Chapter 1
Arrival at the new dojo
When Ranma finally arrived at the dojo marked on the map, he was puzzled. A gigantic wall enclosed an area of several square miles, and an ornate gate, seemingly from the Sengoku period, towered over a massive wooden door.
"What kind of place is this? Oh well, might as well go in."
The ponytailed boy pushed open the doors effortlessly, realizing it wasn't something an ordinary person could do.
"Hello, anyone here?" he called out as he walked in, backpack still on his shoulders, but got no reply.
Wandering through the wide corridor, he noticed a lawn, some trees, and a large building on the left that undoubtedly blocked the view of other structures. The place felt neglected, but it wasn't abandoned.
He neither saw nor heard anyone, but he sensed a hum of voices from inside that gradually grew louder and more agitated, followed by shouts and suddenly various sounds like breaking vases, overturned tables, and other assorted damage.
These noises came from different parts of the house in quick succession, as if a rampaging elephant was zigzagging through.
Soon, Ranma saw it, or rather, saw her. A girl who seemed slightly younger than him, with a long blonde braid, burst through a wall, smashing it completely, chased by a cacophony of voices.
There was something strange about her; she was surrounded by a fiery red aura, and her eyes didn't seem human, more like those of a wild animal. She didn't speak like a person either, making sounds that could have been words in another language, foaming at the mouth as if possessed.
"Huh? What the hell…"
He didn't have time to finish his thought, as she noticed him and with a feral growl, lunged at him with wild fury, attacking with a forearm strike that missed Ranma as he instinctively moved back, but it shattered the ground beneath them.
"HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" shouted the ponytailed boy, who only dodged, hands still in his pockets.
From the breach in the wall emerged several bizarre-looking faces: a man with long hair and strange mustaches, a tiny Chinese man with long whiskers and a wide hat, a massive old man with a long beard, a giant young man from Southeast Asia with spiked hair, and an unshaven Japanese man with a scar on his face.
"Tsk! She got away!"
"And she's attacking that boy! He must be a customer!"
"Oh, we never have visitors, why today?"
"Apa! If she kills him, can we still charge him for the challenge fee?"
"Hmm… let's see what happens," suggested the oldest man.
The mysterious girl didn't stop her fierce and varied attacks, using acrobatic and ferocious martial arts that the heir to the Saotome school had never seen, but vaguely reminded him of something from one of his travels.
The ponytailed boy focused entirely on dodging every attack instinctively, moving backward as if skating on the lawn, always chased by the wild girl who grew more frustrated with each failed attempt, making guttural sounds.
At some point, Ranma noticed out of the corner of his eye the five strange individuals spying on them through the hole in the wall, doing nothing to intervene.
"Tsk! What is this, some kind of admission test for the dojo? If so, I don't like it!"
"HEY, YOU! STRANGE-LOOKING PEOPLE!" he shouted, as was his habit.
His words had an unexpected effect. Many of them looked contrite.
"Is he talking about us?"
"Definitely not mincing words..."
"Are we strange?"
"Well, you are a bit odd with that face..."
"APA! Apachai isn't strange, maybe just a bit unique, but not strange..." murmured "spiked hair," hugging his knees, depressed.
"LOOK, IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, I'LL START FIGHTING BACK SOON! EVEN THOUGH HITTING WOMEN ISN'T MY STYLE..."
He continued to glide backward across the courtyard, dodging obstacles as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Suddenly, a shadow darted from the hole in the wall, covering the distance in great leaps and shouting something.
"NOOOO; STOP, MIU-SAN!"
"Huh? Who's that?" wondered Ranma.
The strange figure quickly approached them and, before Ranma could react, interposed himself between the ponytailed boy and the wild girl, taking a powerful blow to the stomach that wasn't meant for him.
"Eeeh?"
Distracted for a fraction of a second, Ranma tripped over something that suddenly appeared at his feet, which he hadn't noticed.
