[Generic Disclaimer: Saiyuki and all the affiliated characters are copyright to Kazuya Minekura. No profit has or will be made off of this fiction.]

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~Somewhere I Belong~

Summary: The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

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Chapter Five: Impervious

"Damnit."

Kougaiji couldn't blame Gojyo for his language; he had been thinking the same thing. They had simply been talking when Shunrei had come pounding on Hakkai's doorstep – the scene of vampire blood having already tipped them off. She said how she had been passing by the pool hall Goku liked to frequent when she had found the ambush. At hearing the description of the mess that had been caused, the three of them had already suspected that it was Goku. When Shunrei had gotten close, both vampires had been able to smell the missing Hunter's blood on her hands, verifying her story. In the world they lived in, blood was the one thing that really didn't lie.

The fact that Goku went out on a kill without his knowing also irritated him. He had been the one to train Goku back when he himself was still a Hunter, and while Goku's mentor had changed to Hakkai, Kougaiji still wanted to keep an eye on him. The last time a Hunter had neglected to tell someone else about a kill had been when Lirin had been ambushed.

It was decided that since Kougaiji and Gojyo had the speed and stealth a Hunter could never hope to match, they would be the ones to look for Goku. Hakkai would take Shunrei to the shrine to get her purified as soon as possible – none of them wanting her to go out into the city again marked with vampire blood alone. She had also mentioned something about Goku's spike, but right now his and Gojyo's main concern was to simply find Goku and get him back. They could worry about the other details later.

The two of them had tried to go to the alley in question, but they had sensed when they got close that it was already swarming with the police. Despite their superior skills, it had taken them hours to locate his presence in the vast metropolis, carefully inspecting areas inhabited by dangerous Keikans they had hoped never to venture near. To a vampire who did not know what they were doing, it would seem like they were being cocky. Then again, they were some of the few individuals who actually could do what they were doing and get away with it. Still, it wasn't good to take unnecessary risks.

It wasn't just that, though. He would never be able to forgive himself if he were to watch Lirin lose yet another person important to her. She had grieved when his mother (not biologically her own, but she regarded her as her real one) had been killed, and he hadn't been sure if she would ever regain her smile when her other childhood friend had died. Lirin knew the risks involved when she agreed to accept her position as a Hunter, but despite all of this, she was still his little sister. He wanted to protect her from the pain of the world. It was impossible, yes, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try. Maybe, his efforts would at least dampen them a bit. It was what he hoped for, anyways.

Kougaiji had been straining his ears for any sort of sound that would help lead them in the right direction when he finally struck gold.

"There was a time I wanted all vampires to just die," they heard faintly among the noise of the street. There was no mistaking that voice – it was Goku. As they rushed off towards the building they both heard it come from, Gojyo shot Kougaiji a critical look. Whoever he was with obviously knew Goku knew what was going on. As they got close, yet another hypothesis of Shunrei's was verified - Goku was within close proximity of a very powerful Keikan.

Kougaiji felt his eyebrows furrow in thought. "Gojyo, I don't remember there being any vampires – Weaklings or Keikans in this area at all. Did you know of any?"

Gojyo shook his head. "Never heard about any rumors of one here either…"

"…but I don't like all of the sinners. I guess I'm not very devout," they heard Goku finish saying. We have the right place then…

They came to a stop at the building across the street from their target. The apartment in question was at the corner of the building – one side facing the building next to it. It appeared to have three windows – one on the side facing the wall, and two facing in their direction. Kougaiji opened his mouth to say something when he realized that they had already been found out. Staring at them from out one of the windows was the Keikan whose presence neither of them had been able to recognize.

"Who the hell is he?" Gojyo whispered.

"I've never seen him before," Kougaiji replied, "but how did we ever miss him?"

The stranger's eyes narrowed, sending a chill down Kougaiji's spine. They were encroaching on his territory – how else did they expect him to react? But Goku was in there, they were both sure of it. It was just… they couldn't just waltz in there and take him back. Not even a Hunter would be able to defend himself if they somehow got caught in a battle between two Keikans. His mind whirled, searching for some sort of an idea.

