A/N ok this is way shorter then my normal posts but I wanted to give all of you something for waiting this long. Inusess starts up in this chapter but nothing much. I will talk more at the end so I don't give anything away.

Chapter Six

War of Brothers

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued further into the valley looking for a suitable cave for their purpose. They didn't need much just a place to rest between practice sessions. They also needed something hidden enough Sesshomaru's heat scent wouldn't draw too many other demons.

They found a small depression in the valley walls that would serve them well. Setting up their minimal supplies they set about scouting the area for potential threats. They were lucky that the worst thing they came across was a den of badger demons. The tough little creatures gave the brothers a decent warm up of their skills before immediately jumping back into their training.

Sesshomaru wanted to work more on Inuyasha's control. The ability to transform was only half the battle. He had to give the new alpha some credit he had remained in control of his demon during the hunt, but an actual battle was a whole different situation. The demon was fighting something threatening it and its family it was far harder to control a demon when every instinct was screaming at you to give into the blood lust.

"Inuyasha I want you to call forward your partial transformation. I don't want you to become an Inu I just want you to have access to your demonic abilities alright?" Sesshomaru ordered.

With a bit of a struggle Inuyasha was standing in front of him crimson eyed the bloodlust curbed but right beneath the surface ready to strike. He stood silently waiting for the instructions he knew he would receive from his brother.

"Ok Otouto, we are going to fight with you like this. I am actually going to attack you and you are to do the same. I want you to both fight me and keep a hold of your demon. If we are to fight Naraku you need to be able to sustain this far of a transformation without losing control during a real battle." Sesshomaru had barely finished speaking before he rushed forward with all his speed. Unlike Kouga he had endured heats long enough to push them to the back of his mind in a fight.

Sesshomaru hadn't been lying they were fighting the same way they used to before the truce. The aim was to cause as much damage to the other as possible. With the hard training they had been doing they knew how to fight each other so well there was no telling who would win. Sesshomaru quickly learned his usual taunts didn't work when Inuyasha was in this form. His demon blood gave him the boost of confidence he needed to face down his older brother and ignore the biting comments.

After a solid hour of fighting and no discernable ground lost on either side Inuyasha began to tire and with his coming fatigue his control on the blood lust slipped. Sesshomaru saw the change come over the other Inu and fought to over power him before any more damage could be done. Inuyasha just pushed back all the harder and Sesshomaru almost found himself wishing he hadn't been quite so good a teacher. With Inuyasha not responding to his taunts he didn't have anything to use to through Inuyasha off the battle. They were about to find out just how evenly matched they had become.

The battle was short and ugly both brothers bleeding profusely in the end. The ending was an incredible shift in their usual dynamic. Inuyasha had Sesshomaru pinned to the ground and was quickly descending his razor sharp claws to the others throat. Just before the death blow fell Sesshomaru did the only thing he could think of that might let him survive. He shifted his position slightly so that he was in complete submission to the other.

The alpha part of Inuyasha responded to this posture. Leaning his head down he bit the juncture of Sesshomaru's neck where it met his collar bone. The tension left the clearing only to be replaced by confusion as Inuyasha shifted back to his human form. "What did I just do? I couldn't control it the instinct was so much stronger then even the demonic bloodlust." He asked Sesshomaru.

The older inu did not answer immediately he was too busy thinking over the event leading to the question. After a long time that wore on Inuyasha's newly developed patience Sesshomaru finally answered him. "You just claimed me as a part of your pack forever. We can't be away from each other for long periods of time at any point in the future. The fact that you placed the mark on me makes you the alpha, at least of me, indefinitely."

"Why aren't you trying to kill me then?" Inuyasha asked cautiously.

"Well for one I can't you're my alpha I have to submit to you even if I don't like it, but for the sake of future relations I should tell you that it doesn't really surprise me. I have been expected you to declare yourself alpha ever since I admitted to being a Uke to you. I didn't expect you to take it this far or I would have warned you it was a possible occurrence." Sesshomaru explained a little out of character for him but it was just him and Inuyasha for now so he didn't feel the need to be overly cold.

"Will I mark anyone else involuntarily?" Inuyasha asked warily.

"No," Sesshomaru's answer wasn't enough for Inuyasha.

"Why did I mark you then if I won't mark the others?" he pressed for more information.

"Because, an alpha only marks potential mates." Sesshomaru finally gave Inuyasha what he was looking for.

"Why aren't you more upset over this?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"Because as far as I know I am the only one you have marked. My youkai is content with the situation at this time if you had marked more then one potential mate then I wouldn't be able to remain calm." He explained.

"Why?" This was quickly becoming Inuyasha's most used word.

"My youkai is ready to mate. Normally a demon can find a mate within a few centuries of their first heat. I have had mine for over a millennium. You have already dominated me thus satisfying the Uke part of me, the part of me still able to think rationally would rather mate with a known demon then an unknown. If you had marked more then one potential mate then I would have to fight to mate and I would have to win. I can't submit to someone else." Sesshomaru used the same toneless voice he had used with Kouga to deal with this conversation.

"So you are willing to mate with me because it's convenient is that what you are saying?" Inuyasha challenged.

"That's most of it but not all. Watching that fight between the monk and the wolf you asked me if I would have fought back. I would have had it been any one other then you. Just the same as the wolf within Kouga chose not to fight back it would have been the same, except for the minor possibility I wouldn't have been able to fight back we are more evenly matched then the wolf and the monk. You are just getting to know the demon that is within you I don't expect you to understand that after a certain amount of time the demon settles down and does what is best for all around not just itself. Every demon has two halves to them just because the split is more noticeable in hanyous doesn't mean it isn't there in purebloods." Seeing the confused look on Inuyasha's face he decided to circumvent the forthcoming why and just clarify already.

"In other words it is my choice. The demon in me understands what I would like and wouldn't like in a mate it takes that information from me then tries to secure the best mate possible. If my demon chose you then you are the best choice all around, he just saw it before I did. I could have fought back instead of submitting at the end I chose to submit." He explained again and the confused look went away to be replaced by concern.

"But would you be happy?" This seemed to be very important to Inuyasha. "Not just content but actually enjoy my company more then any one else?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered evenly.

A/N so am I managing to keep them in character? I just don't see Sesshomaru as a sappy romantic I am trying to make it clear he cares for, and is even beginning to love, Inuyasha. Their relationship will never be on the level of chocolates and flowers like Kagome and Sango but romance will become more involved as I write but in this relationship actions are going to speak better then any badly written sweet nothings make sense?

I am also expanding on the concept that even though Inuyasha is a seme and an alpha he still depends on Sesshomaru for advice. Their relationship is one of equals ad that will never change. That isn't a mark of possession that is a mark of warning towards any other suitors.

Please Review! I know its annoying to see authors begging all the times it annoys me as well to tell the truth