Ruroni Ranma
Chapter 2
The soul of the true samurai.
Ranma sat across from Soun Tendo, the three daughters had recently gone
to sleep while the men sat together in the living room around the table
talking. Soun relayed old stories about the boy's father while Ranma
recounted a few tales from China. He skirted around the years they had
spent in battle. Soun let the matter pass; Ranma would reveal those
things to him when he felt comfortable with it. After a long moment,
around eleven o'clock Ranma suddenly became serious.
"Tendo, I'm sorry to say this, but I'll be leaving tomorrow," he bowed
politely and sat with an almost rigid position across from the man.
Soun's face fell as he looked at the boy in shock. "Pardon?"
"I said I'll be leaving tomorrow in the morning," repeated Ranma simply.
"Why? Where are you going? When will you return?" said Tendo as he did
not quite understand what the boy was telling him.
Ranma took in a deep breath and hung his head. "I won't be coming back,
it is obvious to me that none of your daughters desires this marriage. I
will not force myself on any of them, even as a last request from my
father."
Soun looked at the boy and suddenly became almost as calm as he was. "I
see..."
"I am truly sorry Tendo, but I cannot force an unhappy marriage upon one
of your daughters," Ranma was stern and did not waver under the man's
harsh glare.
Soun's face softened slightly and he bowed before Ranma. "I have a
request of you."
This took the boy by surprise and he raised his eyebrow slightly. "Yes
Tendo?"
"Give it one month, that is all I ask. Akane has never had a good
relationship with a boy. She is hostile towards most men, I believe she
will grow to like you quickly Saotome, but it will take time for a girl
like her. Please, all I ask is for you to remain here one month. If she
still does not wish you to stay, you may leave with your honor intact."
Ranma paused for a moment and seemed to consider this, it didn't take
long. "All right Tendo, I give her one month. If she does not ask me to
remain here, I will leave."
"You have my gratitude," said Soun with a relieved sigh. "Now, it's
getting pretty late, you do have school tomorrow do you not Saotome?"
Ranma blinked. "Oro, I suppose you're right."
The next morning Ranma stood waiting for Akane outside the dojo. The
girl came running out and stopped cold as she saw him standing there.
"What do you want?"
"Your father thought it might be a good idea if we walked together
Akane," replied the boy simply.
She looked him up and down and frowned when she realized he was wearing
the same kind of clothes he was wearing the day before. They were
slightly different, a flame pattern was dyed into the sleeves and waist.
He smiled at her and started walking. "Why don't you just go by yourself?
I don't want anything to do with you."
Ranma didn't turn to face her, he merely stopped and spoke to her. "One
month."
"What?" said the girl in confusion.
"I told your father I would remain one month, if you still wish me gone
a month from now I will leave without question," Ranma started to walk
towards the school once again; suddenly he stopped and looked thoughtful.
"Oro...I just realized I don't know where this school is at. Perhaps you
could show me?" When he turned to face her the smile was there again as
if it had never left his face.
Akane shrugged and started walking beside him. "All right, I'll show
you, but when we get there I don't know you and you don't know me."
"Fair enough," said Ranma simply.
"Right," Akane started to run forward and Ranma followed close behind
her.
As they neared the school Ranma jumped away from a small old woman who
was emptying her bath water on the sidewalk and stopped as he inspected
himself suddenly. "What is it?" said Akane as she stopped and turned back
to him.
"Sorry, just making sure," replied the boy simply as he started forward
again.
Akane rolled her eyes and continued forward towards Furinkan with a
strange determination in her stride. "I hate boys."
Ranma appeared next to her keeping up with her stride easily; his face
suddenly became serious. "Why do I get the feeling you're preparing for
battle?"
Akane ignored him and blasted into the crowd that awaited her. Ranma
gaped in shock and frowned as he watched the scene carefully with his
hand on the hilt of his blade. After a moment he paused and strode
forward purposefully ignoring the battle around him. Finally he came to a
stop and leaned against a wall waiting patiently for the fight to end. It
did rather quickly and he watched a nearby tree without moving as Akane
finished off her attackers.
Nabiki sat and watched the exchange from her usual place in the window.
She was about to call out to Ranma when she realized that he was watching
the tree. Kuno stood in waiting just behind it patiently. She frowned and
realized that there was no way he could see the boy from the angle he was
standing at. Still, he sat and waited. "What's he up to?"
"What was that boss?" asked one of her associates.
"Nothing," replied Nabiki calmly.
Akane finished up the last of her opponents and panted while remaining in
a ready stance. Her hand darted up in time to catch a single rose that
had flow into her hand.
"What fools these mortals be, they seek the honor of your company on the
eve that they might defeat you," said a voice as a tall almost bishonen
looking boy emerged from his cover and stepped out.
"Now, might you spar with me?" the boy chuckled to himself as he held his
bokuto up towards her.
Akane was about to answer the challenge when a new voice spoke up. "I
think I've seen about enough."
Kuno turned and saw the strange boy leaning against the wall with his
head bent down. He growled when he noticed the sword hanging at his side
and his familiar dress. "Who might you be?"
Ranma looked up at him and smiled. "Just a vagabond whose found a place
to stay for a while. I must say your technique is cowardly."
"Who are you to speak of such things?" snapped the boy as he diverted his
attention from Akane for a moment.
Ranma ignored him. "Using weaker opponents to wear her down, so that you
can take advantage of her weakened state and defeat her easily. A
masterful plan, but hardly the way of a true warrior. If you truly wished
to test your own strength you'd do it without all this pageantry."
