A flash of black darted through the tree limbs, stopping on an unusually taller tree branch.
The short-stature figure in a black cloak with a white scarf blinked his eyes opened to scan the area. Even without his third eye, he could easily scan the horizon for his next target.
Hiei, a demon well worthy of the title of S class, had to work with a team today, sadly. Yusuke, Kurama, and the Baka (AKA Kuwabara) were trailing behind, while Hiei sped ahead.
There was nothing more that the half-koorime wanted to do than to find a nice spot within the ningen to take a nap, instead he is out here doing another mission made by that absurd toddler of the over-world.
The hunt this time was a supposed spirit beast that had to be taken down immediately, threatening the human, demon, and spirit world alike.
"Hn." Hiei breathed out. This was probably one of those tall tales that Koenma talked about. He was desperate to get the entire gang together and bring down this beast. It couldn't have been THAT dangerous to have summoned three S class demons and a buffoon to take it down. Well, at least it would be done quickly so that he can get back to his relaxing nap.
A blue glow emitted from underneath the cloth around his forehead. Closing his natural eyes, he could concentrate his sight out of the Jagan eye. The sense is magnetized to a whole new perspective. Able to see miles of terrain and able to pinpoint where his destination is.
Suddenly, he spotted it. A strange mix of ki was emitting from a cave just a few miles northeast of where he was. Looking further into the cave, he spotted a creature that he has never encountered before. It was small in size, and his power seemed similar to a D class demon, but there was something strange about his ki.
Not taking a chance, Hiei darted off towards his newest target, feeling his gangs energy catching up to him, and hopefully having the smarts to fallow him.
~O~
Kurama's nose wiggled slightly, "I believe Hiei has found something." The redhead called back to Yusuke, sniffing the air again, and following the fire demons trail.
"Alright, nice going, guys! We'll have this beast clobbered in no time!" The slick-backed hair leader said with a grin, running alongside his two companions.
Kuwabara blinked, "How can you tell, just by the scent, Kurama?" He was the last to follow the three ahead, making sure to be the team backup.
The half-breed smirked, "Hiei's scent is easy to follow, and the flare in ki allows me to keep track of his emotions. He purposefully did that to leave a trail for us."
The carrot-haired man hummed to himself, trying for a moment to see if he could sniff out the smaller demon in vain. All he could smell around him was the forest and the scent of trees. It amazed him to a certain extent that Kurama could still have his trained sense of smell even in his human form. He couldn't imagine how strong his ability would work in his actual demon form. "Wow, Kurama that is really cool that you know Hiei's scent like that. I can feel his ki flare up, but it isn't as strong as when he is near.
Green eyes blinked when he felt Hiei's ki flare up once again. Hiei had stopped, and from the scent, appeared to be around 10 miles away. It would probably take them about thirty minutes to reach him from where they are at now. Not that Kurama couldn't easily catch up to him; he had to take in consideration his teammates. Kuwabara was still a human, and couldn't run as fast as he and Yusuke could. If they darted off without him, he would lose them easily in this forest. "I have been around him long enough to memorize his scent. I know when he is happy, sad, angry, and even injured based on scent alone. I even memorized yours and Yusuke's scent as well, Kuwabara."
"Heh, you know Kurama, I am starting to get this whole smelling thing too since becoming a half-bred demon. Although, not as strong as yours, of course. Maybe we can share some pointers, eh?" Yusuke half-joked. He could feel Hiei a little bit, although he was very far away, and it was hard to make out. It seemed that the centuries old fox had gotten the best of him in this round.
"Really? Aww awesome! Man, I wish I had those kind of abilities, all I have is a very strong sixth sense." Kuwabara sighed. It really wasn't fair that all of his teammates had something very special about them, and he seemed to be just an ordinary human. Hiei had the ability to summon a deadly black dragon from the pits of demon world at his control. Kurama is a centuries old fox demon with the amazing ability to control plants of all kinds. And Yusuke is half-bred royalty from a demon lord.
"Nonsense, Kuwabara! Remember when you tore down that gate between human and demon world? Even the highest class of demons couldn't break that thing, and you come along and take one good swipe with your sword and BAM!" Yusuke said as he pretended to swing an imaginary sword. Everyone in his team was precious to him in some way. That doesn't exclude Kuwabara because he isn't a demon. He was, probably, one of the reasons why he has come so far as a spirit detective. Without him, he would be nothing.
