Till The End Of Time [Inuyasha Fanfiction ]
Chapter 7's

"Shura, let's accompany me on the hunt today." Take Akihiko with a smile to look at Shura who was sitting staring out through the window of her room in the southern land palace. Shura did not reply to Akihiko's sudden invitation to enter her room, she simply raised her face staring at the ruler of the southern land with an expressionless face.

Looking at Shura's demeanor, a smile expands on Akihiko's handsome face. "Don't look at me like that with your face similar to that dog, Shura."

Shura's facial expression remained unchanged in the slightest when she heard Akihiko's words, her golden eyes fixedly staring at him straight at the youkai in front of her. This western land heir did not like to be ruled, even though the one before him was a ruler like his father, he would not just obey his orders. He was the future ruler of the western lands, he would not submit to anyone easily despite being a child.

The smile on Akihiko's face widened. She was indeed unable to deny how similar Shura was to Sesshoumaru. The ruler of this southern land had known the ruler of that western land since they were children, and seeing Shura now, he was like seeing a little Sesshoumaru once again. Not only are they physically similar, their innate self is like a betel in two.

Knowing that Shura would not be able to return his words, Akihiko stepped foot leaving the heir to the western land. "I'm waiting for you at the palace exit." He said while laughing.

Shura still did not say a word, she just silently stared at Akihiko disappearing from before her. He slowly turned his eyes out the window, looked up at the blue sky, and enjoyed the morning breeze.

Shura actually did not understand why her father sent her here. He ordered him to come home when he became stronger, which led him to think that his goal to the southern land palace was to train. However, even though he had been here for one week, he had done nothing but sit in his room staring at the blue sky from his bedroom window. Indeed all the inhabitants of this palace served him well as if he was the young master of this palace. But, the western land heir did not want to be here, he wanted to return to the western land palace, or rather the place where the painting was located.

Shura sighed as soon as the desire to see the painting flashed through her heart. He closed his eyes and inserted his right hand into his hair to touch the pink obi he kept there. In his week here, not a day went by without not thinking about the smile of the human girl in the painting. It was only the girl's obi that was the only one who made herself able to endure all of this.

Shura again sighed, for him now, the hunting invitation from Akihiko might not be so bad. This western land heir knew, he could definitely let go of boredom and also put aside his desire to see that smile for a moment if hunting. Yep. That's the best option he has now.

Without wasting any more time, Shura immediately stood up and walked out of her room towards the place where Akihiko had been waiting for her.

As Shura showed herself, Akihiko could only smile. He could already predict that the western land heir would definitely accept his invitation to hunt. The ruler of the southern land then turned his back and walked into the forest ahead. "Come on, Shura."

Shura ran small after Akihiko, his golden eyes could see all the servants and also the soldiers who were there bowing their bodies, escorting their ruler with wishes of their hunting fun and smooth. Their attitude had told the heirs of the western land that the hunt there would only be done by the two of them.

Inside the forest filled with hundreds of years old large trees, Shura stared at Akihiko's steadfast back with full inspection. Unlike his father who always wore protective clothing when leaving the palace, Akihiko only wore a moon-colored blue haori with black hakama, and it was also worn neatly. The weapon he was carrying was only a katana sword. The ruler of the southern land was a relaxed person, it was clearly visible.

There were actually dozens of questions that filled Shura's head upon seeing the attitude of this southern land lord towards him. It is no secret that the ruler who is in front of him now and his father have known each other since childhood. They were both born as sons of youkai rulers in Japan and were destined to become rulers. Sesshoumaru from the west and Akihiko from the south. However, their relationship from a long time ago was not a friendly relationship. Rather than friends, they are more accurately said to be rivals who drop each other. Shura had heard a story from Jaken, his father's subordinate that before he was born, these two rulers fought a great battle, although in the end, neither won nor lost. So, why did his father send him here? And why would Akihiko allow him to stay in his palace?

"What if we fight?" akihiko said suddenly. With a smile still on his face, he turned his head to look at Shura who was behind him. "Till afternoon, we'll see who gets more."

"Do you want to fool me, Akihiko-sama?" shura asked sharply upon hearing Akihiko's challenge. He's not a stupid youkai, and he knows himself enough. Compared to the southern landlords, his small self was unlikely to defeat him, be it in speed or strength. Defeat must be on his side. So, why did he accept a challenge that can already be predicted the results well?

Akihiko suddenly laughed out loud at Shura's question. Once again he was surprised by the resemblance of the little youkai in front of him to Sesshoumaru. His calm attitude and always managed to predict what might happen in front of him and take that best move; indeed undoubtedly, Shura inherited all of Sesshoumaru's attitude. There was a curious feeling that arose in the heart of the ruler of the southern land, he was eager to see how similar Shura was to Sesshoumaru.

"I didn't fool you, Shura. I'll keep you hunting until noon. And if you win, I promise you, I will train you directly until you become stronger." Answer Akihiko later. He knew what made Shura leave the western land palace and stay in his palace; to train, to become stronger. However, in his heart, this southern landlord also knew, it was actually just an excuse—reason that Sesshoumaru had made.

