Okay, Jazi here. I just watched the fight between Karasu and Kurama for the first time and was highly entertained by the whole thing. Anyway... here's something that kind of came to mind and I had to write it. This is right after the Dark Tournament and everyone is resting on the beach that night. This is a small, one chapter story. I rarely do these things but I might do a few more when the mood strikes.

"Kurama."

"What?"

A red-haired boy sat alone on the rocks overlooking the ocean. The crescent moon beamed down on his hair, making it look pink. His eyes locked onto the intruder of his silent solitude. Another person stood there. It was Hiei. To any innocent bystander, it would have seemed that two teenage boys were there, coldly staring at one another. But in fact the red-haired Kurama was a human with a reincarnated fox demon spirit. The other boy was a fire demon. His black hair shone with blue highlights, all except for the one streak of white that curled over his short bangs. A white headband was wrapped around his forehead and he wore his usual black clothes.

"Well," Kurama asked lowly. "What is it, Hiei? Are we leaving now?"

"No, I just came looking for you."

Hiei didn't just "come looking for you" for no reason. Although Kuwabara might do that, it just wasn't Hiei's thing to seek out company. The fire demon was a loner by nature.

"All right, I'm thoroughly suspicious, why do you want to talk?" Kurama asked with a small smile.

Hiei didn't return the friendly gesture, but sat down. He absentmindedly fingered a tear in his black robe and then stared at Kurama's face. "You were ruthless."

"Excuse me?" Kurama asked in surprise. "I don't think I understand you."

Hiei leaned back and his eyes narrowed, glinting in the dim light. "During your fight with Karasu. Although I can understand the need for mercilessness when a battle such as that is going on… that last attack of yours. It was an unnecessarily painful, drawn out way for Karasu to die. It pumped the blood right out from his heart. I've only heard of such an attack before. I'd never seen it until you unleashed it. Why?"

"Why did I use that attack? I don't really know. I didn't even choose the attack," Kurama answered with a shrug. "The rest of my life energy decided the way for Karasu to die." He paused and was deep in thought for a long time. "Perhaps Youko's influence…" the redhead murmured to himself.

"Made you pull off that particularly cold-blooded attack?" Hiei finished. "I doubt it."

Kurama sighed and let himself slide backwards until his back was resting against the cool stone. He stared up at the stars. "Why are you so interested, anyway?"

It was Hiei's turn to look puzzled. "Just curiosity. You are always the kind one. I just wanted to find out what could have driven you to do such a thing."

"Yes, I suppose it was strange of me," Kurama murmured. "After all… killing your enemy in a way that causes him agony is usually your style." He shook his head and then sat up.

"So I guess the real question is… what could piss you off so much that you would unleash a heart-attacking-blood-sucking-killer-plant-thing on Karasu."

Kurama nodded slowly. "I do think I know why my energy chose that attack, now."

"Why? Please tell me so I never get on your nerves enough so you chose to sick that plant on me next." Hiei's voce practically dripped with sarcasm, but a hint of curiosity was in it, too.

Kurama let out a breath. "He snuck up behind me. Karasu and Bui, together. It was on the day Genkai died. They stopped me and Karasu informed me that a member of our team would die today. Bui struck the wall suddenly and I glanced at him. When I looked back, Karasu was gone. I couldn't even sense him anymore."

"So…? Go on."

"Suddenly I felt two hands reach around my neck."

Hiei blinked. "Ah. He said one member of our team would die and then he tried to attack you. So you got angry and took revenge during the match." It made perfect sense to him.

Kurama shook his head. "No."

"What? What do you mean, 'no?'"

"I mean that's not what he did."

"Than what did the bastard do?" Hiei burst out angrily. "Just say it."

Kurama's green eyes sparkled in a deadly way. "He touched my hair."

Hiei, who had been leaning forward in an eager way, fell over and nearly toppled off the cliff. He scrambled to his feet and scurried away from the edge. "WHAT?"

"He—touched—my—hair," Kurama said, as if explaining it to a child.

"I heard you… but WHAT?"

"Touch," Kurama replied. "A word derived from the Roman language—"

"I know what it means!" Hiei said hotly. "But why would that demon have the chance to blow your head up into a thousand tiny bits… and he touched your hair?"

Lifting a hand to finger his red locks, Kurama looked at Hiei. "Yes." He frowned.

"Makes no sense whatsoever," Hiei muttered. Then his red eyes widened. "Ah!"

"What?"

Hiei smiled darkly. "I see. First the girls fall for you…"

It was Kurama's turn to look annoyed.

"I see I am correct," Hiei said with an evil grin. "So, now even the late Toguro's little pet Karasu couldn't resist Kurama."

A silent glower was Kurama's response.

"So that's why… after all the bombs he fired at you, he never attacked your face," Hiei said thoughtfully.

Kurama paled.

"What, did I say something of significance?"

"More than you know," Kurama muttered. "Karasu said almost the exact same thing."

Hiei cackled wickedly.

"You're not to tell anyone, this is embarrassing." Kurama stood up and brushed his dark pants off.

Hiei's answer was to laugh harder.

"The beautiful Kurama is once again being stalked by lovesick psychos… only this time, it's a guy!"

"Hiei…" Kurama said warningly.

"You would have made a great couple," Hiei finished.

Moments later, the fire demon was tied up with several flameproof vines and was plummeting towards the ocean below.

Kuwabara, Kayko and Yusuke sat a on the beach on the other side of the bay. "Hey, it's a falling star," Kayko said happily.

"Actually, I think that's a burning Hiei," Yusuke gasped.

"Why's he falling off the cliff?" Kuwabara questioned curiously.

As the burning demon fell into the waters, Kurama jumped from rock-to-rock until he was with the others. Yusuke glanced at him. "All right, fox-boy, what's up with Hiei falling from where you were just standing?"

Kurama smiled innocently.

On the boat away from the island, Hiei looked particularly sour. Kurama idly walked away from the crowd to where Hiei sat. The fire demon glared at Kurama and then looked away. "What have we learned?" Kurama asked sweetly.

"That touching Kurama's hair is dangerous to anyone's health and he doesn't like to be mocked," Hiei muttered.