InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Youkai and the Exterminator ❯ Chapter TwentyFive ( Chapter 25 )

Chapter TwentyFive

 

 

"Oh come on, Inuyasha! Why not?"

 

He glared at her from slightly narrowed golden eyes. "I don't want to," he snapped.

 

Sango gave disgusted snort and plopped down next to Miroku. After breakfast, they'd headed outside. The sun was warm on the courtyard and they were enjoying watching Shippou's game of tag with Rin. But Sango was still restless, the past few days of ease had done her a world of good, although she certainly couldn't call what she and Sesshomaru had been doing at night restful.

 

It was more of a mental relaxation, a lessening of burdens that had slowly been accumulating on the young woman's shoulders. Her brother was free and alive, her friends were safe, and she was in love. If anyone had told her that fate had such happiness in store for her, she would have laughed in their faces. Naraku was still out there, still working his evil and plotting destruction, but at the moment she was willing to let the matter be pushed to the back of her mind. She was in love.

 

Still, the fact that Naraku was out there and in desperate need of being slain meant she couldn't afford to let herself get soft. That morning her exterminator clothing and armor had been returned to her room and Sango let her hands wander with fondness over the garments. Her clothing had been cleaned and repaired, someone had taken out the messy mends she'd done herself and neatly restored the tough fabric.

 

They did a much better job than she'd been able to do on her own and she wondered exactly which of Makiko's staff had gotten the job. She could barely see the mends herself, she only knew they were there because she knew exactly where each cut or tear had been. Her armor was also clean, dents and damage had been carefully smoothed out and it had been restored to a glossy finish.

 

She'd smiled to herself when putting it on, slipping a soft new yukata over her shoulders. Being the lover of a powerful demon lord had its benefits in more way than one.

 

And she felt energized, ready to jump and run with happiness. It was silly, she was hardly a little girl anymore, but she had to hold herself back from skipping when she walked and when Miroku casually commented on her state of fit exuberance, all she could do was laugh. What she wanted now was someone to spar with; she needed to keep herself trained for battle readiness even in this relaxed and protected place.

 

Unfortunately, her most likely sparring partner was giving her a dirty look, hunched against the wall with an expression of disdain. She decided that he'd probably be angry if she pointed out that look of his made him resemble his brother quite strongly.

"Please?" she asked again, grinning at him. "I promise to take it easy on you."

 

Kagome smothered a chuckle and Inuyasha shot the girl a glare. "Something funny?" he growled.

 

Miroku tapped him with the end of his staff, he would have stood up to do so, but he was still a bit too sore for quick movements. "Now Inuyasha, there's no reason for you to refuse Sango's request. You've sparred with her before, why the hesitation now?"

"I ain't hesitating," the hanyou answered gruffly. "I just ain't in the mood."

 

"Not in the mood for fighting, that's something I thought we'd never hear," Sango taunted, challenging him with her gaze. Maybe she could tease him into it by taking a few shots at his ego. "All right, if that's really how you feel. I never would have thought you'd be afraid to spar with me."

 

He snorted, looked disgusted. "As if I have any reason to be afraid of you. Didn't you watch that fight with Yasuke yesterday? Please. I think I can handle anything you throw out."

 

"Prove it," she grinned, her hands on her hips.

 

The monk laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe it isn't you he fears, Sango," he said with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "Maybe Inuyasha simply fears what his brother will do if he sees the two of you fighting, even in practice."

 

"I'm not afraid of that asshole either," Inuyasha began in a heated voice. He stopped, realizing they'd been teasing him. Fine. If that's what they wanted, he could put on a show. As if he'd ever hurt Sango in the first place or let her hurt him. It was joke. On the other hand, she just wanted some exercise and it might be fun to let some of these stuck up idiots see that this human woman wasn't the helpless little villager they'd probably thought her.

 

Yeah, that didn't sound bad at all.

 

"Come on, wench," he snorted, moving away from the wall. "Let's go at it, I'll make you look good."

 

"I don't need your help with that," Sango answered cheerily. "I won't even use Hiraikotsu, so you can just leave Tessaiga in its sheath."

 

Oh she was getting entirely too cocky, he thought, wondering if that was Sesshomaru's influence. Sango had never doubted her own skills since he'd known her, but the confidence radiating of the woman now was something new.

