Danny arrived back at Genkai's temple a few minutes later after having given Valerie the slip, "Sorry about that."

Genkai flicked a cigarette butt away, "And who was that?"

"Long story short, her name is Valerie Gray and she's blamed me for a few rotten incidents in her life and now she wants to kill me…well ghost me," Danny explained with an awkward laugh.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Genkai muttered, grinding her heel into the ground and on the cigarette butt.

Danny sighed, "I know it seems to be a little repetitive but she really wants to."

Meanwhile in the garden at the back of the temple, Yukina was watering the plants and watching the birds as they bathed in the birdbath, twittering with delight and chattering with the latest bird gossip. She was just about to water some of the dark red roses when a large shadow blocked the sun and she shivered as she felt an evil aura from above and the birds in the bath took to the air in fright. Yukina looked up and saw a large Raven, a bit bigger than any she had ever seen before. The strangest thing though was that the raven was carrying a yellowed envelope in its beak.

With a loud cry the raven dropped the letter about a foot away from where Yukina stood. It then cried out again and flew away; leaving only a single feather telling Yukina it hadn't been an illusion. Yukina picked up the envelope and found that Danny's name was scrawled in loopy calligraphy on the front. She immediately ran inside with the letter hoping to find Danny or Genkai there. She did, "Danny! A raven just swooped down and dropped this letter addressed to you!"

"What, does it say I'm being enrolled into some magical school or something?" Danny smirked expecting a laugh.

Yukina only blinked, "I don't know, I'm not sure who it's from."

Genkai looked out the window to the clear blue sky, her eyes narrow, "I do, it's more than likely another letter from Kuroko." She sighed and cast a glare at Danny, "And so help me if you fall into another trap I'll kick your ass…"

Danny took the letter from Yukina, "Let me see."

He ripped open the envelope and began to read Kuroko's letter:

Dear Danny-boy,

Has anyone told you how much I love that song…no…well that's not really important right now is it? I'm having a little party for your teacher Ms. Takeuchi. Well I just know how much you and your friends LOVE my parties so I was hoping you could swing by the Hartman Estate today to join us…Ms. Takeuchi could realize use some more guests. Did I mention the estate is rumored to be haunted…what better right my dear Danny? Oh…would you mind telling Yusuke to wash all that icky hair gel out…I'm kind of allergic.

With Love and Such,

Kuroko

Danny hated that woman, "Yep, it's from Kuroko…she has a hostage now though."

Genkai's eyes widened a bit, she hadn't expected a hostage so soon, "Who?"

"Strangely enough our substitute, Ms. Takeuchi, I mean we suspected HER of being Kuroko's host."

"Why?"

"Kuwabara's sixth sense picked up on her when she was nearby and he said it felt similar to the feeling he got when he was around Kuroko."

Genkai nodded, "That is suspicious. But why did Kuroko kidnap her of all people?"

Danny shrugged, "I don't know…but does it really matter?"

"We better get the group together and actually have some sort of plan before you idiots make any moves like last time."

Danny sweat dropped, "Right…"

Some time later…

The group was now assembled at Genkai's (even Hiei whom Kurama had dragged there). Danny had just finished reading them the letter and filling them in on the situation. Yusuke of course was ticked, "I don't believe this! We just escaped her last trap and she's already got another one ready for us!"

Kuwabara scratched the back of his head, "I was kind of hoping for a break."

"So what's the plan," Tucker asked.

"Well," Yusuke began, everyone itching forward to hear, "we haven't really thought of anything."

Everyone groaned.

Genkai growled, "You idiots had better think of something better than 'Rush in and get captured,' like last time."

Danny scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I suppose we should come up with some tactics for when we go inside."

"Good idea Danny, we should try and surprise them by splitting into groups and entering from different sides of the mansion," Kurama said.

Yusuke leaned back against the wall of the small room, "I dunno, Kuroko obviously has something planned for us. I mean if anything she's just recycling the same trap she had for us the other day."

"Well we don't really have much of a choice do we?" Tucker said.

Sam nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we need to find out why she kidnapped Ms.Takeuchi in the first place, I doubt that she kidnapped her at random."

