Kaku Ren Bo

Kurama finally manages to grab a chunk of Hiei's hair, and he starts attempting to braid it It's a little easier for him, having done this for Shiori before, but well - Hiei's hair has never liked to behave.

"Good luck with that, fox."

"Silence, dragon. I'm gonna show you how this is actually done."

Kuwabara decides to join the group as well, leaning against Shiori's other side while Hiei and Kurama have her lap occupied. Yusuke reaches around Shiori and starts playing with another piece of Kurama's hair. Kurama can't help but laugh.

"Really? What is this, pick on the fox day?"

"Payback for scaring ten years off our lifespans." Yusuke retorts.

Kato narrows his eyes just a bit. Yusuke is taking his cue from Hiei and avoiding that same patch of hair. Why?

"Gah!" Yusuke jerks and sticks his finger in his mouth. "What was that for!" he pulls the finger out and examines it. "You didn't poison me, did you?"

"I've already got Hiei making an unholy mess of my hair, why would I want you helping him?" Kurama laughs. "And no. It was a thorn only."

"Oh, good. Nice to know I won't die horribly." Yusuke says cheerfully before resuming where he left off. Genkai watches the exchange with no little amusement at Kato's expense.

"You might want to shut your mouth. You'll attract flies."

"Why are they avoiding that patch of hair?" Kato asks. If he can't convince Shiori to leave, he'll just have to learn about the boys she's taken under her wing. Maybe he'll understand. Not likely, but maybe.

"What is it with you people and your fascination with my hair?" Kurama might be pouting, but he's also laughing, too, in the process of making several tiny braids in Hiei's hair that stick straight up. A little seed oil and those things aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Hiei has to know - which probably explains the massive rat's nest he's in the process of making.

"Hey, Kuwabara - join the fun!" Yusuke says cheerfully.

"No thanks." Kuwabara laughs. "I like living."

Genkai grins. "Kurama likes to keep his weapons stashed there. It's not surprising Hiei knows where they are."

Kato blinks. "Weapons. In his hair."

"Yes. Kurama has the ability to manipulate plants, but his preferred weapon is a rose he keeps tucked in his hair. That's what stabbed Yusuke in the finger earlier, I'm sure."

Kurama gives her a smile. "It was. As I said, he won't die." He gives Hiei an exasperated look. "Do you want me to ever get these tangles out?"

"I don't know. Am I going to be able to get these braids out?" Hiei shoots back.

Shiori mock-sighs. "And here I was enjoying petting Hiei's hair. I don't get to do it often."

Guilt-trip. Kuwabara stifles a grin as the boys in her lap glance at her to see if she's serious.

Shiori smiles at them, clearly amused. Hiei and Kurama exchange upside-down grins. "I won't put too many braids in his hair, Mother." Kurama says cheerfully.

"Oh good." Shiori chuckles and resumes playing with the part of Hiei's hair that Kurama hasn't commandeered. Her other hand is toying with a lock of Kurama's.

Kato blinks. "You aren't afraid of getting hurt?" he asks.

Shiori smiles at him. "No. I learned a very long time ago what parts of hair to avoid."

Kurama grimaces. "I apologized for that."

"About fifty times." She tugs gently on the lock of hair. "Now hush."

That earns her three snorts. Kurama gives them mildly affronted looks. "What are you laughing at?"

Kuwabara grins. "You and Hiei may be quieter than Urameshi and I, but you're really bad at not talking."

"I resent that."

"The oaf isn't wrong, fox. You have to have the last word." Hiei says, grinning as he actually completes a braid. He holds it up for Shiori's inspection. "Did I do it right?"

"Sort of. You want the sections to be more even."

"Oh."

Yusuke grins. "I can tell Hiei's tired. He's never this cute."

"Call me cute again and see what happens." Hiei says casually, undoing the braid and trying to even the sections out.

"Hey, I just call it like I see it."

"You won't see anything for much longer."

Kurama chuckles, but his hands slowly fall out of Hiei's hair as he drifts back off to sleep. Hiei tilts his head a bit to look at him and grins. "Huh. That didn't take as long as I thought." And he resumes practicing the braid.

"So what made you wanna learn that?" Kuwabara asks, inspecting the braid.

Hiei shrugs. "Yukina asked me to do it one day. I had to tell her I didn't know how."

Genkai grins. "Give him about five minutes and he'll be the next one to drop." she tells Kato. "Then Kuwabara. Then Yusuke. They get predictable after a while."

