InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Words with My Uncle ❯ Hold Your Own ( Chapter 7 )

AN: I want to apologize heavily for the long wait. Besides being busy with school, I recently had a few stressful and unpleasant things to deal with, and I couldn't seem to get myself in the mood to write. But now I'm back, and it feels great. Enjoy.

 

-Chapter Seven-

-Hold Your Own-

 

“Feel the fear and do it anyways.”

- Unknown

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The agitated growling disturbed the relative quiet of the otherwise peaceful forest. The source of the noise was one silver haired, dog eared hanyou, who was moving stiffly with a scowl on his face.

 

“Remind me again why I haven't killed him yet?” Inuyasha said to Hani, who also appeared somewhat unhappy. The owl-youkai did not answer. Instead he narrowed his orange gaze at the pair of youkai walking in front of them - more, in particular, at the taller one.

 

Kaede's village was only another ten minutes of walking from their current location, and both Hani and Inuyasha had had quite enough of the cocky wolf who decided to follow them home, completely ignoring the inu half-breed's outraged objections and declarations of, “The hell you are!”

 

Kotaromaru, on the other hand, was obviously not bothered by the added company. In fact, he spent most of the trek home ignoring his uncle and advisor in favor of swapping more stories with the wolf, who was only too happy to divulge unflattering information about Inuyasha.

 

“Mmm,” the young pup gushed, sniffing the air. “I can smell dinner from here. Oh, I can't wait to see what Aunt Kagome made!”

 

At the mention of the miko, Koga brightened even more. “I finally get to eat some of Kagome's cooking, eh?”

 

“Fuck, no, you flea-bag.”

 

Ignoring Inuyasha's outburst, Koga continued, “She'll probably be so happy to see me that she'll give me a kiss!”

 

The next instant found an irate hanyou - growling for all he was worth - lunging at the unsuspecting wolf-youkai with every intent to cause as much bodily harm as he could. Unfortunately his attack was cut short by an excited squeal.

 

“Papa!”

 

Inuyasha barely managed to steady himself in time to catch his five year old daughter as she launched herself into his arms. Wrapping her little arms around his neck, she drew herself up until she could reach his cheek and placed a sloppy, loud kiss on it. His anger almost seemed to melt away. Kotaromaru couldn't blame him. Miyami had that effect on people.

 

“Hey, pup,” Inuyasha greeted the girl, tweaking one of the fuzzy, triangular dog ears perched on her head - just like his own.

 

“I missed you, Papa. I'm glad you're back.” She flashed him a completely endearing smile before turning it on Kotaromaru as well. “You, too!”

 

The tai-youkai grinned. “Thanks, Miyami.”

 

Suddenly her gaze lighted on Koga, the only unfamiliar one of the group, and she looked somewhat intimidated. “Who's that?”

 

Snorting indelicately, Inuyasha replied, “He ain't nobody, little girl. Just a mangy wolf, so don't worry about him.”

 

“Okay,” Miyami agreed with a replenished smile.

 

The wolf-youkai in question sneered in Inuyasha's direction. “Don't tell me Kagome actually had pups with you, mutt? What did you do, get her drunk?”

 

Kotaromaru didn't even bat an eye; in the nearly two days since Koga had joined them, he had grown used to the consistency of the fighting between the two older men. What did surprise him, however, was that instead of the menacing snarl he expected, Inuyasha just responded with a bored, “Keh,” and started to walk away.

 

“Whatsa' matter, dog-breath? A little too much truth there for ya?”

 

“Hardly, wolf-shit. I don't need to fight this one; I already won.”

 

Koga rolled his startling blue eyes. “How so?”

 

And Inuyasha, grin flashing snarkily as he turned his head, didn't miss a beat in replying, “I got Kagome, and her pups. How do you top that?” Then, without sparing another glance at the dumbstruck wolf-youkai, he pushed off from the ground with his arms securely around his daughter and soared over the trees, out of sight.

