Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Inukouken
By : HaruhisKyon
Category: InuYasha > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 1-Chapter 1
- 2-Chapter 2
- 1
- 2
Inukouken � Ch 2

By TetsuyaDL

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Inc., Bandai and Viz Communications. I do not claim ownership over these characters, only over the story and original characters that are of my own creation. Please do not copy or use them without my permission. Thank you.

Misc Notes: Italics indicate a character�s thoughts. -WORDS LIKE THIS- are onomatopoeias that indicate sounds, like sound effects that one might see in a manga.

----

Suyo stared at the hand offered to him. �You mean that after hiding outside my window and following me around, all you wanted to do was to introduce yourself?�

The one who had called himself Shippou paused, and then withdrew his hand. �Well, not exactly. First, I had to make you realize who you are, so then you would be willing to come back with me to this time, your past. But, it seems that we�ve gotten here anyway. Quite a convenient turn of events,� he said thoughtfully.

�Huh? My past? What are you talking about?�

Shippou looked at him, surprised. �You mean the dreams didn�t work? Damn it, I thought I had those sleep illusions down. And after sending you to sleep so many times!� He kicked the side of the well in frustration.

Now it was Suyo�s turn to be surprised. �Dreams? You mean... that recurring dream I�ve been having? That was YOU?�

Before he knew what had happened, Shippou was lying face down in the dirt and Suyo�s fist was aching slightly, but he barely noticed it through his overwhelming rage. �You�ve been ruining my life! Making me fall asleep in class and when I�m trying to study? Do you know how bad my grades have been lately?�

Suddenly, Suyo�s anger was cut short by the unexpected sound of Shippou laughing. �Hahaha! It�s true� you are their son.� Shippou got up and dusted himself off for the second time that day. �You hit as hard as Inuyasha himself did. And Kagome used to shout about her tests in that exact way.� Shippou examined Suyo�s face. �No fangs or dog ears though. If it weren�t for your eyes...�

Suyo�s heart skipped a beat. Kagome, did he say Kagome? That�s my mother�s name! She died when I was very young, and now he... �but that�s impossible!� Suyo yelled suddenly. Suyo grabbed the collar of Shippou�s cloak menacingly �Look here, Shippou, I don�t know who you are, but there is no way you knew my mother. She died a long time ago. Now you better drop this shit about dreams and time and tell me what the fuck is going on!�

Shippou knocked Suyo�s hand away with surprising ease. �All right, you don�t believe me? Just look up.� Suyo did so, and realized that the roof of the shed was no longer there. Clouds floated lazily in the blue sky. �Come on, we�ll take a closer look.� Shippou quickly scaled up the numerous vines that were growing along the side of the well. Suyo reluctantly climbed up after him, fearing the worst.

Upon reaching the top, Suyo�s suspicions were confirmed. The shed had indeed disappeared, as well as the rest of his family�s shrine. The busy, bustling Tokyo that he had lived in for as long as he could remember had been completely replaced by green, peaceful forests in all directions. A village of rural huts sat off in the distance, backed by endless rice fields. The secluded Goshinboku was the only object in view that Suyo recognized.

Suyo slumped against the side of the well. Okay, something weird is definitely going on, he thought. Shippou balanced nimbly on the edge of the well as he crouched down to grin at the confused schoolboy. �Well, if you�ve got any questions, now is the time to ask,� he stated cheerfully.

The bangs of Suyo�s messy hair hid the look in his eyes as he stared down at the ground and quietly asked, �You knew my mother?�

Shippou laughed jovially from his perch on the well. �Man, aren�t you in the dark! Of course I knew your mother! She practically adopted me after my father died, and I roamed the countryside with her and everyone else as we searched for the Shikon shards and hunted down Naraku! Then, we found him...� Shippou suddenly became very quiet.

