AUTHORS NOTES: 'author searches frantically through all of her notes and chapters*

Now I know that I put it here somewhere….aha!

*Author pulls out standard disclaimer*

I don not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters contained therein. Well, actually I do own a few of them…

So even though this disclaimer is late, please don't sue me as I have absolutely no money.

*There are 'slight' spoilers for the Makai tournament in here, but nothing major, promise! ^_^

A teenager with chocolate brown hair and eyes sat behind his large desk, trying his best to exude an air of authority.

Lazily sucking at his pacifier, Koenma carefully regarded the demon before him.

Hiei currently stood with his arms crossed against his chest, his face in its usual mask of disdain as he silently glared at the Rekkai Prince.

Koenma, for his part, suppressed the urge to look away. He hated it when Hiei gave him that look, and after what Koenma had just told him, the young prince did not believe that the fire demons attitude was going to change anytime soon.

Clearing his throat his throat pointedly, Koenma decided to continue.

"So you see Hiei, you are the only available resource that I can use on this mission. Naturally, you will be compensated for your efforts, and I'm sure that you will see that it is to your benefit."

Immediately Hiei's scowl deepened and the fire demon promptly turned to leave.

 Koenma sweat dropped. This was going to be even more difficult than he thought….

"Now hold on Hiei-

-Save it! You have nothing that I could possibly want, and your ability to order me to one of your ridiculous missions ended years ago." He said derisively.

Halfway turning, Hiei raised an eyebrow in suspicion

 "As for the 'mission' itself, since when have you or King Enma ever cared about human slave rings? Countless others have existed in the past without your interference, and I can think of several that were much more deplorable. So, what is it that you are not telling me?" He asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Koenma swallowed deeply and did his best to keep his face impassive.

"I have given all the information you need. Anything else, such as the reason for this mission, is irrelevant to you."

This only made Hiei smirk as he once again started to walk away.

As a parting shot, he said "Find one of your moronic human loving assistants to do the job and do not bother me again."

For a moment Koenma warred with himself over his next course of action, but decided that he didn't have a choice.

"Riosuke is involved."

Hiei stopped cold just as the door in front of him opened.

After a moment Koenma continued. "We do not as of yet know his exact involvement, but we do know that he visits the compound often. If Riosuke were to be there while we apprehended Hokin, naturally I would need someone who could fight him and win."

Silence reigned as Koenma watched Hiei, who now stood as still as stone. After what seemed like hours, Hiei slowly turned back around.

The first thing the prince noticed was that Hiei was smiling, and it was not pleasant. For some reason this unnerved Koenma more than any of Hiei's previous glares.

 Another thing that only deepened the feeling was the look in Hiei's eyes. The burned with hatred, which was normal for Hiei, but this was something deeper than he had ever seen before.Suddenly doubt filled Koenma, and he wondered if Hiei really had been the best choice for this case.

Inwardly he sighed heavily as he prepared to give the rest of the orders.

It didn't matter what misgivings the ruler had, because like it or not, Hiei was the only choice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Koenma groaned deeply as he sagged into his chair and changed back into his younger form with a loud pop.

Ogre, who had been watching silently in the back of the room, walked up to his boss after Hiei had left the room.

"I can't believe that you actually got Hiei to agree sir, I thought that he was going to leave for sure."

"Yes, and if I hadn't mentioned Riosuke, im sure that he would have." Koenma said tiredly.

Ogre nodded "It was a very smart thing to look up Hiei's past involvement with Riosuke, but sir, why didn't you tell Hiei the reason for the mission?"

"Because, quite frankly, he didn't need to know!" the toddler declared haughtily.

Ogre sweat-dropped and frowned disapprovingly. "Sir, don't you think that is a rather childish reason not to inform Hiei about the experiments?"

Koenma scoffed. "Of course not! What I say goes and I say that he doesn't need to know. His only objective is to go into the compound, detain Hokin, and rescue any possible captives and to deal with Riosuke if he shows up. He doesn't need to be concerned with minor details."

Ogre shook his head "I just think that it may have been wise to tell him."

"And that kind of thinking is exactly why I am ruler and you are just an office aid."

Tears filling his eyes, Ogres lip trembled. "That was an incredibly mean thing to say sir."

Koenma sighed. Ogres and there tender feelings……

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mukuro thoughtfully studied her heir, who was currently sitting in a windowsill, waiting for her decision.

"I see, so Koenma has asked you to put a stop to a human slave ring for him, and you, having agreed, would like to use a few of my men."

Hiei frowned. "Only to round up any Baka Ningen captives that may be running about the place."

Mukuro nodded sagely. "Naturally, I'm aware that you would not want the role of rescuer of humans ever again, but tell me, why have you agreed in the first place?"

Expecting only silence from her comrade, Hiei surprised her slightly by answering.

"An old adversary may be there, and I believe that it may prove to be an entertaining distraction."

His eyes, which held a devilish gleam that had been missing during the current absence of any real challenges to their authority, and that look only deepened as she watched.

Very well, we must keep our little Fire Demon entertained, otherwise he will become lazy and I may have to consider finding another heir, Mukuro thought to herself with a faint smile.

"Very well Hiei, you may have Kika and Shorin accompany you. But understand this, I do not send you out so that you or my men can get killed."

Hiei's only response was a grunt and Mukuro had to force herself not to smile further.

Teasing Hiei was like playing with a poisonous snake. But then again, that's why Mukuro did it.

Whether he or any one else ever realized it, Hiei's potential to become even stronger was great.  His powers could one day over come Yusuke Urameshi's, as Mukuro knew that was one of his few true desires. She did not know the particulars of his defeat to the spirit detective, but she did know that it had never quite left his mind, despite all appearances otherwise, and after witnessing the boy fight for herself, Mukuro knew that it would be no easy feat.

But there was something that was missing, an element that Hiei lacked to go further and even though Mukuro suspected what that was, it could not be helped by her.

So she would continue to train with him and to push him, until he found for himself that which would ultimately make him stronger.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei stood in a tall tree watching one of the suns setting in the Makai. The colors it created were harsh compared to those in the human world, but Hiei preferred it.

After being confined to the human city Tokyo, Hiei found it more enjoyable to be surrounded with the harshness that was the Makai. Soft sentiments that ruled in the human world were an annoyance that he was more than happy to be rid of.

Here he was in a world that was like him.

Merciless and Deadly.

But within a few hours he would pay a visit to the human world, and Riosuke.

It had been a long time since he had seen the other fire demon, but Hiei's memory was clear-

-and that bastard would pay.

Hiei couldn't care less about Hokin or the humans that he enslaved.

The only thing he cared about was finding Riosuke, and killing him.

Hiei smiled to himself as the last rays of the sun died from the sky.

This might prove to be just the entertainment he needed…..

Post Note* I decided to give Keiko a small break, considering what im going to do to her in the next chapter. Yes I am incredibly evil, but she'll thank me for it later.

And for those of you who actually know who Mukuro is and she seems ooc, gomen, cuz I havn't had that much to draw upon.

Now I know that I have this labeled as a romance, and I promise that is what I intended for this fic, just try and be patient since I am extremely slow at getting there. But it is coming soon, so keep reading and reviewing as I absolutely love you people that do and I will make it worth it, I promise!^_-