Author's Note: In case anyone was wondering, Kasumi would not have gone to her uncles' shrine and used the well had Ranma not changed the past, so she never would have uncovered her family legacy or known about the youkai. I've also been tempted to include events and characters from other anime to widen the scope of the world, especially during through the ten year gap between 1977 and 1987, but am not sure if that's something the readers want. I explicitly request feedback in that regard. Which do you want to see?

Dumbledork: Thank you very much!

Rogue15: Thank you, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! And yes, Ranma's an honest guy with power, skill, and a reason to teach. There will definitely be consequences long-term for the revelation of his skills in his travels.

shukkets: Thank you!

zeynel: Thanks! Kasumi was actually a bit of a challenge to figure out a direction for. She has a great deal of potential in her life. Homemaker, doctor, martial artist, she could branch out in so many ways. Her patience and willingness to forgive is an extreme, and I thought about how she might have obtained that. It couldn't just be an effect of raising her sisters. There had to be something earlier, in her most formative years, than even that. The only thing I could think of was making her a miko, which is also a subtle nod to Inuyasha. Archery suits the miko while being a bit unique in the world of Ranma. The other techniques just felt natural for Kasumi.

Bigou: Thanks! I worried that it was too long, but it worked out well. And yes, Kasumi will see her father's conduct regarding the engagement differently than in canon. She now knows how it feels to have it done to her.

firelordeg: Thanks again for reading! Yes, I decided to try to respond to all of the comments a while ago. I've read every single one of them, and the feedback actually does help me refine and clarify the story.

Major Simi: Thank you!

Tribun: I tend to be impressed when other people write long chapters so regularly. I've been reading your Ranma x Sailor Mercury fic for a while, even before I started writing this one, and felt daunted when I saw the length of some of them in terms of measuring up. I'm glad to see that you're enjoying mine as I enjoy yours.

And yes, Kasumi needed some exploration and love. I wasn't initially sure how to approach her, hence the repeated rewrites of the last chapter, but I'm actually pleased with the end result. It also gives me a springboard to where I see her eventually going.

I was initially wondering how to explain Ukyo running away completely when she knew Ranma wanted to see his mother, but this misunderstanding turned out to be the simplest and most plausible reason I could think of. It also fits from a Ranma 1/2 stylistic perspective. You are right about the timing as well. I have a very specific idea of when and how Nodoka should meet Ranma again, and I also feel that this mirrors how Ranma only caught glimpses of Nodoka for a while in the original story.

It is interesting how you refer to magic working that way. Many writers seem to hypothesize that Jusenkyo and other forms of magic manifest in ways that match up with the victim in a form of punishment or test. Regarding the photo album, it is quite important as you suspect. Not just because it paints their route of travel, though. You'll see early in this chapter what impact it has.

As for Genma, you'll see. Few people who write him actually have him do well when his debts finally come due.

THEtoken1: Thank you very much!

Mr. Haziq: Mr. Daikoku wasn't referring to a specific type of clone. There are assorted methods to copy one's self in Ranma 1/2, such as the techniques Cologne and Konatsu use as well as clones created through magical means like those you mention. He was only thinking of those examples borne of ki technique, but it may also hold true for magic copies in some cases. And yes, it holds true for Ranma and Ran. Good catch.

I wanted Kasumi to have a chance to shine and explore her character before life got a hold of her. I'm glad to see that people like this version of the girl. Her heading down the path of a martial artist is something that is explored sometimes, though she usually has to cast aside her family or responsibilities to do so in such stories. I wondered how far she might go if it happened under different terms...

Yeah, Ranma needed a new technique born not from just one shallow facet of his personality, but his deeper and more fundamental drive. Ranma is confident, but it's not all that defines him. Risking it all to beat Saffron wasn't borne of confidence, but it was one of his finest moments. His stubbornness, his confidence, his tenacity, all pointed toward his being a fundamentally determined person. When I was trying to think of the descriptor-animal format for the new attack, it wasn't until I remembered his name that I felt like I had the perfect fit.


Chapter 12: Children of Takato

The Kamo Police Station was a small building in Yaotsu that was almost 7 kilometers from the shrine by way of winding road and foot. Were it a normal situation, this would be a difficult trip to make quickly. Fortunately, the police box was close to assorted government parking lots that had been partially commandeered as landing pads. The Police and the JSDF were able to cut the distance to their rallying point down to 4.4 kilometers via helicopter and also make the trip much faster. The elementary school across the street was also willing to lend personnel some office space that was unused because it was spring break. There was a child missing, after all.

Soun, Nodoka, and Kasumi would see two pegboards with maps of Japan on them upon entry into the room. Detective Nogura would approach one and start going through a binder of reports while JSDF and local police coordinated on the matter. There were a few uniform patches indicating that some police from Sekigahara and Kyoto were involved as well. Phones were ringing and people were talking.

"We've got multiple sightings in Maihara on the afternoon of Day One."

"There's someone who thinks they saw them sneaking eastbound around Mino last night.

"Confirmed sighting in Yamagata, consistent with the Mino sighting in the timeline."

"Sighting near Kyoto Station, 8:30 AM on Day One!"

Every sighting of Ranma or Ukyo got a white peg. Multiple sightings in one place were yellow. Confirmed ones were green. A second board used black, orange, and red respectively for Genma's observed movements. Blue also existed on Genma's board to indicate where the letters would likely direct him to appear. Nodoka was roused from her observations when Detective Nogura guided the trio to sit down on a couch and looked to Soun. He glared at the man for several tense moments. "Mr. Soun Tendo. I've been told something that concerns me," he started while eyeing the martial artist warily, "specifically that you were initially supportive of that forced wedding until your daughter started crying."

Soun flinched a bit before the detective continued. "Thankfully, you haven't shown signs of retaining that brief inclination. I would like to remind you, however, that the age of maturity in Japan is 20. That is the earliest people can get married without the permission of their parents. For a boy with such permission, the age is eighteen. For a girl with such permission, the age is sixteen. Kasumi is seven years too young for legal marriage and Ranma is twelve years too young. This would be if all parties agreed. Given that the bride was drugged and crying and the groom was unconscious, it's safe to say such consent was not obtained."

Detective Nogura's voice went very deep and quiet, but it was still audible over everything else in the room to the man. "If your daughter hadn't stopped that wedding from happening, it would have gone badly. The people who supported it would be facing a few years in prison, could lose custody of any children they had, and would have any aspirations for public service ruined. Jiro's in enough trouble for drugging Kasumi as it is. I'll be watching for such problems from now on as we proceed. Am I clear?"

Soun agreed, noting Kasumi's face still holding a tinge of worry. "You are, Detective. I had intended to discuss waiting until the appropriate age as a necessary prerequisite. Jiro would have calmed down once the impracticality of his plan was pointed out to him, and the marriage would not have proceeded today. It's...clear now that even those discussions would have been premature." He didn't want to throw away the prospect of joining the schools, especially as powerful and skilled as Ranma clearly was, but the boy had somehow perceived his hunger without even meeting him. Like the wild horse he was named for, he and his friend resisted when approached too strongly.

"You're right about that, Soun," Nodoka said, looking at him suspiciously. "As Ranma cannot possibly honor all of the engagements, and since none were fully valid, I will have to take care to review them each in turn. Any rush to seize my child's hand through such dishonorable means would be met with firm resistance on my part. I am...quite displeased with what happened out here, and with Ranma being removed from my arms once more."

"...I'm sorry for my failure, Nodoka. Kasumi. It was like being offered all of your dreams at once. Kasumi had her life saved by her fiancee, she'd become wealthy, said fiancee was there, and she was presented in her bridal outfit. Kasumi's and the schools' futures, for that moment, seemed happy and secure. I would have waited until they were mature, true...but I confess that I needed Kasumi's tears to bring me back to reality. The cats were unnecessary though. She'd gotten through to me before they appeared."

Nodoka gave a nod of understanding. "That is why my anger at you faded quickly, Soun. It was a momentary lapse in judgment that I can understand and one that you accept responsibility for. Jiro, however, will have to deal more deeply with the consequences of this. Not only for keeping me from my son, but also for Kasumi's own honor." At the mention of that, Soun's expression hardened as he gave a nod. In this, they were in full agreement. Kasumi, meanwhile, felt the last of her immediate concerns vanish as her father proved his return to clarity.

"Fine. Now that that's resolved," Detective Nogura started, "I would like to look over that book of pictures that Kasumi has. I will return them, we just need to verify the locations in them. Saburo Nekoyama is already making copies for us, but that will take extra time that we needn't spend." Kasumi, hesitantly, opened her overnight bag and pulled out the binder. Soun pondered teaching her about ki-space soon. It seemed that Ranma had that ability to an impressive degree if reports were to be believed, and it would let Kasumi carry as many arrows as she needed. Kasumi having the feel of ki control fresh in her mind would also be useful in such training.

"Here, Mr. Detective." Kasumi handed the photo album over, and the man started to look through it. There were hand-written descriptions of the time and place on the backs of some of the pictures, which was immensely helpful. Noting each image carefully, though skipping over the picture of the trio in the drum bath, he then stood up and walked to the board. He replaced the pin in Maihara with a green one and then added a few others after consulting the other detectives native to the area for confirmation. Once this was done, a string was tied to the peg representing the park in Kyoto and threaded around the various green and yellow pins. It was tied off at the shrine.

"There's the kids' likely route of travel. They initially headed northeast through the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, entered Gifu Prefecture by heading east to Sekigahara, went north after that, then went east again to the shrine. There are also no signs of a kidnapper controlling their movements." Detective Nogura pondered over what they were seeing, more than a bit curious over the implications.

