{.x.Hindrance.x.}
{..Chapter Five: Death & Rebirth..}

There was a sorrow in the taiyoukai that she could recognize. That she could feel by merely looking at him. It was something that he refused to acknowledge, that they never spoke of to one another. They really didn't even speak on their journey. The one they had started weeks ago in order to try and find a trace of Narkau, a way to use her as bait to get him to come out of whatever hole he was hiding in.

And… it was strange, the way the silence wasn't awkward but calming between the two. She didn't need to pester him for attention, he didn't care to give it. It was different than traveling with Inuyasha and the others. There was always something to try and distract her, something always to pay attention to. Either Shippou needed attention, Kagome was always talking about this and that, Inuyasha and her would argue constant, then there would be… Miroku's flirting.

At that thought, a pang chimed through her. For a moment she had to stop walking, close her eyes, and take a deep breath in to try and forget him… to forget what he did. His affair.

Apparently, that caught Sesshomaru's attention enough that he, too, stopped to look back at her just as she was opening her eyes again. He didn't ask, he didn't need to, it was clear in the way he looked at her he was curious as to what that was about.

"It's nothing," she assured him as she readjusted her new weapon on her shoulder to make it more comfortable before she started to walk forward once more. He didn't want to hear about what had happened, he wouldn't have cared about the pain the lecherous monk caused her. With time, she wouldn't care either.

She had expected him to eventually do just that. It wasn't a huge surprise. He was a pervert, always flirting, she knew that there was a chance he would break her heart.

In truth, she had more important things to concern herself with than Miroku. Kohaku was still out there. He was the only thing she had left in the world, the only family she had… if she could get him back she didn't care about all the other pain.

In the time she had been traveling with Sesshomaru, Jaken and Rin had not once shown up. He had not mentioned them, either. Not that he mentioned much. But… the silence, the subtle pain his golden gaze, all seemed to say something horrible had happened.

"Rin and Jaken are dead, aren't they?" Sango dared to inquire as her gaze shifted back to him. "Naraku did something, didn't he?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered simply. He had not been there for them… and once he returned, once he found them dead, it was too late to save them. His sword could not bring either back to life. It was his mistake, he shouldn't have left them alone.

That was a guilt he would have to learn to live with… to think, that he would feel something like that over the death of a human child and a toad creature. He felt it was a weakness to care so greatly about anyone or anything else. Still, irritation began to eat away at him at how slowly things were progressing.

There was no sign of Naraku, no way to use the taijiya as bait, no way to kill the bastard yet.

He was so enthralled in his own thoughts that he didn't notice what was about to come, the attack that was begun against him by a far weaker youkai. It wouldn't have killed him if it succeeded, just injured. It was the sound of the taijiya's weapon being hurled at him that finally brought him back to his senses. It would miss him so he didn't flinch, merely curious as to what she was up to.

It cut the youkai that had leaped out at him in half, the one that he didn't even notice. His golden gaze shifted over the dead creature then. It seemed vaguely familiar, perhaps he had a brawl with it in the past, but that didn't matter. His gaze then shifted to slayer as she walked over to pick up her weapon.

"Did you expect me to do that or were you simply not paying any attention?" she inquired as she slung her hiraikotsu over her shoulder.

"I would have handled it well on my own," he countered, which really wasn't much of an answer to her question.

"You know, I will most likely not always be here to watch your back, you should pay more attention in the future."

"I do not need a woman giving me such advise," he snapped with a hardened stare upon her. All she gave him back with a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. Men, regardless of what species, were impossible to deal with.

That was when their lone trek started up again, the one were each pretended that the other wasn't there, where there was nothing but silence serenading the two. The sun shifted from midway in the sky to almost behind the mountains that were distantly away from them before something else of interest occurred.

He grabbed her, suddenly, strongly, around her waist to yank her close. Her back was against his rather rock hard body, a body that was rather remarkable… but she didn't understand, why the sudden touch? It took the youkai that had apparently been aiming for her to leap out of her for her to realize what had happened.

