It was the day before the finals, and Yusuke still hadn't come back to the room. Sayomi had helped him walk to the cave where he was tested by their late teacher, then left him alone so he could mourn in private. She didn't want to intrude on his grief.
She wandered through the trees aimlessly, avoiding any familiar aura signatures. She didn't want to run into Hiei again and she couldn't bring herself to confront Kuwabara with the tragic news. She considered looking for Kurama, but decided against it since he was most likely focused on the finals.
What should I do? I know I'm supposed to step in as the alternate, but what if I'm not strong enough? Or what if I lose control? Sayomi kept her eyes on the ground as she walked. I couldn't bear to be the reason we lost the tournament… Especially when they're so close…
She kept her hood over her head and her eyes glued to the floor. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets and she slouched in misery. What was I thinking? I'm not meant to be a fighter… I've seen what that kind of power does first-hand. I don't want to be like that…
When the sunlight blinded her, Sayomi tugged her hood lower to block the bright intrusion. When she adjusted to the lighting, she found herself back at the hotel. She sighed and trudged into the lobby. As she was making her way to the stairs, she heard a familiar voice call out her name.
"Sayomi! I knew it was you!"
She stopped mid-stride and turned around to see Botan, Keiko, and Yukina. Botan looked as cheerful as ever. Keiko looked pleased to see the demoness. Yukina looked as sweet as the first time they met.
Sayomi tried her best to smile from under her hood. "Hey, guys. Didn't expect to run into you. Where are Shizuru and Atsuko?"
"They're in the room sleeping off a hangover," Keiko said with a hint of worry in her voice. "Are you okay? You don't look so well…"
Damn it, I knew it. Sayomi shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it's just finals coming up. I just want them to win so we can leave already."
"Oh yes!" Botan nodded enthusiastically. "They will definitely win! You can count on Yusuke, even if he doesn't always use his head. Luckily, they have Kurama to balance that out."
"Yes, and they have you to help them too, Ms. Sayomi." Yukina smiled warmly at the demoness. "You've been taking care of everyone so well until now. All that aura use must be affecting your body as well."
Sayomi glared down at the floor, grateful for the veil between them. She took a deep breath before answering. "It's no problem. Nothing I can't handle. You've been a big help lately, too."
"Oh it's nothing!" Yukina did a short bow and said, "I was just hoping to repay you all for saving me before."
"And she's here to find her brother," Keiko added, glad for a change in subject. "She thinks he might be here at the tournament somewhere."
Sayomi stiffened at the news. Does she know? She peeked under her hood to glance at the ice maiden.
Yukina's eyes were closed and she smiled with a small fist over her heart. "Yes, I feel like he is close by, but I don't know anything about him."
Sayomi let out a quiet breath of relief. I guess that's good news for Hiei. "I see. Well, good luck on your search." She was about to make her way to the stairs when Botan cut off her escape.
"And where do you think you're going, Sayomi?" Botan wagged her finger at the demoness and said, "This is only the second time we've gotten to see you. You should take a break from the boys and have a day with just us girls for a change."
Sayomi took a step back. She was about to escape when Keiko said, "That's a great idea! I've only seen you a couple times and every time was so short, I didn't get to know you at all."
Sayomi looked back and forth between Botan and Keiko. They were both smiling at her hopefully. She felt her aura shift until Yukina asked, "If it's not too much trouble, could you help us with finding my brother?"
She turned to see Yukina bowing her head low, pleading for her assistance. You shouldn't be bowing to me… Sayomi sighed in defeat and said, "Alright, I'll help. But only because you guys don't really look like fighters. Although…"
She turned back to Botan and Keiko. Keiko is able to put Yusuke in his place so I doubt she'll have any issue with weaker demons. And Botan is one of the Underworld's reapers. She seemed okay enough with a bat if I recall. She looked back at Yukina's innocent smile and Hiei's words echoed in her memory.
"I've decided on a favor. I want you to keep Yukina safe so long as she's here."
Damn it, Hiei… You're lucky she's so sweet. Sayomi followed the girls back outside with her hands in her pockets. She kept her hood on and stayed just behind the group.
"So where should we start looking, Yukina?" Keiko asked while glancing around at the various demons in the area.
"I suggest we go to the arena!" Botan cheered.
"But there are no fights today, right?" Keiko asked, turning to the reaper.
"Oh… Right." Botan smiled and said, "Silly me."
Sayomi looked up when she heard Botan's shift in tone. So she knows… Of course she does. She's the reaper. At least she's trying to appear cheerful. I can't even think of anything to be happy about.
