InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pure As Snow ❯ Treachery in the Works ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: OH! MY! GOD! I hadn't realized how long its been since I've written/updated anything. Please forgive me, those of you who were waiting for this chapter. Here it is. I hope you enjoy. Please review. I miss those lovely reviews.

 

P.S. Inuyasha is not mine due to negligence.

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Chapter Seven: Treachery in the Works

 

The noise created by the weapon when it sliced through the air was one of the most satisfying sounds the slayer had ever heard. To know that her hand would bring down the enemy caused a joy and smugness to spread throughout her body. And that knowledge, that there was one less demon in the world to terrorize hapless villages, was a salve to her revenge driven heart. Yet it was never enough.

 

Sango watched calmly as her hiraikotsu bisected the giant centipede she'd been hired to kill. The two halves lie twitching beside each other, but she felt no lessening of her hatred. The boomerang swung back towards the slayer, who raised a casual hand to pluck the enormous weapon from the air. Kneeling down so she could clean the bloodied edge, Sango allowed herself to get lost in the simplicity of her task.

 

It was moments like these, when the hunt was over and her mind was nowhere near the concept of her next move, into which the memories and grief overflowed. Scenes of what drove her flitted across her brain, taunting and ridiculing the slayer. `Why haven't you avenged us?' the ghosts seemed to say, 'What's taking so long?' It was never-ending.

 

Shaking off the guilt, she completed the waxing of the hiraikotsu's edge and began to pack up her supplies. Just as she was finishing, a piece of pottery rolled out of her knapsack to bounce off her knee. Sango glanced down and was once again engulfed in misery. It was only a teacup, but the image it brought to mind was enough to undo the slayer.

 

Leaning back against a nearby tree, Sango cradled the cup in her hands and wept. `It's been over a year,' she thought dejectedly, `and still no trace of him.' Her brother. Missing ever since their village had been destroyed by a horde of demons. Everyone else had been slaughtered except her. She had been away on assignment. When she returned to find the village decimated, her father dead, and her brother missing, Sango had vowed to never give up until she found out what had happened on that horrible day.

 

She sniffled and wiped away her remaining tears. `It's been so long though. I fear I may never find the answers I seek.' Then she chuckled softly to herself, saying out loud, “At least I still have my health. And a fat lot of good that does me.”

 

The snapping of a twig alerted her that she was no longer alone. “Don't you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?” a deep voice questioned.

 

Sango turned her head to face the intruder. It was a tall man, dressed in finery that only a lord could afford. He had long black hair that seemed to drink in the light and swirled around him like snakes. He was handsome, but in a cold sort of way and the slayer found herself concealing a shiver. But instead of showing fear and to cover her momentary weakness of crying, she decided to be insolent. “Who are you and what do you want?” she demanded.

 

The man chuckled, as if amused at her question and attitude. “I am Lord Kagewaki Hitomi. And I come bearing news for the slayer known as Sango.”

 

“I am she,” she replied warily.

 

Kagewaki nodded, than glanced around at the small glade and the centipede body taking up most of the space. “What I have to say may take some time. Perhaps you would be more comfortable back at the village inn?”

 

The slayer raised an eyebrow at the lord. “First tell me what your news pertains to before I consider hearing you out.”

 

“A taste of the wares first then,” Kagewaki grinned. She just nodded. “Very well.” He settled himself down on the ground next to her pack. His gaze swept over the cup that Sango was still gripping. The slayer casually replaced it into her pack, while resisting the urge to wipe the slime that seemed to have been left by the lord's scrutiny.

 

“Your reputation is well known, slayer. Before it was due to your skill as a demon exterminator, but now it is because of your quest for vengeance and your brother. Yet, even for one as skilled as yourself, you seem to be having some difficulty in finding the answers you search for. That is why I have come to you.”

 

He glanced at her face to make sure he had her attention. “I have a certain person in my employ who informs me of news in the demon world, so that I may avoid sour dealings with their kind. And he has told me of a plot involving the demon slayers village.”

 

“And what would that be, pray tell?” she asked skeptically.

 

“A plot to steal the Shikon no Tama.”

 

Sango furrowed her brow in confusion. “The Shikon no Tama? Are you sure? That relic hasn't been in the hands of the slayers for well over fifty years!”

 

The lord nodded. “I know that, but the demon who led the raid on your village didn`t,

when he arranged the attack.”

