Jinenji

The yōkai was about to attack her when Jinenji stepped in to save her by punching through the yōkai's mouth. It then began to strangle Jinenji with its tail. He told Kagome to get away, saying that she was the only one who ever treated him like a real person. Kagome asked Inuyasha to help Jinenji, but his mother told him not to. She wanted Jinenji to be able to stand up for himself. Inuyasha forced the fleeing villagers to stay so they could observe what Jinenji was truly capable of. Jinenji began to radiate with a blue aura and was able to destroy the yōkai with his strength, destroying it in one punch. Jinenji approached the villagers after he destroyed the yōkai. They were afraid he would attack them and begged for forgiveness. In the end, however, Jinenji decided to continue his more gentle approach by giving the injured villagers the herbs they need to heal themselves. He then went to check up on his mother. The two of them began to rebuild their hut the next morning. Kagome thanks Jinenji for all that he has done for her. As he and his mother were about to get back to work, they are surprised when the village men come with supplies. Out of guilt for having treated him so badly before he had saved them all, the village men decided to help Jinenji and his mother rebuild their hut that they had previously burned to the ground and clean up the herb field.

Inuyasha and Kagome were then invited inside the hut. Jinenji was preparing the medicine for them while his mother talked about how hard it has been for him since he was a hanyō. He apologized to his mother for being a hanyō, but she told he had nothing to apologize for. Jinenji soon gave Kagome the medicine for Kirara. Jinenji's mother then warned the two of them to leave before they were caught in the villagers' crusade against Jinenji. Kagome soon returned when she learned that the villagers were planning to attack Jinenji's home while Inuyasha went searching for the yōkai that was recently killing humans in the area. She was helping Jinenji pull herbs from the field. She sees the scars across Jinenji's arms that were left by the villagers. She asked him if he ever thought about leaving, but he said that it was nice where he lived since his father died and left it to him. He was very nervous when talking to Kagome because he had never spoken to a girl before. He soon heard Kagome scream; thinking it was because of him, he flinched, but soon saw it was actually a worm that she saw and he got rid of it for her. The two of them spent more time together by feeding the birds. Jinenji realized that he was feeling true happiness for the first time in his life. His mother puzzled over how Kagome was relaxed around the large hanyo but afraid of insects. The villagers returned to his home later that night. Jinenji's mother told her son to stay inside while she dealt with them. They started to attack her and burn down her hut, wounding her in the process. It was then that the larva yōkai responsible for killing the villagers appeared. It and its offspring then began eating the villagers. Kagome ran back into the burning hut. She found Jinenji sniveling in the corner. She grabbed her supplies and got Jinenji to come out, saying that his mother was in trouble. Kagome tried to defend them with her sacred arrow, but it was not enough.

Jinenji is a humanoid of hulking size and well-muscled stature (standing over ten feet tall). He has tanned skin that looks orange and is covered with scars from the harassment and persecution he's suffered, wears a sleeveless graphite and blue robe stitched together to fit him, and has a face vaguely horse-like with large blue eyes as well as black hair pulled back in a small ponytail.

A kind-hearted and hard-working hanyō, Jinenji has a close relationship with his mother who protected him from the villagers who lived near their home. He appears to respect and appreciate his father for leaving him and his mother their herb farm, and he is unwilling to leave it despite the persecution he suffers. He develops a strong attachment to and affection for Kagome, who was the first person besides his parents to treat him with any kindness despite his intimidating size and hanyō status. He also respects and understands Inuyasha who encouraged him to use his enhanced strength to defend his mother and himself for the first time. Jinenji then became more confident and happy, now having become a man in full.

Jinenji's kind heart shows he is not one to hold a grudge even if it's justifiable as was seen when he offered medicinal herbs to the injured men who had persecuted him and his mother. His forgiving nature, along with saving their lives, earned him their silent gratitude and even their compassion to make things right by helping Jinenji and his mother rebuild the home the mob had set on fire and restoring the field under the pair's direction.

jinenji is an hanyō who lived in a hut with his human mother. Together they grew a variety of medicinal plants, including some known for being powerful against poisons. The field where they grow the plants is his inheritance from his yōkai father. He is first seen when Kirara is poisoned by Naraku's shōki. Myōga tells the group of the farm, and Inuyasha and Kagome travel to the village to find medicine to cure Kirara. They came across some villagers who were carrying off a dead body. They claimed that Jinenji was responsible. The villagers led them to Jinenji's home with the hopes that Inuyasha would destroy him. They claimed that Jinenji was a monster and his mother was a witch. As Inuyasha was prepared to confront Jinenji, he was surprised that he didn't smell any human blood on him. The villagers started to throw rocks at him. Jinenji cried and ran back to his hut. His mother then came out and broke a wooden beam over Inuyasha's head (although it didn't even faze him). She was under the impression that he was trying to drive her and Jinenji from their land. The villagers then ran when they saw her. She immediately defended Jinenji by claiming that he would never harm anyone and that being an hanyō shouldn't matter when judging him. Inuyasha and Kagome were then invited inside the hut. Jinenji was preparing the medicine for them while his mother talked about how hard it has been for him since he was a hanyō. He apologized to his mother for being a hanyō, but she told he had nothing to apologize for. Jinenji soon gave Kagome the medicine for Kirara. Jinenji's mother then warned the two of them to leave before they were caught in the villagers' crusade against Jinenji.