Brotherhood of the Fox

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha

Part Five: The Capture

The shuffling of papers was the only sound coming from the office. Not even the normal sound of the stamp pounding against the wooden desk, or the mumbling and groaning of boredom, could be heard. Botan stood forgotten in the corner of the spacious office, watching as the lord of the spirit world shuffled through the files on his new prisoners restlessly. Unlike normal, Koenma was working in his teenage form, which was a rare thing since it took so much energy for the young lord to obtain. Normally Koenma only took that form when he was dealing with very important people. Botan pushed herself off of the wall, and was fully prepared to demand what was going on when the double doors to the office swung open.

Koenma looked up unsurprised to see Kurama stroll into the room with an outraged look on his face.

"Release them!" Kurama demanded pulling a black haired human girl in after him.

Koenma's eyes narrowed at the sight of the girl, and he stood up, hoping to seem intimidating, but it had no effect on the angered fox demon.

"You have no right to keep them prisoners," Kurama said completely ignoring the young lord's movements.

"The law says that any demon who enters the Ningenkai will be sent to prison for fifty years, or put on probation after twenty years have been served.

"But that demon is a hanyou. He is partially human, that must mean something," Kurama pointed out.

"Nonsense, human and demon breeding has been extinct for centuries," Koenma exclaimed.

"Wait until the new moon, it is then that you will see the demon Inuyasha transform into his human form," Kurama tried to protest, receiving disbelieving looks from Koenma and the girl next to him.

"That doesn't justify anything," Koenma said rubbing his temples, and sitting back down in his seat.

"Then what about Yukina? She's a demon, and yet you allow her free reign around the Ningenkai," Kurama pointed out desperately holding back the urge to throttle the young lord with his rose whip.

"Yukina is a special case. She came to my office and requested permission to travel to the Ningenkai in search of her brother. And since she is a relatively harmless demon, it wasn't too hard to arrange. But Yukina's case, and Inuyasha's are totally different. I can tell from the amount of spirit energy that was emitted during the battle against Yusuke, that Inuyasha is a very powerful demon," Koenma tried to explain, but the fact only made Kurama angrier.

"And if Inuyasha had been able to use his sword to its full strength, then you would be working on Yusuke's and Kuwabara's death papers instead of the legal documents you have before you," Kurama said smiling slightly at the nervous look on the young lord's face. Kurama knew that as long as Inuyasha was in this time frame, using the powerful attack that the dog demon's sword was famous for, was next to impossible. When the three words had been created, the atmosphere had shifted, changed, to the point it was even more impossible to complete the lethal attack. In fact, Kurama wasn't even sure if it could even be completed in this time frame. But by the look on Koenma's face, Kurama was satisfied to know that the young lord didn't know this fact. All the information Koenma had was on the legends of the time before the two swords were stolen nearly a hundred years ago, there was no information on what really caused the attack, so naturally Koenma wouldn't know that the legendary swords no longer worked.

Koenma shifted through his papers again, before slamming them on his desk with a loud thud. Kurama looked at him startled, unsure of what to make of the sudden display of anger.

"Must I warn you that the only reason why you aren't rotting in a cell in the most confined and vulgar prison is because you have proven that you are a useful asset to the team. But if you step out of line again, and threaten me like that, then I wont be able to convince my father of your usefulness," Koenma threatened.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Kurama demanded, his eyes flashing a deadly golden color at the mention of his brothers' murderer.

"I don't want to lose you as a member of the Rekai Tantei, but I wont tolerate such disrespect from you. I understand it from Yusuke, and Hiei, but you are supposed to be the dependable one. I need you to set a good example, not only to your other teammates, but for the rest of the Makai…" Koenma tried to justify himself, but it only resulted in making Kurama even angrier.

"If I could fully transform into Youko right now, I would slit your throat, but I wont do it simply because I have better means of destruction then rash anger. You want me to set an example for other demons? Very well, I'll show them what it means to be a demon. What it means to make people fear them. Beware Koenma, when we meet again, it wont be on friendly terms," Kurama finished taking an elegant bow before leaving the room, pulling a shocked Kagome after him.

Botan watched the whole exchange barely able to stop herself from shaking. Finally, after the door to the office slammed shut, she lost control, and collapsed on the ground shaking with fearful sobs. "It's alright Botan, Kurama wont be able to touch me," Koenma coed moving toward the distraught girl. Botan's pink eyes snapped upwards. Her hands clenched into fists, and her normally cheerful face scrunched up into anger.

"Who ever said it was you I'm worried about?" Botan spat causing Koenma to take a startled step backwards. Botan had a temper to match his father, and he had been on the receiving end of it several times; especially after he put Yusuke on a dangerous mission without proper training or help.

"Umm, Botan?" Koenma said gulping, watching the girl in her hunched over position. In a way she almost looked like a cat ready to spring just before the kill.

"You were only using him? All this time he was just to make you look good. I doubt King Enma would approve of such a disgusting…" Botan tried to say when Koenma sprang forward and grabbed a hold of her wrists.

"My father never approved of Kurama. Kurama has stolen too many important things from him. It took a lot of convincing before he would even consider not executing him. It took even more for him to eventually allow him to go on probation like Hiei. So yes, I used him, but it is only a small price for what I have done for him," Koenma explained.

"I can't believe you. I just don't understand," Botan mumbled, her anger lessening at the news.

"Botan?" Koenma asked hesitantly, removing his hold on the girl's wrists.