 

"As if I'd need the sword to fight a human," he said airily, looking up at the sky with an expression of supreme unconcern. "I just hope all this time in bed," he grinned wickedly, "hasn't made you soft. Just remember if you play with me, I play dirty."

 

They started to dance around each other, Sango feinting with lightning quick kicks to test Inuyasha. He'd better be taking this seriously, if I didn't want a real practice, I'd spar with Shippou, she thought. He dodged away, still not making any serious moves to stop her, letting her be the aggressive one and come after him. Finally, it started to annoy her.

 

"Are you done playing around yet?" she asked, suspicion evident in the tone of her voice.

 

He was on her before she could even finish the sentence. Inuyasha ran in under her guard and seized Sango in a tight hold that clamped her arms to her sides, heaving her off her feet as he picked her up from behind.

 

"I dunno," he said lazily in her ear. "Do you think I'm done playing around?"

 

If he thinks it's going to be that easy, Sango thought. She jabbed her elbow in his stomach as hard as she could, it didn't make him break his hold, but his weight shifted to anticipate her next move. Instead of trying to gain her feet as he expected, Sango bent over his arms to gain momentum and heaved herself backward to shake his balance.

 

It worked, the hanyou stumbled a step two back, giving Sango the opportunity to twist in his arms and drive her stiffened fingers into his abdomen. Inuyasha's short gasp of breath told her that her move had caught him off guard and she used the time to plant her feet and shove to break his hold. As his arms peeled away from her, she didn't hesitate and launched a kick right for his chest. The hanyou went down on his ass.

 

"First fall!" Shippou called out gleefully.

 

"Good move, sister!" Kohaku said, clapping his hands.

 

Sango grinned at their praise and looked at Inuyasha. He was smiling; a little embarrassed she'd knocked him to the ground. "Okay, I deserved that," he said, getting to his feet.

 

"You deserved worse, but I'm feeling generous," Sango taunted him and dropped into a half crouch, daring him to come at her again.

 

Kagome watched them start to circle again and shook her head. "What's got into Sango?" she murmured, leaning towards Miroku. "I've never seen her act like this."

 

Miroku frowned slightly; he too noticed a strange eagerness in the exterminator's gaze while she sparred. This time Inuyasha was being a little more cautious, not wanting to get dumped on his ass more than once, the monk supposed.

 

"I'd have to agree she's feisty," he commented at last. "Why, I have no idea. Perhaps we should ask Sesshomaru to enlighten us."

 

She snickered, holding her hand in front of her mouth and thinking about the look that the demon lord would give them for presuming to ask such a question. "Somehow I doubt if he'd answer your questions."

 

He laughed back at her. "What, you think that he'd be offended at us speculating on his relationship with Sango and why she's so full of energy this morning? He might take that as an insult."

 

"I couldn't blame him," Kagome answered. "I'm sure he'd say it's none of our business what he did with her last night."

 

"And what did you and Inuyasha do last night?" Miroku asked, shooting the question at her like a dart. Just because he was battered and bruised from his own exploits didn't mean that he hadn't noticed a strange tension between the hanyou and the girl. Nor did he miss the way she'd been watching Inuyasha out of the corner of her eyes, blushing and turning away whenever he glanced back.

 

Miroku contemplated that he might be assuming something; then again, what was wrong with assuming something that was inevitable?

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kagome answered stiffly, looking away from him and locking her arms around her knees. He looked thoughtfully at her and leaned in close.

 

"Was it that bad?"

 

"It was not bad at all," she hissed, inching away from him.

 

"So I am correct that you finally..."

 

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Do you have to be so nosy? Don't we deserve any privacy?"

 

Miroku sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "Okay, it was awful. I won't mention it."

 

"It was not awful, it was wonderful and it's still not your business!"

 

Inuyasha held up his hand to make Sango pause in her attack. "You two do realize that I can hear you, right?" he barked over his shoulder. First he had Sango trying to beat his ass for no good reason, now he had to listen to Miroku interview Kagome about how their first time had been. And she was still acting weird too; he was frankly a little relieved to hear her say the word wonderful. He'd been worried for a few minutes he'd done something wrong, hurt her in some way she wouldn't tell him.

 

"Since you can hear me, why don't you offer up some details?" Miroku called to him, grinning widely. He'd been waiting years for the chance to tease them about this.

 

Sango stopped, dropping her hands. "Is that pervert saying what I think he's saying?" she asked, planting her hand on Inuyasha's chest when he tried to turn away. He swatted her arm away.

