I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. I do own Nam, Sakura, all Hunters, villagers and anything else I can't think of right now.

last time, Nam and Sakura were attacked by a Hunter and Yoko actually left.

note: this chapter almost made me cry, be warned.

Chapter 5 Sacrifices for love

            Nam fought her way through the undergrowth. Her eyes searched the ground for any sign of Yoko's passing.

A soft rustle made her jump. She turned to see a Hunter a few feet away. The Hunter  had not  seen her yet. Nam hid in the brush and waited for him to pass.

"Their still looking for him," she whispered.

Nam lurched to her feet and began to search. The woods were so dense, it was almost impossible to find anything.

A spot of  silver caught her eye.

Nam shoved back a tree branch and… there he was. He was lying against the truck of a tree, apparently asleep. He was so still that Nam thought he was dead at first. Then she noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest.

"Yoko?"

The kitsune's gold eyes blinked open. He sat up. "Nam?"

The girl raced over to his side. "Are you alright? Your not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," said the slightly surprised Yoko.

"Why did you leave? You scared us!" Nam scolded.

Yoko stared at her "I…I did?"

Nam just frowned at him.

"It seemed safer," he answered. "I did not  want you or Sakura to be hurt."

"….you didn't?"

Yoko shook his head.

Nam smiled. She threw her arms around Yoko's shoulders. "I'm just glad your alright."

Yoko just blinked.

Nam let go and stoop. "We have other things to worry about. Hunters are swarming all over this forest, looking for you!"

An arrow suddenly pierced Nam's stomach. The girls eyes widened, she gasped. The huntress dropped to her knees, then fell onto her side.

"Nam!"

Yoko was at her side in an instant. Somehow Nam had pulled out the arrow. It lay beside her, covered in crimson blood. Yoko cradled the girls head in one arm and covered her wound with his other hand.

"Nam…"

The huntress's voice came in a soft whisper, "Yoko…. please run…. leave me."
            "No, I won't."

"Please… Yoko. I… want you… to live."

"Nam just hold on," Yoko pleaded.

"No… I don't care… if I… die now… I just want… to know…. that you will…. be alright."

Nam closed her eyes. Yoko feared she had died.

"Nam!"

"Please… watch after Sakura…. Yoko," the girls dark eyes, full of pain, caught and held Yoko's gold eyes. "Yoko… I haven't…. known you long, but………. I love you."

Having said her peace, Nam died then, in Yoko's arms. Yoko stayed there for long moments. He couldn't believe she was gone. Her last words kept going through his mind.

"How touching."

Yoko recognized the  sneering voice. He looked up at the cold eyes of the Hunter who had started this whole painful thing.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," the Hunter said, nodding at her bloody arrow beside Nam's body.

Yoko gritted his teeth as rage filled him. He still held Nam's body with one hand, but his other, covered in her blood, clenched into a fist.

"Oh, are you angry I killed her? She was just a half-breed, kitsune. She was expendable. She gave us a lot of help finding you. But if your so upset, I'd be happy to send you to be with her!" the Hunter sneered, raising his bow once more.

Yoko stood, gently setting Nam's body down. "You will pay for this." he said slowly, through clenched teeth.

Yoko lunged at the Hunter. The Hunter fired just as he did so. The arrow took Yoko in the shoulder. He ignored it and punched the Hunter in the chest. The Hunter fell back.

That's when Yoko saw the dagger Nam had dropped. He picked it up and approached the Hunter menacingly. The Hunter started to step back and tripped over a root.

"You're a waste or my powers," Yoko  said, his eyes narrowed. There was no mercy in those eyes. All mercy he might have had died with Nam.

Yoko Kurama drove the dagger into the Hunter's chest without so much as blinking.

yep, that was sad….. by the way, this is kind of my idea of how Yoko became so ruthless…. yep… well, one chapter left…. I'm just tying things up now.