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.

37. Dramatic Encounters

(Dramatic Encounters)

"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 night was calm over the skies above Tokyo, at least for almost everyone.

Tatsu opened his eyes and once again found himself in a black void, this one appearing to be a grassy meadow surrounded by trees "I think I'm starting to see some kind of trend forming by now."

"So you should. When it comes to teaching you what you need to know, I find that the scenery can determine the overall mood of the training."

Tatsu turned around and saw Ryuhogo materialize in front of him "At least that doesn't have an impact on the time dilation effect. If it wasn't for that then I would've been screwed with that comprehension test, so thanks for pointing that out."

"I like to think that as your teacher, I should strive to help you in any area that I can, not just with your demonic powers and abilities."

"Just don't expect me to call you Sifu Dragonclaw or something."

"Fair enough. Anyway as I was saying, the scenery I choose can determine the overall mood of the training."

"Which raises my next question. Does that mean this one is going to be good or bad?"

"I mostly chose this setting because it requires calm and focus from the mind and body, and this setting should help to maximize those traits."

"So this one is more about mental focus?"

"No that has greater emphasis for the seventh fang, but that will be explained when you and your friends claim it. In the meantime, we have work to do." Ryuhogo snapped his fingers, and then two swords appeared, one in his hand and one in Tatsu's "Care for a spar in kendo then?"

"As if you had to ask." Tatsu bowed to Ryuhogo, the gesture being returned, then the two of them dropped into stances, and then he charged forward, the two of them swiftly maneuvering around each other until theyr blades clashed, though Tatsu quickly found himself being pushed back, and eventually his stance was broken through and a swift slash across the chest sent him staggering backwards until he fell to one knee, blood dripping from his chest "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're basically the most powerful demon in the world."

"I am very far from such a thing, but it does only make sense that I have a physical advantage over you in here. Without the fangs, you're hindered by human limitations."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm weak. With or without the Fangs, I'm a fighter, plain and simple. Give me a second and I'll prove it." Tatsu wiped away some blood and dropped back into his stance, then quickly went on the evasive, swiping at Ryuhogo left and right with his sword in hand "Believe me now?"

"I never said you were weak, mainly because I never believed you were. However there are other factors to consider, such as your recent battle with the Lost Serpent to claim the sixth fang."

"My injuries aren't a problem, Kagome might have been sick but her grandpa patched me up with the Healing Hand."

"Your injuries aren't the biggest concern, the problem is the serpent's venom has yet to leave your system entirely. It's going to take a bit of time for you to regain your strength to its fullest extent."

"I've fought with handicaps before, a little something like this won't get me down as easily as you think." Tatsu maneuvered around an attempted strike and thrusted his sword at Ryuhogo, only to falter as he suddenly spat out a small amount of blood, leaving him open to take a slash across the face that knocked him to the ground, ending with him having a sword pointed at his face "Fuck…"

"You were saying?"

"Okay fine, you might have been onto something about the venom. So what am I supposed to do about that?"

"His proficiency with the Healing Hand is impressive, but his lack of significant spiritual power due to his age has made his capabilities fairly lacking in this matter. In any case, I have my own solution for removing all of the venom from your system."

"Which is?"

"Lie down an remove the top of your gi."

"Not the way I would've started, but okay." Tatsu pulled down the top of his gi, revealing the gash running along his chest, and laid down on his back "So what now?"

"To put it in simple terms, this." Ryuhogo knelt down next to Tatsu and started forming a series of hand seals "Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen." his arms began glowing with crimson-colored energy as he placed his hands on Tatsu's chest, causing the wound to slowly heal itself and purple energy to emerge from his body, only to quickly evaporate.

"Well that was… oddly familiar."

"I was wondering when you were going to get to this point. This is the power that comes with the Fang of the Lost Serpent. This power is meant to heal others from numerous poisonous and corrosive substances. I actually have Midoriko to thank for this technique, given that she had helped me to create it, and helped me to base it on her own Healing Hand technique. I like to call it the Cleansing Claws."

"Not very original."

"It was the best I could come up with on short notice. The point is that the two techniques are very similar."

"I feel like there's a "but" coming in this situation."

"There is. The biggest problem is that unlike priestess and people with spiritual power such as my Midoriko and your Kagome, I had to create a… let's say volatile substitute."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that since users of the Fangs don't have spiritual powers with which to purify any existing impurities, we have to create a substitute effect… by draining the dangerous substances from the body and taking it into the body of the user."

"That sounds… ridiculously self-destructive."

"To put it in simple terms, it is. Unfortunately I was never able to find a way to perfect this part of the technique before my time in the living world came to an end. I simply conducted the initial technique and let Midoriko use her healing powers to purify the substance."

"So essentially, I drain toxins and venom out of a person and take it into myself, and then I just have Kagome heal me?"

"Essentially yes, but you have to be careful. Even with Kagome's extensive healing powers, too much use of a techique like this can have deadly consequences."

"I'll remember that."

"I'm sure you will. Now then, are you ready to learn the secrets of the Cleansing Claws?"

"Still not a fan of the name."

"Then by all means, create your own alternative. In the meantime, together with me."

"Got it." Tatsu sat up in front of Ryuhogo, and together the two of them began going through the same series of hand seals "Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen."

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Meanwhile, with the other Fang wielder…

"This is growing tiresome." Shin set aside his cup of tea as he and his prisoner sat in their seats on a private jet flying over the Pacific Ocean "The search for the seventh ring is taking far longer than it was meant to."

"You say that like it's a surprise." Kuroga noted dryly without looking up from the book he was reading "If you thought it was going to be easy then you're a fool."

"I'm aware of the difficulties regarding this quest. I'm also questioning whether or not having you come with me on my mission was the correct choice. Your son has proven to be a great deal more capable in this quest than you are."

"I remember telling you to leave my son out of this." Kuroga's book snapped shut as he aimed a livid glare in Shin's direction "And every time you bring them into this it makes me want to help you even less, assuming that's even possible. Plus for all we know, you may never even find the last four Fangs."

"Do not assume you know of such things for certain Kamikaze. I will never give up on finding my destiny." Shin gritted his teeth, but then his face fell slightly as he gazed out the window of the airplane "Besides, it's far too late to second guess my choices. The things I've done, the pain I've caused… there's no going back for me now. These Fangs and the destiny that awaits me is all I have left." then his gaze hardened as he turned back to Kuroga "So I will never give up in my search for them. I am the one true Guardian of this world, and all ten Fangs of Ryuhogo will belong to me."

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Amidst the darkness of the night, a castle was being plagued by deadly assaults from a vicious bear demon. With the casualties increasing, the lord of the castle wasted no time in ordering his men to find the only one he could trust to help them.

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Another day came, and with it a series of heavy rainstorms. Some were handling it better than others.

"Achoo!" Inuyasha on the other hand was pretty much soaked for the rain, and let out a loud sneeze to prove it "Fucking wether, now I've got this to deal with."

"This is your own fault you know." Kagome cast a glance over at him from where she was holding onto an umbrella "Why don't you just use an umbrella to cover your head like the rest of us? At this rate your pride is gonna get you a nasty cold."

"I'm not weak like the rest of you, hats and those umbrella things of yours are only for women and kids, and I don't need… whatever the hell Tatsu is doing back there

"Suit yourself, just don't say I didn't warn you." Kagome let out a chuckle "But it's pretty obvious you just don't get it."

"Don't get what?"

"She's talking about convenience." Tatsu spoke up from his place at the front of the group, one hand raised over his head and a dome of water covering his body "Umbrellas can show a hell of a lot of convenience, in more ways than people think of. Kind of like what I'm doing right now for example."

"And what exactly are you doing again?" asked Kagome.

"Using the power of convenience for my own training. You know how the more Fangs I have, the more powerful I become?"

"Yeah?"

"Well the only thing is that power alone isn't enough, I gotta be able to control it, so this is how I aim to work on that, by making a water dome around myself precise enough to keep it small and still shield myself from the rain."

"And apparently isolate yourself from everyone else in the meantime, I wouldn't say no to being in there with you." Kagome let out a chuckle, only to stop when she noticed Tatsu and the rest of them stop in their tracks "What's the matter?"

"Check it out with Ki sensing, there's a lot of them coming our way."

"Demons?" she moved to grip her sword on instinct.

"Oddly enough, they're actually human. I'm not really sure if that's better or worse."

Sure enough, it was at this moment that a large group of soldiers appeared before them from within the storm, the leader kneeling down in front of them "Would you be Sango the Demon Slayer and her travel party?"

"That would be the woman with the giant weapon on her back." Tatsu dropped his water dome and jerked a thumb over at Sango.

"Excellent. I am the vassal Asarti, here for the representation of the Takeda clan. We have come to speak with Sango about an urgent matter."

"...Very well then." Sango shared a look of confusion with the others 'I have to admit, I didn't see this coming.'

