JURORENMARU THE HUNTER

HE HAD BEEN WALKING FOR NEARLY THREE DAYS STRAIGHT, STOPPING ONLY to eat or relieve himself. During those three days, he had passed through several villages, many of which he had visited before. He recognized many of the people, people who had hired him before for different jobs.

Jurorenmaru was considered an oddity among demons; besides the fact that he lived by a certain code of honor – he never attacked civilians or children, be they humans or demons – and he worked for the highest bidder. He had worked for humans and demons alike, and had done so for nearly three hundred years. He had no home, he lived off the land, and he couldn't even begin to count how many wonderful nights he had with human women.

The sash he wore over his shoulder was filled with what was left of the wild boar he slaughtered last night for dinner. He was saving it for later, when he needed to eat again or in case he had to bargain for more supplies. He had already given most of the boar to a group of children he met in the woods yesterday, before he escorted them back to their village. Just because he was a demon didn't mean he had to be hateful of all humans. It helped that he looked like a human – he was wearing a green kimono with two broadswords strapped to his belt. He was wearing a pair of black boots on his feet, which he had bought off of a peddler five years ago; they had been worn down with all his walking and were in need of being replaced. Also strapped to his belt was a pair of small knives, which he primarily used for cleaning his meals, but he wasn't afraid to use them in a fight. Also hidden in his kimono were a number of items and weapons, including a set of shurikens he had gotten off of some ninja, along with a rope for various uses – climbing, fishing, or a tourniquet if the need were to arise. His white hair had been cut short a few weeks ago.

Jurorenmaru stopped at a small creek. He stopped down and scooped some water into his hand and took a drink. It was his first drink in two days; his canteen had run dry after he met those human children. The cool liquid felt good against his dry throat. He took another drink, before refilling his canteen. The water was surprisingly clear and clean, despite the fact that there was a battle just a few miles away; he could smell the blood in the air.

Humans and their wars….Jurorenmaru had gotten involved in one of their wars, and it was one of the ugliest experiences of his life. Humans, with no regard for the lives of others, be they man, woman, or child, sometimes killing simply for the sport of it all rather than for any good reason. But he fought in the war; he had been paid for it, after all.

Besides, despite how he may have felt towards humans in general at times, he had to admit that he felt a certain thrill whenever he went into battle. The adrenaline, the thrill, the excitement, it was what a bounty hunter lived for.

The last war he fought in was ten years ago, where he had been paid by a young daimyo to aid his armies in the hunt for a group of mercenaries known as the Band of Seven. The Band of Seven had slaughtered hundreds of innocents and soldiers alike with no remorse. Jurorenmaru took great pleasure in watching their heads fall from their bodies. And not only was he rewarded handsomely for the role he played in stopping the Band of Seven, but he also enjoyed the night he spent with the daimyo's harem.

Jurorenmaru stopped walking; he thought he heard something behind him. He took out his swords and turned around, but there was nothing there.

Must be imagining things, he thought. But what's this strange smell? It smells like a human, but a demon as well. A half-demon?

"You must be the bounty hunter I've heard about. Jurorenmaru, am I right?"

That voice….smooth. Suave. Smug.

And it was coming from behind him.

He turned around, keeping his swords out, to meet the owner of the voice. It was a white baboon – or rather, a white baboon pelt. There was a man underneath, a man who clearly didn't want to be seen clearly.

"Tell me I'm right," the man said.

"That depends," Jurorenmaru said. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

"I already said," the man said. "I've heard about you. I've heard about the wars you've fought in, I've heard about the bounties you've collected, and I would like to hire you to destroy my enemies."

"I don't work for just anyone, my man," Jurorenmaru said. "Especially if I don't know their names. Now, I ask again – who are you?"

"Of course. Call me Naraku."

"Naraku….Your name sounds familiar."

"You may have heard of me. I was once a bandit named Onigumo, who had been severely injured in a fire. I'm the result of Onigumo allowing hundreds of demons to take control of his body."

"That explains why I smelled a half-demon," Jurorenmaru said. He used one of his swords to move the pelt away from Naraku's head, revealing the face of a young man, his pupils red, his face stern. "You look more human than demon, other than the eyes."

"So I've been told. Now, Jurorenmaru, as I've said, I have a proposition you may be interested in."

"Proposition? Well, I'm willing to listen to anything, but I'll only accept if I feel that it's worth my time. What is it?"

Naraku finally removed his pelt, revealing his long black hair and his dark blue kimono with green and yellow designs stitched into it. He said nothing, just smiled.

"I'm waiting, Naraku," Jurorenmaru said; he was starting to get impatient. He was willing to hear any proposition, but if the prospective employer didn't talk, then he wasn't worth the time. "Are you going to speak, or should I continue on my way?"

