Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Chained World: The Fall of the House of Kuno ❯ Convergent and Divergent Interests ( Chapter 29 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kuno leaned back in his chair and sighed as he rubbed at tired eyes — this mountain of paperwork wasn't what he'd expected when he'd so unexpectedly found himself lord and family head all at once, and even on first encounter he had expected it to ease off quickly once the transition to himself as lord was done. More fool, he. Though I don't know why I didn't expect something of like this to be neverending, he thought with a wry chuckle. After all, I know the truth that lies behind the stories of the great samurai of legend — the hours of practice, the sweat, pain and injuries, the sheer strength of will needed to maintain a calm demeanor when impugned by one's inferiors, and the way that victory on one day fails to make the days to come any easier. Why should the stories of the great lords of legend be any different — the sheer drudgery and minutia that lie behind the justice and leadership that demands respect and lives on in the memories of generations to come?

With another sigh, Kuno straightened in his chair. And now you are dwelling on irrelevancies to avoid thinking of the illegal slave trade permeating your lording. It is time and past time to stop dreaming of past glories and deal with the present. Who knows? he added as he again read over the summary of the report from the independent investigators his steward had hired, Rise to meet your hour, and future generations will remember you as you do the heroic lords of old.

Finishing the summary for a third time, he leaned back again. So, in two weeks time the various otokodate involved in slave smuggling will have gathered as many of their victims here as they are likely to have at one time. Yes, that will be the time to strike — and not just at the smugglers, but at all of those pits of depravity offering to slake the most odious of men's bestial lusts. However, Morimasa's concerns of spies among Nerima's law enforcement are unfortunately well-founded. And so ...

Kuno leaned over and brought up his contact list on his monitor, and selected Takeuchi Kazuki, the head of the Kuno Family security forces (and de facto general of the Family's private army). Within seconds, the screen cleared and Kazuki's image bowed his head respectfully. “My lord, how may I serve you today?” he asked.

“Takeuchi-kun, come to my office as soon as practicable,” Kuno ordered. “We have an operation to discuss.”

Leaning back again after receiving his security chief's acknowledgment, Kuno stared at a nature print hanging on the wall. And no sign as of yet of Ranma's foul influence relaxing its hold on the fair Akane. Well, it is early days — he had his claws sunk into her for over two years, it will take at least a few weeks for the damage to heal. So, back to your `practice', he added with a grimace, turning back to his desk's computer and bringing up the next file.

/oOo\

Ukyo gazed at the strange American sitting on the grass beside her by the koi pond, propped up on his elbows. “So let me make sure I got this straight,” the new Saotome said. “You're a member of a militant anti-slavery organization that Ranma never knew existed.”

“Correct,” Juan de Oro agreed. “We never seriously considered recruiting him. He wasn't much given to smiting the ungodly — the times he helped out the Underground Railroad mainly consisted of providing protection from possible reprisals by the otokodate when the Railroad's path crossed theirs.”

“But you want me to join you — why me?”

De Oro shrugged. “Your own history — the years you spent training to seek revenge on the Saotomes — says that you are given to smiting the ungodly, at least when they offend you personally. And your offer to join the Railroad means you've moved beyond simple personal offense, right? But we aren't actually offering a place in our ranks, yet. You have your own mess to clean up here in Nerima, first — once that's over, then we'll talk. We are asking you to take on a single job.”

Ukyo nodded. “Glad you recognize the facts on the ground, Sugar. So, just what is this job you want me to do?”

De Oro straightened up. “How much do you know of the otokodate underground in Nerima?” he asked.

“Not a thing,” Ukyo replied. “I ran an honest business and didn't gamble, and they aren't stupid enough to try the usual protection rackets here.”

“No, they aren't,” de Oro agreed with a chuckle. “But they do use the lording as a transshipment point for slave smuggling. The new Lord Kuno decided to do something about it when he learned of the possibility. But his steward suspects that much of the local law enforcement is in the pockets of the otokodate, and he's right. So Morimasa brought in an independent firm, the Half-Closed Eye, to handle the investigation — actually, Morimasa had hired them some time ago and will simply update and pass on their report after allowing a little time for his new lord to think that a new investigation was carried out.

“Unfortunately, the Half-Closed Eye wasn't the best choice. They aren't penetrated by any of the otokodate, but they are a secret arm of the Ikaris, and Gendo decided to pass word of Kuno's interest in the slave smuggling to the otokodate in charge. Inaba, the evil bastard damned in the eyes of God that rules it, as decided to make this a test of Kuno's resolve. He's going to go ahead with business as usual, but if Kuno orders a raid the slavers are ordered to inflict maximum casualties on the attackers while holding them off long enough for all the slaves being held to be slaughtered. Then they are to kill themselves rather than allow themselves to be captured. Then Inaba will see if Kuno is willing to continue interfering in his operations.”

Ukyo stared at the American in shock. “That ... he ... and I thought that some of the people coming after Ranma were ruthless. Okay, I'm in, what do you want me to do?”

“It's simple enough — we'll give you advance warning of the raid Lord Kuno will undoubtedly order, and you and whatever allies join you get into the warehouse first to prevent the slaughter of as many of the slaves as you can.”

Ukyo stared into the koi pond for a time, then asked, “How long?”

“Probably a few weeks, that's when the greatest concentration of victims will be onsite.”

Taking a deep breath, Ukyo nodded. “If I can, I'm in. But I recently had to give up the Martial Art I spent my life learning, and will need to get permission from my new adoptive father — if he assents and thinks I can be ready in time, I'm your girl.”

