Waaah that was so awesome why did it leave a cliffhanger maaahh. DX

*sigh*

Ah well. I think there's a mistake on one of the pages, where it says "While you fussing over your father's memento, Tessaiga" — shouldn't it be Tenseiga? =O Sorry if I'm wrong.  Azula(Quote)

*checks*

The Japanese does indeed say Tessaiga in kanji (鉄砕牙) with superscript katakana ruby characters for prononciation (てっさいが).

  Starks(Quote)

I don't know either but I think you are probably right, Azula. At this point in the manga, I think Inuyasha is actually more mature than Sesshoumaru. Weird… I can't wait to see what happens next! If the shikon shard becomes tainted, what will happen to Kohaku? Will he become evil and try to kill Rin ( hopefully Sesshoumaru will come in the knick of time, but if not that would make an awesome chapter ), or will Naraku just try to take Kohaku's shard instead of using him as a decoy/puppet?  Inuyashagirl234(Quote)

Man, Sesshomaru has been getting the shaft lately.
He has what he thought was a useless sword for half the series.
Then his sword get Instant-Death Hax to make it awesome.
Sword get +1 upgrade
Sword gets final upgrade, but then finds out that his sword was crapped out of Tessaiga and the only point of the Tenseiga was to master the Meidou Zangetsuha so would be reabsorbed back Tessaiga.
So Inuyasha gets the awesome super-hax version of Tessaiga and Sesshomaru gets….a lesson not be such a cold hardass?
Man, did the Inu no Taishou really think that Sesshomaru would accept this?  S.D.K.(Quote)

I wouldn't be surprised if Sesshoumaru is relegated to the position of cheerleader during the final battle.  Starks(Quote)

Why is it that Sesshomaru's never thought to make a sword from his OWN fang?

Maybe that's what Totosai implies by the whole "he needs to lose the obsession with tessaiga as the UBER SWORD OF GODLY POWER" thing. I mean, Sesshomaru still seems to think that Tessaiga is a "memento" in the sense that it's like inheriting his father's spiritual powers, thus by getting Tessaiga, Inuyasha has been favored over him in the inheritance.

But that's not the case. Tessaiga was created to protect Inuyasha's mother, so it makes complete sense the father wanting her son to inherit the ENTIRE sword and not Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru doesn't NEED Tessaiga (rather, Tessaiga needs HIM to train up Tenseiga so Inu can eventually use it).

His father is merely looking to protect Inuyasha like he did his mother, not favor him over Sessh. It's not cruelty, since it's obvious Sesshomaru has already inherited his power through his blood/being full youkai.

I'm guessing Totosai will probably make him his own sword if he realises this, along with the compassion thing. Perhaps Sesshomaru is more powerful than his father ever was, he just hasn't realised the things that will make him so. Strike out on your own Sesshomaru!

Can't wait to see how this develops. Finally the story has been getting good again!  Anonymous(Quote)

Frankly, I think Sesshoumaru's being a bit of a pansy about it.

Think about it. What if it was the other way around? The full-demon brother got the uber-powerful sword over the half-demon brother who grew up with virtually nothing. No respect, no mother for half his life. He had to scratch and bite his way to the top, and if Sesshoumaru had gotten the big sword, I think that would be TERRIBLY unfair to Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru just sounds extremely whiny right now, and I agree with what Totosai said in the manga. He's being unreasonable.

Inuyasha also needs Tessaiga because he, in all reality, is weaker. Without Tessaiga, Inuyasha probably would've died at Sesshoumaru's hand by now. It just would've been completely and totally unfair had Sesshoumaru been the one to get Tessaiga instead of Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru REALLY doesn't need a sword, IMO. He's already got enough power, and besides, what ever happened to Tokijin? He had that at one point, but I'm guessing something happened.

And, I mean, if all else fails, why doesn't he stop brooding and have another sword made?  Akita(Quote)

I think I'm starting to get what the purpose of doing away with Tenseiga is – once Sesshoumaru has completed the Tenseiga, he will no longer need it. He'll have learned everything Papa wanted him to learn, and in doing so he will surpass his daddy. (Reminds me of Plutarch's version of the Theseus myth for some reason. Can't remember why though, it's been a long time since I read Plutarch.) Looks like the only thing Sessh really has to do to transcend his father's level is just learn to Let Things Go.

That could take another five-hundred chapters, couldn't it?

Although, does Tenseiga really have to be reabsorbed? After all, the thing obviously had some kind of sentimental value for him or he wouldn't have kept it for all those years before it was reforged. It's like his teddy-bear, and to take someone's teddy bear away is just plain mean. (Sesshoumaru a sentimentalist? Seems crazy, doesn't it?)

Akita: Yes, Inuyasha is weaker and yes, he deserves the Tessaiga. Sesshoumaru, however, does not deserve to have his sword taken from him and given to his little brother – he too is Inu-papa's son and as such deserves an equal inheritance. What Sesshoumaru fails to realize is that in order for he and Inuyasha to be made equal, Inuyasha must be provided with a far greater number of tools. How many tools? I don't know, all I know is I really don't think Inu needs the Meidou on top of it all, Tessaiga already has more features than a Swiss Army knife. Except a bottle opener. Tessaiga definitely needs a bottle opener.

Arvael: Well, I guess I won't be able to afford a semester in Hungary (Or anywhere else in Europe.) for a few years, then. Maybe someday, though. A semester or two studying outside the U.S. is definitely on my list of things to do before I die, though. And if you want some more snow, we'd be more than happy to send you some… we've got plenty to spare!

Lys: If you're going to get into a fight with Sesshoumaru over the bacon, then we're just going to have to bring extra bacon. And you're right, Sesshoumaru's drunken-bacon-intervention would make an awesome fanart, but I don't know anyone with the kind of skills required to draw it.  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

#2428:
Azula: It's always been about Teesaiga. Always.

#2433:
Good point Anonymous(making a sword with his own fang, that is), but I'm guessing that the reason why Sesshoumaru didn't go down that route was probably because he isn't as powerfull as Inu-papa-sama was. That particular theory seems even more likely when coupled with Toutousai's unspoken thoughts/advice on page 16.

