A Dragon's Fang, a Human's Heart

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

A human with the power of a demon. To many such an idea sounds ludicrous, does it not? Well he's here to prove them wrong. He will journey across time with the love of his life on his journey as he fights for friendship, for honor, for life, and above all, for love. Rewrite of the Rise of a Warrior: Inuyasha.

8. The Mystery of Naraku

(The Mystery of Naraku)

"When the ten Fangs of Ryuhogo reunite after thousands of years, the Dragon Guardian shall at last fulfill his destiny and rid this world of the Jewel that has caused so much suffering, and begin a new era for all."

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The sun was setting over the skies of Feudal Japan.

A massive army of bandits and their chief rode over the land "I have to say men we made quite the hall for tonight! Just look at those bales of rice, who would've thought that tiny village would have such a large storehouse."

"Let's hurry out of this area instead of setting up camp for the night." one of the men told the chief "They say when the sun sets the monsters come out around here."

"What kind of outlaws are you running away from little goblins?"

"Hey chief look up ahead!"

"What?" the chief glanced forward and noticed a figure with long white hair standing in front of them "That's no demon, it's only a human! A human with armor and weapons no doubt, I say we kill him and strip him of his weapons!" and so they all charged in.

Unfortunately, what they thought was a human was actually Sesshomaru, now sporting a new left arm plundered from a previously slain demon "At the very least you will be able to test my new acquirement." and so he ripped through every single one of them in one clean stroke, evaporating all of them in an instant "Those who live without honor die without honor."

That was when Jaken showed up and started kissing his ass like always "Once again you made quick work of them, very impressive Lord Sesshomaru. I must say that slaying that blue demon earlier and plundering his arm was an absolutely splendid idea."

"Stop trying to save yourself and look closer." Sesshomaru ripped the blue arm from his body and threw it to the ground as it began corroding "This arm has already been rendered useless by its corrosion process."

"Oh my, that didn't last for very long." Jaken was promptly grabbed by the corroding arm, much to his dismay.

"Go find me a more suitable demon and bring me back his arm, and know that if you don't then I will have to kill you."

"Let me go let me go, release me at once!" Jaken quickly freed himself from the arm in a comical panic 'Oh my mother was right, I should've been a ferryman. This is entirely Inuyasha's fault, he's the wretch who cut off Lord Sesshomaru's arm! It is not the sword that severed his arm toward which I direct my hatred, it is the beast who wielded it in the heinous act! By all rights the Tessaiga belongs to Lord Sesshomaru, and we shall take it back from the wretch without failure!'

Sesshomaru stared out into the distance "Even if I am provided with another arm it shall also be useless after a short period of time, to continue such a cycle would be pointless."

"Quite a vexing problem is it not?"

Sesshomaru glanced back 'This one, something is different about him.'

Standing before Sesshomaru and Jaken was a figure clad in a white baboon pelt "If I am not mistaken you are the elder half brother of Inuyasha, Lord Sesshomaru are you not?"

"You speak as if I'm supposed to know who you are."

"I would be surprised if you did, I am someone who despises Inuyasha and all of his companions like yourself, forgive me but I happened to overhear your conversation just now. Perhaps I can be of assistance." he held up an arm "Might I suggest that you employ this arm?"

"You realize that is the arm of a human, what would make it of any use to me?"

"This arm did once belong to a mortal yes, but embedded in it is a shard of the sacred Shikon Jewel."

"The Shikon Jewel you say."

"If you should choose to employ this arm with which I provide you then the jewel shard will enable you to wield the Tessaiga, the fabled sword currently in Inuyasha's possession. The sword is fabled to work for the benefit of man, as present a demon such as yourself would be unable to even touch the Tessaiga."

"You mentioned something about despising Inuyasha previously." Sesshomaru quickly stomped down on Jaken to keep him silent "Tell me, do you intend to use me to exact your revenge upon him?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

"I must admit your offer does sound quite interesting. Very well then, I shall accept this arm from you."

"I'm honored by your acceptance. Oh, and one other thing." he handed Sesshomaru what appeared to be a small hive "Take this hive with you, I believe that you shall be able to make good use of it with certainty. One of Inuyasha's companions in particular comes to mind with this."

"I should know the name of the one I make a pact with."

"My apologies, call me Naraku."

"Very well Naraku, you have yourself a deal."

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At the same time, our group of heroes had settled down in an inn for the night.

Kagome let out a content sigh "Oh yeah, now this is so much better than having to sleep in the forest. We can have a nice meal, a hot bath and climb under our nice crisp sheets and have a good rest for a change."

Tatsu gave a shrug "I don't know, I think that ruffing it outside builds character."

"Yeah whatever smartass." Inuyasha grumbled "Excuse me for making you sleep in the wilds all the time."

"Eesh, what died and crawled up your ass? Are you still that bent out of shape about the fact that coming here was Miroku's idea?"

"Nobody asked for your opinion."

"And yet you prompted it by acting like a jackass."

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Miroku was hard at work conning people by placing sutras around the area "There that should suffice, with the last seal in place the ominous black clouds that hover over your tavern should disappear for good."

The owner was fooled pretty easily "I am forever in your debt good monk, goodness me when you appeared on my doorstep claiming that an evil cloud hung overhead why I almost jumped out of my skin in fear, but now thanks to your exorcism I can rest peacefully."

"I assure you sir it's all in a day's work for a simple monk."

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Kagome gave a content sigh "I can't eat another bite, that was the best meal that I've had in who knows how long."

"About 9 weeks." Tatsu noted dryly "That's how long it's been since we last went home, actually before Inuyasha got the Tessaiga." he glanced up to see Miroku make his way back in "So how did the exorcism go?"

"Uneventful as expected." Miroku promptly sat down "Now I'm personally ready for some much needed relaxation."

"Yeah let me stop you right there monk." Inuyasha let out a growl "There's something that I haven't been able to figure out about your powers."

"Which is?"

"Whenever we're looking for a place to stay for the night you suddenly detect some kind of ominous cloud hanging over whatever seems to be the finest tavern in the area, so how the hell is that exactly?"

"Oh, so you noticed that after all." Miroku handed Tatsu some money "I suppose I lost that wager then, anyway they say that a falsehood is sometimes the expedient path."

"Wait what?! You mean there never was any black cloud or anything?"

"You're just figuring that out now?" Tatsu let out a snort "It's not rocket science."

"Son of a bitch you're even more shifter than I thought, both of you!"

"And when the hell did you suddenly get a heart of gold?"

"Hey at least when I screw people over I'm honest about it!"

"Yeah and you get your ass kicked because of it." this was followed by the earth beneath them shaking "See even the Earth itself knows that when you get your ass handed to you it's always because you have it coming."

"You realize that this is serious."

"Yeah I know, but snark is what helps me cope. Maybe you're rubbing off on me a lot more than I thought you were."

Kagome's head suddenly snapped up "Guys this is big, I'm sensing a shard of the jewel nearby and it's approaching us fast."

"Them bringing us the jewel shards, that's a nice change of pace. Makes things a lot easier for us in the long run."

Miroku nodded "Indeed, and if there is a jewel shard involved then such a battle is worth the effort to come."

"Yeah sorry monk but I call dibs on this one." Tatsu bolted out of the inn, with Miroku right behind him.

"Hey wait for me you sons of bitches!" Inuyasha bolted after them.

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The villagers were confused by the sudden earthquake, only to end up running and screaming in terror when they noticed an absolutely massive ogre demon looming over the mountain above them.

Tatsu and the others arrived on the scene, only to notice Sesshomaru riding on the shoulder of the ogre demon "And just like that things just got a hell of a lot more interesting. And in my case, interesting means exciting and probably gorey."

"It would seem that you remember from our previous encounter, which means that you must also remember this as well." Sesshomaru blitzed towards the ground and unleashed a corrosive wave of acid from his Poison Claws, forcing all of those present, with the exception of Tatsu and Inuyasha, to take cover.

"Oh believe me, I know that all too well. Terra Shield!" Tatsu slammed his hands into the ground and summoned a wall of earth to protect Kagome, Shippo and Miroku from the wave of poison "You guys just stay there for now, Inuyasha and I can handle this."

Sesshomaru retracted his poison claw and the corrosive acid subsided "As usual you are slow to take action little brother, whereas your human companion is quick to take action and prioritize what he believes is most important, in this case protecting his companions, and is sure to shield them to the best of his ability on such short notice. Not only that, but he seems to have actually improved since our last encounter. You've awakened the second Fang of Ryuhogo."

"I'm still learning how to use it properly, but the good thing about it is that I get to explore a multitude of possibilities. So what business do you have here anyway? Not that I don't appreciate the chance to see how much stronger I am compared to our last encounter, but I think it's safe to say you came for the Tessaiga."

"I do appreciate that you chose not to feign ignorance."

"Still haven't given up on it yet huh?" Inuyasha dropped into a stance "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"You shouldn't, now draw your sword Inuyasha or will you surrender it to me now without the need for a battle?"

"Not a chance in hell of that happening, this time around I'll take off a hell of a lot more than just one of your arms." Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga and prepared to charge.

Tatsu quickly pulled him aside "I think it's safe to say that we both know we can't beat him unless we work together, if we're gonna do this we're gonna have to hit him hard and hit him fast."

"As if you had to tell me that!" Inuyasha charged at Sesshomaru at full speed.

Sesshomaru dodged every strike with ease "Such a pity, I see that you have yet to draw out the full power of the Tessaiga."

