Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Indebted ❯ Chapter 1
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.09.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 2.0K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.09.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 2.0K | Status: Work In Progress
Category: Anime, Yu Yu Hakusho, Yaoi, TWT
Warnings: humor, fluff, will have slight shonen ai
Pairings: future Hiei+Kurama/Kurama+Hiei
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive/Website: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Indebted
Part 1
Border control had to be the most boring thing Hiei had ever done. When he first started working for Mukuro, the female had at least kept him occupied, wiping the memories of those ningens stupid enough to wander into the Makai. But there weren't that many of them. Now, he was stuck watching the south border of the youkai's land, something he did with his usual zeal. There was no need to actually have his eyes open to know if any dangerous demons crossed the unmarked line of territory, so he dozed, stretched out on one of his favorite perches. He wasn't expecting to sense reiki during his 'guard duty,' so he never felt his abrupt visitor.
"Hiei! Hiei! It's an emergency!"
With a startled jerk, the little youkai promptly pitched off the limb, his arms barely catching him in time as he hung, suspended over the thirty-foot drop. Wide red eyes stared in shock as Botan moved so their faces were even, the thick tree branch separating them. "There's no time to play," Botan scolded, frowning when Hiei blinked at her, his face completely blank. The demon's bandaged right hand was curled under the limb, and she tugged on his sleeve, nearly pulling him free. "Come on! Hurry, it's an emergency!"
"Kisama!" Glaring at the bright-eyed messenger, Hiei jerked his arm away from her and froze. Botan blinked at him a second before he fell, taking out a dozen small branches before he managed to land in a crouch yards below her. The girl followed him on her floating oar and his fingers twitched for his sword. "Omae o..."
"Not now," Botan snapped, grabbing his arm and jerking him off the limb. He flailed for a second before going taut, his dead weight making her drop feet before she could level out. "Koenma-sama needs you," she called down to the demon, taking in his dumbfounded expression...and the sword in his hand. "Kurama's missing."
He'd been about three seconds away from either killing the female or cutting off the tail of that ridiculous oar, but Hiei paused, eyes narrowing. "What's that have to do with me?" he growled. They were high enough that a drop might hurt more than listening would, and he grabbed the back of her oar, swinging himself up to crouch on it. There wasn't much room, but he balanced well enough. "And how did you find me?"
Botan smiled back at him, her sideways position making it easy. "Oh, Mukuro said you'd be in the tallest tree. Don't worry, she gave permission to take you to the Ningenkai."
"Oh *did* she..." The female was nodding adamantly, and Hiei clutched the oar when her movement made it shiver. "Watch what you're doing!"
"What? Oh...hai!" Smiling weakly, Botan leveled the oar again, aiming it toward the rift Koenma had opened for her between the two worlds. "Don't worry, we'll be there in no time."
Hiei's eyebrow twitched. "I never said I'd go."
"But you are," Botan reminded him, glancing at the oar he was standing on before frowning up at him. "And you *have* to go, Kurama's missing!"
"Who cares?!" Bright eyes widened at him, and Hiei glared at the girl's open mouth. His voice dropped into a more calm tone and he sheathed his sword with the least amount of movement. "What does that have to do with *me*?"
The youkai sounded careless, but she wasn't fooled for a second. Facing away from him, Botan sped farther from Mukuro's territory. He wasn't going to just jump off, at least, she didn't *think* he would. "Koenma-sama can't find him anywhere, but he found the remains of a youkai near Kurama's house." An impatient huff sounded behind her, and she shot a worried glance back at him. "It was one of Mukuro's men, she identified him before I came to get you."
"What? Who-"
"No one very strong, but she said he had access to her storage rooms." Botan tensed a bit as she remembered the uncomfortable discussion with Mukuro, but at least Hiei was paying attention now, not looking quite so impatient. "She thinks he attacked Kurama because of Yomi."
"But-" Hiei's mouth snapped shut when he was interrupted again, and he really had to clench his hands not to reach for his sword again.
"I know," Botan said quickly, not noting the way her passenger's eyes were blazing at her, "Kurama hasn't had any contact with Yomi in over a year. But he *did* work for him. That's the only motivation we could think of."
The blue-haired girl stopped talking, and Hiei's lips curled a bit, revealing small glints of his fangs. "And you got me because...?"
"To find Kurama. Mukuro said you could use your jagan to find him since Koenma-sama hasn't been able to." A vicious curse burnt her ears, and Botan jerked away when Hiei's arm cut through the air.
"Mukuro said! You asked her *permission* to use *me*?! That woman does not-" Hiei bit off his own words this time, his mouth snapping shut as the force of his movements sent him tilting to the left. He grabbed Botan's pale blue robes without thinking. She pitched off the side along with him, her startled shriek making him let go just as quickly. And then he was falling again.
Catching hold of her oar, Botan let out a relieved breath before darting after the black-clothed figure. It was a good thing he didn't weigh that much, or he would have fallen much quicker. She grabbed his arm, wincing for a second before frowning down at his furious expression. "You're as bad as Yusuke," she muttered. "If you can't sit still we'll never get there." A low growl rumbled through the slight figure, and she tightened her hold on his wrist, not bothering to pull him any higher. "Let's go!"
His black cloak snapped about his legs as the girl suddenly put on a burst of speed, and Hiei cursed, holding tight to her hand. As soon as his feet were on the ground, someone was going to pay for this. He guaranteed it.
* * *
Yusuke and Kuwabara were waiting when Botan returned to the Reikai, and Koenma stood on the chair behind his desk. A shadow flicked into the room and directly to the side of his chair. Turning, the infant looked up at Hiei with wide, bright eyes. "Hiei, you made good time. Now, then, what I want you to do is-" The youkai's blade stopped him, and his eyes crossed, staring at the tip a few centimeters away from his nose.
"Oi, shrimp! What do you think you're doing?" Kuwabara asked, moving away from Yusuke to scowl down at Hiei. Blazing red eyes flicked up at him and he blinked, leaning back a bit.
Wisely keeping silent, Yusuke glanced over the youkai's face, taking in the anger there. "Eh..."
"I told him there wasn't time to play," Botan said, shrugging.
With a nod, Yusuke moved to stand on the other side of Hiei, his own expression calm. "Hiei. Kurama's missing."
