OMG, I updated! I suppose there's really no excuse for taking so long and I had to get this posted before I left for South Africa. I'm really losing motivation, and though I will finish this story somehow, I probably won't be writing anymore fanfics.

A/N: Remember, dialogue in italics is Hiei using his Jagan

Chapter 10: Blood Rivals

Watching the last embers burning down on their fire, the amber glow shining in his crimson eyes, Hiei ignored the burning need for sleep. Judging from the position of the moon it was almost midnight, and the sun would rise in a few hours. Then they would continue on their journey, whether or not the fire demon had managed any sleep. It would be another, possibly even longer, day ahead of them and Hiei hoped they could cover the most ground that day. He still was slightly unsure of where they were going, but the road they were on lead through Kyata's village and he hoped to stop there to see for himself what had happened to the old demon.

"You won't make it a mile if you don't rest," the fire demon muttered angrily to himself and shifted his position against the tree. Across the camp Yusuke had fallen asleep with his head propped on his pack, and Hiei flicked an acorn at him, not succeeding in waking the Spirit Detective up. Cursing bitterly under his breath, Hiei turned away.

The night passed incredibly slowly and when Hiei finally managed to fall asleep he kept tossing around, coming dangerously close to hitting his head against the tree. Though he didn't wake up, every time he heard something rustle in the leaves he would shift, his hand inching toward his sword. The wind that had been blowing around dusk had slowed so it was almost nonexistent and the clouds had left with it, exposing a nearly full moon through the trees. Pale trails of moonlight shone down on the camp, lingering over the remnants of their fire and catching the light of their blades. Unknown to Hiei, who was asleep at the time, the moon's reflection off his sword was shining off through the trees, acting as a beacon for the small scavenging demons that stalked the forest by night.

Right in the middle of a particularly nice dream Yusuke felt something brush by his arm and jerked awake. For a moment he was unable to see anything in the darkness and groped for his knife. Gradually as his eyes adjusted he was able to make out a figure moving in the darkness and rose slowly into a crouch. With each step toward it his vision was becoming clearer, and just before he swung the demon spotted him and ducked away from where it had been trying to gnaw through their packs.

Its yellow eyes glaring at him, the demon snatched Hiei's hunting knife and started circling Yusuke, who suddenly realized how much smaller it was than him. Smirking, the Spirit Detective poked at him with his knife and blinked a few times when his strike was abruptly parried. His attempt had angered the small demon, which charged at him, startling Yusuke and causing him to throw out his knife to block. The clang of their weapons awoke Hiei, who sat up with a start and looked around anxiously. The fire demon spotted Yusuke first and was about to snap at him for playing with his blade when he noticed the demon. Grabbing his sword, Hiei slit its throat swiftly from behind and glared at Yusuke, who was looking at him sheepishly.

"I'm not even going to ask what you were doing," the fire demon said as he wiped the blood of his sword and slid it into its scabbard. Yusuke handed him the knife the demon had grabbed and Hiei tucked it through his belt. "What time is it?" the fire demon murmured, glancing up at the sky. The moon had nearly sunk beyond their field of view.

"So should we just set out now?" Yusuke asked, having also glanced up.

Hiei shook his head. "We still probably have two hours at least until the sun begins to rise and until dawn its better to stay in one place. It's much easier to become disoriented in the trees in the dark."

Yusuke nodded, sinking back onto the ground. "Hiei?" he asked, glancing up at the fire demon, who looked down at him. "How the hell do you know where we're going?"

"Do you have to ask questions?" Hiei snapped, rolling his eyes. When Yusuke didn't flinch or back down he sighed and said, "Mukuro knew a few things about Atasu that gave us a good idea. I did some research with Spirit World before we left. Did you think I would just charge into this blind? Atasu already has enough of an advantage; we don't need to handicap ourselves even more."

