Plot Summary

　A lot happens in Inuyasha, so I'm trying to only mention events that are important later on. I'm relying on the manga for details for as long as I can refer to it, so if it's a bit different from the anime, that's why.
　If you'd prefer "the quick, the dirty, the not-so-serious" version that skips over all but the most important events while mocking pretty much everything, try Inuyasha: The Condensed Version on Ear-Tweak.

The Beginning

　In Japan's Sengoku era, Inuyasha attacks a village and steals the Shikon no Tama, only to be pinned to a tree and sealed moments later by an arrow fired by Kikyou. Kikyou, badly wounded, dies soon after, and takes the jewel with her to the afterlife.
　Several centuries later, in modern-day Tokyo, Kagome Higurashi is, on her fifteenth birthday, pulled by a mononoke into the covered well in the shrine her family owns. It yells something about the Shikon no Tama, but Kagome blasts it away with an unknown power. She climbs out of the well to find no sign of her family's shrine, and heads for Goshinboku, the only landmark she can make out. There she encounters Inuyasha, in stasis from Kikyou's arrow, but it soon captured by local villagers for intruding in the forbidden woods. The village miko, Kaede, determines that she's just a human, depite her strange clothes, and also notices that she bears an uncanny resemblance to Kaede's older sister Kikyou, who died fifty years before.
　Before Kagome has time to get her bearings, the mononoke from before attacks the village. Kagome, realizing it's after her, runs off alone toward the well she came out of, following a glow of youki that, apparently, only she and Kaede can see. As she nears Inuyasha, pursued by the mononoke, he regains consciousness. Between her appearance and scent ('stench'), he's certain that she's Kikyou, and isn't exactly friendly, even after he gets a better whiff and realizes she's not quite the same.
　However, the mononoke soon catches up, followed by Kaede and some villagers. The creature takes a bite out of Kagome's side, freeing a glowing blue-violet orb that Kaede identifies as the Shikon no Tama, which it soon swallows. Faced with the mononoke growing even stronger by the jewel's power, Kagome pulls on Kikyou's arrow to free Inuyasha to fight. The arrow vanishes in a flash of light, and Inuyasha reduces the creature to a pile of quivering lumps with a single Sankontessou. The lumps don't die, though, until Kaede takes out the jewel, after having Kagome spot it.
　Kagome doesn't have time to wonder what a jewel that boosts youkai power was doing in her body, since Inuyasha immediately demands the Shikon no Tama and attacks her. Kaede, having feared something like this, enchants a nenju onto Inuyasha's neck, which activates at the first word Kagome can think of to make him settle down: おすわり. The nenju's power combines with Kagome's to slam Inuyasha into the ground, and while he's not exactly happy, he can't remove it and knows better than to try anything as long as he wears it.
　Between Kagome's appearance, powers, and, most importantly, the fact that the Shikon no Tama was inside her body, Kaede concludes that Kagome is undoubtedly Kikyou's reincarnation. Inuyasha seems almost disappointed to hear that Kikyou is dead, despite how he gloats about how she deserved it. Kagome, hoping to get along better with Inuyasha, tries repeating to him that she's not Kikyou and insisting that there's no reason they can't get along better, but he doesn't seem very cooperative.
　Not long after, Kagome tries heading for the well, alone, hoping to be able to return home. Of course, it doesn't go as she hopes, and she's captured by a gang of bandits whose boss wants the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha shows up to save it (not her), but the crow youkai that was pulling the strings gets away with the jewel.
　As the crow youkai flees, Inuyasha grabs Kagome and a bow, telling her that Kikyou was famous for her archery and demanding that she live up to Kikyou's abilities and shoot down the crow. Kagome, having never even touched a bow before, is dubious, but tries anyway, and doesn't even come close to hitting. Inuyasha is disgusted at her for failing, and she's disgusted at him for expecting the impossible.
　After swallowing the jewel and getting bigger and uglier, the crow youkai carries off a boy from the village. Inuyasha is contemptuous and prepares to tear them both to shreds, but Kagome won't allow it. She manages to save the boy, and Inuyasha gets in a good hit when the crow comes to strike again, but the power of the Shikon no Tama lets it (mostly) reassemble itself, and it flies off to get stronger. Things look hopeless, but Kagome, on a sudden inspiration, ties a lingering piece of the crow youkai to an arrow, and fires that. The jewel's powers of regeneration ensure that the arrow hits, despite the distance, and, in a mysterious burst of brilliant light, the crow is blown to pieces.
　Kagome gets a vague sense about where the jewel landed, so she and Inuyasha head off in that direction. The crow's disembodied head attacks, and Inuyasha easily dispatches it, releasing a glowing blue-violet crystalline shard. With a shock, they realize that Kagome's arrow shattered the Shikon no Tama, and that this is a fragment of it.
　Thus Kagome and Inuyasha have a new task before them: To reassemble the pieces of the Shikon no Tama. Whether there are dozens of pieces or hundreds, no one knows, but several things are certain. Even a single fragment, in the wrong hands, could lead to disaster. Whatever happens, this isn't going to be quick or easy...

