InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Special delivery ❯ Release ( Chapter 81 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: saphira404 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.01.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 233 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.01.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 233 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 81: Release
A/N: Hello dear readers, here’s the next update. Once again I changed the title of the chapter, this just feels more fitting. Now onto more serious stuff. I know I’ve been saying that the end of the story is coming close, but it’s taking me much longer to put together everything I have been planning for the past three years (Yes SD has been around for a long time!). I so do not want to disappoint all of you, so I will take things slowly to make sure everything makes sense.
I do understand if some of you are getting tired and annoyed with the way the story is unfolding. But bear with me for now as things will be moving along faster after this chapter. The events that will be occurring starting from now are the reason I actually started writing this fic. The story was in fact built backwards, so even if it may seem like things are going in all crazy directions, I do have a plan, and Special Delivery will indeed end (at some point).
Still no reviews, but no matter, it’s good enough to know you guys are still reading :)
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, Sesshy and Kagura would be happily mated and working on silver haired baby number three by now…
“Talking”
‘Thinking’
Sesshoumaru’s golden gaze rested on the bold large white ‘33’ painted in block letters on the rusty gate he and members of his rescue team were standing in front of.
‘This is it. This is where that damn spider has been keeping Kanna.’ He thought, clenching his fist in anger.
“Keh! Are we going in to get your kid back, or do you intend to wait until the sun comes up?” Inuyasha snorted. His own golden eyes had not left his brother ever since they had left the Fujibayashi mansion; especially while they had been driving through the dark night streets. It certainly in his opinion was a better alternative to watching Kouga lovingly check over his adored gun, which he had named the Goraishi. Based on its massive size, something told the half demon that the firearm did not comply with the regulations of the police force, but stayed his tongue; the last thing he wanted was to get in another argument with Kouga.
Inuyasha had noticed that during the whole drive Sesshoumaru had an unusual angry scowl on his face, which the inu hanyou was pretty sure was due to what he had done to his fiancée. No one other than the inu hanyou could understand better the need to protect his woman, but he was sure that he would have never resorted to drugging Kagome in order to prevent her from following him.
‘Even if it’s for the witch’s safety, something tells me that Kagura’s going to be mad as hell the second she gets her hands on Sessh. Maybe having Kanna back will make things easier… Now if only all these idiots could just agree so we can get the kid back already!’ A truly annoyed Inuyasha thought to himself as he stared up at the bright full moon, which was the only light shining on the group.
During the time he spent thinking about his brother, Kouga and Jakotsu were engaging in a battle of wills, trying to come up with the best plan of action, Sango and Miroku were trying to prevent them from fighting while at the same time assuring that they would not make a lot of noise lest Naraku notice the group of people standing outside of his hideout. When it came to Bankotsu, he was just looking over the group, an amused grin on his face.
“I am going in.” The dog demon stepped forward, and placed his clawed hand on the handle of the large discolored gate.
“Ah finally some action.” An overeager Jakotsu exclaimed. Had it not been for Bankotsu who had asked him to wait for a signal from the dog demon, and Kouga who had disagreed with every single one of his suggestions, the young flamboyant human would have already barged into the warehouse the second they had found it.
“Wow! Wait, you can’t do that. We need to follow a plan!” Kouga rushed towards the dog demon, but was too late; Sesshoumaru had already yanked the heavy gate opened, and had stepped inside, Jakotsu, Bankotsu and Inuyasha following closely behind him. Sango and Miroku did as all of them. Even the young woman’s firecat demon faithfully followed after them, ready to help and protect her mistress any way she could.
“So much for the element of surprise.” Even if the wolf demon grumbled, he wasted no time following after Sesshoumaru’s quickly disappearing form.
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Asuka pulled the plush white terrycloth bathrobe tighter around her tall thin frame as her golden eyes stared down at the slowly draining bathtub she had left just a few seconds ago. She walked out of the luxurious bathroom of the hotel suite she had been living in for the past few weeks, and stepped towards the lavish living room attached to her bedroom. She sighed as she sunk into one of the comfortable gold and red armchairs adorning the room. A frown marred her crescent adorned forehead when among her mail she saw something unusual. The concierge had brought her correspondence earlier when she had been about to immerse herself in a relaxing bubbled bath, she had therefore not paid great attention to the pile of magazines and envelopes. Among the stack of mail, one envelope was catching her attention now; it was white, and was decorated with the hotel’s stamp. She wasted no time opening it, and the frown between her brows deepened.
“Pesky incompetent fools. How dare they ask me to pay?! I have been staying here for only a few weeks…” She forced herself to relax her face as the last thing she wanted was to get more wrinkles. “No need to get upset over this. I’ll just have to send the bill to Sesshoumaru’s retainer.” She muttered to herself as she threw the white envelop away on one of the carved wooden side table. “I didn’t want my dear son to know I was still in town, but it’s alright, he was probably going to find out soon enough anyways.”
Thinking about her only child caused a shiver to run down her spine, and it was not because her long silver hair was still damp from her bath. Despite how strained her relationship with Sesshoumaru was, it was because of him that she had rejected her ex boyfriend, the wealthy baron when he had asked her to resume their relationship and come back to his side. Of course if one was to ask, Asuka would have said she just wanted to make the older German man beg for her return. In reality the dog demoness was worried about her son, and especially his relationship with Kagura. She could not exactly say why, but Asuka just knew the young former prostitute would cause more issues to her son than the embarrassment he had had to suffer during the memorial ceremony and dinner held in his father’s memory.
