A Reason to Live
Chapter Fifteen
Warrior Bonds
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
It had been nearly three days since the confrontation with Miroku, and Inuyasha and the gang were getting back to normal, well as normal as it could be after the events of the last few weeks. It had been weird for Inuyasha to wake up each morning, and seeing the face of one of his toughest enemies, Bankotsu. Of course the two would nearly come to blows, but with their similar personalities, that was to be expected.
Stretching is still slumbering muscles and limbs, Inuyasha's attention was drawn to the sight of Sango sleeping with her head on Bankotsu's shoulder. In fact Bankotsu was sleeping as well, and his arm was firmly wrapped around Sango's waist holding her close to his body. 'Well those two are becoming quite affectionate,' Inuyasha stated in his head as he shook the grogginess from his head. 'I guess it is time to get some training in before the day gets going in earnest.'
"Leaving so soon Inuyasha," Bankotsu's calm voice called, startling the half-demon.
"I am going to get some exercise before the day gets stupid," Inuyasha supplied in a rather irritated voice. He hated when he had to explain his actions to anyone, and even more so when he had to explain them to the former mercenary, who seemed to catch onto everything he was planning. "As if it were any of your business."
"Well what if I want to make it my business," Bankotsu snapped, as he wiggled his way from under the still sleeping Sango. "What if I want to go and work out with you?"
"Do you think you would be able to handle it," Inuyasha questioned with a smirk.
"Don't think you will ever be able to out work me half-demon," Bankotsu snapped. "How do you think I became this strong in the first place?"
"Not going into that," Inuyasha supplied with a laugh. Quickly Inuyasha exited the hut, and an angry Bankotsu raced after him.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean half-breed," Bankotsu yelled as she chased the speedy half-demon.
"What was that," Kagome asked as she was awoken by Bankotsu's shout.
"I think it was the boys getting into another fight," Sango supplied in a sleepy voice. "I say just let them fight it out this time, and we can heal them later."
"What if there is nothing to heal," Kagome asked as she scrambled to her feet.
"Don't worry," Sango supplied as she sat up slowly, nursing her injuries from their previous battle against Princess. "I am sure they will just do enough damage to have fun. Besides, they are more bark then bite when it comes to fighting each other."
"If you say so," Kagome supplied as she looked over the injured demon slayer. "Since the boys are not here, do you want me to take look at those wounds?"
"If you would please," Sango replied in gratitude.
"It seems my little brother has gone soft on me," the cloaked Hakai supplied as he watch Bankotsu leave the small hut. "All because of some woman. Pathetic! He was supposed to be the one to bring fame and fortune to our family name. What a disgrace!!!"
"Jealously doesn't become you," a feminine voice called from behind the cloaked warrior. "To think, you are an Immortal, and yet you are jealous of your younger brother."
"Who are you," Hakai questioned without turning to face the wind demoness.
"The name is Kagura, and I have been sent by Naraku," Kagura replied as she lifted her fan to cover her face. "My Lord wishes for you to join sides with him to take out your little brother, and his new friends."
"I don't need anyone's help to defeat my little brother," Hakai snapped as he turned to face the wind demoness. "In fact, I could attack him right now, and crush him like the insect he is."
"Then why don't you," Naraku's voice echoed.
"Who said that," Hakai asked as he looked around for the source of the voice.
"You may call me Naraku," the half-demon supplied as he materialized right in front of Hakai. "I am looking to gather the shards of the Shikon Jewel, and I believe that if you were to help me, I would be able to do that without fail."
"And why should I help you," Hakai questioned as he inspected the half-demon. "Even if I don't help you, I could rid myself of my disgusting little brother in a heart beat, so what incentive do I have for helping you."
"I could give you the one thing you have been searching for," Naraku supplied in a low voice. "I can give you the love that you were denied. I can cause any women on the face of world to fall in love with you."
"I can have any women I want right now," Hakai snorted. "I don't need your help in that department."
"Of course you can fuck or rape any woman that catches your eye, but can you find that one person who will spend the rest of their life with you. So far you haven't, and I doubt that you will be able to without my help," Naraku supplied as he slid away from a now fuming Hakai.
"I am guessing you have a death wish, or you just don't know how to keep that big mouth of yours shut," Hakai hissed as he pulled the Soukatsui from behind his back.
"I have no fight with you my young friend," Naraku supplied in an apologetic voice. "But I know how you feel. You want so deserately to be loved by someone, just loved enough for them to call out to you when you are in pain, for them to care what happens to you."
"Since you know so much about my wants and needs, then tell me what do I want more then anything in this world," Hakai questioned as he turned away from the now grinning half-demon.
"You want to be better then your brother. You want to be so much better that the world will completely forget about his name," Naraku stated in a pleased tone. "You want to take everything he has from him, including the woman by his side. She is beautiful is she not?"
"If you are so high on her, then why don't you just go and claim her," Hakai spat.
"I do not wish to claim her, but I know there is a part of you that wishes to claim her as your woman, if only to upset your brother even more," Naraku supplied with a light chuckle. "Imagine how pissed your brother would be if you took away his demon slayer."
