A/N: looks at stat screen & falls over dead Here ya go! More suspense! More... of more! XD
Chapter 4
Gojyo and Hakkai had given them glances of undisguised curiosity when they'd come back.
"Felt a little horny, Sanzo-sama?" Gojyo taunted, smirking.
Sanzo spat back acidly, "You're the only one here that acts like a hormonal teenager."
Gojyo simply laughed. "I'm not a hormonal teenager. That's Goku you're talking about! I'm a charmer."
Goku rolled his eyes. "Your charm could kill snakes."
"Actually, you're wrong." Gojyo had an amused grin on his face as he glanced at Hakkai. "My charm livens snakes up quite a bit."
Sanzo ignored them and sat down to smoke. Gojyo and Goku had begun arguing again. Didn't they ever tire of it?
"By the way, Goku, while you and Sanzo were gone I ate all the food."
"What?" Goku shrieked. "I hate you! I goddamn hate you!"
Gojyo smiled. "Feeling's mutual."
Sanzo stiffened at this.
"Goku, calm down," Hakkai interrupted. "There's still tons of food left. Gojyo was joking."
"You're the best, Hakkai!"
Sanzo glanced over at Gojyo. Was it possible that he had caused Goku's bruises? They were constantly fighting all the time, and Gojyo was pretty strong... Unless....
Sanzo narrowed his eyes. What if Gojyo was secretly beating Goku up?
As strong as Goku was, he relied heavily on his friends for support. That could easily be turned against him. Goku would not put up much of a fight against a friend gone wrong.
Hell, he'd even wanted Sanzo to spare Rikudo! That thought made him wince. Goku felt so strongly about not harming friends that Sanzo wondered if somewhere in Goku's past one of his friends had turned against him.
But there was no use speculating over something that had happened centuries before. Sanzo examined Gojyo out of the corner of his eye, trying to fight the sudden urge to shoot the kappa. If Gojyo was hurting Goku.... His eyes narrowed as he imagined exactly what he'd do to punish the idiot.
But did Gojyo have a motive? When did twisted minds have a logical reason to explain what they did?
For all he knew, Gojyo could view Goku as a younger brother much like he'd been. Perhaps by beating up Goku, he was trying to punish himself for his past. Or maybe he was just trying to make Goku feel the same way he'd felt, so that someone else could suffer with him. So that just maybe he could pass his pain on to someone else.
It wouldn't surprise Sanzo. People did things like that. People were willing to do anything to avoid feeling pain, or even to feel bliss for a few moments. That was why Gojyo went with all those women--to feel wanted, needed, happy.
But if Gojyo was the cause of Goku's suffering, why would Goku even talk to him? Why wouldn't Goku confess or say something--anything--to stop what was happening to him?
Then again, Goku wasn't like most people. Goku needed love, needed friends so desperately that he'd do anything to stay with them. Hell, Goku even put up with Sanzo himself, year after year after year.
Sanzo had to admit that either Goku was a complete idiot, or he had a high pain tolerance. Or both.
But how could he discover what was happening? It was too obvious if he followed Gojyo around, especially as it was strange behavior on his part. Gojyo came and went a lot, even more so when they were staying at an inn. So all he could do was keep an eye on Goku.
He grudgingly decided that it would be better if he roomed with Goku. That would keep Goku away from Gojyo, as well as allow him to keep an eye on the monkey's whereabouts.
Sanzo repressed a sigh. It would also be better to keep an eye on Gojyo. Maybe he had to share his suspicions with Hakkai so that Hakkai could keep an eye on his end of the things. But he didn't want to tell anyone. In his eyes, everyone was a suspect. How did he know that Hakkai wasn't in on Gojyo's game, or that.... He stiffened. How did he know Hakkai wasn't the one beating Goku up?
He didn't know why he'd overlooked Hakkai. It was probably Hakkai's eternal smile, and the way he seemed to care about everyone, even his enemies. Sanzo glanced over and examined Hakkai as a stranger would.
Very friendly smile, excessively polite... completely disarming. Even Sanzo himself forgot at times that there was another side to that quiet, calm man.
There had been a side of Hakkai that had killed mercilessly. There was a side still there that anguished over the past. Hakkai was bitter and angry on the inside, though he didn't let that show through.
Hakkai was perfectly capable of hurting Goku.
He was a much more likely candidate than Gojyo, Sanzo concluded. As much as Hakkai tried to keep himself together, he was twisted.
And it would be just like that deceptive man to put his suspicions on someone else. Not openly, of course, as that aroused attention, but by suggesting things.
What had Hakkai said? "Didn't those bruises look... a little suspicious to you?"
Now that he thought about it, that question was suspicious. It was as if Hakkai had been testing him, checking to see whether or not he knew the truth. Trying to make him suspicious so that he'd immediately look for someone else to lay the blame on.
Sanzo scowled.
If he didn't feel that he had to discover what was going on, Sanzo would've shot Goku and ended the problem like that. Actually, maybe he'd shoot Goku as soon as he discovered what was happening. After all, it wasn't right that Goku hid things from him and made him worried--actually no, he wasn't worried, just annoyed.
He'd have to keep an eye on Goku as much as possible. Possibly stay up a few nights as well, because that was probably when he was being hurt.
What a pain in the ass.
To Be Continued...
