"Kagome? What are you doing here?"
Uchiha Kasage pushed the door open and stepped inside, clearly surprised.
The shrine felt unusually lively today.
In the courtyard, Kagura and Kanna sat beneath a tree. Kagura lazily swung her legs, staring off into the distance with visible boredom, while Kanna remained as expressionless as ever. It was obvious they hadn't gone out because of the monks lingering nearby.
Inside the main hall, the scene was even more unexpected. Besides Kikyo, Tendo Akane, and Yuzuki, Kagome was there as well.
She sat alone at a table in the corner, a tall stack of textbooks piled in front of her. Her brows were tightly furrowed as she stared down at the pages.
The room had been quiet, each person absorbed in their own task, until Kasage's arrival broke the silence.
"Kasage, you're back!" Kagome quickly looked up to greet him, but before saying anything else, she immediately buried her head back in her books, looking unusually serious.
Kasage walked over and sat beside Kikyo. She was carefully transcribing scriptures, her handwriting elegant and precise, each character neatly arranged.
He noticed something.
Perhaps out of shyness, Kikyo only worked on her wedding garment when they were alone. Whenever others were present, she set it aside and focused on other duties.
Like now.
Recently, she had brought back many sacred texts from Midoriko's shrine. Lately, she spent much of her time copying them, quietly refining her spiritual practice.
"Why is Kagome here alone? Where's Inuyasha?" Kasage asked in a low voice, glancing toward Kagome.
Kikyo paused her brush and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"She said she has an important exam and needs to study seriously. So she came here."
"An exam…"
Kasage immediately understood.
Around this time, Kagome was preparing for her high school entrance exams.
He remembered that not long after this, Naraku would obtain the final shard of the Shikon Jewel, restoring it completely.
Thinking about it, Kagome's situation was almost absurd. She had to fight yokai and gather jewel shards in the Sengoku period, yet still deal with school exams in the modern era.
And somehow, despite missing so much school, she could still pass by cramming at the last minute.
Truly, the advantage of being the protagonist.
"Why didn't she just study at school?" Kasage asked.
Kikyo sighed softly, her voice dropping even lower. "Because Inuyasha kept interrupting her. She had no choice but to come here."
"…I see."
Kasage immediately imagined Inuyasha misunderstanding "exams" as some kind of weak yokai and treating Kagome's studying like a battle.
He could only feel a bit of sympathy.
Sitting beside Kikyo, he relaxed and watched her quietly as she worked. Without the tension of battle, her presence felt calm and gentle, almost scholarly.
He found himself staring at her profile, lost in thought.
"Sigh—"
A long, heavy sigh broke the silence.
Kasage turned his head.
Kagome had slumped over her desk, staring at her textbook as if it were a far more terrifying opponent than any yokai.
He glanced around.
Kikyo remained focused on her writing.
Yuzuki was absorbed in a yokai encyclopedia, reading it like a storybook.
Tendo Akane was happily playing on a handheld console Kasage had brought from the modern era. Out of curiosity, he activated his Rinnegan and shared her vision—she was playing Kirby.
Another sigh followed.
Kagome looked even more exhausted.
It was clear—missing so much school had left her struggling to keep up.
Before all of this, she had been a strong student. But constant absences had turned studying into a real challenge.
Yet even so, her foundation was solid.
"Sigh…"
This time, her voice carried real desperation.
Kasage finally stood up and walked toward her.
"Kagome, I have a method for rapid learning. Want to try it?"
Kagome snapped her head up, her eyes instantly lighting up. She grabbed his hand eagerly.
"Really? What kind of method?"
Kasage smiled faintly, a hint of mystery in his expression.
"In a very short time, it'll feel like you've studied for three straight days. Impressive, right?"
"Seriously?!" Kagome's voice rose with excitement. "Please, you have to help me!"
Kasage raised a finger slightly.
"But… it might be a little uncomfortable. Can you handle that?"
Kagome froze, her enthusiasm faltering slightly. "How uncomfortable?"
He thought for a moment.
"You'll probably be so mentally exhausted that you'll fall asleep the moment your head touches the pillow."
Then he added reassuringly, "But there's no danger. And the results are extremely effective."
Before Kagome could answer, Kikyo had already approached them. There was a trace of concern in her eyes.
"Kasage, don't tease her."
Kasage turned to her, his tone softening slightly.
"I'm not teasing. It's just… intense. But the efficiency is unmatched."
Kagome looked at her pile of textbooks, then back at him. After a brief hesitation, she clenched her fists and nodded.
"Okay. I'll do it. Please help me!"
Kasage nodded.
"Sit still."
He picked up one of her textbooks. The Sharingan appeared in his eyes instantly.
His fingers moved rapidly, flipping through the pages at incredible speed, the sound of paper filling the room.
"K-Kasage… what are you doing?" Kagome asked, completely confused.
"I'm recording everything with the Sharingan," he replied calmly. "So I can transfer it to you."
"Transfer…?!" Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief.
"The Sharingan's dynamic vision allows me to perfectly capture and store everything I see."
By the time he finished speaking, he had already flipped through the last book and set it down.
Kagome stared at him in awe.
"That's amazing… I'm so jealous…"
Kasage looked at her and smiled faintly.
"You'll have all of it soon."
Kikyo still looked uneasy.
"Kasage… are you sure this is safe?"
He gave her a reassuring look.
"It's fine."
Then he turned back to Kagome.
"Sit still. We're starting."
Kagome took a deep breath, focusing completely on him.
At the moment their eyes met, the Sharingan in Kasage's eyes shifted.
The Mangekyo Sharingan emerged, its intricate pattern spinning slowly.
"Tsukuyomi."
In an instant, Kagome's expression froze.
The light in her eyes vanished, replaced by complete stillness.
She sat there, unmoving—like time itself had stopped around her.