The Same Soul is the 376th chapter of the InuYasha manga.
Synopsis
- Kikyō reveals to Inuyasha that her wounds from Mt. Hakurei have returned. She's joined forces with Midoriko's soul to defeat Naraku before she succumbs to the wounds.
- A mysterious force separates Kohaku from the rest of the group and draws him toward Kikyō.
Summary
- Under a waterfall, Kikyō touches her chest and remembers when Naraku dealt her a fatal blow at Mount Hakurei. She thinks to herself that Naraku's miasma is every bit as persistent as its creator. Just as she finishes reminiscing, Inuyasha arrives, having followed the soul-collector that emerged from Midoriko's mummy. Having trouble believing Kikyō was the person behind the pupa, he outright asks her if she's stolen Midoriko's soul. Before she answers, she drapes her kimono slightly, revealing a scar across her shoulder: it is the same scar Naraku dealt her on Mt. Hakurei. Inuyasha confusedly asks why the scar is still there, because Kagome had purified all of the miasma in the wound in Chapter 308. Kikyō says that Kagome's spiritual powers could only temporarily expel the poison. She also suggests that perhaps the miasma is acting up again because Naraku's hatred for her has grown stronger. "That is why I took Midoriko's soul. It is my last resort." She explains that she needs Midoriko's power to defeat Naraku before she succumbs to the miasma and is reduced back to a pile of bones and earth. She also elaborates that Midoriko died battling a demon, just like she did. "Midoriko and I share the same soul."
- Midoriko's soul, which had been held by the soul-collector, suddenly flies into Kikyō's body, knocking her unconscious from the force of its power. As Inuyasha dashes to check and make sure the priestess is okay, he notices that the wound in her shoulder is beginning to close.
- Back at Sango's village, Kagome ponders whether Inuyasha chose to stay in the cave because he smelled demons, or if he sensed Kikyō's aura. She then suddenly senses that Kohaku's shikon shard is resonating. The boy startles awake, hearing Midoriko's voice speak from his fragment: "Go!". Then the rest of the group awakens as well, seeing Kikyō's soul collectors outside the hut, revealing that Kikyō actually was in the vicinity all along. The group chases after the Shinidamachū, believing they're trying to lead them somewhere. Kagome and the others run into a barrier, blocking their path. Miroku asks aloud if the barrier belongs to Kikyō, and Kagome expresses her doubts, saying she's encountered Kikyō's barriers many times before and that this one feels different.
- Still running after the rest of the group, Kohaku alone is able to make it through the barrier. The others call after him, but he only turns around and tells Sango not to worry, continuing ahead and thinking "I have to keep going. The shardm it's telling me to take Naraku down!"
Characters in order of appearance
- Kikyō
- Inuyasha
- Naraku (Appears in a flashback)
- Midoriko (mummified, voice only)
- Demon of the Shikon no Tama (mummified)
- Shippō
- Kirara
- Kagome Higurashi
- Miroku
- Sango
- Kohaku
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