Rating: PG (just to be safe)
Disclaimer:
All characters of YuYu Hakusho are owned by their writer and company. They
aren't mine (sigh!) and even if I wished on a hundred falling stars, Kurama
will never be mine. This fiction was made to entertain and hopefully does
not infringe on their copyright.
I spoke
the truth ne? Wednesday it is ^^ Though it's the next week already la!
^^ So in reparation I'm putting up part 9 just after I put this up. I love
you guys who comment! ^^
The
Reddest Rose
Part
8
Yusuke was just about to
go out of his apartment when the vidphone meeped. Great! What does His
Royal Pacifier want now? He pushed the receive button and was promptly
bowled over by a very irate Koenma.
"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING
IN THE NINGENKAI, YUSUKE!?"
"And a very good morning
to you too Koenma." Yusuke muttered under his breath before answering His
Irate Shortness. "Some things needed to be taken care of, business." He
shrugged. "It's not like I'm goofing off, y'know. Besides, I had to round
up Jinda, Chuu, Touya and the others, remember?"
"Gomen, Yusuke." Koenma apologized,
running agitated hands through his hair. "Didn't mean to jump down your
throat. Its just that things are a bit hectic here. The tired tone made
Yusuke look closer at Koenma and he noticed the lines of strain and the
black shadows under his eyes.
"Hey, no sweat. If you don't
mind my saying so, you look like shit, Koenma." But then again, everyone
looks like shit these days. Damn that kitsune leader.
After Kurama had exchanged
himself to rescue Hitori from the kitsune tribe, they had resurrected the
legendary kitsune leader. That had been why they needed Youko back. Because
they had needed all Nine Tails to resurrect their great leader. Everything…Hitori
being sent to the ningenkai to kill Kurama, making Kurama fall in love
to force him to change into Youko…everything had been an elaborate plot
with this end in mind.
All hell had broken loose.
It seemed that Kitsune once had this insane urge to conquer everything
in his path, a fact that didn't change even after all this time. He lead
the kitsune tribes into the peaceful Makai and turned it into one infernal
battlefield. It pitted youkos against youkos. It was civil war.
Even Enma Daio was worried.
The havoc wreaked on the Makai was to such an extent that the Mekai was
threatening to overflow with the influx of casualties. Yusuke had seen
the damaged wrought when he had been called in by Enma-sama himself to
participate in the war.
Yusuke had wondered then
why he would be needed but when he reached the battlefield, he knew why.
The Kitsune faction had 9 goddamn S-level sons of bitches (pun intended
:>) who went through Enki's army like a scythe in a field of wheat. The
King of the Netherworld was less than amused and decided to call in the
cavalry. And that's why Yusuke was here. He was one of the cavalry. Cavalry
meaning the Reikai's security patrol, Yusuke, Mukuro, Yomi and other class
S not currently in the fray.
Mukuro had gone without protest.
Hiei was, after all, already inside. Yomi hadn't bothered to show up and
had sent his son Shura instead. Yomi, Shura said, had some other important
things to do.
Aargh! What could be more
important than saving your own world?
Koenma snorted at him. "You
don't have to tell me, I know I look like shit. But then who wouldn't?
I have tons of problems accumulating here. Not the least of which is Shura's
squad! The kid is totally bent on inflicting violence. I can barely control
him from decimating all enemies in his path and his whole squad with them.
Damn that kid! Why couldn't he have inherited Yomi's genes?"
Yusuke smiled at the swear
word that passed Koenma's lips. Normally the Prince of the Netherworld
never swore. He may shout and scream his head off but never swear. Yusuke
grunted in sympathy. "Shura's squad? Isn't that where Hitori was last assigned?
She doing okay?"
"That depends on what you'd
call ok…if you think rushing off into the field even before Shura ok then
she is. She's quiet most of the time, although she does smile whenever
she sees me. But out on the field, damn, she's even worse than Shura. You
should see the light show she puts on. Even the 9 tails of Kitsune steer
clear of her. Shura practically worships her now."
