InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Evil in Men's Hearts ❯ Water in a Kami's Hand ( Chapter 24 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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A tenth of an inch's difference,
And heaven and earth are set apart;
If you wish to see it before your own eyes,
Have no fixed thoughts either for or against it.

To set up what you like against what you dislike--
This is the disease of the mind:
When the deep meaning of the Way is not understood
Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose.

The Way is perfect like unto vast space,
With nothing wanting, nothing superfluous:
It is indeed due to making choice
That its suchness is lost sight of.

Pursue not the outer entanglements,
Dwell not in the inner void,
Be serene in the oneness of things,
And dualism vanishes by itself.

---SHINJIN-NO-MEI

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The gathering twilight cast long shadows over the small circle of friends.

"We were getting ready to head out when this man named Koku met us by Kaede's village," Miroku began, leaning against his staff. "He told us of a demon problem in his village, and wanted us to come and deal with it. Last night, he told us we'd make his village today, but this morning, Koku disappeared."

Sango sat down in the grass, and the others quickly followed. "We spent most of the day looking for him, but with no luck," Sango said with a sigh. "I'm not an expert tracker, but I usually can find some sign. Nothing." She shifted her boomerang along side of her.

InuYasha, sitting there with his hands stuffed in his sleeves flicked an ear. He looked puzzled. "There's no village near here," he said.

"You mean there's no village called Rinji?" Miroku asked.

"The whole valley's called Rinji," InuYasha replied. "Never heard of a village here. Everybody, human and youkai, near here avoids it like the plague. Strange things happen, people come in and never leave, or talk about meeting odd things. Some blame the Kami of the valley, some something else. It's just not a place people come to."
Shippou jumped onto InuYasha’s shoulder. "Then why would Koku have lead us here? He was nice, and told me stories," said the Kitsune.

"It is strange," said Miroku. "He had a pleasant way, and I could feel no malice in his aura at all."

The group fell silent. Kohaku plucked some grass and began twirling it.

"So," Miroku said after the conversation dropped off into nothing. "What have you been doing? Did you meet up with Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah," said InuYasha. "We've been tracking Jomei. Somehow or other, he ends up in my brother’s territory, but he’s been a hard one to find. Only reason we know he came this way is cause he attacked a Kitsune near here. After his run-in with the Kitsune, Jomei seems to have gotten to the valley here. Even his own men are looking for him and can’t find him. Think he was trying to meet up with them, but when he attacked Hakuzo, things went screwy.

“Stupid bastards - they managed to get Sesshoumaru on their case. They've been infiltrating the Western Lands right under my brother's nose for awhile now, but he’d been ignoring them. But then the bastards had some half-baked plan to attack and capture Rin. You can imagine how that set with Sesshoumaru.”

"Is Rin okay?" asked Kohaku, who had looked up at the mention of the girl's name.

"Yes, she's doing well,” said Kagome. "She's with Sesshoumaru and the others back at camp." Turning to Shippou, she said, "I’ve told Hakuzo, the Kitsune we met, a lot about you, Shippou-chan.”

"Am I going to meet him? " Shippou asked, jumping from InuYasha’s shoulders into Kagome’s arms.

"Certainly. He knows a lot, too. He's been a sensei a long time. I think you'll like him." Kagome ruffed the boy’s red hair.

"So what should we do now?" Sango asked. She stood up and brushed the grass remains off her bottom.

"Maybe we should all go back to camp." Kagome suggested, looking up from where she rested against InuYasha’s shoulder. "I left most of my things there, and I see we have a lot of catching up to do."

"That's not a bad idea," InuYasha said. "And I'm sure Kagome would like to have someone human to talk to besides Rin."

"InuYasha!" Kagome said.

"Well it's true, isn't it?"

She sighed. "There is something about your brother and uncle..."

"Uh, InuYasha?" Shippou interrupted from where he sat in Kagome’s arms. "Before we go, there's someone here you need to meet."

InuYasha looked around, and didn't see anyone. "Who, Runt?"

Shippou pointed to the fox. She looked up at InuYasha, amber eyes meeting amber eyes.

**Greetings, InuYasha-sama,** the fox said. "Greetings, Miko."

"Her name is Tsukikage," said Miroku. "We're not sure exactly why she's here. She seems to be able to talk to everybody but Sango."

**My lady has asked me to stay with your group,** the fox said. **I will be going with you.**

InuYasha shoved his hands into his sleeves. "And who is your lady?" he asked.

**You will meet her soon. She sends her blessing.**

"Well, everything around her’s been so screwed up that we could use a blessing. Let's head back before it gets too dark to see." InuYasha stood up.


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Yuki' s voice droned on in Jomei's head, and he continued to see the events she was relating as if he were there, kneeling before a high ranking youkai noblewoman, surrounded by a guard of Oni.

The youkai woman continued to look down on the man.

Jomei swallowed. "How...how could I, a poor peasant, help such a wonderful person as you, Noble One?" he asked, his voice wavering as he spoke.

