It was night. A small figure sat down on a windowsill with one leg up and the other dangling. His friend was sitting on the bed, his gaze fixed on the stars outside.

"Do you trust me?" a serious voice asked suddenly, breaking the hour-long silence between the two friends.

Hiei looked up in surprise, staring the speaker in the eye. He had never expected those things to be asked by the half-youkai. Seconds passed and both just stared at each other in silence.

"I said, 'do you trust me?'" the other youkai insisted, his eyes firmly locked with the small koorime.

"I don't know." Hiei finally answered. His voice was soft, no clear emotion set.

Kurama just gave him a bitter smile. "You know you shouldn't-"

"I know." Hiei interrupted the older youkai. He knew very well that he could never trust anyone.

Kurama shook his head. "You know you're very young. That's probably why you have changed so much since we joined up with Yusuke."

Hiei looked back outside, the kitsune in the corner of his eyes. "You have too. You care about so many humans. Your mother. Your ningen family. Your friends."

"It took a reincarnation to change me." Kurama said bitterly, looking outside as well. "You've changed as a youkai."

"Hn." Hiei responded. Yes, he did. "But then, you have cared as a youkai as well."

Kurama's eyes narrowed at the koorime. "What do you know about my life?"

"Kuronue." Hiei simply said. He noticed Kurama stiffen as that one word had been uttered. He knew that that name was forbidden.

Kurama then bowed his head as memories came back. It was so fast. Everything just flashed so rapidly. He looked back up and met the gaze of two crimson orbs.

"I may know more than you think." the fire youkai said softly, standing on the sill of his window.

Kurama just smiled bitterly at the youkai. He sighed, bowing his head again. When he looked back up, his friend was gone.
 

Hiei flitted from tree to tree and finally settled on one in a forest. He noticed a young man practicing with a clear sword. He had seen this person before. He had noticed that this particular ningen was always practicing with that beautiful sword of his'. That nice and enchanting sword.

The ningen looked a lot like Kurama, he noticed, but had his attitude. The ningen was quiet, his senses trying to be aware of everything around him.

Hiei almost grinned at that, amused. No matter how hard the human tried, he could never sense him.

The figure was practising different sword-moves. Very educated sword-moves. He was fast, his silver-gray hair flying around his face.

Hiei decided to stay and watch the human. He sat down comfortably in the crook of a tree branch and looked above, eyes occasionally staring at the tall swordsman.

The leaves above him were quietly rustling against the gentle wind. The stars were bright and beautiful in the peaceful night sky.

Somehow though, he was troubled again. The question he had often asked himself but never answered had finally been asked by Kurama. He shook his head. Did he really trust him? Kurama had been so good to him; to their friends. Why would he not trust Kurama?

Simple. Yomi. Hiei smiled bitterly at that thought. To know Kurama, one must have to look at his friends. His true friends.

Hn. Kurama was really a complex being. At one end, he is a loyal and caring friend to Kuronue. At another, he is a selfish asshole who only cared for himself like when he pulled that stunt, blinding Yomi.

He shook his head once more. Kurama was those things...yet, what was he to him? A friend or a friend just in the name of convenience?

He snorted mentally in frustration. Sometimes he hated being so young. He had not a lot of experience in friendship. *Real* friendship. Kurama had been the first friend he's ever had...but the question remains, did he trust him?

Hn. No it didn't matter..for now. But then, would he have to wait until he goes blind just to know the answer to that simple yet complex question?

Maybe it was both. He trusted the youko yet he did not. Confusing but true. Kurama was someone he could trust with his wounds and friendship but was also an enemy when it had to come down to it. He had already felt the youko's betrayal once before. He knew the fox wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

If that was the case then he was correct all along. He didn't know the answer.
 

Mikagami was dead-tired. Since the Uru Butusatsujin, he had always practiced here in the woods where no one would be able to see him.

His passion for improving himself had grown. He knew he had more fights to encounter. He was trying to make certain that he would always be ready, like he always have. Though he was strong, he knew someone could always be stronger. He knew that truth from his bitter memories.

He stopped and sat down underneath an old tree. He drank some water and wiped the sweat off his face. He was really tired.

Unconsciously as he gazed up at the stars, his eyes became heavy and not very long after, he was asleep.
 

Hiei, who felt the ningen's aura become steady and even, took this chance. He grinned wickedly as he flitted to stand in front of the ningen.

Slowly, he reached out as quiet and as skilled as the thief he was, grabbed the strange sword and flitted away.