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A few moments later…

"This should do." Sango and the others relocated to a nearby hut to discuss business out of the rain, and she turned to face Asarti "You said you had something to discuss with me?"

"As I said, I am here to represent the Takeda clan." Asarti knelt down in front of Sango and placed a small bag in front of her "I have been asked by my lord to request that you slay a demon that plagues our castle nightly. We will not question whatever methods you use, and if you deem it to be necessary, then we will evacuate the castle. Consider this to be an advance payment for your services, and after the demon has been vanquished you will receive the other half of the sum. I believe this offer is fair, so what do you say?"

"But that's far too much money, it's 20 times what people normally pay."

"So then does that mean you will accept?"

"The offer is far too generous, I'm sorry but I have to decline-"

"You canot refuse!" this was when a new figure arrived on the scene, a handsome young man that dismounted a horse and gave a dashing smile as he made his way into the hut "It's been far too long Sango."

"Um… Do I know you?"

"Either way he definitely seems to you know." Kagome muttered "You sure you don't know who he is."

"I can't say that I do."

"You sure?"

"Well I don't suppose I can blame her for not remembering, considering how long ago it was the last time we met." the man let out a chuckle as he knelt down in front of Sango and took her hands in his "Come then, let's retire to the castle, so that we'll be able to talk in leisure and become reacquainted with one another."

'Wait a second…' Kagome observed the entire scene taking place, and then a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head 'Handsome mysterious suitor, Sango doesn't know what to say, Miroku's watching all of it with that jealous gleam in his eye… This is it!' all the while she failed to notice the looks she was getting from the others over this.

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Later, at the castle in question…

"Now this is what I'm talking about." Tatsu took a look around the castle in question and cast a quick glance over at the others "You know when people talk about travelling back in time to Feudal Japan, this is the sort of thing I expect to see."

"Please allow me to introduce myself." the lord was quick to draw everyone's attention "My name is Kuranosuke Takeda, and I am the lord of this castle."

'Yeah, we kind of figured that part when he showed up with two dozen men and practically threw half a gold mine down in front of us.'

"So tell me Sango, does that help you to recall anything?"

"Wait a minute, now I remember." Sango blinked as a bit of realization dawned on her "This is where that snotty-nosed little- I mean that young lord."

"So you finally remember me, that truly is a relief." Kuranosuke let out a chuckle "Yes, it's been six long years already since that day. My castle was being plagued by a vicious demon, and we had chosen to hire you and the rest of your Demon Slayer comrades. I was enamored by you when I first saw you in that magnificent battle. You shone like a singel white lily that lit up the battlefield. You were absolutely awe-inspiring."

"I was? I just found him some snotty-nosed kid.'

"But enough of the past, I will get to the point." Kuranosuke knelt down in front of Sango and once again took her hands in his "Sango I beg of you, slay this demon for us at once, and then become my wife."

"Wait what?!" Kagome nearly fell over when she heard that 'Where in the heck did that come from?! This guy doesn't waste any time.'

"I knew it years ago, right from the very moment I first laid eyes on you. You are the woman who will become my wife Sango, it can be no one else."

"Oh… Only me you say?" Sango found herself blushing slightly.

"I can see that you need some time. I understand. I only hope that you'll be willing to accept my proposal." with that in mind, Kuranosuke turned to some of his men "Now then servants, be sure to prepare rooms for our honored guests."

"You really don't have to go through so much trouble…" Sango started blushing more, only for it to fade when she noticed Miroku wasn't reacting in the slightest 'But at least he's showing some kind of effort here. I wish he'd show some kind of reaction.'

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Later, in the guest room of the castle…

"You gotta be kidding me…" Inuyasha was left grumbling in his usual way as he looked over to see Sango with much larger portions of food than the rest of them "Why the hell does she get the royal treatment?"

"It's not really a big surprise she got more food than us." Kagome gave a shrug "The lord is trying to win her over, so you can't blame him for treating her better."

"And yet I'm pretty sure that he does." Tatsu noted dryly, then glanced over at Sango "Might as well make the most of it while you have the chance."

"I suppose so…" Sango breathed a small sigh 'What am I supposed to do? How am I going to turn him down?'

"Excuse me a moment." Miroku suddenly stood up.

"Wait where are you going Miroku?"

"I simply have something to take care of." and then he made his way over to one of the servants and took her hand in his "Would you consider bearing my children?"

That was enough to leave the woman blushing, while causing everyone else to keel over or just groan "Surely you jest with me my itinerant monk."

"Not at all, I assure you that I'm entirely serious." and yet that wasn't enough to stop the woman from leaving, and he glanced over to see the looks he was getting from the others "What?"

"Personally I'm surprised you held out as long as you did." Tatsu noted dryly, only to look over and see Sango snap her chopsticks in her hands "So… once we're done eating, anyone else want to spar?"

"Yes!" Sango bolted to her feet, her fists still clenched tightly "I'll be out in the courtyard, come and find me when you're ready." and then she stormed out without another word.

"Works for me." so Tatsu finished his last bits of food and pulled himself to his feet, then cast a quick glance over at Miroku "For the record I'm pretty sure I just saved you from getting a bitch slap hard enough to make your neck snap. You're welcome." and so he made his way out of the room.

"I have to say I am a bit relieved." Miroku cast a glance over at the others as he took a sip of his cup of tea "A large part of me was expecting some form of brutality on Sango's part."

"Not like it would've been a surprise." Kagome pointed out "Seriously Miroku, you couldn't blame her for being upset over the way you came onto that other woman. It's not hard to figure out why she was so angry."

"So what, it's not that big of a deal." Inuyasha rolled his eyes "It's not like this is the first time she's actually seen him doing anything like that, he flirts with anything that moves."

"Well that's just typical, you don't understand anything."

"You wanna explain what the hell that means?"

"I'm saying that Sango wants Miroku to stop her from accepting."

"Accepting what?"

"Oh for the love of… He gives dense a whole new meaning, I swear it's like he doing all of this on purpose. But then again this might be the perfect chance. I'm sure Miroku is already plenty concerned about Sango as it is, so maybe all he needs is a little push from me. I can see it now, one little push and the next thing you know they're gonna be married, courtesy of their expert matchmaker!' and then she started wiggling in her seat with unrivaled giddyness "It's perfect, I've got it all figured out!"

What she didn't notice was that Inuyasha and the others were watching her go through her own fantasies, and the former just rolled his eyes "Stuff like this is why I don't bother to try and figure out what the fuck she says anymore."

"Yes, I've got this!" Kagome suddenly bolted to her feet with a renewed fire in her eyes "This plan is full proof, now I just have to put it into action! Come on Miroku, we've got places to go and things to do!"

"Wait Kagome, do I get a say in this?" Miroku suddenly found himself being grabbed by the arm by Kagome and subsequently dragged out of the room 'I have a horrible feeling that I know what this is about… Also how is she this strong?!'

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Meanwhile, with the main protagonist…

'Filled with rage or not, I doubt Sango would disagree that the best way to work off food is a good sparring match.' Tatsu moved to grab his sword as he made his way through the castle,

only to take a look around 'Probably should've asked her where the courtyard is supposed to be. Then again it's stuff like this that makes me love Ki sesing.' he was about to focus on Ki sensing, only to stop when he ran into someone "Sorry."

"No no, this is my fault." Kuranosuke paused when he looked at Tatsu "You're one of Sango's companions are you not? I was just about to come to your room to see her."

"Don't bother, she left to get ready for when the demon shows up. I was about to meet her in the courtyard, assuming I had any idea where that was."

"I see. Well in that case, you're welcome to follow me."

"Works for me, thanks." and so Tatsu started following Kuranosuke towards the courtyard, but after a moment he glanced over at him "So out of curiosity, what exactly were you gonna try and talk to Sango about?"

"Honeslty, I was hoping that she'd be more willing to respond to my proposal."

"Yeah, now's probably the worst time for you to bring that up with her."

"Because she's about to go into battle, I understand that all too well. But I cannot bring myself to hold it in any longer."

"...You really do have feelings for her don't you?"

"I have since the first moment I lay eyes on her. Even after all these years, the love I hold for her hasn't wavered in the slightest."

"Hey trust me, I can relate to that on a few different levels. Which is also why I know that what you're oing now isn't the right way to go about it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's pretty much what I said." Tatsu stoped in his tracks, prompting Kuranosuke to do the same, and he let out a sigh "Look I think it's pretty obvious by this point, but Sango isn't like every other woman."

"I'm well aware of that. It's one of the reasons why I fell in love with her."

"Yeah, and you're young, good looking and wealthy. The point I'm making here is that stuff like that isn't going to win her over like most other women. A big castle, gourmet food, those aren't gonna impress her."

"That is… a valid point that I had not considered. So what do you suggest?"

