Author's Note: First, a correction. The location Ranma and Ukyo are in now was called Takato in 1977. It wasn't merged into Ina City until 2016. I try to account for the era when writing this, but that particular detail escaped me at the time. As such, I have corrected the last two chapters' references to such. The story itself, however, isn't going to change in the least as a result. Secondly, this chapter is largely about preparations for what is coming next. Not as long as the last couple, but it does jump all over the place. I had trouble making it flow smoothly.

I also made an error about television which Tribun pointed out and altered the story just a hair (not enough for a change in function), for the sake of pacing. Also, after this chapter, I'll be limiting which responses I post here due to the sheer enormity. Don't worry, though. I will still read and respond to them. I'm moving some of the responses to the bottom of the fic this time unless they have information relevant to the story and the world.

DraaIzilUss: First, it is possible for someone to suppress the amount of energy in their ki for stealth purposes to varying degrees of skill. Please note that Ranma could sense Sasuke last chapter, but not Happosai. That comes down to a difference in the ability of the two to suppress their energy from Ranma. Sasuke is less competent in the ability, while Happosai is a being who lives by ambushing young women of various levels of skill up to and including Chinese Amazons. Even if Happosai thinks Ranma lacks the skill to sense him, it's become second nature for the old lech to conceal his power unless he's using it. It's a matter of survival for him.

Second, there's passive ki-sense and active ki-sense. Passive ki-sense is akin to seeing but not really observing unless something actively stands out as strange, like a disparate amount of normal ki or a ki with a strong emotion. It can also alert someone to a familiar ki in close proximity unless it's hidden. This can be 'always on' in a sense, even when a user is asleep if skilled enough. Active ki-sense requires an intentional effort on the user's part, but can glean more fine data and is harder to easily hide from. Proficiency with these abilities impacts not only the detail one can discern, but also their sensory range.

The result of such sensing efforts is thus a function of the sensor's applied skills and the sensee's applied countermeasures.

Before anyone asks, the Umisenken is fundamentally different from normal ki concealment in that it removes emotion from the ki to make it impossible to sense rather than reducing the ki itself. Unfortunately, ki techniques that rely on emotion to work suffer and make it impractical in some cases. Ranma couldn't use the Umisenken against the Tiger Youkai because, among other things, he was having to use an emotion-based ki technique to generate light to see with.

Guest: Happosai wants his art spread far and wide, but also knows that not all people have the fortitude to become strong enough to fight him off. Most people don't practice martial arts at all. While it might cause unexpected consequences for him, I think he accepts that stronger women have more ki to drain as well.

I don't think Happosai would be responsible for Soun's wife's illness. First off, sexy women are like replenishable batteries to him. Why would he kill one that held more ki than others just to make a coward like Soun comply? There are all manner of other ways he could make Soun's life a living nightmare if he needed to. Happosai can indeed be a perverted monster, but his actions have a logic to them which I don't think draining Kimiko to death aligns with. He's not a sympathetic figure, but he's not pure evil, either.

Regarding Hinako, flashbacks indicate that she stayed a child after draining nurses at the hospital she was in as a child. That implies that the absorption technique simply restores her to her actual age. I don't know what it will do once she passes her prime though.

Guest: Understandable, except that it's not being picked up by a group of children in an evening. The basics of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics are being practiced by kids who've trained in Martial Arts most of their lives and by an Olympic Level Rhythmic Gymnastics Team in a day. Separate attempts to tap into ki, which are not a prerequisite for basic level Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics are being made by some. Only some on the team with more experience and Ukyo are even beginning to succeed, and I mean beginning. Ukyo has a massive amount of potential which her father had already been working to bring out and Ranma has been cultivating for the entire trip. Even she hasn't quite gotten to where she can use it in combat yet, but she's improving.

As for Hammer-space, that's something we see happen with girls across Nerima. There are often girls in the horde chasing Happosai that have basic weapons spontaneously come from somewhere. That's not ki control as much as "I have a little ki and am angry at a pervert". Elaboration will be given in this chapter.

No one is mastering true ki control in a single day. Most are just taking the first steps toward that goal, and Ukyo is just further along.

Tribun: I suppose I can start doing the direct reply as well. Not a problem.

Ranma was raised thinking that police were nosy busybodies on his journey, and their presence in Furinkan is pretty non-existent as far as he is concerned. I initially intended to have the police be a temporary thing until Genma escaped, but I started to realize how interesting the casework was and how they acted as a good foil for Nodoka. She's been able to see a lot more through their perspective and keep up with things through them, which enriched her own journey. I'm happy to have kept the police presence in the fic.

Nodoka isn't done with her journey, but she is getting far closer. Having the perspectives of others exposed to her rather than living alone without having her own be questioned is doing her good. There are a number of ways to deal with the contract, but this seemed like the best one for this particular fic.

Ran hasn't been seen for a while largely because she has yet to leave the Joketsuzoku village. The Matriarch gave Cologne three days and nights, which are almost up. After that, there will certainly be travel involved. I fully intend to have Ran make this discovery and employ the use of notes as you've stated. You routinely surprise me with how you hit on similar ideas. It almost happened during the last chapter in an early draft, when Ranma got the cart out to feed the kids, but I felt like it might have been a bit too much all at once.

I figured that Genma left Ranma at a shrine or some other place with techniques to teach whenever Happosai wanted to train or mess around rather than school, but otherwise your suspicions are right on the money. I suspect that Soun got up the nerve to help seal Happosai partly because he kept interrupting his final weeks or months with his wife. It seems to flow together. The timeline being in flux helps me here by giving me all sorts of things to play around with for the story.