Yusuke groaned. He knew he
shouldn't have let Hitori go but Keiko had said that maybe the war was
what Hitori needed to calm down from her excitable state.
Excitable? Ballistic is
more like it!
Once Hitori had woken up
from her rescue to find out that Kurama was in the Kitsune tribe, Yusuke
and the others had been hard put to keep her from going back. They had
to restrain her and a wild, incoherent Hitori with awakening powers inherited
from Raizen was no picnic at all. Sure makes me glad Keiko doesn't have
powers. He winced as he imagined a very irate Keiko blasting away at
him.
Keiko had let Hitori go to
the war when she volunteered. Keiko wasn't that afraid, knowing that Hitori's
burgeoning powers would protect her in skirmishes and that Koenma would
take care of her too. Better this than risk her going into a kitsune
tribe.
Keiko had obviously forgotten
how single-minded Hitori could be. She'd started out backing up Hiei's
squad and had seemed perfectly content with that until Shura's squad reported
a scrimmage with a silver-haired Nine Tail. Quick as a flash, Hitori had
wheedled and convinced Koenmaa that she would be of more help to Shura's
squad.
Shura hadn't been the main
draw, of course. Hitori was blasting away at the enemy's left flank and
terrorizing the enemy soldiers because she wanted Youko to come. Yusuke
sighed. Somehow, he didn't think Kitsune would allow Hitori to see Youko
so early in the game.
"Those two are liable to
get into more trouble. You should put in someone more grounded as commander,
Koenma."
Yusuke saw Koenma smirk.
"I'm one step ahead of you. I installed Kokou in as commander. She should
be able to handle them."
"K…k…Kokou?" Yusuke felt
faint. "Are you nuts?"
"Last time I checked, no,
I wasn't." There was an injured note in Koenma's voice at Yusuke's incredulous
tone. "Really, I don't see the reason for your surprise Yusuke"
"Yeah, well, you obviously
haven't seen her when she's had her sake." Yusuke shook his head in disbelief.
"She's potentially more dangerous than Hitori and Shura put together once
she's drunk."
"I'm sure you're exaggerating,
Yusuke, Kokou would never…"
"KOENMA-SAMA!"
"Oh, what is it, George?"
Koenma flung an irritated glance at his underling. "Can't you see I'm in
conference with Yusuke?"
"Gomen, Koenma-sama." George
wheezed out, a panicked look on his face. "General Enki asked me to tell
you that Kokou's squad broke through enemy lines too early. The squad is
now almost totally surrounded. General Enki is asking for orders, Sir!"
Damn Damn Damn! Koenma
thought.
"Hah! I told you so. Kokou
isn't really the type to wait for orders, even if it is from Enki."
Koenma waved away Yusuke's
smirk like an irritating fly, which made Yusuke quirk up his eyebrows in
surprise. What? No response. Koenma usually chokes on I-told-you-sos.
This war must really be getting to his royal pacifier. He decided to
keep quiet, opting to watch Koenma suck thoughtfully at his pacifier.
Suddenly, Koenma turned around.
"Tell Enki to ask Hiei and Mukuro's squad to withdraw from the main army
and initiate a rescue to retrieve Kokou's squad." He ran a hand over his
eyes and muttered…"…that should save their hides."
"But what about the main
army? Without Mukuro and Hiei's squad, it'll be sorely weakened." George
hated to interrupt but needed to point out the crucial fact to his boss.
He got a curt reply. "Reinforcements
will arrive."
"Reinforcements?" Had
his boss gone mad? There wasn't anyone left! "Where from?"
"He means me, George." To
Koenma, he said, "So I guess I have to hustle my butt, ne? I'll take the
shortcut, get the others and meet up with the main army in say…" Yusuke
glanced at his watch before looking up again. "…10 hours?"
Koenma nodded and turning
his head, noticed that George was still standing behind him. "And what
are you waiting for?" He snapped. "Get going."
