InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Wasn't In The Job Description ❯ Totosai ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter 30

 

Totosai

 

It was more like a cave than a hut. InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango stood outside, wondering if anyone was home. The hanyou stalked closer, and heard the sound of snoring. Was this Totosai sleeping in the middle of the day? He made a sound of disgust.

 

“What's the matter, InuYasha?” asked Kagome, coming up to his side.

 

“This famous sword smith, Totosai, is sleeping,” said InuYasha sourly.

 

“Then maybe we should come back another time,” Kagome replied.

 

“No way!” said InuYasha. “It took us two days to get here. I'm not leaving until I get to speak to this Totosai.”

 

Miroku looked on with disgust, Sango rolled her eyes and Kagome gaped in shock as InuYasha marched into the abode. No one followed. That was just fine with InuYasha - he didn't need them and their disapproval. Things would be done his way, and they should be used to it by now.

 

Inside, it was dark except for the glow of the forge. On a pallet lay an old, skinny balding demon with his grey hair pulled back in a top knot, snoring loudly.

 

`Hmph,' thought InuYasha. `This is the famous sword smith to the Taiyoukai?'

 

Taking Tessaiga in its sheath out of his belt, he poked the sleeping sword smith in the chest with it.

 

“Wha?...Ha?....Who?...” said Totosai in a panic as he woke up, and looked down at the sword pointing at his chest.

 

“I know this sword…” said Totosai, and grabbed it out of the surprised hanyou's hand.

 

“Tessaiga, what's happened to you?” said Totosai, and got up, sitting back down a few feet away and producing a huge mallet.

 

As InuYasha watched in consternation, he blew a stream of fire and started to bang away at the unsheathed sword.

 

“You haven't been taking very good care of this sword,” said Totosai.

 

“That's my fucking sword - give it back!” said InuYasha angrily.

 

“And you are InuYasha?” said Totosai, and tsked, shaking his head. “If your father only knew the shabby shape of his sword, he may not have ever left it to you.”

This was NOT what InuYasha wanted to hear.

 

“I did not come here to hear this kind of shit from you,” said InuYasha angrily. “I want you to tell me about Tessaiga's techniques.”

 

“And you are rude, too.” Totosai said, cradling the sword protectively. “Maybe I should not give Tessaiga back to you - it was my greatest creation.”

 

“Give me back my fucking sword!” said InuYasha, making a grab for it.

 

The sword smith was fast. Totosai dodged InuYasha's blow and scuttled out the door with the sword, InuYasha stalking out angrily behind him.

 

“What's going on, InuYasha?” said Kagome as Totosai nearly knocked her down, sending her wobbling on her bad ankle.

 

This forced InuYasha to stop pursuing Totosai and make a grab for Kagome before she fell over. She looked up at him thankfully as he held her by her arms, and he looked down at her a minute with a mixture of concern and exasperation. Miroku and Sango quickly moved out of the way as Totosai pushed past them. Carefully making sure Kagome was steady on her feet, InuYasha went to make a grab for Totosai.

 

“I said give it the fuck back!” said InuYasha. “And tell me what Tessaiga's special techniques are, you bastard!”

 

“I will on one condition,” said Totosai. “There is a powerful Taiyoukai who wants me to make him a sword, but I will not do as he requests - it is too dangerous a request.”

 

“Which Taiyoukai?” said InuYasha, and suddenly his hackles rose…someone was approaching.

 

“That Taiyoukai,” said Totosai, pointing from behind Sango.

 

Narrowing his eyes and growling menacingly, InuYasha spun around. Behind him, Sesshomaru was approaching, regarding them all with cold disdain.

 

“Out of my way, InuYasha,” said Sesshomaru. “I will have words with Totosai and then I will deal with you.”

 

“Go get him!” said Totosai, quivering.

 

Crouching low with his claws flexed, InuYasha growled, baring his fangs. Then he leaped at Sesshomaru, claws out to strike. With amazing speed, Sesshomaru dodged the blow, and then lunged for InuYasha, his claws dripping with green acid. The hanyou barely got out of the way.

 

“Ohhh…dear,” said Totosai, shaking his head. “This does not look good.”

 

The fight continued, and InuYasha was being forced back, closer and closer to Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Totosai. Kagome looked over at Miroku and Sango worriedly.

 

“Give him back the sword!” said Sango, trying to get Totosai out from behind her.

 

“No, it's too late!” said Totosai. “I was wrong to think that hanyou could defend me.”

 

The sword smith stepped out from behind Sango and began to breathe a huge flame from his mouth. It began to melt all the ground around them, making a moat of molten rock.

 

“InuYasha!” yelled Kagome. “Quickly!”

 

Glancing over his shoulder, InuYasha saw what Totosai was doing, and decided that it was more important to not get separated from Kagome, his sword and his friends. He made one last feint at Sesshomaru, and then flipped backwards, high in air. As Kagome watched, holding her breath, he landed at her side as a huge swath of ground burst into flame. Not stopping there, InuYasha lunged for Tessaiga, grabbing it from Totosai's hand.

 

On the other side of the rising flames, Sesshomaru called out. “You have not seen the last of me, Totosai. And as for you InuYasha, I will kill you some day, you can be sure of it.”

 

“You are a useless hanyou,” said Totosai, shaking his head. “Obviously you can't defend me. I owe you nothing.”

 

InuYasha bristled, growling, but this did not seem to faze Totosai in the least. A feeling of dismay came over Kagome. It wasn't fair; Tessaiga was his heritage, his only link to his dead parents. He deserved to be treated better.

 

“Please,” said Kagome, walking between InuYasha and Totosai. “Don't you think InuYasha's father would want his son to be able to use all of Tessaiga's techniques?”

 

“Well, maybe,” Totosai grumbled. “But I don't think the hanyou can handle them. He should have discovered them by now.”

 

“No one ever told me about them!” InuYasha fumed. “How can I look for what I didn't know was there!”

 

“Hmph,” said Totosai, folding his arms and looking away. “If you can't master to kaze no kizu, knowing the other techniques is useless.”

 

A pleading look in her eyes, Kagome gently touched Totosai's arm. This made him look up at her, warily, but a hint of kindness in his eyes.

 

“Oh, all right,” said Totosai. “The kaze no kizu can be found if you look for the place where the youki meet when you go into battle. Tessaiga must be used to cut this scar between the youki, and it will unleash the attack.”

 

A smile of gratitude on her face, Kagome clasped her hands happily in front of herself. Then she turned to look at InuYasha. He stood holding Tessaiga, a pensive look on his face, and glanced up at her when she looked at him.

 

“Well, now that we got what we came for, how do you propose we get out of here,” said Miroku ruefully, surveying the blaze around them.

 

Without a word, the sword smith took a huge breath, and blew. All of the flames went out, and soon even the smoldering ground was cooling. But InuYasha didn't trust it.

 

“Get up on my back, Kagome,” said InuYasha.

 

“A moment please,” said Kagome, and turned back to Totosai.

 

“We are really grateful for your help,” said Kagome, inclining her head respectfully.

 

InuYasha rolled his eyes. There she goes, she just has to be `polite.' But Miroku and Sango were regarding Kagome with approval; that just made InuYasha shake his head in exasperation. Before she could turn away, InuYasha scooped Kagome up, carrying her in his arms across the burnt ground. A bit startled, she put her arms around his neck and gazed into his determined face. Then she looked over his shoulder at Miroku and Sango.

 

“Come on you guys,” called InuYasha. “Let's head out.”