Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Fornever Tantei ❯ Necessary Evil ( Chapter 10 )

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Between Death and Reality. While it isn't required that you read that first, some things referenced here may not make a whole lot of sense.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.

 

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Chapter 10

 

Necessary Evil

 

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Slipping silently through side streets and sticking to the shadows that he had once been so intimate with, Kurama approached his apartment. When the building came into view, he cursed silently. It was surrounded, though not obviously. An unmarked truck sat on the corner. Men in blue jackets stood across the street at the head of several alleys and outside of buildings. A couple of mean stood at the doorway of the apartment building, acting as though they were casually speaking, though Kurama could tell from their posture that they were on guard. Several more blue-jacketed men stood on the roof of his and surrounding buildings.

 

They've got it covered, Kurama thought irritably. That rules that option out. The fox stood hidden in the shadows a moment longer, considering his options. While he did not consider himself slow by any means, he did not have Hiei's speed and could not make the time his friend could getting to Genkai's, though the temple was probably surrounded as well if his apartment was. While Hiei may disdain most humans, he would not underestimate those from the Organization and would, therefore, not leave the temple if it was indeed already a target. That left Yusuke and Kuwabara.

 

Reaching out with his senses, Kurama was just able to make out their signatures on the other end of the city and moving. Since they had all been suppressing their energy, it was difficult to find one another, though Kurama knew his friends well enough to pick their signatures out, veiled or not. No one could disappear completely - only the dead. Kurama frowned. Rendezvousing with the boys would be hard to do without being seen. They were being split up, which was a distinct disadvantage, especially in their group. The fox had a feeling that the Organization had planned that to happen and they had fallen right into their trap. He mentally berated himself for not seeing it sooner. He should have gone directly to Yusuke and Kuwabara's school and met up with them.

 

Unconsciously pressing himself further back into the shadows, Kurama racked his brain in an attempt to come up with a plan of action. His choices were definitely limited. They needed to regroup but there was not way to get in contact with the others. Hiei was the one with the telepathic powers, not him. And he carried the only communication mirror currently in Human World. Doing anything with his aura to alert his friends would only draw unwanted attention. What he needed was a place he could disappear to where he could think. Too bad all his options seemed to be closed.

 

Sighing, the fox disappeared back the back the way he had come and decided to simply allow his feet to guide him. Sometimes over thinking matters just made them more complicated. Yusuke definitely subscribed to this motto.

 

Alright, Yusuke. Let's hope your irrational method benefits me as it tends to do for you.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Genkai nodded to herself as she studied her companions' work out a window. Hiei had erected a barrier with the use of the Jagan along with Touya and Yukina solidifying it with their combined ice powers. The others stood around their friends, ready in case any of the humans managed to somehow break through three layers of demonic power, which Genkai guess would not be for awhile.

 

The psychic wondered what the other three were currently facing. If the Organization had reached her temple through that newscast, there was no doubt all of Tokyo, if not all of Japan, was aware of their true identities now. They were unprepared for this strike and now she was sure they were disorganized as a result. Best laid plans… Genkai thought irritably. Normally she would have asked Hiei to check on the others - though he would have undoubtedly done it on his own by now anyway - but holding the barrier took enough concentration as it was.

 

Sooner or later the barrier would weaken to the point that any number of weaknesses could be exploited and the thugs of the Organization would break onto her grounds. No matter Hiei's pride, he would eventually tire and be forced to rest. Touya and Yukina would also tire, and most likely sooner than the Jaganshi. When that happened, Hiei would be forced to make up for the lack of the others' power, which would tire time even faster. None of the other demons present had a power well-suited to making a barrier, so it was down to those three. Genkai would do what she could to help when necessary, but since she had given Yusuke her Orb years earlier, she had much less power and stamina when it came to something like this.

 

What they needed was another plan for when the barrier fell, but with two of the brighter members of the group concentrating on just keeping the humans out, planning would be difficult, if not impossible. Genkai, Hiei, and Yukina knew the Human Realm better than any of the others, the psychic was the only one currently able to focus on the future.

 

She watched impassively as a few of the guards plucked up the courage to approach the barrier. She smiled in grim satisfaction as one by one they were thrown back when they got too close. As those men rose shakily to their feet, the obvious leader stepped forward, but not close enough to touch the barrier. Genkai appraised the new presence. It seemed that she was the only woman of the group but was definitely in charge. Her brown hair was tied back into a high ponytail and her blue jacket hugged her lithe form snugly. There was a definite strength to this human that Genkai mentally filed away.

 

“We only want Hiei Jaganshi,” she called out in a strong voice. “We have no qualms with the rest of you. Send out the fire demon and the rest of you may stay.” Genkai snorted and spared a glance for her demon companions. Their expressions ranged from incredulous to angry. With a grim expression, Genkai slid the door open.

