When it came to pulling an all-nighter, Yusuke Urameshi did so with class and style. Or at least, his version of class and style, which involved him in nothing but boxers and drool running halfway down his chin. It might not have been the most orthodox approach to keeping an eye on Shimo the first night he'd come to stay at Genkai's temple, but Yusuke believed firmly that if he pretended to be asleep he'd be much more likely to catch Shimo acting suspicious than if he hid in the shadows.

Besides, Yusuke didn't hide regardless the circumstances. He stood up, tall and proud (or in this case lay sprawled all over Genkai's worn leather couch). Shimo had apparently never heard of the great Spirit Detective despite all his supposed traveling, so Yusuke would just have to inform him of his splendid reputation the old fashioned way. Up close and personal.

He dozed, hot and sticky from the humid weather of the passing storm. He felt rather feverish, and wondered if it was from all the wild activity which was in stark contrast to the normal calm that he'd grown accustomed to. It felt like he was sixteen again, charging into battle after battle- flying by the seat of his pants!... but he was twenty one now, and frankly he felt sixty. It was exhausting, never knowing what came next, and it certainly cut into his nap time. Weirdly enough, he'd actually grown to like living a normal life... it wasn't as glamourous per say as the life of an active fighter, but there was a certain mundane charm to living the life of an untroubled man. Certain aspects that made it all worthwhile...

Keiko for one.

Slowly, rather morosely, Yusuke Urameshi opened his eyes and stared at the high domed ceiling.

In the past, talking to Keiko had been a luxury. He'd rarely seen her between battles, and had even run away from her a few times just to get a head start on the next case. He'd been unkind to her, though he'd hardly admit it, and now that he was older and wiser he realized what a treasure he denied himself. Talking to Keiko was a relaxer, a way of keeping in touch with reality even while spiraling out of control.

"Fuck..." Yusuke mumbled, wiping the drool from his cheek and stretching. He rolled over onto his side, searching blindly for his pants which he'd discarded onto the floor. He found them, crumpled into a graceless ball, and from his back pocket he pulled his battered cell phone. It was utterly spent, bought nearly three years ago, but it got the job done. He'd even programmed it with automatic dialing for important numbers. Everyone had a cell phone now, save for Hiei of course, so all it took was the push of one button to dial people like Kurama, Kuwabara, his mother, and Keiko... of course.

He pushed the '1' button, and the phone began to ring.

and ring.

and ring.

and ring.

"Hello?" came a mumbled voice from the other end. Yusuke checked his watch, grimacing to see it was four in the morning. Keiko's alarm always went off at five thirty to give her ample time to get ready for work. He felt rather bad for waking her with only an hour and a half of sleep time left.

"Hey." Yusuke murmured softly, eager not to wake anyone else in the temple. "I'm your new alarm clock."

"I don't remember asking for a new alarm clock." Keiko groaned, and he heard the bed sheets rustle. She sniffled, and with a groan her voice became more vibrant, more awake. "God, what time is it? Are you still at the shop?"

"Four-ish." Yusuke admitted, "And actually I'm not... which is why I'm calling you now. Shit got real tonight, Keiko. Way too real. For the first time in five years."

"Oh god, don't say that." Keiko moaned, and the old terror of never knowing what was to happen next was suddenly back in her voice. Yusuke hadn't heard it there in so long... "What's happened? Where are you? Are you in trouble?"

"I'm at Genkai's temple, don't worry. I'm not dead or dying, so that's better than what we're used to." Yusuke offered for humor but clearly Keiko found nothing funny.

"Why are you at Genkai's temple? Has something happened to her?"

"Not her, actually." Yusuke paused, lifting himself a little off the couch and making sure to scan the dojo for life before continuing on. He cupped his mouth with his hand, eager not to be overheard. "It's Yukina. A stranger showed up at the temple some time last afternoon claiming to be her brother."

"What?" Keiko demanded.