#2435:
Akita, see Chapter 407 (Volume 41) for Tokijin's fate…  Kalliope Radiata(Quote)

Mouryoumaru really pissed him off by insulting Kagura so Sesshoumaru attacked him until Tokijin broke.

I think it would be pretty cool if Sesshoumaru mastered his own sword and grew up. >.>  muggle(Quote)

I agree with what Mental Butterfly said. Why should Sesshomaru give up Tensaiga, after having this sword basically since the father died, keeping it as father's momento even though he wasn't satisfied? And then, after he had gone through all of the trouble of perfecting his Meidou technique, something that nearly cost someone dear to him her life? That's a low blow to me and I'm not satisfied to where this story about the two swords is heading. Sesshomaru isn't my favorite character but I feel as if he got slighted. I know the whole reason why father separated the two swords was for both sons to learn a lesson, or else he would've not gone through the trouble of separating the two swords in the first place. But damn Sessho definitely got his pride destroyed and I really feel for him.

I know this manga is called "Inuyasha" but still why can't there be another individual with a great sword. Why Inuyasha needs all of these features on his sword for? The Tessaiga is already powerful, and now with this new revelation, Tensaiga will eventually become apart of Tessaiga again and become Inuyasha's sword. I know Inuyasha is the brother who grew up with basically nothing, but still, he doesn't need all of these features on one sword.  np(Quote)

Holy Mother-of-Elvis:
Did I spell powerful with two l's? Please pardon my somnambulism.  Kalliope Radiata(Quote)

I agree with Anonymous and Akita. I'm glad I checked this board out. I was on another board, and it seemed like the majority there were Sess fangirls boo-hooing that he got the shaft from InuPapa. Seriously, Inuyasha was a hated hanyou with a weak human mother, and everyone is worried that full demon Sesshoumaru doesn't have the more powerful sword? I agree Sess gets his inheritance from his full blood and could probably get his own sword made once he learns all of Daddy's lessons. Sess is being whiny right now, and I'm so with Toutosai on this one.  RT Fan(Quote)

The chapter was good, and so hilarious. That time when Totosai asked Sesshoumaru sarcasticly if he was going to kill him, and then, when Sesshy was going to do it, he's like "Wait! That's not what I meant!" It was SO funny.

Sesshy acted so typical in this chapter. I can understand why he's mad. His father's kind of acting like Naraku, having Sesshy build up his sword just so his brother can absorb it and become even stronger. I mean, why does Sessho get nothing, and Inuyasha everything?! Is is just cause he's the star?

I thought Sessho was so in character, when he attacked Totosai, and THEN thought about what the guy said. Sesshy so loves to kill then ask questions later, I just luv him!

However, I wonder what Totosai means about Sesshoumaru giving everything up? I already had the thought that maybe all that power is really inside him, but who knows…

And Kohaku! Will Sesshomaru get back in time? Rin, Scream! Sesshoumaru can hear you from anywhere!

But here's another thought, what if that's not Naraku? What if it's Byakuya in disguise? A fight between Byakuya and Sesshoumaru would be awesome.  Irene Sharda(Quote)

Sesshoumaru has full-blooded youkai powers, including a whip, incredible strength, and venom oozing from his claws, and people complain he's got NOTHING?! Are you even reading the same manga as the rest of us? How about Sess give up some of his pansy whining and arrogance and get himself some humility so he can really be a great youkai and less like Naraku? Because if anyone is acting like Naraku (arrogant SOB) it's Sesshy.  Not a Sess Fan, Just a fan of the manga(Quote)

Look at it this way. Sesshomaru has had the Tensaiga since after his father died. It's like a memory of his father. No one told him that he would eventually have to relinquish Tensaiga so that it could become apart of Inuyasha's Tessaiga. It was kept a secret from him (and I can understand why too because he doesn't do things for the benefit of others). He went through a lot of problems trying to master that sword. Like I said, Rin could've been dead now had Sessho's mother not revived her, all so that he could get closer to mastering the sword. And that's the news he gets….I wouldn't be as objective if I felt that Inuyasha's sword wasn't powerful.  np(Quote)

Well, I disagree with calling Sesshomaru a pansy. You can't seriously expect him to just suddenly give the sword his father was suppose to pass on to him to Inu-Yasha (Absorbing the power I mean). Did you EXPECT him to WANT to give up his father's sword? Deep down, Sesshomaru really respected his father, wanting to be as powerful as he was and Tenseiga was the only thing that he got from him.

I agree he is a bit arrogant at times, and maybe he needs to really think things over, but we still have yet to see how he handles this new peice of information.  MGN(Quote)

>

Ha ha ha  Shouki(Quote)

Sesshoumaru hates his sword more than ever now. But he's stubborn to rely on it simply because it's still useful to him.  Starks(Quote)

What if giving tessaiga the power doesn't have to mean to lose tenseiga?  Myrrhte(Quote)

>>2443

How DARE you compare Sesshy to Naraku?!!! Don't even kid around. The Tenseiga has alot mor to go with it then power. It's also the honor and the memory of his father. as the eldest son, he is supposed to inherit the most. However, it seems his father keeps trying to slight him. It's almost as if his father had no respect for him, and having the only heirloom of his taken away and given to the younger illegitimte son, is nothing short of dishoner on Sesshy's eyes.  Irene Sharda(Quote)

..or he wanted to give Inuyasha some protection from demons like Sesshoumaru and allow Sesshoumaru to learn that there's more to being a great youkai then power. Yes, Tenseiga was like a memory of his father, but that hardly seeemed like the most important thing to Sesshoumaru since he hated having it until finding out it was useful. Maybe Inu-taisho's trying to tell him that he doesn't need a momento to have his memories and considered honored by his father.  muggle(Quote)

Sesshoumaru's believes his ultimate goal is to accumulate as much power as possible. I'm assuming his father knew this, but also knew such a path would only lead to destruction. Therefore, this is why Sesshoumaru was only able to attain more power once doing or thinking altruistically (because it was set up for him by his father), as he did with Kagura and afterwards received the Meidou technique. Likewise with the Meidou becoming larger once he proved and expressed that he valued another's life (Rin's) more than his Tenseiga (power) (and he also attempted to save the suffering souls of many of the dead in hell), and lastly when he combined forces and protected Inuyasha, resulting in his Meidou becoming a perfect circle.