The offer from Akihiko was a very lucrative offer for Shura, she knew that. If he could really make the ruler of this southern land train him directly, he could definitely become stronger. And that way, his desire to return to the western land palace sooner would definitely become a reality. However, this western land heir knew, even though Akihiko was a very relaxed youkai, he definitely had hidden intentions in this challenge.

"If I lose, what do you want from me?" ask Shura kalem.

A smile immediately flashed across Akihiko's face. A calculating attitude, he managed to find one more resemblance of this father-son. Slowly, Akihiko then raised her hand pointing at Shura's chest. "I want that obi. I want an obi that you always keep well behind your hair."

"Do you agree?" akihiko asked again without caring about Shura's anger. The always possessive attitude towards everything related to 'She', how similar this attitude of Shura was to Sesshoumaru. It's ironic that, even though Shura never knew who 'She' really was, she had been so obsessed with himThe 'She's' lobby Shura had answered all of them.

Shura's anger was mounting, her long claws had now started to emit the same poisons as her father's. He did not know how Akihiko could find out the existence of the obi that was behind his haori. However, no matter what happened, he would not let her snatch that obi from him.

"There's no answer? It turns out that you are the same as the dog that became your father," Akihiko said again in a condescending tone. He knew what he had to do to make Shura accept his challenge. The ego that Shura had was definitely as big as the ego that Sesshoumaru had. However, Shura's self-control was definitely still not as good as Sesshoumaru's self-control, he would definitely accept his challenge without a doubt if he continued to insult the western land's heir. "A cowardly dog."

The last word Akihiko said managed to make Shura lose her self-control, she immediately growled with anger, "I accept your challenge." Reply Shura later. And without wasting any time, he immediately turned his back, running as fast as he could into the forest ahead, starting his hunt.

Looking at Shura who had disappeared from his sight, Akihiko raised his head staring at the blue sky above him. A gentle smile flashed across his handsome face. "You win. It turns out that you were right, he did look like that dog." he said slowly.

....xoxOx....

Shura did not care about anything, he exerted all his abilities to hunt down any creatures that were in the forest where he hunted. With his sense of smell, sight, sharp hearing, and fast and accurate movements, he managed to hunt the animals in the forest, no matter that antelope, deer, or tiger and bear. The anger that is still so burning in the heart makes it unable to think well, which is in the head now only one, that is; winning the existing bet.

He would not allow the ruler of the southern land to insult him, especially, he absolutely could not allow the damn wolf to insult the father whom he so revered. Then, most importantly, he would not allow the obi of the girl in the painting to belong to someone else. He would surely have caught this bet, he would have made the ruler of this southern land train him, gag that big mouth and keep the obi in his hands.

Shura did not count how many hunted beasts he had hunted, until his nose caught the smell of two youkai moving towards him. His blood-red eyes immediately turned golden, he could feel the strangeness of the youkai approaching him, because from the smell, the two youkai were definitely not from the southern land palace.

The moment Shura's eyes managed to catch the two youkai's figure, she instantly knew, they were indeed not youkai from the southern land palace, and seen the smiles on their faces upon seeing him, she knew who they were.

"Look! It turned out that the news that the heir to the western lands went south was indeed true." Smile at one of the youkai. Their yellow-eyed form as well as the human body that is not so perfect because it has a certain organ that is longer, scaly skin, then, the tongue that protrudes when speaking, makes Shura know, and so on, they are both snake youkai.

"Yes. Our name and honor will surely rise if we succeed in decapitating him." Reply to another youkai while laughing.

Shura closed her eyes as soon as she heard what the two youkai said. Youkai who was after her life was common, because after all she was the son of Sesshoumaru, the ruler of the western lands. And at this time, for the two youkai in front of him who dared to come to kill him, he would not hesitate, because he was still not finished venting his anger.

The moment Shura opened his two eyes again, his golden eyeballs had been replaced with blood red eyeballs. Without wasting any time, with a claw in his hand, he jumped up to attack.

....xoxOx....

Akihiko could sense that there were unknown youkai daring to enter his territory, and when he sensed the two youkai moving closer to Shura, he immediately ran towards where Shura was, because, he knew, he was, those youkai-youkai must have been assassins aiming for the life of the western land heir. He could not allow Shura to get injured or die in his place, because if that really happened, war would break out again. However, most importantly, how could he let Shura face danger, as the life of the western land heir was a life that 'He' desperately defended regardless of anything.

In her heart, Akihiko could only hope that Shura could survive until she arrived at her place. However, the moment he arrived at where Shura was, his sky blue eyes instantly widened. He was very stunned to see what was happening in front of him just now.

Under the blue sky, under a hundred-year-old tree whose leaves had begun to fall, Shura stood proud with her bloodstained body. From the smell, Akhihiko immediately knew that the blood on his body was not the blood of the heirs of the western land, but the blood of the youkai that came hunting him was the blood of two serpent youkai that had been lying lifeless at his feet. The scene in front of him was an unsightly sight, although it was also undeniable for him; it was very beautiful.

A feeling of admiration and salute appeared in Akihiko's heart upon seeing Shura. Even though he was a child, he was already so strong. Undoubtedly, one day, the little youkai in front of him would definitely grow into a very, very powerful youkai. Youkai who will be feared and respected opponents and friends. A dangerous youkai, a heartless youkai like his father before discovering 'He' which is a miracle in the world.

....xoxOx....