InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kazuki's Great Adventure ❯ Kazuki's Great Adventure ( Chapter 1 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Kazuki's Great Adventure

 

 

His eyes darted furtively around the clearing. It was not quite dawn and no one else was awake yet. He took a deep breath, mouth slightly open so he could process the scents. Nothing out of the ordinary. Now for the hard part.

 

Steeling himself not to make a sound, he put both hands flat on the ground to give himself more leverage, then he sprang over the stockade wall, ignoring the shower of sparks and a sharp bite of pain as his body broke through the holy barrier. He landed on the other side, grunting with satisfaction. With a last quick glance around, Kazuki trotted off into the forest.

 

High above, glowing eyes regarded him intently.

 

There were youkai in these woods. Kazuki could sense them. Maybe they would play with him. He bounded off, half-running, half-jumping, balancing on hands and feet whenever he landed. Every leap took him further and further from the village. The silent watcher in the trees above kept pace, hanging slightly back so that his scent would not be obvious to the boy.

 

Kazuki tripped, and fell into the brook he was trying to leap over. He emerged soaking wet but undeterred. He shook himself vigorously and sneezed once, before scrabbling over some rocks and onward, deeper into the forest. Above, the watcher shook his head. Clumsy. And noisy. An easy target.

 

Everything smelled so sharp to Kazuki, even the familiar things. The unfamiliar ones drew him. He rustled through some bushes after an elusive odor, searching for its source. He could tell it was youkai by the aura it gave off. With a yell and a grin, he dove after it and was shocked when the thing turned and bit him. He yelled a word his father would have recognized and dropped the thing, which withdrew into the bushes, staring out at him with baleful eyes.

 

“Ow!” said Kazuki. “That hurt!” He shook out his hand, which had already stopped bleeding. This youkai apparently didn't want to play. Fine, he would find another one, then. Kazuki turned to leave and the little youkai attacked.

 

In the tree, a lone figure tensed, digging claws into the bark of the branch he occupied. The boy seemed to sense something, though, for he whirled around at the last possible moment, hands extended, fingers curled. As the youkai leaped for the boy's throat, he swiped his claws across its back in an electric arc of gold. The youkai, finding itself wounded, bolted past the boy and was quickly lost to sight. The figure in the tree relaxed slightly.

 

Kazuki raced down the same path the youkai had fled, following it by scent. He didn't notice the sky above, which should have been getting lighter with the coming dawn, had suddenly darkened again. The path ended abruptly in a cliff. Kazuki attempted to back-pedal to slow his momentum, but it was too late. With a muffled yell, he fell off the edge of the cliff.

 

Immediately the watcher in the trees threw himself over the edge after the boy, moving with considerably more grace as he lightly touched down only to spring up and out again. He stilled when he saw the boy, about half-way down, clinging to a jutting rock with one arm and balancing on one leg as he launched himself downward in a controlled fall, slowing his momentum by pushing off various rocks on the way down. The boy was resilient, at least.

 

At the bottom of the cliff, Kazuki paused and looked back up. He'd thought he had seen a flash of light, but when he looked, nothing was there. In fact, he could hardly see the top of the cliff at all anymore. He sniffed, and followed his nose away from the cliff and the figure who clung there, unmoving, a shadow among shadows.

 

He lost the scent of the mean little youkai who bit him, but it didn't matter because he had picked up another scent. He followed it to a small cave in the rocks. He had learned caution with the first youkai so he approached this one with more stealth, or so he thought. Just as he got to the cave entrance, which was just a crack in the stone, a swarm of flying youkai knocked him over. One actually scratched his cheek as it flew out. “Hey!” shouted Kazuki. The swarm turned back, hovering momentarily before forming to swoop over the little boy. “Ow, hey, stop it!” Kazuki yelled, as he waved his arms above his head to protect himself from the flying youkai. They were all teeth and claws, not friendly at all. Instinctively, Kazuki curled his fingers and struck out with his own claws. Youkai fell when he clawed them, and exploded in a cloud of dust. After a minute or so, the remaining swarm coalesced above Kazuki's head and veered off to where the boy couldn't reach them. Kazuki sank down and put his hands over his head. That was a little scary.

 

In the distance, a flash of light annihilated the rest of the youkai swarm. They would not be back to harm the boy. The sky darkened ominously.

 

Rain spattered down, then poured in great sheets, soaking Kazuki and effectively drowning out any scent trails. He scooted under a dense clump of bushes and huddled there, waiting out the storm. All around him other forest creatures did the same. He wondered if he would be able to catch one of them for his breakfast. Flashes of lightning illuminated the trees and for the first time Kazuki missed his mother. He didn't like thunder and lightning.

