InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Daimyo's Son ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Tsing Pao looked around the room and took in the gratifying sight of young, flushed faces eagerly awaiting his next instruction. He wasn't quite sure how he'd found himself to be the center of such attention, but found he was unable to deny his earnest pupils or their adoration. It had been a long time since the old man had such a worthy group to learn his skills. He nodded approvingly to his star pupil and gestured for the hanyou to come forward. "Show them again, Naota."

The boy pushed his hair out of his eyes and grinned self consciously as he demonstrated a complex series of kicks and punches. Demon eyes watched his every movement, including those of Jano and Namichi, and Naota couldn't resist showing off just a little. When he completed the kata, moving with an easy, deadly grace, he spun around, leaped into the air and focused all his energy right into the palms of his hands and blew the practice dummy to splinters with a sharp, precise blast of ki.

Astonished murmuring filled the practice hall and Naota flushed happily when he heard Jano's delighted whistle. He turned and bowed politely to Tsing Pao, who only shook his head at the display. "A bit excessive, student," he said quietly as Naota returned to his seat on the floor. Namichi elbowed Ta-kun in the side and whispered in his ear. "Bloody marvelous. I wish Sho-kun was here to see that!"

"He'll see it soon enough," Jano hissed back, a wide grin on his face. Naota didn't answer, just ducked his head as if he was embarrassed, his hair falling into his eyes again. He reached behind his head and undid the loose braid that kept it back and started to twist it tight again. "You really think he'll be impressed?" he asked, hoping for confirmation from his cousins.

"Astounded is more like it," Jano replied. Astounded was the way he felt about Naota's transformation. Who knew that the runt would master skills like this so quickly? Once he'd managed to shed the desperate clumsiness and quit hiding from his master, Naota's training had proceeded at a lightning pace. Tsing Pao openly declared in front of witnesses that he'd never had a student like the hanyou in all his many years. Right now, Naota was working hard to master his ki, use the energy within him to his advantage. He didn't seem to have youki, demon energy, at all.

Just as Tsing Pao was about to resume his lecture, his attention was drawn by the sound of the practice hall's door sliding open. A young guard stood there and looked apologetic at the interruption. "Forgive me, sensei, but the army has just been reported to be entering the valley."

Excited young demons all rose to their feet and bowed as one, with the news of the army's return they knew that everyone was expected to turn out to greet the victorious forces. And there was an amazing amount of work that needed done and all able hands could expect to be put to use. Naota hung back as the rest of the class rushed from the room, anxious to get to their assigned duties. He'd never been expected to help before and wistfully wondered if there was anything he could do. His newfound prowess at combat skills had made him feel more accepted by the youkai he lived with and Naota wanted more than anything to continue to be part of that community.

Jano noticed his look and grinned. "What are you standing around for, Ta-kun?" he asked, his dark eyes full of humor. "You come with me and Namichi, we've already pulled duty for unloading supplies."

Naota's smile broke over his face like a sunrise. "I'll meet you in the courtyard," he promised. Tsing Pao still expected him to put the practice hall to rights and thanks to his own exuberance, there was a mess…again. Jano nodded sharply and ran out of the room. Namichi had a twinkle in her eyes and ruffled his hair, as if anything she did could make it look messier. He ducked away from her hand, grinning foolishly and started cleaning as she bolted after Jano.

Moments later, he was running down the corridor at his usual breakneck speed and thinking happily of welcoming Sho-kun and the Daimyo home. He found that he actually missed his cousin, bad temper and questionable choice in females aside, and wanted to see if he'd come through his first battle unscathed. He knew his uncle wouldn't let Sesshomaru be injured, but still it was always a possibility.

He slowed as he reached the passage that would take him to the courtyard where everyone was waiting and stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a familiar voice raised in anger. The woman's voice was harsher than he'd ever heard it and the fury in her tone made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. Moving with an unheard of before stealth, he concealed himself in the passage, crouching low to the floor and listening intently.

"Now is the time, you fool! You need to leave immediately, no one will notice you in the confusion."

Chinatsu's companion was an older male demon that Naota didn't know. The man's voice was a deep rumble and disapproving. "It's too much risk, mistress. If the staff notices my absence we could both be revealed. I won't go."

