Episode 4:
The Hunter
WITH THE VOICES OF:
Suzie Yeung as Ranko
David Errigo Jr. as Ranma
Jason Griffith [credited as J. Griff] as Kenma
Roger Craig Smith as Ryoga
Valeria Rodriguez as Akane
Vic Mignogna as Akimitsu
Laura Post as Kasumi
Stephanie Sheh as Nabiki
Ben Diskin as D'jean
Mr. Lawrence as King Terrorbull
Dana Davis as Princess Steelhorn
That morning, Kenma got up extra early, at around 2 am. He made his way downstairs and into the dojo.
If I want to be able to fight on my own, then I need to prepare myself, he thought.
After a few minutes of limbering up, Kenma took a deep breath and concentrated.
"Let's start with the basic stuff," he said. "...Kaiō-ken!"
As his body lit up with a dark red aura, Kenma began a series of punches and kicks, getting slowly faster, little by little.
By the time the aura wore off, he was a little exhausted.
"Damn! That really took the glisten off the paint job…" he remarked. "Next chance I get, I'm busting out my special surprise!"
And so, he dragged himself to the bathroom. "But first...I must piss..."
ELSEWHERE, IN SHIKOKU…
"Run for your lives!" called a voice. "There's a wild boar on the loose!"
Thundering through the dirt roads was a massive, hairy hog with a pair of tremendous tusks sticking out of its mouth.
"NOOOOO!"
"OH, MY GOD!"
"HELP ME!"
As the villagers leapt out of the way, they noticed one person who hadn't moved yet.
"Hey, mister! Ya better move outta the way!" called a farmer. "That runaway ham's fixin' to flatten you like a pancake!"
The person in question was a young man wearing a black-and-yellow bandana on his head. Pulling his parasol off his back, he shot his arm out and used it to stop the wild boar right in its tracks!
"Huh? What the devil?!" the other villagers exclaimed as they bore witness (rim-shot) to this feat of strength. "He stopped the boar with just ONE hand!"
The boar bucked and snorted furiously, kicking its legs a few times, while from nearby, someone watched from the shadows.
But in an instant, the boy flipped the boar, sending it flying into the air!...and seconds later, it crashed on its back right behind him.
"HOLY—! Did you see that? He just flipped the bitch!" One of the villagers shouted in shock.
"There's one sturdy kid!" commented another as they began to crowd around.
"Yer one'a them martial-artists, ain't ya?" asked one.
"Wuz you up in the mountains trainin'?" a third inquired.
"Well, yes I am a martial artist." the boy answered. "Say, would you happen to know where Furinkan High School is?"
"Yew got'cherself a map?" asked another villager.
Ryoga pulled out a piece of worn, old paper and handed it over. The villager looked over it, then back at Ryoga.
"This is for Tokyo," he muttered. "Boy, don'chu know yer in Shikoku?!"
"Shikoku?!" remarked Ryoga. "...I see, then. Well, how exactly do I get to Tokyo?"
"...you just leave that to me," rumbled a deep voice, prompting Ryoga to turn his head upwards. Standing over him was a massive, cloaked individual, about the size of a barn!
"And who are you?" asked Ryoga.
"You want to deal with this Ranma Saotome, right?" inquired the towering stranger.
"Yeah…again, who wants to know?" asked Ryoga.
"HEY! You'll show him the respect he deserves—" shouted another voice nearby. It came from another cloaked individual, just smaller.
The first one held up his hand. "Hold your tongue, young one," he instructed. "Let's just say I have business in that region as well. Perhaps we can help each other out."
"What's in it for me?" Ryoga asked, skeptical of the cloaked individuals' help.
"Considering the rumors of a Lost Boy of Japan being you," the cloaked figure stated. "I believe that 'what's in it for you'…is not taking a month to reach your destination, give or take a week."
That shut Ryoga up.
"...alright, fine!" he relented. "Let's get moving."
And off they went.
Of course, Ryoga went off into the woods.
Ranma Saotome…prepare to face your doom, he thought. A serious fight between two men…YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME ANYMORE!
AT THAT VERY MOMENT…
Back in Nerima, the rain was coming down outside. Kenma had just exited the dojo, and was taken by surprise seeing Ranko darting down the hall in her underwear, pursued by Kasumi and Nabiki.
"Ranma, get back here!" demanded Nabiki.
