The Rise of a Protector

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

Wracked with guilt over Goku's death and blessed with a new power from the god of dragons, read as Gohan struggles with life, love, puberty, fulfilling his destiny, and above all, protecting the people he loves and his world. Please read each chapter until the very end and check for authors notes. Gohan x Kagome, OC x Erasa.

20. The Final Act: Part I

Night time in an abandoned temple.

Kanna was in the middle of reciting of poem "As I pass through the lengthy struggle of life in this fleeting world, I cannot help but long for the midnight moon I once saw."

"Do not let him escape, Kagura." Naraku warned venomously

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura watched their prisoner: Goryomaru, apparently slain by Hakudoshi. Now a prisoner to Naraku.

Several demons attempted to devour him, but Goryomaru used his demonic arm to destroy them, as their remains were devoured by the arm.

Kagura watched this 'He's consuming them. Hey, Goryomaru. What exactly are you? And why has Naraku imprisoned you in here?"

"If you truly wish to know the answer to your questions, then release him." Said a voice

Kagura looked back to see Hakudoshi standing behind her "Hakudoshi."

Hakudoshi smirked "You're too afraid of Naraku to follow through."

Kagura scoffed "I suppose you have no fear of betraying Naraku."

"Enough of this." Said Goryomaru "The time has come for you to make a choice, Kagura. Will you die as a slave to Naraku, or will you escape with me and have your freedom?"

Kagura's eyes narrowed "Freedom?"

Hakudoshi nodded "If you truly desire liberation from Naraku, then you must destroy him."

Kagura looked at Hakudoshi skeptically, recalling the events leading to the creation of Hakudoshi.

Hakudoshi chuckled "I assure you. When the times, I will return your heart to you before I obliterate Naraku."

Kagura raised an eyebrow "And what do you expect me to do once Goryomaru's been released?"

Hakudoshi frowned seriously "We still lack the necessary power to overcome him. And there's only one way to attain it."

Kagura's eyes narrowed in understanding "Now I see. We need jewel shards."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things had been uneventful since Naraku's last attempt at claiming the final jewel shard from Gohan, Kagome and the others.

Gohan, Kagome and Trunks had gone back to the modern era for a bit of a breather.

At the request of a certain someone, Shippo transformed into Miroku "Close enough for you, Miroku?"

Miroku nodded in astonishment "Fantastic. You look like me from every angle. Now, you've just gotta hang around Sango in that form, alright?"

"Seriously?" asked Shippo "You mean the whole time Inuyasha and Koga are over with Gohan, Kagome and Trunks?"

Miroku nodded "I'm going to spread my wings for a bit."

He didn't make it far before Sango found him, with Shippo quickly ratting him out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gohan, Trunks and Kai were with Eri, Ayumi and Yuka waiting for Kagome to finish a makeup test.

Thanks to Gohan's help, Kagome barely got a C on her makeup quiz.

They found Inuyasha, Trunks and Koga by the well, waiting for them.

"Hey guys, you want me to take these school and entrance exam things for you?" asked Inuyasha, under the assumption that they were demons "Just show me where to find them."

Gohan sighed "Look Inuyasha, this isn't something you can take care of."

Inuyasha scoffed "Yeah, right. You're saying I can't take a couple of demons with stupid names like that. That's like saying I can't take a weakling like Jaken."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jaken sneezed, nearly dropping the crystallized demonic aura.

"Master Jaken, are you sick?" Asked Rin

Jaken shook his head "No, but I have the overwhelming sensation that someone is talking about me."

"Jaken." Sesshomaru called back from ahead of them "Have their been any changes in the crystal?"

Jaken shook his head "Not at all. I can still sense a demonic aura." He then went into a long-winded ramble about how to find the Fuyoheki, not noticing Sesshomaru and Rin leave without him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gohan and the others arrived back in the feudal era, and ran to catch up with Miroku and the others.

But they had a little accident along the way, when Kagome's books fell out of her bag.

That was when several Saimyosho appeared, along with Hakudoshi "What a nice surprise. You dropped out of sight for so long, I was beginning to worry about you."

Gohan glared as he drew the Ryuuga "Hakudoshi."

The Saimyosho then took the opportunity to steal the Shikon jewel shard from Kagome, and brought it to Hakudoshi, who smirked "Now that I have the jewel shard, I no longer have any business with you. Farewell." And he flew off.

They wasted no time in chasing after him, using Kagome's ability to sense the jewel shards.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A village was under attack by a large demon, which was being controlled by a smaller demon that latched onto the larger demon and used it as a host.

The larger demon was quickly dispatched by Kohaku, who was ordered by Naraku to hunt strong demons.

The head of the larger demon, with the parasite still attached, flew away into the forest, with Kohaku following after it.

He was caught by the demon in a surprise attack, injuring his arm, before killing it, as the parasite got away.

A group of villagers looked after him and healed his injury.

But then the younger one was possessed by the parasite demon.

Kohaku, remembering how he was forced to slay his own father while under Naraku's control, went after the boy to free him.

Before long, the parasite took off, before it was killed by Kagura, who emerged from behind a tree "I've learned the location of Naraku's heart. However Kohaku, you stand no chance against it. Because you will die here!" And she opened her fan to attack.

Kohaku was forced to evade Kagura's attacks, as she went after the shard in his back, cornering him on a cliff "There's nowhere to run. Are you prepared to die?"

"I've been prepared to die for a long time now." Kohaku stated firmly "And I have no intention of dying here. If you need a shard so badly, you can take me there and present me as an offering. Then, at least I can plunge my blade into Naraku's heart. Even if it costs me my life. Isn't that the reason you gave me this crystal in the first place Kagura? I may have been under Naraku's control at the time, but it was still me who killed my father and comrades."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That way!" Said Kagome "Don't worry. I can tell Hakudoshi isn't far off." Then she paused.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Asked Koga

"I just sensed another Shikon jewel shard." Explained Kagome

"Is it Kohaku?" Asked Sango

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I committed many evil acts under Naraku's control." Kohaku stated, grief evident in his voice "I killed my family and caused my only sister great injury and overwhelming grief. However, I kept myself alive the entire time."

"All for the sake of revenge." Kagura finished

Kohaku nodded "It's my duty. And I must fulfill it before I die. It's the only way I can make up for what I did to my father and comrades."

Unknown to them, Naraku was watching through Kanna's mirror

"It's useless Kohaku." Kagura retorted "Can't you see? It doesn't matter how determined you are. Your blade will never be enough to overcome Naraku, the infant, or Hakudoshi. In the end, you're doomed to lose your shard and your life. As for me, my loyalty now lies with the infant rather than Naraku. There's no such thing as true freedom."

"Please Kagura!" Kohaku pleaded "You must take me to his heart! If you don't, I'll go alone!"

Without a word, Kagura used her wind to destroy Kohaku's demonic crystal "There. Now you've lost the means to find Naraku's heart."

"Kagura… Why?" Kohaku asked slowly

"Shut up and go!" Kagura snapped "Run away before you lose your shard and your life, you fool!"

"Such an untrustworthy woman." A voice mocked as Hakudoshi appeared behind them in his barrier "You intend to betray Naraku, and then betray us too?"

"Run Kohaku!" Kagura shouted as she attacked Hakudoshi and sent Kohaku away on one of her feathers.

Hakudoshi used his barrier to send Kagura's attack back at her, which would've killed her, if Inuyasha hadn't destroyed the attack with a Wind Scar "What the hell is going on? I thought you and Hakudoshi were on the same side!"

Kagura snorted "What makes you think it's any of your business?"

"Sango, go after Kohaku." Said Miroku

Sango nodded and took off after Kohaku.

Inuyasha immediately attacked Hakudoshi with the Adamant Barrage, but he disappeared.

"Shouldn't you be a bit more careful, Inuyasha?"

Gohan appeared next to her "Shut it. Don't forget, you're still Naraku's spawn. Try anything funny and I'll sick Koga on you. Listen up Kagura. I want you to tell us everything you know. You might as well while you have the chance. Hakudoshi isn't going anywhere until you're dead."

Kagura nodded "True. He doesn't want me to reveal the location of Naraku's heart."

At that moment, Inuyasha was forced to defend himself from an attack by Goryomaru as he appeared on the battlefield.

