Chapter 20.-Face to face
This wasn't the place for a drawn-out fight.
A few hours of climbing unkind terrain wasn't really something that affected his performance, but without the aid of chakra, the journey had to have tired his current companions to some extent. Their real enemy couldn't be too far from here; demons may not be able to walk around within the barrier, but there were still two more undead mercenaries roaming around. The longer this went on, the more those two might struggle when the time came to fight Naraku. Not to mention, even disregarding the dangerous situation, there's no way he could allow the leader of Shichinintai to leave this confrontation still breathing, after all, Bankotsu was…
"You're gonna wish you were dead, you fucking bitch!"
…out of control.
The vile man's attacks only intended to get him out of the way so the undead mercenary could target Kagome. Ever since the fight at the fortress, the mercenary's rage had zeroed in on her. It had been challenging to keep himself still during their last couple of encounters, but he hadn't wanted to make things more difficult for the girl. But she'd finally asked him to intervene, and he wasn't about to allow such a threat to escape once more.
"Still not saying anything, huh?!" The heavy swing missed him by a few inches. "Damn bodyguard, I'll cut your fucking head off!"
Rage-fueled attacks were easy to dodge.
Easier to block.
Just as heavy a blow as it had been on Hijiri island. The boost in power granted by the Shikon fragments was certainly not to be laughed at, but using it on the halberd meant that despite the increased eight on his weapon, the undead mercenary's own strength hadn't really changed. Not his strength or his speed either. Chakra flowed through his system and into his own blade as he pushed forward, forcing the undead man back. There's no doubt they were being watched, and trying to use a high-grade ninjutsu inside the barrier might produce unpredictable results, giving the enemy information that could be used against him…the power behind some of Bankotsu's blows might be comparable to what some jounin could pull off, but the mercenary was far too unbalanced. Some shinobi could excel while mastering only one art, but despite the increased strength, Bankotsu couldn't exactly compare with someone like Konoha's Green Beast. The undead man was far too slow, far too rash, and most of all, he didn't know to close his eyes when fighting someone with a sharingan.
Ninjutsu may not be the best option, but he didn't need to rely on it.
Crimson eyes narrowed as he followed Bankotsu's movements.
It was time to end this battle.
Power rushed through, chakra racing across his system, speeding up his movements. He shifted his stance. Metal clashed against metal as he forced the other man to back down. Blocking wouldn't be enough. Bankotsu frowned, forced to back down, a furious glare sent his way.
One hit after another.
Giving no time for the mercenary to catch his breath or to regain his footing. It was easier to keep him on the defensive. Easier still to weave genjutsu through. An illusory double fell into place, covering his movements a peaceful cover to him as chakra gave his speed another boost. A sprint forward, a dodge to the side. He couldn't give any time to react.
First, the halberd, next the neck.
His blade cut through flesh and bone, his arm didn't stop the sword from following its arc and slicing through his next target. Itachi's left hand shot forward, fingers digging through the open stump until they closed around the smooth surface of the shards. He didn't know how the regeneration worked with those people, but he wasn't going to risk anything. Itachi pulled his hand back before Bankotsu's severed arm fell to the ground. Not that the part of the undead mercenary's body lasted any longer, disappearing into ashes once more. Back to the grave. The halberd remained the same.
There was still a fragment inside the weapon. He remembered where Inuyasha's attack had harmed the halberd's blade. Pouring chakra into his katana before striking down.
Regular metal would've broken already; he could feel the strain as he pushed further. Finally, it cracked, the violet fragments peering through. Taking the shard out, Itachi could see the color shift as he took it out of the malice-filled halberd. Not entirely, Itachi noted as he mentally compared the fragments in his hand to the ones hanging around his butterfly's neck. It could simply be because the evil intent clung to the jewel…or perhaps it was because as strong as the sacred energy keeping the barrier intact wasn't nearly as pure as it should have been. Either way, it was telling and something to keep in mind when they confronted the so-called living Buddha.
"Itachi!" Concern was bleeding into her voice as his butterfly rushed down. "Are you alright?"
"Not a scratch," he said, hurrying to wipe his hand on the back of his haori.
"We really made you hold back to match us, didn't we?"The demon exterminator huffed, but there was humor in her words. "Glad you're on our side."
