If only one person cared...

Nine year old Yusuke Urameshi had just started middle school. (Sorry, it may be incorrect. Where I live we start middle at 9. In Japan, I don't know when.) He already had a reputation as an unruly child, a bully and a pest. He had been in more fights than even some highschoolers! He had even beaten up and sent quite a few of his fellow classmates in hospital due to knocked out teeth, broken noses and wrists. Also a lot of nasty rumors floated around about not only him but also his drunkard mother. When he moved to middle school, barely recieving a passing grade, the teachers in the elementary school sighed in relief while those in the middle school groaned and cursed the fact he was going to be their student. Well...every teacher except one. Chikako Yozomi, a young teacher that had just come out of, well not university, she had started taking special clases in her last year of highschool. After that she didn't bother to aply for an university, because after the 5 year special clases she would have gotten her teaching certificate either way, so she instead worked during her free time to save some money for later. In the end at the age of 22 she got her dream job of being a middle school teacher, she was going to be a Japanese teacher. She was around 168 centimetres, short black hair framed her face and made her dark-brown eyes stand out, she wore sport pants, a T-shirt and sneakers. She always liked kids, they were so innocent and cute, also they could always change, while teens usually didn't want to. She was smiling brightly as she recieved her class list (those where every student's name and data are recorded, so the teacher can prepare a bit) and carefully read every student's file and name. All were pretty normal, as expected from first year middle schoolers, except one boy, Yusuke Urameshi. She read and read his file again and again, it was true he looked like a rebel and a imi Yankee, which made him even cuter in her eyes because she had a strange definition of 'cute', but that didn't automatically make him bad. She always prefered to see things for herself instead of believing what others said. She knew better than anyone that people's words were almost never 100% true, especially those of the elderly. Grannies are VICIOUS, ya know!?

She didn't have clases with them untill Thursday, so she had to wait a bit to see the class but she saw Urameshi a few times in the halls. Mostly he was fine but sometimes his clothes would either be wet or dirty, shoeprints visible, and a scratch or two. This spoke of bullying but without a proof that a student did it, sh was powerless. Soon Thursday came, she sat on hes desk, near a window looking over the backyard, in the teachers' room. She sighed after looking at the clock again.

'Only 30 more minutes. I'll be able to meet class 1-C and see how Urameshi-kun is really like. He's made a bad boy but up 'tll now I've only seen a lonely bullied boy with bad home life.'

Dingdongdiiiiin! - the bell rang.

"Finally, It's break! I better get ready and head for the classroom! Beter early than sorry!" - she took her bags and left.

If she only stayed a bit more, she would have seen a few boys from class 1-B dragging Urameshi in a corner, beating and badmouthing him.

===After break, start of lesson===

"OK class. Sit down and get ready! I'm going to call the names soon!" - she waited for the kids to take out their things and sit down.

'Strange, Urameshi-kun is still not here. Where could he be?'

Then a scream sounded from the classroom next to them. She stood up and rushed to help before the students even realised what was happening. When she opened the door she saw class 1-B standing huddled in the corners watching Yusuke attacking a boy at least one head taller, the teacher nowhere in sight. The boy, the leader of the bullies, was laying on the grownd, his nose broken, face starting to turn blue and a tooth or two missing.

"Urameshi-kun! Stop it!" - she shouted but he was like possessed and didn't hear her.

She bit her lower lip and dived at him. She pried him off the bloodied boy, recieving a kick in the leg and a few scratches in the process. She then wrapped her arms and legs around him in a way that didn't allow him to swing them and hurt anybody.

'DAMN! That kid shure packs a punch! Wonder if he'll be able to punch through brick walls in the future? Nah, that's impossible!'

Little did she know he would not only be able to do that but to destroy mountains, but that's another story.

"Yusuke-kun." she said in the calmest and gentlest voice she could muster at the moment "Pease, calm down. Shhhh...everything's ok. It's fine...it's fine. Breathe, breathe..." - it worked and he slowly calmed down.

He came to his senses and looked at the classroom and then her scratched face, still smiling. This was new to him. Usually teachers would yell, threaten and hit him with a ruler but she didn't. In fact she looked happy and kinda...glad?...that he was fine.

"Sen-!"