"Oh yeah? Well let's see about that!" Inuyasha charged at him again.

Sesshomaru grabbed Inuyasha by the writs "Your swordsmanship is pitiful at best, the little man is having trouble holding his sword." he used his poison claws to burn Inuyasha's wrist "Of course my actions now do raise a question. Which will be the first to drop, your wrist or the sword?"

"Oh yeah… well it's not gonna be the sword!" Inuyasha gripped the Tessaiga using his free hand to overpower Sesshomaru "I'll split you right in half you sad excuse for a demon!"

"It would've been wiser for you to surrender." Sesshomaru broke away and then used his poison whip to knock the Tessaiga out of Inuyasha's grip, and then he proceeded to pick it up himself using the left arm Naraku gave him, leaving everyone present stunned in horror.

'What the hell? That's impossible, he shouldn't be able to touch the sword!'

"And now for the full power you failed to show me. Wind Scar!" Sesshomaru fired a blast of energy from the blade of the Tessaiga.

Inuyasha quickly leapt out of the way of the blast "But Sesshomaru is a demon, how the hell is he able to touch the Tessaiga?"

"Well I don't know but I have a feeling I'm about to find out." Tatsu stepped forward and cracked his neck "Take my advice and hang back Inuyasha, from here on out this fight is all mine all the way."

"Not a chance in hell, it's my sword and he's my brother so if anyone's gonna kick his ass then it's gonna be me!"

"A valid point, but here's my counterpoint. It's a little bit of something that I like to call… boot to the head!" faster than Inuyasha was able to follow, Tatsu dealt Inuyasha a brutal kick to the jaw, the force sending him soaring into the night sky like a shooting star "Well that worked out pretty well, for now at least. So out of curiosity, how long do you think we've got before he comes back down?"

"Knowing him, a matter of moments." Sesshomaru noted flatly "That is if it were up to him, though in reality I estimate a matter of hours."

"Which means I only have a few hours to fight you one on one and see what this full power of the Tessaiga is that you mentioned."

"So you are curious. Very well then, stand back as the rightful owner of the Tessaiga takes this moment to demonstrate its power." he glanced back "Jaken. Do it."

"Yes my lord, as you command I shall summon all of the demons down from the mountain at once! Now then, go forth!" Jaken had the massive ogre demon strike the side of the nearby mountain, summoning forth.

"If you wish to learn of the true power of the Tessaiga then I will grant your wish Fang Holder, now witness as I slaughter 100 demons with one stroke. Wind Scar!" and sure enough, true to his word, Sesshomaru unleashed a powerful blast of energy from the sword, annihilating all of the demons on the spot.

Tatsu let out a low whistle "Slaughtering 100 in one stroke and carving the mountain? Okay that's both terrifying and exciting at the same time."

"So now you understand, this sword was forged from the fang of my own father and as such it reigns supreme. Unfortunately the Tessaiga is not capable of choosing its owner, but perhaps now you see that a mere half breed such as Inuyasha could never master it."

"Maybe, maybe not. Let's focus on the here and now for the time being, which also raises an interesting question. What would you say to a little wager?"

"I'm listening."

"I think it's safe to say that if you were to go all out against me I wouldn't be able to beat you, not as I am right now. But how about this, if I can do well enough to rip that arm from your body then you give back the Tessaiga and hand over that jewel shard welding that arm to your body so you can wield the Tessaiga in the first place. Sound good?"

"...Such a challenge does seem interesting. Very well then, I accept."

"Glad to hear it." Tatsu dropped into a combat stance "Should I be scared? Probably. Am I scared though? Not as much as I am excited."

"Tatsu hold on, I'm coming to help!" Kagome prepared to rush out to join him.

"Stay back!" this stopped her in her tracks "He's not the kind of opponent you can handle, just stay back so you don't get caught in the crossfire!"

"You say that as if she's the only thing you have to worry about." Sesshomaru noted.

"Her safety is one of my two top priorities, you already know that."

"Enough!" that was when Miroku butted into the situation "My apologies Tatsu but I cannot listen to this any longer, I must put an end to this rivalry before any blood is shed without any necessity.

"Hey butt out Miroku I can handle this."

"Not on your own you can't."

"You haven't seen what happens when I get serious- Dammit will you get your hand off my ass already!"

"We've been over this, the hand is cursed!"

"It's not the hand that's cursed."

"Don't be so stubborn."

"Not an option with me."

Jaken studied Miroku from atop the ogre demon "Naraku spoke of a certain monk that travels with Inuyasha that would prove to be more troublesome than even he. What nonsense, he looks no more troublesome than any other mere mortal! Please Lord Sesshomaru allow me to finish off the monk, no sense in wasting your energy on such a feeble opponent."

Sesshomaru stepped back "Do as you wish Jaken, I will observe. Deal with the monk, but leave this one for me to battle with myself."

"Thank you milord. Now move onward, crush all of them, leave none of them alive!" Jaken had the ogre bring down its massive claw.

"Everyone get behind me! Wind Tunnel!" Miroku ushered everyone to get behind him and unleashed his Wind Tunnel, forcing Sesshomaru to retreat to a safe distance whereas the ogre demon got sucked in almost entirely.

"No no no no no, stop this!" Jaken was forced to abandon the ogre in order to avoid being sucked in himself.

Sesshomaru studied Miroku for a moment 'I suppose this is as good of a time as any to use that hive of Saimyosho insects, now we shall see if Naraku was correct.' he used the hive to summon the Saimyosho.

Miroku was quick to notice something wrong 'What are these creatures? They're not being sucked into my Wind Tunnel, they're flying directly into it!' and then he felt a searing pain in his hand and he fell to one knee "My apologies Tatsu but it would seem that I've done all I can in this battle."

"Hot damn, what did they do to you?" Tatsu summoned an iron sword and quickly cut down all of the Saimyosho with a few clean strokes "Hey monk are you gonna be okay?"

"The venom in the insects must have poisoned me, but I should live. I simply need to expunge it from my system somehow."

"I gotcha. Kagome take Miroku back to where I set up the Terra Shield, keep him and Shippo safe back there while I take on Sesshomaru. Oh and one more thing." in his hand he summoned another sword made of metal "Take this thing with you, just to be on the safe side."

"I think I have an antidote or something in my bag that should be able to wash it out of his system, just be sure to be careful." Kagome slung Miroku's arm over her shoulder and led him back to safety behind the wall of earth.

"Now let's get down to business."

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Tatsu "When I heard word of the Thunder Brothers and the ogress Urasue meeting their demise at the hands of a human, it took me very little time to realize that it was you who had done the deed. All things considered, in only a matter of weeks your power has grown even beyond what I had anticipated."

"Hey they all had the same weakness, their arrogance was their downfall since they couldn't back it up."

"As you are already aware, I have no such weakness. I never toy with my adversaries, for me battle is either an inconvenience or it is business. At the moment our battle is the latter, both of us testing our new limitations. You stated that you wish to experience the true power of the Tessaiga first hand did you not?"

"I did."

"So be it. However, if you wish for me to draw out that power then you will have to earn it in the heat of battle and prove to me you are worthy of experiencing such power."

"Sounds fair to me." Tatsu promptly surrounded one of his hands in electricity 'One thing is obvious just by looking at him, he's a hell of a lot stronger than Inuyasha. If I'm gonna do this then I'm gonna have to hit him hard and hit him fast. Alright Sesshomaru I hope you're ready for this, I'm gonna come at you with everything I've got and I expect you to be able to take that and then some! Dragon Burst!" Tatsu burst forward unleashed a blast of blue energy.

Sesshomaru cut clear through the blast using the Tessaiga "You'll have to do better than a simple attack like that one."

"Oh believe me, I know that all too well." Tatsu drew both of his swords off of his back and attempted to cut Sesshomaru down.

Sesshomaru simply dodged and weaved his way around each slash of the blades and thrusted forward a hand charged with poison claws, burning Tatsu's wrist and knocking one of his swords out of his grip.

"And now for one of my new favorites!" Tatsu gritted his teeth to work through the pain, and then he summoned an iron club and attempted to smash Sesshomaru with it.

Sesshomaru blocked the iron club with his right arm, receiving a large bruise from it as a result, but he quickly healed himself "It would seem that you're quite nimble and capable in multiple styles of combat, with strength and speed greater than what you demonstrated the last time we met." he quickly caught Tatsu in a chokehold using his poison whip "But tell me, can you break out of this?"

"How about… we find out… right now? Desert… BIND!" Tatsu cranked his neck to the side, which caused pillars of sand to rise up from the ground and grab Sesshomaru by both arms, which bound him in place if only for a moment "And now for the counterattack!" now that his grip had been loosened, he dealt Sesshomaru a fierce uppercut kick to the jaw, which sent him flying into the air.

Sesshomaru recovered in mid air and used another poison whip to grab Tatsu by the back of the neck and hurled him across the battlefield.

"Terra Shield!" Tatsu summoned a wall of earth to stop himself, which shattered as he made contact with it "And now for the follow up! Molten Spears!" Tatsu slammed both of his hands into the ground and a series of spears made of rock (albeit with an orange tint to them, you might want to remember that), and with a wave of his hand he sent them hurtling forward.

