Yamisui

Lordy, it's been a long time. Being a newlywed with a full time job and a part-time job is time-consuming. [URL="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/7/Scarlet"]Chapter 7: Sanctuary Among the Strong[/URL] Itachi struggles to keep his grip on sanity as he learns that everything he has done may not be for the reasons he believes.

Wow, has it really been a year and a half since my last update? @_@ [COLOR="Red"][URL="http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2565492&chapter=6/"]Chapter 6: Akatsuki[/URL][/COLOR]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][I]Yamisui: Sorry it?s been so long . . . I blame school and work. I was writing my Masters thesis, then my previous laptop died, taking my thesis with it. Then I had to rewrite the thing in a month, as well as keep up with my three part-time teaching jobs and somehow passing my last particle physics course. Then I got a job that was, at first, requiring me to commute two hours in each direction. Now I?m moved and settled in and have free time again. So yatta, productivity resumes. You can expect there won?t be a year before the next chapter is posted.[/I] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=10/]Chapter 10: Fire and Water[/URL] [/COLOR] [FONT=Garamond]The gears of espionage begin to grind. The members of Team 7 find themselves separated and drawn into the tangled web of the assassins, who are planning a war between Konoha and the Mist---or an invasion.[/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]

[URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=9/]Chapter 9: Assassins' Ring: The Maze Beneath the City[/URL] The secret behind the assassins' agenda unravels, placing Team Seven and Konoha itself in even direr peril.

The choice. The massacre. [COLOR=DarkRed]What lay in his heart...[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/5/]Chapter 5: Testing The Limits[/URL] [/COLOR]

[CENTER][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/4/]Scarlet Chapter 4: ANBU[/URL][/CENTER] [COLOR=DarkRed] Obsessed with knowing his strength and his purpose in life, Itachi's sanity begins to unravel. The one hope he clings to is the secret his clan keeps---a forbidden [I]jutsu[/I] so cruel it breaks the wielder's heart...and grants him the ultimate power. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red]Scarlet, Chapter 2: [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/2/]Chuunin[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed][I]Itachi's father pushes him ever upward toward success, while Itachi's teachers try to hold him back. Caught between, he begins to find his own answers . . . in the wrong places.[/I][/COLOR] [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/3/]Scarlet Chapter 3: Assassin[/URL] [COLOR=DarkRed]Itachi's assassination mission goes awry when he and his team have a fateful encounter with a certain member of Akatsuki. This marks the beginning of disillusionment... [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red][B][CENTER]Scarlet[/CENTER][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed][I]Son and brother, genius and killer. This is Itachi's story, from cradle to manhood, a descent into darkness with a mind so terribly clear it redefines the borders of madness. Strength at any price. Power at any cost. Shinobi are not born powerful to make martyrs of themselves...[/I][/COLOR] :demon: [CENTER] [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/1/]Chapter 1: Prodigy[/URL][/CENTER] [I]Born a true genius and prodigy of ninjutsu, Itachi's childhood is short and bitter. From the first he begins to be pointed in the direction of his destiny: to sacrifice all in exchange for power...[/I]

At last! The final chapter of this bloody LONG epic. Here's the link: [url]http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1763293/19/[/url]

[i]Yamisui: There will be one more chapter after this one. As for some of you, those predictions you?ve postulated are wrong. (kukuku)[/i] [b][color=Green][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 18: ?If I Must, I Will . . .? {+} {+}[/center][/color][/b] [color=Purple]There are certain moments in a person?s life that do not seem real. Yet they [i]are[/i] real . . . so real that the mind cannot bear to see them in full clarity, and so they take on a dreamlike quality to soften their intensity. This was what Kagome felt, watching the arrow cut a sizzling path through the steam that rose from the surrounding fissures. The edges of her vision blurred, as if she had her own steam rising, only this might have been tears. And Inuyasha, bent over his brother?s inert form, was so caught up in his bloodlust that he paid it no heed. It passed through his back as easily as if he?d been made of air. Kagome knew that it had struck the shard by the sudden flare of light. It radiated briefly from the place where it struck, like a sunburst, and then she saw the minute twinkle of the shard as it fell from Inuyasha?s body. Watching it, Kagome was amazed at her own shortsightedness. While preparing to shoot, with her thoughts only of Inuyasha, she had not considered the consequences to the [i]shard itself.[/i] It was now split cleanly in two. As Inuyasha slumped forward, head bowing over his brother?s chest, Kagome let her bow fall. It clattered onto the stone face below. She didn?t even look at it; her eyes were on the shards. One lay where it had fallen. The other half skittered haphazardly across the rough ground, jouncing toward the edge. ?KIRARA!? Kagome cried, motioning toward it frantically. Kirara?s eyes were sharp; she understood immediately. Together they swooped downward into a death dive. The tiny fragment spun, still glinting from the residue of Kagome?s arrow, and she tracked its progress with her great orange eyes. They landed at the edge of the rock. Kirara stamped one massive paw down over the shard, inches away from the edge. Kagome didn?t waste time retrieving it from the demon. Instead, she slid off Kirara?s back, heading for the other shard. It lay beside Inuyasha. She was almost afraid to even look at Inuyasha. His white hair, now soaked with sweat, straggled blood across his brother?s chest, hiding his face. She knelt by his side, reaching for the shard. A clawed hand clamped down over hers, pinning it against the shard, against the rock. Inuyasha?s head lifted. [i]?You[/i],? he snarled. [i]?You?ll die for this, bitch. I?ll slit you open.?[/i] Kagome froze. She didn?t know what to do. The arrow had expelled the shard from him, yet he hadn?t returned to himself. He wasn?t even recognizably [i]human[/i] any more. His eyes were red and pupil-less, and blood trickled from his fangs. And his voice was little better than a beast?s growl. She swallowed, forcing her tongue, which had suddenly gone numb, to find her voice. ?Let me go, Inuyasha,? she whispered. She was shaking. She couldn?t stop. [i]?It wasn?t even the SHARD that did this. This is. . .Inuyasha. This is what he really IS . . .?[/i] She hated herself for thinking it. Even through the fear, so thick she could hardly breathe, she was angry at herself for letting herself [i]believe[/i], even for an instant, that he was a monster. But she didn?t know what to do. Behind her, she could hear Kirara behind her, growling low in her throat. Kagome?s gaze slid sideways; out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the tiger demon shift ever so slightly, preparing to take a step toward them. In that instant, as her attention was diverted, she never even saw the clawed hand shoot out. One instant she was breathing. The next, she wasn?t. His hand was clamped around her throat. There was no hesitation in that hand; he began to squeeze immediately, without a word. She tried to speak, but her voice was held fast in his grip; she could only gaze imploringly. His face, distorted and ugly, began to waver in her vision. Then things went hazy. She heard a loud snarl and felt a jolt. Pain flared along one side of her body, and the world reeled crazily. Then the darkness cleared from her vision, and she became aware of the rough press of stone against her cheek and hand, and that she was lying on her side on the rock. Inuyasha had thrown her aside. Gritting her teeth against the ache in her jarred bones, Kagome pushed herself up onto one elbow. Inuyasha was advancing on Kirara now, who now bore a nasty-looking gash across the front of her chest. Kagome couldn?t see the actual wound, but in the lurid glow of the lava flowing around them she could see blood matted in streaks across Kirara?s thick ruff. Streaks splayed like claws. Squinting against the pain, Kagome reached for the sword strapped across her back. [i]?I haven?t saved him yet[/i],? she thought fiercely, willing fingers numb from bruised nerves to move to move to move. ?[i]But I WON?T give up! Not until he?s Inuyasha again!?[/i] White wires seared through the nerves of her hand as it clenched around the hilt, willing muscles to tighten and lift her arm, to roll her body onto her knees. Love alone moved her legs, and her arm. She ran at him, charging him from the side. At that moment, the ground beneath them lurched suddenly. Somewhere below, where the great boulder was still rooted to the ruins of the mountain, something had begun to give way. The shift was brief, for at that moment, far below, another boulder had also fallen and wedged against it. Yet it was enough to throw off Kagome?s balance. She tripped over Sesshoumaru?s body. When she landed, her elbow and forearm hit stone, causing her to lose her grip on the sword. Tetsusaiga went spinning across the rock face in a hiss of steel scraping. She lunged after it on her hands and knees. Then the ground lurched again. She heard a faint, tiny [i]ping[/i] as the jewel shard lying near Sesshoumaru bounced a few feet along the rock. She?d kicked it with her sneaker. [i]?Oh!?[/i] she thought. The pain had temporarily brought her to her senses. If one shard of the Jewel was lost, it would never be completed, and none of this would ever end. She lunged backward over Sesshoumaru?s body again to recover it. She slid it inside her jeans pocket and hoped desperately that it would stay there; she didn?t have anywhere better she could put it right now. Then she turned toward Inuyasha again, still on her hands and knees. To her utter surprise, Kirara appeared to be holding her own. There was an aura of fire about her that flared far brighter than usual. And though Inuyasha, enraged beyond all reason, struck at her in a blind fury, it seemed he was unable to land another blow. Kirara was moving to avoid his claws with a speed unlike anything Kagome had ever seen. But she understood why; she could see the other half of the Shikon shard in Kirara?s mouth. Then Kirara lashed out with her own claws, catching Inuyasha across the stomach. He went down on one knee with a grunt of pain, but didn?t seem badly wounded. A split-second later he was on his feet again, lunging for his opponent with a vicious swipe of his claws. Red light trailed from his nails where he struck; his awakened demon blood was adding extensions of raw [i]jyaki[/i] to his transforming body. Only Kirara?s own enhanced [i]jyaki [/i]held it at bay. His claws connected with her powerful chest, but could not penetrate the wall of muscle to reach her heart. And she, in turn, snapped forward and caught his throat in her jaws. ?NO!? Kagome screamed. ?Don?t kill him!? Kirara heard her and hesitated, and the massive jaws closed tight but did not meet. Kagome cast about her desperately, searching for some way out of this. Inuyasha was not going to die. She was going to save his future. [i]The[/i] future. Once again, she caught up Tetsusaiga with both fists clenched around the hilt. ?[i]Hold[/i] him!? she cried to Kirara, who was doing this anyway despite the deadly claws digging their way deeper into her chest. In a few seconds she would be dead. Kagome wasted no seconds hesitating. She charged again this time, and did not fall. The blade caught him deep through the shoulder---the arm with which he was attempting to reach Kirara?s heart. It was also where Kagome felt it was least likely to kill him. He let out a bellow of rage, snarling something incoherent, and let go of Kirara. The demon cat kept her jaws firmly locked about his neck, twisting her head and attempting to shake him off balance. He wasn?t getting much air at all, and her fangs were digging into his skin, but he didn?t seem to care. He was all but mindless. ?[i]Inuyasha!? [/i]Kagome cried, forced to back away from him again because of the danger of his thrashing claws. ?[i]Inuyasha, come BACK!? [/i]She was crying freely now. She didn?t know what to do. ?Come . . . back . . .? she repeated, her voice drained to a whisper. His one good arm balled into a fist, and slammed into the side of Kirara?s head. Because he had used raw brute strength and not [i]jyaki,[/i] the demon cat?s own aura did nothing to protect her. Kagome winced at the sound of bone cracking, and Kirara?s jaws flew open as her head was struck away from Inuyasha?s neck. The punch was so violent that it pushed her a good five feet to the side, throwing her off-balance. That was when Kagome saw the shard fly out of her mouth, amid a shower of blood-flecks from her shattered jaw. It soared through the air, glittering in the firelight. In that instant Kagome chose between saving the world and saving Inuyasha. She sprinted after it and took a flying leap. Inuyasha turned toward the running girl with a malicious grin. With his good arm he grasped hold of Tetsusaiga?s hilt and wrenched it free of his arm. The shard was falling fast, toward the edge of the rock. Kagome forgot all about keeping her own balance and dove for it. In Inuyasha?s hand, freed from the flesh of his arm, Tetsusaiga blazed into life. Kagome?s hands closed around the shard just as her body hit the rock. She landed on her stomach, and the wind was knocked out of her, but her hands were firmly clamped around her prize. Then the ground lurched again . . . and she was hurled forward, scraping across the stone, toward the end of the boulder. She scarcely even had time to draw in a breath of alarm as her body slid off the edge. [/color] [color=Purple]Her eyes, which had until this instant been focused on the shard clasped between her palms, now witnessed the roiling river of flame below, toward which her downward tilt was speeding her. Her heart clenched in terror . . . . . . then strong arms caught her from behind. She gasped now, pulling the Shikon shard in to her chest. Her last desperate thought was to protect it, to see to it that it did not fall forever beyond reach. She knew she was about to die. She felt hot breath on the back of her neck, and warm saliva, and knew the crunch of fangs through bone would come next. He pulled her back from the edge, onto the stone, but he didn?t kill her. He just held her. And Kagome, pulled into this sudden, fierce, embrace, realized that the body against which she was being held was shaking, and that the heat on the back of her neck was the warmth of his tears. For one brief, blessed, eternal moment, neither moved. The ground beneath them ceased to heave, the flame-light dimmed, the heat cooled, the dark rock faded, and Kagome was locked away in the circle of his arms, where pain and danger were a fairy-tale somewhere far away. ?[i]It?s over[/i],? she thought, closing her eyes to stop her own tears. [i]?At last it?s over. I?ve saved him.?[/i] Then the ground beneath them heaved again, violently. She felt something thump against the body pressed against hers, and woke from her dazed moment in dull surprise. ?Kirara?? Inuyasha?s voice. [i]His[/i] voice. ?Kirara!? Kagome turned to see that Kirara had reverted to her smaller form, and that she had leaped onto Inuyasha?s back. She seemed in very bad shape; she was slumped over his shoulder, whimpering. Her jaw was a mess; Inuyasha was wincing at the sight of it. ?Don?t worry, Kirara,? he said hoarsely. ?We?ll get you out of here.? Then he turned back to Kagome, whose head now rested just below his chin. ?We have to get out of here[i] fast[/i],? he told her. His face was very pale. ?This place is falling apart. And if these earthquakes are any indication, it?s [i]really[/i] going to blow soon.? As if in response, the ground beneath them began to slant downward, tipping over into the river of fire below. ?[i]Shit!? [/i]Inuyasha swore, digging the claws of one hand into the rock and catching Kagome round the waist to keep them from sliding down into it. Bits and chunks of rubble bombarded them from above. Kirara was clinging to Inuyasha?s shoulder with her tiny claws, mewling in alarm. Thinking quickly, Kagome inserted the Shikon shard she?d been clutching into her pocket before she forgot herself and let go of it. Then she heard a familiar rasp of steel on stone, and saw Tetsusaiga sliding down with the debris. [i]?Shit!? [/i]Inuyasha swore again when he saw it. ?Kagome, hang on!? Kagome had no idea what he was doing, but she knew better than to disobey when their lives were on the line. Pushing off the slanted rock face with his feet, like a grappler, Inuyasha swung them to one side. Realizing now what he intended, Kagome disengaged one arm from around his neck and reached out to catch Tetsusaiga. Once it was securely in her sweaty palm, Inuyasha allowed them to swing back. ?Good, now give it to [i]me[/i],? he ordered. Kagome blinked in confusion. ?You don?t have any hands free!? she protested. He opened his mouth. Kagome stared for a second, and then. . . ?Oh!? She inserted the blade between his teeth, and he clamped them closed. Kagome wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck, trying to use her feet to brace them against the rock as well. The boulder was still tilting downward. [i]?Shith!? [/i]Inuyasha swore a third time, this time with his speech impaired by the sword in his mouth. ?Le ave thoo GO NOW!? He turned his face upward, braced his feet against the rock, and jumped. His leap carried them high up the rock face, almost to the opposite edge, which was now swiftly becoming the high ground. Almost. His nails found scant purchase, for the fingers of that arm were suffering nerve damage from when Kagome had stabbed him with Tetsusaiga. He dug his claws into the stone, but he was beginning to slide. [i]?Inuyasha!? [/i]Kagome screamed, letting go of him with one hand and trying to find her own handhold. This wasn?t working; they were going to . . . White claws caught Inuyasha?s sliding wrist. [i]?You . . . half-breed . . . bastard[/i],? came the whispered curse from above. ??[i]Chosen? . . . she called you . . . and you can?t . . . even save . . . yourself.?[/i] Inuyasha?s head tilted upward. Kagome saw his face light up with sheer amazement. She didn?t blame him. She was just as surprised---although she was even more surprised to see Sesshoumaru [i]alive[/i] than she was that he?d bother to save them. Then Inuyasha remembered that this was his half-brother, and that they were supposed to mutually hate each other, and he scowled. ?Justh shuth ub and PULL!? Sesshoumaru obliged without a word, hauling them up with a strength that Kagome could not fathom. Where it was coming from, she had no idea. Because it was obvious that Sesshoumaru was dying. Blood trickled down the sides of his face, and his hair was matted with it. His breath came long and painfully labored through his mouth, and his eyes were clouded with a glazed, faraway look. As he dragged them upward Kagome watched his pale face, and she could see that he was battling to keep his eyes focused on them, and his mind focused on this task. It was a battle she could see he was losing. ?Inuyasha, let go of me,? she said tightly. ?I?ll hold on to you. You have to help him, or we won?t reach the top.? Inuyasha nodded grimly. His own breath was whistling between his teeth and the sword clamped between them. Kagome tightened her hold, and now he dug his other claws into the rock, pulling himself upward toward his brother. Together, they crested the edge, until at last the four of them slumped over, panting, atop the boulder. Sesshoumaru lay back, resting his head on the stone. His eyes were unreadable as he gazed upward at the cloud of ash above. The [i]jyaki[/i]-driven storm from before had cleared. Kagome saw that he had somehow reinserted the demon sword Tokijin back into the sheath at his side, but she no longer felt any malice emanating from it. Once again, having mastered himself before this last act of begrudging loyalty to his brother, he had gained mastery over Tokijin. The rock beneath them began to rumble, and this time it did not stop. At long last, the mountain was going to erupt. ?INUYASHA!? Kagome cried. ?We have to get out of here NOW!? Inuyasha grunted, rising into a crouch. ?I [i]know[/i].? Kagome stole a swift glance around them. The ground was vibrating so badly now that her teeth chattered and her head ached. ?Get on my back,? Inuyasha ordered, reinserting Tetsusaiga into its sheath at his hip. ?We?re going to run for it. . .or die trying.? ?[i]Ah . . . no . [/i]. .? Both heads---black and white---turned at the soft whisper of voice. Sesshoumaru lay still and calm, like a dead man, but his lips had moved. [i]?Take . . . sword[/i],? he whispered. Inuyasha went utterly still at the sound of that voice. Kagome, who had just climbed onto his back, felt his uncertainty in the stiffness of his shoulders. Sesshoumaru?s breath had become so quiet that steam no longer drifted from his lips into the sulfurous air around them. Then, abruptly, Inuyasha rose to his feet. ?We?ll go,? he said brusquely, still staring down at the pale form lying on the rock. But Kagome could hear the thickness in his voice, and felt a lump gathering in her own throat. ?[i]Inu . [/i]. .? she began. But she stopped short; he had just shaken his head sharply. ?We have to hurry,? he cut her off. ?We?ll leave him. He?s dying anyway.?[/color] [color=Purple]Kagome was shaking so badly that she knew she wouldn?t have been able to stand had he set her on her feet. She was terrified for her life. The ground was heaving now as if it would never be still again. Kirara, who was pressed between Kagome?s chest and Inuyasha?s back, was unconscious. There would be no more transforming, and no swift ride out of this hell of stone and fire. Even if they should run, with Inuyasha?s demon speed . . . even then . . . the place could blow at any instant. ?It won?t make any difference, Inuyasha,? she whispered raggedly into his furry, singed ear. ?Take his sword. It?s what he wants.? Inuyasha drew in a swift, shaky breath. Then he knelt to take the sword Tenseiga from its scabbard at his brother?s side. In order to do so, he had to reach across Sesshoumaru?s broken, battered form. As he did so, Kagome thought she heard his breath catch, but she couldn?t see his face and it might have been Sesshoumaru?s breath catching. Or it might have been the fissures of steam, rising through the cracks appearing suddenly beneath their feet. As Inuyasha?s one free hand closed around Tenseiga?s hilt and drew it free of its scabbard, a pale hand clamped over his like a vise, clasping both sword-hilt and hand against the bloodstained chest. Alarmed, Inuyasha tried to pull free, to loosen the sword from Sesshoumaru?s grasp. When that didn?t work, he tugged sharply to free his hand, intending to leave the sword behind. But Sesshoumaru would not let him go. Sharp nails, sharp as needles, sank into the back of Inuyasha?s hand, pinning it to the sword, which in turn he held close against his chest with unnatural, iron strength. ?What are you[i] doing[/i]?? Inuyasha hissed, letting go of Kagome?s leg in order to attempt to pry himself loose with his other hand. ?[i]Why are you doing this??[/i] One second passed. Then two. Sesshoumaru said nothing. And the white claws did not release their hold. Inuyasha?s breath came in quick pants now with the strain of tension. If he could not free himself, they would all die here. ?Do you [i]want[/i] it to end this way so [i]badly[/i]?? he snarled suddenly, lowering his face nearer to his brother?s. ?We?ll die the White Brothers, here, on the mountain! The fucking [i]White Brothers[/i]! And Naraku will win. And he?ll [i]deserve[/i] to win, because we were too fucking [i]weak[/i] to save [i]ourselves[/i]!? He paused, breathing hard, angry beyond measure. Sesshoumaru?s gaze shifted, coming to rest upon his brother?s face. His eyes were strangely beautiful; luminous and deep. There was no savagery left in them. Kagome held her breath. Inuyasha?s head lowered further, as if he, too, were trying to fathom what lay in the white demon?s heart at this moment. [i]?Do you hate me . . . that much?? [/i]he whispered. The ground beneath them all began to crack and shift. Small geysers of steam rose around them; between them. And Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak. [i]?Don?t . . . fight . .[/i] .? he breathed. ?[i]Trust .[/i] . .? The ground beneath them heaved mightily. And then the rock exploded, and they were swallowed in a column of fire.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Even from the snow-covered streets of the city, in the sheltered valley beyond the mountains to the east, he could see the fire from Reiyama. It pierced the night in a violent, upward jet, like a red sword stabbing skyward. It thickened, becoming a pillar, exploding so high and straight that it disappeared into the dark clouds circling that place. Asano-[i]o-sama[/i], king of the Tatesei, stood upon the stone terrace of the palace, on the side which overlooked the lake behind the city. The orange light from the distance reflected in the lake?s surface, which was broken and distorted into countless tiny shards of water because the earth was shaking beneath it. ?[i]The mountain has erupted[/i],? he thought, wondering what this meant. He knew nothing of the future that stood to be altered, nor that in that future he was to die in the flood of fire that would spill forth from the mountain. Yet he felt its coming, as surely as if the lava had already washed over him in a hot wave. ?[i]Sesshoumaru-sama[/i],? he thought, his eyes reflecting the glow from the fire. [i] ?Do you watch? Are you watching us now? Do you stand atop the cliffs of this valley, watching our fate come pouring toward us over the ruins of the mountain??[/i] He thought of the Seer, and how she had looked upon the white demon with such apprehension. Asano?s youthful face was smooth, but there was sorrow in his eyes. Deep sorrow. He was sinking in it. [i]?Or are you the one hastening this doom[/i],? he thought, ?[i]because we have betrayed you??[/i] ?Husband!? A tall, slender woman came rushing onto the terrace, throwing herself into his arms. He did not look at her, though his arms closed automatically around her thin shoulders. She was taller than he was, but fear had bowed her head and she had to lift her face to look at him. ?Husband,? she repeated, her voice trembling. He did not have to look down to know that her obsidian eyes, black with the Dragon?s taint like his own, were full of desperation. But he, as her king and lord and lover, had only one hope left to give her. . .one last hope for [i]all[/i] of them . . . ?The guards came to me saying you?d given the order to empty the city,? his queen said, grasping the front of his green robes as if she intended to pull him away from the terrace by force. ?But they said you refused to leave. [i]Why? Why[/i] won?t you flee with your people?? Still he would not look at her. He kept his eyes trained upon the mountain. ?A shadow is coming,? he said quietly. ?It is the Dragon. I can feel it, searching among us for one who would draw it in . . .? His wife shook her head, pulling back from him a little in horror. ?You mean to possess one of [i]us[/i], as you said Irusei-[i]sama[/i] believes?? Slowly, Asano shook his head. The gold ornaments in his hair jangled softly. ?Irusei is dead,? he said softly. ?Either Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i] has killed him . . . or he has died in the eruption. I can sense that the Dragon is searching for one among us who will draw it in willingly; if Irusei were not dead the Dragon would not be searching for a new avatar. But our people must flee, and they must be made to understand that the Dragon is the one who has brought this upon us. If they fear it, they won?t accept possession willingly, and the Dragon can?t take their bodies.? His wife was not a shrewd woman, but nevertheless she drew back from him now, knowing instinctively what he intended. ?Then why . . . won?t [i]you[/i] flee?? she whispered. ?You can?t intend to . . .? ?The Dragon wants a human vessel,? Asano interrupted grimly. ?If it gains what it wants, it will surely save us from the lava.? ?[i]No!? [/i]the queen cried. But she was already backing away. ?I am king of the Tatesei,? he told her softly. ?If I must give this creature what it wants to save my people, then [i]so be it[/i].?[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]It was Shippou who first heard the rush of wind overhead. It wailed between the peaked roofs of the Inu Youkai palace; whistled between the trees in the garden. It was Shippou, with his keen Youkai ears, who first noticed beneath the noise of the gale the fainter rasp of scales on stone. ?Something?s[i] outside[/i],? he announced at the top of his lungs, scurrying back down the hall from the room where he?d gone fetching blankets. At first, his cry gained little attention. Both Miroku and the Seer had been laid on the cushions in the main hall, close to the fireplace for warmth. Sango was busy tending to them, and she didn?t turn around as the Kitsune came running. Jakken heard him, but he was too busy pacing worriedly to care. ?Shut [i]up[/i], stupid brat,? he screeched. ?I?m trying to think!? Hurriedly, Shippou dumped the blankets he?d brought beside Sango and began tugging on the sleeve of the kimono she?d thrown on to replace her wet clothes. ?Hey, there?s something [i]out[/i] there!? he insisted, peering up at her with wide green eyes. ?On the roof.? Sango finally took heed, turning away from the dressing she was applying to Miroku?s wound. However, before she could even open her mouth to reply a new distraction burst onto the scene. ?RIN!? Jakken wailed. ?DON?T BRING AUN [i]INSIDE[/i]!? The heads of all parties not lying unconscious by the fire now turned toward the two who had just entered the hall. Rin was approaching them, leading the two-headed steed by a short halter. Aun?s claws clinked across the stone floor. ?Jakken-[i]sama[/i]!? Rin exclaimed, ignoring his protests. ?There is a monster circling the palace! We must do something about it!? Sango rose onto her knees, eyes narrowing. ?Where did you see it??[/color] [color=Purple]One hand was already reaching for her Hiraikoutsu, which wasn?t there. She?d taken it off when she?d changed clothes. ?It is big!? Rin told her, wide-eyed and pale. ?And black, but shining too. It keeps circling the palace.? Shippou was about to ask ?[i]What IS it?? [/i]but then shut his mouth. One glance at Sango?s face told him exactly what it was. ?Sango!? he cried, tugging worriedly at her sleeve. ?You shouldn?t go out there. Even [i]Inuyasha[/i] was no match for the Dragon!? ?Her FACE!? Jakken exclaimed suddenly, pointing directly at the Seer, who lay to Sango?s left. ?L-l-l-l-look at her [i]face[/i]!? Shippou crept nearer to see what the imp was stuttering about. To his surprise, fire was beginning to gleam through the veins in her face again. And the odd thing was, the phenomenon seemed to be confined solely to [i]her[/i]---Sango?s face was normal. ?He?s calling us,? Sango said, tilting her head back and gazing up at the ceiling. ?Raiiru is calling us.? ?But why isn?t [i]your[/i] face like hers?? Shippou pressed. ?He?s searching for a willing host for his spirit,? she replied in a low voice. ?But I?m unwilling. She, however . . .? She lowered her head, glancing pointedly at the Seer. ?Some part of her must be willing . . .? The Seer?s eyes flew open. ?Suiton!? Rin dropped Aun?s tether and came running to her side. ?You must not go!? The woman was attempting to sit up. Sango caught her, however, holding her down with one hand on her shoulder. ?Stay,? she warned. ?We haven?t fought this hard for him to win now.? Suiton?s eyes were mad with fear. ?I?ve seen this!? she cried. ?I?ve [i]seen[/i] it!? She fought against Sango?s restraint with sudden vigor, arching her back and trying to twist sideways out of the demon-slayer?s grip. Alarmed, Sango bent over her, pressing more of her weight against the woman?s chest and taking hold of her other arm as well. ?Someone [i]help[/i] me!? she called, casting a brief glance at the others. ?She?s gotten stronger, and my body?s too tired for this.? Overhead, a gale-force wind wailed across the roof, and the Dragon let out a long, reverberating hiss. All present froze, scarcely daring to breathe as they listened. Then Suiton began to struggle again. Tears streamed from her black eyes, soaking into the hair strewn across her face. ?We can?t fight this!? she cried. ?Give me to him, and he?ll spare us all!? Rin stood beside her, wringing her small hands in distress. ?But Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i] will save us,? she told the Seer. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] too. And Kagome-[i]sama.?[/i] The Seer turned toward her, her fire-streaked face contorted in misery. ?Sesshoumaru is [i]dead[/i],? she said, in a voice heavy with despair. ?His brother killed him. And Inuyasha has been consumed in flame. The skies are now raining fire. Can you keep doubting my vision? The White Brothers are [i]dead[/i], and the [i]world[/i] is going to [i]end[/i] . . .? Sango slapped her. Hard, across the face. ?Be quiet,? she told the woman sharply, still holding her down. ?Stop letting your fear of evil make it your master. Raiiru is showing you these things in your mind, isn?t he? That?s where your visions come from, isn?t it?? The Seer went silent for a moment, struck dumb by the blow. ?Has it never occurred to you,? Sango pressed, ?that the Dragon might be using your predictions to [i]manipulate[/i] the future?? The Seer drew in a soft gasp. ?My gift . . .? Suiton finally murmured. ?It is . . . All Tatesei Seers were the Dragon?s children. It [i]must[/i] be so . . . And I . . . After the Dragon began to awaken in response to Kagome[i]-sama?s[/i] possession of the Shikon no Tama, he must have sensed Sesshoumaru-[i]sama?s [/i]obsession with power through [i]me[/i]. And he showed me the Jewel falling into my scrying bowl, because he knew that if Sesshoumaru brought it to me and it came into contact with the [i]ryunochi[/i] the bowl was carved from . . . he would then awaken in full.? Sango nodded grimly. ?All the more reason not to give him what he wants. We?ll find a way to fight this future.? She paused; she felt movement at her back. ?What---?? Behind her, Miroku was pushing himself into a sitting position. ?Miroku!? Shippou exclaimed tearfully. ?You?re [i]awake[/i]!? The monk didn?t reply. His gaze was turned upward; he was listening to the noises overhead. Slowly, pushing himself up one knee at a time, he rose to his feet. ?Miroku,? Sango said in a low voice, watching him, ?what are you thinking?? ?The Dragon?s in wraith form right now,? he said quietly. ?It isn?t wearing Sesshoumaru?s flesh.? Absently, one hand brushed across the prayer beads covering the other. It was a gesture Sango didn?t fail to notice. ?You?re [i]not[/i] doing this,? she warned him, understanding what he intended. ?At least, not without [i]me[/i].? ?Sango, please stay inside,? he told her, without looking at her. ?We don?t know what this thing is capable of, and you?re injured.? ?You [i]too[/i]!? she argued, temper flaring. ?