"Alright. That's settled. I'll be leaving now."
Uchiha Lie glanced once more at Inuyasha, who stood silently with his head lowered, clearly shaken by the earlier conversation. A complicated expression lingered on the half-demon's face.
Just as Lie turned to walk away, he paused.
"Oh, one more thing about Naraku."
He deactivated Sage Mode, the faint natural energy fading from around him, and looked back at Kagome and the others.
"That Naraku… is a half-demon. Just like Inuyasha."
"A half-demon?!"
Kagome and Miroku exclaimed at the same time, disbelief written across their faces.
Lie nodded calmly.
"However, he's not the same. He does carry a human aura—but it's twisted. His presence feels like a fusion of countless lesser demons and corrupted energy."
His voice grew colder.
"He's most likely a human who coveted demonic power. He was devoured and merged with multiple demons, then catalyzed by evil energy into the monster he is now."
A faint sneer curved his lips.
"Only something patched together from scraps would be so obsessed with the Shikon Jewel."
Without waiting for a reply, he vanished into the forest like an afterimage.
"Wow… he's incredible!" Shippō said with shining eyes, staring at the direction Lie disappeared.
"Hmph! That arrogant guy!" Inuyasha snorted. "He's collecting Shikon shards too! What's he acting superior for?"
Kagome frowned thoughtfully.
"Inuyasha… I've noticed something."
"What?"
"The shards he collects… he never uses them. They're always stored in the bamboo tube on his back."
She hesitated.
"And I feel like he's deliberately using their aura to attract something."
"Inuyasha, how do you know that?" he asked, confused.
"Because he must have altered them."
Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment, she opened them again.
"I can clearly sense eight Shikon shards on him. But the aura is different… stronger… like it's amplified."
"Inuyasha, haven't you always been able to sense Shikon shards?"
"Yes, but this is clearer," Kagome explained. "It's like instant noodles. When the lid is closed, you only smell it faintly. But once you open it, the fragrance spreads everywhere."
"Oh!" Inuyasha's eyes widened. "So he's using the Shikon aura as bait!"
"But why can't I sense it?" Shippō asked suddenly. "Inuyasha, can you?"
"I—I can, of course!" Inuyasha replied quickly.
"Inuyasha, you're lying!" Shippō shot back immediately.
"…Shippō!" Inuyasha growled, making the fox demon scurry behind Kagome.
Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Perhaps the amplified aura can only be sensed by those with evil intent."
—
Not far away, Uchiha Lie heard their conversation and allowed himself a faint smile.
Kagome was correct.
He had indeed modified the bamboo container holding the shards using a Sealing Technique, inscribing a formula that magnified their aura.
Originally, he created it to attract demons who sought power.
It worked exceptionally well. Since crafting it, his efficiency in harvesting life force had increased dramatically. He had already accumulated enough life force for two full resurrections.
Now, continuing to use it was mostly out of boredom. It gave him moving targets to sharpen his combat instincts.
If he ever wished to be left alone, all he needed to do was seal the aura completely.
Simple.
After distancing himself from Inuyasha's group, Lie began considering his next destination.
He had already met Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippō.
There was one person left.
Kikyo.
Based on his knowledge, Kikyo had already been resurrected around this time. Sesshomaru received Naraku's arm shortly after her revival. That meant she was somewhere nearby—likely near a village.
"It doesn't matter," Lie muttered. "If needed, I'll use Sage Mode for wide-range sensing."
As he pondered, his steps suddenly halted.
The scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan bloomed in his eyes, casting a chilling red glow across the forest darkness. His gaze locked onto a spot behind a massive tree ahead.
"Was I discovered?"
A low voice echoed from the shadows.
A figure wrapped in a baboon pelt slowly emerged. The thick fur cloak obscured the entire body, revealing nothing but a faint, sinister aura.
"Greetings. I am—"
Before the sentence could finish—
Uchiha Lie vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared behind the cloaked figure.
His Chakra gathered silently in his palm.
Then dissipated just as quickly.
He resumed walking forward as if nothing had happened.
"Pathetic trash."
The words fell coldly into the night.
Behind him—
The baboon pelt split cleanly in two.
It collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
There was nothing inside.
Just a hollow puppet formed from demonic power. Not even worthy of being called a clone.
Lie had never intended to converse.
Whether in his previous life or during countless battles in the Naruto world, he was not one for schemes.
Against a manipulator like Naraku, who preferred shadows and traps, the best strategy was simple:
Overwhelming frontal force.
No dialogue.
No hesitation.
No room for tricks.
After eliminating the puppet, Lie leaped onto the branch of a towering tree.
He formed hand seals swiftly.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!"
Four thick wooden pillars burst from the branch, intertwining and shaping themselves into a compact wooden house within seconds. The structure was stable and elegant, resting high above the forest floor.
Lie stepped inside calmly.
He sat cross-legged at the center and closed his eyes.
Sage Mode reactivated.
For an Edo Tensei body, sleep was unnecessary.
With the night nearly over, he chose training over rest.
Outside, the forest remained silent.
But somewhere in the shadows—
Naraku had already realized something important.
The hunter he attempted to approach was not prey.
And next time—
He would think twice before stepping into the open.**
_______________________________
100+ extra chapters available in patron🔥🔥🔥🔥
pateron.com Canonbreaker007
________________________________