Later in the evening Shiroko and Fuu explained the orphan-boy's story to Jin and Mugen. Jin decided to talk to the boy. He called the little one into the side room.

Jin sat across from the boy. They both sat kneeling and resting back on their feet. The boy did his best to mimic Jin's posture and countenance. Jin began "You appear to have a fear of swords. If you want to live in a dojo you will have to overcome this."

Jin then stood and pulled his two swords form his belt and laid them on the mat between the boy and himself.

Jin sat himself back on the mat and said "The decision to whether or not you live your life in fear is totally up to you. "

The orphan chewed his bottom lip in consternation as he looked at the sheathed swords. The boy closed his eyes and nodded.

He stood, took two braves steps forward, and picked up the swords with both hands.

Jin said "Mm, very good."

Jin took the swords from him.

As the orphan child took his seat Jin stood and drew the wakazashi .

The orphan skittered backward in a panicked frenzy and grunted in fear "Unah! Un!"

Jin said "Don't be foolish, I will not cut you with it."

Jin stuck his short sword into the floor. "It will stay there until you bring it to me" then Jin left the room.

Jin felt naked with out his second sword and hoped the kid would make a decision to get over his fear soon.

The glint of the blade in the afternoon sun brought back terrible memories to the boy. He wasn't ready to make that decision yet. The boy did not leave though and became a permanent fixture at the Champloo dojo.

The little orphan followed Jin around day and night and gained a new nickname: Kage.

Jin believed the name started with Shiroko. When she spoke of the boy she would say "That boy sticks to you closer than your own shadow."

Jin was at first irritated by his constant follower, but soon came to find it was rather convenient. Kage became his page boy, but the short sword stay stuck in the floor.

Mugen finished painting the no trespassing sign in hiragana script. It said 'No Trespassing, Penalty Death!' He then signed his name 'By order of Master Mugen'

Kurou approached Mugen who was ready to go and hang his new sign. "Master Mugen, did you hear about Master Jin's visitor?"

Mugen didn't look at his student but said "Yep."

"Can you tell us what the deal is? Who was that guy and did Master Jin kill his own master? How did it happen?"

Mugen leaned his head away and spat into the grass. Mugen said "You should ask him that shit, not me." Then he strolled away.

Kurou said "But all the students want to know—" Mugen waved his hand and cut off his student. Kurou sighed and swore.

Kurou looked up at the setting sun and heard "Do you have something to ask me?"

Master Jin had arrived silently behind him. Kurou turned around and looked at the willowy man. 'Master Jin appears to move like blade of grass, but some times he gives off the feeling of a blade of steal'. Kurou was about to be brave and ask his master about his shady past. He opened his mouth and even let out a "Wh-" but then lost his nerve, bowed and said "No Master."

Jin returned to the dojo and went to Shiroko's room. She wrapped herself in blankets to cover her expanding body. Jin settled beside her and sat wordless as usual. Shiroko was feeling lousy and almost snapped at Jin to tell him to quit sulking. However, her training as a samurai's wife gave her the patience to peel away the layers of his silence that wrapped around his concerns. "Husband?"

"Mm?"

"May I?" Shiroko asked holding a comb.

Jin nodded and sat closer with his back to her. She pulled out the tie from his pony tail and let his black hair cascade down. She stroked the back of his head and said "Did that visitor who have anything interesting to say?" She felt Jin's shoulders tense and after he sighed he said "No. Nothing I wasn't expecting."

Shiroko held Jin's hair at the base of his neck and began to comb the ends of it. She focused her eyes on her work and said "He pushed Fuu aside." Shiroko said it in such a way that told Jin she knew everything and he couldn't lie to her.

Jin asked "Was she hurt?" The anger burned inside him. He loved Fuu, like a little sister, and the thought of anyone hurting her fueled his desire to draw his sword.

"Will you kill him?" she asked matter of factly as she allowed his hair to fall naturally. She then began to comb his hair form the crown of his head in long strokes. She would catch a tangle here and there, but Jin did not complain. He liked it when Shiroko did this for him. It soothed him and he felt freer to tell her his inner most thoughts. It was one of the main reasons he still kept his hair long.

"If he attempts to hurt either of you again, I will kill him, immediately" said Jin, coolly.

Shiroko finished combing then leaned her cheek on the back of his shoulders. 'Though he's lean, he is still strong. She rested her hands on his back and said "I have nothing but the deepest faith in you and your ability to protect us."

"I would give my life for you if it were necessary to protect you" he said.

Shiroko was bothered by this. She took a quiet moment then said "My time with you, Jin, has been the happiest of my life. Even though you are haunted by your past, I have no regrets."

He turned and took his wife and unborn child in his arm. He kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes. She released her arms and the blankets dropped revealing the top of her round belly. Jin saw this and became very curious. He brought the tips of his fingers down form her face to the small rounded area exposed through the blanket.

Since the day she had told him her suspicions, he had not expressed any outward interest in the child. Shiroko knew better than to go by Jin's dearth of expressions and waited patiently for a moment such as this. He rested his palm on her stomach underneath the blanket.

Then his fingers danced on her belly and she giggled. He looked up at her concerned. She explained "You're tickling me."

He showed her a rare smile and said "It's so round."

