Yo. This is my first Samurai Champloo Fic. (For those curious, this is my second fan fic; I have a Zelda one. I am Anime Creature"s mysterious best friend!) Anyway, I noticed a huge gap between episode 14 and 15 and decided to fill in that space. Please review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo or any of the characters. (I can dream, can't I?) I have, however, made up an entirely new character.

Chapter 1: Master of Mistakes

The sun poked over the horizon, warming the Earth from her sleep. Birds began chirping, symbolizing the morning. The time was Feudal Japan, around the late 1800s.

The sunlight and warmth crawled across a feild and gravel road, then finally onto a small stable with large holes in the roof and walls. Anyone with sense would have stayed clear.

Light washed into the gaps and onto the face of a young man's face. His spiky and messy hair blew up and down from his face as he snored, sprawled out on his back. Two of his companions, a girl about fifteen in a pink kimono and another young man with long hair in a ponytail and glasses, slept off to the side of him.

Fuu slowly opened her eyes and squinted as she looked up. Closing them a little, she sat up and stretched.

"yawn Mm.. Good morning!" she said as Jin woke as well.

He simply nodded in reply, looking over at Mugen. Fuu followed his gaze and frowned in disgust.

"That lazy bum is still asleep?" she crawled over and shook his shoulder. Mugen snorted in protest and rolled over. Fuu tried again to wake him.

It took a grand total of ten minutes to get him to open an eye.

"What do you want?"

"What does it look like I want?"

He shrugged and rolled over again. Anger boiled up inside her.

"YOU JERK! GET UP!" Fuu kicked Mugen's back.

"Alright, alright, I'm up! Annoyin' little btch..." he grumbled as he pulled himself up. " Just tell me you've got somethin' to eat."

"We would if Jin wasn't the only one with a job," she snapped back.

"Oh, come off it. I don't see you with a job either, so get off my case." Mugen put his feet in his sandals, rising to about six feet tall.

Fuu glared up at him as she pulled her sandals in as well. "At least I try. That's more than I can say for you. You need to get up off your sorry butt and start looking for one instead of just mooching off of me and Jin."

"She has a point...' Jin thought, secretly enjoying Fuu chewing Mugen out.

Mugen slung his sword over his back, stomping over to the door of the stable. He stopped in front of Jin, shooting a look of knives at him.

"Well aren't you a lucky fella. Gettin' your little girlfriend to stand up for ya." Mugen sneered.

Jin looked at him with an icy tint in his eyes. "Honestly, can't you keep yourself from fighting all the time? It gets tiresome."

Mugen thought about it for a few seconds. "Nope."

He walked out onto the road, looking slightly over his shoulder. " Hey Fuu! If I get a job before you do, you owe me a bottle of sake!"

"Keep dreaming!" she hollered back at him.

"He's really hopeless sometimes." she sighed.

Fuu's stomach growled as she searched for a job in the small town not far form their stable. Her eyes went from one building from another as she reached the center of town. Fuu was josted around as the townsfolk busied themselves in the cramped streets. Before she knew it, she was deposited at a small food stand. The aromas of the cooking food met her nose and caused her stomach to growl even more.

She stared down hopelessly at the frying fish and boiling rice. The smell was wonderful. She took in one more huge whiff and looked up as Jin stood beside her.

"Oh! So this is where you work. Cool! I'll, um, see you later, 'kay? Bye!" Fuu chimed, walking away with Jin looking after her curiously.

Fuu went back into the stream of people and continued her search. Like before, she was dumped out after a few minutes. This time, Fuu found herself at a two-story building. She walked up to the steps, looking the place over. There were windows with wooden bars over them and thin rice paper over top. Closer inspection revealed a billboard by the doors.

She went over and checked it out, seeing ads for high star food stands, outlaws, and various other things. One particular ad caught her attention.

" Wanted: Cleaner for (SMEAR)... hotel.

Good pay."

Fuu's eyes sparkled as she took the ad. A man passed from the building in front of her.

"Um, excuse me, but where is the... hotel at?" she asked, the man pionting to the place behind them.

She thanked him and went inside.

Jin walked home wearily. It was almost sunset, and business had been booming. He opened the doors and saw Mugen counting some money on the floor.

Mugen looked up. "Hey, you get any money? I've almost got enough for some food." he stood up and reached out.

Jin stood still and didn't reply. Mugen's eye twitched. "Well?"

Fuu burst though the door and stopped short as she saw Mugen and Jin in a very strange scene.

"Wha-? Ooo! Cut it out!" She huffed. "Check this out. I got a job!"

She waved it around proudly.

"Who'd you have to bribe?" Mugen asked.