"You know," Gojyo said quietly, "If Hakkai was here, he'd probably suggest doing something to unnerve the guy – to catch him off his guard."

"But he can already see us," Kougaiji pointed out. "That isn't going to-"

Gojyo put up a hand, silencing him. Something seemed to have clicked in his brain, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I've got it. You stay here."

Before the other redhead had a chance to ask what his companion was doing, he found himself standing alone on the building. The blonde gaze as well as his own shifted as Gojyo's presence moved, and before Kougaiji knew it he realized that he was in the building. Moments later they both heard what they had least expected – a knock on a door.

-

-

The world seemed to take delight in making his life difficult. Within five minutes of running into Shunrei-san, Homura had reached his destination – only to find his pathway blocked by a large crowd. Even if he was able to manage to worm through the jumble of bodies, he knew that he'd end up being late. He suspected that it was probably something vile and disgusting, and he had no desire to look at it.

Several "excuse me" and "pardon me" were mentioned, but he did not get very far before being recognized. The detective realized that the man who had spotted him was a client from an old case. When the crowd realized who he was, they pushed him to the front – wanting him to make some sense of what was going on. It was all done in an unusually quiet manner. The crowd seemed to have trouble speaking, as if they were too stunned to even utter a word. A few whispered, but it was a somewhat… uncomfortable… noise. Only one thing could shake a person up like that, in Homura's opinion.

He barely had time to survey the area before the police showed up. Homura had been informed that they were on their way, and it wasn't too far from the station from here. Even without cars, they would be there in less than ten minutes.

It had been surprising, though, when Homura realized that he didn't recognize anyone on this particular squad. They seemed to react the same way to him – he was pushed aside as if he was just another citizen in the way. Before he knew it, they were all out in the middle of the street – several officers posted themselves on either end of the crowd to make sure that none got away. Homura knew what was coming next – all the people who were there were going to be questioned before being allowed to leave.

"Hey you! The black-haired one!" Homura looked up naturally and towards the voice that had called out. An officer motioned him to come over, and the detective did so. Glad that he'd finally be able to get out of there, he could feel his mood beginning to lighten again. Reminding himself of all the headaches and annoyances that could possibly present themselves while being questioned, Homura put on his best "indifferent" expression and went to see what awaited him.

"Good evening, officer." He gave a small bow here, although Homura suspected that he outranked this man and it should technically be the other way around. The officer nodded in greeting before the detective continued. "I assume you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, I did," he said briefly. The officer was holding a notebook in his hands. He scribbled down something very quickly before he spoke again. "What is your name?"

Homura thought briefly of correcting the officer on his etiquette, but decided he was not in a very advantageous position to do so. There was something about the look in the policeman's red eyes that told him that it wouldn't be a good idea. "Homura Toushin Taishi."

"Age?"

"23."

"Profession?"

"Detective."

The officer looked up. "Really?" Homura nodded. "You know, I think I have heard of you before…"

Homura raised his eyebrows. The man was doubtful about knowing who he was? And here he thought that his reputation had preceded him…

"Well," the officer continued, "Maybe then you could be a little more helpful than some of the witnesses," he said with contempt.

Fighting hard to retain his indifferent look, Homura silently looked at the man in distaste. He hated officers that looked down on the normal population. Their hypocrisy made him sick.

"I am sorry, but I am afraid that I arrived after it happened," Homura said truthfully. "So, I am unsure to how much help I can really be."

"You and everyone else," the officer said, annoyed. "There weren't any witnesses to the actual crime. Someone claims that they saw a blonde woman running away from that direction with blood on her hands, but no one else can verify this. Have you?"

Shunrei-san… The black-haired man shook his head. She was hiding something, but his instincts told him she was not guilty of this. The woman shouldn't have the police come after her for something she didn't do.

"Ok then. What business did you have in the area this evening?" the officer questioned.

"I was going to have a drink with some friends."

"…and why did you come over to the alley?"

