AN: So, I know that there some people that love Kagome but I don't. Never have and never will, really. It's because I don't like damsel in distress type of female characters. Hell, I only tolerate Sakura in Naruto because she grew out of her bullshit fangirl phase but then I hated her cause she still loved Sasuke. I'll stop before I rant.
Warning: Kagome bashing. OPNESS,OPKiba
-XXX-
The group of ragtag fighters had started their way on the 'road' relatively easily. The group was bigger than Kiba would have liked but that was only because they had a higher chance of being noticed but they also held the advantage of numbers.
Kiba had kept to himself but there was more than one glance ─ and glares ─ thrown his way. Rin stayed by his side as well with her tiny hand held in the Inuzuka's. He made noises of agreement every once in a while so that Rin knew that he was listening to her but at the same time, the Inuzuka kept his senses open.
There was no need to be caught defenseless after all.
While he was listening to the little girl, the Inuzuka was discreetly watching the interactions of the rest of his comrades. There were more additions to the group than just those that he had met in the battlefield. They had, incredibly, been joined by a three headed dragon, an annoying little imp by the name of Jaken, and a boy older than Rin that had been met by a hug courtesy of a teary Sango. The resemblance in the two was unmistakable as well as the faint similarities in their scents.
Kiba never made a move to really interact with the others. He was too tired and weary to do so. In fact, all he wanted to do was just rest and wash himself of the day's filth.
As if sensing his thoughts, Miroku called out to Inuyasha. "My friend, I believe it is best that we stop. It has been a long and trying day for all of us, after all, especially after our recent battle."
Sango sighed tiredly. "Miroku's right. It's best we stop and set up camp."
Inuyasha blinked and stared at them for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, whatever. Come on, I think I smell a river nearby."
At the words, many of the group visibly brightened, except for Kagome it seemed. She was still in a cross mood and she wasn't afraid to show it annoyingly enough. It wasn't something that Kiba liked seeing but he didn't say anything. There was high chance that anything he said toward the girl wouldn't be appreciated.
It wasn't something that he wasn't really used to seeing all often considering that he was used to working with others that had put aside their differences to work as a cohesive team. It was what Konoha promoted and was known for after all. Teamwork was an important foundation and had Kagome been a shinobi, Kiba was certain that she would have been rejected for her reluctance to work with others.
It wasn't long before they found a clearing a little ways from the camp and saw what turned out to be a small lake. Camp was easily set up in matter of minutes with Kiba setting up a fire and the others starting to prepare food and the like. Kiba did this in silence, still a bit unnerved with the happenings of the day.
It wasn't that long ago that he had been with his friends and family, after all.
The Inuzuka gave a sigh and gave a fond pat to Rin's head who gave him an endearing smile in return. "I'll be back Rin. I'm just going to wash up real quick, okay?" He said softly and smiling at the understanding nod that the little girl gave him.
"Okay Inuzuka-sama!" Rin replied.
Kiba easily found the body of water. It was luckily empty and the Inuzuka didn't waste the chance to undress. He slid into the water, briefly hissing at the sheer coldness before swiftly acclimating to it. It wasn't the worst thing that he's felt. He gave a relieved sigh as he leaned against a nearby rock, the tension in his shoulders relieving somewhat.
"Man." Kiba sighed, running a wet hand through his hair. "This is so weak."
His situation was one for the books for sure. After all, who ever got the chance to travel through dimensions and encounter a chance of time travel? With all that he was seeing, it felt like he was in a goddamn fairy tale with wannabe evil demon overlords, majestic demons and spiritual beings, and wish giving jewels.
Kiba bit a thumb, running the bloody appendage against one of his many seals to unseal some new clothes. He washed up quickly and efficiently with scentless soap and he ducked underwater for a few moments. There was a tingle in the back of his mind however, that warned him of an approaching presence.
As he rose from underwater, Kiba found himself facing the one Sesshomaru. He's fast, Kiba noted, and quiet. The 'demon' stared at him with calculating golden eyes and the Inuzuka nearly frowned. "Sesshomaru-sama." He greeted the other with a nod, noting absently that there were also others heading their way. He could faintly recognize the signatures of the other two demons, Kouga and Inuyasha, and the monk as well, Miroku.
Sesshomaru turned his head minutely to the side, sensing and smelling the approach of the others. The demon lord paid the others no mind and instead went about his intentions to bathe. Without an ounce of shame, he undressed himself of his clothing and armor. He slid gracefully into the water, his hair floating like white veins. He rested against a rock, idly closing his eyes and disregarding the others.
Kiba eyed the other a bit. He didn't mind the nakedness, after all, he had long lost any shame for his body and he saw others naked so frequently he didn't even register it at times. It was something that came with being a shinobi.
Soon enough, his sharp ears picked up the sound of voices and approaching footsteps.
"… I'm telling you Inuyasha, there's nothing to be worried about."
"You're telling me, monk."
"With our newest additions, we can get the shards faster which means…"
"That Naraku will be coming our way and then we could end that bastard once and for all."
"Exactly."
"It's not going to be that easy monk."
"I never said it was going to be."
Inuyasha and Miroku came into the clearing with a lagging Kouga, appearing to be deep in thought. The trio looked at the two in the river with faint surprise but they said nothing about the matter although Inuyasha scowled at the sight of his brother.
Although they were working together, it wasn't easy to forget the fact that they had nearly killed and fought each other numerous times. Their animosity for each other wasn't going to wane so quickly even though they had put aside their differences aside for the moment. For all they knew, defeating Naraku wouldn't change a thing between them.
"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama." Miroku greeted. "Inuzuka-sama. I see you've come to take advantage of your time." The monk said, eyeing the different tattoos on the Inuzuka's form with faint surprise.
They were sight to see for one because they were so extensive. The seals were predominantly on his arms for easy reach although there were more than just storage seals on his body. There was also something akin to the Tsunade-sama's Strength of a Hundred Seal on the Inuzuka's chest. It wasn't for healing purposes like hers but it was for storing chakra. It took careful control to feed chakra into that point as well as meditation but a few years of work resulted in a crescent like mark in the middle of his chest, the same color of his Inuzuka markings.
That wasn't all however. The Inuzuka took it a step forward and stored Ying and Yang Chakra separately which resulted in an additional two markings that were two crescent moons that chained the other. Three Crescent Moons stood out starkly in the middle of his chest. Yang, physical energy, on the right. Ying and Yang chakra in the middle. Ying, spiritual energy, on the right. Initially, the Inuzuka had wanted something akin to the amazing healing that Tsunade-sama had but he didn't have the extreme chakra control that she had. That didn't mean that his chakra control was so abysmal that he wasn't capable of the Destructive Fist Style though.
The Hokage had certainly raised an inquiring eyebrow at his request but she hadn't denied him when he had stated his reasons. It was surprising. The Inuzuka had fully expected to get rejected. Tsunade had given him the information he needed and left him at it, which was understandable considering that she had a village to run along with supervising the hospital. Kiba had to do guess work and find his own way but after much trial and error and the occasional checkup from Tsunade-sama, he had achieved his goal.
"Oh, great." Inuyasha muttered, a scowl on his face.
"Sesshomaru-sama." Kouga greeted, briefly glancing towards the Inuzuka for a moment of faint curiosity. The wolf was careful to respect the demon lord, after all, as much as he hated to admit it, the dog demon was very capable of ripping him apart though that didn't mean that the wolf would go down without a fight.
Apparently, they were all there for the same reason, that is, to take advantage of the time offered and bathe at the lake. It wasn't so surprising considering that many them had superior senses and though they were used to smelling unpleasant scents, they'd avoid it if they could.
Miroku though, simply had a sense of cleanliness.
The Inuzuka took note of the others. Now that he was so close to them, Kiba could smell the differences in their scents as well as their energies. Sesshomaru and Kouga were somewhat similar. Their scents and energy were something wild and chaotic, somewhat befitting of their demonic nature. Miroku felt like a cool and calm lake. Inuyasha, however, was something different. He felt like a mix of calm and chaos, like an ocean that sometimes had the tendencies of ferocious waves. It was puzzling but why they felt different and similar was soon apparent to the Inuzuka.
Kouga and Sesshomaru were full blooded demons, Inuyasha was a half demon, and Miroku was a human.
"Hey,"
A hand approached towards the Inuzuka's shoulder but the Inuzuka's reflexes reacted quickly and his hand gripped the other's. The Inuzuka idly wondered when he had closed his eyes. I must be more tired than I thought. Kiba's golden eyes stared into a pair of sheepish purple ones. He blinked at the other, noting faintly that his grip was quickly bruising the other. He swiftly let go. "Sorry." He muttered.
"Ah," Miroku said, rubbing a hand on his wrist. "My apologies my friend. I didn't mean to startle you. It was just that you seemed to disappear into your mind."
Kiba nodded, rubbing a hand down his face. "Yeah. It's just been an eventful few days…" Kiba admitted.
Miroku looked at the other curiously. The energy that he sensed was faint but what could be sensed… It was peculiar to say the least. It wasn't like anything that he's ever felt before but it reminded him faintly of spiritual energy that he and Kagome used but there was something about that made it feel entirely different. It felt potent, alive.
Kiba glanced toward the sky, noting that it had turned dark. It was best to return to the others but he didn't quite want to leave yet. He wanted to be alone, wanted to absorb the situation that he was in because he hadn't quite yet, because how could he? The sheer impossibility was astounding even though he's long established that he wasn't in a genjutsu.
