Sitting in the dining room, I calmly drank my tea, silently watching the trespassers that hid in the woods' shadows. "Do they really think I am that stupid?" I mused to myself, hearing nothing but the sound of liquid falling in the grass. "Tch. Idiots." All three lower class demons killed by one of my plants and turned into mulch. My human ears perked, hearing someone rapping on the storm door.

"Good day, Miss…" a man in an elegant black suit spoke as I opened the inside door. Narrowing my Capri blue orbs at his covered ones, my upper lip rose into a sneer, showing off the elongated incisors. His response was just a friendly smile.

"What does the Committee want with me?" I asked, getting straight to the point. I was expecting Izanagi with his report later today. Moreover, I, for one, do not want this man anywhere near my home when the demon Monk shows up.

"Moriko Saito, you are invited as a guest for the Dark Tournament, enrolled on Yusuke Urameshi's team as their sixth member."

"Only five members are allowed with only one reserve fighter in case someone dies, though."

"For someone who has never fought, you are very knowledgeable about the Tournament's rules. This year, though, there has been made a special permission, giving you the chance to fight." He mocked, showing me his blackening gums. No matter how pretty your disguised something, a sack of crap is still a sack of crap. "As the rules say, if you do not show, you are forfeiting up your life and the lives or your loved ones." Turning on his heel, he left me standing there as a dangerous growl ripped itself from my very core.

Two months. That is all the time I had to train.

•Hiei's Point of View•

"What do you want, woman?" I asked from my perch, staring down at the fox with moon light silver hair dipped in blood. A black scabbard securely strapped to her left hip.

"We have only two months to train. I know that if I cannot access my chi, I will be defenseless. Like a new born pup." She kept her eyes trained forward.

"I don't see where that has anything to do with me."

My eyes narrowed as I glared at her, standing on a new branch. The spot I once was resting at was covered in thorns, which had started to eat the limb almost like acid. "You are possibly the fastest demon I have ever come across."

Snorting, I looked away from her. "There's a saying that goes something like, 'flattery will get you nowhere.'" She simply scoffed at my choice of words. "Your petty words will not work on me, woman."

"They may be insignificant, but not far from the truth, yes?" I only grunted in response. "In any case, I never took you as the type of man to be swayed by sugarcoated half-truths or a pretty face. You seem the type who would rather hear the truth first hand, as to not waste your time picking through the cloaked lies that plague the worlds… Opinions and observations aside, both Yusuke and Kurama have stated you are a master swordsman. As I have stated earlier, if I cannot access my chi, I am good as dead. Seeing as I only know the bare basics, I have sought you in the hopes of requesting your help in this matter."

"And just why should I waste my precious time training an insignificant vixen, such as yourself?"

Her upper lip visibly curled at my verbal jab. "You wish to know the truth behind Yukina and I's friendship, about how it came to be, and most of all, about the Dragon Lotus I had given her." She spoke evenly, guessing the questions that I seek answers to. "Train me in the art of kenjutsu, and I shall answer any questions you have with honesty."

"Fine. But before we begin, I want to know about how you and Yukina met."

"That seems fair. She and I had met in the forests that my family has laid claim to for generations. I was on my way home from collecting the herbs my mother wanted, that she could not get herself, as she was expecting my brothers and sisters and caring for my ill father at the time. I had noticed one of the traps I had set had been triggered, forcing me to find the source, when I happen upon a tiny clearing where my father once trained me. Yukina sat in the center, talking to the animals that roam the forests, her ankle sprained, probably from over working it. Just northeast of where she sat were two demons, one injured from my plants, lurking.

"I could already tell they planned on attacking her, maybe force her into things she would not like, more painful than producing a few tears." My fists clenched at my side, taking in the fox's words. "Your sister is above the average beauty of any demoness, making her a prime target. Add the fact that she is an ice apparition; it is like throwing a giant slab of bloodied meat to starved hounds. It irked me, to be honest, to see demons, whom hold themselves higher than humans, acting as rumors have stated the creatures with short lives do. It made my blood boil, mainly once I noticed how truly innocent she is. A wave of protectiveness washed over me, as if I was protecting my own blood, as I quickly robbed them of what little of their lives they held.