Sesshomaru leapt into the air and dodged and weaved his way around the spears, only for him to land on the ground and see the spears closing in on them "So they follow the target they seek until they reach it. Interesting, but a flawed tactic. Wind Scar!" with a wave of the Tessaiga he unleashed a Wind Scar that shredded the molten spears, only for them to start radiating an intense amount of heat 'No!' he realized too late what was going on, only a splic second before he was engulfed in a fiery explosion.

'Let's hope that at least did something…' Tatsu took a second to retrieve his swords and breath a sigh of relief 'That one took a lot out of me. Dammit, I'm not used to using that many consecutive attacks at once like that. I wonder if it did any significant damage to him.'

However, when the smoke cleared Sesshomaru emerged with some minor wounds, but he quickly healed himself within a matter of moments, though his armor had sustained some noticeable damage as well "When one makes mistakes it can either be an experience that one can learn from or they allow it to ruin their lives and very likely even cut them short, such is the world that we live in. However, the more severe the mistake made the more likely the latter is to be true."

"Which raises the question, which one is this supposed to be?"

"That is something only you can decide, but know that the greater the power and the experience that you possess, the more likely it would be the former."

"Still though, you took all of that and your healing factor just makes it look like I barely even scratched you. I should be terrified but I'm actually impressed."

"And your capabilities have improved significantly since our last encounter, back then I was focused on the Tessaiga so I was unable to assess you to a sufficient extent, but now is a different story. Now that I've finished with what I believe you would refer to as a warmup." his right arm began subtly radiating green energy.

'Looks to me like he's finally getting serious.'

"Before we get started, out of respect for the courageous stand you've put up thus far I will offer you two choices. You can run and hide with the rest of your companions, in which I will allow you to leave with your life, or you can stay and face me with honor and courage. But be warned, if you do stay then I will no longer hold back."

"That's exactly what I'm counting on, now let's do this!" Tatsu promptly summoned two ice swords and charged into the fray.

"Very well then, as you request I will show you the true power of the Tessaiga when it is in the hands of one who knows how to use it. Wind Scar!" true to his word, Sesshomaru unleashed the full power of the Tessaiga with one single stroke.

"Tectonic Uprising!" Tatsu summoned a pillar beneath his feet to propel himself into the air to avoid the Wind Scar "Terra Fist!" coating his fist with a small layer of rock, he charged down towards Sesshomaru and let the fist fly.

"Poison Shrapnels!" Sesshomaru fired off a continuous barrage of poisonous nails from his right arm, piercing Tatsu in his left shoulder, his left abdomen and his right arm, the force sending him tumbling backwards "You were wise to use your wind manipulation abilities to avoid the Wind Scar, however you lacked the knowledge that I could continuously fire off and regrow my poisonous nails at will to pierce through my opponents, and thus you being struck by that attack could not be avoided, especially not at such close range."

"Yeah that would've been good to know ahead of time." Tatsu pulled himself back to his feet, sparing a quick glance at the small bleeding holes left by the poisonous nails "Hey while we're just talking let me offer you a piece of advice, if you're gonna kill someone then make sure that you do it fast and you do it right because if they can survive your first attack then it has a really ugly way of coming back to bite you right in the ass."

"Duly noted."

"Just like whenever someone failed to do me in, I always came back even stronger than ever before. I'm not like the humans and demons from this era, I live with my life on the line in every moment like you guys do sure, but unlike you I train and fight to protect the people that I care about and to push myself even further to see just how far I can go. It doesn't matter if I have the Fangs of Ryuhugo or not, if I had to then I would fight you to my last breath."

"I see, well then I suppose I should commend you on your spirit as well."

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Jaken poked his head out from the rubble in disbelief "Lord Sesshomaru nearly killed me, his own servant, with his own attack! His blatant disregard for his allies or foes when he sets his mind on killing someone is much more terrifying than his awesome power! My future my not be in the best hands."

"It's not." Kagome poked her head out of the rubble, along with Miroku and Shippo, and then grabbed Jaken by the head "Hey you mind answering a question or two?"

"You're all still alive?"

"I'll be asking the questions here. How is it that we've never met yet I'm pretty sure you brought those weird insects to mess with Miroku's Wind Tunnel?"

"...We did?"

"I said I'd be asking the questions here." she kicked the Staff of Two Heads out of his reach for emphasis to show that she was serious "So talk."

"Wait what am I afraid of? I'm under no obligation to answer any questions from a weakling human wench like you!"

"Maybe I can't do much to you myself, but I can think of a few people who would be more than happy to oblige."

"Oh really, like who?" he glanced ahead and his smug look fell.

As it turns out, Inuyasha was looming directly behind Kagome, covered in large bruises and looking mad as hell "Hey there."

"...Oh damn."

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"Alright then, let's do this." Tatsu dropped into a combat stance and cracked his neck, his eyes blazing with determination "I hope you're ready for this."

Sesshomaru promptly entered a stance with the Tessaiga "I should say the same for you, because I no longer need to gauge your power."

"Well you should, because of this." Tatsu blitzed forward and dealt Sesshomaru a knee to the jaw and a fist across the face, sending him soaring across the battlefield, but he wasn't done as he blitzed above Sesshomaru and hit him with an energy blast that sent him hurtling towards the ground below.

Sesshomaru recovered in time to dodge the follow up attack "It would seem that this is what you would refer to as a second wind, I did not expect you to reach this level of capability in battle so soon.

"You know that reminds me of something that my brother used to say to me a lot when I was growing up. He said that whenever you face a formidable opponent, what matters isn't how strong or fast they are, it's having the heart and courage to face them head on without any hesitation. I took those words to heart and I live by them every single day, and they push me to get stronger as a result."

"Such are the words of a dreamer, one who would not accept the reality of the world for what it truly is."

"Yeah well, I think that's one of those things that are more of a matter of perspective. You think they come from someone who can't accept reality, but I think they're the words of someone who can change the world."

"Perhaps, but if you truly are able to take those words to heart then you must prove it in the heat of battle as a Dragon Slayer would."

"Ask and you shall receive. Dragon Burst!" Tatsu promptly fired forward a blue wave of energy with one hand.

Sesshomaru managed to avoid the Dragon Burst and attempted to attack Tatsu using his poison whip, and then he swapped out for a corrosive blast from his palm, the effects of which were enough to send Tatsu stumbling back "Now feel the power of the Tessaiga first hand as you wished for. Wind Scar!" he unleashed the Wind Scar at full power.

'Dammit, he's got me!' unable to recover from the effects of the poison claws in time, Tatsu was forced to take on the full effects of the blast, blowing him back in the massive explosion that followed.

Sesshomaru prepared to make a follow up attack, only for the blade of the Tessaiga to be hit by a purple blast of energy, causing the blade to transform back 'A blast of spiritual energy powerful enough to transform the Tessaiga back.' he glanced over.

As it turns out, Kagome stood a short distance away, her palm emitting smoke from firing that energy blast "I'm warning you now Sesshomaru, drop the sword and step away from the fight-happy idiot or the next shot is gonna take off your head!"

"So it would seem that you are a priestess. I had heard rumors of a human priestess being reincarnated, and it would seem that you are she."

"And you're the one with a shard of the Shikon Jewel, say goodbye to it!" she fired another energy blast.

Sesshomaru deflected it with his right arm with ease "A worthy attempt, however you are far from ready to do battle with the likes of myself."

"You wanna bet?"

"Stop it… He's right…" Tatsu pulled himself back to his feet, still alive and still full of fighting spirit in him, although after taking the full force of a Wind Scar, his body and gi were both shredded and covered in blood "You know… it's funny…" let out a bitter chuckle "I've trained so hard… I've pushed myself to the absolute limit… Fangs or no Fangs… but this is the first time… I've gotten so wrecked by an opponent… I guess this means… I have a long way to go…"

Sesshomaru eyed him for a moment, not with his normal disdain, but with a small hint of mutual respect "I'm glad you realize the greater truth of the challenges yet to come. You have fought valiantly and with honor, but this is the end. Should you survive this next attack, I look forward to seeing how you grow in the future, and perhaps fight you again. But now, this battle is at last over. Wind Scar!" he unleashed one final Wind Scar.

'I guess this is it… sorry everyone… I did the best I could… Kagome… Kazuma… all of my friends… dad… forgive me…' Tatsu closed his eyes and prepared to accept his face, but then he heard a voice in his head.

"Is that it? That's not what I trained you for. It's not what you spent almost ten years training for."

'Ryuhogo… is that you?'

"It is, because I need to make sure that you don't die here today, and even more importantly, you don't give up on protecting what you hold dear. He might be formidable, but when has facing a formidable enemy ever stopped you before."

'It hasn't, but…'

"Then that should be all there is to it. Just because a battle had you with your back against a metaphorical wall, that's no good excuse to give up. Tatsu, listen to me, because this is something you need to hear. If you don't do this, then Kagome is going to die. Inuyasha is going to die. Everyone here is going to die. But before all of that, if you don't do this then you are going to die. And you can be better than that, you can be better than him, you can even be better than me. I can see it, a vast reservoir of potential hidden inside of you, one of which you've only scratched the surface. You are more than just another wielder of the Fangs I created, you are Tatsu Kamikaze. Now as I'm sure you're very fond of hearing, you have to plant your feet, grit your teeth, and eat that horse!"

'...You're seriously going for a Team Four Star reference right now?'

"It seemed the most appropriate way to motivate you, given what I've seen you go to for entertainment over the years."

'Hey I'm not complaining, I was just making an observation. But you're right, I can't afford to give up under any circumstances. Case and point. Terra Shield!" with his conviction renewed and his resolve unwavering, Tatsu slammed a hand into the ground and summoned a large wall of earth in front of him, a split second before he was engulfed by the explosion.

