Chapter 5

A/N: Very sorry about the last chap…. Loose screws running loose. Anyway, I fired the pathetic narrator and he won't be easily accepted for anther job again. As always, I'll extract all those I can read from Sanzo's dirty ole mind!!! (Hehehehe….. Hope I really do, well I do try the best I can!) So on with the real story!

Sanzo's POV

I was just thinking of several ways on how to celebrate my victory over Kougaiji, like maybe having a picnic with Goku using my extra food rations or maybe by drooling over Goku in peace, but my good mood and marvelous planning bid goodbye as soon as I spotted two unwelcome figures in sight.

The kappa and the cook, whom I had desperately wished wouldn't show up ever again, were striding towards us, a jaunty wave in their arms. To my envy, the near brooding saru suddenly perked up and ran towards them as quick as he can.

 Well yes, near brooding, since I wouldn't talk to him even if he was beside himself with the silence that hung around us like a thick fog. You might be thinking, what a waste!! You know me having the saru all to myself and doing nothing about it. I know. Damn my pride. I could definitely use some humble bone in my body.

I let out a steamy breath. I'm currently using all the patience and understanding I have in me to stop myself from extracting Goku from the kappa who had him in a tight bear hug. To my surprise and anger the kappa looked at me and winked. I glared daggers at him till he looked away grinning from ear to ear. Well, so much for me winning the glaring competition. Oh, the mysterious ways a kappa's brain worked!!

Then finally before I flipped over the hugging thingy he let go of Goku. Finally!! I was really starting to think he wouldn't let go! I mean, come on! They were only gone for what?! A few measly hours!!! And he's acting as if they were gone for about a year!!

The saru on the other hand was oblivious to Gojyo's true motives. Well what could it be?! Brotherly hug? Brother my ass!! I know he has the eye on Goku forever. Well, if you don't believe me, I have proof to believe that he had the thing on the saru.

Hello!! We've been traveling for what? Months? Years maybe…. I've lost count, but I'm sure all those accidental brushes of touch, the headlock thingie he does when he's quite 'angry', the concern he shows when the saru is lost (although he insists on the excuse that without Goku we won't be able to play mahjongg anymore) and the lame excuse of fighting with him on food (he does this so he can have a bout of petty fighting with him which of course results to more 'accidental' touches!!), are definitely not accidental. I've had what? Months? Years? To observe them. And if you don't believe that with all the time I have to observe them and to have concluded rightly, then I suggest you go out of my head and be gone!!! I'm letting you read all my thoughts and you won't believe me? Hmmp.

Some still here? Aright. But let's move on. Gojyo will definitely have his time. Just he wait. The saru was looking at Hakkai closely, as if examining him if it's okay to get close to him or whatever. The cook smiled and opened his arms for a hug, which Goku gladly accepted. I would've expected that Hakkai still has the trauma.

Maybe the 'punishment' or 'tricks' if you will, that I gave him were a little too mild for him. And I thought that I've done enough mischief on him to damage him for at least….. let's say, a year? But look at him now. It seems as if nothing happened to him!!! And look!!! He's even looking at me, smiling!!!

I swear, if I didn't know better, that this two knew nothing about my obsession, I would've have entertained the thought that they're teasing me, provoking me.

I tried best as I can to ignore them. After all I didn't want them to know about it. I know I've been careful, but in this world you can never say that you've been too careful!! So I turned my back to them and adopted a calm posture as I leaned against the tree. But I'm listening closely to every word they're saying. As I said, you can't be too careful.

"What took you so long?" I hear Goku say. Obviously it was meant for Hakkai. He only reserves his childish, hurt voice towards Hakkai. Oh you know, when he begs for more rations or whatever childish things he does.

"Uhhh, we got lost." Hakkai stammered apprehensively.

"Lost? I thought you had a great sense of direction." Goku asked confused. Because the cook suddenly became at a loss for words the kappa answered for him.

"He's with me. I kept confusing him with the direction." He said breezily as I saw, out of the corner of my eye, him get a cigarette out of his pocket.

"Hah! I should've known!! You're enough to get lost in a small house!" I smiled at the occasional cunning of my saru.

"What?! Come here and I'll show you how directionally challenged you are!!" The two ran around in circles, Goku gleefully did so while Gojyo was acting as if he was mad, and they came by me as they did so, and to my surprise, Gojyo winked at me again like he's teasing me, provoking me. I was reaching boiling point but I didn't bulge. If I get angry, if they find out about my obsession, I am good as lost. So I steamed in peace. He'll get his time, I swear.