"Hey, Sayomi?" Keiko turned to face the demoness. "Do you have any ideas where to look?"
"Honestly, I think we're better off staying near the hotel. No sense getting lost in the woods and running into the wrong apparition." Sayomi scanned the area. "Besides, at least this way we'll be close to the room if anything happens."
"That's a good idea, Sayomi!" Botan cheered as she led the way around the building. "We might have a better chance of finding him while with a large crowd."
Sayomi raised an eyebrow. She's trying really hard to not let the truth slip, isn't she?
"Ms. Sayomi, if you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing your hood?"
Sayomi looked over at Yukina. The ice maiden was looking at her with open curiosity. Sayomi sighed and said, "I just don't need any attention for being Team Urameshi's healer. Besides, the sun is too bright today."
"I see. I suppose shadow demons like darker places, don't they?" Yukina let the topic go and Sayomi felt grateful.
"It does make things easier…" Sayomi tried not to let her sarcasm slip through.
"So, what's it like?" Keiko asked. "Being a demon, I mean. I don't mean to sound rude, but I just never…"
Yukina smiled and said, "Well, I can only speak from an ice maiden's perspective. I don't really know anything outside of the wintry realm."
Sayomi shrugged. "Depends on where you're from, I suppose. What's it like being human?"
"Oh, that's a good point." Keiko brought a finger to tap her chin in thought. "Well, I suppose the basics are going to school, getting a job, and raising a family."
Sayomi frowned at the thought. "That doesn't sound very fun."
"It can be if you're with the right people." Keiko smiled and said, "Demons have families, right? Like Yukina and her brother."
"Yes, but our family ties don't usually end on a good note…" Sayomi thought of Yasuhiro. She tried to recall a time before he was corrupted by the Void. If only I was strong enough back then… Maybe he wouldn't have felt such need for power…
"I'm sorry," Keiko apologized. "I didn't realize… Let's change the topic…"
Sayomi felt herself tense when she heard the shame in her voice. Damn it, I knew I wouldn't be able to do this.
"Oh! Keiko, have you had a chance to talk to Yusuke yet?" Botan turned to the brunette, hoping to raise her spirits.
"Yes, but not since before the last fights. When I went to check, Kuwabara said that he hadn't come back yet and neither has Genkai." Keiko began to worry as she thought about the possibilities. "I hope something hasn't happened to either of them."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about them, Keiko!" Botan waved off the issue. "You know how strong those two are. I'm sure Genkai is just taking advantage of the time to train him before the finals."
Sayomi clenched her fists in her pockets. Botan knows, but they don't. I suppose it's best to not make them worry, but…
"So, how are you two doing, Keiko?" Botan grinned and jabbed a finger at the girl. "Did you get close when you were alone?"
Keiko blushed and glared at the reaper. "Nothing happened, Botan! The guys that Yusuke beat showed up and protected us from wandering demons."
So it seems Yusuke's made some unlikely friends at this tournament. Why does that not surprise me? Sayomi smirked at the thought. He seems to be having fun here for the most part.
"Oh? Not even a little bit?" Botan gave the girl her trademark cat-like grin. "Come on, girl! Give me details!"
Sayomi cringed at Botan's increasing pitch. "Aren't we supposed to be focusing on Yukina's brother?"
"I don't mind." Yukina smiled at the girls. "I am also curious about what happened."
Sayomi raised an eyebrow at Yukina's statement. Does she realize what she's asking about? "If this is just gonna turn into gossip, I think I'll take my leave."
"Oh, don't leave, Sayomi!" Botan grabbed her arm and said, "Gossip is part of girl time! Everyone knows that!"
Sayomi tried to pull free, but the reaper's grip was relentless. "I'm not your normal girl. It seems rather intrusive to me."
"Not at all!" Botan objected. "Girls share secrets with each other all the time. It's what we do, human, demon or otherwise."
"I've never felt comfortable giving away secrets." Sayomi scowled as she began to feel cornered.
"It's not as bad as you think, Sayomi." Keiko tried to reason with the demoness less forcefully. "Girls just need someone to talk to about certain things and who better than other girls who understand your feelings?"
That's what meditation is for… Sayomi stared at Keiko from under her hood. "You're telling me girls naturally do this? I wasn't raised to do such things. There weren't any other girls where I come from."
"Well what better time to learn than now?" Keiko smiled and turned to Yukina. "What about you, Yukina?"
"Yes. It's only women where I come from, and sharing feelings and gossip is one of the things everyone took part in."
