InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chosen ❯ To have the guts ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter five: To have the Guts...

Previously...

“Over confidence will be your down fall Miko” said an undesirably familiar voice and Kagome whirled around to stare into the deep golden shifting depths of Sesshoumaru's eyes.

“You know, you're kinda cocky considering I could purify something very sensitive to oblivion” she threatened glancing meaningfully down at his crotch with a little bit of malicious intent.

Sesshoumaru smirked “To do that you would have to touch it, do you really have the guts Miko?”

Now...

Sango blushed bright red and was suddenly glad that while violent she was not as brazen with her words as her friend. Miroku grinned inwardly as he recognised a fellow Hentai in the older Yokai. But it was Kagome's reaction to the comment that was most entertaining.

Her eyes popped open in some kind of shock whilst she briefly wondered if she had just been propositioned, which she realised belatedly she just may have been. Miroku wondered whether she was going to fall over in shock and the image brought a smile to his features.

Then she blushed.

But this wasn't a normal blush like Sango's. Oh no. It was a full faced tomato reminiscent blush, a blush that not only encompassed her entire face, but also spread down her neck and across her chest from what they could see above the neckline of her shirt.

“Wh-wha...” apparently coherent sentence structure was not a privilege she was blessed with when this severely embarrassed.

Sesshoumaru chuckled, a deep reverberating sound that seemed to resonate through his chest. At the sound of his laughter she snapped out of her embarrassment and turned to glare at him.

“I have plenty of guts!” she insisted

A slender eyebrow was raised “Prove it”

She faltered and realised there was no way on earth she was going anywhere near him. Damn, she hated losing. He smirked at that and she glowered at him, her cheeks still burning with the remnants of her blush.

“Whatever, I'm above playing your games” she huffed folding her arms across her chest stubbornly.

“Sure” he scoffed ruffling her hair on purpose to demean her as a child. She glared at him and fussed with it to get it to return to normal.

He wondered why he felt slightly disappointed, but decided not to dwell on it.

“I take it you are the Yokai who saved my little sister?” Miroku questioned stepping forward to address Sesshoumaru . Sesshoumaru looked at the Houshi and then across at the Taijiya as if they were merely slightly interesting bugs. Unworthy of any real attention, but enough to pass a moment assessing. The Taijiya was strong, that he could tell, though milder in temperament than the Miko and the monk, well the twinkle in his eye reminded him of his father. Which meant he was either a lecher or a comedian.

Lecher. He deduced as the man's wandering hands found the pert bottom of his Taijiya friend and he ended up kissing the pavement. The Taijiya blushing brightly.

“Hn”

“What are you doing here anyway fluffy-sama?” Kagome asked sardonically and his eyebrow twitched. He reminded himself that he wasn't supposed to kill ningens, but it was so tempting.

“That is none of your concern” he said silkily “and I desire that your desist referring to me in that way”

“Or what?” she bit out and then was overwhelmed by the strangest feeling of déjà vu. She had said those words before... it hadn't been the smartest thing she had ever done. He grinned in a feral manner at the hint of fear in her scent as she processed what she had just said. And then the stubborn streak settled firmly back into place and she crossed her arms and glared at him.

“I have no time for you and your obstinacy” he said sighing and attempting to brush past her. He was quite surprised however when she latched onto his arm as he brushed by and dug in her heels. Her pitiful human strength had absolutely no effect on him whatsoever but the sheer audacity of a human touching him was enough to make him stop.

“Where are you going?” she asked looking up at the towering Daiyokai with large doe eyes. It made her seem innocent and sweet, but he knew better. It was all a ploy.

He sighed and resisted the urge to maim once again; she seemed adept at bringing that urge out in him. “I am going to see a Yokai about an athame” he said

“You don't really look like an athame wielding type of guy” Kagome replied dubiously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger

“It is not mine” he replied and then he realised bizarrely somewhere amongst the conversation they had begun walking again, dragging him with them.

They seemed to be going in the correct direction, he was travelling them same way, so he decided against resisting the flow. Undoubtedly the Miko would attempt to stop him if he tried to elude them and quite frankly he couldn't seem to care enough to leave their company.

The slayer and the monk, he noticed, lagged a little behind him and the Miko and he could sense their slight unease. Undoubtedly they, being sensitive to auras, could sense how powerful his was. He had no idea however how the Miko remained unafraid, was she ignorant? He somehow doubted it, stubborn yes but she seemed intelligent enough, when she wasn't prattling.

“So whose is it?” she asked titling her head to one side like a curious puppy

“It belongs to my uncle” he said frowning down at the bizarrely hyper and inquisitive woman. She didn't look ten years old, but sometimes she seemed to act that way.

“Right” she stretched the word out and sighed “not really much of a conversationalist are we?”

“If I wanted to carry out a conversation with you then I would” he pointed out

She shivered “So cold” she mocked “you were a lot more talkative in your apartment” she accused

“I was trying to gain information, thus leading the conversation, whilst you were twittering”

“I do not twitter!” she was aghast and tried to punch him in the arm, but failed miserably when he deftly evaded her arm. She growled.