The five men watched as a tiny mouse in a conductor's hat drove a small locomotive made of matchsticks, carrying a frog, a bunny, and a little monkey, speeding past the combatants. Ranma, stepping on it, shattered it to pieces, causing the animals to leap in every direction to avoid the "train wreck." The conductor mouse held a sign reading "HELP!"
"Tochoumaru…there…he was..." said a girl with a long ponytail lazily perched on the building's roof.
The old man looked up, a sweatdrop on his temple, "Shigure, have you been there the whole time?"
Ranma, stumbling over the unexpected obstacle, rolled backward at high speed, crashing into a barrel full of water, which broke on impact.
"Ouch…what was that mouse doing? More importantly…who's the idiot who got in the way?" he muttered as he tried to get up, now transformed into his female form: short, busty, and red-haired.
The boy who had intercepted the blow was doubled over, face down on the lawn, between him and the girl, who had momentarily stopped, panting heavily as if unsure what to do next. The boy, trembling with pain, turned towards Ranma, asking, "Are…are you okay?"
"Of course I'm okay, you idiot! And you'd be fine too if you hadn't interfered!" yelled the Saotome heir with his trademark finesse.
"Huh? But…"
"If my eyes don't deceive me…"
"Mmmh…"
"Apa!"
"UH? WHAT DO I SEE?"
At this last comment, the mustachioed little man shot forward like lightning, a disturbing light in his eyes.
"OH? Another threat?" wondered Ranma, alerted by his sixth sense as he got up, head still stuck in one of the barrel's hoops.
"Uo-Ohhh! JUST AS I THOUGHT! A REDHEAD JUST THE WAY I LIKE! BUST 65D cup, too! YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY!"
It was the little man, circling around female Ranma at supersonic speed, trying to grope her and snapping a barrage of photos with a portable camera.
"Huh? Oh? What? GET AWAY, YOU PERVERT!" exclaimed Ranma, terrified, kicking him away with all her strength.
The little man dodged easily, commenting, "Hmm…you've got some good skills."
"W-what? A girl?" wondered the boy bent over on the ground, "but before…I thought I saw a man."
The girl with the braid, who had been standing still, contemplating the situation, trembling with rage and snorting through her nose, suddenly couldn't take it anymore. She threw her head back and let out a terrifying, primal scream. A war cry.
Ranma's expression changed.
"Here it comes"
Indeed, the girl launched herself at her with renewed vigor, constantly varying her moves in an attempt to attack.
However, Ranma, who had jumped to his feet, was not caught off guard. He continued to dodge everything, and this time even parried, skillfully using his smaller size to evade the attacks, fully focused and determined to finish it quickly.
"Hmm... not bad, really."
"Whoa! That girl is strong! Maybe she won't die after all."
"But... listen, am I wrong, or did that girl, just a moment ago..."
The old man, meanwhile, remained silent, thoughtful.
Ranma was considering his next move.
"Tsk... she attacks with ferocity but without any real pattern... even though I don't know these moves, I'm faster and have better reflexes... but how do I stop her without causing too much damage? IDEA!"
Continuing to deflect the barrage of attacks, Ranma began, as usual, even if the girl might not be able to hear him, to taunt his opponent.
"You know, sweetheart, I don't know what your problem is... ...but now IT ENDS HERE!"
In a flash, after dodging, he appeared behind her.
He jumped onto her back and immobilized her arms by wrapping his legs around them, then used his hands to strike her back at various points with a flurry of finger strikes, hitting the human body's pressure points to immobilize her.
Ranma dropped to his feet as the girl collapsed to the ground, the flaming aura extinguished, her eyes dimming and her expression briefly returning to normal before she fainted, more from the drop in nervous tension than anything else.
"Pff! That wasn't so hard after all."
"I need to remember to thank Dr. Tofu again for teaching me those pressure points..."
At that moment, several things happened at once.
All the people watching from the building, plus the strange little man, changed expressions, disappeared suddenly, and reappeared in a semicircle around Ranma and the girl collapsed on the ground, as if they had teleported.
"WHAT? When did they move?"
Ranma couldn't hide his astonishment mixed with fear.
