InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Daimyo's Son ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

The late afternoon sun beat down upon the faces of the soldiers, standing anxiously at attention. It sent long shadows across the ground, unreadable patterns of dark and light, shining on the polished metal breastplate of the demon lord and firing sparks in his golden eyes. Inutaisho was for the most part pleased, he'd had them drilling maneuvers for the better part of the week and for the first time he was starting to believe they were ready.

He'd never admit it, but he felt the most alive before a battle. Seeing his army in such a state of peak readiness gave him a thrill that would be hard to match. A feral, fighting grin crossed his lips, his trademark enjoyment of conflict evident as he walked down the long line of his men. They'd be moving out tomorrow, heading across the territory for the coastline. His spies had already reported in and he knew exactly how much time he had before he could expect the invading force to arrive. Inutaisho had been waiting for months, finally he was going to see some action. Foreign demons had been raiding up and down his coast for long enough. A little influence, a little deliberate laxness on his part had them thinking the territories of the West were ripe for the picking. He snorted, the fools.

As he finished his inspection, his eyes met those of the battalion commander, a fierce creature named Hizaki. His own eagerness for battle was matched in Hizaki's eyes and he reached out to flick the man's cheek with a claw, drawing blood in an ancient symbolism. He heard Hizaki's low growl, deep and menacing. "We await your orders, my lord Daimyo."

"Excellent," he hissed back, hardly able to contain the bloodlust his youki was filling him with. Tomorrow was not soon enough to move, they were ready now. Enough drills, enough practice, enough of only blooding the kill, it was time for action and the fevered pitch of his army's readiness was starting to make the demon lord's head swim. He could feel Tetsusaiga starting to pulse against his thigh, contained in its sheath, the katana was also begging to be let loose.

Inutaisho knew his men needed some relief from the pressure. He had every intention of giving it to them, but there was no way he'd be able to bring them back into the fortress in this state. It would be like unleashing a wild beast and the household guard would spend all night breaking up fights and bloody minded arguments. Instead, they'd camp out on the field tonight, he'd issue quantities of beer and the men's voices would be lifted in songs that would be heard all the way to the fortress gate.

They'd toast each other's fighting skills, lie about the women they'd had, boast about how they'd come back with more kills than anyone else. Let them have their comradeship before starting the hard march tomorrow. He understood better than most inuyoukai how important the ties of clan and service were to his men. His army would operate as one single fist, one clawed hand when they met the enemy and strike the invading foreign demons down and send their masters screaming away in terror. He smiled, fangs glinting in that late afternoon sun. It was a good thing to be a demon.

Still, just because he was letting his men blow off some steam that night didn't mean that he was going to tolerate a drunken mob of horny dog-demons running around the valley. Battalion commanders would keep a strict eye on their men, unit pack leaders would be held accountable. The last time they'd set out en masse like this they'd damn near burned the valley bare with exuberant displays of youki. Not this time, he'd warned his commanders. Just in case any high spirited warriors were tempted to forget who was in charge, he jumped a top a supply wain in a fluid leap and raised his hands so all could see him.

"I am proud!" His shout drew a surge of uplifted voices and howls to answer him and Inutaisho grinned fiercely. "Are you ready to fight?" he bellowed.

The sound deafened him, shouts and howls of agreement, the echo of feet stamping. Men shook their spears and bows at him, those with swords pulled them forth and pointed the sharp tips at the sky. He could feel an almost physical presence surrounding him, their loyalty, their devotion. Izitaki often said his army would walk through fire for him on just a simple word, just the barest hint of his request. It was true, that was what a Tai-Youkai was born for, inspiring instincts of other demons. On a primitive, visceral level they lived for him, for his orders and Inutaisho would never waste that loyalty. It was biologically impossible for him to even think of betraying the trust his men. He'd spend their lives in battle like a miser doling out pennies, but he'd not ever betray them by being careless of their blood.

Hands planted firmly at his waist, the dying sunlight caught his armor and eyes and made him glow as he surveyed his men. "Tomorrow we move," he said, letting his voice carry on the wind. They stilled and gave their lord their full attention. "We go to fight, we go to protect our land and our people from invaders. They come here because they think we're weak, they think we'll let them take our homes and our dens, driving us out like common dogs! We will tell them no! We will tell them to leave or die! We will tell them that we are inuyoukai and our territory is our blood, our land is our body, and our home is our very soul! We are the army of the night itself and we will rain vengeful punishment on those who dare to challenge us!"

