A/N: Here's another update for you, guys! It sure is hard to find the time to update since I'm swamped with academic duties for the past month. And it seems like there's no end to this torture.

Another reason for the delay of this chapter was my intent to deliver a realistic view. I did some research on facts and figures of historical places. Well, I hope you enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: Again, the entirety of Yu Yu Hakusho and TIME Magazine are not mine.

"…" – Talking

'…' – Flashback

"…" – Thoughts


Chapter 7: Coup de Maître (Master Stroke)

He was never the one to love art. Even from his younger years, art classes had always been the most distasteful. Art teachers were terrifying, classmates were obnoxious, paint was so messy, and the list goes on. But in truth, he just didn't have the talent, and it irked him to no end. He, who was envied by many being born into a rich and powerful clan, was expected to excel in all fields; may it be math, science, music, language, and the like. All of these can be perfected through study and practice. Admittedly, art was never his forte.

But his love for money and power exceeded his hate for art. So when he saw the opportunity to make money from it, he loved art instantly.


Hitoshi Sanada is known in the business world for his bright mind and charisma. At the tender age of 25, he was named by TIME Magazine as the youngest successful businessman of the century. With his starting position as Vice-President for Operations in Zenith, Inc., the leading IT firm in Japan, Sanada was able to increase its profit by 200 with his ingenious business strategies with forging alliances with multinational corporations. He was praised by the business community for initiating unorthodox yet effective business practices that earned him not only their respect but also more money in his bank account.

Now, at 32, Hitoshi Sanada has become a common household name. His face can be found (almost daily) in the business section of leading newspapers. His good looks earned him the admiration of the women of all ages and caught the eye of several television producers. He was the envy of all men, his dark-brown locks and deep blue eyes together with his domineering height and a lean yet muscular built was the perfect figure any man could wish for.

He is very popular, that's true. But his reputation is most renowned in the underworld – the black market. He participated in several illegal dealings, adding more currencies in his several accounts in various countries, all in different names.

He owns the majority of the (black) market share of precious art pieces trade. Sanada's tactic to gain this huge portion is acquiring the best art thieves in the business. But the most crucial element of this grand scheme of his is the finest artist who can replicate any painting he or she lays his or her eyes on.

The former is easy to find, since these kinds of people are almost everywhere, all you need is the right connection and the proper resources, which undeniably, Sanada is very much abundant of. But the latter is another story.

He traveled far and wide just to get a hand of that 'perfect' artist – and his search led him to Paris.


Paris, 7 years ago

"Monsieur Sanada, your driver has informed us that your car is ready in front of the lobby. He will be waiting for you there," the man in the front desk said on the other line of the phone. Hitoshi had been staying at Hộtel Ritz, one of the most luxurious hotels in town, for almost three days now, both for business and pleasure.

Still half-asleep, Hitoshi grumbled something inaudible before answering, "Thank you for the message. Please tell him I'll be down after 1 hour." Almost stubbornly, he sat up, flipping over the white sheets that covered him, with the receiver still caught in between his left shoulder and cheek.

"Is there anything else that you want, monsieur?" He asked.

"Please, do send up some black coffee and today's paper. That's all, thank you," with that, he returned the receiver in its cradle. He stood up, at last, scooping up the blue robe that was draped over the chair and slipped it over his naked body.

He walked towards the balcony, and looked down and took in the view of the busy and bustling streets of Paris. And true to the information a while ago, his limousine was indeed parked nearby the entrance of the hotel.

A knock on the door was heard after a few minutes. "That must be the coffee," with that, he approached the door and opened it.

"Room service," the young man in red uniform said with much enthusiasm.

"Oh, good, please bring it in," Hitoshi said motioning the young man to enter. After doing his job, the young employee left the room, a little disappointed because he did not receive any tip from their rich client.

Taking the cup of coffee with him, with the newspaper caught up by his armpit, he headed towards the balcony once again and sat on a lone chair. He sipped his coffee before spreading out the paper on the table. Unsurprisingly (for him), he found his face on the front page, with the huge headline above it saying, 'Business Tycoon in Paris!'.

After a few minutes of flipping the pages of his newspaper, he reached the classified ads section. He scanned it for anything interesting. Just as he was about to turn to another page, an advertisement contained in a small box in the corner caught his eye. 'Coup de Maître: An Art Exhibit featuring Original works by Ryo Fukuyama', it said. From the name of the artist, he must be Japanese. Taking a mental note on other details, he folded the now worn out newspaper in a messy heap. Finishing his coffee, he stood up and disrobed before hitting the showers.

Somehow, he felt lady luck was on his side today.