[i]Stay,? [/i]Miroku said firmly. ?I can?t risk having you nearby; you might be drawn in. I want you to find somewhere in this place to anchor yourselves. Hide yourselves. Especially [i]her[/i].? He nodded toward the Seer. He seemed much steadier on his feet than Sango had anticipated . . . or, at least, adept at ignoring the pain. ?I won?t leave you to do this by yourself!? she snapped. Then there came a loud crack from overhead. Shippou jumped and let out a squawk. ?Th-th-th-the DRAGON!? Jakken stammered, cowering behind his Staff of Heads, which he was holding in front of him like a shield. ?It?s going to come through the [i]roof[/i]!? Sango gritted her teeth; this was bad. Though he was a wraith, apparently Raiiru?s body was just solid enough to crack stone. ?Jakken, Rin,? she said, turning abruptly to face them. ?Is there anywhere to hide in this place? Any underground passageways?? Rin and Jakken exchanged glances. ?One,? Jakken replied, in a tone oddly hushed. ?It leads to caves in the mountains just northeast of here.? Sango stared at him; he looked a bit sad. But they didn?t have time to indulge his reluctance. ?Can you lead them there?? Miroku asked him. ?You won?t be safe here for long---from the Dragon or from me.? Sango rounded on him to protest, but the movement set her head reeling. To her frustration, Miroku caught her before she could stumble. She was surprised how strong the urge was to keep standing her, with his hands on her shoulders, but another reverberating crack from above forbade hesitation. She lifted her head, straightening, and saw that he was smiling down at her. ?It will be all right,? he told her. ?Just go. I?ll keep the Dragon from following you; right now [i]they[/i] need you to lead them to safety.? Sango swallowed hard and nodded. ?Once we get down into the passageway, we can ride Aun,? Rin volunteered. ?They will fit; the tunnel is large.? Sango nodded briskly. ?Very well. Can Aun carry all of us?? ?I can walk!? Shippou offered gallantly. ?You can go ahead of us and conjure foxfire to light our way,? Sango told him. He nodded seriously. His face was pale, but he seemed proud to be of use. ?Now, where?s the passage?? she asked, turning to Jakken. The imp sighed, rubbing at his nonexistent eyebrows as if opting for the tunnel pained him greatly. ?Follow me,? he said.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Miroku strode quickly down the empty halls, robes billowing about his legs. His right hand was clenched into a fist so tightly around his prayer beads that they left indentations in his fingers. His left trailed along the stone wall; he was extremely dizzy and feverish, and was trying not to faint. He had left his staff in the great hall; it wasn?t going to be any help given what he intended to do. His staggering gait was swift, however awkward, and his course undeviating. He soon reached the end of the hall, and slid aside two door panels carved with white cranes. He paused on the threshold, panting. At first he thought he had been unconscious for a whole day, and now it was night again. Then he realized that what he was seeing wasn?t the pitch blackness of an unlit garden at night, but the dark coils of the Dragon flowing past the doorway. [i]?It must have wrapped itself around the whole palace[/i],? he realized, staggered. He hadn?t imagined it would be so huge. He couldn?t even see top or bottom of the coil---all he saw were rows of silver-black scales. ?[i]I should try to get outside to do this[/i],? he thought, swiping at the sweat on his brow. [i]?If I try to pull it into my hand from inside the palace it will end up breaking this place apart, and I?ll be crushed before I can draw it in fully.?[/i] Leaving the doorway, Miroku stumbled back down the hall, searching for a room where he couldn?t see black out the window. The last one he tried had no window, but its contents gave him an idea. He could see by the dim light from the hallway torches that the place was full of weapons. Swords and shields, axes and daggers, arrowheads and halberds, all stacked on shelves or mounted on sconces like someone?s collection. He lifted down an axe and swung it at the wooden wall. If he could hack a hole large enough to squeeze through, he might be able to find a place where the dragon?s coils didn?t block his way. Weak as he was, his swing only made a dent in the wood. The walls were thick; it would take a supreme amount of strength to penetrate them . . . unless he swung with something heavier. Miroku dropped the axe and caught up a halberd. It was far heavier, and his muscles burned as he lifted it, but he gritted his teeth and swung it anyway. It clove a great crack in the wood, vertically long enough for him to slip through. He could see faint light filtering in from outside; there was an opening, if only he could reach it. But to reach it, he was going to have to widen the crack considerably, and this meant swinging [i]sideways[/i] with the halberd---a task that seemed near impossible. His arms were shaking. He struck slantwise, and the crack widened a bit. But it was nowhere near enough. He could tell this was going to take multiple tries to work. ?[i]But why is the Dragon still determined its prey is HERE?[/i]? he wondered as he labored. ?[i]It came here in the first place because it sensed two of the hanryu were HERE . . . But they should be gone by now . . .?[/i] He lifted the halberd over his head to give extra momentum to his next strike, but this time the weight was too much for him. He started to topple backwards. Strong arms caught the blade before it could descend, and he found himself stumbling against someone standing behind him. That someone had breasts. ?You?re a fool to think I?d leave you like this,? Sango murmured into his ear. ?Nice and soft,? Miroku remarked. His ear was tingling. Sango made a faint chuffing sound of irritation and clasped both her hands more firmly around the halberd?s handle, just above his. ?We?ll swing together,? she said. And they did. The crack did not merely widen; an entire section of the wall of approximately one-yard radius shattered, showering splinters outward onto the terrace. They dropped the halberd and crawled through it, emerging into what appeared to be the freezing crack of dawn. Immediately, Miroku realized that something was Very Wrong. ?Why can we see the dawn?? Sango asked, echoing his thoughts. ?Where has the Dragon gone?? The dark coils were gone; in their place was the view of the garden, touched gently by a wan morning light gleaming between the mountains. Miroku fell from his knees to his rear end, splaying both hands behind him on the terrace. ?Why has it left us?? he mused. ?If it has given up on [i]you[/i], Sango, it must have gone after the Seer . . . but . . .? ?. . . we would still [i]see[/i] it if that were the case,? Sango finished for him, picking splinters out of her bangs. ?It would have been tracking their progress through the passageway from overhead, which goes east.? She pointed across the garden; despite the ashy cloud hovering over the mountains, there was no sign of the Dragon there. ?But what could have lured it away from the palace so swiftly?? ?Then . . . it may have gone west.? Miroku started, rising onto his knees again in alarm. ?Sango, if it has found you and Suiton-[i]sama[/i] unwilling vessels . . . and it?s left this fast . . . It may have found a [i]willing[/i] vessel elsewhere . . .? [/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Asano stood upon the stone bridge by the lack, watching the fury of the mountain unfold. The air above it, and above the Tatesei Valley, was swathed in a black curtain of ash, but he could still see the liquid flame beginning to pour down toward the city. It filtered through the crevices in the slope, pooling and splashing and oftentimes simply flowing [i]over[/i] the obstacles in its path that it could not burn. Reiyama, the city of the Tatesei, was going to burn. Then he tilted back his head, squinting against the black snow because he?d seen something moving. It was coming toward him, dipping into the valley and flying down toward the lake. [i]?Raiiru-o-sama!? [/i]he cried, lifting his arms in supplication. ?[i]Come fill me!?[/i] And the shadow twisted, fixing his small figure with the pinpoint gleam of its eyes. The long forked tongue flickered, tasting the air and reveling in the scent of destruction. For a moment it hung poised in mid-air over the water; the Dragon had wrought this catastrophe, and was savoring it. Then it made straight for him.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]END OF CHAPTER 18[/b][/center][/color] [i]Yamisui: . . .where it took over his body and stopped the lava flow and the Tatesei made a fortune starting up their own casino chain. The deaths of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome were tragic but unavoidable. The End. (As if. Stay tuned for the last chapter in LOTW: ?One Winter?s Eve.?)[/i]

[COLOR=Gray][I]In the aftermath of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, Kakashi is coerced into accepting a mission guarding a Water Country feudal lord from assassins. The mission risks war with the Mist Ninja, who are under suspicion of being behind the attacks...and the danger may extend as far as Konoha itself and beyond, for it seems that someone is also sending killers after Gaara of the Sand. Thus Naruto and his friends embark on a perilous journey, leading them down the perilous Aoite Road and across the sea; through the deep forests surrounding the Mist Village and into the Water-lord's city, carved into the sea cliffs. It is there in Mizutou--a stone-walled city besieged by assassins and steeped in political intrigue--that Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi must face the terrible Shinkuhana no Jutsu--an assassin's technique known to bring instant death to both its victim and its wielder...[/I][/COLOR] [color=gray][i]Author?s Note: This story takes place in the span of time after the great Chuunin Exam arc and right before Itachi Uchiha comes to Konoha after Naruto. (Think of this story as a bridge between the two.) Though Orochimaru has been driven away and temporarily defeated, the Third Hokage is dead, and Konoha Village is in shambles after the war. At this point Jiraiya hasn?t seen Naruto since before the Chuunin Exam finals, and neither has he made his presence known to anyone in the village. Konoha is under drastic reconstruction, and, in order to pay for damage repairs, the Leaf Ninja are hiring themselves out with near-desperate zeal... [center]Before we begin, some terms defined: [u]Kunai[/u]: the knives that the ninja use [u]Tanuki[/u]: a ?raccoon-dog? [u]Shuriken[/u]: ninja stars [u]Levels of Ninja-hood[/u]: Genin (lowest), Chuunin, Jounin [u]Mizukage[/u]: the Mist Village?s equivalent of Konoha?s Hokage [u]Baka[/u]: what you are if you don?t know what ?baka? means[/i][/color] [color=orange][b]{o} {o} {o} RED BLOSSOM {o} {o} {o} {o} Chapter 1: The Water-Lord?s Request? A Chance For Glory! {o}[/b][/color] [color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color] [color=purple][i]It was autumn then. The crimson leaves fell soft upon the road; The blood of ninja, trampled underfoot.[/i][/color] [color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple][i]Beneath the maple trees, the young man stood with his family, keeping vigil over the grave of his comrade. The afternoon sun, which was sinking slowly beyond the wood, turned the leaves to crimson as they fell. They drifted down gently in a soft rain of blood, falling at the feet of those gathered there for the funeral, and on the grave itself. The young man?s face was taut with grief, but he allowed no tears to come. That was the shinobi way. His uncle laid a hand on his shoulder. He could scarcely feel it through the thick vest that he wore, which marked him as one of the Jounin. The gesture was meant to comfort, but he was too numb with shock to be comforted. Neither tears nor comfort could raise the dead. ?I know what a blow this is to you,? his uncle murmured. ?And I commend you for your loyalty...but sorrow should not be the force that shapes the course of your life. You?re still very young. Obito?s memory will fade in your heart one day, for his spirit has moved on to where you can?t follow.? A soft breeze stole through the forest, and the young man brushed absently at his hair to keep it from blowing over his forehead protector and across his brow. Numbly, he thought, ?You?re wrong. There IS one way I can follow him...? But he didn?t dare speak this aloud in the presence of his clan, for even the Hatake elders didn?t know of the secret that he carried. ?My decision to quit ANBU wasn?t rashly made,? the young man murmured in reply. ?I?ve put some thought into this...? More leaves drifted onto the stone obelisk that marked the gravesite, and finally one of the attending Hatake clan stepped forward to sweep them away. His uncle?s grip tightened on his shoulder. ?You mustn?t let this sorrow shape the man you become,? his uncle insisted. ?I don?t expect you to see that now, but in time...? The young man turned a faint smile upward over one shoulder---a smile that his uncle could scarcely see through the cloth that covered it. ?I?m not condemning myself to solitude,? he said calmly. There was a terrible, beautiful serenity in his voice---the peace that comes only after a man has cried until he can cry no more. ?Not at all. That was not my intent. Because I?ve quit ANBU, I will lead young shinobi and make them strong. And I will protect them with my life.? His uncle returned the smile, but it was a sad, bemused expression beneath the shadow of a frown. He sensed the terrible loneliness that tormented the young man, but he did not fully understand its cause. ?Being a soldier won?t replace being a man who loves and is loved by other people,? he told his nephew. ?Do you recall the rule that a ninja must not give in to emotions? It doesn?t mean to make yourself a stone, or to hide behind a mask---it means that you can?t let grief and anger shape who you are.? He bent nearer, to whisper in his nephew?s ear. ?After all, even if he?s left you, you are going to LIVE...?[/i][/color] [center][color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color] [COLOR=Blue][b]Fourteen Years Later[/b][/center] ?Kakashi-[i]sensei[/i]!? ?[i]Oi[/i]! It?s a disgrace for an adult to be this lazy!? ?You?re late.? Kakashi emerged from the woods at half past noon beneath a clear autumn sky. The air was brisk and cold, and he drew in a deep breath, savoring it as he turned his attention toward an irritable Sakura, who was standing and glaring at him with her hands on her hips. The second came from Naruto, who had just leaped to his feet and begun shaking a fist at his teacher. The third came from Sasuke, who was leaning against one of the training posts a little ways apart from his fellow ninja. Sasuke wore his perpetually bored expression, which meant that he was glad to see his teacher no matter how late he was. Kakashi, in return, beamed at them all from beneath the cloth covering his face. ?I?m sorry,? he apologized cheerily. ?I was just admiring the maple leaves, while my mind wandered down many a path of meditation.? ?Your mind [i]wanders[/i]--I?ll give you that,? Naruto grumbled, already bored with chewing his teacher out. ?You promised you?d work with me on the Chidori technique today.? Sakura glanced over at him in surprise. ?What--you?re [i]still[/i] trying to learn that one?? she asked. ?Why won?t you give it up already? Sasuke?s the only one besides Kakashi-[i]sensei[/i] who can use it, and both of them can only use it because they have the Sharingan.? Sasuke shifted his weight to the other foot as he leaned against the training post. He didn?t seem pleased. In fact, lately he seemed to grow inexplicably irritable whenever his personal techniques and Naruto were mentioned together. ?I could do it if I trained my hardest!? Naruto insisted, whirling around to face her with his hands balled into fists at his sides. Sakura merely folded her arms, looking skeptical. ?I?ve watched you try to ?train? for Chidori,? she remarked flatly. ?You stand there all hunched over, clutching your wrist and screwing up your face like you?re constipated.? ?[i]Ahem[/i].? Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, coming into the clearing to stand in their midst. ?I know it?s bad enough that I?m late, but I regret to inform you that I won?t have time to teach you today.? A look of profound horror cross Naruto?s face, as if Kakashi had just cancelled Christmas. He hastened over to stand directly in front of the Jounin, gazing up at him pleadingly. ?But, but, but I?m going to get [i]weak[/i] if you don?t train me!? he protested. ?And fat,? Sakura added helpfully. ?With all that ramen you eat...? But she seemed disappointed as well. Sasuke?s eyes narrowed. ?How am I supposed to get any stronger if you keep making excuses for leaving us to train on our own?? he asked, a bit too intensely. ?Hey, [i]I'll[/i] train with you!? Naruto suggested, turning toward the brooding, dark-haired Genin. Kakashi gave him a sharp look that clearly meant No, but as usual Naruto?s enthusiasm rendered him completely oblivious. Sasuke, in the meantime, had stopped leaning against the training post and moved out onto the grass, looking interested. An unusually fierce look came into Naruto?s eye, and he straightened, one hand lingering near his [i]kunai[/i]. ?We never [i]did[/i] get to fight,? he remarked. Sasuke nodded slowly. ?Because the Chuunin Exam was interrupted.? The two boys stood there a moment, sizing each other up. Naruto was grinning eagerly; Sasuke wasn?t smiling at all. The sudden tension in the air made Sakura nervous. ?Wait--? she began, starting toward them, but fortunately Kakashi--no doubt sensing that blood was about to be spilt--interfered first. ?[i]Ahem[/i].? The white-haired Jounin stepped forward, raising one fist to his mouth and clearing his throat loudly. ?I can?t make today?s practice, but I [i]can[/i] make it up to you,? he said, addressing all three of them. ?Our team has just been assigned to a new mission; I?m afraid you?ll have to postpone killing each other.? Naruto turned toward him, raising an eyebrow.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?It?s not raking leaves, is it?? he asked suspiciously, glancing at the fiery-red maple leaves scattered across the practice field. Sasuke scowled, obviously equally displeased with the notion. Kakashi held up both hands for silence. ?Let me explain,? he told them. ?This isn?t an ordinary mission. It?s Class-A. Do you recall what that means?? Naruto?s mouth fell open. ?Class [I]A[/I]?!? Sakura exclaimed in astonishment. ?That?s for Jounin! Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I], we shouldn?t be doing something of that caliber...? Sasuke cast her a sidelong glance, looking as if he wanted to strangle her for protesting. A slow grin spread over Naruto?s face. ?Hey, hey, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I]---what is it we?re doing?? he asked excitedly. Kakashi folded his arms, arching his back to gaze up at the sky. He wasn?t smiling. ?An unusual request has been made of us,? he said coolly. ?We?ve been asked to make the journey to the Water Country. There?s a city there called Mizutou, built right into the cliffs along the eastern coast. Its ruler, Lord Garyu, has requested our service as bodyguards.? Naruto was practically hopping up and down with impatience. ?So? Where are we taking him?? he asked. ?So our route will take us across the ocean? Wow! Class-A! A real chance for glory! Can we go to the beach on our way back?? Kakashi looked down at him, wearing an oddly closed expression. ?We?re not [I]taking[/I] him anywhere. We?ll be guarding him there in Mizutou.? ?Eh?? Naruto pulled a face. ?Why [I]us[/I], then? Konoha ninjas, I mean. Doesn?t Mizutou have its [I]own[/I] ninja?? Kakashi merely eyed him gravely, saying nothing. Sasuke sat down in the grass, smiling grimly. ?Heh. I [I]see[/I],? he said, lowering his head so that his dark bangs fell across his forehead. ?So [I]that?s[/I] why the mission has an A-ranking.? ?Am I missing something?? Sakura asked, glancing from Sasuke to Kakashi and back again. With a sigh, Kakashi unfolded his arms. ?Lord Garyu has reason to believe that ninja from the Hidden Village of Mist are after his life. He?s spoken with the Mizukage already, but the Mizukage denies it. And there have been several attacks of late---Garyu can?t afford to wait for evidence of the Mist ninja?s involvement to present itself. So he seeks help from the ninja from another country.? The Jounin paused, looking askance at Sasuke. ?And yes, you?re right---the mission has an A-ranking because what we?re being hired to do here is to fight off ninja specifically trained for assassination.? ?Fine,? Sasuke responded, resting one hand on his knee and twiddling a blade of grass between the fingers of the other. Sakura rounded on him, upset by his attitude. ?What do you mean, ?[I]fine[/I]??! This is very dangerous! We have to take this seriously!? Sasuke dropped the grass. ?Just what I said: fine,? he repeated calmly. Then he glanced up at Kakashi. ?When do we leave?? Kakashi frowned a little, but didn?t comment on his student?s attitude. ?Tomorrow,? he told them. ?Pack light, and pack plainclothes. [I]No[/I] ninja attire,? he repeated firmly, directing this at Naruto, who was regarding him with a look of abject horror. ?When we get to Mizutou, Lord Garyu will provide local clothes for us to wear, because we?ll be staying in the city for quite some time and we need to blend in. I want you all to eat well tonight and go to sleep early---we?ve got a long journey ahead of us, and it?s important that we make good time. The longer we take, the longer Garyu?s life will be in danger.? Then he ceased speaking, and his three students stared at him. ?That?s all,? Kakashi told them, realizing that they expected him to say more. ?I?ll fill you in once we?ve left Konoha. Just go home.? Then he turned and walked off into the trees. The three Genin watched him leave, wearing expressions with varying degrees of frustration and bemusement. After a moment had passed in silence, Naruto could no longer contain himself. ?What the hell?s he doing?! Going for a stroll?! He [I]could[/I] have stayed to train with us...? Sasuke---also watching the Jounin meander off into the woods---wore a rather sour expression as well. Sakura turned to face them. She sensed that this was a good time to lighten the mood, before her two friends decided to have a go at each other again. ?Why don?t we all pack now, and then you can come over to my house for dinner?? she offered, a bit nervously. Naruto?s scowl vanished immediately, and he turned a sunny grin and a pair of very large, liquid blue eyes her way. ?Really, Sakura-[I]chan[/I]? REALLY?!? Somewhat disturbed by the liquid blue eyes trained on her so adoringly, Sakura turned to Sasuke and held her breath. She managed to appear nonchalant about it, though the Inner Sakura was urging him, ?[I]SAY ?YES?, DAMMIT![/I]? She had never invited either Sasuke or Naruto home before, but she figured that a pre-mission sendoff dinner was as good an opportunity as any. Sasuke?s reaction was far from satisfactory. He merely persisted in glaring off in the direction Kakashi had taken, restlessly tearing at the grass. In Naruto?s case, however, she seemed to have won his undying affection. ?All RIGHT!? he exulted, balling his fists in front of him eagerly. ?Sakura-[I]chan?s[/I] cooking!? ?Er---it?s my mother?s---? Sakura began, somewhat taken aback by his exuberance, but then she decided against setting him straight. ?[I]Oh, well[/I],? she thought. [I]?At least I?ve made SOMEONE happy...[/I]? ?I?ll come.? Sakura was so shocked to hear this that she nearly keeled over. Sasuke was looking straight at her. He wasn?t smiling, but by this time she knew better than to expect that of him. ?Ah---okay,? she managed, blushing furiously while the Inner Sakura exulted at the top of her lungs. ?I guess I?ll be going then. See you at sundown.? Having laid these plans for the evening, the three Genin went their separate ways.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][B][CENTER]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/CENTER][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Naruto strolled down Konoha?s thoroughfare with a bit of a spring in his step. ?Dinner with Sakura-[I]chan[/I], dinner with Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? he sang to himself as he went. He was in such high spirits that he grinned widely at everyone he passed---which earned him a plethora of bemused stares from the shopkeepers and errand-runners, and more than a few worried looks from people who knew the kind of mischief he could get into. The restaurants were just beginning to open for the evening, and the savory scent of ramen wafted past his nose. Inhaling deeply, Naruto turned his head eagerly this way and that, trying to locate the source of the smell. Then he realized what he was doing and stopped himself, pounding a fist against his stomach and shaking his head vehemently. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I] is feeding me tonight!? he told his stomach firmly. ?I will be strong and hold out for Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? His stomach responded with a hearty gurgle. Then, because he wasn?t paying attention, Naruto managed to walk right into the tall white-haired hermit heading in the opposite direction. ?Why hold out for one girl?? the man asked cheerily as Naruto bounced off him. ?She?ll never know if you get a little something on the side, too...? Naruto realized immediately who it was and jumped back a good three feet. ?[I]ERO-SENNIN[/I]!? he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the Sannin?s chest. Jiraiya?s grin melted into a scowl, and he waved hastily at Naruto, trying to get him to shut up. ?Brat! Do you have to yell that out [I]here[/I]?? People walking around them were beginning to stare, and not merely because they had stopped right in the middle of the street. Naruto, of course, who was notorious for not shutting up until he was good and ready, merely squinted at the Sannin and went on with his tirade. ?Where were [I]you[/I] when all hell was breaking loose in Konoha?? he demanded. ?Out playing with your frogs? Or peeping at girls, maybe...? This was the final straw for Jiraiya---passing women were giving him rather hostile looks. Mothers were beginning to steer their children as far away from the quarreling pair as was possible amid the crowded street. Before Naruto could utter another word, the Sannin clamped one hand around the Genin?s mouth and dragged him kicking and flailing into a nearby alleyway. [/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?Oy, oy!? Naruto exclaimed when Jiraiya had finally released him. ?[I]Ero-sennin[/I]---what?s going on?? ?Hush!? Jiraiya admonished, more sternly this time. ?I don?t want all of Konoha to know I?m here.? ?Really?? Naruto immediately quieted down, regarding the Sannin with wide, curious eyes. ?Then why are you HERE?? ?Ah...? Jiraiya?s frown eased, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ?I came to see [I]you[/I], actually. I heard an interesting rumor from a frog about what happened while I was away. . .something about the Sand ninja Gaara and a giant demon?? ?Ehh...oh, that.? Naruto looked mildly bemused. ?I always thought [I]tanuki[/I] were supposed to be [I]cute[/I], but he had an [I]evil[/I] one inside him.? ?A [I]tanuki[/I] demon? Inside him?? Jiraiya smiled, but he wore an expression of uncharacteristic puzzlement. ?Ah...that?s interesting...? ?What? What?? Naruto peered up at him, curious because he had never seen the Sannin wear such a face. Jiraiya stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. ?What can you tell me about this ?Gaara??? he asked. ?What sort of techniques does he use?? Naruto cast a furtive glance down the alleyway, but the nearest people were walking past it along the main road, well beyond earshot. When he turned back toward the white-haired Sannin his face was very solemn. ?Gaara is like me,? he said simply. Slowly, Jiraiya nodded understanding. ?But he uses sand, like a shield. No one gets near him because of it.? ?[I]Except you[/I],? the Sannin thought, ?[I]because you?re like him[/I].? But he didn?t say this out loud. Instead he patted Naruto on the head in an absent sort of way, which made the yellow-haired Genin scowl. ?Thanks,? he said. ?I think it?s becoming clearer to me...? Naruto cocked his head to one side, squinting up at the hermit in confusion. ?Ehh? What is?? Jiraiya flashed him a conspiratorial grin and a thumbs-up. ?Secret business,? he declared cryptically. Then, in a rush of wind, the Sannin was gone, no doubt navigating the rooftops to pursue some mysterious errand. Naruto blinked in bemusement. [I]?Ehh? He asked about Gaara, so it can?t have to do with peeping...?[/I] Naruto grimaced. ?[I]At least, I HOPE it doesn?t have to do with peeping... With Ero-sennin you never know.?[/I] Still shaking his head, Naruto wandered back onto the main thoroughfare, earning a few suspicious looks as he emerged from the dark alley. Then he remembered... ?SHIT!? he exclaimed, causing several women with shopping bags to jump. ?SAKURA-[I]CHAN[/I]!? Then he took off at a dead run.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Kakashi sat on the balcony outside his room, which overlooked one of Konoha?s quieter streets. The moon shone down over the village, casting blue shadows across the streets wherever there weren?t lanterns strung to hold them at bay. Shadows, of course, were no real threat to a [I]shinobi[/I]---it was the ones who moved in them that inspired caution. ?[I]I don?t like this[/I],? Kakashi thought, gazing off into the distance and frowning. A cold wind ruffled his hair, blowing westward. He had promised to explain the nature of the pending mission in greater detail once his team was clear of Konoha, but there were still some secrets that he had no intention of divulging. He had been quite surprised when the village elders---some of whom were close relatives of the late Third Hokage---summoned him personally to meet with the messenger from the Water Country. It was not standard procedure, and it was also extremely unusual for the elders to concern themselves with a mission when Konoha was still ungoverned and in shambles. They met in the ANBU Council Room in the Hokage?s headquarters, which served to unnerve Kakashi even further. Going to this extent to preserve a mission?s secrecy had seemed unduly excessive...until the elders explained the nature of this particular mission. Kakashi?s first impression of the Water-Lord?s messenger was that this was a ninja whose enemies would underestimate him and then immediately come to regret it. He was introduced to the Jounin as Arashi Shikyo---a short, slender man from the Hidden Village of Rain with a quiet, unassuming manner and an easy way of moving that belied lightning-fast reflexes. Once the situation in Mizutou was explained, Kakashi understood why such a man had been dispatched. Shikyo was apparently one of Lord Garyu?s personal bodyguards, and was the candidate most likely to survive a journey past the Hidden Village of Mist---where the assassins after Garyu purportedly had their base. ?But why choose [I]me[/I]?? Kakashi had asked, frowning beneath his mask. ?There are others...perhaps even ANBU would be more ideal in this situation.? There were no ANBU members attending the meeting. ?The Water-Lord was one of the attending guests at your Chuunin Exam,? Shikyo told Kakashi. ?He witnessed your students? trials, and has complete faith in those you place your faith in.? The Rain ninja nodded toward the chamber?s one open window, which revealed a panoramic view of the Leaf Village. ?My instructions are clear. You are invited to bring anyone from Konoha that you wish. However, Garyu-[I]sama[/I] requested that you not bring ANBU into this. The Mist Ninja already have fingers pointing to them in accusation; they would no doubt interpret it as a threat to their Village if they learned that Konoha was involved. That is why Garyu-[I]sama[/I] requested a small company of Leaf Ninja---so that Konoha?s presence there would not be intrusive.? Shikyo?s sharp gaze turned back toward Kakashi. ?And my lord will only provide funding for you and your team. All others will come only at your behest.? Kakashi?s eyes narrowed. [I]?He?s trapped me---forcing me to undertake this mission with only myself and my team, because Konoha can?t afford to send shinobi on missions for which they won?t be paid. But WHY? Why MY team??[/I] Aloud, he asked, ?Which still leaves me to wonder: why was [I]I[/I] chosen in particular?? Shikyo?s smooth expression turned grim. ?There is a special technique used by the assassins each time they make an attempt on Garyu-[I]sama?s[/I] life,? he murmured. ?According to the dossiers my lord acquired on his last visit to Konoha---during the Chuunin Exam---there are only two living in your village able to use this technique. Your name was listed, as was your profile, and the profile of the other man.? Kakashi was so shocked that he took an involuntary step backward. ?Then...you mean...?? The Jounin glanced at the attending Leaf elders for confirmation. To his horror, they nodded gravely. That night, seated cross-legged on his balcony, Kakashi whispered the accursed name. ?[I]Shinkuhana no Jutsu[/I]---the Crimson Blossom Technique...? It was an assassin?s technique---one Kakashi had spent thirteen years praying he would never need to use...[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Despite the haste with which he traversed the streets, Naruto was still the last to arrive at Sakura?s house. ?Damn that [I]Ero-sennin[/I], making me late,? he muttered as he wrapped on her door. From inside he heard a brief exchange between several people, followed by someone?s footsteps as they approached the door. Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, he straightened his jacket-collar and readied the bunch of flowers he?d bought on the way. They were pink, like Sakura?s hair. The door swung open, and Naruto swallowed hard, holding the bouquet out in front of him. What he got was an eyeful of Sasuke, who had been elected to let him in because the rest of Sakura?s family was busy in the kitchen. The two Genin stared silently at each other for a minute beneath the glow of the porch light. Then Sasuke turned a cool eye down toward the proffered flowers. ?Those had better not be for [I]me[/I],? he said, backing up and opening the door further to allow Naruto passage. Naruto, whose flesh was crawling at the very thought, grumbled, ?Hell no,? and brushed past his fellow Genin. Once inside, however, he stopped in his tracks and took to gazing intently at his surroundings. Sakura?s house was much neater than his own apartment, and much larger. The walls in the dining room were painted yellow and everywhere he looked there was evidence of a woman?s touch, from the décor to the arrangement of the framed photos on the shelves. Though he couldn?t quite pinpoint why, Naruto decided he liked it. ?Stop grinning like that; you?re making me nervous.? Sakura had just entered the room, wearing an apron over her red jumper and carrying a ladle in one hand. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? Naruto greeted her excitedly, turning and offering her the bouquet. Caught off-guard, she accepted it and bent to breathe in the scent. Naruto beamed; Sasuke merely folded his arms and looked bored. ?Erm---thanks,? Sakura finally responded, returning his smile for once. Then she disappeared back into the kitchen with them, presumably to find a vase. While Sasuke seated himself at the table, Naruto took to examining the photos on the shelves. Having never had one of his own, he was curious to see what sort of family Sakura had. ?Hey, hey, Sasuke, you should see this!? he called, picking one of them up and waving it in the air. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I] as a baby, butt naked!? ?NARUTO! DON?T BE LOOKING AT THAT!? Sakura shouted, hurtling back into the room and looking so outraged she seemed possessed. Sasuke watched with folded arms as Naruto received a fist in the jaw for his troubles, wearing a slight smile. At that moment, Sakura?s mother emerged from the kitchen bearing a tray of dumplings. ?May I help you with anything else, Mother?? Sakura asked sweetly. Both Sasuke and Naruto stared at her in amazement. [I]?Her---her personality just did a full one-eighty[/I],? Naruto thought, gaping in wonderment and rubbing his chin. ?[I]So scary...[/I]? ?Ehh, it?s all right, Sakura,? her mother replied, eyeing the two boys speculatively. ?You can keep your friends company while your father finishes cooking the [I]yakisoba[/I].? She was a rather pretty woman, with dark hair and eyes and a very fine oval-shaped face. She looked more like she could have given birth to Sasuke than Sakura. Sasuke favored her with one of his rare genuine smiles and bowed respectfully. Sakura?s mother returned the smile briefly, but her eyes were on Naruto. Her expression was wary, as if he were a stray dog her daughter had let into the house that might possibly be rabid. Still rubbing his jaw, Naruto grinned at her, which unfortunately made him look every bit as impish as his reputation suggested. Without another word, she turned briskly and strode back into the kitchen. Sakura turned toward Naruto with her fists on her hips. ?You didn?t break anything yet, did you?? ?No,? Naruto replied somewhat indignantly. ?See?? He held up the picture to show that it was still intact and then replaced it on the shelf with exaggerated carefulness. Sakura scowled at it. ?It?d be okay if you broke [I]that[/I],? she muttered. ?Hey, Sakura, let?s go to [I]your[/I] room!? Naruto suggested, his mind already jumping to the next impulse to flash through his brain. Sakura laid a finger to her lower lip, looking somewhat uneasy. Then, without warning, she took off down the hall, shouting, ?Wait there a sec!? over her shoulder. Presently several banging and scraping noises echoed down the hall. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged bemused glances, and then looked up when Sakura came hurtling back into the room. ?All clean now,? she panted, and the two of them followed her to her bedroom. Naruto, who had never seen the inside of a girl?s bedroom, immediately began making a case study of it. Sakura immediately found her hands full with keeping him out of the drawers containing her underwear; he was rampantly curious about every bit of jewelry lying around and every poster on the wall, and most of all the framed pictures of her family that she had on display. ?Sakura?s clan? he called them, which seemed to embarrass her because she didn?t understand his enthusiasm. ?[I]Of course not[/I],? Naruto thought to himself. ?[I]She has a family.? [/I] This made him feel a bit odd, so he turned his attention to the enormous mirror mounted into a stand near Sakura?s dresser. ?I bet Sakura-[I]chan[/I] primps in front of it every morning,? he remarked, casting an impish eye toward Sasuke. Then he formed a quick seal, shouted ?[I]Henge[/I]!? and abruptly another Sakura stood in front of the mirror. ?Naruto!? Sakura protested, ?what are you---?? ?I can?t wear [I]this[/I]; it makes me look [I]fat[/I]!? Naruto simpered in Sakura?s voice. ?Oh, Sasuke, will you ever notice my lovely white legs?? Sakura?s double struck a pose in front of the mirror, lifting one corner of his/her red jumper to expose more of his/her thigh. Sakura, who [I]did[/I] primp every morning, rewarded his prank with a fist in the gut. ?Oy!? Naruto wheezed, staggering backward and clutching at his belly. ?You shouldn?t hit a girl!? Then the transformation vanished in a puff of smoke, and he landed on his rear end on the floor. While Sakura glanced nervously at Sasuke, who was sitting on her bed, Naruto doubled over with laughter. However, he still hadn?t quite recovered from having the wind knocked out of him, and so it sounded more like he was choking. Sasuke had been watching the proceedings with folded arms and his perpetually bored expression. ?What an idiot, eh?? Sakura remarked, laughing a bit nervously. It was a bit hard to think clearly when the Inner Sakura was shouting, ?[I]YES! Sasuke is in MY bedroom, on MY bed!? [/I] and other such impure thoughts. Then she turned back toward Naruto, who was rolling around on the floor. [I]?It would be perfect if HE weren?t here...?[/I] ?Kakashi seems awfully close-mouthed about this mission,? Sasuke said unexpectedly. His friends abandoned their previous engagements to turn and stare at him. The dark-haired Genin was gazing absently at his own reflection in the mirror. ?What do you mean?? Naruto asked, sitting up and drawing his knees into a cross-legged position. ?He seemed pretty straight-forward about it to [I]me[/I]...? Sasuke leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of his chin. ?Think about it. He admitted that he isn?t going to tell us everything until we?ve left Konoha.? His sharp black eyes switched from the mirror to Naruto?s face. ?That?s like saying there?s some sort of danger in Konoha itself---danger that might put the mission at risk.? Sakura shook her head. ?But why would someone in the Leaf Village care about some feudal lord in the Water Country?? ?Precisely,? Sasuke agreed, nodding to himself. ?[I]What a freak[/I],? Naruto thought, staring at the other boy with one eye squinted and the opposite eyebrow raised. [I]?Worrying about all that stuff NOW... Kakashi-sensei?s just going to tell us anyway tomorrow morning.?[/I] Sakura, on the other hand, looked starry-eyed and impressed. ?You?re right,? she breathed. ?There has to be more to this. After all, it is an A-Class mission.? Her last modicum of misgivings about the danger level seemed to have evaporated in the presence of her object of desire. ?And if the Mist Ninja are involved, then---? ?Sakura!? her mother called from the kitchen. ?Dinner is ready!? ?Coming!? Sakura shouted. Her two friends followed her back down the hall to the dining room, where everything had already been served and was now steaming gently on their plates. ?All RIGHT!? Naruto exulted as he seated himself across from Sakura. ?[I]Itadakimasu!?[/I] ?[I]Itadakimasu[/I],? Sasuke said, taking hold of a dumpling between his chopsticks in a far more dignified manner. [I]?Itadakimasu[/I],? Sakura echoed. She had seated herself next to Sasuke so that their hands could ?accidentally? brush every time he passed a dish around. She fully intended to eat her fill tonight. Sakura?s mother was still giving Naruto the evil eye. Naruto, who was quite accustomed to people giving him the evil eye, grinned at her and said, ?Delicious!? before popping an entire rice-ball into his mouth. The woman?s scowl deepened, and she turned away to avoid looking at him at all. ?So your mission this time is to act as bodyguards for a foreign lord, is it?? Sakura?s father asked them, helping himself to the [I]yakisoba[/I]. ?And you?re meeting Kakashi-[I]san[/I] early tomorrow morning?? ?That?s right,? Sakura replied, forcing a smile, as if fending off skilled assassins were something she looked forward to. [/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?It?s so odd, though, that Kakashi-[I]san[/I] feels your mission could last as long as a month,? her mother remarked. The three Genin exchanged bemused glances. In the end, none of them replied. ?Well, Sasuke-[I]kun[/I], I saw your fight at the Chuunin Exam, and it was quite impressive!? Sakura?s father said, leaning forward to gaze down the table at the dark-haired boy. He was a somewhat homely man, but he had a wide, honest face and an engaging smile. Naruto could see where Sakura inherited her forehead from, but her father?s hair was brown. Somehow he felt that a black-haired mother and a brown-haired father should not have been able to produce a daughter with light pink hair. ?[I]Or maybe genetics don?t apply to anime heroines[/I],? he decided, nodding to himself while chewing [I]soba[/I]. At the mention of the Chuunin Exam Sasuke?s black eyes narrowed, and his mood visibly soured. ?Ah...Sasuke-[I]kun[/I], can you please pass the [I]gyoza[/I]?? Sakura asked, seeking to distract him before he could lapse into silent brooding. For some reason, any mention of his fight with Gaara seemed to instantly darken his mood. Oblivious to the delicacy of the situation, Naruto warmed to the topic. ?Yeah! It?s too bad Orochimaru attacked, or Sasuke would have [I]really[/I] kicked that creepy guy?s ass!? Sakura shot him a glare while piling gyoza on her plate, completely missing the fact that Sasuke?s hand brushed hers in the process. Sakura?s father nodded seriously. ?I was amazed at how strong you were against him,? he remarked. ?Gaara was dangerous---dangerous even to his own comrades. One of the men placing bets told me that even the Sand Ninja were afraid of him, and that he killed people in his own village.? Sakura?s mother?s lips pursed, giving her face a rather pinched, fierce look to it. ?The rumor was going around the stadium that he had a demon beast inside him,? she said distastefully. ?Sealed into him, and then they gave him a shield of sand to protect him! Who would want to [I]protect[/I] such a monster?? As she spoke, her gaze slid sideways toward Naruto, who paused mid-chew in surprise. ?They only kept him to use against Konoha,? Sakura?s father suggested. ?But he was definitely what I?d call a dangerous tool.? Naruto swallowed hurriedly. ?Gaara was strong, but he used his strength in a bad way,? he told them. ?He was alone, and it made him angry because he didn?t trust or rely on anyone.? He shrugged. ?He?s creepy, but I don?t think he?s the sort of guy who can?t change.? Sakura blinked, unsure what to make of this strange little speech. Her parents, on the other hand, seemed to be radiating disapproval in Naruto?s direction. ?You sympathize with him?? Sakura?s father asked. Suddenly his smile was no longer engaging. ?But, then, [I]you[/I] of all---? His wife cut him off sharply. ?Gaara may be able to change on the outside,? she agreed with Naruto, but her tone was frosty. ?And maybe the Sand may come to see him as a hero...? With a jolt, realization hit Naruto like one of Sakura?s left-hooks: [I]Sakura?s parents knew that the Nine-Tails demon had been sealed inside him[/I]. Of course they knew. How could he have forgotten? [I]All[/I] the adults knew... And just now, if Sakura?s mother had not interrupted what her husband was about to say, he might have blurted out the secret, [I]right in front of Sasuke and Sakura. [/I] ?However,? Sakura?s mother went on, ?inside he will always be a monster.? Delicately, she captured a dumpling between her chopsticks. ?Regardless of whom he fools.? Naruto tried to swallow, but the piece of tofu stuck in his throat. Every instinct in his brain was telling him to leave Right Now, before the conversation got any uglier. It had been a while since he?d come across people like this. He had no way of knowing if Sakura?s parents had lost an uncle; a sister; a friend---but it was all the same. They blamed him because he was like a living symbol of their pain---a living legacy of their grief for those killed by the Nine-Tails. It never stopped hurting him because he was the sort of boy who understood the pain of others, and this nearly defied his understanding. He didn?t think he could bear it if his friends found out. Sakura stared back and forth between her parents in confusion. The Inner Sakura was demanding, ?[I]WHAT THE HELL?!? [/I] Sasuke merely folded his hands in front of his mouth and studied Sakura?s mother intently. He had been listening to the entire conversation with keen interest, because he had no idea what was going on either and his sharp mind liked to wrap itself around things that puzzled him. Naruto laid his chopsticks across his plate and wiped his fingers on the front of his pant legs beneath the table. ?Thank you for the meal,? he told Sakura?s mother, who was chewing her dumpling idly as if she hadn?t just delivered such a stinging veiled insult. ?It was delicious.? Then he shoved his chair back from the table and stood up to leave. Sakura finally recovered from her confusion enough to be surprised at the abruptness of his leave-taking. ?Eh---Naruto? Why are---?? she began, but her father interrupted her. ?I?m sure he wants to turn in early so he?s well rested for the start of the mission tomorrow.? ?Right.? Naruto nodded, and with a forced grin he turned quickly and headed for the door. ?See you in the morning, then.? There was an unnatural spring in his step so obviously false that Sakura and Sasuke merely stared at him in silence. Then the door swung shut behind him, and he stood alone on the porch. It was later now, and the streets had grown quiet. Most of the people who had been out before had either arrived home, could be found sitting in bars and restaurants with friends and family. Naruto took a deep breath, and then stepped beyond the light of Sakura?s porch and onto the road. He took his time going home; the truth was he wasn?t the least bit tired, or inclined to turn in early for the sake of the mission. He was still hungry as well, and as he walked alone he had his stomach?s growling to keep him company. Because of the noise and his hurt feelings, it took Naruto quite some time before he noticed that he was being trailed. At first he thought it was just his imagination---that he was seeing the shadow of someone passing by him on the main road, but then he realized that the shadow had no accompanying person to cast it. ?[I]Ero-sennin[/I]?? he muttered, a bit uncertainly, wondering if the old frog-hermit were trying to get him alone to talk. However, from the fleeting glimpses of it that he caught he could see that it was someone much shorter and thinner around the shoulders. [I]?It?s not Konohamaru[/I],? he thought with a grimace. ?[I]That kid couldn?t hide his ass with both hands and a camouflage technique.?[/I] Naruto scratched his head, squinting at the surrounding buildings and trying to catch another glimpse. None came. Whoever it was, they apparently didn?t want to [I]talk[/I] to him; they wanted to [I]follow[/I] him. Naruto jammed his hands in his pockets, adopting a casual swagger and whistling as he moved down the street. [I]?I hope it?s not Sakura?s mother, coming to kill me,[/I]? he thought, a bit worriedly. After about fifteen minutes of pretending to be unaware of his stalker, Naruto turned and ducked abruptly into a narrow side-street. He was about to take off at a dead run using [I]shinobi[/I] speed, but curiosity got the better of him and he hesitated, peering back the way he?d come to see if the shadow moved again. Nothing moved; the street was empty. Slowly, Naruto backed up, preparing to turn and run like hell for home. Instead he found himself backing into someone standing behind him. An arm swathed in white cloth clamped around his neck, immediately trapping him in a choke-hold. In the other hand his captor held a [I]kunai[/I], with the blade pressed against Naruto?s throat.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Within the privacy of the ANBU Council Room, where just seven hours earlier Hatake Kakashi had met with Konoha?s Elders, the Elders now presided over the report of an ANBU squad that had recently returned to the village. The squad was large---composed of ten people---but this wasn?t unusual given the nature of their previous mission. They had been sent out onto the public roads in groups of two and three, posing as ordinary wayfarers in order to trail the Sand Ninja as they made their way home. Or, more specifically, they had been sent to follow Gaara, the leader of the Sand?s only representing team. A full report on what had transpired in the Forest of Death during the chaos after the Chuunin Exam had been made, composed of the accounts of several eye-witnesses. What concerned ANBU the most was the fact that Gaara, like Uzumaki Naruto, had a demon sealed inside him, and thus they?d elected to begin immediate investigation of the boy. The investigation was mainly to determine what precautions the Sand were taking to keep him under control. The investigation took a sudden dark turn when the corpses began turning up along the road. Only one ANBU team trailed Gaara all the way to the Sand Village; the rest ended up investigating the strange deaths. It was obvious that Gaara was the killer, but what puzzled the Leaf ninja was the fact that the ?victims? were apparently anything but innocent. Some of the bodies were mangled beyond recognition, for Gaara had apparently employed his ?Desert Coffin? technique against them, but ANBU found discarded weapons lying near them, indicating that they had died because they dared to attack the Sand boy. Those attackers that he had not used Desert Coffin on were usually to be found lying with their mouths grotesquely open and their lungs filled with sand. Upon investigating these gruesome sites ANBU found that all of the attackers had at least two things in common: they were all shinobi, and all of them were exiles from their various villages. This was evident from their forehead protectors, upon which there was always a slantwise slash across the village emblems. The matter had been brought before the Leaf Elders because ANBU was at a loss. Their first intuitive guess was that some of the feudal lords attending the Chuunin Exam had bet against Sasuke and lost a great deal of money, and that these lords were sending assassins to get their revenge against Gaara himself. However, this didn?t seem entirely plausible because of the sheer number of assassins that had been sent. [I]Shinobi[/I] assassins didn?t come cheap, and exiled [I]shinobi[/I] living as mercenaries were oftentimes even more expensive. It seemed unlikely that feudal lords who had just lost enough money to make them seek vengeance against Gaara would be able to afford hiring this many killers. The Leaf Elders ruled that it was far more likely that the assassins had all come from one group, which implied that there was some form of hidden organization built up somewhere. After the havoc that Orochimaru had wreaked with his forces from the Hidden Village of Sound, such an investigation was well worth pursuing. Konoha had learned its lesson, and wasn?t going to be taking any more chances. In the shadows on the rooftop just above the Council Room, Jiraiya was seated cross-legged, eavesdropping. ?Another secret organization, like Orochimaru?s?? he murmured softly to himself, stroking his chin with his thick fingers. ?Or maybe it [I]is[/I] Orochimaru?s.? The Sannin had missed the aftermath of the Chuunin Exam fiasco, having spent that weekend carousing in a civilian village some thirty miles away after staying just long enough to attend the Third Hokage?s funeral. However, en route back to Konoha, he happened to cross paths with one of the ANBU squads trailing Gaara, and had incidentally developed in interest in the strange nature of the murders. What little Naruto told him about Gaara had been enough to arouse his concern, and thus when he?d caught wind of the place and time for the ANBU meeting---namely, by getting one of the ANBU members roaring drunk and plying her for information---he?d decided to listen in. ?The real question,? one of the Leaf Elders told the assembled squad, ?is not whom but why. From the report, it almost seems as if someone is testing this Sand boy---pitting him against assassins of varied skills, perhaps to see if he is truly invulnerable.? Jiraiya frowned, shadows pooling in the deepening creases of his face. Gaara?s innate uniqueness stemmed from the demon contained within him. Whoever was sending the assassins could just as easily send them after Naruto... Abruptly, the Sannin rose to his feet and leaped from the roof. He moved swiftly and silently through the village, never once slowing until he had arrived at Naruto?s apartment. When his knocking went unanswered, Jiraiya simply let himself in. The apartment was dark and empty, and from the looks of things Naruto had left recently and with great haste. His regular orange jumpsuit lay in a crumpled heap across the bed, but Naruto seemed to have taken everything else with him that wasn?t nailed down. Perhaps it had merely been carelessness, but the boy had also left his door unlocked. Jiraiya was beginning to be alarmed. Standing in his student?s abandoned apartment, he found himself giving serious consideration to revealing his presence here to the Leaf Elders. He sighed. Sadly, some things were more important than having the freedom to drink and womanize in complete anonymity. There weren?t many, but this was one of them.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue][CENTER][B]Two Hours Earlier[/B][/CENTER] ?If I were an assassin,? Naruto?s captor murmured in his ear, ?I could have killed you by now.? Then the arm across Naruto?s neck loosened, and Naruto sprang away from his attacker. ?What the HELL?!? Naruto bellowed indignantly, standing splay-legged and brandishing his fists. ?What are you doing here?? Calmly, Sasuke reinserted the [I]kunai[/I] into his pouch and folded his arms in front of him, regarding Naruto coolly. ?On my way home, I met Kakashi,? he informed his fellow Genin. ?He sent me to find you. Really, if you?re going to let yourself be caught this easily you shouldn?t bother with A-Class missions.? Naruto squinted at him suspiciously. ?If you had something to tell me, why didn?t you just [I]tell[/I] me, instead of following me all this way? Creepy guy...? Sasuke?s faint look of amusement darkened into a frown. ?I wasn?t,? he said, casting a brief, bemused glance at the street behind Naruto. ?You must be imagining things. But anyway, Kakashi sent me to fetch you and your supplies.? Naruto blinked. ?Eh? [I]Now[/I]?? Sasuke?s eyes narrowed. ?It seems he?s changed his mind about the mission. We?re leaving tonight.?[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Twenty minutes later, Kakashi?s Team Seven had regrouped outside the village gates. After Kakashi had taken a swift inventory of what his young charges were bringing with them---doubtlessly suspecting that Naruto?s favorite orange jumpsuit might be stowing away in his pack---they took off through the forest beyond at a dead run. Kakashi?s expression---what they could see of it, at any rate---seemed unusually grim. The three Genin exchanged puzzled glances as they ran. Finally, Sakura broke the silence. ?Uh, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I], is something wrong?? she asked, a bit nervously because Kakashi looked a bit pale. ?I will answer when we?ve reached the place where the road forks and veers to the east,? the Jounin replied quietly. ?But not before. The mission?s danger may have begun before we even left the village, and I won?t risk the possibility of anyone overtaking us.? ?But I don?t understand, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I],? Naruto insisted. ?Why would the road going east be any safer?? Kakashi?s one visible eye narrowed. ?We?ll be meeting Garyu?s personal guard there. He knows the enemy better than we do.? The Jounin paused, and went silent for a moment as they flew from tree to tree. ?I want you all to be prepared,? he went on, ducking his head to avoid a low-hanging branch. ?That is where our Mizutou ally comes in. If you go into this without knowing exactly what to expect, I can guarantee you that this mission will cost at least one of our lives.?[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{END OF CHAPTER 1}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Yamisui: Man, that was long... I hope you haven?t fallen asleep halfway through. A bit slow for a first chapter, I know, but I promise it will pick up...and pick up...and then pick up a whole lot more. I hope you were paying attention, by the way, because EVERYTHING?S important. I NEVER put details into a story without good reason, because generally I have no patience for details myself. This is my first Naruto fanfic, by the way. All my others have been Inuyasha-themed. [/I] [/COLOR] [COLOR=Indigo]From now on I'll be posting all chapter links on this single post, and just editing it to add links and summaries as I go. So anyway, here's[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red]Red Blossom[/COLOR] [COLOR=Indigo]Chapter 2[/COLOR]: [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=2/]Chapter 2: Shikyo's Warning: The Touch of Death[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Kakashi and his team have scarcely set foot outside Konoha when they encounter the first of the assassins. What follows is a harrowing chase through the forest. The secret of the Crimson Blossom Technique is explained.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/3/]Chapter 3: Kenjutsu Training: The Three Cross Blades[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]At an inn along the Aoite Road Team Seven begins kenjutsu training under Shikyo's stern tutelage. In the Country of Wind, Gaara encounters one of the ANBU sent to spy on him. In Konoha, Jiraiya's mission is to clear up the mystery surrounding Naruto's sudden departure. Gaara finds himself battling for his life when the ANBU spy turns out to be an assassin wielding the Shinkuhana jutsu. Meanwhile, bored with training exercises, Naruto instigates what promises to be a whole lot of trouble.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/4/]Chapter 4: The Crossing of Swords and Seas[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]A three-way battle! Team Seven faces off! Reaching the end of the Aoite Road, the travelers set sail for the Water Country...and the mystery deepens.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/5/]Chapter 5: Mizutou Arrival; Shinobi Under Cover![/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]The ship rounds the coast, and all hell breaks loose. The group is split, and the city is reached. Who is the true enemy? The Mist, or the enemies of the Mist?[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/6/]Chapter 6: Arrest! The Heikou Web[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]What has become of Kakashi and Sakura? What is Shikyo leading Naruto and Sasuke into? Shikyo abandons Team 7, arrousing suspicion, but the group is reunited with a new game plan.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/7/]Chapter 7: The Nightingale Floor[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Once again Team Seven gets more than they bargained for, first in the Water-lord's bold wife and second in a new threat which will split the group up once more. The assassins are ready to make their move...[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/8/]Chapter 8: Into The Mist[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Kakashi and Sakura head into the wooded valley that leads to the Hidden Village of Mist. And the welcome they receive is less than friendly...[/COLOR] [size=1][color=#1874CD][B]Edit:[/B] I merged your two posts into one. Please remember that double posting is a big no-no. If you need to add in something, edit your posts. - Revelation.[/size][/color]

[COLOR=orange][B][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 17: The White Brothers {+} {+} Three Hundred Years In The Past[/center][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=purple][I]She was leaving him. Her leave-taking was an act of utter betrayal. She was his last and dearest daughter, whom he had formed into a woman?s shape from a piece of his own heart. She stood in the cave, at the end of the tunnel that the last desperate scraping of his claws had carved into the earth. She stood facing the seal that held him fast, binding him into the mountain. Out of all his children, she had been the only one to come back to him after the Inutaisho cast him into this prison. This waking hell. (FREE ME, DAUGHTER. YOU ALONE POSSESS THE POWER.) Midoriko shook her head. ?I know what you ask of me. You wish me to lay with the one who sealed you; to bear a demon?s child. . .and then to paint its blood upon the walls of your prison to free you.? Raiiru?s great eye glared at her through the barrier of crystal. He loved her, and yet he hated her as well. He had created her; shouldn?t she do this? She was denying him. She was betraying him. She was standing there wearing human armor and human robes and human flesh; frail things that would pass away. And she was telling him that they meant more than the power he was offering her ever would. (INSTEAD OF WASTING YOUR LIFE PURIFYING DEMONS IN THAT WEAK HUMAN SKIN, FREEING ME WOULD END DEMONKIND IN A DAY. FREE ME, SERVE ME, AND BECOME A GODDESS AMONG INSECTS.) Again Midoriko shook her head. She was a woman of insurmountably strong will. Raiiru saw that she would not be swayed. ?All you offer is power,? she said to him. ?It is all you know. But that is not what will endure. I foresee a future that has no place for monsters.? Raiiru became angry. His soul beat violently against the seal, but it held fast. (I WILL ENDURE) he thundered. (I WILL SURVIVE. I WILL TAKE MY PLACE AS RULER OF THIS EARTH, AS I WAS AT ITS DAWNING.) She sighed then, and turned away from him. ?You will remain sealed,? she murmured. ?Tomorrow, I go to battle a great horde of demons, in my own way, of my own strength. Sleep, my Lord; my King. I pray your dreams will turn to peace. But here you will remain, for your age is past.? Then she started back down the tunnel, her footsteps echoing softly. He knew that she wept as she went.[/COLOR][/I] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+} The Feudal Era[/b][/center][/color] [COLOR=purple]He stalked his prey across the mounds of rubble. As he walked, he could feel the [I]hanyou?s[/I] blood making his own begin to sicken and rot. Once the [I]hanyou[/I] was dead, he would be able to use his power to purge it from himself, to ensure once and for all that this flesh was his. Once the [I]hanyou[/I] was dead. . . His nostrils flared and he inhaled deeply. He could smell the demon?s presence ahead of him. Inuyasha smelled of pine and metal and human and power all at once. And fear. Raiiru?s lips rose in a feral grin. Inuyasha had more to fear than he knew. He thought he was buying himself time, forcing Raiiru to chase him across this frozen waste. But he did not know. . .[I]could[/I] not know. . .that though the mountain had fallen the Dragon still possessed an unearthly power over this place. In truth, Raiiru had [I]allowed[/I] himself to be lured here now, forsaking the possibility of holding Inuyasha?s companions hostage, knowing that this was the place where he could kill the [I]hanyou[/I] easiest. This mountain, and the ones surrounding it, were hallowed ground. He slowed to a halt, robes cracking against him as the blood staining them dried and froze. He was not a demon, though he wore a demon?s body. He was a Dragon, and he did not waste time [I]hunting[/I]. It was time to flush out his prey. He planted his feet on the rock and allowed his consciousness to seep into the [I]ryunochi[/I] beneath him. This time, however, his great mind reached further down than that, into the very roots of the earth. He had not wanted to do this; it would ravage the surrounding land. His children would be forced to flee it to survive. But had he not been the one who had watched over his children on their long journey to the Tatesei Valley? Had his blood in their veins not given rise to the Wise, who had destroyed their demon enemies and allowed them to grow as a nation? Did his blood not extend their lives far beyond the normal human lifespan? They were nothing if he did not survive to lead them. This land was his to do with as he pleased. He knelt, pressing both palms flat against the rock. Fire filled his eyes. And the earth began to tremble.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Inuyasha felt the earthquake coming long before it came. The Tatesei in him knew it was coming. It was a humming in his bones; a ringing in his ears. It made the hair on his head rise in horror. He had been crouched in a depression between two junctured plates of rock shelf. He had found this hiding place quite by accident, having slipped on a place where the rock was slick with snow. He had huddled there for several minutes, resting his hands on his knees and wondering what to do. In order for his blood to purge the Dragon from his brother?s body, his own Youkai blood would need to be ignited. But the Dragon was still in Sesshoumaru, though he had succeeded in wounding him with the [I]Hijintessou[/I]. At that time, he had not lost himself completely to his demon nature, which could only mean one thing: he had not called upon enough of that power. ?[I]Damnit[/I],? he swore, vehemently shaking away the small drift of snow that had gathered atop his head. He had called upon his anger toward his brother that time to ignite the blood. It seemed that somehow his anger wasn?t strong enough. The only other way he could think of was to place himself in a situation where his body was in danger of dying. It would mean that he would have to fully lose control of himself, as he had not when he fought Raiiru on the ridge. ?