1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

disclaimer: dont own anything except yuma and her master

"remind me again why we're walking." gojyo grumbled bitterly.

"because hakaryu cant drive through forests." hakkai pointed out, said dragon mewling pathetically as he rode draped around hakkai's shoulders, exhuasted.

"this is stupid. why didn't we just go around it!? i'm so hungry i could eat you sanzo." goku exclaimed.

"shut up both of you." sanzo snapped irritably. he reached for his pack of cigarettes only to find that only one was left. "damn it."

"something wrong, sanzo?" hakkai asked

ightly.

"how can you possibly be in such a good mood?" gojyo asked incredulously.

hakkai flashed a

ight smile but didn't respond.

"look! it's the end of the forest!" goku yelled, leaping forwards and running past them.

"that's a clearing you mindless imbecile." gojyo shouted after him.

"there's water!" goku called over his shoulder. gojyo sighed. "and some strange girl on a rock." at this gojyo jumped forwards, running after the monkey.

"this is hopeless." sanzo muttered.

"perhaps we should hurry along ourselves so that gojyo doesn't harm her." hakkai suggested.

sanzo muttered something inaudible, but followed hakkai forwards at a

isker pace.

as soon as goku had entered the clearing he had seen the girl on the opposite bank of the large river that ran through the trees. she had seen him as well and she had immediately leapt to her feet. she had stood there watching him for a few moments, looking behind him after he called back to gojyo before she bounded off into the tress. goku hadn't been able to get a good look at her, save for her eyes which he knew were blood red.

"where is she you little punk?" gojyo growled, emerging from the trees and looking around expectantly.

"she just left. she was over there." goku pointed at the rocks on the other bank only for gojyo to secure and arm around his neck and squeeze just enough to limit the small fighter's air supply.

"hey let go!" goku managed struggling.

hakkai and sanzo emerged in time to watch this exchange and after glancing around to note that there was no girl in danger of mistakenly falling for gojyos antics, sanzo hit them both over the head with his infamous fan.

"what the hell was that for you damn bastard!" gojyo raged, turning on the blonde.

"can you guys not fight for once?" hakkai called over as he unraveled hakaryu from his neck and placed the dragon in a shallow part of the river. the white creature chirped happily and splashed hakkai with water using his wings.

"don't think its possible." goku called over. "hey can we stay here tonight?" he added.

"why the hell would you want to do that?" sanzo asked.

"i want to swim." goku answered.

"why the hell would you want to do that either?" gojyo grumbled.

"we can stay for a while. look there's a little road over there." hakkai pointed between the trees of the opposite shore.

"fine. we can stay for an hour or so." sanzo muttered, sitting down on a rock and folding his arms across his chest.

"what's up with him?" goku asked, throwing off a shoe before he looked back at the moody blonde.

"he's out of smokes. but can you seriously blame him for being a little irritated?" gojyo muttered, tossing off his vest and shirt before stretching out on his back on a large rock.

"i don't see what's up with you guys and cigarettes." goku muttered, diving into the river.

"yo! you get me wet i'm gonna kick your ass you got that!" gojyo snapped, sitting up.

"dude why don't you come swim, water sprite?" goku called as he resurfaced.

"i'd rather drop dead." the half demon muttered irritably, laying back down.

unknown to all of them a set of crimson eyes was watching through the leaves. the eyes swept over each of them, pausing when they came to gojyo who was practically glowing in the sunlight. a smirk accompanied the eyes. "well, the red head isn't bad looking." the red eyes vanished.

/

"that was refreshing!" goku cheered as the jeep purred along the forest route.