InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Ninja ❯ Battle ( Chapter 22 )

CHAPTER 22: Battle

 

Surprised at being so close to the castle, they headed back into the forest to find a place to hide from any Saimyoushou that they knew would be about and to plan their next move.

 

Kai needed to rest, she was amazed that she had been able to get them all here and she had an idea that Miroku had a lot to do with it. She was tired and wanted to meditate to recharge her chakra. During the blink she had momentarily lost the connection between herself and the other two males but her concerns dissipated when she reached out and found them again easily. She sat quietly closing her eyes and reached out to Sesshoumaru, she sent her thoughts down the tendril of the connection then withdrew her aura from theirs. She wanted to make sure she was strong to help in the battle ahead and although she did not want to, she knew she could not hold the connection and do that. She would have to tell Miroku the same and hope Sesshoumaru would be ok on his own.

 

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Sesshoumaru was just in that grey area between wakefulness and sleep when he heard, we're here, right outside, don't give in, we're here. His eyes snapped open and then he realized, he could no longer feel Kai. Miroku was still there sending down bits of power to him and he groggily sat up.

 

His body was sore from all the torture it had with stood and it still craved that drug, various parts of him having that crawling itching feeling like spiders creeping across his skin. It was almost driving him mad and he scratched where he could reach with his one hand contemplating calling Naraku and doing what he wanted. The thought wasn't sounding as bad as it had before.

 

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Naraku knew when the two demons and three humans had arrived. Kanna's small mirror showing him they were just outside the castle. He was upset that they were here so soon as he was hoping to have more time to play with his toy. He called to Kagura, “Go find them, they are in the woods outside my castle, bring them to me, especially the wolf.” He sent her out with his demons to greet his guests.

 

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Miroku let go of the connection with Sesshoumaru slowly not wanting to shock the system of the weakened demon. When he was done he looked up to the rest of the group around him who were arguing on how to proceed. Inuyasha and Kouga favoured a frontal assault, Miroku telling them he thought that idea unwise.

 

“How are we going to sneak into Naraku's castle? He has demons and those damn bugs everywhere we should just go in, get Sesshoumaru and kill him.”

 

“The minute he sees us he'll send a horde of those demons and wasps after us, we should try to get as far as we can without being seen.”

 

Miroku had been arguing in a circle with Inuyasha for about ten minutes when the demon's they had been arguing about appeared. Everyone jumped up and engaged them in battle fighting fiercely as more and more demons came at them.

 

Inuyasha was using his wind scar, throwing it out this way and that cutting down demon after demon.

 

Sango, on Kirara was knocked down by a large demon who was about to crush her when Miroku opened his wind tunnel and sucked it in, closing it again quickly when the Saimyoushou appeared buzzing above him. Sango was up in a flash, throwing her boomerang hard.

 

Kouga and Kai were leaping from place to place avoiding the demons with their speed, Kai, throwing out her knives and stars chopping pieces off the demons. Kouga was using his claws and the sword that was at his side.

 

Suddenly the demons stopped attacking and Kagura appeared above them on her feather. She landed on the ground not far from Kai, her fan out in front of her and said to the group. “Naraku wants to see you.”

 

“Why should we go with you?” demanded Inuyasha.

 

“Would you rather stay here and fight demons all day instead of rescuing Sesshoumaru?” she countered back.

 

“This is a trap” said Miroku knowledgeably.

 

“Of course it's a trap” replied Kagura, “He doesn't think you can defeat him and he wants those last two shards.” As she said this she brought her red eyes upon Kouga. “He will be too powerful if he has those shards” she added looking to the group to see what they would say about her warning.

 

“Why would you care, don't you want him to be all powerful” Inuyasha said with a great deal of sarcasm pointing the Tetsaiga towards her.

 

“Perhaps not” she returned.

 

“What are you saying Kagura?” Inuyasha did not trust the wind witch but he knew from previous encounters that she had no love for the evil demon in the castle. He slowly lowered his sword but did not let it transform out of its full size.

 

“I'm not saying anything” she knew that even the trees had ears and she was not about to make more trouble for herself than she already had. “Will you come?” she asked instead.

 

The group looked at each other and nodding followed Kagura towards the castle. As she passed Kai, she pushed a key into her hand. Kai looked at the woman who was now ignoring her and then down at the item in her hand. She placed the key in her sling and then continued to follow.

 

Naraku was waiting in his main hall when they arrived. He had pulled every evil aura he could to himself and the jewel under his kimono was warm against his skin. Being on his own territory was making him strong as well. He could feel the jewel give a pulse as the last two shards approached. “Soon, soon” he said as if talking to a child feeling absolutely victorious.