She wasn't paying attention… and he just kept her out of harm's way. In one swift movement, he yanked his sword free and sliced the youkai in half. It wasn't strange for a youkai to try and attack her when they recognized her outfit as that of a taijiya.

Instantly, she felt embarrassed. She had just lectured him about not paying attention earlier that day and he had caught her doing the same exact thing. But, at the same time, he had just saved her. He could have let her get hurt. She didn't know why, but that brought a smile to her lips.

"Perhaps you should pay more attention," Sesshomaru stated.

"I should… my mind was just wandering," she admitted with a small frown, "I won't let it happen again."

"I won't always bother to help you," he warned.

"Sometimes it's hard to focus," she started, cautiously. Usually, they didn't talk but going so long without actually holding a conversation was difficult for her. She didn't care if he didn't participate, she just wanted to say it out loud. Maybe it would feel better that way.

"My younger brother, Kohaku, is the only family I have left… he is under Naraku's mental control. I have this void in me from not having him around. I want, no need, Naraku dead in order to get my brother back."

"I see," Sesshomaru replied, which surprised her. She didn't expect him to say anything at all… but what she didn't know what that she could recognize that pain. That he knew it. He felt it, too, from the lose of those near him.

He needed Naraku dead for revenge.

She needed Naraku dead for the sake of her family.

It was different reasons, but the same goal. One that they'd work together for… there was simply no way that then they would know what would form between the two in the process.

[…]

Time continued to trickle by between the two, they spent ages together, night and day, in search of Naraku. It was only natural, wasn't it? That some sort of feelings would develop? She wouldn't say she fell in love with the youkai or anything, but she did become oddly fond of the silent, stoic, Sesshomaru.

He had protected her, and she would protect him. He saved her from Naraku when no one else could or at least would have. All the time that had passed since she parted with her friends and… they didn't come looking for her.

Whatever. It didn't matter, at least that's what she kept telling herself. Maybe it was the fact that he was there when the others weren't. Maybe it was because he saved her… maybe it was because she was attracted to him but it happened after weeks of traveling together. Perhaps longer than a month.

They found a cave to sleep in for the night, one hidden behind a water fall which gave a kind breeze on a hot summer night. He was gone once the sun set, she didn't know where he went, so she took the opportunity to strip from her hot leather taijiya suit and dip her sweaty body in the water to cleanse herself.

It was refreshing, chilling, but it felt nice to be clean. To free herself from the heat that lingered so heavily in the summer days. She should have been quick, in case Sesshomaru returned. Her modesty wouldn't want her to be caught naked by the youkai but when she finally decided to get out it was too late.

He had returned and was watching her rather shamelessly. Instantly her eyes widened as she dipped down in to the water again then wrapped her arms around his breasts. "You lecher!"

"Bathing in public leaves you subject to being watched," Sesshomaru countered.

"Turn around," she ordered.

He didn't do that, but he did return to the cave behind the waterfall which allowed her time to grab her green and pink yukata and put it back on before she, too, returned with her mahogany gaze narrowed upon him. She supposed youkai or not, he was still a man and she - human or not - was a woman. Many times she had caught the monk peering on her, so why should she be surprised that Sesshomaru did the same?

The top of his kimono was off when she got in, she supposed that was to relieve himself from the heat. Which gave her a prime look over his sculpted body, it was symmetrical after he found a way to re-grow his arm. She wondered if, perhaps, he was still resentful towards his little brother for cutting it off like he had. But she never bothered to ask and he never volunteered the information.

When their eyes met something just seemed to click.. exhausted, frustrated, and each aching must have been the root reason for what happened next. Neither would have anticipated it. She was a taijiya, a woman meant to destroy youkais, and he was a taiyoukai, a creature that was meant never to connect with a mortal. But he had already failed at that with Rin…

He was the one to take the step that both had been contemplating for a long while. the one that brought their bodies together. Her stare shifted over him, just as his golden gaze glanced over her body still dripping with water. Her hair still smelled of the spring she had come out of. Neither really knew what was going to happen next but… it happened.

Somehow, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to hers. He was willing to oblige her request to part his lips and let their tongues twist together while his hand hand up and down her body, familiarizing themselves with her curves.