"Perhaps the kidnapper was taking them northeast, but they escaped at Maihara? That's when they seemed to leave the train system behind." Soun observed, hoping to contribute in a helpful manner. However, Detective Nogura had noticed something and wasn't paying attention to the man. Taking the copy of the kidnapping letter which was included in Ranma's file and comparing it to the writing on the back of the photographs, his attention immediately shifted.

"Kasumi. Who wrote on the back of these pictures?" The detective asked, his gaze focused and determined.

"Huh? Ranma did. Ukyo and I weren't good enough at kanji, so he had to write the names of the places they went to. It's a little embarrassing not to be the better reader. He's Akane's age, and she asks me to read things for her most of the time. Maybe he traveled so much that he learned kanji from road signs or something?" Kasumi pondered while the detective stared blankly for roughly two seconds.

Before Nodoka or Soun could ask about the importance of this, however, Detective Nogura recovered and called to one of his colleagues. "Officer Fujiwara! I need a forensic document examiner over here!"


The truck slowed to a stop and the two children inside waited patiently. Ranma had exchanged his oversized wedding attire for one of his sets of backup clothing from when he'd eaten the age-reduction mushrooms, thankfully being able to change inside the huge outfit where Ukyo couldn't see. He suspected that he could actually use ki-space to change his clothes quickly, with a little practice. At least now he was in something a bit closer to his future self's normal red top and black pants rather than that cut apart gi. The driver soon opened the door and smiled at the kids. "Here we are, Ukyo. Welcome to Takato. Give my regards to your father the next time you see him, alright?" The trucker said with a smile after letting the kids out. They were in a city which seemed to have a fair mix of farmland and hills. It was a fertile valley with rivers flowing in all four cardinal directions. It was a beautiful land that was remote due to the mountains surrounding it. They were in the very heart of Japan. Even so, Ranma knew there were still places of interest.

"Thanks, Mr. Goro! Good luck with your deliveries!" Ukyo said to her father's acquaintance. Hopping out of the truck with Ranma, the girl gave an excited smile. "Alright! Now I need to fix up some food! Ranma, let's get my cart ready!"

"Oh, while you're here, look into the Takato Sakura Matsuri that starts tomorrow!" Mr. Goro offered. The man handed Ukyo a map, not demanding any payment for it. They seemed to be handing them out for festival-goers. "It's a Cherry Blossom festival on the grounds of what used to be the old Takato Castle. One of the best places in Japan for such things. People come from all over for it!"

Ukyo smiled and looked to Ranma, sparkles in her eyes. "Ran-chan! Can we go? Can we? Please?"

The boy smiled. "Sure, Ucchan! That's one of the things I was thinkin' of when you said we were headed here. I'll need to see the map and find some other stuff too, but we can do that." He said, smiling at the girl.

"Alright! Let's get looking, Ran-chan! I want to have fun!" The girl had been scared and frightened ever since Kasumi fell down that well, and needed a chance to unwind. Ranma could tell. Fleeing from Sekigahara through the night wasn't easy on her, either.

While the two started moving, Ukyo deciding to delay the use of the cart for the moment, Ranma considered going to a bank or museum to exchange the ancient coinage for modern money. Pawn shops to him were pits that tried to get a profit on people who needed a quick turnover, and he needed better. They'd earned a fair bit of modern money as it was, but that was Ukyo's money from her own work. He otherwise had what he'd taken from his father, what he had been given for clothes by that one lady in Maihara, and what came back with him from 1989. The dates on most of that future money made it worthless, though.

"You two get back here, you little thieves!" Ranma blinked as he became aware of a policeman charging toward him and Ukyo. The large and burly man seemed irate. Ranma would have preferred to just stay out of range, but Ukyo had other ideas as the man reached for her. She initiated a judo throw and flipped the officer, the man finding himself hitting the pavement hard with a loud groan.

"Watch who you're grabbing cre-eeeep! A Policeman!?" Ukyo said, immediately realizing she'd goofed up. The man struggled to stand up and look at the kids, more than a bit surprised.

"Well...nice move. Assaulting a Policeman, though? That's arrest-worthy, kid." The man grunted toward Ukyo. The girl responded by cowering a bit, but Ranma stood in front of her.

"Not when the cop's just chargin' in and attackin' random kids! You're the one who should spend time in a cell! Why don'cha get outta here and chase some real criminals?" Ranma said, now sufficiently angry. He didn't like beating up on police officers, but this one had attacked unprovoked. The man was stunned enough by the threat to stop and take stock of the situation, before blinking.

"Hey, you're not a girl..." The officer said in a gruff and quiet voice. Before Ranma could respond, there was a yell from down the street.

"Kyosuke! Those aren't the kids at all! Now the thieves have gotten away!" An old woman in a traditional outfit approached as she spoke angrily to the officer, smacking him on the back of the head with a fan. "What's wrong with you, assaulting innocent children? I told you clearly, 'girls in blue and pink'! Not 'girl in blue and boy in red'! Put your glasses on!"

The officer had barely recovered from the judo throw before he had to deal with being smacking in the back of the head. Strangely, he didn't try to threaten assault for this one. "Y-Yes, Grandmother! I'm sorry!" Profusely apologizing to a nearby tree trunk, he put his glasses on and took stock of the situation. Those thick coke-bottle glasses reminded him of a certain duck-boy who put him in the past in the first place.

"Suppose there's gotta be more than the one someplace in the world..." Ranma muttered to himself.

The older lady walked up to Ukyo and smiled. "I'm sorry for my grandson's conduct, little one. That was an impressive Judo throw! Not many girls can throw a fully grown man. Are you a martial artist?"

Ukyo recovered from the scare fairly quickly and smiled up at the lady. "Yep! Me and Ran-chan are martial artists on a training journey! He's teaching me all kinds of things! We went to a battlefield, a shrine that used to be a castle, and we're going to see the cherry blossoms tomorrow!" Ranma smiled while Ukyo chatted, observing that the woman and officer both seemed a bit surprised at the idea that the boy was even stronger still.

The officer crossed his arms. "Well, try to be careful. It's pretty safe, but there are a few thieves around. Two of them are your age and keep stealing food. The brats. We get food thieves, underwear thieves, alcohol thieves, it's a lively time of year." The officer said grumpily. Ranma showed displeasure as he looked at the officer.

"Thanks, but tell me somethin'. You ever gone hungry? And I mean starvin' hungry?" Ranma asked, surprising the police officer. Ranma interpreted his indecision as a no. "If you ain't sure, then you haven't. Well, Pop and I have. Plenty of times. Stealin' ain't right, but you have to survive. If these kids don't have parents or survival skills, what else do they have but stealin'? Maybe if you didn't charge in like you were about to beat them into bloody pulps, they'd ask for help!"

"Ran-chan..." Ukyo uttered, remembering that this dug up bad memories. The officer looked remorseful. He was used to intercepting dangerous criminals, not people who'd been forgotten by the system.

"Where are these thieves?" Ranma asked, curious.

"W-well, they seem to keep going to that mountain over there behind the high school." He pointed to a forested hill at the edge of town after dusting himself off. He no longer seemed threatening, and Ukyo's throw was pretty much what the situation demanded anyway. "No one's able to catch them though. They're too fast. Be careful not to be stolen from...though you two might be alright."

Ukyo could already tell what Ranma was thinking of doing as the officer and his grandmother said their goodbyes and walked away. Oh well. The fun didn't start until tomorrow night anyway.


"I don't understand..." Nodoka said, not sure what this meant. Before them was an analysis of the handwriting samples. Though the person tried to conceal their handwriting style on the letters, they lapsed into their normal handwriting fairly often since they wrote the letters in one large batch. The comparison of the handwriting on the letters and the notations on the back of the pictures gave a high degree of certainty that it the same person wrote them. Detective Nogura gave Nodoka a moment before clarifying.

"This analysis says with high confidence that the same person who wrote on the backs of Kasumi's pictures also wrote the kidnapping note and the letters sent all over Japan. Kasumi watched Ranma write the note. That means that there was no kidnapper. Ranma did this himself." Detective Nogura leaned back in his chair, finding it hard to believe as well, but the evidence fit. "The only real sticking point is where Mr. Kuonji's safe went, otherwise there'd be no evidence of a third party at all."

Kasumi blinked, listening to those words. "Safe? You mean Ukyo's safe? Ranma said he's carrying it around."

Nodoka's head quickly turned to the girl. "He said what?"

Kasumi briefly recoiled, wondering if she'd said the wrong thing, but everyone seemed to be waiting for her to keep talking. Their expressions were worry more than anger, so she eventually continued. "...Yeah...it's in his ki-space with her cart, his staves, spare clothes, a bunch of training equipment and supplies, and some outfits and old money I gave him for his journey. A wallet of coins...here, like this one!" The girl pulled a sack of coins from her backpack and opened it. The adults were stunned to see copper, bronze, silver, and gold coins from the Sengoku period. "H-he refused to take it until I told him he'd have to pay for Ukyo to go to school, though..."

"May I look at this?" Detective Nogura asked, before the child nodded. Taking the sack, he looked inside, carefully. "...These slabs are koshukin, a precursor to the Edo period's koban. Each one is about 15 grams of gold, or a little over half an ounce. The street value of the gold alone in each of these at the end of last year was probably upwards of 20,000 yen each. The historical value makes it worth a lot more than that if I remember that one Yakuza case correctly." He looked back to the girl and the two adults. "There's easily over a million yen here in gold by weight alone."

The adults were stunned, but Kasumi didn't have a working knowledge of numbers that high just yet. All she knew was that it was a heavy sack of money. "Oh my. Should I have given him more? There's a huge room full of shiny stuff like this down there, but we were attacked before I could do much with it." Kasumi said, worried that she'd given the boy too little.

