Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Modern Reality	By : Tassanaburrfoot Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Shichi'nintai (The Band of Seven) > Shichi'nintai (The Band of Seven) Views: 4216 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Inuyasha. I will not recieve any compensation for this.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author's Note: So.... yeah. I know I have been absent. I am looking to change that. I hate leaving stories unfinished, especially when I know people are getting into them. So, my plan is to finish this story. I already have Chapter 4 ready to go. I am looking for, and hoping to find, a beta, so if you're interested, please let me know. I am about halfway through chapter 5, so keep an eye out for it. If you're new to this story, please read Tainted as this story is a sequel to that one. Otherwise, enjoy! ^_^

Bankotsu leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms as he watched his wife bed down their son. It was a peaceful moment and he wondered how many of these moments mother and child shared. He watched as she tucked the boy in and whispered sweet words.

As she stood up and made her way to him Bankotsu straightened up, dropping his hands to his side. As she approached him he lifted a hand to gently sweep some hair out of her face. “You are such a kind and thoughtful mother, Kagome,” he said softly.

She blushed a little and bowed her head. “My grandfather used to accuse me of being too kind,” she told him. “To be honest, Banryu probably gets away with more things than he should.”

She gently closed the door to the boy’s bedroom and the couple made their way to the living room. “Well, today was rather eventful, don’t you think?” he asked as he led her to the couch. “What with the clothes shopping and all.”

“That reminds me,” she said as she joined him. “We have to get you an ID so you can start looking for a job. We owe Shippo money for the clothes he bought today.”

“Finding him a job isn’t going to be easy,” Shiori said as she joined them. She took a seat in one of the armchairs. “He doesn’t really have a diploma or any sort of education.”

Kagome frowned. “Yes, but that didn’t stop Inuyasha from finding work as long as he has an ID…”

“Where would you find him a job at? I doubt he would do well at a hardware store…”

“Well, Bankotsu isn’t as volatile as Inuyasha,” the miko pointed out. “He has a nice personality when he wants to and he’s cute enough. He might be able to get a job as a server or something in sales.”

“Hey! Who are you calling volatile?” Inuyasha demanded.

Bankotsu leaned back and folded his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t know anything about being a server. That’s a woman’s job.”

The miko gave him a patient look. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Bankotsu,” she told him. “This is the modern age. There are many men who work in the serving industry. There’s even cooks. Honestly there isn’t much around that you could do. You don’t really have any skills.”

“I have skills,” he argued.

Kagome pinched her lips. “Mercenaries don’t exist anymore. In this day and age if you kill someone, you go to jail.”

His eyes narrowed. “When I was a boy, my father used to let me help him with tracking the family finances. On top of that, I was often helping the servants with maintaining the manor and even helped build a few homes,” he admitted. “Father had always said that a man needed to learn how to care for his family and doing these things were part of a man’s job.”

“I thought you hated your father?” Kagome questioned.

He shrugged. “Just because you hate someone doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two from them,” the mercenary commented. “Now that I have a wife and son it seems learning those things were pretty important.”

“I can’t see you being happy as a financial advisor,” Shiori mused. “But something in construction might work.”

“He needs a license for that,” Kagome commented.

“Yeah, if he wants to be a foreman,” Shiori reasoned. “But he could start off as just a regular worker and have schooling to move up the ladder.” She looked at the inu hanyoi. “Why didn’t you ever go into construction, Inuyasha? It pays more than working at the hardware store.”

“I don’t have any formal education,” he answered as he sat in the other armchair. “There weren’t any schools in the feudal era, not like the ones they have now.” He turned to the human girl. “Which is why he won’t be able to get a job in construction.”

Biting her bottom lip, Kagome thought for a moment. “Koga has a well-paying job, as does Shippo. And Shiori works at the hospital. There must be a way for both of you to get better jobs.”

“There is,” Shiori stated. “There’s a registry you have to go through and paperwork that needs to be filled out. They can even set your marriage, too. Make it legal in the eyes of Japanese law.”

A smirk graced Bankotsu’s lips as he glanced at Inuyasha. “You don’t say,” he said.

The bat hanyou shrugged. “Well, technically you are married, right? So, it won’t be difficult at all to turn your marriage from a feudal era one to a modern day one. Tomorrow I can bring all three of you to the Youkai Registry and we can fix all your paperwork. You’ll get an ID as well as a marriage certificate and we can even see about getting you a GED to help. They may even be able to evaluate you to see what sort of job you’d be suited for and help you procure said job.”

