Okay folks, I've decided to split up the FINAL...er....section of As Red as a Rose into 3 parts. .....why? Because. That's why. =P xD No, no, I'm just kidding. The real reason is because it'll help keep you at the edge of your seat until the end! ^.^ Oh, and I'll also post some Bonus Chapters!

You're welcome for the shout outs, and I'm glad you're all still reading this! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, especially Kurama. Nor do I own Leiko.

Hope you enjoy part 1 of 3 of the final section! ^_^

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--1 year and 8 months later

"Kurama! Kurama! Where the hell are you?!" Leiko called, having cupped her hands over her mouth for more amplification.

Stifling a yawn, Kurama poked his head out of his quarters, giving her a half-opened eye gaze.

"Wha…?"

"There you are!" Leiko ran over, glaring mildly at him. "Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to be up and keeping watch by now!"

Kurama covered his mouth as another yawn came. "I was sleepin…" He murmured sleepily, still giving her that half-opened eyed stare.

"Don't gimme that! I wanna get to that island pronto! I can't sit here and wait for your lazy ass!"

Rubbing his left eye gently, Kuramas' eyes narrowed slightly, although they still had that half-asleep glaze to them.

"If you're so impatient, why don't you steer the ship, then?" He asked irritably, now glaring at her fully.

"Because, Mr. bossy-pants, you won't let me! You said that I would probably crash it, like I almost did last time!" She crossed her arms defensively. "I'm serious that that whale appeared out of no where! It just popped up, and I almost hit the damn thing! That's why I'm not a big nature fan… It feels as if it's out to get me sometimes…"

Giving her a cold glare, Kurama closed the door on her face, changed clothes quickly, and was out just as Leiko was about to pound on the door again.

"'Bout time…" She murmured huffily before walking off, arms still crossed.

Sighing heavily, Kurama turned and walked up the steps that led to the helm of the ship. Taking the wheel, he felt the familiar responsibility of having all lives on board alive until their next destination. Glancing down, he couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched Leiko try and fish. It was obvious to everyone on board that she sucked at almost everything, besides getting on Kuramas' good side. And, apart from that, during a storm, her slyness and quick-footed-ness helped when securing life lines. Other than those two things, she was basically useless. Oh, and let's not forget cooking. All of the crew members loved her food, though she knew not why.

Looking out at the sea, Kurama watched as the small cumulus clouds drifted lazily by, as if they were in no hurry to get to where they were going. All was calm and peaceful; the water was calm, the waves were small, the sky was a bright blue, dotted with small fluffy white clouds; everything seemed perfect…

"Whoa!" Leiko cried, ducking as she managed to haul a rather large sword fish on deck.

She stood, staring wide eyed, at the fish she had just caught. She couldn't move. As the large fish flopped about noisily on deck, the crew came out from below, wondering what the racket was all about. They stopped dead as they stared at the dying fish, surprised that Leiko, of all people, could manage to get it on board.

"Woah…" A few murmured, staring at it disbelievingly.

"Oh yeah! I rock! Oh yeah!" Leiko burst out, throwing a fist into the air in victory. She then pointed a finger at the rest of the crew. "Hah! You guys can't even get something this big on board! In your face! I win! I win!" She began chanting, dancing slightly as she made her way over to the crows nest. Sticking her tongue out at the crew, she scrambled up the ladder to the top, grabbed the telescope, and began keeping look out. Glancing at one another, the crew members' shrugged before heading back down below, the stronger ones of the crew dragging the still flopping fish below deck, taking out their swords and going to work at cleaning and gutting the fish, preparing it for dinner.

Kurama sighed. "What an odd day… After all we've been through; it seems odd to have such a peaceful day… Ever since we left Yusuke and Kuwabara back on their island, things have gone surprisingly smooth. I did receive word that Nozomi has disappeared again…but… I doubt she's in bad hands… She should be fine, where ever she may be." He sighed once again, looking up into the crows nest. "And ever since those two left, she and I have had some time to get to know each other more thoroughly." He chuckled to himself, all the while blushing slightly. After a few moments of silence, he looked up at the sky, deep in thought, his face reflecting it. "But…I wonder…why is it that I feel so…threatened? I feel as if this is just the beginning…"

"SHIP!!!" Leiko cried out suddenly, pointing out towards the rear of the ship.

