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Poltergeist Report 2: The Untold Saga
Chapter 4 - A Night on the Town
By: Shisoukengo

Shizuru walked calmly through the hallway of the home she shared with her parents and younger brother, the latter of which was currently getting ready to go out. Shizuru had noticed immediately the change in her baby brother's demeanor, which was easy to notice when compared to his more serious ones as of late. So it was with some slight surprise on her part when he got home the previous night grinning like mad.

She had known instinctively that it had something to do with Yukina even before he had said anything. The ice apparition always had that effect anytime her brother was in the demon's presence, and this time had been no different. The things that surprised Shizuru were the details surrounding her brother's excitement. That Yukina had agreed to spend an evening with him wasn't such a big deal, at least not as far as Shizuru was concerned. The girl was known for her impeccable kindness after all, so it was out of the question to turn down such a request without good reason.

That her baby brother had made the offer in an effort to alleviate her boredom, now that was what surprised Shizuru. Though she had always known her brother to be kind at heart, he always had a way of surprising her with his thoughtfulness at times. She entered his bedroom, watching as he prepared for his evening out.

Kazuma stood by his bed, shirtless, waging a silent argument with himself over which shirt to wear. He held two in his hands, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a short sleeved, three-buttoned brown polo-shirt.

"Go with the brown one," she suggested, drawing his attention to the doorway where she was currently standing. "You look better in brown," she finished as she came to stand by his bedroom window.

Opening the window, she took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a slow drag from the object. She wanted to tell him that he looked best in brighter colors, but he didn't have a very wide selection of clothes of that color. Besides, she felt he wore that school uniform of his an absurdly amount of times already. Looking back at her brother, she watched as Kazuma stared curiously at the shirts for a moment longer, before putting down the white shirt.

Shizuru silently observed Kazuma as he donned the shirt, and she once again found herself amused by the fact that Kazuma was going on his first date. Well, maybe not his first date, considering the trio of hoodlums he called friends would be there. Still, she wouldn't allow that to deny her some good-natured teasing.

"So, tonight's the big night, eh?" Shizuru was met with a curious expression as Kazuma glanced at her. Shrugging his shoulders, he proceeded to finish dressing. Taking that as a sign continue, the elder sibling did just that.

"Well, just try not to embarrass the poor girl," this time she was met with a more stern expression. This only made her grin with encouragement. "Don't give me that look baby bro; I'm only trying to help you out after all." This time he began scowling at her. Undaunted, Shizuru went on as she held up a hand and began listing a series of events to back up her point.

"Like the time you tripped and fell during your Junior-high admittance ceremony," at this, her brother began growling at her. "And the time you met Mom's boss with your shirttail hanging out of your zipper," now he was red-faced, "and let's not forget the time-"

"AW SHUT IT WILL YA?" He blew up, finally having heard enough. Shizuru simply adopted a cool expression as he continued his rant. "I'm not an embarrassment!" He finished as he continued to seethe.

Shizuru simply smirked as she put out her cigarette on the window sill before walking out of the room. Before exiting, she turned and gave her brother what was meant to be her final words for the night.

"Try not to stay out too late, ok? This may be the weekend, but you still have a curfew." As she turned to walk out, her words had a chance to sink in and Kuwabara's reply stopped her cold.

"Well, I don't know. I might be tempted to stay out late just like you do." At this, Shizuru turned, giving her brother a hard stare. Kuwabara simply blinked. "What? You are the oldest, right Sis? You're supposed to set the example, right?"

At this Shizuru's stare turned into a full-on glare, one that only prompted Kuwabara to continue. Much like his had done for her earlier.

"I mean what would Mom think if she knew about all the late night partying you do after she's turned in for the night?"

Kuwabara grinned as his words had their intended reaction. He quickly found himself held by the collar of his shirt in Shizuru's firm grip. Her face was inches from his, the lingering smell of cigarette smoke still on her breath.

"You wouldn't dare!" She threatened, and Kuwabara responded by simply grinning.

"Well, I suppose I could be persuaded into silence, for a small fee, of course." He held out a hand, laughing under his breath as he watched Shizuru now seethe in anger. After a couple of moments of glaring, Shizuru slammed her fist down onto her brother's head, effectively knocking him down to the ground.

"Here, just try not to spend it all in one place," she angrily replied as she opened her wallet and dropped a few yen into his still outstretched hand. Walking back to the door, she said loudly, "and you'd better remember to be home at a decent hour. Or you'll get more of that! Got it?" Not waiting for a response, she stormed out of the room.

"Yeah, yeah," Kuwabara grumbled as he sat up, rubbing the sore spot on the top of his head.

'Jeez, I'm still surprised that no matter how strong Urameshi and I seem to get, Sis and Keiko-chan can still hit us so hard!' He thought to himself. That thought brought back the sudden feeling of restlessness that he'd been dealing with lately, as he once again found his self-wondering about the status of those he regarded as teammates and friends.

'Urameshi, Kurama, Hiei. Are you bastards out there fighting each other?' He wondered silently. 'Are you guys training and gettin stronger now?' A sudden feeling washed over him as the muscles in his arms and back tensed. His jaw tightened as orange-colored bolts of energy flashed across his body.

