Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stains of the Heart ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

Warning: The chapter contains extensive violence.

 

Chapter Twenty

 

Sand whipped around him, crushing those that thought Orochimaru's extra amount of power gave them a chance against the deadly golden grains. The particles rushed in all directions from his body, striking out at every enemy that dared even look at it, while Gaara felt his eyes turn murderous. The anger that had been contained underneath his flesh gushed forward, as he stared at the sight before him, the scene of Orochimaru's fangs deep in Kagome's neck. Orochimaru had touched her, cursed her, and essentially taken what he had come to enjoy for some odd reason. He admitted it in that moment, that he enjoyed her company in a strange way, and he had a very strong need to kill.

 

His hand flew out at his side, the fingers curling in toward the palm, and the sand he controlled swept up and consumed another enemy. The sand swallowed even more without his physical command, and most of it continued on its path toward the Sannin that began to pull away from Kagome. His fangs slid from her flesh, a thin trail of blood gliding down onto her clothing afterward, and almost instantly the black mark formed on her pale skin. Gaara watched, his eyes narrowing, and the sand swept across the ground with more purpose, speed increasing.

 

Orochimaru's tongue slipped from his mouth, the long appendage sliding along his lips, and sucking in the blood that had gathered there. He chuckled, “I told you that you wouldn't have to wait to long, Kagome-chan. I told you not to get too disappointed, and now I'm proven to you that I wasn't lying.

 

“I'm sure that if you survive, you'll be very pleased with my gift, since I modified it just enough to keep that demon of yours under control. You'll be gifted with more power than you've ever dream of, and you always will be as long as you serve underneath me. But don't think that that gift is just for you, Kagome-chan, because once you've proven yourself worthy, you'll have to obtain my body for me.” He laughed a bit more, “And now that you have your gift, you'll see that you're very pleased with it. In fact, I'll make sure that you're begging for it each and every time you see me.”

 

Gaara began to walk forward, each step containing a massive amount of fury that was only seen through the sand he controlled with ease. His aqua eyes blazed with that fury, though he pressed it down and hid it, while he clenched his hand at his side. The sand around him reacted on instinct, swinging up into the air at his right, blocking another attack as his focus turned completely onto Orochimaru. The kunai slipped into the sand, before it came rushing back out in the opposite direction, and struck his enemy straight between the eyes.

 

Annoyance flooded through him, as the Oto-nin sought some way to halt his movements. They were pitiful, thinking that they could stop him with mere weapons and minor jutsu. As long as he had sand, he was invincible, and he proved it as more and more was created around him. It crashed around him in waves, swallowing his screaming victims into its merciless depths, crushing them, and allowing their blood to sink in delightfully. Though many enemy shinobi were killed, swallowed up by his sand, many more still moved to try and stop him from reaching Orochimaru. They only proved themselves to be more pitiful than he originally thought, because he killed them without a second thought.

 

Kagome's scream had yet to end, even as the snakes holding her in place vanished. She fell to the ground, wriggling there, and clawed at her neck in an attempt to get rid of the mark. His stride increased with the sight, the sound, as his instincts told him to get to her side, and rid her of the curse mark. He refused to allow Orochimaru to own her if it was within his power to stop it, and his sand managed to finally swarm into the area where she lay screaming. It surrounded her, striking out at the Sannin and forcing him back, before slipping around her body and rising her into a kneeling position.

 

She struggled only lightly in the sand's hold, as she continued to scratch at the mark on her neck. It began to spread, the ugly scorch marks gliding up the side of her face and down into her clothing. Her screaming increased, along with her struggles, and she ripped her shirt down the middle without probably realizing it. Gaara could not see anything from the angle, but the sand wrapped around her chest in order to keep the Sannin's greedy eyes from taking in her body.

 

OoO

 

“Damn,” he hissed, his hand coming up to grab at the mark on his neck. His Sharingan faded from his eyes, the chakra inside his body striking out to keep him from getting out of hand. He cursed the Sannin once more, because he wished that when he had killed him, he would have stayed dead. Kabuto was more of a fool than he originally believed, taking the Sannin's remains into his body, giving the sick bastard the perfect opportunity to cling to life. Kabuto had not been strong enough to take him on, but he had thought the man was smart enough to try and take over what Orochimaru had started, not do something so stupid.

 

He sidestepped another attack launched at him. The Oto-nin surrounding him laughed, each of them realizing what his problem was. They mocked him, and his Sharingan flickered, forcing more pain upon his body. He ignored the pain, though, because he was strong enough to put up with it after everything he had put up with while within Orochimaru's clutches. However, he had not felt that amount of pain in so long that it was beginning to affect him, and he turned to glare in the Sannin's direction.

 

The Sannin's golden eyes, which greatly resembled a snake, slithered to where he stood. Sasuke felt the pain increase a bit, and he grit his teeth together to ignore it. The Sannin licked his lips, before turning his attention back to the woman screaming before him. A combination of sand and wind had forced him away from her, but Sasuke knew that as soon as Kagome was underneath the power of the curse mark, she would be coming after him. That would be Orochimaru's wish, and having seen that strange circle she was able to use, he was not quite sure how he would fair against her.

 

Sasuke nearly hit himself, while allowing another dose of fire to leave his body and sail toward the shinobi around him. He should not be afraid of her, whether she was a kunoichi or not. Yes, he should anticipate any sudden tricks, or strange jutsu that he had never seen before, but he should hold onto his confidence. It was fine for a shinobi to fear their opponent, it helped them survive, but they should not become so afraid that they could not even control themselves while in battle.

 

The fact that she was so much like Itachi, though, hit him once more. His brother did not appear like much either, except for another pretty, emotionless face that belonged to Akatsuki, yet still he evaded death at every turn. Sasuke had lost count a long time ago on how many times he had tried and failed to kill his brother. But, despite the fact that Sasuke could not remember such a thing, he did know that his brother would never fall into such a situation without a way out of it. And if Kagome was anything like his brother, she would have only put herself into such a situation to prove a point.

