Botan's footsteps echoed as she carefully padded through the dark passageway. To say that this place was disorienting was an understatement; the stairwells and doors seemed endless, but the path that she was on was separate from all of the others. Her route seemed to have a life of its own as it led her on strange loops and deviations without any rhyme or reason. It was starting to make her feel a bit nauseous, so she let her mind wander in an attempt to quell her budding discomfort.

Thankfully, she had yet to run into any dangerous encounters during her time alone, but she remained on high alert in case there was an enemy lurking in the shadows. Tightening her grip on the briefcase, she reminded herself that if push came to shove, she had the spirit detective items at her disposal and she could always summon her metal bat to defend herself.

She wondered how the others were doing and hoped that they were all faring well. There was no telling what dangers awaited them in these separated tunnels and she had no idea what they would meet at the end of their paths. Her thoughts drifted to Kuwabara first. It was troubling that he did not have access to his spirit energy and she could only imagine how upset he must have felt over it. But he had gotten out of numerous tight spots before, and, even without his energy, he had an indomitable strength. He would survive because he was strong in heart, body and mind.

Her thoughts drifted to their spirit fox next. She rarely worried about Kurama - not because she hadn't cared - but because he was always in control of any given situation. When the rest of the team had fallen, he had overcome Kaito's territory and skillfully retrieved their lost souls. He was strong, experienced and possessed a cunning mind. For all she knew he was already at the exit, waiting for them with a composed air and a self-assured twinkle in his eyes.

That only left Hiei. He was a bit more unpredictable due to his volatile nature. He was quick to anger, he was averse to playing by the psychic's rules and he had a stubbornly prideful spirit. She hoped that he would not be tricked into doing anything foolish, but he already seemed to be in a foul mood and he didn't think clearly when he was blinded by anger. However, there was much more to Hiei than just his fiery nature and she learned long ago not to underestimate him. He would be fine, she was sure of it.

Her thoughts began to drift dangerously into the past and her emotions bored on nostalgic as she continued to think about the reckless fire-demon. Although this was not the time or place, she couldn't shake the memories of their time together: the instances when he surprised her with his kind heart, the moments when he showed her that he was more than just a temperamental emiko, the glimpses of truth that she had seen hidden behind his guarded crimson gaze. She had spent so much time within the past few weeks trying to demonize him, trying to turn him into the villain in a selfish attempt to ease her own heartache, but it was unfair and wrong. Even though they were both still very angry at each other, she knew that painting Hiei as an unfeeling villain was not the way to get over him. In fact, she had recently witnessed firsthand that he was not as heartless as she thought. She remembered the feeling of her hand against his chest and the pulse of his heartbeat. It was all so sudden and unexpected that she was unable to pull herself away. Demon hearts beat at a much lower frequency than that of other beings and she knew it would not happen again within the timespan that it would take for her to remove her hand from his chest, but she lingered because of a foolish need to experience it again.

She was completely shocked when she felt his heart once more, even though it should have never happened in such quick succession. Hiei seemed to be just as stunned as her and the mere coincidence of it all did something strange to her. It shattered all of her notions of Hiei being heartless, because it simply wasn't true in the literal or figurative sense. He wasn't callous and unfeeling; he just had no real feelings for her. It was a heartbreaking thought and she swallowed down the urge to wallow in self-pity as her feet carried her forward.

It was becoming more and more obvious that she had not done a good job of getting over him if such a small encounter could shake her so deeply. She thought back to just before she entered the pathway. Something had happened between them; something fleeting and just out of her comprehension. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a hint of reassurance or comfort. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but she knew that he had purposely directed it at her. He must have known that she needed support in that moment and he had surprisingly given it to her. If he truly didn't care about her, then he wouldn't have bothered with his small gesture at all. It was clear that there was still much left unsaid between them and perhaps they owed it to themselves to let it all out. If they made it out of this trial, she resolved to do so.