Suddenly, a chill ran through the orange-haired man. "Whoa! Do you feel that guys?" He said, slowing down his running a bit. "It feels kind of like Hiei. Did he find the thing that we are looking for?"
Kurama grew serious, "I am not sure. I hope that he isn't planning to face that beast alone. We must hurry!" Hiei was sometimes a little too headstrong, trying to do everything for himself, without the aid of his friends.
"Yeah, fox-boy is right. Come on guys; let's kick it up a notch." Yusuke said, as he and Kurama upped their pace. He had to hurry and get to his teammate. He wished that Hiei would stay with them, but there was no convincing that hardheaded demon.
"H-Hey! Guys, wait up will ya!?"
~O~
A rustle of grass was met with the small echo of the cave entrance. The small fire demon entered the dark cave with his head held high. Something was in here, and he was going to kill it himself. He could feel his team, a few miles away and wouldn't be reaching him for a few minutes. That is all it would take him to finish this beast. He would slay it before they even arrived.
The sound of his boots, as he walked, echoed from the cavern walls, signaling his presence to the creature that lay in the darkness. Hiei wasn't one to sneak his way and attack, like Kurama would so foolishly do. He made sure that his enemies saw him as he spill their guts. It has always been like that for him. Why hide? It ruins the fun.
Silently, the smaller demon continued through the darkness. He could feel the mass of energy getting stronger, the more he progressed. It wasn't hard to tell that the beast knew he was there, as a light growl emitted over the sound of Hiei's walking.
Through his cloak, Hiei ran a thumb over the hilt of his sword, hanging over his left hip. He would quickly take out the creature with a quick swipe of his sword, and if that fails, then finish him off with the black dragon. He was missing his chance to take a nap, and he was already feeling a bit grouchy. "Why don't you just come out now, and save the trouble of me hunting you down?" Hiei spat venomously at the hiding demon.
The cave illuminated, and Hiei stopped, as he saw the beast that needed to be slain. The demon's entire body was made, what looked to be, of the darkness flame that Hiei was so fond of using. The four-legged creature had four deadly sharp claws on each flaming paw, and a spiked tail to match. It had a horn in the middle of its forehead, and sharp fangs that adorned its features. Although it looked formidable, it looked no bigger than the size of a large-breed canine.
A grin spread onto the half-koorime's face as he easily reached over and pulled out his katana. "I feel pity for you; I will make this quick." With a crouching stance, in the blink of an eye, Hiei was gone and appeared in front of the small creature, swiping his sword at its throat.
Without warning, the flaming demon reached around and bit onto the sword with a loud snarl, its teeth shattering the steel katana like a porcelain artifact. Blood red eyes widened slightly, as he leaped back, as a clawed paw reached for him with speed nearly matching Hiei's.
Landing on a raised rock surface, crouching, Hiei pulled the handle of his blade to his face to examine the damage. The sword was no longer attached, and what remained was the handle with a small piece of steel at the end. Throwing it aside, hearing it clack against the cavern wall, Hiei "hn"-ed softly and stood slowly. "It has been a while since I have used my dragon. Consider yourself honored to have witnessed it before it devours your entire being."
Reaching his left hand over to his right, he unraveled the bandages he keeps over his permanent scar of the dragon that he consumed on his arm. The creature roared, claws scratching at the ground like an angry bull, and lowering its head like it is ready to charge.
As the final wrappings of his arm drooped to the floor, the dragon shaped scar seemed to come alive, and wrap around his entire being. Black flames etched around the fire demon, burning off his headband and shirt in the process, showing off an opened Jagan eye. The smallest of the two demons roared and charged as Hiei did the same. Pulling his arm back, "Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" then shoving it forward, the dragon beast emitted a demonic howl that echoed loudly in the cave, shaking the earth.
Everything was a black haze when the two beasts collided. A deafening and high pitch ringing bled through Hiei's ears, as he felt the dragon make its mark. His newly drained body, quivered in place as he knelt to regain his sense of balance and from falling over.
Soon, he would have to hibernate and hoped that his team would get here before he would go out like a light. The entire cave still had a thick reminiscent haze of the dragons black fire, and probably the ashen from the creature that was sacrificed to it.