"Go, my cousins. Gather around your fires and drink tonight. Offer a toast for the souls we will slay and a prayer for those who will fall in battle. Their names will be remembered and be damned those who quail in fear or cowardice!" He let the force of his personality and his confidence wash over his men, making them invincible. Their cheers rang in his ears and Inutaisho leapt down from his perch, satisfied that they would follow his lead and rejoice that night about the coming battle.

And he still had a lot of work to do, there were always last minute preparations to make. Final decisions regarding the army, individual units he could leave to the battalion commanders. There were still instructions to give to his advisors and councilors regarding matters of the court and even a few details he wanted to personally oversee regarding the household. Inutaisho glanced around him, looking for his current errand runner. "Sesshomaru!"

His son appeared from behind a wall of his personal staff, easily elbowing the taller youkai out of his way. Inu grinned, noticing that the boy's eyes were still alight from his speech and allowed himself a moment of paternal pride to see the young demon's eager expression. He reached out to tousle his son's hair, the boy ducking away in youthful youkai pride.

"Go up to the fortress and tell Ansako and Juni to pull the supply reports and the troop count sheets. Then go find the head of the guard and tell him that I want him in my study immediately after supper. I'll need to see the head of staff sometime this evening too, so let Caso know he's supposed to track him down and give him time to pull his reports together. After that, have Caso send a message to Juniko to make sure Kuchinashi is ready to leave before dawn. I want him out of the stable before we start moving the supply animals into the courtyard. The last time the stable staff forgot to have him prepped and out of the way and it was a goddamn bloodbath. You got all that, Sessh?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes, my lord Daimyo. I'll take care of it." Inutaisho grinned again at the attentive snap in the boy's tone and watched his son run off. After the administrative details had been laid to rest that night he'd make a quick walk around to personally visit every campfire and unit. He'd take Sesshomaru with him, let the men see his heir, let his son see the kind of impact his personal attention would draw. Nothing inspired confidence like his physical presence. He wanted Sesshomaru to see by example that there was more to leadership than fighting and making speeches. His men would know he valued each and every one of them for their service and loyalty. It was a profound lesson the Daimyo could teach his son.

*****

Sessh bolted up to the fortress, chanting his father's instructions under his breath. The wide gates stood open and he barely slowed down long enough to nod to the sentries. Like they'd ever mistake him for anyone else, he and his father were the only white haired demons in the household, maybe the whole territory. The guards waved him past, still looking attentive even though it wasn't likely they'd be challenged when the whole army was spread out over the valley. Sessh grinned, the household guard would be in a high state of alert once the army decamped and moved away. They took guarding the fortress very seriously when the Daimyo was out of residence on normal business, let alone going to war with foreign invaders.

For once he didn't mind being made into his father's errand boy, he'd been hoping for an excuse to get back up to the fortress before nightfall. His reasons were his own, having nothing to do with duties and everything to do with the fact he was leaving for what could be several weeks. He wanted to see Chinatsu before he left. The girl was on his mind almost constantly and although he was trying to be discreet, he knew Jano and Namichi suspected something was up, just not who it was with.

Sessh wasn't avoiding his cousins, not really. He'd just been so damn busy lately he hadn't had a chance to tell them anything. And he didn't want them getting the wrong idea. Namichi would call him a hormone crazed fool, Jano would just ask for details. Naota, on the other hand, would probably make it his new mission in life to tease him or Chi relentlessly, spying on them and making such a nuisance of himself that Sessh would be forced to do something dramatic to make the hanyou leave him alone.

And he didn't want his father to know about it, not yet. The

Daimyo had enough on his mind right now, the last thing he needed was for his son to come to him and tell him he'd fallen in love with the daughter of an enemy.

Was he even really in love with her? Sesshomaru wasn't sure. His stomach got all tight and twitchy when he thought about her. As for other parts of his anatomy it was best just to say that he was now aware of what made Chinatsu turn males to jelly when she smiled at them. As he finally reached the stairs that would take him into his father's personal apartments, Sesshomaru thought about how Chinatsu had kissed him for the first time. It made his knees weak just thinking about it.

He'd been feeling a little ashamed of the way he'd treated her. Anyone in her position would be acting the same. Just because her father was a manipulative bastard didn't automatically make her responsible. From what she'd said, Himishima had all but abandoned her when he'd decided he couldn't keep her and Barou under the same roof. Sesshomaru wondered about the motivations of a man who'd let his children vie for his attention to the point where they were willing to kill each other to be made clanheir. Having no siblings himself, he couldn't quite grasp how the old lord had made them hate each other so much. As much as an annoyance as Naota could be, he honestly didn't see himself plotting to murder the hanyou. Plotting to beat the living snot out of him, maybe. He had better self control than that and said as much to Chinatsu.