Goryomaru then transformed. Into Moryomaru "I have come to get the Shikon jewel shard."

Hakudoshi gave Moryomaru the jewel shard he stole from Kagome "Use this. I'll take care of these. You need to go and find that other shard."

Moryomaru nodded and flew off, after spitting out a cloud of miasma.

"Inuyasha, I'm leaving this up to you!" Said Gohan "I'm going after Moryomaru!" And he sped off, leaving no room for argument.

Hakudoshi appeared behind them and picked up Kagura, taking her into the air "Traitor. Did you really think I would let you escape? Go on, Inuyasha. What are you waiting for? Is it Kagura? I'm surprised, Kagura. I didn't think I could use you as a shield."

Kagura almost immediately used her wind power to split Hakudoshi in half "We don't have much time, so listen up! Naraku's heart, the infant, is inside Moryomaru! Hakudoshi and the infant intend to empower Moryomaru and have him overthrow Naraku!"

Hakudoshi smirked "Impressive deduction, Kagura. It was a grave mistake for Naraku to release his heart that day. He entrusted the Fuyoheki to the infant to keep his heart safe, knowing it would conceal its demonic aura. That gave the infant an idea. To create a durable armor to protect himself. And that armor is Moryomaru, who swallowed the dead Goryomaru. It was at that point that we realized. Naraku, without his heart, is but an empty shell. The infant and I are the real thing. And one day soon, we'll overthrow him."

Kagura scoffed "Naraku has been aware of your plot from the very beginning, fool."

Hakudoshi didn't lose his smirk "No doubt. But if I were you, I'd be more concerned about my own fate right now. After all, we'll both be traitors, but it is your heart that Naraku holds. It's hopeless for you. No matter what, you'll never be free.."

"Shut up!" Kagura snapped as she attacked him again, but that didn't shut him up "You can rip my body to pieces, I still won't die. Nobody can kill me. Not even Naraku himself.'

That was when the barrier dissolved, allowing Kagura to escape.

Inuyasha took the opportunity to attack Hakudoshi with the Wind Scar, leaving only his head, unprotected as the Saimyosho with him fled.

"Well well, isn't this interesting." Kagura taunted "It looks like Naraku's given up on you."

"Silence! I cannot be killed!" Hakudoshi snarled as he unleashed a cloud of miasma, which Kagome purified.

The head of Hakudoshi charged at Kagura "I'm not like you Kagura! I cannot be used up and thrown away like that! I am…" He found himself being sucked up by Miroku's wind tunnel "His essence!" And he was completely sucked in, leaving nothing behind.

"I have a very bad feeling." Said Miroku

Trunks nodded "It's as if Naraku planned for this to happen."

Koga nodded "He probably did. It makes sense. Naraku decided to let us take care of Hakudoshi for him."

Kagome walked over to Kagura "So, now what will you do? You could come with us if you wanted."

Kagura shook her head "No thanks. I can't go with you, or with anyone. Anyway, you don't have time to waist. It won't be long before Moryomaru finds Kohaku. I doubt Son Gohan and the demon slayer can defeat him on their own."

Inuyasha stopped her "Listen Kagura. I'm gonna make sure that we get your heart back from Naraku. So just hang in there. Alright?"

Kagura chuckled "Who do you think you're kidding?" And she took off on her feather.

"Just promise me you won't die before it happens!" Inuyasha called out "You got that?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kohaku was hiding from Sango and Moryomaru 'Sister, please just keep going. Gohan, get her out of here.' He quickly found himself captured by Moryomaru "I can see what's in your heart. Haunted by the memories of killing your own family. You seek atonement by giving your own life. How very noble. And you shall die for the sake of your sister, for that woman will never forget how her brother killed her brother in cold blood. As long as you live, both of you will continue to suffer this torment."

Gohan used the tiger claw form of Ryuuga to stop Moryomaru from taking Kohaku's shard, allowing Kohaku to escape "Gohan, sister, stay away!"

Sango's eyes widened "Kohaku! So you do remember…"

Gohan used his tiger claws to launch spears of titanium "You're the one fighting a losing battle Moryomaru. Or should I say Naraku's heart. Yeah, I know everything. The Ryu scales in Koga's arms and legs connect us, allowing me to hear his thoughts. I heard Kagura tell him that inside you is Naraku's heart. Now that I know your identity, I'll never let you get away. Prepare to die! Platinum Cannon!" And out of his claws shot several spears of platinum, but Moryomaru dodged and flew away.

Sango went up to her brother "Kohaku! You recognize me don't you? Tell me that you do! Tell me!"

Kohaku slowly nodded "I remember. Everything. From that day. And for that reason, I can't stay with you, sister. Gohan, I'm grateful that you kept my secret for so long."

Gohan nodded "I knew from the look in your eyes that there was no stopping you."

Sango turned to Gohan, her eyes filled with confused rage "You knew about this?!"

"I tried to talk him out of it, but the kid's way too stubborn. Besides, Kohaku, what exactly will that accomplish? Are you just gonna go get yourself killed?"

"Maybe…" Kohaku choked out

Gohan sighed and put a hand on his shoulder "It hurts too much to be together. Being with Sango reminds you of what you did. She still loves you. For her, no one in the world could replace you. No matter what, Kohaku, you're always gonna be her little brother."

Kohaku looked at Sango, tears filling his eyes "I'm so sorry."

They quickly embraced each other, tears streaming down both their faces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kikyo noticed her power was weakening, as a weak monk was able to pass through her sacred barrier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning came.

Kagura flew across the sky, remembering what Inuyasha had said 'I'll run for my life. I'll go as far as I have to.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gohan and the others brought Sango and Kohaku to the village of the demon slayers.

Sango showed Kohaku the graves of the fallen "This one here is father's grave. The others are buried beside him. So you see? They're resting in peace Kohaku."

Kohaku was trembling in grief "But I… Can't forgive myself…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Myoga, is this the location of the anomaly you spoke of?" Asked Miroku

Myoga nodded.

Sensing something off, Myoga brought Gohan and the others to Midoriko's cave.

"That hole in her chest. Is it supposed to be doing that?" Asked Myoga when he saw the hole in the chest of the statue of Midoriko glowing.

They saw something inside the hole, what appeared to be a chrysalis.

A barrier was preventing them from getting close to it.

Inuyasha smelled something, but decided not to say anything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So Inuyasha stayed behind?" Asked Sango

Gohan nodded "I got the feeling he wanted to be alone for awhile. Still though, the barrier didn't feel evil."

Trunks nodded "Truth be told, it fell pure to me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha sat alone in the cave.

Then he saw a soul collector emerge from the chrysalis in the hole.

Inuyasha wasted no time chasing after it 'So it was Kikyo after all.'

He soon found Kikyo standing in front of a waterfall "Kikyo!"

"Inuyasha. I take it you followed the soul collector?" Asked Kikyo

Inuyasha nodded "Kikyo, what do you intend to do with Midoriko's soul?"

Kikyo removed part of her robe, revealing a deep wound on her shoulder "This is what Naraku inflicted upon me at mount Hakurei."

Inuyasha's eyes went wide "But weren't you healed?"

Kikyo nodded "For a short time, yes. But as you can see, the wound has now reopened. This is the reason why I have taken Midoriko's soul. Using it is the only option I have. Otherwise, I will be consumed by the miasma, and this body will return to the Earth before I defeat Naraku. Even though Midoriko's soul is dead, I know that it will stay alive long enough to complete my task. Midoriko was a priestess who died slaying demons. In many ways, you could say that we share the same soul." With that being said, the soul of Midoriko entered Kikyo's body "I am sure she would understand my reasons for doing this." Once the soul completely entered her body, Kikyo collapsed into the water.

Inuyasha wasted no time in bringing her back to dry land, and saw the wound healing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the same time, the stone face of Midoriko aged considerably.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sensing something, Kohaku raced off, following Kikyo's soul collectors, despite Kagome and Sango's attempts to stop him.

At the same time, Koga suddenly stopped moving.

"Something wrong?" Asked Gohan

Koga shook his head "It's nothing. What is this? My legs… The Shikon jewel shards feel so heavy all of the sudden.' His eyes widened in realization 'Could that be what the elder was talking about?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you going to be ok?" Asked Inuyasha "That wound isn't gonna reopen again, is it?"

