Wild Stallion and The Mist Chapter 7: Technique Learned, Unexpected Opponent, a ranma fanfic

Wild Stallion and The Mist

A Ranma ½ Fanfiction

By Layabout Thomas

Based on the works of Rumiko Takahashi

Author's Notes

Wow. It's been a while since I posted a chapter of this story and apologize for the long wait. A two year wait. To tell you the truth, I didn't think I was going write on this again mostly because my life was heading a new direction and I had to concentrate on that first. Needless to say, it's been long enough and I decided to continue this arc. You, the readers, have waited too long enough. Anyway, props to rewind gone nuts for helping me edit this story. Thank you for your patience and on with the chapter.

Chapter 7: A Technique Learned and an Unexpected Opponent

As she and Ranma (in girl form) walked inside the arena area of the Culinary Coliseum, Kasumi looked around and was in awe at the setting. She had never asked her fiance about it and had assumed it to be a small venue, given that it was located underground in the Culinary Market. Kasumi could see that the venue could seat a few thousand people and was designed to look like a modern sports stadium. Seeing the two cooking stations and the altar made Kasumi curious as she saw that a lot of the equipment looked very modern. There was a competitive vibe to the place and one could imagine a crowd of people cheering as two chefs compete to be the best.

As Ranma and Kasumi expected, they met the Culinary Champions on the arena floor. All them were dressed in their color coded chef uniforms with their arms folded, trying to look imposing. While Ranma didn't look very impressed with the chefs, Kasumi gave them a polite bow, which they returned.

"Welcome to the Culinary Coliseum, Ms. Sakura...Ms. Tendo," greeted Chef Toshihiro.

"Yo," Ranma responded simply, giving him a wave.

"Thank you for welcoming us, Chef Toshihiro," Kasumi said. "I hope that I'm not imposing, but I wanted to be here for Hanako and I was curious about this arena."

"Oh, no need for concern, Ms. Tendo," assured Chef Yutaka. "Though I didn't think we would have another guest for this training session."

Before Ranma and Kasumi could ask, a laughter could be heard throughout the arena. This made Ranma groan in frustration and Kasumi frown. They looked around and found that Kodachi had entered the arena through one of the doors and was walking towards them with a fan in hand.

"Ms. Kuno, so glad of you to join us," Chef Yutaka greeted.

"I would not miss this for anything, Chef Yutaka," responded Kodachi happily. Her mood soured when she spotted Kasumi and deadpanned, "Oh, you're here."

"I thought you were supposed to be in school," Kasumi said rather calmly.

"And I thought you were supposed to be in an asylum, so the day is full of surprises," Kodachi responded rather nastily.

"Ladies, stop!" Ranma shouted, getting both girl's attention. "Listen, just...don't fight alright. I got a lot on my mind and there's training to be done."

"Well, I can certainly behave like a woman of my breeding demands," Kodachi said, sticking her nose up.

'Liar,' Ranma thought, giving Kodachi a deadpan look. She turned her attention towards Kasumi and asked, "You're going to be okay, Kasumi?"

"Most certainly, Hanako," responded Kasumi. "I do have experience with unruly children."

This made Kodachi growl and glare hatefully at Kasumi. Nevertheless, the Kuno heiress made her way towards the seats, followed by Kasumi. With the confrontation averted for now, Ranma turns to the chefs and sighs.

"Can we just get down to it?" asked Ranma.

"We most certainly can, little lady," Chef Ben said with a smug smile as he approached Ranma. "Can't wait to gauge your ability. I do have a way of bringing a woman to her limits."

'What is with this clown!?' thought Ranma incredulously.

"What my colleague is trying to get at is that we should see what you can do in a Culinary Combat setting," Chef Ken said, rather put off from Ben's behavior.

"I would also love to see Ms. Sakura in action as well," Chef Toshihiro nodded. "From what my head chef at the diner tells me, you handled yourself well under tough conditions and adapted to situations where a normal kitchen worker would have called it quits. You may have what it takes to learn my Kitchen Squad technique as you will need it if you are to compete in Culinary Combat against your future opponent. You will have no help and will need to rely on your own skills. Do you think you can handle that?"

"I can handle anything you throw at me, old man!" Ranma responded. "I don't care if that Amane decides for me to face all four of you! I'll still win!"

"We shall see," Chef Toshihiro said, unimpressed by Ranma's bravado.

Toshihiro walked towards the refrigerator on the Culinary Champions side of the arena and opened it. After looking around and rummaging through its contents, he came out with a single apple and closed the door on the refrigerator. He gave the apple and gave it a calculating look before tossing it to Chef Ben, who caught it with one hand.

"Chef Ben...at the top of your head, what can you make with what I gave you?" asked Chef Toshihiro.

"I can think of a few things," Chef Ben answered as he began tossing and playing with the apple. "All types of desserts like pies, cakes and even a salad for starters. Hell, I can grill these things and cover them with sweet sauce if I'm feeling classy. Or maybe use them to give my meats an apple smoked flavor or better yet, apple smoked chicken fresh from the oven."

Ben then tossed the apple to Chef Yutaka, who caught it with one finger.

"I once made a sweet and savory crepe using apples," Chef Yutaka said as he twirled the apple on his finger. "I can also make some tarts and turnovers with apples and I also made a soup involving apples. Of course, one of my masterpieces was my take on duck a l'orange, but I used apples instead."

"Yeah, I remember that chef from the French Culinary Order calling you a sacrilegious swine over that," laughed Ben.

"Those stiffs had no imagination," Yutaka said, sticking his nose up as he tossed the apple to Chef Ken, who caught it with both hands.

"While it is easy to make desserts with this ingredient, I try to take the savory route when it comes to fruit," Ken said as he tossed the apple and took out his knives. With a few swift motions, he sliced the apples into bits. With the apple bits landing on the counter, Ken continued, "For starters, I stir fried these with chopped peanuts before adding them to my pork rice. I could even make an apple dumpling filling or boil two whole apples to make a soup."

"The point we are making, Hanako, is that there are possibilities with the ingredients we are given in each battle," Toshihiro said as he faced Ranma. "In this arena, however, the clock is against us and once the secret ingredient is revealed and announced, you must think of what you want to make, be it a familiar dish or something more creative. You've already had a crash course in my diner and hopefully you've learned how to use those skills you've learned."

"Don't worry about me, old man," Hanako assured. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Then tell me...off the top of your head...what can you do with an apple?" asked Toshihiro sternly.

"Easy, I…," Ranma began before she stopped herself.

For all her bravado, Ranma realized that she was drawing a blank. The chefs before her have all offered good examples of making use of an apple. She dared not repeat what the other chefs thought out and tried to think of something different. As she racked her brain, she thought back on her days on the road and remembered some food she had either seen on display or ate on the go and thought of some ways to make use of the main ingredient. More thoughts came into Ranma's head, some appetizing and some that were too gross to think of. Some were even too far fetched to work.

Unfortunately for Ranma, Chef Toshihiro had decided to hit her over the head with a wooden spoon, her thought process broken and a lump forming on her head.

"What'd ya do that for!?" yelled an angry and indignant Ranma.

"You were taking too long, young lady," Chef Toshihiro responded with a deadpan expression. "You have to have your menu thought out in seconds."

"Aw, go easy on the girl, Toshi," Chef Ben said as he took hold of Ranma's hands. "It's probably just nerves and I think I know of a way to calm those nerves."

Ben took a sudden blow to the back of the head by a very disgusted and angry Ranma. The impact sent the chef to the floor, making a crack.

"My nerves are just fine, you lecher!" shouted Ranma.

"About time somebody put him in his place," snickered Chef Ken. Calming himself down, he turned to Ranma and said, "But in all seriousness, Ms. Sakura, you do need to have your menu thought out once the ingredient has been revealed. You don't have a lot of time to think about it."

"The ingredient you are given has many possibilities, but time is your enemy," Chef Toshihiro pointed out."

"Not to mention that your opponent, or opponents if you prefer, will be another obstacle in your journey since they will be combating you directly," Chef Yutaka added.

"Alright, I get it," Ranma groaned. "It's just...never thought about that sort of thing when I was on the road. When it was my turn to cook, I had to forage for ingredients and had to make sure they weren't spoiled, hunt on occasion and take care that everything I did was at least edible. Most of the time, my pops would only have money for take out, like burgers, fried chicken or whatever food stall we come across. It's how we survived out there in our training journey, so...I really don't put much thought into the possibilities, and…"

Ranma trailed off and stopped himself, thinking that he was revealing too much. It was true that she had been through a lot, what with training and learning how to survive, but she felt that she didn't want to let these chefs know that much about her journey or her lack of creativity when it came to cooking. She didn't want to appear weak or dumb in front of these chefs and she especially didn't want to appear that way in front of Kasumi.

Chef Toshihiro, considering Ranma's story, spoke up, "I think we may have something we can concentrate on, Ms. Sakura. Since you've been on the road for most of your life, you may have more familiarity with street food, so we will focus on that. For now, I want to see what you can think of when other ingredients are presented to you."

As Ranma was being tested by the chefs, Kasumi looked on from the distance with Kodachi sitting next her. Her attention was solely on her fiance as she saw her being presented with various ingredients. While she did see Ranma struggle with a few ingredients and their potential, Kasumi was relieved that the pig tailed martial artist did come up with some dishes when other ingredients were presented. As time went by, Kasumi saw that Ranma was getting a bit more comfortable coming up with dishes, though there were times she wanted to shout out dishes to help out, but stayed quiet as she felt Ranma wouldn't appreciate it, even if it came from her.

'Still, from what I read in the cookbook, according to all the chefs, the judges won't be very kind,' Kasumi thought. 'Ranma would really have to do something in order to win.'

"A...bit of a rough start, but I'm sure things will go swimmingly," Kodachi said confidently. "I'm sure that my darling will be ready for the culinary combat. So much is on the line and I don't see him failing this."

Kasumi tried her best not to frown, but hearing Kodachi's voice really grated her to the bone. She had already made it known to Ranma that she particularly didn't appreciate the Kuno heiress' actions. If it were anyone else, she would give them the benefit of the doubt, but with Kodachi...she believed Ranma when the martial artists told her that the Kuno girl made unwanted advances towards him, not once but twice and each time she thought about it, the more her anger grew. Anger was an emotion that was somewhat alien to her as she rarely felt it, but Kodachi had really touched a nerve with her.

"My, oh my, , the way you look right now," Kodachi spoke in a mocking tone. "Keep doing that and I think you might age a lot more rapidly."

"He told me what you tried to do," Kasumi said, trying to restrain her anger. "First that little stunt you pulled a few days ago and how you tried to force yourself on him...Kodachi Kuno, do you have any idea what you're doing to Ranma!?"

"What I'm doing, Kasumi Tendo, is showing my darling what I can offer him," Kodachi responded with a smirk. "I offer him leisure, the means to be a full man again and...the pleasurable company of a lady of wealth. Oh, offered him the...easy way to get his reward, but like a warrior he is taking the more challenging route. He wants to prove to me that any challenge, any labor that is put in front of him wont stop him. Such a man, my darling Ranma is."

"And just how do I fit into all this!?" asked Kasumi.

