Disclaimer: Fuu, Jin, and Mugen belong to the anime/manga Samurai Champloo. I have no rights to these characters, but the storyline and new characters are my own.

" You mean if you are killed?" Fuu questioned and Jin simply nodded. She had never thought of that, and through all her emotions. She had forgotten that Mugen and Jin planned to fight to the death after their journey was over. She would end up losing a friend or even a lover. Looking down at her hands. " I don't want you two to fight each other. I know you two can become friends. Maybe not the best of friends." Jin smiled for a moment as he looked down at the water once more. " I know you would wish that myself or Mugen didn't have to kill. But this world isn't as innocent as you wish it to be Fuu. Some people would kill you just to see the expression on your face or to pass by the time." She didn't know that some people could be so cruel, remembering the one armed man that claimed that he knew Mugen. He was rude and he even tricked that poor giant into thinking that he was nothing and that he should kill to seek his peace. " I know." She whispered.

" Yeah. You might make the leap and slice Kaza's throat huh?" He questioned and Myori nodded with a slight blush. " I have thought of that many times but I'm not sure if I could do such a thing. I am not a violent person. I seek the ways of peace rather than violence." – " You're a rare breed." Mugen added, folding his arms and standing up from the floor. " But sometimes, you need violence to get results." – " Is that what you were taught?" She questioned. " Huh?" She smiled and stood up as well. " Were you taught that violence solves most problems, and that words are just a waste of time when you could be slicing someone's voicebox open?" Mugen laughed and tousled his hair a bit. " A bit of this and a bit of that." Turning around, they both looked at the door as it opened and in stepped Kaza. " Myori. I didn't know you were planning on servicing yourself to Mugen. He doesn't have any money to sastify your needs." Mugen quirked a brow and looked towards Myori.

" I don't want us to start something and it ends." Jin said as Fuu looked towards him. " It can only end if we allow it." – " I don't want to allow it to end. But you know as I know, our wants can never become our needs." She sometimes hated the fact that Jin was right and these were one of the times, he had point in them having little chance to be together but maybe after the journey. Him and Mugen would become comrades and there would be no final fight between the two. She didn't want that to happen, she didn't want to lose either of them. " Well alright." Standing up from the rock, she brushed off her dress and sighed. " I think we should call it a night. Tomorrow is the big day." Jin nodded and turned towards the hotel. " Well let's go." Walking together back to the hotel room, no words escaped between them.

" You turned her into some whore, Kaza?" Mugen questioned as he clutched his right hand. He hated not having his sword on him, he felt weak and vulnerable and that was a feeling that he despised. Kaza smirked and folded his arms. " No. I just told her she was free to find her own satisfaction. I didn't think she would go running to the first vagrant she saw." Mugen smirked and relaxed. " Yeah. A vagrant with a bigger dick than yours." Myori covered her mouth to conceal the smile that had grown as Kaza frowned. " I'm beginning to rethink my plans of just letting you go without harm." – " Eh. Don't get all homicidal when the truth comes out Kaza. If you want a fight, I'm always ready." Kaza nodded his head and looked towards Myori. " Come Myori. It's time for bed." Myori nodded and looked towards Mugen. " Good Night." She whispered and left the room, Mugen watched her leave and returned his gaze to Kaza who was now watching him. " I see you have taken interest in my wife…" Kaza said in a soft voice. Mugen ignored his words and sat down on his bed, laying back and looking towards the ceiling. Leaving the room, an idea was working in Kaza's mind. " Man. I am sick of this place." Mugen muttered, he wondered how Fuu and even Jin were doing. He wouldn't admit it. But they were the closest things he had to real family, even if he planned on killing Jin at the end of Fuu's stupid quest. As the silence of the room rushed over him, he wasn't sure if he still wanted to kill Jin. He saved his neck a few times and in return, Mugen had done the same. But he wanted to prove to himself that he was the better fighter and that he was unstoppable.