"Still sounds like a bad idea to me." Sayomi shrugged free of Botan and said, "You guys can gossip all you like, but I'm not participating."
"Oh, Sayomi! Don't you have a special someone that you like to think about?" Botan smirked dangerously. "There's got to be a reason you spend all your time with the boys, right?"
"Yeah, it's called training." Sayomi glared and tried to put distance between them. "It just so happens that the guys are always the ones training."
"Ms. Sayomi, we understand your need to train, but do you not like being around girls?"
Sayomi turned to Yukina and felt her shoulders slump in shame. "It's not that I don't like you guys…" She bit her lip as she tried to think of the right words. "I'm just not like you. I don't see the point in all the girl stuff. None of it would seem to help in a serious situation."
Botan sighed. "I guess you're just too much of a tomboy to understand, but that's okay." She grinned and said, "We'll just have to give you a crash course! Have you ever tried make-up?"
"You know what? I think you would look cute with a touch of eyeliner and some shadow." Keiko wondered aloud. "What do you think, Yukina?"
"I've never tried it myself, but it sounds fun." The ice maiden smiled innocently and turned to Sayomi. "We could try it together."
"No thanks." Sayomi shot down the offer. "I don't need it. And it looks like a hassle to deal with."
"But you'll look so pretty! You might even get the attention of a cute boy." Botan wagged her eyebrows and smirked. "You can't tell me you come from a place of all guys and you don't have a single crush."
Sayomi glared at the reaper and said, "Just because I hang out with them doesn't mean I need to be interested in them. They're fun to hang out with and I don't need relationships complicating things."
"What if a guy came to you and confessed that he liked you, though?" Keiko couldn't believe that Sayomi was so opposed to dating.
"I'll cross that bridge if I ever come to it." Sayomi gritted her teeth, trying to hold back an annoyed growl.
"Wait…" Botan blushed and raised a hand to keep anyone from eavesdropping. She lowered her voice and asked, "Is it because you're actually interested in girls?"
Sayomi stared at Botan, her eyebrow twitching at the thought. "If I'm not comfortable hanging out with girls, why would I want to date one?"
Keiko lowered her voice and said, "Don't worry, Sayomi. You can trust us. It's okay to have a crush on a guy… or girl."
Sayomi sighed. "You're right, it is okay. But I just don't like anyone like that at the moment."
"Maybe we could hook you up with someone. Do you have a particular type?" Keiko smiled as she ran through a mental list of names.
"No thanks, and I never took the time to think about 'types'." Sayomi took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
"What if Hiei asked you out?" Botan smirked and her cat-like features began to show.
"Why would he?" Sayomi tried to ignore the images of the shirtless swordsman that flashed through her mind. "I highly doubt he would do anything of the sort."
"What makes you so sure?" Keiko asked. "You two seem to get along pretty well and you spend quite a bit of time together, right?"
"Yeah," Sayomi answered dryly. "Because we're training."
"Do you and Mr. Hiei train with Kazuma and the others?" Yukina tilted her head slightly in curiosity.
"Well… No…" Sayomi felt trapped. Why did she have to bring that up?
"Oh?" Botan smirked and said, "He gives you private lessons?"
"Botan, get your head out of the gutter. It's not like that." Sayomi closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the reaper.
"Do you want it to be like that?" Keiko asked casually.
Sayomi opened her mouth, then closed it. Why am I hesitating? The memory of her and Hiei in the rain briefly came to mind. But that didn't mean anything, right? He was just helping me…
"I wonder…" Botan tapped her chin with her finger. "Is this your first crush?"
Sayomi sighed heavily. "Can we please change the subject?"
"There you are! You know how hard it is to find you?"
Sayomi turned towards the vaguely familiar voice. She saw a young, shirtless man with spikey blond hair and baggy yellow pants. He had bandages wrapped around his head, torso, and arms. He scowled at her and said, "I've been looking all over for you. Where are Kurama and Kuwabara?"
Sayomi raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what do you want? Who are you?"
"I'm Suzuki, the Beautiful Fighter." He looked shocked that she didn't recognize him.
Sayomi felt her mouth hang slack as she recalled his fight against Genkai. I will say… He looks more beautiful now than he did during the match… "Sorry. Must be the nose…"
Suzuki closed his eyes and smirked. "Heh… Not much to look at now, eh? I was outmatched and, as you saw, reduced to playing the buffoon."
"I think that was more you than us." Sayomi slipped a hand out of her pocket and reached behind her back. She stepped in front of the girls and asked, "Now what do you want?"