I do intend for the start of the school year to be relevant, though Ranma fully intends to see that Ukyo and the other kids go to school. What happens in regards to his own education? We will see.

Ryoga is actually someone I haven't fully decided what to do with. On one hand, I can introduce him at just about any point. On the other, that means I can't decide when to introduce the guy. Do I want them to meet as children, or in adolescence? Your reminder about his loneliness is making me lean toward childhood, especially since Ranma will still want a friend/rival in him and the kid needs to catch up.

Natsume and Kurumi really did get a raw deal, and I planned from the get-go to change that in this fic. I'm surprised it took as many chapters as it did for me to get to them, but that just means things are going well. Happosai, even when he thinks he's doing someone a kindness, tends to taint that kindness somehow with his questionable morality. Though he honestly likes children, they too fall victim to it. I wanted to establish that he isn't truly a sympathetic figure just because he wanted to help the kids, and Tanya was a good way to emphasize that. I had to make sure to state that he didn't go under the clothes though because I didn't want to imply that he did anything more than drain/molest. The tone could easily have been misread. Some fics go into the outright grimdark with him.

Thanks for the praise and for noticing the meaning of that. You are exactly right regarding the consequences on Kodachi and Tatewaki. Ranma had been confused and wondering "where's the twisted Kodachi I knew before", so when he saw the seed start to be planted he immediately saw it for what it was and moved to stomp it out. Tatewaki, while not necessarily warped in exactly the same way, was also impacted. I should also mention that Kodachi's interest in incapacitating her romantic interests would have been borne of seeing Happosai assault a paralyzed Ayako, which never happened here. While her increased interest in this tournament was due to Ranma's influence, she would have attended it regardless.

I should also mention that in addition to what you surmised about Mariko losing faith in her sister and growing up spoiled, Mariko's impression of 'interference from the sideline' defeating her sister would have led her to think that Martial Arts Cheerleading was a way to protect her 'team' and properly defeat others through similar interference. Happosai doing his thing would have cemented such thoughts. She still likes cheerleading in and of itself, but her future was indeed altered significantly without Ranma even realizing it.

Soun hasn't realized that he's just being used by Genma just yet, but you're right in that he's dealing with his wife's opinion on the matter where he wouldn't have before, and has to ponder various consequences in regards to Nodoka. On the other hand, he also knows Ranma is an absolute martial arts prodigy that saved his daughter's life. Besides, his story isn't close to finished...

You're right about the police having a new trail to follow. I had pondered last chapter on if they'd know immediately or not, but Rhythmic Gymnastics of the non-martial arts variety is something they wouldn't have been watching. Also, this is 1977, not the modern-day. They'd find out quickly, but not in real-time.

As for Genma...well...you'll see this chapter.


Chapter 13: Tangents

Genma Saotome walked through the streets of Matsue, near the eastern shores of Lake Shinji, toward the Hiromi School of Martial Arts Water Polo to see if they had Ranma or another of those stupid letters. He had noted that things were getting more difficult. Everywhere he went, he was attacked by the police and people from his past. Many of these people had no connection to each other except for the simple fact that they hated him. The kidnapper had gotten them talking to each other and things had fallen apart from there.

Even calling the Tendos earlier that day hadn't accomplished much. Kimiko had answered the phone, mentioned that Soun was away looking for Ranma in another part of Japan with Nodoka, and that they were disgusted with Genma's conduct. Genma couldn't blame Soun for working with Nodoka. She had ample opportunity to get to him first, and Soun had to act in a matter which allowed the schools to be joined. That was their mutual goal, after all.

Steeling himself for the coming confrontation at the Hiromi Dojo, Genma passed an electronics store that had the televisions in its storefront display turned to the NHK General TV channel. It was at that moment he heard a familiar voice from the expensive color televisions.

"You want her to be poisoned, then?" The man froze in his tracks. He looked to the televisions on display through the glass of the storefront to see none other than his own child. The sixty-frames-a-second interlaced video was almost like a jittery slide show to the martial artist, but he had no problem identifying Ranma interfering with the match and accusing someone of foul play. Ukyo was there as well, which confused Genma even further. The woman attempted to flee, and then to fight, only for Ranma to use her own sport's implements against her with a martial art based on girly toys of all things. The man was immediately concerned. Ranma using weapons? Weapons that were less-than-manly to boot? His child was deviating from his training in a significant manner which would prove very problematic if Nodoka became aware. Genma did not approve.

Watching only long enough to learn where this exhibition was taking place while not daring to lower his guard in spite of the eye strain, and glad that the encore presentation was only a couple hours old, the man immediately rushed toward the Sanin Main Line. Jumping atop a passenger train, he started the 600-kilometer trek east toward Takato. A JSDF helicopter monitoring the train lines detected him reasonably promptly and reported up the chain of command that Genma Saotome had gone off-plan.


Nodoka felt empty and her eyes lacked the life they usually held. Clinging to her wrapped blade, the woman didn't even register the people passing by her chair as she read the increasing number of reports of Genma's misconduct. Detective Nogura was strongly considering calling in a counselor to talk with her. They'd kept one on staff here at the Kamo Police Station just in case they managed to find Ranma after learning more about what the kid was forced to live through. Thankfully, fate decided not to leave Nodoka in such a state for the moment.

A JSDF soldier barged into the room and called out to the group. "Detective! An update on Ranma and Ukyo! Nodoka's eyes snapped over to the man as he continued. "They showed up on a live NHK broadcast in a big way. They're in Takato. We've already got someone watching them on site."

