The Three Saotomes.

Part 2

Ranma vs. Kuno.

Akane Tendo woke up slowly and groaned as her head throbbed in response. She grit her teeth and grunted as she forced herself to sit up. "Ohh, what hit me?"

"I did, you really shouldn't attack people that way," said an unfamiliar voice. The girl slowly turned her head to find a boy around her own age sitting next to her with a small frown on his face.

"Jerk." She slumped back down on her mat and closed her eyes again as she recognized him. "You didn't have to hit me that hard."

"Would you have given him the same courtesy?" said another voice. Ranma smirked as he said this and entered the room sitting between Kasumi and her younger sister. He took the wet towel the girl was going to place on Akane's head and placed it gently across her forehead. "Don't bother answering, it was rhetorical," continued the boy as he placed a hand over her mouth preventing her from responding.

"Oh my," said Kasumi unsure of what to say. The two stranger's attitudes had changed significantly over the past ten minutes. They were visibly more relaxed.

Nabiki sat scowling in the corner of the living room while the two elder men drank Sake at the table in order to 'celebrate the union'. The night had gotten completely out of hand so far; it was beyond her control really. That was something she didn't particularly care for. Her solitude was short lived though. Ranma walked out of her sister's room and walked over to her.

"We need to talk."

A few moments later they sat in the dojo together and stared each other down in an almost challenging way. "This had better be good."

"Oh it is," commented Ranma lazily. He sat back and put his hands behind his head smirking proudly. "Fiancee."

"Don't call me that," snapped the girl as she started to stand up and walk out of the room.

"Sit down, you don't really think I'm going through with this do you? I've got enough problems."

Nabiki slowly turned back and sat a good distance across from him on the floor again. "And just how are you going to do that? What's wrong with marrying me anyway? Am I not good enough?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions," commented the boy lazily. He leaned forward and sighed. "It isn't you. You're pretty enough, and I'm sure you're smarter than most girls; it's this place."

"What about it?" said the girl with a slight interest growing in her voice as she leaned forward.

"Look around you. What do you see?"

"A run down old dojo with no students. I've got no future here," said the girl with a shrug.

"It's worse for me, I see a prison; and a place where my enemies can find me easily," said Ranma with a slight tension in his voice.

"Enemies?" said the girl cautiously.

"Hopefully you'll never have to find out. If you think that this place looks run down now; just wait until they start showing up. Me and Genryu both have our share of rivals, enemies, and assorted weirdos following just behind us."

The girl smiled slightly at this, but kept silent.

"Out of the three girls, you seem to be the smartest, that's why I chose you. Akane's too hot-tempered. She would get in my way later on. You're smart enough to stay out of the way. Kasumi just doesn't have what it takes either. She's not smart enough, or cold enough to go against her father's wishes. She's far too traditional."

Nabiki growled slightly, that had sounded suspiciously like an insult. "You sound like you know an awful lot about us."

Ranma smirked again and leveled his gaze on her. "It's simple enough for someone who's observant. You're in shape, but not athletic. That means no martial arts. You also appear to have a somewhat calculating personality; you only spoke when you thought it might benefit you; the rest of the time you were listening."

The girl was impressed again. She frowned and moved back into a more defensive posture. "So, what are you planning on doing about this?"

The boy sighed. "I'm not sure just yet. That's why I picked you. I knew you didn't want it, and you seem smart enough to help me."

"What if I don't want to help you?" retorted the girl almost reflexively. "You think I'm going to do this for free?"

"You can either help me, or risk getting married to me. It's up to you."

The girl narrowed her eyes at him and scowled openly. "So that's what you're up to is it?"

"That's right. I'm not giving you much of a choice here, help me or you're stuck with me." He shrugged his shoulders and stood up walking out of the room. "We've got plenty of time to work this out. I've got a few ideas if things get desperate, but don't worry too much, it shouldn't come to that if we play our cards right."

Nabiki sat in silence for a long moment. She didn't like the way that sounded.

"So what do you think brother?" said Ranma as he stepped out of the dojo to find Genryu waiting patiently with his arms crossed in front of him.

"I don't care what you do here," replied the boy simply.

"You cared enough to keep watch for me didn't you?"

"We take care of each other, you know that," said the younger boy with a lopsided grin.

"I should, I'm the one who taught you that."

He two boys sat across from their father he next morning and stared at their father with frowns on their faces. "School?" they said in unison.

"That's right, we are going to be staying a while," replied Genma with a smile.

"We'd better get going then," said Ranma calmly.

"I don't want to go to school," snapped Genryu indignantly.

"Come on, don't be a wuss," replied the elder boy with his grin returning.

"Jerk," muttered Genryu as he punched lazily at his older sibling.

"You'll be going to the same school as Akane and me," said Nabiki with a grin as she appeared in the hallway. "I'll see you there."

Ranma raised his eyebrow slightly and stood up. "That's great, but we have no idea were this school is."

"Akane can take you," said the girl as she turned on her heels.

"He's your stupid fiancee," snapped the younger girl as she turned the corner dressed for school. She gave both boys an evil looking stare and turned away towards the door.

Nabiki glared at her for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, you can come with me this one time."

