Chapter Six
Rank Overturned
Hiei and the others returned to the dojo a few hours later, only to find both their rooms empty. Neither Kurama or the fox-boy was anywhere to be seen. "I suppose that damned fox took Kurama off somewhere...I don't trust him, not at all. Kitsune are deadly–"
"Hiei. Chill," Yusuke said, putting a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Hiei jerked away from him with a snort. "I'm sure both of them are fine. Kurama mentioned something to me and Botan about training Fox up a bit before we set off. They're probably doing just that."
"Whatever, detective," Hiei muttered under his breath. "Well we still have plenty of daylight...I'm not going to waste time stuck up in this place. I'm going back out."
"Suit yourself," Yusuke said, stretching out on the bed without bothering to take off his shoes. "I'm gonna take a nap."
"A...nap, Uremeshi?" Kuwabara sweatdropped.
"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"
"Heh. Nope." The orange-haired ningen and Hiei exchanged glances as Yusuke yawned. "Eh, I agree with Hiei. No use staying here when we can be outside."
"Cya then, guys," Yusuke murmured, his eyes closing. Now if only Kaeko was here with me...
Kuwabara flanked Hiei as the Jaganshi strode back out the door. "Where are we goin'?" he asked, looking up at the overcast sky.
Hiei stopped and stared at him. "We? I don't remember any we in this..."
"Aw, c'mon Hiei... Wanderin' ain't no fun alone."
"And your point is?" The two stood silently, both resilient before Hiei let out a groan of disgust. "Your petty human traits annoy me, you know that?"
"Yeah," Kuwabara grinned to himself. "Brotherly love."
Hiei merely scowled. Ever since his sister had accepted the baka's wedding proposal, he had had to deal with the idiot ningen's actions and stupid jokes about them being 'brothers'. Hah. "Do me a favor and shut your mouth. Just because you married Yukina doesn't mean I can't pound you to a pulp. I just can't...kill you." He flashed a defiant smirk at Kuwabara before beginning to walk again. He almost laughed when he heard Kuwabara gulp slightly, but not another sound was made from his vocals.
Kuwabara grumbled to himself for awhile, thinking of all the ways he could get Hiei back for always using blackmail against him, but none of his plans ever seemed to work. They just resulted in pain...and more pain. He was recalling the time when he tried to get Hiei drunk to make the youkai more...receptive to the idea of him marrying Yukina... It had backfired. He ended up getting them all drunk and he was laid up in a hospital for weeks with a head injury after Hiei had figured out what he had done. There were always consequences with Hiei. Always.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize the smaller youth had stopped in his tracks, looking at something off to the distance. He ran into Hiei, who punched him, then whipped around to put his hand over the ningen's mouth. Kuwabara tried to yell but the Jaganshi's hand was like a vice.
"Shut up, baka!" Hiei hissed, his voice barely above a whisper as he pointed out towards a bench. Sitting there, seemingly human, was a man, but strange vibes were coming from his aura. That, and the fact that he had fox-ears laying low atop chestnut hair, made it apparent to all that he was a youkai. More importantly, a vulpess...
"Hey...maybe that's one of Nibori's clan members!" Kuwabara murmured excitedly, but quieted once again when Hiei pulled out his katana. "Hey–What are you doing?"
"We're getting answers. Kurama may have a tender heart towards the fox-whelp but he can't stop me from getting what I want out of this one!" Hiei gave a small snort, then moved forwards stealthily, like a predator stalking prey. The vulpess was caught off-guard and he gave a yelp when Hiei came up behind him, the edge of the blade against the man's throat. His emerald eyes shone warily at the Jaganshi as Hiei smirked, he flattened his ears in fear. "Part of Nibori's group, I'm guessing." This was a statement, not a question.
The vulpess nodded, eyeing the blade at his throat, then gulped and shook his head. "N-Not anymore," he stammered out, green gaze flickering up to Hiei's ruby one. "Betrayal among the clans isn't...a good thing..."
"Explain."
"I can't! I can barely breath from that," he said, nodding down at the blade. Kuwabara
came up, resting one hand on Hiei's shoulder, the other on the vulpess's, who flinched and tried to pull away. Hiei growled low in his throat and pulled his sword back, but kept it near just in case the fox tried to make a break for it.
"Better?"
"M-Much. Thanks."
"Hn. Whatever. Talk. Betrayal..."