"Ch'." Sheathing his sword with a surge of irritated disappointment, Hiei glanced to the side, taking in the half-ningen's appearance. Yusuke hadn't changed much in the last year, though his slicked-back hair was a little longer. "I heard."
"What's the matter with you?" Kuwabara asked, leaning down to raise an eyebrow at the little demon. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn Hiei looked...disheveled somehow. "Don't you plan to help? After all the times Kurama saved you, you're still going to be like that?" Hiei wheeled to glare up at him, but he didn't react, poking a finger at the demon's face. "You *owe* him, shrimp. Face it."
Hiei's first instinct was to break the baka's finger, and *then* deny the accusation. But a part of him paused long enough to think back and he clenched his teeth, giving the ningen a dark scowl. Kurama *had* saved him, at least once. And he couldn't remember ever having repaid that favor. "Ch'." Rolling his eyes when Kuwabara looked confused, Hiei crossed his hands over his chest and moved back to lean against the wall. His upper lip curled a bit when he saw Yusuke's knowing smile, and he shot a sideways look at Koenma. "You want me to find him. That's all?"
"Well, assuming he isn't captured somewhere," Koenma said quickly, sucking nervously on the ring in his mouth, the large pacifier bobbing in front of his face. "You can find people with your jagan, so I called you."
With a long-suffering sigh, Hiei reached up and pulled the band off his jagan, blinking as he focused on the third sight. He hadn't used it in quite some time. There wasn't any need when all Mukuro had him doing was playing watch-guard. It didn't take more than a few seconds to remember Kurama's distinct youki, and he focused on it. He didn't see the room they were in, but rather glimpses of a vaguely familiar bedroom, roses on a kitchen table, glass doors facing the garden behind the house, and then his sight stopped shifting. His teeth gnashed and he glared red eyes at the four expectant gazes. "Idiots. He's at his house."
"No he's not!" Kuwabara rejected, frowning. "We checked! That thing must not be working right."
Incredulous anger erupted over the black-haired youkai's face, and Yusuke moved to place himself between the two. "Hiei, we did check there first. There wasn't any sight of him."
"Are you sure you aren't picking up past trails?" Koenma asked, hopping out of his chair so he could cross the room. The demon growled at him, but he wasn't bothered. "Mukuro said you hadn't used the jagan in a while. Why don't you try again."
"Kisama..." Glaring at all of them, Hiei's fists clenched in frustrated anger. They dragged him into the Reikai, enlisted his help, and then doubted his ability to use his own jagan. He knew what he'd seen. True, the youki he'd sensed was very faint, and it was different from how he remembered it, but it had Kurama's distinct residue written all over it. There was no way to prove it except by showing them. With a pointed glare at Yusuke, he shoved away from the wall. "Follow me."
* * *
The first thing Hiei noticed when they arrived at Kurama's ningen residence was how jagged the front lawn was. That was absolute proof that the redhead hadn't touched the grass in at least a day. But Hiei was sure of what he'd sensed, and he led Yusuke around the side of the house and into the garden, Botan and Kuwabara followed behind. Despite his vision, Hiei came to a sudden stop as he saw the remains of an immaculate garden.
"What they hell happened?!" Kuwabara cried, his eyes moving over the tangled vines and thorns that covered the back half of the garden. The flowers were untouched close to the house, but starting about five feet from the back door, the garden looked like a giant mass of plants, all intertwining in a relative curving wall. "It looks like a big...green hairball or something!"
"Baka." The orange-haired ningen jerked, but Hiei wasn't paying him any attention. Moving close to the entangled mass, he stared into the shadows beneath those overlapping vines. It didn't look big enough to allow movement, but he was absolutely certain Kurama was inside that. His eyes caught Yusuke, and he nodded toward the protective nest. "You didn't investigate this?"
"That wasn't there when we searched yesterday," Yusuke said quickly, not going too close to the mass. "It looks like...a cocoon...or something." His eyes widened suddenly and he jumped back, staring at Hiei. "That's Kurama?!"
"I don't know." Walking around the mess, Hiei glared into the black shadow his jagan saw within the green. He couldn't make out any shapes, but he could feel that odd youki, just a hint of something, a hint of Kurama. But it definitely wasn't the same. He was just making up his mind to try touching the outmost vines when his body froze, muscles clenching suddenly.
"Does he think Kurama made that?" Kuwabara asked, sticking close to Yusuke. The dark-haired teen shrugged, and he blinked when Botan leaned close to them. "What?"
"I think something's wrong," Botan whispered, her eyes big as she stared at Hiei's wide red eyes. The youkai was very still, but she could see his fingers twitching, his arms out to his sides. Moving closer to Yusuke, she called out warily. "Ano...Hiei? Is-" Hiei let out a sharp, odd sound that made her flatten against the boy behind her, and she gasped as the short male suddenly tore his cloak off, flinging it away with a shaking arm.
Yusuke pushed past Botan, taking a few quick steps toward his friend before hesitating. "Hiei. What is it?"
Hiei was beyond answering, his eyes frozen on the bit of gray fur poking out the edge of his pants leg. His muscles twitched and something sharp pricked his leg, more of that fur disappearing into the black cloth. He could see a small bulge near his ankle, and he held his breath, forcing his heart to stop pounding in his ears so he could think. Then he bent as fast as he could and grabbed that bit of fur, jerking the thing free with a slice of hot pain along his calf. There was a hiss as the creature scrambled at his bandaged hand, and he jerked back when it freed itself, leaping for his face. The next thing he knew he was sitting on the grass with something warm inside his shirt and Yusuke crouched next to him.
"Hiei! What...is..." Yusuke's voice trailed away when he saw the wide-eyed, panicked look on his normally cold friend's face, and he glanced down. Something was curled up inside Hiei's sleeveless black shirt, and he let out a sharp breath, not sure what to do. "What's that?"
His muscles were twitching by the time Hiei was able to move again, and he curled his fingers around the neck of his shirt, glaring with just a hint of his previous shock. He was a little worried about scaring the thing into clawing him again, but there was no way it could stay in his shirt. With dark foreboding, he pulled the cloth away from his neck and peered into his shirt. Two sparks peered back out at him and he blinked. "What the hell..."
"What is it?" Yusuke asked, leaning closer. Hiei flinched and he frowned for a second before leaning back again. Whatever it was, it must not have liked the sound of his voice, because that small bump moved suddenly, disappearing around the side of Hiei's chest.
