Little later, but the school year is wrapping up. I don't have that much time. Whoever said that being a teacher is easy needs to shut up. It's not. Last time, Ranma just dropped a bombshell on Kasumi before he went to train for a bit. Let's see how it goes.

Chapter Begin

"Kyaa!" A female voice called out as Ranma approached the dojo. Ranma looked in and saw Akane dressed in a yellow gi, standing over a bunch of bricks. She had several piles of bricks around her.

"Pardon me," Ranma said to the girl. He ignored her glare as he started to rummage around his pack. He pulls out a fan and inspects it. "I just want to get some practice a bit."

"Like I'll let you. Get out of my dojo!" Akane screamed. Ranma looked at Akane incredulously and just stared at her silently. Akane started to become more hostile before Ranma finally spoke up.

"What exactly is your problem? I've barely talked to you, tried to be polite, and am paying for my stay. All I want to do is find my mother," Ranma reminded her. This seemed to anger Akane even more.

"You're a boy!" Akane screamed. Ranma facepalmed at that.

"Any other reasons because I'm certain that Kasumi or Nabiki would love to hear about why I'm asking for a refund because I couldn't stay where I'm paying to stay?" Ranma groaned out. As if by magic, Nabiki peeked in the dojo.

"Akane, Ranma is paying to use the dojo. Stop complaining," Nabiki called. Akane's face turned red at Nabiki's comment.

"Don't you usually say no refunds?" Akane growled out. Nabiki smirked.

"That's when I'm dealing with idiots. Besides, Kasumi has the money, and you know the rules," Nabiki countered, sending a half lidded stare at her sister. "Just leave Ranma alone." Having said her piece, Nabiki stalked off, though Ranma could have sworn he heard some clicking noises.

"That's that. Now, I'll be practicing over here," Ranma started. He pointed to the other half of the dojo where nothing was placed. Seeing no response, Ranma took out the fan and got ready to start practicing.

"That's it. I challenge you!" Akane screamed. Ranma stumbled when her scream interrupted his stance. "Fight me, and when you lose, you will leave my dojo and home." Ranma sighed.

"And if I win, you will leave me alone to practice in peace," Ranma requested. Akane grunted.

"Sure. It's not like you'll win. I'm the best martial artist in Nerima," Akane bragged. She took a stance in the middle of the dojo. Ranma held the fan in its folded stance in a relaxed stance a few paces away.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Ranma said. He fanned out his weapon and slightly tensed his muscles more.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Akane shot back. She took off at a decent speed towards Ranma with her fist pulled back. "Prepare to lose!" As she got within range, she launched a powerful haymaker at Ranma. Just as it was about to reach his chest, the fan intercepted the strike. Ranma twisted the fan, dispersing the power, and maneuvering around Akane. Akane stumbled past Ranma.

"Quite a bit of power, but you put too much into the strike," Ranma critiqued. He folded the fan and tapped the back of the unbalanced girl with it. Akane fumbled to get up.

"Take me seriously!" Akane shouted. She shot up and started swinging at Ranma. Ranma danced around Akane's strikes with grace and style.

"Hm, tends to overextend. Forms a little off too," Ranma said, adjusting Akane's arms as she punched past his head.

"Shut up, and let me hit you," Akane screeched. Her speed increased minimally, and she suddenly launched a powerful roundhouse kick.

"Defense is severely lacking. Overcommitting is a poor habit when your opponent can dodge easily," Ranma continued to comment on. He gently redirected Akane so she landed safely, but the girl's attacks continued relentlessly. It was evident that she was starting to get tired with the more ragged breath.

"So much wasted movements as well," Ranma tsked even as he shifted his head away from another punch.

"Stop showing off!" Akane gasped out.

Ranma sighed. On Akane's next punch, he dropped his fan, gripped her wrist, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Oof!" Akane cried out as she landed on her back. It wasn't a hard landing, but she did get her breath knocked out of her. She went to get up, but the edge of the fan stopped her.

"This is my win," Ranma confidently said. He pulled away his fan, and instead offered a hand up to the downed girl. "You have some potential, but you are a bit too aggressive. You need to work on your defense quite a bit." As the words flowed from his lips, he could see Akane get extremely angry. She batted away his hand and stormed out of the building. All Ranma could do was watch as the girl left.

"What is her problem?" Ranma asked himself. He shrugged and took out the fan again. He was about to start practicing before he remembered something. He went back to his pack and pulled out an item. He placed the item on the dojo door before he finally got ready. He held the folded fan to his chest, took a deep breath, and began to move.

