Episode 168

Naraku's Heart is the first episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
Kagura has been charged with guarding the mysterious Goryōmaru. However, he was killed by Hakudōshi; how can he still be alive? Hakudōshi says the answer lays in letting out, but that would mean disobeying Naraku; has Hakudōshi turned on Naraku just like Kagura?

Only one thing is for certain: the balance between of the forces of good and evil is about to change.

Plot
Night, Kanna recites a poem as Naraku holds Kagura's heart in his hand. Smiling, Naraku says Kagura better not let him escape; she's guarding him with her life. At that time, Kagura watches a cell below Naraku, which holds Goryōmaru in it; she watches as captured demons are thrown at him continuously for him to kill and absorb. Kagura questions Goryōmaru as to what he is as she saw him get beheaded and die. Hakudōshi arrives and explains that Kagura is a fool, believing doing whatever Naraku says will save her. Goryōmaru breaks his silence, telling Kagura that she has to choose; say Naraku's slave or come with him and be free. She quickly guesses that Goryōmaru is somehow the Infant and both halves, the Infant and Hakudōshi, want to overthrow Naraku. Hakudōshi congratulates her on figuring it out, saying that they lack sufficient strength to eliminate Naraku now. Kagura realizes what he means: They need jewel shards to make Goryōmaru stronger.

In her own time again, Kagome is taking make up exams while her friends wait outside the classroom. Inuyasha arrives to take Kagome home, having grown impatient. In anger for him breaking her concentration, she gives him a sit command and tells him to wait at her house. However, Kagome's teacher tells her she failed the make up exams, getting very question wrong. Inuyasha gloats that she's happy to see him now.

Back in the Feudal Era, Hakudōshi promises to return Kagura's heart to her right before Naraku is destroyed. Asking how she can help, Kagura is instructed by Goryōmaru to destroy the statues outside his cell as Naraku knew they would keep him inside. Complying, Kagura watches in shock as Goryōmaru begins transforming.

In the present, after packing books to study, Kagome and Inuyasha head back to the Feudal Era once again. While traveling through the well, Inuyasha asks Kagome if she needs help slaying the "Entrance Exam Demon"; he doesn't understand. Kagome tells him it's something he can't help with. Inuyasha, believing she thinks he would lose, says it's like saying Jaken could beat him.

At that moment, Jaken sneezes; you sneeze when someone is talking about you behind your back. Sesshōmaru asks if the crystals of demonic energy have reacted to the Fuyōheki; Jaken informs him that they have not.

Exiting the well, Inuyasha and Kagome take off to meet with everyone; however, her backpack opens and she loses her books and the container with the jewel shard. Kagome guesses that she brought too many books this time; Inuyasha complains as usual. Hakudōshi appears before them, saying he's been waiting. He sends Saimyōshō to retrieve the shard. Sango, Shippō and Miroku arrive, and Hakudōshi leaves with his newly-acquired shard.

Still following Naraku's orders, Kohaku is hunting strong demons (possibly as fodder for Goryōmaru). He comes across a child and father who bind a wound he received while battling. A parasitic demon possesses the child - Taichi. Kohaku stops Taichi from killing his father and races him, having sworn to save Taichi. He manages to wrap his chain around Taichi's leg, forcing the demon to abandon the boy's body. Continuing after it, Kohaku is shocked to see it slain by Kagura's wind blades. Kohaku questions her as to why she's there, only to be attacked.

Elsewhere, Kōga is following a scent and comes face to face with Mōryōmaru, the demonic golem Hakudōshi created; however, his appearance is much different from the last time he was seen. As Kōga is fighting, and seemingly losing, a sacred arrow is fired at Mōryōmaru and severs the lower half of the demonic golem's body. This forces Mōryōmaru to flee so he can recover. Ginta and Hakkaku think Kagome saved them, but Kōga tells them to look behind them. They look to see Kikyō, who collapses, seemingly from exhaustion. She notes it should not take so much out of her to fire a single arrow, noting Mōryōmaru seems different, as if he now has a soul of his own.

Kagura continues attacking Kohaku to his shard, promising to end his life painlessly as she can. Kohaku tries to learn the location of Naraku's heart from Kagura, making her think about her situation. She's just switching masters from Naraku to that terrible Infant. As they follow their stolen shard, Kagome senses the presence of Kohaku's shard approaching the stolen one. Naraku watches the conversation between Kagura and Kohaku in Kanna's mirror; he is amused both have chosen to betray him, knowing Kagura would die happy knowing he was next. Kagura shatters the crystal Kohaku had to help him find the Infant. Hakudōshi arrives, being not too surprised she's chosen to betray him and his twin as well, and Kagura sends Kohaku away on one of her feathers while she attacks Hakudōshi. Though the Dance of the Dragon is useless against his shield, Hakudōshi decides to send it right back at her.