Now his last step is to give up Tenseiga altogether for the welfare of another–for Inuyasha. As Totosei said, he will only surpass his father in power once this happens. His father is trying to reinforce in him that with power comes responsibility and the need for at least some sort of compassion for others; otherwise, he will only destroy and not protect. His father is just trying to help him.  woah(Quote)

>>2449

Yeah, I DARE to compare Sesshy to Naraku because he's acting arrogant and only wanting to accumulate power to himself to make himself greater, he's no better than Naraku. And THAT'S the lesson he has to master to surpass his father in greatness. (And his dad probably knew it, too. Maybe SesshyMom knew it as well. Why else would she go along with Dad's plan — she probably doesn't harbor love for Inuyasha?) If he doesn't learn it, … well, it's not good for Sesshy.

For goodness sakes, you all forget that Sesshy was not above associating with Naraku early in the series for the above reasons, and he started off as a villain. I agree Sess has come a long way since then, but he's obviously not where he needs to be yet, as evident in this week's chapter.

All you Sesshy fangirls are letting your love for him cloud your objectivity. We don't even know for sure if he will have to give up Tenseiga. That's just a suggestion Toutousai was making. Sess didn't have to stay in Hell like SessMom said, did he? Something else could happen for the story isn't over. (I wouldn't be surprised if Takahashi isn't playing with the readers right now.) If Sesshy weren't so pretty, I wonder if everyone would be making such a fuss over him. Good grief!  Just a Manga Fan(Quote)

WAAAA! Sesshoumaru, Hurry up & return. Wow! Hopefully next chapter wud be sesshy against Naraku. I can't wait!!  Shalaka(Quote)

Some certain part of the readers seem to sympathise with Inu Yasha and scorn Sessho-maru on this particular issue. Whilst I agree that Sessho-maru is more powerful, and Inu Yasha is a mere hanyo with next-to-nothing power of his own; that does not mean that Sessho-maru has to share his power with Inu Yasha, especially through mischief and trickery of Inu no Taisho (as of this stage of the story.)

If Inu no Taisho wanted to empower his hanyo offspring, he would have to do it on his own, because it was his will. He could never involve any other individual into realising his will without that individual's consent. He needed to kindly ask Sessho-maru first! Sessho-maru's powerfulness is not a legitimate reason to apply the 'anti-trust' law on him!

Legally, it is very much similar to deliberately leaving a piece of wood in a carpenter's hand, saying something that would lead to the carpenter's belief that it is now his own. Then later, after the carpenter has perfected it to a masterpiece, that cunning original person comes back to claim his ownership on that beautiful artifact, citing misunderstanding in the original situation. Fine, take your wood back, but not my time and effort!

Sessho-maru has been tricked to work voluntarily against his will, for Inu Yasha's sake! No socio-psychological theory can justify this, apart from corruption in disguise of communism!

Inu Yasha, if he is weak enough that he needs to rely on others to exist, then die! For your bent yokai-tarianism, Inu no Taisho, be ashamed of yourself!  Ipsen(Quote)

"Yeah, I DARE to compare Sesshy to Naraku because he’s acting arrogant and only wanting to accumulate power to himself to make himself greater…"

HUGE misunderstanding. If Sesshomaru wanted power, he would have gone after the shards. His concern with Inuyasha was always about his pride, not his lust for power.  Steven(Quote)

You're misunderstanding. Some of the other posters put it better. Sess thinks he's the only one deserving to inherit his father's power, and he's mistaken in thinking his true inheritance is a sword, when he has his father's (and mother's) full demon blood. Before he also seemed to want power to merely prove he was the greatest — his pride, as you say. He's needs to learn that with power there comes responsibility — responsible and just use of power — otherwise he really is no better than Naraku. You're also misunderstanding that the jewel is the only way to accumulate power in this series.

For another poster to put this issue as just sympathizing with Inuyasha over Sesshoumaru is also missing the point. I'm not a fangirl/fanboy of either. In fact, it seems the Sess fangirl/boys are in majority in this fandom, and the majority of people are saying he got the shaft because they feel bad he's angsting. (Such angsting is just really annoying and putting the kids and Jaken in danger, that's what, because he left them alone. I'm not going to blame InuPapa for Sess' poor choice there.) I think such attitudes prevent objectivity in analyzing the situation. The fact of the matter is no one has all the facts/history yet because RT has revealed them yet. She almost had Toutousai say it before she had Sess cut him off. She's playing with us to set up something good later on. The fact is you can't say anything definitive about InuPapa yet because we're all just inferring what is going on by what little we've been given. I'm waiting until all is really revealed by RT before making a judgment.  Just a Manga Fan(Quote)

P.S. All that crap about communism above — you really need to take a chill pill. This is manga, not human politics. Your comparisons aren't even valid. Another example of how fangirling/fanboying (and trying to show off one's intelligence) is getting in the way of common sense. Inuyasha has fought and protected himself numerous times, but when InuPapa died, he was only a BABY. I don't know of any babies who do a good job of protecting themselves without help, and InuPapa had no way of predicting how Inuyasha would develop. He might have been a mighty demon, but he's not God. If InuPapa lived to see how Inuyasha had matured, he may not have made such provisions for him. He's probably surpassed InuPapa's expectations. Also you're going on the assumption that Sesshoumaru would have gone along with Papa if asked. We don't know all the backstory — for all we know, Sesshoumaru told InuPapa to shove it after discovering Inuyasha was on the way.

It's too easy to lay blame on a character who has not revealed himself or his true intentions fully, but as has happened several times in the story already, it's foolish to jump to conclusions because you'll probably be wrong. How many people were expecting Kouga and Kikyo to be there for the final showdown, for example, and they won't?  Just a Manga Fan(Quote)

It takes a large apologetic and bending over backwards nature to remove the Inu Taisho from serious blame. Suppose Sesshoumaru already has the power of Tenseiga. That still doesn't mean he will be Inuyasha's equal after giving up the sword. Unless a sudden twist shows Sesshoumaru also has all of Tessaiga's powers as well and the brothers are simply swapping powers, then Sesshoumaru is giving to Inuyasha and getting nothing in return. While Sesshoumaru can learn lessons about life, learning a lesson about life won't help you dodge diamond spears or attacks like the Wind Scar better. Inuyasha has learned lessons about life and gained many new powers, while Sesshoumaru has gained relatively few powers and learned life lessons. If you objectively asked a person, "would you rather learn and gain few powers, or learn and gain many power, which would you take?" Obviously, Inuyasha's lot in life seems the better option. Hence, the guilt trip Toutousai attempted to use seemed strange, unless something major happens later in the story.

