Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Revolution ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

In some ways, Enki had proven himself to be the best possible candidate for king of Makai. For one thing he had appointed rivals of his as territorial governors, a move that pacified many who may have revolted otherwise. Second, he knew how to take advice. He had threatened to cancel the second Makai tournament three years later but let Yusuke and Koko talk him out of it. In fact Yusuke had initially seen this as his last responsibility in the demon realm. He figured stability had been maintained and civil war had been averted once more but he did come back to watch.

 

It had been an amazing tournament. They did away with the platforms and used the Dark Tournament rules and procedures (except that even momentary contact outside the ring was a ring-out). One by one all the greatest fighters of Makai fell until only Hiei, Shura, Enki, Mukuro, Yomi, Natsume, and Chu were left. Astonishing everyone, Toguro's former teammate Bui had entered the tournament. He had gone undefeated until he went up against Touya. Fourteen minutes into the fight Bui fired off a ki blast in a moment of desperation that sent Touya flying far enough for a ring-out but the smaller demon's attacks had taken their toll. Bui, who had always shown nearly invincible defense had been badly sliced up by Touya's ice attacks and couldn't continue to the next round.

 

Bui's injury meant Chu would have a bye in the quarterfinals. Natsume lost to Yomi (much to Chu's anger) by a fairly significant margin. In fact he defeated her without using a single energy attack. Clearly he was disappointed that Yusuke had not entered this time around and decided to take his frustration out on his opponent. Hiei went up against Shura and cut his left arm off in the first ten seconds of the fight. Shura was thoroughly enraged and counter-attacked viciously but only managed to break Hiei's sword without landing a single blow on Hiei himself. He lost so much blood from the effort that he had to surrender at that point. All those years of training were wasted.

 

Mukuro faced Enki. It is always a fatal mistake to underestimate one's opponent. Enki certainly didn't seem that tough and it was widely believed that his victory only came about last time because of Yomi's exhaustion and Mukuro's lack of focus. Mukuro was so sure that this time she could take him. Wrong. Enki was not an agile fighter nor was he much good with ki attacks but his brute strength was beyond belief and when Mukuro got too close she got hit so hard she flew into the stands.

 

In the semi-finals Yomi simply embarrassed Chu who was trying so desperately to avenge his wife's loss (yes, I said wife, surprise). Chu's brute strength, confusing movements, and powerful ki attacks did nothing for him and he was beaten in less than a minute. Hiei's match against Enki was even shorter. As soon as it began Hiei used the dragon at once, not on Enki but on himself. He absorbed the dragon and punched Enki in the face with all his might. Enki fell backwards but it was a few inches short of a ring out and he managed to get up after just a couple seconds. Hiei immediately knew he couldn't win and forfeited.

 

Enki then declared that the final round would be postponed for one day. A brilliant move on his part. This time no one could give any excuses about Yomi being too tired. It was a magnificent fight. Though Enki had slow legs he had a surprisingly fast upper body and the much faster Yomi had terrible trouble hitting him. He didn't dare get too close until after about twenty minutes he began to realize he'd have to. The two traded blows and mild energy attacks at close range for about five minutes. Yomi showed amazing endurance considering how hard he was being hit. The fight seemed even until Enki head butted Yomi in the gut, impaling him with his right horn. That move won him the knockout and the respect of even the most hardened cynics.

 

Yusuke thought for sure that all would be well this time. But after a few months it became clear that not everyone in Makai was thrilled to death with how the tournament had come out. Many had wanted to see Shura on the throne and there had been two attempts on Hiei's life in retaliation for his victory.

 

Enki's ban on eating humans had driven some demons that had no intention of becoming vegetarians into committing acts of cannibalism. Some attempted to cross into the human realm but were caught by Hiei and his troops and were handed over to Mukuro for punishment.

 

It was clear someone needed to keep an eye on any seditious groups or individuals who might pose a threat to Enki's regime. That person was to be Urameshi.

