A/N I do not own Inuyasha.

This chapter would not be written if not for my wonderful fiancée. Dajski.

Chapter 9

"What did Sesshoumaru mean about Yuutsuki falling under his protection? I wonder why he is always around her." Kagome rubbed her arms, looking at Inuyasha, who was in process of starting a fire.

"Maybe lady Oka could enlighten us, since she seems to know the situation well." Miroku sighted slightly, switching his eyes to the obnoxious girl who was now cleaning her nails, complaining how destroyed they were. The group focused their looks on her.

"Inuyasha…" She spoke slowly, still looking at her own nails "Are you sure you are Lord Sesshoumaru's brother? You are so unlike him."

"We asked you a question. Polite would be to answer." Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's arm, when he was about to swing it towards Oka as Sango spoke calmly.

"We allowed you to go with us, so at least try to cooperate." She continued.

Oka hissed, as if something utterly annoying had happened. She lifted her posture and looked down at the rest.

"I will do so, for you not to tell me I owe you anything for tagging along. What do you wanna know?"

"Very well then." Miroku omitted her vicious tone. "Tell us what the connection between lady Yuutsuki and lord Sesshoumaru is."

"In my eyes, none." The nasal voice sounded higher than usually. "I do not see her as a Ren. The family suspects that lord Sesshoumaru came to see the Rens as useless and brought that girl to pose as one of us. Like this he could cut ties with us, claiming Yuutsuki to fulfil the Rens duties and also benefit from the alliance. That's why I am here. Lord Sesshoumaru MUST see ME as the rightful one to carry out the agreement."

"Alliance? What alliance?" Kagome became curious.

"A successor of lord Sesshoumaru's clan is obligated to mate a Ren in exchange of protecting Shikon no Tama with the ring and sword, which were both given by his clan. I am the daughter of the previous wielder of the ring. My father was considered the best human warrior in the west lands. Later the head of the family took away the ring. Later it disappeared. And even later that girl appears… " Her manner of speech showed too little signs of maturity for girl from a noble house.

"Slow down, lady Oka. I am not sure if we understand well. You think lady Yuutsuki was ordered by lord Sesshoumaru to pretend to be a Ren?" Miroku asked doubtfully.

"Yes! We all believe that!" She almost screamed, her cheeks red from the tension. Inuyasha got up as well, hoping the girl would leave them soon.

"Keh, funny. Before she met Sesshoumaru, she met us."

"Exactly! And back then she already called herself Ren." Kagome added, while being tightly grabbed by Inuyasha's arm.

Oka shrugged and sat down with her arms crossed. Her stubborn belief that Yuutsuki had been lying could not be bent even upon harder evidence to disprove her theory.

Several moments followed, and no one in the group spoke or moved much, all sat involved in their own thoughts.

"I feel several Shikon no Tama moving!" Silence was broken by Kagome with alarm.

"Are you certain of this lady Kagome?" Miroku asked while attaining his usual posture to such news.

"Yes, I'm certain of this, it´s faint, but I feel them for sure."

"Looks like we better get on the move." Inuyasha's usual stance of spirit heightening made everyone get up, including Oka, who before seemed reluctant to move, and this caught the dog demons eye.

"You seem to be in a hurry to go, I though you only cared for Sesshoumaru…"

"That´s exactly why I'm so thrilled to go. You never know if lord Sesshoumaru isn´t pursuing those same shards at this very moment."

"That's a good point, Yuutsuki surely will be present then, and she´ll be of great aid. The creature carrying them certainly got stronger thanks to the shards."

"That´s right, Yuu-chan already got us closer to completing the jewel, she might already be going after these ones." Miroku's analysis was concluded by Kagome´s words.

"And the reason why the usual transportation is impossible…"

"First of all the exact location is unidentified. Secondly, my transportation not only uses a lot of energy, but as well it releases a fair amount. It would be like announcing my arrival."

The sky was pricked over with stars and the full moon rimmed with a blurred halo. It was after midnight. They had been walking for thirty minutes only, but the cold of autumn night had already taken its toll on her body. He had thoroughly defined the purpose of the travel, sharing the information he had gathered.

"How long until we reach the mountains?"

"It depends on your endurance, however shouldn't be more than three, four days."

They were crossing through a dense forest, the moss covered ground required a lot of caution while walking. His bright clothing provided the best guidance, allowing her to follow closely, without losing the sight of him.

"Kagome can sense the shards, taking her would be more beneficial, I think."

"I have no desire for a shard sensor." He cut the discussion curtly.

Yuutsuki kept silent lost in her thoughts, pondering about Ryou's condition and what had happened during the training. Only the rhythmical sound of her footsteps and breath disturbed the silence of the night. She would probably continue being absentminded for longer, if not for his words.

"Do you need a rest?"

