Thank you very much for all the reviews, everyone. I feel so loved. Well, because of the wait, here is a much longer chapter then usual. The reason it took me so long to write was because I have to write an essay on the affects of human behavior on disease. Fun!

Enjoy!


"Dinner!" announced Inazuma as she lit candles in the dinning room.

The sun had set and candles flames flickered around the Pagoda house. The gang made there way down stairs as Touya and Kori, holding hands, entered the house. Stir-fry, sushi, noddles, rice balls, and various others bits of delicious food decorated the table. Everyone took a place and thanked Inazuma.

"It is no problem, really. Now all of you eat up. I already had some so i'm going to head down to the springs to wash up."

"Where's Chi?" Kori asked, looking around the room.

"At the springs as well."

She turned around and headed upstairs. By the time she came back down, clothes, towel, and washing supplies in hand, everyone was cleaning up the last bits on their plate.

"Wow, you all must have been hungry. Glad you enjoyed it."

Bowing respectfully to them, she left the house and entered the forest. Nocturnal animals emerged from their burrows and gazed on at the stranger walking by. Smiling contently, Inazuma arrived at the spring but was startled when a hand landed on her shoulder. Whipping around, she found Hiei smirking at her. Kurama, Yusuke, and Kazuma walked up from behind.

"Why did you all follow me?"

"We wanted to know where the spring was." replied Yusuke, shrugging.

"Okay..."

She turned around and made her way out of the bushes. Gazing out at the spring, she stopped in her tracks. Chi was currently pinned to a tree trunk by Takanashi and he held a blade to her throat. Chi only had a towel wrapped arund her. Inazuma made a gesture to the others to be quiet and stay there. She ran back towards the house.

"What do you want Takanashi?" demanded Chi, struggling slightly.

"Why, you of course. You betrayed me. Normally I would kill a person who did that, but I like you and I have an offer."

"Which is?"

"Kill the Reikai Tantei and you can come back."

He dropped her and took a step back. Her eyes glittered behind her ever present mask. Gazing up at him with crimson orbs, she smirked, her wet, blonde hair falling to frame her face.

"But of course."

With a smirk and a wave, Takanashi flickered from view. Not being able to resist himself anymore, Hiei left the shadows of the bushes and punched Chi across the face. She fell to her knees and grabbed her mask quickly as it slid off.

'It is not time for them to see.' she told herself within her mind.

Standing up, she gazed unemotionally at Hiei, tightening her towel.

"What was that for?" she asked him.

"For the deal you made with that baka kisama (stupid bastard). To join him again, you are going to kill us."

"Seems like it if you keep going on the way you are, Hiei-sama."

"Don't address me with formalities...do not address me at all."

"As you wish." she replied, bowing slightly.

Kurama watched the girl with growing intrest. She was delicate, from what he could tell, yet strong and swift, with a hidden mean streak. He barely had time to react as Hiei went at her again, this time a swift kick slammed into her ribs. She was hurled several feet away and as she struggled up, another hit landed in her stomach. Hiei continued his brutal assault, until Yusuke grabbed him and got him into a hard-to-break headlock. Chi stood up in the middle of the clearing they were in and held her side. Hiei had pulled out his katana on her and got her along her side. Inazuma entered the field behind her, also looking slightly beat up.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Kazuma.

The wounds on Chi's body stared to disappear and reappear on Inazuma. Hiei exchanged a glance with the two women before breaking out of his holder's hold. His katana laid a foot in front of him. His gaze lingered on it.

'That witch, Chi, must be passing her wounds onto Inazuma so she could be weak and easy to kill. I must stop her.'

With a lunge, Hiei grabbed his katana and ran at Chi. Inazuma saw him and went to Chi's aid. Reaching her, she wrapped her arms tightly around Chi's waist and forced her around. A second later, Hiei's katana ripped through Inazuma's back. Chi turned around in Inazuma's arms and glared at the kajihenge over her friends shoulder. She wrapped her own arms around Inazuma's waist and to her back where they lightly grazed over the cut.

"Are they lesbians?" Yusuke asked as he watched the two girls.

"Ouit being so immature." Kazuma yelled, smacking the boy over the head.

"Like you aren't thinking it."

"Exactly, i'm not."

"When did you become smart?"

Kazuma turned around and watched as Chi healed Inazuma's back, still in the same position. That's when he noticed it...metal gauntlets on both of their arms. Hiei walked over to them but jumped back when a light surrounded Chi and Inazuma. Everyone shilded their eyes for the light was intense. When it disappated, Chi was standing there, holding Inazuma's clothes in her hands. Inazuma was nowhere to be seen.

"What did you do to her?" demanded Hiei, knocking the woman to the ground and pinning her arms above her head while sitting on her.

"Nothing."

Anger was evident in Hiei's eyes and he wrenched the mask off of Chi's face. Her hair started to change. It went for blonde to black and her crimson eyes flickered to blue. Hiei gapped as he watched the woman before him. She smiled at him.

"In...Inazuma? But how?"

"Chi and I are the same person, silly. She is a branch of my soul and I can materialize her physically. I absorbed her into me. The mask that she wears allows me to look like her. It was actually me at the party, wearing the mask."

"So when we saw you two together earlier, when we arrived, you two were separate?" asked Kurama as he walked over to them.