"No way!" Ranko called back as she ran to the end of the hall. "Tellin' you now—I'd sooner DIE than wear girls' clothes!"
"Look, Ranma, you ARE a guest here, aren't you?" asked Nabiki, cornering Ranko.
Ranko blanched visibly at that.
"Your hot baths are heating us out of house and home, considering how often you draw those to drench yourself," Nabiki continued. "It's just not economical. We can't afford the gas bills. You realize that?"
"...yeah..." responded Ranko.
"So you'll wear the dresses, right?" Nabiki asked.
Ranko's head bowed; she knew the money-grubbing schemer was correct. "...okay..." she relented.
"See what happens when we cooperate?" Nabiki responded, patting her on the head as she led the redheaded girl away.
So, Kasumi and Nabiki had to choose from Akane's hand-me-downs in order to decide what Ranko would wear for the time being.
"Not that one, Kasumi."
"But the frills on this one are so cute!"
Ranko rolled her eyes. Frills? Oh, gag me, she thought with disdain.
"I dunno, I really think this one is much better."
Akane wasn't exactly welcoming this decision with open arms. "I get it, but why does he have to wear MY clothes?" she asked.
"Again, NOT wearing a skirt, no way no how!" Ranko declared.
"Come off the high horse, why don't ya?" asked Akane. "You don't even know what we're going to give you!"
A little while later, Ranko was now wearing a green shirt and a pair of blue overalls.
"Oh, yeah, that looks cute on you!" Nabiki grinned.
"I dunno…" responded Ranko. "The girls don't have much room to breathe…"
"And the waist?" asked Nabiki.
"Kinda baggy," Ranko replied, as Akane went over and got the kendo practice sword.
"ALRIGHT, RANMA!" she bellowed as she started swinging it at Ranko.
"Knock it off, you're two girls!" Nabiki called.
"SHE's a girl—I'M a GUY!" Ranko protested while trying to avoid getting thwomped.
MEANWHILE…
"Where is Furinkan High?" Ryoga asked, showing off his map while standing amidst a field of cows.
"Hmm…" murmured the farmer as he looked over the map. "...this is Hokkaido."
The larger cloaked individual facepalmed in irritation. This is going to take a lot longer than I'd hoped…
ONE WEEK LATER…
School had let out for the day, and as everyone was leaving, outside the school stood Ryoga…and the formerly cloaked strangers. Due to the heat of the sun beating down, however, they both decided to discard the cloaks.
The taller one was a massive, bearded, red-eyed bull-man with a nose ring and a battle-ax. He was clad in a warrior's belt, a massive pair of overalls [think Panthro from ThunderCats], and he wore a necklace of the symbols of his enemies.
The shorter one was a young woman of 16, except clad in leathery hides and bearing two horns atop her head, along with an ox's tail sticking out of her back end.
Looking around, Ryoga decided to question one of the students who was leaving the building. He reached out and grabbed a boy before pulling him aside.
"Hey, where is Furinkan High School?" he questioned.
The boy looked like he'd just been asked a very stupid question. Annoyed, he pointed behind Ryoga. "Check the sign, Magellan," he replied dryly.
Ryoga turned and read the sign. There, in big, silver letters, it read: FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL.
"Fu-rin-kan...high...school..." he muttered, reading it off before he absorbed the information. "At last...I made it!"
He turned back to face the boy. "Now tell me where to find Ranma Saotome!" he demanded.
"...might I suggest you check over there?" asked the boy, pointing to the right.
The bull-man grinned. "Two birds…one stone~" he mused.
"Ranma, Kenma, Kasumi wanted us to run an errand!" called Akane.
"And why do I have to go?" asked Ranma.
"Because we're getting rice and miso," said Akane. "Kasumi said she wanted some time to clear up that lamp she bought."
"Teyandee! It's been a week!" Kenma exclaimed. "You mean that thing's STILL gathering dust?"
"The point is, you guys hafta come with me!" Akane called.
"You'll hafta catch me first!" called Ranma as he sprang into the air. But as he did…he sensed a familiar ki.
"RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!" bellowed the boy.
The umbrella's tip jutted into the ground, creating a massive circle from the vibrations, as Ranma leapt away and landed on his feet.
Kenma raced over to his brother. "Ranma, what's going on?" he asked.
"Looks like we're gettin' a blast from our past, Ken," Ranma responded as the dust cleared, revealing the boy clutching his parasol, along with the bull-man and his daughter.