"That's…"
"Hopefully, we can get this over with today." Whether it was because she noticed he couldn't come up with a response or because she was also aware of how much time had passed since they started their hike, Kagome jumped in again before offering him an apologetic smile. "Sorry for dragging you into this."
"I'm just glad I could help." He lifted the shards.
"Oh, right." Seemingly unwilling to let him simply let the fragments fall into her hands, the girl gripped his hand. "Thank you."
Delicate fingers lingered on his tainted hands.
Killing never made for a pretty sight. It was one thing when the one falling was some mindless beast; there was a sense of distance that allowed one to hide behind a veneer of heroism when the threat looked like the monster it was. Once the one on the other side of the blade looked human enough, it destroyed that facade, making violence more difficult to swallow. For civilians, there was no real difference between the horrible mobster exploiting a town with threats of violence and the shinobi who didn't hesitate to leave bodies behind after they were paid to protect a village once they saw what that protection actually looked like. Cutting off a man's head off, no matter how vile, wasn't an easy thing to swallow. Nuance and shade of gray were complicated when most of their lives were spent wrapped in peace. Itachi himself had lived that story, seeing the wariness seeping into his client's eyes. And yet, Kagome never faltered. There were no concerns or worries as she held his hand, apologizing for asking for his help instead of turning away.
It was probably more than he deserved.
"Ahem, on the topic of getting this over with today." The demon exterminator's light cough made Kagome jump back. "I found something nearby."
Sacred energy hung so heavy in the air that the effort of keeping her senses sharp was almost as dizzying as the abrupt change in their surroundings.
The crevice Sango had noticed had led them to the hollow interior of Mt. Hakurei. A pocket within the barrier so full of youki that even Kagome had to take a second to get used to it. There was so much miasma that it almost convinced her to get Itachi to turn back. Without any spiritual energy to offer some resistance, the protection given by demonic blood or a demon exterminator's specialized equipment, Kagome worried Itachi's mask wouldn't be enough, but he'd waved away her worries. Probably because he'd known without him, she and Sango wouldn't be able to get past the never-ending swarm of low-level youkais waiting for them as soon as they got out of the narrow corridor. With him leading the change, however, there was barely a fight. A barrier to shield the two girls from the veritable inferno Itachi turned the inside of the hollow into. Whatever youkais had been able to withstand the fire had been swiftly done away by the young warrior's blade before the last flames died out. Only Kagura escaped, courtesy of fleeing as soon as she'd confirmed who made up the smaller group.
Between this and the fight with Bankotsu, there's no way anyone could attempt to deny Itachi had been holding back. A lot. An enemy that had matched Inuyasha's strength and pushed the hanyou to his limits was defeated in only a few minutes with what honestly looked like little effort, and he'd followed that by beating all those youkais without breaking a sweat. If the power the young warrior had shown until now was only a small portion of what he was capable of, Kagome couldn't help but wonder about the kind of enemies he'd had to face before. She just couldn't imagine how brutal his life had been until now, and that notion only made her feel guilty for dragging him into this mess. Itachi never seemed to enjoy any battles he joined, and from everything he'd said so far, it was clear that the older teen clearly appreciated the peace found in modern Japan. Despite the conflicts he'd lived through, Itachi wasn't a violent person. He shouldn't have to fight yet again. This really felt like she was taking advantage of him by doing this.
A gentle grip on her hand cut short her train of thought, concern was obvious in the young warrior's eyes. She must've slowed down without realizing it. Willing those thoughts away, Kagome offered a small smile as she picked up the pace, trying to focus on her surroundings once more.
While this area within Mt. Hakurei felt almost the same as the sacred barrier outside, the look of it was completely different. Back when they got into the opened-up area of the mountain, there had been wooden rails lining up the rocky path upwards; it had been odd to see the human-made structures in the middle of the hallowed insides of the place, but this…this was almost ridiculous. The rocky ground was replaced by polished wooden floors, the fog had returned, dense enough that she could barely see her friends by her side, and now there were carved pillars around them. They might as well be in a grand temple.
This was…the heart of the barrier…it had to be. Hiding among the fog, a silhouette began to take form. Azure eyes narrowed as she struggled to make sense of what had to be an altar. Surrounded by more crimson pillars was a figure covered by a golden mantle. Right in front of them. There was a man, or the remnants of a man in a praying posture, his body dried out, mummified, still holding rosary beads. The saint of Hijiri island that had been entombed as a living Buddha was sitting on the altar.