It was worse than either of them had expected. Smoldering embers were still scattered in the streets and ash blew in the air. None of the wooden buildings had been left intact, all having been either dismantled or burned. Surprisingly there seemed to be very few dead, but that thought was changed abruptly when Yusuke and Hiei reached the other side of the village and nearly stumbled into a scorched pile of bodies. The fire demon came upon the scene first and froze, his heart jumping into this throat. Behind him Yusuke moaned softly and ducked into the trees. Hiei ignored him and fought back his own repulsion as he took a closer look at the bodies of the demons.

"I don't think Kyata's here," he said finally and Yusuke looked up questioningly. The Spirit Detective brushed away the trail of sweat along his cheek and stood by Hiei's side.

"So what do we do now?" Yusuke asked.

Hiei sighed. "I had wanted to get so much information here. We're back where we started now." The fire demon was about to turn away when he noticed a flicker of movement in the bushes next to them and he narrowed his eyes. Closing his hand over the hilt of his sword the fire demon waited a second and was rewarded when he saw it again from his left, this time accompanied by a flash of red fur.

"Did you--?" Yusuke began, but Hiei cut him off with a glare and turned to leave. Grudgingly the Spirit Detective followed him and when they were back on the road Hiei turned to him, his Jagan eye glowing slightly.

"What are you doing?" Yusuke asked nervously.

Hiei smiled dangerously, looking like he had when Yusuke first met him, back in the days when he was an outlaw. "You just watch," the fire demon told him smugly and in the next second had vanished. Immediately Yusuke glanced around, trying to spot where his companion had teleported to, and a moment later he saw the fire demon reappear in the trees, something held triumphantly in his hand. Blinking, Yusuke shook his head and was ready with a sharp retort when Hiei was close enough to hear him.

"We're not that desperate for food Hiei," the teenager joked, rolling his eyes as he looked over the animal in the fire demon's hand. Hiei, however, did not see humor in this comment and drew his knife, pointing it at the ferret's throat, which tried to claw at him and glared through its cyan eyes. The tip of the blade barely nicked the animal's neck and it froze immediately, its eyes tracing every movement of the knife.

"This doesn't cause me any regret," Hiei told it, pressing the knife against its throat. "There are two ways this can happen; an easy way…and a hard way, which would be much more pleasurable for me and a lot messier for you. How will you have us do it?"

Sensing the futility of its situation the ferret snarled and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Yusuke looked skeptical but Hiei smirked in satisfaction, and a moment later a demon took the ferret's place. Long black bangs shadowed the demon's cyan eyes and his red ponytail blew in the breeze. A sword hung at his hip and when they saw it both Yusuke and Hiei tensed, the fire demon reaching for his own weapon and a light blue aura starting to appear around the Spirit Detective's hands.

"Well I must say it's been a while Hiei," the demon said finally, trying to keep a pleasant tone, but Hiei's sharp glare killed his smile.

"I can't say we ended on the most civil terms," the fire demon added, and he couldn't help but smirk as the ferret demon bristled at the remark. "Now I expect you'll make this easy for us Khiva. What are you doing here?"

Khiva shrugged. "Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that. We ferrets have been around."

Hiei growled, and at the next moment the ferret found a sword pressed to his throat. "Don't play games with me," the fire demon snarled.

"Well, you've been training," Khiva said softly, his smooth words dripping with venomous hatred.

"I have to protect her," Hiei countered in a whisper, and he ducked out of the way as the ferret demon swiped at him with his sharp claws.

Chuckling under his breath, Hiei held his sword ready and Khiva drew his weapon so both demons stood in a face off. Off to the side Yusuke was watching the scene in disbelief, but he backed away when he sensed the massive energy levels the two demons were emitting. Hiei had never looked so tensed for a fight, his eyes harder than diamonds as they calculated his opponent. Each of his steps was precise, as though one wrong move could end it for him. Yusuke didn't know it yet, but that was perfectly true.