"Pretty much my reaction too." Yusuke groaned, sinking back into the couch and throwing a hand over his eyes, "Kuwabara came running to my shop to tell me all about it. Guess who was in for the dinner rush before the storm hit."

"Kurama, I guess? Doesn't he always stop by?" Keiko offered.

"Yeah. And guess who else."

"... Oh no."

"Oh yeah."

"What did he say?!" Keiko demanded, "Did Kazuma tell him as well?!"

"Told everyone. Blurted it right out... you should have seen the look on both their faces. I thought Hiei was going to have a seizure." Yusuke groped through the dark again, eager to find the crushed packet of cigarettes he'd been finishing off for some time now. They'd fallen out of his pants pocket when he'd retrieved his cell phone, and now in the dark he tugged a fag free to light it with his zippo.

"Oh no, I can hardly imagine- are you smoking?" Keiko cut off abruptly, and Yusuke almost choked instead of inhaling.

"No, why?" He lied automatically, but it was no use. Keiko had probably heard the zippo click through the phone, the woman had ears like a fox.

"Because I can hear you puffing." Keiko drawled, her tone irritable and scathing. "Yusuke we agreed you'd quit smoking. It's not good for your health and it makes your teeth rot. Not to mention what it does to your sperm."

"Hey, woman, lets keep the conversation on topic and off my sperm alright?" Yusuke quipped, unable to think of Keiko and sperm in the same line without his brain going to perverted places. "We've got serious problems over here, we'll worry about my vices later."

"Fine, change the subject." Keiko paused, "What happened when Kazuma told Hiei and Kurama?"

"Hiei took off for Genkai's temple. We followed after him, hell we nearly ran over him with Kurama's car." Yusuke paused, holding in a snicker. "By the time Hiei got to the front door, Yukina was already there."

"So she wasn't hurt? The impersonator hadn't attacked her? I would have thought-"

"Yeah, well so did the rest of us." Yusuke confided, peeking over the back of the couch again to make sure he was still alone, "I was certain that we were walking into a battle... but when we saw the guy for ourselves... I don't know..." Yusuke heaved a heavy sigh, sitting up to place his feet on the bare floor. The rain and wind had finally stopped and suddenly Yusuke felt the urge to stretch his legs. "You ever met someone and automatically know something isn't right? But you can't put your finger on it?"

"Yeah, I think everyone has once or twice. Why, is that what you're feeling now?"

Yusuke pulled his pants on one leg at a time, rising up to cup the phone between his shoulder and his ear. He did his zipper and took another drag of his cigarette before finally exiting the dojo's darkened halls. It was just a short walk through one door and out another to reach the wrap around porch which continued far south to the entire opposite end where a massive garden lay soaked in rain.

"I don't know what I'm feeling." Yusuke admitted softly, "But I'm not feeling at ease, and that's an unwelcome change Keiko."

There was a pause, and from the other end Yusuke could sense that Keiko was thinking hard, perhaps wondering how he was and what he was doing. He wondered what it felt like to do the waiting, and now with Hiei gone Yusuke suddenly felt rather privy to the emotion. A constant game of walking on egg shells... nervous and almost sick with anticipation.

"Hiei saw the guy, scared the shit out of him, and left." Yusuke continued on just as quietly, leaning on the railing and flicking his ashes out onto Genkai's gravel pathway. "He had this look on his face... like Shimo-"

"Shimo?"

"That's the guy's name. The guy who says he's Yukina's brother." Yusuke explained, "And Hiei used his jagan on Shimo... but things didn't go as planned. I think Hiei saw something. Something bad."

"His jagan? I remember him using that on me a long time ago." Keiko snorted, though there was no anger in her voice, "It's not a pleasant experience to have someone else in your head. Maybe Shimo used it against Hiei?"

"Maybe." Yusuke shrugged. "Shit if I know what really happens. That third eye of his has always given me the creeps. But there was something different this time."

"Different how."

