Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: For Sesshoumaru's character, I'm not really sure when he uses "this Sesshoumaru" or "I" to refer himself, so I just use both depending which one suits better. And yes, Sesshoumaru appears in this chapter.

Chapter 9:

Bird In a Cage

Pain.

It had been a while since everything felt so painful. The last time was when he was a pup. A villager had captured him and placed an ofuda on his head to keep him from using his powers. The man then continously gave him beatings for no particular reason. It had been so painful back then, and it was all because his healing abilities weren't as good as now.

But this time, it was as if his abilities were like back then.

His healing had slowed down, and it was thanks to this damned room. To weaken him, they had placed a barrier that suppresses his demonic energy. They also had taken away Tessaiga. It was fun to watch when the barrier rejected the hands of those demons, but the fun ended when they called for a human servant to carry it away. If it wasn't for this barrier, he would've turned into a demon by now, since he wasn't with Tessaiga, and escape. But fate loves being cruel to him and offered him this. Does his friends even know he was here? Of course not. By the time they arrive here, he was surely as good as dead.

On the first day of his captivity, he was furious when Naraku's smug face was the first thing he saw when he returned conciousness. He reacted with swiping his claws at the half-demon, but his speed had been reduced and Naraku dodged the attack effortlessly.

He was glad that they didn't use retraints on him, but at the same time, it offended him because it was proof that he had become weak.

Inuyasha let out an exhausted sigh and laid his head on the wooden wall. This was the fifth day since he was first captured. He was hungry, tired, and his body ached all over. His suikan and kosode were taken away—probably ended up with Tessaiga—so that it would be much easier for them to take his blood. He had no idea why they needed his blood, but that was the only thing he knew why they wanted him. Eyes tiredly casting down on his arms, he shivered in disgust. Bruises and slashes from the whipping sessions littered all over his flesh. His hair was ragged and no longer glow the beautiful silver he once knew. If only he could heal faster and take a bath, he wouldn't have to see his body in such an ugly condition. It was bad enough that he was considered filth due to his half-breed status.

He heard the door being unlocked and the little girl, he knew as Jikiko, came in. She brought in a tray with a small portion of food and a glass of water. For some reason, his body doesn't tense with her presence. Maybe it was because of her child-like appearance, who knows? Though, he was no fool. He knew she was powerful the moment he found out that she was the one that sent those puppets to him—and the one that released him while he was unconscious. She was an enemy, but one thing he liked about her is that she barely talks. And when she does, her voice doesn't hold any tone of hostility.

She laid the tray on the ground and brought the glass of water to his parched lips. "Drink," she said quietly.

On the first three days, he would've refused her help on bringing the glass to his face, but now, he could barely move his limbs. He parted his lips and she tilted the glass slightly so that the water would enter little by little. Once he had drank, she eyed the food on the tray.

"Can you eat yourself?" she questioned.

He opened his mouth to answer, but no voice came out. So he only nodded.

Ignoring his response, she knelt on the ground and brought the spoon up to his mouth.

He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to let her feed him. He may have allowed her to let him drink, but that was because he was desperate to cease the dryness in his throat. That still didn't change his viewpoint on her. She was his enemy, and whether she was pitiying him or not, he doesn't need her help.

"I—" he licked his dry lips. "I can do it myself."

She paid no attention to his refusal and continued poking the spoon at his lips. At last, he opened his mouth, allowing the food to enter. He chewed it silently, his head bowed.

Another thing he liked about her is that she wasn't like Naraku. There was a time when Naraku came in and brought him food. The demon had actually taunted him like some animal, holding the plate in the air, knowing that he couldn't stand up after freshly beaten. But that was the last time he saw the imbecile came in. After that, it had always been her.

"They're coming," Jikiko said, her voice soft snd low, as she pushed a strand of her blonde hair over her humanoid ears.

Inuyasha blinked. "Huh?"

Jikiko's eyes flickered to the people at the doorway, causing the hanyou to look where she was facing. She found Himitsu and Naraku standing there, and she stood up from her kneeling position.

"I pity you, hanyou," Himitsu said, her voice genuinely apologetic as Jikiko carried the tray away. The sorceress loomed over Inuyasha's bruised body. "I told Waru-sama that you're not halfway healed yet, but he said he only wanted a little more blood for today. Goodness, my lord can be very impatient."

Inuyasha wasn't paying full attention to Himitsu's words. Instead, he caught Jikiko glancing at him one more time, before she left the room.

Inuyasha shifted his focus on the people in the room when he caught movement. Himitsu moved out of the way, while Naraku stepped in. Inuyasha couldn't stop his ears from drooping slightly on top of his head. It earned him a chuckle from Naraku.

He knew what was coming next. Naraku was in charge of beating him, while Himitsu's role was to absorb his splattered blood with her magic.

Before they start, Himitsu warned with a playful, yet serious, voice, "Naraku, you better not kill my intended toy."

"As you wish, my lady," Naraku said as he stretched the whip he was about to use on Inuyasha. "Now, Inuyasha, you know how this goes, do you?"

Inuyasha bit back a growl, not wanting to give Naraku the satisfaction by yelling at him.

