Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Five Days	By : Saranwyn Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 6396 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. These fictions are for entertainment purposes only and I do not make any money off of them.

Chapter List
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- 4
Hey, just a note, I only now realized that Sesshoumaru in this one has both his arms. Yeah...so I'm clearly not following the anime/manga at all and will continue to not follow the manga/anime. Also, this story has some very, very minor Kagome bashing. Sorry to any Kagome fans out there.

Sango's senses buzzed as she sensed a strong, demonic aura coming her direction. In an instant, she was out of the hot springs and scrambling to get dressed and armed for battle. Of course, the one time I get to have a hot bath, and it gets interrupted! She thought ruefully.
"Don't stop on my account," a soft, melodic baritone chuckled. She spun, her eyes wide.
"S-Sesshoumaru!" she gasped. He frowned slightly. "Lord…Sesshoumaru," she revised. She might not like the demon lord much, but she knew when she was faced with a fight far beyond her capacity to handle. "What are you doing here? Where is Jaken and that girl, Rin?" She took a wary step back, lifting her boomerang a little.
"I came to warn you and your friends. Naraku is gathering his forces to make a move. The shards of the Shikon no Tama have been collected between you and Naraku – save the ones still in that wolf-demon's body. It will not be long until Naraku makes his move to take them." Sango lowered her weapon, slightly mystified that the enigmatic demon lord had actually come to warn them. She had always been under the impression that Sesshoumaru couldn't have cared less about them. Of course, she also knew that the demon lord shared their hatred for Naraku.
"Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha cried, coming to stand near the edge of the clearing. "I thought I smelled you. What are you doing here?"
"I have come to invite you to join me in my fight against Naraku," Sesshoumaru informed the half-demon. "I trust you heard what I just told the demon slayer."
"Yeah, I heard. So what's the plan?" Sango's brows shot up. InuYasha was asking Sesshoumaru to take the lead on this? It was the obvious choice, of course, Sesshoumaru had led wars before and knew a good deal more about strategy than InuYasha, but she never would have expected the stubborn half-demon to concede the point.
"Take me to your camp. I don't want to have to explain this more than once." Again, to Sango's shock, InuYasha obeyed without complaint. As soon as they got to the camp, Miroku and Kagome were on their feet, ready to fight. That is, until they realized the brothers weren't fighting.
"InuYasha, what's going on?" Kagome demanded as Sesshoumaru seated himself cross-legged on the ground. Sango sat down next to Miroku and InuYasha remained standing just a half-step behind his older brother.
"Sesshoumaru is here to help us fight Naraku," InuYasha stated blandly.
"What, and we're going to trust him?" Kagome argued. "Do you know how many times he's tried to kill you?!"
"Face it, Kagome – if Sesshoumaru really wanted me dead, I'd be six-feet under by now," InuYasha snapped. "Now we all know we can't take Naraku on our own – we've tried more than enough and usually barely end up escaping with our lives. Whether we like it or not, we need any help we can get, in this fight, and Sesshoumaru is a powerful ally." He took a deep breath. "I'm not asking your opinion – any of you. If you don't like it, I won't stop you if you want to walk away." He glared his challenge, staring them down, waiting for someone to make a move. When no one did, he continued, "Anyways, Sesshoumaru has agreed to take the reins on this, and – lets face it – this is really more up his alley than mine."
How can you say that, InuYasha? Fighting Naraku is what you do! It's as much up your alley as anyone's!" Kagome argued.
"If it were just me, sure. But my goal is not to just kill Naraku in a fight. It's to keep all of you alive while I'm at it. That takes planning and strategy – something Sesshoumaru has lots of experience with and has been trained in extensively. So just shut up and listen to what he has to say."
"Naraku's main strength is his ability to regenerate. My aura can easily overpower his miasma, though that means you all will have to learn to fight through my aura surrounding you. His other strength lies in his ability to adapt to the situation. Naraku is a quick learner, so trying the same attack twice really doesn't work. Then, of course, there's the issue of his incarnations. They will provide further complications and most likely try to distract you from attacking Naraku directly." He paused to let them absorb the information.
