InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 2 Great Swords ❯ Training and Teaching ( Chapter 22 )

The next day came quick enough and to Kagome, she hadn't worked harder in her life. Kaede was too tough for an old woman in her opinion. Her whole morning had consisted of learning how to harness her powers. However she had problems with this.

 

Kaede had assured her that it was common for any young charge to have difficulty with it. However, that did little to help her as she failed to do even some of the more basic techniques.

 

Finally around midday Kaede had dismissed her to eat. She had been given a pre-prepared lunch and had gone to find a comfortable seat under a tree. She opened her lunch and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

 

Inside was an assortment of food that looked like different kinds of gruel and she realized it must've been made for a soldier's rations. She flung it aside and leaned back against the tree. She jumped when an apple dropped into her lap.

 

“Hungry?” A voice came from above her. She looked up to see Inuyasha above her in the tree.

 

“What are you doing here?” She asked her voice carrying some disappointment from her earlier training.

 

“I'm bored that's what.” He said with a snort. “The pervert and Sango went to help look for that sword and Shippo hasn't come back yet.”

 

“What do you mean he hasn't come back yet?” She asked looking slightly worried. “Where is he?”

 

“I sent him off hunting earlier.” He replied.

 

“Hunting?” She echoed. “Isn't he a little young for that?”

 

“He's gotta learn some day, why not now? Not like he'll always be with us who feed him like he's spoiled.”

 

She fell silent at this as what he said sunk in. She hadn't really thought about that. They wouldn't always be all together. As soon as they beat Naraku…

 

“Hey are you going to eat or not?” He called from above shaking her out of her thoughts.

 

“Sorry, I'm just thinking about something.” She picked the apple to her mouth and bit, relishing in the sweet taste. She looked over at what Kaede had given her and kicked it further away. “Anyways, are you sure he knows what he's doing?”

 

“He better!” He growled. “I spent a good long time teaching the brat.”

 

“Really?” She said looking surprised staring up at him.

 

“What? What's with that look?” He said, his voice becoming hostile.

 

“Sorry, it's just that I'm surprised. Usually you wouldn't do anything like that…” She trailed off. “I think it's sweet.” She said sweetly.

 

“Keh! It's not `sweet'.” He snorted blushing slightly.

 

“Well I mean he doesn't have a father right? I think it's nice of you to be helping him.” She said smiling at him. “You'd be much happier if you were nicer more often.”

 

He grumbled under his breath. “How's the training going? I'd like to leave as soon as possible.” He said changing the subject.

 

Her face fell. “Not too great.” She said looking at the ground.

 

“I know that I'm just wondering why you're that terrible.” He said.

 

She looked up in shock. “Hey I'm not…” She stopped in mid-sentence and resumed staring at the ground. “You were watching eh?” She said miserably.

 

“Yep” he confirmed. “You're too tense to do anything she's telling you, what's the problem?”

 

“Well of course I'm tense this is all new you know!” She retorted her voice rising.

 

“And just why are you so afraid?” He screamed back down. “Who cares if it's new, you need to do it!”

 

Her eyes lit up at this and her gaze shifted back to the ground. “I'm sorry for yelling, you're right…” She stood up slowly and began walking away. “I'm sorry, I'm just useless and…” Inuyasha cursed and leapt down in front of her.

 

“Enough of that!” He bellowed. “Stop doubting yourself and you'll be fine! No more of this useless crap. Remember back at the resistance's camp? If you had enough power to do that then you're not useless!”

 

She looked up at him astonished. “Inuyasha…” her eyes filled with tears but she wiped them away and smiled sweetly. “Thank-you.”

 

He looked at her for a moment before turning away muttering as his cheeks became flushed. “Just do it right next time.” He said. She nodded and ran back off to Kaede feeling motivated. He watched her go with a certain melancholy. He would never admit it but he liked having her near.

 

As soon as she was out of sight Inuyasha leapt back towards the tree he had been watching from earlier. He didn't know why but for some reason he wanted to see her succeed. When he got there he picked up the sounds of Shippo returning.

 

“Inuyasha! I did it!” Shippo came bounding through the trees with a successfully hunted rabbit on his back. “See! I did it all by myself!” He said proudly when he reached his tutor.

 

“A rabbit?” He said amazed. “I thought you were gonna go after mice for your first time.”

 

“You taught me with a rabbit so I hunted a rabbit! It took me all morning but I got one!” He said excited at the masked praise.

 

“Nice work.” He said and picked up the kill. “I'll teach you how to clean it later.” He said. Shippo nodded excitedly.

 

The pair was disturbed from their “bonding” by a surge of power from behind them. Kagome had begun training and Kaede had tried what she thought would be good for Kagome's apparently non-existent skills.

 

The exercise had been a simple conjuring of power to Kagome's palm. Kaede, who had been expecting little to no success, hadn't expected Kagome to send her flying backwards with her energy.

 

Inuyasha almost fell out of the tree as he laughed watching the old woman fly twenty feet. Kagome ran over to her fearing she had hurt her teacher. Shippo stood stock still with awe. “Wow… Kagome's amazing…”

 

Inuyasha grunted when he calmed down and turned to leave. He decided she'd be fine and it was time to find Miroku and Sango.

 

 

He found the pair back at Kaede's place with Miroku in bed with severe purification burns. “He asked almost every woman he saw that stupid question.” Sango said icily. “It was only a matter of time before one of them did something like this.”

 

Inuyasha snorted in disdain and sat down in the medical room. “Stupid lecher. I don't suppose you were able to find anything?” Sango laughed humourlessly.

 

“When I said he asked every woman he saw, I meant EVERY woman he saw. The group we were helping left us behind after he got through with him.”

 

“Damn idiot.” Inuyasha said and walked over to the monk. “Proud of yourself?” Miroku struggled to open one eye and nodded slowly.

 

“Priestess…village…full…priestesses… ;”He rasped out. “All…them…beautiful…” He was shut up by Sango smacking him.

 

“Shut up! Why can't you learn what this behaviour gets you into?” She asked.

 

“He'll never learn Sango.” Inuyasha growled as he rose. “Well seeing you two was useless, might as well go see if Kaede can still move.”

 

“Kaede? What happened to Kaede?” Sango asked looking slightly worried.

 

“Kagome happened.” He said and then snickered at the mental image of the training. “If she's alright, she's incredibly lucky.” He said and left with Sango following him all thoughts of the wounded monk gone thanks to curiosity.

 

 

“So this is it?” Two figures looked down on the village completely undetected by its guard. “Looks pretty easy if you ask me.” One of the figures said.

 

“This is it.” An emotionless voice answered him. “Lord Naraku requests you to kill the princess and the half-demon with her.”

 

“As long as he pays me. The Great Ransetsu doesn't work for nothing.” He grinned. “You boy, err…. Kohaku wasn't it? Go tell Naraku I'll have those two dead by tomorrow.

 

Kohaku nodded slightly and left. Ransetsu turned back to look at the village. `Oughta to be fun…I wonder how loudly this princess can scream?”