InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Like My Master ❯ Ch. 6: Tests, Accidents and Training ( Chapter 6 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.
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Like My Master
By: Miyukyshan

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Chapter Six: Tests, Accidents and Training

Sayu leaned back into the small hands at work in her hair. Rin had braided and re-braided flowers in her long black tresses for the better part of an hour. Sesshomaru was off checking the area to make sure it was safe to camp for the night, and with her watching over Rin, Jaken became glued to his master's heels. The demon lord made it quite clear she was to protect Rin at all costs before he left. Ah-Un was left behind and currently dozing under a tree not far from the happy girls.

The sun warmed her skin and she relaxed against the soft grass. She was glad Rin was traveling with them. Sesshomaru made more frequent stops and her bare feet were able to recover from her first journey with the rambunctious demon lord. Sayu had never felt so at ease, and the gurgling stream at the bottom of the hill nearly put her to sleep. She heard Rin laugh triumphantly behind her and cracked an eye open.

"Onee-san, I'm done," Rin said.

Sayu touched the braid and smiled when she felt all the tiny flowers. "I'm sure it's beautiful, Rin. Are you ready to catch some lunch now?"

Rin nodded and stood next to Sayu, taking her hand once she finished dusting the grass off her legs. Sayu looked down at their clasped hands and smiled. A soothing warmth filled her chest as she let the little girl lead her down the hill. They were halfway to Ah-Un when Sayu heard some commotion on the other side of the field. She stopped and listened, going rigid when she heard a voice ring through the trees.

"Inuyasha, it's over here! There's a clearing just ahead," she heard a female voice cry out.

Sayu frowned and pushed Rin behind her. A few seconds later a man clothed in red with a priestess on his back flew out from the trees. Not long after a man and woman riding a large demon cat followed. The strange group stopped once they broke through the trees and stared at the woman crouched before them.

"Is she the one with the strange aura, Kagome?" the man in red asked the woman perched on his back.

Kagome slid from his back and stared at her curiously. "She looks human."

"She smells human, too."

Sayu ignored their remarks and readied herself to fight but Rin ran out ahead of her with a big smile on her face.

"Kagome!" she yelled.

Before Rin could reach the surprised priestess Sesshomaru appeared in front of her. Rin came to a halt behind him and looked forlornly at Kagome.

"Rin, go to Ah-Un," Sesshomaru commanded.

"But Lord Sesshomaru..." she pouted.

Sesshomaru gave her a warning glare and Rin obeyed him with a heavy sigh. Sayu looked at the priestess curiously. If Rin recognized her and wasn't afraid, then she didn't understand what the threat was. She felt her master's frustration and eagerness to fight and moved towards the group, ready to obey if he ordered her to kill. However, she felt no threat from the people glaring at her master.

"Sesshomaru! What are you doing here?" Inuyasha bellowed.

Sesshomaru smirked and glanced at the woman who appeared by his side, noting her tense position. She was waiting for orders. She is well-trained. He thought and turned back to his half-brother. "I could ask the same of you, little brother. This isn't your territory."

Inuyasha growled and curled his hands into tight fists. Kagome put a reassuring hand on his arm and settled her gaze on Sesshomaru.

"I sensed a strange aura. It's coming from that human you're traveling with." Kagome motioned to Sayu.

"She is no concern of yours. Go back to your village."

"Keh! Like we'd let you go so easy, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled.

Sayu felt the change in her master. He wanted to fight, but still had no desire kill the half-demon. She thought it was strange he bickered so much with the one he claimed was his brother. Sesshomaru looked back at her again and narrowed his eyes. She didn't need to be told what to do, but he voiced his order anyway.

"Woman, I want you to fight Inuyasha."

Sayu nodded curtly and scowled at the confused half-demon. Before Inuyasha had a chance to question his brother, Sayu was in front of him. She was a little unnerved she didn't have her sword, but she had engaged in hand-to-hand combat many times before with much larger demons. Her knuckles cracked when they collided with Inuyasha's cheek and the stunned half-demon was thrown backwards. The three humans behind him all gasped in shock but she ignored them.

Inuyasha growled and jumped up, intent on pulling out his sword. But Sayu was quick and on him before he could even grab the hilt. He stumbled backwards to avoid her next hit and jumped away.

How the hell is she moving so fast? Inuyasha thought as he dodged another blow.

Sayu dropped to the ground and swiped her leg under Inuyasha's feet, tripping him and causing him to land on his back. She straddled him and wrapped one hand around his throat, the other pulled back and ready to be brought down.

"Enough!" she heard her master say.