 

His pain ignored, he allowed a smirk to cross his face. It stared him in the face, while the mark placed on Kagome continued to spread across her skin, obviously intend on making her prove she could survive. His Sharingan flared to life once more, and he jabbed his knee into the stomach of a shinobi that opposed him, as he thought it over. Kagome was like Itachi, perhaps only because they had both murdered their family, but he could guess her personality enough to know that she had placed herself into the situation she found herself now only to prove something.

 

Prove something that would probably shock the Sannin and make him angry.

 

OoO

 

His eyes glinted, while he watched the marking spread across her skin. Sasuke had distracted him for only a moment, a shiver rushing through him with how close he was to obtaining a new body. The ugly designs the marking made began to change then, and his face twisted with glee, while the scorch marks turned a bright red. Her demon would have to be under lock and key, that was the only reason he had strengthened the curse mark so much, but he had no doubt that she would survive. A shinobi such as her would not fall prey to a bite, or something that entered her system, and Orochimaru was just waiting for the moment she finally gave herself to him.

 

The moment she stopped fighting, and began to fall his orders. It was such a lovely thought, and he only wanted to see it come to pass. He chuckled with the thought, saying, “I knew that mark would look so pretty on you, Kagome-chan. I made sure to increase the power behind it so that demon of yours could not oppose me, and you look marvelous with the red upon your body. Almost like the blood of your past victims have tainted your skin red, and I'm sure that even you can appreciate such a thing.”

 

Almost as if she was replying to him, her scream increased another pitch. It was music to his ears, because it meant that she was beginning to be controlled by the mark. And soon she would have no choice but to listen to his command, fall at his feet, and rise to do his bidding. She continued to twist against the sand the Kazekage had used to hold her upright, her nails biting into her skin and causing blood to trail down her front. Again he licked his lips, though the sand blocked his sight, and warded him away from the woman.

 

After a few moments, Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction. Her screams were beginning to wane, though he had been slightly surprised that she could continue to scream for so long. Her throat was probably raw and harmed in some way from her continuous screaming, her vocals unable to hold out anymore. However, through the tears streaking down her face and the occasion whimper, Orochimaru was surprised when he heard another sound. He forced himself to listen for it, his eyes narrowing, and heard it again.

 

A chuckle.

 

The Oto-nin all grinned, believing that the bitch was underneath Orochimaru's control, but the Sannin only frowned in wonder. Something was not right, he realized, as he watched the woman's face fall until her eyes were hidden by her bangs. The sand was slipping away from her, allowing her to hold herself up, but it did not retreat from protecting her form, whether from his eyes or attacks. Then, so suddenly that Orochimaru's body went cold, the girl flung her head back and laughed full heartedly.

 

The wicked sound echoed across the battlefield, stopping many, and causing quite a few skilled shinobi to falter. All eyes turned, as the mark began to recede upon Kagome's flesh back into the original bite mark, and then she set her eyes onto Orochimaru.

 

“I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or disgusted,” she laughed, her voice coated over with venom.

 

There was a dangerous playfulness within her form, while she slowly rose to her feet. The bite mark upon her neck began to steam, and then the wounds reopened, liquid trickling down her flesh. Blood followed afterward, sealing over the bite mark, and it disappeared as if it had never been. “It was such a pretty mark,” she commented, her laughter increasing. “However, Sannin, I am afraid that your little mark will never work too well on clones.”

 

Orochimaru's eyes widened, while the flesh upon the woman before him began to peel away. Her clothing turned to ash, and soon only the blood red figure of a woman stood before him. The blood clone smiled, laughed again, and melted away into the ground without a trace. Confusion crossed his face, while he cast his eyes around, looking for either the clone that had disappeared or the woman that had created it without his knowing. “How?” he hissed, disbelief clear in his stance. “I was certain that I had—”

 

“Did you honestly think that I,” her voice echoed out again, and Orochimaru watched as she stepped from the shadows of the trees. She paused for a moment, before continuing, “That I would allow myself to be caught within your little snake trap? That I would allow a fool such as yourself to sink your teeth into my flesh? That I would allow an opponent that I had planned to kill get the upper hand? If you believed any of these things, Sannin, you are a bigger fool than I first believed. I will never allow you to even touch me, let alone strike me in such a way, because I am a Higurashi. I have been taught to deceive my opponents, fool them into believing what they wish, while calculating the quickest and easiest way to kill them.”

 

“How?” Orochimaru snapped again. Ayame had told him little of the Higure Clan, allowing him to gain most of his knowledge through research and underlings that did his bidding. The bitch had obviously thought ahead as well, thinking that if she were to die, she would make sure that he died as well. He almost cursed himself for not helping her to begin with, because it had been in that moment that that damn calculating look had entered her eyes. And he was positive that he could have tricked that foolish woman into thinking he would help her kill Kagome, only to snare her into his trap and get rid of the extra Higurashi that he did not need.

 

“I am not the type to give away all my secrets,” Kagome stated, kicking a bit at the sand moving at her feet. “However, I believe that I shall share this one with you for my own amusement, Sannin. After I managed to slice open your skin, and looked into your eyes, I took the opportunity to perform a quick genjutsu on the area, blinding everyone to my movements. I then created a blood clone to my liking and traded places with it, allowing it to become caught within your little snake trap. With ease I hid myself in the surrounding forest, repressing my chakra and making sure that I was not detected. And, I must say, that you are one of the first to be so stupid to not realize it until after my clone revealed itself.”

 

He cursed himself, having seen none of it. Then, Orochimaru's anger got the better of him for a moment, and he lunged forward with the cry of, “Bitch!”

 

The sand at her feet reacted violently, and Orochimaru had barely any time to escape the Kazekage's attack. He hissed at him, moving away from the woman and the deadly sand, but realized the moment his feet touched the ground that it was still coming. His eyes looked up for only a moment to find the Kazekage staring at him, eyes furious, before he turned and retreated to the surrounding forest. He would need to think on this development, because he had underestimated Kagome's ability to do everything so quick and smoothly.

