AN: Well guys…This is a pretty long chapter, the longest one yet…And it's the last I believe, minus the epilogue. So no worries, it's not completely over. I don't know if I built it up the correct way or if I got everything the way I wanted…but I don't think I ever will get it just the way I imagined…so without further ado, here it goes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo.

On the Edge of All Reason

Chapter Eleven: On the Edge of All Reason

With a few stops and questioning, Fuu was able to make it back to her summer vacation spot. It was just how she remembered it, though now it looked very forlorn and old. A familiar pang found its way into her chest as she remembered her parents' voices and rings of laughter mixed with her own. Straining her ear, she could hear the bubbling of the same stream that wound its way by them.

Sighing lightly, she began to walk on the worn-out, dirt path up to the entrance of the house, hesitating before reaching out to skim the door's wooden surface with her fingertips. This must've triggered some sort of memory, for she quickly stooped down and removed a smooth, gray stone underneath the porch and found a small, brass key indented in the ground.

It was dusty and coated with dirt, but she knew it was the little piece of miracle that could get her inside. Letting out a deep breath, she inserted the key into the door, and it slid open, much like the old dojo-styled houses did.

The wooden floors were wrapped up in a coat of dust; an overwhelming sadness surfaced in Fuu's heart. This was what she had left of her parents. A bitter smile made its way on her face as she thought about those kids at school who would complain and whine about how unfair their parents were, or how strict they could be. Perhaps she only thought this way because she was on the other end of the spectrum. However, it still hurt to know she didn't even have parents to talk about.

Shaking her head as if the motion would clear her thoughts, she stumbled in awkwardly to one of the bedrooms. It was her old room, the one that she occupied whenever they visited. The comforters were a soft pink while most of the other furniture in her room was white. A far contrast in what her apartment looked like—shabby and dull. Tilting her head to the side, she realized this room was vibrant…or at least, used to be. After years of being abandoned, it seemed as if the life had been snuffed out of it.

Turning on her heel, she closed the sliding door of her bedroom and walked back into the main area. The silence was far too overpowering for her, so in one quick motion, as if on instinct, she rushed to the back of the house, stepping out into the cool air. She breathed in the lovely smell of the outdoors while walking down to the stream. It looked a lot smaller than she remembered, though the last time she had seen it, she had been considerably smaller.

Fuu peered down into it, watching a few fish slide by in the light current. The water parted whenever it came across rocks, only to merge back again. Fuu knelt over and rolled up her pants before taking off her shoes. Tentatively, she slipped her feet into the water and smiled at how refreshing it felt.

I don't want to go back to Tokyo…I don't have to go back either. I can stay here forever. No one will ever find me here in Nagasaki…Her eyes suddenly shot open before entering a hazy, half-lidded sleep. She had written in her letter to Mugen where she was. An act of idiocy on her part, she concluded. Then again, she hadn't told him her specific location in Nagasaki…just the small fact that she was at her vacation spot. It's not like he'd ever find it. Assuming he'd even bother…A small, doubtful voice said.

Fuu snorted in a rather undignified way.

"I don't need him," she said aloud, softly. "He's nothing but a jerk. Unless I'm suicidal, I'm better off here, alone. Where I can get some peace of mind."

With that thought pleasantly floating by in her head, she lifted her feet out of the water and trudged back to the house. Thoughts of Mugen had brought up the whole reason as to why she was here. Get the money, send it to Mugen, and live her own life. A determined glint was in her chestnut eyes by the time she stalked back into the house. She paused briefly at the doorway, cursing herself for thinking that somebody would be there to greet her. Her parents maybe, or perhaps a nearly-drunk Mugen sprawled on the couch. Unnecessary thoughts either way.

After shaking off her disgusted thoughts, she walked over to her parents' bedroom, somewhat nervous to open it. She was afraid some horrific sight would befall her eyes. Something like them not waking up in their sleep, or perhaps their mangled bodies. Fuu choked on these thoughts, reprimanding herself for such morbid scenarios. They weren't there, that was that.

Sliding the door open, she sidled in. She could see dust floating lazily in the air as she walked into the center of the room. A queen-sized bed was against the wall, facing the wall with the door. It looked far too empty and sad for her. Sighing, she let her thoughts drift back to the money issue. She was sure it would be here somewhere. If not, then her dad was one hell of trickster.