The shackles around her wrist quivered and Sayu jumped off Inuyasha and walked back to her Sesshomaru. Her fight was over as quickly as it had begun.

Inuyasha leaned forward from his place on the ground and clenched a fist in the air. "What the hell was that all about?" he yelled.

Sesshomaru smirked and turned away from his brother. "Just a little test," he said. "Rin, get Ah-Un. We're leaving."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," she said after waving sadly at Kagome.

Sayu looked back at her former opponent and frowned. Sesshomaru was heading back in the direction of his castle. He said it was just a test. Did he drag us out here just to see how I stood against his brother? Sayu wondered as she glared at her retreating master's back. She was getting tired of his tests.

Sesshomaru felt the confusion and anger from his slave and stopped. He looked back at her and frowned when he confirmed she wasn't following. "Woman, come," he said.

Sayu sighed and ran to catch up, leaving the stunned group standing in the middle of the field.

They stopped a few hours later, just before the sun began to set, and set up camp. Sayu gathered wood and built a fire, surprised when Sesshomaru dropped a dead rabbit next to her. He ignored her startled gaze and turned to walk away from her.

"Thank you, Master," Sayu called, confused by his odd behavior.

Sesshomaru glanced at her over his shoulder and walked over to a large tree. She watched him settle against it before preparing the meat to cook. Once Sayu and Rin had eaten their fill, Sayu stood up and looked into the dark forest.

"Where are you going, Onee-san?" Rin asked.

"There is a hot spring nearby. I'll go bathe," Sayu stated. Her master's comment about her stench still weighed heavily on her mind and she didn't want to earn another insult.

"I will come, too!" Rin said. She jumped up and latched on to Sayu's arm.

Sayu smiled down at her and then turned questioning eyes to her master. He gave her a curt nod and they were off towards the steaming water. Rin giggled when she saw it and immediately undressed and waded out. Sayu laughed and slowly disrobed before following the girl. She helped Rin scrub her hair and got all the dirt and grime off her and then herself. When Sayu decided Rin was clean enough she swam out to a large rock and leaned against it, allowing the hot water to soothe her tired muscles. Rin pouted and began making her way to Sayu. The water slowly climbed from her hips to her chest and she struggled to push her small body forward.

Sayu opened her eyes and leaned forward. "Watch out, Rin. There's a small ledge and you'll go under," she said.

Rin ignored her and pressed on, determined to be next to her. But when she put her foot out to take another step nothing was there and she went under with a short scream. Sayu laughed and got up to rescue the floundering child, unaware of her master's approaching presence.

"What did I tell you, silly," she said while lifting Rin up under her arms. She stepped back up on the ledge and shivered when the water dropped down to her hips. She had just set Rin down when Sesshomaru appeared out of the trees.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

At the sight of her master, Sayu screamed and crossed her chest before ducking under the water, a bright red hue staining her cheeks.

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"My Lord, forgive me for asking but… did we come all the way out here just to test that slave on Inuyasha?" Jaken asked.

Sesshomaru glared at his small vassal. "Are you questioning me, Jaken?" he asked.

Jaken squealed and dropped his head to the ground. "Of course not, Lord Sesshomaru! I would never question one such as yourself!" he said quickly.

Sesshomaru grunted and looked back to the fire. He had brought them to test his slave's abilities. Her match with Kaito was impressive, but he wanted to see how she fared in an open area with no weapons. As much as he hated to admit it, Inuyasha defeated many powerful demons and was considered strong for a half-demon. Sesshomaru was pleased when the woman's strength and speed had not even allowed Inuyasha to draw his sword. He hadn't been expecting that. But the priestess' comment about her strange aura bothered him. The woman did give off an abnormal aura, but Sesshomaru had chalked it up to her shackles and the unusual strength they gave her. But for Inuyasha and his woman to travel so far trying to find her… It puzzled Sesshomaru.

Rin's high-pitched scream cut off Sesshomaru's musings and he immediately followed the scent of his young ward. Sayu didn't give off any feelings of distress and Sesshomaru wondered if she snapped like she did back at the castle.

She will die. Sesshomaru thought before bursting through the clearing. He saw Rin sputtering and a smiling Sayu patting her lightly on the back.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

Sayu looked at him with wide eyes and froze. Sesshomaru’s eyes widened when he realized she was exposed down to her waist. His eyes unconsciously dropped down to her chest. Her black hair covered parts of her ample bosom, but he was able to see the firm, creamy skin glowing between the strands of hair. He followed droplets of water as they slid between her breasts and down over her flat stomach, all the way down to the curve of her hips and back into the water.