"At first she distrusted me when I entered the clearing, as I had gotten their blood on my face." The vixen sighed, taking a seat on a raised root. "Call it luck, or whatever you wish. It may even have something to do with myself being an animal that they trusted me. If they did not, I know for sure she would not. Only thing I did was offer her help and a place to rest. Yukina accepted and permitted me in carrying her back to my family's home. Mother was busy, but Father was feeling a bit better and was wondering around, and took to playing with her hair." The fox smirked as she remembered. "Basically, in the end, we adopted her into our family. That is how much we deeply cared for your sister."

She spoke with honesty. "Your death would make her sad, and no one is worth her tears. So, if it means you will be of some use to us, and will prevent an early demise, then I guess I can teach you." She smiled, giving me a tiny bow of her head. "Do not expect me to go easy on you, either, just because you are a woman."

"I would expect nothing less… teacher…"

Dropping down to the forest floor, I drew my blade. "You're as annoying as Kurama can be." I huffed, annoyed. "Let's begin!"

•Moriko's Point of View•

"Moriko, I have the last bit of information I was able to collect about your parents' murderer." Izanagi reported, kneeling in front of me as I worked on sewing the tunic I was currently working on with nimble fingers.

"And the source?" I questioned, not looking up from my project at hand, finishing a few more stitches.

"An unknown bat demon that was more than willing to part with it for a fair price."

I nodded. Normally, for a fair price, and a trusty demon, the data provided is of some use. "It is unusual that a bat would know anything on a fox's family…" I mused.

"The man only said he was once very close friends with a fox, and that he owes the person a lot." Certainly was not expecting that answer. However, I trusted Izanagi's judgment of this man, as he has always been a good judge of character that would not report useless facts to me. "Word has it that the man will be attending the Tournament, and is looking to add rare and unique demon hides and furs to his growing collection."

"Are you telling me that the spineless oaf who murdered both my parents, wanted. Their. FURS?!" the black collar around my neck started burning the sensitive span of flesh it covered, warning me about the high use of my demonic chi.

Izanagi flinched out fear, while I took deep breaths, trying to control my anger. "That is not all, Moriko… It seems that the man in question is looking to add you and your siblings' coats to his personal trophy assortment." My hair bristled at the information. "His name is Acheri, type unknown, along with class."

"Egyptian for 'enemy'… how fitting." I sneered, not pleased with the lack of statistics I had on the man that will die by my hands, and my hands alone. "I expect you to be sitting in the crowd during the Tournament, Izanagi?" I spoke once I calmed down enough to continue working on the deep blue tunic with golden trimming.

"Yes, ma'am. I will even watch over your brothers and sisters throughout the whole competition."

"I imagine nothing less of you, Izanagi. You are dismissed, my friend." His energy quickly disappeared, signaling his departure of this world to the Makai. "Just a few more days until I meet that bastard."

"Sissy, what are you working on?" Chie asked, entering the dining room with a cup in hand. I held it up, showing her my progress with a needle and thread alone. Doing things by hand always seems to have a positive effect on my mind. Her eyes of ice shun dimly as she traced her slender fingers over the silken fabric. "I think he'll like it." Her voice soft as she spoke, as if she was telling me a secret.

"I do hope so. It is going to be a surprise. Sort of like a 'thank you' if you will." She hummed softly in response, drinking her tea. "Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes. So has Kiku and Eiji. Miki hasn't started hers because she's been sleeping all day, while Rin and Isao just don't want to do it."

Sighing, I rubbed the bridge of my nose as a headache started. "I'm still too young for this." Chie seemed to understand that I needed a break of some sort, so she left me on my own so I may continue on what I was working on beforehand. The tunic was done, which was something, as I started on the pants and top. I wanted this done before tonight.


"What's this, woman?" Hiei asked from his perch, staring down at the brown paper package that laid in his lap.

"A gift of thanks. Count yourself lucky. It is very rare for a kitsune to make another something from scratch." I explained. "With us being both demons, a thanks of long life has no value, you also need no protection, and my knowledge is of no use to you. So the common true gifts from kitsunes have no value in our exchange." I thought to be more open on the subject matter, wondering if he knew anything about fox custom.

"Stitched by hand…" it was a statement, not a question. I didn't bother asking if it had fit our not, taking his silence as approval.


"Say, I smell human…"

"A pre-tourney snack, perhaps?"

