Chapter 5: A New Friend?

"This is like searching a needle in a haystack," said Raizen as they walked around the investigation site. It had taken them two days to get to the site because they had to travel by night, not really knowing if Keiko or Yukina had sent Runners after them. So far they haven't seen any and they reached the kidnapping site without any obstacles.

They brought very little with them. Only the few things they needed to camp out with, thanking their parents on giving survival camping trips.

"Have faith, Raizen," said Rain as she checked one side of the site. "We'll find something."

"So far all we found is a bunch of broken branches and a spot of wet earth," said Hina. She looked over at Tama as he looked at a branch. "Why are you even here, Tama? You're not a fighter."

"I do know hand-to-hand, anee-san," said Tama. "And knowing you, you'll need a healer."

Hina's face went red as the rest of the group laughed. Rain looked over at Tama and paused as he held up the branch.

"Wait a minute," she said, walking over and took the branch from him. "Look at this, guys."

"What is it, Rain," asked Raizen as they joined the fire-youko and ningen-Koorime.

"See anything weird about this branch," asked Rain holding it up.

"Besides being cut up?" asked Hina.

"Maybe it took a ki blast," said Raizen. Rain shook her head.

"The cut is too clean," she said. "It couldn't have been done by a blast. It was done by a sword."

"Could it have been made by Hiei-oji-san," asked Tama.

Rain lifted the branch to her face and sniffed it. No one spoke as she tried to detect if Hiei had cut the branch down. After a minute she shook her head.

"No," she said. "This branch wasn't cut by Daddy."

"How can you tell?" asked Hina.

"When Daddy fights, he pulses his ki in his sword so that the blood coagulates quickly and cut through the skin and bone easier," said Rain. "Like a hot knife through butter. Daddy showed me how. It leaves a smoky smell if you have a really good nose. This branch has no smoky after smell. Daddy didn't cut this branch."

"Now that you mention it," said Raizen. "This place doesn't look like a battlefield. A few cut up branches, wind blown leaves and a puddle of water? It doesn't make sense. Our parents wouldn't give up without a fight."

Tama didn't say anything as he walked over to the water puddle and stretched a hand toward his, his eyes closed in concentration.

"What do you sense, Tama," asked Hina, walking up to her twin.

"This water," he said. "It was artificially created. At very low temperatures."

"So they were attacked by a sword wielder and ice apparition," said Hina. "But if it was an ice apparition, then Hiei-oji could have defeated him."

"Not if Daddy wasn't here," said Rain, her eyes closed. "I'm picking up faint ki traces. Days old. Yusuke-oji and Kazuma-oji couldn't have fought them."

"So someone knew their weakness before hand," said Raizen. "And planned an attacked."

"But why," asked Tama. "Who would want to harm our parents?"

"Most of their enemies are dead," said Rain. "But I can think of one…."

"Hey!" called Hina, as her sixth sense tingled. "There's someone here!"

"Where?" asked Raizen, instantly ready to fight. Everyone else looked around on alert, Hina with the Trial Sword out, Rain with her katana and Tama with his fists raised.

"Over there!" Hina pointed to a brush. Rain created a fireball and threw it to where her cousin pointed. They heard a yelp and a chimera-demon jumped out. He had black hair, blue eyes, and wore all leather. His leathery wings lay casually on his back. His hair was done up in a ponytail but some had escaped and fell around his pointed ears. A pair of scythes was holstered in the demon's belt.

"I surrender!" called the chimera. "Uncle! Don't kill the chimera!"

"Who are you?" yelled Raizen storming up to the chimera and grabbed him by his vest. "Where are our parents?!"

The chimera looked at him in surprise. "Parents? I don't know anything about any parents."

"Raizen, let him go," said Rain. "He doesn't know anything about our situation."

"How do you know?" said Raizen, looking at her with the demon still clutched him his hand. The chimera was attempting to dislodge his vest from Raizen's fist. "He could be lying!"

"He's not," said Rain, glaring at the younger demon. "I can smell it. Let him go." Raizen did, grumbling as he did so, and the chimera fixed his vest. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"My name is Kurohi," said the chimera. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who are you looking for," asked Tama.

"Youko Kurama," said Kurohi nonchalantly and the others drew breathe in surprise. Kurohi looked at them in surprise. "You know him?"

"Yeah," said Raizen. "He's Rain's…."

Raizen was silenced by Rain's hand over his mouth.

"Rain's what?" asked Kurohi interested.

"None of your business," yelled Rain, glaring at him. "What do you want him for?"

Kurohi smirked. "Well, since you won't tell me your business, I guess I can't tell you mine," He said, resting his hands behind his head. Rain "hn"ed and lead the others a little away from Kurohi to talk privately.

"What do you think," she asked.

"I don't know his business with Kurama-oji, but he seems suspicious," said Hina.

"Tama, what do you get from him?"

"Nothing bad, Rain-itoko," said the ningen-Koorime. "It seems he to sincerely want to find Kurama-oji."

"And I just sincerely want to smash his face in," said Raizen. "Can we just tie him up, leave him, and go?"

Rain looked over at the chimera thoughtfully. "If he follows us, who are we to argue," she said.

"What?!" cried Raizen. "Rain, have you lost your mind?! He's looking for your…."

"I know who he's looking for, Urameshi Raizen," growled Rain in an undertone. "No need to shout it to the whole world." Raizen nodded, unable to fight anymore with the angry aura she was projecting. "All right. Let's go."

And they walked out of the clearing. Kurohi followed them.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Who's the new guy," asked Yukei as they watched the five leave from under the brush they were hiding in. They were using their ki to suppress their signature from detection and so far it was working.

"I don't know, but I don't sense anything bad about him," said Shiori.

"Think he'll hurt Kurama-oji," asked Megumi nervously.

"If he does," said Yukei smirking at the younger demon, "I'll hurt him."

And they followed their siblings.

TBC