InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Feudal Family ❯ Training ( Chapter 5 )

When Sesshomaru was sure he and Kagome were alone, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, a slight smirk across his lips.

“Now then…” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

Kagome blushed and took a few steps back. “What are you scheming now, Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru moved closer to Kagome, his amber eyes staring into her brown ones. “I recall asking you if you would want to battle with me when you returned from your era. And now that you are back, it would be a perfect time to put our skills into a little practice duel.” He was standing directly in front of Kagome now. “What do you say?”

Kagome smiled and closed the distance between the two of them, leaning towards Sesshomaru and placing a brief kiss on his lips. “You're on. But don't cry afterward when I beat you.”

“I do not shed tears, Kagome. You should know that by now,” stated Sesshomaru, a little bit of annoyance in his voice.

“You're right. Sorry about that. So, where should we do this?” asked Kagome curiously. “The usual spot?”

Sesshomaru nodded. “Yes. Go get your bow and arrows. We'll leave as soon as you're ready.” Kagome nodded and ran into the castle, snatching her bow and quiver from their spot against the wall beside the entrance and ran back outside.

“Okay, all set. Let's go!” Sesshomaru walked off towards the forest with Kagome by his side. He had a very special training session planned for Kagome that morning.

When Sesshomaru and Kagome arrived at their training location, they began feeling even more confident in their own abilities, as well as each other's. This is because the particular clearing they were training in was where the spirits of Sesshomaru's father and mother resided. It was they who kept giving their son and Kagome confidence and courage to battle each other.

Sesshomaru and Kagome took their positions opposite each other, standing on either side of the clearing. Sesshomaru pulled out the Tokijin, holding it at the ready, staring Kagome down. Kagome held her bow out in front of her chest, reaching back slowly with her right hand to pull an arrow out of her quiver. She stopped short when she heard Sesshomaru chuckle.

“What's so funny?”

Sesshomaru shook his head. “It's nothing really. I was merely remembering when we first met in my father's tomb three years ago. You despised me back then.”

“I didn't despise you, I just didn't like you much. But that was back when you hated humans. You don't mind humans now, though.”

“I do not care for all humans, but I care for some. Well, let's get this over with, shall we?”

Kagome smiled and pulled an arrow out of her quiver, fitting it to her bowstring and shot it. The arrow did not hit Sesshomaru, but it struck the tree behind him, quivering as it penetrated deep into the bark.

Sesshomaru didn't so much as flinch when the arrow flew right past his cheek and looked over his shoulder at the arrow. “Kagome, I wish for you to aim for me and not the trees during this battle…”

“What? Are you crazy? If the arrow hits you, you'll die from the spiritual powers surrounding it!” exclaimed Kagome in disbelief.

Sesshomaru gave her a look and said insistently, “Do it. I am trying to train you for battling demons, not humans. When we're training, you always miss on purpose so you won't hurt me. I implore you to fight me with all you have. Besides, Kaede taught you that healing incantation, did she not?”

“Well, yes, but… I haven't tested it on a demon… It might not work on you…”

“It will, trust me. Now, it's your move…”

Kagome was puzzled. “But I just went.”

“That shot didn't count. Now, attack me,” instructed Sesshomaru, holding his blade out in front of him.

Kagome sighed and nodded, readying another arrow and holding her bow at the ready. Aiming at Sesshomaru, she pulled back on the bowstring and let it loose, the arrow zooming toward its target.

Sesshomaru was well prepared and leapt into the air, looking like a blur from how fast he was going and dodged the arrow, landing behind Kagome and placing the tip of his blade against her back. He smiled when he saw how still Kagome was being so she wouldn't cause the blade to penetrate her skin.

“Very good. Now, it's my move,” he said, taking the blade tip away from Kagome's back. Sesshomaru leaped up into a nearby tree and jumped from branch to branch, being as silent as possible.