The apparitions in the clearing are riled up over Kuwabara's scent. "This isn't starting well. Urameshi's late…" the angry human stated, grinding his teeth in agitation. I took to cleaning my nails. "… And we never rounded up a sixth teammate."

"Never mind all that. Are you ready?" our short Fire Apparition verbally jabbed, smirking slightly.

"Me? You betcha!" the human male grinned, looking proud of himself. "Kurama's helped me shape up!" aforementioned redhead sweat dropped at the comment. I guess it did not really go as well as he wanted it to.

"All aboard, everybody. Time to go." The captain, a short man with a scraggly beard, tall Russian hat, a cork pipe, and eye patch called out to us.

"Hold it! One 'guest' isn't here yet!" argued Kuwabara.

"Yeah? Rules say yer late, yer a refuser." The man spat.

"Is that even a word?" I asked, staring up at Kurama. He only shook his head in the negative.

"We'll send assassins to deal with 'im." He growled out.

"No need for that." Yusuke's voice drifted to us cheerfully. "Sorry to hold up the party." He chuckled, walking into the clearing with his bag and a short person standing next to him. I became more interested in the person beside Yusuke – rather than his reunion conversation – taking in their appearance. They were shorter than even Hiei, coming up only to the petite apparition's chest. Two rags, forming a hood that obscured their whole face, except for their eyes, hid their whole head. Even in the darkness of the makeshift hood, two old brown eyes glared at us from the darkness. Sizing us all up, if I had to guess.

"… Yusuke." My attention turned to Hiei and our team leader. The mentioned teen dropped his bag, pivoting away from the slash of a very deadly blade. It was still for a few seconds before the short demon began slashing and swiping at the black haired teen, testing both of their abilities. This seemed to confuse the other demons that surrounded us.

"They're moving so… so fast I almost can't follow…" Kuwabara was in awe.

Yusuke finally grabbed the short swordsman's katana, holding it with his thumb, index and middle finger. "Phew! Nice to see you, too, Hiei!"

Said fighter sheathed his weapon. "I don't know how you did it, but your skills are almost adequate."

"'Almost adequate'? I couldn't move like that in a million years!" fumed the orange haired human.

"Don't sweat it. You did follow their moves, which shows you've progressed." Explained our red haired friend. I still did not know what type of demon he was, but I had my suspicions, which I kept to myself.

"I suppose short stuff here is our sixth member?" questioned Hiei, already knowing the answer. My ears twitched a bit at Kuwabara's remarks, assuming that it must be a man instead of possibly being a woman.

"Let's just say for a sixth, we could do worse." The detective smiled knowingly, keeping us in the dark about something.

"Men." I sighed, standing next to our masked fighter. Once again, my ears twitched, picking up the discreet feminine snort.


Sitting on the boat's railing, I allowed my feet to dangle over the pitch-blackness, wondering what is going to happen to us all during this tournament. "Are you alright?" Kurama questioned, resting a hand on either side of mine, leaning around my side to stare up at me.

There is this thing called 'personal space'… has he not heard of it? "I am perfectly fine, thank you." He gave me a look of disbelief. "I'm just not looking forward to showing my brothers and sisters the animal we can be. They are all still so innocent and pure…" I adverted my eyes back to the blacken water.

"I'm sure that your siblings will understand in due time."

"I do hope you are right." I spoke, feeling his fingers ghost across the back of my hand.

"We'll conduct Tournament preliminaries… on this ship… starting now!" the captain shouted, commanding a large stone arena to rise above the deck. "Sixteen teams will compete in the Dark Tournament! Fifteen are waiting on Hangman Island! One team from this ship will fill the 16th slot!" Kuwabara voiced his displeasure. "Each team will pick its strongest member… and these will vie for participation in the Tournament!"


As I promised, the story on how Yukina and Moriko met! Haha.

Cookies and a semi-nude Kurama to spoiled princez for being the first to review with "Tomoe" XD This'll be the third A/N that mentions him and his influence and blergh... He's supper lucky he's cute and a lot of other stuff, otherwise he wouldn't be Moriko's dad. ._. I'm gonna go cry now, cos I feel like it. And also my arm and eyes hurt ; w ;

For the reviewers: Who do you think Acheri is and/or whose team he is on?

btw, Batass ftw. Though he doesn't get to touch a certain foxbutt for a while now...