"To put it bluntly, there's really only one thing to do. Like I said before, Sango isn't like every other woman. The only thing you can do, and really the only thing you should do, is be honest with her."

"...I see." Kuranosuke paused and cast a glance out into a certain area "You'll find the courtyard through there."

"Got it." so Tatsu grabbed his sword off his back and took his leave.

It was only after this that Kuranosuke glanced over to see working on her weaponry nearby, and he gave a smile as he made his way towards her.

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Meanwhile, with the matchmaker wannabe and her victim…

'I have a horrible feeling I know what this is about…' Miroku breathed a sigh as he managed to free himself of Kagome's death grip "Alright Kagome, what's all of this panic about?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kagome took a step towards him, her eyes burning with determination "We have to do something or Sango might accept Lord Takeda's proposal and end up marrying the guy!"

'And I was right, unfortunately. And I take it that's a bad thing?"

"Of course it's a bad thing! You're not just gonna sit around and let that happen are you?"

'Which means that she wants me to stop it or she and Sango will resent me. This isn't my choice to make, Sango has to decide for herself. And as far as I can tell, this matter really isn't any of our business."

"Seriously?" Kagome frowned at him, then gave a smirk "I guess you have a point. Any woman you come across is good enough for you after all, seeing as you don't have any fortune, home or status. You're just a flirtatious itinerant monk. The clan lord on the other hand, he's handsome, young and rich. He's hard-working and dedicated, and with the kind of devotion he shows, he's nowhere near as likely to stray to other women. He's one catch that no girl would pass up, so I think it's pretty clear who the most questionable bachelor here is." she was met with only silence after she finished "Why so quiet? Oh yeah, that's got you thinking now doesn't it?"

"...Is that the only thing you wanted to talk to me about?" that caught her off guard "If that is the case then I think I'll be taking my leave, because there are few things that I would like to go and check on." and then he took his leave without another word, his thoughts drifting with each step he took 'I know it wasn't your intention Kagome, but all you did was convince me I'm right.'

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Meanwhile, with the main protagonist…

'This thing has a fair bit of raw power.' once done with his training, Tatsu made his way around the grounds of the castle, observing the damage the demon left in its wake 'No wonder normal guys couldn't handle this thing.'

"I take it you're investigating too?"

Tatsu glanced over to see Miroku make his way onto the scene "I was gonna find Sango and do some sparring, but her not so secret admirer beat me to the punch. What about you?"

"I've been conducting some research of my own, and trying to avoid Kagome."

"Let me guess, she's pushing you to try and declare your undying love for Sango to stop her from saying yes to that guy?"

"To put it bluntly, yes, and it's fairly exhausting. She's been trying to get me worked up enough to do just that, mainly through rather blunt comparisons between myself and Lord Takeda."

"Don't mind any of that, that's just the byproduct of her binge-watching the Bachelorette at three in the morning."

"Assuming I actually understand what that means, what she said was true. The fact is that the lord can provide Sango with the life that she deserves, rather than a lifetime of fighting just to survive, and someone to spend it with. As for me… I can't confirm that I'll even be alive when our fight with Naraku is done." he looked down at his right hand for emphasis, and then looked over to see Kuranosuke and Sango walking together in silence "If I have to push her away in order to give her the life that she deserves, then… I'm prepared to do that."

"...I know how you feel." Tatsu spared a quick glance over at him "I'd be lying if I said thoughts like those hadn't crossed my mind over Kagome on more than one occasion. Pushing her away to keep her safe, it is kind of the logical thing isn't it? But it's not the right move, at least not for me to make. She's gotta make the choice for herself."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Honestly, no. But it's what I choose to go with. I'd go into further detail but I'm pretty sure that she's about to pop up out of nowhere like a predator."

"Wait what?"

"Busted!" and then Kagome leapt out of the bushes with a triumphant smirk, earning a quick yelp from Miroku "I knew you were jealous of Sango and that guy! Why don't you quit hiding your feelings and admit that you're in love with her!"

'...I wouldn't have been half as surprised if she hadn't leapt out of the bushes at me. Okay Tatsu, you were right."

"Speaking from experience." Tatsu gave a shrug "You know she's not gonna let this go."

"I expected as much. But to clear, what I want is for Sango to be happy. If that's what the lord gives her, then I'd be able to live with that."

"Yeah well, let's find that out for ourselves." Kagome grabbed both Tatsu and Miroku by the hands and dragged them with her.

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One unwanted following later…

'Yes, this spot should do nicely.' Kuranosuke stopped on a small bridge looking over the castle koi pond, Sango keeping her gaze on the fish below them, unaware that Kagome and the others were watching the scene unfold from the bushes 'Her companion spoke the truth. I cannot hope to impress her with trivial things. I need to prove my feelings to her, and the only true way to do that, is to speak the truth. Sango?"

"Yes?" Sango glanced up at him "What is it my lord?"

"Don't call me lord, please call me Kuranosuke. You can even call my runny-nose if that's what you prefer." and then he tried to laugh it off.

'Oh for the love of-' Tatsu could only slap his face 'That's just painful.'

"Of course you realize I'm joking."

"Yes, I know that." Sango breathed a sigh "Listen, I think we need to talk."

"You're right, because there's something that I need to say." Kuranosuke glanced down at the koi pond below them "Given the current state of the world, I find that there are few people I'm able to trust. Evil demons abound in the mountains and rivers, and mortals are known to resort to any form of trickery and betrayal. I've heard many refer to this as a hell on Earth, but personally I'm not satisfied to accept things the way they are." he turned back to face Sango "I made a promise to myself that the woman I chose to spend my life with would be someone that I loved with all of my heart and soul."

"So then why did you choose me?"

"Why would I know?" he let out a chuckle "But in all seriousness, while I may be the lord of the clan, I also like to think of myself as an excellent judge of character." and then he gently took her hands in his "Believe me when I say this Sango. I love you. I truly love you."

"I'm… flattered. I'm happy to hear how you feel."

'Oh boy, that's not good.' Tatsu cringed as he heard that part, and then looked over to see Miroku pull himself to his feet "You just gonna go?"

"I believe she's made her decision." Miroku tightened his grip on his staff, then left without so much as another word.

'And that makes it worse. Except she didn't actually say-'

"Miroku wait!" Kagome moved to chase after him.

'Yep, saw that coming a mile away.' Tatsu glanced back at the bridge 'Now to see what her real decision is.'

"So Sango, what do you say?" Kuranosuke tightened his grip on her hands "Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"I… I can't." Sango looked away from him "I'm sorry, but my answer is no."

"But why ever not?"

"Because there's something that I have to do before I could ever even think about the possibility of getting married. There's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be hard for me, and honestly I'm not even sure it's possible. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't try. If I don't do this then I won't be able to move in with my life, and that's why I have to keep going and do this. You have to find someone more suitable to be your wife."

"But that's just it, there is no one else more suitable than you." Kuranosuke gave a smile full of understanding "I waited six years already, it doesn't matter how many more I have to wait before you return to me."

"Wait, what?"

"I understand perfectly how you feel my dear Sango, and so I will wait forever if that's what it takes."

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"If there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask for my help. I give you my word that I will do everything in my power as a lord to help you. And be sure to thank your companion with the sword on his back for his wisdom." he let out a laugh and took his leave.

"But…" Sango could only watch him leave, then let out a sigh and turned around just in time to notice Tatsu stand up from amongst the bushes "What are you doing here?"

"At the moment, gaining a greater appreciation for the importance of hearing the whole story and not just bailing halfway through." Tatsu told her dryly.

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Meanwhile, with the other eavesdroppers…

"Miroku wait, would you hold on a minute!" Kagome rushed out of the castle and stopped in front of Miroku, panting somewhat "So what, you're just gonna let her go? You're not even going to try and stop her?"

"To put it bluntly, yes." Miroku breathed a sigh as he Kagome by surprise "If ensuring Sango's happiness is our primary concern, then shouldn't we allow her the chance to make that decision for herself? Her destiny was shattered by Naraku, and now she's forced to fight just for the sake of survival. Suddenly fate gives her the chance to marry and settle down. Which choice do you think would bring her more happiness?" he was met with silence "I think the answer is actually fairly obvious."

"But- But wait!"

"It might not be clear to you now, but I'm sure that one day you'll understand. Sometimes we have to look beyond what we want, and do what we think is best for those we hold dear." and then he walked past her without another word.

"But… But doesn't how Sango feels come into the equation here?" Kagome didn't receive any reply, at least not from Miroku.

"They do a lot more than you think, but I'm pretty sure he's doing this on principle."

Kagome whipped around to see Tatsu standing before her "Where were you?"

"Listeing to the end of their conversation." Tatsu told her flatly "Yet another example of how important it is to hear a story all the way to the end and figure out what really happened, because that's what really matters."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"She turned him down."

"Wait, really?"

"Yep. It's pretty much like he said. Whatever happens, you gotta let them make the choice for themselves."

