Chapter Ten
Though Yusuke's team was to fight today, some members still remained in bed. Like Naruto, for example, who was sound asleep and snoring happily away while dreaming about ramen. While across the village in the Kuwabara Shrine, Kuwabara Kazuma was tossing and turning in his sleep.
"No—Tell him to go away!" Kuwabara mumbled, before sitting up in bed, fully awaken from his nightmare. "They shouldn't be here. It just isn't right." he breathed.
"What's your problem, Kuwabara? Nervous about the match today?" Yusuke asked, as she, Kuwabara, and surprisingly Kakashi and Sasuke were sitting in the Urameshi tavern, eating breakfast that Yusuke's grandmother specially made.
"I had a dream last night, Urameshi." said Kuwabara.
"Was she hot?" Yusuke teased, not very interested in the conversation as she took another bite of her breakfast.
"It was about our next fight, okay!" said Kuwabara.
"Ah, a nightmare. Must suck to get beat up in your dreams, too." said Yusuke, laughing a little as she picked up her cup of tea, unaware that it was really Sasuke's cup, who said nothing about it since he hardly touched his meal.
"Hey, shut it! That's not what it was about!" said Kuwabara defensively.
"Sorry man. I don't feel like playing councilor today." said Yusuke, taking a sip of her (Sasuke's) tea.
"Well fine then. Your dumb ass couldn't understand it anyway! Where are Kurama and Hiei? They're good with stuff like this." said Kuwabara.
"Not here."
"They're not here? Well where'd they go?"
"Hell if I know."
"What's with you people? Doesn't anyone know how to write notes when they leave?"
"Take a relaxer. Your fight is starting soon. And demons aren't exactly trusting. They'd never let you two fight alone." said Kakashi as he flipped the page of his book, his meal already eaten before the pre-teens.
"I guess that's true." said Kuwabara, starting to calm down a bit.
"They're probably just gonna meet us in the arena." Yusuke reassured.
As the four of them were finishing up breakfast a tall, slender stranger wearing garbs that only royals would wear with a mark on his forehead, and a pacifier in his mouth came into the empty tavern and walked up to Yusuke's table
"Looks like we have a fan." said Yusuke, looking up at the visitor.
"I'd say I'm a little more than that, Yusuke." said the stranger.
"Wait a minute." Yusuke said as she stood up from her seat, staring at the stranger. "'Junior' on the forehead and a squeally voice." Yusuke jumped back a bit, knocking her chair over. "You're Koenma's older brother!"
"As far as I'm aware, Koenma doesn't have any siblings. And I should know—I'm him—as a cool teenager!" said Koenma proudly.
So this is the almighty Koenma, huh? Strange, I imagined him to be a lot fiercer than this. Kakashi thought, as he pocketed his book.
"Yeah, is the pacifier a fixation or somethin'?" asked Yusuke as she propped her chair back up.
"Can it, girl! Yo—Kuwabara, thanks for helping out Yuu-chan all the time. Its nice." said Koenma.
"No problem." Kuwabara said, a little bewildered by the sudden encounter. From what the orange-haired boy recalled from his first (intentional) mission with Yusuke, Koenma appeared as a toddler, not a teenager. He suppose he saw the resemblance.
"Give me a break. All you've done was give me someone else to rescue." said Yusuke, making Sasuke smirk as he was reminded of a certain annoying blonde someone.
"That's not true!" said Kuwabara.
"Guys, please." said Koenma.
"So, sucker-mouth, what are you doing here?" asked Yusuke.
"One, I'm your Spirit Detective boss. Two, I'm the owner of your team, and three, I have a way to help. Urameshi Yusuke, your egg is about to hatch." said Koenma.
"Excuse me?" said Yusuke and Kakashi together, as question marks appeared over everyone's heads.
A vein popped up on Koenma's forehead. "Your golden egg, you moron! The egg of your Spirit Beast I gave you during your life ordeal, remember?" he yelled irritably at this incompetent girl before him.
"I have no clue." said Yusuke.
