Disclaimer for this and all chapters: I do not own Yuyu Hakusho or any of the characters appearing in the manga or televised series. They were created by created by Yoshihiro Togashi and are not mine to use for profit.

I do, however, claim Kirai, Banshi, Jougen and any other characters which appear in this story and not in the manga, television show or other original work of the creator.. Kindly do not sue...If I were making any money off this I wouldn't have posted it on a public access website

Bet you're all mad at me for leaving you hanging at the end of Next to Nothing but hey, that's just the way the storyline went. Luckily (for me since my life has been threatened by off-net readers) there's a sequel. Never After basically picks up where Next to Nothing left off. New fights, new friends, new enemies and a whole new threat to fear…

"What the hell do you mean he was a victim?" Koenma sighed.

"Banshi uses mind control to influence other people's actions. Jougen was just as much a victim in this as you, maybe more since he's dead."

"Lemme put it like this: HE KILLED ME!" Kuwabara was still not happy with the fact that seventeen years had gone by. All his friends were adults now.

"He said it was all a game," Hiei, eyes closed and arms crossed, leaned against the wall. "His strings were being pulled too, making him jump. Banshi has to be playing against someone; someone is pulling our strings, directing our moves. Who?" All eyes turned to Koenma. It took a moment for him to realize the insinuation.

"Hey! Don't look at me!"

"You're the one who has all the info before the rest of us." The toddler sighed.

"Look, I'll admit, I'm privy to information that the rest of you are not but I'm not the one behind this." Yusuke glared, not totally convinced.

"If this a game then eliminating the other player means we win, right?" Hiei shook his head.

"Most likely not. If that were the case then Banshi would have won the moment Kurama and Kuwabara died. No, I think eliminating the other side means we move on to the next level."

"Then this is a cycle we'll never win." Everyone stopped talking, each pondering the consequences of a fight they couldn't win.

"It's like a video game." Koenma glanced at Kuwabara.

"Come again…"

"When Urameshi and I played video games we took all weekend. Every time somebody won the other would cry foul and we'd have a rematch. The only time we'd stop was if somebody pulled the power cord. If we want to stop this we can't aim at the other pieces, we've gotta head for the source. Jougen was just like a barrier, to get between us and Banshi."

"For once the ningen made sense!"

Yusuke punched his shoulder.

"Looks like being dead's been good for ya!"

"We need to hurry. Banshi could be choosing another player as we speak!"

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Hikari glanced nervously around outside.

"There's a dark aura hovering about this place Kiete. Something is going to happen, something horrible." Kiete's eyes were closed as if in meditation. The old sensei sighed and hobbled back into the dojo, leaving Kiete to his own devices. The ominous feeling grew indoors and the old man could barely concentrate on instructing his students. Evil was in the air today. He never saw when a circle bearing an infinity sign appeared on his oldest student's forehead.

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"Kiete, will you serve me?"

"Yes Lord Banshi."

"Will you be loyal to me?"

"Yes, Lord Banshi."

"Then prove yourself to me."

"I'll do anything!" Banshi smiled.

"Kill them. Kill your sensei and brothers." Kiete nodded.

"Of course my lord."

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Nobody even looked up when Kiete entered the practice room. As the most experienced he had the most privileges. No one noticed when he pulled his sword from the few possessions the students were allowed. No one noticed anything wrong…until the first drops of human blood stained the floor. Eyes wide in shock the boy's body tipped forward and landed with a thud. The student nearest grabbed his own sword, now aware of the danger, but was too late. With expert precision Kiete killed him with a single blow. He smiled, quite ready, when the remaining of the students rushed to avenge their fallen brothers.

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Hikari hobbled towards the practice room. The door slid open in front of him and he froze. His students, his sons…their bodies littered the floor as they soaked in their own blood. Kiete, the same Kiete he had raised and taught the art of ninjitsu, stood in the center, sword red with proof that he had slaughtered his brothers. Hikari drew his own sword.

"Kiete!" Kiete turned and faced his sensei. "What have you done?"

"I have done what Master Banshi asked of me…"

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"Remember Yoko, doubles means I can have two players on the field …"

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