Default disclaimer applied. So Yeah, I don't own YYH.


The Rising of the Sun

"You cannot understand that which you do not know... and that misunderstanding breeds hatred."

Being a soldier is considered a noble and heroic profession especially to Japanese people who are known for their being fierce and loyal warrior. Soldiers are consider as modern samurai –a country's pride - and Yusuke, a rookie soldier, was so full of this enthusiasm and idealism. Never did he thought, that in his very first mission, a certain event would happen that would change his perspective and would open his eyes about the bloody truth of war. In this mission, he learned a very important lesson from a child, a suicide bomber child…

Yusuke was one of the 600 soldiers deployed by the Japanese government sent to Iraq to join the U.S. led coalition. While driving in the middle of the dessert with six other comrades, they stumbled upon a T2b ambulance that looked abandoned. Suspicious as it is, they decided to check it out. Suddenly, masked men came out of nowhere and an exchange of fire followed. The soldiers were gaining the upper hand when there's a sudden big explosion that instantly killed most of both parties. Being the only survivor, or so he thought, he went over the enemy's car in hope to find something he could use to contact their base, since their track was a wrecked. Distracted, Yusuke failed to notice the riffled aimed at him until the cold metal touched the back of his head. Frozen and somewhat surprise of the small, and yet cold and commanding voice that ordered him to get into the T2b ambulance and drive, he dare to glance at his captor mainly to analyze his situation and look for vulnerabilities, but was even more shocked to find a child, holding the deadly riffle professionally aimed at his temple

"To west" was the command. Yusuke knew of an oil field in the west and it was where the child wanted him to drive. He noticed the many boxes at the back of the car and eyed the child warily.

"Bombs," with a wicked smile, the child answered Yusuke's unvoiced question.

Moved, touched or rather disturbed when it dawned to him the implications of those words, Yusuke tried to convince the child not to do what he was about to do.

"Hey… boy, you can understand me right? You're still too young… you don't have to do this. Do you even know what a suicide bomber is? In your age you should be studying and planning your future. Do your parents know about this? Your siblings?"

"Dead. All of them." was the answer.

"…"

"S-still you shouldn't blow the place up… it's the only good thing you have here in this desolated place," refusing to give up yet, Yusuke tried to reason.

"What good is something that gets us killed?" with dead eyes, the child asked him back.

"…."

Couldn't find a justifiable answer to that question, or rather, accusation, Yusuke tried another approach. Since his captor was a child, Yusuke was quite sure that the child was unfamiliar with tactics such as gaining information from the enemy. And so, Yusuke, started an amiable conversation trying to understand why the child was doing it how he could convince him to stop. During the long drive, Yusuke learned that the child's name was Hamal, (Hiei). His parents were killed when a bomb was "accidentally" dropped in a civilian area. Fortunately, Hiei's sister Hana(Yukina) was not in the area when that happened for he couldn't dare to imagine his sister's distress at the sight of the burnt, bloody body of their dead parents. Yukina was and still in the hospital at the moment and was scheduled for an operation before the war broke and their family was stripped of their properties. With his sister's current condition, Hiei didn't dare to mention the tragedy befalls to their family so whenever Yukina asked why their parents didn't visit, he always gave her an encouraging smile and told her that they were just busy working harder for her operation expenses.

With nothing and no one else but his sister, who still badly in need of the operation, the hospital expenses not to mention of the doctor nagging him of the urgency of the operation or they will be forced to discharge Yukina due to limited space of the hospital, Hiei was at lost. This was when a man dressed in black who called himself Hashim(Koenma) found and recruited him in the organization who promised new and better government. Also in exchange to his noble sacrifice was the money for his sister's operation… Hiei didn't care about the organization's advocacy but the promised help for his sister was fair enough for him. Of course he's not that stupid not to know what it means to be a suicide bomber and he couldn't care less. He didn't have anyone or at least he wouldn't have anyone else left if he didn't do anything about it and he's not afraid to die for his sister. His sister's welfare is more important than him.

Ashamed and angry at himself for his excitement of the war to prove his worth and sympathy for the child and many other innocent victims of the bloody battle of power, Yusuke sincerely offered Hiei help.

"Hiei, don't do this, I'll help you. Come with me…," Yusuke started.