Botan stood up as soon as she was released, and made her way toward the door, ignoring Koenma completely.

"Botan?" Koenma yelled, but the girl refused to even acknowledge him. Again Koenma watched as his office doors were slammed shut with a remarkable amount of force.

"Damn," Koenma muttered making his way back to his desk, where he pressed a button. Instantly a female's voice answered through the small speaker. "Send for Hiei and Yukina. I have a job for them," Koenma announced before leaning heavily against his chair. "I don't understand, why would Kurama turn like this? Who are you Inuyasha?" Koenma wondered looking at the worthless files again.

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Kagome gasped, trying to catch her breath as she followed Kurama through the familiar streets of the human world. The whole conversation in the Spirit world replaying in her mind, causing the guilty feeling she was having to increase. It was her fault that Kurama was in trouble with his boss, she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault for getting him into the current predicament. As if he had read her mind, Kurama came to a halt, and stared at Kagome's upset face.

"It is not your fault you know?" Kurama said calmly.

Kagome shuddered, wishing she could believe him, but she still couldn't dismiss her anger toward herself, or the overwhelming despair she was feeling. "I shouldn't have let him come to this time. If I had just listened to what you said, none of this would have happened," Kagome muttered.

Kurama smiled at her softly before walking again, slower then his original pace. "If anyone was at blame, it was me. I knew about Inuyasha's stubbornness, and should have anticipated that he wouldn't heed my warning. I was also the only one with a full understanding of the powers between the spirit detective and your friends," Kurama said, his hand wandering toward his pocket were a single shard lay hidden in a warded pouch. "But the biggest mistake I made was underestimating your ability to sense the jewel shards," Kurama admitted.

Kagome stopped startled, "What do you mean?"

"I made the mistake of unveiling the Sinkon no Tama, and mixing it with the power of the Jagan. I should have anticipated that that amount of concentrated raw power would leave me and Hiei dazed, and unable to detect spirit energy for a short duration of time," Kurama said not caring about the amount of information he was releasing. It was too late now, and Kagome deserved to know the truth.

"The Shinkon no Tama? What are you talking about, the jewel is shattered. I thought I only sensed a large amount of the shards in one area," Kagome admitted.

Kurama stared at her, contemplating what he should say, but decided against any more conversation on the current topic. Instead he started walking again.

Kagome shook her head, racing to catch up with him again. "So what do we do now?" Kagome ventured, unsure if it was premature of her to ask such a thing so soon after Kurama's first plan of talking to Koenma had ended so badly.

"We do the only thing left to do. Koenma was the only one with the authority to release Inuyasha, and he has clearly refused. Tonight I will break them out," Kurama announced.

"No!" Kagome yelled racing in front of Kurama and planting herself firmly in his path. "I'm grateful for all of you help, but enough is enough. I can't allow you to throw away your freedom like this," Kagome pointed out.

"It is too late now. Koenma is probably already sending people out to arrest me," Kurama said not the least bit surprised by Kagome's actions.

"But if you are caught breaking Inuyasha out, then you will be killed. That guy already said that his father wanted to execute you, all he needs is an excuse," Kagome tried to argue.

"King Enma has been against me ever since the creation of the three worlds," Kurama said.

"Why, what does he have against you?" Kagome asked relaxing when Kurama showed no signs of attacking her.

"King Enma fears my heritage. My family was a threat to him, and it was because of that reason that he showed no mercy to my brothers when he slaughtered them. I watched the whole thing. I was only a small kit at the time, just a little younger then Shippo, and it was because of that fact that I was able to slip away unnoticed. As an adult in the Makai, I was too cunning to be captured by the demon lord, and being a thief only fueled King Enma's hatred of me. As you can see, I am already a dead man. I might as well die saving the ones I love," Kurama explained.

"Why do you care so much about us. We just met you?" Kagome asked, looking at Kurama with new respect and pity.

Kurama smiled, and looked upward to the sky deep in thought. "You guys are my family. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are my half brothers," Kurama said.

Kagome gasped and swayed with the announcement. "That is impossible," Kagome muttered, but somehow, deep inside, she knew it was true.

"Five years from now, Inuyasha will learn of my existence, and you and him will raise me until his death," Kurama said seeing the sadness cross the girl's face.

"So Inuyasha will be murdered because he refuses to live in the demon world?" Kagome asked.

"Because he didn't want to leave you. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fought with everything they had to remain with the ones they love," Kurama said sadly.

"I don't understand," Kagome admitted.

"It doesn't matter. The only thing that does is getting Inuyasha out of that demon prison before it is too late," Kurama pointed out.

"So you are going to throw your life away? Do you think Inuyasha will want you to do that?" Kagome demanded.

"He doesn't even know I exist yet. And he can't find out. Nobody should know about my relationship to him. It will compromise the future. I wanted to prevent their deaths, but I realize now that if I should do that, that the consequences would be indescribable. The only thing I can do for them now is to make sure everything is put back to normal," Kurama said.

"I wont let you," Kagome said stubbornly.

"I'm aware of that. You are just the same as I remember," Kurama said reaching behind his head, and brushing his hand through his hair. Kagome watched in fascination as Kurama pulled out a beautiful purple flower. "I'm sorry," Kurama whispered as he blew the fine powder in the girl's face. "When you wake up, this nightmare will be over," Kurama promised catching the girl as she slumped to the ground.

"Kurama, please don't throw you life away, there has to be another way," Kagome muttered before she was overcome by darkness.

TBC.