After several days of living around the old temple that could collapse at the slightest application of external force, Asahiko had already gotten used to the daily routine, which was surprisingly active against all expectations.
This is due in large part to all the boys from the army gathered here, who at some point raised a watchtower with nearby wood, improvised shelters and even a kind of portable bathroom.
But obviously none of that was sustainable over time, there are literally dozens of men living in the forest, which brings us to the current situation.
"Sniff, they grow so fast, Kikyo"
Nibbling on a white handkerchief taken from some mysterious place with his perfect teeth, Asahiko wipes the tears flowing from his blue eyes and leaves everyone present embarrassed.
Of course it is not only because of his actions, certainly exaggerated, but also because in the last few days everyone had gotten to know each other, since most of the soldiers are young men recruited from their villages as levies for battle.
That also applies to Takeda, who despite being a young master, understands his situation and place very quickly, making him someone pleasant to talk to despite his often strange stories.
"You've known them for four days"
"Sniff, I still remember when they were children… How they came asking to be healed"
"Asahiko-Sama… Sniff"
"I'll leave you all"
Looking at both Asahiko and all the men beginning to sniffle with slight disgust in her brown eyes, Kikyo cautiously steps a few paces backward, finally returning beneath the porch of the old temple.
There she is not alone, but also with Saya, the spirit who lives in the sheath of Cloud Fang and who observes the situation while stroking the white beard reaching his chest.
"Male friendship"
"Is that really male friendship…?"
"That is what he calls it, although I don't think it applies to this"
Watching as all the gathered men hug each other, thus creating a great ball of sweat and testosterone, both Saya and Kikyo feel a slight chill down their backs.
It's just that all of this had happened too quickly, only four days and the friendship between them all had sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, they even called each other "brothers."
"You can come visit me whenever you want, older brother. The doors of my house will always be open for you"
"If you still have one when you return, brother"
"Hahaha, that's why I have all of them to reclaim what is rightfully mine… Right, brothers?"
"Yes, older brother!"
Roaring all together toward the sky with morale that seems to pierce the clouds, the soldiers along with Takeda begin to depart orderly, leaving a deafening silence behind them all and Asahiko waving at them.
This silence lasts only for a few moments, but the one who breaks it is not any of those previously mentioned, Asahiko, Kikyo or Saya, but instead a new voice spreads through the surroundings.
"How moving… So much so that I'll even let you leave this forest alive"
"So that isn't payment for letting you make your entrance in peace? Though by the way, you really have a lot of free time, Naraku"
Sounding as surprised as his acting skills allow, Asahiko lifts his blue eyes toward the roof of the old temple covered by faded tiles, where a crouched humanoid figure can be seen.
The figure, obviously Naraku, wears a cloak made of baboon skin, a mask covering half his face and traces of a cloud of miasma softly floating around him.
"Not as much as you might think, Asahiko. Especially when one has to deal with Inuyasha regularly, he truly is a headache"
"Hahaha, I understand you very well, that dog has an incredible talent for bothering other people"
"Of cour—"
Rolling his head before he could even finish speaking, Naraku's puppet suddenly falls from the roof after being kicked from behind by Asahiko, thus creating a small cloud of dust and dirt upon landing.
The result was the expected one, that Naraku was a puppet as always, but it was better to try and prove it than not do so, besides he has a replacement for them… And so it was.
"What an incredible ability, now I am even considering absorbing some fox demon to improve my new body even more"
"Alright… Kikyo, why don't you attend to your guest? The conversation with him is getting weird, besides I'm sure he came to talk to you"
Walking behind the black-haired priestess who watches everything coldly, Asahiko takes Cloud Fang that had been floating near Saya and switches to observer mode.
Such a thing removes all the "fun" from the surroundings, creating an atmosphere heavy with tension between Kikyo's disdainful gaze and Naraku's carefree attitude.
"What do you want, Naraku? Can't you see I'm busy, though even if I weren't… Heh, you are the last thing I would want to see in my daily life"
"Oh, Kikyo, always so… Direct with your words. But today I do not come to fight, which wouldn't even be one if I truly tried, but instead I bring you important information"
Strutting like a peacock with its beautiful tail, Naraku withdraws his hand from inside his cloak and reveals the fragments he possesses. These easily make up a quarter of the Pearl of Shikon, mainly thanks to Kikyo and her charitable donation.
"You remember a great part of these, right? The fragments you so kindly gifted me before"
"Unfortunately the fragments present here belong to him, so I cannot give them to you as charity… But perhaps if you explain the sadness of your existence to him he will pity you?"
