Disclaimer: I may own a super kawaii Inuyasha plushy that gets molested everyday, but I do not own the rights to him in any way. So if you sue me, good for you, but you won't get MY Inuyasha too! Kukukuku!

AN: Okay so this fanfic has been up on for about five years now, I dunno it's been a while but I started writing this when I was in 10th grade, and soon I will be a junior in college so this story, as one might expect, needs some clean up work. My writing style has changed a lot over the years (I hope lol) and so I feel I should re-write the whole thing, not from scratch, but I want to fix things up and add more detail. So if any of you who had read this ages ago even remember it, it's going to be better than it was before and I am going to finish it. Yes, you heard right. The end is near! Muahahaha. Ahem, so, for those of you who are new to this story, it's an AU fic, it takes place in Inuyasha's rightful era, however the characters all have very different roles, Kagome does not come from the future, ect. ect. This prologue has been revised to fit my new and improved writing style. So with that said, please read on and leave me some reviews, every writer needs some appreciation for their work! hehe

Japanese Translations: These are words that will be used throughout the story, so learn them well (if you don't already know them), since this is the only chapter they'll be posted in.

Sengoku Jidai- Warring states era of Japan lasting from the 1500s to 1700s.
Nogareru- Break away.
Saizen- Best.
Edo- The place in Japan currently known as Tokyo.
Taijiya- A name for those who hunt demons.
Kimono/Obi/Hakama/Haori- Japanese clothing.
Ohayou- Good morning.
Ano- Um/uhh.
Nee-chan- Sister.
Konnichiwa- Hello.
Miko- Priestess/shrine maiden.
Youkai- Demon.
Hanyou- Half-Demon.
Sokubaku- Bond.
Kinryoku- Sanctuary.
Hai- Yes.
Inu- Dog.
Neko- Cat.
Mou- Geez.
Futon- Bedding that can be rolled up for easy storage.
Gomen (nasai)- I'm sorry.
Arigatou (gozaimasu)- Thank you.
Nani?- What?
Demo- But.
Honto (ni)?- Really?
Osuwari- Sit (used for dogs only).
Todomaru- Stay.
Keh- Feh.
Baka- Idiot.
Kui- Japanese sound effect in Inuyasha volume one of the manga when Kagome feels his cute, furry little ears. Aww!

Inuyasha Plushy: Keh. Will you get on with the story already?

Otaku-Chan n.n: Holy smokes! He spoke! Now I KNOW I overdosed on Doritos!

Inuyasha Plushy: Serves you right, baka.

Otaku-Chan n.n: AHEM! Anyway...promptly 'sits' the arrogant plushy Let's begin the story, shall we? o.o

Nogareru: Break Away

By Otaku-Chan

.:.Prologue.:.

During the Sengoku Jidai, Japan was wracked with chaotic upheavals and conflicts as the country struggled to gain unification. During this time youkai also reigned supreme, terrorizing weak and helpless humans, and easily taking out the strongest ones with their myriad of elemental and supernatural powers. It was inevitable that after several centuries of bloodshed between humans and youkai, many human groups came together to form an offense and defense against the onslaught of youkai attacks. From these unifications came five villages full of brave people who, above all else, loathe all youkai and wish only to exterminate them. These people have trained themselves to withstand almost any hardships and face the most terrifying and powerful of youkai. These people are known as youkai taijiya.

Deep in the pristine wilderness near Edo, in Musashi's domain, is where these five villages lay. It is here that Japan's most feared groups of youkai taijiya reside in their own complex societies designed to ensure their livelihoods. The inhabitants of these villages run the gamut from those who slay youkai for sport, to those who feel it is an important duty for the protection of mankind. These people live their lives according to strict rules and morals, which, if broken, lead to serious consequences...

The most well known of these taijiya villages goes by the name of Saizen, because its people are truly the best and most skilled at what they do. As newer technologies become available to the taijiya there, they became capable of hunting youkai as strong as the great Inu Taishou, the deceased inu youkai that staked out his domain in the Western Lands many hundreds of years before the taijiya came to power. Now, youkai that once ruled over weak humans have a reason to fear for their lives. Youkai are also fearful of the intense spiritual force emitted by a guild of powerful mikos that came from all over Japan to reside within Saizen. These mikos specialize in purifying youkai, sealing them, exorcising people from evil spirits, and of course, helping the village people stay fit and healthy after long days of battling youkai. They also play a major role in the governmental aspects of the village, holding a higher status than most.

Over a course of three hundred years, slavery of youkai has been permitted to a certain extent within the village, but only to those of high rank by the youkai hunting standards. Once a taijiya has captured a youkai deemed worthy enough to live as a slave, the mikos are called upon by the head of all the taijiya to perform a sacred ceremony to bond that youkai to their new master. Some high ranking mikos also own their own youkai slaves. Therefore, this binding ceremony has been named Sokubaku. This in turn has led to much turmoil among enslaved youkai whose powers are sealed by strong binding spells cast by the mikos. If any enslaved youkai ever rebel against their master in any way, the laws allow that they be put to death. Several youkai have used this law as a way to escape their slavery, finding that death is far better than being held captive at the whim of humans.

However, three hundred years was a long time for resentment to grow amongst some of the taijiya and mikos. In the past century, after enduring the sadistic slavery and slaughter on youkai, these taijiya and mikos have seen that humans have achieved their revenge and have taken it too far for too long. They saw the need for change. Those people were banned from Saizen and branded as traitors who, if ever caught, would be swiftly executed. These outcasts worked together to form their own village, which became known as Kinryoku, the 'sanctuary' for youkai that have escaped from being hunted. It also serves as a refuge to those who escape from any of the other taijiya villages seeking a place of peace from all of the chaos of constant battles and social struggles. Hanyous, born of human and youkai blood, are also received into this village. They are especially vulnerable to attacks by taijiya because taijiya radicals decree that hanyous are the lowest of life forms and a sin since youkai and humans should not interbreed. Therefore, hanyous are often tortured and executed publicly to set an example to anyone who might acquire feelings for a youkai. Being in Kinryoku is perhaps their only chance for survival...

Yet the plot thickens. Recently, moral and ethical disputes have erupted into acts of violence on all three sides. The taijiya, the youkai, and the neutrals from the 'sanctuary.' It began over an issue of slavery. A high ranked youkai taijiya had captured a hanyou that originally belonged to the inu youkai clan. The head taijiya had decreed that the hanyou be put to death immediately. However, spies sent from Kinryoku often hide among the taijiya villages to learn of any new developments. During that same evening, one of those spies had released the hanyou from its confinement and sneaked it out of dangerous territory and into Kinryoku. Early the next morning, when the rest of the taijiya villagers discovered this, they instantly knew who to blame, and thus a triangular conflict had begun, which ultimately has broken Kinryoku out of its neutrality and set them up to battle against the youkai taijiya villages. And so, the youkai taijiya leader has declared that anyone from Kinryoku is to be executed. Now the spies from Kinryoku realize that they must be extra careful, since their lives are at stake.

It seems a new age of chaos is beginning, and a new war will be waged between the taijiya, youkai, and those of the 'sanctuary'... but can anyone heal the century old wounds of a bloody past and lead youkai and humans to peace?

This is where it all begins...