InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Past, Hidden Self ❯ Teamwork ( Chapter 18 )

I do not own any of the InuYasha characters in this fanfic. But I do own the main character and her soon to be boyfriend; the other made up ones belong to my friends. Steph owns Mika, Nicky owns Michi and Ori, and Danielle owns Yuki (coming soon).

Last time on The Hanyou's Little Sister

He looked at her as she innocently chattered her teeth and shook to keep warm. He felt sorry for her, giving him that vulnerable appearance as she rubbed her arms. `Maybe if I do something nice, she'll forgive my perverseness.' He scooted over and put one arm around her shoulders. When Kane didn't reject it or shrug it off, he gently picked her up by the waist and set her on his lap as he sat Indian style. His strong arms wrapped around her in an attempt to keep her warm.

Being as cold as she was, Kane didn't try to squirm out of his grasp. Instead, she enjoyed this new comfort and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Setsuna." She slowly drifted off into a light sleep, knowing he's stay up to keep watch.

***

The scent of the air changed suddenly. Noticing it instantly, Kane's eyes shot open and she snapped her head up. After her eyes focused, she saw a demon sitting across from her on the other side of the fire.

"Kane-Sakura, you have indeed grown up quite nicely." His red eyes smile with his wicked smirk.

"Ren-Tao I presume? The demon that's out to kill me for destroying his army?" Kane tried to stand up, but to no avail. Setsuna's arms were wrapped too tightly for her to move out of them. `Why is his grip so tight on me? Can't he smell Ren-Tao sitting right in front of him?!' Kane struggled a little more, but his arms remained steadfast on her.

***

Ren-Tao recovered faster than the Neko had intended. As he ran, he was suddenly struck in the back by one of Ren-Tao's sword's beams. "AAHH!" He dropped Kane and rolled on the ground from the force of the assault. Kane landed right in front of him, and his face was planted near her chest.

Setsuna groaned as he rolled over onto his back. Wincing in pain, he stood, ready to battle. "Show yourself Ren-Tao, or I'll put you in the hottest situation you'll ever be in! I'm not afraid to light this forest on fire!"

Kane moaned as she started coming to. "S-Setsuna?" Her vision focused and she saw him and Ren-Tao both scathed from battle. She sat up, holding her abdomen and feeling it already starting to heal itself. `Can I fight? Will I be able to defeat Ren-Tao?' Kane asked herself.

***

He smiled in satisfaction, "Die." He mouthed with a smile on his face. Bringing his sword back, he prepared to spear her again. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain and darkness of death.

`This is it! My life ends now!'

***

Chapter 18: Teamwork

`This is it! My life ends now!' Kane thought as she dangled in the air by Ren-Tao's hold. But when a few seconds went by and she felt his grip loosen, she slowly opened her eyes again.

"What the hell is this?!" Ren-Tao growled. He dropped Kane as vines crawled up his body and arms. Kane coughed and backed away from the mad demon to avoid his hold should he try again. She looked on as he became too entangled in vines to move; then she looked at the ground. There were vines sprouting spontaneously from the ground and they were growing before her very eyes. Suddenly, as if he'd been dropped from the heavens, a tall man glided from the tree tops on some branches. His beautiful grey eyes were accented with intriguing eyebrows and long black hair with streaks of silver billowed around his face. One stripe of blue marked each of his cheeks, again complimenting his eyes. And his build was so muscular that you'd think there not to be any fat on him whatsoever.

He landed between Kane and Ren-Tao, facing the demon without fear. She slowly stood at the same time she heard Setsuna groan. Turning around and running to him, she asked, "Setsuna, are you all right?" She assisted him as he stood.

"I just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all." Then he saw the other demon. "Who's that?"

"I don't know; he showed up at about the same time Ren-Tao became tied up." They slowly approached the demon, not sure to suspect him as an enemy, or to welcome him as a comrade.

"I've got him bound and imprisoned. I leave it to you to finish the job." He turned his head, giving the two hanyous a side glance. "I trust you'll know what to do."

Kane remarked stupidly, "I thought you'd do all the hard work."

The demon had his vines carry him back into the trees. "He's your enemy; I only helped because I felt sorry for you."

