Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Fornever Tantei ❯ Watched ( Chapter 7 )

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Between Death and Reality. While it isn't required that you read that first, some things referenced here may not make a whole lot of sense.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.

 

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Chapter 7

 

Watched

 

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Days stretched into weeks and weeks, in turn, stretched into months. Almost daily, it seemed news of more captured demons was on the news; and as time went on, the more humanoid and more powerful the demons that were captured seemed to become. While none could rival the power of any of the ex-Tantei, the fact that this secret organization was making provisions for stronger and stronger demons was somewhat disconcerting.

 

And as more demons were caught, a constant state of worry, bordering on paranoia as time went on, seemed to build over the country. People became afraid to go out alone at night for fear of being cornered by demons, though demonic activity had substantially dropped off to almost nothing to avoid detection. But through it all, the former Tantei remained above suspicion.

 

Kurama sighed, closing the book he had been reading. Botan, who had been resting against his legs on the floor with her own reading material, looked up at him. Their time together had been limited over the past months due to Botan's increasing number of duties in Spirit World that coincided with the demon scare. And during this, the seasons had changed and in the fall the fox had begun attending classes at the university. He was an instant star in his classes and most of the professors had taken an instant liking to him. Some things never changed.

 

“What?” Botan asked. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked up from their positions across the coffee table. The two of them, along with Keiko, were finishing their final year of school. Despite the fact that he had missed two years of school, Yusuke was in the same class as his peers.

 

It had been a group effort to make it work. It had taken the combined efforts of Atsuko, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yusuke himself, and Kurama to even get the school to consider allowing Yusuke to make the effort to catch up. It was perhaps the fact that two of the best students the city had ever seen were vouching for him - Keiko Yukimura and Suuichi Minamino - but the school had finally given in and allowed it.

 

Yusuke, realizing that if he really did want to have a future with Keiko he would need to finish school, became determined to catch up. It might have been the prospect of the seventeen year old joining the class of fourteen and fifteen year olds that had kept him motivated to catch up with his peers. So, over the summer, Kurama, Keiko, and Kuwabara had pooled their brains and educational prowess - and occasional blackmail material to keep the boy focused - and had helped him to make up all the work he had missed.

 

The majority of the studying had been done in Kurama's apartment. Not only was it downtown and close to just about everything they could need, it gave the group a place to meet where they wouldn't have to worry about being overheard if their topic of discussion changed. Also, since Kurama had the communication mirror now, Botan contacted him every now and then with information, and the others could be around to receive it instead of Kurama having to contact them separately.

 

Hiei also made frequent visits to his friend's apartment. And not only the fire demon did so; Kurama had arranged it so the six fighters at the temple could come for visits. Genkai and Yukina occasionally took up the offer as well. Jin and Touya seemed to come the most often - behind Hiei - but they all had come before without a problem. Strict preparations had been made to assure the safety of the demons' identities and they had worked out quite well.

 

But since Yusuke had managed to join his peers in class once more, he and Kuwabara, and occasionally Keiko, would come over to the red-head's to study. Since Kurama had his own studying to do, it didn't bother him to have his friends working at his place, as long as they did their work. But since they continued to eat so much of his food - teasingly designating Kurama the group's cook - the fox made them pay for a portion of his groceries. All in all, if one ignored the demons on the daily news, the months seemed to have gone by quietly.

 

“I'm fine,” Kurama told the ferry girl. “Just a little tired.” Botan's amethyst eyes danced with concern.

 

“What aren't you telling me?” she asked. Kurama suppressed a grimace. With the time the two had had together, she had gotten quite good at reading him - almost as good as Hiei. Kurama shook his head lightly.

 

“It's not important. I just haven't been sleeping as well as of late,” he told her.

 

“Are you dreaming again?” Another suppressed grimace. Kurama had in fact been dreaming more often lately. Dreams that he had had often after the Dark Tournament and when Karasu returned were starting to recur. He opened his mouth to deny it, but stopped when he saw the worry in all three of his friend's eyes. They were worried, and with good reason. The fox had come very close to losing his life the last time. Lying about it now would only be a disservice to everything his friends had done for him.

