Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Twenty Three: Assassin

Nocturne - Chapter Twenty-Three: Assassin

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

o - o - o - o - o : Indicates scene or POV change

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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He had decided to give Kagome space. She'd asked for it after all. As soon as he'd arrived in the village, he had smelled death.

Inuyasha first stopped by Miroku's only to find Sango there with all of her brats. Each one was excited to see him running to assault him as soon as they set their sights on him.

Sango had told him the despairing news that she'd only just learned a short time ago when someone came around to find Miroku. Inuyasha grimaced but shrugged. The old hag had been one of the good ones, and he was sorry to hear of her passing, but he wouldn't miss her nagging, though.

Sango peeled her young children from Inuyasha and urged him to see the old miko one last time.

Once he'd arrived, the smell of death threatened to overwhelm him. He was accustomed to the scent, but it had a more potent effect when it was someone you knew. The people who had arrived outside the hut had only recently begun to depart on their way, likely planning to return for the wake and funeral ceremony held the next day. That was all well and good. Fewer people to stare at him. Even his continued presence in the village as a protector had not stopped the prejudice he faced as hanyo.

A Buddhist acolyte stood in the doorway of Kaede's house, blocking his path. He pushed the man out of the way, who rose to give a verbal lashing to whoever thought they could muscle by but decided against it once he saw Inuyasha growling at him.

Satisfied that the man was out of the way, another scent hit him, a familiar one. Kagome looked out to him with sad eyes. He couldn't remember what he'd said upon entering, but it pissed Kagome off even though she didn't once try to punish him. Maybe her grief was in the way of her better judgment.

As he moved closer, he could smell something pungent. It was more than the smell of death that accosted his senses. Something was not right, and he'd voiced his thoughts aloud. Kagome glared at him. "I would think so," she said.

"No, it's more than that," he retorted defensively. He could smell it, and it tickled the edge of his senses with its identity, but there was something else masking the smell, so he couldn't quite put the finger on it.

His ears perked up, and he turned his head to a barely audible noise. A shrill scream could be heard from outside. It was perceptible enough to be heard by Kagome, whose eyes went wide, and she gasped, "Setsuna!"

She made to run out the door, but he was faster, beating her outside and sprinting to the scream. More screaming could be heard, and the loud dissonance of frightened villagers began to fill the air. Inuyasha could see villagers running away, grabbing at one another, and holding young ones to their chests as they fled. He jumped into the air and could see among the chaos. The still form of a woman's body could be seen. The woman's bright and ornate kimono instantly flagged her as Rin.

Another body could be seen standing over Rin's still form. He could tell that she was a woman from her feminine figure, though she wore dark clothes and had a hood over her head. The woman turned, flashing amber eyes up at him, and in her arms was the smaller form of the child, Setsuna.

He snarled and landed a few feet away from the woman. "Put the kid down, bitch, and I might take it easy on ya!"

The baby seemed to be asleep in the woman's arms, which was an unusual feat, given the tenuousness of the situation. Rin still lay unconscious behind the woman. Inuyasha was reassured she was alive by the steady rise and fall of the girl's chest. The strange woman's head darted to Rin's body and back up at Inuyasha. She seemed to be weighing her options for escape.