InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ Toga and Youkai ( Chapter 16 )

Broken Dreams

 

Chapter 16

 

Toga and Youkai

 

Kagome turned the ofuda over and looked the writing over again. Yoko had returned with so-called `monk' Toga. Toga was fairly young, Kagome figured he must have been around her age. He had medium-length black hair tied into a ponytail at the back of the head and trailing down to between his shoulder blades. He had a pair of stern violet eyes that reminded Kagome eerily of Inuyasha's human form. His build wasn't all that dissimilar from the hanyou either, not overly muscular, but lean and strong nonetheless. If his hair had been a foot longer, Kagome would have sworn the monk was Inuyasha in human form. It was quite the shock to say the least.

 

“You've been a monk for a decade?” Kagome asked. Toga scowled.

 

“Yes, my father trained me from a very early age. My spiritual prowess is matched by few. Some say that with a little more training, the kami themselves will speak to me,” he huffed. Kagome rolled her eyes. The guy had the arrogance to match Inuyasha's too. Her urge to break the sad news that the guy was a fraud was growing by the second. He carried himself highly, and seemed to look down his nose at everyone, herself included. Of course, being praised as one of the greatest monks who ever lived is bound to give you a big head.

 

“I see. So you're certain these wards work?” Kagome continued, looking up at him. Toga's eyes flared as the air around him electrified. Kagome might as well have declared gone and declared him a hack right then and there. It couldn't have hurt; Toga couldn't possibly look any angrier.

 

“I am positive,” Toga growled. “No youkai can touch my wards and live. This particular ofuda is designed to purify and kill any youkai it touches.” Kagome's lips began to curl up in a small smile.

 

“So how is it that Youkai can touch these wards and live?” she asked curiously. Toga sniffed and clasped his hands behind his back.

 

“That abomination could easily be purified if I willed it. Luckily, our village has need for his furs and wood. We have found a use for him, and I find no need to kill him, for the time at least. I have modified my ofuda to allow his youki to taint them and live. Besides, the ofuda Youkai takes from me are not meant to kill, rather to hide his youki,” Toga muttered. Kagome didn't miss the hint of disgust that had crept into his voice as he spoke of Youkai. It made her a little mad to think this faker was disgusted by the man - relatively speaking - that had earned her trust and respect over the last week.

 

“You don't like Youkai, I take it?” Kagome asked dryly. Toga glared down at her place leaning against the wall.

 

“That creature is a freak,” he sneered. “Youkai are only meant to hunt and kill. That…thing, is too weak to kill, and hides behind human protection to prolong his disgusting life. If he's too pathetic to take life, then he isn't fit to…” Toga was cut off as Kagome jumped to her feet and slapped him across the face. Toga's head snapped to the side. His mouth snapped shut as his head whipped around to glare a pair of hellfire eyes at Kagome. His hand shot out and wrapped tightly around her wrist.

 

“You dare to strike me girl?” he hissed between his teeth. Kagome met his deadly gaze and glared her own right back.

 

“Youkai saved my life, and has done nothing but take care of me ever since I met him.” Kagome snapped. “He's broken out of his youkai instincts and learned to live without becoming a killer. You should respect him for that.” She pursed her lip and snatched her wrist from Toga's grasp.

 

“He kills,” Toga said. “Where do you think he gets those furs from? He kills the small and insignificant, but he kills just the same. He's no better then any other youkai. You'd do well to learn this, girl,” he chuckled darkly.

 

“Youkai takes care of me, he wouldn't hurt me,” Kagome said sternly. Toga raised an eyebrow.

 

“Really? Are you so certain?” he asked. Kagome nodded.

 

“Yes,” she replied. She stared up at Toga, defiant under his scrutiny, forcing the one small, doubtful voice in the back of her head to be silent.

 

“I am flattered that you think so highly of me,” a voice from behind Toga droned. Kagome looked over the monk's shoulder as Youkai's cloaked profile filled the doorway of the hut. He stepped beside Toga and nodded down at Kagome before turning to face the sneering human behind him.

 

“Youkai,” Toga growled.

 

“Toga,” Youkai replied, bowing slightly. He sat down beside Kagome and started to open the sack of vegetables he had brought from the fields. Toga watched the two of them for a moment, a look of disgust on his face, before snorting and spinning of the balls of his feet and marching out of the hut.