Konnichi-wa (or Ohayo, if it's morning), minna-sama!

Here are the statistics: Hiei/Botan (2) Yusuke/Keiko (2) Kurama/Yukina (2) Kurama/Shizuru (2) Kurama/Hiei (3)... Which means... Hiei and Kurama are the pair for this chappie! Hoorah and Hooray to those who voted for them!

Note (that isn't really relivant to much): The whole Kurama/Yusuke thing last chapter was just a little experimenting I was doing. I know I said that someone voted for it, but that's just because I'm a baka onna who sometimes doesn't go over her writing! xD Why did I choose Yusuke/Kurama? Look, it was either that or... Hiei/Kuwabara (it was a challenge from my sister, okay?), which would YOU choose? Anyway, that pairing shall stop, as of now.

Note (that is relivant): I like to go by what really is in the series, depending on what it is... So, Yusuke and Keiko are married! (Oops, I guess I should have said there was a spoiler here... Oh, well!) Kids?... Um, it depends on what you think, personally! o

Anyway, yeah, voting ends this chapter, so... vote however many times you like!

Chapter Three...Caring Silently

The town was divided into three basic parts. Level One: Contains the main doors to the city and what used to be lower class homes. Yusuke is in charge of scoping out this level today. Level Two: Containing upper class homes and the bell tower. Kuwabara is stationed at the tower to have a bird's eye view of the city. I am to check out everything else out. Level Three: Uncertain buildings containg mysterious objects within them are here. We assume Hiei is there.

Kurama sighed as he went over today's plan. Yusuke (with Kurama's help) came to the conclusion that it would be safer to search for the enemy in the daylight, for some races of demon could do odd things in the moonlight. Yusuke took the responsiblilty of looking over the first level after learning (thanks to Kurama) that the enemy would most likely be there. Kuwabara took the tower because... he'd never fought demons in ficinities as this, and it would be better for him up there. Kurama took level two out of curiosity.

An unrelenting wind blew past, forcing Kurama to cover his face to protect from grains of sand. When it was over and he removed the arm, he saw into an alleyway and saw at the end it seemed to have an odd glow to it. Kurama looked toward the sun, and saw it now covered by clouds, darkening the alley enough to allow the fox to see this. Kurama cautiosly headed toward the said alley.

OOOOOOOO

Hiei was indeed on the third level. He kicked open several of the building/huts to see that they were magazines for weaponry,"Ch... It's empty," he mumbled as he walked inside. He kneeled down close to a darkened spot and ran a finger over it. He brought this finger up to his nose and sniffed. He immidialty removed it and rubbed the imposing powder off,"Maybe not just for weapons...," he stood up and looked around some more.

What he had found was the youkai equivelent of cocaine. And as it is for sake, it is much, much, much more potent. He had gotten addicted accidently as a child before, he wasn't going to again. The stuff always messed his train of thought up severely.

Hiei stopped in his tracks as he saw the decaying body of what used to be a youkai in the back of the magazine. He walks up to it and sees it is still alive. He pokes it rather hard in the ribs with the tip of his boot,"Oi, wake up."

The youkai coughs repeatedly for a few seconds, and looks up with red, swollen eyes at Hiei,"Please... No more...," it practically cried.

Hiei kneeled next to it,"I don't now what you mean, but if it has to do with the obvious signs of torture on you, I wont do anything if you answer something for me," the youkai's response was ragged breathing, so Hiei asked,"The people who harmed you, where are they? Are they in this city?"

"Yes... They're on the middle level last I knew... They might have moved...," the youkai coughed once more.

"The middle level...," Hiei repeats,"That's where...," Hiei leans in close to the half dead corpse,"Where are they? Exactly?"

"Behind a group of buildings... But as I've said before, it might be out-dated infor... informa...," the youkai's life ended before he finished his sentence. Hiei stared for several seconds, then stood up and ran out toward where Kurama is.

OOOOOOOO

Kurama skipped back as he saw what was at the end of the alley. It was the entire band of the enemy. Kurama peaked around the corner and listened to their conversation.

"Captain...," a young youkai said as he stared over the light green fire that was lit,"When do you intend to start the raid?"

"As soon as we take care of our guests," answered the obvious captain.

"Why? We could just as easily sneak around them," stated a woman.

"This is the son of Raizen we're talking about, not some punk off the street. Now shut your trap, woman!" the captain yelled.

"H-hai," the woman squeaked.

"You're absolutly certain that that's him down there?" asked another youkai.

"No doubt about it."

The band sat in shared silence until one started to sniff the air,"What is it?" the captain asked.

"I smell human... Close by," the youkai answered.

Kurama gasped silently and hid back into the shadows of the alley as the band looked in his direction. He heard there agreements to the smell and move backwards as he heard them come closer.

"Odd... It's intermixed with... Youko?"

Kurama slinked back even more until he was pulled backwards into a door he had over looked when walking through the alley. He landed on his back, trying to hold in a cry of the pain this caused.

"What was that!"

"Let's check it out..."

Kurama heard the youkai run, thankfully, past the door's opening. They didn't see the fox in the darkness of the room. Kurama sighed in relief, only to realize the presence of another. He prepared to attacked, and turned around,"Hiei!" his cry was cut off by the jaganshi's hand over his mouth.

"Baka," Hiei said through telepathy,"Cry out now, and they'll know where you are."

Kurama just knodded, and sat back cross-legged to watch Hiei slip into deep concentration. After a few seconds,"They're gone," Hiei stated, then looked at Kurama, causing the fox to blush slighlty,"...You're blushing."

Kurama turned away,"It's just a trick of the low lighting..."

"Right, sure," Hiei stood up, and offered his hand to Kurama,"We should check out their base while they're gone."

Kurama hesitantly took the hand and was pulled up. The pair walked out and went to the enemy's nearby base.

"The idiots...," Hiei said.

"Yes, they should have left someone here, instead of leaving ther lair wide open," Kurama agreed. Kurama looked around a bit, then turned back to Hiei. He noticed an odd smell upon the jaganshi,"Hiei... Have you been... Sniffing coke?" the fox asked, stepping closer to make sure of the smell.

Hiei sighed hurridly,"It was in the weapon magazines on the top level. Why're you sniffing me? You trying to get high, too?"

"What do mean "too"? You were sniffing, weren't you?" Gods, it was fun to make fun of the cute little youkai.

"No!" Hiei hissed,"Now shut up, and get back to being proffesional, before I have to force you."

"Ooh, threatening," Kurama chided, earning a growl from his partner. A few minutes pass, and Kurama starts to realize the strange fluctuations in Hiei's enegry,"Hiei...?" he asked, paying his full attention to the small youkai. Hiei has one palm pressed against the wall, and was looking down at the dirt,"Hiei, are you alright?" the fox asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Of course I am," Hiei's voice cracked, showing otherwise. Kurama touched Hiei's shoulder, and it went limp as Hiei fell full-on into Kurama's grasp, unconcious,"HIEI!"

THISISTHENDOFTHISCHAPTER

Dun, dun, DUN!

What's wrong with Hiei-chan? Has he snorted too much? Heeh, hee... Maybe.

Review, please, and state your pairing, for this is your last chance!