HOWDY NEIGHBOR!! I am liking the reviews I have been getting. Sorry it has taken me a little while to post...not as long as usual though. Thanks to my loyal fans. You all have noticed my style of writing and my skills have changed since I started this fic. It is evident to me in the reviews I have been getting since then, and thanks to all of you who are still with me even after a whole year.

Although one review that I received, I think one of you took one of the chapters a little too seriously. To that reader...I myself am an American and yes we do make good movies, but however I am writing this from their viewpoint. Yusuke isn't going to like a sappy movie such as Titanic...and of course he isn't really going to be interested in American movies. Realize that most of the character in this fic are not very emotional and are not really going to enjoy a depressing movie like that. So that being said, don't be so offended by things you may read in this fic, they are the character's opinions, not my own.

Anyway recap- the gang had a peaceful day to recover...until Yusuke, Keiko, Hiei, and Neko met up. Also Kurama has been ordered by Koenma to watch Neko in hopes of gaining more knowledge on the youkai that are after her and Hiei. When we last left our heroes, they had felt a powerful aura heading their way.

Flames of Deceit- Chapter 7- Confrontation

"Keiko I said get the hell out of here." Yusuke made a move to push her in the other direction, however she turned to him with a serious look in her eyes that made him stop.

"I'm leaving, but promise me you'll be careful." Yusuke looked at her in awe. She's really worried about me. The urgency to remove her from danger was the overruling feeling however.

He nodded at her. "Look, I promise but get the hell out of here now." Suddenly Keiko launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. Caught of guard, Yusuke fought to keep his balance and then returned the embrace, holding her tightly to his chest. Just as he started to pull away from her, Keiko pressed her lips against his, and without another word she turned and walked away. Yusuke watched in astonishment as her figure retreated from the park.

Slowly, he turned back to Hiei and Neko, who seemed to not have noticed what had just taken place. They were both intent on following the movements of Kurama, who had just jumped down from his perch in the tree. He was quickly making his way towards them.

"I don't have to ask you if you can feel that fox, so tell me what do you think of it?" Neko turned to look at Hiei. She had no idea that the two knew each other. Although that would give a meaning as to the reason why he had been hidden from view watching the two the whole entire time they had been there. At first she wasn't sure if he had been there by coincidence but the fact that Hiei had talked to him like a friend had given her a different idea. She still wasn't sure if she should have been angry that she had been watched like that, but at the time it didn't matter because they could use all the allies they could get. The demonic aura they had all sensed was not only getting closer, but stronger as well.

Kurama had shook his head. "I cannot say what I think because I know nothing of its origin, except that it is definitely powerful and malevolent in nature." Hiei nodded in agreement.

"So let's just kick its ass." Neko glanced over at Yusuke with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"While I agree with the violent part, that doesn't answer why the hell it's attacking us." Yusuke shrugged. She sighed and shook her head. "You truly are an idiot." Kurama chuckled.

"You all are such a pleasant group of people." They all turned to look at him with puzzled looks.

"Tell me something I don't know, like who the hell these people are that are after me."

"I'm afraid I have no information to offer you. However these are not people at all, they are youkai."

"Kurama, should you be telling her that?"

"Yusuke, they are apparently after her, and if she's in this deep she may as well know what is tracking her down." Neko looked in between the two.

"Youkai...as in demons? Monsters that aren't supposed to exist?"

"That is a way of putting it."

"Those monsters that aren't supposed to exist...Kurama and myself are those monsters." A silence fell over the group. Yusuke felt a tension fall over Kurama and Hiei. He couldn't tell how Neko had taken it, because as always she was hiding all emotions.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing it to calm her. When she opened her eyes she looked directly into Hiei's eyes, for a moment making him uncomfortable. The look that he saw in her eyes was not fear or anger as he expected, but something he was not sure he had ever seen before. For a moment he wished that he could stare into her ocean like eyes forever. In those few seconds he was completely unaware of his surroundings. Some new wave of emotion had taken over him that he could not identify. He found it disturbing and yet enjoyed it at the same time. He quickly pushed it aside before his companions noticed a change in him.

