This is my first fan-fiction to be uploaded here, so please be kind. And please comment!

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own "Samurai Champloo."

Enjoy!

Suspicious Suppositions

Three weary travelers entered Osaka with the hopes of a place to sleep and something to eat. The trio were a mixed bunch: one a young girl of only about fifteen or sixteen, petite and cute; another a tall, quiet samurai, as handsome as he was deadly; and the last a ruthless vagrant, uncouth and violent. Without a word, only the exchange of some of their rare money, the trio checked into a quaint inn and collapsed in their separate rooms into dreamless sleeps.

The girl, Fuu, awoke the next morning to be greeted by a pretty maid knocking at her door. A bit flustered and still partially asleep, Fuu stumbled toward the door and slid it open only slightly.

"Yes?" she asked quietly. The maid bowed politely and smiled.

"I have just come to inform you that breakfast is being served, and that your companions have both already awoken and had their fill. It is now about midday, so I would recommend you come down and get some food before the wild-haired one eats us clean," she announced. Fuu's eyes widened.

"WHAT? It's that late already, and no one woke me up? They'd better save me some food!" she said loudly, then slid the door shut once more and hurried to get dressed. Those idiots, she thought to herself, jumping up and down in her haste to slip on her usual pink kimono. They could've at least woken me up! I'm starved! She grabbed a comb from off the dresser nearby and began to fuss with her brown hair when suddenly she stopped, staring at her reflection.

"Wow," she whispered to herself. "How long has it been since I looked at myself in a decent mirror?" She turned to the side a bit, modestly eyeing herself from all angles. She placed her hand on the small of her back and pulled her kimono tight, admiring her slimmer figure. I lost weight! She grinned, finished with her hair, and ran downstairs.

Fuu emerged into a common room she had hardly noticed in her fatigued state the night before. Tables were set for customers and guests at the inn, but only one was occupied. She made a face at the vagrant, Mugen, as he scarfed down his meal with all the finesse of a cockroach. The samurai across from him, Jin, was much more refined and seemed to have already eaten his fill. He lifted his tea to his lips and let his eyes shift toward Fuu, who smiled at him.

"Good morning!" she gushed, flopping down into an empty chair at their table. Jin smiled slightly at her (Fuu had noticed in all their travelling that he wasn't much of a morning person.) and Mugen finally looked up from his plate.

"'Mornin'," he said with his mouth full, spraying food onto the table. Fuu was in much too good of a mood to let this disgust her, so she merely ignored it.

"How'd you two sleep?" she asked, motioning for the waitress to bring her some food. The old woman nodded and bustled into the kitchen, returning momentarily with a plate laden with all kinds of good food. Needless to say, she dove in.

"Well, thank you," replied Jin quietly. He set his tea down and watched, amused, as Fuu dug into her breakfast. Mugen just grunted, which Fuu assumed meant good.

The three sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the small town outside and the soft, comforting chatter of the inn's workers.

"Ahhh," Fuu sighed, relaxing after pushing away her final plate of food. "So good! I don't think I've been this content in a long time!" Mugen was about to say something when suddenly a cry echoed from the main entrance of the inn.

"SHE'S PERFECT!" The three companions turned, surprised, toward the door in time to see an overly dressed man and two women enter, marching straight toward their table. The man knelt before Fuu, taking her hand in his. "You, my dear, are going to be a star!" Mugen snorted, earning a ferocious glare from Fuu, who appeared intrigued.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what do you mean?" she asked, subtly trying to take her hand back. The man was relentless, though, and only grasped it tighter.

"You are going to be a star!" he repeated, grinning at her with slightly crooked teeth. The women behind him nodded enthusiastically, but Fuu ignored them. The man continued. "I am Otaku Mushihawa, an agent for the rich and famous. I look for new talent, new blood, if you will." He paused to laugh at his little quip, and the woman behind him twittered as well. Mugen rolled his eyes, but Jin shook his head at him slightly, warning him to stay out of the situation for now. "I was just wandering around this town, looking for talent, when suddenly BAM! I noticed you, sitting here: innocent, beautiful, unappreciated, I'm sure. Everything the media is looking for in a new face! So what do you say, will you try it out? Will you come to an interview with me?" Fuu was taken aback, her jaw agape.

"Umm... sure, why not?" she answered. Otaku jumped to his feet, clapping his hands together.

