Chapter 4

The Dancing Dead is the 4th chapter of the InuYasha manga.

Synopsis

 * Kagome is taken into a hut of bandits whose leader tries to kill her, but Inuyasha inadvertently saves her.
 * Inuyasha and Kagome chase after the crow demon, who has swallowed the sacred jewel.

Summary

 * At the hut, the bandit leader grabs Kagome and tosses her to the ground, smiling dimwittedly as he holds up the Shikon jewel. Kagome recalls how Kaede said men also seek the jewel. Kagome tries to get the jewel back, and the bandit leader attempts to stab her with his katana, but misses. The bandit leader tells his underlings to hold the girl, and they restrain Kagome. He raises his sword to kill her, but kills one of his underlings instead. He seems unphased by this. He swings his sword again to try and kill Kagome, but misses again and beheads 2 of the other bandits. Kagome grabs a spear to try and defend herself but the bandit leader simply cuts it in half. As the leader takes another swing of his sword, Kagome believes she's about to die. Inuyasha bursts in and saves her, snapping the bandit's sword in two with just his Robe of the Fire-Rat. Kagome is shocked Inuyasha saved her, but he insists he only came for the jewel. Inuyasha claims the bandit leader claims like a half decayed corpse.
 * Inuyasha cuts open the bandit leader's chest with his claws, revealing a three-eyed crow. The leader was possessed by a crow demon, and Inuyasha remarks it made a nice little nest inside the bandit because it's too weak to fight its own battles. Inuyasha attacks the bandit but suddenly the crow flies out, carrying the jewel in its beak. Inuyasha sees a bow and arrow in the corner of the hut, grabs Kagome and runs after the crow demon.
 * Inuyasha tells Kagome to shoot the crow, and she says she's never even held a bow before. The crow swallows the jewel and Kagome sets her arrow. Inuyasha tells Kagome that Kikyō was a master of archery, but Kagome again exclaims she is Kagome, not Kikyō. She aims, asking for Kikyō's guidance. Inuyasha plots to himself that once she hits the demon, he'll kill her too and take the jewel all for himself. Kagome shoots her arrow and it doesn't even get close to the demon, and Inuyasha sarcastically says he's sure now she isn't Kikyō. The crow demon starts to transform into an even more frightening demon after swallowing the jewel.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Inuyasha
 * Kagome Higurashi
 * Kaede
 * Shibugarasu
 * Bandit leader