Ruroni Ranma Part 3 Kuno Strikes Back. ++++++++++++ Ranma Saotome sat at the table and glanced at the sheet of paper that had been given to him calmly. "A letter of challenge?" He sighed and tossed it across the table. "Serves you right for butting in on my fight," snapped the youngest Tendo angrily. She froze suddenly; the note in her hand began to shake as she read the challenge carefully. "What is it sis?" Nabiki peeked over her shoulder and gasped. "Ranma Saotome, I hereby challenge you to a battle of honor, your cowardly ways shall come to light as my mighty and swift justice comes upon you. Meet me tomorrow on the field of battle as I show you the might of a true samurai of noble blood. I shall meet your challenge with steel and a noble heart. Come prepared. Yours truly, Tatewaki Kuno, the True Battosai of Furinkan High." "Ranma, he's going to use a real sword! One of you will be killed!" gasped Nabiki with a horrified look on her face. Ranma blinked and looked at her. He took the letter back and read it again. "Hmm, So it seems..." He turned towards the girl and smiled. "Don't worry Nabiki. I won't kill him." "What?" said Akane in confusion. "You'll get yourself killed! Kuno might not be much of a fighter, but his kendo skills are exceptional. Especially when facing a male opponent!" "Don't worry about it, I can handle myself." replied Ranma simply. "Let me guess, the war in China right?" said Nabiki flatly. Ranma nodded his head quietly. Akane gasped in shock and looked at the boy oddly. "You killed during the war?" "That is what one does in a war Akane, I have a lot of blood on my hands," replied the boy simply. "Tell me, what is this True Battosai nonsense Tatewaki is going on about?" asked Ranma. "He's a Kendoist, does he even know what Battosai means?" "You of all people should know that, you said you met this Battosai character," replied Nabiki with a smug grin. "Oro?" said Ranma as he blinked at them. Akane sighed, "Kuno thinks of himself as a samurai, a noble. So naturally when a real samurai becomes a legend in a war like that he makes him his hero." "He thinks of Battosai as a hero?" said Ranma in confusion. Akane seemed quite miffed at this insinuation. "Battosai was a hero, people still talk about him today when they hear about him fighting against the Musk during the war." Ranma seemed a little upset by this. "I always thought he was the kind of guy who faded away and never made it into the history books. A shadow assassin, who was never really known," he looked oddly thoughtful for a moment. "Hero huh? Weird." "Well, normally I suppose he would, but he was a major player in an important war, and also one of a very few Japanese nationals involved with it." Nabiki shrugged her shoulders and went back to her bag of chips. "I guess it's just circumstance." "Quite so," agreed Ranma as he went back to studying the letter. "But what to do about this fool? I don't really want to fight him." +++++++++++++++ As the sun set Ranma stood alone in a field. He waited patiently for his opponent as the hour dragged on. "He's late." Almost as if on cue Tatewaki Kuno appeared on the street silhouetted in the setting sun as he approached the designated battleground. Both men were dressed in traditional samurai garb, with Ranma being a bit flashier overall with his bright red shirt. "So, you finally decided to show up did you?" asked Ranma smugly. "I felt the need for an appropriate entrance," replied the boy calmly as he lifted a rose to his nose and smiled. "I can understand that, but all this pageantry still says nothing for your skills. Tell me, why am I here facing you?" Ranma remained calm and watched the boy look up in surprise. "You have insulted my honor, and interfered with my sacred battle with Akane Tendo," replied Kuno angrily. "These are killing offences?" said Ranma in a questioning voice. "I would choose the honorable path, such is the way of a samurai," replied Kuno with a shrug. "My honor must be avenged." "The one you chose to name yourself after, never believed that. There is no justice in killing over such foolishness... Besides, I never stopped you from facing her; I merely pointed out that it was dishonorable to have others attack her before you merely to wear her down. I will not stand between you if you wish to continue, after all no one was really hurt by this," Ranma met his gaze coolly and smiled. "So let's just forget this all right?" "For deceiving young maidens with your young looks and forcing yourself upon Akane Tendo. I cannot allow this transgression to continue, have at thee!" roared Kuno as he charged forward and drew his blade. Ranma merely sidestepped the strike and stepped away from him as Kuno staggered for a moment after missing. "You have good technique, but your killing power is extremely lacking, I bet you've never taken a life before have you?" "So, you say my sword ki is low?" replied Kuno with a chuckle, "Tell me knave, how would one such as yourself know of such things?" Ranma merely smiled and got into a low stance with his hand on the hilt of his sword, his aura seemed to grow ten times as strong. Kuno's hand loosened and his grip on his sword faltered for a moment, he froze in place with a look of terror crossing his features as he simply gaped in awe at the strange boy before him. "This is... it is impossible! No man could be stronger than I with the blade! It is not possible to exceed perfection!" Ranma smiled at this; "There is no such thing as perfection in battle. There is always a way to defeat even the strongest of opponents, it is one of many hard lessons I had to learn in my life. Now, let's end this foolish battle peacefully, I have no desire to draw against you." Kuno seemed to snap out of his trance and pulled the blade up right before charging again. "You speak wisely; however, I shall not lose today!" He rushed forward sending the blade towards Ranma hundreds of times in the space of a few seconds. "As with the mighty Battosai of Japan, my kendo is unrivaled!" Ranma ran backwards avoiding the strikes easily with a firm look on his face. "The one you call Battosai does not use kendo, he uses Hiten Mitsurugi style Batojitsu. That is how he earned his name." Kuno blinked in shock and staggered for a moment, just long enough for Ranma to jump comfortably out of range. "How do you know of such things? Do you take me for a fool! Everyone knows that kendo is the strongest art of Japan! Only Sumo Wrestling comes close to it's mighty power! What else would the great hero of