The death of the Shinchinintai
…With Bankotsu and Kaname, at the castle…
"KANAME, WAIT UP!" Bankotsu called, running after her.
"It's getting dark, aniki, I'm going to bed, so go away!" Kaname ordered, about to step into her bedroom, when Bankotsu grabbed her wrist.
"What are you…?" Kaname asked.
"Come to my room for a little while, I want to talk to you. Then, you can go to your room, and sleep all you want!" Bankotsu interrupted, taking Kaname to his room down the hall.
…In Bankotsu's room…
"I don't see why I have to go to your room!" Kaname complained, as she sat down on Bankotsu's futon.
"Because I want to talk to you," Bankotsu answered, sitting beside Kaname on the futon.
"We could talk in my room!" Kaname continued to complain, when all of a sudden she felt Bankotsu's lips on hers.
"Ban…ko…tsu…" Kaname moaned out, when Bankotsu slid his arms around her waist, and pushed her back onto the futon.
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Kaname teased, as Bankotsu crawled on top of her, and started opening the top of her kimono, since earlier she had put her clothes back on.
"Yeah…" Bankotsu smirked, once again seizing Kaname's lips in his own, and she helped him undress herself.
…With the other Shinchinintai members…
"…Aniki sure is having a long talk with Kaname," Jakotsu said, sitting on the floor in the castle, in between Suikotsu and Renkotsu.
"I'm pretty sure I know why," Renkotsu grumbled, with a bored expression on his face.
…One month later…
"Alright, we have our first job!" Bankotsu announced, as he walked out in front of a daimyo.
"What is it?" Kaname asked, curiously.
"The daimyo wants us to kill everyone in the village next to this one, so they won't try to gain more power than this village," Bankotsu explained, leading the Shinchinintai to the next village.
"Oh, then, this should be fun!" Jakotsu smiled, as they entered the village.
"Who are you?" an old man, with his short, gray hair in a ponytail asked.
"We're mercenaries, sent here by the daimyo of the village next to this one to kill everyone here, so you won't overpower them," Bankotsu explained, and killed the old man with his Banryuu.
"How much are we getting paid?" Kaname asked, once they had killed everyone in the village.
"Enough…" Bankotsu answered, looking at all the dead bodies around him.
"…" Kaname sighed, as she started walking away from the group.
"Where are you going?" Renkotsu questioned the young woman, whom was now like a daughter to him.
"I'm going back to the castle, you can come if you want," Kaname said, as she continued to walk away.
"Why not come with us to find some sake? Then, if you want…you and I can go to the hot springs together…" Mukotsu suggested, a perverted smile on his face.
"I doubt she'll go to the hot springs with you, and I don't think Bankotsu or Renkotsu would let her, if she wanted to," Jakotsu said, looking at Mukotsu with half-lidded eyes.
"Jakotsu's right, Mukotsu!" Kaname agreed.
"Come with me, then we can get some food," Kyokotsu said, when all of a sudden his stomach growled.
"Sorry, Kyo-san, I don't feel good, perhaps next time," Kaname declined.
"You don't feel good?" Bankotsu asked, now looking very concerned.
"You should have Suikotsu look at you. Suikotsu, go with Kaname back to the castle to see what's wrong with her!" Bankotsu ordered.
"Alright, I'm sure the doctor wouldn't mind taking over," Suikotsu said, following Kaname away.
…Back at the castle…
"What's been bothering you?" the doctor, Suikotsu asked, sitting with Kaname outside on the porch in front of the castle.
"I threw up this morning, but now, my stomach just hurts!" Kaname explained.
"You've slept with Bankotsu before, haven't you?" Suikotsu asked.
"Yes, why?" Kaname asked, suspiciously.
"You're probably pregnant, you have the symptoms," Suikotsu answered the perplexed girl.
"WHAT? TELL ME YOU'RE LYING!" Kaname yelled jumping up.
…
"What's going on?" Bankotsu asked, walking in on the scene.
"Oh, you're back…" Kaname said, looking from him to Suikotsu.
"Yeah, are you ok?" Jakotsu asked.
"We were worried about you," Renkotsu said, a stoic expression on his face.
"She's fine, she just has a little cold," Suikotsu lied.
