Nabiki paid little attention to the apartment as they entered. Instead her
attention was fully concentrated on locating the person she came to talk
to. She followed the teacher to the next room, and her eyes finally caught
sight of the pigtailed man. He was sitting on the floor as he leaned back
against a wall, his blue-green eyes focused on both women as they entered.
The middle Tendo sister was quick to notice he had what looked like a thick folder in his hands. She couldn't get a good look of its contents from where she stood, but she promised herself she would get those papers. They had to be related to Ranma somehow. But for now more important matters were at hand. "Hello, Ranma-kun." She greeted with a smirk.
The pigtailed man closed the folder and smiled faintly at the girl. "Hello, Nabiki-san." His features then turned to concern as he looked up at Hinako, who was dropping off her purse and school supplies. "How're you feeling?"
Hinako finished dropping her stuff and knelt next to Ranma, her hand covering his forehead to check for a fever. "I'm feeling fine, Ranma. Just a little sore." She said as she nodded, satisfied, and took his pulse. "Did you feel any more pain?" Her hands were sure as she went about making sure Ranma wasn't having a relapse into that state.
Ranma tiredly took a hold of her wrist and forced it down, then gave her an odd look. "I told you I would be fine. You're the one we should be worried about." He waved the folder in front of her. "I found nothing concerning what happened to you."
"What's that?" Nabiki asked to break into the conversation. It didn't escape her attention that Ranma had a casual hold of Hinako's arm without a hint of being nervous. Considering he was shaking even sitting close to Kasumi...
Ranma and Hinako turned to Nabiki as if they had forgotten about her, which the girl also noticed. The pigtailed man remained staring at her for a few moments, considering whether to tell her or not. Even if he trusted Nabiki to a certain degree, from the short time he got to really know her, the contents of the document were not something he could share easily. "Just something from my past."
"I thought you didn't remember." Nabiki accused, knowing from the start Ranma hid something from her.
Ranma's eyes looked haunted as he answered. "All I remember from that period of my life is the pain. This..." He said motioning for the folder. "...tells me about what really happened during those years."
"That doesn't change the fact that you lied to us." Nabiki said a little subdued. She could tell Ranma was really hurt over whatever was in those papers, but she needed to make it clear. Tendo Nabiki didn't like being lied to.
Ranma nodded, accepting the accusation. "I'm sorry."
Hinako intervened in the conversation before it could depress Ranma even more. "Why aren't you ready yet?" She asked trying to place a tone of impatience in her voice. The pigtailed man looked genuinely confused at the question, to which Hinako sat back on her ankles and placed her hands on her hips. "You forgot." She said flatly.
Ranma continued to stare at Hinako as if not understanding, which only seemed to make the teacher more upset with him. Nabiki did notice it was all an act on the woman's behalf, but Ranma didn't see it that way and started getting nervous as he tried to recall whatever Hinako was talking about. It was something to do with eating. "That's right!" He said finally. "We were supposed to go out for dinner."
Nabiki stared at the pigtailed man in disbelief. "You forgot about a date with Hinako-sensei?" *Does he have a death wish?* She asked herself. Even if she could ignore the fact that Hinako was considered the hottest woman in Nerima, which she didn't, no one dared upset her because of her abilities. Even Nabiki kept her distance in Furinkan, not wanting to find out what being drained felt like.
Ranma scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry."
Hinako sighed and shook her head theatrically. "Just get ready. I had a long day and am hungry."
The pigtailed man got up to his feet easily and offered a hand to help the teacher up. "I'm ready whenever you are."
Hinako took the offered hand and stood up as well. Nabiki noticed that in adult form the teacher was just about as tall as Ranma. She continued wondering about whatever was going on between these two. *Kasumi, even if she'll never accept it, did grow to like Ranma.*
Both women looked at Ranma's clothes in distaste. "I think you should better change before leaving." The teacher said pointing at what Ranma was wearing. The Chinese shirt and pants had seen better days, being worn out by the weather.
The middle Tendo sister realized the problem with Hinako's words, though. "Ranma-kun doesn't own any other clothes." She said.
Ranma looked down at his clothing. It looked fine to him, if a little worn out. What was all the fuss about?
The teacher nodded in understanding. "I see. Then the first thing to do this weekend will be to get you a wardrobe."
This brought Ranma out of his contemplation about the state of his clothing. He looked up at Hinako and frowned. "I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am."
Hinako waved it off casually. "You're not a burden, Ranma. I'm glad to be able to help." She took a hold of his arm and dragged him after her. "Now let's go. I'm starving."
Nabiki was hard pressed not to laugh at the scene. She had an inkling as to just how strong Ranma really was, and here he was stumbling after a woman that had a casual grip of his arm. Her mirth vanished when she thought of the possibilities, though. She silently walked to the door, where Hinako was waiting with her purse in her hands, and wondered what Kasumi's chances were. *Damn it. I'm no good at this romantic stuff.*
-----
"Are you sure, Nabiki-san?" Ranma asked once again.
And once again Nabiki answered in the negative. "I told you I'll be fine on my own, Ranma-kun."
Hinako smiled at the middle Tendo sister. "It would be no trouble for us to walk you home, Tendo-san."
Nabiki once again shook her head. They had already been discussing about it for a good five minutes. "It's not even dark yet, sensei. The dojo is only two blocks away."
Ranma sighed but finally conceded. "Very well. Just be careful on your way there, Nabiki-san."
Nabiki just rolled her eyes as she waved and started walking away.
Hinako took Ranma to a restaurant owned by one of her students. She didn't go there frequently because she ordered takeout, but the food was good and now she didn't have to worry about turning into a little girl and returning home alone when it was dark out. Not that it worried her that she wouldn't be able to defend herself, but she'd rather avoid the trouble. Now if she did turn into a girl, something she doubted for she still felt her energy reserves abnormally high, Ranma would be around.
Ranma remained silent as he let the teacher guide him. All he did was stare all around him. He was confused by the grins and scowls he saw on the faces of some of the people they passed by. He didn't think there was anything funny about the way he looked. Besides being dragged by the arm, or course.
After ten minutes of walking they arrived at a small place that seemed to be very crowded. Hinako guided Ranma inside and they had to wait for twenty minutes before being attended. *Why did we come here?* Ranma asked himself. *If she was so hungry why come to a place where you'll have to wait to eat?*
As the man was busy with his thoughts Hinako finally made it to the owner of the restaurant. "Good evening, Hinako-sensei. Welcome to Uchan's." Greeted a young man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He was currently working the grill as he received the orders from the customers.
Hinako nodded to her student. "Good evening, Kuonji-san. I see you have a pretty big crowd here tonight."
The boy nodded with a smile. "Seems like word finally got around about my okonomiyaki. Will you have the usual?"
Hinako smiled back. She really liked Kuonji Ukyo. He, or rather she for her trained chi senses could easily see through the disguise, was a very good student and had his own business already. "I'll have one more special today, Kuonji-san. As you can see I'm not alone tonight."
Ukyo smiled as the teacher pointed at a young man with black hair that seemed to be caught in his own thoughts. "Two it is then." He said as he started preparing the meals.
Hinako looked around and asked the chef. "Why don't you try to find a bigger place, Kuonji-san? I'm sure with these crowds you'd benefit from it."
Ukyo's smile vanished as he looked grimly at the grill. "I'm not intending to stay here for long, sensei." The teacher said nothing at noticing the effect her words had on the chef.
Ranma chose just that moment to approach them. "Sorry about that. I didn't notice you were already here." He said apologetically to the teacher.