 

"I don't ask you for details about how you fuck my brother," he growled, watching as her face turned red.

 

She pushed closer, glaring up at him. "As a matter of fact, you did," she snarled back, her eyes flashing. "Or have you forgotten about that?"

 

"When did you ask her for details?" Miroku asked, leaning forward. He used his staff to give him leverage to stand up, as it was he probably wouldn't have made it if Kagome hadn't grabbed his elbow and hauled him up next to her. He smiled a thanks and cursed that his body wasn't healed yet from his own night of experimentation.

 

"I ain't forgotten," he snapped, looking murderous at the idea. "I had every right to know what was going on, considering who it was."

 

Sango put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "But no one has the right to ask you about your own private business, huh?"

 

"Hey," Kagome said, darting between them as the exterminator and the hanyou started to growl at each other. "Calm down, can we just drop the subject?" she pleaded, her face getting pinker all the time.

 

Sango saw her blush and instantly felt awful. Of course Kagome wouldn't feel like talking about their first time, not with raised voices and in such a public place. Just because there didn't seem to be any youkai around at the moment did not mean they weren't being watched. If only by the curious who wanted to see the sparring match. Now was really no time to discuss it.

 

"I'm sorry, Kagome," she said contritely, going to the other girl and putting her hands on her shoulders. "We have no right to pry."

 

Miroku opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut when Sango leveled him with a look. "You're right of course," he said, moving smoothly into his best penitive look. "Forgive me for being rude, Kagome."

 

“No one's gonna apologize to me?” Inuyasha demanded. Sango shot him a look that made his annoyance die in his throat. Since when did she get to be that intimidating, he wondered. Then she turned her disapproval on Miroku. She laid her finger on the side of his face, turning his cheek to face her.

 

“You know, houshi-sama,” she said at last. “Those scratches do look deep. I think you should take Makiko up on her offer for something to help heal them. You don't want to scar.”

 

He put his hand up and gingerly felt the marks. “I don't think they're that bad, Sango. I've never scarred before from an injury like that.”

 

She stepped on his foot and Miroku winced. “I think,” she said, emphasizing the word, “we should go look for Makiko anyway.”

 

He might be a little dense, but not that much. Sango wanted them to leave Kagome and Inuyasha alone. He looked at Kagome, noting the embarrassed flush to her cheeks and the way she wouldn't look at the hanyou. He sighed and tucked his hand around the exterminator's arm.

 

“Who am I to argue with a lady?” he asked no one in a cavalier tone. “I'm extremely touched that you think so well of my face that you don't want to see it altered.”

 

Sango couldn't hold back a grin. “Don't let it go to your head, houshi-sama.”

 

Miroku laughed and let her lead him away. “Tell the truth, Sango. You want me to tell you all the details of my evening. I can see in your eyes that you're curious.”

 

“The only thing I'm curious about is how you managed to live through it,” she shot back. “They must have taken pity on you.”

 

“Oh, pity and then some,” he answered cheerfully. “As a spiritual person, I try to look for the Buddha's compassion in all that I meet. The young ladies were no different, I consider it my sacred duty to explore such traits of mercy and love, even in the hearts of youkai females.”

 

Kagome shook her head as they walked away, amused by Miroku's banter. “Does he ever stop?” she wondered aloud.

 

“Not that I can tell,” Inuyasha answered darkly. He slipped an arm around Kagome's shoulders and winced when he felt the girl stiffen. “What's wrong?” he asked in a soft tone.

 

“Nothing's wrong, I'm perfectly fine,” she said, hating herself for flinching away from him. The truth was, she felt very uneasy. Since she'd awoken she'd felt strange, like something was missing that she'd taken for granted. It wasn't Inuyasha, he hadn't done anything wrong. The problem was in her and she knew she was hurting Inuyasha by not responding the way she should be. Everything should be wonderful, she told herself angrily. I love him and he loves me and that's all that matters!

 

He slowly turned her to face him and she didn't look him in the eye, instead focusing on a point between his eyebrows and his nose. “Kagome,” he whispered. “Are you sorry?”

 

“No,” she said fiercely, forcing herself to look at him. “I'm not sorry about anything. I...I just need some time to adjust.”

 

He took it wrong, she thought, seeing his gaze darken and his hands slowly fall away from her. “I see.”

 

“No, you don't,” she said desperately, reaching up to clutch his haori in her fists. “Inuyasha, it's not you. It's me.”

