((Note: This is a fuugen fic, but I'm not cutting Jin out of it if I can help it, like I've seen many fics do. Like he just conveniently goes somewhere at a random time so that Fuu and Mugen can have some moments. Or he's not there at all. But they are friends, and in keeping with that, I think it's only right they get back together (traveling) like in the series.

Also, so you know; I spent time trying to figure out the mugen-fuu-jin ship and see what was true (from what I could see. I tried to be unbiased and not look for romance where it was just friendship or something). I love fuugen and I like romance, but I want to stay as true to the anime as possible. So; what I deduced: Fuu loves Mugen. Jin loves (or cares for) them both as friends. Mugen is fond of Fuu. Love though? I'm not sure. I feel like its plausible that he does from how he acted and the things he said, but it wasn't so clear when I watched for it. He's a bit too good at not saying things or reacting much. He did things that made me feel he could be in love with her, but he could have just been doing those ambiguous things because he was fond of her. But (from what I understand) he knows Fuu loves him. For that reason, I think he loves her. I think he's been alone without family or real friends for so long that when Fuu says that bit at the river to Jin, insinuating she loves Mugen, he can't help it. Has any female loved him before? (Or anyone, really?) I'm not trying to invent romance from nothing, but there is human nature to take into account. If no one has loved you, then someone comes into your life who sticks to you and loves you (and you know it), wouldn't you love them, if only for the reason that they loved you? Mugen doesn't act awkward or annoyed the next day, like she's some annoying girl with a crush he has to deal with. He doesn't make fun of her about what she said either, which would be in keeping with his nature if he didn't love her. And I keep feeling like Watanabe (director) insinuates Mugen loves her. He said that Mugen is like Spike (Cowboy Bebop, another project he worked on): he's not good at expressing himself when he likes a girl (or woman. lol. Not one he doesn't see just as a sex object).Why would Watanabe even mention that if he didn't mean Fuu? The other women in his world Mugen had no trouble talking with and he obviously just lusted over them. So who else could he mean? Some might say that girl who was pretending to be a whore to uncover illegal activity in the brothel basement (Yatsuha), but Mugen only ever was horny around her. She may have said he's the man she'd marry, but he never acted like he loved her, or even liked her beyond the sex he could get from her. And Koza is not even an issue. *cough*bitch*cough* Oh, excuse me. :P

Sorry for the long diatribe, but I thought you readers should know where I'm coming from in my Samurai Champloo fanfic (fanfics? We'll see).))

I do not own Samurai Champloo, the characters, etc… (But I wish I could own Mugen. Muhuhahaha. )

This story will have lemons. Not this chapter, but there you are. I'll put the lemon warnings on those chapters, no worries.

Chapter 1: Jin

Jin sipped his tea in the little eating house, quietly thinking about the past year he had spent. Except for the jobs he had taken to make money to keep traveling, it had been pretty uneventful. He thought back to the times before that, like he often had, and missed his traveling companions –no, his friends- again.

He couldn't stop his wanderings though. If Shino ((is that her name?)) had been free he would have gone to her by now, but he had nothing to do but travel and wait for the two more years left for her time in the woman's shelter before she was free. He didn't want to make life plans until he saw her again, because he planned to include her in that life. But waiting made him restless, and he could not find peace in one place. He had secretly hoped that fate would let the paths of him and his friends meet once again somewhere along their travels. So far, fate had not granted his secret wish.

Paying for his meal, he left the town's only eating house and went to the inn he was staying at. It was the town's only inn. The town was more of a pit stop in the middle of nowhere than a town. In his room, he set about cleaning his swords meticulously. His latest job had just finished and he was anxious to get on the road again. He liked the serene quiet of the road, but he had also gotten tired of being alone, though he hated to admit it. He had never needed anyone before he had met Mugen and Fuu. They were the only family he had. Living his whole life alone could only serve to accentuate his loneliness when they had walked out of his life a year ago.

But they had parted ways, and now it was up to fate and chance to determine if he would ever see them again. He hoped he would.

