"I… did it…"
A faint, relieved smile appeared on Monk Shinsen 's face as he gazed at the infant split cleanly in two.
The next moment, his head slumped forward.
The light in his eyes faded completely.
The hand gripping the vajra slipped from his chest, and the golden weapon fell to the ground with a dull clatter.
Kagura stared at the lifeless body of Shinsen ,and then at the severed infant beside him.
Only now did it sink in.
They had been tricked.
By a dying old monk.
"This… this is bad, isn't it…?"
She stood frozen, pink eyes blank, completely at a loss for what to do.
After a long moment, she hurriedly crouched down, grabbing the two halves of the infant's body.
Without wasting another second, she tossed out her feather, stepped onto it, and took off into the sky.
As she flew, Kagura frowned deeply, already dreading how she would explain this to Naraku.
Before she could figure it out, several Mōryōmaru appeared ahead, circling her.
She clicked her tongue.
"Of course… surveillance."
Understanding they were guiding her, she reluctantly followed.
Soon, they led her to the edge of a cliff.
There, standing quietly as if she had been waiting all along, was Kanna.
"Kanna… Naraku sent you?" Kagura asked as she landed.
Kanna gave a small, silent nod.
With a sigh, Kagura dropped the two halves of the corpse onto the ground.
"Well… this is how it turned out."
Kanna didn't respond. She simply stood there, expression blank.
Kagura frowned slightly.
"…You're not here to punish me, are you?"
Still no answer.
Instead, Kanna bent down, picked up one half of the body, and turned to leave.
"Hey,wait! There's still another half!" Kagura called out.
Kanna paused, glancing back.
"Kagura," she said flatly, "you will guard this half."
And just like that, she walked away, her figure gradually fading into the distance.
Kagura stared at the remaining half on the ground.
"…Seriously?"
With a helpless sigh, she picked it up and carried it to a nearby cave.
She tossed it down carelessly and sat against the wall, frowning at it.
"What am I supposed to do with this thing? It's not even breathing. What's the point of keeping it?"
Just then,
She noticed something.
The Mōryōmaru that had been monitoring her… were gone.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
This was her chance.
For so long, she had been forced to babysit that brat,ordered around without rest. Now that he was dead and the surveillance was gone…
She could finally leave.
A slow smile crept onto her lips as she stood.
But just as she was about to act,
The corpse moved.
"…Huh?"
Kagura froze, then leaned closer.
"Hey… you're not still alive, are you?"
There was no reply.
But the half-body began to change.
Flesh writhed. Bones shifted.
It began to grow,rapidly, visibly.
A powerful heartbeat echoed through the cave, growing louder and stronger with each passing second.
A dense, suffocating evil aura poured out, filling the entire space.
"…So you are alive."
Kagura's expression hardened as she stepped back, gripping her folding fan tightly.
Soon,
A pale arm pushed out from beneath the cloth.
Then,
A white-haired youth slowly sat up.
His body was bare, his aura thick with lingering malice, though it was gradually settling.
Kagura narrowed her eyes.
"…Who are you?"
The youth lifted his head.
His pale purple eyes were cold,empty of warmth, yet filled with authority.
"Hakudoshi."
Hakudoshi spoke his name calmly.
Then, without hesitation:
"Kagura. Go get me some clothes."
"…Excuse me?"
Irritation flared instantly in Kagura's eyes.
All the frustration she had been holding in,being treated like a servant, ordered around by a child,boiled over.
She tightened her grip on her fan.
A flicker of killing intent flashed through her gaze.
But,
"Hakudoshi's" eyes locked onto hers.
Cold. Sharp. Unforgiving.
"Kagura," he said quietly, "I know exactly what you're thinking."
A chill ran down her spine.
"Don't let there be a next time."
Kagura clenched her teeth.
"…Yeah, yeah. I get it."
With clear reluctance, she turned and stormed out of the cave.
"Wait."
Hakudoshi's voice stopped her just before she exited.
"While you're at it, find Inuyasha and the others. Retrieve the Shikon Jewel shards they carry."
Kagura didn't even turn around.
"Got it, got it! You're really good at bossing people around, you know that?"
With a flick, she summoned her feather and shot off into the sky.
Only after she had flown far enough,certain she was beyond Hakudoshi's perception,
Did her expression darken.
She glanced back toward the cave, killing intent flickering in her eyes.
Then,
She changed direction.
Along the way, Kagura descended upon a feudal lord's castle.
The guards barely had time to react before they were cut down by slicing winds.
She grabbed a suitable kimono, then vanished like a gust before reinforcements could arrive.
But,
She didn't return to the cave.
And she didn't go after Inuyasha either.
Instead, she flew straight toward another destination.
Soon, a familiar shrine came into view.
Without hesitation, she passed through the barrier and landed in the courtyard.
"Kagura? Long time no see."
Kagetsu stepped out from the main hall, looking at her with a faint, teasing smile.
"I thought Naraku had already killed you."
"I'm not free yet," Kagura shot back with a roll of her eyes. "Why would I die so easily?"
Her gaze swept the area.
"That woman,Kikyo,not here?"
"She's out. Looking for her?" Kagetsu asked casually.
Kagura waved it off.
"No. I don't like her."
Then her tone turned serious.
"Kagetsu ,I need your help killing someone."
Kagetsu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Since when do you need help? I don't remember you being so merciful."
"A brat," Kagura said through clenched teeth. "His name is Hakudoshi."
"He's one of Naraku's incarnations,formed after another incarnation was split in half."
"…Hakudoshi?"
Kagetsu 's eyes flickered slightly.
Of course he knew.
That was the form born from one half of Naraku's heart,Akago.
But outwardly, he only looked mildly curious.
"Another incarnation? Who managed to cut him in half?"
"It was that infant Naraku created at Mount Hakurei," Kagura said with clear irritation. "I was stuck babysitting him for ages. But then,an old monk split him in two before dying."
"And after that… he turned into this annoying brat."
"…A monk?"
Kagetsu asked lightly.
"Was it someone named Shinsen ?"
Kagura blinked, surprised.
"…How did you know?"
"Just a guess."
Kagetsu shrugged.
But inwardly,
He felt a faint ripple of emotion.
He hadn't expected that the old monk he had encountered not long ago…Would be gone so soon.