He hadn't been completely lying when he had told Shizuru about the changes occurring with his reiki again. Kuwabara had thought the changes were over after the battle with Sensui, as his energy had seemingly undergone its transformation, with him being able to summon and wield his new Jigen-tou with little problems. It had taken him a while to learn how to summon it, and even after the battle, he was still getting used to the new weapon. There was just no telling what type of potential attributes he would gain, nor what drawbacks might come along with it.

Therefore, he had wisely chosen to place his curiosity over this new weapon, along with his days of fighting, in the back of his mind. In order for him to concentrate more on living a normal life, as Shizuru said that he was meant to. However, along with the restlessness came the sudden and unpredictable jolts of energy flaring from his body. It had happened a few times at school even, though thankfully they were at moments where no one witnessed them. The fact that they were sporadic and occurred in minimal spurts was also helpful as well.

The bolts continued for a few more moments, the muscles in his body beginning to spasm from the strain of being in a tense state for such an extensive period. Finally, the energy bolts subsided, and with it, the muscle spasms as well.

'Man, I HATE it when that stuff happens!' He thought as he let out a frustrated breath. Taking a few more deep breaths, he slowly released the tension before standing up and stretching. Stuffing the money Shizuru had given him into his pockets, he took one last look around the room before leaving.

Yukina sat in front of a low-table on one side of her room after her bath, running a comb slowly through her hair. The grooming device had been given to her by Genkai as a "welcome to Ningenkai" gift. It was just a simple grooming set, but being that Yukina had arrived in Ningenkai with only her mother's tear gem and the clothes on her back, she was grateful for the gift.

"Yukina," Genkai called from the shoji door that had just been slid open.

Ever since taking up residence with the old woman, it never ceased to amaze her how silent the woman moved. She was like a shadow to the ice apparition, appearing without a sound and leaving just as quietly. Yukina turned to address her, wondering what could be the occasion for the old woman's visit to her room. A feeling of apprehension suddenly dawned on her. At her startled expression, Genkai smirked and held her hands up in a placating gesture.

"Don't worry Yukina, Kuwabara isn't here yet." Hearing that, Yukina released the breath she had been holding.

She had spent many years alone in pursuing the search for her brother and had suffered near unbearable tortures at the hands of Tarukane. But somehow, she found herself far more nervous than she could remember being during either of those times. She supposed the interference of Keiko and Botan earlier was the catalyst behind her apprehension. She hadn't been nervous at all when Kuwabara had propositioned her with this evening out.

Time spent sifting through outfits until they found the "right one", as they put it, left Yukina with the sudden feeling that this was more of a monumental occasion than a simple evening out on the town.

"Is this ok?" Yukina asked, indicating the sundress she wore, whose white color matched with her light complexion.

The scattered red cherry blossom design on the dress matched her eyes, the outfit having strategically been picked out of Keiko's collection of clothes. Though Keiko had assured her that she didn't mind loaning her the dress, the fact that she never wore it anymore is one of the main reasons why Yukina still felt a little out of place wearing it. She was immensely more comfortable with the pale blue kimono she was known to wear, but Botan had told her that since she was planning to reside in Ningenkai for a while, she might as well at least get accustomed to wearing the latest fashions.

"You only get one first date, Yukina-chan, so you should make it as memorable as possible. Besides, it'll make your appearance less awkward if you blend in with the crowd. After all, you don't want to attract unwanted attention again, do you?" Botan finished before squealing with excitement.

"Oooooh, this is gonna be great! Yukina-chan's first date with Kuwabara-kun! I can't wait to hear all of the juicy details." At this, Keiko looked over at their bubbly friend while continuing to help Yukina with the dress.

"Botan, this is a very special occasion for Yukina-chan. You don't want to ruin it with interrogation afterward, do you?"

"Alright, fine, I promise no interrogation afterward." Botan sighed, before turning her head as her mind developed another method. 'I can just go back to spirit form and watch them from the sky!' Two conspicuous cat ears appeared on her head, followed by an enthusiastic mew.
Yukina shook herself out of her reflections to turn innocent and expressive eyes toward Genkai. The old woman nodded, smiling gently at the Koorime native.

"Yes, Yukina-chan, the outfit looks very good on you."

Yukina returned Genkai's smile with one of her own. Genkai then turned to look over her shoulder, toward the direction that Yukina recognized as leading toward the entrance gate of her compound.

"Well, it seems the big goof is finally here." She turned back to a suddenly nervous looking Yukina. "I'll go outside and greet him while you finish getting yourself together, alright?"

Yukina nodded, whispering thanks to the old woman as she turned and left the room. Yukina sat listening for a few moments as Genkai greeted Kuwabara, and tried to calm the sudden feeling of butterflies flapping in her belly. After taking another glimpse at herself in the small mirror sitting on her nightstand, followed by a few deep breaths for measure, she stood and made her way outside.

The sight that greeted her was a glowering Kuwabara, who appeared to be staring pretty hard at Genkai. The old woman stared back with what looked like a blank expression, though the short time Yukina had constantly spent in her presence enabled her to detect a twinkle of amusement in her brown irises. Yukina's footsteps echoed on the wooden boards beneath her feet, signaling her arrival and taking the two's attention from each other.

She could see the hard expression on Kuwabara's face instantly vanish into thin air as his gaze landed on her. His eyes softened upon seeing her, and his face lit up with his characteristic goofy grin.

"Yukina-chan," Kuwabara called out to her as if they were separated a great distance apart rather than a few feet away.