"Yeah," Danny muttered. He wasn't sure why but he suddenly hated the idea of Sam and Tucker coming with him. He knew they had usually gone ghost hunting together all the time in Amity…but this time around seemed to be different, "Uhm…and guys I'd feel more comfortable if you both stayed here."

Sam glared at Danny in protest, "Why?"

Danny sighed, "Look, I just don't want what happened in that nightmare to happen to you. And I know you've both helped me before but these guys are incredibly dangerous and cold-blooded killers."

Tucker and Sam were silent for a moment but then Tucker nodded, "Staying here sounds fine."

Danny turned to Sam who kept her glare up for a few seconds before the expression softened, "Ugh…fine but if you don't come back by tomorrow we'll go and try to help out."

Yusuke moaned, "Ok, now that you two lovebirds are done talking," this caused Danny and Sam to blush and start to protest but Yusuke was able to cut them off. "Let's just figure out how to split ourselves up and go kick some demon ass!"

The Hartman Estate was a large dilapidated three story Victorian style house (complete with a basement) at the end of a dead end street far from the main part of Tokyo. The grass lot around the house was rather large and knee high with tons of daffodils popping up in patches across the grass. The group stood at the edge of the lot in silence, staring up at the decaying structure.

Yusuke took a deep breath and broke the silence, "All right, so this is the plan: Danny and I will go in through the front, Kuwabara and Kurama will go in through the back and Hiei will," at that moment Hiei disappeared in the blink of an eye ignoring everyone else. "Do whatever the hell he feels like…IT'S CALLED A PLAN YOU BASTARD!" Yusuke shouted after him.

"Yusuke…the main point of this was to be a surprise attack," Kurama muttered.

Yusuke smirked, "Oh right…let's go." The group spilt up and advanced towards the house from their respective sides: Yusuke and Danny from the front and Kuwabara and Kurama around back. Unbeknownst to them however a pair of sun glasses was watching them from the third story window. The person behind the sun glasses was none other than Nightshade.

"Man these guys must be either stupid or persistent," he muttered to the person sitting near him. It was the expressionless Hasaki, her back was to him and she was busy sharpening her numerous blades.

She didn't bother to look up as she spoke, "It doesn't matter to me. I will fill out Mistress Kuroko's orders and be able to test my skills against the impish demon with the three eyes."

Nightshade smirked at turned towards her fully, his back to the window, "You better watch out youngster, that 'imp' has been climbing the demon power structure rather quickly."

"Youngster? I'm over five hundred years old," Hasaki said, a hint of annoyance crossing her pale features.

Nightshade chuckled, "You ever hear about when the Carthaginian general Hannibal rode elephants over mountains to reach Rome where he brought destruction to the countryside?"

Hasaki ran the blade sharpener over her katana, causing a spark to erupt, "I'm aware."

"He and I played cards when we set up camp

Hasaki seemed unimpressed and simply continued to prepare herself.

At the front of the house Yusuke and Danny walked in through the cobwebs and dust, "Ugh…why don't they just demolish these buildings if nobodies gonna use them?"

Danny brushed away some cobwebs from his face, "Couldn't tell ya', now where to find…oh now that's just stupid."

Danny had just noticed an arrow sign pointing to the basement stairs that read: This Way to Ms. Takeuchi, suckers XP.

Yusuke rolled his eyes, "Now this is getting annoying."

Meanwhile at the back of the house Kurama and Kuwabara worked their way in through a broken window. Kurama stood, looking around the broken down kitchen as Kuwabara tumbled in. Kuwabara stood up, "Man, I have a bad feeling about this."

Kurama turned to the orange-haired teen, "I can understand your concern…this is more than likely another trap set up by Kuroko."

Kuwabara shivered, "It's not just that, my sixth sense has been going nuts ever since we got here."

"Well I can explain that gentlemen," a voice said from above them. Nightshade dropped down from a hole in the ceiling above them and landed gracefully on his feet, a smirk playing on his face, "Hi boys." Nightshade preformed a sweeper kick and knocked both boys down on their backs. Kuwabara and Kurama immediately jumped back up and armed themselves with their sword and whip, respectively. Nightshade's smirk broadened, "Let's see…you two clowns are here and Tweedle Dumb and Dumber are in the front so where's the three eyed dwarf?"