Naraku chuckled. With no warning, he grabbed a fistful of the hanyou's silver hair, dragging him to the middle of the room. Inuyasha wanted to release himself from Naraku's grasp, but couldn't find the strength in his arms anymore. In the center of the room, he was thrown harshly on the ground, his bare back—that still had the injuries from the earlier whipping session—facing Naraku's sadistic grin.

He gasped out in pain the moment the whip made contact with his body. He could feel his own cool blood trailing down his back, spilling on the floor. Then, followed by another slash. And another. He clenched his fists as he endured the pain. He wasn't weak, he reminded himself. As long as he doesn't cry out in pain, or release the slightest whimper, he wasn't weak.

"Come on, Inuyasha," he heard Naraku say from behind him, his voice filled with amusement. "Maybe if you cry, I'll reduce the pain. How does that sound?"

The whips kept coming, and Inuyasha had to keep his eyes shut to bear with it. The bleeding would be a pain to heal soon. The only thing that kept him sane was Himitsu's words that mentioned they just needed a little more of his blood.

"That's enough, Naraku. Any more, and the boy dies," Himitsu said. One of the her other abilities is that she could tell if someone is on the verge of death. Apparently, her job is to also stop the beating immediately before he dies.

"Already? But I'm not even half satisfied yet."

Inuyasha's ears caught the sound of something whooshing his way. With willpower, he opened his dull golden eyes to see Himitsu's shadowed face looking down on him.

Himitsu stared at him before looking away. She reached her arms out, and the blood pooling around his body vanished. Her arms retreated back under her cloak and she flew away from him. He heard Naraku's footsteps (since Himitsu was floating) becoming more distant, and soon, the door was closed behind him.

Inuyasha laid there for a few minutes. He tried lifting his head, and a wave of dizziness hit him due to the blood loss. He ended staying where he was, unmoving. He decided, while waiting for himself to gather enough strength, he should heal some of the bleeding wounds. He concentrated his energy onto healing the worst injury. When he had finished healing that one wound, he felt worse than before. His vision blurred and black spots were popping here and there. He let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

It was time to take a nap again.

They finally reached the end of the forest. Sesshoumaru started walking in long strides, his nose inhaling the air and searching for the hanyou's particular scent. Villagers glanced at him before retreating into their huts, fear emitting from their bodies. Sesshoumaru paid no heed to them, and instead, focused on one hut that had Inuyasha's scent the strongest. Though, something was unsettling. Inuyasha's scent was there, but it seemed that the scent was a few days old.

Before he reached the front of the hut, Inuyasha's human companions had rushed out of the structure—probably sensing his demonic aura. He had purposely kept his aura revealed to notify them that he was arriving. He was a youkai with pride, and he wouldn't do something as low as barging into a person's hut without manners. Thankfully, they had came out first, and saved him a lot of unwanted trouble.

"Sesshoumaru! What are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru recognised the girl as the young miko Inuyasha usually hangs out with. He watched as her grip tightened on her bow, her knuckles turning white from the mere action.

Sesshoumaru ignored their animosity towards him and said, "Inuyasha is not here." It was meant to be a question, but it had came out more like a statement.

The monk cleared his throat, a hand reached out as a sign to halt the other companions from doing anything rash. "Sesshoumaru, as you have stated, Inuyasha is not here. He has been captured by a sorceress. The one who had targeted him is a youkai named Waru. Is there any chance that you have seen him?"

Sesshoumaru appreciated that the monk had explained everything without him asking, so he decided to answer his question, "No."

Sesshoumaru noticed the miko and the taijiya exchanged worried glances. If he had listened properly, the monk mentioned that Inuyasha had been taken by a sorceress. So it seemed that Himitsu was successful in capturing him. Inuyasha was a strong fighter, that was how much Sesshoumaru was willing to give, but Himitsu had proven herself a very skillful sorceress. It was no surprise if Inuyasha wasn't able to defeat her.

"May I ask you another question?" the monk spoke again.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment. Then, he answered, "You may."

"What brings you here?"

"This Sesshoumaru would like to see the hanyou," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice impassive. "However, due to the hanyou's lack of presence, this Sesshoumaru would like to speak with the owner of this hut."

"That would be me."

Everyone turned their heads to an old miko, who had pushed aside the noren and was now standing outside of the hut. Sesshoumaru eyed the miko. He was aware that none of Inuyasha's companions owned the hut in front of him, since there was an unfamiliar scent that was the strongest here, and that woman had the unfamiliar scent. Since Inuyasha often stays here, it is safe to assume that Inuyasha trusts this woman.

The old miko bowed respectfully. "I am known as Kaede, my lord. Is there something ye need from me?"

Sesshoumaru noted that he finds the old miko toleratable by her way of respect. "This Sesshoumaru would like to leave his ward and retainer at your home."

"Whaaat?" came a high-pitched screech.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he fought himself from sending his fist on top of Jaken's head.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, why? Why must you leave me in this repulsive village—"

"Jaken, you will heed to my orders."

"Y-Yes... Sesshoumaru-sama..." Jaken replied dejectedly with his head bowed.

