"No. You will."
Kikyo looked at Tsubaki, a mysterious smile curving her lips, her tone firm and unwavering.
"Hmph. Such a self-righteous woman."
Though Kikyo's gaze made her uneasy, Tsubaki still stubbornly snorted, her face full of disdain.
After that, neither of them spoke.
Riding on Blackmaru's back, they sped through the forest in silence.
Before long, the outline of a courtyard faintly appeared among the trees. As they drew closer, a sizable temple complex emerged in this secluded woodland.
Blackmaru slowed down and followed the narrow forest path toward the temple gate.
When they were still more than ten meters away, Uchiha Retsu sensed a faint barrier surrounding the temple. However, he passed through it effortlessly without being obstructed.
Though he had never formally studied barrier techniques, after spending so much time with Kikyo, he could recognize its function.
It was a barrier meant to repel demons. It had no effect on humans. The shrine where he and Kikyo lived was protected by the same kind of barrier.
Kikyo paid it no mind. She didn't even recall Blackmaru, leading him straight through without hesitation.
"Who goes there?!"
Just as the three reached the entrance, the gate suddenly flew open. Two girls, about thirteen years old, petite and baby-faced, rushed out with wooden staffs in hand, staring alertly at them.
The girl on the left had light brown short hair and wore a red shrine maiden outfit. The girl on the right had long dark-blue hair and wore a pale blue one.
Standing side by side, their movements perfectly synchronized, they looked incredibly adorable.
"Momiji, Botan, it's me. Kikyo," Kikyo said gently as she jumped down from Blackmaru's back. "I visited here not long ago."
"Lady Kikyo!"
Recognizing the shrine maiden who had visited recently, both girls immediately dropped their guard. They tossed aside their wooden staffs and ran over happily, surrounding Kikyo and chattering excitedly. It was clear they were delighted to see her again.
Retsu watched their familiar interaction with some surprise. He hadn't expected Kikyo to know these two young shrine maidens so well. Clearly, she had visited this place before.
In the original story, there had been no mention of Kikyo knowing them. Otherwise, they would surely have recognized how similar Kagome looked to her.
"Is this another change caused by me?" Retsu thought quietly.
"This is Uchiha Retsu, my companion. You can just call him Retsu," Kikyo introduced, then turned to him. "These are Momiji and Botan, the shrine maidens here."
"Nice to meet you, Momiji. Botan," Retsu greeted them with a friendly nod and smile.
"Greetings, Lord Retsu!"
Both girls immediately straightened up and bowed deeply, their movements neat and their voices crisp.
"No need to be so formal. Just call me Retsu," Retsu said with a laugh, finding their seriousness amusing.
"Understood, Lord Retsu!"
They still nodded solemnly, showing no intention of changing their form of address.
"This is Tsubaki," Kikyo continued, pointing to the silent woman beside her. "She is your senior sister. She once trained here under your master."
"Ah, Senior Sister!"
Momiji and Botan froze for a moment, then looked at Tsubaki with delight, showing no doubt toward Kikyo's words.
Seeing their pure, innocent eyes, Retsu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. With personalities like this, no wonder they had been easily deceived by Tsubaki in the original story.
"Yes. I am Shrine Maiden Tsubaki. I did train here under Master," Tsubaki said, nodding.
She took out a carefully preserved sheet of paper from her robes. On it was a special seal of intertwined sun and moon, clearly an identification mark.
"It's real!"
Seeing the seal, both girls' eyes lit up with excitement.
"I'm Momiji!"
"I'm Botan!"
They introduced themselves loudly.
"Is it just the two of you guarding this place now?" Tsubaki asked, looking at them.
"Yes. We are Master's last disciples," Momiji replied seriously.
"I see."
Tsubaki nodded and stepped into the temple grounds.
Walking through the familiar courtyard, she carefully examined the buildings and trees she remembered so well. A trace of nostalgia flashed in her eyes.
"How nostalgic… It's almost exactly the same as before."
"Miss Tsubaki, may I ask you something?"
Momiji, walking behind her, hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage.
"Hm? What is it?" Tsubaki stopped and turned to her.
"Um… may I ask how old you are this year?" Momiji asked, staring curiously at Tsubaki's youthful face.
"You look so young!" Botan nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I'm much older than you," Tsubaki replied calmly. "This is the result of cultivation. If you work hard, you can achieve it too."
Retsu and Kikyo exchanged glances, smiling slightly. Neither exposed her lie, letting her show off in front of her juniors.
"As expected, you're amazing!"
Just as predicted, the two young shrine maidens looked at her with admiration, making Tsubaki secretly feel pleased.
"Miss Tsubaki, why did you and Lady Kikyo come here?" Momiji asked curiously.
At those words, Tsubaki's expression darkened instantly. She stood there in silence, clearly displeased.
"Your senior sister became a dark priestess and was caught by me while doing bad things," Kikyo said plainly, not hiding the truth, so they wouldn't be deceived by Tsubaki.
"A… a dark priestess?!"
Momiji and Botan turned pale and hurriedly hid behind Kikyo, peeking out warily at Tsubaki, their earlier affection gone.
"Don't worry. Her spiritual power has been sealed. She's not dangerous now," Kikyo said gently, comforting them.
"Sealed?"
They relaxed a little, but still kept their eyes on Tsubaki cautiously.
"Hmph!"
Seeing their reaction, Tsubaki snorted unhappily and turned toward the main hall with a cold face.
Pushing open the doors, she walked straight to the center.
Her gaze fell on the shrine altar ahead and the worn tatami mats below. Deep memories surged in her eyes.
The familiar layout instantly brought back the past.
She looked to the right side beneath the altar—her old seat from years ago.
In her ears, it was as if her master's praise echoed once more.
And she remembered the smile she had worn back then, proud and radiant, because of his words.
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