Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ The Umisenken... ( Chapter 97 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

"All right," mused Sakura as they arrived at the abandoned rail yard, "We're at the place where the battle is to take place, now if both of the principle players show up to take their places…"

"They'll be here," Genma assured, "Ranma wouldn't miss a challenge match to save his own life, and Ryu has been waiting for this moment nearly all of his life, so I doubt very much if he'll be late for the battle."

"I hope you're right," said Kaoih, "Just as soon as this stupid challenge match is over, I'll breathe a whole lot easier."

"Ranma will show up," assured Ryoga, "He may be a lot of things, but he's not a coward."

"But neither is Ryu, if I judge that boy right," Genma averred softly, "He'll be fighting with integrity and determination, which will make him that much more dangerous a fighter. Ranma should have very little trouble beating him…but still…"

"But still surprises have been known to happen," Sakura finished for him, "Happened often enough in the old days to teach me caution. I remember you fighting against some pretty long odds in your time, Gen-chan…and-if anything-your son strikes me as a real chip off the old pagoda."

"Tell me about it," Genma grumbled softly, "Well…I've done all I can to train the boy, the rest is up to Ranma. I just hope he's rested up for this one, he's going to need all his wits about him."

"I don't think wits are all that important to Ranma," Ryoga sniffed, "He gets on just fine without them."

"Look who's talking."

"Eh?" Kaoih and the others looked around but found no trace of the one who had spoken. The young girl shook her head softly and groused, "I wish he'd stop doing that…it's starting to freak me out…"

"At least we know young Squire Saotome is around…in a manner of speaking," Sakura said with more humor in her voice, "Now if Sir Kumon is as diligent in making his appearance…"

"Did someone mention me?" a strong voice called out from across the field as Ryu came striding into full view, "I've been waiting here for the past two hours. About time you showed up…now…where is Saotome?"

"Over here," came a response several paces over to his right, and as all heads turned in that direction, Ranma himself put in an appearance.

"So," the combat clad Ryu said aloud, "You've decided to show your face after all."

"I could say the same thing about you," Ranma replied, "Ready to get started?"

"I was born ready," Ryu's nostrils flared, "Ready to get your face stomped?"

"You first," Ranma countered.

Kaoih just rolled her eyes and groused, "The testosterone is really flowing this morning…"

Genma moved forward until he stood a short distance away from the two boys in the middle of the abandoned rail yard, then he looked from one to the other youth before saying gravely, "You both know what is at stake here. You are to fight using only the Yamasenken and Umisenken styles, the winner of the match will claim both scrolls to do with as he sees fit. Do you both agree to these terms?"

"You know I do, Pop," Ranma affirmed.

"Let's get on with it," Ryu groused, "Those scrolls are as good as mine already."

"Oh, so certain of that, are you?" Genma cocked an eyebrow, "Well…we'll see about that."

He backed away a certain distance, then raised his hand and brought it down again, crying, "BEGIN!"

Immediately both young fighters fell into defensive crouches, but Ranma's was the tell-tale mark of the Umisenken, curling his hands like a preying mantis and slouching his shoulders slightly. Ryu hesitated a moment before saying, "What's that stance supposed to signify? You look like stooping parrot."

"You'll find out in another minute," Ranma said as the space around him seemed to grow hazy and fuzzy once again, and the boy slowly started to fade out from normal vision.

"Hey," Kaoih cried, "He's going invisible…right before our very eyes!"

"How is he doing that?" Ryoga marveled.

"I wonder," Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly and seemed to take on a peculiarly unfocused expression.

"You won't escape me with that trick!" Ryu cried as he surged forward with the loud declaration, "FIERCE TIGER OPENING GATES-!"

All at once he fell face forward on the ground, his legs spread wide as he grunted with a stunned expression. Ranma became visible again and straightened out before saying in a surprisingly calm voice, "That was the Umisenken, the White Snake Reliable Fist. Did you see it?"

"Wow," Kaoih exclaimed, "What just happened?"

"I think Ranma ducked under his attack and knocked his legs out from under him," Ryoga replied, "But I could barely even see it. He was moving so fast that I doubt Ryu could see it either."

"More than that," Sakura remarked, "Young Saotome managed to get behind young Kumon and struck him in the back with a series of carefully aimed blows that should have disabled him…and yet the boy is still moving."