"Brief recap: I gave you an egg that would hatch your Spirit Beast that would probably bite off your head. But wisely you chose to forgo your chance at revival by hatching the beast prematurely, thus saving your baby sister and older brother." Koenma said, "This sacrifice was the true answer to the ordeal, and 'boom!' you're back to life. But the egg stayed with me. See it never actually hatched—only its reiki was unleashed. Ever since you became Spirit Detective, the egg, unbeknownst to you, has been feeding on your soul's merit. And now, after nearly two years, it will hatch."
"Hey, that's pretty slick! Takin' care of my egg like that! You could've scrambled it and I never would've known!" said Yusuke, impressed of Koenma's little secret.
"How insightful. But it's not hatched yet. You'll have to depend on the skills Genkai has taught you for now. Hopefully the Reikoudon will be enough in this fight." said Koenma.
Reikoudon? What form of jutsu is that, I wonder. Sasuke thought as mild interest grabbed his attention.
"Right, that thing. Never actually perfected that one." Yusuke said. Koenma gave a dumbfounded look at Yusuke's answer. "We were busy. Thanks for the info, Koenma. That egg thing sounds pretty cool." said Yusuke, as she, Kuwabara, Kakashi and Sasuke walked out of the tavern together.
"Yes, well…Good luck." said Koenma uncomfortably. She didn't complete her training with Genkai? I have a feeling this fight could be messy. But I suppose if Yusuke is ever to reach her full purpose, this is the only way.
In the arena both teams stood in the ring, facing one another, and both incomplete. Kakashi and Sasuke had gone up to the stands to watch the fight where surprisingly the jounin teachers were all present to watch, including the Hokage.
"Damn, we've got a bigger fan group now. Check it out, even old man Hokage is here to watch!" Yusuke said, gazing up into the stands where the jounins and the Hokage were sitting, awkwardly waving back to her sensei, Anko, who was holding up a poster with her name painted in bright colors that read: GO YUSUKE! IF YOU LOSE, DON'T BOTHER COMING HOME!
Kuwabara, who was standing beside Yusuke, was visibly horror-struck at the sight of their opponent.
"Urameshi, they're for real." said Kuwabara.
"Fox-girls?" asked Yusuke, unsure of what her teammate was talking about.
"The three fighters on that team! They're exactly the same ones from my nightmare. I remember the entire thing." said Kuwabara.
"What?" Yusuke looked straight at the three fighters.
"I'm positive that dream was the truth." said Kuwabara.
"Time is up. Both teams, step forward. Team captains, please decide the terms for battle." said Koto.
"Isn't this mysterious? Both of our teams are missing two members. What do you say? We fight with the people we have. Winner: is the best out of three." said Dr. Ichigaki.
"What about you? Don't the ugly, pointed-ear trolls like to fight, too?" said Yusuke indifferently.
"Only when we have to, child. I prefer the managing position. Never any reason to do the work when you can watch somebody else do it for you. Hence the guinea pigs." said Dr. Ichigaki.
"So it's true." said Yusuke, narrowing her eyes at the ugly troll.
"They say that the reiki a human body is capable of producing is far greater than that of an apparition. A fierce monster of power locked within you all! It's only the human conscience that will keep this power at bay. Take away free will and the monster will say 'hello!'" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"How about 'ass-kicking'? Do they say that, too?" asked Yusuke.
"Every genius has his critics. I am but an inventor seeking to create the perfect fighting vehicle. No compassion or fear to hold it back. A human's reiki on cruise control." said Dr. Ichigaki.
"Does it come with A/C?" Yusuke joked.
"Mock me all you want! It'll be a different story when you're the one I'm controlling!"
"Say what?" Kuwabara and Yusuke said together in outrage.
"Let's make this interesting. Your power fascinates me. If my team wins I get to use your body." said the Doctor.
"Why not?" Yusuke said, surprising Kuwabara. "And if my team wins I get to rip off your ugly face."
"Yes, I can live with that." said the doctor. And the blind fall effortlessly into my trap. Without Kurama or Hiei here, my chance at victory is calculated at exactly ninety-eight percent!