"You two may be youkai, but monsters is not something either of you are." He looked at her confused. She doesn't care what I am. Why is it that I'm relieved that she isn't afraid of me?

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"If you're talking about the night at the restaurant, you weren't a monster then either. Monsters don't save people who are in danger."

"I think she has you there Hiei," he growled at Yusuke in reply.

"They're close," Neko announced. Again an uncomfortable silence fell between them.

"This isn't fair. If I can't see my enemy, how do I know what I'm fighting?" The other three turned to the spirit detective.

"I'm pretty sure you'll see them when they actually get here." Yusuke toed at the ground, obviously not sure if that had been a joke or not. Neko grinned at this. Not much on brains.

"Ok, since that's been discussed, I just want to know what they're really after. I know that they have attacked Hiei and myself twice. But why are they after us? I can see them holding a grudge against a youkai, but why a human?" Kurama shrugged at her. "That's really not much help you know."

"I agree it is unusual for them to be after you, but they might not even have a good reason to attack you."

Neko looked at the redhead in confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, if these youkai aren't very intelligent then they may just be attacking you because you were with Hiei the first time they attacked." Neko nodded in acknowledgement.

"Right...but I have a feeling they are much more intelligent than that. At least the one who is behind this all." She paused for a moment, searching for words. "The ones that we fought were pretty dumb, but there was another youkai with them who called himself Sadiron. He seemed pretty smart to me. Although I'm sure he's not the one in charge, he's getting orders from someone else." She neglected to mention the fact that Sadiron had thought that she was someone else. Miayumi what did you do to piss these guys off?

Kurama closed his eyes in thought. "Then I have no idea what possible reason they could have."

Hiei glanced at Neko, he had noticed she didn't tell Kurama about Sadiron mistaking her for some other woman. Nor had she mentioned her little blackout. Of course he probably wouldn't have said anything about it either. "I do not see how these youkai could have a grudge against me. I have never seen nor heard of them."

"Maybe it's not you two who they're mad at. Maybe it was someone who knew you guys and they're just trying to get back at them by attacking you two."

"I think the detective just had an intelligent moment, perhaps we should give him a round of applause and a prize." Neko resisted the urge to smirk at Hiei's comment, although she had almost said something similar.

"Watch it shorty, remember who kicked who's ass when we first met." Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"We could have a rematch, this time there is no mirror to help you." Kurama rolled his eyes.

"I think it would be best to focus on the situation at hand." Yusuke crossed his arms. "Now he does have a point, it is possible you just simply know the wrong people."

"Who the hell could we possibly know that would piss those guys off. Aside from you three, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Yukina, I know one other person." Hiei raised an eyebrow. She only knows one other person? The other two must have missed the significance of the last part, because they were already discussing people that the fire apparition knew. Neko suddenly stiffened. "I don't think now is the time to discuss that."

"Indeed, it seems we have company." Neko clenched her teeth at Kurama's obvious statement.

"It's Sadiron. Funny, he's not the presence I felt. The other one was much more powerful." Yusuke started to laugh.

"Oh come on. I may not be as good at spiritual awareness as Kuwabara is, but I can even tell that this twerp is nothing." Kurama nodded.

"I must admit I was expecting more of a challenge."

"Who cares, I just want to kill something." Neko turned to Hiei with a slight smile.

"Now if we kill him first and then ask questions, I don't think that he'll talk much." Kurama looked between the two and noticed that Neko's fists were clenched. "However, I have a lot of frustration that I wouldn't mind taking out on his face."

"Now now Miayumi, such talk is not appropriate of a young woman." Neko slowly turned to him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I thought I told you that my name is Neko, and that I've never heard of anyone named Miayumi." He laughed mockingly at her.

