A.N. I finished writing this chapter 2 days early, and I couldn't wait any longer. It's time. Let's dive right into Chapter Black! I know a ton of you were curious as to how The House Of Four Dimensions will play out. The wait is officially over!

DCD Gojira: :D :D :D

Sakura-Chan: Thanks! I do enjoy Poltergeist Report (aside from the horrid dub). Rewriting it allowed me to expand on the ideas that were hinted at and not developed fully. It was a ton of fun. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and that little date. Sensui's plan is on the move, and with Haruki involved things will get complicated. Enjoy the chapter!

hw0134160: I kinda got carried away with that climax. It was just exhilarating to write! And so was that date. I love writing those little moments with Sakura x Kurama. Sakura flowers are lovely, but my favourite flower is the lisianthus. And if I had to choose my favourite native Australian flower, it would definitely be blushing brides (look it up, they're beautiful!). Yes, we are about to enter the House of Four Dimensions. I know you were looking forward to this part of the story, as was I.

And to answer your question about that other fic, the answer in short is yes. I've been following Bright Beauty since 2020, and I do like it a lot. After the most recent chapter was published and she mentioned writer's block again, I actually did reach out to the author in a DM and asked if there was anything I could do to help. I was hesitant at first as I didn't want to offend her or anything, but thankfully she was glad to hear from me and I'm now assisting her by editing her chapters and bouncing ideas around. :)

Ghost of Magic: Yep, he's gotten into a bad habit of it! XD Ooh, a double Spirit Gun? You may just get your wish...

Chapter 8

"You can't touch me!" Yusuke chanted, digging Sakura in the ribs from behind. "You can't touch me! Damn, I could keep this up all day!" he chortled.

Sakura slapped him away with her free hand. "Rack off! OW! Not the hair, you moron!"

"Are you calling your foxy boyfriend, Kura?" Yusuke teased while tugging the end of her half-ponytail. "You going to ask him to beat me up?"

Please pick up. Sakura begged the universe as the phone rang for a third time. For the love of God, PLEASE pick up!

"Minamino residence, this is Shuichi,"

Sakura sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. You haven't left yet,"

Kurama laughed. "Hello, my love. I was just about to head to school,"

"Great, can you - Yusuke, quit it! - come - stop pulling my hair! - walk with me - OW!"

Even through the phone, Kurama could hear Sakura's temper fraying, and the sound of Yusuke's laughter.

"What are you gonna do about it, Squirt?" he taunted in the background.

"Just go away you idiot!" Sakura snapped. "No, I don't mean you, Ku- Shuichi. As you can probably tell, I've got - YUSUKE I SWEAR TO GOD!"

Kurama smiled. "You have a situation," he finished her sentence for her. "Don't worry, I'll be right there,"

Sakura pressed the phone tighter to her ear as Yusuke dodged the kick she sent at him.

"Please, hurry!" she moaned.

The second she hung up, Yusuke resumed his incessant poking. "Is Fox Boy coming to rescue you from your mean big brother?"

"You are TWO MINUTES older than me!" Sakura snapped. Yusuke was easily evading all her attempts to beat him off. "Will you just stop it already?!"

"Nope," Yusuke said brightly while sticking out his tongue. "And there's nothing you can do about it, because I'm the Dark Tournament champ!"

Sakura's face turned scarlet with rage. "That's why you've been such a pain lately?"

Yusuke nodded without a hint of shame. "Come on, I kicked the Netherworld's ass. I've earned the right to relax a little!"

"Relax?!" Sakura screeched. "This is what you call relaxing?!"

"That's right," Yusuke pinched her cheek. "So be a good girl and worship me, the saviour of humanity! OW! What the hell was that for, you damn brat?!"

Sakura rubbed her stinging hand, having finally gotten a good hit in.

"I cannot believe I just heard that," she hissed. "I'm getting out of here before I kill you,"

"Ooh, now someone's mad," Yusuke grinned. "Maybe you should talk to your shrink about these anger issues, Squirt!"

BAM!

Sakura's bag missed Yusuke by an inch, but managed to land on the ground with an impressive thud.

The twins stared at each other for a second before Sakura bent to pick up her bag.

"Your attitude is going to tip me over the edge,"

Yusuke could see the hurt in Sakura's eyes, and knew his last comment had gone too far.

"Kura, I…"

His hand closed around her arm, on top of the fresh bruise from her recent training session. Sakura winced before shaking him off.

"I don't want to hear it," she said coldly, and turned on her heel to leave.

Kurama was waiting on the street outside. He was armed with a sympathetic look and a freshly made tea from the nearby cafe.

Sakura reached him, trying to fix her tousled hair. "Thanks for coming,"

Kurama cupped her cheek. "Here, I thought you could use something to perk you up," he handed the tea over.

"Does it contain hard liquor?"

He raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"You have no idea," Sakura said darkly, rubbing her sore arm. "Don't worry," she added quickly upon seeing Kurama's reaction to the bruising. "This is from my last session with Genkai. Come on, I need to get out of here before I officially go insane,"

Hand in hand, they began walking down the street.

"Sounds like Genkai is certainly putting you through your paces,"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Sakura said ruefully. "We're working on expanding my capacity so I can eventually summon the Spirit Flame at will, not as a last resort. But to do that, I need to be a lot stronger,"

She glanced at him sideways. "He's lucky I haven't quite mastered it yet,"

Kurama laughed. He couldn't help himself. "I have a rough idea of your dilemma from that phone call, but perhaps you'd like to fill in the blanks?"

"Yusuke," Sakura grumbled. "He's acting like a child. Poking, prodding, pulling my hair and saying I can't do anything about it because he won the tournament two months ago…"

Kurama smoothed Sakura's flyaway hair. "I see. Clearly he's still basking in the limelight of victory,"

"I thought his ego had reached its peak after the Dark Tournament, but apparently I was wrong," Sakura muttered. "Ever since we fought the Netherworld he's been insufferable. It's like nothing can touch him,"

Kurama stopped and pulled Sakura into his chest. "Put it out of mind for now, my love," he said softly.