George jumped and ran out
of the tent as fast as he could.
"And don't forget to tell
Hiei to tie up Shura and Mukuro to a fucking tree once they catch up with
them." He shouted out after the fast retreating form.
"You forgot to tell him to
hide the sake…" Yusuke said in a deceptively mild voice.
"Sonuvabitch!" Koenma swore
and ran out of the tent hoping to catch George before he left, leaving
Yusuke bursting out in laughter.
Damn! Never knew how funny
it is to see Koenma swear with a pacifier in his mouth. He thought
as he turned off the vidphone.
***
Damn! Damn! Damn! "Hitori,
pull back!" Yusuke screamed into the exploding area where youko fought
fellow youko with their innate powers first and then with fists as powers
were depleted. "Kisama!" He swore and ran towards the figure determinedly
cutting a swathe out of enemy lines to get to the silver-haired kitsune
directing the attack.
"She's liable to get us killed.
Damn!" He jumped up into the air, twisting into a somersault, "Rei Gun!"
and burned a path straight to Hitori. He snatched her up, still struggling,
and concentrated on finding the quickest way back to friendly lines, shouting,
"Fall back!"
***
"Stupid, idiotic and unacceptable!"
Yusuke's face was scrunched up in anger and worry as he paced agitatedly
in the tent. He glared at the defiant girl in front of him. "You almost
fried all our butts down there."
Hitori remained seated, staring
into somewhere between her feet.
"This isn't a personal mission,
Hitori. This is a war. What were you thinking?"
No answer.
"What do you think you were
doing?" He seized her chin and raised her face to meet his eyes. "Answer
me!"
"Saving Kurama." The quiet
voice was matter of fact and devoid of emotion, a direct contrast to the
stormy defiance in her eyes.
"Is that right?" Yusuke dropped
his hand and gestured to someone just beyond the tent flaps. His second-in-command
stepped forward from the shadows.
"Yes, commander?"
"Tell Hitori here the results
of her 'saving Kurama'"
"Hai, commander." He faced
Hitori. "Due to the unplanned action by the kitsune soldier Hitori, the
army was forced to go back into the fight, unprepared. The following is
a report of the casualties. Out of the 1000 under Yusuke's command, 200
infantry were killed, 100 winged mortally wounded and approximately 450
are in several states of incapacity. Squad leaders Touya, Sisiwakamaru
and Chu are also out of commission…"
"Stop." Yusuke told his second-in-command.
"I believe that is enough. Please give this report to Koenma-sama. Dismissed."
He hadn't taken his eyes off Hitori the whole time, waiting for the information
to sink into her mind.
As the tent flap closed on
the retreating officer, Yusuke sat back and just continued watching Hitori,
hoping that his plan worked. Because if it doesn't, I don't know what
else to do…Oh, Hitori what has happened to you?
Hitori had been under his
command for two weeks now and in those two weeks he had seen another side
to Hitori he never knew existed. A Hitori he didn't want to see because
this Hitori was so stubborn and reckless, she made him want to pull all
his hair out in frustration and worry.
The first time she had been
under his command, he had seen her throw herself recklessly at the enemy
as soon as Youko had appeared. He had chastised her then and put her in
the reserves. She hadn't reacted and silly him had thought that that was
the end.
Baka! Shows you how much
you know about imotos or kitsunes.
Somehow, she had managed
to wriggle out of reserves and fight in the front line on the second fight,
sneaking in when he hadn't been looking. He wouldn't have noticed that
she was inside at all if Youko hadn't shown his head. The minute Youko
appeared, Hitori began to flare like a disco ball. Yusuke had seen subtler
tactics by Kuwabara.
He had waited until the end
of that fight to blow his top at Hitori. This time the kitsune didn't stay
silent, she actually shouted back at him. He had been so surprised. It
had been a full hour before they both stopped screaming.
For the third battle, he
had set her under lock and key. He shouldn't have done it, she popped into
the battle anyway and he found the door to the cell blasted open.