Kiba made a hand sign and with a small pop of smoke, a shadow clone came into existence, startling the others and making them look towards him and the clone in surprise. "Check the perimeter and procced with standard procedure." He ordered and the clone gave a nod before swiftly disappearing into the tree line.
"What the fuck was that?" Inuyasha asked, eyebrows knitted together and eyes trained on the tree line.
"Didn't you do that earlier too?" Kouga added, remembering when the Inuzuka had passed off Rin. "When you made that attack, that lightning technique I think."
Kiba gave a hum, eyes feeling heavy as he felt the drain of chakra. He'd used a lot recently, especially in the skirmishes against those damned wannabe failed Orochimaru experiments. "Oh, that? Don't worry about that. It's just a clone. It'll keep an eye out for danger. That kind of stuff." He explained.
It wasn't like he was going to hide his abilities. He might not expose them all because what kind of shinobi would he be if he exposed all his cards? The need to hide all of them wasn't there. They might ask questions but Kiba didn't mind answering ─ more or less.
Miroku stared contemplatingly at the Inuzuka, taking in the markings on his face and body, the clawed hands, the fanged smile, the golden eyes, and slightly pointed ears. "Are you a demon, Inuzuka-sama?" Miroku asked, a small frown forming on his face.
Kiba raised an eyebrow at the question. It almost made him laugh, honestly. The Inuzuka certainly had their wild features and they might as well have been demons but they weren't. "I'm a human." Kiba answered, his tone somewhat amused. Sure, they threw a lot of people off with their features but still.
Inuyasha nearly gaped at the other and the half demon could see that Kouga and Miroku were struggling to not do the same. "Are you fucking serious?" Inuyasha said incredulously. "You sure as fuck don't smell like any other human." He added, his nose twitching at the other's scent. It was certainly different. It was much cleaner than any other he'd met, almost like Kagome but it didn't smell quite as sharp or acidic as her with all the weird futuristic products that she used. The Inuzuka smelled something like earth and rain, and light if such a thing was possible.
"Are you sure Inuzuka-sama?" Miroku asked, a hand running through his black hair. He was careful not to remove his prayer beads. "But then again, your energy feels peculiar. It's almost as wild as Inuyasha's." He raised a placating hand at Inuyasha's indignant glare. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just livelier than what I've felt is all but I can tell you have an exceptional control over it."
Kiba gave a smile, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly. "Wow, you got all that huh?" Kiba muttered to himself. "Uh, thanks I guess? But I'm pretty much human. A lot of people think we're different but my clan all share these features." He pointed towards the markings on his face. "The Inuzuka Clan has always has always had a close affiliation with the canine species." He tried to explain but it was hard to put into words.
There were many legends passed down in the Inuzuka Clan that explained how it is that they got their feral traits. But they were just that, legends, but with the recent happenings Kiba was thinking that maybe some of them were true.
"Wait, what?" Inuyasha said, confused.
"It's hard to explain." Kiba said but then his eyes sharpened as he got a sudden influx of memories. His clone had dispelled. That certainly wasn't good. It seemed that his clone had encountered a demon. The image of an angry, hissing, serpent like demon with wicked fangs and an agonizing grip flashed through his mind. He hadn't put as much chakra into the clone as he would have liked. He had been trying to save it or else he'd risk chakra exhaustion.
Which means, Kiba though tiredly as he hurriedly clothed himself, that I'll have to resort to something else. Taijutsu, maybe even some Fuinjutsu. But I'm so fucking tired. He snarled to himself, a feeling of agitation rising but his worry for Rin and the others overtook him. The others were more than capable than taking care of themselves but still… He wasn't even sure if they were aware of the demon. It was just beyond the camp, far enough to not be sensed, lucky enough not to be downwind, and sneaky enough to not be seen,.
With a quick and efficient movements, he stored away his items except for his swords, strapping them to his back. He left with a burst of chakra vaguely registering that there were others following him. Kouga and Sesshomaru. Beyond that, he sensed Miroku and Inuyasha hurrying towards the camp.
The Inuzuka bounded his way to where his clone had last been dispelled, traveling rapidly through the trees with the world blurring around him. He could already smell the acrid scent of the demon, irritating his nose.
Kiba could already see the demon before him. It almost blended in with the surrounding woods but the Inuzuka's keen senses could easily sense it. He unsheathed his swords, both in hand, and he burst from the trees with a snarl on his face. He soared through the air and came down onto the hissing snake, who barely had time to react, and swung down with a powerful blow. He cut through some of the demon's side but it wasn't enough to completely cut through.
There was a burst of light behind the Inuzuka and then a second later, the sound of ferocious and angry hissing as well as the smell of burning flesh. The demon was cut into several pieces courtesy of Sesshomaru and his light whip. The Inuzuka blinked made a move to go toward the other and thank him but instinct made him duck.
The danger wasn't over yet, he realized as he dodged a ferocious bite on behalf another snake like demon. There were many more than just one. The scent of the demon was so strong because there were so many. As the shinobi surveyed his surroundings he realized that at least a dozen or more surrounded them, all the size of at least three times his size and just as thick as he was.
Beside him, Kouga gave a powerful kick that broke through bone and cartilage of another demon aiming to strike them. His speed was astounding to see and it made the shinobi think of Lee for a moment.
Sesshomaru was already swiftly disposing of the nearest demons with his whip, which tore through flesh like it was paper.
Kiba shook his head. There was no time for such thoughts. He tightened his grip on his swords and surged forward, cutting through another opponent and spilling blood onto the forest floor.
The three worked in surprising harmony. Kiba made sure to watch their backs for any attacks, although he was sure that they didn't need the help as they were more than capable of handling their opponents but they were outnumbered, so it was better to express caution than to later regret. It wasn't long until they killed their opponents but at the end, Kiba's body was protesting the extreme treatment.
He took in a tired breath and wiped the blood free from his swords and sheathed them. He cast out his senses, trying to see if there were any other threats to be found. Thankfully, he detected none other than what seemed like regular wildlife.
"Well, damn." Kouga muttered. "I think I need another bath." He grimaced at the blood on his hands and the flesh stuck in his claws.
"You and me both." Kiba said but a wave of dizziness had him hitting the floor heavily onto one knee. It seemed that all of his exhaustion caught up with him, from his fight against the S-Ranked Shinobi to the skirmishes against the demons from the woods, protecting Rin, his little to no sleep, to his aid against the swarm of demons against his new comrades and now this. "Fuck." He cursed, his hands tightening into fists and claws nearly cutting into his own flesh. A pounding headache had him gritting his teeth and nearly breaking them at the pressure.
"Woah there." A voice beside him said softly. Then there were hands aiding him to his feet.
Kiba blinked through his blurring vision to see Kouga wrapping an arm around him and eyeing him with what almost looked like concern. "My bad." The Inuzuka apologized. "I must be more worn out than I thought." He sighed.
"You sure as hell should be." Kouga added, glancing towards Sesshomaru who was staring into the woods with a critical eye. He realized that the demon was trying to make sure that there weren't any opponents. He didn't like being taken by surprise and he was sure that the demon lord liked it even less. "You did good for a human." Kouga said as they began to make way towards the camp. "But how the fuck did you get that fast? That's impossible for humans."
Kiba nearly snorted. "That? That wasn't fast, at least compared to some of my friends. And it is so possible, at least for those in my village. All it takes is a little training." Kiba replied absentmindedly as he tried to will away the pounding in his head. Sadly, it didn't work.
The others were waiting for them at the camp, all tense and armed with their weapons. They easily spotted them and they looked at them with worry and expectation, and some with fear on behalf of the children.
"What the fuck was that?" Inuyasha snarled, a heavy scowl on his face. He didn't mind the glare that Kagome gave his way. "I could hear you all the way from here."
"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin cried out, happily making his way over to him.
"Low class filth." Sesshomaru answered, eyes scanning Rin over for anything out of place and ignoring Jaken's cries. "On behalf of Naraku."
"Inuzuka-sama?" Miroku said, surprise covering his face as he spotted their newest addition being supported by the Prince of the Northern Wolf Tribe. "Are you well?" The pale skin and fatigue were clear to see along with the grimace of pain that the other wore.
Kagome scowled at the shinobi, a feeling of satisfaction surging through her at the deplorable state that the other was in. Already fucking up, is he? She thought angrily as she crossed her arms. She didn't like the fact that they were replacing her. She could do her job just fine! They didn't need some interloper in their midst and they certainly didn't need Sesshomaru or Kouga either. They all did just fine on their own with her. Didn't they appreciate everything that she did for them?
Kiba nearly snarled at the scent of anger that was coming so heavily from the dark-haired female, Kagome, but he gave no reaction towards it. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction. His Inuzuka side was growling at him to leave but it was also in pain from being separated from his loved ones. God, did it hurt but he couldn't do anything about it. It was clear that he wasn't wanted but what could he do? Where could he go?
Inuyasha and Kouga glanced towards Kagome, confusion on their faces but they could already see the source of their anger, it was very much obvious after all. The animosity that she had towards Kiba was confusing and concerning considering that they've never felt her emotions get so dark, although there were a few occasions that had popped up. Unfortunately, such reactions were becoming more common.
The Demon Lord, however, stared irritatingly toward the human female. Her scent was repulsive to his keen senses and her being more so. Her energy was grating and constantly clashed against his own with no semblance of control, not like the quiet vastness of the monk's energy or the surprisingly living energy of the Inuzuka.
"Yeah… I just over exerted myself. That's all." Kiba replied quietly, removing himself from the Kouga's aid. "Thank you, Kouga." The Inuzuka made his way over to a tree and tiredly propped himself against it. "They're all gone for now if you're worried but I've also set out a few traps that should give us ample time to at least give us a warning in case we're attacked again."
