Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Revolution ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

“This is your final test, Kuwabara,” announced Mukuro. “You must fight Hiei. If you can't prove yourself his equal in battle you cannot fight for me.” Hiei looked very intimidating indeed from across the room. He had a particularly furious look on his face and his anger seemed to be directed at Kuwabara. “Whenever you're ready, gentlemen.”

 

Hiei didn't need to be told twice. He flew across the room, his katana drawn. His plan had been to feign a frontal assault and at the last possible second jump over him and stab him in the back before the slower Kuwabara could even turn around. After all, the Rei KÅ Dan couldn't be applied to every square inch of him at once. But Kuwabara had thought up the exactly same idea and the two crashed into each other in midair. Had the moment not been so dramatic, Mukuro certainly would have laughed. But at the moment, all she could hope for was that Kuwabara would prove himself and that both fighters would survive.

 

Hiei had hoped for a quick kill. He wasn't going to go easy on Kuwabara. Hiei went for kills in all his battles and this would be no exception. Unfortunately for him, Kuwabara knew most of his strategies. And when Hiei had tried to take a swipe at Kuwabara's throat, the Jigen Tou severed his blade easily.

 

“JaÅ Ensatsu Ken”

 

A blade of black flame spewed forth from what was left of Hiei's sword. He took two more swipes at Kuwabara. So what if he hadn't scored the quick kill? He still had the upper hand in a sword fight any day of the…

 

“Rei KÅ Ha!”

 

Hiei hadn't been prepared for Kuwabara's version of the Shotgun. He'd never seen it before. But like a pro he smashed the energy shards back in Kuwabara's direction and one of them went right through his chest. Kuwabara dropped to one knee and Hiei prepared for the kill.

 

“Nobiyo Rei Ken!”

 

Even though Hiei saw it coming in time he couldn't dodge the blade which now, thanks to Kurama, could flex. It impaled him in the chest too.

 

“It's a draw!” announced Mukuro.

 

“The hell it is!” hollered Hiei. His Jagan opened wide and glowed. His hand was now surrounded by black flame. It was obvious what was coming next.

 

“HIEI, DON'T” screamed Mukuro.

 

“He deserves it! Kuwabara you maggot filth piece of horse excrement! How dare you? I saw you last night. I saw it. You took advantage of Mukuro when she was on the rebound. I should kill you.”

 

“He didn't initiate it,” replied Mukuro. “What happened last night was a two-way street.”

 

“But your whole life you've avoided sex. Why now?”

 

“I'm in love with him,” she replied.

 

“But does he love you?”

 

Both of them looked over at Kuwabara.

 

“Uh… Mukuro will you marry me?”

 

“Uh, no, not yet anyway.”

 

“Well I just wanted to be respectful and I'm pretty sure I do love you even though I'm so confused these days. I know you are the type of girl I would marry if I ever did get married.”

 

“You're jumping the gun a wee bit there,” replied Mukuro. “But you're so sweet for offering. Now let's get you two healed up.”

 

“I can't believe she fell for an idiot!” grumbled Hiei

 

“Neither can I,” replied Kuwabara. “Cool, huh?”

 

---

 

“Well, bottoms up, girls,” said Genkai. “Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we may be demon kibble.”

 

“That is not funny!” hollered Botan.

 

Botan had taken Yukina, Shizuru, Botan, and Keiko out drinking. Of course Keiko had stuck to club soda. And poor Yukina discovered just how low her tolerance to alcohol really was. After two shots of Canadian whiskey she was passed out on the table.

 

“Poor Keiko is here, pregnant with Yusuke's child, and you have the nerve to say something like that? What's the matter with you Genkai?”

 

“It's called a sense of humor,” replied Genkai. “It's better than worrying about the boys and ourselves.”

 

Shizuru looked around the room “Look at some of these people acting like drunken idiots! And they don't even know a swarm of demons could arrive any day now and feast on them.”

 

“Any person in this room could die at any time at all,” replied Genkai. “You mustn't be too harsh on them.”

 

All of the sudden some drunken slob came up to Botan and grabbed her around the shoulders. “Hey baby. I'm Yoshi.”

 

“I'm married,” was Botan's quick reply.

 

“Well hi Mary!” Botan rolled her eyes at that. “Tell you what, let me by you a drink and then afterwards we can go someplace real posh. Like my apartment.” The drunk laughed hysterically at his own remark.

 

“Still think I'm being too harsh Genkai?”

 

“I stand corrected. Hey bozo, keep your hands to yourself or you're going to have the humiliating experience of getting your ass publicly beaten by an old lady.”

 

“You… You know what I think?” asked the drunk. “I think you like me. But no. `Cause you're old.” He started to laugh again.

 

Genkai sighed. “You are all my witnesses. I gave this man a chance to walk out of this with his dignity intact. HEY MORON!” Genkai decked him so hard her flew across the room and crashed into a jukebox. “Man, I miss doing that to real opponents.”

 

The drunk got up and ran towards Genkai but never reached her. Yukina had been woken by all the commotion and froze the floor causing the big idiot to fall on his ass. She was still quite drunk. “Hey… hey you, you big silly man, be careful. We have a girl here who's gonna have a baby `cause she's pregnant. Oh Keiko it's a shame I'm not gay because you… are… so…” She passed out again and Genkai caught her.