 

“Pardon me if I don't trust you,” she called back.

 

“You have my word,” the brunette replied.

 

“That really doesn't do it for me,” Genkai retorted. “I just can't see you letting the eight of us go now if we gave you Hiei. I'm sure you know why.” The woman frowned thoughtfully for a moment.

 

“Genkai the human psychic, Hiei of the former Reikai Tantei, Yukina the ice maiden, Touya the Ice Master, Jin the Wind Master, Chuu the drunken fighter, Rinku of the yo-yos, Shishiwakamaru, wielder of the Banshee Shriek, and Beautiful Suzuka, the artifact collector,” she listed. “All with ties not only to the Reikai Tantei, but to the Demon World and its denizens. Yes, you are right Master Genkai. We know. But because of the dangers of the fire demon, we would take him in exchange for the rest of your freedoms.”

 

“Only until the next round,” Genkai countered. “Besides, it is not our place to `give' Hiei to you. His power supersedes all of ours.”

 

“But perhaps he would give himself up for the rest of you.” Genkai snorted.

 

“And here I thought your intelligence network was good. That sort of sacrifice is hardly in Hiei's nature.” Well, it didn't used to be, anyway.

 

“Times and loyalties have changed,” the woman replied. Damn.

 

“We hardly mean that much to him,” Genkai retorted and she could feel Hiei grinning to himself.

 

“I'm sure there is one among you he cares for.” Genkai blinked and the barrier wavered for a split-second. The psychic looked back into the temple to see Hiei sitting open-eyed at that last comment.

 

“Damnit Hiei, concentrate,” Genkai hissed under her breath before turning back out.

 

“Don't you dare say it,” Hiei hissed back and Genkai nodded.

 

“He declines,” she told the woman. The brunette merely nodded as if she had been expecting the reply.

 

“We are patient. The barrier will fall sooner or later. Then we will take all of you.” Genkai bit her lip before slamming the door shut.

 

“We need another plan.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Yusuke and Kuwabara were running. They had no idea where they were running to at this point or what to do next. All they wanted to do at this point was put some distance between themselves and any pursuing humans. Every now and then they would taken random turns or backtrack to throw off any potential trackers. Finally they ran into a dark alley where they stopped to collect themselves.

 

“What do we do now, Urameshi?” Kuwabara asked quietly. Yusuke shrugged.

 

“Hell if I know. We need Kurama for this sort of thing.” Yusuke blinked. “Speaking of, where do you think he is?” Kuwabara frowned as he reached out with his senses. The orange-haired teen was much more sensitive so would be more likely to find the fox's suppressed aura. After a moment, Kuwabara looked back up.

 

“He's way across the city and slowly on the move.”

 

“Could we catch up to him?” Yusuke asked, knowing the group needed to assemble to regroup after this blow.

 

“Without being seen?” Kuwabara asked and Yusuke nodded. “Doubtful.” Yusuke frowned.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I can only tell a vague direction that he's in,” Kuwabara replied. “It would take awhile if he were standing still to find him. But he's not. And we shouldn't either.”

 

“Where d'ya think he's going?” the raven-haired boy asked. Kuwabara shrugged in response.

 

“No idea.”

 

“His apartment?” the ex-head Tantei suggested.

 

“Could be.”

 

“We could make it there unseen,” Yusuke mused and Kuwabara watched his friend silently. He could practically see the gears turning in his head. Though he was the leader of their old team, Yusuke had left most of the thinking to Kurama and Hiei. They were just better at it.

 

“Yeah?” Kuwabara pressed. Yusuke looked up at his friend.

 

“We need to keep moving, right?” Kuwabara nodded. “And we all need to meet up, right?” Another nod. “Well, that is probably our best bet then, looking for Kurama. And his apartment is the best place to start.” Kuwabara shrugged.

 

“It's the only idea we've got.” Yusuke nodded.

 

“Let's go.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Despite the danger he was currently in if he did anything careless, Kurama was lost in thought as he let his feet lead him. He stuck to the shadows out of instinct, using his intimate knowledge of them from his years as Youko. He blinked out of his reverie when he realized he had stopped moving. He looked up and couldn't catch an exhalation of surprise from escaping his lips. He stood in front of the Minamino residence. He shook his head. His feet had failed him. He couldn't go in there. He couldn't face his family. Not now.

 

But when? a small voice in the back of his head asked. Will you forsake them now? Do you not owe them the truth or would you rather they learned a mangled version from the Organization-controlled media?

 

They'll reject me, the first side argued back. I have lied to them and they deserve better.

