Don't you recognize the Beautiful Suzuka?"

"Hey, you mean the I-got-my-face-turned-into-pudding Suzuka? Yeah, I remember you. Nice clown suit." Kuwabara laughed.

"Shut up simple human."

"So, why are you here?" Kurama interrupted before Kuwabara could insult the demon any further.

"To give you these." He handed a sword hilt to Kuwabara and a bottle with a fruit in it to Kurama. "These are the starting points of two items I gave to members of my own team. That bottle holds the Fruit of the Previous Life, hand picked from the upper realms of the Spirit World. From it Ura derived the smoke from his Idunn Box. It should produce the same dreamy effect that turns you into your demon form. And that…" He nodded towards the sword hilt. "Is the Trial Sword. Carved from a Japanese Cedar that sucked up all the surrounding life. For Shishiwakamaru, it became the Banshee Shriek. But for you, it should be quite different, and probably without the demons." He looked them straight in the eye. "And if you give me the grace of having a few more words, I'll give you a warning. That battle was the first time those items were used, even I cannot tell what side effects the items could have upon their user. It's up to you to use the help or not." He began to walk away.

"Why would you want to help us?" Kurama asked, genuinely curious.

He stopped, but did not turn to face him. "I dislike you, but I hate Toguro. It took only three percent of his repulsive strength to make a fool out of me. I was young and hadn't realized my greatness couldn't get me all that I wanted. I fell to pieces at his feet, begging for my life. 'I only kill the worthy and job assignments. You're neither. So run along.' Was what he said to me. After that day I changed my appearance, and gathered every enchanted item I could get my hands on. I even made a tournament team and entered, but I was defeated by you before I could even reach him." He smiled sadly. "So I see that it wasn't meant to be, but if I can't beat him, I want my items to help!" He turned to them, his eyes passionate. "I want you to change his mind, show him that under dogs CAN win." He looked at them fiercely. "And tell your leader, Urameshi, some advice. Toguro will toy with her in the beginning to test her. Have her use that." He walked off.

Kurama watched him go; he definitely changed his opinion of Suzuka. He wasn't as much as a clown as he thought.

"GENKAI!" I bolted up in bed then ran over to Kuwabara. "Where is she?'

"She went out a while ago."

"Dammit!" I groaned and ran to the forest. I ran as fast as I could, but it was too late. I came in time to see Toguro throw my sensei's body to the ground. "GENKAI!" I sank to my master's side. Gently lifting her, I saw she was still breathing.

"Hey… Dimwit…" I checked the wound; she didn't have much time left. "Yusuke, you have to listen." I nodded; tears running down my face, I knew denying that she was dying would be useless now. "Toguro, fifty years ago when we won the Dark Tournament, he had the committee turn him into a demon of the highest class. He had forsaken his friends so he could keep his precious strength. No human is a one-man show Yusuke. You affect the countless people that care about you in hundreds of ways everyday. You can't be a cocky kid anymore, you have to…" I clenched my dying teacher's hand as she let out her last breath. I stood, lifting Genkai's body.

Hiei looked up. That energy that disappeared… That was…

Kurama froze. Was it possible…?

Botan stared out the window, tears falling from her cheeks.

Koenma dropped his knife and fork. "It's Genkai…" He whispered.

With my back to Toguro, I spoke. "We will fight in the final match, Toguro. And know that I will kill you for this." I glared behind me, my eyes blood red, he smirked. I snarled silently and walked away.

And a few minutes later... "Hey, Koenma."

The young god was startled. "How did you…? Never mind…"

"I want you to give her a decent burial." I handed Genkai's body to my boss. "I need to go think things over." Koenma nodded. I walked back towards the cave, tears still streaming down my face. I sat down just outside and looked inside, thinking, remembering. A few hours later, after the sun had set, Koenma gave back. "There was nothing I could've done, was there?"

"No, that conflict had started before your mother was born. A girl and her role model from allies to deadly enemies, on a crash course for life. There was nothing you could've done to stop it." I smiled and brushed the tears off my face. I leapt to my feet and flipped away from the cave. Koenma glanced at me. "She left a message for you: Kick his ass."

Laughing, I charged up my Spirit Gun. "I've got a message for her, too." I aimed towards the sky; the force of my concentrated energy caused the wind to whip around me. "It's a sample of the energy you gave me, my way of saying I understand. SPIRIT GUN!" The blast shot upward, a pillar of blue light in the clear night.

Hiei looked up at the column of energy. "Such power…" He whispered, eyes wide.

Kurama looked up in slight shock, then smiled.

Kuwabara was stupefied.

Suzuka gasped. "That's Urameshi? Incredible! She might just beat him!"

Jin, Touya, Chu and Rinku looked out the window. "That's Yusuke?" Rinku asked, eyes wide.

Jin laughed. "Her wind, even from in here, is WILD!"

Touya stared at the pillar of light. "A 'tad'?" He asked Chu, who just grinned.

Hiei went to the sight of the battle. He watched what had happened with his Jagan in horror. Shaking his head, he leapt into the air and punched down. Landing, he compared it to what Toguro had done. "If that's the best I can do, I should just get a new arm." He muttered. "He's a monster."

I closed my eyes and concentrated my aura into a tight bubble around me. I brought it back in and turned around to face Kuwabara, who was obviously wondering how I could so powerful. "You going to say something or just stare?" I asked, annoyed.

"You shouldn't speak like that to someone who holds the most powerful sword in the world in their hands!" He waved around a sword hilt.

"Is it possible that you could shut up?" Hiei walked out of the darkness, his eyes a glowing light red.

"Hey, Hiei." I glanced at him.

"Whoa! What happened to your arm!" Kuwabara asked.

"It wouldn't obey when I gave it a specific command and I decided it needed to be punished."

I kept my face blank, but Kuwabara laughed.

'He's weird.' Was obviously what he was thinking. "Okay, too much information for me. Let's stick to something safe, like where's Kurama?"

"I've been next to you for quite some time now, Kuwabara." Kurama remarked quietly. I smirked. I almost hadn't noticed him.

He got a sweat drop and turned around. 'Whoa, I couldn't even feel his Spirit Energy!' "So, we're all here except for the Masked Lady. Where is she?"

Kurama and Hiei glanced at me. I looked away from them and stared out over the ocean. "She's not coming. She isn't here anymore."

"What? How is that possible?" Kuwabara asked, nearly shouting.

"Toguro…. Well, he…" My voice broke. "Damn it!" I punched the cliff's face, it crumbled and collapsed, we all had to jump back. "Sorry." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "He… Killed her…"

Kuwabara started laughing. "You're joking, right?" He asked, looking around a little wildly. "RIGHT!"

I looked away, still crying, then got in his face. "IF SHE WASN'T DO YOU THINK I, YUSUKE URAMESHI, WOULD BE CRYING!" I shouted back, held back sobs shaking my body. I shook my head at his stupidity and jumped up the cliff and ran into the hotel.

"Be thankful she COULD tell you, baka." Hiei watched her go. "She's almost in what you could call denial." He glanced at the cliff surface and compared it to what Toguro had punched. Hers was slightly bigger. Barely. Maybe she stood a chance. Maybe.

Sensei: teacher

Baka: idiot

Votes:

Hiei: 8

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 9