Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Romiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended. ========================= Neko No Chapter 5 A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by TeW Last Update: 2004-07-02 ========================= Akane looked up at Ranma walking on the fence beside her. She smiled to herself, remembering all the things that had happened to her older self while walking along to school like this. Everything from flying bicycle attacks to random cold water encounters. Most of that happened later though, and hopefully wouldn't happen at all this time around. There was one source of problems was going to bite them in just a few minutes though: Kuno and the horde. They would be ready for them this morning, it wouldn't be as easy as bouncing around through the air to avoid them. "Ranma, you should probably let me deal with the stupid boys this morning. I did it for weeks before you showed up, I can handle them now." Ranma looked down at her. "You think they'll try that again?" Akane snorted. "Yeah, they're not long on brains. It will take them a few days to realize I'm not available, not that I ever was to *them*." Ranma shook his head. "No way Akane, I can't let you fight them." "And why not? Aren't I good enough?" "That's not it. It's just not right! Girls shouldn't have to fight against guys like that!" Akane growled in frustration. This Ranma might be a little better than the original in some ways, but he was still a chauvinistic jerk. "Maybe not, but it's my fight, so keep out of it!" Ranma turned and stood close, nose almost touching Akane's. "It's my fight too! You're my fiancee and they want to take you on dates! Wouldn't you want to fight if it was the other way around?" That brought Akane up short. Her memory served up countless situations where she did want to - and sometimes did - fight Shampoo, Ukyou, Kodachi, and others over Ranma. Not that she would have admitted it at the time. "Fine, you can help, but you *can't* just fight them all off for me. Got it?" "Yeah." Ranma said softly. Akane suddenly realized just how close together they were. His lips were just a few centimeters from her own. All either of them would have to do is lean forward and... "Young love, isn't it beautiful Sayuri?" Akane froze at the voice of her best friend and leaned back. "Sure is Yuka, especially with a hunk like that." Ranma and Akane turned there heads to stare at the Akane's friends. Akane gulped and thought about denying everything. Ranma just said 'Gah'. The two schoolgirls laughed at the looks they were getting from the couple. Sayuri then walked up to them and waved her hand in front of their faces, causing Akane to blush badly and look down. Yuka stepped up next to Sayuri. "You two better hurry, you've still got to deal with all those boys before class. You don't want to be late again." Ranma recovered enough to speak up. "Y-yah. Come on Akane, I can't be late again." He grabbed her hand and ran off, dragging her behind. Akane's feet barely touched the ground. She'd forgotten just how fast Ranma could run when he wanted to. They arrived at the school gates in record time. They ploughed through the horde of boys in record time. They did *not* beat up Kuno in record time though, as he wasn't waiting for them. In all they actually got to class early. Sayuri and Yuka didn't quite make it though, and had to do bucket duty. * * * Kasumi took Nodoka to a small and somewhat shabby tea shop off the main marketplace. The shop's master greeted Kasumi warmly and led her to a table near the rear. Once the man was gone Nodoka looked around the shop. "We could have gone elsewhere Kasumi." Kasumi smiled warmly at the older woman. "Oh, don't let the place's appearance put you off Auntie. The tea here is excellent." Kasumi's voice dropped a bit. "And it is a very good place to talk of things that should not be heard by others." Nodoka nodded. "I see." The two woman sat and chatted about small things while the tea and a plate of tiny tea cookies was brought out. They continued their chatting while sipping a cup of tea and trying the excellent tea cookies. When Nodoka praised the cookies as being superior to those found in other tea shops Kasumi blushed and admitted that they were made to her recipe, which she had developed specifically for the shop, which the Tendo family had a small investment in. "I'm impressed Kasumi-san, you are very skilled. To produced good tea-cookies is one thing, to create a recipe that a small shop can make in quantities and at a reasonable price is something quite a bit more difficult." Nodoka said. Kasumi blushed even more. "It took me some time. I'm afraid we had rather an abundance of tea cookies around the house for several weeks while I worked on it." Nodoka giggled behind the sleeve of her kimono. "I can just imagine! Too bad my son and husband weren't around then, you would have had no trouble disposing of the extras." Kasumi's smiled dropped a notch. Nodoka nodded, certain now that Genma, or possibly Ranma, was causing some problem. "Please, Kasumi-san. I wish to help, and know that my husband is not always a terribly reasonable man." Nodoka said "It...is difficult to talk about, but it does concern both of our families." Kasumi's voice dropped to a near whisper. "My sister Nabiki hinted to your husband that she would be willing to take the engagement with Ranma. After that father and Uncle Saotome got it into their head that it would be best to switch the engagement." "Oh...oh dear." Nodoka said. "They haven't told the children this yet, have they?" Kasumi looked down at the table, staring at her tea cup and continued speaking in a very quiet voice. "Uncle Saotome started to. He told Akane they didn't believe her story about how she knew Ranma. He was about to switch the engagement when Akane claimed insult and challenged him. She will have