"How did the meeting go, Sanada-san?" a man in his mid-forties greeted him as soon as his eyes caught sight of his employer. The uniformed man sped up his pace to keep up with Sanada as soon as he passed by him. When they reached the parked vehicle, he immediately opened the door for his master. Once he was settled in, he closed the door and walked towards his respective place on the driver's seat.

Once the seat belt was secured, he asked the man on the backseat, "Where to next, Sanada-san?"

"Just drive around the city, Kawase. It would be nice to view the scenery and relax for a while," Hitoshi said without really looking at his driver and instead, gazed outside the window.

"As you wish, sir," Kawase started the engine and slowly gained a steady speed. The meeting with their company's Paris subsidiary went quite well. He and the board of directors discussed a new project and its launching sometime in the near future. There were some issues to be resolved, but they were nothing he cannot handle.

His mind wandered off to different things. For a moment, he was distracted by the beautiful scenery, that of serenity, as he continued looking at the city streets. He was brought back to reality when he suddenly jerked forward as a result of the sudden stop of the limousine. "What happened?" he asked after finally recovering after a few seconds.

"I'm not sure, sir. I think we have engine trouble. Stay here, I'll check it out," Kawase said, unbuckling the seatbelt and heading outside in front of the limousine. While checking the engine's condition, Kawase was surprised to see his employer stepping out of the elegant car.

"Sir, I told you to stay inside. I think I can fix this, so just wait inside," as soon as he finished his statement, a black smoke emanated.

"It seems to me that it just became worse," Hitoshi said examining the vehicle's inner structure. "Don't worry; I'll just tour the city. There's this exhibit that I want to check out, I think it's just around the corner," he continued as he walked towards one of the narrow streets.

"Do be careful, sir. I'll just stay here and wait for your return."

The only reply he got was a wave from his master.

While walking along the archaic streets of Paris, he kept a constant look-out for Étoile1 Street. As soon as his eyes caught a street sign containing these words, he then searched for the L'Hermitage building where the art exhibit was taking place.

What he saw first was a small group of people go in and out of a small run-down low-rise building. He saw a faded sign 'L'Hermitage'2 which gave him the impression that he was at the right place. As its name suggests, L'Hermitage really looked like a dwelling place for hermits. Being part of the elite society, he had been invited to several art galleries and exhibits. Whoever this Ryo Fukuyama is, it was apparent that he was broke for if he were the opposite, this artist would have chosen a better place to present his artwork.

Once he entered, he was greeted by an array of paintings of different themes – from nature to daily activities to places and people; almost anything under the sun. He was amazed, in awe, and it rarely happens. After seeing hundreds and hundreds of art works of rising artists of his generation, he felt something was missing in their works. And all these paintings contained in this small gallery encompass all the elements of a true masterpiece. And most of all, each of these works has spirit and soul.

Painting after painting, the more Hitoshi was convinced of this painter's artistry. Unconsciously, his feet led him to the back of the room. There, Hitoshi saw a lone painting canvas in its stand covered by a white sheet. Curiously, he slowly walked towards it, feeling like he was about to uncover the greatest treasure known to man.

Closing in, his slender hands touched the silky linen. Grasping it in both hands, he slowly pulled the sheets, only to be robbed of his breath. An image of a young woman with light blue strands surrounded by what seemed like a snow of cherry blossom petals entered his line of vision. A rush of emotions surged into his veins and felt his knees go weak. He was never an emotional or a sentimental person, but it seems like this single image was able to tug his heartstrings.

"I'm sorry, monsieur, but this painting is not for sale. Only those in the gallery are on sale," a soft voice entered the scene and seemed to bring Hitoshi back in his cold and dark world. Slowly, he faced the speaker and replied, "I am truly sorry for entering here. It's a pity this masterpiece is not purchasable, for I know many would offer a large sum of money just to get hold of this."

"I'm not sure about that, monsieur. But if that is indeed true, I will stand by my decision not to sell it," the man said, still retaining an air of civility.

"I see," Hitoshi said, taking one last look at the painting before returning the linen sheet back to its original place, "I take that you are the creator of this masterpiece, Ryo Fukuyama?"

"Yes, and thank you for the compliment," Ryo said with a slight bow. It was obvious that he was not used to taking compliments.

"Hitoshi Sanada," the young business man said, offering his right hand to shake.

Taking his hand, both man shook hands briefly and resumed their conversation, "Hitoshi Sanada? The famous businessman from Japan?"

"That would be me," Hitoshi replied without any sign of humility. Taking in the young man's features, slender physique, dark blue tresses and striking violet eyes, Hitoshi assumed he was in his early twenties; a pretty young age for an artist of his caliber.