 

OooOooOooOooO

 

Suffice to say that my uncle's uncharacteristically witty comeback efficiently kept Koga from talking until he, Hani, and I reached the village. And I'll admit that the altercation did amuse me, yet all the same, it also left me with a little confusion.

 

Koga had, after all, already informed me that he had a mate. I knew he wasn't lying - I could smell her all over him. Therefore, his preoccupation with my aunt didn't make much sense. Not one to be discreet, I asked him about it as we were waiting outside my aunt and uncle's hut for them to join us for dinner, which was already set out quite spectacularly on the usual long wooden table in the grass.

 

Koga's answer was a long sigh and a smile that bespoke long since past memories. “Yeah, Kotaro. I almost forgot I told you about Ayame.”

 

“What's she like?” I wanted to know.

 

“Hah. She's beautiful, kid. Real great. And trust me, I would never betray her. She's gonna have my pup soon, you know? But this isn't about her, at all.”

 

“Isn't it?”

 

“Nah. I've always been promised to Ayame, since way before I met Kagome. There wasn't ever really a question, in my mind, that I would be with her. But your aunt… She's something, kid. She really is. I never honestly expected her to be with me, no matter how many times I asked. I just hate to see her be with that mutt, is all. I mean, if not me, she could have at least picked someone decent.”

 

I thought that was a little unfair, considering. Uncle Inuyasha was more than decent, in my mind. A little brash, sure, but a good man. I didn't say that to Koga, though. He might have known it already. I think he and Uncle just fought out of habit, because they didn't really know how else to treat each other. I understood that habit was also where the urge to flirt with my aunt came from in Koga. I left it at that, satisfied with his answer, and minutes later the rest of my family was with us, laughing and talking.

 

I remember that meal being one of the best I'd ever had. Hani had even joined the table, and was discussing something or other quite politely with Shippo, who had stopped reminiscing about the `old times' with Koga, like Miroku, Sango, and Aunt Kagome were still doing. I remember my uncle sitting with a rather dejected look on my aunt's left, muttering under his breath about stinking wolves and traitorous wenches. And I remember the unwavering smile that seemed almost glued to my face. I remember that just for a moment, all my worries about being defeated by Nagushoka and humiliated by Ujitama faded, and that if only for a second, I forgot.

 

OooOooOooOooO

 

The sun was long since gone. Inuyasha stepped outside of his home to look about the village, his golden eyes almost glowing from the light of the moon as they absorbed the scenery. He was grateful for the quiet that had fallen shortly after that damned wolf had finally left, spouting things like “I gotta get back before Ayame gets upset” and “Don't hesitate to call for me if you ever get sick of the mutt, Kagome.”

 

Good riddance, in Inuyasha's opinion. He just felt guilty that poor Ayame would have to put up with the bastard again. He could only hope that any of the wolf's spawn would actually be respectable youkai; they would have to rely solely on their mother for that, of course.

 

A ghost of a sigh, more like a slightly more forceful exhalation of breath than anything else, caught the attention of Inuyasha's sensitive triangular ears. The swiveled in the direction of the noise, and the hanyou's head followed them. His eyes lit upon the shadowed but unmistakable form of Kotaromaru - leaning against the wall of his hut with his halberd resting against his chest, the sharp tip of it digging softly into the packed dirt of the ground.

 

Quietly and deliberately, Inuyasha strolled over to stand by his nephew's side. The boy did not even look up. “Oi, pup. Whattaya doin' out here? Thought you went to sleep?”

 

Kotaromaru's silver head shook slowly. “I couldn't.” His voice was dull, like someone had painted its tones in shades of gray.

 

Gaze shifting around to look at his own dwelling, to make sure his mate and children were still snoozing soundly, Inuyasha nodded when he saw that all the lights were still out before fully resting his weight on the wall next to the tai-youkai and asked, “Why's that?”

