Saiyuki Fic: A Sanzo By Any Other Name

[thenakedcat]

Fandom: Saiyuki Reload, Saiyuki Gaiden
Title: A Sanzo By Any Other Name
Author/Artist:  thenakedcat
Pairing(s): No pairings. Appearances by Konzen/Sanzo and Goku.
Rating: PGish. Profanity because Sanzo's a POV character but otherwise tame.
Summary: A hand, a name: pay the favor forward.
Notes/disclaimer, etc: Because I love the Burial arc like burning.

Comments

[thenakedcat]

Thank you! The idea for the premise came on so suddenly and completely that it was finished and posted within 12 hours. I just couldn't wait to get it out.

[kirathaune]

Simply beautiful. ♥

[thenakedcat]

Thank you for taking the time to read!

[lawless523]

Awww, sweet and perceptive.

[thenakedcat]

Goku lives up to his name: he perceives a void, and comes up with something to fill it!

[laurose8]

Thank you! This is great! *presses memory button so hard it squeaks*

[thenakedcat]

I'm glad it was that memorable!

[valoriejueles]

YAY! I always wanted someone to write a fic that pointed out that the reciprocal nature of the naming between konzen and goku and sanzo and goku! I always thought it was quite beautiful and subtle the way Minekura developed Sanzo's sense of self identity, going from losing any sense of himself over the time he spent wandering, to regaining some of his original personality through the responsibility to his position he held, and finally being given a new name based on that very position by Goku. It's so well thought out. Thank you for writing something that pointed out this relationship!

[thenakedcat]

Thank you so much!

I've had kind of an obsession with the meaning of names and forms of address for a long time now but the significance of "Sanzo" didn't strike me until I watched the Burial and Gaiden OVAs back to back and re-read the corresponding manga chapters. Then a little lightbulb went on like, "His life is his job and his job is his name and Goku is the one who made it personal. And OF COURSE Goku understands the need for a personal name." It wasn't so much a matter of writing the fic as simply finding the best way to juxtapose the two canon scenes.

(Then I also started thinking about how much crack the Sanbutsushin were smoking when they decided to put the teenager with anger management issues in charge of what looks to be several hundred people. I'm probably not going to be able to resist writing office drama fic at some point in the future.)

[valoriejueles]

I don't think you can blame the Sanbutsushin, as I always had a feeling that instead of them putting Sanzo in charge of the temple (they didn't seem to be very much in support of him at the time), it was more along the lines of Sanzo storming in there and saying I'M TAKING OVER THE TEMPLE NOW GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING BLESSING and they were so happy he wasn't a lifeless shell anymore they gave it to him.
Konzen was also pretty much the god of paperwork, so maybe they thought it was a no-brainer.

[thenakedcat]

You may be right there! My instinct with Sanzo is that he wouldn't actually ask to be around other people all the time but the imperative of acting like *a sanzo* may well have overridden his FUCK OFF AND DIE tendencies.