Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews! Tabi, glad to hear from you again! No, I wasn't abducted or anything unless you count the evil people who cut short my Internet connection! I hope you're enjoying my new story as well as the previous ones!
A hand caught my arm suddenly as I was stepping over a fallen tree. I glanced down, already tensing up in anticipation of a fight, but found only Hiei's crimson eyes staring up at me. He glanced back at Yusuke and Kuwabara as they came into view and then back at me.
"I take that you're the real Kurama."
"I am. Hiei?"
Hiei smirked and released my arm as he moved back a step. "What do you think, Kurama? Am I who I seem to be?"
I studied Hiei's face for a moment as he watched me. He said nothing, allowing me time to come to my own conclusions. "When I betrayed you to save Yusuke, why did you not let me die? The sword would have been most effective in stealing my soul," I said finally.
Hiei frowned in irritation, his dark eyes narrowing. "Kurama, do you really think that I would kill you that easily? Hn. If you deserve to die, I will kill you much more slowly than that. Yusuke would have become a demon, which was what I planned. I hadn't planned to kill you, though you did deserve it for interfering."
A slow smile curved my lips. "I expected that answer from you, Hiei."
His eyes widened slightly as he realized the test I had put him through. He stared at me, stunned. "How did you know how I would answer?"
"I know you too well to be fooled by impersonated logic. No one, not even the best actor, thinks as you do, Hiei."
"You mean the shrimp can actually think?" Kuwabara asked from behind me.
Hiei's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint appearing within the blood-red orbs. "Your life is worth very little, Fool. Koenma said I could not kill humans. He said nothing of dogs impersonating their masters."
"Did you just call me a dog?" Kuwabara demanded, face reddening in anger.
Yusuke caught his arms and held him back as Hiei replied, "Did I use too many words for your understanding, mutt?"
"Why you little....!"
"Cut it out!" I interrupted, head beginning to throb painfully in time to Kuwabara's rantings.
He fell silent. Satisfied, I turned to Hiei. "What did you find out, Hiei?"
"I found his lair. The demon wasn't very efficient in covering his tracks."
"That's surprising since he was able to detect our presence here within only a few hours," Yusuke said, voicing my own concerns.
"You fought him again?" Hiei asked, staring up at me.
"He created a mist to attack us in. Kuwabara managed to wound him, and he was forced to flee."
"What form did he use?"
"He used three. My old friend Kuronue and my second in command Yomi from my early days of stealing," I replied.
"You said three." Hiei pointed out.
"The last form he used was Karasu," Yusuke answered, coming to stand at my side.
Hiei glanced from him to me, a foreign expression filling his eyes. "He knows you very well, Kurama. This demon has followed you for several decades. Are you sure that there is no one who matches his power descriptions?"
"No one I can think of," I said, shaking my head slightly.
"You don't possess all of your memories, Kurama. Perhaps he was part of a time you simply forgot," Hiei suggested.
"I am old, Hiei. Yes, there are many years I can not recall, but how could I have forgotten a demon as powerful as this one? Especially if he was an enemy of mine."
"Maybe he was much weaker and not your enemy during that time," Kuwabara said softly.
I turned to look at him, shocked that he had come up with such an explanation. I glanced at Hiei, confused. "Hiei, could I have caused this?"
"I believe that this goes beyond you, Kurama. He wants to destroy the Spirit Detectives, and you're just an added bonus. This is not because of you alone."
Hiei turned away from me, as if ashamed of answering. He sighed heavily, the first real sign of emotion he had ever revealed in front of us. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to his lair. This is likely a trap, considering how intelligent this demon appears to be. He wants us to follow him there."
"To his territory where he knows all, and we know nothing. His advantage," I murmured, desperately trying to remember meeting a shape shifting demon.
"His disadvantage. He has no where to run now," Hiei disagreed, darting forward.
I remained still, caught in indecision. Yusuke clamped a hand down on my shoulder and squeezed slightly. "Don't worry too much, Kurama. Even if this is a trap, do you really think that he could take us? Lighten up."
"Yusuke, you should not be so bold in your assumptions. We have yet to see this demon's full power, and we don't even know what to expect in his lair. It is unwise to make predictions with such limited knowledge, Yusuke."
"Ah, you're too serious. Now go before Hiei leaves us behind. I really don't think that he has the patience to wait for us to catch up. Move it, fox boy. We have places to go, and demon butt to kick," Yusuke said cheerfully, shoving me forward.
I sighed and began walking on my own. A nagging feeling told me that I was approaching my own doom. Usually that feeling was right.