Kagura didn't press him about Monk Shinsen . Instead, as if recalling something unpleasant, her pink eyes narrowed at Kagetsu .
"Back at Mount Hakurei… if Kanna hadn't intervened, I would've been killed by you."
"Aren't you standing here just fine?" Kagetsu waved it off with a faint smile. "I already gave Kanna a heads-up before making a move."
"Tch." Kagura rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed despite knowing he was telling the truth.
Kagetsu shifted the topic casually.
"You still haven't gotten your heart back?"
At that, Kagura's expression fell instantly. She let out a frustrated sigh.
"No. Naraku's far too cautious. I can't find any opening."
Kagetsu studied her for a moment before speaking.
"Then maybe you're being too cautious. You said he uses your heart to threaten you, right? Why not provoke him on purpose? Force him to take it out again… then snatch it back."
He patted his chest lightly.
"As long as you get your heart, I guarantee you'll escape safely."
Kagura hesitated.
Freedom… or death before reaching it.
Her eyes flickered with conflict.
Sensing her wavering resolve, Kagetsu pressed further:
"Better yet,use this opportunity. Kill Hakudoshi."
"When you lead him to me, I'll take care of him. After that, Naraku will definitely suspect you. Provoke him, force him to use your heart against you again,and that's your chance."
He smiled faintly.
"Well? Sounds workable, doesn't it?"
Kagura clenched her teeth. After a long pause, she nodded.
"…Fine. I'll do it."
"That's more like it." Kagetsu nodded. "I'll be at the shrine. Leave me a message when the time comes."
Seeing her tense, almost fatalistic expression, he couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
For someone so sharp-tongued, she was surprisingly timid at the core.
He reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a syringe.
"Come here. Give me some blood."
Kagura frowned. "Why?"
"In case you die,I can bring you back."
She narrowed her eyes.
"A real resurrection? Not like those corpses from the Band of Seven?"
"A complete one," he replied calmly.
Still skeptical, Kagura extended her arm. Kagetsu wasted no time drawing a small vial of blood.
"Good," he said, sealing it into a scroll. "Now go earn your freedom."
"Spare me the motivational speech." Kagura snorted.
She turned to leave, but he suddenly noticed the kimono in her hand.
"That's for Hakudoshi?"
"Yeah."
"Give it here."
Before she could object, he took it, discreetly placed a Flying Thunder God mark on it, and handed it back.
"Done."
Kagura's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…You didn't do something to me too, did you?"
She immediately checked herself carefully.
Kagetsu spread his hands innocently.
"We're allies. Why would I do that?"
"Like I'd believe you."
Even after checking thoroughly and finding nothing, her suspicion didn't fade.
Still, she had no proof.
Clicking her tongue, she summoned her feather and stepped onto it.
Before leaving, she paused.
"By the way,Hakudoshi is planning to take Kagome's Shikon Jewel shards."
Kagetsu 's lips curved into a subtle smile.
"Let him."
Kagura blinked.
"If he fails," he continued, "help him succeed. Make sure the shards reach Naraku."
Understanding dawned instantly.
Something had clearly been done to those shards.
"…Got it."
She gave him a long look, then rode the wind into the distance.
Kagetsu turned toward the corner of the shrine.
"Stop eavesdropping. Get back to training,or I'll tell Kikyo."
Yuzuki, who had been peeking out, stuck out her tongue and hurried back to her practice.
Under Kikyo's guidance, her progress had been rapid. She could now handle weaker demons on her own.
Meanwhile… above the sea
Riding on Entei, Kagetsu and Kikyo soared across the open ocean.
The version at the shrine earlier had only been a shadow clone.
"Mount Penglai… it should be somewhere here?" Kagetsu looked down at the endless sea below.
"Mm." Kikyo nodded. "It appears only once every few decades, shrouded in mist."
A distant memory surfaced in her eyes.
"I came here once, fifty years ago… with Inuyasha."
"We only stayed briefly before demons attacked. Not long after, the island vanished again."
She paused.
"There were half-demon children there… They said the island was ruled by four demons,the Shitoshin."
"One of them attacked us back then."
"I see." Kagetsu nodded, scanning the ocean with his Rinnegan.
"Let's get closer," he said, patting Entei.
The demon horse obeyed instantly, descending toward the sea.
Kikyo glanced at him curiously.
"Why are you suddenly interested in Mount Penglai?"
Kagetsu smiled faintly.
"It's a perfect place to settle."
"As for those 'gods'…"
His tone turned cold.
"I'll just kill them."
Kikyo blinked in surprise.
"You want to move there? But the island disappears. If we go, we might be trapped for decades."
"Then we solve that problem too," Kagetsu replied calmly.
"First, we take the island."
His Rinnegan glowed faintly as he scanned the ocean for any distortion in space or chakra.
The hunt had begun.