Hiei's right arm flew up, and he nearly pitched onto his left side when tiny claws scrambled around him till that warmth was pressed to his back. "That's it," he growled, his neck arched so he could look over his shoulder at the lump. "I'm killing it."
"But what *is* it?" Yusuke asked, his voice a low whisper. Kuwabara and Botan had inched closer to them, but he didn't look, his eyes trained on that little bulge pressed to Hiei's lower back.
"It's a fox." Red eyes met dark brown and Hiei's head snapped back again, disbelief blazing from his outraged voice as he stared down at the lump. "Kurama?!" Pulling his shirt away from his back, he stared down at those small glinting eyes. "If that's you, get the *hell* out of there!" The little fox's face was mostly hidden by shadowy gray fur, but he got the distinct impression its ears flattened against its head. A sharp laugh caught his attention, and Hiei tensed, narrow eyes turning to Yusuke. "And just *what* are you laughing at?"
"Kurama's in your shirt!" Yusuke jerked back when the youkai's fist swung at him, but he couldn't help laughing. "I'm sorry!" he managed. "But what did he do, shrink or something? I didn't think Kurama's fox form was *that* small."
"Oi, Urameshi! What are you talking about?" There didn't seem to be any danger, and Kuwabara glanced from Yusuke to Hiei, wondering why they were both on the ground. Something shuffled along the short demon's back and he blinked, leaning closer. "What's that?"
"That," Yusuke grinned, "is Kurama."
"Did he get shrunk?" Kuwabara asked, his eyes widening as he remembered the spell Rando had cast on him so long ago. His hand moved toward Hiei's shirt so he could look, and he flinched, wincing when a strong grip closed over his wrist.
"Touch me and die," Hiei growled, his grip tightening until the ningen pulled away.
"Well, pull him out of there," Yusuke said, still fighting a smile. "We'll take him to Koenma. He'll know what to do."
"Why is he in your shirt?" Kuwabara frowned, rubbing his wrist.
"How would *I* know?" Turned at the waist, Hiei pulled the bottom of his shirt loose. But when he lifted it, the little fox scrambled higher on his back as if avoiding the daylight. The claws couldn't have been very big, but they were sharp enough to make his shoulders jerk back. "Damn it. Stay still." A hand fell on his shoulder and he frowned, looking up to find Yusuke crouching near him.
"Put your arms down so he can't get on your front," Yusuke advised, his lips still twitching. He couldn't help it. Hiei looked completely out of his element. "I'll grab him."
"Ch', fine." Arms tight against his sides, Hiei looked over his shoulder at the shivering lump with a dark frown. "But be quick about it." His shirt was pulled up and Hiei's head tilted back, shoulders hunched as the little fox moved up as well. He couldn't see it anymore, but he could definitely feel tiny claws burying themselves in his skin.
Yusuke blinked when he caught sight of the little fox curled up against the back of Hiei's head. Its face was mostly shielded by a bushy tail, and it didn't look much bigger than a grapefruit. Botan sighed behind him and he smiled.
"It's kawai," Botan said, her eyes wide.
"Get it off. You can look at it later," Hiei muttered, clenching his teeth in preparation for the removal of those claws.
"Right." Leaning close, Yusuke grabbed a handful of fur near the little thing's neck. A muffled hiss reached him, then Hiei jerked forward and he hesitated.
"Ah!" The little bastard was *biting* him. "Yusuke, get it off me!"
Most of his humor at the situation waned for the moment, and Yusuke tugged harder on the fox's neck, eyes widening when it didn't come loose. In fact, the harder he pulled the more Hiei's shoulders flexed inward. Moving his grip, he closed his fingers around that bushy tail and pulled on that instead. The fox uncurled, tiny feet leaving small claw marks as they kicked at the air and Yusuke's mouth fell open. Its mouth was tapered, just like any fox, but those small jaws were closed tight around a thick pinch of flesh. "Shit, Hiei. It's got a death-grip on your neck..."
"I *know* that," Hiei growled, his chest heaving as he glared at Kuwabara. The orange-haired ningen was the only one in his line of vision, and he wanted to smack the baka for staring at him like that. "I don't care, just pull it off."
Shaking his head, Yusuke pulled harder and winced when Hiei let out a tight grunt of pain. Then he was falling back as the little fox suddenly let go and turned on him. He had a flashing sight of wild golden eyes, then he was on his butt in the grass, vague stripes of pain burning his cheeks. "What the..."
"Yusuke! Are you all right?" Kneeling next to him, Botan touched hesitant fingertips to the bright cuts along Yusuke's face. The boy blinked at her in confusion and she relaxed. "It's okay, he didn't take your eyes out. But I think we should wait and let Koenma handle this. If that's Kurama, he must not realize what he's doing."
Yusuke rubbed a hand over his cheek, staring at the bits of blood on his palm. "Damn." His eyes snapped up and he pushed to his feet, looking around the ground. "Where'd he go?"
"Where do you think?" Kuwabara snorted, his eyes shining when Hiei shoved past him to retrieve his cloak.
"Back into the nest?" Yusuke asked, leaning over the large bundle of vines. At least now he knew what they were there for. "How are we supposed to get him out of there? If Koenma's going to take care of this, he'll have to come to us."
"No, Urameshi, he's not in there." The black-haired teen frowned at him, and Kuwabara smirked suddenly, waving a hand at the demon dressing behind him. The youkai's back was to them as he swung his cloak over his shoulders.
"Then where-" Yusuke's mouth snapped shut when Hiei suddenly turned to face him, and his lips twitched furiously. The little youkai had death in his eyes, and a curled up fox on his head. One look at the black hair caught in the silver kitsune's mouth about summed it up for him. The little fox's eyes looked just as dangerous as Hiei's did. Yusuke couldn't help the laugh that broke past his lips.
"Yusuke," Botan cried, her hand shooting out to cover his mouth. Hiei glared and walked past them, and she slowly released Yusuke. "I don't think he can handle being laughed at right now. He doesn't look very happy. Let's just get back to the Reikai."