"We have one more condition." said the Masked Fighter. "We combine the three matches into a six-person battle royale. One fight determines it all."
"Perhaps..." said Dr. Ichigaki. He turned away to punch in a few numbers for the percentage of victory. That drops their chances to just point-zero-five percent! Turning back around he said, "I will accept. Your masked friend drives a hard bargain." The unscientific mind can be so amusing! They themselves ask for a situation that yields me a ninety-nine point ninety-five percentage of victory! Yes...A hard bargain, I said...The Spirit Detective's body will soon belong to me!
"Hold on little guy. You mean all three of us fighting their three in the ring at the very same time?" asked Kuwabara.
"Kill Urameshi! Team-up on her!"
"Tear off her fingers!"
"And shove 'em down her throat!"
"Damn, well at least the fans are getting creative." Yusuke said.
That masked guy made a pretty good call. Kuwabara thought, With all of us fighting together we can watch each other's back, especially while Yusuke tries to get her Spirit Gun workin' again. But I still can't figure out these fighters. Ichigaki said they've turned into monsters, but something about them still feels...
"These three competitors. I've met them before." said the Masked Fighter.
"You did?" asked Kuwabara.
"Their instructor, Metamura, I met him before. He was a famous fighter back in the day. He said training good character was more important than physical skill. I was always struck by his students' respect for life. They would never kill, no matter what." said the Masked Fighter.
"That explains it. The weird feeling I'm getting from them—It's like a whisper in their guts. They don't want to be fighting here. They're just forced to murder while their minds just watch." said Kuwabara.
"Something about this fight just doesn't seem right." Kakashi said, also sensing the strange feeling.
"Pardon?" asked Gai, who sat beside his "eternal rival" in the stands.
"Do you think that there's something wrong with the match-up?" Kurenai asked.
"It's difficult to explain. There's some very strong emotions buried down there in the ring. That boy—he can sense it, and, it's getting to him." Kakashi said.
"Well you're oddly emotional yourself. What's going on then? Is it something between him and Yusu-chan? A lover's quarrel perhaps?" Anko asked, always wanting to hear new gossip, even if it was about her young student.
"Stop reading those novels." Kurenai sighs.
"No, it's from the other team. Just imagine a desperate scream from far away. You can't hear what it's saying, but you know what's about to happen and it's gonna be really painful." Kakashi said.
"That does sound horrible." said Kurenai.
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do here among the demon's playing field." the Hokage said. Be careful you two. Don't get so caught up with their well-being that you forget about your own.
"Last team with a standing member wins! Ready? Begin!" said Koto.
"Grizzly Claw!" said the fighter with the wild brown hair.
So what? I guess I'm not supposed to shake his hand? Yusuke thought as her intentions were to block the attack.
"I suggest you move." said the Masked Fighter, as she jumped out of the way. Yusuke and Kuwabara dodged the attack just in time as the fighter's attack created a crater in the ring.
"Damn!" Yusuke said, but then she and Kuwabara were suddenly swept back by an invisibly force by the black haired fighter.
"Incredible! Unfortunately some of the moves were too fast to see with our eyes...But it was smashing team work by the doctor's crew for sure!" said Koto.
Kuwabara fell on his back as Yusuke landed on her knees beside him.
"What the hell was that? I didn't even see that last guys attack!" Yusuke said.
"Seems Dr. Ichigaki's team has a real advantage! They've knocked down two of their opponents, Team Urameshi is completely on the defensive!" said Koto.
"That combo kills seventy-two percent of the time! Yusuke's biology is so remarkable! I can't wait to exploit it!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
The Masked Fighter quickly appeared at Yusuke's side as Kuwabara got back up on his feet.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yeah, thanks for the warning there. I had no idea how powerful that guys hand was gonna be." said Kuwabara.
"Yeah, we'll send you a 'thank you' card." said Yusuke.
"Drop the jokes, Yusu. They're coming again." said the Masked Fighter.
