"It worked…"
Monk Shinsen looked at the baby split in two, a faint, relieved smile forming on his lips as he murmured softly.
The next moment, his head fell forward.
The light in his eyes faded.
His hand loosened, and the golden vajra slipped from his chest, hitting the ground with a dull sound.
Shinsen was dead.
Only then did Kagura fully realize—
They had been deceived by a dying monk.
"This… this is bad…" Kagura muttered, staring at the two halves of the body on the ground, completely stunned. Her pink eyes were filled with confusion, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do.
After a brief silence, she quickly bent down, picked up both halves of the corpse, summoned her feather, and leapt into the air, leaving the place in a hurry.
As she flew, Kagura frowned, already thinking about how to explain this to Naraku.
Before long, several Mōryōmaru appeared, flying around her.
Kagura glanced at them and immediately understood—they were guiding her.
Clicking her tongue, she followed.
Soon, they led her to the edge of a cliff.
There, a familiar figure stood waiting.
Kanna.
Dressed in white, she stood silently at the edge, as if she had been expecting her.
"Kanna… did Naraku send you?" Kagura asked as she landed.
Kanna gave a small nod, her expression unchanged.
Kagura sighed and casually tossed the two halves of the corpse onto the ground.
"Well… this is what happened."
Kanna didn't respond. She simply bent down, picked up one half of the body, and turned to leave.
"Hey! Where are you going? There's still the other half!" Kagura called out.
Kanna paused and looked back at her.
"You will protect the other half, Kagura."
With that, she disappeared.
Kagura stared at the remaining half on the ground, blinking in confusion.
"…Seriously?"
With no other choice, she picked it up and carried it to a hidden cave.
Inside, she tossed it down and sat nearby, staring at it with irritation.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" she muttered. "It's not even breathing. What's the point of keeping it?"
At that moment, she suddenly noticed—
Mōryōmaru was gone.
The realization made her eyes light up slightly.
So the surveillance was gone too.
A chance.
Kagura stood up immediately, ready to leave.
She had been forced to act as a caretaker for that brat—Akago, the Infant—for far too long. Now he was dead, and no one was watching her.
She could finally leave.
But just as she took a step—
The clothes covering the half-body moved.
"…What?"
Kagura froze.
"Hey… are you still alive?" she asked, stepping closer.
There was no reply.
But the half-body began to regenerate at a visible speed.
A strong heartbeat echoed through the cave.
Thump. Thump.
Stronger and stronger.
A dense surge of evil aura filled the entire space.
"He's… still alive?" Kagura's expression hardened as she watched carefully.
Soon, a pale arm emerged.
Then—
A white-haired boy slowly sat up from within the clothes.
His body was fully restored.
The dark aura surrounding him gradually settled, but the pressure remained.
"Who are you?" Kagura asked, gripping her fan tightly.
"White Child," the boy replied calmly. "That is my name."
His pale purple eyes were cold and emotionless.
"Kagura," he continued, his tone commanding, "go and find me some clothes."
Kagura's expression darkened instantly.
"…You brat."
All the frustration she had been holding back—being forced to take care of Akago, being ordered around—erupted at once.
Her grip tightened on her fan.
For a moment, killing intent flashed in her eyes.
"Kagura."
White Child looked at her.
That gaze—
Cold.
Identical to Naraku's.
Kagura froze.
"I know what you're thinking," he said quietly, his voice filled with killing intent. "Don't let it happen again."
Kagura gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger.
"Yeah, yeah… I got it."
She turned and walked out of the cave.
"Oh, and one more thing," White Child added.
Kagura stopped.
"While you're out, find Inuyasha and the others. We need the Shikon Jewel shards."
"…Got it. You really know how to order people around," she replied irritably.
She summoned her feather and flew off.
But once she was far enough—
Far beyond White Child's sensing range—
Kagura stopped midair and turned back, her eyes filled with killing intent.
"…Tch."
Instead of returning, she changed direction.
Soon, she arrived at a lord's castle.
Breaking in was effortless.
The guards barely had time to react before being swept aside by the wind.
She grabbed a suitable kimono and disappeared in a gust before reinforcements could arrive.
But she didn't return to the cave.
Nor did she search for Inuyasha.
Instead, she continued flying.
Toward a different destination.
Before long, a familiar shrine came into view.
Without hesitation, she passed through the barrier and landed in the courtyard.
"Kagura? It's been a while. I thought Naraku had already killed you."
Uchiha Kasage stepped out from the shrine, a faint hint of amusement in her voice.
In the corner, Yuzuki paused her archery practice and looked over, immediately recognizing Kagura.
"I'm not free yet. How could I die so easily?" Kagura replied, rolling her eyes.
Her gaze swept the shrine.
"Where's Kikyo?"
"She went out. Do you need her?" Kasage asked.
"No. I don't like that woman," Kagura said bluntly.
Then her expression turned serious.
"Kasage… I need your help."
Kasage raised an eyebrow.
"With what?"
"Killing someone."
Kasage looked at her with mild interest.
"Who?"
"A brat named White Child," Kagura said coldly. "He came from Akago—the Infant. After being split in half, he turned into that thing."
"White Child…" Kasage murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Who did that to him?" she asked.
"An old monk," Kagura replied. "Shinsen. He split Akago in two before dying."
Kasage fell silent for a moment.
"I see…" she said quietly.
She hadn't expected that monk to die so soon.
But outwardly, she simply spoke calmly—
"Sounds troublesome."