InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten ❯ Broken Dreams: Insubordination ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru or anyone from the hit anime/manga series. Rumiko Takahashi does. I do own all OC's and plot from this story.

 

Part Two: Insubordination

 

The next day…

 

The gold general grimaced when he recognized the man riding the demon heading toward his camp. General Makoto of the silver army rarely came to a war meeting partly because of his post's placement but mostly because he couldn't stand meetings. For him to be showing up couldn't be good news. The horse landed and General Makoto jumped off. He strode over without straightening his attire. General Rei almost cringed.

 

“Where is that fop lord? I gotta a few bones to bounce off his hollow skull,” General Makoto bellowed. All noise in the camp instantly died as everyone stopped to stare. The gold general flinched when he saw Inuyasha appear from behind a supply cart. General Makoto may have been disheveled but the silver insignia on his haori was still clear. The hanyou would immediately recognize his fiancée's superior.

 

Please don't let it involve Arai Keiko, General Rei thought. Inuyasha had been unusually hostile ever since his return from the capital. Trapped inside the camp unless being sent on official business, the hanyou was like a caged tiger, snapping and growling at anyone that dared to approach. The general had taken to sending him on any scouting mission just to get him away from camp and give his men a chance to relax. The hanyou had only just returned from one of his assignments. General Rei found himself wishing Inuyasha wasn't so efficient. He had wanted him to be away for the duration of the war meeting. The silver general's appearance only invited more misfortune.

 

Lord Kuromaru stepped from the officer's tent and glared at General Makoto. “What on earth has brought you of all people here?” he snapped.

 

“What? Are you going to order me, the general of silver army, to stay away from a military meeting? How many times must you backstab your own people before the ancestors abandon you?” hollered General Makoto. Lord Kuromaru squared his shoulders but the gruff wolf continued. “Blow out that breath, toad! You aren't fooling anyone here. If you weren't such a rooster we wouldn't be in this much trouble.” Lord Kuromaru went red with rage. He couldn't even speak his fury was so intense.

 

General Rei decided to step in before things devolved further. “General Makoto, can you explain what you mean? I somehow don't think you are talking about the war in general,” he said. He could feel Lord Kuromaru's eyes burning a hole in his back.

 

“Shut up, dandelion. You're as much to blame for this as he is,” General Makoto yelled, spinning to face his gold army counterpart. “Why the hell did you just rollover on that stupid order? You should have told the idiot that you couldn't heed it due to the fact that Arai Keiko is retiring.”

 

The gold general groaned and put his hand to his face; it did involve Arai Keiko. He might have tried praying that the silver general had just realized the injustice of the transfer and was coming to correct it, but the warrior priestess wasn't with him. General Rei was certain that if this was just about the interrupted wedding plans then General Makoto would have brought her with him. Her not being here was not a good sign.

 

The wolf hanyou continued his rant without pause. “Nobody in this whole country has got the right to deny a person their wedding unless it's for a damn good reason. And Miss Arai wasn't being sent to my army for some special mission that only she could perform. She was sent just to stop the wedding. YOU CAN'T DO THAT! That's what makes Tenji Tenji. If we start letting people who have no say in the matter determine what people can and can't do with their personal lives for selfish reasons then why do we even exist? We'll be no different than those savage warlords that are laying waste to the countryside beyond our borders right now. I don't care if that person is the tenko lord, he still isn't all powerful, he still has to follow the rules. He can't just do whatever the hell he feels like.” The silence that fell was suffocating. Lord Kuromaru continued to stab the silver general with his gaze while all the commanders, captains and generals looked at the ground in shame.

 

“What happened to Keiko?” said a voice from behind the wolf hanyou, every word cracking with suppressed emotions. General Makoto turned and spotted the silver-haired hanyou now standing out in the open. General Rei flinched; Inuyasha was always quick to pick up on the unsaid. The dog hanyou's haggard appearance and trembling hands did not reassure him; the young man would explode if the news was bad.