 

“So that must mean-,” she gasped as understanding and dread blossomed in her mind. “They must have taken Kohaku in order to interrogate him.”

 

Kagewaki nodded again, pleased that she had worked it out so quickly. “That is what I believe.”

 

Sango eyed the lord. He seemed sincere enough, but Sango had learned to trust her instincts and they were telling her that there was some other motive behind Lord Kagewaki's sudden interest in her affairs. “What other information do you possess?” she asked.

 

“Only the whereabouts and name of the demon responsible.”

 

Her eyes widened in shock for just a moment. Then, fast as lightening, she picked up her knapsack and surged to her feet, taking only a second to swing the hiraikotsu over her shoulder.

 

“Lead on.”

 

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“And you're absolutely sure about this,” Sango was asking much later. She had followed Kagewaki back to the village and now they were sitting in a private room at the local inn, tea and sake lying forgotten on the table.

 

“My sources are never wrong,” Kagewaki confirmed. “The one you seek resides in Musashi's domain just over the mountains.”

 

The slayer took a deep breath to try and stay calm. Finally, she would get her revenge. Finally, she would find out what happened to her brother. Finally, it would be over and she could die in peace.

 

She bowed low to the floor in front of the lord. “I thank you for this. If I survive, I shall offer you my services as a demon slayer.” Then, rising to her feet, she swore an oath to the heavens.

 

“I will have your head for what you have done, Inuyasha!”

 

More concerned with her revenge than the man still sitting on the floor, Sango failed to notice the evil, satisfied smirk that crossed the man's face, twisting it into something truly demonic.

 

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Two days.

 

Two days since Inuyasha's release. Two days since Kagome had bargained with him for a way home. And in those two days, not a whole heck of a lot had happened.

 

Kagome sighed and leaned against the wall of Kaede's hut. The old woman had given her the task of arranging herbs that needed drying so the girl would at least have something to do. She'd decided to work outside in the warm sunshine, but she soon found herself falling into a sleepy haze.

 

“Achoo!”

 

A violent sneeze rent the air causing Kagome to startle out of her doze. She glanced upwards into the branches of a nearby tree where Inuyasha was lounging, rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his haori.

 

`Eww,' thought Kagome, wrinkling her own nose in response.

 

The hanyou's ears twitched and he switched his intense gaze down to her. “What are you staring at, wench?” he growled. Kagome just shrugged and returned her attention back to her task. A faint `keh' told her that Inuyasha was no longer watching her either.

 

`I wish he would stop calling me wench all the time,' she thought dejectedly. Ever since his little confession by the waterfall, Inuyasha refused to say anything more about what had happened between Kikyo and him. Any attempts to get him to talk about it ended with a “keh“ or some kind of insult. This had resulted in a lot of arguments and not a few “sits”, which naturally didn't improve the hanyou's disposition. Or Kagome's for that matter. Just thinking about some of the things Inuyasha had said to her made Kagome see red.

 

She began tearing into the leaves that were in the basket. She tried very hard not to imagine that each bit of green was white, furry, and belonged to a certain to-remain-nameless hanyou. By the time her anger ran out, the basket was finished. She moved it off to the side and reluctantly raised her eyes upward. He was still there, cross-legged and leaning against the trunk, an intense expression on his face.

 

`Hm. He`s thinking again. Never a good sign.'

 

Within the last couple of days, Kagome had noticed that Inuyasha had a tendency to sulk. He would often leap high into a tree and stay there for hours. And she could guess what occupied his thoughts. Kikyo. Kagome firmly believed that there was a missing piece to this tragic story of betrayal, something that no one would be expecting. It would only be a matter of time before it was revealed.

 

Or maybe Kagome had watched one too many movies. Whichever.

 

Sighing, Kagome turned her thoughts to how to get Inuyasha to stop brooding and, as she'd said to Kaede yesterday, 'giving misery all sorts of unwanted company'. Maybe she should try chucking things at his head. She considered the possibility for a bit, before shrugging it off. `Nah, he'd probably just start throwing stuff back at me.'

 

“ACHOO!!”

 

This sneeze was louder than all of the previous ones and so strong that the hanyou was knocked clear from his perch. Kagome watched as he fell, with surprising grace, and landed nose down in the ground. She scrambled to her feet and rushed over to kneel by his head. “Oh my God! Are you alright?” The earth muffled his reply. “Sorry. Didn't catch that.”

