Chapter 25 - Be There 2

Be There 2 is Saiyuki's twenty-fifth chapter.

Summary
Sanzo shows up at Gojyo's door looking for Cho Gonou. Gojyo, who has yet to learn the name of the injured man he took in, responds that he has never heard of him. Sanzo tells him not to lie, and that harboring a criminal will get him charged with the same crimes. When Gojyo still denies any knowledge, Sanzo attempts to push past him and get through the door into the house. Gojyo grabs Sanzo by the wrist. Sanzo knees Gojyo in the gut and moves to enter the house, but Gojyo grabs Sanzo's shoulder from behind and punches him in the face when he turns around. Sanzo tells Gojyo to get out of the way unless he wants to die, and when Gojyo asks him if he is really able to kill him, Sanzo shoots the door right next to Gojyo's head.

Hearing the gunshot, Gonou comes running out of the house. Gojyo takes the opportunity to kick the gun out of Sanzo's hand and throw Sanzo to the ground, pinning him down. Gojyo tells Gonou to leave, but as Gonou starts to run off into the trees, Sanzo calls for Goku. Goku leaps out of the trees and lands in front of Gonou, blocking his escape. Goku leaps up and kicks at Gonou, but to Sanzo's surprise, Gonou manages to just barely block the attack. Goku kicks Gonou again, knocking him to the ground, but Gonou picks up Sanzo's fallen gun and aims it at Goku.

Gonou asks them to listen, and explains that Gojyo has nothing to do with his crimes and should not be punished. Gonou goes on to say that he knows that even his life would not be enough to pay for his crimes, but that there is still one thing he must do before he accepts his punishment. Taking the gun with him, Gonou runs off.

Days or weeks earlier, while Gonou was still recovering in Gojyo's home, Gonou had revealed that his lover was also his sister, and Gojyo accepted this without judgement. Gonou talked about how he had no sense that his sister was in danger, and how if only he had known, he could have run home to help her. Gojyo responded that that is just reality and it doesn't mean he didn't love her enough or that he should blame himself. Gojyo thought to himself that he isn't one to talk, since he himself doesn't really know what love is, anyway.

Back in the present at Gojyo's house, Gojyo talks with Sanzo and Goku. He reiterates that he doesn't have much information about Gonou. When Sanzo asks why he helped Gonou, Gojyo answers that he is not sure. Goku says that Gonou didn't really seem like a bad guy. Sanzo answers that killing is not necessarily evil, but that "anyone who lives by killing has to be ready to be killed themselves. That's what we call karma. So evil or not, in this world the ones left standing will be the ones with the strongest will to live."

Goku asks if they can just let Gonou go, but Sanzo says that since apprehending him is his job, he can't just drop it. Gojyo says it is a waste of time since he believes that Gonou will kill himself after he attends to whatever his unfinished business is. As Sanzo and Goku set off to search for Gonou, Gojyo asks to come along.

Meanwhile, Gonou stops to rest, his wounds having opened up again. He hopes nothing will happen to Gojyo and laments that he won't be able to return Sanzo's gun. He takes out a broken pocket watch and hopes that at least he will be able to find Kanan's remains. Suddenly, he is attacked and knocked to the ground by a lone yokai man. The yokai tells Gonou that he has been looking for him and asks whether Gonou remembers the faces of his family members and the villagers that Gonou killed.

Elsewhere, Gojyo is alerted by a sudden sense that something is wrong.