“But Bankotsu isn’t a demon,” Inuyasha argued.

Shiori nodded. “Yes, but he was brought back from the dead and given a second chance at life.”

“Third,” the canine stated. “He had a second shot and he blew it by coming after us and kidnapping Kagome.”

“I only did what I was told,” Bankotsu said angrily. “I’m a mercenary through and through. I was told to go after you and, in return, I would be granted life.”

“You were lied to.”

“I know that now,” the mercenary growled. “I knew even then that we would be deceived. I had planned to follow Naraku’s orders and then we would leave before he had a chance to get the shards from us. Plans changed when you began killing my comrades.”

“But Inuyasha didn’t kill your comrades,” Kagome said. “Mukotsu and Suikotsu were both killed by Sesshomaru and Koga had killed Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu.”

The mercenary and two hanyous looked at her. Her brows lifted. “Didn’t you know, Bankotsu?” she asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” he commented as he closed his eyes. “Inuyasha was the leader, therefore the responsibility falls on him.”

Kagome bit her lower lip. “Sesshomaru was never led by Inuyasha. In fact, they hate each other, always have. And Koga is the leader of the wolf demon tribe, even back then. Neither had ever taken orders from Inuyasha and would have been insulted if he had tried,” she explained.

“Is this really still an issue?” Shiori asked. “Naraku’s been dead for a little over 500 years now, and you’ve been dead for longer, Bankotsu. Killed by your own greed if what Inuyasha told me last night was true.”

His eyes snapped open and narrowed as he glared at her. “I may have been dead longer, but time doesn’t work that way for the dead. Everything that happened seems like it only happened yesterday, so forgive me if I come off as bitter,” he growled.

“It’s understandable,” Kagome reasoned. “There’s a lot you must get used to and learn to accept. Things weren’t easy for Inuyasha either when he first came here.”

Bankotsu scoffed. “I’m not worried. You know I’ll be able to adjust much better than that half-breed.”

“I never said that you wouldn’t, just that it will take time,” the miko stated, looking at the mercenary. “Tomorrow will be the start of a new life for you, Bankotsu. We’ll take you to the registry and get your ID card and see if they can evaluate you and help you find a job.”

“Are you sure they will even help?” Inuyasha asked. “He’s a human, not a demon.”

“He’s also over 500 years old,” Shiori said. “Though he doesn’t really look a day over 20 at the most, we could probably convince them to set his age to mid-twenties.”

Bankotsu’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not over 500,” he said. “I haven’t been alive for 500 years. When I died the first time I was seventeen. When Naraku resurrected me, I was still 17 physically, even if time had passed. And I reckon that’s still true now, though I’ve been dead for much longer.”

“One thing does baffle me,” Shiori questioned. “You were resurrected when you kidnapped Kagome, which means you were pretty much a walking corpse. How did you impregnate her?”

A single eyebrow lifted at that question. “I didn’t think I would have to explain how a man and a woman go through the process of having a child, but if you need to know…”

Shiori quickly raised her hands in surrender. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. I know how it’s done physically,” she interrupted his explanation. “What I meant was, being a corpse, you shouldn’t have been able to produce live sperm.”

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. “How am I supposed to know that? I didn’t even believe she was pregnant at first, because you’re right. I didn’t think anything would come from us having sex, though we did it often enough.”

Kagome blushed. “You don’t have to say it like that,” she scolded.

“But it’s the truth. We had sex and a lot of it,” he said, looking at her. “And it was good.”

“You could at least say we ‘made love’ or ‘did it’! You don’t have to be so vulgar, Bankotsu,” she snapped.

Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the miko and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her he buried his face in her hair before rubbing his nose against her ear. “You are my wife, Kagome,” he whispered. “If I wish it, I will say whatever I want about our sex life to whomever I want. Besides, do you not see the look on your little boy toy’s face right now? He is seething and there is nothing he can do about it.” She didn’t struggle in his arms as he lifted his head. He looked directly at the dog hanyou and growled, “It must burn you up inside, huh, half-breed? To know that Kagome is my woman and she will never be yours. We had sex last night, as I’m sure you could smell this morning, and I plan on fucking her tonight, too. If we’re lucky, we might even make Banryu a brother or sister.” He pressed his lips to Kagome’s ear again and purred, “Wouldn’t you like that, my little miko? To give Banryu a sibling that he can play with?”

