InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Future Past ❯ Ch 5: Stranger than Fiction ( Chapter 5 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 5: Stranger than Fiction

 

 

Inuyasha kept his grip on Kohaku's collar and hauled him bodily out of Kaede's house. “We'll be back,” he called to Sesshomaru as he sprang lightly into the trees. Sesshomaru's gaze flicked to the two momentarily, then focused back on the little girl at his feet. It was tacit permission, and that was good enough for Inuyasha.

 

As soon as they were out of sight of the village, Inuyasha set Kohaku down on a sturdy branch about twelve feet above the forest floor. “Think you can follow?” he asked, indicating the overhead route he intended to take with a quick shift of his eyes. Kohaku, remarkably calm despite being unceremoniously dragged into the woods, followed Inuyasha's gaze upward, then nodded sharply.

 

“Let's go.” Inuyasha didn't bother to check if Kohaku was following. He took off on a northerly course, putting some distance between the two of them and the village. He wouldn't travel too far; he didn't feel comfortable leaving Kagome alone for so long. But he didn't want anyone else to hear what he had to say to Kohaku, especially not his brother. It never occurred to Inuyasha that Sesshomaru might be a threat to Kagome and the others in his absence. In fact, quite the opposite. He felt more secure knowing Sesshomaru had remained at the village. Even before he had met Sesshomaru again in the future, the two of them had held an uneasy alliance at times, to their mutual benefit. He wondered if he did remain in this time if eventually they would even grow to like each other. He shook his head. Nah.

 

He called a halt when he found a likely spot and wasn't surprised to see Kohaku drop down behind him a few seconds later. The kid wasn't bad.

 

“All right, I want you to tell me exactly what you do for my brother. And don't tell me you just protect Rin.” Inuyasha folded his arms and sat down with his back against a tree trunk, Tetsusaiga held loosely in his lap. Kohaku sat, too. He didn't look worried or scared or even angry, and Inuyasha couldn't tell his state of mind from his scent, either. It was as if the boy had no emotion. Ever since he came back from the brink of death, he avoided contact with people, even his own sister. The only one to get any reaction out of him was the little human girl, Rin.

 

Kohaku glanced up sharply when Inuyasha uttered Rin's name. “I do protect her,” he said. “I will protect her as long as I live. She is important.”

 

Inuyasha's ears pricked up. This was something more than just puppy love, he thought. “Why is she so important?”

 

“Because she loves Lord Sesshomaru. Because she's human and she'd rather be with youkai. Because she has a big heart.”

 

“And because she's a miko?” asked Inuyasha. It was beginning to make sense.

 

Kohaku ducked his head, looking for a moment like the young boy he might have been had circumstances been different. `I guess so,” he whispered. “Someday she'll have great power. Lord Sesshomaru says then she will be able to help youkai.”

 

“I don't get it.” Inuyasha was blunt. “You're a youkai slayer. Why would you want to protect this one little miko who is going to help youkai?” He saw Kohaku's frown. “I know, I know, she's just an innocent little kid, but it ain't as if that stopped you before.”

 

Kohaku froze, stricken. If Inuyasha could have called back the words before they popped out of his mouth, he would have. But it was as if his mouth had a mind of its own. And maybe it was a good thing after all. Finally the kid was showing some emotion. “Sorry, kid. I know you were being controlled by Naraku when you did those things.”

 

Inuyasha stopped short of following up with the `It wasn't your fault' sentiment that the others kept pushing on the kid. He knew how it really was. They'd told him it wasn't his fault when he lost himself to his youkai, too. But he knew damn well it was his fault, just as Kohaku knew those atrocities he had committed in the past while under Naraku's influence were his fault too. Just because you didn't mean to do it couldn't change the fact that you did do it. No, Inuyasha knew exactly what Kohaku was feeling. And he wouldn't let him off the hook so easily. “Now answer the question. What else do you do for Sesshomaru?”

 

Kohaku glanced at him with angry eyes. “Maybe I don't belong among humans,” he said dully, lowering his gaze. “Maybe I belong with youkai.”

 

“Why? Because you killed a few humans? Keh,” Inuyasha retorted. “That's not it. Keep talking.”

 

Kohaku clenched his fists. Good. He was getting mad. Hopefully he'd get mad enough to forget about being careful and would tell Inuyasha what he wanted to know.

 

Finally Kohaku sighed. “Lord Sesshomaru can't move around as freely as I can,” he said. “People aren't nearly as suspicious of a young boy wandering into a village, especially these days. They feel sorry for me. They give me things.” He looked up. “Mostly I gather information.”

 

“What kind of information? Since when does my brother care what goes on in human villages?” Inuyasha wanted to know.

 

“Small things. How many men are in the village. Who is the leader. Have they had any run-ins with youkai. Are they hostile towards strangers. You'd be surprised at the number of villages that have chased me away just because I was a stranger.”

 

“No, I wouldn't,” muttered Inuyasha. “Go on.” He motioned for Kohaku to continue.

 

“I don't know exactly why Lord Sesshomaru asked me to gather this information. I thought he was seeking a safe place for Rin, but now I'm not so sure.”

 

Inuyasha leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees. Now they were getting somewhere. “Why?” he asked. “Why aren't you sure?”

 

“Because he's been doing the same thing among youkai settlements.”

 

That surprised Inuyasha. Sesshomaru was compiling information on known youkai settlements? “And what did he find out?”

 

“That they're becoming more and more difficult to locate.”

 

“Disappearing?” asked Inuyasha. Is it starting already? Kohaku's next words jolted him back to the conversation at hand.

 

“No,” replied Kohaku. “Just hidden. It's like they don't want to be found.”