She opened the closest, searched under the bed, and opened drawers before throwing her hands up in frustration. Her head turned a little to face the bed. She didn't want to mess up the covers, feeling as if that would be disrespectful. Plus, she highly doubted it would be there. However, she curiously peeled back a pillow, checking to see if anything was hidden underneath. Nothing.

This wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.

But then again, when was anything ever easy?

--

It had been a few hours since Mugen had arrived in Nagasaki. He had eagerly gotten off the train, glad to get away from an annoying woman's chatter. People milled around the train station as he walked past them, some of them suddenly talking in hushed whispers as he walked by. Typical behavior. At least one thing stays constant for me, Mugen thought idly.

He yawned, stretching out his sinewy limbs before running a hand through his hair. Quite frankly, he didn't know where to begin. Fuu hadn't exactly left specific directions, so he could only assume she didn't really want him on her trail. That just irked him. After all the shit they had gone through, this was the result? No way. He wouldn't even let this happen—and truth be told, he didn't want her out of his hair. As annoying as she could be, he had grown used to her. However, he would never admit this, not even to her.

Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk along the sidewalk, gazing with uninterested glances at the various shops. The area was congested with people, mostly teenagers out for the weekend or adults going to their jobs. Mugen noticed that they seemed a lot happier here. Tokyo was turning into some sort of depressing place. For now, Nagasaki seemed to retain a bright exterior.

After an hour of useless walking, Mugen realized he wouldn't just magically find Fuu's vacation house. It was a disheartening thought, but true all the same. Trudging down the sidewalk, he decided to just wing it and take the next train. Some feet away, a sign pointing to the train station was held up. People crowded his way towards the train station, and he felt slightly nauseous. Within a few minutes though, he had managed to snag a seat.

Leaning back as the train came to life, he stared out the window. The scenery was beginning to give way to empty landscapes, parts of earth that hadn't been touched. From this, Mugen figured he must've been in a smaller area of Nagasaki to begin with. Buildings eventually disappeared altogether from the scenery and were replaced by small, rolling hills dotted with bright green grass that swayed with the light breezes that blew by every now and then. It was a mesmerizing sight—quite different from the dilapidated buildings he was used to seeing out his window each morning.

A smile came upon his face as he realized what an adventure he was on. He was merely going on instinct, just taking a train to god knows where. And for what? Some teenage girl who probably didn't give a damn.

Anger took over his thoughts and feelings when he came to this conclusion. She was probably sitting somewhere, all content and carefree, not even thinking about the consequences. He knew she wrote that letter that explained everything, but his mind was saying otherwise. Because when it came down to it, he didn't really know her all that well. He hardly trusted her at times. But all the same, he cared.

And that was the problem.

He cared, and no explanation he thought of seemed to suffice. She had barely left a good impression on him, and he highly doubted he had for her. However, a small part of him was hoping against all hope that she at least felt something for him rather than the first instant of disgust she had. At least she never feared me. That thought somewhat lifted his spirits. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to be afraid of him. Maybe intimidated, but she got over that quickly. And somehow, her never fearing him made him feel like he wasn't so bad of a person, that he wasn't the killer that he was.

--

Something was happening. He could feel it in his bones as he woke up to the empty apartment. Jin slapped a hand against the surface of his nightstand before finding his glasses. Quickly setting them into place, he threw aside the covers and dressed quickly. After concealing his swords within his long jacket, he walked outside, momentarily pausing to think of where to go first. It was either headquarters or Mugen's apartment. Picking the latter, he wasted no time to getting there, a light sprint in his step.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself pushing open the steel door of Mugen's apartment, not surprised to find it empty. Everything looked as if a pause button had been hit against it. Jin slowly treaded in before nearing the stairs. Looking up slightly, he began to climb them with caution. The upstairs proved to be very small, almost non-existent.

He lightly pushed aside the door of the bathroom with his knuckles only to find it empty. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so he turned to his left to do the same motions with the bedroom door. The bed was unmade, the covers draping to the ground in a distasteful fashion.

Going back down the stairs, he noticed that the television was still on as well. Whoever had been here last had left in a rush it seemed. Or simply didn't care to turn off the television. Either way, it irked Jin. Something was going on, and he needed to know.

