After a long journey, the group finally arrived at their destination—a castle nestled along the mountainside. The moment Uchiha Kasage stepped inside, his senses sharpened instantly. The entire structure was shrouded in a dense, malevolent aura.
At such close range, there was no doubt—Naraku's yokai aura was within this very castle.
Kikyo stepped out of the palanquin. Her expression turned solemn as she exchanged a brief glance with Kasage. Clearly, she had sensed it too—the suffocating presence of evil surrounding them.
Yet seeing Kasage remain calm and composed brought her a quiet sense of reassurance. Without hesitation, she followed the retainer deeper into the castle.
Thanks to the chakra she had absorbed during this time, the soul within Kikyo had fully stabilized. Though her body remained one of clay, her spiritual power had returned to its peak.
And with Kasage by her side… there was nothing to fear.
---
"Stop! No one is allowed inside!"
Soon, they arrived outside the lord's bedchamber. Just as the retainer moved to lead Kikyo inside, two guards stepped forward, blocking the way with stern expressions.
"I have brought the miko who can cure Lord Yin Dao," the retainer explained.
"But our master has given strict orders—no one is to enter!" the guards replied firmly, refusing to yield.
Kikyo observed the tense standoff for only a moment before making her decision. Ignoring them entirely, she stepped forward and walked straight toward the room.
"Hey—!"
The guards immediately drew their swords, ready to stop her.
At that moment, Kasage, standing just behind her, slowly turned his head. His scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan flickered into existence.
The instant the guards met his gaze, their bodies froze.
The hostility in their eyes vanished, replaced by emptiness.
Without resistance, they stepped aside mechanically, like puppets with cut strings, allowing Kikyo and Kasage to pass without another word.
Kikyo glanced back briefly. Seeing the faint, self-satisfied look on Kasage's face, she pressed her lips together slightly—but said nothing. Instead, she turned and continued forward, lifting the curtain and entering the chamber.
---
Inside, Naraku had already sensed that something was wrong.
The sudden silence outside—the absence of the guards' voices—set off alarms in his mind.
Two sets of footsteps approached steadily.
He forced himself upright, preparing to react. If danger revealed itself, he would flee immediately.
Kagome's sacred arrow had wounded him deeply. This was his weakest state.
Then—
The curtain lifted.
And a figure he would never forget appeared before him.
Naraku froze.
Every trace of his yokai aura was instantly suppressed. He didn't dare move.
Staring at the miko approaching him, he spoke cautiously:
"…What is your name?"
"My name is Kikyo," she replied calmly, unaware of his true identity.
To her, the man before her simply felt… wrong. His body carried a strange, unnatural stillness—almost like a corpse.
She knelt beside him and gently took his wrist to examine him.
Naraku's entire body tensed at her touch.
Fear gripped him.
If she recognized him—if she unleashed her purification—he would be erased instantly.
But after a brief moment, Kikyo withdrew her hand, a faint apology in her eyes.
"I'm sorry… I cannot cure your illness."
Relief flickered through Naraku—only for it to vanish instantly.
"Kasa—" she paused slightly, then corrected herself softly, "Kasage… do you have a way?"
Naraku's gaze shifted.
Standing behind her, arms crossed, was the man he recognized immediately.
That face. That presence. That crest.
Uchiha Kasage.
The one who had destroyed his puppet.
Cold tension gripped Naraku's chest.
Kasage stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"I'm not certain," he said lightly. "Let me take a look."
Naraku wanted to refuse.
He needed to refuse.
But the moment his eyes met Kasage's—sharp, probing, impossible to escape—his words faltered.
"…Then… I'll trouble you."
Kasage smiled faintly.
"You're too polite."
He stepped closer and placed his hand on Naraku's wrist.
Naraku's heart pounded violently.
Every second felt stretched.
Exposed.
Vulnerable.
Then—
Kasage withdrew his hand.
He shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I can't help either."
Naraku forced a weak smile, masking the storm inside him.
"That's… fine. Thank you both for coming."
Then, raising his voice:
"Guards! Escort Miss Kikyo out."
---
Outside, the retainer hurried forward anxiously.
"Well? Miss Kikyo, how is my lord?"
Kikyo lowered her gaze slightly.
"I'm sorry… I cannot help him."
The retainer sighed deeply.
"I see… Even you are unable to cure him…"
"I am only an ordinary miko," Kikyo replied softly, bowing her head. "I truly apologize."
Behind her, Kasage raised an eyebrow slightly.
*Ordinary?*
An "ordinary miko" who never needed a second arrow to destroy a yokai?
The retainer nodded, resigned.
"Thank you for coming. I will arrange for soldiers to escort you back."
"There is no need," Kikyo said gently. "We can return on our own."
He hesitated, then nodded.
"As you wish."
---
As they left the castle under respectful escort, Kasage's eyes flickered with quiet understanding.
Naraku had chosen caution.
He knew forcing Kikyo to stay might not provoke her—
But Kasage?
That would be another matter entirely.
---
The two walked side by side along the path back to the temple.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Kikyo broke the silence.
"…You left a mark on him, didn't you?"
Kasage smiled.
"Of course."
He glanced at her, eyes gleaming faintly.
"The moment you asked me to examine him… I understood what you wanted."
Kikyo didn't respond immediately.
But the faintest hint of relief—and trust—passed through her eyes as they continued forward together.
---