Suyo stood up and looked Shippou in the eye, who solidly met his gaze. �Tell me everything you know about my mother. I want to know everything.�

----

Suyo followed a few steps behind Shippou, ignoring the suspicious glances that the local villagers were giving him. Fortunately, most of them knew who Shippou was, and, trusting that he would make sure the stranger would not cause any trouble, went about their business. Shippou walked with ease and confidence, obviously used to walking this path many times. Having discarded his old robe, Shippou was dressed in loose blue clothing with a brown fur vest, with a dagger on his belt and a comically fluffy fox�s tail sticking out from behind him. His outfit posed a ridiculously sharp contrast to Suyo�s plain, black, school uniform.

Suyo spoke hesitantly as they left the village common, �So, what you�re saying is that twenty years ago, my mother traveled through time to come here, unsealed my father who had been stuck to a tree for fifty years, and after he tried to kill her, she teamed up with him and a bunch of other weirdoes to search the countryside for magic crystals?�

�Jewel shards, not crystals,� Shippou corrected.

�Whatever.�

�Yep, that sums it up pretty well.�

��Bullshit.�

�And I�m not a weirdo.� Shippou said as he looked over his shoulder to face Suyo. Suyo met his gaze, then glanced at Shippou�s tail.

��Bullshit.�

Shippou sighed and turned off of the main road onto a side path, calling back over his shoulder, �This path leads to Miroku and Sango�s place. They�re two �weirdoes� who will be able to explain things more clearly to you. Look, you can make it out from here.� Shippou pointed ahead, where the path wound its way up a hill a short distance away from the edge of the farming village. The path ended at the only door of a tall, wooden palisade. Behind the wall, the roof of a house was visible, as well as several smaller huts. As they approached, Suyo could make out a crude wooden tower next to the door, with a lone figure standing guard. The entire complex held a somewhat military atmosphere, illustrating a distinct contrast to the township they�d just passed through; it seemed almost as if the fort was watching over the farmers below.

�Feh.� Suyo said dismissively. He turned his gaze to the dirt road in front of him as they began to climb up the hill. This is all so weird, can it really be true? Especially the part about my father. Did he really live in this time, five-hundred years ago? It�s just all too damn unbelievable. I should just turn back, right now. Suyo looked back over his shoulder at the distant forest, searching for the well hidden behind the trees. Suyo sighed as he turned back to stare at the path again, rubbing his forehead wearily with one hand and studying the fang hanging freely around his neck with the other. He recalled the end of their previous conversation:

�You don�t believe me? Then take a good look at that fang hanging around your neck.�

�This? It�s a wolf�s tooth that my uncle gave to me on my birthday.�

�Nope. It�s your father�s fang. That�s the fang of a hanyou, the son of a powerful inu youkai. It�s been sealing the youkai blood flowing in your veins until now. It�s power has been wearing thin, so your blood is becoming more difficult to keep under control. You�ve noticed, haven�t you?�

�Shut up. It�s an ordinary tooth. And nothing�s changing; I�m fine, damn it!�

Suyo sighed again. That�s what he had said out loud, but he knew that it was a hopeless lie. He was pretty sure that he had become more compulsive lately, and he definitely knew that the fang he wore was no ordinary tooth. He had worn it for as long as he could remember, and whenever he tried to take it off, he was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of anxiety that persisted until he put it back around his neck. The one time he had asked his grandmother about the unusual trinket, she had merely snapped that it was an old birthday present and refused to say anything more; he�d used that explanation whenever someone at school asked him about it. He didn�t want to admit it, but given the evidence, the rest of what Shippou had said seemed to all fit together.

What really scared Suyo wasn�t Shippou�s conviction about his past, it was how eagerly he wanted to believe the youkai�s words; it was like all the answers he had ever sought were now being laid at his feet, all his lifelong questions being answered to the fullest detail. Yet, a part of him stubbornly refused to accept that he was the son of an inhuman being. It kept telling him that this was all insanity, and that he should just run back to the well and return home and forget it all ever happened. And belt Shippou a good one while he was at it.

�Hey, Shippou! Where have you been?� someone called from up ahead. Suyo looked up with a start. A boy a head shorter than Suyo and dressed in close-fitting black clothing with oddly-shaped yellow armor plates was calling to them from his post in the guard tower. He carried a large axe in his right hand, but the weapon didn�t appear to be made out of any metal that Suyo was familiar with.