 

All he received in return was a shrug and a noncommittal grunt. The hanyou sighed inwardly; he had feared that this conversation would be difficult. He had hoped it wouldn't be.

 

“That damn wolf didn't say anything stupid to you, did he?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then what's bothering you?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Inuyasha didn't buy that for a second, and he was beginning to feel frustrated. Knowing he didn't want to scare the boy off, though, he reigned in his irritation and said calmly, “I ain't stupid, pup. Just tell me what's up.”

 

Kotaromaru continued to stare down at his weapon, twisting it idly in his hands as though he was looking for the best angle with which to see his reflection in the blade. It seemed for a minute or so that he would not speak, but then he muttered, “Koga was right,” in such a sad voice that Inuyasha swore if the youkai had been born with dog ears they would have flattened right to his skull.

 

“About what?”

 

“About me not being a powerful lord.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Oh, really? And why the hell do you think that?”

 

The expression on Kotaromaru's face was nothing short of self-loathing. “I'm not brave, or strong. I couldn't stand up to Ujitama and Nagushoka would have killed me if he had really been trying.”

 

The hanyou had to resist the urge to snarl at the reminder of the brutal bear-youkai and his so called “training session”. He wanted to object to the boy's depressed statements, but Kotaromaru hadn't finished.

 

“And I'll never be a great sword fighter like my father was, even though everyone expects me to be. I don't deserve Danryokusei because all I do is hide behind it!” His little voice was rising in volume and pitch with every word; the smell of fresh, salty tears permeated the night air. “How could I ever be a good tai-youkai when I couldn't even stand up for myself against people who are supposed to work for me?”

 

His last sentiment came out so quietly that even Inuyasha had to strain to hear it. “I was just… so scared.”

 

Inuyasha could feel his chest aching with the weight of what his nephew had just revealed. He was startled once again into noticing the similarities they shared: the burden of living in an inescapable shadow - the one cast by the unshakable Sesshomaru - and the desire to be brave and independent. He knew how smothering those things could be, and didn't have to look at the boy's face to know that he was probably crying freely now.

 

“Scared of what?” Inuyasha inquired softly over the lump in his throat, the question coming out in his usual gruff tone but wearing a cloak of gentleness.

 

“Everything,” the tai-youkai sniffed miserably. “Of being beaten… Of letting Ujitama get the best of me… again.” His shining golden eyes darted upward for a fraction of a second, taking in the hanyou's welcoming stance, then rotating quickly back down to absorb the ground. “Of disappointing you.”

 

Shocked into immobility by these words, Inuyasha found his brain moving at a crawl. Kotaromaru was afraid of disappointing him? Didn't he know he could never do that? But another second later Inuyasha realized that no, he did not understand the formidable pride that a parent or a guardian felt for their young. Few children ever did comprehend the sensation until they had their own charges to take care of. It was just a part of a pup's mentality, but the hanyou didn't want Kotaromaru to ever think that way.

 

“Keh! As if that'd ever happen.”

 

The young tai-youkai looked up again, this time not looking away, bewilderment writ on his forehead.

 

“Listen to me, pup. You can't let me down. You just can't. It's impossible. You think I would think any less of you for not being able to handle a sword yet? Not in a million years.” Inuyasha crossed his arms, stuffing his hands into the sleeves of his Fire-Rat robe as if that was the end of that particular matter.

 

Kotaromaru, however, did not appear to be placated. “Not only that, but… I was terrified, Uncle. When I was fighting Nagushoka-sensei, all I wanted to do was run away.”

 

“Hmmph. With that crazy fucking bastard as your opponent, you'd be stupid not to be scared at least a little bit.”

 

If anything, that only worsened the inu-youkai's confusion. His silver brows drew together in a frown. “I don't understand.”

 

Inuyasha fixed his nephew with a hard stare, every line in his face stressing the importance of what he was about to say. “Being brave ain't about not being scared, pup. Someone with no fear is a fool who is bound to get himself killed for being too cocky. You gotta have confidence, but not too much of it. Bravery is doing what must be done in spite of being afraid.”