The icy wind whipped through her moist hair and cold face caused by the constant smooth drizzle which had been showering her as she had been walking through it, she could also feel the cold emanating from the ground. Resting in such an unpleasant, wet place was not something one would urge for.

"No, I am still fine."

Yuutsuki didn't see his reaction, yet she tried to imagine it. A little way of entertaining herself which was keeping her mind busy while walking, her mood had improved and not even the cold or the fine drops of rain were as bothersome as before.

"In the future, what do you do? Are you a warrior apprentice?"

She rubbed her numb fingers together in a futile attempt to warm them.

"I do indeed practise Kendo, but I am no warrior. In modern times, war is on a different level where technology reigns. I am just a commoner, living in my family's shrine."

Sesshoumaru strolled slowly, remaining quiet, but no long after, he asked again:

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

The question was intriguing and she really wanted to ask the same, but resigned, knowing he would most likely fob her off with silence.

The sun started to rise over the horizon, illuminating the morning fog spread around like a slight duvet over the valley. Sesshoumaru looked through his shoulder at the lavender shadows beneath Yuutsuki's eyes.

"There is a village nearby. You shall rest there.

The girl was visibly exhausted, he was taken aback by her durability of such a long walk. At this pace they could reach the destination faster.

"If I only manage to reach there" she said half seriously, half jesting.

He merely lifted up his left eyebrow. Despite the travel, he still maintained invigorated. The dry, icy air did not affect his stamina and he could continue walking for many hours, if not days more.

As they were approaching the village, they noticed an elderly couple coming from the opposite side, sharing the road with them. Drawing closer to the later, the young traveller couldn´t help notice the evident difficulty with which the timeworn lady was carrying her load. The lady fell to the ground and scattered the contents of her basket. Yuutsuki set off, as if she had not been tired at all, determined to help the fallen lady.

"Here hold my hand, I will help you." Yuutsuki held out her hand to help the old lady back to her feet.

"Dear, are you fine? I knew you should not have come, you are too weak to walk like this." The elder man complained in concern while safely dropping his basket to the ground.

"Thank you dear." The woman smiled kindly at Yuutsuki's aid.

"And I'm not weak…" she turned to her husband, "I just tripped, that's all."

Not waiting to be in the middle of a couple's dispute, Yuutsuki began picking up the fallen contents and couldn't help herself to gaze at them, such apples she had not seen in some time, ripe and ready to eat. Sesshoumaru stood a few meters away from them, covered by the trees' shadows with his usual air of indifference.

Already on her feet and all the apples back in the basket, the lady thanked Yuutsuki once more for her help and rewarded her with the juiciest looking apple of the bunch.

"Oh, thank you so much, it looks delicious." The young girl was visibly happy at the simple reward. She polished it with her sleeve and smiled.

"Didn't we meet somewhere before?" The old lady deeply stared at Yuutsuki.

"I don´t think…"

"Oha, I know, what did you do to your hair Hanako." The woman cut in.

"Dear, it couldn't be her, that was many years ago, surely she would look like a grandma by now. But they do look alike…" The old man fobbed off any uncertainty.

"Oh, it´s true. This head of mine, and you know, it will only get worse..." She finished off with a laugh at her misfortune, although her eyes remained focused on Yuutsuki's face.

"Coincidently, my grandmother´s name is Hanako." Replied the girl, still delighted with the previous reward.

"What a coincidence, and what´s your name young one?"

"Yuutsuki, Ren Yuutsuki."

"Oh you´re even a Ren like her. Oh!" The woman's eyes wandered off to Yuutsuki's hip, where the Rens' family sword was attached. "She had the same sword! Hanako! You are her, aren't you! You came back!" Her voice became shaky.

"Huh? Can you please tell me more?" Yuutsuki was deeply dumbfounded. These details were too mutual to be a happenstance. Could it be that her grandma has been concealing a part of her past?

"Dear… C'mon… There is no way…" But the old man's nervous eyes denuded his thoughts.

He embraced the woman and slightly pushed her in order to move on and continue their way.

"Please, please tell me!" Yuutsuki followed them, desperately grabbing the opportunity to know more.

"Demon!" The man screamed at the sight of Sesshoumaru standing under a tree.

"Please, there is no danger, please…" Yuutsuki was getting desperate. Dealing with scared, old people posed as a hard task to accomplish, but honestly she couldn't disparage them, for demons had triggered innumerable hardships for the human kin. Sensing their anxiety, Sesshoumaru decided to join Yuutsuki, passing the frightened couple uncaringly.

The elders quickly moved on, not once looking back at the allegedly familiar face. Yuutsuki was left with the red apple in her hands and thoughts crossing her puzzled mind.

"As I assumed, humans flee at the sight of my greatness. I cannot enter the village without causing uproar. Go, rest, and bring provisions for yourself. Come to meet me when the sun sets."