Key points:

　

Yura

　This segment is more meaningful in the long run for the character development and newly revealed abilities than anything else, though the battle scenes are impressive as always.
　Inuyasha gets even more disagreeable than usual when he sees Kagome wearing clothes like Kikyou's, while hers are drying. Kagome has had enough, so she again heads by herself off to the well she arrived through, taking the Shikon shard with her. At the well, 結羅 (ゆら), a youkai who manipulates hair and has the appearance of a young woman, attacks her and steals the jewel shard. Kagome falls into the well and back to her own time during the attack. Her family is relieved to see her again, and she celebrates by taking a proper bath.
　Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kaede are attacked by unconscious women of the village, who are being manipulated like puppets by Yura. Only Kaede can see the hair, and her vision is poor, so Inuyasha has a difficult time doing anything. Kaede reasons (correctly) that Kagome also has the ability to see the hairs, and insists that Inuyasha enlist her aid. He doesn't much like the idea, but can't argue with it. He tracks Kagome scent to the well, and is able to pass through to the present, interrupting dinner. Kagome quickly notices a familiar hair on Inuyasha that no one else can see, and rushes back through the well with him to protect her family.
　Inuyasha lends Kagome his cloak for protection, and charges into battle with Yura in her den of hair and skulls. Kagome tries shooting a few arrows, and while her aim is still rather poor, they cause a disproportionate amount of damage. Yura tries roasting her, but Inuyasha's cloak negates the flames. Inuyasha shows off Hijinkessou, and even manages to take off Yura's arm one or twice and gouge a gaping hole through her torso, but nothing seems to actually hurt her. Kagome finally notices something odd about one of the skulls and stabs through it with an arrow, destroying the comb that is Yura's true form. After the battle, Inuyasha calls Kagome by name for the first time. She's thrilled at this indication that he's becoming friendlier, but he insists it didn't mean a thing.

Key points:

Sesshoumaru and Tessaiga

　A short time after the previous battle, Kagome practically ripping Inuyasha's clothes off of him (sorry, but it's not what it sounds like) reveals his remarkable healing ability. She doesn't have much time to marvel, though, since Myouga, a flea youkai who served Inuyasha's father, arrives with the news that someone is trying to unearth Inuyasha's father's grave.
　Inuyasha's father, it seems, was a great and powerful dog youkai. When Kagome tries asking about his mother, he gets mad and storms out. Remembering that everyone keeps calling Inuyasha a hanyou and, guessing that his other half (and thus his mother) is human, Kagome wonders if he resents his mother. As she follows to try talking to him, they feel an incredible youki. A cart flies by with a woman inside, and Inuyasha, shocked, calls her おふくろ (mom)...
　Suddenly, a huge beast reaches down and crushes the carriage, seizing the woman. Riding on the brute are Inuyasha's older full-youkai half-brother Sesshoumaru and his lackey Jaken. In short, Sesshoumaru claims to have brought back Inuyasha's mother's soul from the land of the dead and provided her with a matching body, and threatens to make her suffer if Inuyasha won't tell him where their father's grave is. Inuyasha is, predictably, infuriated, and strikes at the beast, freeing the woman. When Sesshoumaru has it reach for them again, she does something that looks magical, and she and Inuyasha wake up in a peaceful lakeside setting, with Kagome lying nearby.
　After the two talk for a bit, Kagome wakes to see that the woman's face isn't reflected on the water. She tries to warn Inuyasha that something's wrong, but can neither move nor cry out. Inuyasha catches on before long, but by then the woman is already embracing and apparently beginning to absorb him. Kagome breaks free of the illusion to see that they haven't really gone anywhere, and, with the help of a bite from Myouga, throws off the paralysis too.
　Jaken, calling the woman 無女 (むおんな) is trying to have her find out the location of Inuyasha's father's grave. Kagome stomps him and, noticing that the water reflects Inuyasha as a child, disrupts the reflection and frees him. However, Sesshoumaru has learned enough to determine where their father's grave is. He forcibly extracts a black pearl from Inuyasha's right eye, kills mu-onna when she tries to protect Inuyasha, and strikes the pearl with the Nintoujou, opening a portal. He and Jaken enter, followed by Kagome, who is furious enough at Sesshoumaru's trick to want to attack him herself, and Inuyasha with Myouga.
　The portal opens over a desolate land with an enormous skeleton, the remains of Inuyasha's father. Inside, Tessaiga, a worn-out looking katana, is partly embedded in a pedastal. Sesshoumaru tries taking it, but the hilt shocks his hand. Inuyasha arrives with the others, and, ignoring Myouga's implorings to take the sword, tries fighting Sesshoumaru. It doesn't go too well, since Sesshoumaru is too fast to hit. Kagome finally convinces him to try taking the sword by saying it would make Sesshoumaru look bad if Inuyasha took it when he couldn't himself. Inuyasha, convinced, tries it, and while he can hold the sword, he can't pull it out. Sesshoumaru, tired of this, attacks in earnest, breaking out his Dokkasou attack and melting parts of the skeletal wall. Kagome, in her own mini-fight with Jaken, has her hand on Tessaiga to steady herself when Sesshoumaru corners Inuyasha. Rushing to try helping him, she accidentally and effortlessly pulls out the sword. Everyone is dumbfounded.
　Sesshoumaru, for no apparent reason, blasts her with his Dokkasou, burying her and Tessaiga in a pile of molten bone goop. Inuyasha seems surprisingly annoyed and actually manages to hit Sesshoumaru for once. Then Kagome, apparently protected by the sword, surprises everyone again by climbing, unharmed, out of the gunk. She gives Tessaiga to Inuyasha, saying that it seems pretty incredible. Sesshoumaru decides to get serious again, and transforms into a large dog (but still much smaller than the skeleton). Inuyasha tries out Tessaiga on him and... it bounces off without effect. He tells Kagome, on the sidelines, that it looks hopeless and she might end up dying, which understandably upsets her. Surprised that he upset her, he changes his mind and angrily yells that he'll protect her, then heads back to battle with a look of determination. She's amazed at his protective attitude. He's surprised too, when the sword begins pulsing, and the next swing takes Sesshoumaru's left arm off. With Tessaiga now in the shape of a fang and quite deadly, Inuyasha finishs beating off Sesshoumaru.
　After the battle, Myouga suggests that Kagome was able to pull out Tessaiga precisely because she is human. Tessaiga was, after all, crafted to protect Inuyasha's human mother. Furthermore, only one with a heart to love and protect humans can use it. That's why the sword reacted when Inuyasha swore to protect Kagome. She heads outside to find him waving it around, wondering why it changed back. She's considering telling him how it works, but he goes off on a rant about his awesomeness, so she おすわりs him instead, calling herself an idiot for thinking he might be good.

