Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Life Broken & Incomplete ❯ Practice Session ( Chapter 2 )

Hari sat on the couch and watched TV as the others were busy talking about their next mission from Koenma.

"What? No way!" Botan shrieked as she shook her head.

"Will you shut up?" Yusuke commented, getting annoyed at the 'Grim Reaper'. Botan just rolled her eyes as she sighed and sat back against the chair.

"Well we know what we have to do once we get inside. The question is, how are going to *get* in?" Kuwabara went on, ignoring the 2 bickering people next to him.

"Use bait." Hari chimed in, not moving her eyes from the TV.

"When we want you're opinion we'll ask for it." Hiei growled.

Hari looked over at the fire demon and raised an eyebrow as she smirked. "What's wrong? Still sour from me being faster than the 'all mighty Hiei'?" she teased. Hiei just growled from deep in his throat again which caused Hari to laugh. "You're pathetic."

"Shut up!" Hiei snapped.

"Hmm...how about no."

"Ladies, ladies please calm down." Yusuke interrupted as he pushed Hiei away from the smug female ninja.

"Why don't we use her as bait. That way if she dies, it wasn't one of us." Hiei muttered.

"Fine with me." Hari answered. Hiei looked at her shocked that she had heard him.

"You actually *want* to be bait?" Yukina questioned in disbelief.

Hari shrugged. "Why not? It sounds like fun."

"But you're not healed. Especially after that fight you got into." Kurama replied.

"What is it with you and being healed?" Hari sighed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "With you, everybody has to be in perfect health in order to do something around here!"

Kurama let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll be right back." He said lowly as he got up and left the room.

"Baka perfectionist." Hari muttered as she fixed her eyes on the TV once again. A few moments later, Kurama returned with a bowl of something.

"Lay down." He commanded. Hari raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. "Just do it."

Hari rolled her eyes as she adjusted herself so she could lay down on the couch. Kurama knelt down near her stomach and lifted her shirt a little way up. Hari watched his every move to make sure he wasn't going to try anything perverted. Kurama ignored her as he took some of the stuff onto his fingers and started putting it on the cuts that covered her stomach. When he finished with those, he began to place the smelly stuff on her face, arms and legs.

"Great. Now I'm covered in plants. I'm *so* much better now." Hari said sarcastically. Kurama just smirked as he sat down next to Keiko and stretched out his legs.

*~~~~* About 2 Hours Later *~~~~*

Hari squirmed as she tried to get comfortable on the couch without messing up the goop that Kurama had put on her. "Can I take this crap off?" she finally blurted impatiently. Kurama raised an eyebrow at the uncomfortable ninja on the couch before smiling. He nodded slowly as he studied the remedy he put on her wounds. "Arigatou!" Hari exclaimed as she jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

"Well somebody doesn't appreciate what Kurama is doing for them." Botan said quietly.

"Botan, be quiet." Hari's voice called from down the hall.

"How the heck can you hear me?!"

"You're speaking loud enough. Anybody can hear you."

Botan looked around at everybody with a scrunched up face that said 'what the heck is she talking about'.

"I could barely hear you." Yukina said in response to Botan's face.

"Well you must be deaf then." Hari interrupted as she jumped over the back of the couch and landed on one of the cushions.

"Or you just have *really* good hearing." Hiei defended his sister. Hari just shrugged as she stretched and cracked her neck.

"I can't stand sitting still." She grumbled as she cracked her back next. "I think I'm gonna go home and practice some more."

"Nuh uh." Yusuke stopped her. "You're staying here."

"Why?"

"We need you as bait."

Hari smirked. "I still need to warm up since my muscles have been inactive for so long."

"But you've only been resting for a day or two." Keiko spoke up.

"I usually practice everyday for at least 5 hours." Hari replied with raised eyebrows and a slight smile.

"I'll be your opponent." Hiei said suddenly. Everybody looked at him in shock. Hiei was *not* the type of person to help others that much.

Hari gave him a sly smile. "Fine. Come with me. We'll be back in 2 to 3 hours." She said as she walked out the door.

"Are you feeling okay?" Yukina asked as Hiei headed for the door.

"I'm fine. I just want to see what this baka ninja has for skills." Hiei answered as he closed the door behind him.

"He'll never change." Kurama shook his head with a smile. "Always studying everybody's fighting styles."

*~~~~* @ Hari's House *~~~~*

Hari landed on the floor gracefully as she immediately walked away with a lithe glide. Hiei fell from the trap door on top of the roof and just stood there.

"Don't you ever use your front door?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why? I find the roof a lot more enjoyable." Hari simpered.

"Rrrriiiggghhhttt. So..." Hiei drawled in boredom. "How are we gonna practice?"

