Arc II: Chain Reactions
Chapter: The Date

Ukyo had left school directly after lunch to prepare for her date that afternoon. Ranma had been avoiding her since the wedding – she sneered whenever she thought of the event – so she had to make the most of the afternoon. She needed to find some way to finally make him understand that they were meant to be together. If this went well, she was hopeful that she could parlay the afternoon date well into the evening and then hopefully into more.

When she reached Ucchan's she had sent Konatsu away, telling him that his help wasn't needed for the evening. She got a little testy when he was insistent that she needed his assistance for the evening rush and refused to leave. But once she explained that she had a date for the evening and they would not be opening at all, he had left rather quickly.

Which was perfect really, she was putting her best foot forward and needed time to prepare. She knew that Ranma thought she was the "cute" fiancée and she was going to make sure she looked the part. She had kept her long hair down and had brushed it until it shined. Her hair was the one truly feminine feature she kept over the years of pretending to be a boy. She smirked as she thought of her short hair. Ranma always called Akane a tomboy and Ukyo had always thought that her short hair had a lot to do with the appraisal.

Having spent a majority of her life playing down her feminine features, it took a couple of attempts, but she successfully put on a light layer of make-up without looking like a clown. She had put an emphasis on her lips, applying a generous amount of lipgloss which would hopefully draw Ranma's attention and give him some ideas. For the occasion, she had put on one of the few dresses she owned, which she bought on a whim. The blue dress had a fitted square top with large buttons down the front, thin straps and a full skirt. She thought the dress emphasized her womanly curves wonderfully and smirked at how much of her breasts were on display. Which would set her apart from the flat-chested, built like a brick girl that Ranma so often complained about.

Now that she was ready, all she had to do was wait for Ranma to come and take her out on their date. She just wondered what they would be doing today. Would he take her to a fancy restaurant? Or maybe he would have planned a picnic for them in the park? Maybe a trip to the movies so they could cuddle together in the dark?

Regardless, he would most likely bring her some flowers. Roses were okay, but she adored tulips. But of course he knew that and she had brought out a vase in preparation.

Regardless of their plans, tonight would be perfect.

Ranma was walking on the fence, using it as a balancing exercise which he really didn't need. He had done it for so long, it was now habit and it also gave him a better view of the area around him, making it harder for people to sneak up on him.

He was walking a lot slower than he usually did, delaying when he would reach Ucchan's. He was dreading his visit with Ukyo. He was still mad at her for all the dangerous stunts she had pulled lately and her manipulating Akane to ask him for a date had really pissed him off. However, he had not been driven to the point where he was willing to throw away their friendship, no matter how shaky their relationship was at this point. He knew he had to give himself time to get over his anger before trying to save their friendship, which was why he had been avoiding his childhood friend.

A part of him also knew that he couldn't avoid Ukyo forever. He was a little afraid of what she would do if she got really desperate. But mainly, he was willing to go along with this because Akane had asked him to and he had to admit, there was very little she asked of him.

He had to concede his home life was a lot less stressful now that he didn't have to worry about Happosai interrupting Akane or him while changing or in the bath. When his mother had moved into the Tendo home, he had begun to worry that the Grand Master would violate her privacy too. Happosai had yet to interrupt his mother during a bath but that didn't mean he wouldn't and Ranma wouldn't put it past the old pervert to try. So for now, he was just glad he could let his guard down, at least a little.

School had been over for a while already and he couldn't continue to wander around aimlessly, putting off the inevitable. By now business at the restaurant should have picked up so that Ukyo would be too busy to pay him much attention. Realizing he wouldn't make it home for dinner if he didn't get to the restaurant soon, he took a deep breath and headed towards his destination.

Strolling through the park was always a fun activity and since she had a rare afternoon to herself, she decided to take a leisurely walk. Though she wasn't enjoying herself as much as she thought she would have normally. Ranma had jumped out of the window after school without as much as a glance in her direction. It irked her more than it should have, since she was well aware of the fact that he had his own active life.