"So… you're saying to let Sango make that choice for herself, not let anyone else influence her decision."

"Pretty much yeah. As for the monk…" Tatsu breathed another sigh "I say give him some time to cool down for awhile, then break the news to him. I just hope he doesn't say or do anything to make that whole situation worse."

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Nightfall came, and the stars shone brightly above the castle.

'Somehow him being so cheerful about it made it even more painful.' Sango breathed a sigh as she made her way along the outside of the castle, only to stop when she saw Miroku sitting on the edge gazing up at the moonlight 'Miroku…'

"Hm?" Miroku cast a quick glance over at Sango "Oh don't mind me, I was just getting a bit of fresh air. The room is a bit crowded with Inuyasha and the others fighting over what's left of the food."

"Oh… listen, I wanted to-"

"You probably have things to do to prepare for the coming battle, so I won't bother distracting you."

"But-" Sango didn't get a chance to speak before Miroku walked past her, during which…

"I wish you happiness." that soft whisper came as he passed her, earning a small gasp, and he moved to leave, until…

"The demon has come!" this cry was immediately followed by the sound of a crash, and then lots of screaming.

'And just like that the farewell has to wait.' Miroku cast a quick glance over at Sango "We'll have to-"

"I know, just let me get changed." and on that blunt yet somewhat cold note, Sango rushed off without another word.

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A few moments later…

"About fucking time." Inuyasha gave a smirk as he drew Tessaiga at the sight of the massive bear demon looming over them "What took this thing so long?"

"One of those times we're actually on the same page." Tatsu stepped forward and drew his own katana from his back "Better keep your guard up though, something doesn't feel right about this one."

"Tatsu! Inuyasha!" this was when Miroku showed up on the scene, with Sango showing up not long after in her Demon Slayer uniform.

"Where have you two been? You know what stupid question, just hang back and let me take care of this thing. One clean shot should be enough."

"Forget it." Sango took a step forward and tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu "The rest of you stay out of this and let me take care of it."

"Hey I was here first, if you wanted to fight the demon then show up when it attacks."

"Don't forget that the reason we're here is because slaying that demon is my job. Besides, a part of me is looking forward to blowing off some steam right now." this was complete with her body radiating flames to match her rage.

"...Okay then." Tatsu shared a look with Inuyasha as the two of them took a step back, and then he glanced over at Miroku "Alright, what did you do?"

"Nothing in particular." Miroku was met with a series of skeptical looks "I merely said that I wish her happiness."

"And there it is." Tatsu watched as Sango began going to town on the demon with overwhelming ferocity, and then he glanced over to see Shippo and Kilala clinging onto his shoulder "Let me guess, girl power?"

"It's really scary like this." Shippo muttered "I've never seen Sango look so angry when she's in a battle."

"Word to the wise little buddy, there are four things all wise men fear: The sea during a storm, a night with no moon, the anger of a gentle soul, and the wrath of a pissed off woman."

"One of those times we're actually on the same page." Inuyasha muttered "I'm pretty sure there isn't a person in this entire fucking world that would be able to defeat Sango right now."

"No arguments here."

"Yep, so don't come crying to me." Kagome cast a quick glance over at Miroku "And for the record, she turned him down."

"You're bringing that up now?"

"To be fair it's why she wanted to let out so much rage to begin with."

"Fair point."

"This oughta be enough to finish you off! Hiraikotsu!" Sango leapt into the air and wasted no time in throwing Hiraikotsu at the bear demon, splitting it down the middle before it returned to her hand.

"Yes way to go Sango, I knew you had it in you!" Kagome was quick to cheer her on.

"I have to be honest, that felt a lot better for me than it probably should've." Sango gave a smile as she turned and walked back towards the others… only for the sound of twitching to cause most of them to gasp, prompting her to turn around in time to see the demon rise back up and slash its claws at her, and she shut her eyes as she waited for the inevitable… but it never came, and then she opened her eyes to figure out why "Miroku?"

Sure enough, Miroku had caught her in his arms and saved her from the demon's attack (much to the relief of Kuranosuke), though at the cost of a wound on his arm "It would seem that you had miscalculated Sango. I noticed that something felt wrong as I watched you fight, and I realized that this demon is actually a ghostly spirit that returned to seek vengeance, which means that it can't be destroyed in the usual way."

"So what do we do then?"

"Just stand back and leave it to me, I'll exorcise this demon!" Miroku wasted no time in hurling forward a barrage of sutras infused with his spiritual power, hitting the demon bear on and causing it to howl in pain as it evaporated in a white flash.

It was only after a moment passed that Sango glanced over at him "You… really came in to save me."

"Of course, why would I not?" he gave her a smile, earning one in return.

All the while, Kuranosuke watched from the sidelines and let out a sigh 'Sango… I suppose in the end, my love was unrequited after all.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning came, and the sun had risen above the castle.

"I found something during my search that I believe all of you should see." Miroku led the group towards a storage building and had some of the castle servants open it, revealing its contents to all of those present.

"Bear ornaments?" Shippo started looking through the pile that came out, complete with carvings of bears, masks and many others "Is this why the bear demon was so angry?"

"No, it's not that simple. Take a look over there if you will." Miroku pointed everyone's attention to what lay on the wall opposite of the door, that being a giant bear pelt "Sango I take it that you understand now?"

"But that's the demon we slayed for them six years ago." Sango shot a glare at some of the castle staff "We told you back then to offer your prayers and then bury the thing, not make a pelt out of it!"

"Please allow me to explain." Asarti breathed a sigh "We had begun to follow the instructions you and the others slayers had left behind, and we were about to bury the demon, when the late master suddenly stopped us and gave us new orders. We were instructed to make a set of wooden carvings of the bear demon and market these tokens as our regional keepsakes in an effort to restore the finances of the clan. The wooden carvings were soon followed by bhe big bear bean jam cakes, the big bear towels, and the big bear wooden coins."

"Let me guess, they didn't sell?" Tatsu asked dryly.

"Not a single one of them."

"Yeah call that a lesson in business, make sure people actually like what you make before you go all in on a product. Anyway let me take care of this." Tatsu grabbed hold of the bear pelt and dragged it outside, then summoned a series of flames in one hand "Go ahead and take care of the prayers or whatever else you need to, one clean shot is all I need to torch the thing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One praying/burning session later…

'So it ends as it begins…' Sango took a look around at the rain coming down as she made her way to the castle entrance, then glanced over at Kuranosuke as she put her hat on "Kuranosuke, listen I…"

"Please Sango, there's no need." Kuranosuke gave her a small smile and held up his hand "I think that by now I have an excellent understanding of how you feel. You should go now, your companions are waiting for you."

"Of course." Sango bowed to him and then rushed off to join the others.

'Sango my dear, do not think that I have given up on you.'

"You're not giving up on her are you?"

Kuranosuke glanced over to see Tatsu standing next to her "Not yet at least. I must ask a question of you though."

"Which is?"

"You said that you could relate to my feelings for Sango. By any chance, was it her that you were speaking of?"

"Nope, Sango is pretty much taken already. Mine is the priestess over there." he jerked a thumb over at Kagome "Nine years personally, and honestly no matter what happens, I just want her to be happy and safe."

"That is a wise policy. It pains Sango to let me go as well, but I take comfort knowing that she's in good hands." Kuranosuke breathed a sigh "You should go now, you don't want to keep your companions waiting."

"Right." Tatsu gave him a simple wave of his hand and made his way over to where the others were waiting "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Training session run long again?" asked Miroku.

"Something like that. Also how come you're not wearing your hat?"

"Oh this thing? I have it right here." he let out a chuckle as he held up the hat "But I'm afraid that the strap is broken."

"Falty design, got it. Give me a second and I'll fix that." Tatsu gave a wave of his hand, or was about to, until he got stopped by a hand yanking him back.

"Tatsu?" Miroku glanced back… only to see Sango holding out an umbrella to him, to which he gave a smile "This works as well, thank you."

"Sure…" Sango gave a simple nod and got closer as she covered him with the umbrella, blushing all the while "So how is your wound?"

"It's fine, I've dealt with far worse."

"Good. Listen Miroku…"

"I'm glad. It turns out we'll be able to continue our journey together." he gave Sango a small smile, one that she returned.

"And there it is." Tatsu glanced over at Kagome as he kept one arm suspended in the air to erect a water shield around him "See, you gotta let these things work out on their own."

"Yeah I guess…" Kagome's expression turned downcast as she glanced over at him "Kind of ironic though."

"What is?"

"Saying to let things work out on their own, unless you wanna push them away to keep them out of danger."

"...Aw fuck, you heard that part didn't you?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't really try to push me away like that would you?"

'And again I say, aw fuck. If you're looking for brutal levels of honesty-"

"I am."