Key points:

Interlude

　The next story arc isn't particularly important. In a battle with a toad demon who has taken over a young nobleman, Inuyasha gets Tessaiga to transform again, Kagome uses a can of hair spray with a candle as a crude flamethrower, and they get another Shikon shard. Also, Inuyasha seems a bit more merciful. Aside from Kagome meeting a relative of the historical figure Oda Nobunaga (and referring to her history textbook) and thinking to take a bow with her (though she never uses it), that's about it.
　The next story arc (which comes after the Shippou story arc in the anime) is mostly remarkable because Kagome returns to the present, over Inuyasha's objections and after おすわりing him so much it hurts his back. There, we meet her friends and Houjou, and learn of her grandfather's habit of making up unlikely excuses for her to miss school. Houjou shows an immediate interest in Kagome, surprising her and her friends, who start their usual habit of pestering her on the topic of a boyfriend. Kagome remarks that she's like someone who's not violent, not selfish, not spiteful, not quick-tempered, and is gentle and reasonable, basically rattling off everything that's annoying her about Inuyasha. Houjou later asks her out on a date (manga only), which she accepts, at her friends' urgings, with some awkwardness since she's never been on one before.
　 Kagome also has an upcoming test to worry about, but that's nothing compared to the flesh-eating Noh mask that attacks her for her Shikon shards. She sends Souta to the well to fetch Inuyasha, but he can't pass through. It works out, though, because Inuyasha shows up anyway. She apoligizes for how she treated him earlier, and he takes out the monster, in the end slicing the mask off of Kagome's face without scratching her. Souta and even Kagome are impressed, but she has to rush off to take her test. After the test (manga only), she hurries back, hoping Inuyasha isn't mad at her, when her friends mention that her boyfriend's waiting. They mean Houjou, but she's only thinking about Inuyasha, and confuses them by objecting that he's not her boyfriend, they're just stuck with each other.

Key points:

Shippou

　Back in the Sengoku era, Inuyasha is enjoying cheap ramen when a big pink balloon with eyes appears out of nowhere and demands the Shikon shards. He gets annoying when it starts (ineffectively) nibbling on his head, and hits it, revealing the child fox youkai Shippou. He's after the Shikon shards to get the power to avenge his father, who was slain by the thunderbeast brothers 飛天 (ひてん) and 満天 (まんてん). After a few tries, Shippou manages to pin down Inuyasha with a statue and run off with Kagome's Shikon shards. Unfortunately for him, he runs into Manten, wearing his father's pelt as a sash. Manten, of course, wants the Shikon shards, and Shippou is no match for him, but just then Kagome catches up and puts an arrow (apparently just a plain one, though) through his beastly snout. Noticing two Shikon shards in his forehead, she next aims for those, but her shot is a bit off and merely takes off two of his three head hairs. Infuriated, he fires a blast of lightning from his mouth that knocks Kagome out, then notices that she's a cute girl and carries her off. Shippou, reluctantly, frees Inuyasha so he can help rescue her. Inuyasha's not exactly pleased, especially at Shippou calling Kagome Inuyasha's woman, but he goes to save her anyway.
　Kagome wakes up to find herself with Manten, who assures her that he's not going to eat her, he just heard that cute girls are good for making a hair potion out of. While she's trying to explain that's not any better, Hiten, who looks almost human, walks in with a humanoid woman. Kagome figures she might be able to reason with him since he seems more human, but her hopes are soon crushed when Hiten, in a fit of rage over the thought that Manten left behind the shards to take Kagome, brutally kills the woman he's with. Not one to give up easily, Kagome claims that Inuyasha has assembled nearly the whole Shikon no Tama, that he's smitten with her, and that he should be willing to exchange the shards for her. They aren't too sure they believe her, but figure it's worth a try, and decide to ensure her safety for the time being.
　Inuyasha, depsite arguing with Myouga that Kagome will be fine since the thunderbeast brothers only eat good women, looks relieved to see her alive. He's not so thrilled when Hiten explains Kagome's story, especially when he demands the shards. Though it's clear by now that she was lying, Hiten figures that as long as there are shards to be had, that's good enough, and attacks Inuyasha. His halberd-like 雷撃刃 (らいげきじん) seems a match for Inuyasha's Tessaiga, and he can fly, too, so the battle lasts a while. Manten tries to join in with his lightning breath, but Kagome shoves him to the ground. Shippou joins the fray, hitting Manten with a growing top that grinds him into the ground and takes off his final remaning hair, which drives him absolutely nuts. At her suggestion, Shippou disguises himself as her in the confusion, and ensnares Manten, letting Kagome get her arrow back from his snout, but Manten overpowers him before Kagome can strike at the shards. Seeing that Kagome's in trouble, Inuyasha flings Tessaiga at Manten, impaling and killing him. Hiten is infuriated, and takes a few bites out of Manten, absorbing his youkai power, before rejoining the battle.
　Hiten now flings lightning blasts at an unarmed Inuyasha, who manages to block them with Tessaiga's sheath. Even so, it doesn't look good for him. Kagome thinks to shoot off Hiten's wheely things so he can't fly, but she doesn't have a bow. So Shippou turns into one (more or less), and Kagome grounds Hiten (her aim is definitely getting better). Inuyasha takes the opportunity to grab Raigekijin by the pole and punch Hiten, who isn't used to getting hit and gets even more pissed off. Inuyasha defends himself from the following onslaught with the sheath, but it starts to crack... Shippou runs out to grab Tessaiga, and Kagome follows, but Hiten blasts them both with Manten's lightning breath. It's Inuyasha's turn to get pissed, and he gets in a good headbutt, but the sheath isn't going to last. Suddenly, it pulses, and Tessaiga flies into Inuyasha's hand. With a single stroke, he slays Hiten, but regrets that he hadn't beaten him soon enough for Kagome's sake, and, uncharacteristically, doesn't bother picking up the Shikon shards.
　Kagome and Shippou's ghostly forms appear in a blue flame, and Myouga says it must be their souls wanting to say their final goodbyes. Inuyasha, alarmed, reached into the flame, yelling, "Wait! Don't go!" and finds himself holding Kagome's hand. The flame disperses, looking suspiciously like a fox. The foxfire from Shippou's father's pelt protected them from Hiten's attack. Kagome is confused at Inuyasha's words, and rather embarrassed at how long he holds her hand. He releases it with excessive haste once he notices, and sulks for a while.