 

Kotaromaru digested that in silence, and the wrinkles in his brow slowly smoothed out. Taking the opportunity to add one last thing, Inuyasha told the boy, “You went back to the castle. You talked to that rat bastard and you fought your teacher even though you didn't want to do any of those things. That took guts, pup.”

 

And ever so slowly in the calm of the night, Kotaromaru smiled.

 

OooOooOooOooO

 

I went to sleep that night with my head quite full, but my heart much lighter than it had previously been. Needless to say, I kept the words my uncle offered quite close, and looked back on them often. To my pleasure, they would be rather useful over the course of the next few months, when Uncle Inuyasha made good on his word and taught me the art of sword fighting himself. It was a memorable experience, training side by side with the famous Tetsusaiga. Even better than that, was that my uncle approved of the Danryokusei, although he said he was actually impartial to halberds. When I asked why, he just said, “You wouldn't like them either if some crazy undead mercenary tried cuttin' you open with one.”

 

Of course, that made little sense to me until sometime later, when I finally heard the story of Bankotsu of the Band of Seven and his Banryuu.

 

But I digress. Like I was saying, Uncle thought my weapon was a good one - strong, durable, and since it was made from my own fang, it was bonded to me. A faithful and valuable protector, indeed.

 

I simply cannot explain to you the joy that came with finally being able to wield it, either. To be in complete control, to possess the ability to devastate an opponent with a single blow but also the discipline to avoid causing injury… It was intoxicating.

 

OooOooOooOooO

 

“Good, pup! Now get back in the middle and try it again.”

 

Watching his nephew like a hawk, Inuyasha prowled around the edge of the makeshift arena he and Miroku had constructed. Kotaromaru was in the center, his white hakama dirty and hair mussed. Other than that, though, he looked fine. Fantastic, even, since his practice was going so unbelievably well. It was amazing what he had accomplished thus far with Inuyasha as his instructor. Only three weeks had passed since they had started and already the tai-youkai had learned more than some three years worth of training with Nagushoka had taught him.

 

“It's cuz' I ain't a bastard,” the hanyou had said haughtily when Kotaromaru made a note of it. Kagome, who had been looking on, had rolled her eyes but smiled.

 

The only thing still bothering the young youkai was that even though the moves were easier to perform, he still had to work to get them right. How many times over the years had he heard about his father's natural talent? Far too many to count, for sure. Kotaromaru had been under the notion that once the steps were explained to him accurately, he would just pick them up with ease, like Sesshomaru once had. This, it seemed, was not going to be the case. Instead, he spent long hours going through the motions repeatedly while Inuyasha and sometimes Hani stood nearby, shouting encouragement and pointers.

 

He did have to admit, however, that even such a tedious process was preferred over anything he had endured with his former sensei. So what if he wasn't a natural? At least he was no longer a failure. And he observed proudly that his extra efforts paid off immensely in the form of muscle and sheer ability.

 

Inuyasha had noticed as well.

 

“That's it, Kotaromaru. Why don't we leave off there?” The hanyou suggested, grinning in response to the glowing pleasure emanating from the boy's face as he landed one maneuver perfectly. It was nearly sunset; dinnertime had transpired at least an hour ago. The two of them had skipped out on the meal, bound and determined to see improvement before the day was done.

 

Kotaromaru dragged a bare arm across his forehead, ridding the surface of the warm sweat that was accumulating there. That also served to smudge a trail of dirt across the skin, but he paid it no heed. He would require a bath anyway. The whole of his chest was covered in earth and the inu-youkai was willing to bet his back was in no better state. Even so, it was too hot to be training with a haori on, despite the fact that fall was merely days away. The humidity was still prevalent, and all the physical exertion did not help in the least. Also, even though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Kotaromaru rather liked the golden tan he had developed in recent days. It was almost as dark as Inuyasha's.