She was excited to see Taro when she exited the building, hoping that she would get him to spar with her. But he had stopped by to run errands for the rest of the girls in the class and didn't have time for her. Today he would be helping move old patient files at Yuka's father's office.

Akane was just rounding a bend when she saw a beautiful young woman dressed in a kimono sitting on a nearby bench. As she got closer, she realized the rather forlorn looking girl looked familiar.

Walking forward, she smiled and said, "Good afternoon, Konatsu."

Looking up in shock, Konatsu smiled though the kunoichi in him was slightly ashamed. He must have really been lost in thought if he allowed anyone to surprise him.

"Good afternoon, Miss Akane!"

Giving him an indulgent smile, Akane replied, "Konatsu, please, you don't have to be so formal." Nodding to the empty space, she asked, "May I join you?"

"Of course, of course! I'm sorry, that was so rude of me. Please sit."

Konatsu inched over slightly to give Akane more space.

"Are you ok? You seemed a little... sad when I walked up."

Giving Akane a wide smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Oh, I'm fine."

Konatsu was definitely not feeling fine, but he didn't want to trouble Akane with his melancholy mood.

Sensing his hesitancy to talk about his problems, she quickly changed the topic, "So what are you doing out here? You have the day off?"

Konatsu looked down. "Umm no. Miss Ukyo has closed the restaurant for the day."

"Really? That's unlike her, I hope she isn't sick."

"No, no, she's fine."

Konatsu knew that the truth would hurt Akane and he didn't want to lie to her. Knowing she would find out the truth eventually, he said quietly, "S-she has a d-date this afternoon."

Konatsu watched as Akane's smile dropped a little as she processed the information.

"Well...umm...good for..." Clearing her throat, Akane tried a different tactic, "So, what are your plans for the afternoon?"

"Me? Umm... this. I was just going to hang out in the park for a while."

"I've got a better idea, why don't we go get some ice-cream instead!"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, but I don't really have..."

"My treat of course! Come on, it'll be fun." Akane gave him an encouraging smile.

He nodded his head eagerly, the choice being easy to make as Konatsu would rather spend time with the girl in front of him than wallow in his own self-pity. Plus he would be able to indulge in such a decadent treat!

Ranma was confused as he knocked on the front door of Ucchan's; the restaurant looked as if it was closed for the day. He was surprised when Ukyo opened the door almost immediately.

Giving Ranma a big smile, she exclaimed, "Ran-chan! There you are! Come on in, Sugar!"

Ranma followed her into the restaurant. Normally, his senses were overwhelmed by the scent of okonomiyaki cooking, the sound of the griddle sizzling, and the sights of happy customers eating, and he fleetingly thought that the restaurant was a little eerie when it was empty. Grabbing a stool by the counter, he sat down, swiveling himself right and left.

Ukyo had been waiting for at least an hour for Ranma to show up and when he finally did, he walked in without saying a word. No flowers, no candy, and it looked like he didn't even bother cleaning up before showing up for their date! He was wearing his standard clothing; a sleeveless Chinese style top and black pants.

Now he was just sitting there, acting like nothing was wrong! They had a date and she had been waiting! And he still hadn't said anything about her new dress. She longed for her spatula - a whack over the head was exactly what he deserved - and cursed the fact that she decided to leave her bandoleer in her room. She was frustrated to say the least.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The date could still be salvaged and she would just have to make the best of the situation. Putting on a bright smile, she asked, "So, where ya taking me, Sugar?"

Cocking his head to the side, Ranma said, "Whatcha talkin' about? Why would I be taking you anywhere?"

Ukyo could have smacked herself on the head, or better yet smacked him on the head. Her smile became tight as she said, "Well, we did have a date planned for today."

"Date? What date?"

She growled, "The date you told me you were taking me on. You remember? After school yesterday..."

"Oh, that! Yeah, I just said I was stopping by, I didn't agree to any date."

Clenching her hands in anger, she said, "That's ok. We can just stay here since we have the place to ourselves. And I know how much you love my cooking."

