Chapter's going to have to be more specific. Judging by the size of the pile of stolen heads Hakudoushi had built on Entei's back at the end of the last installment, there's an awful lot of Youkai now walking around without a head. And without faces attached to them, literally, it's going to be kind of hard to tell them apart. But I suppose that it should be something of a challenge for our protagonists to follow one around in particular, given how dense they were acting in the previous chapter. Hopefully they can find another brain cell to help them out with the task!
One thing's for certain - they won't find that extra brain cell here. Sesshoumaru appears to be committing the exact same stupidity as Inuyasha, the brothers more alike than they would ever admit. But I chalk this up to Sesshoumaru wandering off on his perpetual high more than anything.
Jaken broods in irritation about how Sesshoumaru has always been a bit reticent, but claims that ever since that moment Sesshoumaru failed to beat Naraku at Mt. Hakurei, watching the giant fart recede into the sky, he's just gotten more withdrawn. I don't exactly see how THAT would be possible, but if you say so, Jaken. When Jaken lets out a long, drawn-out sigh, thinking that Sesshoumaru could AT LEAST say where he's going we he slips off for a little him-time, Rin informs him that long sighs chase happiness away. Thanks for the tip, kid.
Elsewhere, and possibly another time (not sure if Jaken and Rin's campfire was at nighttime or if the forest was just too dense for much daylight to get through), Sesshoumaru stands on a hillside casting a somewhat irritated look into the mountainous distance. He silently complains that the sword is disturbed. Don't know why you're being pissy about it when you could just go off and have a wank somewhere like EVERYONE ELSE.
Narrow solid white transition panel, and we're back with the Inuyasha group, headed by Miroku who is listening to the complaints of a couple village men with bandages wrapped around their heads. They tell him that they wish SOMETHING would stop rampaging around everywhere, and that it's fucking scary. Miroku asks for confirmation that the youkai they're talking about had no head, and they affirm as much, then tell him that they knew the man-eater was living up on the mountain before it's head got severed. Their words about not knowing who did the deed and pissed it off so bad, but it sure took out its rage by beating a lot of the villagers to death, are superimposed over the next panel showing a trail of felled trees in the forest.
Inuyasha and Co. stand at the edge of the forest where the trees are all broken and splintered, and Inuyasha says he doesn't need its scent to know where it went, the path it took being obvious to anyone. You think?? In fact, a hulking shape starts rushing at them from behind the few trees it DIDN'T break in half yet.
Inuyasha cracks his knuckles as he holds his claws up, commenting on how quick this sucker was to jump out at them. Still don't know HOW it could possibly tell they're there - vibrations or something?
Before Inuyasha can actually put the thing out of its misery, a voice yells for him to stop.
While Kagome makes a noise like it's taking her a minute to process this new little creature, Shippou identifies it as a tanuki youkai cub. Uhhhh, are you sure there, buddy? A fist from the "tanuki's" supposed dad starts to descend on him, his eyes watering in anticipation of his impending messy death, when Inuyasha bolts in and scoops him out of harm's way just before the fist can connect.
Inuyasha's good deed is of course accompanied with a bad mood, and he addresses what he ALSO seems to think is a tanuki with irritation, the object of his ire correcting him with the fact that he's actually an OTTER. Inuyasha brushes off his mistake to point out that the otter kiddo's supposed dad doesn't seem to look a thing like him. After all, even if there's no facial features to go by, the giant headless youkai is a different shade, furless, and pretty ridiculously large. On the prompted second look, the otter kiddo agrees that indeed it's someone else altogether with some alarm. Inuyasha says he's not sure how the kiddo could possibly mix them up, though he and Shippou are ones to talk, what with mixing up OTTERS and TANUKIS, and charges at the rampaging youkai with the promise that they'll talk about it all when he takes down the immediate threat. He then proceeds to rip through it like a slab of hamburger.
After that's taken care of, the otter kiddo introduces himself as Kanta, and reminds them that they should probably be able to see he's an otter. I guess he doesn't trust them to keep this information straight. Kagome asks him about how he said earlier that the youkai they killed was his dad, and he answers by opening up the big bundle on his back.
Kanta flashes back to a river and waterfall where he and his father catching fish BEFORE his head ended up in a bindle on his child's back. Said child tells of someone showing up on a massive horse, a white kid perched on top with a naginata. Though Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou all repeat this description in alarm, they don't name Hakudoushi just yet. They let Kanta continue to tell the tale of his father's head getting severed and landing in the water while he hid behind some rocks in fear. Kanta says that his dad's head got swept away by the river and over another waterfall, but the kid on the horse just cursed and left, clearly too lazy to be bothered with retrieving it for his growing collection on the horse's back. Kanta had gone all the way down the bank to get his dad's head himself, but by the time he'd made it back to the spot, the body had gone missing. Shippou watches a tearful Kanta hug his dad's head with an open stare.
Sango begins the statement of who has been lopping off youkai heads and leaves it for Miroku to finish, who concludes that there can be no doubt it's Hakudoushi. Kagome asks haltingly why, so Miroku recalls that Hakudoushi's baby form went around killing priests and monks in his search for the border between worlds, and suggests he might be doing the same thing now too. Kagome presents the use of youkai heads for the same end as a question, at the same time remembering herself that this is the guy who can look into peoples' hearts from the time he did the same to her. Inuyasha says that this seems possible, given that youkai are a bit hardier than humans and don't die as easily. I don't know, they die pretty easily when you tear through their guts with your claws, my dude.
