Sharak Sanzo

The 28th of Arhat, Sharak Sanzo (紗烙 三蔵, Sharaku Sanzō), in Saiyuki Reload Blast, is one of the last remaining Sanzo to be accounted for. At the time that the Sanzo Ikkou arrives in India, she along with Genjo Sanzo and Ukoku Sanzo (presently going by Dr. Ni,) are the only Sanzo Priests still living. She is also thus far revealed, the only female Sanzo ever to appear in the Saiyuki Universe. Sharak is charged with protecting the Kouten Scripture, which is traditionally known to govern the Unknown and the Infinite, yet which she says is charged with Defense.

Personality
Sharak Sanzo has a very strong personality. She doesn't let her gender be an excuse or a hindrance for anything to the point where she doesn't even want to be treated like a female. She's very stubborn when a village was under attack and before anything could be said about it, she took "Sanzo's" passenger seat and didn't let anyone say anything about whether she was going with them or not.

She is powerful and good leader. She demands a certain amount of respect, especially from her subordinates. There is also a question of whether or not she uses this "respect" as a means of creating barriers. Meanwhile, Sharak also acknowledges strength. Because of this she takes a liking to Genjyo Sanzo a senpai, even though she still calls him a greenhorn.

Appearance
Sharak Sanzo appears as a powerful, masculine woman with great muscle tone and abs that are visible from beneath the traditional tight-fitting black top that all Sanzo Priests wear. She has dark, violet-tinted hair that is worn long. Her bangs are also long and are swept to the left. Her bangs are possibly kept long to conceal the scars on her face, one on either cheek. She also has scars on the rest of the visible skin of her body, i.e. her shoulders.

She also has violet(?) eyes. She doesn't wear her robes in the traditional manner, they are open and the left sleeve is not worn. She drapes the Kouten sutra over her right shoulder and wears it tucked into the back sash of her robes. Besides the strange manner in which she wears her robes, she has a string of beads hanging from her sash and a coral necklace that she wears. Behind her she has a small animal tail also tied to her robe. It is not unlike the tail on the animal-pelt hat that Hassan wears. Draped over her right shoulder is the Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon. Her robe and black under-armor and gloves is similar to Genjo Sanzo.

Background
Little is known about her as of now. She has a fortress in the Himalayas of India. A militia of men led by a man named Hassan protects both this fortress and her person. Sharak herself is covered in scars both on her body and on her face, and possess a gun somewhat larger than that of Genjo Sanzo. She is also Genjo's senior by ten years, making her thirty-five years old at the time that she appears in the series. She, as he does, seeks council and instruction from the gods, the Three Aspects. It is only their commands that kept her from amassing an army and attacking Houtou Castle herself. However, thus being unable to attack, she protects the people who still live in the area.

Sharak has the ability to create barriers to protect large areas of people from youkai attacks. This is a skill that was boasted in previous Saiyuki arcs by supposed religious leaders, such as Soushin, but was never actually done. It is remarked that the sheer ground that Sharak’s barriers cover is incredible. However, these barriers require receivers at different points (as a chain needs links) and if even one of these receivers should break, so does the barrier. Once broken, it takes Sharak about an hour to be able to resurrect the barrier and it can only be resurrected in its entirety. It is assumed that Sharak learned these skills while training alongside Hassan to become a Sanzo priest in a similar environment to Saiyuki Ibun.

Saiyuki Reload Blast
to be added...

Relationships
Hassan - He is the leader of Sharak Sanzo's militia, and is fiercely loyal to her. It was also revealed that he bears romantic feelings for her. The two trained together to become Sanzo priests in a similar institution. Although Sharak was the one who was granted with the Sanzo title, Hassan swore an oath never to leave her side and to serve her without fail. However, this seemingly platonic facade cracks sometimes, as it does when Hassan becomes deeply jealous of Genjo Sanzo’s interactions with Sharak. However, he repents that his jealousy got the better of him, and mutters that he really is “a terrible subordinate.”

Genjo Sanzo - He is the only other Sanzo that Sharak has ever met. The two meet by instantly pointing guns at each other. Satisfied with his reaction, she smirks, and welcomes him and his companions to the West. While their mutual companions mingle, the two Sanzos sit alone and debrief each other on what they have learned. Both are similar in character, manner, and presence. They also seem to immediately hold mutual respect for each other. Sharak even compliments Genjo, saying that, by surviving this far and enduring this much, he has performed much better than she expected of him. Later, when the two accidentally activate their sutras at the same time they notice a “resonance” between the two. Deciding that it is too dangerous to allow the sutras to be active around each other, they agree to not let it happen again. Although each of them admits begrudgingly, that it would be interesting to see what would happen.

Weapons and Abilities
Like Genjo Sanzo, Sharak is also a gun wielder. Though her choice of guns are larger and heavier ones like Uzi and Desert Eagle.

As the holder of the Kouten Sutra, she can also activate the Sutra to create barriers to fend of attacks. Through mediums, she is able to create a barrier large enough to cover her hideout and nearby villages to fend off youkai attacks.

Trivia

 * 374790_2697232308135_204684051_n.jpgously, Sharak Sanzo has made an appearance (from behind) in a Group Shot of all the Saiyuki Girls. Here too she is heavily armed.
 * The fact that Sharak is badly scarred and that half her face is hidden by her hair may be a reflection of the manga creator herself, Kazuya Minekura, who underwent major surgery before the character's appearance. The female Sanzo may be a form of self-expression.