Homura then proceeded to explain that the crowd had caught his attention and how he had been pushed to the front. He gave his opinion on the crime scene – that it had had more blood than he had ever seen in any case, and how the only wounds he saw on their bodies was the fatal one through the heart. He apologized again for not telling more, but he did not have a lot of time to look around before the police had shown up.

"…so why didn't you come forward sooner?" the officer demanded. "It sounds like you have good instincts when it comes to things like this. We could have used you!"

"It looked like things were being taken care of in very capable hands. I did not see any reason to disrupt that," Homura reasoned.

"You have an obligation as a member of this city's law enforcement to step up in times of need!" he challenged.

Homura frowned. Whether he liked his job or not, he wouldn't just stand around and be called incompetent.

"I guess that your copy of the staff directory must have had the page with my information missing," he commented. One of the duties of the law enforcement in the capital was to at least familiarize themselves with what their various co-workers looked like. The Diet thought that doing this would help the squads work more efficiently. "I am sure they did not dismiss me out of insult-"

"What do you mean by that, detective?" The officer's eyes had slowly been narrowing, but Homura inwardly smiled.

"Nothing, officer," he responded in an innocent tone, "I only speak from experience. There appears to be a large portion missing from my own department's copy, and I have yet to locate a complete one."

The officer looked startled by this remark as if the detective was not supposed to notice it. His eyes relaxed and opened back to their normal size, but Homura couldn't help but think that the expression just felt horribly… wrong. It was almost as if the officer was trying to invade his mind.

"Is something the matter, sir?" Homura asked in genuine interest. The red-eyed policeman seemed startled for a second by the question, but continued to look at Homura with that eerie gaze.

"There aren't any pages missing from the directory," he said slowly. "You've been mistaken."

Homura knew full well that he was not mistaken, but an ordinary officer should not be the one to inform him like this. If he happened to come across some information that the Diet did not want to become public knowledge, he would often be called in by one of his superiors and told to say nothing.

"Then why do I not recognize your squad? I would have remembered if there were units who all had red eyes," he pointed out.

The officer was silent for a moment. "…you are very observant." He paused to scribble something down in his notebook. He would work well as a-

Tilting the notebook, the policeman caused it to be at an angle that Homura couldn't see. He didn't find out what the officer thought he would do well in, but he had a gut feeling he knew what had been written down.

"You've never seen our squad before." It was not a question, it was more like he was trying to change Homura's very memories.

"Correct," he said truthfully. "Today is the first time I have ever seen you before."

"No, that's not what I meant." There was that sensation again. It was creepy, and sent a shiver down Homura's spine. His mind pushed back on it in instinct and revulsion.

"You went to meet your friends, but they were not there. You went home after that. Nothing happened tonight."

"I was not aware that you knew who my friends were, sir. We have never met before, after all," Homura challenged. "Or should I say, I did not know that you knew which ones I was planning on seeing."

From the corner of his eyes, the black-haired man saw the others of the crowd get questioned much like he was. He hadn't realized it at first, but as their conversations went on, the civilians seemed to slip into some sort of odd daze. Muted physical reactions were common after seeing such a horrible crime as the one that had been committed, but for some reason their reactions seemed out of the ordinary. They were not acting like normal witnesses.

The officer's eyes narrowed. "Tell me the truth. Do you know of us?" His voice seemed to insinuate more than just the police unit finishing their investigation. But no matter how he looked at it Homura couldn't read the connotations hidden in his voice. The only thing he could tell was that if he lied here, it might cost him dearly.

He had no need to lie. "I don't know what you're talking about."

There was an uncomfortable pause in which both figures glared at each other, seeing who would back down first. Despite the creepy sensation he continued to feel, Homura held his ground.

It was a full minute before the officer looked away, not being able to match the detective's gaze anymore. In that moment that had been broken, and as the officer looked away, Homura cracked a small smile.

"Well… anyways," the officer tried to regain his former superior attitude. "You can expect to be contacted about this very soon."

