Eternity

Preliminaries

Two months of training - intense training - and the day was finally here, the day that they would leave for Hanging Neck Island and participate in the Dark Tournament. San couldn't help but wonder if they: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Genkai and herself were ready for such a venture. At the old woman's insistence, San left with Yusuke to get on the ship. They were going to be late, even with Yusuke's improved speed so they ran, knowing that it would be faster than the transportation offered by local services. The wolf could smell all kinds of different youki ahead. Kuwabara was the only full human scent but more importantly, Kurama and Hiei were among them and despite masking their power, they had truly improved. The two of them slowed down to a walk, San knowing that Yusuke would make a dramatic entrance. Genkai caught up with them, wearing a mask to hide herself. The blond knew the reasons for this and she wasn't sure if she had confided in Yusuke about her decision to participate, so she kept it to herself.

"Wait sir, some of our team has some stragglers," San heard Kuwabara tell the captain.

"Then we'll just have to put a mark on their head and send a hit man out for them," he replied flippantly.

"Now, now, that's not necessary," said Yusuke, stepping out of the shadows with Genkai and San at his side, "Sorry to keep you waiting guys."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled at him.

The youki all around were whispering, San's ears catching warning bells as she stood beside her companions.

"These forest hikes really wipe me out."

"Yeah, you look awful. Oh wait, that's just you," said Kuwabara, laughing at his joke.

"Yusuke..." Hiei stepped forward.

He then pulled out his sword, lunging at the Reikai Tantei, attacking him with swift moves. San smirked, expecting this behaviour out of him and watching Yusuke easily dodge each of his moves. They looked like a blur to the untrained eye.

"Damn Hiei, is this how you say hello to people?" Yusuke commented with a smirk.

"Hn. I don't know where you've been all this time but it seems that you've improved your skills a little bit," replied Hiei.

"Improved a little bit? Oh man I'd say he improved a lot a bit!" declared Kuwabara.

"Don't be discouraged. The fact that you could follow their moves shows that you have improved as well," encouraged Kurama.

"Right on Kuwabara!" said San, slapping him on the back and nearly knocking him over.

"So Yusuke, I assume the little one over there is going to be our alternate fighter for the team?" questioned Hiei.

"Actually no, I will be the alternate fighter," answered the wolf.

"You mean this little guy here? He's even smaller than Hiei! And... what's wrong with his face? He looks like a mummy or something," mused Kuwabara, walking up to Genkai.

San laughed out loud at his antics. It made it even more humorous knowing who she was and everyone else being left in the dark.

"Trust me, that one's going to be a lot of help to us," said Yusuke.

"I don't know, he barely comes up to my waist."

"Forget him, Yusuke and I are all that we'll require," stated Hiei.

What were the rest of them? Chopped liver? The nerve of that guy.

"Enough already, let's all get on board!" the captain called.

The six fighters followed all the other youki onto the ship that was departing. San internally sighed once they were on the open water, having waited for this day and finally it was here. It meant that she was closer to him, to Youko. The wolf was unable to sense him just yet, which meant that he was likely already on the island. Just a little more patience and she would be there, and she would be happy again. The ship was hostile, that was for sure. None of these youki weren't even close to the power that one of the fighters on her team. They were a waste of space on this vessel and she highly suspected they would try anything to be rid of them. Foolish creatures, they were all going to die, San knowing Hiei too well. Once the first attack came, no one else would survive long enough to reach the island.