 

“Are you the one she was supposed to marry?” General Makoto asked, either ignoring or oblivious to the hanyou's emotional state. Inuyasha nodded. “Then I guess it was you they meant. I had a feeling they didn't me or they would have said me. Though, I wouldn't hesitate one second to sacrifice myself for the sake of a mother-to-be.” There was two seconds of silence following the silver general's statement. Two seconds where Inuyasha's golden eyes grew wide and his face drained of blood. Two seconds where the General Rei wished his silver counterpart understood the nature of tact when breaking bad news. Then…

 

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, WOLF?” screamed Inuyasha, suddenly in the general's face and grabbing him by the collar. “WHO `THEY', WHAT `SACRIFICE', WHAT `MOTHER-TO-BE'?” General Rei gaped in horror then rushed forward to try to pull the insane dog hanyou off the wolf. The outburst weeks before couldn't compare to this. At least then he had some semblance of self-control. Now he appeared to have none.

 

However, in the next two seconds Inuyasha went from holding General Makoto's haori to his horsetail being yanked down by one hand, his good arm being twisted behind his back and the silver general standing behind him, grinning. “Feisty one, aren't you?” General Rei halted and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd forgotten the silver general's specialty was hand-to-hand combat.

 

General Makoto's grin shrank to a grim smile and he said, “Let me get one thing clear, their true target is most definitely you. If Arai Keiko was the one they really wanted, they wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of leaving survivors and giving them a message. I don't think they know about the baby. Hell, I didn't know until a few days ago when she came in to tell me she was three months along.”

 

“Three months?” Inuyasha said between gasps of pain. General Makoto's grip was powerful and accurate. Not only was he twisting Inuyasha's left hand up, he was simultaneously pressing the pressure point on his wrist. Inuyasha's right hand gripped the wrist that held his horsetail, but the crippled appendage could never apply the force needed to break the wolf's hold.

 

“Yeah, surprised me too,” said the wolf hanyou. “Poor thing was so upset over her denied wedding and being transferred for no good reason that she completely missed she was skipping. She isn't showing so I'm certain they took her because she's your woman. Their leader must think highly of you to go to these lengths just to be rid of you.”

 

He glanced up and glared contempt and death at General Rei, who retreated a step, and Lord Kuromaru, who stood his ground and met the gaze with his own acid laced one. “Guess their marriage was already consummated. They were just asking for the ceremony to make it official. I would've thought, as the son of the great Lord Jounochi, you would've at least known what you can't do as a lord. It's none of your business who people marry. I don't know why you even stuck your nose into her affair in the first place.” General Makoto then moved the hand gripping Inuyasha's horsetail to his right elbow, pulling the damaged appendage down to his side, releasing the strain on the hanyou's neck and making it easier for him to speak. He didn't once let up on the pressure to the left arm.

 

Inuyasha rolled his head forward, then bowed it as best he could with his shoulder still throbbing from the unnatural position and said, “I'm the one who told him about the wedding but only because he's family. Not once did it ever cross my mind that not only would he refuse to allow it but that he would threaten to charge me and Keiko with treason if we forced the issue. I didn't tell Keiko about that last part in my letter to her. I just said `my uncle didn't approve'.”

 

“Oh aren't you cruel,” General Makoto said with a snarl. “Your kinsman here is nice enough to invite the brainless pig to join in the best moment of his life because you're kin and you just crap all over him. I can't recall the number of times I had to order you to perform a task that wasn't immediately beneficial. You gotta whole barren field you want to make beautiful and full of life. Yet you waste time and effort growing only flowers instead of trees because the flowers make the hill pretty right away. Never mind a forest holds far more life and beauty. You short-sighted idiot! If you had just learned to see beyond the next five days then maybe we could've ended this war already.”

 

Lord Kuromaru hissed. He wanted to say something, anything to refute the general's words, but couldn't come up with any comebacks that wouldn't prove the gruff wolf hanyou right. Particularly since a quick glance around revealed angry even contemptible stares being aimed his way. Nearly everyone in the camp, from cooks to stable hands, from archers to swordsmen, was now gathered. He ground his teeth.

