InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tsubaki's Revenge ❯ The Monk ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.

 

 

Tsubaki's Revenge, Part V: The Monk

 

Kaede paused outside the hut to take a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. She couldn't match her sister's gifts, but she could match her sister's courage, she reminded herself. She could do this, and would. Somebody had to prove that Inuyasha was right, and she was the only one who could.

 

She set off at fast walk, resisting the temptation to run. No one was going to pay attention to an out-of-breath girl. She had to be calm, focused. Like Kikyo. She had to make sure they saw a potential miko, not someone's kid sister.

 

The dusty ground between the houses was empty, the shadows long as the sun edged towards the horizon. Kaede fixed her eyes on the headman's large house, trying to ignore the vagrant odors teasing her nose. She had no time for hunger.

 

The headman's house was the only one in the village boasting a porch, and the only one with a sliding door across the entrance. Knocking on the doorframe, Kaede forced herself to wait patiently. Presently, the door slid open. Satsuki—one of the three widows—peered down at her. “Kaede-chan, why are you here?” she asked with surprise. “Wasn't Mameo going to feed you tonight—or, no—is it about the hanyo? He's not worse, is he?”

 

“Yes, he's worse, but that's not why I'm here. Please, Satsuki obaa-san, please tell Yasuo-sama that it's very important that I speak with him.”

 

“He's eating with the visiting monk, Kaede-chan. Can't it wait until later?”

 

“No, obaa-san.” Kaede stood as straight as she could, meeting the older eyes firmly. “I think the village is in danger.”

 

The woman studied her for a long moment, her eyes momentarily moving to the arrow she held. “Why the arrow?”

 

“It's a special arrow,” said Kaede. “It will prove if I'm right or wrong.”

 

Satsuki nodded after a long moment. “I will inform the headman.”

 

Kaede gave her a slight bow. “Thank-you, obaa-san.”

 

The door slid shut, and Kaede gave a small sigh of relief, thanking Kami that Satsuki had been in charge this evening. Satsuki was the preferred candidate for marrying the headman of the older women of the village. She listened to everyone, including the children, and her words, when she spoke, were generally considered wise. Kaede had also successfully treated her youngest for frostbite and a subsequent fever the winter before, when Kikyo had been gone, tracking down a demon raiding the village. Mameo would have simply told her to come back later. As for Leiko…

 

The door slid back a second time. “Kaede.” The headman's voice was clipped. “What is the problem?”

 

He was frowning, but did not look annoyed. “Inuyasha says that the monk is a demon in disguise,” she replied promptly. “I know he was stupid to attack like he did, but I believe him.” She held up the arrow. “If he's youkai, the monk won't be able to touch this.”

 

The headman's forehead furrowed with worry. “If you're wrong, Kaede-chan,” he said softly, “we'll have insulted our guest.”

 

Kaede swallowed. “I know. But if Inuyasha's right - the monk appeared almost immediately after Kikyo left…”

 

His eyes widened, then narrowed as he absorbed the implication. “Understood.” He considered a moment longer, lips thinned. “Satsuki-san?”

 

The woman behind his shoulder murmured an acknowledgment. “Alert the tower watch. Quietly. Have one of them run to each hut and tell the men to arm themselves, but not to leave their huts unless the alarm is raised.”

 

“Yes.”

 

He turned his attention back to Kaede, as Satsuki turned and slipped silently away, heading towards the back entrance. His expression was bleak. “I don't know to hope if you're right or wrong, Kaede. The monk says he's from the local capital. If the daimyo heard that we attacked an innocent monk on the word of a half-demon…”

 

“Inuyasha's not wrong,” she said firmly.

 

Yasuo merely sighed. “You're old for your years, little one—maybe because you're Kikyo's sister—that's why I trust your word. I just—“ he cut off what he was going to say, shaking his head, and closing his eyes for a long moment. Then he turned on his heel. “Let's go.”

 

 

Yasuo walked towards the side room, which, with the screens pulled back, looked out over the river and irrigated fields. His thoughts were grim, but as he entered the room, he plastered a smile on his face; one, he hoped, that did not look as fake as the slight smile on the monk's face felt to him.

 

He bowed politely. “My pardon, Kurotei-sama, for the interruption. Our miko-in-training, Kaede-san, claims that she has some very important information that needs to be shared with you. If you will permit?”

 

The monk blinked, his smile not changing for at least a heartbeat. “It is inopportune, is it not?” he queried, with a slight frown. “Nevertheless,” he waved his hand, “I suppose that if you are willing to listen to a mere girl child, I must also listen.”

 

Yasuo bowed again, as much to hide his anger, as to remain polite. “Kaede-san?” he called, trying to keep an unobtrusive eye on the monk. “If you will join us?”