He watched as she screamed and crossed her arms, unknowingly pressing her breasts together and creating a delicious view of her cleavage and the tops of her breasts for her master to admire before dunking beneath the water and shielding herself from his view.

"Lord Sesshomaru! I fell into the deep water and Onee-san saved me," Rin said with a bright smile.

Sesshomaru mentally shook himself and immediately left the hot spring to return to the fire. Jaken was waiting and opened his mouth to question his lord until he saw the look on his face. The small toad clamped his lips shut and scooted closer to the fire in hopes of not incurring his lord's wrath.

Sesshomaru reclaimed his spot against the trunk of a large tree and tried to rid the image of his naked slave from his mind. He growled when the sight of her smooth skin bathed in moonlight appeared before him. Steam had poured off her body and she looked like a goddess with her flowing black hair and flawless, toned body. Sesshomaru dug his claws into the ground and scowled. No woman had ever been able to tempt him, especially not some human. He heard Rin crashing through the bushes and crossed his arms over his chest.

His stomach churned and he cursed the bond that enabled him to sense Sayu's emotions. Embarrassment and shame were some of the many emotions Sesshomaru had never had to deal with, but now they sat heavy in his body and made him resent purchasing the woman. But as soon as he felt the irritating feelings, they seemed to disappear and he opened his eyes to see Sayu staring at him with a strange look. He scowled at her and she appeared satisfied and allowed Rin to curl against her torso and sleep. She closed her eyes, but Sesshomaru knew she wasn't sleeping.

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"You mean Sesshomaru actually saw you naked?"

Sayu sighed and tried to ignore Kaito's laughter. She had been employed for nearly two months and ever since her accident with Sesshomaru he refused to bring Rin on his patrols. In doing so he also left Sayu behind.

"I know it was awkward, but he's unnecessarily punishing Rin. She's very upset and thinks she's done something wrong," Sayu said once Kaito calmed down.

"You just ruffled his feathers a little bit. He'll calm down and let Rin travel with him again." Kaito smiled and tried to hide his disappointment. He would never voice his thoughts, but he was a little jealous Sesshomaru was able to get a peek at his beautiful companion. It took a long time to get Sayu to admit what happened to cause the rift between her and the stubborn demon lord, but now that he knew he wished she had remained silent. Sesshomaru's pushing her away could only mean he was bothered by the accident, and there weren't a lot of things that affected the great Sesshomaru.

"I hope you're right, Kaito." Sayu sighed and propped her chin on her hands. Her master's long journeys without them made castle life boring, and she worried she would lose her edge if she didn't fight again soon. She was bought to protect Rin, and Rin didn't need protecting within the castle walls. Not to mention the irritating chatter of Lady Amaya. All she did was fuss at servants and mope around because Sesshomaru was gone for so long.

"Kaito, why does Lady Amaya stay here even when Master is not?" She immediately regretted her forwardness and winced. She was forgetting her place without her master here to keep her in check.

Kaito smiled down at her and leaned back in his chair. "She claims to be here on business; some sort of treaty. But with Sesshomaru gone all the time nothing can be settled. I think she's here to court him."

Sayu gasped and wrinkled her nose. Lady Amaya was a pain even on her best days, and Sayu couldn't imagine her master putting up with a woman like that. She glared at Kaito when he laughed at her again but a servant rushed into the room before she could scold him.

"Pardon me, Master Kaito, but Lord Sesshomaru has just returned and wishes to speak with you. He's in his library."

Kaito nodded and gave Sayu a happy grin. "See, what'd I tell you?" he said before standing and following after the servant.

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Kaito waited to be properly introduced before entering the library. Sesshomaru was already standing over a mountain of scrolls and the tiger demon laughed. "Not even ten minutes and you're already hovering over your precious scrolls."

Sesshomaru frowned and looked back down at the ancient writing of his ancestors. "How is Rin?"

"Rin's upset, but that's to be expected. She thinks she's misbehaved and being punished."

"That's nonsense. Surely Rin knows me better than that."

Kaito shrugged and leaned against the wall. "She's still a child, my Lord."

Sesshomaru glanced at him through his bangs and sighed. He pushed the scrolls aside and sat down in a chair by the window. "And how is the woman? Has she been… behaving?"

"She's bored out of her mind and about to kill Lady Amaya, but other than that she's been an angel. However… she’s a little worried her skills will get rusty with all this sitting around."

"Is that so?" Sesshomaru looked out the window showing the gardens. "Kaito," he said without looking at the tiger demon, "prepare the training room."