"Ah, there is a place for all of us in the scheme of things...poor peasants, frightening Rasetsu, Bodhisattvas. Come. Today, there is a small child sick in bed. The healers have no way to help her. Kannon has heard her parents' frantic prayers, and have sent us. But we, who know the way to heal her, are warded against entering the house of the one we could help." The youkai noblewoman looked deeply as if she were reading his heart. "Will you carry our cure to this family?"

He looked down on the ground, his thoughts racing. What if it were a trap? Or perhaps, the youkai wanted this child dead? Looking back up at the woman, he pondered, taking a deep breath, and decided to err on the side of compassion. 'Kannon, help me!' he silently prayed, then at last, nodded. "Yes," he said in a tiny voice.

The woman made a signal with her fan. Two of her retainers, males who resembled boars, came up to him, each carrying a bowl, which they proceeded to pour over his head. His eyes grew hazy and his skin began to sting.

"Now, my peasant," said the woman. "You will find you can move freely everywhere. No human eye will be able to see you until you have completed your task. Once the sun has reached midmorning, we will send you a guide who will lead you to the place you are needed. Take this scroll with you. When the time comes, you will give it to the person who will heal the child."

He took the proffered scroll, stared at it like it might bite him, but placed it in his robe. Suddenly, the procession began to move across the bridge. When he finally dared look up, he saw nothing, no sign they had ever been there. But putting his hand back in his robe, he found the scroll where he had placed it.

"At dawn, my thoughts are on Kannon," he muttered." At night my thoughts are on Kannon! Bodhisattva of mercy, help me!"

Running across the bridge, he found a clearing sheltered from the road. Finding a rock to use as a headrest, he went to sleep.

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Hakuzo felt Matsuo grab his sleeve.

"Sit," said the monk.

Carefully, Hakuzo dropped down next to the monk, not taking his eyes off the two Inu youkai standing in the center of the clearing, both unmoving. Matsuo began chanting the Heart Sutra quietly to himself.

"Prayer is good," said Hakuzo. “ O Kwannon, O Pure One,” he said,

“Clear eyed you see, kind eyed, watch
Eyes who know mercy,
You who keep watch in beauty,
Watch now, O Kwannon.”


Youki swirled around the two Inu youkai, stirring their sleeves and hair and charging the air with an energy that made Hakuzo shiver. Sesshoumaru's eyes were focused in a tight narrow gaze, intense, threatening. Teijo, although standing in readiness, tried to minimize his aggressiveness. His eyes, although missing nothing, met his nephew's in a calm, relaxed manner. His feet sought for solid stance, his arms were unimpeded.

The lack of challenge in his mode did nothing but provoke the Daiyoukai. If anything, Sesshoumaru's face grew colder, his eyes more heated. "A Kami talked to you?"

"I did not invite her attentions, Nephew,” Teijo replied. "We are stones on her go board,”

"No,” the younger youkai said. “This Sesshoumaru does not intend to be game piece in a game not of his choosing."

Teijo began to recite:

"Water's shape is round,
sometimes water's shape is square
the way it is held.

“When the way is clear,
the water will flow freely,
all obstacles gone.

“When the way is blocked,
the water will stand and pool,
becoming a lake.

“Streams can move boulders,
Flood waters move a mountain
Still pools hold the moon."

Sighing, he said, "We, human and youkai, are water in the Kami's hands."

"No!" shouted the younger youkai.The loudness of his shout caught those around him by surprise. He took a deep breath, regained control over his voice. “This Sesshoumaru is not a tool. Why did you not tell me of the Kami until now?” His hand glowed greenly. A green line of energy whipped out, almost catching Teijo who dodged it, moving too fast in a blur of silver and gray to be seen clearly.

"I couldn't," the older youkai replied. "I will not give you my life, Sesshoumaru. My work is not finished."

Again, Sesshoumaru reached out with the green streak of energy. Again, Teijo dodged it with incredible speed.

"You are signaling, nephew. I can see when you are getting ready to whip out." Teijo said. "Where is your mind?"

"My mind is like the thousand eyes of Kannon, resting nowhere, seeing all." Sesshoumaru said.

"I see you remember your lessons," Teijo said. He unsheathed his sword, and it began to glow with an intense blue light, pooling down his arms and covering his body.

Matsuo stared at the blue light. “Sensei almost never calls upon the power in his sword,” he said to Hakuzo.

Suddenly, a bright shape streaked across the clearing, turning into a column of white light. Slowly, the white light coalesced into the figure of a beautiful woman, dressed all in white, draped in a uchikake of fine white silk that almost glowed, embroidered with pink blossoms. Her obi sash was a lovely dark pink. Her black hair glowed, hanging down her neck in a low ponytail. She smiled a dazzling smile.

"Greetings, Lord Sesshoumaru, Teijo. Your brother, Lord Sesshoumaru, will be here shortly. My name is Tsukikage. I bring a message from my lady."