A cold hiss from the girl. "My father pays you well, don't think I don't know how much compensation you've received for your services. This can't wait until the next available messenger. I need you to leave now and carry my orders to my father's men."

The sound of heavy feet shuffling made Naota slink back into the shadows further. "I can't spend your father's currency if I'm executed for being a traitor, mistress. Security has been so tight over the past few weeks, we've barely had a chance to meet. If anyone saw us together…"

"No one has suspected you so far," Chinatsu purred. The sound made Naota cringe, how had he ever thought her voice to be musical before? What in the hell had Sho-kun got himself into by developing some kind of attachment to her? He strained to hear the reply, hoping the unidentified youkai would stand up to the malicious bitch and ruin whatever plan she was trying to hatch.

"Mistress, this plan of yours is foolhardy," the man said weakly and Naota knew he was beginning to cave. "Your father urged you to have more caution, you know how much he fears the Daimyo's wrath."

Naota jumped when he heard the sound of a small hand slapping the man's cheek with unusual viciousness. He winced in sympathy, Chinatsu had one hell of a backhand for a sweet looking female. "My father told you to follow my orders," she said in a cold, hard voice. "I say the time to move is now, we won't get another chance. I'm almost certain to be sent away and if my men aren't prepared for their part of the plan, this whole exercise has been for nothing."

Sent away? Naota's brow furrowed in confusion. What could she mean by that? Chinatsu's companion seemed likewise baffled. "Why would they send you away now, are you saying we might have a traitor?"

"I wish it was that simple," Chinatsu answered, her voice bitter. "We haven't been betrayed, but the Daimyo suspects me now. That's why we have to move immediately, I'm certain to be watched. I have no way of knowing how much more time I'll have to move freely. You'll go, won't you?"

A grunt of agreement. "Since you put it that way, I have no choice. I also have no desire to be near you should your plan fail. I can slip out in a few hours. It will take more time than that for my absence to be noticed in all this confusion."

Damn, Naota thought. I have to find out who that is! Their footsteps started to fade away and he sat quietly for a moment, wondering if he should follow to find out who Chinatsu's accomplice was or just run straight to the head of the guard and start talking. One way or another, he had to make sure she wasn't successful. Yes, he had to go to the guard immediately, they'd be sure to root out who she was working with.

A harsh yank on the back of his braid nearly snapped his neck and Naota went sprawling painfully. He was hauled to his feet and a pair of iron arms clamped around his chest so tightly that he could barely breathe when he was spun around to meet Chinatsu's angry face. "Spying on me, half breed filth?"

He started squirming and fighting then, trying to free himself from the man who held his arms pinned. Chinatsu looked amused as she watched his futile struggles, finally chuckling to herself in a low voice. "What a pest you are, I can completely understand why Sesshomaru detests you so much. That's all right, neither of you will have much reason to fight much longer. How much did you overhear?"

"You won't get away with it," he gasped out. Damn, he couldn't breathe, his ribs were being slowly crushed. She smirked and started to draw a small bag from a cord that was around her neck. "Such a pathetic specimen, I just don't understand why the Daimyo favors you so much." Her sharp claw traced his cheekbone, digging in and drawing a thin red line of pain down his face. "If I had my way," she said sweetly, "half blood mistakes like you would be drowned at birth."

"Go to hell," he muttered, ceasing to fight and settling on giving her an angry glare. "When the Daimyo catches you, you'll be wishing you were drowned yourself."

She only smiled, that lovely face looking perfectly angelic as she shook a powdery substance into her palm. "This should make you more agreeable," she said softly. "Of course, this compound is usually only used on full blooded youkai and is quite fatal to humans. It will be interesting to see how it affects you." She blew it hard into his face and Naota tried to hold his breath, but the man restraining him was prepared and sunk a heavy fist into his gut, making him gasp and suck in the noxious tasting drug. His lips instantly burned and his mouth was full of sulfur. Naota stared at her, ignoring the tingle that was spreading from his nose to his feet and his limbs felt heavy. He tried to speak but couldn't swim in the dark waters that were overcoming him and fell to the floor with a tiny whimper.