“You’re such a lecher, Bankotsu,” she grunted as she tried to pull out of his grasp.

“Uh-uh, Kagome,” he reprimanded. “You know better than to pull away from me.” He released her, pushing her roughly away from him. “It seems we must work on this behavior. We’ve been apart for too long.”

“I won’t let you hurt her, Bankotsu!” Inuyasha snarled as he stood up. “You keep your filthy hands off of Kagome!”

Bankotsu just glared at the hanyou. “She’s my wife,” he repeated calmly. “I will put my hands anywhere on her body that I want to. However, you won’t. As her husband, I forbid you to touch her, and vice versa. Remember, I’m not from this era, so I don’t know what customs are and are not allowed. Back in the feudal era, however, a man did not touch another man’s property, especially his wife. You’ll do well to remember that.”

“A woman is not property,” Inuyasha argued. “And Kagome belongs to no one.”

“I beg to differ. She belongs to me. She gave birth to my son and she sleeps in my bed. In fact, I think it’s about time for us to head to bed now. It’s late and, if what the women say is true, we have a big day tomorrow,” he said as he stood up. He glanced at the miko. “Come, Kagome.”

She squared her jaw and glared at him. “I’m not a dog,” she stated as she folded her arms.

“Woman!” he barked. “You will obey me and you will not dishonor this family. Now, let’s go!”

“I’m also not one of your men that you can just order around,” she said stubbornly.

His eyes narrowed in anger. “One more chance,” he growled. He pointed to the hall that led to their room. “Now!”

“Don’t talk to her that way!” Inuyasha shouted as he rushed between them and pushed Bankotsu out of the way.

“Mind your own business, half-breed!” the mercenary spat as he threw a fist at the hanyou.

Kagome and Shiori both jumped up. “Guys! Don’t start fighting!” the miko shouted, though her words fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha returned Bankotsu’s punch with one of his own.

“This is my home!” Inuyasha growled. “Kagome and I bought it together so that it would be easier for me to help raise Banryu. Whatever happens to her in this house is my business. And I’m not going to let a stinking corpse like you hurt her!”

Bankotsu punched him in the gut. “That will be changing soon,” he grunted as Inuyasha punched him back. “She doesn’t need you anymore. She’s my wife, my woman, and I will be the one taking care of her and my son. I won’t hurt either of them. I never harmed Kagome when she was my captive and I have no intention of doing so now, but I will harm you if you interfere with my family.”

“Bankotsu,” Kagome said as she watched the men fight, “Inuyasha! Please stop fighting!”

“Mommy,” came a small voice from the hallway. Kagome turned and saw Banryu standing there with the sword his father had bought for him.

The miko rushed to her son and picked him up, hugging him close to her. “You should be in bed,” she whispered.

“Daddy and Uncle Inu are fighting,” he answered softly. “Why are they fighting?”

She began walking back to his room. “They are dealing with adult things,” she explained to him as she pushed open his bedroom door with her foot. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with it. You should be in bed, sleeping.”

“But Uncle Inu and Daddy are…”

“Listen to your mother,” Bankotsu said from the door as she lay the child back in his bed.

Kagome looked up and saw the mercenary leaning against the doorframe, much like he had been earlier that night. “Good. You two stopped fighting,” she breathed in relief.

He frowned. “It’s not over,” he told her. “You and I have much to talk about, but we’ll do so in our bedroom and not in front of the kid.”

She pinched her lips and gave him a nod in understanding before glancing back at her son. “Try to get some sleep,” she implored. “In the morning, I’ll make you some pancakes, okay? But only if you sleep tonight.”

Banryu’s eyes widened in excitement at the mention of pancakes. “Ok, Mommy,” he said as he hugged the plastic sword and shut his eyes tightly.

She kissed his forehead and tucked him into bed. “Good night, sweetheart,” she cooed. “Mommy loves you.”

“’Night, Mommy!” he said, though his eyes remained squeezed shut tight.

When Kagome walked up to the door Bankotsu pushed himself off the frame and slipped a hand around her waist. “Let’s go to our bedroom,” he whispered.

She nodded and quietly allowed him to lead her. The moment the door was shut his hand tightened around her waist and he forced her against the wall, slipping a hand to the back of her head and fisting her hair as he kissed her harshly on the lips. “You will never question my authority again,” he snarled as he released her and threw her towards the bed. “I tell you to do something and you do it. You don’t just sit there and arrogantly disobey me.”

