For warnings and disclaimers, see previous chapters.
A/N: Thank you everyone for reviewing. I am so desperate for feedback. And Element_Lenore, you're right. I did pace chapter 1 rather quickly. I'm currently working on another writing project right now, and this was only meant to be a very short story. And I mean very short. But you're right, I could've put in a few more details. Thanks for the tip ^_^
A/N: I don't know when to have this take place. Let's just say shortly after the Dark tournament that's going on right now on Cartoon Network ^_^;; Just to be safe, I'll leave out Genkai just in case she dies. I hope not. She's a cool bean.
Mura met Hiei in the forest clearing, on time as usual the next morning.
"Master Hiei, yesterday I—"
Hiei interrupted. "Yes, I saw. You're strong enough to defend yourself. You no longer need any help from me."
Mura looked disappointed. "I suppose you're right. I—"
"However," Hiei interrupted a second time, "as a test of your skills, I'd like you to enter a tournament taking place one month from now. A man named Koenma will be there, as well as many other powerful people. If you show some strength, perhaps Koenma or one of the others will hire you. You have no place in the human world, half-breed, am I right?"
Mura nodded. "I lived in an orphanage until a year ago. I don't even have a job right now. I just do odd jobs for money."
"You're interested, then?"
Mura blinked. "I will do as you tell me."
"That was not my question, half-breed. I will accompany you to the tournament only if you choose to enter it. I don't care either way."
Mura suppressed a sigh. "Yes."
Hiei nodded. "Good. You must understand that by entering this contest, you risk your life. Even though the rules of the tournament discourage killing, rules are seldom followed."
Mura shrugged. "I don't care. It's not much of a life I'm risking, after all."
Hiei frowned inwardly (he was frowning outwardly too, but when is he not?). That kind of attitude wasn't good for fighting. The will to live or protect loved ones often brought out the best in fighters. Mura had neither the will to live, nor anyone to protect. But this tournament was different. No one's lives were supposed to be at stake here, just pride. Mura and the other fighters would probably be on the same playing ground.
Hiei continued. "Some of the fighters will also most likely be using a number of spirit techniques. Since your spirit energy level is substantial, I've asked a spirit detective named Yusuke Urameshi to give you a crash-course in spirit energy techniques."
Mura looked around. "I don't see him. Or sense him." If this Yusuke was a spirit detective, she should be able to sense him easily.
Hiei surprised Mura by rolling his eyes — something she had never seen him do before. "The idiot probably overslept."
Mura smirked. "A friend of yours?"
Hiei scowled. "An acquaintance."
"I see." Hiei wasn't fooling anyone. Over the past months, Mura had learned his personality well. This Yusuke person was likely to be a good friend of his.
The practiced for a little while, but soon Hiei stopped. He wanted Mura to have plenty of energy when Yusuke finally got his lazy human body out of bed.
Meanwhile, as Hiei predicted, Yusuke was still asleep in bed. It was almost 11:00, and Yusuke was supposed to be in school, but school had never been a great concern of his. His mother had left to go grocery shopping, and no one was home to wake Yusuke up.
Lucky for Hiei and Mura, Keiko called Yusuke from school.
Yusuke heard the phone ringing, but that didn't mean he was going to answer it. He simply buried his head beneath his pillow and tried to shut it out. Finally, after about ten minutes of persistent ringing, Yusuke got out of bed and picked up the phone.
"Whadda want?" Yusuke asked tiredly.
"WHY WEREN'T YOU IN SCHOOL TODAY, YUSUKE?! YOU CAN'T KEEP CUTTING YOUR CLASSES LIKE THIS!"
That woke Yusuke in a hurry. "Hehe, Keiko! Ican'tgotoscholtoday,I'msickbye," he said quickly, hanging up the phone.
Suddenly, Yusuke remembered why he was faking illness. "I forgot I'm supposed to meet Hiei today!"
About ten or twenty minutes later, Yusuke walked into the clearing.
Hiei stood. "Well it's about time."
Yusuke didn't really seem concerned. "Sorry I'm late. Now what was it you wanted me to do?"
"I wanted you to give Mura a quick lesson in spirit techniques. You'll find she has rather high spirit energy."
Yusuke yawned. "Ok, sure."
Hiei stepped back. Yusuke turned to Mura. "Hi, I'm Yusuke Urameshi, I'll be your um, spirit technique instructor guy—" he paused to yawn again—"today."
Mura laughed. "I'm Mura Hitori. You're much different than Master Hiei."
Yusuke laughed. "Did you just call him Master Hiei?"
Mura shrugged. "I could call him sensei."
Yusuke laughed harder, but finally got himself under control, somewhat. "Alright. I think we'd better start of teaching you how to control your spirit energy. Can you sense my spirit energy?"
Mura nodded. "Yes."
"Can you sense your own spirit energy?"
Mura thought about that for a minute. "Not all the time. Only when I focus on it."
Yusuke nodded. "Try focusing it into one hand, or a finger if that's easier." Yusuke demonstrated with one finger. A visible glow surrounded it when he focused his energy.
Mura tried gathering her spirit energy in one finger, but it didn't feel right. She made a fist and concentrated again. A very thin, wispy green glow surrounded it. She focused harder and the dim glow grew brighter. Next, she focused on channeling it into one finger. This time, it was easier.
"You're a fast learner. Now try splitting the energy and focusing it in both hands."
Mura did as she was told. A weak green glow appeared around one of her fists, then the other. Try as she might though, she could not channel more energy.
Yusuke shook his head. "You're concentrating too much on your hands and not enough on your spirit energy. You have to put almost all of your concentration towards the spirit energy. Your hands are only a way to channel it."
Mura nodded and did so. The glow around her fists brightened considerably.
Training went on like this for a few hours. Hiei watched carefully as Yusuke instructed Mura step-by-step on using spirit energy for defense. He taught her to use her spirit energy as a shield along with a few very easy attacks.
"I think you've got it," Yusuke said.
"Test it," Hiei said. He was leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree.
Yusuke scratched the back of his head. "Isn't that kind of dangerous? I wouldn't want to deep-fry your student, Hiei."
Hiei snorted. "Better here, where we'll be able to help her than at the tournament."
Mura started gathering her spirit energy in both fists. Yusuke prepared to use his spirit gun.
"Ready?"
Mura nodded. "Yes."
Yusuke fired his spirit gun at Mura. Instinctively, she focused her energy, and the glow around her fists joined at the middle and expanded. Yusuke's blue spirit gun energy collided with Mura's bright green shield and dissipated harmlessly.
A small smile crossed Hiei's mouth, but disappeared quickly. The girl had the potential to be almost as powerful as Yusuke, if she ever had a teacher that was good enough. Hiei knew that there were other people who would be able to teach Mura more than he ever could. That was why this tournament was so important.
"Maybe Mura will end up with a more qualified teacher or a job after this is all over...if she doesn't get killed, that is," Hiei thought.
*****
The next chapter is the last one. Please R&R! I'm desperate for feedback!