Hey folks! Chocolate chip cookies and Root beer Floats for the beloved reviews: Blitza (Some abilities will remain, others wont), bleedingangel95, skyitegaming (maybe!), Pinkdread (InuYasha is an angry puppy. Let hope he finds peace.), Blitza, and Rose4Lifex3!

Not dead! Very much not dead. Just a huuuuge block. I appreciate your patience.

~Yasha's Sis

Circumstance

Book 2: Land of Grass

Chapter 12:

Bandits

"Oh thank you, Shinobi-san. Thank you so much!"

Face flushed in embarrassment and temper already frayed from having everyone treat him like he was some sort of Kami, InuYasha responded harsher than he meant to.

"Fuck, stop it. I said it's fine. Those bastards were just as likely to gut me after they robbed you. Don't thank me for that."

The captain of the barge stared at him, wide eyed, while his partner froze half way up from his bow.

Guilt stabbed at him along with an admonishing voice that sounded uncomfortably like Kagome. His face darken moreso.

InuYasha forced himself to calm down when the man looked ready to piss himself and sighed. "Thank me by getting us back on schedule. I need to meet someone and I'm already late."

The pair sprang up, gushing "Of course!" and "We'll be there ahead of schedule, Shinobi-san." and "My wife Rina will make you something. She says you're too thin ow-"

InuYasha sighed as their voices got further away but no less discernible. "Quiet, just get the food and tell Rina to pull out all the stops."

InuYasha leaned back against the wall by his seat and frowned. He figured as long as there were people, there would be crime, but he hadn't expected folks to still be so complacent about it. It was obvious the three entered the boat with no intention of paying and they smelled like blood and vomit. Who willingly lets trash like that on their ship?

Then again, the trio were bearing weapons and the owners of this barge didn't exactly seem like the upright nail types. They probably hoped by keeping their heads down, nothing would happen.

Of course that's the exact opposite of what occurred.

InuYasha could have ignored it had the bastards not decided to get too handsy with the women working the deck. Threatening to take the barge in the opposite direct he wanted to go, pushed the former hanyou into action just as much.

It was simple to take all three of them out, they were weaker than Kaede for crying out loud, and InuYasha hadn't even needed to unsheathe his sword.

As he tossed the last of them in a pile, he wondered briefly if it wouldn't be better to just kill them and be done with it. They got their jollies from preying on the helpless or complacent and InuYasha had no stomach for allowing that to continue.

It was only the stare of the girl they were harassing that stayed his hand. She didn't need to see this. And in hindsight, a five year old calmly slitting the throats of three grown men would be unsettling if not scarring for both her and everyone else on the barge. InuYasha then decided to just throw them over board.

Before he could do that, the girl who was their favored target crushed him in a hug, choking out thanks and InuYasha awkwardly patted her back. When she flinched at the contact, she self-consciously murmured that it wasn't the first time those men had been there and her back wouldn't have been able to take another day catering to them.

InuYasha blinked, told her to go find something to take care of her injuries, and turned back to the men who were still out cold.

The boy kept his word- he threw them overboard-but not before snapping each of their necks.

Next chapter: Ninja have customs?

Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

~Yasha's Sis