Summary: The story of Kurama's life, from just before his rebirth as Shuuichi Minamino to his encounter with Yuusuke.

Warnings: Knowledge of Yu Yu Hakusho preferable. Rated for language and some adult content.

Author's Notes: The word "yuugou" refers to the blending of two separate entities. Kurama himself used the word to refer to his situation (comic #10, page 10). "Hakusho" literally means "blank pages," and is used to refer to a journal or diary. Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

Part IV

Kurama could not seem to find the opportunity to leave. Especially since, as he grew older, he began to look more like his father, causing his mother to look at him with such love in her eyes. He just couldn't leave when she looked at him like that. Shuuichi had his mother's slender build, pale skin, long lashes and soft jaw, but he had his father's cat-like eyes, smoothly arched brows, thick hair, and it looked like he would end up with his height. Overall, the combination gave him a delicate, almost feminine look, and being soft-spoken like his mother added to the effect. But to his mother, he was growing into a handsome young man, just like his late father.

He was used to being admired for his appearance. After all, youko were known as one of the most breath-taking races in the demon realm, and he had ranked high even among his own race. But he wished that he looked less like a girl. It was not going to help him once he was able to grow out his hair, for as soon as he was accepted into a high school that was lax about hairstyles, he would let his hair grow long like it had been on his previous body. He had been quite an image, nearly seven feet tall, with long, silver hair flowing over pale, muscular arms, exquisitely chiseled face with golden eyes, a full, silver tail that reached almost to the ground and large, silver fox ears that twitched in response to sound. It would be a while yet before he could shift into that form again. Until then, he would have to settle for growing his hair long like a proper youko.

Kurama sighed, leaning his forehead against the bathroom mirror. Middle school hadn't changed anything. He was still the perfect student, by his own choice, and his classmates still reacted to him in the same way. Even more so. It was a whole new group of children, but the girls still adored him and whispered about him, and the boys still resented him but grudgingly respected him. He stood up straight and examined his left shoulder. That little amorphous demon's acid had eaten through his clothes and left a raw red mark the size of a softball. Kurama poked at the edges of the eaten skin, checking for any remaining acid, grimacing as he did so. Well, at least I did more damage to him than he did to me... he thought with some satisfaction. This had been his hometown for almost fourteen years. He wasn't about to let some low-level demon wander about his territory and cause problems. Kurama chewed slowly on a medicinal leaf, spat the contents into his hand and placed the mash on the open wound. Not all demons in his territory were a problem, though... he had convinced, actually, "encouraged," one to travel back to the demon realm and return with plants that were useful to Kurama. He was still weak enough to pass through the portals himself, but he preferred not to return until he was ready. Kurama wrapped a bandage around his shoulder and upper arm, then eased himself into a clean shirt. Then he turned and left the bathroom.

"Hmmm, you smell nice, Shuuichi," his mother commented as she passed him in the hall, "like... some kind of herb."

Kurama smiled at his mother and kept walking, glad that her human nose wasn't sensitive enough to notice the smell of blood permeating his shoulder. In general, he had been fortunate, because after the elderly Mr. Nakata, he hadn't encountered too many people with strong reiki, so he hadn't needed to make much of an effort to mask his growing youki. But there was that one girl in his class this year...

Maya Kitajima. Kurama could tell immediately that she had a relatively strong sixth sense. And she seemed to have a fascination with ghosts, monsters, aliens, the occult. He tried to avoid her because masking his youki regularly was tiring, but she sought him out and tried to drag him into conversations about the bizarre and unnatural. Not that I like to think of myself as bizarre and unnatural... Still, he found himself strangely drawn to her. Perhaps it was just her reiki. After over a decade of living among weak humans with barely any rei sense, he almost enjoyed the feel of a strong rei presence. And it didn't hurt that she had a puppy-dog look to her, almost fox-like. Or maybe it was just from having to deal with human puberty... which Kurama was less than pleased about. It annoyed him no end to have human hormones wreaking havoc on his state of mind.

That fall, there had been an unnatural number of disappearances in the area. People were talking about the disappearances and coming up with their own theories. Even the students at Shuuichi's school were talking about the disappearances, but they were more morbidly fascinated than worried. Kurama listened to the children discuss their theories, but stayed out of the conversation. Or, tried, since Maya kept directing comments at him.

Three high school students had disappeared overnight, adding to the rising number. Kurama walked down an empty hallway after school, considering the implications. It couldn't be... and yet, this town seems to be building up demonic energy... He wasn't imagining it. There had to be a strong demon in town.

Kurama stopped as a dark mass oozed out of the floor. Hedoki!

"Kurama..." the small demon almost groaned.

"I thought I had told you to never return to this town," Kurama glared down at the creature.

"I'm gonna kill you, Kurama.... This town is ours now! Your powers are nothing compared to my new master's!"