Suzuki held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to pick a fight. I just wanted to give you something."
Sayomi kept her grip on the weapon but she relaxed her stance. "I'm listening."
Suzuki reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark fabric, handing it to Sayomi. "This is the Cloth of Dimensions. It's woven with thread from Demesne Spiders in the Demon Plane. It's the same material I used for Shishiwakamaru's Terminal Hagoromo. As you recall, it sends your opponent through another dimension. As for where it goes, that depends on the wielder. I've yet to make a study of its potential side effects." He turned to leave and said, "Use it… or not… as you like. See ya."
Sayomi unfolded the cloth and her eyes widened as it opened into a cloak. She looked up at him and asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Suzuki stopped walking. He glared ahead and said, "I once had the privilege of fighting Toguro."
What…?! Sayomi tried to imagine Suzuki against someone like Toguro. How did he survive…?
"Back then I was known as Tanaka, the Powerful Warrior."
Sayomi felt her eyebrow twitch at the title. How many times has he changed his name?
"Seeing Toguro at 30% power threw me into such a panic I couldn't beg for mercy fast enough – I'd have licked the bottoms of his shoes to get him to spare my life! He actually took pity on me and said, 'It's no fun killing something this pathetic… you're less than a piece of lint to me.' He was only half-right!" Suzuki turned to face Sayomi, his glare intensifying with resentment. "You see, this isn't about revenge. I want to believe that Toguro is wrong. He's convinced that power is everything. Someone must be able to shatter that confidence… but I now know that someone won't be me."
Sayomi looked down at the cloak and back up at the wounded fighter. "Why give this to me? I'm the team's healer."
"Whether you use it or not is up to you. I've encountered a shadow demon before and if there's anything I learned from him, it was his desire for power. It drove him mad and one day he was just gone. I couldn't help him back then, but maybe this way I can make up for my past mistake. You look more like a fighter to me and if that's the case, maybe this could come in handy outside of the ring."
Sayomi clenched her fists and she took a slow breath. "What was this shadow demon's name, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Hm? I can't really remember. I think it was Mikage or something."
Oh…" Sayomi's shoulders slumped. If it was disappointment or relief, she couldn't tell. "Thank you. I'll be sure to use it if the need arises."
Suzuki shrugged and turned to leave with a final wave over his shoulder. "Good luck."
Sayomi stared back down at the cloak as the girls walked up to her curiously.
"Who was that, Sayomi?" Keiko asked as she watched him go.
"An unexpected ally." Sayomi wrapped the new cloak around her body. Unlike her old one that had become worn and faded over time, the new one was so dark, it seemed to absorb the light around it. On the reverse side, the material was like violet velvet. She pulled up the cloak hood and let the first hood fall back into a shawl around her neck. "Sorry, guys. I should probably go figure out what this does and I can't risk you all getting hurt."
"It's no problem, Ms. Sayomi." Yukina smiled warmly and said, "If what he said is true, then it's probably in your best interest. Thank you for coming with us today."
"Yes! We will have to do this again soon!" Botan nodded enthusiastically. "Don't think we'll let you slip out of this talk next time!"
Sayomi shuddered at the thought.
"Maybe we could all have a girls night in once this whole tournament is over." Keiko smiled at the demoness. "Just please take care of Yusuke for me until then."
Sayomi smirked under her new cloak. "You bet. I won't let anything happen to him, Keiko. Or any of the other boys."
Sayomi made her way into the forest and wandered around without a care for where she was going. What should I do? There's no way I would survive in a fight against someone from Toguro's team. I haven't even fought in any of the other matches to see if I could compete or not. I can't just jump into the finals! Even with this cloak, who's to say it won't get used against me? Or what if I'm not strong enough to handle it?
She growled in her throat as she thought of her brother. He warned me to stop training… yet everyone seems to encourage me to keep on. If Yasuhiro was here to train me himself, would he encourage me too? Or would he try to talk me out of it?
She walked until she felt far enough away from everyone. She sat down on the ground and prepared to meditate. She closed her eyes and took deep, slow breaths. She felt her muscles relax and her doubt recede.
She opened her mind's eye and found herself back in the Void. She looked down and found herself wearing the new cloak over her old purple tunic. The tattoos looked just as they did before. "Now, how is this supposed to work?"
She opened the fabric and tried to think of where it could lead to. "I suppose the most likely place would be the Void, but how would that work? Would it send my opponent here, or could I harness it and manifest it in the real world?"