I don't see how a one-armed full youkai can be considered the equal of a hanyou wielding 2 fangs of a daiyoukai (after Tessaiga takes back Tenseiga). Even if Inuyasha beings to swing his future sword around like a caveman and lose all trace of skill, he'd still be vastly more powerful than Sesshoumaru and somehow, Sesshoumaru is supposed to be like an equal in all this?  One Without(Quote)

Dear Just a manga fan,

Beware of the fence underneath you – it may be an electric one.

Why are you assuming we are subjective for Sessho-maru, whilst Rumiko Takahashi, thus far, has shown clear bias towards Inu Yasha? You said that you did not grant any of the two characters with your sympathy, yet you were making comments on the Sessho-maru/Inu Yasha relationship as described in the story up to now. We are doing the same, really – condemning the bias described so far.

Hola, speaking for the biased-against is subjectivity in his favour! I cannot quite see your logic here!

Kind regards,
Ipsen  Ipsen(Quote)

P.S: What I speak and have spoken is from my own logical thinking. If it appears to you as a showing-off, then let it be – in the end, it is hard to pretend being foolish, when one is in fact the opposite of that, is it not?  Ipsen(Quote)

I read this elsewhere and thought I would share it because I thought it was insightful. Forget the swords. In terms of character, Inuyasha is already way ahead of Sesshoumaru simply because he has humility and compassion for others. He sympathized and wanted to help his brother fight Shishinki even though his brother has shown nothing but scorn for him. He didn't care if he was the one to defeat Shishinki or if he just helped. He can look beyond the past and see that he and Sesshoumaru are of the same blood and have the same goals. Sesshoumaru seems to want to take credit for doing everything by himself to the point that he loses sight of the enemy. He punched Inuyasha, and Shishinki could have used the diversion to his advantage if he wanted. It's an incredibly stupid and dangerous thing to lose focus on your enemy during battle. It seems Sesshoumaru lets his pride cloud his judgment, and it seems it's his pride that is holding him back from true greatness.

Anyway, the point I read elsewhere is that Sesshoumaru could have probably beat Naraku "three times over" by now if he just got over his rivalry with Inuyasha and his stupid pride. It's taking his attention away from his personal growth and the fight with Naraku. (And you don't see Inuyasha focused on just trying to be the most powerful or surpass Sesshoumaru. He's got other goals in mind.) Maybe that's the whole point of the story and not this diversion with the swords. If he keeps focusing on the swords and being slighted and his wounded pride, he's going to put Rin in danger and never defeat Naraku, like the other poster on here alluded to what's happening now. It will be hard for him, but if Sesshoumaru can get over the whole "Daddy slighted me" bit, he truly will be a great demon. As it is now, Inuyasha is further along the path. I think all of us are falling into the same trap that Sesshy is in and forgetting the big picture.

Anyway, just my two cents.  Onlooker(Quote)

Irene: I agree, Sesshoumaru was definitely in character in this chapter. It was nice to a little of his old 'kill first, ask questions later' self come back. Now of only he'd just let his angst train derail and get back into form. (If there are a lot of typos in here I apologize, I'm fighting with my pet rat over a peanut butter sandwich as I type this.)
I think Toutousai means that Sesshoumaru is being held back from reaching his true potential by his insistence on holding grudges for years, decades, centuries, even. Which is rather Buddhist in its insistence on letting go of emotional and earthly attachments. I think Toutousai didn't tell him this because Sesshoumaru is too stubborn and thick-headed to listen to the reasoning of others, he has to figure these things out for himself.
Is it just me, or in retrospect was Toutousai a bit noncommittal about Tenseiga vanishing – he didn't say 'no', but he didn't quite say 'yes' either. And that whole "giving the meidou to Inuyasha 'as well'" thing gives me pause.
Oh well, it'll be fun to see how this turns out. Although right now it's pretty fun trying to hash out all the possible paths the plot could pursue. (Alliteration = fun!)

And finally: RUN KOHAKU, RUN!  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

Ipsen, quoting big terms and abstract concepts is not "logical thinking" — it's just showing off. Also, my overall point was that everyone is jumping to conclusions about a true "bias" existing. RT is the manipulating things to make an interesting story. And IF RT were to show a bias, would it not be towards Inuyasha who is the protagonist of the story?

If the majority of people are interpreting a bias, and if a minority disagrees with this interpretation — because it IS an interpretation and NOT fact clearly stated in the story yet — then doesn't the minority have a right to argue this point? Maybe the debate could enlighten others.
(Maybe there is not a majority here, as some of the early posters have voiced similar thoughts to mine, but in the general fandom, there does seem to be a dichotomy.)  Just a Manga Fan(Quote)

I agree with your last post, Mental Butterfly! And maybe we all should be looking forward and focus on your last line: "RUN, KOHAKU, RUN!" Poor thing — if anyone should angst, it would be him. I'm glad he doesn't, though.

Your pet rat is trying to eat your lunch? LOL!  Onlooker(Quote)

I just wonder: when did the Naraku's elimination become an essential part of Sessho-maru's life? Naraku for the hell's length has been Inu Yasha's and Kikyo's personal grudge.

Also, for all of you who said Inu Yasha was ahead of Sessho-maru in terms of composure, why not try defying Kikyo? Why not try mocking Inu Yasha's impotent as a hanyo? Why not try throwing a blatant insult onto his face to see how sophisticated Inu Yasha can think of?

Each character has his own weaknesses, but Inu Yasha's (which seem to be quite numerous) just happen not to have happened lately – and if you notice, the language in the story has become rather softer.  Ipsen(Quote)

Reply to Muggle 2450

If Sessho hated the sword so much, why would he keep it? Why didn't he just throw it away if he hated it so much? He didn't necessarily hate the Tensaiga, but he didn't favor it either. The Tensaiga had sentimental value to him, being that it was handed down to him from his father.  np(Quote)

2461: Sesshomaru is only one-armed because of his own arrogance and it happened after their dad died. So any decision about who gets what swords would have already been made.