 

“Where's Sesshoumaru you bastard!” Inuyasha bellowed at Naraku showing his teeth.

 

“He's been my honoured guest” said Naraku almost pleasantly. “Now I would like you to be as well.” With that he threw out his tentacles hitting Miroku and sending him flying across the room, the others were able to avoid them but just barely.

 

Inuyasha raised his sword up above his head leaping into the air and then coming down at Naraku who leapt sideways, the sword going through the wall into the next room.

 

Miroku was rising and started to undo the protective gauntlet from his hand when he was surrounded by Saimyoushou, he started to beat them back using his staff and throwing out ofudas, burning them in the air.

 

Kai was about to send out her throwing knives when Kagura caught her eye. She was standing off to the side, sending out her dance of blades but not really connecting with anything, looking like she wasn't trying to hit anybody at all. Kagura stared at Kai and gave a slight motion with her head towards the hole in the wall that Inuyasha had made. The ninja took the hint not sure why this demon woman would ever help them but not about to refuse it. She made her way to the wall, Kagura slowly heading that way as well, Naraku unknowingly helping by hitting Kai with a tentacle and throwing her through the hole. Kagura followed with the pretence of going after her.

 

Kouga saw Kagura going after Kai and made a leap for her not realizing she was trying to help. She threw out her blades and hit him in the shoulder before disappearing through the hole.

 

Kouga fell hard onto the floor in front of Naraku who snaked out his tentacles and wrapped them around Kouga's legs. He picked him up laughing. The wolf was hanging upside down and struggling to get free.

 

In the next room Kagura passed Kai the one sword she had found wrapped in cloth and quickly told her where Sesshoumaru was being kept.

 

“Why are you helping, Kagura?” Kai asked

 

“Sesshoumaru made a promise to me; be sure he keeps it” was all she said in response before darting back out into the other room.

 

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Sesshoumaru could smell the others above him and with his keen sense of hearing he could hear the fighting. He tried to pull against the chains, desperately trying to get free to join them and destroy Naraku. He was still weak and extremely shaky. The drug had begun to wear off but the cravings were there and they were strong; making his body break out in a cold, clammy sweat. He was soon panting and sitting on the floor thinking about Kagura, how she had fed him and given him water so he wouldn't starve and dehydrate. He remembered his promise and what she had told him to do. He hoped she was keeping her part of the bargain to those fighting above.

 

Kai found her way down into the dungeon. She knocked on different doors calling softly to Sesshoumaru when she felt a tug on her aura. It was a small twinge but she now knew where he was. She put the key in the door and opened it and tried not to show her shock at what she saw before her. She gasped to herself, oh, Sesshoumaru, what has he done to you? His hair was no longer than Miroku's and no longer white, it was dingy and straggly; his body soaked in sweat. There was something else she couldn't quite put her finger on; then she realized that his tail was gone. She could see streaks of dried blood and dirt on his face, exposed chest and belly. His eyes, when he looked up to her, were dull and had a lost, haunted look in them she had never seen before and never wanted to see again. She quickly went and knelt before him, using her sharp katana to slice through the chains. He fell forward slumping into her right arm that she had put forward to catch him.

 

“Can you walk my lord demon?” She asked using the honorific to give him a measure of respect.

 

“I think so” he croaked out, his voice not much more than a whisper because of the damage that had been done when he had screamed.

 

Normally the damage to his throat would have been healed by now but the drug had slowed his healing power. There were still some angry red welts here and there on him, the deepest being on his thigh. He would have been in much worse shape if it hadn't been for the combined help he had received from Kai and Miroku.

 

Kai helped him to his feet and he stood swaying slightly. She passed him his sword, “Kagura gave me this, she has been helping” she told him. “What did you promise her?”

 

“I promised to free her” Sesshoumaru replied. “Where is the Tenseiga?” he asked putting Toukijin in his pants.

 

“I don't have it Kagura didn't know where Naraku had put it.”

 

Sesshoumaru was upset at the loss of his father's heirloom but could not think about it now. “We must get up there” he said.

 

Kai didn't think Sesshoumaru was in any shape for a fight with Naraku but she honoured his wish and obeyed, helping him up the stairs and towards the room Kagura had told him about.

 

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Kouga was struggling hard to get free as he felt one of the tentacles start to rip into his left leg. Suddenly he was falling, Sango's boomerang having cut through the tentacle that had been holding him upside down. He hit the ground and skidded across the floor.

 

Inuyasha was in front of him in a flash. “Stupid wolf, try not to give the shards to him on a silver platter” he growled out throwing out his wind scar.