 

He had never liked General Makoto. His time in the military had been hell while serving under the crude hanyou. General Makoto had never once acknowledged his accomplishments and only ragged on his errors, blowing them out proportion, and damning everything he did. Lord Kuromaru had never understood why his general had behaved as he did when he, Kuromaru, had done so well as a commander. Every general had acknowledged and praised his accomplishments in the past so why couldn't General Makoto? His own father, the late Lord Jounochi had trusted him with important tasks yet this one general seemed unable to forget a rookie's mistakes and move on. Even now the general was refusing to acknowledge his hard work in the face of this disaster and the extreme pressure it placed on him. Lord Kuromaru thought he was doing very well all things considered.

 

He turned his attention to his nephew standing panting in General Makoto's iron grip. It was all Inuyasha's fault. The hanyou had failed the early promise the sage had spoken of when he had given up his life to save the boy. Lord Kuromaru knew it wasn't entirely Inuyasha's fault that he hadn't lived up to expectations. With a crippled arm, Inuyasha's combat abilities were limited since most martial arts required two hands to have any great skill in them. However, Inuyasha had barely mastered his hikaze power, gaining just enough control to refrain from incinerating people every time he sneezed. It was a great disappointment. His celestial power was the only thing that wouldn't have been limited by his useless right hand. Why his master had removed the restraints at all was a mystery to Lord Kuromaru.

 

But now look at the mess we're in, he thought, his eyes burning, and all because he couldn't restrain his base nature. If his restraints had remained he would have known his place and this wouldn't have happened. He isn't much use as he is anyway. We wouldn't have missed his presence on the battlefield.

 

“All this blaming won't bring Keiko back,” said Inuyasha. He began squirming despite the spasms racing up his arm, spiking his skull with needles of agony. “Release me! If it's me they want then they can have me. I don't know what I've done that singled me out like this but I can't let Keiko die because of it.”

 

“No can do,” said General Makoto, applying more pressure to the captured wrist.

 

Inuyasha gasped and stopped moving. “Why ever not? You said you wouldn't hesitate to turn yourself over for her sake,” he said through gritted teeth, turning his head to glare at the wolf hanyou. Lord Kuromaru and General Rei both glanced at him as well. While their feelings on the issue may have been the exact opposite both waited to hear General Makoto's reasoning.

 

“First off, I'd sacrifice myself because it is mostly my fault she got caught. I put her as part of the returning caravan because they never get attacked, though we still take precautions. Returning caravans have little that would attract starving brigands much less a military force. Anyone riding a demon horse, however, is always getting harassed and sometimes critically injured. Not a good thing for a mother-to-be. Obviously, they wanted me to get through so that I could tell their intended victim the bad news.”

 

And yet, despite knowing this much, he still tells the “intended victim”, thought General Rei, shaking his head. He may be a military genius but at times like this he proves he doesn't have an ounce of common sense.

 

“If I had known she was going to be targeted outright,” General Makoto was saying. “I would've put her on that stallion there and sent her flying across the fields. Would've stood a better chance of getting to safety. But it's really about what you said earlier. You don't know what it was that made you so special. I don't think it's your relationship to our `outstanding' lord.” Lord Kuromaru snarled at the sarcastic comment. “If it wasn't something you did then it has to be something you're expected to do, or maybe become. It could be the enemy has seen some potential that we're all missing and that potential is scaring them. They want to nip this threat in the bud so you've become a target. This is also why we can't let you die recklessly. If there is something about you that is scaring the enemy then that is something we wanna keep.”

 

General Makoto then glanced around and noticed the stares particularly the perplexed one coming from General Rei. “What?”

 

Military genius indeed, thought General Rei while waving his hand in dismissal then said, “When finally put into words, what you say does make sense. And I, for one, would like to find out what it is that enemy finds so intimidating about Inuyasha.”

 

“Aren't you all jumping to conclusions?” snapped Lord Kuromaru. Everyone turned to look at the lord; General Makoto scowled. “Why are you so certain it's Inuyasha they want? It could really be you.”

 

“Well I can see why you'd be upset,” said General Makoto, a smirk appearing on his face. “The enemy leader is more interesting in killing off your crippled, mediocre nephew than in assassinating you. That tells me they read you the same way I did.” Lord Kuromaru began trembling and so did half the weapons in the area.

