What's this? Can it be……?! YES!!! I'VE FINALLY UPDATED THIS STORY!!!! Can you believe it? It only took me forever!!!! Well, thanks for waiting! Hope you enjoy it!!

"Shuuichi?" the younger boy called, looking around the house for his older brother. "Shuuichi? Where are you?"

There was no answer. Scratching his head, he continued to look around. 'Where is he?' he wondered.

He finally found himself at the back door, opening it and looking into the back yard. Among the green leaves of the bushes and trees, and the different colors of the flower blossoms, Shuiichi saw a blur of red.

The young adolescent smiled to himself, watching his older step-brother tend to the plants. When he and Shiori had first moved in with him and his father, Shuiichi had thought Kurama had developed his love for plants from his mother. But, as Shiori had told him, the redhead had always been fond of the botanical arts since he was a young boy. It wasn't something that Shuiichi thought a child would be interested in, but as he knew, his step-brother wasn't a usual person.

Closing the door behind him, he walked through the green garden (all of which was the handiwork of the red-haired teen), stopping only as he reached his step-brother. "Shuuichi?" he said.

"Yes?" the other replied, not looking away from the rosebush he was tending to.

"I finished my homework."

"That's good." As he watered the bush, the teen snapped off a dead branch.

"You said we could go to the movies after I finished."

"I did."

"Can we go now?"

"No."

Shuiichi blinked, slightly puzzled. "But you said we could go."

"Indeed."

"So, why can't we go?"

"I said we would go after you finished your homework," he replied, looking at the younger boy over his shoulder, a look of slight mischief in his eyes. "But I never said when after you finished."

The brown-haired teen pouted. "You always have to play on words!"

Kurama laughed softly. "When I finish in the garden, we'll go. How does that sound?"

"That depends……How soon after you finish?"

The redhead chuckled again. "You're learning…Right after."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Shuiichi smiled, nodding. "Alright." He turned, walking back towards the house.

Kurama smiled, watching him leave from the corner of his eye, before turning back to his work. However, a strong presence, and a familiar scent, caused him to stop his work, as he looked up in a nearby tree.

Shuiichi, as he closed the back door, looked at where his step-brother was standing. Curiously, he watched as the older teen seemed to be staring up in a tree, slowly walking over to it.

The young boy was surprised as a figure, dressed in black, suddenly jumped out of the tree, landing in front of the redhead. He recognized it to be Hiei, the strange, quiet friend he had met in the park those few days ago.

The two of them seemed to be talking, though what they were saying, Shuiichi could only guess. They talked for a while, before Hiei jumped up, suddenly disappearing.

He watched as his step-brother seemed to sigh sadly as he began to walk back to the house. He stepped back as the redhead opened the door and entered the house, closing it after him.

"Brother?" the younger teen asked softly.

He looked at him, and Shuiichi noticed a cheerless expression in his usually bright emerald eyes. "I'm sorry, Shuiichi, but we won't be able to go to the movies."

"But you promised."

"I know I did, and I'm sorry. But something came up that I have to take care of."

Shuiichi looked up at him. "What would that be?"

The redhead shook his head. "I can't say. But I really am sorry……"

The young boy sighed. "Well, I guess you really can't help it."

"Thanks." He grabbed his coat, slipping it on. "You'll be okay here by yourself for a while, right?"

"Can I go with you?" he asked as Kurama was about out the door.

The older teen turned suddenly. "No," he said.

The younger one reeled back, surprised. He had never heard him use that kind of tone, especially with him. It was almost…angry…

Kurama sighed slightly. "I mean…no," he said again, this time a little gentler. "I don't want you coming with me this time."

"How come?"

"I really can't say. I just don't want you to come. Maybe next time, alright?" And he closed the door behind him.

Shuiichi sighed, folding his arms across his chest. He shuffled his foot against the carpet. 'I wish I knew what he was up to…' he thought.

Kurama sighed, converting the green whip back into its original rose form. He looked at the demon he had just killed.

After the fox had left his house, he met up with Hiei and the others to look for stray demons that had managed to cross through the portal that the fire demon was supposed to be guarding. The Spirit Detectives had found a group, and each member had killed at least one demon, Yusuke killing two.

The leader of the group dusted his clothes off. "That was stupid," he said. He looked over at Hiei. "You must be losing your touch, letting demons slip out of the Demon World."

The shorter demon growled slightly. "I can't be in two places at once," he said, as though trying to redeem himself. "While one group of demons is distracting me, it leaves the barrier unguarded for other demons to get through."

"You are definitely losing your touch," Kuwabara commented.

Hiei placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Kurama stepped between the two, trying to avoid further bloodshed. "In any case," he said, "we'll all have to keep an eye out. With Hiei here, more demons could have crossed through to this world, and we'll have to be wary of anything strange happening."

"Right," Yusuke agreed, folding his hands behind his head. "I'll talk to Botan, see if she and the toddler can find any stray demons lurking about."

The sound of a small moan was brought to the fox's attention. Looking over, he noticed the one he had 'killed' wasn't really dead. Closing his eyes, vines suddenly broke through the concrete under the evil spirit, impaling his body. The demon twitched slightly before falling limp.

The ebony-haired delinquent looked at the demon just killed, then back at his fox friend. "And speaking of people losing their touch…"

The redhead sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "I guess I'm just not feeing right with myself right now…"

"Anything wrong?" Kuwabara asked.

"Well……I promised Shuiichi that we would go to the movies after I was finished with something I was doing at home……And then this whole thing came up……"

"Well, it's not like it was really your fault, you know," Yusuke pointed out.

"I know, but I guess I'm feeling a little guilty. Shuiichi and I usually don't get to spend time together, and I know our parents see this as an opportunity for us to 'bond' as it were, and I was actually looking forward to it. Now, however, with the possibility of another case coming up, I fear that we won't be able to spend that time with each other before our parents return."

Hiei listened as the three teens talked awhile, not really having much to say to help his red-haired friend. As they talked, however, the fire demon heard footsteps, and from the corner of his eyes, he watched a figure begin to walk away. Drawing his sword, he jumped up into the air.

The other three were slightly surprised at Hiei's sudden action, and they watched as he landed in front of a small figure. The form gasped as he fell to the ground, surprised.

Kurama's eyes widened slightly, and he ran to where the two were. Where Hiei was standing, there was more light to see the figure, and the fire demon put his sword away as the redhead reached him.

On the ground, Shuiichi looked at them, his eyes wide with surprise and slight fear.

Yusuke and Kuwabara, who at this time were finally over, were also surprised seeing the younger brother of Kurama's. Looking on at the younger teen's face, then back to his ally's, the leader of the group said, "This presents a problem……"

TBC

Does it seem too short to you? I can never get a chapter to go more than three pages long……Oh well……please review, and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon! (Hope it doesn't take me too long this time ;;;)