p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Night had fallen and the sky was filled with stars and moonlight. Fuu, Mugen, and Jin were walking back to the inn, stomach full, and hunger satisfied./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu was bloated after the meal and waddled along the path. Jin kept burping and complaining of heartburn. Mugen was patting his fattened abdomen rhythmically. Nearing the inn, they heard the owner yelling./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""You stay away and keep your hooligan friends outta here!" The owner threw his sandal into the direction that he was yelling. "And you two!" Now pointing at Mugen and Jin, "If you want to stay, you've gotta keep a better eye on this place. I expect at least one of you on guard at all times! Do I make myself clear?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mugen sighed and walked inside and Jin followed behind burping in response. The owner smiled at Fuu./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I'm sure a lovely young lady like yourself has your hands full with those two."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Its pretty exhausting, yes." She chuckled/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Feel free to use the hot springs. I have managed to keep them in good condition, fighting off hooligans single handedly." He grinned heroically, revealing crooked yellowing teeth/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"She smiled warily back at the owner and walked to her room./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu finished tying her robe and put up her hair. She made her way to the hot springs when she was done. Outside she could feel the heat from the water and was about to take off her robe, but saw another robe already outside./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"'how dare that pervy owner tell me to come here' She turned around to leave and heard a feminine sigh./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Ah this feels great! Damn, my muscles hurt."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu peeked around a tree. The person had their back to her. Long black hair, parted in the middle, and sprawled out messily Their back had bruises on it. And then they leaned to the side./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"'Those are some nice hooters. Not too big but not small either.' Fuu thought, looking despairingly at her own chest./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The woman was very pretty, or at least her profile was. She had a long slash mark on her cheek...she looked awfully familiar.../p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Trying to get a closer look, Fuu tripped over a tangled pile of bandages and fell out from her hiding spot./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The woman turned her head to get a look at the Peeping Tom./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-$åmûräî Çhâmplöø-/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It was decided that Jin and Mugen would take shifts guarding the place. Jin took the first shift outside so that his burping wouldn't stink up the room./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mugen however didn't even stay in the room. He decided to explore the inn since there wasn't anything better to do before it was his turn to keep watch./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He walked to the more messier rooms. 'Lets see how hardcore these hooligans and thugs are...' There was a door with a red hand print on the outside. He gripped the edge of the door with suspense. 'Please be a dead body. Please be a dead body' He was met with a mix of disappointment and surprise when opening the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Not only was there no dead body, but the entire room was squeaky clean, besides the door. However the red stain was blood. What was odd was that it was fresh blood, the door was still wet. From the corner of his eye he noticed a three smaller items and one large object that sat by a tatami mat: a pair of sandals, a neatly folded blue and yellow yukata, and a large iron club with a daruma doll charm on the handle./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-$ Ç-/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Meanwhile,br /Jin was sitting out in front of the innbr /*belch* He sighed and patted his chest./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-$ Ç-/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Trying to get a closer look, Fuu tripped over a tangled pile of bandages and fell out from her hiding spot./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The woman turned her head to get a look at the Peeping Tom./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Oh. Fuu. What are you doing here?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""How do you know my name?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"She grinned, "lucky guess, Ms. Fuu."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu's jaw dropped. "Kaho...you're a...a..."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""A badass?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""uh no. A g-" Fuu started/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""A great fighter?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""No. A g-" Fuu started/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""A ga-"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""A girl, damnit!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho looked at her chest then back up at Fuu. "Yeah so...?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu started stammering./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Okay...did you want to use the hot spring?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu sighed. "No. I'm good. I'm not gonna let that creepy inn owner catch me bathing..."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Well when I'm about done anyways. I could keep lookout for the guy if ya want."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Thanks but I'm good..."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Oh c'mon I insist."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu reluctantly removed her robe and lowered herself into the water. She stretched her arms and sighed./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho sat for a bit longer and then got out and put on her robe. She sat against the tree that Fuu had previously hid behind. She faced the entrance, glaring into the walkway./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Um, Kaho? Why did you give me that money earlier?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho turned to her and smiled. "I gave that money because I took pity on you. A girl like you, lucky, young, beautiful, and plenty rich. It's sad to see you penniless."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Me? Rich? Lucky? I think you have me mixed up with another Fuu."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""You are rich. With those two criminal travelling with you, you could turn them in at any time and receive a small fortune. However you are also rich in kindness because you don't take advantage of that fact."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""And how am I lucky?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho smirked. "Any woman would be lucky to have men like Jin and Mugen around her all the time."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu raised a brow inquisitively./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Grown women have... needs that men like those two could easily satisfy." Kaho's mind wandered off just thinking about them, then quickly snapped back to reality. "Maybe you'll understand when you get older."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu gave her and offended look. "Older? I'm no child, alright." She began stammering " Where do you get off, telling me something like that? How old even are you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I'm 19 and I didn't mean to offend you. I just meant that for now most guys seem like stupid jerks, who as dense about as dense as a rock but, someday,you will want them for a lot more than just a bodyguard..." She trailed off, her cheeks turning pink, and a goofy smile crossing her face./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu was completely confused now and decided to focus solely on bathing. 'What a strange girl.'/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-$ Ç-/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mugen clenched his fist, the back of his leg stinging from his last blow from the club. 'That bastard! Guess that's one of the bandits staying here.' He looked at the yukata. 'I bet if the geezer had one of the bandits in custody, he'd pay us a little reward money. And since the culprit is already here, I'll let them come to me.' He walked over and sat on the tatami mat, pulled out his knife, and started carving words and letters into the floor./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-$ Ç-/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu noticed that Kaho kept dozing off while keeping watch. "Hey, you can go back inside if you want."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho shook, trying to wake herself up. "Oh? What about the pervy owner guy?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Fuu smiled "I'm sure he has gone to sleep by now. You know old people with their early bed times." She chuckled./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Kaho smiled back. And stood up and stretched her arms, folding them behind her head, walking back inside./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The halls were eerily quiet. Kaho tip toed down the hall of her room. She began untangling the bandages she had and undid the top of the robe a little. Upon getting to the door she jumped ba/p