WOW… I am so surprised by the amount of hits and reviews that this story has gotten. Thanks so much for your support and for reading. And I agree Michigan winters are probably worse then Iowa winters and I find myself affectionate towards snow (its snowing today!) Especially when you can't go anywhere and get to watch anime all day…plus it's so pretty… Back on topic now-- Please enjoy this chapter.

I own nothing related to Samurai Deeper Kyo,

Price of a Challenge

By Catrina

Chapter 4

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"Yukimura!" Yuya exclaimed running toward the feminine looking warrior and embracing him quickly before turning to the young ninja by his side and placing a hand on Sasuke's head. He glared at her for a moment but there was a smile in his eyes. He was glad to see her.

"Ahh, Miss Yuya, more beautiful then ever." He gripped her hand and bowed extravagantly over it before putting a quiet kiss on her wrist. Unlike the other males in the group Kyo's look of jealousy was not lost on him. He smiled a little wider, and took in Yuya's appearance. It was not an exaggeration to call her beautiful, from her pale hair to her dainty feet, she was an amazingly striking woman. She turned her head slightly eyes wide and questioning before he snapped out of his daze and let go of her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

"You too, I'm glad to see that both of you are alive and well."

"How else would we be?" He asked on a laugh.

"…" the girl stuttered and blushed looking down.

"It's not like we would die," Sasuke muttered again glaring at the woman, but they both knew what she was trying to say.

"Sanada, get to the point," Kyo had walked up to the trio talking placing himself behind Yuya to glare at the other samurai.

"Point?" Blue eyes widened at the statement feigning innocence.

"Yeah, like why you 'commanded' us here?" Benitora had placed himself on Yuya's other side, so she was surrounded by testosterone.

"Oh, that," He laughed at the blank looks on people's faces, excluding Kyo, "Well, I actually think that Migeira can explain better than I," he raised a brow at the other man knowing that he knew just as much as he did, if not a little more.

"We should camp for the night," the man cut to the point as usual.

"There is an inn about a couple of miles away." Benitora suggested, he wasn't sure about the others but this placed disturbed him. The others didn't really agree but simply walked in the direction of his pointing finger. He grinned and followed as they started to walk.

"Don't leave."

Yuya turned and took a couple steps back and turned around to look at the village. She looked over her shoulder to see the others walking slowly a head, Yukimura keeping constant conversation. She took another couple steps forward and looked around. The town was eerie and silent; all she could hear was the wind. There seemed to be something wrong…something off. It was in everything. Vines covered all the buildings connecting them all but coming from nowhere, when she looked up she saw nothing but green with brown in fading spots.

"Don't leave."

This time she knew that she heard it. Something raced over her skin and a strong wind blew around her. She shivered, whether it was chill or fright she wasn't sure.

"Miss Yuya!" Yukimura called to her.

"You coming?" The question was yelled by Benitora with a smile as he held up the group. She nodded not saying anything, but ran to catch up with the group.

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She was obviously important to them, to many of them. She may not hold any power, but she may be useful. The idea of kidnapping her came to mind but he knew that useless, the moment he touched her he would transfer to her body… pointless.

But still there was something intriguing about this woman. How did one ordinary woman draw so many strong fighters to her side? All of them flocked around her, knew her, and seemed to care about her. There had to be something…special.

By tomorrow he would be up to full strength and then the possibility of possessing one of the warriors would be fact instead of fiction. He looked behind him, into the monk's sanatorium. There were all the bodies of the men that he had already possessed. Dozens of them lay unconscious. The healer had no explanation for the other monks. It was something that they had never seen before; of course not, he was unknown in this day and age.

But that would change.

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They all sat in one room picking at food and drinking sake. Migeira sat sake untouched as he looked around the crowd that had gathered. This crew always seemed to amaze him as well as drive him to distraction. They were all disorganized and all had their own agenda, all a different reason to be here. Yuya was with Kyo, just like Mahiro was with Benitora and Sasuke was here to protect Sanada and Gods knew why Yukimura was here. And Kyo it was plainly obvious that he was here for the challenge. Migeira was here just to make sure that time stayed on track. And this new threat was a new challenger that would not be denied.

"Sometime around 200 years ago there was a small religion that went by the name andrachouism. It was based with a worship of the land and nature. Through what could be called witchcraft or sorcery, they learned to not only depend on nature but to control it."

"How'd that happen?" Benitora asked taking a swig of sake.