"Good idea, Inuzuka-sama." Miroku praised, trying to lift the tension that fell over.
The others glanced at each other but they went about their regular business. Sango started to make their dinner with the aid of Kagome but her foul mood was apparent in her every movement. Inuyasha kept to himself and settled on in a tree as usual, keeping a guard up.
Kouga stared off towards the woods, idly wondering how the rest of his pack were doing. He had left Ginta and Hakkaku. He hoped that they were doing okay but he knew that it wouldn't be long until they found him again. They always did.
Sesshomaru looked like he was resting against a tree, with his eyes closed and one leg raised. It was almost like looking at an ethereal statue but the others knew better than to assume that he was just sleeping.
Rin and Shippo were playing together with an indulgent Kohaku who kept an eye on the two.
Kiba observed the happenings with heavy eyes. He was worried about his friends, especially since he had been hearing rumors and whispers about the Akatsuki during his missions and through the rudimentary spy network that he had set up. Let it be said that he took the threat against his friends and village seriously. He had heard in hushed whispers and read from hard coded reports that the Akatsuki were aiming to retrieve the Biju, though that was something that everyone knew. What he had also heard however, was about their ruthless ways and their merciless bounty hunts that showed their amazing skills against ruthless missing nin. He had heard rumors and stories about each and every member, although there wasn't much about the shadowy leader and a few others of the evil organization. It had made the Inuzuka worry dearly for his friends, especially since there were rumors that there might be an assault against Konoha.
Weather this was true, the Inuzuka wasn't sure but he hoped that he was wrong but he had long learned that there was always an ounce of truth to rumors. If this was right, then it proved that the Akatsuki were confident and powerful enough to do so because who in their right mind would attack a hidden village head on? It proved that they weren't being overzealous for trying to steal the Jinchuriki from the hidden villages though that in itself would prove to be a hard mission.
"Damn it, Inuyasha! Pay attention to what I'm saying!"
Kagome's yell broke the Inuzuka from his reverie. He looked up to see the now common sight of Kagome glaring at Inuyasha. Inuyasha was doing the same. What it was that Inuyasha did, Kiba wasn't sure. As far as he was aware, the other had just been minding his business and lounging in a tree.
"What the hell do you want, you brat!"
Kagome gave a growl. Inuyasha always irritated her when he wasn't paying attention to her. It was even worse when he ever talked about Kikyo or just blatantly disregarded her. She couldn't help it. The words were already on the tip of her tongue. Her mood wasn't helped by the fact that they were replacing her, even though there was a voice in the back of her head that said otherwise. She ignored it.
"Sit!" She snarled, anger making her see red.
Before Inuyasha could even comprehend what was happening, he was being pulled down with tremendous force and when he hit the ground, it was with just as much force.
"Kagome!" Sango gasped, anger coursing through her at the sight of her comrade in pain. "What did he do?"
Kagome pointed towards Inuyasha's prone form irritatingly. "Didn't you see him? He wouldn't answer me!"
"And that's enough reason to do that to him?" Sango replied, raising an eyebrow as she stared calculatingly at Kagome. Her anger was clear to the Slayer and she couldn't understand how it was that she was giving into it the way she was. She thought that Kagome had better control over herself but then again, she was a young girl that hadn't faced the life that most of them had. She did live in a comfortable future, after all.
Meanwhile, Kiba was going over the sudden burst of energy that he had felt. It seemed that the word 'sit' was taken as a command that was laden with spiritual energy that was the same as the beads around Inuyasha's neck. Why they weren't just removed Kiba didn't know but he was sure it was because it wasn't possible to be removed by anyone else than, say, Kagome. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to keep the damn thing on.
"He always does this!" Kagome protested, arms crossed as she watched Inuyasha groan and start to remove himself from the hole he caused. "It wouldn't kill you to show some consideration Inuyasha."
"Woman." Sesshomaru's sharp voice drew their attention and Kagome stiffened. "Cease your nonsense."
Kagome nearly gaped. "Excuse me?"
Miroku placed a placating hand on her shoulder, seeing that Kagome's stubbornness would do no one favors, especially against Sesshomaru. There wasn't enough power in the world that could stop Sesshomaru if they angered him. "Enough Kagome." Miroku said sharply.
Kiba eyed the interactions with a critical eye. If one thing was clear to the Inuzuka, it was that Kagome had a whole lot of growing up to do. He switched his gaze to Inuyasha who sat up with a groan and a few muttered curse words. Silently, the Inuzuka made his way to Inuyasha and sat next to him.
Inuyasha looked at him confusedly, noting the moment that he moved. His head was hurting but it seemed like a common happening these days. Everything he did seemed to displease Kagome, especially if she didn't get things her way.
"Is it these beads that are making you hit the ground like that?" Kiba asked.
Inuyasha eyed the other wearily. "What's it to you?"
Kiba shrugged. "I'm just wondering why you have them. Did you do something to earn them?"
Inuyasha shrugged, not knowing why he was even responding to the other. It wasn't like he knew the human but then again, he didn't seem quite like any other human that Inuyasha has met. "That was a long time ago."
Kiba hummed in contemplation, staring at the beads intently. "Are you friends?" He asked.
Inuyasha couldn't help the indignant scoff at that. He wasn't one to put such things into words.
At the response, Kiba raised an eyebrow. "So, I'm guessing that they are your friends, then what happened why do you still have that thing on?"
Inuyasha was about to reply but he stopped, not knowing what to really say. It shocked Inuyasha honestly because it was something that he's never really thought of. Honestly, Inuyasha hadn't ever expected to really rid himself of them. He'd thought about removing them of course, but he'd long given up when his numerous tries only resulted in failures and burnt hands.
"I see." Kiba muttered. Idly, he gauged the amount of chakra that he had. It was lower than he would have liked, though not yet critical enough to really call it chakra exhaustion yet. He thought carefully before he turned his attention to Inuyasha. "Do you want them off?"
"Of course I want this shit off but don't you think I would have done it already if I could!?" Inuyasha all but snarled. He hated having the damn things around his neck. It was demeaning and painful as hell and they weighed heavily around his neck like a noose. Inuyasha's had them for a long time, longer than he'd thought he'd have them. He had wondered why he had still had them because hadn't he proved himself already? He was their friend.
The Inuzuka merely made a placating gesture with his hands, once again eyeing the beads around the other's neck. Maybe if I do this, Kiba hummed, raising a hand toward the beads.
Inuyasha, seeing the movement caught the hand with his own. "What are you doing?" He asked wearily, wondering when the hell he had allowed someone get so damn close to him. It took the others a hell of a lot longer to get as close to him as the Inuzuka had. But then again, to Inuyasha, the other didn't seem to fit into any category of human, demon, or even in between.
"Do you want them off?" Kiba said bluntly.
"They've never come off. I've tried." Inuyasha replied, hands stuffed in his sleeves.
"You're trying to get the beads off?" Miroku added, glancing at the two curiously. "I would have tried, but I recognize the technique that was used." The monk kneeled down to his knees beside them. "These were imbued with spiritual energy by Kaede-san and it was placed on by her as well." Miroku explained. "But they were issued a command that brings the one wearing them under control, which Kagome had issued. The word sit, in this case." The monk briefly glanced toward the miko and he found her staring moodily into the fire. "Only the word sayer can remove them."
"Seriously?" Kiba said, his incredulity and anger taking the other two briefly by surprise. "I'm surprised you're not dead yet or even affected Inuyasha, of you take on that much blunt force trauma by what I'm assuming is a daily basis." Kiba deducted. "I'm guessing you have accelerated healing due to being a demon. But damn, anyone else would have had their skull cracked open or at least broken some of their bones." Kiba muttered. But still… even though Inuyasha has some demon blood and he heals, that doesn't mean that he doesn't feel pain.
Kouga's ears twitched slightly as he fought not to reel in shock at the information. Inuyasha goes through that? He'd always held feelings of anger and contempt towards Inuyasha for having Kagome's affections but he was seeing a different side to her. He had never spent enough time with Kagome to really see her or get to know her all too well. He'd been sidetracked by her unique personality and dress.
Sesshomaru stared with apathetic eyes towards the miko. He heard every word. Inuyasha was a half breed that he's long hated, especially because he symbolized his father's affair with the human Izayoi. He hated Inuyasha because Izayoi and Inutaisho had genuinely been in love. It was nothing like the loveless marriage that has between his mother and Inutaisho. He had hated humans with a passion too for numerous reasons but now, he found himself with his own with his own ward, a human girl at that. Now, he also found himself fighting alongside Inuyasha.
The winds were changing.
Kiba took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all thought, and he carefully guided his chakra to his hands.
Miroku sat up sharply, eyes trained on the Inuzuka as he sensed the increased of energy. It felt more potent now that he knew what he was looking for but it felt like the energy was sluggish and waning. It confused the monk but he concentrated harder, shifting his own energy in response and compared to his own, he once again marveled at the difference. His energy prodded gently towards that of the Inuzuka and it made the other glance at him briefly with a quizzical look, to which he smiled slightly.
"Continue please." Miroku encouraged, briefly wondering how it was that Kagome didn't sense the increased activity of energy. He could see that most of the others had their eyes trained on them too, except for Kagome and the children.
Kiba placed both hands on the beads, the Beads of Subjugation, and curled his fingers. Immedietly, the Inuzuka could feel the surge of energy within the beads meeting and fighting against his own. There was a yell and he turned slightly to see an angry Kagome.