"Is that…" Sango's voice was low as she trailed off. "Hakushin-shoutnin-sama?"
"Who…are you?" Slow and raspy, the voice that came from the direction of the mummy almost caused her to jump.
"Are you…Hakushounin-shounin-sama?" Kagome asked once she recovered from the shock.
"Indeed." He wasn't moving; honestly, the miko didn't know if the man could move. "That is my name."
"Naraku brought him back to life, huh?" The demon exterminator's question was harsh.
For a second, silence fell upon the small group as they glanced at each other, trying to figure out how to go about had spoken about the saint with adoration and worship. This man had dedicated his entire life to helping others, eventually making the ultimate sacrifice. Nothing here seemed to point to the priest being forced to keep the barrier up against his will. The resurrected man had to be either helping the spider hanyou out of his own free will or being tricked, but something told her that it wasn't the latter.
Biting her tongue, Kagome took a step forward, gesturing to the other two to let her try first. Maybe attempting to talk things out was pointless, regardless of how benevolent his actions had been while he was still alive; it didn't change the fact that Hakushin-shounin-sama had agreed with Naraku and had chosen to protect Bankotsu…Inuyasha often chided her for being too naive and easy to fool, and he probably wasn't entirely wrong, but she still wanted to try. Because now that the saint was in front of her, Kagome could feel something in the resurrected man's aura that felt almost…sad.
"Do you…know what Naraku has done?" She was cautious, unsure how to start. "What he's doing right now…the people who have died because of him?"
"I know, of course…even so, I do not mind…I am simply doing what I want to do." She couldn't hear any cruelty.
"What you want?" Sango asked, her tone rising; she sounded offended by the man's nonchalance. "Hundreds have died in the last week alone because of him!"
Shaking her head, Kagome pleaded for the demon exterminator to back down. She understood why the older girl was so upset, but looking at the shadow of what the saint had been, she couldn't conjure up any anger. Maybe she was feeling more than the simple presences Itachi had described since the source of their power was different, but right now, she couldn't help but pity the decrepit being used by Naraku.
"When I was alive, without any hesitation, I saved many people," the saint started, resentment bleeding through. "Adored by all, a purification center was erected at the base of Mt. Hakurei…many criminals and disillusioned people came here, seeking to save their souls." That was the same thing they'd heard from the villagers. "What left me to give up my life was…a famine that continued for several years and outbreaks of disease…there were corpses fallen all over the land…In those years, I also had collapsed from illness while tending to the sick. Many grieving people gathered."
Technically, Kagome had heard the story the former saint shared with them before. As little attention as she'd paid to her grandfather's tales, she was still a shrine-raised kid. Stories praising the selflessness of one holy person or another offering themselves as willing, living sacrifices to the gods to save a town and stop whatever natural disaster, curse, or pissed-off gods that took the role of that particular story's threat. It really was nothing new to her…and yet, this was the first time the girl had ever paused to think about what such a thing would feel like from the other side. Rather than courage or selflessness, Hakushin-shounin-sama's words painted a picture full of desperation. Full of fear and worries, the people had all but demanded a solution from the ailing monk, worried more about their own survival than the health and future of the man who'd spent his whole life attempting to help them. It was duty, more than anything else, that prompted the man to go to such extreme measures. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it must've been to sit in the dark, alone, and realize everyone was looking forward to your death. It had to have been terrifying. And yet, Kagome could hear the shame in his words when he talked about the doubt creeping in, and the suddenly reignited will to survive, and his fear of an eternity of darkness that drove him to accept the spider's offer.
Of course, Naraku would swoop in, offering false salvation by stroking his resentment and turning it into hatred.
Attempting to compare her own situation with the former saint's wasn't fair. As complicated as her life had gotten, she'd been able to share some of the weight of the responsibility for hunting down the Shikon fragments…but the people from Kaede's village would still mumble Kikyo's name as she passed by. Honestly, the constant mention of her previous incarnation hadn't bothered her effort. Until Kikyo was brought back. There were times Kagome couldn't tell who they saw when they looked at her. There was a cold distance she couldn't ignore anymore, and even with her friends, sheds topped being entirely ignored. They needed her to smile and be cheerful, so that's what she'd tried to do.
