Kuwabara and Yusuke were huddled together, planning their run toward the hills. Toya sidled up to Kurama, who was leaning against the wall that surrounded the small town, trying to keep in the shade.
"It's going to take us nearly until nightfall to get there as it is," Toya complained lightheartedly, "I wonder they don't hurry it up a bit."
Kurama smiled. "Yeah, it's not like any of us don't know how to fight if an enemy comes at us." He glanced over at Yusuke and Kuwabara and sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. The plain ahead was absolutely flat and covered in dead grass.
"It makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Toya began. "How could Hiei have been attacked out here? He must have seen it coming."
Kurama looked thoughtful. "Maybe it was just faster than him," he replied, "or maybe he was focusing on finding Yukina and he just didn't notice."
Toya laughed morosely. "I hope it's not that fast. That's bad news for us. Maybe he saw it coming and faced it rather than have it follow him forever."
"But it was able to beat him. If he faced it knowingly and lost, it's not going to be easy for us," Kurama pointed out.
"We have numbers," Toya reminded him. "And we're looking for an attack."
By the time Yusuke and Kuwabara broke apart, the sun was already low in the sky. Yusuke pulled Toya and Jin aside, presumably to tell them about the plan. Kuwabara approached Kurama.
"We're gonna circle left, me and you and Yusuke, and the three of them are gonna go right. We figured we're used to working together and they've been training together, so we're more used to fighting that way, so, uh, get ready, and we'll go soon," Kuwabara said vaguely. He went over to Rinku, presumably to relay the same information.
The witching hour brought with it a chill wind, though the ground still radiated heat. It was an odd feeling, being cold and hot at the same time. Kurama could feel the tension in the group, the barely suppressed excitement. He was waiting with Yusuke and Kuwabara, waiting for Jin to give the signal that they were ready to begin their simultaneous charge on the distant hills. Rinku kept sending nervous glances at the others, his usual confidence gone. Just then, Jin nodded at Yusuke and flashed a signal, and they were off.
Yusuke usually took point, but as they had no idea where an attack might come from, he took the outside position, letting Kurama lead and Kuwabara follow, not looking where he was going but stretching his sensory awareness in all directions. Kurama was a bit unnerved by the deviation from the usual plan, but he would be the first to admit that it was exhilarating to lead the pack. He channeled that extra energy into pushing his legs faster, reveling in the joy of speed and anticipation. They didn't talk, their ears strained to pick up any sign of an enemy, but all they could hear was the wind in the hollow, dead grass and the sound of their feet on the dust and brush.
The hills loomed in the dark, and they could see the darker outline of the castle stronghold just showing between two ridges. With their goal now in sight, the boys pressed on into the night, intent on finding Yukina and avenging their friends. They had been running for nearly an hour, and Kuwabara was showing signs of fatigue, though he was also trying not to let it show. Already singled out as the only human in the group, he wasn't about to hold the team back on that account.
The approach to the castle was at once welcome and unnerving. They were nearly to their destination, but they had not encountered any sign of resistance. Kurama would have thought Kuwabara might notice that maybe the attacker didn't live here after all, and was indeed focusing on Hiei. Then again, maybe Kuwabara could already sense their target.
As they neared the gates, Jin rejoined Yusuke for a combined assault on the stronghold. They veered left, going around to avoid the front, which would be more surely defended than the back. As they ran, a dark shape jumped down from the wall into the center of the group, slicing Kurama in half.