Kagura
Kagura (lit. Music of the gods) is a wind sorceress created from Naraku’s own body. Despite this, she has her own mind and is willing to fight desperately for freedom.
Her first appearance involves Kagura’s use of the “Shikabane Mai,” or “Dance of the Dead,” to lure out Koga’s companions and slaughter them. Following this, she splattered Inuyasha in the blood, causing Koga to arrive to “avenge his companions.” Unbeknownst to Koga, he has a false Shikon no Tama shard rather than the real one-and upon severly injuring Inuyasha, he is immobilized by Kagura’s fake. Assured that she has won the battle, Kagura steps forward to take the real shikon shards as well as Koga’s life.
This is interrupted by Inuyasha, who proceeds to fight Kagura and is on the verge of being killed when he is finally able to interrupt Kagura’s winds to unleash a Kaze no Kizu. Surprised, Kagura flees, briefly showing a spider-shaped burn scar on her back similar to Naraku’s. She realizes that Naraku has been using her and proceeds to attack him, being stopped when he squeezes her heart and tells him that he holds her life in his hands. Since then, Kagura has worked to kill him, often using others.
Following the first meeting, Kagura encounters Inuyasha and defeats him easily with the help of Kanna. Naraku orders her to carry out much of his work, but does not regret losing her when she openly betrays him.
Kagura meets Sesshoumaru and decides his strength is enough to destroy Naraku. She locates Toukijin and tells him where it is, and then watches his fighting skills. Later, when he realizes she is using him, Kagura does not deny it, but rather comes clean about it.
Over time, Kagura becomes increasingly reckless in her attempts to kill Naraku and begins to use Inuyasha as a pawn as well. She often attacks Koga, feeling he is useless in her plans.
Naraku often teams Kagura with Kohaku to do his jobs. When both realize that the other is also after Naraku’s life, they become allies and plot together to destroy his heart. Eventually, Hakudoushi and Moryoumaru come after Kohaku’s shikon shards, Kagura protects him at the cost of her own life. Naraku mocks her, giving back her heart and then subsequently poisoning her.
Kagura realizes she has a short time to live, and flying away, falls into a field of flowers. There she notices she can no longer move and begins to despair. Sesshoumaru shows up, following the scent of Naraku’s miasma and having realized Kagura was in danger. He attempts to save her with Tenseiga, but this does not work. Soon after, Inuyasha’s team arrives and Kagura dissolves into the wind, happy to have been able to see Sesshoumaru before she died.
Kagura’s death supplied Sesshoumaru’s heart with enough new feelings to allow the growth of his sword, Tenseiga. The wind blows as he promises to make her death worth something. This same strong, but not dangerous, wind appears to Kanna, and she notes that it is Kagura. Naraku replaces Kagura with Byakuya, his final incarnation.