Sesshomaru watched as the explosion engulfed him "Whether you survive or not is up to you now." he glanced over "And once again this is quite intriguing."

As it turns out, an absolutely furious Kagome was standing before him, her body radiating purple energy wildly with tears streaming down her face "You're gonna pay for that! You're gonna pay for what you did to my best friend!"

"You allow your anger and emotions to cloud your judgement, and thus no matter how much power you may be able to command you lack the means to control it effectively."

"You wanna bet?!" she fired a full power energy blast.

Sesshomaru caught the blast with his right arm, and although he was pushed back a short distance, he eventually was able to deflect it into the distance "A worthy strike, although clouded by emotions." he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and glanced over "And what do we have here?"

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Jaken was horrified by what he was seeing "How could Lord Sesshomaru possibly be wounded by two worthless mortals?!"

"Ahem." that was when Miroku got his attention, looming over him in a very menacing and terrifying fashion.

"Uh… methinks the girl's earlier expression was more menacing to the eye and less menacing to the head." he tried to run away, only to be grabbed by the head by Miroku.

"And just where exactly do you think you're going you little imp?"

"Uh… going to a funeral?"

"If by that you mean yors then yes." he started shaking Jaken violently "Now answer my questions you nasty little beast, where did you get those poisonous insects?"

"Alright alright, they were given to us by a demon, but I didn't see his face because he wore a baboon mask and pelt to conceal himself!"

"What about his name, did you get his name?"

"Yes yes, the demon called himself Naraku." this caused Miroku's mood to turn to deadly serious almost instantly.

"Naraku you say? But why would he use Inuyasha's brother like this? No pondering that can wait for later. Tell me of his location, tell me where I can find him!"

"I don't know where he is, and even if you did manage to find him it wouldn't do you any good anyway! Your fate has been sealed, the poison of the insects has taken hold and soon it will bring you to your death! You can feel the pain now can't you?"

"The pain means nothing to me, what concerns me is death and my wretched fate as a mere mortal."

"Well don't look to me for sympathy!"

"Very well then." and so Miroku proceeded to beat the ever loving shit out of Jaken in a very brutal fashion, causing Shippo to look away in horror.

"I really do have to keep my mouth shut."

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Sesshomaru caught the blast with his right arm, and although he was pushed back a short distance, he eventually was able to deflect it into the distance "A worthy strike, although clouded by emotions." he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and glanced over "And what do we have here?"

Sure enough, when the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Tatsu was still standing and ready to fight, revealing that the wall of earth he had summoned had protected him from the Wind Scar at the last second "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that to make me give up."

"So you continue to stand and fight against me." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly "And here I had believed that you had expended all of your strength."

"I thought so too at first, but then I remembered something a wise man once told me. When a person has something they want to protect, they become that much stronger. I've got people that I want to protect, which is why I can't and won't give up now or ever."

'The look in his eyes, his unwavering determination, and what he says about having something to protect… it's just like what father said to me the last time we met. His body however, it won't last long enough to carry out his will. How much can he do before he gives out entirely?'

Tatsu blitzed forward at amazing new levels of speed and stuck his claw into Sesshomaru's chest, and then he threw him over his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Wind Scar!" Sesshomaru quickly recovered and fired off a Wind Scar from the blade of Tessaiga.

"Tectonic Uprising!" Tatsu summoned a pillar of earth beneath his feet to elevate him up to avoid the Wind Scar, gritting his teeth despite the pain of his wounds, and his energy began surging around his body "For Kagome… for my friends… for everyone I care about… if you think that I would give up that easily then you're living in a fantasy! Even if he is able to use the full power of the Tessaiga, if I hit him with one attack packed with everything I've got then I at least stand a chance! I just have to give it my all, and show him what happenes to people who mess with my friends! Now let's GO!" he blitzed down to the ground in front of Sesshomaru and dealt him a swift kick to the chest that sent him staggering back a short distance, and then he cupped his hands in front of him "And now for the finisher! Dragon… CANNON!" with all of the power he was able to muster, he unleashed an even larger blue wave of energy that took on the form of a blue dragon, one that engulfed Sesshomaru and soared high into the night sky, before it detonated for everyone around to witness.

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Meanwhile, on the sidelines…

Inuyasha pulled Kagome out of the range of the blast, watching as it soared into the sky and out of sight "Tatsu you son of a bitch, you'd better not die on us. If anyone is gonna send you to hell then it's gonna be me." he glanced over to see Sesshomaru's left arm flying towards them and hitting the ground in front of them, the jewel shard falling out of it as it landed "Okay I'm pretty sure that means he won."

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The blast subsided, and the smoke slowly cleared.

Sesshomaru was back on the ground, still alive but visibly burnt across a considerable portion of his body. He coughed up some blood into his only remaining hand, but he stared at the visibly shaking form of Tatsu and he gave a small barely noticeable smile 'Well done, it would seem that the Fangs of Ryuhogo were wise to choose you to entrust their power.' he stood back to his feet and noticed the charred form of the Tessaiga embedded in the ground a short distance away.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" Jaken came running up towards him in terror "This is terrible, without the arm you are unable to hold onto the Tessaiga! Now what do we do?! And what of the human wretch, he's standing there motionless. He can barely stand at all, now is your chance to make him suffer for-"

"Be silent Jaken." that shut him up pretty effectively "And do not approach him or he will kill you. He may be unconscious now yes, but while acting on instinct his body would react and kill you instantly."

"Well should we grab the Tessaiga?"

"No. The blade stands within range of him, and therefore if I were to move for the Tessaiga his body would react on pure instinct, and he would strike me down in an instant. Come Jaken, for now we shall take our leave."

"But milord-"

"I intend to regain my strength, as I have seen what I need to see. Besides the Tessaiga is beyond my reach at the moment, so there is no point in staying."

"I won't argue with your decision, after you milord."

Sesshomaru grabbed Jaken by the Staff of Two heads and flew off into the night sky, with all of the remaining Saimyosho following right behind them.

Tatsu stood alone, his body frozen and unmoving as the energy surging around him faded out of existence, his mind barely able to process anything amidst the exhaustion he was feeling, and in only a matter of seconds he started to sway as he began to lose his balance.

'It looks like… I managed somehow… I won… More or less… sure I won this by the skin of my teeth… but I didn't expect him to be that powerful… If we had been fighting for keeps… then I would never have made it out alive… But that's not going to happen again… I'm gonna work even harder… I'm gonna get even stronger… and the next time I see him… I'm gonna beat him the right way…'

"Tatsu!" this was when Kagome started rushing towards him, with Inuyasha and the others all following right behind her.

'Kagome… everyone… they're alright… that's good…' those were the only thoughts Tatsu had enough strength left to process before he once again lost consciousness and finally collapsed into a puddle of his own blood.

"TATSU!"

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Jaken was quick to lose his patience with the Saimyosho "How far will these cursed insects be following us?!"

"Just be patient, clearly they intend to return to their master, and they also wish for me to discard what remains of the arm." Sesshomaru removed part of his robe, revealing something that instantly left Jaken horrified.

"Milord your left arm, the arm is burning at the joint! The fire licks at your shoulder, the arm is threatening to burn you alive!"

"Yes Jaken I am aware, I do not need you to narrate for me." Sesshomaru promptly ripped the remains of the arm off his body before it disintegrated, taking a few Saimyosho with it in the process.

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Meanwhile, in a dark forest…

Naraku wasn't pleased to hear the report from the Saimyosho "The pitiful soul, I see that even with my resources he had failed." he noticed Sesshomaru appear behind him and quickly raised his guard "Lord Sesshomaru, what a pleasant surprise."

"Naraku!" Jaken instantly started squawking at him "You were the one who gave that miserable human arm to Lord Sesshomaru in the hopes that he would destroy your enemies for you and then it would destroy him!"

"You are mistaken, I merely wished to assist him and then have the jewel shard be returned to me, but unfortunately events did not play out in our favor."

"I suppose that does make sense on some level." Sesshomaru wasted no time in using his poison claws to decapitate Naraku, causing the pelt to fall to the ground.

"HA!" Jaken squawked out a laugh "That serves you right you wretch, how dare you put my master in such jeopardy!"

"So it would seem that he was able to escape."

"What?! But how could he have-"

"Silence Jaken."

"Lord Sesshomaru." the voice of Naraku rang through the air "I would implore you to contain your anger, if another opportunity to destroy Inuyasha should arise then I may very well call on you again."

"...Such a character is quite crafty and audacious."

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Morning came, and as the sun was just rising over the skies, the group was being carried back to the village by Hachi in his massive gourd form.

Miroku slowly glanced down at him "Hachi my friend, we've both known each other for a long time."

"Do be sure to take cheer my friend, there's no need for deathbed sentimentality, hopefully not for a long time."

"Of course, I just mean thank you for this."

"So are you feeling any better?" asked Kagome.

"Well I believe that the remedy that you gave me to wash the poison out of my system is starting to take effect, you saved my life Kagome."

"It was just some soda to wash it out of your system."

"Well regardless it is working. You know I could use something to eat myself."

"So you regained your appetite, that's good." Kagome glanced back to the bandaged and still unconscious form of Tatsu "So how's he doing, you notice any changes?"

