InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ InuYasha: Into the Shadows ❯ Part 2 - Naraku ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

She sat atop the dilapidated apartment building that InuYasha called home, staring blankly at the street below. After her confrontation with Onigumo, she recognized the need to discuss her feelings with the elf. He sat a few feet away in an uncomfortable silence. In the street below, two obviously intoxicated men passed the time shouting random obscenities at anyone who passed by.

“Hey assholes!” InuYasha shouted. “Why don’t you shut up down there!”

“Fuck off!” one of the pair shouted back.

“You pointy eared bitch!” the second one added.

“Yeah!” The first chimed back in, thrusting a fist in the air above him as if victorious.

“Why I oughta …” InuYasha growled as he leapt to his feet.

“InuYasha, please.” Kikyou said softly. “We need to talk.”

He stared hard at the drunkards below before retaking his seat.

“Fine,” he muttered under his breath. “Goddamn assholes.”

She allowed a few moments to pass before beginning, “I think it is time we discuss our feelings.”

He squirmed next to her.

“Uh….feelings?” He said, uncharacteristically meek.

“Yes,” she continued. “It’s just that I have certain obligations as a shrine maiden and guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Because of those obligations, sometimes I’m afraid I may end up hurting you.“

She could sense him grow tense.

“Hurt me?” He stood, obviously agitated. “You think you could hurt me?”

“InuYasha, hear me out.”

“No, Kikyou. You hear me out. I can’t believe you think me such a weakling that you could hurt me.” He began to pace. “I don’t even like you,” he added.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do mean that.” He glared at her. “You’re the one who’s been chasing after me. I’ve just been trying to be nice to you is all! What have you been doing all this time Kikyou? Just playing nice to the poor elf kid? Well I don’t need that shit!”

Snarling he grabbed the ladder to the fire escape and started down. She quickly moved to the edge and stared down at him.

“InuYasha, please don’t do this.”

“You’d stay away from me, Kikyou if you knew what was good for you!”


The being once known as Onigumo watched her from the shadows as she walked down the darkened street. Onigumo was no more, though his body had merged with the malevolent forces from beyond the material plane, his soul was now suppressed. Only the entity known as Naraku remained.

He grinned evilly at Kikyou’s defeated posture as she made her way back to the shrine. She was returning from a talk with that wretched elf InuYasha and judging by the scent of despair clinging to her, it had not went well.

“This is too easy,” he whispered to himself.

The air shimmered around him as he took the appearance of InuYasha. Stepping out of the darkness and into the street he called out to her.

“Kikyou!”

She turned, fixing him with a stern glare.

“What is it?” She asked, obviously irritated.

He moved swiftly, closing the distance between them. Her eyes grew wide in surprise as he raised a hand, fingers extending into vicious claws. With inhuman strength he brought them down, biting deep into her chest. He continued to follow through with the attack rending her flesh all the way down to her stomach. Landing hard on the asphalt she could feel the warmth of her blood pooling beneath her.

He crouched next to her, an intense hatred burned in his eyes.

“InuYasha. Why?” She gasped through blood-flecked lips.

“Just how stupid are you, bitch?” He sneered. “Did you really think it was you that I desired? All I ever wanted was the Shikon no Tama. It seems my little charade is no longer important though, the jewel will be mine.”

With that he stood and swiftly ran down the trash filled street. When she was no longer in sight, he let himself smile in satisfaction. One down. The air shimmered around him, now he appeared as Kikyou. One to go.


“Pointy eared bitch, huh?” He snarled as he drove his knee into the drunk’s stomach.

The man dropped to the ground, hands clenching his stomach as he gasped for air.

“Not so tough when I’m right here with ya, huh?”

Kicking his leg out, he caught the man between the eyes, sending him backwards and on top of his unconscious friend.

“Who’s the bitch now?” He asked smugly.

With a satisfied grin he clapped his hands together, dusting them off.

“InuYasha!”

He winced at the sound of Kikyou’s voice. Giving the two unconscious men a guilty glance he cursed under his breath before turning to face her.

“Kikyou look, I…”

Before he could say another word she produced a sub-machine gun from the folds of her robes and leveled it at him.

“What the…”

“Die, InuYasha!” She screamed.

He was almost too stunned to react in time. With a rolling dive he leapt for cover into an alley. A hail of bullets saturating the area where he had just stood. Bewildered, he flattened himself against the alley wall, chips of concrete flying through the air as the gunfire continued.

“She’s fucking lost it!” he exclaimed to himself.

When the gunfire quit he shouted out to her, “Kikyou! What in the hell are you doing you crazy bitch!”

When she did not reply he readied himself.

“Alright! If this is how it is going to be…” Springing from the alley out into the street he landed in a ready crouch. Scanning the area he couldn’t see her.

Expecting a trap he waited several moments, still nothing. The blare of police sirens could be heard in the distance.

“Shit,” he exclaimed.

Exploding into motion he ran swiftly down the street, moving from shadow to shadow. A scowl took over his features as his heart hardened. All his life he faced revulsion from the humans around him. Why did he expect this to end any differently? The only thing anyone ever respected was power. He would show them what power was.

