"…This is the place."
Kikyo stood before the cave, her gaze fixed on its dark entrance. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes.
This was where everything began.
The cave where she once sheltered Onigumo—
And the birthplace of Naraku.
"Sister Kikyo… shall we go in?" Kaede asked quietly, glancing between the cave and her sister.
Standing beside Kikyo, she felt a sense of familiarity… like returning to childhood. Without realizing it, she found herself relying on her once more.
"No."
Kikyo shook her head gently.
"Musou is already inside. The space is too narrow—if we all enter, it will only increase the danger."
As she spoke, she reached into her sleeve and took out a small wooden doll.
With a simple motion, she tossed it to the ground.
*Bang—!*
A puff of smoke rose.
From within it—
A figure emerged.
Uchiha Kasage.
"Kikyo," he said calmly, turning toward her, his gaze sharp yet steady. "Did you call me because something's wrong?"
"A clone of Naraku—Musou—has appeared near Maple Village," Kikyo explained briefly, her eyes still on the cave. "He was formed from the portion of Onigumo's consciousness that Naraku separated."
She paused slightly.
"I don't trust this place. I want you here… to protect me."
Kasage looked at her for a moment—
Then gave a small nod.
"…Understood."
He had already pieced it together.
This incarnation—
Born from obsession.
Destined to rebel—
Only to be devoured again.
At this moment, the one standing here was not Kasage's original body, but a special construct—a fusion of Kikyo's shikigami technique and his shadow clone.
Unlike ordinary shikigami, which lacked chakra—
And unlike shadow clones, which dispersed upon impact—
This form combined both strengths.
A durable vessel.
A thinking will.
A fighter that could persist.
Perfect for guarding Kikyo when he was not present.
"Onigumo."
Kikyo stepped forward slightly, her voice firm as it echoed into the cave.
"I know you're inside."
"Come out."
Silence—
Then—
A crazed scream tore through the air.
*BOOM!*
Musou burst from the cave, landing heavily before them.
The moment his eyes locked onto Kikyo—
They ignited with madness.
"I remember now!" he roared. "It's you… the one I want—Kikyo!!"
Before his words even finished—
His arm twisted violently into a grotesque mass of tentacles, whipping forward with a piercing shriek.
"Hmph."
Kasage's eyes turned cold.
A pale blue aura erupted around him—
*Susanoo.*
The skeletal ribs formed instantly, enclosing both him and Kikyo within their protection. Its glowing eyes burned with silent menace.
*CRACK—!*
The massive skeletal arm shot forward—
Grabbing the incoming tentacles mid-air.
"Come here."
Kasage smirked faintly.
With a sharp pull—
Musou was yanked forward violently.
His expression twisted in shock.
His other arm morphed into a barbed, monstrous spear—
And thrust straight toward Kasage.
"Pathetic."
Kasage didn't even flinch.
*CLANG—!*
The attack struck Susanoo's ribs—
And shattered instantly.
Fragments of flesh and foul-smelling blood scattered through the air.
Musou froze—
Just for a moment.
That moment was enough.
*BOOM—!!*
Susanoo's massive fist crashed into him.
His body blurred—
Then was sent flying like a broken kite, smashing into the mountainside with explosive force.
Rocks shattered.
Dust filled the air.
"…You bastard…"
A low growl echoed from the rubble.
The next instant—
*BOOM!*
The debris exploded outward.
Musou emerged again—
More grotesque than before.
His body was now covered in writhing, twisted limbs. A dense aura of yokai energy surged around him, thick with madness.
"You…" he snarled, standing atop a shattered boulder. "Who the hell are you?!"
Kasage smiled faintly.
Without warning—
He reached out and pulled Kikyo gently into his arms, one hand resting firmly at her waist.
"I?"
His gaze turned sharp, almost mocking.
"I am Kikyo's man, Onigumo."
"…Do you have a problem with that?"
For a brief moment—
Kikyo stiffened slightly at the sudden contact—
But she did not pull away.
Her eyes flickered, calm yet unreadable.
Then—
Musou snapped.
"YOU BASTARD!!"
His voice cracked with fury.
"Take your filthy hands off her!!"
"Kikyo is mine!!"
His eyes turned bloodshot as he lunged forward, completely consumed by rage.
His arms transformed into massive, spiked claws, radiating chaotic yokai energy as he tore through the air toward Kasage.
Kasage raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…So easy to provoke."
He lifted one hand.
At the same time—
Susanoo mirrored the motion, its massive palm facing forward.
Kasage's eyes narrowed.
"Wood Release…"
A low whisper escaped his lips.
"Wood Splinter Technique."
In an instant—
Countless sharpened wooden spears formed within Susanoo's palm.
*WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH—!!*
They fired.
Like a storm.
The air screamed as the barrage surged forward, completely sealing Musou's path of escape.
There was nowhere to run.
"AAAGH—!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the mountains.
The wooden spears tore through Musou's body, piercing him again and again, driving him backward—
Until—
*THUD!*
He was nailed to the cliffside.
But it didn't end.
The assault continued relentlessly—
Like a rain of death.
The mountainside trembled under the impact. Explosions of rock and splintered wood filled the air.
Dust and smoke rose—
Swallowing Musou completely.