Chapter 12: Hansuke's Broken Promise

It's been months since Kagome and Shippo have left their pack. Inuyasha didn't seem to care at all. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were very upset when Inuyasha told them that Kagome and Shippo have left the pack. Inuyasha was perfectly happy that Kikyo had joined the pack, but the other three members were not so happy about Inuyasha's choice. Whenever they stopped for camp, they made sure that Kikyo did everything. Inuyasha didn't understand why they were acting like this in front of her. Ever since Kagome left, they haven't found any jewel shards. The three began to blame Kikyo for it and say that she must have lost her ability to see them. Inuyasha would defend her whenever they belittled her.

Sango missed talking to Kagome. The two of them would always talked together whenever they found a hot spring. Because of Sango was missing Kagome and Shippo, Miroku decided not to touch her since he knew it would only make it worse for her. He wanted to cheer her up, but he didn't how. Kirara also missed Shippo and Kagome as much as Sango and Miroku did. Kirara missed playing with her little fox demon friend.


They all sat around the fire in the middle of the forest after their long day of traveling. They were unable to get a room at the inn in the village. The innkeeper told them that there were no more rooms available and that the innkeeper knew that Miroku was going to try and con him. Miroku wondered on who could've told him about the 'a black cloud is hanging above your house' plan. The innkeeper said it was an onmyouji named Hansuke. Miroku was utterly surprised to hear that name after such a long time. He thought he would never hear it again. It somehow brought up a horrible memory, a memory he wished that he would forget.

"So who is this Hansuke the innkeeper told us about?" Sango asked, curious of this 'Hansuke'. When the innkeeper said the name, Sango noticed how shocked Miroku looked. She was wondering how this person knew that Miroku would try to con the innkeeper. Mushin and Hachi were the only people she knew who knew Miroku.

"Hansuke was a demon who lived with my family. He was a friend to my great grandfather, Eiichi." Miroku said.

"What kind of demon was he?" Sango asked. She didn't know that a demon was living with Miroku's family. Well, Hachi was also a demon who mostly stayed with Miroku.

"Hansuke was a inuyōkai. He was kind and very protective of me. He was like an older brother to me. Hansuke tried his best to keep me out of trouble and to make sure that Mushin was taking good care of me while my father was looking for Naraku." Miroku said.

"How come you never mentioned him before?" Sango asked. She was curious to why Miroku never mentioned him. She never even saw him whenever they met up with Mushin. Miroku's face looked grim at that moment; remembering a terrible event that happened in his young life.

"After I saw my father getting sucked into his Kazaana, I blamed Hansuke for his death and then I told that I never wanted to see him again. After that...he was gone." Miroku said, sadly. Seeing Miroku's pained expression, Sango got up and walked over to Miroku. She sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder and Kirara jumped into his lap. Sango's and Kirara's comfort made Miroku calm for some reason. He had never told anyone about Hansuke before. He regretted that day when he sent Hansuke away.

Flashback:

"Miroku! Stay back or you'll get suck it, too!" Mushin yelled as he held little Miroku tight to his chest. Young Miroku was struggling in his grasp.

"I have to save him, Mushin!" Miroku said.

"There's nothing you can do, Miroku! He's unable to contain his kazaana!" Mushin said. Miroku saw his father struggling with his kazaana. Trees, rocks, and blades of grass were getting sucked in. He could see how much pain was shown on his father's face as he held onto his right arm.

"FATHER!" Miroku shouted as he slipped out of Mushin's grasp and started to run towards his father. But someone else wrapped their arm around his waist and brought him back next to Mushin.

"Hansuke!" Mushin said when he saw him beside him.

"Hansuke, let me go! I have to save Father!" Miroku said as tears formed in his eyes while trying to escape from Hansuke.

"Miroku, you can't save him! Stay back!" Hansuke said, holding Miroku close to him. The three of them heard Miroku's father scream in pain as his kazaana sucked him in. When he was gone, the wind was still, fallen trees and stray rocks laid out all over the place, and the sun shined on the crater that Miroku's father had left behind. Mushin, Hansuke, and Miroku stared at the crater. They felt so helpless at that moment, unable to save a loved one from a terrible fate.

"Why?" Miroku said quietly. Then he started banging his small fists into Hansuke's chest.

"WHY DID YOU LET HIM DIE, HANSUKE?!" Miroku shouted.

"He couldn't be saved, Miroku. His kazaana was too strong this time and he was unable to contain it. I know that he didn't want you to be near him because you would have been sucked in too, Miroku." Hansuke said as he brushed Miroku's bangs aside. Miroku slapped his hand away. He looked up at Hansuke with tears of anger.

"You let him die, Hansuke!" Miroku said.

"Miroku, I…" Hansuke began to say.

"I HATE YOU, HANSUKE!" Miroku shouted.

"Miroku…" Hansuke said.

"JUST LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK!" Miroku shouted at Hansuke. After a few moments of silence, Hansuke stood up and said,

"I see...Then...I shall take my leave." Hansuke turned and walked away.

The next morning, Miroku yawned after a long night of crying. He went over to the basin of water to clean his face off. Yesterday felt like a nightmare to him. It still frightened him in his sleep. He walked down the hall heading towards the breakfast table. He expected Hansuke would be preparing the food before Mushin. But when Miroku arrived, Mushin was already eating his meal. Then Miroku noticed that Hansuke wasn't here. Miroku knew that Hansuke was an early riser and that Mushin would arrive after he and Hansuke were finished with breakfast. Except this time, Mushin was here and Hansuke hadn't arrived.

"Mushin, where's Hansuke?" Miroku asked.

"Miroku, don't you remember?" Mushin asked.

"Remember what?" Miroku asked.

"Hansuke left." Mushin said.

"What?" Miroku asked with his eyes widen at the news.

"You told Hansuke to leave." Mushin said. Then it came back to Miroku. He was so upset about his father's death that he blamed Hansuke for it.

"He's...gone?" Miroku asked, shocked. Mushin nodded. New tears formed in Miroku's eyes.

Miroku's world came crashing down that day. The day when he lost his father right in front of him and sent Hansuke away. He regretted his words ever since he found out that morning that Hansuke had left. He wished that he never said those words at all. The death of his father clouded his judgement. He knew that Hansuke was trying to protect him from his father's Kazaana. If he hadn't, Miroku would have been sucked into the void as well.


Same time at Kagome's pack:

"So that's why you're not traveling with him?" Reina (Kagome) asked.

"Hai. Besides, he must be happy to be with his pack." Hansuke said.

"He probably is." Reina said. She knew it was true. But she couldn't tell him that she was the little priestess he was traveling with. She and Akinobu knew that Miroku sent Hansuke away just because he was angry that unable to save his father and he blamed it on Hansuke. It was unavoidable situation, there was nothing they could have done to save him in that situation.