 

“Shut up mutt” replied Kouga regaining his feet and joining Inuyasha in trying to push Naraku back.

 

Naraku leapt straight up through the roof above him, Inuyasha and Kouga right behind. He was trying to lead the group onto a precipice where he was planning on throwing them off. He chuckled to himself when they took the bait commanding Kagura to put all of her efforts onto the wolf. He was going after that bitch on the cat for thwarting him in gaining the shards earlier. He called out to his demons to help take care of the monk and Inuyasha, to keep them busy and away from him. He noticed the ninja was not among them and assumed Kagura had taken care of her.

 

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When Sesshoumaru and Kai made it to the top floor, the main room where the fighting had been was empty. Sesshoumaru could hear the fight had progressed outside of the castle so they went past the room and down the hall into a smaller room through a black door. There on the table was what they were looking for, a small wooden box.

 

Sesshoumaru's nose twitched at a familiar scent and he looked on a shelf that was above the table. He saw a glass vial with a small amount of liquid, barley an eighth left in the bottom of it. Beside it were three darts coated in the drug.

 

Kai saw him hesitate and stare at what was on the shelf. “What's wrong, are you ok?” she asked looking at him with concern.

 

Sesshoumaru's mouth had gone dry and the smell was making his head spin. He wanted what was there so badly and he reached out for it, his hand shaking with need. He felt Kai's hand gently rest on his, her green eyes staring softly and sadly into his when he turned to face her. With the greatest force of will he had ever used before or since, he took his hand away from the items and picked up the box putting it into his pants. Without looking back he left the room, his back a little straighter; walking with purpose.

 

By the time they made their way to the top of the hill, Sesshoumaru was in a sweat, his breath coming hard and fast. Kai had thought to persuade him to stay back but then realized that both he and Inuyasha were needed to defeat this evil demon. “Just take it easy ok?” she asked worried about his condition.

 

He had looked at her, determination blazing in his eyes and said, “He will not defeat this Sesshoumaru, I will kill him.” He stood up and began to draw Toukijin going forward on the force of his hate for Naraku.

 

Inuyasha was so busy trying to fight through the demons that were surrounding him that he didn't even notice when Sesshoumaru and Kai joined in. All he could smell was Naraku and the stench was making him nauseous.

 

Miroku was at his side, unable to use his wind tunnel because of the wasps that were buzzing overhead, but throwing out ofuda after ofuda and using his staff expertly. He was beginning to tire, his spiritual energy running low. As the fight continued he had to use his staff more and more to beat the demons away receiving many cuts and bruises from the close contact fighting and had just barely missed being gored by a demon with large horns.

 

Kouga was trying to get a strike in on Kagura, she only fought enough to keep herself from getting hit and kept herself between Kouga and Naraku but not for the reason Kouga thought.

 

Sango was having the most trouble, Naraku had knocked her and Kirara out of the sky and the cat demon had turned back into her kitten form and was lying on the ground unconscious. Sango had her boomerang stuck in the ground; she was crouched behind it trying to catch her breath as Naraku sent out his tentacles towards her.

 

Kai leapt to her defence, slicing through the tentacle with her katana as she flipped through the air to land beside Sango. “Are you ok?” she asked as a huge flash of power and light danced across the ground directly at Naraku.

 

Naraku didn't move out of the way fast enough and was hit. He turned, surprise and anger evident on his features staring at the enraged demon before him. How did he get loose? How can he be fighting? Naraku didn't have the answers nor the time to dwell on them as Sesshoumaru lifted Toukijin again, staggering slightly, absolute hate pouring off him in waves.

 

Naraku then noticed the ninja girl as she charged towards him, her blade extended out in front of her. Kagura, thought Naraku, You've been plotting against me.

 

He realized when he saw the small human flying towards him that the only way she and Sesshoumaru could be here was if Kagura had helped them. He had a huge gash in his side from Sesshoumaru's attack but because of the rage building quickly inside him he ignored the pain. He snaked out three tentacles, one towards Kagura, one to Kai, another at Sesshoumaru.

 

Sango could see that Sesshoumaru was not going to be able to move quickly enough to get out of the way and could see him staggering as he tried to power up his sword again, oblivious to the danger he was in. She was shocked at his appearance and was awed by the degree of control he had considering what he looked like. She threw out her boomerang, cutting the tentacle just before it went through Sesshoumaru's heart.

