Hearing Tsubaki's words, everyone froze for a moment, their gazes turning in unison toward Kikyo, eyes filled with confusion. None of them understood why she had spared her.
Inuyasha slid Tessaiga back into its sheath, about to ask, when Kagome suddenly cried out in alarm.
"The Shikon Jewel is gone!"
"What?!" Inuyasha's attention snapped back instantly. He stared at Tsubaki. "Tsubaki, where's the Jewel?!"
At the mention of the Shikon Jewel, Tsubaki immediately recalled how she had been deceived. She clenched her fists and ground her teeth.
"Naraku stole it! That bastard tricked me! I'll never forgive him!"
"Naraku again…" Inuyasha slammed his fist in frustration. "Damn it! He got away with it again."
"Sigh… We worked all night, and in the end Naraku played us like fools. We got nothing." Miroku sighed helplessly.
"Hmph. That bastard actually dared to fool me."
A cold smile appeared on Tsubaki's lips, calculation flashing in her eyes.
"Did he really think that a curse priestess like me wouldn't prepare something in advance?"
"Tsubaki-sama, may I ask what you plan to do?" Miroku immediately changed his tone, becoming polite and flattering, as if they hadn't just been enemies moments ago.
"Monk, I quite like that personality of yours." Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, studying him with amusement.
"Is Miroku thinking about having her bear his children again?" Shippo muttered quietly from Kagome's shoulder. Unfortunately, in the stillness of the night, everyone heard him clearly.
"Oh? You want to have children with me?"
Tsubaki blinked, then slowly scanned Miroku up and down, a teasing smile forming.
"With such a handsome monk, I wouldn't mind at all~"
"A-Ah, no need!" Miroku waved his hands awkwardly.
Though he did want beautiful women to help continue his family line, having children with a priestess older than Kaede was… absolutely out of the question.
"What a shame." Tsubaki sighed theatrically.
But when she noticed Kikyo's icy gaze, she immediately stopped joking. Reaching into her sleeve, she pulled out a small paper doll folded from talisman paper.
With a cold laugh, she said,
"When Naraku came to see me before, I secretly used his demonic aura to make this curse proxy. It can be used to place a curse on him."
"Curse Naraku? With your strength, you can't pull that off." Kikyo said bluntly.
"Kikyo!"
Tsubaki's face flushed red. She was furious, yet didn't dare lash out. Knowing she was no match for Kikyo now, she could only snort in dissatisfaction.
Kikyo ignored her outburst and took the paper doll, examining it carefully.
Kagome leaned closer, glancing at Tsubaki in curiosity.
"Weren't you working with Naraku? Why would you curse him?"
"Hmph."
Tsubaki shot her an annoyed look but still answered honestly.
"Anyone who seeks out a curse priestess like me is no good.
Every time I cooperate with someone, I secretly take something connected to them and make a curse proxy. That way, they can't cheat me or silence me afterward."
"Huh. At least you know you're not a good person." Inuyasha said in surprise.
Tsubaki snorted, offering no rebuttal.
"All right."
Kikyo suddenly stopped adjusting the talisman. She tossed a small wooden doll, a few inches tall, to Kagome.
"I've modified the curse technique and embedded it into this doll.
If Naraku's aura appears nearby, it will react. If you pour your spiritual power into it, it will point in his direction—though it won't work from too far away."
This wooden doll had been crafted by Uchiha Retsu at Kikyo's request.
Many shrine techniques required such dolls, but making them was time-consuming.
After discovering that Retsu could create objects with Wood Release, Kikyo had asked him to make many of these in advance and kept them on hand for convenience.
"It can find Naraku?" Kagome's eyes lit up. "That's amazing!"
She poured spiritual power into it experimentally. The doll immediately stood up in her palm, swayed from side to side, sensed nothing, and slowly collapsed again.
"That's so cool!"
Holding the doll like a new toy, Kagome's eyes sparkled.
Tsubaki curled her lips in disdain.
"It's just a spirit-seeking curse doll. You really don't know anything, brat."
Though she was a dark priestess, Tsubaki came from an orthodox lineage far more prestigious than Kikyo's village shrine background.
That was one reason she had always resented Kikyo. Naturally, she recognized the doll's nature at a glance.
"But for Kikyo-sama to complete such a doll so quickly… that's truly impressive," Miroku said sincerely.
"Tch."
Even Tsubaki knew the difficulty of making such a doll. She turned her head away, unable to refute him.
"All right."
Seeing that Kagome could now use the doll, Kikyo turned back to Tsubaki, her gaze sharpening.
"Naraku and the Shikon Jewel are Inuyasha's problem now. It's time to deal with you."
"Do whatever you want—kill me if you like!"
Tsubaki felt uneasy under Kikyo's stare but forced herself to lift her chin defiantly.
"To keep you from causing trouble, I'll seal your spiritual and demonic power first," Kikyo muttered softly.
"I won't run away!"
Though she very much wanted to, Tsubaki still argued stubbornly.
Kikyo ignored her. She took out a wooden kunai from beneath her robes and snapped it in half.
Crack.
A faint glow flashed from the sealing pattern inside.
In the next instant, Uchiha Retsu appeared beside Kikyo.
"Kikyo, are you in danger?" he asked.
"No."
Seeing him, Kikyo smiled slightly and pointed at the stunned Tsubaki.
"Her name is Tsubaki. We fought fifty years ago. I'd like you to seal her spiritual and demonic power so she can't escape."
Retsu looked at Tsubaki.
Though she appeared disheveled, she was undeniably beautiful.
If he hadn't known the story, he would never have guessed she was around seventy years old.
The phrase "a woman's age is a mystery" fit her perfectly.
Both she and Kikyo were priestesses, yet they gave him completely different impressions.
If Kikyo was a radiant saint, then Tsubaki was a dark sorceress.
One in white, one in black—standing together, they formed a strangely striking contrast.
Retsu had assumed she would be killed by Inuyasha, just like in the original story. He hadn't expected her to be captured instead.
"Alright."
Though he didn't know why Kikyo wanted to keep her alive, he nodded without hesitation.
Even if Kikyo wanted to keep her as a servant, he wouldn't mind.
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