(A/N) I changed the rating to humor..i like to think this story is funnier than it is dramatic...you be the judge..

-Chapter 4-

Kurama caught another foot hold and jumped up another few yards, judging the distance and landing right in another foot hold, and launching himself up again. He didn't like abandoning his human comrades, but he knew this wasn't the best place for Hiei to go alone. Although he had yet to tell the others, Kurama knew exactly where they were. He had been here before, or rather, Yoko Kurama had been here, in search of the fabled water at the top that was supposed to increase ones strength.

It had seemed like a good relic for his collection, but the lead had turned out false, as did most human myths. What was bothering him, though, was the presence he had felt above the holding place of the water, almost like some sort of deity, much like Koenma, radiating from it. After the enormous powers they had sensed from the bottom, he didn't want Hiei to bite off more than he could chew, something Hiei seemed to have a habit for, starting with their first meeting. Kurama was so lost in his thoughts, that he almost didn't hear the voices falling from above.

"Were almost there, i can feel it!"

"You said that six hours ago!!!"

"It's different this time, my ninja instincts are never wrong!"

"Unlike last time?"

"Hey! I said it's different this time!" Kurama stopped fast and disappeared around the side. He took a quick look out to asses his new acquaintances. The one in the lead, the one talking the loudest, was a small boy with spiky blond hair, and a bright orange jump suit. Trailing behind him was a scowling boy in a dark blue shirt and white shorts who had yet to speak. The last of the trio was a small girl, who seemed about the same age as the rest, with pink hair and clothes.

"I don't see why we were sent to climb this dumb tower for training." The blond one yelled back to the others in a whiny voice. "We climbed trees with Kakashi Sensei already."

"Well, it seems to me like this is more of a test." The pink haired girl suggested, still walking carefully upward. "We were supposed to get some kind of special training, and we end up climbing this thing. I suppose if this training is so special, not just anyone can take it, so they have to climb up to it first." Kurama was impressed, He had reached the same conclusion, but he highly doubted Yusuke or Kuwabara had noted it as such. Although he hoped he wasn't giving him enough credit, he doubted Hiei had bothered to give it a second thought.

"Your so smart, Sakura Chan!" The front one yelled happily back to the girl, leaving her scowling back up at him.

"Why is it always Naruto who says something, and not Sasuke.." Sakura growled under her breath. Kurama was tempted to wait longer, to hear more, it had been another shock to learn that others were coming for the same training as them, but he had been sidetracked, he was supposed to be looking for Hiei. He leapt up the opposite side of the tower, quickly leaving them far behind in the slowly darkening sky. Sasuke glanced around, noting that the presence that had been catching up to them had passed them. He had decided calling attention to it would be a wasted effort, he sensed no killing intent, best to let it go its way.

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Hiei continued bounding upward, ignoring the stitch in his side, and his heavy breathing. The thin air did make it harder to run vertically like this, but he wasn't going to let something like that stop him. Focused on where he was going, he noticed a spot above him. As he leapt higher, it started to take on some definition, until he could tell it was a person climbing above him. He approached cautiously, not slowing down allot, but just enough to stop when he reached his target.

"Who the..?" Inuyasha was surprised to see someone land next to him. It looked like a person, dressed in black, with a sword hanging at their side (Hiei is in his stuffy looking pre-tournament clothes..so un cool...--).

"Same question." Hiei quickly analyzed the demon hanging beside him. Thats what it had to be, a demon, a dog demon from the looks of it. "What are you doing here, and the answer better be to my liking." He quickly unsheathed his sword and took a place higher on the tower, slightly blocking His opponents way.

"Refresh my memory, why should i be answering to you? I was here first!" Inuyasha pulled his own sword from it's sheath.

"Are you going to defend yourself with that piece of junk?" Hiei laughed, "It's almost like your mocking me."

"Thats right, so what if i am??" Inuyasha transformed Tetsusaiga, and swung it at the surprised Hiei, who quickly brought his own sword up to block. He was given another shock when he began to get pushed back, or in this case, up.

"So you have a few surprises?" Hiei jumped away from the others reach. "It just shows that I was careless. I hope you were paying attention, because you will never get to see that happen again." Hiei got back into position for another attack.

"Just what do you want anyway?" Inuyasha kept his sword up, guarding from any sudden attacks. "Are you the guardian of this place or something?"

"Guardian? Heh, no, I'm afraid not. I have business here. I was hoping to have a few questions answered about the place myself." Hiei slightly loosened his guard. This person should be no threat, they were as clueless as the boneheads he had brought with him.