Japan use against her enemies?" He charged again bringing his sword down in a wide arc towards Ranma. The ponytailed martial artist merely stepped back as his hand flew to the hilt of his sword. He thrust out in an upward cutting motion and Kuno's blade was stopped cold and thrown up leaving his belly open to attack. Ranma wasted no opportunity to strike and Kuno fell to his knees clutching his wound. "So, this is how it ends, a noble death for one such as I. I am pleased to have died in battle against a fellow samurai," Kuno coughed and fell forward onto the ground as his belly burned in pain. "You've obviously never had a sword wound before," said Ranma with a slightly amused chuckle. "Don't worry, I cannot kill, not ever again," Ranma was standing with his sword draw at his side with his back turned towards Kuno in a rather dramatic pose. "Still, it was a good match, perhaps we can do it again without our steel blades sometime." "What?" Kuno reached down to his stomach and felt the blow. It was badly bruised, but there was no cut. He coughed again and struggled to rise to his feet only to fall again as he turned to see Ranma placing his sword back in the scabbard. He gasped as he saw the blade just before Ranma finished sheathing it "A Sakabato?" "Yes, a reversed blade. I swore I would not kill once the battles ended in China. I will only use my sword to protect those who need it. Akane Tendo does not need your idle threats or your love, go and find another passion for your heart," the boy turned away and started walking off into the darkness as the sun finally fell, leaving the night sky behind. "China? Battles?" he pushed the thoughts aside for the time being. "I cannot give up my love for her, it shall burn eternal!" Ranma turned back and glanced at him with an odd look on his face. "So be it, but I suggest you find another way to prove your affections to her. Anything between us ends here Kuno. I don't need another enemy." Kuno finally found the strength to rise to his feet as he watched the boy walk away. He looked down at his blade and noticed a chip fall away where the Sakabato had struck it. "A very strange man indeed." He fell to quiet musings and put the blade away before walking towards his home. ++++++++++++++ Ranma entered the Tendo house and smiled as Kasumi walked out of the Kitchen with a pan in her hands. "Oh, Ranma! You're just in time for dinner!" "Oh good," said the boy pleasantly. He sat down with the family and looked around when he noticed no one had started eating yet. "Oro?" "Well?" said Nabiki excitedly; there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Well what?" asked Ranma seemingly oblivious. "What happened dolt?" screamed Akane in frustration as she slammed her fists on the table cracking it down the middle. "Saotome, I'm not going to get a call from the police about this later am I?" asked Soun with a slightly worried tone. "Police? About what?" asked Ranma in confusion. "Ohmygod! He killed Kuno!" screeched Nabiki. "Ara, you bastard," said Kasumi sweetly. Everyone looked at her for a moment and she blushed. "Kuno is fine," replied Ranma simply as he continued to give Kasumi a slightly odd stare. "Well, not really, but he isn't dead at any rate." "That is a relief to hear," said Soun a little more relaxed. The family settled down for the evening after that and enjoyed themselves. ++++++++++++++ After the meal was over, Ranma stood up and grabbed some of the dishes off the table. "I'll help you with this Kasumi." "Oh, don't worry about it Ranma, I can handle it," she said sweetly. "I insist, I don't want to be a dead weight around here," replied the boy firmly. "Oh, all right, you can help dry them off. How's that?" Ranma nodded at her suggestion and smiled. "That pervert had better stop hitting on my sister," growled Akane angrily as she cracked the table under her grip. "Why not? If you don't like him what's wrong with Kasumi taking him instead? Did it ever occur to you that he might want to earn his keep around here? He's young, but I bet he'll grow up handsome, maybe Kasumi will notice it and let you off the hook?" replied Nabiki with a small smile on her lips. Akane turned her head away and 'Humphed' as a huge blush crossed her face. ++++++++++++++ The next morning Ranma whistled to himself as he walked towards Furinkan High in his brand new school uniform. "I hate new clothes, the fabric is all itchy." He scratched at his back lazily and stayed fairly close to Akane as she walked despite repeated attempts by her to move away from him. "Aren't you gone yet?" she snorted lazily. "Stop following me!" "I said I'd give it a month and that's what I meant," replied Ranma dryly as he put his hands behind his head and looked away from her. "Don't worry, you've only got three and a half more weeks to put up with me." Akane seemed to turn to stone on the spot as a single tear fell down her face. "Three weeks?" "It's not that bad!" said Ranma as he turned away and continued to walk with a neutral look on his face. Once they reached the school grounds Akane froze as she saw... no one. There were no boys waiting for her in a huge mob. Something had happened. She turned towards Ranma and frowned. "What did you do to them?" "Do?" said Ranma looking completely oblivious once again. Akane almost jumped when a rose flew from behind a tree and landed in her palm. "Eeek!" Kuno emerged from behind the tree and smiled at her. His bandages showed through his shirt easily and he leaned against his bokuto as he stepped towards her. "Akane Tendo, I have revoked my challenge. From this day forth, no man shall lay a hand upon the head of Akane Tendo without facing the wrath of the True Battosai of Furinkan High. This is my gift to you," he bowed dramatically and strolled away leaving Akane in shock. "That was certainly nice of him, of course it would have been better if he never issued the challenge in the first place, but..." Ranma was cut off as Akane became angry again. "I don't need you to protect me you jerk!" she screamed as she charged and performed a flying sidekick that hit Kuno in the back of his head and dropped him like a rock. "Oy?" said Ranma as he poked at the boy lightly as he lay on the ground. "You ok?" He looked up at Akane and smiled. "A very independent woman." Kuno appeared to be crying tears of joy. "Such ferocity. Surely she intends to show her spirit and true love for me by continuing our honorable combat even though I can no longer partake in it with her!" Ranma blinked. "Orooro?" TBC...