After a few more minutes of aimless walking, Botan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the exit ahead. The door creaked open as she pushed it hesitantly and took a step inside. This new area was dimly lit, save for a single light shining in the distance. Her eyes squinted as they worked to adjust to the sudden influx of light and she peered further into the distance, trying to make out the two figures just ahead.

"Botan?"

Botan's smile brightened at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Yusuke!" she yelled, overjoyed that she had finally found him. She only made it a couple of steps further before he called out to her with an urgent command.

"Don't come any closer," he ordered. His stance and posture were completely rigid as he continued. "This freak can immobilize you just by stepping on your shadow."

Botan let out a surprised gasp, turning her sights on the blond haired psychic who was smirking proudly.

"The detective is right, it's best to keep your distance," he warned, dark and narrowed eyes tilting downwards to the tiled floor.

Botan followed his movements and noticed that he was positioned directly on top of Yusuke's shadow, rooting the spirit detective to the ground. It was an impressive power and she had never encountered beings with the strange abilities that these teenage boys possessed. She returned her attentions to Yusuke with a concerned frown, looking him over for any signs of injury. His school uniform was perfectly in tact, no wrinkles or tears indicating that there had been much of a struggle.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, just peachy," he grunted out before his lips quirked upwards. "I'll be even better once this whole thing is over with and I can kick blondie's ass though."

"Don't worry Urameshi, this will all be over soon," the psychic promised. "Once your friends get here, I'll explain the rules."

It was then that Botan realized that she was the first to reach Yusuke. She quickly looked down at the Meijiru seals on her shirt and was relieved to see that they all maintained their blue color, indicating that the others were all in good health. The sound of the door jarring open suddenly alerted her attention to Kuwabara as he made his way inside of the room. Two more doors opened, revealing Hiei and Kurama. She smiled over at them as they joined her.

"Hey guys," Yusuke said, somewhat lamely considering his current predicament.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara exclaimed, taking a step forward.

Botan stood in his way quickly, shaking her head.

"Yusuke's fine, but we shouldn't get any closer. This psychic has the power to immobilize you by stepping on your shadow," she revealed.

"Hn, I could slit his throat before he even had the chance to," Hiei proposed maliciously.

Kurama put a hand out to halt the fire-demon from his enacting his violent plan.

"It isn't wise to act recklessly," he warned. "It would be in our best interests to move cautiously."

"Kurama's right," Botan agreed. "We wouldn't want to trigger any traps."

Hiei folded his arms over his chest in silent resignation.

"I'm glad you all finally made it," the blond said. His voice was smooth with a teasing lilt; his expression calm and unafraid despite the fact that he was outnumbered and clearly overpowered. "My name is Kido and I've got to say, I'm impressed that you managed to best Kaito."

"Skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point," Hiei ordered, his voice echoing through the unfurnished and empty room.

"If you insist," Kido smirked. "This last trial is reserved especially for the detective."

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked.

Kido looked over at Yusuke, before motioning over to the rest of the group.

"One of your dear friends is actually an imposter. You have ten minutes to figure out who it is."

"And why the hell should I believe anything that you have to say?" Yusuke challenged.

"Because it's the truth," Kido replied. "Yanagisawa's power allows him to copy the appearance, memories and mannerisms of anyone he chooses. His ability is flawless; he could copy your own mother and you wouldn't know."

Botan looked over at the others worriedly. They all looked and acted the same, but if what Kido was saying was true, then Yanagisawa could very well be among them.

"Your ten minutes starts now, Urameshi," Kido stated imperatively. "Should you fail to find the imposter or should anything happen to me, then the one that we have captured will be killed promptly."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance before focusing on the team. His eyes wandered back and forth between each member before settling on one in particular.

"Kuwabara, tell me your birthday and blood type," Yusuke shot off quickly.

"It figures you would suspect me from the get go," Kuwabara grumbled under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. "But do you even know my birthday and blood type in the first place?"

Yusuke's expression fell into a more sheepish one.

"Good point," he acquiesced before moving over to Kurama. "Kurama, what's your mother's name and age?"