"Different like... he wasn't... I don't know!" Yusuke snapped, "You know how Hiei has that look on his face all the time, like he's in control? Like he knows what he's gonna say and how he's gonna say it?"

"I guess-"

"Well he didn't have that look on his face anymore!" Yusuke finished, his voice a little aggressive though he wasn't angry at Keiko in the slightest. "He looked like he was three cards away from folding on a bad hand!"

"Oh Yusuke I don't know what to tell you..." Keiko sighed, "Shimo isn't Yukina's brother, so who is he really and what does he want. That's what you have to find out."

"Yeah, I guess your right." Yusuke murmured, finishing off his cigarette. He threw the dying bud onto the gravel road and stretched with a great yawn. Off in the east the tiniest tints of purple gave light to the dark sky. Morning was coming, whether Yusuke was ready or not, and he supposed that he ought to get started on the day before it got started on him. "I better get moving then. I want to work out before the others wake up."

"Okay." Keiko's voice had softened, "Do you know when you'll be home?"

"Home?" Yusuke paused, unsure of what best to say, "I don't really know babe... It may be a while. I need to figure this Shimo character out, make sure he's not a bigger threat than he appears... Who knows how long that'll take. But I'll call you every night, okay?"

"Maybe I can come up?" Keiko offered, "It would be nice to see Yukina again. I could help, if you like. We were always close."

"Eh..." Yusuke paused once again, this time more worriedly, "Let me check Shimo out real good first. Make sure I can whoop his ass. If I call and give you the all clear, you can come up. Deal?"

"Deal." Keiko laughed, and Yusuke could feel her smile through the phone. "I love you, Yusuke."

"... I love you too." Yusuke chuckled. "Have a great day at work, babe."

"Same." Keiko murmured. "Talk to you tonight?"

"Talk to you tonight." yusuke assured her. With that, the conversation was finally ended and Yusuke hung his head in weary defeat as he pocketed his phone at last. The pasture surrounding Genkai's temple was gloomy and eerily quiet, with only the chittering of crickets to break the silence after the wild storm of the previous night. The grass had been parched, but it's thirst was now obviously filled for dew glinted everywhere like diamonds on the ground.

The garden to the south was clearly well tended to, with neat little rows now sprouting green tendrils that would soon turn into various vegetables and large flowers. Yukina was a pioneer among Ice Maidens, taking on the challenge of learning how to grow food never before eaten by her kind. She'd learned well from Genkai's knee, and now her gardening skills were clearly to be admired. Yusuke slowly paced the the wrap around porch, quietly heading toward the southern rooms where he knew that his friends were still fast asleep. A series of paneled doors lead back into the halls, and Yusuke poked his head inside to see that all the oil lamps were still cold and the doors neatly shut. Kurama, Kuwabara, Yukina, Genkai, and Shimo were clearly asleep. Yet as Yusuke moved to the south, intent on searching the halls for Shimo's new room, he came upon the intriguing sight of someone meditating in the garden.

Kurama looked rather content with his eyes closed sitting in an indian position. He went shirtless, breathing deeply and allowing his demonic energy to flex and stretch so that the plants closest to him practically thrived with vibrant life. They twitched, their massive fronds unfurling even though the sun had not yet fully risen, and flowers bloomed from their cores to unfurl and spread their petals wide. Yusuke paused, not wanting to interrupt.

"You are not interrupting, Yusuke." Kurama spoke up calmly, and Yusuke jumped with a start.

"How'd you know I was standing here?" Yusuke demanded.

"I know many things." Kurama chuckled. At this, Yusuke hopped the railing and landed with a crunch onto the gravel path. He prowled over to Kurama, leaning against a scarecrow and fixing his old friend with a sneer.

"Always so humble, Kurama?" Yusuke joked.

"Only early in the morning." Kurama joked back, and opened his emerald eyes wide to smile up at Yusuke. "I see you've lived through the night. Clearly Shimo wasn't in the mood for a brawl last night. I slept just as soundly."

