--Okay, author's notes before you start: The guys (i.e. Yusuke Kuwabara Kurama Hiei) have been called into Koenma's office for a mission. Of course I have my own character in here and while she is mine, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho (unfortunately --) or any of the other characters blah blah. Also, jfyi: The normal quotations " are people talking normally but just one ' means someone is thinking. Um as for what time this takes place...I really don't know. It's definitely before the end of the series but perhaps after the dark tournament? I know that this happens after the guys defeat Sensui or whatever...okay so I really don't know. Just live with it, 'kay.
--"Hey Koenma! What's up?" Yusuke busted open the door with Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei following in behind. Yusuke plopped down into one of the chairs in front of the toddler's desk. The rest stood around the chair. Koenma pushed a button and a huge screen lowered itself behind him. A woman's picture appeared on the screen. It was just her face, but she was very attractive. Her hair was long and black. It had silver, not white, streaks in it like highlights. And she didn't look old at all. Her eyes where a stunning color of green and they stared emotionlessly forward from the picture.
"What's this all about?" Kuwabara piped up. His eyes widened at the sight of this lovely lady.
"Don't let her looks deceive you," Koenma said darkly, "I'm sending you on a retrieval. Bring her back to me."
"Hn. Shouldn't be to hard," Hiei placed a hand on his katana.
"Be careful Hiei. All of you. She's the most notorious demon in the Spirit World."
"Then how come I've never heard of her?" Yusuke flexed his arm muscle.
Koenma put his face in his hand and muttered something. He looked up and sighed, trying to explain, "She's been in hiding for the longest time and we've just been able to locate her position."
Kurama nodded, "I remember the last time she was here."
"Yes," Koenma grimaced, "she stole numerous items from the Vault."
"She has the whole Spirit World at her back."
"Now that she's returned...well it could cause some trouble. She could start a rebellion,"
"Isn't there supposed to be some sort of Guardian..uh..guarding the Vault?" Kuwabara's thought was a little late.
"YES!" Koenma said as he banged his fist on the desk, "And we found them later, but they where reliving the week before!"
"Wow. That's...weird," was all Yusuke could manage.
The guys headed off for the location that Koenma gave them.
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The woman was sitting on a tree stump in a clearing in a forest, brushing her hair with a glowing comb, made from her spirit energy. She was singing in a language none of the guys had ever heard before, but it was melodious. They were mesmerized by the voice, or voices rather. She seemed to be singing harmonies and melodies all at the same time. Suddenly, Yusuke stepped on a twig and the song stopped in the middle of what seemed to be a verse. Her head turned slightly toward the noise, but she didn't move other than that.
"Why do you have to be so loud bakas?" Hiei hissed.
The woman chuckled, "Hey! You! In the trees! If you don't come out by the time I count to ten, I'm going to start throwing sharp objects. One...two...eight," She stood and pulled a dagger from somewhere.
"Okay! Okay, put the daggers up! I'm coming down," Yusuke tried, but ended up falling out of the branches. When he got up, she was sitting back down, brushing her hair and watching him with an amused look on her face.
With extreme nonchalance, Kuwabara jumped as gracefully as he can, landed, and sauntered forward toward her.
She could hear his heartbeat, and it was beating fast. 'Annoying' she thought.
Kuwabara saw her blink, and then he couldn't move.
By instinct alone, the woman's comb disappeared and the hand that held it reached up to block the incoming rose whip. Hiei launched himself from the tree, katana drawn. The rose whip started encircling her wrist and she stood up. Kurama's face waved for a moment; the thorns should have pierced her skin by this time, but they didn't as the whip continued climbing around her, wrapping her to her ankles. Hiei flew over and brought his weapon down to strike as she closed her eyes and smiled. The weapon swiped down to nothing but air just as Kuwabara yelled, "NOOO!"
Hiei twisted around, searching for her. And he found her: Standing behind Kurama who was now wrapped in his own whip. Her eyes were narrowed, "You should not be able to speak."
Kuwabara looked relieved that she was okay. What was the shrimp thinking? He could have seriously hurt her!
She shook her head and Hiei moved for her again. Yusuke also made a movement for her, but she felt it and stopped him like she had Kuwabara. She pulled Kurama in front of her, knowing that Hiei would not strike his partner, and disappeared.
Hiei had jumped into the air, katana raised to slice where she was. Kurama's eyes locked with Hiei's and Hiei, already to far into the attack, flicked his wrists slightly so that the point of the katana harmlessly pierced the grass.
Kurama fell to the ground as the woman was no longer holding him up.
Hiei straightened to see her walking in a circle around Kuwabara; she was trying to figure out how he had broken her hold when a voice rang out through the clearing.
"Misaki Ansatsusha. I didn't expect to see you so soon," it said dryly.
Her head snapped up.
The owner of the voice was none other than Genkai.
She cocked her head and smirked, "Koenma didn't trust them enough to get me, did he?"
"How should I know?"
"He sent you didn't he?"
"Hey! Don't you know who we are?" Kuwabara asked all macho-like.
"How does he keep doing that?" Misaki faced him again.
"The same way I do this," Hiei ran forward intending to slash at her.
Misaki's head slowly turned. She blinked and in the middle of a stride, he stops.