 

OoO

 

Gaara relaxed his stance a bit, surprise clouding his mind. He had not managed to see through her move, nor could he believe how fast she had done it. Within a blink of an eye she had fooled the Sannin into thinking he still had within his grasp the real thing, and Gaara found himself impressed. He nearly tilted his head at her back, as he realized just how much he did not know, but was beginning to file away, about her. Her skill surpassed what he had originally believed her level to be with ease, yet she made it appear as if she did not contain so much power, no matter how superior she tried to make herself look.

 

While his mind rolled over this new situation, the sand he controlled continued to strike out with the same amount of ferocity it had gained. It leapt after the Sannin, chasing him far away from the woman that interested him, but also continued to rise and devour many of the stray shinobi that neared it. Their final cries of life echoed in his ears, fueling the lust the sand had obtained so long ago, and their blood sank deep into the greedy grains. Despite that fact, though, it trailed softly after the woman when she turned on her heel.

 

His eyes watched her closely, and realized within seconds that she was headed straight for his elder sibling. Temari was tense, probably not believing how powerful a kunoichi she had saved, but did not hinder the woman's movements when she neared her. However, he watched as Temari gave a cry of displeasure when Kagome, without permission or any look of caring, knelt down and reached her hand into Temari's holster. They spoke for a few short moments, Temari allowing her to search through her items, before Kagome backed away, a scroll clutched in her hand.

 

Once more the woman turned her back on him, and from the shorter distance he could easily see her pull a metal fan from her side. She used it to slice open her thumb, before tucking it away once more. The scroll was settled between the tops of her hands while she went through a series of hand seals, and then swiftly snapped open the scroll, running her blood across the writing. He had seen it done before, but he continued to watch as she threw the scroll away from her body, and a loud bang filled the area, following by a cloud of smoke.

 

She stepped closer to the cloud, her form telling him that she was pleased easily. Not a moment later the smoke began to clear, shadowed forms of the animals she had brought into the world seen within the haze. Her hand reached into the light smoke, and when it completely cleared, she was patting the fur of a black dog. There were three in all, one black and the other two white, but her attention was placed on the black dog that stared at her with ice colored eyes.

 

Ironic, really, that she contained a dog inside of her and she summoned them, as well.

 

Gaara almost found it amusing, but his thoughts were pulled away when he felt Naruto's chakra spike. The Kyuubi vessel unleashed Rasengan on a horde of enemy shinobi that thought they would be a match for him if they used numbers, and he felt his sand react to the violence shown. Naruto, after all, had also been something that interested him for quite some time after he had defeated him, and the sand trickling at his feet felt a connection between the two. It wanted to protect them, and Gaara knew it was because of what they were, or in his case had been.

 

His eyes flickered to where the woman knelt down before the large black dog, the size of a healthy horse, and spoke with it. The sleek dog's fur rippled as it nodded, before opening its mouth to reply.

 

However, Gaara also knew, deep down, that there had to be another reason that he wanted to protect her. He had not solved the entire puzzle that she represented, but he had solved enough that he should have been satisfied with his results. Yet still his mind plagued him, pushing him toward her, and he realized that with her, his curiosity had not been fully sated.

 

OoO

 

“Kagome-sama,” a voice called out to her. The deep sound came out as a rumble, similar to a growl, but there was no mistaking the masculine quality beneath the tones. Her eyes pierced through the smoke that had brought to her the voice, and she smiled in satisfaction at seeing the three of them. “What is the reason for which we have been summoned?”

 

The smoke cleared not long after the voice had spoken to her, and she cast her eyes over the three that stood before her. She had stepped closer without really noticing, and stretched her hand out to settle upon the soft fur of the dog before her. “Takehiko,” she greeted him, her voice surprisingly affectionate. The dog's light blue eyes focused upon her completely, recognition clear within the depths, but she knew that the dog would refuse to show the same amount of affection for anything.

 

“Kagome-sama,” Takehiko said again, “what is the reason for which we have been summoned?”

 

“Always so ready to serve, Takehiko,” she chuckled lightly. She continued to stroke his fur, running her fingers through the black fur that covered his head. After a moment, her eyes turned serious, and her tone hardened, “However, I have summoned you for a purpose.”

 

The white dog to her left stepped forward, the same chilling blue eyes staring up at her as they had when she stared into Takehiko's. A feminine voice left the dog's mouth as she spoke. She asked, “And what is our purpose, Kagome-sama?”

 

“You will find the snake that has entered the forest before me,” Kagome stated, her tone lacking the affection it had shown for a single moment. “Hajime,” she caught the final white dog's attention, “you will travel in from the front. Teruko, you will go in from the right. Takehiko, you will go in from the left. You three will find the snake, surround him, and push him from the forest. Use any means necessary in order to do so, I care not whether he is injured or lacking some part of him when he emerges.”

 

“Understood,” the three dogs chanted.

 

Knowing that they did understand, she flicked her hand and sent them to work. They were the best at this game, and they would find the snake before he had a chance to escape. They each blended into the section of the forest they had been sent to with ease, despite the fact that two of them had white coats, and she knew that already they were locking their sense of smell on the Sannin's disgusting scent. They did not need some meaningless piece of clothing or whatnot in order to pick out his scent, only the knowledge that she had called him a snake. It was not just because of his appearance that she chose to call him such.

 

Within moment she heard Teruko's howl, the female obviously having locked onto the Sannin's position. She smirked, because it would not be long now before the Sannin came running with the dogs nipping at his heels. She had trained with them, and they would not be so easily caught in some pathetic jutsu that he tried against them. However, her ears listened, as soon after another howl broke through the air, this one coming from the left—Takehiko. Another soon followed—Hajime.

 

Her eyes flickered around her body, watching as another fool attempted to capture her for his leader's purposes. The sand at her feet seemed to move with instinct, towering over the Oto-nin and devouring him. The sound of his screams reached her ears, but she had already returned her attention to the forest before her. Silence now reigned, and she wondered at the reason that Hajime had not given the forth call to tell her that they were herding the Sannin back to her. Her eyes narrowed, because she heard a loud bang, followed by a sharp yelp.

