Out at night...

[perfect_shishi]

Who:Kurama, Shishiwakamaru
Where:construction site/Kurama's house
When:Thursday night
Summary: Kurama comes upon the imp while out on a walk...



The night had fallen casting a silent mantle upon
the city. Kurama skillfully left his house assuring no sound was done.
He would have used the window, but it was not necessary. Shoving the
hands in his pocket he paced silently feeling his face caress by the
icy night wind. It toyed with his hair whipping it against his cheek
and shoulders. It was perfect to meditate ...

From the direction of a construction site, several
people were hurrying away, looking scared. One was nursing a bleeding
hand with scratch marks down the hand and they looked scared. They
talked nervously and cast glances over their shoulders with obvious
fear. They passed by Kurama, one bumped into the redhead and turned to
mutter an apology, holding a bloody cloth across the gash on his hand
that had been caused by small imp claws.

The tumult was a messy drone in the background as
he allowed himself absorbed by his thoughts. Until a man bumped into
him. The redhead looked up slightly surprised as the other humans ran
by his side. It was the metallic scent of blood, one was injured. The
smell wasn't strong, therefore the cut must have not been deep or
large. Curiosity plagued his senses, it was a youki. He could perceive
it clearly. Slowly, the redhead approached to the desolated
construction site.

And there, near a pipe that spilled foul-smelling
water into a trench, lay the tengu. The pink bow that the girl had put
in his hair had fallen out somewhat and Shishi had several cuts from
the clash with the car. He had woken to ningens prodding him, swiped
at one to get them away before passing out again on the dirt, tired
and still in pain.

He found himself perplexed by the sight.
"..Shishiwakamaru." A soft musing as he approached to the imp's body.
The youkai was alive, just in a less than good condition. "Seems you
have been fighting a powerful apparition," he commented as he dropped
in one knee by the prone apparition.

Shishi felt the presence of someone by him and
slowly opened his eyes though from getting hit by the car and the
strong perfume that clung to him, his vision was blurry and so out of
reflex he flexed his claws. "Stay...away.."

"I would... but if you are devoured by a cat or a
canine, many will be worried for you." He stared at the small imp
through heavy-lidded emerald eyes. And that could even disturb the
mission...

"Kurama..." he struggled to sit up, frowning and
tried to edge away. his...wasn't good at all.

"I could heal you... if you desire, ..but
considering you are a strong apparition you might refuse," he taunted
softly, he was inwardly enjoying the moment but his expression was
calm, sheltering it perfectly.

"No! And you would hold that over my head during
this mission," Shishi growled but winced as he tried to reach into the
sleeve of his kimono for his needle. It was better than nothing.

From the murky corners of the construction area
the gleam of feline eyes observed Shishi, predators marauding and
waiting for Kurama to leave so they could feast upon Shishi's flesh.
"You seem to believe you are important to me. But you are as important
as everyone else...in this mission."

Shishi huffed in response, drawing out the needle
that spots of dried blood on it from the first cat slowly.

"I would like to continue with my nocturnal
walk... so if you are stubborn beyond your health, excuse me..." The
redhead stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Whatever you
do, prevent yourself from harming ningens."

Shishi weighed his options. Samurai pride
aside...he really had no choice but to accept Kurama's help since he
was still stuck as an imp. "Normally...I would refuse your help but
due to...circumstances....I will accept it this time since I am here
helping on this mission," Shishi said carefully. He may have been
arrogant but he knew when he was in over his head.

His lips reflexively curved into a devious smile,
luckily for Shishi, he wasn't facing him. "Very well, let us go home,
shall we?" he said and started treading away slowly...

"I still don't like you or trust you though...this
is only because of this stupid mission," Shishi added with a huff as
he followed Kurama at a walk. Flying at the moment was too tiring and
he tucked the needle away again in one of the pockets concealed in the
sleeve of his kimono.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder "Would you
like me to carry you?... Seems you need help..." Kurama asked him with
the same devious air, controlled and so naturally serene.

Shishi glared at Kurama, that kitsune just had to
rub it in..."I will walk, thank you," Shishi said with a huff, trying
to walk faster.

"...Alright, but the more you move, so will the
injuries and the torn flesh. I might have to sew them, though." Shishi
obtained his reply as the kitsune walked ahead, his hands shoved in
the pockets of his jacket.

Shishi really didn't want to go closer to Kurama
than he really had to but in his imp form, injuries were often more
serious. "Fine, I will sit on your shoulder then..."

