InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bankotsu's Greatest Challenge ❯ A Shaky Alliance ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha is copyrighted to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi!

Bankotsu's Greatest Challenge

Chapter 4: A Shaky Alliance

Inuyasha was a little uneasy and kept his eyes on the door. The incense had succeeded in calming him down. He sat waiting for the stew Kagome promised to bring him. His haori was fully intact. Pain stabbed through his chest causing him to wince. 'Damn, I guess I won't be fighting demons anytime soon.'

"You're awake." Miroku said walking into the hut. He sat beside his friend. "You gave us quite a scare."

"The hell happened to me?"

"You were knocked unconscious by that demon you fought earlier. Kaede and Kagome patched you up as best they could."

"Where are Kagome and the others? Where the hell is my sword?"

"Your sword is safe, it's with Kagome. They're all outside helping a villager rebuild her hut after the demon destroyed it."

"I see." The half-demon closed his eyes again, trying to dull the pain of his injuries. 'Damn Kagome, why haven't your medicines worked on me yet?'

Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara had all agreed to help a lady with three kids rebuild her hut. She and her children had been forced to sleep outside under some sheets last night. They found themselves rushing to find building material.

The foundation of the hut was already intact. Sango, who was the best builder in the group, had pounded some large stakes into the ground to hold the rest up. She nodded and checked over her handiwork. 'Now when a storm comes the hut will not blow away.'

"Do you think Inuyasha's alright?" Shippo handed Kagome a rope.

Kagome took the rope and began tying it to the stakes. She looked over to Kaede's hut. "I'm sure he's fine, Shippo."

"Don't beat yourselves up over this. Inuyasha will get better with time." Sango drank from her canteen.

They worked on in silence building the hut. Kagome mixed up a clay paste so the straw that went over the hut would stay.

The village lady approached them with her three kids tagging behind. She smiled. "You have done well. Would you like some rice cakes?"

"Thanks," they said, taking one each off a wooden platter.

The lady walked off, still smiling.

In about an hour, the hut was completely finished. Sango had even carved flowers above the door casing.

"It's beautiful Sango. Let's go tell that lady we've finished." Kagome stated.

The village lady was found chatting with some villagers. Upon spotting them she walked over to them.

"We are done with your hut." Shippo said cheerfully, pointing.

The lady's eyes lit up as she ran over to her house. "Oh, thanks so much! I love it!"

A loud crash was heard near Kaede's hut. The four friends exchanged 'what was that' glances and instantly took off.

"Glad we could help!" Sango cried to the woman.

Kaede was hurriedly firing arrows into the air when Kagome and the others approached with the sky darkening. They gasped at the thousands of demons crowding overhead.

"Those look like Naraku's demons!" Sango unleashed Hiraikotsu. "Where's Miroku?"

"Inside with Inuyasha," Kaede panted.

Kagome shot her sacred arrows alongside the older priestess Hiraikotsu kept the demons from getting a clear attack on Kagome or Kaede. No matter how many they killed more moved in to replace them instantly.

Kirara bravely flew in the air slashing apart some of the invaders with her teeth. Shippo shook behind Kaede sending his fox fire at any stray approaching demons. "Why won't they stop coming?"

"We need Miroku!" Kagome fired her last arrow. "He could use the Wind Tunnel."

"Go get him!" Sango struck a demon slicing off its head with Hiraikotsu. "We will hold them off!"

Inuyasha glared when Kagome entered the hut. "Give me Tetsuiga and stay out of my way!"

Kagome huffed. "Stay put or I will use the s word." She focused on Miroku, who was swinging his golden staff back and forth.

"Miroku, we need your Wind Tunnel." Kagome glanced at Inuyasha who was trying to hide his pain. 'He must still not be healing right.'

Miroku slapped his staff against his thigh. "Kagome, what's going on out there? How many are there?"

"A lot."

"Let's get this taken care of." Miroku rose to his feet and walked outside the hut.

His eyes widened. 'What in Buddha's name - ? I've never seen so many demons at once.' Removing the prayer beads from his right hand, he held it in the air. "Kagome, do any of them have shards?"

She scanned the group detecting nothing. "No."