Somewhere in the room, a pencil snapped. Another person coughed. Aside from that, there was silence.

"...Right. We're calling a security company for the shrine once the JSDF clear the site, and will make sure this Jiro guy doesn't try to spirit the money away." The detective stated bluntly. "We'll also have people look out for these coins appearing on the market. It might be another way to track Ranma and Ukyo. It's a lot of money, but the kids might not understand how much. It seems like Ranma might though. We've been underestimating the kid all this time."

"...But why did he steal the safe? I thought he knew better..." Nodoka said, her mind going back to the earlier point. She worried that her child was bad after all.

The detective nods. "I have my suspicions but lack evidence to back them up. Stating them might do more harm than good at this point. The best thing you could do is ask him when the time comes. If it helps, they've been stopping thieves here and there and returning stolen goods since they left Kyoto, according to reports. Your kid was even seen buying groceries, and only taking what he paid for into his ki-space. Theft doesn't seem to be his modus operandi. And even if it turns out that he stole the safe for less than ideal reasons, we have to remember that he's a young child raised by a thief in an unusual situation. The boy hardly seems irredeemable."

Nodoka was still concerned to the point where she held her bundle more tightly but decided she had to cross that bridge when they came to it. Things had been fairly positive in regards to Ranma's conduct so far, but this new possibility made her worry. The more she thought about actually forcing her son to abide by the literal suicide clause of the agreement, the more nervous she became.


"Okay! Give it a try, Ucchan!" Ranma said as he and Ukyo looked up at the ledge above. They'd passed the high school and entered the forested hills beyond the city, Ranma finding a practice ledge for Ukyo along the way to where he sensed the supposed thieves' ki ahead. "This is a bit less than the jump you made back at the Nekoyama Shrine. Go ahead and try to jump up as high as you can, and this time push some ki into your legs instead of into ki-space. Remember how it felt to you back then and what I told you about ki control."

A bit unsure of this, the girl pondered for a moment before donning as serious an expression a six-year-old girl could manage. She stepped back and, after squatting for more power and channeling her ki into her legs, leapt as ordered. It was awkward since she put a little more ki into her left leg than the right, making her ascent drift off to the right at a fifteen degree angle, but she easily cleared four meters instead of the one meter she was accustomed to. With a panicked and adorable squeak of surprise, the girl flailed in the air as she fell back down a meter onto the top of the ledge and landed on her feet. She blinked and turned around, before she stared at the boy below her while trying to process what had just happened.

"See? That was great, Ucchan! Once we get you to handle both legs evenly and teach you how to land, you'll be jumpin' on branches and rooftops in no time! You can also use that to make your kicks and punches a lot stronger like we practiced with your punches in the truck before. You've been gettin' a lot stronger on this trip...you just ain't had a chance to notice." Ukyo made no immediate response as Ranma jumped up lazily to meet her. When Ranma was just starting to wonder if the girl had gotten hurt or something, she grabbed him into a crushing hug. It was hard enough to where he had to use a little ki to re-enforce his rib cage and muscles to breathe. Indeed, her upper body strength had benefited as well.

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" Ukyo yelled out happily, excited at the sudden increase in strength. "Wow...just...wow, Ran-chan! I didn't think I could ever do that!"

Ranma tensed a bit in the hug. "Y-you're welcome! You've already cleared a jump a meter higher than that, Ucchan. You just need to practice. That and the Bakusai Tengetsu trainin' will be helpful to you. If you ever take a fall badly, you'd be durable enough just to dust yourself off again." Ranma was still not 100% comfortable with the hugs Ukyo was so quick to give, though he was doing better. He always felt like something bad would happen, as if the other shoe was due to drop. After she was satisfied expressing her glee, she let go.

Ukyo's happiness was short-lived due to a cry of terror ringing out from relatively close by. It sounded like a young girl. This was followed up by the shouting of a second girl. Ranma's eyes widened and he immediately took to the trees. Looking around and scanning for danger, he saw the issue, and it shook him to his core. "Gah! Ucchan! Keep up, but stay back a ways once I attack it!" The boy bounded off, forcing Ukyo to give chase from the ground.

"H-hey, you jerk! What're you doing?" The girl gave chase in anger and worry, running and finding herself being left behind. Ukyo yelled out and pumped ki into her legs, lengthening her stride and increasing her speed. A crevasse about two meters deep and four meters across was cleared before she even fully perceived the meaning of the accomplishment. She kept hearing the cries and had managed to keep Ranma in sight.

Breaking through the underbrush, Ukyo's eyes widened at the scene before her. A bear over two and a half meters tall was reared up on its hind legs and roaring over two young girls. One dressed in blue had her arms out and was bravely staring up at the bear, while the younger girl in pink behind her was crying in a terrified heap. "G-go away and leave us alone!" The brave girl yelled out, only for the bear to raise its paw to attack.

It never even saw Ranma coming as he delivered a flying kick to the side of the bear's head. The creature gave a pained roar as it stumbled to the side, but Ranma wasn't done. Bounding off its head to the ground only to re-engage, he unleashed his newly restored technique on the ursine threat. "Chestnuts Roastin' over an Open Fire!" The young martial artist yelled out, delivering a series of lightning-fast punches across the bear's body at a speed which Ukyo had never seen before. Her eyes couldn't even track them all! The Chestnut Fist achieved, Ranma leapt back to a defensive position between the bear and its intended victims. The creature gave quiet groans while stumbling for a moment, as if dizzy, with its tongue flopping out of its mouth. Finally, the bear fell onto its back hard enough for the ground to shudder before quickly losing consciousness.

All three girls regarded the boy in shock, looking between him and the unconscious bear which he'd managed to take down in seconds. He nodded to Ukyo for a moment, glad she'd kept up, before turning to the two girls. The brave one stayed in front of her sister, regarding the boy in shock. "...Uh...t-thank you! How did you do that? Weren't you scared?"

Ranma responded by giving a confident smile. "Scared? Nah. Once you train in martial arts enough, stuff like that's pretty easy. It's not like that thing could hold a candle to a Hourai Mountain Monkey. I was more worried about you two."

Ukyo walked over nervously, keeping watch over that bear as she looked the girls over. "Hey, are you two alright? Did you get hurt? I have a first aid kit if you need help..."

"No, my sister and I are fine. It didn't get a chance to touch us." The brave girl then blinked and looked behind her, the pink-clad girl gone. Ukyo hadn't even seen her move, but the elder sister somehow just knew. "Kn-knock that off, Kurumi!" She called out, Ranma's attention also turning back toward the bear.

The younger girl was poking the bear with a stick, her mouth open and openly drooling. She flinched when her sister called her, and looked back with tears in her eyes. "B-but Natsume! I'm so...huuuungryyyy...can't we eat it?"

Ukyo just stared, dumbfounded, while it dawned on Ranma who these two were. They were the girls who thought they were Mr. Tendo's long lost daughters thanks to Happosai's 'helpful guidance'. He'd frozen at the realization for a moment, but finally snapped out of it. "H-hey, eating that bear wouldn't be right! Look over there, in the tall grass!" The trio of girls complied, and their eyes widened as they saw a bear cub nervously hiding as best it could. Ranma crossed his arms. "Bears don't usually confront humans without a reason. I think you got too close to its cub, and the mother wanted to protect it. I just knocked the bear out for a while, so we should probably move away-"

The girls couldn't get away fast enough, quickly getting clear of the huge pile of fur and claws. Ranma shrugged and walked away from it a bit more casually. After a bit of time for everyone to calm down, during which Ukyo took a picture of the bear, the boy spoke to the sisters. "So you're Natsume, and you're her little sister Kurumi, right?"

The two girls nodded, regarding the boy with awe. Natsume spoke up for the pair. "Yeah...who are you two?"

Ukyo smiled at the two and gave a light bow. "I'm Ukyo Kuonji, of the Kuonji School of Martial Arts Okonomiyaki! It's nice to meet you! I can fix you some food in a minute, so you don't need to eat the bear anyway..."

Ranma smirked in a friendly manner and gave his introduction next. "And I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anythin' Goes Martial Arts. Come on! Let's get out of here and get some food."

"Yay! Food! Hurry hurry hurry!" The youngest of the group was eagerly pushing her sister from behind in a random direction, before she was gently corrected by Ukyo. As they walked away, Ranma couldn't help but feel like he was missing something important. He blinked and turned to look behind him, as if wary of something. He stood there for a tense moment, surveying the brief conflict's battlefield.

"Hey Ran-chan, come on! Are you waiting for the bear to wake up again?" At Ukyo's prompting, he finally turned and walked away with the girls. He failed to notice the rustle of a bush nearby, a pair of large and thoughtful eyes peering out at the group of children.

Emerging from the forest at a roadside near the local high school, Ranma pulled out Ukyo's okonomiyaki cart from his ki-space. This stunned the two sisters into a brief silence once they noticed the cart which had, somehow, simply appeared behind Ranma when they weren't looking. "...R-ran-chan, would you mind helping cook? I want to teach you something for a change, and I think I'll need the help." Ukyo's words confused Ranma until he saw the look Kurumi was giving them. Now recovering from the initial surprise of seeing the cart, her response was a look of drooling expectation. That was the hungry look of a bottomless pit with legs.

"O-oh, okay! I'll start taking orders, then. What'll it be?" Ranma asked, immediately being inundated with a massive order from the young girl. Natsume silently bowed deeply in apology as her younger sister rattled off her wish list.