Shippou waved back. �Oh, nowhere. Anything happen while I was gone?� Suyo noticed a distinct hint of uneasiness in Shippou�s voice.

�Not much, except someone stole The Shikon shard a week ago, right around the time you left without telling anyone where you were going. I suppose you wouldn�t know anything about that, right?�

�Uh, of course not.� Shippou�s tail twitched suddenly.

�And, there�s no need to ask how someone got past the taijiya on guard and into the safehouse which is protected by Miroku�s strongest wards?�

�Who knows? Maybe it was a kuromiko. They�re sneaky.� Shippou�s tail twitched again.

The guard boy shrugged. �Perhaps... or perhaps it was an inside job. By someone who was stupid enough to try to weave an illusion that would make it seem like the shard was still there. You see, we found a leaf in place of the shard. A leaf that looked an awful lot like one of the leaves you use to cast your illusions.� The boy leaned against the palisade and idly tested the blade of his axe with his thumb.

Shippou cursed under his breath, and then nonchalantly held up his hands, cheerfully admitting defeat. �Okay, you caught me. I admit it; I took the shard. But, before you use that axe of yours to flay me alive, let me first say I had a good reason.�

The boy looked down at Shippou, amusement written across his face. �I should hope so, because Chichiue and Hahaue are out for your blood. They�ve sent everyone old enough to hold a weapon out to look for you. They were afraid that The Shikon shard might fall into the wrong hands.� He sighed and shook his head before eying Shippou with a piercing look. �Geez, Shippou, you gave us all a scare. Don�t you trust us enough to tell us what you�re doing?�

Shippou avoided the boy�s gaze. �Yeah, I�m sorry, but it couldn�t be helped, really!�

Suyo, already impatient with the lengthy conversation, cleared his throat loudly to remind the others that he was still there.

The young guard�s face relaxed again as he glanced at Suyo. �Okay, as long as we�re clear on that. By the way, who�s your friend? He�s dressed kind of strangely...�

Suyo was about to remark that the boy�s armor was hardly orthodox, but Shippou spoke first. �This is Suyo, from, uh, out of town. Suyo, meet Kohaku, son of Miroku and Sango, and the best fighter in the village.�

Kohaku laughed. �I�m not the best; Mina-oneesan can still beat me without breaking a sweat.�

�Once you catch up in height, you�ll win every time. Anyway, I brought Suyo here to talk to your parents. Are they home?�

�Yeah, but you better hurry, they�re about to leave on business. Nasty bear youkai terrorizing a nearby village, so I heard.�

�Heh, that�s Miroku and Sango for you, always working.�

�Yep. Hold on a sec, I�ll get the door for you.�

Kohaku disappeared behind the wall, and soon the rustling of metal chains and the clanking of gears could be heard. Soon, the heavy wooden door tilted over on a hinge that ran along the back of the door horizontally, allowing entrance to the pair outside. After Suyo and Shippou passed through the gate, Kohaku pulled a lever, releasing the door to swing closed with a thump. Suyo noted that the door�s design would allow it to close quickly in an emergency, but the simple design allowed it to be opened by one person turning a crank on the inside of the palisade. Suyo looked about the complex, amazed at how much could fit inside the simple fort. Numerous people bustled about their unknown business throughout the complex, walking to and from huts sheltered within the safety of the palisade. A larger, wooden house stood in the center of the compound. Suyo saw a young girl who couldn�t be more than eight years old carrying a basket containing more of the strange armor plates that he had seen Kohaku wearing.

Kohaku pointed to a large hut near the center of the complex. �They�re preparing in there for their trip.� He winked at Shippou. �I�ll let you find them yourself. I don�t want to be there to witness Hahaue�s wrath when you get there.� With that, Kohaku quickly scaled up the guard tower ladder to resume his watch.

