"We all grew up together, Mukuro, Mugen, and me." Koza's voice was very soft and Fuu wondered if Mugen could even hear it as he planted himself on the sand ten feet away. "We were born on a little island in the Ryukyus-it was a place where criminals were sent when they were exiled. It was…." The girl's voice dropped even more. "It was like I imagine hell to be." She fell silent.
Fuu looked at Jin but the samurai seemed to have withdrawn into his own inner world. She didn't know what to say but she had to try. Koza seemed so sad. How could she get the girl's mind off her terrible memories? "We're going to Nagasaki." Fuu was exasperated with herself as soon as the words left her mouth. What a stupid thing to say-why should Koza care what their plans were?
It seemed to do the trick, though. The girl's head went up and she pointed to an island in the distance. "Your best bet would be to take a boat there. They have ships that go to Nagasaki."
Mugen got to his feet. "Guess I'll go see if I can find a boat."
He walked away and Fuu snorted. "What good would it do to take a boat? It'll sink and we'll all drown."
Koza smiled a little. "If Mugen is with you, you'll be all right."
"Does Mugen know how to work a boat?" Fuu sounded surprised and Koza chuckled softly.
"Of course. Didn't he ever tell you? We all grew up knowing how to handle boats." Koza's sadness returned. "But that means Mugen will go away, and I don't want him to go away and leave me with Mukuro." Fuu shivered as the girl's voice took on a venomous intensity. "I hate him. I hate everything about him. He killed my mother and I wish he was dead."
"I can understand you feeling that way," said Fuu hesitantly, "but you don't have to stay with him."
Koza stood up and took a few steps away, her back to Jin and Fuu. "Yes, I do. I could never survive on my own."