He braced his feet. "Sango, Kaede, Shippo, get clear!"

They nodded and Sango helped Kaede run away.

"Wind tunnel!" The void in his hand sucked in everything in sight. He braced his hand with his other one and waited until the sky was once again blue and clear. He wrapped the beads in place and lowered his hand, slightly panting.

"I'm glad that's over. I was running out of energy." Sango panted.

His cheeks flushed. "Anytime."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Suikotsu asked as they approached the village. Kagome and her friends could be seen in the distance.

"We haven't much of a choice." Renkotsu snorted. "We're almost there. No turning back now."

"Oh well, if anything happens, we'll just have to kill them all and spare Kagome." Jakotsu shrugged.

"We didn't come here to slaughter every living thing." Renkotsu scolded.

As they approached the village, nobody seemed to mind them at all. Maybe that was because Bankotsu was unconscious and Banryu was hidden under a blanket. One old man even waved at them.

"That's the hut up ahead." Jakotsu said, pointing out a spot where Kagome and her friends could be seen chatting.

Ginkotsu rolled nearer to the hut.

"Hey Kagome," Jakotsu waved his hand in the air.

Kirara jumped protectively in front of Kagome as the Shichinintai approached. She bared her teeth and growled.

"Miroku…" Sango turned her body preparing to throw Hiraikotsu.

Miroku nodded rushing back into the hut. "The Shichinintai are looking for Kagome."

"What's going on out there?" Inuyasha questioned standing to his feet despite the blood soaked bandages around his chest. His eyes narrowed. "What could those slime balls possibly want with Kagome?" Inuyasha clenched his fists.

Miroku stuck his staff into his face forcing the half-demon back inside. "Stay put. You are in no condition to fight."

Inuyasha growled but knew Miroku was right. 'Sango better protect Kagome.'

When the monk returned outside the remaining Shichinintai except Bankotsu were having a stare down with the girls. They kept their eyes on Sango particularly, expecting at any second for her to launch her weapon.

Kagome saw Bankotsu laying on Ginkotsu and felt her heart slam inside her chest. "What do you want with me?" She tried to keep her voice devoid of fear.

"It's hard to explain…" Suikotsu began.

"You won't need to do any explaining," Sango interrupted, launching her large boomerang.

Renkotsu easily caught the weapon.

Sango blinked. 'Usually I'm the only one who can wield that weapon.'

Renkotsu stuck it into the earth and the Shichinintai went on like nothing happened.

"We are not here to fight." Jakotsu motioned for the men to stand down. "Believe me; I don't want to be here anymore than you want us to."

"Nor do I," Suikotsu huffed.

"Gesh." Ginkotsu rasped.

Renkotsu simply nodded his head.

"We're not falling for your trick!" Sango's hand fell to her waist, ready to pull out her sword.

Miroku's hand held hers on the handle. "Something tells me we should hear them out."

"Why do you think that?" Kagome frowned.

"First of all they haven't tried to attack us yet." He stared at the Shichinintai. "Talk."

Suikotsu sighed. "Big brother is the only one who knows the whole story and as you see he's…"

Glancing at Ginkotsu's platform they saw the unconscious man. His clothes were soaked with blood.

Miroku mumbled. "We know now that they couldn't have attacked the village."

Kagome squared her shoulders and walked past the Shichinintai.

The scent of fresh roses wafted past their nostrils. Jakotsu blinked but watched her closely.

"He's even worse than Inuyasha is." Kagome stated in a flat tone.

Renkotsu stared at her. "He was attacked by a demon back in the forest. He's been unconscious for almost two hours."

"You have to help him, Kagome. Please," Jakotsu clasped his hands together.

She blinked and sighed. "Bring him inside." She walked into the hut, clearing a space and laying out the last futon.

As soon as Inuyasha saw them enter the hut, he attempted to leap up for battle.

"No Inuyasha, it's all right." Kagome threw up her hands trying to stave him off. "They're not here to fight!"

He snarled. "I'm going to send these scum back to their graves!"

Miroku thumped Inuyasha on the head with his staff. "She's telling the truth."

Inuyasha's eyes widened when he caught sight of Jakotsu standing behind Kagome and winking at him. "Hi Yashy pie."

