Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is a property of Manga Artist Yoshihiro Togashi and Anime Director Noriyuki Abe, I have no rights to it and I don't plan on wanting them, the artwork for this Fanfiction belongs to Azuki Shibakawa. Please don't copy the information. This work is T rated, but it is a Romance along with an Adventure. English is only my second language, so forgive me if there are any mistakes, I will update every week so bear with me and I hope you'll like this story.

Chapter 4

The Compound

Stars were blazing in the night sky and a small car with four passengers drove through a lonely street in the middle of nowhere. Botan was asleep in the front sit by her husband, who was talking to his son, explaining all the inner workings of the universe. Sakuraso starred at the moon outside, "so, you are a spirit fox, and mom is a grim reaper," she stated, "what does it make us I wander?"

"We have yet to find out. "Kurama smiled. "It all depends on your powers."

Kuronue mock glared at his father. "Nice!" He sneered, "And what are they exactly?"

"No idea." Kurama shrugged and parked his car under a crown of trees leading into the forest. "Here we are!" He announced and turned to his wife. "Dear it's time to wake up," he shook her shoulder and popped open the trunk.

"Hey, where is the house?" Sakuraso asked looking around. There were other cars parked nearby and two girls were taking their things out of the back sit of one of them. A tall, redhead man was pulling the door open for his wife to get out, and two people in another car were arguing loudly.

"We will have to walk from here." Kurama answered, getting out of the car.

"Are we here already?" Botan stirred in her sit, opening her eyes and stretching "Ok!" she smiled, "guys get your stuff, we have a long walk ahead of us."

"Hey! You're here!" Kuwabara greeted his friends, coming up to them with his wife.

"Kazuma, Yukina, thanks for your support." Botan smiled, while two people came up behind them, a tall brunet prodding his son to hurry up.

"Yeah Kuwabara!" Yusuke chuckled, "you will be a big help! My son is such a wuss, every time I come at him with a hook he flinches."

"Hi Yusuke, Raizon…" Kurama turned around giving them a nod.

"Hey Kurama!" Yusuke grinned, slapping his friend on the back and glancing at Sakuraso with Kuronue tugging their bags out of the car. Kurama smirked following his gaze, "he's right you know," he addressed Kuwabara, "you'll be a big help. If I try to train my son now, I'm afraid I'll kill him. These two have to learn how control their spirit energy, before starting any sparring matches."

"Oh joy," Raizon flinched overhearing his father, "thanks for a shout out, dad."

"Don't complain and march" Yusuke chided and let his son to go in front towards the mountain trail.

"Damn it! We're screwed, aren't we?" Raizon huffed pulling his suitcase down the road, "dad says we are going to train until we pass out, or won't move an inch." Kuronue gave his friend an ill-fainted smile. "Yes, and it seems my dad isn't joking about killing me on accident," he chuckled, struggling to get up the hill. Yusuke looked behind him. "Girls!" He yelled motioning with his hand, "hurry up we have no time to waste, and I prefer to be there by morning."

"What did he just say?!" Sakuraso cried turning to Miyuki and Setsuna, "does it mean we are going to be walking all night?" a little girl in front widened her eyes. "Can't be." She said shocked. "I can't walk so long."

"Oh what are you complaining about?" Setsuna retorted walking past her sister, "dad will probably carry you all the way there, it's us who got no choice but use our own two legs."

"Girls come on!" Botan nudged them up the hill, "If we hurry, we'll get there before sunrise." Sakuraso cringed, but followed her mother's instructions and picked up her pace.

Six hours later they were standing in front of a giant staircase with Chinese symbols all around the entrance. "We have to climb that?!" Raizon screamed devastated, and frantically searching for an elevator. "Yes!" Yusuke yelled. "And that's not all, I expect you to do a thousand pushups when we get there." He laughed at his son's reaction. Kurama smiled as well. "You better follow his example Kuronue!" he glanced behind at his son. Kuronue did not answer and walked forward stopping in front of the stairs. He gulped and looked back at his father. "Dad?" He asked. "How much time do we have before the tournament?"

Kurama stopped, "according to your mother's knowledge, you only have ten months." He replied.

"Can you do it?" Kuronue tilted his head. "Can you make me stronger in such a short time?" he pried.

"It depends on you…" Kurama answered, and before he could say anything else his son tore up the stairs without looking back.

"Now that's the spirit!" Kuwabara yelled. "Your son is a real man Kurama!" he grinned and looked at the others, "what are you standing around for? Hurry up slowpokes!" He raced up the stairs Yusuke and Raizon close behind him.

"So the whole gang is here, I see." A monotone voice came in from Kurama's right. "Hiei, it's been a while, I assume you're here for the party?" The redhead beamed at the short demon beside him.

"It's not a laughing matter Kurama." Hiei spat. "I'm only here to see if you're prepared for the fights, and from where I'm standing-your son is as good as dead."

