InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hachinintai ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Hachinintai

Band of Eight

 

By Anonymous Laughter

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Chapter Eight

 

“Hey guys, did you miss me?” Kagome greeted from beside Bankotsu, who was carrying a large, green cloth bag with him. Everyone watched as he dumped the bag on the ground and stalked away to stretch and do katas with his sword. Kagome just rolled her eyes. He had been snippy when he picked her up by the well and wouldn't tell her why.

 

“Of course we missed you, Kagome-chan,” Kyoukotsu said with a fierce looking grin, bringing her out of her thoughts, “You're the best demon magnet around. I haven't had a good meal in a week.”

 

“Stop teasing me, Kyoukotsu. And you didn't have to drop my bag, Bankotsu,” Kagome said but she was smiling pleasantly. She was too happy about see everyone again to be seriously annoyed. She spotted a man she didn't recognize and walked up to him with a smile and a polite bow, “Hello I am Kagome. Have you joined `the greatest team of mercenaries ever'? If so it's good to see a new face.”

 

“My name is Mukotsu. It is good to meet you. Everyone has told me much about you.”

 

“What did you bring from your home, Kagome-chan?” Suikotsu asked looking curiously at the bag.

 

“Oh, lots of things. My mama wants me to study in my spare time so I brought books, pens and paper. I also brought nonperishable food, clothes, shampoo, a brush, chew toy, first aid kit, pillow and I also brought some presents for everyone. Next time I go home I'll bring you back something Mukotsu-san.”

 

“You got me a present?” Bankotsu asked from beside her and Kagome blinked at his abrupt nearness. He sure moved fast when he heard something he liked.

 

“Yes,” Kagome nodded and brought out the four gifts, “I got you a yo-yo, barrettes for Jakotsu-chan, caramels for Suikotsu-san, and chocolate for Kyoukotsu-san. You can have my starbursts Mukotsu-san.”

 

Jakotsu gladly pinned a purple metal butterfly barrette in his hair while everyone else happily munched on their treats from Kagome. She then proceeded to show Bankotsu the toy. It was a white wooden one with a blue spiral. “How does it work?”

 

“Here, I'll show you. First you need to see how to throw it. I've used these since kindergarten and I know a few tricks,” Kagome said with a grin and proceeded to show him a few of the tricks she knew. First basic spins and loop-de-loops to twisted string tricks like the Buddha's Revenge and the Roller Coaster.

 

“That's just a silly toy for kids.” Bankotsu said with a scowl.

 

“Then don't think of it as a toy. It gives you better coordination and it will help you focus better. A training tool.”

 

“I don't like it though. And no matter what you say, it's still a toy.”

 

“Why are you being so mean? I just wanted to give you a present and you're treating it like it's cursed.” Kagome sniffed and her eyes grew a bit watery.

Bankotsu panicked a bit at her expression and said, “Fine then, if it'll make you happy I'll keep it Kagome. I can use it while we head south. I heard Tutusai resides in a big cave in that plains region. Let's head out!” As everyone trailed behind him he casually spun his present up and down. It wasn't such a bad gift really.

Meanwhile a few miles south of the six trekkers' two companions looked out at a crowd of one hundred warriors. “Thanks to the Portuguese we have created many weapons and you will either purchase them from us or Ginkotsu and I will need to give you and your troops a first hand demonstration.”

 

“That western junk is no match for our katanas and skills.” A boisterous samurai said with a cocky smirk, “Besides, you're just a couple of kids. What could you possibly do to us?”

 

“They sure are cocky, aren't they Renkotsu-aniki,” a tall, muscular red haired man quipped to his partner, a smaller bald teenager.

 

“I think we should do Japan a favor and knock them down a few places, Ginkotsu. You show them the cannons and I'll show them the firebombs.”

 

“I'm on it,” Ginkotsu said with a wicked, yet excited, grin. Blowing up things was as much fun for him as setting fire to things was fun for Renkotsu. The cannons had all been prepared in advance and as the warriors charged towards him he lit the fuse of two cannons simultaneously, causing an instant twin explosion. Ten feet to his right Renkotsu lit several sticks of gunpowder and flung them amidst the chaos before him.