"Yes, of course," Naraku said, not once losing that hint of smugness in his voice. He reached into his kimono. Jurorenmaru tensed up, not sure if Naraku was reaching for a weapon or not.

Instead of a weapon, Naraku produced a small, magenta crystal. "You know what this is, don't you?" he asked as he delicately held the crystal between his thumb and index finger.

"That's a shard of the Shikon Jewel, isn't it?" Jurorenmaru asked. He relaxed a little bit. "What makes you think I'd want that?"

"I have nothing else to offer you besides the Jewel," Naraku replied. He reached into his kimono again, this time pulling out a magenta sphere with a large chunk broken off of it. "Consider the shard a down payment. You'll get the rest of the Jewel once you finish the job."

"You still haven't said what this job is."

"There is a group of…bothersome troublemakers who have been giving me problems," Naraku said. "And I'd like you to get rid of them. There are three humans in this group – a monk, a Demon Slayer, and a young priestess – as well as a fox demon child and a certain half-demon. Don't take them lightly, Jurorenmaru. They're skilled."

"How skilled are we talking?" Jurorenmaru asked, his interest piqued.

"You don't have much to worry about the kitsune, other than his powers of deception and trickery. The half-demon is armed with a powerful sword that can slay a hundred at once. The priestess, she can purify any demonic aura, no matter how powerful. I'm sure you've heard of the Demon Slayers."

"They made a living doing that sort of thing," Jurorenmaru said. "I've dealt with them in the past, both as allies and enemies. What about the monk?"

"Beware the Wind Tunnel."

"Wind Tunnel?"

"A void in his right hand. It pulls everything in, and once it goes in, it doesn't come out. Oh, and I almost forgot about the Demon Slayer's nekomata."

"A Demon Slayer traveling with two demons and a half-demon? Seems a bit contradictory."

"I'll second that one," Naraku said. "So, do we have a deal?"

Jurorenmaru wasn't entirely sure. He knew nothing about this Naraku fellow, nor did he know anything about his enemies. But he knew about the Jewel, how it enhanced a demon's powers. But he also knew how it corrupted one's mind, how it sometimes turned a person or demon to insanity. Even so, it was too good a prize to pass up, but he still had his reservations.

"I'm a little wary, knowing that at least one of my targets is a woman."

"If you're uncomfortable, I can always take my services elsewhere," Naraku said.

"I never said I was uncomfortable," Jurorenmaru retorted. "I've hunted women before, in more ways than one, for various reasons – I'm sure you can think of a few. I'll take out however many women are in this group." He reached out for the Jewel shard. "You said this is just a down payment, right?"

"That's correct," Naraku said as he pulled the shard back, away from Jurorenmaru. "But you won't be going alone. I'll be sending my…colleagues along with you."

"I don't need any help," Jurorenmaru said.

"I never said they were going to help you," Naraku said. He reached into the sleeve of his kimono and pulled out a brown ball. "Take this hive of Saimyosho. They will be your eyes and ears."

"Spies. I see."

"Also…." He pointed. Jurorenmaru followed Naraku's finger; standing nearby was a beautiful woman with short black hair and wearing a white kimono with red highlights, and a young boy in black armor with blue shoulder and knee pads.

"A woman? And a little boy?"

"Kagura, Kohaku, go with Jurorenmaru," Naraku said. "Keep an eye on him." He handed the shard to Jurorenmaru. "Make sure he doesn't run off with this shard."

"You don't trust me, am I right?" Jurorenmaru. He put his swords away and took the shard from Naraku. "Well, not that I blame you. It's wise to not trust anyone you don't know." He glanced over to Kagura and Kohaku. "That boy….He's a Demon Slayer, isn't he? I'd recognize that armor anywhere."

"Oh, this boy?" Kagura asked. Like Naraku, her voice was smooth and smug, and rather seductive. "Don't worry about him; he doesn't remember any of that."

Amnesia? Jurorenmaru silently wondered. Or perhaps Naraku's manipulating his memories somehow? Either one is certainly possible. He turned back to Naraku. "I'll expect the rest of the Jewel once I've completed the job."

"You'll get the Jewel when you show me evidence of my enemies' demise," Naraku said.

"How about their heads? Or their weapons as trophies?"

"Their heads will do," Kagura said. She tapped her folded fan against her shoulder. "What do you think, Naraku?"

Naraku nodded. "That will do, Jurorenmaru. That will do."

Jurorenmaru nodded. "If you'll excuse me, my friend, I'll get to work." He pushed past Naraku, taking the hive as he went, and began to mentally prepare himself for battle.