Episode 156

Final Battle at the Graveside: Sesshōmaru vs. Inuyasha! is the one hundred fifty-sixth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Naraku finally reveals himself and takes Hōsenki's jewel shard.
 * 2) Sesshōmaru enters through the gate guarded by Gozu and Mezu. They allow him to do so as he is the one who wields the sword of the netherworld.
 * 3) Sesshōmaru begins battling Naraku in the netherworld.

Summary
Kagura shows Sesshōmaru and Jaken the pathway to the borderlands in the Realm of Fire.

As Kagome searches for Inuyasha, Hōsenki is now pleased at the coming of the dark jewel shards with Naraku. Naraku comes to Hōsenki to claim the last shard. Kagome tries to break Naraku's barrier with an arrow, but it is easily vaporized by the barrier.

Kagura takes Sesshōmaru and Jaken to the gateway, but refuses to enter the chamber with the guardians. When Jaken tells the guardians they wish to pass, the statues step forward and Sesshōmaru draws his Tōkijin.

Inuyasha wakes near the base of his father's remains. Naraku, ignoring Kagome, Miroku, and Sango, flies down to Hōsenki and mocks his weakened state as Hōsenki attempts to repair the shattered armor over his darkened jewel shard. An infuriated Hōsenki lashes out with an adamant arm at Naraku; the blow breaches Naraku's previously impenetrable barrier and impales him through the chest, but Naraku is seemingly unaffected. Ignoring the adamant arm through the gaping hole in his chest, Naraku comments offhandedly that he knew Hōsenki was a daiyoukai while alive, but nonetheless is still very impressed that Hōsenki possesses the strength to defy him, especially given that Hōsenki had already been severely weakened. Naraku then extends his right hand into tentacles, which exit his barrier and begin trying to remove the shard from Hōsenki. Kagome, seeing Naraku destroying the partial repairs Hōsenki made to his body, fires a sacred arrow at the exposed tentacles, but Hōsenki spits adamant shards at her, snapping the arrow in two. The jewel shard then completely corrupts Hōsenki, and he ceases to resist Naraku, allowing him to remove Hōsenki's arm from his body; Naraku promptly regenerates the gaping hole in his chest. Naraku tauntingly tells Kagome that the hatred from the fight helped taint the jewel shard Hōsenki has even further, and that the combined attacks of Kagome and Inuyasha were the only reason Naraku can even reach the shard within Hōsenki.

Inuyasha arrives on the heels of his Wind Scar, interrupting Naraku's attempt to absorb the final jewel shard. Using his Red Tessaiga, Inuyasha again tries to break Naraku's barrier, but, much like his previous attempt to break Hakudoshi's barrier, it is in vain. Inuyasha then attacks Naraku with both his Wind Scar and his Backlash Wave, but both prove unsuccessful. Tired of humoring Inuyasha, Naraku seizes Hōsenki with his tentacles and hurls him into Inuyasha, impaling him on the former's adamant spikes and forcing Tessaiga to revert.

Sesshōmaru fells both guardians with a single slash from Tōkijin. Undaunted, the guardians rise, stating that they cannot be slain by a sword of this world. Tenseiga begins pulsing, and Sesshōmaru smiles, stating that he will instead use Tenseiga to destroy them. He plants Tōkijin in the ground, (presumably to free his hand for a moment, as he only has one arm) and draws Tenseiga. As soon as he draws the blade, however, the gate opens of its own accord and the guardians kneel, declaring that he who wields the sword of the netherworld may pass. Commenting that the guards are admirable to refusing to fight a pointless battle, Sesshōmaru sheathes Tenseiga and retrieves Tōkijin. As he passes through the gateway victoriously, Kagura thinks to herself that Sesshōmaru is the only one capable of destroying Naraku.

Naraku mocks Inuyasha while retrieving the final shard of the Shikon Jewel. He then tosses away Hōsenki and Inuyasha, and turns to mocking Kagome, Miroku and Sango, claiming they are all trapped in the netherworld for eternity. Miroku declares that Naraku won't escape, and begins to unbind his Wind Tunnel, but Naraku holds up a Samiyosho hive and the poisonous insects surround him. He asserts that Miroku can either die quickly from the poison, or spend eternity in the borderland. A battered Inuyasha sits up, shouting that the battle isn't finished, but his sword has tellingly reverted to its untransformed state. Naraku declares that it is all over, and holds up his red-eyed right hand. As he finishes his gloating, however, a bluish-green sphere of energy hurtles towards him from behind, and detonates on his barrier. The attack destroys the Samiyosho and forces Naraku back several meters, but though it shudders from the force, his barrier holds. Puzzled at how Sesshōmaru (for it was his attack) managed to access the borderland, Naraku nonetheless mocks him, inquiring whether he "rushed to his kid brother's assistance" and sarcastically commending his fraternal devotion. Sesshōmaru, however, ignores him, preferring to gaze upon his father's corpse, and causes Naraku to scowl in annoyance at being disregarded by the regal demon. Sesshōmaru then flies down to Inuyasha and punches him, apparently for disgracing himself with their father's sword in front of their father's remains (he has to stab Tōkijin into the ground to free his sole hand). Sesshōmaru then retrieves his sword and leaps out of his father's corpse to confront Naraku.

With the darkened shard gone from Hōsenki, he is once again sane and pure. Hōsenki asks Inuyasha if he still has the strength to fight.

Outside, Naraku discards his tirade of insults and barbs in favor of eying Sesshōmaru warily. He finally appears sober and evaluative rather than mocking and disdainful, of his opponent's power. Sesshōmaru stares back, presumably likewise assessing Naraku's strength. The two continue to size each other up as the episode ends.