"Yo, runt! What's your hurry?" Kuwabara snickered when Hiei stopped at the edge of the yard, not having waited for them. The short demon turned, his expression screaming for the baka to run, quickly, right now. But Kuwabara just smirked, striding over to look down at the little fox half buried in Hiei's hair. "Who knew Kurama was so *attached* to you," he drawled, before bursting into laughter again. Hiei's eye twitched and Kuwabara blinked suddenly as the fox moved. One moment its little head was hidden in the demon's thick hair, and the next it was focused up on him, tiny golden eyes glinting as its teeth parted and it let out a sharp hiss. Kuwabara jerked back in surprise. "I didn't know foxes hissed..." he said softly, his voice a bit quieter.
"Baka," Hiei spat, turning away again. "I'm leaving." He was about to rush back to the Reikai when Botan floated to him, her eyes wide.
"Where are you taking him?" Botan asked, not quite understanding Hiei's sudden frown. "You can't take Kurama back to the Makai with you! We have to let Koenma turn him back into himself."
"What?!" The girl blinked at him and Hiei rocked back on his heels, pointing to the weight on his head. "You think I'd go back there with *this* thing?" Mukuro would never let him hear the end of it if he did such a thing, and he glared at the female. Yusuke moved to smirk at him and Hiei's eyes widened when something soft and damp lapped at his fingertip. He jerked away immediately.
"Ha! He really likes you," Kuwabara crowed, grinning at the demon's furious expression. The little fox turned to stare at him and his mouth snapped shut. That gold-eyed gaze was unnerving, despite the fact that it was obviously a baby. Then Hiei turned away and he shrugged the feeling aside. Whatever was going on, Koenma would explain it once they got to the Reikai.
* * *
Koenma's eyes grew huge the moment they entered his office, and he waved Hiei to him, leaning close to the little fox still curled on the demon's head. He stared at it for a few minutes, tilting his head. Then he poked its side and jerked back before its snapping mouth could catch him. "Yes, yes, I see..."
"You see what?" Hiei asked, glaring up since he couldn't move his bowed head. "It's Kurama. Take him so I can go back."
"I can't," Koenma said quickly, stepping back and sinking down in his chair. "What would I do with a baby youko? Besides, once they've bonded there's nothing anyone can do about it."
"What are you *talking* about?" Hiei growled. That foreboding he'd felt earlier was returning with a vengeance.
"Then it *is* a baby," Kuwabara said, eyes wide as he moved closer to them. Yusuke shot him a glance and he shrugged. "I was thinking it had to be a baby, as small as it is. Then Kurama really was a fox as a baby..."
With a somber nod, Koenma sighed. "Yes, it's a baby. A youko is a demon fox that shifts between fox and humanoid form. The youkai who attacked must have used something on Kurama to regress him back to his childhood. And judging by the size, I'd say it's close to a newborn."
Yusuke blinked suddenly, understanding clicking in his mind. "You mean like that stuff they used in the tournament. That smoke screen that made the announcer a little girl."
"Hai. But whatever caused this must have a longer affect, if he's been like this for the last two days. It's a good thing he's in fox form. His humanoid form at that age wouldn't have been able to live even *that* long by itself." Koenma let out another sigh and glanced over at Hiei. The demon's eyes were focused upward as if he could see the fox on his head. "There aren't any spells that make youkai *stay* young, so this should wear off eventually. It's just a matter of waiting it out."
"Can't you do something to counteract it?" Botan asked, her eyes flicking back to Hiei. "Kurama doesn't even know what he's doing. He scratched Yusuke earlier."
This caught Koenma's attention, and he smirked, glancing at the dark-haired ningen. "Really. What were you doing to make him scratch you?"
"Huh? I was just trying to get him off Hiei." There was an odd expression on Koenma's face and it made Yusuke's eyebrow twitch. "Why?"
"Well, as I said, a baby youko is like any other infant youkai. Their bonds are very strong. And judging by its perch," he smiled at Hiei, "I'd say Kurama's found a parent. He'd naturally attack anyone who tried to separate them, or threaten either of them."
"So...Hiei's stuck with him until the spell wears off?" Yusuke's mouth was twitching again, and he resisted the need to look at Hiei. "What's he supposed to do with him? I mean, how long before it wears off?"
Koenma shrugged carelessly, fingers tapping the side of his chair. "I doubt it would last more than a few weeks. I'll send word to Mukuro. Hiei, you can stay in Kurama's house until then."
Eyes fiery, Hiei grabbed Koenma's shirt, jerking him into a standing position atop the chair. "You think I'm going to-to play *parent* to *this*?!" Pointing at the still bundle in his hair, he bared small fangs. "No. I don't care if you have to knock it out, you take the thing."
"Hiei, calm down," Yusuke said, his eyes wide as he put a light hand on the demon's tense shoulder. "We'll help you out."
"I don't *need* help because I'm not doing it," Hiei said, not taking his eyes off Koenma.
The junior king of hell pulled his shirt out of Hiei's grasp and put more space between them. "I'm afraid you don't have an option," he said, his voice a touch harder. "Even if we did remove the kitsune from you, it would surely follow you wherever you went. And the consequences could easily be Kurama's death. It's only a few weeks."
"Besides," Yusuke added, doing his best to calm the little demon down, "it *is* Kurama." He had an idea Hiei was seconds away from ripping the fox out of his hair and flinging it at Koenma. His own face still hurt and he didn't think the young king would enjoy that performance much. Not to mention the fact that the baby fox would probably just jump back to Hiei as soon as it was done scratching the daylights out of Koenma. "You wouldn't just turn your back on a comrade, would you, Hiei?" Red eyes flicked up at him and he frowned when the demon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come off it. I know you better than that. After all the times Kurama helped us-helped *you* out, the least you can do is help him. He's vulnerable." He glanced up at the little fox, smiling when its eyes met his. "And cute, too."
"Ch'." Again with the debt. If it hadn't been for that... "You really expect me to wait for weeks with this thing on my head?"
Koenma smiled. "I'm sure once he's in a place he deems safe, Kurama will calm down. Just take him back to his house. If he remembers anything at all, he'll feel better in a familiar environment." Hiei was still glaring at him, but he settled down in his seat again, smile firm on his face. "Let me know if there's any change."
"Kisama..."
"Come on, shrimp," Kuwabara spoke up, grinning as he moved to stand next to Yusuke. "We'll see you and your kid home. I can't wait to tell Kurama about this when he's back to normal."
"I plan to have a talk with him myself," Hiei muttered darkly, turning toward the doorway.
