"When I empty my mind and merge with nature, I do seem to sense something flowing around me… but only very faintly," Kikyo said after hearing his question. She didn't dwell on the earlier disturbance of natural energy, instead recalling her experience during meditation.
"Really? Then you're almost there." Uchiha Retsu sounded slightly surprised.
Although natural energy in this world was indeed easier to perceive than in the Naruto world, Kikyo being able to touch it so quickly without any assistance still exceeded his expectations.
Her talent in senjutsu was clearly far greater than his.
But thinking of the powerful spiritual energy within her, it also felt natural. A shrine maiden's spiritual power was itself a manifestation of a strong soul. The purer and stronger the soul, the stronger the spiritual power.
Retsu wasn't jealous.
Kikyo's strength was innate.
His own soul, on the other hand, had grown stronger step by step along with his chakra.
In the Naruto world, the stronger the shinobi, the tougher their soul. Many powerful figures could even break free from Edo Tensei through sheer spiritual force.
"The hardest step in sensing natural energy is noticing it in the first place," Retsu said, pulling his thoughts back. "You've already done that. With more practice, you'll soon be able to clearly perceive it."
"Mm. I'll keep working at it," Kikyo replied, nodding before closing her eyes again and emptying her mind.
Meditation was already part of a shrine maiden's daily training. For her, merging body and mind with nature was not difficult.
Seeing her re-enter her cultivation state, Retsu also closed his eyes and returned to Sage Mode.
As the two sat quietly and the forest fell into silence, a slender figure silently appeared on a nearby tree.
She stood on a branch, quietly watching the wooden building in the forest—and the two figures sitting on the second-floor balcony.
Suddenly, in her field of vision, the man who had been meditating across from the shrine maiden vanished.
Her expression did not change, but she immediately prepared to leave.
Before she could move, a figure appeared in front of her like a ghost. A hand shot out and seized her by the throat.
"Who are you?"
Retsu looked down at the white-haired little girl in his grasp and the mirror she was holding, raising an eyebrow.
With this familiar appearance, if he remembered correctly, she should be Naraku's incarnation—the emotionless little girl, Kagura.
"I'm Kagura."
Even with her throat being held, Kagura replied flatly, without any expression.
"She actually answered… as expected of an emotionless girl," Retsu muttered in mild surprise as he stared at her blank face.
He remembered that in the original story, Naraku was able to create Kagura and Kanna because he had obtained the fragment Kikyo took from Kagome, along with his own shard, forming something close to a complete Shikon Jewel. That was what gave him the ability to create incarnations.
But he clearly hadn't allowed Naraku to obtain Kagome's fragment. So how had he still managed to create one?
Still, that wasn't important right now.
Retsu looked at her and asked, "Kagura, why are you spying on us?"
"Orders," she replied calmly.
Seeing that she really would answer, Retsu smiled. He activated Flying Thunder God and instantly returned to the cabin.
"Who is she?" Kikyo asked in surprise as he suddenly reappeared with a white-haired girl in his arms.
"I'm not sure. She says her name is Kagura," Retsu replied casually, pretending not to know.
He set Kagura down on the floor and released his grip.
Freed, she didn't move at all. She simply stood there, expressionless.
It wasn't that she was obedient or unwilling to escape.
When Retsu had grabbed her, he had already placed a seal on her.
Kagura's ability was "nothingness"—no demonic aura, no scent, no emotions. It wasn't that she had no power, but rather that her ability prevented others from sensing it.
"It's strange," Kikyo said as she approached Kagura, frowning slightly. "She doesn't have any demonic aura at all. Not even a trace of presence."
"She was probably sent by Naraku," Retsu said with a smile. He turned back to Kagura. "Did Naraku order you to monitor us?"
She looked at him blankly.
"Can't say."
"Then what's your relationship with Naraku?" he continued.
"Tool."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Hm?"
Kikyo froze for a moment. She hadn't expected this girl to really be connected to Naraku—and to say it so plainly. Her curiosity deepened.
Her gaze fell on the mirror in Kagura's arms. She hesitated, then reached out to take it.
Kagura resisted, gripping it tightly.
"May I take a look?" Kikyo asked gently. "Don't worry, I'll give it back right away."
Kagura didn't respond.
Kikyo tried again, applying a little more force—and to her surprise, she succeeded. The mirror came free.
Even after losing it, Kagura showed no reaction. She merely lowered her hands and stared intently at the mirror in Kikyo's grasp.
"Thank you," Kikyo said softly, surprised at how easily she'd gotten it. She reached out and lightly patted Kagura's head.
Kagura didn't move. Her eyes never left the mirror.
"I'll return it after a quick look," Kikyo reassured her, then examined it carefully.
After a moment, she turned to Retsu.
"This mirror seems to contain part of a mirror demon's power. She can use it to absorb souls."
With that, she handed it back.
Kagura immediately hugged the mirror to her chest again.
"A mirror demon, huh…" Retsu nodded.
He had seen records of mirror demons in the book he'd obtained before. Their core abilities were absorbing souls and copying techniques. Kagura's powers matched that description well.
Naraku himself was a fusion of countless demons. It wasn't strange for his incarnation to inherit part of a mirror demon's ability.
Just like her "sister," Kanna, who likely carried traits of corpse-controlling undead demons and wind-manipulating yokai.
Retsu reached out and lightly tapped Kagura's mirror. He even leaned in and glanced at his reflection.
It looked completely ordinary—just a normal mirror, and even a rare glass one for this era.
While touching it, he secretly left a Flying Thunder God mark on the back.
Then he lowered his head and looked at the expressionless Kagura, feeling a little conflicted about how to deal with this uninvited spy.
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