Part One: Frustrations Mount

Kuwabara and Oto set off to the auction house they had been directed to by Koenma. The carrot-top still doesn't feel any better about having to go anywhere with Oto but his honor code, which has yet to change, would not allow him to turn his back on someone in need. The seedy-looking building that they come upon makes the carrot-top think that this search was going to take a very log time to complete and that they probably wouldn't be very happy by the time it was all said and done. With a soft sigh, he walks in followed by Oto who is, as he was often, completely silent. Kuwabara walks straight up t the table holding a bunch of books. "I want to know about a demon who was sold from ere almost ten thousand years ago," he tells the demon.

"Ten thousand years is a long time, buddy. I highly doubt I'd remember a sale from that long ago," the demon answers.

"He's the type of demon you don't forget. He has long graying black hair and gold eyes, is short, and has a feminine and seemingly fragile physique," the carrot-top replies.

"How short are we talking?" the demon asks.

"About three feet or so," he responds.

The demon tilts his head for a moment as if going thorough a list of possibilities in his mind. "Did he have a rather high pitched timbre?"

"Yes."

"I remember him. Aniki Toguro, that's his name. He was sold pretty quickly to a demon though I heard that a band of rogue demons attacked his caravan and the lot was either killed or taken with them," the demon answers, "Of course that group of demons was inevitably killed about four villages over though I don't think he was among the casualties."

Kuwabara closes his eyes. Of course it couldn't be easy, could it? What would be the point of pairing them up if the search was going to be over within a couple of hours? "Thank you for your help," he says before turning and walking away. "Wonderful, I get to spend my time chasing around a demon who is going to be exceedingly difficult to find…this job has no redeeming quality whatsoever."

"You could be a little more concerned for my brother," Oto says.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was supposed to care about the midget demon," he retorts. He realizes that was definitely the wrong thing to say as Oto picks him up by the front of his shirt.

"I am warning you, Kuwabara, one more insult towards my brother and I will make you wish that you had never been born!"

"It is interesting that you get mad at me because I have insulted your brother but you are willing to overlook the fact that YOU kicked Ani? I don't think you have ANY place to speak, Oto. Put me down, or I am going to call off looking for the midget demon and he can just rot!"

Oto releases him and Kuwabara falls flat on his ass. The carrot-top stands up scowling at him. "Pull that stunt again, Toguro, and you will NEVER see your brother!"

Oto's lip curves into a snarl. "And here I was under the impression that you were NOTHING like Yusuke. I didn't think you would sink so low as to use threats to get your way."

"Oh shut up, Toguro! I don't even want to find your stupid brother and I certainly DON'T want to be looking for him with the likes of YOU!"

"You aren't what I would call good company, either!"

"Oh, go to hell!"

"I've already been there!"

Their shouting match turns into an all-out fight that spans five hours and no clear-cut winner. Both are glaring at each other as they try to catch their breaths. "I'm going home," Kuwabara finally snaps, "I am NOT dealing with you! I don't particularly care what happens to your older brother and as long as he's not a threat to my wellbeing I say good riddance!"

"You would be so heartless, wouldn't you?" Oto asks.

"Give me one good reason as to why I should help you find your brother."

"There is only one reason that Ani is a slave and that is because he's warded. He can't defend himself, Kuwabara. Do you have any idea of what someone could do to my brother while he is helpless?" Oto demands.

Kuwabara pauses to think about that for a moment. A lot of unpleasant thoughts pop into his head, but the one that makes his anger with the situation dissipate the most is the thought that he might be raped. "Let's go," he tells him roughly as he continues walking. 'Damn him!' he thinks, 'Why did he have to go and get himself sold as a slave and why the HELL do I care?'

'Because you're decent,' his mind responds. He snorts in disgust and continues walking. He had no one but himself and his damn honor code to blame for this.

Nightfall forces both of them to seek a bed in an inn. Tired and frustrated beyond anything he'd ever felt, Kuwabara is not in the mood to have more things go wrong. Unfortunately, fate seemed at her cruelest to him. "I am sorry, sir, but there is only one room open," the owner says apologetically.

"One room?" he asks.

"One room."

"Please tell me there is at least two beds…please."

"I am sorry sir."

"Okay, so let me get this straight, you have ONE room with ONE bed?" he asks pressing his fingers against his temple.

"Yes, sir."

Kuwabara would refuse…if the next inn weren't eight hundred miles away. "We'll take it…we don't have a choice," he finally consents. The muffled snickers coming from behind him worsen his mood. "Shut up, Oto."

The evening gets worse when the two of them head into the room and see the size of the bed. Kuwabara closes his eyes and is suddenly tempted to bash his head into the wall. "We're going to be very close together," Oto comments.

"I can see that," Kuwabara retorts, "You DON'T need to state the obvious."

"Well, we should get some rest and get out there early. We have a lot of miles to cover."

"The thought of sleeping outside at night in the Makai makes my skin crawl," Kuwabara mutters.

"Don't worry, Kuwabara, I'll keep all the nasty demons away from you," Oto teases.

The carrot-top growls at him. "Would you please stop with the insults! I am quite bothered enough without you making it worse."

"What, someone horny?"

"Oto!"

The burly demon grins at him. "It wouldn't be surprising as you are a teenager."

"I am NOT horny!" Kuwabara looks scandalized.

"Sure you aren't. May I suggest that you wear looser pants if you want to be able to remotely lie about that."

Kuwabara looks down and realizes that yet again, Oto was teasing him. The demon's laughter only proves it. "That was despicable!"

"I couldn't resist. You need to relax just a little bit. This isn't going to get any easier if you are so tense."

"I don't see why you have to make my life miserable."

"I'm trying not to think about what we're doing…or why we are doing it."

"Oh," Kuwabara says softly. He could understand Oto not wanting to think about Ani because, honestly, he was trying not to think about it, either. 'Where are you, midget? What's happened to you?' he wonders though part of him wonders if he'd be able to stomach the answers that may come with that.

Finally, he slips his boots off and slides to one side of the bed. He only hopes that Oto stays as far away from him as he can possibly get. Unfortunately, with the bed being the size it is, Oto ends up pressed against his back. Kuwabara forces himself not to panic. 'This is just great. How could it get any worse?' A half-hour later, he finds out, as Oto pulls him closer. 'Oh gods, he cuddles,' Kuwabara thinks as his blue eyes widen. Needless to say, he's awake for the rest of the night.