Hari opened a huge wall-height cabinet that revealed numerous weapons of different kinds. "Pick one weapon. It will be the only weapon you will be allowed to use for the next 2 and a half hours." She answered as she grabbed a Yari from it's hook in the cabinet along with it's belt and turned to face Hiei.

Hiei just glared at the ninja. "Fine with me." He sneered as he pulled out his sword and held it in front of him defensively. Hari just laughed at Hiei as she turned her back to him and turned the Yari over. The Yari was about 5 feet long and had a 6-inch blade on one end. The handle had a secret compartment which held her tanto and her Manriki Gusari in it. She personally smiled to herself before she faced Hiei once again.

"Are you ready yet?" he questioned restlessly.

"Patience is a virtue." Replied Hari lingeringly.

"Not right now."

"Don't be so agog."

"Agog?" Hiei asked in confusion.

Hari smiled as she sighed. "Agog means anxious, you low-IQ demon."

Hiei growled as anger began to build up in him. "Let's just battle."

"Whatever." Hari shrugged.

She bowed her head, which signaled the beginning of the fight. Hiei smiled evilly as he didn't move a muscle. He was planning to give Hari the workout of her life! Hari figured out he wasn't going to start the attack, so she took the initiative. She arched her knees slightly before she forced herself into the air and tucked her yari under her arm before she grasped the beam above her. She kicked her legs forward to move herself elegantly over Hiei and swung one leg over it to balance herself. Hiei looked up as he crouched down slightly in preparation of an air attack. Unhesitatingly she tucked the shard end of her yari into her belt holder first as the rest of the yari slid in easily. Hiei, meanwhile, flung his hand out to grasp Hari's dangling leg, but Hari noticed his movement from the corner of her eye and jerked her leg upwards. Hiei grabbed air as Hari's foot collided with his face. Hiei glowered at her as he watched her move both her legs over to the opposite side of him. She balanced on the beam by her stomach with her wrists gripping the beam firmly. She then raised her body over her head and extended her arms fully so she was basically doing a handstand on the beam.

"Stop goofing around!" Hiei snarled.

"Why? This is quite fun." answered Hari with a giggle. She heard him growl from deep in his throat. "As you wish." She breathed before she let her body glide through the air straight at the fire demon in her path. Hiei disappeared as she lurched forwards and went sailing off the beam. He reappeared behind her as she exquisitely landed on her feet with one of her knees coming down slightly for balance. Hiei slashed at Hari's head promptly but missed by an inch as Hari removed her legs from underneath her and flattened herself against the floor. Hiei brought his sword down on her back, but Hari rolled over and crossed her legs in front of her stomach which caught Hiei's wrist and prevented the sword form going any further. He used his strength to push the sword forward, but Hari's legs were stronger and she forced his wrist back up which left him open. Instinctively she jumped to her feet and roundhouse kicked Hiei in the face. He stood there with his eyes closed as Hari put her foot back on the ground. His mouth was slightly open as a small trail of blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. Slowly he brought a hand up to touch his lip to inspect what Hari had done. Gradually his eyes looked up and focused on the female ninja *very* evilly.

"That's it. You're. Going. Down."

Hari just cocked her head to the side with a smile on it as she made a humored sigh from her throat.

*~~~~* Back W/ Our Detectives *~~~~*

Kurama yawned as he let his head fall back against the soft cushion of the recliner. His tan wearisome eyelids slowly closed and covered his rich emerald green eyes. His chest rose and fell steadily with each and every calm breath he took. His red hair fell all around the back of the recliner as some of it fell over his shoulder and rose with his breath as well. For once he could relax fully. Sure, he had seemed calm and relaxed all the time but this was the first time he could actually relax completely in a *long* time.

Keiko and Yukina were sitting at the table playing a game of gin rummy. They were nothing but smiles and sunshine as they had fun playing the competitive card game. Keiko licked her lips as she studied the cards in her hand carefully. Finally making her decision, she pulled up a card and set it down. Yukina bit her lip as she drew a card and thought out her next move.

Yusuke was being his normal self just lounging around the room and observing what the others were doing while Hiei and Hari were away.

"What do you think those goons are doing?" Yusuke asked, obviously bored after only an hour and a half.

"Probably beating each other senseless." Kurama answered, his emerald eyes still hidden.

"And from what I've seen of Hari, she's probably pissing Hiei off in the process." Yukina added as she placed a card down. She frowned when Keiko called 'Gin' and started putting down her matches.

Yusuke chuckled. "Still can't beat that chick at gin? ... ACK!" he screeched as a pillow socked him in the face.

"Shut up Yusuke!" Keiko commanded. Kurama just snickered at the dispute between everybody.