‘I am sure this woman will be his downfall, and what kind of mother would I be if I did not watch out for my dear son.’ She thought to herself as she picked up a magazine, and made herself more comfortable in the plush seat. ‘I just have to wait until the opportunity presents itself, and I will get him rid of her negative influence.’
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Upon entering Naraku’s hiding place, Sesshoumaru realized that several of his assumptions were clearly wrong. In fact he had expected for the warehouse to be plunged in darkness, but its inside was bathed in light coming from large lamps hanging from the beams that were supporting the heavy roof. Another source of light was long strings of light bulbs looped around the heavy pillars on which the weight of the structure was resting. He could not help but note that they looked like grim Christmas lights.
Sesshoumaru had expected to see his daughter’s small body huddled in a corner of the warehouse, gagged, her limbs bound together with the hanyou threatening her one way or another. And when it came to Naraku, he had thought that the hanyou would be in plain sight as soon as he opened the gate… but this was not the case. To his disappointment neither his daughter nor Naraku were visible.
“What is the meaning of this?” He growled, his eyes taking in the empty warehouse. It was a fairly large space made up of walls painted in grey, which had seen better days and were now tainted with a brownish color. The only pieces of furniture present in the room were a large lumpy old couch and the other a wooden crate placed in front of the seat as a makeshift table. Against the furthest wall was a pile of crates and boxes. Even though this part of the warehouse was not as lightened as the others, they could all see that the pile was so great that it occupied the entire length of the wall, and almost reached the massive metal beams supporting the aluminum roof of the warehouse.
“He must be here. Mayumi didn’t say anything about them moving…” Jakotsu was extremely disappointed. He had been so sure that they would be finding Kanna here.
“See that’s why we need plans. Next time listen to me, okay. I am a lieutenant after all.” Kouga grumbled even if no one paid him any attention.
“My my, what a surprise, I really had not expected so many of you to come join our little party.” An irritatingly sweet voice resonated around the group of rescuers. They each started looking around, wondering where the exact location of the hanyou was.
“Naraku!” Sesshoumaru could not help but bark out; the idea of finally have the crafty half demon close enough caused him to momentarily put aside his usual unfeeling veneer. However he quickly put it back up; it would not do for Naraku to know how much he had managed to affect him after all.
Following his senses made it easy for him to locate the position of Naraku. The hanyou was looking down at them from a platform leading to what seemed to be a smaller second story. Sesshoumaru cursed the fact that he had not beforehand noticed the hidden set of stairs leading to an upper level which was located behind them. He was willing to bet that it was the only access up and down the second level of the warehouse, which he was sure was where Kanna was being kept.
‘Naraku will then surely do everything to secure the staircase so as to be able to weasel himself away from me. Unfortunately for him, I have no intention to let him get past me again.’ The dog demon thought to himself even as he started walking towards the stairs.
“They do say the more the merrier, so allow me to make a quick phone call.” The words had barely left Naraku’s lips that he reached for his cell phone. He wasted no time making use of the speed dial. “Come and get me rid of them as per our agreement.”
Sensing that a fight was sure to ensure soon enough, Inuyasha loudly cracked his knuckles, Sango unstrapped her trusted hiraikotsu from her back, and Kirara following her cue changed into her grown form and let out a fearsome roar. Kouga slipped his Goraishi out of its holster, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu echoed his action and too took out their firearms. Miroku who had always been more apt with his fists than a gun, picked up a metal pole that had been lying around. It would do well enough as a weapon for him.
Sesshoumaru however stayed as stoic as ever; his eyes were trained on the hanyou as he reached the first step of the stairs. To his shock a group of armed men dressed in all black suddenly stormed inside the warehouse, using a side door which had been hidden by the pile of wooden crates and cardboard boxes placed against the furthest wall.
He briefly hesitated. On the one hand he could not wait to be reunited with his daughter, and to punish Naraku for all the pain he had caused his family, but on the other hand he was not sure his associates would be able to handle the group of armed men Naraku had hired. As if sensing his brother’s dilemma, Inuyasha briefly looked away from the growing number of men dressed in all black and armed to the teeth, and addressed the dog demon.
“Keh! What the hell are you waiting for? Go get your kid while we take care of these henchmen.”
Silently nodding his thanks, Sesshoumaru did as told and took the stairs two at a time. As he reached the platform nestled under the ceiling, a voice reached him, a voice which grated on his nerves.
“What a surprise. You are quite a heartless man and a true coward my dear son in-law; letting your friends fight your battles…” Naraku chuckled as he spied Sesshoumaru walking towards him. The hanyou hated the fact that his enemy had not taken the time to help out his friends, which would have in turn enabled the half demon to run away unnoticed as he had planned.
As he reflected on his failed plan, Naraku’s usual taunting grin disappeared, but was soon to come back when he thought about one bright point in his plan. ‘At least the men I hired have not failed me… I had a feeling Sesshoumaru would be coming tonight, and had them waiting in standby. Once again my instincts did not fail me.’