"No one! I earned it the honest way!" she was interupted by a guffaw. Jin gently took the paper and read it over.

"Well, I suppose it's alright."

"Thanks! Good to know someone approves. I start tomorrow."

"Hey, I never said I didn't approve. As long as I don't have to work, it's fine by me."

"Good, because I'd work there anyway."

Bright and early, Fuu went to work. She stopped inside just by where the foreman sat. He was snoozing.

"Um, excuse me, I'm here to start working." she said in a clear voice.

He awoke with a start. "Oh, yeah, you must be Fuu. Hmm..." he stooped over and looked at her. "You're a little scrannier than Uriko told me, but you'll do. Cleaning supplies are over there. "

Holding her tongue, she followed. 'Scranny...' she scowled.

Fuu lost track of time. It was sundown in no time.

Mugen walked around the town hopelessly. He was tired from having wandered around for about two hours. He was tired of always being hungry. He was tired of Fuu always having to rub something in his face.

Without realizing it, he foind himself at Jin's job. Jin looked up and frowned. Mugen asked him a strange question.

"You seen Fuu?"

Jin shook his head. "She's probably still at work."

Mugen rolled his eyes and turned to leave. He looked back. "Keep your ears open."

He continued in his way, shuffling to the direction in which the hotel was. He looked up at the sky, seeing pink, orange, yellow, and some purple. Bright lamps were lit as he passed by, illuminating his hard features.

Mugen came up to the steps of the hotel. He saw beautiful women in the open windows waving at passer-bys as they looked on hopelessly. Mugen smirked a perverted smile as he admited to himself that he'd have to come back.

The foreman's voice rang out. "Welcome sir! How can I help you?... Ah yes. I'll send for her. Enjoy your stay."

Mugen's eyes ran over the women again. When the foreman yelled, it shattered his thoughts like a club to glass.

"Fuu! Get to Room 5 on the second floor."

His eyes widened. No way she was working at a brothel!

"No way in hell." he growled, climbing the steps.

When he got inside, he shoved people out if his way and made it to the foreman's desk. "Hey-"

A loud yell interupted him. A young man abot Mugen's age was dragged out of a room, insisting to everyone that he had paid. The room became busy, a mass of squirming boddies.

"OW! DMN IT! LET ME THROUGH! (CD scratch)! Get off me!" Mugen hollered, fighting towards the stairs that went up.

He climbed up, making it past the fight donstairs.

'Room 5, room 5...' he thought, looking into rooms. At one point he shut the door quickly in embarrassment.

'Oops...' he thought, going into the last room on that side. He heard something hit the floor and someone move around inside. Looking in, he saw the lamp be lit and Fuu's small frame come into focus. As quick as a flash, he went inside and put his hand over her mouth with a sharp "Shush!"

She stayed still for a few minutes, reading the tension of his touch. Fuu pushed his hand off.

"Mugen, what are you doing here! I'm working!"

"Well, I'm dmn sure you din't want to work at a freaking brothel!" he shot.

Her face filled with concern, then shock, then finally anger. "Even so, I'm just cleaning."

" I don't care. You're getting out of here." He went to the door aand pressed his ear to it. She stomped over acriss the bed.

"Okay, I'll go. Just don't kill anybody." she warned.

He was about to say something very rude when someone came to the door. He jerked away from the door, causing Fuu to loose her balance.

What happens next wasn't anybody's fault, just a trick of fate and Fuu's clumsiness.

Fuu fell over in the bed and, because she had her hand on Mugen's shoulder, made him topple down as well. She cried out from the fall, then from Mugen collasping on top of her. She opened her closed eyes and saw Mugen's eyes extremely wide. Curious as to why, she looked down, then blushed. Their lips were locked in a forced kiss.

Another cleaner opened the door. "Oh! Excuse me!" she said, closing the door.

They stood up quickly. Mugen turned away to keep Fuu from seeong him blush.

"That never happened."

"Agreed."

The cleaner walked up to the foreman. "Hey. You guys made a mistake. Room 5 is occuppied."

There was an awkward silence between Mugen and Fuu as they worked on a blanket-rope. Fuu brought out blankets as Mugen tied them together.

He threw the rope out the window as he tied the end to the window post. "Hurry up and get out of here. I smell a fight."

She climbed out as he unsheathed his sword. A few men burst through the door.

"Heya, guys. Can I help you?" Mugen smirked. He looked back quickly at Fuu as she disappeared from the window. Turning back into the fight, he found the men with drawn swords. He dodged lazily at swipes and struck out with a kick, then spun in his breakdance kicking into the fighters.

Fuu climbed down the rope, seeing a few feet of open space. Jumping down, she yelled up "I'm okay! Hurry up!"

