To say that the couple before him looked shocked would have been an understatement. Yuki had expected as much, and wasn't terribly put off it. Perhaps that was why they were so shocked- he was a carbon copy of their formal companion- monotonous tone and stone face and all.

"Waitaminute," Grumbled Mugen, now a much older man nearing his 40s. He hadn't changed too much in appearance, especially to Fuu. But the fact that he had actually started a family with the girl was a huge change, one that he sometimes still had to remind himself was real. Having gone from pirate to family man was too… natural of a course for it to not sneak up on him sometimes with an eerie wonder if weather or not it was a dream, "How OLD are you, anyway?"

Not missing a beat, "I am 17 years old,"

"Then how the fuck do you expect us to believe that fishface's your oldman?" Antagonistic as always, Mugen was nearing the boy's face, making sure to bore down into his eyes. Trying to pick up on the slightest hint of insecurity or falsehood, "We ended our bullshit journey 15 years ago,"

"Don't tell me…" Fuu interrupted, "Your mother… your mother isn't Shino, is she?"

"Yes, she is," Yuki responded, quite respectfully, "She's the one who suggested I seek you out,"

Now Fuu had definitely changed in appearance. After birthing 3 children and living with the whirlwind that was Mugen, time had certainly graced her. No longer rail thin, rather sporting very motherly curves, especially in her hips. Though her stomach was no longer quite as flat as it once was, it certainly was no issue for the father of her children. Who often delighted in what motherhood did to his scrawny girly. Besides that, her hair was much longer, and worn in a low ponytail that fell over her shoulder sweetly. There was a tiredness in her eyes that did nothing to take away from her always cute face.

"Who?" Mugen drawled.

"You remember Shino," Said Fuu, "We met her that time you trained a dung beatle for a fight,"

A few ticks went by in Mugen's head. He quizzically cocked his head to the left, his gaze far off as he tried to recall the moment in question, "I remember… that ninja girl with the big hooters,"

"No, that was when Jin found all that counterfeit money," Fuu huffed, "And YOU were the one who slept with her,"

"I told her, I never got the chance," Mugen barked back, clearly not liking where the conversation was quickly headed, "So who's Shino?"

Fuu cleared her throat, alerting her life-partner that she needed his attention. Mugen looked at her from the corner of his eye as she primly muttered, "The woman… Jin… HELPED… escape. Uhh… That bad situation?"

Mugen still wasn't getting it.

Fuu was losing her patience, "She… She was a… well…"

"My mother was a prostitute when she met my father," Came Yuki's dry voice.

Just like a flood of light into a dark cave, Mugen's eyes widened. NOW he remembered. The hooker who that four-eyes became so infatuated with he nearly left them, and was willing to pay a lot of (MUGEN'S) hard earned cash on her.

Mugen also remembered Fuu tearfully begging Jin to stay, and Jin rejected her, leaving her alone in the rain. All the while Mugen had layed awake listening to their conversation and found himself not caring whatsoever if that dork just left without their little battle. At the time it had surprised him how he just lay there and LET him leave… but now, he had long since figured that out.

"so why are you here, Yuki?" Fuu asked him directly, hoping to avert from the awkwardness, "I'm sorry but we haven't seen your father in years…"

"Not since we all parted ways," Mugen added.

"That is my point, you see," Yuki's face became grim and he cleared his throat, "About a year ago my father went out for food and never returned. When my mother and I went looking for him a few hours later, we found his glasses laying in the dirt by one of his beloved swords,"

Fuu gasped, "He'd… he'd rather die than part from those things,"

Yuki's frown deepened, "He'd rather die than part from my mother and myself,"

"So you been lookin for him for a year?" Mugen quickly asked, not liking the hurt expression on Fuu's face from her blunder.

"That's right… and I have gathered little to no clues as to-"

"MA! POP!" A shriek from outside was heard. Followed by wet footsteps and the stench of dead fish. A young girl, about 15, with wild hair and grey eyes came thudding into the main room of the cabin, a rack of fish in her hands and water dripping off her. She was dressed quit scandalously for a young woman. Shorts and a haroi with no geta. She looked positively wild with her hair soaked and everywhere, "Check out this haul!"

She didn't wait for her parents acknowledgement before turning a very heated glance at Yuki, "Who's the dink?"

"Sara!" Fuu snapped.

"He's the son of an old friend of your moms and mine," Mugen drawled, not phased by his daughters' crass.

"Old friend?" Sara deadpanned.

"As I was saying," Yuki continued, raising his voice slightly, "I was hoping that perhaps you would assist me in finding my father, Mugen,"

"What good could I be?"

"My father never spoke much of his past…. But my mother and I are certain someone with a grudge against him did this. You and Fuu knew him best, certainly you could bring much aid to this mission," Yuki explained, gaining much more inflection in his tone as he spoke. It was obvious there was a lot of his mother in him as well. This was something he was passionate about.

Mugen grumbled a bit, "Look, kid, as much as I'd like helpin ya out… an' trust me, I really would… but…"

"But?"

"I got a family now. A family who the fuckin government is still after thanks to Fuu's old man," Mugen responded, sounding wise for a change, "If it's been a year then Ol' fish face is probably dead,"

"Mugen!"

"He needs to hear it,"

Yuki was still. His shoulders trembled and his fists clenched. It was as if there was an enormous amount of rage seething up inside him and all he could do was say, "I am well aware of that. My goal is not to return with my father alive… but to find who did this to my family and make them pay,"

An icey chill came over the room. The youngest, Shinsuke started to cry in his crib. Fuu got up quickly to retrieve him, hushing and cooing him into submission.