"You sure have a funny way of asking for a favor. Now if were done here, get out of my way!" Inuyasha sliced the Tetsusaiga at Hiei, and a shock-wave of energy caught the demon off guard, allowing Inuyasha an opening to jump past. He was rested from his slow climb, and his muscles were adjusting to the air.

"Not so fast fool!" Hiei rushed after him, but was annoyed to find that it took most of what he had to stay even with his prey. It seemed the climb had taken more out of him than he had wanted to admit. Inuyasha smirked and pushed a little harder, pulling into the lead. Hiei called up more of his reserves and came up even with him again. Both demons ran neck and neck, staring each other down as they ran, not looking for foot holes, but driving their feet into the tower, making their own path. Both had lost all thoughts of Patience or subtlety.

"You're fast for a mutt!" Hiei mocked as he began to gain a slight lead.

"Well your really grumpy for a gnome!" Inuyasha lashed out with his sword, which was still in hand, and Hiei dodged the blow, but was forced back into a tie.

"Well then, if you want to play for keeps, how about we make it interesting?"

"I'm listening!"

"A race to the top."

"And what do I get if I win?"

"Don't worry about it, you wont!"

"OK, you're on!" They both sped even faster, running full speed straight up a vertical wall, leaving dust and cloud trails as the scenery melted into a blur.

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"Somethings going on up there." Sasuke peered up into the sky. He was almost certain that the view up was clearer than the one down by now.

"What do you mean? Whats going on?" Sakura stopped next to him and followed his line of sight.

"I'm not too sure, but allot of energy is being thrown around. Could be a fight. I should try and verify it." He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them, only now they were red with black pupils, and two small black dots. He focused his Sharingan upward, he hadn't wanted to use it while climbing, because it used up so much chakra, but they needed to know if the path was safe before moving on. The scenery zoomed by as if he had pushed the zoom button on a camera as his range of sight increased. He could make out one person above them, but the energy was coming from even farther up. He suddenly realized what else he felt. It was the large energy signals he had picked up and assumed were coming from the top. That meant they might be getting close. He turned to face the other two.

"Hey, i really have to pee!!" Naruto yelled up. He had taken up the rear when Sasuke moved to the front to check things out.

"Well don't tell us, just do it down there!" Sakura screamed back at him. Sasuke sighed, and waited for them both to finish so he could make his report.

"HEY! What the??!?"

"Huh?" All three of them looked down. a few yards under them, just coming into view, were two people making their way up the tower.

"This isn't funny Uremeshi!! I think that kid just peed on me!" Maniacal laughter drifted up as the black haired boy laughed uncontrollably at his friend, who seemed to have been in the wrong place, at the worst possible time.

"This is bad..." Naruto had zipped back up his pants and peered down at the two.

"Thats it kid, your dead!" Kuwabara started lunging his way upward. "No one gets away with that! No one!"

"Oh crap, someones chasing us!" Naruto hurriedly caught up with Sasuke and Sakura. "What do we do??"

"Don't ask me, its your fault!" Sakura looked torn between panic and laughter at the bizarre situation, which still didn't seem to be a problem for the other guys friend, who managed to keep up by hanging onto the red heads belt as he held his sides laughing.

"Run for it!" Naruto sped up past his teammates, not really thinking about where he was running to, just that he was in trouble again.

"Wait..." Sasuke started to say something, when Kuwabara zoomed past them, hot on Naruto's trail. Yusuke had hung back to let his laughter pangs die down.

"Don't worry about your friend." They both looked down in surprise when they heard him talk. "Kuwabara is harmless, hes just a big dope, and really good for a laugh." Sasuke glanced back up, where both of them had almost disappeared from view. At least they would find out how close they were to the top...

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Naruto was trying to keeps his chakra balanced out while still running flat out as fast as he could. The guy below him didn't seem too happy, and that was a terrible understatement.

"Little punk, you know how much shampoo it's gonna take to get this smell out??" Kuwabara had started using his spirit swords as spikes, to help him climb faster.

"I didn't mean to pee on your stupid head! Stop chasing me!" Naruto struggled to make his ascent faster, but Kuwabara's swords were giving him the advantage. Suddenly, Naruto had an idea. He channeled chakra into his hands, and tried running upward on all fours, using his hands and feet to push himself along. He was nearly caught before he got the hang of alternating his chakra, and then he speed out of reach, slowly pulling away from his pursuer.

