Foxstar One Half
AN: rookie nine are 16 years old. My own comfort with them being fighters, and involved in relationships demand it.
AN2: finally complete! This chapter has been in my 'in progress' bin for over a month.
AN3: Still no takers for my challenge...
AN4: a person complained about too many cliches last chapter, but in all honesty, all but the super extreme Akane (which I exaggerated slightly) are my opinions on how the characters of Ranma are.
Chapter 1: A Demon gets Flattened
It was a foggy day on an incomplete bridge. On this bridge were a blond surrounded by a red energy, a pincushion of an Uchiha, a pink-haired fangirl, a fake hunter ninja whom just lost her mask, a half-drunk bridge builder, a shirtless man using bandages for a mask with a large sword who had dogs biting onto him, and finally a man with silver hair that has just finished gathering what looked like lightning in his hand and started to charge.
The masked girl had just jumped in front of the silver-haired man when it happened.
A loud explosion rocked the occupants of the bridge. The shock wave of the blast knocked the charging ninja onto his back and caused his attack to detonate on the bridge making a small crater. The girl who had moved into the way of the attack was face first into the bridge by the same shock-wave.
Most of the rest of the occupants of the bridge was far enough away, not to be knocked over, although the man that had the dogs on him was on the ground for a different reason.
The reason?
The bare-chested man was flattened under three people. The entire pile, from bottom to top, was; the man with the large sword, Ranma, Diana, and then Val. The young lady who had jumped into the way of the silver-haired man's attack slowly stood up, and in a panic looked to where the one she had given her loyalty to, crying out in worry, "Zabuza-Sama!" when she finally caught sight of her master and saw his situation she couldn't help herself, She fell to the ground laughing her ass off.
The silver-haired man stood up and noting the danger was over pulled his headband down over his red eye. His face, even with only one eye visible was clearly bewildered at the current situation.
It was then that the small 'girl' on top of the pile started moving. "Diana!" she yelled. Hearing nothing she looked around, and it wasn't until she noticed that the surface she was on was moving that she looked down. Upon noticing that she was on her master, she immediately got off and turned around and prepared to perform a healing spell by summoning in a flash of green light, a staff with a green glowing arc on top of the staff. How she summoned the staff got the attention of the girl who stopped laughing due to worry, and the silver-haired jonin, especially since neither recognized how the staff was summoned and felt no chakra for the summoning. Upon noticing it was a dogpile the small partner machine decided to just heal them all for an apology. "Resta!" she declared and became surrounded by a circle of white light.
As the light touched the three downed people their wounds started to heal, although in Zabuza's case the wounds being healed were far more severe. The kunai embedded in his shoulders popped out and clattered to the bridge, and the damage to his shoulders healed.
As the three started to move in the aftermath of the healing TECHNIC, a short pudgy man in a suit, backed by a small army of two hundred thugs, spoke up, "Well, looks like the famed Demon of the mist is nothing but a kitten since he got defeated by two teens and a little girl. Good thing I had no intention of paying you, and every intention of collecting your bounty." the pudgy man finished with a smirk.
"Get off," Zabuza yelled as he managed to get both the recovering Ranma and Diana off of his back. "So Gato, you were going to betray me? Kakashi, our fight is over, and I'll help take care of this trash."
"And incidentally save a town from a tyrant that's pretty much-killing everybody?" Kakashi asked sardonically.
"That's a bonus," Zabuza said with a smirk.
Then, before anyone could react, blasts of light started slamming into Gato. Accompanying the light blasts was an odd sound. Everyone turned toward the sound to see Diana standing up with a strange device that looked like a hand that had a thumb up and the pointer finger pointing forward, pointed at where the now holey Gato once stood. In her other hand was a glowing purple sword that looked to be made of energy.
"She killed our meEEEEAAACH," a thug in the lead of the group started before Val summoned her knuckle weapons and hit him with a full powered jab. This might not sound that bad, but the problem is that the difference in the height between the partner machine and the average human is enough to put her jab right at a sensitive part of the male anatomy. In this case the force of the punch, combined with the power of the B ranked knuckles, liquefied the organ on contact.
"Moko Takabisha," Ranma intoned angrily as he sent a large ball of mixed anger and confidence Ki at the cluster of thugs which knocked out a nearly a dozen and blasted nearly the same amount over the bridge.