"...hey, is that Terrorbull?" Kenma exclaimed. "Yo, Gyūniku! I haven't seen you in a dog's age!"
["Gyūniku", you see, means "beef". Plus it's a joke on the Bull Demon King being known as Gyu-Mao.]
"You little pest!" fumed Terrorbull. "It's Kyōfu-no-Oushi [恐怖の雄牛, translated as Terrifying Bull], and you'd be smart to show some respect to me! And stop calling me Terrorbull like I'm some cheesy Super Sentai Monster of the Week!"
"C'mon, it's good!" Kenma insisted. "It tells me what your whole thing is! You're a bull, you spread terror…it just works, y'know? It's marketable! You can't tell me kids wouldn't bug their parents to buy them an action figure of that!"
And then he noticed who was accompanying him. "...no way. Ryoga Hibiki?" he asked. "Oh, hey, man! How's it going?"
Ryoga looked over and saw Kenma waving…and he felt his face grow warm. Then, his heart began to race. Why did he feel like this? Maybe he'd been walking for too long…
"Ryoga? Are you okay?" Kenma asked. "You need some water? You are looking kinda flushed…"
Ryoga coughed and stood himself up. "N-no! Don't be ridiculous, I'm fine!" he replied, puffing his chest out. "Anyways, I have some unfinished business with your brother!"
"That's just fine," replied the girl. "Because Father and I have business with him."
"Who's this?" asked Kenma. "A friend of yours? If so, good for you bridging the intergenerational friendship gap. Proud of ya, Ferdinand!"
"This is my daughter," declared Terrorbull. "Princess Steelhorn—the one you were engaged to marry!"
"You're a dad? Hey, that's great! I wonder who's the lucky lady that you—WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Kenma exclaimed in bewilderment. "Wait, ENGAGED?! I can't get married, I'm just a kid!"
"Your father signed an agreement," said Terrorbull. "In exchange for two noodle bowls, four pieces of fried chicken, a six-pack of gas station sushi…and a cheeseburger."
Kenma immediately facepalmed. Note to self—kick my old man's teeth in when I see him.
"You know my father had no intention of actually following through with that arrangement, right?" Kenma asked. "He does this sort of thing whenever he finds that somebody has something he wants."
"Ah, so I've been had," the enormous bovine realized. "As duplicitous as your father is, the engagement still stands."
Kenma sighed. "Look, I've already got an engagement to deal with," he responded. "To one Nabiki Tendo, in fact."
"Hmmm, I see…" Terrorbull mused, stroking his beard. "Well, ya can't be engaged to two girls at once, so I've come up with a proposition."
"Name it, big guy," replied Kenma.
"You have to beat me in a one-on-one fight," declared Terrorbull. "No outside help."
"And you'll drop the engagement, no strings attached?"
"None at all."
"Alright," said Kenma. "You got yourself a deal, Longhorn."
"It's Terrorbull! I mean Kyōfu-no-Oushi!" Terrorbull accidentally stated before correcting himself.
"Oh-kay!" Kenma exclaimed as he took a defensive stance. "I'm ready to fight if you are!"
"Take your best shot, kid!" the bull demon said as he assumed his stance.
"Best believe I will!" Kenma declared, as he pulled his canteen out, and splashed himself…changing into his Monkey King form. "Alright, NOW I'm ready!"
Terrorbull snorted, lowering his head and pawing the ground. Kenma stood his ground, keeping his posture loose and fluid, waiting for the first move.
Without warning, Terrorbull lunged forward, his battle-ax raised high, aiming to bring it down with a thunderous swing. Kenma sidestepped just in time, the blade narrowly missing him and embedding itself in the ground with a deep thunk.
"You're fast, little monkey," Terrorbull sneered, yanking his weapon free, "but not fast enough!"
"Maybe…but we shall let our skills decide," Kenma declared, in a manner reminiscent of Hong Kong action flicks from the '70s.
"Oh, very much so, child!" Terrorbull shot back.
The Bull demon then swiped at Kenma with one of his massive arms, in an attempt to grab him. Naturally, the monkey-boy jumped up and landed on his arm before scurrying up the length, reaching Terrorbull's broad shoulder.
"Hey, nice fur coat! Mind if I take it for a spin?" Kenma taunted, poking the demon's horns for good measure. "Promise I won't spill anything on it!"
