InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Therapist ❯ Incredible Propositions ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha".

 

I decided to change the descriptor to this story because the more this story progressed, the less the original description made sense…at least tothecasual reader who only browses the first three of so chapters. This is still going to be a Sesshoumaru fanfic, but certainly not the sort where he jumps out on every single page. It will take some time for the full story to unfold.

I kinda decided to do a major updating of the story at this time because it might be some time again before I am struck by inspiration to continue this tale.

 

Word Translations:
Youkai - demon
Taiyoukai - great demon
Hanyou - half-demon
Ningen - human
Kami - deity
Miko -priestess

Shikon no Tama- the Jewel of Four Souls. The same jewel that everyone is after in the series.

 

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Kagura shifted her feet under her curled legs for the umpteenth time. She didn't bother to hide the bored look on her face as she slowly fanned herself. Turning her head, she glanced at her sister Kanna sitting silently with her mirror and usual blank expression. Staring upwards next at the dimly-lit rafters of the room, she wondered how long humans could sustain a conversation without having to take any kind of a break.

 

Although Naraku and that strange mortal woman, Sachiko were speaking softly behind a semi-transparent curtain of woven reeds at the far end of the room, the wind sorceress did not have to strain if she wanted to catch any part of that conversation. Her keen demon ears would have picked up a word whispered on the wind a mile away. However, she yawned and rolled her eyes. She was sure that no matter what kind of proposal that crazy ningen female tried to sell to him, Naraku would somehow end up killing her before the night was over. That was the way Naraku was. He would never allow anyone to tell him what to do.

 

Eventually, after a long while, she saw the human female quickly scribble down a few things on a sheet of paper with a brush and slide it over to Naraku.

 

“Feh… she can read and write as well. When was that ever a skill for a whore,” the wind sorceress muttered. Sensing that the very long conversation was at an end, she folded her fan and concentrated on the events behind the reed curtain.

 

Naraku briefly scanned the words that Sachiko had written and then folded the paper.

 

“I find your plan and notions ridiculous, although it is bold and imaginative.” There was a slight expression of disdain as he slid the folded paper into the folds of his clothing.

 

“I assure you… master, that you will come out of this with a distinct advantage,” Sachiko's voice was low but firm.

 

“I MIGHT decide NOT to go ahead with this plan. Maybe I MIGHT just decide to kill you for wasting my time,” the dark haired demon stared straight into her eyes as he made his threat, the corner of his mouth upturned in an expression that many of his victims witnessed before gasping their last breath.

 

“If that is to be my fate, then I accept it,” Sachiko bowed, and then glanced upward into the eyes of the dark-haired demon. “But, you would leave this place without ever knowing if you had somehow given up the best chance you have ever had to completely neutralize your enemies.”

 

Naraku arched his brow at her bold statement and leaned back. “Suppose I do this…”

 

“No matter how this matter is concluded, you will still emerge with an advantage over them,” the petite woman quickly interjected.

 

“And THAT, my dear fragile human, is the only part of the plan that I like.”

 

“The decision is yours… my master.”

 

A smirk appeared on the demon's face. He quickly got up and motioned for Kanna to enter. The ice-white child picked up a bundle that was resting quietly beside her. She walked past the reed curtain and handed the youkai infant to Sachiko. Naraku strode towards the sliding doors without so much as a backward glance.

 

“I think I shall enjoy proving you wrong, ningen.”

 

“I'm surprised he let you live,” the wind sorceress remarked as soon as the demon left the room.

 

 

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Sango felt horribly stiff when she woke up. She looked around the dilapidated hut for the peasant woman that saved her life but only found an empty, dusty corner. Slowly she felt around for some support and pulled herself up with the help of a piece of wood that served well as a kind of crude crutch. Limping painfully outside, she called out the woman's name.

 

“Sachiko…”

 

She hobbled around looking and calling for about 10 minutes before plopping down in exhaustion on the sump of a fallen tree. Then she noticed it, the sudden rush of air and the sound of light feet leaping from one slender branch to another. Sango turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of a man wearing the skin of a baboon land gracefully onto the ground.

 

“Naraku!”

 

“So we meet again, demon slayer.”

