Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki or any of it's characters.

Authors Note: Sorry for the late update, just been busy with work and all. -.- So anyways, yeah...

Salvation

'How can you change something you started?'

'Damn that bastard, he's nothing but a bother...' Kaori thought as she strolled along, 'All he's been doing is getting in my face, and Sanzo's. I'm surprised the monk hasn't gotten rid of him yet.'

"We'll stop for now." Sanzo's voice came from ahead, "We set up camp here, Kaori."

"What is it?" She said, standing up straight.

"I want you to keep an eye on those two while Gojyo and I go out in search of wood."

Gojyo blinked, "Hey, who said I was going to go-?"

"Do you have a death wish?"

"No."

"Then do as I say."

Kaori sighed, "Alright, but if they get on my nerves you'll find two corpses when you come back, ya hear?" Sanzo merely grunted as he dragged Gojyo along with him to gather firewood. There was a pregnant pause for a while, the tension in the air made her heart churn with anticipation, "So, Izumi..."

"What is it?" The man asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"What is up with you and Goku anyways? Why are you so up beat about making him the guardian of that temple?"

"It's his destiny."

She turned to him, "That's a load of bullshit and you know it! Just because he's supposed to doesn't necessarily means he has to! Look, he's already told you he's not interested so he's not interested!"

Nataku, who had been silent up until now, nodded, "Yeah, I mean...he can choose his own destiny can he?"

"It's not possible."

"Another load of bullshit!" Kaori huffed, "Goku knows what he wants to do and I know sure as hell he doesn't want to spend the rest of goddamn eternity in some goddamn temple!"

"Temper, temper..."

"What the hell is your problem?! Was your childhood so damn screwed up that you act this way?!" She huffed again, "What makes you think you're the one to decide what everyone's destiny is? You're not some tarot or whatever they're called!" She crossed her arms as she began to glare at him, "Everyone has a path to follow, and they're allowed to either take it or take another one. That was something my father taught me."

Izumi just looked at her, "Your father was a fool."

"Don't come at me with that load of crap! You didn't know my father!"

"Dammit, you two fight more than me and the monkey." A voice chiped in from behind, they both turned to face Gojyo, "If I would've known this would happen I would've sent you two to get firewood."

"It wasn't your goddamn idea, ero-kappa." Sanzo said, placing the wood down, he turned his gaze to Izumi, "Listen asshole, I'm sick of hearing your bullshit so you better stop it before you have a bullet implanted in your head."

"I'm merely speaking the truth."

"Did you say something? Sorry, I don't speak moron."

Izumi opened his mouth to retaliate, when all of the sudden they heard something hovering above them. Kaori looked up to find Hakkai and Goku sitting on two white dragons, "Sorry we took so long..." Hakkai chuckled.

"About time you two got away." Sanzo said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Son Goku..."

Goku looked to see Izumi staring at him, "What do you want? Whatever it is, the answer is still no!"

"Can I kill him now?" Kaori chimed, Sanzo just shrugged, "I'm really getting sick of this."

"Kaori? You're here too?"

Kaori laughed, "Yeah, I got bored and decided to see how this all plays out."

Hakkai and Goku looked at each other before jumping down from the dragons they were on and landing infront of the others, "Well, it seems that Li Touten is still after Goku being War God."

"I don't want to be a War God though..." Goku muttered, averting his eyes from Nataku.

"You forge your own path, Goku." Sanzo muttered, shocking everyone a little, "Whatever, let's just go."

"West, I presume?" Hakkai asked, Sanzo huffed, "Alright..."

"Where's Hakuryu?"

Gojyo looked around a bit, but found nothing, "I guess he's lost...that's not good." Hakkai merely chuckled, as he whistled softly. In a mere instant, the white dragon was on his shoulder, "You really are a good master."

"I have my ways."

Goku sighed, "What happens when Li Touten comes back? I know he's not going to stop pestering us until he gets what he wants."

"What he wants is to control you, Goku..." Gojyo said, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"He's the earth-" Izumi started, but was silenced by Sanzo's bullet whizzing past his head.

"I already told you to cut that bullshit!"

Kaori sighed, "This is becoming troublesome, look, Izumi-bastard, Goku owes you nothing, and I owe you nothing. Live with it."

Izumi merely glared, before jumping up into the trees and disappearing. Kaori stared at the sky for a moment, Gojyo looked at her for a moment, "Kaori? Are you travelling alone?"

"I always travel alone. It's my life, and if I don't have anyone to pull me into shit I'm fine." She sighed, "But it seems that I'm already pulled far into this, aren't I?"

"You can say that." Sanzo said, "Are you coming with us or not then?"

"What do you mean?"

"You obviously know more about the enemy than we do."

Goku blinked, "How is that possible? She's never met Li touten."

"I wasn't talking about Li Touten.

'In this world, people fight to gain honor. I fight to gain the respect I never recieved.' Kaori looked at her hands as she strolled along a village, people turned to look at her as she passed by. This always happened to her, she never recieved any respect from anyone, no one understood her, and she was always left alone. Who knew what happened to her parents after they had left her, who knew whether her little brother survived the river or not. Highly doubtful, she lived most of her life in denial.

She refused to believe her brother was a freak, that she was a freak. She refused to believe her parents really would do that to her after raising her, after they had told her she was the most important things in their lives. People wore masks, they wore it so you would listen to them and believe them. She had fallen into that trap, but she wasn't going to no more. Trust no one but yourself, that's what she believed.

Though, she didn't know what she believed anymore.Authors note: Sorry for the long wait -.- Again, I've been so busy. I really like this chapter, but I still can't get anything out of my brain -.- Sumimasen.