Shiroko sighed and said "Yes, yes it is." She let the blankets fall away further to show him how right he was. At the sight of Shiroko's pregnant belly Jin's eyes widened. He moved his hand around and through her cotton yukata felt a jolt. He jerked his hand back and looked at Shiroko with unmasked surprise. He felt foolish when he saw her giggling. "Hahhaha, that was the baby giving a kick."

"Let us hope that was his arm. He will be quite a swordsman." They both had a laugh.

Fuu watched herself comb her hair in a small mirror in her room with Mugen. She thought about recent events and said "You would help if someone tried to hurt Shiroko, right?"

"No" said Mugen shortly as he examined a foreign article he found wedged in his hair.

Fuu turned and looked at Mugen angrily. "Why not?"

"Cuz it ain't my fight. It's his. It's an honor thing, woman, you wouldn't get it."

Fuu steamed and snapped "What if that Keiki goes after Shiroko?"

"What do I care?" She ain't my wife."

"What if he came after me? Huh?"

"Again, what do I care? You're not my wife."

Instead of making Fuu angry and passionate as he had hoped to, Mugen simply caused her to cry.

He sat up "Huh?" and was about to tell her to quit crying when she got up and ran out into the courtyard. Mugen didn't like guilt and did with it what he did with all the feelings he had and turned it into anger.

Mugen tried to shift the blame to someone else in his mind. Mugen stalked across the hall and slammed open the door to Jin's room. Shiroko quickly covered herself and Jin gave Mugen and angry look. Mugen was already burning up with his own anger but he couldn't justify, not even in his fiery state, hurting either of them.

Mugen slammed the door shut and walked off.

Jin asked Shiroko "Are you okay?"

Shiroko nodded and Jin stood.

Shiroko grabbed his hakama and said "If you chase after him you'll only end up hurting each other. Let him cool down. His anger doesn't' involve us, so let's keep it that way. "

"I'm not going to sit around and do nothing about it."

In the center room Mugen stood looking out at Fuu, who was crouched and crying in the courtyard. He considered going to her, but thought 'I'll only say the wrong thing again.'

He looked at her some more and felt he wanted to go to her. The sound of the student's peeking out through their doors made Mugen angry and she stormed out of the dojo and into the night.

In Jin's room Shiroko told Jin "If you want to do something take care of Fuu."

"What? She is not my main concern."

"Then stop complaining! I will go to her" said Shiroko as she moved her blankets around to get up.

"But it's indecent of you to be in public."

"Then do it for me! Get her inside before she gets sick."

Jin realized he walked right into Shiroko's trap. Jin sighed and said "Yes dear." Then went to Fuu.

'Perhaps Mugen really is the smart one' thought Jin.

The idea quickly dried up when he saw Fuu crying. Unsure of what to say, Jin went and stood next to her. Fuu picked her head out of her hands just high enough to see Jin's tabi socks and sandals. She dropped her head in her hands and continued to cry. "He's such a jerk" she sobbed. He just thinks about himself and never about anyone else. I should leave him!"

"You should." Jin thought this was easier than it would be. 'She knows what she wants, so she should do just that.'

Then things got more complicated. Fuu said "No, I can't! Shiroko is close to her time you moron! Who else is going to take care of her?"

Jin considered his options then said "You should stay."

"But he'll be here! I can't be around him if I'm going to leave him!" she whined.

"Mm, then you should leave" he said thoughtfully.

"Maybe I don't wanna leave, huh Jin! Ever think of that?" she snapped between sobs.

"Ah, I see." 'I don't see.' Jin was having a hard time keeping up with which way Fuu wanted to go. "Then you should stay."

"You men! You're all the same! Don't tell me what to do!" she screamed.

"Do what you like. Mugen has left. I don't know when he will return" he said flatly.

Fuu looked shocked, then downtrodden again. She burst into tears then leaped into Jin's chest. He just stood there looking down at her then the thought about what he would do if she were his real little sister. He put a hand on her back and said "Don't cry over him."

Jin knew the students were watching and could only imagine the rumors that would spread. He didn't care. Shiroko would understand his tenderness with Fuu and that was all that mattered to him. "How dare heeeheee l-l-l-leaaaave me firrrrst!" cried Fuu stuttering through her tears.

Jin noticed the students looks were getting more brazen. "Come inside" he said "I will make you some tea."

Jin brewed the tea and served it to Fuu. Fuu babbled on about various things Mugen had said to her in the past while Jin stood waiting for an opportunity to say goodnight.

Fuu poured her heart out to him 'Why does she do this? Why does she reveal so much to me?' thought Jin, a little confused.

After Fuu exhausted herself talking about her experiences with Mugen, she said goodnight and thanked him for listening.

Jin went back to his room and collapsed on his futon next to Shiroko. He let out all the air in his lungs one big sigh.

Shiroko was on her side, facing away from him and began to giggle.

He said "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

"Shiroko rolled on to her back and told him "I heard her talking. You didn't say one thing, the entire time. Mugen really has it coming once he gets back."

"Mm. He started this fire under his own feet" said Jin.

Author's Note: Kage means shaddow.

crazy4dogboi--Thanks! I like the idea of Jin being some kind of mentor and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a warm fuzzy moment like that.
Chizz-muffinChik--That sounds like a plot twist out of one of my Sesshy and Comrades stories. Not here though. I try to keep my Champloo stories simple and shorter than a creative plot twist like that would deserve. Great idea, though. I'm sorry I didn't think of it.

Thanks for your reviews guys! I appreciate it!