Disclaimer: Ok, I'm not saying this anymore after this, 'cuz you should get the point: I don't own YYH!

Chapter 10: Alive

"Now, Fox Theif," The demon Kurama had sold his soul to, Baketsu, laughed wickedly. "Are you ready to give me your soul?"

"Baketsu, you will pay for what you did to Hiei," Shuiichi growled, glaring at him. "He was my friend and had nothing to do with our deal."

"So," Baketsu shrugged. "After I'm done with you, his soul will be delicious, too..."

Rage came over Shuiichi, an almost blinding rage. How can he talk about the dead that way? He deserves to die! Kurama jumped forward into the air, coming down from above at Baketsu. He pulled the rose out of his hair and it quickly turned into his Rose Whip. With a snarl, Kurama brought his Whip down on Baketsu, but the results surprised him. The Rose Whip, which could cut through anything, didn't even scratch Baketsu.

"Whatsa matter?" Baketsu laughed. "Can't cut me with your pathetic little plant? I had my skin specially treated, it's immune to any kind of aura."

Shuiichi growled in frustration. How can I kill him if he's immune to aura? Physical attacks won't work, his skin's as hard as rock...Yoko, do you have an answer?

You can't figure it out yourself, oh wise one? Yoko smirked.

Nothing comes to mind, Theif.

Why don't you try something inside him? Yoko suggested.

Like Yusuke did Goki?

Somewhat...but I have a feeling this will be a little harder...Good luck! Yoko laughed.

Kurama sighed, knowing this was all he was going to get from Yoko. Yoko Kurama was very hard to work with and never gave him a straight answer...that was useful anyway.

Baketsu ran straight toward Kurama, ignoring Yusuke, with his mouth open. He was clearly trying to take the easy way out and eat Shuiichi whole. Shuiichi laughed a little. Perfect...

As soon as Baketsu bended his large head down to gobble up Kurama, his mouth still open, Kurama shot his Roze Whip down into his throat. Baketsu realized this too late. He screamed and yelled, thrashing around wildly as Kurama started to pull his Whip. It had lodged itself deep into the tender flesh inside Baketsu's throat and he was starting to cough up blood. Shuiichi pulled harder and the thorns of his Whip became visible. Baketsu screamed his ugly toad demon head off as the Rose Whip started to rip through his flesh to the outside.

"You deserve a horrible, painful death," Kurama said, glaring at him. "Much more torturing than this."

Shuiichi pulled out his Whip, allowing Baketsu to grab his throat in agony, blood flowing through his tightly clenched fingers. He would never be able to speak again, for Kurama had ruined his voicebox, not that he would need it soon anyway...dead men don't speak.

Baketsu had a fearful look upon his toady-face as Kurama approached him. He begab to panic and held his hands up over his head, in a protecting gesture, trying to beg. Suddenly he jumped and pointed behind Shuiichi, as if trying to say something of great importance. Shuiichi wouldn't look, though. He knew demon tricks too well.

"Yusuke, would you see what he's pointing at?" Kurama asked darkly.

"Sure," Yusuke said and came over to Shuiichi, then looked behind him, into the kitchen where Baketsu was pointing. Yusuke's jaw dropped immediately. "I-i-i-it's-"

"HIEI!" Yusuke and Hiyoko yelled in disbelief simultaneously.

"What?" Kurama shouted, loosing his demonic restraint on Baketsu and turning around.

"Mind if I give this little piece of trash the punishment for hitting a demon of higher status, importance, and strength?" Hiei asked with a glare.

"Not at all," Kurama sighed, relieved.

Hiei walked over to Baketsu slowly, each step causing more fear in him, very visable fear. Baketsu was so utterly scared, he wet himself and sweated tremendously.

"How is it scum like you came across a way to send my Dragon back at me?" Hiei asked, finally reaching Baketsu and bending over. "Tell me telepathically."

"I-I don't know!" Baketsu shouted, cringing with panic.

"Wrong answer," Hiei said and his hand shot out and ripped one of Baketsu's eyes out of it's socket.

"AAAAHHHH!" Baketsu screamed in agony, holding the spot his eye had once been.

Hiei threw the eyeball onto the ground and stomped on it. Baketsu gagged at the horrible squishing sound, which almost made even Hiyoko barf.

"Answer or die," Kurama held a blad of grass to Baketsu's throat, one of his special ones.

'M-master Royuki!' He whimpered telepathically. 'He g-gave it t-to m-me! He s-said when he d-dies to use it to k-kill Hiei!'

"So it was all a plan," Shuiichi growled.

"Obviously it didn't work," Hiei pointed out.

"Or did it?" Kurama asked. "Was that the ONLY part of his plan?"