The three members of the Ichigaki team were once again charging towards Yusuke and her team. The shaggy haired boy leaping into the air, three golden rings appearing on each arm.
"Angel Blades!" he said, throwing them down at Yusuke and her team. Yusuke's team all dodged the blades as they flew right past them.
"Offense really isn't an option for the Urameshi Team right now! It's just run or be gutted! Now M-2 steps up and hurls Kuwabara into the air!" said Koto, as Kuwabara was heading for outside the ring.
"Rei Ken!" Kuwabara shouted, conjuring up his sword and sticking it into the ring as he flung himself back into the ring.
"A last-ditch effort has kept Kuwabara inside the ring, but that may not have been the wisest choice! M-3 is headed his way!" said Koto.
Yusuke turned around to see that Kuwabara was in danger, as the wild haired man was heading straight for Kuwabara.
"Not on my watch!" shouted Yusuke, as she aimed her right index finger at M-3's back.
"Now it gets thick! While the Masked Fighter tussles with M-1 and M-2, Yusuke braces to fire her trademark Reigan!" said Koto.
Yusuke felt her insides squirm as nothing was happening. No... she thought, I still get nothing!
"For some reason Yusuke decides not to fire her energy! Leaving her friend and teammate absolutely defenseless!" said Koto.
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted, as she began to sprint to catch up with M-3. Too late! I'll never reach him in time! Yusuke thought as M-3 prepared to use his Grizzly Claw on Kuwabara, when out of nowhere; the Masked Fighter came up and kicked M-3 down.
"Wow! That was awesome!" said Kuwabara, as the Masked Fighter and Yusuke were now standing side-by-side as they prepared to fight.
"The only chance for you two is to focus. Try to find a small trace of their energy, then trust your instincts to keep you alive." said the Masked Fighter.
"Maybe you can clear something up for me, genius." Yusuke said, "Those guys are human, right? With reiki like us?"
"Of course." said the Masked Fighter.
"Then why can't we feel it? I'm a spiritually aware person! That's what I do! Why can't I now?" asked Kuwabara.
"That doctor's made it completely unfiltered. The size of their power is, frankly, more than your rookie brains can comprehend." said the Masked Fighter.
"Perfect!" Yusuke spat out.
"So if we can't sense all their energy, how are we supposed to win?" asked Kuwabara.
"Sorry. I don't have all the answers." said the Masked Fighter.
"Get ready for more spills! The Ichigaki Team is poised for another round!" said Koto as Yusuke and her team were cornered.
All right, Reigan! You can come back whenever you're ready! Yusuke thought as the Ichigaki team slowly moved in. Yusuke dodged another spray of M-2's Angel Blades, doing a back flip to get away from one blade that came at her head.
The Masked Fighter showed great acrobatics at evading the blades. While Kuwabara ran out of the way of M-3's Grizzly Claw attack. Yusuke and Kuwabara both fell backwards from an attack by M-1, who had caught them off-guard. Yusuke got back up on her feet, as so did Kuwabara and both were breathing hard. The Masked Fighter appeared at their side again.
I am so tired of falling on my ass! There's gotta be something I can do here! She thought.
"Excellent...Like always." said Dr. Ichigaki.
"Damn...If you get any good ideas, Kuwabara...Feel free to share." said Yusuke.
"That's right my boys...Follow your design...Kill them! Massacre!" urged Dr. Ichigaki.
"This is gonna suck..." said Yusuke, as she and Kuwabara took a step back as their opponents made their attacks.
"Angel Blade!" shouted M-2, as he threw his attack at Yusuke and her team.
"Jump!" said the Masked Fighter. Kuwabara avoided M-3's attack, while Yusuke was unfortunate enough to get wounded in the shoulder by M-1's invisible attack. M-3 came at Yusuke while she was down to set in another attack, but Yusuke was saved by the Masked Fighter, as she was kicked out of the way.
Those Angel Blades are the only attacks Yusu and Kuwabara can see. The blades come first as a distraction, then they surprise with the invisible attacks...It's a brilliant pattern. Thought the Masked Fighter.