Kaede stared at his retainer before she met his gaze. "Is there a reason for yer request, my lord?"

Sesshoumaru hated explaining things, but it seemed he owed a debt to this miko for not declining his request. "This Sesshoumaru believes the youkai you have mentioned, Waru, will be sending a powerful youkai that has been once sealed, to attack him. It is unwise to allow Rin to get involved with the battle," he turned his head to face the human child that was standing beside Ah-Un. "Rin."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she said, her face cheerful (unlike a certain toad) even though she was being left at an unknown village.

"You and Jaken will listen to this miko," he said, ignoring his retainer's muffled wails. His focus was back on the miko. "Miko, you will not allow harm to befall on my ward. I will be back to retrieve Rin in a matter of time."

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama! I am hurt that you only mentioned Rin—"

With one swing of his hand, the toad was knocked out cold. Sesshoumaru exhaled slowly through his nose, pleased that he finally received the peace he craved. However, Inuyasha's companions gasped at the fallen toad. He paid no mind to their reactions and looked at Kaede again.

Kaede bowed her head. "I will do my best to keep the child safe, my lord."

"But why are you leaving your ward here? I thought you hated Inuyasha," the taijiya commented.

Sesshoumaru turned around, ignoring the taijiya's question.

Kagome noticed that Sesshoumaru was about to leave, and decided to grab this opportunity. "Wait!"

Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, but didn't bother to face her.

"We... um... we need help in searching for Inuyasha. Even if Shippou-chan and Kirara's sense of smell is better than us, but we still can't find him like this," Kagome said, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Please help us, Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha is... Inuyasha is going to die if we don't save him on the time he is weakened."

Sango and Miroku's eyes widened when Kagome had practically revealed about Inuyasha's secret, but Kagome reassured that she had not revealed the important details.

"You speak of Inuyasha's human night," Sesshoumaru said, which took the humans by surprise.

"Y-You knew?" Kagome stuttered.

Sesshoumaru responded with a brief, "Yes."

"That's why we need your help! I'm not sure myself what they are doing to Inuyasha, but at this rate, he's going to die!"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a few moments. Finally, he answered, "This Sesshoumaru does not permit the hanyou to die by the hand of others," he said, his back still at the group. "In time, this Sesshoumaru will be the one to end that half-breed's life."

Sesshoumaru resumed his steps to head back to the forest, away from the village. He could care less if Mouretsu decides to attack this village, but since he had left Rin here, he would like to stay as far away as possible from here until the battle is over.

"Goodbye, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he heard Rin say before he entered the forest.

Waru headed to the one door he had been looking for among the others doors. Without even bothering to knock, he opened the door and found Himitsu in front of a large body clad in armour—which was Mouretsu. The sorceress turned her head, but her hands were still extended towards Mouretsu, her powers trying to break his seal.

"Is it done?" Waru asked as he took a step closer to the sorceress.

"Almost, my lord," Himitsu said and faced Mouretsu's sealed body. "It had been months since I've been working to undo his seal. I believe, in a few days time, he will be awakened."

"Excellent."

"My lord, may I ask you a question?"

Waru gave a curt nod.

"I believe we are sending Mouretsu to battle the Lord of the West. But why do we still need his blood if we already have the hanyou's?"

Waru smirked. "I'm just taking precautions, Himitsu. I'm not sure myself if we need it, but it is just in case Inuyasha's blood is not enough."

Himitsu nodded and glanced at Waru, before facing Mouretsu again.

"My lord, do you think Mouretsu will win?"

Waru was caught off guard by her question. This is the first time he heard Himitsu doubt Mouretsu's power. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, Mouretsu has once battled Sesshoumaru before. In fact, the Lord of the West was the one that had defeated him hundreds of years ago," Himitsu explained. "And for the years that Mouretsu has been sealed, Sesshoumaru, no doubt, has increased his power."

"So you are saying that Sesshoumaru is stronger than Mouretsu now," Waru said, and Himitsu bobbed her head. "Ah, and that is when you come in, Himitsu."

Himitsu whipped her head towards her lord, not fully comprehending what his statement meant. "I don't understand, my lord."

"Once you've broken Mouretsu's seal, for the next few days, you will be focusing on your magic to enhance his abilities."

Himitsu stayed silent for a few moments, before answering, "But it will drain my magic, my lord."

"Himitsu, I trust you can handle something as miniscule as that."

Himitsu didn't answer immediately. "As you wish, my lord."

"Excellent," Waru said, pleased.

Unknowingly to Waru, Himitsu had a disgusted expression formed on her face, safely concealed under her hood.

A/N: I'm sorry for treating Inuyasha this way, but I can't help but enjoy writing his part (I'm probably much more evil than Naraku). It seems that Sesshoumaru is getting prepared to fight Mouretsu... will he able to win?

- Replies -

StudentoftheBible: I'm not Christian, but thank you for sharing.

Cresent Blue: Hmm... I'm curious to know where the story leads too. I wonder what's going to happen to Sesshoumaru... And thank you for your review. I'm glad that you enjoy this story!

thetinyburrito: Don't worry, I stalk you too.