 

Exactly. The truth is better.

 

Not always.

 

Yes. Always.

 

Kurama sighed. His heart and his mind often struggled like this, though he rarely let it show. It hadn't been this bad since Amanuma, though. But in the end, he was forced to do what he would have preferred not to. Necessary evil seemed to be a theme in his life.

 

What can I say to them?

 

What needs to be said.

 

But…

 

They need to understand.

 

I know.

 

A necessary evil.

 

Yes. A necessary evil.

 

Taking a calming breath and looking around but seeing no blue coats, Kurama walked slowly up the walkway. He paused in front of the door, wondering whether he should knock. Realizing he could be drawing unwanted attention to himself by just standing there, Kurama bit his lip and opened the door. He silently stepped inside and pulled his shoes off, though held onto them. He just didn't feel right putting them net to his mother, father, and step-brother's anymore. He caught the scent of his family in the living room and slowly made his way over. He paused in the doorway. All three of his family members sat in front of the television, though it was off. Wait, why was Shuichi home at this hour? Shouldn't he be at school?

 

“Suuichi,” Shiori said quietly and Kurama blinked as all three looked up at him. “You're home.” She swallowed. “I thought you had class.”

 

“It let out early,” Kurama replied cautiously, a lump beginning to form in the back of his throat.

 

“Shuichi was sick today so didn't go to school,” Hatanaka said quietly and Kurama nodded.

 

“You were never ill much when you were younger, Suuichi. Except for that time two years ago…” Shiori said trailing off. Kurama swallowed against the unbidden memories that had risen to the surface after that statement.

 

“Have you been watching television?” the red-head asked after a silent moment. Shiori nodded.

 

“The news.” Kurama's heart sank. A small part of him had hoped that his family had somehow missed the broadcast, though he was sure the Organization had had some plan to get everyone in the country to watch today.

 

“Mother, I-” Kurama began but Shiori cut him off.

 

“No, please don't `Mother' me,” she said. Kurama could feel his heart begin to shatter. His greatest fear since coming to Human World had been that she would reject him when he revealed his true identity, and he could feel the beginnings of the nightmare playing out. “Am I really even your mother?”

 

“In a way,” Kurama replied softly and Shiori swallowed. Swaying slightly, she rose to her feet with some help from Kazuma.

 

“All this time,” she whispered. “I always knew there was something. But this…?”

 

“Mother please. Let me explain,” Kurama pleaded uncharacteristically.

 

“What is there to explain?” she asked harshly and Kurama's eyes widened at the tone.

 

“Everything,” he replied softly after a moment. Shuichi suddenly rose as well and walked toward his step-brother.

 

“Are you really a demon, Suuichi?” he asked and Kurama nodded slowly.

 

“I am,” he said, voice almost catching in the back of his throat. Shuichi studied his brother intently for several moments.

 

“You look the same to me. Only… sadder.” Kurama blinked. Shiori and Hatanaka were watching with open mouths.

 

“Shuichi-”

 

“So this whole time you've been a demon?” the younger boy asked and Kurama nodded slowly once more.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Cool.” Kurama looked at his younger brother thunderstruck. Shuichi, the one who had been so into the demon craze, was accepting him as a demon? Just like that? All he could say was `cool'?

 

“So, you really are a fox demon?” Kazuma asked, recovering from his surprise at his son's reaction. Kurama nodded yet again.

 

“My truest name is Youko Kurama. I was a bandit,” he said. “A legendary bandit in the Demon World.”

 

“A thief?” Shiori asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And did you… kill?” Kurama swallowed. There was nothing for it but to be honest.

 

“Yes.” Shiori's face drained of color at the response.

 

“So, how old are you?” Shuichi asked curiously. He seemed to be taking this well, at least.

 

“Around fifteen hundred years in human time,” Kurama replied quietly.

 

“Fifteen… hundred?” Shiori asked in shock and Kurama nodded once more.

 

“And what exactly were the `Reikai Tantei'?” Kazuma asked.

 

“My atonement,” the fox said, raising his gaze to look directly at his mother, hoping against hope that she would see the sincerity in his eyes. Her gaze in return, however, was blank.

 

“Atonement?” she asked quietly.

 

“Yes.”

 

“For what?” Kurama swallowed.

 

“For all the terrible things I've done in my life.” Shiori looked weak, as if his reply had sapped all her strength from her body. The fox could feel tears threatening to form behind his eyes. No matter the emotionless façade he wore, he still felt and hurt like everyone else. He just hid it better. But at this point the barriers were moments from crumbling. This was stressing him too much to stay in control.

 

“Terrible things…” Shiori murmured weakly and Kurama hung his head. How could he have thought this was the right thing to do? There was a sudden pounding on the front door that caused all four to jump in surprise.