 

“Will you shut up!” yelled Inuyasha. The weapons ceased rattling in their sheaths and everyone returned their attention to the dog hanyou. “Release me! If you can't be serious then release me so I can rescue Keiko. That way you two can devote all the time in the world to insulting each other. RELEASE ME!” With the final scream, he vanished within a cyclone of fire. General Makoto, though being washed by the flames, didn't flinch. He wasn't even being scorched; to the shock of everyone around him.

 

“You know, I beginning to like you more and more, however,” said General Makoto, his voice containing a teasing lilt. He then pulled hard on the left arm he still held, releasing the right with shove. Inuyasha, caught unprepared, spun around and the wolf launched his fist into the dog's diaphragm. The flames went out and Inuyasha stood bent in two for a second before falling forward, unconscious. General Makoto caught him and said, “A hot-head like you would only die in such a trap and Miss Arai would fall right on top of your corpse and get buried in the same grave. We'll get your lady back, but we need to do this the right way.”

 

General Makoto looked up and pointed to one of the younger tenko in the gathered crowd. “You there, take him to the barracks and restrain him there. I don't want him running off first chance he gets.”

 

“H-hai!” said the tenko and he ran forward to take Inuyasha from General Makoto. A few others stepped forward to help carry the hanyou and the group disappeared from sight.

 

“Now, to the business of rescuing Miss Arai and Mister Kuromaru, your opinions are not needed nor will be heeded so you might as well go take a dump somewhere else,” said General Makoto with a dismissive wave.

 

Lord Kuromaru's fists clenched and unclenched. “What gives you the right to tell me what to do?” he spat.

 

“Because I do mean to get Miss Arai back and you have absolutely no talent for strategy. You have no talent for planning even. You have skill of arms, you have charisma, but beyond that you have nothing. You don't live as long as I have and through as many wars as I have by being taken in by a little glow in the armor and a few sweet words,” replied General Makoto, his tone even, his face a stone mask, his stance unbending.

 

****

 

Inuyasha regained consciousness but instinctively remained still until he was fully aware. Someone, more than one, was setting him down on the ground with great care and they were conversing.

 

“Can you believe General Makoto? How can he talk to the tenko lord like that?”

 

“Doesn't change the fact that everything he said is true. I was suspicious of those transfer orders right from the start.”

 

“Never mind that! Where are the restraints? General Makoto doesn't want Kanzaki going after Arai.”

 

“I think I know where they are. I'll go get them.”

 

Footsteps retreated. Four different voices, four people or were there more? Inuyasha remained still and listened for any tell-tale signs of a fifth person. He wasn't going to accept imprisonment without a fight. Not with the lives of Keiko and their unborn child at stake. Not to that wolf who seemed more interested in insulting his uncle than in setting up a rescue.

 

“I am curious as to what the enemy saw in Kanzaki. I mean don't get me wrong, he does have a lot of power, but it's not like he can use it effectively. Why not ambush the generals instead of wasting time setting traps for scouts?”

 

Why indeed? No one trusts me to use my powers safely. I don't even trust myself, thought Inuyasha. Of everyone here, why am I the one they chose to target?

 

“Maybe they had a prophetess tell them Kanzaki will be their doom.”

 

“I know! I know! An oracle appeared before their fearsome warlord and said, `A child of two worlds, blood of the dog general, blood of the human angel, combine to create the great lord of Tenji. He will be greater than all before and bring about the end darkness.'”

 

Even they aren't taking this seriously, thought Inuyasha, his lips twitched as he fought to suppress a growl. His ears rotated slightly back but the remaining young people were too involved in their conversation to notice the slips.

 

“That would be in full defiance of our customs. How can a hanyou, much less a hitenko, become a lord of the tenko clan never mind the lord of Tenji? You know that title is split between the dog clan and our clan. A demon lord and tenko lord; that is how it has always been.”

 

“Not always, which means things can change again.”

 

Not likely. I'm no lord.

 

“Not like Lord Kuromaru hasn't defied a few customs himself.”

 

“Don't say that! You know how much trouble you could get into? You're not a reputed general.”

 

Only three distinct voices. One had gone to get restraints but three remained, he was certain. He opened his lids just enough to peer through his eyelashes. The three were sitting around him but not watching him. You really should have paid closer attention to your charge. The silver general was correct in that regard at least, he thought. He was correct not to trust me to stay put! He inhaled quietly then lunged, his body flying off the floor, dust blowing everywhere from the hot wind he created. The three never knew what hit them.