As the three mind-controlled humans advanced upon Yusuke and her team, all three of them were chanting, "Kill...Kill...Kill..."
"Uh—hold on a minute guys...Are you sure you want to do that? I know on the inside you don't." said Kuwabara.
"What are you doing? Get out of the way! Hurry!" called out the Masked Fighter. The three humans began their attack pattern again, forcing Kuwabara and Yusuke to go on the defensive again.
"What is wrong with the Urameshi Team? Have they forgotten how to throw a punch? How to do anything but run like sissies? Give us some offense!" said Koto, as Yusuke dodged another attack by M-3.
"Yusuke, what's the matter with you?! Fight back!" shouted Anko, "If you lose I'll hang you by your toenails in the Forest of Death!"
"They're going to lose this one. It'd be a hard match even if Yusuke and that boy were fighting with everything they have...But they're not—they just feel too sorry for those boys." said Asuma.
"Sorry for what?" asked Kurenai, looking at the man beside her.
Dr. Ichgaki laughed cruelly as he watched the struggle of Yusuke's team.
"I can imagine the fun my Gatasubal's having right now with Hiei and Kurama—against their statistics his percentage of victory was just over eighty percent...Yes..." All my inventions are doing splendidly. My Verrucae most of all. Millions of microelectronics pumping through their blood, controlling the nearby cells. The circulatory system reaches a human's every inch. Control the blood, and the body is yours. I can't help myself! I have to see it again! Dr. Ichigaki pulled out his calculator and looked at the percentage again. "What a lovely number!" he said.
"Kill...Kill...Kill..." breathed the three mind-controlled humans.
The Masked Fighter was dodging more of the Angel Blades while Kuwabara and Yusuke were doing their best to evade M-1's invisible weapon. Slashing upwards at Yusuke, she flipped backwards. While still on her hands, M-3 came running towards her unguarded self, ready for his Grizzly Claw.
"Got me..." Yusuke said, just as soon as she was kicked aside by the Masked Fighter, who took the hit, and was sent hurtling into the wall of the stadium.
"The Masked guy!" Both Yusuke and Kuwabara said.
"She really saved me..." said Yusuke.
"In a selfless act unprecedented in the Dark Tournament, the Masked Fighter has taken a direct hit from M-3 in order to save his teammate! Naturally I'll go check on the gruesomeness of his injuries!" said Koto.
"Do it now!" screamed Dr. Ichigaki. M-1, 2, and 3, all charged forward, forcing Yusuke and Kuwabara to retreat once more.
"Come on you guys, just snap out of it! You still have your feelings! You don't have to listen to that Doctor!" said Kuwabara, in a desperate attempt to get through to them.
"Do it now!" shouted M-2, who threw more of his Angel Blades at Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"Give my invention its credit, dear boy. It's scientifically impossible for a person to resist the control of the verrucae. It's zero percentage! Try your feely mumbo jumbo all you want, the fact is I'm in control and I can make them kill!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"I can't watch like this anymore!" Anko growled as she jumped over the many heads and out into the arena, running up to the ringside. "All right you two that's enough! Get in there and fight! I don't care if they're under control! They're still going to kill you! They shouldn't have let it happen in the first place!"
"You didn't see what I saw...They're good people, sensei. They'd never do this if they were given the choice. When the doctor found them they were really upset...and vulnerable. All they wanted was to be with their master. Ichigaki acted like it was a little thing, and then they'd be back together...I bet he never told them they'd be forced to murder, and that they'd never see their master again! It wasn't fair!" said Kuwabara.
M-3 attacked with his Grizzly Claw again on Yusuke, who dodge-rolled away, a deep crevice in the cement near her head. Getting up, Yusuke began to evade the attacks by running.
Stupid troll doctor! Yusuke thought as she looked over at Dr. Ichigaki, openly laughing at her and her team. Ugly people shouldn't be allowed to smile that much!
"There's gotta be a way to reach 'em!" said Kuwabara, determined to reach out to them.
"Don't just stand there! Move!" Anko screamed, as the three mind-controlled humans were running up to them.