Sesshoumaru said with a smirk.

The girl knew that any resistance was futile. She shouldn't face any troubles in the village, in her pocket there was a considerable amount of money, previously gained from demon slaying.

Already in a rent room, Yuutsuki merely took off her shoes and fell dead asleep, waking up almost nine hours later.

The assumptions led her to a conclusion that her grandmother once had come to the past, along with the sword, just like her. For her to be mistaken with the elder, the trip had had to be many years ago. However, pondering about it, be it thoroughly or cursorily, wouldn't bring her closer to verity. Now that the elder couple had been gone, there was nobody she could ask about it. The curious fact remained with her, albeit not in the forefront of her mind.

She still had a lot of time before the sunset, so she decided to walk around the village, eat a dinner and gather provisions. The girl picked up her belongings and packed them in a cloth bag, which she hung over her shoulder.

The village was surprisingly effervescent, people were flowing from everywhere. Out in the roads, all residents appeared to be captivated in cheerful chitchats, most of them beaming. Children were playing next to houses, their clothing too poor for the weather, however it didn't seem to cause any inconveniences in their judgments. From the kitchen areas wafted the rich smell of cooking.

Yuutsuki was slowly strolling forward, when a female voice called out to her:

"Lady in the pink kimono! Aren't you a traveller?" The girl curiously followed the sound with her eyes.

On a small porch of a meagre hut there was a woman waving her hand. She was clearly middle aged, the deep wrinkles on her face served as proof. Next to her there was a small man, thin as a stick and with the complexion of a tallow candle.

"Yes I am." Yuutsuki approached them and bowed in a polite gesture. "My name is Yuutsuki."

"Oh." The woman bowed her head as well. "I cooked a bit too much for dinner. If you would like, you can help yourself. Travellers nowadays barely eat… "

She had the pulp, settled air of a matron and an inclination to mother. Yuutsuki was pleasantly surprised by the offer.

"Is it really fine? I can pay for the meal…"

"Silly. Just come in. Come, come."

Yuutsuki followed the woman and was quickly sat to a table. In an instant she was facing a bowl of steaming rice with slices of meat on it. After few minutes of silence, the house lady began speaking.

"You know what, my daughter is a priestess of the village. We are so happy for her…" She was twittering radiantly.

"Is that so. She has to be brilliant."

"Oh, yes…She protects the village from demons and cures sick people with her medical abilities. And she is only fifteen…"

"That's a young age, indeed."

"And you, what's with that sword. Can you even use it? Or are you carrying it just to scare off thieves?"

Yuutsuki laughed.

"I use it reasonably well, I think. Thank you for the food." She said after putting the chopsticks away.

"Don't worry about it."

"I will be on my way then." She got up, and bowed lowly. "Honestly thank you."

"What a nice child. Good luck on your travel!"

Yuutsuki left the house, with her spirits up, feeling lucky to have met such a generous woman.

After walking for a few minutes, she heard screams and cries coming from the centre of the village. She became cognizant of the situation rapidly. A gallop of horses, burning torches and naughty, loud laughs were palpably signs of bandits attacking.

The girl could already see them from a distance. They were riding, throwing fire everywhere and cutting people, who were stampeding from the blazes of inflamed houses.

Her heart gave a great lurch, as if it would almost leap up into her dry mouth and then began pounding in her chest like a hammer on an anvil. She had seen bloody scenes before, but a man slaughtering an innocent man was an experience of dread and horror. There was no one to fight them; the men were probably working in fields, perhaps it was the reason to attack at such hour.

"Everyone hide!"

"Hide or be killed!"

People were brushing her shoulder, whilst desperately running away from the approaching oppressors. However she was standing still, pointing her infuriated eyes at the bandits. Yuutsuki knew she couldn't face them all at once, yet she really wanted to cut at least one, otherwise it was impossible for her to feel at ease.

The girl unsheathed the sword, making her posture steadier. As she stood, waiting, the wind rose in a gust, and rustled through the grass. The enemy had spread around, now only two of them were heading in her direction. In the corner of her eye, she noticed terrified people seeking the protection in a shrine nearby, they still put their faith in gods, hoping to be miraculously sheltered. The two bandits reached her, with filthy smiles they got off the steeds. They looked stronger than her, although they wielded no weapons besides some thin, wooden clubs.

"Oi! Don't tell me you wanna fight…" The bigger one spoke.

"Try me." Yuutsuki tried to act composed, yet inside she sensed a wave of the sword's power. Her body was trembling, urging to slice them. It was the same sensation as when she had used the sword without the ring, but this time there was no damage, just a burning desire to protect the innocent people.

He guffawed, and made an inviting hand gesture.

"Do not hurt her, Shouta. ´Cause I do wanna TRY her later!" The shorter thief accompanied the other one.

