Yu Yu Hakusho Re Pure Episode 21 - Mr. Akashi's last stand

Kurama walks into the homeroom. A quick look around tells him that there are a few people missing. He goes to his seat, right behind Hiei's seat. "Where's Botan? Or Kayko? Or Yukina?"

Hiei is reading a book, "World Domination for Dummies." He looks up. "Oh, Yukina told me she had a morning meeting with Miss Botan." Hiei looks to the set to his immediate left. "Oh, I guess Kayko isn't here either. Maybe it was the same meeting?"

Kurama turns around to address Yusuke. "Did Kayko tell you she had a meeting with Miss Botan?"

Yusuke thinks for a second. "Yeah, she called before I left. Maybe their meeting ran long?"

Kurama looks puzzled. "They don't usually run long."

Miss Genkai enters. "Morning, class. I am Miss Genkai. Apparently Miss Botan hasn't made it to school yet, so I will temporarily take over this home room."

Kurama gets a very worried look on his face.

...

Miss Sakaki looks out the window of her class. She was bored with class as usual. She gets good grades without trying so her mind often wonders.

Suddenly Miss Sakaki sees Strawberry and Parfait in the school yard disparately trying to signal her by doing a synchronized dance.

"Sensei? May I be excused? I have a stomach ache."

Miss Sakaki's teacher scratches her head. "This is the third time this quarter you've had a stomach ache. I hope it's not serious?"

"I should be okay if I lie down for a little bit."

"Guess it can't be helped."

Miss Sakaki leaves her class. She fakes a belly ache until she is several rooms away from her art class, then breaks into a sprint.

Miss Sakaki exits the school and motions the cats to follow her out of sight from her art class.

Strawberry bows. "Miss Sakaki, please excuse us for interrupting your school day."

Sakaki breaths hard trying to catch her breath. "It's okay. I'm sure that you have something important."

Parfait nods. "We saw a very scary sight. Three girls were walking down the street. The older one was oozing demonic energy from her robe. The other two looked like they were being controlled."

Sakaki looks thoughtful. "That's a pretty common sight. Especially if there is an bishounen idol singer CD sale going on. What was special about these three girls?

Strawberry nods. "One of the girls was the girl who we followed to that demonic castle."

"Oh, yes. The school."

Parfait gets excited. "And, we saw the girl with the glowing robe last night. The man who trashed my former home went to her home and left a piece of paper in her mail box."

Strawberry nods. "And the girl came home and took the piece of paper with her."

"I see. I will have to try to find that guy who goes to that school. Maybe if I drew a picture of him I could pass it around?"

Parfait smiles. "Good idea. We can also help you draw a picture of the evil girl."

Miss Sakaki smiles. "Thanks, guys."

...

Miss Sakaki stands at the front gate of Yusuke's school. She shudders. "What a weird vibe."

Ryoko walks by. "Excuse me, Miss, may I help you?"

Miss Sakaki pulls out her art class sketch book. "I'm looking for this guy."

Ryoko looks at the sketch and bursts out laughing.

Miss Sakaki looks puzzled. "Do you know this guy?"

"I'm sorry, it's just this is the first cute drawing I've ever seen of Kuwabara."

"So his name is Kuwabara?"

Ryoko nods. "Yeah, but he doesn't have whiskers and paws. I"m Ryoko, by the way."

"I'm Miss Sakaki. Could I talk to Kuwabara?"

Ryoko smiles. "Sure, I'll go get him. I like the way you draw. I should show you some of my stuff."

Miss Sakaki smiles. "I would like that."

"Give me your cell phone." Ryoko grabs Miss Sakaki's cell phone out of Miss Sakaki's purse.

"Ahh, okay."

Ryoko punches in her number. "Call me tonight, okay?"

"Ahh, okay."

...

Kuwabara walks down the hall. "Secret admirer?" Kuwabara shudders. "Knowing Ryoko, it's probably some guy."

Kuwabara walks out to the school gate and sees Miss Sakaki. Kuwabara smiles. "Hey, I remember you. Miss Sakaki, right?"