"They are fast... VERY FAST. Much faster than me... and they might also be... stronger? Hmm... maybe I did well to come here after all."
The first to speak was the man with the long beard. Ranma noticed only now that he was really gigantic.
Over two meters tall and at least two hundred kilos of pure muscle, despite his age.
He towered even over all the others, which said a lot.
He spoke with calm authority.
"Akisame..."
"I'll take care of Miu right away, Elder," said the man with the Hakama, long hair, and bizarre mustache.
"Kensei..."
"Yes, I'll go check on Kenichi," offered the middle-aged pervert, who now seemed like a completely different person.
"And now... should I call you... young lady? Perhaps you owe us some explanation, don't you think?"
"Pff! Same old story! What a nuisance!" Ranma thought. "Oh well. Let's get it over with."
He gave a shallow bow and then said:
"I am the heir of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts School of the Saotome Style. I am RANMA SAOTOME. Pleased to meet you."
He received several questioning looks in response, but most of them didn't seem hostile, more curious and somewhat benevolent.
"Well, maybe we can discuss it inside over some tea, what do you think?" proposed with a smile.
They were all seated at a large table, inside, in the central hall.
Each had a cup of tea in front of them, prepared by the small Chinese man.
The boy who had "committed suicide" had the air of a student, couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen years old.
He had removed his gi and was bandaged around his ribcage but seemed able to follow the discussion. He scrutinized Ranma in a way that Ranma did not like at all, even though he should have been used to it.
The girl with the blonde braid who had attacked Ranma (and who, while unconscious, had a completely different, almost angelic expression, and was-Ranma noticed-quite cute) was still unconscious but now breathing regularly.
She had been placed in a futon on one side of the room, and the master "mustache" as Ranma had decided to call him in his head, was changing wet cloths on her forehead.
"How is she?" asked the Elder, a note of concern in his voice.
"She'll recover, fortunately, it's nothing serious," reassured Mustache. "The pressure points I used were..." began Ranma, but was interrupted by the small Chinese man.
"We know what they are. Bold of you to use them in a real fight, considering you've clearly just learned to use them and your knowledge of them is quite scant; but they were a good solution, I must admit."
"UH? How does he know that? He figured it out just by seeing me use them once?"
The little Chinese man seemed to have read his mind because he chuckled a bit but then immediately went over to the girl's futon.
Ranma feared for a moment that he might do something perverted, but instead, he gently turned her onto her side, cracked his fingers, took a deep breath, and then, at supersonic speed, hit the same points Ranma had used to knock her out, but using the reverse effect, as an antidote.
Indeed, the blonde, who didn't feel the shock, began to breathe even more calmly, as if she were completely out of danger, and her muscles, which had been rigid, relaxed.
Ranma was astonished, a cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Where on earth have I ended up?"
"Your astonishment is understandable-the Elder began, seeming to read his mind as well-even though, to get here, you must have had some information about this dojo. This is the Ryozampaku, the place where heroes who have mastered their martial arts to the utmost gather."
"Mastered to the utmost...?"
Ranma thought for a second, and began to tremble with joy.
He had always heard that martial arts are an endless journey, that there is always something to learn, that there is always someone stronger than you, etc.
But he had never paid much attention to it. He thought, arrogantly, that they were fairy tales good for making children behave well.
Even though, he had to admit, Old Woman Cologne and Old Man Happosai had remained too tough to handle, even for him. He was practically a newborn compared to an elephant, compared to them.
However, this meant that in the world there must be other martial artists of INTERMEDIATE level between his and theirs. And now he had proof.
They were here, in front of him. He had feared getting bored, having nothing more to learn.
And now, instead... A new world of martial arts opened up before his eyes.
Suddenly, the enthusiasm for training and the desire to learn possessed him again, like in the good old days.
He raised his gaze, his eyes shining.
The others noticed, because they smiled knowingly.
"And you are...?"
The Elder made the introductions.
He pointed to the tall, muscular man with the scar on his face and a wolfish look.
"To my left: The Karate Master of the Hundredth Dan; Sakaki Shio!"
