Disclaimer: I don't own YYH


Why Not

Chapter Seven: The truth

X -x-x-x-x- X

'Koenma?'

"I-I need to go to the Ningenkai...now...I'll meet you at the temple..."

The image shut off and they all looked at each other.

"Genkai? What the hell is going on?" Yusuke asked.

Genkai sighed. "I might as well tell you."

They all sat down to listen and she began.

"The Fuugiya's were a very powerful demon crime family. In fact, they were the most powerful. But they had one flaw; They were cocky. All of them were weak low levels and they only had a few bodyguards. That woman was one of them. She is by far the strongest and was their enforcer. She carried out orders and made sure their enemies were in check. One night the entire family was slaughtered by a rival family. As far as I know, there was a group of them that were hired just for that."

It was silent for a few minutes, then Yusuke spoke.

"So, what does this have to do with Botan...or Hiei?" He finished that last part as a whisper.

"You'll have to ask Koenma."

Just then said prince burst through the door. He was in his teen form and panting and sweating.

"Koenma?" Kuwabara was shocked at what he saw.

"Hey." He panted some more. "Did she tell you?"

"Yeah, except we don't know why they want Hiei." Yusuke asked with his arms crossed.

"Oh. How much did you tell them?"

"Everything I know."

"Not everything, though?"

"I thought you should do it."

"Okay, can we stop with the super secret talk? Just tell us what they want!"

"They want Hiei. They're using Botan as bait. You know that." Genkai said before nodding to Koenma.

"Yusuke..." The prince sighed, "Hiei was one of the members of that team that killed the Fuugiya family."

Yusuke looked around. Kurama was thoughtful, he already knew, Yusuke figured, and Kuwabara looked shocked and then even more furious than before. Yusuke sighed. "And?"

"Every single member of that raid has been brutally murdered. As well as members of their family."

Kuwabara gasped. "NO!"

Koenma looked confused and looked at Yusuke and Kurama.

"He knows." Genkai said.

"I see." Koenma looked down and took in a breath. "What exactly did Ren say to you?"

"Ren?" Yusuke asked.

"The woman." Kurama said.

"Yes, her name is Ren Fuugiya. She is not a true member of the family but adopted the name when she joined them. She is ranked as an S class and is deadly. I have no doubt she is the one who killed all the others." Koenma finished with a frown. 'Botan...'

"What about her master?" Kurama asked. Koenma looked up.

"Ikio, right? Yeah, that's a little hard to explain. Basically, the Fuugiya family knew they had many enemies so when their last son was born they hid him. They never let anyone know they had another son so I'm sure the raid knew nothing about him."

"How old was he?" Yusuke asked shocking everyone that he wanted to know.

"Five."

Botan was lying on the bed trying to just breath. She hadn't throw up in a few hours so she assumed she was okay. The door unlocked again and Ikio came in again. "Ugh." She groaned.

"I know, I know. I'm the last person you wanted to see. But...I had to check in on you."

"Right, because your little plan will fall apart if I die." She sneered.

"Yes, basically."

She sat up and looked at the demon she once called a boy. He looked the same. The hate was gone from his eyes and they were sparkling again. Was it just an act or something? Or was this the real him?

"Ikio?" This time her tone was gentle.

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Tell me. Tell me why."

"My family. My mother, my father, my brother, my sister, they were all murdered by a rival family. This rival family was always trying to control us and take us down. One night they made us what they called a 'final offer'. My father refused." He sighed. "All the stories about us are wrong. We didn't kill people. We just had respect. People feared us because we were powerful in that regard. But we didn't kill people. My father said it was below him. We didn't hurt anyone..."

"What does this have to do with Hiei?" Botan asked telling herself she already knew, but she wouldn't listen.

"Hiei?" His voice changed again. "Hiei was the one who killed my family single handedly!" Botan gasped and Ikio chuckled darkly. "Reikai thinks that it was a raid of some sort, that it was a group. That's only half true. The group killed all of our employees and Hiei killed my family."

"How do you know that?"

"Over the years I vowed I would find whoever was the one who personally killed my family. Eventually, I found out through the others that were hired. They're all dead. All well as their families."

"I don't believe you." She said in a huff. She knew Hiei had committed crimes but slaying a whole family? For what? Money? That didn't sound like the Hiei she knew...But then again she didn't know him very long...

"Do you think I give a fuck what you think?!" He shouted. Botan jumped and found herself backing up on the bed as he advanced. "He did it. I know it. He's the only one left and each of the others all said his name. He killed my family in cold blood! He killed them without mercy! And for what?! A BAG OF FUCKING MONEY?!" His voice was screaming now forcing Ren to run in, her eyes wide.

"Ikio..."

Ikio turned around with his fangs baring. "That's Lord Ikio to you." He seethed. "Now get out."

"Y-yes sir...Lord Ikio..." She bowed and went back out closing the door.

Botan was almost in tears now. "W-wha - "

"What am I going to do?" He said sadistically. "First, I'm going to lure him here. That's up to your friends, who by the way won't be coming or else I'll kill you. Then when he gets here I'll - "

"You'll what? Force him to concede? You obviously don't know Hiei very well. He won't just give himself over to you, and certainly not for me."

"Shut up. Talk again and Ren will cut out your tongue. I intend to have you locked up where he can't find you, not even with his Jagan." He said Jagan like a teasing child. "He may be strong but not as strong as Ren. She will defeat him. Not kill, mind you, just defeat. I'll lock him up and starve and torture him for a while. Then I'm going to bring you in and kill you right in front of him. Then I'll get Yukina and kill her too. Slowly and painfully. Then when he's broken I'll kill him tortuously slow."

"You're an immature child. That plan will never work. I don't know why Ren hasn't made you see that yet. Maybe she's just loyal."

"Ren, could you come in here, please? And bring your knife." He said with a happy tone. Botan gasped and put her hands over her mouth. He looked over at her with a sick grin. "I told you what would happen. That little bitch tongue goes."

Botan sobbed and ran to the bathroom. She shut the door but there was no lock. She sobbed harder.

She heard some talking over her sobs and whined for her life. What could she do? Ren would hurt her horribly if she tried to escape. She heard yelling and stomping. A knock at the door made her cry.

"You're lucky, ferry girl." It was Ren. Botan opened the door and stared at this woman she was supposed to fear. Instead of fear she almost wanted to hug her.

"He hardly ever looses his temper like that. When he does he gets...cruel. Most of the time he's calm and gentle...but not when he gets angry. It's like a curse or something..."

Botan saw a hint of sadness in her strong lime green eyes. "Why do you take orders from him?"

Ren scowled and turned around. "Next time I'll use this." She said holding out a knife.

Ugh. No more sympathy.

Ren walked out locked the door..same old same old...

"So, where do we start first?" Yusuke asked looking at the Makai forest.

"Hiei used to like bars a lot and drifted in between them all the time. I believe that's how he met Goki."

"Fabulous. Which one of the million bars to we go to first?"

Silence.

"Oh, fuck."

"Let's just ask around. Apparitions love to gossip. If he has been seen somebody will know."

"Great. Just great."

"Shut up Urameshi. Let's just do it."

"Fine."

They started walking around the small demon town hearing whispers like 'Raizen', and 'Yoko' and 'Who is that human?' They saw a bar up ahead and Yusuke scoffed.

"Might as well."

They walked in and immediately they all dropped their mouths.

"HIEI!"

~TBC