In the forested mountains, with Entei hanging out outside what looks like an abandoned temple somewhere (how many of these things ARE there anyway??), Kagura is perched on the railing along the porch. She looks over her shoulder to peer into the building where a pile a wheezing youkai heads are gathered on the floor.
Good luck making good on that threat, lol.
By the next panel, Hakudoushi has dropped this head back on the floor and stomped his little foot on its temple, telling it to shut up. Kagura asks in casual conversation if Hakudoushi saw anything, and he responds that they all look very similar, thinking on the world of white mist he's envisioned, with something scattered below that mist.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and crew are still conversing with little Kanta, with Inuyasha clarifying that the kid's idea is to find his dad's body and reattach his head. Kanta affirms that this is the plan, if they can make it in time, of course. Miroku makes an intrigued noise at this, and Sango asks if this means Kanta's dad will come back to life, with Miroku adding that this father of his must be pretty strong. Tearful again, Kanta hangs his head and says it's already been three days, and he won't be able to save his father if he's further cut down and dismembered.
Inuyasha and Kagome look on with wide eyes, and then Shippou pipes up, telling Kanta not to worry because Inuyasha will go and save his dad. Inuyasha hums in question at this assertion while Shippou continues, vouching for Inuyasha's strength and that time when he helped to avenge Shippou's own father's death. Inuyasha actually appears to flush a little at the praise, and Kagome says Shippou's name in happy encouragement. Kanta seems skeptical though, asking if Inuyasha is REALLY that strong, and Shippou excitedly says that Inuyasha HAS to be, just to make up for how dumb and childish he is.
This understandably earns him a whack to the top of his head, a vein popping in Inuyasha's fist. Kanta doesn't seem to really notice this, only just now going back to acknowledge that Shippou said his own father was dead. He grabs the smarting Shippou's hand to suggest that they be friends, calling Shippou a tanuki in the process. Oh, so it's just a THING that no one can tell the difference between a tanuki and other animals? Shippou snaps back that he's a fox with some irritation, no doubt building on his bad mood at being hit earlier. I mean, I don't know what he expected, really.
Narrow sky transition panel to a couple of women with their laundry at the side of a river. They look over in the direction of a splash.
Now THIS looks more like little Kanta.
Cut to a guy who's climbed an alarm tower to bang on a bell, shouting that it's a youkai attack. Other men rush along with weapons bundled in their arms, ready for distribution, yelling about the youkai with no head. This youkai only staggers a bit up the lane, not committing any kind of violence, but looking pretty intimidating and scary anyway. Spears and arrows start to fly at him, a couple of projectiles landing firmly in his chest and shoulder. Instead of attacking, he turns around unsteadily and starts moving in the opposite direction, knowing when he's not wanted, clearly. A man with a bow notes with some confusion that the youkai is retreating, but another man stutters an order to go after him, for some inexplicable reason.
Inuyasha is leading his group down a steep rocky hill, carrying Kagome and Shippou on his back as Miroku and Sango follow on Kirara as usual, when he catches a scent with a curious sound. Kagome leans over his shoulder, having picked up on Inuyasha's reaction, asking if he's located Kanta's father. From this angle you can see Kanta and his father's head are also riding on Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha just affirms he's locked on in a serious tone, and Kanta is immediately excited. Inuyasha keeps to himself that the father's scent is mixed with that of blood, worried that someone injured his body, and questioning if they'll make it in time.
He totally FAILS to mention quite another familiar scent he should be picking up too.
Kanta's dad managed to locate the ONE GUY who is 99% equipped to help him. Without the benefit of a HEAD. That's talent right there.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm not sure I quite GET the joke about everyone mistaking everyone else for a tanuki - there must be some context I'm missing here, because otherwise it seems oddly emphasized here. It might be playing off the joke that Kanta can't recognize his own father, but I always gave him a little leeway for that because the guy doesn't have a HEAD anymore, you know? The part of the body we always pay the most attention to when identifying a person? Whereas confusing an otter or fox with a tanuki just suggests that you need glasses. Apples and oranges, really.
But I will say, I thought the part with Shippou extolling Inuyasha's virtue of strength and willingness to help a little youkai in need was exceedingly cute. I think this is really the first time he's acknowledged Inuyasha gave him a bit of vengeance for his father's murder, and it's not difficult for him. He doesn't hesitate or stutter or make any kind of excuse, just gives a pure and honest account of Inuyasha's admirable power and tenacity. Granted, he also says Inuyasha is very stupid, but that's just part of his open opinion on the guy, because he clearly didn't mean it as an insult. He presents this as a matter of fact, the whole truth on how Inuyasha HAS to be powerful or else wouldn't have made it as far as he has.
Of course, Shippou is WRONG. Inuyasha is not dumb, or at least not as dumb as he's framed to be. But because these characters have flattened out a little over time, there has to be an archetypal smart and dumb one.
I hope that Sesshoumaru isn't just here to be here again. I like him a lot, but he comes across as somewhat irritating when he's shoehorned into plotlines that shouldn't include him. Diminishes his mystique a bit. Thankfully, I don't have too much reason to side-eye this inclusion, since this IS a life-and-death kind of trajectory, the perfect little project for Tenseiga. Still, I'll keep a respectable skepticism. Sesshoumaru tends to be a victim of his own popularity, after all.
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