"That was beautiful," Kasumi's voice cut through Ranma's trance. Ranma looked towards the voice and spotted Kasumi and Nabiki sitting on the dojo floor. Kasumi was staring with wide, entranced eyes, while Nabiki held a video camera.

"Thank you," Ranma bowed.

"How are you doing that?" Nabiki asked.

"Doing what?" Ranma asked. He looked around before he noticed that he was standing upside down on the roof. He quickly jumped down and landed away from the girls. "That would be part of the Bat Fist that one of my masters, Bat Li, taught me years ago. Practicing this fist tends to put the user in a trance, but it also lets us glide and stand upside down on the ceiling like a bat."

"Interesting, and can anyone learn that?" Nabiki inquired.

"Not everyone can learn it. As of yet, only three people have learned the Bat Fist," Ranma replied. "It basically requires a person to practice until they stop thinking. It is not something that is easy to learn at all."

"Shame," Nabiki said. "It was really nice to watch. I've never seen a martial art that is basically a dance. I can think of more than a few who would want to learn that."

"I'm sorry to say, but I can't teach it. They would need to meet my master, and right now, he is enjoying a vacation. They would still need to impress him too," Ranma explained.

"Eh, it's just something to note. A lot of girls would be interested in a guy who can dance as well as you," Nabiki teased. She smirked when she saw Ranma uncomfortably shift.

"Now Nabiki, be nice to Ranma. He is a guest," Kasumi lightly scolded. It was ruined by the small smile on her face.

"Fine. I just came by because I was curious about what our guest was practicing. That and Daddy is not happy with him. Not that anything came about it," Nabiki chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked. He was putting away the fan and sign.

"Daddy isn't happy that you beat Akane since she is in a foul mood because you beat her. Saotome-san was feeding Daddy's anger because he didn't like the "disrespect" you showed him," Nabiki explained. "The two tried to confront you while you were practicing, and well…" She went over to the side door and motioned for Ranma to see. Ranma peaked out of the door and saw both Soun and Genma lying face down on the grass, unconscious. Ranma sighed.

"I did put up a sign," he grunted, pulling the sign he placed on the door. It read, "Practice in Progress. If you want to watch, you can. If you try to attack, you will be met with force."

"I know. That is the only reason I am not charging you for potential damages. Thanks for the spectacle," Nabiki smirked. She started walking back to the house, but she made certain to walk on Genma's back and head as she did.

"Oh Nabiki," Kasumi sighed.

"Your sisters are quite interesting characters," Ranma mentioned. "It is a little concerning how greedy Nabiki seemingly is."

"Nabiki is the breadwinner of the family. She's the only reason we haven't lost our home," Kasumi whispered. "Father, still won't teach anyone. It is rare that he teaches Akane now."

"I see," Ranma nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You've already helped a lot more than you realize," Kasumi said. "Though if you really feel the need to help, can you please clean up Akane's mess. She usually does it, but she left after you beat her."

"Not a problem. I'm fairly certain I brought my training broom with me," Ranma said, rummaging through his pack.

"Training broom?" Kasumi asked.

"Master Sha-Fu, or Fu-sensei, as I call him, always said, "There is training in one's livelihood." Ranma explained. He pulled out his drum and hit it once. A don sound echoed through the room. "I've been part of the cleaning crew for years back home. I've helped create a lot of training tools over the years. My broom is a special weighted broom that helps me work my muscles while I sweep." Ranma finally pulled out the broom. It was a simple broom that would be indistinguishable from any other one. He placed it down on the ground.

Kasumi was curious and went to pick the broom up. Or she tried to at least. She was only able to make it budge the slightest.

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped.

"Yep," Ranma said. He picked up the broom with some effort. "Right now, the broom weighs about 100 kilograms. My bracers are about 25 kg and shin guards are about 45 kg each, but I switch to heavier weights when I really try." Ranma started slowly, but soon he was cleaning the broken bricks at the pace of a normal person.

"I came to tell you that supper will be ready in about an hour. Just leave the bricks by the front entrance. When you are done, don't be afraid to take a soak in the furo. It's the last room past the family room. Do make certain you knock. Akane and Nabiki are bad about putting up the occupied sign," Kasumi said.

"Thank you, Kasumi," Ranma replied. In no time at all, Ranma had the rubble piled up, bagged, and placed at the entrance.

"Dinner is ready!" Kasumi's voice gently spread through the house. Scrambling was apparent as multiple people rushed towards the dining room. Meanwhile, Ranma calmly walked out of the bathroom towards the table. Soon everyone was seated at the table, looking at the spread of food. Rice, fish, a few vegetable dishes and a dish of shogayaki. The three sisters sat together on one side, with Ranma and Genma sitting opposite of the girls. Soun sat at the head of the table.