Yusuke winced a bit at the youkai's evil voice, but he still smiled as he followed Hiei, Kuwabara right behind him. This was going to be interesting.
* * *
TBC
Warnings: humor, fluff, will have slight shonen ai
Pairings: future Hiei+Kurama/Kurama+Hiei
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive/Website: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Indebted
Part 1
Border control had to be the most boring thing Hiei had ever done. When he first started working for Mukuro, the female had at least kept him occupied, wiping the memories of those ningens stupid enough to wander into the Makai. But there weren't that many of them. Now, he was stuck watching the south border of the youkai's land, something he did with his usual zeal. There was no need to actually have his eyes open to know if any dangerous demons crossed the unmarked line of territory, so he dozed, stretched out on one of his favorite perches. He wasn't expecting to sense reiki during his 'guard duty,' so he never felt his abrupt visitor.
"Hiei! Hiei! It's an emergency!"
With a startled jerk, the little youkai promptly pitched off the limb, his arms barely catching him in time as he hung, suspended over the thirty-foot drop. Wide red eyes stared in shock as Botan moved so their faces were even, the thick tree branch separating them. "There's no time to play," Botan scolded, frowning when Hiei blinked at her, his face completely blank. The demon's bandaged right hand was curled under the limb, and she tugged on his sleeve, nearly pulling him free. "Come on! Hurry, it's an emergency!"
"Kisama!" Glaring at the bright-eyed messenger, Hiei jerked his arm away from her and froze. Botan blinked at him a second before he fell, taking out a dozen small branches before he managed to land in a crouch yards below her. The girl followed him on her floating oar and his fingers twitched for his sword. "Omae o..."
"Not now," Botan snapped, grabbing his arm and jerking him off the limb. He flailed for a second before going taut, his dead weight making her drop feet before she could level out. "Koenma-sama needs you," she called down to the demon, taking in his dumbfounded expression...and the sword in his hand. "Kurama's missing."
He'd been about three seconds away from either killing the female or cutting off the tail of that ridiculous oar, but Hiei paused, eyes narrowing. "What's that have to do with me?" he growled. They were high enough that a drop might hurt more than listening would, and he grabbed the back of her oar, swinging himself up to crouch on it. There wasn't much room, but he balanced well enough. "And how did you find me?"
Botan smiled back at him, her sideways position making it easy. "Oh, Mukuro said you'd be in the tallest tree. Don't worry, she gave permission to take you to the Ningenkai."
"Oh *did* she..." The female was nodding adamantly, and Hiei clutched the oar when her movement made it shiver. "Watch what you're doing!"
"What? Oh...hai!" Smiling weakly, Botan leveled the oar again, aiming it toward the rift Koenma had opened for her between the two worlds. "Don't worry, we'll be there in no time."
Hiei's eyebrow twitched. "I never said I'd go."
"But you are," Botan reminded him, glancing at the oar he was standing on before frowning up at him. "And you *have* to go, Kurama's missing!"
"Who cares?!" Bright eyes widened at him, and Hiei glared at the girl's open mouth. His voice dropped into a more calm tone and he sheathed his sword with the least amount of movement. "What does that have to do with *me*?"
The youkai sounded careless, but she wasn't fooled for a second. Facing away from him, Botan sped farther from Mukuro's territory. He wasn't going to just jump off, at least, she didn't *think* he would. "Koenma-sama can't find him anywhere, but he found the remains of a youkai near Kurama's house." An impatient huff sounded behind her, and she shot a worried glance back at him. "It was one of Mukuro's men, she identified him before I came to get you."
"What? Who-"
"No one very strong, but she said he had access to her storage rooms." Botan tensed a bit as she remembered the uncomfortable discussion with Mukuro, but at least Hiei was paying attention now, not looking quite so impatient. "She thinks he attacked Kurama because of Yomi."
"But-" Hiei's mouth snapped shut when he was interrupted again, and he really had to clench his hands not to reach for his sword again.
"I know," Botan said quickly, not noting the way her passenger's eyes were blazing at her, "Kurama hasn't had any contact with Yomi in over a year. But he *did* work for him. That's the only motivation we could think of."
The blue-haired girl stopped talking, and Hiei's lips curled a bit, revealing small glints of his fangs. "And you got me because...?"
"To find Kurama. Mukuro said you could use your jagan to find him since Koenma-sama hasn't been able to." A vicious curse burnt her ears, and Botan jerked away when Hiei's arm cut through the air.
"Mukuro said! You asked her *permission* to use *me*?! That woman does not-" Hiei bit off his own words this time, his mouth snapping shut as the force of his movements sent him tilting to the left. He grabbed Botan's pale blue robes without thinking. She pitched off the side along with him, her startled shriek making him let go just as quickly. And then he was falling again.
Catching hold of her oar, Botan let out a relieved breath before darting after the black-clothed figure. It was a good thing he didn't weigh that much, or he would have fallen much quicker. She grabbed his arm, wincing for a second before frowning down at his furious expression. "You're as bad as Yusuke," she muttered. "If you can't sit still we'll never get there." A low growl rumbled through the slight figure, and she tightened her hold on his wrist, not bothering to pull him any higher. "Let's go!"
His black cloak snapped about his legs as the girl suddenly put on a burst of speed, and Hiei cursed, holding tight to her hand. As soon as his feet were on the ground, someone was going to pay for this. He guaranteed it.
* * *
Yusuke and Kuwabara were waiting when Botan returned to the Reikai, and Koenma stood on the chair behind his desk. A shadow flicked into the room and directly to the side of his chair. Turning, the infant looked up at Hiei with wide, bright eyes. "Hiei, you made good time. Now, then, what I want you to do is-" The youkai's blade stopped him, and his eyes crossed, staring at the tip a few centimeters away from his nose.
"Oi, shrimp! What do you think you're doing?" Kuwabara asked, moving away from Yusuke to scowl down at Hiei. Blazing red eyes flicked up at him and he blinked, leaning back a bit.
Wisely keeping silent, Yusuke glanced over the youkai's face, taking in the anger there. "Eh..."
"I told him there wasn't time to play," Botan said, shrugging.
With a nod, Yusuke moved to stand on the other side of Hiei, his own expression calm. "Hiei. Kurama's missing."
"Ch'." Sheathing his sword with a surge of irritated disappointment, Hiei glanced to the side, taking in the half-ningen's appearance. Yusuke hadn't changed much in the last year, though his slicked-back hair was a little longer. "I heard."