"Get off me!" roared Terrorbull, swiping at Kenma with a massive, meaty hand. But Kenma leapt off, flipping through the air and landing gracefully, his monkey tail giving him perfect balance.
Kenma grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, my turn!" With a twirl, he produced the Ruyi Jingu Bang staff from thin air, extending it to its full length with a flick of his wrist. The staff's golden sheen glinted in the sunlight, its weight surprisingly light in his hands.
"Oh-ho-ho…just like the Nyoi-bo!" he gushed, spinning it like a baton.
[You know—in the English dub of Dragon Ball, Goku calls it the "Power Pole"!]
"Now you're really starting to get on my nerves!" bellowed Terrorbull as he performed a spinning slash that created a mini whirlwind.
"Alright, then—let's take things up a notch!" Kenma focused, his mind reaching for the power he'd barely tapped into before. He felt a surge of energy as a small, fluffy golden cloud appeared beneath him. Jumping onto it, Kenma flew up into the air, putting some distance between him and Terrorbull.
"...no. freakin'. WAY," he remarked. "I HAVE MY OWN KINTO-UN! Yeah…I got a good feeling about the rest of my life~"
The demon looked up, squinting against the sunlight. "Running away, monkey-boy?" he called.
Kenma grinned, pointing his staff downward. "Nah, just getting a better view!" he responded.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT HOME…
Kasumi was by herself, up in her room with the lamp she'd purchased in the previous episode.
"Alright…I've put it off for long enough," she said to nobody in particular, readying a cleaning cloth. "Time to dust this antique off."
And so, she started rubbing the surface in small, concentric circles. As she did, the lamp began to wiggle in her hand, with a bit of giggling coming from inside.
"...?" Kasumi stopped, and took a look around. When nothing came, she went back to cleaning the lamp again. As she did, this time, the lamp wiggled and giggled some more, but louder this time.
Now she was CERTAIN that she heard something!
Third time's the charm, thought Kasumi as she wiped in circles again, prompting the lamp to burst open, shooting out a plume of blue smoke. From within, a person's shape began to form!
As it cleared, the brunette could plainly see a young man about her age physically, rolling before her; he was clad in a red vest, baggy pants, pointy-toed purple shoes, and a bandanna wrapped around his scalp. He had short orange hair, and jade-green eyes.
"H-hey, you're tickling me!" he cackled.
By now, Kasumi was past curiosity and had hit utter bewilderment. "Oh my, what were you doing in that lamp?"
"Well…living there!" the young man replied. "That is what genies do, isn't it? Live inside lamps and/or rings?"
"I suppose so, but are you a real genie?"
"As real as real gets!" the genie responded. "One of my last masters called me a djinn...so I kinda like that moniker. Short, sweet, fits on a nametag."
"I see, but how will I explain this to Father and the others?" mused Kasumi.
The genie looked a little worried. "W-well, now…what says you HAVE to tell them right away?" he asked. "I mean…maybe we could come up with an alibi, an explanation! I mean, wh-what if they try to take all the wishes for themselves, and not leave YOU with any? It just doesn't seem fair for a kindly beauty like yourself to get screwed out of wishes that are rightfully yours!"
…it took him .08 seconds to realize what he'd just said. Not bad, he's beaten Tatewaki's record.
"I mean, that's not to say you're kind just because you're beautiful!" he insisted, red-faced. "I've lived a long time, I'm not shallow like that! So I know that just because someone's ugly doesn't mean they're not good! But I'm NOT calling you ugly, let me assure you!"
"Oh my! You think I'm…beautiful?" Kasumi asked, surprised. At most, everyone else just saw her as "cute" in a motherly sort of way. And the fact she only left the house for grocery runs or doctor visits didn't exactly help that.
"Well, of COURSE!" the genie replied. "Anyone with working eyes could see it! In the meantime…maybe we should work out our alibi."
"Yes, yes!" the elder Tendo sister said before rubbing her chin in thought. "Hmmm, I'll have to call you something in the meantime.
What was it he was called…a djinn? Djinn…dijon…djinni…d…Jean…
"I think I've got it!" Kasumi said with a snap of her finger. "From now on, I'll call you D'jon!"
"Like the mustard? Let me try…" the genie said before he traced the letters out with his finger. D'jean! "How's that?"