A stinging silence rang through the cave, as Hiei struggled to get his bearings, and stand up straight. Suddenly, a clawed paw reached him, as he blinked, jumping away from the swipe. "What the…?!" Hiei said sharply, as the fog cleared, showing the same creature, only much larger than he last remembered. It was the size of an elephant at best.
The fire demon hissed, as he felt pain on his chest. The soft sound of blood splatting on the ground below him, tapped in a generous rhythm as it dripped from his body. Looking down, Hiei noticed three large gashes across his torso. Luckily, they were not deep, but any deeper and he would be dead.
"I-Impossible…" Hiei whispered to himself, as he saw the, now larger, demon raise its head and let out a roar that shook the entire cave, even managing to make the smaller of the two stumble. "It somehow seemed to absorb my dragon, and used it to gain its own strength." The half-koorime thought, as he regained his strong stance.
Did the creature absorb his energy entirely? Perhaps it uses its opponent's ki against them, growing in strength and size when attacked. It seems that he had underestimated his opponent, slightly. Kurama's way of fighting would have provided a better chance, it seems. Although, Hiei would not even come close to surrendering this fight. He has never done so in the past and plans not to start now.
White hot flames enveloped his hands; if this doesn't work, then he would be left to deal with the beast with his bare hands. "Fists of the Mortal Flame!" Hiei darted quickly onto the back of the large demon and struck it in the back of the head with lightning fast punches. Quickly, Hiei disappeared before a swinging tail nearly struck him, landing a good few meters away, stumbling slightly.
A growl left his lips, as he noticed that the demon seemed unaffected by the attack, and stomped angrily. Its claws dug into the rock and its tail swung back in place behind it. Now it was the creatures turn.
Charging after the small demon, it reached down with sharp fangs. Hiei growled again, as he dodged the attack, leaping up to avoid the huge mass and teeth that threatened to tear him apart. He was at a loss. How was he supposed to defeat this beast? There was no way he would be able to use his own bodily strength because of his mass and size. It would be no effect.
A large mass appeared and struck him, the sharp bladed spikes stabbed deeply into his abdomen and waist, as his body was propelled backward and into the nearest cavern wall. The minute his back hit the solid rock, the youkai's breath shot out of his body, as he fell to the ground. Hiei's pants were shredded where the blades met his skin, and a few of his trademark belts were snapped, broken apart.
For a moment, his exhausted body collapsed, his hibernation knocking at him to rest. Hiei forced his eyes opened and desperately pulled himself to his hands and knees. Crimson eyes glared down the seemingly unbeatable creature that looked to be gloating. How was he going to kill this beast? His Black Dragon didn't work, and neither did his sword or Mortal Flame.
A loud roar emitted from the demon, happy with its new-found prey. Stalking over to the helpless and crippled demon, it licked its chops, a nasty purple tongue graced over sharp fangs, as drool leaked from its mouth.
"Great…" Hiei thought. "I am going to be eaten alive and killed by a ningenkai beast…" His body shook, as he bleeds out on the stony surface. He had never felt so vulnerable before. He is at the complete mercy of this creature, on his hands and knees, bleeding to death. An arm reached up to wrap around his stomach, feeling the holes in his body, and the organs that threatened to spill out if any sudden movement is made. He was in no condition to use his super-speed anymore.
The elephant-sized demon seemed to grin, as he stopped in front of his helpless prey. With a final lunge it bared its fangs and growled out loudly to eat its newest meal.
"Spirit Gun!"
Hiei deemed to accept his fate, until he heard a familiar voice. Darting his head over to the newest trio that entered the cave, all he managed to see was a large energy ball aiming his way, towards the beast. He tried to scream out against the attack, but it would have been futile since the shot was already fired.
The blast was so strong; it knocked the beast hard into the wall, making the cave shake and rocks from the ceiling collapse on top of it. The half-koorime blinked at the attack, although pain brought him back into the world of reality quickly, as he grunted, biting his bottom lip.
"Hiei!" Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara yelled out as they ran towards their injured friend.
"Damn Hiei, you couldn't keep your sword in your pants could ya shorty?!" Yusuke knelt down to assess the damage done to his favorite little demon, reaching a hand out to pull the others arm over his shoulder.