"-then yeah, the thought of trying to take you out of the fight has crossed my mind more than a few times. To be fair, not many guys dream of dragging their girlfriends into life or death fights on almost a daily basis, and frankly the thought of you being in danger makes my skin crawl just about every time."

"...Oh. Well when you put it like that…" Kagome paused, then breathed a sigh "Okay, that I do get, but you're not forcing me to do anything. Being here is my choice. Of course I know there are gonna be risks, but I'd rather face them by your side then let you go out and fight for your life by yourself."

"See that fire in your eyes is a big part of why I love you." he caught her in a quick kiss, but then he turned serious again "But honestly, there is a part of me that thinks pushing you away from the fight would keep you safe. Assuming it would actually work. But like you said, that choice is yours to make, not mine."

"And I've made it."

"Good enough for me." Tatsu wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and pulled her in close, earning a small yelp and causing her to blush "You said you wanted to be under here with me didn't you?"

"Careful what I wish for I guess."

"That's only if it turns out to be a bad thing. Plus it's like we were saying before, the power of convenience can come in many forms."

"That is true. Take a look at that umbrella I gave Sango, it brought her and Miroku closer and look how happy they are." Kagome was immediately met with a yelp from Sango, followed by the sound of a slap "Or it did for a few minutes."

"Frankly I'm kind of surprised he lasted as long as he did. Either that or he likes it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another day came, and with it a new set of… challenges, so to speak.

"You little shits aren't getting away this time!" Hakkaku and Ginta were making their way along a river and trying to catch some fish, only to let them literally slip through their fingers, much to their dismay "Aw fuck, we almost had them…"

"Let's be real, no we didn't." Ginta let out a loud groan as he pulled himself and Hakkaku out of the river, their wolves lounging around by their side "Well that sucked."

"Yeah. It sure as hell isn't easy finding food in territory we're not used to."

"Tell me about it, and I'm dying of hunger. The wolves aren't doing much better. I think we would've been better off attacking one of those human villages awhile back."

"Not like we could, don't forget that Koga ordered the whole tribe to not go after any humans anymore."

"Kind of like what Akari did back when she was still alive. I guess Kagome brought that part of him back out."

"Yeah, and who knows how mad Kagome and her group would be if we started going after people again."

"No doubt about it. You know we really have travelled away from home." the two of them gazed out into the distant forest, until…

"There's a river up ahead Master Jaken, we can try to catch some fish!"

"Slow down Rin, don't be so hasty!"

"What the hell?" Hakkaku glanced back just in time to see Rin stumble out of the bushes and freeze in her tracks upon seeing them "Oh, it's just some human kid."

"Perfect, now the wolves are getting worked up." Ginta muttered "We're not supposed to eat any humans, doesn't mean they like it."

'Wolves… so many wolves…' Rin was left frozen in fear at the sight of the wolves, prompting her to hide behind Jaken once he emerged "Master Jaken!"

"Settle down Rin, what are you-" Jaken cut himself short when he saw the wolf demons in front of them 'Oh. It's no surprise that she's afraid, seeing how Rin was attacked by wolves and had to be brought back by Lord Sesshomaru with Tenseiga. You there wolves, go and leave this area immediately!"

"Why should we do anything you say?" Hakkaku and Ginta stepped forward and summoned as much bravado as they could "Besides, do you have any idea who you're talking to. We happen to be the right and left-hand men of Koga, the young leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe! I'm the shrewd one and my name is Hakkaku, and my buddy Ginta here has dimples. Surely you must have heard of us!"

"...Nope, never heard of either of you."

"What?!"

"Let me show you fools how to do it right." and then Jaken started posing dramatically with his own sense of bravado "Cower in fear you mangy wolves! It has been centuries since I entered the service of Lord Sesshomaru! Crossed through 3,000 worlds have I, the most loyal of his followers! I answer to the name of Jaken!"

"Eesh, and I thought we were braggarts. Hate to break it to you imp, but we've never heard of you or this Sesshomaru."

"How dare you insult my lord! Such a crime is punishable by death!"

"Fine, if it's a fight you're looking for then we'll gladly take you on!" the two parties prepared to close in on each other.

It was at this moment that Sesshomaru made his way out of the bushes "Jaken, what is the meaning of all this commotion?"

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin was quick to move and hide behind his legs.

'I see, a group of wolf demons. So they were why Rin's scent is filled with so much fear.'

"Who the hell are you and what do you want, you looking for a fight?" Hakkaku and Ginta were quick to brace themselves… only to immediately cower under Sesshomaru's glare "Uh… we're gonna get going but it ain't out of fear, we're not scared of someone like you!" and then they and their wolves took off running.

'Hm. Evidently their bravado was merely a front.' Sesshomaru watched as they left and relaxed his claw slightly, then cast a glance down at his own companion "Rin."

"Yes?" Rin glanced up at him.

"Did you not intend to catch some fish for yourself?"

"Oh, yes!" she gave a bright smile and quickly rushed into the river.

'Those wolf demons are inferior creatures, but even so…' Sesshomaru's gaze hardeend slightly 'I recognize these specific scents… from that day…'

"My lord?" Jaken looked up at him "Is something the matter?"

"...Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the misfit sidekicks…

"Okay, that went well…" Ginta and Hakkaku took a moment to catch their breath once they were a fair distance away from the river "I gotta be honest, that guy was pretty scary, don't you think so?"

"No arguments here…" Hakkaku was left panting slightly himself "But haven't we seen him somewhere before?"

"That's what I thought too. The little imp said the guy's name was Sesshomaru, I'm pretty sure we saw him somewhere before. Wonder who that big shot is supposed to be. Anyway we'd better hurry and get back to Koga."

"Yeah good call, let's get moving." and so the two of them took off.

What they didn't notice however, was that their wolves remained behind to convers with each other about something.

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Meanwhile, with the main group…

"Of course you'd show up around here." of course in typical fashion, Koga wasted no time in getting into an argument with Inuyasha "What the hell are you doing around parts like this mutt face?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing flea bag." Inuyasha let out a snarl as he prepared to bare his claws "You looking for someone to shove their claws through your skull? Cause I've got no problems doing that."

"What do you think genius, I'm looking for Naraku but keep having to run into pains in the ass like you."

"How about you shut your hole you puny wolf, nobody needs you butting into this. I'm gonna be the one that rips Naraku to shreds with my sword."

"I'll believe that when I see it, but in the meantime I've got no problems taking my Goraishi and shoving it up your-" Koga was cut off by an iron club bashing him over the head, the same thing happening to Inuyasha immediately after.

"And once again, that feels better than it probably should." Tatsu de-materialized his iron club and yanked Koga back onto his feet "I'm gonna go ahead and guess the fact that you showed up again means you haven't found anything on Naraku?"

"You know I'm pretty sure the same could be said about you being out here."

"Actually we did find some info on where he might be hiding out, we would've acted on it sooner but Kagome got sick."

"So where is he?"

"According to my sources, headed in the direction of the Ox Tiger, northeast."

"Which means that my pack is headed in the right direction after all."

"Looks that way. Speaking of which, where is the rest of your group?"

"I sent them off to try and track down some food. Keeping a dozen wolves full while balancing the search for Naraku isn't easy."

"Hey Koga!" speak of the devil, this was when Hakkaku and Ginta showed up.

"Took you long enough, so did you find anything to eat?"

"Um… no, not exactly."

"You seriously came-back empty-handed?"

"Hold the hell up you scrawny wolves!" Inuyasha bolted to his feet and snarled at Koga all over again "You'd better not be thinking about attacking any humans, cause I've got no problems with ripping you to shreds with my sword!"

"Piss off mutt, I don't see how that's any of your business."

"The fuck did you say?!"

"Did I fucking stutter? Besides I never even liked the taste of humans, I can catch a boar or two in no time flat."

"Didn't stop you from trying to eat me before." Shippo grumbled from his place in Kagome's arms.

"You're a demon kid, you gotta learn to survive on your own at some point."

"Hey I know how to hunt and stuff just fine!"

"It's about more than just getting your hands on food."

"Yeah well let's put a pin in that discussion for now." Kagome was quick to cut in and held out a bag of chips to Koga "You and the rest of your friends can have some of these."

"What are they?"

"The others call them ninja food, but they're just a bag of chips made from dried potatoes. These are the last of them, so be sure to make them count."

"Oh. Alright then, thanks." so Koga accepted the bag of chips, until…

"Like hell he's taking our food!" Inuyasha was quick to get in between them "We don't need to give any of our food to the likes of him."

"She can do what she wants, and I don't give a shit about anything you say!" Koga didn't waste any time in punching Inuyasha in the face, leading the two of them to start wrestling over the bag of chips.

"I'm pretty sure these guys are the reason why restraining orders exist." Tatsu breathed a sigh full of annoyance, then glanced over at Hakkaku and Ginta "So what's up with you two? I can practically smell the fear coming off you guys."