"Well it's somewhat uncertain how exactly they did control it. But what happened are some of the things we have mentioned. Intense rain," he mentioned looking to Kyo and Yuya, "Earthquakes," he continued looking to Yukimura and Sasuke, "and tsunami like winds." He finished looking over to Benitora and Mahiro who sat on her knees slightly behind him. "There was a monk, for lack of better terms, that worshiped this religion. To today we still don't know much about him. Supposedly he found a way to actually bring this power into himself, so that no one else could use it or access it. When this happened he used the power to first destroy those who had mocked him, then he turned on the innocent. This is when the other members of the cult came to a decision. They hired a mercenary group to distract him, like animals to slaughter, and while he killed off the mercenaries, the others misread a destruction spell for a binding spell and he was bound to a statue that sat outside their temple. They feared breaking the statue so they traveled for two weeks and buried the statue. Unknowingly this town… the town of Eiheiji, was built over it. A monk tempted by promises of power unearthed the statue, and proceeded to break the statue. But the presence inside the statue could not take corporeal form. So he possessed the monk that set him free, then disappeared."

"But what happened to the town?" Yuya asked sitting against the wall as far away from Kyo as possible, she had her feet tucked under her, she lifted her hands as she spoke, "Why is it the way it is?"

"Yeah and why aren't the monks scared away?"

"He has harnessed too much power for a normal human body to take. So he jumps from body to body."

"What happens to the bodies?"

"They stay in a comatose state."

"How do I kill him?" Kyo asked, his first words since arriving in the room.

"I don't know how to kill him without killing the host body."

"So?" Kyo inquired again.

"Plus we don't know what body he's in, do we?" Yuya glared at Kyo as she asked the question.

"And I doubt that he would be willing to uncover himself so willingly." Yukimura agreed, nodding at Yuya. The man then got up with an exaggerated stretch and sighed. "Well I'm turning in for the night, we shall go hunting tomorrow." He walked out of the room to his own room, followed by the yawning white haired ninja. Yuya stood up slowly and looked to Kyo.

"I'll be sharing a room with Mahiro tonight, good night Kyo." She exited with the other woman and left the three other men by themselves.

"Well I'm ready for some shut eye," Benitora stated blowing out the lantern and laying on his futon. "Good night all!"

The other men grunted in response before falling into slumber.

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Mahiro woke to the sounds of silent footsteps walking out of the room. She waited for a moment before opening her violet eyes and adjusting to the dark. It was then she noticed that she was the only one in the room. Assuming that the footsteps that had woke her had been her roommates she rose quietly and followed.

After walking out of the inn, it wasn't a hard task to find Yuya. She was walking down the center of the road back towards Eiheiji. Her blond hair glowing in the moonlight helped the female ninja to easily spot her friend. Running she quickly caught up. She grabbed Yuya's arm and turned her. Yuya turned with a startled gasp.

"Mahiro, what are you doing?" She asked, "go back to sleep."

"Not with out you. Kyo…"

"Kyo won't care." Yuya whispered loudly.

"But?"

"He's calling me. Can't you hear him?" Mahiro concentrated but heard nothing.

"No…nothing," she shook her head to prove her point.

"I'm going," she paused for a moment to look at the other woman, "Are you coming?" She nodded, knowing in her heart that if she let anything happen to this woman that her lord would never forgive her.

Yuya walked slightly ahead of Mahiro, listening to the voice that seemed to be radiating in her head. This spirit, was calling her. After listening to Migeira, she now understood that this was no god. This was just a power hungry man. And she could hear him. Normal she would never do anything foolish, but this voice was calling her.

And she was feeling reckless.

And she knew that there would be hell to pay, but right now she wasn't concerned.

As the pair approached the village a monk carrying a lantern approached. Mahiro pulled a kunai from her clothes and held ready for any threat.

"You're not special," he stated surprised, now that he got a good look at her. It was the voice that she had heard, the voice that had haunted her since earlier today.

"Either are you." She told him pulling out her three-barreled pistol and aiming it at the monk in front of her knowing that she could never kill an innocent person. "What have you done with the monk?" She asked waving the gun at his person…implying the body that he was in.

"Nothing…his spirit is slowly dying, as soon as I've drained all his energy, his spirit will die and his body will lie comatose." The monk's face seemed to change growing more sinister.

"What's the point?" Mahiro asked.

"Why do you care?" he countered. Startled Mahiro shrugged and received a glare from Yuya.