For the first time, Sakura smiled. "Should be easier, now that you're here,"

It was already a beautiful day. The air was crisp, the sun was shining, and a light breeze was passing through the tree lined street.

Just up ahead, a maple leaf broke free of its branch and tumbled through the air towards them. Sakura reached out to catch it in her hand.

"A new season is coming," she smiled at her lover. "Next thing you know, it'll be a new year,"

"Change tends to sneak up when we least expect it, my hana,"

Kurama curled his hand around hers and drank in the sight. Even in her serviceable school uniform, Sakura was so beautiful.

"What?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow.

Kurama kissed her hand. "I'm just so proud of you,"

The blush was already creeping over her cheeks. "Is there any particular reason?"

"The steps you've taken," Kurama cupped her face. The dark circles under her eyes were fading every day. "And the progress you've made over the last two months,"

After their second date, Sakura had told Kurama that she'd had a night free of bad dreams. While nobody could say why this had happened, it seemed to ignite a spark in Sakura, and she'd decided to take another step in her healing process.

"I… I've still got work to do," Sakura stammered. "My panic attacks and nightmares haven't stopped completely, but even just reducing them is a relief,"

Kurama ran his hand down the side of her face. "One step at a time,"

"Yes," Sakura breathed. "You know, I'm… glad that I didn't erase my memories, Kurama," she lowered her eyes. "I hate them, but I'd hate myself more if I just ran away from it all,"

"You'll be seeing your therapist again next month, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes. Dr Machin says we can try to space out the appointments now that the medication is working,"

Kurama could hear the thinly-veiled shame in her voice as she looked at the ground. He wasn't about to allow that undeserved guilt.

"That's good news, my love," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"It's… it's kind of embarrassing," Sakura sighed. "I don't know, I just never thought I'd need to swallow pills in order to function,"

Kurama observed her for a moment, searching for the words to reassure her.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. It's no different than taking Tylenol for a headache or an asthmatic using an inhaler. Do you see?"

Sakura hesitated. "I guess so…but it's not just the medication that helps. Talking about it with someone who's an outsider gives me a much needed perspective. Even if I have to alter a few details so demons don't come into the mix - "

Her eyes widened in horror. "That's not to say I don't appreciate everything you've done, Kurama. Or Genkai, or anyone else. I -"

"Shhh," he laid a finger over her lips. "I know, love. You don't have to explain,"

Sakura relaxed. "Ok. Seriously though, thankyou for saving what's left of my sanity after this morning,"

He kissed her forehead. "Any excuse to be with you, my precious flower,"

They were almost at the gate of Meiou Academy. Sakura went to hang back a little, but Kurama gently pulled her forward.

Naturally, everyone began looking over, but Sakura didn't see those idiotic fangirls anywhere which was some comfort.

"Will I see you after school?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I promised to attend a biology club meeting first," Kurama smiled.

Sakura raised her brow. "Biology club? I didn't know you were part of that,"

"I'm not," Kurama sighed. "But apparently my assistance is required for their latest experiment,"

She nodded. "I guess I better head off too," she grumbled.

Kurama touched her cheek. "I wish I didn't have to go," he admitted quietly.

"Same," Sakura felt brave enough to lay her hand on top of his. "I'll see you soon,"

I love you. His smile made her insides melt. I'll see you soon.

Sakura forced herself to turn away and began trudging towards Sarayashiki. Kurama watched her leave, feeling as though she were taking a piece of him with her.

He waded through the ocean of staring students and inside to his homeroom.

Once out of sight, the frenzied gossip began. "Was that Minamino? With a girl?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear? Apparently, he has a girlfriend,"

"Oh man, I think I just heard Jirota's heart breaking,"

"Not just her, I think all the girls in Class A will be pissed,"

Among the onlookers was a bespectacled, freckled young man with curly black hair. He peeked over the rim of his glasses at Kurama's retreating back.

Kuwabara was the first to comment on who was missing from the group while walking to school.

"Hey, Urameshi. Where's Kura?"

Yusuke snorted. "Where do you think? She wanted to walk with Kurama today,"

Keiko went a little misty eyed. "That's so cute!"

"Speak for yourself," Yusuke growled. "Damn brat threw her bag at me on her way out of the house. She said something about wanting to get away from me and my attitude,"

Keiko rolled her eyes. "Imagine that,"

Yusuke ground his teeth together. "I didn't ask you!"

The trio continued in somewhat awkward silence down the street only to have it broken by Yusuke's loud, obnoxious yawning.

"I'm beat. Since everything settled down, all I feel like doing is watching stupid daytime TV,"

"It's such a pretty day, too," Kuwabara agreed. "Doesn't feel right to be locked up in a school,"

Yusuke stopped walking and grinned at Kuwabara. "Uh-oh. I think I just got sick,"

"Me too," Kuwabara grinned back. "Heard the arcade's got medicine,"

"I guess we'll have to go there!" Yusuke suggested.

SMACK! Keiko clocked him over the head with her bag.

"Don't even think about skipping school," she said sternly. "Your Mom had to do lots of convincing just so they wouldn't fail you this year,"

Yusuke scowled and kept walking. "Guy saves the world, still has to do algebra. Makes sense,"

"Yes, it does," Keiko snapped.

None of them noticed the shady characters watching them from a nearby cafe window.

"That's Yusuke Urameshi," the blonde one said thoughtfully. "But that's weird, I don't see his sister with him,"

His purple-haired friend laughed. "I wouldn't worry. We'll see her soon enough,"

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.

Koenma looked in despair at the mountain of paperwork he still had to get through. It had piled up while he'd been at the Dark Tournament, and then the Netherworld mess had set him back even further. In the six weeks since that incident, he wasn't even halfway through the stack.

"I'll never get caught up," he grumbled to himself. "Next time I go somewhere, I must find a way to clone myself!"