Hinako waved it off just as Ukyo handed her the okonomiyaki. "Enjoy your meals." He said with a smile, though the teacher could tell it was a forced one.
-----
"That was very good." Ranma said as he walked by Hinako's side. They were making their way back after having their meals in the Uchan's.
Hinako nodded. "Kuonji-san is a very good cook." She said distractedly, wondering why Ukyo was so disturbed when mentioning she wouldn't be staying for long.
Ranma noticed this, but decided to let his companion sort her thoughts. It was something he had to do quite frequently and if she wanted help she'd ask for it.
The peace and quiet didn't last for long, though. They hadn't walked for more than two minutes when they heard screams not too far away. They exchanged a look before rushing to see what the problem was. Hinako could keep pace with Ranma because she never wore high heels, her child form could get away with wearing bigger shoes than she needed, but high heels were out of the question.
They turned a corner and were greeted with the sight of four men, all of them wearing leather and with tattoos on their arms, having cornered two women against a wall. One was a middle-aged woman that stood defiantly, as if daring the men to make a more against her. The other one was a teenager about Akane's age standing in a defensive kempo stance in front of the woman, her demeanor clearly showing that she was intent on defending her older companion.
The guys had smiles on their faces as they feigned rushing at the older woman, only to jump back before the little girl could get to them. "Come on, little girl. We can have some real fun if you just relax." One of them taunted.
"Not on your life, you jerk!" The girl yelled as she narrowed her eyes. She knew her chances against four guys were not good. Hopefully the police would hear the commotion and get here before these four clowns could put their hands on them. She had no allusions as to their motives for cornering them like this.
Hinako's eyes narrowed as she took out a coin out of her purse. "Leave them alone, you delinquents!" She screamed as she approached the four punks with not an ounce of fear in her entire being. She would show these thugs what happened to delinquents.
Everyone turned to see as the beautiful woman approach, and instead of instilling fear in the four men the sight of the teacher in her tight dress only increased their desire for some fun. "What have we here?" Asked one of them licking his suddenly dry lips.
Ranma narrowed his eyes in anger at seeing the four goons, especially since he noticed a familiar looking tattoo on their skin. As an act of fate one of them was one of the participants in Kasumi's attack. Blue-green eyes locked with black ones, burning anger flaring in the former ones while a paralyzing fear overwhelmed the later.
This went unnoticed by the others as the scene played itself out. Hinako standing her ground as one of the thugs approached her, his eyes roaming her body with lusty hunger. The other two remained in place, still cornering their prey, but took great pleasure in seeing their leader about to reach Hinako. The curvaceous form of the teacher was a lot more enticing than the ones of their victims. Not that they wouldn't receive any attention, they would just become desert.
Hinako showed no fear as the thug stopped two feet from her, his posture threatening in an attempt to instill fear in her. That he failed in his attempt made him raise his eyebrows in surprise. He wasn't used to someone standing up to him and the guys.
The teacher looked at the expectant looks on the faces of the two thugs next to the women and fought down the urge to roll her eyes. Did they really expect something from her? *Dumb question, of course they do.* She answered herself as she focused her attention back on what appeared to be the leader of the group. "Let them go and I might be lenient with you."
The reaction she got was, for the most part, as she expected. The three goons started laughing, yet one of them seemed to be preoccupied with something else. In fact he took a step back and spoke nervously. "Guys, I think we should split." A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he spoke, his eyes wide and unblinking, entirely focused on Ranma's unnatural orbs..
"What?!" The leader asked as he turned to him as if he was crazy. "The fun has just started."
Shaking his head the sweating punk spoke back. "I'm getting the hell out of here." And with that he turned on his heels and made a run for it. He couldn't stand having Ranma's eyes focused on him with such cold anger, especially since he had seen what that monster was capable of. Instead of warning his companions about him he decided to make his escape before the guy snapped like before. Maybe if he was busy with his 'friends' he would have a better chance of getting out of there in one piece.
The three remaining guys looked confused before returning to more pleasing business. They dismissed their friend's fear and turned to one woman each. The teenager lowered her stance and got ready for the fight as the guys approached resolutely. This time there would be no more playing around.
The leader turned to Hinako with a sneer. He reached into his pocket and got brass knuckles out, mostly to intimidate her since he had no intention of marring that beautiful face.
"HAPPOU GO EN SATSU!" The teacher bellowed as she pointed with her coin at the man. Even if she did want to make an impression on him she needed to hasten things up to help the women. The other guys' body language spoke volumes, they were about to attack for real.
The scream made everyone stop and turn towards Hinako, the words carrying a certain force that demanded to be recognized. The results, though, weren't as the woman expected. Her eyes widened in shock as, instead of sucking the thug's battle aura dry, her technique failed her. She could feel the chi as she always did, but for some reason it refused to obey her will.
The thug smirked and batted her hand away, the coin being forcefully released from her grasp and clattering harmlessly against the wall. "I called your bluff." He said licking his lips as he reached for the teacher.
Hinako felt fear overwhelm her as she realized her situation. Without her chi abilities, which she relied upon for every confrontation, she was as defenseless as any normal woman. Her fear went to such heights that, besides paralyzing her in place, it made her forget Ranma was with her.
Before the thug could place his hands on her Ranma took her by the shoulders and put her away from danger. She stood staring at him blankly, her brain still not comprehending how she could've lost her power. Much less following what was happening. How was she supposed to defend herself from the delinquents if she didn't have her power?
"We have a hero, guys!" The leader called out mockingly as he sneered at Ranma, who was just now turning to him with an expressionless face. Even if Ranma was tall and built the thug felt no fear at all. He had taken guys twice his size before.
"Leave." Ranma ordered coldly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"I'm so scared." The thug whined as he smirked and adjusted his brass knuckles. He would teach this guy a lesson and return to what he was doing. They would have to get the girls out of here, though. Too much time had been wasted with the show Hinako put up with the coin act and even if the police wasn't very good in this part of Tokyo they would still make an appearance.
"Watch out!" The girl screamed. She knew their chances of getting out of this had increased with Ranma to take away the attention of one of the guys, but if he was taken out they would return to how things were before.
The warning had a different effect on everyone.
Hinako was taken out of her reverie and turned to see Ranma's back in front of her. He was facing off against the guy that she had tried to drain. A sense of relief washed over her when she made the connection. Even if she was useless in a fight right now Ranma would take care of everything.
The woman turned to see what had alarmed her companion so much. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a young man standing up to defend them. The only problem was that he was unarmed and in no fighting stance whatsoever while the punk wore brass knuckles and stood in a relaxed boxing stance.
The guy's attention was turned to see as their leader attacked Ranma.
Ranma averted his gaze for just a second to see why the girl screamed. All the time his opponent needed to land a right cross on his face.
The sound of metal meeting flesh was the start of a long silence. The thug smirked as his opponent's face was turned to the side violently. He probably had a broken bone after receiving such a blow. Everyone stared at the scene in shock as Ranma turned his face back and impassively looked at his opponent as he pulled back his fist. Not a single sign of being hit could be seen on Ranma's jaw. "What the..." Was all the thug could mutter before Ranma acted.
All it took was one blow. Ranma casually backhanded the guy, making it seem as if he was swatting a molesting fly aside. The effect was devastating, though. The distinct sound of cracking bone was heard as Ranma's knuckles impacted with his opponent's jaw. The force behind the attack was such that the guy was smashed against the wall, thankfully unconscious before his body rebounded off the wall and landed on the ground in a heap.