Fuu had surprised him. He thought she would ask them to continue traveling with her. But he didn't pretend to always understand her. He hoped she hadn't gotten kidnapped again or anything. But she was probably fine.

He wondered what trouble Mugen was getting into right now. The ronin had to smile inwardly, thinking of all the trouble the vagabond had gotten into on their journey and his flippant nature. They were similar, but not the same, like two sides to a coin. Both had fought only for themselves and had been alone. Both were killers.

After a long relaxing bath, he dried off and got into his under-kimono. He blew out the candles and was asleep as soon as his head touched the futon.

The next morning he left Wassamu after finishing his breakfast and practicing with his katana and wakizashi as he did every morning unless there was no time, and headed southwest out of town. He was glad to be leaving the north, because summer was almost at an end and he didn't relish the thought of being colder than necessary when winter came around. He would normally never come so far north in the first place, but then that was the lure of it: it was some place new. Even though Ezochi had a lot more remote places than the rest of Japan, it was still able to offer him ample amounts of work. A sword-for-hire, especially one with his level of mastery, was always welcome. In fact, he tended to be less badly fed and less likely to sleep outdoors now while traveling alone than when he was traveling with Mugen and Fuu. But he didn't mind their constant bickering and the troubles they got him into. In fact he almost missed it.

Jin finally reached Sapporo, nine days later. The bustling seaport was a hive of activity. He immediately set about looking for work, since he was running low on funds again, but the first few places he asked were not interested in hiring more employees, or so they said. He was starting to seriously considering hiring himself out as a guard in the red light district.

He was about to cross the street to head that way when a band of horsemen raced through the streets down towards the harbor, cutting off his path. He mentally sighed in annoyance and waited. Finally they passed, and he crossed the street. "Reiko!" somebody cried. He turned around to see a chubby faced little girl who couldn't be more than a few years old toddling across the street. Then she fell on her butt and giggled and patted the dirt in childish glee. A horseman was riding down the street straight at her, as if he didn't see the toddler. With the speed of lightning, Jin ran for her, scooped her up and was on the other side, setting her down when the horseman rode by. "Fool!" He muttered at the figure on horseback who was now far down the way.

A woman in a cotton lavender colored yukata tied with a white obi scooped up the girl and hugged her tight. The girl squirmed in her grip, oblivious to the drama that had unfolded. While the woman sobbed, a man came out and gripped her around the shoulders. The commoner was ashen faced with the thought of what could have happened. "Reiko, don't run off like that!" He scolded, looking shaken up. He bowed to Jin. "Thank you so much for saving our little girl!" The man eyed his swords, surprised a strange ronin would save a child. But still, he was grateful. "It was nothing really. Those riders should have been more careful on a populated street." Jin said, aware that a crowd had gathered. He hated attracting this kind of attention.

He made to leave but the man stopped him. "I couldn't help but overhear that you are looking for work?" "How did you figure that out?" Jin asked, suspicious. "I was at the shop where you asked if they were hiring. I was shopping with them." He pointed at the woman and little girl, whom Jin assumed was his family. "I see." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I know of a man who is in need of someone who knows how to handle a blade. The pay is not very high, but its work. Ask down by the docks for Harou. Oh, and tell him that Etsuko sent you." He bowed again and then led his family away from there.

What? No name of the shop, or a more exact location? Jin shrugged. Work was work. He would find this Harou person somehow.