 

The Sannin's chakra had spiked, and he had obviously summoned something.

 

She stood perfectly still, waiting, until finally two of the three dogs emerged from the forest. They were growling, hackles raised, and raced to her side, just before the head of a giant snake followed after them. As if mocking her, it flung the body of the third dog from between its jaws, and the dog landed with a yelp at her feet. The other two, Teruko and Takehiko, instantly went to protect their fallen comrade, their loyalty burning through to the surface as they continued to growl toward the snake. Her eyes, however, flickered up to where the Sannin stood upon the snake's head, his golden eyes staring down at her in challenge.

 

Orochimaru laughed, “Do not think your pitiful little puppies can do much against my summon, Kagome-chan. But, please do call them to action once more, I'm sure that my pet would like a little snack this time of day.”

 

She ignored him, kneeling at Hajime's side. The dog turned pained brown eyes upon her, while she rested her hand onto his side. Her touch was soft, as she ran her fingers across his white fur, which she noticed was lightly coated with blood. “Good dog,” she told him. “You are dismissed.”

 

Hajime let out a small whine, but popped out of her sight to where he had come from. There he would receive attention, she knew, though she regretted not being able to treat him herself. The dogs were loyal, never straying, and they were the only ones that she had had her entire life that did not give her such hateful looks. They deserved to be treated with respect, because unlike the disgusting fools that had called themselves her kin, they did not lie when it came to how they felt.

 

Standing, she cast her eyes over the final two dogs, “You are both dismissed.” Takehiko looked as if he wished to protest, which no doubt he did, but her command sent them both following Hajime's footprints. Smoke billowed around her as they disappeared, as her eyes locked onto the large, swaying head of the purple snake. The Sannin was mocking her, challenging her, but she had more than simple tricks up her sleeve.

 

Bringing her thumb to her mouth, she bit deep into the flesh and drew blood. Quickly, out of memory, her hands went through the seals that she had not used in a long time. She had had no need for them, no one worthy enough to see her final summon, but the Sannin had pushed her by harming one that was loyal to her. So, she went through the hand signs with ease, and then shot her hand out beneath her, feeling her chakra spike, shouting, “Summoning Jutsu!”

 

OoO

 

Temari punched an opponent in the face, her natural strength alone sending him flying back. Her worry had long since gone, though she was taking out a bit of her anger onto the enemies that approached her. They were beginning to dwindle now, either crushed or trying to run, but Temari was glad to see at least one more settle into her sights.

 

After all she had done for her, yet that woman had treated her like she could do whatever she wanted with her. Of course, it had only been her holster that she wanted her hands on, somehow knowing that she carried a few of her scrolls on her, but it was the principle of the thing. Kagome had even had the nerve to scoff and tell her to get over it, she needed the scroll, and she knew Temari had it. Temari had almost yelled back at her that with her skill she should be able to find Orochimaru on her own, but had opted to brooding silently as the woman walked away.

 

She had been surprised with how big the dogs were that Kagome summoned. She had known that there would be three dogs, but she had not expected them to be the size of an Inuzuka nin-dog. She supposed she should have, but she had once seen Kakashi summon normal size dogs, and had figured that Kagome might have been the same. She almost wanted to slap herself, go back to that point, and figure out when she had come up with that conclusion. Everything about the woman screamed big, ferocious, and deadly, yet she had believed she would summon normal size dogs.

 

Temari scoffed at herself, while swinging her fan at another opponent. They went down with ease, the large weapon cracking open their skull, and pounding them into the ground for more damage. She then unleashed another whirlwind, sending a number of shinobi flying, while they hissed or screamed over the stings that hit their body continuously. She slid a bit on the ground, but dug her feet in, and flickered her eyes toward where Kagome stood.

 

She shivered lightly, while she watched Orochimaru come out of the forest riding a very large snake, a look of satisfaction on his face as the beast sent Kagome's third dog flying toward her feet. The dog hit pretty hard, and Temari almost winced at the blood she saw leaking out from its side onto the ground. She was surprised at how gentle Kagome looked when she leaned down, running her hand across the dog's side. The dog wagged its tail a bit, though it was clear it had to be in pain, but disappeared in a cloud of smoke a moment later. Kagome then stood and dismissed the other two dogs, and Temari wondered what she was up to as she went through a series of hand seals.

 

She had seen her bite her thumb the way she had seen Naruto do when he was about to summon one of his toads. She believed the perverted Sannin, Jiraiya, did the same thing, but she was not positive. Temari knew she was going to summon something else, most likely another dog, but she was nearly floored with the amount of chakra that spiked from Kagome's body. It felt almost like when Naruto summoned his largest toad, Gamabunta, and she watched as Kagome rose from the ground, visible white chakra streaking out from her hand and toward the ground below.

 

An ear piercing bang filled the area, and smoke filled the air. Temari had to pause for a moment, her hand rising to cover one of her ears, and she was sure that they would be bleeding soon from how close she had been to the blast. However, she glanced up when she heard the growling, and realized that she was probably the first to lay eyes on the summon that Kagome had brought into the world. Awe filled Temari's body as she gazed upon the sleek white fur, though there was a strange bit of gray fluff around the dog's shoulders, and Kagome. The woman who stood atop the beast as if she owned the world, her arms crossed, and Temari almost thought for a moment that she was seeing her younger brother once more as the sunlight flashed in her eyes.

 

Then, Temari was forced to look away, as the dog gave an ear piercing bark. A rumble shook the ground afterward, the dog's claws digging into the earth below its feet, and it looked quite pleased with the impression it was making. Her eyes landed on the ground beneath her, and she nearly jumped when she saw the green mist that was beginning to form along the ground at her feet. She took a step back, though she swore the ground was still shaking, and then glanced up once more to see that the strange, green mist was coming from the snapping jaws of the dog towering over her head.

 

And she doubted that it was a good thing, especially when she heard the sizzling in the background.