Once her rather lengthy order was placed, Ukyo and Ranma worked together to fill it. The boy found himself remembering how often he'd mooched off of Ukyo in Nerima, and actually helping to make the food was driving home just how much he'd taken her friendship and forgiveness for granted before. He made minor mistakes sometimes, but Ukyo was there to inform and guide. She enjoyed teaching him in her Art for a change, and he showed proper respect by learning well. The fact Ranma was a decent cook already and applied his amazing adaptability to what he'd come to respect as an Art helped things go very smoothly. The two girls also paid attention to the lesson, Natsume hoping to learn how to feed Kurumi while Kurumi simply saw it as a form of entertainment before the meal.

Their presence had also attracted some truckers who were hauling in supplies from outside of town before the festival. The ramen restaurant down the street lost a number of sales that day and had no idea why.

"So, what's your story? How did you wind up stealin' food and running into a bear?" Ranma asked, calling the girls' attention away from the food if even partially.

"Well...we're orphans," Natsume answered with, while Kurumi looked a little downcast. The elder sister continued. "We don't remember Daddy's name or Mommy at all. We just know they were martial artists and remember some things Daddy taught us. We were in an orphanage, but somebody wanted to adopt me without taking Kurumi too. We didn't want to split up. We snuck on a truck and wound up here. The bear showed up while we were trying to get away from an angry ramen shop owner by running into the forest." Natsume gave a shudder at the memory and decided to change the subject.

"You said Anything Goes Martial Arts. Can you tell us more about that?" Natsume asked Ranma while Kurumi stuffed her face with okonomiyaki. Ranma obliged, understanding that the bear was a sensitive topic.

"Sure! Anythin' Goes Martial Arts means that you practice anythin' and everythin' you can learn and use it to improve your own style. There are no real limits. It's all about flexibility. Martial Arts that usually don't get used together are fair game if you can make them flow together well. The Saotome School has an aerial combat specialty, but it's weird to limit something like Anythin' Goes to that sort of thing. I'm not really sure what Pop was thinkin'. There's a ground-based school at Nerima's Tendo Dojo that's a sister school. That's the Tendo School of Anythin' Goes." Ranma explained this to the girls as they had their fill, even Natsume being forced to admit that she was quite hungry.

"Hey, Ucchan! Why don't we bring them with us?" Ranma asked, smiling. Ukyo was surprised, and the two girls blinked.

"E-eh? Why, Ran-chan? They might not want to..." Ukyo half muttered in surprise.

"Well...I'm sure Mom's been lonely since Pop stole me away from her. I can't promise anythin', but maybe she'd want to adopt them? And if not, they could still try the Tendo Dojo if they want to learn the ground moves. If they're willin' to brave the wilderness to stay together, and with the look in Natsume's eye when she looked at the bear...yeah, I could see them being pretty good in time if they kept it up. Besides...can we really leave them here like this?" Ranma was really operating on knowledge from the future, though. All these girls really needed was a goal and they'd do the rest themselves if they had to.

"Kurumi wants to go! C'mon, Natsume! We can learn to fight off bears! Uh...but only the ones that aren't trying to protect their babies!" The younger sister happily exclaimed, having finished the last of her okonomiyaki. After regarding her sister and the situation for a bit, a few moments of which were spent looking at Ranma, Natsume made a decision as well.

"Okay, we'll come along! I want to get strong too! I need to be able to protect Kurumi!" Natsume showed determination, smiling at Ranma. Ukyo could tell that both girls were impressed with Ranma. Something made her worry that things were going to get more complicated. They seemed like nice girls though, and they had absolutely no one. At least she had Ranma and her own father in the world. Her doubts faded away, and she allowed herself to feel the girls' excitement.

"...Okay, Ran-chan! Let's have some fun here over the next couple days, then train all the way to Tokyo! We can keep going after I finish some sales!" After a collective cheer, they ate their fill. Ukyo then sold some Okonomiyaki to workers and truckers parked nearby. It seemed that it had become a rest stop of sorts, and her offerings were quite the welcome surprise.

One trucker returned to his truck and looked away from his order for just a moment to open the door, before feeling movement. Looking back to his food, he saw that it had been stolen. He regarded a nearby trucker, who met the glance with his own glare. "...Hiyashi, that's not funny! Give back my food!"

"Har-har, Kouta. You give mine back, thief!" The two men squared up, neither wanting to back down from the slight the other had allegedly caused.

The resulting fistfight was amateur by martial artist standards, especially to the impish man who sat atop the first man's truck and quickly consumed the two stolen meals. On the back of his worn gi was printed 'Anything Goes Martial Arts', and the Grandmaster's large eyes turned to the children who had arranged to travel and train together. Though he'd come here to enjoy cherry blossoms and steal panties from maidens visiting from all over Japan, Happosai's most redeeming quality was that he cared for children. Naturally, he had been about to intercede and stop the bear from attacking the little girls. For his student's son to appear with a girl in tow and handle the situation so well was a very pleasant surprise. And now he was even recruiting the other two girls into Anything Goes. Were it an adult trying to teach his art without earning his Mastery, Happosai would be upset. In this case, though, he couldn't help but be delighted.

"Already spreading the art and surrounding yourself with young ladies...a fine first impression, my boy." The Grandmaster of Anything Goes Martial Arts gave a sage nod and decided that he should keep an eye on the kids' safety and growth, at least until they got to Tokyo.


"Detective Nogura! We've got new information!" An officer stepped forward and gave Detective Nogura a piece of paper. After reading it, he looked up to Nodoka and Soun. Kasumi had been assisting by delivering drinks, eager to have something to do. Taking care of her mother and little sisters had left her with a solid work ethic, and she was also worried about Ranma to the point of needing a distraction.

The detective stood and went to the pegboard, placing a green pin on the board and moving the string to that point. "Ukyo, carrying an unconscious Ranma on foot, was sighted in Mitake. According to reports, Ukyo bought passage on a truck that then headed east. From what we could determine, she and her father were known to use this tactic for transport when moving their cart around Japan. The girl was heard to refer to the man familiarly as Mr. Goro. We've confirmed with Mr. Kuonji via telephone that Mr. Goro is someone they sometimes ride with, and that Mr. Goro is likely unaware of the current situation. Foul play is not suspected."

Nodoka looked down at her feet in disappointment. "So we've lost the trail?"

Detective Nogura shook his head. "No, not entirely. We believe that the kids seem to be headed in a northeasterly direction. We're also trying to find where Mr. Goro was going. Police are looking for his truck at this moment. For now, however, I think there's not much you all can do from here. The kids aren't in the area anymore. My best guess is that they caught Route 21 to Route 19, and on to Shiojiri, or are at least going in that direction."

Soun, seeing how upset Nodoka was, put a hand on her shoulder. "Nodoka. Why not distract yourself a little? I know it's hard, but you can come with my family on the vacation we have planned. Just for the rest of today and tomorrow. Then we can come back at this fresh."

The woman thought for a time before she finally shook her lowered head. "Thank you, Soun, but I think I will stay where the investigation is headquartered. I have neglected my duty as a mother for too long to seek rest when I am needed now. Please take Kasumi to her sisters so she can forget about what happened today. I thank you for coming. Feel free to call the hotel or this station with your number so I can keep you up to date."

"B-but I-" Soun started to hesitate before Nodoka interrupted.

"Your first duty is to your own wife and children. Right now, they need to be a complete family while Kimiko is still able. Take it from someone with experience in the matter. I will not let you waste this opportunity." Nodoka would accept no argument, and Soun was forced to acquiesce. When Kasumi returned, goodbyes were said between the child and her honorary aunt as the police looked on.

Before leaving, Soun looked to the despondent mother one more time. "At least try to get some rest, Nodoka."

"I will, Soun. Thank you." She responded quietly before the man collected his daughter and departed. Afterward, Nodoka went to the only private place she could find in the building, the ladies' restroom, and finally allowed herself to weep.


After the group finished a meal, and Ranma finished making extra okonomiyaki due to his knowledge of Kurumi's hunger, Ranma looked through the local map to find a museum or something. He needed a lead on how to sell at least some of the coins. Selling gold or silver would attract too much attention, but maybe some of the lesser denominations? However, he was distracted when he saw something interesting scheduled to happen that day.

"Japan vs. Soviet Union Rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition, at the Takata-cho Bunka Gymnastics Hall...huh." Thinking back, Ranma recalled that the fifteen-year-old Kurumi liked using a ribbon to battle. Perhaps having her watch this would stoke that natural interest early? Ranma smiled. The decision made, he looked to the new girls.

"Hey, do you two have spare clothes? You're too easy to recognize in town by the police in those, and there's an event I want us to check out. It should be a good display of agility and skill. My Art is based on agility and speed, so it should be a good thing for you to watch." Ranma didn't want them to get caught by the police, but he did want them to see this.

Natsume understood what he meant and gave a nod. "Yeah, we can change clothes. C'mon, Kurumi!" Taking her little sister's hand, they headed into the woods again for a little while. It didn't take long before the pair of girls returned in new outfits. Kurumi had switched out her pink outfit for a lilac and violet one, while Natsume's was now red. "Well, how does it look? Will this work?" Natsume asked Ranma in hopes that it met with his approval.

Ranma regarded the sisters for a moment. "Looks nice, but you might want to change up the hair ribbons for now. They make you easier to identify." Kurumi blinked at the comment and looked to Natsume. The elder sister sighed a little and used the ribbons to alter the hairstyle of the younger. Apparently, Kurumi hadn't figured out how to tie or untie her own ribbons yet. Then Natsume let her own hair down and altered it, using Ukyo's own as a basic template.