"Heh," Ryu grunted as he began to push against the ground, "All I saw…is that your Umisenken isn't that strong…after all…"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma asked, "Then maybe you need another lesson…"

"You first!" Ryu cried as he got to his feet and whipped out the golden rope he had been wearing like a belt around his waist, drying, "GOLD CORD TIGHT BINDING SEIZE!"

"Eh?" Ranma was taken by surprise, finding the ropes suddenly wound around his arms, pinning them to his sides within seconds.

"Don't get cocky out there, Boy!" Genma shouted, "You left yourself wide open for that maneuver! Now he has you where he wants you!"

"HAH, exactly!" Ryu crowed, "That Umisenken is as good as mine!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma dug in his heels and glowered, "Well, maybe you're not so smart as you think, tough guy."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ryu tensed up as he sought to exert more pressure on his opponent.

"It means if you can employ weapons for a cheap-shot like this, then so can I!" Ranma cried as he kicked the ground and suddenly dislodged an object that had been buried there, whipping it up into view, much to the astonishment of those who stood in witness.

"What in the…?" Ryoga gasped.

"It's a wooden sword," Kaoih remarked, "A bokken?"

Ranma cried out as he leaped into the air and caught the sword between his feet, then spun himself in a flip that brought the sword into play as it slashed at the rope and somehow managed to sever it in the middle.

"He cut a rope with a wooden sword?" Sakura marveled.

"Clever, Son!" Genma crowed in approval as Ranma completed his arc by freeing himself of the rope then landing with the sword in both of his hands in a posture worthy of a Kendo master.

"Saotome School Anything Goes Special Maneuver," Ranma declared as he held the sword at a horizontal angle, "Fierce Slash Badger Defense."

"Where the hell did you get that?" Ryu asked as he stared in disbelief at the severed end of his rope.

"My Mom gave it to me," Ranma replied, "She thought I might have a use for it, and as usual she was right. It's not, strictly speaking, a part of the Umisenken, but I figured I could ad-lib a bit to counter your advantage with that attack. Care to try something else? I'll match you weapon for weapon and maneuver for maneuver."

"Try anything you like," Ryu declared as he tossed aside his rope, "But let's see you counter this…DEMON DEEP SEA CHASM!!!"

His hands slashed through the air as Ryu moved forward to stamp the ground in an angry manner, but when his deadly "vacuum blades" struck home, Ranma was no where to be found. Instead those blades moved on to slash at an abandoned railway transport car…with the effect that it was sliced into some rather sizeable pieces! The car collapsed under its own weight, leaving the onlookers (with the sole exception of Genma) to gasp in disbelief at the deadly effect of this maneuver.

Somewhat farther off, watching everything through a pair of binoculars from the safe vantage of a nearby tree, Mousse gaped in astonishment and said, "What a powerful attack…how did Saotome avoid it?"

"Maybe he wasn't the real target all along," a voice surprised him from a nearby tree branch.

"What…?" Mousse started to react when a tiny hand touched his sleep center and rendered him momentarily unconscious.

"Sorry about that, Boy," Happosai remarked as he caught the Chinese boy before he could tumble from the tree branch, "But this really isn't for your eyes to see. Besides, I want to use those binoculars for myself. Now, you just be a good little lad and take a short little nap, and it'll all be over before you know it. Now to see how well that young punk is doing…"

Even as the old man was saying this, the fight between the two contenders was ratcheting up to a new level.

"Wasn't that a little excessive?" Ranma asked as he appeared in a clear space somewhat off to one side, "Using a powerful attack like that and missing me by a wide margin?"

"Heh," Ryu snorted as he turned around, "What good would it do to me if you were hacked to pieces? It's the scroll I'm after, and your Umisenken."

"But that's the problem, Guy," Ranma said as he hunched his shoulders once again, "You don't really understand the Yamasenken, let alone the Umisenken, and you're not using them the way they were intended. Let me show you how it's done…"

And with that he began to fade from view once again, becoming blurry around the edges until he seemed to transform into nothing more than a hazy shadow.

"I get it now," Sakura mused, "What a clever strategy…"

"How's that, Mom?" Kaoih asked.

"The Yamasenken and Umisenken liken the body to a house, right?" Sakura asked as she half-glanced towards Genma, "They both work on the principle of penetrating the defenses of an opponent, just as getting past the front door of a house makes it harder to repel an intrusive hoard of relatives coming to pay us a visit. Once you're inside the house, the rest becomes easy…"

"Exactly," Genma affirmed, "Only the main difference between the two styles is that the Yamasenken is brash and aggressive, while the Umisenken is soft, quiet and stealthy."