Thoughts ran wild through his head, and he just knew it had to be about the girl…something had to add up to her. She was the catalyst for all of these events…or perhaps Mugen's emotions for her. Either way, it didn't matter for they all led to the same conclusion: disaster.

Jin turned to leave when suddenly the door to the apartment swung open. Yatsuha made her way in, looking bored yet slightly aggravated. However, when her eyes landed on his lone figure, they snapped wide open.

"You…"

Jin raised a brow before heading towards her, rather, brushing past her, when she suddenly caught his arm in a vice-like grip.

"I know you know. You have an idea…I can tell by just looking in your eyes. Where the hell is Mugen and that brat?! Tell me!" She shrieked, shaking him the most her strength would permit. A wild look of fury and hate was in her eyes as she tried to shoot daggers at him with a single glare.

"I don't know," was all Jin could muster to say.

And then, as if someone had been controlling her with a remote, she stopped and regained her composure. She sighed lightly in annoyance as if someone had stupidly pulled on a door that said push. What caught Jin off guard though, was the small smile she made.

"Then…I suppose it was for the best that I already sent some men after him. They've been following him since he left…It's amazing how easy it is to find information on people, you know?" She let out a derisive laugh at this. "You of all people should know!"

A cynical smile found its way to Jin's lips. "How fitting…I've always wondered why you never deemed it necessary to strip me of my disguise." His shoulders shook slightly with melancholy laughter. Yatsuha's gaze softened before she came close to him and rested her hands on his chest. She looked somewhat lost and sad, but she shook her head quickly as if to rid these thoughts. Slowly but surely, she began to push him towards the couch before pushing him down on it. Before he could even respond, she placed herself on top and pressed wild kisses to his lips. Jin suddenly felt as if all the air in his lungs had evaporated.

What hurt the most was when he began to respond to her kisses.

Every inch of his mind was screaming at him to stop and push her away—she was the enemy. However, his body was giving in and somehow, he couldn't stop. Slowly, his body began to release the tension he had been feeling for months on end, sinking back into the couch. God, this was twisted…making out in an apartment that had two missing people currently, while the woman he was making out with just happened to be the bad guy…as well as lover of one of the missing persons…but nothing could stop the two. They were like fire and ice, light and dark, actors in a terrible, terrible play…

She moaned into his mouth, sending his stomach up to his throat when suddenly, something felt different. She wasn't kissing him anymore, and soon enough, she withdrew. His cold eyes gazed at her unblinkingly while inside his head was a storm. And to make matters worse, when she started to unbutton her jacket and shrug it off, he couldn't help but feel a pit of desire bubbling in his stomach.

Before she slid out of the jacket, she pushed him back down as he began to make moves to get up, forcing her tongue to slip into his mouth. Once again, he was the caught fly in the spider's web, making him feel more vulnerable than ever. He could sense her smiling against his lips. Yatsuha's hands began to wander, unbuttoning his shirt, however Jin's mind was currently possessed by the passion of this woman, not even thinking of where he was or what he was doing.

Yatsuha pulled away again, causing Jin to groan in annoyance. It was as if she were teasing him.

"Close your eyes," whispered Yatsuha in a sultry, husky voice, and Jin found himself complying with her request. "I want it to be a surprise."

Yatsuha watched with unnerving ease as Jin's eyes shut, closing him off from reality. Her eyes were suddenly cold, as if the fire in them had been smoldered out. She shifted herself on his body, legs straddling him. She smiled when his body twitched involuntarily. How easy it was…

Deciding not to waste another minute, she delved her hand into the inside of her jacket before pulling out a knife. It wasn't extremely big, but it wasn't a small kitchen knife either.

You're just in the way of everything…She drew back her hand before sending the knife towards his chest, where his heart burning with the turmoil of anxiety and lust lay beating.

Jin's eyes suddenly snapped open as he just barely moved out of the way of Yatsuha's knife. Blood trickled out of his wound that was inches away from his heart, the center of his life. His breathing was growing ragged as the blood began to seep out. He felt as if he were losing touch with the world. Sweat formed tiny beads across the top of his head, and the last thing he saw before falling back on the couch was Yatsuha calmly buttoning her jacket and leaving the apartment.

--

Fuu had begun to give up on thinking of where the money could possibly be. However, she wouldn't allow her mind to accept defeat…there was no way those dreams could've appeared by mere coincidence. It had to be some sort of sign…albeit a very muddled one. But she just had to be in the right place…she wouldn't believe otherwise.

