Chapter 359

Roots is the 359th chapter of the InuYasha manga.

Synopsis

 * Inuyasha and group investigate the rumor of a Dog demon roaming the area.
 * Kohaku pursues a hitōkon that possessed the dog-demon. He eventually loses the demon's trail and comes across Taichi and Taichi's father. They bandage his wounds and give him shelter for the night.
 * Taichi becomes possessed by the hitōkon.

Summary

 * MonsterDogYokai-C359.jpggers tell Inuyasha and friends about a Dog demon that's been eating people recently. They decide to investigate, even though it's unlikely related to Naraku. Miroku asks Inuyasha if he's catching any scent. Inuyasha asks if they're sure what they're hunting is a demon, because all he smells is wild dog; not a yōkai.
 * In another village, security bells are being rung, warning of the dog-demon's return, and a mother tells her children to hurry back inside before the hound comes back. Then the dog-demon appears with a dead woman's corpse in its mouth, chewing ravenously. It's about to strike and kill the other woman and her children when suddenlt it gets cut in the eye by Kohaku's Chained-Scythe. In another strike, Kohaku cuts off the demon's head. The woman thanks Kohaku for saving her life and her children, when suddenly the dog's head growls and flies off away from its body. The young demon slayer runs into the forest, chasing after it. Kohaku remembers his latest orders from Naraku: "Go hunt down some demons... The most fearsome ones you can find." Just then, the dog head rushes behind Kohaku and bites him on the arm wielding his weapon, but the slayer quickly switches the hand wielding his scythe and cuts the demon's head into several pieces, slaying it for good. Then, something crawls out of the demon's eye; another demon called Hitōkon, which possesses the bodies of stronger demons. The Hitōkon jumps into a waterfall and swims upstream to escape into the mountains: Kohaku runs after it, continuing his pursuit.TaichiFather&Kohaku-C359.jpg
 * Back in the other village, Inuyasha and group find the dog demon's headless corpse, and the villagers say they saw a young lad kill it. The woman who was saved by Kohaku points to Sango "He was dressed like you!" thus, the group realizes it must have been Kohaku.
 * Meanwhile, Kohaku himself is still pursuing the Hitōkon-demon. He hears some noise in a nearby bush and throws his scythe thinking it's his prey, but quickly tugs it back when the source turns out to be a child named Taichi. Taichi's father then appears and asks his son what's wrong, then they both see Kohaku. They take him back to their hut.
 * The two humans are shocked when they see Kohaku is hurt (he was bitten by the dog-head), so they bandage his wounds. Kohaku says he can't stay for long, thinking to himself he has to finish off that Hitōkon demon before it finds another powerful host. Taichi's father tells Kohaku he should stay the night because it's almost sundown.
 * TaichiPossessedHitokon-C359.jpgsha and friends come upon the dog-demon's head. Inuyasha says he doesn't understand Kohaku's motivations, it's like he's just wandering around slaying demons, why would Naraku want that? Sango looks closer at the Dog-head and sees a scar on its eye. She says it must have been possessed by the Hitōkon. She says it possesses demons as well as humans. It feeds solely on human blood.
 * Back in Taichi's hut, Taichi's father tells Kohaku he's wearing strange clothes. Taichi says he's vicious with that scythe, asking where he learned to use it. Kohaku lies and says he doesn't remember where he learned to fight, thinking to himself "It was father... and the other villagers..." The three of them then go to sleep for the night. Later, Taichi leaves the hut to go to the bathroom when the Hitōkon jumps out at him and crawls into his eye, possessing him.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, this is the only time in the Manga or Anime when an Dog Demon appears who is not related to either Inuyasha or Sesshōmaru; the dog demon in this chapter is a lesser demon, and is not a Daiyōkai related to the Inu no Taishō.