New Guardian Wanted

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A note from the author

Once again thanks to my readers for their support and advice

So far votes for a matchup are :

Pan 2

Bra2

Marron1

I call the three-eyed martial artist Tenshinhan because that is what he is called in the manga (both Dragonball and DragonballZ) so please bear with me.

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Chapter 2: Training

Ranma stared up at the night sky feeling faintly nostalgic. Only twenty-four hours ago he had been laying here confused, in pain and shocked but confident in his abilities as one of the greatest martial artists of his generation. Now he was in the same situation but his morale had taken a shattering blow. He slowly replayed this morning's battle in his mind, examining every detail. How could things have gone so wrong?

(FLASHBACK)

Ranma shrugged nonchalantly and settled into his favorite stance. His smirk grew wider as he charged at his foe. "Ranma Saotome don't lose", he yelled as he cocked a fist back to strike.

Tenshinhan chuckled as he took his own stance.

"We shall see", he whispered.

Ranma waited until he was within striking distance of the older man and then all of a sudden leapt into the air, flipping over his adversary and then twisting in an almost impossible fashion (while still in mid-air) to launch a devastating kick to the back of Ten's skull. The maneuver was executed flawlessly and contained enough power to knock even Ryoga out cold (something told him not to take this man lightly).

Just before the blow could connect however, Ten suddenly burst into action. He turned with blinding speed and redirected Ranma's attack with his right index finger. As Ranma spun to compensate for Ten's counter the older martial artist lashed out with his left fist. The blow didn't connect but then again Ranma could tell that Ten had never intended it to. Instead Ranma was blasted away into the trunk of a nearby tree by a powerful shockwave impacting against his stomach. As Ranma struggled to get to his feet he looked up to see Tenshinhan take another stance.

His chest felt like it was on fire. Whatever that technique was it was stronger than Ryoga on steroids. Ranma leapt to his feet, gasping for breath and then charged at his enemy, flooding his limbs with ki. He appeared to blur before reappearing to the right of his opponent. Time to break out the big guns he thought while at the same time screaming "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!!", his arms launching hundreds of punches at his opponent in an unstoppable barrage.

He was therefore rather surprised when the 'unstoppable barrage' desisted almost instantaneously, both of his wrists held tightly in Ten's fists. Ranma attempted a double kick to the chin but was foiled when Ten ducked under the blow and, still clutching Ranma's wrists, head-butted him in the small of his back. Couple that maneuver with a judo toss and the result was one Ranma Saotome, once again eating dirt and in serious pain.

Ranma rose, this time with respect and suppressed fury shining in his eyes. Tenshinhan was definitely good…no…good was not a word to describe such a man… he was amazing. Ranma began to chuckle, softly at first but then slowly increasing in volume until his mirth echoed throughout the valley. Gazing once more at the three-eyed man he pondered his next move. The Yamasenken (which he had finally duplicated after much trial and error) and the Umisenken were out. He had promised to unseal them only in a life or death situation and unlike his old man he kept his promises. Tenshinhan was also way too cool and collected to fall for the Hiryu-shoten-ha.

Nodding to himself, Ranma settled into another stance, cupping his hands out in front of him. Summoning his confidence he began to glow with a burning blue battle aura which quickly condensed into his outstretched palms. Looking up he grinned in an almost cat-like manner at the look of shock and horror adorning Ten's face and yelled "MOKO TAKABISHA", launching the ball of bright blue chi at his opponent. His look of arrogance and satisfaction dropped however as his chi attack passed though the wavering image of Ten to impact upon the side of a poor innocent beech tree, reducing it to cinders. He then felt a presence behind him and a double-handed chop to the sides of his neck before everything went dark.

(END FLASHBACK)

He had awoken to find himself once again under the watchful eye of the young boy Chaozu. When he asked where Tenshinhan had gone Choazu had merely giggled and chided him for his rough manner of speech. He had then told Ranma that Ten had some thinking to do and would most likely be gone until dawn, meditating under a waterfall or on top of a mountain somewhere. Thanking the boy Ranma had then returned to his thoughts. Ten obviously not only possessed a level of skill that rivaled his own but far superior strength and speed. Not only that but Ranma was sure that Tenshinhan had his own stash of secret techniques to call upon should the need arise.

Yeah… , he thought, He could take on both the Old Ghoul and the Pervert at the same time and win! Probably wouldn't even break a sweat. I don't gotta go home straight away, I don't even know where I am. Maybe I can turn this outing into a little training trip…

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Hovering under the continual pressure of the falling waters of a waterfall we find the three-eyed martial artist.

Ten was deeply, deeply troubled by what he had witnessed. The boy was skilled, no doubt about that, with a level of adaptability that almost rivaled Goku. However during the fight he had finally determined the source of his unease since meeting with Ranma last night.

(FLASHBACK)

Ranma settled into another stance, cupping his hands out in front of him. A blue aura surrounded him and then condensed into his outstretched palms.

(END FLASHBACK)

It was in that moment that everything finally became clear. Ranma was using his emotions to act as a conduct for his internal energies, projecting a form of 'Chi'. Such a tactic was inherently dangerous to user. Not only would one become more and more dependent upon that particular emotion but the continual use of chi literally poisoned their spirit, body and mind. Ten had seen the result. Wrinkly little dwarfs no bigger than Choazu, usually stuck in a particular frame of mind and convinced that their own ways of life were superior to all others.

Ten had to rescue this young man from that path before it was too late and the only way to do that would be to train him. Not only that but Ten was curious to discover the meaning to the overlapping ki layers he had sensed within Ranma earlier.

One question no remained… would Ranma accept his tutelage

End of Chapter 2.

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Comments…ideas…matchups …

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Daval18 bows to the reader and then melts into the shadows