The half-demon rolled his eyes and his face scrunched up as he stumbled back to his futon.

Kaede appeared from the back of the hut, carrying a bowl of water. "Who are these people?" She eyed Jakotsu warily.

"They came to give us some news." Kagome replied.

"What is that thing?" The elder miko pointed to the tank like monster.

"That's Ginkotsu; he's our means of transportation." Suikotsu said in a professional tone. "And this is our big brother."

"What happened to him?"

"A bird demon," Jakotsu said as his eyes misted over again.

"Ye will have to help me."

Suikotsu helped Kaede. The others just sat back and watched.

Inuyasha glared at each person in the room. 'This has got be some kind of trick.'

Bankotsu' had multiple gashes on his torso, arms and legs. 'Hm, his head will require sewing, but the other wounds must be cleansed and tended.' Kaede carefully flushed his wounds with lemon juice and a rag, cleaning the blood away from his skin and then sewed the gash in his head.

Kagome gently flushed the wound on the side of his head and placed a fresh paste on it. 'Why haven't the jewel shards healed him?'

"So, why did you guys call out Kagome's name when you first arrived?" Miroku questioned.

Kagome said nothing and continued rubbing a specialized medicinal herb paste on Bankotsu's arm.

"Big brother will tell you…when he's awake." Renkotsu replied.

"I'm going to kill him when he comes to," Inuyasha balled his fists and his ears twitched.

'He's starting to feel better,' Shippou rolled his eyes.

"He's all done." Kagome tossed the bloodied rag into the bowl of water.

"What now?" Jakotsu asked with his brows knitted.

"Let him rest." Kaede cleaned up her supplies and took her leave.

The Shichinintai decided to follow suit. Inuyasha snorted. "I'm not moving!"

Kagome nodded. "I'll stay with you," she raised Inuyasha's arms wrapping a clean bandage around his chest.

Miroku sighed and kept a close watch on Jakotsu. 'That guy gives me the creeps.'

Suikotsu watched Sango cleaning her weapon. "What's that thing made of?"

Sango rapidly blinked. 'Why would he ask me a question of any kind?' She frowned. "It's made from the bones of demons. My father wielded it, before I was born."

"What happened to your father?"

"He was killed by an evil demon." Sango looked up a Suikotsu. "Can you guess the name of the demon?"

"It was Naraku."

She nodded. "How did you know?"

Suikotsu sighed. "He told us about it when he brought us to life with the jewel shards."

"So why do you guys work for him? You know that he's just going to take back your jewel shards sooner or later, right?"

Suikotsu frowned. 'Naraku is most likely just using us as his puppets. I'll talk to Big brother about it later.'

Back inside the hut Kagome huffed and had to keep from slapping Inuyasha's hard glare off his face. 'Bankotsu may be the leader of a band of killers and he may have almost killed us all, but the poor guy is completely unable to fight right now.'

"Inuyasha quit looking at him like that. Even if he did wake up, he's in no condition to defend himself."

Inuyasha snapped his head around averting his amber glare to the girl. "Are you defending this creep?"

"No, I - "

"Then again, you did help tend to his wounds."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?"

He snarled. "I should have finished him off while I had the chance."

Kagome huffed. "I was just suggesting that it would be cowardly if you battled Bankotsu like this."

His nostrils flared. "Now you're calling him by his name?" Inuyasha's eye twitched. "Do you like this creep?"

'Inuyasha seems to be getting better.' Kagome narrowed her eyes."Sit boy!"

Inuyasha came crashing to the floor of the hut. He raised himself up. 'Damn her,' He got to his feet and went outside, muscles tight with tension.

Kagome followed. "You get back here, we're not finished yet."

Miroku spotted Inuyasha. "Where are you going, Inuyasha?" He watched as the half-demon leaped into a tree.

"Yashy pie, where are you going?" Jakotsu ran over.

"Shut up." He snarled before leaping further into the forest.

"What a hot head," Sango shook her head.

Renkotsu stopped Kagome by grabbing her arm. "What was that all about?"

Kagome huffed. "He's just upset because you guys are here."

Sango pat her on the back. "Kagome, you should go back inside the hut in case Bankotsu wakes up."