"A demon slayer," Hakai asked himself. "I thought that all of the demon slayers were dead. Hell I heard you were the one responsible for killing them all."
"That is true, but she escaped," Naraku replied. "Then I tried to use her to kill Inuyasha, but he was able to defeat her without killing her."
"Why do you want this Inuyasha dead so badly," Hakai asked. "I have fought him, and I don't see him as much of a threat."
"Inuyasha is able to be defeated, but he never seems to die," Naraku replied in a angry tone. "And no matter what I throw at him, he seems to come out of it alive. It is just sickening. In fact, I believe that he can't be killed."
"Please," Hakai laughed. "He can be killed, you just suck at killing people I take it. I could kill him with ease."
"You talk a big game, but you have yet to back any of it up," Naraku stated, only to be grabbed around the throat by the now seething Hakai.
"I would watch that big mouth of yours, that is if you enjoy living," Hakai threatened with malice laced words. "It would be quite ease for me to kill you, then go and handle my business with my brother and his friends."
"I am sorry," Naraku exclaimed in between gasps for air. "I was just trying to..."
"You figured that you would be able to make me fight this Inuyasha for you if you attacked my pride," Hakai hissed. "Remember this half-breed, I am not so easily tricked. That idiotic shit might have worked on my stupid brother, but I am far different."
"My apologies," Naraku exclaimed as he inhaled deeply. "Now as for my brother, I think I will go pay him and this Inuyasha a visit."
"Does that mean you will help me defeat Inuyasha," Naraku asked with a bit of glee behind his voice.
"I will think about it," Hakai supplied before he started running in the direction that Bankotsu and Inuyasha had taken off to.
'I have never seen Naraku so frightened in my life,' Kagura exclaimed in her mind. 'This guy must be extremely powerful if Naraku was so scared that he apologized.' Suddenly Kagura was brought out of her thoughts by Naraku's light laughter. "What is so funny?"
"That was nearly as ease as when I dealt with Bankotsu," Naraku replied with a smile crossing his firm lips. "Those two are complete idiots, so easily manipulated. All I had to do was act as if I feared him, and he became putty in my hands."
"You are truly terrible," Kagura exclaimed as she prepared to leave the monster's presence.
"I know that," Naraku replied with a sick smile.
"You know Bankotsu, you are no match for me without the Banryuu," Inuyasha exclaimed as he dodged another well aimed fist.
"Shut up and concentrate," Bankotsu snapped as he swept Inuyasha's legs out from under him. "That is your fucking problem. All you ever do is talk. That is part of the reason why my brothers and I were able to cause you so much trouble."
"What are you talking about," Inuyasha hissed as he got back to his feet. "We ended up beating you and your brothers."
"Barely," Bankotsu snapped. "If you wouldn't have ran your mouth so much during the fight, you would have noticed things, such as Jakotsu's weapon can only attack twice before he had to bring it back. If you would have paid attention, you would have been able to block his second attack, and then counterattack when he was most vulnerable."
"Don't you get it yet Bankotsu," Inuyasha snapped back. "I am not like you. I am not a cold blooded killing machine. I only kill when it is necessary."
"And protecting your friends is not necessary," Bankotsu shouted. "Do you know what we could have, no what we would have done if we would have beaten you. For one thing, that little priestess wouldn't have been so damn pure, I can give you that. Not after we were done having our fun with her, and the demon slayer, she would have been amusement. Plain and simple, she would have kept us aroused due to her combative nature. Of course, she would end up dead, same as the little priestess, but of course you never thought about that. Don't tell me that you truly believed there was some good in our group."
"Then why are you helping us now," Inuyasha questioned.
"Because you can help me achieve what I want more then life itself," Bankotsu replied. "I want to kill that bastard Naraku for using me. No one gets away with that, and I mean no one."
"Who are you trying to convince," Inuyasha supplied. "Is it me, or is it yourself? I think you are saying that because you don't want anyone to know you care about Sango."
"Shut up Inuyasha," Bankotsu snapped. "That has nothing to do with you, and you will do well to remember that."
"You are an idiot," Inuyasha sighed. "Sango is one of my best friends, and so that makes it my business. I have seen her heart broken by that idiot monk enough times to make me sick. Hell I never even knew what she saw in him, and I will be damned if I allow you or anyone else to hurt her ever again."
"Don't compare me to the monk," Bankotsu sneered. "We are nothing alike, and if you ever make another comparison like that, I will rip your throat out myself."
"I would love to see you try," Inuyasha stated as he cracked his knuckles, and exposing his claws to the mercenary.
"You should be careful what you wish for," Bankotsu said as a smile spread over his lips. "Let me know when you are ready."
"I was born ready," Inuyasha spat as he charged forward.
A/N: Ok I know this chapter is terrible, and I know that it leaves a lot to be desired considering I have not updated in forever. I am really truly sorry for that, but I have hit a brick wall of sorts. I am trying to bring Sango and Bankotsu closer, but it just seems cheesy to me. If anyone has any thoughts on how to help, I would love to hear them. Once again, I am sorry for the terrible chapter. This is definitely one of my worst chapters ever. For that I am sorry. I understand if you are all to angry to review this chapter, and if you want, feel free to flame the hell out of me. I know I deserve it.