The Middle Ground
Disclaimer: I'm not popular enough to have people know of my stories, much less read them. In that case, why would I own something so well-known as Inuyasha?
Chapter 2: Cause and Effect
When his daughter's alarm clock failed to wake him up at the appropriate time, Kamemaru knew something was wrong.
"Kagome?" he questioned in a tired voice as he wandered down the hallway to his daughter's room. "Are you awake, Kagome? You've got school…"
He trailed off as his blue-grey eyes observed something surprising:
Kagome was not in bed.
"Oh… Guess she actually woke up early, for once." Shrugging, the Emperor wandered downstairs to make breakfast before he would head off to work.
The pounding of footsteps on stairs caught his attention – Souta was evidently quite awake by now, and probably confused about the lack of noise himself. As the boy appeared at the door, Kamemaru nodded to his son. "Morning, Souta. Sleep well?"
"Sure, Dad," he responded. "Kagome's alarm didn't go off, though."
The Emperor shrugged. "No, it didn't. She must have woken up early for school, or something – she's not in bed, either. At least we're awake on time."
"Uh, Dad?" Souta asked. "Look at the time."
Five minutes until eight. "Oh… shit. Can you wake your mother, please?"
As Souta ran off, a sudden damp feeling on his hand alerted Kamemaru to the fact that the milk he had been pouring over cereal had overflowed from the bowl and was now creating a puddle on the kitchen table.
Even better, half the milk hadn't even reached the bowl.
The dark-haired man sighed. Today was not his day.
Oh, he would have much worse by the end of the day. Right now, however, his priorities involved cleaning the sea of milk before Michiko caught him and threw a fit over his inability to work with anything remotely relating to food.
There was a reason Michiko owned a bakery and he was involved with politics, after all.
Unfortunately, this was not to be. A gasp sounded at the kitchen entrance – Souta had woken his mother quite well, and Kamemaru was caught in the act of cleaning the mess.
No, today was definitely not his day.
One floor above, Sango was awakening from a light sleep, the events of the previous day making her unable to slip into anything heavier than a nap. Grey eyes blinked wearily, adjusting to the introduction of light and finally fixating on the window.
It was a beautiful day, and the taiji-ya could not enjoy it.
Reaching out with one slender hand, Sango grasped the small stuffed animal that lay on her bedside table. Kirara, she thought, stroking the yellowish fur on the toy's back. After Kirara died, Kagome gave this to me… It's all I have to remember her by when she's gone and living in the Youkai Empire.
How will she survive?
Sango had been to the Youkai Empire, of course; she was a taiji-ya – a youkai exterminator – and had experienced the creatures' unmerciful behaviour firsthand. Kagome had never even seen a youkai, much less gone near one. She didn't know how to fight them – how to live with them – how to protect herself – why had she gone there, of all places?
It worried Sango to no end. Something would have to be done… but no solution made itself clear in her mind. She had promised not to tell Kagome's family; surely Kagome had left a note or something of the sort in order to prevent their worries. Leaving was not an option as she was desperately needed here – besides the obvious fact that she was clueless as to Kagome's whereabouts. For all she knew, Kagome could have reached the Youkai Empire by now if she took one of the shorter routes, or if some kind stranger offered her a ride.
Kagome could even be lying dead in the forest, killed by a rogue youkai.
Well, dwelling on the negative possibilities would not help Sango think of a plan to help her friend. A glance at the clock told her that ten minutes had been spent in quiet contemplation – not only was she late for school, but she would probably be asked to explain why Kagome had been absent from her own classes.
Going to visit a school full of prissy nobles was not on Sango's list of favourite things, unfortunately, but it was a chore that must be done.
Perhaps Souta would explain the next day, and Sango would be allowed to avoid the dreaded visit…?
Of course not, Sango thought wearily. You're the only one who knows what happened to Kagome! Besides, Souta isn't in junior high yet. He probably has his own duties – and one of mine is to help Kagome.
Now, if only "helping Kagome" could allow me to interpret "not telling her father" as "not telling the school which would then tell her father and connect it back to me"…
By the time Sango had finished dressing and other preparations, she had decided it could be interpreted as such. Her main problem, however, would be to not say or do anything that would reveal her involvement in Kagome's plan – however small the involvement might have been.
For a born liar, this would have been easy. For Sango, who was well-raised and (usually) honest, this was a challenge.
In fact, this was so much of a challenge that by the end of the day, she would be regretting her decision to remain quiet about Kagome's escape.
