Disclaimer: I do not own Bankotsu; he belongs to the ever talented Rumiko Takahashi. I do own the plot line.

Happy Birthday SunaKetsuma :D

A young teenage boy with sapphire blue eyes and long black hair pulled into a tight braid that easily reached below his waist, wearing a white haori, and white hakamas with silver armor fitted over his chest and back, and one shoulder; sat on the ground with his back resting against the massive grey boulder. This man was none other than Bankotsu- the renowned leader of the Shichinintai.

All of his comrades had died again and he was alone, wondering what to do next. "It seems I have been resurrected again, why?" he thought confused as to why he would be brought back yet again. "Who brings me back this time?"

An eerie mist swirled about ten feet in front of him causing him to startle, before jumping to his feet with Banryu in the position to attack anyone who threatened him. Before he could attack the thing taking a more solid form amongst the mist, a powerfully built lithe tiger appeared beside him from behind the bushes, and calmly moved to stand in front of him; almost like it was protecting him.

Bankotsu blinked, he'd never seen a tiger quite this close up before. The Mighty beast had pristine white fur that shined like silk, adorned with midnight black stripes. Before Bankotsu could register what was happening the tiger lunged at the figure in the mist, the beast's mighty claws sharp as swords began to rip and tear as a piercing wail rent the air. The tiger growled before leaping to strike again, bearing his teeth this time.

The entity among the mist wailed again in pain and fright, counter attack the tiger with its fangs and claws, only succeeding in tearing into the tiger's flesh before, the tiger sank his fangs into the vile creature's shoulder causing black blood to seep onto the ground, and boil the grass. The tiger leapt back spitting and snarling, then let out a mighty deafening roar, toward whatever had been about to attack the braid haired warrior.

Before Bankotsu's very eyes, the mighty 'tiger' began to change shape and after less than a moment, a breathtakingly beautiful woman with tanned skin, long silky black hair that flowed like waves around her shoulders and halfway down her back, to generous hips had taken the place of the 'tiger' causing Bankotsu to gasp.

She closed her eyes and began chanting in a melodic voice, as she did so the sky around them began to form roiling clouds. The woman increased the volume of her voice calling on powers Bankotsu had never seen before. She held up her hand, still chanting and called the lightening into her hand.

She stared at the corpse and sent lightening into it in several burst destroying any evidence that it had been there. To end it she obliterated every trace of blood from the ground, and her hands before sending the storm away. She then turned to Bankotsu and stared at him a moment. He saw her eyes were blue as the clear sea. His own Azure gaze clearly shocked, locked with hers. Bankotsu passed out.

Slowly she went back into the form of a white tigress and stood by his side. Throughout the night she stayed by his side. When he woke, he saw the tigress with sea blue eyes, but didn't know why she was there. He began traveling the lands with the tigress who had attached herself to his side.

P.S I was writing this, when I came up with the idea for Manaminao in The Unexpected.