 

His head fell forward, his hair hiding his eyes. “Please tell me I didn't hurt you,” he murmured. “Kagome, you won't even look at me!”

 

She didn't have the words to explain it, she knew the only way she could reassure him was by her actions so she wound her arms tightly around his waist, hoping he'd understand how much he meant to her. Slowly, his arms rose to hold her against him and she heard him sigh.

 

Inuyasha was confused, she pulled away from him, now she squeezed him so tight it was hard to breathe. Strange girl, he thought, resting his chin in her hair. She needed time, he wasn't sure why, but he would give her time. He'd give her anything she asked, his life, his heart, his soul. Last night had done one thing; it had driven home to him the knowledge that he wanted her with him forever.

 

They would find a way to get through this awkwardness, find a way to love each other so that every time they came together it would be an affirmation of how much they needed each other. He would wait, he wouldn't pressure her. Now was no time to be a hot-tempered hanyou and shove until Kagome told him what was bothering her. He wasn't patient by nature, but for Kagome he'd be what she needed.

 

It's nice, just standing here and holding each other, Kagome thought. She knew he was confused, how could he not be? She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the slow, strong beat of his heart. Her friends had always said that sex changes everything, but Kagome hadn't believed it until now. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of him and thinking about how it had always made her happy.

 

As they stood there, Inuyasha felt something tickle at the edge of his senses, something that had nothing to do with Kagome. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up and he tensed, his arms going rigid around her back. The bright sunlight bathing the courtyard started to fade and darken, as if a cloud had suddenly blotted out the sun. He raised his eyes to the sky, watching, waiting for it.

 

Something dark was in the sky, something so high above him he couldn't make out its form. A cold wind drifted over them and Inuyasha's eyes went wide in sudden fury. He couldn't see it yet, but he knew the bastard's smell every bit as well as he knew his own. He didn't hesitate a moment longer, grabbing Kagome and shoving her behind him, yanking Tessaiga from its sheath as the dark form drifted ever closer.

 

“Naraku!”

 

A dark chill colored the air, Inuyasha could feel Kagome's hands clutching tight on the back of his haori. The formless cloud began to solidify, taking on shape and detail as it hovered closer, becoming familiar to him in the form of a white baboon pelt.

“So, Inuyasha,” a sinister voice said softly. “This is where you've been hiding. I never thought you'd go to your brother for protection.”

 

“Protection my ass,” he shouted, rage glinting in his golden eyes. “I ain't hiding from anyone, especially not you. Anytime you want a fight, I'm right here waiting. Come on, Naraku!”

 

“Such a fool you are, Inuyasha,” Naraku said coldly, his voice echoing across the stones. Kagome glanced around, seeing inuyoukai faces at every window, the guards starting to pour into the courtyard, their expressions angry at this intrusion. This is stupid, she thought frantically, looking around them. Why would Naraku attack here, where Sesshomaru is the strongest and he doesn't have a chance of winning? She knew that Naraku coveted the demon lord's power, desired it because of the pureblood youki strength that he would never attain.

 

He must have another target, the girl decided grimly. Her hand went automatically to her pocket, where a small glass jar held the jewel shard that Sesshomaru had pulled out of Kohaku's body. This is it, she thought, her hand closing convulsively on the jar. Just try to take it from us, Naraku!

 

“Why are you here?” Inuyasha demanded. Not that he was complaining, it was rare that Naraku gave them a chance to meet him head on instead of trying to lure them with one of his dirty little tricks. Destroying the abomination in front of his brother's people, his people, would give him a satisfaction he'd only dreamed of.

 

“Not that it matters to me why you're here,” he spat. “I'll still send you right to hell.”

 

Naraku chuckled, this was more fun that he'd imagined. The fool actually thought he'd come here for a fight. Didn't he know that his mind worked much more subtly than that? “Inuyasha,” he said, his voice thick with contempt and hatred. “You think I come here to seek you for a battle? Why would I bother when you are nothing to me, when I complete the jewel it will be my pleasure to destroy you utterly. I won't waste my time in confrontation before that.”

 

“Instead,” and Inuyasha could hear the malevolence building in Naraku's voice. “I've only sought you out to bring you a gift.”

 

“Gift?” Inuyasha snarled, his fists tightening on Tessaiga's hilt. “I'd never take a gift from you! There's nothing you have that I'd ever want!”

