11. Band of Seven
No one said family must be perfect. It usually isn't. You argue a lot, you get annoyed by what they do or say. You can't understand each other, even when trying to.
But it doesn't matter.
What's important is that you can always count on your family. Those are the people you can turn your back to and know they won't stick a knife in it. Those are the people you can ask for help. Those are the people who can count on your loyalty, your will to help, your friendship.
At least that was what Bankotsu believed to be true.
It was quite odd, all those beliefs in the heart of a man who had been orphaned at a young age, left alone to fend himself. Still, he felt that way. The values he had in his heart were the ones which guided him all the way from being a lonely boy to being a leader of the most famous band of mercenaries. He was always trying to create this bond of close friendship with all his band brothers.
With some, like Jakotsu, it was the most natural thing. It was easy to like the optimistic boy, feel comfortable around him and his weird sword. It was much harder with Renkotsu, who was always overthinking things, trying to follow strict laws of logic. Each member of the band was unique, had his own set of weird characteristics. But they were family and Bankotsu was their older brother - the one binding them together, the one helping to solve problems, silence quarrels, spread harmony within the group.
And he was good at it. That was why they were so efficient, utilizing so different skills to perform acts others couldn't repeat. They were a seven-person army. They were practically unstoppable.
And that was right, that was how it should be. After all family was the most amazing thing a person could have - at least in Bankotsu's opinion.