Detective Nogura was quickly out of his seat and accepted a piece of paper from the soldier. Upon reading it, he promptly went to the board with Ranma's movements and pushed in a green pin to mark the Takato site. "They went northeast again. Do we have any information on why it took so long to notice them?" The man inquired, carefully using clear pins to guide the string along the roads to the green one.

"Apparently Ukyo laid a tackling police officer flat on his ass when the man misidentified them as child thieves already operating in the area. The misunderstanding was quickly resolved. He hesitated to report the encounter out of embarrassment but mentioned the children's intention to see the cherry blossoms tomorrow. They're currently at a ryokan and plan to stay the night."

Nodoka sighed in relief. They knew where Ranma was. He was being watched. He was likely to stay put for now. This knowledge allowed her heart to lighten and her mood to improve. The comment about a broadcast made her wonder though. "What sort of broadcast?" Nodoka asked, curious.

"They were in the audience of a televised international Rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition between the Japanese and Soviet Teams. Ranma and some of his friends noticed a member of the Soviet Team trying to poison the water bottle of a member of the Japanese Team and managed to prevent it and prove her guilt. Ranma employed a martial art based on Rhythmic Gymnastics when the woman got violent and he easily defeated and restrained her on international television. The match was then able to continue unhindered. The Kremlin is already issuing a formal condemnation to the competitor he disabled and congratulating the Japanese on their subsequent win. After the soldier was done with his report, he was met with quiet. It was a bit ridiculous, but not beyond the pale for Ranma Saotome. Nodoka was conflicted. Why was he watching a Rhythmic Gymnastics match? Had Ukyo wanted to see it? Ranma also used a martial art based on something feminine, but he did so in order to fight a clear dishonor. Was using a feminine art manly if it was done for honorable reasons?

The woman wasn't really able to shake the feeling of conflict which kept coming up over these past few days.

"Unfortunately, we have greater concerns." A gruff voice said from behind the soldier. The soldier immediately stood aside and bowed deeply as a high-ranking officer entered the room. He was in his early fifties, black hair graying at the temples with a scar over the bridge of his nose which was partially covered by a pair of glasses. Hazel eyes regarded the group.

Nodoka simply blinked at the man, not knowing who he was. He regarded her and gave a bow. "Ah, my apologies. I'm Major General Kensuke Ishida of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces. Your husband had the gall to trick my son-in-law into engaging Ranma to marry my granddaughter, only for Genma to steal their family savings. I've been assigned by the Emperor and the Diet to tend to your husband." Detective Nogura gave the Major General a look which could kill, but stayed quiet as the Major General removed his glasses and wiped them clean.

The traditional woman regarded the man before she rose and bowed. "I wish I could have met you under better circumstances, Major General. My husband's sins seem to keep increasing in scope. To be shameful enough for the Emperor to-"

"Don't worry about it. It's not your nor the boy's responsibility, Mrs. Saotome. And don't give me that look, Detective. You've done quite well with your limited resources and authority, but the situation has changed. Your planned assault at Matsue failed before it even had a chance to begin." This announcement was met with a look of surprise from the Detective.

Upon this announcement, the soldier was prompted by the Major General's nod to speak. The soldier did so while reading a clipboard in his hand. "Genma Saotome has changed direction away from Matsue and is going eastward. We don't know exactly when he changed his plans, but he's headed in this general direction. Given that most martial artists of his caliber can't actively watch television for long while in combat readiness, due to the 59.94 Hz interlaced frame rate of NTSC broadcasts being too slow and jittery for their eyes unless they lower their guard to a more relaxed state, we don't think he knows about Ranma's presence at Takato. Instead, we believe him to have instead seen a national newspaper featuring the 'mysterious Yaotsu Light' on its front page and deduced Ranma's presence at Nekoyama Castle based on his ki attack." Detective Nogura cursed under his breath.

"But why would Genma know that the light was Ranma's ki attack? The press isn't aware of that or reporting it, are they?" Nodoka inquired. The idea that the child could fire a pure ki attack tested the suspension of disbelief of many, but the multi-meter perfect circle at the shrine spoke for itself.

Detective Nogura looked to Nodoka, electing to speak this time. "In most cases, he wouldn't. But there was a similar light reported in Kyoto at about the time Ranma would have been undergoing his Neko-ken training. This 'Kyoto Light' was eventually traced back to the same general area as the park the cat pit was in. Local police were eventually able to trace back minor tree and grass damage at the site using ballistics science to its point of origin, right outside the pit from a child's chest height, with a six-centimeter margin of error due to disagreement about the diameter of the blast. It's possible that Genma would believe that Ranma was responsible for the light at Yaotsu and respond accordingly."

"That's correct, and we will be proceeding on that belief." The Major General stated as he strode to the front of the room to inspect the chart detailing Genma's movements. "I will command the force meeting him at the shrine. Part of the reason for the shift away from police involvement is that the child is strong enough to fire energy blasts sufficient to cause such destruction. The idea that Genma Saotome may have that power and yet in a greater form...that has been judged to be beyond the scope of what the police can handle, even at a national level."

"And the other part?" Nodoka inquired in curiosity.

"Well, the fact that he is a student of Happosai is also a major part of the decision. The man who trained Genma has managed to steal at least one set of undergarments from every Empress and Princess since the Meiji era. Even if that system of rule is no longer in place, many in the Diet are descended from such or also know the man's victims. Many feel that his student is going down the same path and must be stopped while we have a chance of doing so." General Ishida gave a sigh and looked to Nodoka. "To be honest, a number of the Diet's members were told they would not be allowed home by their wives if they didn't escalate the situation to the level of military intervention."