He sniggered, she was amusing as humans went. They rounded the corner and Sesshoumaru watched as she walked up to the steps of the shrine that loomed over him omnisciently.

“Well...bye I guess” she said stuck by how uncomfortable she suddenly was, hadn't they only just been teasing one another like old friends? She was surprised at it and abruptly blurted the first thing that came into her head.

“How old are you?”

Sesshoumaru who had turned to flee the strange woman paused but did not turn back before raising a brow at her, though she could not see he could almost guarantee she knew he was doing it. “I am three hundred”

Her mouth opened wide in shock and he smirked as he heard the popping sound of her mouth becoming slack “More like twenty three in human years” he supplied

“I'm seventeen next week” she offered and he raised a brow again. He had not asked for her age, nor did he particularly care. He turned to look at her, stood on the steps to the shrine with her black bag clasped gently against her chest, her eyes wide and trusting with their strange innocence and her hair lifting and swirling around her face in the breeze. She was both childlike and cynical, and he doubted that anyone else would ever be able to pull that one off except her.

He inclined his head to her and was about to turn to leave when he saw it.

Save her

Youki blades were flying at the Miko from the shrine steps. That was peculiar enough to make Sesshoumaru question his senses for the first time in his life before acting fast and pulling the Miko out of the way.

The two collapsed backwards onto the ground with Kagome spread across the annoyed Inu Yokai's chest.

Her brother and friend could be heard running towards them, but Sesshoumaru and Kagome had little time to spare thinking of them as a purple acid whip tried to take off their heads.

This time Kagome took charge of the situation and rolled them both out of the way. Silently she cursed herself for being so concentrated on the Yokai underneath her that she had been oblivious to everything else. Such mistakes were likely to land you in a coffin.

Miroku and Sango got to them just in time to have to throw themselves bodily into the hedge row to avoid being decapitated by some youki blades.

“Show yourselves” Sesshoumaru growled as he pulled himself and the Miko upright. He was not best pleased that some insignificant Yokai had resulted in him becoming dirty and he was most displeased about the fact that they had been able to sneak up on him. He pushed Kagome roughly behind him and noted that for once she made no word of protest.

“Ah, Sesshoumaru” an amused female voice commented as if Sesshoumaru was a passing acquaintance in the street and not a blindingly livid Yokai.

Two human looking Yokai appeared at the foot of the shrine steps. One male, reserved, blonde and green eyed. The other shorter, cocky, female, red haired and purpled eyed.

“We came a knocking for a Miko” the woman said in a cold arrogant old English accent and her venomous purple eyes drifted over Kagome, who fought the urge to shudder “and I believe you beat us to her”

“Hana” Sesshoumaru flickered disdainful eyes over the female before glaring at the male “Joben”

“What do you want?” Kagome asked frowning at the two Yokai Sesshoumaru obviously knew, but blatantly didn't trust as far as he could throw them.

“You” the female grinned exposing her human looking teeth. She had no fangs, neither did, nor did they have claws. The only thing that identified them as non human entities was the pointed elfin ears they both boasted.

“Or more actually we were sent to determine whether there was yet another Miko born to the Higurashi line” said the one identified as Joben

“Shall we spill her blood to determine her lineage?” Hana smiled again and Sesshoumaru snarled

“Who sent you here?” Sesshoumaru demanded noting how the two human companions of the Miko had risen from the foliage and with surprising skill and stealth were circling back behind the two Yokai to prepare a counter attack should the need arise.

Kagome, due to the way she was concealed behind Sesshoumaru's back had not seen them and was busy trying to work out what kind of Yokai Hana and Joben were exactly. With most Yokai it was relatively easy to work out their species, but these two assailants were proving tricky.

“Who sent us?” Hana pretended to ponder and then rolled her purple eyes “Who do you think?”

“He sent us” Joben sounded like he was clearing things up, but he only succeeded in making Kagome more confused.

Sesshoumaru on the other hand seemed to understand perfectly and he growled out his anger “Why does he want her?”

“Why does anyone want the Shikon no Tama Onna?” asked Hana sarcasm dripping from her tone, she was brought up short however by the look on Sesshoumaru's face. “You mean to tell me you don't know?” at this she began to cackle her eyes glinting with malice “To think lord frosty doesn't know what we, mere soldiers, are privy to!”

They're soldiers? Kagome wondered paying closer attention to the two she realised they were both dressed in similar attire of black trousers, black boots and a long black cloak, though they wore different breast armour. Hana's seemed to be made of some kind of polished bone that fit her lithe form snugly and Joben was wearing what looked like Kevlar but seemed to be infused with some youki.

“Hana” was the cautious rebuke from Joben; he seemed to be more wary of Sesshoumaru than she. “It would make sense if you did not know” he addressed Sesshoumaru “but surely before your mother—”

Whatever he had been attempting to say was cut off abruptly in light of Sesshoumaru's vicious snarling. It seemed he was not best pleased at the mention of his mother.

“Touchy” Hana mocked and then ducked rather quickly as Sesshoumaru's poison whip hit the air where he face had been mere seconds before.