 

OoO

 

“Why have you summoned me?” the deep, dark voice questioned her. She looked down to find the dark purple irises gazing at her, the painted red background they were set upon not affecting her in the least. She smirked, because no doubt everyone was now shaking from the mere sound the dog had made, and that was the way she wanted it to be. They should fear her, and they should fear this dog, and Kagome was about to prove to them the reason as to why.

 

“I believe you know the answer to that question,” she replied.

 

“Ah,” the dog growled. “And who is it you wish me to kill?”

 

“The snake,” she stated.

 

The dog snarled, not wishing to play her games this day. His nose twitched, taking in the scents around him, and he asked, “Which one, Kagome-sama?”

 

“The big one,” she told him. “The other is mine.”

 

The dog's eyes shifted through the cloud of smoke, and gazed upon the two snakes not far away. A bit of laughter went through the dog's body, because it would be so much fun to tear into that slippery hide. So, the dog agreed, “It will be my honor to rip into those scales.”

 

She smirked a bit more, “I thought you'd be pleased, Sesshoumaru.”

 

OoO

 

Orochimaru was not surprised with the blast that followed Kagome's words, nor the massive amount of chakra that was released from her body. No doubt it came from the demon inside of her. The sense of it had been odd, clearly abnormal, and spoke volumes on where it had truly come from. He was pleased, though, that the woman had such a good control of the beast, because she would need to keep it on a tight leash once he had her. It was no doubt angered already at being sealed inside of her, and he did not need it trying to turn on him despite the mark he would give her.

 

Orochimaru nearly hissed in glee, because this one would stay. The bitch would not fool him with genjutsu again, he would make sure of it. She had performed the jutsu perfectly and he was pleased with the amount of skill she possessed, but he would not be caught in one again. The woman would not trick him a second time the same way, though he truly did not believe that she would wish to do such a thing. She might be one for tricks, to deceive others, but he doubted that she liked to use the same one over and over again.

 

It would no doubt ruin her fun.

 

The snake beneath him hissed, before it moved backward a bit. He wondered why this snake would do so, since it had been awhile since he had used him, but did not question it when he saw the tail of the creature Kagome had summoned swipe through the smoke it had created. The long, white strands of hair fanned it away with ease, and the large dog was revealed to him.

 

The creature stood regally, its head raised high with an underlying threat of authority and power. The fur upon its body was pristine white, and shined in the sun to show that the dog was in good health and at maximum strength. However, there was a large amount of fur that rose away from the body around the front of one shoulder and down the back of the other. It appeared sleek yet matted at the same time, and stood out with the gray color it possessed. The same type of fluff extended from the backs of all four legs, and Orochimaru wondered if perhaps it was a sign of the dog's status.

 

It was the head that caught Orochimaru's eyes, though. The ears flopped over and were normal, but further down sat a pair of blood red eyes with slitted purple pupils that stared at him with malicious intend. High on the brow, settled between the two large eyes, there was the emblem of the crescent moon. The moon was purple against the white fur, which drew Orochimaru's eyes to the curved red markings that wrapped from the dog's mouth on both sides. Not only that, but when it opened its mouth to give a barking laugh, he noticed the rows of deadly fangs. They protected the tongue, which looked shredded at the end, almost as if another animal had caught ahold of it and tore the ends off.

 

The dog laughed again, the sound coming from deep within its chest and rumbling out along the ground. It took a step forward, its jaws opening and allowing another cloud of green to leak from between its fangs, before digging its sharp claws into the earth below. “Snake,” the dog challenged.

 

“SSesshoumaru,” the snake beneath him hissed. “A pleasure it iss to see you once more.”

 

“I am afraid this Sesshoumaru does not agree,” the dog growled.

 

“Oh?” the snake asked.

 

Sesshoumaru gave another loud bark, the laughter clear beneath the tone. His head raised, and he felt the woman standing upon his brow kneel down, grabbing a fist full of his fur. “Yes, because I am summoned with one purpose, and that is to kill. You, Mamoru, are my prey, and this Sesshoumaru is going to get such delight when ripping into your scales.”

 

Mamoru's mouth opened in a hiss, the fangs showing that he would not be one to back down. He replied, “Do not think you will take me down so easily, dog. My hide is thicker than you think, and I doubt even you can pierce it.”

 

The large dog did not take the time to reply, instead beginning to release a fierce growl that shook the ground once more. Sesshoumaru dug his claws into the dirt below him, his head lowering while his ears moved back, pressing against his head. He opened his jaws, releasing more of the deadly toxin that roared through his veins, before finally launching himself into the air. His fangs flashed in the light, poison dripping down his jaw, and he locked his red eyes onto the snake that would soon fall.

 

Orochimaru felt Mamoru rear back, and even he was surprised with the speed the dog moved at. He appeared to be in the air one moment and then he was suddenly upon the snake he had summoned. He hissed along with the snake he rode, watching as the massive dog slammed one clawed foot onto Mamoru's middle, and his mouth opened to grab ahold of him further up. Mamoru gave a deadly hiss beneath him, wriggling until he had wrapped himself around the dog's body and tried to take a bite out of his hindquarters.

 

Sesshoumaru released another dose of poison upon the thick scales that hid the tender flesh of the snake from him. He snarled, tossing his head from side to side to tear into the thick hide, before releasing another large amount of his toxic salvia onto the snake's body. It sizzled within his mouth, but he quickly turned his eyes when he saw the snake go for him. He easily whipped his tail across the snakes face, listening as he gave another hiss of pain, before the poison began to eat away at the remaining thickness of the scales beneath his fangs.

 

Mamoru nearly cried out at the pain that suddenly erupted where the dog held him. He knew of the dog's deadly poison, and twisted until he had grabbed a mouthful of fur beneath the dog's head. He pulled, not surprised with the amount of fur within his jaws or the strength with which the dog held on, and struck the tip of his tail across the dog's nose. Sesshoumaru gave a loud snarl below him, and Mamoru only hissed in delight when he saw the trail of blood welling up where his tail had hit.

