Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. OCs, basically.
Surprise chapter alert :D
It had been a couple of days since Kurama had visited Genkai's temple. Truthfully, he needed to take care of things at home. Now that Shiori knew something, albeit a completely twisted version of the story, but thankfully she was receptive to his "gardening." He may not have told her he was a demon, but now she had some idea of his powers. He spent the last few days replanting his security bushes. These ones were only receptive to his energy. Kurama refused to have a repeat of the other night.
Still, it was never his intention for her to know any of it. The concerned mother had been asking nonstop questions the last few weeks, and he had to start explaining some of his absences. No longer would he be able to use the excuse that he was "going on a trip with his friends." Shiori would see right through it now that she was aware of his crime fighting activities. Those girls really hadn't done a good job of covering. Apparently, they had also eaten half of his fridge, too. They would need to have a discussion about it. He couldn't let them off easily for exposing him. Smirking, he went to the kitchen where he heard the girls' voices.
"I think this is counterproductive," he heard Tsukiko's friend, Eiko, say. "Stop eating the brownie batter or you don't get brownies."
"But it's so good," Tsukiko whined indignantly.
"Alright, out of the kitchen," Eiko teased.
Good, they were alone. That would make confronting them all the easier. The fox demon quietly slinked into the kitchen and watched the two girls stirring a couple of bowls of brownie batter. "It looks like you two are making yourselves at home."
Both Eiko and Tsukiko froze when they heard the smooth, dark voice of Kurama. They turned to face him instantly. "Uh, Kurama…" Tsukiko greeted animatedly. "I-It's been a while. How've you been?"
A single brow rose, especially since they grabbed frying pans and pot lids and held them as weapons to protect themselves. "Is that really necessary?"
"I don't know, foxy, is it?!" Eiko questioned.
He glared angrily at them and shook his head in annoyance. "I think you know exactly how I've been." His eyes shot over to a nervous Eiko. "Just what were you thinking? What did you even tell her?"
"Hey!" Eiko shouted in protest. "Don't get mad at us. You're the one who abandoned us there and told us to lie. Yeah, we can't do that. You didn't even tell us what to say. We're incapable of lying!"
"How can you say neither of you are capable of lying when she," he pointed at Tsukiko, "told a waiter we were celebrating an anniversary."
"That was a joke!" Tsukiko said in exasperation. "It's different. Besides, I wasn't totally lying. I was celebrating an anniversary. It was the tenth singing competition since starting my singing competition. Plus, when I did say that, like any time I lie, my ear tips blushed so I had a happy glow."
"A 'happy glow?'"
"Yeah, that's what I call it," Tsukiko replied. "Anyway, we were stressed beyond all reason you're lucky we even got one coherent story out there."
Eiko nodded in agreement. "We spent hours stress eating trying to come up with a story. If you had stayed an extra five seconds we could have warned you."
Kurama growled slightly and shook his head. "Neither of you understands the consequence of what you have done," he said, his voice getting threatening and sinister. He moved closer to both of them, stealing what was left of their protection from them, ignoring their protests. "Lucky for you," he whispered, his voice getting deeper before he smirked viciously at the girls, "she accepts it."
He pulled away from them, and Tsukiko and Eiko sunk to the floor after having been thoroughly terrified by Kurama. He chuckled at their dumbfounded expressions. "Wh-Wh-Wha…" Eiko breathed out, her body shaking.
"That was so mean!" Tsukiko yelled.
"Yes, well," Kurama responded, "that was for the incredibly outlandish tale you came up with. Had my mother not accepted your version of the 'truth,' my revenge would have been extremely different."
"Is that supposed to make us feel better?"
Tsukiko shook her head. "Oh yeah? Well, just for that, you don't get any brownies."
Kurama grinned. "I can live with that. I'll see you later, Tsukiko, for training."
As the fox demon left, the two girls looked to each other once again. "I don't like the sound of that," Eiko responded.