No sooner had she said this than Mugen stuck his head out, grinned, and started to climb out. More men tried to follow; Mugen cut the rope with a quick swipe and plumeted down down to where Fuu was, looking horrified as police and guards ran around to them. There were footsteps to their right and Jin walked up to them.

"Took ya long enough!" Mugen shot. Jin rolloed his eyes and started to swing his sword at thase unlucky to get in his way.

"I can always count on you to stir things up." he said calmly but loud enough to hear."

Fuu looked up as a arrow struck the ground by her feet. "Mugen! Jin! Come on!"

Jin pulled back and started to leave with her. Mugen, however, stayed back and fought. Fuu looked back to see him slice through at least three people at once. Without thinking, she ran over, grabbed his hand, and pulled him away.

"There's a time and place for that. Right now all you have to worry about is living and helping me find the Sunflower Samurai. 'Kay?" Fuu said, surprising him.

After he recovered, he pulled her along faster than she could ever dream of going. The three travelers fled through the town and made it just outside of the border. They did not notice that they were being followed.

Fuu stopped. "I.. I can't... run anymore..." she panted. Mugen and Jin stopped and looked behind them. Jin thought for a split second that he saw movement in the bushes to the side if them.

An archer notched an arrow into the shaft and fired at Mugen. Jin and Mugen heard; they moved. Mugen did not know that Fuu was directly behind him until it was too late. There was a sickening thud as the arrow buried itself in her chest. Mugen heard screaming; he didn't realize it was him until he had caught Fuu in his arms.

An unbelievable anger coursed through him. "YOU BSTRD! "

Jin got to the archer first, made short work of him, then came to Mugen's side. Fuu took shaky breaths. "I'm...okay..."

She tried to smile, but fell unconscious.

"We need to find a doctor right away. "

Mugen nodded; Jin thought for a split secind that there was a look of sadness in them.

'Don't you die on me, dmn it! Don't you even think about dying!' Mugen screamed at her in his head as he and Jin huuried down the road.

An evening shower started soon after. It was only a shower, but if you didn't have an umbrella or a hat, you would be soaked after a few minutes.

A young woman walked along the road with her umbrella and a lamp. She was about 17, wearing a peach colored kimono with red roses weaved in it. Sandals covered her feet, and a beautiful red sash held her kimono on and perched a dagger. She had a dice beaded bracelet on and her dark, almist black, hair back down with a clip. Her simple-charmed face had a deep look of wonder as she thought about various things.

Anyway, she walked along the road at a slow pace. She looked up from her feet as footsteps met her ears. Two men approached her, one of which carried an unconsious girl. Her instincts of healing checked when they stopped in front if her.

" Hey! Are you a doctor?" The rough looking man asked.

She nodded and pushed the umbrella over him and the girl. Mugen's hair dripped water on Fuu's face.

"Hold this." she said with a soft but clear voce, putting the lamp in Jin's arms. The woman checked Fuu's pulse and shook her head. "This isn't good. Come with me"

She turned around and went off quickly into an area of trees and eventually a house. Mugen and Jin followed quickly, surpresed that a woman could move that fast.

Stepping into the house, she led them into a spare room and started to put on lamps and gather medical supplies. Mugen set Fuu down in a bed as the doctor came back in. She sat down and put her mass of hair in a quick bun. Taking out many peices of this and that, she mixed various items together.

"Hey, I need you fo a minute." Mugen came beside her. The woman pulled out her dagger, which had dice painted on it , and cut up from the hole in Fuu's kimino. She quickly covered Fuu's chest area and gave Mugen a cloth.

"When I pull this out, press this down hard. Okay?" He nodded. She smiled.

'I must be quick.' she thought. There was a squishing sound as she pulled the arrow out. Mugen did as he was told, but looked down surprised as blood seeped through to his hands. The doctor came over with a needle and some thread and started to stich the wound shut. Her small but nimble fingers worked and soon the wound was almost closed.

She wiped her hands on a towel and gave it to Mugen. He stared at his hands in surprise.

'This isn't right... her blood on my hands.' he thought. Fuu was too young to be hurt this badly. Only he was allowed to be injured like that.

"She's going to be okay. Don't worry." the doctor smiled. "This ..."

"Fuu." Jin said.

"Miss Fuu." she smiled. "She has a lot of spirit. "

She stood up. "Would you mind leaving me your names?"

Jin and Mugen introduced themselves.

"Jin and Mugen? Well, my name is Hina. It's nice to meet you" she said politely."Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to bandage up Miss Fuu, so if you could just...There are some extra clothes in the next room..." she hinted.

Jin pulled Mugen out of the room as Hina got to work.