 

“Open up!” a muffled call came from the outside. “We have reason to believe there is a demon in this home!” Kurama looked over at Shiori and wished he could have told her. He wished he had told her how much he loved her and how her love had changed him. He wished at that moment that she knew how he had protected her with all his might and that he had been branded a traitor as a result. At that moment he wished that she knew what she meant to him; that she had, in effect, tamed on of Makai's greatest legends.

 

“Shiori,” Kazuma whispered urgently. She blinked and looked at Kurama. For a moment their eyes met and he could feel her studying those emerald depths of his, as if she were trying to access his very soul. It felt like hours that they stood like that, though it could not have been more than a few moments.

 

“Open the door!” Shiori blinked and the connection was broken. “Open the door or we'll come in ourselves!”

 

“Shiori…” Kazuma whispered again. Shiori continued watching Kurama and the fox returned the gaze.

 

“I'll understand if you want to turn me in,” he whispered. Shiori bit her lip before speaking.

 

“There is so much you haven't told us,” she said finally and, in his surprise at this response, nodded.

 

“There is so much you need to know,” he replied earnestly. He could feel his mask cracking with every passing second and he had a feeling Shiori could see it as well.

 

“Do you love me?” Shiori asked after a moment and for a time Kurama could only stare in surprise at this question. His fortifications were crumbling around and inside him.

 

“Yes,” he said finally, unable to find the words to describe what she meant to him - a rarity for the well-spoken fox. Shiori finally nodded.

 

“I believe you. I see it in those eyes.” A tear trickled down her cheek.

 

“We're going to come in!”

 

“Go,” Shiori whispered and Kurama's eyes widened. “There is so much more to this story than we know and I want to hear it. From you. So please, run. And be safe until this is over. And come back to us.”

 

“Mother…” Kurama was thunderstruck.

 

“Go. My son.” Kurama could see the struggle in his mother's eyes and knew how hard this was for her. The longer he lingered the harder it would be for her.

 

“Thank you,” he said before running towards the back door. He slid the door open, slipped his shoes back on, checked for any signs of blue coats, then ran towards the wooded area in the back yard.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Shiori watched as her son - the demon she had thought was her son - ran from her. His mask had crumbled during the confrontation and that had caused her to realize that it had hurt him as well. The sincerity in his eyes had forced her to let him go. There was more to the story and she wanted to hear it from his mouth. She needed to hear it from his mouth. And no matter what she did, she could not shake that reminder that she had raised him. She had seen a change go through him as he got older. She looked down at her arms and saw those terrible scars. It had all begun that day…

 

And she had seen that in his eyes even if he had not spoken it. And so she needed to know. So she had let him go.

 

The pounding on the door continued and snapped Shiori from her reverie. She walked to the front door silently, Kazuma and Shuichi behind her. She paused in front of it for a moment and took a deep breath before opening it. Several men in blue jackets stood there looking irate.

 

“About damn time,” the man in the front growled.

 

“I'm sorry,” Shiori said simply, not making any excuses for her tardiness in opening the door. “What can we do for you?”

 

“I'm sure you saw the news today,” the man said and Shiori nodded.

 

“We did.”

 

“So you are aware of the true identity of your son.”

 

“Yes.” It was hard to keep her voice from breaking.

 

“We have reason to believe he has been here.”

 

“He hasn't,” Kazuma said and Shiori had to keep herself from looking back at her husband in surprise.

 

“You aren't protecting him, are you?” the man sneered.

 

“And why would we do that?” Shiori demanded, praying she sounded convincing. The man blinked. “I raised him all these years only to find I have been lied to. Do you really think I would want someone like that in my home and not behind bars?”

 

“He is a powerful demon and could have easily done something to trick you into helping.”

 

“I am no longer blind to the truth and I would appreciate it if you didn't act as if I am,” Shiori retorted irritably. “I don't want a demon in my home any more than you do.” The man didn't seem to have anything to say to that. He nodded finally.

 

“Call us if he contacts you.” Shiori nodded.

 

“Naturally.” The man paused.

 

“I'm sorry,” he said, as if her son had died. Though, in a way, maybe he had. The man turned and walked down the steps, followed by his silent companions. Shiori closed the door as the men got into their truck.

 

“Was that wise, Shiori?” Kazuma asked and Shiori closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotion that hit her.

 

“I hope so.”

 

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Author's Note: Well, now it gets interesting and only will keep rolling from here. I've written about half of the next chapter, so I hope to get that up sometime in the next week before I head back to school. So yeah, leave me a review. I'm too lazy to come up with a “tell me” tag, so just let me know what you thought.