"You struck me, you wretched old hag," Kodachi reminded Kasumi, a scowl forming. "What I have in mind for you...ooh, I'm going to enjoy making you suffer and there's not a blasted thing you can do about it."

"Ranma didn't appreciate your advances, Kodachi!"

"And you think that someone like you, the wasted remains of a woman, can possibly make my darling's body heat rise?"

"I may not be much, but Ranma likes my company! Why just last night, he and I-

"He and you what, Tendo!? What did…"

Kodachi trailed off and her eyes widened. She had an idea in her head on what could have gone on between Kasumi and Ranma and she didn't like it. Many possibilities entered her head, ranging from holding hands and laughing to Kasumi holding a dominant position over Ranma, the martial artist's reason lost to instinct. Kodachi's scowl deepened as she gritted her teeth, a growl escaping her lips.

Realizing what Kodachi must be thinking, Kasumi eyes widened as she said, "Kodachi, it's not-

"You opportunistic pile of…," Kodachi snarled, livid as her thoughts turned to hatred towards the eldest Tendo daughter. "It must be so nice to have a man dropped on your lap since you couldn't get-"

"Excuse me, ladies," a voice interrupted, making Kasumi and Kodachi turn around.

Chef Toshihiro had arrived a few seconds earlier and saw that the two ladies were bickering. He raised an eyebrow to them, causing Kasumi and Kodachi to look embarrassed.

"I have a need for you two," Toshihiro said. "If you two can step into the arena, please."

As she and Kodachi walked onto the arena, Kasumi looked over to Ranma and saw that the girl was looking at her with a red faced expression. In turn, The eldest Tendo sister just looked down, her face a deeper shade of red.

A little later, Kasumi and Kodachi were sitting at individual round tables that were decorated in an elegant cloth that bore the insignia of the Culinary Institute, complete with a placemat and a small vase with flowers. Not far away was Ranma, standing at his cooking station wearing an apron and cap. Standing behind the covered altar was Chef Toshihiro, arms crossed and with a calm expression. The other combat chefs had taken their seats nearby at the opposing cooking station with a pencil and a notebook in hand. There was silence surrounding the arena, making for a tense scene as everyone waited for things to go in motion.

Finally, Chef Toshihiro broke the silence and announced, "This will be a practice round to see at what level the challenger is at! Three dishes, appetizer, entree, and dessert will be served! The challenger will have one hour to complete this task and must use the theme ingredient in some way! Now then...I unveil the ingredient!"

In one flourish, Toshihiro uncovered the altar to reveal a basket of squashes, all in very good conditions with hardly a blemish. The chefs at the opposing cooking station took a curious interest while Ranma's expression remained even. Kasumi and Kodachi also looked interested, though the Kuno heiress was having trouble containing her excitement.

"Today's secret ingredient...butternut squash!" Toshihiro bellowed

Once again, there was silence, the tension growing with each passing second. Ranma balled up her hands into fist as she stared at the main ingredient before her. She was already set to run, her face and expression of determination.

"Break a dish, Hanako Sakura!" commanded Chef Toshihiro. "A la guerre, chef!"

Ranma dashed to the altar to pick up the entire squash basket and made her way back to the cooking station. After examining each of the squashes, she grabbed a few knives and started to cut them, some into cubes and the others into halves. She made sure to save the seeds later, cleaning them out as she put them in a bowl. Ranma then filled a pot with water, placed it on the stove and began boiling. She then grabbed the cubed squashes and deposited them inside and placed the lid on. Next, Ranma went for the halved squashes, seasoned them, placed them on a pan and placed them into the oven, face down. She then went to the refrigerator to gather other ingredients for her dishes and also got a mixer ready. Minutes passed as Ranma was trying to manage her work, making sure she prepared the other ingredients.

'She seems so calm and collected, very serious,' thought Kasumi as she watched Ranma navigate the kitchen in amazement. 'It seems her time in the diner is really paying off.'

'Such skill she is showing today,' Kodachi thought as she looked on intently. 'Perhaps I should hire her for my next gathering if she can turn out a well crafted three course meal.'

'She is showing quite a bit of composure, seeing that she is handling this all by herself,' Toshihiro thought with wonder and an analytical eye. 'She also has speed on her side. Is she truly in need of my technique?'

As more minutes passed, however, things started to take a turn. The pot that was boiling the squash cubes started to over boil and Ranma noticed this a bit too late while minding other ingredients. She was able to turn off the stove and dump all the water into the sink. Ranma then picked up a smell coming from the oven and her eyes widened, immediately dashing there and taking out the trays...realizing too late that she picked the trays up with her bare hands and almost dropped them as she screamed. Placing the trays on the cooking station and blowing into her hands, Ranma went back to the other ingredients, trying to hide the pain she was in. When she looked at the clock, she noted that there wasn't a lot of time in, so she sped up her efforts.

'Her time management skills do need a little work,' Chef Toshihiro thought as he observed. 'Admittedly she has the speed, but needs more to mind everything.'

'This is a lot harder than expected!' thought Ranma frantically as she continued to rush through the kitchen.

"Thirty seconds remaining!" Chef Toshihiro announced.

"I got this, so don't rush me!" Ranma yelled.

"This is concerning," Kodachi said as Ranma took out some plates and glasses.

"This is really coming down to the last second," Kasumi said, a bead of sweat dropping.

Finally, as the final second counted, a buzzer was heard throughout the arena, marking the end of the practice round. Ranma was breathing heavily as she placed her hands on the counter and then brushing of the sweat from her brow. Shaking her head, Ranma went over what she did and cringed. While the food didn't look bad, Ranma felt that he could have done a bit better. That and Ranma didn't get to plate a dish, which made her groan.

"Poor Ranma," Kasumi sighed.

Chef Toshihiro grunted and directed a disappointed look at Ranma, "Had this been a real contest, you would have been disqualified on the spot, Hanako. That being said, I'll let you plate your dishes this one time since they don't look terrible. Next time, I won't be so merciful."

Ranma sighed, mentally beating herself on the head.

Some time later, Ranma presented her dishes before Kasumi and Kodachi. As she stood before the two ladies, Ranma could feel the tension, though she tried to show a confident expression. The plates she presented were simple looking and not very fancy. One plate was a small bowl filled with creamy soup, another was a larger bowl with cubed squash on one side and rice on the other and finally, a small plate with a single scoop of ice cream. Both ladies gave each plate an inspection, though Kodachi was a bit more scrutinizing than Kasumi was being. Ranma assumed that the upper crust Kuno girl was used to being served something a bit more fancy and Kasumi looked at the plates as if hoping for the best.

"Well...presentation notwithstanding, I'm sure this will be delicious, Ranma darling," Kodachi said with a smile.

"Gee, thanks," Ranma said flatly.

"Presentation counts in battle, Hanako," Chef Toshihiro reminded. "The dishes must be pleasing to the judges as it gives an impression of your skills."

"These dishes do look good," Kasumi complemented as she took a whiff from the soup. "I really can't wait to try this soup."

"Well, it is something I saw in a restaurant a few years ago," Ranma said. "It looked really tasty and I really wanted to try it, though me and pop were in a bit of a rush and to be somewhere for more training. I also saw this when we were looking at the cookbook last night and I wanted to try my hand in making it."

"I'm sure I'll absolutely love it," Kasumi said with a smile.

Upon hearing what Ranma and Kasumi did, Kodachi gave the eldest Tendo girl a hateful scowl, a burning aura manifesting around her body. In the end, Kodachi scoffed and picked up her spoon.

Ranma watched as both Kasumi and Kodachi ate the creamy soup. From her point of view, she could see that Kasumi had a neutral expression at first, but it changed to that of piqued interest as she continued to eat the soup. Ranma sighed in relief, knowing that the soup was at least good enough to eat. When she glanced at Kodachi, Ranma could tell that she was judging it as she savored the taste of the soup. She could tell that Kodachi wasn't all that impressed and it bothered Ranma that the Kuno girl kept stirring and picking at the soup. Still, Ranma was at least satisfied that both women ate the soup without gagging.

"This is your first time making soup?" Kasumi asked.

"Yeah, well…a creamy soup, yeah," Ranma answered, rubbing the back of her head. "I tried to follow the recipe by memory so…"

"You should be very proud, Hanako," Kasumi said with a smile. "For something that you made for the very first time, I find myself quite liking this soup. Though if I were you, I would hold back on the spices next time. "

"I would also hold back on the sugar," Kodachi chimed in. "The soup is a bit chunky for my liking and I had to mash them to get that smooth consistency. It's a satisfactory dish, but nothing I'm used to eating."

Hearing both girls critique her food did make Ranma feel a bit deflated. So far, things were not getting off to a get start, though she was glad Kasumi was enjoying the soup at least. Still, if Ranma wanted to get that extra incentive for winning the upcoming kitchen battle, she really needed to start great and be great from there.

Next up was a bowl of cubed squash in sauce with rice on the side. Ranma was hoping that this dish fared a bit better than the soup. Thankfully, both Kasumi and Kodachi were really digging into this plate. Kasumi looked like she was savoring the taste of the squash and Kodachi had a look of wonder, like if she was trying to decide if she liked it or not. After a few minutes, the plates were left relatively dry. Kasumi let out a satisfied sigh, though Kodachi looked composed.

"Roasted squash in curry sauce," Kasumi said happily. "Is this another recipe you committed to memory?"

"Yeah, though I think I may have over roasted them," Ranma laughed sheepishly.

"Again, a satisfactory dish, though given the circumstances, I commend you for a job well done," Kodachi said. "A step up from your last dish, but I would have appreciated a bit more kick to the curry. I also applaud you on the rice. Very well cooked."

"I agree," Kasumi said. "It does come close to the rice I make."

"First thing I learned to cook on the road," Ranma said with pride.

Finally, Ranma's dessert offering was up. On this offering, the pigtailed martial artist tensed up as she felt that out of all the dishes she made, this one one was a bit more rushed than the other. During the process, she mixed pieces of the squash with a large batch of cream and added sugar, hoping for the best. As Ranma watched both Kasumi and Kodachi sample the ice cream, she mentally crossed her fingers and prayed that it at least tasted passable. A short moment later, Ranma saw that Kodachi shook her head and so did Kasumi. If Ranma felt deflated before on her first dish, then she really felt defeated as things stood. She could only imagine Kodachi herself literally dangling that barrel of cursed spring from the drowned boy in front of him and just moving it away from him. Ranma gritted her teeth, not wanting to accept any outcome except victory.

"It's…a bit too sweet," Kasumi said.

Kodachi, noticing Ranma's state, stood up and spoke bluntly, "Hanako Sakura…while you did manage to complete three dishes, you didn't manage to plate them on the allotted time. Add to the fact that your dishes were, to put mildly, average. That won't cut it here and you will lose not only this contest but also…your reward. Trust me when I say that the judges will tear you apart as well as your dishes. They won't be as forgiving as I am."

'Forgiving, she says,' Ranma scowled. "Hey, don't worry about me, Kodachi! I don't care what I have to do here! I'll do whatever it takes to learn that technique and win this match!"

"Even so, Hanako, my technique won't be of much use if you don't improve your skills in the kitchen," Chef Toshihiro pointed out. "Yes, you are fast, but not fast enough. With time, you can learn my technique and maybe, just maybe, you can match your opponent here in the arena."