 

“I said,” Inuyasha growled as he levered himself up, leaves and dirt covering his face and chest, “I meant to do that.”

 

First the face, than that line. One would have been enough to get Kagome giggling, but both had the girl howling.

 

“You can stop laughing now, wench.”

 

Kagome pushed herself up from where she'd fallen over and wiped a few remaining tears from the corner of her eye. “Oh, I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But the look (snort) on your face-” Here she collapsed back into fits of giggles, while the irritated hanyou pulled himself upright and began wiping his face off. Soon enough she was in control and only a smudge of dirt on her cheek was any indication that she'd been rolling on the ground.

 

She straightened her shirt than patted the ground next to her, indicating for Inuyasha to sit next to her. The hanyou glared down at her, before shrugging and flopping down next to Kagome.

 

“I thought you said demons couldn't get sick,” Kagome asked after a few moments silence.

 

Inuyasha sighed, “We don't. Someone must be saying something bad about me somewhere.” He paused and scratched his nose thoughtful. “Don't know who it could be though.” He shrugged. “Not that it matters,” he added bitterly, so soft that she wasn't sure she'd heard him.

 

Frowning, Kagome studied the hanyou. The crease between his eyes and the way his shoulders hunched in told her that Inuyasha was lying. The fact that he didn't know why someone thought ill of him obviously disturbed him greatly. She reached out a hand to place on his arm. He jerked back before she could touch him though. “Don't,” he growled.

 

“Don't what?” she asked quietly.

 

“Just. Don't.”

 

That was it. A sound of exasperation exploded out of Kagome. “Gah!” she screamed. “How am I supposed to work with someone who won't trust me?” She lurched to her feet, fresh anger pounding through her blood. “I've tried, gods know I've tried, but you won't give me a chance, Inuyasha.” She glared down at the hanyou, who was sporting a bemused look. “You sit up in trees all day, sulking and than expect me to be perfect, just like Kikyo. Well, I've got news for you, buddy. I'm NOT Kikyo!” Kagome screamed this last part quite loudly. In fact she was surprised when nobody came running to see if she was okay. She was panting so hard that when the reply came, she barely heard it.

 

“I know that.”

 

“Huh?” Kagome felt her pulse slow down, as she glanced down at Inuyasha. He was sitting with his head down, bangs covering his eyes.

 

“I know that you're not Kikyo.” Inuyasha was speaking to the ground rather than her, but that was okay. Kagome knelt down in front of him, trying to see his eyes. No matter what he said or did, his eyes always held the truth, if only for a few seconds.

 

“Inuyasha-”

 

“It's just,” he interrupted, “for me, it's like it happened only a few days ago instead of fifty years. One minute, I'm being betrayed, the next I'm being set free and being told that half a century has passed. Tell me how you would respond if it were you.”

 

Kagome had never thought of it like that. “I don't suppose I would trust anyone either, especially someone who looks almost identical to your betrayer.” She paused, letting everything sink in. “And I would want to spend time by myself figuring out what to do now.”

 

The hanyou raised his head finally and nodded slightly. His eyes were melancholy, but steady. The gold had toned down to a tawny shade, which showed off a few green specks in the irises. `A little more green and they could be hazel.' She shook off the thought. “I'm sorry I yelled,” Kagome apologized.

 

“Keh. Don't worry about me so much,” Inuyasha replied, rising to his feet. “I'm going to go see if any new demons have moved in, so don't leave the old witch`s sight,” he added.

 

“Okay,” Kagome replied, sympathy quelling the irritation she normally felt when the hanyou treated her like an idiot and called Kaede names. “I`ll make sure to stay with Kaede-baachan.” She stood, brushed the dirt off her jeans, and then bent down to retrieve the basket of herbs.

 

A heavy weight settled onto her shoulders and the scent of fresh dirt greeted her nose. Looking down, Kagome saw brilliant red, the same color as Inuyasha's outfit. She glanced up at the hanyou and saw that he had given her his haori. He was now only wearing the cream-colored undershirt; the prayer beads a stark contrast against the fabric.

 

He wasn't meeting her eyes, which spoke volumes of his embarrassment, not to mention the blush on his face. “It's armor,” he said gruffly. “It'll protect you while I`m gone.” He made to leave when Kagome noticed the leave stuck in his hair.