 

“What have you done with that peasant woman and her son!”

 

“Peasant woman? Son?” Naraku laughed. “I saw no one matching that description.”

 

Sango grimaced as her muscles tensed. The pain from her injuries was starting again. Although it did seem like he was telling the truth, she didn't know if he could be believed.

 

“I… I will kill you where you stand!”

 

The dark-haired demon rolled his eyes behind the baboon mask. There was a ready jeer on his tongue for such a scenario, but he resisted the urge to speak it.

 

“Save your strength. I have not come to fight you. In fact, I am here with a proposition that you will find interesting.”

“I will have no dealings with the likes of YOUR KIND!”

 

Again Naraku resisted the urge to bring up the fact that two of her closest friends were a hanyou and a kitsune. This slayer was certainly testing his patience.

 

“I have decided to release your little brother… Kohaku. I am sure you are looking forward to meeting him,” he decided that the direct approach would cut down on any useless banter.

 

The demon slayer stared wide-eyed at him.

 

“In fact, I will release him to you, alive, with the fragment from the Shikon no Tama sustaining his life.”

 

“What…”

 

“As it turns out, I am in SUCH a generous mood, I have decided to remove that awful wind tunnel from the hand of the monk.”

 

“W…What evil scheme are you planning!” the demon slayer could hardly believe her ears.

 

“There is no `wicked' scheme. No, I only ask for a simple favour in return. That you, your brother and the monk enter into a sacred oath with me. In this oath, the three of you will swear on behalf of yourself and all of your descendants, to end this vendetta between us. That is, none of you will pursue or attempt to harm me in any way for all eternity…”

 

“If you think…”

 

“OF COURSE, I, Naraku will also abide by the same oath and not harm you, or your descendants. Should any party decide to break the oath, that same party will be struck by lightning and torn into a thousand pieces.”

 

Sango could not believe what she was hearing.

 

“It is a very good deal. I suggest that you discuss it with the monk before giving me your answer. You have one week to decide.”

 

“B…but the jewel…”

 

“That piffling trinket? I have decided that it is no longer worth my time to go chasing after it.”

 

Before the demon slayer could either accuse or question him further, the dark-haired demon leapt upwards into the canopy of trees and vanished. About half an hour later, Sango heard the voice of the monk as he came running towards her from the dense forest with the little kitsune.

 

 

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2 Days Later…

 

 

A sweet breeze blew over the countryside and caught itself in the silky, white hair of a hanyou. The half-demon was sitting up on a grassy cliff, watching the full moon. A tear fell from his amber eyes, but he did not wipe it away. He had recently been spending many days like this, wandering alone in the forest near the dry well, staring up into the starry sky during the night. Miroku had left some days ago with the little kitsune to look for Sango. He tried to get the hanyou to follow him, but nothing would move Inuyasha from the forest near the village where he first met Kikyo and where he spend so many glorious days with Kagome.

 

As the whisper of her name entered his thoughts, tears started to roll down his eyes.

 

“Damn!” he whispered and rubbed them away with his sleeve.

 

Kagome was dead, and it wasn't even from a fight with Naraku. She had died from in battle with some lesser demon. It seemed as though Fate were laughing at him - at both of them. In all the time they were together, he never really had the chance to really tell her how he felt.

 

“Ahem… excuse me.”

 

With inhuman speed, the hanyou leapt to his feet and drew Tetsuaiga. The sword grew into a huge steel blade in his hands as he turned in the direction of the sound. Inuyasha silently cursed himself for being so preoccupied in his own miserable thought that he did not notice that someone was nearby. A short distance away, he saw a petite woman in a simple silk kimono.

 

The woman did not approach, but bowed in greeting. “Greetings Inuyasha, I am Sachiko Taji and I have come to speak with you on an important matter.”

 

“How is it that you know me?”

 

“Please put aside your sword Inuyasha-san and I will answer your question.”

 

The hanyou sheathed his blade and stood with his hands at his sides. He knew he could draw Tetsuaiga fast enough if he was threatened with any kind of ambush.

