Chapter # 9

Chapter # 9

Kyoto, mid 1800's-

Pellets of perspiration glittered in the hot summer sun. The thick air made it hard on breathing and endurance. The trickle of blood that ran from one arm didn't seem to stop because of the immense amounts energy being pumped up and used. The bitter heat intensified things so every muscle ached with pain. Lack of wind and water just added to the otherwise perfect effect: training was fun.

Judging by the shadows made, it was high noon that hour. Ranma knew it. He could tell by the way his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. There wasn't any other time of day that would do that to him. Not even a cloud would pass by in order to give him protection from the sun's rays. He huffed a few last times (a grand total of five) before he forced himself to move on to his next drill. Already had a series of sweeps, kicks, punches, rolls, and combinations been practiced. He had just finished a Tai Chi form to calm himself down before proceeding.

It had been three days since Ranma arrived at this strange place, this Kamiya dojo. The place in history where swords were outlawed, and the West was making important contact with Japan on the issues of technology and foreign relations. And then there was this place he stayed in. It was an old style dojo-more traditional than Mr. Tendou's even!-where lived a beautiful young girl named Kaoru, a boy with a chip on his shoulder named Yahiko; then who visited was a sneaky female doctor named Megumi and a bad-boy ex-punk named Sanosuke. Then there was where Ranma fit into all of this. As he whipped the sweat off of his head he thought back to the conversation he had with Sano the first day he'd shown up in Kyoto.~

Sanosuke now knew the truth of Ranma's predicament, but now they were both up a stump. Ranma started optimistically, "So when do you think I should tell the-"

"You don't."

Ranma cast a suspicious look at Sanosuke. He said, "And just why not? I told you! I'd think you of all people would want to let your other friends in on this little secret."

The light chattering seeping out from inside the dojo solidified Sanosuke's opinion. He responded, "Nope. You can't let on. Yeah you told me, or more like confessed! I knew that you couldn't be the same Kenshin that I had been talking to just hours before. That was no news to me. The others may react in a bad way."

"Are you saying that I did not surprise you in the slightest? Especially when you saw me in my girl-type form?"

The thought made Sanosuke smile both out of embarrassment and amusement. He came back, "Okay, you've got me there, but I still don't think it wise to tell them. Particularly not Kaoru, Megumi, or Yahiko."

A vein popped out of Ranma's head as he stated, "That's everyone."

"Oh. Right. Well you shouldn't anyway. If you told one of them it would surely get around to all of them. And you definitely don't want Kaoru to find out. She's feeling skeptical about your recovery as it is."

"Skeptical?! What's there to be skeptical about?"

Sanosuke punched him on the head first realizing, * Hey, this is pretty fun being able to do this to someone!* then answering, "She can tell your attitude difference. There's a major one. The Kenshin we know is calm, tranquil, helpful, peaceful, passive-"

"-Yadda, yadda, yadda. I get the picture. He's a wuss. That's all ya have'ta say."

The last comment made Sanosuke extremely cross. He shot back, "Kenshin may have his moments, but he is not to be underestimated. He is the best swordsman in all of Japan; in all the world of all we know! So don't knock him down before I have to knock you down with my own foot!"

He wasn't in the mood for another verbal fight so Ranma just let the threat pass. He said, "Okay! Alright. I'll make with the sweet-guy(he resisted using 'pussy' as an adjective) act until we can get this straightened out."

"Good. Because Kaoru wouldn't take to this situation very well." Ranma gave an inquisitive look. "It's because of the relationship she has with Kenshin."

"Wait, whoa, they don't love each other, do they? I have enough of those problems back home!"

Nerima, 1990's-

Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi, and Ukyo sneezed.

Kyoto, mid 1880's-

Getting back on track, Sanosuke rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "I'm just not sure what to think of it myself. If they do, they have never come out and said it. Kenshin always say's there's too big of an age gap anyway. But the way he looks at her sometimes, it makes ya wonder. Even as his best friend, he's never given any straight shots as to how he feels about her."

"And," Ranma probed, "How does she feel about him?"

"Wait!" Silence remained for a few moments as Sanosuke leaned his head against the doorframe. Finally he answered, "I can hear them now. Megumi's talking." He paused for a moment. "She says that Kaoru is worrying too much. That this whole thing with your behavior change may be just a temporary thing due to your head injury." Ranma found this curious since his head hadn't been hurting since he first woke up. He figured a well trained martial artist would be able to take any kind of bump like that no problem. "Hold on…Yahiko is talking now. He says you've dishonored him more than once now, and that's unacceptable."

* Dang!* Ranma thought, * Sounds like freakin' Ryoga!*

The lights shot up in Sanosuke's face suddenly. He listened closer to the conversation going on inside the dojo. Moments later he said, "It's Kaoru, she sounds like she's weeping."

Ranma slapped his hand to his head and thought, * Aw man! Don't tell me I made another chick cry!* He said vocally, "But why?"

"She says…she was frightened for your well-being when she saw you surrounded by those officers. But then, she feared for your life when she saw the orb of light burst then suck you in. Things have only gone downhill from there."

The words spoken made Ranma see that in this case, Sano would be his only friend he could be open to until he was out of this dilemma. Understanding the situation he nodded and said, "Okay. You've convinced me. I don't tell anyone my true identity." Sanosuke smiled.~

A wood pole with a rope tied around it had been erected as part of Ranma's training. The idea was, of course, to strike at it in order to condition the body for hard hits by opponents. He walked up to it now. The sun was killing him, but Ranma knew it was good for tolerance and endurance training. He stood with one leg forward and arms up in a fighting position. He took in a breath and then in a burst of speed and motion he wound up a kick and threw it at the pole when-

"Ranma!" came a loud voice.

The boy stopped in his tracks, inches away from the pole. He turned around and shielded his eyes from the sun. There stood a confident Sanosuke with his hands in his pockets.

Sanosuke smirked, "Heh. How 'bout you stop wasting your time on that pole and come have a real fight. I'm instigating that challenge you invited me to. I think I've let you train long enough. Besides," he added, "I need to work off some steam after having a bad night gambling yesterday."

With a 'swack' Ranma completed his interrupted kick slicing the pole clean in half. He smiled with anticipation and said, "You're on."