"I don't think they'd appreciate that." Shiori retorts, grinning at the older woman.

Yusuke grins. "Well, she's not wrong." he yawned quietly, stifling it with Shiori's shoulder. "Man, I'm beat. I think I might switch things up and pass out before Hiei."

Hiei scoffs. "Go right ahead. I'll practice on you, too."

"You would, too." Yusuke tugs one of the braids Kurama left in Hiei's hair. "Did you know your braids are defying gravity right now?"

"My hair does that on it's own. Why do you think I went out of my way to tangle Kurama's hair the way I did?" Hiei shrugs. "I'll brush it out tomorrow if he agrees to take the braids out."

Shiori continues to pet Hiei's head. "Go to sleep, boys."

"We're workin' on it." Kuwabara says, already half-asleep.

Kato gives Shiori a curious look. "How are you going to be able to move once they're asleep?"

Shiori gives him a smile. "Give me a while and I'll show you." She looks down and finds Hiei's asleep, one hand still tangled in Kurama's hair, and the other lightly gripping Yusuke's wrist.

It doesn't take much longer for Yusuke and Kuwabara to conk out. The two boys are using Shiori's shoulders as pillows, Yusuke anchored to Hiei, and Hiei to Kurama. Shiori glances at Kurama and notices that he has one hand up gripping Hiei's cloak and the other holding on to Kuwabara's shirt hem.

"I don't know how they do this." she says with a grin. "I am bony, and yet they find me comfortable."

Kato still looks uncertain. "This happens often?"

"Once I learned about Kurama, they started coming to my place instead of here after bad missions." she explains. "After a few nightmares, it wasn't just Kurama who would seek me out for comfort." She moves her shoulders experimentally. Neither boy even flinches.

Genkai grins. "Do we get a magic trick?"

Shiori grins and shifts carefully, gently adjusting Yusuke and Kuwabara as she slides her legs free of Hiei and Kurama. With a little manuevering, she gets up and pretends to dust her hands off. The end result is that the boys look like a giant pile of limbs, all of them touching each other.

Kato looks over at Genkai. "You know everything. Why are they hanging onto each other like that?"

Shiori smiles and kisses the top of his head. "That's easy. It's their way of making sure nothing happens to anyone while they're asleep." As she speaks, Yuskue's free hand finds the back of Kuwabara's neck and settles there, his fingers resting on Kuwabara's pulse. "See?" She bends down and kisses each boy on the forehead, with the exception of Hiei. She kisses him on the cheek.

At Kato's curious look, she smiles. "He has a third eye, so I avoid his forehead."

"What?"

"The bandana on his forehead covers a third eye." Genkai says. "If you're going to play 20 questions, at least let's move to the other room. The last thing I want to do is wake them."

They move into an adjoining room, where Kato's son waits. Kato ignores him for the moment. "How long did it take you to get used to them?" he asks.

Shiori smiles. "Not long at all." She turns her attention to Shuiichi. "Are you holding up okay?" He nods.

Kato interrupts. "Nothing phases you, does it."

"Not anymore." Shiori says cheerfully.

Kato holds a hand up. "So, let me make sure I've got this right. Your son is actually a demon and a thief who uses plants for weapons, Hiei is also a demon with a third eye and a dragon tattoo that is actually alive, Yusuke is a half-demon, and Kuwabara is the only human in the mix." he pauses for breath. "Have I hit the highlights?"

Shiori laughs. "Yes. Also, Hiei has a twin sister who lives here at the temple. You remember Yukina, right?"

"Yes?"

"That's Hiei's twin. But don't tell her. Hiei doesn't want her to know."

"Why?"

Shiori considers. "It's complicated."

"Oh. Anything else?"

"I think we hit the high points." Shiori says. "Unless I'm missing something?" she turns to Genkai.

"No, that's pretty much the basics." Genkai says.  "Besides, any more and your husband might just pass out.  I don't think he can take the other stories."

Shiori chuckles.  "Probably not."  She pokes her head out the door and suddenly scowls.  "Excuse me, I need to go kill a certain prince."

Kato blinks.  "What?"

"Oh, that would be one of the details we weren't going to bother you with just yet." Genkai says, frowning after Shiori as she leaves the room.  "What is she -"

And then Shiori stalks back into the room, dragging a teenaged Koenma by his ear.  At least his whines are staying reasonably quiet.

