"Alright, it's over. I should get going."
Watching Inuyasha lower his head, lost in thought with a conflicted expression, Uchiha Kasage turned to leave.
"Before I go, I'll give you one piece of information about Naraku."
He deactivated Sage Mode, paused briefly, and glanced back at Kagome and the others.
"That man named Naraku… is a half-yokai, just like Inuyasha."
"A half-yokai?!" Kagome and Miroku's eyes widened at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief.
Kasage nodded. Combining what he had sensed through Sage Mode with the knowledge from his memories, he continued:
"But he's not exactly the same. Although he carries a human scent, he's more like a grotesque mixture of countless yokai and malicious energies."
"Most likely, he was once a human who craved yokai power. Under the influence of dark forces, he was consumed and fused with numerous low-level yokai, becoming a monster."
"Heh… only trash pieced together from such filth would crave the power of the Shikon Jewel so desperately."
After that final mocking remark, Kasage said nothing more. His figure blurred into an afterimage and disappeared into the depths of the forest.
"So strong!" Shippo exclaimed, staring in the direction Kasage had vanished, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Tch, what an arrogant guy!" Inuyasha snorted. "Isn't he also collecting Shikon Jewel shards? What's he so proud of?!"
"Inuyasha… it seems like the shards Kasage collected have always just been kept in that bag on his back. He's never used them," Kagome said with a thoughtful expression. "And I keep feeling like he's using the jewel's aura to attract something…"
"Kagome, how do you know that?" Inuyasha asked, confused.
"Because he must have done something to the shards."
Kagome closed her eyes and focused carefully for a moment before opening them again.
"I can clearly sense the aura of the Shikon Jewel from him. There are eight shards in total."
"Couldn't you always sense the jewel's aura?" Inuyasha asked, puzzled.
"No… this is much clearer than before. It's like…" Kagome frowned, then suddenly brightened.
"It's like instant noodles! When the lid is closed, the smell is faint—but once you open it, the aroma spreads immediately!"
"Oh! I get it!" Inuyasha snapped his fingers. "He must be deliberately amplifying the Shikon Jewel's aura to attract yokai who want it!"
"But why can't I sense it? Inuyasha, can you?" Shippo asked.
"I—of course I can!" Inuyasha froze for a moment before answering quickly.
"Inuyasha, you're lying!" Shippo exposed him without hesitation.
"…Shippo!" Inuyasha's eyes turned dangerous, scaring Shippo into hiding behind Kagome.
"Based on what Kasage said earlier, perhaps this amplified aura can only be sensed by yokai with malicious intent," Miroku said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Not far away, Uchiha Kasage, who hadn't gone very far, overheard their conversation. A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
Kagome's intuition was correct.
He had indeed used a sealing technique on the bamboo container holding the Shikon Jewel shards, creating a formula that amplified their aura.
Originally, he did it to lure in yokai with ill intentions. Since creating it, his efficiency in harvesting Life Force had increased dramatically.
By now, he had already accumulated enough Life Force to resurrect himself twice.
At this point, continuing to use the Shikon Jewel to attract yokai was purely out of boredom—just to kill a few and hone his skills.
If he didn't want to be disturbed, he could simply seal the shards' aura completely. Then no yokai would come looking for him. Simple and efficient.
After leaving Inuyasha and the others, Kasage thought for a moment and decided to find a quiet place to rest before going to look for Kikyo.
He had already met the main characters—Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo.
Now, he definitely needed to find Kikyo, who had been resurrected.
According to the storyline he remembered, Sesshomaru received the arm from Naraku shortly after Kikyo's resurrection, and Miroku joined Inuyasha's group afterward.
In other words, Kikyo should already be alive—but her exact location was unknown.
"Whatever. At worst, I'll just use Sage Mode for a large-scale search."
Kasage shrugged. He couldn't recall many details—only that Kikyo's first appearance after her resurrection had been near a certain village.
"In any case, Inuyasha and the others don't move around too widely. They often return to Kaede's village. If I keep searching, I'll find her eventually."
Just as he was planning his next move, his steps suddenly stopped.
The crimson Mangekyō Sharingan appeared instantly in his eyes, glowing with a terrifying red light in the dark forest as his gaze locked onto a spot behind a large tree ahead.
"So… I've been discovered?" A low voice echoed.
A figure wrapped in a baboon pelt cloak slowly stepped out from behind the tree.
The cloak completely concealed the figure's body, making it impossible to see its face. Only a faint, sinister aura could be felt.
"Hello, I am—"
Before the figure could finish speaking, its voice abruptly cut off.
Kasage had already vanished from his position in an instant.
A moment later, he reappeared behind it.
With his back turned to the puppet wrapped in the baboon pelt, the chakra condensed in his hand dissipated silently as he continued walking forward, as if nothing had happened.
"Trash that hides its head and shows its tail."
The moment those cold words fell, the motionless baboon cloak suddenly split cleanly in half.
With a dull thud, it fell to the ground.
There was no one inside.
It was merely a puppet controlled by yokai energy—not even a real clone.
From the very beginning, Kasage had no intention of wasting words.
Whether in his previous life or on the battlefields of the ninja world, he had never been someone who relied on schemes and intrigue.
The best way to deal with someone like Naraku—an old schemer who loved tricks and hiding in the shadows—was simple:
Strike directly.
By giving the opponent no chance to manipulate or set traps, and forcing the fight into a head-on confrontation—his area of expertise—he would never lose.
After eliminating Naraku's puppet, Kasage found a massive tree deep within the forest and leapt onto one of its high branches.
His hands formed seals rapidly.
"Wood Release: Four Pillar House Technique!"
Four thick wooden pillars instantly sprouted from the branch, intertwining and assembling themselves into a small, refined wooden house in the blink of an eye.
Kasage pushed the door open, stepped inside, and sat down.
He then entered a meditative state, cultivating Sage Mode once more.
For his Edo Tensei body, sleep was optional.
And with the night nearly over… he had no intention of wasting time.