Episode 69

Terror of the Faceless Man is the sixty-ninth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Naraku dispels a large chunk of flesh from his body, and it grows to become his newest incarnation.
 * 2) This new incarnation has no face, and slaughters numerous people and steals their faces; he finally settles on a handsome monk named Musō, stealing his face and adopting his name as his own.
 * 3) Inuyasha faces off with Musō, who, upon seeing Kagome, captures her, saying that she is what he has been "missing."

Summary
The episode begins with Kagome in her own time taking an exam, which she knows she did bad on. She meets up with her friends at a nearby fast food restaurant, Wacdnalds. They talk about Inuyasha and say how they think he is no good for her calling him "rude, selfish and jealous." They also refer to him as a two timer though Kagome insists he wasn't calling their relationship "platonic". When Kagome brings up Kōga and Miroku, her friends predict that she is going to have "man problems" and worry about her, but they are also delighted that Kagome obviously has so many admirers. Then she makes her way back to her house.

In the Feudal Era, Shippō comments how it was lonely without Kagome around. Inuyasha says things weren't different but Shippō tells him he "wasn't fooling anyone" pointing out how he's been in a "daze" since Kagome left causing him to hit Shippō. On a cliff, however, Naraku lets a pulsating purple ball of meat tumble down an abyss. Kanna asks Naraku if that was her younger brother and tells her that it is an incarnation, but nothing like the rest of them. This ball ends up in a camp of bandits who are amazed and then stab the ball. Then an arm comes out of the ball and grabs a sword and then a whole body with a spider on his back, but without a face. This creature kills all bandits without any problems, confused as to his purpose and identity.

Inuyasha catches the creature's scent that smells likes Naraku and human blood and goes to investigate. He, Miroku, Sango and Shippō find the remains of the bandits, also finding all of their faces have been carved off. The creature tried each on the bandits' faces on as he was born without one. However, each was too old or ugly for his tastes. The monk Musō was traveling the countryside with his young disciple when he detected a potent jaki in the area. Following his senses led him to a river bank where, as it appeared from behind, a nude man was playing in the water and inspecting his reflection. Knowing the creature before him wasn't a man, Musō stopped a considerable distance away from the demon, and asked aloud if it was the source of the jaki he sensed.

When the creature turned around to reveal that he had no face, Musō was completely unfazed, although his disciple was put very much on edge. After telling his disciple to back away, Musō addressed the demon and asked it where it came from. When the demon replied simply that it did not know, the monk asked why it had done such a cruel thing. The demon then stood and staggered its way slowly toward him, mumbling, "Give me your face." From this the monk divined that the demon had killed the men because it desired a face of its own. Musō then decided to destroy the evil demon and stepped forward, struck it in the "face" with the head of his staff, and delivered his divine punishment.

Though his spiritual powers were considerable, Musō only served to stun the creature for a brief instant. It then reached forward, latched on to the sides of his face and pulled them closer together, shattering the staff with its brute strength in the process. Though shocked and afraid, he did not cry out as the demon took hold of him and, off screen, repeated its foul act upon him. Musō's disciple cried as he watched in horror as the creature removed his master's face before running away. A moment later, Musō's visage appeared in the water, cropped by the demon's black hair. His mouth then began to laugh heartily, having clearly pleased its new owner.

The creature kills another passing man for his weapon, clothes, and horse. He then sets out to kill people and villages and gather loot and everything he can find. However he begins realizing that what he has gained is not enough but without any memories, he cannot remember what he misses. He soon finds himself near Kaede's village and starts to have glimpses of memories, suspecting he will find what he wants there. On his way down, he runs into Inuyasha and he ask him who he is. Inuyasha tells the demon he has been searching for him.

In the Modern Era, Kagome has packed up her things and goes through the well to return to the Feudal Era.

During this, Inuyasha asks the demon where Naraku was, confusing him. Inuyasha accuses him of being an incarnation of Naraku and how he immediately smelled the scent of Naraku on him. Inuyasha and the group suspect that the demon was the one responsible for all the local murders and not Naraku. Miroku asks the demon if he was the one killed the bandits stole and their faces. The demon openly admits how he killed the bandits for their faces, and desires a face, money, and women but that "there is something missing" but he contains no memory of who he is and asks Inuyasha if he might know more about him, since he had no idea where he came from, but Inuyasha didn't know anything either. Miroku, Sango, and Shippō realize that the demon is telling the truth; he has no memory of who he is and is unlike Naraku's other incarnations then a Saimyōshō appeared. Naraku looks over Kanna's mirror at the scene and is happy that the demon is the most abominable creation of his flesh. Miroku asks the demon if he was the one who attacked the village and set it on fire as well. The demon admitted it that he did and felt if he slaughtered some people he would remembered something, however it didn't work, but said it was fun. Inuyasha asks the demon who he is as he admits he has no memories and doesn't know who he is himself.

The incarnation decides to call himself Musō, after the monk he slaughtered, and Inuyasha is disgusted by the man's many killings. Muso is confused at why is Inuyasha is giving him that look and says he doesn't like it. Inuyasha says he doesn't like Muso, who says he doesn't Inuyasha's face and asks if had met before. Inuyasha found it no use talking to Muso. Miroku tries to talk Inuyasha out of fighting Muso, but Inuyasha says that someone who exactly like Naraku that is killing people senselessly deserves to die and pulls out his Tessaiga. Muso pulls out a sword and his horse runs towards Inuyasha, who attacks Musō with the Tessaiga and easily cutting his arm off. Muso fell off his horse, who continued to run away.

As Muso stands up, the group notices Musō's body seems to be made out of some form of clay. Suddenly, a hoard of Naraku's Saimyōshō suddenly appeared and immediately absorb themselves around Musō's side to give him a new arm. Miroku realizes that his Wind Tunnel is useless and therefore Inuyasha has to fight the fight alone. As Muso is amazed at his new arm, he then asks Inuyasha what is in the village, confusing Inuyasha. Muso says the village is "calling" to him. Musō believed if he slaughters the village people he will have his memory restored causing Inuyasha to attack him again but he fails. Sango attacks Muso with her Hiraikotsu but he deflects it. Miroku says that Muso is formidable and they must use caution. Sango agrees as Muso is made from Naraku. Inuyasha runs to attack Muso again with the Tessaiga, however, he is pierced by his tentacles.

During the battle, Kagome shouts to Inuyasha as she has returned from the Modern Era but is unable to see what is going on. Inuyasha and Shippō yell at Kagome and warn her to stay back. However, Musō sees Kagome and the sight of Kagome's likeness triggers a piece of his memory which turns out to be of Kikyō. Muso questions to himself who Kagome is until Inuyasha attacks him with the Tessaiga, slicing off his arm again. Desperate to know who she is, Musō runs towards Kagome and clears everyone in between out of the way and grabbed her and took her, declaring that she was the one he had been missing.

Differences from the manga

 * The scenes of Kagome in her own time are exclusive to the anime. As such, in the manga, Kagome is present with Inuyasha and the group when they discover the bandits with their faces ripped off.
 * The scene of Naraku expelling the lump of flesh that would become Musō is exclusive to the anime.
 * In the anime, Musō comes across Kaede's village, feeling some sort of familiarity towards it. This scene is not in the manga.