Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Chaos ❯ Mr. Panda Says Goodbye, and Kenji Says Hello ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Ranma frowned as he stared at the calendar hanging on the wall. The month of August was nearly gone, and only two days remained until the school restarted. He was not upset about the return to school. He never felt it was as bad as he often let on, but after living such an interesting life, he often found school boring. It was the loss of his summer break to Saffron and his wedding that was upsetting. After spending the first week of it in China, he had spent the remainder repairing the dojo.

Then there was the announcement Soun had made the previous night. He had put any future attempts of a wedding on hold until all of Ranma's 'personal affairs' had been sorted out. The problem was he had no idea how to sort it out.

"Damn you, old man," he said as he stomped out of the room. "If it weren't for you, I could have a normal life."

Genma rolled over in his futon and watched his son walk down the hall. He had tried a long time ago to harden himself to his son's insults, but it was the ones behind his back that still caused him pain. He was still the boy's father, even if he was a pathetic one.

"I should have trained him more in bushido rather than kempo," he sighed as he grabbed his gi from his sack. Nodoka had tried to teach both of them to stop living like they were ready to leave at a moments notice, but it was a habit that was difficult to break.

"Husband, are you up yet?" a voice said from the door. Turning to face his greeter, Genma stared at his smiling wife.

"Just getting dressed," he said as he tightened his belt. "I'll be down for breakfast in a minute."

"Take your time," Nodoka suggested. "I saw Ranma and Akane heading to the dojo."

"That should not take long," Genma replied. "Tendo hasn't been by the hardware store in days. Akane should've run out of bricks yesterday."

"I think Ranma said something about showing her a new technique," Nodoka said as she gathered the blankets.

"Then he is taking his firsts steps as a sensei," Genma nodded, "or Akane has finally broke him."

"A Saotome beaten by a woman," Nodoka said with mock surprise, "perish the thought."

Genma stared blankly at the woman trying to muffle her laughter. After over twenty years of marriage, Genma had prided himself that he had never been broken. His wife had unintentionally intimidated him with the seppeku contract, but she had never broken him.

"Our son still has some pride left in him," Genma boasted as he walked to the door. "I did train him to be a man among men."

Nodoka sighed as he walked out of the room. His confidence had been one of the attributes that attracted her to Genma, but now it seemed to be more like arrogant pride. He had changed since the night she had caught him stealing some fruit from the produce stand.

Walking down the stairs with the handful of laundry, she noticed that Genma had joined Soun for a morning game of shogi. Nabiki had already sat down and was hurriedly eating her breakfast. From the dojo, the voices of irritated martial artists were heard. Placing the blankets in the washing machine, Nodoka joined the middle Tendo girl at the table, which prompted Genma to join her.

"You could actually fight me while we're training, you know," Akane snapped at Ranma as the walked into the room. "How can I improve if all I get to fight now are bricks and your crazy girlfriends?"

"First, I've told ya I don't fight girls, even macho chicks like you," Ranma replied. "Second, they're not my girlfriends."

"Could have fooled me the way you let them hang all over you," Akane said as she sat down at the table.

"It's not like I ask them to," Ranma replied. He glanced over at the disapproving frown of his mother and groaned. "Maybe I'll teach you some more kempo forms if you drop this."

Akane glared back at him but silently began to eat her rice. She would have preferred to learn some of his chi attacks, but he had refused to even consider showing her the Hiryu Shoten Ha.

"Ranma, dear, why not just take Akane out to dinner tonight," Nodoka suggested.

"But Mom," Ranma started.

"Ranma dear," Nodoka said as she took a sip of her tea, "it is unmanly to whine."

"Yes, Mother," Ranma relented. "Nabiki..."

"I'll pay for your meal," Nodoka said. "We should not be depending on the hospitality of the Tendos forever."

"Thank you," Ranma replied as he saw the defeated look on Nabiki's face. For once, he was out of debt to her, but even he realized that would only last another week.

"Just as long as its not the Neko Hanten or Ucchan's," Akane stated. "How about the Italian restaurant by school?"

"Sure," Ranma replied. He had been avoiding his other fiancées since the wedding, and the restaurant offered a slight change from the usual chaos.

"I'll be back from shopping around four," Akane said as she finished her meal. "Maybe we could leave around six?"

"If you leave at five, Shampoo and Ukyo will be too busy with the dinner crowd to see you," Nabiki commented. "Not to mention bet the crowd at the restaurant."