"I didn't sleep, actually." Yusuke admitted, "I stayed awake all night waiting for the little shit to show. Nothing came of it though... I didn't hear a peep all night. Hiei back yet?"

"Oh I have a feeling Hiei will not be back for quite a while." Kurama sighed, "He has much to do and little time to do it in." Kurama frowned, taking a handful of loose earth from the garden and letting it sprout in his palm. Tiny seedlings began to unfurl from the fertilizer, so that suddenly blades of grass were firing up from all over. "I spoke with him before he left last night... what he said troubled me."

"The fact that he didn't burn the temple down troubles me." Yusuke snorted, taking a seat beside Kurama and tucking his legs underneath him so that his jeans became wet with dew. "So what did he say then?"

"When he used the jagan, he was shown a memory... his own memory." Kurama explained, "Yet things were different, people were left out, people that only Hiei would have remembered... So the memory was not of his own invention. It was Shimo's."

"You're telling me Shimo knows Hiei's memories?" Yusuke grimaced, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Yes, but not well enough to pull off the act flawlessly. His error was Hiei's tip off, and Hiei left in quite a hurry. I have a feeling that he is now on his way to Demon World. Perhaps he will speak with Shigure on these matters."

"Wait, I know that name from somewhere..." Yusuke thought hard, his brain conjuring images of a broad shouldered man who looked like someone had hit his face with a tackle box. "Where do I know that name from?"

"I fought with Shigure in the Demon Tournament." Kurama explained. "I won, though barely... I killed him."

"If you killed him then how in the hell is Hiei speaking with him?" Yusuke demanded. "I didn't know you could talk to dead people outside of spirit world."

"Oh he's not dead anymore." Kurama shrugged, "Mukuro revived him. She's rather infamous for her tanks... from what Hiei has told me, Shigure was brought back to life and is currently working for Mukuro to patrol the border to demon world. All the losers of the Demon Tournament are."

"Better than the Dark Tournament." Yusuke mumbled. "Back then it was life or death. Now people are getting off easy."

"You've evidently never worked for Mukuro." Kurama chuckled. "I'd hardly call working for her as getting off easy."

Yusuke recalled Mukuro, tall and lithe with a strange covering over the left side of her face. She'd been hard and emotionless, with a malicious streak that even Raizen had respected. Yusuke remembered how Mukuro had brought him flowers upon Raizen's death, calling his deceased ancestral father a 'fucking idiot'. He supposed it was her way of saying 'sorry for your loss'.

"So why is Hiei going to Shigure?" Yusuke asked, "Shigure in on some big secret?"

"Shigure is the one who implanted Hiei's jagan." Kurama explained, "He is the master of the jagan... the only demon alive who can successfully implant one without killing his patients. Though, admittedly, most patients are not strong enough to survive the operation. From what I understand, only three people have lived through the surgery, Hiei included."

"Three?!" Yusuke gagged, "Sheesh where did this guy get his medical license! Sounds like false practice to me!" Yusuke chucked a pebble into the garden, grimacing still at the thought of the jagan operation.

"It is a shoddy line of work." Kurama shrugged, "But Hiei is the better off for it. It was through the jagan that he found Yukina."

"Cripes he really loves her." Yusuke was in awe, "To risk his life like that, just to find her."

"'I've always wondered if she was the only reason..." Kurama admitted, letting a ladybug crawl lazily across his arm. "Sometimes I sense... there's more to the story..." Kurama trailed off.

"So you think Shigure might be able to help Hiei figure out how Shimo copied his memory?" Yusuke asked.

"I think." Kurama confirmed. "Only time will tell. I do not know how long Hiei will be away, but I am determined to keep a firm eye on Shimo until Hiei returns. I still want to believe that Shimo is merely lost, that he is not a threat... yet there are too many coincidences for me to ignore."

"No shit. Who else has a sister named Yukina. Well-" Yusuke paused, "I guess there could be others out there... but it's all so..."