"What are you doing!?" Kagome screeched, hands curled at her side and eyes wide.
"Now wait a moment Kagome," Miroku raised his hands, as if to stop her. "Inuyasha has no need for them and neither do you."
Kagome gaped, nearly stomping her feet on the ground. "What do you mean?! He needs them! He has no control over himself!"
Kiba disregarded her. He needed to pay close attention to the task at hand.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha stared at her with confusion and hidden hurt before anger took over. "What the fuck are you talking about!?"
"I mean," Kagome began hands shifting to rest to on her hips, looking much like a rebuffed angry mother, "Inuyasha, exactly what I said! You act like a barbarian half of the time! You must learn manners somewhere and not to mention, you have no reign over your demon blood! You could kill us anytime!"
"Kagome!" Sango snapped, a gasp of surprise nearly leaving her. "How can you say that!"
"You must have better faith in Inuyasha, Kagome." Miroku said, eyeing Inuyasha from the corner of his eye. The half demon looked at Kagome with a look of surprise but it was gone just as quick as it had arrived. "He doesn't lose control as easily as you think. As for his behavior, you have no right to change him Kagome." Miroku protested. "You can't hold him to the same standards that you have."
Inuyasha looked at the monk and gave a nod of appreciation but otherwise stayed strangely quiet.
Kagome couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that her friends were treating her like she was in the wrong when they were clearly wrong. It was ridiculous that they couldn't see her argument from her view. It was obvious that Inuyasha acted like a complete idiot half of the time. He traced scents from on ground on all fours for god's sake.
"Uh, Kagome," Shippo said quietly as his hands nervously gripped his tail. "I think you should calm down…" He suggested.
Kagome ignored him, her attention placed solely on Inuyasha's form. Once again, the words were on the tip of her tongue and they slipped from her mouth without thought but they were laden with intention and anger. "Inuyasha, sit!" She commanded.
Kiba could feel the surge of energy before the words were said and he had surged his chakra forward but the heavy sharpness of Kagome's spiritual powers overwhelmed his own for a moment. In that single moment, however, the energy burned with incredible heat against the flesh of his hands. It made Kiba grunt in pain but seconds afterwards he overwhelmed Kagome's spiritual energy with his chakra. In the next moment, the beads broke apart with a sound akin to shattering glass.
"Oh, my god." Sango gasped softly.
Kagome stared disbelievingly at the beads now littering the floor, shock painting her face. That shouldn't have been possible!
Meanwhile, Inuyasha felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't quite believe that the damn beads were off because he tried many attempts, one after another, to remove them and each trial ended in failure. His mind was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts but somehow, he managed a semblance of control and he shook his head as if to rid himself of his shock.
"Are you okay Inuzuka-sama?" Miroku asked, concern lacing his voice.
Inuyasha's nose twitched as he caught the scent of burnt flesh and his eyes tracked onto the Inuzuka's hands which were balled tightly into fists and sluggishly bleeding with trails of red running down from them and onto the ground. "What the hell?"
Kiba eyed his hands with slight apprehension but he pushed the feeling away and turned to instead look towards Kagome. He stared at her with a blank face and his mind raced. He didn't quite know what to say. Kagome's spiritual energy had backlashed against his own in a way that he hadn't anticipated but that was because he had believed it to be too different from chakra. At least the encounter had been somewhat informative.
It wasn't a mistake he was likely to repeat.
The Inuzuka stood feeling the eyes trained on his person. "Uh," Kiba trained his to his hands, staring at the small rivers of red running down the tanned skin, "I'll be back." The shinobi muttered as he made his way to the lake, disregarding the questions thrown his way.
It was times like these that the Inuzuka missed Akamaru. He would have been very comforting to have and the gaping absence of his partner was very much apparent to the shinobi. It felt like a piece of himself was missing, but then again, he'd always felt that way. Hadn't he? Akamaru's absence merely amplified the feeling.
With mechanical motions, the Inuzuka sat next the lake with his legs crossed neatly underneath him. He stared at his hands, noting that the skin of his palms was glistening red from his blood that trailed out of gouges left by his own nails and there was a sharp pulsing and heat in his hands that seemed to have no end. It seemed like he had harmed himself in his contemplation and anger towards the miko. At least he had better control over himself than most Inuzuka.
Any other would have ripped out Kagome's throat in anger.
"God," Kiba muttered, "I wish I was back home. Hokage-sama must have declared me MIA." He sighed before a brittle smile formed on his face, nothing like his boisterous and cheerful façade. "And who knows what the fuck the Akatsuki are doing."
As if that was bad enough, there was also unrest in his own village. Through his own spy network, he had heard old rumors that still circulated years ago, rumors about a dojutsu that was unlike anything the Sharingan or Byakugan was capable of. The only thing the Inuzuka could find were stories and legends of a dojutsu called the Rinnegan, but they were thought to be a myth. The last being to have wielded the Rinnegan was said to be the Rikudo Sennin himself which seemed all the more ludicrous. That hadn't stopped the Inuzuka, however. Following the rumors through extensive searching and bribery, he had been able to gather intel that led a faint trail to the Amegakure, a land that had frequently and unfortunately served as the battlegrounds for the Great Nations to wage their war in. It was said that Jiraiya had trained three students during one of the Shinobi Wars, the First or Second, Kiba wasn't sure. One of them was said to have wielded the legendary eyes. That student, along with the other three, had opposed Hanzo's rule.
Hanzo had instigated an entirely different investigation on behalf of the Inuzuka. It had been almost an obsession because the more information that Kiba gathered, the more unsettling his findings were. Hanzo had been a tyrant but it was said that he had many dealings with figures that were just as corrupted as he was, which was why it was confusing to have leadings towards one of the most influential figures of Konoha, to Shimura Danzo, an old war hawk part of the Council of Elders.
And now, Kiba couldn't conduct anymore investigations. He was stranded in this foreign land. His spy network may have been in its infancy, and almost amateurish in nature, but that didn't mean that his reach couldn't be expansive.
There was the sound of footsteps and Kiba turned back and found one Sesshomaru staring down with the emotional capability of a rock. At least, that's what Kiba thought. "Sesshomaru-sama." He greeted. "Can I help you?" He asked, turning his attention back to his injured hands. He grimaced at the flash of sharp pain and rigidness in his hands. He needed to heal them, fast.
Sesshomaru sat near the Inuzuka, sharp eyes taking in detail after detail. The demon said nothing for a moment.
Kiba didn't rush the other for an answer. Sesshomaru wasn't the type of being that one rushed. In fact, the other reminded him a bit of Itachi or what he could remember of the man anyway or what he's heard. The relationship between the two brothers remined him of that between the two Uchiha's but the similarity ended in which the two brothers want to kill each other. Inuyasha was nowhere near Sasuke's depth of rage and he wasn't as… obsessive, so to speak. Sesshomaru didn't kill his entire family either.
"This Sesshomaru owes you a debt." The demon lord responded, his deep voice startling the Inuzuka for a moment.
"You don't have to owe me anything Sesshomaru-sama." Kiba replied as he activated one of his seals to unseal a sealing scroll. Unnecessary and repetitive, but it allowed for more items to be stored as each scroll contained numerous items.
Sesshomaru looked at the scroll curiously though his eyes had narrowed as he sensed the other's energy rise once again. It felt drastically different from earlier in that its movements were slower, sluggish. "This Sesshomaru does not like to have debts. Speak your wants and this Sesshomaru will grace them to you."
Kiba looked at the other with slightly raised eyebrows. He doubted that the other could give him what he wanted and what he wanted was to go back home. Kiba didn't think anyone could travel between dimensions, at least not the way he was thinking of anyway. "Sesshomaru-sama, I didn't save Rin because I wanted to gain any favors or any sort of reward. I did it because I could, because she was a child." Kiba explained. "I don't really have anything I could really ask for. All of my wishes are impossible to grant."
Sesshomaru stared intently at the being before him. "This Sesshomaru's powers are great." He said a matter of factly. It confused him somewhat because he could tell that the other wasn't lying. His heart beat never faltered in its rhythm and he didn't smell like fear.
Kiba gave a small laugh. "Of that, I have no doubt Sesshomaru-sama." Kiba angled his head slightly. "Oh. Seems like we have company." Kiba muttered, a bit unnecessarily.
"You!" Inuyasha broke out of the trees, pointing rudely towards the shinobi. Miroku and Kouga trailed behind.
"Me?" Kiba said, eyebrows raised.
"What the hell was that!?" Inuyasha pointed vaguely toward the camp.
Kiba glanced into the dark woods. Night has long set and now the only light that was to be found was that of the moon. It wasn't a problem. Kiba could see quite clearly in the night. "What was what?" Kiba unrolled his scroll, running a hand down the intricate, dark seals that spanned. He hummed contemplatingly and with a minuscule burst of chakra, unsealed a jar of ointment. Hinata had made it for him he remembered.
"What he means is how were you able to remove the beads." Kouga elaborated, settling himself near the Inuzuka.
Wow, Kiba thought, these people either have no concept of private space or they just don't give a fuck. But then again, they probably haven't seen shinobi. Not like our villagers who know better than to get too close. "Oh. That."
"Yes, my friend. That." Miroku repeated, legs crossed and shakujo placed across his lap. He wasn't all bothered by the demon lord with them. That didn't mean he didn't fear the others power, he had a healthy respect for it in fact, but he just knew that the demon lord wouldn't attack without provocation. At worst, he'd probably insult them. It'd probably cut deep too. "Do you need help?" Miroku asked, motioning to the Inuzuka's wounded hands.