Hinako stared in disbelief at what Ranma had just done. Sure, she knew enough about him to not be surprised, but to actually see it was shocking nonetheless. Shrugging off that blow as if it was nothing... She wasn't sure even Happosai could've done it.
The other two guys stood frozen in place as Ranma turned his cold orbs to meet their own. There was simply no way to mistake it, the pigtailed man wanted their blood. Primal fear coursed through their veins as Ranma slowly walked towards them, his eyes not warming up in the slightest.
The girl didn't know what to do as Ranma walked past her. The unnatural glow of his eyes both mesmerized and terrified her.
The woman stared at the scene with no small amount of surprise. *The hunters have become the hunted.* She thought as her experienced eyes recognized the fear coursing through the former aggressors. Now all she could wonder was what would the hunter do.
Hinako's apprehension for losing her powers vanished as soon as she recognized Ranma's demeanor. She had never seen it before, but he spoke to her about it. If what he said was true, and she had no doubt he was truthful, she had to stop him.
He was going to kill them.
Ranma launched a front kick at the closest punk. Even if flawlessly executed it wasn't a flashy move, but it proved very effective. The air was violently forced out of the guy's lungs and he was sent flying back. He rolled on the floor in pain and desperation as he coughed and tried to get some air into his abused lungs.
The other guy was taken out of his paralyzed state with the attack and took advantage of Ranma's poor recovery time. He nimbly reached into his pocket and produced a knife.
"No!" Hinako screamed as she rushed forward. Her intent wasn't to protect Ranma from the knife, though.
"Die!" The remaining punk bellowed as he thrust forward with the knife, intent on disemboweling the guy that took down his companions.
The thrust didn't touch Ranma's skin, though. With a swiftness that belied his former slow moves, the pigtailed man dropped into a low stance and his hands almost seemed to materialize in front of him. He blocked in such a way that his right hand caught his opponent's hand while the other caught the elbow. The result was, since both his hands moved inward, a dislocated elbow and a scream of pain. The knife clattered harmlessly to the ground.
He wasn't finished though. Just as the thug took a hold of his injured arm Ranma executed a snap kick that caught him in the chin, flipping him back so that he landed on his head. He was completely unconscious before landing, the kick having nearly broken his neck.
Ranma's blue-green eyes turned to the guy that was still trying to get up and breathing with difficulty. He took a step forward before something obstructed his way.
"Stop!" Hinako yelled as she stood in front of him, blocking his way. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments, Hinako's with a tinge of fear in them at seeing such brutality in someone like Ranma, while Ranma's held no emotion, only coldness.
Ranma didn't lash out at Hinako. All he did was walk around her to finish what these punks begun. Or at least he tried to walk around her. The teacher obstructed his way once again, but since he didn't stop this time they lost their footing and fell to the floor with Hinako on bottom.
The landing, with the combined weight, took the air out of Hinako. The teacher considered just laying there for a while until she felt Ranma starting to get up. "Ranma!" She cried out as she latched onto him, trying desperately to stop him from doing something he would later regret. Her fear only intensified when she saw Ranma's cold orbs completely focused on the thug, who was now running away as fast as his legs could carry him. "Snap out of it!" The worst part of it was that she knew she was nowhere near strong enough to stop him.
The woman and girl stared motionlessly at the scene taking place. All they could see was Hinako screaming at Ranma to stop while he continued to try and get up, with little success since he was obviously trying to detach himself without hurting the teacher.
Hinako somehow managed to make Ranma look at her directly in the eyes. Maybe the urgency in her voice made him turn to her, or maybe his own attempt at getting up. Whatever the case when blue-green eyes met blue- green eyes again something seemed to return to Ranma's own. In that second, that seemed to last forever, the pigtailed man stopped struggling and stared down at the teacher, who started to smile at seeing he was in control of himself again.
The police chose that exact same moment to come charging in. The woman turned from the officers of the law to Ranma and Hinako. The man laid over the teacher and between her legs, which were wrapped around his waist.
Oh yes. It would be a lot of fun to explain what happened to the newly arrived officers.
-----
"Thank you again, officer." Hinako said with a smile as the two thugs were taken into custody. Everyone had been questioned and she was last. After that she turned to the awaiting Ranma, who seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at something on the ground a few feet away.
"Young man." The rescued woman called Ranma's attention as she approached. At seeing Ranma turn to her she smiled. "I must thank you for helping us. You are very brave."
Ranma shuffled uncomfortably in place at being praised. "You should thank Hinako-san as well."
The woman frowned at that. "Indeed." It was obvious to Ranma that she hardly approved of Hinako's involvement. Why she would be so apathetic of the teacher he didn't know.
It seemed like the woman was about to say something else when the girl intervened in the conversation. "The officers say we can go home, auntie. Everyone must be worried." As she said those words she was very careful not to look directly at Ranma.
The woman nodded and turned back to Ranma. "Please accept my apologies, but we do have an appointment to make." At Ranma's nod they both turned and left, but not before the teenager turned to him one last time. The look she gave him pained him greatly.
As everyone left the scene Ranma felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" Hinako asked him, having seen the entire exchange.
Ranma just hung his head. "She's afraid of me. Can't really blame her, though. I'm a monster."
Hinako forcefully turned him around to face her and glared at him. "You are not a monster, Ranma." She said with conviction. "Yes, she's afraid of you. But that doesn't make you a monster. Not when you saved both their lives. Not when you saved mine. You get that?" The comment about him saving her life pained her greatly, but she hid it well from him. He needed support right now, not a reminder of what happened to her.
Ranma just smiled sadly at her. "I did save their lives, but am willing to kill the guys who attacked them. Even if I can think more clearly now I still feel they should die. What kind of a person does that make me? What kind of a person feels nothing about killing people?"
Hinako let go of him and stared into his eyes seriously. "Then I'll just have to make sure you don't kill anyone." Ranma found no argument against that. She was able to stop him, even if it put them both in the most embarrassing situation they had ever been in.
Once that was settled Hinako turned to what Ranma was staring at before. "Do you think this is permanent?" She asked trying to sound dispassionate about it and failing miserably.
Ranma felt it was his turn to offer support as he took Hinako's arm and started leading her away from the scene. "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "But I did tell you I saved 'them'..."
And with that they walked away and turned a corner, leaving Hinako's yen coin behind.
-----
Nabiki stared at the teacher as she made her way across the schoolyard. *Still in adult form.* She thought from her usual place taking bets on the morning fight. It amused her to see several members of the fight Akane club turn their heads to stare at the voluptuous teacher as she made her way into the building. Especially when Akane seemed to become even angrier at their distraction. *Seems like the little princess doesn't like not being the center of attention.* Even Nabiki couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the teacher, of the way she attracted attention to her with seemingly no effort.
"Tendo Akane!" A kendoist stepped forward as the last of Akane's opponents hit the dirt.
Nabiki rolled her eyes at the display, which took place in the morning of every school day. As Akane proceeded to show Kuno her feelings for him the middle Tendo sister considered what to do about Ranma. It was obvious that if he continued to live in Nerima someone of her family would eventually meet him. Even now Soun hadn't given up on looking for the young man. Every morning he would take Genma and leave the house under one excuse or another, but Nabiki knew they were looking for Ranma. She had someone tracking her father's movements, as well as Ranma's.
Nabiki had never seen her father so obsessed over something, or someone. Her only consolation for now was that Ranma always remained in Hinako's apartment during the mornings. That was the only reason why a confrontation hadn't taken place.
