"YAY!" Rin yelled excitedly when Nayumi told her she was going with them.
"We need to leave, slayer." Sesshomaru said as Nayumi thanked Jinenji and his mother.
"Be patient, dog." Nayumi retorted.
"Show him some respect!" Jaken yelled.
"You're becoming repetitive, imp." Nayumi said; shooting him a cold glare.
"Lord Sesshomaru protect me!" the toad demon exclaimed; hiding behind his master's leg.
"Why must you pick fights with her, Master Jaken?" Rin laughed as she skipped over to were they stood.
"She started it." Jaken grumbled.
"Thank you!" Nayumi called as they left.
"How are your wounds?" Rin asked when they had been traveling for a while.
"They're fine. Practically gone." Nayumi said cheerfully.
"Good enough for me to ride on you back?" Rin asked hopefully.
"Hope on." Nayumi laughed.
Sesshomaru kept a look of indifference on his face, but he was enjoying watching the two sisters. He always enjoyed seeing Rin happy.
"Look at those two! Naraku is still out there, and they're being stupid little kids!" Jaken said.
"Ah! I'm sorry, my lord!" Jaken quickly apologized when he saw a look of disapproval on Sesshomaru's face, but it was too late. Sesshomaru hit the imp on his head and kept walking.
"Won't happen again, my lord." Jaken said.
"Am I aloud to hit the imp, too?" Nayumi asked; coming up beside Sesshomaru with Rin still on her back.
"You're asking permission?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I'm not gonna just hit someone else's pet without asking first." Nayumi shrugged.
"Do whatever you want, save killing him." Sesshomaru replied.
"Hear that, imp? Better be nicer to me." Nayumi caled back.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" the imp said; his eyes turning into balls of tears.
"Why so sad, Master Jaken?" Rin asked.
"He's just mad because Sesshomaru hates me less." Nayumi smiled.
"Stay back, Rin." Nayumi and Sesshomaru said at the same time; Nayumi's body language immediately changing. Nayumi let Rin off her back, then stepped up beside Sesshomaru to face whatever threat was coming.
"I do not wish to fight. I am simply passing through." the demon said; holding it's hands up when it saw them.
"You better be." Nayumi said in a low voice as the demon walked past her; too close for her comfort.
As she expected, he wasn't just passing through. When he was almost completely past her, he grabbed her from behind and used her as a shield.
"I'm taking her with me." the demon said.
"Your death wish." Sesshomaru chuckled at how bored Nayumi looked.
"What?" the demon asked, but he found out what.
Nayumi brought both her elbows back and into his ribs. Then she threw her head back; hitting him in the nose.
"You little wench!" the demon exclaimed; blindly reaching for her.
"Please." she scuffed; smacking his hands to the side and punching him in the side of the jaw. The demon stumbled back, and Sesshomaru used his poison whip to trip him.
"Now before I kill you, why don't you tell me what you want." Nayumi said; straddling him with a blade to his neck.
"Arochimaru sent me!" the demon said quickly.
"What doe she want?" Nayumi asked.
"He wants to kill the great dog demon of the west!" the demon said; obviously nervous.
"Tell me, why were you going to take me?" Nayumi asked.
"He said to get you and that would bring the dog demon, and he also wants you alive." the demon replied.
"Why?" Nayumi asked.
"I don't know! I swear! Please don't kill me!" the demon pleaded.
"You're of no use to me know." Nayumi said and slit his throat.
"Let's go." Nayumi said; wiping her hands on her kimono as she walked.
"Good job with that demon." Rin said with a smile. Nayumi looked at Rin in shock and then shot Sesshomaru a cold glare.
"We need to talk, mutt" she growled at Sesshomaru, then walked off into the woods.
"Why the hell is my sister congradulating me on slitting a demon's throat?" Nayumi snapped; whipping around at him.
"Because you did a good job." Sesshomaru replied; voice calm.
"She should be mortified! She shouldn't be so use to watching someone get killed that she simply said good job! You should be more careful around her! She's only a kid!" Nayumi yelled.
