At that moment, Kikyo had already left the place where she met Inuyasha and Kagome. She walked alone along a quiet forest path.
The night painted her miko robes in colder, lonelier shades, while only the occasional chirping of insects broke the silence.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Looking up at the dense branches above, she spoke calmly, her voice steady and emotionless:
"Come out. Stop hiding."
"How did you find me?"
A ghostlike figure appeared beside her—**Uchiha Kasage**—his tone curious.
"I left a small marker on you, so I can find you at any time."
Kikyo showed no surprise at his sudden appearance. She continued walking, her tone indifferent, hiding nothing.
"So you really did something like that behind my back!"
Kasage spoke with exaggerated indignation, while patting himself down as if searching for the "thing."
After examining himself carefully, he indeed found a small, exquisitely crafted paper crane inside his ninja tool pouch.
"Hmph, as if you haven't done something similar yourself."
Kikyo glanced at him sideways, a faint trace of disdain in her voice.
"Ahaha… have I?"
Caught off guard, Kasage scratched his head and forced a casual excuse.
"I was just worried you might run into danger."
Kikyo didn't bother responding. Without slowing down, she continued forward.
Kasage fiddled with the paper crane for a moment before casually putting it back into his pouch.
He didn't fully understand its purpose, but it might prove useful someday. There was no need to discard it.
Watching Kikyo's unwavering steps, he had already formed a guess—she was most likely heading to Kaede's village to uncover the truth about Naraku from fifty years ago.
This path indeed led there, and the distance wasn't great, but he still asked:
"Where are you going? And why?"
"To find my younger sister and confirm the truth behind my death fifty years ago," Kikyo replied briefly.
Having confirmed his suspicion, Kasage placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll take you there. Walking is too slow."
Before his words fully faded, he activated the **Flying Thunder God Technique**.
In an instant, their figures vanished.
---
When they reappeared, they stood within a familiar forest. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting shadows across the ground.
"Where is this?" Kikyo asked, a hint of familiarity flickering in her eyes.
"The forest where you sealed Inuyasha."
Kasage raised a hand and pointed toward a towering sacred tree nearby.
"I came here before and left a Flying Thunder God mark on one of the trees."
"So… this place…"
Kikyo paused briefly, clearly not expecting to be brought somewhere filled with such memories.
After identifying the direction, she began walking toward Kaede's village again.
"Is that the Flying Thunder God Technique?" she asked. "It can teleport this far? Can you go anywhere?"
"In theory, yes," Kasage replied as he walked beside her.
"But the farther the distance, the more chakra it consumes. And I need to leave a mark beforehand. Without it, teleportation isn't possible."
"Can you place a mark anywhere?"
Kikyo suddenly stopped and turned to him.
"Did you leave one on me as well?"
"…Yes, I did."
Kasage didn't try to hide it and admitted it plainly.
"Mm."
Kikyo simply nodded, showing no further reaction, and continued walking.
---
Soon, the two arrived at Kaede's village and stopped in front of a simple wooden hut.
Without hesitation, Kikyo lifted the straw curtain and walked inside.
Her movements weren't gentle, immediately waking the deeply sleeping Kaede.
"Sister… Kikyo…"
Kaede jolted awake. In the moonlight streaming through the window, she clearly saw Kikyo standing at the entrance. She sat up instantly, disbelief filling her voice.
"What? Are you afraid of your own sister, Kaede?" Kikyo asked flatly, observing her reaction.
"N-no! That's not it!"
Kaede hurried to explain.
"I only heard that you fell from the cliff… I thought you were already…"
"Well, it's only natural," Kasage's voice came from behind Kikyo as he stepped inside.
"If someone sees their sister—dead for fifty years—standing in front of them in the middle of the night… it would scare anyone."
He smiled lightly as he spoke.
Kaede looked at this unfamiliar man, her caution rising.
"Sister Kikyo, who is he?"
"Uchiha Kasage. A ninja."
Kikyo answered briefly, offering nothing more.
Seeing her unwillingness to elaborate, Kaede didn't press further.
Instead, she looked at Kikyo with a complicated expression.
"Sister… do you still intend to kill Inuyasha?"
"I've already met him," Kikyo replied calmly.
"And that girl, Kagome. That matter has been resolved."
"Re… resolved?"
Kaede's eyes widened in shock.
"Sister… did you kill Inuyasha?"
"…Kaede, have you grown old and confused?"
Kikyo looked at her, slightly speechless.
"No. We only talked. He is with Kagome—alive and well."
"That's good… that's good…"
Kaede let out a long breath of relief.
She had truly feared Kikyo might act on her past resentment.
After studying Kikyo carefully, she spoke again:
"Sister… you seem different."
"There have been some changes."
Kikyo placed a hand on her chest, sensing the flow of chakra and spiritual power within her.
She nodded slightly, but didn't explain further.
Then her expression turned serious.
"Kaede. Tell me everything you know… about what happened fifty years ago."
"Is this about Naraku?"
Kaede paused briefly, then stood up and lit the hearth in the center of the room.
The flames flickered, illuminating her aged face.
She glanced at Kasage, who stood quietly to the side. Seeing he had no intention of interrupting, she began:
"It all started with Onigumo's twisted desires. He offered his body to countless yokai… and in the end, Naraku was born from that."
As she listened, understanding gradually appeared in Kikyo's eyes.
"So it was that bandit…"
"That's right," Kaede nodded.
"He even said that the Shikon Jewel becomes more beautiful after being tainted."
Looking at Kikyo, she added softly:
"Sister… Inuyasha was also deceived by Naraku back then. He—"
"I only want to know the truth behind my death," Kikyo interrupted calmly.
"However… Inuyasha has indeed changed."
"Kagome is a remarkable girl," Kaede said with a faint smile.
"She's been healing his heart."
"Yes… she has changed him."
Kikyo nodded in agreement.
Then her expression grew more serious.
"But the main reason I came here… is to confirm what Kagome said about Naraku."
"If he has already become a yokai, and learns that I've returned… he may come after me again."
"And with the Shikon Jewel reappearing… he will certainly try to claim it."
She raised her hand.
Several shimmering shards of the Shikon Jewel lay quietly in her palm.
"What exactly happened to the jewel?" she asked.
"Fifty years ago, it disappeared with my death. Why has it returned… and become like this?"