Then he turned to the small pervert with long mustache and bald head. "In front of me: The Master of all Chinese Kung Fu: Ma Kensei!"
"Next to him: The Philosopher Master of Ju Jitsu: Akisame Koetsuji!"
So that was Mustache's real name, Ranma thought.
"To my right: the God of Death of Muay Thai, Apachai Hopachai!" And the Thai giant with the spiky hair, squeaked an "APA!" at the introduction, leaving Ranma puzzled.
"Above us, on the ceiling beams: the Prodigy of Swords and All Weapons, Shigure Kosaka!" Ranma only now noticed the young woman and found her unsettling. She must have had doubts too because she was watching him from the corner of her eye. Sitting on one of her shoulder was one mice of strange appearanceand near-human intelligence, the one Ranma slipped on previusly. He was called Tochoumaru.
"And I am Hayato Furinji, the head of this dojo. They also call me THE INVINCIBLE SUPERMAN!"
Ranma was speechless for a moment.
Then he remembered the student, standing in a corner, with a mild expression.
"And... that guy with NO TALENT WHATSOEVER over there, who might he be?" he asked, with the utmost nonchalance, as if talking about the weather.
While Kenichi felt pierced by an arrow to the heart, all the others chuckled.
The Elder replied "Oh, he is our First Student; The Disciple of the Strongest in History."
"I'm Kenichi Shirahama! Pleased to meet you, Saotome Ranma!" said the student, recomposing himself and bowing.
Not impressed by the polite response to his rude remark, Ranma remained doubtful.
How could that guy be the disciple of those monsters? Well, maybe he was just starting out, he thought. Certainly, he HAD interfered in the wild girl's attack, so... well, he would investigate another time.
"And... the girl who attacked me... is she another of your students?" he ventured.
Everyone's expressions darkened, lowering their gaze. Once again, the Elder spoke.
"Yes, she is. We owe you our sincerest apologies, Ranma Saotome. Although we have a reputation for being an over-the-top dojo, with training methods... well, that many would find EXTREME; it is not our habit to attack guests without reason.
"The girl you see is called Miu Furinji, and she is my granddaughter."
Ranma's eyes widened in surprise, and everyone noticed.
"And we can assure you that she is normally a sweet and gentle girl, despite being very skilled in martial arts. What happened is not her fault. It is mine. And mine alone."
"Elder, that's not true..." began Koetsuji.
"Thank you, Akisame, but we all know it is. The fact is, Ranma, that my granddaughter was born with an affinity for the Dou ki, and let's say that recently, due to some traumatic experiences that we don't need to discuss, she has had great difficulty controlling it.
If she tries to evoke it to enhance her physical abilities, she risks losing control and transforming into a bloodthirsty beast.
I tried to intervene with a shock therapy, letting her unleash her anger to try and help her control her powers, but she slipped out of our control and attacked the first person she saw, not realizing what she was doing. Luckily, the first person she saw was a martial artist skilled enough to handle the situation anyway."
Ranma didn't pay attention to the flattery, because he didn't miss the other colossal mistake they had made.
But you didn't intervene even afterward, did you, old man? Were you curious to see what would happen?
This gave him a second impression of the dojo, a much less positive one than the first.
I guess I'll have to keep my eyes open around here...
However, at that moment, he didn't want to argue, although he would come back to the topic sooner or later. Any resentment he had felt for the girl had dissolved like smoke in the air, and he now felt a lot of pity for her.
However, one thing was not clear to him.
"The Ki... of the Dou?"
He asked hesitantly.
"Oh? A practitioner of your level who doesn't know the difference between Dou and Sei? How strange! The world of martial arts is indeed vast."
"We can say that in general, when martial artists evoke their ki, most do so according to their personality: there are those who make it explode by using their emotions, such as anger and aggression, which is called Dou, and those who rely on inner calm and analytical ability to face their enemies, who are called Sei practitioners. For example, from what I've seen, you should be of the Sei type."
For Ranma, it was as if someone had detonated a bomb in his brain.
