold ruthless lord of the west and the miko of his half-brother's pack had changed. Much to Inu Yasha's disliking. No, it wasn't any romantic feeling between the two though Inu Yasha had yelled about how the miko had been kissing up to him. At that thought Sesshomaru mentally rolled his eyes. The miko did nothing of the sort but the immature, rash and childish half breed did see it like that. All the miko did was show him her respect and friendship, though the last was still something Sesshomaru felt slightly confused about he accepted it. The two's relationship changed about two years ago after he had asked her aid in helping to heal Rin after she had fallen ill. Inu Yasha had of course yelled that she would do no such thing. That had earned the half demon a sitting that made him unable to leave the Inu Yasha shaped crater for hours.
Kagome had gone with Sesshomaru to see Rin after she had put Inu Yasha, in Sesshomaru's meaning, well deserved place and given the girl an examination. It had been something the miko had called the flu and she had helped with showing both him and Jaken what food she could eat and given the girl some medicine as well asked Sesshomaru to allow the Miko to treat Rin until she was cured. Sesshomaru had agreed and had moved his camp closer to that of Inu Yasha's pack so that he could escort the miko between the two camps. Inu Yasha had not been happy but Sesshomaru had enjoyed watching the miko forcing the half breed to submit. During that time Sesshomaru and Kagome had, though it still surprised the cold lord, become what Kagome called friends and since then even when he was fighting Inu Yasha, he always greeted her with respect. Even Jaken had showed to be grateful to the miko that healed the girl that, though he always complained about, he cared for. Sesshomaru shook his head slightly and smirked a little more. Yes, he was certainly going to visit the miko. He wanted to find out who had trained her and maybe he could torment the fool he was forced to share blood ties with. After all, if the sudden change in the Half breed's aura was what Sesshoumaru thought it was, then Sesshoumaru would definitely enjoy tormenting the boy for a moment.