"Are you just going to stand and watch me?" Khiva asked tauntingly, smirking at the fire demon.

Underneath his placid exterior Hiei's temper was starting to rise, though he checked himself. He knew Khiva was trying to distract him so he could attack, and Hiei wouldn't let the ferret have the satisfaction of one of his plans actually working. Instead, the fire demon focused all his anger and energy into the sword in his hands, which had begun to heat up. The seal of Mukuro's territory burned red as the metal began to glow a fiery orange, heated almost to its melting point. Smiling cruelly, his blade casting a glow over his face, Hiei stared Khiva down.

"If you're so eager, why don't you come and get me?" Hiei questioned, flicking his tongue over one of his fangs. "But then again, I was the one that picked this fight. I suppose I've earned the honor," he corrected. Khiva could only smile cautiously, not sure what the fire demon had planned.

Then suddenly Hiei flickered out of view, and Khiva tensed, immediately looking up and around to try and spot him. Hidden in one of the branches of a nearby tree, Hiei sensed his opportunity when Khiva had his back turned and jumped down, swinging just before he landed. At the last possible second the ferret demon had noticed him and tried to leap away, but forward momentum and his strength backed Hiei's strike and the blade grazed Khiva's shoulder. Hiei landed in a midst of scorched flesh and hair and spit disgustedly on the ground.

"Sly bastard," Khiva groaned, his hand clasped tightly against his shoulder. The cut had almost been too perfect, just deep enough to bother him, and with a smoking burn around it his mobility of the arm was limited. Biting part of his shirt he tore off a strip and looped it around his arm, tying it off with his teeth. "You'll pay for that Hiei," he whispered.

Behind his calm exterior Hiei's mind was going double-time. He knew Khiva, knew him as a rival at least, and he knew there was always some motive behind anything Khiva did. What had brought him here was a question that made Hiei uneasy, though he wouldn't let it show. A murder wouldn't have interested him much, so Kyata's death would have been only a minor detail. Though, the village had been raided not long after, and if he recalled Atasu had ordered Kyata's assassination. Could that be the connection? But then, how did Khiva tie in at all?

"Why so quiet all of a sudden Hiei?" Khiva asked. "You can't be scared. You would never let me see if you were." The fire demon was watching him, staring him down almost, just as the ferret had hoped he would.

"I hope you don't think we're intimidated by that!" Yusuke shouted suddenly, turning Khiva's attention his direction. Rolling his eyes Hiei turned as well and gave the Spirit Detective a very deliberate look that he missed completely.

"Who's your human friend?" Khiva asked Hiei amusedly There was a mocking note in his voice, and just for a second Hiei got the feeling that Khiva honestly couldn't sense Yusuke's demon half. That was a fact that he couldn't afford to overlook.

"Don't you know? I know it's been a while but he should be somewhat familiar," Hiei replied silkily, suddenly remembering too late that Khiva hadn't attended the Demon World Tournament. The ferret had been encouraged to fight by many of the demons in the area, but at the last minute had been sent on a mission for Mukuro. Briefly Hiei wondered if the demon lord had done it on purpose to prevent him from competing.

"I would think a powerful demon like yourself would have seen me in action," Yusuke said to Khiva, a comment Hiei would have slapped him for, but it did seem the ferret had caught on. Looking up at Yusuke through narrowed eyes, Khiva turned to Hiei and blocked the human out completely.

"What are you doing Hiei?" he asked dangerously, all the prior poise and control he had vanishing almost immediately. "Did you think you could rush to this village's rescue? Or are you wishing to pay your respects over their dead bodies? Neither, as you can clearly see, is possible. I suggest you take your human friend and go back to Mukuro's palace to spare Lord Atasu the trouble of dealing with you."

"Lord?" Hiei questioned, instinctively gripping his sword tighter and raising it to a more threatening position. "So how long have you been taking orders from him?" As a few memories came back the connections started to form in Hiei's mind and he added, "Was it before or after you tried to take Mukuro back with you?"

