Twisted Soul: To be or not to be

By Chiba Miaka

Okay I got some new ideas and am putting it into this new chapter. Thanks again to everybody who reviewed. BTW, I edited the first story so that it would make more sense and so it would be a better prequel to this one. The story is moving pretty fast at this point, because there is so much emotion left to be felt between all the characters. What is up with this new chick? What do Kurama and Hiei talk about when no one else is around? How does Hiei really feel about Mukuro? All these questions will be answered...sometime before the end of this story. Bwahahaha!!! Enjoy!

Chapter 2: 'What does love mean, Kurama?'

Hiei sat in the tree outside his room in Mukuro's castle. He liked spending time there, he seemed to absorb the youki the place emitted, making him feel much stronger. And indeed he was much stronger. In speed, he was almost as fast as Mukuro herself and his youki levels were rising. In fact, he felt inclined to brag everytime he visited the Ningenkai, specifically if he thought he was going to see Kuwabara, by letting the hardly containable energy flow freely. It was getting harder to hide his energy from possible enemies. He'd have to talk to Mukuro about strengthening his hold on his expanding powers.

Today was one of Hiei's mildest days. There was no training, just sweet rest from the beating Mukuro had given him during the Makai Tournament. Hiei frowned unconsciously. Only two people in his lifetime had ever beaten him, Mukuro, and Kurama. And for some weird reason, he had gotten close to the both of them. Well there was the obvious reason, to find out their weaknesses and shove some fire in 'em, so he would once again be the undeniable winner of everything (conceited, huh? lol). But then there was a part of him...that enjoyed their company. More than anyone else. He supposed he could consider Kurama his best friend, but what was Mukuro exactly?

And what was with that new girl Yusuke had introduced them to? He had seen her a few times since the Makai Tournament, mostly because Yusuke kept asking Hiei to help him train her. Apparently she didn't particularly like training with Yusuke and didn't want to do ANYTHING at all most of the time and Yusuke was getting frustrated. 'Hn', Hiei thought. 'Typical ningen traits.' Hiei refused to train her. Blatantly. He had his own work to do, dealing with Mukuro's torturous lessons and his job on the border; he had no time for weak half-ningen females.
And yet, here he was, spending his one day of free time thinking about her. He couldn't help it, she kept drifting into his mind. Maybe because he was wondering about her strange reaction to his presence. At a reasonable distance from her, her youki was very low, but she had a decent reiki rating. Yet when she felt his aura near, which took about two seconds after he would arrive, her youki would flare up quickly, almost like a smack in the face. He swore one day that girl would burn off his eyebrows if he got too close. It almost felt like she was trying to protect herself from him, like she was powering up for an attack. Sanae reminded Hiei of Chuu, seemingly weak and yet very, very dangerous if provoked.

Thinking about it led him to wonder if she had something against him. Hiei clearly understood why she was reluctant to be around Yusuke too long, he had killed her father. Yes, even though Yusuke hadn't said anything, the familiar energies of both Toguro and Genkai were present in the girl. But it felt tainted, by something too deep to recognize, like an old civilization.
Hiei jumped down from the tree. Damn, he'd never thought so much in his entire life. Especially about other people. Shit, he was becoming a softie. He could feel his emotions about befriending Kurama and Mukuro building and it made him uncomfortable to care about anyone even that much. Yukina he didn't mind, she was his sister, but people he had no relation to?
He needed to get his mind off his emotions. He didn't have a right to them anyway. He needed a fight. The only worthy opponent near enough was Yusuke.
"Time to pay a little visit," he snickered to himself as he flitted off for Raizen's kingdom.

Yusuke punched the wall in frustration.
"God-DAMMIT!!! Sanae!!! I'm giving UP!!! You don't care at all about training or getting stronger or anything!!! What is your problem?!?!?" Yusuke screamed at the girl, having finally been pushed to his limit.
For the first time that he had ever seen, Sanae gave him a bored look. One of the looks that Genkai used to give him when he pissed her off.

