The reason this didn't go out was simple, it wasn't done yet. I accidentally almost posted it. Since I made the mistake I decided to finish it up tonight and post it. I was planning to do it tomorrow. This is a good one that starts the story flow, since I'm pretty much done introducing the base character set. Without anymore babbling, here is Ruroni Ranma part 10... Ruroni Ranma Part 10 Saiyonara Ranma! The morning had come; at long last it was time for him to leave. Genma Saotome glanced over his shoulder and saw his son lying on his mat next to him inside the tent. Without even bothering to secure their gear he lifted the boy over his shoulder. "We have to get out of here." He lifted the limp child over his shoulder and pushed back the flap to his tent. They had purposely set up camp at the edge of the army's encampment. What he didn't know was that his son was awake the whole time. He glanced back and sulked into the shadows. "I'm sorry boy, but we can't stay here. This is no place for someone as young as you. I still don't know what those fools were thinking when they allowed you to join." Genma turned back inside the tent and lifted up the flap in the back. The forest was a mere dozen feet away. Silently he crept along the ground with the boy on his back. Ranma watched coolly as the guards snuck up on his father from behind. He didn't speak, only watched. One of them noticed his eyes on him and he froze in place with the other guards following suit behind him. They had no intention of facing a fully aware Genma Saotome, in the short time since he had joined the Chinese forces they had become almost legendary. Aged and experienced soldiers had less combined kills than the pair of Japanese recruits. Then something none of the men expected happened. Ranma lifted up his hand and beckoned them to move in. Genma sat tied up in a chair, he was beaten and tired. Three guards had been injured in his attempt to escape. The Chinese commander paced back and fourth in front of him angrily. "You coward, how dare you run away from us! You will be put to death!" Genma looked up at his son; the boy was standing in the corner like a statue of pure ice. The life that was once in his eyes long gone. He wasn't a child anymore, no matter what his appearance. "How dare you do this to my son." The man stopped cold and stared at the martial artist in shock. The gaze he found there was one of pure hatred, anger, and malice. The purest emotions found on the battlefield. "You wish to protect your son?" "What kind of man wouldn't wish that? This is no place for a boy; we are not your countrymen. We have nothing to defend here!" screamed Genma in reply. "You have no right! Look what you've done to him!" The man slowly turned around and looked Ranma in the eyes. The boy met his gaze evenly and calmly. No single hint of emotion could be found in his features. "We have granted your wish, he is a man among men. Despite his interesting problem." "He is not a man, he is a boy... and a killer," replied Genma coldly. One of the men standing next to him hit him with the butt of his rifle. The commander raised his hand and frowned. "The only reason you are still alive, is because you do this for the sake of your son. However, he is too important, and too good a soldier to lose. I am sorry, but you will be relocated into another unit. Your son... we have special plans for him." "Send him to one of your pleasure brothels you have set up for your men?" snapped Genma darkly, as punishment for me? "Please Mr. Saotome, you think too little of us. We would never even consider it. Our previous experiences with Ranma would teach us better than that. We have already lost five men because they were fool enough to try. Your son did away with them quite nicely. All I will tell you is that you will never see your son again." The man turned and took Ranma by his shoulder. "Come boy." "Wait! Let me speak to him one last time!" cried Genma desperately. Ranma paused and looked at his father, his eyes were cold and dead. "Where will I be assigned to?" He continued to walk away from his father as the man screamed his name. The sounds of wood meeting flesh filled the air behind him for a moment until the busy sounds of the forces moving about their day drowned it out. "You are an excellent soldier, but your skills will benefit us more elsewhere. Those techniques your father unsealed will be most useful to us." The commander watched his men move about proudly. As for Ranma, he didn't feel pride, he felt empty, no more or less so than he did before he saw his father. "I am to become an assassin?" "Yes, the Joketsuko tribe has been giving us trouble in the North east, you will help eliminate that problem," said the man coolly. "Why not simply destroy them? We have the technology. The mountains would protect much of the land from fallout," said the boy. "To do so would show weakness in our army. We will overcome them with sheer numbers soon enough. However, the presence of men like you will help casualties greatly. Besides, the mountains are rich with natural resources we could use to help the war effort." Ranma nodded with understanding as the man spoke. "I see." He glanced back over his shoulder one last time and found that he had lost track of which tent his father was in. "You miss him?" asked the man half jokingly. "No, I just remembered I forgot where he was," he looked forward. There was nothing inside of him, how could he miss the man? He strode forward and never looked back, in fact, he almost didn't notice the single tear run down his face. Ranma woke up from his dream and almost screamed out loud as a flood of emotion overtook him. He gasped desperately for breath and hung his head down between his arms. The dreams had not come since he left China, now his past was catching up to him again. "Why? Why did I?" He stood and turned on the light inside