The first hints of Gojyo's scent confirm Kurama's suspicions. He lets Kuwabara continue to lead the way, trusting his spirit sense to find the quickest path where his own nose might easily be delayed by any meandering, but it wears on his nerves all the same: it's been nearly a week since Hakkai said Gojyo went missing, and from what Kuwabara said he's probably in pretty rough shape, but haste will only run the risk of making things more difficult.

Finally they're standing in front of an alleyway, and even without the smell of kappa it would be impossible to ignore Gojyo's energy, weak but extant. Kurama shoots Kuwabara a look before stepping into the alley. "He knows me, but I'm not sure that'll matter if he's in a bad enough state, so follow my lead," he says quietly, and then, louder so he can be heard all down the alley, "Gojyo, it's Kurama. I've come with a friend to help you."