InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Thy Enemy ❯ Chapter 13

Love Thy Enemy

 

Chapter 13

 

“No, no, no, and hell no!”

 

“You have no choice in the matter, Inuyasha, it is the order of the Council-”

 

“Fuck the Council!”

 

The hanyou was adamant on this. He knew, in the end, Sesshomaru would usually win, but he would not tolerate this curveball. Yuka could not, and would not, be partnered with him.

 

“I don't need a partner, Sess, and you know it!”

 

“Actually, I believe Yuka is exactly what you need.”

 

“What the hell do you mean?”

 

Sesshomaru took a breath and tried to compose himself. He had known fully that Inuyasha would not be in favor of the arrangements that had been made for him. However, he had reviewed Yuka's profile while awaiting his brother's return, and found the neko to be a pleasantly suitable partner for his brother. She was adept at swordplay and was highly respectful for her superiors, but had been lectured for disorderly conduct with subordinates and poor attitude in teamwork situations. She had the right attributes to match Inuyasha, and could perhaps she turn him into a decent warrior while she was at it.

 

“I mean, little brother, that Yuka is skilled, competent, highly decorated and capable in battle. She is exactly what you need to stop being a childish adolescent and become a true soldier.”

 

“Who're you calling childish, dickhead?” Inuyasha snapped. Right after saying the words, the hanyou's face turned red, and Sesshomaru raised a fine eyebrow.

 

“Thank you, for proving my point better than I ever could have. There will be no discussion of this, Inuyasha. You will work with Yuka, you will treat her with the respect her status demands, and if she complains to me you will face disciplinary action. Are we clear on this?”

 

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Inuyasha growled. “I hate you, do you know that?”

 

“Yes,” Sesshomaru said curtly. He admitted it bothered him, on some level, to be hated by his brother. The war had shown him another side to the hanyou he'd not seen so many decades ago. Inuyasha was violent, brash, uncouth and arrogant. But he was also loyal, a fierce fighter, and had an unyielding will and conscience. If the hanyou could be taught to properly harness his positive traits to undermine his negative ones, he would be a powerful ally for the youkai. This was what Yuka was to do. Even if he did not know it, Yuka was to be not just Inuyasha's partner, but his mentor.

 

“Now, if you please, I have requested Yuka train with you at the training dojo. You will spar with her and you will show her your technique. Your battle prowess leaves something to be desired.”

 

“You're trying to piss me off, aren't you?” Inuyasha snarled.

 

“No, but I am finding amusement in doing so nonetheless.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“The youkai Council assigned me to be your partner to get you into fighting shape,” Yuka recited, examining the racks of blunted training weapons along the side of the room. “Your strength and speed are exceptional. It is your weapon training that requires work. The Tetsusaiga is a mighty weapon, but you wield it with none of the grace of your father and all of the grace of a child.”

 

“Yeah yeah,” Inuyasha growled. The hanyou was leaning against one of the dojo support beams as Yuka took her time examining the weapons. The neko turned an azure eye to glare at him.

 

“I do hope you're paying attention, Inuyasha. Just because I follow regulation and a regular training regiment does not mean I am an incompetent soldier,” Yuka said sharply. “Draw your sword,” she commanded, lifting a katana from the rack. Inuyasha smirked and stood up, drawing the Tetsusaiga from his waist.

 

“You're gonna fight me with that puny thing?” he chuckled. Yuka swirled the katana about, testing its weight.

 

“Skill and tactic can defeat brute strength in any battle,” she said. “Come.” She held out the sword and struck a fighting stance. Inuyasha hefted the Tetsusaiga over his head and charged.

 

Yuka jumped back to evade the massive fang as Inuyasha cleaved it down, touching her feet on the wall and leaping off. Inuyasha looked up as Yuka dove past him, bringing her arm over his neck. Inuyasha cried out as Yuka took him down, slamming his back to the floor and rolling forward and flipping to land in her stance again, glaring at him. Inuyasha grunted and slowly climbed to his feet. Yuka ran and kicked off his shoulders, knocking him back down and flipping into the air. She landed in front of him and turned to stare at the hanyou impassively.

 

“You see? You were clumsy and unfocused and I defeated you easily,” Yuka said, folding her arms. Inuyasha growled and climbed to his feet.

