"It was you?!" Yusuke yelled in disbelief. "You put us through all this?! You'd better have a good reason 'cause I sure can't think of one!"

The old woman walked into the room, her hands clasped behind her back. Her stern eyes scanned every face in the room.

"Well, Genkai?!" Yusuke shouted. "Whatta you have to say?!"

A loud clatter cut off the detective's interrogation and all eyes fell on the third kidnapper. He was on his hands and knees, his head bowed low to the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!"

"Huh?" Yusuke reeled.

Sayomi arched a brow in confusion. Wasn't he just talking down on us earlier? But if the mastermind was Genkai then that must mean…

"We were asked to do this! It was nothing personal!" The kid tried to explain, his head still kissing the floor.

"Of course it wasn't. This was my idea from start to finish" Genkai confessed bluntly.

"Your idea? Your idea?!" Yusuke put his hands to his head and asked, "To do what? Drive me nuts?!"

Kurama sighed and closed his eyes. "Nasty little trick, Master Genkai. I began to suspect something was up."

"Kurama!" Yusuke turned to the red-head. "You know what's going on?! Tell me, please!"

"You really can't figure it out on you own, Yusuke?" Sayomi teased.

"Shut up, Sai!" Yusuke glared and held up his fist. "You don't want any of what I've got!"

Sayomi smirked and said, "You'd have to hit me first."

Kurama answered, putting a halt to their banter. "It was Genkai's rather twisted way of saying hello. Right, Master?"

"More or less." The old hermit smirked. "But it wasn't all in fun. These boys…"

"Unh… Oh!" Sayomi turned to see Yanagisawa wake up from Yusuke's punch. He got to his feet and made his way to stand next to his blond friend who was just lifting his head from the floor.

"…Have abilities I wanted you to experience." Genkai nodded towards the two teenagers.

Botan turned to Kurama and asked, "When did you know?"

"Well, after we got into it…" Kurama explained. "I realized that, clever as they were, they really weren't playing for keeps."

"I… think you're right." Yusuke agreed, thinking back to what could've happened.

"So why were they doing it?" Kurama continued. "Then, the penny dropped – it was training! And there was only one person devious enough to put us through our paces like that!"

"I figured it out a little after Yusuke knocked out that guy." Sayomi pointed at Yanagisawa. "Kuwabara seems to be her go-to option when it comes to teaching Yusuke a lesson. It's kinda scary when you think about it…"

"That still doesn't tell us why," Hiei said from the back. "What was the dancing around with these jokers supposed to prove?"

Like you're one to talk, hot-head… Sayomi scowled at Hiei. Even if he didn't respond, she knew he could hear her.

Genkai looked at the fire demon and said, "There aren't many humans tough enough to beat you five in direct confrontation. But toughness isn't everything. There's also creativity, which can often be more dangerous than sheer strength. In a fist-fight, Hiei, you'd beat Kaito to a pulp. But he engaged you in a contest of mental focus and nailed you flat."

Sayomi turned away from the silent swordsman and tried to stifle her laugh. When she recovered, she saw Hiei glaring at her. She smirked and arched her brow. His eyes narrowed before he turned back to Genkai.

"As for you, Yusuke…" Genkai turned to her student.

He jerked his thumb at himself and said, "Man! If I'd known what he could do I'd've taken him!"

"Idiot!" Genkai snapped. "You think a real enemy's gonna fill you in on everything you need to know?! Your ignorance was your failing, not his!"

"Ulp!" Yusuke shrunk back in fear, but crossed his arms and tried to brush it off. "Still, you said this wasn't all for laughs. Which leads me to believe you have a real enemy in mind!"

"We…" The blond boy spoke up, still on his hands and knees. "We went to Genkai to see what she could tell us about our abilities. She told us about you, Mr. Urameshi… About your sixth sense and your now legendary combat skills. As for us, she said we got our powers through a portal to the Demon Plane!"

"A portal… to the Demon Plane?!" Botan asked in shock.

"Yes, Sakyo's little scheme." Genkai clarified. "Apparently someone in the Human World has picked up his ball and is now running with it!"

"What?!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"That's insane…" Sayomi muttered. If Yasuhiro finds out about it and tries to get through…

"Genkai filled me in, guys." All eyes turned to see Kuwabara walk into the room wearing nothing but a white shirt, boxer shorts and socks.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke smiled in relief.

Kuwabara's expression darkened and his tone was serious. "Someone's trying to create a dark, scary, full-blown gateway to the Demon Plane!"