Inuyasha arrives, and his Wind Scar saves Kagura. Sango heads after Kohaku. Goryōmaru arrives, shocking everyone as he's supposed to be dead; he responds that Goryōmaru was once human, Hakudōshi questions Goryōmaru about his wound as he transforms into Mōryōmaru; he is given the stolen shard to heal the injury he received from Kikyō. Hakudōshi explains that Goryōmaru was a real person, who was attacked by Mōryōmaru and sealed him to serve as his right arm; the priest was eaten from the inside-out by Mōryōmaru right after his death.

Hakudōshi sends Mōryōmaru after Kohaku, appearing ready to vanish as Inuyasha launches Adamant Barrage at him. However, instead of fleeing, Hakudōshi traps Kagura in his barrier with him, and is pleasantly surprised to find that Inuyasha won't attack him now because Kagura is in the way; she makes an effective shield. Slicing Hakudōshi in half with he wind blades, Kagura tells Inuyasha that Naraku's heart, the Infant, is located within Mōryōmaru. As he regenerates, Hakudōshi explains Naraku made the mistake of removing his heart at Mount Hakurei, even giving it the Fuyōheki to mask its demonic aura; once the Infant realized Naraku was nothing more than an empty shell, it had Mōryōmaru created to serve as his armor. Kagura informs him that Naraku has been aware of the plan all along. Amused, Hakudōshi reminds Kagura that while he and the Infant are as disloyal to Naraku as her, she is the only of one of them who has their heart in Naraku's possession.

Though he thinks not even Naraku can kill him, Hakudōshi watches as his barrier vanishes against his will. With Kagura freed, Inuyasha uses the Wind Scar to tear Hakudōshi apart, but his head reforms. Miroku prepares to swallow him into the Wind Tunnel, but  Saimyōshō are summoned by Hakudōshi; however, the Saimyōshō then fly away from him. Kagura laughs at Hakudōshi, saying Naraku has cut him off first. Snarling that he cannot be defeated easily, Hakudōshi produces a cloud of miasma, which Kagome immediately purifies. With the cloud gone, Hakudōshi races to Kagura with a regenerated arm holding his blade. Hakudōshi believes he is nothing like Kagura, being his own master and not Naraku's tool. However, Hakudōshi is caught in the Wind Tunnel's pull, having his arm sucked in. He resists as much as possible, but ends up pulled in. Miroku cannot help but feel disgusted that he helped Naraku. Kagome offers Kagura a place with them, but she chooses to leave. Inuyasha makes Kagura promise to stay alive until they can get her heart back from Naraku; she gives an indifferent response.

Elsewhere, Kohaku hides from Sango, only to be surprised by Mōryōmaru. As the demon is about to take Kohaku's shard, Sango and Inuyasha arrive and attack Mōryōmaru. Kohaku calls Sango "Sister" and she realizes that some - if not all - of Kohaku's memories have returned. Inuyasha attacks Mōryōmaru, calling him Naraku's heart; Mōryōmaru promptly flees now that his secret is out. Sango asks Kohaku if he has regained his memory, and Kohaku confesses that he recalls everything, but still cannot join Sango.

Elsewhere, Kikyō sits at the foot of a tree. Two monks come across her and, mistakenly assuming that she is a demon, attempt using demon-repelling charms on her. However, the charms quickly burn away; Kikyō tells them that the charms do not work on her. Scared for their lives, the monk run away. Kikyō slumps to the ground as her shikigami levitate next to her, wondering what is wrong. Kikyō is left unsure if she can defeat Naraku in her current state; her powers seem to be weakening since two novice monks were able to enter her barrier.

Trivia

 * There's a gap between the last episode and this one, which would have explained what is going on now. The part where Naraku shows Kagura the prisoner she is meant to guard with her life and her surprise that it's Goryōmaru have been ignored.
 * The plot of the episode is rather mangled from the manga chapters it's based on; Kohaku wasn't attacked for his shard during his hunt for demons, Kagura originally supplied bandits with Goryo urns to serve as a distraction, Hakudōshi wasn't waiting at the Bone Eater's Well for Inuyasha and Kagome, Goryōmaru threatened to absorb Kagura if she didn't obey him, and Kōga had already met Mōryōmaru (albeit in his first form) by this time.