"Wonderful! Meet me at this address," he handed her a card, "in one hour. Ta!" And then he was gone, women and all. Fuu stared at the card in her hands in bewilderment, still not grasping what just happened.

"I don't buy it," said Mugen abruptly. Fuu looked up at him, frowning.

"Why not?" she demanded. "You don't think I could be a star?" Mugen crossed his arms, frowning right back at her.

"No, actually, I don't. But it's not only that. It's just fishy, that's all. It's too... too..." he searched for the word, but it was Jin who finally finished.

"Random. It's much too random. I don't like it, either. I don't think you should go," he said. Fuu couldn't believe her ears; both of them agreed on something, for one thing, and not only that, but it was something against her!

"I can't believe this! This could be my big shot!" she cried, rising from her seat. Jin closed his eyes and sighed, but Mugen got up with her, pointing an accusing finger in her face.

"You arrogant brat, you really think that bozo wants you because he thinks you can be a star? This is just another trap, like all the other things you get involved in! And just watch, you'll go to this thing, and me and Jin'll have to bust you out again!" he shouted. Fuu slapped his hand out of her face.

"You two just don't think I can take care of myself! Well fine, I'm going to this meeting on my own anyway! Good riddance to both of you idiots!" she yelled, then stormed back up to her room, leaving her two companions dumbstruck behind her.

Up in her room, Fuu shut the door and slumped onto her bed, tears threatening. Oh, but those two infuriate me! she thought, slamming a fist into her pillow. But then another voice in her head retorted, They're only trying to look out for you. Fuu shoved that one to the back of her mind and stood to appraise herself in the mirror again, trying to see herself as the scout, Otaku, had seen her.

All she saw was a scrawny little fifteen year-old girl with big brown eyes. She pouted her lips a bit and leaned over, trying to make her cleavage stand out more, like it had on the two women accompanying Otaku, but it didn't work. She still only looked like Fuu.

"Darnnit," she cursed lightly, and focused on her hair, removing the pins and letting it cascade down to her shoulders. Still no good. She fluffed it around her face, mussing it slightly, then pouted her lips some more and made her eyes even larger.

"Double darnnit!" she said again, and sighed. Now she didn't even know what she looked like, but she wasn't herself, and that made her even sadder. She trudged back over to her bed and picked up the card. The calligraphy was showy and bold, and when she turned it over in her hands it almost seem to sparkle. A squeak from nearby made her jump, but she looked up to see only Momo staring at her, wide-eyed and curious. Fuu had to smile.

"Hey, Momo," she said softly, motioning for her pet to come sit on her shoulder. The flying squirrel obeyed, nipping at her finger playfully as she stroked his soft fur. "You agree with me, right? Those two losers are just worried over nothing. And I can take care of myself! Am I right?" Fuu could've sworn that the little creature had shook his head, but she decided to ignore him. What did a flying squirrel know, anyway?

Fuu froze; someone was coming upstairs. She listened closely to the footsteps and recognized Mugen's steel-clad sandals, followed by Jin's softer steps. As quietly as she could, she tiptoed over to the door so she could listen in on them.

"- still think we shouldn't let her go. That guy was way too fake, and you know it!" That was Mugen. Fuu frowned; was he really so worried about this? She heard Jin sigh and could picture him standing patiently beside Mugen, his dark eyes closed in thought.

"She'll never let us keep her from going. She's stubborn. But if you're up for it, I'd say we can go investigate," he said. Mugen scoffed.

"You mean spy?"

"That's not what I said." Mugen started to retort, but Jin interrupted him. "What I meant was that we could go with her and keep our eyes open. You know as well as I how many people are after our lives, and hers. I don't doubt at all that this is some kind of trap, but we'll never talk her out of it, so we may as well just face it like men," he explained. Mugen grunted in consent.

"Fine. Meet you here in a half hour," he said.

"Deal." And then there was silence as they entered their separate rooms.

Fuu turned away from the door, not believing her ears. Both of them were so convinced that this was a trap! Why would they think that they couldn't talk her out of it? She rubbed her eyes, cursing herself for being so stubborn and mean to them sometimes.

"I guess they really are looking out for me, huh, Momo?" she whispered to the animal, who was now resting on her pillow. Momo cheeped and snuggled down for a nap. Fuu sighed and began to preen for the next thirty minutes.

-The faster you comment, the faster I update. Hope you liked!