"Y-You stupid… fool…" Hiei managed, as he coughed. Blood splattered onto the floor, as he tried to breathe through his burning lungs.
Immediately after Hiei spoke, the cavern rumbled again, and a loud and vicious growl emitted from the pile of rocks that contained the beast. "W-What, what the hell was that!?" Kuwabara shook slightly, pulling out his trusty Spirit Sword.
Kurama didn't need to look over Hiei to know the damage. Just from the scent he could tell that he was near death. "Yusuke, we have to get him out of here." Reaching behind his head and under his hair, he pulled out a seed. Concentrating his ki into it, it bloomed into his hand, and he plucked off a leaf. The plant receded and turned back into a seed as he put it back. He knelt down and put it up to Hiei's mouth. "Eat this, Hiei, it will help stop the bleeding."
The injured male growled and jerked his head away, immediately regretting it as it made him a bit dizzy. "Get that vile thing away from me, F-Fox…" it was difficult not to stutter, the sheer amount of blood loss was affecting his speech.
This time, a roar followed by a loud crash, echoed throughout the cave as the rocks that held the beast erupted in a bout of black flames. The terrifying creature glowed anew with vigor as it arose from its shallow grave, its sight set on the three newcomers that dare to interrupt its meal.
"H-Holy shit! What is that thing!" Kuwabara freaked, as he backed away to get a better look at the new bigger than before monster. It looked to be the size of a house, and it was so tall that it had to crouch as to not hit its head on the ceiling. "Uh, guys, I think we should take Hiei and run."
Yusuke blinked at the comment that Hiei made earlier to him. Not listening to it, he ignored his little friend, and hoisted him up to carry him, bridle style, as to not aggravate his wounds. "He's right, let's get out of here." He claimed, looking at the terrifying beast. If they had the space to battle then he could attempt his Spirit Gun again, but he could have sworn that the creature grew in size.
The smaller demon grit his teeth, when Yusuke held him. He wasn't a damsel in distress, he could walk if needed. "P-Put me down, Detective…! I am capable of… ugh… w-walking!" He could hear the stomping of the enemy behind them, through the slight ringing in his ears. He had to let them know that they couldn't use their ki on it.
Yusuke chuckled slightly, making a run for it with Kurama and Kuwabara for the exit of the cave. "Sorry, Hiei. But I may never get this chance again to see you like this. I have to make it last." The humor in his statement sent a surge of anger through the smaller demon. He thought this was funny?
"Enough tormenting him Yusuke, please. He is seriously wounded." Kurama's soft voice chimed in over the sound of the monster and their running feet. He could feel the flare in ki, and it made him have a small sense of relief that his friend still had the strength to do that. Although, it still brought worry as well, that at any moment he would draw his last breath.
The passageway narrowed to a bright opening, as they ran, fanning out when they reached the entrance. Yusuke held tighter onto the injured demon in his grasp, as he stood behind Kurama and Kuwabara, their weapons at the ready.
"D-Detective, you have to listen… to me… Don't use-"
A loud roar interrupted the youkai, and the entrance of the cave was obliterated. The black flamed creature stretched its body out and let out a screech, finally able to have the space it needed to stand upright. With a dog-like shake, it turned its attention on the four that stood against him. The demon being held was supposed to be his dinner, and an angry flash of red darkened his white eyes. It charged at the three, and they all scattered in different directions.
Yusuke leaped back, trying to use the trees as a hiding spot. "What is it Hiei? Do you know a way to beat this thing?" The slick-haired leader said quietly as he tried to stay low for Hiei's sake. There was no way he would leave the little fire demon like this. It seemed that the black-fire creature was solely after him.
Hiei growled, gripping a deep gash on his side, as it was jostled from the sudden movements that Yusuke made. "I s-said, don't use your energy…! It will use it against you…!" He shakily said, panting slightly after his outburst. His eyelids grew heavy from his delayed hibernation, but he couldn't sleep now. Not while his friends were risking their lives to fight off a seemingly impenetrable demon.
The spirit detective's eyebrows creased together with worry, for both the opponent and Hiei's condition. Just by looking at him, he looked like he could drop dead at any moment. "Ah, well that explains why he got so big when I shot my Spirit Gun at him." Looking back at the huge creature, Kurama and Kuwabara were busy distracting it. "How in the hell are we supposed to beat this thing?!" He asked himself loudly, glancing over at Hiei.