"What's scary is what you're wearing!" Yusuke commented.

"I know! I know! Geez…!" Kuwabara grumbled before stomping towards Yanagisawa. He punched the teen in the head and growled, "Gimme back my clothes!"

"Ow!" Yanagisawa yelped.

"But Sakyo's dead!" Botan pointed out. "Who'd be trying to…?"

"It hasn't been all that long since the tournament…." Genkai said. "And one of Sakyo's close aides, or some other survivor, has decided to finish that portal."

"I don't know, Genkai…" Kurama said. "I mean, how could anyone manage to distort such a large field of space?"

"If it could be done, I'd be outta here," Hiei commented.

I know the monks were able to open one, but that portal only lasted long enough for me to get through… Sayomi tried to imagine how a human could do better.

Genkai turned to the two demons and answered, "If my saying so isn't enough, let's go see it!"

"Where is it?" Sayomi asked.

"Swarm," Kaito answered.

"Swarm Town?!" Yusuke yelled in shock. "That's practically next door!"

Beeeeep!

Everyone looked down at Botan's briefcase. "A signal from Lord Koenma!"

Botan sat her briefcase on the floor and opened it for everyone to see. A small TV turned on from the underside of the lid and Koenma's toddler form filled the small screen. "Ah, Botan! Good! Is Yusuke there? We have an emergency!"

"There's quite a group here, actually," Genkai informed the small ruler.

"Genkai! Well now…" Koenma blinked as he recalled reviving the old woman. "There's a dark gate widening at incredible speed! It went undetected due to its narrow range."

"Humans are already being affected," said Genkai. "We have a few with us, as a matter of fact. And I've seen about 30 others just this past month. They were all from Swarm."

"Just Swarm, eh?" Koenma began to sweat nervously as he held his head in stress. "That's better than I'd feared, but… not by much. It's already at the second stage…"

"Second stage?!" Yusuke yelled. "What's all this about?!"

Koenma clasped his hands together on his desk as he explained. "There are four stages to opening such a portal successfully. In the first, miasma enters and congeals in the Human World, while lesser life forms in the Demon Plane multiply. In the second, some humans gain special abilities due to their proximity to the Demon Plane. In the third, demons below Class D spawn in the Human World… and when the hole expands past a radius of 1 km, it reaches the final stage."

"Which is what?!" Yusuke leaned over Botan's shoulder to glare at his boss. "The Human World overrun by every demon imaginable?!"

"Just about," Koenma confirmed. "Class C and Class B demons… Toguro, for instance, was Class B… would have complete freedom to enter the Human World."

"Toguro?! Class B?!" Yusuke clenched his teeth. "I thought he was the worst there was!"

"Hardly." Koenma looked Yusuke in the eye. "Deep in the Demon Plane lurk creatures we classify A and S! The Underworld has no capacity to handle Class S demons!"

Oh no… Sayomi felt her body grow numb as she remembered the wars raging between the Kings. If they come here, it would be chaos…

"The Demon Plane is a vast realm," Koenma continued. "The Underworld controls it only to a very tiny extent."

"Huh…" Botan blinked in wonder. "News to me."

Koenma displayed his own screen behind his desk. It showed a 3D diagram of a round, descending tunnel. Levels appeared down the tunnel at regular intervals.

"We basically hold sway over a mere one half of the topmost level of this abysmal region." Half of the top floor blinked red. "Think of the Demon Plane as a huge mine shaft, plunging to unimaginable depths. The lower you go, the more dangerous it becomes. Only slowly, and with great care, can we hope to control more." Koenma clenched his fists on his desk. "It's sealed off from the Human World by a powerful barrier that bars access to the Human World by Class A and S demons. Due to this design priority, the barrier is not wholly proof against incursions by demons with less than Class B power levels, but that's something we just have to accept. What we must never allow is a single Class A or S demon to slip through! The result would be inconceivably catastrophic!"

Yusuke perspired, barely blinking as he tried to absorb the information. "So one Class A demon is deadlier than a whole horde of these Class B scumballs?"

"What's all this stuff about classes?!" Kuwabara jerked his thumb at his chest and said, "C'mon, fill me in! I can't see or hear whatever's there!"

Koenma ignored Kuwabara and said, "We must take action now… before the final stage is completed! The Underworld will devise countermeasures! You must find and stop whoever's widening the portal!"

"Finding them's no problem," Genkai assured. "They'll come for us… to sweep us out of the way."

"So is anybody gonna tell me what's going on?!" Kuwabara asked, losing his patience.

