Disclaimer: You know the drill. This is a nonprofit work of fiction made for fun. I own nothing!
AN: I suppose I should clarify that the only Jojo element I presently have any intention of including is that the SIOC has a Stand. There are no Stand Arrows, Hamon, official Jojo characters or what have you, nor any intention of anyone else getting a Stand. So, yeah, no setting fusion on the Jojo end, just a singular instance of the crossover powerset. That's the present plan, but maybe after giving it some thought, I'll change my mind down the line. The point here being that the primary setting focus is intended to be Ranma alone for the time being.
I also can't say yet when the Stand may show up, only that the OC already has it and has been going to some effort to conceal it. I'm halfway considering seeing if I can sneak uses of its power about and see if anyone can actually guess what it does before it shows its face. On a related note, I've found that this style of non-OC POVs really is quite nice for preserving a sense of mystery around them.
Interesting Note: Did you know that it's a common fanfiction misconception that the area Ranma takes place in is Nerima? Technically, Nerima is the greater region/ward, and the specific locality the cast lives and goes to school at is, in fact, a fictional place that happens to be the school's namesake: the neighborhood/community of Furinkan, which is presented to be in Nerima's suburbs.
Chapter 2: Work the Spanner
Akane was right. Her father was definitely losing his mind.
After Sakura had actually gone and called the cops, admittedly exactly as she'd claimed she would, Akane found herself reluctantly convinced to wait around to give a witness statement. In the meantime, Sakura had taken additional photos of the aftermath, particularly the bruises on herself and Akane and the comparatively nigh-spotless state of Kuno. She claimed that she had a suspicion that the only way they could make anything stick to Tatewaki was with hard evidence. She'd likely have to give the video camera to the police as evidence with no guarantee of getting it back, which would be a shame, but it would be a small price to pay if she could nail Kuno to the wall for assault and battery. She had a backup film prepared to hold a spare set of pictures, and the microcassette recorder would be a less solid but viable backup in case any of the main evidence got "lost in transit" for some reason.
Personally, Akane thought that was a rather paranoid and pessimistic way to look at things, but she supposed Kuno was pretty rich. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that he'd try to bribe his way out of this in one way or another. On the other hand, wasn't Sakura a little too prepared for exactly this sort of situation to occur? She'd thought it odd that Sakura was recording Kuno before, but she hadn't really considered why. Now though...
A distantly observing Nabiki had seemed keen to approach the both of them but had quickly made herself scarce along with many other students when the cops showed up, which was... Honestly, she wasn't sure what to make of that. Shouldn't Nabiki have been just a little more personally concerned about what just happened? (Un?)fortunately, she didn't really have time to consider that line of thought.
The cops arrived, and after receiving statements from both girls -along with a few of the less skittish students that had witnessed the start of the conflict, they did eventually take the insensate Tatewaki into custody. As Sakura had predicted, she was asked to hand over what evidence she'd gathered, and the girl gave them everything she'd said she would. Sakura hadn't counciled Akane to press charges, and for that matter, neither did Sakura seem directly inclined to. Which was a relief... in the former case that is. Akane knew her family didn't have the finances by far to hope to go to court with the Kunos. That was just cold reality. Similarly, when she'd asked, Sakura had answered quite bluntly.
"The Kuno family is, quite frankly, completely insane. Unfortunately, they also happen to be insanely rich, and like it or not, with wealth comes influence, the capacity to hire better lawyers and bribe key individuals to grease the gears in one direction or another. It would be a waste of time and money. Better to see if we can get him charged by the government directly on their own dime... or yen, I suppose. It's not like we're suing him, after all."
After the officers had taken Kuno away, they had offered Akane and Sakura escorts back home, almost insisted on it even. Despite being visibly much worse off than Akane, Sakura had begged off and headed home alone... though not without passing Akane a slip with her phone number on it. Akane however...
Well, that brings her back to the present and her father.
"Akaaaannneee!" bawled Soun Tendo, clutching the daughter in question far more tightly than she quite felt comfortable with in front of the police. "My baby girl! Thank goodness you're safe!"
Grunting, Akane shook her head at the excessive affection, even as a small part of her preened over it. Still, appearances. Clearing her throat, she gave a couple light struggles until her father's iron grip relented. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, Dad. Just a little banged up. It was a tough fight... But nothing I couldn't handle!" She grinned confidently and mostly tuned out her father's continued excessive gratitude to the officers for "protecting" her.
