InuYasha Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Three Days In Tokyo ❯ The Dog Hanyou And The Character of Evil ( Chapter 5 )

Standard disclaimers apply:

Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz.

Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.

Three Days In Tokyo

By

koinekid

Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.

While seeking a doctor to treat a young boy's injuries, Inu Yasha inadvertently threatens a gambling buddy of an angry ex-street fighter. And the man formerly known as Zanza is not one to take a threat to his friends lightly.

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Chapter 5

Down the shrine stairs, through the forest, and into the main streets of the city, Inu Yasha ran. He sniffed the air out of habit, and wished for his acute sense of smell to return. Once he and the others gathered all the jewel shards, he'd never again have to worry about losing his senses again. That comforted him.

He mulled over the shoddy directions the old man gave him. He admitted he rarely ventured down the hill and into the city. The shrine patrons delivered most of the supplies. And his grandson, who enjoyed going into the city, took care of the rest. At least the old man remembered the doctor's name. "Genzai-sensei, the best doctor in Tokyo!" he'd called him. Inu Yasha snorted. At least the city had the same name as the one in Kagome's world.

He grunted, and in frustration slammed the fist into the side of a building. He couldn't recognize any of the landmarks the old man mentioned. He'd probably taken a wrong turn or became disoriented in the darkness.

"Hey!"

Inu Yasha turned to find a man in a gaudy striped gi emerging from the doorway of the building he'd punched. He was angry and, judging by his breath and red-rimmed eyes, more that a little drunk. He threw a pair of dice at Inu Yasha's feet.

"You fowled up my winning streak with all that noise!"

The man posed little threat, so Inu Yasha turned to leave.

"Don't turn your back on me, you bastard!"

Inu Yasha flexed his fingers in annoyance. The gesture was less imposing without claws. He needed to scare the drunk away. He whirled around, drawing tessaiga from its sheath and bringing its tip to bear at the man's chest. Before Inu Yasha could shout an intimidation, the drunk began screaming. He tripped over his own feet scurrying back toward the gambling hall.

"Sano, help me," he cried, "H-he's trying to kill me!"

"Still making excuses for bad throws, eh, Shuu?"

From the door a tall man in white clothing appeared. With taped-up ribs and hair held back by a red headband, he resembled nothing so much as a street fighter. His mouth was curved into a smirk, and his voice tinged with a note of whimsy. Until he saw Inu Yasha, that is. Then for an instant, his eyes narrowed.

Sagara Sanosuke scrutinized the kid in front of him. Long black hair-rivaling a certain rurouni's for length, but unlike the rurouni's allowed to flow freely. Outdated clothes and a nicked, scratched, battle-damaged sword. An unimpressive weapon to be sure, but it could be effective against an unarmed man. His bloody feet suggested he may have lost his shoes recently. And by his feet something glinted.

"Oi, Shuu, did you throw those dice?"

"Hai," he grunted.

"Hey guys," Sano shouted, "Shuu's last throw came up evens!"

A jumble of cursing and celebration came from the gambling hall. Someone protested the legitimacy of the roll.

Sano grinned, and kicked a clod of dirt at his friend. "Head back inside, Shuu." Slamming a fist into his palm, he spoke to Inu Yasha. "I don't know who you are, kid, but I don't take threats to my friends lightly."

Inu Yasha gritted his teeth. Anger and frustration left him bristling for a fight. But a life might hang in the balance, so he sheathed his sword. Still, he couldn't end a confrontation without a verbal jab. "Sorry, Spike-hair," he said. "I don't have time to play with you."

"You don't have an option. Once I start a fight, I don't let up `til my opponent's chewin' dirt!" Allowing no time for further protest, Sanosuke launched himself forward, fist raised high.

Inu Yasha threw himself backward. Landing on his foot a little too hard, he winced. If his opponent, this "Sanosuke," had noticed the injury, he said nothing about it. Inu Yasha doubted Sano would have let it affect the fight even if he had noticed. For that, he wasn't certain whether he should respect the man, or hold him in contempt.

Sanosuke's fist had struck the ground hard enough to send up a cloud of dust that had yet to settle. He crouched on the ground and grinned. "I had a sense you were strong."

"Sensed my spiritual energy, did you?"

"Spiritual?" Sanosuke shook his head. "Nah. I don't waste my time with chi or anything like that. I just trust my instincts." The street fighter righted himself, and assumed a fighting stance. "I suppose I should introduce myself if we're going to fight. You'll probably want to surrender when you hear my name, so try not to be too intimidated."

"Keh. I don't give a damn who you are-"

"Sagara Sanosuke."

"I told you I don't ca-"

"Most folks on the back streets of Tokyo know me as Zanza, fight merchant."

"Fight merchant?" Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"I fight for a living." His chest puffed up, and just as quickly deflated. "Or at least I did until a recently." These last words seemed addressed only to himself.