This really won't be my day, Sango thought with an inward sigh.
In a high school not far from Izayoi-sama's mansion, a young monk named Yamada Miroku had a mission: watching Nekoi Sango.
This was no new goal for him, actually; ever since Sango had begun to attend Kazeki Koukou, he had had his eye on her. Despite his reputation with the female students of the school, and his own strong attraction towards nearly any attractive young lady, Sango had captured his attention and made him change his ways. In fact, since the new year had started a few months ago, Miroku had not groped, propositioned, or accepted invitations from any girl.
Unfortunately, all his attempts were in vain – Sango had paid him no attention since he first approached her in April. He had been planning to ask her out – to a movie, perhaps? – but even after that month of working up his courage, she refused him.
Come to think of it, he never got the chance to ask her anything at all. He'd merely greeted her, and she had given him a strange look, asked him how he knew her name, and turned away with a strange expression on her face.
The only slightly cheerful thing about the entire situation was when he overheard Sango's friends berating her for speaking to an upperclassman that way. The hope that had arisen when they asked her to consider apologizing had disappeared when Sango flatly refused.
"Even if he is an upperclassman," she explained, "I don't think he deserves an apology for something like that."
Two months later, Miroku had resorted to quietly watching her, hoping that one day she would finally see him and possibly return his smile. It hadn't happened so far, and being in a different grade, it probably wouldn't happen in the near future – but a lovesick man can hope, can't he?
It was while he was watching Sango from one corner of the hallway when the news came to him.
"Yamada-sempai, we've got a problem!"
Miroku turned around to find Takeda Nobunaga, another of Izayoi-sama's servants, behind him. Fear and worry were evident in his dark eyes as the boy placed a trembling hand on the monk's shoulder.
"Apparently, Izayoi-sama's son is missing!"
Miroku stared at the younger boy in surprise. "Missing, you say? How?"
"I heard he left a note – ran away, or something. No one knows why!"
The monk relaxed at those words. Ever since Izayoi-sama had arranged a marriage for her son with the Emperor's daughter, Miroku had listened to Inuyasha's complaints every single day. The noblewoman refused to allow anyone other than Miroku and herself to see her son, and Inuyasha could hardly complain to his own mother, so Miroku had had to endure the ranting of his young master.
Well, now that he's finally taken his own advice and left… I'm free of being an advisor!
"Ah, Yamada-sempai, aren't you at all concerned?"
Miroku blinked. "Concerned, you say?" he asked nervously. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Well, yes, I am quite concerned. The boy has never left the castle in his life; it will be rather dangerous for him outside the boundaries of his mother's lands."
To be honest, Miroku was concerned, but entirely for the reasons he had told Nobunaga. Inuyasha had never seen the world outside his own home, or encountered anyone besides his mother or the monk himself. Unless he planned to live in the forest as a hermit his entire life, he would need to develop social skills – and soon.
Then again, Miroku thought, those might just be personality traits that direct his behaviour…
Of course, if he did decide to live in the barrier forest, Miroku wouldn't be concerned about Inuyasha's survival. He may not have been a youkai, of which there were many, but he wasn't a weak human, either.
Actually, Inuyasha wasn't quite human, but it only served to reassure Miroku that his friend would have little trouble surviving among human bandits and weak youkai who were outcasts from the villages of the Youkai Empire.
"Yamada-sempai, are you all right? You seem to be… daydreaming."
The glaze in Miroku's purple eyes disappeared as he noticed Nobunaga's hand waving in front of his face. "Ah, Takeda-kouhai, I was merely… thinking on our young master's fate. He is not yet fifteen, after all."
"I'm worried," Nobunaga whined.
"Yes, you should very well be. Now, don't we have a class to attend?"
Nodding furiously, Nobunaga dashed off, calling "Farewell, Yamada-sempai! We shouldn't forget our work after school!" and Miroku turned back to the lovely Sango…
…only to find her engaged in conversation with one of the Higurashi personal servants: Souta's maid, Mikage Koharu.
"…and Koharu-chan, you must not tell anyone about this until tomorrow!"
"I won't!" the smaller girl squeaked, dark eyes wide in surprise.
Miroku frowned. What is she hiding…?