"Invisible Slash!" M-1 said, but his attack was evaded by the Masked Fighter's return. Being kicked away. M-3 was then stopped as he was hurled back, and so was M-2. The Masked Fighter landed a few feet in front of Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"I suppose your sympathy's admirable...But what do you dimwits plan to achieve by not fighting? They'll still be controlled..." The fighter turned around to show her face. "And you'll be dead."
Yusuke and Kuwabara choked on their surprise as it was caught in their throats. Yusuke was even more confused now. Who was this young woman? Where was Genkai?!
"A shocking turn of events! Damage from the recent attack has given us a glimpse at the Masked Fighter's true identity! It's a young woman with...brown eyes and...Pink hair!" said Koto.
"She's gorgeous!" breathed Gai.
"Heh! She is as I remember." the Hokage said, smiling.
"Well, people, I'm shocked! This fight couldn't get any weirder!" Koto said, as she climbed up into the ring, but quickly got back off as a body came flying down and sliding across the arena. "I think that's the missing combatant, M-5, from the Dr. Ichigaki Team! Dropping down from the sky and into the stadium wall! Forget what I said before! Now this fight couldn't get weirder!"
"Whoa...wonder where he came from..." said Asuma. A crash from the other end of the stadium then stole their attention.
"What now?" Kuwabara wondered.
A robot had been dropped into the stadium, as both Kurama and Hiei also dropped in, but were both fine.
"My robot! Gatasubal! What's happened to you!" cried Dr. Ichigaki.
"Hey guys...You're late." Yusuke stated, putting a hand on her hip.
"The missing members of the Urameshi Team have appeared as well!" Koto said, as she ran around the ring to meet them. "Hiei and Kurama, can you tell us where you've been?"
"Sorry. A thirty-foot killing machine wanted a word with us." said Hiei.
"M-5 told us everything. I'm relieved you three are still alive. Those verrucae on the human fighters' backs are the source of Dr. Ichigaki's mind-control. And in their present state I'm afraid it'd be fatal to remove them! The three are completely innocent. They didn't know the implants would control them. They were told it was blood research." said Kurama.
"I told you guys! That no-good liar!" said Kuwabara.
"And that's not the extent of it, I'm afraid. Seems the doctor caused their master's illness in the first place." said Kurama.
The doctor was laughing as he received hateful glares from Yusuke's team. It sounds so amusing when they say it! Go ahead, tell the world my ingenious scheme! It will make no difference on the result of this fight! thought Dr. Ichigaki.
"I can't take this, Urameshi! He doesn't have a soul!" said Kuwabara angrily.
"Listen to that power-dripping laugh! The guy thinks he can use people however he wants!" said Yusuke, also feeling her blood boil.
"Your unscientific minds are so trivial! Fully blind to the larger picture...So maybe I did infect Metamura! Maybe I lied to get their bodies and maybe I enjoyed it...Who cares? Behind every lab discovery are a few poisoned rats!" laughed Dr. Ichigaki.
"Shut up, Ichigaki! You're full of crap and you know it! You don't care about this science stuff! You're just trying to win the tournament!" shouted Kuwabara, as he pointed an accusing finger.
"Means to an end, boy! Means to an end! I have no expectation for winning this! I'm sure these three will be killed long before the finals! I only need them to win this match so I can have Yusuke's body!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"What?!" Yusuke spat out.
"They're strong but they have nothing like the potential you have, Yusuke. I'll probably dispose of them myself once I get you!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"You'll what?!" yelled Kuwabara in outrage.
"Damn it, that's it!" yelled Yusuke.
"Stop and think, you two! He's manipulating your emotions. You're losing what little focus you have!" said the Masked Fighter as she re-tied her cloth to hide her face again.
"I don't care if it's a trap or not! His troll ass is meeting my foot!" Yusuke said, as she went off at a running start towards the doctor.
"You monster!" Kuwabara yelled, following after Yusuke.