"Well...I used to be the lead guard on Lor–I mean, Nibori's force. A few years ago I found a mongrel kid on the streets...My wife had died in battle, as well as my unborn son in her womb, so I had already felt the pain of loneliness and took on the child as my own son. He wasn't of my blood, but since Nibori was my closest friend, he let him join our clan. I raised Kazuki, the fox-mutt, up, training him to use self defense, yet not enough as to affect his low stature in the group. That night though...of the blood moon...Nibori had made up his mind that Kazuki would be the sacrifice..." The vulpess lowered his head, shading his eyes from the boys. Both of them, however, exchanged startled glances. Kurama's fox-whelp! Hiei thought. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. So...I left. I shouldn't have! I should've taken Kaz with me, not to leave him to a death sentence–"
"Enough with the sentimental bullshit," Hiei cut him off coldly, thinking of that fox-boy Kurama had rescued. This man was...connected to him in a way. "So you're saying you have no clue where Nibori is?"
"Y-Yeah...I'm sorry..."
"Fine. Then I have no more use of you."
"Use? Who are you two?"
"We're the Spirit Detectives!" Kuwabara piped in.
"And you are?" Hiei asked brazenly.
"My name is Takashi–"
"The name is Hiei Jaganshi. That is my...partner," he spoke this word with slight distaste, "Kazuma Kuwabara. Otherwise known as the baka."
"Hey!" Kuwabara yelled. "I happen to take offense to that!"
Hiei smirked and averted his attention back to Takashi. "We can't let you run free. You'll have to serve punishment in the Reikai..." His voice trailed off irritably when he noticed that the vulpess's interests were no longer on them, but instead on two figures in the distance of the forest...
—
"Nice move!" Kurama said, parrying Kazuki's blow with his own blade and dodging away. "You've learned a lot for being so young! No one I've ever sparred with before was able to keep up at this speed!"
"Well," Kazuki grinned, tail flicking slightly. "I am a fox, ya know. Or at least half! And I've learned to be quick through all my 'street fights'."
"Street fights?"
"Yeah.
You know...the
'Let's-chase-the-mutt-down-the-road-while-throwing-rocks-and-
or-bottles-at-him
game?" Kazuki gave a sharp bark of bitter laughter. "It was
either run or be pummeled. What would your choice've been?"
They were carrying on a conversation while fighting, yet neither of them had lost any awareness of what they were doing, dodging and throwing blows at one another with their blades.
Kurama smiled slightly. "Well...I probably would've turned to face them, even when I knew I had no chance at winning, just to save my pride. Their bullying would've gotten my temper up and I would've recoiled back at them, attacking them with a furor. One or two shots of that and they would leave me alone."
"Wow..." Kazuki murmured, lowering his ears in pity, and even anger at himself.
"Ah!" Kurama caught him, not with his sword, but with his hand as he grabbed the vulpess-hybrid's wrist in his grasp. "Remember what I told you about the ears."
Kazuki flushed and perked his ears once again. Even though they had only been involved in their 'training' for a little more than 4 hours, Kurama had taught him a lot. Surprisingly more than Takashi had ever shown him... "When you keep your ears low you show signs of submission and that, naturally, leads to not being a very willful adversary. Which leads to usual defeat. Even in your fear, or anger or even in your happiness, the ears stay up. Got it?" Kurama had said, remaining steadfast through Kaz's continuous pleads and complaints... Kaz had always been taught 'clan behavior' yet Kurama and his group...they were allowing him free reign. He wasn't forced to submit or to stray away. In fact, he was welcomed into their group with, well, almost completely open arms. When Kurama saw the black-tipped vulpess ears rise once again, denouncing Kazuki's lost-but-recovering pride, they began to spar again.
"The next lesson will be using ki. You need no more help at this. I'll show you a few advanced maneuvers, but you're a pro!" Kurama said happily and Kazuki smiled, blushing. Praise, also, was something he had yearned for but had never gotten. "Now. Come at me with all you have!"
Kazuki gave a quick nod, then with a yell lunged at the kitsune, the blade of his sword flashing in the setting sunlight. Kurama batted it off, however, and swung at Kaz once more. Kazuki let out a sharp squeal as he felt pain flick across his side and he backed off, expecting Kurama to pull down as well. He didn't. The youkai just yelled a string of commands at him and flew forwards again.
"Ai!" Kazuki barely dodged the next blow as it sliced the field grass beside him into two sections.
"Get up," Kurama said cooly. "Let's go. If I were an enemy I would spare you no mercy!"
Kazuki jumped the blade as it was flung low at him and with his own sword he caught it. This gained a nod of approval from Kurama and he grinned again. The two continued at this pace for several more minutes, Kazuki learning the blows and dodges through merely watching and trying. Kurama kept testing him, seeing how far the hybrid boy would go before his fear snapped and his anger was unleashed. Surprisingly, Kaz took many blows without proving this point, and they kept going until both of them began to show signs of weariness.