Yusuke's heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw those eyes closed. "H-Hiei?" He was overly pale, and lay still in his arms, not a single movement from him. "H-Hey! Don't do this to me now, Hiei!" Anger and panic quickly rose with a large flare of ki that caught everyone's attention, including the house-sized demon.
Kurama's eyes widened at the new scent that invaded his nose. "He's fading!" The redhead thought with wide eyes. His mind screamed at him to rush over to him, before it was too late, but the growling chuckle caught his attention. That beast was on the move towards where Hiei and Yusuke lay. Before a thought crossed his mind, he pulled out a rose and charged his ki in it, turning it into his signature Rose Whip.
The thorny lead wrapped itself around the creature's horn, and Kurama landed on the back of its head, pulling with all of his might to lead the attention to him. The demon roared angrily, rearing up like a stallion, moving its attention to the lowly human.
Yusuke gripped the cold body of the fire demon tightly. There was no way. No way in hell that their ruthless little koorime could fall like this. Yet, here he was. Laying in his arms, bloodied and wounded, completely still. How could this have happened? If only he was quicker, then he could have made it in time to save him. "Hiei…"
A lone tear flew down the detectives face, landing on the little dragons face with a light plop. Lifting the lightweight, Yusuke walked over to the nearest tree trunk and gently placed Hiei against it. Slowly standing, a deep blue flare of energy surrounded him in fury. His dark brown gaze turned to the creature that would dare hurt his friend.
Walking out into the opening, bravely, the detective stopped in front of the large beast. He could feel his fist growing stronger from the amount of spirit energy focused into it.
"Kurama, you can let him go. I'm gonna kill this bitch." He knew that Hiei told him not to use his spirit energy, but he went against his friend's wishes for pure revenge. Holding his right fist in his left hand, his pointer finger aimed at the large black demon.
"Spirit Gun…"
~O~
The half-koorime jolted awake. The pain in his body responded immediately, as he reached an arm around his bandaged stomach. He wouldn't cry out in pain, he was much stronger than that, and wouldn't subject himself to submission. Although, a grunt filled the room, as he felt his wound tear open, and begin to bleed through the bandages.
"Hiei, please lay back down. Now I have to re-bandage your wound again." A sigh caught the raven-haired demons attention immediately, as a door slid opened to reveal Kurama walking in.
"K-Kurama…?! Where am I? Where is the beast?" So many questions were swarming around in his head, and he wanted answers, now.
It irked the smaller demon to see the redhead quietly sit down next to him, "Please, Hiei, lay back down so that I can seal your wound up." He purposefully ignored the younger man, reaching for the bandages.
Hiei growled lowly, and leaned away from the half-human's touch. "Don't ignore me, Fox! Now answer my questions!" He was frustrated, and felt lost in all of this. He had no idea what had happened. All he remembers is passing out in Yusuke's arms after warning him. Now, he was in pain and not in a good mood at all.
"How is this, if you let me heal you, then I will give you the answers you seek. Do we have a deal?" Kurama was always a smooth-talker, and usually he would always have things his way.
Hiei bared his fangs at the fox in disguise. He was in no condition to fight his way out of this, so he decided to go with the redhead's terms. His tense shoulders loosened, as he gave out a small sigh in surrender. (Possibly the only time he will ever surrender in his entire life.) "Fine…"
The genius redhead smiled in victory, as he placed a gentle hand on his little friend's chest, pushing him down. "Thank you, Hiei. You know, we were very worried about you. I almost thought that you weren't going to make it." He made small talk, getting to work on the soiled bandages.
Pulling out a seed, he tossed it on the ground and it grew into a beautiful flower, next to him. Blood red eyes were darted over to the side, not watching the half-human work on his wound. The bandages were removed where it had been soiled, and Kurama placed his hand into the flowers center, pulling out a specific spore from it. It was a natural healing plant, and its spores were able to stop bleeding.
A small hiss made emerald eyes dart over to the flame demons face for a brief moment to make sure that he wasn't harming him too much. The spore did sting on contact, but it would dull within a few minutes. "I'm sorry, Hiei. The pain will subside soon. I have managed to stop the bleeding for now. Please try not to move too suddenly within the next twenty-four hours." Kurama said softly, wrapping up the injury, and reaching down to pick up the plant that was turned back into a seed.
