False Pretenses - Part 28

Keshiki, Kurai, Fuyu & Minora are mine.

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 "Where's Koenma?  I want to see him."  Yusuke demanded from a blue oni.

The oni gazed at them blankly, mind still wrestling with a workload of documents waiting to be done.  Yusuke tapped his foot impatiently, while the oni searched for the right excuse to say.  Keshiki had sweatdropped standing beside Yusuke .  He knew that at any minute, Yusuke was going to bow his top.

"Yusuke!"  A cheerful voice called.  Both Yusuke and Keshiki turned to see the cheerful face of Botan.
"You're actually here?"  Botan said astonished.  Yusuke was not the type to hang out near Koenma's office.  Botan knew that if Yusuke had a choice he would transfer out of Tokyo just so Koenma would fail to locate him.  Yusuke hurried over to Botan and grasped her shoulders. 

"Is there something wrong?"  Botan asked in alarm.

"I need to see Koenma now."  Yusuke said flatly.

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"So Fuyu is dead?  I mean, really dead?"  Koenma asked for the fourth time.

"I told you!"  Yusuke said exasperatedly.

"How can you be so sure?"  The toddler sucked his fukumen furiously.

Yusuke sputtered.

"NANI?  Why can't you believe me?"  He glared daggers at the demigod, but Koenma remained unmoved and gave Yusuke a stern look.

"He's not an ordinary youkai, Yusuke.  He's almost as legendary as Kurama.  We had been hunting him for a long time and he'd been able to evade us without difficulty."  Koenma sighed.  "He's not only a shape shifter.  Do you remember Toguro Ani?"  Koenma asked.  Yusuke frowned at him.  How could Koenma think he'd forget that vile youkai that easily?

"Well, I believe that Fuyu's like him too.  I haven't seen any actual evidence, but that's the only logical reason for his continued existence.  He's been blown up so many times and he's still alive and whole.  Maybe he has the capability to regenerate his body again and again and since he'd had lots of practice, he's almost invincible now."

Yusuke frowned heavily and turned to Keshiki, who gave him a wide, concerned look.  Koenma turned his gaze on the blue-eyed youkai.  Keshiki eyed him back boldly.

"WHO are you?"  Koenma demanded.  Keshiki opened his mouth to answer, but Yusuke pushed him aside. 

"He's a friend, Koenma.  He's been helping us with this case."

"I don't...."  Koenma began.

"We need to know if Kurama's in the ningenkai."

Koenma stared at Yusuke."
"Where else would he be?"

Yusuke sighed.

"It's a long story.  Please, Koenma.  We need a confirmation."  Yusuke stared Koenma in the eye seriously

Koenma sighed and nodded.

"But you have to explain everything to me later."  The demigod said.

"Fine, let's go Keshiki."  Yusuke grabbed the youkai fast before Koenma could change his mind about letting Keshiki go that easily.  Once they were out of Koenma's office, Keshiki turned slowly to Yusuke.

"I'm sorry.  I didn't know about Fuyu's capability to regenerate."

Yusuke gave him a side-glance.

"It's okay.  Right now I have to go back there and check if he's really dead."

"Then I'm coming with you."  Keshiki said firmly.  Yusuke just nodded.  He only wished Koenma would see to Kurama's condition as soon as possible.

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To be continued ...

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