Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demonic Circus ❯ Hiei's Fall ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

TITLE: Demonic Circus

DATE STARTED: January 19, 2006

DATE COMPLETED: January 22, 2006

RATING: T

PAIRINGS: Some Kurama/Hiei and Jin/Touya. Barely noticeable unless you look.

DISCLAIMER: Yu Yu Hakusho? Not mine. Never will be.

~*~

Hiei watched the strange lights and people in black moving around Kurama's house. There was so much activity, so late at night. The fox wouldn't be happy if he woke up to that. What would his ningen relatives be doing that made this much noise? Even the neighbors were watching.

He narrowed his eyes as his human mother, Shiori came from the house, hands over her face and muffled sobs could be heard even his distance away from the commotion. Why would she be crying? Had something happened?

The fire demon decided to take up his own investigation. From what Kurama said, she worried all the time, but crying was not something she did easily and these people in black meant that this wasn't some kind of ningen party. It was probably the ningen law enforcement. So…where was Kurama through all this? Surely he wasn't sleeping. There was too much noise.

He came to a stop outside Kurama's window, keeping hidden within the dark leaves of the tree. The shattered window and the blood scrapped up against the pieces left, something had gone on. However, what he couldn't understand was one; the glass was on the ground outside. This would be a good spot to break in, but there wasn't any glass on the inside, just a few shards.

Two, the boy wasn't there either. Had someone come for him to finish of the job they had started, and Kurama just happened to get caught in the middle? But that brought him to question number three; Youko was no easy task to defeat, he said that himself on a number of occasions. Youko would put up more of a fight, so something either surprised him, or this was a ruse for one of his schemes.

Not done very well, Youko…

But again, he realigned his thinking. There was no trail. Even if someone had took Kurama, there would be some kind of trail, wouldn't there? No…He gripped his katana tightly in his hand. That little boy…he wasn't as innocent as the reincarnated fox thought. He was a demon, that wasn't hard to figure out; even without his Jagan, but the boy's underlying powers…Did Kurama have any idea?

Damn, fox…why did he let that human side of his get a say in anything? It just brought trouble. Humans were trouble.

But, how did the boy take him away? He wasn't that physically strong to subdue him. It had to take cunning greater than even the `Great Youko Kurama' to trick him into a trap.

Unless it was the stress…Kurama had stated that he was tired, and he noticed the fox's sluggishness on the roof of that place he called the school earlier that day. He was not well. He hadn't been sleeping, and eating…he hadn't eaten lunch that day either.

Then, a recognizable ki caught his attention. He smirked. The boy revealed himself, whether he knew it or not. He would figure out what exactly this boy was, and how he was able to capture the Youko before he went in for the kill. I suppose I should find out where Kurama is too…

…If that came around during his interrogation, and the boy survived. If not, it wouldn't be a problem for Reikai to find him.

He closed his eyes, grinning in triumph and disappearing in his spot to stalk his prey.

~*~

“Man, Kurama was supposed to help me! Keiko said if I didn't get at least a fifty on this next test that I would have to do another study session with her, and I really don't want to do that again!” Yusuke complained, dropping his science book on the floor. He and Kuwabara were going over the test in the twenty-four hours.

“Why do you care? You don't go half the time anyway.” Kuwabara retorted.

“Because…another study session with Keiko might just kill me! She tied me to a chair, taped my eyelids up, and read to me for four hours straight! And that's not the worst of it!” He growled, picking up the book he dropped.

“Why didn't you just use your reiki to get free?” Kuwabara asked while he took notes from his science book.

“Because she had a hold of something else too…I am not going into details, she just said that if I tried anything she would go down hard. Man she's relentless nowadays!”

Kuwabara snickered, closing his book. “Well, you should know she's only going to get worse. Just get a fifty.”

“It's not that easy! Where the hell is Kurama!?” He tossed the book onto the table and stood up. “I'm going to watch some TV.”

“You need some help!”

“To watch TV?”

“No, to pass the test. I got a sixty-three on the last test.”

“Oh, so smart aren't we?” Yusuke sneered, picking up the remote control and turning on the television. The first thing on was the news.

“Change it!” Kuwabara said, setting himself next to his study partner.

“Hold on, that place looks familiar!” Yusuke replied, turning the volume up.