Resuming his battle stance, Khiva once again began to circle Hiei, who was forced to match him step for step. "After," the ferret replied, "though it would have pleased him greatly if I had brought back such a trophy." Blocking the swift stroke Hiei sent toward his stomach, Khiva smirked. "You didn't like that did you? You can fantasize all you like, but you're foolish to think you're her first. I heard Lord Atasu had always liked her the most," he added smugly.

Unable to stop himself, Hiei jumped at Khiva, who was expecting the attack and dodged easily. Venomous hate surging through every nerve in his body, Hiei forgot that Khiva was a demon of subtler techniques. He forgot all the wit he needed when he fought him. Most importantly, he forgot to duck, so he took the kick the ferret demon countered with full in the face. Crashing to the ground and kicking up a large cloud of dirt Hiei watched the trees above him swim for a moment before he could regain his balance to sit up. Khiva was watching him smugly, pleased that he had prompted such an outburst.

Unsure whether Hiei would kill him if he butted in, Yusuke stood helplessly and watched the battle unfold. It was difficult for him to watch Hiei get beat so badly and when, for the third time, the fire demon ran head-on into the ferret's waiting kick the Spirit Detective couldn't stand it. Not caring why they were fighting and that he had no part of it, Yusuke charged, and though Khiva was able to move out of the way at the last minute the teenager still managed to land a punch in his chest. From his place on the ground Hiei watched angrily as Yusuke took his fight, but his head was throbbing and rising to his feet made the ground waver.

"You're not so tough," Yusuke said after he and Khiva had gone blow for blow for a few minutes. "I don't know what you have on Hiei, but there's nothing you can say that will stop me from kicking your ass."

"Lord Atasu's at the palace," Khiva said abruptly, and Yusuke blinked for a moment as he stared at him. Hiei sat up so quickly he had to swallow back a wave of nausea.

"What did you say?" he asked hoarsely.

"You heard me," Khiva said triumphantly. "Lord Atasu should nearly be at the palace gates by now. And he's not the only one. Don't," he said to Yusuke, who looked as though he was about attack again. Looking back to Hiei, Khiva whispered so only the fire demon could hear him, "He intends to take away the only two people you truly care about."

Looking up at him, confident he was bluffing, Hiei shook slightly from the sadistically happy smile Khiva wore. The ferret didn't even try and shield his mind as Hiei's Jagan anxiously searched his thoughts, and it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. Suddenly feeling as though he would faint, the fire demon collapsed on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Across the clearing Yusuke was watching him anxiously, and it only took one look from the fire demon to confirm that Khiva was indeed telling the truth.

"Go back there," Hiei said anxiously to Yusuke, who jumped slightly at the fire demon's presence in his thoughts.

"I'll never make it in time," Yusuke argued. "You're faster."

"Not like this. Besides, I…I don't have the strength to fight Atasu like this."

Yusuke blinked. He had never heard Hiei doubt himself before. "What will you do?" He asked, slightly scared by Hiei's words. His hands were shaking and he closed them into fists, thoroughly rattled. Never had he seen Hiei like this, on the brink of defeat, desperately trying his final options.

"Yusuke, I don't care if this stupid demon beats me senseless," Hiei said. "Mukuro and Yukina are in the palace. If you don't go after them Atasu will kill them both. Please Yusuke," he pleaded, looking up at the teenager.

Something inside Yusuke wavered when he saw how desperately Hiei was looking at him. Never, in the years that he had known him, had Hiei asked for a favor from him, not even once. Now he was pleading for him to do this, and there was no way the Spirit Detective could call himself a person if he refused. Nodding slightly the teenager looked away, unable to look at Hiei's weak eyes any longer.

"What are you two doing?" Khiva asked, growing suspicious by Hiei's long silence. Glancing from the fire demon to Yusuke and back, the ferret smiled ever so slightly in comprehension. Never would he have considered Hiei strong enough to ask for help, but the fire demon was constantly surprising him.