 

“Go clean up and then I'm sure your aunt will have something for you to eat.”

 

Kotaromaru nodded in agreement with his uncle's words, handing over Danryokusei when the hanyou stuck his hand out for it, then jogged off in the direction of the closest stream. At the bank of the current he shed his hakama and slid in, allowing the water to wash over him. He rubbed the filth from his body and dunked his head underwater once before climbing back onto dry land and donning his bottoms again, making a mental note to change them as soon as he returned to the village.

 

“Hey! Kotaromaru!”

 

The tai-youkai looked up for his golden eyes to confirm what his keen nose already told him was true. Kyuichi was walking in his direction with a wooden pole slung over his shoulders, an empty bucket attached to each end with a length of rope. Kotaromaru scowled just as his cousin reached him.

 

“You just get done training?”

 

“Obviously.”

 

Kyuichi smirked cheekily. “You must suck pretty bad if you're just learning how to fight now.”

 

“I do not suck.”

 

“Oh, yeah? Why don'cha prove it then?”

 

The elder boy's eyes narrowed. “How?”

 

Hanyou ears twitched with annoyance, as if the answer was obvious. “A challenge, of course! Spar me. I'll win for sure, and then you'll know that you suck.”

 

Kotaromaru snorted. “Fighting you doesn't sound like much of a challenge,” he retorted, even though he had been dreading that very thing ever since coming to Kaede's village.

 

“Hah! If that's what you think, then you won't have any reason to say no. So that's that. Tomorrow after dinner, you're going down!”

 

Before Kotaromaru even got a chance to refuse or accept the offer, Kyuichi turned and practically skipped away with excitement, completely forgetting to fill the water buckets he arrived with in his preoccupation.

 

The tai-youkai smashed a palm to his forehead and groaned.

 

OooOooOooOooO

 

“Ow! That hurt!”

 

“I hope so! Your mother asked you to get water. Where the hell is it?”

 

“I forgot, okay?”

 

“Keh!”

 

Kotaromaru was laughing. He couldn't help it. Miyami, Sachiko, and Yoshio were following suit. They had not even bothered trying to contain their amusement when Inuyasha had started reprimanding Kyuichi for his forgetfulness. Their source of entertainment only lasted a short while, however, since Kagome joined them and said, “It's okay, Inuyasha. We have enough for now. He'll just have to go tomorrow evening.”

 

But Kyuichi grinned. “Can't, Mama. I gotta match to fight tomorrow.”

 

All at once, Kotaromaru felt his heart stop beating. The next second it was pounding a painful tattoo into his ribcage.

 

Kagome frowned. “You do? Against who?”

 

If it was possible, the young inu-hanyou's smile widened, threatening to split his head in two. “Kotaromaru.”

 

Inuyasha rounded on his nephew. “Is that true?” His amber eyes flashed.

 

The tai-youkai felt cornered, nervous. If he said no, he would be lying to his uncle. If he said yes… Well, that would be just as bad of an outcome. But Inuyasha's gaze was already seeing right through him, and he knew there was no use in giving a false answer.

 

Reluctantly, he nodded, not trusting his voice to come out without squeaking embarrassingly. Inuyasha's gaze grew even more appraising, but he said not a word. Instead, he jerked his head once in acknowledgement and walked away.

 

Smiling madly, Kyuichi exclaimed, “You better be ready, Kotaromaru,” before jogging after his father.

 

So it was that the very next afternoon, with the late summer sun beating hard upon their backs, that nearly half of the townspeople found themselves gathered uncomfortably close around Inuyasha's arena on the edge of the woods. Kyuichi had taken it gladly upon himself to inform them all that there was going to be a “proper tai-youkai ass-beating” around noon, for which he was pounded rather heavily over the head when Inuyasha found out.