Ranma only shrugged in response.

The trip to the ice cream shop was a little awkward as both people were feeling a little sad for themselves but were trying to put on a brave face for each other. They had never spent any time alone and Akane didn't realize how uncomfortable it would be without Ranma or even Ukyo as a buffer. Things stayed awkward as they looked over their menus.

Akane wanted to giggle when she saw Konatsu's eyes widen when he perused the menu. She didn't know what was more shocking for the poor fellow, the pictures of the elaborate treats or the prices that went along with them.

Asking Konatsu what he wanted, she was unsurprised and a bit disappointed when he requested a single scoop of mint chocolate chip ice-cream. She had tried to talk him into something more extravagant, but he waved the suggestion away. Not wanting to order something decadent (even though she really wanted it) when he was getting something so simple, she had resigned herself to a scoop of rainbow sherbet.

Akane glanced up and her lips quirked as she recognizing the waiter walking towards them; it was the same boy who served her on her last trip to the restaurant with Ranma. He took their order before asking Akane about her "cute redheaded friend". Akane told him that she was busy this afternoon and wouldn't be joining them. He left to put in their order, looking rather dejected.

Once the waiter was out of earshot, Akane relayed the story to Konatsu who seemed to become more comfortable as the story progressed and laughed at Ranma's antics. Konatsu had then started telling Akane a story about one of his sisters' unsuccessful attempt at trying to get some free pastries.

Ranma watched as Ukyo turned on and prepped her grill, pulling out ingredients for okonomiyaki and an apron. Even though she was trying to be pleasant, he could sense the irritation rolling off her in waves. Usually he would try to do something to make her laugh or smile to break the tension, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Ukyo was glad she had the distraction of cooking to calm her down. She didn't understand what was happening. This was supposed to be a fun afternoon. They were supposed to hang out and bond. He was supposed to see that she would be the perfect wife for him. But no. All he'd done since he came in was sit there. The silence felt deafening. She realized that if she wanted anything to happen today, she would have to make more of an effort.

Looking up and sending him a warm smile, she said, "Isn't this nice, Ranma? Just you and me. Alone together. It's homey, huh?"

Ranma grunted noncommittally.

Choosing to be the bigger person, she ignored his lack of response as she continued, "You know, once we're married, it'll be like this all the time." Checking her batter and falling into routine, she missed his eye roll. "We would work together here during the day, making the best okonomiyaki around before having a quiet dinner together when the day is over."

The smile that graced her face was now genuine as she allowed herself to be lost in the picture of the future she imagined for them. "It sounds perfect, doesn't it?" She continued to describe what she thought of as their idyllic life together. Lost in her own musings, she rambled on, missing the stony look that crept over his face.

Akane and Konatsu left the ice-cream parlor together, both in much better moods than when they entered. The awkwardness between them had disappeared as they bonded over their rather unusual lives. Enjoying their time together and neither wanting it to end, they decided to spend the rest of the afternoon together at the park.

They were still laughing and telling each other stories as they walked along a path towards the water. Looking over, Akane's face suddenly froze and she moaned, "Oh no."

Ranma was glad that Ukyo had finished cooking her food; eating saved him from having to participate in conversation. Not that he was worried; she'd been on her happy monologue for what felt like forever. He was amazed at her little speech. He didn't know how she thought he would be happy with her imagined future.

A life where his main goal was running a restaurant. Day in and day out, serving people. Never being able to focus on his art. Having the skills he worked so hard to gain wasted.

What gave her the idea that he wanted to run a restaurant? He loved food and he loved to eat, but that was it. He didn't care how it was made and definitely didn't care to make it for strangers.

And she wanted children. Lots of children. She wanted to train them in her style of martial arts so they could continue running the restaurant. Or if her plans worked out, they could each run a branch of her restaurants throughout Japan. She gave no thought to his school or the fact that he may want to train his children in the Anything Goes style.

The idea of kids was strange to him, despite the fact that his father kept insisting he produce an heir for the school. It wasn't that he didn't want kids. He did. In an abstract way. But he was a seventeen year old boy and that wasn't on his priority list.

