Episode 164 - Most Powerful Enemy, Parasite-Pupa Shippo!
A menacing shape braves a howling blizzard, advancing towards a mountain cave - Naraku! He has come to this forsaken place to claim a new prize - a large blue jewel. Inside the cave, Naraku locates and seizes the stone, gazing avidly into its depths, ignoring a disembodied voice demanding to know the trespasser’s identity. Elsewhere Inuyasha and the team prepare to eliminate a threat posed by a local kitsune god. The creature has suddenly taken to terrorizing the locals. Using Shippo as unwilling bait for the trap, Inuyasha intends to lure the offending creature into battle. When the kitsune god arrives, Sango notices the creature is possessed by a demon parasite called Yadori Sanagi. Using special scent balls, Sango pelts the kitsune god with an aromatic substance that causes the Yadori Sanagi to release its victim (while gagging Inuyasha with it’s odor). The Yadori Sanagi is destroyed and the kitsune god returns harmlessly to its shrine. Another kitsune won’t retreat as quietly; Shippo makes it clear he feels bullied by Inuyasha! Later, while the team enjoys the hospitality of the grateful villagers, Sango considers the presence of the parasites. Something isn’t right: she’s never known them to be strong enough to possess a god. During dinner Shippo continues to antagonize Inuyasha, earning a head-bopping. The day’s enmity between Shippo and Inuyasha continues into the night. After the team beds down, Shippo is frightened by what he imagines was a Yadori Sanagi outside the window of the guest hut. His reaction wakes Inuyasha earning the little fox another set of lumps. Shippo, however, wasn’t imagining things: investigating outside the hut, Inuyasha discovers several Yadori Sanagi and destroys them. When he returns to the others, he learns Shippo has disappeared. Shippo didn’t vanish, he changed! As the team watches, Shippo looms menacingly behind Inuyasha in his pink ball form. By his expression, Shippo isn’t himself. Sango then notices a Yadori Sanagi has possessed him. Kagome, Miroku and Sango watch as the ‘evil’ pink orb gobbles up Sango’s entire supply of exterminator scent balls, then spits the toxic fumes at Inuyasha. Inuyasha collapses, nauseous from the vapors. Victory his, Shippo flees into the night. The next morning, Inuyasha remains incapacitated in spite of Kagome’s care. Sango and Miroku depart to search for Shippo before the parasite lands him in real trouble. Shippo, in the meantime, has naughty fun playing pranks, vandalizing buildings, terrorizing villagers, taunting his pursuers and making mochi (gooey edible rice paste). Why mochi? The better to trap Sango and Miroku in a sticky web when they try to chase him! Back in town, a terrified, angry mob of villagers descends on Inuyasha and Kagome. They tell them about a new demonic threat to their town. Inuyasha drags himself outside to investigate with Kagome at his side, and the pair witness Shippo’s misbehavior first hand. Kagome watches in horror as the villagers try to destroy Shippo with spears and arrows. When the projectiles strike Shippo, he explodes, pelting friend and foe with whining acorns! Although that Shippo was a fake, the “real” Shippo struts by disguised as a goofy-looking chicken. Inuyasha recognizes Shippo’s masquerade and angrily attacks the foolish foul, forcing Shippo to reveal his camouflage. Shippo engages Inuyasha in the battle of the ‘big toys’. Inuyasha is nearly crushed by a mammoth cup and ball, caught in a tornado from a gigantic top and dumped in the river. Saturated with Shippo’s shenanigans, Inuyasha prepares to thrash him when Shippo launches his ‘secret weapon’ - a propeller. The blade lodges itself in Inuyasha’s hair, flying him up, up and away and into the gooey web of mochi, joining Sango and Miroku. Kagome chases Inuyasha, finding him with the others. Reunited, they create a plan to trap Shippo and exorcise the Yadori Sanagi. Sango prepares a heaping platter of dango (dumplings), which lure Shippo out of hiding. They watch Shippo devour the dango and wait for Sango’s plan to take effect: the dango are filled with numbing potion. Shippo suffers the first wave of the potion’s effect regurgitating a barrage or chestnuts on Inuyasha. The Yadori Sanagi finally releases its grip on Shippo and the team destroys the parasite. Shippo revives to compassionate greetings from everyone except Inuyasha. Inuyasha doesn’t believe Shippo couldn’t remember most of his ‘attacks’ were aimed at him! Shippo confesses - he wanted revenge on Inuyasha for being such a bully! Fortunately Miroku breaks up the escalating hostilities between Shippo and Inuyasha in the nick of time! Sango suggests investigate the source of the Yadori Sanagi and the team follows one of the creatures to a swamp where they make a shocking discovery - the swamp crawls with the creatures. Miroku sucks the writhing mass into his Wind Tunnel. But Sango is still disturbed by the huge number of Yadori Sanagi; so many must have infected an incredibly large demon host. But no demon that tremendous has died or they would have discovered it by now. Elsewhere, Kikyo has also noticed the abundance of Yadori Sanagi… Meanwhile, Naraku makes his way through the woods, arrogantly admiring the stolen jewel from the cave. By his expression, the stone is almost as precious to him as the Shikon Jewel.
