InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inuyasha 24/7 ❯ The Boy and the Hanyou ( Chapter 6 )

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

Author's Note: I'm saying sorry in advance because this fic will have fewer humor in it and more angst (If you consider my stupidity as humor.) It's the story of the Hakushin priest and his past. I don't know...I guess I'm in an angsty mood right now...

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy it!! I've gotten emails from really cool people saying they liked it!! Yay!






Inuyasha 24/7





The Boy and the Hanyou










She was the town's laughingstock.


She felt out of place yet...she maintained her calm composure. Even if she was thought of as neither a human nor a youkai.


Until one day...


On a cold winter evening, she had run away, sought out to find a place where it didn't matter what type of being one was or how strong one was. Her parents had treated her well...and she regretted leaving them but it was impossible to live in such a horrible society. So she packed her bags, kissed her mother and father good bye and left.


As she walked through the thick blizzard of snow, she found herself lost in the darkness. There she sat, insentient and immobile, without a care in the world what would happen to her.


Does it matter now? she asked herself. She was just a worthless hanyou. She wasn't even brave enough to face those mocking faces of youkai and humans. She couldn't even fend off small children her age who were throwing rocks at her.


She shut her eyes and lay in the snow.


That was when she felt something cover her shivering body. It was a blanket. A warm blanket.


She looked up and saw the face of a young man about her age.


"W-what do y-you want?" she asked, coyly as if gathering her strength and courage to defend herself one more time from a bully before she died.


"Well, I saw a girl in the snow...what do you think I would do? Leave you?" he asked softly, putting his hand firmly on her shoulder.


The young hanyou quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around herself, pulling away from the boy in front of her.


"I don't need your help! Besides, it was my intention to stay out here," she replied dryly.


The boy felt awkward and embarrassed. He didn't know what to do about a girl he had just found who wanted to…well…die out in a blizzard. He reached for her arm.


"Look, I can't just leave you out here. I want to help."


"You can't help something like me," she said harshly.


He recognized how she said something instead of someone. He was, in a way, disturbed by it. Why wouldn't she consider herself a being of this world?


"What do you mean…something?" he asked cautiously.


"I'm a hanyou! I'm not like you ningen!" she cried.


The boy laughed. She looked at him irritably. How dare him!? Laughing at her as if she was just some idiot!


"What is so funny about that!?" she questioned.


"I…I'm sorry," he smiled, "but…is that all?"


The girl was perplexed. "What do you mean, 'is that all'?" she spat.


"Is that why you're out here? Look, you do not need to deprive yourself of a life because of what a bunch of other people or youkai said to you! Look at me: I'm the only boy in my town who wanted to be a monk's apprentice. The other boys wanted to be in a sport, or excel in game, or be in politics. I wanted to be in a dark temple, reading monotonous chants all day and night."


The girl couldn't help but crack a smile. The apprentice monk looked up at her. She was actually very pretty when she smiled like that. He quickly shook off the thought. Those types of thoughts were prohibited.


"So," he continued. "Will you join me?"




****




"Souta, have you seen Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she entered the gift shop.


"Not lately. He went out to look for you," Souta replied with a shrug.


"Okay, thanks."


For the past hour and a half, Inuyasha had been missing. What was going on? Was he that angry at her because of what she did to him that night at the library? She truly didn't mean it, she was young and stupid and-


Now was not the time to ponder on silly things. She had to find him.


Just as she exited the gift shop, snow began falling softly once more, just like it did that evening a couple days ago. Kagome's socked feet felt instantly cold as her slippers sunk into the soft, new snow. Kagome scanned her white surroundings. There was music, people in costumes, a group of boys and girls laughing, a book on the ground, an elderly couple walking hand in hand, a man holding an ancient Japanese instrument as he slowly walked with a procession behind him, rides, gift shops-


Wait.


A book on the ground.


Kagome scanned her surroundings once more until her eyes caught sight of the book. What in the world was something like that doing out on the ground in a festival? Maybe someone had bought from the gift shop and dropped it somewhere along the way. She could simply give it to the lost and found and-


She knelt down on the soft snow, wiped the snowflakes off of the book and picked it up. Her eyes widened. It had an engraved black sakura tree on the front.


"What's this?" she asked herself curiously. She flipped through it. One random page she happened to land on was about the story of that Hakushin priest. The chapter was called, The Boy and the Hanyou.




****




"So what's your name?" the young monk asked.


"Otsune," the hanyou replied, sipping the hot tea he poured her.


"I'm Toshiharu, but everyone calls me Haru because it seems to be easier on people's tongues," the boy said with a smile. Otsune's expression remained indifferent. Haru quickly wiped the smile off of his face.


"Why not Toshi?" she questioned curiously.


"Because my mother believed it to be bad luck to use the first part of a name as a nickname rather than the last part of a name*. Therefore she dubbed me Haru."


"May I call you Toshi?" she asked, teasingly. Toshiharu smiled.


Good, she's loosening up. Junichiro-sama told me this was the first step to enlightenment: Helping people find their happiness, Haru thought, satisfied.


"Whatever you wish, lovely Otsune-san, is my command."




