InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Avoiding Yokai Eradication ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Vocabulary
Hentai - Pervert
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha
CHAPTER 7: SHIKON NO TAMA
Sengoku Jidai
Juunigatsu, 1548
Town of Edo
Sango and Miroku heard Kagome scream when she was pushed by Inuyasha and ran out of Kaede's hut to find out what had happened. Next thing they saw was Kagome and Sesshoumaru entering the forest and the hanyou nowhere to be seen. Assuming something had gone wrong and there had been a fight between the brothers or something similar, Sango took Hiraikotsu with her and called Kirara who transformed seconds later. Miroku wasn't far behind and, along with the demon slayer, he mounted on the fire neko. Shippou had also heard the commotion and soon was on Miroku's shoulder while the giant cat took flight.
They went high into the sky following the white and red blur that moved at high speed among the dense white blanket that covered the forest. Inuyasha was the easiest to spot since the trees had no leaf left and the ground was covered in white snow making his red clothes stand out. Kagome ran far behind but without tiring as years before she had. Her resistance to the cold and a long run had certainly increased but she was still slow compared to the yokai and hanyou.
Looking at her friend from up high, Sango considered going down and picking her up but Sesshoumaru appeared out of nowhere and in a blur disappeared with the futuristic miko. Breathing a little easier knowing that Kagome wasn't going to be attacked while she pursued Inuyasha, the taijijya told Kirara to hurry in hopes of reaching the running figures.
Sango felt the ominous sensation she had in her gut increase, and worry lines appeared in her face. Moving a little bit forward to tell Kirara to hurry, she felt when a hand went up and down her backside. Gritting her teeth at the delicious sensation, she turned around and slapped the perverted monk, leaving a red handprint in his face.
“Hentai” she mumbled, “he never changes”.
Kirara gave a knowing purr and Shippou snickered as the monk massaged his abused cheek with a smile in his face.
~*~
Sengoku Jidai
Juunigatsu, 1548
Inuyasha no Mori
It had happened. The Shikon no Tama was coming toward her at high speed, its carrier Inuyasha and the jewel was becoming tainted. Soon, the compulsion of making a wish would be too strong to ignore but the hanyou had promised the trinket to her and he would keep that promise. He owed her at least that much. Unsurprisingly, a demon was coming after him. Sesshoumaru, she deduced as he was the one who brought the living miko to the village. He was smart, Kikyo knew, and was trying to avoid the inevitable. The yokai race would disappear all right; she would take care of it. Waiting patiently for her partner in crime to arrive, she petted one of the white, flying snakes who slithered around her body filling her with souls. `Soon' she was certain, `very soon my soul will be complete. I just have to be patient. With Sesshoumaru out of the way, that miko will be an easy target'.
Seconds later, Inuyasha appeared in the white clearing where she was sitting. In his hand, the Shikon no Tama shone dangerously going between pink silver flashes and dark purple ones. He was about to be overcome by the tainted jewel as he extended his hand toward Kikyo, walking slowly.
If he had taken another minute to arrive, it would have been too late. `But he had not' acknowledge Kikyo. However, as he neared her, doubting if to give it to her or use it himself, his pursuers arrived at the clearing.
“Inuyasha, no” screamed Kagome letting go of Sesshoumaru and moving closer to the hanyou who looked at her with a blank stare. He was being controlled by the jewel. The only thing that kept him going was his promise to Kikyo, but that would also leave him soon. “Don't give her the jewel, Inuyasha. She wants to destroy all yokai including you. Don't forget you are half of what she hates and was born to kill” the miko reminded him in vain.
Inuyasha didn't hear her and moved slowly, but closer to the undead priestess. Kikyo waited patiently. Although she wanted that jewel badly, if she moved too fast or showed eagerness to obtain it, it would only scare the brainwashed hanyou. It was safer to just stay quiet and wait for him to come to her. And she was not disappointed. He took several steps before the Shikon was hovering over her extended hands. He hesitated for several seconds, wanting to listen but ignoring his friends' calls. The monk and the taijijya tried in vain to convince him, just as much as the miko Kagome was doing. Even the fox child had been calling his name before losing hope after seeing no other response beside his trembling hand. Sesshoumaru said nothing, logically, but held Tokijin in his hand, ready to take desperate measures to keep his race alive.
