Chapter Two

Bankotsu looked at the drawing of the young girl that he was looking for. He had been traveling for days, and hadn't realized that Hayato had stuck a drawing of Araiya in the pouch of money he had received. He looked up at the sky, sighing and falling back in the grass. He had been walking for three days, and had finally made it over the mountain range. We wondered how the invasion was going. He'd rather be there shedding blood for days instead of saving some young girl.

"We see how important you are. Invasion or bride?" Bankotsu asked and smirked, looking at the accurate picture, "And they chose invasion over saving you. I see how important you are to that Hayato. Instead they hire me, a mercenary to come save your ass." He stood and stretched, picking Banryu up and propping it on his shoulder. It was nearing late afternoon, and he was starving. Hopefully he could make it to the next town. He had had some luck that day, coming across small villages where people had recognized her picture, saying she had been there just a day before. She sure was moving quick though. Even one old man had overheard her saying she was headed towards a bigger village, but said that no one else was with her when she left. That flipped a switch in his mind.

"Bankotsu, Leader of the Band of Seven, I ask for you and your brothers to bring down a very powerful and very dangerous man." Hayato said as he looked up from his hands that were folded in his lap. Bankotsu felt something uneasy about him, but ignored it. What did he care? He was getting paid and that's all that mattered.

"Who is it?" Bankotsu asked.

"His name is Nobuyuki Hitomi and needs to brought down immediately. He has murdered countless people in the village and I want him gone. This place is no longer safe." Hayato said before a young girl entered the room. She was thin and fragile, her skin pale and her hair long and raven black down to her waist. Her crystal blue eyes met with Bankotsu's for a split second before Hayato motioned for her to join him. She remained to look down with her hands folded in her lap. She seemed…frightened? "Bankotsu, this is my soon to be wife, Araiya. Araiya, be a dear and say hello to our guest, won't you?"

"Hello, My Lord." she said quietly, flinching when Hayato placed his hand over hers. Bankotsu found it odd of her to do so, but quickly tucked that away into the back of his mind.

"I will fulfill your request as long as you fulfill mine."

"I will pay you what you wish." Hayato said before Araiya bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists.

"Very well. We will return with the body of Nobuyuki for you." Bankotsu said before the two men shook hands on the deal. The young girl stood, bowing quickly to the two out of respect before hurrying into a separate room.

"Don't worry I'll get your woman back to you as soon as I can." Bankotsu said as he stood, still confused on his parting words that no one else had heard him say.

"If she tries to run, you hurt her and you bring her back to me. I don't want her too injured, but I mean business. She's easily convinced by other's opinions and her kidnapper may have brainwashed her to stay with him." he remembered Hayato saying.

The man made little sense to begin with but hurt the girl too? He was confused and convinced that Hayato was slightly off his rocker. But in his mind, as long as it promised him and his brothers good meals and even better supplies, he couldn't care less.

"Alright, let's see here." he said as he began walking down the trail, "The next village shouldn't be too far, so I should be there in time to get a nice meal and a room." Bankotsu said as he propped Banryu on his shoulder. As he walked, he would pass by stray farms until they started growing more and more frequent.

"You!" a woman shrieked, Bankotsu stopping in his tracks at the entrance to the village and turning around, "What are you doing back?"

"Hey, I knew I knew this village from somewhere." he said with a smirk, placing Banryu point down and looking at the woman. Soon the villagers had ceased in their daily activities to stop and see what was going on.

"Why are you here, you monster!" she shouted, Bankotsu rolling his eyes and pulling Banryu up into his shoulder.

"I'm not here on a killing spree again. Tell me, have you seen this girl?" he demanded, shoving the picture in the older woman's face. Her dull brown eyes skimmed over the paper and she narrowed them, her wrinkles growing tighter.

"What do you want with her?"

"So she's here? Where is she?"

"I'm not going to confess." she said as a young girl stepped through the crowd.

"Maki, what's going on?" she asked as she approached the old woman, Bankotsu sneering.

"There you are. And who would've thought that you would actually come to me?" Bankotsu asked as the girl looked up at him, then at the piece of paper he held. He saw her eyes grow wide and fill with alarm as she backed up but Bankotsu shook his head, "You're not going anywhere except back where you came from. There's a pretty little prize I'm going to receive for your return."

"Go away. I'm not going back there." she said, Bankotsu raising an eyebrow.

"So you want to stay with your kidnapper?" he asked in confusion, "You really were brainwashed weren't you?"

"Excuse you?" she asked, obviously offended.

"I didn't think the general's son would be marrying a stupid young girl such as yourself, but I guess all he cares about is looks." he said as he stuck Banryu point down again and cracked his knuckles.

"I am not stupid! I'm not going back!" she shouted as she took another step back.

"Sorry, but I have to do what I must to get that money." he said and shot forward with amazing speed, scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she shouted as she kicked and punched at his back, "Let go you awful man!"

"Thanks for the girl!" Bankotsu shouted as he grabbed his Banryu.

"You're not taking her anywhere!" A man called as he charged forward, Bankotsu sneering and swinging his blade. The great halberd sliced the air with ease at the man, blood spilling from his throat as he fell to the ground.

"Anyone else care to challenge me?" he asked as the villagers backed away, "If you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way." he said, Araiya hiding her face in his back to avoid the murder scene as he turned to leave.