Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Inheritance ❯ Loyalty ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 7
Loyalty

Kuronue had left shortly after their little conversation, leaving the rest of the team to their respective thoughts. The silence was occasionally tempered by the clank of a tea cup against the saucer, or someone shifting in their chair. Yusuke of course, is the first to speak his mind.

"Sounds like Fox-boy is in over his head."

Genkai nods, "He's also seems too stupid to ask for help."

Kuwabara stands up and shouts rattling everyone's tea, and suddenly, the situation is a lot less tense, more familiar. "I, the Great Kazuma Kuwabara, shall assist my friend like a real man! Men don't run away! Worry not Yukina my love for I shall return safely!"

Yukina giggles. "I'll be here to heal anyone who is injured. Kurama-kun has always been very kind to me."

Yusuke grin and stands up too. "Geeze ya moron, rushing in a bit? You don't even know what we're fighting! We gotta get some straight answers outta Fox-boy before we can fight anything!"

Shizuru snorts. "What? Getting secrets out of Red is like pounding on my bro, try all you want but he'll never crack! You need a plan..."

Keiko pipes up as well. "Shizuru is right! If Kurama doesn't want to tell us he's not likely too. He is three thousand years old and smarter than all of us."

Botan claps a fist into her hand. "Then maybe we shouldn't be getting the answers from him ne? I bet anything that Koenma knows something!" Shiori looks around at the assembled, strange bunch of people that surround her son. They are odd, not all human, some not all there, but she finds herself endeared to them once more. After all, if they have proved anything, it is that they are completely loyal.

Her son and family have been through a lot lately. Every step of the way, infallibly, there they were; still are. Through his kidnapping, finding out the truth, and recovering him from that awful place. They stuck around the months he was gone, and rejoiced in his return. These people stood in the face of all evidence to the contrary when it seemed her son had become a murderer, and it saved him from that horrid little troll. Now this.

Shiori feels she owes them so much. She knows they will all stick through it to the end.

Because this is loyalty.

***
Meiyo approaches the door slowly, not quite sure how he will be received. The Lady of this castle knows his familial connection with her heir, but these are not normal circumstances, and he has never deigned to come before. He is allowed past the guards and into the throne room were he meets her; the strange orange haired cyborg that has adopted his son. She speaks first.

"Your purpose here?"

Meiyo answers directly, not intimidated. "I'm here to speak with my son."

"About what." A command, not a statement.

Again, he is firm. "Personal affairs."

"The Kitsune you mean."

He stops her right there. "Personal affairs between my son and myself."

"The truth will hurt him."

"Be not so sure." They stare each other down for quite some time. Finally Mukuro calls for a guard.

"Escort this man to Lord Hiei's chambers." Meiyo bows in thanks and follows the guard to his son's room.

The guard leaves quickly; Meiyo taps lightly on the door. Hiei will know who is on the other side. He does not respond so Meiyo enters quietly. The room is strangely... ningen looking. The bed, rugs, even... curtains? It isn't until Meiyo notices the few, well taken care of plants in the windowsill that it all comes together for him. Hiei is a fire demon, he has no natural affinity to plants. The plants in the windowsill are hardy and difficult to kill by neglect or ineptitude. His son's room is designed after the place he feels safest.

His son's room is designed after Kurama's room in the Ningenkai.

Hiei is flat on his back, arms tucked neatly behind his head in the center of his bed. His eyes slide to Meiyo momentarily before returning to the ceiling. "What do you want?"

"Care to tell me why you nearly trampled your sister?"

"Careless."

"Bullshit is more like it. What happened?"

Hiei stays quiet.

"It had to to with your Fox ne?" Hiei winces and Meiyo takes a seat beside his son's head. Both of them stay quiet for a little while.

"He does not belong to me."

"No one person belongs to any other. You should know that everyone has their own worth unrelated to any other." Hiei gives him a strange look. Meiyo smiles at his son's youth; maybe he really doesn't understand what Meiyo is trying to tell him.

"I did not own your Mother, nor did she own me. We each had our own worth, but together we were worth so much more. Neither one of you is going to benefit from you running away Hiei." He growls and scowls at his Father.

"It's not the same. He hates me. I hit his Mother."

"On purpose?"

"No!"

"So you got wrapped up and did something you didn't mean to?"

"Yes."

Meiyo flashes a victory smile. "Then maybe he did too."

Hiei looks stunned for a moment, and blinks a few times.

"He isn't perfect, maybe it's about time that you admit what you are really feeling. Even his perceptive nature can only decipher so much. Why don't you tell him?"

