Man oh man, I screwed up... Ran out of blank videotapes early last week, so bought a new three-pack. The first tape went for last Thursday's GUNLOCK #23, Saturday's two-episode BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO special, and Sunday's ONE PIECE episode. And the second and third tapes went AWOL! Have done a lot of cleaning between then and now; guess I put them someplace safe...so safe, they won't even get used! Crap. Really don't want to scrap either the ONE PIECE or the BO-BOBO--but can't turn up those blank tapes! Arrrggh... Well, gonna have to do it. Saraba, first half of the BO-BOBO special...

Regular opening titles. "Shiro No Jumon" commercial...Zero-Sum Comics commercial (no mention of "Saiyuki RELOAD" #4; guess it's still too early).

Recap from last episode: Sanzo won't say the words Hazel wants to hear; Sanzo goads Zakuro into the action; the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou arrives; Hazel nails Sanzo by pulling the trigger of Gato's gun himself. "That's it," Hazel says quietly, all cold fury. "You all will die."

Goku dashes toward the downed Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai close at his heels. To try to keep them at bay, Hazel fires again, this time grazing still-conscious Sanzo's shoulder. Gato is slow to back up his boss, but after eyeing Hazel for a long moment, he finally fires at Sanzo's companions. The three scram for cover behind rock formations. When the shooting stops, Gojyo figures it's their chance, with Gato having to reload...but when they charge out again, Gojyo realizes his goof--Gato had just one pistol and Hazel the other--and with Hazel tossing his mostly-loaded pistol back to Gato, the three have to run like hell back to the rocks!

With the two pistols totalling 12 shots, it occurs to Goku that if they can each get Gato to fire four times, that will empty the guns. The three ready their weapons and leap out, counting the bullets as they're fired. Goku and Gojyo press Gato, and Goku lands a ringing (literally!) blow to Gato's shoulder with his nyoibou. A chi blast from Hakkai hurls Gato into a rock wall. Hazel calls to him in alarm...then is startled by the sound of a gun hammer cocking behind him: Sanzo is back up, gun drawn, and wings Hazel in the upper left arm!

Hazel falls, clutching his bleeding wound. The blood drenches his glove, and Hazel freaks out seeing the blood all over his hand. He lets out an agonized scream...which Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai happily ignore. They have something better to do: harass Sanzo! "Where were you aiming?" jeers Goku. "It's because he doesn't like to practice," Hakkai observes. Sanzo's response is volcanic, but the gunshot that follows doesn't come from his gun. Sanzo has been shot again, this time by Gato himself!

A groan from fallen Sanzo dispels his comrades' shock--"He's stubborn," Gojyo says approvingly--and they attack in earnest. Goku tries to let loose on Hazel, but Gato appears and punches Goku away. Still clutching his wound, Hazel instructs Gato to make the Sanzo-ikkou depart this world, and the battle becomes even fiercer than before.

Distracted by Goku, Gato narrowly avoids two bullets from Sanzo; Sanzo takes one in return, but at least he doesn't have far to fall, having only made it to his knees. Gato has one shot left, that pistol clenched in his teeth as he tries to reload the other, when Gojyo wraps him in the shakujou's chain; the big guy manages to fire the pistol between his teeth, but only get an ugly burn for his efforts as Gojyo dodges away.

As Gato tries again to reload, Goku comes at him, nyoibou ready for a hell of a swing--and lands it, slamming Gato into a rock formation for the second time! Gato tries to ready what bullets he was able to load, but Hakkai's chi blast keeps him off balance.

Hazel finally makes it back to his feet, but finds Goku waiting. At about the same time, Gato finds he's lost a chunk from his right arm! He powers through skirmishs with first Hakkai and then Gojyo, to reach Hazel's side just in time to block Goku's nyoibou from doing any harm. Gato kicks Goku into another rockface, creating at least the third crater of the day and enough of a breather for Hazel to be able to heal him with the pendant.

The Sanzo-ikkou watches--Sanzo in astonishment, the rest in disgust. "I'm so damn sick of these guys," growls Gojyo. Hakkai agrees, Goku yells in frustration...and the three turn to the cause of the mess: Sanzo--who barely has time to blink before Goku decks him with a punch! Sanzo comes right back, landing a punch of his own--on Gojyo! Goku and Hakkai find they feel much better now--although Gojyo can't say the same...!

"Who the hell asked you to come back?" Sanzo yells at his comrades. "Such a pain in the ass..."