"Alright! Now, no stealin' food. Talk to us if you're hungry. Okay?" Ranma said, convinced now that the police wouldn't recognize them. They were greeted with the sound of Kurumi's stomach growling.

"...Really, Kurumi? We just ate!" Ukyo was stunned and the younger girl looked embarrassed, only to have Ranma hand over a fresh okonomiyaki. The girl promptly scarfed it down.

"Good thing ki-space doesn't let stuff spoil or get cold. I made some extras to buy us time, just in case." Ranma was glad he'd thought to do so, having suspected that the girl would need a steady supply of such food. At least she ate less than her fifteen-year-old version. Ukyo, meanwhile, realized why Kaori and Mr. Daikoku considered ki-space one of the pinnacle moves of Martial Arts Delivery. The food they'd deliver would never spill and would always arrive fresh if they carried it in ki-space!

The possibilities ran through Ukyo's mind as she moved with Ranma and their new traveling partners, inspiring her to train her ki-space yet further. She took some ingredients from her cart into her own ki-space, knowing she couldn't handle the whole load yet, while Ranma took on the rest of the cart. She had been working to gradually increase her carrying capacity by taking more of the pots and pans at Ranma's instruction but wanted to redouble her efforts. The weight training this caused would also help her training greatly.

A little over a kilometer's travel later, the group walked onto the grounds of the Takata-cho Bunka Gymnastics Hall. There was an exhibition soccer match getting started that used the soccer field in front of the building and seemed to attract more attention due to being a more widely accepted sport. The group entered the gymnastics hall and Ranma paid the rather cheap price for admission for the four of them. Ranma remembered Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics from helping to train Akane, but this wasn't the martial arts version.

It was then that he heard a voice that made him do a double-take. "Rah-rah! Rah-rah! Let's BEGIN! Start the game and let us WIN!" Ranma was surprised to see the girl who chanted that out. Excited and eager to watch the exhibition was a young Mariko Konjo.

"Why's that girl talking so funny?" Kurumi asked Ranma.

"Oh, she's just actin' like a cheerleader. Don't mind her. We need to get to our seats." He quietly responded. That was one particular encounter that Ranma hoped he could avoid completely. He supposed it made sense though. Her other self's Martial Arts Cheerleading seemed to have a lot in common with Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics in practice.

"Ran-chan! Ucchan!" Someone called out, causing the pair to look over to a certain area of seating. The boy blinked when he saw none other than the Kuno siblings. Tatewaki regarded Ranma with a nod, while Kodachi was happily waving them over.

"Do you know them?" Natsume asked, only for Ukyo to smile.

"Yeah! We met them in Sekigahara! Come on! I'll introduce you!" Ukyo took one of the sisters' hands in each of her own and guided them toward the location of the Kuno siblings. Ranma followed, of course. "These are Tatewaki Kuno and Kodachi Kuno. They're siblings. Tatewaki? Ko-chan? These are Natsume and Kurumi. They're also siblings. They're joining us on our journey!"

"It's nice to meet you both!" Kodachi said, smiling. "What brings you to this event, if I may inquire?"

Ukyo beamed as she sat next to Kodachi. "Oh, Ran-chan wants us to watch because his Art is based on agility and speed. He thinks we'll be able to learn some things. You know him, everything's a form of training!"

Kodachi smiled in agreement. "I hope to learn as well. I understand that they use tools such as ribbons in this sport. To learn how the ribbon moves so that I may one day master it...that is why I am in attendance. My dear father favors the soccer match outside, though. I do hope he does not make a scene." Ranma also hoped not. He didn't truly know just how sane this era's Kocho Kuno was yet.

"I wonder why there are so many foreigners here..." Natsume wondered, noting the assorted people present.

"It is because the Soviet Union is the nation that turned this European discipline into a competitive sport in the 1960s," Kodachi observed, reading from a pamphlet. "Given how often land has been traded back and forth between Russia and Japan through war in the past century, it is little surprise that the two would be competitive in other areas as well. There is talk of having the sport be part of the Olympics within the next decade. This contest between Japan and the Soviet Union is intended to try and show the viability of the sport in hopes of accomplishing this. It is regrettable for them that they could not secure the Nippon Budokan for this venue, but fortune smiles upon us for being at the right place and time."

Ranma could tell that the exhibition wasn't exactly a low profile event though. There were cameras, indicating that it was being televised. It seemed that there'd be a little time before they started. Hopefully, the Kunos wouldn't get too bored waiting. It was then that Ranma remembered how rich they were.

"Oh, hey. You know about history. I was wonderin' if you could tell me the value of somethin' from the Sengoku period." He said to Tatewaki and Kodachi. When Ranma pulled out his sack of coins and started rooting through it, their jaws dropped a bit in spite of their class.

"W-where did thoust obtain such a find?" Tatewaki asked. Sure, they were wealthy, but their father had never let them see the older denominations of wealth. The two kids saw some gold and silver in that bag.

"A-ah, well, I helped open up the Nekoyama Castle basement earlier today. Kasumi, a descendant of the family, gave me these for helpin' her. She said they were to help take care of Ucchan and to make sure we were alright. Includin' payin' for school later." He said, omitting some details. Ukyo wondered why Ranma hadn't told her about this sooner! She'd been earning money for both their sakes during the trip. Did he think she couldn't pull her own weight? Her expression soured at the thought.

"Hmm...Nekoyama...now I recall. They were gifted with profound wealth but lost it in a mishap involving their family art. A cautionary tale. So their former fortunes hath been restored..." Tatewaki said, finding the information fascinating.

"No, Ran-chan." Ukyo said firmly, grabbing everyone's attention. "I won't let you sell something of your own for me."

"Huh? I'm responsible for things, Ucchan. Pop is the one who ruined stuff, and I'm the one who wanted to go on a trainin' journey. Kasumi even reminded me that I'll be payin' for your schoolin' and stuff, so she gave me some things to sell so I could-"

"NO!" Ukyo said even more firmly, getting the attention of a few others seated around them as she glared at the boy. "I've always worked my share, Ran-chan! I've got plenty of money from working along the way just for stuff like this. I wanted this rest and I'm paying for it, hotel and all! Save your money." This discussion was interrupted when the lights dimmed and spotlights converged on the arena in the middle of the room. The group turned to face the stage, where a woman in a dressy business suit with a short skirt and heels stood with a microphone.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Sachiko Hinata from NHK, and I'd like to welcome you to the Takato Rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition!" The woman, an anchorperson for the Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), did her best not to let her disappointment at being ordered to announce at this event show. At least it meant she'd be able to enjoy the cherry blossoms tomorrow. The cheers helped to alleviate her irritation slightly.

"This is the first year for this international event, in which Rhythmic Gymnasts will compete to determine who will emerge the victor! Today, we have the Japanese team, which carried us to a silver medal victory in the last World Championships in 1975!" Sachiko paused to allow the crowd to cheer, which some of them did. Ranma noted that the crowd was fairly decent in size given that this wasn't even martial arts.

"And here we have the Soviet Union's Team! Having been favorites before their country boycotted the last tournament, they lost their chance at the gold! Will we get to see what would have happened if they were able to compete back then?" There was a degree of cheering which was sufficiently large but was still lesser than the support for the Japanese team. A few people on the Soviet team were clearly displeased at the reminder. 1975 was the first time they'd failed to place in the top three since the inception of the World Tournament in 1963. To do so because of events beyond their control had stung hard.

Ranma suspected that these teams weren't actually the exact same rosters as those two years prior, but they were likely the successor teams in the same leagues. This was confirmed when Kodachi started reading names from the pamphlet and describing backgrounds. "Newcomers to the Japanese team are Ai Himura and Ayako Konjo, both aged sixteen. The latter is a particularly skilled member of the team with a bright future. Newcomers for the Soviet team are Olga Vasiliev and Tanya Zolotov, both aged seventeen. Miss Zolotov is an alternate who became a main player after a training accident disabled one of the main team. She's known for being somewhat ruthless...hmm. I wonder what they mean by that. This is decided by points, not by direct competition." After Kodachi's description, Ranma looked to the Japanese Team's lineup and found a girl who was a near body double for the older Mariko he remembered with the addition of a short ponytail. She was preparing to act as the double for her teammates, where she would be tossing them tools and equipment as the match progressed. That explained why Mariko was here, at least. She was cheering on her family.

Ranma and the group watched the exhibition match once it began, during which Ranma explained various details and moves. The Japanese team was doing quite well against the Soviet Team. He essentially became an announcer for the small group, focusing on how various techniques worked and how they could be applied to martial arts. While his commentary might be considered rude to some, Ranma was able to stay quiet enough for it to be more or less restricted to the six of them. Or seven, as the man keeping a close eye on the children managed to listen in on their speech from far away.

"Hmm...I guess you are a bit too young to appreciate the true charms of a woman, Ranma. At least you're able to appreciate the technique, even if the presentation is beyond the perception of a child." Happosai said, approving of the child's choice of entertainment. Even if Ranma couldn't enjoy it, he would. This was one of the reasons he'd come to Takato after all. That and the yukata-clad ladies at the festival tomorrow.


Tanya Zolotov was not happy. She'd worked hard to get to where she was, even ensuring that her teammate was too injured to compete so she could take her place. The others on the team suspected her and essentially shunned her for it, but there was little she could do about it now. She was committed. For the Japanese Team to be doing so well against them was not something she expected or desired. The dirty blonde's blue eyes glared at the new favorite, Ayako Konjo, and knew that a good performance from her might ruin them...and also lead to her removal from the team by the Soviet Union. The government ran everything, including the sports teams, and bad performance at even an exhibition match would result in changes to the lineup.