to fight your husband in two weeks." "She doesn't have a chance, does she?" Nodoka asked. She meant it as a rhetorical question, but Kasumi answered anyway. "I don't believe so. The knowledge from her future self might help, but it cannot be enough to overcome Mr. Saotome's years of experience. It would not be good if the engagement was switched to Nabiki or myself. If I understand the situation, it would destroy Akane completely." Nodoka calmly refilled both of their cups while her mind worked furiously. "If it was a challenge over insult then Akane could end it if Genma apologized?" Nodoka asked. Kasumi sipped tea thoughtfully. "Yes...though that is not the real problem, the engagement is." Nodoka had to head this off, but confronting Genma directly was a bad idea. He could become very stubborn if confronted directly with his own foolishness. "Not believing her story was Genma's excuse for switching the engagement?" "I think so Auntie. I only overheard bits and pieces." Nodoka smiled. "Then maybe Akane doesn't have to win to keep the engagement, she just has to convince Genma that she really is from the future." "Auntie? Will that work?" Kasumi asked. Nodoka's smile turned nasty. "By the time I'm done with Genma it will." * * * "...and Genma-dear, I'm so proud of you for thinking of Akane's welfare like this." Genma nodded importantly. He'd dreaded Nodoka learning of his plan to switch the engagement or about the challenge fight with Akane. It seemed she'd found out about his plans. Fortunately she was taking it very well. Now if only the woman would be quiet so he could go back and play shogi with Soun. "Of course by her story she is the only one who should be considered for the engagement. Her story does seem *so* unlikely, though I do wonder how she knew all those things about your trip..." Nodoka contained. Genma sweatdropped. "...and I couldn't help but wonder why you agreed to fight a sixteen year old girl." Genma started trembling. Nodoka might have accepted the plan to switch the engagement, but the fight was going to be more difficult." "Then I realized. You weren't absolutely certain about Akane's story. You think you might be able to tell if she really is from the future if you can make her fight all out. It's just *so* brilliant darling! Of course if she lived with you and Ranma for years she would have picked up moves and techniques that only one of you could have taught her. A master like yourself will easily be able to spot if those are techniques she could only have learned in the future rather than by sparing with Ranma over a few weeks..." Genma sagged in relief. She wasn't going to kill him over the challenge fight. "...And I was *so* happy when I realized that, because if you were fighting a slip of a girl a third your age just because she said a few bad things about you..." Nodoka's voice changed from 'airhead prattle' to 'hard and sharp as steel'. "...I would have been forced to kill you like the honorless scum that would have shown yourself to be..." Nodoka's voice switched back to prattle mode again. "...so your plan to use the fight to watch for techniques that prove Akane is from the future is just brilliant!" Genma just nodded. He wasn't really capable of much else at that point. Nodoka got up. "I'm going to go help Kasumi in the kitchen. Why don't you go amuse Soun for a bit?" Genma fell over as soon as she left the room. * * * Nodoka smiled at Kasumi when she entered the kitchen. "You heard?" She asked. Kasumi nodded. "That was amazing Auntie." "I don't use the big guns like that very often, but it is a useful technique when you have a husband like Genma. He has a habit of justifying his actions by telling himself he's doing it for someone's own good. Forcing him to live up to those justifications is both useful and...appropriate." Nodoka said. "Well," Kasumi said. "I hope I do as well when I talk to Akane." "Don't worry dear, you can always tell her the truth. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think that's the way to handle her." Nodoka said. "Thank you Auntie, I would much rather do it that way." * * * "We're home!" Akane called. Kasumi hurried to greet them. "Welcome back you two." Kasumi stopped and watched them exchange their street shoes for slippers. Both of their faces were rather red, and they were stealing glances at each other as the switched shoes. Very interesting." "Akane, could I talk to you?" Kasumi asked. Akane stepped up into the hallway. "I guess sis, as long as it doesn't take too long, I have to practice." "Why don't I meet you in the dojo in a few minutes?" Kasumi suggested. "Okay!" Akane grabbed Ranma's hand and started pulling him along. "Come on baka, I want to show you something before I change." Ranma laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm right behind you." Kasumi grinned at their antics. Those two were certainly getting along well, it would really be a shame if Ranma's father got in their way. * * * Akane had given up practicing and was sitting in the middle of the dojo. Her talk with Kasumi had been...enlightening. Was she really fooling herself into thinking she had a chance to beat Genma in their fight? There was no doubt he was a great martial artist, but she had been ready to take him on in the future. Had she, maybe, been fooling herself then too? Sure she had known the chestnut fist and several ki attacks that Genma hadn't known, would that have been enough? Akane shook her head. That didn't matter now, what did matter was if she could beat him *now*, and the answer was only maybe. She would have surprise on her side, that might be the edge she needed to take him out quickly. If that didn't work there wasn't much chance that her unprepared sixteen-year-old body could handle handle him, even with her four extra years of knowledge. Fortunately Kasumi and Auntie had found another way she could 'win' even if