 

“Why, oh why didn't I bring my video camera?” moaned Shizuru.

 

“Well girls, the night is young,” said Genkai. “What do you say we all get way more drunk than we are now and sneak into a carnival and mess around with the bumper cars? I've always wanted to do that.”

 

“Anything to forget about what's happening, eh Genkai?” muttered Keiko.

 

“That is the general idea,” she replied. “Well here's to our boys. Wish I was with them but I really have outlived most of my usefulness. But I can still outdrink Yusuke now and then.”

 

---

 

“What's this?” asked Yusuke.

 

“It's a declaration of war,” replied Yoshiro. “You had better hand that to your master. Shura eagerly awaits a reply.”

 

“Wait here.”

 

Yusuke disappeared back into the palace. “Well folks, it just became official. We have a civil war on our hands.”

 

Enki took the declaration and read it. “Kurama, you probably understand this diplomatic mumbo jumbo better that I do.”

 

Kurama took the paper and read through it. He grinned. “They know we have them outgunned in a way. They've got more manpower but we have five S-Class Demons and Kuwabara. That makes us more than a match and they know it. They want a challenge. Their toughest fighters against ours in one rumble royale. They claim this match will decide everything and avoid an actual war. If we win I'm sure it will. But if they win they'll break their word and send their armies in. I'd bet my life on it. You know Shura's going to be one of their fighters.”

 

“Then there isn't any choice, is there?” replied Enki. “Yusuke, tell Yoshiro I accept. We'll take them on tomorrow at 12 PM on the Plain of Nakomoto. I think that's neutral enough turf.”

 

“We don't know how many thugs they'll show up with,” objected Yusuke.

 

“Doesn't matter in the end. Lord knows what we'll face but we go down fighting.”

 

“You know, Enki, you really looked quite noble there for a moment; more like a European monarch than a demon king,” said Yusuke. “I'll notify Yoshiro and send for Mukuro.”

 

“No need. Mukuro is here.” They all turned around to see Murkuro, Hiei, and Kuwabara standing behind the throne.

 

“Some security I have,” groaned Enki. “How did you get past my guards?”

 

“Oh, I'm like the wind, I move without being seen.”

 

“Your guards will have headaches for a while,” mumbled Hiei.

 

Yusuke ran downstairs to deliver the message. Which left Kuwabara and Kurama standing around staring very hard at each other.

 

“We're getting married,” said Kurama quietly.

 

“That's nice,” replied Kuwabara. “I'm glad she found someone nice.”

 

“But?”

 

“But can I ever trust you again?”

 

Kurama sighed. “You'll need to. We'll be relying on each other for our very lives tomorrow. Kuwabara, you're a nice guy, you'll find someone else who's even more… WHAT THE…?!” Just at that moment Mukuro wrapped her arms around Kuwabara's neck and kissed his ear. Yusuke had walked in at the same moment and his eyes nearly popped out. Mukuro wasn't the type for such displays but she didn't want Kuwabara to lose face in front of Kurama.

 

“Do we have a soap opera going on here or something?” remarked Yusuke.

 

“Seems that way,” said Hiei dryly.

 

That night was the longest any of them had remembered. All of them had been through a rough night before the finals of the Dark Tournament but at least they had known who they would be fighting then. Yusuke had a pregnant wife to think about and Kurama had both Yukina and his mother to think about. He tried to imagine how they would react to each other.

 

Mukuro couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in one of the guest bedrooms but couldn't take her eyes off the lights cast onto the ceiling by the reflections of the water fountain outside. She heard a knock at her door and before she had a chance to give an answer, Kuwabara came in.

 

“Can't get enough of me, huh?” she said with a smile.

 

“Well yeah, but that's not why I'm here… unless of course you're making an offer.”

 

“Sorry, not tonight. Not before a battle. What did you want?”

 

Kuwabara swallowed hard. “I'm sorry I jumped the gun. I haven't known you long and I'm still sort of infatuated and… well…”

 

“No need to explain, Kuwabara. But so far I do love you.”

 

Kuwabara grinned. “Always had a fantasy I'd have a love affair with an older woman. You're what, a thousand?” Mukuro giggled. “I love you too. So far. Let's not screw this up. It could be so good.”

 

“Deal. You big beautiful dumbass. You really do know what to say.”

 

Kuwabara smiled and stepped outside. No sooner had he taken five steps than he ran smack dab into Hiei.

 

“Uh Hiei! Hi! I, uh… Look we didn't…”

 

“I don't care if you did,” he replied. “I ended it. I haven't regretted it for even a minute. We couldn't give each other what we really needed. But I am disgraced. I misjudged you and this may be the only apology you ever get from me. But you had better treat her right. You certainly aren't the kid I used to know. The Kuwabara I knew is dead.”

 

“I hope so,” said Kuwabara more to himself than anyone else.

 

“Let's make a truce then,” replied Hiei. “It was the old Kuwabara I hated, no reason to hold a grudge against the new one. Grudges only give people power over us. I don't know if you can understand that.”

 

Kuwabara smiled. “You'd be amazed how well I understand it. Truce. And after this is all over maybe I can set you up. I saw this cute little cat demon who thinks you're…”

 

“Don't push your luck, Kuwabara. Good night.”

 

And so those last hours of the night passed…

 

End Chapter 8