"Good. Then I'm relieved."
The moment Kikyo gave her answer, Kagetsu cast aside his lingering doubts and poured chakra into her without hesitation.
As an Edo Tensei body, his chakra reserves were effectively inexhaustible. As long as his will held firm, he could give freely, without fear of depletion. Majestic chakra surged like a river rushing into the sea, flowing steadily into Kikyo through their joined palms.
Under the steady infusion, her condition improved before his very eyes.
The pallor draining her face gradually faded, replaced by healthy color. The ominous aura that once clung to her thinned and dissolved, overtaken by a gentle, purifying energy.
More striking still, the spirit souls that had sustained her clay vessel began to drift out one by one. They rose as faint white motes, glimmering softly before scattering into the forest night.
Seeing this, Kagetsu instinctively halted the transfer. "Is that… alright?"
"It is," Kikyo replied softly. Her voice had already grown steadier. "This body no longer requires spirit souls to sustain it. They are merely returning to where they belong."
"Good."
He resumed the flow of chakra.
More and more spirits slipped free, rising like fireflies into the dark until the last glimmer vanished among the trees.
Through his Sharingan, Kagetsu could now see her state clearly.
The clay shell that had once been filled with wandering souls was now saturated with his chakra instead. At its center, faint yet steady, was a small sphere of white light,Kikyo's true soul,gently wrapped in chakra.
He continued for a while longer.
Then Kikyo's body began to glow.
A pale white radiance seeped from her skin, gradually intensifying. It carried a sacred, untainted presence,calm, solemn, powerful.
He recognized it instantly.
The spiritual power of a priestess.
"That's enough," Kikyo said at last, unable to fully conceal the joy in her voice.
Kagetsu immediately withdrew his chakra and released her hand. "How do you feel?"
"Very well."
She opened her eyes slowly. A brilliant, unguarded smile curved her lips.
For a moment, he was stunned.
This wasn't the distant kindness she showed children, nor the quiet composure she wore like armor. This smile was different,like ice thawing under spring sunlight, dazzling and warm enough to make one forget she had ever been cold.
"The weakness is gone. My spiritual power has largely recovered… and more importantly," she raised her hand slightly, feeling the strength flowing within her, "I can sense my soul slowly repairing itself."
"That's good." Kagetsu snapped out of his daze and examined her again through his Sharingan.
The resentment clinging to her soul had mostly dissipated. What remained was steadily being purified by her own spiritual power. The chakra enveloping her soul was gradually being absorbed, strengthening it from within.
What surprised him most was that the chakra he had given her showed no sign of leaking from the clay body at all.
Then again, this vessel could imprison a soul. Containing chakra was hardly strange.
"However," he said, tone shifting, "there's still a problem. The chakra inside you won't last forever. If you're forced into battle, it'll drain even faster."
He paused, a confident glint flashing in his eyes.
"But if chakra works for you, then that's easy to fix."
He suddenly raised both hands in front of him. "Raise your hands and copy this."
Kikyo blinked, puzzled,but complied without protest.
Having broken her reliance on spirit souls and glimpsed the possibility of true resurrection, she trusted him.
"Good. Stay still."
Seeing the normally dignified priestess standing there with both hands raised in such an awkward pose, Kagetsu nearly burst out laughing. He barely managed to hold it in. Teasing her now would almost certainly earn him an arrow through the shoulder.
He focused instead.
His expression sharpened. His hands blurred as they formed seals in rapid succession.
"Snake. Boar. Ram. Rabbit. Dog. Rat. Bird. Horse. Snake!"
Nine seals in a single breath.
The moment his palms came together, chakra erupted from him like a detonating wave.
Pale blue energy boiled visibly around his body. A fierce wind swept through the treehouse, whipping Kikyo's long black hair behind her as it fluttered wildly.
She felt the overwhelming force radiating from him but did not interrupt. Calm and steady, she maintained her posture and watched.
As his chakra peaked, golden sealing formulas ignited around him.
"Four Symbols Seal!"
Before the final syllable faded, he drove his palm into Kikyo's abdomen.
Golden script spread outward from the point of contact. Chakra roared from his body and poured into hers, bound and locked into place by the seal.
Seconds later, it was done.
Kagetsu staggered back, dropped to the floor, and drew in heavy breaths.
The Four Symbols Seal was no ordinary fūinjutsu,it demanded immense chakra and concentration. Sealing one's own chakra was even more taxing.
Even though the Edo Tensei technique continuously drew in ambient energy to restore him, the mental strain left him drained.
"Are you alright?" Kikyo asked immediately, concern flickering across her face.
"I'm fine," he said between breaths. "Just… burned through a lot at once."
He glanced up and saw her still holding her hands aloft.
He couldn't help it,he laughed.
"You can put your hands down now. You don't have to keep doing that."
"Oh."
A faint blush touched her cheeks as she lowered them quickly.
Maintaining that pose while he worked… had been embarrassing.
"Try attacking with your spiritual power," Kagetsu said. "Let's see if the seal replenishes what you use."
Kikyo nodded.
She retrieved her bow and arrow from beside the bed and stepped to the entrance of the treehouse. Calmly, she aimed toward the clearing below.
Spiritual power surged through her body and coated the arrow in white light.
She released it .
The arrow became a streak of brilliance, striking the earth with a sharp crack that sent dust billowing into the air.
She didn't watch the impact. Instead, she closed her eyes and focused inward.
A priestess's power stemmed from the soul itself. Previously, every expenditure required replenishment through collected spirit souls.
But now,
The moment her spiritual power diminished, chakra from within her body was drawn into her soul and converted seamlessly. At the same time, the seal on her abdomen released fresh chakra, replacing what had been consumed.
A perfect cycle.
"It works." She opened her eyes, joy shining clearly within them. "The consumed chakra is immediately replenished by the seal."
"Good." Kagetsu let out a breath of relief. "Looks like the fūinjutsu held."
He pushed himself upright and continued, "I sealed enough chakra into you to last until your soul fully recovers. Once you're ready… we'll move on to the resurrection."
Kikyo set aside her bow and came to sit beside him.
Her expression had returned to its usual composure, yet something had changed. The chill of resignation was gone. In its place was quiet anticipation.
She looked at him steadily and spoke with rare sincerity.
"Thank you."
Kagetsu met her gaze.
The sorrow and hollow stillness that once defined her were no longer there. The priestess bound by tragedy finally stood at the threshold of a different fate.
"You're welcome," he said with a faint smile. "Save the real thanks for after you're alive again."