The door flew open and Jorge rushed in. He was waving a piece of paper frantically.

"Koenma sir! We've got problems!"

"Yes, I agree," Koenma said without looking up. "He's big and blue and wears leopard underwear. And he never seems to leave me alone,"

Jorge held the paper up. "I'm serious, sir! Just look at this intelligence report! It's big!"

He slammed the report onto the table with such force that the stack Koenma was working through toppled and spilled all over the ground.

Koenma gave a shriek of dismay. "One horned ninny! You just mixed up the paradises with the punishments! I'LL HAVE TO START ALL OVER!"

"Uh…" Jorge recoiled. "Sorry?"

"SORRY?! You think that's going to sort out this mess?!"

Across the hallway, Botan was chatting in the break room with some other grim reapers.

"I can't believe you led that many people to Spirit World this month," she shook her head. "I mean, that's twenty people in Yusuke's city block alone!"

"Oh Botan. You know some months are just heavier than others," Kyoka smiled. "It's nice. I've taken some really cute boys,"

Botan exchanged a look with Ayame, but before either could reply, the loudspeaker made an announcement.

"Botan, please report to Koenma's office,"

Botan entered to find Koenma massaging his temples and muttering to himself.

"The world is a happy flower...!"

Botan grinned. "Smart, sassy girl at your service! Oh dear, your breathing exercises. What happened?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Koenma retorted. "There have been reports of some strange activity going on in Yusuke's city,"

"Now, now. It can't be that strange," Botan said. "Apparition activity is way down since the Tournament wrapped. And the Netherworld is gone for good. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about,"

Koenma shook his head and held up the report. "This isn't about apparitions,"

"What?"

"First the Netherworld, now this," Koenma moaned. "I wasn't expecting another crisis so soon. Listen, I need you to go to the human world. Tell Yusuke to keep his eye out,"

Report in hand, Botan hopped on her oar.

Hiei sensed the insect before it appeared in front of him. With his lightning fast reflexes, the nuisance was dead without knowing what had happened.

He landed on the ground of the abandoned warehouse and smiled at his handiwork, but he was aware of what this meant.

Hiei jumped to the rooftop and perched on the railing overlooking the city.

The air in this town is thick with energy. Demon insects flock to it like sharks to an open wound. A sign of things to come, or is the danger already here?

A smile came to Hiei's lips. "Then again, what do I care?"

With little to do since the Netherworld incident, he planned to devote his free time to training, and watching over his sister. Thanks to the Jagan, he could look at any time.

Perhaps if he got bored later, he might head over to Genkai's and see if Sakura had made any progress on that Spirit Flame.

From a distance, of course.

At Meiou Academy, the lunch bell rang and the students crowded around the noticeboard to see the latest test rankings.

"Top score, Shuichi," one of the students announced to everyone with a sigh. "Big surprise,"

Another boy's jaw dropped. "What is that, fifty times in a row?!"

Whether it was or not, there was no denying what the list said. First place, Shuichi Minamino: 496. Second place, Yu Kaito: 494.

Kaito pushed up his glasses and frowned at the results. Once again, he'd been bested by Minamino. Just then, a teacher clapped him on the back.

"Almost got him this time, Kaito," he said jovially. "But then, with a score like that, second place is nothing to be ashamed of,"

Kaito resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Who said I was ever ashamed? There's more to life than sticking your nose into a textbook. Good day to you sir,"

He stalked off down the hallway, glancing into the open room where his arch rival was being chatted up by some admirers.

Besides, I have my own special lesson planned for Shuichi Minamino.

Kurama had sought refuge in an empty classroom, hoping to read his book. But alas. Two girls from Class B had approached, clearly wanting to talk. At least these two weren't part of Jirota's gang. Not that any of them had the nerve to make eye contact with him now.

Though slightly irritated, he wasn't particularly surprised. Arriving at the school gates with Sakura that morning was bound to get people talking. After years of being friendly yet distant from his classmates, it only made sense that his flower's presence would cause quite a stir.

"Hey, great job on that test!" Natsuki complimented brightly. "You got first place again. Pretty exciting, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kurama smiled politely and turned the page. "It seems fortune has been my friend,"

Shina giggled. "Gosh, Shuichi. You don't have to act like it's no big deal," her smile turned sly. "You're embarrassed, is that it?"

Kurama chuckled. "You know me well,"

Suddenly, his attention spiked. Something was perched on Natsuki's shoulder, and it looked like a demon insect. Of course, neither of the girls noticed. Shina was still rambling.

"Then again, that whole thing of never losing your cool is really, well… cool! Like a movie star,"

"Who's that?" Kurama pointed behind them. "At the door?"

They turned, and Kurama quickly snatched the insect off Natsuki's uniform with a featherlight touch so she wouldn't realise.

"There's no-one there," Natsuki frowned.

Shina started laughing again. "That was a joke, right?"

"Sorry, must be my imagination," Kurama said sheepishly while crushing the bug between his fingers.

"So…" Natsuki flushed and lowered her eyes. "Wanna do something after school?"

Kurama paused. Regardless of his feelings, he didn't want to be unkind.

"Actually, I'm meeting up with my girlfriend," he said in a gentle voice.

"Oh…" Shina's eyes widened. "So you really are dating someone?"

"I am, and it's serious,"

Shina glanced at her rejected friend. "Sorry, Shuichi. We thought Jirota was just making that up…"

Natsuki turned away to hide her tears. "See you later,"

Finally, they were gone and Kurama could examine the insect. He recognised it instantly.

This species… yes. A distant cousin of the Makai that the Saint Beasts employed. Fortunately, I removed it from her before it could have an effect.

He paused and looked out the window.

This does not bode well. I wonder if Koenma knows?

When lunchtime rolled around, Sakura purposely avoided the roof so she wouldn't end up punching Yusuke in the face.

Keiko was doing something for the student council, so Sakura joined Kuwabara and his friends. She made small talk with the boys while they ate, but Kuwabara was constantly staring out into space.