"If you're a bandit, why didn't you just say so? I don't have any money, so I'll be going."

"I'm not a fucking bandit! Clients pay me to settle scores for them."

Inu Yasha growled. "I just got here! Who the hell could have paid you to fight me?"

"You did."

"What?"

"Shuu's last roll of the dice made me a lot of money. The way I see it, since you affected the outcome of that roll you're entitled to a share of the winnings. And I'll gratefully accept that share as payment for the fight." Sanosuke chuckled, "I had sworn off fighting for money, but I suppose one more for old time's sake won't hurt.

A vein in Inu Yasha's head bulged. This fight merchant seemed more exasperating than Kagome. He had to end this quick. "Forget the fight, pal, I'll just take the money." What the hell, he could use it to pay the doctor.

Sanosuke shook his head. "Contracts can't be cancelled. By the way, what's your name? I prefer to know a bit about my opponents before I cave their heads in."

Inu Yasha exhaled his frustration, and told the fight merchant his name.

Sanosuke barked and pawed at the air before answering. "Inu Yasha. Is that it? No last name?"

"What's it to ya?" Inu Yasha snarled

"If your family's too poor to warrant a last name, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Not that it's any of your business, but both my parents were nobility."

"Nobility, huh? Your father make his money by breaking the backs of the poor? He grow fat while they starved? Bet your mother was a fat pig too." The size of Sanosuke's grin increased. That ought to get dog-boy riled up, he thought. He started to continue his accusations, but found them unnecessary. Inu Yasha plowed into Sanosuke, forcing the air from his lungs, and tackling him to the ground.

"Don't ever insult my mother!"

Inu Yasha's knee was jammed into Sanosuke's gut, making it difficult for the street fighter to recover his breath. He formed his hand into a claw and slammed it into the boy's calf. Sanosuke had noticed Inu Yasha favoring that leg earlier, and didn't hesitate in the least to exploit the weakness. A cry of pain escaped Inu Yasha's lips as he pulled his leg away. The relief in the pressure on Sanosuke's stomach allowed him to gulp in precious breaths of air. He rolled over, and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Coughing, he looked up in time to see Inu Yasha's foot speeding toward his face. The kick connected and sent Sanosuke sprawling.

Inu Yasha moved to press his advantage, but not quickly enough. A roundhouse kick took Inu Yasha's feet from under him. He fell, and his head struck the ground, leaving him momentarily stunned. Sanosuke was on him in an instant, delivering punches to the boy's face and stomach. The taste of blood brought Inu Yasha back to his wits. As Sanosuke's fist closed in for another punch, Inu Yasha made a grab for it. But a haze still hung over his mind, and his reaction time was too slow. Sanosuke merely slapped his hand away.

Sanosuke stood, and backed away. He crossed his arms and chewed on his lip, waiting. After a moment, he called out, "You getting up or what?"

Inu Yasha blinked several times. He couldn't quite recall where he was or why he was fighting this man. Kikyou, no Kagome, had needed him to get…something. Using the sheathed tessaiga, he managed to pull himself to his feet.

Sanosuke grinned. "Want some more? Good." The street fighter ran forward, fists prepped to resume raining down a torrent of punches on his opponent. Inu Yasha used his sword in sheath as a short staff, blocking Sanosuke's fists blow for blow. The haze on his brain had dissipated enough to at least allow this. "I thought for a moment," Sanosuke taunted, "I'd have to fetch a doctor."

At the mention of the word "doctor," something clicked in Inu Yasha's mind. "Doctor," he called out suddenly. "I need a doctor-Genzai-sensei" So pleased was Inu Yasha that he remembered this that he unconsciously lowered his sword. As soon as Sanosuke heard the name of the doctor, all malicious thoughts fled. Unfortunately, his fists were faster than his brain. His right fist slammed directly into Inu Yasha's face, and the boy collapsed into a heap on the ground.

Sanosuke shrugged, and tossed the unconscious boy over his shoulder. "Don't worry, dog-boy, I'll take you to the doctor's office." He started to walk away, but as an afterthought, turned back, and strode into the gambling hall.

"Oi, guys," he said to his gambling buddies. "I'll be back for my winnings tomorrow. If any of it's missing, I'll do to the thief what I did to this guy."

Nervous glances were exchanged, and murmurs of assent were soon forthcoming. As he turned to go, one of his buddies called out, "You don't have to scare us like that, Sano. We'd kick the ass of any man who tried to steal someone else's winnings."

Sano grinned, visions of his friends' reaction still in his mind. "I know, Gin," he said, "but since I'm no longer a fight merchant, I've got to get my fun somewhere."

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Next: Sanosuke takes Inu Yasha to see Genzai-sensei, but will the transformed hanyou need treatment himself before he leads the doctor back the Sunset shrine?