Even if Sesshoumaru did not remove his gaze from the dark half demon as he listened to Naraku’s jab he could not help but feel a twinge of worry. His brother who he considered to be a reckless idiot was about to have a second child and get married, and the last thing he wanted was to have to tell Kagome that her fiancé had died while on his watch. He was not either too keen on the idea of telling Ayame that the father of her young child had also been harmed while working for him. He of course also felt responsible for Miroku and Sango, and did not want to see anything happen to the young human couple. When it came to Bankotsu and Jakotsu, he might not like them, but Kagura did, a lot. And in addition they had been the one to locate his daughter, so he did owe them a major debt. Sesshoumaru shook his head, and pushed down his worry. He continued toward the half demon, staying focused on his goal; they had not gotten so far, and sacrificed so much for him to give up now. Not to mention the fact that he wanted to make sure his daughter was fine.
The repetitive sound of a loud machinegun resonating from downstairs was enough to drag the dog demon out of his thoughts; he knew that none of his collaborators had been using such a deadly weapon, and therefore was certain one of Naraku’s men had been the one behind the attack. He could only hope that it had left all of his ‘friends’ unharmed.
“Oh let us just hope these bullets did not go through your brother’s brain.” The grin that appeared on Naraku’s face caused Sesshoumaru to glare at him.
‘I will not let that bastard get under my skin.’ The inu youkai vowed to himself. “Where is my daughter?”
“I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about…” Naraku started but just as Sesshoumaru was about to call him on his obvious lie, a side door located between them was thrown opened. The inu youkai was enraged that he had not even noticed it beforehand. Something told Sesshoumaru this had been Naraku’s emergency escape route, and that if he had not hurried over, the spider half demon would have slipped through his fingers while he and his companions fought off the men the hanyou had hired. The thought of it angered him; however, some relief was soon to come for him. The person who soon appeared was none other than Mayumi who was cradling a scared Kanna in her arms. The little girl had screwed her eyes shut, and was holding her hands over her ears, hoping to tune out the loud fighting noises and screams coming from downstairs.
“He’s lying, she is here.” As soon as Sesshoumaru looked at the young pale haired demoness who had just spoken, he knew exactly who she was. He had no doubt that she was Naraku’s accomplice, the one who had taken Kanna from the daycare.
Tentatively Mayumi walked towards the scary and imposing dog demon. She ignored Naraku who was glaring hatefully at her back, which did not surprise her as she opposed his direct order to leave and take Kanna with her.
Sesshoumaru allowed himself a short moment of weakness, and let out a relieved sigh. “Kanna” he called out to his daughter. It was only when Mayumi gently jostled the child that she opened her eyes. Upon seeing her father, Kanna broke down in tears, a very uncommon sight for Sesshoumaru. For as long as he had known the little girl, he had only seen her cry a handful of times. He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms to not only assure himself that she was doing alright, but also to comfort her. However he did not dare as Naraku was still there, still representing a threat. He weighed his options, and knew that the only way for him to ensure his daughter’s safety would be to trust the woman who had taken her away from him.
“Take Kanna, and leave this place.” He then fished out the keys to his car from his pocket, and threw them towards Mayumi’s feet even as his eye stayed trained on Naraku. If the hanyou dared move a muscle, he would kill him. Even if he did not want his daughter to be scarred by the sight of Naraku being reduced to a pile of vile goo because of one of his poison attack, it was a risk he was more than willing to take to ensure that the half demon would not escape him again. “There is a black car parked in the front. Lock the two of you in it until I go fetch you.” Sesshoumaru instructed the young demoness.
Not wasting any time, Mayumi crouched and picked up the keys, never letting go of the sobbing child. The young demoness then quickly walked towards the dog demon, and the staircase behind him. She knew that the second she walked past him, she would be out of Naraku’s range, and therefore safe. All she could do was hope that Sesshoumaru would protect not only his daughter, but her as well. Not sure, she decided to put all the odds on her side.
“I will do as you ask… but only if you promise not to hurt me… and can assure me my mom is alright. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
In the few words she spoke, Sesshoumaru understood how Jakotsu and Bankotsu had exactly gotten Mayumi to cooperate. He was also certain it would be another way to make sure she would not betray him either.
‘As annoying as the two men may be, I know they would not hurt an old woman.’ He thought to himself before he spoke up. “She is unharmed, and will be returned to you as soon as the spider is dealt with, and my daughter returned to her mother. When it comes to you, you will be fine as long as you do as you are told, and do not lay a finger on my child.”
“I will do anything you ask me to.” Mayumi vowed as she clutched Kanna closer to her side. Even if the battle was still raging downstairs, she was sure that she could slip outside, and get Kanna and herself to safety if she used the second staircase, the one hiding behind the door she had entered the room from. As if sensing what she intended to do, Sesshoumaru walked forward positioning himself between the seething hanyou, and the only way for his daughter to be evacuated safely. He was more than willing to be a shield for both his daughter and Mayumi.
Thankful, the young woman quickly made her way over to the side door, ready to make a quick exit; she had seen the dark look present in Naraku’s eyes way too many times to know it meant he was about to hurt someone, and she could only hope it would not be her.
As much as she really hated being in Naraku’s presence, Kanna did not want to be separated from her father. “Daddy…” She started, but the dog demon did not even spare her a glance.
“Do as you are told Kanna-chan. I will take care of Naraku, and make sure he will never harm you again. Soon you will be home with your mother, and everything will be well.” His use of the endearment for the first time was enough to mollify her, and his comforting words ensured her cooperation.