Miss Sakaki smiles. "Yes. A situation has come up. Do you know this person?"

Kuwabara looks at Miss Sakaki's art pad. He looks at it from several angles including upside down. "I think this is Miss Botan, however Miss Botan doesn't have whiskers and paws. And, she usually doesn't wear a Ninja outfit."

"The paws aren't important. She was seen walking down the street in a Ninja outfit. And, she was under some sort of demonic possession. And, she was walking around with two other girls who were under their control."

"Wow, did you see this yourself?

Strawberry and Parfait poke their heads out from behind Miss Sakaki. Strawberry smiles. "We did."

Kuwabara gets a sweat mark beside his head. "And, these two pirates are reliable sources?"

Miss Sakaki nods. "Yes. And, they can probably track the girls from where they bumped into them earlier."

Kuwabara nods. "Okay, it sounds strange, but Miss Botan, Kayko and Yukina might be in trouble.

"Okay, however, I have to get back to class. I will leave Strawberry and Parfait in your care."

...

Kuwabara returns to the school gate with Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama.

Yusuke sticks his nose up. "Kuwabara, I'm all for skipping class, but you said that you had a lead on Miss Botan's disappearance?"

Kuwabara picks up Strawberry and Parfait. "They know."

Strawberry nods. "Yes, she's in extreme danger. Please, follow us."

A giant sweet mark appears beside Yusuke's head. "Kuwabara, it meowed."

Kurama shakes his head. "No. Clear your mind Yusuke. This cat has a different energy color from a normal cat. I sense an intent to her meow. Can you understand the cat, Kuwabara?"

Kuwabara nods.

"Tell the cats to lead us to Miss Botan."

Kuwabara holds the cats up. "You'll take us to Miss Botan, right?"

Strawberry nods. "Tell them that when we get put down we'll look left and right then start running."

Kuwabara nods. "They said they'll look right and left and then start running."

Kuwabara puts the cats down. They look left and right and then take off.

Kuwabara waves for the rest of the gang to follow him. They stay still.

Hiei speaks in a sarcastic tone. "They looked left and right, not right and left."

Kuwabara grows to giant size. "Follow those cats!"

The rest of the gang starts running.

...

Yusuke and Kuwabara pant heavily at the top of the stairs, but Hiei and Kurama seem okay.

Strawberry is agitated. "Come on guys!"

Yusuke frowns. "There's such a thing as an elevator."

Kuwabara looks down the hall. "Where is this place?"

Kurama frowns. "Kuwabara, if you calm down you'll see evil energy oozing out from the third door on the left."

Kuwabara and Yusuke nod.

Hiei rolls his eyes. "Yusuke, you're the highest ranking member of the team here. What is our plan?"

Yusuke thinks for a second. "We have a bad situation here. If Botan and the girls are under enemy control, they might try to fight us, instead of wanting to be rescued."

Kurama nods. "Excellent analysis. Hiei, do you think that you could take care of Yukina?"

"I could possibly keep her busy."

"Kuwabara, do you think you could keep Miss Botan tied up?"

"I'll do my best."

Kurama nods. "Okay, I'll try to occupy Kayko and Yusuke you look for demons. Is that an acceptable plan Yusuke?"

Yusuke nods.

The four boys join fists and quietly say "fight-o".

...

The four boys enter the Idol Singer Monthly Magazine office. They see Yukina and Kayko with blank looks on their faces and Botan dressed in a Lady Ninja outfit.

Botan yells out. "Onsokumaru, I will not let you stand in the way of my dream! Ninja Art - Clone Technique!" Botan joins her hands and draws some Japanese letters in the air. Botan splits into three Botan's.

Yusuke gulps. "There went our plan!"

Kayko hides behind the other four. "Can't you guys talk this over?"

One of the Botan's hands Kayko a wooden sword. "Ninja's only negotiate with combat and come to a consensus with killing."