With a wave of her hand Nabiki had her lackeys take the money from the bets. She was in no mood to be with anyone right now. She needed to think a way out of this situation her father was in.
-----
Days passed and finally the weekend arrived. Hinako remained in her adult form even when she didn't drain a single student at Furinkan. The students remained on edge. Even if the teacher had drained no one she still acted in the same threatening manner as before, only that it was a lot more impressive coming from a woman taller than most of them and with such unnerving eyes.
Taking advantage of the weekend, and making good on her promise, the teacher was dragging Ranma to shop for clothes. It would've been funny for Ranma if it happened to another guy, but actually being dragged around for something he cared little for was no fun. "Do we really have to go?"
Hinako tugged at his arm. "How many more times will you ask? We both need clothes and there's no way you're getting out of it."
"But your clothes fit you fine. Why would you need more?" Ranma asked, trying to get away from the whole idea.
Hinako stopped and rolled her eyes before turning to face Ranma. "These clothes fit my child form. Do you think I want to wear skin tight dresses everyday?"
Ranma looked Hinako up and down and looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong with that?"
She shook her head in disbelief and started dragging him again.
As Ranma continued protesting he was unaware of several sets of eyes intent on his movements. Eyes that analyzed his every move.
-----
He was bored. He was so very bored.
Once they reached their destination Hinako started dragging him from store to store and tried on every single dress she came across. She would ask whether it made her look nice or not, ignore his comments and go on to try the next one. The only reason he hadn't protested was that she seemed to be having a great time. It was also making him nervous that every single male that saw him with Hinako either scowled at him or winked as if he understood something that the pigtailed man didn't.
Just as she was in the changing room Ranma turned to see some girls pointing at him and giggling between themselves. He looked down at himself and found nothing amiss. *Is there something on my face?* He thought rubbing his face, action that only made the girls giggle even more.
"So how do I look?" Hinako asked from behind him.
Ranma turned to see Hinako and upon seeing her...
FLASH
-----
Hinako was having a good time shopping for clothes. For once she could pick them up without worrying if they would fit both her forms. The selection was much wider now, since she could pick clothes that didn't stretch.
As she took off the sundress and picked up the next outfit she thought back to her success in bringing a reaction out of Ranma. Her lack of success. It didn't matter just how revealing the dress was he would at the most raise an eyebrow and tell her it made her look fine. She'd picked all kinds of outfits, yet Ranma didn't seem to be partial to any. In fact he seemed bored out of his mind. Zipping up the skirt she looked herself in the mirror. If this didn't pick his interest then he was made out of stone. Something Hinako hoped strongly against.
That made her stop in her tracks as she stared at herself in the mirror. The look she saw was one of shock. Was she actually hoping Ranma found her attractive? It just didn't make sense. She'd known him for how long? A week? Two at the most?
She looked down at herself, at the body that made every man lust for her. It was her body, a part of Ninomiya Hinako. Yet every man she came across couldn't pry his eyes off of it. All she was for men was a sexual dream. And her child form was even worse. Everyone that knew about her nature, about her changing bodies, saw her as some kind of freak. Some would treat her nicely, but none wanted to get to really know her. She could feel their nervousness, something that hurt even if she did her best to ignore the ache in her heart.
Staring straight into her own eyes, eyes she was still getting accustomed to, Hinako whispered to herself. "Not everybody. Someone doesn't see me like that." When Ranma came along she felt intrigued by him. He didn't seem to care about her condition, in fact he laughed about it. As for her body, she still didn't know if he found it attractive. Maybe it didn't matter to him, since he had seen her in the life stream.
The teacher couldn't help but blush a little at that. Ranma had actually seen her for who she truly was and commented on her beauty.
"Am I attracted to him? Do I like Ranma?" Hinako asked herself as she looked down at her hands. Then she looked sharply into her own eyes, reflected back in the mirror. Ranma wasn't a normal person by far. Yet that very same quality made him more suitable for someone like her. They could relate, while from the others all she would get was sympathy. And, she had to admit, both needed someone for support. *I'm not sure if this will lead us somewhere, but we do need each other right now.*
With that in mind the teacher walked out of the changing room, intent on getting a reaction out of Ranma even if she had to drag him to a lingerie store. She found him looking at a group of teenagers that seemed to find something about him funny. "So how do I look?" She asked to get his attention and posing to expose her curves for him to see.
She wanted a reaction, but seeing him hold his head in pain and fall to his knees wasn't what she desired. "Ranma!" She cried in concern as she rushed to his side and knelt next to him, her hands taking a hold of his shoulders.
Everyone in the store turned to see them, but Hinako paid them no attention as she focused on Ranma, on the way he clutched his head with his right hand.
It only took a couple of seconds for him to recover, but that was enough to draw a crowd. He slowly lifted his head to see Hinako holding him, concern etched on her features. "Are you alright?" She asked.
Ranma shook his head to clear it. "I'm fine." He said as he got up and offered a hand to her, which she took without letting her eyes wander from him. "Sorry about that. That outfit..." He looked her up and down. "...brings back memories."
Hinako was wearing a black leather miniskirt that barely covered anything with a white blouse that fit tightly. She twirled around for him to get a better look at her, and to take her mind off his initial reaction, and smiled. "Do you like it?" The smile was a little forced, but it eased somewhat when she saw him nod.
"It brings back good memories." He smiled sadly. "I don't have many of those."
The crowd started to disperse when they saw nothing else of interest. Well, the females at least. The guys were all too busy ogling the babe in the skimpy outfit.
Hinako bit her lip at Ranma's answer. This only confirmed what she had thought about before. They did need each other, even if most of the time it was Ranma that needed the emotional support. She smiled once again and told him to wait while she changed back to her clothes.
-----
Ranma and Hinako took a break from shopping to have a quick meal in the food court. The former was glad they could rest from trying out clothes. He thought it was bad before, but now it was worse. Hinako made him try several outfits, some of which he would never even have considered, and didn't seem to get tired of it. He also received a lot of strange looks from the girls around, which were making him uncomfortable.
As it was he was already carrying over ten bags with different clothes. "Where do you get the money for all this?" He asked suddenly.
The teacher just winked at him. "Do you actually think I'm paid the salary of an ordinary teacher? Schools like Furinkan hire special disciplinarians."
"Huh?"
Hinako rolled her eyes at his intelligent answer. "Normal teachers can't handle lunatics like Kuno Tatewaki. All of my coworkers in Furinkan, even if less active than I am, have special training to deal with the sort of things I see everyday."
"I see." Ranma said in understanding just seconds before the wall exploded.
Ranma instinctively reached forward and pulled Hinako close to him, covering her body with his own from the flying debris. The teacher could feel the blows of chunks of rock on her human shield and winced when she heard some particularly nasty ones.
Others weren't as lucky as her and were wounded, in some cases seriously, because of the explosion. Moans of pain where heard all over the place as the dust covered nearly the entire room, the ones not unconscious clutched at their wounds in agony. As the dust settled someone was revealed standing in the hole created in the wall.
She was young, probably in her middle teens. Yet her posture and the sword held in her hand spoke of someone far older and more experienced. A purple mane of hair covered the head of a dangerously scowling girl of Chinese origin, if her clothes and features were any indication as to her birthplace. Eyes as purple as her hair scanned the occupants of the room before they settled on Ranma, who was just releasing Hinako and turning to face the intruder. With a demeaning tone of voice obviously used to command she pointed her sword at the pigtailed man. "Slave, you come with Shampoo."
