Chapter Eight
After Ranma Saotome got his lunch he took it outside and ate it underneath a tree. Here he revisited the scene he saw at the Hiroshi Dojo. There was so much destruction that not one man, Ryoga, could've done it alone. There must have been a fight, a battle that forced Ryoga do use his Lion Roar Shot.
But Ryoga admitted he'd done it alone. He was perfecting his Lion Roar Shot. But why would he be using that technique inside the dojo? It was must too powerful for inside the building. He should've realized it would destroy it. There had to be something more to the destruction.
"Nihao Ranma!"
A familiar voice broke Ranma from his inner thoughts and sitting on her bicycle was Shampoo, her long blue hair and short skirt blowing in a small breeze that gust pass them at that precise moment. He looked up at her and said, "Shampoo, what're you doing 'ere?"
"Shampoo come to bring Ranma lunch," she said, in her best English (Japanese), smiling big.
"Got lunch, Shampoo, but thanks," Ranma said to her coldly. Shampoo was yet another one of his suitors, but sometimes he wished she would just go back to China and leave him alone. But she was bound by tradition to marry him as he bested her in battle in front of her tribe. If she didn't marry him she would be an outcast to her people, which, actually, she was. But even though she was annoying, running him down to date with him, he liked the chase. "Food from school not good for husband's stomach, try Cat Café specialty. Ramon with noodles."
"We're not married Shampoo," Ranma said.
"That's right, Saotome, you're not!" Mousse jumped out of the tree and thought he got between Shampoo and Ranma, but instead landed on Ranma's head and was facing the tree. "I won't consent to this illicit affair. Shampoo'll marry me."
"Say who? Not me." Shampoo said.
"I'm down 'ere stupid. Get off me!" Ranma told him.
Mousse turned 180 degrees on Ranma's head, messing his hair, bent over, adjusted his glasses, and looked at Ranma looking at him. "Why are you down there?" he asked.
"'Cause you're an idiot!"
Mousse hoped down from Ranma's head.
"You'll not to touch Shampoo--you hear me?" Mousse demanded, and he stole the pork bun that Ranma was eating. "This pork bun is like your relationship." And he crushed it in his hand.
Ranma stood up angry. "That was my lunch!" He said.
"No matter Ranma, Shampoo bring you Ramon."
But Mousse snatched that as well, taking Shampoo's delivery box. "No food from Shampoo will ever touch your mouth again, Ranma Saotome. I'll make sure of that."
In an instant Mousse transformed from a human to a duck when he was splashed with cold water. One of the fountain taps broke while a student was washing his hands and it sprayed everywhere. Unfortunately the spray also reached Shampoo and Ranma, turning them into their altered states. And with Shampoo now a cat Ranma screamed and ran away, as he was terrified of cats.
Shampoo hissed at Mousse angry and Mousse quacked happy because Ranma had run away. Mousse flapped his wings and ran towards Shampoo hoping for a kiss, but Shampoo scampered in the direction Ranma had run, following him. In the meantime Mousse ate the Ramon that had fallen on the ground. He was a duck so anything he found on the ground was fair game.
A knock came at the front door to the Tendo residence. Kasumi was home so she answered it. And standing at the threshold was Ryoga. "Why hello Ryoga, it's nice to see you," she said, in her cheerful manner.
"Thank you, Kasumi," he said back. "Is your father home? I have something important to ask him."
"Unfortunately no," she said. "He went into town for a town meeting. But he should be back in another hour. Would you like to wait for him?"
"I can't," he said. "But can you give him a message? I'd like to speak to him. It's very important."
"Maybe I can help you."
"No, I need to speak with your father directly. It involves using his dojo for something."
"You can us our dojo anytime you wish, Ryoga," she said smiling. "You're like family."
Ryoga smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I'm fond of your family too." He took a step back. "Please tell your father that I was looking for him, will you Kasumi? I can be contacted at the Hiroshi residence. If you need the extension, I can give it to you."
"Hold on, and I'll get a pen and paper." Kasumi left and then returned in less than ten seconds, and Ryoga recited the number of the Hiroshi residence. "I'll give my father the message. Tell me Ryoga, are you staying there?"
"For short while, yes. I just learned that Mr. Hiroshi is a long time friend of my father's. He and my father used to train together when they were teenagers. He's going to tutor me a little."
"That's great! I'm happy for you."
"Oh, and remind Ranma of our match next Friday when he gets home. I'm gonna kick his butt."
"I'll tell him," Kasumi smiled graciously only. In all the matches Ryoga and Ranma fought, in the end, even though Ryoga defeated Ranma in a few matches, officially Ranma had never lost to him. But Kasumi thought it was great of Ryoga to still think he could defeat Ranma. At least he was trying. And that was what being a martial artist was: never giving up, never surrendering!