Yeah right, they didn't do shit. Well, okay, that was unfair. It's not like they were omniscient, and they did take Kuno away after being called. It seemed like they were taking things seriously enough, especially given the video evidence Sakura had provided.
Soun seemed intent to invite the two officers that had escorted Akane inside for dinner, the eldest sister, Kasumi, wringing her hands in the background with a quiet "oh my", but thankfully (for the sake of her flagging composure), the officers begged off, citing the need to return to their duties. With that, the door was closed, and Akane once more found herself unable to escape the full force of her father's attention.
Soun clasped her shoulders with both hands, staring her in the eyes. "Akane." His voice was stern, yet concerned. "Tell me everything."
Some thirty minutes later, the Tendo family was sitting around the dining table, sipping tea according to their various tastes, courtesy of Kasumi. Akane had already applied some ointment to help with her bruised skin, and she relayed the unexpected and... bracing contents of the past day.
"That fiend!" bellowed Soun, a familiar and frightening haze of... something beginning to leak off his presence. He pounded a hand upon the table, before flinching at the rattle it made of the dishes atop it, wincing at Kasumi's chiding tut. Squeezing his eyes shut, it almost looked like he as going to have one of his emotional fatherly "episodes", before he took a deep breath and settled somewhat, shoulders set. "I don't care if it is Kuno!" he grit out. "I'll-!"
"Do nothing, Daddy," Nabiki interjected, snorting from her own position at the table. Sloshing her tea in her cup with a lackadaisical roll of the wrist, the second eldest of the Tendo sisters gave a dry little ghost of a smile and shook her head dismissively, brown bob of hair swaying. "Even if you wanted to, even if we're of similarly... 'traditional' stock to the Kuno family, you don't have the slightest glimmer of touching them in court... right?" Her eyes squinted in some manner of mirth that Akane really didn't understand.
Soun's shoulders slumped, the wind seemingly taken out of his sails.
"And whose fault is that?" Akane groused. Kasumi gave her a chiding -but hardly unfriendly- glance, but Akane really couldn't understand sometimes how Kasumi couldn't agree. Nabiki was a voracious spender... as long as it was anyone's funds other than her own. A true miser, all but a dragon in human skin, hoarding wealth for the sake of it and nothing more. Akane really did try to think the best of her. They were sisters, family, after all, but sometimes... Needless to say, Nabiki contributed more than her fair share to the state of the family's often tenuous financial stability.
Not bothering to dignify Akane's jab with a verbal response, Nabiki simply gave an unrepentant shrug, smiling glibly. Soun just sniffled as he was oft inclined in the face of his daughter's disappointment.
Snorting, Akane tired to put the matter of who was responsible for what out of her mind. If she went down that path, she knew it would just lead back around to her father's dereliction of duty as the head of the Tendo School of Anything Goes. Aside from herself... they had no students, and she had no training partners, no one to bounce off of. Nabiki was far more interested in her schemes and material acquisitions, and Kasumi...? Well... Kasumi had been filling in for their mother for a long time now. There were far too many things that needed doing around a house and dojo as large as theirs. The eldest Tendo sister simply didn't have time for other pursuits.
As much as Akane would have liked to help out sometimes, in the end, Kasumi always ended up asking her to just "leave it to her". Despite trying her hardest when she was given the chance, it only seemed like she somehow messed up everything she touched. As much as she'd love to believe otherwise, she had no housekeeping talents of any kind. All she had to her name was good grades and martial arts. It stung.
And was also beside the point.
Akane shook her head, breaking from that unproductive line of thought. The point Nabiki was making was hardly incorrect, regardless of whatever level of culpability she may have had. As things were, Soun's job only somehow managed to make ends meet with a little left over for meager savings. The Tendo family could not afford to get into a legal contest with the Kuno.
And so, as they must, they would do nothing, and they would hope that Tatewaki couldn't buy his way out so easily.
Ah, it seemed afternoon tea had lapsed into uncomfortable silence.
'Wonderful,' Akane sullenly noted.
Nabiki rolled her eyes, as Kasumi fretted, idly refilling what cups had been emptied with fresh tea.
Drumming her fingers on the tabletop, Akane searched for diversion from the current state. It would be a real pain if this awkwardness lasted through din...ner... Hmm. Now, there was an idea. "Say, Dad?" Akane spoke up, a note of refurbished enthusiasm in her tone.