"Her name is Shiori, she is forty years old and she is to be married in the fall," Kurama answered effortlessly.

"Oh yeah," Yusuke grinned. "Am I invited to the wedding?"

"Urameshi," Kido warned. "It isn't wise to get sidetracked. Not when you're on a time limit."

"Alright, alright," Yusuke responded, the impudence spewing from his tone betraying his obedient words. If he had control over his movements, Botan was certain that he would be flipping the psychic off in that defiant manner of his.

"Botan."

Yusuke's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she refocused her attentions on him.

"Yes?"

"Prove to me who you are by telling me your measurements."

"Have you lost your mind completely?" she shrieked as the anger and embarrassment surged from within her. "You and I both know that I've never told you anything of the sort!"

"Sure you did. You told me when we were on the roof of the school, remember?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Botan placed a finger on her chin as she thought back carefully. Sure, they had spent lots of time on the school rooftop, shooting the breeze and chatting leisurely, and sure, they were close friends, but she could not remember telling him such private details. She looked over at his perverted grin and her eyes narrowed, realizing exactly what the detective had been trying to do.

"'You just made that up, you disgusting pervert!" she yelled back, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Damn and she almost fell for it too," Yusuke muttered regretfully.

"Detective," Hiei growled out warningly, his hands balled tightly at his sides as he glowered over at Yusuke. "This isn't the time or the place for your juvenile delinquency."

Botan froze as his words set in. She would have expected Kuwabara to swoop in like the white knight that he was prone to be, but instead, Hiei was the one who decided to interfere. Her eyes flitted over to his form and she could see that he was tense with anger. But he had been irritated all evening and she had to remind herself that his actions were in no way related to her. He was probably just aggravated with Yusuke's antics and wanted to get this ordeal over as soon as possible.

"Fine," Yusuke obeyed, becoming more serious as he regarded the fire-demon. "Hiei, tell me who your sister is."

"You know her well enough. I refuse to play this foolish game," he replied tight-lipped.

"That is something the real Hiei would say…" Yusuke mused.

"Hiei has a sister?" Kuwabara asked, stepping forward and turning to view Hiei curiously. "And Urameshi knew all about her?"

Botan and Kurama exchanged worried looks, but Hiei simply stared straight ahead as though they weren't having a conversation about his most deeply guarded secret. Kuwabara noticed the suddenly awkward atmosphere and frowned.

"Did everyone know about her but me?" he asked feebly.

"It wasn't intentional, but you are correct," Kurama replied.

"Why didn't you punks clue me in earlier?" Kuwabara's voice echoed loudly as he waited for an answer.

"…It's complicated," the redhead responded, glancing over at Hiei warily.

"You guys always keep me in the dark about everything!" they psychic complained.

"We will tell you about her later," Kurama promised.

"You better, I'm tired of always being the last to know!" he huffed, before turning back to Yusuke. "Hurry it up, Urameshi. I want to get this over with!"

"Don't rush me!" the detective bit back, before pausing to focus on them with a bewildered expression. "Hey guys? What's the deal with the lame nametags?"

"If a certain someone had been listening when I was introducing the detective tools you would have known that these are your Meijiru seals!" Botan admonished.

"Oh yeah, those are the ones that can only be removed by the one who put them on, right?" Yusuke supplied.

"Yes, because all humans and demons have their own unique energy print," Botan replied informatively before the realization hit her and she turned to the others excitedly. "That's right! We can use these to see who the imposter is!"

"Of course," Kurama agreed. "The enemy would not be able to detach his seal."

Kuwabara and Kurama turned to each other, leaving Botan to deal with Hiei. She moved to face him and hesitated, her cheeks staining pink with the memory of Hiei's heartbeat against her fingertips. Hiei took a decisive step closer towards her and she was pulled from her thoughts. This was no time to be thinking about such things; they were in the middle of a mission for Enma's sake! She quickly gathered her wits and reached out to pull her seal off in the same moment that Hiei removed his. She was met with no resistance and it detached itself from Hiei's cloak with ease. She looked over to Kuwabara and Kurama, who were each holding their own seal in their hands.

