At Kuwabara's, I popped in the video and grabbed the bowl of popcorn from Botan. Soon the babyish face of Koenma filled the screen. "My dad's off being a big deal again, so I'm back as Director of Underworld Investigations. This recording concerns your new mission. It will appear only as noise to normal humans, so don't worry about eavesdroppers."

"THAT'S your BOSS!" Kuwabara laughed.

"My feelings exactly." I replied with a sigh.

"Your mission this time is simplicity itself: a rescue!"

"Yeah, uh-huh." I muttered, completely unconvinced.

"The rescuee: a non-human girl. That isn't to say she's entirely in-human, but anyway... She's being held in a mansion in the outskirts of a village in the mountains. We have learned from Underworld messengers that she's an Ice Maiden, belonging to the demonic family of winter spirits. They are noted for the beautiful jewels they produce. She's been taken by a heartless human who is forcing her to produce these jewels. Which she does though her tears."

Yusuke bit her lip. They must be pure, rare crystal, worth hundreds of millions on the black market. Yusuke barely paid attention to the rest of the film until Kuwabara abruptly stood up. She ignored him as he left; though filing what he had said to look in her memory later. As the film continued, she paid more attention.

"Yusuke, one more thing, and this is important as it involves a personal DEBT to you. This girl's name is Yukina and she is Hiei's SISTER." Yusuke dropped the popcorn bowl and froze the image of the girl. She glanced at her eyes. The same blood-red crimson... Yeah, she was his sister all right. Getting up, she stretched.

"I'll be goin' now, make sure that lover-boy doesn't get himself killed. Later.' She walked out the door, snickering.

I watched Kuwabara slice up the demons. "I'LL SAVE YOU SNOW GIRL!" Geez.. She really got to him. I snickered. Wonder what his reaction would be when he finds out she is Hiei's sister?

I glanced up at the sound of gunfire and easily dodged it. Coming up behind the goons, I knocked them out with a well-placed karate chop. I smirked. "Quantity can't replace quality, dudes."

"Yeah, It's obvious when and where you are going to shoot." They shook then glanced behind them as a demon stepped forward.

"Hello. I'm Miyuki, Ogre Triad Vertex One." She jumped at us and we dodged.

"She's a girl! I CAN'T fight a GIRL!"

"Than what am I? Fish crap?" I glared at him. "That's gratitude for saving your ass at Genkai's."

He chuckled stupidly.

Rolling my eyes, I faced the "female" demon. Something just wasn't right... "That's sweet... But a MISTAKE. Chivalry on YOUR part does not mean mercy on MY part."

I stepped forward. "Chivalry? Never heard of it. I don't care if your man or woman, young or old, if you want a fight, I'll GIVE you one." We leapt at each other; I quickly did a light tap to "her" chest. I smirked.

"You IMPERTINENT whelp!"

"Yeah, yeah. Rude, I know, but that should give you an idea of what you're up AGAINST."

He snarled. "SILENCE!"

I rolled my eyes. When would they ever learn...? I punched him right in the face, pure evil, fresh today. He landed with a thud.

"You really DON'T care do you?"

"Why should I? I'm a girl. Why do you fight me?" I leaned forward, staring him down.

He got a sweat drop. "Uh... When I first fought you, I thought you were a guy..."

"And all the times after that?"

"I can't live with the fact I was beaten by a girl!"

"Get used to it." I turned to Miyuki.

"Bitch! You just beat me because I'm different!"

"Bullshit. You aren't a cross dresser. You can't make up your mind. Do that before you get into another fight."

He gasped, then slumped to the floor. "You're so right..."

I grinned up at the camera, giving a peace sign. "Two more and we're in your face!"

As Kuwabara and I walked along, I suddenly tensed up. Something was coming. "Look out!" I leapt to the side as another demon leapt out of nowhere. Ignoring his introduction, I led Kuwabara into an adjacent hallway and filled the doorway with a Shotgun. Rolling my eyes at the pathetic demon, I left Kuwabara to insult the camera.

Walking down another corridor, Kuwabara and I grinned, then rushed the final demon, instantly knocking him out. I glanced up at the camera, and flicked it off, my face serious. Kuwabara glanced at me and shivered. I smirked and started to walk down a flight of stairs. Going down to the basement, I glanced at a glass enclosure. Some thing was completely torn in two.

"What the hell...?"

Kuwabara grabbed my arm and pulled me along before I could examine it closer. We barely reached a door before it closed. It slammed behind us, the sound echoing ominously. I quickly glanced around, huge guy with a small guy on his shoulder in the center of this arena, a wall of screens showing a bunch of bastards, probably going to watch us fight these two guys, and a large window. I glanced at it; Tarukane and I clenched my fists at the sight of Yukina being held by those two men. Bloody bastards.

"Welcome." The bigger guy stated. I raised a skeptic eyebrow. This guy had no demonic aura, yet something about him screamed that he was dangerous. I suppressed a shudder. My eyes widened as I saw the smaller guy scrunch up and transform into... A sword! Shit fuck and damn.

