What2callmyself: (hands you sweet snow) be a happy reader now with your sweet snow!

Chapter Eight: Kurama's bad feeling, Karasu's revenge

"Honestly Yusuke, you could have killed us." Kurama sighed.

"But the truth of the matter is, that we are all alive!" Yusuke pointed out while licking his soft serve ice cream cone. "I never would have thought a tough pyromaniac such as Hiei would be going nuts over some ice cream, though." The greasy haired punk laughed.

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle as well. Hiei was eating his ice cream, cone after cone after cone!

Yusuke and Hiei, both, looked very cute while eating their ice cream. A year or two ago, Kurama had even considered asking out Yusuke (whom he had been friends with since kindergarten) but was very disappointed when Keiko came into the picture. But thinking back now, Yusuke probably would have refused and then that would have ended their friendship right then and there.

"Finally! I… caught up… with you guys!" Kuwabara panted in the doorway of the ice cream parlor.

"Great Kuwabara…" Yusuke rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Ever thought of trying out for cross country running?"

"Oh shut it, Urameshi!" Kuwabara cracked his knuckles, threateningly.

A prick at the back of Kurama's neck made him turn his attention away from the argument and look out the window to see a figure fleeting into the shadows. Narrowing his eyes, he stared out the window until it didn't seem like whatever it was would move again. Praying he wasn't losing it, the redhead turned his attention back to Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Don't tell me you haven't had enough beatings from me yet." Yusuke growled, ready to kick Kuwabara's ass at any moment.

"I don't know, I'm a slow learner so maybe you should run that by me again. But I'll warn you, this is the time when I'll be the one kicking your sorry tail!" Kuwabara boasted.

Dropping his ice cream, Yusuke charged at Kuwabara and the ass kicking ensued. Ah well… such is the life of the those two…

"How can he drop his sweet snow like that?!" Hiei demanded in utter shock.

Kurama stifled a laugh and merely shrugged. "I believe Yusuke just holds beating up Kuwabara in higher priority than eating his ice cream which he made me pay for."

Hiei didn't respond to this, but it made him a little angry with Yusuke. Anyway, he finished his ice cream and returned to his normal self. "Those two have to be the biggest fools I've ever met. If they don't stop I'll beat both of their sorry butts."

This comment made the redhead think back to a rumor he had heard about Hiei. He was pretty similar to how Yusuke behaved at school. Sometimes he would skip class or school entirely and he was well known for being very strong. "So you beat up people like Yusuke does?"

"The only difference between him and I is that I don't get caught." Hiei smirked at Kurama.

"Hey, I resent that!" Yusuke shouted to the two of them.

Kuwabara was the unlucky one in this fight (no surprise there) and was shriveled up on the ground, his joints bending at weird angles, and bruises appearing everywhere.

"Not a very appealing trait…" Kurama trailed off about how Hiei and Yusuke always beat up on others.

Hiei turned away, angrily. "Fools…" The spiky-haired freshman trekked out of the parlor while scoffing at the rest of them and then vanished from view.

"Hmm… Yusuke, what time is it?" Kurama gave Yusuke an uneasy look.

"About thirty minutes after school ends, why? Worried Keiko will find us and unleash her wrath?" Yusuke snickered.

"Not quite… I'm more worried about something happening to—wait a minute! Thirty minutes after school?! We've been out of school that long?!" The redhead freaked out.

"Time flies when you're having fun, huh Kurama?" The black-haired thug elbowed Kurama playfully in the ribs.

"Yes, I guess…" Kurama stared down at his feet, deep in thought.

Someone stumbled into the ice cream parlor and belched loudly, the smell of strong liquor hanging around this man. "Well, I think I stumbled into the wrong place, mate."

"Chu, I told you the bar was across the street!" A small kid whom Kurama recognized as Rinku was walking at Chu's heels.

"Ah well… this is one strange rug." Chu stumbled on Kuwabara drunkenly.

"That's because it's a person, Chu. Oh hey! It's the idiot, Kuwabara." Rinku laughed at the beaten and broken Kuwabara that Chu just stepped on.

"Kurama?" Yusuke snapped the redhead out of his train of thought.

"Sorry, what was that Yusuke?" Kurama jerked his head up to meet Yusuke's chocolate brown eyes.

"You okay, man?" He asked, worriedly.

"I'll be fine. Listen, I'm going to walk on home so Shiori doesn't worry about me. I will probably pick up something along the way as well." The emerald eyed teen waved goodbye and then left the store without another word.

"Something's got him worried. Maybe I should've offered him a ride home on my motorcycle?" Yusuke wondered before stepping on Kuwabara's head and leaving on his bike.

Where Hiei is…

Hiei kicked the ground in frustration.

"Why is that fool, Shuichi, always on my mind? Damn it!" He growled at himself. "As if he could ever love me in return!"

Once again, Kurama's figure reminisced in Hiei's mind, only pissing off the freshman all the more. Furious at himself, Hiei punched the rusting wall of an old abandoned warehouse. A loud cackle from above him made him pause and glance around for the source of the laughter.

"Who's there?!" Hiei demanded.

"Well, well, it seems I snuck up on you this time. In our last encounter it was you who caught me off guard. I'm just here to return the favor." The wicked laughter grew louder from the shadows.

"Karasu…" Hiei breathed the foul name without a doubt about who it was.

"Aw… things not working out between you and our dear Shuichi? Figures, that someone as weak and emotionally insecure as you, wouldn't be able to move the dear fox's heart." Karasu sneered.

"Like you would have any more luck." Hiei retorted.

"Well that was cruel words. But eventually, Shuichi would see that I was best for him and not anyone else!" Karasu exclaimed, remaining well hidden within the shadows.

Scoffing, Hiei smirked confidently. "You're such a coward. Sneaking is about the only thing you can do. You snuck up on him after school that one day and now you have to sneak up on me. You're so weak, Karasu." Hiei took a step back to try and get a better view of where Karasu might be hidden inside the warehouse.

A thin but strong cord wrapped itself around Hiei's neck and pulled him a few inches off the ground. Hiei gritted his teeth and tried to pull on the cord around his neck but it was no use.

"Sneaking just seems to work for me, Hiei…" Karasu laughed.

TO BE CONTINUED

Yep, another cliffy! What will happen next?! By the way, I'm disappointed that only one person reviewed last chapter. Oh well, I love you a bunch What2callmyself!!!