Regaining her composure, Kane grabbed the hilt of Teretsu and pulled it out. "Ren-Tao, I'd like you to meet a very special friend of mine." The sword transformed again. The blade sparkled in the dim morning light; its diamonds making little rainbows on the trees. The other diamonds appeared on the golden hilt and the hanging ones on the tips of the curved part grew larger.

Setsuna looked on in amazement at her sword. "Kane, is this Teretsu's full potential?"

She nodded. "And it not only looks good, it cuts and dices pretty damn well too." She turned her head to the Neko. "Listen, I have an idea; but I need you to help me carry it out." Her eyes trained back onto the narrow-eyed demon. "If you use your fire power with my White Diamond Rainfall, we should create a force so powerful that it'll destroy Ren-Tao."

"Teamwork; got it." He closed his eyes, focusing on his most eloquent fire attack, the Fury of Hell. Kane in turn located the path Teretsu needed to cut in order to unlock White Diamond Rainfall and then she closed her eyes.

Their forces swirled and collided around them until all was silent. Nothing but the wind blew their hair in their faces, making the scene look peaceful yet tense at the same time. Sensing that the other was ready, they opened their eyes as one and prepared to do their ultimate attacks.

Her sword danced above her head as she recollected the fancy steps that accompanied her hands. She remembered all the times she had practiced finding the right footwork for her attack and how she had rejoiced when she found the flawless steps. Setsuna's eyes burned red with beautiful speckles of orange and gold, almost like a real fire, as a giant ball of flames gathered in his cupped hands. They felt the energy collide again and Kane gave her battle cry at the same time Setsuna did. Kane did her foot steps as she brought Teretsu down, cutting the path of White Diamond Rainfall in half. The sparkling stream was met by Setsuna's Fury of Hell's blazing inferno. They collided and swirled together to create a raging river of flames encircling diamonds.

"No!!" Ren-Tao struggled to move, but the vines held him in his place. "I will not let you forget this day, Kane-Sakura and Setsuna! You'll live to regret this!" He was struck, full force, by the assault and disappeared in the dust that had been moved from their powers.

"Get down Kane!" Setsuna pushed her down onto the ground and covered her head with his arm as he covered his own with his hand. A shock wave washed over them and if they had remained standing, they would've been propelled into the trees and badly injured. Instead, they rolled on the ground with the force until Setsuna was on top of Kane in a very intimate manner. When things had calmed down, she said, "Could you please get off of me?" She blushed a bright cherry. As she sat up, she saw that the forest had been cleared into a giant, sparkling, flaming meadow.

Remembering the man that had helped them out in the first place, she looked around to see if he had escaped. "I really hope that guy got away before we let loose our attack." Her hopes were fulfilled when she saw new plants growing in place of those that they had destroyed.

"KANE!! SETSUNA!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!" Mika bellowed from somewhere in the forest.

"Looks like they're trying to find us." Setsuna exasperated.

"So it seems." For some strange reason, she had the impulse to grab his hand. Kane looked down at it as it hung by his side; the claws now nestled back in their sockets. Without her consent, her left hand went out to touch his right. He took her hand in his and let his fingers interlock with hers. "Shall we go and confront them?" He asked.

"Let's; they'll find us eventually anyway." Kane reluctantly pulled her hand away and walked ahead of the Neko.

When the two hanyou's came over the hill, Mika was already piping mad. Hell, mad may not be enough to describe the way she looked. "Kane!! Where the hell have you been?!" Mika yelled as she approached them.

"Glad to see that you guys were worried about me." Kane said happily when Michi ran up to her with a troubled look in her eyes.

Mika shoved Michi out of the way, making Ori catch her before she fell onto the ground. "We weren't worried! For one thing, do you remember why cat-boy came to the future?!"

Kane stumbled back when Mika yelled. "Um, yeah, but..."

"But nothing! You were specifically told not to come back here and disobeyed!" Mika then lifted Kane off of the ground by her kimono's collar. "Do you realize that if we hadn't found you before InuYasha had found out that my neck would belong to him?!"

Sweat poured down her face. "Sorry Mika, I never thought..."

"No, you didn't think. Next time, use that brain of yours." She paused to put Kane down. "If you even know how to."