There were so many things he had seen and done in his life that corresponded to this distinction, yet it had never been explained to him, or perhaps even his father and Soun didn't know about it, while Old Woman Cologne and Happosai... well, those old geezers could be more tight-lipped than an old safe when they wanted to be.
He himself was a Sei fighter. It was so obvious; since he was little, he had calmly and rationally avoided opponents' moves only to attack and counterattack at the right moment.
The Soul of Ice and the Hiryu Shoten Ha were Sei moves. The Hiryu Shoten Ha used the opponent's Dou ki against them.
Ryoga's Shishi Hokodan was a Dou move, powered by emotions, particularly negative ones. Ranma couldn't replicate it for that reason; it wasn't congenial to him.
Happosai, driven by greed, lust, and cruelty, was a Dou martial artist.
Cologne was a Sei martial artist.
Shampoo was probably Dou, though very good at controlling herself when necessary.
Ukyo was probably Sei.
Akane... well, she was undoubtedly Dou.
Mousse was Sei.
Ryoga, needless to say, was Dou.
Others... he wasn't sure.
And then... Herb was Dou but also knew the Hiryu Shoten Ha.
And now that he thought about it...
The forbidden techniques of the Saotome school invented by Genma...
The Yamasen Ken used by Ryu Kumon was a Dou technique.
And the Umisen Ken he had learned was a Sei technique. So far, everything was clear.
But his father, who had developed them, mastered BOTH! Just like Herb!
He interrupted that flow of consciousness to ask:
"But... are there people who can use BOTH types of Ki?"
"Oh, that's an interesting question," replied Hayato. "Well, in fact, very rarely, someone is born who can use both types of ki, but they generally still have a natural affinity for one of the two. So they will use it as their primary type. Additionally, the two types of Ki can be used ALTERNATELY, not TOGETHER. Trying to do so... well, it's not something to discuss now, but it would end very badly."
Kenichi's face darkened. He was thinking of the Seido Gouitsu, which had ruined Ryuto's life, almost destroyed Kanou Sho, and nearly annihilated Kajima Satomi before he managed to save him at the last moment. He didn't know if he could replicate that feat if necessary.
"I understand," concluded Ranma, still reflecting on everything. "But... I've learned to use Ki without using emotions or the absence of them. There are ways to open one's Ki points and use internal energy attacks that are, so to speak... neutral. Is that possible?"
He was thinking of the Moko Takabisha; although he initially used positive emotions to evoke it, he now did it automatically.
He had learned to use Ki to enhance his physical abilities regardless of emotions; he had recently mastered it, but very well. Additionally, many of Hinako's techniques also had no "color," so to speak.
Hayato's smile widened even more.
"Oh, well, actually, there is a third type of Ki, the neutral Ki, but it's so rare that it's hardly worth discussing. You say you can use it?"
"Well, yes, at least I think so. There are at least a couple of applications I can perform."
"Really? Then we're very fortunate to have met you. You see, the third type of Ki is called GA, but only about 1% of the population, maybe even less, can use it.
This does not exclude that those who use it might also use Dou or Sei in parallel.
I, for example, am one of the very few people who can use Ga. If you are another one of those, our meeting is more unique than rare."
All the others began to look at him with renewed interest.
Ranma smiled, but then a groan from Miu—it was strange to know her name without being introduced—brought him back to more pressing matters.
"And then... that extreme loss of control... it's not typical of ALL Dou fighters, is it? Because I... think I've seen it before... recently, in a very similar form... but it was an exceptional case."
He bitterly thought of Ryoga and how he had turned into a bloodthirsty beast in their last fight. Come to think of it, he had masterfully used Sei power to defeat him.
Hayato's face darkened. "You've touched on a sore spot, unfortunately. No, Dou practitioners USE anger, CHANNEL it, but they usually do not LET THEMSELVES BE POSSESSED by it.
If this happens, they risk losing themselves and never coming back. When this occurs, it's said they fall into the path of Ashura.
I'm glad that my granddaughter, while at risk, didn't meet that fate. In that regard, I must offer you my most heartfelt thanks."