Kiba glanced at them, noting that the gauges were now bleeding a lot less than earlier but it still stung. Kiba could have healed his hands with what medical ninjutsu that he knew, but if he used anymore chakra then he'd probably drive himself to complete exhaustion, or a coma, or even death. "Uh. Sure. One moment, please." Kiba muttered as he also unsealed some bandages, which he handed to a bewildered Miroku.
The monk took them carefully, somewhat expecting them to be made of silk or something as ridiculous. "Could you explain how it was that you removed Inuyasha's beads? And what this… ah, summoning was?"
Kiba blinked. "Uh. Yeah, sure… just ─" Kiba looked at his surroundings before landing his gaze on a smooth boulder not far away from him just on the river bank. He heaved himself up with a small grunt. His body was protesting all movement, his head was pounding, his hands were feeling like they were burning with pain. Regardless of all that, he forced his hands through a series of hand signs and with a mutter, placed his hands down on the boulder.
Black lines scrawled across the rock like black veins.
His vision wavered for a moment and Kiba had to take a deep breath before he could take another breath. "Troublesome." Kiba muttered before he returned to his seat.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Inuyasha said bluntly, gold eyes scanning the other for any other visible injuries. He hadn't missed that moment where the other's step had faltered.
Kiba motioned for Miroku to start. "Oh. That's…" Kiba wasn't sure how to explain but perhaps the blunt approach was for the best. "I used too much chakra and I haven't exactly gotten around to replenishing it. These lands aren't all that safe."
"I've heard of chakra but probably not in the context that you're thinking of." Miroku took the ointment, glancing at its contents curiously. There was no label but as he opened it, the scents of herbal leaves and something sharp hit him. He carefully took a dab and began to apply it to the Inuzuka's wounded hands.
Kiba nearly winced. The cream could be used for a broad spectrum of injuries but he wasn't sure what it's full capabilities were. He never got a chance to ask Hinata but he was sure that it at least cleaned his wounds. "Oh, that sort of has to do with Inuyasha's question." Kiba gathered his thoughts for a moment. "Chakra, for me at least, is the fusion of spiritual and physical energy. "It's a Ying and Yang Release." Kiba took a free hand and lifted his shirt, showing the Three Crescent Moon Seals. "Ying relating to spiritual energy, Yang relating to physical energy, and Ying-Yang for chakra. It's what allows me to use the techniques that you saw me use."
Kouga nodded, comprehending somewhat. "Like that lightning dragon that you used?"
The shinobi nodded. "Like that. Anyway, what I did earlier was overwhelm Kagome's spiritual energy with my own chakra." Kiba gave a sheepish smile towards Inuyasha. "Honestly, I didn't think it'd work with how much chakra I had left. The backlash of Kagome's spiritual energy, uh, injured me somewhat."
Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't a man of many words. He was more of a man of action.
"What happens when you use all of your chakra?" Sesshomaru asked, surprising the others somewhat with his input.
"When I use all of my chakra?" Kiba repeated. He cleared his throat slightly. "Uh, simple. If I use too much I could end up in a coma." Seeing their confused faces, he clarified. "I'll fall asleep and I won't wake up for a long time but it varies by person. If I use all of my chakra I die."
Miroku couldn't quite stop his hands from jerking as he stared incredulously at the other. At the Inuzuka's hiss of pain, he hurried to apologize. "You die?"
"And you kept using your chakra, you moron?" Inuyasha said, the are-you-stupid tone apparent.
Kiba merely shrugged. "I know what my limits are. Everyone has different reserves. Some are bigger than others but a person could have more control over it. For example, I don't have a lot of chakra left but what I do have, I have enough control over it to get the maximum amount of power with the least amount of energy. Does that make sense?"
Miroku nodded, a feeling of amazement surging as he imagined the capability of such abilities. He carefully bandaged the other's hands. "That sounds…"
"That's not bad. For a human, at least." Kouga added.
Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger towards the boulder. "And what the fuck was that? I can't understand it bit it reminds me of the monk's sutras."
"That's Fuinjutsu. It's literally sealing techniques. You can do a variety of things with it. In fact, your pretty much limited by your imagination and knowledge of the art. What I did there was place a privacy seal. It's a habit of mine. I'm just naturally paranoid." Kiba nodded his thanks towards the monk.
"That's probably a good idea."
"Anyway, Sesshomaru-sama," Kiba turned to the regal demon lord. "Thank you for your offer but I must decline." Kiba used all of his Clan Heir training as he addressed the other. He didn't want to offend the demon. "I appreciate it, really, but what I want can't really get granted."
Sesshomaru nodded, displeased but he could hear the sincerity in the other. It was decidedly unusual as most beings cowered before him but this human at least had spine and wasn't pathetic enough to take advantage of his offer in an unflattering manner.
"Anyway, if that's all gentlemen, I'd like to get some rest." Kiba excused himself and he disappeared into the trees.
"Well…" Miroku said after a moment of silence. "He's certainly interesting."
Inuyasha said nothing, merely grunting.
The next morning was a decidedly tense one.
Kagome's anger was almost palpable and she seemed to do every action with a trace of it.
To the Inuzuka, it seemed like a child throwing a temper tantrum. It was an annoyance but the Inuzuka didn't deign to show it. He merely kept to himself. He didn't think he had the energy to deal with Kagome so early in the morning, especially when he felt like he didn't gain an ounce of rest. Sleeping had been hard. His thoughts had been constantly circulating over his friends, his family and village, constantly worrying over weather something has happened yet, weather the Akatsuki have made their move.
It was grueling, but the Inuzuka reminded himself that his friends were very capable in their own right. He may be gone but Naruto was back and he was a powerhouse on his own, trained by Jiraiya himself. Not to mention, there were hundreds of other capable shinobi. Kakashi's generation for example.
Kiba had faith in his friends.
The Inuzuka sat against the base of a tree and legs crossed underneath him. He was in a light state of meditative trance. He wanted to check on the state of his Seals and chakra. It was something that he did every so often and was a habit by now but there were numerous advantages to meditation. It ranged from better chakra control to even increased reserves of spiritual energy and to even better mental focus.
Taking a deep breath, the Inuzuka assessed the state of his reserves. His chakra was lower than he would have liked but it seemed that even in a foreign world devoid of chakra, he was regaining it at its usual pace. It was relieving thought but then it was a strange one as well. Chakra wasn't gained through one's surroundings but it was an energy that was internally made but if anything, there was an abundance of foreign energy that reacted strangely to his own. Miroku's energy for instance, had briefly made contact with his own chakra and it had felt… felt like a calming sensation had washed over him, like the first time he had made a kill and Kurenai-sensei had soothed her team by using her own chakra to bring them out of their shock.
His chakra was rapidly replenishing, at least by his account. His seals were like pulsing reservoirs that received a steady stream of chakra with an iron control. It was an arduous process to do and it was a harder task to do it unconsciously. Separating chakra into spiritual and physical energy took an immense amount of concentration and the amount of time that it took Kiba to do it unconsciously while still retaining chakra for his own use was simply ridiculous. It seemed like it had taken an eternity of training but patience was a desirable trait in a shinobi.
There were small hands patting his cheeks and the Inuzuka fought not to smile but the urge was too strong. Slowly, the shinobi opened his eyes to see big brown eyes and a bright grin.
"Good morning Inuzuka-sama!" She said cheerfully, seemingly ignorant of the tension that permeated the camp.
"Rin," he greeted.
"Get away from that mongrel Rin!" Jaken all but screeched, stubby arms flailing.
Kiba raised an eyebrow. "And good morning to you too, Jaken."
Rin pouted, "Don't be mean Jaken!" The little girl stuck her tongue out childishly towards the imp, whom looked away, disgusted. "Inuzuka-sama saved Rin's life just like Sesshomaru-sama!"
Jaken gave a scoff, glaring at the Inuzuka and at Rin. "And you're giving it the same respect as Sesshomaru-sama? How ludicrous!" The imp protested. There was nothing as great as Sesshomaru in his mind, the greatest warrior that roamed the lands and the rightful ruler to the Western Lands.
The Inuzuka shook his head as he saw Rin about to reply. "It's fine Rin. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions." Kiba said wisely before offering a hand to the little girl to pull her up. "Come on, I think breakfast is ready."
Rin smiled widely before nodding eagerly and running off to Miroku who had dutifully prepared it.
Kiba smiled slightly as he gingerly stood. He frowned as he felt echoes of pain throughout his body. Seems like overdid it a bit, the Inuzuka sighed. He flexed his hands slightly and was relieved somewhat to find that the rigidity that it had held earlier was gone and the scent of blood was overpowered by the herbal scent of the ointment. At least it didn't start bleeding again.
Kiba made his way near the camp fire and he sat. Idly, he observed the happenings and interactions of the camp. Sango and Miroku were once again conversing softly with one another, Sango with an exasperated but fond look on her face and the monk with a bright smile. Shippo was with Kohaku. The Inuzuka hadn't had much of a chance to talk to either and he made a mental note to rectify the problem later. Kouga, surprisingly, was talking to Inuyasha. From what the Inuzuka had gathered, the two were often at each other's throats but it seemed like they were trying to at least act cordially with one another. Sesshomaru, ever the silent and regal presence, was staring out towards the woods with the smallest of frowns on his face.
There was the cry of a cat and the Inuzuka looked down to see the small form of the two-tailed cat, Kilala. The cat was staring back at him with big eyes and it gave a soft cry as she rubbed her head against his knee. The Inuzuka gave a fond smile as he tentatively rubbed a hand down her soft fur, laughing softly as the cat purred contentedly.