On the few occasions he did think about children, he knew who he envisioned to be their mother. Lately, he began having dreams of Akane that were completely different than the ones he usually had.

Akane standing at a window as the light silhouetted her body, one hand rubbing her swollen belly and the other supporting her back.

Akane cradling a small bundle in her arms as she sang and rocked it to sleep.

Akane crouched down, her arms open as a baby toddled towards her and she smiled encouragingly.

It was really sappy, kinda lame, and would be totally embarrassing if anyone found out about them. But none of that mattered because remembering those dreams brought a smile to his face.

If he were paying attention to the conversation in front of him, he would have known that smiling at that moment was a mistake.

After having made three okonomiyakis for Ranma and one for herself, Ukyo turned off the griddle and went to sit next to Ranma at the counter. What had started out horribly was turning out rather well. She had finally told him her deepest desires, describing in detail the future she saw of them together. She was nervous at first, since it seemed he was unhappy with what she was saying, but after a while it was obvious that he was giving her ideas some serious thought.

She had finished her food and was continuing to tell him about her dream to franchise, with each of their children being given their own restaurant. They would be given more stability and security than either her or Ranma had growing up. Now that she had laid everything out for him, she needed to know what he thought.

"So, Ranma what do you think?"

Ukyo was disappointed at first when he didn't respond, but she was flooded with relief and happiness when he finally smiled at her.

See? I knew he wanted a future with me.

Now that he made it clear how he felt, she would make herself clear to him. She had once tried to show him the benefits of having her as a wife, which included the intimacy that they would share once they were married. She was nervous then, hoping that just sharing a bed with him would be enough to show him how serious she was. She didn't know if that offer would have led to more, but she had been willing to take the risk. It was a moot point, since he didn't actually share a bed with her that night.

She had spent enough time as a boy and around boys to know exactly what a teenage male wanted from his girlfriend. She was no longer nervous to take this next step with him. In fact, she was more than willing to share with him what a fiancée ought to, truly committing herself to him.

She smoothed her hair and arranged it in a pleasing manner. Ukyo subtly pulled the hem of her skirt higher to show off her toned thighs, and quickly undid the top two buttons of her dress, pulling the corners down, exposing more of her cleavage. Taking a deep breath, she leaned closer to Ranma and placed a hand on his thigh, squeezing it firmly, placing a light kiss on his bare, muscular arm.

Still lost in thought, Ranma barely felt a hand land on his upper thigh before he felt a pair of lips land on his shoulder. His entire body went tense.

"Stop."

"Why?" She leaned in to place another kiss on his shoulder, but he suddenly stood up and stepped away from her. Standing up and crossing her arms in a way she knew would push up her breasts even more, she said, "It's ok. I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

Ranma cursed his lack of attention since he had no idea what was happening. He had an inkling of what she was implying once he took in the state of her clothing and recent actions, but he really hoped he was wrong.

She walked up to him and ran a finger slowly up his arm. "To show you how much I love you. It's ok, I know you want this as much as I do."

Ranma just shook his head in exasperation. What was it with the women in his life throwing themselves at him? Did they really think that he could be led around with his dick?

"What in the world gave you that idea?"

"You! You seemed perfectly happy a second ago at the idea of us together."

"I don't know why you would think that, but you're wrong. That… life you have planned, it has nothing to do with me. Everything you said was describing what you want, but you never once gave a thought to what I would want."

"That's not true!" Ukyo said exasperatedly. Trying to calm down, she added, "If there was something I said that….offended you or you didn't like, we can change it."

"There was nothing about what you said that I liked or could even imagine for my future!"

Ukyo narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Well then, what do you want?" When he didn't comment right away she went on, "Why are you being so pig-headed about this? You know we're going to end up together!"

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"Because! I'm the cute one! I'm the one that can cook! I'm the one that's known you the longest!"

