Here it is: the sequel to "9 Months." If you haven't read "9 Months," I suggest you do so before you read this. It's not terribly necessary, but everything will make more sense.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters, blah, blah, blah involved. I do, however, own Oki, Yuso, Kobi, and Anei. And maybe a few others…you'll have to wait and see.

Index of names:

Oki – means embers, hence her family pet name

Yuso – means brave, heroic, gallant, all that good stuff

Kobushi – means fist as well as samurai

Anei – means shadow or gloom

Kakurenbo – means Hide and Seek

So yes, here we go for another round of alternating torture and fluff. The significance of the title will become apparent later, but know that "Eyewash" refers to the second, less common, definition of misleading or deceptive statements, actions, or procedures. It may not seem so at first, but this fic is correctly categorized under horror. Its rating is also higher then my other fics, but not because of hentai stuff (I don't write lemons, remember?). It is rated M for violence, language, adult themes (still no lemons), suicidal thoughts, and I'd say disturbing images but since this is a story I guess that depends on the state of your imagination. This takes place roughly five years after "9 Months" I hope you all enjoy it. ON WITH THE FIC!

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"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Oki! Happy Birthday to you!"

The five-year-old smiled as she took a deep breath, extinguishing the five candles on the chocolate cake. Cheers and clapping filled the air. She looked down the table at her guests, smiling at them all.

Directly to her right her redheaded tousan beamed at her. His long crimson locks, much longer then they had been when she was younger, fell over the back of the chair in a strong braid. Next to him was her darker papa. He was not darker in skin, if anything his complexion was lighter then the redhead's, but in his clothes. A red sleeveless shirt and black pants supported by three white belts was his attire of choice today – everyday. His hair, too, was longer then in some of the older pictures around their house. Though still every bit as spiky and gravity defying, there was now also a short ponytail in the back. It was nothing in comparison to her tousan's braid, but it was still longer.

Next was her baasan. Her hair was slightly gray, but she was always warm and always smiling, the perfect grandmother. The child's oba, too, was just as sweet and caring. Compassionate ruby eyes, so like her papa's, always ready to comfort and console. The girl's carrot toped oji sat beside his wife, the two of them on the opposite side of the table from her parents. There were also two non-relative guests, friends of her parents. She had only met them occasionally, but enjoyed their company. One was quiet and reserved and reminded her of her papa. The other was loud with wild hair that matched her tousan's in hue. Often times he talked too fast for her, or anyone, to understand. And lastly, there was her other oji who had lost his wife years ago. He seemed easy going and carefree, and yet could be caught with a lonely look in his eye once a blue moon. Still, she liked him. She loved all her relatives. Speaking of which…

"Tousan," she turned to the redhead eagerly, "may we go play Kakurenbo?" The redhead was silent in thought for a moment.

"Alright," he acquiesced, "but don't go too far."

"Arigato!" she cried as she left the table, followed by her two itoko.

"This should be entertaining," Yusuke remarked as he watched the children race to the border of the surrounding forest. He turned to Jin and Touya. "You want to see what they're capable of, just watch this." Touya, who had been invited to discuss possible training of Kuwabara's son, was eager to see a display of his talents.

"But they just playin' a game of Kakurenbo. Whatcha go'n see from that?" Jin wondered.

"Oh, it's much more then just Kakurenbo. Wait and see," Kuwabara said with an air of pride, watching his son. Kobushi was almost a full year younger than Oki but the human knew the boy could hold his own in this game.

"Alright," Oki said when they had reached the trees. "Those two want a show," she nodded towards Touya and Jin, "so let's give them something to watch."

"So, no holdin' back?" four-year-old Kobushi blinked his crimson eyes, mint bangs partially hiding them.

"No holding back," Oki nodded.

"Alright! Just wait 'til you see the new move me and Dad been workin' on!" brown eyed and brown haired Yuso gloated. His cousins rolled their eyes. Anger rising at the action, he turned on Oki.

"Since it's your birthday, you're It." he declared. Oki half-glared at him.

"Fine," she said indifferently. Raising her voice so the grownups could hear, she pointed to the sakura tree in the center of the yard and said, "The sakura tree is Base." Kobi and Yuso nodded and the girl turned her back on the trees, slowly counting aloud to ten.

"Oki's It first," Yusuke stated the obvious back at the table. Hiei folded his arms.

"She's never It for long," he said. Kurama smiled at his mate, pride swelling in his chest at the boast.

"I'm guessing there's more to this then just finding the hidden players," Touya said, watching the boys disappear into the trees.

"Once a player is found, he has to make it back to Base before the one who is It tags him," Kurama explained.

"Yeah, and they'll do anything to stop each other from getting to Base," Yusuke added.

"Ten!" Oki's voice suddenly rose to a shout and the adults all turned to look at her. She, in turn, moved to face the trees. "Ready or not, here I come!"

In a blur of her red shirt and blue pants she was gone. The adults tracked her ki signal easily enough through the trees while she engaged in a different tracking method.

"She has your nose, does she?" Touya remarked, glancing at Kurama. The fox smiled, nodding his head, never taking his eyes from the trees.