"See, what 'cha do is cut off the head, then slice 'em length-wise and pull out their guts and backbones. Then hand 'em to Fumie and she'll handle the rest." Harou said. A vein in Jin's temple pulsed. He opened his eyes, his face not concealing his grim displeasure, and said "So let me get this straight. You want me to gut fish? I was under the impression my swords would be used for something else. Something like being a bodyguard for example." Harou arched his right eyebrow. "Body guarding? I'm a fishmonger, not a Daimyo or Yakuza. And these fish don't need protecting." He guffawed at this, as if it were some great joke. Then he sobered up and gave the young ronin a hard stare. "Look, you want the job or not? Etsuko must've thought well of yeh, but if you're unwilling, I'm sure I can find someone else to do the work." Jin mentally groaned. This is not what he had learned sword fighting to become. Such a job was unfitting for his blades. But the job was right in his face, and he didn't want to waste time looking for another. "No, its fine. I'll do it." Harou grinned broadly and slapped him on the back hard enough that Jin gasped for the breath that had been knocked out of him. "Well, that more like it lad. I was beginning to think that you were one of them high-browed sorts who don't like doing an honest day's work. We can't all be lords, can we?" He didn't see Jin scowl as Harou turned, laughing, to leave him to his work. "Don't mind Harou. He doesn't mean any harm." Fumie told him without looking up, as she cleaned the fish in front of her of any remaining innards and rubbed salt into the fish flesh. Jin shrugged. She tossed the fish into a crate and looked up. "Welcome by the way." She smiled. It was strange to see such a quiet and gentle looking woman working for a fishmonger. Interpreting his look, she informed him. "Harou is my husband." His eyes widened at this surprising revelation. But she had used his first name. She grinned at his reaction. "I get that look a lot. Let's just say I married under my station. But I don't mind. I'm happy here." Jin supposed he could see how that was possible. She reminded him of Shino by her quiet manner. He closed his eyes and wished a silly wish. He wished as always, that the three years since he saw her last until when he could see her again were over. But he had no power over the slow stream of time.

Then he opened his eyes with a look of determination and tied back his sleeves. He accepted the long apron Fumie handed him. Time to be a fishmonger.

"Harou!" The man yelled from the door to the building where Jin and Fumie were working. Jin was covered in fish guts and smelled fishy. He was sweating and annoyed by now. Those slippery damned fishes were harder to cut and clean than they looked. The man's yelling was not helping his mood. "Harou is not in, Wajiro. He went to Eiji's on business. You'll have to wait, or come back later." Fumie told him. "I ain't waiting! The man said he'd pay me today, and I'm here now." "He'll pay you when he gets back. Or you can go to Eiji's to find him." Fumie replied calmly, as if used to dealing with surly and threatening men. "Eiji and me don't exactly see eye to eye. I ain't going over there. So you can just pay me instead." When she didn't respond, he yelled "Now woman! Or do you want me to take it out of your hide?" He said, advancing menacingly. "I believe you should wait calmly here. Why are you in such a rush to be paid?" Jin said, looking as calm and emotionless as always. Inside however, this man was starting to piss him off. He began to slowly and meticulously wipe his blade on his apron. Wajiro eyed the fish-covered Jin and told him "Stay out of this, four eyes. This don't concern you." The insult about him wearing glasses reminded him of Mugen for the breadth of a second. Wajiro pulled out a tanto from his sleeve and grabbed Fumie around the waist, locking her arms at her side and held the blade up to her throat. "So give me what he owes me or I'll…." He was cut off by the feel of a sudden short wind and by a gurgling noise. It took a minute to realize he was choking on his own blood. Jin had reacted the moment the tanto was out and had closed the gap between them in a flash, slicing Wajiro's throat in a whirlwind of cloth and steel. Wajiro fell over, dead, a look of surprise on his face. Fumie shuddered and stepped away from the dead man. Jin sliced his sword through the air with a snap of his wrist to shake the blood off his sword, before sheathing it smoothly. Fumie eyed him. After some time that seemed like longer than it really was, she finally spoke. "While I am grateful you stopped him, wasn't it a bit extreme to kill him? A warrior like you should have had no trouble to incarcerate him without harming him much." Jin didn't speak for a few minutes, but stood looking at the wall in front of him and not at her. "I lost my temper." He finally admitted, somewhat guiltily. "Geez, remind me never to get on your bad side." She grinned weakly. He went back to where he had left the fish he had been cleaning. "Hn."

"Goodbye! Good luck young man." Harou said, a broad grin on his face. He handed Jin some fish on a string. "Thank you." Jin said, taking the fish. He nodded to Fumie and then turned and was on his way back to the main road through Sapporo.