"This is rather troubling," Kurama noted.

Botan stared at her own Meijiru seal in disbelief.

"This can't be. These are foolproof!"

"So there was never an imposter to begin with," Hiei snarled, fists clenching around the seal in his hand. "He was lying the entire time."

Kido's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"You aren't listening to me," Kido said. "Yanagisawa is a master of disguise. He doesn't simply copy your outward appearance. It goes much deeper than that. He can copy your energy print as well, making those items obsolete."

There was no sign of deceit in his dark gaze and Botan was beginning to worry.

Hiei tuned the detective out as he continued interrogating them. He could not understand why these humans were toying with them like this. Be it boredom, a strange god-complex or a simple need stemmed from the curiosity of their newfound powers; whatever the case may be, it was completely unwarranted and Hiei was growing tired of it all. It was clear that the enemies' intent was not to harm any of them. They were testing them, but for what reason, Hiei did not know. If these boys were serious, they could have killed them numerous times already.

"You're asking all the wrong questions, Urameshi," Kido's voice cut in. "These superficial interviews aren't going to cut it and you're running out of time."

Hiei was growing frustrated with this game. He knew for a fact that Kurama was not an imposter; he was too smart to fall for any of these humans' tricks. That only left the oaf and the ferry-girl. They were both far too trusting and inexperienced. The enemy could have easily captured them during their time alone. He glanced over at Botan and paused, his gaze lingering on her form longer than it should have. Although Kido warned them that Yanagisawa's abilities turned him into an exact copy of the one he was impersonating, instinct told Hiei that the woman standing before him was the genuine article. Her personality was the same; her mannerisms and antics were all intact. Her scent remained engraved in his memory. He knew the woman on a deeper level than he cared to admit and instinct was telling him that Botan was exactly who she appeared to be.

That only left one possible outcome. Crimson eyes rested on Kuwabara decisively and he had already made up his mind. It had to be him.

"Time's up, make your choice Urameshi," Kido ordered. "I want you to approach the person who you think is the imposter and hit them as hard as you can."

"Are you insane?" Yusuke retorted.

"Sorry, but that's the only way to disarm Yana's power," Kido informed. "He needs to be hit hard enough to be knocked unconscious."

"This is really screwed up," Yusuke muttered.

"Try to be smart about this. If you choose incorrectly, your friend will be killed," Kido said, stepping off of Yusuke's shadow.

Yusuke's shoulders were tense as his gaze flickered between the team. Hiei steeled himself just in case the detective made the wrong decision and accused him of being the culprit.

"I hope I'm right about this," Yusuke said. Without further warning he propelled himself forward, each step pulling him closer to the rest of them. In a matter of seconds his fist connected with Kuwabara's face, sending him sprawling to the back of the room. Hiei watched as as orange hair morphed into purple and Kuwabara's features transformed into that of Yangaisawa's.

Kido looked back at Yanagisawa before letting out an impressed whistle.

"How did you manage to figure out it was Kuwabara?" he questioned.

"I chose him because I know he's used to me pounding his face in, if nothing else. Besides, Hiei and Kurama are too untrusting, they'd never just walk into your trap," Yusuke revealed.

"Yes, or scream the word hot," Kurama teased lightly.

Botan covered a hand behind her mouth to stifle a giggle as Hiei bristled.

"Hn."

Yusuke's expression darkened as he pinned Kido with a threatening glare.

"Now that only left me with Botan, and if you dirt bags took advantage of the only non-fighter on our team, it wouldn't matter if I died. I would still come back from the grave to kick your ass," Yusuke warned. "Now, give us back Kuwabara."

"Yes and he had better not be injured!" Botan warned.

Kido nodded obligingly as he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a controller.

"Kuwabara will be returned to you in the very near future, but first, I'd like to reveal to you the mastermind behind this plan."

The psychic pressed a button and a sliding door in the corner of the room opened. The lights flickered to life as a familiar form passed through the door and strolled inside.