"We had a run in with a pretty nasty looking demon." Hakkaku muttered "Hey Tatsu, you ever hear of a guy called Sesshomaru?"

"We talking about the same guy? Dog demon, white thing over his shoulder, blue crescent moon on his forehead, eyes that say he'll butcher you in less than a minute?"

"So you do know him."

"Kind of hard not to, he's Inuyasha's half-brother." that made them both freeze.

"Inuyasha's brother?!"

"Half-brother, he's pretty specific about that."

"So… what kind of guy is he?"

"Where to start. He and Inuyasha try to kill each other almost every time they see each other, but that's pretty much a given. He's the strong and silent type, he has a sword made from the fang of one of Naraku's incarnations. The one Kagome killed, I like to bring that up when I can. He's as ruthless as they come but he's got a strong sense of honor, he's pulled my ass out of the fire at least a few times. He's actually saved my life on at least one occasion."

"So he's a good guy then?"

"Oh god no, you get on his bad side and you'll be dead before you even blink. The same can't be said for idiots one and two over there." he jerked a thumb at where Koga and Inuyasha were still fighting over the bag of chips "If they were gonna kill each other then they totally would've by now. Sesshomaru wouldn't hesitate to kill an opponent when he gets the chance, Naraku found that part out the… well not the hard way since he's not dead. More like the medium way."

"He's after Naraku too?"

"Let's be real, everyone is after Naraku at this point. But in all seriousness, he has softened up a little bit compared to how he was when I first met him, but he's too proud to admit it."

"Sounds like the sort of demon you don't want to cross." Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look with each other "I guess we're lucky we didn't end up fighting him."

"Oh you are, he would've killed you both in a heartbeat."

"I could tell." this conversation was cut short when their group of wolves appeared, and then they started conversing with them through bark speak, which subsequently ended with the two of them getting seriously freaked out.

"...Are we supposed to know what the hell any of them are saying?" Tatsu shared a look with the others.

"You hear that?" Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look and turned back to Tatsu and the others "Our wolves apparently attacked that girl we saw earlier. The little kid that Sesshomaru had travelling with him."

"Ooh. Yeah I figured this one was gonna turn bad eventually."

"Wait, you knew about that?" asked Sango.

"I'll tell you guys the details later, in the meantime I'm gonna make sure idiots one and two wrap things up over there." so Tatsu summoned another iron club and proceeded to whack both Koga and Inuyasha over the head with it, knocking both of them to the ground "Seriously dude, I like fighting over bags of chips as much as the next guy, but it definitely wears out its welcome at some point."

"Good to know, and thanks for the food. See ya." Koga picked up the bag of chips, gave a quick two finger salute to Tatsu and Kagome, then took off in his typical cyclone.

"See you later guys, Koga wait up!" and then Ginta and Hakkaku chased after him.

"You know it's kind of ironic." Tatsu cast a glance over at the others "Normally the migraine goes away when he leaves, but now it's only getting bigger."

"Probably because he took the last of our ninja snacks." Shippo grumbled.

"That's definitely part of it."

"I couldn't help myself, I felt bad for them." Kagome gave a shrug "I didn't have the heart to just leave them hanging like that."

"Yeah I get the thought process, I just wish it wasn't the last good food we had. Anyway that's more me griping than anything else, I'm pretty sure we've got another problem on our hands by this point."

"What do you mean?"

"Not sure if you noticed, but while idiots one and two were fighting over the chips, Koga's lackeys started asking me all sorts of questions about Sesshomaru."

"So what, they ran into each other?"

"The lackeys did at least yeah, but if Koga and Sesshomaru run into each other I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a blood bath."

"Why? Koga might be hotheaded and reckless and Sesshomaru is ruthless, but do they really have a reason to kill each other?"

"Yeah, see here's something I never told you about… awhile back when I ran into Jaken during the whole thing with the cat demons, he told me something about that kid that Sesshomaru has travelling with him.

"You mean Rin?"

"Yep… apparently she was attacked by wolves once."

"And?" Kagome started at him, until it dawned on her "Oh. OH."

"I think the phrase you're looking for would have to be fu-" he quickly cut himself short when he noticed Kagome covering Shippo's ears "I'm gonna go with fudge. But yeah, this is probably gonna end badly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with the wolf trio…

"Huh, you know it's weird." by this point, Koga and his group were making their way along the path, the former downing the bag of chips "These things don't smell at all like meat, but they're pretty good. What did she say was in them?"

"I think it was some kind of dried potatoes." Ginta told him, and then he and Hakkku shared a look as a realization dawned on them 'If we keep going in this direction, we're gonna end up hitting that same river… and then we'll run into Sesshomaru.'

"There should be a river not too far up ahead, we'll take a break when we get there."

"Uh… actually you know what, I think we should go on ahead. Forget about the river!"

"No, these things are actually making me pretty thirsty, and I'm pretty sure the wolves are gonna want some water too."

"Oh, I got an idea then!" Hakkaku was quick to jump in "Let's try going up the river a ways, or maybe down the river a ways."

"Why would we bother doing that when there's good clean water right up ahead?"

"...Oh yeah, I guess that's a good point." though Hakkaku and Ginta were growing more nervous by the minute 'This is bad, if we tell Koga about Sesshomaru then there's no doubt that he's gonna go out of his way to start a fight, and even with the Goraishi this could be a disaster for sure!'

"You two listening?"

"What- Oh yeah." Ginta snapped out of it and tried to drag Koga away by the arm "Hey let's go that way Koga, it's way better!"

"Get off me dude! Why the hell are you two suddenly so hell bent on ordering me around?"

"We're not ordering you around, more like suggesting."

"While yanking me around by the arm.

"Uh… yeah. Look we don't ask much, just come with us this one time!" the two of them grabbed hold of Koga and tried to drag him away. Tried being the key word.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Koga pried himself free of their grips and threw both of them off to the side "Get this through your heads, I'm the leader here and that means I'm the one that gives the directions and you two are supposed to do what I say and follow me!"

"Yeah well maybe what you say isn't always right!" Hakkaku couldn't stop himself from saying this, and was immediately met with a glare from Koga.

"You wanna run that the hell by me again?"

"He said… He said what he said!" Ginta was the one to pluck up courage "You're not always right Koga, and we don't wanna follow you!"

"...So that's it huh?" Koga's expression briefly turned to one of hurt, but it was quickly masked by a facade of anger "You don't wanna follow me anymore then, you're gonna turn your backs on me just like that?"

"That's not what I-"

"Shove it, if you two don't wanna follow me then scurry back home to the mountains. I don't need any mutts who don't follow the alpha's lead."

"But… well fine!" Hakkaku and Ginta had comedic tears running down their faces, and then they promptly ran away crying.

"...Okay, so that happened I guess." Koga breathed a sigh as he stopped under the shade of a tree nearby 'Fuck it, I'm the ass here aren't I? Yeah, Akari probably wouldn't be too thrilled to see the Alpha talking to his partners like that. Fine fine, I'll apologize and all that good shit when they cool down. In the meantime I need some water, these chip things are really salty.' and so he went on his way towards the river.

"This is my territory filthy wolf!" a large serpent-like demon immediately burst out of the ground and lunged at Koga… only to be instantly ripped to shreds by a blast of lightning from the Goraishi.

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Hours passed, and the sun was beginning to set over Feudal Japan.

"So I've actually been doing a lot of brainstorming about this." Tatsu looked over at Kagome as the group continued on their way down the path "It started as designs for that new kimono that I asked my brother to make for you."

"The one made out of the same material as your gi?" Kagome gave a raised eyebrow.

"That's the stuff. Anyway it was mostly about making your clothes more maneuverable so you're not as weighed down by how heavy the robes are, but then I started thinking about other ideas, not just for you, but for the others." he pulled a notebook out of his own back "Not just for new clothes either, but weapons and armor and-"

"You possess it. I know you possess it!"

"And it's gonna have to wait, we've got incoming. Anyone wanna deal with this or should I just go ahead and do it?"

"No need, I can handle this." Kagome stepped forward and drew her sword from its sheath and her bow off her back 'From what I can sense, it's nothing too major.'

"Give it to me!" a large demon burst out of the ground, with the appearance of an ogre and the arms of a praying mantis "You possess a shard of the Shikon Jewel! Give it to me! Give me the shards of the jewel!"

"Everybody get down!" Kagome drew her Seishin Rozu from its sheath and cut the demon's arm off with one clean stroke of spiritual energy, causing the demon to roar in pain, and then she fired a single Sacred Arrow from her bow, striking the demon in between the eyes and purifying it on the spot "That should be the end of that, is everyone okay?"

"What remarkable strength!" it was then that a group of villagers made their way onto the scene, the leader of the group approaching them, Kagome in particular "Our village has spent ages being tormented by that demon, but we owe our newfound freedom to your kind assistance milady."

"We've noticed that there's been a lot more demon attacks all over the place lately."