"You realize it is no use trying to hide from us, don't you Miayumi?" Kurama turned to the girl beside him.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Yusuke took a step back, it was quite evident that Neko was very pissed. He didn't think that Sadiron laughing at her was helping anything either. "What do you not get about the fact that my name is Neko?"

"It's no use trying to explain that to him, I doubt his mind could comprehend it."

"Uh, what's going on?" The three of them turned to the spirit detective.

"Well, it's very easy. That youkai is our enemy, and we're going to kill him."

"Thanks Hiei for such a detailed description." Hiei glared at Kurama. You're welcome fox.

"Right, so why haven't we attacked him yet?"

"Good question," Neko answered. "Why the hell haven't we?"

"Because I have a proposition," Sadiron replied for them. Neko narrowed her eyes. She wanted to do nothing more than bash him in the face as hard as she could. Suddenly she wished she had brought her katana. Then she could have stabbed him in the stomach. The image of Sadiron's mangled body brought a smile to her lips.

"Give me the fire apparition and the girl," he had directed the request at Kurama and Yusuke. They turned to each other and the spirit detective began to chuckle.

"You're kidding right? You really think that we're going to just hand them over like idiots?" There was no amusement on Sadiron's face. However Yusuke seemed to find it entertaining.

The youkai frowned at them. "You hand them over and there will be no fighting here today."

"With all due respect, you would be wrong on that assumption. You see, I'm pretty sure that they would both fight us in resistance." Silence followed the fox demon's statement. There seemed to be a lot of silence between this group Neko absentmindedly thought. They were like the outcasts that no one wanted to talk to. Like the pets that no one wanted to keep. Like children that were unwanted by their mothers. The last thought brought a stinging to her eyes. It brought back painful memories that she did not want dug up.

"What's wrong Miayumi? You're not afraid are you?" The teenage girl brought her face up to glare at her mocker. She was still envisioning hurting the youkai in some way or another. Hiei saw the same coldness in them that he had seen the day that she had been a ruthless killer. It was not as intense, but it was still there. He resisted the urge to shudder.

Kurama turned to look at the human girl. He had felt a sudden surge of power emitting from her small frame. It had been faint, as if it was being suppressed or hidden. What power is this that Tsuki contains? Disturbing as it was, the kitsune brought his attention back to Sadiron. He was hiding something as well. A secret about something important.

"Are you going to fight us yourself this time, or send more of your henchmen in?" All eyes were focused on the youkai and Neko now. Somehow it seemed that this was their fight and no one else's. Not even Hiei's.

"I already told you I did not come to fight. I came for you and the fire apparition. Nothing more, nothing less."

She shook her head and laughed. It was cruel laughter. Hiei cocked his head to the side in bemusement. The voice that had left her lips had not been her own. This voice was cold, icy, and emotionless. It had been the voice of a fighter. Someone who didn't tolerate anything from anyone. He somehow found himself attracted to this. The fire apparition liked the fact that the girl could stand up for herself.

A dry breeze had picked up. Neko stood impassively as her jet-black hair whipped around her face. Most of the emotion had melted from her face except the irate look in her eyes. Hiei noted that they had nearly turned black with fury. Makai had also brought this behavior out of her. Is this the Miayumi Sadiron was talking about? Or is this actually the secret that she's been hiding from everyone?

"You killed someone Sadiron." It was just a simple statement. No anger, not a question. The ice youkai replied by grinning. It disgusted the rest of them, Neko had seemed not to notice. In fact, she didn't seem to acknowledge her companions either. Almost as if she was not herself, but someone else.

"You betrayed someone." Her words were almost lost on the wind; it had picked up remarkably. "And then you killed them." Fists clenched at her sides, she continued. "You violated their trust! You sick bastard."

Yusuke had made an involuntary step away from the girl. Her voice was biting into his skin; it was full of such fury that he would never be able to comprehend. Kurama had also been startled by Neko.

