-Tricked-
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Chapter 14 - Training Pt. 4
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Kurama sat down on his bed. It was quite early, but there was nothing to do. Suddenly, someone knocked on his door. He got up and smiled at Botan when he opened it. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could.
"You know, I've forgiven you for earlier." She smiled up at him playfully. He shut the door and she followed him over to his bed. She sat down next to him and they sat in comfortable silence for a while.
"I thought you'd be sleeping." He turned and looked at her. She shrugged.
"I guess I wasn't as tired as I thought. Besides, it's only 9 o'clock." She grinned up at him. "What do you expect me to do, stare at the ceiling until I know how many holes are in it?" He shook his head and smiled.
"You stole my idea."
"Funny." She climbed up more on the bed and got behind him. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and pull him back to her. "Let's enjoy these moments of peace before we have to battle and train." He relaxed instantly in her arms. She rested her head on his and smelled the sweet scent of roses.
"I'm with you." His emerald eyes closed and he leaned back more fully. A smirk passed his lips and he turned around quickly, surprising her enough so that she fell back on the bed. He sat on top of her and leaned down, pressing himself fully on her. "Feel familiar?" She shivered at the feeling of his warm breath on her cool skin. He then looked her in the eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She immediately responded. All thoughts were in the back of their minds..
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Botan brushed his silky red locks of hair back so that she could see into those gorgeous emerald eyes. She smiled at him. Kurama pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes. He was tired.
"Sweet dreams, love." He said, opening his eyes again and kissing her forehead lovingly. She looked up at him and kissed his lips gently.
"Good night, sweety." She put a slight emphasis on the last word, just to see if he'd notice. He smiled down at her and closed his eyes. She fell asleep, content, warm, and in his arms. Just like she always wanted to fall asleep.
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Botan opened her amethyst eyes when she felt Kurama move from her side. She sat up and held the blanket to her chest. He was tying his belt to his white training outfit. He then turned around and smiled at her.
"I'll get you your training outfit. Sit tight." She nodded and watched as he walked out of the room. She looked down at the blanket and blushed slightly when she thought about their night. She heard the door open again a few minutes later. He handed her the fresh clothes then kissed her gently. "I'm going to ask Hiei about today's training schedule. Get dressed and meet us outside." She nodded and waited until he left the room. She got up and did what she was told. She raced outside and smiled at them.
"We're holding a small tournament of our own. It will be held in the same area we've been training only in a different spot." Hiei said, his gaze going directly toward her.
"How will you decide who we're fighting?"
"Completely random." He held up small slips of paper. "These have your names on them. You will pick the name of your opponent." His dark brown eyes looked around the group.
"Sounds like a plan to us." Botan said with a smile.
The first to pick was Hiei. They weren't going in order so it was whoever got to the small cup got to go first. He stared at the slip of paper.
"Kurama." Hiei looked to his partner and opponent. Kurama nodded and walked to the 'ring'. They had walked to a ring of Genkai's that was used to train her students. It was big and made out of rock. It looked like a boulder, but it was flat on top and circular in shape. It wasn't very tall, though. Kurama and Hiei jumped in. They looked to Yukina, who was to be the referee. She was standing near the edge of it in her normal blue kimono.
"The rules are simple." She raised her voice so that she could be heard by those outside of the ring. Keiko was there as well, and so was Shizuru. "It is almost an anything goes. You will not fight to the death, but until you stay down or out of the ring for the normal ten counts." Hiei had figured that the closest thing to the real tournament would help them get used to it. "You can forfeit. It is required that you fight with all that you have and give it your best." She looked at the two fighters, standing in the ring and looking like they were ready for anything. Botan noticed that Kurama still had his normal calm aura. "Ready.. Begin!" Hiei launched quickly at Kurama, who dodged it easily. Kurama took a rose from his hair and transformed it into his famous weapon, the Rose Whip. Hiei took his katana out and started to slash at him. The kitsune managed to dodge his attacks. Suddenly, the sly fox had gotten behind him. Hiei felt the whip come in contact with his back. He staggered a bit but he wasn't going down without a fight. He used his lightning speed to try and confuse the red- head. Kurama simply closed his eyes and concentrated.