He had walked halfway to the outskirts of town, when more horsemen, like he had seen on his first day in town, raced down the street, making people jump out of the way to avoid being trampled. Amidst the chaos that followed, Jin spotted a rock flying through the air. It struck the last rider, who fell off his horse. Turning at the sound of their comrade yelping in pain, they witnessed him fall off his horse as they reined theirs in and turned around, looking for the source of the rock. A young man stood there, tossing a rock in his hand and catching it repeatedly, as if to let them know it was him who injured the man. One by one the horsemen got off their horses and drew swords on the young man, surrounding him. One of the men was checking on his friend. "He's breathing. I didn't throw it that hard." The young man said, smiling. "What's the big idea, kid?" One of the bigger men said. "You get a kick out of causing trouble or something? You have a death wish or something? Didn't your mother teach you manners? It's rude to throw rocks. "And it's not rude to be running people over in the streets like the people there don't matter?" He was still smiling almost amicably, but his look was like steel. "Its not when they don't. I think we should teach this pup his place." The man said, smiling as he unsheathed his kitana. "Why do I bother?" Jin mentally sighed in annoyance at himself, before walking in between the men, looking like he was just on a nonchalant stroll, as he pushed between two of them to stand next to the young man, who was pulling what looked like a sling out of his pocket.

"Hey, what do you want? You want a piece of this?" The man who seemed to speak for them said. "Only self-indulgent cowards would fight a boy as a group with katanas when he has none." The lead horseman grinned at him. "Pretty uppity for a vagrant ronin. I don't mind seeing what you've got. It'll make it more interesting to knock you off your high horse." Jin glared. "I would not draw my blade if I were you." "Is that so. COME AT ME THEN." He swung without warning, but Jin was already ducking under his swing and then slashed upward, killing the man in seconds. He wasted no time, moving in a flurry of steel and blood, until the last man was dead on the ground. 'I tried to warn him.' He thought contemptuously. He wiped the blade on part of one dead man's clothing that wasn't covered in blood, and then sheathed his sword in one fluid movement. He looked over the where the boy stood, poised as if he had been about to use his sling to throw another rock. He slowly lowered his hands and he looked at the samurai with the glasses in front of him in surprise. Jin started walking away. "Wait!" The youth ran up to him. "That was amazing! As quick as the wind! Where did you learn that? Can all samurai fight like that?" Jin turned his steel glare on the young man. "That was a stupid thing to do. You would have been dead before you knew what had happened." He kept walking. The young man fought to keep up with him. "Oh come on. I'm the best with the sling! I would have stood a chance of winning. Besides, could you just let them trample people? You heard them, they said those people were nothing!" Jin mentally sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "As admirable as your sentiments are, you would still be dead, and they would still continue to terrorise people." He boy looked like he was thinking that over. But he was still following Jin. They were nearing the outskirts of the city. "Don't you have to go home?" "Yes, actually. But I don't live in Sapporro. I live near Lake Utonai, which is near Tomakomai." He informed Jin. "Where are you going?" "Tomakomai." Jin muttered instantly, seeing where this was going. "Really? Well, then we can travel together. You can tell me about being a ronin and how you can fight so well." The boy prattled on and on, but Jin tuned out. The boy reminded him of Fuu in his ability to go on and on. But it also made him miss his friends again. "Fine. Come along with me if you wish." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm Takayoshi, by the way. Nice to meet you…" It was going to be a long trip.

Note: Ezochi= Hokkaido (It was renamed when the Meiji restoration began. The same time the age of the samurai ended. For this reason it is only fitting to use it. Besides wanting to be historically accurate if I can, using Ezochi and not Hokkaido is my nod to the end of the way of the samurai. But don't think I will always be historically accurate. If nothing else that would not be in keeping with the show. Lol).

I consider this chapter amusing, but generally boring. I'm sorry. Mugen's chapter is next. I hope it makes up for it. ;)

I'm sorry Jin! I don't mean you are bor- …er, uninter- You know what, never mind.

Please review!