“…at the Minamino residence. The only thing disturbed in the household, and all witnesses could say was that the window in young Suuichi Minamino's room was broken, leaving blood and fabric traces. The police have no leads to go on.” A picture of the handsome red head came up on the screen. “If you have seen or heard anything about this young man, please call the number at the bottom of the screen…”

Yusuke dropped the remote and watched as more missing persons showed up on the television screen…Jin, Touya, Rinku, Chuu and then Kurama…what the hell was going on? Why the hell were those four even on the news? Hell, what were they in the Ningenkai for?!

“Urameshi…” Kuwabara looked up at his pal in the same realization he had come to. These weren't just random disappearances; they just didn't walk out and forget to come home. They were all demons. Something was seriously wrong.

“Maybe we need to pay a visit to Reikai, and see what Koenma has to say about all this.”

~*~

Hiei came to a halt in a forest clearing, the spot where he felt the boy's power. An ominous wind blew the trees in a strange way. The leaves danced in almost a slow motion sort of way.

“I see you're not as a smart as I previously believed, when I saw your mind.” An elderly voice broke the silence. Tachido, the elderly man limped out from the shadows on a stick, his dull eyes smiling, taunting the little fire demon.

“You didn't read my mind, old fool. I would have been able to tell.” Hiei retorted. His Jagan would have picked up on any intrusion.

“When you delved into little Sasuke's mind, I was able to pry into yours. You were too busy with what you saw there to even notice my presence. It was foolish.”

“You used the boy to get to me?”

“Not only you, but your friend as well. He knows that he's just a tool. A weapon made to be used by me. He's a very good one at that as well.” Tachido smirked. “Come here Sasuke. This is your last battle. Be proud and show this fool how you were able to outwit even Youko!”

Sasuke slid down off the branch he was sitting on, a deep sadness resting in his soft azure gaze. He looked up at Hiei who stepped back. What's with this kid?!

“Sasuke, do it!” Tachido hissed.

The little boy nodded and his eyes turned gold, but the cage he pulled though time missed its target.

Hiei had pulled off his bandana to reveal the violet colored Jagan, glowing. Hiei smirked. “Baka…I know every move you will make. You can't do to me what you did to the kitsune. Now I have some of my questions answered. That old man calls all the shots and your power has been confirmed. Just one last one to ask before you die, where did you take Kurama?”

Sasuke closed his eyes. “Suuichi is safe. I promised I wouldn't hurt him. He is my friend, my `guardian angel' as he so kindly put it. Don't you want to see him?”

“Hn, I'll see him soon enough!” He launched himself forward, before little Sasuke could respond, the katana blade dug deep into his shoulder. “Bring him here. You can bring things through time; it should be no problem to bring him here.”

Sasuke grit his teeth and placed a hand on Hiei's katana, making it disappear. “I can't…there are wards on his and the others' prisons.” He pulled away from Hiei as Kijo's yellow whip came crashing down between them.

He fell back onto the ground, clutching his wound, eyes watering from the pain. “Kijo…”

She kneeled next to her brother, glancing at the blood that increased in flow. “Don't worry. I'll make him pay for that. I promise you.”

“Kijo, don't!” Sasuke took her hand.

“It's all right. He's fast, but slow in the head.”

Hiei's eyebrow twitched. Insulting his intelligence?! True, he was incompetent when it came to the Ningenkai, but his mind didn't require that knowledge. He was very intelligent when it came to battle. “Hn, you seem to think you know everything.”

“What's wrong with you, hurting a little boy like that?!” Kijo snarled, her whip flaring with her anger.

“There is no room for emotions or hesitation on the battlefield, girl. You should learn that sometime.” Hiei's third eye glowed again.

Tachido grinned widely. “Thank you very much, Jaganshi. I just won this battle. His eyes changed color, one a serene blue, the other a piercing red.

Hiei froze. His opponent had disappeared, only the old man stood before him. He was no longer using his stick to support himself. He was ready to fight, and his age decreased right before his eyes! What was this!? His Jagan protested, trying to hint that something was not right, but Hiei's mind was clouded, and his Jagan had lost all strength to help him in this battle.