"Well, Kuwabara…" Sayomi took a deep breath. "It's basically like this…" She explained the demon classes and the Underworld's limited power over them.

Kuwabara stared down at her, his eyes widening with every detail. When Sayomi finished speaking, he flipped. "You're saying demons like Toguro could swarm out of this hole between worlds?! And that his type are Class B, while there's A and S?! Demons even the Underworld can't handle?! Well, that's just frickin' swell!"

"That is exactly what I just said…" Sayomi muttered under her breath.

"Yeah!" Yusuke took over where Sayomi was cut off. "Best the Underworld can manage is a force field that holds them back. But now someone on this side's trying to breach it."

"First things first – restoring Kaito's soul," Genkai reminded the group.

"Oh, right…" Yusuke blinked. "I almost forgot."

"Yusuke, you'd forget your spirit gun if it wasn't attached."

"Shut up, Sai…" Yusuke grumbled.

Once they made it back to the front room, Genkai stood over Kaito's body and held out her hand. A bright aura surrounded the two while everyone else kept a safe distance. When Kaito's soul returned to his body, Yanagisawa helped him sit up.

"Unh… Oh…" Kaito noticed his audience and said, "Guess things went okay, huh?"

Kurama smiled. "We got the gist of it. A rather dramatic introduction, I'd say."

"Well, I really wanted to get the best of you for once." Kaito scoffed. "Hah! As if!"

Genkai crossed her arms and said, "Kaito's had that difficulty before. That's why these three sought me out last week. A soul is a very defenseless and fragile thing. With no body or ghost to protect it, it'll slip right into the afterlife."

Kurama sighed. "Knowing you, you had to test it."

"Yeah…" Kaito smiled and shrugged. "I said the taboo myself. Dumb, but I couldn't resist."

"Time for proper introductions," said the blond boy. "I'm Asato Kido, 15 years old. My ability is 'Shadow.'"

Copycat… Sayomi narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Mitsunari Yanagisawa, 16 years old. My ability is 'Copy.'"

"Yu Kaito, 17 years old. My ability is 'Taboo.'"

Genkai turned to the rest of the group. "They're all from Swarm City. They discovered their abilities about a month ago."

"We figure it started when the three of us got deathly sick at the same time," Kaito informed the group.

"Soon after the tournament," Kurama recalled.

"If that's stage 2…" Yusuke stroked his chin in thought. "Then the hole began to open right at that time. Koenma, how long until it reaches stage 4?"

"Stage 4, 2 km wide?" Koenma sighed and said, "Oh boy, let me think… The hole at present is 1.3 km wide, so… at an estimate, at most three weeks."

"Three weeks…!" Yusuke clenched his teeth as the color drained from his face. "At that point all Class B demons will be able to enter the Human World." He kneeled down in front of the monitor and asked, "What do we do?! How do we stop it?!"

Koenma looked tense as he answered. "You'll have to defeat whoever's opening the hole. He'll be in its center, distorting space. Be aware that once the hole is fully dilated… there is no force in the universe that will be able to close it!"

"Okay!" Yusuke said, "We know where the target is, so let's go knock him out!"

"Hold it, Yusuke!" Genkai ordered.

Yusuke turned to Kido and said, "You guys know the area. Take us there – "

Genkai punched the back of his head, cutting him off.

Yusuke turned on the old woman and yelled, "What is it this time?!"

Genkai returned his glare and shouted back. "Can't you retain anything in that sorry excuse for a brain?!" She lowered her volume when she had his attention, but maintained her authority. "You are incorrigibly heedless, boy! Why do you think I staged all this? For a laugh?!"

"The hole's widening, Genkai! We gotta move!" Yusuke argued.

"Will you please think?!" Genkai sighed and said, "We have three weeks, time enough to scope out the enemy and formulate a plan of action."

"Geez, Yusuke…" Sayomi glared at the boy. "We thought you could've died if we didn't comply with this crazy scheme. Now the enemy is real and you don't even know who it is. One of these days, your impulsive nature will get you killed."

Yusuke scoffed. "Ha! I already died. Nothing can keep me down!"

"Koenma, I'd like to know…" Everyone turned to look at Hiei. "…What Class I am now? How does the Underworld rank me?"

"Hiei!" Kurama warned.

"It's a simple question," Hiei said.

Sayomi stared at the fire demon curiously. Does it really matter? You all barely survived Toguro…

Koenma fidgeted in his chair for a moment before answering. "You are mid-rank Class B, Hiei. The Younger Toguro was upper Class B."