"Basically you just told us he's impossible to beat," Kagome stated at last. Sesshoumaru frowned disapprovingly.
"No. I simply informed you of his strengths. Knowing an enemy's strengths and weaknesses is knowing how to defeat him. Naraku's main weakness is that he must expend energy to regenerate. Then there is the fact that he is weakened when the…incarnations of himself are destroyed. They contain parts of him, and if he cannot re-absorb them before they die, their strength and energy are lost to him. I also do not think Naraku expects me to participate in this fight. It will give us the element of surprise if we can keep my involvement a secret until the actual fight. However, I would not count on that to be of much more than minimal help. But we do have one more advantage over Naraku."
"Yeah? Because right now, this isn't sounding too bright," Kagome growled. Sesshoumaru glared at her.
"You annoying, little ningen, if you would stop interrupting, I would be able to tell you," Sesshoumaru growled. InuYasha glanced between the two and then walked over to Kagome, crouching beside her.
"Just don't say anything Kagome – not until he's done, anyways," he murmured. Before she could argue, Sesshoumaru began to speak again.
"We can choose the place of the battle. Naraku will hold out a while, hoping you to try to come to him. He might try to lure you out by lowering his barrier so you can track him. But he will not wait long. Naraku is ambitious and impatient. He wants the power of the tainted Shikon no Tama, he wants it now, and he's already waited far too long. It will not be hard to lure him to wherever Kagome is. Now, the incarnations of Naraku…"
"We've already killed a number of them."
"In his arsenal," Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "There's Byakuya." His brows furrowed as he recalled his last encounter with Naraku. "Muso has returned…And Akago." Sesshoumaru's eyes opened.
"How do you know?" Miroku asked. InuYasha heard Sesshoumaru's breath shake a bit, but the demon lord maintained his careful, stony mask, as always.
"I…encountered Naraku some months ago. I am fairly certain that he would not risk creating another incarnation, so close to the final battle. That is a process that uses a lot of energy – energy he will want to conserve, right about now." Sesshoumaru paused. "Any questions?"
"Just one," Sango replied. "How the hell are we going to defeat him?!" Of course, they'd all known Naraku was a formidable enemy, but having it all laid out there before them made it seem a lot more dire than they'd previously assessed. In truth, it was a little disheartening.
"Well, Sango, you actually only have to worry about defeating Byakuya – or at least keeping him occupied. Miroku, you seem best suited to deal with Muso – and remember, using your Wind Tunnel while those insects are present is a danger you'd rather not risk. However, Kirara and Shippo are to attempt to deal with those as quickly as possible to open that up for use. Kagome, it is a given that you are Akago's natural opponent."
"Huh? Why me?" Kagome asked, shocked at being recognized by the demon lord as worthy of fighting, at all.
"Your heart holds much less darkness than the rest of ours. He will hold less sway over you. And that leaves InuYasha and I to take…deal with Naraku. The key to all of this is separating all the different pieces. Each person needs to be able to give their full, undivided attention to their opponent as well as capture their opponent's full, undivided attention. I have already chosen a site for the battle. We will head there tomorrow."
"What if you're wrong?" Sango challenged. "This battle plan is based on everything going exactly as you predicted. What if Naraku doesn't do what you think he will?"
"Well, every plan risks that. But Naraku adheres to a pattern when he attacks. It is unlikely he should break that, now."
"And if he does?"
"If he does you all will have to learn to obey orders and obey them quickly and without question." Sesshoumaru stood. "Satisfied?"
"We're not your soldiers," Kagome pointed out coldly.
"If you want to defeat Naraku, you will learn to be," came the demon lord's apathetic reply. "You will not be able to defeat him as you are now. Every time he has defeated you or escaped because you all lack coordination. There will be no room for mistake, this time. Naraku will not be driven off, again. He will fight until either he is dead or you are. If you continue fighting him as you have, even if you win, it will not be without casualties. Tell me Kagome, do you want to die – because I assure you, he will come for you first. And even if InuYasha manages to protect you, it will only be at the cost of his life and the lives of the rest of your companions. Is that what you want?" This gave her pause. She slumped, hanging her head.