Soun inhaled, seemingly more composed again. "Yes, Akane?"
"You were all set to have guests for dinner, right?" Akane queried, as Soun nodded at her reference to the officers that had escorted her. Wincing a little internally, she hoped Kasumi wouldn't mind making a little extra in the end. "So... how about I invite the one you should really be thanking?"
Soun blinked, fingers moving to brush the corners of his mustache. "That Nakano girl, the one who helped you out?"
"Sakura, yes," Akane confirmed with a small smile. The beginnings of an idea were forming, but she'd need to take this one step at a time.
Soun hummed, before nodding with a smile of his own. "I don't see why not..." He grinned. "Very well, if you have a manner of doing so, you have my permission, of course. In fact-" His smile dimmed a bit, but firmed a moment later. "Do tell her to bring her family too, won't you? I could hardly refrain from conveying my thanks to them for raising her right." Ah, that's what it was about. Akane wasn't quite expecting him to go so far, but her dad could sometimes be too kind for his own good. Abruptly hosting an unknown number of guests had the potential to put a fair dent in their finances.
Akane opened her mouth to tell him that was perfectly unnecessary and then clamped her jaw shut and simply smiled, nodding her gratitude. "Thanks, Dad. I'll let her know."
Padding into the hallway by the front door, Akane reached the phone and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. Honestly, she hadn't expected to need it so soon, as she began to dial Sakura's home number in. Pursing her lips, the ravenette waited with a tapping foot, as the ringing sounded for a while, far too long for her liking. And then, right as it seemed as though she would have to leave a message, the clack of a response picked up.
"Hello?" came the vaguely familiar voice of what Akane could only assume was the pinkette. They'd only just today exchanged words for the first time today, but the inflection and tone seemed to match up
"Hello? Er, sorry, hi," Akane fumbled, before shaking her head. "This is Akane Tendo, from Furinkan?"
There was a noise of surprise, and the voice on the other end now came a bit clearer, as if Sakura had adjusted her speaking position. "Akane? Wasn't expecting you to call so soon, or at all actually," Sakura said, almost muttering the last bit, which Akane supposed was... sort of fair?
"Neither was I," Akane replied honestly, leaning against the hallway wall and curling the phone cord around one finger.
"Did something happen?" Sakura suddenly pressed, cutting off the elaboration that had been on Akane's tongue.
Blinking at the strange note of urgency in that question, Akane shook her head and shrugged off the oddity. "No no, nothing bad. I got home okay; though, my family was worried. How about you?"
Sakura made a hissing noise, before clearing her throat. "Sorry, jostled a bruise. I'm probably going to look like old fruit tomorrow," she added with far too much levity, before snorting dismissively. "Whatever. But yeah, I got home fine too." She paused for a moment before returning Akane's own forthrightness. "Family hasn't heard yet, but it's fine. They travel."
Akane could almost hear the shrug through the line, and she wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that the pinkette admitted to basically living alone. That sounded... oppressively lonely, at least on a surface level. Shaking her head, Akane decided to look on the bright side; at least that was fewer guests than her Dad's reckless kindness might have otherwise imposed upon them. "Err... sorry to hear that.
"It's whatever," Sakura said simply.
Akane pursed her lips but chose to drop it. "Anyway, I'm getting off track. That is, I wanted to invite you to dinner... at my house, I mean," she clarified.
"Wait, really?" Sakura asked with a weird note of disbelief in her tone. "Isn't this a little fast?"
"Well, you don't have to feel obligated or anything," Akane couldn't help but lightly grouse, before shaking her head. She didn't see what was so odd about it other than how abrupt the invitation was. "It's hardly unusual. You helped me out, and Dad wants to meet you." It was a tiny white lie, probably not even a lie at all really.
After a moment, Sakura asked, "When?"
"Tonight," Akane replied, before scrunching her brows. "This afternoon, I mean. Wouldn't want to keep you past dark."
"That's... soon," Sakura murmured, before there were some shuffling noises on her end. "I guess I don't have any other commitments." She hummed, seemingly to herself, before speaking against with a little more pep. "Sure. Why not."
"Great!" Akane said, her gaze catching Kasumi peeking out into the hallway. Meeting her eyes, Akane nodded with a thumbs up, and Kasumi simply smiled in turn and left, most likely to make preparations. Returning her attention to the phone, Akane asked, "Do you need directions? A guide? I can meet you at Furinkan and lead you there."