"Hmph!" Hiei glared down at the young ruler. "Most unsatisfactory."

Koenma quickly went into further detail. "You only ranked upper Class D when you fought Yusuke, and that was just six months ago. You've made astounding progress since then."

"Hmm…" Hiei turned on his heel towards the door. "You think so?"

"Hiei…" Yusuke tried to talk to the swordsman.

"The Human World is no concern of mine…" Hiei turned to Yusuke. "…While access to the Demon Plane is. If Class B demons can pass through this hole when it reaches 2 km…" He turned back to the door. "Hmph! You do as you like. I won't get in your way, but…"

Hiei… Sayomi took slow breaths as she stared at Hiei's back. You're really torn, aren't you? You want to go home, but you don't want to hurt us to do it.

"Hiei!" The swordsman stopped as Kuwabara stepped forward. "You're really walking out?"

"Yes." Hiei turned to look him in the eye. "But for what it's worth… good luck." Then he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

"Snort! Can't say I'm surprised!" Kuwabara glared at the door where Hiei stood. "He always was a snotty twerp!"

"Yeah, but…" Sayomi replayed his parting words in her mind. "At least he didn't threaten to kill us."

"Don't worry, he'll be back." Yusuke smirked. "When could he ever resist a good fight?"

"He's disoriented, Yusuke." Kurama said, "Proximity to the Demon Plane isn't just affecting humans."

"We're better off if he does stay out of it," Genkai said. "Our enemies are not likely to be interested in one-on-one engagements. That's why we mustn't be hasty. For now, go home and get some rest. We'll meet the day after tomorrow and start our recon operation."

The next day, Sayomi sat next to a creek in a local park. She closed her eyes and focused on the trickling water, taking deep breaths. She let her thoughts flow without lingering on them. Within minutes, she found herself back in the Void.

She sighed and began to walk. "All this time, he's been hunting and fighting demons. How will Yusuke react when he has to fight his own kind? I know he fights kids in the streets, but he grew up doing that. He also doesn't use his aura against them. If it comes down to it, will he be able to really fight another human? Why would a human want to open a portal to the Demon Plane anyways?"

Sayomi scratched her head as her thoughts began to stream out into the infinite darkness. "And now Kuwabara doesn't even have his sixth sense anymore so he most likely won't be able to join in this time. Since I first met him, he was always the first one to jump in on a mission. He was always eager to fight and having Yusuke there only pushed him to fight harder. Now, he's gonna be left behind. Though I doubt that'll keep him from trying."

She smiled as she thought about Kurama. "He handled himself pretty well at the house. He was able to use his opponent's power against him. It didn't even take him that long to plan and act. And he figured out Genkai was behind the charade pretty early on. He seems to have calmed down a bit since the tournament. I don't see much of the Fox Demon too often, but it's still there." Her smile fell. "I guess even with his new life as a human, he can't just ignore who he really is. But who is Kurama now? The Kurama I came to know is intelligent, nice, and loyal to his friends and family. So what was he like before? I hope I never have to find out personally."

She felt a pain in her chest as her thoughts shifted. "I can't believe Hiei would just leave like that… I mean, I guess I could, but I was hoping he would stick around to help. Why does he want to go back to the Demon Plane so much? I know he's a demon, but it's not exactly the safest place. Maybe it's the danger that he misses. He didn't have as many rules preventing him from fighting like he does here. He was like a different person at the Dark Tournament and Labyrinth Castle. He was free to use his skills without consequence. He enjoys fighting but he can't really do that here."

She smiled as she remembered his last words before leaving. "At least he doesn't want to hurt us. He must be really confused. He's always scaring people away and choosing isolation, but he was never too far away. Maybe it's the same way in this case. Maybe he's watching us now from a safe distance while he sorts out his own thoughts. I just hope Yusuke's right about him coming back…"

"About who coming back?"

Sayomi sighed and stopped walking. "What do you want now, Yasuhiro?"

"What's with that attitude? Are you being rebellious with me?" The shadow demon stood behind his sister with his hands on his hips. He smiled down at her and said, "You should work on that."

Sayomi turned to glare at her brother. "I found out what you did."

"But did you find out the whole story?" Yasuhiro smirked.

"I was told you would sneak into the Human World to practice your techniques. You would purposely attack humans then retreat back into the Demon Plane before anyone could catch you. That's why we were being hunted, isn't it?"

Yasuhiro sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you're not wrong. You gotta understand, though, I didn't have a choice."