"Oh, I'll win, old man!" Ranma said with bravado. "Mark my words, nothing is going to stop me, not when I'm so close!"

"Very well, then," sighed Toshihiro. He then addressed the other chefs, "I do believe all of you have other affairs that need your attention. I'll handle this part of Hanako's training personally."

"Then we'll leave you to it," Chef Ben said. Giving Kasumi and Kodachi a charming look, he asked them, "Ladies, may I give a personalized tour of the market?"

"Well, I suppose a refresher tour is an order," Kodachi reasoned.

"I'm also curious, considering all the things Hanako brought home the other day," Kasumi said.

"Then let's get to it, then!" Ben said happily.

"And watch your hands, you letch!" Ranma warned.

"Well, you don't need to be jealous, red," Ben smirked, which made Ranma scowl at him. "I mean, far be it for me to hit on the boss's niece or on a woman who is otherwise attached. Though, I won't blame them if they advance on me, so don't-

Ben didn't get to finish as Ranma threw a cast iron skillet at his forehead, making him fall to the ground, unconscious.

Chef Ken sighed at this and grabbed Ben's leg, dragging him to the elevator.

"I guess it falls to me to give you ladies the guided tour," Yutaka said joyfully.

"Lead the way," Kasumi nodded. She then turned to Ranma and said, "Good luck, Hanako."

Ranma nodded as she saw Kasumi, Kodachi and the chefs exit the arena and into the elevator. With a determined look on her face, she turned her attention towards Chef Toshihiro. There was tense silence between them, but Ranma felt ready for anything.

"Alright, old man," Ranma said, determined. "Ever since I saw you split into three, I've been trying to replicate what you did the other day. Not to toot my own horn, but I pride myself in learning things on the fly, but for the life of me, it's not working for me. I know I'm missing something, but I don't know what!"

"So you fancy yourself a fast learner," Chef Toshihiro chuckled amusingly. "Alright then…show me and I'll tell you what you're doing wrong."

Remembering the stance that Chef Toshihiro took, Ranma crossed her arms over her chest and hunched over. She concentrated and began picturing herself splitting into three. She growled until she spread out her arms and roared the technique's name. Like before in the Tendo Dojo, nothing happened. Ranma repeated the movements until she grew so frustrated that she started cursing up a storm until it degenerated into intelligible nonsense.

What was worse for Ranma was that Chef Toshihiro's face was twitching. A smile was slowly creeping up on his face despite how hard he was trying to remain stoic.

Ranma, catching Toshihiro's expression, got up close with a deep scowl and with gritted teeth, growled, "Don't…you…dare."

Chef Toshihiro managed to calm himself down, regaining his stoic expression.

"You'll have to forgive me, Hanako, but you did look ridiculous," Toshihiro said calmly.

"Well, out with it old man!" Ranma demanded. "What in blazing hell am I doing wrong!?"

"Oh, fine, I'll let you in on a secret, young lady," sighed Chef Toshihiro as she leaned in and whispered into Ranma's ear. "You see, Hanako…what you saw me do and what you were doing right now…well…"

There was silence as Toshihiro paused. Ranma couldn't take the suspense as she waited for Chef Toshihiro's answer.

Finally, after a long pause, Toshihiro whispered, "...was just theatrics."

This made Ranma fall flat on her face with a loud thud. Again, Chef Toshihiro was trying very hard not to laugh at the girl's predicament.

Recovering from the revelation, Ranma yelled, "You mean to tell me that I was making a fool of myself all this time and…"

Ranma trailed off as a look of dread formed on her face, a large bead of sweat forming on the back of her head. She looked back at how she was trying to perform the technique with Kasumi watching. Ranma felt mortified because she essentially made a fool of herself in front of her. She couldn't form words to say as she felt completely and utterly stupid.

Clearing his throat, Chef Toshihiro explained, "It isn't something I came up with originally since I can perform the technique without performing anything…flashy. It was something that was suggested by Miss Hikawa in order to get the crowd going. Style and flair, she said to me. I'd rather let my skills alone do the talking, but that's show business."

"Still made myself look like a damned idiot," grumbled Ranma. "So how do you do it, old man? What's the trick?"

In response, Chef Toshihiro, without the theatrics or flair, performed the kitchen squad technique effortlessly, splitting himself into three. He surrounded Ranma, making her go into a defensive stance. Moments later, Toshihiro split himself into two more people, which really put Ranma on the alert. The chef split into more of himself until he had Ranma trapped. Unfortunately, Toshihiro began to look strained and all the copies of himself began to fade. Seconds later, he fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

Concerned, Ranma went over to him and asked, "Hey, don't strain yourself, old timer!"

"My endurance…is not what it was," Chef Toshihiro said as he got up, breathing in and out. "In my younger days, I was always able to split myself to the point where I could man the kitchen by myself and be many waiters in a single diner, but now…now I can't even perform the full squad attack without tiring myself out. Three is my limit these days and the reason why I had to retire from active competition."

"Yeah, well, don't do it again," Ranma said. "You're no good to me if you're too tired to teach me anything."

"Your concern for me is touching, young lady," responded Chef Toshihiro, rolling his eyes up. "Still, before I teach you my technique, you will need to hone your kitchen skills. We'll start with one plate and work our way up."

"Hey, if you're up for it, I'm game," Ranma responded with gusto.

"Very well, then," said Chef Toshihiro as he approached the cooking station. "We'll solely concentrate on street fare. Would you like to learn how to make okonomiyaki?"

"Do I!? Responded Ranma enthusiastically.

When she and Ranma entered the market earlier, Kasumi only glanced at what it had to offer. Now that she was being given a guided tour by the french culinary combat champion Yutaka (with Chef Ken dragging Chef Ben to his diner earlier), Kasumi is given more time to fully observe what the market had to offer. As she walked through the market, her face practically lit up as she marveled at high end products and the produce. She couldn't help but to compare the wares to what she usually bought at the market she usually went to and while she admired the quality, she saw the high prices and deflated. There was no way she could normally afford to buy anything with what little finances the Tendo household had.

Kodachi caught Kasumi's expression and smirked, gloating mentally. The elder Tendo sister looked like a child in a candy store without any means to get what she wanted. The Culinary Market was exclusive to high paying members and only sold the best products. A person of normal means couldn't afford anything here. Kodachi could barely contain her laughter and really wanted to rub her status in her face and maybe get her back for slapping her.

When the tour continued to the diner level of the market, Kasumi started to hear shouting. With her eyebrows raised, she focused on where the shouting was coming from. Kasumi recognized one of the voices to be of Chef Ben, one of the culinary combatants. The shouting was coming from the Shining Sea Express Diner and a young man, looking annoyed, was walking out, followed by an irate Chef Ben.

"How could you do this to me, man!?" shouted Chef Ben angrily. "Listen, if it's about the pay-

"I've been offered a job to an overseas hotel and I'm not turning it down!" responded the young man, sounding like he's about to lose his patience. "Listen, I'm glad you made me head chef at this diner, but I can't be tied down to this place. I've learned all I can from here."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with that hot blonde that came here, right?" asked Chef Ben rather suspiciously.

"Miss Starr knows talent when she sees it!" the young man responded with a scowl. "She's the president of the hotel and I'm not going to turn her down! My mind is made up and good day, chef!"

"Hey, come back here!" shouted Chef Ben as the young man walked away, paying no mind to him.

"Ooh, bad luck there, Ben," Chef Yutaka said as he shook his head. "You just made that one head chef of the diner and now he's going away."

"I'd say it's just what he deserves," a voice shouted from a next door diner, which turned out to be Chef Ken who was observing the ordeal. "I think a higher power is punishing him for being such a lecher."

"Like you're one to talk!" Chef Ben shouted angrily. "Does your wife know that you, Mr. Bashful, has a harem for a staff!?"

"Well, I never!" responded Chef Ken indignantly.

"Now, now, chefs," said Chef Yutaka, trying to diffuse the situation. "Chef Ben, surely you have someone in your kitchen that can be the head chef."

"The people in there are a bunch of college part timers that need to be led!" Chef Ben said, growling as he put his hand on his head. "None of them have what it takes and I can't be here because I have other stuff to attend to! This isn't the only restaurant I'm responsible for, you know!"

"Yes, you are in a bit of a pickle," Chef Yutaka noted.

Chef Ben felt exasperated, letting out a heavy breath. The fact that he had lost a chef to a better deal and Ken looking at him with a smug look made him scowl. He couldn't leave his diner without a head chef and he really didn't want to close down the diner for the day. A thought came to him when he turned his head towards Kasumi. His expression changed to what he would call a charming smile as he walked towards her.

"Kasumi, you wouldn't know anything about American cuisine, would you?" Chef Ben asked.

"What?" Kasumi responded, taken aback. "Chef Ben, you can't be-

"Oh, why even bother to ask?" Kodachi interrupted with a mocking tone. "Kasumi is nothing more than an aspiring housewife that is probably limited to cooking comfort food. She really doesn't have any goals other than keeping house and smiling at everything when deep down inside, she knows how inadequate she really is. What could she possibly know about fine dining, let alone American cuisine?"

"Oh, come now, Ms. Kuno, ease up," laughed Chef Ben. He then turned his attention to Kasumi again and asked with a smirk. "I'm sure Ms. Tendo here isn't so limited to just boiling water. I mean it's not like she's going to stand there and take that insult. What kind of honor would she have if she did, right?"

Feeling annoyed , Kasumi frowned at both Chef Ben and Kodachi. Between the Kuno heiress' attempts to rile her up and the chef egging her on, the eldest Tendo daughter really didn't want to deal with them. That and she felt that Kodachi was up to something and she didn't want to sink to her level and do something foolish. Kasumi felt that it would be childish and immature to engage in such games.

"Just as I thought," scoffed Kodachi. "Don't you see, Chef Ben? She's worthless…just like her whole family is."

This got Kasumi's attention and she stared at Kodachi incredulously. Kodachi responded with a sneer.

"Oh, did I touch a nerve?" Kodachi continued. "Ever since my foolish brother began his little crusade to win over your little sister's heart, I made it my business to see what he was getting into. Speaking of which, I understand that Akane is the school idol of Furinkan High because apparently, beauty must be so scarce there that the boys will bed anything. Also, I'm surprised that your sister Nabiki isn't in jail if what I hear from my brother's whining is correct. And your father…"

"Don't you dare…," Kasumi warned, a scowl forming on her face.

"Or what, Kasumi Tendo? Go ahead and show your true self! Then everyone will see what kind of a woman you truly are and not this farcical mirage you've fooled everyone with!"

It was taking every bit of self control for Kasumi not to give into anger and seeing Kodachi's nasty smile once again wasn't making things any easier. If anything, she didn't really care what other people thought of her, least of all the girl in front of her. But when it came to her family, it really hurt when she heard people talking about them disparagingly, especially her father. Coming from out of the mouth of Kodachi, however…Kasumi was tempted to wipe that smile off the Kuno heiress face, but fought the urge, determined not to let herself lose it again.

Instead, Kasumi calmed herself and after a moment, gave Kodachi a sympathetic look, which only served to confuse her.