"Okay," Akane smiled at her sister. "How about that Ranma?"

"Sure," Ranma replied, but he thought about the other nuisances that might plague them.

As the family finished their meal, a knock was heard from the door. Leaving the dirty dishes with Nodoka, Kasumi rose to answer it while others went about their own plans.

"Good morning, Kasumi," the postman greeted. "I have a few letters for your father and one for Mr. Saotome."

"Thank you," Kasumi smiled as she took the bundle from him. "I hope you have a pleasant day, sir."

"As do you," he replied as he walked back to the sidewalk.

Kasumi began humming as she walked back into the family room. Soun was trying to teach Ranma the proper manner to play shogi while Nodoka was washing dishes in the kitchen.

"Oh, has Mr. Saotome already left?" she asked.

"Yup," Ranma said as he picked up one of Soun's pieces. Soun promptly slapped his hand and remind Ranma that he was using the black the pieces. "You need him for something?"

"No, it's just a letter has arrived for him," Kasumi said as she placed the letter on the table. "There's also some letters for you, Father."

"Thank you, Kasumi," Soun said as he quickly moved a few black pieces while Ranma was distracted. "Just leave them on the table, will you?"

"Ok, Father," Kasumi replied as she walked into the kitchen.

Ranma glanced away as Soun once again began rearranging the pieces on the board. He knew what was going on but did not care about the cheating. He never liked the game and was more concerned about the letter to his father. They rarely received mail, and it was usually bad.

"You seem distracted, Ranma," Soun finally said after he arrange the board for an easy victory. "Mind telling me what's on your mind, Son?"

"I just hope Pop hasn't done anything stupid again," Ranma replied. "It's not like we ever get anything good in the mail.

Soun nodded gravely and made his final move. "It looks like I win again, Ranma."

Ranma shook his head as he began to clear the board.

"Looks like it might rain this afternoon," Dr. Tofu said as he escorted out his last patient. "Do want to head home early to beat it?"

"That's okay," Genma replied. "I think Nodoka is finally getting used to the curses."

"Well, it's nice to see the family back together," Tofu smiled as he looked down at his appointment book. "I'll be in my office eating lunch if we have any walk-ins."

"Yes, Doctor," Genma nodded. Picking up a broom, he started sweeping the waiting room.

Nodoka entered the family room to see both Soun and Ranma watching television. With Nabiki and Akane off shopping for uniforms and clothes, Ranma did not have anyone to talk to since he had been avoiding most of his friends since the wedding.

"Ranma," Nodoka said as she approached he son, "would you run to the market and get some pork?"

"Sure," Ranma said as he stood to his feet. "Oh, something came in the mail for Pop. You might want to check for more bad news."

"I'm sure your father can take care of it dear," Nodoka replied. She picked up the letter from the table. It was plain white envelope giving only the receiver's address. There was not a return address or any indication of who sent the letter. "Maybe it is from one of his cousins about your birthday."

"Your grandfather sent your father into the world at the age of seventeen," Nodoka replied. "He said that he was fully a man and must provide for himself. Perhaps it is a family tradition."

Soun was surprised by Nodoka's statement. Having known Saotome since he started training with him when he was fifteen, he knew most of Saotome's life before Nodoka had entered it. He, however, remained silent, wishing to maintain whatever pretence Saotome had about his family.

"Pop didn't mention anything to me," Ranma shrugged as he went out into the garden. Leaping over the wall, he ran off to fetch his mother's groceries.

In Nerima, watching a panda walk down the street had almost become a ritual. Many had invited distant relatives to observe the animal leave the office of its local chiropractor and journey to a resident's home. It was one of the reasons that a crowd usually formed when the weather suggested taking shelter.

Today, the weather was particularly bad, which forced the crowds on to their respected destinations. Genma was used to wandering the streets in wet fur, and the extra rain did not bother him much.

"I hope you received my challenge," a voice said behind him. Turning, Genma saw a young man standing with his arms crossed.

"What challenge?" Genma said with his wooden sign.

"Don't tell me you didn't check your mail today," the man sighed as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "No matter, I challenge you, Genma Saotome."

The man dropped into an attack stance and launched himself at the surprised panda. Genma managed to deflect the blow but failed to make a counterattack. His assailant quickly recovered and managed a roundhouse kick to the panda's head. Genma stumbled back from the kick and took a defensive stance.

"I was told you would put up a fight," the man laughed. "I must say you are quite the disappointment."

