At this moment, Uchiha Kasage sat inside a room in the village that had suffered relatively little damage. Across from him was the monk he had awakened earlier.
"So you're saying you sensed a terrifying evil aura… and that's what led you to suspect the yokai would attack the village?" Kasage asked, his tone calm but probing, his eyes sharp.
"Exactly." The monk nodded, a trace of lingering fear flashing across his face. His voice grew heavier as he continued,
"Not long ago, I suddenly felt an unprecedented, overwhelming evil presence passing through the sky above this region."
He paused briefly, steadying himself.
"That aura was so powerful… it drew countless yokai from all directions. That is why nearby villages have been under constant attack."
Kasage's gaze hardened slightly.
"In which direction did it go?"
The moment the words left his mouth, a thought had already formed in his mind—**Naraku**.
The monk raised his hand without hesitation and pointed toward the northeast.
"That way. But as for its exact destination… I do not know." He sighed quietly. "At the time, the yokai it attracted began attacking villages relentlessly. I had no choice but to stop tracking it and focus on protecting the people."
"I see." Kasage stood up slowly. "Get some rest."
He had already obtained what he needed.
"Sir—!" the monk suddenly called out, his voice hesitant, almost reverent. "You… are you truly a deity?"
Kasage paused for just a brief moment.
"…No. That's just a rumor." His tone carried a faint hint of resignation before he stepped out without another word.
He didn't know who had started it, but the villagers had become convinced he was the incarnation of a mountain god—descending in human form to protect them from yokai.
It was troublesome… but understandable.
In a world where gods and yokai truly existed, someone who could summon a forest and annihilate hordes of yokai in an instant being mistaken for a deity wasn't strange at all.
Kasage had no interest in explaining.
He wouldn't be staying long anyway.
Kikyo was still waiting for him.
Still… this unexpected summoning had worked in his favor.
He had suspected that Naraku might be hiding at Mount Hakurei, rebuilding himself—just like in the original course of events. But he hadn't known its exact location.
Only a vague direction: *ushi-tora*—northeast.
Now, thanks to this incident, he finally had a clearer lead.
---
Kasage soon found **Maki**, who was repairing a damaged house alongside her husband.
Without ceremony, he tossed her a new wooden token.
"I got useful information thanks to you," he said simply. "Take this as thanks. It works the same as before."
He had prepared several of these tokens—originally meant for Kikyo.
Each one contained both a Summoning Technique and a Flying Thunder God mark.
Kikyo always carried one, though she rarely used it. Instead, she preferred the wooden kunai he gave her, which allowed for quicker teleportation.
These tokens were different—they could reach places the Flying Thunder God Technique could not.
For example… other dimensions.
Like the boundary between the living world and the underworld.
Maki's husband caught a glimpse of the token. A flicker of envy crossed his eyes—but he quickly suppressed it, bowing deeply.
"Thank you, sir, for saving us!"
"It's nothing," Kasage replied with a casual wave.
Only now did he realize the man had survived. During the attack, the men of the village had been fighting at the outskirts, holding off the yokai as best they could, while the women and children stayed protected in the center.
The man had been fortunate—injured, but alive.
Maki clutched the token tightly, her expression filled with emotion.
If not for the previous token, the entire village would have been wiped out.
She had never expected to receive another.
"Thank you, sir!" she said, bowing deeply. "Being able to help you… is our honor."
Kasage glanced around but didn't see Aya. He assumed she was off playing somewhere, like before.
A faint trace of regret passed through him, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Things here are settled. I'll be leaving."
"So soon?" Maki looked surprised. "We haven't even had the chance to properly thank you—"
"No need," Kasage interrupted gently. "You have a village to rebuild."
Before she could say anything more—
He vanished.
---
"Back already?"
The moment he returned, Kikyo's calm voice reached him.
Kasage turned.
She was crouched beside a small campfire, carefully turning a fish over the flames. The soft glow of firelight and drifting smoke gave her an unusually gentle appearance.
For a moment, the tension in his body eased.
They were in a quiet clearing near a stream. A wooden table—created earlier by Kasage—was now filled with food. Clearly, Kikyo had finished preparing everything while he was gone.
Earlier, after clearing nearby yokai, Kasage had suggested something simple—
A picnic.
But just as they were about to begin, he had been summoned away.
"It was the village where I first stayed after arriving in this world," Kasage said, walking closer. "I left behind a summoning token. They used it when the yokai attacked."
Without hesitation, he picked up a grilled fish and took a bite.
Kikyo placed another piece onto a plate, glancing at him with quiet curiosity.
"That village… the one from when you were first resurrected?"
"Yeah." He nodded, chewing slowly. "A large number of yokai attacked. Far more than usual."
Kikyo froze slightly at his words.
"A large number…?" she repeated softly.
Her instincts immediately told her something was wrong. Her brows furrowed as she looked at him more seriously.
"Was there something special about the village? Or… did a Shikon Jewel shard appear there?"
Kasage didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his eyes drifted to the dried food she was eating.
He recognized it—something she had gathered and dried herself.
Curious, he picked up a piece and tasted it. The texture was unusual, but not unpleasant.
While chewing, he spoke:
"According to a monk there… some time ago, an extremely powerful evil aura passed through the area."
He paused slightly, his gaze sharpening.
"All those yokai were drawn to it."
Kikyo's expression changed instantly.
"A powerful evil aura…"
She stopped chewing entirely, her eyes locking onto his.
"…Naraku?"