Ranma demurred. "No, really, I just did what was necessary; you owe me nothing."
Hayato leaned closer. "Well, I'm glad to hear that because now that we've clarified this aspect, THERE IS something YOU owe US, instead."
Ranma looked at him, wide-eyed. "Uh? Really? And what might that be?"
"AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY YOU TRANSFORMED FROM A MAN INTO A WOMAN, FOR EXAMPLE!"
"AAAH, that's right! I forgot!" Ranma had been so caught up in the recent revelations that he had forgotten that he originally had to explain his appearance as a girl.
Now all the others had drops of embarrassment.
"Alright," he sighed. "I will explain everything. But first, can I please have some more tea?"
"Hmm? You like my tea? It's very good, indeed. Thank you," said Kensei. "But you haven't finished your first cup."
"Yes, it's very good, but I actually don't intend to DRINK the second one."
Doubtful, the Chinese man handed him a second cup.
Ranma stood on the table so everyone could see him despite his short stature.
"Please pay attention because I will do it only once."
And he poured the hot tea over his head, immediately regaining his male appearance.
What could be someone's reaction to... the impossible?
It's a question many ask: how would they react if... but few find an answer because the only way to know is to experience it firsthand.
The reaction of the masters to Ranma's transformation was primarily one of astonishment and dismay, but they expressed it in different ways.
A cacophony of voices and screams erupted.
Apachai seemed terrified, sitting under the table, hugging his knees, and shouting, "Uaaah, Ranma is a wizard! I mean, a witch! I mean... I don't know! Apachai is confused! Please, don't curse me!"
Sakaki let out a torrent of obscenities after spitting out the beer he was drinking.
Koetsuji, always logical, was stunned. His mind COULD NOT accept what he was seeing. "But... but it's not possible."
Hayato's eyes widened completely, which was rare. "So... it's true and he can do it both ways."
Kenichi looked shocked; he hadn't fully realized that Ranma was initially a man, and now his reaction was much like Apachai's.
But the most shocked of all was Ma Kensei.
He recoiled, gripping a chair with one hand, trembling, mouth agape, pointing convulsively at Ranma with a finger.
"No... it can't be... but then... the legends ARE TRUE! You... have you been to that place?"
Ranma turned to look at him. "Ah, right, you come from China, don't you? I see you've already heard of it... well, yes, I've been to THE CURSED SPRINGS OF JUSENKYO!" he proclaimed loudly, to be heard by all.
"The magical springs that can change people's nature... I had heard of them, but I thought it was a rumor... a fairy tale for children."
"Oh, trust me, it's all too real. I'm not the only one who has had a bad experience."
"What? There are others?"
For a moment, Ma Kensei pondered the thought.
Then a goofy grin spread across his face.
"So, somewhere... there are a bunch of other DOLLS like the one from before?" with heart-shaped eyes.
Ranma hit him with the stool. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
"Ugh... for a moment, I thought we could have a serious conversation... anyway, no, the other people I know fell into OTHER springs... specifically into springs where animals drowned... but I won't tell you who or in which ones."
"Wait a minute, boy, now you're overlapping the explanation. Kensei has already heard about it, but we don't know anything," Akisame reminded him.
"Yes, right, sorry. Basically, in a remote corner of China, there are about a hundred legendary springs cursed since time immemorial. In each of them, a creature of some kind drowned in ancient times. Since then, anyone who bathes in the waters of that spring is destined to transform into the same type of creature that drowned there.
I fell into the Spring of the Drowned Girl, that's why I take on the appearance of a girl, or rather, what I would look like if I were born a woman."
"Uhm... indeed, the girl looked like your twin sister," Hayato weighed in.
"Exactly, and every time I get splashed with COLD water, I transform in that way, while with HOT water, I resume my original appearance."
"That's... that's really crazy," Sakaki managed to say.
"Yeah, and as I told you, what happened to me wasn't even the worst fate: I know people who fell into springs where animals drowned, so... well, you can imagine."