Kikyo shook her head "I cannot be sure. That is why I must make haste."

"Can't you just wait?" Inuyasha pleaded "Until me and Gohan defeat Naraku?"

"You cannot defeat Naraku with a sword." Kikyo stated bluntly "Please listen to me. Defeating Naraku requires the obliteration of his entire being, including his soul. It doesn't make a difference how many times you destroy his body. Naraku was created when demons were merged into the vile soul of the thief Onigumo. From the beginning, he's had no true body. So the Shikon jewel is perhaps the one and only power great enough to eradicate Naraku's soul. The Shikon jewel must be restored at once. There is no other way. There will only be one chance. When Naraku obtains the restored Shikon jewel, the jewel will be defiled within Naraku's hands as it fuses with him. In that instant, we must purify Naraku, along with the jewel. And only I am capable of this. Inuyasha, now is not the time for hesitation. And it is too late now to turn back." And with that, she disappeared in a bright light.

Inuyasha looked back and saw Kohaku standing behind him 'I don't get it. Why didn't I notice Kohaku's scent when he was so close?'

"I understand now. I know what I have to do, so I'm going." He said in a tone that left no room for argument "Please explain to the others. I'm not going there to die. I'm going there to defeat Naraku. Please take care of my sister." And he took off after Kikyo.

Inuyasha tried to follow, but was stopped by a barrier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Moryomaru was in the middle of gaining a new suit of armor: the shell of a large tortoise demon by the name of Meioju, whose shell was impenetrable.

Moryomaru wasted no time in devouring Meioju, taking its shell has his own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura continued flying through the sky, when she came across an unsettling face "Naraku…"

Naraku smirked "Kagura, apparently Hakudoshi has died. He was nothing but a fool, that Hakudoshi. It seems that he thought he could destroy me. Kagura, I shall grant you your freedom."

Kagura's eyes widened, then narrowed "So, you will grant me my freedom?"

Naraku smirked "You wish to be liberated from me, do you not? Isn't that why you disobeyed my orders, allowed Moryomaru to escape, and allied yourself with Hakudoshi?"

Kagura glared at him "If you were aware of it, then why…?"

Naraku said nothing. He simply held out his hand, as it revealed Kagura's heart "That's right. If I were to return this to your body, you would no longer be under anyone's control. Not even mine. You're be free at last."

Everything happened in a split second.

First, Kagura felt her heart beating in her chest once more.

Then, Naraku stabbed her through the chest "Not to worry. I was careful to avoid hitting your precious heart. Now you may go, wherever you wish. Enjoy what little time you have left to live. Of course it will only be filled with pain and despair. You didn't honestly believe you deserved a better fate than this, did you Kagura? You longed for freedom. Well now you have it.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As he and his group continued traveling, Sesshomaru realized that the demonic aura from the crystal was weakening, meaning Naraku's heart was nearby.

"Stay back." Sesshomaru warned as he drew Tokijin as he shot a demonic blast of energy at a nearby cave, revealing Moryomaru "You're Inuyasha's brother, aren't you?"

"I have never considered that lowly half-demon to be my brother." Sesshomaru replied "But, the fact that you know even that much tells me that you are Naraku's heart, are you not?"

Moryomaru frowned "Sesshomaru, you'll regret that. Wielding your sword before greeting me?"

"That I doubt." He retorted "But you will regret uttering Inuyasha's name in my presence. That much I promise you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura landed in a field, relishing in the fact that she could feel her heart beating in her chest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru clashed with Moryomaru, but the Tokijin couldn't even scratch the shell Moryomaru absorbed from Meioju.

Not even the Dragon Strike could deal any damage.

"Keep swinging that sword of yours." Moryomaru taunted "In time, I will absorb all of your demonic energy."

Sesshomaru kept blasting, but Moryomaru kept absorbing.

Moryomaru then decided to unleash his newest attack: the Raimeiho.

"This is terrible! He's getting stronger with every one of lord Sesshomaru's attacks!" Rin cried as she grabbed Jaken by the shirt "Aren't we supposed to be helping him?!"

"Fool!" Jaken squawked "Can't you see that this is all part of lord Sesshomaru's master plan!"

Rin blinked "So what's his plan?"

"Idiot!" Jaken squawked "If I knew that, you think my life would be this difficult?"

Moryomaru unleashed his Raimeiho, which Sesshomaru was forced to counter using his Dragon Strike, before bringing the blade down on Moryomaru's shell, but it did no damage, as a crack formed on Tokijin.

"It won't work, Sesshomaru." Moryomaru taunted as he grabbed Sesshomaru with his demonic tentacles "I shall absorb all of your demonic energy. No sense prolonging this any further."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura collapsed as her wound reopened, and she realized that she didn't have enough energy to heal it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The scent of Kagura's blood was carried through the wind, which didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru.

Or Moryomaru.

"So that useless woman died, did she?" Moryomaru spat "First, she betrayed Naraku, and then me. All because she wanted her freedom. And then, when she finally gets it, what does she do? She dies, and dies in vain at that."

For a split second, Sesshomaru's eyes widened in rage "Silence." And he broke free from the tentacles and brought Tokijin down on the shell, cracking it, much to the shock and horror of Moryomaru "But, that's impossible! My shell is impenetrable! The demonic energy that I absorbed-"

"The demonic energy you absorbed could never be contained in that pitiful vessel you call a body." Sesshomaru finished "Take this. Dragon Strike!" And the power of the Tokijin landed a deep crack in Moryomaru's shell 'This isn't good! The Shikon jewel shard!'

But Moryomaru got lucky, because at that moment, the Tokijin snapped clean in two.

"This isn't over! I will be back for you!" Moryomaru hissed as he escaped in a cloud of miasma.

Sesshomaru threw away the broken Tokijin and flew off.

"You're not going to leave your sword behind, are you?" Asked Rin

"I have no attachment to a broken sword." Sesshomaru stated flatly "I will find a replacement." And he flew off, much to the confusion Jaken and Rin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sure of it." Said Inuyasha "That's the scent of Kagura's blood!"

"What direction?" Asked Gohan

Inuyasha pointed, and Gohan took off in a burst of speed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura sat in a field, dying 'It's so quiet… No one else in sight… Is this how it ends, all by myself? Is this the freedom that I longed for?' She looked up, and much to her surprise, Sesshomaru was standing there "You… You came…"

"I followed the scent of blood and miasma." Explained Sesshomaru

Kagura gave a bitter smile "Oh, I see… You thought I was Naraku… Are you disappointed?"

What Sesshomaru said next surprised her "No. I knew it was you."

Kagura's eyes widened, and she smiled "I see… So you came… You came here to see me…'

Sesshomaru put his hand on Tenseiga, but saw her body deteriorating 'Even Tenseiga cannot save her. Are you leaving?"

Kagura nodded slowly "Yes. I've had enough… now that I've seen you… One last time…' and with that, Kagura evaporated from the miasma, leaving only her fan behind.

Sesshomaru prepared to leave, when Gohan appeared in front of him "Kagura. Is she gone?"

Sesshomaru nodded "Even Tenseiga could not save her."

Gohan looked at where she once sat before she died "Did she suffer?"

"She was smiling." He said simply before walking away.

Both Gohan and Sesshomaru could've sworn they heard Kagura's voice: 'I am the wind… The free wind…'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few days went by, rather uneventfully.

Sesshomaru overlooked a cliff before the ocean, thinking about the death of Kagura.

At that moment, he noticed something.

He looked back, and Totosai appeared behind him "Oh. That's why I'm here."

"What do you want?" Sesshomaru demanded coldly

"I had a feeling something was missing. Tokijin's gone, isn't it?" Asked Totosai

Sesshomaru scoffed "Even without the Tokijin, my claws will be more than sufficient enough to tear you apart."

Totosai wasn't fazed "There'll be no need for any of that. I had no choice but to come here. It was Tenseiga that summoned me."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed "Tenseiga summoned you?"

Totosai nodded "Don't play dumb with me. I refuse to believe that you haven't noticed that Tenseiga has been disturbed for the past few days. Interesting. It appears that your heart now possesses what it had been lacking all this time. Tenseiga has reacted to the change in your heart. A heart that has felt rage and sorrow not just for itself, but for another being. Now you must hand over Tenseiga. The time has come to reforge Tenseiga to use as a weapon."