****




Inuyasha snapped his eyes open and began to rise from where he was. Unfortunately, he was unable to recall where he was at all. The entire place was completely unrecognizable.


Then it hit him.


Musou had stabbed him with some dagger that had some sort of poison to numb his body. Something like an "anesthesia" from Kagome's world, but really painful. (He learned a lot from her book of spells called "Science"…and he was damn proud.)


"Enjoying your momentary rest?" Musou asked, walking up from behind Inuyasha.


Inuyasha began to swear at him, but was unable to utter a single word. Even his lips were completely immobile. What is Naraku up to now? he always wondered.


He looked up at Musou. That man, or youkai... or thing had some sort of glint in his eye. Inuyasha continued to stare. It was until Musou spoke that Inuyasha realized what it was.


"Inuyasha."


Inuyasha's eyes widened. He had been watching Musou the entire time...but this time, the brute's lips weren't moving.


"What are you doing in my head you bastard?" Inuyasha asked, telepathically.


"I was just wondering if you could hear the thoughts of other people...well...people with special powers...or people you're ultimately close to," Musou said.


At this Inuyasha instantly turned crimson. Kagome instantly popped into his head. For the past few days, he had been able to read her mind...he tried to ignore it, passing it off as birds tweeting, or a passing truck, or the television being on, but somehow he knew it wasn't so when he was in the library with Kagome.


Or the time when she was asking herself if she was wearing pink underwear or yellow. But he really couldn't recall whether she had said it was pink or yellow...or maybe it was green--


Inuyasha shook his head. He concentrated on Musou.


"So you did this?" Inuyasha asked. (Mentally of course.)


"Oh no...this is not my doing, but it was clearly a good opportunity for Naraku to do something about you."


Inuyasha managed a smirk and said, "You know Musou...you got smarter from the last time I saw you. You're not much of a reckless idiot anymore; you're less…what's the word…rabid. Less like an animal." Musou growled at this. Inuyasha decided to continue. "I bet your Master Naraku trained you," Inuyasha spat roguishly.


Musou seemed irritated by this, but decided that it was better not to get angry and explode. He simply replied, "You know...you're pretty smart-mouthed for someone who's completely immobile and defenseless at the moment..."


"Did you forget that a youkai's body heals quickly?" Inuyasha asked rhetorically.


Musou could see it. Inuyasha's facial muscles were beginning to loosen and move. He would be free soon. When was Naraku going to give him the sign to kill this bastard? His entire body was itching to do it.


"Inuyasha, do you even want to know why you can read thoughts?"


"No, not really."


Physically, Musou was not like regular humans or youkai. Physiologically, he neither resembled a regular human or youkai. Psychologically, his thoughts were like Naraku's; unnaturally unstable, something between wanting to smash a bug and wanting world domination. But when it came to his mental state, he was just like everyone else:


Pissed off at Inuyasha's fucking attitude.


"Well," he said, trying to be patient. "I'll tell you anyways. This is because your mental block is weakening. Without your mental block, you are open to different psychological attacks from other, much stronger, youkai. You, are then weakened and sucked into that black tree you're so afraid of," Musou explained. Inuyasha became quiet.


Is this all true? he wondered.


"You're wondering if it's true," Musou said, making Inuyasha glare at him. Musou smiled satisfied. "Well, if you want proof, just look at your hair."


Inuyasha's eyes widened. He turned to the side where his hair freely flowed across the ground flooring of the forest they were in.


It was black.




****




Three years passed by.


It's not possible, Haru thought. I can't be...


"Toshi! Koshiro-kun's playing with your ofuda again!" Otsune called from outside the cabin.


Haru left the thought in the room as he exited slowly. Otsune had an enormous smile on her face...but it was quickly dissolved when she saw Haru's pensive face.


"What's wrong?" she whispered, trying not to startle the small children playing outside.


Haru managed a smile as he stared into her eccentric violet eyes. "Um...nothing Otsune-san."


"What's with the -san? There's no need for formalities here. I've known you for over...three years was it? Sugoi...that's pretty long! I don't like it...it seems really cold...like we're generals in a war or something," Otsune said. Haru watched her. He loved the sound of her voice, the shape of her face, the sound of her laugh...he even loved it when she was angry...why?


"I'm sorry...it's just a habit now. Well…I'll go get Koshiro-kun now. Can you watch Misuyo-chan and the other children?" Haru asked.


"Sure...but...are you sure you're okay? I'm worried about you Toshi," Otsune asked softly, looking up at him. Haru's heart began to beat so violently out of his chest that he quickly looked away from her.


"I will see you later Otsune-san," Haru said, walking over to the young boy holding the charms.


Otsune watched him leave. Yes, there was definitely something wrong with that boy...wait...that man...he was no longer a boy. He was 17 years old! That would make him...somewhere around her age in human years. Maybe...15 or 16...wow...how time flies...


That night, Otsune looked out the window and watched as an elderly lady she'd never seen before walk to Akira-san, the town's personal war hero, and begin talking with him. She watched as he pointed to the building she was in. She looked harder at the old woman...


It was her mother's sister. What was her aunt doing here?




