InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy (II) ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Hey there! Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter. Here's the next one. Enjoy!

A Simple Legacy II by elle6778 - Chapter 9

They landed quietly at the mouth of the cave carved into the side of the mountain.

Sesshoumaru's senses went on high alert as he dissolved the cloud on the rocky ledge. The youki emanating from the dark cave was powerful. His eyes narrowed in anticipation. This would be slightly more challenging compared to what he had experience in the past few days.

“Sesshoumaru…”

“Silence,” he warned as he eyed the dark cave. Already, their enemies were stirring. Their presence had been detected.

Sesshoumaru tensed.

A tinkle of laughter sounded just as a dark haired female youkai emerged from the darkness, trailed by a number of male warriors. Her scent marked her as a descendent of the family of panthers although she took a human form like many other high level youkai. Her warriors, however, appeared to be a mix of panther and various kind of other youkai.

Sesshoumaru suddenly remembered Takeo's drunken words. This must be the panther youkai who was creating problems for the Southern Lord. What a coincidence, he thought suspiciously.

“We have visitors,” the youkai remarked, her small black eyes glittering malevolently. “To what we owe this pleasure?” Her gaze turned speculative as she eyed him up and down.

“Sesshoumaru, she has the shards,” the miko exclaimed beside him.

The panther youkai looked down her narrow nose at the miko. “A youkai traveling with a human. What a disgrace.” Ignoring the bristling miko, the panther youkai turned to him. “Such a handsome one too.”

Suppressing a grimace of distaste, Sesshoumaru gave her a stony look. “You hold a Shikon shard which does not belong to you.”

The youkai's tilted her head to one side. “Two, actually. We got our hands on them less than two days ago.” She took one step forward. “Join me and we can…share. I could do with a strong youkai like you.” The gleam in her eyes told him more than he needed to know about what she wanted to do with him.

“This Sesshoumaru will not lower himself to consort with such lowly youkai,” Sesshoumaru sneered. The mere thought of rutting with one such as her was simply offensive.

Beside him, the miko sniggered. Sesshoumaru's lips thinned. So the miko thought to amuse herself at his expense, did she?

The panther youkai's eyes narrowed in anger. “Then you shall not lay even an eye on the shards, Sesshoumaru.” With a screech, she waved her warriors forward. They charged past her, headed toward him and the miko.

“Step back, Miko,” Sesshoumaru said calmly as he unsheathed Toukijin.

Holding it in front of him, he unleashed his attack, throwing the youkai warriors back with a blast. The miko gasped beside him as more of them poured out of the cave. Sesshoumaru heard the sound of metal being unsheathed, telling him of the miko's intention to fight.

Good, he thought with satisfaction. It would leave him free to engage the female leader. The youkai needed to be taught a lesson in respect. Spotting the female half-hidden in the cave behind a wall of warriors, Sesshoumaru slashed a path towards her, decimating the warriors in his way.

A bright light flared behind him. A quick backwards glance told him that the miko was attacking the enemies with her glowing kodachis. Standing at the ledge outside the cave, her expression was one of pure determination. Knowing that it was nothing she could not handle, Sesshoumaru zipped towards the female youkai, leaving a shadowy trail behind him.

Her glittering black eyes were fixed onto him as he appeared in front of her. “My…my…eager, are we? Your human is not even dead yet,” she mocked, raising her sharp claws at him. Spikes of brown energy flew at him.

“Hold you filthy tongue,” he said as he deflected the attack easily with Toukijin and proceeded to send a wave of his kenatsu at her. To his surprise, she disappeared from sight, rending his attack useless.

Annoyed, he spun around to find her standing beside him with her sharp fangs bared. The tips dripped with a brownish fluid.

“Fool. This Sesshoumaru is immune to poison,” he declared. He immediately brought Toukijin around in an arc but again, the agile youkai managed to escape him. She was fast, not surprising considering her kind.

“It's not poison,” she shot back meaningfully.

Laughing, she landed some distance away and raised her arms. A shrill sound tore through the air, hurting his ear. Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru forced himself to ignore it. Then the air in the cave shifted and a large number of bats poured in. Further annoyed by the bats blocking his vision, Sesshoumaru growled as he felt Toukijin being knocked out of his hands. Did they think that he could not fight without the oni's fang?