"Odd."

"Yeah!" Yusuke chorused at once.

Silence fell and both teammates stared at once another in silent agreement. So much history was shared between them, from the time the Mirror of Forlorn Hope had drawn them together up until now. Kurama had so often been the voice of reason and truth, giving insight essential for winning battles and keeping one step ahead of the enemy. If Kurama was confused, Yusuke was shit out of luck... and that was speaking optimistically.

Yusuke flicked a pebble at Kurama.

Kurama smiled serenely.

"Welcome back, sir!" Nose cried, scurrying out of the way as Hiei stormed past.

The sky in Demon World crashed and collided with black clouds, hot lightening lightning up the atmosphere like fire. The thunder was deafening, causing the ground to shake underfoot as the crimson horizon darkened ever steadily with storm clouds. The smell of blood, the stench of rotting corpses, the ungodly humidity... There was no place like home, and on the other side of the portal Hiei was greeted by familiar faces of fellow patrolmen who bowed with respect and snide irritation. They did not like him, but they feared him, and Hiei was content with the relationship.

The trees blew hard in the hot wind, and dust was kicked up as Hiei wrapped his white scarf tighter around his neck.

"Shigure!" Hiei snarled above the wind, "Where is Shigure?"

"I haven't seen him, sir!" Nose shook his head so that his massive proboscis swept back and forth like a broom, "He's not here today! Neither is Kirin-"

"I don't give a shit about Kirin." Hiei grumbled, not in the mood to put up with Mukuro's lap dog. Kirin and Hiei shared an interesting relationship, with Kirin predeceasing Hiei as Mukuro's right hand man and strongest soldier. Hiei was undeniably stronger, smarter, that Kirin (at least to his own reckoning) and Kirin's presence at the fortress went vastly unknown to him for most of the time. No... Who Hiei needed now was Shigure.

"Sir!" Nose piped up, "Perhaps Master Shigure is at the fortress? The centipede is only a few miles away from here."

"Leave me." Hiei snapped, not in the mood to have Nose biting at his heels. He attempted to exit the clearing, intent of heading straight for Shigure's old hut which was about three hundred miles to the east of the portal. It would be a long trek but-

"Sir!" Nose begged, grabbing Hiei the only place he could (by the bottom of Hiei's cloak) and tugging at him adamantly, "Lady Mukuro ordered me to send you to her when you came back! She needs your assistance at the fortress with unruly soldiers-!"

"Get off!" Hiei snarled, kicking Nose so that he fell away and landed flat on his back. Nose scrambled back to his feet, dusting himself off and sneezing. Nose looked rather hurt, but Hiei didn't care. The woman was irritating beyond all belief, calling for him like he was a trained dog to take care of unruly soldiers. She could take care of the damned fiends herself, she just wanted Hiei around for sweat work. And yet-

Hiei rubbed his brow where his jagan pulsed, hot and angry. It had been paining him the entire day now, ever since he'd invaded Shimo's mind, and there was no use in attempting to soothe the angry beast.

He would go to Mukuro, but only to see if Shigure was somewhere in the fortress.

"Clean yourself off." Hiei snapped as he passed Nose, "You look like shit."

Nose bristled, but said nothing as Hiei stalked off into the forest. Had Hiei been able to hear above the roar of the wind, he might have heard Nose's dry reply.

"At least I don't smell like shit."

Hiei flitted through the forest, knowing that it was crawling with low lives and pitiful thieves eager to raid travelers. They were easy prey, and even as demon's leaped out at Hiei, Hiei blasted them far away with his fire. There were certain perks to selling your soul to a dragon from hell, that much could not be denied.