"I presume that you, too, are Japanese," Hitoshi commented.

"Yes, but I have been living here in Paris for almost eight years now," Ryo replied while walking back to the main gallery. Hitoshi silently followed.

"Is that so? I hope you won't mind me asking, how's your business doing?" Hitoshi asked, a plan already formulating in the back of his mind.

"To tell you the truth, it's not that well. It seems that most art critics are very critical when it comes to my age. Being twenty-two has its disadvantage too," Ryo said with a smile. Even in difficult times, smiling was the only way to make himself feel better. It was a little habit he learned from his only sister.

"But I'm not easily discouraged. I know that sometime in the future, I will be lucky enough to get my art works sold. I have to do this not only for myself, but also for those people important to me," Ryo said with much enthusiasm, with hands clenched in his sides. Realizing that he had said too much, he grinned at the older man, "I'm sorry, it seems that my rambling bores you."

"Don't worry, I find it rather amusing," Hitoshi said. A moment of silence followed.

"I want to buy all of your paintings," the businessman finally said without any hint of humor in his voice. Ryo stepped back, probably too shocked at his statement.

"P-pardon?" Ryo asked, still unable to believe his companion's words.

"I'll buy all of your paintings, excluding the one in the back room," he replied eyeing the displays. "Also, I have a proposition to make," he added, "I want you to work for me as an exclusive painter."

Hitoshi almost laughed at the dumbstruck face of his new-found talent. "Does your silence means 'yes'?" Hitoshi asked. Ryo merely nodded. "Good, I suggest you close the exhibit now for I believe that as of now, all of these belong to me," he said.

"Y-yes," Ryo said shakily, still a little confused at what was happening. It was too much for him. He even resorted to punching his face just to make sure he was not dreaming. With that, he left Hitoshi and announced to his few audiences that the exhibit is now officially finished.

Hitoshi smirked. Finally, his plan is now commencing. He found the perfect artist for the job.


Kurama ended up missing work for two weeks. He, together with Botan, searched the city for any other clues that would lead to Botan's identity. Unfortunately, those two weeks of hard-work was put to vain. It's like fate intended for those who know Botan to disappear.

Preparing himself for another day of investigation, Kurama stepped inside the shower room to carry out his daily dose of self-cleansing. Since the shower incident, he was forced to put a sign by the door saying that he was in. Even though he knew Botan didn't need to use the bathroom in her current state, he can't help but imagine the chaos if 'it' were to happen again.

Finishing his morning necessities, Kurama hung the damp towel he used for drying his hair around his neck. Now dressed in a simple blue shirt and a pair of jeans, he headed downstairs in search of his ghostly housemate.

"Botan," he called out, "where are you?"

He went inside the kitchen hoping that she was there. Apparently, she was not. He was worried about her, especially now that they were making a very slow progress. During the past few days, she seemed quiet, which was very unusual especially with her cheery disposition.

Kurama sat on a stool, resting his elbows on the counter while his hands were twined under his chin. He sat there in silence, thinking about random things but still unable to hide the worried expression on his face. "Botan, where could you be?" he unconsciously uttered in a soft voice.

"So, who's this 'Botan' you keep talking about?" a cold voice entered, bringing back Kurama to reality – the reality that he didn't know how to explain who 'Botan' is.

"Hiei, when did you come in?" Kurama asked, obviously shocked at his sudden intrusion. He was too caught up in his thoughts that he wasn't able to detect Hiei coming in.

"About 10 minutes ago. Your door was open, as usual, so I invited myself in," he replied as he approached the counter, grabbing an apple from a fruit basket nearby. "I was sitting in your living room, but clearly, you did not see me," he continued before taking a bite on his apple.

"Ah, it must be the height," he said with a hint of humor, hoping to divert the issue about Botan.

Hiei threw him a glare, visibly not enjoying the remark his friend made. "Are you mocking me? You better stop now if you know what's best for you," he said.

"Why are you here anyway? I really did not expect your untimely visit," Kurama asked and took a more comfortable position in his stool.

"Just to deliver a message from your old man," Hiei answered, still holding a serious tone.

"I see, so it has something to do with business."

"It seems that you have been playing hooky for way too long, and your step-father is somewhat concerned that your mother will find out about this and worry,"he paused for a second, taking another bite. With that, Kurama felt guilty for keeping secrets from his beloved mother. "He also sent me to remind you of your meeting with Zenith, Inc. executives next Friday."

"Do tell him that I am doing fine. I will call mother later to inform her of my condition," he replied, reminding himself to do just that. "And as for the meeting, I am fully aware of my responsibilities. I think that says enough."

