Author's Note: Hey, it's me again! Here is the start of the third installment to the Sodality Arc. I hope you all like it as much as the other two :). I'm going to work really hard on this one, and I'm trying very hard to be historically correct, but history, certain things in the Inuyasha time period, and certain things I want to happen aren't working together. I believe the creator of the anime took some liberties with Japanese history and I'm going to take a small amount too. I'm not going to go overboard and be totally unbelievable; I'm just going to try to explain some things I saw in the anime by tying it into something I'm trying to do. Tell me when you think I'm going too far though ;). Ok, I'll shut up and let you read the story :). Enjoy ;)!

Reviewer Responses:

Corrina: Hey girl! Thanks for reviewing. Glad you enjoyed the candy scenes; I think I enjoyed them a little too much. I couldn't let them go, lol :). Well here is the beginning of the Renkotsu story. I hope you like it. (No candy yet). Take care!

Evil-Zukin: Thankee :). I was going for cute lol. (Not really, but I'm glad that it is ;). Yes, I am making another one lol! Here you are! Thanks for reviewing! Please enjoy, and take care!

Me, just me: So did you ever get to finish reading lol? I hope you did. Thank you for reviewing or trying to (lol). You are one diligent person :). Well I hope you get the chance to read this one :). Enjoy and take care!

Yennie-Gurl: Yes, the story is over, but here is the next! You've told all your friends? Whatever for, lol? Thanks though :). I really hope you like the start of this story. Thank you for reviewing :). Enjoy and take care!

Gerbil: Glad you likee :). Here's the next. I really hope you like Renkotsu's story as much as you did Suikotsu's. Take care and enjoy! Thanks for reviewing!

Ibara-hime: Evil PC...ate my review....grumbles. Thank you for rewriting it when most would not have bothered :). Red bean paste sounds scary. When I looked up Japanese candies for him to eat I kinda avoided the stuff I don't like, hehehe. But you are right, it would be more likely for him to eat red bean paste, so you'll see it ;). Whoo hoo! Send me pages! Yay! Lol, sorry about that. Ok... lol. I'm not a fan of Renkotsu either; he DID kill Jakotsu with his stinky self. I am, however, looking forward to write his story. I get to do the darker tone thing with him :). I hope you like it girl, but I get the feeling I won't be getting any German cake :(. Oh, about the translating...sounds interesting. If you really want to go through all that trouble, you have my permission :). Thanks for considering it. I'm honored :). Well...enjoy the story and take care and thanks for reviewing!

MageofDarkness: Hehehe, well I already e-mailed ya and told you what Jakky is :) and in this story I think I'll finally come out and say it somewhere down the line lol. I hope you like it. I have no real love for Renkotsu, but his story is going to be fun... it may not be as funny as the other, but hopefully you'll still be entertained :). Take care, thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!

Skittlez: Lol, you are so funny. Well here is your Renkotsu story; I hope you enjoy the start of it! Take care and thank you for reviewing!

Lynxzeo X: Hey, thanks! I wonder how they're going to name Renkotsu too, lol! Well here is the start of the new story; I really hope you like it! Take care, thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!

D Pearl: Lol, thanks for the review; I think :). Hm, about my "mistake." I'm sure lots of people noticed it, and I hope they assumed that I was taking fan fiction liberties. (Which I was and still am ;)). I try to stick with canon as much as possible, but sometimes canon just doesn't offer enough information, so things must be made up. I probably should have put up a Mild AU warning, huh? I know that Ban and Ja already had their markings as did Suikotsu, and I saw the flashback of how they happened upon Suikotsu...but well, it was more fun for me to do it my way ;). (Singing loudly: What I say goes, and I'm in contro-o-ol! Muhahahaha!) Lol! Ok, I'll stop being silly. Anyways, sorry if you didn't like it :(. Thanks for dropping me a line though; I really appreciate it. Take care!

Moonlightassassin: :) Here is the next story :). I hope you "love" this one too lol. Thanks for reviewing and take care!

Riftwar-Slave: :). I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job explaining the names. Jakotsu and Suikotsu I can see... but the names for Renkotsu and the others are gonna be a bit harder to explain lol. We'll see how I do. I'm glad you like my stories, and I hope you enjoy this one as well. Take care and thank you for reviewing! :)

Sodality Arc 3

"Renkotsu"

Prologue

"He's headed your way Suikotsu!" Bankotsu called to his comrade and while he couldn't see Suikotsu, Bankotsu knew the man had heard him. He stood ankle deep in icy swamp water, wishing he'd thought to roll up his pants. When Bankotsu had taken the rear position, he hadn't counted on chasing the demon through the swamp, much less letting the demon evade him and having the others deal with him. He'd stationed Jakotsu and Suikotsu in different vicinities of the wooded area.