"N-no."
"Good. Get some sleep. We start traveling in the morning."
"Where are you going?" Sango asked. The only reply was the demon's back retreating through the trees. InuYasha sighed.
"He's right, guys. Get some sleep. You'll need it."
"InuYasha," Kagome murmured. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" The half demon chuckled wryly, bowing his head.
"No, Kagome. I'm not sure about anything. But I know that if we want to defeat Naraku, Sesshoumaru's our best chance. Besides…" He sighed deeply. "Whether you understand it or not…we owe him. I'm going to go…talk to him about the strategy some more." With that, he hurried off after his brother. During the whole speech, he could practically smell his brother's distress. Though no one else realized it, InuYasha could tell that the InuYoukai was terrified.
Sesshoumaru was standing in a field just beyond the forest when InuYasha found him. His head was tipped up towards the sky, his hair fluttering around him, clothes rustling in the breeze. From where he was positioned downwind, InuYasha could smell the salt of his older brother's tears. He came forward hesitantly until he was standing right behind him. He wrapped his arms around Sesshoumaru and rested his cheek on his shoulder, debating whether to get right to the point or try some small talk first. He went with the latter option.
"It's a nice night," he murmured. "But it will start getting colder, soon." Silence. Well, so much for that idea. "You know, Sesshoumaru. I am not going to let him touch you." He now released Sesshoumaru and turned him around to look into his face. "He is not going to hurt you…ever again. This time, I am going to protect you." Sesshoumaru tried in vain to hide the fact that he was crying, wiping his cheeks and eyes hurriedly, but InuYasha captured his hands in his own and held them tightly. "But it's okay…to be afraid sometimes. I'm here for you…to you can trust me with your weakness, and let me be your strength." Sesshoumaru's composure failed him and he leaned over to cry softly into InuYasha's shoulder. The younger hugged him again, rubbing soothing circles over his back with one hand and combing his fingers through his hair with the other.
"I've never felt like this, before," Sesshoumaru confessed. "Even when he was doing it…it wasn't like this. This feeling…I feel…so vulnerable."
"I know. It's okay. I will protect you." Even like this, Sesshoumaru tried to defend his pride, albeit weakly.
"Th-this Sesshoumaru does not need protection…" he mumbled.
"I know you don't, Aniki…but I want to, anyways." InuYasha felt his brother's arms snake around his waist.
"Why should I be frightened? I let him do those things to me. It's not like he could force me if he wanted."
"Of course you're frightened. It's only natural to be scared, after what happened to you. There is no shame in that. Especially not with me." He stood there and held Sesshoumaru until he was all cried out. "You okay?" he asked softly.
"Y-yes. I'm fine."
"You know. You won't be alone when you face him. I'll be right there, okay?" The InuYoukai nodded, straightening.
"I know. Thank you." InuYasha wiped his older brother's cheeks with the pad of his thumb, smiling gently. "Care to sit with me?" The two sat down together, reclining back to stare at the sky, Sesshoumaru's pelt stretched beneath their heads like a pillow. "Was I that obvious."
"No, Sesshoumaru, you weren't, but I could smell it."
"What?"
"The fear."
"It stinks."
"I know." They lapsed into silence. This was one of InuYasha's favorite things about spending time with Sesshoumaru. So often they could just sit together and say nothing. There was no rush to do something or to fill the emptiness. Sesshoumaru was calm and unhurried. So different from his other friends. Then again, that was probably because Sesshoumaru had a vast deal more time than InuYasha's human friends, but it was still nice. And when they were like this, Sesshoumaru completely surrounded him. His scent was everywhere, filling InuYasha's sense, his aura enveloped them securely, and there was nothing but the slow, steady beat of his heart to fill InuYasha's ears. He love that more than anything. Something about sitting with him and being able to just hear his heartbeat was soothing, relaxing. Maybe it was because he'd never gotten the chance to experience that, before. This was something he could associate only with his new relationship with Sesshoumaru.
