Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Sin of Regret ❯ Chapter 5

A/N: Well, another disgustingly short chapter; but that's fine since I'm almost done. There's only one more chapter and the epilogue! You don't need to wait long for them either, since they're already finished! (They just need a little bit of refinement)

The Sin of Regret

Chapter 5

A brown, lizard-like youkai crept through the bushes of someone's back yard, he knew he was getting close, he could feel residual youki in some of the plants up ahead. This area had long been "off limits" to youkai; protected by some mid-level youkai or hanyou, though he had heard some rumors that the beautiful, red-haired plant-manipulator was actually the reincarnated Youko Kurama. He had all but disregarded these rumors.

In any case, the youkai in the area had been testing the boundaries of this territory for the last month, coming in as far as they dared before leaving quickly. The current rumor was that the owner of this territory was dead, and it was now up for grabs. The lizard-like youkai had decided to seek out the center of the territory, to find the home of the protector and ascertain if he was dead or not, and if not, if he was weak enough to kill easily.

Close now, the youkai could more easily feel the youki in the plants; the lizard had the useful ability of blending his youki in with the ki of the plants around him, and as such had developed the ability to read plant ki, so he could feel that the residual youki served the purpose of strengthening these plants and making them more resistant to extremes. He could also feel that the youki was old, at least a year or so.

A slight rustling of leaves caused the youkai to look up nervously and suddenly he was assaulted by a strong youki; not the same forest youki that he felt from the plants, but rather fire youki, hot and oppressive. The youkai had only a moment to register the small figure in the tree before it vanished in a blur of movement and the flash of a katana ended the lizard youkai's life.

Hiei glared the corpse of the larger youkai; they had been getting more and more daring lately, this one had been almost in Kurama's backyard when Hiei had noticed him, damn chameleon youkai. Hiei burned the corpse away with the black fire, until only some small bits of bone were left; Hiei picked them up and regarded them thoughtfully, then ran off to deposit them around the edges of Kurama's territory as a warning to other youkai.

A week had passed since Hiei had returned to the ningenkai. Kurama had since been released from the hospital and had moved back in with his family; he hadn't wanted to, but he knew that Shiori would worry constantly if he went back to his apartment. So far, Hiei had dealt with a couple of youkai who were out for revenge and this chameleon who was apparently interested in Kurama's territory; Hiei might have considered letting him take it too, if he hadn't gone after Kurama.

The weak youkai who came into the ningenkai were seldom enough of a threat to warrant the Reikai's attention, and the smart ones kept it that way by preying on animals rather than humans. They carved out their own territories in the ningenkai, just as in the Makai.

When Kurama's ningen body had turned ten and he had began to regain his powers he too started to carve out his own territory; it had simply been something he _needed_ to do, it was a way to strengthen his powers, to make himself feel like a youkai again by washing away the "ningen taint" with youkai blood. It was also an instinctive compulsion.

Hiei had never quite shared that compulsion; sure, he had every intention of inheriting Mukuro's territory once she died, but territory was just something he wanted, not something he needed.

Hiei placed the last bit of bone, then turned back toward Kurama's family's house. In a matter of minutes he was perched in the tree outside Kurama's window, carefully positioned so that he wouldn't be seen but could easily look in on the kitsune. He wasn't ready yet to face Kurama, he didn't know how to reconcile the Kurama he had thought he'd known and the feelings he had for the kitsune with the things Mukuro had told him.

Hiei had always known that youko were promiscuous and that they were much sought after as lovers, he also knew that Youko Kurama had a particularly colorful past; that had been part of the reason he had been slow to accept Kurama's subtle advances. Eventually, though, he had gradually started to respond; however, once Mukuro had noticed this, she took Hiei aside and calmly laid everything out for him.

Youko are similar to incubi and succubi; that is, they are energy vampires who feed off their partners during sex. As Hiei knew from prior experience, those who feed off the ki of others find the unique ki of the only known Forbidden Child of the Koorime to be irresistible; and Hiei also knew that Kurama loved a good challenge, the kind of challenge that seducing a taciturn fire youkai would present.

The picture that had emerged with this new knowledge had been enough to send the little youkai into a state of deep shock that Mukuro hadn't been able to bring him out of for the better part of two days.

For a Forbidden Child, who had been abandoned at birth and had been shunned almost his entire life, this kind of betrayal from someone he trusted and was growing to love was a shattering blow. Hiei had immediately closed of his heart to Kurama...or at least, he had tried to; but, despite everything, Hiei was still compelled to protect Kurama, and no excuse could change the fact that he did so because he still had alarmingly strong feelings for the kitsune.

~*~

Mukuro frowned as one of her Jaki[1] gave her the latest report on Hiei's actions. This wasn't getting anywhere. She had hoped that once Hiei went to the ningenkai he would finally confront the Youko; but he still had made no move to resolve the problem, and, knowing Hiei, he would keep avoiding it until something forced his hand.

Hiei's response to her information had been worse than she'd expected; yes, she had known he would be hurt by the knowledge, but less so than when Kurama inevitably tired of and abandoned him. Once Hiei had come out of his shock he'd thrown himself into his duties as heir to the point that Mukuro had become concerned for his health; a dead heir was of no use to her, after all. Obviously, Hiei's feelings for the Youko were deeper than she had originally estimated.

"I hate being wrong," she muttered.

"Eh?" The Jaki had finished it's report and was waiting for it's next order.

"Nothing," Mukuro sighed. "Get a few other Jaki together and find that blue-haired ferry-girl. Tell her that I wish to speak to her."

~*~

Hiei's eyes snapped open and he was immediately alert as he detected a nearby youkai; this one was much stronger than the chameleon from before. Hiei scowled and flitted off to find it.

He found it in a small park; it was a hulking creature with red, almost rock-like skin, and it appeared to be waiting for him.

Hiei landed in front of it, ready to draw his katana at the slightest provocation.

"Mukuro sent me," the youkai said.

"What does she want?"

"She wanted me to speak to you," a familiar feminine voice replied behind Hiei.

Hiei cursed, turning to face Botan. Botan's presence had been completely cloaked by the youkai's ki; if he'd thought to check he probably would have noticed her reiki, but instead he had been focusing on the youki.

"My job is done," the youkai said, bowing slightly to Botan.

"Thank you for your help," Botan replied, bowing as well; then she turned to Hiei. "Don't even think about running off!"

"Hn."

"You came back to the ningenkai and you're watching over Kurama, so at least you're not completely heartless, but the least you can do is let Kurama know you're pulling for him too!!!" Botan sighed, calming herself. "He needs all the support he can get right now; he's pretty much resigned himself to death. We only have a month left to find out what's wrong with him, and that's assuming he doesn't take off the limiter before then. You should go see him; if anyone can convince him to fight this, it's you."

"Are you done?" Hiei asked abruptly. The ferry girl scowled, opening her mouth to object, then shut it again and just glared at him before replying.

"No, there's one other thing, and this comes from Mukuro: `Dancing around the issue isn't going to help anyone; just confront the damn Youko and get it over with.' I don't know what she's talking about, but that's it, word-for-word."

"Hn."

Within the space of a heartbeat, Hiei had disappeared.

[1] A Jaki is a kind of Imp; I'm assuming it has very low youki and therefore can generally go unnoticed by everyone, making it an ideal messenger and spy. Hiei was shown to have one in Chapter 22 of the Manga (equivalent to Episode 8). They termed it "Minion Demon" in the translation and I don't know if it was called "Jaki" in the original Japanese or not, but that's what it is, or close enough anyway.