InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Free Wind ❯ Chapter 3

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Sesshoumaru was exasperated and he did not become exasperated. Ever since he had come upon his half brother and his companions he was being forced to keep a rein on his anger. He refused to admit that he just no longer had the heart to kill Inuyasha. Judging from the tongue on the miko, she would drive him to an early grave without any aid from Sesshoumaru. He shot a bored glance at the strange miko as she continued to scream at Inuyasha from the back of the nekomata. Why did his half brother allow this unworthy wench to treat him like this? After all, the blood of their father ran through his veins, he should at least attempt to behave as though he deserved it.

He was about to turn on his heel and walk away when his hand touched the feather tucked into his obi. No, he couldn’t just walk away. Raising his eyes to the hanyou, he once again spoke. “It is not your place to deny my request.” It was sickening having to reason with Inuyasha.

Tetseiga pulsed in Inuyasha’s hands. “I won’t let you hurt Kagome!” he snarled.

Sesshoumaru barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “I will not hurt the wench.”

“Hey! I have a name you know!” The girl yelled from the sky.

Sesshoumaru shot forward and grasped his brother around the throat. “I will not hurt Kagome. You would do best to obey me.”

Inuyasha had tetseiga up in a flash. Sesshoumaru’s hand traveled to the sword at his hip.

“Kirara! Put me down!” The cat demon roared. The girl huffed. “Just tell me what you want Sesshoumaru!”

Giving his brother a withering he looked he spoke to the girl, “I will not speak to you until you come down and greet me properly.” He would not allow this miko to treat him as disrespectively as she did Inuyasha.

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Well, then one of you better catch me!” She jumped. The large cat swooped down to catch her but Sesshoumaru was quicker. Knocking his brother aside he easily intercepted the girl.

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing?” Inuyasha leaped toward Sesshoumaru, tetseiga extended.

“OSUWARI!” The miko screamed.

Inuyasha crashed to the ground. Sesshoumaru hid a smirk. Pathetic, letting a human have such power over him.

She rounded on Sesshoumaru, “And you! Who do you think you are just appearing from the trees and demanding to see me?”

Sesshoumaru looked at her indifferently, debating whether or not he should just kill her now for her insolence. Perhaps after he got the information he wanted. “You shall speak to me with respect.”

Putting her hands on her hips, she positively glared at him. “Respect huh? When have you ever given me cause to respect you? If you aren’t trying to kill me or Inuyasha, your own brother….”

“Half-brother!” Inuyasha growled from the ground.

Kagome rolled her eyes again and continued, “Whatever, when you aren’t trying to kill us, you are basically walking around looking cryptic!”

Sesshoumaru focused his attention on the top of her head and imagined removing it from her body. This thought calmed him enough to speak in his normal detached manner. “I wish to speak to you in regards to Kagura, miko.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Oh. I’m sorry for any disrespect I showed, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

“Hey, Kagome, don’t start being nice to the bastard! He’s trying to trick you!” Inuyasha finally freed him from the enchantment.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow, “It is laughable that you would call me a bastard, hanyou.”

Inuyasha snarled, “Why you…”

“Osuwari!”

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath, this was becoming tedious. “Perhaps I was mistaken. You would not know the information I seek.” He turned on his heel and began to walk away. He was being emotional, and he, Sesshoumaru, was not emotional. He would forget about the wind demoness.

“Sesshomaru, wait!” It was the monk that traveled with his brothers rag tag band.

Sesshoumaru paused, “You dare order this Sesshoumaru?” he said without turning to face the man.

“My apologies for any seeming disrespect. I only wish to know what interest you have in Kagura. We all saw her die.”

‘Be careful, houshi!” the Taijiya yelled, concern in her voice.

Sesshoumaru’s pain caught him off guard at the mention of her death. I am free… he quickly replaced his mask.

“It would be wise to take the advice of the demon slayer, monk.”

Sango turned to Inuyasha. “Kagome is just going to sit you to hell if you don’t let her speak to Sesshoumaru. I do not think he will harm her.”

Kagome stood over him, glaring down, “You’re right Sango, I will.”

“Feh, don’t come crying to me when he tries to kill you.” Inuyasha pulled himself up for the second time today.

“Thank you, Inuyasha,” Kagome said, then ran toward Sesshoumaru.

Good, my brother is finally using sense. If I was going to kill the girl I would have long before now. Not that he was showing mercy, he never showed mercy. Her death would just serve no purpose. “Follow me.”

“Hey! I’m not leaving her alone with you!” Inuyasha stormed towards them.

Sesshoumaru was about to take care of his brother once and for all when the nekomata landed between them. She turned and snarled at the hanyou.

“Get out of my way, Kirara!” Inuyasha shouted angrily.

Sesshoumaru smirked. “Fine. The neko can follow us but she may not land. She will fetch you if I deign to injure the miko. Though I assure you, your fears are misplaced.” He would not admit he was impressed. The cat demon was much stronger and smarter than he would have guessed.