Hiei looks distinctly uncomfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Meiyo rolls his eyes. "You thought telling your sister your true identity would end horribly as well, keep that in mind next time you see him. Just went completely terrible didn't it?"

Meiyo gets up and excuses himself. Hoping that he'd managed to get through his son's incredibly thick skull. So much like his Mother sometimes. I miss you dearly Hina, but I guess you really aren't very far away now are you? He sighs and fingers the gems around his neck.

***
Kurama climbs the steps to the temple slowly. His Mother had called after the incident yesterday and utterly insisted that he come. She said they all just needed to relax for a while so that the recent stress could die down. She always feels it necessary to fix things, while Kurama knows that the sentiment is a symptom of her very human love, it annoys him slightly.

Yeah right.

No what is really annoying him is the knowledge of what he must now do. He has to break up his family and friends. The pain is already wedging its way into his heart, but he chants the same phrase in his his head over and over to give him the strength to do it. If I love them I need to protect them.

He comes up the steps and forces himself not to smile as his Mother comes up and hugs him, he doesn't hug her back, simply tucks his hands into his pockets and keeps his face impassive. Shiori doesn't seem to notice. He steels his resolve once more before he enters into the group of people he cares about the most.

If I love them I need to protect them.

Yusuke and Kuwabara are arguing in the hall while Yukina and Keiko roll their eyes. He steps aside as his Mother goes to hug him again, he pretends he didn't notice the motion. Yoko was skilled at this, even though it's been centuries since he's tried to romance a female. Yusuke is going to kill him and Kuwabara is going to bury him alive, if his Mother's tears don't do it first.

Kurama sits back in between the girls and catches their attention immediately. He flashes them both a debonair smile, eliciting a round of blushes.

Yukina finds her voice first. "Kurama-kun you seem... different today." Yukina first then. Hiei would kill me for this, I'm happy he isn't here to see it.

"Hmm... different you say? How so?" He turns to face her and clasps her hands gently in his, kissing them gently while starring deep into her eyes. Yukina's face burns red and Keiko gets an utterly confused expression on her face.

"I-I-I... y-y-you... I need to go get more tea please excuse me!" She jumps up and scurries into the kitchen, the surprise gesture breaking up the fight between the men. Keiko's turn to blush when Kurama turns to her and flashes the same smile.

"Why Keiko you look lovely today."

"Uh Kurama are you feeling ok?" The red head purposefully lets his eyes drift slowly over her frame before gazing strongly into her eyes.

"Absolutely wonderful. Would you like to know a secret?"

She slowly kinda nods though with great apprehension. He places his fingers under her chin and tilts it up guiding her forward a bit he leans in slowly then slightly off to the side, the skin of his cheek just barely grazing hers. He whispers into her ear and her face goes up in flames. He pulls back with a smirk and she swings at his head. He catches her hand and kisses her knuckles, sending chills through her entire body.

"So passionate today." She bolts, running into the kitchen in a bright red blur. Yusuke advances on him, absolutely livid, Kurama merely leans back and crosses his legs. But before Yusuke can unleash chaos, Kuro darts between and pulls Yoko to his feet.

"The women want help in the kitchen and you know I'm useless there Foxy, would you?" Kurama smiles and saunters into the kitchen. Keiko quickly darts out and Kuro stops Yusuke from following. Yusuke is about to hit him when Kuro's words stop him.

"You gonna let him win so soon?"

"Nope, gonna pound him! He can't touch Keiko like that!"

"Because it angers you, it upsets you, it makes him look like an insensitive ass that doesn't care?" Meiyo smirks as Yusuke's face changes from anger to something akin to awe.

"Damn, you're saying that he's doing this just to piss me off?" Meiyo shakes his head.

"Not just you Yusuke, he made Keiko and Yukina extremely uncomfortable, angered both you and Kuwabara and before that, brushed his Mother off. I told you didn't I? He knows exactly what to say and do to make everyone hate him; except me that is. He probably hates doing it, but hey, he's protecting you in his own twisted way. By the way Keiko, he didn't really effect you as strongly as you think." He reaches toward her and pulls out a small plant from behind her ear, before pocketing it.

"But I didn't..."

"Feel it? He planted it when he whispered in your ear, distracted you with his other actions; handy little thing. I've seen him use that one a thousand times." He chuckles to himself. "Looks like Foxy is as sly as ever, this ought to be really entertaining."

Yusuke looks visibly agitated. "Why's he doing this again?"

"I can't tell you. Or rather, I won't."

