A/N Thank you all for your patience! I appreciate all of the kind words I've received both on here and tumblr about this story. It means a lot to me. I'm hoping that I can start updating every month and maybe even get on track to a weekly schedule. I have several chapters done, I just need to edit them and make sure they all flow correctly in the narrative. I've also made some minor changes and edits to the previous chapters.

If you haven't guessed yet, I am planning on following the storyline of the series from Hiei's perspective. This all started as a bunch of headcanons and some psychoanalysis of Hiei's character. Kenopsia is the result of stringing them all together. I hope you guys continue to enjoy!

-Miss Vile


Kenopsia | Chapter 3

Hiei made a perch outside the redheaded boy's home. He was determined to relentlessly scrutinize the boy's every detail. He was a demon, that much Hiei was certain, but he seemed to be living as a human and in a human body. The whole concept puzzled him. He assumed the family had been masquerading in Human World, but that didn't seem to be the case. There was a woman in the kitchen that he overheard the redhead call "Mother." The stench of human wafting from her was unmistakable. What was even more puzzling was that they shared features. The roundness of their faces and the quality of their statures left little doubt of a blood relation.

The boy was an average height and had many features he would consider feminine. His hair was a rich, auburn color that reflected a more fiery red in the light. It was short, wild, and draped around his ears like a silk. It contrasted rather beautifully with his green eyes. The rest of his features, however, were nearly a direct mirror of the woman who resided with him.

Perhaps this boy had been the victim of Hedoki and left to live out the remainder of his feeble life as a puppet? The idea didn't sit well with Hiei. This seemed far too methodical for a demon as lowly as that mound of putrid flesh. It was clear that the boy has most likely lived with the woman since birth.

"Could it be him?" Hiei thought aloud


Jealousy had never been an emotion he would admit to. However, watching the redhead's interactions with his mother left him in the unwelcome predicament. He told himself that he was observing them out of curiosity and laid in wait for the moment the redhead would reveal his identity to him. That was his excuse, anyway.

They had left their home completely exposed, their curtains were drawn open as if to mock him. He had never known his mother. Rui had described her as cheerful and optimistic- traits that Hiei certainly did not share. He was reckless and bloodthirsty. A Beast in its purest of forms. One born of fire and seething hatred. He was certain that his mother could never have loved him. A part of him was grateful to her for depriving herself of her own life. He would surely have been a disappointment.

Hiei had left in a hurry to continue his hunt for Hedoki and Yatsude. He had very little knowledge of where to go, however. It didn't trouble him much knowing that Yatsude was only growing stronger, not really. The fate of the human city was of no consequence to him. He was fairly certain that even a fool such as Yatsude would not be so careless as to devour a Koorime. If he truly wanted power, he need only use her for her Hiruseki stones to buy himself an army or even a fortress within Human World.

Most of the demons that resided in Human World were weak. They would have to be in order to pass through the Kekai barrier. It would not take much for Yatsude to gain control of the area by sacrificing his men for their power and using the Hiruseki stones to make the climb that much easier. It soothed him knowing that, at the very least, Yukina's heritage would save her from being eaten alive. It would buy him plenty of time to find her.

He continued to observe the redhead and his mother from afar. He hoped to gain a better understanding of their relationship to one another and their loyalties. The boy could easily have been an ally of Yatsude. He even dared to ask about Yukina and why she was so important. He could have been prying for information. If the redhead was a spy for Yatsude, he couldn't take any risks for it could prove fatal for his sister. His best option for finding her was to find one of Yatsude's allies and follow them to his hideout.

He watched them as they cooked a meal together, laughed, and exchanged stories about their day. It was unbearably mundane. Jealousy invaded his insides and coiled in his chest like a spring-loaded trap. Watching the redhead laugh and talk freely with the black-haired woman made him sick to his stomach.

A shrill ringing reverberated in his sensitive ears. Hiei was quick to cover them. The woman walked over to a box attached to the wall and spoke into it.

"Shuichi! It's for you." the woman called out. Hiei noticed the redhead looking up from his book and gracefully make his way down the stairs. Hiei leaned in to hear what was being said but the words were masked by a cacophony of metallic vibrations. He would have to make do with discerning the conversation solely on the redhead's body language.