"If you wouldn't mind, thank you," Sakura replied, before chuckling sheepishly. "I'm shit with maps.."
"See you soon, then!" Akane replied. Both hung up soon thereafter, and Akane went to slip on something nicer.
The police were long-gone by the time Furinkan's gates came into sight once more. Akane was no longer in her school uniform, instead wearing a nice little yellow house dress, as the sound of approaching footsteps drew her gaze to a familiar shock of pink hair. Sakura, in turn, was dressed far more casually in blue jeans, long-sleeved navy shirt and a black jacket. She honestly looked a bit like a punk delinquent, despite that she wore the school uniform like everyone else on the daily. Akane smiled and then winced a little at the sight of her.
The ugly bruise across Sakura's temple was a mottled yellow, and though she couldn't see her forearms through the long sleeves of her shirt and jacket, Akane was sure they probably looked worse after taking the large share of Kuno's attack. Blinking, Akane couldn't help but ask, "Do you not have anything for your injuries?"
Starting slightly, Sakura's own smile of greeting dimmed, before becoming a wry grin. She shrugged. "Been out of practice in the martial arena for a while, so I just stopped stocking up on that sort of stuff. Besides..." She scratched the back of her neck. "I'm partial to healing naturally when possible, and the longer these bruises remain and worse they look, the more favorable for me it is if I need to use myself as proof against Kuno..." Sakura's emerald eyes squinted slyly. "...That's why I let him hit me."
Akane couldn't help but begrudgingly see a certain wisdom in that. If one of the biggest pieces of evidence was Sakura herself, she could hardly afford to tarnish it. Wait... what was that last bit? "Let him?"
"Of course," Sakura grinned. "I wasn't that out of sorts after a little tumble like that. One of the first things I learned in Martial Arts is how to fall safely." There was a pride in her visage now, a smile like the cat that caught the canary. Akane had seen something similar on Nabiki's face far too often to not recognize it. "Needed more definitive evidence, something less... detached to show off than a mere recording, if I wanted to nail Tatewaki to the wall. You didn't think it was weird that I chose to block after all the dodging I was doing before?" She chuckled. "I may be out of practice, but I know when I'm outmatched. Give me a little credit."
"That's why you brought the camera..." Akane concluded with shocked realization. "You planned to frame Kuno from the start... You just needed an opportunity." Her brows pinched together. "How long... have you been planning this?"
"I just take precautions in general," Sakura snorted, waving her hand dismissively. "I didn't 'frame' anyone. Everything that happened occurred of his own volition. I simply provided him the rope to hang himself with. Walk and talk?" She made a leading hand gesture, and soon enough, Akane's feet were tracing the familiar path home, soon-to-be-house-guest in tow.
"I don't know if you noticed, but Kuno is something of a tyrant," Sakura commented idly, as they strode side by side. "The other students live in fear of him. I move to Furinkan, and when I get to my new school, I find that things don't add up. Might makes right. Things that would mean an easy expulsion in any other school barely merit a raised eyebrow. The teachers are apathetic or otherwise impotent, and the law seems either uninterested or unaware of what happens in the halls of education... and actually the city in general, if we're being honest."
"I guess?" Akane replied. To be honest, crime statistics weren't exactly something she paid attention to. She was just a high-school girl and martial art heir. For all that she certainly experienced the city plenty for various reasons, as any other civilian would, her life was... pretty compact. School was often 'eventful', but it was fairly routine, formulaic even. Even the duels with Kuno were just something that happened now. Although... Akane shivered lightly at the thought of fighting him again... knowing what she now knew.
Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her long, strawberry tresses with a sigh. "No, it's fine. I get it," she nodded, apparently noticing Akane's hesitance. "Martial Arts rules this town. It's not odd that you wouldn't realize how weird Furinkan is compared to other places. But seriously," she blew out a huff of a breath, "it's like the only thing anyone thinks can handle a Martial Artist -a real one and not the hobbyists like me- is another of their kind. It's just kinda..." she gestured vaguely, "assumed. Like a fact of life." She raised a brow Akane's way, and for the life of her, the ravenette wasn't sure she could disagree.
"I suppose," Akane muttered, before shaking her head. "So, what does that have to do with... today?"