“Ku ku ku, do you really think I would let you slip out of my fingers you ungrateful bitch?” Naraku reached behind for his belt to retrieve the gun he had concealed. He pointed the weapon at the pale and shivering young woman who was just about to slip outside.
“As if this Sesshoumaru would let you.” He growled as he stepped right in the path of any bullet Naraku could shoot at the girls.
‘I am a strong demon, and can handle being shot; it will in no way prevent me from getting us rid of Naraku… for good.’ He thought to himself as his golden eyes stayed stuck on the hanyou, and especially his shaking hand which was holding on to the weapon. The slight show of weakness led Sesshoumaru to believe that his enemy would not dare shoot him. ‘As crazed as he may be, the hanyou is and has always been a coward. He would therefore never dare shoot a bullet into me. The only thing he is interested in is money, and he will not dare jeopardize any money entry.’ Sesshoumaru thought to himself.
Unfortunately for him, he was wrong.
“Ku ku ku my dear Sesshoumaru, it is very honorable to see how willing you are to protect Kagura’s bastard child and that useless bitch of Mayumi, but really you shouldn’t. Didn’t your mother tell you, ‘if you play with fire, you get burned’.” As soon as the words left his mouth the spider half demon pulled the trigger.
The bullet flew out of the barrel of the gun so fast that Sesshoumaru did not even see it. The first thing that ran through his mind then was how shocked he was to see that the dark hanyou had actually dared use his weapon against him. He then smelt the gun powder, and felt the painful burn of the piece of metal as it tore through his skin and flesh. One thing that really registered through him as Naraku shot him was Kanna’s anguish filled scream.
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As a deafening sound of a gunshot went off upstairs, and the scent of his older brother’s acidic blood became even more pronounced, Inuyasha could not help but let out a loud expletive. He wiped the blood that was dripping in his left eye, courtesy of a well aimed punch to the head from one of Naraku’s henchmen. His golden eyes travelled around the room, and he was relieved to see that he and his companions had managed to knock out almost of all the armed men sent by the spider half demon.
“Hey mangy wolf! Do you have things in hand here?” He asked his friend.
“Don’t worry Dogshit, we can handle the rest of them.” Kouga interrupted himself to block a punch one of Naraku’s hired men was trying to deliver to his face. “Go help your brother. Looks like the old bastard could use a hand.” He then grunted. He too could distinguish the steadily growing smell of the dog demon’s blood, and was worried for him.
Not needing to be told twice, the half dog demon did as suggested, and hurried over to the set of stairs. As he climbed up, he could discern more and more the scent of his brother’s blood in the air, and that worried him. As he finally reached the upper level of the warehouse, he could not help but halt. He knew the scene that greeted his eyes would stay etched in his mind forever: an unknown young demoness was holding on to a sobbing Kanna as the two of them stared helplessly at a large pool of Sesshoumaru’s sizzling acidic blood quickly spreading on the ground.
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Kagura’s eyes snapped opened as soon as her mind was clear of the fog the herbal mix had brought upon. She quickly sat up and was surprised to find herself under the covers of the bed in the bedroom her mother had prepared for her in her mansion. It took a few seconds for her to remember what had happened, and how she had gotten there. One thing she really remembered was how the dog demon had drugged her to make sure that she would not go with them to rescue their daughter.
“That bastard of Sesshoumaru.” She growled as she sat up, and jumped out of the bed. She did not know exactly where Naraku was hiding, but she was sure that if she was to call Jakotsu right now, the young human would tell her where they were.
By the time the wind sorceress had made it to the door of her bedroom, it was thrown opened. She only had enough time to take a quick step back to avoid having the wooden door knock her face. To her surprise and relief, Inuyasha stepped inside, cradling none other than Kanna in his arms. Even though the young hanyou had a nasty bleeding bruise on his forehead, and seemed to be slightly limping, there was only one thing Kagura’s eyes were stuck on: her daughter’s tear stained face.
“Kanna-chan!” She exclaimed as she took the young child in her arms. Kagura ran her hands over Kanna’s body, trying to assess if she was unharmed. “Oh my baby. I’m so happy you’re okay.” As much as she tried not to cry, the wind sorceress could not help but sob as she squeezed the small warm body to herself. A smile did appear on her lips when the child returned the constricting hug by looping her arms around her mother’s neck. Her small gesture was rewarded by a kiss to the top of her downy head.
“Thank you! Thank you for bringing my baby back to me.” Kagura looked away from Kanna’s head to look at her lover’s younger brother. “Why the long face? Kanna’s back, everything’s fine now. By the way where’s Sessh? I could almost forgive him for drugging me right now.” She chuckled gently.
“Kagura…” Inuyasha started then interrupted himself, struggling to let out the words he needed to speak. ‘She needs to hear it from me, not anyone else.’ He tried gathering some strength.
“Something happened…” The hanyou tried again to explain the situation, but found his throat to be constricted.
“What? What is it? Tell me what happened!” She ordered the half demon, a feeling of unease growing inside her. Something told her that there was more to her daughter’s tears than the fact that they had been reunited.
He reluctantly opened his mouth and said the words she dreaded. “It’s Sesshoumaru, Naraku shot him.”
And just like that Kagura knew exactly what it meant to go from the greatest of joys to the deepest of sorrows.