"Fine then I'll ask him." A couple minutes later a very furiously blushing Yukina scurries out of the kitchen with a tray of food. Kurama strolls out behind her hands shoved in his pockets, looking completely at ease and shooting a wry grin to Keiko. Yusuke grabs him by the arms and gives him a good shake.

"Yusuke, why so upset?"

"Cut the crap Fox-boy, why are you trying to piss me off?"

Kurama's face remains completely impassive. "Whatever could you mean?"

"I mean hitting on Keiko. Why?"

"I don't particularly recall doing so, perhaps you are imagining things?"

Yusuke shakes him again. "I said cut the crap!"

"Now Yusuke, I've already told you that I..."

"Kuronue let us in on it. You're trying to shove us off, why?"

Kurama merely smiles and suddenly Yusuke feels like prey. "Is that what this is about. I'm rather surprised... you'd believe a complete stranger over myself." Yusuke looks surprised.

"What do you mean, he's lying?"

"Did ever occur to you Yusuke, that if Kuro manages to sever my ties here, I'm free to continue focusing on him as my partner? No one to get in the way if you will." Yusuke looks confused and drops his hands from Kurama's arms for just a brief moment.

"But... I mean..." Yusuke is struggling through the new options presented.

"You should think things through more carefully, jumping into things has gotten you nothing but trouble." Kurama smiles gently at his friend.

"Don't toy with him Foxy, it's a little low; even for you."

"Must you always interfere Kuro?"

"Tell me why you changed your mind then, if you can I'll leave your decision be."

Kurama looks to the ground for a few moments, then looks back up, a tired sort of sorrow buried under there somewhere. "I'm not strong enough yet."

"Will you ever be?"

"Probably not; I accepted that a long time ago though."

Kuro shakes his head. "You've accepted a lot of things you never should have, that is one of them."

"If you say so Kuro." Yusuke looks back and forth between the two for a time while they stare each other down. The room is completely quiet.

"I wish you'd fight."

"I wish you'd leave."

"I'm not the one running."

Then Hiei walks in and all eyes shift. "Hn, what?"

Kurama looks the most shocked, he really hadn't expected to see Hiei again. Meiyo, lounging in the corner smirks at the same time Hiei does. "Come now Fox, I've taken worse than a blow to the cheek."

Kuro laughs. "And it looks like Hiei isn't running either."

Kurama is quiet for a time, staring at Hiei, then his gaze drops to the ground. Just as he is about to speak his head snaps up.

"Foxy what- ?" But he turns and draws his scythe before he finishes. "If you're gonna run grab Hiei and do it now! I'll hold him off as long as I can!"

"He'll slaughter you!"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"Kuro don't!"

Kuro turns back around and glares. "If you're gonna run- ." Kuro is suddenly up against the wall, pinned there by his own blade. The figure responsible looked dirty. A ratty trench coat covers most of him except the long black hair.

"Ah, Kuroune the protector. Shame you aren't to good at that." The figure straightens up, and turns toward the group. Yusuke blurts it out first.

"Karasu!" Kurama shakes his head.

"No, Karasu was a clone. A pathetic one at that." His face and tone are completely impassive, but a bead of sweat rolls down from his temple. The man laughs and takes a few steps toward Kurama and Yusuke.

"Ah, my favorite little kit. Have you finally decided to come play with me?"
__________________________________________________________________ ____________________

A/N: Yes! Our main bad guy at last! Woot Woot! Sorry about the delay, my internet got knocked out by a nasty storm while I was on vacation. Thank you for your patience. This is also why you are getting more than one chapter, or at least I assume you will be since they say it may take a few days.

((But I've decided to post them one a day.))

For those of you that got lost, Kuro was telling the truth, Kurama was misleading. You didn't think he'd give up so easily now did you? He's three thousand years old, he knows a few tricks.

Hiei's on the ball again, too bad he didn't really get a chance to talk to Kurama.

And yes I did need to put in the fluffy moment at the top.

Please review!!!

-san: Mr. or Mrs.
-sama: Lord
-kun: Young man that is a friend
-chan: Female, young boy, or lover
Baka: idiot
Chimera: Half animal, half human in appearance.
Hiruseki: tear gem
Inari: Fox goddess
Jagan: Hiei's 3rd eye
Ki: Energy signal, spirit energy
Kitsune: Fox spirit
Makai: Demon world
Mazaku: Type of demon that Yusuke is
Ne: Right?
Ningen: Human
Ningenkai: Human world
Oona: Woman
Reikai: Spirit world
Sakura Tree: cherry tree

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor any of its characters. They belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot and original characters of this fic, are however, mine.