 

“Yes,” he replied finally and got the reaction he had been fearing. Botan gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Yusuke and Kuwabara paled.

 

“Kurama-” Yusuke began but the red-head cut him off.

 

“It's different than last time,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I don't get the same feeling I did from them before. Not exactly, anyway.”

 

“Not exactly?” Kuwabara asked. Kurama shook his head.

 

“Not exactly.”

 

“What do you mean?” Botan asked concernedly.

 

“I still get a sense of foreboding and definitely fear, because they are nightmares,” he replied and paused, as if searching for the right words to continue. To anyone but those in the room and a very select other few, what he had just said would not mean much. But to those who understood the power of a nightmare, of a true nightmare, the last statement held a lot of truth and emotion behind it. “But that same darkness I felt from that manifestation is no longer present. When I wake up I know it was just a dream.”

 

“But they're still taking their toll on you,” Botan said, her amethyst orbs dancing in concern for her lover.

 

“Yes, but not like before.”

 

“So you're gonna be okay?” Kuwabara asked and Kurama smiled.

 

“Yes. I know of some plants that should help this time around.”

 

“You sure know of everything, fox boy,” Yusuke said and all four laughed. It was good to be among friends, to be able to laugh with them, even when the world was going crazt just outside the door or window.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

They sat on the rooftop of the apartment building watching the stars in the cloudless night sky. A slight sliver of moonlight gave little light and blocked out few stars. The night was cool, but it didn't bother either of them. The companionable silence remained for awhile as they both sat with their own thoughts.

 

“It's been too long,” Hiei said finally and Kurama looked over at his friend. His black silhouette was barely visible on the dark roof, but emerald eyes sought out the familiar shadow with ease.

 

“And still no leads,” Kurama added.

 

“I don't like it.”

 

“Nor do I.” The two friends lapsed into silence once more. Sometimes more could be said without speaking.

 

“I suppose one more time wouldn't make a difference,” Hiei said idly after a moment.

 

“No, probably not,” Kurama agreed. Over the last months, Hiei had spent night after night trying to catch some sort of lead on this group that was causing so much trouble for demons. And every night he and the Jagan had come up empty. It was as if they didn't exist. Trying to catch smoke on the wind would be an apt analogy.

 

“And the temple is still safe?” the fox asked.

 

“Yes.” Kurama nodded absently to himself.

 

“The ferry girl?” Hiei asked.

 

“Sleeping.”

 

“And you?”

 

“Obviously not.” Hiei frowned at this.

 

“Dreams?” he asked perceptively. Kurama sighed and shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably - a rare gesture from the normally composed fox.

 

“Yes,” he admitted.

 

“But not the same.”

 

“No.” The fire demon nodded his understanding. It was truly amazing what went unspoken yet understood between the two demons. Another silence fell between the two. Kurama watched as a wisp of cloud passed over the sliver of waning moon and seemed to dissipate among the stars. The fox liked the stars; they truly seemed to calm his soul when he felt lost. Only certain parts of Makai had stars, and as a thief, he had favored those locations for heists. Human World always had stars on clear nights, and Kurama liked to watch them, not taking their presence for granted like many humans did. They were an elegant presence in the sky and represented some philosophical unknown. That and they were pretty.

 

“What do you think they're after?” Hiei asked quietly, also gazing distantly at the stars. As much as the fire demon claimed to hate the Human Realm, Kurama knew he liked the stars as well. Kurama pondered the question a moment.

 

“I don't know. The eradication of demons? To cause fear? To gain power? Money? Any number of things are possible,” he mused.

 

“Do you consider it a threat?” Hiei asked suddenly and Kurama blinked at the question, startled.

 

“What? Of course I do.” Hiei smirked to himself at startling such a reply from the fox and Kurama grimaced. Kurama 8, Hiei 7. The score, after all, had changed during the previous months.

 

“Oh?” Kurama glared at Hiei through the dark, though the fire demon wouldn't actually make it out, he got the message, only serving to broaden his smirk.

 

“Had the barrier gone up I might not be as worried,” the red-head replied finally.

 

“In other words, so-long low-level trash?”

 

“If you want to put it crudely.”

