Episode 188

Inside Naraku is the 21st episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
The Shikon Jewel has been completed, but is Naraku's possession. The final battle between him and Inuyasha's group is about to begin!

However, where will this battle take place?

Surprisingly, within the villain's own body!

Plot
Inside a cave, Naraku sits as he looks at the jewel; he thinks back to when Onigumo offered himself to demons take Kikyō and the Shikon Jewel for hinmself. Looking on from the mouth of the cave, Byakuya of the Dreams notices the jewel has been completely defiled by Naraku to the point of where there's barely room for Magatsuhi; this forces him to reside within an unconscious Rin. Naraku thinks to himself that as Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku fought him, he channeled their hatred and transformed it into the darkness filling the jewel. Once their battle ends, they will be consumed by the very darkness they helped to create. He once more notes that Kikyō's light has died.

In the present, Kagome learns that she will be graduating and going to high school on a wait list. Everyone is thrilled for her, and she attends her graduation ceremony with Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka; she's glad they made it, but they quickly turn the tables on her by saying she was the one who was in danger of not passing junior high. Hōjō tries to give Kagome a button from his school uniform as a goodbye present, but she runs off before he can. Heading home to travel back to the past, Grandpa gives her some presents for graduating - a dried dragon's tail and tengu whiskers. Kagome flatly tells him to have something she can actually appreciate when she gets back. Her mother hugs her goodbye, telling her to be careful. Kagome jumps in the Bone Eater's Well as Sōta yells for her to say "Hi" to Inuyasha for him. Grandpa cheers for Kagome, telling her to "Go get 'em!"

Back in the Feudal Era, Naraku glares at the jewel until his reflection in it vanishes. It half-way sinks into his palm, releasing purple gas. His baboon pelt tears away, revealing he's been nothing more than a head and hand the entire time. The jewel heals his injuries from his last battle with Inuyasha, as his body sprouts extra limbs; Byakuya watches the entire time, intrigued. Naraku continues to grow larger, swallowing Rin into his body as a miasma is released from the cave; it reduces all the animals to bone and kills the vegetation in the immediate area. The miasma flies into the sky, where it creates a powerful storm; demons begin flying towards it one-by-one.

Miroku and Sango notice the demons flying to the cloud, finding it strange. In the village, Kohaku asks Inuyasha if Naraku used the Shikon Jewel; he has, which isn't good for them. Inuyasha thinks about how the light Kikyō put in the jewel has now become Kohaku's life, leaving Naraku with nothing to fear; the fight has now been left to him and his friends. Kagome arrives and is greeted by everyone, ready for the final battle with Naraku.

Shippō awakens in a hut to find Kaede and Jaken with him; he begins remembering what happened before he was knocked out. Inuyasha refused to let him, explaining he'll be busy protecting Kagome until Magatsuhi's destruction; he can't have another thing to worry about. Miroku added that since Naraku has used the completed jewel to transform, it will be unlike their other battles. Inuyasha explained that if they don't come back, Shippō will have to take over for them; he can wait until he's stronger if necessary. Shippō is touched by this, but when he tries questioning Inuyasha again, he receives a blow to the head, which is what knocked him out. Angered, Shippō attempts to follow, until Kaede tells him it's too late as they have a head start.

In the clouds, Miroku and Sango fly on Kirara while Inuyasha and Kagome ride a demon drawn to the center of the storm. Miroku expresses his shock at Inuyasha being so sensitive, but Inuyasha explains he only said that to get Shippō to comply. Kagome says that if Inuyasha was going to knock Shippō anyway, he shouldn't have bothered with a speech; Inuyasha hears this and agrees he should have knocked Shippō out right away. Kagome sourly says that wasn't what she meant. Flying through the clouds, they see that Naraku has transformed once more and now resembles a huge spider; he sends out corrosive threads, which capture the demons.

Sesshōmaru arrives at the same time. Byakuya appears before them, saying that Bakusaiga will be able to slay Naraku without any problem; he adds that Rin is inside. Naraku's belly opens, acting as an invitation to his foes. Sesshōmaru immediately goes inside, making Byakuya joke that his concern for Rin brings tears to his eyes. Hearing Rin is inside, Kagome tells Inuyasha to follow. Miroku and Sango begin doing so themselves as Byakuya says they might get eaten. Miroku holds out his right hand threateningly, making Byakuya back off; he asks if Miroku wants to suck him into his Wind Tunnel. Miroku says Byakuya isn't worth it, but says to himself that he's got one more use before the final one kills him. He and Sango promise to marry right after defeating Naraku. Once everyone is inside Naraku, Byakuya comments on how stupid his enemies are; they should just forsake Rin and destroy Naraku from the outside, as it is the smarter tactic.

Falling through Naraku, Kagome notices that he seems much bigger on the inside. At that moment, Naraku emerges from his flesh in his humanoid form. Inuyasha immediately slices him in half with Tessaiga; however, Naraku only laughs, happy that they finally made it inside. His voice echoes, asking if they intend to destroy him from the inside; appearing as a face on his flesh, he invites them to start wherever they please as everything is him. Sango cuts the face with her Hiraikotsu, causes liquid miasma to come out; Inuyasha warns everyone. However, Naraku only laughs, asking if they hadn't notice yet; they've been exposed to his miasma from the start, but they haven't died yet. He says they Shikon Jewel desires their souls, so it's saving them from the poison. An armored copy of Naraku rises from his flesh; he says Inuyasha has an eternity to fight him inside his body.

Outside, Naraku shuts his belly, locking it closed with his legs as he curls into a ball. Byakuya comments that Naraku now looks like an imitation of the Shikon Jewel, a rather ominous sign.

Inside, Inuyasha fights Naraku's armored copy, only to find Tessaiga useless against it. However, Sango manages to successfully decapitate it with Hiraikotsu. Miroku is happy something is working, but everyone notices that the body regrows a head while the head grows a new body. As everyone dodges the attacks launched by the armorer copies, Kagome says that they must find the Shikon Jewel; destroying is the only way to kill Naraku. This confuses Inuyasha, who believed Naraku should have swallowed the jewel by now; however, Kagome confirms that he has yet to do so. Miroku is also confused. They decide to look for the jewel instead of fighting. However, Naraku opens a hole beneath Inuyasha and Kagome, and quickly seals it behind them. Naraku intends to keep them apart.

Kagome uses what's left of her limited spiritual abilities to sense out the completed Jewel so that they can get it back from within Naraku, but as they move toward it, Inuyasha transforms into his fully demonic state and begins to attack Kagome. Naraku finds sick pleasure in this, believing history will repeat itself with Inuyasha will kill the woman he loves (however, Naraku was the one who fatally wounded Kikyō). Kagome denies Inuyasha could do such as thing. Naraku decides to give her a fair chance at survival, producing an arrow laced with miasma that will kill Inuyasha and save her. Kagome angrily refuses, saying Inuyasha will never kill her. Naraku laughs at this as Inuyasha pushes Kagome into a deep abyss. Inuyasha looks into the abyss as Naraku continues laughing..

Trivia

 * This episode and the next three all have "Naraku" in their titles.
 * Naraku's armored copy regrows two bodies after being "split in half"; this bears similar to the Infant/Hakudōshi.