Ranma and Kane were walking to school a couple days after the incident. He still felt guilty about what he said that day. Ranma really did love Akane, he just got so dang nervous when he was asked about it or tried to bring it up himself. He'd been working on a technique that would help him say what he really felt. "All I have to do is keep myself distracted from what I'm saying and it should come out fine" he thought to himself as he flipped onto his hands while balancing on the fence post.

Akane watched him as he began to walk on two fingers while balancing on the fence. "Ugh why's he gotta be such a show off?!" She fumed silently, frustration evident on her face. She was about to start complaining to herself that she could be that good if only someone would train her seriously, when Ranma interrupted her line of thought.

"Hey 'kane?" Ranma beckoned effort clear in his voice he was focusing hard. Balancing all his weight on his little fingers was as hard as he hoped it would be and was taking 95% of his concentration. "You know I like you more than the other girls and stuff... "He trailed off as he almost lost his balance. "And I actually think y-you're kinda c-cute when you're being nice..."

Akane was so thrown off by the nice words she almost forgot to get flustered. Almost. A rosy blush snuck its way on to her face without her even noticing. She was going to say something when he abruptly behaving again.

Ranma needed to finish, sure he always kept a nonchalant air about him when he could but he wasn't using any Ki to help him do this notoriously difficult exercise.

"...Anyways I was wondering... if you wanted to go on a date or something?" He wasn't entirely sure what he had just said there he just knew from the look on Akane's face that he had succeeded in keeping his feet away from his mouth. "We can go anywhere and do anything you want just let me know when you want to do it."

Akane was so surprised by the question he legs gave out on her. She was at a loss for words sitting on the ground. Ranma noticed Akane on the floor and did a flip off the fence landing a couple feet away from Akane. Shaking his hands to loose the muscles before offering her one to help her up.

Akane was pulled from her shock by this gesture. She was so happy she could kiss him but she didn't. "O-Of course we can go on a date Ranma we should probably keep quiet about it so no one shows up to interrupt it. Saturday evening sound good we could go see a movie." Akane didn't let go of his hand after standing up. She instead started to walk with him in hand to school.

Ranma was pretty nervous that she was still holding his hand but he relaxed when she lean her head on his shoulder.

They were coming up on the school now and neither made a move to separate. He could see Kuno standing there with the katana he used to attack the wedding.

"What is that psycho doing now?!" Akane shouted. Akane could feel Ranma tense up.

"I'm so tired of dealing with him every day. And now he's decided to take off the kiddy gloves." He mumbled making a disgruntled sound. "Fine. If hurting people is the only way to get through to them then the gloves are coming off." And add in his head. "I'm gonna give him one last chance to rethink this and then I'm going to put him in a body cast."

"Ranma!" Akane sounded shocked. He stopped to look at her. "Be careful." Worry evident on her face.

"Fine I won't break any bones... this time." He thought as he walked in to the school court yard. He reluctantly let go of Akane's hand and got into a stance.

Akane instantly noticed the difference between this fight and every other fight his stance wasn't nonchalant as it usually was; this time it was solid low and ready, showing no openings. She'd never seen him take a stance like this before. Somewhere in the back of her mind screamed "that's a judo stance" (1)

"Kuno this is your last and only chance to back off Akane and I." He shouted with a lot more authority than anyone present had ever seen him use; simultaneously cutting off the rest of Kuno's speech about how it has always been his family's responsibility to strike down evil.

Kuno seemed to ponder the implied threat for a moment before his fantasy world took hold again.

Suddenly he wasn't Tatewaki Kuno, high school level kendo regional champ, but the great blue thunder of Furinkan high invincible slayer of demons. Shouting "HAVE AT THEE FOUL SORCERER!" He raised the family honor blade high above his head and rushed his opponent.

Ranma took a deep breathe in, centered himself and released the soul of ice technique to keep himself calm. Students watching from the building suddenly felt the temperature drop a good thirty degrees. Kuno was upon him now bringing the sword down. And suddenly he was on the floor. Ranma had executed a basic judo flip and was still hold the wrist of the hand still currently housing the honor blade. For a second Kuno pondered the odd pressure in his wrist it wasn't noticeable at first in fact it still wasn't all that painful, he heard something clatter to the floor and suddenly his hand was free. He stared at his hand in fascination for a moment. It appeared to be fine but he could not feel his fingers nor could he convince them to move.

"Stand up Kuno we aren't done here." Ranma said seriousness betraying the easy at which he disabled his opponent. Kuno was to his feet rattling another butchered Shakespearean style speech.

Kuno was on the advance again swinging the blade about with one hand. The attacks were painstakingly slow well at least for Ranma they were. This time Ranma stepped into Kuno's guard his first punch disarmed and disabled Kuno's other hand. His next three punches disabled the arms at the shoulders and his leg at the waist. These punches were thrown at the speed of a normal fighter so Kuno could watch them happen.

The last one broke Kuno's nose with a resounding crack Ranma's fist struck like a whip. Blood gushed from his nose. Somewhere in the back of his head Kuno noticed how the injury didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would. And somewhere in Ranma's mind he commented "still not technically a bone"

"Listen up Kuno and listen good cause I'm only gonna say this once. From now on the next time you or anyone else attacks me or Akane I will take it as a challenge not only against me and my school of martial arts but to my honor as a martial artist as well and will not hold back any longer." He said this loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. With that Ranma turn picked up the katana and broke the blade several times with a few chops and lightly tapped the hilt with a single finger. The hilt promptly crumbled to sawdust.

At that he walked back Akane, whom he already knew he had pissed off with his last comment and promptly apologized for implying that she couldn't fight for herself. He also reassured her that none of Kuno's injuries would be permanent. She breathed a sigh of relief as Ranma suddenly stopped being the calculating martial artist and started being Ranma the cocky jerk she loved.

"Actually Ranma with everything that's happened this past month... I was wondering if you would help me train to get better." Ranma could tell that asking this was a blow to her pride so he tried to be gentle.

"Alright but before we start you have to get your temper under control." He said when she seemed to take offense to that he quickly tacked on "an angry fighter is a sloppy fighter." This worked to appease her. He had to hold back the urge to sigh in relief things were going well today he thought. "Maybe pops is right about this." He smiled as he took Akane's hand and they walked into the school making it to class on time.

A/n

It seems Ranma overheard Gemma's conversation. As always thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a review.

(1) Judo was originally created to combat armed and armored foes. Not to mention foes the outclassed you in height and weight.