Chapter 4
Hiei searched the forest where the ogre and Kurama had been. "I'm getting tired of this. Where are you Kurama?" he yelled. He looked at the ground. "What's this? A rose? Is it Kurama's?" He examined it, "Yes this has to be his rose." He looked around. "I know Kurama wouldn't leave it unless there was something wrong." He decided to check the surrounding area for clues to find out where Kurama went.
*******
Nazo began to laugh. "What's wrong Youko? Can't you find a way out of here? Kurama narrowed his eyes at him. He walked over to the door and began to open it. "I'm leaving." Nazo whispered to Kusoatama, "Drain his energy." Kusoatama nodded and walked over to Kurama. He smiled as he put his hand on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama turned his head to see Kusoatama's hand. "I'd advise you to take your hand off my shoulder." Kusoatama smirked, "I don't think so." He drained Kurama's energy. Kurama dropped to his knees. "Why did you do that?" "It was Nazo's orders." Kusoatama answered.
*******
Hiei only found a few bloodstains on some plants. He narrowed his eyes. "This can't be good." He began to walk deeper into the forest. "Maybe Kurama went to look for a village." he suggested to himself.
*******
"Now Youko, are you going to join us or will we have to torture you more?" Nazo laughed. "Torture me more? How have you tortured me?" Kurama asked. "So draining your energy isn't torture to you. Pity, I guess energy doesn't mean much to you." Nazo mocked. "Kusoatama, go find Rakuda and tell him to come here. Then go to the forest I sense someone there. I want you to bring them here." Nazo ordered. "Yes, sir." Kusoatama left the room and walked to Rakuda's room. "Rakuda, Nazo wants you in Youko's room." Rakuda sighed, "Is that kitsune that stubborn?" "Yes he won't join us." Kusoatama stated. He walked outside the castle and headed toward the forest. Rakuda entered Kurama's room. "I'm here master. How may I be of service to you? "Good you're here. I want you to fight him, but you can't kill him. Did I make myself clear? Nazo asked. "Yes, sir." Rakuda answered. "Master you want me to fight him when he has no energy to stand or defend himself?" "Yes, Rakuda." Nazo answered angrily. Rakuda sighed, "This is going to be to easy." He walked over to Kurama. "Feel lucky you're not going to die." he laughed. Kurama narrowed his eyes. Rakuda grabbed Kurama by his shirt collar and lifted him so they could see eye to eye. "What's wrong? Can't you fight back?"
*******
Hiei ran through the forest searching for Kurama. "Where could he have disappeared to?" He stopped running. "Who's there?" He growled, "Answer me!" "I'm nothing more than a mere traveler." Kusoatama answered. "A traveler? Have you seen a kitsune?" Hiei asked. "Of course I've seen about seven today." Kusoatama answered. Hiei growled, "The kitsune I'm looking for has silver hair and amber colored eyes. Have you seen him?" Kusoatama thought to himself ~That sounds like Youko~ "So have you seen him or not?" Hiei said angrily. Kusoatama answered, "No, I haven't, but a lot of other demons kept saying something about Youko. That's strange considering Youko died." "Ok enough. Where is the kitsune that everyone thinks is Youko?" Hiei scowled. "I'll take you to the place if you want." Kusoatama said. He was thinking about how he could drain Hiei's energy. "Fine let's go" Hiei growled.
*******
Rakuda punched Kurama in the face. He watched the blood run down his cheek. "Nazo shall I continue or would you like to try to convince him to join us?" He grabbed Kurama by the hair and lifted him to his knees. "That'll be enough for now, Rakuda." Nazo answered. He walked over to Kurama and Rakuda. "Help him to his feet." "Yes, sir." Rakuda said. He pulled Kurama to his feet and held him up. Nazo laughed, "Youko do you give up or are you going to continue to be stubborn?" Kurama just starred at Nazo. "Are you going to answer me?" asked Nazo. Kurama shook his head. "I'm not going to join you, and my name is Kurama not Youko." Nazo sighed, "You're to stubborn for your own good. Rakuda put him on his bed." "What for?" Rakuda asked. Nazo smirked, "We're going to play a mind game first. Then if that doesn't work you can try again."
*******
"So where are we going?" Hiei asked. "We're going to the place Youko is said to be." Kusoatama answered. "Can we go any faster?" snarled Hiei. "No, if we go faster we'll be captured." Kusoatama stated. ~I have to drain his energy. The only question is how?~ Kusoatama thought to himself. ~Ahh perfect I'll get Rakuda to come.~ "Wait here I'm going to check things out up ahead." "Why do I have to wait?" Hiei growled. "You don't look like a traveler and the villagers only like travelers." Kusoatama answered. "So what? I don't care. I'm not going to wait." Hiei argued. Kusoatama walked over to Hiei and put his hand on his shoulder. "Stay here." "Don't touch me." Hiei warned. Kusoatama laughed and drained Hiei's energy. "I lied to you." he smirked. "I've seen the kitsune you're looking for." Hiei growled as he dropped to his knees. "Why did you drain my energy?" "I drained your energy because you are a friend of Youko." Kusoatama stated. "What's your point?" Hiei growled. "You are our guarantee he will join us." Kusoatama answered. "He doesn't care what happens to me." Hiei lied. "Oh is that a fact? Well we'll see about that." Kusoatama smirked. He picked Hiei up and started to head back toward the castle.