Ranma felt disappointment wash over him. "Is that what you think? That that's all that matters to me? That I'm going to decide who to spend the rest of my life with based on how someone looks and what they can make me for dinner? Do you really think I'm that shallow?"

"Of course! That's all you ever talk about! What else am I supposed to think?" she screamed.

Giving her a cold look he said, "You may have known me the longest, but it's pretty clear that you don't understand me at all."

Ranma walked out without looking back.

'Twas a lovely afternoon for a stroll through the park. The sun was shining brightly and a cool breeze ensured he was comfortable. He was admiring the lovely foliage in bloom and greatly appreciated the beauty before him, even if he had to share the space with the lowly commoners that surrounded him. But he was used to such things. After all, not everyone could be descended from nobility, like himself.

But all was not right; the beauty around him did not fill him with joy as it normally would have. The bereft young man was lost in contemplation over the sorry state of his love life. Tatewaki Kuno sighed over his own misery.

From the moment he saw her, he had given his heart and soul to the lovely, vital Akane Tendo. He saw no other who could match his fire and he longed to have her for his own.

But he knew that her beauty had come with a price; there were others who would seek her affection. To save her from those who did not deserve her, he set out a simple task for those who tried to woo her. To be allowed the chance at her hand, they had only to beat her in battle to prove their worth. It was an ingenious plan, for he had saved her from many unworthy men all the while distinguishing himself from the riff raff.

Being a wholesome, chaste young woman, Akane had rejected his initial advances, but he did not begrudge her that. He knew that she wanted to be sure of his affection, that his was not a fleeting romance before she accepted his courtship. It was laughable to think that his love for her was anything beyond transcendent, but she was only a woman, so she could not understand the all-consuming power of his emotions. To prove himself to her, he set out to assure her of his intentions. Day after day. It was hard work, but whom other than he, one of the strongest, most noble of men, would persevere to prove that he alone deserved her?

Kuno paused in his thoughts as he saw a group of lovely young maidens running in his direction. He quickly withdrew a red rose, bringing it to his nose to smell, as he propped his right foot on a nearby rock and placed his left hand on his hip, creating what he knew to be a dashing image for the vibrant ladies coming his way. As they grew closer, he gave them a wide charming smile, the sun glinting off his perfect white teeth, and winked at a comely girl with auburn tresses. Even when he was feeling melancholy, he would take the time to bring a little bit of sunshine into the otherwise dreary daily lives of these ordinary girls. Kuno amazed even himself at how self-sacrificing he could be.

As the girls passed him, he let out another sigh and allowed his thoughts to wind back around to Akane. She had always been a diamond in the rough, shining so much brighter than those around her. But lately, when he looked at her, she seemed to have lost some of the spark that made her unique.

She had always been vivacious, full of life, passionate! Now she seemed so indifferent to his attentions, so lackadaisical in her responses. She had actually avoided his challenges and let that fiend Saotome interfere with their morning tête-à-têtes. This was definitely not the determined beauty that he fell for. It was almost as if she didn't want his attentions anymore.

He scoffed. That idea was preposterous!

Suddenly an ugly thought crept in his mind. Perhaps he misjudged her. As heartbreaking as it was to imagine, maybe she had fooled him into believing she was worthy of his adoration and the effort to keep up appearances became too much for her to bear, leaving only this shell of the girl he had so often longed for.

But no! He must banish those thoughts; a true gentleman would have more faith in their beloved. He felt like a cad for having entertained those ideas for even a millisecond. To repent, he must put more effort into gaining her hand and never again waver in his pursuit. In return, she would once again shine with the ferocity that he knew existed in her very soul.

As soon as he made this solemn vow, the object of his desires appeared before him and he knew immediately that this was a sign from the heavens that he was once again on a righteous path.

Konatsu giggled to himself. What started as a miserable afternoon had turned into a wonderful one.

He never regretted leaving his stepmother and stepsisters. The life he led now was full of happiness. He had a roof over his head, was able to eat extravagantly, a full bowl of rice at every meal! He slept on a nice comfortable futon - with sheets and a blanket. He even had his own room (a storage closet)! He had a job that he could be proud of. And he was making so much money, he didn't know what to do with it all!