 

“Great, you can hop around,” he said, lifting the Tetsusaiga. “How about you actually quit that shit and fight me?”

 

“Hmph,” Yuka snorted, smirking. “You have spirit, I'll give you that. Too bad it's being held back by stupidity.”

 

“Hold this back!” Inuyasha snarled and charged. Yuka's eyes flashed as she brought her katana up to deflect the Tetsusaiga, leaping aside and watching the blade slice the air before her eyes. Inuyasha swung again and again, Yuka narrowly evading and blocking each strike. Inuyasha brought Tetsusaiga down again, and Yuka caught the blow with her katana, holding the giant fang off.

 

“You're a real bitch,” Inuyasha said, pushing Yuka back.

 

“Perhaps,” Yuka replied, smiling. “But I'm beating you.” She spun, deflecting the Tetsusaiga and lifting her leg. Inuyasha's head snapped to the side as Yuka kicked him across the face, and a second kick sent the hanyou to the floor, Tetsusaiga sliding from his reach. Yuka walked into his view and knelt down in front of him.

 

“Are we learning yet? No wonder your father sent me to get you into shape.”

 

“Fuck you!”

 

And fist came up to swing at Yuka's head, and she dodged the blow easily. Inuyasha glared at her as she crossed her legs and sat down beside him. “Like you know shit about me and my old man,” Inuyasha muttered.

 

“Actually, I think I know quite a lot about you, Inuyasha,” she stated cryptically. “I'm probably about two, maybe three hundred years older than you, but there was a time when I wasn't all that different from you - an upstart young punk.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Yuka reached out with her katana and rapped Inuyasha on the back of his skull.

 

“I was born a few years after the war,” Yuka continued, ignoring the hanyou's muttered curses. “I was young, beautiful, powerful, and the daughter of a neko chieftan.”

 

“You sounded like an arrogant bitch too,” Inuyasha said.

 

“Actually, yes, I was,” Yuka agreed. The submission caught Inuyasha off his guard, and whatever comebacks he had been preparing in his head died off. “The country was still in shambles, since the war had only ended less than a decade ago. It was like the aftermath of any disaster, there was no order. It was a time when rogue youkai ran amok while the taiyoukais tried to rebuild their courts and stabilize the truce with the mikos. I didn't have use for my dad, he was just a washed up old samurai with heart for battle anymore. So I took off on my own. Did what I wanted, went where I pleased. I killed humans a bit, didn't really pillage much unless a village pissed me off, screwed a few hot nekos while I was running around. Fought a lot of weak youkai, killed them.”

 

“So what happened?” Inuyasha asked, actually interested despite humself.

 

“I pretty much lived as I liked for a few decades. One day, I came across one youkai in particular that I remember. One glance at him and one brush with his youki should have been a tip that I was no match for him. But I was still a kid and full of myself, I didn't know any better and attacked him.”

 

“Did you lose?”

 

“I got my ass kicked!” Yuka barked out, laughing. “Ended up pretty much like you are now - lying bruised and bitter, my pride more hurt than anything else. The youkai could have killed me right then and there, but he didn't. He had been looking for me though. I guess when you run around the country fucking and killing whomever you please, you tend to rack up a reputation.

 

“So why had he been looking for you?” Inuyasha pulled himself into a sitting position and watched as Yuka let out a sigh.

 

“My old man had died a few years before. Turns out he had been a senior member in this guy's court. He was a big taiyoukai, and he wanted me to take my father's place in his court, if I chose too. The only condition was that I actually quit acting like a child and become a respectable member of the taiyoukai court. I was bitter, and I told him to go to hell. But I spent a few days thinking after that. I had led the life of a rebellious youth, and it had gotten me nothing. So I went to his court and told him I would be honored to join him.” Yuka paused for a moment and turned her head towards Inuyasha.

 

“I know what it's like, living your life pissed off at the world, doing as you please. But believe me, Inuyasha, when I say that life goes nowhere.”

 

“Don't start giving me that shit,” he muttered. “You got to choose to be on your own, you got to choose to join your court. I got coerced into joining and left alone when my mother died. Don't even think you understand me because you don't.”

 

“You're right, I don't. Yeah, you got this life forced on you. And I don't understand you. But I know what it's like to feel like shit and keep going. You know why your brother and father got me assigned with you?”

