"Honestly… why did Kagome go back again?" Inuyasha sat on a wooden post in Kaede's village, his tone full of irritation.
"Kagome has her family there. Of course she would go back," Sango replied, rolling her eyes, clearly annoyed by his constant complaints. "And she doesn't need your permission for everything."
"Inuyasha, Lady Kagome has many responsibilities in her own world as well," Miroku added calmly.
"She's dealing with Naraku and collecting Shikon Jewel shards here, while also studying for her exams back home. It's not easy for her."
"Exactly. You should try to understand how she feels," Sango said, nodding.
"I—I never said she couldn't go back!" Inuyasha shot back defensively. "I just think we should hurry up and defeat Naraku and complete the Shikon Jewel! Am I wrong?!"
"…This is so annoying," Sango muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, she turned toward him and, imitating Kagome's tone perfectly, shouted:
"Sit!"
"—!!!"
Inuyasha froze instantly. His entire body stiffened, and his hair stood on end as if struck by lightning. He nearly slipped off the wooden post in shock.
"…Huh. So it really only works when Kagome says it," Sango sighed in disappointment when nothing happened.
"Of course it does, you idiot!" Inuyasha snapped, his voice still tense as he secretly let out a breath of relief.
After all, Kikyo had explained before—the prayer beads only responded to Kagome's Kotodama.
For a moment, he had truly believed it might activate.
Miroku watched the scene with a trace of regret.
He had honestly thought it might work.
Just as Inuyasha began to calm down, his expression suddenly changed.
He stood up abruptly, sniffing the air.
"…Naraku."
His eyes sharpened as he looked toward the sky.
"No… Kagura. And… Uchiha Kasage?"
Sango and Miroku instantly became alert. Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu, while Miroku tightened his grip on his shakujō.
A tense silence fell.
—Whoosh!
A powerful gust of wind swept through the trees, leaves rustling violently.
From above—
A massive feather descended from the sky.
Two figures stood upon it.
Kagura… and Uchiha Kasage.
They landed smoothly on the open ground ahead.
"Kagura… Uchiha Kasage? Why are you two together?" Inuyasha frowned, instinctively reaching for Tessaiga—but he paused.
They weren't fighting.
In fact… they looked completely at ease.
Kasage stepped down from the feather, a faint smile on his face.
"Kagura decided there was no future working under Naraku," he said casually. "So she changed sides."
"…What?" Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku exchanged stunned looks before turning toward Kagura.
She had already dismissed her feather and now stood calmly before them.
Her kimono was new—clean and unmarked, completely different from the torn, bloodstained one she had worn before.
Kasage had purchased it in a nearby town.
Originally, Kagura had suggested simply taking what she wanted—but Kasage had insisted on leaving payment behind, even after dealing with the guards who tried to stop them.
Kagura noticed their stares and responded with a cold glance.
"What? Is it so surprising that I left Naraku?"
Inuyasha opened his mouth, then hesitated.
This sudden shift—from enemy to… something else—left him at a loss for words.
Miroku stepped forward, regaining his composure.
"What exactly happened?" he asked seriously.
Kasage answered simply.
"It's not complicated. Naraku tried to kill her. She escaped, I helped her… and now she's with me."
"…Naraku tried to kill Kagura?" Inuyasha blinked in confusion. "But isn't she one of his incarnations?"
"Hmph."
Kagura snapped open her folding fan with a sharp flick.
"If Naraku hadn't been controlling me with my heart, I would've betrayed him long ago."
She cast a sideways glance at Inuyasha, her tone turning mocking.
"I even hoped you'd be the one to kill him and free me… but you, half-yokai, were completely outplayed. You never stood a chance."
"Hey! Kagura!" Inuyasha snapped angrily. "You've done plenty of terrible things under Naraku, and you still have the nerve to say that?!"
"Oh? Have I?" Kagura tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin with the tip of her fan, feigning innocence. "I don't recall anything like that."
"You—!"
Inuyasha pointed at her, too furious to form a proper sentence.
"Alright, that's enough," Miroku interrupted quickly, stepping in to defuse the tension.
He turned to Kasage.
"Did you come here to see Inuyasha?"
"No," Kasage replied, shifting his gaze toward Sango. "I came to see her."
Sango froze.
"Your younger brother, Kohaku," Kasage said calmly, "has been revived. He's currently at Kikyo's shrine."
"…Kohaku…?"
Sango's heart skipped a beat.
Her voice trembled.
"He… he's really…?"
"Yes."
Kasage nodded.
"The Shikon shard was removed from his body, and I revived him not long ago. He's still weak, but Kikyo asked me to inform you."
For a moment, Sango couldn't move.
Then—
Tears filled her eyes.
"Kohaku…"
Her voice broke.
"Kirara!"
At her call, the small nekomata on her shoulder leapt down, letting out a soft growl as flames enveloped her body.
In an instant, Kirara transformed into her larger form.
Sango jumped onto her back without hesitation.
"Kirara! Take me to the shrine—now!"
"Sango, wait—!" Miroku called out, but it was too late.
With a burst of flame and wind, Kirara shot into the sky, carrying Sango away.
Miroku could only watch helplessly as she disappeared into the distance.
"…Let's go as well," Kasage said calmly.
He had already sensed that Kagome was not in the village—she had likely returned to her world through the Bone-Eater's Well.
With Sango gone, only Inuyasha and Miroku remained.
Kasage had no interest in lingering.
He stepped onto Kagura's feather.
With a sweep of her hand, Kagura summoned a powerful gust of wind, lifting them into the sky as they quickly caught up to Kirara.
After a moment, Sango steadied her breathing and glanced toward Kasage.
"…What happened?" she asked, her voice tight with worry. "Why is Kohaku at Kikyo's shrine?"
"I encountered Naraku some time ago," Kasage replied evenly. "Kohaku was with him, so I brought him back."
He spoke as if it were nothing.
"I removed the Shikon shard from his body… and had Kagura return it to Naraku."
"Hmph." Kagura snorted coldly at the mention.
Sango's expression tightened.
"…And Kohaku… is he really alright?"
Kagura turned slightly, looking at her from the side.
"That brat?" she said, her tone carrying a faint edge. "The moment the shard was removed… he collapsed like a corpse."