Genkai and I stood next to a river. "Fire your Spirit Gun." I raised an eyebrow, but I did as I was told, it leveled a medium-sized boulder. Genkai rolled her eyes. She powered up her Spirit Energy. "YAH!" She fired; it blew straight through a mountain.

"Okay, you're a great lawn mower." I stared. Damn. I knew I had a long way to go until I was at her level of power, but still... Damn.

"Shut up, I know your half-assed jokes are your way of admitting I'm stronger than you." She evaluated the damage. Then she sighed and walked back towards the river, her back to me. She gazed out over the water. "I am old, Yusuke. There was a time when that blast would have gone on for miles." She smiled at a memory. "I never had any desire for heroics, all I had was the sense my power should always exist." She looked at me. "Let the next dimwit do something noble with it. Who knows, maybe that dimwit is you. You can have this power for yourself." It started to sprinkle. And I shivered.

"How?" I asked warily.

"You have to kill me." Her face was completely expressionless.

"WHAT!" I shouted.

"Meet me at the entrance to that cave when you decide." She left before I could utter another word.

She turned and walked into the mist that now shrouded the entrance. I clenched my fists, how could I do that?

A few hours later I entered the cave, although my decision had been made seconds after Genkai left. "Made up your mind?"

"I can't do it, you're my teacher." I glanced at the ground. "True, once in a while I entertained the idea, but I never could do that."

I heard her chuckle. "You pass. I wanted my heir to be loyal enough not to actually do the deed, but not immediately reject the idea." I rolled my eyes, typical Genkai, then followed my sensei into the darkness of the cave. She drew out an orb of blue light from her body. "I put my body through hell to make it strong enough for this. It's the Spirit Wave Orb, it's a part of me and yet separate from me. And is capable of powering a whole city block. Only the true successor to the Spirit Wave can absorb it into her body. This process could go on for hours or even days, and if you give into the pain, you will only wish for a quicker death. That is your test." She handed it to me, I put into my own body for absorption and braced myself for the pain that was sure to come, but I was still completely unprepared for what came next.

"PUU! PUU!"

Keiko set down her apple juice and cradled the cute Spirit Beast, who was crying out in pain. "Puu? What's going on?" Koenma glanced at the Spirit Beast and shook his head.

I lay on the ground, panting, blood pouring form wounds all over my body. I cried out in pain, clutching my various wounds, eyes glazed and unfocused with pain.

"Yusuke, what have I done?" Genkai slowly approached and drew out the orb from my body. As soon as she did, I slowly relaxed and returned to my normal temperature.

"GIVE THAT BACK YOU OLD BITCH!" My eyes snapped open as I shouted this.

"You can't handle anymore. It was a gamble to begin with and now you know why." Genkai protested, her voice hard.

I snarled. "SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS! YOU'RE NOT MY FREAKIN' MOTHER! SO DON'T TRY TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME!" I grabbed the orb from Genkai and shoved it back into my body. Immediately, blood flew from me as I screamed out in pain.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Genkai stood, admiration and desperation in her eyes.

Unable to stand her apprentice's pain any longer, she walked out of the cave as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Yusuke. There's nothing else I can do."

I lay on the hard rock, burning up, screaming at the constant agony. But I had to do this, or else Hiei, Kurama, and the others were dead…

After the others left, Keiko gently set Puu down. If that was a reflection of Yusuke's inner soul, did that mean she was in pain…? Shaking it off, she went to bed.

"Urameshi and the Masked Fighter have been gone for a long time." Kuwabara muttered, laying down his hand. Hiei removed the cloth covering his Jagan. Peering around the island, he forced himself to remain calm at the sight. What the hell did that bitch do to Yusuke!

"Yes…" Kurama agreed, laying his hand down. "Royal Flush."

"WHAT!" Kuwabara shouted, leaping to his feet.

"Looks like you guys are working hard." Shizuru remarked lightly, leaning in the doorway.

"We're having serious conversation here!" Kuwabara shouted.