"Genkai?" Yusuke muttered in disbelief.

"Dimwit," she acknowledged as she came to a halt in front of them.

"You were the one behind all of this? Just what the hell were you thinking you crazy old hag?" he berated, anger rising with every passing second.

"I'm sorry!" Kido said suddenly, dropping to his knees. "Forgive me, I failed you master."

Yusuke's glare lessened as he watched his former kidnapper beg his master for forgiveness. He swallowed slowly and settled into a more relaxed position as he turned to the old woman for answers.

"Drop the theatrics, Kido. If we're being honest, I never expected you to succeed in the first place," Genkai admitted roughly.

"You never cease to surprise me, Genkai," Kurama commended, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "I thought you might have been behind this little ruse."

It figured Kurama had already deduced what was going on. Hiei knew that the psychics were not as malicious as they seemed, but he did not link them to the old woman. That explained her sudden disappearances lately. She had been working with other psychics.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Yusuke complained, rubbing a frustrated hand through his hair. "Why don't you explain it to us fox-boy?"

"She was trying to teach us a very valuable lesson in perception," Kurama filled in.

"Yes and it's a lesson you should take to heart. This won't be the last time you come into contact with individuals who possess the territorial power," Genkai advised.

"You still haven't given us a reason," Hiei gritted out. "You haven't sufficiently explained what you're trying to accomplish just by rubbing their powers in our faces."

"The four of you are well trained fighters, however, as three of you have found out, there will be instances where your physical strength cannot help you and you will have to rely on your mind," she replied. "The enemy won't be as lenient with you as these boys were."

"And just who the hell are these guys?" Yusuke demanded to know.

"Kaito, Yana and I all went to master Genkai's compound for advice when we developed our powers," Kido replied. "That's when we learned about you and your team. We only had these abilities for a month, the same as all of the other new psychics. Master Genkai graciously agreed to train us."

"So that's where you've been running off to this whole time? You were training new students and you didn't even tell me?" Yusuke confirmed somewhat incredulously.

"This is no time for the jealous successor routine, Yusuke," Genkai said with an air of finality. "These boys have only had their powers for a month and were able to overpower you all. It's time you start taking things seriously. The rise of new psychics are a cause of concern and the source of our biggest threat yet."

"Now you're making me nervous," Yusuke admitted; the weight of his teacher's words causing him to become unsettled.

"You should be, Urameshi," Kuwabara said, finally reappearing. "Genkai filled me in on what's going on and the situation seems really bad."

But Yusuke was hardly paying attention to Kuwabara's words as he snorted, motioning over at Kuwabara's lack of attire.

"Guess that answers the age old question of boxers or briefs?"

"Oh shut up, Urameshi, it's not my fault that Yanagisawa stole my uniform!" Kuwabara grumbled as he walked past them to reclaim his clothing from the purple-haired psychic.

"If you're done being a moron, I'd like to continue," Genkai started with a frown.

"I'm all ears, grandma," Yusuke responded.

"I assume some of you already noticed the demon insects in our city. Their increasing presences suggests that someone is carving out a tunnel to the demon world," Genkai informed. "And when that happens, demons will have free reign in this land. It will be the end of the human world as we know it."

Hiei had been noticing the sudden emergence of Makai insects, but they were scarce and he figured it was due to a breach in the barrier. However, it seemed things were much more serious than they appeared and this whole ordeal with the three teens was nothing more than a set up. A test of sorts to prepare them for the upcoming battle against a new foe of human psychics. Hiei's frown darkened. He had no intentions of sticking around for this particular battle. According to his earlier stipulations with the ferry-girl, he was now free and the last thing he wanted to do was protect the human world.

A sudden ringing invaded the room and all eyes turned to the source.

"That must be Koenma," Botan said as she opened up the briefcase and an image of the prince appeared on the screen.

As the prince began to babble, Hiei decidedly tuned them out. The conversation delved into topics that he did not care for in the slightest: stages of the dark ages, the spirit world's influence in demon world and the kakai barrier, which protected the human world from demons.