END PART 5
Author's notes: More characters enter the scene, and one of them seems to be in Japan to retrieve Amazon property. What happened in China with the Chinese Amazons? You'll find out in the next chapter, probably.
The middle Tendo sister was quick to notice he had what looked like a thick folder in his hands. She couldn't get a good look of its contents from where she stood, but she promised herself she would get those papers. They had to be related to Ranma somehow. But for now more important matters were at hand. "Hello, Ranma-kun." She greeted with a smirk.
The pigtailed man closed the folder and smiled faintly at the girl. "Hello, Nabiki-san." His features then turned to concern as he looked up at Hinako, who was dropping off her purse and school supplies. "How're you feeling?"
Hinako finished dropping her stuff and knelt next to Ranma, her hand covering his forehead to check for a fever. "I'm feeling fine, Ranma. Just a little sore." She said as she nodded, satisfied, and took his pulse. "Did you feel any more pain?" Her hands were sure as she went about making sure Ranma wasn't having a relapse into that state.
Ranma tiredly took a hold of her wrist and forced it down, then gave her an odd look. "I told you I would be fine. You're the one we should be worried about." He waved the folder in front of her. "I found nothing concerning what happened to you."
"What's that?" Nabiki asked to break into the conversation. It didn't escape her attention that Ranma had a casual hold of Hinako's arm without a hint of being nervous. Considering he was shaking even sitting close to Kasumi...
Ranma and Hinako turned to Nabiki as if they had forgotten about her, which the girl also noticed. The pigtailed man remained staring at her for a few moments, considering whether to tell her or not. Even if he trusted Nabiki to a certain degree, from the short time he got to really know her, the contents of the document were not something he could share easily. "Just something from my past."
"I thought you didn't remember." Nabiki accused, knowing from the start Ranma hid something from her.
Ranma's eyes looked haunted as he answered. "All I remember from that period of my life is the pain. This..." He said motioning for the folder. "...tells me about what really happened during those years."
"That doesn't change the fact that you lied to us." Nabiki said a little subdued. She could tell Ranma was really hurt over whatever was in those papers, but she needed to make it clear. Tendo Nabiki didn't like being lied to.
Ranma nodded, accepting the accusation. "I'm sorry."
Hinako intervened in the conversation before it could depress Ranma even more. "Why aren't you ready yet?" She asked trying to place a tone of impatience in her voice. The pigtailed man looked genuinely confused at the question, to which Hinako sat back on her ankles and placed her hands on her hips. "You forgot." She said flatly.
Ranma continued to stare at Hinako as if not understanding, which only seemed to make the teacher more upset with him. Nabiki did notice it was all an act on the woman's behalf, but Ranma didn't see it that way and started getting nervous as he tried to recall whatever Hinako was talking about. It was something to do with eating. "That's right!" He said finally. "We were supposed to go out for dinner."
Nabiki stared at the pigtailed man in disbelief. "You forgot about a date with Hinako-sensei?" *Does he have a death wish?* She asked herself. Even if she could ignore the fact that Hinako was considered the hottest woman in Nerima, which she didn't, no one dared upset her because of her abilities. Even Nabiki kept her distance in Furinkan, not wanting to find out what being drained felt like.
Ranma scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry."
Hinako sighed and shook her head theatrically. "Just get ready. I had a long day and am hungry."
The pigtailed man got up to his feet easily and offered a hand to help the teacher up. "I'm ready whenever you are."
Hinako took the offered hand and stood up as well. Nabiki noticed that in adult form the teacher was just about as tall as Ranma. She continued wondering about whatever was going on between these two. *Kasumi, even if she'll never accept it, did grow to like Ranma.*
Both women looked at Ranma's clothes in distaste. "I think you should better change before leaving." The teacher said pointing at what Ranma was wearing. The Chinese shirt and pants had seen better days, being worn out by the weather.
The middle Tendo sister realized the problem with Hinako's words, though. "Ranma-kun doesn't own any other clothes." She said.
Ranma looked down at his clothing. It looked fine to him, if a little worn out. What was all the fuss about?
The teacher nodded in understanding. "I see. Then the first thing to do this weekend will be to get you a wardrobe."
This brought Ranma out of his contemplation about the state of his clothing. He looked up at Hinako and frowned. "I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am."
Hinako waved it off casually. "You're not a burden, Ranma. I'm glad to be able to help." She took a hold of his arm and dragged him after her. "Now let's go. I'm starving."
Nabiki was hard pressed not to laugh at the scene. She had an inkling as to just how strong Ranma really was, and here he was stumbling after a woman that had a casual grip of his arm. Her mirth vanished when she thought of the possibilities, though. She silently walked to the door, where Hinako was waiting with her purse in her hands, and wondered what Kasumi's chances were. *Damn it. I'm no good at this romantic stuff.*
-----
"Are you sure, Nabiki-san?" Ranma asked once again.
And once again Nabiki answered in the negative. "I told you I'll be fine on my own, Ranma-kun."
Hinako smiled at the middle Tendo sister. "It would be no trouble for us to walk you home, Tendo-san."
Nabiki once again shook her head. They had already been discussing about it for a good five minutes. "It's not even dark yet, sensei. The dojo is only two blocks away."
Ranma sighed but finally conceded. "Very well. Just be careful on your way there, Nabiki-san."
Nabiki just rolled her eyes as she waved and started walking away.
Hinako took Ranma to a restaurant owned by one of her students. She didn't go there frequently because she ordered takeout, but the food was good and now she didn't have to worry about turning into a little girl and returning home alone when it was dark out. Not that it worried her that she wouldn't be able to defend herself, but she'd rather avoid the trouble. Now if she did turn into a girl, something she doubted for she still felt her energy reserves abnormally high, Ranma would be around.
Ranma remained silent as he let the teacher guide him. All he did was stare all around him. He was confused by the grins and scowls he saw on the faces of some of the people they passed by. He didn't think there was anything funny about the way he looked. Besides being dragged by the arm, or course.
After ten minutes of walking they arrived at a small place that seemed to be very crowded. Hinako guided Ranma inside and they had to wait for twenty minutes before being attended. *Why did we come here?* Ranma asked himself. *If she was so hungry why come to a place where you'll have to wait to eat?*
As the man was busy with his thoughts Hinako finally made it to the owner of the restaurant. "Good evening, Hinako-sensei. Welcome to Uchan's." Greeted a young man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He was currently working the grill as he received the orders from the customers.
Hinako nodded to her student. "Good evening, Kuonji-san. I see you have a pretty big crowd here tonight."
The boy nodded with a smile. "Seems like word finally got around about my okonomiyaki. Will you have the usual?"
Hinako smiled back. She really liked Kuonji Ukyo. He, or rather she for her trained chi senses could easily see through the disguise, was a very good student and had his own business already. "I'll have one more special today, Kuonji-san. As you can see I'm not alone tonight."
Ukyo smiled as the teacher pointed at a young man with black hair that seemed to be caught in his own thoughts. "Two it is then." He said as he started preparing the meals.
Hinako looked around and asked the chef. "Why don't you try to find a bigger place, Kuonji-san? I'm sure with these crowds you'd benefit from it."
Ukyo's smile vanished as he looked grimly at the grill. "I'm not intending to stay here for long, sensei." The teacher said nothing at noticing the effect her words had on the chef.
Ranma chose just that moment to approach them. "Sorry about that. I didn't notice you were already here." He said apologetically to the teacher.
Hinako waved it off just as Ukyo handed her the okonomiyaki. "Enjoy your meals." He said with a smile, though the teacher could tell it was a forced one.