 

Kagome turned her head the moment Sesshoumaru released the snake and did the same. The dog beneath her twisted about, claws digging into the snakes scales, while he snapped his fangs at the head that was attached to the back of his neck. She knew that Sesshoumaru's fur was far too thick for the snake to penetrate his skin anywhere but his face, but her attention turned to the Sannin when his head came flying at her. She only sneered, while she listened to Sesshoumaru's massive snarls when the dog finally grabbed onto the snake in a more appropriate place to tear him away.

 

Orochimaru sailed at her, his intent clearly to bite her the way he had her clone, but Kagome was not afraid of that. He would not be sticking his fangs into her, not in her neck and certainly not anywhere else. She would rather that blasted Naruto bite her. She twisted her body, knowing her limits while fighting so high on Sesshoumaru's head, and slammed the heel of her foot into the Sannin's face. She heard a satisfying crack, and was certain that the Sannin would have been smart enough to use a substitution, but smirked when he came at her again. She was sure she had broken his nose, but just to make sure, she evaded his mouth and put her body weight behind the punch she sent at his nose.

 

Sesshoumaru snarled again, his red eyes flickering to the snake's wriggling tail. The growl continued to work through his chest, even as he allowed a massive amount of his poison to fill his mouth. It instantly began to eat away at the thick scales he had clamped onto, and he ignored the whipping the snake's tail gave his back, while the highly acidic poison burned away the annoying scales. Another snarl escaped him when the tail slammed against his back once more, his fur lightening the blow, before he was able to sink his sharp fangs into the soft flesh of the snake he held.

 

Mamoru released the dog, twisting away and wrapping his tail around his thick neck. The pain shot through him, terrible pain that no doubt came from the liquid he felt entering his body, and he hissed. The dog's paw managed to catch ahold of his head, pushing him into the ground along with his summoner, but he tried desperately to get the dog to release him. The tip of his tail sliced through the dog's nose multiple times, but he seemed to feel no pain, and Mamoru knew that his time was nearly up with the poison within his body. He hissed, cursing the man that dared bring him to fight such a creature, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke when the pain became too much to handle.

 

The large, white dog snarled at the human that had summoned that pathetic creature. Another cloud of green poison escaped his mouth, as he threw his head back and gave a cry of victory. The sound was much like a roar and shook the area, before he began to chuckle afterward. He shook his body, and turned his attention to the one that had summoned him. “Is there anything else you wish for this Sesshoumaru to do, Kagome-sama?” he asked.

 

She smirked, saying, “I think I have one more thing in mind.”

 

Sesshoumaru seemed to know what she was thinking, and released a low growl that vibrated through him. Grinning the best he could, he asked, “How many humans do you think we can kill in such a way, Kagome-sama?”

 

Her black eyes flashed, the feral grin upon her face pure evil as she said, “All of them, I believe.”

 

“Excellent,” Sesshoumaru growled.

 

She brought her hands together in a single sign, before allowing her chakra to rise. Sesshoumaru's rose along with her, and the chakra spiraled upward until it was nearly suffocating. She almost giggled with the bloodlust that showed through them both, because it washed over her system and sent delight shocks to her brain. However, she shouted the moment Sesshoumaru growled deeply, saying with him, “Transform!”

 

OoO

 

“Rasengan!” Naruto shouted, shoving his fist into the stomach of another Oto-nin. He heard Kyuubi chuckling at him from within his mind, obviously amused with the amount of opponents that swarmed around him. In frustration, he socked another shinobi in the face, and cried, “Where the hell do these guys keep coming from?”

 

“I believe the more appropriate question is why your shinobi within hiding continue to let them come this way,” Kyuubi whispered.

 

Shut up, you stupid fox! Naruto growled. This was not the time to be arguing with the stupid fox that had been sealed inside of him, he knew that. Especially when he was trying to stay away from that strange fog that was now floating along the ground, and dribbling from the mouth of the dog Kagome had summoned. He was impressed with the dog, considering it was around the size of Gamabunta or bigger, but he had not liked the way his sandal started to melt upon contact with the stuff that came from its mouth. Really, he had thought Kagome was on their side, but apparently the dog she summoned did not care whose side she was on.

 

Kyuubi grinned, the smile malevolent and cruel. The kit might be stupid to a certain extent, even after all these years that his intelligence should have rubbed off on him, but he was fun to play with. “Oh,” he chuckled, “is the kit unable to concentrate? I'm so sorry, maybe I should speak up some more.”

 

Agh, Naruto thought. Why the hell couldn't you just stay silent?

 

“I decided that I wanted to nap for a little while, and then afterward I found it hilarious that you could not realize what you were dealing with. I thought that maybe after a while you'd figure out that that delusional dog was inside that girl, but it seems that I put too much faith in you,” Kyuubi replied.

 

That didn't answer the question! Naruto shouted back. He twisted, a kunai suddenly in hand, and slipped it into the stomach of the Oto-nin that tried to attack him from behind. A cloud of smoke blinded him for a moment, before he found himself staring at a pile of leaves and another weapon ready to take his life. He quickly evaded the attack, yelling insults at the dumb fox when he tried to speak up again, grabbed the guys arm, and threw him somewhere into the forest beyond. He heard someone scream afterward, so he assumed that someone patrolling the border like they were supposed to had killed the shinobi.

 

“Do forgive me,” Kyuubi sarcastically stated, “I did not know that I had to follow your every word.”

 

Shut up! Naruto practically whined. He had enjoyed the silence now that Kyuubi decided he wanted to talk again, mostly muttering and huffing about the dog that was housed inside Kagome's flesh. He tried not to pay attention, while he performed his sexy jutsu to stun his opponents, but the fox just would not shut up! It was like after his silence, Kyuubi decided he wanted to tell Naruto everything and anything that he had come up with during his period of lets-not-talk-to-Naruto-time, and it was really pissing Naruto off.