"But how can Ranma keep disappearing like that?" Ryoga asked, "Does he really become invisible…?"

"No," Sakura answered for him, "Not invisible, not like you mean anyway. Observe…he's about to use that White Snake maneuver once again."

As she pointed her hands they saw Ryu eating dirt once more while Ranma stood back and took stock of his opponent.

"Had enough yet?" Ranma was asking.

Ryu balled a fist and pushed against the ground, "No way…I won't lose to you…not this time, Jerk. This time you've had it…!"

"Watch carefully now," Sakura urged, "He's about to go semi-invisible again. See how he's mentally erasing all traces of himself around the edges?"

"Erasing all traces?" Ryoga blinked.

"You're right," Kaoih said in amazement, "I can still see him…kind of…but…it's like my eyes just keep sliding off of him, like he isn't really there…"

"Like a 'Somebody Else's problem field,'" Sakura nodded, "He's making himself less noticeable and making it harder for his opponent to focus attention upon him. That means Ranma is free to move and attack before Ryu can even register it coming."

"That's how the Umisenken works," Genma nodded, "The quiet path is like water that flows around most solid objects, while the earth-based Yamasenken is loud and brash and easy to see coming."

"I get it now!" Ryoga exclaimed, "And by moving fast enough, Ranma really does become invisible, just so long as no one is focusing on where he's standing."

"But what if he loses his focus or his attention wavers a little?" Kaoih asked.

"Then…we could have a problem," Genma grimly noted.

Ryu had fully recovered from his latest tumble, and he stood alert in the center of the field, not focusing his eyes on anything as he tried instead to feel out his opponent. With a confidence that seemed unshaken from before he said, "So that's the secret of the Umisenken, huh? You hide like a coward and strike at me when you know I can't see you? Small wonder you're afraid to face me like a man with this invisibility act."

There was no immediate response, but Ryu felt a shifting in the space slightly behind him and to one side, so he decided to ratchet up his verbal assault by adding a twist of the knife based on something that he had learned last night in conversation with Kaoih and Ryoga.

"Yeah, that's it, isn't it?" Ryu asked, "You're not enough of a man to be worth my bother. I hear you've got a girl waiting for you that's more of a man that you are. You chickened out on your engagement because you thought you couldn't impress her…?"

"WHY YOU-!" Ranma cried as he fully manifested in an attack towards his opponent.

"NO BOY!" Genma cried out, "DON'T FALL FOR HIS-!"

Too late, Ryu whirled around and cried, "I CAN SEE YOU!" and he plunged his right hand forward in an upward thrust that caught the airborne Ranma in the ribs and doubled him over while Ryu cried, "WELCOME GATE IRON FINGERS!"

"Ranma!" Ryoga cried out, sympathetically wincing as he knew what that particular attack felt like.

Ryu wasted no time in taking advantage of the stunning blow that he had just dealt and caught Ranma up in his arms, crushing him into his embrace as he cried out, "IN THE POCKET ROUND HUG DEATH!!!"

"UNGH!" Ranma exclaimed as he found himself trapped up by the bear-hug of his opponent.

"He's crushing him!" Kaoih cried as she covered her mouth.

"It's all over now," Sakura sighed, "No way I can see to get out of that…"

"Not quite," Genma replied, "There's one technique that can counter this maneuver."

"Eh?" Ryoga asked, "What is it?"

"You'll see," Genma replied, "The boy's not beaten yet."

Contrary to what the others had thought they had seen, Ranma had retained enough presence of mind to move one arm in tight to his body, so when Ryu's arms went around his waist this arm was free enough to work out of the Hug of Death, and with this free arm he took advantage of his close proximity to his opponent to wrap a cloth around Ryu's head that Ranma had pulled out from beneath his own shirt, thus blocking off his vision and cutting off his windpipe.

Ryu reacted to this instinctively by letting go of his opponent and reaching to remove the cloth from his face, which gave Ranma the chance he needed to flip himself over and around his foe while crying out, "BODY CARP WAVE!" which brought him around behind his struggling antagonist, as he cried the follow up move, "CARRY MOUNTAIN FALL TO EARTH POSTURE!!!"

"He's choking him!" Kaoih cried in dismay at these suddenly shifting fortunes.

