Hey everyone yeah long time since I updated. I'd like to thank the person that reviewed (like I wished more people would do -- ). Any way I'm probably going to be putting more fics up. Here's the next chapter.

CHAPTER FOUR RUNNING OUT OF TIME

"What the hell; ok just who the hell are you people?" Kuwabara said. Yusuke smirked; he knew what was going on. Well half way. Kurama shut his eyes and smirked; this mission was getting more dangerous and interesting by the minute.

"I thought you both were dead," Kurama said.

Keeda smirked, "Yeah well you see after bat for brains told you to run for it; I was doing my job and found him with bamboo poles stuck through him. We went looking for you after he healed. But we didn't find you." Keeda looked down at the ground, almost like she was ashamed.

"Well you had already retreated to Ningenkai and here we are. So what do you say we go find the shrimp and get the hell out of here," Kurnue said. Kurama nodded.

"Hold up! I'm confused!" Kuwabara all but yelled.

"When aren't you?" Keeda muttered.

"You are so lucky you're a girl!"

"More like he's too chicken to fight," Kurnue said.

"Kuwabara if you don't mind lets keep going we can figure stuff out along the way," Botan said.

"Ok."

They started walking again, "Now just what are you confused on?" Keeda asked, actually sounding nice.

"For starters, how do you know midget and how the hell did you know where he was?"

"Ok, me, Kurnue, Kurama, and ass hole used to run around Makai killing and stealing together. And as for me knowing where he was at well…I was looking for him and I found out that he'd went on a mission. Found out you guys didn't go with him, so I followed ya'll around, figuring that one of you would run into him sooner or later."

"I still can't believe you posed as a human," Kurama said.

"Hey I fooled you didn't I; or have your fox senses disappeared?" Keeda asked as she ruffled his hair. Kurama gave her a playful annoyed look.

"Well where would Hiei be?" Kurnue asked.

"A damp cave," Keeda muttered. Yusuke snickered. Botan gave a disapproving, "Hmp!" Keeda looked back at Yusuke and said, "Baka detective."

"Who the hell you calling stupid!"

"The idiot that's yelling."

Yusuke was about to yell but then said, "I'd quite if I were you."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll tell Botan and stupid what you're hiding, both of the secrets." Keeda smirked as Yusuke gave a triumphant smile.

"Sure, but if you slip you and Kayko will be reliving what happened a year ago." With that she walked ahead of them.

"Guys shouldn't we stop I mean we're only using flash lights and we might miss something," Botan said after an hour. Yusuke looked back at her, maybe she was right. But he knew the longer they took the less chance they had of finding Hiei; alive at least. Then again it might take longer stumbling around in the dark. Keeda looked around, being a demon she could see just fine in the dark; that and she had some help. Maybe the baka onna was right. Maybe they should stop.

"Yusuke, she's right, we should probably stop." Yusuke looked at the group then back at Keeda and nodded. He only hoped his guess about what she was hiding was correct. Keeda sat down next to Yusuke as they made camp. After everyone else was asleep she said, "How'd you know?"

"Well you act like him; look like him. I took a guess; because I know the secrets he hides."

Keeda had to keep from laughing; it was hard to believe that stubborn jack ass had told any one anything about him, "So he trusts this group that much already?"

"Me and fox boy yeah."

"Or at least you hope he trusts you."

"He seems to. Hey Keeda, that book you have, what's really in it?"

She sighed, "Pictures of a past that I wish have never ended. Good night detective." With that she jumped up into a tree and went to sleep. Well that was a quick way to end a conversation.

"URAMESHI WAKE UP!" Kuwabara practically screamed. Yusuke yawned and sat up like he had only spoke normally. He looked at Kuwabara and then at the camp site. Everyone seemed in a hurry to get out of there and the sun was only being to rise.

"What the hell's going on?"

"The giant snakes, they're coming this way."

"Oh shit!" Yusuke yelled as he jumped up. They ran for it. They ran for what seemed like forever. "Kurama, Kuwabara and Botan can't keep up!" Yusuke yelled to the demon turned human who was a few yards ahead of him. Kurama turned back his mouth almost in a growl.

"Yell them to get on her ore!" Kurama called back. Yusuke nodded as he yelled back to the other two. Keeda and Kurnue were no where in sight. No doubt way a head of Kurama. Botan and Kuwabara were now even with Yusuke, "You don't think they ditched us?" Botan asked.