"Kodachi Kuno…," Kasumi began calmly. "I have the good fortune to be surrounded by a loving family, flawed as they are. My father has tried his best to raise us by himself and I will always be grateful for that. I'm also grateful to have known the kindness of my mother, rest her soul. It's unfortunate that you haven't had the good fortune of having positive influences in your life and for that you have my sympathy."

"And just what are you babbling about?" asked Kodachi, narrowing her eyes.

"That being raised without a loving father or a loving mother must be difficult," responded Kasumi, taking Kodachi's hand in hers. "You must miss them terribly, Ms. Kuno. They must be away so often that you practically don't know them. Maybe you feel that that they don't love you to be around, and I-"

"Get…your…filthy…unwashed…peasant hands away from me!" screamed Kodachi as she yanked her hands away from Kasumi, a scowl on her face. "Don't you ever talk of my father that way again, you hear me!? He didn't abandon me, you little wench! You are wrong, just like all the sycophant girls at school! He loves me and…"

Kasumi was startled by this reaction, wide eyed as she looked upon how unhinged Kodachi had become. Seeing her anger as the Kuno girl breathed heavily like a wild animal made her think that, unlike yesterday, she might lunge at her. Kasumi felt that she might have pressed a sensitive button and held her tongue.

Gritting her teeth, Kodachi calmed down, her expression softening to a glare. She looked around and noticed that her little tirade was drawing the attention of the shoppers. Facing Kasumi, her glare intensified, casting blame on the eldest Tendo daughter for losing her composure. Taking a deep breath, Kodachi's expression changed to a frown before sticking her nose up.

"Fortunately for you, Ms. Tendo, I have other matters to attend to," Kodachi said. "But rest assured that you will feel the full impact of my wrath and Ranma darling will be lost to you. It's only a matter of how soon."

Intentionally bumping into Kasumi, Kodachi walked away, letting out a laugh that really caught the attention of the crowd that had gathered to see what was going on. As riled up as she felt at Kodachi's insults to her family, Kasumi worries grew and only wondered what the Kuno girl was up to. She also felt the crowd's eyes on her and she wasn't in the mood to deal with the attention. Wanting to be away from prying eyes, Kasumi gave her attention to Chef Ben.

"On second thought, Chef Ben, I would love to experience being in a professional kitchen," Kasumi said.

"I thought so," Chef Ben responded cheerfully.

Some hours had passed since Ranma had begun her training directly under Chef Toshihiro. The now honorary culinary combat champion (since he already had his last match) was more of an observer at first as he wanted to see what the red haired martial artist could do under calmer circumstances. There was no time limit or requirement to use a theme ingredient, though Toshihiro did want Ranma (known only to him Sakura) to concentrate on one dish before trying to do more at one time. The first dish Ranma served was okonamiyaki, a dish that she said she had great memories of as a child and was quite impressed that she was able to make it without much trouble. While Chef Toshihiro admitted that the taste was pretty passable, he did stress that presentation was key as the food still looked rough and a bit messy. As time went by, Chef Toshihiro tasked Ranma to make other dishes, but stressed balance between taste and presentation.

Chef Toshihiro noted that Ranma did have a knack for making street food, which is understandable since she had said that most of her life was spent on the road with her adoptive brother and father figure and when they weren't studying the martial arts, they were either hunting for food or eating at the local markets or fast food places. Not the most idealistic way of a normal life, but it did give Toshihiro an idea of what the girl went through as far as food went. Ranma did need the aid of a cookbook sometimes and the chef also stressed that she needed to do things by memory when it came time to compete and leave the cookbooks at home. Still, Toshihiro could see potential in Ranma and was glad that her past few days in the kitchen weren't wasted.

"Done, old man!" called out Ranma as she set a plate down on the counter. "Nikuman is ready and waiting!"

Chef Toshihiro went over to the counter and hit Ranma over the head with a harisen.

"Hey, what was that for!?" shouted Ranma angrily.

"It's chef, young lady," Chef Toshihiro responded sternly. "I think I've been around long enough to have earned some respect from a pupil. "

"Well, sorry, ol..I mean chef," Ranma said, correcting herself. "Not that it hurts, it's just annoying that you've been doing that constantly."

"Being on the road never gave you the time to learn any manners, apparently," said Chef Toshihiro before turning his attention to the buns Ranma presented. "Still, your pork buns do look presentable. Let's have a taste."

Chef Toshihiro took one of the pork buns and gave it an inspection. Though he did see some imperfections, the pork bun still had an appearance that wouldn't deter anyone at first sight. After giving it a smell, Toshiro took a bite and savored the taste. He could tell that the insides were cooked well and the texture of the bun was also fine. Once again, he admitted to himself that the red haired girl had potential and had the ability to learn fast if motivated.

"You're nikuman is…adequate," Toshihiro said.

The chef then hit Ranma over the head with his harisen again.

"Hey, watch it!" Ranma complained.

"Being adequate isn't to be taken as a compliment, Hanako Sakura," Chef Toshihiro said sternly. "If you have any hope in impressing the judges, then you must show them that you can balance art and taste. While your abilities as a cook are good enough that you don't poison a potential customer, you lack the finer points in taste and presentation. I'll admit that you have improved in these last few hours, but even if you manage to learn my technique, you will still lose the match no matter how many dishes you serve."

As much as she hated to admit it, Ranma had to agree with Chef Toshihiro. While on the road with her father, she did well enough in cooking in order to survive. But since this was a competition, she really needed to up her game because there was so much on the line for her. What had begun as a way to prove herself to Kasumi that she could help around the Tendo home escalated as a chance to be a whole man again, provided Kodachi held up her end of the bargain. It still nagged her that the Kuno heiress had something else in mind to throw a proverbial wrench in this competition, but she really couldn't think about it much as she needed to concentrate on the match.

Wanting to change gears for a bit, Ranma asked, "Old...I mean chef. Is there anything I need to know about your chef friends? That Amane lady said that this was supposed to involve martial arts and cooking. Any secrets you want to lay on me?"

"I never really pry in the affairs of my fellow chefs, Miss Sakura," Chef Toshihiro said with a straight face. "Personally, I never met with them outside of special meetings regarding the Culinary Colosseum or when I'm invited to one of their restaurants to sample a new creation."

"Well, that's no help," sighed Ranma.

"That isn't to say I don't notice things," Toshihiro continued. "In one of Chef Ben Yamaguchi''s restaurants, he has a trophy case devoted to his accomplishments. Aside from his culinary awards, he has a section devoted to his martial arts endeavors. He participated in competitions in his spare time and from what I heard, he's really brutal."

"Considering that he doesn't have much of a defense any time I hit him, he can't be much," Ranma scoffed.

"Chef Ben Yamaguchi always lets his guard down when it comes to ladies," Chef Toshihiro pointed out.

"What a gentleman," Ranma said sarcastically.

"As for Chef Ken Chang, I've seen him show off a few times at business and publicity functions before serving his meals to the guests, though he also says he hasn't competed in tournaments in a while. He also says that on his mother's side, he descended from Chinese amazons and picked up some skills from various masters. Personally, I think it's a lot of hogwash to add to his repertoire. Who'd believe such nonsense?"

Chef Toshihiro noticed that Ranma had become pale and nervous. He raised an eyebrow at this, before the girl waved frantically.

"Uh, yeah, that's it!" Ranma laughed nervously. "I mean, amazons! What kind of bullshit is that!?"

"I wonder," Chef Toshihiro said curiously. "Lastly, Chef Yutaka Rochelle says that, in his travels with his father in France, he used to get picked on by bullies so he signed up for boxing lessons as well as some self defense courses from an old army veteran. He says he was pretty devoted in his youth until he fully decided to become a chef and honor the Rochelle name."

"Sounds to me that these chefs treat martial arts as a hobby," Ranma said, her arms folded. "I think I can take these guys on, no problem. I haven't been busting my butt for years to lose to a bunch of part time fighters."

"It would be unwise to underestimate them," warned Chef Toshihiro. "You may have an edge in the martial arts but you have to remember that you are still in a cooking competition in which my fellow Culinary Champions excel at."

"And what about you, chef?" asked Ranma curiously. "What type of training did you do to be able to split yourself?"

Chef Toshihiro was deep in thought and considered outright telling Ranma the secret to his technique. Yes, the girl can cook and armed with the kitchen squad technique, she could accomplish much and it helped that she had youth on her side. Still, Ranma's cooking was still adequate and no matter how many dishes she made, it would mean nothing if the taste test wasn't passed. The girl had confidence and could adapt, but Toshihiro felt that she needed time to perfect her cooking skills and had a feeling that time was something the girl didn't have, even if a date for the match hadn't been set yet.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Chef Toshihiro began, "Unlike my culinary compatriots, I never practiced the martial arts, not even in my youth. Cooking is what I do and a chef is what I am, no more, no less. Still, many years ago I found myself in a position where I had to man a kitchen in a diner all by myself because the boss was a skinflint. My solution was clear: I needed to be so fast that I could be everywhere at once. For that, I needed endurance, speed and most of all, focus, plus a good diet of healthy food and beverages."

"Let me get this straight," Ranma said, looking at Chef Toshihiro disbelievingly. "You're telling me that you achieved the kitchen squad technique through clean living?"

"And extreme exercise," Chef Toshihiro added.

Ranma raised her eyebrow at that and asked curiously, "How extreme?"

"Hmm…if I recall, it began with challenging local track athletes to a race to see how fast I can be. Though I was fast enough to keep up, I still felt that I wasn't being fast enough. So I made a call to the zoo to see if they had angry and hungry carnivores I could borrow so they could chase me and the track athletes around. Obviously, the zoo managers thought I was a mad man, so I snuck into the zoo, wrapped myself up in fresh meat and let the animals chase me. All in all, I did get a good run out of it, though the animals did catch me from time to time."

Ranma's expression turned incredulous, noting how crazy Chef Toshihiro's story started to sound.

"I tried other things," Chef Toshihiro continued. "I once smeared myself in chum just so I could outswim sharks. There were other times where I tried to race against fast cars or being chased by a boulder rolling down a steep hill so that I could outrun it. I even placed myself into oncoming traffic to dodge cars or have some of the local children throw hard objects at me to test my reflexes. I even resorted to setting the speed to maximum on treadmills, chasing irate chickens and whatever else I could think of to gain maximum speed. While my gains were fruitful, I felt that it still wasn't enough."

'Gee, I wonder if he's tried weighted clothing,' Ranma thought, his eyes twitching. 'It sounds like something pops would come up with, but still…'

"In the end, I needed to be focused on my goal," Chef Toshihiro went on. "Once I achieved true focus, I was able to be everywhere and anywhere, accomplishing many tasks in the kitchen. It's as if time slowed down for me. Since then, I was able to perfect the technique and learn when to use it so I don't waste away into bones. People see many of me when in competition, but in reality, I'm moving at a high speed. I've won many matches using this technique, but age has caught up with me. I cannot use it to its full extent anymore as it would kill me. I fully intend to make the best of my retirement and teach you the best I can with the limited time we have."

"Yeah, well…I know I can do it, chef," Ranma said confidently. "My dad put me through some hell ever since I was old enough to learn the martial arts and I'm not backing down."

"Your confidence is…admirable," Chef Toshihiro said, his expression never wavering. "Do not take that as a compliment. You have a long way to go, young lady."