Yukina throws some sealing scrolls. They transform in mid-air into disembodied arms. The arms grab Hiei and hold him suspended in the air. The arms also start spanking Hiei.

Yukina laughs. "You're ten years too early to fight me, Onsokumaru!"

Two of the Botan's jump Kuwabara and take turns hitting him with practice swords. One hits Kuwabara in the chest. When Kuwabara defends his chest, the other Botan hits Kuwabara in the butt.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Kayko also takes a practice sword and pins Kurama to the wall.

The final Botan brawls with Yusuke, pinning him to the ground with a practice sword.

Yusuke looks around from the ground. "This doesn't look good."

Strawberry and Parfait rush into the room and knock down a changing partition in the back of the room.

When the partition falls down Yusuke sees Mister Akashi. Yusuke rolls to his side to free his arms. Botan presses down the practice sword on Yusuke's neck. This is painful to Yusuke, but at least Yusuke can speak.

Yusuke joins his hands and points his finger at Mister Akashi.

Botan panics. "What are you doing, Sasuke? That man isn't part of the fight!"

"Spirit Gun!"

Mister Akashi eyes go blank. His chest heaves around like something is moving inside. He then stops moving and falls over dead.

The two Lady Ninja Botan's who were assaulting Kuwabara disappear.

The arms holding up Hiei disappear and Hiei falls in a heap.

Kayko's eyes stop being blank. She immediately starts blushing as she notices how close she is to Kurama.

Botan falls off of Yusuke. She grasps her upper chest. Mister Akashi's cursed scroll, the scroll that Miss Botan had inadvertently picked up the night before from her mail box, the scroll that made Miss Botan think that she was apprentice Ninja Shinobu, the scroll that had made Miss Botan demonically possess Kayko and Yukina, the scroll hidden in Miss Botan's Lady Ninja outfit, explodes. Miss Botan grabs her chest in agony.

A circle of light appears. Koenma and two monstrous looking assistants jump through the circle. The assistants are dressed in medical gear and carry a stretcher.

Koenma directs the assistants to rush Miss Botan through the circle and off to the Spirit Hospital.

Yusuke turns up his nose. "Aren't you a little late for the party?"

Koenma shakes his head. "We've been on high alert since last night when Botan disappeared from sight."

Yusuke rolls his eyes. "The all-powerful and all-knowing Koenma couldn't see something?"

Koenma looks down. "The enemy was able to block my powers with that scroll that just exploded."

Yusuke nods his head. "Well, the important this is, is Miss Botan going to be okay?"

Koenma smiles. "Miss Botan should be back to school tomorrow. She's going to be fine. Nothing our doctors can't heal quickly. Anyway, I have to get back to work. You guys did a good job. I'm getting reports that there is no more demonic energy coming from the upper part of the school. If we seal the final lock, you job will be done."

Yusuke nods. "About time."

Koenma jumps through the light circle and and the Koenma and the circle disappear.

...

Koenma enters Botan's spirit hospital room. "How are you doing, Ninja?"

Botan's upper body is heavily bandaged. With effort she sits up in bed. "Shamed." Botan hangs her head.

Koenma smiles. "Good news. Reports have come in telling me that other than your shoulder, the good guys sustained no damage and the bad guys' main earth contact in Tokyo was killed."

"Who?"

"Mister Akashi, your fellow teacher."

Botan fights a smile through the pain. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. What a waste he was."

Koenma nods. "However, ..."

Botan's smile vanishes. "I know. I have been human dangerously long. It was starting to affect my judgment and performance as a Shimigami."

Koenma nods again. "I'm sorry, but I need to pull the trigger on our backup plan."

Botan shakes her head, painfully. "Boss, I thought of a different way. Hear this out. First, we could do this ..."

Koenma nods, listening to Botan's new plan.

"What do you think?"

"It's bold, but I would expect nothing less from you. I think we can get it done."

Botan smiles. "Thank you, Koenma, this is more than I deserve."

Koenma smiles. "After all your good work, I can grant you this favor. But, you'll have to live with the consequences."

"I will, happily."

To Be Continued