“Fine, but if you hurt her I’ll kill you.” Inuyasha grumbled. Sesshoumaru refused to honor the hanyou with a remark.

Kagome looked up into the blue sky at the reassuring shape of the fire cat. She was actually surprised that Inuyasha had given in so easily. Of course, he had always shown Kirara respect, and he did trust the cat. Kagome shrugged. He would give her an earful when she returned.

If I return. Kagome looked at the back of the taiyokai in front of her. Neither of them had spoke since they left her companions. She didn’t think that Sesshoumaru was going to hurt her, but you could never be sure what he was thinking or planning behind the mask he always wore. But she could swear she had seen pain in his eyes when Kagura had been mentioned.

Kagome snorted, as if.

Sesshomaru came to an abrupt halt. “Do you find something about my person amusing?” he said icily.

“Uh, no. I was thinking of something else.” Kagome took a step back.

He raised an eyebrow. “Sit down.” He motioned to the ground.

Kagome glanced down and saw the remains of a campfire. Something occurred to her, “Where’s Rin?”

Sesshoumaru willed his ire with the miko away. Why could she not just do as she was told? The sooner she sat and gave him the information he needed, the sooner he could be free from her presence. He felt no need to answer her, and was disgusted with himself for doing so. “Jaken has taken her to pick flowers so we may have some quiet.” He was interested to see relief wash over the miko’s face. Yet he could not fault her for her concern over his ward.

“So this is about Kagura?” Kagome lowered herself to the ground.

He ignored her question. “What do you know of Naraku’s incarnations?” .

He was pleased at the surprise on her face. “Um, probably about as much as you.”

He narrowed his eyes. She was not deceiving him, but he sensed she wasn’t speaking everything she thought. He would humor her for now. “True, but what do you think about them, miko.”

“My name is Kagome,” she grumbled under her breath. She looked up at Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha had shrugged off her theories on Naraku’s spawn, but perhaps the taiyoukai wouldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she answered, “I think they are not really incarnations at all, but separate demon entities.”

“Hmm, but how could that be?”

He wasn’t dismissing her idea yet, so she continued with growing excitement, “Well, when Onigumo first became a demon, it was because he was more or less possessed by a large number of demons. I’ve been thinking since Kagura die…” Kagome paused, “um, since Kagura, that perhaps these so called incarnations are actually some of the stronger demons fighting free of his body.”

Sesshoumaru looked at her thoughtfully. Kagome squirmed under his gaze.

“I could be wrong though…”

“Yes you could be.”

Kagome’s shoulders slumped, she was being dismissed again.

“Yet, if they were truly of his essence then why would he need to hold her heart hostage?” He mused further.

Kagome’s eyes shot up. “Exactly! And, well, I really don’t know how to say this..”

“Speak what is on your mind…Kagome.”

Wow, he used my name, he must really need information from me, Kagome thought. She would have to word this bit carefully, she had seen that Sesshoumaru wasn’t going to admit his feelings about Kagura’s death. “Well, Kagura was different from the others though. I haven’t heard that he held hostage anything from his other incarnations. It seemed that they more or less helped him of their own free will. Yet Kagura seemed to rebel from the get go, and he had to have something to hold over her.”

“If your theory is correct, then I am sure the others obeyed because otherwise they would be killed. Perhaps Kagura was only a fool with no urge to survive.” Sesshoumaru felt a stab of pain. This was unacceptable.

“No.” Kagome shook her head emphatically. Sesshoumaru raised a brow. “Well, I am not sure she is dead.”

Sesshoumaru carefully controlled his features. Not dead? I saw her die. He Ignored the hope that flared in his chest. She was just a lowly wind demoness after all.

The miko gave him an odd look. She shrugged and continued, “I thought I heard her after she died.”

So Did I. He scowled, he, Sesshoumaru, should not be feeling as shaken as he did now. Forcing himself to sound as uninterested as possible he answered, “Oh? And what did she say?”

“I am the free wind.” Kagome watched him carefully for a reaction. “Her heart had already burst, she was not alive, but I heard her, and then the wind really did kick up and blew away from us.”

So she had heard it too. Struggling to maintain control, he looked into her eyes, “And what do you make of this?”.

Kagome gulped. “I..I don’t think it was really her heart, or even her body. I think maybe she really is the wind and by killing the false body, Naraku may have accidentally freed her.”

Sesshoumaru could not control the shudder that went through his body. If she was still alive, maybe then, perhaps…

He stared intently at Kagome. “You are sure that you felt this?”

Kagome pulled back. She had never seen this much emotion in Sesshoumaru before. Somehow, it was more intimidating than the cold aloofness he normally cloaked himself in.

“Yes.”
“It is as I thought then.” He looked up to where Kirara was flying above them. “Neko-san, take the miko back to her companions,” and leaving a shocked Kagome behind, he strode off into the trees.