To be continued…
A/N: I did say things would accelerate, did I not? We’ll see what happens next time. I don’t know yet how the chapter will be named, but I will try to update as soon as possible :)
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A/N: Hello dear readers, here’s the next update. Once again I changed the title of the chapter, this just feels more fitting. Now onto more serious stuff. I know I’ve been saying that the end of the story is coming close, but it’s taking me much longer to put together everything I have been planning for the past three years (Yes SD has been around for a long time!). I so do not want to disappoint all of you, so I will take things slowly to make sure everything makes sense.
I do understand if some of you are getting tired and annoyed with the way the story is unfolding. But bear with me for now as things will be moving along faster after this chapter. The events that will be occurring starting from now are the reason I actually started writing this fic. The story was in fact built backwards, so even if it may seem like things are going in all crazy directions, I do have a plan, and Special Delivery will indeed end (at some point).
Still no reviews, but no matter, it’s good enough to know you guys are still reading :)
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, Sesshy and Kagura would be happily mated and working on silver haired baby number three by now…
“Talking”
‘Thinking’
Sesshoumaru’s golden gaze rested on the bold large white ‘33’ painted in block letters on the rusty gate he and members of his rescue team were standing in front of.
‘This is it. This is where that damn spider has been keeping Kanna.’ He thought, clenching his fist in anger.
“Keh! Are we going in to get your kid back, or do you intend to wait until the sun comes up?” Inuyasha snorted. His own golden eyes had not left his brother ever since they had left the Fujibayashi mansion; especially while they had been driving through the dark night streets. It certainly in his opinion was a better alternative to watching Kouga lovingly check over his adored gun, which he had named the Goraishi. Based on its massive size, something told the half demon that the firearm did not comply with the regulations of the police force, but stayed his tongue; the last thing he wanted was to get in another argument with Kouga.
Inuyasha had noticed that during the whole drive Sesshoumaru had an unusual angry scowl on his face, which the inu hanyou was pretty sure was due to what he had done to his fiancée. No one other than the inu hanyou could understand better the need to protect his woman, but he was sure that he would have never resorted to drugging Kagome in order to prevent her from following him.
‘Even if it’s for the witch’s safety, something tells me that Kagura’s going to be mad as hell the second she gets her hands on Sessh. Maybe having Kanna back will make things easier… Now if only all these idiots could just agree so we can get the kid back already!’ A truly annoyed Inuyasha thought to himself as he stared up at the bright full moon, which was the only light shining on the group.
During the time he spent thinking about his brother, Kouga and Jakotsu were engaging in a battle of wills, trying to come up with the best plan of action, Sango and Miroku were trying to prevent them from fighting while at the same time assuring that they would not make a lot of noise lest Naraku notice the group of people standing outside of his hideout. When it came to Bankotsu, he was just looking over the group, an amused grin on his face.
“I am going in.” The dog demon stepped forward, and placed his clawed hand on the handle of the large discolored gate.
“Ah finally some action.” An overeager Jakotsu exclaimed. Had it not been for Bankotsu who had asked him to wait for a signal from the dog demon, and Kouga who had disagreed with every single one of his suggestions, the young flamboyant human would have already barged into the warehouse the second they had found it.
“Wow! Wait, you can’t do that. We need to follow a plan!” Kouga rushed towards the dog demon, but was too late; Sesshoumaru had already yanked the heavy gate opened, and had stepped inside, Jakotsu, Bankotsu and Inuyasha following closely behind him. Sango and Miroku did as all of them. Even the young woman’s firecat demon faithfully followed after them, ready to help and protect her mistress any way she could.
“So much for the element of surprise.” Even if the wolf demon grumbled, he wasted no time following after Sesshoumaru’s quickly disappearing form.
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Asuka pulled the plush white terrycloth bathrobe tighter around her tall thin frame as her golden eyes stared down at the slowly draining bathtub she had left just a few seconds ago. She walked out of the luxurious bathroom of the hotel suite she had been living in for the past few weeks, and stepped towards the lavish living room attached to her bedroom. She sighed as she sunk into one of the comfortable gold and red armchairs adorning the room. A frown marred her crescent adorned forehead when among her mail she saw something unusual. The concierge had brought her correspondence earlier when she had been about to immerse herself in a relaxing bubbled bath, she had therefore not paid great attention to the pile of magazines and envelopes. Among the stack of mail, one envelope was catching her attention now; it was white, and was decorated with the hotel’s stamp. She wasted no time opening it, and the frown between her brows deepened.
“Pesky incompetent fools. How dare they ask me to pay?! I have been staying here for only a few weeks…” She forced herself to relax her face as the last thing she wanted was to get more wrinkles. “No need to get upset over this. I’ll just have to send the bill to Sesshoumaru’s retainer.” She muttered to herself as she threw the white envelop away on one of the carved wooden side table. “I didn’t want my dear son to know I was still in town, but it’s alright, he was probably going to find out soon enough anyways.”
Thinking about her only child caused a shiver to run down her spine, and it was not because her long silver hair was still damp from her bath. Despite how strained her relationship with Sesshoumaru was, it was because of him that she had rejected her ex boyfriend, the wealthy baron when he had asked her to resume their relationship and come back to his side. Of course if one was to ask, Asuka would have said she just wanted to make the older German man beg for her return. In reality the dog demoness was worried about her son, and especially his relationship with Kagura. She could not exactly say why, but Asuka just knew the young former prostitute would cause more issues to her son than the embarrassment he had had to suffer during the memorial ceremony and dinner held in his father’s memory.