 

“I speak for Naraku. That …”

 

As soon as the name rolled off her tongue, she heard a growl from the hanyou. “Who on earth are you! You don't smell like one of Naraku's wretched `creations'”

 

The petite woman sighed inwardly. “No, I am completely human. Like your friends Sango and Miroku. However, I speak for Naraku and I'm here to…”

 

“Where is that fiend!” the hanyou growled loudly, the bones of his claws cracked audibly as he flexed them before her.

 

“Not nearby… I assure you,” Sachiko cursed inwardly. She had no idea how to get this hot-blooded youth to listen to her for a minute. “I am here to offer you a…”

 

“I DON'T WANT ANYTHING HE'S OFFERING!”

 

“KAGOME!” she reckoned if she yelled loud enough she would somehow catch Inuyasha's attention. “HE CAN BRING BACK KAGOME!”

 

This really caught the hanyou's attention. Lacking any form of subtlety, his jaw dropped in amazement for a few seconds before he resumed his former demeanor.

 

“How do I know you are telling the truth, woman. It doesn't seem like Naraku to allow a ningen to `speak for him' ”

 

“I thought you might ask that.” Finally, she was getting somewhere. She waved her hand in the air and waited. A strong breeze suddenly blew hard against them and rustled the nearby trees. In the swift blinking of an eye, the beautiful Kargura appeared, fan held aloft. Inuyasha quickly drew his blade.

 

“STOP THIS!”

 

Inuyasha, and even the usually composed Kagura were stunned. The wind sorceress had never heard the petite woman speak in such a commanding tone. She folded her fan quickly.

 

“Yes, yes, hanyou, it's all true. I have no idea why he would choose her to speak for him on this matter, but if you want your miko back, you had best listen to what she has to say.”

 

Inuyasha growled.

 

Seeing that the half-demon was unwilling to relax his stance, Sachiko sighed and wondered if it was at all possible to convince him to go along with her proposal.

 

“Naraku is able to restore Kagome to you. No, he is not responsible for her… `death'. In return for bringing her back, he wishes to enter a sacred oath with you. In this oath, you will swear for yourself and on behalf of all your descendants to end all vendetta with him. This means that neither you nor your descendants will harm him in any way… “

 

“IF YOU THINK THAT I'M GOING TO SWEAR THAT!...”

 

“I SAID…” Sachiko was starting to get a pretty good idea why Naraku didn't want to negotiate with the hanyou directly. “HE WILL ENTER THE SAME OATH WITH YOU! HE AGREES TO NOT HARM YOU LEST HE BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND TORN INTO A THOUSAND PIECES. SAME APPLIES TO YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS!”

 

“Are we CLEAR about this?” She was really getting hoarse from all that shouting.

 

It took Sachiko another hour of shouting and explaining before the half-demon fully understood the proposal and its implications.

 

“What about Kikyo? What if he harms her?” the hanyou's voice was soft when he spoke her name.

 

“Ah. He did mention that you would bring her up. He will also swear not to harm her UNLESS she harms him first. Naraku has no interest in destroying Kikyo at all. However, it is only fair that he be allowed to defend himself IF she decides to attack.”

 

“This is NOT acceptable!” Inuyasha punched his fist into a nearby tree.

 

“They are fair terms, Inuyasha-san,” Sachiko's voice was flat and impassive. “As I see it, you have to decide who you want with you. Kagome, who is the rightful incarnation of the priestess Kikyo, Or `Kikyo' who is apparently a being raised from the clay of her grave and animated with a portion of Kagome's soul… “

 

“I personally am surprised that Kagome hasn't demanded that portion of soul back from `Kikyo' or tried to find out more about what kind of being `Kikyo' really is. After all, if Kagome is indeed the original miko reborn, then WHO on earth is this `Kikyo' that is running around? If Kagome took back her soul portions from the animated `Kikyo' won't SHE be the real priestess, body and spirit? What then would that creature of clay be?”

 

Inuyasha could hardly look at Sachiko. He hung his head as he cursed his fate and everything in general under his breath. No one had ever laid out the facts for him in that manner. He had wanted to yell at her to shut up, but he could not. He knew that she spoke the truth.

 

Sachiko informed the hanyou that an answer was expected in two days before departing with the wind sorceress.