[I]Just because I couldn?t hate Sesshoumaru enough, I?m going to have to. . .?[/I] He had not forgotten what Kagome had told him, about how the ?White Brothers? were to kill each other and so end the Inu Youkai Line. Now the answer was becoming clear to him: he might take Raiiru with him, but he and his brother were still going to die. It had been fate. ?[I]Keh,? [/I]he scoffed, at his own fears. ?I?m thinking too much again.? He rose to his feet, and began to climb out of the hiding place, using digging his claws into the stone for traction. He had nearly crested the juncture of rock when the earth began to shake. The rubble around him exploded upward, first in a hail of debris, and then in geysers of liquid flame. The heat caught him and sent him skyward, searing around his skin, blinding him and deafening him with its roar. Utterly disoriented, tumbled head over heels by the momentum of the eruption, Inuyasha held his breath and prepared himself to die. Two things saved him: the first the Fire Rat robes that he wore; the second the shard of the Sacred Jewel embedded in his flesh. The heat did not burn his limbs or chest where the [I]haori hakama[/I] covered it, and the jewel. . .the jewel?s protection was another matter entirely. A great wave pulsed outward from his body, unlike anything he?d ever felt before. Once he had inserted a Shikon shard into Tetsusaiga, and that alone had been a rush of power that sent his head reeling. This was. . .he was not prepared for this. Nothing could have prepared him for [I]this[/I]. The Shikon no Tama, forged from the clash of demon strength and the unearthly power of the woman who had once defied the Dragon, flashed rays of brilliance in every direction. Inuyasha?s head tipped back, light spilling out his mouth and eyes, as the erupting lava broke upon the jewel?s [I]kehai[/I] like water. It splashed outward, spraying the outermost rubble of what had once been Reiyama Mountain, mingling with the thicker rivers of lava that had begun to seep and burn their way onto the plain. He tried to blink, clawing at the skin of his own arms in confusion, trying to suppress the white heat that ringed his body like a halo. He thought, dimly, that the lava overflowing onto the plain would send it directly onto his comrades, who were still out there. He thought, even more dimly, that the lava would continue past the plain, gravity pulling it downward into the Tatesei Valley, right on top of the city. But then thinking became an impossibility. He sprang free of the fiery geyser as if he were flying, snarling, eyes aflame. Not far from him, standing atop a boulder that the lava had not consumed, was his enemy. Tall and white and silent as a statue. Reeking of fear. Raiiru. . .the Dragon. . .he could no longer remember the body?s other name. It didn?t matter. His enemy?s [I]name[/I] didn?t matter. And he rushed forward, ugly laughter bubbling from his lips like slaver. He flung the blood he had clawed from his arms. The white figure dodged it, pale robes and silvery hair trailing ghostlike after it. Raiiru landed upon another boulder, closer to the path of the lava. Inuyasha skidded to a halt where his enemy had been standing a split-second before. The rock was burnt and cut deep where his blood had scored it, and steaming. He laughed again. It was enough this time. It was [I]finally[/I] enough. His demon blood was truly ignited. He turned to face his adversary a second time, leering. ?[I]Afraid to die?? [/I]he snarled. [/color] [color=purple]Even from a distance, he could see his enemy?s pale face contort. Fountains of lava burst upward through the cracks in the boulders. Inuyasha was already hurtling toward him, long before the rock could explode beneath his feet from the heat and the pressure. The rock exploded in front of him, forcing him to veer sideways, away from his target. He flung more blades of blood, recklessly, but the spray of debris and lava deflected them. He ended up running a half-circle around his enemy, with such increasingly wide radius that he was forced further away from Raiiru than he was before he?d charged. The ground erupted at his heels. Once again, he found himself at an impasse, reversing direction again and again to avoid being struck. Then he realized something, and bared his teeth in a feral grin. His survival instinct was no longer a problem. He didn?t need to veer so far away to avoid being struck. With the power of the Shikon shard at his command, there was nothing to fear. He reversed direction one final time, and made straight for the white figure, heedless of the hell erupting skyward from beneath his feet. A sea of rock stretched between them, cracked now with steaming fissures, releasing stinking sulfur. The landscape was a broken, jagged puzzle, through which the earth?s firelight shone upward onto the faces of [I]hanyou[/I] and Dragon. The Dragon?s face was ugly to behold, fierce and contorted with hatred as he finally forsook his pride and turned to flee. Inuyasha?s face was a mask of grim laughter. He tore across the long distance between them, shouting as he went. ?[I]Afraid to die, are you?? [/I]he snarled. ?[I]There?s nothing that can stand between me and you NOW! Still want to BURY me to save your hide? JUST TRY IT!?[/I] The space between them closed rapidly. Inuyasha reached deep into his arm, soaking his nails; his fingers. The pain was nothing. The pain was only what he chose to take from himself. The pain meant something. . .meant. . .something. . . He struggled for thought. ?[I]Why?[/I]? a voice inside him asked. ?[I]Why do this??[/I] Then he remembered. Something vague. Something. . . His blood. He was doing this so his blood would touch the enemy?s. . . ?[I]No[/I],? he growled, a flash of intuition cutting through the red haze of his rage. ?Not touch. . . It has to [I]mingle[/I]. . .? Fire exploded between them, rising in a jet so high it disappeared into the circling storm-clouds. Inuyasha ploughed through it blindly, safe within the brilliance of the Sacred Jewel?s [I]kehai[/I]. As he passed through the column, it seemed his ears went deaf for a time, and the light had swallowed him. ?[I]Kagome[/I],? he thought, inanely, striving to remember who that was. The light was drowning his memory. The Dragon stood still beyond the rush of fire, as if he had not expected his prey to live. ?[I]Ha! Bastard!?[/I] Inuyasha caught him too swiftly this time, and too unexpectedly. As liquid flame fell around them in a soft, lambent rain, demon and Dragon clashed.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Kagome straightened, pulling away from the Seer?s grasp and shaking her head. ?What did she say?? Kagome turned and saw that Sango?s head had lifted from Miroku?s chest, and that the demon-slayer was now regarding her with obsidian eyes devoid of hope. ?Miroku?? Kagome asked, the words coming thin and choked through the tightness in her throat. ?He isn?t. . .[I]is[/I] he. . .?? Sango swallowed hard and shook her head faintly; Kagome couldn?t tell whether this was to confirm that he wasn?t dead or to brush aside the question. ?What did she [I]say[/I]?? Sango repeated, a tremor in her voice this time. ?The Seer.? ?[I]You must go[/I],? Suiton whispered, her black eyes fixed obsessively on Kagome. But Kagome was not given the time to answer to either of them. At that moment, the earth beneath their feet began to rumble. Inanely, Kagome was reminded of the earthquake drills they?d had at her school, where they?d dived under their desks, clutching their hands tightly behind their necks. She forced herself to suppress a hysterical bit of laughter; school and home and earthquake drills were worlds away from this. This felt like the end of the world. She clutched at both the Seer and one of Kirara?s strong forelegs, so that neither would be flung by the tremors. Sango pulled Miroku tight against her, looking around in bewilderment. The ground began to heave, until at last it buckled, rising in long, twisting humps. Curiously enough, these distortions of the earth all ran toward the ruins of Mount Reiyama like veins toward the heart. In some places the rock warped so dramatically that it ruptured, and jets of poisonous-looking steam shot skyward from them. The snow that coated the plain was beginning to melt. ?Kagome, we [I]must[/I] get to higher ground!? Sango shouted suddenly. ?There?s going to be an eruption!? ?A what. . .?? Kagome turned toward the mountain in abject horror. ?Then it?s a [I]volcano[/I]?? ?I don?t know,? Sango answered. ?I didn?t think so. But this may be the Dragon?s doing. And I used to live in the mountains; I?ve seen eruptions from a distance.? Staggering unsteadily to her feet, Kagome hoisted the Seer up onto her feet. Fortunately, Suiton was conscious, though clearly in pain from her wounds, and she was able to wrap her arms around Kirara?s neck to hold herself upright. ?No!? she hissed through clenched teeth. ?Our lives are [I]nothing[/I]. [I]Go[/I], Kagome-[I]sama[/I]!? Kagome was not a selfish person. She would never willingly leave her friends in such dire straits, not even if it meant going to the aid of another one of them in dire straits. But right now, she wanted more than anything to take Kirara and go, as the Seer had bade her. Even if she wouldn?t be able to do anything to stop this, she couldn?t bear the thought of Inuyasha dying alone. But she found herself kneeling, hoisting her clasped hands beneath the Seer?s torn feet. ?Get on, quickly,? she urged. ?We?re getting out of here.? The Seer was too weak to resist, but neither did she help lift herself. She turned wild eyes Kagome?s way, as if she thought Kagome had gone mad. ?[I]Don?t tell me that their lives, and your life, are NOTHING!? [/I]Kagome suddenly found herself shouting. She was angry at her own helplessness, and at the Seer?s attitude. ?The future isn?t made of ?Lines? or ?blood? or prophecies! It?s made of [I]people[/I].? She broke off, instantly ashamed that she?d yelled. The Seer?s pale face was very young, and very sad. ?Inuyasha-[I]sama[/I] said that to me also,? the woman said softly. This time Kagome couldn?t stop the tears. They ran freely down her cheeks, now that the heat rising from the plain would no longer make them freeze. Ignoring them, she hoisted the Seer upward yet again. This time Suiton swung a leg over Kirara?s back, still clinging to the demon?s neck for balance. Kagome turned to Sango. ?We have to hurry and move Miroku,? she called. But Sango had already been thinking along these lines. She knelt and hoisted the monk onto her back, draping his arms around her Hirakoutsu and over her shoulders, and hooking her own arms under his legs. Then, gritting her teeth with the effort of it, she rose to her feet, staggering toward Kirara as she held herself upright against his dead weight. His chin rested on her left shoulder. He was breathing. Kagome could see that he was breathing, from the faint puff of steam about his lips. Kirara knelt and Kagome mounted her next, and then the two women pulled Miroku onto the demon?s back behind Kagome. Sango mounted last, bringing up the rear. ?I?m sorry, Kirara,? the demon-slayer called. ?I know it will be heavy flying with so many of us. But it?s the only way.? Kirara growled an affirmative, springing into the air with aplomb. Once she had risen clear of the rumbling earth, travel was unexpectedly easy. The storm that followed Raiiru was now centered around the mountain, and even that had grown weaker. ?[I]If it disappears, I?ll know it?s too late[/I],? Kagome thought. ?[I]The Dragon?s kehai will have won over Sesshoumaru?s jyaki completely.?[/I] Then a horrid thought occurred to her. ?[I]But. . .how can that be POSSIBLE? If Sesshoumaru breaks free of the Dragon?s hold, the Seer says Sesshoumaru will kill Inuyasha. If the Dragon WINS, he will become the White King Raiiru, history will change, and Inuyasha will STILL die. . . What?s the way out of this, then??[/I] There [I]was[/I] one way. It was the only one she could think of. But it wasn?t good. ?Suiton,? she murmured, bending over the Seer?s shoulder to speak directly into her ear. ?What exactly is it you want me to do? How am I supposed to kill someone who might be the [I]strongest[/I] of [I]all Youkai[/I]?? The Seer was utterly still, and Kagome thought she had slipped into unconsciousness. But then the answer came, faint and cryptic. ?[I]Your last arrow.?[/I] Kagome drew in a sharp breath. From behind her, Sango said softly, ?There are two arrows left in your quiver.? [/color] [color=purple]Kagome had given no thought to the bow she carried on her back. It had been useless in the cave. It had been her arrow that had broken the seal around Inuyasha. But. . .this was not going to be like that time in Sesshoumaru?s garden, by the hot-springs, where she had been able to hold him at her mercy. He had been stunned that time, by Miroku?s holy powers. This time, he would be. . .[I]this[/I] time. . . In thinking this way, she came to realize that she intended to go back; back to the place where the white brothers were destined to fight. Reiyama. She squinted across the dark plain ahead of them. Almost as if by mutual, silent agreement, they had all accepted that Kirara would take them north, to Sesshoumaru?s stronghold. That was where he had bade his two small companions to wait for his return; surely he wouldn?t have considered the place safe without good reason. Kagome kept glancing behind them at the plain and the mountain. Lava was beginning to run down the side of the ruins, its flow impeded only by the boulders, which were beginning to crumble away in its lee. Soon it would cross the plain. . .perhaps heading for the valley where the Tatesei city stood. . . However, she was immediately distracted from this sudden realization; Sango had arrived at some sort of decision. ?Kirara!? she called. She didn?t have to speak very loudly to be heard, though, for the wind around them was no longer very strong. ?Take us down at that pass there, just west of the ridge!? Kagome glanced back at her in alarm. ?Sango, what are you [I]thinking[/I]? We can?t dismount [I]there[/I]! It?s in the middle of nowhere! Miroku will [I]bleed[/I] to death if we don?t get him somewhere where we can make a fire. . .? Kagome knew about cauterization. She?d only seen it in movies, but she knew that you had to heat a blade until it glowed, then press it on the wound to burn it closed. It was the only thing she could think of in the Feudal Era, without any sort of medical help necessary to save a human being from a mortal stab wound. Sango ignored her. ?Take us [I]down[/I]!? she ordered, more fiercely this time. Kirara had already been veering northwest toward the pass below the ridge. It led northward, into the wooded slopes bordering the Inu Youkai valley. If it wasn?t clear before, it was certainly clear [I]now[/I]: Sango intended to go the rest of the way on foot. ?I?m going to go back,? Kagome informed her. ?I?m going to take Kirara and go back to the mountain, to do what I can. But first we?re going to get the wounded to safety. I won?t be the cause of any more. . .? Sango shook her head firmly, wearing an odd, bitter little smile. Kirara took them down. The snow was only a foot deep where she landed. She knelt and her passengers slid off. Sango laid Miroku down gently on his side. Suiton, who was still conscious, slid down next to him, huddling against him to melt the snow surrounding him with her supernatural body heat. Kagome was loath to leave them. Sango would have none of her hesitation. ?He [I]won?t[/I] die,? the demon-slayer asserted, kneeling beside Miroku?s prone form. ?And neither will the Seer or myself.? Then she pulled aside his sash to reveal the tear in his robes where Irusei?s dagger had wounded him. The tear was now singed around the edges, and the flesh beneath was an odd raw, reddish shade. The wound was closed. Kagome?s eyes widened. ?What? How. . .?? Then Sango held up her hand. There was a bloody slash down the palm, too cleanly cut to be anything but deliberate. ?Uh. . .? Kagome couldn?t think of anything to say. She knew Sango wasn?t proud of her [I]hanryu[/I] blood. Sango rose to her feet, gesturing sharply to the south. ?Take her to the mountain, Kirara,? she bade the demon, who had risen to her four feet as well. ?She needs you to get her within shooting range of Sesshoumaru. It?s going to be risky. If she loses both arrows, please take her out of there quickly, regardless of whether she?s succeeded. If she fails, her protection comes first.? Kagome knew Sango meant well, but the part about failure made her heart clench. It was obvious that the demon-slayer was not happy about letting her do this alone. Yet if the Seer lost consciousness when left alone with Miroku, Suiton would not be able to warm him, and he might freeze to death. Kagome turned toward the Seer one last time. ?Suiton,? she said, clasping her hands before her in pleading. ?Please tell me. . .where to aim." For a moment, it seemed as if the Seer?s black-tainted eyes pierced right through her. Then Suiton lowered her head. ?[I]There are two brothers[/I],? she murmured, ?[I]and two arrows.?[/I] Sango rounded on her. ?What does that [I]mean[/I]?? she demanded. ?Tell her what it [I]means[/I].? Suiton shook her head, refusing to look at Kagome. Her shoulders hitched once. It was then that Kagome realized she was weeping. Her black hair trailed over her face, dragging in the snow. ?I don?t see what you See,? Kagome told her gently, blinking back her own tears and forcing a quavering smile. ?And I don?t envy you. But I promise that I will try my best to make this nightmare end. . .so you don?t have to See it any more.? Then she turned and mounted Kirara, hands moving automatically to check that her bow and quiver were securely fastened to her back. Soon they were airborne, heading for the mountain, which blazed ahead of her now like a torch across the storm-darkened plain.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]On the mountain, a temporary hush had fallen. It was as if a brief spell of silence had fallen over the two combatants. Inuyasha found himself stopped short, his bloody fingertips outstretched inches from the Dragon?s chest. At first, he could not understand what had happened. He tried to reach further; to snarl a curse, but as he did so he felt something warm rise into his throat. It trickled from between his lips. Snarling again, impatient, he tried to lunge forward, but found himself stopped by the blade his enemy had thrust directly through his chest. He looked down at the sword. It had a name, he remembered vaguely. What was the name? Didn?t matter. It hurt like hell. His vision wavered. A seductive, slow languor began to steal through his limbs. He fought it, trying to think. That feeling was his greatest enemy right now; even greater than the man holding the sword upon which he was impaled. The human in him might have recalled Kagome in this moment. The languor of approaching death felt like laying his head in her lap while she stroked his hair, whispering for him to sleep. But the demon in him would not listen. And it was the demon who was in control now. The shard was still in him. He had to survive. Grinning around a mouthful of blood, he lurched forward abruptly, pulling the blade deeper into his body as he went. His enemy had thought to use the sword as a last resort, to keep his fingertips from reaching that pale flesh. Now he thrust forward with his own blade-like nails, darting fingers forward like razors to part white robes and white skin. His enemy tried to stagger backward to avoid him, but his newly-awakened demon strength surged through him. He was about to die and he bore a jewel shard; it was more awake now than it had ever been before. His mind was almost utterly consumed by it. Yet he remembered now his purpose for doing this. The sudden spurt of hot blood over his hands had reminded him. ?[I]Wake UP!? [/I]he growled.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple][I]The Lord of the West dreamed as he swam toward waking. He knew now who it was that was waking him. He knew this person well. Long ago, when his father and kindred had died, only two besides himself survived that massacre: the Tatesei princess Iyazoi and his young half-brother, Inuyasha. He hated Iyazoi, for bringing his father to such ruin. And he hated Inuyasha, for the simple fact of his existence. It was easier than hating himself for his own powerlessness to prevent the massacre from happening. The Wise were afraid of Inuyasha, and that was why they had attacked when they did. The sorcerers believed the hanyou was meant to destroy them. Inuyasha?s birth was a curse. From the moment Sesshoumaru had learned of Inuyasha?s existence, in his mind the hanyou was marked for death. That was why he tried to kill both mother and child, when they had sought refuge in the palace. The sword Tenseiga had stopped him then, and Iyazoi had fled. The Wise recaptured her, returning her to the Tatesei city. Then they erected the wardings around the valley, so that no demon could pass. Frustrated that his vengeance remained unfulfilled, Sesshoumaru became obsessed with watching the city from afar, awaiting the day when he would be able to reach it. Sometimes he saw a tiny pinpoint in the distance; a silver-haired head in the gardens. More often he saw the grey hoods of the Wise, filing somberly down the palace walkways. The years passed. And then. . .the Wise made their move. Iyazoi took her son and fled into the night. For the first time in years, they left the safety of the valley, passing through the mountains and heading north. Sesshoumaru began tracking them.[/color][/i] [i][color=purple]The Wise found them first, in the forest beyond the mountains. Sesshoumaru found them soon after. They had wounded the hanyou; his blood-scent was strong on the air. They were going to kill him. Killing Inuyasha was a privilege that belonged solely to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru rose into his demon form in a brilliant flash of white, and with his claws he gouged a great runnel in the earth, between the Wise and their prey. Then he sank back into man-shape, and began killing them before they could flee into the forest. He was wearing a white hood pulled low, and a grey cloak, in the manner of a high priest of the Wise, so that they had not noticed him at first. Before taking action, he had slipped silently into their midst to see what had become of the hanyou and his mother. He was not surprised to see the mother dying, and that the Wise intended to kill Inuyasha. After he had carved the ravine into the earth, dividing the hanyou from the sorcerers, he laid about him, killing the Wise one by one. His attack had been swift and unexpected; the Wise were unable to use their magic against him effectively. His stolen cloak was soon stained with death. It was not until every last one of them lay shredded across the grass that he turned toward his half brother. The child stood watching him from across the ravine, frozen and wide-eyed with terror. Pale as a human throat waiting to be torn. Sesshoumaru had every intention of doing so. But then. . .something changed in the child?s face. As they stood their in silent regard of each other, the young eyes narrowed, and the fear that had frozen that face now contorted into hatred. And Sesshoumaru read in that look something of himself. If he spared this pathetic creature. . .what might Inuyasha become? He was no longer sure. If he spared this creature. . . ?Run half-breed,? he said coldly. ?I am going to kill you.? To his utter surprise, the child then flung his own blood at him, and it became blades. He dodged them easily, staring in amazement as the boy disappeared into the woods. ?Well,? he thought, standing quietly in the clearing. ?Interesting. . .? Years later, he sought out Inuyasha once more. He was not really sure why; perhaps out of mere curiosity. He had expected to find his half-brother wild and uncouth, a beast wandering the wilderness alone. Instead, he found the boy staying in a human village, with an old man. This made him angry. Humans had massacred the boy?s own kin; why did he deliberately seek out their companionship? When the old man would not tell him where Inuyasha was, Sesshoumaru killed him. Then Inuyasha returned. Sesshoumaru gave him one chance to deny his human blood. Inuyasha, foolish and stubborn, refused. Then Sesshoumaru gave him another chance. Still he refused. Sesshoumaru left him for dead there, in the ruins of the old man?s house. Years later, he heard rumors that his half-brother was still alive, but by then he no longer cared. His rage had dwindled over the years, perhaps because of the deep solitude that he kept. He decided that since the boy had chosen humanity, he would leave him to the mercy of humans. After all, Inuyasha would never find peace with a people who hated demonkind. To Sesshoumaru, who had never been able to find peace himself, that was vengeance enough. [/I] [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]He awoke to the sensation of sharp pain in his chest. His vision swam into focus through a red haze, and he drew in a gasp. Yet even through the pain, he was aware of a dark cloud being lifted from his head, and of his mind shaking free of its shackles. Then he realized that the Dragon?s spirit was leaving him, and that the long dream in which Raiiru had imprisoned his soul was broken now beyond all repair. He could never return to that illusion; that world where he was god. And it was because he was impaled now upon his half-brother?s claws. The [I]hanyou?s[/I] blood had flowed into his own, and in circulating through his heart had driven back the Dragon?s. He was himself again; the white demon. Lord of the West. Inuyasha?s head was bowed. Sesshoumaru wrenched himself free of the claws, stepping backwards. The wound was not mortal. Inuyasha, on the other hand, appeared to be dying. Sesshoumaru?s left arm, which the Dragon had regenerated, was gone again. The sword Tokijin hung from the [I]hanyou?s[/I] chest. ?Inuyasha,? Sesshoumaru said softly. ?Return my sword.? There was still time. The Dragon had deserted him, and could no longer possess him now that Inuyasha?s blood flowed through his. That meant the wraith would seek a new host. Sesshoumaru understood why the Dragon had chosen [I]his[/I] body and not one of his followers?: though Raiiru believed that humanity was what would endure the ages, he had not been entirely willing to surrender his immortality. Thus he had chosen Sesshoumaru as a kind of happy medium; neither god nor man. A powerful mortal body, which could pass for a man?s, but without human weakness. Yet now, given no other option, the Dragon would surely go to the Tatesei city, to find himself a willing host. There were plenty there; all were [I]hanryu[/I]. The only way to ensure that the Dragon?s spirit never rose to power was to kill every possible willing host. Then the wraith would have nowhere to run. Sesshoumaru would revive Raiiru with Tenseiga and take his heart, as he had intended from the beginning. But he wanted the sword Tokijin back, and Inuyasha had not moved. Impatiently, Sesshoumaru reached for the hilt. Inuyasha?s head lifted. The [I]hanyou[/I] was smiling. His eyes were insane. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]?Something is wrong.? Jakken, who was busy wearing holes in the rugs with his pacing, had to agree. He had found Rin and the Kitsune Shippou sitting in front of the fire in the great hall together. He was too worried about Sesshoumaru to be irritated by the Kitsune?s presence. The earth had trembled for a bit, and he was worried that somehow the earthquake and his lord had something to do with each other. And Rin, who was foolish sometimes but not stupid, had obviously arrived at the same conclusion. ?Let?s go to see if we can find him,? Rin persisted, standing up and coming over to prod Jakken with an insistent finger. ?He may need us.? ?Ha!? Jakken replied, with amusement that was quite obviously feigned. ?Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I] doesn?t [I]need[/I] us. He?s all-powerful!? Rin just stared at him. ?Hey, I?ll help.? The Kitsune had risen to his tiny feet. ?[I]Damn the Kitsune brat[/I],? Jakken thought viciously. Rin turned toward him. ?Oh, will you, Shippou-[I]sama[/I]?? Shippou puffed up his chest importantly. ?I?ll go to the mountain-top, to see if I can see what?s going on across the plain.? ?Rin will go with you,? she decided, thumping one small fist decisively into her other palm. ?We will take Aun.? And the two of them scampered off down the palace halls. ?W-w-w-w-w-w-WAIT!? Jakken stammered, scampering after them. ?Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I] will not be pleased if we disobey him!? But he could see that his words were falling on deaf ears. Briefly, he considered using his Staff of Heads to fry the troublesome Kitsune to a crisp, but he was too worried that he might hit Rin. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Sango curved her body around Miroku?s pressing her face into his chest. His heartbeat was slow, in the manner of someone sleeping, and no longer erratic. He smelled of sweat and blood. [I]?I won?t let you die[/I],? she whispered, and he sighed in his sleep. The Seer was sleeping as well, curled up against him on the other side, lending him her warmth as well. The wound on his back had been cauterized with Sango?s own blood; with the Dragon?s blood. For once, she was glad of it. But her troubles were far from over. There was no conceivable way she could carry both Miroku and the Seer through the pass to the Inu Youkai palace. She was exhausted. The best she could hope for was that Kagome would return with Inuyasha and Kirara, to help them all to shelter. The best she could do for now was to keep both of them warm with her [I]hanryu[/I] abilities. But if the Dragon was somehow destroyed in the battle to which Kagome was hastening. . .she and Suiton would be [I]hanryu[/I] no longer. Their blood would slip back into dormancy, and they would be left with nothing but human warmth to see them through this awful night. When first she heard the voice, Sango thought that she might be dreaming. It wasn?t Miroku or Suiton; it sounded like a little girl. Then she lifted her head, pulling out of her troubled doze, and saw that some sort of creature was approaching. It had five heads. She blinked. Then it landed, and she saw that it actually only had two; the other three belonged to a girl, an imp, and a Kitsune. ?Shippou?? she called blearily. ?No, no, NO!? the imp was wailing as the girl and the Kitsune dismounted. ?We?re supposed to be going to find Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I]!? The two young ones ignored him, hurrying over to the three people lying in the snow. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Sesshoumaru drew in a long, deep breath and exhaled just as slowly, blowing a gentle drift of steam into the air. So. It had come to this. Tetsusaiga was not in the scabbard hanging from Inuyasha?s side. The [I]hanyou[/I] was becoming a pure-blooded demon before his very eyes. Inuyasha took hold of Tokijin?s hilt and wrenched it from his own body. Then he cast it to the side with a clatter, spitting out a mouthful of blood at Sesshoumaru?s bare feet as he did so. His form was wavering; he was beginning to change. Into [I]what[/I], Sesshoumaru had no idea. He had never thought it possible for Inuyasha to take beast-shape, in the manner of pure-blooded Inu Youkai. That was a privilege he had always assumed belonged to himself alone, now that his father was dead. He had always sensed, in some intuitive way, that Inuyasha in this state would be more powerful than anything he?d ever faced before. He stared coldly into his brother?s crazed red eyes. Once he had told his father that he would kill him one day, when he became strong enough. To Sesshoumaru?s mind, such a challenge was a sign of deepest respect, for he did not believe in loving anyone who was not his equal. Ever since the first time he had seen Inuyasha?s demon blood awakened, he had never challenged Inuyasha in that way. Never as an equal. Because the [I]hanyou[/I] Inuyasha was [I]not[/I] an equal. Inuyasha was stronger. Quietly, Sesshoumaru faced the rival before him, his face composed and his eyes clear and sane. He could see that if he was to survive this, he would have to fight with both raw power and a Daiyoukai?s cold clarity. After all, the thing in front of him was now nothing more than a mindless killer. To think he had once wondered what the [I]hanyou[/I] child would become. ?So,? he said softly, ?it comes to this.? This was not the way he had envisioned this. He was surprised that he, Sesshoumaru, would feel this way at such a time, and he was not one who surprised easily. He eyed Inuyasha shrewdly, looking for a weakness in his stance. Plotting the best way to subdue him. [I]?I must try to wake him, as he woke me. . .or he will never return to himself again.?[/I] He lunged straight forward toward Inuyasha, sparing no more time for rumination. He conjured a whip made of pure light as he moved, seeking to catch Inuyasha with it, all the while calling poison into the claws of the hand that held it, to stab when the weapon had reeled his prey in. Inuyasha darted sideways with such speed that his body blurred. Sesshoumaru snapped his wrist sideways, causing the weapon to recoil back into his grip. He had suspected the [I]hanyou?s[/I] speed might have increased like this. Inuyasha was faster than he?d been when they fought in Sesshoumaru?s garden, when the [I]hanyou[/I] had gone to take back the Shikon shard. But Sesshoumaru soon turned the missed strike into a feint, serving the dual purpose of gauging Inuyasha?s reflexes and diverting him. Now Sesshoumaru had an opening to retrieve his sword. He darted sideways, swiftly catching up the blade by its hilt. It had been teetering on the edge of the rock, over a crevice in whose depths the lava flowed steadily. He heard his brother snarl, and knew that Inuyasha was readying to charge again. That was when he changed his mind. [I]?No.?[/I] Sudden, black certainty flooded his heart. [I]?No. I?ve already risked much. I won?t risk dying to save this fool from himself.? ?If you kill him. . .? [/I]his darker self whispered. [I]?If I kill him. . .? ?There will be none to stop you from taking what you want.? ?But if he dies[/I],? he reasoned, ?[I]there will be none to protect the Shikon no Tama from Naraku. . .?[/I] [I]?If you take the power you seek, the Dragon?s power, you will be a god. The jewel is made from a human woman?s soul, is it not? A human?s power is nothing.? ?I am Lord of the West. I take what I want.?[/I] He turned slowly toward his advancing brother, raising the sword in readiness. ?Come, half-breed,? he challenged softly. ?I am going to kill you.? His eyes flared red with new malice. It was he, and not Inuyasha, who charged first.