"It seems as though Hiei is trying to confuse him, but Kurama has closed his eyes and seems to be listening." Kieko said loudly enough for the viewers that might not be paying attention to the fight, but to the ref. in the middle. Kurama stayed like that until he felt the wind from the speedy koorime. He dove forward and caught Hiei off-guard. The koorime was slammed against the ground and they rolled from the momentum that had been caused by the speed. Both fighters quickly jumped to their feet and stared each other down. Hiei was certain that the kitsune couldn't have gotten stronger just by training with the diety that was his student. It was possible, however. Kurama had told him that they fought all day and that fighting her was like fighting a slightly stronger opponent that got on your nerves because you couldn't beat them. He launched forward and swung his katana out, making contact with Kurama. It lightly grazed his stomach, but it seemed to not have any effect, for the kitsune was trying to attack him again within moments.
"We have almost equally matched fighters here." Shizuru added her two cents worth. "Their levels are almost the same, let's see who wins. This should be an exciting match that'll keep you on the edge of your seat!" She really didn't like acting or sounding excited but Keiko had insisted. Hiei dove in again and punched Kurama in the stomach then tried to knock his weapon out of his hand. Kurama, of course, was expecting this. He brought up his right fist and made contact with Hiei's chest. The koorime felt the wind being knocked right out of his lungs.
"Kurama brought up a nice uppercut." Yuusuke commented. He was watching all of this with wide eyes. This was to be the result of their hard work in training. His gaze wandered to Botan, who stood with her legs slightly parted and her arms crossed. She had changed. She wasn't the diety she once was. It looked like both Hiei and Kurama had rubbed off on her. He focused his eyes back on the fight at hand. It looked like Kurama improved.
"This is a really close fight." Keiko said, her eyes wide. Kurama's luminous emerald eyes still held the same look of the eerie calmness he always had. They dove for each other again and Hiei hit Kurama right in the stomach with the hilt of his katana. Kurama stared at the koorime with wide eyes. He staggered back and gasped for breath. The he moved to the side and barely evaded the koorime's next attack. Kurama recovered and ignored the slight pain in his stomach. He attacked with as much force as he had. He missed and got hit in the back by Hiei's foot. Once again, he staggered, but recovered quicker. He then jumped out of the way of Hiei's blade. He whirled around and slashed with his whip. Hiei just barely got out of the way, but it grazed his right arm. He landed and jumped forward, ready to end the fight. Kurama's eyes flickered gold and he lunged forward. The two collided in the middle of the ring. Everyone was silent and were holding their breath. Hiei fell backwards, as did Kurama. They were panting and just lying there, on their backs. Kurama slowly pushed himself up and stood on his feet on the fourth count. Yukina continued her count.
"Nine.. Ten. Kurama is the winner!" Yukina smiled brightly then walked over to Hiei. She kneeled down and helped him stand.
"You got.. better, kitsune." He said, looking over at Kurama.
"So did you, Hiei." Kurama exited the ring and they all waited until Yukina got Hiei out of the ring. Shizuru came over and helped him down. He complained that he was fine but it was no use arguing.
"Now, let's pick some names." Keiko walked over to the cup and pulled out a slip of paper. She stared at it. "Kuwabara, come over here and pick a name." He walked over and pulled out a name.
"Urameshi." He grinned and held up the paper. Yuusuke sighed. He stepped into the ring and wished that he didn't have to fight Kuwabara. But on the other hand, he was glad that he didn't have to fight Hiei or Kurama.
"The same rules apply." Yukina said, holding her hand up. "In the second match of the day Yuusuke versus Kuwabara! Ready.." The two fighters got into their stances and their gazes went to Yukina. "Begin!" She lowered her arm and Kuwabara charged forward. Yuusuke dodged his attack and grabbed Kuwabara's wrist. He punched Kuwabara in the stomach then threw him down. Kuwabara took a minute to recover then jumped up and started launching punches at him.
"You can tell that they both improved." Botan said, her eyes following the movements of the fighters. Kurama was sitting next to her, watching the two trade punches and kicks.
"Yes, they have." He smiled slightly. She looked over at him and saw the proud look on his face. He knew that he helped them in some way but they got most of the credit for learning it and staying patient. Yuusuke threw a punch and it connected with Kuwabara's jaw. Then he launched a series of more and Kuwabara fell backwards. Yukina took that as her cue.
"One.. two.. three.. four.." By the fourth count, Kuwabara started trying to get up. He didn't have much of a chance to, though. He was in some pain. She continued to count. "Yuusuke is the winner!" Kuwabara got up and almost fell, if not for Shizuru. She took him out of the ring and frowned. Her brother never seemed to win.