"You could've just trained in the Demon Plane." Sayomi turned away from her brother to stare at the Void. "You didn't have to go out of your way to attack humans. Sure, they're not as strong as us, and not all of them are pleasant, but they don't deserve to be hunted and tormented like that."

"I see…" Yasuhiro sighed. "So they still haven't told you."

"I think they told me enough, Yasuhiro." Sayomi took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I think you better go, or I'll tell Koenma."

"Sayomi, don't you want to know what's happening to you? What's happened to your Shade? I could help you get stronger, but you need to come back to the Demon Plane with me. Everyone here has been on edge. Something is about to happen and every demon here is aware of it."

Sayomi's eyes widened as he spoke. My Shade? Does he know what happened to her? And the demons… Are they reacting to the portal? "I can't leave yet… I still…"

Yasuhiro's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you stay with them? They're just humans, and a couple of traitors, who work for the Underworld. Why do you insist on risking yourself for them?"

"Because I made a promise I intend to keep…" Sayomi answered automatically. "And they're my friends. I care about what happens to them and even if I can't fight anymore, I'll stay with them until they either don't need me or don't want me around anymore."

"And the traitor?" Yasuhiro's eyes darkened as he remembered his last encounter with the swordsman.

Sayomi took in a few slow breaths before answering. I probably shouldn't tell him too much… "What about him?"

"Where is he now?" Yasuhiro crossed his arms. "Wasn't he your bodyguard or something? You've developed some dangerous habits if you're spending your time with him."

"He was training me to fight. I paid him to." Sayomi did her best to keep her tone neutral.

"So it's his fault you're like this…"

"That's not what I said. I'm the one who forced him into it. But like I said, I'm not allowed to fight any more so I don't see the problem."

"Is he here now?" Yasuhiro scanned his surroundings.

"Not that I know of, but sometimes he does watch my meditations from a distance."

"He does what?" Yasuhiro asked quietly.

"He normally doesn't interfere like that one time. He just makes sure I'm still in control. Then he gives me tips to improve." Granted, they're more like insults mixed with tips, but still…

"You're taking meditation advice from a killer? Are you telling me that you trust him more than you trust your own brother?"

Sayomi turned to glare at him. "Hiei's never killed a human before. Sure he's come close a couple times, but he's never actually done it. He's not as cold-blooded as you seem to think."

"Does the demon blood on his sword not repulse you? So long as humans are safe from his wrath, he could kill as many demons as he wishes and that doesn't bother you?"

"Well, he's…" Sayomi hesitated. How do I answer that? It's true he's killed a lot of demons, but then, so have I at this point, right? Maybe not as many, but I kinda needed to. Maybe he didn't have a choice… "He's different now… He doesn't have a reason to kill anymore."

"So you'll defend his actions and condemn me for mine." Yasuhiro sighed. "Looks like you leave me no choice…"

"What do you mean?" Sayomi watched him carefully, preparing to move if necessary.

"I think I've given you enough time, Sayomi. As soon as I have the chance, I'll find you and bring you home. You may have stopped fighting for now, but unless I do something, you won't be around much longer."

Before Sayomi could say anything, Yasuhiro disappeared as quickly as he appeared. She scowled and clicked her tongue. "Great. Just what I needed… That basically gives me until the time the portal opens. I just hope we can stop it before that happens."

When Sayomi opened her physical eyes, she let out a heavy sigh. "I guess I better go find Yusuke. No telling what he's doing to distract himself from this mess."

She followed his aura signature until she found him downtown. She walked into a building that looked smaller on the outside. Inside, it was fairly dark, but there were screens scattered throughout the vicinity. Noises and music drowned out the crowd outside and reminded her of a similar room at Genkai's temple. "She called these things games, right?"

She made her way through the room and noticed things she didn't see at Genkai's temple. These look newer than the ones Master Genkai has. I wonder what the big appeal is with these games.

She wandered around until she found Yusuke at one of the cabins. She peeked over his shoulder and saw him pressing buttons and moving a stick around. She looked up at the screen and saw two characters fighting. When he won a round, Sayomi said, "Why can't you be this good in real life?"

"Gahh!" Yusuke jumped in his seat and turned around. "Jeez, Sai! Why d'you gotta sneak up on me like that?"

"Really, Yusuke?" Sayomi crossed her arms and raised a brow. "There's an unknown enemy out there right now and you're absorbed in this?"

Yusuke scowled and turned back to his game. "Shut up! I want to go out and find out who it is, but Grandma said not to!"