"We better finish these brownies," Tsukiko suggested. Eiko was confused by the change in topic. Tsukiko decided to fill her in. "Stress eating."
After a couple hours had passed, and a lot of stress eating had ensued, the girls finally decided to venture from the temple, and they were thankful that there was hardly a soul around. They had discussed their next plan. It would be a bad idea to leave, but they needed a training break. The guys wouldn't be too mad if they left for a day, right? It would give everyone a chance to calm down.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
What was with these demons sneaking up on poor, unsuspecting girls. Sitting on a rock outside in the courtyard was Hiei sharpening his sword. He was grinning at the two girls knowingly. "You aren't very discrete in planning your escape attempts. You discuss them when you think no one is listening, and you forget that I possess the power to track you both even if you were to go your separate ways in attempts to confuse me. If you were wise, you would stay where the two of you pathetic humans won't get yourself killed."
"Man, he's arrogant," Eiko huffed.
Tsukiko agreed. "Well, you know what I always say. Pride goeth before the fall."
Hiei stopped working on his sword to look up at the dark-haired girl, his eyes narrowing into a glared. "I never fall."
Tsukiko couldn't fight a smirk.
Kurama's head shot up as the aura around the temple changed, him, Yusuke, and Kuwabara pausing in their card game. "What's up, fox boy?" Yusuke questioned.
"I sense a disturbance…"
"Yeah, something's really wrong," Kuwabara agreed. "It feels like really strong, murderous intent."
"We better check it out, then," Yusuke stated, getting up. "It could be the jerks after Tsukiko."
"Then let's get out there," the redheaded human cried as he ran out the door before yelling out, "Oh my god!"
Yusuke and Kurama exchanged bewildered glances. "Uh…"
The two went outside, Yusuke's mouth dropping open before he fell backwards on the ground and started chortling with laughter. "Oh man! Hiei, what on Earth?!"
Kurama stared at his comrade in disbelief before his attention went to the two human girls who were casually sitting in front of the fire demon, Tsukiko humming a familiar tune. "I swear," the fire demon spat, "that when you stop I will take great pleasure in torturing you both slowly."
"Then I guess she won't stop then," Eiko replied smugly. "This is what happens when you have nothing nice to say."
Tsukiko merely smiled and continued humming, and Hiei, regrettably for the fire demon, continued dancing the annoyingly dreaded chicken dance. Kuwabara, like Yusuke, was already rolling on the floor with laughter, though he regained his senses and took out his phone to snap a ton of pictures, and maybe even a short video.
Yusuke sat up, still cracking up, but he managed to ask, "Man, where was this chick during the Dark Tournament?"
Kurama looked down at the former spirit detective, straight-faced. "So that Toguro could come back in a savage fury after dancing the hokey pokey?"
A drop a sweat formed at the thought. "Ah…yeah. Good point." Yusuke's attention shifted back to his angry friend. "But you've gotta admit that this is great."
"I don't think Hiei will see it that way."
"I will kill you!" the fire demon hissed at the human. Yusuke sweat-dropped. Yeah…Hiei definitely didn't see it that way. It looked like they were going to need to hold him back when Tsukiko did decide to drop this act.
But it did go on for a couple hours.
It was later in the day, after the girls were safely locked in their rooms for the night, when the four former detectives decided to discuss their thoughts on who was after Tsukiko. Clearly, since many demons were willing to risk their lives for this secret cause, it was someone very influential and popular in the demon plane promising to restore the "old ways." There weren't many strong demons that still looked towards the past, that they knew of, and the gears in Kurama's mind started to turn. He knew that Yusuke's followers wouldn't go against what their former king had wanted. Mukuro seemed content with the new peace between the three worlds. Kurama was placing his bet on Yomi, his old thieving partner.
Yusuke and Kuwabara continued to brainstorm, and Kurama planned to keep it that way. One look from Hiei alerted the fox demon to his comrade's understanding. Kurama would inform the others once he had concrete evidence.
It was about time he pay his old thieving partner a visit. He would simply gage his reaction to what he had to say.