the room only to find it out. He glanced over to the small digital clock and realized that there was a blackout. Thunder rumbled outside and lightening flashed through the sky. He glanced at the small table just inside the door and frowned deeply. He knew why he was having the dreams again. "Battosai kills three!" It was the headline across the newspaper that lay there on the desk. Someone claiming his name was killing people. How long would it be before someone found where he was, or who he was? This had to be stopped. Whoever it was, they were good. Too good for the police to catch apparently, despite the brutality of the killings, he knew that from the descriptions alone. He lifted the page into his hand and rubbed his brow. "Someone from my past? Or is it something else?" Nabiki Tendo frowned as she read the paper again. According to the reports the one called Battosai was male, something she knew not to be true. At least she thought so, if that girl was indeed Battosai. Her father glanced at his eldest daughter and smiled. "Kasumi, what made you call that girl Ranma?" The girl looked at her father and blinked. "Father, that was Ranma." "Really?" the man rubbed his mustache and sighed. "I don't understand." "Akane told me her name was Ranma," replied the girl sweetly. "She's a friend of Ranma's." Nabiki stopped and dropped the paper. "She was here? Did she have red hair?" Kasumi nodded, "She didn't have any clothes on either, it was very strange." Both of them coughed out loud and looked away from her going back to what they were doing. "Why would Battosai be here? And why was she naked?" Nabiki thought it would be best to forget about it. Ranma came down the stairs and bowed deeply to the family gathered in front of him. "It's time Tendo." Soun looked up at him and nodded. "So it is Saotome." "I'm sorry things didn't work out," said the boy respectfully. "Are you going to leave now?" Nabiki looked surprised, but not too much. "Yes, I think it would be best if I leave before Akane and Yuriko return," said the boy honestly. "Without saying goodbye?" Kasumi looked scandalized. "If I wait for them, Yuriko might become a problem. You know how badly she wants to go with me," said the boy as he lifted his bag onto his shoulders and turned towards the door. "Akane did not ask you to stay did she?" said Soun a little drearily. "I'm sorry Tendo, it just didn't work out between us." "Could you give it a little more time?" asked the man seriously. "Maybe someday I will, but neither of us is ready to be married. I'm sorry." Nabiki stood up from her place at the table and smiled. "Not so fast Saotome." Ranma turned to face her and blinked. "Oro?" "Please stay, I don't want you to leave," she stood up from her place at the table with a cruel grin on her face. "What?" Ranma was in complete shock at this. "Why would you..." "The agreement was for one of us to ask, not specifically Akane. Now, I'm asking. Please don't go," She placed her hands on her hips and winked at him. "Now you can't leave." "Ranma..." started Soun. "No, she is right Tendo, I gave my word of honor," he placed his bag down and smiled at her. "I would like to know why though." "Simple, I haven't found out what I need to know. There's also this," she held up the paper and smirked at him. "Battosai is a friend of yours isn't she? We'll be safer with the real one around to protect us won't we?" Ranma narrowed his eyes slightly at this and she stepped back. "On the contrary, that makes you targets." She stepped up to him and smiled despite the uncomfortable gaze he was giving her. "I won't let you leave Ranma." The boy sighed and sat down at the table, immediately his normal demeanor returned. "So, is it Go or Shoghi tonight Tendo?" Nabiki Tendo smiled to herself as she returned to her seat. There were other reasons she wanted him to stay. Akane had never gotten this close to any boy as far as she could remember. There was no need to voice that though. About an hour later, Akane blinked as she walked into the house and found Ranma sitting at the table. "She was supposed to be gone!" Yuriko smiled obliviously as she sat down next to her. "I was afraid you'd be gone by now." "Ranma isn't going anywhere," said Nabiki calmly. "What?!" screamed Akane angrily. "We had an agreement!" She turned on the boy and grabbed him by his collar. "The agreement was that any one of us could ask him to stay. I decided I like having him around," said her older sister. "Besides, he hasn't told me what I want to know." Akane's jaw dropped. "You asked him to stay?" Kasumi listened in from the kitchen and smiled. Despite the posing, she could tell Akane was happy. If Nabiki hadn't done that, she would have. Although her reasons would have been different. She continued to cook dinner cheerfully as her younger sister started chasing her elder sister around the yard screaming about a long overdue sparring match. It was so nice when they played together. In the shadows of an alley a lone figure smiled as he dropped his cigarette on the ground and watched the city move about. "Battosai is here, I can feel it in my bones." He turned away from a badly beaten group of thugs and shook one of them awake. "You're the only one left alive, tell me what I want to know and I'll keep it that way." The man nodded vigorously and mumbled a few incoherent words. "The killer known as Battosai. I want everything you've heard. Don't try to lie, I know you've got connections. You wouldn't want the Japanese government breathing down your boss's neck would you?" The man started to whimper and shook his head violently from side to side. "Good, tell me... everything." In the end he knew the man would die anyway, but it would be much more merciful than what his boss would do to him if he found out. TBC... Next time: The False Battosai Murders! Ryoga returns! And at long last, Saito; but not Saito!