Chapter 4
Amaya looked around the new world they were in. At first, she thought it resembled Makai with all the forests and mountains; but then she noticed there were buildings and roads everywhere. And the smell, it was like the stench of something rotting. Hiei smirked as she pinched her nose. "Overpowering, I know. But you'll get used to it soon."
Botan was hovering on her oar, waiting for them to move on. "Right, on to Genkai's temple."
"Is the old woman still alive?" Hiei asked without looking at the ferry girl.
"Oh my, no. But the temple is still well looked after by Yukina. Even after she and Kuwabara got married, she visits the temple to keep it looking tidy."
Hiei just nodded and gave the signal for them to continue. Botan soared on her oar while Hiei and Amaya darted from tree branch to tree branch. Botan noted just how small the water demon was, even given that she was barely considered a toddler Amaya only just reached her father's knee.
The two demons moved quickly, only appearing as blurry shadows. Botan stayed focused on reaching the temple, knowing there was no use trying to keep up with Hiei and his offspring.
As they reached the edge of Genkai's property, Hiei stopped his daughter from advancing in the trees. "There are barriers here we have to look out for," he explained. "Follow me." Her father walked forward cautiously towards a dirt path; she observed how his eyes never stopped moving, taking in almost every detail of the forest. Amaya followed his example, exercising as much awareness as she could.
Hiei sensed out all of the old master's barriers that he remembered from his last visit and even a few new ones that reeked of Kuwabara's energy. 'At least he is not completely useless,' he thought.
After an hour of careful trekking, the pair arrived at a set of stones steps. Amaya marveled at how many there were. At the top, she spotted a grand gate that was open to reveal a traditional Shinto temple. 'So that's a temple,' she thought. Hiei and Amaya wasted no time dashing up the steps, arriving at the top in less than a second.
Amaya picked up on several energies, all mixes of youki and another form she had never sensed before. Hiei noted just how many people he felt: 'Looks like I'm not the only one who brought their offspring along.'