Chapter Two

A woeful moan ensued, rising louder and gently subsiding in a sigh. The boyish wonder, Son Goku, rolled over, burying his face in the crook of his arm and proceeded to wail softly again. In the middle of his clearly audible self-pity, only two names raced through his troubled mind…….a breeze-like whisper of Naesha and the self-indulgent spat of Sukunami Taka…….but not before a flying bundle of feathers and cotton in the form of a pillow thumped into him. The 31st Tao Genjo Sanzo growled, sick of hearing his burden wallowing away in self-degradation and in turn giving him a headache.

"Urusaiyo no kurrukeseu…" mumbled the golden-haired monk, lighting another cigarette with experienced hands, his 20th smoke in the last hour. His only response was another long moan from the crumpled up boy whose body was drawn up tight in a ball. Out came the gun in an instant, handled of course by Sanzo's expertise, but Cho Hakkai shook his head and tugged back the robed arm with a laugh.

"Mah, mah….leave him alone, Sanzo…..he must have something on his mind since he came back sulking hours ago…."

Sha Gojyo gave a snort, folding his cards, "Yeah….food. Some innkeeper must have thrown that no-brain saru out, eh? Gaki saru?"

Silence retorted him, causing the so-called ladies' man to turn, enquiring.

"Oi, saru…….your tongue fell out from lack of food?" he chuckled at his own joke as a muffled forlorn reply of 'don call m'saru' came trembling back.

"Ne….dai jou bu, Goku-chan?"

More moans.

"Ne…..Goku…." Hakkai frowned at more deflated cries, before hastily beckoning an agitated Sanzo down. Deciding that the afflicted boy was too mournful to be left alone, the more sensitive of the group wrapped one arm around the still hump and coaxed him to the table. One glare from Hakkai caused Gojyo to clamp up and hurriedly made some space for downcast Goku.

Whimpering slightly, the broken-hearted one crouched over, not daring to meet the annoyed Sanzo in the eye, but after several tugs and rapid soothing by Hakkai on behalf on the monk, he poured out everything….

"ILOVETHISGIRLANDSHEISREALLYBEAUTIFULANDNICEANDSHEISTHEONLYONEIREALLYLIKEANDIREALLYWANTTOBEWITHHERONLYTHATSHEDON'TWANTMEANDNOWSHE'SWITHTHISGUYWHOISTALLERTHANMEANDKNOWSALLTHISWORDSANDHECALLEDMEABA….BA….BANNA…NANANA……..ANDSHEDON'TSPEAKTOMEANYMOREANDIREALYWANTTOHEARHERVOICEAGAINANDSHEDON'TWANTMEANDSHEISWITHTHISGUYWHOCANTOUCHHEREVENWHENI'MSCAREDTOANDSHEDON'TMINDAND……….I WANT MY NAESHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!WAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHHHAAAA………………SANZO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

In tears, he flung himself upon his savior, sobbing for Naesha. Even though Sanzo rolled his clear violet eyes, he draped his arms across the shaking shoulders, quiet understanding in his touch. Hakkai leaned back, nodding now that he knew the reason for the usually cheerful boy's misery.

"Sou……..Goku has a crush…..poor thing……" he glanced at Gojyo who immediately put down his legs.

"Nani…..? So what if he has a crush……it's time he grew up anyway………..oi, Hak…don't look at me that way……ore….nani sa Sanzo??????"

Standing, Sanzo pushed his charge onto the apparently confounded red-head, whipping out his cigarette as he did so. With a puff, he turned to Hakkai.

"Who's the girl?"

"Girl? Oh, Naesha sa, ne Goku? Ummmm………..oh…she must be the one you met the last time, ne Goku?" taking the bowed nod as confirmation, Hakkai continued, "She was pretty. A small lady with long black hair and very entrancing large eyes………..ah….Goku spent a lot of time with her, I remember……..ehhh….. I should have guessed that he really liked her….."

The cigarette was stubbed out, and he flicked his blond hair back with a sweep.

"So we know her……ok, ikkou Gojyo…"

"Nani?????!!!!"

"You gone deaf, youkai? Reconcile this baka lovebird with whoever she is so that we can stop hearing this aggravatingly fretting noise and move on…"

"Why ME?" demanded the flushed taboo child.

Sighing and looking as if he was speaking to a child, Sanzo mouthed his words loudly…

"GET GOKU WITH THE GIRL, MAKE HIM HAPPY AND WE CAN GO……..

anyway, you always say that no woman could resist your charm, so a small girl should not be a problem, unless of course, you're losing your touch……oh, whoever that man is, get rid of him fast…. I want to be out of this town by sun up………..better hurry lover boy……."

With a smirk of a grin, Sanzo sat back comfortably, opening his newspaper, while Gojyo dragged Goku out, grumbling furiously all the while, as Hakkai sighed.

---

Striding along, Gojyo shook off the cold air.

"Ok…..where's she?"

"I dun kno…" came the withered reply.

"Nani???!!!! Then how do you propose we get you two together???!!!!!"

"I dun kno…."

"You really aren't helping!!!!"

"Ummmmm……." His head bowed even lower.

A sigh, "Fine………ok, where did you last see her?"