The demon from before suddenly appeared from the treetops, positioning himself between the hanyou and the wolf-demoness. He stared down Mika, and she gasped lightly at his appearance. "Na-Nakura?" Mika stuttered. She may have been fairly tall for a woman, in fact she towered over everybody in the group, but this man stood at least two or three inches taller than her, which obviously set her on edge. She looked up at him, not in fear, but with a deep, locked away desire.

"You two know each other?" Kane asked.

"You know him?" Mika inquired.

"He helped me defeat Ren-Tao."

"Why did he help you?"

"I recall him telling me it was because he felt sorry for me."

He smirked at Mika, who cringed at his expression. "There was another reason."

Kane and Mika stared at him. "And the other reason was?" Kane questioned.

"I could smell Mika on your clothing. It was apparent that you two knew each other, and I didn't want Mika to suffer the loss of a friend."

Mika crossed her arms. "Keh! Like I would've missed her."

"And who said I was going to lose!" Kane steamed.

"It was obvious since Ren-Tao was choking you and was about to make you a shish kabob."

"I didn't need your help! I had a secret plan that you ruined!" Kane lied.

"Whatever you say." He shrugged and approached Mika, who stepped back little by little. "Mika, don't you think it's time that you came with me? I'm tired of waiting for you." He took one more step and her back hit a tree.

She was cornered, stuck between a tree and a man that she desired more than she was willing to admit to not only the people around her, but also herself. She blushed, a sight no one had ever imagined on her face. "Nakura, I can't; my brother..."

"Your brother isn't here; only these people." He took her arm, feeling her pulse quicken at his touch. She tried pull away from his vice grip, but to no avail.

Setsuna wasn't about to let this happen. He stepped between them, removing Nakura's grip from Mika's arm. "I don't know who you are, but something about you seems all too familiar." He sniffed at the air. "And your scent smells an awful lot like Naraku's." He relaxed the muscles in his arm, letting his claws extend. His eyes changed to fire and he growled.

"Setsuna, no!" Mika unsheathed Zei, placing the tip of the blade of the blue dagger rest almost rest on his back. "If you harm him, I'll let my sword touch your skin." She threatened.

Setsuna knew not of Zei's special ability to freeze anybody on contact by simply touching the blade or the hilt. The only one who could control the blade was Mika, an ice apparition. He seemed unaffected by the threat. "He's got to be Naraku's incarnation. I won't..."

The blade scraped his shirt, turning it ice-cold. Setsuna shivered. "Step away fish-breath or this blade will freeze you into a block of ice."

"Kane, you'd better stop this before Mika holds to her word." Michi begged Kane.

She nodded and stepped forward. "Setsuna, back down. He means us no harm." She came to stand beside him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "And he did save me after all."

His eyes slowly turned emerald again as he settled down. Kane let out a breath she had been holding and sighed in relief that he had settled down. She nodded towards Mika, giving her the signal that everything was okay.

Mika sheathed Zei, and then approached Nakura. "I'm sorry, but I've got more important matters to attend to, so I can't come with you now." She paused, considering her words carefully. "And if you're up to it, you can join us."

He looked away. "Mika, know that I'll always be near you, watching you and protecting you. When you see a tree or a flower, even a blade of grass, I'll see you."

"Why can't you come with us?" Kane asked in Mika's place.

"Your brothers wouldn't permit one of Naraku's incarnations tagging along. Until they can see me as no threat towards all of you, I'll remain hidden." He began to walk away. "By the way, Setsuna," He paused as the cat-demon looked over at him. "I wouldn't hang around either. InuYasha's coming this way; I believe he'd told you to keep Kane elsewhere until he'd found Ren-Tao." He looked away again. "And he's not happy."

Setsuna gulped. "Um, I'll see ya later Kane." He leapt away into the forested area to hide, though InuYasha's nose would pick up his scent easily.

"Great; leave me to take the wrath of my brother." Kane gulped as her brother's figure, outlined by the rising sun, came stomping forward.