"...well, it at least looks exotic enough…" replied Kasumi, deciding to ignore that he'd sort of misspelled it. "Maybe since you came from a lamp, you could be some sort of archaeology student?"
"I like it!" beamed the newly-named D'jean. "I'll help you get things set up before everyone comes back."
"But wait…don't I only get three wishes?" asked Kasumi.
"No, that rule only applies to ring genies," D'jean explained. "Weaker, y'see. Lamp genies don't have a limit on the amount of wishes."
"Ohhh, well in that case…" Kasumi said as she started thinking once again.
Back at school, Ranma and Ryoga were in the middle of their own big brawl while Kenma was busy.
"So just what is your beef with me, anyway?" Ranma asked.
"As if you'd understand!" spat Ryoga. "As though words alone could convey the depths of my agony!"
"If it's not the bread, then WHAT?!" Ranma shouted. "Did you just want an excuse to murder me and pull something off the top of your head?"
"Shaddap!" Ryoga bellowed as he threw his umbrella at Ranma; it whizzed past like a spinning top, and Ranma jumped back. But as he did, Ryoga leapt forward and latched one of his bandannas around Ranma's wrist.
As the umbrella crashed to the ground nearby, the students jumped out of the way.
"Now, you can't run away from me like you did before," sneered Ryoga.
"...do you just like hearing yourself talk?" asked Ranma, irritated. "Because that's what it seems like."
"Prattle on all you want," said Ryoga as he drew back, his hand in a claw shape. "But it's not going to save you from—"
As he struck, Ranma's image went transparent, and seemed to vanish! Suddenly, Ryoga felt himself being tugged downward, and a sharp kick to the back of his head.
Turns out it was Ranma, who'd ducked underneath and delivered a kick to him in the rear, before jumping on his back and forcing him to the floor.
"You need a major attitude adjustment, Pal!" Ranma taunted as he had the lost boy completely immobilized. "Maybe I oughta put you over my knee!"
But now, Ryoga was getting angrier.
"You…you dare…try to bring me…TO MY KNEES?!" he roared as he put a hand out and pushed himself and Ranma into the air.
"What the hell—?" exclaimed Ranma as he was lifted off the ground.
Ryoga delivered a swift kick at Ranma, who dodged it and landed on the ground, balancing on one hand. He then kicked Ryoga in the stomach, knocking him skyward and breaking the bandanna. Everyone scurried away as Ryoga crashed into the grass nearby, but as Ranma jumped down at him, Ryoga grabbed his umbrella and jabbed at him, slicing through part of his shirt.
"Hey! That was my favorite shirt!" snapped Ranma.
"QUIT TALKIN' LIKE A GIRL IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT!" Ryoga shouted in rage at his enemy.
…and that did it.
"WHO…ARE YOU CALLIN'...A GIRL?!" bellowed Ranma, clenching his fists.
"Did I strike a nerve?" the lost boy asked mockingly. "Maybe now you're gonna start taking me seriously—"
Of course, he was cut off when Ranma delivered a haymaker to his midsection.
WHOOM!
…okay, this was clearly more than he'd bargained for. He doubled over and gagged, spittle dripping from his mouth.
"TAKE. IT. BACK," Ranma emphasized, clasping his hands together in a double-axe-handle grab.
"B…burn…in HELL!" spat Ryoga, glaring daggers at him.
"WELL, I'LL SEND YOU AHEAD FIRST!" Ranma shouted as he brought his fists down on Ryoga's back…and onto a water pipe.
KER-SPLOOOOSH!
MEANWHILE, BACK AT KENMA'S FIGHT…
Terrorbull regained his balance and let out a furious snort, planting his hooves firmly in the ground. "I'll show you what real strength is, monkey brat!" With a stomp that shook the ground, Terrorbull swung his ax in a sweeping arc, creating a gust of wind that tore through the air and sent nearby debris flying.
Kenma crouched low on his Nimbus, steadying himself against the blast. "You know, for someone who calls himself the Bull King, you're really into trashing the place." He gave a smirk, twisting his staff to catch Terrorbull's ax with a resounding clang. "Save it for the china shop, why don'cha?"
Terrorbull's eyes widened at the deflection, and he quickly raised the ax for another attack. But Kenma was already one step ahead. With a quick jump, he soared over Terrorbull's head, landing on the demon's broad back and delivering a sharp jab to his shoulder with his staff.
