"I think it probably was."
Uchiha Retsu nodded, confirming Kikyo's guess. He pinched a strip of dried food between his fingers and waved it lightly as he explained:
"I asked that monk about the timing of when the evil aura appeared—it matches perfectly."
As he spoke, he tossed another unidentified dried snack into his mouth, chewing a few times before his eyes lit up.
The texture was unexpectedly good.
Some were crispy, almost like dried mushroom chips from his previous life, while others carried the rich umami of dried fish.
"Since it's confirmed to be Naraku, should we go find him now?" Kikyo swallowed her food and looked at him.
"We'll go—but there's no need to rush."
Retsu chewed thoughtfully, picking up another piece with a different shape.
A new flavor spread across his tongue.
"That guy just had his body destroyed by us. The first thing he'll do is rebuild it—and that takes time."
He tapped his chest.
"And it's not just Naraku who needs time. I do too… to fully integrate this new power inside me."
Kikyo thought of the white horn that had fused into his body and nodded softly.
"Alright. Then we'll wait a few days. Once things here are settled, we'll set out."
Retsu raised another strip of dried food.
"By the way… what is this made of? It's pretty good."
Kikyo glanced at it and calmly popped one into her mouth.
"It's dried mycelium from a black tengu mushroom demon. Once dried, it tastes quite good."
"…A demon?"
Retsu blinked.
He suddenly remembered something like this from the original story—Kagome had once brought it to the modern era and caused some trouble during a school festival.
He didn't expect to actually eat it himself now.
No wonder Shippo used to secretly stash it away—it really was delicious.
Retsu looked at Kikyo, who was enjoying it just as much, a faint smile forming in his eyes.
"So how does this kind of demon work? It's a demon, yet it's edible—and harmless."
Kikyo explained patiently:
"These mushroom demons are very weak. They're basically food for other demons."
"They scatter dried mycelium throughout the forest. If exposed to strong sunlight or heat, they grow back into full demons."
"That's why they can only be eaten after being properly air-dried."
She took another bite and continued:
"Because they taste so good, some villagers risk going into the forest to collect them as food."
"For shrine maidens or monks like us, even if they regenerate, they're easy to deal with—so many of us carry them as travel rations."
"I occasionally gather them in the mountains too. Just remember—they must be dried in the shade. If exposed to direct sunlight, they'll turn back into demons and become inedible."
Watching Kikyo calmly share the origin of her favorite "snack," Retsu's smile deepened.
At this moment—
She felt less like the distant, tragic priestess from the original story…
And more like an ordinary girl—with her own tastes, casually sharing something she enjoyed.
"Hurry up, Inuyasha!"
Kagome stood before the barrier of Kikyo's shrine, turning back to shout.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!"
Inuyasha responded, but instead of speeding up, his steps slowed even more.
"Inuyasha, if you keep dragging your feet, we're leaving you behind!" Shippo shouted from Kagome's shoulder.
"Seriously… he was the one who suggested coming here to ask Kikyo about Naraku," Sango sighed, "and now he doesn't want to go in."
Kagome looked at his awkward expression, resisting the urge to yell "Sit!" and patiently waited.
"Maybe Inuyasha's just embarrassed," Miroku said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
"He couldn't find any leads on Naraku, and now he has to come ask for help. He's probably worried Retsu will laugh at him."
"It's not like he had a choice," Sango added with a sigh.
"Naraku's been gone for so long. We've searched everywhere near his castle and found nothing."
Normally, they could track Naraku through discarded demon parts—
But this time, he had vanished completely.
No clues. No traces.
It was as if he had disappeared from the world entirely.
They had wandered aimlessly around Musashi Province for days.
In the end—
It was Inuyasha who suggested coming to Kikyo's shrine.
After all, during the last battle against Naraku, besides him and Sesshomaru—
Kikyo and Uchiha Retsu were also present.
Maybe they knew something.
But now that they were actually here—
Inuyasha's pride kicked in.
The closer he got, the slower he walked.
"Stop acting like a kid and just come already," Shippo pointed at him.
"Tch! Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped, glaring before turning away.
"…You really are like a child," Kagome muttered helplessly.
She then focused on the barrier surrounding the shrine, channeling her spiritual power.
After previous visits and practice, she had grown familiar with it.
Soon—
An opening slowly formed in the barrier.
"Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara—quick, go in!"
Inuyasha stepped through without hesitation this time.
Shippo and Kirara followed closely.
Kagome stopped channeling her power as the barrier closed behind them.
She then walked up the stone steps with Sango and Miroku.
As humans, they passed through without resistance.
"So Kikyo and Retsu live here?" Sango asked, looking around the small but tidy shrine as they passed through the torii gate.
This was her first time visiting.
"Who's there?!"
A clear, sharp voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned—
To see a young girl in a small shrine maiden outfit stepping out from the main hall, bow in hand, staring at them with vigilance.
"Inuyasha, who is she?" Kagome whispered.
Inuyasha sniffed the air slightly.
Kikyo's scent was definitely here.
Which meant—
She lived here.
But this girl… was unfamiliar.
"Hey, kid. Who are you? Where's Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, frowning.
"Demon!"
The girl—Yuzuki—immediately raised her bow.
Her movements were clumsy, but her gaze was fierce as she aimed straight at Inuyasha.
"You demon—how did you get past the shrine's barrier?!"
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