Force of Will
By SamwRyder
A/N: I know I said the next chapter would be the U.S.J. Incident, I am sitting at around five thousand words currently and wanted to put something out for the fourth. So here you go.
Chapter: Interlude 1
Ukyo Kuonji's life was finally looking up.
Ever since her father's yattai cart was stolen when she was ten, things were hard. She'd always been interested in cooking and had hardly spent any time learning her families strange martial arts style, there wasn't much point in the day and age they lived and if she needed to defend herself her quirk 'chemical change' did the job. That changed after the Saotome's came and went.
She'd taken up the largest spatula her father would give her and began to work as she did her best to track the Saotome's through theft patterns and the things Ranma had said. At fourteen with her father's blessing she'd left home to track them in person and promptly lost track of them in China.
She trained there looking for any trace of them when they came and changed everything. Honey and Lock, they took her in, helped her track her quarry.
So now she was back in Tokyo, had her own restaurant which she ran after school and a place at the sixty eighth most popular hero agency on her days off. Sure she may not have made it into a school like Yuuei but she was Honey's apprentice and she was getting a practical learning style that those students wouldn't. It suited her just fine.
She hadn't given up her search but it had been put on the backburner. Right up until the point that Ranma Saotome walked into her restaurant in a Yuuei uniform of all things and then proceeded to act as if he didn't recognize her. And she didn't have any doubt that it was Ranma, the flaming pixie that was his quirk skipping through the air was proof of that. As the group walked out her blood was basically boiling.
"Tabisa!" She called to the back, "I'm going out for a run!"
She didn't wait for Tabisa to respond, her friend would understand, she'd be able to handle it. She threw her apron on to the hook, she stopped to look at the spatula hanging from the wall but ultimately decided against it, all it would do is draw attention. She slipped out from behind the grill and power walked out of the restaurant.
She trailed after the group until the train station and as she entered untied the knots keeping her sleeves up and slipped into the crowd. She nearly lost track of them, thankfully the one with six arms was easy enough to spot.
She followed him on to the train and found himself unsure exactly what she would do when she confronted him. She wanted to pummel him until he begged for forgiveness, forgiveness she wouldn't grant, then back over him with an old school sherman tank before she turned her attention to his father.
"It wont do to pursue revenge without a clear way to accomplish it." Honey's words rang through her mind along with the sharp toothed grin that came with any thought of violence. Lock explained it was due to her quirk, 'Honey Badger' it always left her aching for any chance to fight.
She gnashed her teeth together, a habit she was picking up from her master. She took a half step toward him and stopped as the train began to slow, 'Nerima' was flashing across the sign at the front of the car.
Ranma got off the train and she followed. When he took to the fences alongside the canal she dropped back and when he headed into one of the older neighborhoods she almost stopped.
Her phone began to rapidly chime and as she glanced at the screen she already knew what she'd see. An overly cute plushy badger, he thumb hovered only for a moment before she pressed ignore. "She'll understand." She told herself, "she has to."
When Ranma casually leapt over the large gate marked with a sign for the Tendo-Ke she stopped. For awhile she watched as discreetly as she could manage, looking to see if the teen left. Then she saw it, exactly what she was looking for proof Ranma at the very least frequented the Tendo-ke, his father Genma Saotome.
Even as her rage burned brighter Ukyo knew one thing for sure. Her life was definitely looking up.
Genma had a problem.
Two of them if he were being honest with himself. Their names were Ranma Saotome and Nabiki Tendo. The two got on just fine but seemed more than happy to keep a veritable wall of apathy behind them.
Soun was no help, his quirk training was taught by his students and all the man wanted to do was wallow in his Sake, play shogi and reminice. It was great when that's what he wanted to do too but he had about innitiative at the kids.
Okay so he had three problems.
Not to mention that while his son had made it into Yuuei his teacher was that bastard Eraserhead. He doubted the other hero even remembered him but the man had been a pain in Genma's side for years. So what if he wanted to take a few bucks from those willing to donate? Okay maybe he went a bit to far with some of the scum he'd brought down. And maybe, just maybe, he ignored when the upperclass bastards that wronged him were wronged in turn. It didn't give the underground Hero the right to accuse him of being in league with some of the Yakuza cells that remained.
Four problems then.
Soun's daughter Kasumi was constantly trying to feed him bamboo, which was fine if he stayed a panda long enough for it to have time to digest it but that didn't work as well when he was human. Hot water may have changed him from beast to man but it did not change the bamboo into a burger.
He knew his appetite was on the larger side, it came with being a martial artist. He burned through massive amounts of energy and needed actual food to keep up. Granted as much as he wished to deny it, he had let himself go over the last month, no doubt he'd put on a pound or two. Could be closer to fifteen or twenty… or thirty.
Five problems.
That Ukyo Kuonji was standing on the walls of the Tendo-ke. That was another problem. For years he'd laid low trying to make sure the deals he'd made wouldn't catch up to him and there she was looking as viscious as a doberman tortured in the fiery pits.
