Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ YYH DS3: Honor ❯ One-Shot

HieiWannabe: Thank you to my first reviewer! I was so happy when I got that review alert! I'm not going to use this space to beg for reviews or threaten not to write any more if I don't get more, so don't worry. I'm writing these things for my own satisfaction, but I still like to know what other people think. Anything you tell me will help me write stories that everyone will enjoy, not just me. I don't get mad about less-than-glowing remarks, either; I'm a big girl, I can handle a few flames. As long as you intend to help me write something you'll like your intentions will shine through! And if you just hate me, well, it's still a review.

*inhales*

This is my reason for Hiei's parole and Koenma's comment about Kurama also being punished for any crime Hiei commits.

Wynne: As you probably guessed, HW doesn't own YYH or she'd be spending her time churning out more episodes and raking in the dough, not writing fanfics. And if you're looking for violence, blood, foul language and sex, boy are you ever in the wrong place!

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YYH Deleted Scenes Part 3

Honor

As Kurama strode through the halls of the palace of the Spirit World, he took note of how, the closer he got to the prince's office, the less crowded the corridors became. It was a silent tribute to how lazy Koenma was; his ogre clerks did not even bother trying to bring papers to their boss more than a few times a day.

`What a pity,' the deceptively sweet-faced teen thought. `The ornamentation in this wing is so tastefully done, people should come by here as often as possible in order to savor the beauty.'

The redhaired fox spirit sighed wistfully as he passed by an ancient sculpture. On any other day, he would have paused to admire - and maybe steal - it, but today he had important business with the pre-pubescent prince. Today, he would be getting his official orders to work as a Detective for the Spirit World.

As Kurama walked through the door into Koenma's office, he saw the toddler apparently hard at work stamping papers. But the former thief knew better. He could see that the prince was stamping too fast to even know what he was approving. Kurama hid his next thought behind a pleasant smile, `This could be useful. If he always does this, I can slip anything I want in his `To Be Stamped' pile.' Carefully keeping his mental smirk off his face, he stopped before Baby-Enma's desk and announced himself. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Reikai's severely underaged prince had not noticed when his door was opened and someone entered, but the quiet question caught his attention. Looking up, he saw a wonderful excuse to stop stamping. "Ah, Kurama. I've been waiting for you." Koenma neatly placed his current paper back on the left stack and replaced his stamp on its pad, then leaned back in his too-large chair, folded his hands before him, and sucked his ever-present pacifier thoughtfully.

"As you know, Yusuke won the contest to choose Genkai's heir, and has been training at her temple."

A nod.

"One week from now, his initial training will be completed. I currently have no other Tantei in Ningenkai, so I will probably send him on a case as soon as he's free." Koenma gestured to a pile of dossiers on the far right side of his desk. "I don't think any of these petty criminals will pose much of a problem, but it would be imprudent to send a still-inexperienced Spirit Detective out on cases alone. So, I would like to send you with him," he removed a document from one of his desk drawers and passed it across the table toward Kurama. "This is your contract. It specifies what type of work you'll be doing, and how much you'll have to do to complete your parole. Sign at the bottom."

`Now's the time,' Kurama thought. To Koenma's surprise, the former fox thief made no move to take the paper. "I want to ask for one more thing, first."

Koenma raised an eyebrow. As time passed and Kurama did not state his request, the blue-robed baby grew more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he asked, "What is it?"

The redhead paused for a moment more, then continued, "I want you to give the same offer to Hiei."

The other eyebrow went up to join the first, then both lowered. "No."

"Then I won't do it."

Koenma pondered this for a moment. The fox was putting him in a real bind. No doubt, he had realized that the wording of the judge's decision meant that he had to be paroled. Koenma was trying to parley this into an excuse to get Yusuke some much-needed help, and to prevent the notorious thief from walking away scot-free. The prince knew that even though the judge had been snowed, Kurama remained a dangerous force, and he was reluctant to let that force go unchained. Unfortunately, because most of Kurama's crimes were committed in a part of Makai that Reikai had no control over, those crimes were outside Spirit World's jurisdiction and were thus inadmissable in court. The only crimes Kurama could be charged with were directly related to the theft of the Artifacts, and were mitigated by his desire to save his mother.

If Koenma had his way, the professional criminal would have been buried under a mound of chains and wards. Since he did not have his way, he was spitefully determined to take out his desire for punishment on the youko's comrades. And, since Gouki was dead, that left Hiei - someone that Koenma wanted locked up for other reasons, as well.

But now it seemed as if Kurama was trying to rebuild his old team. And Koenma seemed unable to prevent it. `Well, if I can't stop it,' he thought, `I'll just have to make it work for me.'

"Alright, I'll parole Hiei as well. But only under one condition." Piercing brown eyes bored into emotionless green ones. "Since you are the one who wants him freed, you will share his fate. Any crimes that Hiei commits while on parole, you will also be punished for. And any reward he earns, you will also receive. Are those terms acceptable to you?"

Kurama thought for a moment, `Clever. Not only is he trying to turn me into Hiei's keeper, but he is giving me an incentive to convince Hiei to also aid Yusuke.' The flame-haired fox spirit had been expecting Koenma to attach some strings to the deal he was forced to make, but it still rankled that the toddler thought he could manipulate `The Great Youko Kurama' so overtly. `But it makes no difference in the end,' he reminded himself. `No matter what the reason, I still betrayed Hiei. I may have owed Yusuke my life, but I also owe Hiei for giving me a means to save my mother's life. No matter how galling it may be, I have to give Hiei this chance. And not just for his own sake, either…' He nodded.

Torn between gloating over his accomplishment, and moaning in fear of the potential disaster, Koenma responded, "Very well, then. I'll have George draw up a new contract for you to sign in a moment." Then he added in a suspicious tone, "But, why do you want Hiei to be freed so much?"

Kurama grimaced slightly at the question. He had known that Koenma would ask this sooner or later; indeed, he had expected it some minutes before. It was a question the cunning redhead had been struggling with for some time. If he told Koenma about Yukina, it would help in locating the girl as quickly as possible; but Hiei would know, and would almost certainly never forgive the kitsune for this latest betrayal. On the other hand, if he did not tell, Hiei would be back to his fruitless attempts at locating his twin by himself. `Decisions, decisions…'

The reincarnated youko focused his gaze on the prince, and went over what he knew about the demi-god. Admittedly, it was not much. But, as lazy and self-aggrandizing as Koenma could be sometimes, Kurama also knew he possessed a kind heart, and a desire to rule justly.

Coming to a decision at last, Kurama began, "Have you ever wondered what Hiei wanted the sword for?"

The obvious confusion on Koenma's face told Kurama that this would be an interesting story…

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Wynne: If you didn't get it, read YYH DS 1&2. If you're too lazy, fine: Kurama is telling Koenma that Hiei stole the sword to save his sister. Nothing like a sob story to get the government off your back!