Kikyo's figure disappeared into the dusk to the south.
Sakura stood at the village entrance, looking at the dirt road winding off into the distance, silent for a long time.
"Sister, should we go after her?"
Saku hugged her cloth doll and looked up at Sakura, the last glow of sunset reflected in her golden eyes.
Sakura drew back her gaze and lowered her head to look at her little sister.
"We'll go south and see what's going on with that evil aura."
"And while we're at it..."
She paused.
"We'll see what she's really trying to do."
Inuyasha leaned against a charred tree trunk nearby, the Red Fang Blade laid across his knees, his fingers lightly tapping the scabbard.
"I actually think that Miko doesn't mean any harm."
"That's not what you said yesterday."
Sakura glanced at him.
"Yesterday was yesterday."
Inuyasha snorted.
"Yesterday, I thought she might've come looking for trouble too, but the way she bandaged those villagers' wounds today... it didn't look fake."
"And..."
He paused, his voice lowering a little.
"She knew full well we were half-demons, but she didn't even give us a second look."
"Those human Monster Slayers see us and can't wait to attack."
"The fact that she could act like she hadn't seen anything is already rare enough."
Sakura did not argue.
She turned and walked back into the village, then sat down beside the fire.
The middle-aged man and the two elderly people had already fallen asleep against a broken wall. The young woman held her child near the fire, her eyes half-closed, but her body was still trembling faintly.
After hearing the movement, the woman opened her eyes. Seeing it was Sakura, she started to get up.
"Sleep."
Sakura's voice was very soft.
"You'll be safe tomorrow."
The woman's