For a moment, everyone stared into space, imagining themselves alternately in a female version or, worse, transformed into various animals.
Then they all shook their heads to dispel the thought.
"Incredible... but then again, we saw it with our own eyes, so we can't doubt it," Akisame concluded.
"Unfortunately, there is no cure or antidote to this curse. All I can do is try to live with it. I also want to make it clear that my personality, AND ESPECIALLY my... sexual orientation, do not change AT ALL when I'm transformed into a woman.
Basically, only a handful of people from the place I come from, in Nerima, know about the curse, some of whom have also received one of the other curses.
Now you also know my secret, and I would ask you to keep it that way: as you can imagine, it's not something I'm happy to spread around."
Everyone remained silent for a long moment. Then they burst out laughing, all at once.
"Uahahah, boy, you worry too much! - exclaimed Sakaki, giving him a powerful slap on the back - anyway, I like you, you're a really unique person, in a way."
"Apachai is a friend of Ranma. Both man and woman. Apachai has TWO new friends!"
"Don't worry, Ranma - the Elder intervened - here we're all a bit strange, in one way or another. And we certainly don't judge anyone for their physical condition."
Ranma felt relieved.
Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around.
It was Ma Kensei. He was looking at the floor with a solemn expression.
"Ah, poor boy... how much you've had to endure at such a young age... but what you must do now is to find the strength, and..."
Suddenly he started throwing an incredible number of buckets of water at him, darting among them, ready to snap with the camera.
"...FIND A NEW CAREER AS A MODEL; I CAN HELP YOU!"
"ARE YOU NUT?"
Ranma was dodging all the buckets at hypersonic speed, but he wouldn't have made it if Shigure hadn't arrived, dropping down from the ceiling (in fact, Ranma hadn't seen or heard her during the explanation, but she must have witnessed everything) to chase Kensei with a katana.
In the moment Ranma seemed to be able to stop, he felt a cold sensation on his neck.
The one they had called Kenichi, the disciple, had unceremoniously poured a bottle of water over his head, turning him back into a woman!
"Wow, it's just like he said..."
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
A sidekick sent the hapless disciple flying, crashing through the wall.
As he disappeared into the horizon, his voice could be heard saying,
"I wanted to be sureeeee..."
"Damn, what a headache," commented Ranma-girl, wringing out the water from a corner of his shirt.
He was alone, under the porch, while the others were taking away the tables and chairs.
Apparently, Shigure had captured Kensei, tying him up like a sausage with her chain and hanging him from a ceiling beam - with her mouse, Tochoumaru, guarding him with a spear made from a straw stem, and a headband with the Rising Sun symbol tied around his forehead - and now the others were struggling somehow to prepare dinner - usually Ma cooked, when Miu didn't take care of it - and the fact that the others were doing it predicted results ranging from poor to disastrous.
Hayato approached Ranma.
"You have to excuse them, it's not always like this... well, no, to be honest, sometimes it's even WORSE..."
Ranma looked at him, then shook his head.
"Nah, it's not a problem. This is business as usual for me. My life has never been completely normal, but since I fell into the cursed springs, it seems that bad luck competes to outdo itself in inventing new ways to complicate my existence."
"It's just that - he added then - for once that I was entering a new environment, I had hoped that everything could go, how to say... ordinarily? Quietly? I don't even know what those words mean anymore."
Hayato sat cross-legged, like Ranma.
It was now evening, and the stars were appearing in the sky.
"Tranquility is a luxury that few can afford, in our environment. One could say that people with great abilities are not DESTINED to have a peaceful life. You certainly have your problems, but as you've noticed, we're not exactly normal here either... but the important thing is that everyone does their best to improve, support each other, and never fail their ideals."
Ranma turned to look at him.
The old man had to be as crazy as a horse, just like the others, but for a moment, the boy seemed to understand why he was the head of that dojo.
"After all - Furinji resumed - perhaps it's not necessary to wish for a peaceful life, don't you think, Ranma? Maybe what one should wish for is TO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME any difficulty life might throw at us."