If not for Itachi pulling her out of that sandpit, she might've closed herself off while pretending everything was perfect.
"Will you criticize me? Will I be condemned?" The saint's question was more a dare than anything else.
"Condemning or criticizing…I don't think any of us has the right to do so." Gesturing for the others to give her a chance to try things her way, Kagome moved to sit down in front of the altar. "Resentment and hatred, they're all just human emotions and priestesses and monks are still just humans."
"You…are you a miko?" The raspy voice seemed to hesitate.
"Somehow, though it's not like I had any real training, I'm kinda learning as I go." The smile on her lips was a little strained; she wasn't lying, but she certainly hadn't been training up until recently. "I don't have a lot of experience, but…earlier…you mentioned what you were doing right now was what you wanted to do, right?"
"Exactly, I'm living how I want to now." There it was again, that twinge in his aura.
"Anyone would be frustrated and scared, I can see why anyone would get angry, but…I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what type of person Naraku is. Is being used and then being disposed of alright with you? Is this really how you want to live?" For a second, the girl faltered, unsure if she really should reveal the words dancing on the tip of her tongue before deciding to go ahead anyway. "You know, I really don't know what I want to do."
"Kagome-chan…?" Sango started only to be stopped by Itachi lightly shaking his head.
"I mean, I had a vague idea of how I wanted my life to go, but then I accidentally broke something I shouldn't have, and here I am," the miko shrugged, taking advantage of the young warrior's interference. "I can't say it's the same, but…I'm the reincarnation of a well-known priestess. She was incredibly strong and died protecting the village. Wise, kind, powerful…as close to perfect as she could be, but…I don't think she was all that happy. I told myself that I wouldn't let myself be influenced by who she was, and yet… in the end, I still compared myself to her quite often. A part of me felt like I had to become that ideal. It's scary how easy it was to start walking the same path without realizing it." A path she'd still be walking on without Itachi.
"Until recently, I hadn't noticed I couldn't say what I wanted to do with my life. I'm still not really sure, but I'm doing better now that I have a little help." The smile she offered this time was less forced. "So…is this, being stuck here, protecting someone who kills without a thought…really what you want to do?"
"I….couldn't become a Buddha." The words dragged, but the shame was impossible to miss now.
"You didn't have to." There may be some people who managed to obtain that sort of inner peace, but it'd be unreasonable to demand it from anyone, monk or not. "Humans are all flawed by nature, we all do the best we can with what we have, and that's enough, so what is it you want to do now?"
"I'm…tired of the darkness." The weight of the words was tinged with sadness.
"No one here will condemn you, you can rest." Standing up, the girl kept her tone soft. "I'm sure we can find a way, it's okay."
Taking a step forward, Kagome extended her hand out. There was hesitation in the former saint's eyes. Still, he reached out to her, frail fingers extending, and she felt the barrier fall, the spiritual energy around them vanishing as soon as her skin touched her. She didn't stumble this time around, focusing only on the fragile soul in front of her. Kagome's powers had been. Altered by the Shikon, and she'd never learned the rites and prayers miko's were supposed to use for situations like this…but she didn't need to. Itachi had been right desires were what fueled her reiki to move, and right now, what she wanted was to help the poor man rest.
Pink light shone over them, soft and gentle and warm.
"Ah, it really is, isn't it?" There was something else in his voice now.
Before she could even try to respond, the former saint closed his eyes, his form losing solidity, light blue light taking over as he peacefully faded away, leaving behind only his orders. Just like that, he was gone, along with his anger. Willing herself to take a deep breath, Kagome did her best to push back the feelings she hadn't expected to let out. She could feel the demonic energy suddenly filling the entire area. They needed to get moving again. Either to figure out a way to regroup with Inuyasha and the others or to start making their way down, it didn't matter. They couldn't spend more time here.
"Kagome-chan, are you…" Sango started, clearly trying to address what the younger girl had said.
"Alright! We need to get going." Kagome cut her off with a clap. Confessing some of her insecurities had helped that soul, but while she could see now that she should probably talk to the others and let them in, she wasn't quite ready yet. Not to mention, this wasn't the time or place for a heart-to-heart. "Should we just start looking for a way to go down? Or do we go back?"