Eventually, Okubo looked up from his bento box. "You know Kuwabara, the punks from the other middle schools are really too afraid to mess with us any more,"

"Good to be king, huh?" Komada added.

Kuwabara had a faraway look in his eyes. "Yeah…"

"We've gotta push onto their turf now," Miyamoto said enthusiastically. "We could take control of the whole city like you always dreamed of. Now's our chance!"

Kuwabara shook his head. "Forget it, guys. We got our peace. Now we should be enjoying it," he stood up from the table and headed for the window with a small smile on his face. "There's a lot more to life than shoving punks into the pavement. Right, Kura?"

Sakura hadn't expected to be brought into such a conversation, and in her shock she choked on the rice.

"Yeah… right," she coughed while wiping her streaming eyes.

All three boys glanced at each other in astonishment and concern at Kuwabara's new attitude.

"We shouldn't let him go on these long vacations anymore," Komada said awkwardly.

Miyamoto squinted, as if trying to figure out if they were dealing with a body snatcher. "He's… changed,"

"I say a girl dumped him again," Okubo shrugged, shovelling more food into his mouth.

Sakura had a very strong suspicion she knew what was really on Kuwabara's mind. Or rather, who.

Yukina, my sweet love. Being apart from you is unbearable. We may come from different worlds, but I know someday, we'll be together for good. Until then, I'll try and be a better man.

Unfortunately for Kuwabara, Yusuke sidled into the room and up behind him. Before Sakura could do anything, her idiot brother aimed his fingers and poked away.

"Spirit Gun!"

Kuwabara jumped about a foot in the air. "AHH!"

"Next time you're daydreaming, pack a rearview mirror," Yusuke chortled. "OW! What the hell was that for, you damn brat?!"

"What do you think?!" Sakura snapped.

Kuwabara whipped around and gave him a furious look. "You punk! That is not the feeling I was going for!"

"I don't know, it looked like you were busting your balls over something to me," Yusuke snickered. "Now share your lunch. I'm starved,"

Kuwabara drew himself up to his full height. "Of all the nerve. Assault me and then ask for a meal. You're getting squat!"

Yusuke nearly exploded. "That's how you treat a guy who wins the whole Dark Tournament AND destroys the Netherworld?!"

He launched into an impression of Kuwabara's gravelly voice. "Thanks for saving my life and all, pal, but my sandwich is just too damn good!"

"Don't try the guilt trip, Urameshi. My manly power is what carried us. When have you ever saved me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't count them all. I only have ten fingers!"

"You cocky little…!"

"Oh no, the power of love! Why don't you go host a kiddie show on public TV?"

"I'd pound your face if my hand wasn't slipping on your hair. It's greasier than a bicycle chain!"

And they were off to the races. Everyone in the vicinity was now witnessing the stupidest argument known to mankind.

Sakura buried her face in her hands. "Why me?" she moaned.

Okubo nudged Sakura. "So, do they like or hate each other?"

"A little from column A, a little from Column B," Sakura grumbled.

Komada frowned. "Uh… something tells me they were an old married couple in a former life,"

Botan popped up from seemingly nowhere to weigh in. "Sure, the only question is who was the husband and who was the wife?"

Naturally, this question gave rise to a number of unspeakably horrible images to everyone watching.

Miyamoto went green. "Ugh! Both choices make me sick!"

"Thanks for that. I guess I didn't have to sleep tonight," Sakura massaged her temples, then realised Botan was there in her schoolgirl form. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Yusuke and Kuwabara had almost come to blows at this point.

"Just give me the damn sandwich!"

"You'll have to knock me flat!"

Botan appeared between them. "Alright, and that's the round!"

The boys sprang apart.

"Woah, Botan!" Kuwabara jumped again.

Yusuke didn't look thrilled to see her. "I guess you just couldn't resist playing the schoolgirl again?"

Botan giggled, but didn't reply.

"Yeah well, if you came with another job, I'm not in the mood," Yusuke huffed, pointing at Kuwabara. "Just tell my secretary,"

Kuwabara clinched him in a headlock. "You brat! You can't just shovel stuff onto me!"

Another scuffle ensued. Sakura was looking for the nearest wall to bang her head against when another voice interrupted.

"Mr Urameshi, Mr Kuwabara! The class bell rang some time ago!" Mr Takenaka boomed.

Everyone froze for a second amidst the giggles from their fellow classmates. Kuwabara's gang jumped up and pushed their desks into place.

"Yusuke, I believe your class is next door," Takenaka said pointedly.

Yusuke waved him off. "Yeah, thanks for the tip, old man,"

"Miss Urameshi," Takenaka called to Sakura. "Would you be so kind as to ensure those two find their correct class?"

Sakura smirked and grabbed hold of Yusuke's arm. "I think it would take a power greater than I, sir. But I'll do my best,"

"Get off me, you damn brat!"

Once in the hallway, Yusuke shook Sakura off him and raised a brow at Botan, who was climbing onto her oar again.

"What are you doing, you're leaving now? All the way from Spirit World, just to keep me from kickin' ass?"

Botan smiled and soared out the window. "Sorry, I'd rather not have to explain to your teacher why I can fly. We'll talk after school!"

Yusuke watched her go. "Must have another crap case for me…" he grunted.

"Come on, dimwit," Sakura ignored his protests and dragged him into the classroom.

At long last, the final bell rang and it was time to go home. Sakura was in the process of packing her things as everyone raced off to after school clubs and so forth. Yusuke, on the other hand, was looking as though he was being forced to attend the funeral of every dog in the world.

"Alright, Yusuke. Talk to me. What's really going on?" Sakura sat down next to him and propped her chin up on her hand. She couldn't take much more of this.

Yusuke glared at her irritably. "Everything feels so stupid and dull!" he snapped, getting up and heading for the door. "I gotta get the hell out of here…"

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "Yusuke, will you just -?!"