Sesshomaru looked at him, not letting his curiosity appear 'Reforge Tenseiga?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I see. My sister took Midoriko's dead soul, did she?" Asked Kaede

Shippo nodded "Not only that, Kohaku's run off somewhere. Sango's worried about him. She hasn't been herself since he left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Forgive me." Sango muttered "I mustn't be very good company. You don't have to stay with me. Go have fun. Just as long as it's not with another woman."

Miroku shook his head "Listen. We'll get through this together. I'm staying here with you. I can't even fathom leaving you alone to go endure myself."

Sango smiled.

"What're you doing?" Asked Miroku as he felt her rub his butt.

Sango sighed "I thought maybe you were Shippo in disguise. But it's really you. I'm glad."

As Shippo and Kaede came up behind them, Shippo was offended "I don't believe this! She doesn't trust me?"

Kaede shook her head "Tis the monk she does not trust, Shippo."

Miroku then decided to change the subject "Perhaps, but that's not what's troubling Sango. While their objectives may differ, we know that both Naraku and Midoriko are attempting to complete the Shikon jewel. According to Inuyasha, when Naraku obtains the Shikon jewel, it will immediately be defiled. At that exact moment, we must purify Naraku along with the jewel. That is what Kikyo said to Inuyasha."

Kaede nodded "I see. But in order to complete the Shikon jewel, Kohaku's life would have to be sacrificed."

Sango nodded "And that's also what Kohaku wants."

"And, what of you, Sango?" Asked Miroku "Is it also your wish that Kohaku be sacrificed?"

Sango shook her head "I don't know."

Kaede then put her two cents in "You do not wish him dead. Tis written all over your face, my child. It may be a little early yet to give up on your brother."

Miroku nodded "Indeed it is. If Naraku seeks to complete the Shikon jewel, we simply need to find a way to defeat him before that happens. Am I right? Sango, regardless of what we decide to do, we must remain united. If you want him to live, say so."

Sango nodded, tears swelling up in her eyes "Thank you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gohan's and Kagome's groups were turning in applications for their High school entrance exams.

Kagome was a lot more nervous than Gohan.

She tried praying at the shrine, but gave up on that idea.

Her grandpa gave her a charm that looked like the Shikon jewel, along with a piece of information that was surprising to her, but familiar to Gohan: When the person who obtains the jewel makes the one and only correct wish, the jewel will be purified, and disappear from this world forever.

The only problem was, he didn't know what the one and only correct wish was.

So, she decided to just start studying the old-fashioned way.

She actually was starting to get the stuff, although she was feeling rather cold.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in reality, Gohan watched as Kagome fell asleep at her desk "Hey there. You're gonna catch a cold."

Snapping out of it, she looked at him and started freaking out "Gohan?! Wait, how long?! How long have I been asleep?! Was it all a dream?! I can't remember a thing!"

Gohan then spent another hour helping her understand the equations, before both just threw in the towel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things were going pretty normally.

Koga went off on his own, saying he had an idea of how to harness the power of the Goraishi and Shiroga simultaneously, making himself even more powerful, giving the group a better chance if he fought Naraku.

By now, they were just spending the night in some random village.

"So I take it you didn't make much progress with your studies?" Asked Miroku

Sango smiled "You could've stayed on the other side a little longer."

Kagome shook her head "I had so much on my mind, I couldn't concentrate. It wouldn't have mattered if I had stayed anyway. By the way, where'd Gohan and the others get to?"

Trunks shrugged "Gohan and Inuyasha went to some sparring in the woods. Shippo's probably off wooing some girl."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sparring match, if you could still call it that, was getting pretty heated up.

Gohan and Inuyasha clashed, Ryuuga against Tessaiga, Titanium Cannon against Adamant Barrage.

Gohan fell to one knee and smirked "You've gotten stronger."

Inuyasha nodded "Same to you. The Ryuuga is no joke."

"Neither is Tessaiga." He replied.

Then they felt a presence watching them from deeper in the forest.

Gohan and Inuyasha looked at each other, nodded, and continued sparring, so they wouldn't let the presence know they were on to it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shippo was chasing after some girl in the forest, who turned out to be a demon.

"My name is Mujina." Said the girl, surveying the destruction of Gohan and Inuyasha's sparring match "Tell me, are you with the half-demon who's blade did this?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha launched a Wind Scar at Gohan, and found the demonic energy of the attack being absorbed.

Sensing the same presence from earlier, they decided to follow it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mujina used her sword to absorb the power of the attack, using Shippo as a getaway "I'm sorry, but thanks to you, I was able to absorb the energy from that half-demon's blade."

"I don't understand Mujina. Why do you want to increase the power of our sword so much?" Asked Shippo as they stopped "Are you alone? I mean, what about your father?"

Mujina narrowed her eyes at him "Why do you ask about my father?"

"I smell your father's scent on you." Explained Shippo.

Mujina sighed "Well he's dead now. My father was killed by an evil demon."

"Are you increasing your sword's power so you can avenge him?" Asked Shippo, remembering how he could relate to her, as his father had been slain by the Thunder Brothers

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha launched another Wind Scar, but it was absorbed yet again.

Inuyasha realized that so much demonic energy was absorbed, he couldn't form the Wind Scar.

That was when Shippo and Mujina emerged "Stand aside Shippo. Now it's time to test my blade's absorbed from this demon." And she launched a Wind Scar at Inuyasha and Gohan using the stolen demonic energy.

Shippo looked on in horror as Inuyasha and Gohan were engulfed by the attack.

Mujina chuckled "Such amazing force. There's no chance the half-demon could've survived it."

"But why?" Asked Shippo "You said you wanted to absorb demonic energy from his sword, not kill him!"

Mujina smirked "I don't recall making any promises. And besides, now that I have this demonic energy on my side, I don't plan on sharing it with anyone."

Shippo glared "Not sharing it? But I thought you were doing this to avenge your father!"

Mujina smirked "Is that what you thought? Actually, my father died centuries ago, of food poisoning."

"Shippo, you just got screwed by a girl for the first time." Said a voice as Gohan and Inuyasha emerged from the smoke "They grow up so fast."

Mujina jumped back in surprise "But how could you have survived that Wind Scar?"

Inuyasha scoffed "Maybe you need to try a little harder this time."

Mujina glared "It would be my pleasure. Now die! Wind Scar!" And she launched the attack, which was significantly weaker than the real thing.

Inuyasha scoffed "Wind Scar? I'd say a light breeze at best." And he used the Tessaiga as a shield "I don't know how much energy your sword's absorbed, but it's useless if the wielder has no skill."

He then wasted no time, and punched Mujina right in the face, as the girl disappeared in a cloud of smoke, revealing an elderly male badger demon "Damn you! You've undone my brilliant disguise!"

Inuyasha snorted "Who are you kidding? You think I didn't know? You've got old geezer stink all over you!"

Shippo's eye twitched as he fell into a mini depression 'Old geezer stink. I'm so stupid. I thought it was her father, but it was really him I was smelling.'

"So, what do you want to do, Shippo?" Asked Gohan

"I don't even care anymore." He grumbled

Inuyasha then shattered Mujina's sword, Dakki, with one swing of the Tessaiga, and irritatedly kicked him into the air.

Then the demonic energy from Dakki flew back into Inuyasha's Tessaiga.

A depressed Shippo then made his way back to Kagome and the others.

Gohan and Inuyasha looked at the blade "Dakki's ability to absorb demonic energy seems limitless, and neither of us had any idea until today. We'd better look into this."

Inuyasha nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru and Totosai were testing the Tenseiga, after it was reforged.

"Now draw your sword." Said Totosai

Sesshomaru nodded and drew the Tenseiga.

Immediately after he did, a massive ogre demon appeared behind him.

Totosai watched intently 'Now let's see if it worked, Sesshomaru. If it has truly accepted you, Tenseiga should guide your stroke.'

Sesshomaru charged, and using the Tenseiga, he slashed through the demon, but it left no cut.

Immediately after, a crescent shaped portal appeared behind the demon.

