Winds of Thyme: The Sequel

By Sakura Takanouchi

Winds of Thyme: The Sequel Chapter Seven: Ten Minutes TV Time

Dislaimer: Oh, don't we all love these things?

Fighting Yohji looked like an easy victory for Yusuke. He was bigger, and stronger, and wasn't all wimpy-looking. "So, kid," Yusuke asked. "How'd you get into all this stuff?"

Yohji smiled. "Rai adopted me when I was 2. She took me into this place and taught me how to do cool tricks where you put your hands into fists, like this, see? And then you punch real hard." He slammed a tree with his fist, which came falling with a loud crash- In one hit.

"So that's what a tree falling in a forest sounds like," Yusuke commented. "So, I suppose we're gonna have a little 1-on-1."

"Yeah, let's play!" Yohji ran towards Yusuke. 'I better not get caught in one of those punches,' he thought. He dodged Yohji's punch and returned one of his own. Yohji skidded back, but recovered quickly.

"Sorry, kid." Yusuke aimed at Yohji and yelled, "Spirit rings!" Four rings of pure spirit energy flew out of his fingertip and towards Yohji, pinning all of his limbs to the iron gate at the entrance of the Anbu Shijou.

"Hey! You cheat! Come back here!" Yohji yelled as he struggled under the rings.

"Sorry, little man, but I don't like to fight kids unless they're demons." Yusuke walked off into the forest, where Sakura and Rai's fight had taken them.

Way into the Forest

Sakura and Rai were running along the treetops at top speed, sometimes jumping across and exchanging blows. "Promise me," Sakura panted, "That if I defeat you, then You will give me an antidote against whatever you did to all the youkai."

"There is no antidote," Rai cackled. At the look of horror on Sakura's face, Rai smiled. "Relax, it'll wear off in a few hours." "But, if you win, I'll take you to the boss. He's stronger than I am."

Sakura jumped over the trees and slammed Rai in the stomach. Rai fell through the trees and lay slumped on the ground. "I have no interest in this boss of yours." She sneered. "I just wanted to find an antidote." She flung Rai against a tree and threw a dagger against her jacket. It secured her to the tree.

"Now if you come for me, I'll give you a grave," Sakura ambled off in the direction she came.

Halfway there, she met up with Yusuke. She took his arm and started running. "Hurry, if we want to get Mukuro and Kurama back to the castle in time. The "boss" is about to make his highly-anticipated arrival." Yusuke nodded and ran.

They reached the clearing. About half of the youkai bodies were gone, but luckily, Kurama's and Mukuro's were still there. Yusuke slung Mukuro over his shoulder while Sakura gently picked up Kurama. They quickly walked out of the marketplace square and towards Mukuro's castle. "Oh, I hope Hiei got there in time," She said.

"Yeah, I can't think of what would happen if he didn't," Yusuke added. They started to run just a little faster. Mukuro's castle was in sight. But there were some people in front of it. They looked mean…and mad. Sakura judged about 5, two being worthless flunkies like Rai and Yohji. They were dressed in red and black ninja clothes. In fact, one of them looked very similar to Rai. Sakura punched Yusuke, who nodded at her. They stepped more delicately around the fallen leaves to avoid noise and snuck around the ninjas. They entered a gate in the back. There stood Hiei, with the tree of life beside him.

The berries were a very dark red.

A/N

Cliffhanger! Will the berries turn black, fall of, and bring about the demise of the Makai? Or will they turn pretty colors like bright light red! (We're not talking rainbow berries here. This isn't Pokemon.) So, I wonder which one I'll choose?

Also, the reason I'm hurrying this arc along is because I want to do the next arc SO BAD. I've had this idea (I'm not telling) for about a year. So I really didn't want to make them fight the boss, but I don't have much of a choice, do I?

See ya in the next chapter,

S-A-K-U