"Hn…" Hiei said coolly, staying in his position on the floor since the pollen was still stinging a bit. "Alright, I have kept my part of the bargain. Now answer my questions." He said with a straight-forward attitude. Always making sure to get to the point, he was back to normal it seems.
Holding his hands up for a playful defense, the half-bred surrendered. "Alright, alright, Hiei. I will uphold my part of the deal. Well, to answer your first question, we are in Genkai's home." Kurama smiled, sitting down Indian style next to his best friend.
With another of his usual 'hn's' Hiei glanced around the Japanese style home. It definitely looked like Genkai's. He was sure that if he wasn't so panicked at first, he would have realized that by now.
The spiky-haired male darted his gaze over to the seated redhead who cleared his throat. "And to answer your second question, it is a long story." Folding his hands, the smaller demon could tell that this would take a while.
"Honestly, we thought you were dead, Hiei. I am sure that you remember when we found you inside of the cave." The last thing he wanted to do was to annoy the little dragon, so he avoided the term 'rescue.' "Well, Yusuke brought you back outside of the cave to properly fight the beast, and that was when you fell unconscious. While you were out, I force fed you the plant that you refused to take before that. That is possibly the reason you are still breathing at this moment."
An angry frown appeared on the demons face, he hated to rely on others. He was weak, and didn't defeat his opponent, falling and having to be saved by his friends. The second question he asked wasn't completely answered, but he knew that the fox would eventually explain everything to him, and then some.
"The beast you asked about is deceased." Hiei blinked, almost not hearing what the redhead has said.
"What? How on earth did you manage to kill that thing?" Talking about death to the half-koorime was as simple as speaking about the weather. It was a part of his life, and didn't bother him one bit.
Kurama chuckled slightly, "It wasn't easy, I will tell you that. With all three of us, it was still a challenge." To the fox demon, it seemed impossible to make his smaller friend understand the meaning of 'teamwork.' He was a loner, and always will be. Fighting his own battles, and not letting anyone past his walls. A demon fighting on pure instinct; even the fox knew that, after centuries of living, teamwork could help accomplish goals at a faster and less painful way.
"I used a special plant and attached it to the beasts back, since it seemed to be unable to reach it with ease. The plant was feeding off of its ki, and eventually it drained it, making it shrink back down to its regular size. With it being so small, it was still a challenge, but with all three of us using physical attacks we eventually killed it." Kurama said happily, watching his friend's reaction. He hoped that he didn't make the smaller male self-conscious about himself and his fighting abilities.
"Hn…" This was irritating. He fought that thing when it was at its regular size, and he still lost to it. Although, his teammates managed to defeat him easily. Glancing at Kurama, Hiei noticed that his best friend came out unscathed. There was no other scent of blood in the air other than his own, and it irked him. "Was anyone else hurt? Where is Yusuke, and the Baka?"
Kurama sighed, shaking his head slowly and closing his eyes. "Hiei, be a little nicer to Kuwabara. He was the one that offered to carry you here. He honestly felt awful seeing you in such a state."
"WHAT!?" The little dragons entire body shook, leaning himself up to rest on his elbows. Now he felt disgusted; absolutely wretched at the thought of that Oaf carrying him, touching him.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sleeping Beauty finally waking up?" As if the heavens called upon it, the same two people made their way into the room, through the same door as Kurama had. A smirking, and secretly relieved, Yusuke stood at the door, with Kuwabara behind him.
Walking in, Yusuke stood next to the seated redhead, and leaned down with his hands in the pockets of his usual green uniform. "Hey there, Hiei, how're ya feelin'? You look better than I last saw ya." In reality, he was worried that his friend wouldn't wake up at all. It was all thanks to Kurama and Genkai's healing that he managed to survive, let alone wake up hours later.
Kazuma walked to the other side of Kurama, with a smile on his face. He was happy to see his little rival alive and well. The vision was still clear in his head of holding Hiei in his arms. He was so light, and there was blood all over him. It was clearly, horrifying. He didn't think that he ever ran so fast in his life. "Hey there, Pipsqueak. Looks like you are doing better."