"Not since you last asked me 10 minutes ago." Inuyasha told her flatly, now sporting a gigantic bruise on his forehead "This is what he gets for being so overconfident, thinking he could take Sesshomaru on his own."

"You think we should be taking him home now? That must mean it's serious, but what about that hive of insects Sesshomaru had with him."

"From what Shippo told me it came from Naraku, along with that left arm and the jewel shard that came with it."

"The same demon that cursed Miroku's grandfather with the Wind Tunnel?"

"And the same demon that turned Kikyo and I against each other, which ended with her dying and me getting sealed to that tree for 50 years. He's gonna pay for this once I get my hands on him, that my I can guarantee." Inuyasha glanced out into the distance 'Naraku, he's finally close at hand. After 50 years he's returned and he's lurking somewhere nearby, he shows himself and makes a move whenever there's a shard of the jewel to be found. When he shows himself, I'm gonna be ready.'

'Yeah, at least you can do something.' Kagome looked down at Tatsu's form and let out a deep sigh 'Things can't keep going on like this, not if it means he's gonna keep almost getting himself killed.'

"Here we are." Hachi touched down outside the village and allowed the others to disembark before transforming back.

"Thanks for the ride Hachi, we owe you one." Kagome told him.

"No need to mention it."

"Just call this a token of appreciation." Miroku handed him some payment.

"I just hope that this was actually currency and not a roll of leaves."

"Oh come on that was just one time."

"Ha ha, very funny." Inuyasha hoisted Tatsu onto his back "Hey Kagome, if we're taking him back to your era then move it already." and so he bolted off towards the well.

"R-Right." Kagome slowly followed after him "Just be careful with him okay, I know he's a lot stronger than normal people but he's really injured."

"I'm not a fucking sadist." he shot a glare at Miroku and Shippo "Who the hell said you two were invited, now quit following."

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Soon enough, the group had reached the Bone Eater's well.

Inuyasha sat Tatsu down on the side of the well "You need me from here on out or can you make it back on your own?"

"I think I can at least make it back home." Kagome slung Tatsu's arm over his shoulder, but she spared a glance back at Inuyasha "Sorry about this Inuyasha, I have a feeling it's gonna be awhile before you see me again. But next time… I promise I won't be dead weight like I've always been." and with that, she leapt into the well with Tatsu.

"Let's hope not, with Naraku still out there we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

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A few hours later, in the modern era…

Kazuma looked over the sleeping form on Tatsu laid down on the couch "You both returned alive, that's the most important thing."

"I guess." Kagome handed him some herbs "Kaede told me that one of these is the best herb for all kinds of poison, whether it be demons or otherwise. The other one makes a good antiseptic, it really works but it really stings a lot too."

"You've learned a lot in the past few weeks haven't you? I have to say I'm glad you've grown so much stronger."

"Not strong enough, just look at him."

"Kagome…"

"Who am I kidding I'm pathetic, he's so badly hurt… and it's all my fault. Was that really the best that I could so, stand around like an idiot and maybe fire one shot while his back was turned, and then be forced to watch the fight from the sidelines? All this time I've been putting everything on Tatsu, and that's all I did. Tatsu didn't even hesitate, he fought Sesshomaru with everything he had, he fought to his last breath, and he almost died because of it. He's always been putting his life on the line, and now he's a bloody mess. I can't let things stay the way they are anymore, not if it means that he's gonna get himself killed."

"Kagome… as touching as that speech was, it does raise a question. If you want things to change so that something like this doesn't happen again, what are you going to do about it?"

"I… I don't know. I need to think this through for awhile, maybe clear my head."

"Go ahead and take all the time you need, I'll call and let you know when he wakes up."

"Alright, thanks Kazuma." and so she quietly took her leave.

'Looks like that fire in her eyes is about to start burning even brighter, I guess it's about time her grandfather started breaking out the good stuff for her.'

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The sun was beginning to set over the skies of Tokyo.

Kagome sat on the stairs to her shrine, her mind drifting with the wind 'I can't keep standing by and doing nothing, but what am I supposed to do? I'm not a fighter like Tatsu and the others are, I don't have years of training going for me, I don't have swords or elemental powers. I all have are my spiritual powers and a bow and a few arrows, which I'm not even that good at using right now, but I don't have that kind of time right now.'

"I can tell that you're troubled by something my dear."

Kagome glanced over to see her grandpa sit down next to her with a scroll in hand "Oh hey grandpa, listen I'm not really in the mood for a story right now. I've got a lot of stuff on my mind already."

"Yes, I heard about the injuries Tatsu suffered at the hands of that demon."

"Yeah, he's hurt pretty bad… and it's all my fault. Was that really the best that I could so, stand around like an idiot and maybe fire one shot while his back was turned, and then be forced to watch the fight from the sidelines? All this time I've been putting everything on Tatsu, and that's all I did. Tatsu didn't even hesitate, he fought Sesshomaru with everything he had, he fought to his last breath, and he almost died because of it. He's always been putting his life on the line, and now he's a bloody mess. I can't let things stay the way they are anymore, not if it means that he's gonna get himself killed. But I don't have the slightest clue how."

"...I think I have exactly what you need right here."

"Grandpa if this is another pig skin or something…"

"No not that, and your brother loved his you know. Let me demonstrate." he set aside the scroll and began forming a series of hand seals "Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen." his hands began glowing with white energy as he placed them down on his lap, and after a moment he pulled himself back to his feet "Now do you understand?"

"What… I don't understand grandpa, what exactly did you just do? What was that?"

"This is an ancient technique passed down through the Higurashi bloodline for numerous generations, and it's referred to as the Healing Hands."

"So you mean, you can use spiritual powers to heal injuries?"

"How do you think I've been holding back my arthritis for all these years?" he received no reply from her, and so he gave a smile "I've watched you throughout the years Kagome, I could sense the spiritual power within you since the day you were born. You may not have the fighting spirit that Tatsu and his companions do, but you have a gentle soul that takes joy in helping others, and so this technique is perfect for you. Would you like to learn its secrets?"

"You mean… It could heal Tatsu's wounds as well?"

"If used properly, then it can heal almost any injuries."

"Then I'll do it."

"Excellent, I've been hoping to find a chance for us to spend some time together." he laid out the scroll in front of her, revealing the steps of the Healing Hand "Now then, form the hand seals and chant together with me."

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha."

"Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha."

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2 full days had passed since the conflict with Sesshomaru, and recovering was slow going.

Inuyasha glanced down the well "Let's hope that when they get back they know how to get shit done properly."

Miroku nodded "Indeed, if they grow stronger in their own era then that will benefit all of us in the long run."

"Well the way I see it it's a good thing that they're gonna be gone for awhile otherwise I won't be able to fight the way I want to. Alright Miroku, grab Shippo and let's get going."

"Going to where exactly?"

"I think you already know the answer to that without even having to ask, we'll find Naraku and then crush him once and for all."

"Which does raise the question, how do you intend for us to go about searching for Naraku in the meantime? I hope that you've come across some new leads for us."

"No not exactly."

"You have nothing then."

"I never said that."

"Well I personally believe that our best hope currently lies in composing ourselves and thinking things through."

"We don't have time for any of that crap."

"What are you thinking? Come now Inuyasha, I want to crush Naraku as desperately as you do and you know very well why. 50 years he formed a Wind Tunnel on the hand of my grandfather, and now the curse has carried over the generations to me."

"Miroku… look I don't like to strategize as much as people you and Tatsu do, I'm more of the kind of guy who likes to take action."

"Work with me for now Inuyasha, you mentioned that you fell into Naraku's trap 50 years ago in this very same village correct?"

"Yeah."

"Which means that you've met Naraku in person haven't you?"

"Not exactly. I mean I did on that day, but I didn't know it was him. It must've been him and he was disguised as Kikyo, so I don't have a damn clue what he looks like."

"But it makes no sense, you don't know Naraku personally and yet he despised you enough to disguise himself as Kikyo and left you for dead. Could you have done something in the past to cause him to hold hatred for you?"

"How the hell should I know, I don't even know what he looks like."

"One thing we do know is that Kikyo was a priestess, perhaps it was her rather than you that earned the hatred of Naraku, especially since you claim to not know him."

"So what then, you think it's Kikyo he hates and he just wanted to spite me? Well actually I think that makes sense."

"Exactly."

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Morning came, and the sun had long since risen over the skies of Tokyo.

Tatsu slowly opened his eyes, cringing from the sunlight flashing through the blinds, and he tried to sit up, but he cringed from the pain he felt from his wounds "Where… Where am I?"

"You're back home in your own room." Raidou got his attention from where she was sitting in a nearby chair, and he pointed to where Arashi was snoring away in another chair "Your brother called us early this morning and told us you were back from whatever the hell it is you were doing until now, so what the hell happened to you?"

"Funny story about that, see I used to be an adventurer."

"No."

"But then I-"

"Stop it."

"-took an arrow-"

"Finish that goddamn meme and I will do so many illegal things to you."

"...to the knee." he was met with a growl.

"Fine, I'll let you and the idiot talk it out. Call me when you need me." and so he took his leave and shut the door behind him.

"Well he cares in his own way. Hey dude, get up."

"What-" Arashi suddenly snapped awake and glanced over at Tatsu "You look like you got run over by a bulldozer."

"I feel like it too, a bulldozer in the form of Inuyasha's older brother."

"Yeah I heard a little bit about that from your brother, he and Moya are doing their thing right now so I told them I'd watch over you until you woke up."

