The day drew to an end, the sun sat over the horizon, its ultraviolet light passed through the clouds and inspiring images of blood and gore up in the heavens. It's going to be hot tomorrow. While the battle raged in heaven, on earth, near the boarder between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rock, a group of ninja set camp after a long day of pursuit and slaughter.
The ninja, three in all, gathered wood from the forest in which they traveled. Igniting the fire was the job of a spiky-haired blond. A strip of metal with an leaf symbol etching covered the blond's forehead, marking him as a Konoha-nin. The spiky-haired blond lit the fire with a box of matches that he brought in his field kit. Quickly, he blew into the amber sparks to get a flame going.
To the blond's left, a second ninja prepped the evening's meal. Clad in black with a padded jacket over her bosom, she was also a ninja from Konoha but she wore her forehead protector like a hairpiece. She couldn't help but grin whenever she caught the nin to her left looking at her long luscious orange hair. This attention flattered the Konoha-kunochi who had prided herself on her appearances. As for the evening's meal, nothing more than dried meats and canned vegetables, everything made for ninja on the go. The kunochi passed the beef jerky around to her companions then took a bite from a piece of flavorless meat. The day's combat exhausted her and it would do no good if she could not keep her energy up because of some fad diet she been on since the beginning of their mission. Although the end of the mission was near, there existed the possibility of a counterattack by Iwa-nins. Especially if what they had taken from the Iwa-nin were as important as the Hokage had said.
The last ninja of the group was a nerdy looking ninja in glasses. Only the large and thick glasses that adorned his head distinguished this ninja from generic cannon fodder. While the others set camp, this ninja studied the curiosity they had liberated from the Iwa-nin. The 4-eyed konoha-nin tilted the curiosity - a bowl of gold, tarnished by years of staining, so heavy that it took two ninja to carry - on its end and found an inscription on the bottom.
"Quench my thirst and I will answer all thy questions."
"Hay, let me see that." The blond rushed to the side of the 4-eyed ninja.
"No way Arashi, I saw it first." The 4-eyed ninja quickly tilted the bowl back so the blond couldn't read what was on the bottom.
Arashi pinched the 4-eyed nin by the ear and pulled. "I'm team leader so you do as I say. Got that, Pensuke?"
"Ouh, Ouh." The 4-eyed ninja tried to slap Arashi's hand away but finally gave in. "You're so mean, Arashi." Pensuke whimpered with tears running down his glasses then he ran out of reach.
The future 4th Hokage examined the etching on the bottom of the bow. The sun had set, the only light came from the fire that he had lit and the words were barely visible for an unsteady hand carved them. "Quench my thirst… does anyone got any water?"
The Kunochi shrugged. "I'm out," she said while she shocked her canteen.
Arashi looked to Pensuke who went off to one side to sulk. "Pensuke?"
"Don't talk to me," said the 4-eyed nin said with his back to the rest of the team.
Arashi rolled his eye. "Fine, if you give me your water I'll let you ask the first question."
"All right!" Pensuke dashed back and before the dust even settled, he had his canteen out and uncapped. He poured in the water expecting to see a reaction but there was nothing.
"I think you got to ask a question first," the female ninja suggested.
"Ok, I know." Pensuke stared into the water and thought whatever going happen would be in the water. "What's the quickest way to Naomi's heart?" The 4-eye ninja blushed; the kunoichi was standing right next to him.
No words, no light show, only a blooming voice answered back. A voice that resonate in the air the ninja breathed. "A very sharp knife"
"Wha the… what's that suppose to mean?" Pensuke blurted aloud.
"You take a knife and open her chest" said the voice again.
Arashi fell over and started to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh I get it. The shortest way to her heart. Bwuahahahahaha." Arashi decided to stop once Naomi planted her boot into his face and started to stomp, hard.
"All right, my turn." Naomi shoved Pensuke aside then took her place by the water bowl. "What's the secret to long life and everlasting youth?" She asked the water.
"Clean living and eat lots of vegetables"
Arashi started to howl again. "I think it just called you a tramp, Naomi."
The kunochi glared at the offending bowl angrily. "Why you…" she kicked it, splashing water on Arashi who was still rolling on the ground.
Now it was Arashi's turn. The spiky-blond grinned. "Ok, I got a question. What color panties are Naomi wearing?"
"Black… and it's a thong"
The force of Pensuke's noise bleed sent the 4-eyed nin reeling but he wasn't the only male nin loosing blood.
"ARASHI, YOU PERV!" Naomi introduced the future 4th Hokage's face to her fists and she did not stop just because the spiky-blond's face became bloody and mangled. She stopped after awhile but only because of fatigue, the fact that Arashi stopped moving had nothing to do with it. Still, she gave the spiky-blond one last kick to the groan to make sure he still lived. The blood-curling scream of pain made the Kunochi felt all better. "That'll teach you."
"Yes… ma'am…" the future Yondaime squeaked. His face looked blue and he could barely get the words out.
Sometime later, when they got over the novelty of the bowl, and everyone is asleep, Arashi went to the bowl and poured water into it.
"All right bowl," he said softly so he wouldn't disturb his companions. "I got this technique I been trying to develop. How come I can't mold the energy like normal Chakra?"
"The power you seek cannot be wielded by mortal hands…"
Arashi was just about to ask why when the Bowl spoke again.
"…Except by one man, Ranma Saotome."
Arashi was instantly curious. "Who is Ranma Saotome and what made him so special?"
"In ages passed, when Ranma Saotome defeated the Covenant of the Four, the gods trembled for a mortal had surpassed even the gods themselves. Out of fear, the gods banded together to prevent any mortals from ever growing into to such power ever again. Since that time, no mortal born would be able to use spiritual energy in its purest form. However, in their haste, the gods made a grave error. By changing the way the universe worked, the very nature of spiritual energy was changed. In this current time and place, Spiritual Energy in its purest form is a devastating force that no amount of might can stand against. Only one man can wield this force in this age, for Ranma Saotome still lives."