She sprang towards the bulkier fellow, hitting her shoulder against his. Obviously, there was no possibility of hurting him that way, yet she had achieved her objective. He had allowed her to pass him, however he had not turned. In that brief moment she took a large swing and pierced the bandit from behind. The enemy had belittled her and had been caught unawares.

"While sparring never take your eyes away from the opponent."

A crimson blood was dripping from the sword, as her gaze switched to the other oppressor.

"You little wench…"

She smiled without humour and raised her sword. As he approached, she grabbed the other edge of the blade, and hit with the side of it on his ugly face, causing him to fall down with a nosebleed.

"Call off the others, or you die!" She kicked his ribs strongly.

"Fine, fine! I will do that! Calm down you crazy woman!" He said with difficulty, covering his nose in order to stop the bleeding.

Yuutsuki kicked him in the jaw, making him moan in pain and before she managed anything, a tight grip locked her movements.

"You're not getting away now." said the thug strongly embracing the girl.

"Now, you are all…mine." the one Yuutsuki had knocked down, spoke out between deep breaths as he made his way to her. He fell halfway through, and as his body thumped on the ground, Sesshoumaru, still baring his glowing, poisonous claws, was standing behind him. In a heartbeat, the demon had moved behind the remaining hoodlum and thrust his claws inside the human's body, freeing Yuutsuki from his grasp.

"Touch my shoulder." He said with his usual, stoic voice, as he pushed the dead thief away.

The girl began to take deliberate, steady breaths, until she felt the tension within begin to slacken and her pulse become a little steadier, her head clearer.

"No, I am not going away. I will help the villagers. Your help would be appreciated as well…"

"Foolish. This is human affairs. I have no interest in it. We are leaving." Sesshoumaru almost growled, irritated by her disobedience.

"Foolish or not. I AM a human." Her wide eyes were burning with the concentration of passionate emotion, which streamed from her.

"Is it your whim to endanger your life for strangers?"

"Yes it is, it is what I am doing all the time! Everyone in this world is a stranger to me!" A small tear of helplessness ran down her cheek. "With your help or without, I will do what is in my power."

She set off, running towards the flames of falling huts and screams of people, but she was free only for a second, for the demon grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to his face.

"I have no urge to help you."

She watched his golden eyes narrowing at her, as he released his iron grasp.

"However I cannot have you injured."

Faster than her eye could follow, Sesshoumaru catapulted himself at the foes. He drove through the bandits' crowd mercilessly, slashing and melting their flesh with a green whip of light. Those that hadn't been felled to the ground by the overwhelming power, despite futile attempts to flee, were caught by the whip anyway, meeting a disgraceful death. The villagers, along with Yuutsuki could only observe in bewilderment on how the dog demon was disposing of the threat that had been endangering them all. Some of them knelt in gratitude, folding their hands together, calling Sesshoumaru their saviour, others stood in astonishment with their eyes wide opened. As the last of the oppressors met his doom, Sesshoumaru threw his glance at Yuutsuki, and not minding the cheering around him, slowly walked away.

She quickly caught up with him. Pointing his look at the horizon, he said quietly:

"What has happened in here is neither to be repeated, nor mentioned."

They walked in silence for few hours. Yuutsuki noticed from afar, that the last flames in the village had been put down and only lanterns held high by the houses were bobbing and flickering. The sun was long gone and the darkness had consumed the remaining light. Out of nothing Sesshoumaru stopped, lifted his chin, scenting the air. She could see his posture stiffen and a moment after a figure in a baboon pelt dropped out from the sky, blocking their way. Even she could sense the ominous energy emanating from it.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I see you've already gotten yourself a new human toy. Days till we meet on battlefield are short."

Anger flickered through the demon's gaze for a moment, tingeing it crimson. Swiftly, silently and with a stern expression, Sesshoumaru sliced through the figure, dividing it in two. However it didn't bleed, neither fall nor die, just dispersed with a faint laugh.

"Bastard!" Sesshoumaru angrily let the sour word slip his tongue, while resuming their walk, guided by the slant of moonlight that reached out into the darkness of the forest.

Yuutsuki comprehended, that asking for an explanation wouldn't cause the intended result. Keeping her mouth shut she began to feel less comfortable for the air was a great deal colder and blowing in gusts from the east with an unpleasant rain upon its breath.

Several long hours passed and Sesshoumaru noticed the girl's growing fatigue. Without hesitation, and completely omitting her protests, he placed his hands on Yuutsuki's frail body and lifted it, positioning her close to his chest. After the girl finally accepted the awkward condition she was in, the demon picked up the pace and rapidly set off.

"Ren Hanako." Only after a while he whispered. "I've heard that name before."

A/N Thank You for reviews and alerts. Seems like the story is growing! Check out my profile for artwork for this fanfic.