 

He guessed, though, that he should not take it out on his opponents when he realized he was beating the face of a dead man black and blue. He dropped the shinobi, hoping that no one had seen that, before turning on his heel to grab the wrist of another that thought he was still not paying attention. Apparently they had thought that he had gone nuts, which he very well could have, but decided that they could attack him again now.

 

As he turned, though, he looked up to find that the dog and snake were twisting around one another, the dog snapping his fangs and trying to grab onto the snake. The snake had ahold of his neck, but the dog managed to snag him not far below the head. A large amount of green liquid seeped from the dog's mouth from where he held the snake, dripping from the corners and causing smoke to rise as it ate away at the dark purple scales until the pink flesh underneath could be seen. Naruto's eyes widened slightly, before he glanced apprehensively at the green mist that was floating near his feet once more.

 

The snake twisted away from the dog, the long, serpentine body thrashing until the tail had successfully wrapped around the dog's throat. The dog gave another fierce growl, pinned the snake's head to the ground, and seemed to ignore the tail that slashed across its nose. Blood was dripping lightly down the dog's snout, but the summon only gave what appeared to be a chuckle when the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 

The dog then snarled, and Naruto saw that Orochimaru had moved out of range for the dog to catch him within its snapping fangs. He almost flinched, though, blocking another enemy attack, when the dog threw back its head and gave a fierce roar. More of the acid mist poured from between the massive jaws, while the twin rows of deadly fangs flashed in the sunlight. It took only a moment before the dog calmed, the tail beginning to wag back and forth again, and it gave a noticeable shake of its massive form.

 

The dog spoke, but Naruto could not hear over the wind that trailed over him, the sand that rumbled across the ground, or the jutsu that created destruction around him. There were so many sounds that Naruto strained to clearly hear anything over it, though he did hear the sound of another Oto-nin huffing in his ear as he turned to meet him. The bastard distracted him for only a moment, sending a shockwave of sound throughout his body to halt his movements, before he managed to turn fast enough when he finally heard the dog's deep, dark voice.

 

“Transform!”

 

Naruto had done it before himself, helping Gamabunta change form whenever the toad boss needed the extra help of claws or something as equally dangerous. He did not expect, though, that when the large new cloud of smoke cleared that there would be no giant animal standing over them. His eyes widened only a fraction, because he saw Kagome falling to the ground, where she hit and knelt, before his eyes swerved to the new ally that had stepped onto the field. Or he hoped it was an ally, at least.

 

He was not certain as he squinted against the glare of the sun, but Naruto was pretty positive that the new man's face looked animalistic. Not in the sense that he was in a state of bloodlust, but it was literally stretched out a bit as if he was not entirely human. He watched, trying to defend himself and see beyond the sunlight at the same time, and noticed that within seconds the man's face morphed until he looked almost completely human—except for those eyes. Naruto recognized them instantly, having looked up into them for a moment to see what creature Kagome had summoned, as he soared through the air closer to them.

 

He had barely escaped that jutsu. He supposed that he needed to pay attention more, but his interest was currently in the man bringing his hand up and lightly brushing his long hair back over his shoulder. Naruto was almost jealous, because he did it with such grace and arrogance that he could have outshined an Uchiha any day.

 

Landing, and sending his fist into the stomach of the Oto-nin that had followed him, Naruto caught a better look at the man that stood at Kagome's side. No, Naruto really was not sure if he was a man or something else entirely. He towered over the woman at his side, hell probably over Sasuke, and wore pristine white robes that made him look godly. There were areas of red on the robes, which Naruto realized a moment later was probably some old style of kimono, and the obi around his waist was yellow with waves of blue in certain areas. He almost thought, from the way he appeared, that he should be wearing some type of armor, but the only other article he had was a pelt of white fur over his right shoulder. His hair appeared white, but as he turned it flashed and Naruto realized that it was silver. His eyes were still that deep red, and the markings were a dead give away, but it took Naruto a moment to realize that male was what Kagome had helped her dog summon turn into.

 

The dog rested his hand onto his side, causing Naruto's eyes to move there, and he noticed that the male had a sword at his side. It looked to be something that a samurai would carry around, but he was sure it could cause quite a bit of damage as the dog drew it from its sheath. Kagome looked like she was smirking and she was always doing that, so Naruto just assumed that she was before she shot away from her transformed summon. She raced right by Orochimaru, the snake Sannin moving to follow her, before turning to face her summon once more, nodding.

 

When their chakra spiked, Naruto was not sure what to expect.

 

OoO

 

Sesshoumaru stood his ground, watching his summoner for the signal to unleash the jutsu combination. His eyes flickered in disgust to the shinobi that suddenly surrounded him, and he had to force down the urge to show them that he could still rip them apart with his fangs in this form. The sword in his was held loosely at his side, waiting for his signal, though he allowed a bit of his chakra to leak forth and a green whip extended from his other hand to wrap around an idiot's throat. With a flick of his wrist the fool was decapitated, and he returned his gaze to where his summoner slid to a stop.

 

A small grin of amusement appeared on his face. He could already sense the need his summoner had, the wish to kill that was pounding beneath her flesh, and he was more than willing to help her feed it. After all, she had summoned him using the chakra of the demon that he trusted to an extent, and he was more than willing to help Houkou feed as well as he could. His little summoner need not know that she was only helping the demon gain a bit more control each time, though he was surprised often with how well she kept the demon in line.

 

He supposed, though, that that was why he trusted her more than Houkou. The demon would kill him because he just felt like it, but his little summoner would rather he stay alive and wreak havoc with her. The demon cared only for himself and the power he could gain, but his little summoner cared about him and the other dogs she summoned in her own way. Houkou he trusted, but only to the point that he would follow the demon if he asked him. The woman that had managed to summon him, though, was someone that Sesshoumaru would always trust.

 

His nose twitched, taking in the scent of her. It washed over him once more, even while he raised the sword vertically before his face, and his instincts told him again that she was the better of two evils. She might not show it through her face or her actions, but she could never bring harm to him, or the others, because she cared for them. They were really the only things she cared about, besides her need to kill, and he knew that somewhere in her heart, she considered them like pack.