"And the next match will be Botan." Keiko announced. "Come up here and pick your opponent." Botan stepped forward and stared at the cup. She drew one of the two slips of paper and looked at the name. She turned around and stared at the two fighters that had won.
"Kurama." A small smirk crossed her face. Keiko and the others stared as the two entered the ring.
"I guess you can count on this being an exciting semi-final fight!" Keiko said with a smile. Yukina nodded.
"The winner of this match will face Yuusuke in the next fight. Are you ready?" She held up her hand again. Botan moved into her stance, Kurama did the same. "Begin!" Her hand came down and the fighters moved forward. Everyone could tell this was going to be an intense fight. Botan and Kurama both dodged the others attack. A series of attacks went before either of them stopped and jumped back. Kurama got his rose whip out and they stared at each other for a moment before he lashed out with it. She pulled her katana out and blocked it. They started attacking each other again. Inside the ring, they were enemies. It was an understanding between them. No friendship or love came in the ring with them. Botan moved from side to side, getting closer as she dodged his attacks. She hit him and they rolled because he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him.
"Now they're rolling because Kurama grabbed her wrist. Smart move." Shizuru said. Botan struggled and freed her wrist but wasn't expecting the attack that was about to hit her. He was sliding on his back and she was almost on top of him. He used Hiei's technique and she wound up in the air for a second. He pulled his legs up and kicked her stomach. The wind was forced right out of her and she flew toward the other side of the ring. She hit and landed on her stomach, sliding to a stop. Kurama got to his feet and watched as she did the same, only slower. She was bending over and holding her stomach. The force of the blow made tears come to her eyes, but she blinked them away and gasped for breath. Botan panted and gazed at him. He returned her gaze then moved forward. He knew she wasn't going to move as fast as she originally could because the pain. He was right but she moved as fast as she was able to, which was fast enough to get out of the way. He expected this and swung around, connecting his kick in her side. He was more experienced than her but she had put up a good fight.
"Will she get up after that brutal kick in the side?" Keiko leaned forward in anticipation. Hiei watched, knowing she could get up. She flew in the opposite direction and went right past Yukina, who moved out of the way. Botan hit the ring and it caused her to roll. She landed on her back just at the end of the ring. Yukina waited until she stopped then started her count. Kurama stood up straight and watched as Botan struggled to get up. She clutched her stomach and got up by the seventh count.
"She's up!" Kuwabara muttered, surprised.
"She has some will to win." Shizuru commented. Hiei watched as she stood there, looking Kurama in the eyes. Her eyes were blank of all emotion. She was trained well, but she didn't have the battling experience that Kurama had. The kitsune made his way swiftly over. She bit her lip and waited until he was in close range. She pulled her leg back and kneed him in the stomach. She then stared down at him as he kneeled before her, clutching his stomach. She kicked him and he flew back, but not too far. He got up and used his whip again. She barely dodged it. She saw that when she was fighting, her katana had fallen out of her hand. It was over behind him, on the other side of the ring. She continued to dodge, but it got wrapped around her ankle. He pulled and she fell forward. She cried out and laid there, trying to conjure up enough energy and will to get up.
"One.. two.. three.. four.. five.. six.. sev-" Yukina stopped the count when Botan got up. Her breathing had lowered to a normal pant and she had enough energy to dodge attacks and get her katana. Either that or she'd have to fight him without it. She remembered the back-up plan he had taught her yesterday. It wasn't much, but it should work. She started to move around so that he'd think she was going to attack him. She threw a few punches at him and got him into dodging. Then she forced her spirit energy into her fist and connected it with his stomach. He fell backwards and she fell to her knees. He got up and she knew she was finished. She could hardly move and her only option was to fight with all she had. She got to her feet and they both stood there, staring. He seemed to know that she was weakened considerably. But so was he. She started forward and punched and blocked and dodged. She gave it all she had but that wasn't good enough. He was stronger than her and he had more battle experience. He finally hit her in the stomach and she fell. She knew she wasn't going to get up in time. Yukina started to count and Botan struggled to get up. "Kurama is the winner once again!" She smiled when he went over to help Botan stand.
"Good job.." She said tiredly. He smiled down at her.
"You did well." He said, pulling her arm up over his shoulders. He pulled her up and she went along with it. She was still struggling to breathe. "Will you be alright?" She nodded and stood up more fully.
