A/N: Hi everyone! Kinda short-ish chapter, sorry! Life has been crazy lately, but school is almost over, so more time for writing begins soon! Yeah! There is something I would like to address though. I've had some emails wondering when the InuTaisho/Kagome stuff starts-and it is coming. I really just wanted to do a bunch of InuTaisho/Sesshomaru, father/son stuff first. They are (by far) two of my favorite characters, so I had to do some chapters focusing on them and their relationship. So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Rumiko Takahashi's.

Life had never been easy, and for a demon, it wasn't meant to be. Demons have to fight to live; demons have to fight to keep their status; demons would die if they couldn't fight. It was a fathers job to train his pups, and if he didn't, his children were as good as dead.

Sesshomaru kept his breathing rate slow and his heart beat soft as consciousness slowly came back to him. He could distinctly tell that he was propped against a tree, although frustratingly, he couldn't remember transforming back into to this form. He felt a familiar warmth in front of him, indicating a fire, and a strange heaviness over his body. Breathing in carefully, he opened his eyes when a familiar scent hit his nose. His father's pelt.

"You were actually sweating," came a surprised voice from across from him. Sesshomaru looked up as he slowly pulled the pelt off.

"I am no longer a pup, I have no need of this," he said stoically. He tossed the pelt to his father, who deftly caught it and fingered it lightly.

"Has your system forgotten my poison so easily?" he asked quietly, albeit curiously. Sesshomaru frowned. At an early age, his father had started to introduce different poisons to his body so they could not be used against him later in life; his father's poison had been one of them.

"I have not experienced a poison like yours in over a century," he said simply. InuTaisho smirked as he put his pelt behind him and clasped it into place.

"Kagome wanted to heal you…I think it might have purified you if I had let her," he mused. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"The priestess," he mumbled. InuTaisho nodded as he stared at his son.

"You should be able to completely move soon," he said conversationally, "so don't worry, the Monk and Slayer are watching over everyone." At Sesshomaru's frown, he elaborated. "Your companions as well."

"I have no companions," came the automatic response.

"I spoke to the child…she told me, that you rescued her," he glanced at his son and sighed. Sesshomaru's face was completely blank and void of any emotion. "You used the Tenseiga."

"As an experiment, I assure you," he whispered almost angrily. InuTaisho frowned as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"She's quite a talker that one. Tells amazing stories of your adventures. You saved her from that half breed Naraku when he kidnapped her, and again from a man known as Takemaru," he put emphasis on the last name, hoping to get a reaction, and was rewarded when anger flashed in Sesshomaru's otherwise stoic features. He shifted slightly, trying to stand, but finding that he still could not.

InuTaisho couldn't help but smirk as his son tried to move. "I think that while you are sitting there, you should just listen."

"I do not have to listen to you father. I owe you nothing," Sesshomaru answered quietly. His father's eyes widened slightly as they crackled with a familiar anger.

"If you will not listen to me as your father, then you will listen to me as your Lord!" he said loudly. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he stared at him, but remained silent. "You are not the killing perfection everyone seems to think you are Sesshomaru. I know you have a heart…so why do you do this?"

"Permission to speak, Lord of the West?" he asked quietly. InuTaisho sighed as he sat down next to the fire and gave his son a nod. "I've told you before, all that matters to me is becoming the greatest demon in all of the world. What I do to reach that goal, is of no concern."

"I did not raise you that way Sesshomaru," his father mumbled softly, as though to a child, "I raised you better than that." Sesshomaru turned a glare upon his father as his face contorted with anger and disgust.

"No," he said angrily, "you didn't raise me at all." His mouth snapped shut and he glared off into the trees, silently cursing himself for not being able to control his anger. His control had always been impeccable, except when it mattered most, when he was talking to his father. InuTaisho's eyes widened.

"What? I-I'm your father…," he stopped and looked at his son confusedly, "you're my son." Sesshomaru tried to move his right leg again and only sighed in frustration when a small tingle ran up his right side, but otherwise remained numb and unmoving.

"You didn't raise me," he said seriously, "you were the Lord of the West. You were 'The Great Dog Demon General'," his eyes narrowed as he looked his father in the eye, "you were that whore's lover. You were never my father, and I was only your son when it was convenient for you." InuTaisho frowned, but said nothing.

The two dog demons continued to stare at one another, until InuTaisho finally broke eye contact and turned his piercing gaze to the fire. He wasn't going to dispute these things, most of them were true, although it hurt to admit it.

"So that's it," he said simply, "that's why you act as you do? You take your anger and hate out on the world, because of me."Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself father. I told you, I strive to defeat you. That is why I battle the world. When you died, you took my greatest opponent from me."

"What can I do Sesshomaru? What can I do to make this right?" his father asked curiously. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"Leave me alone. That's what you can do. Leave me alone." InuTaisho frowned as he thought over that for a moment.

"I can't do that this time Sesshomaru. You told me that once, long ago, and I granted your wish. But not now. Not this time. This time, you're coming with me. If it will take the will of a Lord to compel you, then so be it. You will come back with me to the castle, and you will become my assistant general. You will no longer have leave to come and go as you please. You wanted my attention Sesshomaru, and now you have it," InuTaisho growled. Sesshomaru's eyes were wide with shock and anger as his father's will bound him.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this bit of father/son angst. These two are my absolute favorites, so I just had to put some chapters devoted to them. Hope you enjoyed! R&R! ^-^