"Ah, that's good," Hiei said, finishing the apple he took a while ago. "By the way, who's Botan?"

Kurama slightly stiffened from Hiei's question. He thought he was successful deflecting the issue, but it seems like he failed. Good thing he was gifted with superb intellect, so he was able to recover from Hiei's questioning.

"Botan? Oh, she's my cat," Kurama said, hoping his expression was believable. Hiei merely raised an eyebrow, an indication of doubt, urging him to go on with his incredulous explanation.

"A cat? That's the worst excuse I have ever heard!" Hiei voiced out.

"I'm not lying, Hiei. It's a stray cat I picked up a few weeks ago. And you know me; I have a soft spot for weak and helpless creatures, so I took her in. The only problem is, she's missing right about now," Kurama said quite defensively.

'Well, that's not necessarily a lie. The only untrue statement there is Botan being a cat,' he thought.

"I think you better stop hanging out with Kuwabara. You're starting to think just like him," with that as his parting words, Hiei walked towards the living room with Kurama following behind him, seeing his guest out.

"You better do something about your ghost problem, too," Hiei commented without even looking back at Kurama. Kurama was not surprised by this, though. Like Kuwabara, Hiei has the ability to sense spiritual and other-worldly beings. He definitely has a stronger spirit sense than Kuwabara. Nevertheless, he was relieved that his closest friend did not fuss over the issue. When finally Hiei was out of sight, Kurama went back inside he house, continuing his pursuit in locating the 'ghost'.

When he finally saw her, Botan was sitting in the railings of his balcony, obviously deep in thought. She didn't even seem to notice him call out her name. After calling her for what seemed like the nth time, Botan finally responded. "Oh, I'm so sorry for ignoring you. I was just thinking about things, you know."

"That's okay, I understand," Kurama said, resting his elbows on the railings. "By the way, I had a visitor a while ago and he heard me calling you. Being his normal pesky self, he asked me about it. So I told him you were my cat."

"Hmm, a few weeks ago, I was a soul, and then now I'm a cat, that's nice," Botan said sarcastically.

"Well, I have a feeling you would enjoy being my cat. I'm good with animals, you know," Kurama said, teasing the young lady.

"I think I have an idea of how great you are. Heck, you're even good at handling ghosts!" she said, and then was silent. It seemed like she's zoning out again. Kurama frowned at her behavior. For a moment there, she was joking with him and then lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"I think it would be great being your cat. I like spending time with you," Botan unconsciously said in her dazed disposition. Kurama did not know what to say to that. Deep inside, he was truly happy. For some unknown reason, he felt the same, not Botan being his cat, but spending time with her gave him nothing but smiles. Though there were times of disappointment and failures, just being with her was enough to help him get over his fears. And at the end of the day, what seemed to matter most was this girl's happiness.

At the beginning, he swore to help her retain her humanity, but somewhere along the journey, Botan managed to change something in him that he was unable to decipher up until this moment.

"Yeah, me too," he finally replied. It seemed so much better to admit that.

"Hm? You were saying something?" Botan asked, unaware of the words she said a while ago.

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head as he spoke. "I think we better go now. It's a start of another day and we shouldn't waste our time here. We can cover more ground if we start our search early."

"You have a point there," Botan said, shifting into a standing position. She headed towards the door while Kurama remained at the balcony, staring at her retreating back. Noticing this, Botan called o out, "Earth to Kurama! I think you better take a dose of your own medicine! Let's get going, those clues are not gonna wait for us," Botan said, her enthusiasm finally returning.

Kurama chuckled at her statement, not really knowing why he did so. Honestly, he did not find anything funny about it, but as what was said a while ago, spending time with Botan gave him nothing but smiles.


Knowing Botan's former profession, the two of them decided to visit museums and art galleries hoping that clues about the girl's identity would reveal itself. They already went to institutions like the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, Nihon Mingeikan Art Museum, the Bunkamura Museum of Art and others. But sadly, none of these museums held the answer. With that, they had no choice but to keep looking.

As for today, it was decided that they visit the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. The museum houses a number of paintings and other crafts, both traditional and contemporary. There are some Western artworks that can be found in the gallery.

Being an art enthusiast, Botan can't help but be excited with every trip they made with different museums. And this particular visit is no exception. After paying for his admission ticket, Kurama together with Botan, who did not need any admission ticket, entered the gallery. They searched high and low, looking at every painting that was exhibited, hoping that it would trigger something within Botan's memory. But unfortunately, there was nothing, nada, zero and zilch.

Now sitting on an unoccupied bench in the main lobby, the couple talked about their next best solution. Kurama insisted on going to the next museum, but Botan would not hear any of it. "It's already past 12 o'clock and you haven't eaten your lunch," she said.