 

Yusuke was a fighter, no one could deny that. If you think Kuwabara was bored working a normal job it was nothing compared to how Yusuke felt working for a dry cleaners. But since he spent what would have been his first three years of high school in Makai there was little he was qualified for. Plus, very soon after his return Keiko got pregnant and she was still a few months away from finishing high school. They needed money. Yusuke was far happier working for Enki. He got to do what he loved and he made enough money to put Keiko through college and put their little girl in top notch day care. Because his assignments varied there were plenty of times when he got to spend lots of time with Keiko who had managed to finish college in only three years, something most teen mothers could never achieve.

 

Now as it happened on one particular day, Yusuke had an audience before Enki on a day when Hiei was present. They hadn't seen each other much in the last seven years.

 

“Hmph, you've gotten taller Yusuke,” muttered Hiei.

 

“You sure haven't,” joked Yurameshi. “So how the hell are you?”

 

“Busy thanks to your jackass boss,” grumbled Hiei. “Like it would be the end of the world to at least genetically engineer some humans for consumption. At least Mukuro would have allowed that if she had won.”

 

“Well they still made her a governor.”

 

“Governor?” scoffed Hiei. “All she does all day long is Enki's dirty work. She's the one who has to either flog or execute demons who try to cross over. It's not fair. They're only following their instincts.”

 

“Um, Hiei, there's something you should know about Enki,” said Yusuke. “He has very good hearing. I'm sure he heard every word you just said.”

 

“He did indeed,” hollered Enki from his throne with a laugh. “But the Great Enki is a benevolent ruler and you are thus pardoned Hiei.”

 

At that moment a small demon entered the room to announce that Yomi was here.

 

“You'll have to pardon my tardiness, Excellency,” grumbled Yomi. “But I've just had the unfortunate duty of handing three more of my territory's citizens over to Mukuro.”

 

“You did? Well great job Yomi. Thanks.”

 

Hiei and Yusuke had to slap themselves in the head over that one. Enki just didn't get it.

 

“Actually I summoned you here to talk about something else,” continued Enki. “I don't mean to be a stick in the mud here but your district hasn't turned over its tax revenue for this year yet. We have a kingdom to run here, you know.”

 

“And I have people ready to riot!” hollered Yomi.

 

“Well there's no need to get angry,” replied Enki.

 

“There is. There is when my people are starving and too weak to work and you demand money from us.”

 

“If they're starving it's because they chose to,” retorted Enki. “Just because I banned human meat doesn't mean they can't eat. Have you been setting an example by publicly eating plants like I told you to?”

 

“Oh yes, that went over real well,” grumbled Yomi.

 

“Oh good, I'm so glad to hear it.”

 

Once again Hiei and Yususke were shocked at Enki's failure to recognize sarcasm. At that, Yomi angrily stormed out of the throne room. Koenma had been watching all of this from a distance. He shook his head gloomily.

 

“Oh well,” said Enki with a yawn. “I'm sure he'll get those taxes collected. The important thing is that we don't get angry. That will just make him angrier and then where will we be? Everything will turn out just fine, you'll see. Now I have to go take a nap. Excuse me.”

 

Hiei and Yusuke watched him lumber off to his room.

 

“That guy is an idiot,” said Hiei.

 

“Yeah, he's a few rat droppings short of a hot dog, that's for sure,” replied Yusuke. “But at least most demons still support him. We've avoid civil war this long, haven't we?”

 

“So this is the cure for war?” grumble Hiei. “Stupidity?!”

 

“Hey, whatever works,” said Koenma with a grin. “Although I think you had better keep an eye on Yomi and Shura's districts for the next few weeks, Yusuke. They have me a little worried and…”

 

“Someone's here!” interrupted Hiei. “Someone's listening in.”

 

Hiei ran off in one direction and Yusuke and Koenma followed. Hiei stopped and looked around but saw no one. He removed his headband and scanned all around with the Jagan but still saw nothing.

 

“Whoever it was, it was an S-Class demon, that's for sure,” muttered Hiei. “I have to go. I need to take care of some things.”

 

“Hey come on,” said Yusuke. “I haven't seen you in a while. At least let me take you out and get you plastered or something.”