As soon as they reached Hakkai, Gojyo stopped running but Goku kept running towards the woods sticking his tongue out at Gojyo who did the same.

"You're getting old kappa!!!" Goku yelled back. He stopped at the entrance of the woods, dancing his little dance which was meant to irritate the kappa.

"No. I'm not old. You're just too childish for my tastes." Gojyo said dismissively at the saru as he puffed ringfuls of smoke and draped an arm across Hakkai's shoulders. Goku pouted.

"Oi, bouzo!! Your pet looks disappointed….." Gojyo called in my direction.

"So?!" I said lazily.

"Don't you want to comfort him or something?" The kappa asked as he dropped a step beside me and offered me a smoke. I declined and glared at him.

"None of your damned business." I said as icily as, so as to stop myself hitting him silly with my harisen.

"Sure about that? But weren't you just……… OI!!!" Gojyo stopped mid sentence as we both spotted Homura at the same time. He was clutching Goku around the shoulders and his sword was dragged across the saru's neck. Hakkai was half way to them when Homura warned him not to go any closer.

"Get any closer and Goku goes….. Poof!" He eyed me menacingly.

"Konzen. No Sanzo. If you want him back and alive…… you know where to find me. Don't bring them." He said as he motioned towards Hakkai and Gojyo. Then with a flick of his free hand they vanished out of sight.

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"If you weren't so damn nosy, asking me silly questions, Goku might never be kidnapped!!" I raged at Gojyo who has stood stock still in the same position he had when the kami left with my pet in tow. Gojyo regained consciousness and looked angrily at me.

"Look, buozo!! Is it my fault that I just want to talk to you? And am I supposed to know that the blasted kami will show up today?" He rounded up on me looking deadly. Well, sorry mister kappa, I'm not that easy to intimidate!! I glared daggers at him but did not otherwise show him that I knew he had a point.

"Sanzo, Gojyo, I think this is not the time to fight. Our enemy is Homura. Not amongst ourselves." Hakkai said as turned pleading eyes towards Gojyo.

They looked at each other with an expression I could not read, was it mutual understanding? Or was it anxiousness? I did not ponder long; I have more pressing matters at hand than wringing my head out trying to figure out what they are doing.

"I'm going." I said shortly as I went up to the jeep to get a few items. I heard scuffling steps behind me and when I turned, I found the both of them looking at me disapprovingly.

"Sanzo, clearly you are not thinking…?"

"If you think I'm going alone, that is to say, without you, well yes, I'm going to." I put a hand out to shove them aside and started stalking towards the general direction of where Homura told me on where he'd be.

"Be reasonable buozo!! Do you think you can handle that kami all alone?" I hurtled back at them, my eyes ablaze.

"Oh yes I can. And don't you dare follow me or you'll be dead meat!!!" I said with much conviction that they have taken a step back or two. Satisfied that they won't meddle anymore, I set off, my mind clicking over time for ways to get back at Homura.

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"Are we really going to let him set off all alone?" Hakkai asked Gojyo in a small voice.

"Of course not. The buozo…. They both might get hurt….."

"I know. But Sanzo said…."

"Well, Sanzo isn't here. And besides he wouldn't know if we followed him."

"You're right." Hakkai said resignedly as he sighed and patted Hakuryu who turned like his usual self and had already perched himself atop his master's shoulders.

"Yeah I'm right. Besides, I got a plan." Gojyo said a mad twinkle in his crimson eyes.

"Why do I have a feeling I won't like this?" The green eyed man groaned.

"Oh come on. We observe Sanzo. You know, to prove that he…..?"

"Yeah…."

"But when he need or help we jump in, okay?"

"Well of course."

"But….." Gojyo said as he puffed a smoke and turned towards the sinking sun, his eyes full of expectations as it caught the light.

"What?"

"I don't think Sanzo'll need our help."

"Why?" Hakkai asked dumbfounded. Gojyo shook his head in wonder. Hakkai can be so smart and knowledgeable about everything, but when it comes to love and other thing that really counts, in Gojyo's opinion anyway, he's completely clueless.

"Because….." The kappa said with as much patience that a kindergarten teacher has over her students.

"A love sick fool won't be very easy to defeat. Its mind works in wonders a world could not explain." Hakkai still looked dumb. Gojyo sighed.

"Let's put it this way: The more he becomes envious, the more he becomes dangerous." And Hakkai finally understood.

t.b.c

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A/N:

kitsune_me: finally!! I updated it!! Yey!! I guess I'll finish it in 3 or more chaps. Homura'll be the last one and I've got special plans for Gojyo. What else? Hmmm… do mention something else in your review other than my grammatical errors okay? Hehehehe……