With a flick of his wrists, strands of golden whips shot out from all ten claws. Screams of agony ripped through the air as the strands made contact with the bats. Soon, all of them fell, leaving him to face a furious panther youkai.

“Pathetic,” he remarked flatly.

Wondering how the miko was faring, he glanced outside to find that the battle was still ongoing between the miko and a greatly reduced number of warriors. The miko had abandoned her kodachis and was hitting her opponents with her miko orbs. She appeared to be holding her own out there.

He turned his attention back to the panther youkai just as she hissed angrily, “How DARE you kill my warriors? You'll pay for this by replenishing this cave. Our new warriors will have your strength.” She flew at him, her fangs bared. He zipped to the side and backhanded her, throwing her against the wall. When he turned, she was already gone.

A squeal was the only warning he received before he felt something scraping against his left hand. His eyes flashed red for a second before it returned to its golden hue. With a snarl of outrage, he exerted his youki and flung her against the wall.

This time, before she could escape, he extended his claws and shot a sizzling green stream at her. The noxious substance hissed as it hit her, drowning out her scream of horror.

Then everything went silent.

He eyed his left hand, noting the single red line beside his magenta stripes. The wound was laughably minor. Just a gash with the brown stains of the panther youkai's poison. So it puzzled him that his entire hand felt warm. Worse still, he could feel the warmth traveling up his arm.

Clenching his fist, he willed the flow of the unknown substance to stop. He was not worried about such a minor thing. His blood would take care of it soon enough.

Then he stepped towards the pile of melted flesh and crouched. Reaching in, he pulled out two shards. His eyes immediate narrowed when a faint scent reached him. It was fresh, no more than two days old.

“Takeo…” he growled.

The miko had sensed nothing when they stayed over at the castle, telling Sesshoumaru that Takeo had probably surrounded the shards with a barrier. Did the Southern Lord plant the shards on the panther youkai after he had realized that they were searching for the shards? To what purpose? Or had Takeo thought to use them to destroy his enemies?

Sesshoumaru's lips thinned. The next time he encounter Takeo, the bear youkai would pay for his trickery. This was not the first time Takeo had attempted something like this. Sesshoumaru remembered that when they were a few centuries younger, Takeo had tended to amuse himself by scheming outrageous deceptions and launching them on unsuspecting targets. It was clear that he had not changed.

The sound of footsteps reached him, followed by a wash of anxiety.

“Sesshoumaru, are you alright?” the miko asked.

“Hn.”

He turned to her, his eyes assessing her for damages. The miko appeared unharmed apart from a slight bruise on her forehead and a small injury somewhere he could not see. The blood staining her cream-colored hakamashita contained some of her scent but it was only a small amount, nothing to be concerned about.

Extending his hand out at her, he unclenched his fist to reveal the two shards. “Take this.”

Gingerly, she picked them up. The purplish shards pulsed once before they turned a pure pink. “Finally,” she sighed as she gave him a look of satisfaction.

Then she looked around, stopping at the youkai he had just killed, her eyes fixed to the melted puddle. The feeling he received from her was mixed and he could not decipher it.

“That brought back memories alright,” she muttered under her breath.

He raised an eyebrow. “Explain yourself, Miko.”

She averted her gaze and her discomfort washed over him. His brow quirked. What was the reason behind her behavior? Surely it was not because of the youkai's death. After all, the miko had killed her fair share of youkai out there. But then again, she had also protested against his treatment of the forest youkai. Her reaction puzzled him.

“Miko?” he prompted impatiently, tired of waiting for her answer.

“Heh heh.” Her laugh was obviously forced. “It's nothing, really.”

He gave her a warning look.

She sighed in resignation. “You probably don't remember it. But that time in your father's tomb, you tried to kill me with that acid of yours. Just like what you did with the youkai just now.” She shrugged. “It just brought back a memory, that's all.”

Comprehension dawned on him. So, the miko was reminded of his strength? No. She was recalling his failed attempt on her life, he realized. What did the miko expect? She had been in his way and he had every intention of killing her.

“This Sesshoumaru was not trying, Miko.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was there, remember? I know you are serious about finishing me off.” Shaking her head a little, she remarked, “I can't believe I'm talking to you about it.”