As Hiei managed to reach the other side of the clearing, he came upon a clearing where broken trees blocked the path ahead. They were simple to clear, like mere hurdles, and though they were massive structures Hiei was up and over them in an instant. On the other side, Hiei found a band of Mukuro's soldiers lounging about a small fire pit. He did not bother with them, flitting past before any of the men could notice. The centipede was easy to see even from a distance; a massive moving mountain of metal that was stained at the base with blood of enemies. Rotting corpses swung from moldy rope, hanging off the sides of the centipede like macabre jewelry. With each crunch of it's mighty fifty feet, the ground trembled and more trees fell victim to an iron defeat. Screams, faint but pronounced, were the only evidence from far away that people in the forest were being trampled along with the vegetation.

Life was unfair; only the strong and the smart survived.

Hiei darted forward, using a fallen tree as a slanted ramp to gain more air. With a triumphant leap he flew through the air, his feet spaced wide to prepare him for a perfect landing! Like an athlete, he graced the top of the centipede with perfect balance, and slowly rose up to stand tall and proud. Careful not to injure his jagan further, Hiei unwound his headband and let the purple iris open wide.

Dark swirling black, with electromagnetic vibration of bright orange and red spiraling around- they bounced off of every living thing- they encompassed every voice. The jagan sought him out, a tall mass of gray whose only distinguishing feature was the massive iron plate that covered half his face. With each spike of magnetic energy, the plate acted like a mirror, bouncing the light off so that all life seemed to circulate around him. Voices were filling Hiei's ears, emotions and feelings were flooding his heart. The jagan was sucking him down, taking him to a place he rarely wanted to be-

There were others in this bizarre black world that caught the jagan's attention.

It was like home, quiet and comforting in a way that Hiei had seldom known. Her spirit was quiet, but not abandoned, and her own perfect energy was a bright purple. So somber, and yet so undeniably dangerous that only a fool would take her as less. Her raw eye, so sensitive to light and frequencies, seemed to sense that he was watching her, and as it sought him out Hiei felt that familiar voice inside his head. Cold, but not uncaring.

"Get down here. I need you."

Hiei pulled back at once, gasping for air like a drowning man resurfacing from the ocean floor. His jagan was practically pounding and he clapped both hands over the hot eye with a groan of pain!

"Damn!" Hiei cursed, unable to stop himself, "Damn! Shit!" He almost fell to his knees, taking deep breaths in an attempt to pull himself together. He was not weak, he was not a fool, he would not be taken for one even by the eye that had dominated his life since his youth. He finally managed to regain control of himself, and stood up straight once more with stoic reserve.

He refused to show pain before others. Showing pain was one of the most foolish things a demon could do... and Hiei was not foolish.

The roof had one opening, barely big enough for a man to slide through, but Hiei was smaller than most men and so it did not bother him to sidle along and drop through the ceiling onto the ground below. He was in a mercifully empty hallway that stretched on for ages at both end like a maze. The fortress was rather easy to navigate once one had been there long enough; Hiei was fast on his feet. He had much to do, and little time (he felt) to do it in. The cool marble floors, the warm walls anointed with grotesque pictures of human anatomy... all of it was uniquely Mukuro. There was a strange odor in the air, causing the fortress to always smell like blood, but this did not bother most Demons. Blood was rather comforting, actually, because blood promised food... and food was extremely important in a lifestyle where living till noon was never a guarantee.

The floor below held people, but Hiei barely noticed. They were nameless soldiers, not worth an inch of his time. Mukuro was four floors below, this much had been revealed by the jagan. Hiei had a feeling she would be in the archives, where all stolen and accumulated maps, papers, books, scrolls, and seals were kept far beyond the hands of prying enemies. He did not know her purpose there, or why it was that she supposedly 'needed' him (she hardly needed any body), yet she might be able to help him find Shigure. Though his jagan knew Shigure's trace well, he could not find Shigure anywhere in the fortress. This was either because the pain in the jagan had slowed his mind and caused him to overlook Shigure's obvious presence, or the doctor was long gone. Hiei hoped, despite his pride, that it was the first. It would be much more convenient to not have to travel nearly three hundred miles especially when time could mean Yukina's safety.

