"I guess it's important that we find Hiei then isn't it?" Kurama asked after I recounted the very brief details of what I'd seen in the vision earlier.

"He can't use his right arm. If he gets attacked all on his own he could be in some real trouble," I said. "Especially if he's the one the Tuguro Brothers are after."

"Well there's no telling where he is now, but I'm certain he'll turn up eventually. Besides, Hiei can usually only be found when he wants to be found. If the Tuguro brothers are looking for him they won't find him easily," Kurama said. "Besides, as long as we're not with him, the less likely it is that your vision will happen."

"I wish that were true, but I have yet to see something that hasn't happened exactly as I've seen it," I said. "It's going to happen."

"Well don't trouble yourself with it until we find him," Kurama said. "If everything you see happens every time without fail it stands to reason that wherever he is right now he's probably okay because at some point we're going to see him and he's going to be in okay condition until we get attacked by a giant robot."

I nodded. Kurama was right. There was nothing I could do about it if I knew there was nothing I could about it.

"In other news, the team we're facing tomorrow will be Team Ichagaki," Kurama said. "If you'd gotten here earlier you could've seen them. They were quite good but they shouldn't be too much of an issue, they're not that strong."

"Good," I said.

"Although, there was something odd about three of the member on their team," Kurama said. "I don't think they were apparitions."

"Really? You mean they were humans?" I asked.

Kurama nodded. "Something was very wrong. I could tell the entire match, unfortunately I wasn't able to pin it down. I figured if you were you might have been able to tell with your many extra sensory perceptions."

"Ah, well this will be interesting," I said.

"Hey, did we miss it?"

I looked back to see Kuwabara and Yusuke joining us.

"No, you're just in time," Kurama said.

"The entire Spirit Warrior's team is here, but only Tuguro showed up for his," I said.

"The captain of that team, Topaz," Yusuke said pointing, "he definitely threatened to kill me not too long ago."

"Duh," I replied.

"He said he knew you," Yusuke said.

"Did he?" I asked looking at the captain closely. Then it clocked. "Oh! I remember this guy! I put him in jail when I was like 10." I looked around the arena. "I wonder how many people here have been put in jail and gotten out that are here as a matter of fact."

"Not many as I do recall you have a very high rate of killing since you became detective," Kurama said.

"True. . . Maybe that's why apparitions don't like," I said.

"So, Tuguro, where is the rest of your team?" Koto asked in her usual curious voice.

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to fight on my own today. I have a team, but they're incredibly lazy," Tuguro said with a smug grin. Topaz wasn't pleased with this. "How about all five of you fight me at once. We can make this quick."

The Spirit Warriors were offended at the insinuation that they would be killed so easily and then powered up. Their auras glowed a brilliant orange and their energy bounced all around the stadium.

"Spirit Warriors—I guess the name makes sense," Yusuke said.

But their display of power didn't last long. It didn't take more than two minutes for Tuguro to literally rip them to shreds, ending the bloodbath of a match by punching Topaz clean in half with one blow.

". . . Anyone terrified yet?" Kurama asked as we left the stadium.

Yusuke scoffed. "I shit my pants after first guy went down."

"Can we really do this you guys?" Kuwabara asked.

"Totally," I said.

"You didn't sound super confident when you said that," Yusuke said.

"I'm not actually," I said. "Mostly, I'm worried about the rest of his team."

"Likewise. Tuguro's strength is incredible. I'm curious to know about the rest of the abilities of his teammates," Kurama said.

"They probably know that which is why they're keeping it under wraps," I said. Kurama nodded in agreement. "Does anyone know where Hiei is?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess we should find the shrimp and make sure he's okay after what the little masked dude said," Kuwabara said.

"What did the Masked Fighter say?" I asked.

"Something about someone being crippled and screaming in pain. And you guys are fine and we're fine so it just leaves Hiei although he doesn't strike me as the 'screaming in pain' type," Yusuke said.