His lips twitched. “You may also wish to recall your own attempts at this Sesshoumaru's life. Your skills were rather pitiful.”

Eyes flashing, she gave him an indignant look. “HEY!”

“Not to mention foolish,” he added dryly.

Her hands landed on her hips and her chin tilted up. “I'm not the one who got my arm hacked off,” she pointed out smugly.

“That was not your doing, Miko. That was the hanyou's foolishness.”

“Well, it's not like you managed to kill me either, Sesshoumaru.” Pausing, she tapped a finger on her lips. Her eyes narrowed mischievously, “And I thought you said my skills were pitiful.”

So, the miko dared to taunt him? He raised a brow. “Perhaps you'd like this Sesshoumaru to do so now?”

She gulped visibly before determination seeped over her expression. “You won't dare.”

“Is that a challenge, Miko?” he drawled silkily.

Her chin lifted. “Only if you take it as such. Though if you kill me, that would mean that you'll have to hunt down the rest of the shards by yourself.” Eyes twinkling, she grinned, “You wouldn't want that now, would you?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Hn.”

She laughed. “Stumped, are you? I guess this is kind of a novelty for you, huh? How does it feel?”

His narrowed eyes turned into a glare.

Holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender, she said, “Okay! Okay, I'm just kidding.”

Sesshoumaru grunted. He had to admit that the miko was right. He was stumped, to use the miko's word. But not for the reason she had thought. He did not remember the last time he had indulged in such a pointless conversation. It gave him a strangely… pleasant feeling. The fact that it had been the miko's doing did not escape him. Somehow, everything in association with this human seemed to veer him away from his norm.

He watched her place the two purified shards in her bottle. Unprotected, the shards were like a beacon attracting power-hungry youkais. Wondering why he had not done it before, he held his hand out for the bottle, noting the surprise on her expression. A hesitant expression crossed her face as she looked at his outstretched hand.

Did the miko trust him?

Then he felt a wash of acceptance from her. With a smile, she placed the bottle in his hand. As his fingers closed around it, Sesshoumaru experienced an odd feeling he could quite name. She trusted him, even after she had accused him of not trusting her.

Focusing on his task, Sesshoumaru concentrated on the bottle. A flare of green and gold radiated from his fist briefly and then it was gone. When he uncurled his fingers, the bottle glowed green. He held it out to the gaping miko.

“Place your barrier around this, Miko. Otherwise, you would dissolve this Sesshoumaru's wards.”

She gave the bottle a hesitant look.

Knowing that she was apprehensive about using her powers on the Shikon, Sesshoumaru gave her an encouraging nod. “Do as you have done to the forest youkai's barrier. Just place yours around this ward. The shards would not be harmed.”

“Better hope this works,” she muttered as she placed her hand over his.

Sesshoumaru felt the familiar tingle of her powers against his palm as a barrier formed around his wards. It reminded him how this entire thing had begun between them. It was simply an exchange, a trade. But for somehow, somewhere along the way, he had developed a grudging respect for her and realized that her company was not completely unpleasant. It was annoying perhaps, but certainly not unpleasant.

“All done,” she exclaimed as she took the bottle from him and secured it to her neck. “So, what do we do now?”

Sesshoumaru looked around them, noting that outside, the sun was already setting. They had been gone for four days and they had completed their search in the south with four shards in their hands. It was time for him to inspect Inuyasha's progress with the forest youkai. Without some information from her, his plan would be more difficult. Sesshoumaru just hoped that he would not be let down the one time he had decided to place his trust on his half brother.

“We will return to the Western Lands tomorrow.”

……………………̷ 0;……………

Kagome sighed as she sank into the soothing water of the hotsprings. The darkness surrounding her provided enough cover for her to feel safe. And anyway, since that day of her hunt with Sesshoumaru, she had been able to sense her surroundings much better.

Her mind wandered back to the battle earlier that day. It was the first time she had fought such a large number of youkai all on her own and she was proud that she had managed to take them down without being seriously injured. The sense of exhilaration was like nothing she had ever felt before.

She lifted her right leg out of the water and glanced down at the pink gash. One of the youkai had managed to catch her shin with his katana. Kagome glowered at it. She had only taken her eyes off her opponent for one second because she heard a loud screech followed by some commotion in the cave and she had been concerned about Sesshoumaru.