"After the intermission, I'll be able to be ref., that is if Yukina wants to get out of the ring." She looked over at the koorime. Yukina nodded and stepped out of it.
"I would be glad to get out of there. I might get hit." She smiled and went over to converse with the other girls. Kurama gently settled Botan against a tree and sat next to her. "Do you want me to heal you?" Yukina kneeled down in front of Botan. "It'll do you no good in the ring if you can't run out of the way." She healed the fighter and stood up.
"Thank you, Yukina. Now I can catch some of that action up close." She winked at the girl and returned Kurama's gaze.
"I never expected that last punch." He smiled when she blushed slightly. "Was that the back-up technique?" She nodded.
"Yeah, I figured that I wasn't going to be able to reach my katana in time." Hiei walked over with the weapon and handed it down to her.
"That was a nice fight you put up. I was surprised you got that far with him." He jerked his head toward Kurama.
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"The finals will begin in a few moments." Botan said, stepping into the ring. "If the two fighters were to step into the ring at this time, then the match will get started." She paused and watched as they got into their fighting stances. "Good luck to you both. Now, with the authority of this small tournament, let the final match.. begin!" Kurama allowed Yuusuke the first move. Then they both started trading punches and kicks in equal speed. Yuusuke didn't think he was going to win. After all, Kurama was wise in the strategy of battle and strong. He was strong in both ways, where as Yuusuke lacked in using his brain. "This fight starts off nicely, with each of the fighters giving out the same amount of speed and energy." Kuwabara and Hiei watched anxiously. Well, Kuwabara was. Hiei already guessed that Kurama was using his 'obnoxious habit'. He was testing Yuusuke, meaning he was holding back.
"I wish he would quit doing that." The koorime muttered under his breath. He watched as Kurama's speed steadily moved higher until he was at his maximum. Both of the demons were physically and mentally stronger than the spirit detective, but Yuusuke had a lot of dumb luck. The match was going to be entertaining. Yuusuke tried to hit the sly kitsune but he continued to dodge as if he was gently stepping to the side. He didn't know how he was going to do this. If Kurama could dodge his punches and kicks at the same time, then he could most definately dodge the spirit gun. Kurama started his own series of punches and kicks, but Yuusuke had to try to dodge them all. He was having such a hard time doing it. A few grazed his arm and cheek and a few hit dead on. When he went to hit the kitsune, Kurama jumped up and retaliated with a blow in the back by his foot. It went on and on like that for a while. Kurama got knocked down a couple of times and Yuusuke got hit numerous times. Once, he had to struggle to get up. Kurama kicked him in between the shoulder blades and Yuusuke fell forward. He stayed down, but tried getting up. He was as helpless as Botan was when she tried to get up.
"Kurama is the winner!" Botan said, sounding just like the announcer. She held his arm up and smiled cheerfully. "I think you all did a wonderful job. This tournament had come to a close with Kurama as the winner."
"Good job!" Keiko said when the kitsune jumped down from the ring. Kuwabara had already gone to get Yuusuke.
"Nicely done, kitsune." Hiei said in a cold tone of voice. "You did well."
"I guess Yuusuke's luck didn't work this time." Kurama smiled over at the human boy. "He fought very well."
"We should be getting back to the temple." Botan said with a smile. "None of us noticed that the sun is going down."
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When they got to the temple, they partied and held a congratulatory feast in honor of the small tournament. Genkai came out and watched them party. Botan sat down next to the old woman.
"Don't you want to join in the fun?" She asked with a smile. She handed her a cup of tea, as Genkai had asked.
"No." Botan got up and went over to see Kurama. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him.
"How are you feeling, better?" She asked. He nodded.
"Yeah." He replied. Keiko walked over and smiled at the two.
"Lovebirds."
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The next chapter will be the beginning of the tournament. n.n Happiness! I've got to admit, this fic is good. I like it. Sometimes, I don't like my fics. I love most of my K/B's. I also like HSB, the IY one. Yeah, anyway, here's a sneak peek of the next chapter! Just 'cuz I love you reviewers.
Botan stared, wide-eyed at the demons surrounding her. She wasn't used to this. The only two demons she liked were Kurama and Hiei. She felt nervous and edgy. A few demons were looking her over and she glared at them, daring them to look more. Filthy vermin. She moved closer to her team mates and glanced around. Why did it have to be like this?