*****

Namichi craned her neck and tried to look over the shoulders of the people standing nearest her. It was hell being short, she thought grumpily. She started hopping up and down relentlessly, ignoring the disapproving sounds of a pair of old women standing next to her. She just wanted a chance to see the Daimyo or Sho-kun as they filed past with the rest of the regular forces. Jano was already making his way down to the lower yards to start the unloading duties. Nami knew she needed to get down there too, but first she'd stand with the rest of the fortress and cheer. She loved the excitement in the air, the welcoming shouts and hails as the fortress welcomed back their men. And women, she thought, not all of the army's fighters were males. Some of the army's most seasoned veterans were females, regarded very highly as some of the most deadly in the Daimyo's employ.

Nami hoped to be among that number herself one day. Since she'd been a tiny pup she'd dreamed of nothing more than taking up a sword and becoming a soldier like her father. The fact that she couldn't remember what he looked like wasn't troubling to her. It was enough for her to be proud of him, having fought at the Daimyo's side in battle and died honorably. She'd only been a few months old at the time of his death and all her mother had ever told her was that he had been a good strong demon who spoke often of his loyalty to his Daimyo. That was probably the reason her mother had sent her to live at the fortress. Faced with the prospect of raising a rambunctious half dog-demon daughter alone, her kitsune mother had probably been overwhelmed.

Considering the disapproval Naota endured due to his human heritage, Nami found it somewhat strange that no inuyoukai had ever reviled her for being half kitsune. In fact, to her disgust, it was quite the opposite. Instead, she was…cute. Nami shuddered just thinking of the word and feverently hoped that she wouldn't always be so identifiable. At least she didn't have a fluffy tail, she couldn't imagine the horror. Instead she had fluffy reddish hair that wouldn't lie neatly and eyes the color of copper. The girl grinned to herself a little. Half-kitsune or not, her claws were as sharp as Sho-kun's and there wasn't a male her age that she wouldn't wrestle to the ground if he dared to call her cute to her face.

But her kitsune blood also accounted her somewhat petite stature and she sighed in sheer exasperation with her shortness. Even Ta-kun was taller than her now, the hanyou having shot up inches seemingly overnight. A loud rumbling cheer brought her out of her reflections and she darted forward. The Daimyo had arrived.

Nami shoved her way past knees and hips to get a good view. She yelled as loudly as any other when Inutaisho went past, nodding genially to his people. Namichi's heart filled up adoration at the sight, the regal Daimyo riding the powerful war stallion, returning home after a victorious battle. Even Kuchinashi seemed to know he was on display at the moment and behaved accordingly, only reacting when a well wisher pitched a bouquet of flowers under his nose. The demon stallion caught the blooms in his teeth and shredded them with savage glee, much to the amusement of the crowd.

She couldn't see Sho-kun and wondered where he was. By all rights he should have been riding at his father's side, every bit as much on display for his people. Nami bit her lower lip and hoped that it didn't mean her cousin had some kind of accident or injury. She refused to believe it. The girl was tempted to linger and watch the rest of the parade but she knew Jano was waiting for her. It was no small amount of work they'd been assigned and she took her duties every bit as seriously as she took her training.

The girl reluctantly worked her way out of the crowd, heading for the lower passage that would lead her to the stable yards. There the supply animals would be gathering to have their loads taken up and tended. She increased her pace, there was no way she was going to let Jano tease her about being late or skipping work. She saw her cousin waiting, sitting on a low stone ledge with a few others and waved to him. "Did you see Sessh?" Jano called out.

She shook her head. "No, he wasn't riding with the Daimyo."

Jano rolled his eyes. "Guess we know what that means. He let his mouth get him in trouble again."

"I'm sure there's another explanation," Nami stated loyally. She honestly couldn't understand why Sesshomaru couldn't get along easier with his father. She knew the pressures her cousin had to endure, it was a lot to deal with, being the Daimyo's heir, but she swore sometimes that Sesshomaru loved pushing at his father's authority. She herself wouldn't have had the nerve and often shook her head in awe of Sho-kun's bravery, or stupidity, depending on the situation. The `Kuchinashi incident' as it had come to be known, was a prime example.