He approached her and she could see the fire in his eyes and the way his brow was scrunched. He was angry. She gasped as he pushed her onto the bed. “This isn’t feudal Japan,” she insisted. “You can’t just…”

“I don’t give a damn what year it is,” he spat. “You are my wife and you will obey me. Even when we disagree, you will not blatantly defy me, especially in front of others. Do you not see how embarrassing that is? How degrading? That half-breed and I never would have fought if you had simply obeyed me. It was your fault we did. You were the one who caused the scene.”

“I was angry,” she told him. “Inuyasha has done nothing but help me ever since he came to this era. He’s helped me with Banryu and even managed to get a job and help me find a place of my own. But you have done nothing but mock him since you’ve come here.”

“I was just resurrected!” he snarled. “You were the one who said I needed this ID to do anything. Well, when I get it, I will find a job and we will leave this place. I should be the one taking care of you, not him.”

“You could at least be grateful that he has,” she said. “Maybe even thank him.”

“I’ll thank him,” he snapped. “When your stomach is swollen with my second child and we have a home of our own, I will thank him.”

She frowned as he crawled onto the bed to join her. “We have a home,” she commented.
He shook his head. “No, Kagome. This place belongs to that half-breed. You and I need a place we can call ours. One that belongs to us,” he told her. “Where I’m not having to worry about some mutt forcing himself in between us every time we have a disagreement. Where we can actually disagree without someone interrupting us. Where we can relax and even have sex wherever we want. You don’t know how badly I want to pick you up and put you on that counter in the kitchen and fuck you, but I can’t do that here.”

“I doubt we could do that in our own home, either,” she mused. “If Banryu or our other child, if I do become pregnant, were to walk in on us…”

“Then they will get a lesson in how babies are made,” he finished as he kissed her lips. “How do you think I learned? My parents used to make it a habit of having sex in front of my brother and me all the time. They even let us join them once or twice. It’s all part of a son’s proper upbringing from what we were told.”

She made a face. “That’s disgusting,” she spat. “There are more appropriate ways for a child to learn about sex these days. They don’t need to watch us. And I certainly don’t want them to join us. I’m not a pedophile, nor do I condone the idea of incest.”

His lips had traveled down her neck, but he looked up when she mentioned incest. “So, that’s what they call it,” he observed. “Well, it’s good that you don’t like the idea of them joining us because I don’t like sharing, so you have nothing to worry about.” He dipped his head and returned to sucking and kissing on her neck as one of his hands trailed down to her waistband and slipped under it.

She moaned as he began playing with her clit. “I’m glad,” she whispered, blushing.

He sighed. “I don’t like being angry with you, Kagome,” he told her as he pulled on her pants to give himself more room to play with her. “As my wife, you should be glad and happy. You should want to make me happy, to do whatever you can to please me. I’ll do it for you. Tomorrow I will get my ID and I will find a job. Then I will do everything I can to make you happy. All I want is the same in return. Obey my commands, be a good wife, and don’t question my authority. Let me lead you.”

She nodded as she arched her back. “Please…” she hissed as his finger pressed against her entrance.

“So wet for me, my little miko,” he purred, “and I’ve barely touched you. You must have really missed me.”

Her cheeks reddened as she looked at him. “Don’t tease me,” she whimpered. “Don’t be so cruel.”

He rolled off of her and propped himself up on his elbow. “I don’t know, Kagome,” he commented. “You seemed rather taken with that wolf at that park the other night. Tell me: has he had the chance to enjoy you? Maybe you should spend some time with him. Lord knows he likes you, may even love you.”

“You shouldn’t say such things.”

“Or maybe that half-breed. You seem to defend him enough,” he said, then his eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “I’ve been dead long enough. Tell me, Kagome, have you moved on with one of them?”

She sent her own glare back at him as she sat up. “Inuyasha is dating Shiori. They have been for over a year now. As for Koga, we’re friends. That’s all.”

“But has it always been that way?” he asked. The mercenary snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait. I remember. You were so bent on that half-breed that you wouldn’t give the wolf a second glance, right? So, I wouldn’t doubt it if you said you never dated him. But you always wanted to be with Inuyasha. I remember days and nights of seeing you on that balcony, longingly waiting for him to come and save you. And he never did. Did you finally get the chance to date him? You’ve already admitted that he and that bat only recently started dating and he’s been here since Banryu was born. So, did you try?”

