Walking in Father's footsteps

The next day everyone was packed and ready though unfortunately they couldn't take the carriage Amaya and the others had come in because the road towards the North West was too traitorous for vehicles.

Everyone carried their own luggage, which of course Yuko didn't mind doing. She considered this a good work out. Sen rode on Shushu most of the way, Kazuki and Nira walked on either side of Shushu. Kaya was leading the way with her brother Riku walking beside her. Yuko was walking just behind them while Tanaka and Amaya walked at the back of the group.

"How long do you guys recon it will take for us to get there?" Amaya asked Kazuki and the others in front of them.

"Who knows? I think Kaya said it would take a few days." Kazuki replied.

"Wow that's quite a while." Yuko said. "Well at least it will get the old leg muscles nice and strong, though I can't say the same for Sen."

"Hey!" Sen exclaimed.

Amaya and the others laughed quietly while the two sisters argued.

That night they all pulled over to the side of the road where there was a grass clearing and camped out.

"I'm glad we brought some tents. We never know when it's going to rain." Sen said, pitching up a tent for herself and Yuko.

"Yeah but nothing beats sleeping under the stars Sen. Though in this case we wouldn't want to risk there being a rainy day and get all of our things wet." Yuko replied while she helped Sen finish the tent and then threw her bags inside.

"I guess you and I will have to share then, Tanaka." Kazuki said pulling out a blue tent from his bag. He then threw some pieces at Tanaka. "Here help me set it up!"

Nira had already set up a tent for Amaya and herself long before the others began and was happily sitting at the opening eating a packet of salt and vinegar chips.

Shushu, Kaya and Riku of course couldn't sleep in a tent because they were too big so they huddled together in front of the fire.

"What is this old guy like anyway?" Kazuki asked Kaya after he and Tanaka had finished pitching up their tent.

"Hmmm." She thought. "I do not really know what to say, Kazuki. We didn't get to know him for very long. When we first met he panicked and fainted a couple of times." She snorted slightly in laughter. "He was afraid because brother and I were once a part of Kyoufu Oni. It took him a while to realise that we were different."

"So, he's a fainter?... Well that's great."

Kaya smiled at Kazukis sarcasm.

It wasn't completely dark yet so Tanaka decided to pull out a ball and toss it to Nira, who by his surprise flung around and caught it in a flicker of an eye despite having her back turned before. She smiled sweetly, and piffed it back so hard that it smacked into Tanakas stomach and winded him for a few moments.

"OH HO!" He said after catching his breath. "You're tougher than you look!" He then threw it back at her but Nira chose to piff it at Yuko who was caught off guard when it smacked into the back of her head.

Kaya sat to the side watching everyone contently while Riku drew a smiley face and pointed at the kids. Shushu was running around chasing the ball where ever the next person decided to throw it. It was some sort of strange dodge ball/ Shushu in the middle game.

After a while though it got too dark to play so they all settled down and ate marshmellows by the fire before they all went to bed.

The day after the next they arrived at the old man's hut, it seemed abandoned until they all noticed a frail looking old man with a walking stick and a scar caressing the right side of his face.

He turned when he noticed he was being watched and smiled. "Oh! It's nice to see you again!" He said looking at Kaya.

"Yes, it is good to see you as well." Kaya walked over to him while the others stayed behind.

"And who are your friends that you brought with you?"

"These..." She turned to look at them and then back to the old man. "Are the friends and family of Inuyasha, including his daughter and oldest son."

"Inuyashas son and daughter?" He said surprised and slowly made his way over to the group behind Kaya. "Yes, I can see the resemblance." He said, particularly when he looked at Kazuki. "Your father was very brave to go up against the FireIce demon all those many years ago." He shook his head sorrowfully. "I am sorry for your loss."

They both thanked him for his sympathy and then proceeded to ask him if he could train Amaya on how to use the Tetsusaiga.

"I am afraid not." He said shaking his head again. "You see I have become too old and frail over the years, I am after all about... 98... or was it... 95?... Anyway I don't have the strength to train anyone anymore. I did mention to Kaya last time she was here on the way back from the mountains that I once trained demons and man alike but those days are far behind me."

"Wait a second! So we came all this way for nothing!?" Kazuki exclaimed.

"No, not for nothing. That is, if you don't mind going a little further to the North West."

Everyone looked at him confused.

"I hear from travellers that there is a tribe up there who have excellent masters in battle training. You could ask them for their help. It will take you about another half days walk to get there, but please, feel free to rest here as long as you like."

"Another half days walk?" Kazuki huffed.

"Maybe it would be best for us to rest here for a few hours." Sen examined the suns position in the sky. "It's still early so we should be able to make it before night fall. Shouldn't we?" She added, looking up at Kaya.