She just shook her head, that long dark hair falling in a fetching fashion around her face. "You don't know Barou," she told him. "We've always fought for my father's attention, but Barou wants more. He wants to be clanlord, he wants power. He thinks that if he'd been older and stronger, maybe he could have saved our mother's life. Father sent her to her death, knowing what would happen if she was there with the Azaryu. Barou blames him, not the Daimyo for what happened."

"How does that make you two enemies?" Sessh was fascinated by the light dusting of freckles on her nose. Chinatsu smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. He liked that so much more than her act of playing the dizzy innocent. She was a lot smarter than she liked to let on. "Barou isn't as loyal as my father thinks. He's been plotting against him for years now, just waiting to get me out of the way so he could take over. I made a mistake. I accused him in front of my father and now no one will believe me when I tell them Barou is a traitor."

Sessh tried to imagine himself in a similar position. No one ever believed him when Naota got them in trouble, everyone always assumed that he should have been the one to reign in his wild little cousin. He thought about how his father and the court would react if he stood up and told them Naota was plotting against them. They'd laugh him right out of the fortress. "It's hard when there's nobody on your side," he said softly.

Chinatsu's eyes shone at him, seemingly moved by such a simple statement. "You do understand me, I knew you would. I'm glad you've decided we can be friends, Sesshomaru."

"I never said that," he said gruffly, letting his mask drop back into place. She shouldn't just assume we're friends, he thought, feeling grumpy about it. "Our fathers are enemies, that's a good enough reason to keep our distance."

Her light laugh surprised him. "Even if you don't want my friendship, you've already got it. Just for taking the time to talk to me. Nobody else believes me about Barou." She leaned over and slipped her arms around him, cuddling up against his chest affectionately. "You're the only one I can trust."

Sessh flushed, feeling very uneasy with all this display of affection. "Why should you trust me, you don't know me at all."

"I just do," she whispered and leaned in close. He could count each of her eyelashes and was suddenly aware of his heart beating faster. She smelled wonderful and he became alarmed when his body woke up in reaction to her scent. "You're not like Barou, you don't use people. You don't have any reason to use me. If I have to stay here, I'd like us to be close, maybe closer than friends."

Her lips found his and Sessh didn't know how to push her away. He really should, he really should shove her back so she'd know that he wasn't going to be manipulated. But her mouth was so soft and sweet, he just wanted to figure out why. Sesshomaru's eyes closed slowly, enjoying the taste of Chinatsu's tongue probing between his lips.

She pulled away, rubbing the tip of her nose against his. "You've never kissed anyone before, have you?"

"No," he murmured. How embarrassing, he thought, feeling a flush start to heat his face. She smiled faintly, one hand playing with a strand of his white hair. "Don't be embarrassed, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable," he said quickly. Sesshomaru liked the way it felt when she kissed him. He was half hoping she'd do it again, just so he'd be able to respond a little on his own. Chinatsu dropped her hands and grinned at him. Her fingertip reached out to trail along his chest. "I liked kissing you, I'm glad you didn't mind. I thought maybe you'd push me away."

"Hey Sho-kun, what are you doing?" Jano's voice yanked Sessh back to the present. He scowled, he'd been spending far too much time thinking about her when he had important things to do. "I've got to talk to some people," he said shortly, rushing by Jano and Namichi. His cousins had just emerged from a side corridor and found him staring blankly off into space.

They jogged to catch up with him. "Aren't you excited about tomorrow?" Namichi asked. Her eyes were dreamy. "I wish we were getting to go with you, I'd love to see a real battle."

He glanced at her, a grin pulling at his mouth in spite of his irritation. "I'm not really going to see any fighting," he said mildly. "You're out of your tree if you think the Daimyo is going to so much as let me draw my sword."

"That's not what I meant," she answered. "Just to be in the middle of the action and see what's going on. I'm really envious, Sho-kun. It's not fair that Jano and I have to stay here like a couple of untrained pups."

Jano shot the girl a sour look. "And just what do you think you'd do, Nami-chan? You aren't ready to fight like a real soldier and you know it. Face the facts, we are just pups when compared to real warriors."

Nami stuck her tongue out at Jano and earned a laugh from Sho-kun. "Maybe not, but someday I'm going to fight like a real warrior. I can already kick your butt whenever I want."

His face flushed suddenly. "Just try it, little Nami-chan. You're fast, but you aren't as strong as me. I can wrestle you to the ground with one hand."

"Oh give it a rest," Sesshomaru snapped in annoyance. "I'm really busy here, I don't need you two following me around either."