Kobi's scent was strong and Oki knew she had found him. She stopped before the bush he was hidden within. Regarding it calmly she began to feed it her ki, twisting the branches to ensnare the child hiding there. But Kobi would have none of that. The bush suddenly froze, frostbitten branches snapping and shattering against the ground. Oki was shocked for a moment, the final cry of the now dead plant reverberating in her ears. Kobi took the opening and sprinted past her.

"You're gonna pay for that," she shouted after him, spinning on her heels. "I've got a headache now!"

Kobi flew out of the trees, running much faster then any normal four-year-old. Even as they watched, however, the grownups knew he never stood a chance against Oki's speed. In a flash she was before him and he tripped over himself in his haste to stop. Gracelessly he fell backwards. Oki leaned over and poked him in the nose.

"You're It," she said simply before disappearing in another streak of speed. Grumbling, Kobi got to his feet and turned away from the trees, beginning to count.

"He's going to target Oki now," Touya observed.

"He's no match for her, he'll never catch her," Hiei stated matter-of-factly.

"I agree," Jin nodded. "She's like the wind. He'll be blown away, he will."

"Speed isn't everything," Kuwabara argued. Yukina smiled at her husband. Secretly she too believed that Kobi would find a way to overcome Oki's speed, but not wanting to fight with her brother she kept quiet.

"Ten!" Kobi spun back to the forest. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Oki had her nose, but he had his spirit awareness. He quickly found her ki signature and followed it to a large tree. He took a moment to bring forth his ki, stopping just short of freezing the tree.

"I found you, now come out or this tree dies too," he threatened. In a moment Oki was beside him, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're barbaric," she used a new word her tousan had just taught her, regarding her cousin coldly. Then she was gone. Kobi didn't even bother to follow her, just smiled and started slowly out of the forest.

Oki emerged from the trees, slowing her pace so she was visible to all the adults. She had such a far head start she could probably walk if she had wanted too. Nearing the tree, she steeped into a puddle from the recently melted snows. Then she tripped.

Blinking in surprise, she looked back to find the puddle frozen and her foot caught within it. Before she could do anything a hand gently tapped her shoulder. She turned to see her younger cousin smiling down at her.

"You're It," he said softly. He smiled smugly at her for a moment longer before turning back to the forest. Narrowing her crimson and amber eyes, Oki raised her body temperature until the ice had melted. Getting to her feet, she started to count again.

"Hey!" a voice called from the trees. "I'm playin' too, 'member? Don't forget 'bout me!" Oki's face donned a rather evil look that was greatly reminiscent of her papa.

"Oh, don't worry, Yuso," she called into the trees. "I didn't forget about you." Finishing her count, she skipped the usual warning and walked slowly to the nearest tree.

"Nice, Yuso," she commented, loud enough for the adults to hear. "Throwing your voice so I'd think you were deeper in the forest. You're being careful, hiding so close. You can get to Base quick and no one would think you were so close either. It's a good plan."

A shadow jumped from the tree and they all knew it was Yuso, making a break for Base. The shadow was closely followed by many long, snake-like appendages that revealed themselves to be vines. After much struggling, the boy finally came to rest hanging upside-down from the tree, his body encased in vines. Oki smiled at him sweetly.

"I said it was a good plan, not that it would work." She tapped him between the eyes with her index finger. "You're It."

(xxx)

It was late in the evening. The sun had long since set and the guests had all gone home. Oki slumbered peacefully in her bed, happy and exhausted from the day's events. However, things were not so quiet elsewhere.

The two demons were kissing passionately, hands roaming everywhere. Strands of hair, crimson and raven, drenched in sweat clung to flush skin. The fox rolled them until he straddled the half-Koorime's hips, pinning the smaller below him.

"Fox," the fire demon gasped, his Jagan granting him a sudden foresight that he was thankful for. "Fox, wait." He moaned as the redhead took his time nuzzling his mate's neck before sitting back to see what was wrong.

"What is it, Quickfire?" he asked in a sultry voice. "Don't you want to?"

Hiei chuckled quietly, leaning up to kiss his mate. It wasn't the usual deep kiss but was simple, a mere touch of lips on lips.

"I'll never 'not want to'," he assured the fox. "But it's going to storm tonight." Now the fox understood. Sighing, slightly disappointed, he moved off his mate and lay beside him. Hiei curled close to the redhead and they held each other silently for a while. Even after so many years, it was still only when Hiei was finally drifting to sleep that Kurama chose to speak.

"Five years. It's hard to believe it's been that long," he mused. Hiei looked up, somewhat annoyed.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked wearily. He had learned by now to just let Kurama talk because he wouldn't be allowed to sleep until he did.

"I've heard the saying often that children grow up too fast. I, for one, always felt my own aging was far too slow, but then I was eager to turn ten and regain my powers. Oki…she's grown so much. I think I understand that old saying more now."

"Kurama," Hiei sighed. "She's five, even by demon standards she's still very much a child." He paused. "Though…I admit, I feel the same way at times. Today, watching her…she has grown up some. But at the very least it isn't the way we grew up."

"True," Kurama nodded, "she isn't being forced to grow up too soon the way we were. She doesn't have to fight to stay alive the way we did. She's free from all of that, and that's something to be grateful for."

"Don't worry about it too much, Fox," Hiei tightened his hold on his mate, determined to get some sleep tonight, as the first drops of rain began to beat against the window. "Anyone who still fears lightning and thunder is still very much a child." Kurama smiled, kissing his mate on the forehead before following him into sleep.