"What are you thinking?" Sesshoumaru's melodious voice edged into his thoughts. InuYasha glanced at him.
"What makes you think I'm thinking about anything in particular?"
"You've got a very peaceful smile on your face…you look happy. And I can always tell. When you think hard about something your breathing slows, and you get a certain faraway look. To usually…when you're thinking hard, you're not smiling."
"I was just thinking about how nice it is…being like this." Sesshoumaru hummed his agreement, his eyes fluttering shut. InuYasha rolled onto his side and then shifted so his head was resting on Sesshoumaru's chest. He felt the demon lord's long, slender, aristocratic fingers thread through his hair, combing through a few times before reaching up to stroke his ears. The furry, little appendages leaned into Sesshoumaru's touch of their own accord, relishing the feel of the gentle affection. In comparison to how Kagome and her family tugged on them when they first discovered them, Sesshoumaru's petting was like heaven. They were really quite sensitive, and even if Kagome and her family were kind and well-intentioned, it still hurt when they were too rough. Sesshoumaru nuzzled his ear, chuckling breathily. "What?"
"Nothing, just when I do that, you give this happy, little sigh. It's adorable." InuYasha flushed, frowning.
"I'm not adorable! I'm too old for that." Sesshoumaru chuckled
"You're little more than a pup, InuYasha," he murmured. "You're very mature for your age…in some ways, but you are still not mature."
"Hmph."
"I wasn't insulting you, InuYasha. On the contrary, it was a good thing." This seemed to abate InuYasha for the moment and they let the conversation fade away, again. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile at the top of InuYasha. "Sleep. I'll keep watch tonight. You look tired." InuYasha nuzzled his chest, and the older demon began to hum softly. It was a song he used to listen to a servant sing her own children. Of course, no one had sung songs to him when he was a child – he would have only scoffed and pushed them away if they had. Still, he remembered it clearly, perhaps because some small part of him longed to be held and sung to the way that woman had done for her children. InuYasha began to hum along softly.
"Never would've thought you knew this song, Aniki," he murmured sleepily.
"How do you know it?"
"Mom used to sing it to me when I got upset."
"I used to hear a serving woman sing it to her children." InuYasha looked up at him, eyes wide and suspiciously bright. "What?"
"You sounded so…lonely…right then."
"Nonsense, why would I be lonely when I have you with me?"
"I know that, but I mean…weren't you lonely then? I mean…did no one hold you and rock you when you were upset. Was no one there to tuck you into bed and kiss your head?"
"InuYasha, I was raised to be a demon prince. It was hardly fitting to go spoiling me like that. Besides, my parents were both very busy."
"Sessh…I know a bit about being alone. It's okay to admit you were lonely."
"I didn't think much about it, then, and it's not worth it to think about it, now. Right? It's in the past. I might as well move on."
"How can you just…move on like that? I mean, doesn't it hurt?" Sesshoumaru sighed.
"You forget, it's been much, much longer for me. Besides, there was wisdom in how I was raised – and it's not like my case was uncommon. Most nobility are raised the same." InuYasha put his head back down. It was just like Sesshoumaru to be able to cast away whatever part of him he didn't like, whatever bitterness he felt. After all, Sesshoumaru was his perfect, older-brother. That had never been in question. He wished it were as easy for him as his brother made it out to be. Well, I got over my past with him pretty fast, InuYasha reasoned. But look what it took. It took him almost dying…it took him letting something like that happen to him, before I could realize that I still cared for him – that I still wanted his approval. He exhaled deeply. Maybe he could just erase the hurt of his past. He smiled into Sesshoumaru's chest. Maybe…
()*()*()
Kagome glared at Sesshoumaru's back. Even if they were working together, she didn't have to like him, right? And because of him, they'd been walking for hours upon hours with no breaks, and she didn't really have the courage to ask to take a rest. And Sesshoumaru showed no signs of stopping. The had had been unnaturally warm for low close to autumn it was getting, but he seemed completely unaffected by the sweltering heat. Does he have to be so perfect all the time?! She complained inwardly. And why is InuYasha fine with all of this? Since when did he just let Sesshoumaru do anything. Especially just take over control of the group like this! It's ridiculous! We were doing just fine without him! She folded her arms crossly.