With one last yell, Kurama lunged at Kaz but the boy was looking off into the distance, one ear flicking nervously as if a fly had landed on it. Kurama pulled his attack short, skidding up beside him and resheathing his blade. Kazuki's blade lay on the grass where he had dropped it and he gazed across the field, a startled look in his eyes. Kurama followed his glance and frowned as he saw several figures. Hiei and Kuwabara were standing there, but beside them was...another vulpess?
"Kazuki?" Kurama called out as the boy began to trot over to them. His tail was straight out but he had flattened his ears. "Ears!" he reminded and though the boy seemed to be oblivious to his voice, the twin auds pricked up once again.
Kazuki's heart was pounding heavier with every step he took, every breath he managed as he gazed at the vulpess before him, merely yards away. The man was tall, his auburn hair disheveled and hanging around his face, pale emerald green eyes shimmering with concern and hope as Kaz neared. "Takashi."
"Kazuki!" the man leaped away from the startled Spirit Detectives who were holding him back, nearly prancing over the fence that separated the field from the village, heading towards Kaz.
Kaz stopped short, watching as his father came at him. He caught a sparkle of tears in the guard's eyes and his heart clenched with pain and sadness. No! He thought angrily, shaking his head. He betrayed me! He left me for Nibori to kill! He knew the whole time! He's no better than any other youkai in the world! Fury clouding his gaze, he stood still, ears standing tall, tail straight out and with a growl, he stopped the guard in his tracks.
"K-Kazuki!" Takashi yelled out happily, looking the mutt, his son, up and down. "I thought you were dead! I know what this looks like, but please–"
"You left me." Kazuki's tone was cold, sapphire orbs shining angrily. "Of course you thought I was dead! You left me to die. You left me at the hands of that bastard!"
Takashi lowered his ears, slightly faltering, but tried to come closer. Kazuki's growl had turned into a snarl as he tried to put his arms around the boy, to solace him, he was shocked to feel the blunt sting of a punch across his jaw. "Kaz...I–"
"You left me for a fucking sacrifice. Now you expect me to be the calm, weakling child you did a favor and raised up?" Kaz asked, stepping forwards, raising his fist. "You want me to come running to you, crying like the lost lamb I was. It won't happen. Remember the number one rule in a clan, Takashi. Betrayal is the worst thing a fox can do to a member of his family. The betrayer picks one of two punishments. Death or casting."
"This is nonsense, Kazuki!" Takashi said, raising his voice. "You're my son! I won't let you get away with–"
"You have no choice of my behavior now, Father!" Kazuki snarled, jerking away from the man's touch. "You aren't part of my family. And I'm not going to back down from this. I would be dead if not for them!" He nodded towards Kurama, who had wandered over to Kuwabara and Hiei, his emerald gaze shining with unease as he watched the two foxes fight.
"Kazuki Himora!" Takashi growled. "RANK!"
"SHUT UP!" Kaz yelled back, the hair on the back of his neck rising in anger. "When you left me to die, you shut me out of your life. I no longer obey you! Get the hell away from me!"
"Rank!"
Kazuki let out a snarl and lunged at the guard, catching him off balance and knocking him to the ground. Takashi struggled underneath the smaller youth's grip as the two leaped around one another, foxen snarls and growls coming from their throats. Kazuki only saw red as he fought, fueled by the fire in his heart. He felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, smelled it all around them as they dueled. Finally, his snarls lowered to mere growls as Takashi lay limp in his grasp, eyes searching Kazuki's face wildly for any sign of mercy. "Rank," Kaz murmured and didn't bother concealing his fanged smile as his father, Nibori's ex-guard, lowered his ear and exposed his neck with a whimper, giving in.
Kaz leaped to his feet, still glaring down at Takashi, but there was no more anger as he turned and walked away, towards Kurama. Tak stood, holding his bleeding shoulder, his gaze on his once-fearful son, half amazed, half scared of what the boy had just done.
"Kazuki..." he called out, his voice ragged. Kaz glanced back at him with another growl. "I'm...sorry..."
"Sometimes sorry doesn't cut it," Kazuki said softly, turning away once again, trying to get the memory of Takashi's betrayal the night of the blood moon out of his mind as he went back to Kurama and the others, leaving his father standing there alone, just like he had done him. "Kurama...Let's go home..." he whispered and the red-haired youkai nodded, putting an arm around Kaz's shoulder as they walked.