“Good.” De Oro stood up and brushed himself off. “I have to get moving, this has actually been a sidetrip for me and I'm already going to be late. When we know when the assault is going down you'll be contacted, but it won't be me. Do you know `The Battle Hymn of the Republic'?” Ukyo shook her head. “Check with Nabiki-san, she knows it. Memorize it, whoever contacts you will use a phrase from it to identify himself.” Then when she started to rise he waved her back down. “I'll show myself out, why don't you go have a talk with your new father?” And with that he walked around the corner of the house toward the front gate and was gone.

A moment later, the gracefully feminine form of Konatsu landed beside Ukyo, staring after the American. “What an unusual man. Are you certain about this, Mistress? We are getting into very deep waters.”

“Back from your delivery already? Yes, Konatsu, I'm certain,” Ukyo asserted. “But that's just me, you don't have to —”

But Konatsu was shaking his head, rippling the long hair spilling down his back from its high ponytail. “No, Mistress, where you go I go, now and forever.”

Ukyo gazed at her self-appointed crossdressing servant for a long moment, then sighed. “Alright, Sugar, let's go talk to Genma.”

/oOo\

Kodachi hissed as she sank into the hot water of her personal furo, then grimaced at the very faint snort she heard from her normal ninja guard standing against the wall of the younger Kuno's expansive personal bathroom. “So you find the beating that Ranma inflicted on me today amusing, do you?” she mock-growled as her body-slave started to soap up her hair in the small basin built into the furo's rim for just that purpose.

The ninja bowed slightly. “Of course not, Mistress,” she said in the young female voice that was the only thing other than the way she moved that indicated her sex.

“Ah, so you can lie, even if only for diplomacy's sake,” Kodachi mused. “Well, I'm sure Ranma found it so, so at least something good came out of it.”

“You did seem somewhat ... distracted,” the ninja hesitantly said. “You did better on previous days.”

“ `Distracted',” Kodachi repeated, then chuckled. “Yes, you could say that. What is your name?”

“Matsumoto Hanh, Mistress.”

“ `Hanh' — how appropriate,” Kodachi said, chuckling again. “So tell me, Hanh-san, what does `honor' mean to you?”

/oOo\

Pyo Jun Si, the Kuno Master of Servants, and Master of the ninjas sworn to Kuno service, sighed as he glanced at the digital clock in the wall, then back to the servants and ninja gathered before his desk. So Kuno-sama is having another late night. He isn't practicing his kenjutsu enough, either. Perhaps if I discreetly suggest he train his bedmate? It will give him a reason to spend more time at home and might even build a true bond between the two, evade the Day.

Just then another ninja hurried into the office and bowed to the Ninja Master. “My apologies for my tardiness, Pyo-sensei,” she said. “Kodachi-sama is dining, but my relief was unavoidably delayed.”

“Yes, it was reported to me, Hanh-chan,” Pyo reassured. “There is no discredit to you. But now that you are here, let's get started. How do things stand with your Kodachi-sama?”

“Interestingly, Sensei,” Hanh responded. “There is no hint that she is thinking of attempting to break her house arrest, or even resenting it. Instead, when she isn't studying, practicing her Art or entertaining herself, she seems to be taking Tatewaki-dono's appeal to find a purpose to devote her life to seriously. I considered the possibility that it might be an act, to set us at ease before making an escape attempt, but now I am not so sure—today she ceased to treat me as a piece of furniture that moves and asked for my views on the nature of honor.”

“Honor? In what sense?” Pyo asked, eyebrow rising.

“How important I considered it, what its practical purpose is, and the nature of the rules I believe honor demands I follow.”

“So, she may finally be growing up,” Pyo mused. “If true, that will make things better, if not necessarily easier.” And having two masters worthy of our service will be a vast improvement — Tatewaki-dono was a very pleasant surprise, could his sister actually prove the same?

“One other thing, Sensei,” Hanh added, “Kodachi-sama knows of Ranko's true name, she used it this afternoon when referring to the beating she received sparring with Ranko this afternoon.”

“She does? I wonder when she accepted the truth.” Pyo said, surprised. “Does Ranko kow that she knows?”

“I do not know. If so, it could explain why she agreed to Kodachi-sama joining her spar and practice with Usagi. Also ... I checked the time that Kodachi-sama arrived home from her celebration. It overlaps when Ranko was outside the mansion, and she used the entrance by the garden I found Ranko using for contemplation. It is not possible they would not have met.”

Pyo nodded thoughtfully. “True, and we have no way of knowing what they might have said. They certainly didn't fight.” Once again, Pyo hid a grimace at the way that Tatewaki-dono's insistence on employing the girl he'd purchased when his father broke Juuban to his will created a huge blind spot in his servant's ability to maintain surveillance of the household. Considering the girl's obvious loyalty to her master, there was no point in asking her to report his activities to the Master of Servants. That hadn't unduly bothered Pyo in the past, but now that “Ranko” was a member of the household —

Putting aside the conundrum once again, Pyo turned to another of the ninjas. “Shuzo-kun, have you been able to contact the Mentalist?”

The older man bowed slightly. “Yes, Pyo-sensei, I have. The retainer I needed to offer was considerable, but he has agreed to come immediately whenever we call.”

Now Pyo did grimace, but reluctantly nodded. “If this goes on too long that will put a significant strain on household expenses, but there's no getting around it. Sabir-kun, what of the surveillance of the Tendo dojo?”