‘I am sure this woman will be his downfall, and what kind of mother would I be if I did not watch out for my dear son.’ She thought to herself as she picked up a magazine, and made herself more comfortable in the plush seat. ‘I just have to wait until the opportunity presents itself, and I will get him rid of her negative influence.’
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Upon entering Naraku’s hiding place, Sesshoumaru realized that several of his assumptions were clearly wrong. In fact he had expected for the warehouse to be plunged in darkness, but its inside was bathed in light coming from large lamps hanging from the beams that were supporting the heavy roof. Another source of light was long strings of light bulbs looped around the heavy pillars on which the weight of the structure was resting. He could not help but note that they looked like grim Christmas lights.
Sesshoumaru had expected to see his daughter’s small body huddled in a corner of the warehouse, gagged, her limbs bound together with the hanyou threatening her one way or another. And when it came to Naraku, he had thought that the hanyou would be in plain sight as soon as he opened the gate… but this was not the case. To his disappointment neither his daughter nor Naraku were visible.
“What is the meaning of this?” He growled, his eyes taking in the empty warehouse. It was a fairly large space made up of walls painted in grey, which had seen better days and were now tainted with a brownish color. The only pieces of furniture present in the room were a large lumpy old couch and the other a wooden crate placed in front of the seat as a makeshift table. Against the furthest wall was a pile of crates and boxes. Even though this part of the warehouse was not as lightened as the others, they could all see that the pile was so great that it occupied the entire length of the wall, and almost reached the massive metal beams supporting the aluminum roof of the warehouse.
“He must be here. Mayumi didn’t say anything about them moving…” Jakotsu was extremely disappointed. He had been so sure that they would be finding Kanna here.
“See that’s why we need plans. Next time listen to me, okay. I am a lieutenant after all.” Kouga grumbled even if no one paid him any attention.
“My my, what a surprise, I really had not expected so many of you to come join our little party.” An irritatingly sweet voice resonated around the group of rescuers. They each started looking around, wondering where the exact location of the hanyou was.
“Naraku!” Sesshoumaru could not help but bark out; the idea of finally have the crafty half demon close enough caused him to momentarily put aside his usual unfeeling veneer. However he quickly put it back up; it would not do for Naraku to know how much he had managed to affect him after all.
Following his senses made it easy for him to locate the position of Naraku. The hanyou was looking down at them from a platform leading to what seemed to be a smaller second story. Sesshoumaru cursed the fact that he had not beforehand noticed the hidden set of stairs leading to an upper level which was located behind them. He was willing to bet that it was the only access up and down the second level of the warehouse, which he was sure was where Kanna was being kept.
‘Naraku will then surely do everything to secure the staircase so as to be able to weasel himself away from me. Unfortunately for him, I have no intention to let him get past me again.’ The dog demon thought to himself even as he started walking towards the stairs.
“They do say the more the merrier, so allow me to make a quick phone call.” The words had barely left Naraku’s lips that he reached for his cell phone. He wasted no time making use of the speed dial. “Come and get me rid of them as per our agreement.”
Sensing that a fight was sure to ensure soon enough, Inuyasha loudly cracked his knuckles, Sango unstrapped her trusted hiraikotsu from her back, and Kirara following her cue changed into her grown form and let out a fearsome roar. Kouga slipped his Goraishi out of its holster, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu echoed his action and too took out their firearms. Miroku who had always been more apt with his fists than a gun, picked up a metal pole that had been lying around. It would do well enough as a weapon for him.
Sesshoumaru however stayed as stoic as ever; his eyes were trained on the hanyou as he reached the first step of the stairs. To his shock a group of armed men dressed in all black suddenly stormed inside the warehouse, using a side door which had been hidden by the pile of wooden crates and cardboard boxes placed against the furthest wall.
He briefly hesitated. On the one hand he could not wait to be reunited with his daughter, and to punish Naraku for all the pain he had caused his family, but on the other hand he was not sure his associates would be able to handle the group of armed men Naraku had hired. As if sensing his brother’s dilemma, Inuyasha briefly looked away from the growing number of men dressed in all black and armed to the teeth, and addressed the dog demon.
“Keh! What the hell are you waiting for? Go get your kid while we take care of these henchmen.”
Silently nodding his thanks, Sesshoumaru did as told and took the stairs two at a time. As he reached the platform nestled under the ceiling, a voice reached him, a voice which grated on his nerves.
“What a surprise. You are quite a heartless man and a true coward my dear son in-law; letting your friends fight your battles…” Naraku chuckled as he spied Sesshoumaru walking towards him. The hanyou hated the fact that his enemy had not taken the time to help out his friends, which would have in turn enabled the half demon to run away unnoticed as he had planned.
As he reflected on his failed plan, Naraku’s usual taunting grin disappeared, but was soon to come back when he thought about one bright point in his plan. ‘At least the men I hired have not failed me… I had a feeling Sesshoumaru would be coming tonight, and had them waiting in standby. Once again my instincts did not fail me.’