“Damn” Joben muttered as he realised the situation had abruptly spiralled out of control; Sesshoumaru was mad “Hana catch the girl!” he ordered before attempting to lunge at the Daiyokai and Miko. Only to be thrown off course as a Hiraikotsu intersected his path.

“Shit” he swore upon seeing the monk and the Taijiya looking none to friendly. He conjured his yellow poison whip and set forth, silently hoping that Hana would be able to apprehend the Miko quickly.

Hana threw a hand out at Sesshoumaru in a sweeping gesture and her youki blades swirled forth to be roughly dispatched by his poison whip.

She smirked and held out both of her hands in a gesture that if not accompanied by noxious poison would have looked like surrender. As it was it caused Sesshoumaru to lose his sense of sight in the thick purple fumes. He heard Kagome gag and realised that whilst he was immune she was not.

“Get the Miko!” Joben yelled from somewhere within the smoke and Sesshoumaru growled. Two hands fisted in the back on his shirt and he felt Kagome lean on him as the noxious poisons got to her and she began to faint. She was fighting it though, stubborn as she was.

He spun around and supported her with his left arm whilst cupping her face with his right hand.

“Fight” he murmured in her ear and Kagome tried to. But it was an uphill struggle; she could feel fatigue caressing her mind with its soothing fingers as the poison wove its way into her body.

He shook her gently as he realised she was slipping into unconsciousness. “Purify it!” he commanded

She scrunched her eyebrows at the command but ignored him.

She stiffened as she felt a flash of pain in her arm and lazily attempted to purify the air, causing nought but a small rush of clean air. But it was enough. With a small reprieve from the oppressive poison she was able to regain her motor functions and send out a larger burst of her reiyouku that instantly purified the air.

And then she succumbed to unconsciousness.

Sesshoumaru caught her before she hit the floor, remembering how irritable she had been after her last encounter with the ground. He glanced around for Joben and Hana but only found the monk and the Taijiya, sealed inside Miroku's protective barrier.

Sesshoumaru growled viscously.

***

Atop the shrine roof...

“Well that went well” Joben looked at Hana accusingly

“I was about to grab her but she purified me!” Hana bit back, rubbing her Miko scorched hands and wincing.

“You know better than to antagonise Sesshoumaru” Joben scowled

She folded her arms across her chest “He just makes me so mad” she fumed

“You will have the honour of telling him that you failed” Joben was unforgiving

“I didn't fail entirely” she gave a wicked smile and pulled out a small dagger she had been concealing up her sleeve. Clinging to the tip was a flash of dark red blood.

“You acquired proof” his tone was disbelieving and she glared at him

“I'm not entirely incompetent you know” she muttered “I did have a backup plan in case she escaped once we captured her”

“You may just have saved your life” he murmured

“Whatever, let's go” she said jumping from the roof, Joben in close pursuit.

***

Sesshoumaru scooped Kagome up into his arms easily and walked over to the other two humans. The monk lowered his barrier wearily, it had been a powerful barrier to be able to put up with Hana's poison and it was taking its toll on the monk.

Belatedly Sesshoumaru wondered how the burst of reiyouku that had purified the noxious air had avoided touching him. He glanced down at the Miko in his arms, apparently even when fighting to remain conscious she had enough sense to protect him from her reiyouku. He would never admit it, but he was impressed.

“They were Doku Yokai weren't they?” Sango asked “I have never seen any before, only read of them”

“Hn” Sesshoumaru said watching with a raised brow as the monk collapsed and the Taijiya attempted to stop him falling like a sack of potatoes.

“How do you know them?” she asked as she lowered Miroku to the ground in a tender gesture that while noted by the Daiyokai was not commented on.

“They are soldiers of my uncle” Sesshoumaru answered as he bent to deposit the Miko at the feet of the slayer.

He stood and turned to leave when the voice of the Taijiya caught up to him.

“Wait!” she yelled “where are you going?” she asked

“To see a Yokai about an athame” he said repeating his earlier words

“Huh?” Sango asked but she was talking to thin air.

Sesshoumaru was already long gone.

A/N: So did you like it? I'm sorry to all of you who wanted Kagome to take Sesshoumaru up on his little challenge, but I'm afraid it's a little early for those kinds of shenanigans! Maybe later ; )

By the way Hana has an English accent because she's from England, this is still set in Japan, hence the shrine!

So thanks go to the lovely people who reviewed on FF.net: sesshylurver6518, kouga's older woman, Kitsune Diva, GothicHime89, Serenity digo19, Itachisgirl88 and Neko4.

Thanks go to those on MM.org: Snowfall and Kags521. Thanks for reviewing!

Also on Dokuga:

chevonne Knowles: sorry for disappointing you! *bows and offers cookie as compensation*

katlady: your review made me laugh and was so funny I had to show my bf who happened to be in the room at the time! He thinks I'm crazy... anyway I'll gift wrap this for you kay?

Sunset in love: Inu will be making an appearance very soon promise!

stars: here ya go!

MLMonty: thanks! I nearly died when you reviewed considering how I kinda love your stories, I was in denial that you would review!

So now you know what to do don't you everyone? REVIEW!