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]The baby in the cavern smiled, peering intently into Kanna?s glass. ?At [I]last[/I], Lord Sesshoumaru,? he whispered. ?The Dragon?s presence is gone from your soul. It protected you from me because it wanted you for itself. But now it has gone, and it has left you [I]weak[/I].? In the mirror, he could see the red [I]jyaki[/I] from the sword, twining round the demon lord?s body like a serpent. It had already struck his heart. It had struck him the moment he picked it up. ?What fortune,? the baby murmured. ?Or perhaps [I]mine[/I] is the hand of fortune. . . The sword Tokijin, after all, has been mine all along. You have wielded it all this time, but it has always been [I]my[/I] trump card.? He found a poignant beauty in this irony. The white brothers were to die, as the girl Kagome had feared, though not at the hands of the Dragon. The Dragon?s possession of Sesshoumaru had merely cracked open the flaws in the white demon?s heart, through which Tokijin?s dark influence would seep. ?It was a blade ever aimed at your heart. . .and it struck you. Now you aim it at [I]Inuyasha?s[/I].? Naraku laughed softly into the darkness.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]As he fought, Sesshoumaru found himself flooded with burgeoning anger. That first charge had resulted in a clash of claws on steel. Under normal circumstances, Tokijin?s deadly [I]kenatsu[/I] would have been too much of an impact for Inuyasha to bear. His feeble [I]hanyou?s[/I] claws should have shattered, and his body should have been sent flying backwards amid a hail of [I]jyaki [/I]slivers from the sword. Instead, it had come to an even draw. Inuyasha?s muscles had thickened, and his claws had lengthened to the measure of small daggers. It was like trying to shatter solid steel. Inuyasha?s claws actually passed [I]through[/I] Tokijin?s [I]kenatsu[/I] to clang stridently against the blade itself. The slivers flying toward the [I]hanyou[/I] broke like water upon the strange aura surrounding him. Red light splashed in every direction. Sesshoumaru glared at him, clenching his teeth with the effort of holding him at bay. He did not understand what this aura meant. It was one thing to take a demon?s form; it was another to project [I]ki[/I] like a shield. Then the two brothers sprang apart from each other, circling warily. Inuyasha?s hair had grown thicker, and it crackled with energy. Sesshoumaru had never seen[I] jyaki[/I] this strong. . .save on the several occasions when he faced Naraku, who possessed the shards of the Shikon no Tama. [I]The Shikon no Tama[/I]. ?The [I]jewel[/I],? he snarled. ?You have the[I] jewel[/I].? That had to be it; Inuyasha had taken the shard from the girl Kagome. He initiated another rush at Inuyasha, leveling the blade with the [I]hanyou?s[/I] heart. It was a maneuver meant to kill instantly. He had to end this quickly. What he wanted was worth more than this mindless monster, shard or no shard. Sesshoumaru?s red eye glared down the length of the blade as he moved swiftly forward, tracking the line to Inuyasha?s heart with cold-blooded accuracy. When they clashed this second time, the outcome was even less favorable. The sword caught Inuyasha through the chest once again, but it struck too far to the right to reach the heart. Energy crackled white-hot between them as Tokijin?s red [I]kenatsu[/I] passed through the Shikon no Tama?s aura of [I]ki[/I]. It sent sparks snapping into the air. Inuyasha?s claws, in the meantime, had finally scored their mark. The fingers of Inuyasha?s right hand sank into the flesh just above Sesshoumaru?s chest on the left side. He let out a hiss of pain. One claw had literally hooked itself [I]around the other side[/I] of his collar bone beneath the skin. The other fingers formed a ring of thick punctures just to the left of his breastbone. Had he not managed to stab Inuyasha just now, degrading the [I]hanyou?s[/I] forward momentum, Inuyasha would have gouged out his heart. Uttering a swift curse, Sesshoumaru yanked Tokijin toward himself, thinking to let go of it at the last minute, to tear Inuyasha?s throat with his poisoned claws. But Inuyasha wrenched his own body backwards, jerking free of the sword. The claw hooked around Sesshoumaru?s collar-bone wrenched also. Demon bones were strong, but his was instantly dislocated. He lunged forward, and this alone saved him from having the bone snapped in half. As Inuyasha?s claws came loose of his chest, he stabbed forward viciously, thinking to catch Inuyasha a second time. This time, Inuyasha dodged it, leaping high into the air and hurtling straight for him again. The [I]hanyou[/I] laughed, revealing bloodstained teeth. [I]?What?s the matter, bastard?? [/I]Inuyasha jeered. His voice had thickened as well; it was more guttural now, with an odd echoing quality to it, as if there were several of him speaking at once. [I]?Are you holding back? Don?t you hate me??[/I] Sesshoumaru leaped backward, landing a good ten yards away from where Inuyasha landed in a crouch. The rock cracked beneath the impact from the hanyou?s transforming body. This time when Inuyasha rose, it was onto all fours. His face was beginning to lengthen, lips drawn upward in a grimace as his fangs grew. Sesshoumaru had never been so humiliated. ?[I]I hate you[/I],? he said, with certainty. [/color] [color=purple]Then Inuyasha flew at him again, in a fury. This time Sesshoumaru realized that he was standing with his back to the pointed edge of the boulder, and that there was nowhere to run. Again he raised Tokijin. Inuyasha slammed into him, impaling himself yet a third time upon Tokijin?s point. White and red energy cracked and whistled around them, twittering like tiny birds. Together they flew backward over the edge, bathed suddenly in a rush of sulfurous steam from the lava flowing below. They did not descend into the flow, however. Instead, the impact was so strong that they flew onto the next boulder, which was a good twenty yards away. There they both landed on the ground, skidding across the rock almost to the opposite end. For a moment, neither moved. Both were severely wounded, and exhausted as well. Sesshoumaru was the first to rise. With cold, calculated precision, he slide his sword out from the body of the beast lying beside him and rose to his feet. It seemed Inuyasha was temporarily stunned. The [I]hanyou[/I] was covered in blood; Sesshoumaru was certain that even with his borrowed strength, he was dying of his wounds. The Shikon no Tama, whatever power it might lend its wielder, lacked the power to heal. [I]?Kill him.?[/I] ?I will kill you,? he whispered fiercely, planting a foot on Inuyasha?s back. Then he lifted the sword at an angle, preparing to take his brother?s head. Something struck his sword. It came sizzling through the steaming air like a bolt of lightning. He froze for a split-second, confused. Like Inuyasha?s claws, the arrow rang off Tokijin?s blade rather than being stopped by the red [I]kenatsu[/I]. Then the arrow vanished, and a brilliant pulse went out from the sword. It burned him, instantly searing his hands, leaving them red and raw. With a gasp, he dropped the sword, shielding his face from the light. The blade clattered to the stone, skittering across the rough terrain before coming to a stop several yards away. Then he turned and saw who had come.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Kagome had been thinking long and hard on the journey to the mountain. She did not want to kill Sesshoumaru. It wasn?t that she bore any particular liking toward him at the moment, but the mere fact that him dying was part of the Seer?s doom prophecy made her reluctant. And when she saw him standing there, she was horrified. Not just by the sword he held, poised to chop downward, but by the unusually bright red aura of the blade. It twined slyly around his body, like a serpent slowly constricting. ?[I]Can?t he SEE it?[/I]? she wondered. ?[I]It?s taken over him like it did Gaijinbou, the one who forged it!?[/I]Another great shock was his appearance. His face was twisted. She had never imagined someone so refined and coldly beautiful could be so distorted by hatred. That was what she read on his face: open, raw hatred. She had a pretty good idea what weakness of his the sword was feeding off of. Both he and Inuyasha were drenched in blood. Their silver-white hair was slick with it. So was the rock face where they were. And Sesshoumaru was about to take Inuyasha?s head. The Seer had told her to kill Sesshoumaru. But right now, to save Inuyasha?s life, she was going to have to shoot the sword. Tightening her knees about Kirara?s back to balance herself, she notched one arrow into her bow and shot. The blow struck its intended target. And Sesshoumaru dropped the sword; it seemed to have burned him. Then he turned slowly in her direction. His face had smoothed into an expression of vague surprise, like a sleeper waking. Behind him, Inuyasha rose to his feet, a hulking shape against the background glow of magma. Before it could even register in her mind what was happening, Inuyasha attacked. His body slammed into his brother?s back full-force, throwing him against the stone face. Sesshoumaru swiped at him with his claws, snarling something incoherent, and tried to throw him off. Inuyasha locked both hands around his brother?s throat, pulled him upward, and then dashed his head downward against the rock. There came a sickening crack. Kagome could hear it even from where she sat, hovering atop Kirara a good thirty yards away. ?INUYASHA!? she screamed, horrified. He no longer looked human. At the sound of her voice, he lifted crazed red eyes her way and laughed. Blood dribbled over his front teeth. Sesshoumaru had gone limp beneath him. He let go of his brother?s throat with one hand, cracking the knuckles of the other, priming his claws for a second go. ?INUYASHA, STOP!? Kagome shouted. ?Kirara, take me closer.? She had Tetsusaiga with her. If she could just get him to touch it. . . Kirara growled, refusing to obey. The demon cat clearly intended to hold to her promise to Sango to keep Kagome out of danger. ?INUYASHA, YOU CAME HERE TO SAVE HIM!? Kagome called in desperation, tears welling up in her eyes. ?DON?T DO THIS!? Inuyasha laughed thickly. ?[I]I?ll save him!?[/I] he crowed. [I]?I?ll drink his blood. Paint him across the snow.?[/I] Then he turned away from her, lifting his claws. And Kagome realized now what destiny was asking of her. She could see the shard in his back. If she could hit it. . . ?[I]There are two brothers, and two arrows.? ?I can save them both[/I],? she realized. [I](?How am I supposed to kill someone who might be the strongest of all Youkai?? ?Your last arrow.?)[/I] And she understood. [I]?I am the one with the potential to make the prophecy come true. What the Seer told me. . . I could kill them both.?[/I] If she shot him, Inuyasha might die. The shard was not in a location anywhere near his vital organs. However, she remembered that Kikyou?s arrows were deadly to him. She prayed with every ounce of desperate love that her own were not. There was no other way. She notched the arrow and took her aim. Even through the blur of tears, the shard glowed brightly in him. A clear target. Steeling herself, she murmured, ?If I must, I will. . .?[/COLOR] [center][color=orange][b]END OF CHAPTER 17[/b][/center][/color]

[color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} + + + Chapter 16: Chosen + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]It seemed he drifted in a strange limbo between sleep and death, very different from the web of memory and illusion in which his brother was now ensnared. It was as if all time had stopped, and now he had truly died. Yet he [i]lived[/i]. He could not move; imprisoned in a casket of dark glass; seeing nothing but empty rock and steam mirrored in the crystal's myriad facets. He caught no scent and heard no sound, but in his mouth there was the bittersweet tang of blood; his own, from where the crystal had cut him as it grew a little ways between his lips. That taste, and the dizzying shine of crystal in his eyes, were all that his awareness encompassed. He had no thoughts, nor awareness of who he was. He wasn't even breathing. Then there came a flash of light, so brilliant that a slight awareness of his body returned. He tried to shut his eyes against it, but the crystal encasing him forbade even a movement that small. A horrid cracking noise followed, so deafening that he thought his ears might rupture. All around him, the facets split and split again, splintering into pieces so tiny that he could no longer see through them. Luminescence surged between the cracks. And then he was falling.[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her back. Her hand lost its grip on the arrow, but that no longer mattered. The arrow dissolved into brilliance, and then disappeared. Roughly, she was flung to the ground. The impact jolted her hard, causing her teeth to click together loudly. She lay pressed against the stone, stunned. The disorientation lasted only a few seconds, however, and then she realized that the person crouched over her protectively was Sango, and that between the two women and the shattering crystal Kirara stood as a living barrier. The demon's fiery [i]ki[/i] deflected the worst of it, sparing them all a potentially deadly shower of jagged shards. Kagome didn't bother waiting for Sango to sit up and move away from her. The ground was trembling beneath her belly, but she scarcely noticed it. She wriggled out from beneath the other woman and staggered to her feet. The [i]ryunochi[/i] encasing Inuyasha's body had shattered, and he was falling. His eyes were wide and staring, as if he were dead, and he fell to his knees with a loud thud. He would have tipped forward to land face-first on the sharp debris, but at the last instant Kirara caught the back of his [i]haori[/i] in her jaws. Kagome rushed to his side, kneeling down and catching him in her arms once Kirara let go. He was very heavy; the weight of his head and upper body on Kagome's lap pressed her shins into the debris underfoot, tearing holes in her jeans. She paid this no heed, grasping him by one arm and shaking him. There was a long, nasty-looking weal across his back, oozing blood. She was so terrified in this instant that she couldn't even manage his name. All that emerged was a kind of wordless whimper. ?Kagome!? Sango shouted from somewhere behind her. ?The mountain's going to fall! We have to leave NOW!? Clasping both arms tightly under Inuyasha's Kagome tried to lift him as she rose to her feet. Yet he was too heavy; she was forced to kneel again to keep from dropping him. She was aware now of the ground rumbling beneath her legs, but somehow he was more important. ?[i]Help[/i] me!? she cried. ?We're [i]not [/i]leaving without him!? Sango's hand grasped her firmly by the shoulder. ?Kagome, he's. . .? ?Alive!? she breathed. His hand moved. He placed one palm flat against the shard-strewn ground, pushing himself slowly into a kneeling position, crystal tumbling from his hair in a fall of dark glass. As he did so, he laughed softly. ?Inuyasha?? Kagome asked, still grasping his arm tightly. She peered up into his face, seized with the new fear that he was somehow no longer himself. She had no idea what his imprisonment in the ryunochi might have done to him. Yet he caught hold of her by the arm, and pulled her with him as he rose abruptly to his feet. ?I [i]see[/i] now,? he murmured, and Kagome found herself heaving a sigh of relief. His face was slashed cruelly in places from where the shattered crystal had cut him, but the expression he wore was a familiar fierce grin. ?Inuyasha, we have to leave here,? Sango insisted. She was now carrying the unconscious woman Suiton with one arm beneath her shoulders. ?Raiiru intends to bring the mountain down on us.? ?Yeah; to kill [i]me[/i],? Inuyasha said, moving quickly to help her. He held the Seer while Sango climbed atop Kirara's back. When the demon-slayer had helped Kagome up as well, he lifted the woman and set her in front of them astride Kirara. ?Hold onto her, Kagome. We have to move.? Wordlessly, Kagome nodded, clasping her arms around the Seer's waist to hold her steady. The woman slumped helplessly against her. They took off at a flying pace down the tunnel. Though the whole place was shaking violently, Kirara's feet scarcely touched the ground and her riders scarcely felt it. Inuyasha ran alongside them, for Kirara could only carry so many. Kagome kept her eyes fixed on his face, unable to bear seeing what the sharp crystals jutting out of the floor were doing to his feet. He bore it with grim resolution; it seemed as if from the moment he'd been freed from the casket of ryunochi he'd become filled with a renewed grim purpose. Kagome wasn't reassured in the least. ?Inuyasha, what did you mean, `to kill [i]you[/i]'?? she asked him, wincing as a bit of falling crystal glanced off her shoulder. ?Why does the dragon want to kill [i]you[/i] so badly?? Inuyasha's head lowered, shading his eyes with shaggy white bangs. ?[i]Heh[/i]. Because Sesshoumaru is a dolt.? Kagome's mouth formed a little O of shock. Then she became so angry and confused that even her thoughts started running into each other. [i]`How can he. . .how. . .after what thinking he died just put me through. . .he says `heh'. . .?'[/i] Fortunately, Sango was still able to think coherently. ?[i]Inuyasha[/i],? she said, in a low warning tone, ?that doesn't explain anything. We want to know what's going [i]on[/i].? Inuyasha grunted as his foot trod on a particularly sharp bit of shard. ?[i]Ow.[/i] Fuck.? ?[i]Inuyasha[/i]. . .? Inuyasha took a deep breath, biting back the longer string of swear words that had apparently been pending. ?Like you said earlier, the `[i]hanyou[/i]' holds the key,? he blurted out instead. He stumbled a little; the shard had cut him just under the ball of his foot and it hurt like hell. ?[i]Otou-sama[/i] knew what he was doing when he entrusted the secret of the Dragon's location to me. He knew that if for some reason the seal faded, my blood alone would hold the key to restoring it.? He paused, smirking. ?And he knew Sesshoumaru would just fuck everything up. Which he [i]has[/i].? Sango nodded slowly. ?That makes sense,? she agreed. ?But why didn't Raiiru just kill you outright? Why go to the trouble of dropping a mountain on you when he had you at his mercy?? Inuyasha's fierce expression faded into a frown. ?I don't know,? he admitted. ?That's the funny thing. But it seems to me like he's afraid of just coming into [i]contact[/i] with my blood. We fought, in the cave, when he'd just taken over Sesshoumaru's body. And I noticed something weird: he seemed to be avoiding touching me. He used Sesshoumaru's power against me only twice, and neither time did he use very much of it at all. The first, when I attacked at close range and he gave me this.? Inuyasha nodded over his shoulder, presumably referring to the weal across his back. ?The second. . .I think it was a lure. He called poison into his claws, to make it look like he was going to charge me. But when I charged him. . .like before. . .the wraith in him attacked instead.? Sango nodded, comprehension dawning on her face. Kagome was starting to get an inkling as well. ?And he used the [i]ryunochi[/i] to imprison you?? she murmured, shuddering a little. ?You didn't have Tetsusaiga,? Sango remarked, a bit more shrewdly. ?Here.? She let go of Kagome's waist to remove Tetsusaiga from the strap across her back. She'd been storing the sword there ever since she'd retrieved it after Kagome cast it aside. It had shared her Hiraikoutsu's harness. Now she leaned to one side and passed it to Inuyasha, who took it quickly and re-fastened it at his hip. ?I didn't have Tetsusaiga,? Inuyasha agreed as he did this. ?And I couldn't get close to him. So I used my [i]Hijintessou[/i].? He paused, looking very grim indeed. ?And that was when he did it. I think that was why he did it; if he hadn't dodged it, the attack would've brought him into contact with my blood.? Sango's brows knitted together in a frown. ?You mean to use the [i]Hijintessou[/i] to defeat him,? she said slowly. ?You think that somehow if your blood touches him, it will destroy him?? Inuyasha grunted. ?Something like that, yeah.? Neither Sango nor Kagome found this very reassuring. From his behavior it seemed less like Inuyasha didn't really have a plan and more like he was trying to keep something from them. ?The tunnel ends up there,? Kagome said suddenly, lifting one of the hands from the Seer's waist and pointing. As they moved, the air had been growing steadily colder. They had already passed the place where the tunnel forked, and were now running up the branch that led to the surface. Behind them, larger chunks of rock were beginning to shake loose and fall from the ceiling. From somewhere far behind along the way they'd just come, there came a loud crack, and then a crash, as of even weightier debris descending. Then there came an even louder crack, causing Kagome and Sango to flinch. The noise was so deafening that it echoed repeatedly off the cave walls. ?That wasn't just rocks falling,? Kagome said in a low voice. ?That sounded like something hit the whole mountain, making it crack like that. . .? ?Not [i]hitting[/i] it,? Inuyasha replied unexpectedly, in a voice equally as low. ?[i]Pulling[/i] it down from the inside out. Reiyama is filled with the Dragon's blood. Over the centuries, sealed away by his own blood, he couldn't move. But I think the [i]ryunochi[/i] has soaked into the mountain itself, becoming part of it.? Even for describing something so grim, the [i]hanyou's[/i] tone was unusually dark. ?I understand, a little, what the Dragon endured. Being sealed in that stuff is like. . .well, not like dying. . .but like being trapped in a state of [i]wanting[/i] to die. No wonder the Dragon dreamed so hard of freedom that his soul reached out to Kagome's. . .? Kagome pursed her lips, forcibly holding back tears. She had resolved the instant she lifted Tetsusaiga from the bloodstained floor that she would make this right somehow. And she had saved Inuyasha from the waking death of the seal. Yet the way events were beginning to move, she had changed [i]nothing[/i]. . . ?Say. . .where the hell is Miroku?? Inuyasha was asking Sango. Sango looked over at him. ?Oh? He took Shippou and went on ahead of us.? She sounded faintly puzzled. Inuyasha's brow furrowed, and then abruptly his eyes went wide with what appeared to be a mixture of outrage and horror. ?He WHAT? Sango, do you KNOW why he LEFT YOU? SHIT! THAT COCKY BASTARD!? Sango flinched, somewhat taken aback by this outburst, but when the look of horror didn't fade from Inuyasha's face she gasped as if in sudden realization. ?DAMNED IDIOT!? Inuyasha swore, shaking his head to clear away some rubble that had fallen into his hair. ?He thinks he can kill the Dragon HIMSELF with the Wind Tunnel!? He paused, panting from the exertion of emoting and running all at once. ?The Wind Tunnel. . .will devour lesser Youkai. . .but he forgets that that THING in my brother's body is that thing in MY BROTHER'S BODY. . .? Sango's grip around Kagome's waist tightened. ?We'll go to his aid,? she said firmly. Inuyasha turned away, nodding. His eyes gleamed fiercely, fixed now on the tunnel's maw ahead. There the cave opened onto a sky like a roiling sea of storm clouds. Icicles hung from the ceiling there like pointed teeth. `[i]Inuyasha is avoiding looking at me[/i],' Kagome thought, watching him. She could not bring herself to say anything, because the way he looked she doubted anything could dissuade him. [i]`What are you thinking, Inuyasha? Why do you look like you know you're about to do something terrible?' [/i] He was alive here and now, but she had changed nothing. They were racing to meet the Dragon in battle. . . . . . who wore Sesshoumaru's flesh. . . The flesh of one who was destined to die with his brother when the mountain fell. . .[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]A lone figure struggled across a frozen plain, bearing in his arms what appeared to be a bundle of red fur. His dark robes flapped around his body, billowing away from his skin and letting out precious warmth. He shuddered, clutching the bundle tightly against him as he stumbled. Even his [i]ki[/i] was waning; his ankles were starting to sink into the snow. And his feet, though wrapped in cloth shoes beneath the sandals, had gone numb long ago. ?Ow,? the bundle protested. Miroku offered no apology, but loosened his grip. ?You should go now, Shippou,? he said, lifting the Kitsune in his arms. ?Transform and get to the mountains to the north as fast as you can.? Shippou uncurled, staring up at the monk in defiance. ?No,? he argued. ?I won't leave you.? His teeth were chattering as he said this. Miroku smiled wearily at him. [i]`I will probably die doing this,[/i]' he thought. ?You [i]will[/i] go,? he told Shippou gently. ?Because if you are drawn into the Void in my hand along with the Dragon, Kagome-[i]sama[/i] will cry.? Shippou's determined expression wavered. ?And she's cried enough on this journey, hasn't she?? Miroku pressed. Slowly, the Kitsune nodded. His eyes were very large and liquid. He turned away from Miroku before jumping from his arms and transforming. Miroku squinted against the driving snow, shielding his eyes with one hand as the large, awkward bird Shippou had become winged its way northward. Then he lowered his arm, tucking it beneath the voluminous folds of his sleeve and pressing onward. Ahead of him he could see a dark cluster of boulders: an outcropping. They formed a ridge, atop which there stood another dark cluster of much smaller figures: the Tatesei. He would have known them even if he hadn't been able to distinguish their shapes; their faces were glowing embers in the dark. The fire still flowing through their veins had rendered them pinpoint candles, ringing the one tall, pale figure standing in their midst. Even from this distance, Miroku could see Sesshoumaru's head turned toward the mountain, palms slightly upraised. The Dragon's eyes gleamed; he was bringing the mountain down. [i]`I MUST stop him[/i],' Miroku thought. [i]`But is it possible from this range?[/i]' He stole a quick glance around him. The plain, of course, was still blanketed in snow. If he opened the Wind Tunnel at this distance, it would be less effective against Raiiru, and would pull tons upon tons of snow in as well. This could potentially be as harmful as pulling boulders or hordes of demons into his hand; it could tear the hole wider again. He hesitated a moment, weighing the risks. The storm was not as intense here as it was surrounding the Dragon; a fact which Miroku did not fail to notice. The fact that the [i]jyaki-[/i]driven storm still circled where Sesshoumaru walked must mean that there was still some clash between the white demon's blood and the Dragons, igniting this maelstrom. The closer Miroku came to the Dragon, the less the winds would interfere with the wind from his hand. But closer in, the Dragon would be able to react more effectively to counteract his attack. . . It was a risk he could not avoid. Flinging aside the prayer beads covering his accursed hand, he shouted, ?[i]KAZAANA!? [/i]into the face of the storm. Then the windswept plain was besieged by a storm of his own. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Shippou, for the first time along the journey, elected to obey his elders and go to where he could remain in safety. He told himself as he flew that he would not cry, he would not cry he would not, though of course he was crying as he said this. It was difficult to fly against the wind at first; the ice stung his eyes. However, when at last he cleared the ridge on the far side of the plane, he found that the wind was slower, and the snow did not blind him as he flew. `[i]Miroku was right[/i],' he thought angrily. `[i]Sesshoumaru really IS the center of the storm. ALL of this is his fault!'[/i] Not far ahead, he could see buildings below. The Inu Youkai palace, he recalled. Where he was supposed to go. He knew that he was supposed to take shelter here somewhere, but he also knew that the two who followed Sesshoumaru lived here. He didn't know what sort of welcome he would receive. He doubted it would be friendly. To Shippou's surprise, as he began to circle low over the slanted roof he saw that there were lights on in the windows. And the odd thing was. . .as he circled around the building, he saw that there were lights on in every window. [i]`Just how many people live in this place?[/i]' he wondered. Finally, when his magic was beginning to exhaust him and he could no longer hold the transformation, Shippou landed on the snow-strewn garden and considered what to do next. Now that he was no longer flying, his teeth began to chatter, and his thoughts turned immediately to warmth. He scampered over the snow and climbed onto the wooden terrace that ringed the palace, taking shelter under the roof. There he huddled against the wall, watching the icicles dripping off the eaves. He was still shivering. `[i]Maybe I can find somewhere to hide inside,[/i]' he decided. There really wasn't anywhere else to go. He was too tired to fly anywhere else, and he'd freeze to death trying to travel through this weather on foot. That left the Inu Youkai palace itself. He swallowed hard. He wasn't sure he wanted to meet whoever Sesshoumaru's friends were inside. He wasn't afraid of the two who traveled with the demon lord; they were small, and though the one named Jakken carried a staff that breathed fire, it wasn't anything he couldn't run away from in time. However, it occurred to him that Sesshoumaru might have stronger demon allies living here as well. At least, it seemed lighting the whole palace with candles would be too wearisome a task for two people alone. Looking right, then left, Shippou saw no one coming round the terrace. He slid aside the nearest door panel and crept inside. The room he found was empty. It smelled of dust and stone and old wood, and also of Inu Youkai. But even that was an old scent. It looked as if no one had lived there for years. Yet there was a candle burning in the window, flickering against the canvas drawn closed to shutter it. And there were no cobwebs in the corners. There was a dagger lying on the floor. Shippou stepped on it quite by accident; the light wasn't good. With a yelp, he temporarily forgot his intended caution and scurried out into the hall. There was no one there. Again he paused, nursing the cut on his foot and considering what to do. [i]`I can't stay in the hall, at any rate[/i],' he finally decided. [i]`If someone comes there's nowhere to hide.'[/i] He wandered furtively down corridors lined with torches. He heard soft scurryings that sounded too large to be rats, and felt eyes watching him, but every which way he turned there was no one. At long last he came to a vast room, where a fire pit burned invitingly at one end, and where cushions had been laid out for its denizens' comfort. Shippou approached the fire, thinking only of warming his numb little hands and feet. However, he hadn't come within three feet of it before he realized what was happening. This was just like some tale Kagome had once told him, where the young maiden seeks shelter in a demon's castle, and in return the demon forces her to become his wife. Or maybe it was a tennyou maiden, and the castle was a wood-cutter's hut? Or a temple with a lecherous priest? Shippou shook his head, knocking on it with his tiny fists. ?Gah!? he chided himself. ?Everyone's stories confuse me!? ?Stories?? The Kitsune jumped so high it was practically levitation. Then he turned, and saw that the young maiden from the story was standing there, staring at him. She was wearing a blue silken tunic embroidered with fish and swirling waves. ?What stories?? she persisted, folding her hands before her composedly and peering at him with polite curiosity. Then Shippou, despite his rapid heartbeat, realized that this was Rin; the girl who followed Sesshoumaru around. He relaxed a little; he wasn't afraid of her at all. ?Isn't there anyone else in the castle?? he asked her, folding his arms and trying to look mature. The little girl looked somewhat crestfallen. ?Rin has only Jakken to look after her,? she said sadly. ?Lord Sesshoumaru has gone to fight the Dragon.? She approached the fire and plunked down on one of the cushions, hugging herself. ?Rin is afraid.? Shippou realized with a start that he couldn't just blurt out how this was all Sesshoumaru's fault in front of her. She might cry, and he knew better than to make girls cry. Instead, he patted her on the hand in a companionable sort of way. ?You're afraid he'll forget you?? he asked, in his trying-to-sound-older tone of voice. Rin shook her head, staring transfixed into the flames. Her brown eyes were very large and liquid. ?No,? she answered sadly. ?It has been a long time since he left. And the Seer said he will die.?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]The instant the monk's cursed hand began to disrupt the storm-winds surrounding Raiiru, the Dragon turned away from the east to face this new interference. He regarded the tiny figure of the monk with yellow eyes narrowed. One of his children lost their footing and went sliding off the ridge and into the pull of the vortex. Still more attempted to grasp hold of something, anything, to hold themselves fast against it, but there was little for it. Several more were lost before he could react; the others acted quickly, planting their spears deep in the earth beneath their feet, where the snow had melted. They clung to the secured weapons, turning their faces toward him expectantly. Raiiru pushed his way past them, disregarding the snow buffeting against him. His eyes were beginning to blaze. The strange wind-curse would not pull him into it, as he was sure the monk intended, for his soul's wraith-like talons dug into the stone where he stepped, leaving runnels in the rock. Despite the fact that he had taken a mortal's flesh, the Dragon and the flesh had yet to become one. It was not because the white demon's soul prevented him; Sesshoumaru was bound deep in shadow, wound into the heart of a labyrinth of lies. The Dragon knew the heart of Sesshoumaru far better than Sesshoumaru himself. The lies that the white demon chose to believe most; the ones that formed the strongest shackles, were the lies Sesshoumaru had told himself. [i]?I will take the Dragon's power and become a god. I will not lose myself to it.? ?Power will bring me peace.?