"My husband was trained by such a man?" Nodoka asked in horror. She'd never really known much about Happosai's history.

"Indeed. The fact your son got a clue and ran off this young is a good thing. Who knows what he'd have been like otherwise." Nodoka's head lowered at this thought as the General addressed the others present. "Ranma isn't in imminent danger and chasing him would make him run. The police informant watching him will keep doing so while preparations for Genma's arrival are made. Detective Nogura will still be in charge of Ranma's case." With that, the Major General added a red peg to Genma's board to reflect the exact location of the sighting.

"Meanwhile, what forces can't make it here in time will amass to Ranma's defense, but hold in Komagane to the south and Okaya and Chino to the north to keep the boy from noticing and running. The East and West of the area are both mountain ranges and we'll have checkpoints at each of the few country roads that can otherwise be employed to head out of the area." The General seemed to prioritize Genma's capture, but Nodoka couldn't fault his logic. Rushing in was not something that seemed to work. Ranma was all too much like his namesake, and needed to be approached slowly and carefully just like with any wild horse.

That didn't make Nodoka want to rush to Takato any less, though.


"What is hammerspace, Ran-chan? You mentioned it before as something like ki-space that was instinctive and just for girls, but stopped at that." Ukyo asked once they had both finished drying off. He'd hoped to be able to do that by himself, but the girls were sticking close to him because of the question on their minds. What some members of the Japanese Team had just managed to do demanded explanation. He averted his eyes as best he could, though it was difficult not to get an eyeful of young lady wherever he looked. He gave up and decided to explain as he put on the light green yukata provided by the Ryokan for its guests to wear during their stay.

"Well, ki-space is for actual physical objects placed in a pocket of space created by your ki. Hammerspace was named when we thought it was somethin' similar, but it's really a technique where a person subconsciously focuses their anger ki into a temporary weapon based on their familiarity and personality. The weapon dissolves back into ki or just vanishes after they're finished with it. It ain't somethin' most boys seem to be able to do, and it's instinctive for a woman who's ticked off enough and can access their ki even a little. It also makes it really hard to study or learn about. I ain't met a girl yet who's got full control over it, but maybe there's somebody out there who knows more." Ranma shrugged, not really able to advise them further on the matter. He'd tried to figure out Akane's hammers plenty of times but had yet to do so.

"Well, I'm not complaining," Ayako said as she recalled the feel of the ribbon in her hand, "especially since it protected us from that old pervert."

Nadia nodded vigorously. "Is man who touched Sister! Needed beating!" While no one was happy with Tanya Zolotov at the moment, few really felt like she should have had to go through that. It gave them a collective shiver.

"Let's not worry about the old lech and have some dinner." Ranma tried to guide their minds away from Happosai, who he hoped was in the area by coincidence. Upon recollection, the aged man was supposed to have been the one to save Natsume and Kurumi from that bear if Ranma hadn't changed things. It made sense that he was perving around the local hot springs.

It was decided that instead of taking their dinner in different rooms, the three groups would take their dinners together. As such, the Japanese Team, Soviet Team, and the NHK/Kuno group all ate in a single large space. This certainly helped the people who were handing out the food, and also conveyed a measure of trust from the Japanese Team to the Soviets that the poisoning wouldn't be attempted again. Undertones of forgiveness flowed from this sentiment as well.

"Greetings, Daddy!" Kodachi said, happily, as she approached Kocho Kuno and sat next to him with her brother. The man nodded back, his Samurai helmet still on his head and his armor still in place. Many present, including Ranma and Ukyo, stared. One of the Soviets gently whispered in curiosity, "I don't want to be rude, but...is this...normal here?"

Ayako shook her head to the negative quite clearly, but the others in the room weren't sure what to say.

"This is my Daddy, Kocho Kuno. He helped pay for the Japanese Team's rooms and provided the NHK some of its recording equipment then I asked him to. Daddy? These are the Japanese and Soviet Teams, and some little sisters of them. Oh, and Ran-chan and Ucchan also arrived to watch with a couple of their friends! Ran-chan gave us some lessons in the Dojo afterward!"

The Japanese Team immediately knew not to say a word of critique, even if politeness alone would have prevented them from doing so already. They bowed as one, after which the Team Captain smiled and addressed Kocho. "We thank you for your support, Mr. Kuno, and we also thank Kodachi and her friends for theirs. Without it, tonight may well have played out differently."

"You are quite welcome," Kocho said from under the masked helmet. "Your victory and honor have impressed my children, as Ranma's has once more. Enjoy yourselves on this night of your victory, and please show the Soviet Team appreciation for their own noble efforts." Though he spoke calmly and with a measure of clarity, the impression of the samurai outfit and the honest-to-goodness sword he carried gave more than a few pause. Ranma also knew he had been at the soccer game and believed he had been informed of the details of the rhythmic gymnastics exhibition later, which Ranma felt was a bit shady. Little did Ranma know that he'd actually watched both by having Sasuke divert a feed from the cameras to his own television set at the sidelines of the soccer game.