Chef Toshihiro lifted his arm and glanced at his watch and sighed. He then turned his attention towards Ranma and said, "I believe our session has come to an end for today. I suggest you take what I said to heart and learn that technique."

Ranma simply nodded as she took off from the coliseum and into the elevator.

Not long after, Ranma stepped out of the elevator and into the market proper. The hours she had spent had, admittedly for her, gone fast since all she did was cook to the best of her ability. Still, even though she cooked well enough, it didn't satisfy Chef Toshihiro's standards and Ranma still had to master the Kitchen Squad technique since she had to face her mysterious opponent alone. She didn't know how long she had until the battle, but she knew it was going to be soon.

There was another matter that concerned Ranma at the moment, however. Kasumi had left with Kodachi and it worried her that there might be more fireworks between them if left unchecked. The eldest Tendo sister did slap the Kuno heiress, after all and if their little argument at the colosseum was anything to go by, Kodachi wasn't about to let it go. Still, Ranma hoped that Kasumi at least made it home unscathed and if not…

"Hey, did you hear what's happening at the Shining Sea Express?"

"Yeah, I hear the food is better than ever!"

"Chef Ben must have hired a new chef!"

"Nah, man. It's some amateur that just walked in, but she's really good!"

"Yeah, man. That Tendo girl is something else. Chef Ben really picked a winner with her."

Ranma's eyes widened as she picked up what she heard from the shoppers she was passing by. Though she was glad that Kodachi hadn't picked a fight in the market, Kasumi had somehow got roped into working with one of the Culinary Champions' diners. Worse, it was with that lecher, Chef Ben. Ranma made a dash and to the amazement of those who were paying attention, made a few high leaps until she reached the floor where all the diners were located. It didn't take long before she reached the Shining Sea Express where she entered by pushing the door so suddenly, surprising the host. Before she could call out to Kasumi, however, Ranma spotted her a few feet from her, dressed in a uniform similar to what Chef Ben had, in front of a seated customer with a server by her side. Curious, Ranma made her way over to where Kasumi was.

"I have to say that the meat was prepared just right," the customer, an old man with gray hair, said with a kind smile. "I swear, I've been to this place many times and I never had a prime rib so juicy. My compliments to you, Chef Tendo."

"Oh, my, I…," Kasumi responded bashfully, blushing. "Really, sir, I…I really didn't do much. I just had to make sure the meat wasn't overcooked and added a few spices."

"And you did it so well, my dear," the customer insisted. "You don't need to be so humble. Chef Ben is a lot of things, but he knows talent when he sees it. In fact…"

The customer rose from his seat, raising a pint beer glass. This called to attention the rest of the patrons in the diner.

"Everyone…a toast to Chef Kasumi Tendo!" the customer cheered. "I think we can all agree she did well on her first day here! What an impact she made, huh!?"

"Yeah, to Chef Tendo!" one customer cheered, raising his own glass of beer.

"Best casserole I've ever had, thanks to her!" another customer cheered.

"Never has a fluffier waffle!" another customer said enthusiastically.

Soon enough, everyone was praising Kasumi, raising their drink glasses, cheering for her. It got to be a little much for her that she retreated to the kitchen in order to get some peace. She didn't get it as the people inside the kitchen began cheering for her as well. Kasumi quickly exited the kitchen and made her way out of the diner, blushing a deeper shade of red.

Seeing Kasumi in distress, Ranma followed her out and saw that she was leaning near the door, her hand over her heart and breathing heavily. She began to wonder what had happened while she was training, though she assumed that Kasumi had been busy since she and Kodachi left the colosseum.

"Uh, Kasumi," Ranma said calmly.

"Oh, Ran…I mean, Sakura," Kasumi responded rather startled, shaking her and correcting herself. "I hope your training went well."

"Never mind that," Ranma said, shaking her head. "What happened here? How'd you get roped into being a chef?"

Kasumi sighed and explained, "Well…Kodachi and I got into a bit of a…dispute, and…well, I needed something to get my mind off things and Chef Ben offered me a job, so…I mean, it was a one time deal and I did well enough. The orders were pretty easy to follow, so It wasn't a big deal. Really, it was nothing."

There was a boisterous laugh emerging from the diner, which caused Ranma and Kasumi to turn their attention towards the door. When it opened, out came Chef Ben, his hands on his hips, laughing. Ranma and Kasumi looked on with a bit of apprehension as they backed away a bit. When the chef stopped laughing, Ben smirked at Kasumi, making the eldest Tendo daughter sweat.

"Nothing, she says," said Chef Ben, shaking his head. "Kasumi Tendo, you're an honest to the heavens prodigy. The way you handled yourself in there and how you commanded the staff…not to mention making everything on the menu taste like the best thing my customers ever had…it's like you always cooked this style of food, girl."

"It was nothing, really." Kasumi insisted. "Back when I was in high school, I assisted in cooking American style food for a school fair and I remembered preparing some of the dishes. It was a fun experience and I applied what I learned here."

"Well, you saved my ass there, girl," Chef Ben chuckled as he patted Kasumi on the back. "I just hope the next chef I can get for this place will have half the talent that you have. In fact…"

Chef Ben pulled out a checkbook from his pants pocket and grabbed a pen from his shirt pocket. After writing on it, he tore the check from the checkbook and handed it to Kasumi. When he saw the eldest Tendo sister take the check and gasp, a satisfied smile formed on Chef Ben's lips. He could see that Kasumi didn't know what to say and Ranma went over to see what was happening. Chef Ben's smile grew even wider as he saw the pig-tailed martial artist's eyes bug out at the amount of the check. Chef Ben let out another laugh, clearly enjoying the reaction the two girls were giving.

"That is a lot of zeros," Ranma said, clearly astonished.

"Chef Ben, I…I mean this is…," Kasumi stammered. She shook her head and said, "No, I can't accept this. It's too much for just a short time and-"

"Aw, you deserve it, lady," Chef Ben said, shrugging his shoulders. "Buy yourself something nice with that money or better yet, take that young boyfriend out on a grand date. That way you'll show him who's really in charge."

Ranma couldn't help but frown at Chef Ben's dig at her, but settled on just muttering about how much he didn't get paid much for his time in the kitchen.

"Guess I better take charge in there," Chef Ben said as he entered the diner.

Kasumi paid no mind as she stared at the check. It was clearly a high amount and she still felt that Chef Ben was being too generous. Kasumi felt humbled as she felt that she really didn't do anything that special, but Chef Ben and the patrons inside the diner felt otherwise. She let out a sigh as she turned to Ranma.

"So how was your day?" asked Kasumi.

"Well, I learned that Chef Toshihiro has some very high standards when it comes to cooking," responded Ranma. "That, and I think I can get his technique down, now that I know what it is. I just have to train harder to move faster."

"And improve your skills as a cook," Kasumi pointed out.

"Aw, I think I can manage," Ranma said confidently.

Looking at the check, Kasumi said, "Well, it's off to the bank."

"Yeah, I'll join you. Besides, it's best if we don't don't show that check to pops. He's really greedy about that sort of thing."

"Or Nabiki. She might have strange ideas on how to invest this with her taking most of the profits."

"It's my turn, fancy pants!" argued Chef Ken, his face dangerously close to Chef Yutaka.

"I think the young lady would benefit from my teachings," replied Chef Yutaka rather snootily. "Besides, one can never have enough style when it comes to taste."

"And I say taste is all that matters!" screamed Chef Ken.

"I'll have to agree on that one, Yutaka," sighed Chef Ben over dramatically. "Which means it falls to me to expand the young lady's horizons."

"Expand what exactly?" asked Chef Ken with a snark, narrowing his eyes at Chef Ben suspiciously.

"Your suspicions are unfounded," Chef Ben responded, sticking his nose up. "And I find your accusations funny, considering your all female staff. Suspicion falls onto you."

"Gentlemen, this arguing is pointless," Chef Yutaka interjected. "Clearly you two have ulterior motives, so it falls to me to take the young lady on."

"Says who, you snoot!?" Chef Ken growled. "Kasumi Tendo will work at my diner next!"

"And I say she'll benefit from learning something more refined!" Chef Yutaka shot back.

"And I have yet to show her my take on the cheesesteak!" shouted Chef Ben.

When Ranma and Kasumi had come into the colosseum the next day, they were greeted with the three chefs arguing amongst themselves and Chef Toshihiro standing nearby looking at them shamefully. Initially, since Ranma was training to improve her cooking abilities, she had assumed that the three arguing chefs were fighting over the right to train her in their cooking style. When she heard Kasumi's name, however, Ranma was not only hurt by this but she also felt like she was being cast aside. It also angered her that these three men were basically fighting over Kasumi like teenagers.

As for Kasumi, she watched the three chefs with great disappointment. While there was no doubt that they were capable chefs, seeing them argue over her like children made her feel that for some people, age didn't equal maturity. It also made Kasumi feel insulted that they were apparently trying to forgo training Ranma in favor of trying to gain her favor in working for one of them. Not only that, she felt the three chefs were insulting Ranma as well. Her friend was going into a strange sort of competition and they were dropping everything in favor of getting her to work for one of them.

The three combative chefs were about to come to blows when Chef Ken noticed that Ranma and Kasumi had arrived. He was the first one to come over to the eldest Tendo sister, waving a check to her face.

"Ms. Tendo, how good to see that you are well," Chef Ken said, trying to sound charming. "Why, I just happen to have a check with a sum larger than what Chef Ben gave you for yesterday's work. While he does have questionable morals, I believe him when he praises about the works of future world class chefs. Stick with me and I'll teach you the true art of Chinese cuisine."

"Aw, the only thing you're going to learn is how he hasn't busted a nut working with an all female staff," Chef Ben said, earning a glare from Chef Ken. "But…if you are willing to work with me again, I can increase what I gave you yesterday, plus throw in a little extra incentive. You can name anything you want for that."

"But I can add flair to your arsenal, mademoiselle," Chef Yutaka interjected. "Plus, it will give you a great opportunity to learn the finer points of French cuisine. No doubt you've looked over that recipe book and are very curious about the contributions I made to it. Just so you know, I won with those contributions and you can be a winner, too."

"That was about as subtle as a broadcast commercial," Chef Ben deadpanned with squinted eyes. He then brightened up and turned his attention to Kasumi. "Ms. Tendo. I'm sure you can agree that-

"That is quite enough, all of you!" Kasumi shouted disapprovingly, her hands on her hips and glare on her face. "Flattered as I am of what you think of my cooking skills, my friend is the one in need of your teachings! Frankly, I'm surprised and ashamed that three grown men of such repute are fighting over me like…like…ooh, to think that you three would try to shirk your responsibilities!"

The three chefs were rendered speechless and were finding it difficult to argue Kasumi's point. They also noticed that Chef Toshihiro was looking at them with a stern face that didn't exactly hide his disappointment. Though Chef Toshihiro was no longer an active competitor in the Culinary Coliseum, the three chefs respected their fellow champion's opinion.

"My apologies, Ms. Tendo," Chef Ken said, prostrated himself. "My…our behavior was childish and shameful."

"I apologize as well," Chef Yutaka said, also prostrating himself. "A Culinary Champion should have more class, especially in the presence of a lady."

"I'm sorry, too," Chef Ben apologized while also prostrating himself. "I've already seen what you can do and it wouldn't be fair to these goofballs to not see you in action."

