She had pulled the trigger. Only Shimi and Sanzo fully understood what had happened at first. After what seemed like three minutes it fully hit everyone else. It was then that Gojyo's left eye twitched and he advanced upon Sanzo.

"Why I ought to kill you for that Sanzo! If you ever pull something like that again I swear I will!" Gojyo yelled

I didn't believe it at first. I saw the gun in her hand pointing at her own skull, and then she pulled the trigger. The only sound heard, though, was the click of the trigger. It seemed like three minutes later that I finally understood that Sanzo didn't have any bullets left in his banishing gun, and he knew it!

"You didn't believe I'd do it, did you?" Kanashimi asked Sanzo in a slow, deliberate voice.

"No, I didn't," Sanzo said in the same voice. "Now let's find an inn. It's late, and I'm beat."

I couldn't believe what Sanzo had just done, but he later told me that he did it because he was unsure of her loyalties. He didn't know if she killed for the heck of it or really did it for Outsider. He didn't want me to fall in love with someone only to be killed when I tried to get her in bed.

A few months passed without any big conflicts. That is, until they saw Dokugaiji one day.

I remember seeing him in the village. He had many cuts and bruises. An assassin that Kogaiji had sent had betrayed them and turned on Dokugaiji when he came to check up on him. He looked like he was nearly dead.

"Just leave him. That's what he gets for sending so many assassins after us," Sanzo said coldly.

"No!" Kanashimi yelled as she stood up and jumped out of the jeep, running with all her speed toward Dokugaiji. Gojyo fallowed her as well. He wasn't about to let both his brother and love die at the hands of this assassin.

We defeated the assassin and then Kanashimi ran to Jien. He had collapsed during the fight and was on the ground unconscious. I didn't know what to feel then. So, I stood there just staring.

"Gojyo, do you have anything I can wrap his major wound with?"

When no answer came she looked up at him.

"Gojyo!"

"How?"

"He saved me, Gojyo. I'll tell you later! Just get me something to wrap his wound in!"

She told me everything then. About how she overheard her mother say "I can't live with that monster any more!"

Her mother was talking about her. After she heard this she went to bed and her father came in and bound her wrists and ankles in demon shackles. They prevented her from struggling to much. She was then tossed out into the river near their house. She ended up in a lake where Jien found her. He pulled her to the surface and she saw his face outlined by the moon. He then nursed her to health.

I learned that this happened shortly after me and Jien split up

Years went by, and Kanashimi stayed with them. Then the ordeal was over and Shimi and Gojyo left the Sanzo group and went to live in Outsider.

Then, on a snowy winter night, Kanashimi was rushed to the nearest doctor.