InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 3: Forever ❯ Circumstantial Evidence ( Chapter 18 )

~~Chapter 18~~

~Circumstantial Evidence~

 

“Got a minute, bastard?”

 

Sesshoumaru peered over the rim of his glasses as InuYasha strode into the study and flopped into the chair across from the wide desk. “What brings you by, baka?”

 

“Well, it ain't a social call,” InuYasha grumbled as he crossed his ankles atop Sesshoumaru's desk. “Kagome wanted me to ask you something.”

 

Sesshoumaru sat back, staring pointedly at InuYasha's bare feet, and heaved a sigh. “What is it that your miko wants to know? How to rid herself of you?”

 

“How old does a hanyou have to be for his youkai blood to recognize his mate?”

 

Obviously surprised by the question, Sesshoumaru's eyebrows arched as he steepled his fingertips together and tapped them against his chin. “Ryomaru, you mean.”

 

“Feh! What other idiot pup would I be talking about?”

 

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “Considering his sire, is it surprising that the pup is misguided?”

 

“Oh, shut the fuck up. If you don't know, just say so, you bastard.”

 

Sesshoumaru relented. “It's not common for youkai blood to recognize a mate so young, but I would hardly say it is impossible.”

 

“All right, then, let's say it did. What then?”

 

Sesshoumaru rolled up the newspaper lying on the desk and thwapped InuYasha's feet in an attempt to get the hanyou to move them. InuYasha wiggled his toes. “You've been in this era for well over a decade. Surely your miko has explained to you the benefits of shoes?”

 

“Overrated. Now answer the question, will you? Unless you really don't know . . .”

 

“It depends on how soon Ryomaru's youkai spoke to him, to start with. He might not realize that it's been talking to him all along, if that were the case . . . which would be completely plausible considering how ignorant you are.”

 

“Get much sword practice, bastard?”

 

“Any time, anywhere,” Sesshoumaru countered mildly.

 

InuYasha grinned. “So maybe Ryo wasn't just protecting a casual friend . . .'

 

Sesshoumaru sat back again, tossing the paper onto the polished desk with a casual shrug. “The way he's always protected her? I would doubt that his youkai has ever considered her a `casual friend'.”

 

InuYasha digested that for a moment. It made sense. Maybe Ryomaru's youkai had always known, even when the baka hadn't figured it out for himself. With a sigh, InuYasha tilted his head, narrowing his gaze on his half-brother. “About that challenge . . .”

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

Ryomaru followed Nezumi into the mansion, pausing long enough to kiss his aunt then his mother before glancing around with a frown. “Where's the old man?”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and waved her hand toward the back of the mansion. “Where do you think?”

 

Ryomaru thought that over then shrugged. `The old man's birthday . . . Uncle Sesshoumaru . . . they're outside playing . . .'

 

“Come on, Nez! You'll love this!” he insisted, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the back doors.

 

“Love what?” she asked as she stumbled along behind him, trying to extricate her hand from his firm grasp.

 

He didn't answer, deciding he might as well let her see for herself. Despite how long he'd known her, she'd never seen InuYasha fight, and since the old man was the sensei who taught both his sons as well as Toga how to defend themselves, Ryomaru was excited for a chance to show Nezumi.

 

Stepping out onto the patio, Nezumi was preoccupied trying to pull her hand free when Ryomaru stopped and lifted both their hands to point at the yard behind the mansion. She followed the direction of their raised hands and gasped as her eyes widened in shock.

 

InuYasha was brandishing the fully transformed Tetsusaiga, which might not have been quite as shocking had he not been holding it level with Sesshoumaru's chest as the later stood casually, his own sword stuck point-down in the frozen ground, a bored look on his face.

 

“What the hell are they doing?” she hissed, jerking on Ryomaru's hand to regain his full attention.

 

Ryomaru laughed. “They do this all the time,” he scoffed before turning back to watch the two. “Oi! I'll take the winner!”

 

“No, you won't!” Nezumi hollered. “Have you lost your mind, Ryo?”

 

“Better tell your aunt to bring Tenseiga,” InuYasha called back with a happy grin. “Sesshoumaru's gonna need it.”

 

“Absolutely, though I should just leave you dead,” Sesshoumaru countered.

 

“Oh, yeah? We've been doing this for years and you ain't even scratch me, bastard!”

 

“Shut up and get on with it,” Sesshoumaru scoffed.

 

“Are you listening to me, Ryo? This isn't normal! This is insane!” Nezumi insisted.

 

The door slid open behind them. Toga and Sierra slipped outside. “The old man's gonna kick your father's ass,” Ryomaru commented to his cousin.