There was no way in hell this particular youkai was going to live to threaten anymore villages tonight. Bankotsu could feel the warmth of the hibachi and hot soup in his belly right then. Payment for killing bothersome demons normal people were too afraid to go after was nice.

So Bankotsu's group hadn't become a wicked band of notorious mercenaries yet, but they were quickly becoming well known and reliable demon slayers. It was... progress. They were killing things, staying in shape, and eating regularly, that was what really mattered to Bankotsu.

He heard a surprised yelp from Jakotsu and shout from Suikotsu afterward, announcing that the demon had gotten away from him as well.

Damn. It was too dark for Bankotsu to be able to tell exactly what kind of a demon it was, but the thing could move and it had sharp nails. He was currently ignoring a stinging scratch on his shoulder.

There went another good shirt.

An inhuman yowl was cut short before it could alert other demon kin of its plight. Had the beast been killed?

"Got him!" Jakotsu's voice echoed in the night.

Dinner and warmth, here I come!

"Gods... I am so cold!" Jakotsu was shivering. He scooted closer to the wooden hibachi, careful not to set the blankets he had wrapped around his shoulders afire.

"It's because you don't have any meat on your bones," Suikotsu teased, looking perfectly content sitting a few paces away from the fire, sipping a small bowl of hot broth. Bankotsu couldn't really complain about the temperature of the small, one-room cabin either. With all of the windows and the door shut and padded to not let in cold air, a moderate-sized, charcoal fire going, a large pot of hot soup and tea, and thick blankets to use as self insulators, their temporary housing accommodation was pretty damn cozy.

Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "I have got plenty. I wish you two would leave me alone."

"Here..." Bankotsu came to kneel beside the heating device in the middle of the room and reached to ladle more soup from the black pot over the fire into Jakotsu's idle cup. He frowned slightly at the sound of liquid hitting liquid. Jakotsu hadn't finished his first serving it seemed. Bankotsu held the refilled mug to Jakotsu, "...drink all of this. It'll warm you up better than blankets."

Bankotsu sat on his knees on the blanketed wooden floor, watching Jakotsu take small, leisurely sips from the bowl. He hadn't been exaggerating about how cold he was, if he was willing to force down second helpings of dinner for more heat. Jakotsu's hands trembled as he held the dish close to his face, perhaps trying to let the steam rising from the soup bring some color to his chalky complexion.

Concern motivated Bankotsu to place his palm against Jakotsu's cool brow. "Do you feel ok?"

"I feel fine, Aniki. I am not going to get sick." Jakotsu grinned deviously, his milky cheeks finally gaining a little color as his gray eyes glinted with mischief and his voice took on a superior tone. "Face it; I am immune to the little bug you and Suikotsu were so fond of passing back and forth to one another."

Bankotsu scowled at being reminded of that. For nearly three weeks at the beginning of the winter season, he and Suikotsu had been plagued with the cold from hell that they just couldn't get rid of. When Bankotsu thought he was better, Suikotsu got sick, and when he got better, Bankotsu was ill again! Jakotsu, however, remained the perfect portrait of good health, nursing both Bankotsu and Suikotsu, all-the-while thoroughly amused at the whining antics both supposedly displayed while under the influence of low-grade fevers. Bankotsu couldn't decide what was worse, being sick or being subjected to Nurse Jakotsu's awful bedside manner. Both had been abominable.

"You'll get something, and then I'll make you lay on your back and eat my cooking while wearing every piece of clothing you own and ten blankets," Bankotsu narrowed his dark, blue eyes dangerously. Revenge would be sweet.

"Hey," Jakotsu pouted, sounding a bit defensive, "that was always what my mama did when I was sick, and I am still alive! Oh... but her cooking and mine are not quite the same..."

Bankotsu's need for revenge dulled at Jakotsu's admission. His dear friend hadn't actually tried to kill him with the slop he ordained as food after all. "What did she make for you?"

Jakotsu's head fell forward slightly, long ringlets of inky black hair obscuring Bankotsu's view of his face. "I do not remember, Bankotsu."

Bankotsu sighed; the voice Jakotsu had used let Bankotsu know that he clearly did remember; he just didn't want to talk about it. He never wanted to talk about it, but he kept giving Bankotsu all these tiny clues about his past that drove Bankotsu absolutely crazy with this burning desire to know everything about him. He had grown up so differently... Jakotsu was a book in which Bankotsu would only get to read the cover.

Grrrr... it was frustrating. He wanted to press him, but Suikotsu, seeming to sense it, interrupted with, "It's a wonder how you two survived almost two years of traveling together without me. Neither one of you cooks better than the other, and your meals aren't fit to feed a starving, village dog."

Ouch. Bankotsu had seen those things eat their own shit.

Suikotsu laughed heartily at the angry looks he received from both Bankotsu and Jakotsu. He finished his soup in one long swallow and set his cup down with a soft clack. "So, what are we to do for the night? Did you open any of the new scrolls that were in our box, Oo-Aniki?"