"Attack and defense all in one," Ryoga marveled.

"His moves are flowing one into the other like a well-rehearsed performance," Sakura said with obvious approval, "But he doesn't actually mean to choke that boy, does he?"

"Ranma won't go that far if he can help it," Genma said, "But Ryu's still in the fight, you see?"

As they watched in amazement they saw Ryu tear through the silk cloth and free himself from Ranma. The two boys parted company and turned about to face one another, neither one prepared to give an inch of ground at this stage of the fight.

"You think that was funny?" Ryu snarled, "You think you can just choke me and get away with it, Jerk?"

"Well duh," Ranma replied, "I'm just trying to make you understand that this whole fight is useless. You're never going to master the Umisenken with that kind of aggressive attitude, Chump."

"We'll see about that!" Ryu balled his fists together and began to concentrate, his battle aura flaring like a summer bonfire doused in kerosene.

"Oh no," Genma murmured faintly, then all at once he began pushing against his nearest companions crying, "GET BACK-WAY BACK! You don't want to be anywhere near him when he uses this maneuver!"

"What's wrong, Gen-chan?" Sakura asked as she and Kaoih complied with the burly man's wishes.

"You'll see in another moment," Genma urged, "Ryoga...stand ready."

"What's wrong?" Ryoga asked, "Are you expecting something bad to happen?"

In response to this question, Ryu himself cried out, "DEMON GOD ASSEMBLY BOMB!!!"

"Oh," Ryoga murmured faintly, recalling the maneuver from the scroll, and suddenly feeling quite fearful for Ranma.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, BOY???" Genma called out to Ranma, "RUN, YOU CAN'T FIGHT THAT!!!"

Ranma did take evasive action as huge knife-blades formed entirely of wind lashed out at where he had been standing, but as fast as he was he could not completely avoid the attack. Where the blades touched bare skin they sliced through flesh like butter, drawing blood, much to the astonishment of Ranma. He fell to his side as the worst of the "vacuum blades" whizzed past him to strike a stationary locomotive and slice the thing to huge metallic ribbons. Water gushed from a ruptured steam tank as the rest of the thing collapsed in on itself, much to the dismay of the horrified onlookers.

"If that had been Ranma…" Ryoga faintly murmured.

"How can he slice through metal using knives made out of vacuum?" Kaoih marveled.

"It's a mystery all right," her mother sagely nodded.

"Heh," Ryu smirked, "You're outclassed, admit it! Turn over the Umisenken now and you won't get hurt any worse than you are."

"Fool," Ranma got back to his feet, "You're still doing it wrong. That's not the true Yamasenken."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to take your word for that?" Ryu asked.

"All you do is break stuff," Ranma said, "You don't build anything, let alone your dojo."

"And I suppose you're so smart that you've figured it all out?" Ryu scoffed.

"Oh yeah," Ranma replied, "The Yamasenken and Umisenken were created so that their possessor can live. It was failing to understand that which caused your father to accidentally destroy his own dojo."

"You dare to bring that up?" Ryu snarled.

"I dare a lot more than that, Guy," Ranma said as he stood relaxed, poised and at ease, "I'll teach you how the two arts are to be combined and used as one. Any time you're ready, go ahead and use your Demon God Assault Bomb and you'll see."

"All right," Ryu declared, "You asked for it, and I won't hold back! DEMON GOD ASSAULT BOMB!!!"

Once again he launched an onslaught of invisible knives at his opponent, but rather than dodge Ranma reached into his shirt once again and pulled out a bath towel, whipping it into the path of Ryu's attack as though such flimsy material would be able to withstand a force that had taken apart a stationary locomotive.

To their amazement the air surrounding Ranma swirled and became like a hurricane of motion, and when the dust finally settled there was no sign of Ranma at all…nor the locomotive, whose pieces had just as mysteriously vanished.

"What the heck?" Kaoih looked around, "Where did he…where did it all go?"

"It's like he just pulled the ultimate circus trick and vanished from the spot," Sakura noted, "Only how did he do the same thing with the locomotive? The thing must weigh a hundred tons, at least."

"Size and weight won't matter," Genma replied, "Not if he uses the technique just right."

"You've got to be kidding," Ryoga declared, "Even I couldn't move that much around in only a second."

"Where are you hiding now, Saotome?" Ryu demanded as he looked around, "I'm starting to get awfully tired of these sophomoric tricks…are you over-THERE!"