Even if Sesshoumaru did not remove his gaze from the dark half demon as he listened to Naraku’s jab he could not help but feel a twinge of worry. His brother who he considered to be a reckless idiot was about to have a second child and get married, and the last thing he wanted was to have to tell Kagome that her fiancé had died while on his watch. He was not either too keen on the idea of telling Ayame that the father of her young child had also been harmed while working for him. He of course also felt responsible for Miroku and Sango, and did not want to see anything happen to the young human couple. When it came to Bankotsu and Jakotsu, he might not like them, but Kagura did, a lot. And in addition they had been the one to locate his daughter, so he did owe them a major debt. Sesshoumaru shook his head, and pushed down his worry. He continued toward the half demon, staying focused on his goal; they had not gotten so far, and sacrificed so much for him to give up now. Not to mention the fact that he wanted to make sure his daughter was fine.
The repetitive sound of a loud machinegun resonating from downstairs was enough to drag the dog demon out of his thoughts; he knew that none of his collaborators had been using such a deadly weapon, and therefore was certain one of Naraku’s men had been the one behind the attack. He could only hope that it had left all of his ‘friends’ unharmed.
“Oh let us just hope these bullets did not go through your brother’s brain.” The grin that appeared on Naraku’s face caused Sesshoumaru to glare at him.
‘I will not let that bastard get under my skin.’ The inu youkai vowed to himself. “Where is my daughter?”
“I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about…” Naraku started but just as Sesshoumaru was about to call him on his obvious lie, a side door located between them was thrown opened. The inu youkai was enraged that he had not even noticed it beforehand. Something told Sesshoumaru this had been Naraku’s emergency escape route, and that if he had not hurried over, the spider half demon would have slipped through his fingers while he and his companions fought off the men the hanyou had hired. The thought of it angered him; however, some relief was soon to come for him. The person who soon appeared was none other than Mayumi who was cradling a scared Kanna in her arms. The little girl had screwed her eyes shut, and was holding her hands over her ears, hoping to tune out the loud fighting noises and screams coming from downstairs.
“He’s lying, she is here.” As soon as Sesshoumaru looked at the young pale haired demoness who had just spoken, he knew exactly who she was. He had no doubt that she was Naraku’s accomplice, the one who had taken Kanna from the daycare.
Tentatively Mayumi walked towards the scary and imposing dog demon. She ignored Naraku who was glaring hatefully at her back, which did not surprise her as she opposed his direct order to leave and take Kanna with her.
Sesshoumaru allowed himself a short moment of weakness, and let out a relieved sigh. “Kanna” he called out to his daughter. It was only when Mayumi gently jostled the child that she opened her eyes. Upon seeing her father, Kanna broke down in tears, a very uncommon sight for Sesshoumaru. For as long as he had known the little girl, he had only seen her cry a handful of times. He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms to not only assure himself that she was doing alright, but also to comfort her. However he did not dare as Naraku was still there, still representing a threat. He weighed his options, and knew that the only way for him to ensure his daughter’s safety would be to trust the woman who had taken her away from him.
“Take Kanna, and leave this place.” He then fished out the keys to his car from his pocket, and threw them towards Mayumi’s feet even as his eye stayed trained on Naraku. If the hanyou dared move a muscle, he would kill him. Even if he did not want his daughter to be scarred by the sight of Naraku being reduced to a pile of vile goo because of one of his poison attack, it was a risk he was more than willing to take to ensure that the half demon would not escape him again. “There is a black car parked in the front. Lock the two of you in it until I go fetch you.” Sesshoumaru instructed the young demoness.
Not wasting any time, Mayumi crouched and picked up the keys, never letting go of the sobbing child. The young demoness then quickly walked towards the dog demon, and the staircase behind him. She knew that the second she walked past him, she would be out of Naraku’s range, and therefore safe. All she could do was hope that Sesshoumaru would protect not only his daughter, but her as well. Not sure, she decided to put all the odds on her side.
“I will do as you ask… but only if you promise not to hurt me… and can assure me my mom is alright. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
In the few words she spoke, Sesshoumaru understood how Jakotsu and Bankotsu had exactly gotten Mayumi to cooperate. He was also certain it would be another way to make sure she would not betray him either.
‘As annoying as the two men may be, I know they would not hurt an old woman.’ He thought to himself before he spoke up. “She is unharmed, and will be returned to you as soon as the spider is dealt with, and my daughter returned to her mother. When it comes to you, you will be fine as long as you do as you are told, and do not lay a finger on my child.”
“I will do anything you ask me to.” Mayumi vowed as she clutched Kanna closer to her side. Even if the battle was still raging downstairs, she was sure that she could slip outside, and get Kanna and herself to safety if she used the second staircase, the one hiding behind the door she had entered the room from. As if sensing what she intended to do, Sesshoumaru walked forward positioning himself between the seething hanyou, and the only way for his daughter to be evacuated safely. He was more than willing to be a shield for both his daughter and Mayumi.
Thankful, the young woman quickly made her way over to the side door, ready to make a quick exit; she had seen the dark look present in Naraku’s eyes way too many times to know it meant he was about to hurt someone, and she could only hope it would not be her.
As much as she really hated being in Naraku’s presence, Kanna did not want to be separated from her father. “Daddy…” She started, but the dog demon did not even spare her a glance.
“Do as you are told Kanna-chan. I will take care of Naraku, and make sure he will never harm you again. Soon you will be home with your mother, and everything will be well.” His use of the endearment for the first time was enough to mollify her, and his comforting words ensured her cooperation.