"You can't train me," she said calmly, her voice losing its sweet puerility and gaining that of the 50-year old woman she really was.
"What?! What's that supposed to mean?! Are you too strong for me?! Oooo...are you gonna hurt me?! I don't see how considering that you have low youki and haven't done a damn thing since you got here!!!!!!" Yusuke screamed almost out of control.
"I have been training, Yusuke, just without you there watching me," Sanae said quietly.
"Oh really? Training where? With Hiei?" Yusuke snickered, knowing the harsh fire youkai wouldn't even think about training her.
A small smile crossed her face as she sensed Hiei's aura near. "Yeah, with him. Wanna test me?"
"Hell yeah! I can pay you back for all the hell I had to go through!" He assumed a fighting stance. "Next time, I'm not listening to your sad plea of 'I can't let my mother see me so weak' and just let her deal with you!!!"
"Like she had to deal with you?" Sanae smirked. Yusuke grumbled, knowing she was correct and powered up his Rei Gun.
Sanae smiled. She powered up the only thing she KNEW how to use, the power she inherited through her mother's blood, that she had perfected over the years but kept hidden to protect herself from Youkai Hunters who would've jumped at the chance to bring back the head of the offspring of the two most powerful humans at the time...

Hiei paused as he saw them. Yusuke, looking ready to blow a fuse, and Sanae with the meanest smile on her face. He snickered, amused, and for the first time, thought that Sanae might be an okay girl... Yusuke began his attack first. "REI-GUN!!!!" As the huge powerful emittance of reiki was released from Yusuke's finger, Hiei wondered how she would dodge it. Even he himself would have a little trouble, and she wasn't near his speed at all. But he could sense her youki rising, as it always did when he was near. A strange though entered his head...is he triggering it? He had to ask Kurama... "Reikou Kyouhanshou!!!!" Sanae yelled back trapping Yusuke's Rei Gun in a big ball of light, and immediately shooting it back at him ten-fold. Hiei was incredulous. 'She can use the Reikou Hadou Ken? Without any formal training...and without the Reikou Gyoku...hn... what is your true power, ningen?' Yusuke couldn't even dodge, he just threw his arms in front of himself as protection. He was battered and bruised from the impact of the attack and from the rubble it collected. He stared at Sanae, who looked at him sadly. "I have no idea how you could've killed my father if you can't even escape from that attack when you are ten times stronger now..."

Sanae looked upward into the tree where Hiei had hidden himself. "Thank you for your strength, Hiei-san...sorry, it must've been weird for you sensing my energy rise like that when you were around. Just a little borrowing technique I learned..." Hiei couldn't think of anything to say but "Hn." Yusuke looked depressed.

"Sanae, wait. Your father was...admirable...but he threatened my family and friends. I couldn't..."

"I understand," Sanae cut him off. "He deserved it. But he was always so good to me...he loved me and Mother, I know he did..."

Sanae walked toward the woods. "Hey, maybe I'll see you guys later okay?" she blushed and waved shyly. "Bye Hiei."

Hiei nodded to acknowledge it. He was so damn lost. Yusuke still looked a bit upset, but that didn't stop him from snickering.

"You dirty little demon, you! No wonder she said she was getting her training from you. I wonder what kind of training it was...heh...maybe breaking and entering?" Just the thought made Yusuke double over with laughter. Hiei gave him his death glare. "What the hell are you talking about, you idiot? She hasn't been training under me and I'm not teaching her to steal," he said in a low dangerous voice. Yusuke laughed even harder when Hiei didn't get his joke. "I don't mean stealing, half-brain! I mean, getting down and dirty! And in Mukuro's castle no less. I'm surprised she hasn't had a fit yet!" Hiei could feel his anger rise and his face get hot. He didn't like to be ridiculed, not even by Kurama, and especially not by this half-ningen idiot.

"What...the...HELL...are you talking about?!?!" Yusuke looked at Hiei and slowly calmed down. "You...really don't get it, do you?" Hiei twitched. Like he was going to admit to anything but being super kick- ass. "Dude, that girl has been like in love in with you since she met you." Hiei blinked. "Huh?"

"You couldn't tell?! I mean, DAMN, every time you got near her she turned into a human tomato! And her energy levels rising and stuff. Come on, you didn't really believe that thing about borrowing your energy, did you? I mean, WOW, you really didn't get it!!! How could anybody be so stupid?! Well, except maybe Kuwabara!" Yusuke started a new fit of laughing. Hiei was too shocked to do anything but stare angrily at Yusuke.

Love? Was she stupid? She didn't know who she was trying to deal with. Him, the forbidden child of the Koorime. He didn't even want to be bothered with his own sister most of the time. Having some girl he didn't know chasing after him, HA! He'd set her straight real fast. He didn't need the crushes of stupid little girls! Especially the ningen ones... Repeating this in his mind many times calmed him down a bit. Yusuke was still snickering, the after effects of the very amusing treat of seeing Hiei totally lost. "Shut up." Hiei said plainly. He needed Kurama in the worst way. He hated needing anything, but he had no choice. This was way outta his league.