She cocked her head at Jano, nibbling her lower lip in a habit she'd had since early childhood. "You don't think he could have gotten hurt, Jano-kun?"

"Our cousin, don't make me laugh," he answered gruffly. The young demon's head came up suddenly then and he sniffed the air. "Gods, what is that stench?"

"It's just me," a soft voice answered. Nami spun around and saw the very young lord they'd been discussing. He'd obviously come up the back way, avoiding the main route through the forest. She started to smile, but the backed away covering her nose. He was absolutely filthy. "What happened to you?"

Sesshomaru grimaced. He'd asked for, and received, permission from his father to slip back into the fortress through the rear gates. All he really wanted was a bath, some food, then another bath and maybe some sleep. And then another bath. His white hair hung in sooty, greasy locks around his face, which was also smeared with ash and mud. His clothing looked like it had been slept in, although Sesshomaru would tell them later that he hadn't been able to sleep much at all because of the stink. Izitaki had left him with corpse duty for the rest of the their time at the encampment. He spent days digging burial mounds, carefully moving stiff bodies after they'd been honored and blessed by priests. Stripping corpses, tagging and cataloging personal belongings, washing the bodies respectfully as was custom. The part he really grew to despise was the funeral pyres. The smell of burning flesh had horrified him and Sesshomaru didn't want to tell anyone how it felt to watch the fires, careful to not let them get out of control and make sure all flesh and bone was reduced to a gray cindery ash that could be carried away on the wind and bring peace to dead men's souls.

He was ashamed of his selfishness and grateful to Izitaki for making him aware of his mistake. He'd never treat the lives of his people cheaply again. One thing was certain though, he absolutely hated his father for doing this to him. He'd heard Izitaki and then Ari approach the Daimyo during the first few days of his new duty, saying that it was an awful large burden for a youkai his age to deal with and suggest that he be relieved of some of the responsibility. Having learned his lesson and taken it to heart, Sesshomaru agreed. His father had not and decreed that his son needed the reminder and hard work could only improve on the boy's questionable character. Privately, Sesshomaru decided that Inutaisho just wanted to make him suffer a bit. The only thing he had to be grateful to the Daimyo for was the fact that they'd really not lost many of their own in the battle.

Jano and Nami stared at him as he bitterly related what the past few weeks of his life had been like. Sessh was at least gratified to see that they were equally horrified by his ordeal. "Did…did you ask him to let you out of it?" Nami asked in a tiny voice.

He glared at her, for the first time making his cousin flinch from him. "Of course not. You think I'd give that bastard the satisfaction of making me beg him to relieve me? Fuck him!"

His cousins drew in shocked breaths at the anger and disrespect in Sesshomaru's voice. He watched them, Nami's face was blushing hard and Jano wouldn't meet his eyes. "What?" he demanded.

"You shouldn't talk about the Daimyo like that," Jano muttered nervously. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, even them? They were against him too. He'd always trusted Namichi and Jano to be on his side, his friends. "I don't care," he said softly, letting his face go cold.

"It's…it's not that we don't feel sorry for you," Namichi blurted out.

"I don't need your pity," Sesshomaru hissed. His eyes were almost glowing with barely contained anger. He felt a bit of satisfaction as Namichi's eyes welled up with tears and she edged away from him, afraid. He turned his gaze on Jano and saw his cousin flush. "Sessh," he said softly.

"Save it," the young demon grunted. "I don't need anything from either of you. I'm going to wash this stink off." He didn't look back as he stormed away. What did it matter to them what he'd been through anyway. They were just children, he decided. How could they understand what he felt about his father? They weren't the ones who were going to have nightmares about dead soldiers. He grit his teeth, neither was he. He'd be damned if he'd let himself have nightmares. Everything suddenly seemed to focus in a cold clarity for him. He shouldn't trust anyone.

Except for one person, he thought, making his way up to his rooms and praying for hot water. Chinatsu loved him, she'd said so and now he realized that he loved her too. She'd be the one who'd listen to him, sympathize with him. He'd only been obsessing about it for weeks now. So he was still a little shocked that she'd burst into his room that night and practically ravished him. He was glad she'd done it, knowing that he'd never have had the guts to make the first move. Chinatsu knew what she was doing, she knew what and who she wanted and he was grateful to have someone like her on his side. And, the thought with a grim smile, his father would hate it.