"Good evening, Kazuma-san," Yukina greeted back cordially. Kuwabara swallowed hard, straightening himself as he dug deep for the courage to say his next words.

"Y-you look very pretty, Yukina-chan." Kuwabara smiled awkwardly then froze, a frown marring his rugged features. 'Damn, could I be any more of a geek than I am right now? If the guys had been around to hear that, I d never hear the end of it,' he thought to himself.

Yukina, meanwhile, had looked down; intent on studying her outfit to determine what was so different from the way she usually looked. After a few moments of inspection, she gave up, chalking it up to Kuwabara just being his old self. Looking up, the smile she gave him was honest and full of thanks, as it meant to her that at least her trust in Keiko and Botan had been well-placed.

"So, you ready to go, Yukina-chan?" he asked as he held his arm out for her. Yukina glanced at his arm, before smiling and taking it in hers.

'I'll have to remember to thank Keiko and Botan when I see them again,' Yukina thought to herself as she walked away with a still grinning Kuwabara. His smile, while seen as humorous by most, was infectious to her. And she silently wondered why all humans didn't smile like him.

Genkai watched them silently as they left the grounds of her temple. During the brief greeting between the two, she had found herself having to restrain from jokingly demanding the tall teen to have the young demoness back at a decent hour. She was able to resist, however, especially seeing that due to the poor glare he had directed at her, the comment wouldn't have been well-received. With a brief shake of her head, the old hermit retired into the recesses of her home.

'Looks like the idiot has matured somewhat; Things might be getting pretty interesting these next couple of months.' The thought served to bring a small smirk to her weathered face.

Kuwabara chatted aimlessly with Yukina as the two drew nearer to the train station up ahead. Although the discussion was about mundane matters, matters he was sure she had no experience with, like school and video games, the young Koori me appeared interested in the topics. Even stopping him momentarily to ask a question or gain better clarification about something. This was a relief to Kuwabara, as actually being out on a date with a girl was still a new territory with him, and so he wasn't sure what exactly to talk about during a date.

One thing was for sure, he wasn't about to let any awkward silences settle between them.

'I've finally gotten a chance to be alone with her, and on an ACTUAL date! No way am I gonna screw this up,' he had mentally sworn while preparing for the night out.

Of course, one could attribute his need for constant verbal interaction as a means of covering up the nervousness he had been feeling since leaving his home. He could hear the voice of Hiroshima in his ear, giving him advice on how to handle his date.

"Whatever you do, don't let the silence linger in your conversation. That's a major mood killer if you do that."

Looking over at her, Kuwabara couldn't but find himself become entranced by the kindness easily visible in her smile. It made her beauty radiates all the more, and before he knew it, Kuwabara was fully staring at her, his attention solely focused on her.

Suddenly with a loud whack, the taller teen was frozen in place, stunned with the exception of a groan of pain as he peeled his face from the lamp post he had unknowingly walked into. Yukina gasped, the concern now marring her features as she reached out soft pale hands to steady the young man.

"Are you alright, Kazuma-san?" She questioned, wondering if she would need to use her healing powers as she had after every fight he had been in with her present. She watched as Kuwabara suddenly snapped upright and grinned, rubbing the back of his head in obvious embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'm cool, just got surprised is all," he replied. The sound of metal screeching and air pressure being released drew his attention ahead, and he looked up only to see that they had arrived at the train station.

'Well that was fast,' he thought to himself. 'Was I really out of it for that long?' Shaking his head, he slapped his lightly against his cheek while berating himself silently. 'Come on, man, snap out of it. This is your first time out with Yukina. Try ta at least be a little focused.'

Standing upright, he pointed his thumb at the train that was now releasing departing passengers and letting new arrivals on board.

"Well, that's our ride. Come on, let's hurry before we get left behind and have ta wait for the next one." Yukina was glancing between Kuwabara and the train, as if unsure of the thing.
She had seen enough of the contraptions since her arrival in Ningenkai but had yet to try them out of uncertainty. Being boxed in a high-speed metal box with strangers of a different species was not exactly a comfortable idea, but Kuwabara's warm hand grasping her own reminded her of his presence. Comforted by that, she allowed him to pull her along as they hurried up the stairs of the platform which led to the train.

Inside of the train, Kuwabara let his shoulders slump as he let out a sigh of relief.
"Huh, we made it. Hmm," his attention was suddenly directed toward Yukina as she nearly collapsed against him.

She grasped his arm, using it to steady herself as the lurch of the train moving forward had thrown her off balance. Looking up at him, she could only flush in embarrassment at the predicament they were in. Kuwabara couldn't help but find himself admiring her quiet beauty once again; however, he was able to snap himself out of it this time.

"I'm sorry to grab you so suddenly. I wasn't quite ready for this, train, to move just yet." Her voice was soft, and her cheeks were blushing, but she still smiled so cheerfully in spite of it.

"Ha-ha, no big deal. These things can catch you off guard if you aren't careful." He laughed it off with her. Huddled together in the rail cart, the two were silent for a few moments as Yukina looked around in wonder. Her eyes took in the sight of various people standing or sitting in the nearly over-packed cart.

"Is it always this crowded?" She asked as two people standing beside her brushed against her occasionally due to the rocking of the train.

"Yeah, sometimes more so," he then looked down at her as she met his gaze with a pair of eyes that seemed laced with a slight sense of nervousness. He grinned at her, unable to pass up an opportunity to assuage her worry.