Homura was mildly surprised by that remark. It seemed redundant that the officer even had to state that. That sort of thing was something that he had naturally expected to happen – it wasn't an unusual occurrence. Before he could inquire about why he had to have it stated to him, the officer waved him off. The conversation was over, and it wouldn't be of use to try to get a word in now.

The detective sighed and turned to head back home. He'd explain himself to his friends later, but right now he just needed to think.

-

-

Goku was glad that he had temporarily stopped eating. He knew that if he had tried to swallow something when he heard the knock on the door, he would have probably choked on his food. It was an incredibly bold move, but thinking of who was behind the door… it made a little bit of sense. Gojyo was not the kind of person who knocked on doors – unless he knew that it would piss someone off.

By the twitch he saw on Sanzo's face, it appeared that Gojyo had guessed correctly. His gaze shifted from outside the window to his door, and then back. It looked like the blonde was unsure of what to do. Goku could flat out say that neither of them were a threat, but he highly doubted that he would be listened to.

"Stay here," Sanzo said in a low voice, and moved very slowly towards the door. No matter what he would do, the Keikan was at a disadvantage. But he shouldn't be in one, Goku thought seriously. Tentatively, he spoke up as he rose from his seat. "Sanzo, I don't think-"

The blonde didn't even turn his head. "Then don't think, and be quiet." Goku could almost see the vampire's mind working – calculating every possible scenario. As his eyes searched, Goku grew more uncomfortable.

The door knocked again, and Goku's mind reeled. He didn't want Gojyo to somehow get hurt when he could possibly intervene… The redhead was an asshole at times, but he wouldn't wish a pissed-off Sanzo on anyone. The Hunter stepped away from the table and towards the door. "Seriously, Sanzo, you should-"

This time he did earn a sharp glare from his host. "Has no one ever taught you respect for your elders?" He paused, and thought for a second. "Although I'm not surprised, with your manners." Goku tried to protest this, but was cut off by Sanzo again. "Just sit down and shut up!"

He was getting annoyed. Sanzo was being hypocritical, and at the moment he didn't care who or what he was talking to. "If you would just listen to me for a second…"

The blonde didn't seem like he wanted to. Instead, he focused his concentration back on the door.

Goku wondered why Sanzo didn't realize that Gojyo meant no harm. At least he hoped he didn't. Vampires only needed shadows (which Gojyo could manipulate the best of them all) to find their way. And, who ever heard of a Keikan asking to be let in?

The redhead's comment made him wonder if Gojyo had slipped into his mind again. "I don't have to knock."

"Then don't."

"You aren't going to let me in?" Goku could practically hear his friend's miffed tone that reminded him of a mock pout.

"Like hell," Sanzo said sharply. "And stop with the 'innocent' act. What do you want?"

"And has anyone taught you manners?" Gojyo challenged. "It isn't nice to leave people at your door. And Goku," the redhead paused, "It also isn't nice to not let your friends know when your plans change."

Sanzo's gaze shifted to focus on the brunette. His eyes were already narrowed, and Goku found that he couldn't resist rolling his eyes.

"I told you that you should listen to me," he said, exasperated. "I know him." Mentally, he felt Kougaiji move closer, and saw that Sanzo had noticed it as well. "I know them," he emphasized. Deciding to take a risk, Goku moved toward the door. "I-"

He didn't make it three feet before Sanzo had grabbed him by the sleeve, the hold too firm to break. "Stand still." The blonde then looked back at the door. "I never said I was nice," he spat. "You want to talk, you talk out there."

"…then do you mind if I talk to you in here?" the voice startled Goku and he realized that he had been focusing on Gojyo so much that his mind had almost completely forgotten about Kougaiji. He knew that the vampire could see the surprise in his face, and he winced slightly. Surely he'd get a lecture about that later…

His former teacher stood just inside the window from across the room. It had been the window Sanzo had originally looked out of when he had seen them only moments before. Kougaiji didn't look very happy about this situation, and Goku couldn't blame him. Yes, he was going to get chewed out for this later. Forcing a vampire to trespass in another's territory? Goku was surprised that Kougaiji didn't start yelling at him on the spot.