" You think Mugen is somewhere comfortable?" Fuu asked Jin as she sat upon her bed and looked over to where Jin lay. " Yes. I don't think any harm has come to him." Fuu nodded and lay back upon her pillow. Opening her eyes, the next day. She stretched and got up from the bed to perform her morning rituals. Jin was already outside training with his sword, so Fuu decided to take a bath. Humming to herself, she sat down in the hot springs and yawned. " I see you're up." Jin said as Fuu jumped and splashed water all over herself. " Jin!" She gasped as she turned around to look at him. He was standing at a good distance and he wasn't even looking towards her. " Are you ready for tonight." Ignoring the private ritual, he had walked upon. " I am ready." She said, calming down from the sudden early morning shock and leaning against the bank. " Are you sure?" Jin questioned. She nodded again and sighed. " As ready as I'll ever be." She muttered to herself.

Opening his eyes, Mugen looked at the ceiling in his room and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he picked up his early morning meal which wasn't too bad. He had had worse in his life for a breakfast meal, sometimes not even a breakfast meal at all. At least the lunatic was feeding him. Bringing his hand against his cheek, he wondered if Myori would pay him a visit. She had become something like a friend to him and he didn't know why he held her in such high reverence. He had never held a female on such a pedestal like Myori. She was graceful, kind, and intelligent. Possibly more intelligent than he and he didn't even try to doubt that. He couldn't read so he wasn't high on the academic aspect of life, but he had enough street smarts to teach a few people. Sliding the tray back towards the door, he walked over to the basin that was prepared for him and washed himself off. Tonight was the night of the talent show and he was hoping that Jin and Fuu had some plan cooked up. Maybe he could take Myori with him. Revisiting an old thought, she did want to see that pond. He couldn't forget that. He had a feeling that might be the last place he would ever take her but he pushed that thought from his mind.

Adjusting her kimono, Fuu picked up Mugen's sword and looked at Jin. " You scaled the place earlier?" She questioned as he nodded his head. " Yes. And from the words of the villagers here, there are certain passes that we can go through that isn't guarded very well. I assume since no one knows where they are, Kaza would see no need in guarding them as vigilantly as more obvious entrances." Fuu nodded and looked in the mirror at her own reflection. " My first rescue mission." She muttered and Jin had to smile slightly.

" I know you are used to being the one rescued." – " It feels nice to be able to be of some use." Jin nodded while he cleaned his sword. " It does feel nice." Fuu turned to look at him and blushed slightly, turning back to look at her own reflection. It seemed they were warming up a bit more to one another even though it was more subtle than obvious. " I managed to get you this." Jin said as he walked towards Fuu and placed a folded garment upon her bed. Turning towards the bed, she picked up the garment and unfolded it. Revealing a beautiful pink and white kimono, a red bow was upon the back and it looked as if it belonged to a woman of high class. " Incase you need to look your best to enter, though that will be an easy task." Was Jin flirting? He wasn't sure but he couldn't resist saying that to her. She gasped as she put it before her body and looked at it. " It's beautiful Jin. How did you get this?" She questioned.

" Amazing how people reach out when they know you're going to save them." Looking at Jin, she didn't know what to say. Immediately putting down the garment, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He couldn't help but breath in her scent of flowers, soft and delicate something he admired in Fuu. He didn't know how long they stood holding one another but he found that he wasn't ready to let her go.

" Morning sunshine." Kaza stated as he entered the room with a grin, Mugen rolled his eyes and looked at him. " Kill the courtesy." He replied, leaning back against the wall and looking at the pages of the book that he found in the room. A shame he couldn't read the stupid characters, but it did help to pass the time just looking at them. " I see you are filling your mind." Kaza observed and Mugen smirked. " Well it passes the time when you're being used as a bargaining tool." Kaza nodded his head and folded his arms. " I hope you are ready to bid my wife and your friend good bye tonight." – " What makes you think I'll be saying good bye to either of them? What if you're going to be the one to say goodbye." Kaza thought for a moment and shook his head. " I don't think that will be possible." – " How do you figure that?" Mugen questioned, folding his arms and canted his head to the right. " Because, I will make it happen. I will have Fuu either way willingly or by force. It doesn't matter." – " You're pathetic." Mugen sneered and Kaza laughed.