It was at this time that Diana summoned up her new ax. The ax looked like a giant horn with a glowing white strip on the edge. She yelled her battle cry as she ran into the fray, "I am Diana of the Alliance of Honor, Prepare to DIE."
The two jonin, looked on in shock, these three whom weren't even ninja, were decimating a small army of thugs, even if the pigtailed youth, whom just moved into close combat range, was fighting to disable and not kill. It to them was nearly terrifying that nonninja's could become powerful enough to make the bridge needed major, and minor, repairs. Gouges from weapons, craters from fists, and a rather large chunk that was blown away by Ranma's opening technique. While the slau- er fight was going on a certain Uchiha woke up and saw the girl he was fighting, Zabuza, and Kakashi, gaping at a fight that was winding down from two hundred verses three to twenty running thugs verses three slightly tired individuals. Well, there was also a crying bridge builder and a gaping fangirl.
A commotion sounded from behind the nins and everybody turned toward it to see a mob of villagers armed in most cases with improvised weapons. Upon seeing that Gato was dead along with his army, a massive cheer went up from the villagers. The cheer let the three slightly tired fighters relax, and accept the pats on the back from the ecstatic villagers.
The next day at the bridge builder's house, as the bridge builder was working on the bridge protected by the genin, the jonin, the missing-nin, and the girl were grilling the strangers. Kakashi and Zabuza came to a truce as the reason for their fight was now over.
"So, who are you, and what are you doing here?" Zabuza asked curiously.
"I don't know, I was fighting a SEED infection at Guardian HQ, and then next thing I know, I'm on top of you and him," Diana responded jerking her thumb at Ranma.
"It might be my fault," Ranma said. This, of course, drew their attention to the martial artist. "I was using a magic mirror called the 'Mirror of Balance' that is supposed to grant wishes for a price. The cost was apparently twenty percent or more of my maximum strength being removed until I can build myself back up to that level, but anyway my wish was 'Mirror I wish that we could be sent someplace where I could use my skills to help protect others, and where I can find happiness,'" Ranma continued lamely.
The implications of the wish struck Diana hard. Her home was being invaded, and the wish had dropped him there, not only that but it had dropped him apparently on her lap, but she found she couldn't complain as this was better than being dead by exploding generator.
"Although I'm surprised such a beautiful woman was dragged along with me," Ranma finished.
The words struck Diana hard, not because they weren't sincere, but because of the opposite being true. Nobody at home really looked twice at her due to her inability to use TECHNICs, which among the Newmen race is considered an aberration, then a fairly attractive male simply commenting on her looks with full sincerity was too much for her. "I'm not interested in you," she replied harshly before leaving the room in tears, and soon after, the house.
"Ummm, What?" Ranma asked.
"Don't look at me kid, I haven't been in a serious relationship myself," Zabuza admitted.
"Men," Haku muttered. "I'll talk to her." Haku then stood up and left the room to look for the dark-skinned woman.
"Umm, I know," Val spoke up.
"Yes?" Ranma asked. "Will you please tell me?"
"Why do you want to know? I won't tell you if I think you're going to hurt her," Val asked with a glare at the martial artist.
"Of all the women I have met, for some reason, she catches my attention as someone I feel like I could become more than friends with," Ranma answered softly.
Val's eyes widened then narrowed. "I see, I will say a few things. First, is she just broke up with somebody that was just using her to win a bet. Second, she has a secret that has lowered her sense of worth, which also means that she thinks she will be abandoned in a relationship. Lastly, if you hurt her, I will do to you what I did to the first guy I fought on the bridge, now I have to catch up to Diana," Val stated.
"Wait, Val, will you tell her that I have a very open mind about odd things because I too have a secret that prevents most people from having a relationship with me?" Ranma asked.
Val paused on her way out and asked, "Secret?"
"I'll tell everybody that needs to know at once, to prevent me from having to explain everything multiple times," Ranma states dryly. He then turns toward Kakashi and asks, "Since I at least, am looking for a place to help out, and it appears the troubles here are over, what's your town like?"