"Thank you for the meal," everybody said, before they dug in. While they were eating, Genma tried to steal from Ranma's plate. Key word being tried because Ranma easily fended off all the attempts and retaliated by disarming Genma of his chopsticks.

"I would appreciate it if you don't try to take my food. There is plenty for everyone, and we are guests. Continue to do so, and I will remove you from this table," Ranma stated sternly.

"You've gotten soft, boy!" Genma screamed, grabbing a new pair of chopsticks. He quickly started to try and take the food again. This time, Ranma grabbed the offending chopsticks with his own.

"Go soak your head," Ranma stated. Somehow, Genma was launched through the air and with a splash, a panda was floating face up in the air. Nabiki and Akane stared at Ranma while Soun was on the verge of tears.

"Oh my. I guess Saotome-san has had enough to eat. Do you want his portions, Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"I would appreciate it," Ranma said. He gently slid the plate towards himself. He started to eat at a polite if rushed pace. "This is some of the best shogayaki I've had. You're an excellent cook." Kasumi blushed at Ranma's words while Nabiki smirked at their guest's compliment.

"Stop flirting with my sister!" Akane screamed.

"I"m just being honest. Kasumi is one of the best cooks I've met. I bet if she started a restaurant, it would be a town favorite in a month," Ranma pointed out. Kasumi's blush increased even more.

"My cooking is not that good," Kasumi tried to deflect.

"It is that good, sis," Nabiki pointed out. "You could give several restaurants a run for their money."

"Your sister is quite correct," Soun agreed. "You rival your mother when it comes to caring for your family. You'll make whoever you choose a very happy person." As soon as he said this, his eyes began to gush tears. Kasumi seemed to shift uncomfortably at the added attention, but her smile was a little wider than usual.

"Thank you for helping with the dishes, Ranma. You really didn't have to," Kasumi said. The two of them were currently working on washing the remaining dishes and cleaning the kitchen. The sun had started to set at this point in time.

"It's the least I can do, especially because of what happened at dinner," Ranma gently disagreed.

"You can't control Saotome-san," Kasumi retorted.

"I'm not talking about my fight, if you can call it that, with Genma," Ranma stated. He shifted in place. "I'm talking about how your family was making you uncomfortable when they were talking about your food." Kasumi brought her hand to her lips at that.

"Oh," she whispered before shaking her head. "I wasn't uncomfortable, just shocked and happy. It's been a while since they've truly complimented my food. It's been a while since anyone has readily helped me with anything."

"When was the last time they did so?" Ranma gently asked.

"I think it was around my birthday. It's usually the only day they help me out," Kasumi stated with a wince.

"That's no good," Ranma replied. "Tell you what, I'm going to help you out with cleaning while I'm here. Genma isn't going to be forthcoming with anything for a bit so I'm going to get bored without something to occupy myself with. I wouldn't be surprised if it is at least two weeks before I can get what I want."

"But you are a guest," Kasumi weakly tried to argue.

"That doesn't change anything," Ranma reassured. "At SCRTC, everyone pitches in, especially when we are guests. We have to be respectful to others if we want to be treated with respect."

"But…" Kasumi tried to continue the argument.

"How about this? We'll try to get done with any chores you have early tomorrow. Then you can show me around Nerima. I've never been here before, so it will be a good learning experience for me," Ranma suggested.

"But what about Akane or Nabiki? They can show you around as well," Kasumi weakly fought back.

"Akane is more likely to scream at me, while Nabiki will probably try to drain my wallets with the excuse of a tour fee. Your father will probably try to convince me to stay and marry one of you, and I wouldn't trust Genma with a cat, let alone me," Ranma countered. "Spend a day, even only part, having some fun and just enjoying yourself. You don't truly live life unless you find a balance between duty and yourself. Spending your time doing only one thing is the fastest way to lose yourself. I cook, help test items at home, people watch, and so much more." His words seemed to strike a chord in Kasumi.

"I never thought about it like that," Kasumi whispered. All the fight seemed to leave the young woman. Suddenly, her body stiffened, and she nodded her head resolutely. "Alright, we'll do it."

"Perfect. Think about some of the places you want to go. We'll figure out a plan in the morning," Ranma said, happily. He let out a large yawn. "I don't mean to be rude, but I've had a long day, so I'm going to head over to the dojo and prepare for bed."

"Good night, Ranma," Kasumi said.

