Zushinezumi's Underestimation
Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.
Pairing: One-sided Hakudoshi x Kohaku.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Inuyasha.
Summary:
The killing hand understands.
The cut that decapitated Zushinezumi was precise. Aside from the head, merely the beads of the rosary around the rat yokai's neck were scattered, a testament to Kohaku's technique with his kusarigama.
"Ho? It seems you're quite skilled, Kohaku," Hakudoshi remarked, while the headless body of Zushinezumi staggered on its own four more steps, falling over.
Naraku kept practical company. Hakudoshi was impressed.
Hakudoshi, who was more a doer than a schemer, enjoyed getting his hands dirty. He appreciated the sound of a fresh kill – the warm gurgle of blood pushing upward to escape the mouth but getting trapped in the throat – as much as the dexterity required to milk that sound from a dying victim's last breath.
The other half of him – Naraku's heart – was the plotter.
Kohaku was plotting too. He and Kagura, both.
They couldn't hide their disloyalty from Hakudoshi, except all four of them were secretly after Naraku's head, so it availed Hakudoshi to exercise discretion and not expose Kagura and Kohaku's revolt.
Naraku wasn't so trusting he wouldn't act in advance to thwart threats against him by those within his midst. Therefore, Hakudoshi and the other half of him had to make unbreakable preparations themselves before they acted to supplant him.
For the time being, Hakudoshi would follow Naraku's orders.
And he'd relish the opportunities to kill. Humans, animals, and yokai. Unafraid of the wet work. Steady of hand like Kohaku was, chopping off the rat boss' head. Granted, not a drop of blood was spilled by Kohaku's sickle, but that was Kohaku's professionalism. Time-saving because Kagura had just fetched Hakudoshi a change of clothes.
Hakudoshi would accept Kohaku's servitude from Naraku.
Kill Naraku.
Then he'd kill Kohaku. Listen to him bleed.
That, Hakudoshi thought sickly, was expertise Kohaku could appreciate.