Terrorbull let out a pained roar and drew back, managing to grab Kenma this time. He lifted the boy by his tail, grinning as he dangled Kenma in front of him.
"Got you now!" Terrorbull sneered, swinging Kenma around like a ragdoll. "Let's see how tough you are without your fancy stick!"
Kenma struggled, feeling the grip on his tail tighten. "Okay, maybe this was a bad move…"
But then, a mischievous glint returned to his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he transformed his staff into a miniature version, slipping it from Terrorbull's gaze. "Then again…maybe not!" he grinned.
In a swift motion, Kenma jammed the shrunken staff into Terrorbull's nostril. With a sudden twist, he expanded the staff, forcing Terrorbull's grip to loosen as the pain sent him stumbling back, roaring in agony.
Kenma tumbled to the ground and quickly got to his feet, giving his bruised tail a shake. "Guess you need to be more careful where you're grabbing, huh?"
Terrorbull ripped the staff from his nose with a snort of fury, tossing it aside. Blood trickled from his nostrils, and his red eyes glowed even brighter. "You've gone too far, boy. Now, I'll tear you apart!"
Kenma's grin widened. Alright, he thought, time to see if I can actually use that move…
He cupped his hands together, channeling the power he'd seen Son Goku use so many times on his favorite show.
"Kame…hame…"
A sphere of light began to form in his hands, crackling with energy.
Terrorbull, realizing what was happening, turned around with a look of alarm. "What in the—?"
"HAAA!" Kenma thrust his hands forward, releasing a blast of energy straight at Terrorbull. The beam hit the demon square in the chest, sending him flying backward in an explosion of light and dust.
When the dust cleared, Terrorbull was lying in a crater, groaning as he struggled to his feet. Kenma approached him cautiously, his staff ready, but it was clear that the fight had left Terrorbull significantly weakened.
"Alright…as the old saying goes, 'do you yield'?" Kenma asked.
Terrorbull let out a heavy sigh, chuckling through his pain. "Alright… alright, kid. You win." He raised a hand in surrender. "The engagement's off. But don't think this is over between us."
Kenma nodded. "I understand," he replied. "Someone as incredible as you? It'd be a shame if you only showed up once."
As Terrorbull lumbered to his feet, battered and bruised, Steelhorn, who had been watching from the sidelines with her arms crossed and a smirk, stepped forward. She clapped slowly, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Well, well, well," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like you managed to give dear old dad a decent fight, Monkey Boy. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that."
Kenma gave a shrug. "Well, I'm full of surprises," he replied.
"Yeah, I've noticed," responded Steelheart. "If I'm gonna have a relationship, I'd rather earn it myself, not be engaged."
"Lucky you, then," Kenma replied. "Maybe next time we can go one-on-one."
"As soon as the old man's fixed up, we'll be paying your old man a visit," Steelheart responded. "And I'll bring Mother along. I just know she'll love hearing about THIS."
As she and Terrorbull began to walk off, she tossed him a backward glance. "Oh, and one last thing, Monkey Boy—don't get too comfortable with that fiancée of yours. Life in places like this? It doesn't tend to stay calm for long."
Kenma gave a sigh. "...yup," he replied. "See you again. If your dad was that tough, I can't wait to see what YOU have in store!"
Steelhorn smirked in return, blew Kenma a kiss, and walked off.
Kenma couldn't help but laugh. Haven't had a skirmish like THAT since that time in—
But his recollection was cut off when Aki raced up, exhausted. "Kenma...b-big trouble..." he panted.
"Aki?" Kenma asked. "What's up?"
"Ryoga was flinging those bandanas around like crazy," Aki explained. "...and one of them cut off most of Akane's hair!"
Kenma sucked in some air through his teeth. "...from bad to worse..." he winced.
That was episode 4. Hope it was interesting enough for you with the added subplots and new characters...well, some not as new. And yes, Terrorbull and Steelheart will return eventually—and with Steelheart's mother/Terrorbull's wife in tow.
As you might know, I based Terrorbull off of the Bull Demon King from Journey to the West...and a little bit of LEGO Monkie Kid. So it's no stretch to assume the missus will be based somewhat on Princess Iron Fan. If you'd like to see more of these guys, write in and let me know. We'll try and bring them in some more. Plus, Kenma's finally got a rival of his own...a rival who might wanna be more than just that.
And as for how Ryoga reacted to Kenma? I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but don't worry. All will be revealed next time.