InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Eight-Fold Path ❯ Following Life's Path ( Chapter 12 )

 

Following Life's Path

 

 

It was silent. `Too silent,' Miroku mused, recalled the feeling he'd had days ago. Yet no unknown youki pinged against his aura; extermination requests were delivered to Kaede, or picked up by InuYasha's ears.

 

There were no distractions.

 

Miroku could only sit, stare at the darkening sky, and wonder if his son's curious nature came from him or his mother. He could remember being willing to learn in his youth - being naturally inquisitive (or “nosy,” to quote the few fleeting memories he had of his father) often got him into situations rife with opportunity for spoils.

 

Not to mention the opportunity to run for his life… be it from youkai or angry lord.

 

Ah well, one took the good with the bad and hoped the former outweighed the latter.

 

Now, Miroku was starting to believe his son would be set on a similar path, unless curbed. He peeked at his adoptive mother in the tub (she was not impressed), followed InuYasha around like a puppy (which amused Miroku to no end), and asked his father rather surprisingly deep questions. Like…

 

`Why do we hunt youkai?'

 

The question had resonated in Miroku's skull since Haruo had fired it off at dinner. He and Sango had stared at each other helplessly over the fire pit. Haruo had continued, obviously having thought about it for a while. He'd pointed out that Shippou and Kirara were youkai and nobody hunted them. InuYasha was hanyou, and he wasn't being hunted (apparently, the child was still oblivious to InuYasha's past… as well any boy his age should be) or targeted.

 

So why hunt youkai?

 

Mushin's lessons resonated on the feet of Haruo's question in his brain; the lessons on “Right Action.” Miroku wouldn't kid himself: he'd never walked the path of “Right Action.” He'd lain with many women, living in the moment, believing he could die at any time. He'd taken what was possible to live the greatest life he could under the circumstances, again convinced that he should not die an unhappy man.

 

And he'd taken more than his share of lives.

 

How to explain this to his son? Sango had looked exceedingly unhappy as she tried to describe the differences between evil and good youkai. Haruo had countered her explanation, asking about the families and motivations of the youkai taijya killed each day. What if they had a family they were supporting? What if they were avenging family?

 

Miroku had to concede his son was much too smart for his age.

 

`Do not harm others except in self-defense.'

 

Self-defense. What constituted self-defense? Sango had eventually ended up sending Haruo to bed, promising Miroku would talk about it with him in the morning.

 

Hence his sitting on a hill, trying to rationalize what he and his wife did for a living. Kagome said she never felt youki in her time. Well, what had once been her time. Did he and Sango play a role in that?

 

Could… they have killed an entire race of creatures? The thought was disturbing. He knew Sango was proud of her heritage. He knew he felt justified in his killings.

 

He just didn't know if he could continue… either the killings or this train of thought. One had to end. His teachings said that to reach nirvana, one had to follow the correct path.

 

The correct path was not spattered with life's blood…was it?

 

Could he cut hunting youkai out of his life?

 

And could he convince his wife to?

 

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A/N: 

 

“The Eight-Fold Path” is a serialized fic, written based on prompts from the mirsan_fics community on LiveJournal.

“Following Life's Path” was originally posted October 9, 2009

Word Count: 583

Prompt: “Cut”