“Hahaha! I have a special ability, though it is not much of one. Each one of my eyes does something different. The red one, my `Piercing eye'. It allows me to see deep down, calculate your movements and come up with the exact same thing you would have done, even allows me to counter your attacks with more precise! My left one, the blue one, is known as the `Hypnotic eye'. It confuses my opponent, shows him illusions and clouds his mind with doubt. I win. Sasuke!”

Hiei looked around, but could not see the boy anywhere. He growled in frustration and decided to take out the old man first. That would get rid of the illusion.

“Gramps, he's hurt! We'll have to carry the demon.”

“Nonsense. He is strong. He will fight. Get up Sasuke!”

Sasuke nodded to his sister and pushed up from his spot. His eyes turned gold again and the portal opened up, Hiei running right into it.

“That was stupid…” Kijo commented.

Sasuke gave her a weak smile. “I think he was easiest.”

“Come. We have things to do.” Tachido said coldly, turning and hobbling into the portal as well.

Kijo pulled her brother onto her back and followed after the two, preparing to trap the fire demon upon their arrival.

~*~

Ring Leader smiled up at their newest catch, Hiei ramming the bars to get free. “You three have done well, and you have received payment for all of them, but I thought it over, and little Sasuke's power will come in handy for another little project I have in mind.”

Sasuke shuddered, holding tight to Kijo's arm, one from dizziness and the second to have security from Ring Leader. “What about my power?” He asked quietly.

“Yes, what do you want from him now?!” Kijo growled angrily.

“There are a few creatures, not necessarily demons, that are in the past and throughout the world. I just need you all to retrieve them for me. Trust me, I'll pay you more than the chump change I did for these animals. It'll be a good investment.”

“No.” Sasuke replied, shaking. All three adults looked down at him, those trapped blinking in confusion.

“What did you say?!”

“I said no. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I'm tired.” Sasuke stated louder, turning his face from the floor to Ring Leader, eyes glowing with determination.

“You insolent brat!” He brought his fist around, but Kijo took the blow, shielding her brother.

“That's enough!” She spat, pushing him behind her.

“Sasuke will do as he is told, Kijo. There is nothing else out there for him. Let him take his punishment. He was out of line.” Tachido said, turning his body to look at them.

“Gramps…you can't be…Sasuke is just a boy! You can't do this to him!”

“He was born to be used. When he disobeys his master, he should be punished.” He replied simply.

Ring Leader snapped his own whip and wrapped it around Kijo's neck. “I gave you everything! And this is my thanks?!” He pulled tighter.

“Stop! I'll go; I'll get whatever you want! Just leave Kijo alone, please!” Sasuke begged, tears rolling down his pale cheeks.

Ring Leader smirked and released his hold, the young woman falling forward, grasping her wounded throat, coughing in attempts to bring air into her lungs. “Fine. I'll tell you everything for your next job, boy. So meet me in the meeting room in one hour.” He walked off, shooting a triumphant glance to Kurama before leaving the room. Tachido closed his eyes and followed after him.

Kijo took her brother up by the collar of his shirt. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Kijo, I just didn't want you to get hurt!”

“Quit acting so weak! You could have very well stopped him without agreeing to his demands! He knows you have our father's heart so he preys on that!” Kijo dropped him and stood up. “Grow a backbone, or you'll never get anywhere!” She stormed out of the room.

Sasuke whimpered, but steeled himself. He had to meet Ring Leader, and he should worry more about himself than his sister right now.

“Sasuke?”

“Suuichi, is something wrong?” Sasuke asked, giving the fox a fake smile.

“Your wound. Allow me to look at it.”

“It's nothing. I'm fine. Just a scratch. Get some rest. We have a show to do tomorrow.” Sasuke replied coldly, to his friend for the first time. He tuned quickly, not wanting to be bothered at the moment and left for his meeting with Ring Leader.

~*~

Tachido's power…unexpected. I do not own the idea of the `piercing eye' and the `hypnotic eye'. I got that from the Naruto episode, `Zero Visibility: The Sharingan Shatters'. It was Haku's very accurate theory to Kakashi's Sharingan eye and gave Zabusa a way around it.

Kahuffstix: Thanks. Hope they continue to keep going at the pace they are.

Marikalay: I've been working on it (English classes at school didn't hurt either ^^). I like easy to read, because one, I have to go back over it a couple of times to make sure it has no errors, and two, I wouldn't want to read anything I couldn't understand. Thanks for the review!