"Yes, I do mind," Sanzo said, bringing Goku back to the matter at hand. The Hunter could feel Sanzo's grip tighten, as he pulled the brunette to his side. Goku was in between the two (visible) vampires, and obviously that wouldn't do in Sanzo's eyes.

"Hey!" The brunette didn't like being tugged around. He had his own two feet, thank you very much. Just because he wasn't as fast as the others in the room didn't mean that he couldn't use his legs.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kougaiji asked in the strained-polite tone Goku recognized as the one he had when he was irritated.

Muscles tensing, Goku felt Sanzo's weight shift. He hoped that Sanzo wouldn't try to do something stupid. Not that the blonde was stupid, but people rarely thought coherently when they were angry and Sanzo was pissed.

"For starters," the blonde said slowly, "You could get the hell out of my apartment."

"We just want to talk."

"No one wants to 'just talk' these days," Sanzo said roughly, glaring at the intruder. The Hunter could feel the hate build between the two, the tension becoming disturbingly thick. It made Goku shift awkwardly. Without giving it much thought, his free arm went up to touch the bandage on his neck – the only place on his body that he felt the most physically uncomfortable. When he saw Kougaiji's eyes shift and refocus on his neck, Goku realized that he had made a big mistake.

Suddenly wary of his former teacher, Goku took a step behind Sanzo and peered out. "Uh, guys? Can we, like, you know, not get in a big fight right now?" Despite having the distinct feeling that he really should keep his mouth shut, he continued. "Hey, Kougaiji." His address brought the redhead's attention away from his neck and to his face… for the moment. "Seriously," he continued, "can we do without the killing right now?" Goku knew without him saying that the vampire hated to kill. However, he didn't mind so much when it appeared that one of his friends had been harmed…

"It isn't what it looks like-"

A loud noise – something along the lines of metal snapping, was accompanied by the screech of rusty hinges. "Jeez, we didn't even say anything," Gojyo replied again in a mocking tone. Kougaiji didn't look the least bit surprised to see his companion suddenly standing in the room. When Goku turned around to see him, he almost wanted to slap his forehead – the vampire was simply standing in the doorway with a hand on the doorknob. The Hunter saw Sanzo bare his teeth instinctively in response. Taking a closer look, Goku saw one of the reasons why – the doorknob had broken off and was in Gojyo's hand.

"Hey, I said I didn't have to knock."

Sanzo seemed that he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What is it that you want?" he asked, his voice strained.

"The monkey," Gojyo said simply. "He never came home after going out to play."

"I'm not a monkey!" Goku shot back, although his frown didn't seem to last very long against a knowing grin. How long had he been having these arguments with Gojyo? It seemed like forever.

Gojyo leered back. "Oh yeah, then you should stop jumping around like one."

"…and you should stop making such huge messes when you fight," Kougaiji said darkly. "The Diet's going to be all over that."

Goku felt his grin falter. "What? It's not like I plan it like that or anything…" His mind reeled for ideas. Things were getting worse by the moment. Looking up at Sanzo, who was now looking back at him, he silently pleaded with the blonde to not go nuclear or anything. Turning his gaze back to Kougaiji, Goku began to mutter. "He… uh…" How am I supposed to say-

"Saved your ass." Sanzo supplied, a little irksome that he had been ignored in the past exchange. Goku winced, and found his hand drifting up to his bandage again.

"And I suppose that he had nothing to do with that either?" Kougaiji accused, pointing at Goku's neck.

"The bandage is mine, if that's what you mean," the blonde said wryly.

"I wasn't referring to the bandage," Kougaiji said darkly. "What do you think we are? Idiots?" He took a step nearer in challenge. "We can both see what you left on him."

-

Gojyo wasn't shocked by Kougaiji's revelation. He had sensed it when they had gotten close to the stranger's apartment. And… Gojyo could tell that Goku wasn't lying. He wasn't telling the complete truth, but he wasn't lying either. If Goku insinuated that he had not been bitten, then Gojyo would believe him. Especially since he could tell that the Hunter was not under hypnosis.