"He's opened the path to the Underworld." Explained Totosai

Immediately after, the demon's head and arms were sliced clean off, as the body disappeared.

"W-What just happened?" Jaken stammered

"Isn't it obvious? The demon's body was just taken to the Underworld." Explained Totosai "It is possible is a sword that can connect this world with the Underworld. That is why the master of Tenseiga is able to see creatures of the Underworld. Furthermore, he has the power to bring the dead back to this world by killing those very creatures."

"Woah. He can do that?" Asked Rin

Jaken leered at her 'If only you knew.'

Totosai continued "Instead of doing battle by wounding his opponent, the master of Tenseiga cuts into the path of the Underworld, and sends his enemy there for eternity. That is how it is used. And the name for that technique is Meido Zangetsuha."

Sesshomaru nodded, remembering how Moryomaru mocked Kagura's death, saying she died in vain 'I shall be the one to determine if she died in vain. I'm ready for battle. I now wield the reformed Tenseiga."

A mysterious passed overhead.

Only Sesshomaru understood what it meant.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru was getting some late night practice in with the Tenseiga, killing several large ogre and cyclops demons with the Meido Zangetsuha.

As he sheathed Tenseiga, recalled how Totosai told him that his Meido could only achieve a crescent-moon like cut, but once it was perfected, he would be able to create a complete circle, capable of instantly swallowing his enemies "It seems I have much to learn."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha went to Totosai to learn more about Dakki.

"The demon blade Dakki?" Asked Totosai "I have heard of it. Take a look at this." And he slammed his hammer down on the broken half of the blade, revealing a dragon scale.

"What is that thing?" Asked Inuyasha

"One of Ryujin's scales." Explained Totosai

"I've heard of this sword." Myoga cut in as he sucked on Inuyasha's nose "The legendary Dakki."

Totosai shook his head "This one is a failed attempt, hardly worthy of the name."

That caught Inuyasha's curiosity "A failed attempt? That thing absorbed all of Tessaiga's demonic energy. Naturally, it still wasn't enough to defeat me."

"If the blade had been successfully forged, you wouldn't be here." Totosai countered

"Are you saying it's possible there's a real one like this somewhere?" Asked Inuyasha

"Why would you ask such a thing?" Totosai questioned suspiciously

"Well, if Tessaiga had the ability to absorb demonic energy like that, then fighting Naraku and Moryomaru would be easy." Explained Inuyasha

"Out of the question!" Totosai said sternly "To achieve that kind of power, you'd have to fight against Dakki. If you were to lose such a battle, and all of Tessaiga's demonic energy were to be absorbed, it'd be just a rusty blade, incapable of being returned to its original form. Tell me Inuyasha, is that a risk you're willing to take?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So, naturally, Inuyasha and the others set out to find Dakki.

That was when they came across the demon known as Ryujin, attacking a village in search of a human swordsman named Toshu, who he commissioned to forge the Dakki.

Once he found Toshu, Ryujin smirked "So you finally completed Dakki? Hand it over to me, now."

He was about to make a grab for Toshu, when Gohan charged in with a Dragon Cyclone, burying him in a pile of rubble.

"Master Inuyasha, that man is most definitely Toshu. I've heard that he's been using Ryujin's scales to attempt to forge Dakki."

"You must run!" Toshu cried "Ryujin is alive, I assure you!"

Sure enough, Ryujin emerged from the rubble, angry.

"Gohan, I've got this one." Said Inuyasha "Don't interfere."

Gohan shrugged "Do whatever you want. I've already got a dragon demon on my side."

Inuyasha smirked "This is gonna be fun. Wind Scar!" And he launched the Wind Scar at Ryujin, who blocked the attack with his shield "Attack me as many times as you like! My shield is invincible! The more demonic energy it's exposed to, the stronger it gets!"

Inuyasha knew he was in for a tough fight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A branch of the wolf-demon tribe in the mountains was under attack by a large ogre demon, whose claws were bathed in their blood "This is the extent of the wolf demon tribe's power? How pathetic!"

Only two were left: a young wolf demon named Kai, and his younger brother Shinta.

Kai told Shinta to run as he charged at the demon who easily knocked him away. Before the demon could kill Kai, a voice told him not to, as there would be no point to a slaughter unless there were some survivors.

As his vision blurred, Kai's eyes fell upon the master of his attacker, a demon by the name of Byakuya, who held out a Shikon jewel shard, telling the boy that it would ease his pain, and make him run faster.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha launched yet another Wind Scar, but Ryujin just absorbed it with his shield "You amuse me. You really think your feeble attacks will crack this Dragon Scale shield? Thanks to all your attacks, I can give you a taste of your own medicine!" And he launched a blast of demonic energy from his shield "Now die!"

Inuyasha smirked "This is what I've been waiting for! Backlash Wave!" And he reversed the attack, destroying the shield and severely injuring Ryujin "You… Bastard…"

Suddenly, he was stabbed in the chest by Toshu, and his body evaporated into nothing, as dragon scales appeared on Dakki.

Toshu smirked maniacally as his head piece fell off, revealing dragon scales on his right eye "It's mine! Ryujin's power is mine! Now Dakki is finally complete!"

Inuyasha had a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. The battle wasn't over yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Koga sped through a barren wasteland.

He was in a great mood.

Thanks to a power-up ritual taught by the elders of the wolf-demon tribe, he learned how to harness the power of the Goraishi and the Shiroga simultaneously.

Sensing something closing in on him, Koga stopped as he deflected a spinning weapon attached to a chain, revealed to belong to Kai, who glared at Koga "You're Koga aren't you?"

"That depends. Who are you?" Koga retorted

"My friends were all killed because of you!" Kai snarled "I've come to take the Shikon jewel shards in your legs!" He threw his weapon at Koga, who dodged the attack rather easily and scoffed "Don't be stupid! You don't seriously believe that you can defeat me kid!"

As Kai threw his weapon again, Koga caught it by the chain, sending Kai crashing to the ground.

Koga took a whiff and knew something was up "What's really going on here kid? You have the stench of Naraku. Is he behind this? Is that why you're here? Do you work for him?!"

"Of course not!" Kai snarled

"Then what are you doing here?" Koga questioned "And why are you after my Shikon jewel shards?"

Kai looked at the setting sun, not letting the fear show up on his face. He remembered the warning from Byakuya: to bring Koga's shards before sunset, or he would never see his brother again.

Remembering the warning, Kai ran away, with Koga chasing after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toshu smirked psychotically "This sword is precious to me! I would never hand it over to you or anywhere else! On the other hand, I'm very interested in that blade you have there. Dakki desires the demonic energy in that sword!"

"I say just kill him and get it over with, master Inuyasha." Myoga suggested "Isn't that what we all want? We came here with the intent to get the Dakki's power anyway! So this should be a simple task against a mere human!"

This earned him the flat end of the Sounga, courtesy of Trunks "What's that about mere humans?"

Gohan gave him a fist bump and smirked.

"A sword like that won't do you any good." Inuyasha warned "You should know it's far too powerful for an ordinary human to handle."

Toshu smirked "If that's true, then this should be easy for you!" And he clashed the Dakki with the Tessaiga, quickly forcing Inuyasha onto the defensive with his relentless attacks.

"Wow." Trunks said out loud "If he's able to overpower Inuyasha like that, you have to wonder it Toshu really is human."

Toshu scoffed "Of course I'm human you fools! But it's because I'm human that I long for a powerful weapon! So I devoted every waking moment of my life to forging the ultimate sword! After forging hundreds of swords, I learned an important lesson. The greater the infusion of energy, the stronger the blade! I scoured countless battlefields in search of broken swords, that had absorbed the feelings of regret and bitter blood. On one such battlefield, he found me. I trembled at the sight, but it was with joy more than fear. That is how Dakki was born. Every time our blades cross, Dakki's demonic presence eats away at Tessaiga, absorbing its demonic energy little by little."

This was proven true when Gohan and the others noticed a crack in the blade of the Tessaiga.

Seeing this, Inuyasha knew he would have to shatter Dakki before it absorbed all of the demonic energy from the Tessaiga.

Then he noticed the dragon scales from Dakki spreading to Toshu's hands.

"I'm trying to help you, Toshu." Inuyasha warned "You're running out of time! Now drop that sword before it's too late!"