-Jess-
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Chapter 14 - Training Pt. 4
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Kurama sat down on his bed. It was quite early, but there was nothing to do. Suddenly, someone knocked on his door. He got up and smiled at Botan when he opened it. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could.
"You know, I've forgiven you for earlier." She smiled up at him playfully. He shut the door and she followed him over to his bed. She sat down next to him and they sat in comfortable silence for a while.
"I thought you'd be sleeping." He turned and looked at her. She shrugged.
"I guess I wasn't as tired as I thought. Besides, it's only 9 o'clock." She grinned up at him. "What do you expect me to do, stare at the ceiling until I know how many holes are in it?" He shook his head and smiled.
"You stole my idea."
"Funny." She climbed up more on the bed and got behind him. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and pull him back to her. "Let's enjoy these moments of peace before we have to battle and train." He relaxed instantly in her arms. She rested her head on his and smelled the sweet scent of roses.
"I'm with you." His emerald eyes closed and he leaned back more fully. A smirk passed his lips and he turned around quickly, surprising her enough so that she fell back on the bed. He sat on top of her and leaned down, pressing himself fully on her. "Feel familiar?" She shivered at the feeling of his warm breath on her cool skin. He then looked her in the eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She immediately responded. All thoughts were in the back of their minds..
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Botan brushed his silky red locks of hair back so that she could see into those gorgeous emerald eyes. She smiled at him. Kurama pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes. He was tired.
"Sweet dreams, love." He said, opening his eyes again and kissing her forehead lovingly. She looked up at him and kissed his lips gently.
"Good night, sweety." She put a slight emphasis on the last word, just to see if he'd notice. He smiled down at her and closed his eyes. She fell asleep, content, warm, and in his arms. Just like she always wanted to fall asleep.
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Botan opened her amethyst eyes when she felt Kurama move from her side. She sat up and held the blanket to her chest. He was tying his belt to his white training outfit. He then turned around and smiled at her.
"I'll get you your training outfit. Sit tight." She nodded and watched as he walked out of the room. She looked down at the blanket and blushed slightly when she thought about their night. She heard the door open again a few minutes later. He handed her the fresh clothes then kissed her gently. "I'm going to ask Hiei about today's training schedule. Get dressed and meet us outside." She nodded and waited until he left the room. She got up and did what she was told. She raced outside and smiled at them.
"We're holding a small tournament of our own. It will be held in the same area we've been training only in a different spot." Hiei said, his gaze going directly toward her.
"How will you decide who we're fighting?"
"Completely random." He held up small slips of paper. "These have your names on them. You will pick the name of your opponent." His dark brown eyes looked around the group.
"Sounds like a plan to us." Botan said with a smile.
The first to pick was Hiei. They weren't going in order so it was whoever got to the small cup got to go first. He stared at the slip of paper.
"Kurama." Hiei looked to his partner and opponent. Kurama nodded and walked to the 'ring'. They had walked to a ring of Genkai's that was used to train her students. It was big and made out of rock. It looked like a boulder, but it was flat on top and circular in shape. It wasn't very tall, though. Kurama and Hiei jumped in. They looked to Yukina, who was to be the referee. She was standing near the edge of it in her normal blue kimono.
"The rules are simple." She raised her voice so that she could be heard by those outside of the ring. Keiko was there as well, and so was Shizuru. "It is almost an anything goes. You will not fight to the death, but until you stay down or out of the ring for the normal ten counts." Hiei had figured that the closest thing to the real tournament would help them get used to it. "You can forfeit. It is required that you fight with all that you have and give it your best." She looked at the two fighters, standing in the ring and looking like they were ready for anything. Botan noticed that Kurama still had his normal calm aura. "Ready.. Begin!" Hiei launched quickly at Kurama, who dodged it easily. Kurama took a rose from his hair and transformed it into his famous weapon, the Rose Whip. Hiei took his katana out and started to slash at him. The kitsune managed to dodge his attacks. Suddenly, the sly fox had gotten behind him. Hiei felt the whip come in contact with his back. He staggered a bit but he wasn't going down without a fight. He used his lightning speed to try and confuse the red- head. Kurama simply closed his eyes and concentrated.