"See, a full day of school isn't that bad!" Keiko piped up from the hallway.

In response, Yusuke gave her a look, although nobody could say whether it was due to Keiko's words, or the fact that she was cuddling Puu.

"Well, at least you got through it," Keiko said quickly, and held out the little soul beast. "Now, don't forget Puu,"

He chirped happily. "Puu!"

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Give me a break, Keiko. I already told you I look dumb lugging that thing around,"

"But he's part of you," Keiko insisted. "Maybe not having him is why you're so bummed,"

Yusuke gritted his teeth as Keiko took his bag and began fiddling with it. "Maybe it's because of your nagging!"

"A tie here, a tuck there…and, ta-da!" Keiko revealed her handiwork. "A portable Puu,"

The tiny creature was now attached to the bag, and quite honestly he didn't look comfortable or happy about it.

Keiko grinned. "People will just think you have a stuffed animal,"

"Puu…"

Sakura stifled a giggle. From the sounds of it, even Puu couldn't get behind that.

Yusuke gawked. "HOW IS THAT GONNA HELP MY LOOK?!"

Keiko observed the bag. "Well, I must admit, the bag is a little bit small…I have a big pink bag I'll bring tomorrow,"

"GAH!" Yusuke threw up his hands in disgust.

Sakura couldn't contain herself anymore and burst out laughing.

"You bring the bag, I'll bring my camera," she giggled.

Yusuke smacked her hand away. "Shut it, you damn brat!"

Keiko handed the bag over and turned to go. "Well, I've got a student council meeting to run,"

"Great," Yusuke said dully. "Vote on a shorter school day,"

Keiko hesitated. "You are ok, right?" she asked Yusuke carefully. "Just promise me you won't do anything dumb,"

Another moment of silence before Yusuke's temper erupted once more.

"AGAIN WITH THE NAGGING! Don't do this, don't do that. When have I EVER acted dumb?!"

The girls exchanged a look.

"Um…" Keiko blinked. "Besides getting run over by a car?"

Sakura began counting on her fingers. "And there was the time you fell in the river, the time you pissed all over my favourite colouring book and wondered why I gave you a black eye, and need we forget the time you -"

"SHUT UP!" Yusuke hollered and stormed off down the hall while muttering to himself.

"Stupid life… the only ones who know anything about me using it as a weapon… I'm so happy to be back home!"

Keiko looked like she wanted to follow, but Sakura laid a hand on her arm.

"Leave it, Keiko," she sighed. "It's just one of his moods. He'll calm down,"

"Kura, you'd tell me if something was going on with him, right?"

Sakura rubbed her forehead wearily. "Of course I would, but I don't know what's gotten into him lately," she sighed. "His mood swings back and forth from cocky to vicious without warning. Honestly, I'm sick of him right now,"

Keiko squeezed her hand sympathetically. "You want to tell me why you really walked with Kurama this morning?"

"Yusuke was driving me crazy," Sakura leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes. "He was poking me, pulling my hair like a toddler. It was unbelievable. So I threw my bag at him and… he made a dumb comment about my psychologist,"

Keiko's jaw dropped. "He didn't,"

Sakura nodded. "He did. It was the last straw,"

"Oh, Kura…" Keiko wrapped her arms around her friend. "That's low,"

"I'm sure he'll apologise later, but right now I'm not interested,"

Keiko pulled away. "Look, I have to go, but I hope you know how proud I am of you, going to therapy. It's a brave thing to do, and I can see how much it's already helped you,"

Sakura blinked the tears back. "Yeah, I know,"

"And trust me, Yusuke feels the same way. Promise. He was just being an idiot,"

Keiko touched the chain around Sakura's neck. Underneath her uniform, the Hiruseki stone was nestled at her throat.

"Don't forget what Yukina told you, back on the island,"

With a final hug, Keiko walked away. Sakura watched her go, clutching her necklace and feeling the tightness in her chest easing slightly. Time to see if Botan was back.

Botan, you here?

She replied almost instantly. That's right. Meet you in that classroom if it's empty?

Sure thing. Sakura squared her shoulders. I'll just find Yusuke.

Kuwabara hurried out the front door in time to see Yusuke trudging away, looking bored.

"Wait up, Urameshi! So what happened with you and Botan? Did she give you a new case or something?"

Yusuke turned around. "Nah, we just made out," he deadpanned. "Then Keiko caught us and a fight broke out,"

"I'm serious, Urameshi! Just tell me what you talked about,"

Yusuke shrugged and kept walking. "She said she'd tell me after school,"

"What?" Kuwabara frowned just as Sakura appeared at the door. "Then shouldn't we wait for her here?"

"Hey, dimwit!" Sakura called. "Your presence is requested upstairs,"

Yusuke shook his head. "I think I'll pass,"

Sakura's jaw clenched and she stormed over. "What was that?"

"I'm not in the mood, you damn brat," Yusuke sighed. "You can fill me in later,"

Sakura looked like she was going to start yelling, but Kuwabara put a restraining hand on her shoulder and addressed Yusuke directly.

"Why have you been so down lately? Did fighting so much make you lose all of your powers?"

Yusuke looked at the ground. "Nah, my powers are all here, but… maybe that's the problem,"

He smiled just a little. "I mean, after I beat Toguro, well… he was the strongest demon there was, right? Now that he's finished, and those Netherworld jerks, what could challenge me?"

Kuwabara smacked Yusuke over the head. "You jerk!"

"Thanks for saving me the trouble," Sakura shook her head. "I'm done with this, Yusuke. If you don't want to be a big boy and talk to Botan, then I'll do it,"

Without waiting for a response, Sakura stormed back upstairs while muttering under her breath.

Kuwabara watched her go. It's ok, Kura. I'll talk to him.

Good luck. Sakura grumbled back. I don't have the patience.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Yusuke hissed while rubbing his head.

"I was feeling sorry for you for nothing!" Kuwabara huffed. "Whining for no good reason… I thought you'd lost your Spirit Energy like I have,"

That caught Yusuke's attention. "No joke? So, you can't make your Spirit Sword?"