Kurama threw a leaf dagger at him, but Hedoki escaped by breaking through the window. The boy remained in the hallway, anger rising in him. He must have found a truly powerful demon to back him if he's feeling fearless enough to come and taunt me. Kurama thought about the missing humans. I would rather avoid using my powers... But if there is a demon using this town as its hunting grounds... I can't allow that. This is my territory.

He would have to fight.

"What was that?!" a surprised voice invaded his thoughts. He turned and found Maya standing a few feet away. "Was that a monster? Wow.... I can't believe I just saw that....!"

She saw Hedoki? Damn, her sixth sense must have gotten stronger from being around me! "What are you talking about? You must be imagining things," he said.

"Don't try to fool me," she scolded, "I saw it clearly. And it's just like I'd suspected. You do have some kind of spiritual powers! I saw you talking with that thing!"

Kurama didn't know how to respond.

"I'm so excited! I've always loved the occult and had been looking for someone with powers! Just imagine, that someone is my first love!"

Kurama really didn't know how to respond.

He stood there without speaking. Finally, he started, "I... uh..." then he shook his head, "I have to leave." He walked away from Maya. She followed.

They were several blocks from the school when Kurama finally stopped. "Look, you need to go home," he said to the girl who had been walking behind him.

"But you haven't told me anything," she responded, then looked down, upset and embarrassed. "Just give it to me straight. I can handle it."

I can't do that. Kurama wasn't certain how much of his feelings had to do with himself or with the human body's hormones, or for that matter, what the feelings even signified. Besides, being near me will put you in danger...

Danger... he looked up abruptly as he sensed a strong, menacing youki. He put a hand on Maya who turned to leave. "Stay with me," he ordered. She looked at him, confused.

Suddenly, Kurama swept the girl up into his arms and jumped back as a dark figure leapt down in front of them. The demon was dressed all in black, except for a white scarf, belt, and headband, and his black hair stood up on his head in sharp points. At first glance, he could pass as a short human youth. He held a long sword in his right hand.

"Impressive," the demon growled.

Kurama put Maya down, but she was too shocked to run for safety. He determined it would be easier for him to draw away the battle. He pulled a leaf out of his pocket and sent his energy into it. He attacked the demon with the leaf sword, then leapt up into the trees. The demon was right behind him. They eventually reached a secluded area in the woods and fought silently, Kurama matching the demon stroke for stroke.

"You're skilled," the demon finally said. "What's a strong one like you doing working under Yatsude?"

"What? Yatsude is here in this town?" Kurama paused. His opponent jumped backwards and paused as well.

"You're not the assassin Yatsude sent after me?" the demon questioned from several yards away.

Kurama straightened up and let the sword shrink back into a leaf. "Put down your sword," he said. "This is my territory. I've been here for years," he explained.

"Hn, how foolish," the demon grunted to himself, then grimaced, "I guess I wasn't thinking clearly..." Kurama watched as large red drops fell from the demon.

Blood? The demon flinched, then fell forward, unconscious. Kurama surveyed the surroundings, then sighed and picked up the small demon, slinging him over his shoulder. This demon had attacked him, unprovoked, but they seemed to have a common enemy... He frowned. In the past, he would have simply left the demon where he fell to die... Have I changed so much? He frowned again and decided to deal with that thought later.

Yatsude. I can't fight him yet. Not in my current state. This is going to be a problem...

By some miracle, Kurama was able to get the demon home and into his room without being noticed. Kurama finished tending to the short demon's injuries, but remained seated next to him on the bed. He hadn't seen another demon who looked this human since... well, since before he became human. Yet... he placed an arm on each side of the demon and leaned in closer. He smells like the Makai... He must have arrived here recently. He cautiously peeled back the demon's headband, wondering about the powerful youki emanating from beneath it. He discovered a seam in the forehead, a telltale sign of a jagan. He stretched out his senses and... Hmm, it's an implant. Relatively new. No more than a year or so... He replaced the headband and leaned even closer, taking in the scent of his homeland. An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia nearly threw him off the bed.

Aahh, it seems so long since I was last there. Kurama was beginning to understand why he hadn't left the demon to die. He took another long look at the demon, then walked to the other side of the room and sat on the floor under the window, back to the wall. Right now, he didn't need the temptation to go back. His mother had just recently started dating a man from work, but Kurama wouldn't leave her until he was certain that she would be happy and taken care of. She still needs me.

A groan came from the demon. Kurama looked up, but the demon was still unconscious.

"Yukina..." this time the groan was a name.

Kurama sat still for a moment, then grabbed a book off of his desk and settled back against the wall to wait.

The demon opened his eyes a little over three hours later. In the meantime, Kurama had ended up having dinner with his mother downstairs and had even done some homework. Still, considering the injuries the demon had, he awoke much more quickly than Kurama had expected him to. The demon sat up and examined his chest. Then he looked at the boy warily.