It was almost hers. That damned jewel that had made her lose so much was about to return to its righteous owner. Slowly, the standing hanyou let go of the jewel which seem to slowly glide toward Kikyo's hand. Inuyasha's eyes returned to their vivid golden color once he let the Shikon go and a satisfied smile appeared in his face. He had kept his promised under the horrified gaze of his friends. Sesshoumaru's attack came soon after but it was too late. Kikyo would get the jewel before the blue energy stroke and then it would be for nothing. Kikyo was happy indeed. But that happiness didn't last long enough. Before she was able to grasp the trinket a furry orange hand captured it and ran away before anyone could blink.
Sesshoumaru's attack reached his intended target but his hanyou brother had taken the undead miko and jumped out of the way. Earth and snow flew high after the attack and when it settled down, Shippou was in the middle of the clearing holding a tainted jewel with his green eyes trained in it. Merely a child, he couldn't help but be controlled by it. Kagome was afraid for him, but at least, whatever he asked for it wouldn't be then end of yokai. But he would suffer and that she couldn't bear.
“Shippou” called Kagome “come here, honey, bring the Shikon with you” she told him as if her permission was all he needed. In his green eyes the fight for the control over his body was seen. Until he finally came to himself and he began to walk toward his adoptive mother, his step sure and fast. But no one noticed when Kikyo hooked an arrow into her bow, pulled the string back and shot.
The pure arrow illuminated the darkening clearing, taking the attention off the young kitsune. Kagome knew where it was headed and extending her hand, she ran toward Shippou, screaming his name until her throat hurt from the effort. But she was too slow and the holy arrow too fast. It flew through the clearing quickly and hit its mark in the back, coming out Shippou's chest.
“Kago-me” he said as his small body hit floor letting the tainted Shikon no Tama roll out of his hand. Inuyasha made a move toward the rolling gem but Sesshoumaru appeared in front of him, sword in hand ready for a fight. Miroku retrieved the jewel and Sango, with Kirara, went after Kikyo.
The miko knew things were going from bad to worse. So hooking another arrow, she fired it toward the coming Sango who blocked it with her Hiraikotsu and soon after threw her boomerang to the undead priestess. The huge projectile flew at high speed toward Kikyo. She managed to avoid the impact that cut the tree that had been behind her by jumping to the side, but a second one of those wouldn't be so easy to escape -especially when the thing was in its owner's hands and coming her way again. The clay priestess knew that she wouldn't be able to take the taijijya and, calling Asuka and Kocho, she disappeared from the clearing leaving Inuyasha to fight his brother alone.
“Kikyo” screamed the hanyou knowing that his love had left him behind and, cursing under his breath, he continued to fight. His brother was relentless, driven by a fire unknown to Inuyasha when they usually fought. But the hanyou still believed that Sesshoumaru wouldn't kill him. Smiling ruefully, and using the Kaze no Kizu several times without success, he soon found himself at the end of Toukijin, with the sword's end protuberating from his back.
Blood fell from his mouth and he smiled. He didn't know if to be grateful or just hate his brother for killing him, but it didn't matter what he did, he knew he had taken the wrong side. Kagome wouldn't have abandoned him in the middle of a battle. There were more chances of her interrupting him than fleeing. Yes, she would always be on the sidelines making sure he would live but not anymore, not after what he had done. Kikyo had blinded him and he had been an idiot for believing her, and his brother was going to protect Kagome from then on, he could see it in his eyes, those eyes so similar to his yet so cold and condemning. The eyes that told him he would die that day. However, Inuyasha wasn't going to let anyone else know of his repentance, least of all them his brother.
“This is the first time…” he coughed and tried to take more air into his body “that you fight like that… Sesshoumaru” he smiled knowingly “You are more like… father than you want to be” he felt the sword twist in his insides “Protecting a human… Ha… who would have thought…”
“You are mistaken, brother” answered Sesshoumaru more forceful letting Inuyasha know that he was affected by the comment “Father liked weak women who had to rely on him for everything, that is why Mother and him never got along. This Sesshoumaru, however, prefers them of a stronger disposition” the taiyokai informed the dying half-breed and without doubt or repentance, a blue sparks began to appear taking the form of a gigantic dragon that began to consume Inuyasha's body from inside out, leaving nothing more than a soulless carcass.
Kagome was still holding Shippou in her arms. He still was alive but it was obvious he was in pain and half dead because she could still feel the miko energy inside him moving at slow pace, eating him from the inside out. The miko didn't see anything else while the little kitsune battled the pain and death, not even when the hanyou died. Either way she didn't care when it had been because of his treacherous mind that all that was happening.