Fortunately, she came prepared. Carefully, when she thought no one was looking her way and while Ayako was tossing a hoop to her teammate, she used an eyedropper to squirt something down into the water bottle of her competitor via the straw. It wasn't like the lighting or the focus on the stage made it easy for her to be seen.

But seen she was. A pair of purple eyes regarded the activity with a critical eye, as did a pair of blue ones. Kodachi saw this and pondered carefully. "What did that competitor just do, Ranchan?" Ranma's expression, however, was dark.

"Might be some kind of poison. She's pro'bly tryin' to cheat by hinderin' her opponent." Ranma said with a bit of venom in his tone, pondering what to do. He was surprised when Kodachi smiled, beaming at the news.

"Oh, quite clever! So that is how one does battle internationally? Perhaps this is what they mean by 'thinking outside of the box'!" Ranma looked to Kodachi in surprise. Shaking his head, he decided to strike that thought down immediately.

"No, Kodachi. I've been poisoned before. It ain't an honorable way to fight." Ranma's serious tone attracted Kodachi's attention this time. The boy was already moving, however. Ukyo felt her hair ribbon disappear from her head as her hair went free in the darkened stands. Before she could react, Ranma was already gone.

When the current set ended and Ayako picked up her water bottle for a quick drink before going out onto the stage for her own set, Ranma jumped up into the air over the last few sets of spectators. Twirling Ukyo's hair ribbon, he lashed out and wrapped it around Ayako's wrist and pulled her arm partly away before she could take a sip. This led to murmurs as the crowd's focus immediately shifted. The boy was careful not to harm the woman's arm, but the grip was firm.

"A-ah! It seems that a fan wanted to show his technique. That's not nice, little boy. Please go back to your seat, okay? Maybe she can talk to you afterward!" The announcer urged, trying to play off the event as minor and heartwarming. The look in Ranma's eyes and the strength of the bind left Ayako in doubt of this. Security began to approach.

"Hey! Let go of my big sister!" Mariko Konjo yelled loudly, irritated and starting to approach Ranma from her ringside seat.

"You want her to be poisoned, then?" That question made everyone freeze. "My friends and I saw it. That blonde lady, Tanya, just put somethin' into her bottle! If she drinks, there's gonna be trouble!"

"What? You accuse the Soviet Union of cheating?" The team captain of the Soviet team was by no means pleased and was honestly unaware of her teammate's wrongdoing. Enraged and wanting to bend the child over her knee, she breathed heavily and managed to gain control over herself. Politics were important. She couldn't let herself be goaded by a child.

"No, he accuses this specific woman." Ranma turned to look at Kodachi, who descended the stairs along with the rest of the group in support. He was surprised. Wasn't she in favor of this sort of thing? Her future self certainly was. "We saw this woman use an eyedropper to put something into this bottle. She then placed the dropper into that wastebasket."

This made Tanya sweat things a bit, as one of the security people went to the wastebasket and indeed found an eyedropper with residual liquid inside.

'Tanya. You didn't...did you?' The Soviet Team's captain inquired in her native Russian, only for the accused woman to clench her jaw. Picking up a pair of clubs, she then struck a security guard in the face to knock him away from her and chucked a club at Ayako before attempting to flee. The target flinched, only to feel the grip on her arm gone...and to feel no pain. Opening her eyes, she saw the club, wrapped in Ranma's ribbon, being flung back at Tanya.

It hit the meaty part of the back of her leg and made her stumble, the fleeing woman falling into a pile of the Soviets' tools with a nice bruise forming. The rubber ball broke her fall, and she quickly squared up against the six-year-old child who twirled the ribbon expertly. Mindful of the fact his enemy wasn't likely up to his or other martial artists' levels of skill, Ranma was forced to hold back his force...but the tools and skills of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics were fine for less harmful takedowns.

She clumsily attacked with clubs, he blocked them and then whipped them out of her hand with the ribbon. She chucked the ball, he used a discarded club to swat it back into her face. The woman attempted to use her own ribbon as a whip, he outclassed her. By the time all was said and done, the assailant had been restrained in her own ribbon. He'd even used a club in her mouth as a bridle-like gag for good measure.

"...So that's how you use these tools in martial arts..." Kodachi said, impressed. Kurumi seemed similarly fascinated, picking up a discarded ribbon and trying to mimic the movements.

"Yeah, Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics is pretty effective at takedowns and restraining moves, and has options at various ranges," Ranma said, making sure the woman was properly secured. Her teammates, strangely, did not protest. Upon inspection of her bag for the drug in question and the tainted water bottle, there was no more doubt of Tanya Zolotov's guilt. Her performance for the team already complete, the exhibition match was able to continue while she was hauled off.

Dragged into an office to be dealt with later, with Soviet security standing outside the door, the still-restrained Tanya was left to watch the match on nearby televisions. Soon, she couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on her. The perverse gaze made the restrained woman shudder and look around herself in concern. It was then that a shadow emerged from the ductwork and looked over the bound gymnast like a piece of meat. "SWEETO!"

As Happosai leapt forward and clung to Tanya's bosom, her cries were muffled by her makeshift bridle to where she couldn't hope to be heard...


Without poison to contend with, Ayako Konjo gave a stellar performance. The children watched happily in ringside seats with Mariko and some others close to the team, impressed with the display of skill which was presented. Once Ayako's performance was done, Kodachi decided to ask the question which had bothered her for a while. "Ranma...I understand now that poisoning to win is wrong, but...why is it wrong?" The boy was surprised by the question from Kodachi, a question which her older self would never have thought to consider. He pondered carefully for the best answer he could give to summarize why he felt that future Kodachi's methods were so messed up.

Finally, he managed to compose something which sounded sufficient to him. "Well...some fights over somethin' very important, like protectin' somebody's health or life, are about usin' whatever force you need to pull through. But most fights are about testin' your skill against your opponent when you're both at your best, especially sports. If you do somethin' that interferes with that, it makes the whole thing pointless. A win won't prove anythin'."

Kodachi was a bit confused. She understood some of it, but not everything. "But...you just interfered, didn't you? Wasn't that wrong?" Mariko paid special attention to this as well, more than a little curious as to the answer.

"No, Ranma did things properly." Before Ranma could respond, a smiling Ayako came over and had a seat. "What Ranma did wasn't to interfere, but keep someone else from interfering. Because of him, I was kept healthy and the match was able to continue as it would have normally. I wouldn't have been able to compete if I drank from that water bottle. Win or lose, the integrity and honor of this exhibition were protected because of him."

Ranma smiled and nodded. "At times like this, it's important to ask which is the most honorable way to act. Is lettin' the fight continue normally better, or is there somethin' more important to protect? It ain't always easy to make that call."

"I agree that poison is not acceptable in sport, Saotome, but then what place do tactics and strategy then hold?" Tatewaki asked, a bit confused as well. This particular example was clearly dishonorable to him, but he was like his sister in that he wasn't sure where the line was. This question actually made Ranma stop and think.

"Huh. That question's a good one. Trickin' your opponent durin' a fight with your own smarts and technique usually ain't dishonorable if it's part and parcel with the Art, but stuff that don't even give 'em a chance to fight usually is. Guess it depends sometimes. It's more clear-cut in sports. No actin' in a way that hurts your opponent before the match or gives an unfair advantage outside the normal stuff bein' tested. Poison's never okay in sports because it defeats the purpose." After thinking on the matter, Tatewaki seemed to be satisfied with Ranma's answer. Kodachi pondered it for a bit longer. Winning was attractive, but 'cheating' made the victory pointless? She had a lot to consider. It was clear from how Ukyo was sagely nodding, however, that she agreed with Ranma's assessment.

"As Ranma said, sports are about testing your skills. Everyone tries to be at their best and unfair aspects are kept away. The deciding factors should be those only related to the sport itself. Not the people on the sidelines or those not actively participating at that moment." Ayako smiled warmly to the children while her little sister Mariko gave the matter some thought as well. It was at that point when the group was approached. Looking over, Ranma saw a girl roughly his current age with blonde hair and blue eyes regarding them nervously.

"...Am Nadia. Sister tried to hurt Ayako. Am a...apa...apologizing for her. Here! Take!" The young girl, speaking broken Japanese in a heavy Russian accent, offered Ayako some flowers. "Meant to give Tanya when win. No deserve. Give you for sorry. Poison is not way."

Ayako was surprised and wondered briefly if this was another trick, but the child looked nervous and remorseful. The gymnast accepted the flowers with a smile. "Thank you, Nadia. I accept the apology. I'm glad to see that you're a good girl!"

This seemed to make the blonde child happier and she smiled widely. She looked to the group before giving a somewhat unpracticed bow. "Will come back someday! Win properly! Be seeing you!" The girl then ran off to rejoin the Soviet Team, having already apologized to them for her sister's actions. Ranma couldn't help but smile.

It was at that point that the change in music and lighting signaled the announcer's return to the ring. This event demanded the attention of the audience, staff, and competitors alike as she prepared to announce the winner. "Ladies and Gentlemen! In regards to the incident that happened earlier, no penalties or handicaps have been given. The wish of the Japanese team has been to let the score reflect the skill of all competitors without influence positive or negative from the incident. Any punishments inflicted for the events today will not be by this Exhibition's administration or staff. In light of this, Tanya Zolotov's scores stand and will be reflected in the total for the Soviet Team."

There was some displeasure in some voices and relief in others, even as the woman prepared to announce the winner.

"The winner in singles competition, with the highest overall score, is Ayako Konjo!" A cheer came out, applauding the team's rookie, though the cheering petered out after a time to allow the next announcement to be made. "And the winning team of the Takato Rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition, after combining all competitors' scores, is the 1977 Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics Team!"

