Hitomiko

Hitomiko is a priestess who is forced to kill Kagome Higurashi under Naraku's orders

Fifteen years before the start of the series, Naraku, not wanting to have future problems with Hitomiko's spiritual power, attempted to kill her. However, even at a young age, Hitomiko's power was enough to not only protect her with a barrier but causes Naraku to flee. When she was little, Hitomiko watched her friends and master murdered before her by Naraku. But before her master died, her master told her about the growing threats that surrounds her and upcoming training she must have in order to protect her own life.

After fifteen years have passed, Naraku once again makes an attempt on her life using a trap. Hitomiko, not knowing that the sick villagers was a trap, attempts to help. However, just as she is about to help him, webs was shot out from his mouth and it captures her. Hitomiko is able to destroy most of the threads away with her power but it was too late as one of the webs had attached to her back. This eventually weakened her. As Hitomiko lay dying, she ordered the villagers to sever her head from her body and bury them separately to prevent anyone from tampering with her body. After speaking those final words, she died. However, despite her dying wishes, the villagers could not sever her head because they thought it was disrespectful, so they buried her whole. When Kagome and the group were listening to the story of what happened to her, Hitomiko arrives, though Inuyasha informs them that her body is dead, she is just a corpse. She tells Kagome to leave the village or she would eventually take her life. Despite her words, they remain. Hitomiko is then seen tied in Naraku's webs. After taunting her, Naraku tells her what the only task that he wants her to do; steal Kagome's spiritual powers and kill her.

Hitomiko, after capturing Kagome, ponders on why Naraku wants her to take Kagome's weak powers. Once Kagome shoots an arrow at Naraku, she realizes that her goal is to take the spiritual powers from Kagome's bow. She tells Kagome how she is only aiming and releasing, not properly using the bows power. Secretly, she is telling Kagome that she is using the bow the wrong way. Hitomiko tells Kagome to leave or she would kill her but Naraku takes control of her body once more. It is revealed at this time that there is a spider in her chest.

Kagome is given two choices by Naraku: kill Hitomiko, knowing that Hitomiko will be sent to hell, and save herself, corrupting her heart in the process; or allow Hitomiko to kill her.

Hitomiko then takes Kagome to what she says is hell. There she continuously asks Kagome why she is called Kagome. Saying that if she cannot understand that, then her fate is to be incinerated by the flames of hell. During this, Hitomiko's appearance becomes more demonic, she gains fangs and her hands become more like claws. When Kagome fails to give her an answer, she becomes angry and yells at Kagome, asking her how she planned on saving her when she has no power. Kagome claims that when Hitomiko was choking her, and she could feel a strong emotion: deep sorrow.

Once Kagome realizes her true powers and pierces Naraku with her arrow, Hitomiko is set free from his control, a light then envelops her and the webs that once covered her shrine disappear. Hitomiko is then seen telling Kagome about her powers. Before she is able to die in peace, she tells Kagome that something is sealing her powers. Her dying words to Kagome are about how she is a mysterious girl, particularly her name and her powers.

Abilities

 * Barrier: Hitomiko's spiritual abilities are able to protect her by creating a barrier around her. This proved strong enough to prevent Naraku's miasma from killing her when she was young. After Naraku had killed her and she is under his control, her barriers are strong enough to prevent even the red Tessaiga from breaking through it. According to Hitomiko, only one priestess can destroy her barrier. Whether this is true or not is unknown as Kagome's power, according to Hitomiko, were too weak.


 * Bells: Hitomiko has been seen using these bells since she was young girl. The bells have been shown to work only when they have the blood of the victim. Kagome was cut with the spiritual powers that came out of them and formed a ring around her, preventing her from moving. Also, when the bells are intertwined with Naraku's webs, they use Kagome's blood to burn her when she steps close to them. If the bells could do these things before Naraku took control of her are unknown.


 * Spells: As a young girl Hitomiko was able to use a spell to make Naraku flee. With Kagome's blood, she is able to make flames that intensify whenever Kagome approaches them.

Name
Her name translated means, "child of beautiful virtue."