"…word gets out that Kagome-hime is missing, we'll be…"
Missing? Miroku nearly gasped out loud. I must tell Izayoi-sama! Even if Inuyasha returns, what if Kagome-hime…
"…she ran away, then, Sango-chan? But why…"
"…engagement, isn't it obvious? She's been protesting since…"
"…told you not to tell? When did she…"
"…during the night. I was getting a glass of water…"
"…and no one must know because…"
"Exactly, Koharu-chan! Now, if anyone knows…"
"I know, I know Sango-chan! I've got classes now – I'll see you after school, right?"
Sango nodded and Koharu dashed off to her next class. He was just about to follow Sango to her next location when she spun around, grey eyes boring into the wall blocking Miroku from her view. He flattened himself to the wall, barely glancing around.
If Sango catches me… I'm dead!
"I know you're there Yamada-sempai." Her voice was cold and emotionless, and Miroku shivered at her tone.
"Eh… yes, Nekoi-kouhai." He peered around the wall. "Did you want something with me?" Sango missed the hint of hope in his voice that came from actually capturing her attention, and her tone became even harsher.
"You've been stalking me for the past two months. Don't think I haven't noticed."
Oh, shit… "Why, Nekoi-kouhai, you must be mistaken! I have been doing no such thing!" he protested.
"Of course you haven't," she said with false sweetness. "In that case, would you care to explain why you have been following me nearly every single day?"
"Ah… I simply happen to be going to the same places as you! Wouldn't you agree that is a normal reason?"
"I don't believe you," she muttered. "That has to be the worst excuse I have heard from anyone."
"Really?" he said weakly.
"And…" She paused, a look of shock forming on her face. "Is that…"
"Eh, Sango-sama, are you all right?"
She screamed.
Two minutes later, Miroku was on the ground, twitching in pain, with a bright red handprint on his cheek. He watched Sango stomp off in fury, a sad look on his face.
"Sango-sama, I swear, my hand is cursed! It's a family thing-"
"Of course, Houshi-sama… and I've betrayed my best friend! Don't talk to me again – in fact, don't come near me again!"
Miroku sighed. Not only had his best friend run away, but so had the Emperor's daughter – and Sango demanding he stay away from her was the cherry on top.
Kami-sama… this is not my day, he groaned in pain.
At that same moment, in a seemingly random tree in the border forest, was a very miserable inu hanyou.
Damn it, why couldn't I have remembered to bring food?
As if on cue, his stomach growled. It was silenced with a punch.
It's not bad enough that I have to get married in two months, but I forget to bring food when running away! Fate is working against me today, I'm sure of it.
Amber eyes scanned the forest floor in the vain hope that food might be lying around somewhere. He was acting like a starving man, and he knew it. He felt as if he hadn't eaten in days.
In reality, it had been about fifteen hours, and he had been sleeping for most of that time, but Inuyasha was a teenager. He was growing. Fourteen-year-old boys needed to eat, and he certainly wasn't doing anything of the sort.
His attention was captured by a red mushroom with white spots. He nearly considered eating it, partially out of hunger, and partially to spite his mother, his fiancée's mother, and the girl himself.
I hope she dies, he thought, glaring at the nearest tree.
It was quite clear that Inuyasha did not want to be married at the age of fifteen, and especially not to some noble whom he had never met before. From what he had heard of noblewomen, they were lazy, complaining, ugly old ladies who cared only about money and shopping (and, for the unmarried ones, men). He himself had never met any, but his mother often came home with stories to tell.
Despite her warnings that this particular friend and her daughter were different, Inuyasha paid no attention. Having met no one who did not fit the description, it was easy for him to maintain such a bias towards the class of women.
Besides, the girl he was supposed to marry was older than he was – by two whole months! Even Miroku admitted that was a rather large blow to the male ego. The houshi's own interest was two years younger than he was.
That kind of a gap between the respectable genders was all right, but for him, two months difference was like two years. It was wrong.
His stomach growled again and Inuyasha decided that ignoring the gnawing hunger was pointless, not to mention a losing battle. If he did try to continue thinking of anything else, he would eventually become so hungry that he would have to resort to wild animals for food.
If that became impossible, there were always humans and low-level demons around the forest…
The thought of eating either made Inuyasha feel quite sick, actually. He had been raised among humans, and he was definitely not a cannibal, so that was out of the question. As for demons… well, looking at them and not dying of disgust was barely possible, and eating them was out of the question.
Besides, those demons had probably eaten moronic humans at one point. Eating something that had eaten humans was (almost) as wrong as eating them himself.
So, attempting to suppress the nausea he felt at the thoughts, Inuyasha wandered off to look for food.