"Sesshoumaru!" she plucked up the courage. He ignored her. "Se-!"
"Lord Sesshoumaru," Sango hissed, sending a nervous glance up at the stoic demon lord. "Please don't make him angry, Kagome. He may be helping us, but that doesn't mean he likes us and won't try something, if you piss him off." Kagome frowned. Usually Sango wasn't nearly so skittish. Just because it's Lord Sesshoumaru, we've all got to bow and scrape, Kagome thought irritably.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," she tried again. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned, fixing her with a piercing stare.
"Yes?"
"Can we take a break? My feet are killing me!"
"No, we cannot take a break, yet. A tribe of bandits travel this area, and I'd rather not get in a fight, at this moment, so let's keep going, for now." Kagome frowned but fell silent. She couldn't argue with that logic. After all, now was a bad time to risk a fight – even if it would've been an easy one. InuYasha fell into step beside her.
"Want a piggy-back ride?" he offered, taking pity on her. After all, it wasn't her fault she had grown up in a world where people simply didn't walk as much. And she hadn't argued, so he felt like he should reward that sort of behavior.
"Thanks, InuYasha," she chirped as he bent so she could climb up onto his back. "How can we be sure Sesshoumaru won't turn on us?" she asked, hoping to sound curious instead of hostile. In truth, it was less about her hate for Sesshoumaru – though that had a good deal to do with it – and more about her worry about her group's safety that she opposed this idea so much. She didn't get how they could all just go along with it, after Sesshoumaru had tried to kill InuYasha so many times. She still could hardly believe that InuYasha had come out and admitted Sesshoumaru could kill him – would have already done it – if he wanted him dead, and that Sesshoumaru didn't argue and say that he did want him dead and make up some excuse about why now was not the opportune time to do it. She wasn't sure that Sesshoumaru could really kill InuYasha – after all, he had said he wanted to more than a few times, and he fought InuYasha given every possible opportunity…until the previous night – but he still hadn't done it yet. And why would Sesshoumaru say he wanted to kill InuYasha if he really didn't? It made no sense. And why the sudden change of heart?
"He won't, Kagome. You're just going to have to trust me on this."
"And what did you mean last night when you said that we owe him?"
"He's done more for us than you know. That's all." Kagome made a face.
"Like what?" Silence. "InuYasha?"
"I can't say."
"Why not?"
"I just can't." Kagome sighed, resting her chin on top of InuYasha's head. What's up with this? Since when does Sesshoumaru take precedence over me? What could he possibly have done that's such a big deal? That jerk wouldn't do anything selfless, really. I mean, all he cares about is his own standing and power! He's proven that on multiple occasions!
"I don't know, InuYasha. He could just be playing us, somehow. I mean, we could all die in this fight and he wouldn't even care."
"Kagome…please just trust me on this. Besides, his reasoning is sound."
"That guy could make anything sound rational. You know that, InuYasha. Seriously, he could probably make jumping up and down on your hands, waving your legs in the air, shouting 'I'm an idiot' at the top of your lungs sound rational. That doesn't mean we should do it."
"At the very least, he hates Naraku as much as we do, Kagome."
"Yeah, but he might figure to kill two birds with one stone and let Naraku finish us off before killing Naraku, too."
"He wouldn't bother with such a dangerous plan."
"So what if he just plans to finish us off after we help him kill Naraku?"
"One, he won't, and two, if he does, we'll deal with it then." Kagome sighed, again, rolling her eyes. She still didn't like this plan. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stopped walking.
"We can rest here," he announced. InuYasha set Kagome down and stretched while Miroku and Sango sat down in the grass. "We'll stop the night here," Sesshoumaru decided.
