Episode 41

Kagura's Dance and Kanna's Mirror is the forty-first episode of InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Inuyasha and his friends encounter a girl named Koharu, whom Miroku had met three years prior.
 * 2) Kanna, a young girl who apparently is under Naraku's control, uses her mirror to suck out the souls of whoever she wishes.
 * 3) Kanna uses her mirror to suck out the souls of Koharu and many villagers, who attack Inuyasha and Miroku; Kanna also attempts to suck out Kagome's soul.

Summary
Inuyasha and his companions come upon an orphan named Koharu, a young woman who believes she is in love with Miroku, after he helped her three years ago. Koharu has recently ran away from her village when her master attempted to rape her and she barely got away by striking him with some nearby firewood and fled. She begs Miroku to take her in since she has nowhere else to go. After much contemplation, they decide to simply assist her and find her a new suitable home in a new village.

Meanwhile, Kanna, another creation from Naraku, is sent alongside Kagura to destroy Inuyasha and his companions. Miroku and the others find a village to take in Koharu who is saddened that she and Miroku are departing once again. Miroku takes Koharu alone to talk with her and explains the dangers of his daily battles and how he will not always be able to protect her and how his enemy is more devious than she could ever imagine. He also says their departure saddens him as well. From above on the hill, Sango annoyingly says how a goodbye like that will "only make her fall deeper in love" and appears rather jealous of the intimacy Miroku is showing for Koharu. When Inuyasha points this out she angrily states it was just his imagination and Inuyasha cowers at her anger.

That night, Koharu asks for him to stay one final night with her. Miroku declines sending her to tears that she will never see him again. However, Inuyasha, upon seeing her crying, agrees to one more night surprising Kagome at his caring gesture towards the young girl. Later, after warming Miroku's bath, Koharu is attacked by Kanna who, using her mirror, sucks in her spirit. After eating a meal, Inuyasha and Miroku realize they are surrounded and are confused at how they did not detect any demonic aura. Going out to survey the land, they see the villagers approaching to attack, who appear to be under a sort of spell. Inuyasha and Miroku are then attacked and try to fight them without actually killing any of them. Inside the building, Kagome, Shippō and Sango are watching and when determining whether or not they should help, Koharu rushes in claiming that a demon attacked the elder and his wife. Going to investigate the situation, they find Kanna and when Sango attacks with her Hiraikotsu, Kanna, once again uses her mirror, deflecting it and uses Sango's own weapon against her, knocking her unconscious. Kagome rushes to Sango's side while Kanna approaches her and tilts her head to the side and says Kagome’s name. Koharu, under Kanna's influence, grabs and holds Kagome forcing her to look at Kanna. She tells Kagome to look into her mirror and to "give her soul." Kagome's soul is then slowly drained from her body.

During this, Inuyasha is growing tired of using restraint upon the villagers stating that they weren't going anywhere. Kagura shows up, mocking their mercy toward the humans saying they could have just killed them, making it easier upon themselves. Inuyasha demands if she was the one controlling the villagers, which she confirms comparing a body without soul to that of a dead man. She then reveals that Kagome was having her soul sucked from her as they spoke. She then demands Inuyasha to unsheathe his sword to fight. Inuyasha, now greatly worried about Kagome but knowing he must handle Kagura, demands Miroku to go back to help the girls. Miroku runs off as Inuyasha and Kagura begin to battle and Kagura tells him that his help will arrive too late to save them.

Miroku flees to the house where the girls are in and finds an unconscious Koharu. On the other side of the house, Shippō awakens to see a now unconscious Kagome as her soul is continued to be drained from her body. He attempts to help Kagome only to be deflected from Kanna as Koharu reveals a knife hidden in her hand as Miroku comforts her.