InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Here at the End of All Things ❯ Part Four: Kin no Hitomi ( Chapter 4 )

Author's Note: First of all, I lied. Not intentionally, but this chapter is not pure unadulterated fluff. It has a plot after all. Not much of one, but it has a plot. Go fig. Secondly, It always bothered me that most post-Naraku stories say that Miroku's kazaana or Wind Tunnel disappears without leaving a single scar. It seems to me that since he was born with it, having it taken away would still leave some kind of mark on him, and it seems like it ought to be painful at least in the beginning. Thus, I have done that.

Announcement: I'm not sure why this story is taking me so long to write. Considering how popular it is (despite the lack of reviews) I'm surprised I can't seem to turn out much for it. I get emails weekly begging me to continue the story. To which I am hereby proclaiming: I WILL! Just give me time! This story was never meant to be a serious one, like "Fireside Chats" was. It was mostly just a fluffy idea that kinda got away from me.

  Here at the End of All Things:
Part Four: Kin no Hitomi

Kagome didn't leave Inuyasha's side for the rest of the afternoon. His exhaustion was so intense that he slept soundly for close to three hours. Miroku and Sango had been through hell and back as well, and they too dozed, each of them propped up against Goshinboku. The fox kit that Shippo had become napped occasionally in someone's lap, but most of the time he spent exploring the grounds.

Kagome nodded off a couple of times herself, but only for a few minutes. She was still quite worried about Inuyasha. He had never been this exhausted before.

Sango was the first of them to come to herself again. She began helping Mama and Gramps with chores around the house, while Miroku rested underneath the tree, cradling his right hand against his chest.

"Miroku," Kagome said softly. "Can I see your hand? I'd like to see for certain that your Wind Tunnel is gone."

"I don't think you want to see it," the monk said softly. "It's gruesome."

"Gruesome?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"There's still a hole there. It's just not sucking anything into it anymore."

"Can I see it? It looks like it's hurting you."

"It is hurting me." He sighed and drew back the glove flap that had covered the hole on his hand. Then he held his hand out for Kagome to see. Kagome squelched a gasp at the sight.

There was literally a gaping hole in the middle of his hand. It wasn't huge, but it was big enough to make her stare in morbid fascination. It was a complete hole, too. You could see all the way through. With his hand held the way it was, she could see the ground beneath them through the hole. The skin was straining to regrow over the hole, to knit itself together. Bones and muscle sinews peeped out around the edges of the hole, as parts of his hand tried to regain themselves.

Sango gasped as well, having approached carrying a tray full of tea and snacks for them to munch on.

Kagome reached out tentatively to touch the afflicted hand, but Miroku jerked it away in a knee-jerk reaction.

"Sorry," Kagome apologized quickly. Miroku just grunted in response. It was clearly extremely painful - more painful than he was willing to admit.

"Let it never be said that you are a weakling, Miroku," Inuyasha murmured, startling Kagome. She hadn't realized he was awake. "That makes me ache in sympathy, just looking at it."

"We can't take you to a doctor, Miroku," Kagome said regretfully. "We'd  have to explain to the doctor how you got that hole in the first place, and they'd never believe the truth."

"I'll be fine," Miroku said irritably. "It just hurts right now 'cuz it's fresh."

Sota came bounding out of the house. As an animal lover, he was instantly attracted to the fox kit and had been playing with him off and on throughout the afternoon, and now he came out of the house carrying some sliced meat to feed to Shippo.

"Are you all staying with us forever and ever?" he asked excitedly as Shippo began to nibble on the meat, his little tail twitching in curiosity.

"Probably," Inuyasha said lazily, shifting position. "Argh. I'm stiff."

Sota leaned over. "Oh wow! You have still have gold eyes! Even with black hair! Now you really look like Kin no Hitomi!"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow; "Like who?"

"He's some guy that's around the city," Sota said.

"He works with the police force," said Mrs Higurashi. "He's like a detective, but he's not employed by the police. He just helps them find dangerous criminals. No one knows how he does it, but he's like a bloodhound. Once he's on a trail, he always finds the perpetrator. No one even knows his real name; they just call him Kin no Hitomi."

"Have you met him?" Miroku asked.

"I have."

"What does he look like?"

"Well, he's very tall and slim. He has extremely long black hair, and he usually wears it tied up in a high pony-tail. His eyes are a very striking gold, like a pair of amber beads. He has a deep, resounding voice but he usually speaks very softly. And he also speaks rarely, and to the point when he does. They say he came from Hokkaido; that he worked on the horse farms over there."

It can't be.... Kagome thought to herself. "Mom, this... this Kin no Hitomi... is he missing an arm?"

"No, why do you ask?"

So it's not Sesshomaru... but maybe it's a son of Sesshomaru?

"Just curious."

So they've come. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the scent of the wind to course over his tongue. All of them have arrived, and right on time.

Kin no Hitomi flexed his prosthetic left arm carefully, maneuvering the fingers to ensure that they wouldn't get stuck in a weird position. He was glad to finally have a new, and improved, prosthetic arm. He'd needed a new one ever since that damned horse Sunday Silence had bit him years ago, shortly before the dumb beast had come down with a fatal case of hoof-rot. While he hadn't been pinned with the blame for the stallion's death, his welcome at Shadai had ceased after the animal croaked, and he'd moved on. Moved back to Tokyo, after a long, long absence.

Modern science had worked wonders - this arm obeyed his slightest commands. It was far better than ripping an arm off a corpse and using it until it rotted.

He opened his eyes and glanced sideways at his reflection in the long glass window nearby. The arm seemed quite natural. He preferred to not be stared at for a missing limb, and in this day and age, long diaphonous sleeves were not for men. Thus the prosthetic arm.

Well, Inuyasha, we shall meet very soon. I will then be able to determine whether you are a threat to my dominion... and if you are, I will kill you, as I always said I would.

hehehe, cliffhanger!!! XD  Sorry, guys, but don't expect another update until late July. This story takes forever for me to get pieces of it done. I'm still focused mostly on "Fireside Chats" and the "Fangs of Steel" sequence.