"It seems as though Hiei is trying to confuse him, but Kurama has closed his eyes and seems to be listening." Kieko said loudly enough for the viewers that might not be paying attention to the fight, but to the ref. in the middle. Kurama stayed like that until he felt the wind from the speedy koorime. He dove forward and caught Hiei off-guard. The koorime was slammed against the ground and they rolled from the momentum that had been caused by the speed. Both fighters quickly jumped to their feet and stared each other down. Hiei was certain that the kitsune couldn't have gotten stronger just by training with the diety that was his student. It was possible, however. Kurama had told him that they fought all day and that fighting her was like fighting a slightly stronger opponent that got on your nerves because you couldn't beat them. He launched forward and swung his katana out, making contact with Kurama. It lightly grazed his stomach, but it seemed to not have any effect, for the kitsune was trying to attack him again within moments.
"We have almost equally matched fighters here." Shizuru added her two cents worth. "Their levels are almost the same, let's see who wins. This should be an exciting match that'll keep you on the edge of your seat!" She really didn't like acting or sounding excited but Keiko had insisted. Hiei dove in again and punched Kurama in the stomach then tried to knock his weapon out of his hand. Kurama, of course, was expecting this. He brought up his right fist and made contact with Hiei's chest. The koorime felt the wind being knocked right out of his lungs.
"Kurama brought up a nice uppercut." Yuusuke commented. He was watching all of this with wide eyes. This was to be the result of their hard work in training. His gaze wandered to Botan, who stood with her legs slightly parted and her arms crossed. She had changed. She wasn't the diety she once was. It looked like both Hiei and Kurama had rubbed off on her. He focused his eyes back on the fight at hand. It looked like Kurama improved.
"This is a really close fight." Keiko said, her eyes wide. Kurama's luminous emerald eyes still held the same look of the eerie calmness he always had. They dove for each other again and Hiei hit Kurama right in the stomach with the hilt of his katana. Kurama stared at the koorime with wide eyes. He staggered back and gasped for breath. The he moved to the side and barely evaded the koorime's next attack. Kurama recovered and ignored the slight pain in his stomach. He attacked with as much force as he had. He missed and got hit in the back by Hiei's foot. Once again, he staggered, but recovered quicker. He then jumped out of the way of Hiei's blade. He whirled around and slashed with his whip. Hiei just barely got out of the way, but it grazed his right arm. He landed and jumped forward, ready to end the fight. Kurama's eyes flickered gold and he lunged forward. The two collided in the middle of the ring. Everyone was silent and were holding their breath. Hiei fell backwards, as did Kurama. They were panting and just lying there, on their backs. Kurama slowly pushed himself up and stood on his feet on the fourth count. Yukina continued her count.
"Nine.. Ten. Kurama is the winner!" Yukina smiled brightly then walked over to Hiei. She kneeled down and helped him stand.
"You got.. better, kitsune." He said, looking over at Kurama.
"So did you, Hiei." Kurama exited the ring and they all waited until Yukina got Hiei out of the ring. Shizuru came over and helped him down. He complained that he was fine but it was no use arguing.
"Now, let's pick some names." Keiko walked over to the cup and pulled out a slip of paper. She stared at it. "Kuwabara, come over here and pick a name." He walked over and pulled out a name.
"Urameshi." He grinned and held up the paper. Yuusuke sighed. He stepped into the ring and wished that he didn't have to fight Kuwabara. But on the other hand, he was glad that he didn't have to fight Hiei or Kurama.
"The same rules apply." Yukina said, holding her hand up. "In the second match of the day Yuusuke versus Kuwabara! Ready.." The two fighters got into their stances and their gazes went to Yukina. "Begin!" She lowered her arm and Kuwabara charged forward. Yuusuke dodged his attack and grabbed Kuwabara's wrist. He punched Kuwabara in the stomach then threw him down. Kuwabara took a minute to recover then jumped up and started launching punches at him.
"You can tell that they both improved." Botan said, her eyes following the movements of the fighters. Kurama was sitting next to her, watching the two trade punches and kicks.
"Yes, they have." He smiled slightly. She looked over at him and saw the proud look on his face. He knew that he helped them in some way but they got most of the credit for learning it and staying patient. Yuusuke threw a punch and it connected with Kuwabara's jaw. Then he launched a series of more and Kuwabara fell backwards. Yukina took that as her cue.
"One.. two.. three.. four.." By the fourth count, Kuwabara started trying to get up. He didn't have much of a chance to, though. He was in some pain. She continued to count. "Yuusuke is the winner!" Kuwabara got up and almost fell, if not for Shizuru. She took him out of the ring and frowned. Her brother never seemed to win.