"Seems keeping a decision is difficult in these
situations," he commented and turned back looking at Shishi. "But you
are dirty... what will be of my jacket? ... Okaa-san works hard to
keep my clothes clean..." He treaded toward Shishi and picked the imp
between his hands.

"Wash it later then," Shishi huffed, narrowing his eyes but he had asinking feeling that Kurama knew about his and Suzuki's late night visit...

He held the imp with his hands as he rose back to
his feet. "I do not feel like lying to my mother when she asks the
origin of the sewage water in my clothes." His grip around Shishi's
little body was strong, but not aiming to strain his wounds.

"Tell her the truth then...oh...perhaps you can't?
Lying to one's only family is the most dishonorable thing..." the imp
said with a smug tone. He would have to bluff his way out of this
situation.

"As dishonorable as some battle tactics." He
could have squished be imp if he wanted, slowly digging into his
injuries causing him an excruciating pain. Just like when Shishi had
broken his arm... but Kurama did nothing. Not even strain him, only
continued walking.

"Yes...you have demonstrated that you are fully
capable of such tactics..." Shishi reminded him calmly.

"Sadly, to speak of unhonorable behaviors you
first need to understand the meaning of honor," he replied, not
showing himself perturbed by Shishi's words.

"And you, a former...though...failed...thief, know
of honor?" Shishi pointed out evenly though he tensed with annoyance.

"The ningenkai taught me more than what you can
imagine. I have yet to attack someone from behind." Failed thief, that
was a new name. Many had called him traitor but his skills as a bandit
were out of question. Now he didn't care for it.

"Yet you attack your allies..." Shishi said with
narrowed eyes. "Not to mention your habit of prying into business that
is none of your concern."

"I never attacked you, merely reminded you to keep
your vow to this mission." Kurama stopped by a tree and he planted one
of his hands in the log, coaxing a leaf to grow and develop into a
thick film. "It is cold, detrimental for your condition." He picked
the leaf and wrapped the imp in it. As some sort of biological cloak.

Shishi fumed but kept his protests to himself. "My
vows to the mission? You touched MY katana. That crossed the line,
Kurama," Shishi glared. "And I swore that I would see this mission
through and despite your...claims...otherwise, I am a samurai and I do
keep my vows."

"Your vows are strict only when you want them to
be. As far as I know, Suzuki is free to pick the katana quite
often..." The redhead trailed off, holding the imp in the blanket as
if he was a baby or a small dog.

"Suzuki made the katana. You did not. And I keep
all my vows, no matter how...unpleasant..." Shishi growled. He really
hated being carried like this but at least it was better then walking
or trying to fly along.

"He was the artisan who crafted it, I know. But he
is only allowed to hold it when he needs to repair it. However, it is
not important now. I will keep it in mind...eventually," he promised.

"Don't touch it again," Shishi said seriously,
this was not a bluff but he hoped if the kitsune did decide to ignore
the warning...that whatever Suzuki had done had actually worked. But
he would have to assume, for now, that it did.

""You should enforce all the bushido rites strictly, not only the ones you find appealing." But I can clearly see you are not capable of it ... yet. Regardless his thoughts, the kitsune preferred not to comment in it. He would not offensively react to Shishi's taunting.

Shishi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "There is more to being a samurai than a code written by a samurai who lived in a time of peace..." he scoffed with distain.

"It is only in your hands, Shishiwakamaru." The fresh scent of vegetation crept through the icy night, they were indeed approaching to Kurama's house. "...I do not know for how long you will need to stay at home.... it is quite relative."

"I can't stay long however. Just do what is necessary to patch the wounds up and I need to return to the teahouse," Shishi said firmly.

He silently ripped a leaf from the plant next to the door and coaxed it with his youki to stiffen, with a skillful movement he sank the leaf in the keyhole, unlocking it without emitting a sound, a perfect lockpick. Kurama entered and locked the door, silent as a shadow toward his room.

Shishi was uneasy about going, again...into Kurama's room. He cursed whoever or whatever was preventing him from changing into his adult form, it was beyond frustrating.

Once in the bedroom, he placed the 'package' on his desk and locked the door as well. "If you shift into your human form I will be able to glance at the injuries better." His arms folded over his chest as he stared at the demon... this was going to be amusing.