"Why are you bothering my boys?" she snarls.  "Leave them alone for one night!  You're lucky they're still asleep!"  Even not yelling, Koenma cowers from her.

Koenma stays out of range, and gives her a sullen glower. "I just need to talk to Yusuke."

"It can wait, Koenma." Shiori nearly growls. "I just got those boys asleep, and I will not tolerate you waking them up again."

"But it's - "

"I don't care how important it is." Shiori interrupts. "If you wake them, and I find out about it, prince of hell or not, I will kick your ass."

Genkai smiles as she sips her tea. Koenma gives her a look.

"Help me out, here, will you?"

"No."

Koenma scowls. "I did bring you back to life, you know."

Genkai snorts. "Only because Yusuke and the others wished for it." she retorts. "And let's face it, if you didn't, they would have found a different way."

Kato holds up a hand. "Wait wait wait - you were dead, and you're Koenma? The Koenma?"

Koenma glances at him. "I suppose this means you know all about Kurama then." he muses. "I was wondering how long he was going to keep that secret."

"Stop it, Koenma. You'll break the poor man." Genkai chuckles. "If you're that determined to talk to the dimwit, then go sit down somewhere until they wake up."

"I have things to do!" Koenma nearly wails. "It can't wait that long!"

"Shut up, or I'll tape your mouth shut." Shiori says, glaring at Koenma. "They're in the other room."

Koenma shuts up, pouting.

Genkai rolls her eyes. "If it's so important, why not have Botan do it?"

"Because another tournament's being put together, and everyone wants them to compete. I'm doing my best to block it, and shut it down, but I don't have a lot of say and they need to know!" By the end of his tirade, Koenma's glaring at Genkai, who's frowning.

"They're putting together another dark tournament?"

"Yes. And they want Team Urameshi to compete. As Yusuke's boss, I've told them to go to hell by the express route, but they've gone over my head and went to my father. If he says they have to compete, I can't stop it."

Genkai's eyes narrow. "Why would Enmah care if the team competes?"

Koenma crosses his arms over his chest and looks away. "My father is more bloodthirsty than I am. He would like the idea of the three most powerful demons around getting possibly killed." He looks up at the ceiling. "He knows if Hiei and Kurama get the idea to do anything, they'll drag Yusuke in on it, and no one will be able to stop them. But they're also strong enough to take out some other, more serious troublemakers who are competing as well."

"Kill two birds with one stone." Genkai mutters.

"Or in this case, several demons with each other."

Shiori glares at them. "No. My sons are not competing in that again."

Koenma meets her gaze. 'I don't want it either. But my father's word is law."

Yusuke chooses now to stagger into the room, eyes half open, find Shiori, and flop down onto her lap. Shiori blinks in surprise. "Yusuke?"

"I keep having nightmares." Yusuke mutters into her leg. "I can't tell if they're mine, Hiei's, or Kurama's."

Shiori threads her fingers through Yusuke's hair, and looks up at Koenma. "And you wonder why I don't want them to compete."

"I don't want them to either." Koenma says softly. "They've done enough."

"Can you go against your father's ruling?" Shiori asks.

"No. He would kill all of them himself." Koenma allows a slightly bitter smile to cross his face. "You don't defy Enmah. That's all there is to it."

Shiori continues to pet Yusuke's hair, frowning. Yusuke slowly relaxes, his breathing evening back out as he falls back asleep.

Kurama wakes up just enough to register Yusuke's presence gone and Kuwabara pulled more securely into their odd dogpile. A small sniff tells him Yusuke is with his mother in the other room, and Koenma has arrived.

Whatever. Koenma can wait.

He spares a moment to be somewhat surprised that his and Hiei's nightmares haven't woken up Kuwabara yet before drifting back off to sleep.

Shiori continues to play with Yusuke's hair, keeping him calm and asleep. "I had to deal with the fallout of Karasu from the last time." she says quietly. "I don't know if I can do that again. if I can watch Kurama go through that again."

"He's not alone." Genkai says. "None of them are."

Koenma tilts his head to the side. "Great. Enmah has a verdict. i'll be back." With that, he vanishes.

Shiori tilts her head back and stares at the ceiling. "This. Sucks." she mutters.

Koenma wasn't gone very long before he came back, radiating a seething fury that woke Hiei and Kurama up. Both boys burst into the room, weapons drawn before they realized who it was.

Hiei sheathed his sword and gave Koenma a mild glare. "What is wrong with you?"

"Get Kuwabara up. We have a problem, and I guarantee you're not going to like it." Koenma said flatly.

Kurama looked over at Shiori, who's face had gone to stone. "Mother?"

"They have to, don't they?" She asks quietly, her hands curling lightly into Yusuke's hair before shaking him awake gently. Yusuke sits up as Koenma answers.

"Yes."

There's a thud as Hiei drags a somewhat awake Kuwabara into the room. Hiei crosses his arms and glares grumpily at the prince. "What's going on?"

"The Dark Tournament has been reinstated, and by the order of King Enmah, Team Urameshi has been ordered to compete."

There's dead silence in the room as the boys digest that.

"Like. Hell." Yusuke seethes. "We barely made it out last time." He stands up and starts pacing.

"This won't be like the Makai tournaments, either." Hiei growls. "This time it'll be back to kill or be killed."

"I thought with the committee gone this couldn't happen again!" Kuwabara wailed. "Why do we have to fight again?"

Koenma shakes his head. "By King Enmah's orders, you are to fight. I'm sorry."

"There is nothing you can do." Kurama says. He glances at Shiori. "How long do we have?"

"Three months to prepare."

Genkai sighs. "Looks like we're all back in the fire, boys."

Yusuke looks over at Genkai. "You're planning to compete?"

"You need five competitors, nitwit." Genkai points out. "And I'm used to fighting with all of you. Unless you had someone else in mind."

Kurama gives a quiet snort. "As if we'd accept anyone else. Thank you, Genkai." he walks over and sits next to his mother, her hand finding his and gripping it tightly. He squeezes back.

Shiori levels a stare at Koenma. "Do everything in your power to make sure my boys come back alive, Koenma."

"I'll do my best. But I have to say it - the tournament is kill or be killed." Koenma points out quietly. "Once they're in the ring, I can't stop it."

Shiori sighs, dropping her head to Kurama's shoulder. "I don't want you all to go." she says quietly.

"That's okay. We don't want to go." Yusuke mutters sourly. "At least Toguro won't be there." he muses to himself. "That right there is enough to give me a little hope."

"Yeah, at least that way we all stand a chance of making it to the finals alive." Genkai muses.

Yusuke flinches. "Don't remind me, Grandma."

"It wasn't fun for me either, you know." Genkai snaps, but it's more habit now than anything else.

Before Kato can open his mouth to demand just what the hell is going on, Shiori speaks. "I'm going with you. I can't compete, but Kurama has been teaching me some healing tricks. It'll make me feel better to have something to do."

"You'll have one target painted on your back just by being human." Hiei points out. "An even bigger one being associated with us. You will not be safe, and we won't be able to protect you."

"I'll protect her." Yukina says, approaching the group. "I know what these tournaments are like as well. I can keep her safe. Besides," she smiles over at Shiori, "I could use someone who knows what they're doing to help me out."

"The women are conspiring against us, Kurama."

"I know." "Mother, please." Kurama's voice is strained. "We need to know that you're safe."

"So do I." Shiori lifts her chin. "Well, Koenma?"

Koenma holds his hands up as four sets of irritated eyes pin him to the spot. He gives Shiori a wan smile. "I won't stop you, but you'll have to convince those four to let you go. I'm not getting in the middle of this one. They're already mad at me."

Shiori smiles. "No, they're mad at being forced to compete again. It's not your fault, and I'm sure they know that. Don't you, boys?" she asks, not even looking at them.

There's some muttering coming from Hiei and Yusuke's vicinity. Kuwabara and Kurama are quiet. Before Shiori can continue, Kato speaks up.

"What's the Dark Tournament?"

"Hell on earth." Hiei snaps.

"Close enough, at any rate." Kurama agrees. "The Dark Tournament is a fighting match between groups of demons. Certain high class humans like to watch and place bets on who wins."

"Maybe I should burn the island like I did with Kakurenbo." Hiei growls.

Yusuke smirks. "Only if you can do it with everyone else still on the island."

"Of course."

"And you've already fought in this tournament once?" Kato interrupts.

"Of course." Genkai sneers. "We were invited."

Kato turns to Shiori. "Fights between demons to the death, and you want to go and watch?" he demands. "Are you suicidal?"

"No, but apparently you are." Genkai laughs as four sets of eyes suddenly glare in his direction.