His attention drifted back to the small screen that Koenma was currently talking through when the prince revealed the Spirit World's power classification system. If he heard correctly, the power levels ranged from E to S. Toguro had only ranked as an upper B class, meaning there were levels that they had not even imagined. The kakai barrier was designed to block out the A and S classes, but any demons ranging from B and under were permitted to enter.

"What power level am I?" Hiei cut in suddenly, causing all heads to turn in his direction. "If you're going to label me, then I deserve to know what I am."

Koenma paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should speak before relenting.

"You're ranked in the middle of the B class."

Hiei's jaw clenched.

"Even now you underestimate me?"

"For the record, when you first entered this world you were only a D class. You jumped two ranks in half a year, very impressive."

The prince was patronizing him and all it did was serve to increase his humiliation and anger. He was still too weak. His strength wasn't enough.

"I'm finished here."

They all balked at his declaration.

"Are you seriously bailing out on us right now, shorty?" Kuwabara griped.

He made his decision and he was not going back on it. He was free, he had finally gotten what he wanted, and now he knew where the breach in the barrier was. He could pass through and leave everything behind.

"This is your world, not mine. You take care of it," he ordered.

He turned on his heels and walked out on them, ignoring the look Botan gave him as he left. He heard Kuwabara yelling something of unimportance at him, but he ignored it. What he didn't expect was to hear the ferry-girl follow suit.

"Hiei, wait!" she pleaded, running after him.

He only stopped when they had made it back down to the first floor, far enough away from the others so that they could not eavesdrop.

"What is it?" he asked.

"How can you even think of leaving at a time like this? The human world is in danger!"

Her self-righteous tone did little to decrease his mounting frustration and he stared into her narrowed eyes without remorse.

"The human world is always in danger," he replied callously. "What's your point?"

"My point is, we need your help!" she maintained, brows drawn together as she frowned at him. "With Kuwabara's energy missing and you leaving, you're cutting the team's power in half!"

"You've got those three humans on your team. They should make up for Kuwabara," Hiei said. "As for me, I'm through playing spirit detective with the others. The terms of your offer are still valid, even if the circumstances were all a ploy construed by Genkai. I'm free and I have no reason to work under spirit world any longer."

"So that's it?" Botan asked incredulously. "After everything you've been through, you have no qualms with walking away once you've gotten what you wanted?"

Hiei didn't know whether she was referring to the bet or their more recent deal, so he remained silent. The answer was true in either case and he was sure that she knew what his silence indicated.

"It was one thing when you tricked me for the sake of that silly bet, but this is bigger than all of that. Are you really just going to leave when we need you the most?" Botan asked. Her amethyst eyes were searching his for any traces of compassion, but she would soon find that what she was looking for never existed within him in the first place.

"The detective will defeat this new threat. That's how it's always been and that's how it will always be," Hiei responded. "You don't need me."

"But–"

"You don't need me," he echoed once more, as though he were trying to convince himself of that fact. Things had gotten far too messy and complicated when they lingered near each other for too long and he would not allow himself to waver because of her any longer. He brushed past her frozen form without a second thought. He ignored the heavy feeling settling in the middle of his chest as he left her behind once again.

Yusuke ran down the stairs just in time to see Hiei walk away from Botan. She looked upset, but the moment she noticed his presence she snapped back to reality.

"We need to talk," he said.

"Of course, this new threat is dangerous," Botan replied. "We'll have to come up with a plan. Genkai said that the barrier will be breached in three weeks. That doesn't give us much time."

"No, not about that. I mean, I never got the chance to explain the whole bet thing," he started, running his hand through his hair with an uneasy look on his face.

Her expression fell and she averted her eyes.

"I hardly think it's important, considering what's going on right now."

"Well it is to me," he pressed. "I owe you an apology."

"Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of apologies," she said with a defeated laugh.