"Yusuke, do you know the worst punishment to humankind?," out of the blue, Hiei asked him.

"Huh?," was Yusuke's intelligent reply.

"You know, when I was being trained, a friend, he was called Fox, Desert-Fox once asked that question…."with a melancholy smile, Hiei recalled his wistful conversation with the Fox once upon a time.

*Hiei's flashback*

"Fox, you looked different from us…"

"It's because I'm not from here..."

"Why do you join us then?"

"Hiei, do you know the worst punishment to the humankind?"

"Hmm… when the first man and woman were banished from paradise?"

"No… It was when Allah cursed men due to his greediness, to have different languages. Since then, people hate other people without even attempting to understand each other first…"

*Hiei's flashback*

"At first, I really didn't understand what he means by that… human being was cursed to have different languages because of greediness….but now, even if just a little, I think I understand now…."

"Well, that's good to know… that was really a thought-provoking tale… surely you don't expect me to understand that at once too, right? Maybe you could enlighten me some other time but right now that's not important…"

"I know your intention is good. Thank you. I really would like to come with you but…."

Yusuke could still clearly remember that day, when he realized how pathetically useless he was for he being unable to prevent the death of yet another innocent who only wishes safety and happiness for his sister. He always thought they were here to help… he always believe that he's here to help, to save… but he was the one saved that day.

*Yusuke's flashback*

"The bombs attached to my body have a tracking device. I have to go there to get the money for my sister…," Hiei reached over and open the door to driver's seat.

"I will help you with your sister… Hiei I promise things will be better - " Yusuke was cut-off with a riffle in his mouth.

"They will know if I failed and if I fail… my sister and probably the Fox too will be in trouble… get off, Now!" and with that Hiei pushed Yusuke out and drove in maximum speed towards the gate of the oil plant.

Yusuke tried to stop Hiei. He tried to tell the guards that it as just a child. Running with all his might, crying in hopelessness he shouted with strained, choked voice, he begged for them not to shoot… he fell on his knees as he heard several deafening gun-shots and a big explosion.

*Yusuke's flashback*

"Is it worth it? Are all the tears that were shed and all the blood that were poured worth it? I wonder… "

Yusuke searched for Hiei's beloved sister and was relieved to discover that Koenma did keep his word. Yukina's operation was successful, sound and good and blissfully unaware of her family's death.

"Yukina?" Yusuke immediately recognized her painfully obvious similarity to her brother features.

"Yes, Sir? How do you know me?," asked by the ever polite Yukina.

"I was Hiei's friend, my name is Yusuke… he actually asked me to look after you" with a sad smile, Yusuke could not dare to break the genuine, innocent smile that was so similar to her brother.

"Oh… is that so? My brother has a very few friends… he's kind of reserved… it was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Yusuke…" was the pleasant reply.

"The pleasure is mine," Yusuke even bowed in a formal, gentleman manner.

Yukina looked around, as though expecting someone and when she didn't see it she asked the man in front of her. "…Umm, say Mr. Yusuke, where is my brother? He hadn't been visiting me for a long while now, I'm starting to worry"

"He's away from here… very far away but I'm sure he's fine… he can't be with you though, that's why he asked me to look after you… so what about I get you out of here? There's a lot of place I want to show you…. "

"When will I see Hiei then?," Yukina unconsciously followed Yusuke as the older man led her out of the hospital that confined her for so many years.

"… not in a very long while but I'm sure you will see each other again"

~OWARI~


A/N:

First, I would like to assure you guys that I meant no offence to anyone with this fic, I'm quite aware that the U.S.-Iraq war is a touchy subject but honestly this is not all about this… a certain event in our country inspires this fic. Secondly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the one whom beta-reads this fic, saiyuri-dahlia… Sai-chan… so what do you think? Does it have at least a little meat than the first one I did? *whiper to readers: She's a great I learned a lot from her… really and so generous as well that even though the theme of this fic was touchy, she still accepted and helped me with it… great ne? * Another thing, I haven't read the Koran, the part with Allah cursing the humankind, I got it from the bible, the story of the Tower of Babel… I hope I didn't offend our Muslim brothers with this…

Hamal: lamb

Hana: happiness

Hashim: destroyer of evil

FYI: Did you know that Muslims only named their child with good meaning? It's because they believe than in judgment day, Allah will call them by their name.