 

Eventually the storm passed and the sun came up, marking the new day. Kazuki was hungry, so he kept a sharp eye out for something good to eat. He spied a rabbit scrambling up out of its hole, and he pounced like Daddy had taught him, using his claws to quickly finish it. He skinned it, disgarding the head, then delicately ate around the bones. He buried the remains afterward. Daddy said that way it wouldn't draw other animals to the smell. Satisfied, Kazuki raised his head and sniffed the air, then shot off in a new direction.

 

Kazuki's silent watcher inhaled. Blood. With a small leap, he landed beside the spot where the young hanyou had been resting. He toed the fresh earth, thoughtful, before he followed after the boy, careful to keep his distance.

 

The land sloped down sharply and trees gave way to meadows and open spaces as Kazuki roamed farther and farther away from the slayer's village. Eventually, he came across a road and followed it for a few miles.

 

His hidden watcher hissed in annoyance. Roads meant people, and people usually meant trouble. Sure enough, a cloud of dust approached the boy as he stood still in the middle of the road. The dust finally cleared to reveal a group of armored men on horseback bearing down on the boy. Just as the watcher tensed to snatch the child out of harms way, Kazuki stepped to the side, blinking at the strange men on horses.

 

They thundered past him, but then reined in and trotted back to the boy. Their leader leaned down and regarded him steadily. A calculating look crossed his face, and he asked, “Boy, what are you doing out here all alone?”

 

Kazuki realized he might be about to get in trouble for not telling anyone where he was going. “Playing,” he replied cautiously. He was having fun and didn't want to have to go back to the village yet. He gazed up at the men on horseback towering over him. The horses were interesting. He had never been this close to one before. He sniffed in curiosity, and his ears twitched.

 

One of the other men stared at Kazuki, taking in the boy's snow white hair and strange animal-like ears. “Boss,” he said nervously. “I don't think he's human.”

 

The boss slid to the ground, handing over the reins of his horse to one of his men. “I can see that,” he answered out of the side of his mouth, mumbling so that the boy wouldn't overhear and get spooked. He moved closer to the boy, smiling now. “Youkai, are you?” he asked, reaching out to grab the boy's shoulder.

 

Kazuki shrugged off the man's grip, stepping back, although he nodded hesitantly. Something about this man bothered him. Mama had read him stories about Strangers. He wondered if this man was a Stranger. Anyway, he smelled bad. The horses smelled all right, but the man stank. He backed away even farther. Maybe he should go. Just then the man lunged at him. Kazuki wriggled out of his grasp and dashed for the woods. He heard shouting and the thunder of hooves, but he quickly outran them as he crossed a meadow and entered the safety of the forest once more. Even then, he didn't slow down, but kept going until he was sure the men on horseback couldn't catch up to him.

 

Kazuki didn't see the figure in red which stepped into the path of the galloping horsemen just as they reached the forest. Horses reared, and one rider actually fell off. The rider scrambled to his feet and backed away. A terrible youkai stood in their path. Its eyes shone red and its fangs glistened in the morning sunlight. When it started growling, they all panicked and retreated, casting frightened glances behind them. The riderless horse followed the rest, leaving its human screaming and waving his arms in its wake.

 

“Keh.” The youkai spat derisively. He turned his gaze towards the woods where the little hanyou had disappeared.

 

Kazuki quickly forgot about the men on horseback when his nose detected a delectable scent deep in the woods. He knew that smell. Sometimes Daddy and Uncle Peter took him fishing and afterward they would bring the fish home to Mama, who would grill it outside on the deck for them. His mouth watered at the thought, and he hurried straight to the wonderful smell. Suddenly he felt hungry again.

 

Instead of bursting in on the one who was grilling the fish, Kazuki peeked cautiously out from behind a tree. Around here, nothing was exactly as it should be. The little youkai had been mean to him, the flying youkai wanted to eat him, and the men were probably Strangers. Who knew what this fish-eating person would be like?

 

“You might as well come out,” called a young-sounding voice. The person by the small fire had his back to Kazuki. “I can smell you.”

 

Kazuki slowly came out from behind his tree. The person—youkai, Kazuki could smell him over the fish now—was not much bigger than Kazuki. He looked nice. “Hi,” he said in a small voice. “What are you doing?”

 

The youkai turned to grin up at him as he poked something in the fire with a stick. “What do you think? Want some?” He pulled another stick out of the fire and held it up to Kazuki, who sniffed it before he took the stick from the youkai's hand. The youkai boy watched as Kazuki squatted down beside him and began gnawing on his fish. “So who are you?” he asked. “What are you doing out here by yourself?”

 

Kazuki froze. That was what the Stranger had said. He glanced warily at the youkai boy. “Playing,” he said.

 

“That's nice,” said the youkai boy. “Where are your parents?”

 

“Sleeping. I went by myself,” explained Kazuki proudly. “We're visiting,” he added.

 

“That's why I didn't recognize your scent,” commented the other boy. He sniffed again in Kazuki's vicinity. “Dog youkai? You're hanyou, aren't you? You have a scent I can't quite figure out—smells almost like food.”