"Because they are innocent," Yuya whispered. Now that she was here she had no idea what to do. For a moment she simply wondered how she always got into situations like this. Now he was going to possess one of them or kidnap them both. And since she and Kyo hadn't slept in the same room he didn't even know that she was gone. This was just great!

"As innocent as you can get," he agreed.

"Why?" Mahiro asked again, there had to be a reason behind all of this.

"So everyone will know my name. Just to start, then take over Japan, maybe?" To the two women it seemed like he didn't actually have a plan.

"What is your name?" Yuya asked innocently. The monk looked at her slightly confused; he blinked once…twice…

"You know, it's been so long, I really can't remember. Maybe I should make one up, a strong powerful name…" He continued to babble as the two women exchanged exasperated expressions. For a moment they simply watched the man as thoughts flickered across his face. "Or maybe," he said this a little louder recapturing their attentions; "I can just take yours." He ran forward, grabbing at Yuya, and she opened her mouth in startled surprise at the change of the monk. But before he could touch her Mahiro pushed her out of the way. Mahiro and the monk collided and the monk didn't get up. Mahiro then looked at Yuya, her eyes glowing red before changing back to their normal color.

"You aren't her," Yuya stated as she sat on the ground where Mahiro had pushed her. She slowly stood on her feet and backed away, only to be stopped by the grass reaching from below her to wrap around her feet. She stumbled falling to the ground and she lost her gun when she tried to catch herself with her hands. When her hands touched the ground, they were encased in the earth. She watched in dismay as a band of earth went around her waist. She looked up seeing a glint of silver in Mahiro's hand.

Oh damn….was she in trouble

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"Kyo…Kyo get up man. The girls are gone." That statement woke the man from his ever light slumber.

"What?" the question was growled at his roommate.

"I got up to….well never mind, but I noticed that the door to the girls rooms was open, so I peaked inside." Benitora failed to mention that he was planning to go spy on mentioned girls, "they were gone. Come to think of it, Yuya was acting odd all night." He stopped to think for a moment.

Kyo rose, already he had a feeling about what was happening. For some reason that woman attracted trouble like no other. He grabbed the sword that he had been sleeping with and attached it to his side.

"Wake the others," he commanded as he walked out of the room, then out of the inn. It was still the dead of night, the moon hung high in the sky casting a glow over everything, it was easy to find both Yuya's and Mahiro's footprints. The others caught up to him quick enough.

"Man can't you keep tabs on your woman, Kyo?" Sasuke grumbled as he yawned, totally missing the glower sent in his direction.

"Normally she isn't this rash," for some reason he felt the need to defend Yuya to the others even though they knew her just as well as he did.

"Are we sure they didn't go to bathe?" Migeira asked.

"They bathed before we discussed the issue." Yukimura pointed out. The other man nodded noting that that was true.

"Besides, these are Yuya's footprints…I'd know them anywhere." Benitora pointed at the ground.

"Those are Mahiro's idiot," Kyo mumbled causing the other man to blush and scratch his head. "These are Yuya's." He pointed to the other set slightly to the left.

"You know what I mean," the pink haired man said on a laugh.

"Whatever."

"But you know, Yuya was acting odd tonight. She barely said anything and she really didn't fight with you either, Kyo."

"…"

"What nothing to say, Kyo?" Yukimura asked as he came up behind them shaking off sleep.

"Are you worried about your woman?" Sasuke asked again laughing.

"No."

"No?" It was Benitora that asked. What was Kyo denying? That he was worried or that Yuya was his woman? Had something happened between them? Had he lost the dream of being able to have Yuya for his own?

"She's fine. She's learned by now that she can't do anything like that without my approval." For a moment the others blinked, at times the red haired, red eyed man's arrogance was actually overpowering.

Walking at the increased pace it didn't take long to reach the small village. The site that actually greeted them was something that they were unprepared. A man laid on the ground collapsed in a heap. Yuya was bound the earth around her and Mahiro stood over them both. She turned her head and looked over at the men.

Damn it all. He had gotten into the wrong body. This woman didn't seem to have as much knowledge on all of them. Not like what the blond had, but what could he do now. He looked down at the woman and glared at her. She better not…

"Kyo! It's not Mahiro, she's possessed," She stopped when the kunai cut a slash across her cheek. Blood slowly dripped down her cheek and colored her hair. She blinked tears as the sting of the cut surprised her. She heard Benitora's gasp and Kyo as he drew his sword.