"And you should," Mugen finally shrugged, "But as much as I'd like to take out the bastards who killed Jin… my living family means more to me than one dead man," It was odd the way he spoke. Everyone seemed surprised, save Fuu, who knew that Mugen held an odd fondness for the ronin. Jin's death was clearly weighing heavy on Mugen's soul but he was determined in his duties. He was a guard dog. He had a job.

"I'll go," Sara piped up.

All eyes turned to the wild girl who seemed eager, too eager, "I'll help you find your father, Dink,"

Yuki's eyes narrowed and both Mugen and Fuu gave out their refusals, "No way in Hell," said Mugen, coupled with Fuu's, "Absolutely not!"

"Oh come on, Pop!" Sara dropped beside her father, tugging at him as if she were still a very small girl, "Mom was my age when she started on that trip with you,"

Mugen snorted, "Yeah, that aint helpin' your case, pup,"

"You're tellin me," muttered Fuu.

"But I'm not some tea house orphan like she was!" Sara pouted loudly, "You know I could handle myself out there!"

Mugen shot her a very serious look, "You don't know what is out there, Sara. We do. Drop this bullshit, and go skin that fish,"

"But-"

"No thankyou," Yuki said quickly. Sara looked at him with wonder and he proudly held his head high, "Though I admire your eagerness, I have no place for you on my quest. You'd simply be a hinderance,"

Sara's eyes dialated and her tawny cheeks became red with rage as her posture grew very confrontational, "Just what the fuck… do you mean by hinderance,"

Mugen groaned, rubbing his head, "Dumbass,"

Sensing her daughter's iminant melt down, Fuu grabbed the young girl by her shoulders and pushed her into the back, "Come, Sara, let's start dinner,"

Curses and shouts came from the young girl, but not too much lashing. After all, she wouldn't dare accidentally lose control of her body and wind up accidentally injuring her very pregnant mother. Not only would her father likely murder her on the spot, but the guilt of harming her future brother or sister would be enough to commit sepu ku. You know, in case Mugen was rusty after 10 long years of no murders.

"I should go,"

"Psh, nah," Mugen suddenly lightened up, "She'll cool down with her mom. Stay for supper,"

"I do not want to impose…"

"Look, stay and eat, rest for the night, and you can be gone by daybreak," Mugen rose to his feet, cracking his neck as was his fashion, "You can't turn down an offer like that. Trust me, I know. I been there,"

Yuki frowned, "You are… different than how my father described… in his tome,"

Despite wanting to express his displeasure in being a topic of conversation in Jin's sissy diary that his kid was allowed access to, Mugen just shrugged, "Fuu'd kill me if I let you leave without tellin' her bout growin up with yer old man. Now get off your ass. If you're stayin' you're helpin get fire wood,"

The Dinner had been simple, and the disfunctionality of the family was charming. Having been an only child, Yuki missed out on rowdy family dinners. Everyone in the family was loud. Everyone. And everyone seemed to get on each others nerves. But for some reason there was an ease with them. They all seemed to legitimately enjoy each other. It was most peculiar.

But what was most peculiar of all was Sara.

Everytime he'd glance at her she would be boring into him already. Unphased when he saw her, mind you. She stared him down all throughout dinner. Her gaze wasn't so intense as it was intrigued and quizzical. She had been trying to decode some sort of riddle that he seemed to carry. What the meaning of it was, he was not sure.

Yuki was given a room (granted it was shared with Sara's other younger brother, Okuru) and a mat to sleep on.

Before the sun came up, however, the door to his bedroom slid open and a silent intruder crept inside. Moving like some sort of feline, the stranger moved in close to the sleeping young man. Yuki continued to sleep, unnoticing the potential danger that crept up beside him. The intruder seemed annoyed by this and clapped a hand over his mouth suddenly.

Coal eyes snapped open and the boy was suddenly awake, thrashing about awkwardly looking for his sword.

The voice was his attacker made him cease however, "Tchk. You'd be dead right now if I wanted it,"

It was Sara.

"Now come on, I'm going with you," She whispered.

Yuki pushed her hand off his and glowered. Also whispering, but trying to hide his humiliation, "I told you no already,"

"Yeah?" She responded, wide eyed, only to get serious as she flipped a concealed knife from under her sleeve to tuck delicately under his chin, "It aint a request,"

"Fuh-Fine. You can come," The color in Yuki's face drained and Sara finally saw through his monotone facade. She snorted and pulled her knife away, smiling brightly at him. She tucked it back into her sleeve and took his hand.

"C'mon. Keep quiet. If my dad catches us he'll murder you,"

"But…"

She gave him a sharp tug as they exited the bedroom and tiptoed across the main room and out the front door. From there she took off into an all out sprint, looking over her shoulder at the young man trying to keep up. She was wirly but she was fast and she was beaming like a kid at Christmas.

"Just where are we going?" She asked him once they were far away from the house enough so not to be heard.

"Nagasaki," Yuki called back, "There were rumors about someone seeing a man like my father there. But-"

"Nagasaki it is!" She belted, picking up speed and dragging him along, "Come on, Dink,"

Just what had he gotten himself into?

Soooo yeah. Idk where I'm going with this. I intended it to be a oneshot but…well… yeah. Things have clearly gotten out of hand. For me and Yuki…