"Impressive," Kurama repeated the demon's earlier comment, "You're already awake, and it's been only four hours."

The demon didn't respond but kept his red eyes on the boy.

"It was a rather bad injury, so I went ahead and took care of it," Kurama said in response to the unspoken question. "I used Makai herbs."

The demon kept his eyes on Kurama a moment more before letting his gaze wander around the room.

"You're in my room. You're safe for now."

The demon raised an eyebrow and finally spoke, "This is a human shelter."

Kurama grinned, "Well, you are in the Ningenkai..."

"That's a human body," the demon accused after scrutinizing the boy.

"Oh, for the most part... It's a long story," Kurama shrugged.

"Hn," the demon snorted, not interested. He stood up and found his cloak on the floor. He threw it over his shoulders.

"So, who's this Yukina you were mentioning in your sleep?" The short demon froze and turned angry eyes on Kurama. "And I can tell that your jagan is relatively new," Kurama continued, ignoring the look, "It takes a major sacrifice to have one implanted. Does that have anything to do with this Yukina? Or with Yatsude?"

"You talk too much," the demon grunted. "I'd kill you now if you hadn't healed me." He wrapped the white scarf around his neck and opened the window behind Kurama.

Kurama looked up at the demon standing next to him, somewhat disappointed. Don't leave. It's been years since I've seen another demon at my level. I want to talk with you.

Without looking at the boy, the demon said, "Your softness is going to get you killed."

You think I've gone soft? Because I didn't kill you? Kurama considered the demon's words. Then, "You're leaving already? You aren't planning on fighting again, are you? You should recuperate and strategize."

"The more he consumes, the more powerful he'll become," the demon started to climb out of the window, "You can stay home like a coward."

Kurama ignored the taunt and said, "You could at least tell me your name."

The demon paused briefly. "Hiei," he said, then was gone.

Hiei. Kurama had heard the name a few times in the year before he came to the human realm. Hiei, the thief who had been starting to make quite a name for himself. Being in the same line of business, Kurama figured that he would run into the other thief some day. I just didn't expect to meet him here. Interesting... I wonder what he is doing here, and why he is so set on killing Yatsude. That Yukina...

The phone rang. Recalling that his mother was taking a bath, Kurama stepped into the hall and down the stairs to answer it.

"Minamino residence."

"Hey, it's Tasaka," a boy's voice said. The classmate who can't stand me. "Listen, Kitajima's parents called because she hasn't come home yet. She'd better not be with you, man!"

Kurama's felt a chill go down his spine. Just what I'd been afraid of happening... He hung up the phone and went to the front door to grab his shoes.

Hiei hadn't gotten too far by the time Kurama caught up with him. "I'm accompanying you," Kurama stated as he landed on a rooftop behind the demon.

"Why now?"

"Circumstances have changed," the boy responded.

"Hn, that human girl. You sentimental fool."

"It's tough, isn't it?" Kurama asked, making a guess about Yukina.

The demon glared at him. "You assume too much. You're a pain in the ass."

"We can settle our differences later. First we get Yatsude."

The two figures leapt from rooftop to rooftop, unseen against the night sky.

-----

After initially fighting individually and at a disadvantage, Kurama and Hiei combined their efforts, proving to be a surprisingly effective team. The human/demon and the injured demon were able to beat the larger and more powerful Yatsude. Maya was found unharmed, and Hiei learned that contrary to rumor, Yatsude had not eaten an Ice Maiden.

Kurama glanced at the sullen demon as he settled the unconscious Maya on his back. Yukina. That would be an appropriate name for an Ice Maiden... He was curious about this short, surly demon who was obviously searching for a Koorime named Yukina. But Kurama could tell that asking Hiei wasn't going to get him any answers.

The boy stood and walked out of the abandoned factory. Surprisingly, Hiei walked beside him. The short demon sniffed the air around Kurama.

"Mugenbana," he noted. "You're erasing her memory."

Kurama nodded. "It's for the best." She should forget about her frightening abduction by a demon. And about her feelings for Kurama. It would be much easier for him if she weren't hovering around him all of the time, and it would be safer for her...

"Hn," Hiei snorted. They walked on in silence for several more moments. "I haven't asked you your name," the demon said eventually.

The boy glanced at the demon out of the corner of his eyes. It was obvious that Hiei wasn't the type to generally bother with one's name. Kurama smiled minutely.

"Kurama," he responded.

Hiei nodded, storing the information in his mind. Then, abruptly, he leapt away and disappeared into the approaching dawn.

-----

Kurama sensed Hiei's presence outside. He put down the textbook he had been skimming, stood up, and unlocked the window. As he opened it, Hiei landed lightly on the narrow ledge. He smelled of blood yet again.