 

“Feh!” Toga scoffed then shrugged. “Father doesn't train as much as Uncle Yasha though. It might be a fair fight, after all.”

 

“I heard that, pup!” InuYasha hollered without taking his eyes off Sesshoumaru. “Your turn's coming, Toga.”

 

“You sure, Uncle Yasha?”

 

“Are you all nuts?” Nezumi demanded loudly.

 

Sierra giggled. “Nah, this is like youkai Romper Room, that's all.”

 

“Oh, kami . . .”

 

“Damn! I missed the start?” Kichiro lamented as he joined the gathering on the patio. “I suppose both you bakas claimed next?”

 

“Get in line,” Ryomaru said with a snort. “You snooze, you lose.”

 

“Yeah, yeah . . . ladies first,” Gin remarked as she leaned on the porch railing. “Come on, Papa! I can take you!”

 

InuYasha lunged at Sesshoumaru, who lifted his sword just in time to block Tetsusaiga before it cleaved him straight down the center of his chest. Nezumi gasped, burying her face in Ryomaru's jacket. So preoccupied with the mock battle, he didn't seem to notice.

 

“Damn . . . Uncle Yasha's losing his touch,” Toga goaded with a shake of his head.

 

“Hell, you'd better hope he don't hear you say that,” Ryomaru countered.

 

“Look who's talking? At least Papa didn't let a couple of puny kitty-cats nearly kill him!” Gin remarked.

 

“Oi!”

 

“Oh, that's gotta hurt,” Kichiro sniggered.

 

“Fighting words, for sure,” Ryomaru agreed.

 

“I can't fight a girl!” Toga insisted loudly.

 

“You're right,” Sierra agreed. “It would be pretty embarrassing when she beat you.”

 

“Oi!”

 

“What's the matter, Toga? You afraid of being beaten by a hanyou? Or are you afraid of being beaten by a girl?”

 

Toga narrowed his gaze on his cousin though his expression was still humored enough. “This Toga fears not his female hanyou cousin!”

 

Gin's giggles lingered in the air as she vaulted over the railing and dropped neatly to the ground. InuYasha and Sesshoumaru stopped their fight as Toga loped down the steps to the lawn.

 

“Toga, be careful with her,” Sesshoumaru warned.

 

“Yeah,” InuYasha agreed as he jammed Tetsusaiga into the ground. “She'll kick your ass.”

 

Toga retrieved his halberd from the small shed next to the porch. Gin reached behind her back and jerked her weapon from the holster in her belt. Swinging the flashing blade of the Kusarigama over her head by the chain, she held onto the large metal ball as the sickle whistled through the air. She flicked the chain, sent the blade flying straight out then jerked it back, catching the handle as Toga stepped forward.

 

“You sure you want to do this?” Gin asked, as she flipped the sickle.

 

“Disarm only?” Toga offered magnanimously.

 

Gin's impish smile widened with a flash of her dimples that were completely at odds with the deadly weapon she brandished.

 

“Come on, Nez, you're missing the fun,” Ryomaru chided as he tried to coax Nezumi into watching.

 

“I'm going inside,” she muttered as she whirled around to leave.

 

He caught her gently and pulled her back. “This won't last long,” he assured her. “Gin'll slaughter him.”

 

“Ryo---” Kichiro began with a frown as he stared thoughtfully at Nezumi's rapidly paling face.

 

Ryomaru's hiss of breath cut his brother off as the Kusarigama flew through the air, barely missing Toga's cheek with the razor sharp blade. Retrieving the blade with a terse jerk on the chain, Gin giggled as she circled her cousin.

 

“Ready to give up?” Gin asked as she whipped the sickle at Toga's head.

 

Toga snorted as he sprang back to avoid the blade. “Feh!”

 

Gin clucked her tongue as she jerked the Kusarigama back. “Too bad, Toga. I gave you a chance.”

 

Reacting just in time as Gin flicked her wrist to flip the blade at him once more, Toga held the staff of his weapon between his spread hands and leaned back as the blade and chain wrapped around it. With a sharp twist, he flipped the staff and nearly succeeded in jerking the Kusarigama from Gin's grasp.

 

Gin let go of the metal ball for a moment then grabbed it again, flipping back and jerking on the chain. Unprepared for the move, Toga's halberd slipped out of his grasp. InuYasha laughed as Sesshoumaru shook his head, a small grin twisting the corners of his lips.

 

“See?” Ryomaru told Nezumi. “Not a big deal.”

 

She glowered up at him, her jaw twitching as her nostrils flared just a little. Skin pale and ashen, eyes darkened to a furious midnight hue, Nezumi looked like she was fit to kill, and Ryomaru blinked in surprise as he stared back at her. “Nezumi? What's wrong?”