He reached the fourth floor, and kept his pace quick as he finally made it to the Archives and pulled hard on the ornate handle. It opened willingly, and there inside was Mukuro pouring over book after book as if looking for something.

Hiei paused, even with his haste. She caused him to slow down; she always had.

She was tall and lithe, with her body's left half permanently scarred from hip to head. That shock of auburn hair was light and frothy, comparable to the foam that crashed along the ocean's shore. Her one good eye, violet, cold, and calculating, slowly looked up to seek his face. She wore her usual garb, though her deep plum vest was missing and her crisp white sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Mukuro slowly closed the book she was holding.

"You're sweating like a pig." She commented gruffly.

"I do not seek your approval." Hiei sneered, though he suddenly became aware of the perspiration dripping from his forehead. Could it be from the jagan?

Silence fell.

"Where have you been." Mukuro resumed her searching, not meeting Hiei's eye as she flipped through page after aged page. "To your usual?"

"Yes."

She knew already where he had been, he undoubtably stunk of human filth. He would need to bathe in the river not far from here if he wanted to avoid extra trouble on his route to Shigure-

"Where is Shigure?" Hiei asked. Mukuro raised an eyebrow though she did not meet his gaze, and as she straightened up to retrieve another book she gave him a look of disdain.

"He left for home." Mukuro shrugged. "I did not need him for..." Mukuro paused, dropping her hands to her side and narrowing her eyes at Hiei warily.

"You're bleeding." She began again. "From your jagan."

Hiei started, quickly raising a hand to his forehead to feel the warm wet there. He rubbed his sticky fingers together, bringing them down to eye level to see that he was indeed bleeding. He wondered if he had strained himself or irritated the iris along his pathway. The jagan had bled before but never had it been previewed by such pain.

"I am aware." Hiei grumbled, heaving a sigh. He had not wanted to hear such news, knowing now that a great journey lay before him instead of a quick errand to the basement where Shigure's surgical quarters lay in the coldest bowls. "What do you want with me, then. Do you need something done?"

If she needed something done, he would do it. It was not a question of willingness.

"Nothing on the move." Mukuro began. "I'm looking for a book and can't find it. Use your jagan and we'll cut this work down to size."

Hiei shrugged, not exactly thrilled with bringing out his jagan while it was bleeding and throbbing. Yet he refused to show weakness before the one woman who knew him best. He took off his headband, rather amazed to see how much blood lay in it's center, and attempted once again to open his eye-

Hiei hissed, biting his tongue till he tasted copper, and immediately pulled back.

He could not open his jagan. It was far too painful, so painful in fact that it made his head spin and his vision blot out into sheer blackness.

"Hiei?"

"Surely you are not so empty headed as to need my jagan for a book." Hiei spat, wrapping his headband back at once to hide the fresh bleeding. "I do not have time for this. I have much to do."

Mukuro snorted, but as Hiei turned to go she called him back at once.

"Hiei!"

He looked over his shoulder, foul tempered.

"What." He spat.

"Clean yourself up before you go." Mukuro ordered, "You smell like humans and blood. You're like a moving feast to vagabonds."

"Thank you for your sage wisdom." Hiei sneered, "How would I ever survive without you."

"Thriving and surviving are not the same thing." Mukuro shot back, "Do not insult my presence in your life." She was getting irritated; a common problem between the pair of them. They were both quick to temper, though she had a longer leash than he, and when the pair of them were already irritable by themselves... disaster could be imminent.

Hiei would not listen anymore, knowing now that Shigure was far off. He would need to travel at least thirty miles before he rested again, and it would be best to bathe as soon as possible. Luckily, a river was not too far off, and conveniently enough it was on the way to Shigure's.

"Where are you going?" Mukuro demanded, angrily. She'd stepped right out into the hallway, "I have need of you. The task before us is a great one."

"I have my own task." Hiei snapped, "I will tend to you after I have tended to myself."

