"My Lord Kasage… what is this place?"
Yuzuki pressed close to Uchiha Kasage, her small hand clutching the edge of his clothes. Her voice trembled slightly with unease.
Inside the dim cave, pale bones were scattered everywhere. A cold, damp air brushed against their skin.
Aside from their footsteps… only the distant, echoing drip of water could be heard.
"This is the place where the Shikon Jewel was born," Kasage's wood clone said gently. Sensing her fear, he reached out and softly patted her head. "Don't worry. Before her death, the priestess Suiko placed a barrier here. There is no danger."
"The place where the Shikon Jewel was born…?"
Yuzuki froze, recalling the story Kikyo once told her—of a dangerous jewel capable of amplifying the power of yokai.
"My Lord… why did we come here?" she asked softly.
"To retrieve something," Kasage replied as he led her deeper inside.
This clone had been left behind at the shrine.
Leaving a child like Yuzuki alone would have been too dangerous. Only by leaving a clone could he remain at ease.
Yuzuki held onto his clothing tightly, her curiosity growing with every step.
Not long ago, while Kasage had been meditating at the shrine, he suddenly called for her and brought her here without explanation.
Now—
As they moved deeper, a faint light began to appear ahead.
When they reached the cave's deepest chamber, Yuzuki's eyes widened.
Sunlight streamed down from an opening above, illuminating a horrifying yet solemn scene.
A mountain of remains.
Countless yokai bones were piled together, covered in stalactites, forming a grotesque monument frozen in time.
"…What… is this…?" she whispered.
"The origin of the Shikon Jewel."
Kasage raised his hand, pointing toward the very top.
"That figure… is the one who created it. The priestess Midoriko."
At the peak stood a lone figure clad in ancient armor.
Though her body had long since petrified and been encased in stone, her delicate features were still visible—quiet, dignified, and hauntingly beautiful.
Yuzuki stared, her voice filled with confusion.
"…Why would she create something like the Shikon Jewel?"
Kasage's gaze remained fixed on the figure.
"She fought those yokai here for a long time. Before she died… she extracted their souls and fused them with her own."
"That… became the Shikon Jewel."
"…I see…"
Yuzuki lowered her gaze, then slowly stepped forward. She pressed her hands together and offered a silent prayer.
There was no fear in her eyes now—only quiet respect.
After a moment, she turned back.
"My Lord… what exactly are we here to take?"
She looked around again, but saw nothing unusual beyond the remains.
Kasage's eyes rested on Suiko.
"…Her."
Yuzuki blinked.
"…Her?"
"Forgive my offense, Priestess Midoriko," Kasage said softly.
In the next instant—
He drew his katana.
Wind-attribute chakra wrapped around the blade, producing a faint, sharp hum.
He leaped upward.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The petrified body split cleanly at the waist.
Before it could fall, Kasage caught the upper half of her body with precise control, landing lightly beside Yuzuki.
She froze.
"M-My Lord… y-you… what…?"
Her voice trembled, unable to process what she had just witnessed.
Kasage glanced at her calmly, then gently patted her head.
"There's no need to be alarmed. I have my reasons."
Carefully, he stored Suiko's remains within the Kamui dimension.
"…We're done here."
Without another word, he grabbed Yuzuki lightly and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In an instant—
They vanished.
---
"What?! You and Kikyo are staying here?!"
After clearing the cave of yokai and rescuing the captured villagers, the group had gathered again.
Kasage and Kikyo had also eliminated the yokai outside, collecting several fake Shikon Jewels.
After escorting the villagers home and resting overnight, they prepared to leave for Mount Hakurei the next day—
Only to hear Kasage's decision.
"What are you planning?" Kagome asked, confused.
The others looked at him as well.
Kasage glanced around the courtyard beside the cave, as if searching for something.
"Nothing complicated. I just need Enju's help… to resurrect someone using a clay body."
"In other words… Rito's resurrection technique?" Inuyasha frowned. "Who are you bringing back?"
Kasage's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Her."
His Mangekyō Sharingan appeared.
A vortex spiraled open in the air.
From within—
A petrified figure slowly emerged.
"…This is…?!"
Everyone froze.
Even Kikyo, who already knew, couldn't help but pause when she saw it.
Kagome was the first to react.
"T-that's… the priestess Suiko!"
Her voice trembled with shock.
Even though it was only the upper body, covered in stone, the familiar face, the hollow in her chest, and the ancient armor—
It was unmistakable.
Kirara suddenly ran forward.
She rubbed her head gently against the remains, then lay down beside them, her eyes filled with quiet nostalgia.
"…Yes," Kasage confirmed. "This is Midoriko's body."
"I had my clone retrieve it from the cave behind the Demon Slayer Village."
He continued calmly:
"Though it has petrified over time, it is still sufficient. With Rito's technique, it can be reshaped into a vessel."
Enju nodded in agreement.
"As long as we have remains and grave soil, it's enough," she explained. "Even if the bones had decayed completely, it would still work. Petrification is not a problem."
She glanced at Midoriko's body.
"Even half a body… is sufficient."
Kagome listened carefully, then hesitated.
"But… doesn't that technique require the soul? Suiko's soul should have already…"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Realization struck her.
Kikyo stepped forward quietly.
"…No."
Her voice was calm—but heavy.
"Suiko's soul has neither disappeared nor been reborn."
Her gaze lifted slightly.
"It has remained… trapped within the Shikon Jewel all this time."
Silence fell over the group.
The weight of her words lingered in the air.