On the shore

"Chichi is dead."

"Yes, we know."

"We don't have anything to talk about."

Sesshomaru turned away, walking on indifferently. Inuyasha, ran after him, holding a butterbur leaf above his head. The little ears perked up curiously.

"Wait! We are going to Hourai to destroy the four gods of war!"

"This was your father's wish!"

Sesshomaru suddenly stopped. Inuyasha bumped into his leg and immediately jumped back. Drops of rain that had collected on the leaf splashed the boy, making him shake his head like a dog. He peered into the face of his older brother, then into the faces of the demons who were kneeling on one knee.

"Not interested."

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Sesshomaru-sama..."

The brother walked on, leaving the two daiyoukai behind. Inuyasha saw that they did not rise from their knees for a long time. Hanyo wanted to ask something, but he hesitated because of the brother's unfriendly face. Luckily for him: Sesshomaru only put up with Inuyasha because he was silent.

"Wait here."

Inuyasha obediently stopped near the rocks, where the splashes of the waves reached. There was a terrible smell of salt — the hanyo covered his nose with his haori sleeve. Sesshomaru walked into the fog, from where the clatter of weapons and screams could be heard. With every step, his figure blurred, disappeared more and more — Inuyasha had a sense of foreboding, but everything was fine as long as he felt his brother.

A seagull sat nearby. It looked at Inuyasha a little too meaningfully, and the boy tensed.

"What?" he grumbled.

The seagull tilted its head.

"Hanyo?" it suddenly asked.

Inuyasha's eyes widened in fear — he jumped back, pressing his back against the rock, and stuck out his claws. Still too soft to hurt anyone.

"The son of Inu no Taisho," creaked the seagull, behaving quite friendly. "So, the rumors are true.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked warily.

"I serve Sazae-oni."

"Sazae-oni?"

"You are near her domain now," the seagull looked at the sea, fluffing its wings.

"She lives… under water?"

"Well, you can say so."

Inuyasha slowly went his hands down, deciding that the seagull was not dangerous. It just sat on a stone nearby and cleaned her feathers, occasionally glancing at Inuyasha.

"Are there rumors about me? Why?"

Suddenly the boy stopped, listening to his feelings. Sesshomaru's smell became thick and pungent — a moment ago it had been glimmering somewhere in the distance, and then suddenly it spurted out like blood from a wound. The hanyo's eyes widened in understanding.

"Onii-san!" Inuyasha rushed into the fog without hesitation, forgetting about the order.

He ran, guided by the smell — there was only a thick veil ahead. The waves roared, and the seagull creaked at last:

"See you soon, dog general's puppy."

But Inuyasha didn't understand what that could mean. And there was no time to think about it. Hanyo hurried to the place where Sesshomaru's blood was spilled.

"I told you to wait by the rocks."

Sesshomaru basked in a spring while Inuyasha clumsily fried fish on sticks. The sticks fell, and the fish was already pretty dirty. Inuyasha silently drilled into the back of Sesshomaru's head until he finally turned over his shoulder.

"Enough."

"I'm not doing anything," the hanyo shuddered and blushed.

Winter was coming, so rains gave way to low clouds promising snow. Sesshomaru stood up — Inuyasha gasped, staring at his back with all his eyes.

"It healed so fast, onii-san!"

The daiyoukai chuckled but kept silent. His clothes were restored, as was his skin, but as he dressed, Sesshomaru felt that the marks on his back were still there, even if no one could see them. Someday he would have to deal with those gods — now it would be wiser to retreat.

Passing by Inuyasha's fire, Sesshomaru said coldly when he saw the fish:

"Redo."

"Wha-at?"

"If you get poisoned, I'll throw you in the forest."

"Khya!"

Inuyasha sulked, but still trudged towards the spring, where several carp were still swimming. He did not suspect there was a conversation about him by the sea, under the full moon:

"My lady, the puppy has appeared — the son of a dog general! The strongest hanyo!"

"Did that fool really get involved with a human woman? Well-well-well… I also need the half-breed of Inu no Taisho!"