Snarling at the insult, Genma leapt into the air and attempted his normal aerial attack. The young man dodged his first kick but was unprepared for Genma's continuous leaps. After several light kicks to the head, the young man stopped his dodging and readied himself for the next attack. As Genma approached his target, the man's eyes began to glow. Landing short from the surprise, Genma leapt a few feet away from the man.

"What the hell are you?" his sign read.

"I've come to repay an old debt, Saotome," the man said as he walked up to the frightened panda. "I promise this won't hurt too much."

Across town at the market, a soaking wet female Ranma heard the scream of a beast dying. Surprised by the loud cried, she nearly dropped her bag of groceries.

Nodoka stared at the letter lying on the table in front of her. As the wife of a martial artist, she knew that some secrets must remain only for her husband.

'But it is the wife's duty to oversee the household,' her mind told her.

Against her better judgment, she left the letter on the table and joined Kasumi in preparing dinner for the family. Without Ranma and Akane, they were hoping to have a small celebratory meal for their start as a couple. The wedding had solidified their relationship more than they would admit.

'At least his fiancées were nice enough to form rifts between themselves and Ranma,' Nodoka grinned as the thought crossed her mind. 'Genma and Soun should be commended for at least achieving that.'

In the family room, Akane was reading a magazine she had bought during her shopping. It was one of her usual teenage girl magazines that she had been buying since she was fourteen. Kasumi had told Nodoka that she had stopped buying them a month after Ranma arrived and had only recently started getting them again. Nodoka smiled at her future daughter-in-law and continued into the kitchen.

Kasumi was happily peeling potatoes as Nodoka walked up beside her. Seeing that Kasumi had almost finished, Nodoka started to fix a salad. Without Ranma's return with the pork, there was little left to do.

"Kasumi, have you noticed any change in Ranma lately?" Nodoka asked.

"No, not really," Kasumi replied. "He still gets into little fights with his friends."

"I meant with Akane," Nodoka rephrased her question.

"No," Kasumi smiled. "They still fight, but it seems to not be as hurtful since their return from China."

"Oh," Nodoka sighed. She had been hoping they would at least be on more civil terms, but they still were only sixteen. Maybe another year would help.

The front door slamming announced the entrance of Ranma. Grabbing a towel that was left for him at the door, she dried her hair before walking down the hall to the kitchen.

"I have the pork," she told her mother. "Uhm, do you think Akane would mind if we just stayed here tonight?"

Nodoka sighed at the question. She knew it would be hard on Ranma if she had to spend the night as a girl.

'Of all the curses, it would have to be that one,' Nodoka thought as she placed the pork in a pot to stew.

Before she could answer, the telephone rang in the hallway.

"I've got it," Akane called as she picked up the phone. "Tendo residence. Hello, Dr. Tofu. What did you say?"

Running into the kitchen, she huffed that Nodoka should talk to the doctor. Alarmed, Nodoka walked into the hall and picked up the phone. After only a minute, she hung the phone up and ran to the door.

"Dr. Tofu said someone left Genma on his doorstep," she said as she grabbed a raincoat.

"I'm coming too," Ranma stated as she handed Nodoka an umbrella. "I'm already wet, so it's not like I have to worry about anything."

"Soun?" Nodoka asked.

"I'll stay here in case Dr. Tofu calls back," Soun replied.

Dr. Tofu had not been exaggerating when he told Nodoka her husband's condition. He was lying unconscious on the bed when she arrived with Ranma and Akane. There was severe bruising on his face and his chest. Dr. Tofu suspected that he might have broken few ribs as well.

"Has there been any change, Doctor?" Nodoka asked as she held her husband's limb hand.

"I think he'll wake up in the morning," he told her. "There doesn't seem to be too much injury to the head and neck aside from the bruising. I'm more worried about his level of chi."

"Someone drained him?" Ranma asked with a growing suspension of who caused this.

"I don't think he was drained," Tofu replied. "His body would have already begun to generate more if that was the case. It's more like it cannot make enough for the amount battle aura he used."

"Demon," Genma hoarsely whispered. "Blood eyes..."

"Hush, dear," Nodoka said as she placed his hand back on the bed. Softly kissing his forehead, she drew away from him to talk with her son.

"I will remain here," she told Ranma. "You and Akane should go back home and tell this to Soun."

Both of the teenagers nodded. With a final glance at his parents, Ranma turned away to the door.

"Do you really think a demon did this?" Akane asked as she put back on her raincoat.