It was hardly common practice for him to make such contact with another person, just as it wasn't her custom to come into contact with anyone else. But he wasn't going to stop when she was the one who started it so he pushed her back up against the rock wall. It took one swift swing of his hand to get her obi to untie to let her yukata fall to the ground.

Her hands worked to get what was left of his outfit off to reveal all of him. Sango had never had a one night-stand or anything of the sort before in her life, but she had conjoined with another once before in her life. A man, Rensei, a warrior from her village. The man that she was betrothed to marry, that was what her father wanted at least. But… he was dead. Naraku had him and the rest of her village killed.

His hands slid up the back of her thighs until he reached her rear, he gripped it tight while he pressed his chest to her bouncing breasts. Their tongues still tangled, their teeth brushed against the other lips, and she even nibbled slightly.

"S-Sesshomaru," she whispered once they parted for air. He didn't say anything back, merely looked at her flustered face and gave her the opportunity to say no, let's stop… but she didn't. Instead her hands wandered down her body as she arched her body towards him.

For a moment, they both stopped to admire the other's body. His golden gazes devoured her fine psyche, her mahogany stare shifted up his tone, lean, body and then down to view his full… package. When her fingers graced down his chest he shivered some then tensed up. A gasp rushed out of her parted lips when she felt a finger inserted into her all of a sudden below.

She was moist but he could do better, so he ran his fingers down her folds until he found her clit to play with only briefly, only enough to give her a small thrill, and leave her aching for more before he began to ump his finger in her. Her gasps and whimpers for more was like music to his ears, the way her hips moved along with his agonizingly slow motions only assured him more that she was ready to go forward.

He pried himself away from her completely then before he parted her legs and propped her up some more with his strong arms so he could place the tip of his cock at her entrance. He plunged in, groaning from the felling of her wrapped around him completely. A gasp rushed out of her lips when she felt him invade her as deep as he could manage - all at once, all of a sudden, and it felt great.

So fucking great.

She was tight… not virgin tight, she obviously wasn't one of those, but it still was grand to him all the same. He groaned while he readjusted his legs so he could stay up right, then tilted her body more so that it was easier for him to start to rock in and out of her. When she finally began to thrust her hips with his own jerks it made the sensations all the more welcomed.

He quickened his pace to an almost unyielding level, one that was certain to leave her scream for more, and from the way her breathing picked up, her gasps grew, and her moans magnified he figured hw as doing all the right things. Moving in and out, in and out, harder and quicker which each thrust, goraning himself whenever she jerked to meet him.

He was so focused on the feeling of his release coming, the tightness around him, and the little noises that she made that he barely noticed her wrap a leg around him to yank him closer. Together they could be freed from the strain of almost being there.

In a ripple, a blissful flash, they felt their releases together.

[…]

When she woke up the next morning he wasn't there anymore. She wasn't surprised, she didn't expect him to be there by her side the next morning. They weren't lovers, they weren't in love, they just took an opportunity to share in physical pleasure with one another. She supposed he'd be back, he still wanted to use her as bait to get Naraku, so he was probably going to be returning soon.

So, before he did, she decided to put her clothes back on and take a walk around the area. It was a warm summer morning, it would be refreshing, probably help her clear her mind… yet, she didn't seem to get the chance to do that because the moment she walked around the spring towards the forest area she felt someone grab her from behind then smash her upside the head.

Blackness consumed her for some time before… she awoke in a dark place, one that had her restrained because no matter how hard she tried she could not move. That was when her gaze shifted over to her hands which were connected to the wall behind her.

Her heart began to race at the realization of what must have happened. She got captured, again, and… really there was only one person she could have thought of that wanted that. Naraku.

When she realized that, he appeared with a wicked smile on his face as his cruel crimson gaze shifted over her. She let out a sigh as she looked over him. How could she let herself get captured again? She was so stupid… so distracted.

Damn it.

"Where is my brother?" Sango snapped.

"No need for you to worry about him," Naraku countered as he walked up to her the knelt down next to her. His gaze devoured her in the most uncomfortable of ways. "Maybe if you were more cooperative than I would show you your brother."