"How's he doing by the way, is he still on crutches?"

"For about another 3 weeks is the estimation the doctor gave us."

"Well that's just perfect, he gets hurt for me to get this new power and even then it's not enough to save me from being ripped apart by Sesshomaru."

"You came home alive, that's the important thing."

"Maybe, but I got hurt and Kagome and the others…" then he bolted upright "Oh shit, but what about Kagome, is she okay?"

"Physically she's fine but she looked pretty upset the last time I saw her, she stopped in to check on you before she left for school. "Yeah well scratch that off my to do list, I can't even walk right now. So out of curiosity when do exams start?"

"Next week, and then we've got a break. 6 whole weeks of doing absolutely nothing. At least for a normal person anyway."

"Tell me about it. I'm probably gonna be bedridden for god only knows how long."

"You know it's funny you say that, Kagome did mention something about that. Something along the lines of, if what she's working on actually pans out, then you might be back to full strength in a matter of days. No idea what the hell that means though."

"Same on my end, but she's not the type to scheme about something like that, so I don't think we have anything to worry about. Still though, getting back on my feet within the next few days does sound pretty good to me. Tatsu sat all the way up "Here's what I'm thinking you guys, first up it's a week of cramming for exams and then it's gonna be six full weeks of nonstop training. You guys with me?" he put his hand in.

"To the end of the line." Arashi put his hand in "We're like Cap and Bucky in real life, minus one of us getting turned into a mindless killer."

"Probably for the best, you wouldn't last in that line of work."

"Yeah probably not."

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Kaede gathered Inuyasha and Miroku in her hut "Thank ye both for coming."

"Where else would we be?" Inuyasha let out a snort "So what's so important you had to call on both of us like this?"

"I have given much thought to this ever since my sister Kikyo was revived by that evil demon ogress Urasue."

"And?"

"Kikyo had stated that it was ye Inuyasha who had cut her down and stolen the Sacred Jewel from her, do ye not think it strange? The one who disguised himself as ye could have made off with the jewel, and yet he did not. Instead he tricked ye into terrorizing the village and pursuing the Sacred Jewel for yourself, then Kikyo bound ye to a tree with her Sacred Arrow, so was the trickster attempting to pit ye against each other or was it Kikyo who was the true object of his malice? Was he trying to fill her heart with hatred and bitterness?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"In the possession of my sister Kikyo the Sacred Jewel of 4 Souls remained purified, but were her heart to become tainted and filled with hatred the jewel would also become defiled and filled with malevolent power. At the time I know of only a single person who would've wished for such an outcome."

"And who would that be?"

"Shall I take ye to the place where this man once resided?"

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School was about to get into session for everyone else.

Kagome was making her way to school in a set of civvies, her mind drifting as she contemplated the recent events 'The Healing Hand, a spell that lets me use my spiritual power to heal the wounds of others… It might just be what I need to help Tatsu. I might not be able to fight, but at least this way I won't be useless anymore.'

"Hey Kagome!" this was when the rest of her friends, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi, all came rushing up to her.

"Oh hey guys, long time no see."

"Yeah no kidding, so how's that rheumatism you're dealing with, and what about those planter's warts you have?"

'...For crying out loud grandpa!'

"Plus you're wearing civvies, is your uniform in the wash?" asked Ayumi.

"Yeah it had to be, no chance of wearing that anytime soon. I'm still trying to get the stains out of it, the whole thing was covered in blood." she was met with various gasps "What?"

"So you're saying that now you're a hemopihliac?!"

"Oh yeah, I'll be 6 feet under before you can even blink." her tone was laced with sarcasm "But in all seriousness, you can thank Tatsu for that seeing how it was his blood."

"He got into another fight didn't he, was it bad?"

"All I can really say is that when the fight was over, the other guy lost an arm and Tatsu was lying in a pool of his own blood." this was met with more gasps "And before you guys go on saying stuff like Tatsu is a bloodthirsty thug he's not, it couldn't be helped. Look I don't want to talk about this anymore, I'll see you guys in class." and so she walked away, her mind once again drifting 'Even now I have to wonder if Tatsu's bleeding has stopped. Look at me, he's always fighting for his life and all I can do is worry about him. Not to mention I still have a major bombshell to deal with, my best friend is in love with me. Great, now I feel like I'm the main character of some cheesy sitcom. Now I can just feel my heart pounding, I feel like I'm gonna start sweating like crazy! I'm totally freaking out! No no come on Kagome, focus on the more important stuff right now. Having to work through personal stuff can wait, right now I have to focus on this whole thing with the Healing Hand.'

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Meanwhile, back in the Feudal Era…

Soon enough, Kaede was leading Inuyasha and Miroku to their destination "Kikyo my sister had come to her own decision."

"She was harboring a thief." Inuyasha pointed out.

"It was because she felt pity for him, he was unable to move on his own." she led them to an abandoned cave "This is the cave, the man went by the name of Onigumo. I know not what caused his terrible injuries but he suffered from terrible burns and his face was especially scarred. I know not if he fell from a cliff or how he sustained these injuries, but both legs were broken and yet despite his severe wounds Onigumo continued to endure. He did not move again, but he recovered his strength enough to converse, and gradually his true nature emerged and revealed itself to us. He was wicked at heart and wished for the jewel to become corrupted by evil, I showed disdain for him but Kikyo's feelings of pity for him only grew. It was not long afterwards that sister Kikyo bound ye to the Sacred Tree with her arrow, and several days later when I went to visit Onigumo at the cave I found that it had been burned out. Judging by what I had seen the flames must have been intense, for Onigumo was unable to move and would have perished in the cave, and yet his bones were nowhere to be found. They too must have gone up in flames."

"So what does this have to do with me? I'm looking for Naraku and he's a demon, this wicked bastard Onigumo you're talking about is just some human."

"Mistaking a fact such as that, Onigumo may have been evil but he was human, a scourge to all of humanity."

"Let's go inside and take a look shall we?" Miroku was the first one to enter, but he quickly noticed something "Lady Kaede take a look here, this one slab of rock alone is free of grass and moss of any kind."

"It is the same place, this is the very site where Onigumo lay injured."

"So it would seem." Miroku knelt down to get a closer look, only to suddenly recoil "What is this, I'm sensing the evil spirit of a demon, an entity which has been left behind here for decades at least!"

"But such a thing is impossible!"

"Could it be a human that left this foul spirit behind, here in this spot where even grass refuses to grow?"

"The spirit in this cave doesn't belong to a human." Inuyasha noted "It definitely belongs to that of a demon."

"But if Onigumo was a human then how could he have possessed the spirit of a demon?"

"Guess this Onigumo guy is more than any of us thought he was-" Inuyasha whipped around and the sound of barking and glanced out to see what looked like wolves surrounding the cave "Okay didn't see that coming. Just stand back, I'll handle this. Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" he quickly ripped apart all of the wolves with his claws 'Lucky me Tatsu isn't here to steal my thunder like he always does, but even as he is right now he wouldn't last very long.'

And who should follow the wolves but their leader, a massive wolf like demon in what looked like samurai armor with a crazed look in his eyes and drool hanging out of his mouth "Might you be Inuyasha the half demon?"

"That depends who's asking, who the hell are you?"

"I am Royakan, the guardian of Haowa."

"I've heard of you Royakan, I thought you were supposed to be the gentle guardian of this forest talking about peace and love and crap."

"That was before I had been reborn, and now Inuyasha I have come to slay you!" he puked out a large number of wolves.

"All I can say to that is good luck asshole! He knows that Tatsu and Kagome aren't here, so he must think that without them we're defenseless. Fatal mistake on his part.' Inuyasha wasted no time in drawing the Tessaiga and ripping apart every wolf that came towards him with significant ease.

"Fight as you may, you can never defeat me!" Royakan unleashed another wave of wolves from his mouth.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

"Inuyasha stand back, I'll take care of this! Wind Tunnel!" Miroku rushed to the front and sucked in the massive number of wolves with his Wind Tunnel "Inuyasha quickly, don't waste time with these creatures! Attack Royakan himself!"

"Right!"

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What no one seemed to realize was that Naraku himself was hiding nearby, watching the battle unfold "I must congratulate myself, it was a brilliant idea indeed embedding a jewel shard in the body of Royakan."

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Inuyasha cut down several more wolves with the Tessaiga "Come on you furballs, I can do this shit all day. Hey monk how are you holding up on your end?"

"I'm moving as fast as I'm able to!" Miroku sucked in a large number of wolves using his Wind Tunnel, and then he hit Royakan in the face by using his staff before following up with his Wind Tunnel aimed directly at him.

"You… You will not take me monk!" Royakan smashed the ground beneath him, causing the Wind Tunnel to suck up all of the debris while he himself was able to get away.

Miroku quickly closed up his Wind Tunnel "So he was able to escape."

"Not like it's gonna matter." Inuyasha put the Tessaiga back in its sheath and spat out what appeared to be a mix of fur and blood "You sense anything else monk?"

"Indeed, I can sense that Naraku is nearby."

"What?"

"Royakan most likely had a jewel shard with him and though he is currently being manipulated by Naraku, which would explain such a gentle creature turning evil."

"Which also means that he's gonna be back, so we should head back to the village and think about what to do next."

"I thought you said that you weren't the strategic type."

"Fuck it, maybe Tatsu rubbed off on me a little bit."

"For the better clearly."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

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Meanwhile, back in the modern era…

Tatsu found himself chained down to his bed, with Moya looming over him "You realize that this could be considered child abuse on some level."