 

Hiei stopped in his tracks and to Yusuke and Koenma's amazement he turned around with a smile on his face. “I'm glad some things don't change. I have a feeling we'll be running into each other again real soon, Urameshi. See you around.” And with that he vanished.

 

Yusuke turned to Koenma. “Cryptic as always but a full-time badass. How about you? Want to go to Ningenkai and throw back some sake? I told Keiko I'd be working late so she won't be expecting me.”

 

“With a face like this?” replied Koenma. “I'm bound to get carded. Besides, I don't have time.”

 

“You're gonna give yourself a heart attack,” said Yusuke. “You're working too hard. I mean you have to look after Spirit World and you keep popping in to baby-sit Enki. Botan's gonna feel neglected. And let me tell you, chicks turn evil when they feel neglected. Trust me.”

 

“That may be but I can't afford a civil war,” said Koenma. “I should have known that the answers couldn't possibly come so easy. I mean Enki was the best guy for the job considering the alternatives but the nature of most demons falls into direct conflict with what's best for all three worlds. All we seemed to do was postpone the inevitable. You understand what I'm saying, Yusuke?”

 

“All I understand is you need to go home, drink a beer, and show the wife a little loving. So do I. Now come on, stop being so gloomy.”

 

---

 

“Suichi! Suichi, what's going on?”

 

“Mother? What's wrong? You don't sound well.”

 

“Where is your stepfather? He didn't come home.”

 

“Maybe he had to work late.”

 

“He's never been this late before and when I called his office no one answered.”

 

Kurama wasn't the least bit worried about his stepfather but his mother sounded badly upset on the phone and that was enough for him. He decided to go back to work at 11 PM to see if he was still there. Standing outside the building, he was relieved to see a light was still on in his stepfather's office.

 

He was making up his mind whether or not to go in and say hello or to head home and call his mother when a large desk was flung out the window and crashed onto the sidewalk below.

 

“Well hello, Youko! Glad you could come and join the party!”

 

A large reptilian demon was shouting at him from his father's office.

 

“Well come on up, Youko! Don't you want to play with us? We were just amusing ourselves with papa-san here but the more the merrier.”

 

That old familiar anger came back with a vengeance. And this time Kurama didn't try to fight it. Retirement time was over.

 

---

 

“Hey Kurama how come you left the door unlocked?” shouted Kuwabara as he entered the apartment. There're a lot of weirdoes in this neighborhood and… what the hell?!”

 

Kuwabara was not alone. A small figure in black stood in the middle of the living room. Now Kuwbara noticed a nail file sticking out of the keyhole for the first time.

 

“Hey moron, you picked the wrong house to rob,” growled Kuwabara. “Get out of here and go steal someone else's TV before I lose my temper and beat you back to the Stone Age.”

 

“How do you know I don't have a gun?” replied a gravelly voice from beneath the black ski mask.

 

“Doesn't matter if you do,” replied Kuwabara. “You won't get a chance to use it. Your arm would be lying on the floor next to you before your finger ever hit the trigger. Rei Ken!” Immediately a surge of orange light burst forth from Kuwabara's right hand. Kuwabara grinned cockily. “Too bad you didn't know who you were messing with.”

 

“Didn't know?” replied the burglar. In response he pulled out Kuwabara's cat from behind his back. “Oh but I did.”

 

“Eikichi!”

 

Without even making a conscious decision to modify his blade, Kuwabara's Rei Ken immediately converted into the more powerful Jigen Tou. The energy increased the temperature of the apartment by twenty degrees.

 

“Come and get it, bonehead,” gloated the burglar. He jumped out the second story window still holding on to the cat. Kuwabara jumped after him at once and took off in pursuit. But whoever this burglar was, he was good. He was much faster than Kuwabara and infinitely more agile. Every time Kuwabara caught up the burglar would leap up and seem to bounce right off a nearby building or fence, landing on the other side of the street. All of the sudden it occurred to Kuwabara what was happening.

 

“Genkai! Cut it out!”

 

Off came the mask and a grinning Genkai was revealed. “So, recognize me by my trademark movements, eh Kuwabara?”