 

****

 

A wonder of a castle rose before her. The ground had been lifted into three distinct levels, flat stones were pressed into the slopes and a broad path switched back across it. Walls of fired clay and melted stone rose from the edges of each plateau and clay tile adorned the wall and the pagoda roofs. She passed through an entrance with massive logs bound together for the gate. Heavy chains and great wheels raised and lowered it.

 

Castle Arai? She thought in wonder and horror. The castle hadn't been razed like everyone had assumed. The enemy had occupied it and made it their own. Even as she was being carried in, she couldn't decide if the destruction would have been preferable. At least then her father's vanity would have remained as a memory of a people's salvation rather than become an enemy's main base.

 

Once inside she saw a massive numbers of barracks, storage sheds and training areas. It wasn't quite the same as what her father had originally built. The new owners had made some adjustments after moving in. She didn't remember it being wide enough to allow for so many buildings within its walls.

 

After the third gate she came before the pagoda she had seen from outside. It was there in the courtyard that she was finally set down. She tore out of the net and rose to her feet. Spears leveled on her from all directions and if not for the unborn child she would have thrown herself on them. The spearheads waved and the ones behind her pushed forward while the ones before moved back. She turned toward the ones pushing forward and took up her fighting stance even as she edged back from their deadly points.

 

“Now now. We mustn't do anything to upset the baby. After all, unborn children are such fragile things,” said a voice as smooth as oil. Keiko spun again and nearly fainted with shock.

 

“Inuyasha!” she cried before she could think. Impossible! It can't be! He wouldn't do this! A second look revealed key differences in his features. His hair was short, only to the shoulders, and he wore a white kimono with pale blue swirls under a sleeveless black haori and black hakama, the ends of it tucked into black foot wrappings. A glaive with an ebony staff and blue-black blade rested on his shoulder. Despite her dire situation, she almost collapsed in relief.

 

The man laughed and said, “No, I'm not your lover. Do settle down Miss Arai. It would be just a terrible tragedy to lose a child when it is so unnecessary.” Keiko went rigid, her face paling.

 

Who is he? How does he know about the baby? I didn't tell anyone but the general and he promised not to say anything for my protection, Keiko thought. Her mind whirled and a deep cold bit into her bones.

 

“If you didn't want me to know then you shouldn't wear such information on your face,” the man said, smirking. “I can read you like a scroll.”

 

“You didn't know?” she said without thinking.

 

The hanyou shrugged without losing his smile and said, “I guessed. Your behavior changed a few days ago. Why send a talented warrior, such as yourself, to guard empty wagons and why have her so close to the wagons instead of further abroad?” Keiko gritted her teeth and looked down. The man in black started walking toward her as he continued speaking, the spearmen parting for him. “But don't feel too depressed. It was only a matter of time before you ended up as my guest. You see, I had already planned on inviting you. It's the father of your child. I've been trying to invite him over for years now but he has been strangely avoiding me. So I am afraid, this is the only way I can get his undivided attention.”

 

All of this is a trap set for Inuyasha? Why? she thought; sweat breaking out on her forehead.

 

Now he stood before her. He took hold of her chin, lifted it and gazed into her dark eyes. Like a bird caught in the snake's gaze, she couldn't move. Her whole body was frozen and unresponsive. Her breathing came in shallow and quick. His, face so much like the man she loved, loomed in her vision. She trembled; even his scent was the same. The only difference; his golden eyes lacked any warmth or kindness. He rubbed his finger along her chin then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Her emotions swirled; she knew this man was not Inuyasha. Her mind screamed it with every heartbeat, but this kiss… Somehow she managed to break free and slap him. The sound echoed in the quiet of the courtyard. She gasped for air, a mixture of rage and revulsion painted on her face. The man just stood there, his face turned in the direction of the blow, his cheek glowing red, but then he did something unexpected. Instead of hitting her, grabbing and shaking her, or even glaring at her; he just gripped her outstretched hand, pulled her closer and smiled.

