InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Ninja ❯ My Brother's Keeper ( Chapter 4 )

Please see chapter 1 for ratings and disclaimer.

 

CHAPTER 4: My Brothers Keeper

 

Kai had leapt onto Sesshoumaru and gathering all the energy of her chakra, blinked, moving from one place to another concealing their smell as she went. Shit, she thought as she looked at the unconscious demon lord lying on the floor of the old hut she had brought them to. He was shuddering, his breathing shallow and fast he then proceeded to vomit violently. “Shit!” she said aloud as she rushed to turn Sesshoumaru on his side before he could choke, holding his long, pale hair out of the way. He's going to need more help than I can give him. I'll have to get us to that village.

 

She had come across a village in her travels and had bought some supplies from the shops. She had taken that day off to sightsee, speaking to the locals and enjoying her first day away from the compound. Kai knew it was quite far from where they were now but she also knew there was an old miko there that could help. I can probably do it in three to four blinks. I'll be tired but I don't have much of a choice. With that she leaned in closer to Sesshoumaru, putting one of her arms under his shoulders, the other around his waist. “Here we go.” She said to his quaking form.

 

The fifth time Kai had to stop she was really worried and close to exhaustion. Sesshoumaru was now ashen grey, his demon stripes and moon marking pale and almost translucent. He was barely breathing and no longer moving at all.

 

Kai was still in the same position as when they had first left the small abandoned hut and her legs were beginning to cramp.

 

One of the swords at his side pulsed for the third time and he began to moan lowly. Kai realized the sword was keeping Sesshoumaru alive but it was also draining her chakra energy making it harder for her to blink them any great distance. No time to rest, she thought. Leaning close to Sesshoumaru's ear she whispered, “Hang in there handsome. Don't die, ok?” With sweat prominent on her forehead she closed her eyes in concentration, straining to gather the last of her energy so she could to blink one last time to the village.

 

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Kirara landed gracefully just outside the village with Sango and Miroku on her back, the latter sporting a rather prominent red handprint shaped welt on his cheek. Inuyasha arrived seconds later carrying Kagome. Together they headed for Kaede's hut in the midst of light hearted jibes and friendly chatter.

 

Suddenly, Shippo was racing up to them. “Inuyasha, Inuyasha…” He never had the chance to finish as a certain scent hit Inuyasha's nose.

 

“Sesshoumaru! That bastard!! What's he doing here?” Inuyasha exclaimed, immediately unsheathing Tetsaiga allowing it to transform.

 

“No! Wait, Inuyasha…!” cried Shippo.

 

Inuyasha took no notice of the little kitsune as he raced towards the scent of his brother. Barging into Kaede's hut, his gold eyes blazing, he suddenly stopped dead. There on the futon was what looked like his brother but something was wrong, very wrong. A sickly-sweet scent assaulted Inuyasha's nose as the thought, he smells like death, went through his mind.

 

The others ran up behind Inuyasha as he put the Tetsaiga away. Kagome gasped putting her hands over her mouth, her eyes opened wide in shock. Sango turned her head into Miroku's shoulder, who was staring, mouth opened, as he wrapped him arm around her in an attempt to reassure both himself and her.

 

Sesshoumaru was laying on the futon, deathly pale, his demon marks no longer visible. He was convulsing and coated in sweat, his long hair clung to him like a second skin, white foam was bubbling from his mouth. Kaede and a human girl were trying to stop him from hurting himself as he thrashed about.

 

Inuyasha jumped in and tried to help the two women hold down his older brother. “What the fuck happened?” gasped Inuyasha, “What's wrong with him?”

 

“He's been drugged”, piped up Shippo.

 

“A very strong drug and too much of it”, grunted Kaede as she tried to forcefully pour a green liquid down Sesshoumaru's throat.