"Who are you boor? How dare you speak so to one such as myself!" snapped
Kuno as he stepped towards the boy.
"As I said, I'm just a vagabond, nothing for you to concern yourself
with. Let her go peacefully, otherwise she might be late for class,"
replied Ranma simply.
Kuno looked like he was about to burst a vein. "How-how dare you! A
lowborn fool like yourself cannot begin to comprehend the honor of this
battle! Do you know who it is you address? I am the mighty True Battosai
of Furinkan High! The rising new star of the high school fencing world;
Tatewaki Kuno!"
"For one with such a sharp name, you sure are dull," retorted Ranma
coolly as his hand met the blade at his side. For the first time Kuno
seemed to notice it.
"You speak of honor and wield a steel blade against an opponent with a
bokuto," he replied coolly.
Ranma shook his head. "You misunderstand, this isn't a blade that can
kill."
"What foolishness is this? How can a blade of steel not kill? Is that not
the art of the sword?" Kuno seemed to puff himself up in what appeared to
be the worst bluff of all time.
Ranma removed his hand and smiled. "If you wish, I can wield a bokuto
against you. If you so challenge me."
Both men stood off in the center of the schoolyard eyeing each other
carefully. "So be it," announced Kuno as he turned to address the crowd;
the crowd that was no longer there. "What is this?"
Ranma looked up and saw Akane Tendo disappearing into the doors of the
school. She stopped long enough to stick her tongue out at both of them
and slammed the door behind herself. The pair stood alone in the
courtyard for a few moments until the first bell of the day rang.
Ranma could only say one thing. "Oro?"
A few moments later Ranma stood out in the hallway after his short
introduction to the class. In his hands was a pair of buckets filled with
water. He sighed to himself and looked up at the ceiling. "What have I
gotten myself into?"
Tatewaki Kuno stared Nabiki down at her desk and glared at her. "What?
You say you know this strange vagabond? Tell me who this stranger is!"
"Oh, Kuno baby, that is really going to cost you," replied the girl
sweetly.
With righteous tears in his eyes Kuno set down a wad of bills on her
desk. "Tell me who this miscreant is so that I might deliver my message
of challenge!"
"His name is Ranma Saotome, and he's Akane's new fianc�e," replied
Nabiki with a smirk as she accepted the money from him cheerfully.
Kuno froze and simply stared at her, "Wh-what?" The entire class had
gone silent as well.
"Three thousand yen for a repeat performance Kuno baby," said the girl
shrewdly.
Ranma was passing the time away humming to himself as he waited to get
called back into the room. He felt something vaguely familiar from down
the hall and turned to see Kuno charging him with his bokuto ready.
"Oro?"
"I Tatewaki Kuno, shall not allow this travesty to continue!" roared the
boy angrily as he sliced at Ranma. The boy retaliated by raising his
scabbard up and blocking easily. Kuno seemed beyond anger. "Never, never
shall I allow this engagement! I shall never allow your engagement to
Akane Tendo!"
Ranma's eyes went wide as the boy shouted. He hadn't told anyone about
it, as far as everyone else was concerned up till now he didn't even know
Akane Tendo.
The windows to the nearby classrooms flew open as hundreds of shouting
students leaned out of them and shouted for verification of this new
rumor. Ranma grit his teeth and jumped away from Kuno just in time to
avoid another strike from his weapon.
Akane Tendo sat at her desk fuming with anger. "How dare he! How dare he
butt in on my fight?!" She scowled angrily and looked at the silhouetted
figure standing just outside the doorway. "When I get home I'm gonna give
him a piece of ..." she froze as a familiar voice floated into the room
from outside. The teacher looked at her as she stood up from her seat
with a look of horror on her face.
"Is something wrong Miss Tendo?" said the man impatiently. He was
promptly cut off as a shout from the hallway told him what was wrong.
Akane's vision suddenly became red as the entire class looked at her in
almost perfect unison. "I-I-I'll kill him!"
Ranma was having a bit of a difficult time in his battle in the hallway.
The narrow space didn't give him much room to move around and he didn't
really want to hurt this boy now. He turned away and jumped out of the
path of another strike. "This is not the place to fight Kuno."
That stopped the upperclassman for a moment. "I see, lead on then!"
Ranma looked back at the room and turned away leading Kuno down the
hall. He smirked as he jumped out of an open window and noticed the
student body closing in behind them.
Akane rushed forward as Kuno followed and snapped at Ranma angrily.
"This is the third floor fool!"
"Oro?" said Ranma as he balanced on the top of a flagpole just outside
the window. Kuno was face down in the pool three stories below. "I was
going up to the roof, but I guess he couldn't keep up with me..." he
looked a little ashamed and stepped back into the building.
"Why didn't you just take the stairs!?" snapped the girl angrily.
"Oh, yea..." Ranma turned his head and looked at the flight of stairs
that wasn't even ten feet away from him.
Akane merely hung her head and sighed.
Kuno walked out of the pool and shook off his arms as he turned towards
the building and glared upwards in anger. "Ranma Saotome, I shall not
forget this offence! Be ready for my challenge!" He sat down there on the
pavement and fished a soaking wet notepad and pencil from his shirt.
"You will suffer for this humiliation!" he started to laugh to himself
as he scrawled, or attempted do considering the condition of his
utensils.
TBC...
Next time: Kuno strikes back.
C&C to: Carrotglace@juno.com