"Hey, as long as you stay close to me you'll be fine, I guarantee it." Kuwabara then took her hand into his, giving a gentle squeeze that caused her to smile back up at him. Nodding her head in understanding, she continued to hold his hand as the train sped forward.

The ride continued for almost 20 minutes, though for Yukina those minutes seemed to stretch far too long. Kuwabara kept an awareness of her mood, knowing that the ride was unsettling to her. He simply redirected her focus, as he described in length, the place they would go to see on their night out. This succeeded in elevating her mood, as she confessed to him that she had always had a desire to see more of the human cities.

"Searching for my brother was all that I have been able to do all of this time, but as you know, it hasn't been successful." She stopped to gaze out of the nearest window as the bright lights passed by in a blur. "And being in that man's clutches for so long, I had never been able to stop and take in the scenery of your world."

Kuwabara remained silent, knowing who she referred to as "that man". His anger at Tarukane's treatment of her had abated over the years. After all, if she was able to forgive the man who tortured her for numerous years, then who was he to hold a grudge? Of course, that stop him from thinking about the things he would do to the next person who tried to hurt her. Hearing her mention her failed attempt to find her brother again, brought to his mind a question he had meaning to ask for quite some time now.

"Hey, when you said what you said about how your people should be wiped out for shutting down their hearts," his brown eyes bore into her own ruby ones as he drew her attention. "Did you mean that?"

For the first time since she'd met him, Yukina could not bring herself to look at the tall young man beside her. She remembered the comment well, though she was so caught in her reasoning with Hiei that she had momentarily forgotten that Kuwabara was standing not a few feet away. Slowly, she nodded her head, before focusing an almost impassive gaze on him. It was one that caught Kuwabara off guard, as he was definitely not used to seeing it directed toward him. He vaguely reminded himself that he was not the direct cause of such a gaze.

"Yes, I meant it. The thing they did to my brother, throwing him from that cliff so high up in the sky, forcing him to survive on his own away from his only family. They ruined three lives that day, mine, my mother's, and my brother's, all just so they could abide by some ancient, ridiculous custom. I truly believe that those who will do that to a helpless child deserve death."

Kuwabara just stared her, meeting her impassive look with an oddly calm one, though mentally he was anything but calm.

'She really means it too. There's no hesitation or anything in her voice, she really thinks her people should die.'

Ya know ya sound a lot like that bastard, Sensui." He commented, this time directing his gaze to the passing city lights outside. Yukina looked at him puzzled, not clear on just who he was talking about.

"Who is this Sensui person?" She asked, maneuvering herself closer to Kuwabara as the train stopped at one of its stops. People exited and others entered, and Yukina was at that moment grateful that the cart seemed just a little more spacious than before.

"Right, you weren't there for it. Sensui was a guy Urameshi and I went up against not too long ago. He was diggin a hole to the Makai because he had a grudge against his people too." Kuwabara then turned to meet her eyes.

"You fought against him?" She asked, getting a stiff nod from Kuwabara. "And, what happened to him?" Her voice was pensive as the question left her lips. A sigh from Kuwabara was her immediate response, followed by his eyes on hers once again.

"Well, make a long story short; he became a victim of his own destructive ambition. And, that's not something I want to see happen to you as well. Please, Yukina-san, don't let someone else's screw ups ruin your own future." He clasped her hands in his, causing the all-too-familiar red hue to rise to her pale cheeks.

'He's being silly again.' She thought to herself and was inwardly impressed with his intuition. 'He knows how I feel about my homeland, and he's trying to cheer me up.' She gave him an honest smile, grateful that she had a friend like him in this strange world that she had only just recently becoming accustomed too.

Seeing her smile at him in that way had a similar effect on the tall teen as well, causing his cheeks to warm at the possibility of having brought himself closer to her.

'Yeah! Keep this up and you'll get a lot more dates in the future.' His mental reverie was suddenly shaken as the train came to a halt, giving a slight jerk to all who did not have their feet firmly planted. Yukina only swayed slightly, managing to stay mostly upright this time.

Kuwabara looked down and grinned at her, causing her attention to drift back up to him.
"Hey, you're getting better at this, Yukina-san!" He declared in his deep, masculine voice.
"Yes, I guess so huh?" she laughed in response as they departed from the train and made their way into town.

***********

The soft footsteps of an individual made their way through the long, enormous corridors of the castle-like structure. Clutched in the figure's hands was a folder containing classified information to those of lower status in Reikai. This meant beings like the ogre's who could usually be seen running about, doing such mundane activities as filing, and the soul ferries, the individuals responsible for guiding the souls of the dead to Reikai.

And although one would assume that the figure fit into the latter category, Ayame had been around long enough to be privileged to such sensitive information. It also helped that the son of Reikai's ruler, and her former boss, had a soft spot for her and trusted her probably as much as he did the ogre who worked full time as his assistant, and the bubbly, pink-wearing ferry girl who he assigned as the assistant to his former detective.

Both of these were things she was well aware of, and although her duty was always to Reikai and it's governing of Ningenkai, she could not help but trust in the judgment of the toddler deity. So it was to her chagrin that King Enma, the lord of the castle of Reikai, had demanded to see the reports of the recent incident involving the former detective, Sensui Shinobu.