"I do not know, but we will rest here either way. We have travelled far." She replied before laying down on the soft grass. Everyone made themselves comfortable before they heard voices.

Two young men walked into the opening towards the hut.

"Oh there you guys are. I want to introduce you to our guests!" The old man said referring to Kaya and the others.

One of the men looked very much like the old man but a younger version, and who they discovered was in fact his grandson who was assisting him. The other was a tall lanky guy with orange hair, golden eyes and pointed ears.

"This is my grandsons friend, Suzuki. He's been helping me out to get extra cash. He is a very hard worker, aren't you Suzuki?"

"Indeed I am Sir!" He was very polite and had good manners but as soon as he noticed Amaya, Sen and Yuko he became a little strange. "Oh, well hello ladies!" It was like his personality switched gears from being professional to flirtatious. "Well I have never seen such a beautiful group of women in my entire life!" He said this while he held Sens hand and kissed it.

"HEY SHE'S TAKEN! BACK OFF!" Kazuki swiped his claws at Suzuki, but he flew back before his claws could make contact.

"Temper, temper!" He said casually. "I was only trying to be polite." A poised grin on his face.

"OI! Wipe that confident look off your face! SHE'S MINE YOU GOT IT!"

"Alright, alright!" He said waving his hand in a bored manner. "What about the other lovely ladies?"

Tanaka swiftly strode towards Amaya and gave Suzuki a menacing glare, but Suzuki didn't notice. He was suddenly staring wide eyed in another direction. Everyone followed his gaze and saw the object of his attention.

It was Nira.

Suzuki had completely forgotten the other ladies in the group and the expression in his eyes made him look bewitched. Nira took a while to notice what was going on, she was too submerged in her book to realise that she was being watched.

She looked up at this stranger staring at her as if she had just woken up from a dream and didn't know what was going on.

"And I suppose." He began after regaining his composure. "That I will have to battle a hundred men before having a beauty like you all to myself." He sighed affectionately.

Nira's face scrunched up. The only people she had met like this were the ones she killed in her forest and it pained her that she couldn't just snap his neck off right there and then. So instead she slapped him right across the face with the full force of her whole arm and sent him crashing to the ground.

Suzukis head was buried in a hole created by the full force of Niras attack while his body was still up in the air.

Everyone looked at Nira with terrified expressions on their faces. She however straightened up her book and kept reading.

"Well, it's about time a woman smacked him!" Suzukis friend laughed.

When he regained his consciousness they had all already left and he was flabbergasted. Suzuki had never in his life had a girl viciously attack him, though this only made him more infatuated with her.

The others were well on their journey to the tribe in the North West when Suzuki had woken up. Nira wanted to leave immediately after everyone had gotten over their shock.

"I hope that guy doesn't follow us." Sen said looking behind them; though just as she said this she noticed an unusual amount of dirt lifting into the air. Someone was running towards them and they were running fast!

Before she had the chance to identify the traveller they had sped right up to them and was standing right in front of Nira with a rose on their hand. It was Suzuki.

"I have come to help you on your quest. The old man said you were going to defeat Kyoufu Oni and I couldn't DREAM of allowing this lovely woman to fight without me by her side!" He said as he bowed and offered Nira the rose. This time she didn't choose to attack him, instead she simply walked past him without a word. He looked up and blinked innocently, a confused expression on his face.

"You should really go back and help grandpa out!" Kazuki said irritably. "We don't need you here anyway! We can handle this and I'm sure the old man wouldn't want to lose a happy little helper like you. So go back already!"

"Oh no it's quite alright! The old man said that I should go with you guys. It was all his suggestion."

"Oh great!" Kazuki said sarcastically. 'I guess the old man can't handle him either.' He thought irritably.

Suzuki behaved himself for most of the trip and chatted quite happily with Sen and Yuko who were trying desperately to keep him away from Nira because for all they knew his life could depend on it.

"Well, we're here!" Kazuki told everyone hours later. It was a village surrounded by grassy cliffs. It was quite comfortably nestled in a valley with a river that cut through and then cascaded down a waterfall.

"What a beautiful place!" Sen sighed with admiration.

"Riku, Shushu and I will fly people down one at a time just to be safe." Kaya said to the others.

So Sen went down on Shushu, Kazuki on Kaya and Yuko on Riku.

Everyone else stood at the top of the cliff waiting for their turn to be flown down when suddenly a part of the cliff crumbled under Amayas feet.

"AMAYA" Kazuki bellowed.

Kaya flew back up as quickly as she could but she was too late. Amaya had already fallen into the valley and was caught by a villager who happened to be collecting wood under the cliff.

"T-t-thank you! Y-you saved my life!" When she said this she looked at her saviour for the first time.

He had hazel eyes, medium length copper-brown hair and pointed ears. Amaya froze in shock because she knew this villager.

"...H-h-h-HOTAKA!?"