Sighing, she leaned back. It was not as if Sesshoumaru could not deal with some weak youkai by himself. She should not have worried.

Reminded of Sesshoumaru's presence, she decided that she should finish her bath instead of lingering. After all, Sesshoumaru might be waiting for his turn. Her lips quirked. She had never met anyone else in this era who was as fastidious about taking baths as he was.

Quickly washing her hair and body, Kagome rinsed off and toweled herself dry before putting on her skirt and her thick blue jumper. Pulling the freshly washed hakama and the hakamashita off a branch, she made her way back to the small cave nearby.

Her footsteps stilled when she suddenly heard a groan from the cave.

Her brows furrowed. Was that Sesshoumaru?

Clutching her belongings close to her, she ran the remaining distance between the hotsprings and the cave. As she skidded to a halt inside the cave, her eyes immediately went to Sesshoumaru.

He was sitting on the floor, his back against the cave wall. She could see how rigid his entire body was. His eyes shut and his fists clenched, he wore a pained expression. Gasping, Kagome ran towards him.

“Sesshoumaru!” she called out anxiously as she fell to her knees beside him. “What's wrong?”

His eyes snapped open to reveal golden orbs tinged with red. Kagome gaped at him wordlessly as she noted the unmistakable look of lust in those eyes. The fine hair at the back of her neck stood on its ends. What was going on?

“Sesshoumaru?” she ventured uncertainly. Her instincts told her to run, but she simply could not just leave him there.

His eyes flickered. “Miko. Stay away,” he gritted out, obviously trying to keep something within himself at bay.

She gasped. “What's wrong, Sesshoumaru?”

“This is no time for questions, Miko,” he snarled, his eyes reddening further.

Kagome shrank back but she was not prepared to leave him like this alone. If she had to defend herself against him, so be it. “I'm not leaving, Sesshoumaru. Tell me what is it then at least we can try to fix it.”

A growl escaped his lips before Kagome found herself pinned under him, her wrists held over her head. His fangs were elongated in a snarl. Her eyes widened as she stared into his red-rimmed ones. She had not been mistaken. Those eyes definitely told her that he desired her.

“S-Sesshoumaru? W-Wha-”

She gulped. What was going on? This could not be happening. Sesshoumaru could not be thinking of doing that. But the physical evidence pressing against her thighs told her otherwise. To her dismay, she felt a twinge of response from her body.

“S-Stop it! You don't want to do this, Sesshoumaru!” she choked out. She did not want him to do this. But if he forced himself on her, she would be unable to stop him since he was resistant to her purification.

Obviously struggling with himself, Sesshoumaru snarled angrily, “That panther did something. There's wound on this Sesshoumaru's left wrist. It induced a hunger for…” he broke off, closing his eyes tightly.

Comprehension dawned on Kagome. Whatever the youkai had inflicted on Sesshoumaru, it had aroused him up to the point that he could barely control it. Kagome reddened, suddenly realizing that unless something was done about it, she might very well end up being ravaged by Sesshoumaru. A stray voice at the back of her mind told her that it might not be such a bad idea. Kagome instantly cringed. No, she did not just think that.

Quickly brushing the thought out of her mind, she said firmly, “I can try to heal the wound, but you've got to let me go.”

Breathing raggedly, his lips brushed against her cheeks, reminding her of just how close they were. Her breath hitching in her throat and she noted dimly that she had never been so close to him before. Another growl escaped his lips. His hands shook against her wrist, telling her how hard he was trying to override the induced desire.

“Hn.” His voice was strained.

He drew away from her abruptly and immediately pressed his back against the wall. Quickly, Kagome grabbed his left wrist and immediately saw the angry red gash.

“Quickly, Miko,” Sesshoumaru bit out. “Or you will regret it.”

Understanding his unspoken words, Kagome flushed in embarrassment. Shaking the feeling away, she focused her healing powers on his hand. Her hand glowed where she touched him.

“Is it any better?” she asked anxiously as the red gash closed up.

Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru shook his head once.

“I think the poison must be traveling throughout your body by now,” she said with a frown. How could she fix this?

“It's not poison. This Sesshoumaru is immune to poison. It's something else,” Sesshoumaru gritted out.