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The whip lashing wasn't nearly as bad as Kane had thought it would be. Yeah, she'd gotten yelled at, been told to `stay' about twenty times, and was threatened by her brother to have Teretsu permanently taken away from her (but when that happened, she told him to sit, and then pounded his head). But it was the fact that she'd gone off with Setsuna that had angered him the most considering he didn't agree with `that cat' on any terms.

One week later: It was a fairly peaceful day for the group of girls and Ori. Kane was attempting to do some of her homework, but science wasn't her forte. "Damn it! I hate Biology!" Kane slammed her book closed and started tapping her pencil in beat with the song that was stuck in her head from choir.

Mika suddenly appeared from the tree Kane was lounging under, poking her head out of the low branches and into her face. "What'cha doin'?"

"Ack!" Kane jumped back in surprise. "Mika, don't do that!"

She dropped from the tree. "Are you doing science?"

"Yes I am." Kane settled back down and reopened her book. "I hate this stupid subject!"

"Why? I think Biology is fun!"

"It's easy for you! I don't understand squat!" Kane sighed heavily. "If only I could just have an extra math class instead."

"Bleck! Math?! You like that stuff?!" Mika huffed. "I get so confused in Geometry that I get swirly eyed sometimes!"

"Oh please! That stuff is so easy, I could do it in my sleep!" Then an idea clicked in her head. "Hey Mika, how about a switch?"

"A switch?"

"Yeah; you do my Biology homework, I'll do your Geometry homework." Kane stood next to Mika after she closed her book again. "What do you say?"

"I don't know..."

"Come on, it'll be fun! I love solving equations, and you love working with nature."

"AAAHHH!!!!!" Michi screamed from across the field. Kane and Mika blinked in question as she came running across the meadow, a towel wrapped loosely around her naked, wet body. "Get away from me, you pervert!" She yelled as she ran.

"Michi, something the matter?" Kane stifled a giggle.

"Is something the matter?!" She repeated the question. "Hell yeah, something's the matter!"

"What is it? Is Ori peeking again?" Mika teased.

"I...hey, at least my guy doesn't have eyes in all the plants around me like yours does!"

"What did you say?!" Mika asked angrily, blushing a furious red. She started chasing the poor girl, calling out long strings of curses along the way.

`I'm not gonna get involved.' Kane thought as Mika called out "BEG!!" To subdue the naked girl. Then Kane remembered how the whole situation began. "Hey, Michi, was somebody really peeking on you as you bathed?"

"I don't know." She popped her head off of the ground. "I heard this weird noise from behind me while I was rinsing out my hair."

"You were taking a bath again?!" Mika sat on the ground, scratching behind her ear with her left foot. "Jeez, you must get dirty twice a day!"

"For your information, smelly wolf, I bathe more often now because Ori thinks I smell nice. Maybe if you bathed more often, Nakura wouldn't want to keep his distance!" She made a face at Mika.

"Why you little...!" Mika began chasing the monk again, until Michi used her firepower to set her hair ablaze. Mika yelled out in distress and began rolling on the ground to put out the fire. "HOT!!"

Kane laughed at their display, thinking, `At least it's not me anymore.' Then the wind picked up from the north, the direction Michi had come from. A familiar, but altered, scent filled Kane's nostrils and she stopped laughing. "I know that scent, but then again, I don't." Kane said out loud.

Mika looked up at Kane when she said that. Standing, she asked, "Something wrong Kane?"

Now Kane stood. "I-I don't know. There's an odor I recognize, but it's almost like it's been altered."

"Whose smell is it that you recall?" Michi wrapped the towel around her tighter, grabbing her staff.

"It's Trowa's; but it's so distorted that it's hard to tell if it's him or somebody with his scent." Kane gulped, praying that the sinking feeling in her gut wasn't true. She put Teretsu on her hip and began to run towards the smell. `Trowa, is there something you never told me?'

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I would like to thank my school for being so nice in letting me take my disk into school and allowing me to type on the computers. Thanks to them, I was able to finally get this latest chapter up. The movie is coming soon. I'm on the fifth chapter and on page 42. Hopefully I'll get it finished in time for it to start going up after chapter 20.

Thank you to Queen of Cuteys for the review. I would like some more reviews to see if this movie I'm writing will be a hit or not. Give me your input on it and tell me whether you would like to see a `movie' of this fanfic or not.