Good old Suikotsu, he always knew the right time to change the subject before there was an argument. For a man who liked to rip his opponents into small unrecognizable pieces, he was very laid back and easy-going, mild-tempered even. Like the rest of them, he only seemed possessed when faced with potential victims.

"Not yet, Suikotsu. I was so interested in getting warm and dry I forgot to get them from the box. There are new ones?" Bankotsu pulled his long raven braid over his shoulder, stroking his thumb across a single plait.

"Three or four, I think," Suikotsu said, standing and stretching his large, stocky body. Jakotsu winced at the cracking noises the older man made as he walked to the door.

"Oh, get over it. What's the difference between the sounds of popping your joints and snapping bones with a sword?"

"One is disgusting and the other is not," Jakotsu replied.

Ai. Bankotsu massaged his temples.

The wind howled as Suikotsu opened the door to reach out and drag the letter box in. He slammed it shut quickly, stuffing the blankets back into the crack beneath the door. A few snowflakes had found their way in out of the cold and settled onto the floor, already starting to melt.

Suikotsu turned to face them and Bankotsu couldn't help but giggle at the snow caked in his hair and eyebrows. "You look like an old man!"

Suikotsu raised a white tipped eyebrow. "Yeah?– well respect your elders and come get this box."

Bankotsu snorted; elder indeed, Suikotsu was the ripe old age of 24. He was Bankotsu's senior by 9 years, and Jakotsu's by 6, but 4 months of traveling together had proved that age didn't matter at all. Bankotsu had been a little worried about it in the beginning. How would older men take to being led by a boy? So far, so good.

Bankotsu rose from his knees, ruffling Jakotsu's soft hair as he shuffled by, keeping a blanket balanced over his shoulders. The wooden box was damp from exposure to the elements and the scrolls inside were a trifle soggy. He hoped the ink hadn't run.

"Glad we got in before the snow started," Suikotsu said, dusting frost from his hair. Bankotsu pulled black ribbon from one message and let it uncurl in his hands before opening it to read.

"Me too, or we would've had to carry Jakotsu in," Bankotsu chuckled. That wouldn't have been fun, since Jakotsu was still wary about Suikotsu putting his hands on him.

Hm... "Hey, this guy says he'll pay us in concubines and rice, if we come get solve his tanuki problem."

Jakotsu snorted. "Tanuki? Aniki, we will not lower ourselves to that, will we?"

"No way," Bankotsu shook his head. He tossed that scroll away and opened another. "This one's got centipede youkai and will pay us in silk."

"Silk?" Jakotsu sounded interested.

"We've got enough," Bankotsu informed him. It was true; they were the best dressed mercenary band-to-be in the land, and quite frankly Bankotsu was a little embarrassed of the fact, but it pleased Jakotsu greatly so he didn't complain too much. Though, fine apparel was very hard to keep clean much less in tact.

"How about this one, Oo-Aniki? They will pay in silver and lodge us in town in their manor, if we get rid of a mononoke."

"Mononoke?" Jakotsu asked. "They need an exorcist, not us."

"Not necessarily," Bankotsu said, taking the paper from Suikotsu's fingers. He skimmed over the letter. "They are not quite sure what it is, I believe. We can go and check it out. It may just be some youkai playing tricks, and we'll get first class service and payment."

Jakotsu grunted unhappily. Staying in a manor meant rubbing elbows with many noisy household servants and such, and Jakotsu was not one known for his people skills.

Bother. He'd really wanted to take this one on.... Oh! He grinned slyly as his eyes fell upon something he hadn't noticed in the letter.

"Did I mention they have a live in tailor?"

"When do we leave?"

Suikotsu chuckled, rolling a letter back up and chunking the heavy paper across the small cabin to pop Jakotsu on the head.

"Oi!" Jakotsu moaned, frowning and picking up the scroll dourly. He shoved it in the fire and watched it burn for a moment, before his good spirits returned. "Oo-Aniki, when do we leave?

"Tomorrow morning sound good? We can have a light breakfast, post a notice of our relocation, and be on our way."

"Sounds fine to me," Suikotsu said, looking around the room at all of the things they had accumulated from their month stay in the cabin. "We're going to have to leave a lot of things behind this time."

Bankotsu followed Suikotsu's gaze. "Yeah." They had never stayed in one place for quite as long as they had stayed there. The jobs kept pouring in and most of them were not more than a few miles from their base of operations, giving them no real reason to move.

"Well guys, lets start packing and get to sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"Oh, Aniki! I was just starting to get warm!" Jakotsu complained and yelped as yet another scroll popped him over the head.

Author's Note: That's it for the prologue. So what's the verdict? Like it? Hate it? Don't care either way? Let me know! Please review and take care!