Part Three: Bathing and Other Fun Endeavors

Kazuma brings Ani into the bathroom and shuts the door. Watching the fear and suspicion appear in the demon's golden orbs mingled with a look of resignation makes the carrot-top want to massacre every damn demon who had ever touched Ani the wrong way. "I am not going to hurt you, Ani," he tells him as he slowly approaches, "I just want to help you bathe."

"Why do you call me that?" the demon asks, "I have no name."

"Yes, you do," Kazuma tells him firmly, "Your name is Aniki Toguro, but you prefer to be known as Ani. There is a lot you have forgotten due to years of mistreatment and enslavement…none of which you deserved." Kuwabara knows that telling the smaller demon anything would be like talking to a brick wall though brick walls might also be more receptive than he was. The carrot-top slowly reaches out and pulls what constituted as a shirt from the smaller demon. He watches as Ani cringes at his touch and the feeling of anger deepens. He hopes that Oto is true to his word and that the burly demon makes the bastard suffer for what he put Ani through.

When Kazuma goes to fully undress Ani, the demon panics. "Pl-please, d-don't h-hurt me," he begs pulling back against the wall, "I d-didn't do anything!"

"I am not going to hurt you, Ani, calm down," Kazuma says quickly hoping to keep the demon from freaking out even more, "I just need to take the rest of your clothes off in order to bathe you properly." He struggles to swallow the helpless rage that forms seeing the fear-filled golden eyes. He really wants nothing more than to massacre every single person who turned this strong-spirited demon into the trembling shadow he now was.

Slowly, Kazuma approaches him again. "I am not going to hurt you," he repeats, "I give you my word. You're safe now."

"You need not promise me anything. I am a servant…a slave."

"You are NOT!" the carrot-top says heatedly. Ani shrinks back at the tone sure he's about to get hit or beaten again. Kuwabara's anger deflates in an instant once he realizes that Ani thinks he's about to hit him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not angry with you. I am angry with those who made you think such things about yourself."

It takes four hours for Kazuma to completely clean up the smaller demon. The wounds are enough to make him want to find all those who hurt him and massacre every single one of them. He wraps the trembling creature in a towel and brings him to the bed. "I am not going to touch you, Ani," he assures him, "You just rest." Watching the demon hide from view beneath the blankets worsens his already frayed emotions. He sinks down onto the chair by the door and places his head in his hands. How could Koenma allow this? How could he NOT know what had happened to him?

His musing is interrupted when the door opens. He looks up at Oto. The burly demon is covered in blood. "Go take a shower. We'll talk once you're clean," Kazuma tells him immediately, "Ani's in the bed…I'm not sure if he's sleeping or not but just let him be."

Oto merely nods before disappearing into the bathroom. Kazuma stares up at the ceiling trying to get his emotions to calm down. He doubts they will but it didn't hurt to try and be collected when he spoke to the burly demon. He highly doubts that both of them need to want to go on a killing spree.

Oto finally appears. "That bad?" he asks.

"I want to kill everyone who ever touched him AND Koenma for not paying attention…you tell me," he seethes unable to get to any semblance of a calm state.

"I see. So how long did it take you to get him in there?"

"Hours. It took four to get him cleaned up and that wasn't because he was panicking. They tortured and raped him…I will NEVER forgive Koenma for letting this happen. He didn't deserve it…hell NO ONE deserves to be treated thusly. He truly doesn't remember who he was before his captivity. I would give anything, ANYTHING for the demon I knew and feared to be back instead of the trembling mass of flesh he now is."

Oto is silent for a moment and Kazuma wishes he could see beneath the demon's dark shades. He has no idea how this is effecting the burly demon and he would like to. It would help to know whether or not he had to protect Ani from his own brother. "What happens next…do you know?" Oto finally asks.

"No, Koenma hasn't contacted me yet and I don't feel like bringing Ani anywhere near the others. Knowing Yusuke, he'll do something totally unnecessary."

It is at this point that Kazuma's communicator buzzes. Sighing, he grabs it and flips it open. "Do you need something?" he demands.

"Are you always this disrespectful to those you work for?" Koenma asks.

"No, just you," he responds, "Answer the question, Koenma!"

"I wanted to know your progress," the prince tells him.

"We found Ani," Kuwabara states flatly.

"And?" Koenma prompts.

"And he doesn't know who he is and believes he's a slave," Kazuma hisses.

"Well that is certainly a…change."

Kuwabara's eyes narrow. "Don't say such things!" he snaps angrily, "There was no reason for what happened to him! I cannot believe that you paid such little attention!"

Koenma visibly swallows but makes no move to interrupt the carrot-top's tirade. He waits until the man is silent before saying, "Well, I am sorry but I didn't think it necessary to check on someone who wasn't doing anything suspicious. In any event, I need to know where you are. I'm sending another to you. He'll fill you in on your next assignment."

"Who?" Kazuma demands.

"That, you will find out shortly. Where are you?"

"A demon hotel. I am sure you can figure it out from there," Kazuma says irritably before closing the compact, "Damned idiot! I cannot believe he's sending us someone else! I am not in the mood to go and find something he's lost!"

"That's what happens when you work for him," Oto tells him, "He decides to run your life."

Kazuma scowls at him though his anger is far from being directed at the older demon. "I can't wait to see who our new partner is," he mutters. However, the fact that Koenma isn't telling him the male's identity worries him. 'If it's not Yusuke, Hiei, or Kurama, who is it?' he wonders.

A half hour later, he gets his answer. Someone knocks at the door. "I'll get it, Kuwabara mumbles dragging himself from the chair. He stumbles slightly as he walks across the room, ignores Oto's snickers, and opens the door. For a moment, there is stunned silence as Kazuma stares at the male in the doorway. He tries to say something but his voice refuses to come. "I need you to help me find Itsuki," Shinobu Sensui says looking uncharacteristically worried, "Please help me find him."

Kazuma can only stare in stunned shock.