Sesshomaru and Naraku might not have been archenemies, but they were enemies at the very least. Naraku's manipulation and Sesshomaru's retaliation had placed two otherwise unrelated monsters on opposing sides. But all of that was in the past. The half-demon Naraku had actually died long ago, before the Shikon Jewel disappeared, slain by Sesshomaru's blade. Yet the Shikon Jewel seized the soul of everyone who made a wish upon it-that was the price of wishing on the jewel-and so Naraku had lingered on as its host.
"It has been a long time, Lord Sesshomaru," Naraku greeted him with seeming humility.
"Mm." Sesshomaru was slightly surprised to see how small Naraku had become, but he did not attack without a word as he once would have. A hundred years had passed, after all, and every hatred and entanglement had faded like drifting smoke. Even so, the instant he saw Naraku, time seemed to turn back: Inuyasha swaggered up with his sword over his shoulder to provoke him, the human priestess Kagome followed helplessly behind Inuyasha, and Rin ran happily around him. But the world remained while its people were gone, and everything was over...
Over those hundred years, both he and Inuyasha's companions had changed with time. Human lives were so short. Worse still, Kagome had insisted on bearing children for his foolish younger brother, Inuyasha, placing far too great a burden on her human body. Kagome had been the first to pass away, followed by the monk and the Yokai Exterminator. In the end, only Inuyasha and his children remained. When that woman died, his half-demon brother had wept like a fragile, helpless child. For once, however, Sesshomaru had not mocked him. He had simply remained silent, because he dared not imagine how he would feel if he lost Rin.