Mikagami frowned suddenly but did not motion to do anything else. This particular personal practice session had drained him well so his deep sleep had not been disturbed.
 

Hiei was staring at the ensui in wonder. It was beautiful. A perfect weapon for its owner.

He tried waving it around then did some practicing as well. He stopped suddenly. He knew this weapon had some sort of power as he could feel it emanating. He had also seen the tall strange ningen do some things with it.

He touched the blade. It was cool to the touch. Almost mystical. He knew he wanted to learn how to use it but then, he just couldn't take it from the human. Reikai wouldn't permit that and besides, he wanted to challenge the
human one day to see his potential.

The human seemed strong and very wise. Much like Kurama. He wondered if Kurama actually knew this ningen who was probably as old as the kitsune's human age.
 

Mikagami opened one eye. The sun was already rising! He quickly looked at his watch and cursed as there was only just two hours left before his classes!

"Damn this..." he muttered under his breath as he searched frantically for his ensui and his other belongings.

He held his breath as the ensui was nowhere to be seen. He looked left and right. He looked up and looked down.

Finally, he sighed in relief as he found it in the pocket of his jacket. How did that get in there? If he remembered it correctly, he hid it in the hood of his jacket to prevent anyone from seeing and stealing it.

He cursed again and finally left the forest quickly, intent on fixing up this mishap.
 

Mikagami arrived at his apartment in record time. He quickly locked the door and headed to the shower.

He turned the shower on and went to his room to get his school uniform.

After he took his jacket and tank top off, he looked outside. He had a feeling that he was being watched. He wasn't sure of course but the feeling was there.

He blinked. There was nothing. No one. But then, was that a black blur he just saw?

He shook his head. Boy, he was really getting jumpy these days. He had been itching for a good fight but none came to feed his hunger. He looked at his watch again. Less than an hour left. He sighed and headed to his bathroom to take his shower.
 

Recca and Domon looked up as they saw a familiar silver-gray haired teenager walk slowly into their school.

"Oi, Mikagami!" Recca called out to his friend. "What's up?"

Mikagami wanted to ignore those two idiots but just shook his head.

Domon and Recca approached him. Both seemed to be in a good mood today.

"Hey, Mikagami, you wanna join us tommorow when we go and watch a baseball game downtown?" Domon asked excitedly.

Mikagami raised an eyebrow. "You badly want me to join?"

Recca jokingly slapped his back suddenly, causing him to almost double over. Luckily, Recca was there to support him as well.

"Hey, you okay, Mikagami?" Domon asked in worry. "You look a bit tired."

Mikagami gritted his teeth as he straightened himself and pushed Recca away. "I'm fine. Just been practicing a little."

Recca smiled at that. "You've been itching for a fight, haven't you? I know that look in your eye."

"Hn, yeah, whatever..." Mikagami grumbled.

"What was that?" Domon asked as he strained to hear what Mikagami was muttering.

Mikagami rolled his eyes. "Nothing. I was just telling Recca that he should stop trying to analyze me and concentrate on Yanagi instead. I don't need another admirer." With that, he walked away from them with a sly grin.

Recca was fuming. "You're such a pompous snob, Mikagami! I wouldn't even think of that..." He almost turned red as he noticed everyone looking at them. Him being Recca however, he chose to ignore them. "Hey, Mikagami! A fight after school, you arrogant baka!"
 

Hiei couldn't understand himself. Why had he followed this ningen this far? After he had returned the ensui, he just couldn't leave. He was curious. He wanted to know about this particular human. He had never been fascinated by regular ningens before but why was he fascinated by this one? Because of the power he possesed?
Yeah, that was probably it.

He looked at the half-naked human from his perch on a tree nearby. Yes, this guy really looked like Kurama. Hn. Kind of like a cross between Youko Kurama and Minamino Shuuichi.

Suddenly, the human looked towards his direction and luckily, because of his fast instincts, he flitted away and hid before he could be seen.

Did the ningen sense his prescence? Or was it mere coincidence?

Finally, after almost an hour of debate within himself, he decided. He'll follow that ningen today just like how he followed Kurama and maybe later, he would challenge him as well.

As he flitted away from tree to tree while following the human, he noticed his expressionless face. Gods, is that how *he* looked when he was in that mode as well? Hn, did it matter?

He stopped suddenly and hid in a tree. He saw two teenagers approaching and talking to 'Mikagami.'