"Oh my! The mad doctor's words have thrown Yusuke and Kuwabara into a blinding rage! They're abandoning their true opponents to bludgeon Ichigaki instead!" said Koto, as Yusuke and Kuwabara both jumped out of the ring. But their attempts were disrupted as M-2 and M-1 both knocked Yusuke and Kuwabara down, back into the ring.
"Now!" said Hiei, as he and Kurama ran to the ring, but were stopped by Koto.
"I'm sorry guys, but they've already agreed on a three-on-three fight! Step in the ring now and your whole team forfeits!" she said.
"You're a heartless mess, you know that!" said Anko through clenched teeth.
"Please, don't blame her. I'm the one who got your apish friends to accept those terms!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"Naturally." said Kurama, seeing how the doctor played his cards.
"Hey Kuwabara, I think doc just called you apish..." said Yusuke, as she got back on her feet.
"As if I need any more reasons to pummel his head in!" said Kuwabara, standing up next to Yusuke. The three humans stood in front of Dr. Ichigaki, as if creating a human wall.
"Give me a break! You're still protecting this guy?" said Yusuke.
"Come on guys, at least say something! You heard the doctor himself! He doesn't care about you—" said Kuwabara, only to be cut off by the doctor's laughing.
"Have you learned nothing? Nothing you say can matter! Their old selves aren't in control! As the blood from the verrucae enters the subject's skull, the microelectronics alters the brain's chemistry! Their entire personality is changed! This isn't a simple hypnosis, or one suggested command.
"I'm talking about a constant voice in their head at every waking moment, controlling them from the inside...They're not protecting me because I've given a command! Their new brain actually wants to! You see! Therein lies the beauty of my invention! They don't listen to me or anyone else! The command has become a part of who they are! So kill them if you can! Their humanity is already dead!"
"I can't! That isn't true! I know there's something more! Right there! That image—I see it again! It's stuck in my eyelids! Every time I blink it's there! Wait, wait! I understand now, Urameshi! It's not a dream...It's a message...Ichigaki's wrong! Their old selves haven't been erased—just covered up!" said Kuwabara.
"After all I said you're still clinging onto pathetic hopes...Avoid anything as long as it makes you feel better, right? Well then let your compassion lead you all the way to your graves!" the doctor sneered.
"Kill...Kill...Kill..." said the three of them, as they ran forward to attack again.
"Damn!" said Yusuke, as she turned to retreat. But Kuwabara remained.
"The Urameshi Team is forced to retreat again! Wait a second! Kuwabara isn't moving this time! He's decided to hold his ground against the death-dealing attackers!" said Koto. Yusuke stopped to look back.
"Kuwabara! Move, baka!" Yusuke screamed.
"These guys chose me to send their message to. I'm all they've got! And now, I have to accept my responsibility as a man!" said Kuwabara.
"What is he talking about?" asked Hiei.
"This is not wise!" said Kurama.
"Why doesn't he run?" Kurenai asked.
"Fool!" Asuma shouted.
"Okay guys, I hear what you're saying to me! But you've gotta tell me how to help!" said Kuwabara.
"Angel Blades!" said M-2, throwing his attack.
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled.
"No!" Kuwabara ran up to M-3, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Please! I know it feels like you're beat but you're not! This is still your body! Please!" M-3 knocked Kuwabara down with a blow to the head. Kuwabara rose back up onto his feet. "Think about your master, and everything you—" Kuwabara was cut off by M-3's attack, blood spilling out from Kuwabara's mouth.
"Enough of this! I'm coming in to help!" shouted Yusuke, as the three mind-controlled men came running towards Kuwabara.
"No—stay back! I'm the only one who needs to do this! This is for you!" Kuwabara yelled, just as all three attacks hit him at once. Hurtling him out of the ring.
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke screamed.
"Kuwabara goes down! His plea thrown in his face with a sensational three-on-one attack!" said Koto.
Anko ran over to Kuwabara's side as Yusuke ran to the edge of the ring while the crowd all began to chant "Kill Yusuke."
"Stupid..." Yusuke said under her breath as her vision began to blur.