 

Kagome, Miyami, Hani, Miroku, Sango, and all of the latter two's offspring had shown up, standing closer than all the rest, on the tai-youkai's side of the ring. The twins kept smiling broadly at Kotaromaru, showing their support, and Miyami had even made a sign out of a large leaf that had his name painted on. She waved it energetically every five minutes or so.

 

At Kyuichi's end of the arena Inuyasha was talking in a low voice to the boy, about what Kotaromaru had no idea. It was making him nervous. Actually, all of it was: the attention, the sign, the grins. The only thing that had helped at all was his aunt's quiet but reassuring, “You'll do just fine,” in his ear, whispered before she sat down beside Sango with Senko in her arms.

 

When the sun was directly above their heads - all the shadows had disappeared and even without a haori on Kotaromaru was sweating unbearably - Inuyasha took his place on the middle of the border of the ring, hands stuffed into his red sleeves in customary fashion. He sent a quick nod to each of the opponents, and it had begun.

 

Kyuichi did not waste time - his immediate charge into the match reminded Kotaromaru frighteningly of Nagushoka, and for a second he felt the fingers of panic tugging at his mind. His cousin reached him quickly and attacked with a horizontal swipe of his weapon that would have cut across Kotaromaru's midsection neatly if he hadn't sprung backward at the last moment. An onslaught of memories were banging upon his brain, begging him to remember how closely he had come to being decapitated by his former sensei.

 

Suddenly, however, as Kyuichi was advancing for yet another swing, a curious thing happened. The young inu-hanyou laughed in amusement and the tai-youkai's mentality reset.

 

Inuyasha's efforts at teaching his nephew how to be a real fighter had not gone to waste. Kotaromaru's sharpened mindset, the one he learned to use to block out any extraneous thoughts while focusing on the battle, had kicked into gear. It assessed rather swiftly that Kyuichi's voice was much, much higher pitched than Nagushoka's. Subsequently, he was, if he was lucky, perhaps about one sixth of the bear's size. Most importantly, his sword, while certainly still dangerous, was not nearly as intimidating in appearance as the axe that the advisor preferred.

 

All at once, Kotaromaru's cousin seemed incredibly easier to face. Reacting on instinct, Kotaromaru dodged the next swipe without effort. He took off at a fast pace once he his the ground, using his longer legs to the advantage. Behind him Kyuichi was following, still chuckling since he probably thought that the tai-youkai was still running away. Kotaromaru almost smiled.

 

He reached the boundaries of the arena and turned on his heel, holding Danryokusei out so that its broad side was facing his oncoming cousin, who had realized only a nanosecond too late that he was going too quickly to stop himself in time.

 

Kyuichi dug his heels into the ground and even stuck his katana in, blade forward, but that helped little. In the next moment he was sprawled painfully on his back, his face having made a very unpleasant meeting with the halberd's surface. That time, Kotaromaru allowed himself a smirk. Then he hopped back to his side of the field, knowing that the hanyou would not stay down long, using his embarrassment to help him if nothing else.

 

He was right; Kyuichi was on his feet again in no time, glowering at the tai-youkai with shame and annoyance plain on his features. A brown piece of grass stuck comically to one of his flattened dog ears. “You were just lucky,” he said.

 

Feeling proud of himself, Kotaromaru glanced at his uncle, hoping to find some form of approval there. Disappointingly, Inuyasha's face was unreadable. But his eyes were another story - telegraphing a message to Kotaromaru that he could only determine to say, `Go get `em.'

 

Going on the offensive wasn't something Kotaromaru was sure he was ready to do yet. What if he messed up? What if he embarrassed himself and disappointed-

 

Familiar words floated through his head.

 

“You can't let me down. You just can't. It's impossible.”