Hiei stood in the tree right outside Kurama's bedroom window. Winter was starting in the Ningenkai, so it was just a little cracked to let him know he could enter. At this time of day, the kitsune would most likely be doing his "homework", some chores he would receive from certain ningen at school. He'd taken a look at one of the books once, 'The History of Philosophy.' He'd paged through it, but it was pretty simple, a bunch of humans discussing why people exist and how they should live. 'Hn,' he had said. The only true rule was survival of the fittest, kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. 'No room for love or any of that other mushy crap,' he thought as he entered Kurama's room. No one was there, so he shed his cloak and decided to relax on the fox's soft bed. He'd never laid on anything softer in his entire life. Except moss and Mukuro's bed anyway. Mukuro...he missed her. He missed that bond they shared, their need for warmth. But there were still a few parts he was almost glad to do without... Every night before Hiei went to his separate room to sleep, Mukuro would call him into her chambers for their "master-student bonding time." She would pull off his cloak and shirt, yank him close to her and snuggle into his bare chest. With the good side of her face of course. Sometimes he would enjoy it, his body would go numb in her arms and he'd fall into a blissful warm sleep. But other times he was disgusted with the touch. Plain and simple, sometimes he liked to be touched and other times he didn't. Most of the time he didn't, at least not by her. Kurama's affection he didn't mind because they were nothing big. Just a gentle touch on the shoulder, or his hands passing gently along Hiei's body if the kitsune was healing him. It was...in the middle. He kinda liked it that way. Kurama walked in as he finished the thought. He smiled broadly.

"Hiei, what a surprise! What's up?" Kurama began brightly. Hiei looked away. He didn't know where to begin... "What's wrong?" "Kurama, has any ningen ever liked you...you know...in that way?" Kurama laughed. "Every single day since I started junior high! I have more love letter in my locker than stuff! Why?" the fox smiled slyly.

"Someone has a crush on you?" Hiei's upper lip curled slightly. "Hn." Kurama smiled at his grouchy friend. "It seems you just found out about Sanae's little thing for you..." Hiei frowned. The simple little question lingered in his mind, but he couldn't bear to ask it, it was like asking for help. Kurama sensed it and snickered. "Don't worry Hiei, I won't tell..." Hiei's foot began to fidget.

Kurama knew that Hiei did not understand what was going on and even though he needed it desperately, the guy wouldn't ask for help if he were dying. Finally, Hiei took in a breath. "Why, Kurama? Why me? Why would anyone want a forbidden child like me?" And just then, Kurama looked into Hiei's eyes and saw it. The little baby who his own race had tried to murder, a child who grew up among bandits, learned to care for them, and was once again abandoned. For just a tiny fraction of a second, the dark jaganshi thief left Hiei's visage and the poor little Koorime child resurfaced. But it was just for that second, soon the fire youkai was back in control. "Oh Hiei..." Kurama paused. "Love isn't something that can be explained. She might not even fully love you anyway, it might just be an exaggeration on Yusuke's part. I sensed that she had a big crush and I have much more experience in the matter than he does...don't worry about it. You should be flattered instead of worrying about why..." Kurama saw the look on Hiei's face and continued. "But if you're so worried about it, I guarantee she'll tell you when she's ready. And hey, Mukuro likes you too and you don't even think about it."

Hiei frowned, then stood up to grab his cloak and walked toward the
window. "Mukuro...is...different." Kurama shook his head. "All women are the same when it comes to love, Hiei." They stared at each other for a good ten minutes. And for the first time, Hiei left Kurama's house with his questions unanswered.

YAY! The second part is finished. This is taking an interesting turn. Why is Hiei so obsessed with finding out about love? What will happen the next time Hiei sees Sanae? What will happen when Sanae meets her mother for the first time in nearly 50 years? How will Genkai react to the growing tensions between Hiei and Sanae? And Hiei! Has your face ever been that red before?! What...is Enma chasing...?

Find out in the next chapter: 'Secrets'

Author's note: I've reread this story, and since I began have come up with new and better ideas. The story will begin to take a serious turn along with being much involved, perhaps? Please bear with me, and thanks to HieiFan for renewing my want to continue the story.