"And the next match will be Botan." Keiko announced. "Come up here and pick your opponent." Botan stepped forward and stared at the cup. She drew one of the two slips of paper and looked at the name. She turned around and stared at the two fighters that had won.
"Kurama." A small smirk crossed her face. Keiko and the others stared as the two entered the ring.
"I guess you can count on this being an exciting semi-final fight!" Keiko said with a smile. Yukina nodded.
"The winner of this match will face Yuusuke in the next fight. Are you ready?" She held up her hand again. Botan moved into her stance, Kurama did the same. "Begin!" Her hand came down and the fighters moved forward. Everyone could tell this was going to be an intense fight. Botan and Kurama both dodged the others attack. A series of attacks went before either of them stopped and jumped back. Kurama got his rose whip out and they stared at each other for a moment before he lashed out with it. She pulled her katana out and blocked it. They started attacking each other again. Inside the ring, they were enemies. It was an understanding between them. No friendship or love came in the ring with them. Botan moved from side to side, getting closer as she dodged his attacks. She hit him and they rolled because he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him.
"Now they're rolling because Kurama grabbed her wrist. Smart move." Shizuru said. Botan struggled and freed her wrist but wasn't expecting the attack that was about to hit her. He was sliding on his back and she was almost on top of him. He used Hiei's technique and she wound up in the air for a second. He pulled his legs up and kicked her stomach. The wind was forced right out of her and she flew toward the other side of the ring. She hit and landed on her stomach, sliding to a stop. Kurama got to his feet and watched as she did the same, only slower. She was bending over and holding her stomach. The force of the blow made tears come to her eyes, but she blinked them away and gasped for breath. Botan panted and gazed at him. He returned her gaze then moved forward. He knew she wasn't going to move as fast as she originally could because the pain. He was right but she moved as fast as she was able to, which was fast enough to get out of the way. He expected this and swung around, connecting his kick in her side. He was more experienced than her but she had put up a good fight.
"Will she get up after that brutal kick in the side?" Keiko leaned forward in anticipation. Hiei watched, knowing she could get up. She flew in the opposite direction and went right past Yukina, who moved out of the way. Botan hit the ring and it caused her to roll. She landed on her back just at the end of the ring. Yukina waited until she stopped then started her count. Kurama stood up straight and watched as Botan struggled to get up. She clutched her stomach and got up by the seventh count.
"She's up!" Kuwabara muttered, surprised.
"She has some will to win." Shizuru commented. Hiei watched as she stood there, looking Kurama in the eyes. Her eyes were blank of all emotion. She was trained well, but she didn't have the battling experience that Kurama had. The kitsune made his way swiftly over. She bit her lip and waited until he was in close range. She pulled her leg back and kneed him in the stomach. She then stared down at him as he kneeled before her, clutching his stomach. She kicked him and he flew back, but not too far. He got up and used his whip again. She barely dodged it. She saw that when she was fighting, her katana had fallen out of her hand. It was over behind him, on the other side of the ring. She continued to dodge, but it got wrapped around her ankle. He pulled and she fell forward. She cried out and laid there, trying to conjure up enough energy and will to get up.
"One.. two.. three.. four.. five.. six.. sev-" Yukina stopped the count when Botan got up. Her breathing had lowered to a normal pant and she had enough energy to dodge attacks and get her katana. Either that or she'd have to fight him without it. She remembered the back-up plan he had taught her yesterday. It wasn't much, but it should work. She started to move around so that he'd think she was going to attack him. She threw a few punches at him and got him into dodging. Then she forced her spirit energy into her fist and connected it with his stomach. He fell backwards and she fell to her knees. He got up and she knew she was finished. She could hardly move and her only option was to fight with all she had. She got to her feet and they both stood there, staring. He seemed to know that she was weakened considerably. But so was he. She started forward and punched and blocked and dodged. She gave it all she had but that wasn't good enough. He was stronger than her and he had more battle experience. He finally hit her in the stomach and she fell. She knew she wasn't going to get up in time. Yukina started to count and Botan struggled to get up. "Kurama is the winner once again!" She smiled when he went over to help Botan stand.
"Good job.." She said tiredly. He smiled down at her.
"You did well." He said, pulling her arm up over his shoulders. He pulled her up and she went along with it. She was still struggling to breathe. "Will you be alright?" She nodded and stood up more fully.