"Believe me, I'm not hungry. And missing one meal would not kill me," he said.

"I feel guilty enough for robbing you of your time, and I would really feel worse if I deprive you of your lunch," she said, her worry reflected in her voice, "You should eat lunch; you'll need for your strength."

Kurama remained resilient, but Botan has a secret weapon that would surely make him yield to her request – a set of lavender puppy dog eyes. He started to sweat, already feeling himself succumb. With a defeated sigh, he finally agreed to her request.

"Fine, I'll eat," he said and stood up. At his side, Botan gave him a big smile. Her smile distracted him that he was unable to prepare himself for what would happen next. He bumped into something, or rather someone, hard and the next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor. He sat up at once, in search of the person he sent flying just a while ago.

"Are you alright?" Botan asked him.

"Yes. But have you seen the person who I bumped with?" Kurama asked her with a silent voice. Botan then pointed to the direction of a fallen girl. It seemed that she did not take their collision that easy. He stood up on his feet and approached the brown-haired girl.

Being a true gentleman, Kurama offered his hand, which she took in a matter of seconds, "I sincerely apologize for what happened a while ago," he said as he pulled her up. "I was preoccupied with something back there, so I wasn't able to avoid this accident," he continued.

"It's alright, I am partly responsible for it, too," she said with her head bowed as she brushed of the dirt in her skirt. "If I had been careful enough, I --," once she lifted her head in line with Kurama's, the young woman was suddenly stopped her statement.

"Shuuichi? Minamino Shuuichi?" she asked.

"Why, yes. That would be me," Kurama said, quite unsure of what was happening right now. This girl in front of him seemed to recognize him, but he was experiencing the opposite.

"It's me!" the girl exclaimed. Kurama merely raised his brows, expecting a less vague introduction from her.

"It's me, Maya! Kitajima Maya!" she said, now clasping both hands of the young lad.

With a sudden rush of recognition, Kurama's eyes widened. He took a step backward, still too shocked at the rate of which events are suddenly unfolding.

"M-Maya?!"


A/N: Well, there you have it! The seventh chapter! Basically, it shows the beginnings of the Ryo-Hitoshi relationship (not yaoi! Hehehe). I hope some of the details of were not so vague; retelling their story really gave me a hard time. I tried my best to work on the Sanada's character, but it seems that it is still a little shady. If you have any questions, just feel free to ask and I would gladly answer it without giving away the essentials of the story.

Yay! Hiei is in the story! At first, I was having second thoughts about putting him in this, but I like him, too. I would not want him left out in this story, now would I? Also, Kurama is slowly starting to realize his feelings for Botan. But wait! Maya enters the scene. As most of us know, they were childhood friends, and that notion will still be used in the story. Let's see what will happen next.

I'm sorry if there were very few romantic scenes in this chapter. I admit I suck at romance. (Hehehe) Or maybe, I'm just not in the mood…

Responses:

Kitsune of Darkness – Ah, once again, I thank you for your support! I do try my best to improve my work every chapter. As for the two 'mystery' characters at the end of the last chapter, they will be introduced in the 9th chapter. Don't worry about that writer's block of yours. I'm sure that one of these days, inspiration will suddenly hit you in the head (not too hard, hopefully). And I'll be looking forward for your future works:)

youngblood – I'm glad you liked the chapter! It really makes me happy to know that you are anticipating to read more. Well, here's a new chapter for you:)

Sweetcanines – I am very much relieved that the last chapter did not disappoint you. What made me happier was the fact that I was able to make you laugh while reading my story. As the events unfold, it seems like Kurama is beginning to harbor deep feelings for the girl, but he still hesitates. Here's a hint: In the next chapter, something, or rather someone, will test his feelings for her. With that, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter:)

MiaHime – You have a point there when you said that too much K+B stories is not necessarily good (just like the economic principle of diminishing marginal utility). I'm glad that the occurrences in the last chapter sparked your interest. Yes, Sanada is most likely a sadist, even creepy if you ask me. As for his intent for killing Fukuyamas and the reason why he has a painting of Botan, I can't reveal the story behind it yet. As for now, I'll leave it to your imagination… (Hehehe) I agree, Sanada must not know Botan is still alive! It makes me happy to know that you like my story, and believe me, as much as I would like to write this whole story in a single chapter, my fragile brain and nerves won't be able to let me do so. But aside that, I am most thankful for understanding the mind of this lowly author. :)

Translations: (thanks to w o r l d l i n g o . c o m)

1 Étoile: Star

2 L'Hermitage: The Hermitage; house of hermits.

Don't forget to review!