"Sorry...I tried..." said Kuwabara weakly, as his head fell back onto the grass. Yusuke shut her eyes tightly as she turned back to look at her opponents.
"How could you do that? You're the bastards who asked him for help!" Yusuke yelled, but then paused, as she saw something very strange. "Tears of blood?"
"Kill...us...Kill us...Kill us..." They whispered.
"What is this? Actually feeling guilty now? When it's over?" asked Yusuke.
"No, Yusu." said the Masked Fighter, who was checking on Kuwabara herself. "It's not over. For Kuwabara, anyway. They've deliberately missed his vital points. He will live."
"Whoa. Kuwabara's plea really worked." Anko said.
"Not completely...Their true selves have awoken, but they're not in control. I'm afraid this surfacing of emotion will not last for long." said the Masked Fighter.
These guys must be in a war with their own bodies... Yusuke thought. "And they're losing."
"Really! The human's emotional brain is the only part throwing a wrench in my socket. Millions of microelectronics sending control through their every neural path, and yet that feeling crap manages to poke out its head! The verrucea will soon fix that!" said Dr. Ichigaki.
"This is the one chance you guys get to talk and all you can say is to kill you? It must be hell in there. Stupid doctor thinks he can torture people like that! No way!" Yusuke yelled, as her aura began to pulse through her body.
Yusu's maximum reiki is skyrocketing! Finally, her emotions have broken the wall. Thought the Masked Fighter, as she watched Yusuke run forward.
"Don't take this personally!" said Yusuke, as she punched M-1 across the face, knocking him down.
"Grizzly Claw!" Yusuke turned around, and was surprised.
I can see it! she thought, as she jumped out of the way. It's like an energy time bomb in his hand! That's easy enough!
"Angel Blades!"
Only two of the blades are real! The others must be tricks to confuse us! And jerk number three— Yusuke turned to face M-1. Looks like we're featuring the old energy javelin! "Invisible Slash!" Yusuke moved to the side. You know, it's a hell of a lot easier when you can see the attacks! she thought.
"Absolutely amazing! The fight's been flipped onto its backside! Suddenly super-girl Yusuke is taking on this whole team by herself!" said Koto.
But—I don't understand—How can a person's ability to sense ki attacks increase midway through a fight? This isn't in my calculations! Thought Dr. Ichigaki. "No worries...Let me just refigure the equation here...Ah—Here we go! Fifty-two point seven-t—Fifty-two point seven-two-five percent?"
"Percentages are for poker, fool." said Hiei, as he and Kurama came up from behind Dr. Ichigaki.
"You can factor strengths and stamina, doctor—I'll give you that...But determining the true heart of a person is quite a different thing." said Kurama.
"Go away! I must have punched a wrong number! What's the delay you lab rats? Destroy her!" yelled the doctor.
Yusuke punched M-3 away as she kicked M-1 after him. The Masked Fighter was in awe by Yusuke's sudden change in tactics.
Her right hand is emitting reiki almost out of instinct! Her Reigan will be stronger than ever! I've never seen anyone increase their power so quickly! Thought the Masked Fighter.
"Lucky for you guys I'm pretty good at avoiding my feelings...Otherwise I'd be getting sick on myself right now for what I've gotta do." Yusuke said, as she jumped into the air and extended out her right arm in front of her as she powered up to fire her Spirit Gun. "I'd say this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you...But I don't like to lie!"
"She's thinking about killing them?!" Sasuke muttered to himself.
"No. She plans to." said Kakashi.
"For a kid, she sure is strong." Gai said. "But not as strong as my student, Lee!"
"To make a hard choice like this, only the most willing can make this decision. A shame this is her only option." said the Hokage.
"Obviously you don't know Yusu well." said Susumu who mysteriously appeared sitting behind them. "She's acting out on anger, not strategy."
"Same difference when Yusu is involved." said the Hokage.
"Just how well do you think you know her?" Susumu asked, making the Hokage clear his throat and chew on the mouth piece of his pipe.
AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for taking so long to update. Reviews will be much appreciated!
Ciao for now!