Disclaimer: see chapter one

Chapter 18: Painting

Yusuke got out of his room, wearing a green shirt and overalls, after finishing his homework, which took him three hours to finish. The ex-spirit detective walked into the living room, where Kari and Syrus were waiting for him, "Ready?" Kari asked

"Yeah?" Yusuke replied

The three teens walked out of the apartment and to the streets. As the trio was walking, three thugs came out of nowhere blocking the three from passing, "Excuse me, kids," one of them said, "It's not safe for you three to walk without an adult."

Syrus hid behind Yusuke, who was sighing with annoyance, "Gee thanks for the warning……" he said

"……now leave or your ass is grass." Kari finished, with a threatening tone

The leader of the group went to Kari, "Wrong answer, sweetheart," he said, putting an arm around her waist, which was obviously the biggest mistake anyone can make on an Urameshi.

"Hey get your paws off my sister!" Yusuke roared, charging towards the leader, attempting to beat up the leader hard, but Kari beat him to it, by grabbing the leader's neck to choking him, "Didn't your mother ever teach you to never touch a girl, when she doesn't want to be touched?" she asked, in a cold tone gripping her grip on the leader's neck.

One of them, managed to get behind Kari and was going to strike with a baseball bat, but Yusuke blocked him and placed his hand to the goon's face and flicked his nose, with made the goon flying to a wall hard. Kari let's go of the leader's neck and kicks him upside the head, knocking him out.

"Yusuke! Kari!"

The Urameshi twins turned to see Syrus was caught by the last one, "Back off or your little friend gets it!" he said, pointing his pocket knife at the frightened blunette's neck

"Syrus!" Yusuke exclaimed

Just then, a figure came from behind the thug, holding Syrus and hits him on at the back, rendering him unconscious. Syrus eyed his savior, which appeared to be a boy of sixteen, with long crimson hair and green eyes, wearing a purple/violet school uniform, "Are you okay?" he asked

"Hey Kurama, thanks for the help," Yusuke said

"No problem," Kurama said, then eyed Syrus, "Yusuke, who is this?"

"Oh this is my friend from way back, Syrus Truesdale," Yusuke said, pointing at the blunette, who was getting on his feet, "And you know my twin sister, Kari."

"Hey Kurama!" Kari greets with a smile and with Kurama nodding in reply, "You're probably wondering why were in these overalls? We'll we're helping Syrus out with the painting, along with Kuwabara, Keiko and Sy's brother, Zane."

"You don't mind if I help out," Kurama suggested

Yusuke shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Later, after Kurama went to his house, the three got to Kuwabara's place, with Kari knocking on the door. And to answer it was Shizuru, "Kari?"

Just then Yusuke popped his head in, "Hey!" he greeted

"Oh, who's your friend?" Shizuru asked, pointing at Syrus

"Yeah, this is our old friend back when we were kids Syrus Truesdale. And Sy this is Shizuru Kuwabara, Kuwabara's older sister."

"Nice to meet you," Shizuru said, with a smile, "Kazuma will be ready just about now."

And on quo, Kuwabara had gotten out of his room, wearing a light blue shirt and overalls, "Hey guys!" he greeted as he walked past his sister, "Be back in a few, sis!"

Later the four teens arrived at the Truesdales house, after getting Kurama, which looked like it needed to be painted.

"So this is the place, huh?" Kuwabara said

"Yep!" Syrus replied

Just then, a blue car had park by the house, "That must be my mother," Syrus said, as his mother and Keiko got out of the car, "Hey guys!" the brunette greeted as she walked over to her friends, "Hey!" Syrus greeted

"Hey, thanks for the ride, Mrs. Truesdale!" Keiko said

Just then, Zane came out of the house and spotted his little brother and friends, "Hey, big bro!" Syrus greeted

Keiko looked up to see Zane and smiled, "Zane……"

Zane looked at the brunette, 'Who is this girl? And she looks familiar,' he thought as he just now felt arms wrapped around his neck to surprise, "Excuse me, but do I know you?" he asked

Keiko pulled herself from the blunette and got her arms away from him, "Come on, not you too!" she wailed, "I can't always have pigtails, know you!"

Zane calculated the ear piercing yelling and picturing Keiko with pigtails, "Keiko! I'm sorry I didn't quite remember," he said, with a smile and noticed Kuwabara and Kurama, "Who are these guys?"

"My name is Suichi Minamono, but you can call me 'Kurama'." Kurama introduced

"And my name's the Great Kazuma Kuwabara, but people just call me 'Kuwabara'." Kuwabara added, "Plus I figured that Syrus's brother would be sh……" he was cut off when Yusuke jabbed his elbow in his gut, "Shut. It!"

Later……

"Check it out, I'm Michelangelo," Yusuke said, painting on the ceiling in a room, in red while Syrus and Kuwabara were doing the walls and Zane and Kurama were doing the other side. The ex-spirit detective was trying to reach further, until he lost his footing on the ladder, he was standing on, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he wailed, throwing the paintbrush at Syrus's face, making the blunette fall on impacted and then Yusuke accidentally kicks the bucket filled with red paint at Kuwabara's face, "Whoa!"