"You don't know the depths of my gratitude," deadpanned Ranma with a small snort.

"You owe me," said the girl with a snide smile.

"I owe you nothing, you can't stop me from following you," said the boy in reply.

The trip was made in relative silence. Ranma and Genryu walked lazily behind Akane and her sister. Genryu was dressed in Chinese style clothing. A red silk shirt and jet black pants. Ranma looked a bit more normal. A white button up shirt and dark blue pants. The elder boy preferred Japanese clothes even though the Chinese wardrobe of his younger brother allowed for more comfort and movement.

"How far away is this stupid school anyway?" asked the pigtailed boy from his perch on the fence.

Ranma walked just below him on the sidewalk. "Stop complaining, we walked across China didn't we. This can't possibly be a difficult trip for you."

"Har, har," said the younger boy as he rolled his eyes. "Pop is still following us you know."

"Let him. I don't know what he expects me to do. Sweep her into my arms and declare my undying love? I just met the girl."

"Don't get any ideas," said Akane angrily as she turned to face them.

"Like you could stop me if I decided too."

Nabiki pointedly ignored the conversation and moved ahead of the group.

"I'm not so bad at martial arts myself you know," said the girl with a dark look in her eyes.

"Don't bet on it, I heard about what my brother did to you in the dojo."

Akane flashed a quick look at Genryu and frowned.

"Don't blame him, our fathers were spying on you. It was your old man that told me," said Ranma curtly. "He was impressed with my old man for training him so well."

"Maybe you should try me sometime," said the girl with a familiar anger in her voice.

"If you challenge my brother he will, and he's better than I am," said Genryu as he passed by over her head.

Akane paused for a moment and stared at the elder boy as he continued to walk by silently. She was the best martial artist in Nerima as far as she was concerned. Unfortunately she would need more than a moments notice before challenging someone like him. She had to be ready first. She started walking again, a little work out before class would help her prepare. She steeled herself and gripped the handle on her bag tighter.

The school came into view a short time later and Akane broke away from them into a run. Genryu paused and watched in confusion as she charged towards a large group of boys standing at the gates.

"Akane I'm doing this for you! I love you!" cried a few of the boys as the whole group charged forward and swarmed on her like ants. Akane moved through them easily, students fell in her wake as she relentlessly pummeled the mob into submission.

Genryu sat up on the wall watching the scene in shock, while Ranma merely leaned against the gate with a smirk on his face.

"So, this is how she got so sloppy."

"Huh?" said the younger boy as he turned his attention towards his brother.

"Watch her, she's forming a pattern already. Fighting a mob like this all the time doesn't build your skills; it wears them down. I'd say this has been going on for a while now."

Genryu nodded as his brother's words sunk in. Akane was doing very well, but some of her kicks and punches were a little less than graceful. Her attention was on several targets at once, and she had to rush some of the moves to keep up with them. Many of the boys were limited in their methods of attack as well. He could see where the same moves were used to defeat them on an almost daily basis. "She's getting too comfortable. If someone surprises her with something new she's going to slip up and take a few hits."

By this time the girl was finished up with her crowd. Nabiki had already passed by the scene and was watching from the second floor window of the building.

Genryu jumped down next to the girl and smirked. "Boy, you're sure popular."

"Stand back or you'll get hurt," she warned him.

"Somehow I doubt that," commented Ranma from his place at the gate.

Akane snapped her hand up in the air as a strangely familiar object sailed through the air and narrowly missed her head. She paused and looked at the rose for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. "Upperclassman Kuno, good morning."

"Ah what fools these mortals be. It is obvious they seek the honor of your company." An older boy stepped from behind a large tree in the courtyard and smiled at her. "On the eve that they defeat you."

"I'm not in the mood Kuno," warned the girl as she stepped back into a defensive stance.

"Ah, she be but little, but she be fierce," said the boy with an arrogant smile. He was dressed in a kendo uniform and held a bokuten in his hands. "Might you spar with me?"

"Hey Akane, who's this guy?" said Genryu as he stood between them and pointed at the newcomer.

"Who are you to speak to Akane Tendo in such a familiar manner?" snapped the older boy as he took notice of him.

"Huh? I'm..."

"Is it not the custom to give one's own name first!? Fine then mine I shall give!" snapped the boy rudely as he interrupted.

"If that's the way you want it," said the younger boy with a shrug.

"I am the rising new star of the high school fencing world! The sound of my voice sends fear into the hearts of my peers. They call me The Blue Thunder Of Furinkan High! Tatewaki Kuno, age seventeen."

Genryu started to answer, but his brother spoke up instead. "My brother can speak to his future sister in law anyway he feels like. Who are you to say differently?"

Kuno narrowed his eyes at the other upstart who stood before him. "And who might you be?"

"Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School Of Martial Arts, age eighteen; and Nabiki Tendo's fiancee." The boy had a strange smile on his face as he said this. He could almost hear the girl's eyes go wide from where he stood.

Nabiki was on her hands and knees coughing up the drink she had been consuming moments before. The students around her stared at her in shock with their mouths hanging open.

"Um, Nabiki? Is that true?" said one of her lackeys nearby.