[/i] Raiiru shook his head faintly, stalking toward the edge of the ridge. Sesshoumaru was nearly gone. But he could not fully merge his soul with this body until he was certain it could not be defeated. He would remain a wraith in a demon's body if it meant an easier way to defeat this new threat. He would remain in this state until he was certain the [i]hanyou[/i] Inuyasha was dead, also. He was not a fool, and he was not so full of pride that he refused to acknowledge his vulnerabilities. While in the mountain he had come to realize something vital: the [i]hanyou's[/i] blood touching him caused Sesshoumaru to stir inside him. He feared what might happen if too much of Inuyasha's blood made contact with his borrowed flesh, and so he chose to bury it beneath the mountain, so that none would ever be able to retrieve it. Only when Inuyasha's blood was sealed away from all retrieval would he be able to merge fully with this new form. Only then would he become the destined White King. Yet now this new distraction was calling him away from the task at hand. He descended from the ridge, cutting a steaming path through the driving snow where he passed. The monk was holding his ground, his face pale and drawn from the strain of using the curse in his hand. Raiiru was finally forced to halt at a distance of roughly one hundred yards. Even with Raiiru's ghostly talons digging into the earth to hold him fast, the monk's vortex was formidable, and he would not be able to move closer. Neither would the monk be able to draw him in. A standoff. He didn't speak; he merely stood there, waiting. Soon enough, the monk saw that his ploy was having no effect, and began to move toward him. Raiiru's head lifted, white hair streaming out behind him. ?I see your aim,? he called. His voice was Sesshoumaru's, soft and cultured, yet it now possessed a strange resonance. It carried past the shriek of wind, into the monk's very head, so that he would not fail to hear it. ?But you won't spare him time with your power. He's DEAD. And the mountain WILL fall. . .? Raiiru's yellow eyes rolled upward in his head, flashing white. His consciousness shot through the places in the mountain where his blood had seeped through cracks in the rock, as if he were traveling through his own veins. And now there came one final crack. The earth began to rumble. The monk ran at him. He could not see the monk, but he could smell the stench of desperation on him. And he tensed, preparing to move with according speed to dodge the brunt of the vortex. The monk was too late. With a mighty din, the mountain fell. It was a slow thing to watch; the massive, broken rock face crumbling and sliding down beneath the weight of the snow atop it. A gigantic cloud of snow mushroomed over it, rising skyward, only to be caught in the winds of the storm that swept across the plain. A smile spread across Raiiru's pale face, baring pointed teeth. It was done. The [i]hanyou[/i] was buried. Slowly, he turned to deal with the monk. It was then that he realized the vortex was gone; closed. The monk's eyes were wide with surprise. As Raiiru turned to face him, brushing aside the hair the wind whipped across his eyes, he saw the monk take a single, unsteady step toward him. Then the young man pitched forward, stumbling to his knees in the snow, bent double with the sudden pain of the dagger protruding from his back. Irusei stood behind him. Raiiru said nothing; he made no further move to approach. It seemed the strain of maintaining the vortex had become too great, and so the monk closed it. And as he did so, Irusei had caught him unaware. He was finished, whether he lived or died. The wound would rob him of consciousness, if not his life. For a moment, the Dragon and Irusei regarded each other across the man bleeding in the snow. The Tatesei warrior's face glistened with sweat, though the air was so cold that it frozen where it dripped off his chin. Irusei's eyes, still black against the cross-work of fiery veins beneath his skin, were feverish. ?I guarded the way out of the tunnel,? the young man finally said. His voice was hoarse and breathy. ?As you bade me. And I followed him all this way. But my strength failed me. . .and I did not overtake him until now.? Still Raiiru said nothing. He had known when first he laid mortal eyes upon Irusei that the young warrior would die from the wound the white demon's sword had dealt him. And still Irusei continued to serve him, even though he had not been chosen; even though the Dragon had chosen Sesshoumaru instead. ?What would you have me do?? Irusei asked. His voice had dropped to a whisper, scarcely audible above the monk's ragged breath. He sank to his knees behind the man he'd stabbed, bowing his head in obeisance. His hands, wet with blood, branded red prints into the snow. ?What must I do now?? Raiiru, who had seen the dawn of centuries, and whose claws had furrowed valleys and lashed seas, was beyond words. This humble creature, though he should have been bitter over his coming death, instead knelt before him, holding out his remaining life like a gift. Human strength. Human strength such as this was what would endure the ages. Raiiru knew himself to be wise to see this, and to choose this race for his own. But for his devoted child Irusei, he could do nothing. ?Heal me,? Irusei whispered, pleading with his head bowed. Stringy wet hair fell across his eyes, hiding his face. ?Let me see the world you will make.? Raiiru glided closer to him, skirting around the monk, who lay groaning and helpless. ?You were stabbed by a demon blade, to which Sesshoumaru gave the name Tokijin,? Raiiru said softly. ?Its poisonous[i] jyaki[/i] has mingled with my blood in you. Because of this, I might save your life, but you would become something unnatural as a result. A demon.? He tilted his cold, beautiful head to one side, thoughtful as he laid one hand gently atop Irusei's bowed head. ?If that is so, still I ask that you save me,? Irusei begged. He wanted to live, despite his courage. He clung to life in the manner of humans. His shoulders were tense with it. ?Please. I want to see the future ahead. I want to see. . .? Sharp talons curled inward, clenching into flesh and through the skull, into Irusei's brain. He died with his eyes open, staring at nothing. Gently, Raiiru disengaged his claws and lowered the dead man into the snow beside the monk. The fire in Irusei's veins had faded and grown dark, and his eyes were clear. ?You have died a man, and not a beast,? Raiiru told him softly. ?That is my gift to you.? Then he turned and started up the ridge, toward his remaining children. They had pulled their spears free of the frozen earth, and now regarded him silently. There was no accusation in their eyes; only hope. He had not suffered a demon to live, and so it would be from now on. Now he would merge fully with the body he'd possessed, and with his art of necromancy he would put an end to this age. The power once possessed by the Wise, amplified a thousand-fold in him, would sweep across the land like a wave. ?It is done,? he said softly to his followers. ?And now I am the Dragon no longer. I will take this mortal's body in full, and become Raiiru, the White King. [i]Your[/i] king.? Going utterly still, he drew his soul inward, toward the core of the flesh, burning white-hot as a star imploding. He felt his blood begin to melt, to merge with the white demon's, becoming something entirely new. The winds around him began to slow, for now the clash of his blood with Sesshoumaru's demon jyaki was nearing its end. He was overcoming it, becoming one with it and stilling its malice, and so the storm was fading. And he felt the soul that had once worn this flesh begin to fade away and die.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Inuyasha had known what he had to do from the instant before the Dragon locked him away in crystal. That was why the Dragon had done it. Now that he was free, and he had finally come across the frozen plain to see his enemy standing there on the ridge, his resolve was hardened further. As the tall, pale figure became clearer to see through the maelstrom, he fell back and drew abreast of Kirara. Then he lifted Tetsusaiga free of its sheath and pressed it into Kagome's hands. She stared at him, her face full of questions. She grasped the blade as if it were a life-preserver, even though her arms were also locked around the Seer's waist. Inuyasha hadn't had any regrets up until this point. Now he hated himself for doing this. ?Keep it safe,? he told her huskily. ?And stay back.? Then he reached upward for the Shikon shard that hung on the chain around her neck, and with one swift tug tore it free. He turned quickly away, and without warning surged ahead, speeding full tilt toward the Dragon.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Kagome stared after him with her lips pressed together tensely. Her face had gone white with surprise, and dawning horror. ?Inuyasha!? Sango called after him, but he ignored her completely. He was already well beyond earshot. Finally, Kagome found her voice. ?What is he thinking? What is he thinking?? she found herself shouting. She was angry. And full of fear. ?He's going to fight without Tetsusaiga! And with the shard. . . He'll lose to his own demon blood!? Behind her, Sango shook her head, mystified. ?I don't understand, either. He knows from past experience that trying to fight Sesshoumaru without Tetsusaiga will only get him killed. . .or rob him of his sanity. Does he think if he gives in to his Youkai blood he'll be strong enough to take on the Dragon?? The woman in Kagome's arms stirred a little, moaning. Kagome's hands tightened around Tetsusaiga. Its blunted edges dug into her palms. ?What are you thinking, Inuyasha?? she asked softly, even though he couldn't hear. ?What made you choose this???[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple][i]In the cavern beneath the mountain, the air had been filled with smoke and red blades. The thing in Sesshoumaru's body dodged them with fluid speed, as Inuyasha had suspected he might. That was when the hanyou dug his nails into his flesh yet again, and let loose another volley. ?HIJINTESSOU!? This time, the Dragon did not evade it completely. The edge of one crimson blade caught him in the upper arm on the left side, on the arm that wasn't supposed to be there. It scarcely fazed the Dragon at all, drawing only a little blood to spot the white sleeve. Yet in that instant Inuyasha thought he saw something of his brother return to the cold, yellow eyes. And the blood he'd drawn smelled only of Sesshoumaru. He prepared to let loose yet another slew of red blades, but his preparatory gathering of inner ki was impeded by a growing sense of exhaustion. The air here was thick, and too hot. It reeked of sulfur. The Dragon grinned at him; an eerie, bestial expression that bared the points of Sesshoumaru's fangs. ?Your blood can't wake him,? Raiiru sneered, ?because you are both hanyou and hanryu. There is too much of me in you, and too much that is human, for you to reawaken the demon in him.? Inuyasha darted sideways, evading the smoky claw that shot straight for him. He landed in a crouch, panting, and reflecting on the Dragon's words. They were true. If that was so, there was only one way left. He began to let the Youkai in him loose. It seeped through him like a poison, carrying with it the power that he'd long kept buried. Every muscle in his body went taut with it. He found himself laughing; a low, ugly sound, and with the lengthening claws of one hand he reached into the red blossom of his wound. This time the Dragon acted swiftly and without comment. Black blood rained down upon Inuyasha; flew toward him from every direction, in droplets like insects swarming. They coated him like a second skin, blinding him, filling his nose, pressing in around his body. Maddened, he lashed out at them, but his Hijintessou flew blindly, and the Dragon avoided them easily. Running blindly, he tore down the tunnel, in a rage but unable to see where his opponent was. The black mist came frothing after. The infuriating thing, amplified tenfold by his excited demon blood, was that he KNEW he could defeat the Dragon, if only he could see where he was. His fury escaped his throat in a roar, which reverberated off the tunnel walls. But then the ryunochi had overtaken him, and he was able to run no further.[/color][/i] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Now, as he ran toward the ridge, Inuyasha began calling that fury back into his blood. He was glad he did not have to look at Kagome as he did this. It felt like his very flesh was boiling with it. His fangs lengthened, and his claws curved cruelly outward, and he became suffused with strength. The wounds from the tunnel before had already closed, but now he opened a new one, gouging deep into his own chest between the folds of his [i]haori.[/i] The pain was white-hot and terrible, but it added to his fury. It was swallowed by his other self; the one who laughed when he killed. It made him feel [i]alive[/i].[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Raiiru, flowing through his own veins in a rush, was not aware of the danger rushing toward him. His awareness was locking itself into bone and skin and muscle, drinking in the deep awareness of this new Self. He was not aware of the red blades that cut through the now-windless air, until at last they struck him. He did not receive the full brunt of the attack. Two of the Tatesei had seen it coming and interposed themselves between the White King and the blades of blood. They were cut asunder, bodies pistoning grotesquely as they were sliced to shreds where they stood. Their blood splashed into the snow; spattered across the back of his white robes. Several flashed past the warriors, however, catching him in the ribs on one side, beneath the arm, and on the other at the hip. The last caught the side of his face as he turned, slicing a new stripe down his cheekbone. What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief. The [i]hanyou[/i] was alive. Somehow, he had escaped the seal of ryunochi, as the Dragon had never been able to. Raiiru's breath caught between his grimacing fangs in a hiss of pain. He was remembering a prophecy, spoken by Midoriko. Midoriko, who had chosen to abandon the one whose blood flowed strongest in her veins, to serve humankind in place of the Dragon. . . [i]?Two rivers I see: one flowing alongside the other. They are two great Lines; theirs is a flow to span the Ages. One is a line of Youkai, strong and terrible. The other is a long line of sorcerers and kings---a race guarded by a shield of spirits. Where these rivers meet, I foresee the end of this Age, for a battle which began long ago shall at last be lost. And that which was broken shall at last be destroyed.? ?Where these rivers meet. . .? ?. . .the end of this Age. . .?[/i] Long ago, the Inutaisho had broken the strength of the Ryu Line. Then Sesshoumaru had broken the strength of the Tatesei Line. Now the rivers had met. The two Lines had blended. And now. . .to destroy at last that which was broken. . . The Inutaisho's chosen son had come for him. The [i]hanyou's[/i] blood was already beginning to seep into his body like a poison.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [i][color=purple]His body coiled atop a great black throne, carved with dragons twining, with embedded rubies for eyes. His claws curved over the armrests. He surveyed with placid authority the host of those come to pay tribute. Still more waited outside, bearing gifts of rare fruit and rarer gems, tokens of allegiance and new armies, bought and paid for. The world was his. This was what he'd always wanted. What he'd always wanted. The man kneeling in front of him was lifting a sword to him; the symbol of a regiment newly sworn to follow beneath the shadows of his wings. His head was bowed. The dragon-lord did not allow his subjects to look upon him. They averted their faces, veiled their eyes, for he was too beautiful and too terrible for them to be worthy of seeing him this close. Idly, he reached silver claws down to take the sword. To take an army on a whim. That was when something went wrong. The kneeling supplicant raised his head as the dragon-lord's claws closed around the blade. The blade cut him. He gazed down at it in wonder. It gleamed red, and his blood trickled over its edge, running slantwise to the hilt, which was cradled in the supplicant's palms. The blood was not black, as the Dragon's should be. It was not black, but. . . The supplicant raised his head, sneering, baring fangs while yellow eyes mocked him over the sword between them. ?What, jackass? You thought I'd just GIVE it to you? WAKE UP!? The dream wavered. Then everything was as it had been; as he'd always wanted it to be. Yet now Sesshoumaru shifted his silver coils, restless upon his throne. Now there was a problem: he was beginning to remember who he was. . .who he'd once been. And he could no longer make himself believe that this wasn't a dream.[/color] [/i] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]?NO!? the Dragon rumbled, swiping at the blood running down his cheek. ?It isn't enough! You're a [i]hanyou[/i]! You aren't demon enough to banish me!? Inuyasha laughed; a guttural, menacing sound. Then he flew at the tall, pale figure standing on the ridge. The Tatesei warriors who followed the Dragon threw themselves into his path, but his claws swiped vicious arcs through the frozen air, rending them down before their spears could reach him. ?My blood [i]burns[/i],? he called as he charged. ?It burns [i]pure[/i]. And he'll wake soon. I see him stirring in you. . .? Raiiru was retreating. Dimly, Inuyasha was aware of fearful cries coming from somewhere behind him. One was Sango's voice. Miroku was down; he could smell the blood. The other was Kagome's. He was trying not to listen, or his blood would cool. He didn't like her to see him like this. The shard embedded in his flesh pulsed in time with his heart. He'd inserted it into the wound he'd dug from his chest, and the skin had immediately closed over it. His wounds were healing. Grinning fiercely, he dug his claws into his left arm, then slung crimson blades outward in a horizontal rain. The Dragon leaped backward, retreating a good ten yards to avoid the [i]hijintessou[/i]. Simultaneously, the smoke of his wraith-like form surged forth from his body, forcing Inuyasha to halt his charge. It seared past Inuyasha's left side as the[i] hanyou[/i] dodged it. Inuyasha landed against the slanted side of a boulder atop the ridge and catapulted himself off it, hurtling toward Raiiru from a new angle. His lips were drawn back in a snarl now; he had been hurt. Though his Fire-Rat robes had protected him from the heat, there was an ugly scorch mark down the side of his left cheek, and the flesh of his left hand swiftly grew red and blistered. It hurt like hell. It made him want to kill. Again the smoky claw swiped at him, and again he dodged. He was coming to realize something. He crouched atop yet another boulder, breathing hard. ?You. . .can't reach me,? he called to his enemy. ?. . .can you? You're afraid. You're losing. . .hold of that body.? Raiiru spun to face him, mouth pressed firmly closed and eyes snapping sparks of ice. The Dragon was angry, and did not seem to know how to hide it. For a moment, both went still, each taking the measure of the other. ?You can't use his power, can you?? Inuyasha jeered. ?Can't use the power of the body you wear because you can't merge with it `til I'm dead, is that it? What's the matter? Am I keeping you from what you want?? The wounds in Raiiru's pale flesh were beginning to close, but slowly. Inuyasha grinned. [i]Well[/i], he thought viciously, [i]I'll just have to reopen them, then. Tear him open.[/i] The grin stretched the seared skin of his cheek, sending tiny wires of pain shooting up into his eye that might have been scorched nerves. He clung to the pain, knowing that it kept the Youkai blood in him boiling. He needed that. Needed to be stronger to. . . To be strong to. . . To banish this thing from Sesshoumaru's body. He'd almost forgotten. It was hard, thinking while in this state. His grin contorted into a grimace. He was going to have to make this fast, before he lost control completely. He was about to attack again when his fortune took a sudden turn for the worse. [i]?HIRAIKOUTSU!?[/i] The Dragon turned from him, and in one flying leap sped clear of the ridge. Sango's weapon landed in the place where he'd previously been standing. The impact was thunderous; snow sprayed outward from it in every direction. Inuyasha's view of his enemy was temporarily obscured by it. Cursing darkly, he sprang from his perch, dashing straight through the spray after him. What he saw upon emerging from the brief shower of snow drove the madness completely from his blood. The Dragon might not yet have had complete mastery over Sesshoumaru's power, but nevertheless his strength was formidable. As was his speed. He stood between Sango and her weapon. Sango stood between him and Miroku, seeming uncertain which way to move. She seemed torn between going to Miroku, who lay wounded and bleeding in the snow, or to advance on the Dragon. She was weaponless now save for the short sword she carried, which would never be able to strike beyond the reach of Raiiru's claws. One of the Dragon's pale arms was lifted, its sleeve fluttering gently like a banner. His hand encircled Kagome's throat as he held her aloft. Her legs dangled limply; at first Inuyasha thought she was dead. Then he realized that her eyes were wide open and she was staring at him and breathing shakily. She was not struggling because Raiiru's claws were pressed against her neck. Kirara started toward them, a growl rumbling deep in her chest. Raiiru heard the sound but did not turn toward it. Instead he tightened the grip of one finger, digging one nail into delicate skin. Kagome flinched. Her hands, grasping feebly at the arm that held her, were shaking. A few drops of blood leaked onto the collar of the sweater she wore. Kirara halted her advance, unwilling to risk the girl's life. The Dragon said nothing, but his pale face tilted sideways toward Inuyasha, yellow eyes rolling slightly. The expression gave him an eerie, feral look that had nothing to do with the demon whose body he inhabited. The message was clear. Inuyasha was filled with sudden rage. He was disgusted; with Sesshoumaru for becoming the instrument of all this, and with himself for his helplessness. He could not break the standoff by rushing at his enemy now. All care for himself aside, all futures aside, he had meant what he told the Seer before. [i]?I don't really care what kind of world results from this. If I can't protect my friends, then the future doesn't matter.? If I can't protect her, then the future doesn't matter.[/i] That was when he made the choice; a choice to change a future. His future. ?She's not the one you want,? he said, standing with his feet planted in the snow. The Dragon remained still and silent; waiting for him to continue. Inuyasha swallowed hard, brushing a hand over the place in his flesh where the Shikon shard was buried. It pulsed at his touch, reassuring and sly all at once. He was going to need it. ?You can't be sure you'll keep that body as long as I live,? he called, more stridently now. ?Whether or not you kill her, I won't rest until you're gone.? And then he did one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. ?If you want me,? he said told his enemy, ?come and take me. But I won't surrender my chance to kill you, no matter who you hold hostage.? Then he turned and sprinted down the ridge. He did not charge the Dragon. Instead, he veered eastward, away from them all, across the plain. He gritted his teeth as he ran, trying not to picture how fragile Kagome looked in the Dragon's grasp. He was gambling with her life, and with his own. If he fled, the Dragon would pursue him. Odds were, Raiiru would not kill Kagome before doing so, believing that she did not mean enough to Inuyasha to be worth killing. All Inuyasha's hopes now rode on Raiiru's obsession with seeing an end to the threat he posed. He didn't know where he was leading the Dragon, or to what end, but he did know that he had to draw his enemy as far from his friends as possible. Many Tatesei had died because of his brother. He was not going to let his friends become sacrifices to Sesshoumaru's stupidity. He ran swiftly atop the snow now, no longer hindered by sinking into it. The jewel shard had strengthened his ki to such heights that he had not even needed to think to achieve this. In fact, his body had been steadily acquiring more and more jyaki the longer he kept it. It was heady, and distracting. If he weren't so uncertain of what to do next, Inuyasha might have removed it to keep his head clear. But it seemed he'd gambled correctly; the Dragon was now giving equally swift chase across the snow-lashed plain, and he could not afford to lose speed. Yet. Inevitably, he would have to turn and face this thing, and kill it. It was not until he came to the gargantuan heap of broken rock that he realized which direction he'd been fleeing: eastward. This was the remains of the mountain Reiyama. He sprang up onto the mound of debris, darting across it in desperation.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]?Where. . .is he?? Kagome turned in surprise. The Dragon had released her and gone after Inuyasha; she had been standing frozen on the plain, shielding her eyes from the snow and squinting as she tracked their progress. They were soon gone from view. Sango had hastened to Miroku's side, lifting him into her arms and clutching him to her breast as if she would never let him go again. Only Kagome glanced over at the Seer, who, amazingly enough, was pulling herself shakily to her knees. She leaned against Kirara, who had gone to her aid. ?Where is [i]who[/i]?? Kagome asked in return, rounding on her a bit more angrily than she'd intended. This woman had served Sesshoumaru. Suiton leaned her head sideways against Kirara's massive shoulder, breathing raggedly. It looked as if she wasn't going to be able to stand at all. Her face was haggard, and her hands shook even more than Kagome's. The Dragon's fire in her veins gleamed more dully than Sango's. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i],? the Seer answered weakly. ?The Dragon. . .?? ?He went after Inuyasha,? Kagome said thickly. It was hard to speak around the lump in her throat. She wanted to cry very badly. She wanted to go running after him, after the Dragon, even though she was out of arrows and out of ideas and venturing out across the frozen wasteland between them would probably kill her. [i]?Stop him.?[/i] Something in the Seer's tone was too compelling to be ignored. The woman's voice had taken on an odd, echoing quality. Kagome hastened to her side, heart thumping wildly. It was as if Suiton had read her mind. . . [i]?Stop him[/i],? the woman repeated. Kagome was clutching at her shoulders, but the Seer's eyes were looking at something much, much further away. ?How?? Kagome pressed, filled with desperation. ?[i]How[/i] do I stop him?? Suiton shook her head. [i]?The Dragon's defeat is not the answer to Midoriko's prophecy[/i],? she whispered, in her strange, echoing voice. [i]?That which has been shattered. . .is not what I believed it to be. I know now that I've seen it. What was shattered. . . You wear it.?[/i] Kagome stared at her in surprise. ?You mean. . .the [i]Shikon Jewel[/i]? The jewel that was shattered by my arrow. . .? One hand flew to her throat, where the chain had hung. ?But he took it. Inuyasha took the shard I carried.? Again the Seer shook her head. [i]?The Jewel was shattered. . .and the hanyou is the one fated to see that it is destroyed. But the Dragon has unraveled the threads of fate, and now they are dangling loose. The destiny for which Inuyasha-sama was born is no longer assured.?[/i] ?The jewel. . .? Kagome breathed. ?You mean. . .if Inuyasha dies. . .Naraku will get hold of the whole Shikon no Tama and it won't be destroyed?? [i]?If he dies,? [/i]Suiton breathed, ?[i]the future, no matter what shape it takes, will see the rise of the greatest evil this world has known.? [/i] ?The Dragon?? Kagome persisted. ?What can we do to keep the Dragon from killing him?? And the Seer shook her head a third time. [i]?Even the Dragon will not be able to stop the one who possesses the whole Shikon no Tama. And. . .the Dragon is not the one fated to kill Inuyasha.?[/i] Kagome recoiled, taking her hand off the woman's shoulder. ?You mean. . .? The Seer's hand, thin and wiry, suddenly clamped down on Kagome's wrist. The woman's eyes shone fiercely. [i]?Go!?[/i] she urged. ?[i]Lord Sesshoumaru's strength is vast. You are the only one left here with the power to kill him.?[/i][/color] [center][color=green][b]End of Chapter 16[/b][/color][/center]

[center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Inuyasha had no idea what he?d been expecting to find at the tunnel?s end. The lake of seething magma was about right; that didn?t surprise him in the least. He didn?t know much about dragons, but he was under the impression that lava pits were sort of like hot-springs to them. But there was no sign of any dragon at all. Sesshoumaru stood alone, on the middle of a long rock shelf stretching outward from the chamber?s entrance. His white clothes were tattered, and there were bloody footprints leading to the place where he stood with his back to his brother. Other than this, he appeared utterly unharmed. Inuyasha wanted to kill him right then and there, for all the trouble he?d caused. Righteous anger surged through him, strong and fiery. But the Seer?s last warning echoed in his furry ears. [i]?I See you dead.?[/i] Swallowing hard against the lump of temper in his throat, Inuyasha forced himself to speak instead. ?Sesshoumaru.? That was all he could manage between clenched fangs: his brother?s name. Slowly, the Sesshoumaru turned to face him. His brother?s countenance was as cold and composed as ever. The dark veins that Inuyasha had noticed when they fought earlier were gone; even in the red glow of the magma, the white demon was white once again. Yellow eyes regarded Inuyasha calmly and without malice. Inuyasha?s nostrils flared briefly, breathing in his brother?s scent. . . . . .of pine and blood and metal. ?Just [i]who[/i]. . .the [i]fuck[/i]. . .are [i]you[/i]?? Inuyasha glowered at the man before him, hands clenching into fists at his sides. ?And don?t give me some bullshit about you being Sesshoumaru, because it?s obvious you?re [i]not[/i].? A slight, wry smile lifted the corners of the creature?s mouth. ?He received what he sought,? the Dragon said, in Sesshoumaru?s soft voice. The smile raised the short hairs on the back of Inuyasha?s neck. He started forward, a low growl in his throat. There was a tremendous aura of power about the tall, pale demon standing before him, as if his comparatively small form had suddenly become the focus for the dark, fiery power contained in these chambers. ?That doesn?t answer my [i]question[/i], jackass. WHO THE HELL [i]ARE[/i] YOU?? Again the cryptic smile. ?Centuries ago, before your father sealed me here in this prison of rock and blood. . .my name was Raiiru.?[/color] [center][b][color=green]End of Chapter 14[/color][/b][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Hmm. . .Raiiru. . . Sound familiar? Perhaps he was mentioned in chapter 3? Why, there might even be a CLUE there. .[/i] . ;-][/color] [center][b][color=green]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 15: Raiiru {+} {+}[/center][/color][/b] [color=purple]?You---you?re telling me that [i]you?re[/i] the Dragon?? Inuyasha growled menacingly. ?How the hell is that even POSSIBLE?? Steam drifted past the ankles of the two standing on the rock shelf, and the cave walls continued to drip black blood. A shadow passed over Sesshoumaru?s face---a dark, bitter expression that was wholly his brother?s. Inuyasha was simultaneously hopeful and unnerved. The look meant Sesshoumaru might still be [i]inside[/i] Sesshoumaru. . .but on Sesshoumaru that look also meant Death. ?At one time,? the Dragon said, ?the Daiyoukai---your father---bore the one weapon that could defeat me: the sword Su?unga, drawn from the tail of my ancestor Orochi by the war god Susanouo. The Daiyoukai used the sword to destroy my living body, and for that the spirit of the sword came to hate him. It had no choice but to obey its Inu Youkai wielder?s strong will, yet it resurrected me in the form of a wraith---neither living nor dead---that I might exact my vengeance upon the Inu no Taishou.? Inuyasha scowled. ?[i]Shit. . .I guess even Otou-sama had trouble with the damn sword. . .[/i]? But he prudently kept his mouth shut, in case the thing wearing his brother?s form accidentally revealed a weakness. As far as [i]usable[/i] weaknesses were concerned, the vanquished sword Su?unga was definitely out. Sesshoumaru?s proud head turned to the side, gazing out over the lake of fire. ?The Daiyoukai could not kill me, for I was already dead. And the sword, possessed by the powerful spirit of the dragon Orochi, would not send my spirit to the underworld. Already tremendously weakened from fighting me, the Inu no Taishou was only able to seal me into the mountain, using my blood and his.? A pause, and a smile. ?From your brother?s memories, I see that he died a century later, after killing one of the last survivors of my kind. The battle itself didn?t kill him, but fittingly enough he died at the hands of one of my human children. Setsuna Takemaru---that was his name.? The smile faded. ?What a pity Setsuna failed to kill [i]you[/i].? The white demon turned away from the magma, and took a step toward Inuyasha. Inuyasha held his ground, lip curling to bare one fang. Despite his fierce stance, however, his mind was racing furiously. This creature wanted him dead; that much was obvious. And if his father hadn?t been able to kill this ?Raiiru? when he was in dragon form, then the hanyou had a pretty good idea that he wouldn?t be able to, either. Weapon-less and wounded, he wasn?t going to be much good. ?[i]And then again,[/i]? he thought hopefully, ?[i]it ISN?T in dragon-form right now. . .?[/i] Inuyasha wondered if it was even [i]possible[/i] to kill the Dragon by killing Sesshoumaru?s body. The beast had somehow possessed his brother, but there was no telling whether it would be destroyed with its mortal shell or simply find another vessel to inhabit. . . That and he felt killing his brother while Sesshoumaru wasn?t himself wouldn?t be as satisfying. ?What?ve you done with Sesshoumaru?? he demanded, jabbing an accusatory claw in the Dragon?s direction. ?Where is he now?? The white demon?s lips curved into a tight grin, baring the needle-points of his fangs. The effect was utterly creepy; the short hairs rose on the back of Inuyasha?s neck. ?Inside me,? came the soft answer. ?As I was once inside him. Sleeping, dormant since the time he invited me in by choosing to rule the Tatesei. Awakened, and freed at last when he chose to break the seal. All for power.? The Dragon laughed; a low, ugly sound coming from Sesshoumaru?s throat. [i]?I don?t have Tetsusaiga,[/i]? Inuyasha thought, wracking his brains. ?[i]He was never weak against anything but that. . .[/i]? A sudden thought came to him, sly and small, seeping through the cracks of his resolve. [i]?But there is always the blood. . . Always my demon blood. . .?