With the outmost care, she broke the end of the arrow and pulled it out by Shippou's back making a whimper come out of his unconscious self. Blood came out in great amounts but she pressed a piece of cloth she reaped from her kimono to stop the bleeding. It seemed to be working but it wasn't promising. Because the arrow was fired by Kikyo, there was no way of knowing if it might have some effect on him. She certainly hoped that he would be ok but somewhere in her mind she knew that it wasn't that happening. And seeing Shippou's eye closed and his face contorted because of the pain was making her feel impotent. What could she do in the middle of the forest without her backpack or any kind of first aid? Nothing. But maybe something could be done.
So she frantically thought of what to do until somebody took the place of the brown and white forest in front of her. It was strange. This person was also dressed in white so it wasn't really that different from the view she had before except he had a sword. `Sesshoumaru' the whispered name in her mind woke her from her tragic dream. Make no mistake. Shippou was dying in her arms but she had hope, a white demonic hope that could help her safe the kitsune.
“Take me to your castle” she told him as tears began to finally flow. She was coming out of shock thanks to the tiny illusion of salvation that Sesshoumaru offered even when he had presented none. “You can save him right. If we take him to your castle he will have an opportunity. Your healers can look at him and if the worse comes to pass you'll be there to…” she didn't dare voice that thought as she closed her eyes trying not to imagine it. It was too painful even if the method to revive him was there. Looking at the demon in the eyes, she saw him assessed the situation. His cold gaze traveled over the kit's form and, even when he knew that only resources would be wasted if the fox was taken to his castle, it didn't show on his eyes.
“He will die before then, miko” he simply stated.
“No” was her answer. “Not before trying. I won't give up” her decision was taken. Even if she couldn't heal a demon, she would try to save him any way she could. “I'll do whatever you ask” she offered in desperation. “It doesn't matter what, I'll do it but please safe him” she begged and promised the Western Lord. “Anything, please, Sesshoumaru-sama, just save him”.
The taiyokai was taken aback by her pleads. It was unusual for a ningen to beg for somebody else's life, especially for the life of a dying demon. At that moment it was like he was seeing the miko for the first time. She was too great and good, he concluded, to have to suffer through that. He didn't know why, but he wanted to help her. However, he was a Lord and such help didn't come without a fair prize.
“Remember your promise Miko. You belong to this Sesshoumaru from today forward” he said and picked her and her kit up. Looking at the other two individuals in the clearing who looked at their distraught friend with admiration and horror at the same time, he walked to them. The fear in their eyes would have been feasible to Sesshoumaru if it wasn't because they weren't afraid of what he would do to them. It could be said they didn't care for their own well-being but for the girl he carried toward them. “Monk” he called “The Shikon”. With shaking hand, Miroku gave it to him and was going to ask for the miko's welfare but the words didn't have time of leaving his mouth. “You two are witness to her promise. If the day comes to fulfill it and she isn't there to do so, you two will take her place”. Hearing this didn't make the miko happy at all and she had to say something about it.
“Sesshoumaru-sama they don't have to get involved in this. This is between us…”
“If you don't leave before fulfilling your promise then there is nothing to worry about” said the demon before taking the jewel from the monk. Stepping away from the couple who was still astonished, he called forth his cloud and disappeared.
~*~
Sengoku Jidai
Juunigatsu, 1548
Toward the Southern Point of the Western Land
It was marvelous. It seemed that vengeance could be delivered in different methods and with different degrees of pain. And sometimes, these things didn't have to be afflicted on the person directly, just by hurting a loved one was enough to make some people break. A good example of that was the miko. He thought she was going to be a tough nut to crack but it seemed that wasn't the case. She looked so broken with the kit in her arms. It was priceless. But to him wasn't enough. For Katsumi, seeing her beg for the fox's life wasn't enough. He wanted her to suffer more. Maybe torturing someone in front of her would do her good. What kind of face would she make if that child that was always with Sesshoumaru fell in his twisted hands? He wanted to see it so badly it hurt but this once he had to leave his fantasies for another time. It was urgent that he returned to their hide out and reported what he saw and heard. Maybe Hitoshi would come up with something good with this information. So, once there was no danger in coming out of his hiding place, he left with great speed.