 

It is starting, thought Inuyasha. And his brother somehow already knew about it. In a way, Inuyasha was relieved. Now it wasn't up to him to tell this time's Sesshomaru to be on his guard for youkai disappearances in the future. He already was. “So what is he doing about it?”

 

Kohaku shrugged. “Nothing. Watching. He looks out for Rin. That's why he had Lady Kaede test her. Rin will become a miko for youkai.”

 

A miko for youkai? Was that possible? He guessed it was. If he was truly youkai now, as his development in the future hinted, and not merely some hybrid hanyou, then he supposed Kagome could be called a miko for youkai too.

 

Inuyasha figured he'd asked enough questions for one day. He was getting a headache from Kohaku's answers. Now it was time to make a few things clear to Kohaku. He flowed to his feet, repositioning Tetsusaiga at his side. When Kohaku started to get up, too, Inuyasha pushed him back, gently. “Sit down, kid. We're not finished yet.”

 

It helped Inuyasha to think when he paced. Kohaku's eyes tracked him as he strode round and round their little forest glade. He deliberately flexed his claws and cracked his knuckles every time he passed behind the boy. He didn't want the kid thinking he was completely tame, now, did he? On his third or fourth pass, he suddenly crouched down in front of Kohaku and grasped the boy by the front of his slayer outfit. “Listen, kid. I might not be around too much longer.” Kohaku's eyes widened, and Inuyasha quickly explained, “No, it's not what you think. At least I hope it's not what you think! I might have to go away for a while. This is between us. It's no business of Sesshomaru's or anybody else. Got it?” Kohaku nodded.

 

Inuyasha resumed his pacing. He wanted to word it right so the kid would know what to look for in the coming years, in case he and Kagome really never made it back here, but he didn't want to reveal too much either. “It's a good thing,” he continued. “about Rin becoming a miko for youkai, I mean. I like that idea. But--” Inuyasha frowned at Kohaku on one of his passes. “You gotta remind her she's human too. She's only going to be effective as a miko if she remembers she's human. Try to get my idiot brother to see that, if you can.

 

“That means keeping in contact with Sango and Miroku and their kids. For all that Sango is still a youkai slayer, and a damn good one, I trust her judgement. She doesn't kill youkai indiscriminately. You can learn a lot from her. Besides,” he cuffed Kohaku lightly on the side of his head, “she's your family. Someday if you and Rin ever have kids, you'll . . .” Inuyasha stared in amazement as Kohaku's face turned a deep shade of purple. “Never mind that last part,” he said then. “You're too young to be thinking about that stuff.”

 

Kohaku nodded, relief evident on his face as the violent color slowly leeched out. “Lord Inuyasha?” he asked tentatively. “Where are you going?”

 

“Never mind that. I'm counting on you to keep that brother of mine on the right track. He thinks it's enough that you are his go-between with the humans. It isn't. See if you can get him to loosen up a little and go with you to some of the more tolerant villages. I know of some around here who actually took in some hanyou kids, not that that will mean much to Sesshomaru --yet.” Inuyasha realized he might be saying too much when he saw the questions in Kohaku's eyes. “He should start to trust some humans, like Sango and Miroku, and Kaede back at the village, and maybe some others. You never know when they might come in handy.” Now Kohaku's eyes were definitely doubtful. Sesshomaru, needing humans?

 

Inuyasha picked up a small boulder and tossed it as far as he could. A few seconds later they both heard the faint crash as it touched down. He eyed Kohaku, willing him to see the differences between them. He wanted to make Kohaku scared of him. Kohaku stared steadily back. He should have known. The kid traveled with Sesshomaru, after all. “You'll do,” he told the boy. “Let's go back.”

 

Kohaku followed him as he wove a path through the underbrush this time. The boy might not be able to track with his nose, but he was pretty damn good. Inuyasha was hungry. He wondered if there were any ramen packets left, and if there were, would he be obligated to offer some to Sesshomaru.

 

Inuyasha couldn't smell Kagome as they got closer to the village. He knew where everyone else was by their scent. Kaede was inside mashing some foul-smelling herbs and Rin was with her. Sango and Miroku were both in their own house. Sesshomaru was just beyond the village, present but out of sight. He probably couldn't stand the smell of Kaede's herbs.

 

Shippo was gone too. So was Kirara. Where were they? Inuyasha began to get a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. He skidded into the village and tore the mat hanging on Kaede's doorway in his haste to enter. “Where is she?” he demanded.

 

Kaede and Rin looked up. “Inuyasha?”

 

“Where's Kagome?”

 

They both looked puzzled. “Isn't she with Sango?” asked Kaede.

 

“No, she's not,” answered Inuyasha through grinding teeth. He spun on his heel and left, knocking the mat completely off the doorway. He sped over to Sango's house, although he already knew she wasn't there. “Where is she?” he asked again.

 

Miroku and Sango stared at him sleepily. “Kagome? We left her at Kaede's a while ago so Sango could take a nap,” said Miroku, yawning. “Why? Is there a problem?”

 

“Yeah, there's a problem!” Inuyasha all but shouted. “Kagome's missing!” He cursed under his breath and went to confront Sesshomaru where he lurked in the shadows.

 

“Hey,” he greeted his older brother. “You seen Kagome?”

 

Sesshomaru regarded him coolly. “No.”

 

“What good are you?” Inuyasha yelled. “I thought you were guarding the village!”

 

“You thought wrong. I don't know where your human went. You should keep better track of her.”

 

Inuyasha snarled and leapt past his brother. It wasn't worth fighting about this time. He had to find Kagome. He'd worry about payback later. He cast his head about, trying to get a scent to follow. There. He picked up a faint scent and followed it past the village toward the open road. Kagome had better be all right, or he was going to kill her!