Twenty minutes passed, and the closest things to food that Inuyasha could find were some brightly-coloured berries (obviously poisonous, of course) and a young rabbit (which he couldn't bring himself to kill – his excuse was that it had no meat, and would hardly be a meal, but he couldn't even convince himself with that excuse). He collapsed against a tree, feeling weak from hunger, until a certain smell drifted past his nose.
Is that… is that ramen?
He straightened up, sniffing the air. It was definitely ramen, and it was also definitely nearby. Was this a trap? This was his favourite food, at such a perfect time, and nearby…
There had to be some catch to it!
Indeed, there was, but Inuyasha was too hungry (and a bit too dense) to notice. A few moments later, he was peeking out from behind a tree into a clearing where a fire burned. The bowl containing the ramen was perched precariously over the fire, swaying back and forth on a stick above the flames, and there was a girl – a pretty girl, he noted with a blush - about his age stirring it.
This had to be the perfect opportunity. He stepped forward-
and a twig snapped beneath his foot.
The girl looked up and gasped. Within seconds, a bow was in her hands and an arrow pointed straight at him. Blue eyes glared daggers into him.
"You shall not hurt me, youkai."
Inuyasha blinked. Youkai? In confusion, he glanced back over his shoulder, wondering if some creature had snuck up on him while he was staring hungrily at the ramen (and the girl – he was a fourteen-year-old boy, after all) but the space was clear from any living things.
"There's no youkai there," he stated.
Her grip on the bow tightened. "I was talking about you."
The last thing Kagome would have expected was for him to burst into laughter, but that was his exact response.
"I'm… no youkai," he gasped in between bouts of laughing, "but how… could you think… that?"
"You are," she muttered. "You're not human, that's for sure."
Any traces of smiling on Inuyasha's face disappeared.
"Of course I'm human," he said, bemused. "What else would I be?"
"You'd be a youkai, of course," Kagome explained.
"Oh. I'm not a youkai, though."
"How do I know?" she shouted. "You look like a youkai, you're sneaking up on me, and you're hungry! All the evidence shows that you plan to eat me, youkai!"
He growled at her, which made her shrink back in fear (the action confused him – wasn't it a normal human thing?). "I wanted the ramen! I haven't eaten since last night and I'm hungry!"
"It doesn't explain why you look like a youkai!"
"I do?" he asked, confusion evident in his amber eyes.
"Well – not like the lower level ones, but many of the more powerful youkai have human forms," Kagome said. "There are obvious differences, of course, but they look human enough to be mistaken on occasion for one."
"So they can be mistaken for a really ugly human?"
"You're very sheltered, aren't you," Kagome sighed. "Honestly, everyone knows about the dangers of youkai. They roam the border forest! Most humans have seen them at one time or another."
"For your information, I have been sheltered." He pouted, sending a glare at the Hime.
Kagome sighed. I thought he was a dangerous youkai, but he's just a kid…!
"Look, the point is that you look like a youkai, not a human."
Inuyasha shrugged. "I am human… and what's so different about me, anyway? Humans don't look that much alike anyway."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Your ears," she said flatly, "are dog ears. They are not human ears."
"They're not?" Said ears twitched in puzzlement.
"No! Also, your hair is white, your eyes are amber, and you've got fangs! Humans don't have any of those features! Haven't you ever seen one?" she cried.
"Of course I've seen a human!"
"A normal one?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. Judging by this boy's appearance and attitude, any 'humans' he might have met were probably not human at all.
"My mother," he muttered, "is human. She kind of looks like you, actually, except she's older and has purple eyes."
Kagome couldn't believe her ears. "But if your mother is human… and you're some kind of demon… no, but hanyou don't exist," she muttered. "They just don't."
"What's a hanyou?"
Not more questions from sheltered little demon boy… Kagome was nearly ready to scream in frustration from having to deal with his barrage of questions and never ending curiosity. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she continued her explanation.
"Hanyou is a term for half-youkai, half-human. Since the war started so many years ago, they haven't existed. If one ever was born, they would probably be shunned from society… of course, I don't expect you to know about society, but for a normal person, to become an outcast is bad."
Those adorable ears twitched again. "How would I know if I am a… what's it called again?"
"A hanyou? If your mother was human, your father would have to be a youkai."
"Oh… I never knew my father," he explained, a hint of sadness evident in his voice. "My mother never talks about him."
Kagome sighed. "I suppose you really are a hanyou, then. I didn't know it was possible, but it must be true."
Inuyasha shrugged and sat down against the tree. The ramen smell had drifted past his nose again, reminding him of just how hungry he was. He sighed.