Her mind tried to race through any snippet of her dreams she remembered, searching for anything her father might've said. Her spirits were deflated when she realized despairingly that he never said much, if anything, in her dreams. Rather, he just stood in the shadows and watched with fatherly affection.

"Just give me a damn sign…anything…" she whispered before collapsing on her bed, not caring if the covers got wrinkled. She was too tired to even stand up for two seconds. As her breathing slowed down to that of a resting one, she opened her mind to dreams of memories, things forgotten in passing.

"See this tree? This is where we've marked our names." Fuu gazed at the tree, reading the carvings. Her mother and father's name was etched in its tough trunk. "This was back before you were born. Now that you're here, we want you to carve in your name."

Fuu smiled lightly before gazing up at her father who smiled down at her with love. She slowly began to carve in her name, balking every now and then when she felt that she messed up a letter. Her tongue poked out in concentration as she carefully finished the 'i' in Kasumi.

"I'm done!" She announced proudly while stepping back to admire her work. Her father patted her shoulder, something he did whenever he wanted to show praise or affection.

"It's lovely, Fuu. And now this tree shows our family."

Fuu jolted awake, wearily looking at her surroundings before clambering off her bed. She tripped over her own feet as she made her way outside the house, stopping to gaze at the horizon. The twin mountain peaks that had always been in the distance suddenly looked foreboding. Just at the feet of the mountains lay a thicket of trees before giving way uphill to the mountains.

However, what concerned her was hidden in the thicket. A certain tree was in there, one that her family knew quite well. She wasn't sure if after all this time she'd be able to find it, but there was no way she would pass the chance up now.

Without bothering to take anything with her, she bounded towards the mountains, which wasn't a very short distance at all…it felt as if she were leaving her feet behind for her body was leaning forward as if it would quicken the amount of time it'd take to get there. She hopped over the stream, never losing her quickening pace or her balance. She felt as if she were in total control.

Her heartbeats were scattered, and she could feel a distinctive pounding in her ears. Her whole body throbbed with pain and exhaustion, but when she saw the thicket becoming closer and bigger, she was elated. Everything was worth it at this point.

I'm going to make it…She thought with relief. Relief from what—she didn't know. But for the past few days, she felt as if a timer had been placed on her life, ready to beep any minute.

As she neared the thicket, she slowed down, allowing her body to take in some much needed air. Fuu soon realized just how hard she had run, for she could barely feel her legs. Sweat dripped down her cheeks, but the shade of the trees had helped immensely along with the light breezes that passed every now and then. However, none of this would satisfy her until she found that tree.

A little voice inside her head had been telling her that the money had to be buried beside that tree ever since she woke up from that dream. And she felt like it was right. Her feet started to take her somewhere in the midst of the trees, just searching for anywhere a clue. Her eyes roved over the scenery, but nothing stood out…then again, what was she expecting? All these trees looked the same…to search for some tiny carvings was like attempting to find one particular red dot in a sea of millions.

"Don't give up, don't give up," she whispered to herself, looking this way and that.

And then, as if by a miracle, she saw a tree that looked strange. Its branches drooped to the ground somewhat, not quite touching. It looked sad and misplaced. She trudged over to it, careful not to trip over roots or small pebbles. A disbelieving smile spread across her face when she saw it. There they were…the names of her parents along with her. She laughed slightly at the kiddy writing where she had attempted to carve her name below her parents' who looked so mature and elegant.

"I found it…I found it!" She yelped, feeling joyful. She dropped to her knees and picked up a large stick lying near the tree. Eagerly, she plunged it into the ground and began to push away the dirt. Fuu's brows furrowed together in frustration when she saw that the progress was going very slowly. She had been digging for ten minutes and nothing seemed to have happened.

Throwing away the stick, she resorted to digging with both her hands, sweating heavily. Soon enough, fifteen minutes had dragged by when suddenly, a tan color splotched with brown appeared. It was hard to see, but to one who was searching, it did not go unnoticed. Fuu squealed in delight, this little visual quickening her pace tenfold.

All her actions were seized at the sound of a gunshot.