"What's the matter with you?" Kuwabara asked, leaning down to raise an eyebrow at the little demon. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn Hiei looked...disheveled somehow. "Don't you plan to help? After all the times Kurama saved you, you're still going to be like that?" Hiei wheeled to glare up at him, but he didn't react, poking a finger at the demon's face. "You *owe* him, shrimp. Face it."
Hiei's first instinct was to break the baka's finger, and *then* deny the accusation. But a part of him paused long enough to think back and he clenched his teeth, giving the ningen a dark scowl. Kurama *had* saved him, at least once. And he couldn't remember ever having repaid that favor. "Ch'." Rolling his eyes when Kuwabara looked confused, Hiei crossed his hands over his chest and moved back to lean against the wall. His upper lip curled a bit when he saw Yusuke's knowing smile, and he shot a sideways look at Koenma. "You want me to find him. That's all?"
"Well, assuming he isn't captured somewhere," Koenma said quickly, sucking nervously on the ring in his mouth, the large pacifier bobbing in front of his face. "You can find people with your jagan, so I called you."
With a long-suffering sigh, Hiei reached up and pulled the band off his jagan, blinking as he focused on the third sight. He hadn't used it in quite some time. There wasn't any need when all Mukuro had him doing was playing watch-guard. It didn't take more than a few seconds to remember Kurama's distinct youki, and he focused on it. He didn't see the room they were in, but rather glimpses of a vaguely familiar bedroom, roses on a kitchen table, glass doors facing the garden behind the house, and then his sight stopped shifting. His teeth gnashed and he glared red eyes at the four expectant gazes. "Idiots. He's at his house."
"No he's not!" Kuwabara rejected, frowning. "We checked! That thing must not be working right."
Incredulous anger erupted over the black-haired youkai's face, and Yusuke moved to place himself between the two. "Hiei, we did check there first. There wasn't any sight of him."
"Are you sure you aren't picking up past trails?" Koenma asked, hopping out of his chair so he could cross the room. The demon growled at him, but he wasn't bothered. "Mukuro said you hadn't used the jagan in a while. Why don't you try again."
"Kisama..." Glaring at all of them, Hiei's fists clenched in frustrated anger. They dragged him into the Reikai, enlisted his help, and then doubted his ability to use his own jagan. He knew what he'd seen. True, the youki he'd sensed was very faint, and it was different from how he remembered it, but it had Kurama's distinct residue written all over it. There was no way to prove it except by showing them. With a pointed glare at Yusuke, he shoved away from the wall. "Follow me."
* * *
The first thing Hiei noticed when they arrived at Kurama's ningen residence was how jagged the front lawn was. That was absolute proof that the redhead hadn't touched the grass in at least a day. But Hiei was sure of what he'd sensed, and he led Yusuke around the side of the house and into the garden, Botan and Kuwabara followed behind. Despite his vision, Hiei came to a sudden stop as he saw the remains of an immaculate garden.
"What they hell happened?!" Kuwabara cried, his eyes moving over the tangled vines and thorns that covered the back half of the garden. The flowers were untouched close to the house, but starting about five feet from the back door, the garden looked like a giant mass of plants, all intertwining in a relative curving wall. "It looks like a big...green hairball or something!"
"Baka." The orange-haired ningen jerked, but Hiei wasn't paying him any attention. Moving close to the entangled mass, he stared into the shadows beneath those overlapping vines. It didn't look big enough to allow movement, but he was absolutely certain Kurama was inside that. His eyes caught Yusuke, and he nodded toward the protective nest. "You didn't investigate this?"
"That wasn't there when we searched yesterday," Yusuke said quickly, not going too close to the mass. "It looks like...a cocoon...or something." His eyes widened suddenly and he jumped back, staring at Hiei. "That's Kurama?!"
"I don't know." Walking around the mess, Hiei glared into the black shadow his jagan saw within the green. He couldn't make out any shapes, but he could feel that odd youki, just a hint of something, a hint of Kurama. But it definitely wasn't the same. He was just making up his mind to try touching the outmost vines when his body froze, muscles clenching suddenly.
"Does he think Kurama made that?" Kuwabara asked, sticking close to Yusuke. The dark-haired teen shrugged, and he blinked when Botan leaned close to them. "What?"
"I think something's wrong," Botan whispered, her eyes big as she stared at Hiei's wide red eyes. The youkai was very still, but she could see his fingers twitching, his arms out to his sides. Moving closer to Yusuke, she called out warily. "Ano...Hiei? Is-" Hiei let out a sharp, odd sound that made her flatten against the boy behind her, and she gasped as the short male suddenly tore his cloak off, flinging it away with a shaking arm.
Yusuke pushed past Botan, taking a few quick steps toward his friend before hesitating. "Hiei. What is it?"
Hiei was beyond answering, his eyes frozen on the bit of gray fur poking out the edge of his pants leg. His muscles twitched and something sharp pricked his leg, more of that fur disappearing into the black cloth. He could see a small bulge near his ankle, and he held his breath, forcing his heart to stop pounding in his ears so he could think. Then he bent as fast as he could and grabbed that bit of fur, jerking the thing free with a slice of hot pain along his calf. There was a hiss as the creature scrambled at his bandaged hand, and he jerked back when it freed itself, leaping for his face. The next thing he knew he was sitting on the grass with something warm inside his shirt and Yusuke crouched next to him.
"Hiei! What...is..." Yusuke's voice trailed away when he saw the wide-eyed, panicked look on his normally cold friend's face, and he glanced down. Something was curled up inside Hiei's sleeveless black shirt, and he let out a sharp breath, not sure what to do. "What's that?"
His muscles were twitching by the time Hiei was able to move again, and he curled his fingers around the neck of his shirt, glaring with just a hint of his previous shock. He was a little worried about scaring the thing into clawing him again, but there was no way it could stay in his shirt. With dark foreboding, he pulled the cloth away from his neck and peered into his shirt. Two sparks peered back out at him and he blinked. "What the hell..."
"What is it?" Yusuke asked, leaning closer. Hiei flinched and he frowned for a second before leaning back again. Whatever it was, it must not have liked the sound of his voice, because that small bump moved suddenly, disappearing around the side of Hiei's chest.