Though the mighty ruler had received an official report from the leader of the Spirit Defense Force, there were still many questions left unanswered, as the S.D.F. had only arrived after the tunnel to Makai had already been breached. Arriving at her destination, Ayame knocked on the gargantuan double doors, waiting for permission to enter.

"Enter, Ayame."

The baritone voice sounded clear from behind the thick structure. It never ceased to amaze her how the great King Enma seemed to know who it was approaching his chambers. Of course, one doesn't exist for nearly all of creation without gaining such a high level of sentience. The fact that he was expecting her arrival could have been a factor as well.

Ayame phased through the doors, her footsteps continuing to be barely heard as she approached the mammoth throne and the giant sitting on it. She bowed low as she held out the folders clutched in her hands.

"Enma-Daioh-sama, I have the reports you requested."

The ruler of judgment nodded his head, acknowledging the young ferry-woman in front of him. Besides his throne, the captain of the Spirit Defense Force stood silently, having no need to speak or acknowledge the woman in front of them.

"Good, relay all of the information that is written in those reports. Leave nothing out," King Enma stated, focusing all of his attention on the information contained in those folders.

"Yes, my lord, according to the information gathered by our intelligence, as well as the witness accounts from the Spirit Defense Force members; on the day in question, the former Reikai detective, Urameshi Yusuke, along with a group of others, entered an underground cavern located outside of Mushiyori City." The two beings nodded their heads in silent acknowledgment.

"The group consisted of Urameshi Yusuke, his master Genkai, the demons Hiei and Kurama, and 4 human males."

"Boys?" King Enma intoned, wanting Ayame to elaborate further.

"Yes, my lord. Our intelligence places them between the ages of 14-16 in human years."
"14 years old?" Ayame nodded, verifying the information. King Enma glanced at the S.D.F. captain as if asking for more verification.

"Captain?"

"Enma-Daioh-sama, when we arrived on the scene, there were four humans present just outside of the cave. One was the human psychic Genkai, and the other three were human males, though one of them appeared considerably younger than the other two, and appeared to have died not long before our arrival." King Enma nodded in further acknowledgment. "Another human boy was also discovered inside of the cave, alongside Koenma-sama."

"Then that would mean either the three human boys you discovered outside of the cave or the one located inside with Jr., were responsible for the tear you discovered in the Kekkai barrier."

"Ordinarily, my lord, however, it would require a significant amount of power to accomplish such a thing. Not to mention a unique one as well, as ordinary reiki could not do such a thing either."

"Agreed, a power of that caliber could not stay hidden for long. We would have learned of it sooner." The giant agreed with a nod of his head.

"Also, my lord, the age of one of the boys in question does not match up with those who were said to have accompanied the detective in the cave," Ayame spoke, breaking her stretch of silence.

"Former detective," King Enma corrected. "Ayame, are you certain of this information?" Ayame bowed low, the gesture adding emphasis to her words.

"Yes, Enma-Daioh-sama, this information came directly from our intelligence department. It could not be wrong."

"Then that would leave one unaccounted for. Ayame, is there any information regarding the names of the four humans who originally entered the cave?" The giant's voice reverberated throughout the room, the demand to get to the bottom of the issue clear in his tone.

"Yes, Enma-Daioh-sama, according to Reikai's intelligence, the names of the 4 humans is Kuwabara Kazuma, Kaitou Yu, Mitarai Kiyoshi, and Yanagisuwa Mitsunari. Each of them fits the age estimates listed in the report."

The S.D.F. captain tensed, appearing thoughtful for a moment as he reflected on a recent memory. The action, coupled with his silence, managed to grab the attention of both King Enma and Ayame, who had paused momentarily to see what, if anything, the captain would add to the report's information.

"That first name, Kuwabara, I recognize it, Enma-Daioh-sama." King Enma glanced at him, giving the captain a look as if to continue. "A boy by that name was present when the former detective, Urameshi Yusuke, was escorted to Makai. From the words that he used at the time, he spoke as if he might have been there at one time."

"Then he must be the one responsible. Ayame, is there any information regarding this human?"

Ayame was glad at that moment to have thought ahead enough to have brought all of the files pertaining to the individuals involved in the incident. She would have hated to anger the great King by not being fully prepared for this meeting.

"Yes, my lord, according to our reports, Kuwabara Kazuma is 15 years old and resides in the city of Tokyo, Japan. It states he has known Urameshi Yusuke for some time, though the two were never seen working together until shortly before the start of the Dark Tournament."
"Yes, the two seemed to have some form of camaraderie when I last saw them," the S.D.F. captain nodded affirmatively.

"To what extent was his involvement with that demon?" King Enma inquires.

"My lord, according to the reports, Kuwabara Kazuma is reported to have participated in the master psychic Genkai's apprenticeship tournament. It is unknown as of this time if this was intentional or not. He is also reported to have volunteered in the battle against the former Saint Beasts, as well as the mission to rescue the demon Hiei's captive twin sister, and the Dark Tournament."

"Oh, he fought in that debacle?" The S.D.F. captain was well aware of the legendary precedence surrounding the 50-year tournament involving captive demons and rich humans.

"Yes, apparently he was forced into competing alongside Urameshi Yusuke by the former Toguro brothers. The reports state that he competed against and defeated the elder Toguro in the finals."

"To defeat either of those wretched humans is a feat in and of itself. The fact that the boy volunteered to assist in battling the Saint Beasts is also intriguing. Captain?" King Enma directs his attention back upon the leader of his personal guard.