 

Inuyasha looked over to the girl on the other side of his brother. He recognized her, from her clothing, as the strange ninja girl, Kai, whom he had met two days ago; though she hardly looked any better than Sesshoumaru. Her black mask and hood were gone, he figured she was in her early 20's; equivalent to his brother, had Sesshoumaru been human. Her shoulder length not quite brown, not quite blonde hair was soaked in sweat and plastered to her head. Though she strived to control Sesshoumaru's spasms she was shaking as well. The most marked sign of her own distress was in her pale and drawn face and her sunken and dull eyes.

 

The rest of the gang had jumped in to help as well by fetching water, towels, blankets, Kagome's first aid kit, and anything else they could think of to try to help Inuyasha's only brother.

 

“Who is she?” whispered Kagome.

 

“That's the girl Inuyasha and I told you about, Kai I think she said her name was”, replied Miroku.

 

“I wonder why she's with Sesshoumaru?” questioned Sango. Nobody had a reply.

 

Sesshoumaru had stopped convulsing and was now lying quietly except for the occasional spasm, the medicine Kaede had given him finally taking effect. Kai cleaned his mouth and Kagome knelt beside her and started wiping the sweat off Sesshoumaru's face.

 

“I want to know what happened!” demanded Inuyasha. All eyes looked to Kai.

 

“I found him unconscious” she said tiredly, wiping the sweat from her brow. A demon wearing a baboon pelt was coming towards him. I couldn't just leave him there, that demon, he was pure evil” she finished shuddering.

 

“Naraku” spit out Inuyasha. “He'll pay for this.”

 

Just then Tenseiga pulsed.

 

“That's the fourth time it's done that”, said Kai. “The pulses are getting weaker”

 

“I fear your brother may die, Inuyasha”, said Kaede solemnly

 

“His sword can only do so much, its reaching the limit of its power”, rasped out Kai. She had never felt so exhausted in her life and from the look of Sesshoumaru she knew she would be well beyond exhaustion before this was through.

 

Inuyasha sat on the floor beside his brother's bedside shocked. He never would have thought that his demon brother would be in danger of dying. I've always wanted him dead, so why do I feel so empty? Why don't I want him to die? “I can't accept that”, said Inuyasha firmly. “My brother will not die like this, I won't let him.”

 

“I'm going to Jinenji”, stated Kagome. “Maybe he'll have something that'll help.”

 

“I'll go with you”, said Sango. “We can take Kirara, she'll get us there quickly.”

 

Kirara mewed her assent transforming into her full demon form.

 

“May the Kami's go with ye”, said Kaede “Hurry back quickly.”

 

Nodding in unison they hopped onto Kirara who leapt into the sky, the fire at her feet burning brightly.

 

“I wonder what happened to Sesshoumaru's toad?” questioned Miroku.

 

“We'll ask him when he gets better”, responded Inuyasha.

 

By now Kai had her hands on Tenseiga, trying to send her chakra into it to strengthen it until the girls got back with an antidote.

 

“Girl, ye are exhausted, ye must rest.”

 

“No”, said Kai, shaking off the hand Kaede had put on her shoulder.

 

Miroku, sensing how her aura had weakened, stepped forward and knelt down. “I can help”, he offered.

 

Kai looked at him and said shakily, “Yes please” she said recognizing that while Kaede's spiritual powers were strong, they were not as strong as this monks and she did not want the older woman to deplete her energies.

 

Miroku put his hands on hers and began chanting, his spiritual power flowing over her hands and into Tenseiga.

 

Kai could not believe the strength of the monk's power as it flowed through her. Remarkable, she thought, he'd have made a great ninja. She felt better, stronger and started to help focus the power from Miroku. They both felt the sword pulse strongly around the three of them.

 

Sesshoumaru moved slightly and groaned, the power surge from the monk through the sword to him having an effect. Kaede periodically wiped the sweat from all three now, helping as best she could. Shippo approached Inuyasha, silently sitting beside him, hoping that this small show of support would help.

 

Inuyasha looked on dumb founded glad that his friends had immediately jumped to his brother's aid. They didn't even question, Inuyasha thought proudly. He was also surprised to realize that he was holding his brother's hand.