Hiei's right arm flew up, and he nearly pitched onto his left side when tiny claws scrambled around him till that warmth was pressed to his back. "That's it," he growled, his neck arched so he could look over his shoulder at the lump. "I'm killing it."
"But what *is* it?" Yusuke asked, his voice a low whisper. Kuwabara and Botan had inched closer to them, but he didn't look, his eyes trained on that little bulge pressed to Hiei's lower back.
"It's a fox." Red eyes met dark brown and Hiei's head snapped back again, disbelief blazing from his outraged voice as he stared down at the lump. "Kurama?!" Pulling his shirt away from his back, he stared down at those small glinting eyes. "If that's you, get the *hell* out of there!" The little fox's face was mostly hidden by shadowy gray fur, but he got the distinct impression its ears flattened against its head. A sharp laugh caught his attention, and Hiei tensed, narrow eyes turning to Yusuke. "And just *what* are you laughing at?"
"Kurama's in your shirt!" Yusuke jerked back when the youkai's fist swung at him, but he couldn't help laughing. "I'm sorry!" he managed. "But what did he do, shrink or something? I didn't think Kurama's fox form was *that* small."
"Oi, Urameshi! What are you talking about?" There didn't seem to be any danger, and Kuwabara glanced from Yusuke to Hiei, wondering why they were both on the ground. Something shuffled along the short demon's back and he blinked, leaning closer. "What's that?"
"That," Yusuke grinned, "is Kurama."
"Did he get shrunk?" Kuwabara asked, his eyes widening as he remembered the spell Rando had cast on him so long ago. His hand moved toward Hiei's shirt so he could look, and he flinched, wincing when a strong grip closed over his wrist.
"Touch me and die," Hiei growled, his grip tightening until the ningen pulled away.
"Well, pull him out of there," Yusuke said, still fighting a smile. "We'll take him to Koenma. He'll know what to do."
"Why is he in your shirt?" Kuwabara frowned, rubbing his wrist.
"How would *I* know?" Turned at the waist, Hiei pulled the bottom of his shirt loose. But when he lifted it, the little fox scrambled higher on his back as if avoiding the daylight. The claws couldn't have been very big, but they were sharp enough to make his shoulders jerk back. "Damn it. Stay still." A hand fell on his shoulder and he frowned, looking up to find Yusuke crouching near him.
"Put your arms down so he can't get on your front," Yusuke advised, his lips still twitching. He couldn't help it. Hiei looked completely out of his element. "I'll grab him."
"Ch', fine." Arms tight against his sides, Hiei looked over his shoulder at the shivering lump with a dark frown. "But be quick about it." His shirt was pulled up and Hiei's head tilted back, shoulders hunched as the little fox moved up as well. He couldn't see it anymore, but he could definitely feel tiny claws burying themselves in his skin.
Yusuke blinked when he caught sight of the little fox curled up against the back of Hiei's head. Its face was mostly shielded by a bushy tail, and it didn't look much bigger than a grapefruit. Botan sighed behind him and he smiled.
"It's kawai," Botan said, her eyes wide.
"Get it off. You can look at it later," Hiei muttered, clenching his teeth in preparation for the removal of those claws.
"Right." Leaning close, Yusuke grabbed a handful of fur near the little thing's neck. A muffled hiss reached him, then Hiei jerked forward and he hesitated.
"Ah!" The little bastard was *biting* him. "Yusuke, get it off me!"
Most of his humor at the situation waned for the moment, and Yusuke tugged harder on the fox's neck, eyes widening when it didn't come loose. In fact, the harder he pulled the more Hiei's shoulders flexed inward. Moving his grip, he closed his fingers around that bushy tail and pulled on that instead. The fox uncurled, tiny feet leaving small claw marks as they kicked at the air and Yusuke's mouth fell open. Its mouth was tapered, just like any fox, but those small jaws were closed tight around a thick pinch of flesh. "Shit, Hiei. It's got a death-grip on your neck..."
"I *know* that," Hiei growled, his chest heaving as he glared at Kuwabara. The orange-haired ningen was the only one in his line of vision, and he wanted to smack the baka for staring at him like that. "I don't care, just pull it off."
Shaking his head, Yusuke pulled harder and winced when Hiei let out a tight grunt of pain. Then he was falling back as the little fox suddenly let go and turned on him. He had a flashing sight of wild golden eyes, then he was on his butt in the grass, vague stripes of pain burning his cheeks. "What the..."
"Yusuke! Are you all right?" Kneeling next to him, Botan touched hesitant fingertips to the bright cuts along Yusuke's face. The boy blinked at her in confusion and she relaxed. "It's okay, he didn't take your eyes out. But I think we should wait and let Koenma handle this. If that's Kurama, he must not realize what he's doing."
Yusuke rubbed a hand over his cheek, staring at the bits of blood on his palm. "Damn." His eyes snapped up and he pushed to his feet, looking around the ground. "Where'd he go?"
"Where do you think?" Kuwabara snorted, his eyes shining when Hiei shoved past him to retrieve his cloak.
"Back into the nest?" Yusuke asked, leaning over the large bundle of vines. At least now he knew what they were there for. "How are we supposed to get him out of there? If Koenma's going to take care of this, he'll have to come to us."
"No, Urameshi, he's not in there." The black-haired teen frowned at him, and Kuwabara smirked suddenly, waving a hand at the demon dressing behind him. The youkai's back was to them as he swung his cloak over his shoulders.
"Then where-" Yusuke's mouth snapped shut when Hiei suddenly turned to face him, and his lips twitched furiously. The little youkai had death in his eyes, and a curled up fox on his head. One look at the black hair caught in the silver kitsune's mouth about summed it up for him. The little fox's eyes looked just as dangerous as Hiei's did. Yusuke couldn't help the laugh that broke past his lips.
"Yusuke," Botan cried, her hand shooting out to cover his mouth. Hiei glared and walked past them, and she slowly released Yusuke. "I don't think he can handle being laughed at right now. He doesn't look very happy. Let's just get back to the Reikai."
"Yo, runt! What's your hurry?" Kuwabara snickered when Hiei stopped at the edge of the yard, not having waited for them. The short demon turned, his expression screaming for the baka to run, quickly, right now. But Kuwabara just smirked, striding over to look down at the little fox half buried in Hiei's hair. "Who knew Kurama was so *attached* to you," he drawled, before bursting into laughter again. Hiei's eye twitched and Kuwabara blinked suddenly as the fox moved. One moment its little head was hidden in the demon's thick hair, and the next it was focused up on him, tiny golden eyes glinting as its teeth parted and it let out a sharp hiss. Kuwabara jerked back in surprise. "I didn't know foxes hissed..." he said softly, his voice a bit quieter.