"Yes, Enma-Daioh-sama?"

"You stated that the barrier appeared to have been torn by a blade-like weapon, correct?"

"Yes, my lord, the energy fibers connecting that part of the net together were found hanging at a downward angle when we arrived at the breach, indicating a cutting stroke."

"Ayame, do the reports show any details of any existing abilities the human might have?" The ferry-woman nodded, turning back to the reports in her hand.

"Yes, Enma-Daioh-sama, the reports state that Kuwabara Kazuma's abilities are listed as including an exceptionally heightened state of reiki sensitivity. It also states that he is able to form weapons out of reiki. Unlike Urameshi Yusuke, he appears to prefer cutting weapons over explosive ones. It appears, however, that the boy was cited as stating in front of Koenma-sama, that he could not use any of his spiritual abilities after the tournament's end."

King Enma leaned back in his seat, his face a stern mask of concentration as he deliberated on what the next step to take would be. The S.D.F. captain sat waiting, knowing that the deity would soon give the order about what would be done with the boy. It was clear from the information gathered that the boy was a prime suspect as being responsible for breaking the barrier between worlds. Even if the boy was not able to summon his powers after the tournament, both the captain and King Enma knew that it was too great of a risk to assume that it was still true.

"It is utterly incomprehensible that a human should be capable of such a thing as breaking the Kekkai barrier. However, the only other alternative is that one of those demons was the culprits, and that is a notion that I simply refuse to entertain. Ayame, you are dismissed from this meeting."

The ferry-woman bowed low once again, before turning and making her way back to the room's entrance, fading through the doorway as she exited. Turning to the only other being in the room, King Enma spoke sternly.

"Track the boy down, and verify that he is the one we are looking for. Exercise whatever means you can to accomplish that, only do not reveal yourself until you are certain that he is the one." The captain nodded in understanding.

"I think I have something in mind to accomplish that, Enma-Daioh-sama. What actions are we to take if the boy is the one, my lord?"

"Normally, he would be executed outright. A power such as that cannot be left to roam free unhindered. It would pose too much of a danger if the boy's abilities were discovered and he was captured. However, I am reluctant to do so, as the boy is a close associate of my son. It will no doubt cause more strife between him and me if that were to happen." King Enma then sat up straight, his gaze focused on a distant point.

"Plus, I am not one who easily ignores selfless acts, and the boy did lend his power to help battle the Saint Beasts and those accursed Toguro brothers. Therefore, I want you to gauge his abilities. If he is found incompetent, kill him, he will only endanger the fate of our world and Ningenkai. If he is not, then place a psychic block on his power. Either way, I do not want it accessible."

"Yes, my lord," the S.D.F. captain bowed and made a swift exit to carry out the deity's order.

Down the long and winding corridor, Ayame re-entered the main entrance to the Reikai palace. Approaching a blue-haired ferrywoman, who had just finished guiding another soul to the afterlife, she spoke only a few words in passing.

"Inform Koenma-sama, the human is in danger."

Botan turned, casting a disturbed glance to the black-clad ferry-woman. Thinking she might mean Yusuke, Botan set out to reveal this information to her exiled employer.

**********

"HE WANTS TO DO WHAT?!" An incredulous voice demanded, the walls of the suburban home shaking not from the pitch of the voice, but by the punch that followed.

Shizuru removed her fist from the dent she had created, her anger too high for the sharp ache in the limb to register. Not that it would have, after all, she'd hit harder objects before. On the opposite end of the low table that separated them, Genkai sat quietly, allowing the young woman to vent. Though Shizuru is often the calmer of the two siblings, she is still a Kuwabara, and Genkai knows that when angered it's best to allow them to vent.

She continued to sip her tea while Shizuru continued to pace back and forth, muttering expletives toward her younger sibling. Having seen enough of the girl pacing a trail in her sitting room floor, the old woman finally spoke.

"I honestly thought he might have said something to you about it." Shizuru turned a deadly gaze on the martial arts master, on that had no effect on the elderly woman.

"Little twerp never said a single word to me about it. I swear for all of that bickering he does with Yusuke-kun, the two-act almost alike. It's a wonder Keiko never throttled Yusuke-kun for shit like this." Genkai nodded silently, as Shizuru resumed her pacing.

"In any case, I came here to inform you because I'm considering extending the boy an offer."
"You're what?" Shizuru's dangerous glare returned in full force. Genkai just ignored it.
"The kid does have a point. Idiot he may be, he should at least learn to fully utilize his own power. Especially considering the release of that Jigen-To of his. There's no telling what other effects it could have. Not to mention that it would be a shame for all of that talent he has to go to waste."

"Talent?" Shizuru scoffed, the word sounding very out of place when used in conjunction with her baby brother. "I swear, old woman, it's comments like that, that make me start to wonder if you're getting senile."

"And it comments like that, that make me wonder if you take some sadistic pride in tearing apart your own brother's accomplishments." Genkai returned the younger woman's glare this time, unwilling to put up with anymore attitude.

Seeing the steel in the old woman's gaze, Shizuru relented, dropping her glare while turning to face the window looking out onto the front yard. Her shoulders sagged after a few moments, a deep breath forced out of her lungs, a sign that she was willing to listen to Genkai's reasoning.