"How nice of you," Chef Ben responded sarcastically.

Kasumi sighed at this and just walked off with Chef Toshihiro joining her, eventually sitting at the stands.

"Honestly, the immaturity of some men," Kasumi said with a frown.

"Frankly, I'm surprised those three fools didn't come to blows," Chef Toshihiro commented. "I remember a time when one of my disciples made such an impression that those three tried to poach him from me."

"They are supposed to be teaching Hanako," Kasumi pointed out. "She's the one that needs to be ready for this competition."

"And she doesn't have much time, either," Chef Toshiro said gravely. "I was just informed that Ms. Hikawa has set a date for the competition. Six days from now."

"Six days!?" exclaimed Kasumi. "Chef Toshihiro, can't you convince her to set the match for a later date?"

"Once the head of the council has her mind made up, she won't change it. As far as she's concerned, this match has the makings of a pure entertainment spectacle. Hanako will have to make do with what she will learn in the coming days."

"Hopefully the other chefs can teach Hanako a thing or two and also learn that technique of yours."

There was a loud scream that interrupted Kasumi and Toshihiro's conversation and saw that Chef Ben had been thrown into the stands, a few feet above them and his body sprawled and a dazed look in his eyes. Kasumi and Toshihiro looked back to see a livid Ranma, breathing hard as she glared at the injured chef.

"That's what you get, you letch!" shouted Ranma.

"Hanako has her work cut out for her," groaned Chef Toshihiro.

In the days that followed, Ranma's training in the culinary arts was ramped up. Though Chef Toshiro was the primary instructor, the pigtailed martial artist was also learning from the other culinary champions, learning how they did things and mimicking their kitchen techniques. Surprisingly, she was getting used to cooking in the styles that chefs offered and was feeling pretty proud of herself when she was impressing the chefs with what she was learning in such a short amount of time. Of course, Chef Toshihiro never showed signs that he was impressed with anything, which irked Ranma. She felt like she was making good progress with a different chef each day and felt a sense of pride when she presented a dish to Kasumi. The fact that her friend enjoyed her dishes did make her feel like she was ready to take on the world.

Training with a different chef was something of a unique experience for Ranma.

Chef Ben was a bit problematic at first. Because the American style chef saw himself as a ladies man, Ranma had to be on her toes whenever Chef Ben got too close for her liking. It did take a few knocks to the skull as well as a few more trips to the stands for the chef to get the message and since then, things got a bit more professional (though Chef Ben did continue to hit on Kasumi). Ranma did learn that Chef Ben was very passionate about American cuisine and was quite appalled that Ranma's only knowledge about American food was fried chicken and hamburgers. So whenever Ben had a crack at training with Ranma, he showed her what he knew about American cuisine from various regions of the Union, from cooking big beef dinners, various styles of seafood to tasty pies of various flavors. Most of the dishes Chef Ben prepared were comfort food, though he did on occasion bring out his big eats game.

For Chef Ben, he was amazed that Ranma knew a thing or two of various styles of Chinese cuisine. He was also doubly amazed at how fast Ranma was learning about how to cook in the Cantonese style. Chef Ben, while tutoring Ranma, would hear some stories of the pigtailed martial artist's time in China and learning various styles of martial arts and taking in the local fare. Ranma did point out that navigating through China on foot was difficult and pointed out that her father didn't speak a lick of the language, which made the trip even more difficult. She did say that learning a new technique and eating the local cuisine made the trip bearable. Chef Ken appreciated Ranma's appreciation for Chinese cuisine and taught her what he knew, even bringing up his past as a male amazon, which made the pigtailed martial artist a little uneasy.

As for Chef Yutaka, he was looking forward to teaching Ranma what he knew, even if it was on the fastrack. The French style chef was surprised that the martial artist considered French food to be something only rich people eat and never really ate it himself, aside from eating ice cream crepes in his younger days. Though Chef Yutaka did admit that most of his restaurants were on the high end scale where style and flair were a key to success, he did point out that French cuisine was something everyone can enjoy. To prove his point, Chef Yutaka tutored Ranma in the ways of making Chicken Cordon Bleu, which was a pounded chicken breast rolled with ham and cheese with a bread crumb coating. Though Ranma's attempt looked a little rough, Chef Yutaka nevertheless was impressed with the taste but reminded her that presentation was key. Ranma was determined to get it right and tried even more French recipes.

As Ranma was learning different styles of cooking, Kasumi didn't remain idle as she toured the market, not wanting to distract Ranma's learning experience. Unfortunately for her, she was, more often than not, roped into helping out in the diners whenever a chef wasn't busy training Ranma. Much like before, the chefs tried to entice Kasumi with a big paycheck as well as directly learning from the Culinary Champions themselves. As much as she wanted to refuse, Kodachi's words to her did sting a bit, though she reasoned that she did want to learn varieties of cooking as well as provide some more finances to the Tendo family. As the days followed, she found that she was very adept in the styles of cooking from the three chefs and found herself at ease in the professional kitchens of the diners. She played the guest chef and the various chefs came to respect her work ethic and direction. They even asked if they could work for the diners, but insisted that she was only there for a limited time, saying that her family needs her at this time.

When her shifts ended, Kasumi did manage to make it back to the colosseum to check on Ranma's progress in the culinary field. She was admittedly impressed with Ranma's efforts and it was always a treat to taste whatever Ranma was cooking up. With each passing day, Ranma was improving her culinary skills and her presentation was improving. It was as if Ranma was ready to take on the culinary challenge and no one could stop her.

There was just one problem…

"Argh! Why can't I get this right!?" shouted Ranma angrily.

It was the eve of the culinary match and to say that Ranma felt frustrated would be an understatement. While she made gains in her cooking abilities, Ranma felt no closer in mastering the technique she needed to be in the match. Even with the knowledge that Chef Toshihiro had imparted to her, Ranma felt that it was of little help as she couldn't concentrate. There was only a few hours left before she had to walk into the coliseum and face whoever the head of the culinary council had in mind. Ranma let out a growl as she kicked the air inside the dojo. It was already night time and the rest of the residents of the Tendo home were already asleep.

"Ranma…," a voice called out.

Almost everybody.

Ranma turned around and found that Kasumi was just standing at the doorway dressed in a robe and nightgown underneath. She admitted that she did look very pretty and blushed but shook it off. Kasumi had a worried look on her face and the last thing she wanted to do was stare. Ranma approached her as she rubbed the back of her head, realizing that had gotten late and chided herself.

"Hey, Kasumi," Ranma greeted, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Ranma, do you realize what time it is?" Kasumi asked, sternly and concerned. "I woke up to get a glass of water and saw that the dojo's lights were still on and here you are. Everyone is asleep but you and you're the one that needs it the most. You're not doing yourself any good by staying up late because you feel the need to get some extra training done."

"Would you lay off!? I…" Ranma snapped but caught herself, gasping at the tone she was taking with Kasumi. Seeing that Kasumi had been startled, Ranma started apologizing. "Oh, geez, I'm sorry, Kasumi, I…"

"Ranma…you need to go to bed. You're frustrated and you need your rest."

"I can't, Kasumi. I need to master this technique and…argh! What the hell!? I'm usually very good at mastering things like this! It's already been days and I'm going into this match without figuring this out. Ooh, the old man is never going to let me live this down if I don't get this!"

Kasumi sighed at Ranma's stubbornness, shaking her head. She knew that trying to convince her was a moot issue and even dragging her to the bedroom she shared with Genma wasn't going to help. Even so, she knew that Ranma needed to rest for the culinary combat, technique in hand or not. Kasumi was silent, deep in thought as she was trying to figure out a way she could help her friend out. She was finding herself at loss because Ranma was trying to figure out a technique that required strength, endurance, speed and focus. It still amazed her that a chef had created a technique out of necessity to man a kitchen by himself.

It was as if a light bulb brightened inside of Kasumi's head when an idea struck her. Not wanting to waste any time, Kasumi grabbed Ranma's hand and dragged her out of the dojo.

"Kasumi, what are you doing!?" Ranma asked, surprised.

"Come with me," Kasumi said, brooking no argument.

Not long after, Ranma and Kasumi were inside the kitchen. The eldest Tendo sister began setting up various tools and utensils as well as some ingredients. When she was done, Kasumi got Ranma to wear one of her aprons and stood across him with her arms folded. As for Ranma, she looked a bit confused by this and was curious at what her friend was up to.

"Ranma…I don't know if you noticed, but you skipped dinner," Kasumi pointed out.

"Uh, right," Ranma responded sheepishly. "I can go without-"

"That's not the point," Kasumi cut off Ranma. "Look…you have to remember that the Kitchen Squad technique is just that. A technique that is used in the kitchen. You have the strength, speed and endurance to pull this off, but also need to focus on the task. Here and now, you need to focus on making yourself a three course meal. That will be your dinner. Whatever you like. You can even use the cookbook I was given. But you need to be focused on being everywhere at once. Just…just picture yourself on the many tasks that need to be done. Got it?"

Ranma couldn't help but be amazed. Once again, Kasumi was taking the time to be her teacher, even in the late hours. Much like she was authoritative in her book studies, Ranma found that Kasumi was treating this as a normal tutoring session. Seeing as she seemingly tried everything else, Ranma got to work. Seeing that it was late, she didn't want to make anything too big or extravagant, so she decided to keep things simple and looked over at the Culinary Champions recipe book for ideas. After flipping through the pages, Ranma got work on her three course meal. As she did, she began to concentrate on the task while also using her speed, chopping up vegetables and preparing a whole fish for the main course. Taking Kasumi's words to heart, Ranma began to focus on being an entire kitchen staff.

As Kasumi watched, she couldn't help but be impressed at how well Ranma was handling herself. The training was really paying off and she could see that her friend was making little to no mistakes. She rarely ever saw Ranma training as she was busy working in the diners but since she often tasted the end result of what she cooked, she knew she was taking her training seriously. There was a lot riding on this for Ranma personally and she wanted her to succeed. In the back of her mind, it still worried her what Kodachi's plan entailed, but she tabled those thoughts for later as she continued to watch Ranma at work.

What happened next made Kasumi's eyes widen. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, but in the end, gasped at what she was seeing. Kasumi was looking at two Ranmas, one grilling the fish and the other making Dango balls. She couldn't find the words to describe what was happening, but she felt a sense of pride and excitement. But it was clear that Ranma has learned the Kitchen Squad technique to a certain extent. She felt that Ranma had a chance for Culinary Combat in a few hours.

"And…done!" Ranma said excitedly.

Kasumi looked at what Ranma had prepared. For the appetizer, it was a simple cucumber salad with marinade and chili flakes, though Kasumi noted that there were more chili flakes. For the main course, it was a marinated grilled fish with some slices of lemon and for dessert, two dango skewers with three balls on each. Kasumi almost salivated at the site and noted that the presentation was also very good. Even the aroma almost got to her, but she quickly composed herself as she wanted to demonstrate some class before Ranma. Speaking of her fiance, Kasumi noted that Ranma looked a bit exhausted and surmised that using the technique for the first time may have been a bit much for her. Before she could ask Ranma if she was alright, the pigtailed martial artist handed her a pair of chopsticks. She took them and grabbed a piece of the cucumber and started eating it.