Shippou strode quickly towards the hut as passersby stopped to stare at him or call out forced greetings, asking him where he�d been. The fox youkai waved at them quickly, but didn�t slow his pace through the courtyard. Suyo was taken aback at how much colder Shippou�s reception was here compared to back in the farming village, but he decided he had better things to worry about, and jogged to catch up with him. �Hey Shippou, what was all that about a stolen Shikon... thing... and some kind of leaf illusion?� he asked as he drew up next to the kitsune.

Shippou laughed nervously. �Uh, don�t worry about the Shikon shard. And as for the illusion, it�s my genjutsu specialty. All Kitsune can use genjutsu.�

Suyo wasn�t convinced, but decided not to pry further. �Okay. So I guess there�s more to you youkai than fluffy tails and silly clothes.�

Shippou twitched his tail angrily as he pushed the hut�s straw door aside. �Hey! These clothes are very stylish! All the girls love this look!� He then casually entered the building ahead of Suyo, calling out, �Hey guys, miss me? I�d like you to meet-�

Shippou was suddenly cut off by a muffled growl coming from a shadowy corner of the room. Suyo froze, instinctively standing back by the door.

�DAMN YOU, SHIPPOU! IF I WASN�T SO GLAD TO SEE YOU COME BACK ALIVE, I�D KILL YOU!�

The shout rocked the palisade fortress, and the people who had taken notice of Shippou�s entry before suddenly went about their business, satisfied that Shippou was well getting what he deserved.

Suyo blinked at the strange scene in front of him. A woman in her late thirties dressed in the same style of clothing as Kohaku was towering over Shippou while alternating between death threats and concerned questions about his well-being. The unlucky kitsune was cowering before her, the very force of her voice pressing him down to the floor. Having already experienced enough insanity for one day, Suyo decided to stay safely anonymous. Besides, he found the situation almost cruelly satisfying. Shippou�s ever-cheerful attitude had been getting on his nerves; maybe this would dampen his spirits for a while.

Just as Suyo started to wonder how long this discourse was going to take, a man dressed in the black and purple robes of a Buddhist houshi walked up and rested a hand on her shoulder, causing the woman to calm down almost instantly. �Now, Sango, I think we should hear Shippou�s side of the story before we wring him out. Give him a chance to explain himself, okay?� The woman nodded and reluctantly backed away to stand beside him and slightly behind, her face divided between ire and concern. Suyo mused to himself, So this is Sango, Kohaku�s mother? He sure wasn�t kidding about the wrath� and the man must be Miroku? What�s with the houshi getup?

Shippou stood up slowly, looking like he�d just survived a life-or-death struggle. Miroku watched him sternly and said, �Shippou. I trust you have the last shard in your possession?�

Shippou nodded and reached inside his haori to produce a small glass bottle, containing a single shard of pink crystal. He wordlessly handed it to Miroku, who examined it closely before tucking it away in the sleeve of his robe. �Good. Now, would you care to explain your reckless, not to mention dangerous, actions?�

Shippou nodded and turned towards the doorway, beckoning Suyo forward. �First, let me introduce someone.� Suyo stepped forward slowly, wondering what he had to do with Shippou�s purloined crystal. �This is Suyo. You would know him better as� Inukouken.�

An eerie silence filled the room as Sango and Miroku froze. �Did� you say� Inukouken?� the two of them whispered in unison.

Suyo looked around, confused, wondering who this Inukouken guy was, and even more about how anyone could live with such a bizarre name. On the other hand, it seemed on par with all the other crazy people he�d met so far.

Then he noticed that the others had fallen strangely silent. The tension hung so thick in the air that Suyo didn�t dare to breathe. And then�

�You�re JOKING!�

�No, really, it�s him!�

�This better not be another one of your tricks, Shippou!�

�Stop strangling me, just take a look at him!�

�It can�t be!�

�But it is!�

�His clothes, they�re from another time!�

�It must be him!�

�After all these years!�

Shippou grabbed the fang hanging around Suyo�s neck and held it aloft. �And look! It�s the fang! What more proof do you need?�

�Gimmie that back, bastard!� Suyo snatched the fang back and tucked it protectively inside his shirt.