Contrary to what others thought, the Inuzuka Clan didn't widely hate cats.
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, never once raising his voice. He didn't need to. His being alone commanded attention and respect. "This Sesshomaru must go to the Western Palace. We're going." His tone was final and his eyes dared anyone to object to him.
To everyone's immense surprise and utter confusion, except Kiba it seemed, Inuyasha merely raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"What in the world…" Miroku muttered.
"I am… so confused right now." Shippo said, staring avidly at the two brothers.
Sango smiled but her attention was driven towards observing Kagome. The miko was angry. It was obvious to the Taijiya. Kagome wasn't good at hiding or controlling her emotions, though the latter was becoming more apparent. Why Kagome was experiencing such negative emotions was beyond Sango but she'd be sure to keep a close eye on the girl.
Kiba's hands tightened ever so slightly around Kilala as he sensed the wave of negative of emotions coming from the miko. It made him on edge but despite that he showed none of his concern and his face remained serene. Seriously? Kiba thought. I know she isn't angry about just me anymore. But what I'm guessing is that Kagome's always had a mean streak… it's just showing up more but I was what broke that dam.
"Let's get going." Inuyasha's voice called out. "It's going to take at least a week to get to the damn palace."
Kilala jumped onto the Inuzuka's shoulder, making Kiba look towards the cat questioningly but he dismissed the action. He didn't know all that much about demons. He'd have to watch their interactions and make sure he didn't accidently offend someone or something. Foreign land, foreign rules.
What a drag, he thought tiredly as he stifled a yawn.
Traveling was easy for the Inuzuka but the pace that they were going at was simply agonizing. Shinobi generally traveled to different countries (lands?) in the matter of days. It didn't help that Kagome was getting increasingly confrontational and her anger over breaking her Beads of Subjugation was still going strong.
She snapped at everyone, including Sesshomaru, which had been a major mistake.
"Hold your tongue you insolent woman!" Sesshomaru snarled, eyes bleeding red and his demonic energy causing others to back away in fright. "This Sesshomaru tires of your disrespect!" His claws were dripping with acid that ate away at the ground with rapidness that made others pale.
"Insolent!" Kagome gaped. She was a proud woman of the twenty first century! She wasn't going to back down and be some demure cow! In the back of her mind, a nagging voice was telling her that she was acting increasingly disrespectful and inconsiderate towards others. As what was habit by now, she ignored it.
Kilala growled ever so slightly, fur standing on edge and claws digging into the flesh of Kiba's shoulder. The Inuzuka ran a soothing hand down her pale golden fur. She was unsettled and the demonic energy in the air unsettled her further, especially one as potent as the daiyoukai's.
Kiba took in the reddened eyes and the weary expressions and decided, that shit was about to hit the fan unless there was an intervention.
Not for the first time, Sango scowled. "Calm down Kagome and apologize!" She didn't want their camp to be bathed in blood. She understood that Kagome was from a different time and that they held different practices and beliefs but Kagome was in a different land, a different time and she should at least make some effort to understand their ways to avoid unnecessary incidences like these.
"But ─" The miko protested, her face turning red but there was a feeling of fear crawling down her spine as she heard Sesshomaru growl ferociously. She groaned, angry. What is wrong with these people! They're so ugh─ She thought, seething. "I apologize, Sesshomaru." She ground out, not meaning any of it.
And Sesshomaru and every other being in the camp knew it.
"Kagome," Kouga sighed tiredly, keeping an eye on Sesshomaru's increasing aggravation. "Sesshomaru-sama is the ruler of the Western Lands. Show some respect." Kouga's voice was curt and his blue eyes were sharp. He didn't like the other much but he was coming to understand him a bit as time went on.
As always, Kagome turned towards Inuyasha and she wished that she had the beads again. "Inuyasha ─" She began.
"Save it Kagome." The other turned away from her. "I don't want to hear it."
Kiba's eyebrows were furrowed in thought as he took in Kouga's words. It made sense now. He understood why Rin referred to Sesshomaru with '-sama' and why everyone acted wearily around the other yet still gave him his respect. They feared the demon's great power but he was also a ruler. Like the Daimiyo? But he seems more like a Kage. Kiba inferred. The Western Palace must be his home.
"Huh." Kiba said softly as he resumed his walk. Idly he picked up Rin and placed her on his back as he noticed her energy wane. He picked up the tiny fox kit in his arms as he noticed him too tire and he gave Shippo a reassuring smile as the fox glanced towards him shyly. Turning towards Kohaku, he was satisfied to see that he was still going on strongly beside his sister.
"Let's go." Inuyasha ordered.
Their journey was resumed in tense silence. It made everyone uncomfortable and not for the first time, Kiba wished that he was with his teammates.
"Rin," Kiba said softly, smiling slightly as he felt Kilala rub her face against his cheek.
"Yes, Inuzuka-sama?" Her voice was muffled from her face being burrowed into his back.
"Do you want to hear a story? It might pass the time faster." He felt her nod against his back and Shippo shifted slightly in his arms, tiny hands gripping the strangely soft yet sturdy material of his clothing.
"Please?" She said politely.
Kiba gave a hum, glancing towards the sky and watched the birds fly high. Briefly, his mind strayed towards a certain Hyuuga. "I'll tell you a legend. It's about how my people got their powers." The Inuzuka felt her perk up, interested.
"Weren't you born with them, Inuzuka-sama?" Rin asked.
She's a smart cookie. "Yes… but, I'll explain." Kiba gathered his thoughts and after a moment, began his story. "Once, thousands of years ago, there was a goddess. Her name was Otsutsuki Kaguya. The Otsusuki Clan weren't from this land. They weren't even from Earth, in fact." He said, pointing towards the sky. "They were a Clan that traveled through dimensions, harvesting the fruit of the God Tree."
"The God Tree?" Shippo asked, eyes wide as he paid close attention.
Kiba nodded. "The Otsutsuki Clan would eat the fruits of the God Tree, which granted great power and had the ability to prolong their lives. When it died, they would travel through dimensions once again in search of another. In this instance, Kaguya found one in Earth. She had gained the power of chakra, had been the first to wield it. The humans had believed that her to be a benevolent deity, a goddess." Kiba explained softly.
Miroku listened avidly. It was interesting what the Inuzuka had to say.
"But her method of maintaining peace was by enslaving the humans in a dream world. In time, the peoples began to view her as an evil entity." he continued. "Eventually, Kaguya had two sons. Hagoromo and Hamura. Both had inherited Kaguya's ability to wield chakra. She was jealous, however." Kiba frowned, remembering the ancient and damn near indecipherable texts he had found. Traveling had its perks and when Kiba had an interest, he found all he could on the subject. "She hated that they had that power. She believed that the power should have been her own."
"But they were his sons." Kouga added suddenly, startling somewhat as he realized his comment. He hadn't intended to.
Kiba nodded. "They were. But she believed that that power was hers to hoard. In her anger and jealousy, she merged with the God Tree to try to take it back that power but in the process, she transformed into what was fabled as the Ten Tailed Beast, the Juubi. Her sons found out about her terrorizing the people and had confronted her about it. They wanted to stop her, to stop her rampage across the land. So what they did was fight against her with the Six Paths. How, I'm not too sure but it was said that this created the moon."
"The moon!" Rin gasped.
"The moon." Kiba nodded. "Humanity had revered Hagoromo for his role and he was known from then on as the Sage of Six Paths, the Rikudo Sennin. Hagoromo had traveled across the lands, giving chakra to everyone in the world."
"We're here." Inuyasha said, staring into a distance towards a magnificent, traditional castle. He didn't know what to feel knowing that he was stepping onto his father's ─ now Sesshomaru's ─ lands. He had never been welcomed before and he doubted that he would be now. He'd lived with his mother for a while, detested by humans, before she died. "Come on."
At least Kiba's story had distracted him from what was to come. Hatred from demons, for his half breed blood.
The shinobi took in his surroundings critically. He could hear other beings, and he could guess that there was a village of some sort. As the group traveled closer, Kiba could sense the congregation of hundreds of other signatures. What was baffling however was that the Inuzuka could not only sense the energy of that of demons, but half breeds and humans alike as well.
"Well," Kiba muttered to himself. "I didn't expect this."
The village was more advanced than what the Inuzuka would have expected but it was not quite like Konoha. There were a variety of peoples, many who bowed towards Sesshomaru with murmurs of 'Sesshomaru-sama'. There were also a variety of goods displayed, color was abundant, and the sheer differences of the people were amazing to the Inuzuka.
There were looks of amazement on the others as well, but Inuyasha was looking in surprise towards his brother. The presence of half-bloods and humans were clear to him but he'd never expected his brother to have them so close to the Western Palace. He'd never even entertained the thought of his brother tolerating any trace of human blood but here they were.
Inuyasha was unsure what as to what to feel.
They arrived to the guarded entrance to the palace without problem.
Kiba took note of the armored guards and their exotic looks and determined them to be Sesshomaru's soldiers, his subjects. He's definitely seems more like Kage material. He's strong and capable of battle and he has others willing to fight for him.
An elaborately armored soldier stepped up towards, bowing his head towards Sesshomaru as he did so before he straightened. "Sesshomaru-sama, we had been expecting your arrival for quite some time. There are rooms prepared for your guests." Sharp green eyes glanced their way, assessing. "The lords of the North, South and East will arrive by tomorrow morning."
Sesshomaru nodded. "Make sure that the preparations are complete, Haruka-taicho."
Haruka, a demon with long blonde hair and green eyes, bowed once again. "Yes, Seshhomaru-sama."
