All right, here's chapter three! The depressing vibe isn't gone yet, sorry. It'll be gone after this chapter, which is fairly long. Enjoy! ^_^
I do not own Champloo. I only own Nai and this story. ^_^
"Alright Nai. You can do this. It's a simple kidnapping." Nai tried talking to herself to calm the nerves in her stomach.
"Gah! Who am I kidding! She's family!" Nai shook her head and pulled her hair into a ponytail, and pulled up her mask. "Alright, time to keep my promise."
********
Mugen stared at the ceiling in his room. Bored as hell and wishing there was a woman laying beside him. A soft breeze passed through the room and he felt a little uneasy.
He sat up and scanned the room. "Who's there?"
A woman stepped from the shadows in the room. Skin tight, short black shorts, a black halter showing her entire stomach and a fair amount of cleavage adorned her body. A mask covered half her face, leaving only her chocolate eyes to stare back at Mugen.
Mugen smirked, "I can't see your face but you're still hot as hell."
The woman placed her hands at her thighs, gripping the handles in of the twin knives in their holsters.
"Oh, you want to fight me huh?"
She disappeared, "What the hell!" a tap on his shoulder made him whizz around.
"Shit!" A palm to his chest sent him flying across the room.
She padded across the floor, in black ballet like shoes, making not even the slightest amount of noise and knelt by Mugen's side. Her long ponytail fell over her shoulder.
********
The door slammed open just as she stuck a blue-ended needle in Mugen's neck. She stood slowly and stared at Jin. Unlike Mugen, his eyes didn't wander her flawless body. Instead he locked his eyes on hers.
The grip on his katana loosened a little as he stared into her soft chocolate eyes.
She took a step forward and he regained his grip, slipping the blade from it's sheathe a little.
She froze and captured his eyes again. Her chocolate eyes were searching his, almost begging for them to not fight. Jin ignored it and drew his sword stepping towards her with lightning speed.
She vanished as he brought down his sword. "I don't want to do this." The melodious whisper made Jin jump away from the woman who was mysteriously standing next to him.
He had heard that ninja were very different from samurai, but he had never faced one. Now he understood why they were so coveted, they're like shadows.
He charged at her again, she pulled the twin knives, or sai, and fought back. Blocking everything he threw with grace. She lightly sliced his arm, leaving a small dripping cut.
She placed her knives back in their holsters and waited. He jabbed his sword directly out in front of him and froze as she landed on it, weightless.
She had her back to him, ponytail over her shoulder. He marveled her body for the first time stopping for a moment at the dragon shaped burn on her back. He looked up to see that she turned her face slightly to him over her shoulder.
She put up a hand sign, still staring him straight in the eyes and disappeared.
********
"M-mommy. You can't leave. Nai said she'd come for us." Fuu spoke out softly in her sleep.
The female ninja in the shadows let the tears roll down her cheeks in silence. She took a step forward into the moonlight, letting it bounce of her tanned skin and long shiny brown hair.
"I did come for you Fuu. I'm right here." The woman knelt down at Fuu's side and grabbed her hand. The young teenager stopped the silent sobs and peacefully went back to sleep. Nai gently removed another blue-ended needle from her bracelet and carefully placed it in Fuu's neck. There was a slight jolt in the girls breathing before it went back to normal, as if her sleep hadn't had the slightest interruption.
"C'mon Fuu. You're coming with me." She lifted up the young girl, who was slightly heavy, and jumped from the window.
********
"Mugen. Mugen you have to get up." Jin shook his rude traveling companion. He had removed the needle but Mugen had taken to snoring and it didn't look like he would wake anytime soon.
Jin stood and carefully wrapped the needle in his glasses cleaning cloth before tucking it away.
He stowed his hands in his sleeves and spoke calmly. "There is a nude woman in the next room waiting for you."
Mugen jumped so far up off the floor Jin had to glance up to make sure he didn't hit the ceiling. "Naked chick?! Where?!"
Jin sighed, "Fuu has been kidnapped."
"Who?"
Jin looked at Mugen in all seriousness.
"Fine. Who took her?" Jin just looked at Mugen until it clicked, "That fine ass ninja bitch?!"
Jin rose an eyebrow, "I have the reason to believe that this… female ninja you speak of is Miss Ai. If that is even her name."
Mugen put his arms behind his head, "Whatever. I ain't going after nobody till I eat." He said stepping from the room.
Jin gave a simple 'hm' and followed Mugen into the hall.
********
Fuu stirred and raised an eyebrow as she noticed that she was staring into a canopy of trees. She sat up and looked around. She spotted a figure slumped against the tree and crawled over to it. It was Nai, or Ai as Fuu knew her. Her mask was hanging from her neck and her ponytail was loose, letting strands fall into her face. Her short grey kimono was draped over her shoulder still showing off the rather skimpy black ninja outfit. She started to mumble in her sleep, making Fuu jump back a little. "Fuu."
Fuu looked again to make sure Ai's eyes weren't open, "I told you I would keep my promise Fuu." Fuu slapped a hand over her mouth and muffled a cry. Fuu looked for a way to confirm what Ai had just said.
The only woman who had ever made a promise to Fuu was Nai. She knew the two looked alike, and sounded alike, and even walked alike but she let it be. Nai was dead. Or so she thought.
She gently moved the strands of hair from the young woman's face and felt her eyes water at the site of the faint scar under her left eye, "Nai."
"Fuu get away from her!"
Nai woke with a start and grabbed Fuu's wrist but let go when she saw that the young girl was staring at her with tears in her eyes. "Fuu I…"
"You kept your promise to me."
Nai smiled and glanced behind Fuu in time to push the girl out of the way as Jin's sword came into her upper arm, pinning her to the tree.
"JIN! STOP IT! PULL IT OUT!" Fuu screamed in terror.
Jin looked over at Fuu with a puzzled gaze. Mugen couldn't believe his ears, "What the hell are you talking about? That crazy bitch kidnapped you!"
"I know but… she's my cousin."
