[[Disclaimer: Howdy. Right, forgot to mention. The characters in here, for the most part, are not mine. They are all products of the wonderful and talented Rumiko Takahashi. I will do my best to keep the characters' personalities intact. Also, this story will be a slow one, but I promise it'll be good. And I don't mean slow posting-wise. I just mean that.. I refuse to be one of those writers who makes a certain pairing end up together right away. Fair warning, right from the beginning. Please review my stories, and forgive small typos I might have made and might make in the future. I promise, they aren't intentional or anything. I'm just too lazy to go back and fix them if I didn't catch them before publishing my story. Anyway, this is the second insertion. I hope you enjoy.]]
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"Well done, m'lord," Jaken cheered, from the sidelines with Rin and Ah-un, as the last of the hundred demons were killed. At the sound of his servant's voice, he glanced down at his hands, his claws utterly drenched in blood. Perfect..
"Jaken," He said softly, not even bothering to so much as glance back at the imp, "bring me the gourd." This was the first step to getting his arm back. He needed the blood of one hundred demons and soil from a grave of his bloodline. It was simply lucky that his arm was left where his father was hidden away. Before he had a chance to ask again, the imp was at his side, ushering the gourd into his hold. Since he had killed all of the demons with his bare hands.. Sesshomaru grabbed the gourd away from Jaken and hung his blood-soaked hand over it, watching as the blood ran off his hand. As it slid away, it turned a haunting shade of grey, proving he had completed this task, and when the blood stopped running off his hand, he pulled back, handing the container back to Jaken, "See to it that it is completely sealed."
With a glance at Rin, he began walking again, sensing a slight hint of his younger brother's aura. He wasn't far from here, so it wouldn't be a long journey.
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"Ah, c'mon, Kagome," Inuyasha exclaimed, "You don't sense a shard of the jewel, and I'm tired of giving freebies!"
Miroku and Shippo decided not to get into it, and licked at the popsicles Kagome had given them just before she and Inuyasha began bickering about the smell of death in the air, "You're the good guy and you know it. Let's go and help." She knew that it was none of their business, but she still wanted to help out. She couldn't help how she felt, "Just one more on the house! C'mon-"
"I can't, Kagome," the hybrid snarled, "Any other time, I might consider it, but not now. We have things to do. We have shards to find. We can't come to the rescue every time there's a human in need, and you have to learn tha- Kagome! Don't look at me like that!"
"You big.. Stupid.. Ugly demon!" She began flailing her arms at him.
"Why don't they just grow up already?" Shippo asked, glancing over at the pair through one opened eye as he took another swipe at the frozen treat with his tongue.
"Now, Shippo.. Don't eavesdrop. It's not becoming of you. Besides.." The monk said, also opening one eye to glance at the bickering pair, "We both know Kagome will win, and that could land us another night in a warm bed. So we best stay out of it."
"SIT!"
Both Shippo and Miroku sighed as Inuyasha slammed, face first, into the ground, "Damn it, Kagome! Every time I-" His ears perked up and he was on his feet instantly, the sarcastic tone to his voice completely gone and his facial features hardening, "You back for another ass-whopping, Sesshomaru?" He couldn't see the demon yet, so the others were a bit confused at first, but he could smell him alright.
"Ah, little brother.. I see that you've missed me."
"You've got it backwards, you creep. You're the one who's come crawling back," Inuyasha spat, drawing his sword, "You must be some kind of masochist."
Sesshomaru simply chuckled, coming into view and quickly advancing on Inuyasha. His fingers were wrapped around his neck in the blink of an eye, "I did not come for another foolish battle," The white haired, older male's hand then began to glow a venomous green and Inuyasha began squirming in his grip, a scream barely ripping its way out of his lips.
"Let him go!" Kagome yelled, taking aim with her bow and arrow as she had just the day before, but Jaken was hot on her, holding the staff out and screeching as flames shot out at the girl, the monk and the little fox demon. At the same time, Sesshomaru dropped his brother and knelt over him, quickly pulling out the orb in his eye once more and setting it on the ground. Jaken came to his side quickly, opening the tomb for him, handing him the gourd, but not following after.
The hybrid slowly climbed to his feet, watching his brother enter the grave once again. What the hell could he be after in there?
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"I have given you life," Naraku said lowly, his grey eyes coming to rest upon the black haired male before him, "And a purpose.. Fulfill it.. Or else.." As with ever other creation of his, he held out his hand, showing the heart which he held there. His fingers wrapped around it loosely, and then he gave a light squeeze, causing the creature in front of him to cringe and fall to his knees. Naraku had created this one to be especially strong, a challenge for the lord of the west that would have him searching for the spider at a faster pace. Then, perhaps, he could trap the beauty..
He caught the glare from the creature on the ground, but he hadn't seen the swift strike coming. His hand was severed from his body and the heart fell from his grip. Quickly, the unnamed incarnation grabbed for his heart, shoving it in his mouth and swallowing it whole, to be sure the one who had created him couldn't take it back without killing him, "Sesshomaru…" He hissed lowly, darting for the door. But Naraku wouldn't have it. He didn't intend for Sesshomaru to be killed. And at the rate this one's strength was growing… the demon which he aimed to lure would be killed. His hand quickly returned to its rightful place and he then dove after his incarnation, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into a wall with such force that would kill any mortal.
Just as he was about to finish off his defiant creation, said incarnation struck, turning his arm into a blade-like appendage, running Naraku through the chest and dragging it downward. Since he held the heart of all his possessions, he'd never had his guard up while bringing them to life.. And, so easily, this one nearly killed him. Of course, the injuries weren't completely life threatening.. He'd only need a day or two's rest..
The arm was removed from his insides and the incarnation took off running, out of the castle and out of sight.
Even wounded, he chased after the beast, determined to keep it from killing the demon he aimed to seduce.
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Inuyasha had intended to jump in after his brother, but was stopped short when Naraku's scent became heavy in the air around him. Everyone, even Jaken, stopped dead, gazing in the same direction as the half-breed, some unknowing of what lie in the trees. Of what Inuyasha and Jaken could sense, "What the hell-" He had no time to speak, as he was struck to the ground by the very being who smelled of Naraku.
"Sesshooomaruuu…" The incarnation rasped, digging its claws into the hybrid's flesh.
He screamed and kicked the thing off him, jumping to his feet and swinging his sword at the beast, "WIND SCAR!"
Successfully, he'd sent the creature flying, blood beginning to run from his flesh. Wounds which he licked to heal, sending chills up Inuyasha's spine, "What the hell are you..?"
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Sesshomaru popped the gourd open and sprinkled some of the soil from around his father inside it, then closed it again, shaking it up before opening it once more and drizzling some of it onto the severed arm he held in his grip. Quickly he spread it over all the flesh and then jabbed it where it had been before Inuyasha had cut it from him. With a pained hiss, the flesh began melding together, bleeding, creating a large, scab-like cover, and then a scar, to mark where it had originally been separated from his body. Once the burning subsided, he tossed the gourd aside and began leading upward until he caught flight on a bird and found the exit.
He landed gracefully on the ground outside, instantly catching the scent of the very man who had tried to trick him merely yesterday.
Amber eyes darted to the side, catching sight of an unconscious Inuyasha. Blood was everywhere. Jaken couldn't have done this.. And then he heard a low, deadly voice in his ear, "Sesshooooomaruuuu…"