Author's note: it's been a long time since my last update but I haven't abandoned this story just took some time off in order to figure out how I want to progress the rest of the story. I decided to make a format change; thoughts will now be noted by 'thoughts'. As always any Mandarin will be written like Mandarin.
Chapter 10 So Much for Secrecy
Early the next morning the report from Nabiki's spy came in and the news wasn't good for Nabiki's plans.
'Damnit this is going to ruin all of my plans. That idiot Ranma clearly has feelings for that Chinese girl even if he doesn't realize it yet. We have to get Akane to start caring or else daddy is going to completely lose it.' Nabiki thought as she was walking through the streets of Nermia trying to come up with a new plan of attack. Then, she stumbled upon a campsite, and recognizing the camper because of his long black hair and giant white robes came up with a new devious plan.
"Hey Mousse, I got something you might be interested in." Nabiki called out to the Chinese master of hidden weapons.
Mousse head the voice and abandoned both his breakfast still cooking over the fire and his glasses and ran towards the voice crying "Oh Shampoo you've come back to me!". He then grabbed Nabiki in a tight hug.
"Uh not quite" said Nabiki inwardly chuckling about how easy this was going to be.
It then occurred to Mousse that this wasn't Shampoo he was holding, so he produced his extra glasses, put them one and released the new girl. He took a quick look at the stranger in front of him and he hastily retreated looking for his overly thick glasses. Once the glasses were back on his face he asked "Who are you and how do you know me?"
"The name's Nabiki Tendo and I know everything that goes on in this town, but my information has a price."
"What could you possibly know that would interest me?" Mousse asked impatiently.
"Well it concerns a certain Chinese Amazon Warrior and a Ranma Saotome…" Nabiki began to say in order to draw the necessary interest for her plan.
"Now you have my interest do tell me what that foul Saotome has done to my darling Shampoo." Mousse shouted at her taking the bait.
"Well normally I'd charge for this information, but I'm willing to give you this one for free." Nabiki said smugly.
"What's the catch?" Mousse asked immediately not believing that there wasn't a price.
"My, aren't you a smart one? The catch is that at a later time you'll have to do something for me. Consider it as a favor that you'll owe me." Nabiki replied impressed that the Chinese boy had caught on to her typical habits so quickly.
"Fair enough now spill." Mousse answered impatiently.
"Reliable sources have confirmed that Ranma and Shampoo have kissed and plan more such encounters." Nabiki said flatly.
"Damn that Ranma! Shampoo's first kiss was to be mine!" Mousse yelled furiously as he ran off into the Nermia streets looking for Ranma and abandoning his now burnt breakfast.
"Well that worked out well, I just have to go find another 'scorned lover' to add to the list of clients" laughed Nabiki as she headed towards the Kuno estate.
Back at the Tendo dojo, Ranma was walking towards the training hall. When he had walked into the room to go through his warm up Katas he saw Akane already doing hers and he immediately started trying to explain to her about how terrible her form was and how it was as terrible as her cooking tasted.
"What's wrong with my cooking?" Akane yelled her anger rising.
"Have you ever tried it?" Ranma asked incredulously "It kills anybody that so much as tastes it."
"Ranma I'll kill you!" Akane screeched as she grabbed her mallet from the wall and began chasing Ranma throughout the house. Eventually, the chase came into the living room where Ranma narrowly missed colliding into Kasumi, who was busy cleaning the table, and tripped over the fat panda playing go with Soun. This was enough time to allow Akane to catch up and smash Ranma through the door into the backyard. He managed to land gracefully on the rocks surrounding the Koi Pond and looked closely at the water thankful that he didn't fall in. That moment of peace didn't last long has almost immediately after he landed the sound of a bicycle bell rang through the air followed by a bike jumping over the wall and landing on top of Ranma.
"Nihao! Where is Ranma? Shampoo need to talk with him." Shampoo greeted as soon as she had made her entrance.
"Down here" Ranma said painfully.
"Aiyah Shampoo so sorry. No see you there." Shampoo said as she hurried to get off of her poor airen. "Shampoo need to tell you something that's for Ranma's ears only."
"Alright, then let's go someplace where the others can't hear." Ranma suggested.
Akane tired of being ignored by Ranma finally let loose her tirade as she made her way next to the pair of martial artists standing in the backyard. "Ranma don't you dare leave, I'm not finished with you!"
"Listen to your fiancé Ranma my boy" chimed in Genma finally having gotten some hot water to change with.
