Hi everyone, thank you for waiting for this chapter, it is action packed and longer than any of my others, so enjoy it!

I'd just like to add that nothing in all of my fictions would ever be shounen-ai!! So if there are any bits or whatever, they are just plain ol' brotherly love...ok?!? Also, this chapter includes some hi-tech systems and whatnot so remember; technology does exist in the world of Sanzo-ikkou.

Notes (the marks are for speech of the person(s) in the head):

/.../ Sanzo & Konzen

#...# Kenren & Gojyo

[...] Tenpou & Hakkai


Nataku Taishi walked down a familiar road; he followed the setting sun and then found himself standing at a place he once stood 500 years ago, Tenjiku.

As he walked closer to the entrance, the whole building was in alarm and a flock of demons came running out, ready to defend their master inside.

The fighting God had regained all his strength now, making it effortless for him to get through the useless demons. Even though he could, it didn't mean that he wanted to. His only motivation at that moment was Goku, and his safety.

==============================8

Konzen, Kenren, Hakkai and the Nerneks had reached Heaven and had successfully passed security and were now crouching around the corner to the chamber under the building, where Goku was kept. The chamber was obviously heavily protected; a dozen soldiers stood ready, all wielding weapons.

"Kenren, we can take them." Kail stood and looked at Kenren seriously, missing being under the leadership of their commander.

"Are you sure?"

"Hai." They all said quietly. Soon Fei took out a handful of discs, threw them and killed 3 of the 12. It attracted the other soldiers and then all the Nerneks came out of hiding and swiftly killed all of them in brief, accurate movements.

"Oh? You guys got better..."

"Well, we didn't have a badly behaved taishou to distract us."

Everybody rushed to the door, but it was locked with new 'hi-tech' security and the door was too thick to kick down. Therefore, the only way was to hack through the lock, but the thing was, nobody knew how to.

"I only know one person who can get through this."

"Who's that Kenren?" Hakkai asked. Kenren looked at Hakkai in the eye and seemed disheartened. "What the matter Kenren?"

"Gomen, Hakkai." All of a sudden, Kenren elbowed Hakkai in the head, knocking him unconscious.

After a few minutes, he woke up and had everyone standing around him.

"Welcome back, Tenpou." Tenpou was able to come out as Hakkai stayed unconscious; they helped him up and waited until he regained balance.

"It's been a while, Kenren...but you shouldn't hit so hard."

"We need your help."

He stared at everyone who hadn't really changed, looking as they all did 500 years ago and not a day older. Tenpou looked at the locks that were installed on the door, he began to fiddle with it and press a few buttons mindlessly. Kenren and the Nerneks had no idea what he was doing and just stood and waited.

"Ah, Tenpou, can't you go any faster?"

"Kenren just let me concentrate. If I do something wrong then I'd have to start all over again."

"So...?"

"Done." The door took a few seconds to unbolt everything and the door popped open. Tenpou opened it all the way and let some light pour into the pitch-black room. There was Goku chained to the wall, beaten and bleeding.

Goku looked up recognized an old, yet familiar face.

"Ten-chan?"

"It's good to see you, Goku." Then Kenren came up beside Tenpou and waved.

"Ken-niichan?"

"How are you doing bakasaru?"

"I'm not...a...saru..." Goku laughed a bit but ended up coughing, setting a depressing atmosphere around everyone.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here."

Kenren came in and unchained him, and then both he and Tenpou carried him by supporting the little saru on their shoulders. As Goku came out of the chamber and to the surface, the bright lights blinded him for a while, but instead of the light burning his sensitive eyes; it soon became welcoming and beautiful. The first thing he saw was Konzen, the same old gloomy faced Konzen.

Subconsciously, Goku let go of Kenren and Tenpou and walked slowly over to him. As soon as he got close enough, Goku stumbled and wrapped his arms around Konzen and closed his eyes with a sudden feeling of ease and safety.

"Kon...zen...finally, I get it right."

"Are you alright, Goku?"

"Mm..."

/Sanzo-sama...wake up./

/Huh? What for?/

Konzen descended back into his mind and let Sanzo come out, though with him not realizing what position he was in. Sanzo looked around and found that he was in Heaven; all he remembered was a certain light hitting him the last time he was free to control his own body. Then he looked down and saw Goku resting comfortably against him.

"Woi, baka...what do you think you're doing?" Goku looked up and saw that it was Sanzo. Remembering well, he wasn't as friendly and caring as Konzen was.

"San-Sanzo...ahaha..." Goku quickly let go of him and rushed back, hiding his hands behind his back and smiled nervously.

==============================8

"So, you've gotten past every demon we have."