 

Kazuki nodded, agreeing with the assessment. “I know. I hate it, but Mama gave it to me.”

 

“You shouldn't hate your own scent,” said the youkai boy softly. “Is your Mama youkai too?”

 

“I think so,” answered Kazuki. Truth was, he wasn't all that clear on the differences between youkai and hanyou and human. Daddy was youkai so Mama was probably youkai too. Just like him. Didn't the Strangers call him youkai too?

 

“Ah, that explains it, then.” A sad expression flitted across the youkai boy's face, but was quickly replaced by a mischievous grin. “Want me to play with you? I'm on my way home, but they're not expecting me back so soon anyway, so I have some time.”

 

Kazuki's eyes lit up. “Ok!”

 

The watcher in the trees didn't know whether to knock the kitsune over the head and snatch the little hanyou away, or just let nature take its course. He kept his distance, however. The kitsune might have a sharper nose for his scent than for the boy's. He could always step in at the last moment and put an end to it if he had to.

 

The youkai boy led Kazuki in an ever-narrowing spiral up the mountain and back towards the slayer's village. They played hide-and-seek, and Kazuki screamed with laughter when he was able to find the other boy despite his silly disguises. He loved the big pink balloon and crouched happily on top of it while the transformed youkai boy floated in the air. He tried to pop it like a regular balloon by poking it with his claws, but the youkai boy simply popped back into his regular shape and dumped Kazuki unceremoniously on the ground. Even that wasn't enough to discourage Kazuki, who jumped up and down and demanded to go again.

 

“No more,” said the youkai boy, plopping down on the ground next to Kazuki. “I'm pooped. Don't you have to go home soon? Won't somebody be worried about you?”

 

Kazuki thought about that for a little while. “Maybe,” he agreed. It was getting close to lunch time, and he hadn't told Daddy or Mama where he was going. He wasn't supposed to break through Mama's barriers, though technically that one hadn't been one of Mama's so maybe it didn't count. His shoulders slumped. He probably would get in trouble. “Can't I come to your village?” he asked his youkai friend. “I'll go home later.”

 

“I guess that would be all right,” agreed the youkai boy. “I can always have my friends help you to find your way back.”

 

“Oh, I can find my way back,” Kazuki assured him. “It's just over—“

 

Whatever Kazuki had been about to say was obliterated in a tornado of flying leaves, branches and other debris from the forest floor. Kazuki found himself hoisted into the air by the back of his jacket. He squirmed around, trying to see what kind of creature had him, but whatever it was held him in an unbreakable grip. Far below on the ground, a dazed kitsune youkai slumbered with a rising knot on his forehead.

 

Kazuki sniffed, but all he could smell was himself, thanks to Mama's powder she had rubbed all over all of them. He struggled furiously to free himself, and was rewarded when the creature suddenly dropped him, about six feet off the ground, before zooming off into the distance. Kazuki bounced once or twice and landed on hands and feet, growling softly. The creature who had captured him was nowhere to be seen.

 

Kazuki looked around, wondering how to go back and find his friend, when he realized he was in front of the slayer's village stockade wall in the exact spot where he'd left. He could hear bustling sounds from within the village and smell food cooking. He might as well go inside and face the wrath of Mama.

 

It never occurred to Kazuki to try the gate. He backed up and sprang up and over the back wall, bracing himself for the sting of the barrier. A shadow passed over him, and although Kazuki noticed the telltale sparks, he didn't feel any of the usual sting when he crossed the barrier. He was glad about that.

 

He rounded a corner of the house where he and his parents had been staying. Mama was outside, peeling some vegetables into a big pot. Daddy was just coming out the door, stretching both his arms over his head and yawning widely. He pinned Kazuki with a stare. “What have you been up to, kid?” he asked.

 

Kazuki hesitated. “Playing,” he said.

 

Inuyasha smiled and tousled Kazuki's hair. “Have fun?”

 

“Yeah,” said Kazuki, returning his father's smile.

 

“Come on. You can stop peeling those things,” Inuyasha said to Kagome. “We're going home.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Now. Shippo is on his way back here. He should be here in a couple of hours. Enough time for Miroku to air out the place.”

 

Kagome took Kazuki's hand as they said their good-byes. “Did you enjoy spending time with your Daddy?” she asked him.

 

Kazuki blinked. He glanced over at his father, who was currently discussing something with Auntie Sango. His aunt had a handful of round black pellets which she showed to Daddy, making him cringe and turn away, although he nodded to her. Kazuki watched her pocket the round pellets. “I guess,” he said to his mother. He was glad that she hadn't found out he'd left the village by himself today. Not even Daddy knew he had sneaked out! He puffed out his chest. He really was getting big.

 

He couldn't wait until the next time they came to visit!