"Right behind you," Hiei growled. He then thrust the sword through the back of Nightshade's head and it went all the way through his right eye socket, also cracking his sunglasses and causing them to fall off revealing his eyes to be…

Yusuke and Danny were making their way down stairs to the basement, "This better not be another stupid trap or I will be pissed off."

The two boys entered the basement and found it, like most basements, was filled with boxes and luggage and all kinds of different clutter. In the very back of the basement, leaning against a large trunk was Ms. Takeuchi who was bound hands and feet with ropes and gagged with tape. She was pinned to the wall by daggers stuck through her clothes. "Don't worry, we'll get you out," Danny said reassuringly. Yusuke clasped the tape and ripped it off her mouth quickly.

"Ow! Couldn't you have been a bit nicer?"

Yusuke shrugged, "Sorry."

Danny kneeled next to her, "Do you know where Kuroko is?"

"Who," Ms. Takeuchi asked in confusion.

"Big scary shadow demon woman," Yusuke said miming the words and making a scary face.

Ms. Takeuchi put a hand to her forehead, her brow furrowed in concentration, "No…I was brought here by some man in a tuxedo and sunglasses."

Danny scowled and looked up at Yusuke, "Sounds like Nightshade."

"Just get these ropes off of me…I just want to go home!" Ms. Takeuchi shouted, tugging on her ropes in emphasis.

"Alright just hold on," Yusuke muttered and began to untie the ropes as Danny stood up and kept look out, he had an uneasy feeling.

'Why haven't we been attacked yet?'

Nightshade stood over Kurama and Kuwabara with a sword through his face and broken off his glasses were broken off revealing his eyes to be nothing but black voids of pure darkness.

Kuwabara balked, "Now that's disturbing."

"Heh-heh-heh, now you see why I wear these badass shades," Nightshade cackled as he ripped the sword out of his head. He hurled it at Hiei who caught it easily with his left hand as Nightshade's head healed itself.

Hiei scowled, "You got my sword slimy."

Nightshade fiddled with his destroyed glasses but gave up and tossed them aside, "That it is and if anyone should be grumpy it should be me…you broken my glasses! Oh…by the way…you might want to duck."

Suddenly Hasaki sprung forward from the shadows, her two katana griped tightly in her hands, Hiei blinked out of sight and reappeared behind her. She spun around and glared at Nightshade, "Smooth Nightshade, real smooth."

Nightshade rolled the black voids that were his eyes, "Whatever. Tell you what, I take on these two chumps here and you settle your little duel with Mr. All Hair but No Legs."

Hasaki ignored him and lunged at Hiei who vanished again and the sounds of a high speed fight could be heard coming from another room.

Kurama and Kuwabara now had the spotlight and Kurama glared at Nightshade with cold green eyes, "I will not go easy on you Nightshade."

He smirked, "Did I even ask kit?"

Nightshade clashed with the two remaining fighters, sword and whip being deflected by only Nightshade's hands; eventually he caught hold of the rose whip, "Ha! Falling for the same attack again, eh kit?"

Kurama gave a small smirk in reply, "Not quite."

"Huh?" but before he could react the thorns on the whip grew, piercing through Nightshade's hand. He cried out in pain and cursed. Kuwabara took this opportunity to try and attack him with his spirit sword. Nightshade growled and reached out to grab the sword.

The basement was silent as Yusuke untied Ms. Takeuchi, "I'm so glad you boys came to save me."

Danny turned from his watch on the doorway to Ms. Takeuchi, "No problem, just doing what…" Danny stopped midway through his sentence. He had just spied her shadow on the basement floor and noticed that it had wings, "Oh crap…YUSUKE!"

Yusuke looked over his shoulder," What?" The ropes fell away from Ms. Takeuchi as Yusuke undid that last knot. She gave a wide grin and then Kaitouai jumped from Ms. Takeuchi, whom she had been possessing, and slashed at Yusuke with a dagger she produced from the silver gauntlets she wore around her wrist. Yusuke managed to stumble backwards but not before getting his shirt ripped upon and a long thin cut on his chest.

"It's…uhm…Kaitouai," Danny finished.

Yusuke growled and dabbed at the blood on his chest, "Good timing."

