"Isn't that 'immortal' here?"
Kikyo scanned the room carefully. Aside from the three small yokai that had just been eliminated, there was no one else in sight. A trace of doubt appeared in her voice.
"Mm."
Uchiha Kasage replied without turning around, continuing to rummage through pottery jars and wooden boxes.
"I already sensed the area earlier. There's a strange guy near the human-faced fruit tree we saw before. He's not here."
He paused briefly, then added casually:
"Let's finish searching this place first. If there's anything like cultivation manuals or techniques, we take it. After that… we'll go deal with that 'immortal.'"
His tone was calm—almost indifferent.
Kikyo glanced at him, concern flickering in her eyes.
"The other party is an 'immortal'… are you confident?"
Kasage closed a jar filled with human-faced fruits, then turned to face her with a faint, confident smile.
"Don't worry. I already have a good idea of what he's capable of."
"He's weak."
Seeing his usual self-assured expression return, Kikyo felt her tension ease slightly.
She understood—if Kasage spoke like that, then he was certain.
---
At first, Kasage himself had been wary.
In the original story, the Peach Fruit Man had appeared quite formidable.
Even when struck by Inuyasha's Tessaiga, he remained unharmed. He could withstand the Wind Scar and even trap Inuyasha inside a gourd with ease.
That was why Kasage had proceeded cautiously, using a Shadow Clone to test everything.
But after confirming that the shrinking magic had limits—and sensing that the two auras near the tree weren't particularly strong—
He immediately understood.
Inuyasha had simply been unlucky.
It had been the night of the new moon—when his yokai power vanished.
Without Tessaiga's protection, and with his yokai blood suppressed, he couldn't resist the ability.
But once dawn came…
Even with three Shikon Jewel fragments, the Peach Fruit Man had still been cut down by the Wind Scar.
---
The two finished searching the building.
Aside from numerous jars filled with human-faced fruits, they found nothing of value.
"No magical tools… no cultivation manuals," Kikyo said softly, glancing toward Kasage.
"Yeah… nothing." Kasage clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.
"What a waste of time."
He had hoped to find something like a legendary sage's technique—but clearly, that had been wishful thinking.
"Forget it," he continued. "We'll just go ask him directly."
Kikyo tightened her grip on her bow.
"…Alright."
She knew what that meant.
A confrontation was inevitable.
---
The two stepped out of the building and headed toward the human-faced fruit tree they had sensed earlier.
In the distance—
A lush peach tree stood at the edge of the cliff.
Its branches were heavy with large, red fruits.
Yet the thick, oppressive aura surrounding it revealed the truth.
This was no ordinary tree.
It was a yokai tree—one that fed on human lives.
"That aura…" Kikyo frowned deeply, instinctively drawing her bow and nocking a sacred arrow.
"This must be the Human-Faced Fruit Tree."
She was about to fire—
"Wait."
Kasage reached out and gently pressed down her wrist, stopping her.
"This tree isn't going anywhere," he said calmly.
"Let's deal with the 'immortal' first."
Kikyo hesitated, then slowly lowered her bow.
"…Understood."
---
They continued forward.
And just as they approached—
"Oh?"
A voice rang out.
"So someone actually made it in here?"
A fat figure sitting beneath the tree slowly stood up.
It was the Peach Fruit Man.
Before Kasage could speak—
The man's eyes suddenly locked onto Kikyo.
They lit up instantly.
A greedy grin spread across his face.
"A woman? What luck!" he laughed crudely.
"Human-faced fruit loves women the most… the younger, the better!"
He completely ignored Kasage.
His heavy body surged forward, footsteps thundering against the ground. His large hand stretched out toward Kikyo, clearly intending to seize her.
---
A cold glint flashed in Kasage's eyes.
Arrogant.
Too arrogant.
With a sudden burst of Sage Chakra beneath his feet—
He vanished.
In the next instant—
He appeared directly in front of the Peach Fruit Man.
Like a ghost.
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing the man's head.
"Get down."
*BOOM—!!*
With a deafening impact, Kasage slammed him into the ground.
The earth shattered.
Cracks spread violently.
Dust exploded into the air as the massive body was driven deep into the rock.
---
Kasage grabbed him by the hair and yanked him back up from the crater.
Blood covered the man's face. His expression was twisted in pain.
"You fat pig," Kasage said coldly, eyes sharp.
"Feeling arrogant now?"
Kikyo lowered her bow slightly, watching from the side.
Though the Peach Fruit Man lacked a strong outward yokai aura—
The stench of death and blood around him was overwhelming.
It was obvious.
This man had slaughtered countless people.
---
"Kasage," Kikyo said, her gaze sharpening.
"There's a Shikon Jewel shard in his body… in his abdomen."
"Got it."
---
"You—! Who are you?!" the Peach Fruit Man roared, finally snapping out of his daze.
Ignoring the pain, he yanked a gourd from his waist, biting off the stopper.
He grinned viciously.
"Get inside and stay there!"
A powerful suction force erupted from the gourd.
At the same time—
That familiar strange energy surged forward again.
The same magic as the bonsai.
The power to shrink a human.
---
Kasage didn't move.
He simply stood there, watching with a cold, mocking smile.
So this was it.
The ability that had trapped Inuyasha.
Unlucky timing—that was all.
If Inuyasha had retained his yokai power, he could have resisted this with ease.
Even in the story, though he had been shrunk—
Tessaiga remained unaffected.
Proof that the magic had limits.
---
"W-What…?!"
The Peach Fruit Man's grin froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why aren't you shrinking?!"
Kasage chuckled softly.
"You're too weak."
"You're trash."
In a flash—
His hand moved.
He snatched the gourd away and tossed it aside like it was worthless.
Then—
His hand clamped around the man's throat.
And slammed him down again.
*BOOM—!!*
The ground shattered further.
A larger crater formed as dust surged into the air.
---
Kasage didn't stop.
Sage Chakra gathered beneath his foot—
Then—
He stomped down.
*CRACK—!!*
The earth caved in again, spiderweb cracks spreading outward violently.
"Gah—!"
Even with the Shikon Jewel shard enhancing his body, the Peach Fruit Man couldn't withstand the sheer force.
Blood burst from his mouth, staining his clothes red.
---
Kasage looked down at him coldly.
Even now, the man wasn't dead.
Nor unconscious.
His bloated body, reinforced by the Shikon Jewel, was surprisingly resilient.
"…Tough," Kasage muttered.
Then—
He reached toward the man's abdomen.
Toward the Shikon Jewel shard.
Ready to rip it out.