Hn. So he had friends. He looked at the two new faces. The taller one was ugly, kind of like Kuwabara. The smaller one reminded him of Yusuke. Hn, these three were kinda like his three teammates. What a joke!
 

The day went on slowly and it was getting too boring for the young koorime. It wasn't even midday yet!

Without another thought, he flitted away to do his own practicing as well.
 

"Mikagami!" a deep voice called out in an authoritative manner. "Are you listening? Are you paying attention?"

Mikagami turned his head slowly to his sensei as if it didn't matter. "Of course."

His other classmates were looking at him as well and some of the girls were giggling.

The sensei then nodded his head and faced the blackboard again.

"It wouldn't matter if I didn't anyway." Mikagami grumbled under his breath.

The sensei then turned to him quickly with a glare. "What was that, Mikagami?" He hated this particular student of his. Though the boy was probably the smartest one ever to set foot in this school, he just couldn't tolerate this youth.

"Oh, nothing sensei." Mikagami answered sarcastically.

"Hn!" the sensei just said as he turned back to write on the board.

Mikagami just had a disgusted face. This particular sensei of his was annoying to say the least. If only he could make an 'accident' so that he could end the man's annoying existense. Hn. But he couldn't do that.

The sensei blabbed on and on but Mikagami chose to ignore him without concern. He badly wanted to fight someone. His unfulfilled rage was beggining to overcome him. Yes, he'll fight Recca later on. He wanted that. The question was, where was this rage coming from? And why does he suddenly feel like something big is going to
happen later on?

Oh, well. Maybe he just had to wait a little more.
 

Under the afternoon sun, a gust of black wind could be seen flitting here and there if one looked closely enough. It was Hiei in one of his intense trainings again. He was trying as hard as he could to get that ningen out of his head. Why did that human bother him? Why did it seem that there was something about that human that was so big and so important that it could matter to him?

Hiei shook his head, confused, and stopped. He leaned against a tree and tried to catch his breath. He looked around the forest near Genkai's temple. It was so peaceful here. This was probably the only place he liked in the Ningenkai. He closed his eyes, feeling safe. He decided to rest for a while.

That didn't last long however as he felt an unfamiliar youki coming towards him. He immediately flitted away to prepare himself for battle.

He watched, with suspicion, the youkai slowly approach the tree he was at. The youkai looked like a child...like him. He wasn't sure what class the stranger was because he was suppressing it.

The figure was a boy, maybe his height, with short dark brown hair and big brown eyes. He just kept on walking slowly.

Finally, the youkai stopped and looked up. Brown eyes met crimson as both just stared at each other, their guards inpenetratable.

To Hiei's surprise, the youkai suddenly smiled. What the hell? Was this a trick?

"What the hell do you want?" Hiei snarled in anger.

The youkai flitted away and suddenly appeared by Hiei's side. "Nothing. You are Hiei, am I correct?"

Hiei glared at the youkai beside him. He didn't trust him one bit. "What's it to you?"

The youkai smiled again. "My name is Honshu-"

"So?" Hiei interrupted. This youkai was wasting his time. In a split second, his sword was pointed at the neck of Honshu.

Honshu merely laughed. "Jumpy aren't we today?"

"What do you want?" Hiei demanded between clenched teeth.

Honshu sighed, as if tired. "I told you I wanted nothing."

"Then why are you here?"

Honshu gently pushed the sword away from his neck. "It's about your father."

Hiei stopped at that. He didn't know his father nor did he care about him. He knew that his so-called father was probably a bastard. "What father?"

Honshu then took something out of his pocket, with Hiei suspiciously looking on. His hands were clenched as he held something small inside it. "Your father had left something for you before he passed away. I am his servant."

"Hn." Hiei said softly in dark amusement. "Why did he even bother?"

"He is still your father." Honshu answered seriously. "And you are still his son."

Honshu then turned his fists upright and slowly opened them. It was a koorime tear gem. "Take it."

Hiei lifted an eyebrow. A koorime tear gem? Was this the tear his mother shed when she and his so-called father got together? Did it matter?

"Take it." Honshu urged with a smile.

Hiei didn't trust that smile. He didn't trust Honshu and he definitely didn't nor will he ever trust his father. With a snort, he grabbed the tear gem.

"Good boy." Honshu said with a smile. He then flitted away and disappeared.

Hiei looked around for a little while, ready for an attack. There came none. He looked at the tear gem. Wait a minute! Should he trust this gift? Hn. It was just a tear gem.

Before another thought could confuse him even more, he flitted away and headed to Mikagami's school.
 