"Kyo you can't kill Mahiro…" Benitora yelled at the samurai blocking him with his arm.

"I'm getting my slave back," he exchanged glares with the other warrior.

"SLAVE?" Yuya yelled at him.

"Miss Yuya, are you alright?" The odd question was asked by Yukimura as he walked forward planning on releasing the woman himself but turned quickly when a line of kunai flew past him nailing the tree behind him.

"Mahiro…" Benitora stepped forward hoping that in doing so he may reach the soul that had been pushed into the recesses of her mind. He reached out toward her but stopped either in shock or pain, he wasn't sure. He looked down at his shoulder to see a cut across the skin. It was small, but he couldn't believe that it was Mahiro that had hurt him.

She had just hurt her lord…

She had cut him…

Threatened him…

That was something that she would never do if she was in her right mind. He knew Mahiro well. She was around him constantly. Always there, always watching, she was always protecting him. His mind just could wrap around the fact that she had tried to hurt him. He paused turned this time when another kunai came at him but it wasn't fast enough. This one lodged in his shoulder. He looked over to her, her beautiful violet eyes dilated and hollow. No, this was not his companion, this was their new enemy. And he couldn't fight her, not after she had fought so long to protect him. It seemed wrong.

Blood started slowly seeping from the wound, traveling down his chest and staining his clothes. He put a hand to the wound, pulling out the kunai, unfamiliar with the weapon he threw it back at her and she captured the blade. The entity in Mahiro looked down as blood cover her hand. Not her blood someone else's.

It was then that he felt the struggle. The surge of emotion was beyond what he could suppress. This body was rejecting him. He could feel it, he had just made it do something that the soul was disgusted with, repulsed. He looked toward the odd man with the bandana and realized that he had made a vital mistake. She had a very strong emotional connection with that man. He was losing control of the body, quickly. He could release the other girl and touch her, but that may not do really any good either. If he went for the warriors, they were too angry they wouldn't be acceptable. But the choice was taken from him.

"No!" He exclaimed, the voice was high and feminine. Benitora's gaze was pulled from his wound to see that Mahiro had grabbed another kunai, but before anyone tried to defend themselves they saw there was no reason. Mahiro had taken the blade slashing her own wrist…first one then another. For a moment she stood blood dripping off the glinting metal and down her fingers to fall to the ground. Mahiro was trying to stop her own body from hurting any of her own companions.

"No no no no…" She said, but the body seemed too weak to do anything. In horror Benitora rushed forward, but was stopped by Kyo's sword.

"Don't touch her," he growled and watched as the woman stumbled forward, toward the body of the incapacitated monk. Her hand reached out blindly and when she touched him, they both seemed to glow. Then she collapsed as well.

Benitora rushed forward, mindless of his wound as ripped his shirt to quell Mahiro's wounds.

"Which body is it in?" Sasuke asked standing slightly behind Yukimura.

"That does seem to be the question," Yukimura pondered himself kneeling to help Benitora stop the bleeding. "She has lost a lot of blood; we should get her to a place she can rest."

"Hello…Is she okay…Can someone please help me out?" For a moment the all looked at each other realizing that they had indeed forgot that Yuya was there and in trouble herself.

"She's your woman," Sasuke mumbled, glaring at Kyo as he slowly ambled over.

He looked down at her crimson eyes laughing, mocking her before glaring at her in pure anger.

"What the hell did you think that you were doing, woman?" He knelt down beside her not even moving to let her up, the thought crossed his mind to just leave her there. "Look what happened," he motioned to how she was bonded he was talking softly but it seemed like he was yelling to Yuya

"I don't know. He was calling me. I could hear him, when we were here the first time and at the inn. He was driving me insane. She followed me. Is she okay?"

"No," his answer was honest. He watched as tears filled her eyes.

"It should have been me. He was going after me."

"I doubt that you would have slit your wrist to escape." He started to stand to free her but stopped when he heard what she had said. "What?" he asked making sure that he had heard her right.

"I said, you would kill me before it went that far." For some reason, the words, the way she said them, the way her eyes wouldn't look into his created a heavy feeling in his chest. He didn't like it.

Not at all.

With violent, but quick and controlled slashes she found herself free. She stood slowly looking for balance. She looked over to the group to see that Yukimura was holding Mahiro, both wrist bound with bloody clothing, and Migeira was carrying the monk over his shoulder.

