A/N: If any of you have noticed, I changed some of the chapter titles. And important news; starting from 2018, I will update Bloodshed every two weeks. I'll be much busier next year, so I might not be able to update every week. Sorry for having to delay the next update.

Chapter 13:

Brotherly Talk

"We have something we need to discuss, half-breed."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "You're right, we do need to discuss about somethin'," he said, and pointed his index finger directly at Sesshoumaru's face. "First of all, I don't know what the hell happened back there, but Mouretsu must've hit your head pretty hard if it you brought me back here. Either that, or you need somethin' from me."

"It is most likely the latter," Sesshoumaru answered coolly, and sat on the floor with his legs crossed, back straight. "You will answer this Sesshoumaru's questions."

Inuyasha took a moment to glare daggers at his demanding brother. For just a second, he had thought his brother had actually... cared about him. He knew, and was reminded again not to get his hopes up. He should've known that the only reason why Sesshoumaru would save him was because he needed something. Taking a deep breath, he fought the urge to yell at his brother. As much as he hated to admit it, he kinda owe Sesshoumaru for bringing him here. Sesshoumaru could've just left him and find some other way to gain what he wanted, but he didn't.

"Fine," Inuyasha muttered, eyes going downcast. "What do you wanna know?"

"Names of people you've seen during your capture, and the reason why they took you."

Inuyasha thought for a moment. "There's Himitsu, Jikiko, Naraku, Waru," he said, and remembered what Himitsu had told him. "And Himitsu told me that they took me because they needed some powerful blood or somethin'."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. If the enemy needed powerful blood, then most likely they would search for an inu-youkai, or someone who has Inu no Taisho's blood running through their veins. From the names Inuyasha had given, they were all the names he had heard from the weak youkai he had previously battled; minus Naraku. He wasn't sure how Jikiko and Waru got into the picture—since he only dealt with Himitsu and Mouretsu in the past—but he could guess what they were planning to do with Inuyasha's blood. If his assumptions were true, then it would be best for him to stay outside of the village.

All of a sudden, Inuyasha asked, "Why are you so interested?"

He didn't answer immediately. "Why I'm interested is none of your concern."

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, there's somethin' I'm missin' here," he said, and crossed his arms over his crossed legs. "They took me, so why are you gettin' information about them?"

Sesshoumaru contemplated whether to answer his brother's question or not, and decided that he would go with ignoring it. Standing up, he turned his back against Inuyasha, and motioned to exit the hut.

Inuyasha needed answers, but with Sesshoumaru leaving, there was no other way he would get them. He had to stop his brother from leaving, but he wasn't sure if he was fast enough to get up. But then, an idea hit him. All he had to do was eat a bit of Sesshoumaru's pride, and the demon lord would instantly come back... to kill him. Well, consequences be damned.

"Wait, are you planning to take revenge for me because you care about me?" Inuyasha asked with a smirk, successfully halting Sesshoumaru's steps. He shook his head, and placed a hand over his chest for dramatic effect. "Sesshoumaru, I didn't know that you even had it in ya."

Sesshoumaru slowly, and eerily, turned his head to the side, his face now looking at the half-naked form of his younger brother. "You are foolish if you think I care for a hanyou like you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Well, how do you explain the part where you literally saved me? And don't try to say that it's because you needed somethin' from me, 'cause I know you can always search for answers somewhere else," he said, and his smirk turned into a taunting grin. "Or is it too hard for ya to admit that you just care?" To piss his brother off even further, he even repeatedly twitched his ears.

Faster than Inuyasha could see, Sesshoumaru was already kneeling on one knee, his arm extended and grabbing the back of Inuyasha's head, earning the inu-daiyoukai a startled yelp. His grip on his brother's hair tightened as he pulled Inuyasha's head slightly backwards. His words were venom when he said, "I will never save an abomination like you, half-breed. If I did, then consider yourself lucky, because I needed something from you. But now, I already have what I needed."

"O-Oh yeah?" Inuyasha's voice wavered as the pain from the back of his head was becoming almost unbearable. "No matter how I look it, you s-still saved me."

Sesshoumaru snarled. "The only reason why I saved you was only because I needed to know about my enemies. They had fought me and Father in the past, and it seemed our battle was left unfinished. Do you understand the reason now, half-breed?"

Yup, he had managed to get the answer now; in a painful way. So... it looked like Sesshoumaru and Father had battled these people before. It was no wonder Sesshoumaru was interested. Still, was Sesshoumaru going to search for each and every one of them? It was possible, but Inuyasha could only imagine the difficulty of it, since one was a sorceress, and the other one was a puppeteer... He wasn't sure about Waru's abilities, though.

