"You're Kagura? Kanna's… younger sister?"
While Kagura was still standing there in a daze, Kikyo looked at her mature and striking appearance, then turned to glance at the small Kanna sitting on the swing.
A hint of confusion crossed her eyes, and she blinked unconsciously.
The difference in appearance between these two sisters was simply too great.
"You must be the shrine maiden Kikyo, right?"
Kagura quickly snapped out of her surprise. With a crisp snap, she unfolded the fan in her hand. The fan's surface bore patterns similar to those on her kimono, and her graceful posture resembled that of a dancer from the pleasure districts.
She raised her eyes toward the two of them and introduced herself solemnly.
"I am Kagura, the Wind Sorceress—an incarnation of Naraku, and Kanna's sister."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Kikyo."
Understanding flickered in Kikyo's eyes.
"You're one of Naraku's incarnations? No wonder your demonic aura resembles his so closely.
"And if you're Kanna's sister… then that means Kanna is also Naraku's incarnation."
Uchiha Retsu observed Kagura with interest.
Unlike Kanna's cold and simple beauty, Kagura was dazzlingly beautiful in a completely different way.
Her luxurious pink-purple kimono made her pale skin look even more radiant. Her pink eyes were framed by striking violet eye shadow, and emerald beads hanging from her ears swayed gently.
Rather than a demon, she looked more like a captivating dancer from a pleasure district.
"Uchiha Retsu," he said at last, withdrawing his gaze.
"You came with Kanna, didn't you? She already told me why you're here."
He spread his hands helplessly.
"Unfortunately, I don't know how to remove the side effects of that technique either. Naraku will have to figure it out himself."
"I understand."
Kagura hadn't expected Kanna to already reveal their purpose, but she nodded anyway.
"I'll inform Naraku."
At that moment, however, Retsu suddenly grinned mischievously.
"Actually, I hope Naraku finds a solution soon.
"If the opportunity comes up again… I'd like him to help me with that technique one more time."
Kagura was speechless.
Using it once had already left Naraku in such a miserable state, and this man was already planning a second time.
Watching her remain cautiously at a distance, Retsu found it amusing.
In the original story, Kagura had been bold and rebellious—even daring to challenge Naraku himself.
Yet here she was acting extremely tense around him, even though they had just met.
"Why are you standing so far away?" he asked directly.
"You seem afraid of me. But this should be our first meeting."
"N-No, that's not it!"
Kagura's heart jumped. She quickly stepped forward two paces, forcing herself to appear calm while quietly tightening her grip on the fan in her hand.
"Kagura is worried you might kill her because she is Naraku's incarnation."
Kanna suddenly spoke from the swing.
Her voice remained as emotionless as ever, but she had perfectly exposed Kagura's thoughts.
"You—!"
Kagura stiffened, glaring at Kanna through clenched teeth before quickly turning her wary gaze back to Retsu. Her steps halted instinctively.
"Relax. As long as you behave and don't try anything tricky, I won't kill you," Retsu said calmly with a smile.
"I'm not some bloodthirsty maniac. Why would I kill you for no reason?"
He picked up a slice of melon from the wooden table beside him and held it out to her.
"Want some? It's pretty good."
Kagura glanced at the melon with a strange expression and shook her head.
"No thank you."
"Well, that's a shame."
Retsu shrugged and handed the melon to Kanna instead.
"Kanna, want another?"
Kanna accepted it without hesitation and resumed eating quietly, taking small bites. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she calmly enjoyed the sweet fruit.
Seeing her sister like this, Kagura's expression grew even stranger. She could only stand silently to the side.
"You don't have to keep standing there. Sit wherever you like," Retsu said with a chuckle, clearly amused by her tense posture.
The bold Kagura who once defied Naraku now looked oddly restrained—it was quite the contrast.
Kagura hesitated, glancing around before finally gritting her teeth and walking over to the swing. She carefully sat beside Kanna.
Fortunately, the swing had been made wide enough for two people, so they weren't cramped.
Kanna didn't react at all to the newcomer beside her. She simply continued eating her melon.
Feeling the strange, peaceful silence, Kagura couldn't help breaking it.
"Aren't you curious where Naraku is?" she asked, confusion evident in her tone.
"Don't you want to kill him?"
Kikyo looked at the two sisters—so different from each other—and smiled gently.
Although they were Naraku's incarnations, their personalities were completely unlike his. If anything, they seemed surprisingly innocent.
"I've been to the castle where Onigumo once stayed," Kikyo said calmly from her lounge chair.
"It should be the castle of Hitomi, if I remember correctly.
"Even though Naraku hid himself within a barrier, I've always been able to sense its location."
She paused briefly.
"But for now, I have no intention of killing him. Kagome and Inuyasha are already dealing with him, so there's no need for us to intervene."
"Onigumo? Who's that? Naraku?"
Kagura blinked in confusion.
"You're Naraku's incarnation and yet you don't know his identity?" Kikyo asked, surprised by Kagura's blank expression.
"Kanna and I are incarnations formed from Naraku's separated demonic flesh," Kagura explained honestly now that she realized Retsu truly had no intention of killing her.
"We have our own independent consciousness, but we didn't inherit Naraku's memories."
"I see."
Kikyo nodded thoughtfully.
"Then why do you obey Naraku's commands? You didn't seem very willing to come here. Could it be…"
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Kanna.
"…that your heart is also controlled by Naraku?"
"How did you know?!"
Kagura's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Kikyo.
Then she turned to Kanna in disbelief.
"Kanna, did you tell them even that?"
"Yes. We know Naraku holds Kanna's heart," Kikyo replied calmly.
Kagura let out a bitter laugh. Her fingers tightened around the rope of the swing as she spoke helplessly.
"That's right. My heart is in his hands too. There's nowhere for me to escape."
"I see. That sounds like something he would do," Kikyo said quietly.
"Someone like Naraku would never truly trust anyone."
"Kikyo… what exactly did you mean about 'Onigumo'?" Kagura asked eagerly.
She had long sensed that Naraku's attitude toward Kikyo was unusual.
If Kikyo knew secrets about Naraku, those secrets might be the key to her freedom.
"Onigumo is Naraku," Kikyo answered without hiding anything.
"Or rather… Onigumo was Naraku's name before he became a demon."
"Before he became a demon?" Kagura repeated in astonishment.
"What do you mean?"
"Fifty years ago, I once saved a bandit named Onigumo," Kikyo said, her gaze drifting into the distance as memories resurfaced.
"At the time, his entire body was burned and his bones were shattered. He couldn't move at all.
"But the evil in his heart attracted countless demons.
"In the end, he offered his body to them… and those countless demons merged together."
"That… is how Naraku was born."
To Read 60+ advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146
SORRY FOR THIS WRITING HERE BUT I SAW A NOVEL -Konoha: Preparing to defect, the system has arrived. BUT THE LAST AUTHOR HAD DROPPED IT AND I WAS THINKING OF TRANSLATING IT WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE SAY SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT I WANT YOUR OPINION PLEASE DO MENTION IN THE COMMENT SECTIONS.