"Akane, lead them to their rooms." Sesshomaru ordered as he strode forward, never once looking back. An entourage of retainers and guards followed him a respectful distance away.
A woman came towards them, hands clasped neatly before her. She had a small, polite smile on her face which only amplified her beauty. She had pale blue hair held in a bun and she wore a uniform consisting of a simple kimono of Sesshomaru's house colors. "Please follow me. I'll lead you to your rooms."
"It's good to see you again, Akane-chan!" Rin said happily.
"It's good to see you as well, Rin." The maid replied softly but no less cheerful.
Kiba could feel eyes trained on his person but he disregarded them. Instead he made a mental note of the hallways, the exits and entrances and the like. He took note of the numerous guards strolling through the corridors and was somewhat relieved that at least, there was some semblance of security. Rin's in safe hands at least, he thought.
"This is your room, Inuzuka-san." Akane said, a pale hand gesturing to the room. "If you have any problems or questions simply find a maid and they will help you as best they can. Lunch will be ready in a few hours. In the meantime, you can wander the halls if you like but please respect Sesshomaru-sama's home and privacy."
Kiba stared at the door for a moment, nodding absently, before blinking and turning to the maid. He gave a small bow of gratitude and said, "Thank you for your assistance, Akane-san. I appreciate it." With that, he disappeared into his room.
Akane looked confusedly after the other. "Uh, yes, of course." No human had ever acted so cordially towards her, at least, not those that lived outside of Sesshomaru-sama's domain. "So that happened." She muttered before returning to her duties.
Meanwhile, Kiba took in the luxurious room before him. The bed was enormous and as he pushed a hand down the mattress, decidedly soft. There was a large nightstand and wardrobe that took up part of a wall. There was also a walk-in closet and as Kiba explored the room, a large and private bathroom attached, thankfully, with some semblance of a plumbing system. How they did it, Kiba didn't know or care.
The Inuzuka took one last glance in the room before sighing and preparing his normal routine. His hands went through a series of seals and he began to place his usual privacy seals. He unsealed his clothing, deciding to take a bath.
He needed to unwind for a bit.
The now familiar hollow feeling was returning with a dreaded vengeance and he needed to relax. He rubbed at his chest, wincing at the sharp pain although he knew that there was no injury for the strange sensation.
There was already a steaming bath waiting for him and with quick efficiency, the Inuzuka undressed and waded into the giant bath that seemed more like a small pool. He didn't even note the scalding temperature. A shudder wracked his body and the Inuzuka gritted his teeth as his more feral side, the Inuzuka in him, whined for comfort.
The unexplained hollowness of his being that couldn't even be soothed by his family and friends felt all-encompassing but the Inuzuka refused to be drowned in the feeling. It was a feeling that he's long become familiar with but it hadn't become no less painful with time.
Kiba remained at the edge of the bath, head pillowed in his arms and hands gripping tightly to his arms enough to cause bruises. His body shuddered and his breath came in short gasps and in the back of his mind, he realized somewhat dazedly that he was having a breakdown. His mind seemed to bombard him of images of his friends and family laughing and smiling, not one of them realizing that there was something dearly wrong with the Inuzuka. None of them knew Kiba well enough to see through his façade, all of them accepting his plastic smiles and flimsy excuses.
It hurt but the Inuzuka felt like he brought it upon himself.
As long as my friends and family are safe, he decided. If they are safe, I'll do anything to protect them.
With iron control, he forced his breathing to steady and he cleared his mind. His eyes took in the trembling of his hands and he clenched and unclenched his hands, as if that would help. With mechanical motions, he washed his body and hair with soap while in his mind, he repeated names and recited practical text and chakra theories.
Chakra is the molding of spiritual and physical energy. Chakra can be increased through a number of exercises such as meditation. Ninjutsu was derived from the Sennin's Ninshu, a weaponized form. There more than 300 tenketsu in the body, all constantly regulating chakra… his mind went in a daze until suddenly, Kiba found his mind clear and his hands steady.
He took in a sigh, thankful that no one had seen him in his breakdown.
The Inuzuka dressed himself in something that would allow him to blend in somewhat. He wore standard black ANBU regulation pants, his long sleeved under armor mesh shirt, and over it a short, sleeveless dark blue kimono shirt. To finish, he wore a black haori with metallic silver lining and he slipped his feet into knee high shinobi sandals that had a slight heel to them that allowed for senbon to be hidden. Kiba hid various weapons about his body, as always, and strapped his twin katana to his back within easy reach.
A deep breath and with his chakra thrumming comfortingly under his skin, Kiba left the room.
It seemed that in his episode, a long time had passed. Thankfully, the Inuzuka hadn't missed lunch. He was just in time for it in fact. The Inuzuka made his way silently through the halls, taking in the variety of faces and inwardly marveling at the distinctive characteristics that demon blood allowed.
The demons that the Inuzuka was now observing were in a different class than what he had fought against earlier. It made him remember the comment that Sesshomaru had made. He'd called them low class filth, Kiba recalled. Does this mean that these demons are higher class demons? They must be… They show higher intelligence, have better control over their selves and baser instincts. And their power that I can sense from a few of them… It's way above those I fought against earlier.
There were demons roaming the halls and more than one threw the Inuzuka curious glances.
The Inuzuka's attention however, was on the shouting that he could hear just down the hall. Kiba hurried his steps and walked with purpose and a frown formed on his face. The shouting rose to higher levels and the Inuzuka arrived to what appeared to be a lounge.
Kiba could see Kagome and already he could see, sense and smell her anger. Sango was glaring at the woman, surprisingly. Inuyasha was by Sango's side and Kouga was crouched near him next to a writhing form on the floor.
There were others gathered, more than one giving the miko weary looks.
"I'm telling you Inuyasha he deserved it!" Kagome hissed, her spiritual energy rising and snapping outwardly.
It caused many to recoil and raise their own energy accordingly. The air was riddled with tension and the energy, spiritual and demonic alike, caused an unbearable stifling sensation that caused many to be on edge and place ready hands on those who held weapons.
"Kagome, just because he's a demon doesn't mean you have the right to injure him!" Sango protested, a hand raised to her temple to soothe the mounting headache. "He wasn't threatening you! His actions were simply foreign to you!"
"Well it sure as hell looked like it!" Kagome snapped, stomping her feet childishly. "It's not my fault that he's so weak ─"
There was angry hissing and many eyes flashed with rage.
"What the is going on here?" Kiba said softly, sharp eyes on the pained look of what looked like a demon. There was the smell of burnt flesh and blood, reminding the Inuzuka of his earlier wound. The demon was gritting his teeth, sweat glistening on his pale skin and a bloodied hand clutching at his chest.
Kagome rounded towards the shinobi with rage in her eyes. "Stay out of this!"
"Enough." The Inuzuka growled, eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed. His chakra soared across his skin in an aura of white that was fueled by anger, frustration, and lingering pain. The Inuzuka didn't want any more problems. He already had enough. He didn't need Kagome raising hostilities in a castle occupied by beings that were more than capable of killing them, that could become their enemies in a matter of minutes.
Kouga looked at the other in surprise, eyes wide as he took in the flare of energy and the surprisingly mesmerizing feeling of it. It felt like a cooling balm over his soul, like he could finally lose the tension he's carried since the loss of his people. From the wide eyes of others in the room, the wolf was sure that he wasn't the only one that felt that way.
"I don't know why it is that you're so damn angry but you need to fucking fix your attitude." Kiba growled, eyes nearly glowing with his chakra. "You are a guest here! The least you could do is show a little respect."
Sango shook her head, lifting a hand to wrap tight around Kagome's shoulder. "Come on, Kagome. Let's go, the last thing we want is for ─"
"And what," A soft yet undeniably deadly voice cut through the air, "is going on in this Sesshomaru's home?" Sesshomaru's eyes didn't miss a single detail. He took in his writhing and gasping subject on the floor, the taijiya's arm around the miko, the air charged with energy, and the look of anger on the miko's face. He paused ever so slightly on the Inuzuka, taking in the peculiar white energy.
Kiba sighed, eyes narrowing towards Kagome before deciding that he had a higher priority towards the unfortunate demon on the floor. He crouched down next to the demon, idly noting the blood red hair and sharp yet pained pale blue eyes trained on his person. Let the others deal with Kagome. God, I've only known her for a while and I'm already sick of her. She's just so damn frustrating! Every attempt I've made to at least be cordial with her ended with her sticking her attitude at me. She's nothing like Hinata at all.
"Explain yourself, woman." Sesshomaru ordered, his eyes boring into the miko before him. How dare she? How dare she touch one of his subjects? How dare she act in such an unbefitting manner in his home? Over the days that he'd traveled with his brother and his pack it had taken all of Sesshomaru's self-restraint to not rip the woman's throat out but he had decided that she wasn't even worth the effort.
"I don't have to explain anything ─" She started but she let out a yelp as Sango's grip tightened around her arm.
"Kagome, please." Sango hissed, seeing the looks of anger thrown their way but most of all, Sesshomaru's narrowed eyes. You've already angered him before! Don't push your luck again Kagome! Not for the first time, Sango found herself relieved that the children weren't here to witness this. What would Shippo think? "Sesshomaru-sama deserves an explanation. You injured one of his subjects!"
"Fine!" Kagome yelled, hands on her hips and her face defiant. She didn't know why the others were treating her like she was the villain. Couldn't they see? Couldn't they sense the foul energy of those damned demons? She couldn't stand them and her tolerance for then was running short. She couldn't even look at Shippo anymore. That's how disgusted she was. "I don't like him! I hate what he is."