" And yet, I'm not the one who's sitting in a room reading a book that I can't read." Mugen eyes widened.

" I know you can't read. It's pretty obvious. And being the vagrant you are, it's not that surprising." -

" You know I'm getting sick of this vagrant talk." Kaza smirked and looked Mugen over. " Well I am getting sick of waiting for my bride to come to me. But here we are." Mugen nodded his head and tossed the book to the side. " Yeah. You're going to be waiting a long time in hell for that Kaza." He laughed lightly and walked back towards the door. " Well, we'll see who waits." Leaving the room, Mugen stood up from his seated position and walked towards the door. " The only person that will be waiting is you." Looking at his attire, he missed his usual clothes. These were too, refined for him.

Releasing Fuu from his arms, Jin smiled a bit as he stepped back and Fuu recovered from the moment.

" Thanks again." He nodded and returned back to his normal stature. " I guess we should scrounge up some food…" – " Yes. I guess we can head to the downtown area and see what they have." Looking at Fuu, he wasn't sure on how they would get food. He didn't have any money and he knew that she didn't. He wished he could provide her more, but at the moment. His constant guard was all that he could offer. Little did he know that was all Fuu could ever ask for. Leaving the hotel room together, they walked towards the village square. Nodding her head to the Market, Jin looked towards the front. A large sign was in the window of all businesses. Indicating that today was a day of celebration and sharing, so free meals and items were placed in tables for people to take and leave. Hurrying towards the stores, they managed to get a wonderful breakfast. Laughing on their way back to the hotel room with their arms filled with food. They walked inside and set up a small table. " I can't believe that this Kaza is that generous." Fuu said in surprise and Jin frowned slightly. " It might be some clever trap." He replied and Fuu shrugged her shoulders.

" Well it's free food and that's all that matters." Immediately digging in to her share of the meal, Jin couldn't believe how large of an appetite that this girl had but he knew that it went somewhere. Looking at her body and her small frame, he had no clue where. " The people in this town are might generous." Fuu added as she looked at Jin and gulped her juice. " I mean, they give so much without question or resistance." – " I think they're too frightened to reveal their real feelings." Fuu looked at Jin and he began to eat his own meal. " Too frightened?" – " Come now Fuu. You know that Kaza has this stranglehold upon these people. I believe he has killed many and tortured many to ensure his dormancy." Fuu nodded and the sudden rush of fear and nerves plagued her body. She would have to fight against this man to gain the freedom of her friend and these people. But could she do it. Was she capable? Jin seemed to have read her thoughts and put down his fork. " I know that you can do this Fuu. Have faith in yourself." A blush appeared along her cheeks and she nodded in agreement. " You have enough faith for both of us."

Leaning against the wall of his room, he heard the door being opened and looked upon the frame of Myori. She seemed a bit pale. " Myori?" He questioned, turning to look at Mugen. She didn't seem like the Myori that had befriended him. " Just coming in to check on you." – " Is something wrong?" He questioned without waiting, he found himself becoming protective of a woman that he barely knew. " No. Nothing is wrong." She assured him, as she moved her fingers along her dark hair. " I was just resting and it was a long night." Giving him a look that words could never express, Mugen nodded in silent understanding and felt another rush of hatred towards Kaza. He was going to get rid of that pest if it was the last thing that he did. " Why are you here?" He questioned. She seemed to come with some news and he knew this visit wouldn't be different. " I need you to do something for me." She said, looking at her fingers and then towards Mugen. " What do you need?" He questioned. Her dark eyes fell upon his own as she breathed in and out slowly, possibly considering her thought and then finally speaking. " I want you to kill me after you take me to the pond." – " What?" Mugen questioned in disbelief. " I want you to kill me Mugen. No questions. I want my life to be over." She whispered and waited for his response.