Sakura shrugged. "When you aren't one of the upper echelon, you need to find other ways to defend yourself, to provide deterrents. Because, really, what do you do?" She frowned. "What do you do against people who only respect might. I'll tell you what. You either put in the effort to join their number... or you play dirty, 'dishonorable' as any of those powerful few would call it. If the choice is being stepped on or at least dragging them down into the dirt with you, obviously the latter is preferable." She clenched one fist with quiet conviction, meeting Akane's gaze with a grin. "Make yourself too messy to squish. Make sure the benefit isn't worth the cost."
"And if you were on the other end?" Akane asked with a raised brow.
Sakura paused, her jaw working in thought. Eventually, she shrugged again, as seemed to be her want. "I don't think anything would change, honestly. As crazy as this might sound, I just want to live a relatively peaceful life. If I were interested in glory and power, I could have committed with my old martial art. But honestly?" She grimaced. "It's not worth the hassle."
"Hassle?" Akane frowned. "What do you mean by that? Was something wrong with your dojo?"
"Ah... not really?" Sakura replied, before shaking her head. "I just didn't have any talent for the more... mystical stuff? Maybe I'm just a coaster by nature, but I'm not the sort that wants martial arts to be my entire life, you know?"
Akane nodded. She did get that, to be honest. She loved her family's Art. Really, she did, but it wasn't like she didn't have better things to do with her day... Well had, anyway. If that fight with Kuno had shown her anything, it was that she was going to have to step it up... or face the consequences.
"But, honestly, I guess the real hassle is just being involved in the mystical side of the world. Those that 'practice' tend to attract more of their kind, like some kinda twisted karmic circle or something."
"Mystical?" Akane queried.
Sakura shot her an odd look. "Don't tell me you think being able to do what you and Kuno do is normal, Akane."
Akane blinked, before flustering. "W-well, I-I-!" she spluttered, briefly turning her gaze away to pat down her reddening cheeks. Sucking in a deep breath and recalling her father... and occasionally sisters' "auras", she couldn't help but agree. "I-I just train a lot!"
"Normal training doesn't get people what you have, Akane," Sakura replied easily, raising her hands as if to ward off any potential offense. "Look, I'm not exactly an expert or anything, so I don't really know if you've done it subconsciously... or if your teacher helped you learn on the sly. But that thing you do when you get particularly emotional? Especially angry? That's Ki."
"Ki?" Akane asked not so much for the fact that she hadn't heard to term used before... but that she'd never had her father convey it to her. This was another Martial Artist speaking to her now, telling her things she'd not been before. She wasn't sure if Sakura was completely on the up and up, but the pinkette at least seemed to speak with the conviction of someone who was correct.
"Ki is what separates a real Martial Artist from the chaff," Sakura's voice took on an easy, lecturing tone. Not in the sense that it was condescending, but rather that she was someone speaking with authority and enthusiasm. "It's life force. It's in every breath you take, every beast, and every blade of grass you disturb. It's willpower in motion." She clenched a fist, green eyes seemingly gazing at something only she could see, a memory of something fantastical, and Akane couldn't help but be sucked into the description. "When you can control Ki, you can do things... things that will make others doubt you're even human. The pinnacle of the world of Martial Arts is entirely dependent on your mastery of the various Ki arts that exist in this world, sequestered away in secret cultures and societies. And Akane? I can tell you already have it."
"Really?" Akane managed to restrain a squeak of glee, before clearing her throat and composing herself. "I mean... That is to say, how can you tell? You said you... didn't have any talent for it?" Akane winced at having to be so blunt about what might be a sensitive issue.
But Sakura only nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But I know what it looks like. I..." She paused, before snorting derisively. "I've seen what a Ki master looks like though, so I can at least recognize it when I see it."
Akane nodded at that. She supposed that checked out. "So, then... If using Ki is so impressive, shouldn't that have appealed to you?"
"Of course."
"Then how come you didn't stay?" Akane dug in, some part of her sensing juicy information.
Sakura shook her head, almost idly moving to dodge the splash of water from a familiar old lady. Akane gave a small wave of greeting and then refocused on the conversation at hand. Eventually, Sakura sucked in a breath and exhaled heavily. "Honestly, I just chose the better part of valor." She shrugged... again. "I learned all I felt I'd needed to, and going any further... would have taken me away from the balanced lifestyle I've come to enjoy. Once you start cultivating Ki... once you cross that line... that's a world you don't just step back out of... Now though..."