He made a rapid pass with one arm and sent a vacuum knife hurtling towards a certain direction, and only belatedly did he realize that he had aimed towards the four people gathered together on the sidelines…or, more specifically, towards Kaoih herself!

"NO!" Ryu cried, much too late to avert his obvious error.

Two things happened at once…Genma threw himself in the path of the vacuum knife and spread his arms wide as if willing to receive it, but before it could reach him a second vacuum knife lanced out and intercepted the first air blade at a perpendicular angle.

"YOU IDIOT!" Ranma snarled, "Can't you tell the difference between a target and a shadow?"

"I-I didn't mean to…" Ryu sounded horrified at his own near-tragic mistake.

"Now do you see what I mean about you not knowing how to use the Senken?" Ranma snarled, "You're a menace to others, even more to yourself! I'm going to show you how it's supposed to be used, and I'm ending this fight here and now!"

Ryu balled his fists and said, "That was an accident…you're trying to confuse me! You won't get me to lay down and give up my quest to recreate my family dojo! I'm the one who'll be ending this fight with the next blow, Saotome!"

"Yeah, sure," Ranma said, "Take your best shot, I'm ready."

This time Ryu made sure his aim was true as he hurled his "vacuum knives" attack, anticipating every possible angle at which he could expect Ranma to move to avoid him, but to his complete surprise the pig-tailed Saotome did not move at all, right up until the blade passed entirely through him without stopping.

"What?" Ryu stared in disbelief as Ranma vanished from the spot altogether.

"Ever hear of an after-image?" Ranma asked from directly behind him, then all at once Ryu felt a chill all over as a breeze passed him over. He turned around to try and find out where his foe had vanished this time, only to come to the stunned realization that he was missing a good proportion of his wardrobe.

"Whoah!" Kaoih's eyes got very round and she unselfconsciously blew a wolf-whistle.

"How the heck did he do that?" Sakura also gazed admiringly on Ryu's now-exposed anatomy.

"He tore the clothes off the guy," Ryoga said in awe, "He literally tore the shirt off his back and the pants off his…"

"We can see that, Boy," Genma softly reprimanded, "Ranma's preparing to use the ultimate counter to the Demon God attack. I just hope he's ready to carry through on such a difficult technique."

"The ultimate counter?" Sakura repeated, turning to stare at the frustrated Ryu, who was looking around for his opponent in all directions.

"WHERE ARE YOU???" the denuded Ryu cried out, "You won't get away with this, Saotome!"

"I'm up here, Moron," Ranma called down from the roof of yet another box car, and when all eyes turned his way they saw that he held an enormous bundle at his side, a patchwork of cloth that bulged like a huge nap-sack, but large enough to carry many tons of gathered metal and nearly as tall as Ranma himself.

"What?" Ryu exclaimed in disbelief, "How…?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Ranma asked, "I've been showing you the Umisenken all along but still you've learned nothing."

"What are you talking about?" Ryu demanded, "All I've seen you do is run around and avoid me!"

"Don't you get it?" Ranma smirked, "That IS the Umisenken! Now I'm going to seal it up for you since you obviously aren't worthy to have it."

With that Ranma hefted the huge burden onto his back and leaped from the roof, going airborne over Ryu.

"Big mistake!" Ryu cried as he proceeded to execute another new maneuver, "ULTIMATE DEMON GOD BIG MAD DANCE!!!"

"SAOTOME SCHOOL ULTIMATE UMISENKEN SPECIAL TECHNIQUE-" Ranma cried out, "DEMON DEEP SEA WRAP!!!"

And with that he opened up his burden and allowed it to spill forward, tumbling out many tons of metal and wood like a rain shower pouring down upon Ryu, who-far too late-realized his own error. Within seconds he was buried by the avalanche that was sucked down by the vacuum created by his own Demon God Mad Dance. Both young men vanished from sight as the air was filled with the wrenching tumult of steel and metal raining down all around them.

For a long tense moment utter silence reigned as the last of the debris subsided. The witnesses held their breath in mingled awe and dread, but then Kaoih fearfully asked, "Is it over? Are they dead?"

"I think it is over," Ryoga just as uneasily replied, "But…where is Ranma?"

"Oh my," Sakura said, "I certainly hope they're both all right."

"They will be," Genma replied, "If the boy did his job right."