Tensely, Ranma watched as Kasumi sampled her food. To her, the past moments seemed like a blur, but considering that she was able to concentrate and focus on her tasks while also using her speed to be in different places at once, she could safely say that she was able to use the Kitchen Squad technique. To her, it did feel exhausting at times, but was glad to be able to finish the three course meal. She honestly felt like jumping for joy, but wanted to see what Kasumi thought of the meal first.

As Kasumi sampled each dish bit by bit, she couldn't get over how delicious everything tasted. She found herself savoring the taste of each dish as she didn't want the taste to leave her. She almost found herself eating everything but stopped herself as she looked up at Ranma's expectant face. Seeing as she still had some food in her mouth and wanting to retain her manners, Kasumi simply gave Ranma a thumbs up, which made the martial artist jump up and cheer.

What Kasumi didn't expect, however, was Ranma making her way towards her and picking her up by the waist and twirling her around. She was about to protest, but Ranma looked so happy at what she had accomplished, so she smiled in return and let her have this moment. Kasumi found herself laughing and cheering along with Ranma, feeling very proud of her. When Ranma set her down, Kasumi was enveloped in a hug, which she returned.

"I did it, Kasumi," Ranma said, excited. "Thank you…thank you, I…"

"Oh, Ranma," Kasumi said happily. "It was all you…really, I didn't do much."

"You did enough, Kasumi. Now I know I can take whatever challenge that Hikawa lady can throw at me. Thanks to you, I'm closer to my goal."

"I know you can, Ranma. Now…how about you taste the fruits of your labor?"

Ranma grabbed a pair of chopsticks and began to eat what she had made. She remembered that she wanted to be well mannered in front of Kasumi and took it easy as she ate. Ranma was glad that she was able to make a tasty three course dinner and savored every bite. She was glad that Kasumi approved and was doubly glad that she was joining her to finish the meal. At this point, Ranma felt like nothing could ruin the moment.

All the while this was happening, the other residents of the Tendo home were watching everything between Ranma and Kasumi unfold. Some time earlier, they had heard the commotion coming from the kitchen and found that Ranma and Kasumi were happy and eating dinner. Soun, on the verge of tears, couldn't help but feel happy as he saw Rana and her eldest daughter grow closer while Genma looked with pride and assurance. Nabiki looked on with interest while Akane frowned at how happy Ranma and Kasumi looked in each other's company.

"Well, isn't this sickeningly sweet," Nabiki commented.

"Sickening is right," Akane said derisively.

The day had finally arrived and there was a red carpet leading to the entrance of the Culinary Institute Market. At the main entrance, there was a red banner that read "Culinary Combat Special Event" written in gold letters. Many people in fancy suits and dresses made their way inside with the help ushers, all eager to see the latest installment of Culinary Combat. The market was closed off for the day to prepare for the event and inside, there was yellow tape that closed off the aisles. The people were obviously curious about what was in store, but made their way towards the colosseum as they truly wanted to see what was in store.

The Tendo Family, along with Genma, had also arrived by a limo that was provided by Amane Hikawa herself. Upon exiting the vehicle, they took in the sight of the market and the evening atmosphere that very much resembled a gala event. Though the Tendo's and Genma had done their best to dress up for the occasion, it was obvious that from the sight of the other guests wearing the latest in fashion did make them feel a little self conscious. Soun, for one, had never attended fancy events and only dressed up for town hall meetings, so this was new to him and he tried not to feel intimidated. Genma tried not to pay it any mind and kept up a stern facade while trying to adjust to his suit he had rented a few days ago. Akane, who was wearing a yellow blouse with a red dress over it, took in her surroundings and felt a bit out of place, but didn't want to feel intimidated by all the rich folk. Nabiki, who was dressed in a purple dress, a dark blue blouse and a coat, was frowning as she felt a bit underdressed, though she did get excited that she spotted a few celebrities in the crowd. As for Kasumi, who was dressed simply in a blue blouse with a white collar and a matching blue dress, was simply looking in awe at how many people the event is attracting, and hoping Ranma was ready to take on such an event.

Not much later, after the Tendos and Genma showed their invitations to guard, an usher had led them to the colosseum under the market and instructed them to follow him to the royal box seats. Needless to say, they were surprised that they were getting such treatment with the usher saying that they were her personal guests and wanted them to enjoy the special amenities the section had to offer. It wasn't long until the Tendos and Genma arrived and as expected, the seats were close to the action and they could see the arena up close. The leather seats were also very luxurious looking and comfortable and also had cup holders for drinks. The section was obviously made for very special guests as the other seats in the stadium didn't have any of these comforts.

"Well…this surely is first class treatment," Soun commented as he took his seat and took in his surroundings.

"Indeed it is, Tendo," Genma agreed. "I've been to my share of sporting events, but I never sat in anything luxurious. Hopefully the drinks will be just as fancy."

"Considering all the fancy products I saw on the way in, they better serve some high class hors d'oeuvres," Nabiki said, getting comfortable in her seat. "Hmm, leather seats. A girl can get used to this."

"A whole arena devoted to a cooking competition," Akane said as she looked around the colosseum as everyone was getting seated.

"And this one will be a unique battle, daughter," Soun said with intrigue. "A martial arts cooking competition."

After Kasumi took her seat, she idly looked around the colosseum, wondering what Ranma was going through. Her friend had left earlier in the day to prepare at the Culinary Institute Market and even get some training in. Though Ranma had got the grasp of Chef Toshihiro's Kitchen Squad technique only a few hours ago, Kasumi had hoped it was enough. With Ranma going into this competition alone against a mystery opponent with a chance to fully regain his manhood was something that was probably weighing on her friend's mind. Before Ranma had left, the martial artist assured her, with bravado, that everything was going to be fine and they would celebrate somewhere special. Kasumi smiled a bit at the confidence Ranma displayed before she had bid farewell.

Kasumi was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to the side and found her father had sat next her, giving her an assuring smile.

"Everything is going yo be fine, daughter," Soun said confidently. "Have faith in your intended groom. The honor of Tendo/Saotome schools will be defended."

"I know, father," Kasumi responded with a sigh. "There's so much riding on this for Ranma that I hope it's enough. Ranma has been training so much for this and looked so confident when he left the Tendo home this morning."

"The boy has been training hard these days," Genma commented as he looked over to Kasumi. "On the martial arts side of things, I've never seen him be this intense in training over a competition before. That and the fact you and the boy never told us exactly what that Kodachi girl's reward would be."

"Mr. Saotome," Kasumi began calmly. "There are some things that are just between friends."

Before a discussion was started, there was a piercing laugh that got the attention of the Tendos and Genma. They turned to the source and found that Kodachi, dressed in a strapless black dress with a fan in hand, had arrived. Behind her was her brother, Tatewaki, dressed in a four piece samurai kimono that matched the colors of what he would usually wear in his kendo outfit, a purple jacket with black trousers. He also had a bouquet of red roses in hand. The situation became tense, given that whenever a Kuno was involved, it meant trouble. Kasumi felt ill at ease as this meant that Kodachi will be here making things more difficult.

"Bon soirée, Tendo family," greeted Kodachi with arrogance. "I do hope that you enjoy the VIP treatment for tonight. Don't get used to it, though."

"Pay my sister no mind," Tatewaki said, not liking the tone Kodachi was displaying. "She clearly hasn't mingled with common folk enough to show enough tact."

"Like you're one to talk, Kuno," Akane scoffed.

"Akane, my tigress," Tatewaki said as he approached Akane with the bouquet of roses. "You look so captivating as you always do. Please…accept this humble gift as it expresses my undying affection for you. Though I wish I could express more if given the chance."

"How considerate," Akane responded flatly.

Kodachi didn't waste any time locking eyes with Kasumi. The mirth she was feeling a moment ago was gone and it turned into a scowl. The eldest Tendo sister, in turn, looked back at her with suspicion and apprehension. While she wanted to lord over her about what she didn't know about her plan, memories of how Kasumi had wronged her crept up on Kodachi's mind. From the slap she had given her to what she had said to her outside the diner. She had wanted to tear into Kasumi and scrape her face. It took all of her will not to lose it that day and it was taking more of it now. Kodachi raised a palm to her cheek, remembering the sensation she felt when Kasumi had slapped her and how her hate for her spiked. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily as her scowl turned into a nasty smirk, which unnerved Kasumi.

"You won't spoil this night, Tendo," Kodachi said, barely containing her glee. "Oh, how I have fought the urge to wipe that faux angelic smile from that face…after what you did to me…you really thought that after besmirching the face of a Kuno you could just walk away!?"

"And what you're doing to my friend…," Kasumi responded, trying to repress her anger. "If you really had the best intentions…"

"Be silent, you waste of a woman!" Kodachi sneered. "You'll get yours soon enough!"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Soun spoke authoritatively, rising from his chair and looking at Kodachi. "Young lady, I insist that you cease this animosity towards my daughter! We are spectators in this battle and I suggest we behave with civility!"

"Oh, Mr. Tendo," Kodachi said, her smirk increasing. "I'll assure you that I will be on my best behavior. A woman of my breeding has to keep up appearances. As for your daughter…well…will see how she can keep it together."

Ranma, dressed in a short sleeved white chef's outfit with black trim and black buttons, was in the locker room area, calm, poised and ready for battle. For her, there was a lot riding on this and it wasn't for the glory of being recognized as being the ultimate chef/martial artist, though said recognition wouldn't be too bad. It was all for the chance to be a full male again and be rid of the curse she had gained during his training trip in China. Kodachi had the cure and all she had to do was win this contest in order to get it. She still had her suspicions of what plan the Kuno heiress had in mind, but she was confident in confronting whatever may come her way.

Letting out a breath, Ranma exited the locker room and found that Chef Toshihiro was waiting for her. He was dressed in his chef's uniform, still stern faced. When Ranma had arrived at the market earlier, she met up with the chef and told him that she's got a handle on the Kitchen Squad technique and showed him. Chef Toshihiro didn't look impressed, but said it will do for now and handed Ranma her chef uniform. Now fully dressed, the pig tailed martial artist was as ready as she would ever be.

"I guess this is it," Ranma said simply.

"I truly wished we could have had more time to perfect your cooking skills, Hanako Sakura," Chef Toshihiro sighed as she shook his head. "I also would have wanted to teach you the finer points in using my technique, but alas, your training would have to suffice."

"Hey, I'm more than ready, old man," Ranma scoffed confidently. "I may have learned the technique just yesterday, but I improved my cooking skills in just days, so it's safe to say that I got this in the bag."

"I admire your confidence," Chef Toshihiro said. "But I warn you to use the technique sparingly. Even though you have youth on your side, the Kitchen Squad Technique can be taxing on your body."

"Duly noted," Ranma responded with a smile. "Just you watch. I'll run circles around whoever that council lady puts in front of me."

"Then there is no more to be said. Come, Hanako Sakura. To battle!"

"Lead the way!

The lights of the colosseum dimmed and the crowd remained silent. The air of tension was short lived as the sound of trumpets blared over the sound speakers and the crowd began to clap in approval. The two guards opened the door and out came Amane Hikawa, dressed in a long sleeved gray jacket with matching pants and a deerstalker hat. With a confident smirk, she walked to the center of the colosseum with one hand holding a magnifying glass and the other a microphone. When she stopped walking, Amane looked around the crowd and took in the adoration. She paused briefly to look at Kodachi, who was also clapping along with the crowd. Amane gave her a knowing smile before returning her attention to the crowd.