 

Kagura saw the tentacle coming her way and dodged it fear evident in her eyes. He knows she thought as she rose into the air on her feather, not brave enough to actually fight against her master. Your on your own, I've done what I could. She knew Sesshoumaru was still alive as she saw Sango save him from being pierced and hope rose in her breast.

 

Kai was not so lucky, she had been so angry that she had made a frontal attack. She was in the air right in front of the evil demon leaving herself wide open. The tentacle connected but because she realized what was happening, she rolled up in the air at the last moment, the tentacle hitting her like a bat on a ball and sending her flying over the cliff instead of going through her stomach.

 

Sesshoumaru saw her go and the pain he felt as he used his weakened demon abilities to get to her quickly was astonishing. He moved fast, almost flying across the battle zone to reach her and grabbed her good arm as she went over. Sesshoumaru hit the ground crying out loudly at the pain and slid towards the edge of the cliff, Kai in his hand dangling over the rocks below. He felt like blacking out but gritted his teeth and forcefully made himself stay conscious as his momentum stopped, his shoulder and arm over the side, Kai still held firmly in his grasp.

 

Inuyasha had finally disposed of the last of the demons surrounding him and Miroku. Miroku was on the ground, groaning, but alive, Sango at his side. He saw Naraku hit Kai and his wounded brother go after her. He didn't get a good look at Sesshoumaru but what he saw didn't look good. At least he's alive he thought gratefully.

 

He looked to Naraku as he tried to grab Kouga, who was leaping and twisting trying to avoid getting trapped by the tentacles as they came at him from every direction. Inuyasha felt a burning fury at this worthless piece of shit demon and what he had done and was doing to his friends. He jumped towards Naraku hacking at him with Tetsaiga giving Kouga room to get away. The two, now friends, battled Naraku together side by side.

 

Sweat was breaking out on Sesshoumaru and his arm was quaking. He was trying to pull Kai up to the relative safety of the ground he was on but his power was gone and he couldn't do it. He refused to let go. Kai could feel he was weakening and she knew there was only one thing he could do. She looked up at the demon she loved watching him as he gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes closed trying to hold on to her. “Sesshoumaru” she said quietly, knowing he had heard as he opened his eyes to look into hers.

 

This was the first time Sesshoumaru had heard her call him by name and he didn't like the sound in her voice. He opened his eyes and looked into hers fear forming in his heart.

 

“Let me go”

 

“No” he rasped out

 

“Yes, you have to. Inuyasha can't defeat Naraku by himself, even with Kouga's help. He will get the shards and my sensei's vision will come true. You have to go to him and defeat Naraku. I am only one life, there are many more that will be affected if he's victorious. Let me go.

 

Sesshoumaru purposely ignored her, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. At this moment right now he knew he had found his one true mate and he did not want to lose her. He felt her open her hand from his arm and she began to slip. He gripped harder trying to figure out how to save her and get to his brothers side.

 

Sorry Sesshoumaru, I can't let you do this. Kai closed her eyes and gathered every ounce of her chakra putting her life force into it as well. She then reached out and twisted around Sesshoumaru's aura pushing it all out to him at once.

 

“I love you” he heard her say just before he felt the immense power hit him hard.

 

The battle stopped momentarily as all eyes watched the huge mushroom cloud of blue light coming from the cliff's edge. Sesshoumaru was thrown backwards, losing his grip on Kai as she went tumbling down to the rocks below.

 

The sound of grief and anger coming from Sesshoumaru took the smirk of Naraku's face as he felt a huge wave of fear course through him.

 

Sesshoumaru fully charged with all the power Kai had given him began to change into his full demon form blood red eyes locked on Naraku, poisonous drool falling from his jaws. He screamed and charged at Naraku who tried to dodge but failed as the great dog crushed him to the ground beneath his paw. He grabbed him in his jaws and shook him hard crunching down on the demons ribs growling loudly. He then spit him out and reverting back into his more human form drawing his sword which was glowing. “Inuyasha!” he yelled.

 

Inuyasha jumped to the side of his brother and powered up Tetsaiga, they both brought their swords down at the same time, huge amounts of energy racing towards the prone and bleeding Naraku lying on the ground. He then burst into glowing pieces, screaming his pain and defeat, as they dissipated in the air turning to dust.

 

The blast sent everyone flying back. When the dust had settled and they could all see again, there, floating in the air above where Naraku had been was the almost complete Shikon jewel. Black tendrils like smoke were swirling around inside it as it started to shiver and quake. They all heard a snapping sound, very similar to ice cracking on a pond when it's walked over. It burst into thousands of pieces, the shards flying at incredible speeds in every direction. Everyone just stared in total shock, realizing they would again have to go after all the pieces of the jewel.