Hinote Kyou Mizu

Chapter 8

Kurama, Kaida, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, Ryu, Hinote, Koenma and Botan met in Hiei and Amaya’s apartment a few hours later. They had assembled there, the current spirit detective team preparing to head out. Ryu and Hinote stood ready next to Kurama and Botan, both fidgeting a bit. As the youngest members of the spirit detective team, they were not completely battle hardened. Yusuke was not entirely sure his son was ready for this battle but he needed to learn and they needed the help.

The younger Urameshi was trained in most of the late Master Genkai’s techniques as well as Yusuke’s signature Spirit Gun. Still, he was rather green. Yusuke had already asked Kurama and Hinote to guard his son, but neither had agreed and he had to accept his son would fight, win or lose. He remembered that when Hinote had refused; she had mumbled something about “Fly or die”. Kurama had simply and politely declined, giving no reason. He understood they were not being cold hearted, only looking out for the young detective who would not learn if not allowed to stand on his own.

Yusuke still feared something would happen to his son during the battle. Unfortunately he had to let it go and accept his son would learn. When he left with Hiei and Amaya to find Mukuro, he had reservations. Yet, knew he could trust his son to follow orders and work to save his world.

As they waited for the three to join them, Kuwabara came up to Ryu and Hinote, both youngsters effectively taking his spot on the team. The older human was in his early fifties now and was only a seer for the group, no longer able to show his warrior side after some fierce battles he had fought while a member of the team. His body had not aged well due to multiple injuries and even his beloved Yukina could not keep him from aging as badly as he had. As the only true human on the team, he, like Genkai, had grown old, but not as well. As he stood in front of the couple he frowned, looking at Ryu closely. He simply nodded and walked off, not saying a word, the boisterous, orange-haired man becoming much more subdues in his later years.

“Ryu?”

The younger Spirit Detective looked to his lover and shook his head. He father had treated him abnormally too, as had Kurama and Koenma. While Kurama had seemed to regard him a bit differently, Koenma seemed reluctant to send him into battle but knew he had to, there was no choice in the matter.

“They don’t want to send me.”

Hinote nodded, sensing it from everyone around them that they were worried about this fight. “Just go in and do your job. I don’t understand why they would fault you for that.”

He nodded as Hiei and Maya walked through the portal they created from the Makai. Hiei nodded to Amaya and Yusuke as she spoke to the group, the older hiyoukai standing quietly to the side and watching, knowing he had to leave it to the spirit detectives to lead this affair.

“Mukuro has an encampment close to the Hissori-ji River, on the eastern edge of the Makai. It’s in a crescent moon shaped bowl with the river running through it. Sources from Aoi say that Mukuro has returned to full strength now and has a young Koorime girl in her employ. We think this is Harime.” They nodded, knowing Aoi, the current ruler of Makai, had excellent sources and worked with the Spirit Detectives, as it made her job easier.

Kurama was the one who asked the question that plagued many of them. “How did she grow to full power without the rest of us knowing? How did she get past Aoi, you, Yusuke and Hiei as well as the rest of us?”

Amaya shook her head. “I don’t know, we haven’t been able to pick up on anything. The theory is that she was far enough underground or somehow out of Hiei’s sights that even the Jagan didn’t pick up on it. What we do know is the layout of the encampment and that the bitch is trying to recreate her guard. She has fifteen of her seventy-seven she will need. Yusuke, Koenma and I agree it’s the right time to crush her, before she recruits too many more demons for her armies and tries to stage a coup.”

Kaida stood behind her mate, silent the entire time, listening to the situation. She now spoke, voice laced with concern. “What are you going to do about the girl?”

“Harime’s fate now rests in her own hands. If she can be saved, I would prefer it. We don’t really know what happened after the avalanche. No one really knows what state Harime is in.”

Kaida nodded. “If I can offer my services and help, please let me know.”

The Junior Lord nodded, knowing if it came to Kaida ‘repairing’ Harime’s mind, or worse erasing it, then it would have to be done. His father barely tolerated the fact that the two spirit detectives he had were mo-zaku, and that the rest of the team carried demon blood. The true lord of the spirit world barely allowed them to work without harsh restrictions. If a demon that had been ‘tainted’ should make it to the human world to be with her mother then Enma would have something to say about it.

“I understand Kaida. Everyone,” He looked to the team, looking them all in the eye in turn. “You have your instructions. Good Luck.”

With that, Botan opened a portal into the Makai, allowing Amaya and Hiei to enter first, followed by Hinote, Kurama, Ryu and Yusuke. The others were silent as they left; the only sound heard was Yukina whispering gently. “Please bring her home safely.”