Kuwabara growled and glares at Yusuke, "Urameshi!" he roared

Yusuke regained his balance and looked at Kuwabara and Syrus, who glaring at him, "You do realize that this means war, Yusuke," Syrus said

"Whoa, whoa, guys it was an accident!" Yusuke explained, in panic

"Kuwabara!" Syrus said, grabbing a bucket of red paint

"On it, Sy!" Kuwabara grabs a bucket and attempt to throw it at the ex-spirit detective, who let's out a 'yep'.

"Okay you two, that's enough!" Kurama demanded

"Yeah, let go of the paint, now!" Zane added, but it was too late as both Syrus and Kuwabara throws the paint at Yusuke, but Yusuke jumps up to avoid the paint being hit with it and instead the paint that Syrus throw hits Kurama in the face and the paint that Kuwabara threw hits Zane in the face.

Yusuke lands on the floor and looks at Zane and Kurama and grinned, which was followed by chuckles and laughed very loudly, while pointing at the two aggravated boys.

"Yusuke, you do realize that it's not wise to laugh at one's misfortunate," Kurama said, grabbing a bucket of red paint and throwing it at Yusuke, which got him to stop laughing. Then, chuckles occurred in the room. Yusuke wiped red paint off his face and glared at Kurama, "So you think that's funny, huh, Kurama?" he said, walking to get another bucket of red paint and grinned madly at Kurama.

"Yusuke, you won't!" Kurama gasped, knowing what Yusuke would do

Yusuke threw the paint at Kurama, but Kurama ducked and the paint hit Zane, "Uh oh!" Syrus said

Oh no! was right, Zane went to get a bucket and throw it at Yusuke, but he ducked and ended up hitting Syrus. Yusuke and Kuwabara laughed at this and in annoyance Syrus got a bucket and slammed the paint in Kuwabara's face. Yusuke laughed even harder at this and pointing at Kuwabara's face. However, Yusuke's laughter died out when Kurama came from behind Yusuke and dumped the paint on his head. Syrus and Kuwabara laughed at this and Zane got them both with red paint.

Yusuke laughed at this and Zane got him too. Yusuke wiped the paint off his face and glared at Zane, "Zane, in case you haven't realized this, this means war!"

Then, the Great Paint War begun with Zane and Kurama verses Yusuke, Syrus and Kuwabara. There were some hits and hit backs. Just then, Kari and Keiko walked into the room and were shocked at the boys war game, "Hey guys, cool it!" Kari roared, but the boys didn't answer.

Just then, a dab of red paint just hit Keiko's face, angering the brunette as she wiped the paint off her face and glared at the boys, "STOP!" she yelled, which the boys obediently did. The boys turned to see the two girls staring at them, but what feared them the most was Keiko's face had some red paint on it, "Uh oh!" Yusuke and Syrus said

"Who started this immature stunt?" Keiko roared

All fingers were pointed at Yusuke, "Eep!" Yusuke went, knowing what Keiko would do

Kari rolled her eyes, "Figures……" she said, knowing that her brother would actually start this and knowing that she's going to be an only child soon.

"Yusuke!" Keiko growled, with a vein on her forearm

Yusuke was now scared and he took a step back, because his instinct was tell him that the brunette would do something extremely painful to him, "Uh……uh! Guys, a little help here," he said, but the boys remained silent, "Sis!" he said, but Kari shook her head

Yusuke gulped knowing that he was alone to deal with his now angry girlfriend, who was stalking over to him, "Now, now, Keiko," he started, taking a few steps back, "It was accident."

Keiko ignored Yusuke's excuses as she kept walking towards him.

"Uh! Kari, does Keiko still have that vicious temper of hers?" Syrus asked

"Oh yeah!" Kari replied

Yusuke walking back as he stop as his back hit the wall which was still wet with paint. Yusuke knew he was trapped and gulped. He closed his eyes and braced himself for a beating of a lifetime. He opened his left eye a bit and felt a slap of wetness onto his left cheek.

"Huh?" Yusuke opened his eyes and placed his hand on the place where he was slapped. He then looked at it to see it was red paint and then looked at Keiko, who was grinning while showing her right hand which was covered in red paint, "Got ya!"

"Oh do you?" Yusuke grabs a bucket of paint and grinned evilly at his girlfriend, "Yusuke, wouldn't……" Keiko didn't finish as a splash of red paint had hit her face, "Now I'm the one that got you!" Yusuke bragged

"Is Yusuke writing his death warrant?" Syrus asked

Keiko wiped the paint off her face and glared at Yusuke, who was walking away from her slowly, "Yusuke, you're dead!" she screeched as she grabs a bucket of paint. In response, Yusuke runs to behind Zane, "Yusuke, what are……." Zane was cut off when a rush of paint had hit him in the face.

Kari stuffed in her laughter, but couldn't contain it and started laughing. Zane wiped the paint from his face as he heard laughter from Kari and grabbed a bucket of paint and chunk it at Kari's face. Yusuke was laughing and pointing at his sister, who had paint on her face.

Kari wiped the paint from her face and glared at her brother, who was laughing at her. She gritted her teeth, picked up a bucket of paint and stalked over to Yusuke and slammed the bucket onto his head, letting the paint flow down his face, "Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee!" she laughed

Yusuke raised the bucket from his head and glared at his twin, "In case, you haven't realized this, sis," he said, gritted his teeth, "This means war!" Thus the war continued.