InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Ninja ❯ The Trade ( Chapter 18 )

CHAPTER 18: The Trade

 

The huge outpouring of energy that had come from the cave had alerted a Saimyoushou and it flew back to Naraku with the news. They are all together I must divide them to grab the child. He began to gather his demons and Kagura to him. He made a puppet and sent it with Kagura to the cave as he told them what he wanted accomplished. He happily sat back at the castle with Kanna and her mirror to watch the events unfold.

 

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Back at the cave everyone was asleep except Inuyasha as it was his turn to be lookout. He watched the night with his golden eyes, bored out of his mind. Since his brother had joined them they had not been troubled much with other demons and because there were so many of them, no demons had been able to even get even close.

 

He was still mulling over what had happened earlier in the evening. The other three had not been able to come up with a satisfactory answer as far as he was concerned. He could see that something weird was going on between them but damned if he could figure it out and it was really starting to piss him off. So engrossed was he in trying to puzzle things out he almost didn't smell the horrible odour.

 

“Demons” he yelled alerting everyone at once. Finally, something to do, he thought happily, cracking his knuckles as he jumped towards the horde of demons to maim and destroy.

 

Sesshoumaru, Kai, Jaken, Miroku, Sango and Kouga joined the fray leaving Ginta and Hakkaku in the cave with Shippo and Rin. They were all so busy fighting the many demons that kept coming at them from every direction that they did not notice Kagura slip into the cave.

 

Sesshoumaru was the first to hear the small screams of Rin and Shippo. He turned to the cave slashing his way through three demons at once with his sword as he saw Hakkaku come flying from the mouth of the cave, hit the ground and not move. Ginta had a hold of Rin's legs and Kagura had her arms trying to pull her up onto her feather. Shippo was already in the feather unmoving.

 

“Inuyasha!” he yelled to his brother who was closer than him to the cave. Sesshoumaru kept slashing and tearing at the demons that were slowing his progress, Jaken by his side burning as many of them as he could. Most of the demons were converging on them.

 

Inuyasha was having problems getting away from a large bull demon that just didn't want to stay down. He was trying to use the wind scar to destroy him so he could get to the cave but the demon was quicker than he looked and just avoided strike after strike managing to block him from helping Rin and Shippo. Inuyasha made a leap to go by him as the demon again avoided his attack when the bull brought his arm around in a roundhouse punch and knocked him back.

 

Miroku was sitting on the ground holding his kazaana closed, he had taken in a lot of Saimyoushou and their poison was making him weak.

 

Sango had almost made it to the wind demon when Kagura, using her fan, finally dislodged Ginta and rose into the air quickly. She was just about to throw her boomerang when a group of demons surrounded her giving Kagura the precious few seconds she needed to escape.

 

Evil chuckling could be heard as the demons began to withdraw leaving the group stunned. Naraku stepped out from behind a rock holding up an unconscious Shippo in one hand and a frightened and crying Rin in the other. Both children were held in front of him like a shield so the others could not attack without hurting them.

 

“Even you wouldn't be so low as to harm kids” said Inuyasha angrily hoping that this would be true but knowing in his heart that it wasn't. His chest was hurting and he could feel a large bruise forming where the bull demon had connected with him.

 

“I'd be happy to release them, but only if Sesshoumaru comes with me.”

 

“What do you want with me?”

 

“I have no intention of killing you, if that is what you fear. What do you say, you for them.”

 

“Don't do it” said Kouga. “He won't keep his word, he'll hurt them anyways.”

 

“Yes, my lord” agreed Jaken “Please don't go with him.”

 

“I do have some honour” Naraku returned disdainfully “and I give it now that I will release them unharmed if you come to me.”

 

Kai and Miroku could feel the indecision in lord Sesshoumaru. They held their breaths waiting to see what he would do.

 

“Very well”, he finally replied. “I will go with you, you must release them now” he commanded. Sesshoumaru was confident that he would be able to kill Naraku and get away whenever he wished but he was curious as to what the baboon man wanted.

 

“Sesshoumaru” Inuyasha said in a whisper, shocked his brother would agree to this.

 

Naraku laughed and quicker than one would have imagined he snaked out his tentacles wrapping Sesshoumaru almost fully in them while at the same time jabbing him with a sharp point.

 

Sesshoumaru started to feel himself getting dizzy and weak. It was the same feeling he had before when Naraku's insects had stung him weeks ago.

 

Naraku threw the children from him so the others would have to rescue them to allow him to get away with his prize. He flew into the air bouncing from tree to tree leaving his demons behind to occupy the group.

 

Sango and Kouga jumped to catch the two kids as they flew through the air. Kouga had Shippo and landed back on the ground on his feet as Sango landed on her back cradling the crying Rin. Inuyasha had tried to leap to his brother's defence when the demons came pouring back. He used his wind scar to attack and beat them back, Jaken helping with the staff of two heads but it was too late, Naraku and Sesshoumaru were gone.

 

When the demons had been defeated and the others had time to collect themselves they found Miroku and Kai feeling weak and nauseous on their hands and knees on the ground, Ginta was by Hakkaku sitting still and quiet shock evident on his face.

 

Kouga went to Ginta, feelings of trepidation running through him, giving the now awakening Shippo to Sango. As he approached he realized that Hakkaku had been killed. The wolf prince could do nothing but stare, trying to control his feelings of grief at the loss of one of his childhood friends. Kouga and Ginta finally wrapped their arms around each other and let loose a long mournful howl that raised the hairs on the back of everyone's neck and caused the two children, who were with Kai and Sango, to wail harder.

 

Jaken was most upset by what his lord had done but, trusting in his lord's decision, did not say anything. He must have a plan to kill Naraku, that's why he went, the little toad thought trying to make himself feel better about the whole situation.

 

Miroku and Inuyasha had left with Kouga and Ginta to bury Hakkaku. Miroku was going to bless his grave to help his soul go to the afterlife quickly and in peace. Kouga was making Ginta go back to their people. He did not want to lose another friend and was going to brook no argument on the subject thinking that Ginta, in his determination to get revenge, would not be careful of his own safety.

 

“Be assured, I will kill Naraku for what he has done here today” said a determined wolf prince.

 

Kai and Miroku were feeling better, the weak dizzy feeling had shut off like a switch and they both knew, but did not say, that this did not bode well for Sesshoumaru.