Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, this story and created characters are mine.
Italic- Thought of a character/Flashback (one word is emphasis)
Chapter 9: The Next Plan
"Kanna, what does Naraku want?"
"It is time to meet our new sister," Kanna whispered, refusing to look at Kagura.
"What does he need another incarnation for? He just created Hakudoshi," Kagura remarked annoyingly, showing her disgust for anything that involved Naraku.
"He has a new plan. One that will destroy InuYasha, since your ideas have failed," Kanna whispered, keeping her emotions to herself.
"All I did was obey his orders," Kagura shouted angrily to her younger sister, "Any failure I committed was because of him."
Kanna remained quiet as the wind took them to Naraku's latest refuge.
Upon reaching the castle, the two makeshift sisters began the long walk to the throne room. Kanna walked slowly through the empty hallways of the palace. Kagura, uneager to see her creator, trailed behind the void. Her mind, anticipating the encounter with Naraku, began to fill with thoughts of how she could escape, to be free from him. Sesshomaru could kill him. He was strong enough. How am I going to get him to destroy Naraku? Her brainstorming continued until they reached the throne room.
"We are here Naraku," Kanna introduced the two sisters. Naraku, free of his signature monkey disguise, smiled at the arrival of his first children. He sneered at the eldest.
"Come Kagura," Naraku extended his eye infected hand, encouraging her to approach him. Knowing her insolence would cost her, she submitted. Collapsing her fan, she walked cautiously towards her master. A jar, much like the one Kagura and Kanna were created in, stood in the shadows next to the full demon. Her eyes shifted between the jar and Naraku, anticipating any and all sudden movements.
Suddenly, a blob of unrefined flesh lashed out from the incarnation jar. Kagura leapt, narrowly escaping her attacker. The flesh smacked the ground hard where Kagura once stood. It crawled frantically, searching for its target. Kagura watched as the blob scampered in circles. As she descended, the flesh retreated into the jar.
"What the hell was that? Are you trying to kill me?" Kagura shouted angrily before collapsing to the floor, hard.
"Kagura, did I tell you to move away from me?" Naraku stated calmly, now grasping the heart of Kagura in his hand. Kagura, in response to the pain, clenched her chest. Gasping for breath, she stared at her master, her so-called father, with eyes of hate. She longed to be free, to escape from his captivity. Until Naraku was dead, she would have to continue and suffer as she has from the start.
The blob lashed again towards Kagura, now pinned to the ground. Her eyes widened, fearing for the worst. The deformed blob sat upon her head, covering her black hair. Kagura shut her eyes, afraid of death. All she felt as a tiny prick which spread through her scalp. The flesh left her head and returned once again to the jar it occupied. Kagura opened her eyes at the sound of pottery crashing against the wooden floor. She saw the contents of the jar spill over the floor. Lobs of flesh and water seeped over the wooden floor, spreading slowly. As time passed, the liquid-gel substance came together, forming into one solid being, becoming more detailed. As the flesh finished its metamorphosis, Kagura gasped. Standing before her was a figure of herself.
"Thank you Kagura. I needed a test subject before I could give a mind to this new creature." Naraku grinned at the specimen, ignoring the scornful look of Kagura. Rage grew inside her, yearning an urge to attack. The sight of her heart resting in Naraku's controlling hands reminded her of instant death and hindered that desire. She sat, loathing him as she watched him plant more of his flesh into the creature. He smiled as life filled the eyes of Kagura's clone.
"You are my creation," he told the newly formed shape shifter, "you will obey my commands, or else you will return to my body."
Kagura heard the conversation. She cocked her head to get a better look. The shape shifter's eyes grew wide, as if to understand his threat. Its mind must be active, she thought with a smile, now it will be in the same boat as I.
"Kohaku," Naraku ordered with a hiss, "Come here, we need to add your hair to the creature." The dead boy obediently walked to his master. He plucked a hair from the boy's head and handed it to his newest concoction. Laying the black strain gently across its palm, the creature absorbed the boy's hair. Instantly, the form of Kagura faded and Kohaku appeared in her place.
A demon that can change its shape? Kagura thought, still on the ground. She examined the creature, checking for any fault in the disguise. None, no detail was wavered, missed; every hair was in its proper place. This creature could make any exact copy of someone as long as it had a hair.
"I finally created a child worthy of me, after so many failures," Naraku grinned slyly as he stared at his prized creature. Extending a hand, the puppet master gave the creature a half hook of steel, a copy of its host. Kagura gritted her teeth in anger, One day, I will kill you and be free.
"But can it imitate the host?" Kagura, who had scrambled to her feet questioned.
"We will see," Naraku smiled at Kagura, "Kohaku, take your double and head into the forest. Find InuYasha and his friends. Collect the hairs of all of them. Kagura, come and report to me when the task has been done," the half-demon commanded to his minions.
"Yes master," Kohaku replied, bowing, as his twin remained silent, neither willing or disgusted by Naraku's demands. The two left, each with a Kusari-gama in their hand. Kagura, silently growling at her situation, followed the two boys.
"Kanna, go and stay with the infant. Protect him." Kanna nodded and slowly left the throne room.
Finally alone, Naraku stared into the darkness, focused on one goal.
"It is time for your downfall InuYasha."