Chapter 4

The Boy I Once Loved

Bankotsu walked through the tree with Banryuu on his shoulder. He couldn't believe it. That was her. That was the girl that broke his heart six years ago. He tightened his grip on the hilt of Banryuu. She was the only girl he had ever liked when he was little, but now he's different. Bankotsu thought back to when he woke up after he was kidnapped.

FLASHBACK

Bankotsu woke up in a daze. The back of his head killed! He saw a man standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a bandit. Bankotsu noticed rope was tied at his wrists, behind his back.

"Where am I?" Bankotsu asked weakly and the man didn't answer right away. He walked away and returned with a sword. Bankotsu was confused. What did this guy want?

"Kid, you're going to become part of this army of bandits. We need strong people to become to most powerful army in the region." He explained sternly.

"But I'm just a kid…" Bankotsu thought out loud.

"We can train you."

Bankotsu was trained to become a killer, against his own free will. But after a couple of years he learned to like it, actually he pleasured it.

Then a couple days after his 16th birthday, he slaughtered all the bandits with Banryuu, which he had been given. He craved for the taste of blood.

Later he met up with Jakotsu and they decided they should become mercenaries. So the Shichinintai was created.

END OF FLASHBACK

Bankotsu sighed and stuck Banryuu into the ground. He sat on a nearby rock and rubbed his forehead. Why does she have to come back into my life? She already ruined it once before. Bankotsu thought.

A twig cracked and Bankotsu quickly looked up. A small two-tailed neko sat on the ground in front of him. She cocked her head to the side and twitched her cream colored tails.

Bankotsu scowled at the cat, he really didn't need this. He stood up and grabbed Banryuu. Kirara turned into her giant cat form and she purred slightly. Bankotsu turned away from the fire neko and started to walk back towards camp.

Thudding paws came from behind him and before Bankotsu knew it, he was tackled to the ground.

"What the hell?" Bankotsu shouted from the ground. He could tell that Kirara didn't want him to go.

"Get off of me, you stupid cat!" Bankotsu yelled and Kirara took her paws off the mercenary. Bankotsu stood up and began to walk towards camp again, but this time Kirara grabbed hold of the arm of his kimono with her teeth. Bankotsu sighed.

"Give it up, Kirara. I'm not going back." Bankotsu looked at the cat and saw her sad eyes. But Kirara knew what he meant. She let go of his kimono and Bankotsu walked off into the shadows of the forest.

Kirara stared as he walked, but then she turned away from her long lost friend and flew up into the air. Kirara needed to go somewhere to rest.

Bankotsu had fallen asleep at camp, but then suddenly he woke up suddenly to a scream. A women's scream. He looked around the camp and saw that all the members were there, except for Renkotsu and Jakotsu. He realized that the scream belonged to Sango!

But why would Bankotsu care? He was a mercenary now. All he cared for was his members, who were like family to him.

But Sango was a friend, note the was. Bankotsu didn't want to care, but he did. He had changed a lot over the past six years, but his heart was the same, well, the part he had for Sango, that is.

Bankotsu couldn't take it anymore, when he heard another scream of agony. He grabbed Banryuu and hurried to where the scream was heard.

About 15 minutes earlier…

Sango was stunned. 'I don't need feelings. I don't have love or affection for people anymore.' She couldn't believe he had said that. Bankotsu always used to be so cheerful and full of life. Now… now he was a ruthless mercenary who had no need for love.

A tear dripped down Sango's cheek. "What happened to him?" She asked herself. "What happened to the boy I once loved…" Sango gasped at what she just said. She admitted to herself that she loved Bankotsu.

Sango knew that back then she liked him as a friend, but at that moment he kissed her…

Everything seemed different between them for a moment. Sango had felt a huge sensation of mixed emotions run through her body.

Sango began to cry. She cried because she thought it was her fault that Bankotsu had disappeared that night.

"If I didn't say what I said, he would of never come to my house and then…" Sango couldn't talk anymore.

She felt a lump well up in her throat, but she continued to cry.

Her sobs were broken when she felt a wire quickly wrap around her neck. Sango gasped for air, but it was cut off. A chuckle was heard behind her. Sango turned her neck around as much as she could to face her attacker.

Renkotsu.

Renkotsu pulled the wire, that he had connected to his hand, harder. Sango was now unable to breathe at all.

"What is a demon slayer doing out here all alone, crying?" He questioned. But of course, Sango wasn't able to respond. Her face began to turn white and then blue. Her vision was starting to get blurry.

"Oh, we can't have you dead because we have to save you for Big Brother." Renkotsu sneered. He let the wires on Sango's neck go loose and she took a huge breath of air and began to cough.

Renkotsu took out a strange bottle and began to drink it. Then he spit it out, but it wasn't liquid, it was fire! Sango looked up as the flames came towards her, but she quickly jumped out of the way. Renkotsu chuckled again and he came running at her at lightning speed. He grabbed Sango by the arms and yanked her up.

"Your turn, Jakotsu!" Renkotsu ordered. Jakotsu came out of the shadows of the moon covered forest. A thin stab ran across his cheek. He reached for his bending sword, that was in a sheath on his back.

"This is pay back wench!" He shouted. Jakotsu swung the sword to the side and the bending blades came out of it. Sango tried to break free of Renkotsu's grasp on her arms, but he was too strong.

The top blade quickly slid across Sango's stomach. She screamed in pain. Jakotsu smirked.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Jakotsu growled and he swung the blade again. This time Sango let her arm blade go and it hit Renkotsu across the cheek. He let go of her arms and she crashed to the ground. Renkotsu held his wound in pain.

"You bitch." He muttered. Sango placed her hand on her wound and when she brought her hand back up it was covered with thick, red blood.

Before Sango could look up at the mercenaries, she was punched across the face. Sango laid face first in the grass, but she was unable to move. Her cheek ached immensely and her vision began to get blurry again.

Sango used the strength she had and turned her head and saw Hiraikotsu. She tried to get up, but Renkotsu slammed his foot into her back to keep her to the ground.

"Your not going anywhere." He scowled. Sango began to feel cold and she felt a lump in her throat. It was getting harder to breathe and she coughed. Sango had coughed out blood all over the grass.

Renkotsu took his foot off and Jakotsu smirked.

He swung his sword and one of the blades hit Sango across the back. She moaned in pain. Sango now began to feel dizzy and her head ached. She couldn't take it any longer and she dropped her head down.

Bankotsu sped through the forest, pushing twigs and branches out of his face. He reached the end of the forest and saw the river where he and Sango met. But his glance was caught by another sight.

Sango was on the ground in a pool of blood and Renkotsu and Jakotsu were standing beside her.

Renkotsu glanced up and saw Bankotsu.

"Hey, Big Brother. We got this women for you, we thought you'd like to finished her off." He explained proudly. But instead of taking Banryuu and killing the girl, Bankotsu ran up to her and kneeled by her side.

"What the hell did you do to her!" Bankotsu growled. Renkotsu blinked.

"What do you mean?" He asked blankly and Bankotsu scowled. Bankotsu picked up Sango, bridal style, ignoring the blood that was all over his kimono now.

Jakotsu stared at his leader in confusing. "Don't you want to kill her Big Brother?" Bankotsu just ignored him and began to walk back to camp.

Renkotsu had never been so confused in his life. Last time he checked, Bankotsu was a mercenary who loved to kill. But who was this girl? And why did Bankotsu care so much for her?

please R&R