With that, the group took their seats on the cushions at the low tables on which the food was to be delivered. Some of the Soviets mimicked the seating posture of the Japanese while others simply sat cross-legged. Sake flowed liberally, though none of the children partook. Ranma would take this opportunity to train, changing his ki-claws into blunt instruments of light and using them as chopsticks with which to eat. He enjoyed the fact that etiquette had no rules for implements made from one's own life force. He could change from blunt to blade on a whim, and also cut food quite efficiently if needed while using his control to not cut the plates the food was on. Kurumi had no such self-control, though Natsume did her absolute best to rein in her hungry little sister's atrocious dining habits. Ranma idly contemplated Kurumi's odds of beating the Chardin family at Martial Arts Dining. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the thought.

"Glad to see you're having a good time." Ranma was roused from his amusement by a voice over his shoulder. Looking over to see who it was, he took a moment to place her before she handed him a business card. "Sachiko Hinata, of NHK. I came here to cover the exhibition and the festival tomorrow. We haven't had a chance to talk yet, have we, Ranma?"

He accepted the card politely enough, though he did wear a bit of confusion on his face. "Ah, not really, Ms. Hinata. Yeah, it's nice to stay in a Ryokan once in a while. Not sure why you'd want to talk to me, though."

"Well, not every six-year-old can humble a national athlete with ease. The only reason these teams weren't competing last year in Montreal is that Rhythmic Gymnastics isn't considered an Olympic sport yet. They've been banking their dreams on matches like this convincing the International Olympic Committee to add it to the list of games. If you hadn't stopped it, the scandal could have really hindered that process." The woman smiled as he regarded the teams who were now more intermingled and reasonably friendly. "You didn't just keep one team from losing today, but you kept all their dreams alive. I'm sure both sides are grateful."

Ranma hadn't realized that. He'd just assumed that the Soviets were just being good sports about things or were sufficiently shamed by their teammate's conduct. "Huh...didn't realize things were that complicated."

"Yes, but not as complicated as things are with you, are they Ranma?" The woman held her smile, though the boy was a bit confused initially. "Your father running around all over Japan, you having to beat up girls' fathers because of his actions, and all of that. Sekigahara was an eye-opener when people started seeing what you could do and looking into the why and how." Ranma's eyes widened a bit in surprise, and he started looking for avenues of escape for him and the girls. His change of expression was obvious, and the announcer changed gears.

"Don't worry, no one wants you to return to your father, Ranma. The police and the JSDF have been looking for him extra hard because of the crimes he has committed and because of what he did to you. No sane person, or anyone who wanted a job in Japan's public service sector for that matter, would let him find or keep you. Nor would they blame you for what he did." Drawing from her years of experience getting interviews out of the nervous and the criminal, she easily coaxed Ranma to sigh with relief.

"Wait...what'd the old man do to tick off the JSDF?" Ranma asked, curious. The woman blinked, realizing he probably wasn't aware of recent reports.

"Well, initial reports say that he really made a mess out of the effort to arrest him at Sapporo. The JSDF sent up a helicopter to track him, but he managed to force it down by taking out its rear stabilizing rotor. Everyone walked away from the wreck okay, but the JSDF figured out that he can somehow...make himself invisible and that he'd used those skills to steal from JSDF bases before. There are also rumors that one of the men he deceived was a high ranking officer. We're not sure how much of those reports to believe, but it's all possible given how outlandish some of the other stories seem."

Ranma grumbled. "Of course he'd use the Umisenken for that..."

"Umisenken?" The reporter asked, wondering what that was. To her surprise, Ranma vanished from view right in front of her. He reappeared a couple of seconds later in the same place and position. Her eyes widened in shock at the proof, as had the eyes of a few watching the exchange.

"Somethin' Pop made up to steal stuff with. The beginnin' stage is to make yourself imperceptible. Your eyes still see me, your brain just doesn't notice. It's pretty hard to fight, I'll give him that much. Now that I ain't travelin' with him, he's harder to catch." Ranma's description fit observations that had been leaked to the NHK and other news outlets.

"Why is he harder to catch now? Didn't you use it when you were traveling with him?" The announcer-turned-reporter inquired.

"Eh, I didn't always know it and was never meant to. Pop liked to keep some stuff hidden from me in case I went rogue someday, but he hasn't hidden as much as he thinks. He knows some stuff I don't know, but I know some stuff he doesn't know. I didn't even really get how messed up things were until I came out of the cat pit, though. A bunch of stuff fell into place there. Didn't really have the sense to know better until then." Ranma stretched his arms over his head as he discussed the situation, not realizing that the others were listening.

"The cat pit...I've heard rumors of the training there. I want you to know that what you went through is considered literal torture, and the police intend to punish your father heavily for it." That statement got the attention of everyone else who wasn't already listening. Ranma was quiet for a moment.

"...At least I came out of it sane. The trainin' was banned because it was too dangerous for the mind. I dunno if Pop came out alright or not. Last I saw him, he chucked himself into the pit because he wanted to learn what I learned from it. He's a decent martial artist, but too selfish to raise a kid. He ruined Ucchan's life, and a bunch of other girls' lives, just to get what he could out of their fathers for dowries. And he did it knowin' it was wrong. I'm lucky I understand things better now." That confirmed a number of suspicions. Ranma wasn't kidnapped, or at least wasn't moving around under someone else's thumb anymore. He was actively avoiding his father.

"And what about your mother? Do you know her?" The woman asked, still acting like this was simple conversation.

"Want to, but Pop wouldn't allow that. He took me when I was two and I ain't s'posed to know she's even alive. Last time I asked about her, Pop tried to tell me he made me by himself." It was only when he felt a sudden wave of feminine rage break that he realized he might have said too much. Thankfully, it wasn't directed at him.