 

“Not even the corpse of a friend?” Naraku hissed. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and jumped out of the way, something tumbling from the sky. It hit the ground with a sickening thud and Kagome cried out when she recognized the badly battered body.

 

“Kouga!”

 

“Yes, priestess,” Naraku murmured. “I have conquered the wolf demon, he was most reluctant to part with the jewel shards in his possession. He fought well, but he really had no chance for victory. Therefore, out of compassion,” his teeth seemed to be in the way when he said the word, as if it galled him. “I have decided to give him over to you for burial.”

 

“Bastard,” Inuyasha ground out, listening to Kagome's choked sobs as she stared at Kouga's lifeless body. “You'll pay for that and every other being, human or youkai, that you've slaughtered.”

 

“Are you upset that I killed him?” Naraku asked sweetly. The rage and fury on Inuyasha's face, the grief in the priestess' eyes, were delicious. He held out his hand, a shining orb glistened there. “I also wanted you to know that when you leave this fortress, I will be waiting. The jewel is nearly complete, as is my power. I need only one last shard, one that belongs to me by right. If you give it to me now, I will spare the lives of your companions. Think on it, Inuyasha. No others need join you in death, look at your friend's body and think on it.”

 

“That wimpy wolf was not my friend,” Inuyasha shouted. His anger was starting to make him shake. “And you won't find me so easy to kill! You want that fucking shard, you try and take it. Kaze no Kizu!”

 

He brought the sword down in a powerful arc even as he shouted the battle cry. Tessaiga rang out with power, glowing like a light from a fading star as the youki was released. The wind howled from the blade's power, forming into a destructive mass and blasting upwards at Naraku.

 

Inuyasha felt satisfaction as he watched the white baboon dissolve, ripped to shreds and pieces by his attack. He'd known it was only a golem, a puppet form sent by Naraku. It had stunk of Naraku's evil, but no real youki.

 

Bastard doesn't have the balls to come himself, he thought in irritation.

 

The backlash of Tessaiga's blow shook the ground underneath him and Inuyasha jumped back, a long crack opening under his feet. The crack spread out and reaching the wall became a spider's web of smaller cracks in the ancient stone. A few rocks tumbled from the damage, falling with little clatters as the quake of Tessaiga's power slowly subsided.

 

“Damn,” he murmured, sheathing the sword and looking guiltily around him. In his temper, he hadn't thought of what the sword could do to damage the fortress.

 

He raised his eyes and looked around, yes; he was being stared at all right. Dozens of dog demons had gathered in the courtyard, some had only escaped the Tessaiga's power by a few inches, throwing themselves out of the way as he struck at Naraku. He flushed as they stared at him, their mouths hanging open in shock.

 

Nervously, he realized what he had done and remembered with a sudden jolt that it had to be the first time in many, many years that his sword had been unsheathed in this place. Everyone around him remembered quite well its true power, as well as the power of the one who had made it.

 

Kagome had dropped to her knees, tears staining her face. “Oh Kouga, you stupid fool,” she whispered, her hand reaching out to touch the wolf demon's dark hair. “Why didn't you run away, let him have the damn shards? It wasn't worth getting killed over.”

 

The air around them had become thick with expectation and Inuyasha turned around to see his brother standing at the edge of the courtyard. Sesshomaru's face was utterly expressionless as he approached his younger sibling, Jano a few steps behind him like a dark shadow of the youkai lord.

 

Inuyasha flushed, not dropping his gaze from his brother's as Sesshomaru stopped. The demon looked at Kouga for a moment, then at Kagome who was looking up at him with grief in her eyes. Then his gaze turned to the rather dramatic crack in the courtyard paving, following the evidence of Tessaiga's destruction to the far wall and the many cracks that had appeared in the wall's surface.

 

At that moment, a tiny part of the upper wall gave way, crumbling as little bits of pebbles and dust fell in a soft clatter that was the only noise in the otherwise deathly silent courtyard.

 

Inuyasha looked at his feet, feeling angry and embarrassed. “Sorry about that,” he muttered.

 

Sesshomaru only raised an eyebrow at his words, glanced up at the sky, and then punched Inuyasha right in the mouth.

 

“How dare you damage this fortress?” he said in an icy tone.

 

Inuyasha's head had rocked back from the force of the blow, a thin trickle of blood leaking onto his chin. “Hey,” he said, protesting. “It was Naraku, goddamnit!”

