InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 2 Great Swords ❯ Intruder ( Chapter 23 )

`Focus…Focus…' Kagome thought as she tried to meditate. After the `flying hag incident' as Inuyasha had dubbed what happened earlier, the elder priestess had to rest. However, not to let being thrown twenty feet interrupt their training, she had told her pupil to try the same exercise back out in the field at a safe distance from anything.

 

After an hour or so of this she decided she could do it well enough and thought she'd try something new. “Inuyasha?” She called above her knowing he was there. He hadn't liked the idea of Kagome being alone during training and had been resting in a tree above her.

 

He dropped out of the tree beside her. “What?” He asked gruffly irritated at his rest being disturbed.

 

“I thought you wanted to keep me safe.” She said accusingly. “Can u do that if you're falling asleep up there?” Inuyasha snorted.

 

“I wasn't sleeping and besides, I'd know if anyone was coming so just shut up.” He said starting to get angry. “What do you want?”

 

“I thought you could help me.” She said. He gave no sign of refusing so she continued pointing to the trees, “Could you go hide somewhere?”

 

“Shouldn't you be training instead of playing stupid games?” He said scathingly.

 

“This IS training! I want to try and sense you.” He scowled at her. “Please?” He snorted but got up to hide in the trees behind her. Kagome relaxed her body and began to concentrate smiling as she began to slowly discern where he was.

 

 

“I hate guard duty.” A guard outside the gates of the village grumbled.

 

“Shut up, your attitude makes this worse.” His partner snapped at him as he leaned against the village wall sulking.

 

“You shut up! Nothing ever happens here. It's useless.” The first one retorted angrily.

 

The second one opened his mouth to threaten the other bodily harm if he didn't shut up but he stopped short sensing something in the trees. “Shhhh.” He said quietly looking at away into the brush.

 

The second one looked off in the direction he was looking. “What?” He asked whispering, all traces of boredom gone.

 

Twin arrows ripped through the brush towards the pair and they fell transfixed through their chests. A giant man stepped out of the trees laughing. “My aim is as good as ever!” He walked over the two corpses and headed into the village.

 

 

“There!” Kagome shouted pointing into the trees. She inwardly cheered seeing she found him for the tenth time in a row.

 

Inuyasha came out from where he had hid with an amused look on his face. “Hey, you aren't half bad at this. What was with the pathetic crap this morning?”

 

Kagome blushed at the praise knowing it was rare to get anything out of him remotely close to it. “Earlier I wasn't in the right mindset. Plus, seeing what I could do earlier helped too. It's much easier than I thought!” She said smiling proudly.

 

“Hey! Don't get cocky.” He said gruffly. “I've seen much more difficult things that Kaede's taught others before.”

“Oh right!” She said looking up. “I meant to ask. How do you know Kaede?”

 

He didn't respond for a second before replying. “Why should I answer that?” His tone becoming defensive.

 

“Sorry, I was just curious…” She said trailing off as her expression became sullen. “Why do you always get so upset when I ask about your past?” Her voice dropping slightly.

 

“It wasn't fun, how's that?” He snapped scowling at her.

 

“Well it's easier to talk about these things you know. Keeping it all bottled up inside you will kill you.” Inuyasha snorted.

 

“Stupid girl, it's none of your business so shut up.” He said and hopped back into the tree, all done helping her.

 

Kagome sighed sadly and moved over to lean against the tree he was in. “You know I'm sure you'd be a lot better off if you talked more freely about yourself.” She said slowly. “Didn't you tell me not to be tense?”

 

“Keh!” He replied.

 

She sighed again and relaxed against the tree closing her eyes. Then she felt something. A small twinge of malice in the trees to her left. She looked over at the spot getting up slowly, half-expecting something to jump out.

 

“What's wrong with you?” She barely registered his voice as she watched the brush. She had no time to react as an arrow tore through the bushes towards her.

 

 

Sango had decided to go for a walk after figuring Miroku would be fine. She didn't understand him. Even after he suffered those burns, he still tried to grab her. In doing so, she was forced to help him `sleep'.

 

She giggled quietly as she wondered how he could've been susceptible to purification when he was human. `Guess he really is one big impure lecher.' She concluded in her mind.

 

A couple kids ran by her hurriedly. She looked in the direction they were going wondering what could be so interesting. She saw a crowd of people and decided to see what was going on. “Who did this?” she heard. “Is there an intruder?” came another shaky voice.

 

Sango pushed her way through the crowd to see two dead guards. She grimaced at the sight. They had had their hearts pierced right through with arrows. `That's odd…' She bent down to get a better look at the arrows. `This arrow…' She recognized it from somewhere but where…

 

She shot up as it dawned on her. She turned and ran as fast as she could back to Kaede's place to retrieve her weapon. Those were arrows that had been fashioned in her home village. She knew there were no survivors from her village so that only left one person…

 

 

Kagome's heart was racing. She had seen the arrow coming and, on some stupid impulse, fallen backwards into the tree instead of getting out of the arrow's path. Fortunately, Inuyasha had seen it just in time.

 

“Inuyasha?” Looking at her saviour's back as he growled slightly.

 

“Bastard.” He muttered as he threw the arrow to the ground. Kagome gasped seeing blood on the tip. She shot up and ran around him to inspect the damage forgetting she had almost died. It looked like he had taken the arrow in his left arm. “I'm fine, stay behind me.” He said pushing her back.

 

The movement caused his head to move just out the path of another arrow as it flew past his head embedding itself in the tree. His head snapped up as he mentally determined the attacker's position from the arrow's path.

 

“Gotcha bastard!” He yelled leaping toward the trees drawing his sword. Another arrow came out of the trees at him but he smacked it away with his sword. Reaching where he had determined his enemy was he thrust his sword.

 

The attacker leapt to the side, narrowly escaping the blade. He threw his bow to the side and grabbed a giant spear on his back. “I see half-demons aren't all that much after all.” He said laughing as he pointed the spear point in Inuyasha's direction.

 

Inuyasha sized him up. He was a big man, giant even. He would have to be to carry that spear he thought. “Who the fuck are you?” Inuyasha snarled. “Why are you after us!? Answer me!”

 

The man chuckled maliciously. “Why? I'm paid to do it that's why.”

 

“Who paid you?” Inuyasha growled although in his head his question was already answered. “Was it someone named Naraku?”

 

He laughed again. “A mercenary doesn't give out the name of who employed him…but I suppose I could be persuaded…” He said his gaze traveling to Kagome who cringed at the predatory gaze in his eyes.

 

“Bastard! Stay the fuck away from her!” Inuyasha roared and leapt forward bringing his sword down at the man's head. He raised his spear and blocked the strike.

 

“You'll have to do better than that half-demon.” He said spitefully and swung his spear forward, throwing Inuyasha off balance into the air. He took the opportunity to slash with the spear point across Inuyasha's stomach, scoring a deep wound.

 

Inuyasha landed hissing as his vision instantly began to blur. “What the fuck?” He murmured starting to get dazed. He was struck hard against the side of his head and sent flying. Kagome rushed to his side as he landed.

 

The man laughed triumphantly. “Looks like my poison works on halfs too.” He lifted his spear above his head, “Prepare to die.” He roared as he began to charge. He halted partway and leapt backwards avoiding a giant boomerang. It spun around to return to its owner.

 

“Ransetsu!” Sango roared brandishing her weapon. “In the name of the demon slayer's village I will kill you!”