Ranma found himself smiling.
"Yes, maybe you're right."
For long minutes, both of them gazed at the stars, absorbed in their thoughts.
"Hey, Elder, I have a question," the girl began.
"Tell me; anyway, you can call me Hayato."
"Your granddaughter, the girl named Miu... will she be okay?"
The old man seemed to brighten at that question.
"You can bet she'll be fine, but thank you for asking. Miu is very resilient, you don't have to worry. She's still learning to manage her powers, and this was a small... bump in the road, that's all. Tomorrow she'll be as good as new, you'll see."
Ranma, raising an eyebrow, wondered what kind of maniac could call "a small bump in the road" turning into a murderous beast, but avoided voicing
"Good," he said instead, "I'm relieved."
"By the way," Hayato continued, "we haven't had a chance to talk about why you came here. Were you planning to train at this dojo, Ranma Saotome of the School of Indiscriminate Grappling?"
"What I want to do, honestly, I don't know," the boy replied, though he spoke the words in the form of a girl.
"For a long time, my life followed a path set by others, and all I had to do was what I was told. At some point, I couldn't take it anymore, and I rebelled. But then I realized that... I don't exactly know what to do with freedom. I've never been used to having it.
My whole life has always been centered around martial arts, and for the most part, I was fine with that. But now that I can truly choose what to do with my life, what do I really want? I don't think I know..."
They remained silent for another long moment.
"Well, if I can be of any help," Hayato interjected, "whether you decide to continue on the path of martial arts or not, the only thing you can do is keep moving forward, living, and having diverse experiences. You shouldn't expect the answer to fall into your lap. Instead, it's likely that while you're busy doing other things, when you've stopped thinking about it, the answer will reveal itself to you. You'll realize you've always known it."
"That's possible..." Ranma replied doubtfully.
"Anyway," the Elder continued, "from what I've seen, you seem to have uncommon abilities. Not everyone, at such a young age, can avoid Miu's attacks in Ashura mode WITHOUT summoning Ki to enhance themselves. It would be a real waste if such a talent stopped practicing martial arts."
Ranma regarded the old man sidelong. He appreciated the compliment but didn't understand where he was going with this.
"On one hand, this choice is yours alone, and you can make it with full awareness after having other life experiences. On the other hand, this is a dojo of people who practice martial arts—you'll find that everyone has other kinds of talents besides, but primarily it's like this—so we can only help you in this area. If you train here, you might understand whether martial arts will be part of your future; you might decide to quit, or you might rekindle the passion that has waned at the moment."
Ranma seemed convinced.
"Yeah, why not?"
Hayato grinned broadly.
"Very well! Then it's settled. You'll start tomorrow, once Miu and Kenichi have recovered. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to stop those idiots before they destroy the kitchen—Miu wouldn't forgive us if she didn't find it intact tomorrow—I've realized that tonight we'll have to order takeout for dinner."
Ranma remained seated on the porch, gazing at the stars even after Hayato had left.
He thought about that strange guy, Kenichi, who must be their disciple, and with whom he would have to deal the next day.
He felt a pang of annoyance at the thought that he had transformed him again—by the way, he'd have to take a hot bath before going to bed—but he could understand that curiosity about his condition was considerable. He just couldn't place him. He seemed definitely... OUT OF PLACE; there in the midst of it.
All the other crazy Masters had... in some way, a reason to be in an environment like Ryozampaku, but not him.
He also thought about Miu.
It would be embarrassing, the next day, to make introductions after what had happened; and on top of that, he would have to explain the whole curse story to her again.
He sighed deeply. Things could NEVER be easy, wouldn't they?
In fact, Miu was the person he knew the least about.
She had never been conscious the whole time since he arrived at Ryozampaku.
He found himself wondering what she was really like. Would she be more like the fierce beast that had attacked him, an unfortunate girl fighting against a cruel fate (in this sense, they were similar), or the sweet and gentle angel that showed through her sleeping face?
Oh, well-he thought-I'll find out tomorrow, I suppose. Tomorrow is another day.