"Can't blame her, can you?" Sayomi clasped her hands behind her head and said, "You let yourself get caught by a couple of human kids, yet you want to jump in head-first at a real dangerous enemy without any knowledge of what they're capable of." She sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder if she really made the right choice in choosing you in her trials."

Yusuke ground his teeth and stood from his seat. He glared down at her and yelled, "You want to take this outside?!"

"Sure, it might help to give your brain a little fresh air." Sayomi turned on her foot and made her way out the door. Yusuke stomped after her with his fists shoved in his pockets. Once they made it to a quiet alley, she turned to her charge and said, "You do realize you could've died, right? Or does the threat of death give you that much of a rush that you've become suicidal?"

"I just want to stop the guy as soon as possible! The longer we wait, the closer they get to opening that portal!"

"We know that, Yusuke!" Sayomi glared at the stubborn boy. "But if you keep this up, you'll be just like Hiei! He basically gave his soul to Kaito at the house!"

"He did?" Yusuke blinked. "What the hell?!"

"Like you're one to talk!" Sayomi glared at Yusuke and snapped. "My point is you can't just throw caution out the window! You need to slow down and actually take things more seriously! I would think dying once would show you that you're not invincible, but because you came back, you still feel that invincibility!"

"Hey! If I can take on Toguro, I can handle another human!" Yusuke jerked his thumb at himself and said, "I may not be the smartest guy, but I'm damn well the toughest around! I just need to know whose ass I need to kick!"

Sayomi sighed and put her hand to her forehead. "I swear! And Hiei wonders why I always compare you two!"

"Why are you comparing me to your boyfriend?!" Yusuke stuck his tongue out in disgust. "I don't think Keiko would appreciate that."

"He's not my boyfriend, Yusuke!" Sayomi's eyes darkened and she clenched her fists to hold herself back from striking him. "You guys just happen to be a lot alike!"

"Whatever, I know you have a crush on him. It's because he's gone that you're acting like this, right?"

Sayomi couldn't respond. Yusuke's accusation caught her off guard and she felt herself hesitate as she seriously considered his words. It doesn't bother me that much, does it? Yusuke really does need to be careful, otherwise he'll end up like Hiei at the house. She glared up at Yusuke. "He has nothing to do with this. I'm just trying to keep you from doing anything crazy. Keiko would have my head if I let anything happen to you."

"And Hiei will skin me alive if I let you die in the crossfire," Yusuke countered. Before Sayomi could retort, he cut her off. "Don't even try to deny it. I notice things too, sometimes. If I see one of you, the other isn't usually too far away. He's the one who was training you, right?"

"Only because he seemed like the best choice at the time," Sayomi grumbled, crossing her arms.

"You could've trained with us, you know. Grandma was asking where you were and I couldn't even give her a proper answer. Then when I get back, you and Hiei are all buddy-buddy with each other." Yusuke smirked and said, "Now don't try to tell me there's nothing going on between you two, but you can let me know if he does anything to hurt you."

Sayomi felt speechless after Yusuke's accusation. But… I didn't even notice until much later!

"Knowing the both of you, I doubt you've even gotten to first base, but don't let anyone keep you from being happy." Yusuke smirked and ruffled Sayomi's hair. "Besides, I'm sure he'll be back. Though he won't admit it, I bet it's bothering him, too."

"That is not what I came to talk to you about." Sayomi's eyes narrowed. "I wanted to make sure you didn't run off into battle without warning anyone beforehand."

"Sure, you might've come for that, too, but you seem to be in some mood since Hiei left last night. I'm just trying to tell you not to worry too much over it because he'll be back."

"You don't know that, Yusuke. He wants to go back to the Demon Plane. It's only logical he wouldn't want to stop the portal from opening."

"Yeah, but you're a demon too." Yusuke reminded the girl. "And you're probably the only one that'll get this close to him for a long time. You should take advantage and get him before it's too late."

"Why are you giving me advice like this?" Sayomi asked with suspicion. "It's so weird to hear you talk about relationships."

"Well, maybe I just want you to be happy, Sai. And Hiei could use a girl like you to keep him in check." Yusuke smirked and shrugged. "But what do I know? I can barely handle my own relationships."

Sayomi sighed, but she couldn't stop herself from smirking. "The world must really be ending."

"Hey! Don't jinx us!" Yusuke smirked, putting her into a headlock.

"Let go, Yusuke!" Sayomi struggled to get free.

Yusuke let her go and said, "C'mon, let's go see What Keiko's up to? We can save the world tomorrow."