Hiei searched the forest where the ogre and Kurama had been. "I'm getting tired of this. Where are you Kurama?" he yelled. He looked at the ground. "What's this? A rose? Is it Kurama's?" He examined it, "Yes this has to be his rose." He looked around. "I know Kurama wouldn't leave it unless there was something wrong." He decided to check the surrounding area for clues to find out where Kurama went.
*******
Nazo began to laugh. "What's wrong Youko? Can't you find a way out of here? Kurama narrowed his eyes at him. He walked over to the door and began to open it. "I'm leaving." Nazo whispered to Kusoatama, "Drain his energy." Kusoatama nodded and walked over to Kurama. He smiled as he put his hand on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama turned his head to see Kusoatama's hand. "I'd advise you to take your hand off my shoulder." Kusoatama smirked, "I don't think so." He drained Kurama's energy. Kurama dropped to his knees. "Why did you do that?" "It was Nazo's orders." Kusoatama answered.
*******
Hiei only found a few bloodstains on some plants. He narrowed his eyes. "This can't be good." He began to walk deeper into the forest. "Maybe Kurama went to look for a village." he suggested to himself.
*******
"Now Youko, are you going to join us or will we have to torture you more?" Nazo laughed. "Torture me more? How have you tortured me?" Kurama asked. "So draining your energy isn't torture to you. Pity, I guess energy doesn't mean much to you." Nazo mocked. "Kusoatama, go find Rakuda and tell him to come here. Then go to the forest I sense someone there. I want you to bring them here." Nazo ordered. "Yes, sir." Kusoatama left the room and walked to Rakuda's room. "Rakuda, Nazo wants you in Youko's room." Rakuda sighed, "Is that kitsune that stubborn?" "Yes he won't join us." Kusoatama stated. He walked outside the castle and headed toward the forest. Rakuda entered Kurama's room. "I'm here master. How may I be of service to you? "Good you're here. I want you to fight him, but you can't kill him. Did I make myself clear? Nazo asked. "Yes, sir." Rakuda answered. "Master you want me to fight him when he has no energy to stand or defend himself?" "Yes, Rakuda." Nazo answered angrily. Rakuda sighed, "This is going to be to easy." He walked over to Kurama. "Feel lucky you're not going to die." he laughed. Kurama narrowed his eyes. Rakuda grabbed Kurama by his shirt collar and lifted him so they could see eye to eye. "What's wrong? Can't you fight back?"
*******
Hiei ran through the forest searching for Kurama. "Where could he have disappeared to?" He stopped running. "Who's there?" He growled, "Answer me!" "I'm nothing more than a mere traveler." Kusoatama answered. "A traveler? Have you seen a kitsune?" Hiei asked. "Of course I've seen about seven today." Kusoatama answered. Hiei growled, "The kitsune I'm looking for has silver hair and amber colored eyes. Have you seen him?" Kusoatama thought to himself ~That sounds like Youko~ "So have you seen him or not?" Hiei said angrily. Kusoatama answered, "No, I haven't, but a lot of other demons kept saying something about Youko. That's strange considering Youko died." "Ok enough. Where is the kitsune that everyone thinks is Youko?" Hiei scowled. "I'll take you to the place if you want." Kusoatama said. He was thinking about how he could drain Hiei's energy. "Fine let's go" Hiei growled.
*******
Rakuda punched Kurama in the face. He watched the blood run down his cheek. "Nazo shall I continue or would you like to try to convince him to join us?" He grabbed Kurama by the hair and lifted him to his knees. "That'll be enough for now, Rakuda." Nazo answered. He walked over to Kurama and Rakuda. "Help him to his feet." "Yes, sir." Rakuda said. He pulled Kurama to his feet and held him up. Nazo laughed, "Youko do you give up or are you going to continue to be stubborn?" Kurama just starred at Nazo. "Are you going to answer me?" asked Nazo. Kurama shook his head. "I'm not going to join you, and my name is Kurama not Youko." Nazo sighed, "You're to stubborn for your own good. Rakuda put him on his bed." "What for?" Rakuda asked. Nazo smirked, "We're going to play a mind game first. Then if that doesn't work you can try again."
*******
"So where are we going?" Hiei asked. "We're going to the place Youko is said to be." Kusoatama answered. "Can we go any faster?" snarled Hiei. "No, if we go faster we'll be captured." Kusoatama stated. ~I have to drain his energy. The only question is how?~ Kusoatama thought to himself. ~Ahh perfect I'll get Rakuda to come.~ "Wait here I'm going to check things out up ahead." "Why do I have to wait?" Hiei growled. "You don't look like a traveler and the villagers only like travelers." Kusoatama answered. "So what? I don't care. I'm not going to wait." Hiei argued. Kusoatama walked over to Hiei and put his hand on his shoulder. "Stay here." "Don't touch me." Hiei warned. Kusoatama laughed and drained Hiei's energy. "I lied to you." he smirked. "I've seen the kitsune you're looking for." Hiei growled as he dropped to his knees. "Why did you drain my energy?" "I drained your energy because you are a friend of Youko." Kusoatama stated. "What's your point?" Hiei growled. "You are our guarantee he will join us." Kusoatama answered. "He doesn't care what happens to me." Hiei lied. "Oh is that a fact? Well we'll see about that." Kusoatama smirked. He picked Hiei up and started to head back toward the castle.