Kaitouai licked the blood off of the blade in her hand seductively, "Hello boys."

"Gross," Yusuke muttered.

Danny nodded, "I have to agree with him on this one, now…where is Kuroko?"

The seductive succubus smiled, "I'm afraid that if you want to get to her you'll have to go through me." The bangles around her wrist then sprouted long spikes. Yusuke and Danny exchanged glances then powered up themselves.

Yusuke smirked, "Let's go…SPIRIT GUN!"

At the back of the house Nightshade's gloves lay in tatters on the ground and his hands were at last shown to be no more than translucent shadows made up of material much like his blood. "Do you know how hard it is to pick up chicks with hands made of the ether of pure demonic force," Nightshade questioned, flexing the ethereal hands.

"Can you stop being so creepy," Kuwabara asked.

Kurama was dumbfounded, which didn't happen often, "What are you?"

"Long story…it's pretty kick ass though, I've been thinking of writing a biography," Nightshade said is his casual but arrogant tone, "Now where was I….oh yeah, DIE!" Nightshade's right hand shifted and morphed into the barrel of a large gun

"Shit!" Kuwabara shouted. Nightshade cocked the 'hand gun' and began a rapid fire at both Kuwabara and Kurama who both took off running in opposite directions. Kurama dove behind a broken down table and Kuwabara swerved into an empty room.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Nightshade laughed as he continued to fire a seemingly endless amount of bullets in an attempt to hit the two. Kuwabara spied a rotting crate and grabbed it then hurled it out of the room and at Nightshade's head. Nightshade spun to shoot it and Kurama took the distraction as his cue to use his whip. He hurled it out and the whip wrapped tightly around Nightshade's outstretched arms, tying them together. Nightshade looked down at the whip in disgust, "Oh you got my arms tied up so I can't shoot you. Ohhh I'm defeated and give up…PSYCHE!" Nightshade's hands warped again and turned into a pair of blades and he was able to cut through Kurama's rose whip.

"DUCK!"

The basement rocked with the violence of Kaitouai, Danny, and Yusuke's fighting. Kaitouai had managed to deflect the spirit gun blast with her arm bangles. Danny tried to hit her with a quick kick to her stomach but she caught his foot and tossed him aside. "Is that the best you can deliver boys," Kaitouai giggled as she turned to face Yusuke, "Oh don't tell me your trying that little trick again?"

Yusuke was powering up his spirit gun, "You could say that." Kaitouai yelped as Danny grabbed her from behind and held her in an arm lock to stop Kaitouai.

"Dammit!"

"Try dodging this succubus bitch!" Yusuke shouted and fired off a large spirit gun that knocked Kaitouai into a wall, Danny had gone intangible to avoid being sent with her at the last moment, "That'll teach you to slash me."

Kaitouai coughed up some blood and used her remaining strength to crawl over to Ms. Takeuchi's unconscious body. She whipped out a long dagger and held it to her throat, "You little bastards take another step and I'll slit her pretty little throat."

Danny and Yusuke tensed, not daring to move, "Dammit!" They both curse at the same time. Suddenly Ms. Takeuchi's necklace begins to glow…

"DUCK!" Kurama shouted suddenly.

Nightshade blinked, "What are you talking about fool?"

"That," Kuwabara says.

Suddenly Hasaki comes crashing down from the ceiling with Hiei on top of her. The pair land on top of Nightshade and one of Hasaki's katana impale Nightshade. Hasaki rolls to her right but is stopped by Hiei who plunges his blade right where her head was about to be. She rolls the other way in an attempt to escape as Hiei brings his blade out to make the fatal blow.

Ms. Takeuchi's necklace, or rather the jewel at the end of it, begins to glow brighter and brighter. The light reaches out and begins to caress Kaitouai's skin which starts to smoke, "This light! It burns," she shrieked. Kaitouai, not wanting to risk her pretty skin, disappears into the shadows.

Danny blinked repeatedly, "Huh…that was easy."

"Prepare for things to become far more difficult," a voice whispers from behind the two.

Yusuke and Danny spin around to find Kuroko, "Hello children. Mommy's here to play now." Kuroko smiles and then knocks them to opposite ends of the basement. Danny is sent barreling into a stack of rotting boxes and dust is sent flying up, he coughs, "Dammit."