"Let this be the last one then. It's only right, since I started it. You and I both know Kuwabara isn't clever enough to come up with an idea like that on his own," he joked with an impish grin. When Botan's eyebrows furrowed in response, he quickly wiped the grin off of his face and he mentally cursed, reminding himself that this was no time for fooling around. Rubbing at the back of his neck, he continued. "I guess I should start by saying I'm sorry. I was bored, Hiei was desperate and you just happened to be there. All I could think about was having some fun at Hiei's expense and I didn't think things would develop the way they did. Kuwabara noticed and he wanted to end things, but I was too ignorant to see what was going on between you and Hiei. What I did to you was really shitty and I should have seen that from the start. I'm sorry and I hope that one day you can forgive me."

"I've already forgiven you Yusuke," she told him sympathetically. "You're my friend and one little bet won't change that."

He grinned at her slowly and contemplated his next words. If he was going to have this conversation, he might as well take it all the way.

"He called it off, you know," Yusuke revealed. "Even though he only had one more date to go, he threw it all away."

Botan blinked back at him uncertainly.

"He did?"

Yusuke nodded.

"I was ready to end it myself, but he beat me to the chase."

"Why would he do something like that?" she wondered.

"That's what I want to know," Yusuke replied. "I was gonna get some answers from him but then we all got dragged into this whole psychic shit show."

"It's probably for the best, anyway," Botan conceded. "Maybe things worked out exactly as they were supposed to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who's to say that things would have lasted between us?" she asked. "We're both far too different."

"I don't know, I always thought opposites attracted. Look at me and Keiko," Yusuke said with a shrug. "It doesn't matter how different you two are. All that matters is how you felt about him and how he felt about you."

"That surprisingly sentimental, Yusuke. Are you a closet romantic?" she teased, poking his arm for good measure.

He swatted her hand away before crossing his arms tightly, clearly embarrassed about having been called out on his brief moment of sentimentality.

"That's the last time I try to help anyone," he huffed. "I'll leave the emotional crap for Kuwabara."

Botan sobered up and gave him a soft smile.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm just trying to be more practical this time," she reasoned. "I think it's time that we all just moved past this whole bet fiasco."

He wanted to convince her otherwise, but after he took one look at her, he found that he couldn't. Koenma had pretty much told them that Botan was broken up over everything that had happened, but the woman standing beside him looked strong and determined. There was a hint of a sorrowful resignation hidden beneath her expression, but he decided not to dwell on that. She truly did want to move on and she was doing well; he had no right to get in the way of that. Things always had a way of working themselves out and he wouldn't interfere if Botan didn't want him to. Besides, even if Botan and Hiei both wanted to move on, he had a feeling that things weren't entirely over between them. Not by a long shot.

"Still… it would have been nice of Hiei to stick around," she mentioned. Her gaze drifted towards the door that Hiei had exited from mere moments ago. "We could have really used his help."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Yusuke reassured. "I have a feeling the little guy will show up right when we need him the most."

Botan's eyes widened in surprise as she raised a slender brow.

"How can you be so sure of it?"

"Call it detective's intuition," he smirked.

Got a few things to say, so please bear with me.

1. First off, the delay in updates was due to an unfortunate lack of motivation on my end. I just wasn't feeling this story for a while, but I will do my best to keep it going. The only reason I was able to update this weekend is because I suddenly got some really sweet reviews, messages and encouragement from you amazing readers. So thank you for helping me find some motivation again! :)

2. Next up is a special thanks to summerneverlasts for drawing the photobooth pictures back in chapter 5 for me. This is the first time anyone's ever drawn a cover of my stories and I was over the moon with joy. I tried to upload it as the story's cover art, but for some reason ff . net won't cooperate! If she ever posts the picture on a website or something, I will be happy to share the link.

3. Next chapter should be out in a week or so. It will wrap up the Sensui arc and will have a heavy focus on Hiei and his feelings. After that, we will jump into the story's original content and will move away from the main storyline. I'm most excited for the next phase because it's the final part of the story and it will be fun for me to write.

And that pretty much concludes all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed this chapter!