Nazuna

was a young orphan girl who met Inuyasha and Kagome on their search for shards of the Shikon no Tama.

History
Nazuna's parents were killed by the kumogashira after they began infesting the region. The experience planted a deep-seated hatred and fear of all yōkai. She was later approached by a monk who offered to let her live with him in his temple.

During the story
When Inuyasha and Kagome were searching for the Jewel shards by boat, they came across Nazuna being attacked by a kumogashira. She was tending to the graves of the kumogashira's victims, and was pushed off a cliff after she was confronted by one of them. Inuyasha rushed over to save Nazuna as she was falling into the river. Nazuna was about to thank Inuyasha for saving her, but she suddenly became hostile as soon as she saw his dog ears. Accusing Inuyasha of being a yōkai, Nazuna screamed at him to let her go and slapped him over the head. Inuyasha tripped and both of them fell into the river as a result.

Kagome tended to Nazuna's wounds by spraying them with her ointment. Nazuna told Kagome and the others about the kumogashira that had decimated many villages. Kagome wished to help her deal with them, but Nazuna refused to accept help from yōkai. Shippō noted how ungrateful Nazuna was acting towards those that just rescued her, to which Nazuna momentarily focused her hostile attitude towards the young kitsune. She expressed her hatred of having to be indebted to yōkai and was prepared to return home by scaling back up the cliff. As Nazuna began to climb back up, she suddenly fell after a vine that she was using had snapped.

Nazuna was escorted back to the temple while being carried by Inuyasha on his back (much to both of their displeasure) where they were greeted by Nazuna's master. Nazuna got off Inuyasha after nudging him in the face and rushed towards the elderly monk. She kneeled down before him and begged for his forgiveness. She explained to him about tending to the graves of the kumogashira's victims, and that she had to rely on yōkai (Inuyasha) for aid. Her master offered Inuyasha and his friends to spend the night at his temple after bringing Nazuna back to him (much to Nazuna's surprise) and ordered her to prepare a meal for them. She carried out his request despite her reluctance. The monk apologized to Inuyasha and the others for Nazuna's behaviour and explained that her hatred of yōkai stemmed from her parents getting killed by a kumogashira.

The kumogashira managed to invade the temple later that night and Nazuna rushed to find her master in order to warn him, and saw that he was captured. He stated that his sutras were no longer effective. Inuyasha and his friends were forced to abandon the temple after being outnumbered by the kumogashira. It was revealed then that Inuyasha had turned into a human due to it being the night of the new moon. Nazuna caught up with them soon after. She was panting after running from the temple. She pleaded for Inuyasha to rescue her master who was still trapped in the temple, but was surprised to discover that he was now a human. Inuyasha initially showed a reluctance to help due to her prejudices against yōkai, but changed his mind after Kagome mentioned that she left the Shikon Jewel shards at the temple.

When Inuyasha and Shippō returned to the temple, they discovered that Nazuna's master was actually a kumogashira. The two of them battle him, but he managed to poison Inuyasha with his fangs. Nazuna returned to the temple with Kagome, and was horrified to discover that her master was actually a yōkai. Kagome managed to retrieve Inuyasha from the master and with no way of escape due the kumogashira that were surrounding the temple, Nazuna led the others to a small room at the end of the hall where they managed to barricade themselves by using the yōkai repelling barrier from Tessaiga.

The master managed to break through the barrier by morning and Nazuna took up arms against him with Tessaiga. She accused him of possessing the body of her master, but he confessed that he had disguised himself as a monk as a way of luring Inuyasha to steal his jewel shards. Nazuna realized that he was responsible for all of the villagers that were killed in the area (including her parents). She tried to strike him down with Tessaiga, but it was useless in its untransformed state. The master captured Nazuna, but she was soon saved by Inuyasha. It was then that the hanyō had regained his powers, and was able to destroy the master with Tessaiga.

Inuyasha and the others took Nazuna with them on their boat to a spot where she claimed a village was close by where she was planning to stay. Kagome told her to take care of herself as they parted ways. Nazuna thanked Inuyasha for saving her and acknowledged that not all yōkai were evil.

Personality
Nazuna is shown to be a compassionate person when she is out tending to the graves of the kumogashira's victims. She is, however, shown to be bias with regards to yōkai. She is initially hostile towards all yōkai after her parents were killed by the kumogashira, but becomes more tolerant of them after Inuyasha saves her life. She is incredibly loyal to her master before learning that he was responsible for the death of her parents.

Physical description
Nazuna is a young girl with pale skin. She has black eyes and shoulder length black hair that is tied into a low ponytail by a pink ribbon.