"That's only if it's to hurt you, but this is for your own good." Moya told him calmly "And you can save your energy, Kazuma took the Fangs away from you for your own good."

"He's the only person I would let get away with that. So refresh my memory, where exactly is he right now?"

"Going to Comic Con with Akira."

"Of course he is, the lucky son of a bitch. Look Moya I get that you mean well, and you like screwing with me and my brother on some level, but I can't afford to stay down like this any longer. I have a crap load of training to do and I have to get a lot stronger, Sesshomaru made that point abundantly clear to me."

"The sooner you let yourself heal the sooner that can happen, but for now you can focus on healing and then studying for your exams."

"Well yeah I get that, but-" and cue the knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Kagome poked her head inside "The front door was unlocked so I just let myself in, so how's he holding up?"

"You know how he is, he can mostly move around normally but as always he's trying to push himself too hard. Anyway, I'll give you guys a minute alone." and so Moya made her way out of the room.

"Not the kind of commanding attitude you'd expect from the girl who met her boyfriend at the maid cafe she used to work at while fantasizing about her younger brother."

"Yeah I'm pretty sure she's actually a dominatrix." Tatsu noted dryly, earning a chuckle "So how are you holding up?"

"I should be asking you that, can you at least stand?"

"More or less, granted it's gonna be at least a few more days before I'm back on my feet all the way but once I do get back to 100% I'm gonna get back to training and kick it up as many notches as it takes."

"...No Tatsu it's okay, you really don't have to do that."

"Huh?"

"Up until now I've been just sitting around while you were putting your life on the line, but that was wrong of me, I get that now."

"I don't get it, did I do something to make you mad?"

"No far from it, I should be thanking you. I can't keep letting you fight on your own if it means that you're gonna be putting yourself at risk of getting killed, not when I know that I could be able to do something about it. All this time you've been doing everything, but I barely even lifted a finger, but now I want to start carrying my own weight."

"...I'm not sure if I'm supposed to feel pumped, concerned or constipated."

"Let's try this for starters and see how you feel." Kagome knelt down next to his bedside and began forming a series of hand seals "Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen." her arms began glowing with white energy as she placed her hands on Tatsu's chest.

"I don't get it, what are you…"

"Hold on, I'm trying to concentrate." her arms continued glowing with energy, but then she pulled back after a moment "Okay, if I did it right then that should do it. How do you feel?"

"Like I said, a mix of concern and constipation… and surprisingly stronger." Tatsu slowly sat up, and then slowly but surely he pulled himself back to his feet, his legs shaking slightly as he did so, but he was on both legs regardless "Okay that was unexpected."

"No kidding, I guess grandpa really knew what he was talking about. He showed me this old technique of his that can apparently heal people, and it actually worked."

"So… you used me as a guinea pig to test it out? Because I'm not objecting to it, I just like some clarification."

"Of course not, I would never do that to you when you can't even move. That's why I tested it out on Kazuma this morning after I came to check on you."

"So you used my brother as a guinea pig. Fair enough I guess. I'm kind of surprised I never heard anything about his leg being healed."

"Didn't you find it weird that your brother is going to Comic Con with Akira when he has a broken leg?"

"We're talking about my brother, he would've forced himself to go there even if he was in a full body cast and being chased by a pack of rabid shippers."

"...Yeah that's true. So apparently you can heal people now?"

"I'm still sort of new at it, so grandpa says that it's gonna take at least a day or so before you get back to full strength. I guess I have a ways to go."

"Hey I'm glad to be back on my feet at all, so I'll take what I can get." he sat back down on his bed and pulled her into a hugh "Thank you, seriously." he failed to notice her face turning redder by the second.

'Tatsu, I… I'm sorry, I can't say whether I return your feelings for me right now, but there's one thing I can say for certain… The next time we go back to the Feudal Era, and the next time you have to fight… I promise I won't be the same dead weight that I was before.'

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Nightfall came.

Royakan submerged himself deep in the forest, trying and failing to come to terms with his current mental state "What… What is happening to me?"

"So this is where you are Royakan, I have been searching for you."

Royakan whipped around found Naraku standing before him "Naraku… Why have you come for me? Go away, I refuse to battle Inuyasha again!"

"Tell me, why do you tremble so?"

"I have no desire to be drawn into a Wind Tunnel!"

"Very well then, I shall take away your fear and stop your trembling." Naraku wasted no time in implanting Royakan with another jewel shard, causing him to cry out in pain and start foaming at the mouth, before he underwent a feral transformation.

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Morning came, and the sun was now shining over the skies above Tokyo.

Tatsu stood on the roof of his apartment building, gazing out at the city as he did his typical morning stretching 'Well at least now I'm back to 100%, about fucking time. I don't really get most of this business about the Healing Hand, but I owe Kagome big time for this.'

"I see that you're finally back to full strength." this was when Raidou came up next to him and leaned against the railing "So I take it whatever Higurashi did worked for you?"

"She told you about that?"

"No but your brother did, he's not on crutches anymore so that's a plus."

"Tell me about it, at least this way I won't have to worry about any of my friends getting crippled the next time we go get one of the Fangs. Oh wait." he cringed slightly "Yeah, getting the next set of Fangs. So have you made any progress on figuring out where the next temple is?"

"It wasn't that hard to figure out, all you need is a basic understanding of geography to know that it's in the Arctic. A trip like that won't be a short one."

"Yeah, about that…"

"You've got shit to do and you either can't or won't talk about it. I get that a lot better than you think I do, and don't forget that every man has a few skeletons in their closet, and both you and I are no exceptions to that rule. You do whatever you have to do and I'll do the same, and then we'll go after the next Fangs when both of us are ready."

"...Right."

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The tension in the air was thick.

Miroku, Inuyasha and Kaede stood on the front lines, ready to protect the village during the battle that was sure to come "I can sense a sinister wind blowing our way, a malevolent spirit approaches. Both of you stay on guard."

"As if you had to tell me that." Inuyasha promptly drew Tessaiga and cut down the volley of wolves that approached them.

But what came next was Royakan himself, having transformed from the second jewel shard that he received into a hulking form that was much more menacing "Inuyasha… today is the day that you DIE!" he brought down one of his massive claws.

Inuyasha leapt out of the way 'What the hell happened to him? He's way bigger and way uglier than before, Naraku must've stuck another jewel shard on him somewhere and seriously screwed with his head. Alright you gigantic flea bag, if you wanna go then I say let's go."

"BE SILENT!" Royakan pounced at him.

"I say we get at this already!" Inuyasha slashed at him.

Royakan caught the blade of Tessaiga with his bare hands and threw him away, sending him flying.

Inuyasha quickly rebounded and returned to the ground "Well that didn't work, now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"What you're supposed to do is DIE!" Royakan unleashed a massive horde of wolves from his mouth.

"Shit."

"Inuyasha get back, I'll open my Wind Tunnel!" Miroku gripped the prayer beads and prepared to unleash his Wind Tunnel.

"Monk look!" Kaede pointed to the horde of Saimyosho arriving on the scene.

"Naraku's poisonous insects, dammit!"

"Well this just about sucks." Inuyasha grumbled "Now how the hell are we supposed to get ourselves out of this one?"

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Tatsu strapped both of his new energy hilts to the sides of his pants, placed on a new set of black gloves, and he nodded to himself "Looks like I'm ready."

"So how long are you going to be gone for this time?" Kazuma glanced up from the crossword puzzle he was doing.

"It's hard to say, I know I've got a long road ahead of me. I have to get a lot stronger if I'm gonna be able to beat some of these new enemies. Sesshomaru is a whole other level, but there are still a lot of enemies out there I can't beat as I am right now. And don't forget, no matter how strong you are, there's always someone who's stronger. It's a core principle of martial arts."

"That's a quote from Dragon Ball."

"That doesn't make it any less true."

"I never said it did, I was just making an observation. Just make sure to be careful."

"Who do you think you're talking to, I'm always careful." and so he bolted out the door at full speed.

"No you're not." Kazuma let out a sigh 'He's young and reckless, but he's definitely more prone to thinking situations through than I was at that age. I'm sure you'd be proud of him dad, wherever you might be. Or whenever as the case may very well be.'

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"DIE!" Inuyasha cut down one wolf after another with the Tessaiga, with Miroku ripping apart the Saimyosho without the use of his staff, while Inuyasha himself tried to fend off the attacks from Royakan 'Well everything's going to shit right now, I guess Tatsu was right about the power of the Tessaiga being used to protect people. I guess he wasn't just talking out his ass like he normally does.'

"Inuyasha this isn't working." Miroku pointed out.

"I can see that you jackass!"

"The demon is drawing power from multiple jewel shard, I can sense it! You have to strike him where he has the jewel shards, it's our only chance!"

"Well where the hell is it?"

"I can't tell where it is, we would need Kagome in order to find it!"

"Well she's not here monk, she said that she wasn't gonna hold us back in these battles so she was gonna get stronger and I don't know what the hell that means! Either way she's gone right now and Tatsu's hurt, and I'm sure as hell not gonna sit on my ass waiting for them to come back like some useless dog! Any of you make a dog joke and I'll skin you alive."

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Meanwhile, on the other side of the well…

Tatsu glanced down the well 'I can sense something going down on the other side of the well, whatever it is this guy isn't something to screw around about.' and so he glanced down the well in anticipation of what was waiting for him.