 

At least twenty were incinerated instantly and several others around them had their cloths and bodies catch fire. “Do you still doubt the firepower of the west?” Renkotsu asked with a thrilled laugh. Soon enough all that remained of the road before them where craters and ashes. Renkotsu then took out a paper from within his cloths and looked at the writing, “Well that didn't go as planned. Who knew this many people in Japan don't want to put our skills to use.”

 

“We could always just be two mercenaries you know,” Ginkotsu suggested, “That way we wouldn't have to deal with any arrogant samurai unless we're ordered by them.”

 

“I don't like the idea of being just two mercenaries,” Renkotsu said with a frown, “We'd need a small group to be efficient. Maybe we should start a team. Four or five other people to travel with us would make the group small enough to travel quickly and establish ties but big enough to cause damage as well.”

 

“Where are we going to opportunely find four to five wandering mercenaries who are conveniently looking for more members to add to their team?”

 

“Oh, cool! Look at this Kagome! This looks like an incredible battlefield. Too bad we missed the action. These guys must be tough. Do you think they'll want to join us?” Ginkotsu looked up to where five men and a girl stood, looking at their test field with expressions in various degrees of awe.

 

“Those craters must have been made with cannon fire,” the girl said, “That's serious artillery for such a small skirmish.”

 

When Ginkotsu looked back at his friend he saw a knowing grin on his face, “For argument's sake that's six people. Not four or five.”

 

Renkotsu approached the small group and bowed politely, “How do you do? Are you by chance mercenaries?”

 

The young kid in the group grinned and said, “You better believe it. My name is Bankotsu. These behind me are Kagome, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, Kyoukotsu and Mukotsu.”

 

“Well my name is Renkotsu and this is my brother-in-arms, Ginkotsu. We've been manufacturing our own weapons since the westerners came to our lands. We conveniently received instructions on how to make weapons that use gunpowder.”

Bankotsu grinned, “Are you looking for more brothers in arms? If you are I hope you will take me up on an offer to join us. We're taking a trip right now to fix a damaged weapon so if you wish to travel with us we probably won't see much action for a few weeks.”

 

“I'm very patient Bankotsu-san. If I may be bold enough to suggest that you not pick up any more comrades we'd be glad to join you.”

 

“That's fine with me. This calls for a celebration I think. We have all the members we'll need in our team and soon we'll be the best known mercenaries in the region. As a team I suggest we be called the Hachinintai. I think it's pretty catchy. Bring out the sake Jakotsu!”

 

“Bankotsu,” Kagome warned, “You can party without getting drunk you know.”

 

“Oh don't start that again Kagome. You aren't my mother so you can't tell me what to do with my life!”

 

“I'm glad I'm not your mother! I'd pull out my hair it were true. If you get alcohol poisoning tonight and slip into a coma guess who'll be in charge? Me. And I'll make sure I don't kill myself over something stupid like sake!”

 

“It's not like sake is poison! If it where they wouldn't make it so readily available to everyone.”

 

“Do you know how many people die from alcohol poisoning in a year!? Hundreds! Even thousands! Do you want to become a statistic!?”

 

“Oh lay off Kagome!”

 

Renkotsu looked at the teen in feminine clothing and asked, “Are those two always like this?”

 

“As far as I can tell, yes. They go into a pattern. For every day they get along there's two where they will bicker about something. It's hard to believe he's the strongest and she's the smartest.”

 

“What have we gotten ourselves into Ginkotsu?” he whispered to his friend.

 

“Don't blame me. You're the one who conveniently had us join up with complete strangers. We'll probably get used to it though. Everyone else seems to be.”

 

“I guess you're right. Well. Time to party like a Hachinintai, eh Ginkotsu?”

 

END CHAPTER EIGHT

 

I'm so sorry this took so long. I really wanted Ren and Gin's entrance to be something different than the other's so naturally I had only one page of that written for three days. Hope you enjoyed it though! Thanks for the reviews I am serious when I say they encourage me so don't stop! ^_^ Oh on a personal note, do you know how hard it is to convince a five-year-old that Jakotsu is not a woman? The kid I baby-sit sees me watch AMVs of the shichinintai a lot and he likes “that girl with the cool sword and the fire breathing guy.” He's still convinced he's a she and draws pictures of `her' for me all the time. I think someone has a little crush, hehe.