I'm sorry to have taken so long to get this out, but I've been swamped! I will do my very best to get the next chapter out a little sooner.

Of course, that might be a little easier if I had any idea where this story is going...

Hugs and flowers to everyone who is still hanging in there!

Chapter 8

"No, I haven't seen him."

Disappointment crossed Watari's expressive face at Oryia's words. "Are you sure?"

Oriya looked mildly annoyed. "If Tsuzuki-san had been here today, I would tell you. He hasn't. Now if you'll excuse me…" Oriya turned to enter the dinning room where his patrons were enjoying their meals, but stopped in his tracks in the entrance way.

Watari looked at Oriya strangely, taking in his dumbstruck expression and moved behind him to look out over his shoulder. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

Sitting there, as if he hadn't a care in the world was their missing shinigami. Holding his chopsticks lightly he seemed to be focusing on what was being said to him by an attractive woman sitting across from him. Every so often he would nod his blonde head and reply to something she had said.

For long moments Watari and Oriya both stared at the youth, until he looked up and narrowed green eyes in their direction. The two men pulled back from the doorway and exchanged a glance, both looking shocked.

They spoke at the same time. "Please excuse me!" And turning away from each other they both pulled out cell phones and started dialling.

XXX

"Tatsumi desu."

"Tatsumi! It's me!"

"Watari-san?"

"Aa. He's here Tatsumi, he's here!"

"You found Tsuzuki?"

"No, not Tsuzuki, it's bon! Bon's here with some lady I've never seen before!"

For a moment Tatsumi said nothing, stunned. "Are you sure it's him Watari?"

"Of course I'm sure, I'm looking right at him!"

"Alright, stay with him, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I will. What the?…Bon!"

"Watari?"

Tatsumi looked down at his phone. The connection had been cut off. He had to get to the Kokakuro.

XXX

"Muraki desu."

"Muraki, it's me."

"Oriya?"

"He's here!"

"Nani?"

"The bouya! He's here now, with some woman I've never seen before."

Muraki glanced over at his reluctant companion, who wasn't paying too much attention to his conversation. Muraki turned away from the other man and spoke softly into his phone. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Oriya hissed back. "There's another shinigami here too, the doctor one."

"That would be Watari-san then." Muraki considered, if he didn't act fast the shinigami could possibly reclaim Hisoka, and Muraki knew that Tsuzuki would disappear once his partner was safely back in Meifu. He had to reach the bouya first. Besides, he wasn't finished with his doll. "Alright Oriya, try to stall Watari-san, and keep an eye on the bouya. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Alright, I'll do my…Hey wait!"

"Oriya?"

Muraki stared down at his phone. The connection had been cut off. He had to get to the Kokakoru.

XXX

Shori talked non-stop as their food was brought to their table. Hisoka looked around the room and was rather impressed. There were several low round tables spread throughout the room, the lighting was low, but the atmosphere was warm and soothing. Around the edges of the dining room there were screens that Hisoka assumed separated private dining areas from the rest of the room.

Starting to relax Hisoka took a bite of his meal, please to find that it tasted as good as it looked. Paying minimal attention to Shori's ramblings (how could that woman keep up a steady monologue and eat at the same time?) he slowly ate his fill of his own dinner.

He had finished about half of what was on his plate when he felt a strong wave of shock and recognition; it seemed to be coming from more than one source. Looking up, he saw two men standing in the doorway of the dining room staring directly at him.

Recognition? They knew him? He narrowed his eyes and both men drew back from the doorway.

But they didn't go away.

Hisoka started at the blonde man peeking out at him through the door to the dinning room, talking excitedly into a cell phone. There was something about him…

Pain.

Hisoka blinked.

A fever pitch of pain, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, fast, too fast. Lines of pain running over and through the entirety of his body, cresting into a crescendo that screamed through him…

Lowering his head into his hands Hisoka let out a low moan.

A sense of finality…

"Are you alright?" Shori looked over at him with concern. She reached over to touch him, but he pushed his chair back and stumbled to his feet, shaking.

Relief…

"Bon!" The blonde man had stepped into the room and was approaching, radiating waves of concern.

And nothingness…

Hisoka turned and ran.

XXX

Tsuzuki released his fuda bird just moments before Muraki tucked his cell phone back into his pocket and turned to face him.

"I'm afraid Tsuzuki-san, something has come up."

Tsuzuki regarded the doctor closely, his composed features gave nothing away. "And?"

A slight smile touched Muraki's lips. "And I'm afraid I'll have to give up the search for a while, a few hours at most, will you wait for me?"

"No."

The smile grew into a smirk. "Ah, Tsuzuki-san, you are so cruel. Very well, when I have finished my business I'll just have to catch up with you."

Tsuzuki turned away without comment and began to walk away. After a few paces he looked back over his shoulder at Muraki, who hadn't moved. "You said you had business?"

"Of course, I will see you later Tsuzuki-san."

Tsuzuki continued to walk away. "Not if I can help it."

"Don't worry," Muraki's voice was light and mocking. "You can't."

XXX

Watari nearly ran into the tall dark-haired man as he ran out of the Kokakuro in pursuit of the fleeing youth. A strong hand caught his arm and saved him from landing in a heap.

"Where are you going Watari-san?"

"Tatsumi!"

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow behind his glasses.

"Which way did he go?" Watari looked around wildly his blonde hair spilling loose from its customary ponytail.

"Which way?"

"Bon just ran out here, did you see which way he went?"

"No, I must have missed him." Tatsumi looked both directions. "You go to the left, I'll take the right."

Watari nodded and ran off the way Tatsumi had indicated. Tatsumi hurried in the opposite direction.

XXX

Hisoka ran for a long time before he collapsed in a heap at the base of a tree, trying to out run the…what? Vision? Memory? It felt like dying! He could still feel traces of remembered pain over his body.

Curling in on himself, wrapping his arms around his knees as if trying to disappear into the rough bark behind him

"Welcome to Ju-on-cho."

Hisoka's head shot up and he looked around a little wildly, he was still alone, but he could almost see himself sitting in a small room across a desk from an older man with a serious demeanour.

Blinking Hisoka tried to capture the image. The man was wearing a blue suit, a little wrinkled. Brown hair fell down over thick eyebrows and brown eyes that regarded him steadily.

"This is where the souls of the dead are judged. To help keep the Ju-On-Cho running smoothly, Enma-cho employs eighteen shinigami, or guardians of death. It is a prestigious position. Enma-sama has extended you an opportunity to become a shinigami, this is a rare honour."

To become a what?

"Shinigami have the ability to travel between Meifu and Chijou…"

"No."

"No."

He said the word aloud even as he said it in the memory. He was confused, he didn't understand what he was seeing. Dropping his head into his hands he tried to block it out.

Just a few moments of peace...

"There you are bouya."

Hisoka looked up into the familiar silver blue eyes of the man in white.

"Kazutaka."