But then… how the hell did he…

"Excuse me?" the blonde, Sanzo? Had that been what Goku had called him?, questioned, seemingly perplexed and pissed at the same time. Gojyo almost did a double take. What the hell? A newbie Keikan? Gojyo wanted to hold his head in his hands. He gave a sideways glance to Kougaiji and rolled his eyes.

"He didn't do anything to me," Goku said, sounding somewhat defensive. Looking closer, the redhead could see a faint blush on the Hunter's cheeks. Goku wasn't the kind of person to blush unless he was thoroughly embarrassed.

"Really, now?" Gojyo asked in an almost sing-song tone. "You're turning red," he pointed out. "Goku, I never knew you were the kind of person who would skip out on Lirin for a hot date. What did you do? Pick him up at the pool hall?"

"No!" Goku protested, turning redder. "I… I got in a fight."

"No shit," Gojyo said bluntly. He wanted to smirk at the look of dislike that seemed to grow on Sanzo's face. It was dangerous to upset an unfamiliar Keikan, but annoying the blonde was fun…

Goku looked up again at his captor's face and shrugged his shoulders, trying to loosen the hold on him. "Let go, will you? They aren't going to eat me or anything."

"You are at the top of everyone's dining list, need I remind you?"

"Like yours?" Kougaiji inquired.

Gojyo was actually glad that he was not the recipient of that particular glare. However, the blonde loosed the hold on Goku's shirt, allowing him to slip free.

Even though he was finally free, Gojyo noticed that Goku would not move. The vampire didn't think that Sanzo would have let the Hunter go very far anyways.

"It isn't even a bite, you guys," Goku vainly tried to point out.

"That doesn't mean anything," Kougaiji said shortly.

"Shut the hell up." It appeared that Sanzo's patience was getting to the breaking point. Gojyo took another step towards Goku and scowled.

"Do you have any idea how much the others have been worried about you?" he said, his voice taking on the serious tone that he hated to use. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were going out?"

"It was sort of last minute," Goku said sheepishly, "but it wasn't like I didn't tell anyone. I told Shuuei before I left-"

-

Sanzo had only been listening to the berating of his prey with half of his attention. While the sensible part of his mind had decided to return after the sudden disappearance in lieu of these two redheaded strangers, his body would not relax. Goku, in truth, while sometimes a bit irresponsible at times, was no idiot. The sensible part of his mind knew that if Goku really served under either of these Keikans, his attitude would have been much different. Under no circumstances would a true servant of a vampire treat their master as an equal, or visa versa. It was as if the brunette just 'happened' to know about his friends' inhumanity.

The scenario was abnormal. It didn't make sense to him.

His musings had been interrupted by Goku's statement. Again he felt his body react – his ears immediately sharpening and bringing the once uninteresting conversation back to his attention. His eyes focused on Goku, but he also saw the other two stiffen.

The brunette caught himself mid sentence and immediately shut his mouth. But Sanzo had already heard what had been said, even if it wasn't that big of a statement. The rumor he had heard days ago was now a valid statement in his eyes.

Shuuei…

"Who?" he asked, wanting to hear Goku say the name again. Noticing his prey look to his friends for help, Sanzo watched the two carefully so he would not miss their reaction.

They were not in the greatest of spirits.

"He's no one," the one with the shorter hair said quickly, while the one with the longer hair just shook his head and scowled. Sanzo simply ignored them and turned his full attention to Goku. There was no verbal exchange needed for the young man to figure out that he demanded an answer.

Fidgeting, Goku forced his hands down from where he appeared to be unconsciously touching his neck. Putting them into his pockets, he smiled sheepishly and tried to move in the direction of his friends. "Listen, thanks for the help and rice and clothes and stuff, but I think I should probably-"

Sanzo reached out to halt the brunette with the palm of his hand. "Not a chance," he said shortly. "If it was no one, then you wouldn't have bothered letting him know where you were going." He paused, letting his three 'guests' think on that. "If he was no one, why was he the only person you told?" Purposely leaving the question rhetorical, he quickly continued. "Now, where is he?"

