Episode 25

Naraku's Insidious Plot is the twenty-fifth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Sango, who was given a shard of the Shikon no Tama to dull her pain, attacks Inuyasha, with Naraku accompanying her.
 * 2) It is revealed that Naraku was actually the one who set the trap for the Demon Slayers, and caused the destruction in the demon slayers' village.
 * 3) Miroku and Inuyasha battle Naraku, but soon learn that it is not Naraku but yet another demon puppet.
 * 4) It turns out that the kind lord, Kagewaki Hitomi, is actually Naraku in disguise, and he uses his title and temple to conceal his true identity.

Summary
Naraku escorts Sango to her village. However, due to her injuries Sango is having a hard time keeping up. Naraku gives her a Shikon shard to help her. Inuyasha and the others dump the corpses of the demons who attacked Sango's village into the cave where the Shikon no Tama was made. Much to Inuyasha's dismay a barrier prevents him from entering the cave. Miroku suggests that they find the remaining Demon Exterminators and get them to lower the barrier. As the group walks through the woods, they are interrupted by a large boomerang cutting down several trees in front of them, revealing Sango. Sango attacks Inuyasha. Miroku tries to draw Sango's Boomerang in with his "Wind Tunnel", but the appearance of Naraku and his bees prevents him from doing so. Inuyasha and Sango resume their battle. Miroku attacks Naraku and succeeds in cutting of his arm. As the arm makes its way back to Naraku it rips the Shikon shard off Kagome's neck. Naraku then flies off. Sango notices Kirara and tells her to follow Naraku (she doesn't trust him) she transforms into fire cat and follows after Naraku. Miroku also chases after Naraku. Sango attacks Inuyasha again, when Sango uses her anti-demon gas, Inuyasha cuts off her protective mask, and then carries her out of the gas. Sango stabs Inuyasha in the arm and then notices how much she is bleeding. The only reason she didn't know was because the Shikon was blocking the pain. She then faints. She remembers a conversation with Kohaku about being scared when fighting demons. Miroku's pursuit of Naraku is halted when he reaches a ravine, however with a little help from Kirara he continues the chase. Naraku sees this and from him sprout many roots from his body. Sango wakes up on Inuyasha's back and Kagome explains that Inuyasha is actually good guy. Inuyasha arrives in the battlefield to see Miroku and Kirara fighting of Naraku's roots. She realizes that Naraku tricked her. When Sango attacks Naraku, he removes the Shikon shard, letting loose all the pain from her wound, Sango is thus unable to attack. Inuyasha gets into the battle and cuts off Naraku's head; but the body and the head keep moving. Sango tells Inuyasha that it's just a puppet (In other words it's not the real Naraku, but a minion to do his work.) Inuyasha destroys the puppet leaving only the Shikon shards and a little wooden doll with Naraku's hair around it. Meanwhile at the mansion where the real Naraku is, a wooden doll, just like the one with the puppet, breaks. The servants tell the young lord (who is really Naraku) that Sango and Naraku haven't returned. When the servants depart, Naraku explains that he knows what really happened and leaves his quarters and as he does he magically puts on the baboon skin.

Characters in Order of Appearance
{{scroll box }}
 * content=
 * Sango
 * Sango and Kohaku's father {{C|Flashback}}
 * Kohaku {{C|Flashback}}
 * Nagasaki Hitomi
 * Inuyasha
 * Myōga {
 * Kagewaki Hitomi
 * Naraku
 * Kagome
 * Kirara
 * Miroku
 * Shippō