Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

Thanks to my reviewers:

Dragon and Sword Master- Thanks for reviewing! Glad you like it!

Sapphire Angel- Okay, thanks for the constructive critisicm. I took your advice and separated the dialogue more in this chapter. Thanks!

Please tell me what you think so far!

&&&&&

Jin swooped down into the dining hall of the dojo. It was rather small, but it served the Shinobi's purposes. "Risho!" he called. "Yo, Risho!" The Wind Master jetted through the hall looking for his teammate, his flaming red hair billowing out behind him. "Rish- YIKES!"

At that point, he saw the pale-skinned Earth Master and skidded to a halt in mid air, stopping a fraction of an inch away from the team leader's face. Risho glared at him. "Heh heh, sorry Risho," Jin said as he pulled away and set his feet on solid ground.

The Earth Master gave him a sour look. "Well, what do you want," he growled. He had been like this ever since his Shinobi sect had lost at the Dark Tournament, not that he had been very nice before that.

The Wind Master grinned. "Well, I was jus' wonderin' if you be seein' Touya anywhere."

"No," Risho said lazily, "I haven't seen him. He's probably just avoiding you." Jin's grin got wider. "Now, why'd he be doin somethin' like tha'?"

"No idea," the Earth Master said tonelessly. "Okey dokey," Jin repiled. "Bu' if ya 'appen ta see 'im, tell 'im tha' I be lookin' fer 'im."

Risho nodded coldly, and Jin shot off again, shouting, "Icy! Yo, Icy! Where ya be hidin'?"

The cheerful wind youkai zoomed up the small staircase to the one place he hadn't checked: Touya's quarters. He used a gust of wind to blow open the door a split second before he collided with it. "Icy? Ya in 'ere?" He flew one lap around the tiny living space, rustling neatly kept scrolls. At least, they were supposed to be neatly kept.

Jin set his feet on the ground near the door and looked around. The usually picture perfect room was a complete mess! Unraveled and torn scrolls littered the floor, and the bookcase was smashed. There were several indents and cracks in the wooden walls. Half the sheets on the bed were shredded, and the bed itself looked like Swiss cheese.

Jin narrowed his eyes. "Touya?" he called as he walked farther into the room. "C'mon now, this isn' the leas' bi' funny," he said, voice wavering. There was no response.

The Wind Master took a few more steps into the shambled living quarters. "C'mon, Touya, I'm no' jokin'! You 'ave ta be comin' ou' now! Tou-YIKES!"

Jin's ocean blue eyes, wide in horror, were locked on the wall opposite the bed. There, written in blood, was a message: THE ICE MASTER HAS BEEN TAKEN, NEVER TO RETURN. It was signed, The Clan of the Shadow.

(&&&&&)

"RISHO!!" Jin screamed and he barreled down the staircase and through the dojo, narrowly avoiding having his head embedded in the walls. "RISHO!!!! RISH-YIKES!!!!!" This time the wind demon did collide with the Earth Master.

But before they fell to the ground in a heap, Jin lifted the startled team leader into the air and shot back toward Touya's room. Before Risho could even speak, they were there, and Jin was talking up a storm, his words incomprehensible because of the rate at which he talked and his outrageous accent.

"Icameup'erelookin'ferTouyaan'Isawno'allwasrigh'soIcameinan'sawtha'onthewall!" the Wind Master babbled franticly, pointing to the blood red words. "Icouldn'believemeeyesbu'therei'was,an'Ithinki'swrit'eninblood! Yep,tha'there'sbloodRisho!"

The Earth Master chuckled. "It's what? Honestly, Jin, you'll have to speak slower. I can't understand a word you're saying."

The Wind Master growled in frustration but repeated himself at a speed at which Risho could understand. "Like I said, I came up 'ere lookin' fer Touya, an' I didn' think everythin' was righ'. So I came in 'ere an' saw tha' on the wall!" He kept pointing at the words. "An' I think i's writ'en in blood, Risho!"

Risho walked closer to the wall and studied it. "Yes, it is written in blood. Touya's blood, if I'm not mistaken."

Jin's eyes bulged. "Touya...blood..."

"That's right." The Wind Master took a few steps backward. "Well, wha' are we gonna do, Risho? Risho?"

The Earth Master snickered quietly. "Wha's so funny? We got'a 'elp 'im! We got'a find 'im!"

"Why should we waste our time and energy? I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere," Risho chuckled darkly.

Jin moved back in horror at the realization. "Ya don' care, do ya?" The team leader smirked and moved forward. "Very good, you win the prize. I don't care what happened to that little ice insect."

The wind youkai backed up until his back was flat against the wall. "Bu' 'e's yer teammate!" he shouted. Risho's eyes shimmered. "He's nothing but a pathetic weakling, too obsessed with honor to do what is best for himself and his Shinobi sect. Touya the so-called Ice Master is no teammate of mine."

As the Earth Master came closer, Jin tried to melt into the wall. Risho sneered at the frightened wind youkai. "Can I tell you a secret?" he asked darkly. He pinned Jin to the wall and lowered his lips right by the wind demon's sensitive ear. "I gave Touya to the Clan of the Shadow," he whispered.