--

Mugen had just got off the train and found himself walking on a country-type road. The path was rugged and strewn with pebbles. Dust kicked up at his heels as he walked by. Something kept sticking out in his memory as he had passed by landscapes on the train. Two mountain tops it seemed with a little dot in front which he seemed to think was the outline of a house.

For some reason, he kept holding onto this image, with the possibility that it could be where Fuu was. Once he saw her, he didn't know what he'd do. Maybe scream at her, tell her how stupid she was, or perhaps, he'd do nothing. Could he take her back? And why would he? She'd just be thrown back into a life that wasn't meant for her to live. She was escaping death now, and he had to congratulate her on that. She was in a way, fearless.

How many people dared to do the things she did? Not many, that's for sure.

Looking up, he realized he was quite close to the mountains. They seemed bigger and more majestic as he neared them. Soft, wispy clouds hung around the mountain peaks, as if frozen by time. As he studied the mountains, that's when he realized he was closer than ever to the small house. Mugen then decided to cut through the grassy fields rather than continue on the never-ending road.

The closer he got to it, the more over-whelming his thoughts became. She had to be here. This had to be the place…he couldn't think of any other answer. Luck must've been on his side today.

That would soon all change as he neared the house. It looked empty and quiet, though with only one person (or so he assumed), things couldn't get too loud. With one eye peeled for danger, Mugen made his way towards the door, a little wary to find it unlocked. He strolled in, gazing around the room before coming face to face with a burly man.

Mugen tilted his head slightly to peer into his beady, black eyes.

His first thought was worry for Fuu. Was it possible that she had been murdered? Taken away? He couldn't see or hear her, and that's what got him worried.

"Alright. Where is she?"

The man sneered at him before pulling out a sword. Mugen cursed. Somehow, some way, the organization had found them. As far as his knowledge went, they were the only ones who used swords in this day and age. Most people who even owned a sword merely set upon a mantle to let it gather dust. Occasionally they'd clean it off if guests were coming only so they could brag about how much of a rarity it was.

"Such a shame you came unprepared," the man's deep voice boomed before lunging at him. Mugen quickly dodged, grimacing at his predicament. He ran outside so he could dodge the man's thrusts easier, though that risky pause had almost cost him his life to open the door. The man, despite being huge, was quick. In fact, Mugen could've sworn a few hairs on his head had been cut off.

"Damn it," he cursed quietly, searching for anything to use as a makeshift weapon. Mugen decided to run back around the house to the backyard in search of a tree branch or something, anything, to defend himself with. It was times like these that he cursed his forgetfulness. Otherwise, if he had a sword, he'd be done with this man in a mere minute.

"Quit running so I can chop off your head, you mutt!" The man yelled, a twisted grin on his face.

"Mugen!" A voice called.

Mugen stopped abruptly in his tracks to see Yatsuha standing there, smiling at him. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Yatsuha, you have to stop this lunatic! I don't have time to deal with him-"

"I'm afraid you'll have to," she interrupted, a smile still plastered to her face. Mugen gave her odd look before turning around to see the man standing ready with his sword. His smile was filled with malice and lust for blood.

"I don't think I'm getting this…" Mugen said slowly, turning back to face her.

"No, it's obvious you don't. But…you see, this is a very complicated issue, isn't it?" She laughed bemusedly. "I have watched you like a hawk ever since that girl came along. You've changed…changed so much that you're suspect to anything that might go wrong in our organization. Meaning, you seem to be influenced by the idea of turning a new leaf…it's not good for us, Mugen."

Mugen laughed while lacking the humor in his voice. "Is this what it's all about?"

This must've been the snapping point for Yatsuha, for she suddenly slapped him across the face. It was a loud, resounding noise, and Mugen could feel a terrible stinging sensation. He tentatively brought a hand up to his face to nurse his cheek. "What the hell…"

"This is all a stupid, little joke to you, isn't it?!" She screeched, stepping away from him. "I know you care for that damn brat! I know you do!"

"So that's your motive," he sneered back, inwardly surprised at how quick he was to reciprocate her hate towards him. It was as if his heart had been waiting a long time to scream and chew her out. "You let your feelings and assumptions get in the way…so what better way than to eliminate the cause."

Yatsuha balled up her hands into tight fists. "You don't know a damn thing…"

"And what you are plotting to do once you get rid of me?" He smirked.