"What the hell happened here?!" - Takeda-sensei, the teacher of clas 1-B came in.

He looked around the room and his angry glare landed on Yusuke.

"URAMESHIIIII!"

Yusuke winced. He was in deep trouble,

'Damn! Even after I made my mind up and decided to not fight anymore! Why does it happen to me?' - he thought.

It was almost like Chikako-sensei had read his mind. She stood up, SSSSSS-ing a bit from the pain in the knee where Yusuke had kicked her. She released him on the grownd and with a light push and pop she fixed her kneecap.

"There's no need to yell Takeda-sensei. Instead of calling the nurse or an ambulance, you stay here and yell at Urameshi-kun." - she scoffed.

"It's that damn brat's fault! He beat up a student! And if you're so concerned, why didn't you call an ambulance?!" - he shouted at her.

"Because I was busy with Urameshi-kun. He's my student after all!" these words warmed Yusuke's heart a bit "Also, I left my phone in MY classroom in a hurry, while wou were on your phone up 'till a minute ago, so shut up and call someone to help the boy!"

Takeda murmured something angryly and called an ambulance. The moment the medics came and took the bloodied boy, she gently took Yusuke's arm and headed out.

"Where do you think you're going? We haven't finished with the damn brat!" - Takeda yelled, spit flying out of his mouth.

"No, you've finished. He's MY student and I'm responsible for him, just like you are for your students! If you were here, instead of talking on the phone, none of this would have happened." she gestured around the room "Come with me Urameshi-kun. We'll talk about wat happened somewhere else." - she led him away towards the rooftop.

The roof was usually off-limits but she managed to make a copy of the key, so she quickly unlocked, went out with Yusuke and locked again. She sat down next to the fence that kept people from accidentally falling and patted the spot next to her for him to sit. He relucantly did so and waited for her to start interogating him. Instead she stretched and leaned on the fence, not uttering a wotd, she just stood there and looked at the clouds. In the end he opened his mouth first.

"Um...Sensei. Aren't you mad?"

"Mad? Me? What for?"

"Wwell...I hurt a fellow student and you too." - he looked at the scratches on her cheek and left forearm.

She noticed the way he refered to the boy, with disgust, and that he was really worried.

"Ah, this 'lil thing? Nah, I've had WAY worse!" - she smiled at him and actually boasteed!

"R-really?" - he asked nervously.

"Of 'ourse! I was hit by a spots car last summer. That bas- sorry, bad bad guy turned out to be filthy rich, so he wasn't punished severely. But I'll get 'im soon!"

Yusuke was speechless. This strange teacher not only liked him but also almost cursed and talked like a gangster on a warpath! He liked her, she was the first teacher to ever be nice to him.

"About what happened earlier..." - he started.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't want to. We'll just have to think of a cover up story first before going downstairs." - she said and entered the 'Thinker' pose.

He almost laughed.

"No, I have to tell you the truth! You may understand. You're the first teacher that doesn't blame me right off the bat! Those fucking bastards!"

"Wait! You can curse? Good! I can now curse ém too!"

Yusuke was baffled by the proud face this teacher, no his teacher, was making.

"That guy, Gyodai, he and his cronies had bugged me since day 1! Today they dragged me in the backyard and not ony beat me up but also insulted me and my mom! I then madly followed him and then all I saw was red, you then snapped me out of it. Thank you."

"Yer welcome."

"Why do these things keep happening to me? Am I guilty we're not rich, that my dad's not home, that my mom is always drunk?! It's not my fault I was born, so why do they keep bullying me?!" - he cried by the end.

He then realised what he did and was embarrased. He had rattled all his problems to a complete stranger! Even Keiko didn't know that!

"Eh? It's because you keep bitin' their hooks, that's why."

He was confused by her words.

"See 'ere! They get pleasure in bugging ya, so you just have ta ignore 'em!"

"But I did that! They didn't stop!"

"You didn't let me finish! I was going to say to ignore them INSIDE school, ya fool! The momen they're out it's open season! Ah, don't tell anyone I told you this or I'll get fired! Where was I? Right! The moment when they're far enough, you strike! They are boud to go to someplace to hang out or play, well...you leave your things at home and disguise yourself, if they don't see your face, they can't prove anything!" Yusuke nodded "After that ya make their lives hell! Ya can beat 'em, curse 'em, swindle 'em, heck ya can even ruin their stuff! I know ya can do 'alf the things easyly!"

