Happy Valentine's everybody! Anyway, thanks again for the reviews. Especially to those who have reviewed all the chaps so far. YOU GUYS ROCK! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Samurai Champloo, no one but me would get to watch it.

Chapter 4-Story of Sacrifice

Fuu wandered out into the kitchen, early and without warning. She saw Hina already making breakfast, her slender frame going back and forth in her work. She turned around as she felt Fuu behind her.

"Oh, Fuu-san, you're up early!" she said surprised.

"I'm really uncomfortable. My chest feels weird and kind of itchy." Fuu complained, sounding like a small child.

Hina put her work to the side and took her into her room. Hina found the wound pink and the stitches were no longer visible.

"Your wound is healed!" she exclaimed. "That means that you guys can be.." her voice trailed off sadly. They would soon be saying their goodbyes.

(A little later)

Hina shuffled her feet unhappily as she walked around the fish pond, watching the small creatures that swam around and looked up at her without care. She had told Mugen and Jin about Fuu's recovery. They were happy of course, no problem about that. The thing that broke her heart was that they didn't seem to remember that that would mean they would be leaving. She sighed, thinking that she was being slightly selfish, since they were already busy with their own journey. If she could just build up enough courage to ask them... She had gone over her words a thousand times already, but she was still scared to death.

'I'll only know if I try.' she concluded, turning back into the house.

After preparing lunch, she took the meals outside and made it like a picnic, blanket and all. Her spirits slowly rising, she went back to her room and took a sheathed sword down form its rack. The scabard was a deep purple, with a golden crescent moon carved into the hilt. The guard was a matching gold color and from the small clip to attach it to a sash were two small dice, a red and black.

She walked out with determination to see her friends already at the prepared meal. It didn't take long for them to notice food when it was ready!

Mugen's eyes dropped to the sword in her hand. Jin followed his gaze, looking slightly surprised as he saw what she possessed.

"Is that yours?"

"Yes. At least, it was after my father gave it to me when I was 14. My father always wanted a son, but I was all he ever got. There are actually two, but the other was stolen. The same theif killed my mother and father. I barely escaped with my own life. The swords are precious to me. I want the other one back, but unfortunately, my duty is here. These swords are all I have left of my family."

Jin understood her words. He had actually said pretty much the same thing a while back. (A/N: Episode 5. AKA the one w/ the European)

"So what exactly are you tryin' to say here?" Mugen asked, impatience plastered all over his face.

She sighed. "Well, I've always wanted to get the other one back. But, like I said, I couldn't. Until now. My home is going to be taken away. When my father was building the house, he had to borrow some money and was never able to pay them back. Those folks want their money back now and I don't have it. There's nothing left for me to do but sell it to them."

Fuu looked away sadly, similar memories of loss coming back to her. Mugen scratched his ear, and Jin had a grim look on his face.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Basically what I'm doing is asking if I can travel with you for a bit. Just until I can get the other sword. It shouldn't be too long."

Mugen and Jin looked at Hina in surprise, Mugen with more of a "SHE ASKED TO DO WHAT?" look. Fuu, on the other hand, put her hands together hapily.

"Of course you can! Your already one of us, anyway! Right Mugen?"

He snapped out of it. "Whatever."

"What 'bout you, Jin?"

"I suppose it's the least we could do for all you've done for us."

"It's settled then!" Fuu laughed.

Hina stared blankly, then the realization hit her. She joined Fuu in a laugh, hers more of a relieved one, then eventually turning into a real laugh.

"Thank you so much. I won't be a nuisance, I promise."

(Fast Forward- the next day)

Hina stood outside with her friends, her previous actions running through her head like a movie. After lunch the day before, she had gathered her faimily's priceless heirlooms and put them in a chest. She buried the chest in the back yard under a blooming cherry tree. Some mught have said that she should have just sold these, but ti her, this was out of the question. The buried objects were her mothers and she would have never been able to sell them.

'I will come back for you someday.' she promised, looking to the heavens so her mother could take part of the promise as well.

She stood by Fuu as she looked at her home for the last time. Hina had a black kimono on with a red tanktop on underneath. She wore red pants like Jin's that matched her sash. Her sword was tied to a brown traveling bag slung over her shoulder. Her dark brown hair was in a bun, the small bang falling out ti outline her face. She had on black slippers and finally, her dice baracelet to match her dice earings and dagger painted with the cubes of all colors.

Fuu walked up to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder."We should go."

"Yes." she said, a small tear meeting her kimono.

They walked, the sun casting its rays over the house that carried so many memories of love and sacrifice.