Yusuke shook his head, "No way, Keeda's too honorable for that."

"Oh and just how the hell would you know that!" Kuwabara yelled.

"Because, she's too much like Hiei. You watch she'll do almost the exact same thing as Hiei."

"And just what would that be Mr. Smarty pants?"

"How much you wanna bet those two are either keeping up us or Kurama or are just far enough where we can't see them?" Kuwabara shook his head. Yusuke was wrong, dead wrong; there's no way in hell he could be right. They heard Kurama yell and when they looked he was no where in sight. Kuwabara and Botan both jumped off her ore and ran after Yusuke who had put on a burst of speed.

Kurnue and Keeda jumped out of the forest onto the path in front of Yusuke when they got to the spot where Kurama had been they too disappeared. Botan and Kuwabara followed. There had been a hole there. They were in going down an underground rapid. While Kuwabara and Botan were screaming Yusuke was yelling, "Man this would make one hell of a water slide!" Keeda was enjoying the ride though was concentrating on losing her weapons. Kurnue was trying to make sure his wings didn't get caught on the roots of trees that were sticking out every where.

They exited the tunnel by being shot out of a cliff side into a waterfall. Yusuke let out a yell as he flew through the air. There was a huge splash as everyone hit the water. Once everyone was on the shore Botan let out a loud moan, "I broke my ore!" Keeda gave her annoyed look, 'She better be thankful it wasn't her neck. Then again that would've taken care of one annoying person.'

"Where to now?" Yusuke had, not having a clue in hell where they were at.

"Good question," Kurama said. He looked along the opposite shore and the one they were on. The wind blew and Keeda caught two familiar scents. One being that of rain and the other of their missing team mate. Keeda gave a sigh; they'd found him, as soon as Kurama noticed they'd be able to find him; but was he alive. After all it was the scent of his blood she'd picked up.

"Kurama do you smell that?"

Kurama sniffed the air and nodded, "Yes, it's Hiei. The smell's coming from down stream."

"How far?" Yusuke asked.

"I can't tell there's so much water around here. It could be an hour, a few minutes."

"Well then we better get started," Keeda said.

Kurama nodded, "Your faster than us; you go ahead."

She smirked, "Are you actually going to let me?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Well if I said don't you'd do it any way. Just don't get killed."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be walking on egg shells." In a flash she was gone.

"Well come, we gotta find the shrimp and get out of here," Yusuke said. They all nodded and sped off, Kurnue taking to the air about five minutes later. Where was he? Was he even still alive? If he wasn't Koenma was gonna have hell to pay.

Two hours later it was raining so hard that the rain felt like bullets of ice when they hit them. Keeda and Kurnue were once again with them. Their only hope...no Hiei's only hope now lay with Kurama. Unfortunately the fox could barely smell Hiei's scent. "This hopeless for all we know he could be dead!" Kuwabara yelled over the rain.

"Don't say that!" Botan screeched at him. Yusuke watched them argue. He knew Hiei was still alive, he just had to be. Kurama got a dead lock on the scent, plus Hiei's life energy. Which actually worried him more than relieved him. It was so low he could barely sense it.

"Will you two shut up already!" Kurama yelled at Kuwabara and Botan. He was angry. His best friend was probably dying and they were arguing like children.

"Kurama, I think I know where he's at," Kurnue said. Kurama nodded; he trusted him, he had no reason not to. They set off again. They waded quickly across the river and went deeper into the forest. They came across a small stream. Yusuke saw something laying on the shore. It was wearing black clothing and small. It was Hiei no doubt. They ran towards him. He was on his stomach with half of his body in the stream. The water was red around him.

Keeda and Kurama knelt down on either side of him. They rolled him onto his back. Botan had to turn away as she saw what had happened to him. The side of his head was bleeding and the front of his shirt was ripped open. There two long and bloody gashes starting from his left collar bone and going down to his waist in the middle of his chest. "Hiei…Come on wake up," Kurama said.

"Kurama is he…" Yusuke couldn't finish the sentence. But what if he was? What if Hiei was dead?

Well? Good? Bad? Uh yeah but of a cliffy ain't it. So is Hiei dead or not. Review people! Go ahead and take a guess.