The man behind Mugen made a notion to step forward, however the menacing look in Yatsuha's eyes made him cease all action. Instead, he merely tightened his hold on the sword, gritting his teeth to ward off his desire to slit Mugen's throat.

"I'll kill that brat too, and while I'm on a roll, I'll take the money. I'm sure she has it by now. Besides, a spy had told us she was heading off somewhere. With some extensive researching, we found all we needed to know. And then when I hand over that lovely amount of money to Nagatomi, I'll be in such good-graces that everything in my life will go just a bit smoother."

"Conniving bitch…" Mugen muttered with a cynical half-smile.

Yatsuha returned the smile before reaching into the inside of her jacket. Mugen watched carefully to see her reveal the sleek metal of a gun. The smile from her face dropped as she slowly raised her arms up, grasping the gun tightly. Her finger was tense over the trigger, and Mugen felt like he was rooted to his spot. And then it all happened in the blink of an eye.

The bullet sped towards him, and somehow, Mugen found the feeling in his legs and dodged it. The man behind him however, was not expecting this, and for that reason, found his chest spurting blood. His eyes were wide in shock and pain as the bullet lodged itself in his heart. The sword fell out of his slack grip before he toppled to the ground in a bloody heap.

"I'll get you on the next shot," Yatsuha calmly announced, not caring at all for the now dead man.

However, she couldn't properly aim for him as he kept running around her, trying to catch her off guard. Suddenly, he found his opportunity and punched her in the gut. She gasped in pain as Mugen caught her. Her grip was lost on the gun as it fell to the ground. Her breaths came out short as she struggled to stay conscious.

"You bastard…" she mumbled, tearing herself away from his loose grip.

She fell to the ground and struggled to pull her body closer to the gun before Mugen easily kicked it out of her reach.

"I don't think so."

Yatsuha groaned with pain, as Mugen knelt down next to her.

It was then though, that Fuu suddenly appeared, panting heavily. She had run the whole way back, never stopping to slow down to a light jog or fast walk. Ever since she heard the gun shot, she felt this scary sort of trepidation in her heart. And the whole way there, she kept thinking of Mugen. Several 'what-if' questions raced through her mind, though the other half of her, the more rationalizing side of herself kept insisting it was impossible. Yet, when she saw Mugen standing there, she let loose all of her rationality.

She felt as if everything had been placed on the edge of all reason, and nothing was right anymore. But seeing him standing there, alive and intact with only a few scrapes and bruises made her heart flutter and skip a beat.

"Mugen!" She yelled, running over to him without a second thought and jumped as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked taken aback, grimacing slightly at the force of her weight being thrown against him. He slowly placed his arms around her as well, somewhat enjoying the contact. It felt…right.

Fuu suddenly tore away from him to stare at the body of the dead man and Yatsuha's struggling figure.

"What…what happened?"

"Apparently…we were both on Yatsuha's to kill list." Fuu quickly eyed the discarded gun and felt tremors of fear run down her spine when she relived the moment where she had first heard the gun shot.

And apparently, it had made its mark…on the body of another man.

Pushing these thoughts away, she faced Mugen once more. "I found the money…it's way over in that thicket over there. I was about to get it when I heard the gun shot."

Mugen nodded, suddenly not caring too much about the money anymore; ironically enough, it was what started this whole chain of events. Something he wasn't too pleased with…except he did like the part where he met Fuu. He smiled at her with affection which she caught out of the corner of her eye and sent one back with equal affection.

"Don't…Don't think we're finished here…" Yatsuha gasped as she picked up the gun. She wearily got to her feet, shaking slightly in pain and instability. Mugen eyed the gun with worry and somewhat shoved Fuu behind him in case Yatsuha was scheming something right then and there.

But she surprised them all.

The barrel of the gun was resting to the side of her head as numerous tears escaped her eyes.

"I give up…" She whispered. "I give up on all of this…I don't know how to get out of it…there's nothing that I can do to change any of it…to go back in time when we were together and happy…I don't want to lead this life anymore…I don't want to be a part of something I hate…"

Apprehension dawned on both Mugen and Fuu's faces before Mugen suddenly lunged himself at Yatsuha in an attempt to take the gun away. Fuu screamed loudly when in the midst of all the confusion, the gun had gone off.

"Oh god…" she whispered.

AN: Keep on the look-out for an epilogue. Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story. It means a lot.