"Shit head." Hiei heard her curse, but rather than anger him it made him smile. Insults could be compliments, when they came from Mukuro. He might have been a shit head, but unlike her soldiers he did not need her coddling and could provide for himself.

Still... his jagan was unsettling. He would need to investigate further, and quickly.

Rather than descend the endless staircases of the fortress, Hiei used a window for a quick escape. Leaping out from the ledge, he flew through the air like an oversized bat and landed with ease upon a steady oak branch that reached up high into the fiery sky. The storms which had been present overhead upon his arrival were now moving fast into the east. Thankfully, his route lay to the south, and he was not in danger of having to avoid the great tempest. The river which he sought was three miles to the south, and so he took off in that direction which quick steps upon aged limbs.

The trees which had managed to survive the centipede's stampeding legs were the strongest, and so there was little risk of stepping on an unstable branch which could snap. The blood on the ground below was evidence enough that slaughter had occurred upon every waking inch along the path. Hiei did not care. Death happened everyday, especially in demon world, and it was of no consequence to him if the weak fell near his feet.

When he finally reached the river, the sun was sinking fast, and he was grateful for the cool shallows of the undergrowth as he descended from the canopy into the dark forest below. It was a shallow basin, a byproduct of a waterfall nearly fifty miles to the north, and during the summer seasons many frozen caps were unlocked to overflow every stream that ran from its mouth. For this reason, Hiei landed on the floor of the forest only to fall chest deep into water. He stood 4'9, including his hair, and though such flooding wouldn't have bothered people like Kurama or Yusuke... Hiei was rather submerged.

Dirt, leaves, bugs, and sticks all floated in a soggy puddle of filth across the surface, which Hiei pushed past to wade into the much deeper end where the true river began and cleaner water could be found. His clothes promptly came off, and he hung them on a long branch overlooking the river to drip dry. Keeping his sword close in case of an onslaught, Hiei slowly removed his sticky headband to wash it thoroughly in the water. He needed to depart from the stench of blood, which would be like a bulls-eye painted on his back for other demons to hunt by. The murky depths were stained with crimson, and as he splashed water onto his face the jagan stung from the water. Hiei winced.

It was good, to smell once more like demon world and not of humans. Humans wore perfume and something bizarre called deodorant that made utterly no sense to Hiei's logic. Kurama was perhaps the only one of his comrades who understood why deodorant was disgusting to Hiei's thinking; it was a source of great hilarity for Yusuke and Kuwabara, however.

Being a demon was not entirely a foreign way of life when one compared it to that of a human. Human's simply had more time to pursue the arts, and did not have to deal with as much physical danger. Yet there were distinct cultural differences that made all the exceptions. For example, to demons sweat and natural odor was not something to run from or hide behind nauseating aromas. The natural odor excreted from every day life gave each demon a unique scent that was entirely his own. From a person's odor, one could deduce where a demon lived, what he ate, how often he rested and bathed, if he had children or a mate... it was an important social calling card.

Keiko wore a flowery scent that made Hiei want to gag; Kuwabara was no better with a masculine cologne that was practically a toxic waste. Remarkably, Kuwabara somehow believed that by smelling like he'd bathed in cologne he would be able to attract Yukina's attention. He was slightly right, yet not for the reasons he'd hoped. Hiei was certain his sister was just as nauseated by the cologne as he himself was.

Then again, Yukina did not mind humans so much.

He washed over and over again, letting the aroma of the river mask the stench of perfume and blood. Soon he was just as camouflaged as the scenery in which he bathed, and so he retreated from the river to climb up thick maple tree where his clothes hung. Propping his sword up high for safety, Hiei shook himself dry and wrung out his clothes, using his fire to quicken the process so that in less than ten minutes he was able to re dress and fasten all his belts back into place. He adorned his cloak, wrapping his scarf tight around his mouth and nose. Hitching his sword back into place Hiei cracked his neck, took a deep breath, and leapt high into the air.

He had a long road ahead of him, and blood was already running down his forehead once more.