 

“Hn.”

 

“None of the demons that have been taken have broken lower B-class.” Hiei quirked an eyebrow.

 

“Two years,” he said and Kurama blinked. Indeed, two years prior, during the Dark Tournament, they had all be B-class demons. As upper A-class demons in the present day, it was sometimes hard to look back to weaker times.

 

“Indeed.” A pause. “How much longer before they go after more powerful demons? There are so few of us in Human World right now.”

 

“How long before they have the capacity to?” Hiei countered.

 

A light flashed below on the street and both demons looked down to the street to see a truck with a searchlight drive by. They exchanged glances. How long had the organization been patrolling the streets late at night?

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Kurama silently slid back into his apartment after Hiei had decided to return to the temple. Kuwabara and Yusuke were asleep on the couch, as they had worked late into the night, and neither stirred as the former thief made his way silently into his bedroom. Botan lay asleep on his bed. He smiled softly at the sight of his love before exchanging his day clothes for a pair of baggy sweats to sleep in.

 

As he slid into bed, Botan rolled over to face him, her eyes open. Kurama blinked in surprise, having thought she was asleep. The slight shaft of moonlight coming through the window reflected in her amethyst eyes.

 

“I missed you,” she murmured as the fox settled himself under the covers.

 

“I'm sorry,” he replied earnestly.

 

“Where were you?”

 

“Talking with Hiei.” Botan blinked.

 

“At this hour?” Kurama shrugged.

 

“Less chance of being overheard at night on the roof.”

 

“What did you talk about?”

 

“This and that.”

 

“Well if you don't want to answer the question-” Kurama chuckled at the indignant response.

 

“Nothing of any importance,” he replied.

 

“Then why at this hour on the roof?” Botan asked, though she knew the two demos spoke of more than they would admit, much of their conversations never being spoken. She often wondered how they did it.

 

“Old habits die hard,” Kurama replied innocently.

 

“Really?” Botan asked with a raised eyebrow. Kurama smiled.

 

“Yes.” Botan snuggled up to the lithe form of the fox and he put an arm around her shoulders. She rested a hand on his bare chest and sighed contentedly.

 

“I really did miss you,” she said softly. Kurama knew that this time she meant over the last months they had been apart so much.

 

“And I you,” he replied, kissing her head softly.

 

“Sometimes I wish time could stand still,” the ferry girl whispered. “We have so little time together; I wish we could stop time like this.”

 

“Me too,” Kurama said softly.

 

Because when I'm with you, I'm complete, they both thought. I'm whole. And nothing else matters.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

It felt like he was being watched as he walked along the campus sidewalks. The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. The fox had really come to hate this feeling after what had happened before. Kurama reached out with his senses, but could detect no unusual energy readings. He frowned. Was he becoming paranoid due to all the recorded demon activity by humans or was he actually being watched? Keeping his guard up, Kurama continued to walk through campus, outwardly appearing at ease.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Yusuke and Kuwabara both stopped at the same instant. Keiko looked back at them.

 

“What is it?” she asked. The three were walking from school together, having decided to meet that day to go to the temple to visit Genkai and the demons. Yusuke immediately bent over and made as if to tie his shoe.

 

“Just tripped on my shoelace, that's it,” the former Spirit Detective replied.

 

“And kicked me in the process,” Kuwabara added smoothly. Keiko rolled her eyes and the orange-haired boy bent over next to his friend.

 

“Do you feel that too?” Yusuke asked quietly, still pretending to tie his shoe.

 

“Like we're being watched?” Kuwabara asked quietly and Yusuke nodded. “Yeah, I feel it, but I don't sense anything.”

 

“You don't think we're getting jumpy are we?” Yusuke asked.

 

“I don't think so, Urameshi.”

 

“Maybe we shouldn't head to Genkai's…”

 

“But Keiko…?” Kuwabara said, looking over at the brunette. Yusuke bit his lip.

 

“We don't want to act like we know we're being watched,” he said finally, idly thinking of what Kurama or Hiei would say in a situation like this. “I guess we'll have to go.”

 

“Your call,” Kuwabara said with a shrug and the two rose and walked over to where Keiko was waiting.