"I'm hungry," he whined.
"It's my food, and I'm not sharing it with a stranger, hanyou!"
"What's wrong with sharing?" he asked.
"I don't know you!" she exclaimed. "I don't know your name, I don't know why you're here, and I don't know a thing about you!"
"And the problem is…"
"I don't feel comfortable sharing my food with someone who is unfamiliar to be," Kagome stated.
"I'm Inuyasha. Can I have some food… please?"
Kagome sighed. "You're just too cute, you know that? Those ears…"
Inuyasha scowled.
"All right, all right, Inuyasha, you'll get your food."
As she divided the ramen in two equal portions in smaller bowls from her bright yellow backpack, she said,
"I'm Kagome, by the way."
He smiled.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and as this was a Very Bad Day for many other people, it was bound to become a Very Bad Day for Inuyasha and Kagome. A few hours had passed since the ramen was finished, and silence seemed to be the preferred noise level between the two.
Kagome had become more relaxed now that a hanyou was traveling with her; Inuyasha was doing the same, but his natural personality was beginning to show.
Sadly, he was not the nicest of people, as was observed by Miroku not long before, and this was obvious in his conversation.
It began with one word:
"Bitch."
"And how do you know that word, Inuyasha?" Kagome turned to glare at him.
"I heard it off one of the servants a while back."
"So you're rich, then?" Kagome couldn't keep the curiosity out of her voice. How could a hanyou be from a wealthy family, and why was he out in the woods if he was telling the truth.
"I don't know, bitch, what can I compare my life to?"
"Would you stop calling me that?" Kagome exclaimed.
"Why?" He blinked, seemingly innocent.
"Do you even know what it means?"
"Of course I do, bitch." He grinned, fangs gleaming in the mid-morning sunlight. "It means-"
"On second thought, I don't need an explanation," Kagome said with a heavy sigh. "Can you please stop calling me by such a derogatory term?"
"Hmm." He pretended to think, one finger tapping his chin. "No."
Her glare became sharper and he nearly flinched out of fear. "Why?" Her tone was extremely cold.
"Because… I don't want to?"
"And why don't you want to?" Was it just him, or was it suddenly colder outside?
"Because… I don't like you?"
"Wonderful." Kagome turned away and continued walking. "I give you ramen, I give you a lesson on youkai, and yet you hate me."
"I don't hate you. I just don't like you," he said, shrugging.
"Is there even a difference?"
Inuyasha chose to ignore her. He picked up the pace, walking straight past Kagome without a glance to even acknowledge her. The Hime sighed: how did she ever have the misfortune to meet such a rude and inconsiderate hanyou, and why did she ever choose to travel with him?
In all honesty, it was an unconscious decision to stay together, but Kagome knew that she did have a choice, and she chose to make her way through the forest with him.
She had begun to regret this decision, and wondered if it would be in the best interest for her mental health (and food supply) to separate as soon as possible. Inuyasha would only protest because of the lack of food; he obviously disliked her company, and she didn't particularly enjoy his.
Yes, Kagome decided, it would be in both of their mutual interests not to travel together.
Fate had other plans for her, however. As she opened her mouth to tell Inuyasha about the new travel situation, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Wincing, she turned around to notice a rather large crow demon perched on her back.
Actually, perched was not the right word – digging its claws into her back while screeching and snapping at her head would have been a better description.
Her bow useless, Kagome did the only thing she could – she screamed.
"Would you not scream so loud, bitch? It hurts-"
Inuyasha's exclamation was cut off as he spun around, noticing the demon and Kagome's wounds for the first time. Blood was seeping down her white yukata in a slow trickle, emerging from under the crow's stained claws.
"Inuyasha! Help me!"
"W-what can I do?" he called back, obviously in shock. The crow chose that moment to grab a thick strand of hair, nearly ripping it out. Kagome burst into tears from the pain.
"I- I can't shoot it! You've got to help me!"
"I've never fought in my life! What can I do?" He was growing even more panicked as Kagome's sobs grew louder.
"It- it hurts…"
"What can I do, Kagome!"
"Just kill it!"
Inuyasha nodded and dashed over to the crow. "Should I punch it?"
"I don't care what you do! Kill it!"
A snap echoed throughout the forest.
"Did you have to use my yukata for a bandage, Inuyasha?"
The hanyou glared at the girl. "Yes. I'm not going to use any of my clothes on something like you."