I sighed. If he knew the full extent of what had happened to Hiei's arm he'd disagree. I'd never seen an injury more deserving of bouts of screaming. And if Genkai had said it, it was obviously true that Hiei was in some pain wherever he was.

"I have to go and look for him," I said to Kurama. "After what I saw-."

"I know. It'd be best to keep a close eye on him," Kurama said. "I'll call you if he turns up."

"Thanks," I said. "You guys stay out of trouble too."

"Will do," Yusuke said.

888

I don't know how many times I'd circled the island, but after an hour I was ready to give up. I knew that what Kurama had told me earlier was right—if I saw Hiei okay in the future he was probably still okay now, but that didn't stop me from being fearful. Watching Tuguro mangle that team, hearing what Genkai had said about him, knowing that it was probably true—I couldn't stop thinking about how vulnerable Hiei probably was right now.

He was the last person I had expected to be in danger while we were here since he was the most self-sufficient person I knew, but I had to find him and make sure he was okay.

I circled a bit more until I got to the western shore of the island, and that's where I spotted him. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting on a ledge a few feet down from the top of the cliff looking out at the ocean.

I flew down and landed next to him.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Nope," I said.

"Then go away," he replied.

"I was looking for you," I said.

"What for?" he asked.

"I was worried about you," I said. "Because of your arm. I needed to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," he replied.

"I'm sure you are," I said. "But that doesn't mean I stop worrying. Tuguro is trying to kill one of you and you've only got full use of one arm. I have cause to be concerned."

"Thank you for voicing your concern. Now be gone," he said.

I sighed. "If you don't want to fight tomorrow no one will blame you. Your arm needs to-."

"I said I was fine, Detective," he hissed at me.

My heart sank a little. "I really am just trying to keep you safe. . . I just watched Tuguro annihilate an entire team in the time it takes me to make a sandwich. I can't help but be a little worried about you all things considered."

"You're really starting to get on my nerves today," Hiei said.

"If you just tell me where you're going so I know where you are then you won't have the trouble of me following you around asking you a thousand questions telling you I'm worried about you and you getting on your nerves," I said.

"Your request is duly noted," Hiei said.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you really going to be a dick about this?"

"Probably," he replied. I groaned.

"Fine, get killed for all I care," I said, climbing back up the side of the cliff. "Oh, and by the way, we're going to get attacked by a robot."

"What?" Hiei asked.

"I saw the future. We're going to get attacked by a robot in the woods. Your arms will still be fucked up, so whatever you're doing I certainly hope it's going to help you tomorrow outside of the ring," I said.

"Thank you," Hiei said dismissively.

"You're welcome," I replied half-heartedly.

888

"He's the most arrogant, sarcastic, ungrateful asshole I've ever met," I said.

"Tell me something I don't know," Kurama replied.

I put my wet hair into a braid and tied a rubber band on the end.

"I think you're the only person he listens to," I said. "You should've told him to check in."

"I'm sure he will," Kurama said. "You asked him too didn't you?"

"Yeah, but since when has he ever done anything I've asked?" I pointed out climbing into my bed. "Mostly he just tells me to go away or be quiet."

"What about yesterday?" Kurama asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "What about yesterday?"

"I thought the two of you had a lovely conversation last night," Kurama said.

"So the asshole will listen to me when I'm giving him an ego boost. Whoop-de-do," I said.

Kurama laughed. "That's what you call an ego boost?"

"What would you call it?" I asked.

"Flirting," he replied.

I scoffed. "Why would you think something like that?"

"The same reason Yusuke would," Kurama replied.

"You and Yusuke are both idiots," I said lying down.

"Are we, or are you just in denial?" he asked.

"I thought we were talking about how much of an ass Hiei was," I said.

"I'm just saying, Kairi, that if you keep telling him you admire his 'fighting prowess' there's the strong possibility that he'll want to listen to you—among other things," I said.

"You disgust me," I said.

"It probably helps that he saw you naked too," Kurama said.

"Shut up!" I said throwing pillow over my head.