"I guess that's probably it." Kagetsu nodded, confirming her suspicion. He shook a piece of dried food between his fingers. "I asked that monk about the time the evil aura appeared, and it happens to match up."
As he spoke, he tossed another piece of the unidentified dried food into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. His eyes brightened. The texture was unexpectedly good, and each piece had a distinct flavor,some as crispy as the mushroom crisps from his past life, others carrying the savory aroma of dried small fish.
"Since we're sure it's Naraku, should we go find him now?" Kikyo asked, swallowing her bite and looking at him.
"We have to go, but there's no rush." Kagetsu picked up another piece of a different shape, letting a new flavor spread across his tongue. "That guy's body was destroyed by us last time. The first thing he'll do is rebuild himself, and that takes time."
He tapped his chest. "Not only does Naraku need time, but I also need time to fuse the new power within me."
Kikyo remembered the white broken horn that had fused into his body and nodded gently. "Fine. We'll wait a few days. Once everything here is settled, we'll set off."
"By the way, what is this made of? It tastes pretty good." Kagetsu picked up another piece, curiosity in his gaze.
Kikyo glanced at the dried food in his hand, then calmly picked up one herself. "It's the mycelium of the Black Tengu mushroom yokai, dried for preservation. The taste is indeed quite good."
"A yokai?" Kagetsu paused, suddenly recalling that this mushroom existed in the plot and had even been brought to the modern era by Kagome, causing some trouble during a school festival. He hadn't expected to actually taste it himself. No wonder Shippō hid it from Sango to eat in secret,it really was delicious.
He looked at Kikyo, who was chewing with evident enjoyment, and a faint smile flickered across his eyes. Clearly, she also enjoyed this unique little snack.
"What's the deal with this yokai? It's clearly a yokai, yet it's delicious and harmless," he asked as he tossed another piece into his mouth.
"This mushroom yokai isn't very strong; it's practically food for other yokai," Kikyo explained patiently. "They scatter dried mycelium throughout the forest. When exposed to sunlight or fire, the mycelium grows into new yokai. That's why they can only be eaten directly after being air-dried."
She picked up another piece. "Because they taste so good, as long as they aren't roasted or boiled, they make excellent dry rations. Some villagers gather them for food."
"But for miko or monks who often deal with yokai, even if it accidentally transforms, it's easily handled. That's why many miko and monks collect them for rations while traveling."
"I occasionally find them in the mountains, wash them, and air-dry them. They must be dried in a cool, shaded place,not under direct sunlight. Otherwise, if they turn into yokai, they can't be eaten."
Watching Kikyo seriously explain her favorite little snack, Kagetsu's smile deepened. At this moment, she seemed like an ordinary girl with hobbies and tastes, not the tragic, saint-like miko of the plot.
"Inuyasha, hurry up!"
Kagome stood before the Barrier of Kikyo's shrine, urging Inuyasha, who lagged behind.
"I know!" he replied, yet his pace slowed even more.
"Inuyasha, if you keep dawdling, we won't wait for you!" Shippō shouted from Kagome's shoulder.
"Honestly, he suggested coming to the shrine to ask Miss Kikyo about Naraku, yet now that we're here, he doesn't want to go in," Sango observed, helplessly watching Inuyasha.
Kagome suppressed the urge to shout at him and waited patiently.
"Inuyasha probably feels that since he hasn't found any clues about Naraku, asking for help now will make him seem weak in front of Lie," Miroku mused.
"It can't be helped," Sango sighed. "Naraku has been gone so long. We've searched nearly everywhere near his castle and found nothing. We have no idea where he went."
Previously, they could obtain clues through yokai fragments Naraku discarded, but now he seemed to have vanished completely, leaving the group wandering Musashi Province like headless flies. Naraku's body had been almost destroyed by Kagetsu and Kikyo, so no fragments remained to indicate his direction.
Ultimately, it was Inuyasha who suggested visiting Kikyo's shrine. After all, during Naraku's last defeat, besides him and Sesshomaru, Kikyo and Kagetsu were present,they might know something.
Perhaps pride held him back; as they neared the shrine, Inuyasha slowed, leaving the group caught between laughter and exasperation.
"Stop throwing a tantrum like a child, Inuyasha," Shippō said, pointing as Inuyasha finally shuffled to the Barrier.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha glared at Shippō, snorted coldly, and turned his head away.
"Sigh, he's just like a child," Kagome muttered, looking up at the Barrier and mobilizing her spiritual power. After her recent practice, she was now very familiar with the shrine's barrier designed to block yokai.
Before long, an entrance slowly opened in the Barrier.
"Inuyasha, Shippō, Kirara, get in quickly!" Kagome urged.
Inuyasha finally moved forward, followed by Shippō and Kirara. Kagome stopped channeling power and watched as the Barrier slowly closed behind her, Sango, and Miroku. Humans passed unhindered.
"Do Miss Kikyo and Lie live in this shrine?" Sango asked, curiosity in her eyes as she followed Kagome up the stone steps.
"Who is it?"
A crisp female voice rang out. Everyone turned to see a young girl in a small red-and-white miko outfit emerge from the Main Hall. She held a bow and arrow, her eyes wary.
"Kid, who are you? Where's Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, frowning at the unfamiliar child. His nose twitched,Kikyo's scent was present, confirming she lived here.
"Yokai!" The girl saw the dog ears atop Inuyasha's head. She raised her bow, awkwardly pulling back the string, and shouted, "You yokai! How did you get past the Barrier outside the shrine?"