"Yusuke was nearly as unpolished as Kuwabara when he first came to me. You were right in saying they are similar. Yusuke was just like Kuwabara, an idiot with incredible talent, but no idea of how to use it. He may have been responsible for defeating Toguro and stopping Sakyo's plan, but I doubt he would have been able to do so had I not been there to hold his hand." Genkai shut her eyes, silently reflecting on the young man who had just recently outgrown her tutelage.

"Kazu came close to dying so many times." Shizuru reflected softly, drawing the old woman's attention back onto her. "When he and Yusuke-kun would fight after school, he would come all bruised and swollen. I never worried about it because I had pounded on him enough to know he could take it."

Genkai remained quiet, unwilling to disturb what was a rare display of Shizuru's introspective side.

"Then he came home from going to see you about his awareness, and he looked like he'd been fighting again. I knew it wasn't because of Yusuke-kun then, because his clothing was pretty much mangled. I didn't say anything, but I knew something had happened that day. Then the next time he disappeared, Kurama-kun and Hiei had to carry Kazu and Yusuke-kun here. I knew something was wrong then, because he was missing the entire top of his uniform, and he looked as if he'd been mauled by a tiger."

Shizuru continued to stare outside, while Genkai still remained quiet. Having kept tabs on Yusuke at the time, she didn't need to ask what Shizuru was talking about. She already knew what the younger woman was referring to.

"Then the Dark tournament came along, and Kazu went missing for three whole months. No letter, not a single word from him, and Kazu had never done that. Yusuke-kun had gone AWOL as well, and Keiko said that wasn't his style either. I decided right then that I'd find the little twerp no matter what. Only Botan telling us about the ultimatum they were given stopped Keiko and me from strangling them."

Genkai grinned at the thought, amused at how easily her apprentice bent to the young girl's will. Being that the two were currently engaged, from what she had heard, she knew the idiot would be in good hands. Only someone with an attitude more stubborn than Yusuke's could beat him into submission, as Keiko had done. After all, he needed a good kick in the ass to motivate him, and Yukimura Keiko certainly had the spunk to do the job.

Now all the elderly master had to do was get the other idiot squared away and she could finally relax in peace. Shizuru continued getting to the point of whatever it was she was trying to say.

"I couldn't believe what I saw when we got there. Here we were surrounded by man-eating demons, with our lives on the line, and Kazu was fighting like he was back in grade school. The only time he seemed to get serious was when Yukina-chan showed up, and against that Toguro freak at the finals."

Shizuru kept her gaze locked outside, idly watching as a car would occasionally drive past. Though she wouldn't say it aloud, the elder Kuwabara sibling was hoping to see her younger brother come marching off of the sidewalk and into their yard. If for no other reason than to chew him out for attempting to weasel his way out of their agreement.

"If it helps, the goofball does seem to have the noblest reason I've heard so far." This drew Shizuru's attention back to Genkai.

"What could possibly be noble about getting himself killed fighting in a war he has no place in?"

"I don't think Kuwabara intends to get involved, not after what I overheard him say to Yukina-chan. I think he just wants to be prepared, just in case things don't end happily ever after." Shizuru raised a solitary eyebrow, wondering if she had just heard the aged fighter correctly. Genkai just waved a dismissive hand as she sat the empty cup down on the table.
"Don't get me wrong, I trust Yusuke with a lot of things since the tournament ended. And knowing that his dormant power has awakened and that he's currently learning how to use it properly, has only eased my worries slightly. However, we all have to consider that even Yusuke might be in over his head with this one. I think Kuwabara is trying to prepare for that."

"Then he's not the only one making preparations either."

The two women turned in the direction of the seemingly non-existent voice. Their bodies were tense until the familiar sight of Koenma in his teenage form faded into the room. The two relaxed momentarily before they noticed the troubled expression on the deity's face.
"Is something wrong, Koenma? It's not like you to make house calls." Genkai noted all business as usual.

"No, I'm afraid it's quite the opposite of that," he stated. Shizuru felt a lump develop in her throat as the deity seemed to be looking around for something. Apparently unsuccessful in finding what he was searching for, Koenma turned an anxious gaze to her.

"Where is Kuwabara?"

***********

The two had started their evening by touring some of the city's most popular tourist spots. He knew that there was simply no way he would be able to show her all of the sights scattered throughout the 23 prefectures of the bustling metropolis. Instead, Kuwabara settled on developing a pre-planned route that targeted many of the basic areas, such as shopping malls, parks, and grocery stores. Yukina was surprisingly attentive, assuring Kuwabara that the information would be useful to her, as it meant she could repay Genkai for allowing her to stay at her compound, by venturing out to gather grocery items for the old woman.

As the two continued on their way throughout the area, Kuwabara directed them to the highlight of the night. Yukina was slightly in awe of the glowing lights and gigantic projector screens highlighting portions of some of the buildings in the downtown area of Tokyo. Despite the passage of time, the city seemed even more alive than it had when she and Kuwabara had started out during the day. It wasn't long before the two had bumped into a few people who appeared to be friends of Kuwabara.

This was how the two found themselves inside of the nearby place Kuwabara had informed her was called "Burger world". Though she had been in Ningenkai for the better part of a year, the young Koorime-native had been unable to sample the native cuisine due to a lack of native currency. Since she had never had any exposure to a society where clothing and goods were traded by offering monies, Yukina had to forego food and new clothing until she was offered a room at Genkai's home.