"Who ever said that we know the same guy?" the longer haired one, Kougaiji, asked challengingly.

"Yes, because 'Shuuei' is such a common name in the Empire…." Sanzo shot back sarcastically. "And I never asked your opinion."

He was about to retort when he felt his wrist grabbed in a rather urgent motion. Goku stared up into his eyes, and he knew that the young man was only trying to serve as a distraction. "Why is it important?" he asked.

"Shuuei doesn't concern you," Kougaiji said, crossing his arms. "Come on, Goku." He took a step towards them, never taking his eyes off the blonde. "Let's get going."

Sanzo found himself glaring at the Keikan, feeling his temper take an edge in his voice. "You have no clue what concerns me and what doesn't. And he," here he grabbed the front of Goku's shirt, "goes nowhere until I know where Shuuei is."

The mask of Goku's exuberance continued to become more fake in appearance. The brunette was obviously becoming more uncomfortable by the second. "How do you know him?" he asked.

"If you say you know Shuuei, then you already know where he is," Kou said simply. "There is no reason why you should keep questioning Goku."

"Knowing of a person doesn't necessarily mean one knows where said person is." He shifted his gaze back to Goku. "Where is he?" he repeated.

Goku tried to back away, but soon realized yet again that the Keikan was gripping him harder than he seemed to have thought. "Um…"

Sanzo ignored the slow approach of Gojyo and heard his voice drop lower. "Where is he?"

Shifting nervously, Goku's eye contact faltered as he looked at the floor. "I can't tell you that."

"You owe me for saving your life. I might consider us even if you tell me where the hell he is."

Gojyo reached out and grabbed the arm of the brunette that was closest to him. "He can't tell you that," he said slowly, "or do you have trouble hearing?" Sanzo could feel Goku try to pry his hand free of the borrowed shirt to no avail.

Sanzo scowled. "I have trouble with having to hear your voice every single time you open your mouth to use it," he spat. "And I will find out, whether it be from him," he yanked on Goku, bring him closer, "or from you."

The brunette made a small noise of discomfort as he fought to retain his balance in the tug-of-war between the two Keikans. He tugged harder on Sanzo's hand, and even if it still did no good, he struggled to make his point. "Let go, Sanzo," he pleaded. "If you know Shuuei, he knows you, right? Maybe we could set up a meeting or something…"

Sanzo could tell when he was being lied to. "Don't take me for an idiot."

"You aren't," Kougaiji admitted. "But that doesn't mean we can let you see him."

The blonde continued to scowl, until an idea crept into his mind. His expression faltered, but then slid into an indifferent look. Letting go of the shirt, he took a step away from Goku.

"Tell Shuuei that he should be more careful with who is allowed to know of him. Master Koumyou wouldn't have appreciated hearing his apprentice's name in a bar where anyone could hear it."

The reaction of his fellow vampires' faces was priceless. Goku appeared to be confused, but quickly gauged from the other's reaction that he should really know what was being talked about. Smirking, Sanzo boldly turned and took a few more steps away from them.

"Get the hell out of my apartment."

They didn't need to be told twice, it sounded like, but Sanzo stopped them again just before he heard the first one walk out of the door. "Goku." He turned back around to face the three of them again.

The young man didn't verbally respond, but showed that he had Sanzo's complete attention.

"I want you to return those clothes I lent to you personally. By yourself," he emphasized, eyes flickering at his other two companions.

Goku audibly swallowed, but nodded an affirmative. Sanzo was about to turn back around in silent dismissal of his uninvited guests when Gojyo tossed him his doorknob, which he had apparently been holding onto the whole time.

"I believe that's yours," Gojyo said simply. He then followed the other two out and shut the (now broken) door.

Sanzo threw the doorknob on the table. His mind fought to make sense of what just happened, and he could feel a headache coming on. It was going to be a long night.

[~:.:~]

[~end of chapter~]

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