"Not until I've taken the last of Tessaiga's demonic energy!" Toshu snarled as he charged and clashed with Inuyasha once more, causing the crack in Tessaiga to expand "I feel it surging through me!"

"Don't you understand?" Inuyasha pleaded "If this keeps up, your whole body will be consumed by Dakki!"

"You're wrong!" Toshu snarled "Dakki has chosen me and I alone shall be the one wield it!"

Toshu continued his relentless attacks on Inuyasha and Tessaiga, as the cracks spread throughout the blade. As they did, a barrier of demonic wind wrapped around the blade.

Seeing this, Toshu felt Dakki craving that power, and charged, but the force of the wind sent Toshu crashing to the ground.

"Is that wind protecting Inuyasha?" Asked Kagome

Gohan shook his head "Tessaiga has reached its limit. I can sense it. It's just trying to avoid direct contact by any means necessary. By the looks of it, one more strike and he's finished."

Toshu smirked "A barrier of wind, huh? I know of one way to defeat you without getting too close. But you should know that better than anyone! Wind Scar!" And using the stolen demonic energy, Toshu unleashed the Wind Scar from Dakki.

Inuyasha mustered up the last of his strength "Come on Tessaiga! Backlash Wave!" And he sent the Wind Scar flying back at Toshu, engulfing him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya was waiting when Kai returned "As you can see, the sun has set. So, I assume you brought me Koga's Shikon jewel shards?"

"Where's Shinta?" Kai snarled "Where's my brother?"

At that moment, Koga sped up behind him.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow "So you brought Koga here in person, did you? Well, I suppose that will work."

"That damn smell." Koga snarled "You're one of Naraku's incarnations."

"Let Shinta go!" Kai snarled as he charged, but the ogre demon serving Byakuya easily swept him aside with one sweep of its claw.

Koga was absolutely livid when he figured out what was happening "I think I understand what's going on here. First, you had that thing kill this kid's fellow wolf demons. Then, like cowards, you took his brother hostage so you could get him to attack me. Is that about right? I shall avenge my tribe!" And he summoned his new and most powerful weapon: the Raiso, a pure silver claw, surrounded by demonic energy.

The demon cackled evilly "These claws have been washed in gallons of wolf demon blood. And now they thirst for you blood too!" And he charged.

"Shut your mouth and die!" Koga snarled as he held up one finger of the Raiso, and the demon was vaporized by a massive blast of demonic lightning, before Koga turned to Byakuya "So much for him. You're next, coward. After all, you were the one commanding that beast to kill, even if it was on Naraku's orders."

Byakuya nodded "That's true. But if you kill me, I'm afraid you might be putting his brother's life at risk."

"Where is he?" Koga snarled "Tell me or I'll kill you where you stand."

Almost immediately, a giant moth demon emerged from the cocoon behind Byakuya, carrying Shinta with it as it flew away.

"You better hurry if you wish to save him. The demonic energy being emitted by that moth might make it appetizing to larger predators." Byakuya warned as he took off on his massive origami crane.

Seeing his brother in danger, Kai took off running, with Koga chasing after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the smoke from the attack cleared, Toshu was fully covered in dragon scales, laughing maniacally "I've absorbed all of the demonic energy from the backlash wave!"

Then they noticed a crack form in Dakki.

Then Tessaiga transformed back.

But knowing that he had to finish what he started, Inuyasha charged once more, clashing Dakki with the original, rusty blade form of the Tessaiga.

Toshu laughed maniacally "I've won!"

Suddenly, his body evaporated, leaving only Dakki and one at behind.

Gohan looked at the sword "I figured as much. Toshu's hand has completely fused with Dakki. My guess is Dakki was afraid of breaking, and transferred the damage directly to Toshu instead. The poor fool. In the end, it was his own sword that killed him."

Almost immediately, Dakki broke in two, releasing all of the demonic energy back to Tessaiga, as well as giving it a new form with Dragon Scales.

"You've done it master!" Myoga cried "Tessaiga now has Dragon Scales!"

Inuyasha silently re-sheathed how sword 'Sorry to push you so hard old friend. But you did well Tessaiga.'

Kagome's eyes widened "I can sense 3 Shikon jewel shards nearby. No, 4 jewel shards."

"Is one of them Kohaku?" Asked Sango

Kagome shook his head "It doesn't feel like him. But I feel Koga's shards up ahead."

Gohan nodded "And he's gotten way stronger by the looks of it. If Koga's there, then Naraku's probably gonna try something to get his jewel shards."

Inuyasha nodded, and they sped off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The giant moth demon carrying Shinta was caught by a demonic tentacle.

Kai and Koga found the giant moth demon, along with Shinta, in the process of being devoured by Moryomaru.

"Moryomaru." Koga snarled

Moryomaru smirked "Koga. What good fortune. I thought I'd have to come looking for you."

Koga returned the smirk "You've changed quite a bit since the last time I saw you."

Kai was about to charge in to save Shinta, but Koga stopped him "Don't. You don't stand a chance against this thing. He's mine. I've been waiting for a chance to use the Raiso on this thing."

Moryomaru smirked, sensing the power of the claw "I shall absorb you, and your Shikon jewel shards."

Speaking of the shards, Koga felt his legs freeze 'Damn! The shards couldn't have picked a worse time to act up!'

But even when his legs were frozen, Koga was able to use the power of the Raiso to counter a Raimeiho fired by Moryomaru, injuring him in the process.

But Moryomaru used this as a distraction to catch Koga and Kai in his tentacles "It would appear that the child has also brought me a Shikon jewel shard." he grabbed the shard out of Kai's right leg "Now to you, Koga. I'll be taking your shards next."

He was cut off by Gohan using the Dragon Cyclone to cut the tentacles, with Sango rescuing Shinta.

Gohan looked at Koga and smirked "Damn Koga. What the hell did you do to yourself? Your power's at least tripled by the feel of it."

Koga returned the smirk "Ancient wolf-demon tribe ritual. I combined the Goraishi and the Shiroga to form an even stronger weapon: the Raiso."

Gohan nodded in approval "Nice. Moryomaru, you swallowed something that didn't belong to you again, didn't you?"

Moryomaru only smirked "I'll have you know, this shell is invincible. Nothing can reach my heart, not even an army of soldiers."

"Is that a fact?" Inuyasha snarled as he launched and Adamant Barrage

Moryomaru just absorbed it "Your Adamant Barrage. That will be a great addition to my arsenal."

Almost immediately, Moryomaru used his adamant arm to grab Koga.

"There's no way in ****ing hell I'm letting you use my adamant spears to crush that scrawny wolf." Inuyasha snarled, as he activated the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga and slashed at Moryomaru, releasing a massive amount of demonic energy, but burning Inuyasha in the process, and throwing him backwards.

"Impossible!" Moryomaru shouted "How did you absorb my demonic energy?"

"Like hell we're gonna tell you." Gohan retorted as he cut Koga free of the Adamant spears.

"Gohan, the arm with the adamant spears. There's a Shikon jewel shard in there!" Kagome warned "It's deep within his shell. I don't think my arrow can reach it."

Gohan nodded "Just hit the mark so we know where to go."

Kagome nodded and did so.

Inuyasha brought the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga down onto that spot, releasing even more demonic energy, but burning himself even further.

Moryomaru nearly cried out from pain 'The wound that Sesshomaru gave me is reopening!'

With Koga now free, him, Gohan and Inuyasha charged, with Koga unleashing his newest, most powerful attack "Lightning Wolf Hurricane!" And a MASSIVE blast of demonic lightning was brought down on Moryomaru's shell, injuring him even further, as the demonic energy released from the blast burnt Inuyasha's hand, sending him flying backwards and burning the Tessaiga's blade.

Moryomaru used this opportunity to escape.

Gohan and the others checked on the downed Inuyasha, and found severe burns on his hands from exposure to the excessive amounts of demonic energy.

That was when Byakuya appeared.

Gohan's eyes narrowed "Who are you?"

I am Byakuya. Byakuya of the dreams." He stated calmly "I must say, that dragon scaled Tessaiga is most impressive, as is that Raiso. Even Moryomaru had run away with his tail between his legs. Although I assure you, it would have been Inuyasha and the others running if there had been one more of us involved."