*~~~~* An hour & a half later *~~~~*

Hari was pinned against the wall with her yari across her neck, blocking Hiei's sword from chopping her head off. He was using *all* his strength to get to her and it was beginning to carve into Hari's yari. Sweat drenched both creature's bodies as each was bruised pretty badly. Hiei's face had only minor cuts and bruises on it, but his whole stomach was black and blue from when Hari flipped and landed feet first on it. His arms and legs were lined with numerous cuts and bruises as well. Hari was covered with petty cuts that were fresh and bleeding. Her stomach was only bruised a little bit but her arms and legs were smothered in bruises.

Hiei crackled. "What's wrong? Tired?"

Hari glowered back at the fire demon. "You wish." She mumbled before she gave a strong thrust and flung Hiei backwards. Hiei came back at her and swiped at her face. Hari turned her head as she felt the blade slice her skin. She winced in pain as she took her yari and swatted Hiei upside the head. While he was rubbing the side of his head, Hari opened the handle of her yari and took out her tanto (knife) and manriki gusari (chain w/ 2 weights on each end) before she held them defensively. Hiei just snickered at her weapons, which caused her to smile. He swung his sword at her again, but she flicked her wrist and wrapped her manriki gusari around his sword before she yanked it out of his grasp. Next she flicked her other wrist and sent her tanto flying at Hiei. He rolled his shoulder to avoid the tanto, but he wasn't low enough and it grazed his shoulder. He held it as the blood trickled down his arm. They both stood there panting as they glared at each other before Hari noticed the time.

"We gotta get going." She pointed to a door. "Go ahead and clean yourself up in there."

"Hn." Hiei grumbled as he turned and walked into the room that Hari had pointed out.

Hari just snickered at the fire demon as she packed the 2 separate weapons back into her yari before she hung her yari and it's belt back up in the cabinet. She then examined her injuries quickly. "Ne. They're not too bad." It was then that she realized that her muscles were burning. She stretched, which seemed to help it a little bit. "I should warm up with him more often. That was the best work-out I've ever had."

A few moments later, Hiei exited the room Hari had instructed him to go into. He came out completely healed with not sign of any cuts or bruises. "What the hell was that?"

Hari laughed at him. "That's a room I built. I took one of my healing potions and turned it into gas. That way, it'll attach itself to the cuts on the outside and heal those while you breathe it in. When you breathe it in, it heals the bruises from both inside and out. Neat, are?" she explained. Hiei just stood there studying himself and the miraculous disappearing act that his injuries did. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's my turn." She continued as she walked past him and shut the door behind her. Again, a few moments later she emerged completely perfect.

"C'mon. Let's go back now." Hiei growled as he jumped out the trap door on the roof.

Hari just shook her head with a smile as she exited through the front door. Hiei's eyes opened wide when he saw her walking out casually.

"You actually used your door?" he said as gently as he could for fuming up.

"I don't *always* use the roof ya know." Hari answered. She could hear Hiei start to growl lowly in his throat as his muscles tightened. She giggled as she just began walking down the sidewalk back towards the apartment they all shared. (A/N: I don't care if they don't really have one. This is MY story so deal with it!)

*~~~~* @ The Apartment *~~~~*

The door opened and in walked Hiei and Hari, who were really tired and exhausted.

"Hey!" Yukina greeted with a smile. "How was the warm-up?"

"Hn." Grumbled Hiei as he walked straight past everybody and right into his room.

"What'd you do to him?" Botan asked as she glared at the female ninja.

"Nothing. Just fought him." Hari answered with a big grin on her face. She felt someone's presence awfully close to her back. Quickly she spun around found Kurama studying her *very* closely. "Nani?"

"If you both fought, where are the cuts or bruises?" he curiously questioned.

"That's *my* little secret." Hari answered with a smile, but her voice dripped with sarcasm. "So have you people figured out how we're getting into the damn castle?"

"Well..." Yusuke began. "Since you're great at being stealthy and catlike, I thought you could sneak in and take care of the entrance."

Botan smacked Yusuke upside the head. "Baka! You always put others in front of you so you don't die!"

"What's wrong with that? I died once already!" Yusuke defended.

Hair just giggled. "Don't worry Botan, I don't mind. I'm used to being outnumbered in fights."

"See!"

"Shut up Yusuke!" Keiko snapped. "It's still not right for you to handle it on your own."

"Send Kurama with her. He's supposed to be a fox. He's just as catty as she is." Hiei's voice chimed in rather blankly.

Kurama shrugged. "I have no problem with it."

Hari looked at him with a very disturbing smile. "Let's see if you can keep up."

Kurama just eyed her in befuddlement. Hari laughed at his face as she walked away to the little 'sun room' they had. Tomorrow...they'd start their mission. They had no idea what they were in for.

Not...at...all...