 

“I don't care who it was,” Sesshomaru hissed, his eyes gone dark with fury. “I had expected even an imbecile like you to be able to control yourself better than that. Do you not realize that in your anger you might have done more than just damage the stone?”

 

“I wasn't aiming at the fucking stone,” Inuyasha shouted, anger flushing his face. “I was aiming at that bastard!”

 

Sesshomaru punched him again, this time Inuyasha didn't move, just stood there with his fists clenched. “I said I was sorry!”

 

“Your apologies are useless,” Sesshomaru snarled. “You worthless excuse for a half-demon, why our father ever thought you were capable of wielding that sword I will never know. You have no self-control, you have no discretion. It means nothing to you that hundreds of people might have been killed or injured because you couldn't control your temper. That sword is no toy for you to use as you please.”

 

“Fuck you, Sesshomaru!” Inuyasha yelled. “Since when do you give a damn about anyone else getting hurt? I'm fucking tired of listening to you going on about him leaving that sword to me. Get the fuck over it already!”

 

“I give a damn about what happens to those in this fortress,” Sesshomaru hissed. “That's because they are my responsibility, something you understand nothing about. You act like a child that can't have his way, you don't think before you act. I'm shocked that you've managed to survive as long as you have with your stupidity.”

 

“My lord?” Jano said quietly, kneeling next to Kagome as he examined Kouga's body.

 

Inuyasha growled at his brother's insults, stepping closer until he was only inches away from Sesshomaru. “Why don't you just admit what's really bothering you?” he hissed. “You can't stand the fact that I can use the sword and you can't. You can't even touch it without burning yourself. What does that say about you that our father didn't trust you to use it? That he hid it from you because he knew you weren't worthy!”

 

Sesshomaru hissed angrily, enraged by his words. “You dare insult me after that stunt? At least I understand the nature of Tessaiga's power and possess the discretion to use it wisely. You bumble around the countryside like a directionless fool, destroying miserable lower youkai at whim and thinking you are worthy of such power. I regret the day that I opened his grave in search of the blade. Had I known it would end up in your hands, it would have been better to have been lost forever.”

 

“Um, Inuyasha?” Jano said, looking up at them. Neither of the brothers paid him any attention, fully concentrating on their hatred for each other and burning each other with words.

 

“Really?” Inuyasha sneered, folding his arms and glaring at Sesshomaru. “Here I thought you just regretted it because I used the sword to cut your fucking arm off. Is that what you mean by not using it wisely?”

 

Around the courtyard, inuyoukai were staring in gape-mouthed shock at the furious argument that was unfolding before them. It was unthinkable that Inutaisho's sword had been used to damage the fortress walls, equally unthinkable that his sons were now trading insults and airing their disagreement over such a personal matter in such a public place.

 

“You contemptuous brat,” Sesshomaru snarled, his expression giving way to cold anger. “Your ignorance shames our bloodline, you know nothing about this place, and your own sword is a mystery to you. You know nothing of complex magic that created that blade or why it was made, you understand nothing of your own heritage.”

 

“If I understand nothing of my own heritage, that's your fault!” Inuyasha yelled, pushing himself right into his brother's face. “You think I don't know what you did? You think I don't know that you were supposed come for me after my mother died? You're the one who abandoned me, you stuck up prick! If I don't know anything about my heritage, it's your fault and you have no one to blame but yourself.”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes glittered at him. “Better I should have come for you when you were a child, better if I had made sure that you never lived long enough to become such an embarrassment. I regret whatever pity I felt that made me let you live.”

 

“That's a mistake you should correct,” Inuyasha spat, readying his claws. “Let's end this now. I'm sick of listening to your bitching and whining about the sword and I'm sick of you trying to kick me around. Come after me now and we'll see who's stronger. Right fucking now!”

 

“Excellent notion, little brother,” Sesshomaru said in a deadly soft voice. “I will end this shame for once and for all.”

 

Kagome jumped up, tears pouring down her face. “Stop it, damn you both,” she cried. “There are more important things to worry about now! Naraku has almost completed the jewel. Do you have to try and kill each other? Isn't it enough that Kouga's already dead?”

 

“Actually,” Jano said slowly, standing up and putting and arm around Kagome's shoulders. “You're too hasty, Kagome.”

 

The brothers glared at Jano as he met their angry eyes. “I hate to disappoint anyone, but this wolf isn't dead.”