InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fetch ❯ Risk (Part Two) ( Chapter 14 )

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

Disclaimer: Does anyone really think this has changed since part one was posted? (sigh) Very well... Do not own. There.

A/N: Okay, let's hear Kagome's daring plan to defeat Naraku. It should be good...

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru stared at his onna, more shocked than he'd ever been in his life. He literally could not believe what he'd just heard.

"I'm going to let Naraku complete the jewel and make his wish - it's the only way to defeat him."

She'd actually said those words, in that combination, to make that statement. And despite his shock, her expression of confidence and knowledge of what her words meant hadn't changed.

He was intrigued.

"Explain, miko, now," he barked out, a sharpness in his voice towards her he'd not had in some time.

She sighed wearily, then, and nodded. "Naraku's sole desire for the last fifty some years has been to acquire the jewel, to wish himself full youkai. Rather like Inuyasha, to tell the truth. But it's a fool's wish."

He stared at her, a frown settling over his features. "Continue."

"I always wondered why he wanted to make a wish on the stupid thing for something so trivial, but when he was in my mind earlier... I don't know why, but suddenly, what he was hoping for in becoming full youkai came across quite clearly. And that was when I realized how much of a fool he was - and how much of a fool Inuyasha had been in considering the same."

She shook her head and flicked a quick glance at him, then looked down at her feet in the water.

"Think about it, Sesshoumaru. He is such a formidable opponent only because of the unlimited power source he has in the shards. No matter how much we fight him, in the end, as long as he has the shards, we can't beat him. Because he will simply keep regenerating himself, over and over and over."

At that, Sesshoumaru shifted, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Yes..."

"I can't understand why none of us have ever seen this before, honestly," she mused quietly. "It's such a simple truth. Why would he want to give up a lifetime of unlimited power to make one stupid wish on a completed jewel... at which point the thing disappears into the ether and can never be called on again? Think about it, Sesshoumaru," she said, suddenly staring at him with an earnest expression. "If he gets the jewel, and makes his wish to be full youkai... what really happens?" She paused for a minute, to let it sink in, then finished.

"He becomes just another youkai - and how many of those have you and Inuyasha both defeated without a second thought? There's no denying that you are the most powerful youkai alive - even if Naraku becomes a full youkai, he still won't be able to defeat you."

Sesshoumaru stared at her as her words sank in, almost in awe. How could it have been so simple for all these years... and yet, no one had seen it?

No one but my Lady, he thought, smugly.

"He could wish to become the most powerful youkai alive. Then what? Depending on how he phrases the wish, it could potentially be devastating to our cause." Sesshoumaru was proud of her, but he wanted to see just how well she'd thought this out.

"No. Naraku will never phrase the wish that way. He already thinks himself more powerful than you as a hanyou, because he's arrogant. He proved that with his attempts in the beginning to use you, and then again when he tried to absorb you. He has no need to ask to be the most powerful. He already thinks he is. It's his arrogance that blinds him to the fact that he isn't."

It became quiet, then, between them, as Sesshoumaru considered her words, looking at every possible angle, and he had to admit, he was impressed with his onna's words.

He was pulled from his thoughts by her voice. "All this time, Naraku's been just as big a fool as the rest of us. Once he makes that wish, he might be youkai rather than hanyou, and he might be immortal... but with his wish, his heart will be returned to his body - meaning he can be killed."

Sesshoumaru looked at her weighingly. "Tell me, mate. If you are so sure of your conclusions, where then is the 'risk' you spoke of? The hand of chance? Where does it lie?"

Kagome glanced at him, then up at the night sky, absently kicking her feet. "There is risk in everything, Sesshoumaru, you know that. The best plans are the ones that have the least amount of risk. That is so with this one. We either go in as we are and attempt to take the shards from him while he does the same to us... in which case, the laws of probability show that we will most likely fail, since he really can't be killed as long as he has those shards... or, we let him weaken himself. Limit himself to no more than his own energy as a spider youkai."

She is right. And spider youkai are no match for this Sesshoumaru... he would not even be a match for Inuyasha - half-breed or not, he carries our father's powerful blood. But how does she intend to let the fool get the shards that she has? He would become suspicious immediately if she just handed them over - and I will not allow her to let herself be 'captured' for such a reason.

"You plan well, my mate, and this Sesshoumaru is most pleased with you. However," he caught her gaze with a raised brow, "how do you plan to allow him to gain your shards?"

Kagome sent him a wicked look then, and laughed. "By letting Kikyou deliver them."

Once again, he stared at her, not having expected that.

By the gods, this onna is far too clever at plotting. She will make a brilliant Lady!

"Mate, if I ever hear you speaking or thinking of yourself in unflattering terms again, I will beat you. You are the sneakiest onna I have ever known... you caught what all of us have missed for all these years. You are more worthy to be my Lady than any onna the kami ever created."

Kagome blushed, hard, then, and a tear found its way down her cheek. With those words from him, spoken in complete sincerity, she finally settled her harsh thoughts of herself. She may still be a wren compared to a peacock in the looks and power department... but she was a wren with a brain.