"Ummm……hotel…"

Exasperated now, "Which hotel?"

"Umm…….a really big one…..oh wait…..a small inn…umm…..but there was some really delicious food…………"

Trust the baka saru to think only of food……where in the right mind then did he fall in love?

"What were you doing there? No, let me guess……eating…"

Looking hurt, Goku glanced upwards, "I was following Naesha….."

"Fine, fine……..you remember the way?"

"Ummm….hai!"

He trotted off, leaving Gojyo to follow him as they made their way to the Hotel Paradise Gardens.

---

"Ne, Sanzo……….he's really growing up, isn't he…."

A mumbled ummmm replied him. Hakkai sighed and went back to staring at his cup of sake. A knock came on the door, and Sanzo, barely looking up, said, "Go answer that,will you?" and continued reading, not bothering for an answer. Opening it, Hakkai peered out to an empty corridor. Mildly surprised, he shrugged and turned back, "There's no one……" and was startled. Seated elegantly by the window, was a petite figure, sculpted face resting upon one slender hand as the other arm laid across the frail lap.

"I'm hardly no one….Cho Hakkai…" whispered the ethereal form, and the enveloping golden eyes shifted to the silver gun held to the dusk framed head, "Genjo Sanzo, 31st Tao and heir of the Heaven and Earth Opening Sutras……..dubbed the rogue monk….."

"I'll dub you the dead trespasser if you don't explain yourself, and even then you will be called the one with a hole through her head…" smiled Sanzo.

"It's a girl?" asked Hakkai, seeing before him what seemed to be a fair beauty of a boy.

"Yes….a dead one."

"You seem quite fond of death. Why don't I introduce the two of you," the stranger said smoothly with a certain coldness, then swooped down and swept her leg across in one clean crescent shape. The next thing Sanzo found was him lying on his back and a glowing broadsword pointed straight at him.

"Taishi…" he uttered, announcing the title given to the Fighting God as he recognized the sword.

Sheathing the formidable weapon in it's place, the girl nodded, "Toushin Nataku Taishi, here before one Genjo Sanzo and one Cho Hakkai." She gallantly helped the bruised priest to his feet and he gave his thanks by punching her right in the eye.

"Do that again, you blasted kami and I'll see to it that you meet death." He snarled.

Nataku grinned and nodded, "Fair enough……"

"Anon……..demo, what are you doing here? Sanzo won't give up the sutra…."

Holding up one hand, while the other performed a healing charm, the deity shook his head, "Iya….. I have no need for the sutra……what I need is help."

"Che……we don't have time. Get your help from some missionary or something….." Sanzo continued by grumbling under his breath about the three Buddhas, but Hakkai wasn't so sure.

"What is it that you want us to do?"

Flashing a smile, the god went on, "Tenkai has business with a niinyen who is important, and it seems that he is being targeted by an unknown enemy. Whatever my powers may be, being in two places is not one of them. I need you to protect him as I find out who the adversaries are and what they want…"

"Che, I'm no babysitter…."

Hoping to gain the volatile monk's favor, Nataku did not mention the event that unfolded in him looking after a baby…

(That story could be found as Onegai!)

Hakkai frowned, as a spell began to work on his mind, "Who is he?"

"One Sukunami Taka, and subsequently his companion, one Keichirou Hideki…….."

"Sukunami Taka………..why does that name sound familiar……."

Hakkai looked over to Sanzo, whose face showed relentless non-cooperation..

"Ne, Sanzo….maybe we should…."

"NO……"

"Demo…….a man's life could be in danger……"

"No……"

"it is for a good cause…"

"what cause is that? Babysitting for kamis CO.?"

"ne, Sanzo…….."

"No…."

"It's an order…"

"SO?"
"From a god……"

"Do I look like I care?"

"Demo……"

"NO….."

"Sanzo…."

"I'm not repeating this and I'm not backing down…."

"It's a direct order……… Nataku is asking for a favor….right? Nataku san?"

"Hai hai…."

"No……."

"You can't disobey…"

"no……"

"You work for Tenkai, Sanzo…"

"I do not……I work for the Three Buddhas in Chang'an……"

"The Buddhas take their orders from Kami-sama….."

"…………"

"please, Sanzo……..you know that you have to help people…."

"NO………."

"Come on…..it's not so bad………we'll just look after the man for a while and then we can move on……ne?"

"No……."

"Sanzo……"

"Che….."

"Sanzo…."

"…………"

"Sanzo……."

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! WE'LL GUARD THAT BLASTED PERSON!!! BUT JUST 'TIL MORNING, YOU GOT THAT?????"

"hai hai………..where is Sukunami-san?"

Nataku grinned, "Hotel Paradise Gardens."

Note from writer: oh dear…. I fear that this is going to be a three part story….. I did at first plan to finish it at chapter two and then it kindda lingered on…..hehehe…..komen…….but it is getting interesting, no? Want to know what happens next? Oh, and you can read a spin-off of this story by my illustrious partner….as if……Keichirou Hideki……and his story is called 'And from the brilliant mind of a saru' or something like that………..and the rest of the Ohaiyo and Onegai stories are easily found if you go to our writer's page……………….don't forget to check for the conclusion of this tale…………