(Fast Forward-that night)

Mugen washed his face in a stream not far from their camp. He looked up, water dripping off his face. Fuu wandered over by hom shyly.

" 'Sup. " he said, standing up.

She looked at him nervously, her mind going back to the night not to long ago when Hina and Mugen had their violent argument. "Um, Mugen, I want to ask you somthing..."

"Hmm?" he grunted, looking at her as she fiddled with the bow of her dress.

Fuu chewed her lip. "Is what Hina said true?"

He lost the feeling of his arm all of a sudden as he acted like he didn't know. "Which thing?"

"How you feel about me.." she said quietly, her heart pounding.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Nope."

Fuu's arm dropped in disappointment. "Oh...okay."

She started to turn away.

"Hey." he suddenly said. She turned her head. "Why didn't you move away from that arrow?"

"I thought you had it. Just like you usually do."

Mugen cocked his head a little in confusion.

"You guys always know what to do and where to go all the time that I thought that I was safe like I usually am." she said sofly, sending a shiver of excitment up his spine for some reason.

He suddenly wished that he would know what to say all the time.

(The same time; back at camp)

Jin cleaned his sword silently as Hina studied some notes she had written of new plants she had encountered during the day. Jin's sword was quite clean; he cleaned the blade for comfort to pass the time and because he hadn't used it in a while.

Hina put her notebook down. She looked over at Jin, her cheeks turning a light pink. The fire between them made him look even more hansome than he already was as it outlined his strong features.

She sighed as she looked up at the stars. "It's strange. To me at least. Not knowing where I am or what to do. Not knowing where I'll end up next or what I'll do the next couple of days. Just going with the flow." she looked over at him to see Jin warching her as she spoke."The strangest part of it all is that.. I like it."

She blushed to see him smile out of the corner of his mouth. Looking back up to the stars, she asked casually "So, how long has it been since you have seen Shino?"

His smile was wiped of his face, followed by a frown that made her wish that she hadn't asked. "How did you find out about that?"

"You talk about her in your sleep. I checked on all of you when we were at my home and you were asleep. I guess you could say I was making my rounds."

The frown stayed on his face. She felt horrible; his look made her heart ache. He sheathed his sword and put it againt a stack of firewood close to his bed area.

"Not for a while." he said firmly, making her sad.

Fuu wandered back into the camp, and there was nothing left to say.

(Fast Forward-day two)

Mugen, JIn, Fuu, and Hina awoke and went without a word. They found themselves at a city within a few hours. The city was feudal Osaka. The streets were full of people as they busied themselves with daily work.

Hina stopped her companions as she cheked a map in her back. ( "She brought a map?" Mugen whispered to Jin; he shrugged) She traced the map with one finger and moved her mouth as she read. "Okay, that was weird. According to this, we're on track. The thing is, Osaka is slightly south of where we need to be."

Mugen shrugged and scratched his ear, saying only one word: "Food."

They all agreed and started to go. Hina didn't notice it, but her map was gently lifted from her bag.

When going to the restaurant, they ordered their small amount of food. Mugen over ordered and cost them more than they wanted. Fuu had something to say about it, resulting on a very verbal argument between them. After about 15 minutes and a thousand glares from the owner, the fight ended with a "INSENSITIVE JERK!" and a (CD scratch) btch!" Afterwards, they left as thought there hadn't even been an argument.

The travelers managed to sleep in a hotel. Mugen snored loudly and Fuu silently wrote in her journal, thinking no one knew that was what she was doing.

Hina removed her kimono top, looking over at Jin. They could only afford one room.

"Um.. Jin-san..."she said quietly. he did not look up from the window as he gazed outside.

"I wish to apologize. It was not in my place to ask you such a foolish question."

"That's enough. I forgive you. It was a simple mistake" he said quietly (When does he ever raise his voice?).

Hina looked up at him. She had prepared a small speech of apology,but he had already forgiven her. "Oh. Well, thank you."

"Get some sleep" he said, turning toward her at last. She blushed again, something that had been happening more and more often.

Hina lay down on her futon, thinking about what Jin had said. He was so forgiving... She silently wished that wherever this Shino was that he would find her and make her life happy, for she knew that it would never happen with herself.

A/N: As you can see, I added a bit more romance. After all, I am writting this on Valentine's Day! Anyway, I need to know if it would be appreciated if I posted some poems I wrote over the weekend. A Romance/Angst between two of the main characters. This is my favorite pairing! Anyway, please tell me what you think; YES or NO? Thanks!