Anger flashed through those auburn eyes, making sure to glare at everyone that met them, but staying fiercely on Kurama. The fox didn't have psychic abilities, and definitely couldn't read minds, but just by looking at the infuriated demon, he could conclude that he was basically saying "How could you let this human touch me?!" He knew that Hiei would have rather been held by either him or Yusuke, and not Kuwabara. To reply to that, he merely smiled back at him. "See, Hiei? Everyone was worried about you.
With a threatening growl, he spoke "If I had the strength, I would slit all of your throats…" Even if he did have the energy, it would be an empty threat, and it seemed that everyone knew it. Yusuke laughed, and dared to ruffle up his gravity-defying hair.
"Ha-ha! It's good to have the old Hiei back, eh guys?" The detective knew of his brave move, and probably would regret it when the fire demon managed to stand again without re-opening his wounds. "Take a chill-pill, squirt. You need your rest." He said, letting go of him. He could have sworn that he could see actual fire within those deep red colored eyes. "Alright, guys, let's get outta here. Pissin' Hiei off isn't going to help him any."
With that said Kurama stood up, brushing the imaginary dust off of his pants, "Please rest, Hiei. I will be back to check on you within a few hours." He said and walked alongside Yusuke, heading outside.
Kazuma was the last to leave, waiting until Yusuke and Kurama walked out completely, before saying his goodbyes. "Get well soon, alright? I can't have my littlest rival going crippled on me now, right?" He with a relieved smile, and turned to walk away.
"Kazuma." Hiei said softly, almost unable to be heard at all. Kuwabara stopped in his tracks, turning back around to see who had called him by his first name. Only two people called him that. His older sister and his darling Yukina. It shocked him to find that Hiei, the fearful black dragon tamer, had the decency to call a human by his first name.
"Uh, what is it Hiei? Is… There somethin' you need?" He was a bit worried at first. Was he hit on the head while in that last battle? He seemed more… calm.
The smaller male sighed, not liking what he was about to say. Although it was in his honor code to be grateful to those who cared about him in such a way. "I just wanted to say… Th-Thanks… For, you know… S-Saving me…" That was extremely difficult to say, he had to hold his tongue to keep from insulting him like his natural instincts told him to do.
Kuwabara mentally 'aww'-ed in his head at the grateful little guy. Yeah, Hiei was a hard person in general. Usually cold and distant, hating to rely on others for help, the Shrimp also had a different side to him. A side that rarely anyone sees, his generosity and kindness that shone through the smallest cracks in the walls around his heart. Secretly, Kazuma assumed that Hiei seemed lonelier than anything else. "No problem, man." He said with a thumbs up, "It's what friends do."
Once again, a tongue was trapped between fangs. It was so difficult to hold himself back from insulting the Oaf, wishing to say "Who said anything about us being friends? I need no sympathy!" Sadly, and with a bit of relief, he held his tongue, literally. The raven-haired male tasted blood in his mouth, as he stifled a small "hn." In agreement, listening to the footsteps of the luckiest human alive, walk right out the door.
A sigh filled the room, finally able to release his tongue and collect all of the blood from the newest wound. Falling back down, Hiei lifted his arms and placed them on the back of his head, suckling on his tongue and staring up at the ceiling. He wondered how long he has been out; he had forgotten to ask the fox demon about that.
Before another thought had crossed his mind, his eyes slowly closed, his body trying to regain the missed naps from doing the mission. The time he was literally passed out didn't count as resting in Hiei's opinion. It would be difficult to sleep in a place like this. He was used to resting in the treetops, on a nice and sturdy branch, with the smell of nature all around him coaxing him to slumber.
Sadly, his body fought against his mind, telling it that it needed rest, and was completely exhausted. The pain from Kurama's plant has managed to dull down to a throbbing ache, bearable enough for him to be able to rest.
A bandaged hand reached down to his lips to try and stifle back a yawn, but it was futile, as it slipped through, barely audible. He hated these side effects of using the dragon, the long hibernation that took his body by force every time he used it, was sincerely annoying. At least it was better than when he first used it, the pain was so bad he just wanted to slice off his right arm to try and end the crippling pain. One consequence outweighed the other immensely; he thoughtfully shrugged, dipping himself into the realm of sleep that he tried to inwardly fight to stay awake.