[/i] He didn?t have Tetsusaiga. There would be nothing to hold him back. Almost as if in response to the impulse, Inuyasha?s blood quickened. Sesshoumaru?s yellow eyes turned downward. He lifted his arms a little, causing the white sleeves to fall away from pale hands. He lifted his arms. [i]He lifted his arms.[/i] The shock of this almost completely distracted Inuyasha from plotting his own self-defense. Somehow, the Dragon had regenerated that which he?d cloven off years ago. That meant there was one more limb to contend with, and that Inuyasha was now officially twice as screwed. ?[i]Just hurry up and kill him,?[/i] the voice urged in Inuyasha?s head. ?[i]It?s no good trying to save Sesshoumaru if you can?t save yourself. . [/i].? It was the same ruthless, logical voice that suggested the use of his demon blood despite the risk. It sounded a whole lot like Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha ignored the voice and charged. The thing inside his brother moved. Shadow came roiling out from Sesshoumaru?s tall form, hot as smoke, only this held more substance. One pale arm lifted, the claws idly outstretched, and the shadow of the Dragon?s massive claw rose out of the body it inhabited. Inuyasha?s eyes widened at the sight of it, and mid-charge he swerved to avoid it. Where he brushed by it, he could feel the heat coming off it in waves. It grasped after Inuyasha?s body as he passed it, billowing as it changed directions like a living storm-cloud. Inuyasha realized that he was running toward a dead end: the fiery sea of magma ahead of him surrounded all sides except the way he?d come, forming some kind of archipelago of rock. To kill his own momentum he leaned low, dragging the claws of one hand into the ground and digging them into it so that he skidded in a rough half-circle, wheeling about to face the Dragon again. Rubble churned up from the friction of this maneuver stung his hand and feet, but he pushed himself upright, preparing to dodge the next attack. It came swiftly; it had been coming even as he ran. Now as he swerved smoky talons sang past his face, barely missing him because he had turned so quickly. One ear was suddenly scored with a searing pain, and the side of his face felt singed. He smelled burning hair. The pain made him angry. Yet he had no time to catch his breath; the smoke reeled around, shooting straight for him again. It was formless now; as Inuyasha darted forward to outrun it he wondered detachedly if that didn?t mean the Dragon was displaying a little desperation. The smoke stretched outward from Sesshoumaru?s body like a long third arm. Inuyasha made straight for Sesshoumaru, lip curling in anger. There was something incredibly infuriating about the way his brother?s tall, pale form stood there, calm and unmarked. The white demon?s gaze was placid as he watched the wraithlike substance of the Dragon?s spirit pursuing his brother. It was almost as if once the smoke left his body, he became an empty shell with its host gone. ?[i]Maybe[/i],? Inuyasha wondered, ?[i]that?s why the smoke doesn?t leave him entirely??[/i] That the body was left a mindless shell was a theory soon disproved, however, as Inuyasha finally came within striking distance. Light lashed across him like a whip. The weapon crackled in his brother?s hand. Inuyasha saw it coming and surged forward in time to keep from being hit in the face. Instead it caught him across the back, ripping a long weal through Fire-Rat Robe and flesh beneath. The blow sent him sprawling; he tucked into a roll to avoid hitting the jagged rock floor full tilt. Shakily, Inuyasha picked himself up from the ground, wincing as the skin on his back stretched from the movement. The weal wasn?t deep, but it was bleeding freely and it hurt like hell. Turning around to face Sesshoumaru again, he saw that his brother?s sharp nails beginning to glow a poisoned green. He knew what that meant. ?[i]Shit[/i],? he thought, cracking his knuckles as he assessed the situation. ?[i]I can?t get close to him without being wounded. When he whips out the poisoned claws he really MEANS to kill me.?[/i] But this wasn?t Sesshoumaru. This was the Dragon. Inuyasha blinked repeatedly, trying to detour the sweat dripping down his forehead away from his eyes. ?[i]Why is the Dragon using Sesshoumaru?s power?[/i]? he wondered. ?[i]On second thought, why the hell is it using Sesshoumaru?s BODY? Why would it give up its own to jump inside HIS??[/i] But he couldn?t think of anything to ask that might convince the Dragon to reveal its reasoning. It stood silently in Sesshoumaru?s skin, waiting intently for him to make his move. With a jolt, Inuyasha became aware of what he was steeling himself to do. He was automatically sinking into a stance of readiness, preparing to charge again despite the danger. [i](I See you dead.)[/i] For once, Inuyasha thought of fleeing. His last rush had taken him behind Sesshoumaru; he now stood between the Dragon and the exit to the chamber. If he went running down the tunnel and found the Tatesei, he might be able to take back his sword from Sango. He might be able to use the [i]Bakuryuuha[/i] to break up the tunnel, to seal the Dragon into the mountain again. . . He shook his head vehemently, furious with himself. [i]?Like that would WORK. Otou-sama wouldn?t have sealed it in with his own blood if burying it under a mountain was enough. I?m just thinking of that to save my own skin, believing in the Seer?s stupid doom ramblings.?[/i] Dipping his claws into his own blood, Inuyasha snarled a challenge. Then he moved. And the air between them was filled with smoke and red blades. [/color] [center][b][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Miroku laid his staff down quietly, scarcely daring to breathe, as if the knife was pressed against his own throat and not that of the woman he loved. It was a definitive standoff---he could see no way around surrender. If he used his cursed hand here, in such close quarters, everyone would be sucked in. There was nothing for his friends to grab hold of, and he wasn?t about to sacrifice them to keep the Dragon sealed. If worst came to worst, he would wait for it to emerge from its rocky prison and draw it into the void then. These desperate plans were running through his mind so rapidly that he almost missed Irusei?s next words. ?You?re too late, followers of the [i]hanyou[/i]. The seal was already broken. Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] is dead.? Somewhere behind him and to the right, Miroku heard Kagome gasp. There came the faint sound of clacking wood; she was shifting her bow. ?No, Lady Kagome,? Miroku told her, forcing his voice to remain calm and steady. ?Listen to him speak. We must hear what has happened.? Irusei?s eyes lowered, almost as if he shared their sorrow at the news he?d just relayed. Held tightly against him, Sango stood frozen, eyeing Miroku?s staff on the ground in dismay. ?It was necessary,? the Tatesei warrior continued. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] had to die. It was the price of breaking the seal. Soon the Dragon will emerge from the mountain, born anew. Now that it?s chosen a human whose spirit will revive it. . .? In surprise, Shippou started forward a little, only to find himself stopped by several spear-points aimed his way. ?A [i]human[/i]?? he exclaimed. ?You mean the Dragon?s [i]eaten[/i] someone?? Briefly, Irusei shook his head. In the fiery gleam of his veins, his forehead shone with sweat. ?The Dragon spoke to me in a vision,? he explained. ?It spoke of choosing one to give it new life. It spoke of choosing one human to be its voice among its people.? A pause, and a hint of bitterness. ?I falsely believed [i]I[/i] was the one chosen. But instead it has chosen my sister, the Seer.? ?What kind of sense does THAT make?? Shippou grumbled, shifting nervously on the gravelly floor. Miroku ignored the Kitsune?s remark, frowning. If he could get Irusei to talk more, he might reveal a weakness---if the Dragon had any. ?What will you do when this thing emerges?? he asked, deliberately using the word thing to goad the hanryu. ?You think it won?t destroy this country, as it did when first these lands were formed?? Irusei lifted his chin. There was a feverish gleam in his eye. ?We shall see,? he replied cryptically. ?There is only the promise that we, the Dragon?s children, will endure. Whatever else is destroyed is worthless to us.? ?Th---THERE!? Kagome exclaimed suddenly. ?What?s [i]that[/i]?? She was staring not at Irusei but past him, toward the wall of rapidly darkening crystal at his back. Behind it, something was moving swiftly toward them. Behind the seal, a cloud was gathering, billowing like smoke, only this seemed alive and cognizant, for the instant it contorted into the semblance of a recognizable shape. The shadow of a claw spread across the crystal, stretching from floor to ceiling like the grasping hand of a giant. Shippou uttered an involuntary whimper, retreating closer to the relative safety between Kirara?s massive forelegs. The Tatesei warriors drew back as well, keeping their spears aimed at their four captives while their eyes were trained on the seal. Only Irusei held his ground---and Sango, whom he refused to release. He turned slowly, black-stained eyes lowered, as if he already knew what was coming and awaited it in reverence. Swallowed in the shadow of the claw, the crystal began to melt. Miroku watched in dismay as black rivulets cascaded down the seal. Then there came a sharp crack, and a long groan, as of ice breaking, and the wall that held the Dragon in collapsed in a sizzle of dark liquid. There was no claw. There was no shadow. Sesshoumaru stepped into the tunnel. Miroku let out the breath he hadn?t realized he was holding. The sight of the white demon emerging when he?d expected something fouler was initially a relief. But then he recalled something very strange. ?[i]Back then. . .back in the garden. . .why did Sesshoumaru refuse to agree that he would destroy the Dragon??[/i] There had been no promises exchanged---Sesshoumaru had merely gone after the [i]hanryu. [/i] And now Inuyasha was dead, and his brother stood alive and unharmed, having emerged unscathed from the stronghold of his greatest enemy. There was something very odd about the way the Inu Youkai was looking at the group gathered beyond the seal. His regard of the assembled humans, usually so icy and detached, was now intent and shrewdly assessing. Everyone present stared at him, afraid even to draw breath for fear of what he might do. In the long stretch of heavy silence, drops of black water clinked pointedly on the cave floor. In the end, it was Irusei who first found his tongue. He finally released his hold on Sango, shoving her away from him carelessly, as if she no longer mattered. ?My Lord,? he murmured, in a tone both reverent and troubled. ?Why. . .have you done this?? Miroku, who had been trying to gauge Sesshoumaru?s intentions, now turned his attention toward the Tatesei warrior. ?[i]Does he really think to regain the favor he?s lost?[/i]? Miroku mused. ?[i]Does he call Sesshoumaru ?Lord? now because Sesshoumaru has defeated the Dragon??[/i] The white demon?s cold regard came to rest upon the young warrior, and slowly his hand lifted. Miroku immediately lost interest in what Irusei?s motives were---Irusei was about to become dead. The monk cast a surreptitious glance down at his staff, which lay on the ground several feet in front of him. It was half-submerged in a puddle of the dark liquid from the melted seal, and a bit of energy crackled around the ring at its head, but nevertheless he decided to make a grab for it the instant the Tatesei warriors were distracted. He expected them to be distracted very soon; their leader was about to have his head sliced off. He would use the ensuing melee to take his comrades and escape. He tried to catch Sango?s eye, but she was regarding Sesshoumaru with a dazed kind of horror. Sweat trickled down the bridge of Miroku?s nose as he waited for the opportune moment. Nothing happened. There was no sound of human flesh tearing, and no outcry among the Tatesei. Sesshoumaru?s white hand lifted to rest gently on Irusei?s cheek. ?Child,? the white demon said softly, ?this is not the hour to doubt me.? The hand lingered; a caress. Irusei was trembling. ?Ew,? Shippou muttered, pulling a face. The Kitsune was keeping well within the bounds of Kirara?s forepaws. Kirara?s fur was standing on end, and her orange eyes were wild. She looked as if she wanted to lunge for Sesshoumaru then and there, but was too unnerved to dare. Kagome was strangely silent, but Miroku could feel her presence at his back as she stepped closer to him. None of the Tatesei made any move to stop her. ?His [i]kehai[/i]. . .? she whispered, but her voice trailed off. ?My Lord, why have you chosen. . .this?? Irusei whispered. ?This form? Why not Suiton?? Sesshoumaru?s touch trailed down his jaw line and throat, the palm coming to rest over the place where the [i]hanryu?s[/i] clothing was torn and singed. Miroku realized with a start that it was the place where Irusei had been stabbed by the blade Tokijin, hours earlier. Now, with his hand resting against the young man?s chest, Sesshoumaru?s eyes were full of regret. Something was [i]definitely[/i] wrong. . . ?Yours was the first heart that chose mine,? the white demon murmured. ?You have served me well.? Irusei?s feverish black eyes were downcast, and when he spoke it was with an undertone of bitterness. ?It was my desire to be chosen for your avatar. Why you?ve chosen the flesh of your greatest enemy?s spawn is incomprehensible to me.? By this point Miroku---in a state of great perplexity---felt compelled to interrupt. ?Lord Sesshoumaru! What has become of Inuyasha?? Behind him, Miroku heard Kagome?s breath catch in her throat, sharp as a sob. Down by his side, he held out one hand, signaling her to stay where she was. Rashness would only get her killed here, and Inuyasha---alive or dead---wouldn?t want that. Slowly, the Inu Youkai?s pale face turned toward him---too slowly for it to have been a response to his name. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] is dead,? he answered, with dispassionate calm. ?And the white demon is gone. Only the Dragon remains.? [/color] [color=purple]It was then that Inuyasha?s comrades knew that he spoke the truth, and that this was not Sesshoumaru. Never would Inuyasha?s brother have deigned to call him ?lord.? Miroku was a man slow to anger, but even so it took every ounce of his self-discipline not to reach for the prayer beads that reined in the curse in his right hand. The Dragon?s sharp eye was upon him, and he dared not reveal his trump card until the moment was right. ?[i]I have to get him out in the open before I use the Wind Tunnel. . .? [/i] ?You will want to take your comrades and go,? the Dragon addressed him. ?For I intend to bring down the mountain behind me.? Having said this, the Dragon strode past the monk, paying no heed at all to the way Kirara?s fur bristled as his left arm brushed her shoulder. His [i]left[/i] arm. . . ?[i]I wonder,[/i]? Miroku thought, staring at the arm. ?[i]I wonder. . .what this fell creature promised Sesshoumaru in exchange for this. . .?[/i] Not that it mattered any more. The Tatesei were beginning to turn and file down the tunnel after their Dragon, who walked in silence. An arrow went sizzling through the darkness after them. Immediately, Miroku flew at Kagome, wrapping both arms around her and pinning both her arms and bow to her chest. ?[i]No[/i],? he hissed in her ear. ?Kagome, [i]no[/i]. Let them go.? Several of the Tatesei warriors whirled swiftly about, thinking to form a protective barrier before their Dragon. Yet the thing in Sesshoumaru?s body waved them aside, and retraced his steps through their midst. He stopped not four feet away from where Miroku held Kagome. She wasn?t struggling, but Miroku could feel her slender body tensed to act the instant he let her go. He held her fast, eyeing the Dragon with great apprehension. Yet it didn?t seem angry. There was something like pity in its eyes---a look utterly alien to Sesshoumaru. ?The [i]hanyou?s[/i] death was necessary,? he told them. ?It cannot be undone. But [i]you[/i] I will not touch.? Miroku glanced down in bemusement at the head of black hair pressed against him just below his chin. It wasn?t him that the Dragon was addressing. It was looking at Kagome. ?Why?? Kagome whispered. Her voice sounded strained, as if she were trying hard to keep from screaming. ?Why do this? Why?? She seemed incapable of formulating any specific question. ?Survival, child,? the Dragon answered simply. ?Survival---for myself and for them.? By them Miroku supposed he meant the Tatesei. ?The white demon---the one whose flesh I wear now---did not have the foresight to choose wisely.? The Dragon lifted Sesshoumaru?s hand, staring at the pale flesh of the palm as if it were some alien object and not its own. The edges of its sleeves were drenched with blood. ?The Lord of the West believed in his foolishness that he knew the way to immortality. He believed that by eating my power he would proceed to mastery over the earth. He had no idea that I would gladly have traded the sum of my power for what he [i]already possessed. [/i]. .? The Dragon ran the tips of fingers lightly over the white skin of the forearm. Behind him, in the tunnel, the [i]hanryu[/i] stood silent and watchful. There was fanatical adoration in their eyes; their god was speaking. ?It is the nature of demons to lust after the unattainable,? he continued. Hearing the Dragon speak, Miroku found that he could no longer think of the Dragon as ?it?. This was a rational being, with a mind not very unlike that of the person whose body it now inhabited. Sesshoumaru?s high-boned, aristocratic face lifted, and eyes that had once been untouchable as ice kindled now with something new entirely. To Miroku, it was like watching the unfolding of some alien future---a future unnaturally wrought. A metal flower unfolding, blossoming black blood and new order. Kagome had gone utterly still against him; there was something hypnotic in the Dragon?s words. ?To destroy the earth is to reshape it---that is how demons think,? the Dragon said softly. ?But destruction begets only more destruction. The answer to forever cannot be found in a god?s power.? The white hand clenched into a fist, which he lifted in front of him with sudden passion. ?[i]This[/i] is the answer,? he declared, in a voice that rang through the tunnel. ?No jewel, no talisman---[i]this[/i]! This mortal body, frail and small, [i]this[/i] is what will endure the ages.? A pause, and the eyes burned like twin lighthouse beams, seeing something distant on the tides of future. ?I have seen it,? the Dragon went on, in a hushed tone. ?A world of metal and wheels, where the blood that once sealed me has made my children powerful. And it is a new kind of power---a peaceful power, in an era where the ability to deal death is no longer what determines success. . . A world of humans, with no place for demonkind.? ?You?ve seen this through the Seer,? Miroku found himself interrupting to say, against his better judgment. ?But prophecies aren?t set in stone. [i]Nothing[/i] is set in stone, or none of this could be happening at all.? He paused, swallowing hard. ?What you?ve seen may not come to pass.? There was something terrible about looking the Dragon in the eye that the monk had never known when facing down even the fiercest of demons. This was a creature whose kind had seen the dawn of time; it was like staring a god in the face. Yet Miroku forced himself to regard the tall, pale figure with outer calm, for this was a god he had no desire to serve. The Dragon tilted his head to one side. His expression was thoughtful, with no sign of anger at Miroku?s contradiction. ?It was indeed the Seer who woke me,? he agreed. ?Yet the eyes through which I saw this future. . .were [i]yours[/i].? He was looking at Kagome.[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]In the glow of torchlight, two small figures made their way through the long, echoing halls of the Inu Youkai palace. One muttered nervously to himself; the other remained silent. They weren?t heading anywhere in particular; Jakken was pacing worriedly and Rin was following him as he paced. ?I don?t like this,? he grumbled, rubbing at the side of his wizened head. ?It?s been too long. He should?ve returned by now.? He stopped abruptly, spinning on his heel to pace in the opposite direction. Rin nearly bumped into him. ?He?ll come back, Jakken-[i]sama[/i],? she assured him. ?He said he would.? Jakken fixed her with a brief, bulgy-eyed glare. There was snow in his cap from when he?d gone outside to look for signs of Sesshoumaru?s return. It was melting now, and running down the sides of his face. ?He never said that.? Rin blinked her wide, innocent eyes, laying a finger to the side of her mouth. ?Well, he always comes back, anyway,? she amended. ?Except for the day he decides he [i]isn?t[/i] coming back,? Jakken muttered darkly. One of the nearby torches sputtered, and he jumped in startlement. Mercifully, the little girl kept silent for a bit, giving him ample time to ponder what he would do if the Tatesei decided to invade. Sesshoumaru had left them with instructions to flee to the caves on the side of the hill if misfortune befell them. Jakken wasn?t keen on the demon lord?s choice of sanctuaries. Those were the caves where, nearly a century ago, the Inu Youkai children had been sent to take refuge. The Wise---the Tatesei priests---had found them, of course. When Jakken had visited the place years later, there hadn?t been any bones or remains. But he could still recall the claw marks on the walls. As an imp and a demon, he had a certain immunity to the sight of death, but one?s kinsmen were different. . . The deaths of the small ones were [i]always[/i] different. He remembered the look on Sesshoumaru?s face as they passed through the place. He never wanted to see that look again. But right now, he couldn?t see any alternatives. If the Tatesei came, he would have to take Aun and lead Rin there. And if Sesshoumaru never returned. . .he would have to keep her alive long enough to see her safely to a human village, where she surely belonged. He would do this for his master?s sake. Rin seemed to read his mind. ?Don?t worry---my lord is very strong.? Once again, the slap of Jakken?s feet against the stone floor came to a halt. He spun abruptly and resumed pacing in the other direction. Rin followed, flopping the long sleeves of the oversized [i]haori[/i] she wore. It looked like one of Sesshoumaru?s. Smelled like it, too. ?Nothing is strong enough to stop him if he wants to come back,? she chirped. Jakken scowled, deciding that he was going outside for another look. ?[i]There isn?t any living thing that CAN stop him[/i],? the imp thought grimly. ?[i]Except maybe himself. . .?[/i][/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple][i]He swam through the wind currents as if the sky were water. Night had fallen over the lands below him. Where he passed, the night spread. He was the night, falling dark over plain and mountain. It was heady, this revelation. He could bring darkness, if he chose, or scour the earth with fire. . .if he chose. His body was hard and impenetrable, clad in scales sharp as silver mirrors, reflecting the fire in his eyes. He wove between the clouds of a building storm, forked tongue lolling between fangs serrated like scimitar blades. Ahead of him, on a peak so high its base was wreathed in clouds, there rose a great castle, with spires reaching heavenward and gleaming in the light of the moon. It overshadowed a host of surrounding cities, where the frail, clever creatures that called themselves human stretched supplicants? arms up to greet him. Glad and fearful cries rose to meet him; their god was returning to his throne. It was a dream he was lost in---a dream from which there was no emerging. The wondrous illusions of his own desires closed around him like a trap, and he sank ever deeper into dying sleep.[/i][/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]?What---[i]what[/i]?? Miroku asked hoarsely, as if he could scarcely believe his ears. Pressed into the circle of his arms, Kagome trembled. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. There was a strange intensity in the Dragon?s eyes upon her, burning through Sesshoumaru?s face. It was deep gratitude---or love. Not the love of a man for a woman, but that of a god for the one who has served him best. Sickened, Miroku?s grip tightened on Kagome?s shoulder. ?Don?t listen to him,? he warned her. The Dragon ignored him. ?You I won?t touch,? he repeated, gazing intently at the girl before him, ?for while I lay dreaming it was your mind that reached out to mine, across the span of ages.? [i](She dreamed of a man raising a blade over his head. She saw the Shikon jewel tumble from her grasping fingers. She saw the jewel fall into a bowl of water. Ripples spread outward from the place where it fell. She saw a hand close around the jewel. She saw a great and luminous eye slowly begin to open, and was filled with nameless dread for what this might mean.)[/i] ?The eye,? Kagome whispered, the hair at the nape of her neck rising in horror. ?The eye was yours. . .? Her legs began to give way beneath her. Miroku?s grip on her shoulders, now tight enough to bruise, was the only thing holding her upright. ?No, Lady Kagome,? the monk insisted, giving her a bit of a shake. ?Don?t listen. None of this is your fault!? But he was wrong. Kagome knew he was wrong. She hadn?t told him about the dream. She hadn?t told anyone about the dream---hadn?t even [i]remembered[/i] the dream until now. . . She thought it had meant nothing. But it had meant [i]everything[/i]. . . ?You wore the Jewel of Four Souls close to you as you slept,? the Dragon told her. ?That talisman which was born of my strongest child, Midoriko. . . And across time my sleeping mind saw through your memory a world in which only humans thrived---a world which held no place for monsters. And I dreamed. . .[i]oh how I dreamed[/i]. . .of what my children might achieve in such a world. . .? Righteous anger surged through Miroku. His left hand ached to reach for the prayer beads restraining the curse in his right. Were it not for the sake of his friends, he would have. ?And how many innocent lives will it cost, this vision of yours?? he snapped. ?Do you really plan on single-handedly putting an end to the age of demons? If such a thing is even possible. . .? The Dragon?s burning gaze lowered. ?Perhaps you recall. . .the power of the Wise?? he asked softly. ?It is Mine. The end of demonkind is an inevitability.? Behind him, there came a low rumbling from deep in Kirara?s chest, and the sound of someone?s foot scraping against stone. Miroku knew that Sango had moved to stand just behind him by the lightness of her tread. A warrior?s tread. There came a sharp hiss of steel, and briefly Miroku closed his eyes. She held the blade close to his neck, where one swing would take his head. She could do it, he knew. She was that strong. He could see the shadows on Sesshoumaru?s white [i]haori[/i] where the red light from the tunnel behind them had sketched Sango?s blade behind his throat, as if she were striking him now. She could do it now, for her god, with no one to stop her. He trusted her. ?Will you follow me, daughter?? the Dragon asked, turning toward her. ?Or is your heart still bound to these comrades, and to the [i]hanyou[/i]?? Uttering a low cry, Sango flew at him, bearing her weapon down to strike. Miroku?s eyes opened. Kagome?s breath caught in her throat. The Dragon caught the blade inches from his chest. ?No!? Sango snarled, gritting her teeth and trying to pull the blade free. The Dragon?s face---Sesshoumaru?s face---was unreadable. The sword she had tried to slay him with was none other than Tetsusaiga, which she had taken from Inuyasha. ?Futile,? the Dragon told her calmly. ?This talisman, forged from the fang of the my greatest enemy, may kill demons, but it is useless against my kind. There is nothing left on this earth that can seal me into the mountain again, now that the Inutaisho is long dead.? Sango?s beautiful face was terrible to behold. Sweat clung to her brow, and the shadows of anger pooling in the hollows of her face were heightened by the blackness of the Dragon?s stain in her eyes. She looked like a demon herself. Breathing hard, she attempted to twist the blade in the Dragon?s grasp. Blood black as ichor trickled down Sesshoumaru?s pale wrist, from where Tetsusaiga?s edge dug cruelly into his palm. Kagome watched this as if it were a moment frozen in time. She had seen this sight before---the tall figure standing there, fist clenched around the blade. This---[i]all[/i] of this---was so terribly, utterly familiar now. . . [i]?When he died, another young lord became the sixth king. . .? ?And this sixth king. . .who was this man?? In its hand, the statue gripped a katana by the blade. The lines running down his hand and onto the blade, indicating blood, seemed eerily realistic. ?That is Raiiru, the White King. . .?[/i] The Dragon Raiiru wrenched Tetsusaiga from Sango?s grasp and flung it aside. It clattered against the stone wall and landed in a puddle of the blood congealing on the floor. ?Accept it,? he said to Inuyasha?s comrades. ?There is nothing to be done. Go now and live, or stay when the mountain falls.? His eyes flickered down to Kagome, who was staring straight ahead as if she saw nothing. Her eyes were glassy with tears. ?Live, child,? he bade her. ?You are human. This future is for [i]you[/i].? And he turned and walked calmly from the place. Sesshoumaru?s white hair trailed behind him, and his feet, bare from where Sesshoumaru?s shoes had been sliced to ribbons, left a trail of bloody prints on the stone. The Tatesei warriors followed. Inuyasha?s comrades made no move to stop them. Kagome?s head was bowed now, her clenched fists resting on top of her knees. She knelt on the warm stone; Miroku had finally let go of her. Hot tears dripped from beneath the veil of her black hair, splashing mutely in the blood on the floor. Miroku swallowed against the sudden dryness in his mouth. His throat ached with the words he spoke next. ?We must go, as he said. Somehow he means for the mountain to erupt and destroy itself, and we?ll die if we stay here.? He paused, closing his eyes briefly in sorrow. Then he bent over Kagome, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. ?Sango and I will protect you. I promise. . .? Shippou, who up until this point had been listening in silence, now burst into very noisy blubbering, clinging to Kirara?s foreleg. The demon lowered her head, blinking her large, orange eyes toward Kagome and making no move to shake him off. Kagome shrugged Miroku?s hand off her shoulder, leaning forward over the puddle of [i]ryunochi[/i] on the floor. ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i]. . .? the monk repeated, this time more urgently. He thought she was going to collapse fully, no longer caring that she fell in the pool of dragon?s blood. He thought to himself, ?[i]To endure this, so young. . . Can I blame her? Would I not do the same if Sango perished. . .??[/i] ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i],? Sango whispered, moving to stand beside him. The demon-slayer?s voice, unlike Miroku?s, was low with wonderment. Kagome did not fall to the stone floor. Instead she reached both hands into the dark pool there, and withdrew the sword Tetsusaiga. Slowly, she rose to her feet, clutching it by the hilt, and Miroku stepped back from her. Ichor dripped from the blade, and from her hands, staining the edges of her sleeves, but she no longer seemed to care. The legs upon which she stood now were steady. ?He isn?t dead,? she said quietly. Shippou?s sobbing began to fade. The Kitsune removed his face from Kirara?s fur, blinking watery green eyes in Kagome?s direction. Miroku took a deep breath.[/color] [color=purple]?Kagome-[i]sama[/i],? he said, ?I know the sorrow you feel now, but. . .? ?He [i]isn?t[/i] dead.? Kagome turned to face them, brandishing Tetsusaiga before her as if to ward off her grief. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, running down her cheeks to drip off her chin, but her expression was hard and resolute. ?He?s still here,? she insisted. ?I can feel it. . .somewhere in the mountain.? She glanced down at the sword in her hand. ?Tetsusaiga was forged from his fang. When I lifted it, I could feel its [i]kehai[/i] still pulsing.? Miroku stood there in silence, torn between taking her and fleeing and surrendering to the contagion of her hope. She seemed utterly certain of this. ?Kagome,? Sango said softly, ?you reached for the sword [i]before[/i] you knew this.? Kagome walked past them, carrying Tetsusaiga cradled against her even though it. They watched her warily, for clearly she intended to do something rash. Her young, elfin face wore a look that declared her heart unswerving. She was heading for the tunnel, from which the Dragon had emerged through the broken seal. She stopped, just before crossing the place where the seal had once been. But she didn?t look back. ?I knew before I picked up the sword,? she agreed . ?Because if he were really gone, my strength would be gone, too.? Beside Miroku, Sango drew in a deep, shaky breath. Then she strode forward, laid a hand on Kirara?s massive shoulder, and abruptly swung herself up onto the demon?s back. She let out the breath sharply, securing her Hiraikoutsu across her back. Kirara was already beginning to move beneath her. ?Come on,? Sango said, offering Kagome her hand. ?I?ll go with you.? As Kagome clasped her arm and climbed up astride Kirara in front of her, Sango craned her neck to address Miroku. ?[i]Hoshi-sama[/i],? she called. Even through the black stain of the Dragon?s blood, Miroku could see the apology in her eyes, and the determination. The part of him that loved her selfishly wanted to call her back, to keep her from risking her life again. But he knew she couldn?t live with herself knowing that she hadn?t tried to make right what she?d helped to make wrong. He smiled at her, a little bitterly, but without falter. ?You?ll go with her,? he agreed. Sango turned away, and Kirara burst into a run. Miroku stood there motionless, watching somberly as the two women riding the demon vanished into the red haze of the tunnel. Then he sighed, and bent to scoop up the silent, wide-eyed Shippou up in his arms. ?You-you?re not going with them?? the Kitsune asked, in a quavering voice, peering up at the monk?s solemn face. ?No,? Miroku answered quietly. He retrieved his staff from the cave floor, and then bore staff and Kitsune down the tunnel in the opposite direction. Together they headed into darkness at a run. ?Listen to me, Shippou,? Miroku said after a time. Shippou pressed himself tight against the monk?s robes, already with an inkling of what Miroku was going to ask of him. ?When we reach the end of the tunnel---when we?re finally free of the mountain---I want you to flee. Transform into something light and fly over the snow, to Sesshoumaru?s palace. You?ll be safe there, I think. He told the child who travels with him something about a cave. . . But what matters is that you get as far away from me as you can.? ?M-Miroku?? Shippou whispered, digging his claws into Miroku?s purple sash. He couldn?t see the monk?s face in the darkness. ?I am going to open the Wind Tunnel,? Miroku said softly. ?To kill the Dragon. . .?[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]To Kagome it seemed the tunnel went on interminably. Kirara ran lightly down a way lined with jagged crystal, strewn with sharp, broken bits. Smell of sulfur; stink of blood; press of heat. It was like riding through a dream. She clutched Tetsusaiga tightly against her breast, because it was firm and real and the only link she had to Inuyasha. After a time, Sango lifted an arm beside Kagome?s ear. ?There!? she cried. ?A woman!? Kagome squinted through the red haze and saw what it was the demon-slayer was pointing to. The Seer lay prone amid the broken shards. Kirara slowed to a halt, and Sango slid off her back, hurrying to the woman?s side. There were streaks of blood across the spikes of crystal around her, and a thin line of blood ran from her mouth. However, the veins in her face still glowed a fiery red, and as Sango lifted her gently her eyes opened. ?Can you stand?? the demon-slayer asked gently. Kagome hung back a little, horrified to see the woman in such a state yet wary because her eyes held the Dragon?s black taint. Those black eyes rolled upward toward her, and one pale hand lifted. ?There,? the Seer whispered, pointing toward something down the tunnel that only she could see. ?He?s. . .there. Find. . .him. . .free. . .? Then her head lolled back into Sango?s lap, and she went still. ?Unconscious,? Sango announced, checking her pulse and glancing up at Kagome. ?Can it be. . .she meant. . .?? Kagome was already running.[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]At the end of the tunnel, the Dragon and his followers emerged into a world blurred white with snow. The Tatesei filed past their god, while Raiiru turned back to face the mountain that had once been his prison. The [i]hanyou?s[/i] comrades had not emerged. ?Very well,? he said softly. ?They will be buried there. Such is the fate of all who choose not to follow me.? In the air around him, the maelstrom winds parted to form a calm eye. His eyes burned wide with the fires of the ancients, and at his sides his white hands clenched into fists. From the mountain, there came a mighty groan.[/color] [b][center][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]In the warm haze of the tunnel, plastered against a wall behind a mass of crystal, she found him. His eyes stared sightless out at her from behind a prison of glass, and his lip was curled in a grimace. She laid her small hand on the crystal, her mouth forming his name. But she didn?t weep; there was no time for weeping. There would be time for tears later, if she failed. Clasping the sword?s hilt between her fists, she stabbed at the crystal in a fury, thinking to shatter it with his fang. It held fast, and the sword clattered useless from her hands. In a fury, she swept it up again, intending to beat at this barrier until it broke, or she broke. ?Kagome.? Sango had come to stand behind her. Kagome flung the sword aside, panting. ?It?s useless,? Sango told her quietly. ?He can?t be breathing under that. And you can?t cut it with your bare hands. . .? From the quiver strapped across her back, Kagome drew forth an arrow. Sango fell silent, holding her breath in hope as Kagome?s arm rose, and the arrow stabbed. Light seared through the crystal?s facets, and then a web of cracks began to spread. From the mountain all around them, there came a mighty groan.[/color] [center][b][color=green]END OF CHAPTER 15[/color][/b][/center] [i][color=gray]Yamisui: Hmm. . . I?m sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger, given how LONG it?s going to be between chapters. But I?m ending it here because I?m about to fall asleep but I?m such a review whore that I want to post Now. So there you are. That?s life. Anyway, stay tuned for Chapter 16: ?Chosen.? I estimate that there will be 18 chapters total. . .but that?s just an estimate.[/i][/color]