Jakotsu watched Kagome go back inside the hut, noticing how seemingly graceful she seemed to move. "You know, Kagome's kind of pretty."

Renkotsu snorted. "I thought you hated women?"

Jakotsu huffed and frowned. "I think she could be an exception, for Big brother."

Suikotsu blinked. "Isn't Inuyasha with Kagome?"

Sango cleared her throat. "Um - " She frowned. 'I'm not really sure how to put it.'

Jakotsu pouted. "I still have the sexy monk."

Miroku was sitting on the grassy ground around the hut. He cringed and scooted closer to Sango.

Renkotsu rolled his eyes and walked off to sit on Ginkotsu's platform.

XOXOXO:

Inside Kaede's hut Bankotsu's eyes flew open. His hand flew to his head and attempted to roll over, but stopped when his injuries burned and ached. He rubbed his temples.

Kagome scooted a little closer, peering over his shoulder. "Are you awake?"

Bankotsu jerked at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. He titled his head to look at the girl "Kagome?"

"Yes…"

He sat up ignoring his wounds and his jaw clenched. His eyes pinned her with a hard stare. "Let's get one thing straight. Don't go getting the idea in your little head that we're going to be friends. This is just business."

She blinked.

"Now, get your friends and the others in here."

'He could be a bit nicer. I just helped save his pathetic life!' Kagome moved to the entrance of the hut waving her friends inside. "He's awake." She huffed.

Inuyasha drew his sword, but Miroku knocked it to the floor with his staff.

"Inuyasha…"

He huffed. 'Damn her and that word.' He glared at the wall.

"So, can we have the news now that your leader is conscious?" Sango asked. "Or do we have to wait longer?"

Jakotsu sat next to Bankotsu. Jakotsu stared at Kagome. "Before we got here, we were on the way back to our hideout when we saw this woman's spirit appear before us."

"Spirit…?" Inuyasha frowned. 'Could it be Kikyo? But why would she appear as a spirit?'

Bankotsu stared at his best friend. "I'll take it from here Ja."

He nodded.

"It was a warrior woman's spirit."

Sango gasped. "Midoriko?" Her eyes bulged.

Bankotsu nodded and continued. "She told me that the world was in danger and that me and Kagome were the only ones who could save it."

"Why you two?" Miroku asked.

"Something about our combined powers," Bankotsu waved his hand as if dismissing the monk's question. He sighed. "I don't mind teaming up with Kagome… but there's a catch."

"What's the catch?" Kagome asked.

The entire hut feel silent as Bankotsu stared at each of them. The air grew so thick and charged with energy Kagome could swear she saw sparks in it. Bankotsu let out a heavy sigh. "I have to marry Kagome."

"What," Inuyasha fell flat on his face. He jumped to his feet and stormed out of the hut, knocking down a few trees as he disappeared into the forest.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Why do I have to marry you?"

"Midoriko didn't say." Bankotsu gave Kagome a cold glare making her shiver. "I don't want to marry you anymore than you want to marry me, but Japan's future is at stake."

Jakotsu smacked his shoulder. "Bankotsu…must you act so aggressive?"

Miroku squirmed as Shippo burrowed inside his robe.

"That's not very nice." Sango growled.

"Whatever," Bankotsu snapped. 'After this is over, I'll kill her friends and make her watch.' He rose to his feet and limped out of the hut.

"Um Kagome, maybe you should try talking with big brother." Renkotsu said.

Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Are you nuts?" Her heart slammed against her chest and her face paled.

Suikotsu chuckled. "Don't worry, he can't hurt you. He is badly injured."

'Why the hell do I have to marry a cold blooded killer like Bankotsu?' Kagome slowly stood up and followed Bankotsu outside. 'I guess I could try to talk to him, maybe Midoriko said more then he's telling us?'

XOXOXO:

A/N: Okay that's chapter four. Feel free to leave comments, complaints, con crit, {not flames} in a review. Feed back is important to all authors. I've posted a new poll to see if you the readers like this story. So if you could take a quick minute to vote I'd greatly appreciate it, thanks. XD

P.S. I would have updated this up earlier, but ffnet hasn't been letting me update anything until now.