He was hit by a sudden realisation, he wouldn't have gotten in all this trouble if he hadn't done it in front of other people!

"Ya get my idea?"

"Yes sensei!"

"Good, you can call me Chikako-sensei! Yer welcome anytime! Hey! I can teach you self-defence! There are some cool moves where ya can smash a person's face without hitting him! What do ya say? I can even help ya with your studies!"

"Sounds good!"

She stood up and offered her hand.

"Deal?"

"Deal!" - he shook her hand.

"Now, lets go down, Remember to look very sad and ashamed! If you want me to get ya out with the lightest punishment, you have to just stand there, look sad and don't utter a sound, got it? We'll say I scolded you rel good!" - she laughed loudly and led him to the teachers'office.

Fter an hour of arguing Yusuke got away with a warning and a mont long tetention with Chikako every day after school. When they got out, they looked around, smirked to eachother and high-fived quietly. That wasn't a punishment, it was a God given cover! Yusuke was amazed by her ability to talk people into doing what she wanted them to and get out of trouble so easily. He had quickly started to admire her.

"Urameshi, can I call you Yu-chan?"

"Yes, you can sensei."

"OK. Then, Yu-chan, meet me here as soon as today's clases end. We have to talk some more."

"OK.

===Äfter school===

Chikako led Yusuke to an oden booth and treated him, on the condition the meal didn't exceed 2000 yen. As they ate she started talking.

"You told me about yourself, so it's logical for me to tell you about myself. As you can see, I'v very young, only 22. I always wanted to teach kids but my parents wanted me to be a scientist, a CEO or some shit like that. I didn't agree, so I took special clases and took my teaching certificate. My parents were furious! They yelled at me, called a 'no-good ungrateful brat' and my pops even said 'Don't you EVER dare to return or I'll kick you mith my own foot!'. He, the nerve! I could beat him in a second. I've been in a gang in junior-high school but no one knew because I always wore a mask and a wig, you should also try it if you're going to do something bad! They won't know what hit 'em. Once I got so mad at that one guy I terorised him untill he was scared to go to the toilet and it was right across his room!"

They talked and laughed some more. After that she led Yusuke to his home with the promise to teach him self-defence and help him up his grades.

Time passed quickly. He learned everything she taught him like a super absorbant infinity sponge! He could also reign his temper long enough to get out od school and then take his revenge on those that bullied him, teachers included, he was in disguise though. He also found a new frienemy in the face of Kuwabara. He always won but Kuwabara never gave up, soon they became close, even though no one would admit it. His grades also rose considerably. The end of year exam was coming, so he put in extra work with Chikako to get a good grade.

However a tragedy struck! Just a week before the results came out Chikako was involved in a hit and run accident. A truck loaded to the brim passed on red and was going to kill a mother with a baby that was crossing. Chikako pushed them and was hit instead. She was rushed to the hospital as quick as possible but it was hopeless. By the time Yusuke reached the hospital, she had died. The doctors however gave him a dirty bag.

"She was clutching this untill the end. We couldn't pry it out of her hand. It had your name on it. It's for you to open it. I'll leave now." - the doctor left the room.

Yusuke looked at the bed. Her face was covered by a cloth but he could see the blood seeping through the already soaked bandages they had put in hope of saving her. He didn't dare to remove the cloth, too afraid to see the face of the only adult and teacher that treated him well. She was like an older sister to him, a family. He shakily opened the bag and saw a package wrapped like a present. It really had his name written on acard attached to it. He slowly tore the wrapping and saw a few items inside. A card, two yellow armbands, flame patterned gloves and a ski mask made to look like a snarling demon. He then read the card.

...

Dear Yu-chan,

Congratulations! I'm shure you've passed the tests with flying colors! You've changed a lot since the beginning of the year and it was for the better! If you want we can go out any time you want and play ghost pranks on those damn bullies from Shikase high! Just call me and I'll be there! Do you like the new gear I bought you for a present? Wear it next time we go on a 'trip' or I'll span you!