 

Kagome went through the seals she would need to keep it contained as she wished it, nodded before the snake got to her, and Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to widen. His chakra spiked beneath his near human flesh, swarming down the blade that he held before he turned it horizontally. Lightning crackled along the length of the blade, his chakra turning it blue, and he released the jutsu with a single cry. “Dragon Strike!” he snarled, allowing the chakra and lightning he controlled to bolt away from the blade.

 

The lightning took toward the sky, twisting and turning around him, and he could already hear the rolling clouds that formed above his head. A pulse of his chakra expanded the range of the attack, and it instantly swarmed further away, the blue bolts racing along the ground. Thunder boomed overhead, but he watched the face of the dragon take form, roar with the thunder, and raced forward as quickly as it could. Waves of it filled the area, though he felt his little summoner chakra pulling and twisting at his own when it neared those she had sided with.

 

The jutsu evaded them, his chakra so familiar with her own that it bent the way she wished it. He still was not sure how she had perfected the art, but he did not complain as the cries of his victims began to fill the air. The lightning ate at all foreign chakra signals that it could find within the field, but he knew that a few would survive. His little summoner had perfected her art of holding the jutsu in place and keeping it from those she did not wish it to strike, but it drained her chakra considerably. She might contain more than the average shinobi because of Houkou's influence, but he had seen her strain to keep up her manipulation of his chakra multiple times.

 

She would not hold it much longer. Her body simply could not hold out, even if her chakra could. She had trained and trained to improve the flaw, disgusted that she could not control the massive amount of lightning though she came from the Land of Lightning, but she could not hold out forever. She had gained a lot of stamina, endurance and speed from practice with the jutsu, but in the end her human body had its limit.

 

Sesshoumaru swiped the blade within his hand through the air, watching as his summoner encased the snake within the bolts of lightning. However, though he would have loved to listen to him scream, he knew that her limit was up. She would faint if she continued, allowing the snake a chance at her, and he refused to let others see his summoner as weak. He canceled the jutsu, watching as her shoulders slumped a bit in gratitude, before he moved, wrapping his claws around the neck of a surviving shinobi that smelled of the snake. He crushed his windpipe, and felt the transformation upon his body give way.

 

He returned to his original form, snarling as he leaned down to snap his fangs at the snake. The snake barely escaped him, and he would have moved to grab him, but he felt his hand of his summoner very lightly against his upper lip. He focused his red eyes onto her, noticing that she was shaking lightly, but not from exhaustion. He recognized it instantly and knew that she had fallen completely into her need for death. “Kagome-sama,” he called to her, his exhale of breath ruffling her clothing and hair. She did not seem to hear him, though, as she pushed at his body.

 

“You are dismissed,” she stated.

 

Sesshoumaru did not argue, he was not one to beg to stay, but cast his eyes over his little summoner. A feral emotion filled his body when he noticed her stance, and the seals she was already beginning to make with her hands, because he knew what she was going to use the moment he was gone. He laughed, though he already felt himself being returned to the place where he had come from, and hoped that the snake did not fall so easily to such a bloodbath.

 

With that thought, Sesshoumaru was gone.

 

OoO

 

Houkou hissed, “That's it, stupid little girl. Give into me.”

 

I will never give into you, she snarled. She felt the pounding in her head, the need to take the life of another, and set her sight on the Sannin. She hissed through her teeth, running her tongue across them and realizing that her canines had lengthened a bit more. She flexed her hand, noticing that there were slight claws where her nails should have been. None of this bothered her really, but she needed to feed the need pulsing through her. She needed to.

 

“Don't be so sure of yourself, little girl,” Houkou laughed. “You cannot escape me. You never will, and I will make sure that I escape this place. I will, and there will be nothing you can do about it.”

 

She snarled again, completing the hand signs that she had been doing subconsciously. Her eyes remained locked on the Sannin, even while his tongue swept from his mouth and lengthened until it appeared to be a snake hovering around him. She hissed again, her need to kill him to the point that she would no longer use her lower level jutsu against him. No, she was through, and she was going to kill him now.

 

Orochimaru hissed, his eyes narrowing. He said, “I don't think so, Kagome-chan.” His tongue shot out in the form of a snake, but she paid it no attention as she allowed the chakra swarming underneath her flesh mix with her own and released it naturally. His snake would never have a chance to come at her, she was sure.

 

“You are already too late, Sannin,” she growled, her voice dark and extremely dangerous. “You are going to die because there is no way you can stop my jutsu.”

 

The snake almost paused, while Orochimaru flickered his eyes when he noticed that the very earth around him seemed to darken. He thought that she had cast him into another genjutsu, but there was something about this jutsu that clearly stated it was not an illusion. “What have you done?” he asked.

 

“A jutsu that only I have been taught, because it is handed down from generation to generation to the next head of the Higure Clan. It has never been recorded, the Higurashi family almost afraid that another family within the Clan might take over. It is not even used often, but I have no fear of you being able to steal such a jutsu from me. You are not from the Higure Clan and you will never know the secret behind creating such a jutsu,” she stated.

 

Orochimaru's eyes flashed, watching as she destroyed the snake, her hand reaching out and ripping through it using her hand. He cursed, no having realized the demon within her was leaking out so much already. There were claws on her hands, fangs in her mouth, and her facial markings were bold and clear to the world.

 

Kagome slid down, putting herself into a position of attack or defense. Her eyes were cold, dark, but she cared not what the Sannin thought as he stared into them. She only cared as she spoke the name of her inheritance, the jutsu that only the head and their heir had ever known. “Higurashi Head Style,” she stated, “Eternal Blood Massacre.”

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: Muhaha, I am evil. No, I simply had to put a stop to this chapter since I hit my key points and the next chapter will have the final bit. And yes, the next chapter will be the final chapter of fighting. I'm already around 28,000 words on this whole fight scene, so it needs to end soon. Really soon, I want to get onto what happens next! But I planned it this way, so I shouldn't complain. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and will tell me what you think.

 

Kiba