Kagome looked around, not seeing Sesshomaru anywhere. She took another arrow out of her quiver and fitted it to her bowstring, closing her eyes. She was going to attempt locating Sesshomaru by focusing her spiritual energy into her arrow. That way when she shot it, the arrow would be drawn towards Sesshomaru's demonic aura, revealing him. Kagome pointed her arrow towards the sky and shot it, watching where it would go. Sure enough, the arrow changed course and flew to the right, speeding towards the very top of a large tree.

Sesshomaru saw the arrow coming and tried to get out of the way. But the arrowhead grazed his right arm, the spiritual energy leaving a deep cut near his shoulder. He cried out in pain and leaped out of the tree into the open air. She found me! Where did she learn that trick?

Kagome smirked and aimed another arrow carefully at Sesshomaru. Well, here goes nothing. She shot the arrow and it headed straight for Sesshomaru, glowing with spiritual power.

This time, however, Sesshomaru saw the arrow heading for him rapidly and was well prepared. He held the Tokijin's blade in front of his chest and let out a battle cry, slashing the blade through the air and slicing the arrow in half.

“That was a useful trick you used, but if you wish to defeat me in battle, you have to do better than that!” he called to Kagome as he landed gently in front of her.

Kagome smiled and said, “Can do.” She then shot another arrow at Sesshomaru, firing three more after it.

Sesshomaru attempted dodging the four arrows and managed to evade two of them. The other two hit him, one striking his right arm (the one he used to wield his sword) and the other hitting him just below the left shoulder. He screamed when he felt the spiritual energy burning his flesh and hurriedly ripped both of the arrows out of him with his left hand, wasting no time in throwing them away from him. The spiritual powers had burned his hand as he pulled out the arrows, and it caused him more pain. He took a moment to recuperate and looked up at Kagome, a slight smile on his face.

“Now things are getting interesting,” he said, somewhat amused.

Kagome saw blood stains appearing on Sesshomaru's kimono from all the places her arrows had struck and cried, “Oh no, I'm so sorry! I didn't intend to hurt you that much! Please, enough training for today, I don't want to harm you anymore…”

Sesshomaru shook his head and said, “You don't have to apologize. This is what we're here for after all: to test our skills on one another. And I must say, you're spiritual prowess has gotten much stronger.”

“Thank you. But I still don't wish to fight you anymore…”

Sesshomaru sighed and walked up to Kagome, placing his sword back at his sash before putting his right hand on her left shoulder. He smiled when he saw Kagome blush.

“We do not have to battle if you don't want to,” he stated, knowing that Kagome didn't like hurting him.

Kagome smiled and questioned, “Really? I appreciate it. But, I suppose I can still train with you; on one condition.”

“And that would be?”

“I'll train with you if I can miss my target intentionally and not put spiritual powers into the arrows, like we've done so many times in the past. That way, if the arrows hit you, the wounds will heal faster and won't bleed as much. Deal?”

Sesshomaru sighed and smiled. “Very well. I believe it's my turn, correct?” Kagome nodded.

Knowing what he was going to do, Sesshomaru leaped into the air, whipping out the Tokijin and sending a blue wave of demonic energy right at Kagome. She should know what to do to avoid this attack by now. In every training session I use this technique on her at least once. He hovered in midair, watching what would happen.

Kagome saw the demonic energy wave heading for her and smiled, clutching her bow tightly and putting her sacred powers into it. She held the bow vertically up in the air in front of her, planting her feet firmly on the ground, waiting for the impact. When the demonic energy made contact with the bow, the sacred power surrounding the bow repelled the attack and caused the demonic energy to split two ways. The energy wave hit the trees behind Kagome, but it didn't make contact with her at all. Kagome held the bow to her side and jumped into the air, letting out a small cheer.

“Yes, I did it! I deflected your attack!” she cried excitedly. When she glanced up at Sesshomaru to see if he was preparing to attack her again, she was shocked to find that he was no longer there. She looked around, trying to look for signs of Sesshomaru; she couldn't see him anywhere in the clearing. She guessed that he was up in a tree contemplating his next move but she wasn't too sure. What is he scheming this time I wonder?