-----
"That was very good." Ranma said as he walked by Hinako's side. They were making their way back after having their meals in the Uchan's.
Hinako nodded. "Kuonji-san is a very good cook." She said distractedly, wondering why Ukyo was so disturbed when mentioning she wouldn't be staying for long.
Ranma noticed this, but decided to let his companion sort her thoughts. It was something he had to do quite frequently and if she wanted help she'd ask for it.
The peace and quiet didn't last for long, though. They hadn't walked for more than two minutes when they heard screams not too far away. They exchanged a look before rushing to see what the problem was. Hinako could keep pace with Ranma because she never wore high heels, her child form could get away with wearing bigger shoes than she needed, but high heels were out of the question.
They turned a corner and were greeted with the sight of four men, all of them wearing leather and with tattoos on their arms, having cornered two women against a wall. One was a middle-aged woman that stood defiantly, as if daring the men to make a more against her. The other one was a teenager about Akane's age standing in a defensive kempo stance in front of the woman, her demeanor clearly showing that she was intent on defending her older companion.
The guys had smiles on their faces as they feigned rushing at the older woman, only to jump back before the little girl could get to them. "Come on, little girl. We can have some real fun if you just relax." One of them taunted.
"Not on your life, you jerk!" The girl yelled as she narrowed her eyes. She knew her chances against four guys were not good. Hopefully the police would hear the commotion and get here before these four clowns could put their hands on them. She had no allusions as to their motives for cornering them like this.
Hinako's eyes narrowed as she took out a coin out of her purse. "Leave them alone, you delinquents!" She screamed as she approached the four punks with not an ounce of fear in her entire being. She would show these thugs what happened to delinquents.
Everyone turned to see as the beautiful woman approach, and instead of instilling fear in the four men the sight of the teacher in her tight dress only increased their desire for some fun. "What have we here?" Asked one of them licking his suddenly dry lips.
Ranma narrowed his eyes in anger at seeing the four goons, especially since he noticed a familiar looking tattoo on their skin. As an act of fate one of them was one of the participants in Kasumi's attack. Blue-green eyes locked with black ones, burning anger flaring in the former ones while a paralyzing fear overwhelmed the later.
This went unnoticed by the others as the scene played itself out. Hinako standing her ground as one of the thugs approached her, his eyes roaming her body with lusty hunger. The other two remained in place, still cornering their prey, but took great pleasure in seeing their leader about to reach Hinako. The curvaceous form of the teacher was a lot more enticing than the ones of their victims. Not that they wouldn't receive any attention, they would just become desert.
Hinako showed no fear as the thug stopped two feet from her, his posture threatening in an attempt to instill fear in her. That he failed in his attempt made him raise his eyebrows in surprise. He wasn't used to someone standing up to him and the guys.
The teacher looked at the expectant looks on the faces of the two thugs next to the women and fought down the urge to roll her eyes. Did they really expect something from her? *Dumb question, of course they do.* She answered herself as she focused her attention back on what appeared to be the leader of the group. "Let them go and I might be lenient with you."
The reaction she got was, for the most part, as she expected. The three goons started laughing, yet one of them seemed to be preoccupied with something else. In fact he took a step back and spoke nervously. "Guys, I think we should split." A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he spoke, his eyes wide and unblinking, entirely focused on Ranma's unnatural orbs..
"What?!" The leader asked as he turned to him as if he was crazy. "The fun has just started."
Shaking his head the sweating punk spoke back. "I'm getting the hell out of here." And with that he turned on his heels and made a run for it. He couldn't stand having Ranma's eyes focused on him with such cold anger, especially since he had seen what that monster was capable of. Instead of warning his companions about him he decided to make his escape before the guy snapped like before. Maybe if he was busy with his 'friends' he would have a better chance of getting out of there in one piece.
The three remaining guys looked confused before returning to more pleasing business. They dismissed their friend's fear and turned to one woman each. The teenager lowered her stance and got ready for the fight as the guys approached resolutely. This time there would be no more playing around.
The leader turned to Hinako with a sneer. He reached into his pocket and got brass knuckles out, mostly to intimidate her since he had no intention of marring that beautiful face.
"HAPPOU GO EN SATSU!" The teacher bellowed as she pointed with her coin at the man. Even if she did want to make an impression on him she needed to hasten things up to help the women. The other guys' body language spoke volumes, they were about to attack for real.
The scream made everyone stop and turn towards Hinako, the words carrying a certain force that demanded to be recognized. The results, though, weren't as the woman expected. Her eyes widened in shock as, instead of sucking the thug's battle aura dry, her technique failed her. She could feel the chi as she always did, but for some reason it refused to obey her will.
The thug smirked and batted her hand away, the coin being forcefully released from her grasp and clattering harmlessly against the wall. "I called your bluff." He said licking his lips as he reached for the teacher.
Hinako felt fear overwhelm her as she realized her situation. Without her chi abilities, which she relied upon for every confrontation, she was as defenseless as any normal woman. Her fear went to such heights that, besides paralyzing her in place, it made her forget Ranma was with her.
Before the thug could place his hands on her Ranma took her by the shoulders and put her away from danger. She stood staring at him blankly, her brain still not comprehending how she could've lost her power. Much less following what was happening. How was she supposed to defend herself from the delinquents if she didn't have her power?
"We have a hero, guys!" The leader called out mockingly as he sneered at Ranma, who was just now turning to him with an expressionless face. Even if Ranma was tall and built the thug felt no fear at all. He had taken guys twice his size before.
"Leave." Ranma ordered coldly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"I'm so scared." The thug whined as he smirked and adjusted his brass knuckles. He would teach this guy a lesson and return to what he was doing. They would have to get the girls out of here, though. Too much time had been wasted with the show Hinako put up with the coin act and even if the police wasn't very good in this part of Tokyo they would still make an appearance.
"Watch out!" The girl screamed. She knew their chances of getting out of this had increased with Ranma to take away the attention of one of the guys, but if he was taken out they would return to how things were before.
The warning had a different effect on everyone.
Hinako was taken out of her reverie and turned to see Ranma's back in front of her. He was facing off against the guy that she had tried to drain. A sense of relief washed over her when she made the connection. Even if she was useless in a fight right now Ranma would take care of everything.
The woman turned to see what had alarmed her companion so much. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a young man standing up to defend them. The only problem was that he was unarmed and in no fighting stance whatsoever while the punk wore brass knuckles and stood in a relaxed boxing stance.
The guy's attention was turned to see as their leader attacked Ranma.
Ranma averted his gaze for just a second to see why the girl screamed. All the time his opponent needed to land a right cross on his face.
The sound of metal meeting flesh was the start of a long silence. The thug smirked as his opponent's face was turned to the side violently. He probably had a broken bone after receiving such a blow. Everyone stared at the scene in shock as Ranma turned his face back and impassively looked at his opponent as he pulled back his fist. Not a single sign of being hit could be seen on Ranma's jaw. "What the..." Was all the thug could mutter before Ranma acted.
All it took was one blow. Ranma casually backhanded the guy, making it seem as if he was swatting a molesting fly aside. The effect was devastating, though. The distinct sound of cracking bone was heard as Ranma's knuckles impacted with his opponent's jaw. The force behind the attack was such that the guy was smashed against the wall, thankfully unconscious before his body rebounded off the wall and landed on the ground in a heap.
Hinako stared in disbelief at what Ranma had just done. Sure, she knew enough about him to not be surprised, but to actually see it was shocking nonetheless. Shrugging off that blow as if it was nothing... She wasn't sure even Happosai could've done it.