"Heck, I can't even make a butter knife since the last fight," Kuwabara confessed. "I thought it was the Power Sphere thing you used against Yakumo, but… to be honest, it was feeling off since the tournament wrapped. I'm worried it's actually a side effect from that crazy Trial Sword. If things don't turn around soon, I think I'm going to see Genkai about it,"

Before Yusuke could respond, he spotted something unusual. Standing at the gate were three teens, around the same age as them. The tallest one had a strange purple hairstyle that probably required a full bottle of hair gel to keep it upright. Another had glasses, freckles, and was wearing a familiar school uniform. In the centre was a blonde punk with his hands in pockets. They were apparently there on a mission.

"Yusuke Urameshi," the blonde kid seemed to state rather than ask. "That is your name, right?"

"Yeah," Yusuke smiled smugly.

Blondie looked on with interest. "We heard you fight. Care to prove it?"

Kuwabara blinked. "Aren't you gonna say hi to me? I'm Kuwabara, you know!"

"Easy with the sidekick complex," Yusuke warned, but immediately perked up at the offer. "These guys are a great excuse to avoid talking to Botan. You be Spirit Detective today,"

Instead of being thrilled at this dream-come-true, Kuwabara was horrified. "What if it's an important case?!" he squawked.

Yusuke ignored him and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Where should we do this?"

"Couldn't care less," Blondie replied. "Just a place where the authorities won't get in our way. How about the old field behind the school?"

"Classic," Yusuke smirked, following the trio.

Kuwabara was slack jawed. "Wait, this is dumb!" he spluttered.

"Maybe a regular knuckle-buster is just what I need," Yusuke flashed the peace sign. "Tell Botan I said hey!"

He disappeared around the corner and Kuwabara was left behind with the unpleasant prospect of informing Botan and Sakura.

"I can't believe you'd fight ordinary humans," Kuwabara muttered in disgust. "You might as well go attack a nursing home!"

Botan immediately crossed the room to give Sakura a giant hug.

"Kura! Feels like it's been forever since we had a chance to catch up properly," she sang. "Where's Yusuke?"

"Botan," Sakura sighed and hugged her back. "Yusuke's in one of his moods. Kuwabara is trying to talk some sense into him. They shouldn't be too much longer,"

Botan sat down on the windowsill. "In that case, we can talk for a bit,"

She paused, and looked Sakura up and down with a smile. "It's so good to see you, Kura. You're looking wonderful!"

"So do you," Sakura smoothed her hair back. "How are things in the Spirit World since… you know…?"

"Pretty much back to normal, except for Koenma's paperwork. He's swamped thanks to the tournament and the Netherworld," Botan giggled. "Oh, and you'll be pleased to know that the maintenance ogres are keeping Master Shin's garden in pristine condition,"

"That's good news," Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "It's still so strange, not going there anymore,"

Botan patted her shoulder sympathetically. "I know, dear. I can't imagine how much you miss him. But if it's any consolation, his soul is at rest thanks to you,"

Sakura gave her a watery smile. "I do miss him. I think I always will. But having regular training sessions with Genkai certainly helps to fill the void in my life,"

"He'd be so proud of you, Sakura. Especially since the Netherworld case. Speaking of which, I got a visit from Hinageshi the other day,"

Sakura's face lit up. "Hinageshi. How is she?"

"She's working hard," Botan acknowledged. "But she did ask me to tell you that you're welcome to drop by at any point,"

"Hopefully I'll get a chance in the next school break," Sakura laughed. Just then, the door opened and Kuwabara sheepishly poked his head inside.

From the look on his face, Sakura could tell the news wasn't good.

Yusuke sauntered along confidently behind the boys, but his bag accessory was squeaking nervously.

"Puu…"

Yusuke waved at him frantically. "Shh! The last thing I want is for them to find out you're alive, Puu. I'd have to give them all amnesia,"

Blondie glanced over his shoulder. "Say something?"

"What, you didn't hear me?" Yusuke chuckled. "I said it's time to get messy,"

This was perfect. They'd reached the field, and from the looks of things there would be plenty of room to show off his skills. And with the sun about to set, nobody was going to interrupt.

Yusuke faced his three opponents, but kept his bag tucked under one arm. "I'll just fight with one hand. And you should all come at once, just to make it go faster,"

The trio grinned at each other.

"Actually Yusuke, it'll just be me," Blondie smirked, stepping forward.

Botan looked outraged following Kuwabara's explanation. "How could he be so plainly irresponsible?" she exclaimed. "Does he really think the Chief Pilot of the River Styx has time on her schedule for recreational fighting?"

"None of those guys looked tough," Kuwabara shrugged. "He probably already flattened them and went off to the mall,"

Sakura got up. "I'll be the judge of that. Start without me,"

"But, Kura -!"

Sakura paused at the door but didn't turn around. Yusuke hadn't communicated or anything, but her gut was telling her to investigate.

"Seriously, Botan. I'll be back in five minutes, tops. With or without my idiot brother,"

She left, and Botan sighed. "What an awful mess," she looked at Kuwabara. "Guess I'll just have to tell you,"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HAVE TO? I'M NOT SOME LAME BACKUP PLAN!"

Sakura could hear Kuwabara's shouting halfway down the hall, but kept moving. Despite her annoyance with Yusuke, she had to see this for herself. Three mysterious guys showed up from nowhere to challenge her brother to a fight? And they weren't one of his regular punching bags from Rugafuchi or Kasenaga?

Something about this didn't sit right with her.

Meanwhile, Botan was beginning to explain the situation to Kuwabara.

"The whole thing is rather bizarre. Koenma hasn't quite figured out the cause yet. But something is definitely in the works in this city. Strange readings keep popping up and then vanishing,"

"This demon…can you tell how big it is?"

"That's the strangest part," Botan said thoughtfully. "The bursts of energy seem to be coming from a human,"

Kuwabara cocked his head. "You mean someone like us?"

