InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Facets of the Living Jewel ❯ Kushi-mitama ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters. Ms. Takahashi does.

From the manga by Rumiko Takahashi:

“Ara-mitama, nigi-mitama, kushi-mitama and saki-mitama.  All together these become one spirit, and in the flesh they live inside the heart.”

 

[Next frame. Miroku continues, while behind him Inuyasha looks a bit stunned.]

 

“Ara-mitama is courage, nigi-mitama is family (or friendship), kushi-mitama is wisdom, saki-mitama is to be in charge of love.  Human nature is correctly maintained between them.”

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters. Ms. Takahashi does.

 

 

Kushi-mitama

By Licentia poetica

 

Miroku watched Sango prepare dinner out of the corner of his eye. `I'm the luckiest man on earth, and yet at the same time I'm the most cursed. Lucky, because I'm traveling with two of the most beautiful women I've ever known…and I've known quite a few.'

 

He turned a page in his book while he pretended to read, relaxing his mental discipline and allowing his mind to wander. Unerringly it turned to its favorite subjects: Sango and Kagome. `In the past few years both have grown more womanly.' He surreptitiously glanced at Sango and winced inwardly as she stabbed viciously at an innocent vegetable. `And more powerful.'

 

His musings were interrupted for a moment as Inuyasha jumped from the tree above him and stalked off. `Ah, our irascible hanyou is irritable again. He must be thinking about Kagome.'

 

He reviewed his most recent memory of Kagome and Sango in the hot spring, focusing on the miko. `Kagome has filled out, with curves that draw men's eyes and cause her to sway sensually as she walks. I suspect that even Inuyasha isn't immune to her; he works too hard to make us think he's indifferent. Her face is stunningly beautiful and her smile makes her face transform from beautiful to breathtaking. And Sango, lovely Sango.' He shifted a bit to ease his body's uncomfortable response to his vivid memories and tried to discipline his thoughts. `They are more to me than simple women's bodies, but…their bodies are a gift from the gods. I'm lucky to travel with them. Sango… '

 

He watched her slice another vegetable into their evening meal. She moved with a cat-like grace that belied the strength in her trained body. Her lithe form, intelligence, and dark beauty attracted him far more than any other woman he had met and she was a joy to follow on their travels.

 

`Ah, lovely Sango. I would walk behind her any day! What I would love to get her to do with those long, muscular, supple legs…'

 

He quickly looked back at his book as her head lifted and gave a mental sigh of relief as he barely avoided the heated glare she gave him.

 

`Gods! It's as if she knows what I'm thinking! I'm cursed!'

 

Resolutely avoiding any thoughts concerning Sango, he returned to his musings about Kagome. His feelings for her were strong and his heart ached for her when she and the hanyou fought.

 

`Sometimes it's all I can do not to open the Wind Tunnel and teach Inuyasha that “sit” is just a mildly annoying way of getting his attention. He loves Kagome and would admit it if he could only get past his stubborn pride. If I could just get the obstinate baka to recognize his feelings…'

 

He smiled, thinking of his conversations with Inuyasha. `I do enjoy his company.' Most of his adult life he had been a lone traveler because of the danger that the Wind Tunnel posed to those around him and he had found a comfort in the gruff camaraderie with Inuyasha.

 

`He's not afraid of my hand or my intellect. None of them are, and it is a relief to be able to be myself after all the years of wandering alone. Sango isn't intimidated by my intelligence, either.'

 

He sighed, glancing at her as she placed the pot of stew near the fire. She caught him looking and glared daggers at him so he quickly looked back down at the book in front of him.

 

He could not force himself to concentrate on the printed words.

 

`Sango. How can I convince her that I truly love her? Is it even fair to do so? I'm trying to stay on the wisest course and treat her like a friend, but…it is getting harder to be wise and something is wrong today. She never could hide her emotions and right now she's expressing her feelings as clearly as if she's speaking to me. Why is she angry with me?'

 

Sometimes he could read her like an open book, especially after he had read Kagome's “Introductory Psychology” textbook.

 

He had begun reading Kagome's books years ago, after she had shown him an astronomy text with a brief explanation of a black hole. The text had stated that a black hole was “a theoretical object at the center of the galaxy.” Miroku knew better. He had one in his right hand, and it wasn't theoretical at all. It was very real, and very, very dangerous. He began to read everything that Kagome could bring him on the subject.

 

Unfortunately, the topic required knowledge that he did not have in other, more complicated fields. He requested mathematics and physics texts although he hadn't known what to call them at first. One thing had led to another and he had learned everything Kagome knew plus a great deal more. He requested advanced books from the college near her home and she would check them out for him, laughingly telling him that she was getting a reputation as a “geek,” whatever that meant. The book he was reading now was “Particle Physics” and he was in the midst of trying to understand quarks, strange attraction, weak forces, flavor….none of it helped.

 

`I'm cursed. Part of the problem is that Kagome's time seems bereft of magic, and magic is the basis for my curse.'

 

Sango was running through one of her kata forms now and it gave him the perfect excuse to be distracted from his reading. `How can I concentrate on quark color charge when one of the most gorgeous women in creation is showing me the control she has over her body? I'm lucky that my robes hide how my body reacts to her strength and power. If she knew she'd throw Hiraikotsu at me and I'd be in pieces.

 

He breathed deeply, focusing on his ki and disciplining his thoughts. `I had hoped to come up with some answer that would help me control the Wind Tunnel through Kagome's books. Then I could court Sango properly. How can I marry her when it is only a matter of time before I leave her a widow?'

 

He longingly watched her movements, quickly looking back at his book as she finished with the kata and moved in his direction.