She looked at him dubiously. “I…”

“I won’t be mad,” he assured her, cutting her off. “Like I said, I was dead. Neither of us had any idea that I would be resurrected a third time. So, you can be honest with me. In fact, I want you to be honest. We’re married and honesty is the key to a good relationship.”

She stared at a spot on the bed and sighed. “Inuyasha and I never dated,” she admitted. “There were times where I thought he was going to ask me, but…” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and glanced at him. “Koga and I did date for a little while, but that ended before it really began. I just… I couldn’t get my mind straight to focus on him. I have a child and there’s work, not to mention helping my mother with the shrine whenever I get the chance, I just… don’t have the time.”

His eyes narrowed. “You mean you never made the time,” he corrected.

She pressed her lips together. “I just don’t feel the same way for Koga that he does for me. I tried, but… Even in the Feudal Era our feelings for one another were different.”

“I really did ruin you for all other men, didn’t I?” Bankotsu asked as he lay on his back. He smirked. “Well, you don’t have anything to worry about anymore,” he told her as he sat up and turned on top of her again. “I’m home now.”

He helped her pull off her pants and panties before releasing his cock and burying himself in her heat. They both groaned at the feel of the union.

(II)(II)

The following morning found Kagome happily wrapped up in Bankotsu’s arms. She blinked her eyes opened and smiled at the feel and warmth of his strong, muscular arms. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she feared that it was all a dream. That she would wake up for real and learn that he was, in fact, still dead. But he didn’t feel nearly as cold as he had when he had first abducted her.

No. He was real and he was alive. Moaning in happiness, she buried herself against him even more, basking in the feel of his life.

“Mommy! Mommy!” her young son shouted as he threw the door open and vaulted into the bedroom.

Before Kagome could protest, Banryu leapt upon the bed and right between the couple. Bankotsu’s arms shot up, catching the child before he could do any serious damage to them or himself. The little boy giggled until he saw the look on his father’s face. Bankotsu threw the child onto the bed between the couple and glared down at him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the mercenary demanded angrily.

He was used to people yelling at him, but there was something different about this. Banryu glanced at his mother, his eyes watering as he looked for her guidance. She gave him a sympathetic look, but he could tell that she wasn’t going to say anything. He turned back to his father. “I just… It’s time to get up, Daddy…”

“I don’t ever want to see you barge into our room like that again. Do you understand me? Just because it’s morning does not mean we have to get up right away and you won’t interrupt us,” Bankotsu reprimanded. “You are a warrior and, as such, you must be more disciplined than that.”

“Bankotsu, he’s just a boy,” Kagome said as she wrapped the blanket around herself. “And he’s right to wake us. It’s nearly 6 o’clock and we have to make sure he gets to school on time. Not to mention, we have a lot of things to do today.” She looked at the child. “Go take a shower and get ready for school, Banryu. Your father and I will get up and I’ll make you some breakfast.”

As the boy hopped off the bed and turned to leave, Bankotsu snapped, “Stop!” The mercenary’s eyes narrowed at Kagome. “You’ve undermined me again, wench. I did not dismiss him and I am not finished talking to him.”

Kagome sighed. “He doesn’t understand…”

“Then I will make him understand!” he snarled. “Banryu, get over here!”

Clearly terrified, the child bowed his head and moved towards the bed. Bankotsu glared at him. “Stand up straight,” he barked. “And don’t bow your head. You’re not a girl.”

Bankotsu threw off the covers and stood in front of his son as Banryu squared his shoulders and looked up at his father. That was when Kagome realized he was still naked. She gasped and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when he shot her a look.

“Never barge into a room,” he told his son as he turned his attention to the boy. Clasping his hands behind his back, Bankotsu began pacing in front of Banryu. “If I had been armed, you would have been dead. Do you understand that? A warrior must be always vigilant, always respectful, especially towards those you know are more powerful than you. Now, is there anything you wish to say?”

Banryu swallowed and gave a small nod. “I-I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said in a small voice.

Bankotsu’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “Consider yourself lucky, my son. It is not my mission in life to be like my own father. If I had done what you did, I would have been skinned alive,” he told the boy. “Now, go do what your mother asked and meet us in the common room to eat.”

Kagome bit her bottom lip when Banryu’s face scrunched up in confusion. He glanced at Kagome and she gave him a soft smile. “He means the dining room,” she offered, answering the boy’s unasked question.