"Baka," Hiei spat, turning away again. "I'm leaving." He was about to rush back to the Reikai when Botan floated to him, her eyes wide.
"Where are you taking him?" Botan asked, not quite understanding Hiei's sudden frown. "You can't take Kurama back to the Makai with you! We have to let Koenma turn him back into himself."
"What?!" The girl blinked at him and Hiei rocked back on his heels, pointing to the weight on his head. "You think I'd go back there with *this* thing?" Mukuro would never let him hear the end of it if he did such a thing, and he glared at the female. Yusuke moved to smirk at him and Hiei's eyes widened when something soft and damp lapped at his fingertip. He jerked away immediately.
"Ha! He really likes you," Kuwabara crowed, grinning at the demon's furious expression. The little fox turned to stare at him and his mouth snapped shut. That gold-eyed gaze was unnerving, despite the fact that it was obviously a baby. Then Hiei turned away and he shrugged the feeling aside. Whatever was going on, Koenma would explain it once they got to the Reikai.
* * *
Koenma's eyes grew huge the moment they entered his office, and he waved Hiei to him, leaning close to the little fox still curled on the demon's head. He stared at it for a few minutes, tilting his head. Then he poked its side and jerked back before its snapping mouth could catch him. "Yes, yes, I see..."
"You see what?" Hiei asked, glaring up since he couldn't move his bowed head. "It's Kurama. Take him so I can go back."
"I can't," Koenma said quickly, stepping back and sinking down in his chair. "What would I do with a baby youko? Besides, once they've bonded there's nothing anyone can do about it."
"What are you *talking* about?" Hiei growled. That foreboding he'd felt earlier was returning with a vengeance.
"Then it *is* a baby," Kuwabara said, eyes wide as he moved closer to them. Yusuke shot him a glance and he shrugged. "I was thinking it had to be a baby, as small as it is. Then Kurama really was a fox as a baby..."
With a somber nod, Koenma sighed. "Yes, it's a baby. A youko is a demon fox that shifts between fox and humanoid form. The youkai who attacked must have used something on Kurama to regress him back to his childhood. And judging by the size, I'd say it's close to a newborn."
Yusuke blinked suddenly, understanding clicking in his mind. "You mean like that stuff they used in the tournament. That smoke screen that made the announcer a little girl."
"Hai. But whatever caused this must have a longer affect, if he's been like this for the last two days. It's a good thing he's in fox form. His humanoid form at that age wouldn't have been able to live even *that* long by itself." Koenma let out another sigh and glanced over at Hiei. The demon's eyes were focused upward as if he could see the fox on his head. "There aren't any spells that make youkai *stay* young, so this should wear off eventually. It's just a matter of waiting it out."
"Can't you do something to counteract it?" Botan asked, her eyes flicking back to Hiei. "Kurama doesn't even know what he's doing. He scratched Yusuke earlier."
This caught Koenma's attention, and he smirked, glancing at the dark-haired ningen. "Really. What were you doing to make him scratch you?"
"Huh? I was just trying to get him off Hiei." There was an odd expression on Koenma's face and it made Yusuke's eyebrow twitch. "Why?"
"Well, as I said, a baby youko is like any other infant youkai. Their bonds are very strong. And judging by its perch," he smiled at Hiei, "I'd say Kurama's found a parent. He'd naturally attack anyone who tried to separate them, or threaten either of them."
"So...Hiei's stuck with him until the spell wears off?" Yusuke's mouth was twitching again, and he resisted the need to look at Hiei. "What's he supposed to do with him? I mean, how long before it wears off?"
Koenma shrugged carelessly, fingers tapping the side of his chair. "I doubt it would last more than a few weeks. I'll send word to Mukuro. Hiei, you can stay in Kurama's house until then."
Eyes fiery, Hiei grabbed Koenma's shirt, jerking him into a standing position atop the chair. "You think I'm going to-to play *parent* to *this*?!" Pointing at the still bundle in his hair, he bared small fangs. "No. I don't care if you have to knock it out, you take the thing."
"Hiei, calm down," Yusuke said, his eyes wide as he put a light hand on the demon's tense shoulder. "We'll help you out."
"I don't *need* help because I'm not doing it," Hiei said, not taking his eyes off Koenma.
The junior king of hell pulled his shirt out of Hiei's grasp and put more space between them. "I'm afraid you don't have an option," he said, his voice a touch harder. "Even if we did remove the kitsune from you, it would surely follow you wherever you went. And the consequences could easily be Kurama's death. It's only a few weeks."
"Besides," Yusuke added, doing his best to calm the little demon down, "it *is* Kurama." He had an idea Hiei was seconds away from ripping the fox out of his hair and flinging it at Koenma. His own face still hurt and he didn't think the young king would enjoy that performance much. Not to mention the fact that the baby fox would probably just jump back to Hiei as soon as it was done scratching the daylights out of Koenma. "You wouldn't just turn your back on a comrade, would you, Hiei?" Red eyes flicked up at him and he frowned when the demon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come off it. I know you better than that. After all the times Kurama helped us-helped *you* out, the least you can do is help him. He's vulnerable." He glanced up at the little fox, smiling when its eyes met his. "And cute, too."
"Ch'." Again with the debt. If it hadn't been for that... "You really expect me to wait for weeks with this thing on my head?"
Koenma smiled. "I'm sure once he's in a place he deems safe, Kurama will calm down. Just take him back to his house. If he remembers anything at all, he'll feel better in a familiar environment." Hiei was still glaring at him, but he settled down in his seat again, smile firm on his face. "Let me know if there's any change."
"Kisama..."
"Come on, shrimp," Kuwabara spoke up, grinning as he moved to stand next to Yusuke. "We'll see you and your kid home. I can't wait to tell Kurama about this when he's back to normal."
"I plan to have a talk with him myself," Hiei muttered darkly, turning toward the doorway.
Yusuke winced a bit at the youkai's evil voice, but he still smiled as he followed Hiei, Kuwabara right behind him. This was going to be interesting.
* * *
TBC