"Are you certain?" The redhead was trembling, "Yes... I'll let you know if I hear from her... You're welcome... Goodnight." The boy carefully placed the box back into its cradle.

"Is everything alright?" The woman asked with obvious concern

"Yes. It was just a friend." He faked a yawn, "I've been studying for exams all evening. I think I should get some sleep."

"You do look tired." She smiled, "Get some rest. I'll cook you your favorite breakfast in the morning!"

"I look forward to it." the boy headed upstairs, "Goodnight, Mother."

"Goodnight, Shuichi." The woman resumed her dutiful tasks around the lower level of the house. The redhead closed the door to his room and locked it. His shoulders stiffened. Energy filled the room with each exhale. Hiei did not need his Jagan to see that he was indeed a powerful demon. There was no need to doubt the redhead's identity any further.

The room went dark but Hiei could still sense him in the shadows. The window opened as a gust of air pulled at the sheer curtains. The boys emerged out onto the edge of the window and cast a steely, emerald gaze at Hiei in the tree. The sheer fabric curled around him like ghosts licking at his flesh.

"It seems I have no choice." his voice was grim, "I was hoping to avoid a larger conflict. But I refuse to share this city."


Hiei moved at greater speeds than the redhead could easily follow. Even with his power level less than half its former glory, his speed was mostly outmatched. Though this boy could not keep up fully, he was an excellent tracker. So long as Hiei stopped momentarily on the rooftops, the boy would eventually catch up.

"I'm impressed." Hiei scoffed, "You don't even seem to be out of breath."

"I am impressed with you as well."

"Oh?" he was intrigued, "Why do you say that?"

"You shouldn't be able to move due to the injuries you sustained earlier. Yet here you are leaving me in the dust."

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't be so soft." he scoffed, " If you had dealt a killing blow when you had the chance, I would have bled out and you would have been all the better for it."

"Yes. But then what of Yukina?"

Rage colored Hiei's face at the invocation of her name, "Shut up. You talk too much."

"Perhaps I do. We should keep moving." the redhead smirked. It was his turn to lead the way.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"I am fairly certain that I've deduced Yatsude's location." The redhead peered out over the building and towards the empty warehouses below, "If I am correct, he should be somewhere near here."

"What makes you so sure?"

"The missing person's reports all had witnesses who said that the students were last seen heading towards these warehouses. The human police force has already combed the area but turned up empty handed. They instead believed that they may have all been runaways and had followed the nearby creek into the neighboring city."

"Why not explore there? Hiei remarked

"I left no stone unturned. There was no trace of the missing humans or any demonic energy besides my own."

"So, you're saying that your human protectors are just blind? How pathetic."

"Maybe. They also did not have a Jaganshi as an ally to pinpoint their exact locations."

"Don't get carried away." Hiei's voice was tinged with bitterness, "I'm no one's ally. I simply brought you here out of convenience to further my own needs."

"Yes. If course." the redhead seemed unfazed, "Well. What are you waiting for? Use your Jagan and find them."

"Why should I help you find your precious humans? For all I know, you could be leading me into a trap."

"I have no reason to." the boy said flatly, "The truth is, I also am using you out of convenience."

"Hmph." Hiei glared at the boy

"This body is not entirely mine. I am not as strong as I used to be and would surely die if I were to face Yatsude now, same as you."

"I'm not some weakling." Hiei spat

"No. But on your own and in your current condition, you would surely perish. This is merely an alliance of self-preservation."

"What makes you so sure I won't betray you?"

"Because if you truly want to save Yukina, you will need need my help."


It didn't take Hiei long to find Hedoki. His energy was weak compared to earlier and it was masked in the stench of human. By the time Hiei and the redhead had arrived, his energy was gone and soon replaced by a far greater foe. That energy could be none other than Yatsude. It was the largest energy Hiei had felt since arriving in Human World. It was certainly far too strong to have made it through the Kekai barrier. Yatsude must have traveled through a portal into human world when his energy was virtually nonexistent and then absorbed as many demons as he could to increase his power.