"I'm guessing you and your little group of friends are the non-worthless ones then?"

Nataku stood over a sea of hacked demons, and now was staring at the castle's next line of defence. All that stood between Nataku and his mission at that moment was Dokugakuji, Yaone and Lirin.

"Lirin-sama, I think you should get back inside."

"But, onii-san is not here, so you're gonna need extra help."

"Lirin-sama, it's not safe here. Kougaiji-sama wouldn't want you to fight."

"But..."

"No."

==============================8

"We better get going now."

"Where, Sanzo?" Goku asked as he sat down grimacing over his weakened state.

"Isn't it obvious, kono baka? We're going west, finishing my duty."

"Right...Wait! Sanzo, what about Nataku!?"

"Forget it, we've wasted too much time already."

"But...!" Goku couldn't take the fact that he had to abandon his friend; he had to figure out something. But before any of them made a move, or gave a second thought to their current situation, Litouten came out from the corner and looked at them with a smirk on his face.

"Well, well...isn't it the greatly acclaimed Sanzo-ikkou, and what do we have here? The late Kenren Taishou and Tenpou Gensui, what a surprise, and yet...what a shame."

"Who the hell are you?" Sanzo growled, now even angrier about the fact that he knew that this guy was going to be another burden in his journey.

"I am Litouten, it's a pleasure."

"No, it isn't. We're leaving."

"No...why don't you stay? I insist." At that moment, a herd of footsteps came closer and louder, then simultaneously stopped. Heaven's army stood surrounding them with the assassin still wearing red, in front waving mockingly at them. "Have fun." Litouten exited and left the army to deal with the intruders.

[Hakkai-san, are you ok? Would you like to take care of this?]

[I'm fine, if you say so, I wouldn't mind fighting.]

#Woi, Kenren, let me fight.#

#What are you talking about?! I haven't fought in 500 years, I'm aching for some action.#

#No way! These bastards beat me up and I deserve pay back! C'mon, Kenren!#

#Alright, alright, shut up already...#

Both Tenpou and Kenren gave control back to Hakkai and Gojyo, joining the others in their fight to survive. For all of them, they were beyond ready to face Heaven's army once again learning from their mistakes and underestimations. Especially now, with the recent awakening of past selves sharing their strengths, and their power.

"Let's...get this over with." Goku struggled to stand, but his current injuries kept him down and out of energy.

"Goku, you should rest." Hakkai noted worriedly.

"But..."

"Relax bakasaru, we can handle it." Gojyo assured, ruffling Goku's messy hair.

Sanzo, feeling helpless again stepped back from the rest and joined Goku who was resting against the wall. He lit a cigarette and hoped to see quite a show, but then a familiar voice arose.

/Sanzo, what are you doing?/

/Smoking./

/You can fight, I'm a god remember? My strengths would have improved you in some way, you wouldn't know if you don't try something./

Sanzo took his advice, hoping it would shut him up, and lifted his gun. The others hadn't begun their first moves yet, but it seemed that Sanzo was going to start it for them. He aimed at a soldier and was able to hit his shoulder, he began to bleed but not die completely.

/What did I say?/

/Urusai./

"Hey Hakkai..."

"Hai Gojyo?"

"Where do Gods go when they die?"

"Why don't we ask?" Hakkai calmly charged up his energy and threw it, injuring a few of the soldiers at the front. The soldiers yelled out in rage and ran towards Sanzo-ikkou and the Nerneks, and their battle began.

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Kougaiji flew home on his dragon after a day of scouting, looking for another fight with Sanzo-ikkou, but they were nowhere in sight. As he saw the castle on the horizon, he came over to the scene that he knew didn't mean good news. Demon upon demon lay dead, as Kougaiji drew closer to the castle's entrance, he saw Dokugakuji on his knees, drenched in blood with Yaone resting on his lap.

"What?" Kougaiji dove down with his dragon as fast as he could, hoping that his sight was lying to him. As he got closer and realized how bad things really were, anger grew inside of Kougaiji by every passing moment for the person who did this, and there he was. Nataku, wielding his old sword, slashed through the iron doors and watched it collapse.

Kougaiji jumped off his dragon and soared towards Nataku.

"MATTE!!"

He began chanting and summoned Engokuki. As it was unleashed, Nataku turned around and calmly and stood ready for the demon to attack. When it came close enough to him, he began to slash his sword in a series of directions that were too fast to see. In a matter of seconds, the demon was destroyed and the fire cleared to reveal Nataku standing unaffected as staring straight into Kougaiji's eyes as he landed on the ground a few meters from him.

"Leave." Nataku simply said as he lowered his sword and turned his back to him.

"What?! Where do you think you're going?!"