With love, Chikako-sama, your super awesome sensei.

...

He fell on his knees and cried intill he couldn't anymore. The funreal was two days later, Saturday. He came to it and was surprised how little people had come. There was he, the woman she saved and her family, his principal (he was shure he came because he would have looked bad), the people holding the ceremony, the policemen that investigated the incident and a couple in their late 50s. The man looked stern and annoyed, he had Chikako's hair and sharp eyebrows. The woman looked like older Chikako but with thinner eyebrows and light-brown hair. They must have been her parents.

'I must go and talk to them.' - Yusuke thought but stopped when he saw the policemen go to them.

He watched as they talked about something and gave the couple a few documents and a bunch of keys he recognized as Chikako's because of the ridiculous amount of keychain decorations. After the police left ha was about to talk to them when he heard what the man said.

"Damn that good for nothing! Making troubles for us even after kicking the bucket! Couldn't she leave once and for all? I won't allow her in our ancestral grave! Not now, nor ever!"

"I knwe it! She always was rebelious and got into trouble! Couldn't she become like her older brother and sister?! Instead she became some teacher and got herself killed! Just cremate her and throw the ashes somewhere." - the woman complained.

'This is wrong...Shouldn't they mourn her? She's their daughter! Why do they have to talk about her like that?! If I stay here, I'll get sick because of them. Chikako-sensei, I'm sorry. I promise I won't become the person I was before!' - he lit an incense stick, prayed for her soul and left.

===Meanwhile in the Spirit world===

A very confused and dazed Chikako was tossed bu some rude ferry girl on the line to be judged and reincarnated. She took a few minutes more to reallise she was dead. The line was also ridiculously long! 3 kilometres at least!

She resined to her fate but she had qute a bit of regrets, especially for Yusuke. Suddenly her 'Sharp comment' sense, a sensetion that felt like being stabbed by people's words, kinda like in mangas and animes. And now she was being continuously stapped one after another, also by the way it hurt her she realized it was probably because of her parents. She got furious.

'Their NERVE!' flames of pure fury lit in her eyes 'How DARE they! Badmouthing me even after my death! Yusuke probably even heard them! I'll make 'em PAY! No one should badmouth their own child after it died!'

She then stormed out of the line. Fueled by anger she ran and disappeared faster than the other souls could see what happened. She then snuck through a portal back to the Human world and made shure her parents paid dearly. She emitted so much evil energy a few low-level demons decided to check the place out, saw her and took her to the Makai before the Spirit detectives could come.

In the Makai they tried to do some nasty things to her but it turned out she let herself be captured and led to their base to 'let off some steam'. In the end she beat the shit out of them and bacame their teritory's boss. In a few years her fame started to spread around Makai.

"A very strond and mysterious demon had appeared. No one knows how he looks like or even his age! He goes by the name Yozora (Night sky). He appears, destroys his target or everything along with it and disappears before anyone realizes what the heck happened."

"Yeah, I also heard rumors he likes to watch tournaments!"

"I heard he might be a Mazoku!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"No, it's not! Do you know how many different powers he can use and the destruction left behind him? He MUST be a Mazoku!"

"Do you think he'll be on the Dark tournament next month in the Human world?"

"Haha! You know that because of that stupid barried only weaker demons can freely pass! It's impossible for someone THIS strong to pass!"

A small figure with a horned hood laid on a table in the corner of the bar. It lifted its head a bit, revealing Chikako's face before she pulled her scarf up to hide her mouth.

'A tournament huh? I haven't been to the Human world in ages! I may as well go and see if Yu-chan is fine. I just have to test my new teleportation technique and get there!'

She then left the bar, went next to a ferocious crow-like creature and jumped on its back.

"Time ta go home Quroi!"

It flapped its wings and flew away. She however didn't know that she would meet Yusuke in that tournament.

===A month later===

A few hundret metres east from the arena a blac hole opened and spat out a hooded figure. She floped on her face but quickly shot up and struck a victory pose.

"Siccess! I did it! Now, I can teleport anywhere I want. Muahahaha! The landing has to be worked on though."

He dusted herself and headed for the arena to buy tickets or steal them depending on the price.

'Hehe! I have a feeling this'll be intrestin'!'

To be continued...maybe...