“Ku ku ku, do you really think I would let you slip out of my fingers you ungrateful bitch?” Naraku reached behind for his belt to retrieve the gun he had concealed. He pointed the weapon at the pale and shivering young woman who was just about to slip outside.
“As if this Sesshoumaru would let you.” He growled as he stepped right in the path of any bullet Naraku could shoot at the girls.
‘I am a strong demon, and can handle being shot; it will in no way prevent me from getting us rid of Naraku… for good.’ He thought to himself as his golden eyes stayed stuck on the hanyou, and especially his shaking hand which was holding on to the weapon. The slight show of weakness led Sesshoumaru to believe that his enemy would not dare shoot him. ‘As crazed as he may be, the hanyou is and has always been a coward. He would therefore never dare shoot a bullet into me. The only thing he is interested in is money, and he will not dare jeopardize any money entry.’ Sesshoumaru thought to himself.
Unfortunately for him, he was wrong.
“Ku ku ku my dear Sesshoumaru, it is very honorable to see how willing you are to protect Kagura’s bastard child and that useless bitch of Mayumi, but really you shouldn’t. Didn’t your mother tell you, ‘if you play with fire, you get burned’.” As soon as the words left his mouth the spider half demon pulled the trigger.
The bullet flew out of the barrel of the gun so fast that Sesshoumaru did not even see it. The first thing that ran through his mind then was how shocked he was to see that the dark hanyou had actually dared use his weapon against him. He then smelt the gun powder, and felt the painful burn of the piece of metal as it tore through his skin and flesh. One thing that really registered through him as Naraku shot him was Kanna’s anguish filled scream.
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As a deafening sound of a gunshot went off upstairs, and the scent of his older brother’s acidic blood became even more pronounced, Inuyasha could not help but let out a loud expletive. He wiped the blood that was dripping in his left eye, courtesy of a well aimed punch to the head from one of Naraku’s henchmen. His golden eyes travelled around the room, and he was relieved to see that he and his companions had managed to knock out almost of all the armed men sent by the spider half demon.
“Hey mangy wolf! Do you have things in hand here?” He asked his friend.
“Don’t worry Dogshit, we can handle the rest of them.” Kouga interrupted himself to block a punch one of Naraku’s hired men was trying to deliver to his face. “Go help your brother. Looks like the old bastard could use a hand.” He then grunted. He too could distinguish the steadily growing smell of the dog demon’s blood, and was worried for him.
Not needing to be told twice, the half dog demon did as suggested, and hurried over to the set of stairs. As he climbed up, he could discern more and more the scent of his brother’s blood in the air, and that worried him. As he finally reached the upper level of the warehouse, he could not help but halt. He knew the scene that greeted his eyes would stay etched in his mind forever: an unknown young demoness was holding on to a sobbing Kanna as the two of them stared helplessly at a large pool of Sesshoumaru’s sizzling acidic blood quickly spreading on the ground.
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Kagura’s eyes snapped opened as soon as her mind was clear of the fog the herbal mix had brought upon. She quickly sat up and was surprised to find herself under the covers of the bed in the bedroom her mother had prepared for her in her mansion. It took a few seconds for her to remember what had happened, and how she had gotten there. One thing she really remembered was how the dog demon had drugged her to make sure that she would not go with them to rescue their daughter.
“That bastard of Sesshoumaru.” She growled as she sat up, and jumped out of the bed. She did not know exactly where Naraku was hiding, but she was sure that if she was to call Jakotsu right now, the young human would tell her where they were.
By the time the wind sorceress had made it to the door of her bedroom, it was thrown opened. She only had enough time to take a quick step back to avoid having the wooden door knock her face. To her surprise and relief, Inuyasha stepped inside, cradling none other than Kanna in his arms. Even though the young hanyou had a nasty bleeding bruise on his forehead, and seemed to be slightly limping, there was only one thing Kagura’s eyes were stuck on: her daughter’s tear stained face.
“Kanna-chan!” She exclaimed as she took the young child in her arms. Kagura ran her hands over Kanna’s body, trying to assess if she was unharmed. “Oh my baby. I’m so happy you’re okay.” As much as she tried not to cry, the wind sorceress could not help but sob as she squeezed the small warm body to herself. A smile did appear on her lips when the child returned the constricting hug by looping her arms around her mother’s neck. Her small gesture was rewarded by a kiss to the top of her downy head.
“Thank you! Thank you for bringing my baby back to me.” Kagura looked away from Kanna’s head to look at her lover’s younger brother. “Why the long face? Kanna’s back, everything’s fine now. By the way where’s Sessh? I could almost forgive him for drugging me right now.” She chuckled gently.
“Kagura…” Inuyasha started then interrupted himself, struggling to let out the words he needed to speak. ‘She needs to hear it from me, not anyone else.’ He tried gathering some strength.
“Something happened…” The hanyou tried again to explain the situation, but found his throat to be constricted.
“What? What is it? Tell me what happened!” She ordered the half demon, a feeling of unease growing inside her. Something told her that there was more to her daughter’s tears than the fact that they had been reunited.
He reluctantly opened his mouth and said the words she dreaded. “It’s Sesshoumaru, Naraku shot him.”
And just like that Kagura knew exactly what it meant to go from the greatest of joys to the deepest of sorrows.
To be continued…
A/N: I did say things would accelerate, did I not? We’ll see what happens next time. I don’t know yet how the chapter will be named, but I will try to update as soon as possible :)
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