"Peaceful most of the time, when not in a war, but if what you say is true, then soon either here, Konoha, My group, or Zabuza and his partner will need help. I can contact the Hokage to see if he'll accept you, and possibly her, into Konoha as a ninja, or if you prefer citizens," Kakashi answered tiredly. "That will allow you to be close to two of the four people or places that need help, and a few days travel from the third. From what I saw of your skills the Hokage should be happy to accept you."
"Kakashi, do you think we could come as well?" Zabuza asked warily. "We are quite frankly getting tired of being on the road, and joining a village that doesn't have a genocidal Kage would solve that."
A surprised Kakashi answered, "I'll check, just expect to be put on probation."
"I know, and thanks," Zabuza answered.
Kakashi nodded and left to compose his message to the Hokage and send it with one of his dog summonses.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Meanwhile, Diana was sitting in a clearing trying to get herself under control. Ironically it was the same clearing that Naruko first met Haku, but this clearing was about to have a meeting of a far less amicable nature.
"There you are," an arrogant voice sounded from the treeline.
"Who are you?" Diana asked calmly while standing up.
"Sasuke Uchiha," the boy replied. "I saw your fight on the bridge, and have decided to take you as my wife."
"No," Diana replied scowling.
"I command you to strip so we can start restoring my clan!" Sasuke snarled as he approached the brown skinned woman.
"And what makes you think you can command me?" Diana replied with narrowed eyes.
"I am the last of the Uchiha clan, so commoners like you must obey me," The black haired boy snarled as he moved in and grabbed her chest. He started working on the fastenings of her clothes taking advantage of her shocked state.
Then it happened, from his back, he was struck hard enough to break three ribs on his left side. The pain of the strike was enough to cause him to release Diana, whom quickly collected her wits and decked the arrogant Uchiha, the punch knocked out his upper front teeth, while the followup punch knocked the boy out, and cracked his jaw. The boy was sent backward to land on his back, although a stone at the landing point made sure that he would have a nice headache upon awakening.
A week later found all three groups at the end of a completed bridge. With a set of three statues off to one side. The statues showed Ranma with a remarkable rendition of his Ki blast being sent from his hand, Val striking with her glove weapon, and Diana in a shooting pose with her pistol, beneath the set of statues was a plaque stating, "Hero's of Wave."
The three people depicted in the statues sweat-dropped at the sight, while a certain tied up Uchiha was pissed. "Why did you make statues of those losers? You should have made one of me!" He declared arrogantly. "and LET ME LOOSE!"
The reason why the boy was tied up? Rape of a civilian, in Konoha, carries a harsh penalty. While Sasuke didn't actually succeed in his endeavor, the fact that he had attempted it means he had to be restrained for punishment
"Yeah, you saw how he took down those thugs and Gato!" a pink-haired banshee screamed.
Everybody, including Sasuke, looked at the pink haired girl strangely, before they promptly decided to ignore her.
"Because we fought, and killed Gato and defeated his army, while Sasuke got pin-cushioned, and a few days later tried to rape somebody," Ranma snarled.
"She should have just let me do what I intended, when the council hears about this, they'll force her to become my bride as the penalty for attacking me!" Sasuke declared proudly.
*cough* "Sorry Sasuke, but they can't engage her without her permission since she isn't apart of the village yet, and since she'll most likely be a ninja if she does join, the council won't have a say in it either, and before you ask, no they cannot be forced to teach you their techniques or give you their weapons," Kakashi explained again, for the fifth time since the incident, with a sigh.
"But Imfff," Sasuke started only to be interrupted by Val gagging him with a strip of duct tape.
Everyone turned to stare at the partner machine who was smiling unrepentantly. "What? He was annoying," she said innocently.
"You little bitch how dare youmfff," Sakura started angrily before she too was taped.
"She was too," Val said so innocently that everybody could have sworn they saw a halo over her head.
Kakashi sighed and replied, "Let's just go, we need to get to the village as soon as possible." Although he was privately glad that somebody shut Sakura up. "and Sakura, don't remove the tape until you can be quiet."
The trip to the village took around the same amount of time that the trip to wave did, and the reason for this? Sakura had the lowest stamina and speed of the group, although the next lowest in both stamina and speed, Diana, was also unable to travel by tree hopping.
The group traveled as far as possible the first day, and by the time they stopped to set up camp Sakura was dead on her feet, Diana was tired but not exhausted, and everybody else could have kept going easily.
