Wandering Hearts

Chapter 3 we meet up with Fuu in Edo.
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"Ladies and Gentlemen we have not seen such a culinary battle in over five years, no one has been able to break the 27 bowl barrier before or since then. Now the young girl, Fuu has returned and is gobbling her way past the 22 bowl once again. Her opponents have dropped like flies and only one more contestant is left facing of against this petite girl." The announcer continued to shout into the arena as the two below continued to shovel food into their mouths.
"Her opponent is Kago Maru of Setsuna, he is the champion from last year his top record was 24 bowls. Already Kago is struggling to continue. Will he be able to defeat the girl whose stomach is rumored to be connected to a black hole? Or will the Fuu forfeit as she did five years ago?"
Fuu continued to shovel the food into her mouth, only taking a moment to scowl at the announcer for reminding her of her stupidity at the last contest. The fly was bugging her for crying out loud. No pun intended. Her glare delivered she finished the bowl of food and shouted for another. You suckers are going down.
The bowl was delivered to her spot and she continued her pig out while those gawked around her. Once again her opponent was behind her so she couldn't see how he was faring but she didn't care she'd eat whatever they put in front of her.
Behind her Karo was choking down his 25 unagi bowl, his gray eyes bulged as he tried to swallow the rice in his mouth. He couldn't lose, he couldn't. He looked to the girl in front of him gorging herself without hesitation. What was she?
Slowly he put his hands together and lowered his head in the shame of defeat.
"Kago Maru has surrendered, the glutton of Setsuna has been defeated by Fuu the girl with the cosmos stomach," the announcer shouted.
Fu looked up from her half eaten bowl, "huh? Already?" She threw the rest of the food in her mouth and swallowed before standing and looking back at her last opponent she met his angry gray eyes. He was a short man in his forties, with shaggy black hair and a pair of katanas at his side.
"Crap," she groaned to herself. She knew him, this Kago Maru. He was an assasain for the Shogun, of that she was positive.
The crowd quickly surrounded her, blocking her veiw of the man that made chills run down her spine whenever she closed her eyes. They ushered her to the podium where her prize awaited her.
The praise and astonishment didn't mean anything, money was placed into her hands and still she felt cold. He was here, he had followed her. He was going to keep following her until he found Jin. She squeezed the money until it bit into her skin, she wanted to cry.
Why couldn't they just leave him alone? She was at least grateful to know that Jin was still alive but, for how long?
She turned and pushed through the crowd back to Kago Maru but he was gone. She scanned the area but there was no sign of the man. Damn it.
A young girl came up to Fuu and tugged on her kimono sleeve, "excuse me," she said timidly.
"Yes?" Fuu bent down to the girls height.
"Um, I heard you were looking for a samurai who wears glasses," the girl said.
Fuu smiled, first the quest for the samurai who smells of sunflowers, now it was the one who wears glasses. Damn it these samurai give her nothing but grief. "That's right, his name is Jin. Do you know him?"
"He used to work a the dojo that my brother runs," the girl answered. "But, he left Edo awhile ago. Shino was sad for awhile but now she is married to Hachi now." The young girl smiled thinking of the baby they let her visit.
"Shino?" A woman? Her chest was tight, why... she shook her head. If she thought about it, she would over think it and she didn't want to believe Jin truly didn't think about her. Was Mugen right?
The girl nodded, "yeah, he came here with her I thought they were married, but he didn't stay long."
Fuu almost choked, married? Jin married? Ugh she couldn't think of this crap. "Where does Shino live? Could you show me?"
"Sure," the girl grabbed Fuu's hand and proceeded to drag her across town, my name is Sai," she told her as the crossed a bridge to the northern side of town.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Fuu." She followed the girl with little enthusiasm, did she truly want to meet a women that people thought Jin had been married to? No definitely the last thing she wanted to do. But if he left her, she needed to know where he went and well why.
Sai stopped in front of a small house that looked much like a rest around them, a middle class area. Fuu looked down at her calloused hands, is that what he wants?
Sai ran up to the door and knocked softly knowing Shino was home. Fuu looked up when she heard the door slide open and her heart tore open. There she was, "Kohana," the name fell from her lips as her knees threatened to give out. That was why he hadn't come, he hadn't been lppking for her, he had been waiting for that woman he had rescued.
A tear fell down her cheek as she stared in horror at the beautiful woman in front of her, carrying an infant in her arms.
"How do you know that name?" Shino asked as she continued to rock her son in her arms, she studied the woman silently crying before her. "I see," she said softly. "You know Jin."
Fuu closed her eyes, but the tears continued to push past her lids.
"I see, please come inside," She looked down at Sai, "would you like to hold Jin while I talk with your friend?"
Fuu looked up in astonishment as the woman Shino handed the infant over to Sai, who sat down on the porch and began playing with the cooing baby."What?"
"It was only fitting," Shino said, "that I name if after the man that saved my life." She walked back into the house and Fuu's feet brought her quickly after her, though her mind shouted that she could not take much more.
The house seemed much larger inside, Shino sat down at a low table and motioned for Fuu to take a seat across from her. Once again Fuu's feet didn't wait for her to decide and she sat down on the soft pillow.
"So you're Fuu," Shino said, a sad smile decorating her delicate face. "He spoke of you once a few weeks before he left, he didn't say much. He only muttered something about how you would never speak to him again."
"Stupid jerk," Fuu mumbled. "When he left, do you know where he went?"
Shino shook her head, "I'm sorry, when he left, i don't think he knew either. He was so distant, so restless in the last few days. I knew it was only a matter of time before he started to wander again." She looked down and studied the table, "I thought with time he would adjust to this new life. But in the end he his soul cried out for something far away."
"Oh," Fuu looked around the room, anywhere but at Shino. "I'm sorry to have wasted you time," she rose from her seat. "I don't mean to be ruse, but every moment counts. It was nice meeting you under better circumstances."
"Where will you go?" Shino asked.
"Goju Hall," Fuu said.
Shino nodded, though she had no idea why she was heading there. "You could stay here for the night."
"No, thank you, but I need time to think, I don't want to be a bother." She walked to the door and stopped before leaving. "I'm glad that you were able to find happiness." She ran out of the house and down the street without looking back.
She would find an inn take a bath and tomorrow she would set out for Goju Hall. She even had enough money from her savings and winning the contest to stay at a few more inns along the way without having to spend too much time doing odd jobs. Traveling with out those two bozos is so much easier. Still, "I miss them."

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Well that's all for now, I would appreciate reviews and/or critiques.