"Go Yusuke!" Hiei shouted as Khiva stepped closer and kicked him onto his side. With one final glance the Spirit Detective turned and sprinted through the trees, leaving Hiei alone with his worst rival.

"Well," Khiva murmured as he watched Yusuke run, "I guess this leaves you and me then, doesn't it Hiei?" The fire demon knew better than to even acknowledge the question. Taking a seat on a rock nearby Khiva crossed his legs and watched Hiei for a moment in amusement. "So this is how the oh-so-great warrior of Mukuro's falls; on his knees like a weak human. Rather fitting isn't it?"

Glaring at the ground, Hiei tried in vain to block out Khiva's taunts. A part of him (the part closest to his throbbing head) was actually agreeing with the ferret. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book, and one that he often used himself, but yet he had fallen for it and let himself be angered and intimidated. Now what? He had told Yusuke to leave, so if he was to win this battle he would have to do it on his own.

Deciding it would be better for him to be beaten on his feet than on his knees like he was now, Hiei leaned heavily against his sword and stood up, wavering for a minute on the spot. Across from him Khiva smiled, glad that he was at least trying to put up a fight. After all, the ferret couldn't kill an enemy cowering before him; it would make him look like a bully. Deciding he would give the fire demon a moment to get his balance, Khiva leaned against a tree and crossed his arms.

"So is your friend off to Mukuro's castle?" The ferret demon asked, pretty sure of the answer.

"No," Hiei said, surprisingly confident despite his weakness. It was obvious Khiva didn't believe him, so the fire demon added, "I know Yusuke, and though he will go looking for a fight he won't go out of his way to try and help someone he doesn't know."

"Is that so?" Khiva murmured.

"He's gone back to Spirit World," Hiei lied again. "It shouldn't be long before he returns with about 1oo bounty hunters from the SDF. If I remember, you're quite popular with them."

For a moment the ferret studied him. "Do you expect me to be intimidated?" he asked. "Your friend is gone and you're weak enough to be killed in one shot."

"But will you kill me?" Hiei asked, starting to feel more confident now that his strength was returning. "You know yourself that I could contact them in an instant and you could be captured before you left this clearing. If I were you, I would wait it out. Who do you think I see as a bigger threat?" Smirking, Hiei finished his own question. "Between you and Atasu, it's definitely not you."

The smile had faded slight from Khiva's face and he looked as though he was considering what Hiei had said. Meanwhile, the fire demon was gauging his energy and trying to figure out the easiest way he could cripple Khiva and escape.

"Everything you said sounds good Hiei," Khiva said, and his sadistic smirk had returned. "But I still think it would be best if I just killed you."

The ferret jumped and Hiei traced his path to the ground in a split second. Khiva probably thought him too weak to move, but he was wrong. Just before his rival landed Hiei hopped backward and swung his sword upward, catching Khiva below the jaw and sending him sprawling the other way. The rapid change in direction had temporarily knocked the demon senseless, and Hiei stood over him.

"How will you escape Khiva?" he asked. No response. Knowing only a small part of the ferret's brain was functioning properly and would only process part of what he said, Hiei whispered, "I think you should transform. It's much easier to slip away when you're smaller. Change back to your true form."

In a puff of smoke the ferret changed, and immediately Hiei stabbed the animal just below its shoulder. Ignoring the squeak of pain, the fire demon drove the blade deep into the ground and tested it for resistance. It didn't move. Satisfied, he formed several fire balls from his remaining energy and bound them to his sword.

"Can you sense these?" Hiei asked the ferret, and took the small twitch of its ear to mean yes. "These will explode on impact. If you try and transform they will shred your body to pieces. You wait here until I get back."

Turning away, Hiei faced the horizon where he knew Mukuro's castle would soon become visible. "I'm on my way Mukuro," he whispered.