"I'm...hack...going to kill him!" wheezed the girl.

"Nabiki Tendo? I suppose I must allow this transgression this one time. No one may speak to her in such a way in my presence."

"We don't need your permission little boy," replied Ranma coolly.

"You dare call someone of my prowess a boy?" snapped Kuno as he glared at the upstart.

"This is a family affair and none of your concern," warned Genryu as he stepped back by Akane warily.

"Hey! You two stay out of this! This is my fight!" snapped the girl angrily.

"I'm not doing it for you. No one speaks to my family that way. He has insulted my family's honor by speaking as if we were lowborn peasants. As the eldest Saotome present, it is my duty to defend my family's honor," said Ranma firmly. "Besides, as near as I can tell he has no claim on you."

Akane nodded at that, but the look of anger on her face didn't fade.

"You dare!" snapped the kendoist.

"Of course. Only a coward would use lackeys to wear someone down before he fought them. You're obviously too weak to beat her on your own."

Kuno screamed in rage and charged forward holding his weapon in the air over his head. He closed in on Ranma and stopped cold before reeling back on the heels of his feet. He struggled with his balance and shook his head. It felt like he had run into a wall, a small tickle ran down his upper lip and he reached slowly up and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He pulled his hand slowly away and looked at it. A long smear of blood met his gaze and he growled.

Ranma was standing with a deadly calm look on his face with his arm still extended in the punch the boy had not even seen. "If you're going to challenge me, I can't guarantee your safety."

"What the hell is he doing?" snapped Akane in shock.

"Egging him on," replied Genryu with a disappointed look on his face.

"He doesn't know what he's dealing with! Kuno is a very skilled opponent!" said the girl in shock.

"You worry too much," snorted Genryu crudely. "That jerk, I wanted to fight him."

"What?" said the girl in surprise. She turned towards the pair again and frowned.

Ranma jumped into the air as Kuno charged him. The kendoist slashed at him with the wooden blade and he twisted in the air around the strike sending his foot into the boy's chest. Kuno staggered back again with an angry looking snarl on his face.

"You're going to get hurt. You're skilled, but not enough to beat me."

"Silence cur!" snarled the boy as he charged forward again.

"Calm down, it won't be any fun to beat you easily. If you get worked up like this you'll lose for sure!"

The kendoist ignored him and continued his attack. He slashed wildly at the air missing the boy by inches. Ranma ducked and weaved around the blows easily. Kuno was sent back by another punch to his face. Another small trickle of blood started to form from the corner of his mouth.

Ranma stepped back for a moment facing his opponent. Kuno froze and watched with even more rage building in his eyes. The older boy beckoned him with his outstretched hand and waited.

"This foolishness ends!" roared the kendoist as he rushed forward in a flurry of strikes that seemed like a hundred bokutens at once.

Ranma merely stepped back and spun around in a spinning kick that took the boy in the side of his head reaching around the strikes as the came close to him. He paused as Kuno fell to the ground and looked at his shirt. Several tears appeared in the cloth. "He's not bad. I wasn't expecting him to be quite so skilled."

"You were expecting this?" gasped Akane in shock.

"He is the regional champion after all. I was planning on just challenging him. I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this one when it came, " replied the older boy with a smile.

The kendoist groaned slightly and opened his eyes. "Cur..."

"Stop posing you idiot, you lost," snorted the younger of the two boys standing over him.

"Impossible," muttered the fallen warrior.

"There's no such thing," replied Ranma as he started walking towards the school. "Come on brother, its going to rain in a minute."

"Gah!" exclaimed the younger boy as he rushed to follow. "That's the last thing you and I need."

"It would be inconvenient wouldn't it?" said the elder boy with a smirk.

"You and I?" muttered Akane as she followed. A light drizzle started to fall around her. "Is Ranma cursed too?"

TBC...

Next time: School Daze.

C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com

In case you still haven't figured it out. Genryu is cannon Ranma. His name is a reverse play on the Genma [Dark horse] Ranma [Wild horse] names. Genryu [Dark dragon] and Genma [Dark horse.].

I skipped Tofu in this on purpose. In the Mana/Anime 'Ranma' got splashed by the old lady because his father threw him in front of her. Genma didn't attack in this version, Genryu hadn't done anything to get attacked really. Plus he's not the one engaged. Plus Ranma was behaving himself pretty well at the time.

Don't worry, you'll still see your favorite Kasumi suitor later on.

I also added a bit more violence to the personality of both boys. Genryu's a little bit smarter and not sexist. There actually is a reason for this, you'll find out soon. I didn't just do it on a whim, and Ranma didn't 'teach' this behavior to him. Not directly anyway.

Ranma is not god either. Both boys still have weaknesses. Genryu's ego is also a little more reserved. Having an older brother can do that to people; he also knows he's not as good as his brother, but he also knows he can surpass him. Genryu isn't that much better than his younger sibling, Ranma just has a few more years of training in pretty much the same way under his belt.

Contrary to popular belief. Ranma didn't surpass his father until late in the Manga. There's an actual story that revolves around this later on. I think it's just before the Ryuu Kumo story. I don't remember exactly what volume it was in.