The Red and White Priestesses is the sixty-third episode of the InuYasha anime. It first aired in Japan on March 11th, 2002.
Synopsis[]
- Tsubaki angrily reflects on her battle with Inuyasha and Kagome and returns to the shrine where she used to train, where she meets two mikos who currently live there, Momiji and Botan.
- Tsubaki deceives the mikos and tells them that she is being pursued by an evil yōkai, Inuyasha; Inuyasha's group tracks down the shrine where Tsubaki is hiding, but they are confronted by the two mikos, who vow to destroy Inuyasha and the other yōkais with him.
- Kagura appears before Tsubaki and demands that she return the Shikon no Tama shard because she failed to kill Inuyasha or Kagome, but Tsubaki says that she still needs it, as she will use it to destroy them.
Summary[]
Tsubaki doesn't see what mistake she made in losing the fight against Inuyasha and Kagome and their group too. Meanwhile, Tsubaki approaches an old shrine complex and thinks that Shikon no Tama will save her. Suddenly two young priestesses greet the dark priestess at the shrine entrance. They thought she was trespassing and warned her to leave if she was a human, or to be slain if she was a yōkai.
Tsubaki shows Momiji and Botan that she used to train at the shrine.
Tsubaki told them to stand down and revealed a paper talisman with a symbol on it to prove that she trained at the shrine before. They kneeled down to Tsubaki to show respect after she entered the shrine. The two priestesses call themselves Botan and Momiji. Tsubaki says that she was a student of the great master of the facility, who has long been dead. Botan and Momiji inquired Tsubaki about her age, to which she lied to them by stating that she was able to maintain her youth through extensive spiritual training and that it might be possible for them to learn it as well. Botan asked Tsubaki why she returned to the shrine, to which she lied to them by claiming she was being hunted down by a strong yōkai. Just as Tsubaki was wondering as to whether or not she should kill the two priestesses, Botan stated that she and Momiji would help her kill the demon since she was their "sister disciple".
At Kaede's village, Kagome wakes up during the night and everyone else wakes up and asks if she is okay. Now they tell Kaede the story with Tsubaki and she remembers a priestess with this name a long time ago, when Kagome senses the Shikon no Tama and they want to go to get the jewel and even Kaede comes with them, even if Inuyasha is suspicious.
Back at the shrine, Tsubaki begins to reminisce of her days training in the shrine with her master. She then spoke to Momiji and Botan, to ask them for the location of the charms they kept to ward off any yōkai. They two of them offered to deal with the yōkai that was pursuing her, as they see it as a natural part of their training. Tsubaki asked them if they were sure and lied that her enemy was an terribly evil yōkai. The stated that they had extensively trained at becoming priestesses and that it was their duty to fight evil yōkai. Tsubaki instructed them to keep the yōkai at bay for as long as they were able to. Momiji and Botan were gathering various charms from one of the shrine's storerooms. Botan expressed her concerns since this would be their first time battling a yōkai, but Momiji stated that it was all more reason to do it for their training. The two of them headed out with their charms and were eagerly ready to confront the yōkai. Tsubaki used this opportunity to break the seal of an ancient oni near the shrine while the two young priestesses were away. Later, in front of a storeroom in the shrine, Tsubaki remembers that her master once told her here that this storeroom is hiding something that must not be exposed to light. Then Kagura appears and demands the jewel, because Tsubaki had not fulfilled her order to kill Kagome, but she says that with the jewel of the four souls she can unleash and control an evil power in the pagoda, which Kagome will then destroy along with their group. Kagura says she knows how to use the jewel.
Momiji and Botan
Inuyasha and his friends, along with Kaede, were in pursuit of Tsubaki. They came across a barrier that was comprised of paper talismans. Miroku and Kaede want to break down the barrier when Momiji and Botan suddenly made their presence known to them by exclaiming that they had arrived and jumped on top of some rocks. Momiji asked if Inuyasha was the one who was pursuing Tsubaki. Inuyasha asked them if they were dark priestesses since they appeared to have allied with Tsubaki. The two of them were insulted by the accusation. They introduced themselves in a very elaborate way and stated that they trained hard to become priestesses. The carried on by identifying each of Inuyasha's companions based on their attire as they are able to tell that Sango is a demon slayer, Miroku a monk, Kagome (sensing her spiritual energy) a priestess, and Inuyasha a demon although they mistook Keade of being a yōkai (offending her) but are instantly attracted to Kirara and Shippō's cuteness. They started to whisper to each other about how unsure they were to deal with them as they think that this is just a cover. Miroku attempted to talk things through with them, but he was interrupted when they accused Shippō of disguising himself to look cute as a means to catch them off guard. A distraught Shippō tried to proclaim his innocence, but Inuyasha told him to stop complaining and was prepared to fight them. As Momiji and Botan were prepared to fight, Miroku suddenly snuck up behind them. He attempted to explain the situation to them while revealing his lecherous nature and caressed both of their behinds. They immediately hit Miroku for his perverted behaviour and accused him of selling his soul to the yōkai.
