Uchiha Kasage did not linger. He quickly placed the corrupted shard back into the bamboo tube, channeled his chakra to reseal it, and stored it in his ninja tool pouch.
"This is what a Shikon Jewel shard looks like after being corrupted."
"I can only seal it temporarily; I have no way to purify it completely. As far as I know, there is currently only one priestess capable of purifying it."
"This thing is too terrifying…"
Only after the malevolent aura completely faded did Natsuarashi slowly calm down. She sat back in her chair, her face still pale with lingering fear.
"That's why I can't give you the shard," Kasage said seriously, looking at her.
"If your clan intends to use it to resurrect the Lord of the Panther-Deva Yokai, you're essentially courting your own destruction."
"The one who will return won't be the Lord you knew, but a monster controlled by evil energy—one that knows only slaughter."
"When that happens, forget about defeating the Dog Yokai Clan to restore your nation. The first ones it will massacre will be your own Panther-Deva clan members."
"I… I'll find a way to persuade the Elder Sister Leader."
Natsuarashi's expression turned firm as she nodded decisively.
Though impulsive, she understood the severity of the situation and would never risk the safety of her entire clan.
"Don't be so tense, little cat."
Kasage reached out and gently patted her head. This time, Natsuarashi didn't dodge, allowing him to stroke her hair.
"Even if you fail to convince your leader, it doesn't matter."
"If the resurrected Lord really turns into a monster, use the Summoning Technique to call me. I'll help you tear it apart again."
"Mhm! It's a promise!"
Hearing his words, Natsuarashi immediately brightened. The heaviness on her face disappeared, replaced by her usual lively expression, and she nodded firmly.
At worst, they would simply kill the resurrected Lord again. With someone like Kasage around, there was nothing to fear.
She knew very well how powerful he was.
Over time, she had been unable to accept her earlier easy defeat and had challenged him several more times. Every single attempt had ended in complete defeat, leaving her without even a chance to resist.
Now, she placed full trust in Kasage's strength.
Natsuarashi stood up and said seriously, "I'll do my best to persuade the Elder Sister Leader. If she insists on reviving the Lord, I'll have to ask for your help."
Kasage smiled and nodded. "Travel safely. Call me whenever you need assistance."
"Alright, I'm going!"
She waved at Kasage and headed toward the door, eager to return to her clan.
Stopping at the doorway, she turned back and added:
"Oh, right! When I summon you in the future, don't forget to bring me fresh fish!"
"Don't worry, there'll be plenty!" Kasage replied with a laugh.
As he placed the Shikon shard back into his pouch, Kasage suddenly thought of something and quickly called out:
"Wait, there's one more thing."
"Hm?" Natsuarashi paused with her hand on the door and turned to look at him in confusion.
"If you really end up using the Shikon Jewel to resurrect your Lord, you'll likely encounter a girl named Kagome. When that happens, you must not harm her."
Kasage looked at her intently, his tone serious.
"Oh—?" Natsuarashi dragged out the sound, suddenly showing a mischievous smile. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him teasingly.
"Who is this girl to you? Why are you giving such specific instructions?"
"What a curious cat."
Seeing her gossiping expression, Kasage stepped forward, placed his hand on her head, and lightly spun her around a couple of times.
"She's no one special to me," he explained. "She is the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, who died fifty years ago—and the priestess of this generation who guards the Shikon Jewel."
"She is currently gathering Shikon Jewel shards as well. If you intend to use the shards to revive your Lord, you will inevitably meet her."
"The reincarnation of Kikyo?"
Natsuarashi shook her head after feeling slightly dizzy.
"Do I look like I'm tired of living? Why would I go looking for trouble with someone like that?"
"She hasn't fully awakened Kikyo's power yet, so she's not very strong for now," Kasage said, releasing her.
"But at present, she is the only one capable of purifying the Shikon Jewel. Keep an eye on her, protect her, and make sure nothing happens to her."
"Got it!"
Natsuarashi finally dropped her playful attitude and nodded seriously.
"Alright, I'm really leaving now!"
She waved one last time and dashed out the door without hesitation. Her red figure quickly disappeared into the forest path.
Kasage watched her leave and shook his head with a faint smile.
This was probably the difference between humans and yokai.
Humans have short lives and inevitably feel a sense of reluctance when parting.
Yokai, however, live long lives. Meetings and separations are common, and in the endless years ahead, there is always a chance to meet again. Therefore, they never grieve over departures.
"Alright, I've stayed here long enough. It's time to move on."
Kasage returned to the room and began storing everything one by one into the Kamui dimension—bedding, daily necessities, even the soft cushions and cooking utensils he had prepared earlier.
In this era, resources were scarce, and such items were difficult to obtain even with money. Fortunately, he possessed the Kamui dimension; otherwise, he would have had to carry around a massive scroll full of pots and pans during his travels—a troublesome thought.
After packing everything, Kasage pushed open the door of the wooden house and walked toward the distant mountain forest.
A few steps after he left, a dull cracking sound of wood echoed behind him.
As he walked away, he manipulated the trees and earth that had formed the house, causing the entire wooden structure to collapse instantly. It was then completely buried beneath a layer of soil, restoring the mountain forest to its original state.
He did this because if the house were left standing, it wouldn't take long before it would be occupied by mountain yokai and turned into a nest. It was better to destroy and bury it.
---
"Boom—!"
In the forest at dusk, Kasage was sitting beside a campfire, preparing to rest, when a deafening explosion suddenly tore through the night sky.
He snapped his head up and saw a blinding light erupt from a distant hill, accompanied by the aura of numerous lesser yokai being annihilated in the blast.
Clearly, a fierce battle was taking place there.
"Oh? That looks interesting… I might even be able to pick up something useful."
A flash of interest crossed Kasage's eyes. In the next instant, his figure turned into a dark blur as he dashed toward the source of the explosion.