 

“You being pregnant just means you won't try anything foolish while you're here,” he said in that oily calm voice as if nothing had happened. He reached forward with his other hand and patted her abdomen. Keiko shuddered and tried to pull away but the hand then reached around her waist and she was trapped pressed against him. He whispered into her ear, “After all, you have so much more to lose now than just your life.”

 

****

 

“Yade yade. I think we've been seriously underestimating this kid's abilities,” said General Makoto as he stared down at the three tenko groaning on the floor. Despite his light tone his eyes glinted with shades of scarlet.

 

“I'm sorry, sir,” said a young woman, her head bowed. “I left to get the restraints you requested and came back to find them like this.”

 

“Don't apologize,” he said his expression grim. “I shoulda done it myself.”

 

“So now what are we to do?” asked General Rei, exasperated. “Their target is heading straight for them.”

 

General Makoto turned away from the three on the ground. Two kitenko stepped forward as he walked away and began tending to them. “The only thing we can do. We send out men on horseback to run him down and catch him before he gets too far. Can't possibly have that much of lead, it hasn't been long since he left.”

 

His counterpart was shaking his head before he even finished. “Kanzaki Inuyasha happens to be one of my best scouts.”

 

“Your best scout?” General Makoto, having tasted Inuyasha's abilities, could hardly believe the boy was wasted on scouting.

 

“Yes, because of that crippled right hand, his sword skills are less than average,” explained General Rei as they walked. “And because his master died on the day his restraints were removed his fire magic is still barely that of a first year journeyman. He has a lot of power; he just doesn't have the knowledge and finesse to make it do what he wants, particularly in the chaos of battle. All he can do is control it but that's it. His hand-to-hand combat ability, though, is exceptional, if he stays focused.”

 

“Unable to do what he wants?” interrupted General Makoto, shooting him a look of disbelief. “Rei, what do you think he was doing earlier? That cyclone was absolutely beautiful. Tightly focused around him and no heat to it! Now that takes control. I would have been fried if he hadn't been able to keep the destructive power in check.”

 

“I said he can keep it under control,” said General Rei with a grimace. “I know he can keep his destructive power from hurting others. It's using the destructive power that he has a hard time with. It's all or nothing with him. That's why I couldn't put him in a formal unit and send him into battle with others. So I had him do work as a scout. Strangely enough, he excelled at it. He can gather a great amount of accurate information in a very short space of time. I'm not sure what it is he is actually doing, but if he doesn't want to be found he won't be. And, from what I can gather about his mission time, he can move at a great rate of speed when determined.” General Rei finished then noticed he was walking alone. Startled, he turned to look for his companion and saw him standing a short distance behind him.

 

General Makoto stared wide-eyed at the gold general, one tattered ear lying limp on his skull the other turned forward. “Couldn't you have mentioned this while I still had possession of the boy? I might not have made this mistake if I'd known in advance that he's an expert in disappearing and avoidance.”

 

“General Makoto, the Kanzaki Inuyasha I've known for the last several years has always been a remarkably even tempered and considerate man. He was always dependable and obedient. He was the one who cooled the tempers of the hotheads in the army and helped keep the infighting to a minimum. I honestly didn't think he would go this far,” said General Rei. “Warrior Arai on the other hand… She's the one I would have figured for this type of behavior. Half of the infighting he stopped was ones she started.”

 

General Makoto blinked then shook his head. “So Kanzaki, despite being a hitenko, was never the impulsive one. That actually frightens me more.” He started walking again. General Rei just stared at him, wondering what the silver general meant by that last statement.

 

General Makoto's mind was now racing. My brief encounter with him was all I needed to confirm he was the type to throw his life away for the sake of another. However, because he was disallowed from participating in battle that little characteristic never had a chance to display itself. Tsk! If he is talented in information gathering then I may have finally found the reason for the enemy's concern. If he is able to avoid their lookouts he must be able to breach their security. Feh! Gather information from messengers and report enemy movements? I bet his abilities would allow him to assassinate their leader, if anyone had taken the time to stop and think about it before now. No wonder the enemy wants him dead. They may've been trying to kill him for a while now but his abilities kept him out of danger. I wonder what other surprised he has in store for us in the future.

 

General Makoto scratched his head and muttered, “If he makes it back in one piece, I'll flog him for insubordination myself.”

 

To be continued…