One point that has only slightly been alluded to so far is whether Inuyasha would even be able to use the meidou. early on, sesshoumaru could use kaze no kizu before inuyasha, so what's to say inuyasha won't have to work on his own to use the meidou?  curious one(Quote)

Wow, things are really heating up, not only in the story, but also in everyone's comments….

Chapter-wise: It's a good one. Sesshoumaru is being emo and letting his emotions get the best of him, which I think is rather good for him, in a way. He's always been made to hide and suppress them, and that's never good for an indifferent mindset for long. He has to let it out sometime.

Kohaku's shard has become corrupted once more! Hopefully this does not mean that he will fall under Naraku's influence again. That could mean simply standing there and letting Naraku take his shard, and I'd like to bank on the boy's strength. I know it's a foolish hope, but I really want Kohaku to come out of this alive and be with his sister again, which I think I mentioned before….

Comments-wise: Woah, "Just A Manga Fan", I think you may be letting everyone's opinions get to you a little bit. Nevertheless, I see where you're coming from in stating the lesson Sesshoumaru needs to learn. After all, it has seemed to me that from the very beginning of Sesshoumaru's first appearance to right now, it has ALWAYS been about his father for him. At some level of my being, I do believe that it would be good for him to give up his father's sword so that he can learn his whole life is not about becoming more powerful to try and surpass his old man. In this respect, I think the Inu No Taishou knew that Sesshoumaru was under the impression that surpassing him in physical and actual power was the only step to be taken to be as "great" as him, which is obviously not the case. It is one of the themes of the story that being great is not just commanding others who fear and admire you, but also gaining a length of affection and compassion from others, because that is what you show them. Therefore, if I can guess what the Inu No Taishou would be thinking here, it would be that Sesshoumaru needs to let go of his previous assumptions, as well as his extreme hatred for Inuyasha (and his equally extreme reverence for his father) to see the bigger picture and uniquely grow into the person he has always wanted to be.

But I can also see the opposition's point of view as well. Because of Sesshoumaru's seemingly obsessive view of his father, he has hated Inuyasha (the hanyou whom he views as the one who gives his father a lone black mark on his record, so to speak). At a point in the story when he finally has almost fully accepted the fact that Inuyasha has inherited Tessaiga, he is not only told that his own heirloom was once a part of Tessaiga, but also that Tenseiga will likely be re-absorbed into the original sword. Now, not only can I put myself in his place and see my feelings being hurt (if I wasn't more than a LITTLE pissed off), I can see myself looking at all of the upgrades that Tessaiga has gotten, and thinking that it doesn't very well NEED any more. Also, Tenseiga has had sentimental value to him since before it was "useful", otherwise he would not have kept it for so long before it was upgraded. This denotes that it has sentimental value to him, and considering all of the effort it took to upgrade the thing (Rin was almost lost to this), it has gained even more of that sentimental value. If anything, you can't take away that single object that means so very much to someone who idealizes his father in such a way.

Leading me back to the previous argument. Given that I think Sesshoumaru needs to let go of his obsessive respect for his father to be his own person and not be restricted to his father's perimeter of strength, that's even more of a reason for him to give up that heirloom.

The only real problem I have with this is if he gives it to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru will have done all the work on it and Inuyasha will only have taken it without doing a thing to earn it. That's the only thing that seems a little unfair to me.

Oh well!

Static!

P.S.: Oh… my… gods…. that was long….  Lys(Quote)

Some excellent points being made here, I really agree with Whoa and mental butterfly. I agree the "as well" part of Totosai's comment on Inuyasha getting the meidou move might mean Sessh keeps Tenseiga/it's powers (Inu merely learning them from him)

This might be a totally moot point but I also think all this sword stuff is sorta indicative of the fact that Inuyasha is not gonna use the Shikon Jewel for his original aims in the series' conclusion. I mean apart from the fact that Inu probably thinks the Shikon is a bad thing now, if RT's placing such an emphasis on Inu keeping Tessaiga, he's probably going to stay a hanyou for the rest of his life*, and I'm guessing he'll not want to be a full youkai anymore for similar reasons, if not only for the fact he'll outlive Kagome XDD *gets horrific vision of 80-year old kagome and pristeen 15-year-old-looking inuyasha NOO XD*

Or RT could be just leading us on a wild goosechase XD

*I'm in the group that think hanyou don't have UBER elongated lifespans like full youkai. Inuyasha seems essentially human, just given "superpowers" by his youkai blood. The whole 50 years thing has yet to be clarified but I think it's more to do with strong feelings of wanting to see eachother again that held IY suspended and later allowing Kagome to travel through time (and thus makes IY and Kagome the only ones that can travel through the well)  Anonymous(Quote)

Lys: Awesome post!  Anonymous(Quote)

By the way…

2436: "If you’re going to get into a fight with Sesshoumaru over the bacon, then we’re just going to have to bring extra bacon."

*pouts* … He'd just steal all of MY bacon, the greedy rat bastard….

*gets pelted with rotten fruit and death threats by the hardcore Sesshoumaru fangirls*

AAAAHHHHHH! Don't kill me!!!!  Lys(Quote)

Thank you Anonymous! I rather liked it myself….  Lys(Quote)

random question, what font is used for the scanlations and is it one of the basic fonts that comes with windows/microsoft office?  curious one(Quote)

Lys: I happen to know some greedy rat bastards (three of them, in fact.), and there's no way Sesshoumaru could be as bad as a greedy rat bastard. Excellent job, reconciling the two arguments, by the way. Obviously this whole development has struck a nerve. After we figure this one out, we should all address the issue of whether or not Professor Snape is evil.  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

My reference to the "hahaha" above was Irene's hilarious comment that Rin should scream — b/c Sess can hear her from scream from anywhere in the world. Very funny.

Looks like the pot's stirred a lot! I'll jump in with some minor factual points: Not A Fan: Just as an FYI, the manga does not give Sess the energy whip or, I think, the acid attacks; those are anime only.