"You mean if you've been involved." Gohan snarled "You've got 10 seconds to give me a reason not to lop off your head or incinerate it."

Byakuya shook his head "You misunderstand me. My role is merely to observe, nothing more. At least for the time being. So long." And with that, he departed on his origami crane.

"That one sure gives me the creeps." Koga muttered

Gohan nodded "Koga, do you know that guy is?"

Koga nodded "The latest incarnation of Naraku."

Gohan sighed "Great. Another one."

In the meantime, Inuyasha slowly started to come to, but was rather concerned by the events that transpired 'Tessaiga… I don't understand… What happened to you?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the middle of a swampy lake, Byakuya reported to Naraku about the events that transpired in the battle.

Naraku was rather intrigued. He had to wonder, would Inuyasha be destroyed by his own sword, or would he kill Moryomaru first?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In a misty forest, Kikyo was confronted by Kohaku "I know why you've come."

Kohaku nodded "I'm here because I want you to use my shard."

Kikyo looked at him emotionlessly "Is that so? I'm aware that you've been following me for quite some time. Do you understand what it will mean if I use your shard? Do you realize what will happen to you?"

Kohaku nodded "I understand. I'm willing to sacrifice my life."

"Am I to believe then that you do not fear death?" Asked Kikyo

Kohaku shook his head "I do not."

Kikyo slowly nodded and continued on her way, with Kohaku following her 'His eyes show no fear. Not even the slightest hesitation. Is life so painful for you that you welcome death? It saddens me greatly to think that if we had met under different circumstances, my only instinct would be to heal this child's broken soul, and encourage him to live his life. But my duty now forbids me from doing that for him. Forgive me, Kohaku.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Guys, are you sure about this?" Asked Gohan "It seems seriously risky."

Koga nodded "I know, but our minds are already made up. Me and Trunks are going after Naraku on our own. These Shikon jewel have gotten the whole wolf-demon tribe involved. Plus, I don't know when my legs will stop moving again because of Midoriko's will. It's nothing personal. I just don't want you to die before we battle it out after Naraku's dead. In any case, I'm counting on you Gohan. Protect Kagome."

"As if you have to ask." Gohan bumped fists with him, before hugging Trunks "Good luck."

Trunks smiled "You too. Alright Koga, let's go."

"In a minute." Koga grumbled as he clasped Kagome's hands "I know it won't be easy Kagome, but I'll be back for you. Until then." And with that, they disappeared along the cliff side path.

Gohan felt a small tear come to his eye, worried for his friend and rival, and for his close friend, whom he had come to consider his older brother.

Sango put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She could sympathize with him. Both were sad and scared for the lives of their brothers when they went off to go after Naraku.

Inuyasha knew that since both Gohan and Koga were growing stronger, he had to master his new Dragon Scaled Tessaiga, and fast.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After being so heavily wounded in his last battle, mainly because of Koga's Raiso, Moryomaru sought to increase his resistance to attacks.

To accomplish this, he sought out Kinka and Ginka, brothers part of the same demon, forever bonded to each other. If Moryomaru absorbed them, the bond between him and his armored shell he obtained by absorbing Meioju would become stronger than ever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alright. What did Inuyasha do this time?" Asked Totosai

Shippo shook his head "It's the Tessaiga. It hurt Inuyasha. it tried to burn him. I've never seen anything like it."

After Inuyasha reluctantly gave him Tessaiga, Totosai examined the sword "I see it's now capable of absorbing demonic energy. So?"

Inuyasha head butted him "So, I'm asking you what the problem is old man!"

"There is nothing wrong with Tessaiga!" Totosai stated firmly "If there's a problem, the problem is you, Inuyasha. Listen carefully. Demonic energy is like a poison of sorts. Originally, Tessaiga was forged from the fang of your father, who was a mighty demon. He had the capacity to absorb an infinite amount of demonic energy. However, you, who are half human, simply do not possess the power to restrain the demonic energy absorbed by your own sword. Now then, show me your hands."

"What, are you gonna read my fortune or something?" Inuyasha grumbled, but complied.

Totosai examined the burns 'Stubborn boy. This much damage, and you still refuse to let go of the sword?'

"The Dragon Scaled Tessaiga grew hotter as it absorbed demonic energy." Inuyasha muttered

"It was warning you of the danger you faced." explained Totosai "A warning you would've been wise to heed. Now that Tessaiga has become stronger, you too must become stronger to handle it. Since we don't have the time for any extensive training, go meet the Great Holy Demon Spirit. He's the demon equivalent of a wise old hermit. If you want to master the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga, you have no choice but to go train under him."

Inuyasha looked at the burns on his hands and nodded "I'll do it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Moryomaru quickly earned the angered wrath of Ginka and Kinka, both for interrupting their battle and injuring them with his Adamant Spears.

Apparently, just a few drops of their blood was enough to completely heal the wound Moryomaru received from Sesshomaru's Tokijin.

Moryomaru caught them with his tentacles, but Kinka and Ginka channeled their fire and lightning powers along the tentacles simultaneously, wounding him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya watched the battle from afar "Interesting. If things continue this way, even Naraku's heart will be in danger." He quickly dodged a strike from Sesshomaru's poison claws and took to the air "You could at least introduce yourself before trying to kill me."

"I can smell Naraku's scent on you. That is all the reason I need." Sesshomaru retorted coldly

"Is that so?" Byakuya asked rhetorically "You must be lord Sesshomaru."

"Tell me what Moryomaru is doing here." He demanded

"Alas, but I am a distant spectator." Byakuya stated, much to Sesshomaru's clear annoyance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Moryomaru took advantage of the treachery between the brothers, taking the opportunity to quickly absorb the two into his body, increasing his power.

"He was after the power that connects Kinka and Ginka's demonic energy." explained Byakuya from on top of his origami crane "Not a bad acquisition. Naraku might get more than he bargained for with this one." He looked back, only to find Sesshomaru gone "Lord Sesshomaru?"

As soon as he finished devouring the brothers. Moryomaru quickly found another challenger "Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru's glare hardened "Moryomaru. Why not test your newly acquired power on me, if you're able to?"

Moryomaru smirked as he saw Tenseiga "I can see you've got a new blade, and I bet you're just itching to try it out, aren't you? As you wish!" And he fired several adamant spears, coated with demonic fire and lightning, which Sesshomaru protected himself from with a Meido Zangetsuha, but saw Moryomaru flying away "He's fleeing?!" He saw several origami cranes appear, surrounding him.

"It's nothing personal." Said the voice of Byakuya "Naraku ordered me to let him escape, you see."

Sesshomaru wasted no time in dispatching the cranes with a Meido Zangetsuha, watching angrily as Byakuya escaped.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha and Gohan went to visit the Great Holy Demon Spirit, telling Kagome and the others to wait for them.

Totosai's bull lead them to some random human village.

"If he's a hermit, why live here?" Asked Inuyasha

Gohan shrugged "Beats me. It's not very hermit like."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bull lead them to a pathway located under a bridge.

"Help! Somebody help me!" A voice called out

Gohan and Inuyasha looked at each other and nodded as they passed through.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they did, the landscape around them changed.

They were in a field of flowers, surrounded by mountains.

"Now this is more of what I expected." Gohan commented "But where was that voice coming from?"

"Over here!" A voice called, as they saw a paper thin old man hanging onto a giant flower "You must help me before I blow away!"

"Think that's him?" Asked Inuyasha

Gohan nodded "I can sense it."

So, naturally, they had to help him.

"Thanks. The wind was picking up." Said the hermit "So you two are Inuyasha and the young Kamikaze boy, are you not? Son Gohan, was it? You have done well to master the powers of the Ryuuga. Your training is almost complete. But what you have left to learn, I cannot tell you. Inuyasha, I shall train you well, my boy. At least, I'd like to say, but I can't. Please leave."

Naturally, Inuyasha grabbed the old man by the neck "Bastard! Why not?! Tell me!"

So, Gohan subdued him with one word "Sit."

WHAM!

"So, why can't you?" Asked Gohan

"Well, it happened last night." explained the hermit "I was preparing for my evening meditation, when a demon attacked me from behind, and made off with all my internal organs. That's how I ended up like this."