Ranma pulled out some camping supplies from his hidden weapon pocket, which he had learned through observation by the hundredth fight with Mousse, the supplies included a single tent and sleeping bag, cookware, and food.
As Ranma set up the tent he saw the ninjas doing the same, but he also noticed one person was not setting anything up. Diana, whom as she wasn't expected to be transported to such a primitive society, and out of contact with her headquarters, had left her supplies at the foot of her bed. Ranma placed the sleeping bag in the tent and walked over to Diana. there's a tent set up for you over there," he said and pointed to where he had set up his tent.
"Huh?" Diana replied.
"I set up a tent for you over there, and there's a sleeping bag over there as well," Ranma said again.
"Where will you sleep?" Diana asked. "I don't want pity," she finished with narrowed eyes.
"I have some extra bedding, I'll use that. Don't worry it's not pity," He said offhandedly as he walked away.
Soon everybody was gathered around the campfire, and Ranma took this opportunity to speak up, "since it looks like it'll rain tonight, I felt like I should tell you something." Ranma started and took a small thermos with a blue cap out from his hidden weapons space. "when I was six My father took me on a ten-year training trip, and at the end of it, he took me to a place called Jesenkyo. The place used to consist of hundreds of small pools of cold water and had bamboo sticking up from both the springs themselves and lots of mist. All in all, it looked like a normal training ground for balance exorcizes..."
"But?" Diana prodded.
"The springs are cursed," Ranma stated calmly.
"Cursed?" Kakashi asked frowning while thinking of Anko's cursed mark.
"Yes, when somebody falls into a spring they take the form of whatever drowned in there last. Hot water turns the person back to his/her original form, and cold water turns the person into his/her cursed form," Ranma finished.
"What spring did you fall into?" Val asked. "and is this what you meant before?"
"Yes Val, it was, and I fell into the spring," Ranma started before he emptied the thermos over his head. "Of drowned girl."
"Thank you for telling me Ranma, this will prevent a fight if you happen to get wet," Kakashi said as he watched Ranma get some hot water and change back.
"So kid, what exactly changes when you do? I mean besides the obvious. Do you like guys in that for..." Zabuza started, but he stopped when he noticed a red aura starting to form. "Hey, just asking."
Ranma calmed down as he remembered that he wasn't in Nerima, and this group has the potential to be friends, as long as he doesn't alienate them. "No it's okay, I received too much-unwanted male attention where I came from. The answer is some tastes and smells are different. Some are more intense, and others are dulled. My balance, agility, and strength also shifts. I also still like girls."
Kakashi with some regret, untapped his students as soon as the meal was ready.
Now that Sakura was free to speak she responded to what she had heard. "You Pervert!" she screamed and tried to hit Ranma, thinking that like Naruko when she pissed the pinkette off that Ranma would just take it, he didn't.
Ranma grabbed the pink haired girls fist with minimal effort, and responded, "Exactly how am I a pervert? Is it because I have a curse I didn't ask for? Or is it just what your imagination says that I do with my curse?" Ranma snared, and at each emphasized word tightens his grip.
Sakura, now on her knees cried out, "Let go it hurts, I'm sorry!"
Ranma let go after a few more seconds. "Next time, don't accuse someone without a real reason, and be careful of whom you attack."
"Sakura-chan! Why did you do that?" Naruko asked angrily.
"Because I know her type, I'm guessing you're her punching bag, and so I have some advice. Stop letting her hit you. A bitch like her will simply get worse if you do. I had someone similar at my old home, she labeled me a pervert at the slightest provocation," Ranma responded.
"Th-that's not true!" Naruko declared.
"Kid, I want you to think through every interaction that you have had with her, and if you can tell me honestly, that you had more good experiences than bad, I'll shut up," Ranma shot back. "oh and tell me in a week, that way you'll have enough time to think." Ranma turned around and left to get his share of food and find a somewhat sheltered place to sleep with his spare blanket and leaving behind a thoughtful blond.
Diana looked at the retreating back of the retreating martial artist with a confused expression. What did he mean that he had known somebody like Sakura? Why did he see something interesting in her? Why did he react so strongly to Zabuza's question? Where is Haku? All these questions and more were whirling through the confused mind of the guardian. She just hoped the next day would answer some of them...
EndNote. Nice cliffhanger huh?