Genma sneezed in an involuntary reaction to the distant and en masse cursing of his name and immediately regretted it as it forced him out of the Umisenken and into the view of the others on the bus with him. People looked at the man who appeared out of nowhere in shock, and the bus driver stared incredulously through the rearview mirror for a few tense seconds. When the bus rolled to a stop, Genma was kicked off for not paying the fare and ditched among the fields of northern Yasugi as the bus pulled away. With a grumble, the man got moving.

Things had gotten harder as of late. JSDF helicopters were watching for him, and they were starting to use optical equipment to monitor trains and taxiing aircraft to keep him from moving as freely. He had literally been kicked from the top of a train by one of his enemies, left to roll down a hill into a bunch of briars, and forced to rely on less conventional methods for long-range travel. Another bus would come along soon enough, though. Yes, it might take him a little longer to sneak rides along the back way, but he'd make his way to his son again now that he had the trail.

Then they'd probably have to flee the country for a while. Maybe they'd go to China. That country surely had some martial arts techniques to integrate into the Saotome School.


"Hotcha...glad I'm not over there anymore," Happosai said, standing on the fence of a hotel down the street while he smoked from his pipe. He could feel the waves of angry energy from the women where he was before, and his self-preservation kept him from attempting to partake in all that ki. It was fine though. He was still charged up, he had a sack full of silky darlings, and all was right with the world.

"Hmm? M-muh-Master?" Soun sputtered. He'd come out to investigate the second burst of angry ki he felt in the distance, only to see the probable cause in front of him.

"Oh! Soun! Nice place you picked out here for the vacation! You should take better care though. My invitation must have gotten lost." Happosai gave a brief smirk to Soun as if to challenge him to resist, but Soun bowed deeply.

The man continued to sputter to the small terror. "I-it is as you say, Master! I had to rush to assist in locating Saotome's son to where I didn't manage to tell you. Kasumi and I hurried out to the Nagoya area only today-"

"Ranma? Wonderful boy, isn't he? You'd better shape up in training your daughters. That boy is very far ahead of what I last saw from Akane. I do feel a notable boost in Kasumi's ki though. What happened to cause that?" Happosai's comment stunned Soun deeply, who looked to the man in shock.

"You've...met Ranma, Master?" Soun asked, stunned. How could that have happened?

"Soun, my question first..." That utterance carried a tone which made Soun assume the Crouch of the Wild Tiger, much to Happosai's enjoyment.

"Y-yes, Master. It seems that Kasumi met Ranma yesterday and he saved her life this morning from a 400-year-old gestalt tiger youkai that haunted the castle ruins buried under Nekoyama Shrine." Happosai's eyes widened at this news. A merged youkai wasn't something typically survivable for any child. "Ranma employed a ki technique to forcibly desummon it that was seen for kilometers around, but not before Kasumi learned the Shin Neko-ken accidentally. Kasumi later managed to reason out a way to create her own pure ki technique borne of serenity based on what she saw Ranma do, the Shin Neko-ken's ki claws, and her earlier spiritual training. She...learned to dispel my Demon Head technique with it." Happosai noted his disciple's clear embarrassment at confessing that fact. "She's even asked me to start her in Kyudo after we get home so she can stand up for herself. I'm looking forward to cultivating her new interest in the Art."

"Shin Neko-ken? Are you sure it is the true form of the technique?" Happosai asked in a serious tone of concern. While learning her own ki technique was impressive, Kasumi did not deserve the burdens the imperfect form of the Neko-ken provided.

"Yes, Master. She has no fear of cats. In fact, she has gained the ability to communicate with and summon them to her aid somehow. She can call upon the power of the technique at will and remain lucid. She and Ranma are both fortunate to have had the mental and emotional fortitude to achieve the move's true form." Soun stayed in that prostrated position as Happosai digested this information.

"So Ranma learned the technique in that fight too, did he?" Happosai inquired, finding the information interesting. Soun paled at the question.

"N-no, Master. A few days ago, Saotome dug a pit in Kyoto and dumped Ranma in with some starving cats. Ranma emerged with the mastered form of the technique, but no longer trusted his father. When Saotome trapped himself in the pit to try and learn the move himself, Ranma immediately created a ruse and departed his father's company. Saotome has been fighting the police and JSDF regularly, running the length and breadth of the country due to Ranma's distraction, and generally making an overt nuisance of himself to find his son. The negative attention to the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts has only been offset by reports of Ranma's good conduct." Soun dare not look up. He could feel Happosai's ki and knew that he was far less than pleased.

"...The ki attack Ranma used. What was it?" Hearing his Master growl out this question and glad that his rage may yet be reserved for Saotome alone, Soun then got up and pulled a newspaper from his gi. Handing it over to Happosai, he showed him the front page's full color image. The newspaper article showed a picture of the Yaotsu Light, which was similar to a light seen in Kyoto a couple of days prior. "Eh? This is..."

"I saw this light and sensed the ki myself. It had such power that I would have attributed it to you were the ki not so different, Master. Five meters wide, it tore through the youkai's soul, the fifteen meters of rock and dirt beyond, and then launched into the sky and pierced a cloud before exploding. Kasumi said he called it the 'Determination of the Wild Horse' technique. The fact a similar light was seen in Kyoto at the same time Ranma was there also implies...well, he is no less than a prodigy at the Art. That is abundantly clear." Happosai's eyes were wide. When he considered the implications, the old man smiled once more...before openly laughing.

"HahahaHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, this is rich! Genma sires the prodigy he always wanted and this happens! That's what he gets for teaching the Neko-ken! At least Ranma's love for the Art means he's spreading it to young women, even without any guidance." Happosai's comment confused Soun before the old master looked at him.