And that was oftentimes far more important.

Besides, no one could compare with him in the looks and power department... so why should she even worry about it?

She smiled at him with all her heart, and his eyes softened on her under the light of a full moon.

Then she caught a glint of wicked amusement in those golden orbs.

"Now tell me just how you plan to use the dead one to deliver the shards to him."

She laughed at that, shaking her head. Always so demanding.

"Kikyou's downfall is the same as Naraku's. She's arrogant. She thinks that she's the only one that can defeat him by giving him the jewel, and then purifying it. The problem with that is that there is far more risk with that plan. Once it's purified, yes, he'd have to let it go for a few moments... but then he'd pick it back up and promptly taint it again, so - if we didn't get it away from him immediately, that route would ultimately fail, and he'd still get his wish. It would just waste time."

"I agree."

"But Kikyou believes in it. That's the key to this. Because she has almost no power left to purify anything, let alone Naraku... so if she takes off with the shards, she will run straight to him, he'll take them from her, and then make his wish. Once he does... we go in and kick his ass. End of story."

Sesshoumaru reached out and pulled her into his lap, startling her greatly as she giggled at the feel of his claws grasping her sides so softly. Nuzzling her cheek, he inhaled her scent, and growled in pleasure.

"Finish this plot, mate. How do you intend to let the dead one gain your shards?"

"By being the 'foolish reincarnation' she thinks I am. She still has herself fooled that she's more powerful than me - but she's not. She can't harm me anymore - so I'll traipse my silly self out into the woods near her, and let her come and take them from me."

At that, Sesshoumaru raised his head and glared at her. "There is no way that I will allow my mate to be in the presence of the undead one, and so close to Naraku, on her own. You will think of another way."

She smiled at him coyly. "I didn't say I'd be alone, Sesshoumaru. You are quite capable of hiding your scent and aura completely... from Kikyou and Naraku both. You'd be with me, hiding just out of sight." Then she glared back at him. "And didn't I just say that Kikyou can't hurt me?"

He eyed her narrowly. "Hn. We will see, my onna. This Sesshoumaru will agree to this plan as long as he is with you."

"Well, thanks so much, my Lord," she shot back, sarcastically. "I'm so happy you have such confidence in me."

Sesshoumaru pulled her into his chest and rested his chin on her head with a slight sigh. "I do have confidence in you, Kagome," he said quietly. "More than you will ever know. However, I refuse to lose you to some foolish risk or chance. You are mine to protect... and I will. There should be no arguments between us on that score."

Kagome softened, then, and smiled to herself.

"Okay. No more arguing." Then she laughed, hard, and pulling back from him, she looked into his eyes.

"At least, from me. Inuyasha on the other hand... when we try to explain this one..." she broke off as he finished with definite amusement.

"That will be the argument to end all arguments. I may have to kill a certain hanyou if we are ever to proceed with this plan of yours, my mate." He looked back at her ruefully, a small smile tilting the corners of his mouth.

"Somehow, I think that I am about to lose my hearing. Inuyasha has always had a big mouth."

And Kagome grinned at him, in total agreement.

He's gonna go ballistic. This might actually be fun.

---oOo---

It was actually quite late when the two made it back to camp, but everyone save the children were still up, and so, Kagome sat back and let her Lord explain the plan to everyone. Amazingly enough, Inuyasha was so completely shocked at the words, let Naraku have the jewel, that he was actually silent long enough to get the whole plan... and surprisingly, he thought the whole thing was brilliant.

As everyone in camp stared at him with varying degrees of shock, he sheepishly explained that he'd not wanted the jewel for himself for a long time... and this way, there'd be no need to think up some worthless wish to get rid of the thing afterwards. It would already be gone.

Everyone was also knocked off balance by the realizations that Kagome had come to in making this whole thing up - and they couldn't believe that they'd all missed something so simple all these years.

Sure, there was a very small risk that he'd make some other wish... but it was, indeed a small one, completely negligable. After all, this had been his goal for over fifty years... why would that have changed from the last time he'd come after Kagome and her shards? He'd stated then the same thing...

He wanted to be a full youkai. He was so blinded by that one idea, that he couldn't see anything else.

That short-sightedness would be his downfall.

Let him become a full spider youkai. After all, what do most people do when they come across a spider?

They step on it - and Sesshoumaru was more than willing to do the same.

Poor, foolish hanyou. All this time, you've overlooked the true danger to yourself... my tiny little mate.

That mistake will be fatal, Naraku.

Definitely fatal.

---oOo---

A/N: And there you have it. I actually finished the chapter tonight. The whole thing, all laid out. I'm so pleased with this, I don't think I'm going to go into much detail about how it plays out, although I had originally planned to. But this chapter covers what happens so well, writing it out in a battle chapter would really be redundant. So, now I can skip most of that - and go straight to the good parts. Like SMUT! YAY!

Amber