Ryoga left the property and Kasumi left the message near the phone for her father to see when he came home.
A little less than an hour later Soun Tendo returned from the town meeting downtown. He read the message and asked Kasumi about it. She was in the kitchen cropping some cucumber for dinner. "Ryoga was here," she said. "He said something about using our dojo for something."
"Did you tell him he was welcome to use it for anything he wanted? He's like family to us."
"I did father, but I don't think he told me the whole story. He wanted to speak to you. He can be reached at the telephone number on the note. He's staying at the Hiroshi Dojo."
"He's what! Oro Hiroshi is the enemy. Ranma wants to put an ad in the newspaper so our dojo can trump up some business so I can pay off this mountain of debt we have. I would never have thought Ryoga would betray us."
"I don't think Ryoga would betray us, father," Kasumi said. "You don't even know what he wants. Why don't you call him and find out?"
"Maybe you're right, Kasumi," Soun Tendo said. "Oh, and coincidentally, did you hear that someone destroyed Oro Hiroshi's dojo last night? I've been asked to find out who. As an active member of the town council I have a duty to know everything that happens in this town."
"Why not kill two birds with one stone, father?"
"Kasumi, you're not resorting to murder now, are you?"
Kasumi chuckled. "No father," she said. "If Ryoga wishes to speak with you and you want to learn what happened to Oro Hiroshi's dojo last night, why not go visit them?"
"That's an excellent idea, Kasumi dear," he said. "Kill two birds with one feather."
"That's kill two birds with one stone, father," she said.
"Of course," he smiled. "With a stone."
"Oh father." She snickered.
"I'm off to Oro Hiroshi's place, Kasumi," he said. "Tell Ranma and the others where I've gone if they ask. I shouldn't be long."
"I will father," Kasumi said.
And Soun Tendo left.
He arrived at Oro Hiroshi's property soon later and saw firsthand the devastation to his wall enclosure and to his dojo. Oro Hiroshi's dojo was completely destroyed. And for a moment he smiled finding his competitor's assets in ruin. But he straightened than smile when he saw Oro Hiroshi come out of his house. Ryoga followed him in suit.
"Ah, Soun Tendo, welcome to my home," Oro Hiroshi said. "Forgive the mess. Apparently my newest pupil got a little carried away with his training the other night and wiped out my dojo."
"Ryoga, you did this?" Soun Tendo was both shocked and amazed that he could do this much damage all by himself. "How could you do all this by yourself, son?"
"I was practicing my Lion Roar Shot and it became unstable--I couldn't control it."
That seemed a perfectly natural explanation for the devastation, but in all his years as a martial artist he had never seen such destruction from one person. But Ryoga was no ordinary young man. He had the Lion Roar Shot as one of his techniques, as well as the Breaking Point. And if both were used in synchronicity, it could create a devastating combination.
"Ryoga, Kasumi said you wanted to speak with me about something," he said.
Oro Hiroshi spoke. "I sent Ryoga to ask you if we could borrow your dojo for a couple of months while my is being rebuilt, but I never imagined you would come here to reply."
"I'm sorry, the building is already being occupied," Soun Tendo said quickly. He was not going to allow the enemy to use his only money making asset. "I'm preparing to start up some martial art classes of my own. My son-in-law has already begun the process."
"That's too bad," Oro Hiroshi said. "And here I was going to pay for the use of the building."
"You want to rent my dojo for your classes?"
"Yes," he said. "And if, for the sake of argument, your dojo was free, what would be a fair asking price to rent it for, let's say. . .two months?"
Soun Tendo thought about it for a moment. On one hand he'd be renting his dojo to the very man that was taking away his business and costing him thousands of Yen of debt. On the other hand, if he did rent out his dojo to him, he'd be able to pay off most of his bills with money from the very man who has been causing his debt. But what about the proud name of the Tendo Dojo known throughout the town? With Oro Hiroshi renting it, would it lose some of that notoriety? He didn't have much of a choice actually and this was the perfect way to pay off some of his debts. "Okay, you can rent my dojo," he said. "500,000 Yen a month."
"Sounds a little steep, but I'll agree to that. So the price is one million Yen total, for two months." Oro Hiroshi extended a hand. "You have yourself a deal Soun Tendo. I'll inform my students that they will be taking their classes at your dojo for the next two months. You know, there should be more kind and considerate people like you in the world."
Soun Tendo smiled. "I'm always glad to help out a fellow martial artist in need," he said. But he was more glad that his debt was about to shrink dramatically lower.
To be continued...