"Without the barrier, would Inuyasha-san wait for us?" Thankfully, Itachi seemed to understand what she needed.
"Right, we should find Naraku, then."Nodding, the girl began to turn. "Everyone will rush here anyway, so…"
Her desperate attempt to redirect the conversation was cut hurt as the ground under her feet.
No…not just the floor. The pillars were starting to crack, and the ceiling was starting to crumble. The sound of rocks breaking apart filled the air. More than that…the youki was increasing, oppressively pushing against her. A firm grip on her own stopped her from stumbling.
"The place is collapsing!" Sango yelled, her head turning wildly around them.
"First, let's go back to the corridor from earlier." Somehow, despite the clear urgency bleeding through his words, Itachi was still calm. "We can go from there."
Neither girl had the chance to agree before another loud crack pierced the air. Trusting Itachi to guide her, Kagome began sprinting after him, ignoring the sense of dizziness that came thanks to the unsteady ground. There was no time for second-guessing.
Credit where credit was due..this had to be one of the most disgusting things Itachi had seen.
Dismembered body parts, pools of blood painting the ground red, internal organs, and viscera spilling out, they were all images of cruelty and violence. Shinobis would also put themselves through hellish modifications for the sake of acquiring power, turning their bodies into something that didn't even resemble a human body anymore. But these…these lumps that almost looked like unborn babies filling the entire cave that had fused together to create moving, flowing walls and structures were certainly new even for him. As used to the gore as Itachi was, it'd be a lie to say he wasn't a little glad that his butterfly's shield saved him from having to touch them directly for long, though he worried she was exerting herself too much.
Unsurprisingly, they'd been attacked the moment they got back to the corridor. It's what he'd expected, what he'd warned the others about as they raced out of the temple. Kagome's shield had stopped the wind blades from hitting them, and a well-aimed doton kept them from falling despite the aggressive destruction of the corridor, but his butterfly saw the fragments at the bottom, so they were forced to go down anyway. They'd tried to walk around, attempting to make sense of what was going on, but the lump of flesh began to move, trying to wrap around them. He'd debated whether to attempt going on the offensive before choosing to have his butterfly surround the small group. There was no telling how far away the real ground was, and though he could find a way to fight without any fooling, the same couldn't be said for the two girls. Especially because something about the slimy texture that began covering the lumps of flesh reminded him of the time Jiraiya-sama summoned the digestive system of a tool around a hotel's hall to swallow him and Kisame. It was too dangerous to ask her safely. Depending on how things developed, escaping might become his first priority.
Especially because the whole interior of the mount seemed to have changed in its entirety. If not for Kagome's barrier, they would've been easily swallowed by it.
"I can see…" the girl started, her voice faint as she leaned on her own barrier. "… there are Shikon fragments moving down there."
"Naraku?" Sango asked, trying to peer next to her.
"Only two," Kagome answered, shaking her head, and he could hear dread set in. "And they're not that polluted."
"Could it…Kouga-san?" He was trying to be careful, but he could see the worry that multiplied as his butterfly nodded.
"He wasn't that far from here. He must've caught their trail." Azure eyes refused to move away even as she spoke. "He probably rushed in the moment the barrier fell."
"Then is he…"
"Sango!" From below, the voice of the monk came out. "Kagome-Shama! Itachi-san!"
Riding on the transformed cat demon, Miroku was carrying the fox kit on his shoulders. No one else came out of the entrance to the twisted space they were stuck in. Itachi couldn't really say he was surprised. Had the monk stayed at the burden of the sacred grounds, there's no way they'd be able to get that quickly had they waited for the barrier to fall. And if Inuyasha wasn't here, it meant the half-demon had disregarded all the glaring warnings and pushed forth, forcing the monk to follow. How exactly Miroku reunited with the other youkais, he wasn't sure, yet regardless…
"Where's Inuyasha?!" Unsurprisingly, Kagome was worried despite her recent trouble with the make.
"We got separated!" Frustration bled through the words. "Kouga found us when the barrier fell, but…!"
"They got eaten!" Shippo yelled from the man's shoulder.
"Eaten…" the girl repeated. "Hold on, what…!"