"Hiei," the boy acknowledged. The demon stared at him for a moment before shoving past him and entering the room.

Hiei strode across the room and sat on the bed. He eyed Kurama a little nervously. Kurama closed the window.

"Well, good evening to you, too," Kurama said after a pause. No response. Kurama sighed. "I would have thought you would have gone back home by now. You're already stronger than the last time we met. You won't be able to get back soon," he pointed out.

"I have unfinished business," Hiei stated flatly. Right, that Yukina...

"Have you been here the whole time since Yatsude? Where are you staying?"

"Hn, around."

Kurama tilted his head at the demon. "You aren't asking to stay here, are you?" he inquired, suddenly tempted to tease the surly demon.

The demon snarled in response. Kurama chuckled. He turned away from the demon and sat back at his desk. He focused his attention back to the textbook.

Hiei observed him silently for awhile. "Why are you here?"

Kurama turned around in the chair and raised an eyebrow at the demon. "I live here. This is my room," he teased again, "I should ask you that question."

Hiei growled in irritation. "Why are you here in the Ningenkai in a human body?" he spat out.

"Would you answer me if I asked why you are here?"

The demon looked away. Kurama chuckled again. "Do you know anything about me, the demon me?"

Hiei looked back, brows furrowed. It appeared that he'd already put some thought into this. "If you are truly the youko Kurama I'd heard about, you were known as an extremely cunning, ruthless, and brilliant thief." Kurama smiled at the description. "You were the leader of a gang of thieves for a long time, then you abruptly disbanded the group and went off to work solo for the last few centuries."

"Not entirely. I had a partner..." Kurama corrected. He felt his heart flinch at the memory...

"You worked in the deeper regions of the Makai then," the demon went on, "so you were seen less often these past centuries, but they were still talking about you by the time I was born." The demon looked directly at Kurama. "I'd hoped to run into you some day, but then you disappeared."

"Well, here I am."

"I'd hoped to meet youko Kurama, not a human boy. You don't emit a fraction of the youki you were supposed to have."

"No, not yet," Kurama agreed easily, "and this body is fourteen years old, no longer a boy, nor is it entirely human anymore."

"So shift and let me see your former shape," demanded Hiei. "Prove your identity."

Kurama let out a sigh. "I can't yet. I'd thought I'd be able to by now, but then, I've never lost my body before..." Kurama held up his hands and looked at them. "Besides, even if I could, you would still sense the same amount of youki I have now. Shifting my appearance won't give me back my strength."

Hiei approached Kurama and grasped one of the upheld hands. He concentrated briefly. "Interesting," he said slowly. "I've met a human-youkai crossbreed before, but you're different."

"I'm one of a kind," Kurama grinned. "I'm a demon soul that has absorbed a human one and is melding with a human body that is absorbing demon energy. Eventually, this body will be human only in appearance." Hiei was still holding onto his left hand. Kurama leaned into Hiei and took a deep breath. It was fading, but he could still smell the Makai, mingled with the scent of blood. He leaned closer, tempted to lick the demon.

Hiei released him and stepped back, "That's close enough! Once a youko, always a youko... "

"I wasn't going to eat you," Kurama teased, "just taste you." Hiei ignored him and sat back on the bed. Kurama grinned and sat in his chair. He turned away from the demon and started reading again. After a while, he could sense the demon's growing irritation. Finally, he turned back towards Hiei.

"Are you going to ask me what you came here for?" Kurama asked, starting to tire of this game. Hiei gazed at him uneasily. Kurama closed his eyes briefly, then stood and walked to the closet. He pulled out a box and sat next to Hiei on the bed. "Take off your cloak," he ordered.

Hiei leaned away uncertainly. Kurama shook his head and sighed. "Look, you're obviously not going to kill me for it, so just ask." He opened the box and took out a roll of bandage and one of the flat packets. He unfolded the packet, revealing a few leaves and releasing a strong scent.

The demon stared at Kurama, expressionless, then removed his cloak, exposing a long gash on his right arm and a few shorter ones across his chest. The long gash was still oozing blood. Kurama tore a leaf into small pieces and stuck them in his mouth. He chewed them for several seconds, then rubbed the mash into the largest wound.

"Listen," he said as he worked, "I have no intention of looking for trouble right now. I just want to avoid fighting and live as a human until I'm ready to move on. I've already determined that you're not an enemy. Why don't you just do the same? You obviously came here because you expected my help."

Hiei watched Kurama work and didn't respond. When he was finished, the demon stood and walked to the window. He opened it, then without turning back, he stepped out onto the ledge, then flitted off into the night. Kurama remained on the bed, eyes on the open window. Then, he put the box away and walked up to the window. He pulled it closed and locked it. He returned to reading, but after several minutes, stood and unlocked the window once more. Just in case...