"Soun! Listen to me carefully. Ranma has mentioned the Tendo Dojo to at least three young girls in his travels. A young cook and a pair of orphaned sisters with nothing but each other and the Art. If they come to your doorstep and have the determination to learn, do not turn them away."

"Of course, Master. I will train them if they ask. Was that when you met Ranma, by any chance? When he told them of my Dojo?" Soun asked, hoping for more information. He wasn't really interested in taking more students with Kimiko's current condition. Even if the Master hadn't ordered it, however, he knew Kimiko wouldn't let him turn away three orphaned or abandoned children.

"Yes, I was watching over a pair of sisters in the wilderness who were moving too close to bears. They were about to be attacked, but imagine my surprise when Ranma launches out and took down a two and a half meter tall bear in seconds just before I would have stepped in. There was a girl with him who knew how to cook who he was already training with, and the orphans showed interest in our Art. They decided to travel and train together, and he also saw fit to recommend you if they had an interest in the ground portion of the Art. He did mention how odd it was to split the school apart though, given the nature of Anything Goes." Happosai smiled smugly, recalling the arguments he'd had with his students over the two splitting the art apart in such a way. To hear that Ranma also thought it silly bolstered his pride.

That and the fact Ranma was last seen surrounded by women in the bath who he'd convinced to learn the Art just made his day. That alone was worth the beating.


Ran smiled as Shampoo took what would likely be the last deep sleep in her own bed for a good while. She liked the young girl who she'd become an adopted aunt to, and could see the girl's future self in her. The child was looking forward to seeing the outside world, a rare chance for Joketsuzoku children who normally spent their lives closely watched and regulated by their elders. Losing them to the temptations of the outside world was a real fear, though Ran would argue that the village had gone too far to the other extreme in attempting to prevent it.

She looked to the photo album which she'd used to tell Shampoo stories of another time and place to ease her into sleep. Ran had been quite surprised to see some new additions in its pages today. There were photographs indicating a new journey which her other self was taking with Ukyo. Kasumi was even in some of them, and Genma was in none. Ran could tell that things were moving for her other self, but also that these items in her ki space were not copies like she initially surmised. She and Ranma were each accessing a shared ki-space. Curiosity striking, she quietly left Shampoo's side and soon began to take stock of what was in Ranma's ki-space.

A few sets of normal clothes, a large array of ancient clothes, a bag of ancient coins of tremendous value, some modern Japanese money, some future Japanese money, the expected camping and cooking equipment, the photo album, assorted paperwork of Genma's that included the marriage contracts and the Umisenken and Yamasenken scrolls, a recipe for wine made from oranges, Ukyo's okonomiyaki cart, a heavy floor safe, various decks of cards, a few thermoses, the Gekkaja and Kinjakan with the latter attached to a bike of all things, a retractable prop knife with blood packs, assorted rocks and boulders in various states of pulverization, and a few bags of chestnuts.

Ranma had been quite busy.

Smiling, Ran got an idea. Knowing Ranma would want okonomiyaki sooner than later, she began to write him a long letter. After doing so, she stuck it securely and obviously to the cart and returned all the items to their mutual ki-space. Now she just had to check the cart regularly and wait for a reply.


Calming down enraged women was never something Ranma was very good at, but this had only gotten worse when he somehow let slip that the man who'd perved on them before was the legendary pervert Happosai who had trained his father and created Anything Goes Martial Arts. That had undone what meager progress he had achieved, and more than a few practice matches of Ping Pong were required to calm the nerves of the athletes. Thankfully, the object of their aggression wasn't him for once or he'd have been airborne by now.

After a couple of hours of play, where she'd learned Ping Pong from the Japanese Team, Kurumi gave a large yawn. The girl had trouble keeping her eyes open, and Ayako smiled warmly. "It seems like it's time for the kids to get to sleep."

Some of the children gave weak protests but were successfully ushered back to the Japanese Team's room. Tatewaki and Kodachi went to the NHK/Kuno combined room with their father and Sachiko Hinata, the announcer from NHK. "Mistress?" A voice called out from within the room on their arrival. It was a literal ninja of all things, Sachiko noted, managing some video recording equipment while in front of a television.

"Ah! Sasuke, did you get it all?" Kodachi asked, excitedly.

"Yes, I recorded the entire training session, Mistress." Sasuke responded, presenting the young girl with what Sachiko recognized as a U-Matic cassette. It was a video tape format replacing reels of tape for industrial, education, and broadcast purposes and had been used to supplement 35mm recordings made that day. "Making high quality recordings can be a little fickle with this system's tracking limitations, but I have managed to make three so far. I'm about to start the fourth."

"Excellent! Ran-chan's abilities need to be immortalized. I wish to keep several copies for my own review, and provide some to the Japanese Team and for Nadia-chan as well! Keep producing them, Sasuke, but use headphones and turn the screen away from my eyes." The girl gave a yawn. "I require my rest." Kodachi started to head to her futon, but Sachiko spoke up first.

"Might the I have copies for the NHK as well? Ranma's a very interesting boy, and people will be very curious about him soon. Any information available would be something worthwhile." Sachiko gave a bow at her request, and Kodachi put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Hmm...very well! All kinds of people will want to learn from Ran-chan after today. Sasuke, make some extra recordings for her of this and of the Sekigahara footage." With that, Kodachi crawled into her futon and put a sleeping mask over her eyes. "Good night."