"That's right," the three chorus, in full agreement on who the pain in the ass is...and, having rendered Sanzo momentarily speechless, smilingly turn their attention back to Hazel and Gato.

"Pains or whatever, we're us," Goku informs them. "And we plan to go on living," says Gojyo. "Because," adds Hakkai, "our motto is 'be audacious.'"

Hazel chuckles, and purrs that after he kills Sanzo, he'll kill Sanzo's youkai companions and then use their souls to bring Sanzo back to life.

Sanzo is not impressed. "It's getting interesting," smirks Gojyo.

Commercial break. Naruto movie commercial...Zero-Sum October issue commercial...

Hakkai addresses Hazel: Rather than sending Gato to do his battles, why doesn't Hazel do some of the fighting with them? "I'll be your opponent," he offers. "I'm just a lowly youkai, but..."

Hazel declines; it's faithful Gato's role to be his protector.

Gojyo asks Gato why he goes on protecting Hazel; Gato replies that this is everything to him--and pulls his pistols for emphasis. The move puts the Sanzo-ikkou on the alert, but Hakkai can't help but quietly wonder how many times Gato has been killed and revived; he's different than the other resurrected humans they've encountered...

It's because of the Great Spirit, Sanzo says (food-minded Goku mishears Seirei--the Great Spirit--as sembei, rice crackers...). Gojyo wants to know where he heard that hooey, and Sanzo explains that Gato told him that himself. He doesn't know how much of what Gato said is true, but...

It turns out that this is news to Hazel! "What's this you told Sanzo about a 'Great Spirit'?" he wants to know.

"The Great Spirit really is here," Gato says quietly. Hazel is skeptical, and finally allows, "Well, you have the Great Spirit, then. But I have God."

He reminds the Sanzo-ikkou that God has given him the power to eradicate youkai...and once more commands them to depart this world, sending Gato to help them on their way.

With the battle back on, Nii and his bunny doll are enjoying the view from atop a nearby rock formation. Both sides are so stubborn, Nii observes, they'll probably destroy each other--but that won't cause any problems for him.

Hakkai cuts short Gato's reloading time with a blast; Sanzo is also firing away. Hazel watches, concern growing about the four-against-one fight...and notices the body of Zakuro. Could Zakuro perhaps lend a hand in this battle? Hazel raises his pendant and starts to chant...

Goku comes slamming at Gato, is knocked away...and is startled by having his ankle grabbed from below. It's zombiefied Zakuro, now with golden eyes! "Kill youkai..."

The distraction gives Gato the chance to wing both Goku and Gojyo. Hakkai creates a shield around himself and Sanzo, deflecting Gato's fire. Through the shield, Sanzo watches Zakuro climb to his feet. "Kill youkai..." the thing inside Zakuro's shell says, over and over...until Sanzo shoots, and Zakuro crumbles into bits of clay.

As Gato and Sanzo both reload, Gojyo and Goku try to get up, and Sanzo drily comments that Hazel used his power to bring a youkai back to life. Gojyo angrily points out to Hazel that before, Hazel had said God gave him this power in order to exterminate all youkai. Hazel lied, didn't he?

"A white lie," Hazel admits with a smile.

Goku snarls that Hazel is two-faced, and the battle is back on, full blast!

Gato leaps up and shoots down at them in the sun's glare. He lands facing Sanzo, the two open fire on each other, and Sanzo is the one who falls.

Goku again goes for Gato, and lands a hit so huge, the impact appears for an instant to crack the structure of Gato's body! Goku swings his weapon again, and the blow sends Gato sailing into--you guessed it--the side of huge rock formation.

As Gato slowly stands, Gojyo asks how many shots Gato has left; Goku hasn't been keeping track...but, obligingly, Gato empties his gun's cartridges to reload. Gojyo and Goku eagerly grab the chance, rushing forward--and Gato slams a fist into the damaged rock formation, sending crazy cracks through it. Sanzo shouts that it's a trap, but, too late--an avalanche plummets down toward Goku, Gojyo and Gato! Hazel watches with a smirk.

Why, gosh, here's the Naruto movie commercial again! What a pleasant surprise. Such a lovely song...(lovely like a stomach pump! ;^) )

End titles. Next time: When the time comes for another resurrection, what will Gato choose? "Mamorubeki Mono ~truth~" ("The Thing That Should Be Protected ~truth~"). (The episode will air at 2 a.m. next week, by the way.)