#fox dad

While it never made it to anime, Togashi-Sensei did show Kurama and Hiei’s first meeting in a One-Shot called “Two Shot” (???), which I think was published somewhere between Vol. 6 and Vol. 8.

In this one-shot, Hiei’s made his way to the ningenkai following a potential trail for Yukina, as rumors say the fearful Demon Yatsude (who just conveniently happens to live in an abandoned doll factory in Shuichi Minamino’s side of town) has captured and eaten a stray Ice Maiden.

Hiei goes after Yatsude but ends up severely hurt and having to retreat. Fourteen year old Shuuichi, sensing the familiar energy of Hiei,skips school in search for him, and eventually finds him bleeding somewhere secluded. Hiei’s first instinct is to attack the unknown demon, not recognizing Kurama’s aura as weak and human-tainted as it is, and after a short skirmish and only half recognizing the aura before him, he passes out.

Kurama takes him back home to heal his wounds and gives himself permission to check out Hiei’s newest body mod, and also asks Hiei who this “Yukina” he was mumbling about in his sleep is.

Unsure of whether he can really trust this new Kurama after over a decade of him being gone (and with how different his disposition seems to be), Hiei dismisses Yukina as a lead for his tear gem, and tries to brush off Kurama’s persistent offers for help to no avail.

Kurama sticks along, both because he wishes to patch things up with Hiei and because a concerned parent’s phone call seems to indicate a classmate of his has gone missing near the area where Yatsude supposedly lurks.

Hiei and Kurama defeat Yatsude together, and through the following year Kurama coaxes Hiei into keeping in contact with him sporadically, not quite earning his trust back but presenting himself as a reliable ally, should Hiei want his company.