Naraku's expression darkened instantly as he followed Kagome's trembling finger.
There, standing calmly in the distance, was Uchiha Kasage, the Shikon Jewel resting in his hand as he examined it with amused eyes.
"Damn it…" Naraku growled.
He immediately realized there was no chance of reclaiming the jewel now. Without hesitation, thick miasma erupted from his body, swallowing him in a dark cloud as he tried to flee at full speed.
"Inuyasha! Kagome! Naraku's trying to escape!" Miroku shouted sharply.
Inuyasha snapped out of his shock at once.
"Kirara! After him!"
Kirara let out a fierce growl, flames bursting beneath her paws as she launched forward through the sky after Naraku.
Not far away, Sesshomaru cut down the last group of yokai blocking his path with a single slash. His cold golden eyes locked onto Naraku's fleeing figure before he immediately gave chase.
But only moments later, both Kirara and Sesshomaru suddenly stopped.
A figure had appeared directly in front of Naraku, blocking his path completely.
The hem of her elegant purple robe fluttered softly in the wind. Her beauty was cold and untouchable, carrying the noble aura of a celestial goddess.
"Kaguya…?!" Naraku's face stiffened.
Then he noticed the pale violet Rinnegan in her eyes — the exact same eyes as Abihime's.
At that moment, understanding flashed across his face.
Kaguya had already become one of Kasage's Six Paths puppets.
Kaguya remained expressionless.
Her pink hagoromo glowed faintly as it drifted around her body.
Without saying a single word, the Life Mirror in her hand suddenly released a brilliant light. A beam instantly engulfed Naraku's entire body.
"W-What is this—?!"
Naraku's eyes widened in horror.
The moment the light wrapped around him, an invisible force completely immobilized his body. He couldn't move at all.
Kaguya slowly raised one hand.
—SHING!
Several black receivers formed from Yin–Yang Release shot through the air like black lightning, piercing directly into Naraku's body.
"Kaguya… you—!"
Naraku felt the strange power spreading through him, violently disrupting his demonic aura.
He instantly understood what she intended to do.
But trapped by the Life Mirror, he could only watch helplessly as more black receivers stabbed into him one after another, sealing both his movements and his yōki completely.
Once she confirmed he could no longer resist, Kaguya lowered her hand.
She put away the Life Mirror and controlled Naraku with the black receivers, forcing him to walk behind her like a prisoner.
"Inuyasha… Kagome…"
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru quickly caught up.
Staring at the pale Rinnegan in Kaguya's eyes, Inuyasha frowned.
"So you're one of Kasage's puppets too… aren't you?" he asked cautiously.
"Then why not kill Naraku right now?"
Kaguya looked at him calmly.
"It is not time yet. He is still useful."
Her voice was emotionless, yet strangely firm.
"There are still matters that require his existence. Once those are finished… he can die."
"You… belong to… Uchiha… Kasage…"
To everyone's surprise, Naraku could still speak despite the seals binding him.
His eyes burned with murderous hatred as he glared at Kaguya.
"Oh?" Kaguya said quietly. "You can still talk?"
Without hesitation—
—THUD!
Another black receiver pierced directly into Naraku's skull.
Kagome instinctively shivered at the ruthless scene.
"What exactly are you planning?" she asked nervously.
Kaguya turned slightly.
"Follow me. You'll understand soon enough."
With that, she flew toward Kasage's location while dragging the restrained Naraku behind her.
Soon, everyone gathered together.
At the center stood both Mugen Byakuya and Naraku, their bodies covered in black receivers under complete control.
As Kagome stepped off Kirara's back, her eyes immediately widened.
"Enju… Midoriko…"
Enju stood quietly beside Kikyo, while nearby Midoriko held the Shikon Jewel in her hands. Pure spiritual power radiated brilliantly from the jewel.
At some point, Kagura and Kanna had also arrived, silently watching Naraku alongside the others.
"Kasage… Kikyo…" Kagome said in shock.
"Are you planning to control Naraku again and use that technique from before to revive Enju and Lady Midoriko?"
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
He could clearly smell death and grave soil lingering around Enju and Midoriko. They were not truly alive.
Even Tenseiga could not revive souls that had already been dead for so long.
The idea that Kasage intended to resurrect them using Naraku stirred a rare trace of curiosity within Sesshomaru.
Kasage stepped toward Mugen Byakuya and placed a finger against his forehead.
At once, the Transcription Seal activated, sealing the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique within him.
"We are planning to revive them," Kasage explained calmly, "but not by using Naraku."
He glanced at Mugen Byakuya.
"We'll use his incarnation instead. Naraku still has another purpose."
Under the control of the black receivers, Mugen Byakuya couldn't resist at all, making the sealing process smooth.
Thanks to Kasage's awakened Rinnegan, the burden from using the Transcription Seal was far lighter than before.
"Then why not use Naraku?" Kagura asked while twirling her fan.
"Kikyo said you used him before."
Kasage looked toward her.
The hatred in Kagura's eyes toward Naraku was obvious. She clearly didn't want him escaping death again.
"Because Naraku is more important alive for now," Kasage replied.
"And unlike you or Kanna, Mugen Byakuya is deeply connected to Naraku. If Naraku dies, he dies as well."
Understanding appeared across everyone's faces.
Then Kasage's expression grew serious.
"My real objective…" he said slowly, "is to completely resolve the issue of the Shikon Jewel."
Everyone immediately fell silent.
"I intend to extract Midoriko's soul from the Shikon Jewel itself."
He looked down at the jewel in Midoriko's hands.
"But once Midoriko's soul is removed, the countless yokai sealed inside the jewel will lose control and break free."
Kasage turned toward Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku.
"I'll have Mugen Byakuya use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive Enju and Midoriko."
His gaze then shifted toward Naraku.
"As for the yokai souls escaping from the Shikon Jewel…"
A cold light flashed in Kasage's eyes.
"I'll force the jewel — containing only those yokai souls — into Naraku's body. Since they have no physical form, they'll inevitably pour into him."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"And when that happens," Kasage continued, "I'll need all of you to strike Naraku down and destroy every yokai spirit at once."
Kikyo stepped forward quietly beside him.
"Kasage and the Six Paths puppets will fight alongside you," she said softly.
"Then why not just kill Naraku now?" Kagura suddenly asked again.
"If he dies first, wouldn't the yokai souls disappear too?"
"Yeah!" Shippo added with a confused look.
The others also looked puzzled.
Kikyo answered calmly.
"Because Kasage and I already tested something similar using a false Shikon Jewel before."
Her eyes rested coldly on Naraku.
"When the human soul is removed directly, the remaining yokai souls become corrupted by evil energy almost immediately."
"They transform into violent evil spirits that require enormous spiritual power to purify."
She paused briefly.
"At first, I planned to gather powerful priestesses to help cleanse them…"
Her voice softened slightly.
"But the risk was too great."
Then Kikyo looked directly at Naraku.
"However, Naraku possesses a natural ability to devour yōkai."
A faint coldness entered her eyes.
"We'll use him to absorb every evil spirit from the jewel."
"And once he devours them all…"
Kikyo's spiritual pressure quietly rose around her.
"…we'll kill him together and erase every last evil spirit in a single strike."