But most of all, he had Ukyo. She was the light of his life.

It wasn't a secret that he loved her and he knew that she didn't return his feelings. But he never let it get him down, since he knew someone as wonderful as her could never love someone like him. But he was determined that she have a happy life and he would do his best to help her whenever he could. Even if the things he had participated in had made him sad and a little ashamed. But growing up as kunoichi, he learned long ago that sometimes you had to be ruthless and underhanded to get what you want.

So when Ukyo had told him today that she had a date with Ranma, he was happy for her.

Honestly, he was.

But he was a little sad for himself. If Ranma and Ukyo got married, he would no longer be needed at Ucchan's and then where would he go?

For the first time since leaving his stepmother's home, he had truly felt lonely.

It came as a surprise, running into Akane at the park and he felt a little awkward. He hadn't seen her since the wedding and he was still a bit ashamed at his part in helping to make the okonomiyaki bombs; it didn't matter how unwitting the participation. Their initial interaction was stiff to say the least, but things changed once they sat down for ice-cream. He had never spent any one-on-one time with Akane, so it was surprising for him to learn that she had a sense of humor.

They had bonded over stories of their random adventures and found that they had a bit in common. They both had two older sisters. They both lost their mothers at a young age. They both loved martial arts. And even though it was never vocalized, they both had an unrequited love they would do anything for.

He was happy to be able to continue spending the afternoon with Akane. He was currently telling her about the time his sister attempted to seduce a salary man when he heard Akane groan. Looking up, he saw a rather tall young man running towards them, shouting, "Akane Tendo, my love!"

Noting his white kendogi and blue hakama, Konatsu quickly realized that this was the infamous Tatewaki Kuno he had heard about. He had glimpsed the other man once at the failed wedding, but with all the chaos, he didn't get a good look.

The kendoist was fast approaching them, shouting, "Akane, I challenge you!" He pulled out his bokken as he continued charging forward.

Konatsu watched avidly as the kondoist yelled, "Strike. Strike. Strike" as he drew closer to the pair. He was surprised that the air pressure coming from the swings alone was causing the air around them to swirl, even at a distance. Turning, he realized that Akane had not taken a defensive position nor made any offensive moves. All she had done was distance herself from Konatsu, moving forward and further to the side.

Once Kuno came close enough, he swung at her, causing her to dodge to the right. He followed her, shuffling his feet forward and made another strike, which Akane dodged to the left this time.

They continued their little dance which puzzled Konatsu. There were holes in Kuno's attacks that Akane could have easily taken advantage of to end the fight quickly, but all she did was evade. While it was true that Konatsu had never seen her fight, he knew that she had some skill. Watching their fight continue, it finally dawned on him that Akane didn't want to hit the boy. He had no idea why, but that was the only logical explanation for the game of cat and mouse the two seemed to be participating in.

Deciding to help his friend, Konatsu ran forward and placed two quick punches to Kuno's kidney and chest before kicking him in the face and sending him flying against a nearby tree.

He turned to Akane and was rewarded with a wide smile. In that moment, he realized why Ukyo had such a hard time getting Ranma to commit to her.

"Thanks, Konatsu."

"No problem, Akane." Looking over to Kuno, who was still on the floor, he asked, "Why did you not want to fight him?"

Akane laughed. "It's a long story. But the gist of it is, if I hit him I would essentially be accepting his challenges which only encourages him. I've been trying to avoid his attacks, but it gets hard when he is so darn persistent! Usually Ranma handles him so I don't get tempted to give in and beat the hell out of him. Why don't we get outta...?"

"Who dares strike at me?" Kuno bellowed.

Looking over, they watched Kuno get slowly back on his feet.

Kuno was a little dazed as he stood up. The hit he took was rather unexpected and unappreciated as it did not come from his beloved. He had challenged her, hoping to see the sparkle return to her eyes, a sure sign that all was back to normal. At first it looked like his plan was a failure, but the longer he persisted, the more successful he felt. He could see the old fire coming back. That was until they were so rudely interrupted. When he found the culprit, he was going to make the assailant pay for their misdeeds.

