Ruroni Ranma Part 7 The Wandering Street fighter. Ranma blinked in confusion and shook his head as he sat across from Yuriko and simply looked at her blankly. "Oro? A street fighter you say? Looking for me?" "Does it sound familiar?" asked Nabiki looking interested usual. "Not really, I don't know any street fighters, at least they weren't street fighters when I knew them," said Ranma calmly. He didn't really seem all that concerned with this new development. "Well, he isn't very smart if he thought the elementary school was a high school," noted Akane lazily. "Maybe he thought Ranma would be there instead? He does look rather young," noted Kasumi. "That could be true," admitted Ranma. "I don't really see any reason to get worked up about it, we'll meet him soon enough I think." "What are you going to do when you meet him Ranma?" said Akane warily. "Not sure, I'll think of something," said Ranma with a casual smile. The next several days passed quietly for the Tendo household. Well as quietly as they could considering. Ranma mostly sat around with Soun while Yuriko and Akane, trained. The training mostly consisted of Yuriko complaining while Akane did her best to teach her the fundamentals of marital arts. The girl caught on quickly, but not without a fight. "I hate her!" fumed Akane as she sat down with the two men and pouted. "Have a little patience she is learning after all," said Ranma cheerfully. "Indeed Akane, I think this is a wonderful learning experience for you, when I leave this world the dojo will fall in your hands. Especially if you marry Ranma," said the eldest Tendo sagely. "Well, I'm not gonna!" retorted the girl angrily. Ranma found himself drenched with a bucket of cold water as Yuriko appeared behind her. "Hey, I need someone to go shopping with me." "Oro? What's wrong with Akane?" said Ranma in mild surprise. "What do you need to go shopping for anyway?" said Akane with a small measure of amusement on her face. It left quickly when Ranma's now dark and somber look crossed her eyes. Yuriko blushed slightly. "Nothing, I just need to." The pony tailed martial artist seemed to understand. "All right, but just this once. I don't exactly go around this way normally." Yuriko got a relieved look on her face and followed Ranma out the door. Out in the street she paused and looked at the girl with a knowing smile. "So, how long has it been happening?" "A couple of days, I'm not scared or nothin, but it's embarrassing," commented the girl as they walked along. "I don't suppose you'll lend me the money?" Ranma sighed and pulled his wallet out of his gi. "I suppose, I really wish you'd go to Akane with these things, or even Kasumi if it bothers you that much. I'm not a real girl you know." "I'm just not comfortable with that stuff around them ya know?" said the girl as her blush deepened. "Well, you are at that age I suppose, still. I'm not all that comfortable dealing with it either," commented Ranma casually. "Besides, she'd just tease me, and if Kasumi found out about it I know she'd tell Akane." Yuriko smiled at her companion and looked away. "How do you know I won't tell her?" commented Ranma with a somewhat pleasant smile on her face. "Please, she avoids you like the plague," snorted the girl. "Besides, I don't know why, but I trust you." Ranma nodded at this and seemed pleased. "Well, she is going to find out anyway you know." Yuriko nodded, "I know, but she won't bother me about it if she doesn't know it's my first time." Ranma sighed. "Yuriko, she's your sensei, you have to trust her more. Besides, I might not be around forever." The girl paled at this, "I'm going with you if you leave!" she announced. "The only reason I hang around is because you're there!" Ranma sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Yuriko, I want you to stay with Akane if I go. When you're older and more skilled I'll be glad to have you along, but right now you need to build your skills. The world needs strong fighters to keep the peace." "I want you to teach me! I don't care if it's Hiten Mitsurugi or not! I want to be strong like you!" cried the girl. "I can't do that Yuriko, I'm sorry. I won't teach you how to fight with a sword; and my skill in the Anything Goes school isn't what it used to be. Akane is a much more capable teacher than I would be," said Ranma firmly. "Come on, we'd better get to the store." Yuriko nodded solemnly and walked with her. The next morning Ranma walked to school with Akane. "Where did you two go yesterday anyway?" Ranma looked at her and smiled. "I promised I wouldn't say." Akane glared at him and stopped. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Mean? Akane, I gave my word, I'm sorry. If she feels like telling you she will," replied the boy lazily. "She just doesn't trust you enough right now, she will in time." "Doesn't trust me? What does that mean? Why does she trust you so much anyway?" cried Akane angrily as she chased after him again. Ranma smiled and kept a steady pace ahead of her. The day went by quickly. As the classes let out for the day a lone figure stood waiting at the gates. He reached down and grabbed the first student to walk close by him. "Where is Ranma Saotome?" The boy about shook with fear at the imposing figure holding him by his collar. The newcomer was dressed in traveling clothes with a white over shirt on, on his back was a massive pack that seemed weighed down almost as it hung off his shoulders. Tied across his forehead was a blood red bandanna. "Saotome?" quivered the boy nervously. He pointed to a boy quietly walking across the schoolyard in a boys uniform blending in with the crowd accept for the katana that hung from his hip. "At last I've found you!" whispered the boy with a dark smile on his lips. Ranma stopped and side stepped as a crater formed where he once stood moments before. Slowly a figure rose from the dust cloud that formed as a result of the impact. All those surrounding the scene stopped cold and stared at Ranma and the newcomer. Akane froze in place and stared at the pair as they watched each other passively for a moment. Ranma's face was calm and patient, and the new boy merely had a smirk crossing his features. "Tell me. Who are you?" said Ranma. The boy laughed out loud and dusted off his pants. "You don't remember me? I shouldn't be surprised after all these years. I am the street fighter Kasatetsu. I've come to challenge you as I promised ten years ago." Ranma raised his eyebrow slightly and looked the boy up and down. "Kasatetsu? I don't recall knowing anyone by that name..." Nabiki appeared next to Ranma and stared at the new boy in shock. "Kasatetsu? The invincible street fighter? Ranma, he's a mercenary, a thug for hire. He fights locally around the area. I've heard stories about him." The boy smiled and pointed at Ranma. "That's right, I've trained my whole life for this moment." Ranma smiled lightly. "You're Ryoga Hibiki aren't you? It's been a while." The boy nodded his head. "And you're Ranma Saotome, or should I say... Ranma Battosai?" The small crowd surrounding them froze in place and all attention turned towards Ranma. The boy merely stood motionless and watched Kasatetsu silently giving no indication of surprise or any other emotion. "I heard stories of a Japanese soldier in that war, the strongest warrior. He fought for around five years, the first half as a silent killer working for the Chinese Government. The greatest that ever lived, the second half he defended the village of Amazons against the final attacks of the Musk, even participating in the final assault. I've heard you've become a gentle vagabond though. I'm curious as to what might cause that." Ranma raised his eyebrow slightly. "I got tired of killing." Akane looked at her fiancée and passed out in a dead faint. "I accept your challenge, we will face each other as we did all those years ago." Ranma took his sword off his waist and handed it to Nabiki. "With our fists." Kasatetsu merely chuckled. "I don't think so Ranma, our true skills do not lie in our fists. It would be a joke to fight you without a sword," replied Ryoga shaking his head. "You will face me as a true man." Ranma paused and stared the boy down. "As you wish." "This place is too small, we'll fight in the that field," Kasatetsu pointed towards a soccer field a short distance away. The boy pulled a large metal umbrella from his backpack and chuckled to himself. Nabiki raised her eyebrow slightly and moved closer to him. "Is that where you got your name?" "Kasatetsu? Yes, it means Iron Umbrella, my weapon of choice. I've cut down many opponents with this," replied the boy with a shrug. He swung the thing around as if it was made of paper and rested it against his shoulder. Nabiki nodded and moved away. "All right, betting starts at a thousand yen minimum. Come on and get started before the main event!" A crowd of students formed around her as her assistants seemed to appear out of nowhere and start taking down the names of the students. Akane woke up in a daze and saw her sister standing over her. "Nabiki I just had the weirdest dream..." She blinked when she realized she really was lying on the ground. "Does it involve finding out your fiancée is the legendary Battosai?" asked Nabiki with remarkable calm. The girl sat up and stared at the two men as the patiently stood off against each other waiting for the betting to complete. "Ranma!" Ranma stood facing off against his opponent and smirked casually at him. Akane approached him carefully from the side. "Ranma, you don't need to do this!" "I made a promise Akane, I have to keep it. Don't worry, no one is going to die, I promise," the boy smiled at her and stepped back away from her. She nodded and moved to the sidelines. Ranma looked up at his opponent again. "This room enough?" "More than enough to beat you Battosai," replied Ryoga with a smirk. "Come on!" The boy charged forward swinging his arm out and opening the umbrella. It slid open quickly with a loud clank. The boy stopped dead in his tracks about twenty yards in front of Ranma and heaved his arm sending the umbrella towards his opponent in a wide spinning arc. Ranma merely moved very slightly to his right to avoid the projectile and then to his left as it passed by again and returned to Ryoga's hand. "Impressive trick." "This is why I'm called Kasatetsu," replied the lost boy casually as he pulled several bandanas from his forehead. "Now I'll show you why I've never been defeated!" His arm shot forward sending waves of spinning disks flying through the air toward Ranma. The swordsman dodged around them skillfully and drew his sword knocking a few of the more erratic spinning projectiles out of the air. "You should learn more control before attempting that move. Someone could get hurt if they fly around to wildly," said Ranma as he landed on the ground again with his sword still drawn. He was now in a kenjitsu stance and staring the boy down more carefully than before. "They knew the dangers when they chose to become spectators," snorted Ryoga in reply. "You're careless," noted Ranma calmly as he charged forward. Ryoga smiled and pulled the closed umbrella off his chest swinging it in a wide arc towards Ranma's head. The pair clashed in a wave of motion that was hard for the crowd to follow. They stood opposite each other in the field and finally stood upright. "Ranma won," said Nabiki happily. Akane shook her head. "Not yet, this isn't a test of skill." Her sister looked at her and blinked before turning back to the field to see Ryoga laughing cruelly. "What happened?" wondered Ranma as he heard the boy laughing behind him. "That was a definite hit! He's strong, this is going to be tougher than I thought." His features hardened and he turned around to see Ryoga still had his back turned to him. The kanji for evil flapped in the wind against his back as he slowly turned to face his opponent again. "This isn't a contest of skill Battosai, the better swordsman isn't going to win! It will be the last man standing." Akane stood with her sister on the sidelines with a worried look on her face. "This is a test of endurance. Ryoga has much more than Ranma does; he's not a swordsman, but a fighter. He's used to taking heavy blows. Who could have guessed he'd be strong enough to take one of Ranma's Hiten Mitsurugi techniques?" TBC... Well, I figured I'd be cruel and cut off at the same point as in Kenshin for this chapter. The opening scene was to show that this isn't really Ranma we're talking about here. His attitude is much, much different, even concerning his curse. There's a reason for that, but you'll have to wait for the answers. Heh heh. The first scene is also to promote the rocky relationship Yurika has with the Akane. Next time: The conclusion. Ranma vs. Kasatetsu.