She pondered the possibilities, but she couldn't bring herself to go about testing it. "If it does send someone here, would it become a mental battle? Is my mind strong enough to handle something like that or would I lose myself?"
She focused her aura and willed it around the fabric like she would with her sickle. She felt a shift in the fabric and her eyes widened.
Sayomi opened her eyes and gasped for breath. She felt her shirt cling to her back with a cold sweat. She looked around and let out a sigh of relief. "I'm okay… But what was that…?"
Her body trembled as she got to her feet. "I can't do this… I can't…"
"What are you muttering about?"
Sayomi turned around to see Hiei. He was just in his black sweatpants with his sword in hand. She felt her face heat up and turned away. Damn it! Why did he have to show up now?!
She took a deep breath and turned back to face him. He was standing just a few feet away. She could smell the sweat that covered his skin. "I can't fight in the finals…"
His eyes hardened into a glare. "And why not?"
"Because I'm too weak. I haven't fought in any of the matches so far. How do I know I can survive against a member from Toguro's team?"
"We need five members for the finals, no exceptions. You were the one who was so eager to jump into the ring until now. Now that you have your chance, you're cowering in a corner like you've already lost. Even Kuwabara has more backbone than you." Hiei walked up to her and reached for the hem of her cloak. "Where did you get this?"
"Suzuki gave it to me. He said it was supposed to help me." She felt her body shiver involuntarily.
Hiei didn't miss it. "What does it do?"
Sayomi trembled again. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths until she felt calm again. "I'd rather not think about it right now. I could maybe use it later, but I'm not ready for it, yet."
"I see." Hiei tugged on the fabric, pulling her closer. Hiei cupped her chin in his hand and raised her eyes to look at him. He asked, "You intend to use something another man gave you?"
"If it could possibly help me, but I…" She hesitated at the tone of his voice. Why does he sound so… annoyed?
Sayomi stiffened when she felt his arm snake around her waist, trapping her against him. He leaned forward and growled in her ear. "What if I forbid it?"
Sayomi felt her body tense. What's going on? What's wrong with him? "W-why would you forbid it?"
Hiei nipped at her earlobe, earning him a satisfying gasp from her lips. He pulled away and cupped the back of her head, running his fingers through her short hair. He smirked as she sighed in pleasure from his touch.
Sayomi felt her eyes fall shut, but she struggled to keep them open. She could feel the strength leaving her body, causing her to lean against him for support.
Hiei chuckled quietly. He gripped her hair and pulled her close, pressing his lips against hers.
Sayomi opened her eyes and found herself back in the Void. She frantically looked around and saw nothing but pitch black. "Was all that really just…?"
She brought her fingers to her lips and felt her face heat up. "Did I really just imagine all of that? But… Why would I…?"
She shut her eyes and tried to shake the memory from her mind. "Damn it! It was probably because of Botan's insistence on the idea…"
She glared at the darkness and sighed. "That all felt too real… Why didn't I try to fight him off? Oh crap… Could they be right? But… I was just fine until they brought it up, right?"
She tried to think back to her previous interactions with the fire apparition. How he would pat her head to calm her down. The warmth that his body radiated whenever he would get too close. The way his eyes stared through her whenever they made eye contact. She felt her face begin to heat up at the idea of him training without his shirt. Well… crap…
She opened her physical eyes and scanned the area for any hidden lurkers. She let out a sigh of relief when she found none. "Well damn. This is going to be annoying."
"What is?"
Sayomi snapped her eyes up at a tree. Hiei was lounging in a branch several feet off the ground. He was wearing his black sweatpants and black shirt. His headband was absent and his Evil Eye was open. She scowled and asked, "How long have you been here?"
"A few minutes now. You left yourself vulnerable again."
Sayomi felt her body tense. "Were you observing?"
"Not this time. You seemed relaxed enough."
Sayomi felt her body heat rise, but she took deep breaths to stay in control. "I see. Thanks for watching out for me, I guess."
She stood up and stretched her legs. As she was about to leave, Hiei asked, "Are you not going to tell me what happened?"
Sayomi stopped and hesitated before turning around. Damn it, why does he need to know? "Not much. I was just testing out this new cloak."
"I noticed. What does it do?"
"I'm… not really sure to be honest. One moment I thought I saw something. The next…" She refused to speak of what followed after.
"What did you see?"
Sayomi thought about it and said, "I'm not really sure. I remember focusing my aura on my cloak and then there was this overwhelming pressure. And then…"
"What?" Hiei refused to let her avoid the question.