 

“Damn, you're stupid!” Kichiro said with a loud snort. “Did you warn her about what we do for fun?”

 

“Who you callin' stupid, baka?” Ryo shot back, embarrassed that he really hadn't thought about warning Nezumi ahead of time, but irritated even more that Kichiro had figured it out before he had.

 

“Are you so stupid you can't tell I'm calling you stupid---stupid?” Kichiro yelled back.

 

“I still owe you an ass-beating, Kich.”

 

“Oh, yeah? You think you can?”

 

“I know I can, baka!”

 

“Su-u-u-ure you can . . . stupid!”

 

“All right,” Ryomaru snarled, jerking away from Nezumi as he stomped down the patio stairs. “It's on.”

 

Kichiro strode down behind him, cracking his knuckles, one by one.

 

InuYasha sighed as he shoved Tetsusaiga into the scabbard and leaned back, arms crossed over his chest as he slowly shook his head. “Damn . . . what are the odds Kagome don't blame this on me?”

 

Sesshoumaru uttered a very loud, very un-Sesshoumaru snort. “Not good.”

 

“Oh, see, Rin? I told you we were late!”

 

Shippou stepped outside and shuffled forward, leaning on the railing with a wide grin as he watched the twins circle one another.

 

“Bring back memories?” Toga asked as he joined Shippou.

 

Shippou shrugged. “Sure, but back then it was normally InuYasha chasing Miroku while Miroku tried to talk himself out of trouble.”

 

Nezumi started to dart down the stairs. Shippou caught her arm. “Let go! I've got to stop them!” she rasped out, trying to jerk her arm free.

 

“Nah, it's just claws,” Shippou remarked casually. “A little blood, maybe, but they'll be healed by morning.”

 

Nezumi gasped, and Shippou let go. She glanced from the kitsune to the twins before turning on her heel and dashing for the glass doors.

 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ryomaru growled under his breath as he prowled around his brother.

 

“Me? I'm not the idiot who can't tell when my mate is panicking!” Kichiro shot back.

 

“You ain't fucking got a mate!”

 

“Well, duh, Ryo, but I promise you, if I did, I'd remember it.”

 

“Fuck!”

 

Lunging forward, Ryomaru slashed the air with his claws as Kichiro spun away. Ryomaru skidded on the frozen turf and dove out of the way as Kichiro launched an attack of his own. Spinning out of the way just before Kichiro's claws connected with his flesh, Ryomaru rounded his on twin and snorted. “That all you got, Kich?”

 

“Nope . . . just thinking of your mate.”

 

“Oh? And how's that?”

 

“Feh! I know that Nez hates blood, you baka---something you seem to have forgotten!”

 

“Shut up, Kich, before I decide to gut you!”

 

Kichiro shot forward, shoving Ryomaru stumbling back with a well-placed fist to his gut. “You do that a lot of late, Ryo---forgetting stuff, I mean.”

 

“Oi!” Ryomaru snarled as Kichiro leapt at him again.

 

Ryomaru stayed in his crouch, shooting to his feet as Kichiro closed in on him. Heaving himself at Kichiro, Ryomaru bore him to the ground.

 

Something whistled through the air, hitting the ground all around the brothers. Grass and dirt exploded from the impacts, and Ryomaru stopped, fist drawn back, before he slowly turned his head to face the intruder.

 

“Well, now they've done it,” InuYasha muttered dryly.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed and nodded.

 

Ryomaru sat back as Kichiro shoved him off his chest. The twins slowly turned to stare at the patio---and the very irritated expression gracing their aunt's face. Poised with her wind fans open and ready, she flicked them once as she pinned each of them with her formidable glare. “I think you boys have had quite enough fun for one night . . . don't you?”

 

“Oh, damn,” Shippou muttered.

 

Ryomaru stood up, grudgingly offering Kichiro a hand. Just as grudgingly, Kichiro accepted.

 

Kagura wasn't finished. “Your mother is taking Nezumi home . . . in case you wanted to know, Ryomaru. She looked like she was going to be sick.”

 

He winced before he could stop himself.

 

“Ryo . . .” He slowly turned to face his father as InuYasha ambled toward him. “Got two words for you, pup: Run. Fast.”

 

“I have two words for you, too,” Kichiro volunteered. “Dumb. Ass.”

 

As dearly as Ryomaru might have liked to light into his brother for that, InuYasha was right. If he didn't hurry and make it back to Nezumi's before she had a chance to shift from upset to full-blown anger, there really would be hell to pay.

 

With a few choice curses, Ryomaru sprinted around the mansion and toward the gates of the estate.

 

 

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A/N:

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eave

 

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Final Thought from Nezumi:

What the hell was that???

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Forever): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~