When the music stopped, Amane spoke into the microphone, addressing the crowd, "I welcome you all to the Culinary Colosseum. As you can see, I come in wearing the clothes of a great detective. I do this because there is a mystery on our hands. A mystery that I will solve here tonight. But first, let me introduce our challenger! Accompanied to the colosseum by Culinary Champion Emeritus Toshihiro Tadamichi….she is of the Saotome School of Anything Goes…a young lady with fiery hair in a pigtail with an attitude to match…ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Hanako Sakura!"

The doors opened and out came Ranma with Chef Toshihiro, walking with confidence in each step with the crowd clapping approvingly. Ranma took all this in stride and was able to see Kasumi in the VIP section along with the rest of her family. She gave her a small smile and a wave, which earned her a smile in return. Not long after, Ranma and Toshihiro made it to the center of the colosseum to meet up with Amane.

"Welcome, Chef Toshihiro," Amane greeted as she shook hands with Chef Toshihiro as well as bowing to him.

"An honor, Mistress Hikawa," responded Chef Toshihiro with a bow. "I must say that you never fail in your theatrics."

"There is nothing wrong with a little theater, chef," said Amane with a laugh. She then turned her attention to Ranma. "And you, Hanako Sakura…I dare say you look ready for battle. This contest was made to suit the needs of a warrior of skill. Hopefully, you are up for the challenge."

"I don't intend to lose, lady," Ranma said, feeling sure of herself.

"And I hope for an entertaining battle, Ms. Sakura. Now then, let us meet our Culinary Champions who have defended the honor of this colosseum for quite some time. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you Japan's finest in the world of the culinary arts! The Master of the American Kitchen, Ben Yamaguchi, the King of Cantonese, Ken Chang and the emperor of French cuisine, Yutaka Rochelle!"

The doors opened and the three Culinary Champions emerged with Ben Yamaguchi in the lead. The crowd gave them a round of applause with Chef Ben basking it in while the others politely waved. As for Ranma, she looked more determined as she saw the three chefs approached. It would seem that it would be a three on one battle and she instinctively began to crack her knuckles as well loosen her neck. As the three chefs made it to the center of the colosseum, they bowed before Amane and Chef Ben took the initiative by shaking her hand.

"I see you wasted no time in assuming leadership over the champions, Chef Ben," said Amane, amused.

"Somebody had to take the role, boss," chuckled Chef Ben. He then turned his attention to Ranma with a charming smile, "And Hanako Sakura…you've proven to be a great cook, but I and my fellow champions are great chefs, the pride of Japan. We've shown you the ropes, so now we'll show you our might. Try not to cry too much when we win. I'll even offer a shoulder afterwards."

"And you give men a bad name, Ben," Ranma frowned, having none of Chef Ben's. "Just keep your hands to yourself and I won't send you into orbit."

"I like a lady with fire," Chef Ben responded.

"Just keep your head screwed on, team leader," Chef Ken said disapprovingly. "We don't want to lose because you have a case of hot pants."

"Mon deux, this will be fun!" Chef Yutaka exclaimed in excitement. "Mistress Amane, you have truly outdone yourself! Truly a unique night for a unique battle!"

"And I'm just getting started," said Amane before addressing the crown once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we shall have a first in this competition! We shall have a martial arts cooking competition that will consist of two rounds!"

This really got the crowd going, with some cheering and others talking among themselves about the possibilities of the match.

Amane continued, "The first round will be something I'd like to call…the Ingredient Throwdown! Yes, ladies and gentlemen! This time, we will not be limited to one secret ingredient as the entire market will be at the disposal of the competitors! It is here that the competitors will showcase their fighting skills as they have thirty minutes to collect their ingredients! Afterwards, we will have a standard one hour battle where the competitors will make five dishes for the judges panel! The competitors will be allowed to use food as their weapons!"

"Sounds fun," nodded Chef Ben.

"Hey, I'm all for it!" Ranma said with determination. "I don't care if I have to face all three of you! I'll win!"

"Oh, you will face all three of my champions, Hanako Sakura," chuckled Amane before taking out a piece of paper from her jacket. "But you see…they'll only be in a supporting role."

Ranma looked confused as Amane unfolded the paper she was holding in her hand. It turned out to be the contract she had signed not long ago.

Showing off the contract to the crowd, Amane addressed tem once again, "I have in my hand a contract that has been signed by Hanako Sakura herself! Let's call this exhibit A! By signing this contract, Hanako Sakura has agreed to face an opponent of my choosing! While it would have been easy to choose any of my champions, I decided to look outside for the opponent of my choosing! In fact, said opponent is…within the crowd! Dearest me!"

Again the crowd was talking among themselves, intrigued. Ranma looked very confused as she looked at the crowd, curious.

Amane, with her magnifying glass, looked around the crowd and said, "Why, I do spot a few suspects in the crowd! Perhaps it is…"

Amane pointed to a direction in the crowd where a spotlight shined on a caucasian male with slicked back gray hair in a suit. He stood up and waved to the crowd as they cheered.

"Five star internationally renowned chef from the southwest of the United States, Robert Flail!" announced. "I dare say he could be a prime candidate for such a battle like this! He's even faced our own Chef Ben on several occasions!"

"I wouldn't team with that blowhard!" Chef Ben frowned at Robert Flail's location.

"I wouldn't want you to," assured Amane before she pointed to another direction in the crowd.

The spotlight then shone on a short haired lady in a red gown. She stood up and waved politely to the crowd as they cheered.

"The queen of fine dining, Chef Natsuko Naomi!" announced Amane. "Owner of several restaurants in western Japan, she could be our choice for this battle!"

"It would bring a little class for this battle," Chef Yutaka said as he rubbed his chin.

Once again, Amane pointed to the crowd and the spotlight shined on another man, this time on a muscular man with a shaved head who raised his arms and yelled.

"Mr. Meats himself, Akio Benimaru!" announced Amane. "Not only has he mastered many forms of preparing the finest meats in the nation, he is also an accomplished practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! Surely he is Hanako's opponent!"

"Will you just get on with it!?" shouted Ranma impatiently.

"Oh, I will, little one," smirked Amane. "Alas, as much as I would love to see these chefs in action, they are but spectators for this contest. But…after much searching, I narrowed my search to one person. She…yes she, is the only one who can do this battle justice. She has shown that she, like Hanako, has versatility when it comes to home cooked meals, be it American, Chinese or Japanese. Anything goes for this woman of the home. She also comes from a martial arts family that has given so much of her life to her loved ones for many years…sacrificing so much…"

Ranma was even more confused but it only took a second to realize what was going on as her eyes widened.

Amane then pointed to the VIP section, the spotlight shining on a confused Kasumi Tendo, who gasped as she looked around, her heart racing.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the eldest of the three sisters and the heart and soul of the Tendo Home and Hanako's best friend, Kasumi Tendo!"

As the crowd applauded, Kasumi stood up in shock, speechless at what was happening. She looked to her family for support, but they could look on her in equal shock. Kasumi then looked towards Ranma, who was also speechless, her mouth hanging with wide eyes. Kasumi's expression turned to fear as she shook her head, as if denying that she knew this beforehand.

Ranma shook her head before turning her attention towards Amane, though the leader of Culinary Council showed the contract to her face, a smile growing on her face.

"You really should have read the contract before signing, my dear," Amane said with a chuckle. "The contract states that you have to face an opponent of my choosing. I even added a penalty should you try to back out. You have to reimburse everyone who paid a good deal to see this match. Financial penalties, Hanako. Now, I know you don't have the means to pay for it but…Kasumi has been paid well these past few days by working for my Culinary Champions. Perhaps she can help you with any difficulties should you not take this challenge."

Kasumi was on the spot again as her sisters, her father and Genma began to ask questions. She had kept what she had made a secret from her family and the only one who knew of the amount was Ranma. Somehow, Kasumi had managed to block out the bombardment of questions as she turned her head around to see Kodachi smiling evilly at her, trying to keep herself from laughing. The eldest Tendo girl stared at her in disbelief as the Kuno heiress' smile just kept growing. Kasumi could barely contain her anger as she approached Kodachi. To everyone's surprise in the VIP section, Kasumi grabbed hold of Kodachi, though the Kuno girl kept smiling, laughter escaping her lips.

"Why!? Why are you doing this!?" shouted Kasumi. "Why would you mastermind something like this!? How could you do this to-"

"What are you going to do, Tendo!? Are you going to slap me like the beast I know you are!?" challenged Kodachi gleefully. "That's right, beast! That angelic face you show to your father, your sisters, to my intended…I know it to be a lie! You're nothing but a desperate, cradle robbing sow and you are getting what you deserve! You besmirched me and no matter what happens tonight, you lose out! You hear me, Tendo!?"

As much as she was tempted to slap Kodachi across the face, Kasumi let go of her. The Kuno heiress had once again brought out the worst in her and made her feel something that was completely alien to her. It was something she felt when Kodachi, with no shame, said how she felt Ranma up. Kasumi had felt a flash of anger and hate towards her and it was something she was trying to restrain herself from feeling. But seeing Kodachi laughing made it very difficult.

As for Ranma, many things were running through her head. Kodachi had just pitted her and Kasumi against each other and the only way to get to the cursed spring water that could make her into a whole man again…was to go against and beat the one person that had shown kindness ever since she had set foot in Nerima. Ranma was raised not to back down from any challenge lest he dishonor himself but she really wanted to refuse this challenge, but she couldn't. It ached at her heart that she had to fight her best friend and she really didn't want her to lose the money she had earned these past few days. While the path to full manhood was clear, Ranma was finding it difficult to come to terms with what she had to do to get it.

In the end, Ranma knew what she had to do. She took the microphone from Amane's hand and began, "Kasumi Tendo…you mean everything to me! The day I entered the Tendo dojo…the way you got me to stay…I'll never forget it! I could have left because no one in that house made me feel welcome…except you! That kindness you showed to me is no lie! You're an angel, Kasumi Tendo and don't let anyone tell you any different!"

Kasumi's heart fluttered, knowing that Ranma meant every word she had said. She could tell that her friend's voice was about to break. Kasumi felt herself blushing, being complimented by her fiance so publicly and she couldn't help but smile.

"And Kasumi…" Ranma hesitated before giving Kasumi a determined look. "I want to be the person you deserve! I want to earn this victory and I accept this challenge! Give it all you got!"

A loud cheer erupted throughout the colosseum. Everyone was letting their approval be known and began supporting both Ranma and Kasumi. As for Genma and the rest of the Tendos, they remained silent, not knowing what to think. All they knew was this could make or break Ranma and Kasumi's relationship. Kasumi could only nod in Ranma's direction and then walked off the VIP section.

Taking the microphone away from Ranma, Amane addressed the crowd, "Ooh, drama! Just the thing to spice up this battle. Now then! Champions and first time combatants…report to market for the first round! To battle!"

As determined as Ranma felt, she felt this nagging feeling that no matter what happens, nothing will ever be the same between her and Kasumi.