He gave a single nod and swiftly left the room. Bankotsu turned his attention back to his wife. “Do you know how demeaning it is when you ignore my orders and replace them with your own? How disrespectful?”

“Banryu is a child,” she replied. “He just turned seven years old. He knows nothing of life from the Feudal Era, except the few things Inuyasha has told him.”

“That does not give him an excuse to come into this room unannounced and act like a spoiled child!” he argued. “And it does not give you an excuse to dismiss him when I am in the middle of disciplining him. I am his father. I’m not that half-breed mutt that’s been a part of his life since his birth. He needs to learn to respect me and respect my authority, but he will do neither if you consistently disregard me.”

She sighed. “I wasn’t trying to disregard you, or even disrespect you,” she explained. “This isn’t the Feudal Era anymore. We’re not training warriors or going off into battle, especially not at seven years old.”

“When do you think I started training?” he asked. “Even if he never sees a battlefield, there are other types of battles he will face in life. He needs to learn to be strong and disciplined. He needs to build character and learn how to handle life’s hardships. He needs to learn respect, too.”

Kagome bit her lower lip. “In a lot of ways, you’re right.”

“In all the ways, I am right,” he revised. Approaching her, Bankotsu lay his hands on either side of her waist. “This is our family, miko. That is my son. I want him to be proud, strong, and confident. Just trust me. We may be in a different time period than what I grew up and lived in before, but I doubt the world has changed that much. I know what I’m doing.”

(III)(III)

After the round of pancakes, Kagome and Bankotsu brought their son to school and met up with Shiori and Inuyasha at a nearby café. “So, where is this place?” Kagome asked before taking a sip of her tea.

“If I remember right, it is in downtown Tokyo. I haven’t been there in ages, though,” Shiori said. “Once you’ve been registered and have a job and plan, they don’t really check up on you.”

The miko nodded. “Do they help demons in need as well?”

“Sure, they do, but only so much. Young orphans are sent to a special orphanage specifically for demon children, and there’s a shelter for those demons who haven’t a home yet. You can get a warm meal and a place to rest, but they only allow you to stay for so long. Many demon orphans are sent to live in foster homes if they aren’t adopted within a certain amount of time. And any demon who seeks shelter or refuge must actively be pursuing an education and/or career. Once a child reaches puberty, they, too, must find some sort of career,” the bat hanyou explained. “Inuyasha actually has an advantage because he doesn’t really need a license or education as he already has his GED. Of course, the I.F.A.D. can change his GED into an actual diploma which could help him find a better job.”

“I’m sorry. I.F.A.D.?” Kagome asked.

Shiori blushed and touched her lips to hide a giggle. “Yes. My apologies. The I.F.A.D., or International Federation for the Advancement of Demons, is the governmental body of demons here in Japan. They’re scattered throughout the world as well.”

“How exactly is this so-called federation for demons supposed to help me? I’m a human, not a demon,” Bankotsu pointed out as he leaned back in his chair. He had been watching the people around them, taking note of the different races and attires. Japan wasn’t the place he remembered.

The hanyou dipped her head. “You may be a human, but you’re a human from the past,” she reasoned. “At the very least, the council will be interested in you and may decide to help you out of sheer curiosity.”

“And if they don’t?”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Then we’ll find another way,” she told him. Purple eyes met cobalt as she stated, “I don’t see why they wouldn’t, though. You’re a mercenary from Feudal Japan who was resurrected and is married to a miko. Yours is a very unlikely union and just those few facts should be enough to spark some interest in you. That you were the leader of the Band of Seven… I’m sure there is a place for you among the demon military units or even within the human military branch. And if not there, then somewhere.”

Kagome pinched her lips. “Are we sure we want him placed somewhere where he can kill again?”

Bankotsu snorted. “You act like that’s never going to happen. What’s wrong, Kagome? Worried about getting your kimono dirty?” he huffed with a smirk. “I’m not too thrilled about joining someone’s army, though, but I live for bloodshed.”

“I don’t think Hachiman brought you back so you could kill again,” Kagome said with a slight moan.

He scoffed. “I don’t know why he brought me back. He never told me,” he said. “But I do know that he knew who I was. Who I am. So, there’s no telling. I have no doubt he’ll give me instructions when he’s ready.”