Yukina returned her attention to Kuwabara and his friends, noticing that their attention was focused on her. She blushed and chuckled in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Are you alright?" Kuwabara asked his expression a combination of confusion and possibly concern. "Akane-chan was trying to ask you something."

He nodded in the direction of the petite red-head standing beside the brown-haired boy she remembered Kuwabara addressing as Kirishima. On the opposite side of Akane, stood a girl with platinum-blonde hair and a bored expression, who Yukina vaguely remembered was called Gina. Beside her stood a boy with what appeared was a similar look to the blonde, who Yukina remembered was called Sawamura.

"Yes, I am fine. I am very sorry for troubling you." She bowed to them graciously, hoping they would accept her apology.

When she stood back up, Yukina noticed the three exchange confused glances with each other. Kuwabara just grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head nervously. Not understanding what the looks were about, Yukina released her nervous tension when the three just shrugged their shoulders and waved away her apology. The young Koorime promised then that she would focus more on the conversation. It was clear to her that the two boys were close to Kazuma and held him in a high regard. Therefore, she didn't want to alienate herself from them or leave a bad impression upon them. It would reflect poorly on him if she did, and Yukina didn't want such a thing to happen at all.

"Please, ask me your question, Akane-san"

"Oh, I was just wondering what it's like where you're from? I mean, Kuwabara-kun here told us you're from the north. But he's never said where, I was hoping you could tell us a little of what it's like."

Kuwabara looked nervous, not attempting to hide it as he exchanged a glance with Yukina. Yukina wondered for a few moments why her friend had told his friends such an obvious lie. Then it dawned on her that they were not very likely to believe that she was from another world. Especially if they had no knowledge that such worlds even existed, which she knew from experience that most humans didn't. Placing a smile on her face, she nodded, silently agreeing with her human friend that discretion was the best policy.

"Yes, I come from the lands up north. There is not much that I can say about it, except that it is a very cold place. The winters are long and the winds there are harsh." Though it wasn't actually a lie, Yukina still felt a slight sense of guilt, wanting to gain favor with friends of the boy who had helped free her from captivity.

"Wow, sounds like a drag of a place to live in," Kirishima stated, not liking the thought of living in such harsh weather conditions.

"I know, it kinda reminds me of the stuff I remember hearing about Hokkaido." Sawamura agreed.

"So do they have shopping malls and stuff up there? Where are the places to hang out at?" Gina asked the questions in rapid succession, intrigued at the prospect of meeting someone from that far up north. No one in their group had ever been to Hokkaido, the four teens have only been outside of Tokyo to visit locals and families in the nearby cities.

"No, I am afraid they do not have any of the places you enjoy here in your own town. The people there are as cold as the weather itself, and generally, do not have much involvement with each other. If it is alright with you, I would like not to speak of my home anymore. It is a place of unwelcome memories, which I do not wish to intrude upon this wonderful evening."

The four teens exchanged silent glances again, slightly unnerved at how polite the girl spoke. They also couldn't see the people there being anything like she described them as, especially considering the girl's kind and polite nature. A look at Kuwabara told them all that the subject was taboo for the rest of the night, and the group lapsed into other topics, eventually placing their orders as they did. The scene was quite comical when it came for Yukina's turn, as the young girl looked at the menu of food items with an expression of utter curiosity.

When she revealed that she had never eaten either a hamburger or fries, Akane and Gina shook their heads in silent wonder. The town the girl had come from must've been either incredibly small or seriously outdated for her to have never had the popular food items. Though curious, Kuwabara suggested a salad, not wanting the girl to feel she had to try the food items before she was ready. Yukina was very grateful to him for doing so, as she didn't know if she would be able to eat such food, and did not want to further embarrass herself or him.

The group continued to chat amiably over their food, Sawamura, and Kirishima both telling tales of their lives alongside Kuwabara before high school. Akane and Gina did a good job of keeping the boys' stories from getting to over the top, as both were known to embellish from time to time. A trait their friend and leader used from time to time also.

The night was going well before a sudden and devastating explosion sounded several blocks over from the food establishment. The boys instinctively covered the girls who likewise instinctively covered their ears. The deafening roar of the explosion only lasted a few moments, the shockwave that followed being felt by them as well. Kuwabara normally would have stayed put, letting the local authorities handle the matter, and making sure his friends were alright.

However, the tingling sensation that had suddenly made its presence so pronounced brought with it a disturbing feeling. Through the instinctive use of his awareness, he had been able to detect the feeling of a strong yoki just before the blast had taken place. Coupled with the fact that the yoki seemed vaguely familiar to him, the red-haired teen new that this wasn't an isolated incident. Something serious was going down, and he knew that he was the only one left in Ningenkai to stop it. Leaping up from his seat, Kuwabara immediately darted toward the entrance, the startled voices of his friends sounding behind him.

"Kazuma-san!" Yukina shouted, struggling to be heard over the raucous around her. Kuwabara didn't slow in the least.

"Kirishima, Sawamura! Keep Yukina-chan with you; don't let her out of your sight!" He called out over his shoulder as he dashed out of the doors and down the street, headed towards the blazing fires and rising smoke nearby.

To Be Continued…

A.N. – Again, to all of those who are still reading this story, I am sorry for the extremely long update. I hope this lengthy chapter will somewhat make up for that. And to those who are still reading, thanks for sticking around. I promise not to disappoint any further.