I think the truth about Tensaiga is absolutely insulting. NOT ONLY was Sess given a splinter of a sword, but he was tricked into powering it up — just for it to return to Inuyasha. I really don't see any way to spin this as anything but unfair and surprisingly deceptive of InuTaisho. Sure, we all know it will be for the greater good. But even if Sess walks away from this a better (read: more human) and stronger, it stinks of deceit.

Which is pretty nice. What a twist! And what a twist of that knife in Sesso's back!

Totosai was very entertaining this chapter. Poor guy likely smelled Sesso coming, and tried to make a run for it. And he almost died — twice. And that poor cow!

Kohaku, Kohaku. His time is coming, folks. I really think Naraku will off him. Kohaku's made peace with his death — his past death and likely future death — and all that's missing is a big dramatic build-up. Poor kid.

Still, I wonder how Sesso will react? If Rin and Jaken are fine, would Sesso go after Kohaku? I really hope only Kohaku is kidnapped, b/c it will reveal a lot about Sesso's character; whereas if Rin is kidnapped it will be ho-hum, same old same old (and same for Jaken, b/c stealing a retainer would be an insult to Sesso's pride). So, Sesso? What'll it be with Kohaku?? Should be a good chapter.  Shouki(Quote)

2482: "I happen to know some greedy rat bastards (three of them, in fact.), and there’s no way Sesshoumaru could be as bad as a greedy rat bastard."

You never can tell when it comes to bacon….

Then again, I think I'M just being the greedy rat bastard at this point, lol! Irony at its… dumbest.

Anyhow, I didn't really see any reconcilliation until I started writing it all out, and then it sort of hit me like a bundle of bricks, so to speak. It was a nice little advocation toward surrender to seemingly opposing ideas to realize that they're not really that different. One of these ideas is empathy for Sesshoumaru, and the other is an insight into the heart of the problem. Either way, the logic is sound, and not skewed in either way.

(As for the argument on whether or not Snape is evil… I don't EVEN want to talk about it…)

2483: It WOULD be interesting to see what would happen if it were just Kohaku who was taken. You make an interesting point; would Sesshoumaru go after Naraku and Kohaku, or not care either way? Hard to say, but I'm leaning more in the direction of the assumption that he would go after them. As he's becoming more compassionate, he'll be showing more toward a troubled boy, just like he did for a trouble little girl not too long ago   Lys(Quote)

Lys, great post.

Shouki, the thing I'm still not certain about is did InuPapa actually have the opportunity to tell Sesshoumaru his intentions if he wanted? I mean, you say InuPapa was being deceptive, but if he was trying to arrange things quickly before he died, maybe he didn't get the chance to speak to his son while doing all the preparations??? Or MAYBE he did tell his son what he intended, and it was kind of enigmatic and up for interpretation that maybe Sesshoumaru won't understand what was meant until after the fact??? We don't know what happened before InuPapa died. (I know that the 3rd movie, which technically wasn't canon, showed things happening rather quickly. It also showed that enigmatic conversation between Sess and InuPapa. Unless InuPapa had a will — lol — I don't think things were planned out way ahead of his death. Maybe it was all rushed?) I think that's why I'll wait until RT says so; she'll probably come up with an interesting resolution anyway!

Anyway, I'm of the camp that some sympathy for Sesshoumaru is OK, but too much kind of relieves of him from any responsibility. I mean, I can see how his feelings would be hurt, but he really does need to get past the hurt to grow as a person. It seems like some of the other arguments were advocating one position or the other when really it's a little bit of both. It's kind of like when parents have to say no to their kids — not always pleasant for the kids (or the parents even, who probably hate having to say no), but in the kids' best interests to teach them discipline.

I do hope Sesshoumaru can not only save Rin but Kohaku, too. Come quick! I know Naraku doesn't know — at least, I think he doesn't — about Inu and Kagome going to the future, but isn't he a sneaky bastard to attack when both Inu and Sess are away? RT made that very convenient for him. We should have known it was going to happen!  Onlooker(Quote)

I need to get back to studying for my two midterms and a paper next week, but I have one question… Was my joke page too esoteric this week?

Also, here's a scary thought just crossed my mind.

What if Naraku does his old shard merging trick and completes the jewel INSIDE KOHAKU!

  Starks(Quote)

"What if Naraku does his old shard merging trick and completes the jewel INSIDE KOHAKU!"

You know what this sounds like? This sounds like the FMA anime when Scar put together the Philosopher's Stone inside Alphonse. That was weird.

Good luck on your midterms.  Onlooker(Quote)

The jewel inside Kohaku? Interesting theory. Then what? Would he absorb Kohaku? It would definately turn him into his slave again. Then he could use Kohaku to kill people and hurt Inuyasha and Sesshy.

Totosai says that Sesshy should throw away his attachment to his sword and his hatred for Inuyasha, and then he will have surpassed his father. When I read that it sounded like he was saying that Inu-taisho could not let go of his lust for power or hatred. He new it was his downfall and he set things up to help Sesshy. The odd thing is, this had to have been done really quick because he died shortly (days, months, a couple years) after Inuyasha was born. Still, I also get the feeling that Sesshy was, for the most part, neglected. Yet he still idolized his father (sesshy: "well, he couldn't play catch today because he was killing that demon") instead of looking at it realistically (inu-taisho: "power is more important to me than my wife and child and I will go to any lengths to get it even if it hurts them"). Something about meeting Inuyasha's mother changed this some, but for Sesshy it was too late. His father could not change enough to save himself, and Sesshy was probably too old to be influenced anyway. Hence all this roundabout with the swords.  Inucat(Quote)

Sesshoumaru did drop his sword once already – when Rin died in hell. He despaired that the sword was not worth it if he couldn't have Rin. So now he is faced with another choice – Kohaku (and possibly Rin) are in danger. Will he have to choose to between the children or his sword? If his sword is absorbed into Tetsaiga it would be powerful enough to save Kohaku, but Inuyasha would get the glory. Would having Rin safe be enough for him? Wow – is it next week yet? I want to see what happens   Inucat(Quote)

Didn't Sessho's mommy say that even Tensaiga can't save Kohaku? It still wouldn't change Kohaku's situation, even if Tensaiga became part of Tessaiga.  np(Quote)

I'm not sure if I will be pelted with rotten vegetables for this comment, but I don't care whether he lives or dies. He's had enough chances to be reunited with his, but he either chose Sessy over Sango ( which was the case here ) or runs away and ends up being possessed again! If I were Sessy, I'd use Kohaku as a sheild, and make sure to purposely step into Naraku's line of fire! This is the end of my rant… Wait, I want bacon!  Inuyashagirl234(Quote)

"I’m not sure if I will be pelted with rotten vegetables for this comment, but I don’t care whether he lives or dies. He’s had enough chances to be reunited with his, but he either chose Sessy over Sango ( which was the case here ) or runs away and ends up being possessed again! If I were Sessy, I’d use Kohaku as a sheild, and make sure to purposely step into Naraku’s line of fire! This is the end of my rant… Wait, I want bacon!"

