Yay! Next chapter. Have fun reading! Suggestions are appreciated! Sorry for the long wait and all! I was at camp...then now I'm going to work. So sry! Hope you like this chapter!

"talk" - normal speech

"talk" - telepathic (mind to mind)

Confrontations
"Oh Yukina! My beautiful snowflake!" He was almost at Yukina's side and about to grasp her hands when he ran into something solid and fell to the ground hard.

"Ow! Who built a wall there?" Kuwabara looked up into the icy violet eyes that were set into a pale, flawless face. "Wah? Hey you! Move aside!"

Souta didn't know what possessed him, but when Kuwabara had rushed towards Yukina and called her his beautiful snowflake, it rubbed his fur the wrong way. Literally.

Souta placed himself directed in front of Yukina and growled. "Refrain from touching Lady Yukina and I might consider letting you live."

Hiei and Yukina had identical looks of surprise. Kurama didn't miss the wary look the fire-koorime shot towards the silvery grey neko. Yusuke and Keiko were also astonished at the scene. At the sound of the warning growl coming from young man's throat and the slight flexing of muscles, the group knew that he was not a youkai to play around with.

"Seems your plans to hook those two up are working." Genkai said it softly so only Kagome could hear.

Kagome leaned against the doorframe beside Genkai and smirked. "Yep. Better than I suspected." She watched the scene carefully in case someone got hurt. She didn't want that to happen. There was still a lot to do that she and a certain somebody had planned.

The detectives backed Kuwabara up in an instant, with the exception of Hiei. He didn't give a care about the oaf and just stood back to watch the scene. Kagome raised her eyebrows at the lack of concern towards Kuwabara's predicament. Seems he didn't like Kuwabara courting his sister. Kagome smirked. This would make things whole lot more interesting.

With the denial of Yukina's person and the sight of someone blocking him, Kuwabara leaped to his feet with a threatening gesture and gave his own growl. "Hey, let me through! I've been protecting Yukina for ages. I'm not going to hurt her, you idiot!"

With that, he swung his fist wildly at silvery haired head.

And it was immediately caught in the clawed hand of the second male.

Kuwabara looked angrily into the ginger slit-pupil eyes of the second, slightly larger male. He had a long, dark greenish blue hair that floated around his lithe, well muscled form from the increase of youki about his person.

"Refrain from attacking my companions." The male intoned in a cold deep voice. It was deterring, to say the least.

Kagome almost wept tears and tried to refrain from doubling over in laughter. Shippou sounded just like Sesshoumaru! The centuries must be rubbing off the ice prince's demanding personality onto others.

Kurama narrowed his eyes, his mind calculating. The nekos were not at all what they seemed. Dangerous…was one thing that flashed through his mind. He was a bit worried for Yukina's welfare as well. Kurama wonder why Hiei wasn't.

'Obviously he doesn't care about Kuwabara.' Youko supplied for Kurama.

'That much is obvious.' Kurama almost rolled his eyes at the silver kitsune.

'And they are only threatening Kuwabara, not the other way around.'

Kurama didn't have a chance to retort a response.

"Hey you! Yeah, fox boy!"

Kurama blinked and stared into deep pools so black that it had a slight sheen of blue.

"Wah?" was his most intelligent response.

'Smooth. And she has such a nice body!' Youko purred as his eyes roamed the girl in front of him.

Kurama was quick to respond. 'Shut up!' He hissed at the smirking kitsune.

"I'm sorry. You were saying something miss?" Kurama asked when he caught his bearings.

"Stupid." The girl flipped her white, blue tinted hair. "Why aren't you paying attention?

It's about to get very interesting."

Kurama turned to see Kuwabara crouch and flex his fingers. When he leaped, twin swords flickered into existence and were aimed straight at both the males in between him and Yukina.

Kurama and Hiei's eyes widened with disbelief when the second female, whom they had forgotten, placed herself directly in the path of Kuwabara's dimension swords. They shouted for Kuwabara to stop, but he was already midway and on his down stroke. Yusuke and Keiko were also in a state of shock.

"Shit. Kuwabara no!" Yusuke shouted.

But it was a little too late. The four of them could only watch in horror as Kuwabara's attack moved in slow motion towards the female's unprotected body.

Only for it to, once again, be repelled.

Kuwabara raised rage filled eyes to glare at the person had the nerve to stop him, and was immediately shocked into stillness.

The same could be said of the rest of the spirit detectives, who were unsure whether they were stunned by the sword's inability to cut through the barrier when it should have, or the fact that it was a small female who was even shorter than Hiei that had erected the barrier.

Kurama immediately stepped forward to ease the tension.

"I'm terribly sorry about this." He bowed hurriedly at the small, white haired female. "Please allow me to introduce myself in hopes of clearing our mistake. I'm Shuuichi Minamino. But you may call me Kurama, lady…"

The female in front of his gave a tingling laugh that seemed to calm the tension. "Yes, yes. I know all about this little group here, Kurama."