"Cooperative?" she inquired with a raised brow.

The way his eyes wandered over her again made her think that she didn't want to be cooperative with whatever thing he was talking about… so instead she spat in his face. "You're going to get killed eventually, I hope I can watch you die."

In retaliation, she felt a sharp slap against her face. It stung like hell but it was worth it.

"Or, I'll bore of you and end your pathetic life," he sharply retorted, "you'll submit to me, Sango, or die. Think about that."

He got up then and left, apparently to leave her to ponder over that option. But she didn't care to lament over that so she started to try and pry herself from her restraints. She twisted her wrist, yanked, tried her hardest to get free. It took ages, her skin was raw, but she was able to free herself from the rope and find her way to her feet.

Slowly she opened the door to the chamber was in and allowed her mahogany gaze to glance around the hallway. She wasn't sure which way to go but she didn't care she started to run anyway to find her way out of the area. But the sight of a familiar boy caught her attention instead, Kohaku.

"Kohaku," she whispered as she ran up to him to kneel down next to him, he didn't respond, his empty gaze was locked on nothing in particular. Her heart ached at the sight… somewhere in him had to be the brother she knew, the only family she had left. Right? "Kohaku, it's me, it's your ane-ue."

"He's not your little brother anymore," got her to jump some as she glanced over her shoulder to see Naraku there. "I can prove it, if you'd like. Kohaku, kill her."

What she wanted to say was that he wouldn't, that her brother would never kill her, never harm her no matter what Naraku ever said. But that didn't matter because she felt a jabbing pain in her gut instead. One that got her eyes to widened, her jaw to drop, her breath to hitch before her shaky gaze looked down to the boy beside her.

The one that held a knife that was deeply inserted into her. A single tear trickled down his face as his empty eyes continued to stare at nothing in particular.

"I can fix you, like I fixed your brother," Naraku offered as he walked up to her while she grabbed her bleeding side. "Would you like that, Sango?"

If he didn't… she'd die, but she'd rather die than be his puppet.

Again, she didn't get the chance to say what was on her mind before something caught Naraku's attention. In a flash, he was forced into a fight, one between him and a quick silver haired taiyoukai. Somehow… Sesshomaru had found them. He had come to her rescue again… this time too late, though.

She knew it as she felt to the ground, she felt the blood rush out from between her fingers as her gaze shifted away from the clash to her brother. She didn't want to die, she didn't want to leave him, she couldn't… "Kohaku, this… this isn't y-your fault."

If, somehow, he ever got his mind back she didn't want him remember this moment. She didn't want him feeling guilty. "I love you…"

"Ane-ue…" he muttered again.

That received a smile, a forced one, the best she could muster up, but a smile nonetheless. She hoped if he had to remember anything, he would remember that… then all faded to black for her.

[…]

A slice flew over her, or through her even, but it didn't hurt, it just felt awkward. Even in the abyss she was lost in… even in the pain and haze she could feel it cross her again. Reluctantly she forced her eyes open to see someone standing over her, someone who was putting his sword away. Slowly she realized what was going on, the pain in her body was evaporating… and it was Sesshomaru standing above her.

"Ane-ue!" Kohaku cried out, he was kneeling by her side, his eyes filled with life once more as he looked down at her.

"Kohaku?" she whispered as she slowly rose up on her elbows to look over her brother, "are you alright?"

"This man did something with his sword," Kohaku explained as he turned her gaze to Sesshomaru, "something to the both of us… it healed your wound and helped me."

"Thank you," Sango stated as she looked up to Sesshomaru, "thank you so much."

He nodded to her.

"Where is Naraku…?"

"What's left of him is there," he explained with a wave of his hand to the body parts that were scattered across the room.

"You killed him?" She asked with awe.

"I did," he asserted.

"Good," though she was a little sorry she didn't get to see it happen.

Slowly, he held out his hand for her to take, which she did so that he could help her to her feet. She wasn't sure what to do next, killing Naraku and saving her brother had been her top priority but she… figured, somehow, she would find something to do. Maybe, if she was lucky, something that involved seeing more of Sesshomaru.