The room fell silent again, as everyone stared at him in shock. Suyo stared back uncertainly, attempting to put on a defiant air. �You guys� what the hell are you guys looking at? I� I don�t know what�s going on with the Shikon thing, or this bastard kitsune, or Inu-whoever! Don�t stare at me like some kind of freak! You�re the crazy ones, not me!�

Sango raised a hand to her mouth, as though she was somehow hurt, and scared. Shippou and Miroku looked like they�d been accused of murder. Miroku turned to Shippou slowly, his face not showing any emotion. �Shippou� I take it you�ve brought him here without even telling him who he is?� he said in a measured tone.

�He said some crazy shit about my so-called parents,� Suyo interjected, �he said to follow him here if I didn�t believe him. So, spill the beans already!�

Miroku closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He then picked up his shakujou and slowly led Suyo towards the door. �Well then, if all you want are words, then we can oblige you. Let�s step outside into the fresh air.�

�Wait dear, I�ll come too�Sango stood up suddenly to follow.

�No, Sango, stay here. There�s� the bear youkai, it still needs to be taken care of. Take Kohaku with you. He�ll enjoy the break from guard duty.�

Sango sighed, but she trusted Miroku to handle the situation. He did have a talent for discussing delicate subjects, and it wasn�t every day that the long-lost son of your late comrades appeared out of the blue.

Miroku wordlessly led the way out of the hut, and out the gate of the palisade, Suyo following at a distance. Suyo hadn�t gotten much attention from the inhabitants of this strange military camp while coming in because everyone was waiting to hear Sango torment Shippou, but now everyone was stopping to watch him pass by as he followed the houshi. Miroku seemed to carry an authoritative air that was felt by everyone nearby, bearing himself like the communal leader he was.

They strode down the path, back the way that Suyo had come with Shippou. Neither of them spoke, the jingling rings of Miroku�s shakujou and their footsteps providing the only respite from the oppressive silence. Suyo was careful not to follow too closely, still undecided whether he wanted to follow at all. He hadn�t meant to explode like that back in the hut; he just felt uncomfortable meeting these strange people in a strange land. Not to mention he was getting really impatient about discovering his past. He was confused, more than anything. Miroku, however, showed little emotion. He seemed to be thinking intensely about something, paying little attention to the road ahead.

Miroku led then through the farming village, and back to the woods. But, instead of heading to the well where this had all started, they turned down a narrow but well-kept path further into the woods. Finally, they reached a small clearing, the Goshinboku at its center.

The houshi stopped at the entrance to the clearing, and turned to face Suyo. �I apologize for my previous reaction, it was uncalled for. And, we haven�t been properly introduced. My name is Miroku. I was once a houshi following in Buddha�s footsteps, but now I now live a worldly life with my wife, Sango. And you are-

�Suyo,� The boy interrupted defiantly.

�Of course. Suyo.�

Miroku continued into the clearing, knelt at a stone set at the base of the great tree, and muttered a short prayer. He then turned to face Suyo and said, �This is the grave of your mother and your father.�

Suyo stood in silence for a while. Finally, he said quietly, �What� kind of people were they?�

Miroku sat down with his back against the tree, and motioned for Suyo to do the same. �I think the best way to tell you would be to start from the beginning, as Shippou hasn�t seemed to tell you anything.�

�Well... he did tell me some stuff, like how my mother came here through the well like I did, and how she met my father and they quested� yes, quested for pieces of the Shikon no Tama.�

�Oh, that�s more than I expected. In that case, I�ll continue where he left off. Make yourself comfortable, as my tale will be lengthy.�

Miroku sat with his base against the great Goshinboku tree, and Suyo sat down on the ground in front of him, unconsciously leaning towards the gravestone beside him.