Mikagami sighed in relief as the bell rung to indicate the end of classes for this day. Now he was going to finally fight; to finally release his suppressed rage.

He walked slowly down the hallway ignoring everyone around him. He ignored the girls who were looking intently at him. He was glad that he had this bad-ass image. If not, they would probably treat him like they would treat the model student of all of Japan...the infamous Minamino Shuuichi. Hn. How could that guy handle all of that? The guy was a saint, for gods sake. That, he could never be but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except...revenge and peace. Peace for his sister and peace for himself.

As he stepped outside, Recca, Domon, Fuko and Yanagi were there, apparently waiting for him.

"What do you want?" Mikagami asked them all a little harshly. He wasn't having a good mood today.

"Oh stop being a sourpuss, Mi-chan!" Fuko said with a grin.

"Hey, Mikagami, we still have that fight, remember?" Recca reminded the older boy.

"Recca, why are you and Tokiya going to fight?" Yanagi asked in curiousity and concern. "Is there something wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong, Yanagi." Mikagami answered, purposely preventing Recca to talk first.

"Hey!" Recca whined in annoyance. "Are you Recca?"

"Obviously you're demented."
 

This was gonna be hard. He wanted to fight in a sword match with the strange ningen but others were there. He didn't want to make a scene but he badly wanted to fight him. For no particular reason actually. Now he was starting to think if he indeed was crazy.
 

"You know Recca, you should be more polite." Fuko said in a bored tone. "You're the one who's provoking Tokiya."

Recca turned his surprised face to her. "What are you saying? He's the one who's arrogant not me."

"Yeah, right." Domon said, not believing Recca one bit.

Mikagami just chose to ignore them. He had a feeling that there was something that was going to happen any minute now.

Just as they passed the corner, a small boy suddenly appeared before them, surprising them all. The boy was glaring at them with his intense and cold crimson eyes.

"Whoa!" Recca said with a start. "You scared us, kid."

Domon looked at the kid. He was probably Kaoru's age. Maybe he was Kaoru's classmate.

"Are you looking for Kaoru?" Fuko suddenly asked.

The boy ignored her, much to Fuko's annoyance. She didn't deserve to be ignored!

"Hello!" Recca said as he waved his hands in front of the boy. He then looked at the direction where the boy was glaring at...Mikagami.

"Oi, Mikagami." Fuko said, also noticing the glare. "What did you do to this kid?"

Mikagami snorted as he glared back at the small boy. "I didn't do anything. I've never even seen him before."

Suddenly the boy spoke. "I challenge you, Mikagami, to a fight."

The Hokage team was in shock. A mere little boy going up against Mikagami? But then Mikagami had fought Kaoru before.

Suddenly, Domon and Recca laughed, much to the boy's annoyance.

"Hn." Mikagami said in amusement. "Why?"

The boy snorted. "Because I know I can beat you."

Mikagami paused for a while. Should he fight this little boy? The boy didn't look like much. But then, that would be good. He'd be fighting both the boy and Recca today. Two fights!

"If you're scared however." Hiei taunted as he turned around and began to walk away.

"I accept." Mikagami then answered.

"Good." Hiei said as he turned back towards them. "Why don't you recharge your sword first? I'll be waiting until then."

The group was startled at that. So the boy knew about the ensui? Mikagami better be more careful. Maybe this boy was stronger than they thought.

Mikagami looked as the boy suddenly flitted away. He should probably take him more seriously.
 

Water flowed upwards to the ensui as its owner looked at his own reflection on the pond in the forest. The ensui was a beautiful thing. So mystical and so powerful at the same time. But then, this was the weapon that had killed his sister; his sister who had tried to protect him! It was the madogou that broke his heart, killed his sister and stole his innocence. And it was the thing that will provide him with revenge.
 

Fire crackled as the master of the dark flames faced the orange late afternoon sky. He looked at his sword. It was merely a sword, a simple thing compared to the ensui...yet, it was more powerful than imagined. It had slained countless beings in the past. It had guarded and protected a forbidden child and lastly, it served as one of the few things that had never abandoned the boy. One of the few things that never failed to be there for him.
 

The two meijins faced each other, each looking at the other with a glare. Both were skilled, both were tough and both had something to prove. Both knew they were more powerful than the other; that they can beat the other.

"Ready, kid?" Mikagami asked the small koorime as he took his battle stance.

"Hn." Hiei responded as he too, took his own battle stance.
 