"Amazing transformation by my older brother, don't you think? Its effectiveness depends on the wielder, of course. As for me..." My eyes widened even more as his shirt exploded from his body as his muscles suddenly expanded tremendously. "I provide the muscle, lots of it. Y'see, we're one unit!"

I flinched as his aura hit us, just like a hurricane. He suddenly lunged at us; we barely managed to dodge. Shit he was fast! As he swung down with his sword, Kuwabara just managed to block it.

"LOOK OUT!" I shouted as he punched him in the gut. Kuwabara flew back; he had jumped back to avoid a fatal impact. My eyes widened, again. That's what had happened to that... Whatever it was that had been in that cage. Blood flew from his mouth. Rage coursing through my veins, I suddenly felt... faster. Stronger. I leapt forward, to the guy's side. Jumping level with his head, I knew that if I didn't get it now, he would kill us both. If that smaller guy could transform into a sword, who knows what else he could turn into. "SPIRIT GUN!" I fired, point blank. He fell to the floor with a thud.

Landing, I made my way towards the window, when Yukina rushed down, she looked at me, worried. "It's okay. I'm fine." I glanced at Kuwabara. "He could use some attention though." I continued up and raised an eyebrow when I saw Hiei. I saw the talismans lying on the floor. So they had hid her from his Jagan. He had been looking for her for all those years, after all. I glanced down at the arena floor. "This is far from over..." I remarked quietly, for some reason, I knew that was true.

Toguro slowly walked from the mansion, his brother on his shoulder, lost in thought. The girl, Urameshi, had gotten stronger, by maybe ten percent, just before she lunged at him. She would get much stronger. Perhaps enough to be a challenge in the tournament. He inwardly chuckled, so much like Genkai... They even looked similar, almost as if Yusuke was really their child. They shared the raven hair; she had eyes just darker than Genkai's... She would win the Tournament, and he would leave everything to her. It was the least he could do for what he was going to put her through. Pushing his glasses farther back, his brother jumped off and he went off to get his motorcycle. Yurei'ha had been a formidable assassin and fighter, but her skills had faded when she had been turned into Yusuke Urameshi. Though for a second, when she was just about to fire her Spirit Gun, he could've sworn he was looking in the eyes of a Shidosha of the hitokiri.

I walked down the street, when I suddenly shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold. I slowly, apprehensively glanced behind me. The guy removed his helmet, revealing the familiar glasses. Toguro. He must've blocked or he was just so strong the Spirit Gun merely knocked him out. Damn, should've taken his pulse.

"Come with me." I looked up at him, startled out of my thoughts. "We need to talk." He tossed me a spare helmet. I caught it. "Hop on." I hesitantly did so. If I refused, I didn't want to thing what would happen. When we reached the construction site, I leaned against a pillar, to hide my shaking. I was outwardly relaxed, inwardly ready to bolt.

"Our first encounter... Was NOT on the up-and-up. Thankfully, that is over and done with. Now, I'd like to discuss something personal... A secret between to fighters, you might say."

"Get to the point." I kept my voice calm.

He smirked. He must've seen my trembling. "Heh... You scared of me?"

"Heh..." I got a sweat drop. "Yeah, I'm scared. Got a problem with that?" I glared at him.

He chuckled. "Honesty is a virtue. And your instincts are sharp. You know how to recognize danger, you are strong... And will get stronger. That's why I thought I'd show you... THE REAL ME!"

I had to take a step backwards as he powered up; his aura hit me even harder than in the previous fight.

"It's all about muscle mass. In our first fight, I was probably at twenty percent." I gulped, a nervous sweat slicking my skin as the aura faded and revealed an extremely muscular Toguro. "Now I'm up to about sixty percent. I could LEVEL this building in THREE MINUTES! Wanna see?"

I stared, unable to move. He suddenly vanished and before I could whip around, he was behind me and speaking. "In two months, a TOURNAMENT will be held."

"The Dark Tournament..." I whispered, somehow, for it felt like my tongue was sandpaper in my mouth.

I'm pretty sure he nodded. "Humans do it for the money and thrills... We demons do it for blood and pleasure. I extend you and Kuwabara an invitation to compete. Refuse, and I will kill you right now. Get in shape. Your lives depend on it... As you will be fighting to the death." He walked off, his footsteps fading. I fell to my knees, trembling, I could not move.

"Not good... NOT GOOD..." I whispered, shaking violently. He... Was strong... Stronger than I could hope to be... After my shaking subsided, I somehow managed to get to my feet. Only one person could help me get strong enough to compete...

I quickly entered the training dojo and went straight towards her quarters. Entering the door, I waited for her to acknowledge my presence.

"Well, well... What do I owe this pleasure?" She took a sip of her tea.

"I need to be stronger. Much stronger. I've got two months."

She turned around to face me her most serious look on her face. "It ain't going to be easy."

Yurei Hokokusho: Ghost report

Hitokiri: assassin

Shidosha: leader of the hitokiri