Sayomi tried to mentally shake the memory away. "Then I snapped out of the meditation."
Hiei narrowed his eyes doubtfully. "That doesn't explain why you looked so relaxed when I got here. If what you're saying is true, then you would've looked more scared when I arrived."
"Are you sure you didn't interfere with my meditation like last time?" Sayomi felt obligated to ask. If he did, does that mean…?
"No. I didn't see any need to, based on your outer appearance. Should I have?"
"No!"
Hiei raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst.
Sayomi cleared her throat and said, "Uh, I mean no. There was no need."
Hiei scowled and jumped down from the tree. He walked up to her with his hands in his pockets. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing. I just…" She sighed and scratched the back of her head. "I don't think I can step in as the alternate tomorrow. I can't handle it. I'm not strong enough."
"Are you saying I've been wasting my time training you? What was the point if you were just going to back out at the last minute?"
Sayomi flinched at his sharp tone. "I just… I'm scared, Hiei." She looked down at the ground and slowly looked back at the swordsman. "I can't do this… not so suddenly during the finals… If I lose control…"
Hiei scowled and sighed. "Fine. But I hope you understand what this means."
Sayomi raised an eyebrow curiously. So he's not mad?
"If you're not going to fight, then that means you should be in the stands protecting Yukina. You're capable enough for that at least."
Sayomi felt her body relax, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled in relief and said, "Thank you, Hiei. I'll do my best."
"Hn." Hiei was about to leave when a sudden blast shot up into the sky. He looked up, eyes wide open in shock. "Is that…?!"
"Yusuke…" Sayomi watched the Reigun until it disappeared into space. She felt a smile creep on her face as hope stirred within her. If he can defeat Toguro… Maybe there's hope for me, too...
She looked over and saw Hiei walking away. "Where are you going?"
Without stopping, he said, "Unlike you, I have more training to do for the upcoming match tomorrow. You just make sure Yukina is unharmed until the end of the tournament."
Sayomi watched him until he was out of sight. She sighed and shook her head in shame. "Great. All that time building respect and in five minutes it's gone. I guess it's good that he still trusts me to look after Yukina, but…"
The memory of her meditation flashed through her mind and she shut her eyes tight. But why did this have to happen now?
Later that night, Sayomi made it back to the hotel. She dragged herself up to the room where she found Yusuke in deep concentration. His hands were pressed together in front of him, aimed down toward the floor, and his aura flared around his body. She froze in place, amazed with his new power. So this is the power Master Genkai passed on to him… She knew it would leave her vulnerable if it meant giving Yusuke a fair chance…
"—Ultimate weapon! Hope you're prepared to –" Kuwabara charged into the room and stopped short when he saw Yusuke. "Ulp!"
Yusuke brought his hands up in front of his face as he let out a slow exhale. "Phew…" Then he noticed his rival in the doorway. "Oh… hi."
"Hi yerself!" Kuwabara clenched his teeth as he gauged his teammate's aura level. Then he glared and pointed at Yusuke. "Doesn't matter! We each have different chi! Mine powers a one-of-a-kind aura sword, y'know!"
Yusuke blinked in confusion at Kuwabara's sudden outburst.
"That any reason to bray like a witless donkey?" Hiei stepped into the room, casually staring up at the loud human.
"Huh?!" Kuwabara turned in surprise.
"Hiei…" Yusuke's eyes widened slightly at the swordsman.
Kuwabara cringed and said, "Man, your arm! It looks… crisped!"
Hiei observed his burnt right hand and said, "The Dragon proved stubborn, so I had to get tough."
"Geez, Hiei…" Sayomi spoke up from beside the doorway. She walked up to him and kneeled down to look at his arm. "Did you really need to go this far?" Without hesitating, she began to focus the shadows around her hands and began to heal his burns.
Hiei just stared down at her, letting her heal his arm.
Kuwabara laughed nervously. "Ha ha… He's nuts, plain nuts! And I didn't even see her when I came in! So where's Kurama? Anybody know?"
"Actually, I've…" Kuwabara froze at the sound of the red-head's voice behind him.
"…Been here a while." Kurama smiled at the jumpy psychic.
"Okay, the gang's all here! To business!" Yusuke told his teammates that Genkai wouldn't be coming back that day… but that's all he would say about it. No one pressed him for details, for which he was grateful.
One could sense the truth. One stayed inside himself. One focused her attention elsewhere. One remained clueless. Each, in their way, prepared themselves for what was coming… the day of the finals!