"Don't worry, I have a solution! Kikyo already taught me how to deal with this kind of barrier."
Kagome frowned slightly, deep in thought.
This barrier… it was exactly the same as the one Kikyo had shown her before. The resemblance was too precise to be a coincidence.
Although she hadn't yet learned how to create a barrier, she *did* know how to open one.
"Kagome, you're amazing!" Shippo exclaimed immediately, his eyes shining with admiration.
"Really?" Inuyasha looked at her with a strange expression. He had never expected Kagome—an inexperienced priestess—to become this reliable.
"Of course it's true! I've been studying hard too, you know!" Kagome puffed her cheeks, slightly annoyed, then closed her eyes.
"Don't distract me. I'm going to open the barrier."
Recalling Kikyo's instructions, she softly murmured the incantation and carefully guided the spiritual energy within her.
A few seconds later, the barrier before them slowly parted, revealing a narrow entrance—just wide enough for one person.
Kagome opened her eyes, her face lighting up with joy.
"Hurry, Shippo—go in first!"
Shippo slipped through immediately. The moment he landed safely on the other side, he turned back, beaming.
"It worked! Kagome, you're incredible!"
Kagome smiled at his praise, but just as she was about to respond, the opening suddenly sealed shut—the barrier restoring itself in an instant as her focus broke.
"…Now what? Should we open it again?" Inuyasha asked, sounding frustrated. If he still had his yokai power, he would have shattered it in a single strike.
Kagome rolled her eyes, grabbed his wrist, and walked straight toward the barrier.
"Are you an idiot? This barrier only stops yokai. You're human right now—it can't block you."
And just like that, the two of them passed through effortlessly.
"Tch… I knew that," Inuyasha muttered stubbornly, refusing to admit he hadn't realized it.
"Inuyasha, you obviously forgot, you idiot!" Shippo called out immediately.
"Shippo!" Inuyasha raised his fist threateningly.
"Kagome!" Shippo instantly hid behind her.
"Alright, that's enough!" Kagome stopped them both before things escalated. Her tone turned serious.
"Inuyasha, you've lost your yokai powers right now. You need to be careful."
Since shrine maidens lived here, it was unlikely there were any yokai—but caution was still necessary.
Hearing this, Inuyasha's expression sharpened. He stopped joking, drew Tessaiga, and scanned the surroundings carefully before following Kagome and Shippo up the stone steps.
Before long, the three reached the top. Passing through the torii gate at the summit, they officially entered the shrine grounds.
At that moment, a warm orange glow from candlelight spilled out through the windows of the main hall, standing in stark contrast to the deep darkness of the night.
"Be careful. The Shikon Jewel fragments are inside," Kagome whispered, tightening her grip on her longbow.
She was about to remind Shippo to stay alert when she noticed him frowning, his nose twitching.
"Shippo, what is it?" she asked quietly, her eyes still scanning the surroundings.
"…I smell… bellflowers," Shippo said slowly, surprise filling his face as he looked at Kagome and Inuyasha.
"Kikyo?!"
Both of them stiffened instantly, their eyes snapping toward the candlelit main hall.
"Could Kikyo be living here…?" Kagome murmured. She suddenly realized she had never actually asked where Kikyo lived. Their previous encounters had always been in Kaede's village.
"Kikyo!"
Inuyasha stepped forward slightly, unable to hold back, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
"I've been waiting for you. Come in."
As soon as his voice faded, Kikyo's calm and gentle voice echoed from within the hall.
"Kikyo really is here!" Kagome's guard dropped completely. A surprised smile spread across her face as she quickly moved toward the door.
Now it made sense—the barrier, identical to what Kikyo had taught her. This was Kikyo's shrine.
"Kagome!"
Just as she reached for the door, Shippo suddenly tugged her sleeve, his voice dropping.
"There's Naraku's scent here… no—Kagura's!"
Kagome froze.
Her mind raced. Had Kagura already been here?
Inuyasha's expression hardened as well. Without a word, he stepped past Kagome, gently pushed open the door, and entered first.
Suppressing her unease, Kagome followed, bringing Shippo inside.
Peeking from behind Inuyasha, Kagome immediately saw Kikyo… and **Uchiha Kasage**, seated together on the tatami.
Their hands were intertwined.
Fingers laced together, naturally—intimately.
The sight struck Kagome instantly.
Sango's earlier suspicions… they weren't suspicions anymore.
Almost instinctively, she glanced at Inuyasha.
As expected, his gaze was fixed on their joined hands. His expression was complicated—tight, silent, unreadable.
Kikyo, too, looked at Inuyasha calmly.
But she did not let go of Kasage's hand.
That simple gesture spoke louder than words—quietly, firmly declaring her choice.
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Kagome, you've learned to handle barriers well… though you're still a bit slow."
Kikyo broke the silence first, her tone calm, with a faint trace of approval in her eyes.
"Th-thank you…"
Caught off guard, Kagome's cheeks flushed immediately. She lowered her head slightly, embarrassed.
Only then did she realize—Kikyo had sensed them the moment they approached. The barrier at the mountain's base had likely been a test.
"Don't stand in the doorway. Sit."
Kasage spoke calmly, gesturing toward the tatami in front of them.
Her gaze lingered on Inuyasha with quiet curiosity.
Without his yokai power, his appearance had changed completely. His silver hair had become smooth black, his dog ears had vanished, and his features seemed softer—almost gentler.
Even more striking… there was no trace of yokai aura within him.
He was, at this moment, entirely human.
The nature of a half-yokai in this world was truly fascinating. No matter how strong the yokai blood was, it could never erase the human lineage within. At certain times, that human side would completely suppress the yokai power, turning them fully human.
"…Alright. Thank you."
Kagome gently pulled Inuyasha along and sat down across from them with Shippo.
As soon as they settled, their attention was drawn to the faint glow on the table—
The Shikon Jewel fragments.
"Kikyo… did you know we were coming?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Yes," Kikyo replied softly. "Kasage sensed your presence nearby, so I used the Shikon Jewel fragments to guide you here."
She gently pushed the fragments across the table toward Kagome.
"These are the ones Kasage and I have gathered recently. You may take them."