"What? But it's only a little past noon!" Miroku protested. Sesshoumaru turned on him, a smirk on his face.
"Do you worry we're wasting time? You forgot that you all still need to train. Rest while InuYasha and I hunt but then I expect you all to be ready for training." Miroku blinked but then nodded. He wouldn't deny that a little practice would do them all some good. Sesshoumaru turned to InuYasha. "There's a herd of deer this way," he informed the boy, pointing eastward. InuYasha's ears swiveled and he nodded.
"Sounds good." Sesshoumaru's Youkai began to swirl around him and then, the next moment, he had transformed into a giant, white dog. Snarling, he took off, InuYasha in hot pursuit. Kagome frowned.
"I'm still worried about them being alone together," she admitted. Sango sighed and nodded, staring after them.
"Me too, really, but…well, I guess right now, we just have to trust InuYasha's judgment," she replied.
"But I mean, this is…really weird and sudden. I mean…what happened?"
"Sesshoumaru just…came yesterday and said he wanted to help us, and…well, InuYasha seemed…not to want to kill him. I don't know. Maybe something happened between them?"
"When?"
"I don't know." Sango shrugged. "But clearly something happened. I mean, really – the two of them sort of…get along."
"So I'm not the only one who thinks they're acting weird?" Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were all aware of how weird it was, too. "I mean, I guess…not only InuYasha, but when you think about it, Sesshoumaru too. He's still a jerk, sure, but I mean…he did stop, and he's hunting for us and whatever."
"Indeed," Miroku agreed. "But what is there to say or do about it?" They fell silent as the brothers returned, Sesshoumaru carrying a deer over his shoulders. He set it down and Sango immediately got to gutting and cleaning it for cooking.
"So who's first?" Sesshoumaru asked. Miroku stood. Let's just get this over with, he thought, hefting his staff. They went to stand a bit away. Sesshoumaru took out Tenseiga, twirling it expertly. It took Miroku a moment to realize why he'd chosen Tenseia, and then it hit him – he was attempting to put their minds at ease by using a sword that could not injure any living being. How…unexpected, he thought. Before he could ponder it more deeply, however, the demon lord was attacking. Miroku was forced on the defensive. It was all he could do to keep dodging and blocking. Suddenly, the InuYoukai stopped. "Freeze." Miroku froze. Sesshoumaru's hand came up and adjusted the angle of his elbow. Then, he knelt and adjusted the monk's feet. "This provides a stronger block, not to mention it makes it easier to twist into an attack with the top of the staff while continuing the block with the back. Using a staff holds its main strength in being able to block and strike with it at the same time. Not to mention, if you can keep a little distance, you suddenly have more reach than I do." Sesshoumaru backed up. "Again." This time, it was Miroku who attacked, and Sesshoumaru allowed him for a while.
Back and forth they went for nearly an hour until Miroku thought he was about to collapse. And then, suddenly, Sesshoumaru called a halt, saying that Miroku had done enough for the day. Tired and sore, Miroku headed back to the campfire – over which the deer was cooking – and sat down, groaning. Sesshoumaru beckoned to Kagome.
"We're going to work on your marksmanship," he declared. She frowned and walked up to him, snatching up her bow and quiver of arrows.
"My marksmanship is fine."
"It's pathetic, and we don't have time to improve it the real way."
"So…what are we going to do."
"I'm going to teach you to use a technique demon archers use…adapted hopefully to your spiritual energy." She stared at him.
"What technique?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.
"It's using the Youkai – or in this case the spiritual energy – to guide the arrow."
"…I don't get it." Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to groan.
"Okay, when you fire an arrow, you attach spiritual energy to it, right?"
"Right!"
"Well, you own that spiritual energy – you control it, it's part of you. Use it…to direct the arrow." She frowned.