He knew alot of them were going to be looking for him, but people didn't understand as they once did. The promises of a wandering martial artist were about as stable as their home situation and Ukyo was one of the first. Plus, he'd seen her once or twice while they were in China. The girl had some skill.
Six problems, he thought to himself and froze turning his back to the girl he'd left on the side of the road so many years ago as he ran with his son and her dowry.
Wait. Genma paled and as if his neck were on a rusted pivot turned to face the wall. She was still there.
"Shit." He grunted and bolted.
Akane was having an off year.
With a deep breath, she brought her hand down sending it crashing through five cinder blocks.
First her father tries to force an engagement down her throat.
Another pile fell into shards, gravel and dust.
The boy shows up turning out to be some kind of freak even amongst those who have shifting quirks.
She punched a dummy with a black pigtail sticking out from the back from its head.
She loses to that freak boy. He get's into Yuuei same as her except he's in class 1-A, while she's in 1-B.
She paused and set up another series of blocks with five new blocks and topped it off with a sixth. It fell to her descending fist a moment later.
The boy's coming to challenge her hadn't eased in number in fact they increased. The nut with the sword had taken to carrying roses to boot.
She pat at her face with a towel before setting up another two sets of blocks and stacked the first six on to the second.
Her teacher Kan insisted she wasn't using her quirk to the fullest potential. When she disagreed he'd grunt and walk away only to come back with a note for her to see Hound Dog.
Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she jumped and struck the uppermost block with her finger. They all shattered sending copius amounts of stone splinters around the area. "See sensei, I can use my quirk just fine." She muttered.
Her class president put her down during hero training before she could even get close enough to use her quirk. At the thought she couldn't help but mutter, "cheater."
"Akane dinner's nearly ready! You should get into the bath" Kasumi called.
That brightened Akane's mood, "thanks Kasumi" she called back. Wiping her face again she started for the bath and in her haste totally missed the occupied sign hanging from the door and when she opened the door she found Ranma. Petite, red headed Ranma with breasts that made her own look like mosquito bites in comparison.
"Pervert!" She yelled, as she tried to cover herself.
Yes Akane decided, she was most definitely having an off year.
"Dear sister, I don't see why you must keep such an outlandish pet even one so well behaved such as Mr. Green Turtle, when you do not have a quirk that gives an affinity with animals."
Tatewaki Kuno was in a perdicament. It was in fact one he'd been in a number of times before and had no doubt that he'd be in such situations in the future.
His sister, Kodachi, a tall slim girl with long black hair she kept tied up in a long ponytail, was showing off the latest addition to her menagerie. Not that she cared what he, her own brother thought of the matter. Nor did she seem to have any intention of removing her dearest Ms. Red Roo from the room.
Instead her mouth formed a thin line as she turned her attentin to her brother. "Are you suggesting that I cannot bond with my pets without such a crutch as a bonding quirk dearest brother?"
If he was insulted he didn't act so, such a thing was beneath him. "I do not believe any such words passed my lips, nor would they have as you as I are a Kuno. We carry the vaunted blood of the samurai as well as Heroes of the highest caliber! I only enquire as I was under the impression that you were seeking to improve your martial arts rythmic gymnastics rather than increasing the size of your menagerie."
Her laugh sent a shiver up Kuno's spine though he'd never admit it for that too was beneath him. "You cannot improve upon perfection brother dear, but rest assured I have made sure to maintain my skill."
Kuno nodded ignoring the blood that now freely seeped down across his face. Doubtless none had defeated his sister, her deplorable tactics often assured her victory before any matches began and their wealth kept the police from encouraging any investigation by heroes.
"You are indeed never to be underestimated dear sister. However, as my newest foe delves into the darkest of the arcane arts in order to stand against me no matter how briefly I must sharpen my kendo until it may yet cleave through light itself." He announced.
He didn't notice his sister roll her eyes, "than I believe you should do so dearest brother. Sasuke already awaits you in the dojo I believe?"
Kuno nodded, "Indeed he does, I will gladly join him if you were to remove your newest pet from my person." He gestured at the large sloth who's claws were delving deeper into the skin of his scalp.
"Could you not simply allow Ms. Red Roo to enjoy herself brother? She is unfamiliar with her new home after all."
Kuno's eye twitched but he stood and proceeded to walk from the room resigning himself to have Sasuke removed the beast before they began their practice. He just had to make sure the creature recieved no injuries, he didn't want to know what his sister would do to him after letting him go with only a minor poisoning as a warning after he'd opened the door to strike her ostrich, Mr. bluebird, in the head by accident.
As if sensing his intention to remove her from her perch, Ms. Red Roo dug her claws in deeper.
"Sasuke!" Kuno roared.
End
A/N: I know there's alot going on all over from truly peaceful protests to riots. Not to mention Covid-19. All I can say folks is Live Strong and be well.
I do hope you enjoyed folks and Happy Independence day!
I do have and typically post my chapters there a few days early. You just have to add swryder after the slash and you'll find me. I also periodically work the chapters into an Epub file for download.