Sango gasped. "Kagome! I thought you were better than that ─"
"Better than what?!" The miko snapped, eyes a stormy blue. "I'm a miko, Sango. I don't have any love for demons. They're evil." She said bluntly, as if that explained everything
Kouga closed his eyes for a moment and he wondered just what it was that had drove him to think that he had even liked the woman in the first place. Why hadn't he noticed the hate in her eyes?
Inuyasha felt like his heart had been ripped open. Again. It was like reliving the moment that Kikyo had driven an arrow through him. He remembered the pain and once again, he regretted. Had he been lied to? He didn't love Kagome the way he had for Kikyo but that didn't mean that he didn't care. Had Kagome held ideas of trying to change him just like her counterpart? He didn't know what he'd do if that was true.
He wanted it to be a dream.
"You know," Kiba said, looking away from the demon to stare at Kagome, "I thought that someone like you would at least have been smarter than to be ignorant enough to think that someone is evil for being what they are. It's because of people like you that's there so much hate, why there's so much prejudice."
"Me? Ignorant?!" Kagome said, disbelievingly.
A slow smirk formed with a flash of fang. "Why are you so surprised? Do you think your above such things just because of where you're from?" Just because you're from the future?
Kagome gaped, not knowing what to say before huffing and giving a groan laden with frustration. She turned, wrenching herself form Sango's grip, and disappearing down the hall with loud steps.
Kiba watched her walk away for a moment before turning back to the demon. "Mendokusai," he muttered. With gentle hands, he peeled away the hands pressing down on the wound. The demon gave a whine and Kina hurried to reassure him. It looked like there was more blood than what Kiba guessed there actually was. "Easy. I don't know what the fuck Kagome did but damn, she really needs to get a fucking grip." He muttered to himself, anger growing as he saw the extent of the damage.
Sesshomaru came next to his subject, nearly snarling as he sensed the miko's spiritual energy roiling within that of his subject's. The energy was flowing through like a corrosive poison from the inside. He could try to overpower it with his own but the energy would more than likely be more than what his subject could handle and likely die of shock.
The demon on the ground gave a choked gasp as he fought to not arch off the floor. It felt like he was burning from the inside and no matter what he tried, he couldn't stop it. It felt humiliating to have been brought down to such a level by a human woman, especially by one so weak, but he had been caught by surprise. He had been struck in his back. That, and it wasn't that long ago that he had returned from battle against the uncontrolled and wild demons from Naraku that roamed the lands, wreaking havoc in their wake.
"We need a healer." Kouga muttered as he helped to keep the demon from injuring himself by holding him down. He's a fire phoenix, he noted with faint surprise. It wasn't every day that he met one.
"Where is the healer?" Sesshomaru asked, incredibly displeased. It wouldn't do for Nobuyuki die. His subject was a vassal sent from the Lord of the North in good will and in honor of the budding peace treaty. To have him die could be seen as a sign of disrespect and could very well unravel all of Sesshomaru's hard work. As if it wasn't bad enough that Naraku was roaming the lands, plotting his next move.
"There's no time." Inuyasha noted.
Kiba took a deep breath, closing his eyes and sensing how much chakra he had left. He could feel the familiar feeling of his chakra, abundant and thrumming beneath his skin wildly. He concentrated hard and with all the control he could muster, carefully guided the chakra into his hands. He opened his eyes and gently placed his hands over the wound. "What's your name?" He asked absently, eyes trained on his hands as they began to flicker with green chakra.
"N-Nobuyuki." The demon gasped out, surprise over flickering on his face as he felt the peculiar energy of the being before him.
Kiba gave an encouraging smile. "Right. My name is Inuzuka Kiba," he introduced as he pushed his chakra to become more potent, to be faster, "and you, Nobuyuki-san, are not going to die here. Especially like this." Inwardly, he gave a cry of victory as his hands flickered a solid green. Thank god for Tsunade-sama's training.
Kouga gave a gasp of surprise as he saw the wound heal right before his eyes. The extensive burn healed, turning dark and burnt flesh into a healthy pink, ever so slowly but surely. "But the energy ─" Kouga interrupted.
"Right." Kiba muttered. "Getting rid of that foreign energy is more important than the wound." The Inuzuka concentrated, his heart pounding and a sheen of sweat building as he guided his chakra. Medical ninjutsu always took a lot of him. He could heal but certainly not to the degree of Tsunade-sama, or Sakura, or even Hinata. His chakra found Kagome's spiritual energy and he began to try to overwhelm it with his own. He did so carefully, unwilling to cause Nobuyuki more pain. It took effort, mostly from trying to avoid causing pain, but eventually and after what seemed like an eternity his, his chakra encompassed Kagome's. The Inuzuka's potent chakra proved to be too much for the spiritual energy as not only did it contain spiritual energy laden with the Inuzuka's strong will but also his physical energy.
Opening his eyes, the Inuzuka removed his hands slowly as he reigned in his chakra. He was breathing heavily and his hands shook slightly but a the Inuzuka couldn't help but smile tiredly as he saw that not only did he remove the foreign and corrosive spiritual energy from Kagome ─ of course, energy form a miko would harm a demon, ─ but the wound was nonexistent. All that was left was pink and unblemished skin.
"God," Kiba groaned as he leaned his weight on his hands, "that took a lot less effort than I thought. Still troublesome, though." He sighed.
"You healed him." Inuyasha said, eyebrows raised in surprise and disbelief. He's heard of humans with healing abilities but not like this. Demons had accelerated healing, of course, but when dealing with holy spiritual energy that was a whole different matter altogether.
Sesshomaru watched as Nobuyuki slowly sat up, wincing slightly but otherwise uninjured.
The red-haired demon looked disbelievingly at his unblemished skin and then towards his savior. He didn't know what to do but there was one thing he was sure of. "Inuzuka-sama," he said quietly yet his tone was strong.
Kiba looked at him, a questioning look on his face. "Hm?"
"Thank you." Nobuyuki said seriously. "If there is anything I could do to repay you, then please, name your price."
Kiba blinked slowly, uncomprehending but then he sighed. "This again?" He ran a hand through his hair, tired and wanting nothing more than to get some sleep. He had a feeling he was going to miss lunch and dinner. And wasn't that a sad thought? "I'll tell you what I told Sesshomaru-sama, Nobuyuki-san, there's no need to repay me. I did it because I wanted to and because it was right and because I could. Nothing more and nothing less." He said.
His honesty surprised some occupants of the room. They could sense nor smell no lie.
The shinobi rose to his feet, somewhat unnerved at the attention he was garnering. This is pretty much the opposite of what a shinobi is supposed to be but then again look at Naruto. Hell Team 7 is a bad luck and attention-grabbing magnet. "If that's all gentlemen, I think I'm going to go back to my room."
Kiba swallowed past the dryness of his throat, wondering why the hell he felt like shit. Medical ninjutsu couldn't take that much out of him, could it? This has never happened before but then again, he's never had a mental breakdown happening before the fact.
"Are you okay, Inuzuka-san?"
There was a hand curling around his elbow and the Inuzuka looked up to see blue eyes staring back at him.
Nobuyuki could already feel his strength returning and he marveled at how great he felt. It felt like he'd bathed in the healing springs of the Western Palace but a hundred times more potent, more rejuvenating. As he stared at the haggard appearance of the being before him, took in the sluggish energy flow of his savior, a well of concern sprung deep in him. It was then that he vowed his services to the Inuzuka, vowed to protect the other in any manner that he could, despite that it was obvious that the Inuzuka was a warrior himself.
Nobuyuki had almost died. It was a daunting thought but what was more horrifying was the fact that he would have left his mate, alone and in despair in his death.
He wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Nor would he be the last. The other occupants of the room had found themselves moved by the spectacle and awed by the care that the Inuzuka had showed. Their respect for the human increased, though the same couldn't be said for Kagome.
"Uh," The shinobi replied ever so eloquently, "yeah, I just need to get some rest. I haven't been feeling that well lately and I think I overdid it by doing this." Kiba rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But I don't regret it though."
"Idiot." Inuyasha muttered as his mind flashed to the day at the lake edge.
"I'll escort you to your room, Inuzuka-sama." Nobuyuki said, determined to help the other as his respect grew as at the other's reply. Most beings wouldn't push themselves in such a manner for others, especially humans. They were a race full of greed, after all.
Kiba nodded, too tired to protest. "Thanks." He replied softly before he began to make his way to his room with Nobuyuki right beside him, steadying him with a grounding hand on his shoulder.
"That was…" Kouga trailed off, hands running down his face as he stared after the Inuzuka.
"Yeah." Inuyasha agreed before he began to drag the other with him. "C'mon, let's go to the training grounds. I need to let out some steam." Inuyasha grunted.
Kouga didn't protest, nodding along with the other. "You and me both."
Sesshomaru glanced towards the blood staining the floor, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. "Clean this up." The demon lord ordered before he began to make his way to his office. He was angry towards the miko, relieved that his subject hadn't died, and he felt gratefulness for the Inuzuka. Despite this, the lord remained as calm and refined as ever. Contrary to popular thought, the great Daiyoukai was capable of emotion. He just had great control over them and didn't show them all that often.
Meanwhile, Kiba found himself being laid on his bed. He could only remember being led down to his rooms by Nobuyuki. He was tired and all the shinobi wanted was to sleep.
So he did.
Review? Lots of hate for Kagome but oh well. Too late now. This chapter was slow going and a bit hard to write so im unsure of it.
Almost 16,000. Yay.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.