"Probably just someone Pop cheated," Ranma offhandedly replied. "Whoever did this was not much of a martial artist."

"How can you say that after seeing all those bruises?" Akane gasped.

"But none of them were at his most critical points," Ranma replied. "Whoever did this must have used something other than martial arts to defeat him."

Akane stared as her fiancé walked off into the rain in front of her. Ranma seemed more concerned about how her father had been defeated rather than his current condition. Though she could hardly blame her for her attitude, Mr. Saotome was still her father.

"You coming?" Ranma called.

"Yeah, wait up," Akane shouted as she ran after the boy turned girl.

Nodoka yawned as she stretched in her chair. With the lack of another bed, she had slept in a chair beside her husband. Genma was sleeping peacefully now and had stopped his occasional terror screams. Tofu had assured her that it was only a dream he was having, but with all she had seen since rejoining her family, she thought it might have been a possibility.

"Good morning, husband," she said as she kissed his forehead. She had noted that Tofu had left them a pitcher of water on a stand. Pouring herself a glass, she wondered when the doctor would return check on his patient.

After taking a sip of her water, she noticed how disheveled she looked in the mirror hanging on the door. Setting down her glass, she began to adjust her kimono only to knock her elbow against the stand. This toppled the pitcher spilling the water over the sleeping Genma.

Staring at her husband for a moment, Nodoka ran to the door that separated Dr. Tofu's apartment from his office. Beating on the door, she cried for him to see her husband.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Saotome?" he yawned as he opened the door.

"It's Genma," she said with tears in her eyes. "I accidentally spilt some water on him..."

"I'm sure he is perfectly alright," Tofu smiled at the distressed wife. "Changing into his cursed form won't hinder his healing too much."

"It's not that," she replied. "Come see for yourself."

Grabbing his hand, Nodoka dragged Tofu into the operating room to see her husband. The sight had left Tofu breathless. Lying on the bed, Genma snored as he rolled on his side. He was apparently wet from the stain on his sheets, but there was something different about him.

He was still human.

"Saotome, my old friend," Soun greeted as Genma walked into the house. "It is good to see you have recovered."

"It was merely a scratch," Genma boasted. "Just a fiend who attacks those from behind."

"I thought you would be expecting one from there," Nabiki said as she passed by. "That is where you tend to strike."

While the others ignored her comments, Ranma was thinking about his father's newfound cure. He had to find the attacker to get any more information about a possible end to his own torment.

"Welcome home, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi said as she walked out of the kitchen. "A letter came for you yesterday."

"Thank you, Kasumi," Genma replied, "but it was a letter of challenge."

"Did the guy who did this send it, Pop?" Ranma asked.

"He told me about the letter before we fought," Genma answered his son. "Maybe he was a monk from Kyoto. You remember that shrine the master raided when..."

"I remember, Saotome," Soun nodded, "but as I recall, we paid them back the next year with a month of hard labor."

"Where's the letter?" Ranma said in disgust as the two men began to reminisce about all the people they had slated.

"Here it is," Akane said as she held it up. Opening the envelope, she recited, "'I, a student of the Kappa school of martial arts, do challenge the eldest Saotome for the contract made by the founder of the Saotome clan.' Talk about holding a grudge. He gave a date from before the first shogun."

"What about a name?" Ranma asked.

"Sorry, he just gave the name of his school," Akane said as she handed the letter to Ranma.

"I have never heard of the Kappa school," Tendo said as he rubbed his chin. "Perhaps when the master returns, we might enquire from him."

"The old goat was chased out last week," Ranma replied as he studied the letter. "He won't be back for at least another one."

"There is nothing for us to do! A victory was declared, and the man has left to whatever hell he came from."

Everyone turned to Genma. He rarely left anything alone in his life. Even if he ran away from a task, he still was attempting something.

"Maybe we should let you rest, dear," Nodoka said in a calming voice. "Ranma will hunt this man down and avenge your honor. It would be the manly thing to do."

Ranma gulped at the last statement. Ever since her stay at the Tendo house, she had often used such phrases to give him extra motivation.

"If there's a chance I might get cured," Ranma stated, "I'll hunt this man down to the ends of the earth."

Akane watched as Ranma's battle aura began to flare its usual brilliance of determination. He would find whoever cured his father, even if he died trying.

"But that can wait until after school tomorrow," Nodoka added. "You will not repeat your attendance record of last year. I believe the truant officer knows the way to the dojo better than I do."