Crossing clearings and thick patches of forest so fast that a normal eye couldn't see, the assassin traveled toward the cave that was their base of operations for the time being. The place wasn't big or comfortable and there really wasn't any other thing that what was necessary to eat and rest. But while they hid in the middle of nowhere, they plotted against the Lord of these lands. They held no patriotic love for the domain and nobody was going to join them to free an area from an oppressing ruler. Neither were they interested in ruling once the Lord was dealt with and it was hardly even revenge what drove most of them. Simply said, they just like to cause trouble and a good hunt wasn't detested. They loved challenges. The harder to get something, the more they wanted it and tried to get it. The thrill of the chase was most likely what drove the three assassins to try to kill Sesshoumaru-sama and obtain the Shikon Miko along the way.
But even with all the plans and intricate plots they could come up with, they had made little to no advance at all. They had learned by memory the schedule of every set of guards that looked after the castle and every possible detail they could think of had been checked and looked at from every possible direction and still, they waited for the opportunity to strike. Hitoshi thought they had waited too long, they should have been done and over with the crazy plan days ago, yet, they still waited for the elusive opening that would give them the head of their former boss. It was obvious that they needed help and only a fool was stupid enough to help them kill Sesshoumaru. Or maybe someone with a plan that went along the same lines of thought as their own. But who would help was the question. Hitoshi knew the western Lord had his handful of enemies in all of Japan. The question was who had the guts to helps them eliminate him. Of all those who had come up in the long investigation, only the demon's half-brother could be taken into account but it soon became clear that, although the siblings didn't like each other, they would not kill one another either. Not without a valid motive. Hitoshi's plan then had began to explore those dangerous lines and even sent Katsumi to spy on the hanyou. He waited for good results as he felt the fast approaching demon.
Coming to a sudden stop in front of his boss, the yokai took a deep breath before beginning to tell of the fight that had ended the life of their possible support against the taiyokai of the West.
“Inuyasha is dead” was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Hitoshi's surprised look centered on his gay spy. “Sesshoumaru killed him during a fight for the Shikon no Tama”.
“Damn, that complicates things” mumbled the now thinking yokai. Who was the next one on the Help Kill Sesshoumaru list?
“That's not all. The Lord took the miko and the jewel back to his castle to safe a dying kitsune. But what is more important is that I think I found an allied” informed Katsumi. This caught the boss' attention. He knew the sexually confused yokai in front of him wasn't completely stupid but he wasn't the brightest demon around and most of the time he had a one track mind. And he certainly did things that he found convenient, making that the only reason of his stay in the group. If it had been another situation, the yokai wouldn't have even thought about going against the western Lord. No one would do such a thing for it was a sure way of dying before his days were up. But that difference was all Hitoshi needed to use the foolish vengeance bend demon.
“Who is this allied?” he asked carefully not really hopping much from it.
“Her name is Kikyo, the previous Shikon Miko and now the walking dead. She wants to kill all demon kind and is after the new owner of the jewel” that was all the information Katsumi had and he still had to contact the undead to see if a deal could be stroke between the two parties. Besides, it seemed Hitoshi like the idea.
“Sounds interesting” by then, the assassin's boss was making plans around the clay doll. Her goals certainly weren't to his liking but one could come up with something of interest to avoid being turned into sparkling dust. Another thing was how they were going to contact her. He himself being a demon it was very unlikely that she would want to listen to his plan even when their goals were close and almost the same. But they had to try. There were many factors to think about like the pink elephant called double crossing. It was clear that neither one would want to keep their part of the deal if they got to make one, so other alternatives had to be taken into account. However, Hitoshi knew an opportunity when he saw one and this one was a promising one. “Katsumi, I gave another mission for you”.
“Yes, boss” said the expecting yokai.
“Go to this miko you speak of and tell her that we wish to assist her in her quest of obtaining the Shikon no Tama in exchange for her help in luring out Sesshoumaru so we can kill him. This would obviously help her reach her goal as well as ours but she has to promise us to not make us disappear with her wish” said Hitoshi as he planned to take the Shikon before a wish could be made.
Nodding his head only once, Katsumi strode out of the cave to search for Kikyo's whereabouts. That dead woman obviously knew when to make a run for it and was pretty good at hiding.
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A/N
This is the seventh chapter and I hope that many enjoy it. Some have said that they are hooked into my story and I want to thank all of you for supporting me. Truth be told, the story has developed in an unexpected way since it just came from a surprising thought that didn't say much at all. But I just had to wonder how things would be different if Instead of only Kagome going to the past somebody sent demons to kill her in the future. I certainly didn't expect it to become this but this is what it has become.
I think these chapters are going to be a little tense with all that is going on and some other things changed here and there but I'm trying to keep it up.
Seleni