Hiei and the redhead made their way down the shadows on opposite ends of the hall. The two of them could hear a low rumble that, upon closer inspection, was a laugh.

"Greetings, Youko. It seems that you have finally found me." the voice beckoned from the adjacent room.

The redhead made eye contact with Hiei who was practically indistinguishable from the surrounding shadow. They both nodded and the redhead jumped down into the candlelight. The boy walked with purpose. There wasn't a single movement that was not calculated and well guarded.

"I'm sorry, but you just missed dinner." there was a foul odor akin to salted meat and sour milk that seemed to originate from the remnant flesh between his teeth. There were clumps of dark hair protruding from his gums.

The redhead stopped in his tracks, momentarily stunned by the possibility of his friend's demise. Hiei had remembered the young girl who had been walking with the redhead only hours before. She had apparently been captured shortly after their fight.

"Women truly are the finest meal. Especially the young ones." Yatsude licked his lips. It was the last coal on the fire for the redhead.

The seed that he held in his hand extended into a long whip like he had used to fight Hiei earlier. The thorny tendrils wrapped around one of Yatsude's arms. He pulled it towards him along with the severed arm. Yatsude let out a cry and pounded a large fist into the floorboards. One of them lifted up around the redhead's feet and caused him lose balance. Yatsude took the opportunity and slammed the redhead into the wall. It seemed he was as fast as he was bulky.

Yatsude was tall and pale. His skin was like stone and his face was almost featureless, like a mask. He had several arms and each had a set of glossy black claws. His mouth seemed to unhinge as he spoke.

"I've waited for this for far too long." Yatsude's exhale made the redhead wretch as he was lifted into the air by his hair, "You will make a fine dessert!"

The redhead fell to the ground in a puddle of Yatsude's blood. Beside him lay the arm that had been holding him up in the air. Hiei was standing in front of him, shielding him from any further attack. Yatsude cried out in pain once more.

"Stand up, you fool. We can't afford to have him eat you and get stronger."

"Agreed." The redhead stood up and pulled another seed from his hair.

With synchronized attacks, Hiei and his new ally managed to dice Yatsude up into smaller parts, leaving only his head. Yatsude laughed at his own pitiful defeat.

"Before you die, answer me this one question." Hiei pointed his sword at the large head that was drowning in its own blood, "There were rumors of a Koorime in this area. Tell me: Did you eat her as well?!"

"Do you think that if I had gotten to eat something as delicious as an ice maiden that I would have been so easily defeated by the likes of you?" he licked his lips at the thought of devouring something so precious.

"I suppose not." Hiei ran his sword through Yatsude's eye with a 'spurt.'

"Shuichi?" a small voice called out from another room.

"Maya!" the redhead ran towards the voice. She had been tied up and stowed away, no doubt for food later. Hiei turned to see the two of them hugging one another. It was an odd sight.

"Is all of that true, Shuichi? Everything that monster said?"

"What all have you heard?" the redhead wiped the blood from his hands and combed the hair out of her face.

"He said you were a powerful demon named Youko Kurama." she recalled, "And that you're just as much of a monster as he was."

Hiei noticed the boy's hands drop to his lap. Guilt was plainly written on his face. Hiei had heard countless stories about the ruthless Youko Kurama and his bandit crew. He was merciless and unfeeling. Which is not at all what Hiei had witnessed earlier with his human mother nor at this very moment with this frail young girl. The pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place. Hiei recognized that this life served as his atonement for the sins of his previous life. This was why he had sworn to protect these humans.

"No." Hiei spoke before the redhead had the opportunity, "He is a demon, but he is no monster."

"How do you know that for certain?" the redhead locked eyes with him.

"Anyone who can treat humans with such kindness is certainly not a monster." Hiei chuckled, "You're weak, but you aren't a monster."

"I knew it." her eyes sparkled, "I knew you were good!"

"Did he hurt you, Maya?" Kurama turned his attention back towards the young girl

"Not really. He said he was going to use me as bait to lure you here."

"He must have known that I would come for you." Kurama smiled

"Yes." She smiled back, "But who are you?' She glanced over at Hiei who quickly looked away and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, him? He's a friend."