All at once the top part of the mound of metal burst upwards like an erupting volcano, and then up out of the gap emerged Ranma, dragging an unconscious Ryu by the jock-straps of his T-shirt, one of the few articles of clothing that he was still actually wearing.

"Ranma!" Ryoga called out in relief.

"Thank the kami!" Sakura exhaled.

"Well, what do you know?" Genma smiled as he adjusted his glasses, "The boy really is a wonder."

Kaoih did not even bother making a statement, she went running across the open field and arrived just as Ranma was laying Ryu down on the ground, kneeling down to determine that the other boy's wounds were largely superficial.

"He'll be okay," Ranma assured her, "He just got a little smothered back there."

"Congratulations!" Sakura said as she and the others approached, "That was a very impressive victory you just won, and it definitely proves that you're the son of Saotome Genma."

"I knew you could do it, Son," Genma complimented, "You had me worried a time or two there, but I'm glad to see your training amounted to something."

"Thanks, Pop," Ranma replied, "But it really ain't something I feel all that proud about."

"Huh?" Ryoga said, "Why not?"

"That's what I'd like to know…" Ryu groaned as he started to regain consciousness, "You won…why not crow about it…?"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma said, turning to his father, "Give him the Umisenken scroll, Pop…let him see for himself."

Genma raised an eyebrow to that, but reluctantly pulled the scroll from within his gi and passed it along to the recovering Ryu.

"You're…giving it to me?" Ryu asked disbelivingly as Kaoih silently watched him from a very close angle, then the half-naked boy unrolled the scroll and opened it with trembling hands, only to stare in disbelief as he read the opening title, "Umisenken…the Art of the SILENT SNEAKY THIEF???"

"You got it," Ranma replied, "The Senken was created in both its forms for one reason…to break into a house and steal someone's belongings. It was created by my pop under the influence of a perverted old man who sees nothing wrong with stealing women's undergarments and even considers it to be a form of martial arts training."

"It's true," Genma replied, "The kami help me…I created this system because I wanted a means of defeating my master, and breaking into houses gave me the inspiration I needed to create this highly effective yet dangerous system."

"You mean the Senken is just a way of being a more effective thief?" Kaoih exclaimed in disgust.

"No wonder it's a forbidden technique," Ryoga exclaimed, "It truly is a dishonorable system."

"I…I don't believe it," Ryu let the scroll slip from his hands, "What have I been doing with my life all this time? All these years…my promise to my father…"

"Son," Genma replied, "I'm very sorry about your father, and the part I played in causing that accident, but if your father really had understood the means by which the Yamasenken could have been used to rebuild his dojo…you might not have been very proud of the results."

"No kidding," Kaoih reacted with distaste, "Robbing people to pay for a dojo? That's more likely to get you arrested than to make you very rich."

"And the blame for this clearly rests on the shoulders of the one who was the guiding influence with you when you created this system," Sakura observed, "The one who usually is at fault for a great many things that have gone wrong in your life, Gen-chan, your Master, Happosai…"

"HEY!" Happosai cried as he almost miraculously surfaced from out of seeming nowhere, "Don't load the blame all on me! I wasn't the one who created the Senken…"

"No," Ranma replied, "But you are the one who had a lot to do with the shape it took under Pop."

"And problems of this sort usually start with you in one way or another, Master Happy," Sakura noted dryly.

"The ingratitude of it all," Happosai huffed, "And here I thought you might be interested in knowing how the Senken might be redeemed into a respectable system that doesn't involve stealing."

"Master," Genma spoke up, "What are you saying?"

"You know very well what I mean," Happosai glared at his erstwhile disciple, "You brought Ranma and Ryoga out here in order to train them in the Senken so that he could encourage them to work on improving it so that it would no longer be a dishonorable system. You're seeking redemption for a mistake of your past by encouraging these boys to do what you lacked the guts to do for yourself, so don't play innocent with me, you old panda you…"

"Wait," Ryu looked up from where he was still kneeling in his misery, a note of forlorn hope beginning to creep across his features, "What do you mean…redeem the Senken? How?"

"That's the trick, Boy," Happosai winked, "Genma wanted to expand his own creation, to broaden it into other areas that could apply the same basic principles that led to the creation of the Yamasenken and Umisenken. The idea is to equate the human body with a house, right? Well…there's lots of other applications for a house than simply to break in and rob it. Those are the Earth and Water schools, but just before your father's death, Genma had started to create a new system that worked on the elemental principles of Wood, Metal and Fire…"

"Are you serious?" Ranma turned to look at his father, "Is he on the level here, Pop?"