"Yeah, uh-huh." She sat down across from her brother. "Deal me in." Kurama shuffled the deck.

Hiei stared out the window and into the stormy night. Yusuke…

He caught Kurama's eyes who saw the anger in his own. Realization hit him. But as Kuwabara began to make some comment, he forced himself to smile and nod.

The next morning, Hiei, Kurama and Kuwabara walked toward the newly constructed stadium. "Where is Urameshi?" Kuwabara grumbled.

Hiei shivered. He didn't want to know. "She and the Masker Fighter are not going to make it. We'll have to deal with them on our own. So you pull your own weight from now on." He hissed irritably as they entered the stadium.

Genkai sat at the cave's entrance. 'After all these years, trying to find the perfect student… What the HELL have I done?'

I lay in immense pain; I closed my eyes, sharp spasms of pain shooting through my body. "DAMN IT! I'M NOT GOING TO DIE!" I staggered to my feet as I looked up at the ceiling, I could not, would not, die.

Jin glanced down at the ring and groaned. He couldn't concentrate on the fights. "Hey, Touya."

"Hm?" The ice demon looked away from the arena and glanced at his friend.

"Yusuke is not there."

"What about it?" He asked, though he had an idea of what his friend wanted to do.

"I'm goin'." He said as he stood.

Touya looked back at him. "Where?" Though he already knew the answer.

"To look for her. Where else?"

Touya stood up as well. "I come with, then."

"Whoa, wait up drongo!" Chu and Rinku quickly got up and followed them out of the stadium.

"Um, guys? Puu doesn't look so good."

"Hm?" Botan turned around.

"Looks like she's in pain." Keiko gently stroked the Spirit Beast's fur.

"Puu…" She looked up to the sky. "PUU!" She broke free of Keiko's grip and unsteadily flew on. Coming to the cave, she flew over to Yusuke.

I closed my eyes. It hurt so badly… I felt a drop of water on my face. Damn, just a drop made me feel like I was drowning in it… I opened my eyes. "Puu…?"

I watched through glazed eyes as the little Spirit Beast bashed herself into the stalactites "That… Little IDIOT…" She quickly caught the drops and landed. Waddling over to her, carefully holding the drops. She tripped and looked disheartened for a moment. Then looking determined, she flew into the air again. Tears ran down my face, she as in as much pain as I was, and yet… I looked up as she saw and heard the stalactites shake and their bases crumble. Puu collapsed, just beneath one. It fell. "SCREW THIS TEST; I'M GETTING US OUT OF HERE!" I cried out in pain as the Orb completely absorbed into me and ran towards her and smashed the rock to pieces. "GRAAH!" I covered her with my own body, deflecting debris.

Genkai looked up and smiled as she saw me stumble out of the cave. "Hey Genkai. Could you look after this guy for me?" I asked wearily.

"Anything you want, Yusuke. You've completed your training under me." She replied, taking the unconscious Spirit Beast from my arms.

"Nice…" I whispered as I fell.

Genkai propped her up against a tree. "Rest, Yusuke." She set Puu next to her. She got up and watched her student for a moment. 'I guess I really owe Koenma one for getting you here. You really saved our little idiot, didn't you? I was afraid that my impatience had killed my favorite dimwit.' She smiled and stood. 'The last chapter starts.' She smiled at Yusuke. 'You have to face Toguro in the end, I'll make sure your team gets that far."

Votes:

Hiei: 8

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 8

I apologize if this chapter seems somewhat boring and badly written. It is one of those chapters that has little action in hit but a lot of important things said and done. I'll make it up to you guys (hopefully tomorrow) when I update. I'll make the next chapter a bit longer.

Puu, in this fic, is more of a phoenix/peacock Spirit Beast instead of a penguin. This is due to Yusuke once being an assassin. To get an idea of what Puu looks like, think of the phoenix the original Yusuke creates when he unleashes his energy in the fight with Toguro in the anime. It is also approximately the same shade of blue as the original Puu.