The other two guys stood frozen in place as Ranma turned his cold orbs to meet their own. There was simply no way to mistake it, the pigtailed man wanted their blood. Primal fear coursed through their veins as Ranma slowly walked towards them, his eyes not warming up in the slightest.
The girl didn't know what to do as Ranma walked past her. The unnatural glow of his eyes both mesmerized and terrified her.
The woman stared at the scene with no small amount of surprise. *The hunters have become the hunted.* She thought as her experienced eyes recognized the fear coursing through the former aggressors. Now all she could wonder was what would the hunter do.
Hinako's apprehension for losing her powers vanished as soon as she recognized Ranma's demeanor. She had never seen it before, but he spoke to her about it. If what he said was true, and she had no doubt he was truthful, she had to stop him.
He was going to kill them.
Ranma launched a front kick at the closest punk. Even if flawlessly executed it wasn't a flashy move, but it proved very effective. The air was violently forced out of the guy's lungs and he was sent flying back. He rolled on the floor in pain and desperation as he coughed and tried to get some air into his abused lungs.
The other guy was taken out of his paralyzed state with the attack and took advantage of Ranma's poor recovery time. He nimbly reached into his pocket and produced a knife.
"No!" Hinako screamed as she rushed forward. Her intent wasn't to protect Ranma from the knife, though.
"Die!" The remaining punk bellowed as he thrust forward with the knife, intent on disemboweling the guy that took down his companions.
The thrust didn't touch Ranma's skin, though. With a swiftness that belied his former slow moves, the pigtailed man dropped into a low stance and his hands almost seemed to materialize in front of him. He blocked in such a way that his right hand caught his opponent's hand while the other caught the elbow. The result was, since both his hands moved inward, a dislocated elbow and a scream of pain. The knife clattered harmlessly to the ground.
He wasn't finished though. Just as the thug took a hold of his injured arm Ranma executed a snap kick that caught him in the chin, flipping him back so that he landed on his head. He was completely unconscious before landing, the kick having nearly broken his neck.
Ranma's blue-green eyes turned to the guy that was still trying to get up and breathing with difficulty. He took a step forward before something obstructed his way.
"Stop!" Hinako yelled as she stood in front of him, blocking his way. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments, Hinako's with a tinge of fear in them at seeing such brutality in someone like Ranma, while Ranma's held no emotion, only coldness.
Ranma didn't lash out at Hinako. All he did was walk around her to finish what these punks begun. Or at least he tried to walk around her. The teacher obstructed his way once again, but since he didn't stop this time they lost their footing and fell to the floor with Hinako on bottom.
The landing, with the combined weight, took the air out of Hinako. The teacher considered just laying there for a while until she felt Ranma starting to get up. "Ranma!" She cried out as she latched onto him, trying desperately to stop him from doing something he would later regret. Her fear only intensified when she saw Ranma's cold orbs completely focused on the thug, who was now running away as fast as his legs could carry him. "Snap out of it!" The worst part of it was that she knew she was nowhere near strong enough to stop him.
The woman and girl stared motionlessly at the scene taking place. All they could see was Hinako screaming at Ranma to stop while he continued to try and get up, with little success since he was obviously trying to detach himself without hurting the teacher.
Hinako somehow managed to make Ranma look at her directly in the eyes. Maybe the urgency in her voice made him turn to her, or maybe his own attempt at getting up. Whatever the case when blue-green eyes met blue- green eyes again something seemed to return to Ranma's own. In that second, that seemed to last forever, the pigtailed man stopped struggling and stared down at the teacher, who started to smile at seeing he was in control of himself again.
The police chose that exact same moment to come charging in. The woman turned from the officers of the law to Ranma and Hinako. The man laid over the teacher and between her legs, which were wrapped around his waist.
Oh yes. It would be a lot of fun to explain what happened to the newly arrived officers.
-----
"Thank you again, officer." Hinako said with a smile as the two thugs were taken into custody. Everyone had been questioned and she was last. After that she turned to the awaiting Ranma, who seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at something on the ground a few feet away.
"Young man." The rescued woman called Ranma's attention as she approached. At seeing Ranma turn to her she smiled. "I must thank you for helping us. You are very brave."
Ranma shuffled uncomfortably in place at being praised. "You should thank Hinako-san as well."
The woman frowned at that. "Indeed." It was obvious to Ranma that she hardly approved of Hinako's involvement. Why she would be so apathetic of the teacher he didn't know.
It seemed like the woman was about to say something else when the girl intervened in the conversation. "The officers say we can go home, auntie. Everyone must be worried." As she said those words she was very careful not to look directly at Ranma.
The woman nodded and turned back to Ranma. "Please accept my apologies, but we do have an appointment to make." At Ranma's nod they both turned and left, but not before the teenager turned to him one last time. The look she gave him pained him greatly.
As everyone left the scene Ranma felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" Hinako asked him, having seen the entire exchange.
Ranma just hung his head. "She's afraid of me. Can't really blame her, though. I'm a monster."
Hinako forcefully turned him around to face her and glared at him. "You are not a monster, Ranma." She said with conviction. "Yes, she's afraid of you. But that doesn't make you a monster. Not when you saved both their lives. Not when you saved mine. You get that?" The comment about him saving her life pained her greatly, but she hid it well from him. He needed support right now, not a reminder of what happened to her.
Ranma just smiled sadly at her. "I did save their lives, but am willing to kill the guys who attacked them. Even if I can think more clearly now I still feel they should die. What kind of a person does that make me? What kind of a person feels nothing about killing people?"
Hinako let go of him and stared into his eyes seriously. "Then I'll just have to make sure you don't kill anyone." Ranma found no argument against that. She was able to stop him, even if it put them both in the most embarrassing situation they had ever been in.
Once that was settled Hinako turned to what Ranma was staring at before. "Do you think this is permanent?" She asked trying to sound dispassionate about it and failing miserably.
Ranma felt it was his turn to offer support as he took Hinako's arm and started leading her away from the scene. "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "But I did tell you I saved 'them'..."
And with that they walked away and turned a corner, leaving Hinako's yen coin behind.
-----
Nabiki stared at the teacher as she made her way across the schoolyard. *Still in adult form.* She thought from her usual place taking bets on the morning fight. It amused her to see several members of the fight Akane club turn their heads to stare at the voluptuous teacher as she made her way into the building. Especially when Akane seemed to become even angrier at their distraction. *Seems like the little princess doesn't like not being the center of attention.* Even Nabiki couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the teacher, of the way she attracted attention to her with seemingly no effort.
"Tendo Akane!" A kendoist stepped forward as the last of Akane's opponents hit the dirt.
Nabiki rolled her eyes at the display, which took place in the morning of every school day. As Akane proceeded to show Kuno her feelings for him the middle Tendo sister considered what to do about Ranma. It was obvious that if he continued to live in Nerima someone of her family would eventually meet him. Even now Soun hadn't given up on looking for the young man. Every morning he would take Genma and leave the house under one excuse or another, but Nabiki knew they were looking for Ranma. She had someone tracking her father's movements, as well as Ranma's.
Nabiki had never seen her father so obsessed over something, or someone. Her only consolation for now was that Ranma always remained in Hinako's apartment during the mornings. That was the only reason why a confrontation hadn't taken place.
With a wave of her hand Nabiki had her lackeys take the money from the bets. She was in no mood to be with anyone right now. She needed to think a way out of this situation her father was in.