[COLOR=gray][I]Author?s Note: ?Oufuda? are charmed characters written on scripts of paper, intended for good fortune but also for spells of warding.[/I][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=red][center]{{{}}}[/center][/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=purple][I]Crimson spurted through torn flesh, and then seeped through cloth. . .swiftly at first, but then slowing to a trickle, soaking through the long sleeves and spreading to pool on the dirt like a stain. Blood sank into the earth; a red halo around the flesh that had once housed it; the heart grown sluggish and slow. The blow had nearly cut him in half. ?I will?I am? I?? Thoughts limped disjointedly through his mind, each fading before completion, like his rasping breath. The heart clenched and let go, like a fist; then his fingers uncurled, relaxing into death like a flower opening. His eyes saw white petals falling, the last snow of his death, and then nothing. Then he was moving. Red seeped through the dirt, awash with spring rain, mixing blood with brown. Then it rose, sucked hungrily into tiny roots like veins in the earth. Blood flowed into the wood, sweeping upward through bark and cell and atom in a rush of red. Red twisted through the thicker roots, then rushed more swiftly through the darkness inside the trunk. It should have been a slow seepage, over many years as the roots drank quietly; after many seasons of rain had purified the angry blood into water. It should have been slow; a long, languorous drinking of his death, while his soul had long since flown on to Buddha. But his mind was fixed upon the curse of his anger, and the tree drank him in hungrily, welcomingly, up into branches as twisted as the roots, upraised like the arms of a man shaking his fists at the sky. Then it pushed out through the slender twigs, wreathed in leaves, where it burst into bloom.[/I][/COLOR] [center][COLOR=red][B]{Petals}[/COLOR] [COLOR=purple]I[/B][/center] She moved down the lane idly, with all the measured languor of spring. Her wooden sandals clacked cheerily against the stones in the road. The bundle of scrolls she carried was heavy and awkward, but she hardly noticed it. She was young, and so was the season. ?Shall I carry that for you, Miss Kaoru?? The young woman paused, half-turning to glance over her shoulder. As she did so, a breeze rustled through the trees overhead, stirring the branches. A snow of blossoms showered over her, some landing in her hair; others collecting in the place where the collar of her kimono met the nape of her neck. Startled, she shifted the bundle in her arms, one hand moving to feel what had fallen on her head. Then she laughed. ?Oh,? she said. ?I guess it?s that time of year, isn?t it?? The red-haired swordsman walking behind her returned the smile. The scrolls nearly escaped the grip of Kaoru?s right arm, but she caught them in time with her knee. ?Here.? Kenshin moved to take it from her. ?No, it?s all right, I?ve got it,? she assured him, hoisting the bundle back into the cradle of both arms and turning to continue along the path. ?[I]Tch[/I].? This faint noise of derision came from the third member of the errand-goers, Sanosuke. He was walking with both eyes squinted, and both arms tucked lazily behind his head. ?Think they?re pretty, do you? The flowers?? Kaoru glanced at him suspiciously, bristling a bit at the derision in his tone. ?Yes. What of it?? Sanosuke?s mouth quirked. ?They say that the [I]sakura[/I] get their color from soil where blood was spilled,? he drawled. ?That?s why they bloom all over Japan. From centuries of war.? Kaoru turned away from him, her long hair swaying against her back. ?Well, at least it?s not a total waste,? she said briskly. ?Even beautiful things can be made from all that ugliness.? The tall man shrugged. ?If that?s how you want to look at it. Those flowers are stained with blood.? Kaoru shook her head, scowling. ?You?re so superstitious, Sano,? she said in disgust. ?You think everything is either trying to suck out your soul or trick you into dying.? ?Everything [I]is[/I],? he insisted stubbornly. Kaoru shook her head again, sighing in exasperation. ?Why can?t you be more like Kenshin?? she grumbled. ?[I]He?s[/I] not afraid of stupid things like that. He knows a flower is just a flower.? Then she paused, waiting for Kenshin to agree. Silence. Another drift of blossoms fell. ?Kenshin?? She stopped walking. Then she heard the swordsman?s soft, measured footsteps resume, and turned to see him smiling his ingenuous smile, as always. ?A flower is just a flower,? he agreed quietly. Then he moved toward her and brushed some of the petals from her shoulder. She blushed a little, and started off again down the road. The red-haired swordsman followed close behind, watching the play of dappled sunlight on her flowered kimono. His smile had become a little sad. He hadn?t brushed the [I]sakura[/I] off his own shoulders.[/COLOR] [COLOR=purple][B]II[/B] Spring nights in the [I]dojo[/I] were warm, and Kaoru slept on top of her quilts instead of beneath them. She would have liked to sleep with the sliding panel door open; the one that opened onto the garden. There was a nice breeze outside, and the smell of new leaves. However, she lived with two men (three if one counted Yahiko) and it wouldn?t be proper. Secretly, of course, she felt she wouldn?t mind if Kenshin were passing by and should happen to see. She rolled over, pressing her face into the pillow to suppress a smile. That was when she felt the cold breeze touch the back of her neck. She pushed herself up into a kneeling position, glancing sharply toward the sliding door. ?Yahiko!? She cried in outrage. ?What stupid prank. . .?? The outburst stuck in her throat. He wasn?t there. And the door was closed. [center][B]III[/B][/center] ?I [I]swear[/I] I didn?t do it!? ?I don?t care! Fifty more strikes before you rest.? Kaoru sat on the [I]dojo[/I] steps in the morning sunlight, scowling at the boy in the courtyard, who was busy performing his [I]boken[/I] exercises. Yahiko wore a scowl nearly identical to hers. She was suspicious that he?d done something stupid like sneak into her room to pull a prank. Yahiko felt she was being a stupid girl and this was one morning he truly resented the fact that she was his teacher. His shaggy bangs flopped over the front of the strip of cloth he?d tied round his brow to keep the sweat out of his eyes. It was warm in the mornings here, too. Warmer than at night. ?Are you trying to kill him?? Sanosuke had emerged from the cooler shade of the [I]dojo?s[/I] interior, for no reason in particular. It was the sort of morning good for wandering aimlessly around and puttering at unimportant tasks. Yahiko?s chopping motions became a sight more vicious; he was jealous of Sanosuke and his freedom. ?Shouldn?t you be out chopping wood?? Kaoru snapped. ?Or is that too much work when your stomach?s full of breakfast?? ?Mmm,? Sano mumbled noncommittally, settling comfortably onto the wooden terrace in the sun, crooking one elbow beneath his head. ?Jumpy this morning, are we?? ?Ugly-[I]sensei[/I] had a nightmare,? Yahiko crowed, emphasizing the ?Ugly? with a chop of the [I]boken[/I]. ?And she thinks it was because beforehand [I]I[/I] snuck into her room to scare her.? ?You had a nightmare, Miss Kaoru?? This time Kaoru flinched; Kenshin had come onto the terrace so quietly that no one had noticed. The swordsman had a way of walking so silently and unassumingly that it was possible to miss him until he was right beside you. It was how assassins trained themselves to move. ?Ah, eh-heh. . .? Kaoru scratched her head, embarrassed. ?No, I didn?t. I just told Yahiko earlier that it isn?t nice to sneak up on people while they?re sleeping. You?d give them bad dreams.? ?A-[I]HA[/I]!? Yahiko stopped practicing altogether, turning to point triumphantly in her direction. ?Something did scare you!? Kaoru sighed, folding her arms. ?For your information, I only had [I]one[/I] dream and it was nice.? Sanosuke, who had appeared to be dozing, now lazily opened one eye. ?Oh really? How ?bout dreaming me up some lunch next?? ?You just had breakfast,? Yahiko told him, walking over to join them, dragging the [I]boken[/I] tip through the grass. ?I swear, I?m still [I]growing [/I]and I eat less than you.? ?Both of you go inside and finish cleaning the practice room and I?ll consider it,? Kaoru snapped. As both of them rose to their feet and headed into the shade of the [I]dojo[/I], bickering, Kenshin turned to head in the general direction of the garden gate. ?And where are you going, with your sleeves rolled up?? Kaoru asked, turning to address him. ?Ah, I was going to chop the firewood,? Kenshin replied mildly, ?seeing as those two certainly haven?t done it.? Kaoru?s sour expression softened. ?Oh, good. Just come back before lunch, or we won?t be able to cook anything.? ?That I will.? ?Oh, and Kenshin? Later can you check the outer wall of my room? I think there might be a hole or crack in the wood.? He nodded. The gate closed behind him with a soft clack. Kaoru lay back onto the warm wood, resting her hands comfortably on her stomach and gazing up at the sky. The white clouds above the [I]dojo[/I] roof were moving so slowly she had to watch them for a while to be able to see that they were moving at all. There was no wind. [center][B]IV[/B][/center] Kenshin returned an hour later with a sizeable stack of wood, which he carried under both arms. He crossed the garden with it, heading for the shed where Kaoru preferred him to stack it, but midway through the weight of the load got the better of him and he set it down to rest. He?d walked nearly a mile with it, after all. With a sigh that didn?t really mean anything, he straightened, rubbing at the small of his back. He stood by the edge of the koi pond, which was lined with grey stones to keep the weeds from eroding the bank. The water was still as glass; the koi, having already been fed for the morning, swam contentedly near the murky bottom. Beyond the place in the sunlight, just before the grounds sloped downward in a steep series of terraces, there grew the courtyard?s one [I]sakura[/I] tree. It was a twisted old man, with roots knotted like human joints that had seen too many winters. The trunk was so thick it could have been centuries old. Yet now its branches were laden with young blossoms, which drifted lazily over the pond. Gazing at the tree, Kenshin realized that this was the first spring he?d spent here; the first spring in which he was no longer a wanderer. The first year spent with those he could call friends. ?[I]Yes[/I],? he thought, ?[I]if one stares enough at something beautiful, it?s almost possible to imagine having led an entire lifetime of such peace.? [/I] His smile faded, but his heart was calm. A breeze came, showering blossoms down over him in a soft rain, but he didn?t move. It was like butterfly wings brushing his face. Then the breeze passed, and still he remained there, reflecting on nothing. Then, abruptly, a fish broke the surface in the pond, mouthing one of the flowers that had fallen onto the water. The faint splash made him blink, and he remembered what it was he was supposed to be doing. With a bit more alacrity, he bent and hefted the wood bundles back into his arms, frowning. The problem with emptying the mind of thought was that it got in the way of your goals. To someone who?d known the evil and the sorrow that he had, emptiness was a seductive thing. The fish spat the flower out again, flipping underwater in distaste. Kenshin started off toward the shed at a brisker pace, thinking now of lunch, and of the hole that might or might not be found in Kaoru?s wall. [center][B]V[/B][/center] That night Kaoru had difficulty falling asleep. Kenshin hadn?t found any cracks in the panels of her sliding door, and already she was beginning to think she?d imagined the wind from the night before. She was, in fact, ready to dismiss it entirely. Until the noises began. It sounded as if there were a fairly strong wind blowing outside, for no sooner had she lain down atop her quilts than something began scraping across the roof. It sounded like branches being dragged across the wood. The noise startled her; she sat bolt upright. Then, irritated with herself for being startled, she redirected her irritation toward someone else. [I]?I?ll make Sanosuke cut those branches tomorrow[/I],? she decided, balling her hands into fists in her lap. ?[I]He?s the tallest, and he needs to make himself more useful around here anyway.?[/I] A moment passed, and the scraping ceased. Nodding in satisfaction, Kaoru flopped back down again, rolling over onto her side. This time the scratching came again, and it did [I]not[/I] sound like it was from anywhere near the roof. It sounded as if bushes were being blown against the wall outside. It very well might have been, except that [I]there were no bushes outside[/I]. And it came oddly this time, in patterns. First there came a short series of noises, staccato, running along the length of the wall as if someone were testing the wall for weak spots. . .which was stupid and didn?t make sense. If they wanted in, they should be trying the door. [I]This[/I] particular turn of thought made Kaoru?s pulse jump in her throat. ?Yahiko! Quit it!? she called. And the tapping stopped. But Kaoru didn?t lie down again; she was waiting. Another moment passed, and then another, and slowly she let out the breath she?d been holding. The scraping sound this time came louder and longer. It sounded deliberate this time. Someone was there. Kaoru clapped both hands over her mouth to keep from whimpering. She was sure it was a person; it sounded like nails scraping across the wood. The scraping persisted. It had to be Yahiko. An animal would claw repeatedly at one spot. This sounded as if it were traveling the length of the door. Regardless of who it was, she felt she shouldn?t show fear. This was [I]her[/I] [I]dojo[/I], and as its master she shouldn?t fear anyone on its grounds. Of course, telling herself what she [I]shouldn?t[/I] fear had very little to do with what she actually [I]did[/I] fear. But it was time to put a stop to this. Pulling her haori more securely about her slender shoulders, Kaoru rose to her feet and caught up her[I] boken[/I], which she kept on a notched sconce on the wall. Then she headed for the door. Her feet thumped softly across the wood floor. Her hand was inches from the panel when the scraping stopped. It stopped so abruptly, so deliberately, that she flinched. She froze, standing with one arm poised to fling the door aside. She let out a faint, shaky breath, swallowed, and then willed herself to reach for the panel. The instant her fingertips met wood, something very strange happened. Red script traced its way across the panel. Lines of characters appeared, swift and quiet, seeping out of the dark wood as if someone had spilled ink there. They gleamed in the sudden, dark quiet of her room. Most peculiarly, they seemed to be spreading outward from the place on the door that she had touched. And they continued outward, though she recoiled, as if her touch had been the catalyst. And they did not cease their spread until the entire length of door panels was ablaze with them. Slowly, Kaoru backed away from the door. The quiet was deafening. She was beginning to have an inkling of why the scraping had stopped. [I]?These characters. . .?[/I] ?[I]Oufuda[/I],? she whispered aloud. Then she fled the room. [center][B]VI[/B][/center] By the time Kaoru had raced down the hall of the[I] dojo[/I] to the nearest room, she was nearly hysterical. The nearest room, unfortunately, was Yahiko?s. And Yahiko was in it. Yahiko was sleeping soundly, as if he had been sleeping for hours. As if he could not possibly have made it from outside her door to inside his room with the doors shut in the amount of time it had taken for the noise in her room to stop and her to flee it in terror. Kaoru froze on the threshold, with his door slid halfway open, her heart slamming in her chest. He heard her heavy breathing and awoke, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes blearily. ?Kaoru-[I]nee-chan[/I]?? he mumbled. Pressing her lips together firmly, Kaoru made an abrupt decision. Lunging forward, she grabbed his arm, and without further ado proceeded to haul him out of bed and back down the hall after her. ?Hey!? he hollered, coming more awake as he stumbled trying to keep up with her. ?What?s WRONG with you?? His shout must have awakened Sano or Kenshin, because immediately Kaoru heard noises in the rooms down the hall, but she didn?t stop. She was desperate to have someone else see the [I]oufuda[/I] on her door and proclaim it real before she went stark raving hysterical. They reached her room just as the last of the characters faded into darkness. ?They. . .? Kaoru murmured, eyes widening in alarm. But when she glanced over at Yahiko, his eyes were also wide with disbelief. He had seen them, too. [center][B]VII[/B][/center] Morning came, eventually. Kaoru had not slept, and neither had Kenshin, who was elected to stay up and keep her calm after the strange incident. He did so with good grace, and Kaoru felt no guilt whatsoever in making him sit up with her. It took her a long time to stop shaking. By morning, everyone in the [I]dojo[/I] had their own theories as to what had happened. And of course, everyone hastened outside to see what Kaoru?s door looked like from the outside. There were a long series of tracks left in the wood. Five. Like runnels left by human fingernails. [center][B]VIII[/B][/center] The next evening, it was decided that Kenshin would keep watch outside Kaoru?s room. This was decided by Kenshin himself, who said nothing on the matter of the[I] oufuda[/I] but expressed great concern that some sick individual was preying on a young woman under his protection. He slept most of the day in preparation for it, and now he sat on the terrace, sipping a cup of tea that Yahiko actually had the consideration to bring him. Sanosuke looked in on him at one point. ?Is that tea? If I were you, I?d be drinkin? [I]sake[/I]. They say sake tastes sour where. . ? The tall man paused before leaving, eyeing the moonlit garden with deep suspicion. ?Damned ghosts,? he muttered, and then shuffled off to bed. Kenshin didn?t smile at this. Instead he watched the wind playing through the blossoms of the [I]sakura[/I] tree across the pond. There were less blossoms now than there had been before; the topmost branches were naked, and clawed at the waxing moon. His sword lay across his lap. It was not until near morning that he awoke to realize he?d slept. He had dreamed of a tree red with blossoms. It wept crimson petals onto the ground, where a dead man lay in its shadows. [center][B]IX[/B][/center] Kenshin was greatly surprised to find in the morning that Kaoru had experienced the same dream. But he didn?t tell her that he?d seen it, knowing that it would worry her. She was excited; she had found something. ?Look here, Kenshin,? she told him, pointing to a scroll she?d procured from her late father?s things. ?I did some digging today and I found this. Old [I]dojo[/I] records, kept by my family. This one was my grandfather?s, dating back to the Meiji Revolution. It mentions that his family was divided by the war; one brother on each side.? She paused, and her face fell a little. ?It finally came to my grandfather?s brother coming to kill him. But my grandfather?s best friend killed his brother instead, as he crept into our [I]dojo[/I] at night. And then. . .it was dark. Well, maybe that wasn?t the reason. But my grandfather killed his own best friend, out of rage over the death of his brother. . .? Another pause. ?. . .even though his friend had protected him from his brother, who wanted to kill him.? Kenshin was quiet for a bit. Then he said, ?Loyalty is a strange thing,? and left it at that. ?But afterward,? Kaoru continued, pointing to a particular line on the scroll, ?my grandfather recorded strange happenings at the [I]dojo[/I]. He believed he was being haunted. Whether by his brother or his best friend, he never knew. But always these things occurred around his door. . .my door. That was why he had a priest inscribe [I]oufuda[/I] on it. The paint?s faded, but the characters grow bright when the spirit approaches.? She laid the scroll down, across her lap, and looked up at the swordsman. ?What should I do, Kenshin? Do we get a priest to come?? Kenshin looked thoughtful. ?That we should. But don?t you think your grandfather?s priests would have exorcised this spirit if they could?? Kaoru shook her head, mystified. ?I don?t know. But after my grandfather died of old age, and my father began teaching the peaceful art of the [I]Kamiya Kashin[/I] style, the haunting stopped. I can?t think why it?s started again [I]now.[/I] . .? Kenshin nodded rising to his feet. ?Today we?ll send for a priest.? [center][B]X[/B][/center] The priest came. He inspected every inch of the [I]dojo[/I], and he found nothing. ?There is no relic here,? he insisted. ?Nothing that could bind a man?s soul to the earth. But don?t worry; the [I]oufuda[/I] on your door will not allow inhuman hands to open it. The spirit cannot pass.? Kaoru wasn?t reassured. Before the priest left, he said to Kenshin in low tones, ?Have a care, young man. There is a shadow at your shoulder.? Kenshin bowed politely as the old man stepped out the gate, but he paid little heed to the warning. He?d always suspected there might be a shadow. [center][B]XI[/B][/center] There was no wind that night. The sky was brilliant with the hunter?s moon, low and orange and glaring like a demon?s eye. Kenshin sat again on the terrace outside Kaoru?s chamber, watchful and silent. Yahiko slept fitfully, dreaming about wars he?d never seen. Sanosuke sat cross-legged in his room, beneath the wan glow of a brazier, drinking [I]sake[/I]. He sipped at it, and then peered moodily into the depths of his cup. It was bitter. Kaoru lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She could hear, faintly, Kenshin?s calm breathing beyond her wall, and it was a comfort. But she didn?t sleep. She was wondering why, after all those years of silence, the spirit of her grandfather?s friend or brother had chosen to come after [I]her[/I]. She could think of nothing that had changed since her father?s time. She fought for peace, as did all who lived under her roof. They were all good people; certainly undeserving of the spirit?s vengeance. ?Why do you hate us?? she asked, into the listening darkness. ?I want to see peace here. Hurting me won?t bring you peace. . .? She fell silent after this utterance, listening for an answer. Then she realized she could no longer hear Kenshin breathing. [center][B]XII[/B][/center] ?Why do you hate her?? Kenshin asked. He stood on the terrace between the shadow and the door, with one hand on his sword-hilt and the other at his side. Instinct told him to draw and rush. Caution stayed his hand. This thing was not alive. ?Why do you want so desperately to pass the [I]oufuda[/I] to harm her? She?s innocent. Of all of us here, she?s the most. . . If you want revenge, take it on [I]me[/I].? In front of him, the shadow wavered. The moon shown through it in places; in others it was dark enough to appear solid. It wore the vague shape of a man. Kenshin?s blue eyes narrowed. ?Or is it that you hate her for the peace that surrounds her?? Again the shadow wavered. This time, Kenshin understood. This was a soul like his enemies?, who came seeking him out to draw him back into his warlike past, or to kill him trying. ?You hate her [I]because[/I] she doesn?t know the pain and the strife that you had. You hate her because she has what you never lived to see.? A shiver passed down the shadow?s length; anger. ?If it is death you want, then take me,? Kenshin said, eyes fierce with a killer?s gleam. ?Take [I]me [/I]instead.? Then it flew at him. He could do nothing. A [I]katana[/I] could not slay a dead man. Then his body went cold, and his mind fell backward into sleep. It took him. [center][B]XIII[/B][/center] Kaoru had risen just risen onto her knees when the door slid open. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, but then she remembered the priest saying that inhuman hands couldn?t pass the [I]oufuda[/I] on the panel. And it was a man entering the room. ?What?s going on?? she asked, squinting against the sudden brilliance of moonlight. ?Did you see something?? She barely saw the gleam of metal; the flash of blade; before the sword descended over her. It was aimed for her head; it caught in her hair as she rolled sideways to avoid it. The point slammed into her bedding and sank into the floor beneath. Her hair pulled sharply as she tugged herself free, lurching to her feet. Her attacker wrenched the blade free, spraying feathers in every direction. ?K-. . .Kenshin?? Kaoru had moved to the wall, taking up her [I]boken[/I], and from this angle she saw who it was. He was coming toward her in the shadows. His head was bowed; he couldn?t possibly see her, but he was advancing straight toward her nonetheless. His movements were slow and disjointed; it was like watching a dead man walk. ?Kenshin!? she cried, backing away from him. Her back hit the door panel. He made no sound; he was eerily silent. Again the sword lifted. Kaoru threw herself sideways, stumbling onto the terrace outside. Again he slashed at her; low this time, toward her feet. She stumbled backward, lost her footing, and fell. He raised the sword, hilt down, and stabbed downward. Kaoru managed to strike the blade aside with her [I]boken[/I], but Kenshin was strong and it was only deflected a little. The point grazed her side, pinning the fabric of her [I]haori[/I] to the wood. She had saved herself, but now she was pinned. And now she understood; this was not Kenshin. He knelt over her, keeping her fixed in place with one hand on the sword-hilt, and his other hand closed around her throat. ?Kaoru-[I]chan[/I]!? She heard someone shouting; Sanosuke. Her eyes rolled sideways, and she saw him reach her door from inside the hall. The thing crouched over her looked over as well, and abruptly the door clacked shut in Sano?s face. She looked back up at her enemy, eyes tearing with the effort of breathing, and with fear. Her throat burned for air. ?[I]I. . .can?t. . .undo. . .what was done[/I],? she gasped. ?[I]I?m. . .sorry. .[/I] .? The hand on her throat loosened fractionally. Her eyes widened in pleading. She had not dared to hope that she knew what this creature wanted, or why it wanted what it wanted from her. Yet now. . . ?I. . .promise. . .I will. . .find. . .way,? she whispered. Her breath whistled in her nose; she was seeing stars. [I]?Let her go[/I].? Her eyes widened further. This was Kenshin?s voice, coming from Kenshin?s lips. Her vision was darkening, and now she thought she saw a shadow beside him. Part of it was inside him; it was moving [I]through[/I] him. ?I didn?t offer myself to you for you to use me to kill her,? Kenshin said, in a low, dangerous tone. ?Take my life if you will, but not hers.? The hand around Kaoru?s throat loosened further, and then fell away. The shadow blurred, but didn?t vanish. Kaoru tried to sit up, staring in horror, but the sword still pinned her in place. ?Let her [I]go[/I],? Kenshin repeated. The shadow shifted further from him, emerging from inside his body. He wrenched the sword from the ground, freeing Kaoru?s [I]haori.[/I] But she was still trapped beneath him. ?We will lay you to rest.? Angry, the shadow sank into his sword arm, lifted it, and struck. Kaoru saw the length of the blade descending toward her chest, saw the moon mirrored in steel. It would cut her in half. It never touched her. Instead it cut into wood; sank into the wood of her [I]boken[/I], which Kenshin had caught up with his free hand and moved to intercept the blow. The shadow strained against him, one arm against the other, but he would not give way. ?You can?t win,? Kenshin admonished, between teeth clenched with the strain of fighting the spirit?s will. ?I. . .am. . [I].not[/I]. . .ruled. . .by my. . .[I]sword arm[/I].[I] Go.?[/I] A rush of wind filled the place, cold and fragrant. The shadow fell away from the swordsman?s body and dispersed, swirling around them both in a flurry of petals. Kenshin cast aside both the [I]boken[/I] in his left hand and the sword in his right, and fell across Kaoru, thinking to shield her from the spirit?s fury. Kaoru whimpered in terror, her voice muffled by the front of Kenshin?s [I]haori [/I]pressed against her mouth. The wind around them howled a death cry. Then it subsided. Nothing came after. White petals, tainted pink, fell softly around them like snow. The air was still. Slowly, Kenshin sat up, moving off Kaoru and giving her room to rise. For a long while, neither of them spoke. They were staring in amazement at the surrounding garden, where everything was as it should be. Then there came a loud crash from inside the [I]dojo[/I]. Sanosuke had flung Kaoru?s inner door so roughly that it rattled on its runners. ?What the hell is going on here?? he shouted. Yahiko spilled into the room after him. But Kenshin?s attention was diverted by something: the flowers, lying broken on the terrace where they knelt. ?Miss Kaoru,? he said slowly. ?I believe I know what we?re to look for, that I do.? Looking at him, Kaoru nodded slowly. ?The spirit always tried to come through your door,? he went on. ?The [I]oufuda[/I] were inscribed on your door. From what wood is it carved?? Slowly, Kaoru turned to gaze out over the garden, toward branches that clawed at the moon. ?[I]Sakura.?[/I] [center][B]XIV[/B][/center] They knelt beneath the cherry tree, in its shade, bearing thin sticks of incense. They immediately sent Yahiko to fetch a priest; the same one. He came and built them a crude shrine there, at the base of the roots, where both had dreamed the body lay. Now they knelt together before it, in quiet observance. ?What is it we?re waiting for?? Kaoru asked softly, looking down at the incense stick smoking gently in her hands. ?What sign that it?s worked?? Kenshin shook his head. He didn?t know. They knelt in silence long into the night, until the hunter?s moon sank beneath the treetops. Then there came a rush of wind, where there should have been no wind, rising from the tree into the air beyond, soft as a sigh. Together, they laid the incense on the brazier inside the shrine, clasping their hands in front of them in reverence for the dead. The final petal drifted gently from the tree, leaving the branches bare at last.[/COLOR]