"Why should I listen to a tomboy too stupid to listen to some advice on how to fix her form?" Ranma fired back at Genma.
"Why Ranma bother? It obvious Akane want to be a terrible martial artist" Shampoo chipped in.
"That's it Shampoo I've had enough out of you!" Akane yelled unable to tolerate any more defamation of her character, "I challenge you Shampoo".
"Shampoo beat you with only one hand." Shampoo boasted, but was denied an opportunity to back up her boast when a knife whizzed by and stuck into the wall.
Everybody gathered in the Tendo's backyard immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Shampoo held her chúi, one above her head and the other off to the side so she could block any incoming attack and launch an immediate counter. Ranma and Akane matched stances in the basic Anything Goes technique. Akane however didn't stay in that stance long once the mysterious attacker was discovered to be none other than Mousse.
"What do you want Mousse? Did you come back for another beating?" Ranma asked the robed Chinese boy.
"Ranma! How dare you kiss my Shampoo! I'll kill you!" Mousse shouted at the backyard gathering.
Ranma was never given an opportunity to respond before Akane, Genma and Soun blurted out "He did what?"
Ranma just stood there struggling for words to say, and stopped trying to talk when he felt the withering gazes of the entire Tendo household minus Kasumi, who was baking snacks in the kitchen singing merrily to herself blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding in the backyard.
Shampoo on the other hand casually walked up to Mousse and smashed his face into the ground with her Chui. "Who told you Mousse?" Shampoo asked threateningly as she readied another strike.
"Some girl named Nabiki. That's all I know I swear just don't hit me any more Shampoo." Mousse confessed.
"Ohohohoh I see I'm late to the party" interrupted Kodachi as she landed in the now crowded backyard.
"Oh great this just keeps getting better and better" Ranma sarcastically said.
"Indeed it does Ranma darling your Black Rose has come to free you from this harlot's seductions" Kodachi pompously declared.
"Shampoo no seduce Ranma stupid Ribbon girl" Shampoo fired back at the Black Rose.
"How dare you lie to a member of the Noble House of Kuno!" Kodachi exclaimed stunned at the insolence of those in the Tendo's backyard. "For this injustice I shall have to duel you and the winner gets to keep their right to pursue Ranma darling."
"Shampoo beat you easily" Shampoo purred.
"Akane you have to win this for our Family's honor" Soun said eagerly trying to get Akane to take seriously the threats to her engagement to Ranma.
"Shut up Dad, I don't care much for what happens to this jerk" Akane angrily shouted while pointing at Ranma who stuck his tongue out at her in response.
"But Akane…"
"I said no Dad, besides you never asked how I felt about this arrangement before you engaged us." Akane interrupted with a tone that let Soun know to drop the subject.
Changing the subject Kodachi suggested that they move to a different location and the rest of the interested parties agreed to a change in scenery.
Ranma was not feeling comfortable with the looks he was receiving from the group and tried to sneak off while the rest of the gang headed towards the park. He was planning on watching the event but out of sight from the rest of the group. He was unsuccessful because he was jumped by the fathers and Mousse, who then proceeded to tie him up and drag him to the duel. Mousse was hoping that this was going to lead to what he thought would be a suitable punishment for his now archrival kissing his girl.
"We will be talking about this later boy" Genma fumed loud enough for only Ranma to hear.
Ranma was unable to give his retort when the fight between the girls began with their respective Battle Cries. Kodachi was armed with her usual ribbon, while Shampoo had changed her arsenal slightly and was now wielding a chui in her left hand while the right was armed with a sword.
Shampoo adopted an extremely aggressive strategy clearly intent on ending this fight quickly and leaving her opponent humiliated. She was inside of Kodachi's defenses before Kodachi had an opportunity to react. She dodged the only ribbon strike sent her way and swung her chui at Kodachi's head. Kodachi was forced to block the chui with her ribbon. Instead of the ribbon staying stiff, it wrapped itself the chui and gave Shampoo an opening. The amazon warrior wasted no time in exploiting that opening and used her sword to slice the ribbon into tiny pieces too small to do anything with except make it into confetti.
Kodachi then watched in disbelief as Shampoo then turned and connected her foot with the gymnast's face. The force of the kick was enough to knock out her unfortunate opponent instantly. The purple haired Amazon looked over to ensure that her opponent was truly down for the count and walked over to where Ranma was tied up. She effortlessly cut him free from his bonds looking at the people who had tied up her friend with anger.
Ranma made a mental note to not make Shampoo angry as he found himself suddenly free of the bounds that had been placed around him.