"Indeed, many lives have been lost because of their brutality, but our village is free now thanks to you. You and your companions must spend the night with us."

"Well, if you really insist then it wouldn't be right to say no."

"And for once we don't have to feel guilty about it." Tatsu cast a glance over at the others "At least this way Miroku doesn't have to scam people with fake exorcisms."

"Please please." Miroku hung his head slightly.

"We're just telling it like it is, you're the one who-" Tatsu cut himself short as he glanced out into the distance "Oh crap."

"What's the matter?" asked Sango.

"I can sense Koga's lackeys not too far from here, along with a few others. Probably some other demons lurking around too. Hang on, I'd better go deal with this."

"You want us to come with you?" asked Kagome.

"No you guys go ahead to the village, I'll catch up later." and so Tatsu promptly bolted off into the distance, his mind racing 'Given everything that's happening with Koga and Sesshomaru's group, for all I know this might end up in a fight. At the very least I gotta make sure that this doesn't turn into a bloodbath.'

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Meanwhile, with the sidekicks…

"Stupid Koga, I can't believe him." by this point, Hakkaku and Ginta were brooding over their fight with Koga, while also searching for food "He doesn't have to act like such an asshole when we're just looking out for him."

"Tell me about it. I don't know what his problem is." Ginta gave a scowl as he reached into the trunk of a tree, only for an insect to slip out of his grasp "Aw man…"

"The problem is he's way too rash. Sure he isn't as bad as he's used to, but he's still impulsive and acts on instinct." Hakkaku reached onto a branch and devoured a fruit he picked up… only to immediately spit most of it out.

"You know what his problem is? He's arrogant because he's the leader of the tribe."

"Maybe we should try joining Tatsu and Kagome and serve under their group. They would never treat us like that."

"Yeah they wouldn't, but what about Inuyasha?"

"...Aw shit, I forgot about him. He's just as rough as Koga, maybe even worse."

"So then what are we supposed to do?"

"How the hell should I-" it was then that the sound of a loud crash quickly drew the attention of both of them.

As it turns out, the crash came from trees being knocked down nearby, courtesy of a large ogre demon that quickly began sizing up Ginta and Hakkaku "Who are you two? You're not from around here, I can tell."

"Shit shit shit shit!" that was enough to make Hakkaku and Ginta take off running, only for the former to trip and fall to the ground "Hey hold on for me!"

"Every man for himself!" Ginta just kept on running without looking back.

"You son of a-" Hakkaku didn't get a chance to finish before the ogre demon loomed over and pounced on him, until…

"Aqua Javelin!" a spear made of solidified water pierced through the skull of the demon, causing it to evaporate, courtesy of Tatsu as he leapt down onto the scene in front of them "You okay man?"

"Yeah, yeah I think so."

"That's a relief." this was when Ginta made his way back over to them, only to be met with a kick to the face from Hakkaku "Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

"What the hell do you think? Koga would never turn his back on a comrade and you just left me to die!"

"Like you wouldn't have done the same thing, and besides I ain't Koga! Besides, if he hadn't insisted on coming out as far as we have then we wouldn't have ended up in situations like these in the first place!"

"You think I don't know that? The only thing he thinks about is going after Naraku and that's pretty much it."

"It's not that surprising." Tatsu pointed out "He wants to avenge the comrades that got slaugtered by Kagura."

"We both know that but still, it didn't seem like it was gonna be that difficult until Naraku up and disappeared."

"To be fair you didn't have the best track record with finding Naraku even before he abandoned his castle."

"Yeah we know, we actually tried to talk Koga into giving up on that and he ripped into both of us hard. He said that he'd never give up on searching for Naraku, or else our comrades would never forgive him." Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look as their faces fell "That's why we're out here in the first place, as part of a vendetta for our comrades that got killed. Koga is the leader of the tribe, so he feels responsible for what happened to them. Not to mention he's saved our tails more than a few times."

"No arguments here. Koga's a lot of things, impulsive and reckless and a giant pain in the ass being pretty high on the list, but he would never turn his back on you guys. Even I can tell that at a glance." Tatsu breathed a sigh "I know I've called him a pain in the ass, and I'm gonna stand by that claim until the day I die, but I do respect him to that extent at least."

"So then… what are we supposed to do?"

"About what? Speaking of which, what were you guys doing out here anyway?"

"We got into a fight with Koga because we were trying to keep him from-" Ginta cut himself short as he and Hakkaku took a few whiffs of the air "Sesshomaru. That's his scent no mistake, and he's coming this way!"

"So?"

"So Koga is still up ahead and they're gonna run into each other…"

"Koga is gonna call Sesshomaru a mutt and end up as a bloody pile of meat in Sesshomaru's giant teeth in his dog form?"

"Yes! We have to do something to keep them from meeting each other or Koga is gonna be as good as dead!"

"But you guys don't have any sort of plan to make that happen."

"No! So what the hell are we supposed to do?!"

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Nightfall came, and the moon shone brightly in the skies above.

'This scent…' Sesshomaru and his group were continuing on their way, only to stop when a certain something, or someone in this case, stood before them 'So he has chosen to appear before me again.'

As it turns out, it was Tatsu standing before him, one hand moving to grip the sword strapped to his back "It's been awhile."

"So it has." Sesshomaru's gaze quickly fell on the Fangs around Tatsu's neck "I see that you've acquired another Fang since our last encounter."

"Yep, that makes six. Actually this one would've been a lot more effective to have the first time I fought you."

"So you claim. However, as intriguing as the prospect of testing your newfound abilities may prove to be, there are other matters to attend to that you are not connected with."

"Yeah I know, I'm kind of with them."

As it turns out, it was Hakkaku and Ginta standing on the road in front of them trying to bar their way "This road is closed, you cannot pass! Turn around and take another route!"

"Yeah, expect this to be a thing."

"We're the right and left hand men of Koga, the great young leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe. We are Hakkaku the Slayer and Ginta from the Fires of Hell!"

"Originally they were going with being shrewd and having dimples, but they thought this sounded more intimidating."

"This road is closed, so turn around our face our wrath!" they finished their act with a dramatic pose… only to immediately start sweating under Sesshomaru's glare, so they started throwing a few punches and kicks at each other to try and intimidate him "How do you like that?"

"I should tell you now, he doesn't."

"Why don't we let him say that for himself?"

"Get out of our way." was all Sesshomaru said, his eyes narrowing slightly, but enough to visibly scare both of them.

"Uh… You go elsewhere, this path is closed! There's nothing to see here, so you might as well just keep moving!"

"Perhaps I failed to make myself clear to you." Sesshomaru's gaze narrowed further as he took a few steps forward "I told you. To get out. Of our way." that was enough to make the two of them recoil in fear.

"See it's like I told you guys, he won't hesitate or show mercy." Tatsu was quick to step in between the two parties as he moved to grip his sword.

"I also recall saying that you are not connected to matters concerning them."

"Yeah I know, but my conscience won out. My business or not, I can't just let you kill them or do whatever it is you're planning to do."

"You would stand in my way?"

"I would and I am." Tatsu drew his sword off his back to prove his point, his body radiating a large amount of demonic energy.

"Hm. If that is what you wish, then so be it." Sesshomaru readied his poison claws as he took another step forward.

All the while, Hakkaku and Ginta were left backing away from the two of them in terror, until the former came up with an idea "Hey you know what, if Tatsu is fighting him then we have a chance to make it out of here alive. Let's just find Koga and get him the hell out of here while we have the chance!"

"You wanna get who the hell out of here?" came a new voice that stopped everyone in their tracks, as well as causing the demonic energy clash to subside.

Hakkaku and Ginta slowly turned around and looked up to find Koga standing on the cliffside above them "Koga, you're here!"

"Yeah no shit, now what the hell is going on?" Koga's expression hardened as his gaze moved onto Tatsu, then Sesshomaru "Not surprised to see the meat sack involved in this, but who the hell are you supposed to be?" he took a quick whiff and his gaze hardened "This scent feels familiar. He reeks like that filthy mutt Inuyasha, but still kinda different."

The very sight of Koga was enough to make Rin flinch and hide away on the back of A-Un 'That face… Lord Sesshomaru?"

"So what's the deal?"

"Short version, he's Inuyasha's older half-brother." Tatsu told him.

"You gotta be shitting me, there's more than one of him?" Koga paused and took a moment to eye Sesshomaru "The only real difference being that he's not a half-demon."

"And he's also someone you don't want to piss off, whereas with Inuyasha it's fun. With him it's just a death sentence, which I'm pretty sure you're close to finding out."

"Oh please, what the hell could I have to piss him off?"

"Well I can think of one thing." he jerked a thumb at where Rin was cowering on Ah-Un "See the kid there? Your wolves attacked her village not long ago."

"No way it's my wolves, the only village I've gone after lately is-" Koga cut himself short as the realization dawned on him "Wait, you mean the-"

"Yep."

