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 though. 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 your daughters one month. If one of
them 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. "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. "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, the middle school is this way..." She took a turn by the
chiropractor's office on the corner.

"Um, Akane? I should be going to high school shouldn't I?" said Ranma
in confusion.

Akane looked at him and frowned. "Look, I don't care about this
engagement thing, but if you think I'm gonna drag you to school with
me just because we're engaged..."

Ranma coughed into his hand. "Um, I'm sixteen years old Akane."

The girl blinked and stared at him for a moment in complete shock,
unable to speak, finally she let her jaw drop. "SIXTEEN?!" After a
moment she recovered and turned away from him. "Fine, when we get
there we don't know each other."

"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 a bucket of water on the sidewalk; he paused and
inspected himself by looking down and patting his chest. He gave a
relieved smile and started forward again after a second or two.

"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," she muttered under
her breath as her speed increased as they came closer to the school.

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 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. "What's he doing here?" she wondered as she saw Ranma run up
behind him. "He must have walked her to school. How cute." One of her
friends walked up beside her and followed her gaze down to Ranma.

Nabiki was about to call out to the boy 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 her friend as she turned her gaze towards
her in confusion.

"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 flown 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 into the
open. "Now, might you spar with me?" the boy chuckled to himself as he
held his boken 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 boy? Were you not
taught how to respect your elders?"

"Elders?" Ranma frowned for a moment and looked up at the kendoist.
"I'm just a vagabond who's found 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. If you truly believe yourself to be a samurai of honor you
will stop this and face her alone."

"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. "Please."

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!" Kuno stepped forward holding the boken
in an offensive position.

Ranma's eyes narrowed as he stepped back. "I did not come here to
fight with you."

"You speak of honor and wield a steel blade against an opponent with a
bokuto," replied Kuno as he pointed to the scabbard at the boy's side.


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. "This is not the time or the place
for such things, I ask that you stand down."

Both men stood off in the center of the schoolyard Ranma ignored
Kuno's stares and simply smiled at him. "So be it, I shall issue my
challenge at a later date," 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. "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 fiancee," 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 boken
ready. He blinked for a moment and stepped back in a battle ready
stance dropping his buckets to the floor.

"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 too, 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. There was no doubt in her mind everyone
thought she was some kind of weirdo pervert as young as he looked. "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. He was leaning over and looking down in confusion at Kuno,
who 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, yeah..." 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. In the back of her mind she
wondered if he ever intended to fight Kuno at all. Perhaps it had just
been luck that he jumped out onto the flagpole instead of into the
water below?

Ranma stood next to her and glanced out the window nervously. "Well,
that was a close one," he muttered to himself as he eyed the water
below where the kendoist floated face down.

+++++++++++++++++

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.