The two lapsed into silence for a while, as Akane tried to digest everything she'd been told. The sun was closer to the western horizon than not, as they passed various houses and businesses, many -even most- of them locally-owned affairs, family enterprises free of the chains of overarching corporation. In a lot of ways, even for Japan, Furinkan somehow managed to remain an enduring snapshot of the past.
As the Tendo household and dojo came into sight, Akane finally spoke again, hoping to dispel the minor pall of awkward energy before they reached her home. "But now?"
Sakura started a bit, eyes flicking in confusion, before her eyebrows shot up in seeming realization. "Ah, you mean what I said before?" Akane nodded, and Sakura brushed a bit of her hair behind her right ear. "Well, it's just that... I've gotten myself involved with Ki users without having the grounding to use it myself... I uh..." She chucked a bit self-consciously. "I've got some catching up to do."
Akane grinned in commiseration. "Hey, don't worry about it. Everyone has to start somewhere."
Sakura snorted. "Not untrue." She shook her head. "I just hope I have time before anything bizarre happens."
The Kuno Estate was quiet.
Some might even hazard to say...
Too quiet.
And indeed, Sasuke Sarugakure, sworn ninja of the Kuno Family and protector of the household, was one such individual. Though diminutive in size -a midget if anything- and not necessarily the most skilled in the more combat-oriented shinobi arts, he was stout of heart and relentlessly loyal. Admittedly, however, there were times that loyalty... could be perilous.
A light tapping noise echoed throughout the spacious dining room. Warm candlelight from a chandelier illuminated a table fit to seat over a dozen and lined to capacity with seating arrangements... Only one was filled. The tapping, the drumming, of elegantly manicured fingernails rapping rhythmically atop the wood of the table continued unabated, void of fluctuations or punctuation. And in a way, that raw monotony, that sequenced, unyielding and yet... dangerously patient pattern felt even more threatening than a display of overt anger from the source.
A bead of sweat drifted down the back of Sasuke's neck. The food, an immaculate display of French cuisine, had gone cold an hour ago. The table's sole occupant had yet to take a single bite, and yet, she continued to wait without end, displaying only a quiet serenity that set the ninja's teeth on edge.
The tapping stopped.
Sasuke straightened his posture, standing more firmly to attention, as the table's occupant finally reached over to take up a wine glass -assuredly filled with something less than alcoholic- and took a long sip. Moments later, the glass clinked back down onto the tabletop, and the manicured nails twitched, almost as if they wished to resume their rapping vigil.
"Sasuke."
He stood straighter. "Yes, my lady!"
"The head of the household is absent. And more's the pity, he's let my hard work go to waste." The expression she made set Sasuke's teeth on edge. "Do go fetch him, would you?" Sasuke bowed in acknowledgement. "Ensure brother dearest is present for breakfast tomorrow." Her smile was a cruel, spiteful thing, and Sasuke could only feel chills nipping up his spine. "Since he's sure to be extra hungry after going without partaking in my succor... I suppose I'll have to prepare something special for the occasion... It would be a shame for him to miss it... and displease me further, wouldn't you say?"
Sasuke swallowed. "By your leave, Lady Kuno," he answered, hardly daring to turn his back even after her dismissive wave was received. As the ninja bounded into a Furinkan on the brink of nightfall, he couldn't help but note that Master Tatewaki would be unlikely to thank him for retrieving him... but he would most certainly thank him less should the Lady's commands not be followed to the letter.
The shinobi picked up his pace, a shrill maniacal peal of laughter dogging his footsteps.
He almost pitied whoever was truly responsible for this offense.
"OOOHOHOHOHOHOH~!"
Almost.
AN: Personally, I consider Nabiki to be one of the most overlooked and pervasively involved villains in Ranma. Despite popular fanon, she is actually actively part of the reason for the Tendo family's poor financial straights. She is directly the reason Kuno's obsession with Akane was fanned to such absurd heights. She never misses an opportunity to blackmail or otherwise emotionally manipulate those around her for the slightest bit of personal profit. And no-one in the cast can work up the nerve to beat her up the way they would anyone else simply because she doesn't practice martial arts, so she never truly comes out anything less than ahead. Nor does she suffer consequences for her actions. She doesn't do anything for her family's sake except when it serves her own interests to. Simply put, she really doesn't have any redeeming qualities worth noting in any capacity.
Lots of groundwork happening this chapter but perhaps not much else. I suppose at times, some of this is bound to be a little slower burn anyway. Really, I think this chapter ultimately poses the question: "What happens if you kick the anthill long before Ranma arrives?"