That still didn't stop him
from trying to prevent her from joining the fray. He tried to keep her
under heavy guard, tried to give her prisoner custody duty and even tried
to palm her off to Hiei. No luck. Hitori still appeared in the battle each
time. The guards he had assigned were found trussed up and unconscious,
the prisoners were encased in a convoluted trap that defied escape, and
Hiei? That had been the biggest mistake of all. They almost sliced each
other up.
That was the time he called
Keiko up just to tell her that she was right, Kurama was right. Hitori
did have a temper, she was as stubborn as a bull and she did have a wily
streak.
That first week had been
enough to stop him from preventing Hitori to join the battles. He had a
headache. His temper was frayed and the only thing preventing him from
strangling Hitori was the fact that she was her imoto. Raizen wouldn't
appreciate him killing his own sister. He sighed.
For the next few battles,
he had tried to monitor Hitori's actions and generally gave her the leeway
to do what she wished. Luckily, Youko had not shown his face for a while
and Hitori behaved more normally.
But this last battle was
a doozy, THIS time she had gone overboard. Too risky, too aggressive,
no thought for others…It wasn't right anymore. Now he had to know if
Hitori was fit for the war or if she had to be sent back, even if it was
forcibly, to the ningenkai. That was what he was looking for now as he
waited and watched…
***
"I didn't realize…" Hitori
sobbed as she turned shocked eyes to Yusuke.
"Well, you should have."
Yusuke rebutted and then softened the words by putting his arms around
her. "I realize what you want to do, Hitori, but you should have realized
that there were others involved, countless lives you cannot discount."
Hitori had buried her head
in his shoulder and was sobbing. He felt a pang of concern. "Kurama's my
friend too and I want to save him same as you. So does Hiei, Suzuki, Rinku
and the others but it is one thing to sacrifice one's own life and a completely
different thing to sacrifice others just because one didn't think."
The storm of weeping continued
for over a half-hour and Yusuke didn't do anything to stop it. She needs
to let this out…In a surprising show of understanding that Keiko would
probably never credit him for, he stayed with Hitori and held her as she
rocked in the throes of crying.
Gomen, Yusuke. Didn't think….wanted
so bad to save Kurama…so badly it hurts…never thought of others…" The eyes
that finally rose to meet Yusuke's was apologetic and most importantly,
clear.
Good, she finally understands.
He was relieved. To Hitori, he nodded in understanding and squeezed
her once before carrying her to her bed. After making sure she was comfortable,
he turned to leave. "You're tired. Try to sleep…Tomorrow's another day."
From the tent flap, Yusuke
looked back and smiled. "Let's make a deal. Try to follow orders tomorrow
and we'll try to save Kurama, alright?"
***
Keiko,
This war has lasted for 25
days now and it doesn't show any signs of ending. Everyone's showing signs
of strain, Koenma, Hiei, me, even Shura seems tired…and that's saying much
for the violent dynamo…
On the bright side, Hitori
is finally obeying orders. Now she's just determined. Determined is good
don't you think? Better than maniacal. Now she doesn't charge enemy lines
by herself, she's finally settled for leaving gaping holes in the enemy
lines where she's assigned and generally rattling the Nine Tails of Kitsune.
Raizen would have been proud of her.
Sigh! I miss you very much
Keiko. Can't wait for this to end so I can go home…well, I'm hatching a
plan to do just that so wish me luck.
Yusuke
***
"I doubt if it'll work, Yusuke."
There was evident skepticism in Koenma's voice. Something Yusuke didn't
appreciate.
"And why not? It worked before."
The other occupants of the
conference tent nodded their heads.
"Before was different." Koenma
explained. "Yomi was before. Yomi might have wanted to be the ruler of
the Makai but at least he was sane. Kitsune is an insane megalomaniac out
for more than just land but blood!"
"You have a point."
