Taking Care of You

By the Alternative Source

Disclaimer: I don't own anything when it comes to Samurai Champloo. Except my story of course. Lol.

Summary: Fuu gets seriously injured when she saves Mugen during an attack.

Chapter 12

Previously on Taking Care of You………………

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"Look at you," the mysterious person said as he walked forward, "so little and so powerful."

For some reason Fuu knew that he was talking about her. Slowly she began to pull the sword free as the man came closer. She knew that he was coming for her.

"Huh. What a surprise right? Thought you were all safe and sound. Didn't think that what you did would come back and haunt you Fuu." A chill ran down her spine as he spoke her name.

'That voice?' Fuu thought as she closed her eyes. 'That voice.'

"Hey. You leave her the hell out of this! If you want to fight anyone you do it with me!" Mugen yelled as his grip became tight on the handle of his blade and his knuckles turned white.

"Now why would I do that? When the person I want is the murderer of my brothers," the stranger said in a mocking tone as he came nearer to the light streaming through a door way.

'Shit.' Fuu thought as her eyes opened wide and she looked into the eyes of her pursuer. The man had finally come into the light and he was staring at her with scorn and hate evident in his eyes. She knew this man. This happy and clumsy man. A man that she thought was harmless.

A man with short brown hair named…..

"Juro?" Mugen said in disbelief, "You little shit!"

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Now on with the story!

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Chapter 12

"Juro?!" Fuu asked with wide eyes, "What..what?"

Juro maliciously smiled and tilted his head at the sight of Fuu's shock, "Hello."

"What the hell are you doing here, you little shit?" Mugen practically shouted.

At this outburst Juro's eyes burst with hatred and he snarled, "No one was speaking to you mongrel."

"Mongrel? I'll show you who the mongrel is you son of a…" Mugen said as he shifted his stance and prepared to attack Juro. Jin pulled him back roughly at the last second.

"Patience Mugen. You're going to get everyone killed. And I suspect," he narrowed his eyes and looked behind Juro, "that he's not alone."

"You're right about that one," Juro said as he stepped aside and a man with long brown hair and tan skin stepped forward.

"Arashi?" Fuu asked.

"Hello, Fuu."

"What…Why?"

Arashi stuck his hands into his pockets and leaned forward, "To see you, of course."

Mugen narrowed his eyes, "What the hell is the point of just standing here? Let's finish this."

"Look. I don't care what you to guys have going on here. I just want to get paid," Arashi said as he looked over at Juro, "So I can get the hell out of here."

"You're not family?" Fuu questioned.

"With this one," he pointed at Juro with a laugh, "No, no. We look like family, don't we? Probably the reason why he hired me."

Arashi's rant stopped as Juro roughly slapped him and sent him hurling towards the wall, "I don't pay you to speak, do I? I pay you to keep quiet and do what you're told."

Arashi pulled himself up from the ground and wiped some blood off the side of his mouth. His lips were pursed and his expression had turned stone like. He looked at Juro with scorn before turning to Fuu, "Let's get this over with then."

"Yes, let's," he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Fuu, "You will pay for the lives that you have taken."

Fuu clenched her jaw in anger, "They attacked me."

Juro started making wild jestures with his free hand, "You probably deserved it you little bitch. The way that you look and act probably set them off. I bet you were flaunting around showing all the goods, weren't you?!"

"What?! I never did anything."

"Yes, you did. You killed my brothers!"

Fuu let out a small gasp in surprise.

"You knew that something was happening, didn't you? You knew that someone would come to avenge the two that you killed but you didn't expect it to be family, didn't you? Answer me?!"

"Stop yelling at her. If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around and walk away," Jin said as he prepared for the coming battle. Fuu turned to him and saw that his hands were steadily holding his blade and his stance had changed.

'He's ready.'

Fuu then turned to Mugen. Her eyes widened in surprise at the look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was in what she could only describe as a snarl. His face was glowing red in anger and his teeth were clenched.

'No.'

Turning around to Juro and Arashi she knew that there was no way that this was going to end well. They would have to battle.

"I didn't know that they were your family. But that doesn't give them the right to do what they did," Fuu said as she took a step back.

Juro ignored her comment and spoke, "I found them in the woods after you diced them up. You thought they were both dead. But one was still alive. Barely. Told me who you were. Told me what you looked like. Told me how you deserved it. Spent weeks looking for you. And just when we took up residence in that little farmers home at the edge of the forest I realized that you were closer than expected. In a place that I thought you wouldn't hide. A place so close to where they died."

"I didn't do anything on purpose. I was defending myself," Fuu stressed every word as she said it, "They—attacked—me."

