Under Kagetsu's cold, watchful gaze, the wounded men obediently formed a line and waited their turn for treatment.
In this era, for peasants conscripted into war, surviving long enough to encounter a skilled healer was nothing short of a miracle. Most injuries were endured in silence. If the body held out, they lived. If not, they died where they lay.
So even with Kagetsu standing nearby, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, not a single man dared to leave. Survival outweighed pride.
The old monk of the temple, roused by the commotion, soon joined them. Clad in his worn cassock, he helped distribute medicines and wrap bandages with steady hands.
In these troubled times, those who understood healing were rare,aside from trained physicians, only monks and shrine maidens carried such knowledge.
"I thought I was finished… I can go home alive now."
"Thank you, Lady Miko!"
After Kikyo finished treating them, the ashigaru gathered in small groups in the temple courtyard. They bowed deeply toward her, voices thick with gratitude.
Some began setting up crude shelters and cooking fires, planning to remain until their wounds improved enough for travel.
During treatment, Kikyo had quietly asked about the circumstances of their injuries.
The reason soon became clear.
Recently, large swaths of farmland under their lord's domain had inexplicably withered and died.
At first, samurai were sent to investigate. Later, monks and mikos were summoned. Their conclusion was unanimous,the soil had been tainted by a powerful evil aura.
Faced with the certainty that tribute would fall short this year, the lord had chosen a different path.
He conscripted his peasants and marched them into war, seeking to plunder neighboring territories to compensate for the losses.
As Kagetsu listened from the side, watching Kikyo work among the wounded, something clicked into place.
He remembered the storyline.
This was the period after Kagome's sacred arrow had struck Naraku, obliterating his body with spiritual power,leaving only his head intact.
To reconstruct himself, Naraku needed demons.
Many demons.
The violent infighting among them had caused miasma to leak outward, poisoning the surrounding lands.
So that was it.
If events followed their original course, Kikyo would soon be summoned to Hitomi Castle by retainers disguised under Naraku's influence. There, Naraku would discover she still lived.
At that time, his body would still be incomplete. Wary of Kikyo's strength, he would refrain from acting directly, merely imprisoning her.
Only after fully restoring himself would he attempt to use the Shikon Jewel to control her.
And in the end,
She would strike him down.
Yet even then, Kikyo would hand him the completed Shikon Jewel, intending to destroy him the moment he claimed it,just as he had destroyed her fifty years ago.
Kagetsu's gaze shifted to Kikyo, who was rechecking a bandage nearby.
Would she still make that choice?
A faint smile curved his lips.
It didn't matter.
Even if Naraku obtained the Shikon Jewel, it would only hasten his ruin. Anyone who desired the jewel's power was already ensnared by it.
And no one entangled with the Shikon Jewel met a good end.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The ashigaru's wounds had stabilized under Kikyo's care.
Just as she was replacing dressings that morning, Kagetsu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Someone was approaching.
He stepped closer and murmured, "Kikyo. A group is coming. Likely for you."
Kikyo glanced up, immediately sensing it as well.
Along the distant road, a formation of armed samurai and ashigaru appeared. Their armor was orderly and uniform,clearly private retainers of a lord.
Before even reaching the temple gates, the leader called out loudly, his tone edged with arrogance.
"Is the miko called Kikyo staying here?"
The wounded ashigaru instinctively turned toward Kikyo.
The leading retainer's eyes quickly found her red-and-white shrine maiden robes.
"You are Kikyo?" he asked curtly.
"Yes," she replied calmly.
"I've heard you treated many wounded soldiers and saved lives with remarkable skill." His gaze lingered on her, measuring.
"It was nothing remarkable," Kikyo answered evenly. "Only ordinary treatment."
He cut her off with a dismissive wave. "Save your modesty for the castle. You will come with us."
Kikyo frowned faintly and glanced at Kagetsu.
He gave a subtle nod.
From the moment these men arrived, Kagetsu had sensed the thick stench of miasma clinging to them. Even without knowing the plot, it was obvious something was wrong.
Kikyo had sensed it too.
"I understand," she said.
The retainer gestured behind him.
They had brought a palanquin.
Without hesitation, Kikyo stepped forward and seated herself inside.
Kagetsu moved to follow.
The retainer frowned and extended a hand to block him. "You,"
His words halted abruptly.
Scarlet eyes met his.
Three tomoe spun silently within Kagetsu's Sharingan.
The retainer's body stiffened. His expression glazed over for a brief instant.
"…You may follow," he finished blankly.
The surrounding samurai had nearly drawn their blades, but seeing their superior suddenly relent, they hesitated and stepped aside.
Inside the palanquin, Kikyo had been prepared to intervene if conflict broke out. Instead, she watched Kagetsu approach calmly.
Once he drew near, she asked softly from behind the curtain, "How did you manage that?"
Kagetsu leaned closer and whispered two quiet syllables.
"Genjutsu."
Understanding dawned in her eyes.
So that was why the man's attitude shifted so suddenly.
She had half-expected Kagetsu to bribe them with coins.
Instead, he had bent the man's will.
The procession set out toward Hitomi Castle.
The retainer walked beside Kikyo's palanquin, speaking as though nothing unusual had occurred. He didn't spare Kagetsu a single glance.
"Our lord of the Hitomi family,Lord Kagewaki,has been frail since childhood," he explained. "Not long ago, the previous lord passed away, and Lord Kagewaki inherited the castle. But his health has worsened."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"Even physicians are rarely permitted near him now. He refuses to allow anyone,retainer or otherwise,within close distance…"
The road stretched ahead.
And somewhere within the castle walls, Naraku waited.