"You didn't bring any other ones, did you," Kagome muttered, glancing at Inuyasha's red haori and hakama. She was rewarded with a slight blush on Inuyasha's cheeks.
So he didn't, Kagome thought. Of course, a boy would never think of that…
"Besides, it was stained with blood. It's not like you could wear it after this."
Kagome sighed – he did have a point, and it was an old and plain yukata that could easily be replaced. She had only worn it because traveling in the forest would likely ruin most of her other clothes.
Speaking of other clothes, she was now wearing the only other outfit in her large backpack that she could care less about – her school uniform. It was still a mystery to her why it was in her bag at all, but at this moment, she was simply grateful that another plain piece of clothing was available.
"Honestly, though – couldn't you have killed it in a… different way?"
"Would you like to have crow guts all over you?"
He had a point – if Inuyasha had used those sharp claws she had noticed on the ends of his long fingers, that crow would have been in pieces, and those pieces would now be on her.
"Still… Wasn't there another, nicer way?"
"Snapping its neck is clean, isn't it?"
Kagome shuddered. Having a dead crow clinging onto you was a pretty traumatizing experience – possibly even more so than when the crow demon was alive. It had taken five minutes for Inuyasha to pry the claws away from her shoulders; she had to endure five minutes of having a dead crow touching her! She shuddered in disgust.
"Oi, what are you doing?"
Inuyasha's criticizing tone snapped her out of the memory. As relieved as she was to be thinking of something else, it was hardly more pleasant to have to hear his annoying voice at this moment in time.
Really, he wasn't a bad person… just a very annoying one.
"I'm not doing anything. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, standing up and retrieving her yellow backpack, "I plan to continue my journey to the Youkai Empire – with or without you. Come if you like."
Hadn't it been a few minutes ago that she had decided she definitely wasn't going with him? Of course, after he had saved her from the crow demon, she was quite apprehensive about continuing through the forest alone.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Keh. Fine, I'll come along since you obviously can't protect yourself – but only if you cook ramen for me, too."
Kagome sighed. At least she had packed enough food for days…
"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Inuyasha said, turning towards the trees. "Let's go!"
And with that, he began to walk to the Youkai Empire and his freedom.
"Ah, Inuyasha?"
"What is it, bitch?"
So we're back to bitch, are we? "The Youkai Empire is in the opposite direction."
"…I knew that."
Thus the journey of Inuyasha and Kagome began. The last thought on their minds as they left was,
This is really not my day… and I'm sure I won't enjoy the rest of the trip with someone like them.
No, it really was not their day, but as to the fate of their enjoyment? That had yet to be decided.
Two days were spent writing nine pages. I feel very exhausted.
A few things to clarify: First of all, Inuyasha is speaking with decent grammar because he was raised that way. I assume that as a noble, his mother would have a fairly good education, and since she taught him (which should be obvious, since before Kagome, he had met two people: Miroku, who is still in school, and his mother), his education would probably be shown in his speech. His personality will become a bit more evident as he interacts with Kagome.
Second, I'm sure the story of arranged marriage-runaway is old and overused. The point of this story is not to write about that. The point of this story is to make a parody on those stories by focusing on Inuyasha's humanity. In the canon storyline, he was raised by his (human) mother. It surprises me to see all these fictions focused on his demon blood and rituals, since he lived his childhood among humans and then lived alone. So, where did he learn all about his youkai heritage? Uh… Anyway, these prince-princess-arranged marriage stories usually have Inuyasha as a demon prince, Kagome as a human princess, and the "I don't want to marry someone like him!" situation. While I'm sure these stereotypes will pop up at one point in the story (read the prologue and scan for familiar names), the point of the story is to focus on Inuyasha being raised by humans, not the overused storyline.
Third, I am quite aware I use the terms "youkai" and "demon" interchangeably and they actually mean different things. I assure you, there is a reason. "Demon" is mostly used to refer to weaker youkai, since they are often ugly and the perfect stereotype of "demon" (oni excepted). "Youkai" is used to refer to stronger youkai, human-shaped youkai, and in speech.
Fourth, I understand that a few things might be a bit confusing. For example, Sango knows that Kagome has never seen a youkai. She hasn't. All of her knowledge comes from her father, Sango herself, or the media (which also supplies Inuyasha with his own knowledge about youkai, though he obviously only knows about oni and weak youkai). As for the fighting part, snapping a bird's neck does not require knowledge of fighting – at least, not the way Inuyasha did it.
Fifth, have a nice day.