Key points:

Interlude

　In this story arc, Houjou is (manga only) actually at the Higurashi shrine when Kagome arrives and even sees her climbing out of the well when she's supposed to be sick in bed, and doesn't suspect a thing. Huh. Anyway, the main event this time is Mayu, a mischievous (and worse) girl only Kagome can see, who, it turns out, died in a fire months ago and blames her mother. As payback, Mayu is trying to kill her comtose brother. Kagome trying to stop Mayu and also save her from sending herself to hell, manages to follow her to the brink of hell, bring her back, and get her to make up with her mother. Even Inuyasha's impressed, though of course he doesn't say so.

Key point:

Inuyasha's Other Half

　After Inuyasha saves なずな, a girl who absolutely hates youkai (and Inuyasha counts), he and the others wind up staying the night at the mountain temple she lives at -- much to the annoyance of both Nazuna and Inuyasha, who seems more irritable than usual -- to avoid the spider youkai in the region. Unfortunately, the spiders attack during the night anyway, and what's worse, Inuyasha can't get Tessaiga to transform. Shippou manages to hold them off with his foxfire long enough for Kagome to grab Inuyasha from their midst and make a break for it. Once they've reached relative safety, Kagome notices that Inuyasha's hair has turned black, his eyes brown instead of gold, his ears like a normal humans, his claws to nails, and his fangs to teeth. Myouga explains that, like all hanyou, has a period when he loses his youkai power, and that tonight, the night of the new moon, must be Inuyasha's time. Kagome goes from being upset that Inuyasha didn't trust her enough to explain, to being furious that he's endangering them all because he was pretending like everything was fine when it wasn't.
　Nazuna stumbles onto the scene then, with the news that the priest was attacked, and asks for help. Inuyasha is in no mood to help anyone, particularly her, until Kagome remembers that she left the Shikon shards behind in her haste. Leaving Tessaiga with Kagome for what protection it can offer as it is, Inuyasha heads back to the temple with Shippou. However, it turns out that the priest is actually the head spider youkai, and he captures and poisons Inuyasha. Kagome arrives with Nazuna, and manages to free Inuyasha with a combination of Tessaiga's barrier and sheer determination, in tears at the thought that he might die. They shut themselves in a room and stick Tessaiga in the door so the barrier will keep them safe, and Myouga sucks enough poison out of Inuyasha to keep him alive. Shippou even turns up with the Shikon shards.
　A while later, Inuyasha, still rather out of it, admits that he's been wondering why Kagome was crying for him, and asks to rest his head in her lap. When she lets him, he mumbles that she smells good and that he was lying when he said otherwise. With her heart racing, she tries following up on that, but he's fallen asleep. Some time later, the boss spider demon, speaking as the priest, manages to talk Nazuna into removing the sword (manga only, in the anime he breaks in instead). Shortly after gaining entry, he consumes the Shikon shards and gets even stronger, but with the coming of the morning, Inuyasha is back to his usual self. The fight drags on for a while in the manga, with Nazuna redeeming herself by trusting Inuyasha and holding still when he tells her to so he can land a clean hit, but either way, Inuyasha comes out on top.
　The Shikon shards fused together inside the youkai's body, and now look like a smallish section of the original sphere. Inuyasha isn't impressed at the amount, but that's just how he is. As they leave, Kagome wonders if she heard him correctly the night before, but can't bring herself to ask.