 

Kyuichi was running at him, sword held high once again, brow drawn down in frustration and determination. And Kotaromaru could duck, swerve - or he could attack-

 

And his cousin was gaining speed, almost appearing like a silvery streak coming right at him-

 

Danryokusei pulsed powerfully in his calloused hands, feeling like a second heartbeat, more steady and life-ensuring than his own, and he knew-

 

Kyuichi was almost upon him; he had perhaps two seconds before the hanyou brought his blade down over his skull, but the tai-youkai had already made up his mind - was already shifting his weight forward, pushing off the ground with so much conviction he could feel it in the tips of his fangs-

 

A split second before the halberd came into contact with his body Kyuichi's yellow eyes widened in surprise - was he about to be bested again? - and Kotaromaru smiled-

 

The Danryokusei pulsed again, stronger this time, as it connected with the hanyou's stomach. Its blade glowed white like a scorching flame but in his fingers Kotaromaru could feel its temperature drop to a freezing chill. Gales of wind burst from the metal, followed immediately by miniscule droves of icy pebble-like shards that projected forward with deadly speed. Kyuichi screamed-

 

And then there was silence. Kotaromaru could feel his heart pummeling his insides, hear his breath rushing in his own pointed ears. No one around the ring was moving a muscle. His cousin was on his back, and the tai-youkai watched small blood stains seep out of the scattered wounds inflicted by Danryokusei's explosion - like crimson flowers laid on his body.

 

“No,” the word came out on an exhalation of air, and he dropped to his knees. His weapon fell with a heavy thud by his side, no longer seeming alive or powerful. Kotaromaru's hands itched to touch Kyuichi, to shake him until he woke up, laughing and boasting obnoxiously like old times…

 

Inuyasha had moved somewhere between the time it took for the fight to finish and his nephew to half-collapse. His hand was on Kotaromaru's shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Get up, pup. He's fine.”

 

“But, Uncle, he-”

 

But Inuyasha did not give the boy anymore time to protest. He tightened his grip and pulled the tai-youkai back to his feet. “I said he's fine.” Now Kagome was approaching them as well.

 

“But he's unconscious!” argued Kotaromaru, unable to prevent his voice from rising in pitch.

 

His aunt said from her newfound position by her son, “Your uncle is right, sweetie. Kyuichi is just fine. The wounds aren't serious.”

 

Kotaromaru swiveled around to face her. “Are you sure?”

 

Kagome smiled. “Yes. In fact, he probably only fainted because you scared him so much.”

 

“Keh. That'll teach him not to make challenges with opponents he can't beat. Kami knows he don't listen to me when I try to tell him the same damn thing.”

 

“Does that sound like anyone else we know, Inuyasha?” asked Miroku, who had joined them as well. His grin was indulgent.

 

The hanyou just snorted. “Don't know what you're talking about.”

 

“Of course you don't.”

 

Kotaromaru had watched the light exchange with relative calm, but he hadn't quite shaken his worry yet. “Uncle,” he tugged lightly on the Fire Rat haori, “He really is all right?”

 

Inuyasha looked down, and there was an unexpected light in his eyes. “Yeah, pup. Now cheer up. You won.”

 

The young inu-youkai helped Inuyasha carry Kyuichi back to the village and set him up in his room. Kagome and Sango spent the next hour or so cleaning up and patching the boy's wounds. They reported upon finishing that whatever had come from the halberd and pierced the hanyou's skin had disappeared. When Shippo checked the arena he couldn't find any of the strange pebbles either.

 

Villagers who watched the match stopped Kotaromaru to pat him on the back when they passed, and he listened to Miyami exclaim over the finer points of it all for nearly an hour as if he hadn't been there in person. But nothing really settled in until he was carefully hanging Danryokusei on its proper place in the room Inuyasha designated the “weapon shed”.

 

He won. Fair and square. He defeated Kyuichi, who had been training with a sword since the age of five, in a duel and come out victorious.

 

For not the first time in his life Kotaromaru wondered if his father was dead and if he was somehow watching over him from wherever it was dead people went. He wondered if, even if it was only a little, Sesshomaru had watched his achievement, and was proud.

 

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