Kagome's eyes flickered with worry as she noted how badly he was struggling against his instincts. Wondering if it would help if she attempted something else she had never tried before, but knowing that she did not have the time to hesitate, she let go of his wrist. Before he could move, she wrapped her arms around him, desperately pushing back her feelings of acute embarrassment. They were pressed chest to chest with her arms circling around his back.

Sesshoumaru froze. “What are you doing, Miko?” he growled. “Do you not understand-”

“Shh…Let me try something,” she whispered desperately as she called forth her powers.

His unique scent of midnight storm invaded her nostrils, their proximity making it even more pronounced. She was beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. What if she could not concentrate well enough? Would she end up making things worse? She knew that she had not attempted something like this before, but she had to try something.

Closing her eyes, she focused not on healing, but on releasing him from the desire. Her power surged, running through her body, tingling where she was pressed against him. She barely noticed that she was glowing. Then she felt rather than heard Sesshoumaru gasp. She hoped fervently that it was not because she had accidentally harmed him.

His heart beat steadily against her body, its strong rhythm almost hypnotic. Vaguely, she realized that his arms had gone around her. She clung on to him, not knowing when she should stop. But her body was beginning to protest against the exertion. She could feel her power weakening.

“Miko.”

Her eyes shot open to look straight into his clear golden ones. His features were curiously blurred.

“Sesshoumaru…” she whispered as she raised her hand, pressing it against his cheek just underneath his magenta stripes. She blinked, suddenly seeing double.

Then everything went black.

……………………̷ 0;………….

Sesshoumaru felt his cheek tingle as the miko's hand slid off. Grasping her hand before it could hit the ground, he lowered it and laid it in her lap. She was pale, having collapsed from exhaustion. The miko had obviously exerted too much energy in her desperation to remedy the situation.

But she had done well and he was grateful for it.

His body once against under control, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to exhale a breath of relief. He did not remember feeling so out of control. Ever. It was disconcerting to find that a simple scratch containing whatever the brown substance was had been sufficient to cause it. He growled low in his throat. Perhaps he should have taken his time in killing the youkai and made her suffer severely before her death.

He had known that something was very wrong when he felt his entire body warming up uncomfortably while he had waited for the miko to finish her bath. Then the familiarity of the feeling hit him. It was at that moment that the miko had chosen to enter the cave, bringing her scent of ripe peach to him. It did not help that she had been wearing those foreign clothes, indecently exposing her legs. His blood had surged uncontrollably and as she neared him, his arousal had increased ten-fold.

He had been appalled with his own action of pinning her down beneath him. But his limbs had refused to obey his orders. With her in such a vulnerable position, it had taken every last bit of his will to stop himself from taking her.

He did not even want to think of the implication of what might happen if he had given in to his urge.

To his consternation, he could still remember the feel of her curves pressed against him and the smoothness of her cheeks under his lips. The worst had been when she had settled herself in his lap. Sesshoumaru bit back a groan at his errant thoughts. It must be the after-effects of the wound. It was simply wrong for him to think of her in such a manner.

The miko shivered, drawing his attention to her unconscious form. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the trembling of her body. Her body was obviously too weak to generate sufficient heat to keep her warm.

With a resigned sigh, he gathered her fully onto him and wrapped his Mokomoko-sama around both of them. Suddenly realizing how weary he was, Sesshoumaru erected a barrier around the area and allowed himself to rest.

……………………̷ 0;…………

Kagome snuck a glance at the stoic taiyoukai beside her. They were once again traveling on his cloud, heading west this time. It had taken them only half a day with the speed Sesshoumaru had been traveling in and they were now approaching his castle. But this time, instead of their usual one-sided conversation, they had made the journey almost entirely in silence.

Sesshoumaru had asked her if she felt well when she had just woken up that morning. Since then, he had barely said a word to her.

Kagome sighed inwardly. No doubt Sesshoumaru was feeling out-of-sorts because of what had happened last night. She did not blame him. It had been a highly disturbing event. More so for Sesshoumaru because he had almost lost control of himself. For someone who valued discipline and control as much as Sesshoumaru did, it must have been horrifying.

Although it had been a shock to her when it happened, she realized that she was no longer shaken about it. The worrying thing however, was how often the image of his passion-filled expression kept popping up in her mind throughout the entire journey. She supposed that it was simply because she had never seen him express so much in all the time she had known him. She was used to seeing him cold and distant.