It wasn't the same as bloodlust, but it was damn near it, and he could feel it spike. Just a second before a swarm of tentacle-like appendages launched in the monk's direction. Not as much an attack as it was a dramatic reveal, the half-demon's bright red robe caught everyone's attention with the same ease as the male's silver hair. Inuyasha was unconscious, trapped halfway through the tentacles. Of course, the half-demon got himself caught. The situation was getting far more complicated by the minute.
"Inuyasha!" Worry was too evident in his butterfly's voice. "Inuyasha, wake up!"
"Awake or not makes no difference." Followed by a laugh, the low voice rose from the bottom of the chasm, along with a pale face making its way to the half-demon whose eyes had finally opened. "You're all already inside me."
"Naraku!" The silver-haired male's struggle did nothing to free him.
"You did well to get this far, but not good enough, however…" The pale face twisted in a mocking expression. "You're too late. It's all over for you."
"What a load of crap! It's only over when I rip open your throat!"
"You die here!"
Miroku aimed at the pale face, arm extended as the monk reached for the rosary beads only to be hit with a tentacle before the wind tunnel could be open. It didn't just shove the man against a wall. The tentacle followed him, trapping him and the cat demon. Yells and worried exclamations erupted, but Miroku managed to respond. Unharmed, if definitely uncomfortable. Everyone's movements were restricted. And yet Naraku hadn't made any real attack. It was telling. Now that the spider half-demon had somehow managed to fuse together with the mountain, it wouldn't have been incredibly easy to make an attempt on their lives. Clearly, the male had control over this space. No one needed to stay alive for him to steal the Shikon fragments from the corpses. Bringing every member of the group to the place, relatively untouched could only be something the spider did for his self-satisfaction. Proud and arrogant people could never resist the chance to boast.
He still had some time to work with, then.
"Naraku's gonna eat us all!"
"Kukuku, don't be so conceited. There's no value in eating you." Gloating was certainly the focus of this monologue. "A weak little youkai, a measly hanyou, and a bunch of humans…you'll just weaken my power."
Carefully moving closer to the young priestess, he gently pulled on her hand. He was fairly confident he knew what was going to happen. They couldn't afford to remain on the defensive. But he couldn't stay on the inside of the barrier. Azure eyes found him, and there was no hiding her worry. He leaned in closer, making sure to keep his voice soft. Despite the tension, Kagome nodded, closing her eyes for a second in preparation. It only took a moment for him to activate his sharingan. Someone with the type of ego Naraku had shown, there's no way he wouldn't want to put up a show.
"But before that…" the spider said. "There's something of mine you have.
Tentacles whipped against the group, trying to break his butterfly's shield.
Only the girl let it fall first.
Jumping out, the Uchiha reached the incoming limbs, his chakra-charged blade sliced through the wriggling flesh. Fighting without footing was far from impossible, but first, he had to minimize the number of targets. A well-placed kick gave him enough propulsion to get away from the gaping center. Practiced motions sent a flurry of shuriken, spinning blades piercing through the limbs keeping the monk in place. Pooling chakra on his feet, he landed on the wall; right in time to grab Miroku's arm before the man could fall, giving Kirara time to move into the right position. There was surprise in the monk's gaze as he realized where Itachi was standing, but he didn't say a word.
"Get to Kagome," the Uchiha ordered. "I'll stop any attacks he tries to send."
"I'm counting on you." Nodding, the monk urged the cat to race to the barrier.
Compared to the others, the cat demon wasn't all that fast, but neither were the spider's limbs.
Shimmering pink faltered just long enough for the other man to cross before the shield was back up. Escort missions were always more complicated, but there were ways to deal with them. Minimize the area he had to protect, pay attention to his surroundings, focus solely on his goal, and not hold back. The only thing he needed to do was open up a path.
"Ah, the new human." Derision was now mixed with interest as red eyes found him. "You've certainly gotten in my way, yet I don't think I've met you before."
Genjutsu was effective on the humans of this world, but he'd yet to test it out with demons. His preference was unimportant when he had to consider his butterfly's safety.