As Inuyasha was prepared to go after Tsubaki, Momiji told him that he would not pass. Both of them threw a bunch of paper talismans that turned into little shikigami. They proved to be no match and were easily destroyed. In reality, it was all part of Momiji and Botan's plan to have two of the shikigami steal two strands of Inuyasha and Kagome's hair. This was in order to transpose the hair owner's likeness into their shikigami. They then created giant childlike versions of Inuyasha and Kagome. They were impressed with themselves for their shikigami. Meanwhile, Tsubaki is preparing a ceremony with which she can open the gate to the tower, but that will take a long time and there will be many more ceremonies to follow. Tsubaki is then approached by Kagura, who has come to collect the Shikon no Tama.
As Inuyasha was prepared to fight, Momiji claimed that Inuyasha and Kagome's powers had been transferred to their shikigami as well (though their items, such as the Beads of Subjugation, were not). Inuyasha and Kagome had a challenging time fighting against their shikigami counterparts (especially due to them getting angry at someone when they used their names when referring to the shikigami). Inuyasha was prepared to destroy the shikigami with his Kaze no Kizu, but Momiji and Botan stunned him and the yōkai in the group with their Sacred sutras. They expressed concern when they saw that their spell was harming Shippō as well. They ordered their shikigami to attack when they saw Kaede was moving since they still believed that she was a yōkai. Miroku and Sango approached the shikigami to stop them. Momiji warned them that they would be slain if they get in the way. Kaede approached Miroku and advised that they first subdue the two priestesses. They then dodged the shikigami Inuyasha as it swung its sword at them.
Inuyasha began to break free of the priestesses' spell over him and started to move. They intensified they efforts to immobilize, but he was still able to hold of their shikigami's attacks. Momiji claimed that they won't be defeated. They became distracted when Sango threw her Hiraikotsu at them. Inuyasha, Shippō, and Kirara were then free to move. Inuyasha was able to destroy the shikigami with his Kaze no Kizu. The shock from the attack caused Momiji and Botan to fly into the air and were knocked out when they landed. Miroku rushed over to examine them and stated that they just sleeping. He then took advantage of their unconscious state and started to caress their behinds again before Sango stopped him by pulling him up by his ear. After a brief debate on what to do, Miroku offered to watch over them and explain the situation when they would awake. Kagome and Sango had Shippō stay behind to keep Miroku in check. Sango also had Kirara stay behind as well. The rest of them continued their pursuit of Tsubaki.
Kagura asks what exactly the uprising around the tower is about and Tsubaki says that the high priest once only had the strength to lock the yōkai in the pagoda after the fight with a evil yōkai. She had also learned that from her master 60 years ago. Tsubaki, with the help of a spell, opens the door to the tower. Kagura scoffs at Tsubaki's plan to use the Shikon no Tama to control the ogre within the tower. Inuyasha and the others are on their way to the shrine and there is even a barrier in the gate, but Inuyasha can break through it and they feel a massive demonic energy emanating on a mountain in the shrine complex where the tower is located.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Music[]
- Opening Theme — I Am — TV OST Vol. 2
- Tsubaki wonders why she lost; she arrives at a temple — Tsubaki the Dark Miko (Kuromiko Tsubaki) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Kagome wakes up — The Hidden Well to the Sengoku Era (Kakushi Ido kara Sengoku Jidai e) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Flashback to Tsubaki training with her master — Beautiful Memories (Utsukushii Omoide) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Tsubaki looks for sealed tower, Kagura comes for the jewel — Shōki — TV OST Vol. 2
- Momiji and Botan introduce themselves — The Confused and the Carefree (Awatenbō to Nonbiriya) — TV OST Vol. 2
- The girls think Shippō is disguising himself, Miroku tries talking with them — Swordsmith, Tōtōsai (Katanakaji Tōtōsai) — TV OST Vol. 2
- The priestesses deploy shikigami — Inuyasha’s Metamorphosis (Hengeshita Inuyasha) — TV OST Vol. 2
- The priestesses use the hairs to create big shikigami — Kagura the Wind Bearer (Kaze Tsukai Kagura) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Inuyasha fights the two shikigami — Struggle of Hatred (Zōtō) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Miroku and Sango decide to fight the shikigami — Fierce Fighting (Gekitō) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Inuyasha destroys shikigami — Like a Storm (Shippū no Gotoku) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Tsubaki is close to unsealing the tower — Naraku’s Treachery (Naraku no Yabō) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Inuyasha’s group arrives at the temple, they see the evil aura from the tower — Ryūkotsusei Resurrected (Yomigaeru Ryūkotsusei) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Ending Theme — Every Heart — TV OST Vol. 3
Notes[]
- This episode is exclusive to the anime. The Tsubaki arc does not have this continuation in the manga.
- When Inuyasha insults her, Kaede asks Kagome to "say the word", further confirming that only Kagome can activate the Beads of Subjugation. (It should also be noted that Kaede is the one who put the beads on Inuyasha, so if she can't say it, it's doubtful anyone else can, either.)
Quotes[]
- Miroku: [after fondling Momiji and Botan] "It's the hand! It's possessed by a demon!"
Inuyasha: "You're possessed by something all right, but it's not a demon."