she lost, assuming she could take advantage of it. How could she prove to Genma that she was from the future in a way that he couldn't simply explain away? Any ki technique really should do it, especially with her father saying that he hadn't taught her a technique like that. The chestnut fist would be good, though Ranma could have taught that to her. Besides, her younger body needed a lot more conditioning before she could learn any major speed techniques. Akane thought of a possibility. One that should prove to the old fool that she was definitely from the future. Assuming she could learn it without killing herself. * * * Ranma grinned down at Akane as they ran to school. Akane had been a lot more cheerful the last few days, making her a lot more fun to be around. She'd been going off and doing all her training after school somewhere, giving her time in the evening for them to do homework together and spar for a bit. Mornings they managed to get a more vigorous sparing session in, though Akane had been helping her sister with some Tai Chi forms then too. The fights at school had stopped too. The boys that had been trying to beat up Akane had given up, and Kuno had hardly been seen at all since their fight in the hallway. Life was good. Ranma jumped down next to Akane. She gave him a sunny smile and held out her hand. He took the hint and they ran the rest of the way to the school hand-in-hand. Of course it didn't last. Kuno had returned, and was waiting for them just inside the gate. "Hold vile cur and remove your hands from the beauteous Akane Tendo." Kuno said, holding his bokan above his head. Ranma and Akane stopped in front of the boy. "What do you want Kuno?" Ranma asked. "I have thought long and hard on our fight and your words. It took some time, but I soon realized that only by using some kind of dark arts could you have bested me." "Huh?" Ranma said. Akane covered her eyes and shook her head in obvious disgust. Kuno continued his rant. "Your threats to bring your clan into our fight will do you no good. The Kuno can is in no danger from the likes of you and yours." Ranma's usually calm temper started to kick in. "I warned you not to bring our families into this Kuno. I suggest you listen." Kuno laughed. "Your threats are useless. Now I find you have enticed the mercenary Nabiki Tendo away by the lure of your black arts. She is now enamored of your magic and no longer allows me to view the beautiful form of my goddess." Ranma tried to figure that one out. Something about Nabiki and him using magic again. Akane spoke up. "You're a fool Kuno." She said in a low threatening tone. "That is the words of this sourcer speaking, fear not beautiful flower, soon I will free you!" "You are a deluded fool. Now I suggest you stop trying to 'free' me, or you will have the Tendo as well as the Saotome clan against you." Akane said. "Come on Ranma, we're going to be late." Ranma shrugged. He really wanted to beat this guy into the ground, but Akane was right, they needed to get to class. "Fine." They stepped around Kuno, who started ranting again. This time Ranma ignored him. It's not like he understood most of what the guy was spouting anyway. Akane set a fast walking pace and they had just made it into the school when Kuno started charging toward them. He stopped short when the schools door closed in his face and started screaming incoherently. Ranma thought he heard the words 'insult' and 'cur' a few times, but that was about it. "That guy's going to be trouble." Ranma said as they changed out of their street shoes. "Yeah, he is. He was last time around too, but this time he seems a little more intense. Keep your eyes open. * * * Kasumi looked at her grocery list. She was going to have to talk to Nabiki about increasing the budget for food again. Ranma and his father were bigger eaters than they made allowances for earlier. Kasumi sat at the stool in the kitchen and reworked her household budget, taking into account additional food costs and the extra utility cost due to the increase in laundry and bathing. She winced at the final amount. A twenty-five percent increase was simply too much for Nabiki's current money-making activities. Either Nabiki would have to move beyond what Kasumi was comfortable having her do or they would have to develop other sources of income, and soon. In fact Nabiki had taken an interest in martial arts again, working out with Akane every morning. She might not bring in quite as much this week, and that would be a real problem very soon, their reserves were low right now. Kasumi fretted for a bit. She really should talk to her father again, it hadn't done much good in the past, but he'd been doing much better since his old training partner had come to visit. She could also go to Auntie Nodoka, who had said something about Genma getting a job and contributing to the upkeep of the household. Talking to Auntie would be more likely to help, but this was a family matter. She'd speak with her father first then. If that didn't work she'd check with Nabiki. If that failed...then she would work something out, even if it meant talking to Auntie about family problems. Kasumi stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Father? Could I talk with you for a bit? Something important has come up." Soun looked up from the Shogi board he and Uncle Genma were playing at. Oddly Uncle Genma was in his panda form. She could have sworn he had been human when she had delivered tea to them ten minutes ago. "Can it wait ten minutes while I finish this game?" Her father asked. "Yes father. I'll wait in formal tea room by the front door." Her father's eyes widened as he realized how important this must be. "Very well child." As she headed up stairs to change into something more appropriate for this meeting, she heard her father. "Genma, how in the world did that piece get there! " === End Chapter 5 ===