Shishi stood slowly, wincing a little and frowned. "At the moment I am unable to shift forms. I don't know why but something is blocking me from doing so," the samurai said with a huff.

"How peculiar... do you know how could this happen... or at least since when?" His hand hovered before his lips conveying a ponderative stance. Mischief perfectly coated his emerald eyes, but it seemed lost within his whole expression, and the situation itself.

"Since Monday morning. I have never been unable to switch back before so I don't know how this could happen," Shishi admitted with a frown, he would not admit how much this made him uneasy.

"Probably you lack of the youki to shift... have you been training lately?" Kurama asked as he searched through the plants of his room for the leaves of healing ones.

"I have been training and I have always been able to shift even when worn out and in much worse condition," Shishi said, making sure to keep his distance from any of the plants.

"... Hm... that is suspicious. It could be an illness of some sorts, preventing you to utilize your youki to do so... Illnesses do not have the same symptoms in humans as they do in ningens... Have you been in any place out of the usual?..." He picked a couples of leaves and then paced to the other side of the room, to search through different species of plants.

"No," Shishi watched Kurama, somewhat curious as to what the other was doing though he remained on guard.

"How strange, because the cause of illnesses can always be related to the different environments. Dust, powder, or anything you are allergic to..." He returned to the imp with some herbs and set them next to Shishi.

Shishi looked at the herbs, and glanced back at Kurama. "I haven’t been around anything that I am allergic to. I woke up Monday morning in my imp for and unable to change back."

"Maybe you have not realized. Mind retelling me where have you been two or three days before Monday?" Kurama removed the blanket from Shishi's arms and shifted it back to its regular leaf form.

"At the teahouse pretty much the entire time. I went to school on Friday but that is it," Shishi said casually with a dismissive shrug.

"How strange... I wish I could find a way to discover the cause of your problem, but I am afraid you remain in that form forever. Then you would have to return to Makai alone, since in that state you cannot aid to this mission. Therefore, you would be free," Kurama replied through a smile. "You must be happy... no more mission."

"I doubt I would be stuck this way forever..." Shishi huffed, annoyed at Kurama's smile. It was not a pleasant thing to be stuck at such a small size all the time. And Shishi's pride would not let him back down from a vow in this way but he didn't make any further comments as he huffed.

"Then how you plan to ... solve your problem? ...I have healed thousands of injuries, and cured countless poisons, between other maladies. However, your case is something...curious. Excuse me" He said reaching to Shishi's little kimono.

"What are you doing?!" Shishi pulled away, eyes wide with shock. "And as for solving this, I have my resources."

"I need to remove your kimono so as to examine the injuries. ...And you are running out of time. If a whole week passes and you remain in that form, then... your body will be locked in it... forever." Kurama's voice was imbued in seriousness, and Shishi's time was growing thin.

"I realize this..." Shishi said heavily, it was clear this fact made him positively ill...to be stuck like this forever was not something he could live with. "Fine, just be careful..." he said, staying still now.

He pulled down the kimono to the half of his body, where the main slash was, and softly pushed the demon back on the desk. "The sewage water has infected the injuries. I will give you an antibiotic which will act as antiseptic at the same time. In other words, I will turn your blood into a venomous substance to harmful bacteria."

"Fine, just do it..." the samurai nodded, looking off to the side. He was hardly modest but he hated being in his imp form and unable to do much.

Kurama headed toward the door, "I will need water and gauzes to clean your wound." Without wasting more time he abandoned the room. As soon as the redhead left, the plants decorating the room seemed to hiss menacingly at the imp.

Shishi hissed back, and reached into the sleeve of his kimono to rest one hand on the Cape of No Return. Using the Cape in his small form was difficult but it was better than being plant food.

The plants slowly crept toward Shishi, sliding as vipers through the desk. They were determined to eat the small apparition, one even resembled a Venus Flytrap. They weren't hungry, but Shishi was like a big insect. Blatantly delicious.

Shishi backed away, drawing out the Cape of No Return. This time though he would remember to tell the Cape were to send the plants if he had to vanish them...

The knob shifted softly as the redhead entered the room with the required instruments. His eyes locked in Shishi and the filmy cloak between his claws. "...Shishiwakamaru?"

"Your plants are dangerous!" Shishi hissed as he quickly stuffed the transparent cloak back into the sleeve of his kimono.

"The Shide no Hagoromo has the power to transport items or subjects through dimensions. And send them to unkown destinations... be careful. I would not like my plants to be released in the city." Pacing slowly toward Shishiwakamaru... perhaps the other was starting to get an idea of the whole situation.