"AND YOU PROBABLY DESERVED IT! You little bitch," Juro said in a wild rage before he sprinted forward and jumped clear across the opening in the floor. Raising her sword Fuu prepared for the oncoming attack but it never came as Mugen met Juro's sword with his own.

"You don't touch what's mine," Mugen said in a strained angry voice, "Never."

Pushing back they tore apart from each other to just once again clash together. Juro leared at Fuu before turning to Mugen, "I'll make sure I touch her. Until she begs. Begs for dea…"

Juro never completed his sentence because Mugen had punched him the face and slashed at his arm holding the sword. A wide slice tore through his flesh and Juro let out a wail of pain. But the wound didn't seem to stop as he looked up at Mugen. His eyes were lite with fury, "Arashi. Do what you were paid to do. But don't hurt her too much. I want to finish her."

Arashi nodded and jumped over the bridge. Without attacking them he just stood there. He looked at Jin and Fuu and smiled softly, "Not my idea of how I would like spend time with you Fuu. You're nice. But I have a family to care for. I hope you understand."

Instantly both Juro and Arashi leapt into action. With great pain Fuu was about to leap forward when Jin pushed her out of the way and began to battle Arashi. For not being brothers Juro and Arashi were surprisingly well coordinated. For ever swing that Juro threw at Mugen, Arashi matched it up with Jin's attacks. And they didn't stop.

Jin was clearly winning over Arashi and after a couple seconds Arashi was lying on the ground unconscious. Fuu ran over and pulled him away from the fight. She didn't hate Arashi enough to let him die. She might not even hate him at all.

'It's for his family.'

A crash tore through the building as Mugen and Juro crashed through one of the walls. Despite Jin holding her back Fuu followed. The site that greeted her made her breath catch in her throat.

There were two dead bodies lying on the ground in the corner of the room. Their bodies filled the room with a putrid smell. But what really made this even worse was that Mugen and Juro were covered in slashes and blood. And they were still going at it.

Juro had tried to kick Mugen's feet from under him but Mugen quickly jumped over them and slashed at him. Juro quickly blocked it and tried to push back Mugen's blade. Mugen smirked as he saw that Juro was getting tired. Throwing all his strength in it he pushed Juro back and opened a large gash on his chest.

Quickly Juro pulled a blade out of his sleeve and threw it at Mugen's head.

"MUGEN!"

Mugen quickly avoided the blade and growled as a clump of his hair fell to the ground. But Fuu's yell had caught Juro's attention and he turned to her, "You little bitch. I'll get you as soon as…."

His words were cut off as Mugen punched him in the face, "Don't talk to her."

Juro realed back and hit his head against the wall. As Mugen approached him she knew that this would be the end. His face was still full of anger and he took the opportunity again. He punched Juro in the face.

'He's going to make this last. I can't let him do this.'

"Mugen, stop. You 're dragging this out.

Juro tried to attack Mugen but he blocked it with ease. The anger that was coursing through him had made him better than Juro. Quicker than Juro. But more open than Juro.

Fuu saw the opening just as quickly as Juro did. As Mugen knocked Juro down with a kick to the face he had left his left side open. And the smirk on Juro's face was evidence enough.

'He's toying with us.'

As he began to preparing for that sneaky effort of an attack Fuu ran forward quicker than anyone thought she could and threw her sword at him.

*Clank*

The room became silent as they took in what happened. Mugen lowered his sword and stepped over to Fuu. Jin entered the room with Arashi on his back and quietly stood next to them. A cough erupted from Juro and broke the silence. Blood pooled out of his mouth and dribbled on the floor.

"You…you...bitch," he spat out as he stood up.

Fuu's eyes widened. The guy had a blade through his chest and he's still walking. Mugen took a step forward but Fuu stopped him. Looking up into Juro's eyes she saw what he was. He was a truly malicious man with only hate and revenge on his mind.

"I'm not a bitch..…You shouldn't have come her," she said as Juro coughed again and tried to grip the sword in his chest. As soon as he touched it he winced and fell to the ground.

Juro smiled and reached for his pocket. He pulled out a small ball of some sort, "Good thing I have an insurance policy."

"Put that shit down!" Mugen yelled as he pointed his sword at him.

He smirked and looked at Fuu, "See you in hell."

With that he threw the ball. And as soon as it hit the ground it exploded and knocked Fuu unconscious.

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To be continued….

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Author's Note: Sorry that this was so short. Grrr. I've been so busy with my packing and planning for England!!! But I am committed to finish off this story. And it will happen. Two more chapters are left.

Any suggestions for things you want to see in the EPILOGUE!!!

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Ciao.