Mimiko: Oi! Sorry for taking so long on the update! But here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH……. Yet…..

Hiei was walking as fast as he could without leaving the others behind. He gritted his teeth and growled silently. He wished he could just run ahead of them and get Hina himself. He wanted to do so, so badly. But he knew if he did he probably would not survive. He felt like he was handicapped in a way, with his comrades trudging along behind him. He could hear that someone behind him (he was unsure who though) was breathing heavily. 'I can't believe they're tired.' He thought. 'Weaklings. I'm perfectly fine.' Then, the statement he was dreading reached his ears. "Hiei… I think we should stop." Hiei's body stiffened and he acted like he had not heard the comment. "Hiei…" Kurama said. "Hiei!" Hiei turned around sharply, his eyes focusing angrily upon the fox. "What?" He spat. Kurama motioned toward Yuusuke and Kuwabara. "We need to rest." He replied softly. "We need to keep going!" He could see that Kuwabara was breathing heavily and Yuusuke seemed fine but his breathing had somewhat wavered than from what it had been earlier.

Hiei stared at them with a sour look on his face. "Hiei… We have been walking since last night. We have not eaten and we are tired." Hiei seemed to pay no mind to Kurama's word and he merely looked away. He did not need to look at Kurama to tell that the fox was becoming impatient. "Either we can rest and be rejuvenated for battle or we can keep going. Then we will in no condition to fight." Hiei slowly turned to Kurama and then glanced at the two fighters behind him. He turned his back to them and muttered. "Fine." He made his way to a nearby tree and leapt up onto its branches. He settled down and leaned his back against the thick trunk. The other walked over to him and followed the same suit. Yuusuke leaned against the same tree while both Kurama and Kuwabara sat on a decaying log. Botan made her down from the sky and landed softly on her feet. "I tell you; sometimes I wish we were assigned cars instead of oars." She said rubbing her backside.

Yuusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara removed the small backpacks they had been carrying and rummaged around in them for a good minute. Yuusuke took out two sandwiches and handed one to Botan (who took it graciously.) Kurama took out a small container and began to eat the sustenance within it. Kuwabara simply took out a bottle of water and drank thirstily. "Here!" Yuusuke yelled throwing an apple up towards Hiei. Hiei caught the apple and threw it back to Yuusuke. "I don't need it." He said bluntly. Yuusuke sighed and looked up at his friend. "Look buddy. I know you're trying to put on a brave face and all, but you gotta eat. If we're gonna fight the same guy who we were after last time, all us are gonna need to be in top shape." Yuusuke threw the apple back up to Hiei and he caught it once again. "All of us." Yuusuke said staring up at Hiei. Hiei stared at the apple for a moment and then took a small bite out of it. Yuusuke smiled satisfied with himself and went back to eating his own sandwich.

Hiei hated when that happened. When he was put into a position where it was either he had to swallow his pride and do what he was told or act like an arrogant pig. He munched on the apple and removed his bandana. The violet eye on his forehead began to glow a soft blue as he stared at the rugged terrain of Makai. 'Hina…' He thought. 'Tell me if you're out there. Give me any sign.' He closed his eyes seeing if he could pick up his daughters or energy brain waves but to no avail. 'It's no use.' Ever since that one moment in the temple he had not been able to get a hold of Hina at all. He sighed and turned his head to the side. There was something in the distance that seemed to distract him he squinted but he still could not make it out. He leapt to the very top of the tree and his Jagan glowed once more. 'What is that?' He thought to himself. 'It looks like a big rock….' Hiei's eyes shot wide open. 'Or a stone castle!' "Hina!" He exhaled. He jumped from the tree and onto the ground. He quickly retied his bandana and looked up at Kurama. "Hurry up and eat. I think we're almost there." Kurama's eyes widened the slightest bit and Kuwabara stared in confusion. "Are you sure man?" Yuusuke asked standing up. "I'm positive!" Hiei replied.

"I saw it with my Jagan so we're not far off!" Yuusuke quickly gobbled up his sandwich and snatched Botan's half-eaten one away from her. "Hey! I wasn't done with that Yuusuke!" She said. "Tough! We're headin' back out!" He replied. Botan pouted for a moment before summoning her oar and setting herself upon it once again. "Just when I thought I would get a chance to rest…" She mumbled. Kurama had already put his possessions away and fastened the back around his back. "Here Kurama! I'll put it in mine. I have plenty of room." Yuusuke said holding out his hand. Kurama nodded and handed his pack over to Yuusuke. The Spirit Detective stuffed it inside his own backpack and slipped his arms through the straps. "Ready!" "Then let's go!" Hiei shouted beginning to run ahead. "Hang on guys! Wait for me!" Kuwabara shouted as he chugged down his water. "Ah! Brain freeze!" He quickly zipped up his backpack and ran to catch up with the rest of the Reikai Tantei.