Minutes later, he was sitting up to his nose in hot, scented water. The fortress usually had an unlimited supply of hot water, having been built over a massive hot spring. The water pumped through the fortress' floors and walls, moving along by a carefully controlled network of ducts and piping. On a morning like this, with so much going on, he could have expected the water supply to be a little thin. However he'd lucked out this once and tried to relax as he hoped the smell was soaking out of him. He'd started to become immune to it while out on the road, but once he'd entered the familiar confines of his rooms, the reek was overwhelming and he'd nearly gagged himself while removing his clothes. They'd definitely have to be destroyed. The young man sat thoughtfully in the deep water, his nose wrinkling as the aroma of his small pile of clothes wafted over to him.

Sesshomaru slid one slender, muscled arm out of the water and pointed his finger at the smelly heap. Concentrating, he focused his energy and passed a touch of greenish, corrosive youki towards the clothing, watching it dissolving. Satisfied, he leaned back, closing his eyes and feeling the tension slide out of his body. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was that he hoped he'd not slip under water and drown himself because he honestly thought he was tired enough to do it.

*****

Inutaisho grimaced to himself as he made his way to his own rooms. He didn't know it, but his thoughts were identical to his disgruntled son. A bath and rest was what he needed. Unlike Sesshomaru, the Daimyo of the West knew he had far too much left on his schedule to while away the day soaking in a tub. He was willing to let his expert staff deal with details of decamping his army. There were a number of political issues he should probably brief himself on, you never knew what wily court councilor or clan lord might have thought up while he was gone. Most of his work he just needed to skim and approve or disapprove before sending it down the appropriate channel. But oh yes, there was one issue he wanted to see to personally, he'd been chewing on it for the better part of a month now and it actually gave him pleasure to put it into action.

"Ansako," he called as he strode like a storm into his rooms. His retainer and personal assistant appeared on cue, looking as unruffled as ever. "My lord Daimyo," the man said formally, bowing to him. "Welcome home."

Inutaisho grinned with a certain feral glee and started to strip off his armor, letting it fall with a clatter on the embroidered carpets. He ran his hands through his white hair, his lip curling slightly at the amount of road dust and grime still caking it. Being Daimyo had its perks, unlike Sesshomaru he'd had a chance to bathe before they'd set out on the long trek back to the fortress. Still, he looked like hell, Ansako's face was proof enough of that. He could tell the man was just itching to run him off to the bathing room before he dirtied up the elegant study. He wasn't having it today and glared when when his retainer edged toward him, hoping to take off with the rest of his leather armor in addition to the heavier steel.

No, for the most part he thought the dirt and bloodstains would be more appropriate for what he had planned. He wanted to look rough and intimidating, more so than usual. Ansako winced when his lord flopped into a chair and promptly put his muddy boots up on a delicately carved table. Head leaning insolently to the side, daring his servant to complain, he smirked. "Send for Tashiki-san, I want him in here immediately. Tell him to bring that worthless half Azaryu cunt with him too."

Ansako raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, but otherwise didn't comment and simply went to see to his lord's order. Inutaisho sighed lightly and looked up at the ceiling. Time to put the pieces in motion, time to set the stage. He'd thought long and hard about his options, considering the delicate maneuvers and choices available to him. His golden eyes unfocused slightly as he contemplated his next action, seeing variables in the carved stone of the ceiling and an almost instinctive drive to manipulate events around him. His plan was outrageous, twisted and dangerous as hell. It made him smile, one leather clad fist resting behind his head, the other hand drumming an incessant rhythm against his thigh. He knew the bitch was expecting a set to, he bet she'd been nights planning on how to deal with it. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't lower himself to play on Chinatsu's level, she was truly an amateur after all. Himishima, on the other hand, lived for deception, being so involved with his own machinations that he never saw the consequences until it was too late. Inutaisho was counting on it, when Himishima was betrayed at last, he wouldn't have the opportunity to wonder how he'd gone wrong in trying to match his Daimyo's ruthlessness.