A few minutes later, Kagome felt something soft wrap around her and screamed, thinking it was a demon. The thing that had entwined her pulled her towards the trees and Kagome felt her back hit something firm. She looked over her shoulder at what or who it was and saw that it was Sesshomaru. He had whipped one end of his fluffy at her and it wrapped around her, allowing him to pull her towards him. He smiled at her and moved his lips closer to her neck, placing a gentle kiss where her neck curved into her left shoulder.

Kagome shuddered when she felt this and asked, “Sesshomaru, what are you doing…?” She felt her heart beating rapidly when she felt Sesshomaru breathe over her neck.

Sesshomaru let out a masculine chuckle and unwound his fluffy from around Kagome, backing away from her until they had quite a bit of distance between them.

“What do you think I'm doing? I'm training you to use all of your senses to find a hidden opponent,” he replied knowledgably, staring at Kagome.

Kagome understood and smiled. “Oh, I see. Well, how do you expect me to do that?” She was not prepared for what Sesshomaru did next…

Sesshomaru smirked and held his hand, which was starting to glow light yellow, out to the side. Then he flung his hand out in front of his chest then back again, sending a glowing whip of light at Kagome. It was so quick that Kagome did not have time to dodge it. The whip wrapped itself around Kagome's ankles and Sesshomaru tugged from the other end, pulling Kagome's legs out from under her and making her fall.

Kagome screamed as she fell and landed on her back on the ground, her dress riding up a little too high for comfort. Kagome blushed madly and tugged the skirt of her dress back down, hiding herself once again from Sesshomaru's gaze. All right, that was embarrassing… She made a move to get up but Sesshomaru sped towards her, kneeling beside her and pinning her arms to the ground with his hands.

Kagome struggled, feeling extremely vulnerable. The more she struggled, the more she felt Sesshomaru's unearthly strength around her wrists, holding her down and preventing her escape. She looked up into his eyes, an angry expression on her face.

“What the heck did you do that for?” she demanded, exceedingly embarrassed. In all the time she had been with him, he had never done anything like this to her, and she was a little mad at him.

Sesshomaru chuckled and placed a brief, chaste kiss on Kagome's lips before replying. “I was answering your earlier question of how I expected you to find hidden opponents… The answer is to be quick to act if there's an ambush, concentrate, and to always be on your guard.” The tone in his voice sounded less reassuring than his words, even though he was telling the truth. “And you most certainly were not quick to act, concentrating, or being on your guard when the whip was heading for you…”

“I don't believe you… You degenerate dog, you did that to see my underwear, didn't you? I can tell you this much, you're not getting away with it!”

Sesshomaru sighed and got off of Kagome, taking hold of her hand and helping her up. “I apologize… I did not know you would be so accusing… Anyway, I believe that's enough training for today…” He turned on his heel and began walking off. When he used his whip of light to pull Kagome's legs out from under her, he really hadn't done it to see her underwear. Still, he did feel a little bad for doing that to her when he knew Kagome's dress probably would ride up when she fell.

Kagome frowned and ran up to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. She felt terrible for calling Sesshomaru a `degenerate dog', and knew it wasn't true. She hoped Sesshomaru wasn't taking her too seriously.

“I'm sorry, Sesshomaru… I didn't mean to speak to you so harshly… You probably were just training me to be faster, but I didn't realize it at the time… I'm sorry…” she apologized.

Sesshomaru smiled and turned back around, a look of forgiveness in his eyes. “It's alright, I understand. So, shall we head back?”

“Sure. But, you're wounded. I should probably heal you first,” reminded Kagome, gesturing to each of his wounds. Blood was staining the silk kimono wherever there was a wound, leaving startling crimson splashes where there should've been white fabric.

Sesshomaru shook his head. “No, heal them when we get back to the castle. That way, when I'm better, we can lie back and sleep to replenish our energy.”

Kagome got his point and agreed, picking up her bow and following him out of the clearing, still blushing about when Sesshomaru had glimpsed her underwear. It may have been embarrassing, but I suppose it's not all bad…