"Yes. Now, let us head back." She turned away from them and headed towards the house.

The others followed behind, except for Hiei. The mask that Inazuma had taken off lay on the ground. He picked it up but it turned to dust at his touch. Sighing, he lept onto a branch and made himself comfortable.


Inazuma entered the house with Kurama, Yusuke, and Kazuma behind her. Kori saw them and smiled.

"They know." was all Inazuma said as she made her way up to the fourth floor where her room was.

It was simple. A large futon laid on the floor to the left of the door. A small wardrobe to the right of the door and chest across from that. A simple bay window was on the wall opposite the door. She entered the room, still in the towel. Changing to an ankle-length navy blue gown, she jumped out of her window and made her way back to the spring where Hiei now slept in a tree. Entering the clearing, Hiei was still on the branch. Smiling, she sat at the edge of the spring. Lightly running her hands over the surface of the water, she closed her eyes

"Alone again in the confines of my room

The sliver of the moon frowns down upon my face

Bright stars twinkle high in the heavens above

A beauty it is to watch, the solitude of the night"

She gazed up at the stars above, clouds slowly rolling into her line of view. Drops of rain fall from the sky and decorate her face. Hiei stirs on his branch and watches Inazuma.

"Light rain sprinkles, dripping on my gown

An echo of thunder resounds in the distance"

She slides off the shore and into the water. Ripples move out from her as she wades deeper. Sliding the gown off, she throws it onto the shore. Her bare wet skin shines in the minimal moonlight.

"Alone again as the rain pours down

Tears streak my cheeks mixing with the fallen drops

A sadness lingers heavy in the air

I am lonely, standing here, as the rain falls onto me"

Hiei jumps off his branch an watches her from the shore. She turns around, covering her top half and smiles at him.

"Soaked to the bone, hair sticking to my face

I do not mind though, it comforts me

I feel someone close, On the balcony with me

I do not acknowledge but they know I know they are there

They stand beside me, Rain soaking them too

I gaze at them, Familiar eyes meet mine"

The kajihenge takes off his shirt and shoes and slides into the water. It is very warm, even for him. Walking over to the side opposite Inazuma, he sinks in and relaxes, taking off his pants under the water.

"A cold abyss of silence is the feeling that I see

Darkness lingers within calling for a light

The rain lets up, My arms shiver for they are cold

Something warm is placed on my shoulders, A warmth fills my heart."

At this, she floats under the surface and swims over to Hiei, being mindful not to look at him inappropriately. Emerging, she leans against the rock with him and stares up at the clearing sky. She keeps her arms across her chest and tucks her legs up so as to hide her body, even just a little.

"I look at the man beside me, His shinning eyes so enchanting

He says I will get sick, I ask him if he cares

Thoughtful eyes look up into the open sky

A dark angel, I think, as Iwatch him closely

I place my head on his shoulder, hold his arm tightly

Tears fall from my eyes, Mysterious like the rain"

And indeed she does. Her forehead rests on Hiei's bare shoulder and she holds his left arm tightly. Sobs racked her body as she remembered bits of her past. Pain. Anger. Sadness. Guilt. All these various emotions flashed in her mind, she clutched his arm tighter. Timidly, she wormed his arm out of her grasp and placed it around her shoulders. They were both still not wearing anything, but steam rose from the water, hiding them from view. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. They stayed like that for a little until Inazuma stopped. Lifting up her head, she looked into Hiei's eyes.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to be so weak. I guess I have to much on my mind."

"It's alright...though awkward."

Inazuma realize the compromising position they were in and instantly pulled away.

"I have offended you. I will go."

She turned around but was stopped by Hiei.
"Don't go. I...enjoy the company."

She smiled at him and rested against the rock again. Hiei watched her closely. He was again in awe at her smile. Everything she did, every move she made, made him want her more. He couldn't explain it. There was this nagging voice in the back of his head that kept chanting, 'Tell her, tell her.'. Tell her what, he would question, but never got an answer. He remembered something he had heard in her mind a while ago.

'Hiei, I am torn in two. The lingerings of my broken soul cry out for passion and love from you, but I know you will never feel like that. I have known you for these 3 short years yet it feels like it has been a life time. Consider me, Hiei. Consider me as a friend who needs the comfort of your embrace and lust, as well as your passion and love. I want you Hiei...whether you feel like this of not. Even if it is for one night, pretend that you care.'

She thought she thought it in secrecy, but he had heard it. That was thing. He wanted her, more then she, or him for that matter, could imagine. He did care, he would care if he was to sleep beside her after a night of passion. He wanted her, but couldn't risk his feelings being known. He sighed to himself and laid his head back on the rock.

"Hiei?"

"Hm?"

He looked to see Inazuma in front of him.

"What is wrong? What troubles you?"

"Nothing." he retorted angerly, looking away.

"Oh..alright. Well, I am going to head back. See you in the morning, Hiei-sama. Perhaps then you will be able to talk whole sentences and not monosylables. Perhaps then you will not be a heartless bastard like you usually are."

Turning around she swam to the shore leaving Hiei with a stunded expression as though he had been slapped.


I am not sure when chapter 10 will be out. Stupid School! Thank you for the reviews, again, and please keep them coming. Arigato Gozaimasu!

-UtsukushiiCho