"Are you all right? Your cheek is still bleeding," Sasuke asked. Yuya lifted a hand and brushed it across her cheek. Her sleeve absorbed the blood only to have more blood appear in its place.

"Yeah! Don't worry, I'll be fine, let's go take care of the others," her enthusiasm was completely false but they all agreed that it would be a good idea to take care of the others and talk later.

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He absolutely refused to give the woman any words of sympathy. Right now he knew that Yuya was sitting outside, blaming herself for every injury. He knew what she was going to say, he knew every thought that was going through her head and he was not going to make her feel better. She should feel bad…this is her fault. But when he looked out the window, to see her sitting clutching her knees to her chest tears glistening in her eyes and dried blood on her wounded cheek, he knew that she was too damn soft hearted to deal with this on her own. With a loud sigh, he found a washcloth wetting it and walked outside.

She visibly jumped when the door slammed, and she looked over with wide jade eyes. "Kyo?" she questioned surprised to see him

"Out here sulking," The accusation is there, hoping to lure her into an argument, or a battle of wills. He sat down beside her looking down at her.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have let her come along. All he wanted was me."

"And what good would it have done to let him have you? Then he would have no body and your soul would be diminished. Do you really want some bastard to take over your body? Why would it be better if it was you?" He questioned. His tone was rough but his touch was gentle when he took her chin in his hand and tilter her face so he could see the cut. She blinked surprised that such a long outburst had come from the man sitting beside her. That was abnormal.

"You would have killed me…" She told him breaking eye contact and looking at the ground. She said the words knowing that it was true but hated vocalizing that fact that she knew that she meant so little to him. Sometimes, she wished that she was more than just a person to carry their items, more then just a slave in his eyes.

"Why are you so sure about that?" he growled. He sounded angry… then again he almost always sounded angry.

"You're just looking for an excuse," she told him on a counterfeit laugh. He was gentle as he dabbed her cheek cleaning her cut. He tilted her head toward the light so that he could get a better look at the cut.

"No I'm not…"

"But still she's in there pale almost dead." She could see Mahiro's pale face, dark eyes shut as her body tried to mend itself.

"Shut up, she'll be fine."

"But.."

"Shut up! Its over and done, forget it," he told her shaking her slightly

She looked up at him, surprised. Was Kyo trying to help her? To make her feel better?

"Mahiro will survive, and Benitora is fine. It's their own fault. She did what she had to do and that idiot was too slow to get out of the way." His hand was hot on her face as it rested against her cheek preventing her from turning away. What was he doing? He really didn't know.

"If it was me…If it was me, would you have killed me?" When she asked the question he stopped cleaning the wound and just looked at her.

"No," just the thought of her body soulless and dead brought that dull ache back to his chest. Knowing what she was going to ask he put his hand across her mouth.

"Shut up," he growled. He didn't want to hear the question. Why not? She was always full of questions. Why wouldn't you kill me? Why did you kiss me? Why am I still with you?

Why? He hated that word. It made him think about things that he didn't want to try to understand he didn't want to know why. She brought her hand up burning his wrist as he pulled away.

"Do we know what body he is in?"

"No."

"Will it be whoever wakes up first?"

"Huh?"

"Well they said that all the others were comatose, and when Sasuke looked around he found a room full of sleeping monks. I think that those are the people that he has already possessed. The souls he's 'burned' through," the last part held a bitter under tone.

"Mahiro's soul was fighting him. She despised the fact that her body injured Benitora…"

"She is fiercely loyal," Yuya interrupted.

"…"

"So do we think he's still in the monk?" He looked down at her and smirked.

"I doubt that he is in Mahiro. She is almost as stubborn as you," he told her as he stood. He looked down at her as her mind slowly started to process the insult.

"Hey!" She yelled at him jumping up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounded like," He informed her as he turned away. She stopped him by grabbing his sleeve.

"Kyo, one of these days, I'm going to get you to answer my questions, then I will shoot you and turn you in for the bounty on your head," she spoke on a huff, then let go of him and walked past him. He paused, realizing that he had indeed made her feel better and in doing so he was in a much better mood. He watched her hips sway as she stormed into the inn and one word crossed his mind.

MINE.

Why did he have to choose such an intricate woman?

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Okay…Chapter 4 is done. As always let me know what you think. Every time I get a review in my inbox it's like Christmas!

Soon chapter 5 will be out. I wonder what will happen.

Thanks for reading!

Cat