Gohan nodded "I see. We'll help you out. So we just have to get your organs back, and you can train Inuyasha, right?"

The hermit nodded, then looked in the direction of the pathway "I sense something outside."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three went back through the pathway, and found that the village was overrun with demons, with not a single human in sight.

Inuyasha scoffed "I'll cut every single one of them down!" And he drew the Tessaiga and charged.

"Somebody stop that fool!" Said the hermit

Gohan shrugged "Sit boy!"

WHAM!

"What was that for?!" Inuyasha snarled

"Isn't it obvious, boy? Those aren't demons. They're villagers." Explained the hermit "Their appearances have been altered by demonic magic. The demonic energy drifting through the air is from my missing organs. While it absorbs the energy, the demon can't move. It is likely still in the village somewhere."

"So it transformed the villagers into demons to hide amongst them?" asked Gohan "It requires less effort to blend in than to hide."

Inuyasha snorted "If that's true, then there's a real demon somewhere nearby. It seems simple to me. We just have to find the demon and get the organs back."

The hermit nodded "What you're saying makes a lot of sense." He then used his demonic powers to wrap chains around the Tessaiga "It's a precaution. I can't let you go around attacking people at random."

Still, that didn't stop Inuyasha from pummeling every demon he came across, even though he could draw Tessaiga, much to his fury.

Apparently, none of them were the right demon, and the more Inuyasha attacked innocent demon villagers, the more chains wrapped around Tessaiga, despite the hermit warning that if he kept it up, the sword would disappear.

They eventually found the organs in the clutches of a snake demon.

Inuyasha found that he still couldn't draw the Tessaiga, even though they found the right demon "Hey Gohan, why the **** aren't you doing anything?!"

Gohan shrugged "Your sword. Your idea to come here. Your problem. Besides, you can defeat this thing without your sword, no problem. You probably just can't draw Tessaiga unnecessarily."

Inuyasha just glared, but nodded and charged at the snake "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" And he slashed the snake, but the wound regenerated.

"You cannot just slash at the thing." Said the hermit "Find the demon vortex."

"Silence you old dishrag!" The snake hissed as it blew the hermit away into the wind.

Inuyasha continued attacking with the Iron Reaver, but it kept regenerating, and it caught Inuyasha in its coils "My demonic venom will dissolve your flesh."

Then a large ant demon appeared in front of Gohan, and he raised an eyebrow "Can I help you?"

"You must not interfere."

Gohan shrugged "Ok."

"...So that means I don't have to attack you?"

"No. I wasn't gonna get involved."

"...Alright, sorry about that." and it disappeared into the shadows.

Inuyasha continued to struggle against the snake, when he saw something. Several demonic vortexes appearing around the snake.

Then he felt Tessaiga pulsing 'Spirals of demonic energy? The demon vortex!'

Inuyasha got his arms free and slashed at the closest vortex, but another one just appeared.

The snake cackled evilly "Nice try, but you don't even know what you're looking for!"

Inuyasha surveyed each vortex 'One of these is the real one. But which one?' He closed his eyes and concentrated 'I smell it!'

He broke free and used his Blades of Blood technique to blind the snake demon, before slashing the demon vortex that had a different scent from the rest.

As soon as he did, the snake and the rest of the vortexes disappeared.

Gohan walked over to him "Nice work."

Inuyasha nodded and looked at a bottle of incense on the ground "Incense. This must be what I smelled coming from the demon vortex. The demonic energy hasn't changed, which means the real demon must be hiding somewhere else."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gohan and Inuyasha walked through the village "The spell on the villagers hasn't changed."

Inuyasha nodded "And the seal on the Tessaiga hasn't been broken yet." Then he smelled something "It's that smell again."

They re-entered the pathway, entering the home of the hermit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they got through, the place had changed drastically.

It was now much darker and spookier.

Then the wise old hermit blew towards them.

"While the snake kept you busy, I disposed of him." A voice hissed as a large ox demon appeared from the mist "Now his organs are part of my own flesh and blood!"

"How dare you do that to the old dish rag!" Inuyasha snarled

"You are the one at fault, half demon." The demon retorted "We know that your sword has the power to absorb demonic energy. Naturally, we couldn't afford to ignore such a weapon, nor could he allow your technique with it to be perfected!"

"That's why you attacked a defenseless old man and stole his organs?" Inuyasha snarled "You're gonna pay!"

The demon smirked "You can't draw your sword until the seal the Great Holy Demon Spirit place on it has been lifted!"

Inuyasha snorted "That won't matter if you're the one we've been looking for! If the dish rag was killed for trying to help me, the least I can do is avenge his death! The seal will break!"

The moment he gripped Tessaiga, the chains broke, as he drew the sword, which instantly took on its Dragon Scaled Form.

"You can see my demon vortexes, but you can't tell which one is real, can you?" The demon taunted

Inuyasha quickly sniffed it out 'It's that one! I'm sure of it! Prepare yourself!" And he charged, cutting down the demon vortex, but Tessaiga got stuck halfway, releasing a backlash of demonic energy that sent Inuyasha flying.

"I'm not going as easy as the snake woman." The demon taunted "It seems you're going to need a better strategy."

Inuyasha stood still for a moment, he detected that the correct demonic vortex was located somewhere else "Gohan let go of the dish rag now!"

Gohan nodded and did so.

The moment he did, Inuyasha saw the demon vortex and cut through it in one clean stroke, destroying the ox demon.

As soon as he did, the landscape returned to normal.

"I sense that the village has returned to normal too." Said Gohan

"You did well to find the real demon vortex." Said the hermit "The time has finally come to show you my true form." And he was enveloped in a flash of light.

When the light dissipated, it revealed the same form, just not paper thin "Well, here it is. I am sorry to have deceived you."

Inuyasha caught him by the head "I hate to break it to you, but you really don't look any different."

Gohan shook his head "You really don't. Anyway, given your little transformation, I'm guessing you weren't entirely honest about your organs being stolen."

The hermit nodded "Correct. The snake and ox demons were all a part of my illusion."

Angered, Inuyasha grabbed him by the head "You bastard. What was the whole point of this charade then?"

"To retrain you. Isn't that why you came to me in the first place? I had to teach you how to find true demonic energy. But, there is the other thing you needed to learn." Explained the hermit "Knowledge is a river whose water must be drunk slowly.

Gohan blinked.

Inuyasha hit the hermit in the head with his foot "Tell me now."

The hermit sighed "As you wish. Basically, in the illusionary world I created as a backdrop for your training, you were constantly exposed to my demonic energy. As a result, your eyes were quickly trained to spot demon vortexes. As for the chains on your sword, I arranged for it to snap if drawn unnecessarily, as Son Gohan said before. But the real purpose of all of this was to teach you how to use the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga. I also have a message for you from Totosai. Tessaiga is not meant to absorb demonic energy, rather the sword is meant to cut through it. Tell me this, why did you decide to cut that last demon vortex?"

Inuyasha shrugged "Well, I noticed Tessaiga was cracked, so I needed to end the fight in one strike."

The hermit sighed "I can see the theory is lost on you. Still, what is truly important is that you and your sword are connected. That is all. Go on. Draw Tessaiga."

Inuyasha nodded and did so.

The moment he did, the sword was bathed in a golden light.

Gohan whistled "Damn. And I thought it had a ridiculous amount of demonic energy before. Did that all come from you?"

The hermit nodded "It is because you cut through my demon vortex. My demonic energy is strong enough to slice your average demon vortex in two."

"Great Holy Demon spirit I'm sorry for judging you by your appearance." Inuyasha stated while patting him on the head, clearly not meaning a word of it.

'I took him to be an unreliable half-demon brat.' The hermit mused 'But he did complete my training. However, both Tessaiga and Ryuuga both have one last form left. One shared by both swords. Inuyasha, Son Gohan, I'm afraid you two will have to discover it on your own…'

A/N:

Now we're entering the Final Act. And don't worry, once we get through the Inuyasha portion of the story things will start to pick up with my own original arc. Warning, two villains will turn to the good side, at least somewhat.

Just to let you know, I'm working on two new fics, and the first chapter of each should be up and running soon:

The Rise of a Warrior: Teen Titans

The Rise of a Warrior: Danny Phantom

Please be sure to check them out when they come out.