Sesshoumaru finally released the grip behind his skull, and he rubbed the growing ache from it. Gods above, if he had known that his brother would aim for his hair, then maybe he would've consider whether or not to piss his brother off.

"You just had to aim there, didn't you?" Inuyasha mumbled, his hand still rubbing the back of his head.

"It will serve you as a reminder the next time you are impudent to this Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru said, and stood up from his kneeling position. He scowled at his younger brother, "You are fortunate that you are in no condition to fight, or Tokijin would've sliced that throat or yours."

"Yeah, yeah... I think I learned my lesson now," Inuyasha said, and the hand he used to rub the back of his head fell onto his lap. "So... it seems we'll be fightin' the same enemy."

"You are not involved in this battle, Inuyasha. Moreover, you are in no condition to fight. I have spoken with Himitsu, and she had informed me that our battle will be in a few days."

"Keh! I can get my strength back in a few days, don't underestimate me."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, as if silently praying to the gods to hopefully maintain his composure. There was a slight strain in his voice when he said, "You will not get involved, Inuyasha. This is between me and Father. You are not even aware of who you are dealing with."

"Let me remind you that they captured me, took my blood, and—I forgot to tell ya—but Himitsu told me that the reason why they released me is to test me for somethin'. I never had the chance to hear the end of her sentence, but she said somethin' like I needa' be in good health for... somethin'. If only I knew what she was gonna say..."

While Inuyasha was busy muttering to himself, Sesshoumaru understood what Himitsu was trying to tell Inuyasha, even if the sentence was cut off midway. Now that his brother was telling him this, it confirmed his theory.

Noticing the look Sesshoumaru had, Inuyasha asked, "If you have somethin' to say, spit it out."

"This Sesshoumaru owes you nothing, half-breed."

"You don't want me gettin' involved, but it's clear that they're plannin' to do somethin' to me. If I don't know what the hell is goin' on, then how on earth am I suppose to avoid it?"

Perhaps, maybe it would be better if he informed Inuyasha the enemy's intentions. That way, the half-breed wouldn't be ignorant to any surprise attacks. "Listen well, Inuyasha, for I will not repeat myself."

Inwardly grinning like a kid who was able to convince his mom to buy himself some candy, Inuyasha nodded, his face betraying nothing of his inner emotions.

"Hundreds of years ago, Father and I battled a group of three; Himitsu, Mouretsu, and Koukatsu. Koukatsu was the leader, and she planned to take over the Western Lands. They were a powerful group even if their members only consisted of three. Fortunately, Father and I managed to beat all three of them. Father defeated Koukatsu, while I defeated Mouretsu and Himitsu," Sesshoumaru said, and his amber eyes narrowed into slits. "But this Sesshoumaru had made an error. After defeating Mouretsu and Himitsu, I did not bother to make sure they were dead. Assuming that they were still alive, but barely, the villagers completed my task by requesting monks and priestesses to seal them inside a cave, including Koukatsu, even if she was dead. I heard nothing about them since then, until this very day."

Inuyasha didn't expect Sesshoumaru to tell him the story from the beginning, but he guessed that there was something related in there that needed to be said in order for him to understand what Sesshoumaru thinks is happening.

Sesshoumaru continued, "I am unfamiliar with the name Waru and Jikiko, nor do I know how they had gotten themselves involved, but I assume that they were the ones who broke the trio's seal."

"Maybe," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "But I still don't get why they needed my blood."

"My theory is that they are planning to resurrect Koukatsu," Sesshoumaru said and stared at his younger brother. "To resurrect someone, you will need a large quantity of blood that is compatible with the body, the dead person's body, and a soul. But only someone skillful with sorcery can only accomplish this, for I have heard that this is a very complex spell."

Inuyasha realised that this was different than Kikyou's resurrection. This was really bringing someone from the dead, and making them breathe again. They could've just used a jewel shard, but he guessed that either they don't have one, or Naraku just didn't share with them.

"So originally, they plan on sending someone—someone who had fought with Father—to attack me?"

"If they seek vengence, then most likely, they will hunt down for this Sesshoumaru instead of you."

"Uh-huh," Inuyasha said and propped his chin with his hand, placing his elbow on top of his leg. "You sure you can handle them alone?"

Sesshoumaru gave a smile... a smile that would've frightened the whole of Japan. "Are you showing concern for this Sesshoumaru, little brother?"