"G-good night, Mistress." Sasuke's face fell a bit, his own sleep delayed longer. He, however, had little choice. Feeling a bit sorry for him, Sachiko walked over and plugged a second set of headphones into the system, putting them on her head. The taken-for-granted ninja was more than a little surprised as the newscaster smiled and explained herself.

"I know a few tricks to keep the tracking more stable without as much micromanagement. Let me give it a try too, alright?" The dark purple-haired woman gave a smile which eased the ninja and made him quietly stammer a bit.

"O-of course! By all means, Miss Hinata..." Sasuke allowed the woman to assist, and she promptly got to see what was so fascinating. At the point the child summoned a ball of golden energy in his hand, the informant knew that Detective Nogura and Major General Ishida would want a copies of this tape as soon as possible. Of course, she'd send it to her bosses at the NHK too once given the green light.

As Ranma went to sleep across the hall, clung to by Ukyo on one side and guarded from Happosai by a rotating shift of vigilant gymnasts, he remained unaware of the forces in motion around him.


Responses:

Anon Reader: Yeah, I'll be keeping this story to Ranma save for maybe the occasional brief cameo where it makes sense. Regarding the Chardins, we'll get to that eventually. I have ideas in that regard. As for the value of the coins, Ranma doesn't know anything beyond that they're worth a lot. Ukyo also has no interest in his spending them on her. For the moment, they're saved for a rainy day.

Ann: Yes, I think I'll keep the other anime characters out of this particular fic. Might be cameos here and there in the background if I see it as appropriate, but I won't go out of my way to cram the universes together in this fic. Perhaps I'll scratch that itch with a different story.

Major Simi: Thank you again!

The Keeper of Worlds: A nice idea, and similar to something in an early draft. Ranma had planned to accelerate Ukyo's physical training by injecting his ki into her and using pressure points after workouts to stimulate rapid muscle healing. I felt that was a bit much at this point, so I shelved it. The idea eventually became Ranma forcing Kasumi to exhale water by injecting ki into her diaphragm, but lacking the knowledge and control to do so gracefully. Being able to trigger adrenaline rushes has a risk to it, but can be beneficial in certain situations. Thanks for the idea!

firelordeg: Thanks again, and I intend to. Writing this is proving to be more fun than I thought!

Golden Light 001: Happosai has an idea of fair play, as twisted as it might be. His morals, while skewed heavily to where he's hardly a sympathetic character, do exist.

Rogue15: You're welcome, and I always felt that Nerima alone was a bit confining. Oh, it'll have its place in this story, but it won't be the exclusive setting. I also like the idea of Ranma traveling from time to time and impacting the wider world. As for the other countries seeing what he can do, that began last chapter.

Mr. Haziq: The letter trick wasn't meant to fool anyone but Genma, so Ranma wasn't as careful as he otherwise might have been. Now Nodoka and the police know. And yeah, Ranma hopes Nodoka will adopt the two children. She is a woman who had an urge to nurture a child. He can't give her back the four years she lost with him, but he can bring her some more kids to love who desperately need it. Ranma is indeed trying to improve things as he goes, even if the consequences aren't apparent yet.

As far as Happosai, he was the one who initially saved them from the bear in the original timeline. It seemed like the best time to bring him in.

MicolG: Thanks for the praise and feedback! Your English is fine. While I have been tempted to write a sort of crossover, I've hesitated because of the nature of this story and the amount of content it already has. Maybe I should write something separate if I want a crossover, then.

zeynel: Yes, Ranma just introduced international sports teams to the Martial Art and its practical uses. Good? Bad? We shall see. Happosai is certainly of a mixed opinion at the moment with the beating and all, but leaning toward pleased. Kodachi's lack of sportsmanship and warped sense of honor, meanwhile, was one of Ranma's main hangups against teaching her about ki. With that thankfully resolved, he felt it appropriate to teach her.

Dumbledork: While it's true that Kasumi has done some passive-aggressive stuff in the manga, I forgive her for a lot of that given the life she's been forced to lead and what she's had to deal with. It's likely the only outlet she has. This Kasumi will be able to more openly do things she enjoys and develop as a person. How will that impact this trait? We will see.

I am aware of the Dr. Tofu thing being creepy and Akane looking very young in the flashback, but I felt confusion in that one. Though Akane looks quite young, Kasumi is wearing a Furinkan High School Uniform in the flashback. Unless the uniform for the elementary and middle school is the same as the high school one, which I doubt, that would mean Kasumi could be no younger than 15 (more likely 16 given Ranma 1/2's consistent school age error), and Akane would be 3 years younger than that. Even considering this, though, the Japanese medical curriculum takes up 6 years after high school if I read my sources correctly. That means Dr. Tofu is at least 24 or 25 in the flashback if he's completed his degree. Still rather creepy either way, but at least he had the decency not to act on his impulses.

setokayba2n: Thank you, and the girls so far each have an innate skill for ki in my opinion, and some have previous training leading up to it, though only Ukyo and a few in the Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics Team (Olympic-level athletes) have actually tapped into it successfully so far. The others are starting to learn the theory and practice attempts to reach it. Normal children wouldn't have as easy of a time.

Ranma does intend to teach Ukyo the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but that is confounded by the fact that it requires emotional control. Children aren't known for having that, so that particular technique might need to wait until she's older.

Innotui: Thank you very much! Ranma was never one to be able to hide himself or his skill for long, even when he tried. I've tried to retain the Ranma 1/2 humor and am glad to hear that I've been successful so far. I've also always been interested in how ki likely worked in-setting, and Ranma would definitely work to continue probing its secrets. Especially since he went back with the full ki of his grown self.