-Hina-

The two brothers sat leaning against the entrance to the small dungeon where Hina now lay sleeping. Kyota spun his golden spear around slowly and sighed deeply. "How long do we have to wait here?" He asked. Kage had his eyes closed and arms crossed as if he were thinking about something. "Until we are told otherwise." Kyota grumbled in response. "That's not the answer I expected." Kage's eyes opened and he looked at his brother. "And what did you expect?" Kyota's shoulders loosened slightly and he set his spear down. "I dunno. Something like, 'Oh! Well you can leave right now if you want my dear brother!' " Kyota replied. Kage chuckled. "Well you live in a fantasy world brother." Kyota stood up and stretched his legs. He looked inside the cell to see Hina curled up in a ball on the floor sleeping peacefully. Kyota smiled to himself. "You know, she's kinda cute. When she's not crying or anything like that." Kage looked at his brother. "Don't get attached Kyota." He said as a light warning. "I know, I know." Kyota answered as he sat back down.

"Man, I wish they would hurry up and get here. It gets boring just sitting here. I actually feel like fighting for a change and they got me guarding a baby." Kyota picked his spear back up and rested one of his arms on his knees. "Careful brother. You might be wishing for something you don't really want." There was a long pause before someone spoke. "How did we end up here brother?" Kyota asked staring straight ahead of him. Kage looked over somewhat confused. "What? "How did we get here? Why are we here? I can still remember us playing in vast fields and having so much fun when we were younger. How did it all turn out like this? Why are we so unhappy now?" He asked with a melancholy look in his eyes. Kage sighed and closed his eyes again. "Slavery. People sell people. People betray people. And people end doing things they do not want to do." Kage was in deep thought this time as he recalled the incident Kyota referred to. He could remember playing in fields with his younger brother. He could remember a time when they were happy. He could. But he also remembered the day they had been sold into slavery. By their own parents no less. They were trained to fight. They were trained to kill. And they were trained to follow instructions or die.

"Sometimes, you just have to swallow your pride and do what needs to be done. And sometimes…Things just don't always turn out the way people want them to." Kage said softly, bowing his head. Kyota looked over at his brother to find he had the same sad look upon his face that he himself was bearing. "Our purpose is to fight and to die fighting." Kage said flatly. Kyota looked away from his brother. "I don't remember agreeing to that. They might've bought my body but that all they bought." He murmured. He stood up again and looked inside the cell at the little demon girl huddled on the floor. "You're just like us kid." He said quietly holding onto one of the bars on the door. "Neither of us agreed to be here."

-Hiei-

Hiei and the others were running as fast as their legs could carry them. (Save Hiei who slowed down for the others and Botan who was traveling by air.) Hiei's Jagan glowed underneath his bandana and an image of the castle came clearly into his mind. "I see it! I see it! We're almost there! Just a little farther!" He shouted to the others.

-Castle-

"Master, Hiei is on his way." Kodoku said motioning to the large screen in front of him where it showed Hiei and the others making their way to the stone castle. The dark figure was seated on a large chair directly in front of the monitor. "Good. Send my minions to greet them. We want to slow him down as much as possible." The figure replied. Kodoku nodded showing he understood. "Yes Master." He pressed a button located near the screen and within seconds, many demons appeared on the monitor as well. All small, cloaked demons with sharp claws and pointed teeth. "It's begun… Hiei… I anxiously wait for the moment I see you beg for mercy. I'm awaiting your death." Even in the shadows the wide smirk on the figure's face was apparent. "Come to me Hiei." Meanwhile, Kyota and Kage could the echoes of the conversation between the two men outside. Kage stood up and tightened his grip on his spear. "It seems as if your wish has come true." Kyota smirked and rested his spear on his shoulder. "I guess it did."

-Hiei-

As Hiei ran he began to sense a feeble life force ahead of them. They all seemed to sense it and stopped. A small group of demons were approaching them. Hiei gave a look of boredom and lazily drew his katana. "You've got to be kidding." He said to himself. Both Yuusuke and Kuwabara smirked. "This'll be easy!" Yuusuke said tightening his fist. "Piece o' cake." Kuwabara replied as he cracked his knuckles. The demons all charged at the fighters, they're fangs bared and claws ready. Hiei ran through the group quickly and defeated as many as he could. Then Kuwabara and Yuusuke went in after him using only their fists to ward off the demons. Kurama however did not move. He simply drew out his whip and finished off what was left of the demons. Yuusuke scratched the side of his face with a slight look of disappointment. "Well, that was pretty easy." He said. Hiei walked up to the entrance of the castle and examined the large stone door with his katana still in hand. He clenched his fist and gave the door a mighty punch. Within mere seconds the door came of its large metal hinges and fell over leaving the entrance wide open. The others joined up with Hiei at the opening. "Is everyone ready?" Yuusuke asked. Hiei nodded and gave a small. "Hn." Yuusuke smirked and then turned to the opening. "Then let's storm this castle!" With that all five of the fighters raced inside the dwellings of the castle, frantically searching for Hina.