As the de facto Japanese National Anthem, Kimigayo, played, the two teams both took to the court and shook hands. Tanya Zolotov was nowhere to be seen.


Drained of her ki, Tanya lay there in her bindings. She felt dirty, though her attire had not been removed nor intruded upon. Happosai did not need to go that far to recharge his energies with her own, and there was a proper time and place for such matters anyway. Doing stretches and firing off a few punches into the air, he found himself thoroughly invigorated. "Well, I suppose you've atoned for attacking that boy with what you've given me. It's not good to attack children, Tanya-chan." The woman had enough just strength to glare, but Happosai smirked.

"Of course, I'd have done worse had you succeeded in interrupting the show with your little trick. A Russian team winning on Japanese soil in such a distasteful manner?" He took a puff of his pipe as he glared at the woman. "It's a good thing Ranma was here. I'd sooner drain everyone on your team in full view of the cameras and end this exhibition in scandal than let you win like this." Tanya shuddered at the man's words, her glare faltering and replaced with a look of horror. She knew this little imp would do it.

Happosai, meanwhile, decided that he wouldn't have stopped there. Having some fun with an incapacitated Ayako would have been interesting too. That girl was easy on the eyes.


When the Japanese team had learned that Ranma and his group hadn't worked out hotel reservations yet, they'd naturally invited them back to the Takato Sakura Ryokan at which they were staying. The Kunos, staying at the same, also insisted. The ryokan, a type of traditional Japanese Inn, had been fully reserved for the Japanese and Soviet Teams along with the NHK staff for this event and the flower viewing tomorrow. Security had been stepped up after Tanya had been found molested where she'd been stored, but the kids were allowed in to stay. The Kunos, who had loaned extra video equipment from Sekigahara to the NHK group and had plenty of money to pay for the Japanese Team's expenses, were also staying there. It seemed that Kodachi had shown interest in their discipline and convinced her father to lend them support.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Ukyo said excitedly, her hair ribbon now restored to its rightful place on her head.

"Indeed it is. This Ryokan has been here longer than most countries on the planet. It's from the Heian period. Somewhere in the AD 840s, I believe." Ayako said with a smile. The building was not as large as some others, but it was able to hold all the people in question and had a hot spring-fed onsen. No nails existed in its construction, the building being a treasure of classic Japanese architecture. The Kunos had been booked with the NHK group in one room, though Kodachi had largely stayed with the Japanese Team in theirs. The Soviet Team had their own room as well. The occasional younger sister was also present in the rooms with the teams, such as in the cases of Mariko or Nadia.

The more Ranma thought about it, the more he started to wonder if today had been when Kodachi started down the path of becoming 'Winner by Default' Kodachi. She'd seen someone almost succeed at winning internationally by way of poison. Given how the Kuno mind worked, something he had regrettably extensive experience in observing, it could easily have taken root and turned the girl into the woman he remembered. The boy felt like he'd just helped the whole of Nerima dodge a bullet.

He had no way of knowing that he had kept both teams from becoming assaulted by the old lech and thereby kept the venue from turning into chaos. Things would have been a great deal worse.

"So, you called that Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics?" Ayako inquired, grabbing Ranma's attention once they'd entered the team's common room. At the moment, he was the only boy in the room with the Japanese Team since Tatewaki had retired to the NHK/Kuno room. He ignored the looks he received as the question on their minds was asked.

"Y-yeah. It's an Art about usin' your skill with the tools to battle rather than body-to-body contact. That ain't allowed. I practice an Art focused on aerial combat, flexibility, adaptability, and chainin' together moves from all kinds of disciplines and makin' new ones. Pop would look down on it for bein' girly and usin' weapons, but I can see valuable stuff in Rhythmic Gymnastics." Ranma tried being diplomatic and also accepted that his father's views of women being weak were ignorant. He'd seen proof over and over again of it not being true, and seeing how quickly Ukyo was improving was driving it home. Even Kasumi was able to learn an aspect of an Art in its true form that could probably defeat his father. Maybe his father's views on armed combat were also untrue, provided one didn't overspecialize their training to where they were helpless if they were disarmed.

"Hmph. Our Daddies are mean. Hating things just because they're girly..." Ukyo said, recalling her own treatment.

"It's an Art and it works. If Pop wants to be weaker just because he's an idiot, I ain't wastin' my breath to correct him. I'll just beat him with it later." Ranma said, making Ukyo giggle.

"The sleazy Genma Saotome, beaten with Rhythmic Gymnastics. I'd love to see that!" Ukyo seemed quite pleased with this prospect. Kurumi, gently interrupting, tugged on Ranma's sleeve.

"Ranma! Kurumi wants a snack and to see more of the ribbon fighting!" Noting that it was still a bit before dinner, Ranma pulled an Okonomiyaki out of his literal sleeve and fed it to the girl. Any question of how he did so died on the lips of the observers as they saw Kurumi devour it ravenously.

"Alright, I'll show more of it. I think I saw a training hall on the property. Is it open to us?" Ranma inquired of the team, wondering if they could use it.

"Yes, it's from the days when Samurai and other warriors would stay here. Even in the era afterward, it's been used for training or plays. We and the Soviet Team alternated in using it for training sessions. Neither of us were allowed to see the actual venue before the exhibition. I'm sure we can go there. I don't think the other team is using it right now." Ayako seemed to be in charge of speaking for the team to the children, being an elder sister of a similarly aged girl herself.

Before long, the lot of them were at the Dojo. Kodachi had gone and grabbed Tatewaki so he could observe. Even Nadia, who had been in the hallway rather than in the Soviet Team's room, tagged along with the group out of curiosity. Ranma, Ukyo, Tatewaki, Kodachi, and the team members all bowed at the entrance of the Dojo before removing their shoes and entering. Seeing this gesture, the rest did the same.

"Alright. You all know more about Rhythmic Gymnastics itself than me, while I know more about martial arts than pro'bly most of you. A-ah, I'm not tryin' to be a jerk there, just that Pop hammered that into me for as long as I can remember. My life ain't had much else in it." Some of the girls looked at each other, wondering what the boy meant by that. Accepting a ribbon and pulling a training dummy into position, he got to work explaining.

"Okay. First off, Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics don't always take place on the normal gym floor. There's sometimes an elevated platform with ropes, like boxin'. There are a bunch of reasons for that. Not only to add some penalty if you get sloppy or to provide an alternate way to win through a ring out, but also so you can use the posts and ropes for creative stuff. Changes in elevation, redirection of force, all these things are possible and make the Art more interestin' and challengin'. I suppose it ain't an essential part if two people just want to have a match, but you need to know about it. Otherwise, knockout or submission are the main ways for a match to end." The girls followed well enough, finding that difference interesting.

"Second, you ain't allowed to hit each other with your own bodies. No direct physical contact. You have to hit each other with the tools as weapons. Of course, this don't always mean you grab the other person or hit them. You can bounce stuff off the ground, posts, or ropes for weird angles. If the other person's usin' the ropes to do somethin', grabbin' the ropes with a ribbon and pullin' is a good way to get a ring out. Last person I beat was too confident on the pole and got knocked off in a ring out after gettin' unbalanced." After explaining that, Ranma took the ribbon and twirled it. He turned it on the training dummy and a furious series of strikes could be heard as the ribbon repeatedly struck the dummy enough to knock it back a meter and topple over.

"Right. Time for some practical demonstrations with the tools. Watch carefully!" Ranma went through each weapon and the various techniques and uses of them. The gymnasts would recognize the forms they were based on readily and knew that this wasn't just some child being random. This was built on actual knowledge. Ranma also noticed Sasuke, the faithful retainer of the Kuno family, spying outside with his ki sense. What the unconcerned Ranma didn't know was that he was recording everything for his mistress as well as for the Japanese Team.

"Ranma," Kodachi elected to prompt once the basics were explained, "I would like to learn about ki and how to use it in the ribbon. You had to leave Sekigahara before you could instruct me in such. I'm certain my dear brother would also like to know, so he might understand how to imbue his sword with the power." Kodachi reminded. The other girls present found this adorable.

"Kodachi-chan, I know what martial arts movies might have told us, but there's not really any such thing as ki. It's a form of breathing control, that's all." Their team captain spoke gently, making those assembled giggle slightly in spite of themselves. Ranma hesitated, not liking being doubted. He didn't want to attract attention to himself any more than he had to, true, but these girls were laughing at the Art. Unwilling to take that, the boy focused and called forth a baseball-sized sphere of golden energy in his hand.

Dead silence was all that was heard for the ten seconds that followed this act.

Kurumi eventually approached and poked the ball with her finger. She then put her hands against it. "It's warm!" That opened the floodgates as Ranma was immediately surrounded by young women trying to see just what he'd conjured up. Even their trainers were staring, and some brave ones touched it and inspected his hand for tricks. He was uncomfortable but powered through.

"T-this ki. Life energy. There are lots of martial arts that talk about ki, but all the confusion means some are sellin' snake oil. This is the real stuff. Its color and type depend on your definin' emotion or the technique you're usin'. Mine's yellow, our friend Kasumi's is violet, and Ucchan's is green. Some kinds of techniques always glow white or blue if they're not emotion dependent, though."

Ukyo was stunned by this. "Huh? W-when did you see the color of my ki?"

"When you got ticked off at the Gamblin' King, you got angry and it leaked out in an aura. You tapped into it without even thinkin' about it, just like you did at the shrine when you jumped into that hole in the cliff face. That and the fact you could jump four meters on command today and use it to boost your punches means you're really close to the next step. Usin' it in weapons. Need to teach you more about landin' those tall jumps though." This little detail surprised the young women.

