Episode 109

Hidden in the Mist: Onward to Mt. Hakurei! is the one hundred ninth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Inuyasha and Kikyō continue their struggle against the Shichinintai, and Renkotsu surrounds Inuyasha's friends in flames while Suikotsu continues to struggle internally; Kagome speculates that he has a split-personality.
 * 2) The Shichinintai retreats, with Suikotsu, and Inuyasha runs over to a seemingly dying Kikyō; he must take her away from Mount Hakurei so that her Shinidamachū can reach her.
 * 3) The Shichinintai travel to meet up with their leader, Bankotsu.

Summary
The sleeping evil side of Dr. Suikotsu is awakened after he received a slash from Jakotsu's sword, leading him to attack the children. Inuyasha rushes in to protect the children, but was separated from his Tessaiga in his previous fight with Renkotsu. Kagome explains to the others that Suikotsu has a split personality, where a hidden and subdued version of Dr. Suikotsu has emerged after a trigger—a version that is bloodthirsty and evil.

Suikotsu proceeds to fight Inuyasha in close quarters after Renkotsu tosses Suikotsu his Wolverine-like claws. Just as Suikotsu gets the upper hand on Inuyasha by slashing his stomach, the children from the village shout for him to stop, which causes the split personalities of Suikotsu to visibly battle for control. Upon seeing that the evil Suikotsu has not entirely taken over, Renkotsu orders Ginkotsu to attack the unconscious Kikyō. Because Suikotsu is preventing Inuyasha from rescuing her, Miroku decides to take action to save Kikyō and, with some aid from Sango's Hiraikotsu and Kirara, successfully saves her. Then, Renkotsu admits that they were purposefully distracting them so they could kill the children from the village and sever the final link the "do-gooder" Doctor has to the world, which would allow the evil Suikotsu to establish permanent control.

Before Jakotsu kills the children, Suikotsu has another moment of clarity and begs him to stop. Renkotsu realizes that the barrier of Mt. Hakurei is stopping him from fully taking over, so the Band of Seven members decided to retreat and leave Mt. Hakurei to escape from the purity of the place.

The gang then sees that Kikyō is not reviving because the barrier is preventing her shinidamachū from bringing her souls. Kagome is overcome with sadness upon seeing Inuyasha's apparent concern for Kikyō, and her repressed sadness puts all the others on edge when Kagome suggests Inuyasha carry Kikyō away from the village. When Kikyō regains consciousness, she explains to the group that Mt. Hakurei is a sacred mountain that purifies any evil aura, which was why Dr. Suikotsu's pure heart was able to emerge and subdue the evil Suikotsu, and which also prevented her soul collectors from saving her. The group then decides to travel onward to Mt. Hakurei, but Kikyō stays behind, both to protect the children from the village and because her own nature, that of a dead person brought back from the grave, would not permit her to travel any nearer to the sacred mountain. While Inuyasha and Kikyō look intimately at each other, Kagome wonders sadly if he still has feelings for Kikyō.

The next day, clueless Inuyasha asks Miroku why Kagome is ignoring and avoiding him, who tells him that it's because she's feeling emotionally betrayed and suggests he give Kagome some space. But Inuyasha relentlessly pursues the topic, at which Kagome eventually painfully responds that although she knows Inuyasha and Kikyō have a bond together and it hurts her, she will continue to stand by Inuyasha because that is what she must do. Then Kagome snaps at Inuyasha's insensitivity and enraged repeatedly yells Inuyasha to 'sit' and painfully thrown onto the ground multiple times.

Meanwhile, the Band of Seven member continue traveling to meet up with Bankotsu, the leader of the Band of Seven.