"This is a time of war." he replied.
"Listen here, dog," she said; grabbing the top of his armor, and making him bend down, "she's already lost her innocense when it comes to death, so she better not lose it anywhere else."
She does not fear me at all. Sesshomaru thought with a smile.
"Move imp." Nayumi said; kicking Jaken off the path as she walked back to Rin.
"There's a village up ahead I helped not long ago. We should stay there tonight." Nayumi said when it was starting to get dark.
"Have you forgotten that Lord Sesshomaru and I are demons?" Jaken asked.
"No, but I know how to make sure you two behave." Nayumi replied, "It's not even the dog that I worry about. He's well trained. You on the other hand requires a firmer tone."
"Do not treat us like your pets." Sesshomaru said; voice calm as always.
"But you're such a good boy." she said; ruffling the top of his head, then added as she walked ahead, "Now come, boy."
"Lord Sesshomaru! Why do you let her treat you with such little respect?" Jaken asked; infuriated. Sesshomaru didn't respond. He didn't know how. If anyone else treated him like a house pet he would have cut them down long ago, but he let the slayer do as she pleased.
"Lady Sayer!" one of the villagers called out as they entered the village.
"Good to see you again, Headmaster." Nayumi replied with a warm smile.
"You have companions now." the headmaster said; giving Sesshomaru an odd look.
"The dog is well behaved; it's the imp that may cause trouble." Nayumi said.
"You're travelling with demons now?" the Headmaster's wife asked.
"No, my sister is traveling with demons. I'm traveling with me sister." Nayumi corrected.
"Please, you all must stay the night here. It's getting dark, and you all must be famished." the Headmaster said.
"We would love to." Nayumi smiled.
"Speak for yourself, human." Jaken scuffed.
"Quiet, imp." Nayumi said and kicked him.
"My apologizes." Jaken said; a bump forming on his head.
"Sorry to say, but the only open hut we have is the one you stayed in last time." the Headmaster said.
"That will be fine." Nayumi lied; she did not like the idea of staying in such a small hut.
"I'm going to the hot spring." Nayumi said; grabbing the new clothes the Headmaster's daughter gave her, "No one follow me."
"I said no one follow." Nayumi said when Sesshomaru came out of nowhere and was standing by her side.
"You get into trouble." he shrugged.
"I'm fine." Nayumi snapped, "I don't need a guard dog."
"I let you treat me however you please." Sesshomaru said; stopping and grabbing her wrist, "The least you could do is shut up and let me protect you."
"Fine." Nayumi finally whispered after staring at him for a few minutes.
"Can you loose your grip a little?" Nayumi asked a few minutes later when he still hadn't let her wrist go. Sesshomaru loosened his hold a little, but did not let go. Nayumi stood there looking at his hand for a few more minutes before she ripped her wrist from his grip.
"Stay behind a tree and no peaking." Nayumi said; walking away from him.
"Happy birhday." Sesshomaru said form behind a tree.
"What?" Nayumi asked.
"Your birthday was yesterday was it not?" Sesshomaru asked.
"You're a little late." Nayumi scuffed.
"I'm dressed." she said; her voice disapproving. Sesshomaru stood and faced her then stopped moving. The Headmaster's daughter was a few years younger than Nayumi and not nearly as developed. The skirt she wore barely reached mid thigh, and the shirt showed a line of skin on her stomach. When she reached up to dry her hair it exposded her bellybutton.
"I'm going to have to aquire diferent clothes soon." Nayumi said; bringing Sesshomaru out of his thoughts.
"Leave you hair down. It suits you." Sesshomaru said as she started to put it up. When Nayumi looked up to question him; he was already heading back to the village. Nayumi started to follow, but was engulfed in wind.
"Ah!" she yelled as the wind got harder and started to leave cuts on her. She felt a hand on her lower back and then she was pulled through the wind. The violent wind had made it hard for her to breathe. She held onto Sesshomaru as she gasped for breath.
"Arochimaru." she said; her voice raspy.
"Good to see you again." Arochimaru laughed.