"Yeah, sorry to make you guys worry about me!" Kaname smiled, nervously.
"…" Ginkotsu sighed.
"Where's our money?" Kaname asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Bankotsu said, and disappeared into the castle, followed behind a guard.
…
"I'm going to sneak into the castle, it's boring out here. I'm just curious as to why the daimyo only wants the leader to enter!" Jakotsu exclaimed, as he snuck away.
…
"Alright, you two, what's the problem? Kaname's not just sick; I'm not gullible or stupid. You can't fool me as easily as you can Bankotsu and the others!" Renkotsu said, staring at his two comrades in question.
"I'm pregnant," answered Kaname, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"PREGNANT!" Renkotsu yelled, losing his calm demeanor.
"…Kaname's pregnant?" Bankotsu asked, stepping onto the porch of the castle.
"How?" Kyokotsu asked, deciding to speak, considering the fact, that he was standing there the whole time, along with Ginkotsu.
"Gesh, how?" Ginkotsu asked, as well.
"Well, Bankotsu and I…you know…" Kaname trailed off.
"What's done is done," Renkotsu said, his calm demeanor, slowly returning.
"Yes, Kaname shouldn't overexert herself," Suikotsu said.
"Yeah, I have to take care of my woman, and my unborn son!" Bankotsu smiled, cockily.
"It's gonna be a girl!" Kaname started to argue, "But what are we going to tell Jakotsu?"
"Huh? I'm sure Jakotsu won't mind," Bankotsu said, when the said person came up behind him, and said, "Boo!"
"Hey, Jakotsu!" Bankotsu greeted.
"We've got some surprising news," Kaname said, sitting on the porch playing with her hands.
"What?" Jakotsu asked worriedly, looking at all the different faces.
"It's not good news, either…" Mukotsu sighed, disappointedly.
"I'm going to have a baby," Kaname answered.
"Oh, well, that's not too bad. I'm guessing that it's Bankotsu's child? If not, Mukotsu must have raped you in your sleep," Jakotsu said, looking at the small perverted man.
"It wasn't me…" Mukotsu sighed, sadly, and looked at the young woman, whom was glaring at him.
"It's Bankotsu, but why aren't you mad?" Kaname asked.
"…I kinda figured this would happen one day. Bankotsu unfortunately seemed pretty fond of you, when he first met you!" Jakotsu shrugged, as if saying it was no big deal.
"Can we go now?" Kyokotsu asked Bankotsu.
"Yeah, let's go find a place to relax, then, I kind find us another job!" Bankotsu agreed, as the 7 men and one woman left.
…Three months later…
"Okays, guys, I got us another job!" Bankotsu announced.
"About time, I've been bored out of my mind, and haven't found any cute guys worth looking at!" Jakotsu complained, and turned towards Kaname when he heard her groan.
"You okay, Kaname?" Bankotsu asked.
"Of course, I've made it this far, haven't I?" Kaname asked, as she and the others headed towards their destination.
…At the grounds Bankotsu was told to fight at…
"Okay, now, let's see, where are the people we're supposed to fight?" Bankotsu asked aloud, looking around at the snow filled place.
"How are we supposed to know?" Jakotsu asked.
"I think it was a rhetorical question," Kaname answered, looking at Jakotsu.
"Oh…" Jakotsu trailed off, when he heard the sound of walking around him.
"Are these the guys we are supposed to fight?" Renkotsu asked, and turned to Bankotsu, who had his eyes narrowed.
"Bankotsu what's wrong?" Kaname asked.
"YOU! YOU'RE THE MAN WHO HIRED ME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Bankotsu yelled at the daimyo on the horse.
"The other daimyo and I have decided that the Shinchinintai has grown too strong, therefore we've formed an alliance to kill you all off!" the daimyo who hired Bankotsu explained.
"GRR, EVERYONE, RUN!" Bankotsu ordered, as he and the others started running up the snowy mountain to get away from their attackers.
"BANKOTSU!" Kaname called, falling behind them.
"KANAME!" Bankotsu yelled, running back to his pregnant lover.
"You'll have to carry her!" Suikotsu called down to Bankotsu, running back towards them, and slashing his claws at some of the men closest to them.
