Hey! Sorry for the wait! Yeah, I said this one was going to be long... Shame on me. Well, here's the next one! Hope you like it. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King but if I did Hao would be good and Yoh would be way tougher.

Boy

The engine started up with a low rumble. Hao was sitting in the back of a limo with his father and Nathan, the family's secretary and his father's bodyguard.

They were on the way to a meeting with Lord Harasuke, who lived in Aria, two hours away. Hao's job was to read Harasuke's mind while his father was talking to him. Hao had to make sure he was telling the truth and tell his father when he was not.

This was a business meeting. Harasuke should be in control of Aria; however, most of the city was run by different gangs. As a result, Harasuke could not pay back the money he owed Hao's father.

Hao was nervous. If this meeting did not go well, he would have to kill Harasuke and he did not want to do that.

The ride to Aria was horrible. Hao's father talked with Nathan the entire way, leaving Hao to his thoughts. Which was not what Hao wanted. He hated being left alone with his memories and nightmares. He preferred not to think about the things he has done. That always led to him thinking about what he was going to have to do.

Finally, Hao thought as the limo drove through the entranceway of the Harasuke mansion; which, while large, was not even close to the size of the Asakura mansion.

The owner of the mansion was waiting at the entrance and personally opened the limo door for Hao's father, much to the driver's irritation.

"L-l-lord Asakura! What a pleasure it is to see you!" Harasuke stammered. Dear God, please don't let him kill me! I haven't collected any more money! It's that damn boy's fault! Hao heard.

After they had sat down and been served tea, Hao's father said, "So, Harasuke. Do you have my money?"

"N-n-no, my lord. I am so sorry but I do not."

"And why is that?"

"It's his fault!" Harasuke said quickly, trying to put the blame on someone else. "He and that gang of his have been undermining my authority is the city! People have been moving to where he lives because they think that he can protect them."

"Protect them," said the Lord Asakura, frowning. "How?"

"I do not know how, my lord. He can somehow create a barrier that my men are unable to pass through."

"A barrier…. Hmmm. Keep talking. What else do you know? About this barrier. And the boy."

"The barrier is, for the most part, completely clear. However, it does shimmer a little in the sunlight. And it is as solid as the walls of my home. But I do not know much about the boy. He lives in an abandoned apartment in the west side of town with several other children. He has brown hair and eyes and he is known as Yoh."

Hao's father jumped at the name. "Yoh!? Are you sure?!"

"Y-y-yes! My lord, I am positive," Harasuke stuttered.

"Hao! Is he telling the truth?"

"Yes, father. He believes it to be true."

The Lord Asakura frown deepened as he thought. Hao was dying to know what his father was thinking, but he did not dare read his mind.

Finally, he spoke. "A boy who can make barriers may prove to be useful. Hao, I want you to go and gather as much information as you can on this boy. I want to know everything. You have a week. After that, you come to me and report. Then, I shall decide whether or not it will be worth my time to take him. I will be staying here while you are gone. Now take what you need and go."

That's it!! Hope you liked it! And again, sorry it's so short!

Now all you lovely people who have read my story need to write me a review as a graduation present!! Yay! Two months 'till college!

And to all the even lovelyer people who have already reviewed, y'all are so my heroes!!

One thing I would like y'all to tell me about is my writing style.

Is it too choppy?

Not enough detail?

Do I need to descride things better?

I want to make this story as good as I can for y'all; so if you can tell me what I can do the make it better I would really appresiate it and definatly think about what you said!

Again, thanks! The next chapter WILL be longer! :D And Hao will meet up with Yoh! Yay! XD

Have a nice day!! Love y'all!