Yup. A quick glance up at him assured her that he was back to his old self again, at least outwardly. But she had known him long enough to read the telltale signs of his discomfort. She wanted to tell him that it was alright and that he should just forget it. After all, no harm had been done. But somehow, she did not think that he was willing to even talk about the subject. She rolled her eyes. In some ways, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were so alike.

The trip, however, had been a success. They had gathered four shards so far and as far as she was concerned, that was a lot for five days. She smiled as she wondered how Inuyasha would take the news.

The castle grew larger in her view as they got closer. Then they glided down until Sesshoumaru's cloud hit the smooth stones of the courtyard. The moment the cloud dissolved, Kagome heard the sound of excited yells.

“Kagome-neechan!”

Kagome laughed as Shippou and Rin barreled into her. As she picked Shippou up, Rin ran past her towards Sesshoumaru.

“Sesshoumaru-sama!” she greeted happily.

“Rin,” Sesshoumaru acknowledged with a nod.

Kagome smiled. Sesshoumaru might act cold around Rin, but it was obvious from the slight softening of his expression that he was attached to the little girl.

“Took you long enough to get back.”

Hearing Inuyasha's grumpy voice, Kagome grinned. “Inuyasha!”

Kagome turned around to face her friend and then froze.

Moriko was behind Inuyasha, looking nervous.

But free.

Even without looking, she could feel Sesshoumaru tensing beside her. Her eyes went to Moriko to find the apprehensive forest youkai looking back and forth between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Although she liked the brown haired youkai, Kagome had the sense to realize that Inuyasha should not have let her out of the holding cell without checking first with Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha's action could jeopardize the entire plan if Moriko turned to out be someone who sought to harm them.

“Rin, Shippou, inform Jaken of our arrival,” Sesshoumaru instructed, his eyes not leaving Inuyasha and Moriko.

Kagome held her breath until Rin and Shippou disappeared out of their sight. It was obvious that Sesshoumaru did not want them present when he ripped into Inuyasha.

“You do not have the right to release her, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru stated in a dangerous tone. Much to Kagome's alarm, his hand went to rest on Toukijin's hilt.

Completely unperturbed, Inuyasha gave Sesshoumaru a smirk as he unsheathed Tetsusaiga. “What are you going to do about it?”

Kagome gulped as Sesshoumaru took a threatening step forward. Inuyasha held his ground, staring defiantly back at his half-brother. Not this again, Kagome thought with an inward groan.

“How did you free her from the wards?” she asked, trying to distract them.

Inuyasha smirked as he inspected Tetsusaiga. “The barrier must have recognized his fang and youki.” Then he gave Sesshoumaru a smug look. “The second Tetsusaiga hit it, the barrier just disappeared. I bet you didn't think that it'll have this little side-effect, did you?”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. “You should not have released her.”

“You told me to deal with her. “So I'll do it in my way.”

“This method of yours. Did it yield the desired result?” Sesshoumaru asked silkily.

Inuyasha tilted a brow, Tetsusaiga held loosely at his side. “Wouldn't you like to know?”

Kagome released a sigh of exasperation. “Tell him already, Inuyasha! Or do you really want to end up in an unconscious heap at the corner of the courtyard?”

“Hey!” Inuyasha protested as he threw her a glare. “Why are you always on his side?”

Kagome planted her hands on her hips. “Because right now, you're being childish! I bet you're just doing this to irritate Sesshoumaru.”

Inuyasha's eyes twitched once before it flattened against his head. “Fine,” he grumbled as he re-sheathed his katana.

Raising a brow, Kagome prompted, “So?”

Moriko replied instead, directing her words to Sesshoumaru. “I will help you on one condition.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed by a fraction. “You are in no position to trade,” he said coldly.

Kagome sighed in exasperation as Moriko gave Inuyasha an accusing glare. Obviously, Inuyasha had told her that it would work.

“You will return to the holding cell,” Sesshoumaru ordered in a clipped tone.

“But Inuyasha said-”

“You're a bastard, you know that, Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha snarled.

Sesshoumaru's eyes glittered. “You will cease your insolence, Inuyasha.”