Pelts InuyashaGirl234 with LOTS of rotten vegetables. If Sesshoumaru did that, he wouldn't be worth calling one of the heroes of the story. That is a cowardly thing to do, and NOT something that Sesshy would lower himself doing. He would never use someone else as a shield.  Anonymous(Quote)

… did you even read the story at all? Kohaku isn't aiming to play happy families with the sister he nearly murdered along with his father and friends. Psychological factors aside, he has more important things on his mind and is all the more ADMIRABLE for it. Someone can explain it better than me, but please, actually READ what Kohaku says before posting something like that. It's plain to anyone this is not a case of "choosing Sesshomaru (or anyone else for that matter) over Sango", right now he just sees Sesshomaru as his best bet for defeating Naraku, just as he did with Kikyo. He doesn't know that Kikyo made that promise/passed on her will to Kagome, remember?  Effo(Quote)

I'm with Effo here. Kohaku is a character to be admired in the story. He's got plenty of time to be reunited with Sango AFTER Naraku is defeated.  Anonymous(Quote)

Looking at the latest chapter preview though, and the name of Chapter 496(Trick), I think that this whole thing might be a trick by Byakuya. Cause think about it, shouldn't they kill off Naraku's last remaining offspring BEFORE Naraku? And usually Naraku sends his minions rather than go himself.  Irene Sharda(Quote)

>>2483

Yes, I can't remember all the times Rin has screamed and Sesshomaru comes running, or flying, or whatever. Also, If Kohaku gets taken, which I doubt, I think Sessho would go after him. He's saved Kohaku from Byakuya and is protecting him even now, so Naraku can't get the last shard. Remember, Sessho wants to get Naraku just as much as his brother does. He'll follow him just to finish the spider-freak off.  Irene Sharda(Quote)

2517 — Kohaku has devoted his new "life" — that is, his new awakening after snapping out of Naraku's control — to one purpose: to rid this world of Naraku. Kohaku knows he is as good as dead. He accepted that fact and is ready to die for the greater good. Remember, he single-handedly attacked Mory and was going to go after Naraku, all b/c he thought it was the only good thing he could do. Then he met Kikyo, and realized that his shard may be the Good Guys' best bet to really kill Naraku, and so has very faithfully devoted himself to keeping his Shard safe, even if it means that it will be used to kill Naraku and himself.

He is not playing family by running off to Sango because, first, his psychological scars are still extremely deep. Never think for a moment he doesn't love his sister; it was his sister's memory that always reminded Kohaku that something wasn't right with his Naraku-controlled memory for most of the manga. ("Why can't I get her out of my head?") That shows how much he cares for Sango. And he is not running off to Sango because, second, he has a bigger mission on his mind: Instead of selfishly being loved by his sister and giving her false hope, he knows that he may very well have to die to make his sister and the world safer. He is devoted to that cause now. Sessho is his best bet to stay safe and possibly sacrifice himself, whereas if he was with Sango then she might not let him sacrifice himself when necessary. Remember when Sango angrily confronted Kikyo?

So Kohaku is, I think, the MOST admirable character in the manga. More admirable than Kagome, Kikyo, Inuyasha, Sessho — every one of them, for his courage, sacrifice, and maturity. I almost wish he'll die too — just so he fan FINALLY have some peace.

2523 — Yes, Rin's scream never fails, either in the manga or the anime. It's funny.

I also don't doubt Sessho would go after Kohaku; I was just wondering aloud how much more meaningful it would be for Sessho's character development to go after Kohaku if only he was kidnapped. I suppose he could mask it by saying that he's merely going after the last Shard, which would still be a copout. That's why I'm curious to see how Sessho would justify it.

As for all this being a trick by Byakuya: great catch making the connection with the title and Byakuya (of Illusions). I like it. But, does Byakuya have the ability to corrupt jewel shards? That takes a whole lot of shouki especially against a Shard as extremely purified as Kohaku's. I think it's really Naraku after Kohaku.  Shouki(Quote)

Is it only me or didnt Naraku have an adament right arm after defeating/absorbing mory? Did RT forget this, or is it like the tessiga were it just transforms into adament when needed?  Bigantfbi333(Quote)

I agree with Shouki about the whole Kohaku situation. I believe this kid has went through the most suffering out of all of the characters. Though I highly doubt he will make it out alive, if he does, I would admire him a lot. I think the only thing that is driving him to survive is destroying Naraku for all the pain he's caused himself and Sango. A little part of me hopes he can make it out of this, but most of me feels like he would be most satisfied sacrificing his life for the cause.

I have a feeling Naraku is going to get that shard. Kohaku probably will put up a decent fight but I think in the end, Naraku will get a hold of that shard somehow.  np(Quote)

Here's the spoiler for next week and it's a doozy…

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Naraku stands before Kohaku. Rin and the little old guy are hiding in the shade of the trees. Kohaku and Naraku talk about the Shikon shard and Kikyou. Kohaku has a monologue about Kikyou.

Naraku extends his hand. Kohaku cuts off that arm.

Something comes out of the wound on Naraku's arm. It attacks Kohaku. It attaches to the back of Kohaku's neck. Kohaku's shard is gripped by Naraku's tentacles.

The shard shines. The little old guy spits fire from his staff. Rin, the little old guy, and Kohaku get on their two-headed dragon thing and fly away. The jyaki in Kohaku's shard seems to diminish.

Naraku: (Kikyou… so that's your trick…)

Naraku has a monologue that the point of light Kikyou left in the jewel had purified Kohaku's shard.