"Wait...she jumped four meters? That can't be right..." Ayako said, surprised. To disprove this, Ranma simply leapt out from the center of the girls, far over their heads, and landed skillfully outside the group. This silenced any doubters once more.

"A couple of the first ways to use ki are to sense it around you and to boost your body and muscles. You control the ki flow in your body, you can enhance your speed, strength, and durability. It can also lead to other things happenin' like your body improvin' to keep up. Reaction time, healin' time, those can all be trimmed just by practicin' with it often enough. You should see what some of the elders and masters in China can do. You should also hope never to get their attention." This last part wasn't a joke, but a fair warning. He didn't want these girls to think they were at the top of the pecking order if they unlocked this ability. That was especially true for the Kunos.

"Anyway, at where Ucchan is right now, you'll get to where you can start trainin' to project ki into weapons. They can be used to hit harder, reinforce sharpened edges, take the force that would otherwise break them, or even control them." Ranma took a ribbon. Holding it and not even bothering to move his arm or hand, he was able to make the ribbon levitate off the ground and even make it twirl. "Of course, usin' ki alone for this ain't as effective as backin' it up with physical power. In a real fight, I'd still be twirlin' it in my grip and usin' ki if I needed to correct mid-twirl or somethin' else more subtle. It ain't a replacement for the other skills. It's supplemental."

Tatewaki nodded in understanding. Ranma had reinforced the cutting edge of his wooden sword in Sekigahara, along with its structural integrity. This also explained the noodle fight and the fish cakes before that. "Might you be able to make something float in the air or fly?"

Ranma pondered the matter for a moment before responding. "Well, there are a few in China who can do that, but I haven't cracked that power just yet. I really want to, though. It may not be a common power, even among pure ki techniques, but I ain't givin' up."

After this, Ranma would spend some time training with the team and his own entourage. A number of the girls took well to the Art, even if they'd not learned to tap into ki yet. A select few like Ayako managed to achieve the beginnings of ki-strengthening. Nadia and Mariko were already practicing sparring with ribbons from standing positions as if they were fencers, though not with any ki control. Kodachi and Kurumi did the same. Tatewaki practiced ki exercises, trying to sense the life force around him. Ukyo, meanwhile, was making the most progress. The fine control the ribbon required was beyond her at the moment, but she was able to pour energy into the ribbon sufficient to make it flail randomly. She just needed to learn to center and control her ki better.

Ayako blinked and checked the time. "...Ah! If we want to have a nice, long soak in the onsen before dinner, we'd best stop for now!" That observation called an end to the training. The girls had wanted to rest up after the exhibition match anyway, but Ranma's training was too attractive to pass up.

"What about you, my brother?" Kodachi inquired, curious as to if her brother needed to bathe before dinner.

"I did so before you summoned for me. This is why I avoided strenuous activity and restricted myself to ki practice. I will practice more with the physicalities of the Art tomorrow. Thank you for the lesson, Saotome." Tatewaki rose and excused himself with a bow, returning to the Ryokan.

"Well, I guess it's just us girls and Ranma. Come on, kids! You need to bathe too!" Ayako said, making Ranma and Ukyo blink.

Kodachi hesitated. "What do you mean? Is this place not segregated into male and female sides?"

Ayako shook her head. "Normally they have a divider splitting the male and female sides of the onsen, but with this many women, they've had to remove the divider and make it all women. Well, except for kids under seven. Ranma's fine."

The boy felt himself shudder.


"Kasumi!" Akane cried out happily on seeing her big sister. The youngest Tendo sibling ran up and hugged the eldest as she got out of the taxi. Soun came out and also got a hug from his youngest, before receiving one from his middle child as well.

The man's smile turned into an expression of worry as his eyes fell on his wife, being pushed in her wheelchair by a young man in glasses. "Tofu. Kimiko."

"We will talk about it once the children are in the room. It's good to see you, Soun...I just wish I could have seen a few more faces with you as well." The woman in the wheelchair stated, making her displeasure known, and Soun visibly deflated. "Please follow Tofu, girls. We have a very nice room that Kasumi needs to see!"

"Ah! I'll show her!" Nabiki said in a rush.

"No, I will!" Akane said, not liking being beaten to the punch. A young Tofu Ono, starting his senior year of high school next month, would guide the arguing voices of the girls off until they faded inside. This left the husband and wife alone once Soun removed the luggage from the trunk and the taxi drove away.

"...I shan't blame you for the Neko-ken or the danger to our child's life. That was not your error." The wife started with a fury composed in cold refinement. "But to make Kasumi cry and assist in chasing away Ranma and Ukyo when they were right under your nose? To fail in helping Nodoka in her time of need for the sake of your own ambition? You bear your share of responsibility for that, Soun."

Soun stammered, unsure of what to say, before promptly descending into the Crouch if the Wild Tiger stance. This consisted of prostrating one's self before their 'enemy' in hopes of mercy. It was something the wife was quite familiar with, which reduced its impact. She allowed him to stay in that pose for a bit longer than truly necessary before making her decision. "...Soun. You will make this up to me."

"Anything!" Soun said from the ground.

"First, you will quit smoking and drinking. Such things are unfit for a man of the Art, and I need you to live as long as possible for our children." The part 'because I won't be able to' wasn't said, but it was understood. The man flinched.

"Secondly, if Nodoka decides not to honor the engagement, you will accept it and move on." Kimiko expected conflict from Soun and wasn't surprised when Soun began to sputter.

"B-but the schools-" He wouldn't get to finish.

"-are separated by but one generation, and Genma's school has only a single student. If you want to include aerial techniques in your art, devise some yourself. You are still a young man. It is not beyond you." The early days of their marriage when Soun was developing his own art came to mind, but she quickly banished the thought. She needed to be angry right now. "Ranma saved our child's life, and yet he sees you as someone to avoid. You have confirmed his suspicions. It will take time to establish trust in you. Not only for him but also to rebuild it with Nodoka and Kasumi."

When Kasumi's name was mentioned, Soun knew he'd lost this one. "It is as you say, Dear..." was all he could manage to say when she finished.

"...Well, get up then. We need to put on a united front. Start rebuilding Kasumi's trust by being a good father on this trip." At his wife's prompting, the man rose and complied. He slung the strap of the luggage over his shoulder and pushed his wife's wheelchair inside the western-themed hotel.


When the Soviet Team entered the baths, towels wrapped around them, they would find that the Japanese Team had narrowly beaten them into the onsen. What was a major surprise to them was to find that a boy was in among them. "W-what is a boy doing in here?" One of them asked.

Ayako answered promptly. "Well, in Japan, children are considered to be fine bathing with either gender until they are seven. He is six, and the onsen had to switch to women only to accommodate all of us. He was assisting us with training until this point, so it is our fault. If he wants to be done before dinner, he had to be here with us. He doesn't have a parent here to watch him anyway."

Some of the women grumbled, but they got in the water after Ranma had the decency to turn himself around. It wasn't like he wanted to be in here. It was embarrassing even without the prerequisite hormones. He felt like the old lech, or as if someone were about to call him a pervert.

"What sort of training?" The Soviet Team Captain asked once they were in the hot spring.

"Thing that beat sister. Powerful self-defense martial art. Uses Rhythmic Gymnastics tools and techniques. Fun to watch and practice." Nadia answered, surprising the Soviet Team.

"W-why didn't you tell us! We would have watched!" One of the girls said in surprise. Several agreed. Nadia responded by looking disappointed.

"You kick me from room. Have 'team meeting' to drink. Say not disturb or I go home with sister in luggage on plane." Nadia's response surprised some of the Soviets and made a couple of others look sheepish and guilty. The Team Captain looked to Nadia and sighed.

"I am sorry, Nadia. We are angry at your sister. It is not right to take it out on you. I did not know you were banned from the room. I will deal with this." The Captain declined her head apologetically, and Nadia seemed to feel a sign of relief. This doubled when the Captain glared at a few of the girls who were the obvious culprits.

After this was resolved, the mood softened. Discussion of ideas and techniques followed, and Ranma even spoke with a somewhat nervous Kodachi some. She apparently wasn't used to these bathing arrangements either. Some of the Soviets were impressed with the age of the inn, which predated even the earliest Russian state.

Things went well until Ranma cringed upon hearing a familiar cry of "SWEEETO!"

'Get off my chest you dirty little gnome!' One of the girls cried out in Russian as she punched him away, only for the man to land on another bare chest. Before Ranma could even react, Happosai had managed to alienate over half of the girls in the tub.

It was at this point, however, that some of the more successful among Ranma's more recent students started to glow slightly with aura in their rage. They weren't to where they could access ki-space yet, but they could do what Akane and many other ladies in the Nerima area could when sufficiently angered. Various tools and implements of Rhythmic Gymnastics appeared in their hands, forming from nothing but ki and being given temporary solidity.

"Hammerspace..." Ranma said, knowing that what would soon follow and staying well out of the way.

Using skills from years of training, all redirected to assault with Ranma's guidance, the gymnasts of the Japanese Team used the ki constructs against the surprised Happosai. Ribbons and ropes bound and yanked him while clubs and balls struck him. Hoops and baskets used for bathing sailed through the air. Ammunition thrown into the air was grabbed and redirected by ribbons. Happosai found the place even more dangerous than a Nerima bathhouse as he was battered and bruised before finally being thrown into the distance. The Soviet Team didn't fully understand what happened, but most looked to Ranma as if to ask just what in the world he'd taught.

As the old lech flew away into the darkness of the evening, Ranma Saotome couldn't help but sigh.

"Guess I'm gettin' closer to home if I'm seein' the usual kind of weirdness."