"Surely," Mukuro stepped
into the light, "there is something in the 3 worlds that this Kitsune wants
above everything else, something he cannot resist?"
At this, Hiei and Yusuke
looked at each other. In one of their battles where the kitsune leader
had made a rare appearance, both had been in strategic positions to hear
Kitsune's rantings. Hiei turned to Koenma and spoke in a flat voice that
brooked no argument. "Offer him your head on a plate."
"Nani?" Koenma's scream of
incredulity didn't surprise Yusuke. Nor did the fact that His Excitable
Smallness' eyes were bugging out. But the fact that the pacifier was dangling
precariously from his mouth did make Yusuke smile a bit.
"Are you insane, Hiei?"
"Do I look like I'm insane?"
Hiei was unfazed by Koenma's tirade. "Your father's head is what he wants
the most, followed by yours. Not that its surprising, your father did trap
him in endless torment. Offer him one of the two and he'll agree."
Yusuke could almost see steam
coming out of Koenma's ears as he tried to stare Hiei down without much
luck. If Yusuke didn't do anything soon, he had a feeling Koenma was going
to strangle Hiei. He sweatdropped.
"Anou…Koenma, Hiei's right…"
"WHAT?" Koenma's glare transformed
to Yusuke and the full effect of buggy eyes and infuriated face combined
with the dangling pacifier hit Yusuke who tried not to smirk. Somehow this
was really becoming quite funny…
Unfortunately, Koenma noticed
his amusement. "This isn't the least bit funny, Yusuke." He growled.
Straightening his face, Yusuke
answered. "You didn't see your face. But alright, alright…"
Yusuke backed away as Koenma
advanced on him. "Seriously though, Hiei is right. If we dangle your head
as a prize in front of His Insaneness face, he'll probably agree to our
demands. Trust me, he's been screaming for it for so long that he'll jump
at the chance."
"B…but…"
Yusuke raised his hand at
Koenma's sputtering reply. "Take note that I said --as a prize. We'll just
have to make your head one of the things he could win. IF he wins."
"IF? Baka! What if he does
win." Koenma burst out.
"We'll just have to make
sure we win then." This from Hiei.
"Easy for you to say, it's
not your heads that are on the line." Koenma muttered.
"C'mon Koenma." Yusuke pleaded.
"You've got me, Hiei, Enki, Mukuro, Shura, Hitori, Kokou and Kuwabara…hmmnnn…7
out of 8 isn't bad." Yusuke grinned. "How can we possibly lose against
nine SOBs? Besides," Yusuke continued, "there isn't any other way to end
this that won't kill thousands more…"
That made the others think.
Too many lives had already been sacrificed to this pointless war.
Finally, Koenma nodded. "I
hate to admit it but you're right, Yusuke. There is no other way. I'll
just inform my 'Tosan and send a messenger to Kitsune."
***
"Hmmm…. With Koenma in my
hands, Enma will be forced to give me back my body."
"Don't." His faithful adviser,
the one that had been with him since the beginning, emerged from the shadows.
"This plan of theirs is designed to let them win. Stick to the war, it
is still our best chance of winning."
"Winning?" Kitsune snarled.
"If you hadn't noticed, our warriors are being cut down on the field. And
ironically, the most damage has been done by one of our own." He slammed
a hand down in anger. "We shouldn't have let the half-breed go. Who would
have thought that she was Raizen's get. Damn it!"
Yes, who would have thought.
Even unto death, Raizen still foils all my plans. The cowled adviser
added to himself. To the distraught ruler, he soothed. "Yes, our warriors
are being cut down but then so are theirs. The Nine Tails are still doing
a good job of balancing the casualties on either side. If we can kill the
half-breed, I am sure that we can tilt this stalemate to our side again.
Time might still…"
"TIME?" Kitsune interrupted
his explanation. "We don't have time. Even now I can feel this body deteriorating,
becoming even weaker each passing second…we cannot afford time!"
The table beside him burst
into splinters.
TBC ^_~ Part 9 on the way
already…