"Yet here you are," Naraku drawled out. "Risking your life for no reason…"
Holding back wasn't an option here, but in this enclosed space, his strongest physical attack might end up swallowing the area Kagome was protecting as well. Eventually, she could be strong enough to block even his most powerful attacks, but it wasn't the right time yet, not to mention she'd been expanding her senses to check their surroundings for hours. She had to be more than just physically tried. Pressuring her like that simply wasn't an option. The best move that would also be precise.
"I have all the reasons I need," Itachi responded, his tone unperturbed.
"Well, it's not like it makes a difference." Dark purple light shone from where the face was suspended. "I'll simply take the fragments once you're all dead." The new body revealed as the light died out was far closer to what he could find among the Elemental Nations. Still retaining a humanoid form, but bone-like structure protruded from his body, covering his chest, shoulders, and forearms in some bizarre organic armor and tentacles wriggling from his back. "Even though you came all the way here, none of you can lay even a finger on me."
"Bah, you're the one who's pitiful! Here I was wondering what kind of monster you were hiding…!" Inuyasha's reckless anger fueled his motions as he ripped the limbs trapping him.
"Inuyasha, wait!" Miroku's panicked yell echoed the shinobi's annoyance. "Naraku's demonic energy has grown so powerful, he's not even comparable to his former self!"
"His demonic aura? Don't make me laugh. All you're sensing is his twisted mind getting more perverted!" The male's hand was already gripping his sword, arms raised. "Kaze no kizu!"
"Stupid child," laughing once more, the spider Was far too unconcerned. "You will only take the lives of your friends with your attack."
Crimson eyes could see it happen within his heightened perception; the instant Inuyasha's attack reached the dark barrier around the black-haired male, the moment Naraku whipped his arm to the side. Directionless, the blades of wind bounced back, redirected. Parried with minimal effort…right at where Kagome was. This wasn't the place to take risks. A scroll was in his hand with a flick of his wrist. Fuinjutsu had always been a talent of his. With the correct seals, all energy could be absorbed. The scroll opened as he jumped down, sealing one of the racing blades within. But the rest didn't stop, ricocheting from every surface in abject chaos. They weren't losing speed, either.
"Kagome!" Now was when the silver-haired male remembered they should be careful.
"I have trapped your Kaze No kizu within the flow of my energy." Yes, gloating and over-explaining. "It will continue to bounce madly until it reduces you all to mincemeat."
"Duck down, Itachi!"
Her voice reached him before he could try to think of a new strategy, and he obeyed, crouching down as bright pink took over, her arrow cutting through the sharp whirlwinds of energy and hitting Naraku's barrier. It didn't shatter, not quite. But something was separating from it. Inuyasha reacted quickly, jumping to catch the unconscious wolf prince. He could see the spider's expression twist into anger. And now, it was his turn. If the girl's energy couldn't be trapped, there was a chance chakra would be the same. But just in case…chakra flowed to his eyes, the tomoes of his sharingan morphing.
An attack that couldn't be blocked, one that wouldn't bounce back while destroying everything and opening a way for Kagome and the others to escape.
Black flames erupted at his side, consuming all the flesh in its path.
"Now." The Uchihas didn't have to yell; Kagome had been waiting for his signal.
Pink vanished as her barrier dissipated, and he had her in his arms in a heartbeat. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were already safely on top of Kirara, and the silver-haired male's head whipped at the first whiff of fresh air. Exhaustion didn't hit him. Not like it had before. Staying to fight wouldn't be too dangerous for him; he could keep going…but Kagome came first. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her body leaning onto his chest. She trusted him. His butterfly trusted him with her safety, and he wasn't about to betray her.
For now, this much was enough, the black flames died as crimson eyes glanced back once he was out.
The ground under her feet didn't really feel steady. Without Itachi's hand on her waist, Kagome was sure she wouldn't have been forced to sit down courtesy of her shaking knees. She didn't want to step away from his steady heartbeat.
Risking her life in a fight wasn't exactly new to her.
Ever since the miko fell through the well, her scale of danger had shifted dramatically. More than once, she'd doubted her odds of survival, but she'd pushed through. Technically, she'd already been stuck in the stomach of the Inu no Taisho, but there was a massive difference between a sea of bones and the wriggling fleshy hell Mt. Hakurei had been turned into. She'd seen corpses in all states of decomposition, she'd gotten somewhat used to the horrific sights of what both youkais and humans were capable of, but while they hadn't been consumed in the same way, Naraku had tried to absorb Kouga, they'd still been trapped inside the spider hanyou. She'd never been in a place like that. Thanks to her barriers, Kagome had managed to avoid touching those lumps of flesh…but she'd still had to walk on them. The feeling of her shoes sinking in, the squelching sounds that pierced her ears with every step she took. They lingered even once she was safe inside her barrier.