Looking up, he saw Akane, looking lovely in their school uniform. Next to her was a beautiful girl dressed in a traditional kimono and looking at him curiously. He looked around and saw no one else around them.

Maybe the evil doer ran away with his tail tucked in between his legs.

Suddenly the kimono clad girl giggled and said, "I'm sorry, sir. That would be me."

"Forgive me, but I do not believe a delicate flower such as yourself would be able to achieve such a task."

The girl pulled out a fan, artfully expanding it before placing it in front of the lower half of her face. She looked at him through her lashes, saying, "Of course a man as strong and handsome as yourself would be unaccustomed to anyone challenging you. However, it really was me. I must apologize for my brash behavior, but I felt it necessary to aid my friend." She then bowed lowly to him.

Being a chivalrous man, he would of course accept her apology.

"Think nothing of it, good lady. It was a lucky shot for I was distracted and I cannot fault you for being a loyal friend."

The girl only gave him a slight nod in acknowledgement and then batted her eyes at him which caused his heart to race in his chest.

"Forgive me, but we have not been properly introduced. My name is Kuno, Tatewaki, rising star of the kendo world, captain of Furinkan High School's kendo team, known throughout the land by the name 'Blue Thunder', age 18." He gave her a low dramatic bow.

She giggled again, before saying demurely, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Kuno, my name is Konatsu."

Walking up to the beautiful young woman, he decided to bestow upon her a kiss to show his appreciation of her beauty. Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips and was surprised when she pulled back quickly and slapped him across his face.

"I am sorry, but I cannot allow a stranger to take such liberties."

He looked into her eyes and there it was! The sparkle that he had missed seeing lately. His heart beat even faster as he took another look at the girl before him.

She really was beautiful. She had long hair pulled back into a pony tail and a strong but delicate face. She carried herself with poise and was well spoken. There seemed to be an interesting dichotomy about her; her delicate femininity hiding the strength that he had just witnessed. She, like himself, seemed to value the traditional. Something that both the pig-tailed girl and Akane Tendo lacked.

A light bulb went off over his head.

Could it be possible that the heavens had led him to this lovely young woman today and not Akane? Was it a sign that in his darkest hour he be presented with a girl that had both the innocence and passionate nature of Akane Tendo, combined with the beauty and vitality of his pigtailed goddess, along with the poise and grace of his own noble nature?

He could not...would not ignore the call of destiny!

"Well, may I suggest we take the opportunity to get to know each other better, then. Will you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?" Kuno asked, presenting her with a dozen red roses.

Delicately taking the flowers from him, she gave him a flirtatious smile as she said, "It would be my pleasure."

Akane watched the scene unfold before her with amusement and her jaw dropped when she heard Konatsu accept the date with Kuno.

Frozen in shock, she could do nothing as she watched the pair walk away. They had only moved a short distance when Kuno tried to put his arms around Konatsu. In response, the kunoichi threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground before waving a finger at Kuno, clearly telling him that behavior was unacceptable. Waiting for Kuno to stand, the kunoichi turned his head and winked at Akane before strolling off with his new admirer.

Akane watched as they walked away, still processing what had just transpired. Could it be that Konatsu had taken it upon himself to help her by catching Kuno's attention? She had told him a few stories about Kuno's obsessiveness and how he was easily distracted by a pretty face. It was obvious that he was using his kunoichi training in seduction against Kuno. It worked spectacularly because once he started flirting with the kendoist, it was if she had become invisible.

Suddenly Akane started laughing. Laughing until her sides hurt and tears formed in her eyes. She would have to find some way to thank the kunoichi for his help.

A/N: I really hope you liked the Kuno POV. It was really hard for me since it is the opposite of the way I write but ended up being a lot of fun once I got into it.

As always, thanks to PepperonyOwl and alwaysZutarian for their general awesomeness.

Original Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Revised: