Half-demon Inuyasha, modern-day schoolgirl Kagome and their companions face their deepest fears and worst nightmares as their quest to find the Sacred Jewel shards continues. The deadly Band of Seven, a group of mercenaries executed for their crimes, have returned from the dead to wreak havoc, and Inuyasha is determined to stop them. But the battle leads them all to the sacred and mysterious Mount Hakurei, where a barrier not only renders demons, including Inuyasha, powerless, but also hides a terrible secret about their worst enemy - Naraku!

The 5th season of Rumiko Takahashi's "feudal fairy tale" Inu Yasha is the darkest, as the familiar characters confront questions of survival, death, and love. Naraku remains hidden, creating a new body for himself as his protective barrier was shattered at end of Season 3. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inu-Yasha spend most of these episodes battling the Band of Seven, a group of bloodthirsty mercenaries whom Naraku brought back from the dead with shards of the Sacred Jewel. More savage in death than they were in life, the seven zombies must be fought with strength and intelligence. But dangerous as they are, the Band of Seven are minor players. Naraku's schemes force Kagome and Inu-Yasha to acknowledge their feelings for each other--and even shed tears. Using others as pawns, Naruto succeeds in his monstrous plot, turning his human heart (the heart of Onigumo, the thief who loved Kikyo decades earlier), into a malevolent infant. But there's still plenty of time for comedy--Inu-Yasha and wolf-demon Koga squabble endlessly, and Miroku is still an unapologetic lecher. Although the shards of the Sacred Jewel play an important role, the mission to assemble them all is rarely mentioned. Presumably, that plotline will return in the two remaining seasons. (Rated "Teen:" suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use, brief nudity)