"I don't control how the Cloak obeys my orders to where it sends things all the time..." Shishi knew then that Kurama had found out, he was certain. He wondered if Kurama remembered grabbing Shishi in his bed...

"Did you know Kuwabara and Yukina were randomly hit by my belongings? ... Probably you read their journals." He smiled at the demon as he approached.

"Yes, I read that..." Shishi said slowly. He didn't show it but he was unnerved by Kurama smiling. He would accept the blame for this alone, there was no evidence Suzuki had been involved and Shishi saw no reason Kurama had to know.

"I wonder how your Shide no Hagoromo did that to my belongings." He asked calmly as his hands busied soaking the gauze in the balms. All had been a strategy... a perfect one from the very beginning.

Shishi was silent for a few moments, turning over a few lies in his mind but nothing seemed believable. Not that the truth would be anyway. "Well, when it wraps around the victim or object, that thing vanishes...I gave quite a good demonstration during the semi-finals.." Shishi said evenly.

"Still... it does not explain how your artifact reached those plants and clothes, which were in my room." He lifted the moist gauze and reached down for Shishi's little body.

"Your plants attacked me. I simply dealt with them and unfortunately, a few other things were caught up. I have little control where the cloak decides to send things..." he said simply deciding to tell Kurama the truth...though slightly twisted.

"So my plants crept into your house and you had to defend yourself. I understand..." Slowly he pressed the gauze against Shishi's wound as he started to clean it.

Shishi stayed still as Kurama cleaned the wound. "Not quite."

"...Mind telling me then?" Through questions, he was manipulating the conversation until the other ended up confessing. It was enough he had managed to lock Shishi in his imp form, but the other was too stubborn to confess. However, Kurama was gifted with a vast patience.

"Oh I simply decided to pay you a little late night visit..." Shishi said casually. "Your plants attacked me, I got rid of them."

"Why would you come at night...? Was there something you wanted to ask me... that you could not wait until next day? ... I did not know I was so essential to you." He taunted, slowly discarding the excuses.

"How interesting...I wondered the same thing when you decided to sneak into my room that night..." Shishi said thoughtfully.

"You are part of the mission, I needed to give you some guidelines before the following day. And you are well aware some requests can be urgent. Denying your importance in this mission would be foolish. As I said before, you are as important as everyone else." His hands shifted to another injury.

"I am well aware of that," Shishi said simply, deciding to drop the subject before Kurama pressed for more details.

"You still need to tell me what were you doing in my room. At night. While I slept. And how... you managed to enter and leave unnoticed. It is impossible... for you... to break into my domain and escape ... completely invisible to my senses." Kurama words grew colder, but they were calm, and they seemed to contradict the fact he was healing Shishi and

inquiring at the same time.

"I assume you have been taking the pills the nurse gave you for your broken arm..." Shishi remarked after a moment. He was surprised that no one had questioned that request of his in the nurse's office.

"No, I have not. The only time I ingested that medicine was in that moment. The way... you try to protect yourself from my questions evidences you are hiding something." He patched the injury, not necessary to sew the skin together.

"I merely visited to obtain a few things I managed to get while you were asleep," he said simply, his words hiding Suzuki's involvement. "As for what purpose...well...hopefully you won't have to find out."

"I understand... and I expect it does not happen again. You will be returning to Makai soon... considering your situation," With that ... everything was complete. Except what had been the other doing in his room. What he wanted?...Unless...he was planning to use an artifact manufactured by Suzuki...?

Shishi merely nodded, not bothering to reply. In the Makai, he would have few options, all distasteful but he made no comment.

"You are healed." He said taking a step back, allowing the demon to pull the kimono over his small body again. "Why ...did you entered my room." He demanded again, prodding for the truth.

He pulled the kimono closed and looked up at Kurama. "I needed something for a charm to protect something that I don't want you to touch," he said with complete honestly. He assumed Kurama could figure out the one thing that Shishi would go to great lengths to protect.

He stared at Shishiwakamaru for some seconds. So it is nothing of utter importance. Probably ...Touya or his katana. He was quite disturbed when he referred to it. Closing his eyes, the redhead turned back and reached for the mane of hair at the base of his neck, retrieving a seed. "I will trust you... because I long for this mission to be a success... somehow."