"Have a good night as well, Kasumi," Ranma replied as he left the room. It didn't take long for him to go to the dojo. He went to his backpack, and seemingly by magic, pulled out a rolled up sleeping bag and pillow bigger than the pack opening. He rolled them out and was getting ready to go to bed when he faintly heard the door open. "What do you want, Pops?"

"I came to talk, boy," Genma spat out. Ranma looked at the man before him, and after a moment, he finally relented.

"Then I'm all ears," Ranma grunted. He sat down and looked at Genma with distrust in his eyes. "What do you want?"

"You are to come back and fulfill your duty. As my son, you are honor-bound to follow through with the Saotome-Tendo pledge," Genma demanded. Ranma looked at Genma with disgust.

"I will remind you again that I am not a Saotome. I'm Ranma Hidehira. I also know about what you did under my "name," Ranma growled. His eyes suddenly became more fierce. "The various engagements, the multiple debts, and the various false promises selling me. All of which you had no right to do after the first time when I was only 2. There is no way in hell I'm becoming Ranma Saotome again. I have a life I'm happily living."

"Then you leave me no choice. I challenge you to a duel in one weeks time at noon," Genma said. "When I win, you submit back to the Saotome school of Anything Goes. You become Ranma Saotome again, and fulfill the pledges I tell you to." Genma had a self-assured smirk as he finished this. It was almost like he forgot his previous two defeats.

"Very well. But when I win, you will relinquish all claims on me, you'll tell me where my mother lives, and one last favor," Ranma countered. Genma seemed to consider this offer before he nodded.

"I agree to these terms," Genma finally said. "You best train hard, boy because I won't be holding back." Having said his piece, Genma left the dojo. Ranma looked at the retreating figure before he placed a fist to his forehead.

"Dammit, Pops," Ranma groaned. He reached into his bag and pulled out a phone. He tapped in a number and waited a few moments for the call to go through.

"Good afternoon, Master," Ranma greeted. A grumbled voice could barely be heard. "I know it is fairly late, but Genma was about as predictable as you expected." A bit of a chuckle came through.

"Can you stop by in the next couple days to finalize the duel and referee?...Yes, I will have a few meals ready that you will enjoy…I'll see you in about two days…Thank you," Ranma finished the conversation by stowing the phone away. He started to do a few stretches before he curled up in his sleeping bag. He was starting to drift off into sleep before a small sob carried through the air. His eyes popped open and he moved.

Meanwhile, Kasumi was looking at the journal in her hands in her bedroom. Hundreds of thoughts were flying through her head. Her entire worldview was slowly breaking apart. Ranma had entered with grace but had shaken up everything she was used to. He was clearly younger, but he showed her nothing but respect. In fact, he helped her and focused on her. He saw something more than the caring homemaker that has taken the last few years of her life.

Ranma seemed to have such a fulfilling life. He moved with purpose and joy. He seemed to have multiple different responsibilities, but he always seemed to be happy when he talked about them. He was only a few years younger than her, but he had his own job and family based on what stories were shared. However, what really struck Kasumi, was that he was willing to include her in her life.

No one had really tried to get her involved for nearly five years. Sure they made certain she was aware of specific things, but the last time anyone had sat down with her and just talked was months ago. Tears started to drip from her eyes but she didn't care. She was 19, but she hadn't done anything with her life. All the opportunities she had, gone because she had to take care of her family. A family who seemed to forget her despite the love she had for them.

A knock on her window jolted her out of her thoughts. She whipped her head to the sound and found Ranma, gently peeking in, concern written all over his face. Kasumi wiped her eyes and opened her window.

"Are you alright? I heard crying" Ranma asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Kasumi whispered. "I think I'm just a little overwhelmed. I'm not certain what I want to do, and I guess I'm frustrated."

"I see. Then come here," Ranma said, offering a hand. "There's something I always do when I feel a little anxious." Kasumi hesitated, but eventually grabbed her new friend's hand. She allowed herself to be pulled out her window. Soon she was laying on her back next to Ranma. Above her, a blanket of stars shone down towards her.

"It's beautiful," Kasumi exhaled in awe.

"The stars always calm me down," Ranma explained. "I don't know how to explain it, but I think it reminds me that there is so much more to life than what I am doing now."

"It is peaceful up here," Kasumi sighed, but her mood turned somber. She shifted her body so her chin was tucked into her needs. "But I feel stuck right now. For almost a decade, I've been taking care of my family and home. I've cooked, cleaned, and cared for this place, but they've stopped respecting the work. I feel more like a maid than a member of the family sometimes." Ranma laid a hand on Kasumi's shoulder.