Stubbornly stomping on those feelings, Kagome had done her best to focus on what she could do at the time. Making sure to keep her shield up and lowering at the right time so Itachi wouldn't have to worry about them, and eventually did her best to dissipate Inuyasha's Kaze no kizu. But she still couldn't get rid of the ick of having been there. The urge to kick off her shoes and throw them off a cliff or ask Itachi to set them on fire was incredibly difficult to ignore. Acting like that would make everyone worry about her; she had to hold it in until she was safe in her time, in the privacy of her room, because there was a difference between confiding some of her insecurities with the others and just breaking down in front of everyone.
It was fine. She was fine. She could step away and smile and get everyone back on the journey.
"What the hell was that?!" Inuyasha's angered scream finally made her step away as the hanyou stepped into Itachi's personal space. "What the fuck was that supposed to be?!"
"Inuyasha…" she tried to keep her voice soothing.
"No! What the fuck did you do!" He wasn't even letting her speak now. "And Naraku got away too!"
"Jutsus, like I said, techniques made possible through chakra." Even with Inuyasha's rude behavior, Itachi remained calm.
"Enough!" But if the young warrior was going to remain calm; then she would get angry on his behalf now. She was too tired for this. "Why does that matter?! The reason we're out here safe and sound is because of him!"
"He's hiding something!"
"I'm the reason he's here!" She stepped forward, her balance recovered now. "He doesn't need to tell you anything about his life!"
Gently grasping her shoulder, the young warrior tried to calm her down, but for once, she ignored him. This was ridiculous. Now, of all times, was when Inuyasha decided to pick a fight?
Because of the hanyou's impatience, they'd almost died. He just had to attack Naraku carelessly after Miroku tried to warn him. Itachi was the one who got them out, Itachi was the one with the plan, and Itachi was the one who'd helped her remain calm. The obvious wounds on the hanyou's form were evidence he'd recklessly charged in, completely ignoring the fact that he was putting the others in danger by doing that. For once, the hanyou could swallow up his damn embarrassment and just let things go.
"He did something to my Kaze no Kizu!" That's what he was harping on….Itachi stopping his stupid attack… "He's been…!"
The hanyou's voice trailed off, golden eyes shifting to the side.
"…Inuyasha?"
"That's…" The silver-haired male's voice was unfocused now. "Kikyo is close…"
Of course, that'd be enough to distract him.
Blunt nails dug into her palms. After trying to pick up a fight and yelling right at her face, he was willing to go off on a wild chase just because he caught her scent. Kikyo remained more important than his jealousy, his anger…and her safety. It always had been, and more than likely it always would. Dull ache of pain reverberated in her, around the edges of her soul. Gods, she was tired. Her energy seemed to drain as she saw his attention completely shift.
What did she want to do…
"Go," Kagome said with a sigh, lowering her eyes. "We'll catch up once Kouga-kun wakes up."
Conflicted, golden eyes glanced at her before going to Itachi and back to her again, but he left without a word anyway. She could feel everyone's gaze on her, and right now, all she wanted to do was close herself in her room or sink into her bathtub to try to not think of anything for a while.
"Kagome-chan?" Sango started; the older girl was clearly worried.
"Kagome…?" Light blue eyes looked up at her, confused as the wolf regained consciousness. "Where…"
"Don't move too fast, here…"
With a relieved sigh, Kagome raced back to where the wolf had been carelessly thrown. This was fine, she could use this. Getting angry at Inuyasha and caring for Kouga, they'd give her something to focus on until she was back in her time. And if she'd hurried too much to grab Itachi's hand when they finally got the wolf up to speed, she was too tired to analyze the comfort that came with the gentle hold on her hand.
A/N: So…a little late with today's upload, but hopefully it isn't super late. Hopefully the fact that this is a bit on the longer side helps make up for it.
As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all reviews/comments/criticism area greatly appreciated.
