A/N:. Well I will not waste any time blabbing on and on…. Here is the next chapter.

A battle with words

Kuwabara was in shock as he saw his friend get cut down. A long semi deep line was cut into his chest. Blood was spilling out from the newly made wound. Kuwabara's eyes widened as he saw Yusuke hit the ground. " NO URAMESHI!"

Hiei was in a state of similar surprise. Yoko licked the blood off his rose weapon. The fox looked at Yusuke with a very pleased look. Hiei narrowed his eyes. ' The legendary bandit Yoko Kurama has indeed been freed. He is no longer limited or restrained. He can now satisfy his desires.'

Kuwabara shook in anger. " ….How dare you….."

Yoko turned his attention toward Kuwabara. " How dare I what? I was merely hunting my pray."

" ….Pray…. Is that what Urameshi was to you…. Just prey. He is your friend. He even had mercy on you…. You worked together, side by side as friends. How could you just say that what you just did was hunting? That was senseless murder!"

" Senseless murder? Come now. I have to eat somehow. It's the same as you killing a pig… or any other animal…. Even foxes!"

"The foxes I know…. Don't swing around rose whips… that tear humans to pieces. The foxes that I know… are harmless and would never hurt the humans who they coexist with. But you… are far more then that. You are a demon…. A fox demon, who DOES hurt humans. And for what? Food…. That's just don't right discussing and I will not let you do this anymore! No… I will stop you right now!"

Hiei was shocked with Kuwabara's spiritual argument. Everything he said was powerful and was very deep. ' I'll be damned. The big oaf can do more then take up spaces. He has guts… I'll give him that. But guts alone will not save him from Yoko's attacks."

Yoko smirked. " Good argument…. But they are going to deaf ears. I care not about you… or you Hiei… or even him. I only care about…"

" I know who… you don't have to tell me what…. Demon. The only person you care about is yourself!"

Yoko closed his eyes and simply laughed at Kuwabara's comment.

" Myself…. So I'm selfish are I?"

" That's right… you are selfish…. Down to your very core. You care about nothing or anybody but yourself."

" Now that hurts….I don't only care about myself…. I care about my one true friend…. Kuronue."

" Is he really your friend? I don't know about that either. If you were his true friend… you wouldn't have told him to fight. You would have done it yourself… or even fight along side with him. No… you have no true friends…. You just think he is your friend because he's frightened of you. Well let me tell you something…. Fox…. I'm not scared of you…."

Yoko smiled. " Well for a human…. You sure do have spirit. But even that isn't enough. In any event… you will be just as fun to hunt down as anyone else."

Kuwabara powered up his spirit sword. " I'm ready for you fox."

Yoko lifted his hand that hand the dagger attached to it. " Very well… let the hunt begin." Yoko charged at Kuwabara.

Kuwabara got into his fighting stance, getting ready for Yoko's attack. Yoko tried to attack but Kuwabara blocked it with his sword. The two warriors clashed their weapons for quite a while before they jumped back and prepare to begin again. Kuwabara breathed a bit heavy. " So it seems I'm a bit more of a match for you… then you thought. Uh?"

Yoko laughed. " You're not too bad a fighter. But your skills are of a novice fighter. You don't have the proper skills to defeat me."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. ' Just as I thought. Yoko is simply toying with Kuwabara. Only I can defeat him… for I know how his mind works.'

Kuwabara growled. " You think I'm a novice do you! I'll show you how wrong you are."

Yoko smirked again. " Well this should prove interesting." He pulled out a forth rose. " Lets see you stop this!" Yoko lifted up the rose and transformed it into another whip.

Kuwabara looked at him with disbelief. ' How many of those roses does he have?'

Yoko smiled as his whip curled up on the ground around his leg. " Now Kuwabara…. Rest in piece… or should I say many pieces!" The fox laughed as he swung his whip at him.

Kuwabara concentrated on his spirit sword and transformed it into string. Kuwabara's new weapon matched blow for blow with Yoko's. The fox growled. " How dare you make a mockery out of me! DIE!" He shouted.

Sharp grass and rose fragments came at Kuwabara from behind. Yoko was sure that Kuwabara had no idea at what he was planing. Without notice Kuwabara slashed the fragments to bits again, jumping out of the way of an on coming whip attack. Kuwabara narrowed his eyes at Yoko. " I know something else that you are fox…. Aside from selfish."

" Oh and what's that!"

" You are without honor too!"

Yoko laughed. " Well that I will admit too."

Kuwabara sighed. " And your proud of this fact? You are one twisted person. Honor is what makes up a man! But you… you aren't a man at all. You are nothing but a coward, who only resorts to tricks."

Yoko growled at Kuwabara's words. ' How dare this nothing preach to me like this. No one talks down to YOKO KURAMA and gets away with it. NO ONE!'

Yoko purposely dropped his forth whip. Kuwabara narrowed his eyes. " So do you admit defeat yet?"

" No… I'm not… I'm simply going to create something new. My death tree."

" Oh no… I don't like the sound of that."

Yoko laughed. " Of course…. You don't. Don't worry my friend…. Your death will be quick…. But I'm not so sure about painless." In Yoko's hand was a seed. He closed his hand around it and with his energy he created the death tree. The fox demon looked at his plant. " So your hungry? Okay my sweet, there is your prey…. Feast."

Little cuffs came up from the ground below Kuwabara's feet… and they secured him to the ground. Kuwabara tried to break free. ' No… this isn't happening….'

Yoko's death plant slowly drew closer to Kuwabara. Hiei narrowed his eyes as he made the decision to attack. He drew out his sword. ' This isn't something I would normally do…. But this is one of those times where I will just have to do it. Kurama means a lot to me… I will not allow this to continue!' Hiei charged at Yoko's plant. " KURAMA!"

To be continued…

Hey everyone. How was that? Pretty good. Kuwabara was supper brave during this chapter. I know he's so out of character… but I thought I'd do him a bit of a favor. This battle is drawing near its end. So please review. Till next time.

trunks and goten