"Let's go, we can't worry about them, now!" Bankotsu ordered, as he picked up Kaname, and continued to tread up the hill with his men.
"YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN NOW, SHINCHININTAI!" the leader of the group of attackers yelled. "Kaname, run, we'll stay and fight," Bankotsu said, taking his Banryuu from its sheath.
"NO! I'll stand by all of your sides and fight, I'm a member of this group, whether you like it or not!" Kaname snapped, pulling out her Daiyamondo, ready to fight.
"YOU'RE PREGNANT, RUN BEFORE THEY…" Bankotsu started, but stopped to fight off a man who came from behind him.
"I'll be fine, Bankotsu!" Kaname said, as she also started fighting alongside her comrades.
"AHH!" Kyokotsu yelled, as he was stabbed in the back, and fell to the ground. Right after Kyokotsu, Ginkotsu died, and then Mukotsu.
"DAMN!" Bankotsu growled, looking at his fallen 'brothers.'
"You will all die!" a daimyo laughed.
"NOT IF I CAN…" Renkotsu started, but a daimyo on a horse trotted over, and cut his head of in mid-sentence.
"ANIKI!" Jakotsu yelled, as his head was also cut off, in front of Bankotsu and Kaname.
"This is terrible," Kaname said, looking at all her dead friends.
"Jakotsu…my best friend. The one who helped me form the Shinchinintai!" Bankotsu said, sadly.
"Kaname, we have to…" Bankotsu trailed off, when he saw Kaname in the arms of an older man, holding a sword to her stomach, and her own sword and bow and arrows on the ground by her feet.
"KANAME!" Bankotsu yelled, when two men came to hold him from the back.
"It's been a long time, since I've seen you, Kaname, the priestess. It's not surprising you became a mercenary, since you killed your own parents," the brown-haired man holding her said.
"…Who are you?" Kaname asked.
"If you don't remember, then you'll die without knowing," the man said.
"Solorie, you bastard, you were my godfather!" Kaname exclaimed, recognition evident in her voice.
"And your father was my best friend, but you killed him. So, I'll kill you and that unborn, evil child of the leader of the Shinchinintai!" the man, known as Solorie said, as he took his sword, and plunged it into Kaname's stomach.
"KANAME!" Bankotsu screamed, as he tore away from the two men holding him, and ran towards Kaname, who had fallen on the ground, clutching at her bloodied stomach.
"…I'm sorry, Bankotsu, I got our child killed," Kaname said, tears sliding down her beautiful face.
"Don't worry about that, we have to get you help!" Bankotsu said."It's too late for me, I'm already dying!" Kaname smiled softly.
"No, I'll save you…" Bankotsu started, looking at the woman in his arms.
"It's too late!" Solorie said, and took his sword, and cut off Kaname's head, before Bankotsu knew what was happening.
"Kaname…" Bankotsu said, tears sliding down his face.
"YOU KILLED HER!" Bankotsu growled.
"Soon, you'll be joining her in death!" the daimyo, who hired him exclaimed, and brought his sword down on Bankotsu's head, thus having him die, holding the dead Kaname in his arms.
…
"Look at all our men they killed," the second daimyo said.
"They were too strong, they could've tried to take over. We had no other choice, but to kill them off. Even the girl, she could've raised her child, and later come to take revenge on us," the daimyo who hired Bankotsu said.
"We should give them a nice burial, and cut off their heads in respect. That way, their spirit may rest in peace," Solorie explained. So, the three remaining men, whom were not killed by the Shinchinintai cut off the heads of the Shinchinintai members, whose heads were not already cut off, and gave them a nice burial. Whilst, the man whom hired Bankotsu took his Banryuu and Solorie took his goddaughter, Kaname's Daiyamondo.
"Forgive me, Kaname, I apologize, to you, to your unborn child, and to your friends, whom were your family. Though…you all had no right to kill all those innocent people, but rest in peace!" Solorie said, looking back at the graves of his goddaughter and her 'family,' and then, to the sky.
Author's note: Well, that's the end of this story, I hope everyone enjoyed it, and I want to thank all the reviewers who supported me through this. With a special thanks to weaselchick and pei-chan! I loved all the reviews, sorry, I can't remember all of them. I'm actually kind of sad this story ended, but now, I can work on my other ones!