Genkai laughed quietly.
"Don't be so cocky, my dear Genkai," Genkai glared at her, "Because you can't move either."
Genkai didn't have a retort; of course she couldn't move either.
"Aw, wahsah madder Genkai," she taunted, putting her hands on her hips, "Are we speechwess?"
"No more than you are dead," came the response.
"Which can be easily arranged," Hiei growled.
"How sad," she sighed. She was finally allowed a moment to collect her thoughts and take a good look at the beings around her. 'Two humans? Koenma sent two humans to get me? Just how out of practice does he think I am?'
"Hey! Who are you, and what do you think you're doing?" Yusuke's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"You're loosing your touch Misaki."
She grinned at Genkai, "It has been too long, hasn't it.
"Don't you know you I am?!?" Kuwabara shouted, wanting to be noticed,
"I'm—"
"Incredibly stupid obviously," she interrupted.
The gang laughed, whether out loud or not and Kuwabara couldn't defend himself.
"Yes, I know who you are," she said impatiently, "The real question is, what should I do with you?" She tapped her chin with a finger, "Decisions, decisions."
"How about you let us go so you don't get hurt." Hiei's deathly calm voice drifted from where he stood.
"Hiei?" she walked up to him.
He didn't know who she was and how did she know him?
"That means, oh yes. The rose whip. I should've guessed. Yoko Kurama." she nodded, "You're awfully quiet Genkai."
"I'm thinking of what I should do to you when I get loose."
"Keep thinking. It might be a while. Maybe you'll come up with something good."
Yusuke snickered.
"Do you want to say something, ohei na baka?" she asked dangerously.
"Why don't you tell them who you are, Misaki. They weren't around when you were famous." Genkai said.
Misaki flipped some of her dark hair behind one ear, "You know so much about me Genkai, why don't you do it yourself. I can always add something if you've missed it."
"Boys, meet Misaki Janji. Once the best Spirit Detective for Koenma."
'That was the one thing I wouldn't want them to know. And she knew that.' Inwardly she cursed but merely said, "And ne'er a one has surpassed me yet."
If their mouths could have moved, they would have dropped.
"So, now that you know who I am...was," she was still a bit miffed, "What can I do for you?"
"As I said before, release us and we will make it quick."
"Really Hiei, do you think you could even touch me?" She looked over the group again and lightly brushed their minds, skimming the briefing Koenma had given them.
Hiei's eyes narrowed as he felt her, through the Jagan, scan his mind. He was about to shove her out when the Jagan stopped him. 'What now?' he asked. The Jagan pointed out that she only wanted to know what had gone on in the briefing Koenma gave them before they left, nothing important. Hiei inwardly rolled his eyes. He felt the Jagan examining the telepathic trail she left behind with some excitement. Hiei shook his head as some of that thrill was passed onto him. It had been a long time since they had come across a decent telepath. He indulged the Jagan a bit reluctantly and let her gathered what she wanted.
Finally Misaki shrugged and waved a hand. The four stuck in place were released from what held them and Hiei stumbled forward a little, but quickly regained his balance. Misaki remembered that Kurama couldn't change his whip back into a rose because of what she did to it, so she walked over and knelt down over him to unwind it.
"That was a mistake baka onna," behind her in one fluid motion, Hiei readied his sword and ran for her. He was close enough to hear her sigh long-sufferingly and then she disappeared. Once again, the blade was aimed for Kurama. Once again, he turned to blow to the side.
"You are a slow one aren't you?" she sneered, assuming it would tick him off.
And it did. In an unseen anger, he swept the sword up, turning around, and brought the katana down on her head.
She reached up, caught it between the palms of her hands, and forced the tip to point at his throat, his hands still on the hilt. She kneed the end of the hilt, and had she let go, the katana would have pierced through Hiei's throat, killing him. They stared into each others eyes.
"Death," she called, her voice pulling a chill into the air. She was right at his eye level, her cold dazzling green eyes glaring into his fiery red ones.
The tension was so great, had Hiei's katana fallen, it could have sliced right through it. Everyone watched as the two faced off.
"I'm coming with you. Yusuke, did Koenma give you a return portal?" Misaki somehow managed pleasantly.
"Um..." Yusuke didn't know what to say.
"Oh don't worry," she dropped her hands, "I won't kill him. Not yet anyway."
Hiei had been resisting her hands with so much effort that for the second time in less than five minutes, he was off balance.
"Are you alright?" Kuwabara rushed forward to see if Misaki was okay. He grabbed for her hands, but she jerked away.
"Look, do you have a portal or not?" Misaki said, very put out.
Hiei noticed one of Kuwabara's fingers had a bit of blood on it. 'Hn. So she does bleed.'
Misaki heard his thought and her look grew even more disgruntled. She was a bit out of practice. When she grabbed for the katana, her left palm was slightly under the sharp blade and it sliced off a piece of her skin before she could adjust her angle. She made a fist to conceal the wound and stop the blood flow.
Kurama pulled a portal amulet out of his pocket.
'Yes, I do bleed.' she thought, 'but so do you.' She licked her hand where the wound was and smiled at him, showing him some fangs. He gave her an unreadable look, which disappeared as she walked through the portal.
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End of Chapter One