Holding her hands up, Kagome interjected wearily, “Let's just hear what she has got to say, alright?”

Sesshoumaru simply gave her a disdainful look.

Exasperated with both males, Kagome decided to ignore them. Turning her attention to Moriko, she asked, “What is the condition?”

Moriko gave her a grateful smile. “I will help you in any way I can but then I want to be released after Naraku is destroyed. Seeing that Naraku's the entire reason why I'm here, I won't be of much use here anyway after that anyway.”

Glancing at Sesshoumaru, Kagome said, “See? That wasn't so bad, was it? I say we accept the deal.”

Sesshoumaru gave her a stony look.

She held his golden gaze unflinchingly, knowing that he was trying to stare her down. There was no way she was backing down from this. Not to mention that Sesshoumaru probably knew that Moriko's request was not unreasonable. He was simply trying to be difficult.

“Oi! What are you two doing?” Inuyasha's words broke the silence but Kagome kept her eyes on Sesshoumaru.

Then she saw a passing flicker and a sudden jab of approval before his eyes turned emotionless again. To her satisfaction, he was the first one to break away.

“Very well,” he said, sounding bored. Flicking his eyes to Moriko, Sesshoumaru continued, “Your condition is accepted. However, if you betray this Sesshoumaru, your life will be forfeit.”

Kagome wanted to roll her eyes. He just had to deliver that warning.

Moriko, however, instantly brightened. “Thank you.”

Sesshoumaru gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement. “You will impart your knowledge to this Sesshoumaru at dawn.”

Kagome hid a smile as he left in a flourish of white silk.

……………………̷ 0;……………..

Kagome grinned as Rin and Shippou ran back into the dojo, each with an armful of leaves and twigs. She looked at the previously pristine dojo, now littered with charred pieces of what used to be leaves and twigs. She just hoped that Sesshoumaru would not be too mad.

“Kagome-neechan!” Rin yelled happily as she dropped her pile in front of her. “It's Rin's turn now.”

Kagome nodded as she straightened herself. “Don't come too close, alright?” she advised. If she accidentally hurt Rin, Sesshoumaru would not hesitate to skin her alive. Or rather, melt her.

Holding her right hand out, she concentrated her energy. Thin strands of pearlescent thread shot out and grew longer, dangling from the tips of her fingers.

With a squeal, Rin tossed a handful of leaves into the air.

Kagome flicked her wrist and her miko whips snapped in the air, hitting a couple of the targets. The leaves immediately combusted and fluttered as ashes to the mat. Kagome smiled in satisfaction and the two children clapped. She had discovered that it was easier to control her whips if there was an actual target in front of her.

“It's my turn,” Shippou exclaimed as he bounced in front of her.

With an indulgent smile, Kagome nodded. Her whips slightly retracted, she waited for Shippou to throw a handful of targets in the air before she flicked her wrist. The pearlescent strands flew through the air and decimated a good number of leaves again.

“Feh!”

Kagome spun around to find Inuyasha watching them with a bored expression on his face. Her eyes narrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?” she asked as she retracted her whips.

His arms tucked into his sleeves, Inuyasha stepped closer to her. “Sesshoumaru's whips now, huh?”

Kagome ground her teeth together. Inuyasha seemed to take great joy in belittling her fighting skills. “Just in case you haven't noticed, Inuyasha, those are my whips.”

Inuyasha made a face. “Leaves are easy targets anyway. They won't try to escape and they won't fight back. It's useless to practice like that.”

Planting her hands on her hips, Kagome glared at him. “What do you suggest then? Use a living thing as a target? Go out and find some random evil youkai to practice on?”

“That's what you're going to be using the whips on, isn't it?” he shot back.

Her eyes gleamed as an idea occurred to her. And now that she did not have the rosary to subdue him, perhaps she should consider some other methods. “Inuyasha…”

At her tone, he took a step back. “What?”

“Are you volunteering?”

His eyes widened. “To fight with you?” he exclaimed disbelievingly. “Don't be stupid!”

Grinning, she threw down the gauntlet, “Scared, Inuyasha?”

……………………̷ 0;…….

t.b.c.

A/N: (Grins evilly) I had fun imagining Inuyasha's expression at that. And I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter, especially with Sesshoumaru finding himself unable to control himself :P. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!