"Hell no!" Inuyasha shouted, backing away slightly at his brother's creepy smile. "I don't care what happens to you. In fact, you can die for all I care!"

"Hm," Sesshoumaru hummed, slightly amused. He then turned around, his hair swaying behind his back. "Then our discussion is over. I no longer see the need to remain here."

When Sesshoumaru left, Inuyasha processed everything that had been said. First of all, he was amazed how his brother did not kill him during their talk. Secondly, it seemed that Sesshoumaru didn't want him fighting these enemies, because it was originally his enemies. If he jumped into battle, then he would only interfere. But if he left Sesshoumaru to fight them, then it makes him look like he couldn't handle his own enemies.

But then another thought came. Sesshoumaru only had business with Himitsu and Koukatsu; since Mouretsu is already dead. Meanwhile, Jikiko and Waru had no connection. Inuyasha smirked to himself. Maybe he could deal with his enemies... at least half of them...

Sesshoumaru exited the hut, his face stoic. He didn't expect his claws to lack his brother's blood when he came out. He imagined at first that he might at least draw a little of Inuyasha's blood during their talk, but it seemed the will to harm his younger brother was unappealing at the moment. Could it be because of his youkai showing mercy to Inuyasha's injured state? Sesshoumaru mentally snorted at the thought of it. Nonetheless, he had gotten what he needed, and it was time to move on to his plan.

The irritating humans noticed that he had left the hut, and were now rushing inside to check on the hanyou. Rin was talking to Jaken, and the old miko was now approaching him. Since he finds the miko to be toleratable, he acknowledged her presence by shifting his gaze towards her.

"Are ye planning to leave, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kaede questioned.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru answered briefly, and glanced at Rin and Jaken. "The two of them shall remain here until I return. You will continue your task in caring for Rin's needs."

"As you wish, my lord."

Giving a curt nod to the miko, Sesshoumaru turned his head when he heard the annoying screech coming from his retainer. It took everything not to immediately kick the toad out of the village. "What is it, Jaken?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama, please take me with you!" Jaken wailed, tears flowing down his eyes like a waterfall. He sniffed and used his tiny hands to clutch the fabric of his hakama. "I cannot stand another day in this village—"

With one swing of his leg, Jaken was already sent flying towards Inuyasha's forest. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, getting rid of the annoyance he was feeling, and reopened them. He noticed that the old miko had a faint smile, her head facing to where Jaken had flew.

Without another word, he left.

Himitsu hummed as she finished drawing a full circle with a piece of chalk. She snapped her fingers, and a man with a huge built carried in a lifeless body. She pointed towards the floor, and silently, the man placed the dead body in the middle of the circle. Himitsu waved her hand in dismissal, and the man immediately left the room.

"Is it done?" she heard Waru's voice asking from behind her.

"Patience, my lord," she replied, and extended both arms from under her cloak. "It'll soon be done."

This was finally it. They had waited a year for this, and all preparations were done. It was thanks to Waru that she was able to break her own seal faster than she had anticipated. Once he had released her seal, everything became so easy from there. She was a sorceress, so breaking the Mistress' seal was nothing. It was Mouretsu's seal that had taken ages to break. The monks and priestesses who sealed them were aware that Mouretsu was a powerful youkai, so they decided to make his seal tougher to break.

Now, the only thing left was to say the words, and the Mistress would be resurrected. When she's alive again, they can finally proceed to their real goal. Waru had been a great asset in making this happen, and it won't be long before his role in this would be over. A cold smile took over her lips as she started chanting the words.

There was a cauldron beside the circle; filled with the hanyou and Sesshoumaru's blood. While the words were chanted, the blood inside magically flew out of the cauldron, and started swirling around the dead body. The pale corpse glowed, and the skin turned into something a bit more tanned. Himitsu saw this, and proceeded with the next step.

"You'll need a soul, right?" Waru asked and called for a servant, who had willingly offered her own soul. "She shall lend you the last ingredient."

Himitsu was silent, before she responded, "There is no need for that, Waru-sama," she said, and her head turned to face Jikiko, who had been staring at the ritual in silence. "Jikiko."

Jikiko, who had long changed back to her quiet self, stepped forward. She looked up, her blue eyes staring emotionlessly at the sorceress.

"What?" Waru asked in confusion. "Jikiko is a powerful puppeteer, there is no need for her to sacrifice her own life."

"Ah, that's when you're wrong, my lord."

Himitsu chanted some more words, and soon, Jikiko's blue eyes dulled, until it turned blank. Waru tried to stop Himitsu from doing this, but the sorceress paid no attention to him. Instead, she continued with the ritual, pouring life into the soulless body.