"You think the kid would have a chance at Mikagami?" Domon asked his friends. He looked on nervously from one swordsman to the other.

"I don't really know." Recca answered, his arms crossed. His eyes studied Mikagami's opponent. "The Uru Butusatsujin had taught me to never underestimate anyone."

"Yes." Fuko agreed. "This should be an interesting match."
 

The two battlers stood still, both eyeing the other for their first move. Suddenly, Hiei flitted away from sight causing Mikagami to blink and look around suspiciously. His opponent definitely was fast. Too damn fast in fact. He had fought Mickey before and she was fast, but this! The boy had inhuman speed!

Mikagami couldn't sense anything. There was nothing but silence. He looked at the trees. Nothing. He looked around once more. No one except his friends.

"Are you scared, little one?"

The taunt worked as Hiei flickered in front of him, his sword about to strike his chest. Luckily, he too was fast so he evaded the attack with his own sword.

The two, now close to each other, then had their battle, the sound of metal clashing loudly in the air.

"Give up, little one?" Mikagami asked as he slashed the koorime for the second time. It had been hard to slash him and the two he had inflicted were not even deep and harmful. The kid sure was tough.

Hiei didn't answer. The human was tough but in fighting him, it was like he was just playing around, his instincts doing all the work for him. He had already wounded the human once and it, compared to the two wounds he had, looked pretty painful.

Again, Mikagami charged, his sword ready to strike.

Hiei blocked it with his sword and both suddenly came face to face, their glares set, their eyes intense and cold; a brief second of looking at each other's soul.

Hiei then pushed the sword forcefully with a lot of his strength and sent Mikagami reeling not so far away.

Mikagami sat for a little while staring as Hiei took his stance once again, waiting for him. So the kid was really tough. He was certain that he had gone through a lot of matches before. The boy was probably very experienced.

He stood up slowly, his mind already calculating his next moves. He needed to take this in stride as he still had one more fight scheduled later on. He walked in an encircling manner, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

Hiei just stared back, his body ready for anything. He knew Mikagami was already planning his next attack. He never underestimated him one bit.

Mikagami suddenly stopped then shoved his sword into the ground.

Hiei looked on. He knew this was one of the ningen's strong moves.

Mikagami then pulled the sword out and ice now covered the ensui, giving it more strength.

Hiei merely stood there, waiting for the attack to come towards him.

Mikagami ran, his sword aimed to hurt his opponent badly.

"Jaoh Ensatsu Ken!"

Hiei's sword suddenly was engulfed in black flames.
 

"Did you see that?" Recca gasped in shock. "He controls flames."

"Maybe his sword is a Madogou." Fuko guessed.

"No, it isn't." Kagerou suddenly answered, surprising them all as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"It isn't?" Domon asked in utter disbelief. "Then that means that he could create flames as well."

"I suspect." Kagerou answered.
 

Fire met ice as a sickening sharp clash was heard. Both the meijins glared at each other as neither intended to put their guard down. Both their wills were so great that ice couldn't extinguish fire and fire couldn't melt ice. It just all seemed balanced.

The two then separated, pacing slowly from each other. Not a second later, they were off again as the two opposite elements faced each other once again.

At the heat of the moment, it seemed like they were both in a different realm without a care for everything else.

That was probably why they almost didn't hear the warning cries of the Hokage team who were now far away.

Both immediately stopped fighting and looked around. There seemed to be no one...except a big portal had opened and its power was so intense that it dared to suck them both in. They struggled to get away as help was fastly approaching them.

"Mikagami!" the Hokage team shouted. They were all rushing to help him from the portal that threatened to suck in their friend as well as the other boy.

"Hiei!"

Hiei looked up in surprise as he heard his name being uttered. It was Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara rushing to help him as well. How the hell would they know about this? Oh, yeah. He had used his youki in calling the Ensatsu Ken and the schools of his teammates were not so far away.

It was a struggle as Recca, who had first reached them, tried to grab Mikagami's hand.

Mikagami, who didn't feel like protesting right about now, tried to reach for the other boy's hand but to no avail. It was as if the portal had already sealed his fate.

"Hiei, hold on!" Yusuke screamed to his little friend as the three of them ran as fast as they could.

It was too late however as Hiei, being so light, had already been pulled into the portal.

"Hiei!"

"Mikagami, just a little more." Recca said in the struggle.

Their fingers were almost near. Safety was almost there for Mikagami.

Suddenly, Recca was blasted away by an unseen power and Mikagami was sucked in the portal as well.