 

“No,” replied Kuwabara. “Who else would have stolen my cat for no apparent reason and then call me `bonehead'?”

 

Genkai grinned again and released the cat. Eikichi hissed at her angrily before racing into Kuwabara's arms and affectionately rubbing its head against his chest.

 

“You crazy old bat! Was this your idea of a joke or something?”

 

“No,” replied Genkai. “This was a test. You passed. Training starts tomorrow at my place at 6AM sharp and if you're even one second late you can forget all about it.”

 

“But I have work…”

 

“Then you had better quit your damn job!” hollered Genkai. “This will take up your days every single day. If I train you then you give it your all or you don't waste my time. 6AM. Tomorrow.”

 

She walked away leaving Kuwabara bewildered.

 

---

 

“ROSE WHIP!”

 

Kurama decimated two large demons in the lobby of his and his stepfather's office building. Three more demons raced towards him. They had the misfortune of running right past a potted fern plant on the reception desk which they didn't notice but Kurama did. They got a rather nasty disemboweling for their efforts.

 

“You'd better hurry up, Youko!” yelled that reptilian voice from upstairs. “I don't know how much longer I can keep from killing this guy. Oh the suspense! Can he do it? Can he make it up here in time? I don't know, this guy is looking pretty tasty and I haven't eaten a human in years. I don't Youko. Oh no… Oh no, I don't know if I can stop myself, I think I'm gonna have to… yes… Youko I think I'm gonna have to eat him… HERE I GO!”

 

That did it. In a blinding flash of light and smoke Youko Kurama appeared in all his glory. A demon on a balcony above him chewed up a large piece of metal it was holding and then spit the shards out at him like his mouth was a machine gun. A large tree instantly sprouted up, blocking the attack. A branch from the tree impaled the demon.

 

“KyÅ«ketsu Shokubutsu!”

 

A massive number of blood sucking plants burst out of the floor all over the place, killing the remaining demons. Youko took a deep breath and reverted to his human form. It wouldn't do to let his stepfather see him in his demon body. Kurama raced up the stairs and into his stepfather's office. The demon was holding the poor man by the neck, dangling him out the broken window. He was still alive but badly beaten and unconscious.

 

“Yomi sends his regards, traitor,” smirked the demon. “One move and I drop him to his death. I have a bargain for you. Kill yourself and I'll spare him. If you refuse I will drop him. Now how could you ever face your precious little mommy again if that happens? You have five seconds to decide. One…”

 

To the demon's shock, Kurama immediately rushed him. The demon let go at once but immediately realized his mistake. Kurama knew every square inch of this building. He knew there was ivy growing out of that wall and manipulated the vines to act as a safety net. The demon turned back around just in time to see Kurama flying towards him and kicking him out the window onto the pavement below. Then Kurama jumped out after him. Neither one of the two demons had so much as a scratch from the fall.

 

“Why on earth would Yomi come after me now after all these years?” demanded Kurama.

 

“Oh like I'm going to spill my guts to someone I'm about to kill,” sneered the demon.

 

“You must be joking,” said Kurama with a deadly calm in his voice. “I've already placed half a dozen Death Plant seeds all over your body. Now talk or die.”

 

The demon tore open his shirt and to his horror saw that Kurama wasn't bluffing. He seemed genuinely frightened and seemed to weigh his options but the image of Yomi torturing the demon who had blinded him terrified him far more than death. “Kill me!”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

Oddly enough, Kurama finished him off with the Rose Whip. Deep down he was hoping the demon would talk. Really he had no desire to kill it but making idle threats is a deadly mistake. He figured a quick death would be more appropriate…

 

“Suichi!”

 

“Mother!”

 

There she was. And she had seen. He was still holding the Rose Whip in his hands.

 

“What on earth…”

 

“Mother, I…”

 

Kurama couldn't continue. This was the secret he'd kept from her all his life. How could he even begin to explain this?

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Kurama fled into the night. Even he didn't notice an elderly gentleman watching the whole spectacle from a parked car nearby and looking quite pleased.

 

End Chapter 2