Ranma gave up any attempt of arguing. Miss Hinako usually punished him with extra work, or he fought with the principle in order to avoid a new hairstyle. He walked off to the dojo while Soun and his mother helped Genma upstairs to their room.

The streets of Nerima once again flooded with the arrival of the returning students to its schools. Led by their loving mothers, the young children were ushered into their elementary schools, while the students of Furinkan High nervously approached the school's gate. Rumors about Principle Kuno's return from another conference had circulated during the summer break, and the threat of his new rules loomed over their heads.

Ranma had his own problems to worry about. If whoever defeated his father had held a grudge for over a thousand years, Ranma doubted it would satisfy him. Ranma was so deep in thought that he did not notice the numerous challenges of an enraged Tatewaki Kuno, but it disturbed Akane when he mindlessly dodged Kuno's attacks. Frustrated, Kuno lunged into an attack but was deflected by Ranma using his satchel as a shield.

"Can't you see I'm thinking here?!" Ranma shouted as he punched Kuno into the air.

While Kuno landed on the roof, Ranma absentmindedly continued into the school. Akane trailed after him while their classmates debated about helping Kuno down from the roof.

In their classroom, Hinako was doodling at her desk as the students filled the room. Most them had been in the sophomore class of 1-F and were accustomed to Ranma's sometime moody disposition. The wiser ones edged away from his desk while others ignored him.

"Oh, class," Hinako said after the bell rang, "we have a new transfer student."

Akane turned from watching her fiancé to the new student beside Hinako. He was shorter than most the boys and reminded her of Gosunkugi. Unlike most of their transfer students, he had managed to buy the correct uniform.

"Mr. Kenji Furugawa has recently moved to Nerima," Hinako continued. "He even brought me a nice chocolate bar."

"But that was for my lunch," the student replied once he saw his new teacher's face covered in chocolate."

"What was that, delinquent?" the annoyed teacher said as she pulled a five-yen piece out of her pocket. "Please take a seat before I have to punish you."

Kenji grumbled as he took a seat towards the back. Hinako happily finished the rest of the chocolate bar while the class talked among themselves. Akane was telling Yuka and Sayuri about their recent trip to China.

"You think that new kid is another martial artist?" Daisuke asked Hiroshi.

"Dunno," Hiroshi shrugged. "He didn't put up much of a fight with Miss Hinako."

"Maybe he'll start a fight with Ranma sometime later," Daisuke said as he started eating some of his lunch.

"Then my Ranchan will win," Ukyo interrupted as she slammed one of her throwing spatulas into the desk. "No one can beat him."

Meanwhile, Kenji was silently reading his notebook. Occasionally he looked at the class, but he quietly kept to himself. Ranma finally stopped brooding and chatted with Ukyo.

"Class, pay attention," Hinako shouted above the noise. She had finished the chocolate bar and was covered in melted chocolate. "I'll teach you delinquents some respect."

Hinako pulled out a fifty-yen piece from her pocket and aimed at the center of the room. "Happo Fifty Yen Satsu!"

Ranma and Akane quickly dodged the chi draining blast, but Ukyo and five other students were not as fortunate. The now adult Hinako smirked at the comatose students. Taking a handkerchief from her desk, she wiped the chocolate off her face.

"Since there is only five minutes until your next class," Hinako said as the bell rang, "you have until tomorrow to read pages 110-155 in your textbooks."

While some of the students began waking up from their naps, Ranma and Akane helped Ukyo to her feet. Giving Ranma a weak thanks, Ukyo followed Akane to the home economics class while Ranma ran to his next class at the other end of the building. Not paying attention as he turned, Ranma ran into Kenji supporting one of Hinako's victims.

"Sorry," Ranma apologized as he helped the two up. "I don't think I've seen you around here."

"Kenji Furugawa," the boy replied. "I just moved from Mito."

Ranma's eyes narrowed on the boy. New arrivals always meant trouble for him, especially after what happened to his father the day before. Without warning, Ranma punched at the back of the Kenji's head but fell short when it was clear he was not going to dodge.

"You don't practice martial arts," Ranma stated.

"Not much need of it when you're an accountant's son," Kenji replied. "I have to practice my algebra for my dad."

Ranma nodded as the three students walked to their next class.

Genma tossed in bed. In his dreams, he was still fighting the red-eyed demon, and these nightmares were beginning to worry his wife. The last time that he had dreams this strong, he took Ranma on a fifteen-year training trip.