Miroku cleared his throat, and began solemnly. �When I first met Inuyasha and Kagome-sama, they were already like a couple, although they seemed too stubborn to admit it. They were hunting for the scattered shards of the Shikon no Tama, a sacred jewel that youkai sought for its power. Kagome-sama had shattered the jewel accidentally in battle, so she wished to make up for her oversight. Inuyasha, as a hanyou and the son of a powerful taiyoukai, sought the shards so that he could use the complete jewel to become a full-blooded youkai, like his father. The two of them joined forces out of expediency rather than friendship, but they came to warm to each other soon enough. Shippou joined them when he was just a kit; his father had been slain in a fight over Shikon shards, so he joined them for companionship after they helped him avenge his slain father.�

�I was searching for an evil creature called Naraku at the time. When I told them of the monster, Inuyasha immediately decided to hunt for him as well because��

At this point, Miroku stalled and looked at Suyo carefully, before he continued, �Because Naraku was also collecting Shikon shards, so it was the fastest way to obtain more. Thus, I came to enter the group. Sango joined us as well because she wanted to avenge her murdered taijiya village and family; Naraku had manipulated and killed them to obtain a shard they had found. Thus, the five of us traveled together, hunting for shards of the Shikon no Tama and fighting Naraku wherever we found him.�

Miroku paused again. But he picked up again quickly, although now he gripped the beaded rosary around his right wrist as he spoke. �We continued as such for quite a while� three years I believe. Our group became very closely knit� and then Inuyasha finally took Kagome-sama as his mate. They returned through the well to marry in Kagome-sama�s time first however; Kagome-sama insisted-�

Suyo interrupted suddenly. �Back? So you CAN go back through the well?� he asked.

Miroku looked at him in surprise. �Yes, of course. But please, let me finish; save your questions for the end.� He cleared his throat again.

�At any rate, you were born to them, seventeen years ago. They named you Inukouken, withholding the tradition of Inuyasha�s bloodline. Kagome-sama took you back to her time to live safely with her mother until our battle was finished. Soon after that, we fought Naraku for the last time. Naraku had been steadily growing in power, and Kagome-sama had lost the greater part of her powers as a miko upon marrying Inuyasha, but Inuyasha was more than able to fight in her stead. At least, so we thought� we managed to defeat Naraku, but not before Inuyasha was fatally wounded. Kagome-sama tried to protect him from Naraku�s shouki, but without her powers��

Miroku paused and looked at Suyo, who was now sitting with his fists tightly clenched. �Would you like me to stop? We can continue later.�

�No. Keep going.�

Miroku nodded and continued, �Kagome-sama had two last requests. The first was to bury her and Inuyasha at the base of the Goshinboku, the place where they first met. The second was to travel through the well to her time, and inform her mother of what happened. Of the three of us remaining, it was decided that I was to be the one to-�

�They� they were killed by Naraku?�

�Yes, they died valiantly. You should be proud-�

�And Naraku, Naraku was dead? Is dead?�

Miroku said nothing and stared at Suyo, whose hands were clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. Once again gripping the rosary around his wrist, Miroku replied emotionlessly, �Yes. His body was utterly destroyed by Inuyasha�s youki attack, and the Shikon no Tama disappeared. He is most assuredly dead.�

�THAT�S A LIE!�

Shippou came running frantically down the path, to stop at a screeching halt in front of Miroku and Suyo. �That�s a filthy lie, damn you Miroku! A damned filthy lie!�

Miroku stood up to meet him, and quickly led him aside, away from Suyo. He whispered in a voice that trembled with suppressed emotion, �Shippou, you have no right to tell him this. He never asked for it. He only wanted to know how his parents died.� He glanced at Suyo, who was staring at his parents� gravestone, but seemed to be looking at something beyond it. �If you tell him this, you�re sending him on a dangerous mission. One that could- no, WILL get him killed. I know better than anyone the fear of not knowing each night whether you�ll live to see the next sunrise. Suyo doesn�t deserve that.�

Shippou answered defiantly, �What are you talking about?! Naraku killed his parents! Inuyasha and Kagome! It�s his right to avenge them as an orphan! We�ve both lost our fathers to evil youkai, and we both know that we�d never have been able to live with ourselves if we hadn�t done everything in our power to avenge them.�

�Vengeance is a harsh path. He is better off not knowing, so he does not need to follow it. Once he is finished here, he will return back through the well to his world, and there he will stay, safe and spared of all this.�

Shippou spoke again, but more solemnly this time. �You haven�t seen him in his world. I have. I watched him for a week, as he went about his life in his �safe� time. He�s miserable! He has no friends, he�s all alone, and he doesn�t fit in. Now he has a chance to understand why he is so different, and to turn that from his shame to his strength. This is what they would have wanted for him, Miroku! Besides, you and Sango have a family to worry about now, and I can�t go hunting for Naraku by myself. For the good of the people in this world, we need him.�

Miroku sighed. As much as he hated the fact, Shippou was right about that, at least. �All right then,� he said quietly. �But try to go easy on him. He�s been through a lot today.� Shippou nodded in agreement, then turned to talk to Suyo.

�Shippou.� Miroku said quietly. Shippou paused, but did not turn around. �This is his choice, and his alone. Understand?� Shippou said nothing, but slowly walked away, over to where Suyo knelt in front of his parents� grave. Miroku watched him go, then turned and walked back to the taijiya village.

Suyo heard Shippou approach, but he didn�t move from his place in front of the gravestone. Shippou spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. �Suyo� I don�t know if you noticed the rosary that Miroku wears around his right wrist, but you should know; he hasn�t worn that thing in almost twenty years. It�s a spiritual seal that contains the force of the Kazaana, a curse that Naraku placed upon his family. It would have taken Miroku�s life if we hadn�t beaten Naraku when we did; it disappeared at the same time Naraku did. But it returned one week ago.�

�I was returning to the taijiya village from a trip when I overheard Miroku screaming and a huge gust of wind blowing. I rushed toward the noise and saw Miroku kneeling, holding his old rosary over his right hand, and Sango, worried, at his side. He didn�t say anything, but I knew that his Kazaana had returned, and that it meant Naraku was still alive out there. That same day, I stole the last Shikon shard from the safehouse Miroku and Sango built and used it to come through the well to your time. I stayed there, watching you and weaving the genjutsu that would make you willing to come here. I didn�t do it because we needed your help or because I wanted to defeat Naraku. I brought you here because I know what its like to lose your parents, and to have a chance to avenge them. And most of all, I�m sure that this is what they, your parents, would have wanted: for you to realize the side of you that has been sealed away until now. To live as you were meant to live. So Suyo, I�m asking you: Will you honor your parents� memory and finish their battle? Will you help us defeat Naraku?�

Suyo stood up slowly, and looked at him. His eyes were tired, wounded, and full of pain, yet there was a resolve burning in them. �Defeat? No� I will kill that�. that Naraku.�

----

OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE!

Shippou entered the room casually. �Hey guys, miss me? I�d like you to meet-�

Shippou was suddenly cut off by a muffled growl coming from a shadowy corner of the room. Suyo instinctively froze, standing back by the door.

Sango burst from the shadows to seize Shippou in a stranglehold, shaking him back and forth to emphasize every word.

�DAMN YOU, SHIPPOU! IF I WASN�T SO GLAD TO SEE YOU COME BACK ALIVE, I�D KILL YOU!�

�IN FACT, I THINK I WILL!�

Sango clobbered the unfortunate Shippou into the ground with her fist, whacked him on the head with a bokken, a harisen, and an oversized mallet, drilled a crater in the dirt floor using Shippou as the drill bit, stomped on him with a ghostly projection of her inner self, and then finally kicked him over the horizion, bashing a sizable hole in the thatch roof as she did. �SHIPPOU NO BAKA!!!� she screamed until part of the roof caved in with the force of her anger.

�Now, now, Sango,� Miroku said, �You�re thirty-eight now, remember? Middle-aged mother figures never get physical, they restrain themselves to yelling, or maybe pinching, if anything.�

�Don�t remind me, Houshi-sama. I�m having too much fun!�

----

Author�s Notes: Sorry, inside joke. Hard to imagine an angry, violent character turn domestic, isn�t it?

Only six months between chapters 1 and 2, better than I expected. Chapter 3 is already 75 percent (can�t use the percent symbol, bah) written though, so things should probably speed up.