 

`What is wrong with her today? A few moments ago she glared at me as if I was a demon from one of the lower hells. I'm trying so hard not to grope her, and most of the time I do it without even being aware that I'm touching her…my cursed hands act without my knowledge! But I haven't even moved in her direction!'

 

“Would you keep an eye on the stew for me while I join Kagome?” Her eyes were averted from him.

 

`What have I done? Well, I'm smart enough to know when I should stay quiet, even without the help of “Introductory Psychology.” I might one day understand particle physics, but I will never truly understand Sango.'

 

“Of course, lovely Sango. I would do anything for you.” He kept his tone light, but he meant every syllable. He watched as she walked toward the hot spring, loosening her clothing.

 

`Hmmm…the possibilities are dazzling…'

 

He stood up as his body responded to his hentai thoughts and made it uncomfortable for him to remain seated. Banking the fire and stretching the kinks out of his shoulders helped him to regain some control over his impulses, but he was about to follow at a discrete distance when a movement in the fields caught his eye.

 

Inuyasha was using the transformed Tessaiga to perform what looked like a variation on one of Sango's katana katas. `What is he doing?' Fascinated and somewhat awed at the precision of Inuyasha's movements, Miroku watched him go through the kata form.

 

Slowly and carefully Inuyasha performed the repetitive motions, perfectly balanced and controlled. Right foot lunge and thrust; a right handed infinity loop followed by a vicious slash down and in; a horizontal slash outward. A double handed infinity loop. Left handed lunge and thrust; a left handed infinity loop followed by the downward and inward slash; a horizontal slash outward. He continued the turn begun with the movement of his sword, spinning in place and grasping the Tessaiga with both hands over his head, bringing it down with inhuman speed in the space that had been directly behind him.

 

“Aaahhh!”

 

Miroku, mesmerized by Inuyasha's movements, had walked closer but had not expected the hanyou to turn around with a fully transformed Tessaiga slicing the air an inch from his face.

 

“Damnit, Miroku! Stay the hell away from me when I'm doing this! I could've carved you in half!” Inuyasha dropped the point of Tessaiga and placed it back in its saya.

 

“What are you doing? I've never seen you practice with the Tessaiga before.” Miroku blinked; suddenly concerned that Inuyasha had been unaware of his approach. “Couldn't you tell I was coming over?”

 

Inuyasha gave an exasperated snort. “I'm concentrating. You haven't seen me practice because I never have before. No one taught me to use Tessaiga, I just went with my gut.” He folded his arms and glared at Miroku as if daring him to make a comment.

 

“Is this part of the training that Yourei Taisei-sama set up for you?”

 

“Keh. What do you care?” Inuyasha growled.

 

Miroku paused, suddenly aware of the tension in the air. `I've made it this far by knowing when it's wise to shut up.'

 

“It just looks similar to some battle forms I learned with my staff.” He turned away as if to leave but suddenly turned back, startling the hanyou. “Could I practice next to you? I could use some physical activity to clear my brain…but I don't want to break your concentration.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “Keh. Suit yourself.”

 

“One more thing.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

 

Miroku hesitated again. “He is irritable, but perhaps Sango confided in him. She does that sometimes. To keep harmony in the group it would be wisest to find out what he knows.' He glanced back over his shoulder at the path to the hot spring. “Do you know why Sango is so angry with me today? Have I done something I shouldn't have?”

 

Inuyasha looked sideways at Miroku. “You can't tell?”

 

“Umm…no. Should I be able to?” Miroku felt awkward. `At least I'll find out what is wrong.'

 

“Just in case you haven't noticed I've been avoiding Kagome today, too. She and Sango usually go into heat together.” Inuyasha tapped his nose. “I can smell it.” He folded his arms again and glared in the direction of the spring. “Sango started yesterday, but I don't know…they're both off. When they're off, they're…” he gave a short growl as Miroku closed his eyes and bent his head, “well, you know what they say about bitches in heat? It's true of women, too. I've never been `sat' so hard as when Kagome's in heat.” He gave another short growl and transferred his glare back to the monk.

 

Miroku was glad he hadn't followed his earlier inclination to follow Sango. `The wisest course of action is to stay away from the hot spring and tire my body out with the hardest staff katas I know.' He sighed, opening his eyes to return Inuyasha's gaze.

 

“Thank you, Inuyasha.”

 

“You're lucky you didn't grope her.” Inuyasha walked away and centered himself to begin his katana kata again.

 

Miroku sighed again as he watched Inuyasha prepare. `Lucky and yet cursed. I can be smug as the other men in the villages stare at Kagome and Sango with longing eyes. They think I'm a lucky, lucky man.' He stared down at the sleeve covering the Wind Tunnel and flexed his cursed hand. `But I'm cursed. I love Sango but I can't do a damn thing about my feelings, and all the knowledge in the world won't help me. I can't even touch her, especially now, and it's driving me crazy!'

 

Inuyasha began his kata again. Miroku sighed and took the wisest course, walking back to Kaede's house to get his staff. He checked on the stew as he passed and just before he entered the hut he glanced back at Inuyasha.

 

`That's strange.' For just one moment, the infinity loops of Inuyasha's kata form seemed to blur into an endlessly repeating ring. Miroku blinked.

 

`Too much reading. I'd better stay away from the books for the rest of the day.'

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Translations: Japanese.

Saya: the scabbard for the katana.

Ki: the circulating life energy that is thought to be inherent in all things; the balance of negative and positive forms in the body. Spirit; spiritual strength.

Hentai: A slang word meaning perverted or perversion. In Japan it carries a strong negative connotation; however, I use it here in the milder Western interpretation.