"I think I get it…maybe. But I've always just done what feels right. I don't…understand." Miroku stood, stretching.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, perhaps I can be of assistance?" Sesshoumaru jumped at the chance to interact with Kagome as little as possible and quickly stepped out of the way for Miroku to come take his place instructing Kagome. Before long, he had her nodding in understanding and firing arrows with some – albeit limited – success. After a while of that, they all returned and ate the dinner Sango had cooked before the demon-slayer went to have her lesson with Sesshoumaru.
The very first thing Sesshoumaru did was trip her and place his sword against the back of her neck, holding back none of his speed or skill. She jumped to her feet, scowling at him, but he held her gaze evenly.
"You may be a skilled warrior, demon-slayer, but you would do to remember that there are demons that you will not be able to defeat. I see the way you fight. You fight expecting to win. Rather, you should fight as if you will be defeated and therefore have nothing to lose and nothing to gain."
"Is that how you fight?" she challenged.
"Yes," came his surprisingly soft reply. "Do you think it is arrogance that drives me to do more than what is necessary to destroy my opponents? Arrogance that pushes me attack quickly and end the fight? Arrogance that urges me to hold nothing back? No, Sango, what you see there…is my humility." Sango's expression changed to one of pure shock. Then, he eyes narrowed.
"Well, then, Sensei. Let's try this again." Sesshoumaru lifted a brow and assumed a fighting stance. She charged at him…over…and over…and over again. Each time he evaded her, not even lifting his sword.
"Your form isn't bad," he commented as he sidestepped a swing of the boomerang. "Your training has been decent. But you're a hair slow." She skidded back as he swung his sword at her ankles, and in the same motion she flung her boomerang at him. He caught it. "Impressive." He flung it back at her and she caught it, stumbling back a few steps. "But you rely on your eyesight too much. Byakkuya constructs illusions. Start with your eyes shut, now." Sango closed her eyes, frowning. She had done this as a child, but it had been a long time since she'd practiced fighting blind, and Sesshoumaru was almost silent, his aura encompassing her from all sides, so she couldn't even pinpoint him that way. He darted around her in circles, undetectable until he'd tap her with the tip of Tenseiga. It was infuriating.
"This is ridiculous!" she snapped.
"Sense my aura, it is most powerful at my core."
"Your aura is everywhere!"
"Sense where it is most powerful." She screamed her frustration and whipped her boomerang around in a circle around her. "That's not a bad tactic, either, but you'll get worn out pretty quickly, that way." She swung it around, again, and he caught it. "Calm down, if you cannot make your emotions play to your advantage, you must keep them tucked away."
"How can I with you taunting me like that?!"
"Discipline. Your opponent will prey on any weakness he can find." She took a deep breath, forcibly relaxing.
"It would be easier if you weren't so smug."
"I'm not. Look." She opened her eyes to see a very serious Sesshoumaru in front of her. "Of all ningen, I admire demon-slayers the most, and you, Sango, are a very impressive demon-slayer. But because I am teaching you, it is my duty to point out your weaknesses where I see them." She sighed. "You've had enough for today. Go meditate an hour before going to sleep. InuYasha, are you ready?" The half-demon came forward, drawing his sword.
"You bet, Sessh."
"Don't look so eager; I am teaching you technique. We won't be fighting. You will be running drills for me."
"I figured as much, but if this is going to help us gut that bastard Naraku, I'm more than happy to do what it takes." Sesshoumaru nodded and the two of them began to run drills. Sesshoumaru would perform the drill once, and then InuYasha would repeat it, his older brother correcting him all the way through. And he would repeat it again…and again…and again until at last he got each drill muscle-memorized to perfection. By the end, InuYasha's arms and legs felt like they were made of lead and he thought he'd never be able to lift his sword, again.
"Get some sleep, InuYasha. I'll stay watch."
"Again?"
"It's fine." InuYasha nodded and clambered up into a tree to sleep. Sesshoumaru scanned the surrounding area and then his newest companions. What a rag-tag bunch. Do they really stand a chance against Naraku? When InuYasha and I talked about this idea, he was sure they could…I guess I've no choice but to believe him. I just hope this works…
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Five Days