"So she's from-"

"Yep."

"And he's about to-"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"...I'm gonna fucking die aren't I?"

"Your buddies seem to think so, why do you think they've been trying to keep you from running into him all day."

"Huh." Koga glanced back to where Hakkaku and Ginta were huddled behind him "So that's what the two of you were up to."

"Rin, Jaken, stand back." Sesshomaru took a few steps forward.

"You two stay behind me." Koga took a few steps toward Sesshomaru and prepared to summon the Goraishi on his arm, until…

"Give it to me!" this confrontation was briefly cut short when a large ogre demon burst out of the forest and pounced towards Koga "Give me the shards of the Shikon Jewel!"

"Yeah let me think about that, nope!" Koga blitzed towards the demon and dealt it a solid kick to the face, causing it to stumble forward in its pain 'One clean blast from the Goraishi is all that I need to-'

"Azure Dragon Wave!" Sesshomaru didn't waste any time as he drew Tokijin and unleashed a burst of demonic energy, obliterating the demon on the spot.

"You know I could've handled that myself no problem." Koga held up the Goraishi in order to emphasize this point.

'This claw of his, it emits a significant amount of demonic power, perhaps even a rival to the Wind Scar. Perhaps there is more to him than I first anticipated.' Sesshomaru's gaze narrowed slightly further, only for a twitch in his nose to direct his attention elsewhere.

"Help me Master Jaken!" as it turns out, Rin was cowering on the back of Ah-Un as a large centipede demon loomed over her.

"Get away from her foul beast!" Jaken tried to charge at the centipede demon with the Staff of Two Heads, only to easily be swatted aside.

'Rin!' seeing that Rin was in danger was all the motivation Sesshomaru needed to charge toward her with Tokijin pointed, until…

"Lightning Claw!" Koga burst past him with his enhanced speed and unleashed a sudden blast of lightning from the Goraishi, evaporating the centipede demon before it even had enough time to scream. Once that was taken care of, he cast a glance over at Rin "You good kid?"

"Um…" Rin quickly shied away from him, causing him to cringe slightly.

'Right, my wolves attacked her. Fuck.' Koga breathed a sigh "Let me guess, you're scared of wolf demons huh? They attacked you once?"

"It was… my whole village."

'So Tatsu was right. Look I get that you're scared of em, frankly I wouldn't blame you. The people of your village did… something bad to my family, and I hated them for it. But you're not one of them, so I'm sorry about whatever my wolves did to you. But since then I've learned that not all humans are bad, and not all demons are bad either. Wolves or others. Just call that some stuff to think about alright?" and so he promptly walked away from her, passing Sesshomaru as he made his way back over to his group.

"Your interference was not necessary." was Sesshomaru's blunt input.

"Yeah well, the feeling is mutual." and then Koga walked passed him without another word as he wrapped his arms around Hakkaku and Ginta "Let's get moving guys, we have a lot of ground to cover." and they followed after him in silence.

"...Well that happened." Tatsu watched as they left, then turned towards Sesshomaru "So you're okay with just letting them go considering what happened?"

"So you know." Sesshomaru's gaze narrowed slightly "I was not aware that you knew of the circumstances of how Rin came to travel with me."

"Jaken told me awhile back about how she got attacked by a pack of wolves and I just pieced it together from there. Frankly I came here because I figured one of two things would happen when you met. One, his ego took over and he'd try to fight you. Two, you killed him in revenge for what his wolves did to Rin. Probably both actually."

"If he had attempted to do the same thing today, then I would not have hesitated to kill him in retribution. However, Naraku is the only one that I am concerned about now. I have no interest in unnecessary conflicts."

"Huh. Fair enough. So I guess we'll be putting our next battle on hold for the time being. Just know that I'm looking forward to it." and so Tatsu took his leave of the scene.

'Hm. I look forward to our next battle as well.' Sesshomaru suppressed a small smirk, then turned back towards Rin and Jaken "Let's go."

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Meanwhile, with the other group…

"Okay then…" Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look as the followed Koga until they were resting under a tree along the path leading to the river 'Not how I thought that was gonna go.'

"Go ahead and eat up."

Hakkaku and Ginta looked up to see Koga drop the bag of chips in front of them "You saved these? I figured you would've finished them by now."

"I thought about it, but I'm pretty sure that Kagome gave these to me because she wanted me to share them with you."

"Oh. We're not gonna argue, so thanks I guess."

"Sure. Speaking of arguing, you wanna explain what you guys were up to before?"

"Oh, you mean that. We knew that Sesshomaru was nearby, and we figured that if you ran into him then you'd try to pick a fight."

"Why the hell would you think that?" Koga was immediately met with the sound of a loud snort, which caused his expression to turn dull "That's Tatsu isn't it?"

"Good guess." Tatsu leapt down from the tree and landed in front of him "And to answer your first question, let me paint a little mental picture of what pretty much everyone that knows you expected you to say: You fucking morons! Why the hell should I have to go out of my way to avoid Inuyasha's older brother? He's just another mangy mutt. Bring him on and show me where he is, I'll shove my Goraishi up his tail hole! And scene."

"...Okay first of all, I don't sound like that."

"Yes you do."

"Second of all, don't get the wrong idea about me. One of these days I'm gonna put Inuyasha in his place no doubt, but as of yet I don't have any reason to pick a fight with his brother."

"Oh. Huh. Guess I underestimated you."

"You were actually freaked out over some stupid thing like that?"

"Correction, they were worried and my conscience won out. Even if you didn't want to pick a fight with Sesshomaru, there was good reasoning to think that he was gonna rip you to shreds if he met you. Because of the kid he has with him."

"Oh yeah, her. Good point. Speaking of which, why the hell does a demon like him have some little human kid running around with him?"

"I figured it was because he was tired of being alone with that little imp of his."

"Sure that part I get, but some little kid? It doesn't make sense to me."

"He's not the kind of guy to explain his reasoning for just about anything."

"Fair enough I guess, but seriously what the fuck is his deal-" Koga was cut off by Hakkaku and Ginta covering his mouth, only for him to pry them off "Cut it out! What, you guys don't think I have what it takes to beat Sesshomaru in a fight?"

"I know for a fact that you don't."

"Fine, then I'll go and prove all of you assholes wrong right now!" so Koga bolted to his feet and prepared to charge off… only to immediately be met with an iron club to the head knocking him to the ground "Ow fuck!"

"Pretty sure your buddies here spent the entire day trying to make sure something like this didn't happen. You might wanna try listening to them."

"...Fine, point taken." Koga breathed a sigh and rolled over onto his back, then cast another look over at Hakkaku and Ginta "Might as well go ahead and eat."

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Meanwhile, with the main group…

'It sure is a peaceful night…' Kagome (now clad in only a white yukata) breathed a small sigh as she sat on the step outside her room, gazing up at the stars in the night sky 'It's these kinds of things that make me appreciate this era more each time I see it. I just wish Tatsu didn't have to run off so I could see it with him.'

"Hey."

'Speak of the devil.' Kagome looked over to see Tatsu leap off the roof of the inn and drop down next to her "Hey, so how did it go?"

"Well Koga and Sesshomaru met up and nobody died, so I'm gonna call that a win."

"That's a relief. So is it really true about Koga… about how his wolves attacked Rin?"

"As far as all of us can tell, yeah they were his. She's still pretty freaked out by wolves and him, but he did save her from getting eaten by a giant centipede so I think that earned him at least a few points. Speaking of which, he wanted me to give you these." he held out a small bouquet of flowers to her "His way of saying thanks for giving him and his buddies food."

"They're beautiful." Kagome gave a small warm smile as she sniffed the bouquet, then let out a chuckle "You know it's kind of funny."

"What is?"

"Just how much Koga has changed since the first time we met him. You think we have a certain influence over me?"

"Well his buddies said that one of the reasons he ordered the tribe to stop attacking humans is to not piss you off, so I think that's got something to do with it. Still I get what you're saying, and frankly I think it's a good thing. As much of a pain in the ass as Koga can be, I'd rather have him on our side than against us."

"Plus the more people we have helping us to fight Naraku the better."

"Without a doubt." Tatsu laid back on the floor as Kagome rested against his chest 'And we're gonna need all the help we can get. There's no doubt in my mind that Naraku is going to be back soon, and stronger than ever.'

A/N:

This is the real last chapter before the biggest arc in Inuyasha gets started. I know this one came off as more of a breather chapter, especially since the last time was more of a slice of life and breather chapter, but I figured some light relief would be in order before we get into the real meat of what's to come.

Also, the powers of the sixth Fang have been revealed: it grants the user the ability to drain poisonous and corrosive substances from others, but at the cost of the user sustaining damage. I came up with that ability for a specific reason, and it mainly has to do with what happens in the next arc. For those of you who've seen that arc, you'll understand what I mean.