"What?!" Kurama cried softly, whirling around and seeing the little black dot in the distance. Eying it carefully, he noticed that it was aimed straight at them, headed in their direction.

"They're headed right for us!" Leiko continued, watching it carefully. "And they're going full speed!" She looked down at him, moving the telescope out of the way. "And there's something else, Kurama…"

"What is it? Another bandit ship?" He asked, although he knew it was more serious than that.

"No…it's your brother's ship."

"WHAT?! Youkos' ship!?"

She nodded solemnly, checking through the telescope once more. "Yeah, it has to be it… The ship has a flag that looks like fox bones." She removed the telescope from her eye once again and looked down at Kurama. "That is his mark, isn't it?"

Cursing loudly, Kurama braced himself. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" He yelled, loud enough for those below deck to hear him before he turned the helm as far right as it would go.

"EVERYONE GET ON DECK….NOW!!!"

The crew members rushed on deck, wondering what the hell was happening. The wind that had been blowing in their favor had now died, leaving the several masts completely loose and hanging.

"What's going on, Captain?" A few asked, looking up worriedly at their sinister looking boss.

"My brother…"

Dead silence on the ship. No one spoke. All were afraid of the King of Pirates, as he was known. Kurama was merely a shadow to Youko, and yet everyone considered them as equals. The two brothers, however, did not. The eldest thought that the younger needed more information, and more sources in order to be at the head of the game. While the younger wished for his brother to stop and act more like a family, instead of all this killing and such.

"They'll be here soon! Probably…in about 20 to 25 minutes!" Leiko called down, watching it closely from her perch.

"Keep us informed, Leiko, if you please." Kurama said quietly, not even looking up at her.

Nodding, Leiko continued to spy on the enemy ship, checking it for any possible weak points. Kurama, instead, walked down the steps and in front of his crew. Sighing heavily, he looked up.

"My crew… You've been with me through thick and thin, all the way. Through the harshest weather, through the calmest day… I ask now for you to stand by my side and help me against my brother. I trust you, and I know you trust me. Will you stay by my side as I face my brother down? It will probably be to the death…"

A moment of silence, in which everyone spent digging deep into their minds and hearts. After a while, the crew looked back up at him, all with determination in their eyes.

Brom was the one that stepped forward, standing directly in front of Kurama.

"Shuuichi… I know I say this for everyone; you are the most compassionate, and yet the sternest captain among all others. We would fight the harshest seas, the roughest waves, even go down to Davy Jone's' locker and back for you. We will stay and stand by your side. Otherwise we would be cowards."

Kurama fought back tears of happiness as he noticed just how much his crew trusted him.

"Hey!" Leiko called down from above, waving down at him. Winking, she said, "You'll always have me by your side! Always!"

Kurama nodded, appreciating the gesture. Looking about, he looked back up at Leiko.

"How much time is left? Can you give me a rough estimate?"

"Uhm…" Looking through the scope, Leiko jumped noticeably as she noticed Youko smirking through her telescope. His attention was clearly on Kurama, but still, the lust to kill was enough to cause her to shiver, even at this distance. "Not much time! We have about 10 minutes left!"

"All right, everyone. I'm sure my brother's crew is bound to come over here and make a mess of things. Lock my quarters, lock the cells below, and make sure that no one can escape. And I mean no one. And lower the masts. We wouldn't want them getting torn, leaving us stranded in the middle of the ocean. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir, capp'n!" His crew cheered, before getting right down to business, all with determination in their eyes.

Kurama turned and returned to his post at the helm of his ship. "Today will be the day…me and my brother…the fight that was meant to be…" He took a deep, shaky breath. "Let's just hope that this is for the best of things…"

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And that's the end of Part 1 of 3 out the final section! ^-^ Nyu! I'm so happy! (I'm bored. x.x And kind of hyper after eating some Panamanian candy. (...if you don't know what/where Panama is, don't worry about it.) I hope you liked this ....mini chapter, lol and are looking forward to the next two! (Yes, I know this is a short mini-chapter, but the others are longer. ^^ Rest assured.)

Right now, I can assure you, all of my readers, that I will post the last two parts one right after another. I can't find it in my heart to cut it off just with one. ^_^ So, count yourselves lucky! lol Anyways, please review, and thank you for reading!