He was studying her. This presence is not Tsuki. It is something far more powerful and ancient. His eyes met with Hiei's and he frowned. The shorter one did not respond, but the kitsune could clearly see that he knew something was wrong as well.

Sadiron finally broke the unbearable silence. "You see, you do remember." He had seemed somewhat shaken at first, but now his grin returned. "This girl you inhabit is merely your reincarnation. Lucky for me, this means that you do not have all the power that you once had." This was returned with a glare. "Yes, I did kill someone. Several someones actually." His gaze shifted to Hiei.

"However, I was not the one who had the pleasure of killing your father." Hiei stiffened.

"No, you couldn't. You were a coward and weak. He bested you and you ran away before he could finish the job." Piercing eyes shot to her face. She smirked, "You were afraid of a little bit of fire."

"Damn you Miayumi. You're so damn smart. But that didn't save you did it?" There was no response. From her anyway. Hiei had made his way towards the ice youkai.

"What about my father?" Kurama noticed that Hiei was dangerously close to losing his control. Fox, stay out of this. The kitsune hung his head in defeat. He might get killed if he tried to intervene. None of them had ever seen Hiei this upset.

However, Sadiron had complete control of the situation. He gave a nice half smile. "What would you like to know? Why, how, when…pick one."

"Stop!" A possessed Neko stepped towards them. "Being the filth that you are, you have no permission to tell him. You were the one who became the traitor. Traitors are liars."

"You're not making sense Miayumi. Tell me, are you losing your control over the girl? She does have a strong spirit of her own." Her eyes narrowed. "Fine, you tell him. Be my guest."

She pointed to him, "He-…" Her eyes fluttered and she put her arm forth as she found herself kneeling on the ground. She struggled to maintain control. "Your father-…" She didn't get any further, all of her effort had been put into keeping herself conscious.

"I know not even the great Miayumi can possess a human for long periods of time. At least not now. You did just come back." He kneeled by her and looked into her eyes as the coldness slipped from them. "Sleep for now and we'll meet again."

The presence finally gave up trying to control Neko and she slumped to the ground, unconscious. Yusuke was the first to reach her, Kurama was right behind him. "She's still breathing."

"Of course she is, she was only possessed detective." Hiei turned away from them and slowly exhaled. He had been holding his breath. He's right, Neko is a strong spirit all on her own. A chill flew down his spine. The more strength that she showed, the more he found himself drawn to her. The thought scared him. He had felt an animal like lust towards other females before, but this was just not the same. There was emotion twisted with it. He cared if this human lived or died. He cared.

Sadiron was beaming at him. "She's hard to resistant, isn't she?" There was a hint of jealousy in his tone that Hiei picked up. Did he envy the fire apparition? "I must admit, I was once pulled in by her too. But she had no need for me, and I was cast out from her world."Flames were burning in the ice demon's eyes. Memories of pain and hurt were all too evident on his face, they had not been missed by the two other youkai present. "She saw everyone else but me. I would have done anything for her, and you know what she told me when I confessed this to her?" He laughed bitterly. "She told me that I was too frail and that my heart contained evil. She threw me aside like I was garbage! Me, who had done everything for her attention! She shunned me." He became quiet in thought. "As did your father."

Hiei's head jerked at the assertion. "What do you know about him?" There was a desperate plea in his voice that he hid with fury. I don't even know who my father was, or anything about him. Sadiron seems to be the expert on him. He knew that Sadiron would evade the question, the youkai did not prove him wrong.

"All in due time of course. Whenever our little Miayumi learns how to control her possession of the girl, we can confront each other." He reached into a pocket in his cloak for something. He pulled out a pendent on a long chain and tossed it to the ground at Hiei's feet. "That belonged to your father. He had it with him at all times. Something sentimental for you to cherish. Till then…" The three boys watched in disbelief as a cyclone of blue mist surrounded Sadiron. It took only seconds for it to completely envelope him.

