Here we go, Chapter 5 of "Sleeper."  It's titled "The Stranger."  Sorry if
this story has been going slow but I assure you that the story is going to
pick up the pace starting from this chapter.  Constructive C & C are
welcome.  Have fun reading.

-Shuichi Minamino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SLEEPER
Ch 5 The Stranger

	Karasu glanced around him as he walked among the crowd on a busy day in
Tokyo.  He felt a tug at his sleeve and turned around to see Kurama pulling
him toward one of the department stores.  Hiei followed them from behind,
scowling.

	"Hiei, where are we going?" Karasu asked Kurama.

	"We're going to get something else for you to wear..." Kurama explained,
eying the black outfit Karasu was wearing. "And...please call me Shuuichi
when we are around humans."

	"Oh, sorry."

	*This is going to far...!!!* Hiei thought furiously. *Why did I agree to
come along?!*  He was convinced by Kurama to follow he and Karasu when they
go out today in case the 'mage' has decided to show up.  Hiei hated the idea
of being a bodyguard.

	*Why did I come up with the idea of switching identities with that fox?!
Now I have to stay within a certain distance or that bastard Karasu would
jump me and destroy everything in sight!*  Not that he had cared that Karasu
would destroy everything in sight, he knew that he was stronger than that
youkai, but he also knew that Kurama wouldn't be very happy if his
neighborhood got destroyed because of him and Karasu.  Hiei frowned as he
realized that he had gotten involved in this whole mess all because of the
fact that he was worried about that fox.

	*You owe me this one big time, fox!* He thought bitterly as he followed the
two down the crowded streets of Tokyo.

	Kurama looked behind him and was relieved to see Hiei following them in a
distance.  He was grateful for the fire spirit's help since he had a feeling
that something was going to happen.  He turned his head to say something to
Karasu but to his horror, the latter was nowhere to be seen.

	*Shit!  How did that happen?  He was here just now...*  Kurama looked
around frantically for Karasu.  He met Hiei's gaze.  Hiei gave him a nod and
disappeared out of sight.

****************

	Karasu didn't know what was it that drove him to this dark alley.  He had
simply felt a strange force and attraction tugging him along.  Somewhere in
the back of his mind he felt that this very source might have something to
do with his loss memories and nightmares.

	He turned around in alarm when he felt youki behind him.  A force hit him
square in the chest before he could react.  He steadied himself and readied
himself for an attack.  The figure that appeared before him was not of
anyone that he recognized.  The figure charged.  Karasu stepped aside and
released a few explosives.  The dynamites hit a couple of their marks but
Karasu in return also suffered some cuts.  

	*Strange...* he thought. *I don't remember getting cut...*

	The figure staggered toward him.  Karasu took a step back and released a
stronger explosive.  The force of it flunged the figure into the wall.  It
slumped in a corner, unmoving.  Karasu stood in front of this mysterious
attacker for a few minutes and then turned around to leave.  He found
someone else standing in front of him, in that person's gloved hands was a
crossbow, pointing at him.  The arrow shot out in prenatural speed before
Karasu could react.

	Karasu closed his eyes, prepared for the sting of the arrow.  But instead,
the arrow whizzed past him and hit something else behind him-- the attacker.

	"You thought I was going to attack you?" asked the stranger, who stepped
out of the shadows.  It was a she.  Her sapphire eyes looked at him
intensely, her light brown hair tied back neatly in a ponytail.  She was
very pretty.  Despite her warm and dazzling smile, there seemed to be
something hiding behind that beautiful eyes that made Karasu felt somewhat
strange about this person.  It was nothing malevalent, but it was definitely
something strange that emenate from this girl.

	"Thank you."  Karasu replied.

	"Well, see you around." She waved and disappeared.

	"Wait!!" Karasu stepped forward to stop her but turned around when he felt
someone else watching him.

	"Who were you talking to?" Kurama asked.

	"Huh?  Someone was here...."

	"I thought I felt youki," Kurama said soleumly.  He had felt more than just
ordinary youki, it was strong, almost too strong.  He sensed Hiei nearby and
silently hoped that Hiei wouldn't go chase after whoever that Karasu just
encountered.

	"She saved my life," Karasu said aloud.

	"Who?"  Kurama asked, even though he already knew that whoever that 'saved'
Karasu has already left Ningenkai.  He checked again for Hiei's youki and
found it.  Good, Hiei was still around.

	Instead of answering him, Karasu simply walked past Kurama, lost in
thought.  Kurama crossed his arms, observing Karasu's reaction.  Something
was definitely wrong here.  Whoever it was that had appeared, Kurama
concluded, could not be an ordinary youkai.  

---------Chapter 5: The Stranger End (TO BE CONTINUED)---------

	      --Shuuichi Minamino
	      ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` 
	    *      Shuuichi Minamino / Silver Fox / Youko Kurama       *
	    * The Proud Maintainer of the Yaoi/Slash Info Mailing List *
	    *  Firm Supporter of the YYH Dynamic Duo: Kurama X Hiei    *
	    *       A Thousand-Year-Old Fox Spirit As Human            *
	    *   Innocent Student At Large in Northwestern University   *     
            *              http://www.kurama.ranma.com                 *  
	      `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~