 

“Don't really care.”

 

“Because they think you're a worthless piece of hanyou trash who is a disgrace to their bloodline.”

 

“Gee, thanks,” Inuyasha snarled. “Anything else you wanna say to try and encourage me?”

 

“Yes. You really wanna get on daddy's nerves? You really want to piss off him and your brother? Stop proving them right, and try proving them wrong. They don't think you have it takes to be a member of their bloodline. Show them otherwise.”

 

Inuyasha was silent as Yuka finished speaking, then stood up and walked to Tetsusaiga. The blue-eyed neko watched as he sheathed the fang and walked towards the door of the dojo.

 

“I should have known I was talking to a wall,” Yuka muttered. Inuyasha stopped.

 

“Actually,” he said softly, reaching towards the weapon rack on the wall, “I was just getting a different sword.” He drew a katana and walked to the other side of the dojo. Yuka stood up as Inuyasha turned and held out the sword with both hands.

 

“I'm ready,” he said. Yuka smiled and flicked her sword out to the side.

 

“Are you?”

 

“Yeah…come on,” Inuyasha replied. The neko smiled.

 

“Then let's begin, for real this time.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“We're willing to stop this now, if you so wish.”

 

“I said I'm fine!”

 

Tsubaki scowled at Kagome's outburst. The miko ignored the burning sensation in her hips and twirled the Naginata above her head. With a grunt, she ran forward, and stumbled as she brought the Naginata down. Tsubaki lazily blocked the attack with her staff, turning it aside. Kagome swung again, pressing the catch to separate the blades. Tsubaki stepped back and ducked and stepped to evade the attacks. Kagome cried in frustration and brought both blades down. Tsubaki swung her staff and knocked both the blades into the air. Kagome fell to her knees panting as the two tanto blades stuck in the mat on either side of her.

 

“You are not yet at full strength again,” Tsubaki said coolly.

 

“Shut up!” Kagome snarled, shakily climbing to her feet. Tsubaki looked at her shirt and frowned to see it sticking to her stomach.

 

“Your stitches appear to be damaged again,” she muttered. “You cannot push yourself, Kagome. You are still weak.”

 

“I said shut up!” Kagome forced herself to her feet and pushed Tsubaki. “I…am not…weak!” she panted, putting a hand out to catch herself as she fell back on her knees. “Whatever doesn't kill me…makes me stronger, right?”

 

“That's a common misconception. If anything, it has given you a glaring weakness, from where I am standing,” Tsubaki said. Kagome shook her head.

 

“I can handle myself…just need to train harder.”

“No, you need to rest and let your wounds finish healing,” Tsubaki said. “I'm seen mikos with lesser wounds spend more time recuperating than you have.”

 

“They're not as strong as I am,” Kagome said harshly. “I've worked hard to get this far, Tsubaki, I will not falter!”

 

“You haven't, and your dedication is admirable. But it's going to get you killed someday.”

 

Kagome slowly got up and retrieved one of her Naginata blades. She sheathed it and retrieved the other.

 

“Kagome, are you so concerned with strength?” Tsubaki asked. Kagome stared ahead.

 

“Strength is what determines who survives. The weak lose out to the strong,” she muttered.

 

“Such harsh words are unbecoming of you,” Tsubaki said, surprising the miko she had always seen as so caring speaking in such a way.

 

“You know it's true. I can afford to be caring and compassionate when I'm strong again. If these…'Order' guys, are gonna keep popping up, I've got to be stronger so I can take them on and beat them.”

 

“True,” Tsubaki admitted. “You cannot afford to be too careful, their rankings are still a mystery. Until we know all their members, you must be on your guard.”

 

“Right,” Kagome said. “Any word on the other members?”

 

“Not yet, but the Elders aren't saying much. Muso, Abi and Magatsuhi were the first. There's eight in all, along with however many lesser youkai they've managed to sway to their cause.”

 

“Any chance they have mikos on their side?”

 

“It's a possibility, the Elders are looking into it.”

 

“Good. Whatever they're after, we can't let them get it,” Kagome turned and left the dojo. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes behind her.

 

“Whatever they're after…the Elders haven't told her?”

 

Thus far, I've delved a lot into Inuyasha's character. Soon I'll be exploring Kagome's as well.