He set a course towards the Sunset Shrine.


“Kaede!”

The shout roused her from her sleep with a start. She looked around the room, trying to clear her mind. Natsuo, a man whose family lived near the shrine, was standing at the door to her bedroom. He seemed panicked.

“What…what’s wrong?” she asked as she stood hastily.

“Fire!”
“A fire? Where?” She asked as she made her way to him.

“The building across the street, where the injured man is staying! Where’s Kikyou?”

“I don’t know. She…she went out.” Hastily she made her way to the front door so that she could see.

As she and Natsuo reached the entrance to the shrine, the door exploded inwards. Kaede screamed in pain as a wooden shard lodged in her left eye. As she fell to the ground, an elf landed and crouched at her feet. His dark hair fell wildly around his face, his brown eyes filled with anger.

“You sunnova…” Natsuo drew a heavy pistol from his belt, bringing it to bear against the intruder.

With blinding speed the elf leapt at him, spinning his hip around and extending his leg in a kick he knocked the weapon to the side. With a deafening roar it fired harmlessly into the wall. Kaede screamed again as the elf continued his turn, bringing his elbow into Natsuo’s face with sickening force.

The man grunted in pain as he came crashing down, his attacker on top of him. InuYasha raised his arm and brought his fist down into Natsuo’s face several times before the man slipped away into unconsciousness.

Looking ahead, he saw an ornate set of double doors.

“The jewel,” he whispered.

Running forward, he extended his arms, knocking the doors open as he reached them. Once inside, he saw his goal. Atop a simple altar a decorative tripod held a small orb, glowing with an internal light.

“The Shikon no Tama.“ InuYasha grinned in triumph.


Kikyou faltered, dropping to one knee as she drew near the shrine. A crowd had gathered outside in the street, watching with horror as the building which housed Onigumo was consumed by flames.

There was no time to consider what was happening, she had to stop InuYasha. One of the neighborhood women caught sight of her, hurrying to her side..

“Miko!” she gasped. “You are injured!”

Kikyou used the woman to regain her feet.

“Kaede….the Shikon no Tama…” she spoke weakly.

Fear spread across the woman’s face as she pointed to the shrine.

“She’s inside. Natsuo went to fetch her.”

Kikyou nodded and set her face in grim determination. Her healing magic had allowed her to come this far, strength of will would have to carry her the rest of the way.

She saw the shattered door as she reached the stairs to the shrine. Upon entering, she saw her sister sobbing on the ground, clutching her bloodied face.

“Kaede!” she called, falling to the floor next to her.

“Kikyou,” she replied weakly. “The Shikon no Tama.” Extending her arm she pointed at the altar.

“Damn you, InuYasha,” she growled as she forced herself to her feet once again.

She staggered through the double doors and up to the altar. The jewel was gone, all that was left was her bow and quiver of arrows.

Taking her bow in hand, she felt its power surge through her. The weapon allowed her to focus her spiritual energy into offensive forms.

She nocked an arrow as she made her way through the back entrance and onto the patio. Scanning the field behind the shrine, she caught sight of InuYasha running towards the outer trees of the Green.

Marshalling her strength, she drew back on the string, the head of the arrow erupting in a fiery glow. Taking aim, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Despite what he had done, she did not know if she could strike down the man she might love.

“InuYasha!” Her voice was an anguished cry.

As she released the arrow, she changed the Ki with which she empowered it. As it streaked towards its target, the fiery glow dulled and was replaced by a bright, blue light.

With a sob she fell to her knees.


As he sprinted towards the tree line he heard Kikyou call his name. Something in the tone of it penetrated his feelings of betrayal. When she called out to him, her voice seemed filled with such a deep sorrow.

Despite himself, he turned to face her. One final look before he left her forever. As he spun around, he was knocked from his feet as her arrow struck his chest. The force of it carried him backwards, it’s blue glow growing to envelop his body. The Shikon no Tama flew from his hand, landing on the grass below as the attack carried him into a tree. He could feel his limbs stiffening, leaving him immobilized. He stared numbly at the jewel as is rolled in the grass while the darkness overtook him. He hung motionless, pinned to the tree.

“Kikyou!” Kaede screamed in horror as she crawled out onto the patio, a hand still covering her ruined eye.

She frantically made her way to her sister’s side. Kikyou lay limp in an ever-growing pool of blood.

“Somebody help us!” the girl screamed.

Several of the people in the neighborhood charged onto the patio, gasping at the scene.

“The Shikon no Tama,” Kikyou spoke weakly as she pointed out to where the jewel lay.

One of the women retrieved it and placed it gently in the dying priestess’ hand. Kikyou, in turn, placed it in the hand of her sister.

“Listen to me, Kaede. You must burn this with me on the pyre.” She gasped in pain as the numbness of death began to overtake her. “I will take it with me into the world beyond, so that it may never fall into the wrong hands again.”

“Yes, miko,” she whispered gently, suppressing a sob.

She held her sister close as she drew her final breath.