"You tempt your luck, woman"
Losing his composure before the shameless insult coming from Kikyo, who even smiles as if a life goal had been completed, Naraku grits his teeth and presses on.
This time what he takes from inside his cloak is a piece of red cloth stained with fresh blood, which in fact is very recognizable to either of them, since it undoubtedly belongs to Inuyasha.
"Of… Inuyasha?"
"Hahaha, indeed, Asahiko! All thanks to the 'help' that Kikyo so kindly lent me last time, now only the heavens know of Inuyasha's condition!"
"God, I'm sure you know, that's why you're here. What happened? Did you 'almost' defeat him and come to show us that 'victory', Naraku?"
Giving no importance at all to Naraku's words who seems intoxicated by Kikyo's silence, a sarcastic smile strongly grows on Asahiko's face and then he even laughs a little.
His reaction is somewhat expected, the last time he saw Inuyasha he was at his peak, basically the 'Wind Scar' technique could take care of anything… Even himself although he would not want to admit it.
"I see you don't believe me… But her. Hahaha, I don't care whether you are going to help him or not, but I remind you that he has little time left for you to consider it"
"Shoo, shoo, we already heard you"
"We will meet again… Both of you"
Covering his body with a current of violet miasma emerging from inside his cloak, Naraku's puppet flies toward the sky without looking back, all without noticing that the next second Asahiko's expression becomes more serious.
As for trust, he trusts in the power of the 'Wind Scar', but we are talking about Inuyasha, a muscle-headed fool who throws himself forward at the slightest mention of Naraku. So yes, they had to go verify.
"Do you… Do you have any way to find Inuyasha?"
"Find him? Do you know this could be a trap? Besides, why do you want to, haven't you tried to kill each other every time you meet?"
"Part of friendship between men, there always has to be a fight in the middle"
Speaking like one of those scam guru types, Asahiko applies in his speech without hesitation what he learned in the last few days, besides Miroku tried to kill Inuyasha and now they are friends, so the equation really does work.
"I don't care, you can go if you want… I do not plan to"
"You're going to leave me alone, Kikyo? Look if Kagome catches me, she does indescribable things to me, she manages to change me to her side and make me swear loyalty!"
"I'm sure if that happens it's because you want it. Now let go of me!"
Pulling her hands away from Asahiko's, who had grabbed them at some point, he has a terrifying talent for making his hands appear in strange places just like a certain monk, Kikyo turns toward the doors of the old temple.
"Are you going to make me say it?"
"There is nothing that can make me change my mind, Asahiko. He has already chosen, he chose her over me, I gave him opportunities and it is always her!"
"Yes, but—"
"No buts! Always, every time, all the times it is always her! Why would I go see him now? No… Why do you want to go see him now?"
Turning her head to look at Asahiko, who had noticed that her emotional dam had cracked, Kikyo slowly smiles in a somewhat unsettling way and her black hair dances wildly around without the need for wind.
At some point this was going to happen, after all she is influenced by the resentful souls inside her, which makes her feelings rather volatile, even more so those regarding relationships.
Added to the "bandage" he placed over the issue about the two of them, and now stirring the beehive that is the relationship between her and Inuyasha… Yes, a small flash of obsessive madness was to be expected.
"Ki, Kikyo?"
"I'm sure you also prefer her, that's why now you are goi-. I'm sorry, they got out of control for a few moments… I think the jewel affected the souls inside me somehow during the seconds Naraku showed it"
"Of course, it's alright"
Ignoring the cold sweat sliding down his back, Asahiko maintains a perfect smile and continues releasing pressure from Cloud Fang, frightening the restless souls inside her.
That works incredibly fast, as if the problem truly did not come from there itself… But if not, why did she have that emotional outburst?
"I have thought about it better, let's go see Inuyasha. I don't think he has been defeated, but it would be a problem if he had… They are still useful for gathering the fragments"
"Is that perhaps a plan I hear?"
"Maybe?"
Sounding mysterious but confident despite what just happened, Kikyo fixes her black hair and picks something up from the ground before handing it to Asahiko.
"You're joking, right? I'm a fox, not a dog! My sense of smell is not that sensitive, much less used for that"
"It's either that or discovering whether Inuyasha will really die before we see him"
"Ugh, the things one has to do in this life"
Taking the piece of red cloth stained with fresh blood, Naraku's gift, he finally puts his powerful supernatural sense of smell to use… Even though he really did not want to.