Key points:

Kikyou

　Inuyasha wakes from a nightmare in which Kikyou, looking even more like Kagome than usual, shoots him. He crouches over Kagome, thinking about how close the resemblance is, but Kagome suddenly wakes, and, startled, hits him. Before they can argue, a youkai that looks like an old woman with a scythe flies by. Inuyasha smells blood and insists on heading back to the village.
　Back at the village, Kaede is wounded, and Kikyou's grave has been dug up. Kaede explains that Kikyou's remains were stolen by 裏陶 (うらすえ), and that no good can come of a youkai having the remains of such a powerful miko. Though concerned, Inuyasha wants nothing to do with it, citing his enmity with Kikyou. Kagome tries to talk him into it, but he doesn't say a word and won't even look at her. Fed up with him, she demands to know if he's avoiding her because she looks like Kikyou and he hates her. Inuyasha suddenly grabs her hand, and with a suddenly tender expression, starts to say that's not it. Kagome, flustered, blushing, and with her heart racing, shoves him away, wondering what just happened.
　Kaede heads after Urasue, and Kagome, Shippou, and even Inuyasha come along. Kagome, thinking about things along the way, wonders if Inuyasha actually loved Kikyou, and if so, that it must have been one-sided considering that she shot him. Inuyasha doesn't much like the pitying expression Kagome looks at him with, though. Kaede, getting a foreboding feeling, insists that they hurry.
　Meanwhile, Urasue finishes baking a clay body out of Kikyou's remains and burial soil. Kikyou's form rises from the mold, but she looks rather listless. Urasue rants about how she's going to have Kikyou seek out and reassemble the Shikon no Tama for her, and orders her to rise, but Kikyou just falls over. Upon investigating, Urasue finds that the body lacks its soul, which must mean that it's already been reincarnated in another body.
　Elsewhere, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaede cross a rickety wooden bridge on foot. They must be getting close, since Urasue's clay soldiers attack. They're not tough, but there's a lot of them. In the confusion, Urasue flies by, notices that Kagome looks like Kikyou, and carries her off, slicing the bridge in half and letting the others fall into the gorge.
　Urasue places Kagome in a pool of water that smells of herbal medicine. She brings out Kikyou, still listless but now dressed, and explains that the drugs will soon detach Kagome's soul from her body, and that it should return to Kikyou's body at that time. Kagome's not exactly thrilled at this, but since she's paralyzed, she can't do anything about it except yell in protest. Actually, she can. As Urasue notices the massive Shikon shard Kagome has and reaches for it, a barrier springs up, locking her out and restraining the escaping soul.
　Inuyasha and the others survived the fall earlier, and as they approach, Inuyasha thinks back to when Kikyou was alive. Seeking the Shikon no Tama to become a full youkai, he prowled around Kikyou, but she was so good at sensing him he couldn't do a thing. Despite that, she never finished him off, claiming it would be a waste of arrows. He had no interest in killing her as long as he could her the jewel, and she never killed him either. One time, she called him out of hiding just to talk. After asking if he saw her as a human, she explained that she couldn't risk showing any weakness to anyone, that she couldn't be human. Because of that, she felt an affinity for him, an hanyou, and couldn't kill him. Inuyasha realized then that she was lonely, and it bothered him. Eventually, Kikyou infromed him that he could use the Shikon no Tama to become human, and they agreed on a meeting time and place.
　However, when the promised time came, Kikyou ambushed Inuyasha and tried to kill him. After that, things went as already known, with Inuyasha attacking the village, stealing the jewel, and being shot and pinned to the tree by Kikyou. Kaede, listening to Inuyasha describe how things turned out, doesn't think Kikyou would do that, and feels sure that something's wrong.