She flashed him a most superior looking grin and spoke in a knowing voice. "Or should I say…Youko?"

The red head stepped backwards in surprise. Even the silvery avatar gave a start when the mysterious female said his name. Kurama's eyes flashed gold.

How does she know! Youko's ears were laid flat against his skull and he growled. Dammit. She shouldn't know that!

"You may call me…Kage." Pale red eyes were centered on his own. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurama. Say hi to Youko for me."

Kagome grinned when emerald eyes flashed golden. "Thanks."

She turned away when brown eyes narrowed at her. She smirked and bowed low. "Ah. I haven't forgotten you, my lord. Yusuke-sama, leader of the Spirit Detectives." She smirked. "So how's life after being dead twice? I imagine being a Toushin is nice, ne?"

The dark chocolate-brown eyes widened marginally. "What…When…? Dammit! How the fuck do you know my name! Oh, that's just fan-fucking-tastic! Toushin," Yusuke muttered then turned and glared sharply at the smirking petite female. "…how the fu-"

The girl next to smacked Yusuke upside the head. "Yusuke! That's no way to talk to a lady! Apologize. Now!"

Kagome chuckled, immediately taking a liking to the fiery brunette. "It's alright Keiko. He has every right to worry when someone just automatically spews out information about himself. But you make a pretty damn good girlfriend. Some who aren't as carefree as me just might behead the 'I'm the ultimate punk' head of his."

Kagome paused as she felt a prodding at the base of her skull. Someone was trying to break into her mind! She turned and pale red eyes clashed with crimson.

'So you think to break into my mind, eh? Foolish little Jaganshi.'

Hiei's eyes widened marginally before he snarled. 'Wench! How is it possible that you resist my jagan eye?'

Meanwhile, Kagome was speaking outloud, belying the fact that she was already talking with him mind to mind. "You're Hiei aren't you?"

She spoke no more about him, making Hiei narrow his crimson eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" He spoke in a threatening tone, but being curious, he silently asked, 'and why is it that you know so much about us?'

The albino female smirked and turned away from him in favor of Kuwabara. Hiei inwardly seethed.

"I'm sorry Kuwabara. My brothers are a bit…" She glared at the two males. "Overprotective."

Kagome watched as Yukina crouched down beside Kuwabara's forlorn form.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Kuwabara merely nodded and stood up silently; somewhat shamed that Yukina had witnessed his beating. Yukina turned away from the orange headed man in favor of the silver haired neko that had started the whole ordeal.

She gazed sharply at the male, ready to chastise him when her hands were suddenly swept up.

"Forgive me, Yukina." Souta said and dropped a kiss to her hands. "I wasn't thinking properly. Will you ever forgive me?"

Yukina stuttered and a slight red tinted her cheeks. She couldn't resist the puppy eyes, not one from a male so handsome and so…She shook her head slightly to clear her mind.

"So you won't forgive me?" Souta lowered his head and tucked his ears against his skull.

"Oh…!" Yukina's cheeks brighten even further. "Of-of course I will! I n-never said I didn't…"

Kagome stared at the pair in amusement. She'd forgotten the days when she was in love. That was so long ago, when she was but a mere teen. The white albino tilted her head, wondering if this was what she seemed like when she was in love. She probably was…

The reikai tentai could only blink in shock.

'What's going on here!' Was the only thought that ran through their minds?

Only Kuwabara stood with a clear head. He recognized the look in her eyes, the ones that he wanted her to bestow on only him. What had happened? Where had he gone wrong? Was he not worth it…just a lowly human?

"That's not true." said in a soft voice that seemed to caress his mind caringly. "It's not your fault. Yukina wasn't meant for you. You're soul is destined for another. Don't despair, my friend."

"Wha-!" He looked at the petite female in surprise. Was there just a flicker over her image? Kuwabara looked closer and was rewarded with a black haired blue eyed version of the albino female. He watched as the black haired version winked twinkling sapphire eyes and held up hand in front of her mouth in a shushing motion.

"Keep it a secret between us, ok? Just between you and me…"

With his sixth sense tugging at him, not in a warning way, but with a soft accepting tingle, Kuwabara knew she could be trusted and he nodded sharply. The female smiled and nodded her head in his direction. The overlaying image disappeared until he was only seeing the albino version.

"Kuwabara? Hello!"

Kuwabara blinked his eyes. "What?"

"I've been calling you for hours! What's going on in that walnut-sized brain of yours? Has it shut down?" Yusuke all but shouted.

"No. Now leave me alone. I need to think." With that said Kuwabara apologized to Genkai's guest and left towards the gardens, leaving Yusuke gaping at his words. Kuwabara needed to mull over the words Kage had told him, but it was going to be hard.

Ok! Next chapter is up! Sorry for the long wait. I was at camp. Had internet for the first week...then my comp was placed in permanent quarentine. Kinda sucked...so ya. Here it is now. I should probably start on my other stories...WAY behind schedule. See ya!

Please Review!

-Icybetrayal