Outfit
Nazuna wears a sleeveless green kosode that reaches down to her thighs with three pink stars over her left clavicle, and five over her right thigh. She holds in together with a dark red obi sash that is tied around her waist. She also wears matching green shin guards and a pair waraji sandals.

Manga vs. Anime

 * In the manga, Nazuna wears a pink kosode with purple stars and a yellow obi sash around her waist.
 * In the manga, a flashback is shown of Nazuna and her father at the time of his death. They are apparently picking herbs when he is killed by the kumogashira
 * Nazuna's relationship with her master is further explored in the manga. It is also shown how Nazuna first meets him. He is seen approaching Nazuna after praying at her father's grave and offers to take care of her.
 * In the manga, when Inuyasha in his human form plans to go back into the temple, he is seen holding the sotobas (wooden grave markers) from the kumogashira's victims to be used as weapons. Nazuna accuses him of being blasphemous for taking them.
 * In the manga, Nazuna and Kagome return to the temple after Shippō sends them a warning in the form of a weeping acorn with his fox magic. In the anime, the two of them return to the temple without any explanation as to why.
 * In the manga, Nazuna is surprised to see Myōga after he is engorged from sucking the poison from Inuyasha.
 * In the manga, Nazuna reveals that she overhears Kagome's conversation with Inuyasha while he is recovering from the master's poison. She is also seen lamenting on how her master could be a yōkai since he was so kind to her.
 * In the manga, the master tries to trick Nazuna into giving him the Shikon Jewel shards by claiming that they are the source of the kumogashira's recent appearance in the region, and that having them in his possession would give him enough power to get rid of them. Nazuna tries to ignore him, but grabs Tessaiga from the door in her haste. The master is able to enter the room and devours the jewel shards while restraining Inuyasha. It is then that Inuyasha regains his powers and is able to counterattack with his Sankon Tessō. Inuyasha destroys the master's head in order to reclaim the jewel shards, but he is able to sprout many more heads throughout his webbed body due to the power of the jewel. Kagome tells Inuyasha to go for the head that is by the clothes on his body. The master grabs Nazuna to use as a shield and distracts Inuyasha long enough in order to trap him in his webs. Nazuna believes that her master is truly gone, but the yōkai states that her master never existed and that he was behind the kumogashira's attacks in the region (including the death of her parents). Nazuna gets angry after leaning that she was manipulated by her parent's killer, and stabs him in the head with Tessaiga in its untransformed state. He restrains Nazuna's limbs and prepares to kill her with his poisonous fangs, but Inuyasha stops him by punching through his mouth. Kagome tells Inuyasha that the jewel shards are starting to merge near where Nazuna stabbed him with Tessaiga. The master constricts in body in order to squeeze Inuyasha and Nazuna to death. As she is being crushed by the yōkai, Nazuna laments on how foolish she is for allowing herself to trust the one responsible for killing her parents. Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of her and calls her foolish. Nazuna is surprised that Inuyasha would rescue her since he is part yōkai, but he claims that she is a side trip for his true goal of reclaiming Tessaiga. Inuyasha is blocked by the yōkai's spider threads and his flesh squeezing against him. Nazuna begs Inuyasha to forget about her in order revenge for her father, but he refuses by saying that is was the one who got in trouble to begin with. As the master further retains Inuyasha, Nazuna is able to reclaim Tessaiga and returns it to him. Inuyasha uses the Tessaiga to cut the spot where the jewel shards are. He and Nazuna are able to escape the master's body. A piece of the master's flesh with his head survived after being separated from his body by Inuyasha. Inuyasha stabs him and removes the jewel shards from his flesh, thus truly destroying him. In the anime, he crushes his temple from the outside with his body. Nazuna begs his master to fight the yōkai, but he explains that it was all a disguise and her master never existed. She realizes that he is responsible for all of the villagers' deaths (including her father's). She tries to strike him multiples with Tessaiga, but it is ineffective due to it being in its untransformed state. He grabs Nazuna and prepares to devour her. She drops Tessaiga and is obtained by Inuyasha after recovering from the poison. The master discards Nazuna in order to grab Inuyasha. It is then that Inuyasha transforms back into a hanyō. The master attempts to devour Inuyasha before his powers have fully retuned, but he and rest of the kumogashira are killed by him with one swing of Tessaiga.

Trivia

 * Nazuna's seiyū, Fumiko Orikasa, also voiced four other characters in the anime series InuYasha: Enju, Sara Asano, Asagi and Hitomiko.

Media appearances
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Manga

 * Chapter 39
 * Chapter 40
 * Chapter 41
 * Chapter 42
 * Chapter 43
 * Chapter 44

Anime
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 * Episode 13