"You weren't gonna leave without me were you?" this was when Kagome made her way into the well house with her bow in one hand and quiver of arrows in the other, her eyes blazing with a newfound determination "Don't think I'm gonna be some weak damsell in distress anymore, I might not be a fighter like you but I've got a trick or two up my sleeve. Probably."

"Sounds promising. Anyway I wasn't gonna say anything."

"I know you're strong enough to get by on your own with something like this, but I'm here to tell you that you don't have to, not anymore at least. It's like Arashi always says, I'm with you to the end of the line."

"...Well you're almost as stubborn as I am, so I know that trying to talk you out of it would be a waste of time and effort. So then I say, let's get moving."

"Right." and they both dove into the well.

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Inuyasha broke off from his attack on Royakan as he noticed something "I can smell it, those must be Kagome and Tatsu's scent over there."

"So does that mean that he's fully recovered?" asked Miroku.

"Doesn't matter, either way I'm putting an end to this!" Inuyasha charged at Royakan with the Tessaiga drawn and slashed him across the chest, sending him stumbling backwards a short distance.

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Meanwhile, with the two main characters…

"Alright then, back again and back at 100%." Tatsu helped Kagome out of the well, only to pause when he noticed several of Royakan's wolves surrounding them "Must be the new welcoming committee."

"You think we're dealing with some kind of new demon?" asked Kagome.

"Well based on the fact that all of these wolves have three eyes, it's either that or Inuyasha just trying to piss us off in some way. I'm not gonna lie though, demon wolves is a new one." he nonchalantly punched one out without even looking, and then he proceeded to pull a whole tree out of the ground "You think this will hit the guy?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Works for me. FORE!" he threw the tree clear across the forest "Was that right? I don't really get sports and stuff, I just train on my own terms."

"I'm pretty sure that's close enough." the two of them then bolted off in the direction the tree was thrown.

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"DIE!" Royakan once again pounced at Inuyasha, only to suddenly end up with a tree being flung through the air and forced into his mouth, causing him to crash to the ground and then pass out, which also caused his wolves to disappear.

"Okay… that happened I guess." Inuyasha muttered.

"You're damn right it did!" Tatsu burst onto the scene in a blaze of glory with Kagome showing up right a short while after "Hey guys, miss me?"

"More like the vacation is over you idiot, did you at least bring Kagome with you?"

"You do realize that I'm standing right here." Kagome pointed out dryly.

"So you got through that midlife crisis or whatever it is you were dealing with?"

"What the heck do you mean a midlife crisis, I'm only 15!"

"And in this time that's practically middle aged. Whatever, did you get over whatever issues you had to deal with?"

"As a matter of fact I did, you can see a byproduct of my work right here." she promptly pointed a finger at Tatsu.

"...Why do I get a feeling I'm going to hate this?"

"Because it means you still have to deal with me." Tatsu shot a smirk at him, but then he glanced over at Kaede and noticed how concerned she looked "So what's the matter?"

"You be not here, so you wouldn't know." Kaede told him "But Naraku's venomous insects accompanied Royakan and his wolves in their attack, but now that ye be here they vanished without warning."

"Which probably means that Naraku doesn't need them here anymore." Tatsu's head snapped to the side "I can feel the vibrations in the area, he must be close."

"I can feel it too." Kagome muttered "I can sense someone close by, and they have shards of the jewel, and there's a lot of them."

"He's watching us from afar, and he's definitely nothing to scoff at. Come on, let's move." and so he rushed off, with the others right behind him following at full speed.

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Naraku observed the group from afar in his hiding place "Those two, I can sense the peculiar energy from within them. One of them is Kikyo… Nay it cannot be, Kikyo herself had long since perished 50 years ago. I made sure of that. But this other one is quite the anomaly. He is the one who had thwarted Sesshomaru when I provided him with those resources."

"So you admit it." Tatsu dropped down in front of him, with Inuyasha right behind him and the others a short distance away "I could sense that you weren't that far away, so you must be the so called Naraku I've heard so much about, which means that you have a lot of crap you have to answer for."

"Quite perceptive of you."

"Enough of that." Inuyasha let out an outright snarl "Tell me something Naraku, what the hell kind of grudge do you have against me?"

"Quite an interesting question, I suppose you wish for an answer to that question or else eternal rest will surely alude you in death."

"It is him." Kaede muttered.

"It's been quite some time Kaede, I see that age has not been kind to you."

"Do you know me? Aye, Onigumo is your name is it not?"

"Onigumo you say, that name brings back such fond memories. Nay, I am Naraku and not the wretch you once knew as Onigumo, yet it cannot be denied that I was born of Onigumo 50 years ago. Onigumo was such a foolish man indeed, he began to foster desires for the kind hearted young priestess who nursed him. Eventually he succumbed to his desires and weaknesses and called forth the demons, he offered them his flesh in return for granting him their mobility and their strength, and that is how many demons merged with him to become one, a demon by the name of Naraku, myself. It required countless demons to create my body. Because the priestess that was Kikyo was so powerless, the region teemed with demons. Her power had diminished because she had fallen in love with a worthless half demon. She soon submitted to her childish desires and attempted to use the Shikon Jewel for her own purposes, and for that she had been punished, and you Inuyasha had suffered the punishment as well."

"You… You bastard, you're the one to blame for everything that happened! You're the one who deceived both me and Kikyo, and you're the one who tricked both of us into trying to kill each other!"

"Then tell me, how is it that the trust you held in each other was so easily destroyed?"

"What the hell are you saying?"

"It was pure anger, a bitter anger that set you against one another, and that Inuyasha is the true legacy of the trust you supposedly held for one another. Even Kikyo could not comprehend such a thing, she should have chosen to live and use the power of the Shikon Jewel in order to save herself, but instead she chose death. If she had pleaded for her life then her pathetic wretched wish would easily have been granted, and then she would have understood the ultimate truth of darkness. Such a foolish woman indeed. It is claimed that the Sacred Shikon Jewel grows more beautiful when it is tainted with malice."

"You… You son of a… I'm guessing that with that much power you're packing you must have a lot of shards of the jewel with you right? Hey tell me Naraku, you wanna see something really scary? I'll slit you from head to toe and show you the real meaning of malice! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" he slashed at Naraku, shredding his bamboo mask and pelt.

Despite this, Naraku was uninjured and kept his face hidden, and he unleashed a massive Cloud of Destruction, killing all living beings in its range and forcing Miroku, Kagome and Kaede to take cover "I suppose I must bid you farewell Inuyasha, it would seem that you have succumbed to the effects of my Cloud of Destruction."

"You wanna bet?" Tatsu suddenly blitzed behind him and held an iron club to his throat that was surging with blue energy taking him by surprise "Yeah, it turns out that not only can I create weapons and objects made out of metal, but I can supercharge them with my own energy to make them even more powerful. I like to call this one my Boomstick, give you one guess why."

"It would seem that you're more powerful than I had anticipated Dragon Slayer, to be able to break through my Cloud of Destruction is quite a feat in itself. I'm quite impressed, but I believe that's enough for one day." he shattered the iron club with one hand, dissipating the energy in the process.

"Oh trust me, I've got a lot more than iron going for me. Dragon Burst!" Tatsu promptly hurled a blast of energy at Naraku, engulfing him in the explosion that followed, incinerating his clothing and revealing a spider shaped mark on his back.

"Quite the fire in you. I'll be sure to prepare something special just for you." Naraku quickly engulfed himself in a tornado of his own miasma, and then in a powerful vortex he disappeared from sight.

"He may be gone for now but he'll be back soon enough, and when he does I'll definitely be ready."

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An hour passed, and things began to settle down.

Tatsu discussed with Kagome, Miroku and Kaede events of the meeting with Naraku "It's like I told you guys, Naraku had some kind of spider shaped birthmark on his back."

Kaede frowned in thought "The thief Onigumo suffered from terrible burns, perhaps that proves in itself that Naraku and Onigumo are one in the same."

"Which means that a spider on his back can serve as a callsign for him for the rest of us to identify him if we should run into him again, or more like when we run into him again."

"Either that or the insane amount of jewel shards." Kagome muttered "I lost count of how many he had after I hit 20."

"Either way I think it's safe to say, we're gonna have our hands full with this one." Tatsu then glanced over to see Inuyasha brooding on a nearby treebranch 'He's thinking about everything that we heard from Naraku. Kiky chose not to use the power of the jewel to save herself, she chose death because she wanted to follow Inuyasha into the afterlife. You know when you think about it, their story has sort of a Romeo and Juliet feel to it.'

A/N:

Now this is one of the moments in the story I was definitely looking forward to, the first true battle between Tatsu and Sesshomaru, the power of two of the Fangs of Ryuhogo vs the power of the Tessaiga when it's in the hands of someone that actually knows how to use it. And then we finally see the heroes meet Naraku face to face for the first time.

I personally think Kagome is a great character but I understand some of the reasons why people wouldn't be fond of her (the key word there being some), so I'm trying to have her become more mature, from having her hate fighting to understanding that if she doesn't get stronger then the people she cares about, Tatsu in this case, may very well die. Like I said though, it's not in her character to enjoy fighting, so I decided to give her something that I think is more suited to her: Giving her the ability to heal injuries, which is where her grandpa comes into play. I know he's more meant for comic relief, but he does have some spiritual power going for him, the Noh Mask incident being a prime example of that, and so I figured I'd give him another chance to show his stuff and help out one of the main characters.