-----
Days passed and finally the weekend arrived. Hinako remained in her adult form even when she didn't drain a single student at Furinkan. The students remained on edge. Even if the teacher had drained no one she still acted in the same threatening manner as before, only that it was a lot more impressive coming from a woman taller than most of them and with such unnerving eyes.
Taking advantage of the weekend, and making good on her promise, the teacher was dragging Ranma to shop for clothes. It would've been funny for Ranma if it happened to another guy, but actually being dragged around for something he cared little for was no fun. "Do we really have to go?"
Hinako tugged at his arm. "How many more times will you ask? We both need clothes and there's no way you're getting out of it."
"But your clothes fit you fine. Why would you need more?" Ranma asked, trying to get away from the whole idea.
Hinako stopped and rolled her eyes before turning to face Ranma. "These clothes fit my child form. Do you think I want to wear skin tight dresses everyday?"
Ranma looked Hinako up and down and looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong with that?"
She shook her head in disbelief and started dragging him again.
As Ranma continued protesting he was unaware of several sets of eyes intent on his movements. Eyes that analyzed his every move.
-----
He was bored. He was so very bored.
Once they reached their destination Hinako started dragging him from store to store and tried on every single dress she came across. She would ask whether it made her look nice or not, ignore his comments and go on to try the next one. The only reason he hadn't protested was that she seemed to be having a great time. It was also making him nervous that every single male that saw him with Hinako either scowled at him or winked as if he understood something that the pigtailed man didn't.
Just as she was in the changing room Ranma turned to see some girls pointing at him and giggling between themselves. He looked down at himself and found nothing amiss. *Is there something on my face?* He thought rubbing his face, action that only made the girls giggle even more.
"So how do I look?" Hinako asked from behind him.
Ranma turned to see Hinako and upon seeing her...
FLASH
-----
Hinako was having a good time shopping for clothes. For once she could pick them up without worrying if they would fit both her forms. The selection was much wider now, since she could pick clothes that didn't stretch.
As she took off the sundress and picked up the next outfit she thought back to her success in bringing a reaction out of Ranma. Her lack of success. It didn't matter just how revealing the dress was he would at the most raise an eyebrow and tell her it made her look fine. She'd picked all kinds of outfits, yet Ranma didn't seem to be partial to any. In fact he seemed bored out of his mind. Zipping up the skirt she looked herself in the mirror. If this didn't pick his interest then he was made out of stone. Something Hinako hoped strongly against.
That made her stop in her tracks as she stared at herself in the mirror. The look she saw was one of shock. Was she actually hoping Ranma found her attractive? It just didn't make sense. She'd known him for how long? A week? Two at the most?
She looked down at herself, at the body that made every man lust for her. It was her body, a part of Ninomiya Hinako. Yet every man she came across couldn't pry his eyes off of it. All she was for men was a sexual dream. And her child form was even worse. Everyone that knew about her nature, about her changing bodies, saw her as some kind of freak. Some would treat her nicely, but none wanted to get to really know her. She could feel their nervousness, something that hurt even if she did her best to ignore the ache in her heart.
Staring straight into her own eyes, eyes she was still getting accustomed to, Hinako whispered to herself. "Not everybody. Someone doesn't see me like that." When Ranma came along she felt intrigued by him. He didn't seem to care about her condition, in fact he laughed about it. As for her body, she still didn't know if he found it attractive. Maybe it didn't matter to him, since he had seen her in the life stream.
The teacher couldn't help but blush a little at that. Ranma had actually seen her for who she truly was and commented on her beauty.
"Am I attracted to him? Do I like Ranma?" Hinako asked herself as she looked down at her hands. Then she looked sharply into her own eyes, reflected back in the mirror. Ranma wasn't a normal person by far. Yet that very same quality made him more suitable for someone like her. They could relate, while from the others all she would get was sympathy. And, she had to admit, both needed someone for support. *I'm not sure if this will lead us somewhere, but we do need each other right now.*
With that in mind the teacher walked out of the changing room, intent on getting a reaction out of Ranma even if she had to drag him to a lingerie store. She found him looking at a group of teenagers that seemed to find something about him funny. "So how do I look?" She asked to get his attention and posing to expose her curves for him to see.
She wanted a reaction, but seeing him hold his head in pain and fall to his knees wasn't what she desired. "Ranma!" She cried in concern as she rushed to his side and knelt next to him, her hands taking a hold of his shoulders.
Everyone in the store turned to see them, but Hinako paid them no attention as she focused on Ranma, on the way he clutched his head with his right hand.
It only took a couple of seconds for him to recover, but that was enough to draw a crowd. He slowly lifted his head to see Hinako holding him, concern etched on her features. "Are you alright?" She asked.
Ranma shook his head to clear it. "I'm fine." He said as he got up and offered a hand to her, which she took without letting her eyes wander from him. "Sorry about that. That outfit..." He looked her up and down. "...brings back memories."
Hinako was wearing a black leather miniskirt that barely covered anything with a white blouse that fit tightly. She twirled around for him to get a better look at her, and to take her mind off his initial reaction, and smiled. "Do you like it?" The smile was a little forced, but it eased somewhat when she saw him nod.
"It brings back good memories." He smiled sadly. "I don't have many of those."
The crowd started to disperse when they saw nothing else of interest. Well, the females at least. The guys were all too busy ogling the babe in the skimpy outfit.
Hinako bit her lip at Ranma's answer. This only confirmed what she had thought about before. They did need each other, even if most of the time it was Ranma that needed the emotional support. She smiled once again and told him to wait while she changed back to her clothes.
-----
Ranma and Hinako took a break from shopping to have a quick meal in the food court. The former was glad they could rest from trying out clothes. He thought it was bad before, but now it was worse. Hinako made him try several outfits, some of which he would never even have considered, and didn't seem to get tired of it. He also received a lot of strange looks from the girls around, which were making him uncomfortable.
As it was he was already carrying over ten bags with different clothes. "Where do you get the money for all this?" He asked suddenly.
The teacher just winked at him. "Do you actually think I'm paid the salary of an ordinary teacher? Schools like Furinkan hire special disciplinarians."
"Huh?"
Hinako rolled her eyes at his intelligent answer. "Normal teachers can't handle lunatics like Kuno Tatewaki. All of my coworkers in Furinkan, even if less active than I am, have special training to deal with the sort of things I see everyday."
"I see." Ranma said in understanding just seconds before the wall exploded.
Ranma instinctively reached forward and pulled Hinako close to him, covering her body with his own from the flying debris. The teacher could feel the blows of chunks of rock on her human shield and winced when she heard some particularly nasty ones.
Others weren't as lucky as her and were wounded, in some cases seriously, because of the explosion. Moans of pain where heard all over the place as the dust covered nearly the entire room, the ones not unconscious clutched at their wounds in agony. As the dust settled someone was revealed standing in the hole created in the wall.
She was young, probably in her middle teens. Yet her posture and the sword held in her hand spoke of someone far older and more experienced. A purple mane of hair covered the head of a dangerously scowling girl of Chinese origin, if her clothes and features were any indication as to her birthplace. Eyes as purple as her hair scanned the occupants of the room before they settled on Ranma, who was just releasing Hinako and turning to face the intruder. With a demeaning tone of voice obviously used to command she pointed her sword at the pigtailed man. "Slave, you come with Shampoo."
END PART 5
Author's notes: More characters enter the scene, and one of them seems to be in Japan to retrieve Amazon property. What happened in China with the Chinese Amazons? You'll find out in the next chapter, probably.