"Don't worry, he'll be ready." Kurama hissed. "Tell me Hiei… What do you know about this tournament?" he asked tilting his head, but Hiei just smirked, "Alcor is sponsoring it, that's all the motivation I need."

"Will you be ready?" Kurama added, while Hiei jumped on the nearby tree, "Hn," he smiled and turned around, "think of yourself why don't you, I'll see you at the tournament." He replied stiffly, and disappeared into the shadows.

The elongated building was unchanged for ten years. Kids dropped their bags on the ground and ran inside, checking out the place. Setsuna cursed inwardly noticing that there were no beds, or any kind of furniture besides the large, low table in the middle of would-be guestroom, and a small one in the kitchen. The dust covered floor mirrored an eerie atmosphere, and brought upon an uneasy feeling of loneliness. Kuwabara, Yusuke and Kurama went out to look for a suitable training ground, while Botan and Yukina rounded up the girls to help them make this place livable.

"I'm going to die!" Raizon wept in pain, trying to get up from the fiftieth push-up. "My dad is a monster!"

Kuronue rolled his eyes. "Don't complain, you know we have no choice," he squirmed from another sit-up. "Yes but we could at least get some rest after the car ride." Raizon returned miserably. "And we won't have any rest for another ten months!"

"Look on the bright side," Kuronue huffed at his friend. "The girls are here." He pointed at Setsuna and Miyuki talking in the back room.

"So? It's not like we can spend any time with them, we didn't even have time to say hello, during our walk here." Raizon spat plastering himself on the floor.

"But we can at least see them on regular bases." Kuronue shrugged and set up breathing heavily.

"With our parents here? Whom are you kidding?!" Raizon replied in disbelieve noticing their fathers coming in.

"Get up you two!" Yusuke yelled motioning for the boys to stand up. "You are going with Kuwabara into the woods." He looked outside where Kuwabara was rubbing his hands and grinning evilly.

"Huh? Now?" Raizon moaned.

"Yes, what did you expect, get going?" Yusuke spat at his son, and walked past him prodding Kuronue to follow. Raizon stared at him in annoyance "What are you going to do?" he cried.

"Sleep, I'm tired." Yusuke yawned pushing his son out of the room.

"Huh? Dad!" Raizon protested, but Yusuke just turned around smiling. "No whining, just get out of here." He dragged the boys through the door and closed it behind them. Kurama laughed, "I'm going to see if there are any healing herbs nearby, looks like we'll need them" he chuckled and walked out as well.

Sakuraso and Botan got busy in the kitchen, while Yukina and her daughters swept the floors. "I didn't even know that we owned a place like this…" Sakuraso looked around. "Impressive isn't it?" Botan smiled. "It belonged to an old friend of ours… Master Genkai… She was Yusuke's martial arts teacher."

"Wow!" Sakuraso twirled around impressed. 'A woman martial artist? Huh?' She mused "What happened to her?"

"She died of an old age…leaving us with all her possessions." Botan sighed sadly, stopping from cleaning the counter and looking into space.

"She left you everything?" The girl was astonished, her mother must have known this old woman very well, to receive such a huge inheritance. "How long did you know her mom?" Sakuraso asked curiously.

"About fifty years." Botan replied without thinking, and Sakuraso jumped. "Wait a minute, mom, you are only thirty two years old…"

"Oh that's right!" Botan giggled, "we never told you, I'm actually much older, along the age of your father, but I stopped counting long ago." She continued to scrub the counter, wandering how to get away from this conversation, but Sakuraso was now craving to know more. "How old is dad?" she piped.

"Botan kept on laughing lightly. 'Wait 'til she hears that.' She thought. "He is 1056 years of age dear, just don't tell him I told you." Sakuraso dropped a rug, she was cleaning the table with, and stepped away from her mom. It was scary to think that her parents were so old and it made her shiver. "Mother?" She asked startled, and Botan turned noticing her daughter's change of tone. "Oh no dear, I'm sorry…" She hugged the girl tightly. "We never told you because we were afraid of your reaction. We agreed to keep our past a secret, maybe it was a bad decision… I'm so so sorry." She added gliding her hand through Sakuraso's hair.

"But why mom? Sakuraso asked pulling away and sitting down on a fluffy caution by the table. "You can tell us everything now right?" She beamed at Botan with pleading eyes, and a blue hair deity had no other choice but to admit that her daughter needed to know the truth. "It's a long story dear." She admitted sitting down by Sakuraso.

"I'm all ears!"

Alright Everyone! Now here comes the hard part and I'd like your help. Tell me if you want me to follow the events of the manga or the anime, or both?

Because Botan is telling the story, it will stop at some points to go back to present, and the training for Kuronue with Raizon will continue, along with all the little plot twists I have in store for you. Enjoy!

Please review!