BAM! One punch from Yusuke and the punk was knocked to the ground. "Let me guess, you're giving up?"

The other two chuckled. Blondie got to his feet and went in for more. Still holding his bag, Yusuke easily sidestepped the hit, then ducked and got his opponent in the stomach.

"That's enough," He watched the boy drop to the ground. "I don't want to write one of those sorry-I-beat-up-your-kid notes to your Mom,"

"I really like his sense of humour," the boy with glasses commented.

Purple Hair grinned. "Kido, how does it feel to get punched by him?"

"He is fast," Blondie agreed, raising himself up for the next round. "But his punches don't hurt as much as I thought I would,"

"Hey!" Yusuke growled through clenched teeth. "In case you missed the news update, this is a bad day to piss me off!"

Blondie didn't seem the least bit intimidated. "Maybe I should've challenged Sakura to a fight. I hear she's quite the opponent,"

Yusuke paused. He'd never seen these three before. How in the world did they know about his twin sister? And Blondie's next words were even more concerning.

"Urameshi, why don't you untie that creature you have strapped to your book bag?" Blondie smiled coldly and nodded at Puu. "He looks so small and fragile. I don't want to hurt him,"

Never once taking his eyes from them, Yusuke released Puu. "Ok, who the hell are you?"

"Asato Kido, middle school student," Kido said calmly. "I'm a human born in this city just like you," He spread his arms out to each side. "Though I'm a little unusual,"

The world seemed to flash in ultraviolet light for a split second followed by a strong wind, and Yusuke suddenly felt the temperature drop a few degrees. The energy surrounding him felt… different. Unlike any demon he'd faced before.

Well, that was unexpected. What's he doing to this field?

"Welcome, Urameshi," Kido shifted his right foot slightly. "You have become a part of my territory!"

Beads of sweat appeared on Yusuke's confused face. His whole body felt numb.

Kido lowered his hands and gazed back, unflinching. "Go on, try as hard as you can to move," he sneered. "It'll get you nowhere,"

"Damn it…" Yusuke growled under his breath. It wasn't a joke. He was completely paralysed and all three were converging on him. There was only one option now.

Kura?! Something's wrong. I can't move!

Yu… I can't…hear… prop…hold…I'm coming!

Yusuke's heart skipped a beat. The communication between him and Sakura sounded like it was coming from a badly-tuned radio.

…- ra? Some… can't move…

Sakura came to a halt on the front step of the building. She recognised Yusuke's voice, but it was cracked, disjointed…

What is that? White noise? I can barely understand him…

Something was terribly wrong. Sakura could feel it. She'd never had such problems talking through her telepathy before. And even those few syllables were enough to communicate that he was in trouble.

Yusuke? I can't hear properly, but hold on. I'm coming!

Sakura ran out the front gate at full speed, and around the corner towards the field Kuwabara had mentioned. The closer she got, the colder the air seemed to become. She could hear voices coming from behind the wall.

"Yusuke?" Sakura called. "Yusuke, where are you?"

"Kura?!" Yusuke sounded worried. "Stay back!"

There was the sound of amused laughter, and someone else began to speak.

"Oh look at that, your little sister decided to show up after all!"

Who the hell are these guys?! If they know about me, then maybe they know about my moves, too!

Sakura flattened herself against the wall and waited for the moment to strike. Footsteps were making their way over.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," another voice laughed again.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She leapt into view and took in the scene.

Her brother was standing with his back to her, fists raised in a sparring stance. Standing a little way off were two other figures, though in the rapidly fading light, Sakura couldn't make out their faces or anything else. But a tall, slim teen with purple hair was approaching Yusuke with a smug look.

"YUSUKE!" Sakura screamed, and she made a move towards him.

In her panic, she didn't notice Kido raising his left foot and stepping down.

Sakura tumbled face-first onto the grass behind her twin when her entire body seemed to freeze solid. She couldn't move a muscle.

"Kura?!" Yusuke's voice was panicked.

Purple Hair laughed. "Well, that was easier than I thought. Sweet dreams, Urameshi!"

Yusuke snarled. "What the hell are you - ugnh!"

The thug punched the back of Yusuke's neck and scooped his motionless form over one shoulder. All three boys chuckled.

"No… Yusuke…!" Sakura coughed. The air had been knocked from her lungs in the fall.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura could see Puu hovering in the air with a look of the utmost terror. He was her only chance.

Puu, if you can hear me, go to Botan and Kuwabara. Hurry!

The tiny creature flapped away towards the school, shrieking.

"The car's round the back," Purple Hair nodded at the others, then glanced down at where Sakura was lying. "We don't need her, right?"

"No," someone answered smoothly. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up in a second,"

Sakura heard them walking away, and they were taking Yusuke with them. This couldn't be happening.

"No! No please, don't do this! Don't take him!" Sakura's bravado had fallen away completely. "Yusuke!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Two silhouettes were already out of sight, and she could feel the third stranger hovering over her.

Crap, I still can't move. Why? What's he going to do to me?!

"Shhh," he whispered. "Sorry about this, Sakura. Sleep tight!"

His fingers pinched the right spot on her neck. Stars filled Sakura's vision…

A chorus of shouting and the pounding of feet was the first sign of trouble. Kuwabara opened the door and peeked out.

"Hear that? Yells…"

"What's all that racket?" Botan asked from behind. "Is Kura coming back?"

A tiny fuzzball was flapping towards them, squeaking uncontrollably. He was being followed closely by a rabble of curious and confused onlookers.

Kuwabara blinked. "What the?"

"It's Puu…" Botan gasped in wonder.

The little Spirit Animal slammed into Botan's chest. She caught him and he looked up at her.

"Puu! Puu! Puu!" he was practically screaming in a complete panic.

The crowd paused. "That thing is yours, Kuwabara?"

"What on earth is that, anyway?"