 

“Wait a second.” Inuyasha froze. She approached him until she was standing face-to-face with the hanyou. Going up on tiptoes, because of how tall he was, she reached an arm around the side of his head. “Bend your head down a bit.” He did as she asked and Kagome was able to pull the leaf from his silky hair.

 

Even after the leaf was gone, Kagome keep stroking the soft strands. This was the first time Inuyasha had allowed her to touch his head. The temptation to tweak his ears was almost too much. But even though they had become better acquainted, Kagome knew she was pushing it, so she reined in her desires and pulled back.

 

Not far enough though. When Inuyasha raised his head, the two found their noses only inches apart and they both froze. Neither of them moved for a long moment. Kagome watched his eyes dart across her face, from her forehead down to her chin. 'What would happen if-' she half-asked herself, tilting her head forward just a bit. Inuyasha's eyes widened fractionally as he began to lean down.

 

A soft cough sent both teens reeling back from each other. Whirling around revealed Kaede standing in the doorway of the hut, a knowing smile on her face. Kagome heard Inuyasha mutter a quiet “Damn!“ before he was off, bounding through the trees.

 

Kagome watched in bemusement. 'What the heck just happened?' she asked herself. Not only had she had the first decent conversation with Inuyasha in days, but he had also given her his jacket. And then they'd almost kissed! What was going on?!

 

A low chuckle brought her attention back to the older woman. “So I see you two have found something to agree on at last,” Kaede jibed lightly.

 

A sweat drop formed on Kagome's brow. “I guess you could say that, but I have no idea what to do about it.”

 

Kaede clapped a withered hand on the girl's shoulder. “I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now, come,” she prompted, retreating to the interior of the hut. “I have to head into the village for supplies and to check on some patients.”

 

“Alright,” Kagome replied. “Let me get my shoes.” She ducked inside the hut, grabbed her shoes, and slipped her feet into them. “Okay, I`m ready.”

 

The old woman returned carrying a basket filled with medicinal herbs and bandages. “I also thought we could stop by the well where I found Souta-kun. It may be the same well through which you arrived and the way which you can return home.”

 

“Oh, that sounds like a great idea!” Kagome exclaimed. “I am getting tired of just waiting for answers to show up by themselves.“

 

“Aye, that I do know,“ Kaede teased, chuckling softly.

 

Kagome laughed along with her friend, but only half-heartedly. Even though she really wanted to see her mother and grandfather again, she found herself almost wishing that she would never find a way home. Smiling gently to herself, Kagome pulled the haori closer and snuggled into the fabric, inhaling the hanyou's scent. A sense of comfort stole over the girl and she sighed heavily before following Kaede into the woods. Things would work out in the end.

 

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Nestled in the cocoon of her trophies, the oni lounged around immersed in her favorite pastime.

 

“Who's a pretty skull?” she cooed at the bleached white object in her hands. “Yes, you are.” She ran the blood-red comb through the few strands of hair atop the skull's crown.

 

Really she was just wasting time until her instructions arrived. She had been approached earlier that day with an offer she could hardly refuse.

 

“The Shikon Jewel,” she mused to her toys. “Ultimate power.” She tossed the skull that she'd been playing with onto the pile next to her. She glanced around at her lovely home. Empty eye sockets stared back at her from all sides. Most of the skulls were picked clean of flesh, but there were a few new ones that still had the faces of the men they had once been.

 

“Yura.” A deep voice sounded from outside her little cavern. Yura of the Hair descended from her hanging bower to face the demon in her territory. He was tall and wrapped in a white pelt with a baboon's head atop his own. And that was all she could see.

 

“Yes?” she purred, reveling in the immense power that emanated from the demon.

 

“You are ready,” he stated more than asked.

 

Yura rolled her eyes discretely. It would not do to anger this creature. “I am. What would you have me do?”

 

“Seek out a girl who answers to the name Kagome. She is a guest of the old miko.”

 

Yura snarled, her pretty face contorting into a scowl. “I know that old human. She tried to destroy my home several years back. I will take great pleasure in this.”

 

Even though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the smirk in his voice. “Good. At the moment the two are on their way to the nearby village. Succeed in their deaths and the power of the Shikon Jewel is yours.”

 

“As you wish, Naraku.” She bowed low and when she arose, the hooded figure was gone.