Kohaku: (The moment he touched me, I was bathed in a pure light.)

Scene change to the Naraku Pursuit Squad. Kagome says that Kohaku is there. Inuyasha says that he doesn't smell Sesshoumaru.

"Let's hurry" says the monk, as the scene changes back to Rin and the others. The little old guy too quickly says that they were somehow able to escape, since then they hear Naraku's voice.

Conversation and Kohaku monologue. It seems that Kikyou intended to purify Naraku and the jewel with Kohaku's pure shard.

Kohaku: (So this means… that my shard has become the weapon to defeat Naraku?!)

Naraku: "There is a way for me to reclaim your shard without touching it."

The thing that came out of his arm before attacks Kohaku again. Kohaku escapes with Rin and the old guy again. Naraku intends to reclaim Kohaku along with his neck.

Scene change back to Inuyasha and the others. They detect Naraku's shouki. Byakuya appears.

Inuyasha confronts Byakuya. Kohaku is attacked by Naraku.

Kohaku: (It's… becoming corrupted again…) And the rest in the next issue.

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End spoiler.

  Starks(Quote)

Woo-hoo, big action coming up next week, and it's about time, Naraku hasn't done anything significant since what? Kikyou's death?
I'm glad there's going to be some focus on Kohaku, it's high time he got some of the limelight he deserves. I agree with Shouki that he's definitely the most admirable character in the series, certainly the least morally ambiguous, and almost universally underrated. (Although at first he pissed me off because he seemed so passive. He's grown up a lot since then.)  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

YES. BECOME SHINY AND DESTROY HIM, KOHAKU. BUT DON'T DIE EITHER. T_T  Effo(Quote)

I wonder if this is the end. I mean, we're almost to chapter 500, and Naraku is trying to get the last shard, Kohaku's. Inuyasha's gang is on the way, and we can presume Sesshomaru will come soon. We've focused on everybody's major issues recently (Inu/Kag, Sess' pride, Miroku's kazaana), so all that remains is resolution for each of them. It also means all the major players will be in one place for once.  Anonymous(Quote)

>>2538

Agreed.

Last time that happened was at Kikyou's death.  Starks(Quote)

I agree, I think this is the beginning of the end of this series.  Akita(Quote)

Looks like I was wrong, but this is still going to be an awesome chapter. Poor Kohaku! Good going Kikiyo…

Starks…why do you keep refering to Jaken as the "little old guy"? He does have a name.  Irene Sharda(Quote)

SPOILERS from Starks' preview ahead:

It sure smells like the beginning of the end. Byakuya versus Inu? That can't be good for Byakuya. He and Sessho "got along" once upon a time (although Sessho would still kill him in an instant), but Inu has no love lost for the incarnation. I'm very interested to see how Byakuya fights; he's acted much more like a scout and puppet master to lower youkai so far.

The sword issue b/n the brothers has to be resolved, though. I guess I can see Sessho giving it up immediately to Inu, but Inu still has to grow accustomed to it, doesn't he?

And, a bigger point: is anyone else uncomfortable with the Meidou's ability to "kill" Naraku? As it stands, it will send the entire body of a youkai to hell — in one piece. Before, it at least sliced them in half when shaped like a crescent. Now, it sucks them up entirely. Isn't that bad news? doesn't it leave a door open for powerful youkai to "survive" in hell and come back? Sessho did, right?

Or am I confused? Maybe the "portal" to Hell that Sessho's mom opened up wasn't a Meidou. Maybe Meidou's are like spherical wind-tunnels — that destroy upon contact — rather than gateways. That would make the most sense. I'm a little confused b/c Sessho made a Meidou to escape hell, so in my mind it's always seemed like a gateway to hell.  Shouki(Quote)

If Naraku comes back again, I'll drop the series right then and there. He. Needs. To. DIE.

But, I agree with you, Shouki. It does seem like the ones who get sucked into the meidou don't really 'die', per se. Knowing Naraku, if that's what happened, he'd probably find some way to come back. I mean, if Sesshoumaru could do it, it seems like it's not completely impossible.

And I do believe a meidou is just a gateway to hell, as you said. I believe that's how it was described, but don't take my word for it.  Akita(Quote)

I think of Meidou as some kind of black hole that can suck up anything within it's pull. It's different from Miroku's Kazanna since there is no wind with black holes. A black hole is also sometimes thought of as natural worm-tunnels, and I think the meidous are ones that lead straight to Hell. However, unless you have the key to make another Meidou, you cannot leave the place the black hole has taken you. Also Meidous are also one-way, just like black holes. So once Naraku's in, he can't get back out, even if Sessho uses the attack again. The whole made will only pull things in, not let things out.

However, for good measure. I think they should obliterate Naraku's body into little atoms and let half of them be sucked in by the Kazanna, and the other half by the Miedou. That way, Naraku can never get back together even if he wanted to.

If they  Irene Sharda(Quote)

I always thought he would die in a similar way to Kikyou's plan but by Kagome's and maybe now Kohaku's hand.

*shrug* It seems a little unfair for Sesshoumaru to have the last blow since he probably suffered the least.  muggle(Quote)

>2568

That could work too. XD  muggle(Quote)

I think in the final battle Naraku will be penultimately be defeated by Inuyasha & Kagome, but all the other characters will play VITAL roles for them to deal that blow, i.e. without their interventions/help there's no way he's going down. What I mean is that there will not be one big event or way to kill him. It'll probably be like some sort of crescendo battle of doom… like an RPG boss. XD

Anyhow, to me these recent arcs merely indicate that Kohaku and Sesshomaru have become extremely important/essential to that goal and will play huge parts in the coming battle, but there's no way RT will let them steal the limelight from her main two protagonists in the end.  Effo(Quote)

I strongly agree with Effo….

I see Kagome and Inuyasha as representations of the memory of Kikyo…and their defeat over Naraku will be a way of honoring her struggle and death. Everyone else is important to Naraku's downfall…but the final blow will be Kagome/Inuyasha related because its their series in a way.  Elise(Quote)

I'd like it if it were something different from the usual arrow/sword attack combination, like Kagome using her power to its fullest.

Heh, meant to say 2564 in that other post. ^ ^;  muggle(Quote)