"I'm afraid so," Genma nodded, "I tried and failed to defeat the master with the Umisenken and Yamasenken, but the Master was so impressed by my new technique that he encouraged me to further explore and refine it. I was so excited with the prospect that I gladly traded the Yamasenken scroll for some sake your father had in order to celebrate my new achievement, but then came the word that Kumon Omi had died while practicing what was on the scroll…and I kind of forgot all about it…"

"You've been running from yourself like a whipped yellow dog ever since," Happosai said in plain disgust, "The fearsome Destroyer became a hounded and self-pitying fool, afraid to use his art for fear of what you might do to people. In a way I blame myself as your Master, I had thought I'd trained you to overlook petty little things like that, but I guess your conscience wouldn't let you rest as long as you feared the ghost of your friend coming back to haunt you…"

"I'd say that's a positive trait," Sakura remarked, "Gen-chan…why didn't you come to me if you were having these sorts of issues? I'd have gladly given you the counseling you needed, you silly dear, as if anyone would hold you to blame for what happened fifteen years ago. I'll bet you never even confided in Nodoka that you've been having these sorts of nightmares."

"Well…" Genma hesitated, seeming obviously quite reluctant to add more to what his Master had already stated.

"Is this true what he says?" Ryu asked as he slowly rose to his feet, "Can you teach me a new way to use the Senken that doesn't involve any dishonorable behavior?"

"That was what I intended to teach Ranma and Ryoga, Son," Genma replied, "But if you want to be included in the training…"

"Hey," Ryoga spoke up, "Don't we have a say in this?"

"You want to include him as a training partner, Pop?" Ranma asked.

"What's wrong with you two?" Kaoih demanded, "Don't you think he's proven that he's as capable a fighter as either one of you? Don't you think he's just as worthy of learning a new use for this Senken thing, or do you want to exclude him because you don't think he's good enough, eh?"

"Weeellll…" Ranma and Ryoga said together, then exchanged dubious looks between them.

"It's decided then," Genma nodded, "I owe it to your father, and to you, to see to it that his legacy did not go for nothing. Your father's fondest wish was to recreate the Kumon dojo, and you have sought to honor his memory, Boy, which means you deserve to be included in this project. We'll begin training on the morrow, so the three of you had better rest up and recover from today's exertions. You'll need your strength when we begin working on perfecting the true Senken."

"The true Senken," Ryu's voice almost trembled on the words, "My father would want this…yes…I'll do it! I'll learn a new way of performing the Senken!"

"And see the advantages to this, Boys," Genma added to his two dumbstruck heirs as they tried to make sense of this new development, "Ryu's bound to prove to be a strong training partner, exactly what the two of you need to improve your own martial arts. This works out even better than I'd dared to hope, and soon, Ranma, you'll be more than ready to go up against Nabiki."

Ranma blinked at this and said, "You mean that?"

"No, he's just pulling your leg," Happosai snorted, "Of course he means it, you young fool! What, did you think he meant, you should go with me on panty raids? You're not up to that yet…"

"Say," Kaoih turned towards the little old man, "That's right…you're a panty thief, right? And it just so happens I'm missing a few items from my dresser. Guess that lets you off the hook, Ranma…I'd been half suspecting it was you that went and took them."

"What?" Ranma blinked, "Me? Why would I take any of your things?"

"You mean you wouldn't like to have my underwear?" Kaoih smiled coyly, "I'm hurt. I would have thought an attractive boy with healthy instincts would at least be curious…what do you think about that, Ryoga?"

"What?" Ryoga blinked, "N-No way! I mean…I'm not into things like that…and besides, Akane would kill me…"

"You two…" Kaoih made a disparaging noise, then turned with a sly look to her real target of interest, "And what about you, Ryu-chan? Are you interested at all in seeing my undergarments?"

"Hah?" the tall young man responded with rounded eyes, doing a very good impression of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Since you mention it, dear," Sakura mused, "I'm also missing some of my personal belongings, and since young Saotome insists that he's not into that sort of thing, that leaves only one viable culprit…you, Gen-chan…did you take my undergarments?"