"You can't have him," he shouted.

Nodoka rose from his side and walked downstairs. Kasumi was cleaning the furo while Soun was practicing in the dojo. After putting a kettle on the stove to boil, she walked to the porch. A warm summer breeze blew across the little garden. The air was humid from the recent storms, and the wind gave little comfort from the heat.

"Nodoka," Genma said as he stumbled into the kitchen. "We have much to discuss."

"Yes, dear," Nodoka said as the kettle whistled. "You must want to avenge yourself."

"I won that fight," Genma replied.

Nodoka quickly turned to face the stern grimace of her husband. His condition contradicted his statement, but the gleam of his eyes sparkled with triumph.

"The combat was necessary to raise my battle aura to its highest level," Genma explained. "He was removing my curse by defeating the beast."

Nodoka rushed over and hugged Genma. The curses of both him and Ranma had separated the family for a year, and at last a cure was found.

"Perhaps he can cure Ranma as well," Nodoka said as she let go of her husband. "It has been a tribute to his manhood to overcome it, but it has lasted long enough."

"The demon cannot be forced to do anything he doesn't wish," Genma replied. "I fear he might attract others of his kind here."

Nodoka gave Genma a confused look. Danger was a constant in a martial artist's life, but why would he fear the arrival of demon?

"Saotome, good to see you up," Soun greeted as he walked out the dojo. "Perhaps you would like to spar later this afternoon?"

"Sorry, Tendo, but my shoulders are still sore," Genma answered. "Maybe tomorrow."

Soun nodded and walked into the house. Nodoka finally noticed the kettle whistling but found most of the water had boiled away. Filling it again, she turned to see Genma meditating by koi pond.

"You're still hiding something," Nodoka quietly spoke to herself. "I just hope you don't drag my son down with you."

Ranma glared at Kenji during his last class. The boy's arrival could not be a mere coincidence with the demon attack. Nothing in Nerima was coincidence. When the final bell sounded, the students quickly fled their seats.

Ranma continued to follow Kenji as he left the grounds. Akane suspected her fiancé had run off to Ucchan's or the Neko Hanten. Seething of anger she walked home alone.

Meanwhile, Ranma was leaping from rooftop to rooftop while following the new student. Kenji did not give any impression he was aware of Ranma's presence, but Ranma was not leaving anything to chance. He did not trust this one.

Kenji stopped briefly at a local shrine. Ranma watched as the boy bought a charm from the priest. Kenji smiled as he walked past the bush Ranma was hiding behind.

"You figured me out then," he said as he stopped under the shrine's gate. "Please don't be too upset if I say no."

Ranma blinked at the statement. Kenji's back was to him, and he had been sure that he could not have been seen.

"Your father was never meant to be cursed," he continued. "I had to remedy that breach in the contract."

Ranma stood up and walked to the boy.

"And what about me?" Ranma asked. "Can you cure me too?"

"Probably," Kenji replied, "but that's not in the contract."

"Like I care about a contract," Ranma growled. "Can you cure me?"

"Your curse was chosen since it was difficult to remove," Kenji answered. "Aside for nanniichuan, I don't know anyway to remove a nyanniichuan curse."

"You're lying," Ranma said as he raised his fists up.

"I don't have a reason to lie," Kenji replied. "I can't cure you, and you can't defeat me. Fighting would be pointless."

Ranma balled his fist as Kenji started to walk away. He had completely hidden his battle aura before, but now Ranma saw that it almost as high as Happosai. The air raised a few degrees from its heat, but Kenji did not display any malice in it.

Kenji turned back to Ranma and smiled. He raised his fist to his eye. It was glowing in bright blue flames.

"Pity I can't allow you to remember this conversation," Kenji said. "Kappa Omoide Moya!"

With the punch of his fist, the blue chi shot directly at Ranma impacted against his forehead. With an agonizing scream, Ranma collapsed to the ground. Kenji stumbled to the ground, panting heavily.

"Better get out of here," Kenji said as he pulled himself up with the wall. Stumbling down the road, he tried to balance himself against building walls. Half worrying about drawing attention to himself, he avoided the crowds until he was a few blocks away.

Ranma's awakening shortly followed Kenji's departure. Glancing around, he was confused about his location. The last moment he remembered was following Kenji to the shrine.

"He must have gotten the drop on me," Ranma sighed as he rubbed his head. Expecting to find a bump, he was surprised to find no injuries. Shrugging it off, he walked back to the Tendo dojo.