****




The festival was almost over and Kagome still hadn't found Inuyasha. She had to tell him about what she just found out. The Hakushin priest...he had been in love with a hanyou...


Now she understood. She understood the pain he had been in losing Otsune. It was like something out of a tragic fairytale except...it was real, but no one in this realistic, modern world believed it.


Now where is that Inuyasha? She thought angrily. The terror was seeping through her. She had to find him. She knew that if she never found him, she'd blame everything on herself and would never be able to let anyone tell her otherwise.


How could she have hurt him that way? Kagome wanted to cry...what if he left...for good? What if he and the gang just up and left her in her era and went on to find the rest of the shards on their own?


Somewhere along the lines of anger and sorrow, there was that feeling of utter loneliness that reminded her of Toshiharu. Somehow, she even felt as if she were the proverbial Toshiharu and...


And...


Inuyasha was her proverbial Otsune...


I know their story is different from ours, but...he lost her...what if I lose Inuyasha? Kagome thought. It's all my fault...


She wandered off into the ends of the festival to a tree-filled area. The canopy of trees seemed to sooth her. Kagome looked around realized it was some sort of forest or park. She leaned against a tree as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She touched her face.


I'm crying...I'm crying because of a stupid jerk who forced me to accept the fact that he was coming on this trip. I'm crying because of an idiot who calls me degrading names like "cow", or "goat", or "bitch". I'm crying because of an ungrateful hanyou who detests my cooking...


I'm crying because I'm in love with him. I'm in love with Inuyasha.




****




"Toshi.. .I must take leave," Otsune said, kneeling in front of Haru's bed as he slept. "I'm sorry to leave you, but I must do what's right for my family. I have to live with my aunt by the last request of my deceased parents. And also because...because...my aunt...she...she wants to marry me off to a youkai noble south of Japan."


Somewhere inside her, she wanted him to awaken so he could stop her and tell her not to leave but...of course, as a follower of Kami-sama, he was not allowed to fall in love...even though she was completely and insanely in love with him.


She continued. "But that's not all you see... I also have to leave because...because I'm afraid that you're going to go off, to some far away land for worship and forget about our friendship and all the time we spent together...and I'm going to be alone... Remember when you first met me...that was on account of my loneliness Toshi! You saved me...and I'm afraid that you're going to leave me hanging as well..."


She hung her head silently and cried over him.


"Don't cry Otsune..." came a soft whisper. He was awake? Her eyes lit up. "What did you think I'd do?" he asked as if to recall what she said. "Leave you?"


Then her expression fell when she realized he was still asleep. She sadly leaned forward and gently kissed Haru on his lips before she silently lowered her head once more and stood up; leaving the home she had lived in happily for the last three years.




****




Kagome quickly wiped her eyes with the kimono sleeve. "Aw no..." she said, looking at the wet spots on the elaborate kimono given specially by her great aunt. "I have to dry this out. Great Aunt Maeko's gonna get angry--"


As she turned to go back to her family, she stopped. There were voices…no…more like one voice…a laughter…a seemingly cold laughter, but a laughter of some figure nonetheless, in the distance. Then...a feeling of one presence...then two...a youkai and a human.


Her heart skipped a beat.


Inuyasha!


There were also the signs of a familiar youki...Naraku's? But how can that be? Well, whatever it was Kagome knew she had to be ready.


This time it's Inuyasha's turn to be saved.




****




"She left?" Haru asked little Misuyo.


"Gomen nasai…she told me not to tell you because she didn't want to wake you or bother you anymore." Misuyo asked.


"I must find her."


"Haru-sama…I'm sorry, but Otsune-san's auntie gave you this note."


"No need to apologize."


"No, I'm sorry because I read it," little Misuyo said before running to play with the other children.


Haru opened the small envelope and read the contents. His body went numb.


Dear Toshiharu-san,


I'm afraid Otsune will not be returning. She is off to Hokkaido to meet her future husband, Nobleman Jotaro. She would like to thank you for all your help in giving her a home and accommodations to go along with it. She would also like to return this necklace to you. I believe it is bad luck to keep a trinket given by another man she is not in love with when she is about to marry another. Please understand this. Thank you.


Sincerely, Yoriko


Just as the letter said, the necklace was inside the envelope. She really gave it back? But…


She is satisfied now then? This is good…Junichiro-sama will be proud of me, proud that I have made a difference in someone's life, that I made someone happy. He said this was a reward in itself...


Then why do I feel unhappy?


Haru silently folded the note and placed it back into the envelope. He sighed deeply. He felt used…did she use him? Why would she leave so suddenly without even a single good-bye? There was no personal note from her neither. Then that's that.


Mama was right. Using the using 'Toshi' was bad luck.









*The entire thing about having bad luck if you used the first part of a Japanese name as a nickname instead of the last part of it is actually nonexistent, but I just needed something for him to say. I know, kinda stupid...shut up.



A/N: I don't know what's going on. I'm so sorry this chapter is short! I couldn't cram any ideas into it without overdoing the entire theme of the story! Ugh...it's 11:10 pm and I'm tired, so I'm heading to bed right after this! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me your thoughts on my fic!