Kuwabara bristled. "What's the big deal? Haven't you seen a blue baby penguin RC hover-beast before?"

"But penguins don't fly…"

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS, THE JUNIOR SCIENCE CLUB?! GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I LOSE MY TEMPER! SCRAM!"

The crowd left. Fast.

Kuwabara and Botan immediately went back into the classroom, where Puu was still shrieking incessantly.

"What's gotten into you, Puu?" Kuwabara asked over the creature's wailing. "How'd you get here? And where's Kura?"

Botan held up her hand. "Just calm down and speak to us slowly!"

Puu glared at her, and Botan realised her mistake.

"Oh, I forgot. You can't talk…"

Botan and Kuwabara watched the tiny figure float to the blackboard and pick up a piece of chalk in his beak. He began to write.

"Uh, Puu?" Botan's confusion was evident. Then Kuwabara gasped. There on the board, Puu had written a warning.

YUSUKE ABDUCTED

"What?" Kuwabara couldn't believe what he was reading.

"What do you mean, Yusuke is kidnapped?" Botan asked sharply.

"But how can that be?" Kuwabara wondered out loud. "Urameshi's not the type of guy to get kidnapped. You'd expect him to be the kidnapper,"

"Well that's true," Botan said reasonably, but then her eyes widened. "Wait, Puu, what about Sakura?!"

Puu shrieked again.

"Ok Puu, chill!" Kuwabara ordered. "Should we go take a look at the field?"

A cold breeze was the first thing Sakura felt as she woke up. She raised her head slightly, but the world was still spinning.

"Puu! Puu!"

Something was fluttering around her head, frantically shrieking. Sakura could hear the faint voices of Botan and Kuwabara. Apparently Puu had gotten there first and was attempting to wake her.

Sakura looked at Puu with a weak smile. "Well done, little friend," she murmured.

Puu nuzzled his body against Sakura's cheek just as Botan hurried to her side.

"Oh God, Kura!"

Sakura felt Kuwabara's hands lifting her upright. "Kura, what happened? Where's Urameshi?"

"Kura, we're here," Botan said gently, examining Sakura for any sign of injury. "Are you alright? Who did this to you?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but instead of words, tears sprang up in her eyes. "Yusuke…"

Kuwabara looked around wildly. "What the heck is going on?"

"Look, just there!" Botan pointed to Yusuke's abandoned school bag.

Weighed down by a rock was a note. Kuwabara picked it up and began to read aloud.

"Tonight at eleven, come to the old mansion in Rokurokubi Estates. You may bring as many guests as you like. But Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara and Sakura must be among them. If these four don't show up on time, Yusuke Urameshi's survival cannot be guaranteed,"

Kuwabara lowered the note and stared back at Sakura. He seemed at a complete loss for words.

Botan shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense. How on earth did they manage to capture him?"

Sakura looked at them with a helpless expression. "I don't know," she whispered. "It happened so quickly,"

"Kura," Botan bent down to her level. "You have to tell us exactly what happened,"

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to replay the scene in her head. "When I got to the door, Yusuke began speaking to me through telepathy, but something was wrong. I could barely understand him. It was like my mind was full of white noise, you know?"

Botan and Kuwabara exchanged an anxious glance. "Go on,"

"It looked like Yusuke was frozen stiff. Paralysed, or something. Whatever it was, they did it to me, too. I couldn't move an inch. And that's when they…"

Sakura's voice was rising with emotion. Botan and Kuwabara were hanging onto every word.

"I tried to stop them. I really did. But they just...took him," Sakura said faintly. She shut her chocolate brown eyes as tears spilled down her face. "I couldn't do anything. They said they didn't need me. They knocked me out and...oh God, YUSUKE!"

Sakura cried out, pressing her fists to her face. "What do they w-want? What are they d-doing to him?"

"Shhh," Botan said soothingly. "It's alright, Sakura. We'll get him back, I promise,"

Kuwabara glared at the note. "Sounds like some serious firepower, that's for sure,"

"And knowing about Hiei and Kurama says a lot, too," Botan added.

Kuwabara nodded darkly. "Yeah, these aren't your normal punks off the playground. Something bad is in the works,"

Sakura stared up at the darkening sky and hoped to God this was just a dream. If only she'd gotten there a few seconds earlier… if only she'd been with Yusuke when those jerks arrived instead of storming off in a temper…

How could I have been so petty? Letting a stupid squabble getting the best of my instincts…Wait, what am I doing?!

Sakura suddenly realised that she was being ridiculous.

Don't sit around crying. Remember what you're capable of. Remember what you've learned and get your damn act together!

Sakura wiped her eyes aggressively and stood up with trembling legs. "We need to get Hiei and Kurama," she said in a surprisingly steady voice.

"Well… Kurama's school is closest," Kuwabara blinked.

Botan looked a little stunned at Sakura's quick recovery, but in a second she was focused as well.

"Right. Puu, you watch over Yusuke's home for us,"

"Puu!" He nibbled Sakura's ear affectionately before flying away.

"Kura… are you sure you're alright?" Botan looked concerned.

Sakura nodded and gritted her teeth. "First we'll go to Meiou, and then Kurama can help us find Hiei,"

If those guys wanted the four of them to come after Yusuke, then Sakura was going to do everything she could to give them exactly what they'd asked for.

A.N. :D Let me know what you thought of this chapter! And what do you think will happen when they enter the mansion? Here's a hint: it's not going to be pleasant for any of them!

Chapter 9 will be released by August 21st. Although if I can write at the pace I did this chapter, I'd say it will likely be earlier. It's not like I have anything better to do since it doesn't look like lockdown is ending til maybe Christmas at this rate (those are the health expert's predictions).

Anyway, in the meantime, please make sure you leave a review, follow/favourite if you haven't already, and stay safe in this crazy awful world. I love you guys, and so does Sakura!

Next Chapter: After tracking down Hiei, the gang enters the House of Four Dimensions to rescue Yusuke, but none of them are prepared for what they're about to face...