 

“Shall we?” Yusuke asked with forced cheeriness.

 

“Sure,” Keiko replied with a grin, missing the glances Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged before walking off.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Running through the forest, Hiei felt it. He had been on his way into town to visit Kurama because Jin and Chuu were being unbearably annoying when that feeling of being watched hit him. He stopped on a sturdy branch and reached out with the Jagan, but could find nothing. He frowned. If he was being watched, the Jagan should be able to see whoever it was who was doing the watching.

 

Deciding that was another reason to speak with the fox, Hiei sped from the branch towards the city, the whole time keeping his guard up.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

The feeling had gone away once Kurama had stepped into his apartment, though he wasn't sure whether that was good news or bad. By now he was sure he hadn't been imagining it. A familiar presence hit his consciousness and when he walked into the living room, Hiei sat on the couch, obviously having just come through the window.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Hiei?” Kurama asked as he dropped his bag on the floor and his keys on the counter.

 

“Jin and Chuu,” Hiei replied. Kurama's lip twitched.

 

“I see.” Obviously the two were getting on the fire demon's nerves with their silly behavior. But it didn't take much to do that these days. Hiei really did miss Mukuro. The fox had a feeling the former ruler felt the same where she was in Demon World. Sitting down across from his friend, Kurama noticed a slight tenseness in his friend's posture; a distinction few others would have noticed, but Kurama did.

 

“But that's not the only reason you came,” the red-head said. Hiei gave Kurama a level stare at this.

 

“I was being followed,” he said at long last and Kurama blinked. Could this be related to his own shadow?

 

“By who?”

 

“I don't know. The Jagan detected no one else in the vicinity. But I felt it.” Kurama closed his eyes and leaned his head back slightly, red locks falling into his face. Hiei watched his friend, reading the body language.

 

“I was watched as well,” he said softly and Hiei blinked, suddenly glad the fox couldn't see the surprise that quickly registered on his face before disappearing. Kurama opened his eyes and looked back at Hiei.

 

“Yes. On my way to class, during class, and it wasn't until I stepped into the apartment that the feeling disappeared. I didn't detect anyone either.” Hiei frowned and the two remained silent until Kurama's phone rang. Blinking his emerald eyes back into focus, Kurama rose and picked up the receiver.

 

“Kurama, we have a slight situation,” Yusuke's voice said, slightly urgently, yet hushed at the same time.

 

“What's wrong?” Kurama asked with a frown. It couldn't be… could it?

 

“Kuwabara and I were being watched.” Kurama wasn't able to catch a quick intake of breath. “What?” Yusuke asked, suddenly more worried.

 

“Hiei and I were followed today as well,” the fox replied and Yusuke swore under his breath. Hiei looked over at the red-head as he spoke, suddenly interested. “Are you still being watched? Either of you?”

 

“No, the feeling vanished when we got here.”

 

“Where are you?”

 

“Genkai's.” That can't be good somehow. “Kurama?” Yusuke asked at his friend's silence.

 

“Oh, sorry Yusuke.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“This can't be coincidence,” Kurama said with a frown. “And I don't like it.”

 

“That's what Genkai said,” Yusuke replied.

 

“Watch your back, Yusuke,” Kurama told him. “All of you.”

 

“Yeah, you too.” He paused. “Wait, is Hiei there with you?”

 

“Yes,” Kurama replied, looking over at Hiei.

 

“Oh, good.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Cause no one knew where he was,” Yusuke replied and Kurama snorted slightly.

 

“He's not a pet, Yusuke.”

 

“I never said he was!” Hiei ground his teeth and Kurama hid a smirk behind the hand he held the receiver with.

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

“Kurama,” Yusuke growled irritably and Kurama's emerald orbs danced with amusement.

 

“Give my regards to everyone,” the fox said and hung up the phone on the sputtering teenager.

 

“Kurama,” Hiei growled and Kurama grinned at him.

 

“Yes?” “Hiei's mouth worked but he seemed unable to form the words to spit at his friend so he settled for a death glare that the fox merely brushed off. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the communicator to call Botan and fill her in on the situation.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

End Chapter 7