“Which reminds me,” Shiori said as she set her cup down. “I know this is a touchy subject for you, Bankotsu, but we are going to need a family name for you. During the Feudal Era, we could get away with not having one, but not anymore. You need a family name to get a license and even a job.”

He stared at her for a moment and Kagome feared he would argue with her. “Shimazu,” he finally replied, not taking his eyes off the hanyou.

Kagome’s eyes widened. “I know that name!” she gasped. “You’re actually related to them?”

Bankotsu glanced at the young miko and lifted an eyebrow. “Actually, probably not to the family you are thinking of,” he admitted. “But you three are hellbent on a family name, so why not? It’s not like anyone would be able to learn the truth. I lived 500 years ago. Any relation to any person alive today would be null and void. I couldn’t prove it anyway. However, back then, my father was the third son of the family and a warrior in his own right.”

“But the manor…”

“For the hundredth time, it didn’t belong to me,” he told her. “It had been given to my father by his brother when the man had grown bored of it and then my father had given it to my brother. It never belonged to me.”

“But your brother had abandoned it,” Kagome pointed out. “So, that made it, rightfully, yours.”

He shook his head. “I died before he had abandoned it. So, rightfully, it had belonged to his eldest son, not to me. Even if I had lived, the moment his wife started popping out babies, any claim I could have had on it was gone,” he explained. “It wasn’t mine and I would not have wanted it anyway.”

“You were the second son?” Shiori asked.

Bankotsu’s eyes shifted to hers again. “Second son of the third son,” he said, his eyes shooting to the dog hanyou who sat next to her. “Although, I did share both parents with my older brother, so there was no conflict in that regard.”

Inuyasha huffed. “I bet your parents were really proud of you when they learned you were a murderer for hire,” he grunted.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome warned, glaring at him.

Bankotsu pushed his chair back and stood. “I wouldn’t know. I was gone before they ever had a chance to learn that I was a mercenary,” he commented as he rolled his shoulders. “But it’s kind of moot point now, isn’t it? They’re dead and I’m alive. Now, where is this place at so we can get this done?” He glanced back at Shiori.

(IV)(IV)

The building they approached looked like any other office building in downtown Tokyo. It was a busy day and there were guards standing at the entrance. Straightening her stance, Shiori put her shoulders back and walked confidently up to the revolving doors. “Follow me and stay close,” she whispered out the corner of her mouth.

Kagome clasped onto Bankotsu’s arm as she looked at the two guards. “They’re demons,” she breathed, her eyes widening.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” the mercenary replied as they followed Shiori into the building. “I wouldn’t doubt it if every person who worked here was a demon.”

“Or half-demon,” the bat hanyou said as she led them to the front desk. “Or the human parent of a half-demon.”

Standing behind the desk was a highly-sophisticated woman wearing a pin-striped black suit and her black hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her yellow eyes stared at a computer screen as her fingers flew over the keyboard. “May I help you?” she asked.

Shiori nodded. “We would like to find the registry office, please?” she requested.

“Second floor, take a left, and it’s four doors down to the right. You can’t miss it,” the receptionist answered without looking up.

Shiori glanced at her companions before heading to the elevator. Inuyasha pressed the button to indicate “up” and they waited while Bankotsu glanced at their surroundings. It was a strange place to him, for it seemed to be rather empty. There was a sliding door on either side of the small hallway and another hallway perpendicular to the one they were in. The air smelled clean, for the most part, and there was some type of odd plant in a pot next to one of the doors. Glancing up, he saw a needle in glass moving downward. A loud bell sounded, and the door to their right opened.

“What sorcery is this?!” the mercenary snarled as he threw a protective arm around Kagome’s waist and proceeded to try to push her behind him.

The women giggled as Inuyasha growled. “It’s just an elevator,” Kagome explained. “It’s not sorcery at all. This is the quickest way to get from one floor to another without having to climb any stairs.”

“It’s how people travel in the modern era,” Shiori added as she stepped into the tiny room.

Kagome moved around the mercenary as Inuyasha followed the bat hanyou into the room. “It’ll be alright,” the miko assured Bankotsu. “I promise.”

His eyes narrowed, but he allowed her to pull him into the room. “This better not be a trap,” he warned as Shiori pushed the button that born the letter “2”.

The miko gave him a soft smile. “It’s not,” she said as the elevator began moving.

Bankotsu’s eyes narrowed as he looked around, but there really wasn’t anything to see. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the elevator stopped moving, the bell chimed again, and the door opened. The mercenary followed the others out of the elevator and took in his surroundings. What had been an empty hallway was now a bustling lobby area.