"ME?" Genma all but squeaked, when all at once he heard a thunder in the sky up above, which caused him to turn his eyes heavenward as he softly murmured, "Uh-oh…"

Rain started to fall before he had even finished making that remark, which prompted Kaoih to say, "That's odd…the weatherman didn't say anything about a storm today…"

"Gee," Ranma grumbled as he exchanged looks with Ryoga, "How surprising."

"Guess your old man did something to tick off the Kami," Ryoga agreed as they turned with unsurprised looks towards the space formerly occupied by a human-shaped Genma.

Sakura reacted with the most surprise, finding a panda was unexpectedly standing right beside her, and as she turned a look up towards his sheepish expression, she saw a pair of eyes staring back that were unmistakably the same as the man who normally wore glasses.

"Gen-chan?" she asked in a voice that arched a note higher than usual.

"What…what happened to him?" Kaoih exclaimed.

"I-I don't know," Ryu exclaimed, "One minute he was standing there…the next…?"

"Oh, come on now," Happosai said gruffly, "Surely a little thing like a fur coat won't prevent you from recognizing your new sensei."

"He's under a curse," Ryoga explained.

"He went to a place called Jusenkyo," Ranma added.

"Jusenkyo?" Kaoih asked, "The same place where Aunt Atsuko…?"

"Obviously so," Sakura smiled as she recovered her bearings, "So…you do have a Jusenkyo curse, eh Gen-chan? Well…why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Do you know how many people would pay top yen to see a man turn into a panda? I could have offered you a job earning good money coming to work for me…"

"Say what?" Ranma asked.

"Genma join the circus?" Ryoga slowly murmured.

"You've got to be kidding, Lady," Ryu seconded.

"Sounds like a sweet deal to me," Happosai meal, "Genma, my lad, you've finally found your niche in life…"

Genma held up his trademark sign, which read, "Why me?"

"Wonderful!" Sakura clapped her hands in delight, "If you add that sign to your performance it would draw an even higher attendance!"

"And is this why uncle Genma turned to a life of crime stealing the undergarments of women?" Kaoih asked with exaggerated flourish.

"That's what we want to know!"

All heads turned to see virtually the entire Circus troop appear from along the edge of the rail yard, over fifty people in all, both men and women, and all of them looking less than amused about something.

"Hey," Ranma said, "Where did you guys come from?"

"Our mothers," said a man on stilts, "What about you?"

"We heard that there was a panty thief and we came here to find them," said the Bearded lady, "We remembered what your friend said about his boy practicing the Umisenken, and that means he's the primary culprit."

"What?" Ranma reacted, "No way! I didn't do-!"

"Then who did?" said the Circus Strongman as he bent a steel bar to relieve some of his aggravation, "Us circus folk don't take too kindly to guys who bother our women…"

"Like he said," one of the female clowns exclaimed, "How am I supposed to do my act if I don't have my support harness?"

"And what do you think we're going to use in our trapeze performance?" demanded another one of the female performers.

"Now see what you did?" Ryoga asked with a sidelong glance.

"But…hey!" Kaoih protested, "I was just kidding around…"

"Tell them," Ryu said, "No offense to your people, but they're looking ugly…ah…some moreso than usual…"

"There's no need for everyone to be this upset!" Sakura waved her hands in a placating manner, "I'm handling matters on this end…"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Boss," said a circus Midget, "But you ain't exactly an uninterested observer."

"He's taking advantage of our Boss, the Ringmaster!" one clown cried out as he stuck an oversized red thumb towards the panda who was Genma.

"I say we get them and make them show us where they hid our things!" another lady animal trainer called out, and the rest of the troop seemed to agree in a general consensus.

"Boys," Happosai mused aloud, "I think it's time you take a page from me and heed the voice of experience."

"You mean run?" Ryoga asked.

"Saotome Special Maneuver," read the sign held up by the aforementioned panda.

"For once I ain't arguing, Pop," Ranma declared as he and the others started to take off as the circus mob surged forwards.

"Hey," Ryu cried as he found himself pacing the other boys and a surprisingly fast-moving panda, "What am I running for? I never stole anything!"

"You want to be a part of the Saotome school, you need the practice." Happosai reassured him.

Sakura and Kaoih along were left standing in the lot as the mob just passed them by, then in a puzzled tone of voice the younger girl said, "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What are we doing standing around for?"

"Good question," Sakura smiled at her daughter, who smiled back at her, then without further preamble the two women took off after the trail of the men who presently held so much of their personal interest…

Continued

Comments/criticisms/Circulative arguments: Shadowmane@msn.com