No doubt someone reading this will be angry that I killed off Inuyasha and Kagome (although you could have figured that out from the first chapter.) I admit it�s harsh, and makes my fic darker than some people might appreciate. However, I would like to point out the parallel between this, and how Takashi�s plotline started with Inuyasha and Kikyou supposedly killing each other. Part of my goal in writing a sequel to an existing anime is to maintain some of the flavor of the original, and this is part of that effort.

A good example is Suyo�s choice of language� I actually don�t swear myself except in the most extreme circumstances, so I cringe a little inside every time Suyo does. But then, that�s Suyo�s character speaking, not me.

I find some ambiguity in the nature of human spiritual powers in the world of Inuyasha. Miko are Shinto, and Houshi are Buddhist, but their powers work very similarly. There�s almost no distinction at all, and very little explanation for how they work. What I�ve decided on is:

1. There is no difference between Shinto and Buddhist powers. (Miroku and Kaede worked together to conceal Inuyasha�s presence from Royakan.)

2. One is strongest when isolated from worldly desires, and weaker when embracing them, but this doesn�t mean they are completely devoid of spiritual strength. (Kikyou became weaker as she grew closer to Inuyasha.) Thus, Kagome lost some of her powers as a miko after leaving maidenhood behind, but not all. Miroku is also weaker spiritually than he was in the anime, although not by much ^_^.

3. Spiritual powers are hereditary to some extent. (Miroku�s family, simple enough.)

----

Japanese Dictionary:

Chichiue � Archaic, respectful term for one�s father.

Genjutsu � Magical illusionary hypnotism, or illusion magic. Foxes of Shinto mythology were tricksters, and are depicted in the world of Inuyasha to have magical powers to aid them with such.

Hahaue � Archaic, respectful term for one�s mother.

Haori � Traditional Japanese outer clothing, worn like a shirt over a kimono.

Houshi � (Buddhist Monk) A male spiritual fighter, based on monks of the Buddhist religion. In the world of Inuyasha, Houshi use their spiritual powers to protect villagers from hostile youkai. There is little distinction between the spiritual powers of Buddhists and Shintoists.

Kazaana � (Wind Tunnel) Curse placed on Miroku�s grandfather by Naraku, and has been passed down through the family. The curse acts as a black hole, and can be used as a weapon. However, it will inevitably grow until it is uncontainable and destroy the one who wields it.

Kitsune � Fox. See Genjutsu.

Kuromiko � (Dark Shinto Priestess) Purely fictional. A female spiritual fighter like a Miko, but uses her spiritual powers to control youkai and gain power for herself.

Miko � (Shinto Priestess) A female spiritual fighter, based on priestesses of the Shinto religion. In the world of Inuyasha, Miko use their spiritual powers to protect villagers from hostile youkai and help take care of children and tend to the sick and injured. There is little distinction between the spiritual powers of Buddhists and Shintoists.

Oneesan � Respectful term for one�s elder sister.

-sama � A Japanese name suffix meant to convey extreme respect, especially for a lord or religious figure.

Shakujou � A houshi�s staff. It has loose, jingling, metal rings on one end to announce the houshi�s arrival.

Shikon no Tama � (Shikon Jewel) � �Jewel of Four Souls.� A jewel created by a long-forgotten battle between miko and youkai, which grants power to both youkai and humans that use it.

Shouki � (Miasma) A variant of youki that acts as poisonous gas.

Taijiya � (Demon Slayer/Exterminator), A fighter trained to hunt youkai as a trade, often hired by defenseless villages in need of protection. The Taijiya use the bones and hides of youkai they slay to craft the durable weapons and armor they need to carry out their trade.

Taiyoukai/youkai � A youkai is a mythological spirit, often embodying natural concepts like animals, elements, or human emotions. Contrary to English translation convention, they are not demons, as they have no relation to the concept of heaven or hell. �Tai� means �great,� so a taiyoukai is simply a powerful youkai.

Youki � A youkai�s spiritual energy.
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Inukouken	By : HaruhisKyon Category: InuYasha > General Views: 543 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

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