"You're a little burnt out. From what it sounds like, you got too much responsibility thrust onto your shoulders when you were too young," Ranma consoled. "You sound more than a little burnt out. You need a break or change." This seemed to cause Kasumi to burst into tears again.

"But my family needs me," Kasumi sobbed.

"All families need each other, but every bird needs to leave the nest too," Ranma replied. "I can't tell you what you need, that is up to you to decide. I won't be mad at whatever option you choose so long as it is the one you want to make."

"But what if I make the wrong choice?" Kasumi gasped out between sobs. Ranma seemed to pause for a bit, before he spoke with certainty.

"Then you live with it and make a new one," Ranma stated. "Master Sha-Fu told me a saying he learned from an author he met. In days gone by, I never repented of my acts. I was always sorry for what I didn't do."

"In other words, you only live once. If you want to try something, then try it. If you find you don't like it, then no real harm," Ranma finished with a smile. Kasumi wiped her eyes of tears and returned the smile.

"You're right, Ranma," Kasumi stated. Newfound determination seemed to pulse through her.

"I'm glad I could help, but…" Ranma started. A giant yawn escaped his lips. "I really need to get some sleep. I've had a long day." He helped Kasumi back into her room, and then he went to leave. Before he could, Kasumi grabbed his wrist.

"Thank you, Ranma," Kasumi whispered.

"You're welcome," Ranma replied. With the final piece said, Ranma headed back to the dojo. Meanwhile, Kasumi watched the retreating man. Everything he said went through her mind, but one thing stuck.

"If I want to try something, then try it," Kasumi pondered. She nodded her head. She went over to her desk, pulled out the journal, and began to read.

Chapter end

Omake: Diary of Rageku - Entry 1

I don't know why Master wants me to write this out, but I'm going to give it a go. He says it is for any potential students and to review the basic, but who would want to learn my style? I'm Rageku, practitioner of the Jellyfish Fist, a style that revolves around redirection and nullification. I focus on non-violent takedowns or using my Ki to create poisons or target pressure points that can cause enemies to seize up or become incapacitated.

I'm not a fighter, but Master seems to think that is okay. He doesn't judge me for being a woman either, so he is a rare breed. Him and Sha-Fu are the most accepting of what I am trying to learn. They seem to think I have great potential unlike Kata and Maku. I guess I can see what those two say because I'm making the slowest progress of all 10 of the disciples. I envy their skills at times. But I digress.

My style is built around outlasting my enemies, but that means I need endurance and agility. That is the first crucial step to learning Jellyfish Fist. Second, an understanding of the body. Specific points of the body can easily defeat or incapacitate anyone. It has great potential for medicine as well. In the following pages, I'll be listing the specific pressure points, their effects and how to trigger them.

Omake End

I find Akane overrated, and I'm not doing the whole "girl abuses boy but secretly loves him." I loathe that trope, and I'm not going to defend Akane. Canon Ranma isn't innocent himself, but he was raised outside of civilization by Genma who is disrespectful to everyone (girls especially). Ranma has no knowledge on how to interact with people on a constant basis outside of his father. Akane was raised with a fairly stable homelife where she is spoiled by everyone. The fact that Akane is coddled and never loses after the first fight is ridiculous.

I'm trying to expand on Kasumi's character because there has to be more to it. I honestly believe that Kasumi's oblivious calm is a coping mechanism for what she has to deal with everyday, even before canon events. Kasumi likes being given attention and focus, which Ranma gives her. It gives her a chance in lifestyle and makes her feel special. She is so used to being in the background, but here is Ranma, focused primarily on her even when he has a goal to work towards. She is going to start training. I'm just trying to figure out a pre-battle speech for her. I'm thinking of using Gentle Force. I think Jellyfish Fist is the perfect compliment to it with how I'm expanding it.

Little bit of insight with Ranma's training. He is always doing so, in one way or another. The weights are inspired by Dragon Ball, and I probably lowballed what should actually be the weights he can have (though they are daily weights). In episode 3, Jan cleaned a whole gym with 45 kg cloth effortlessly. This is post-Gekirangers, so Ranma is massively stronger than that.

Mr. Haziq: If you've seen Donbrothers, I'm thinking it will be like Jiro's mecha where the Dragon and Tiger make up the whole body. I'm still hashing out details on the more Ranger side of things. It still will probably be a few chapters before you see the real GekiRangers shenanigans. Right now, I'm dealing with the major Ranma ½ canon before the real fun gets to happen.

The next chapter may be a bit late because I need to readjust my outlines. I've changed the order of some events for better flow and introduced entirely new scenarios I need to consider. In other words, I'm changing a lot.