Shishi stood, adjusting his kimono once more. "I don't see how it matters since I will be returning to the Makai soon since, as you pointed out, as a tengu I cannot do much."

He chuckled once and turned back to Shishiwakamaru once more. Kurama approached to the desk and held the seed before Shishi. "This will release the release the bindings upon your youki."

"Bindings..." Shishi said slowly as he took the seed, eyes narrowed.

The redhead smiled and folded his arms over his chest. Pleased the whole strategy had worked brilliantly. He was pleased with himself.

"You...you..." Shishi was so angry he could barely speak and his fists clutched. "You did this?!"

Emerald eyes stared at the demon silently, even if he was inwardly struggling to cease the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Have you seen me ...do it? I have not approached to you... since the day you broke into my room. I named them bindings because I found the name suitable."

Shishi looked at the seed and ate it so he could switch back before giving Kurama a very nasty glare, too furious to think of anything to say at the moment.

"You keep blaming me upon no evidence." Kurama paced toward the window, telling the imp he would not be leaving yet. "I am aware we are supposed to simulate an argument within our group... and you are following the plan quite well. Though I do realize you are taking this personally."

"You stuck me in my imp form! How could I not take that personally?" Shishi hissed, eyes dangerously narrowed.

"Why do you keep blaming me? I have just granted you a cure." His stare serenely fixed upon Shishi, eerily calm even for the constant accusations of the samurai.

"Hmph!" was all Shishi said in response, hoping that the cure worked fast, he was tired of being in his small form.

"You fractured my arm on purpose. It was uncalled for." Kurama remarked, his eyes in Shishi seemed to grow colder the more they delved into the topic. "I could have been a target... thanks to you. Are you aware... of that Shishiwakamaru?"

"You are hardly helpless, Kurama," Shishi scoffed, looking right back at the kitsune. He had no regret about what he had done or any idea why he even should.

"We have a major disadvantage in this mission, I do not need another," he retorted. Shishiwakamaru's constant behavior had started to grate on his patience... slowly. "Cease treating me as an enemy and focus on your real enemies. ...It is the last time I will say it."

"I told you once that I would do what had to be done for this mission. And I still will. Just keep your nose out of things that don't concern you," Shishi said evenly.

"...My thoughts exactly." The mere thought of the imp toying with his mother's loving heart just to make her anguished... it made his blood boil icily within his veins. "I look forward seeing your report..." The magic substance binding Shishi's youki slowly vanished. It had been the combination of a special pollen and the remains of Gama's sealing blood he had rescued from his clothes during the Ankoku Bujutsukai.

"Following the janitor was pointless. All I found out that is he doesn't clean," Shishi rolled his eyes and flipped about, landing gracefully upon the floor as he resumed his adult form, the katana tucked in the sash of his kimono."And I believe Koenma is in charge, Kurama. I will report anything I find out to him."

"Koenma has delegated his job to me. He trusts I will be able to manage this ...somehow. Besides, you are well aware in the past I was a thief and a bandit, leader of my own gang. ... I do not like to bear with all the responsibility ... but ...there is not other choice."

"I am not surprised..." Shishi's eyebrow twitched slightly, in his opinion the Reikai prince's leadership was...lacking. "Yes, I am well aware of that but that was the past, this is now."

"So you are dubious... It is true in the past I was far stronger than now... but in this human world ... I have learned I can become far dangerous if someone I protect is threatened... Would you like a demonstration?" He was growing unnaturally cold toward this demon as if something bothered him deep within.

Shishi's eyes narrowed and one hand casually was laid over the hilt of the katana. "I am not interested in who you protect or not, Kurama. "

"You do not understand... but it is ... alright. Just do your part... and I expect your report soon." He took a step aside from the window, allowing the samurai a free pathway to leave the room. After the demon had shifted into his human form, there had been a rare energy crawling within the room making him incredibly uneasy. ...What was it?

Shishi smirked slightly and gave the katana an almost affectionate pat, apparently it was working..."I understand Kurama...I have...priorities well," Shishi said simply as he walked to the window.

His eyes followed the demon as he departed, easily noticing how the gruesome sensation progressively vanished. What was he hiding? And how could that be possible. The Youko spirit within him was perturbed. No matter how he tried to question himself, the sensation was gone for now.

Shishi opened the window and gracefully hoped out, grinning to himself. He had noticed Kurama's reaction to the katana now, whatever Suzuki had done to it had worked.