Yusuke skidded across the dusty floor and crashes into a large black trunk, "Ow," he moans. Yusuke looked up and noticed that the necklace around Ms. Takeuchi's neck was still glowing, "I hope this works," he mutters. Yusuke jumps up and hurls himself at the substitute teacher. He rips off the necklace and Danny's eyes widen.

"I think I see where this is going."

Kuroko rolled her eyes in disgust, "Oh my it looks like 'great' minds do think alike after all."

"Shut up!" Yusuke shouted hurling the necklace at her, "and catch!" The necklace hits her and begins to electrocute her with magical energies that radiate from it, rendering her immobilized.

Kuroko shrieks in pain and Danny stands up from his spot in the boxes, "Quick, attack her!"

Yusuke smirked, "Don't have to tell me twice." He powered up his spirit gun while Danny charged up an ectoblast. Kuroko however manages a sly smile. With her remaining strength she manages to move her shadow so that the shadows of her hands are touching Yusuke's and Danny's shadows and by grabbing them, she actually grabs them physically.

"Huh?" Danny and Yusuke say at the same time. However it's too late to stop their blasts and when they fire the blasts don't hit Kuroko, but the jewel. It shatters into a hundred pieces as Kuroko is left breathing and clutching her chest.

"You fell for it, my foolish children actually fell for it," she gasps between coughs. "You weakened mommy a bit but I did what I planned to do. Thanks for playing children," she says and smirks as she hurls a fireball at the wood ceiling of the basement, it immediately catches fire.

"Dammit," Yusuke cursed.

"With one of the weapons that sealed me destroyed I'm on my way to global conquest. Thanks kiddies," she says blowing them a kiss and fading away.

"I hate her more each time I see her," Yusuke mutters.

"Yeah, yeah…let's just get out of here before we're fried."

Kurama and Kuwabara stare down in silent shock at the scene. Hiei had just chopped off Hasaki's right arm, but the strange thing was, there was no blood…not even black oozing stuff like with Nightshade…just a flailing arm that had once been attached to Hasaki.

Hiei scowled, "I should have guessed, you're another undead, like the zombies."

Kuwabara shivered, "Ugh! I do not want to go through THAT again

Hasaki glared up at Hiei with pure anger, "Unlike those mindless beasts I have retained all that I had in life all that HE took away from me and what you intend to do as well!"

Hiei looked down at her flailing arm and sheathed his own sword, "I do not have the intention of fighting someone who cannot defend themselves."

Nightshade picked himself up, a big gaping black hold in his chest, oozing with black "blood." "That doesn't mean I won't you little pixie!"

Hasaki picked herself up as well, "We had best go Nightshade."

Nightshade turned on her, "What! Why! I'm gonna skin these sons of bitches!"

Hasaki sighed and pointed at Nightshade's legs. Coming out of the wounds were demonic plant vines that Kurama had planted earlier. They were quickly climbing up the rest of his body, "JUMPING GRANDMA OF CTHULHU! When did that happen?"

"When Kuwabara hit you over the head with that crate, I took the opportunity to throw multiple demon seeds into your legs," Kurama explained.

Nightshade started pushing down on the vines but they simply spread faster up his legs, "I need some serious weed killer quick! They're heading for my valuables!" With that Nightshade hurriedly disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Hasaki began to walk away, her right arm slung over her left shoulder, "We will fight again…but right now I'd be worried about your friends…" Hasaki, too, disappears just as the group notices smoke emanating from around them. Suddenly Yusuke and Danny rush into the room, Yusuke carrying the unconscious woman.

"RUN!"

The group follows without question as the entire house started to go down in flames.

Author's notes:

Crimson Ninja: Man that was a helluva chapter wasn't it? Just here to remind you we own all OCs and the YYH and DP characters belong to their respected owners (Toganashi and Hartman) and to check out my fanfic: Full Metal Alchemist: The Blood Feud

Samurai Sirius: (pounces on Crimson Ninja) And my tale Lily Evans and The Wizarding World. Unfortunately though school will be starting for the both of us soon so updates are scarce…BEAR WITH US AND…

CN/SS: REVIEW!