　Meanwhile, Kagome is still struggling to hold her soul in, but it looks as though she can't hold out much longer. Urasue is astonished that it's taken so long, and speculates that something dreadful must have happened in the previous incarnation. Inuyasha and Kaede arrive and see Kagome and Kikyou. Kagome hears a voice saying "Don't call out my name!", but apparently no one else can hear, and Inuyasha calls out Kikyou's name. That's enough to disurb the soul to the point of bursting out and heading to Kikyou's body. Urasue gloats that Kikyou will now do her bidding, and orders her after the intruders. However, Kikyou merely puts her hands on Urasue and blasts her apart, saying that she didn't want to be called back. Once she notices Inuyasha, she turns and moves as if to embrace him, then suddenly grows furious and demends to know why he betrayed her and tries zapping him like she did Urasue. Inuyasha is shocked and has no idea what she means, so she tells her version of events.
　On the promised day, Kikyou went to meet Inuyasha with the Shikon no Tama, but was attacked with sharp claws. Inuyasha (apparently) took the jewel from her, claiming that her never had any interest in becoming human. He then left, adding that the jewel needed to be made to drink more resentful blood, so he was going to kill off all the villagers.
　Inuyasha knows only that that wasn't him, but he doesn't have time to think about it, since Kikyou has taken up a bow and arrows and is trying to kill him. Her dodges the first arrow. Meanwhile, Kagome is entirely unresponsive, and Kaede speculates that her soul won't return until Kikyou calms down, which isn't likely to happen until she kills Inuyasha. Inuyasha deflects a second arrow with Tessaiga, and rushes to restrain Kikyou, saying that he's not going to let himself be killed over something he doesn't remember doing.
　Another flashback. Kikyou explained the Inuyasha that since he's already half human, the Shikon no Tama can make him fully human. If used so, it should be purified and cease to exist, allowing her to live as a normal human as well. And then, it seems, they planned to be together...
　Inuyasha insists that he was serious, and Kikyou starts to calm down, but she flies back into a rage again. She insists that it's too late, that she died hating him, and that her soul can't move on from her grudge as long as her lives. She claims that even if her body is destroyed, as Kaede suggests Inuyasha should do, it won't change anything. Kikyou lunges to fry Inuyasha again, but Kagome, who is supposed to be a lifeless husk, reacts. Kikyou stumbles and falls, and her soul comes out and returns to Kagome. However, some remains, because Kikyou continues to move, though with great difficulty. She hurries away, to get away from Kagome so that she won't lose what little remains, but steps off a cliff in her haste. Inuyasha, following her, gets there in time to grab her arm. She's still not over her rage, though, and zaps him again, which is enough to make him lose his grip. She falls into the unseen depths below.
　Inuyasha wonders why things had to turn out like this. He realizes that, fifty years before, someone attacked him in the guise of Kikyou, and attacked Kikyou in his guise, to make them hate each other, but as to who and why... he has no idea. In the manga, Kagome wakes up soon after from a nightmare of math and English tests. She can't remember a thing, which is probably just as well. Inuyasha continues to act strangely around her until she accuses him of looking at her lustfully from time to time. She's not serious, but it does get him to look her in the face again, and he privately admits that seeing her smile makes him feel relieved. Seeing Inuyasha back to his normal self, Kaede ponders the mystery that is Kagome. Even Kikyou's soul couldn't win against her... she's no ordinary reincarnation.
　The manga also shows Kikyou crawling out of a river and unsteadily walking away...

Key points:

Miroku

　(under construction)

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