 

Kaede stepped into the room, arrow at her side. Yasuo moved sideways to give her room. “Houshi-sama,” she said with a bow, “please forgive the intrusion of my lowly presence. I am Kaede, sister to the miko-sama, Kikyo, and am in training to become a miko myself.”

 

Yasuo saw the monk's eyes shift to the arrow she held, then back to her face. His faint smile had returned to his face, but the headman felt that his eyes looked cold. “You are an impertinent girl, even for a girl with ambition to become a miko,” the monk replied coolly. “Nevertheless, out of respect for my host, I accept this interruption. What is it you wish to say to me?”

 

Kaede bowed again, her face showing no reaction to his slighting words. Moments passed. Yasuo kept most of his attention on the seated monk, though wondering why Kaede was waiting to speak. The monk started to look annoyed. “Speak up, girl,” he said. “I wish to finish my dinner, and you are keeping me from it.”

 

“You are not human.” Kaede's words were flat. “I can't tell what you are, but Inuyasha is right. You're not human.”

 

The monk started. For a moment, shock flashed across his face, then anger. “How dare you accuse me, girl?” he demanded. He turned to glare at Yasuo. “Is this some kind of joke, headman?”

 

“No.” Yasuo met the black, furious gaze, shifting his weight forward. “Inuyasha may act without thinking, and Kaede is young, but they have proven themselves. If they are wrong, then I will humble myself before you and beg your forgiveness. But first, you must prove them wrong.”

 

The monk's hands clenched. “And just how do you intend I prove that?”

 

“You touch this.” Kaede walked forward, and held out the arrow, point first. “If you're human, this won't harm you.”

 

The monk started to reach out, then jerked his hand back. “I have no need to prove myself to the likes of you,” he snarled, getting to his feet. “How dare you insult me!”

 

Yasuo took a step forward. “A quarter-turn of the moon ago, a merge-demon took the shape of both Inuyasha and our miko,” he said calmly, though he could feel his heart starting to race. “You will understand our wariness, when Inuyasha smells the scent of youkai surrounding you.”

 

The monk stepped backward. “You take the word of a hanyo beast over a human?”

 

“I take the word of a young man who saved the lives of my villagers,” replied Yasuo. “And Kaede's request is simple - unless you are not what you seem.”

 

The monk glared at him, hands fisted. Then, after a moment, he straightened. “I will not stay here to be insulted, headman. Be sure that I will tell the daimyo of your insanity. Doubtless, he will have you replaced.” He turned to reach for his staff leaning against the wall. He took hold of it, and whirled, turning away from Yasuo, his left hand joining the other on the staff. Yasuo leapt, realizing in horror that the monk's was going to attack Kaede, and that he could not stop it. But even as the frantic thought flashed through his mind, he saw a blur of motion. Kaede was also leaping, in a flat arc that took her across the low table, both hands above her head clenching the arrow. The staff slammed into her, but too late and too little. With a cry, Kaede brought the arrow down through the monk's robe and into his leg.

 

The monk shrieked and staggered. He started to raise his staff, then froze. Yasuo slammed into him. He heard a small popping sound, and then a flash of light blinded him. His momentum took him to the floor and into the flimsy wall screen. He yelped in pain as his head cracked against a wood support. He blanked out, and then opened his eyes, to realize that he was lying in a tangled pile of paper and wood.

 

“Ow.” Turning his head, he saw Kaede sitting up, her kimono liberally daubed with the remnants of the monk's dinner. She was holding her stomach and grimacing.

 

“Are you all right, Kaede-chan?” he asked, sitting up on one elbow, wincing himself as his head, his shoulder, and his back all started complaining.

 

“I-I think so,” she said, sounding a bit winded. “Are you okay?”

 

He grunted. “As good as a grown man who should know better than to jump around like a twelve year old can be,” he said, forcing himself to a seated position. He looked down at the veritable froth of paper fragments. “What is all this paper?”

 

“A - I think it's a kind of, a kind of paper shikigami,” Kaede replied. “a sort of a, uh, spirit puppet. Not a youkai - not a real one, anyway.”

 

“Puppet?”

 

She nodded. Yasuo considered the implications, and his lips thinned. “Which means there was someone behind this thing.” Kaede nodded a second time, looking a little scared.

 

Carefully, he touched his head, where he had slammed into the wall, wincing a little, but his thoughts reaching ahead. “If the person who sent the shikigami is also the one who sent the demons, they'll want to make their move before Kikyo can get back,” he concluded. “And Inuyasha's in no shape to fight.”

 

“N-no.” Her voice cracked. Yasuo gave her a sharp look. She was looking away, one fist pressed to her mouth. Staggering to his feet, Yasuo walked over to her, then went down on his knees. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

 

She turned towards him, tears glimmering on her eyelashes. He saw no more than that, before she buried her face against his haori. But as he held her in a gentle embrace, he guessed, before she told him, the cause of her tears.