Finally, the body, who was once a dead corpse, moved into a sitting position. She fidgeted with her plain yukata and stared at the people who were surrounding her. Then, a smile graced her lips.

Angrily, Waru shouted, "What is the meaning of this, Himitsu?! There was no need to waste Jikiko's life!"

Himitsu stared at him, a bored look taking over her face. "Have I not said that you were wrong in implying such?"

"Himitsu," Upon hearing her name being called, Himitsu turned her head to the woman sitting in the circle, and gave a low bow. The woman nodded approvingly, and stood up. She looked at Waru, "It seems we have no use for him any more. He is at your disposal."

"Yes... Koukatsu-sama."

"W-What?!" Waru yelled, and glared at Himitsu. "I broke your seal, Himitsu. You are indebted to me. I order you to cease this nonsense and continue with what we had planned."

"Waru-sama," Himitsu said, her voice mocking at the honorific. "Jikiko is never alive to begin with. She was just one of Koukatsu-sama's puppets. For years, Koukatsu-sama poured her soul into Jikiko as a precaution. If anything happens, her soul would still be alive. So when Koukatsu-sama died, she was able to control her soul in Jikiko. Hence, the multiple personalities Jikiko has."

"But that's impossible!"

"It is difficult, not impossible," Koukatsu stated coolly. "Though, I have to admit, even after pouring my soul into that puppet for more than ten years, it is only equivalent to a small fraction of my soul."

"No," Waru said, in a commanding voice. "Know your place, Himitsu. You owe me, and now, you will assist me in my plan."

Internally, Waru was panicking. This was bad. He can't afford having Himitsu turning her back on him too. Naraku had already left him the moment he found out that he released that hanyou. Although Naraku left without harming him, he still saw the fury in the black-haired youkai's eyes. But Himitsu... there was a chance that she might actually attack him.

Himitsu let out a humourless chuckle. "I don't owe you anything, you foolish youkai. You may have broken my seal, and you have done it easily too, but it was only because I had done the difficult part that you were able to do so. Even if you had not come, I would've eventually break myself out anyway."

Before Waru could argue some more, Koukatsu interrupted, "Himitsu, I believe you have told me once that you wanted to end your lord?"

"That, I have said."

With one wave of her hand, Waru was already lying on the ground, all the life in him were gone. She had always wanted to get rid of him. He had been nothing but demanding; asking her to do this and that as if she was a servant. But now that his body was no longer alive, it left her a satisfied feeling.

Koukatsu ran a hand through her long, blonde tresses. She sighed, "It's a shame Mouretsu is dead. Oh well, looks like we'll just have to do him a favour then."

Himitsu knew that internally, the Mistress could care less what happened to Mouretsu. Mouretsu, and even herself, had sworn to do whatever it takes to help the Mistress, and if that comes with the price of dying, then they would gladly take the offer.

"Come now, Himitsu," Koukatsu said, as she spun on her heel to exit the room. "I need a few days of rest to restore my power. Don't allow anyone to enter my room, because in the span of those few days, my soul will grow to fill inside this body, and I will be at most vulnerable."

"Yes, Mistress."

"By the way, what was Waru's plan? While I was inside Jikiko, I wasn't able to hear his conversation with you."

Koukatsu couldn't see Himitsu rolling her eyes from under her hood. "I have no idea why he only told me about his plan, but it was to make you fight with the hanyou. He said he wanted to test your abilities on him first."

"The hanyou, eh?" Koukatsu said, and chuckled. "Well, he's quite fortunate at the moment, because my priority is to battle with Sesshoumaru. But after battling that arrogant daiyoukai..." she tilted her head upwards and tapped her chin, "maybe then I'll fight the hanyou. We'll just have to see."

A/N: Inuyasha was close to facing that poison whip of Sesshoumaru's, but hey, somehow he managed to still survive. And yeah... Waru died just like that. We also know that Jikiko isn't really a person, but a puppet with a fraction of Koukatsu's soul.

Since Waru is dead, the translation for "Waru"/悪 is "evil". Although, not really the main evil villain here, but he still did a lot of evil things. And the translation for "Koukatsu"/狡猾 is "cunning".

- Replies -

roseeyes: Even though he stayed at the village because of his brother, he'll most likely claim the reason is because of something else. :D

Skighler: If I post the stories that I had written in the documents, you'll notice that everything bad mostly happens to Inuyasha. I guess... something's wrong with me, because I love Inuyasha, yet I make him suffer. Or maybe I'm just... evil...