"Spare me you're defeat, I don't want to see it."

Mocked by his words, Kougaiji's judgment was clouded by rage and failed to notice the pain that Nataku was going through carrying out his mission. Kougaiji threw himself forward, aiming a punch, but Nataku jumped up and landed behind him and launched an attack, which Kougaiji barely evaded.

==============================8

The assassin stood far away from the spots of where they were fighting and quietly observed them. He scowled at how they had improved, their speed, their stamina, and especially their strength. The soldiers were going down faster and faster thanks to Sanzo's participation, but luckily, Goku was unable to fight. The assassin approached him and smiled.

"How are you doing?"

"What do you want?" Goku tried to stand but his right leg bailed on him and he fell on his knee.

"Hahaha...the great Son Goku cannot even get up on his own two feet. I wonder how embarrassing this is for you."

"Urusai," Goku let out faintly.

"Hmm? You say something?"

"Just die!" Goku summoned his Nyoibou and struck him, but he caught onto it and looked at Goku with disgust.

"Fool." He punched Goku in the face, which sent him falling flat on his back.

/Sanzo, Goku's in trouble./

/So? What do you want me to do about it?/

/Save him./

/He can take care of himself, if he dies, it shows how weak he is./

/This is different! He's at a disadvantage./

/It doesn't matter./

/SANZO!!/

The assassin drew his sword and was about to strike, but was disrupted by a gunshot that scraped across his chest and hit the wall. He turned and saw Sanzo slowly walking towards him.

"Is the master here to save his pet?"

Sanzo ignored him and shot his right shoulder, the assassin dropped his sword and looked at his wound and winced at it. It may have been a small one, but the bullet was wedged into his bone. The assassin summoned his fires from his left hand and aimed it at Sanzo, but before he could unleash them, Goku lunged himself at the assassin, sending them both down. Goku moved away as Sanzo opened fire on the assassin and then shot him in the head.

Goku sat up and stared at the assassin, twitching as his nerves refused to die off with him. Seeing that the assassin was taken care of, he diverted his attention back to the army, which had now become half defeated and the winner seemed to be already clear.

==============================8

Kougaiji stood weak, beaten and stained with his own blood but he was far from giving up. Though, no matter how hard he tried he had failed to make any noticeable damage to Nataku's body.

"Will you fall and let me pass?"

"Who do you...think you are to say that to me?"

"Nataku...Taishi."

"You..."

"I was the one...who subdued your father, 500 years ago."

Kougaiji was taken aback by those words as he realized how strong his opponent really was, comparing the strength Nataku was showing was nothing to the amount he should have used to fight against his father. His hope for victory was diminishing as he glared deep into Nataku's heartless eyes, which were filled with anger, determination and refusal to lose.

"Onegai..."

"What?"

"Let me be, let me finish my duty...let me stop the revival and destroy everything."

"No." He had to defend the experiment, the release of his mother depended on his duty to collect the Sutras. If there were no purpose for them, his chances of seeing his mother alive again would fall drastically.

Nataku closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he walked towards Kougaiji. Kou moved his left leg forward and settled in a ready stance with his fists guarding him. Nataku began attacking with a series of punches and kicks, taking it easy on him. He was struggling to block all of them, but then as he clearly saw a fist aimed directly to his chest, Kou grabbed onto it and wanted to return a punch, but Nataku beat him to it and was knocked unconscious with Nataku's final blow.

Moments later, Kougaiji woke up and his first sights were a worried Yaone and a pissed Dokugakuji.

"Kougaiji-sama, are you ok?"

"Where...is he?" Kougaiji slowly sat up, and Yaone cradled him in her arms to support his weakened state. Kougaiji set eyes on the open doors to the castle to reveal a burning corridor.

"No..." he was able to stand and walked limply into through the corridor.

"Kougaiji-sama!" Yaone was about to run after him, but was held back by Dokugaku's hold on her arm. He shook his head in disapproval and she understood that there was no stopping him at a time like this.

Kougaiji reached the elevator that was to take him to the basement floor, but only to be blocked by Nii Jien Yi. The scientist glanced at Kougaiji and smirked as he walked past him towards to entrance.

"Wait, Nii..." Nii turned and looked at the injured prince.

"Hmm...?"

"Do you have...anything...that could..."

Nii looked at him as if it was an expected question. His smirk grew as he searched his coat pocket for a vile, he threw it at Kougaiji who accepted it without regret. He continued and walked into the elevator with Nii waving him goodbye.

'Don't you want to know what it does?' Nii thought as he watched Kougaiji descend to the basement, 'it gives you the power of 10,000 demons, a power you can never bear, and never control.'


Sayonara! Await the final chapter.