"After the intermission, I'll be able to be ref., that is if Yukina wants to get out of the ring." She looked over at the koorime. Yukina nodded and stepped out of it.
"I would be glad to get out of there. I might get hit." She smiled and went over to converse with the other girls. Kurama gently settled Botan against a tree and sat next to her. "Do you want me to heal you?" Yukina kneeled down in front of Botan. "It'll do you no good in the ring if you can't run out of the way." She healed the fighter and stood up.
"Thank you, Yukina. Now I can catch some of that action up close." She winked at the girl and returned Kurama's gaze.
"I never expected that last punch." He smiled when she blushed slightly. "Was that the back-up technique?" She nodded.
"Yeah, I figured that I wasn't going to be able to reach my katana in time." Hiei walked over with the weapon and handed it down to her.
"That was a nice fight you put up. I was surprised you got that far with him." He jerked his head toward Kurama.
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"The finals will begin in a few moments." Botan said, stepping into the ring. "If the two fighters were to step into the ring at this time, then the match will get started." She paused and watched as they got into their fighting stances. "Good luck to you both. Now, with the authority of this small tournament, let the final match.. begin!" Kurama allowed Yuusuke the first move. Then they both started trading punches and kicks in equal speed. Yuusuke didn't think he was going to win. After all, Kurama was wise in the strategy of battle and strong. He was strong in both ways, where as Yuusuke lacked in using his brain. "This fight starts off nicely, with each of the fighters giving out the same amount of speed and energy." Kuwabara and Hiei watched anxiously. Well, Kuwabara was. Hiei already guessed that Kurama was using his 'obnoxious habit'. He was testing Yuusuke, meaning he was holding back.
"I wish he would quit doing that." The koorime muttered under his breath. He watched as Kurama's speed steadily moved higher until he was at his maximum. Both of the demons were physically and mentally stronger than the spirit detective, but Yuusuke had a lot of dumb luck. The match was going to be entertaining. Yuusuke tried to hit the sly kitsune but he continued to dodge as if he was gently stepping to the side. He didn't know how he was going to do this. If Kurama could dodge his punches and kicks at the same time, then he could most definately dodge the spirit gun. Kurama started his own series of punches and kicks, but Yuusuke had to try to dodge them all. He was having such a hard time doing it. A few grazed his arm and cheek and a few hit dead on. When he went to hit the kitsune, Kurama jumped up and retaliated with a blow in the back by his foot. It went on and on like that for a while. Kurama got knocked down a couple of times and Yuusuke got hit numerous times. Once, he had to struggle to get up. Kurama kicked him in between the shoulder blades and Yuusuke fell forward. He stayed down, but tried getting up. He was as helpless as Botan was when she tried to get up.
"Kurama is the winner!" Botan said, sounding just like the announcer. She held his arm up and smiled cheerfully. "I think you all did a wonderful job. This tournament had come to a close with Kurama as the winner."
"Good job!" Keiko said when the kitsune jumped down from the ring. Kuwabara had already gone to get Yuusuke.
"Nicely done, kitsune." Hiei said in a cold tone of voice. "You did well."
"I guess Yuusuke's luck didn't work this time." Kurama smiled over at the human boy. "He fought very well."
"We should be getting back to the temple." Botan said with a smile. "None of us noticed that the sun is going down."
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When they got to the temple, they partied and held a congratulatory feast in honor of the small tournament. Genkai came out and watched them party. Botan sat down next to the old woman.
"Don't you want to join in the fun?" She asked with a smile. She handed her a cup of tea, as Genkai had asked.
"No." Botan got up and went over to see Kurama. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him.
"How are you feeling, better?" She asked. He nodded.
"Yeah." He replied. Keiko walked over and smiled at the two.
"Lovebirds."
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The next chapter will be the beginning of the tournament. n.n Happiness! I've got to admit, this fic is good. I like it. Sometimes, I don't like my fics. I love most of my K/B's. I also like HSB, the IY one. Yeah, anyway, here's a sneak peek of the next chapter! Just 'cuz I love you reviewers.
Botan stared, wide-eyed at the demons surrounding her. She wasn't used to this. The only two demons she liked were Kurama and Hiei. She felt nervous and edgy. A few demons were looking her over and she glared at them, daring them to look more. Filthy vermin. She moved closer to her team mates and glanced around. Why did it have to be like this?
-Jess-