This confused the young man as Kagome urged him to follow the two hanyous down another hall. It didn’t take long for the small group to walk up to yet another door which Inuyasha opened and held open for them. To Bankotsu’s surprise, they were in a much larger room. One that seemed almost as busy as the one they had just left. There was another receptionist desk on the opposite end of the room and three females stood behind it. In the middle of the room there was a roped walk way that resembled a sort of snake with various demons lined up inside it.

“Oh, good,” Shiori commented with a smile. “It’s not as busy.”

“Not as busy?” Inuyasha demanded. “This is going to take forever.”

“Maybe I should call my mother to see if she would be willing to pick up Banryu if we’re not done in time,” Kagome mused aloud.

Shiori glanced at the miko. “That might be a good idea,” she suggested.

The miko nodded as she pulled out her cellphone. The group moved into the line as Bankotsu continued to take in his surroundings. Some of the demons, he noted, weren’t completely concealed and had tails or other obvious demon appendages. There was everything from different types of lizards, mammals, and even birds. No one physically fought with one another, though there were a few verbal disagreements that the mercenary could hear.

When it was finally their turn, Shiori did the talking, requesting registration papers for both Inuyasha and Bankotsu, though she didn’t mention their names. The female demon who was waiting on them, a panther demon from what Bankotsu could tell, looked at the two men carefully. She pointed a pen at Bankotsu. “He’s not a demon,” she stated. “He’s not even a half-demon.”

Shiori glanced at Bankotsu briefly before turning back to the panther. “Hai, but he was recently resurrected,” she explained.

Bankotsu’s attention turned to the panther demon and they eyed one another. “If he’s not a demon, then…”

“Please,” Kagome interrupted, drawing the demon’s attention, “you have to help us. He died back during the Feudal Era. There’s no record of him here and if we go to the Japanese government, they’ll want to put him in the psychiatric ward or worse.”

The demon raised an eyebrow and looked back at Bankotsu. “The tattoo on your forehead,” she commented. “How did you get it?”

“One of my old comrades was good with making tattoos and we each got one unique to who we were,” Bankotsu answered.

“Was it your attempt to mock demons?”

“No,” he said with a smirk. “It was our attempt to strike fear in the hearts of our enemies. Those who stood against us would see the marks and cower. We did not care if the enemy was human or demon.”

The other two receptionists turned their attentions to the human man. “The Feudal Era you say? And who are you?” the demon to the right asked. She was a petite raccoon dog demon and she stared at him anxiously.

“I’m Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven,” he announced, standing proud, with his hands by his sides.

Silence filled the air as there was a collective gasp. Then, seemingly all at once, whispers started circulating the room as demons questioned the truth of his words and fears the Band of Seven had returned to the living.

Bankotsu’s smirk widened as he glared at the raccoon dog maliciously. “You have nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “Of my brethren, I am the only one to have been resurrected.”

The raccoon dog glanced at the other three and gasped as her eyes landed on the dog hanyou. “You’re Inuyasha!” she whispered, touching her fingertips to her lips in surprise.

“Dramatic much?” Inuyasha growled. “If you know who we are then let’s move this along. We still have a lot to do today and you’re wasting our time.”

That snapped the women into movement as the panther grabbed the phone in front of her and dialed a number. “Hai. Of course,” she said hurriedly. “Taisho-sama will want to see you right away.”

Inuyasha’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Taisho-sama?” he asked as he could hear another voice answer the phone.

“This is the office of Taisho-sama, how may I help you?” a female voice came from the earpiece.

The panther nodded. “Hai, hai,” she said quickly. “There is someone here to see Taisho-sama. Someone I believe he would very much like to see.”

“Taisho-sama is a very busy man,” the voice on the other end said in annoyance. “Who could possibly be so important for him to see?”

“Inuyasha.” It wasn’t the voice on the other end of the phone, nor was it the panther’s voice that spoke. This voice was much deeper and very much masculine.

Almost as one, the small group turned and looked towards a door to the far right. He was dressed in a three-piece business suit. His white hair was pulled back in a long braid that disappeared behind his back. A huge, thick, white sash of fur sat over his right shoulder, with the tail end of it brushing the floor.

“Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha growled, glaring at his older brother.
Author's Note: Don't forget to leave me a review! ^_^ I love hearing from you all.
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