Chapter 10

I guess nobody got the email about my last update. Sorry they've been so intermittent. Just now getting back into my employed routine after getting two jobs. I just finished watching Yu Yu Hakusho again and made the observation that the author never developed the relationship between Shizuru (Kuwabara's sister) and Sakyo, or Yusuke and Mr. Iwamoto (the teacher that hated him). Just found that kind of interesting. The relationships were introduced but never satisfactorily tied up.

Last chapter: As the light died down, Kuwabara and Kurama rose to their feet. Hiei's eyes began to open further as it became easier to see. They all stood in awe.

Yusuke stood before them covered in his Mazoku tattoos. He had learned how to make the transformation at will.

"Urameshi, what did you do?" Kuwabara asked in confusion.

"He's been able to channel the spirit of his demon father and turn the transformation into a new ability." Kurama cut in.

"What happened to the head banger hair he had the first time?" Kuwabara still wasn't getting the point.

"I'm not fully demon anymore. You were busy studying when this change happened. I was fighting Yomi in the last tournament. He had an ability called the demon absorption wall. Shooting demon energy at him was useless. This would've been his way of winning the last tournament. But, being a half-breed, I was able to get past his wall by mixing my spirit and demon energy into my spirit gun bullets. It created a form of sacred energy. Not the same thing Sensui produced, but almost like a branch of it." Yusuke explained.

"Yusuke's tattoos disappeared as he began tapping his spirit energy again while fighting Yomi." Kurama added.

"What brought that weird change on while you were fighting?" Kuwbara inquired further.

"You jerks. Remembering my friends and all the people I'd fought for in that last year inspired the suppression of my demon energy. Apparently I'm not evil enough, despite what my teachers used to say." Yusuke laughed.

"So detective, what do you plan to do with this new ability?" Hiei seethed.

"Win." Yusuke snapped back.

"What makes you think you stand a chance in hell? When was the last time you were even in a real fight?" Hiei's aura flared as he spoke.

"Listen bitch, would you like to be my inaugural win before this tournament starts?" Yusuke was getting annoyed. Hiei's new demeanor was not something he felt he should have to tolerate.

Hiei's jagan opened and he held out his right hand upward in an open palm. A black flame engulfed his hand.

"I'm prepared to wipe out the competition before there are any rules to stop me!" Hiei cocked back his arm.

Kurama grabbed Hiei's hand and lowered it to his side. Hiei's jagan closed and he took a deep breath. Yusuke sat down cross legged, annoyed. Kuwabara stood where he'd been through the entire exchange, unsure of what was going to happen. Before anything else could be said, Makuro walked into the dungeon.

Koenma's office...

"Koenma, sir, we have a new report on Enki's death." One of Koenma's informants entered his office. Koenma was sucking his pacifier incessantly.

"Well what is it?" Koenma asked irritatedly.

"His body was found in Gandara, Yomi's territory." The ogre spoke with intensity and Koenma's eyes widened.

"And what business would he possibly have had there!" Koenma asked demandingly.

"We're not sure, sir. It seems unlikely that he would go there by his own free will. It doesn't make any sense. With Yomi being rendered just an individual, everyday demon after losing in the tournament he no longer had any ruling power." The ogre explained with his hand on his chin in deep thought.

"Something lead him there. Or maybe someone. Right now we need to focus on the next tournament. Yusuke will have to find time between fights to investigate Enki's death." Koenma began sucking his pacifier again. He was worried about what the result of the upcoming tournament. Enki was the most level headed of the demons in existence. If a demon not on our side wins this tournament, it's going to be a very long process to correct the problem." Koenma began to worry at the thought.

"We're only very close to the start of the tournament. Please Yusuke, I hope you didn't take it easy the last three years." Koenma pleaded to himself.

Makuro's dungeon...

Makuro entered the dungeon to inquire what the hell was going on. She could feel everything shaking from the upper floors of her palace. Before she could speak, she saw that Yusuke had transformed and launched an energy blast in his direction without warning.

Yusuke stuck his hand out and stopped the blast in its path. It burned out and left a cloud of smoke rising from his palm. Makuro was more interested now than she had been before they entered the dungeon. She could sense Hiei's energy had risen to exponential levels as well.

Yomi's territory...

"Father, what was that massive energy I felt coming from Makuro's territory?" Shura asked Yomi.

"It wasn't one energy Shura, it was the combined force of two of our old adversaries." Yomi cracked a smile as he spoke.

"Who could possibly create that much energy? No demon that has ever lived was that powerful." Shura stood next to his father in anticipation of his answer. He wasn't scared, he was curious.

"It seems Yusuke has mastered his transformation that we witnessed in the last tournament and Hiei is an unnatural demon. They have raised their powers higher than anything I thought could've existed. They may even have gone beyond an S class level." Yomi spoke with interest, but his scowl said otherwise.

"That's incredible. I always thought Yusuke was an idiot. I never knew he possessed the motivation and conviction to become so strong." Shura spoke excitedly.

"You will have your time Shura. Simply observe this as a new opportunity, rather than an encroaching challenge." Yomi spoke confidently.

Nobody had seen Shura or Yomi for two years after the last tournament. They had both grown stronger but Shura was only three years older and had jumped two classes from C to A class.

The tournament is going to start I promise. The next two chapters will be really long. One will be a lot of exposition and the other will be a lot of action. If I'm able to tomorrow, I'll have the next chapter up and then there won't be another update until next Wednesday or Thursday. Thanks in advance for any reviews.