They glared at him, forgetting their argument. "Well, I'm sorry, Sesshomaru-sama," Namichi said trenchantly. "Don't let us get in your way!" She turned on her heel and stormed away with a furious look on her face. Jano and Sessh just stared and when Sessh looked helplessly at his cousin, Jano just shrugged. "She's been like that for more than a week. Say the least little thing and she's right down your throat."

"What got up her ass?" Sessh muttered. Like he needed to worry about Nami's hurt feelings on top of everything else. She was really such a child when it came down to it. Touchy, opinionated and quick to rile, that was Namichi all over. Jano grinned, not entirely unsympathetic to his cousin. "Don't worry Sessh, she'll get over it. She's just been a little peeved because you've been avoiding us."

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said, looking fixedly ahead of him as they walked down the corridor. "I'm busy, damn it. Doesn't she understand that?"

Jano smirked at his cousin. "I know you've been busy. I know who you've been busy with, I'm just not telling Namichi about it. She's been crabby enough, the last thing I want to do is listen to her rail against Chinatsu."

He stared at his cousin. "How do you know about her? You been sneaking around after me or something? Gods Jano, I thought you at least would respect my privacy and leave me alone!"

Laughing, Jano held up his hands in self defense. "I haven't been sneaking after you. It was Naota. He told me he saw you and her kissing in the audience hall."

Sesshomaru flushed. "Shit. I suppose everyone knows about it then. That sneaky little bastard!"

"No, he only told me. I asked him to keep it to himself and he promised he would." Jano scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I don't see what the big deal is, why do you want to hide it?"

He couldn't believe that Naota had kept his promise. It was so unlike the hanyou he actually stopped and shot Jano a piercing look. "You don't understand," he muttered sullenly. "Look, can we talk about this some other time? I've really got a lot things I have to do right now and I can't let myself get distracted."

Jano nodded slowly. "Okay, Sho-kun, I understand. If you want to talk about something, let me know. Otherwise I'm going to butt out and mind my own business. I'll tell Naota not to spy on you too."

"Think it will do any good?" Sessh asked. Jano's offer touched him just the same. His cousin flashed a grin at him. "About as much good as it ever does. If he doesn't listen to me, I'll tell his sensei where he's been hiding during the day. Tsing Pao has declared him a work in progress and also sworn in front of the household staff that Naota will learn from him, even if he has to beat it into him with a stick."

*****

Naota fell on the floor, panting hard. Tsing Pao was definitely trying to kill him. He wanted to go tell the Daimyo that they had an assassin in their midst but for the first time, his uncle flatly refused to listen to his complaints. Instead, the Daimyo had leveled him with a serious stare and ordered his nephew out of the room. "I have gone to considerable trouble to get you a teacher of Tsing Pao's caliber, Naota. Don't disappoint me by not taking advantage of his knowledge."

What kind of knowledge is it? Naota thought furiously. How to torture hanyou for fun? He kind of enjoyed the exercises Tsing Pao had set him to learn, but he was damn tired of being a punching bag for an elderly, bad tempered, foul smelling human. The old man stood over him, disappointment and disgust creased on his features. "You are indeed pathetic, I have had human children half your age that could pick up basic kata faster."

Naota pulled himself to his feet. "How can I learn when you're always trying to hit me?" he demanded. Today's lesson was a complex series of movements, blocks and punches. Tsing Pao insisted that he practice blindfolded. This wouldn't have bothered the hanyou in the slightest except that his so called sensei kept swatting him with a bamboo rod, tripping him, poking him hard enough to leave welts and generally making Naota so angry that he couldn't even remember the steps. Finally, furious at yet another attempt to throw him off his feet, he'd snatched the blindfold off and made an open handed grab for Tsing Pao's bamboo rod. Which was how he'd ended up on the floor, his ribs bruised again from the old man's lighting fast blows.

Tsing Pao circled his pupil, his face serene and unconcerned with the angry young hanyou. "You need to focus, student. I told your uncle I would train you. Despite your obvious lack of ability and concentration, I have sworn not to give up. I pray every night for the patience of the Buddha. The moves are simple, you should be able to do them in your sleep. I only tap you to correct you, there's no need to lose focus and lash out."

I hate him, Naota decided. The only way I'm going to get rid of this evil old bastard is to do what he says. Then maybe the Daimyo will ship him off to whatever hell he dragged him up from. Resolutely, he pulled the blindfold back over his eyes. "Come on, you mean old man," he ground out, anger finally making his concentration come easier. "I'm ready for you this time."