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Inuyasha tried to keep his breathing steady, but this guy was wearing him down. They both managed to stay even with each other, mostly out of sheer will power, but they had both slowed down allot since their race had begun. "Ready to give up?" He yelled, trying to distract Hiei.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Hiei strained to keep his pounding muscles working. "Oh, wait, my mistake, I'm not sorry."

"Keep talking big, little man, I'm gonna...huh?" He glanced down, and noticed someone gaining on them.

"Stupid kid!"

"Get away you weirdo, you smell!"

"Who's fault do you think that is???" Naruto and Kuwabara's chase had led them up so fast they had caught up to Hiei and Inuyasha's private race. Hiei risked a quick glance upward, and was shocked to realize there was something above them. Just barley visible, a round structure loomed closer.

"Looks like the home stretch!" Inuyasha laughed as he dug his claws into the hard surface and pushed off again.

"I guess it's time to see what your made of!" Hiei called back. The white bandage around Hiei's forehead flew off into the sky. "I hate to tell you this, but I've been giving you a handicap!" Inuyasha stared as an eye on Hiei's forehead began to glow,and suddenly the demon dashed ahead, filled with new energy.

"Crap!" Inuyasha watched as Hiei took off, disappearing near the large round chamber. He took on last big breath and leapt upward, sailing through an opening in the floor. He landed with a thud on a hard marble floor, the victor of their race standing to the side, smirking.

"To be fair, i did warn you." Hiei wrapped the headband back over his third eye.

"Next time..'pant'..your mine!" Inuyasha smirked back and he slumped against a wall, catching his breath.

"Ah!" Naruto came tearing through the opening in the floor, not realizing until too late that there was nothing under his feet. He spun around and crashed into the far wall, and lay there panting.

"I've got you now!" Kuwabara pulled himself up. "When i get a hold of you...Hiei??" Kuwabara's anger turned to shock as he noticed the demon regarding him with a scowl.

"Well, you were the last person i was expecting to come up after me. Where is Kurama?"

"You mean hes not with you?" Kuwabara was surprised at the stunned look on Hiei's face.

"Where could he.." Hiei was cut short.

"I suppose i should have stopped to say hello, but you were caught up in your race." Kurama came walking down a flight of stairs coming down from the ceiling. Hiei smirked once again as the fox reached them.

"How foolish of me, i should have known you would be first."

"Where are the others?" Kurama asked, looking over to Kuwabara. "Are Yusuke and the other boy's friends almost up?"

"Uhh, i never thought to check.." Kuwabara admitted sheepishly.

"Hey Naruto! Are you in here?" Sakura's voice came up through the hole.

"Kuwabara! If you're beating up on little kids I'm telling Yukina!" Yusuke laughed as he pulled himself up to join his friends.

"Uremeshi! I knew you would make it soon!" Kuwabara laughed. Naruto pulled himself up from his heap on the floor.

"Ugh. Sakura Chan?" He shook off his dizziness and climbed to his feet as Sasuke's head cautiously came into view. He stopped for a second when he saw all of the others gathered around, but decided there were no imminent threats, and pulled himself up, helping Sakura through after him.

"If i am not mistaken." Kurama called on everyone's attention. "Everyone who was climbing has reached this place."

"Where ever 'this place' is." Kuwabara looked toward the stairs as a noise brought everyone's eyes to them.

"'This place' is my home, thank you very much." Everyone stood dumbfounded as a small, white, fluffy cat holding a cane descended the stair case.

"Wow! A talking kitty!"

"Try to pay attention Kuwabara.." Yusuke sighed at his friend's attraction to anything that had to do with cats.

"More accurately, It's name is Korin." This time it was Yusuke and his team who were dumbfounded.

"How the heck do you know that Kurama?" Kuwabara sounded a little on edge.

"I think the place for introductions and explanations would be a little farther up." Korin tapped his cane on the floor to emphasize his words.

"Uh, sure..." Everyone, who were still a little too shocked to argue, followed the cat up the stairs. Inuyasha suddenly gaged and held his nose.

"Gah, what smells like pee?"

"Darn-it!"

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(A/N) i know i know, not everything is explained, but if you don't know where they are by now...well...then i have a couple of not nice things to say about your intelligence (just kidding ). We actually get plot in the next chapter! Isn't that exciting! Plot! OMG! Ill have the next chapter up as soon as i figure out what that is... ((Opens dictionary to 'P'"))