When the smoke had finally cleared, Sadiron was gone. Kurama walked over the spot that he had been standing in. "I'm guessing that would be the same technique he used to get into the human world."

"Thanks for stating the obvious there buddy." Yusuke shifted uncomfortably, he had been trying to ease the situation. Joking had always made him feel better, but this time it didn't seem to help at all. He looked at Hiei, who was stooping to pick up the pendant.

There was a flame carved into the golden pendant. A fire emblem pendant. It didn't tell him much, but it was a start. He had thought about trying to force Miayumi to enter Neko's body again so that he could learn something, anything. However, he was too worried about the effect that it would have on Neko. He had already seen that possession physically wore her out, he had no idea what it could do to her emotional stability. It could end up damaging her mind, or sending her to her death. There probably wouldn't have been a problem if it were a human he didn't know, but he couldn't bring himself to purposely hurt this one. "She's hard to resistant, isn't she?" That damn youkai had gotten to him.

"Hiei…ummm…"

"Spare me your sentiments detective. They're not important." The boy watched the ground as if thinking of something to say. "What is important is that you stay out of this, along with your idiot of a friend."

"Hiei, Kuwabara and me are your friends! We're not gonna let you face this alone!" He held up a hand to silence him.

"This is none of your business! You two will only get in my way." Yusuke had clenched his fists.

"Fine, if that's how you want it," slowly he turned and walked away.

"Hiei, I know that you're trying to protect them, but they are strong allies."

"I meant you too fox. This is none of your concern either." Kurama did not respond. He understood that Hiei felt as if this was something that he had to face alone. His pride and arrogance were fighting with his rationality. Not that he could blame him, he had just found out that his father had been brutally murdered. Let alone that he had found someone that had actually known where he came from. Hiei was not known for handling emotional situations very well.

They were interrupted by a sound coming from Neko's direction. It seemed like she had regained consciousness.

She awoke to find herself on her back staring at the darkening sky. What the hell am I doing outside and why do I feel like I just got hit by a train full of circus animals? She started to sit up and jumped as arms helped lift her from the ground. A boy that she had never seen before was comforting her…no…she had seen him. Right before…Sadiron. She didn't remember much, except a dark black void…like the one that she had experienced in Makai. She had been controlled again. Miayumi I would guess.

"How long have I been out?"

"Nearly ten minutes," she heard from behind her. Hiei. She turned to look at him. He looked angry and yet sad at the same time. A pang went to her chest. He had been hurt by something.

"I'll take you home." It hadn't taken long at all for the youkai to get her home. The darkness had created a good cover for them. As they approached her house, he noticed that none of the windows were lit. "You live alone." "Yeah, I do." He sensed hesitation and pain in those words. It was a sore subject. He would leave it alone then. "Thanks for bringing me home…" All too obviously, she wasn't quite sure what to say to him. Maybe she could ask what had happened before she woke up from her little nap…but it didn't look like he wanted to talk about it yet. "You're welcome," the words were foreign to him and they came out awkwardly. He brought himself to look at her, she had been watching him. They held each other's gaze for several precious minutes, neither wanting to look away. He was the one to finally speak. He had pulled the pendant out of his cloak. "I don't care about this, even if it is real. You may have it." Slowly, he slipped it over her head. Before he could lower his arms, she had pulled him in closer and had pressed her mouth against his. His head jerked back slightly from surprise, but then he relaxed. Tightening his arms around her, he returned the kiss. Tentatively, he pulled away from her. He brought his hand up to caress her face; it was soft and smooth to the touch. He wanted this moment to last forever, to never go back to the world of finding his father's murderer. It took him a while to finally let go of her. Taking a step back, he grinned at her. "I'll see you soon." Ok there's that chapter. Fun stuff huh? Was about time we got on with the plot of this story. Anywho I'm out Power surge