Disclaimer: I am American, my name is American, and I'm more proud of my 1/16th of American Indian blood than you could ever imagine.
Chapter 11- Teaming Up
"Rin…" the young hanyou murmured softly, his gazed fixed with hers. Why was she here? There was that toad that she said was one of her guardians, but how did they know Kagome, Inuyasha and the others? It just didn't make sense! "What… what are you doing here?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama is heading for Mount Hakurei; I don't know why, we just are," she told him softly. A red-clad form shot through the bushes, worried cries following him. The great Dog-Lord walked through the bushes after him, a displeased glimmer finding its way to his eyes.
"Rin, I told you and Jaken to leave."
"Sesshoumaru-sama, this is Kenshin! He's that boy I told you about who helped me at that village where I stayed once!" the child told him excitedly. Kagome helped Inuyasha to his feet as the child tried to reason with the great dog. "Please, don't hurt him or his friends! I don't know why you don't like that boy, but please don't hurt them anymore!"
He stared at her coldly, but the child's gaze combated his own, and the tenderness that she always showed him seeped into his consciousness. With a heavy sigh, he slipped the Tokijin back into its scabbard. As if following a command of some sort, Inuyasha followed suit and slid the Tetsusaiga into its sheath as well.
"Rin, who is he?" the golden-child whispered urgently, fear edging his voice. She smiled at him brightly, gripping his hand a little tighter.
"This is Sesshoumaru-sama! He's the one who takes care of me!" she replied softly, her deep chocolate gaze smiling into his eyes. Kagome knelt behind the two and tapped Kenshin on the shoulder. He turned to look at her, his golden puppy ears training themselves on her with rapt attention.
"How is it that you know her, segare?" she queried of him curiously. He smiled at her sheepishly.
"Rin-chan and I met in my home village, Kagome-kāsan. She said that her caretaker had left her there with a guardian while he went to find someone named Naraku!" he told her. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru, curiosity and uncertainty shining in her eyes. For a moment, she closed her glistening orbs, seeming to contemplate something, before she rose and looked him in the eye once again.
"Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha would never consent to this, but I'm not giving him the choice this time. Will you join forces with us in out hunt for Naraku?"
The protests flowed as she looked the young lord square in the eye, refusing to look away and denying her fears for her comrades. She had to do this… for them, if no one else.
/Sesshoumaru's POV/
She was a mere human, wasn't she? Then where was it that she gained the courage to look me in the eye and not show the slightest sign of fear, save the one that spiked her scent? Her deep blue eyes were like stormy seas, yet they stared at me so calmly for such a young woman. It felt strange to see someone with such a cool manner towards me; Rin always showed awe, and… love, I think is how they described it, and Jaken, and most other beings for that matter, feared me. Inuyasha showed contempt for me, but this woman… she looked at me as though I were a human of her own status, as well. I felt like she was trying to bring me down to her level.
Her gaze… if anything, that is what convinced me. A calm storm; a raging sea that would sweep me away to oblivion unless I went with its flow. Those eyes… I just couldn't say no.
/Normal POV/
The silver-haired lord nodded lightly. A consent. Within the barest fraction of a moment, Rin and Kenshin were jumping up and down in excitement, twirling around with each other and giggling excitedly at their good fortune. Inuyasha was raising cane and not sparing himself any of a sailor's very wide vocabulary. Of course, he ended up admiring nature face-first within a few moments, and then Kenshin and Rin were laughing even harder. Kagome's gaze remained riveted on the dog-lord's eyes.
"Good. There is only one rule: Behave yourself. Don't make me get another rosary from Kaede-sama, because I will if I have to."
NOTE: THIS STORY IS VERY OLD. IT HAS BEEN COMPLETE SINCE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CRITICIZE STYLE, I POLITELY REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK AT MY MORE CURRENT WORKS, TO BE FOUND IN THE NARUTO FANDOM, AND UNDER THE NINETAILED ANGEL PROJECTS ACCOUNT ALSO ON THIS SITE.
AN: Wow. I'm NOT dead. XP Yeah, I know, it's been an age, and you're probably having to start over reading this fic from the beginning again just to remember what the heck it was about, so I'm sorry. The document manager still hates me for reasons unknown, but here's your update. Can you BELIEVE how long the Inuyasha manga is running? And I don't even READ it... XDD Anywho, enjoy and review, onegai!
PS: Rejoice! Monday, June 9th, is Uchiha Itachi's birthday, Naruto-lovers, and I will be updating my fic "Soul-Mirror" in his honor, as well as posting a new fic called "Slipknot." For those of you who intend to read Slipknot but are not up-to-date with the manga as it is coming out in Japan, I warn you ahead of time about spoilers!