human
"Ow..." Ranma groaned out eloquently. He was aching all over. Being launched out of a circus cannon could do that to a person, he supposed. And the tree branch he had crashed through head first probably explained the massive head ache too. Which was odd, considering that there hadn't been any trees in the area when he had entered the circus ground.
Stupid Mousse and his circus shtick. Ranma couldn't help but think it appropriate though. The guy was kind of a freak. Still, he was almost impressed. The guy had been a lot more devious this time around, distracting him well enough so that Kuno of all people was able to sneak up on him. Ah yeah, that explained it then. Mousse had probably paid Nabiki to come up with the plan. He had wondered when one of his rivals would wise up to that option. Ranma, being as awesome as he was of course, was able to sense the attack from behind at the last second and evade the blow.
Unfortunately, that had given Mousse the opening he needed to to catch him with the chain he had slung out from the sleeve of his voluminous robe, wrapping him up tightly. Stupid Hidden Weapons technique. Surprisingly, he hadn't been able to simply shatter his bonds. He figured that had something to do wit the the glowing glyphs all over them. Stupid Amazon magic.
"Aww, what the hell?" he remembered complaining before Mousse had begun dragging him to the aforementioned cannon. Of course, the idiot couldn't help but gloat as he did.
"I'll finally be rid of you, Saotome. These chains will put an end to your womanizing ways. Now nothing will stand between me and my darling Shampoo!" Mousse had ranted, the typical spiel really. "This ought to get you moving up to at least 88 miles an hour, dont you think?" the idiot had asked before pausing contemplatively. "Now that I think about it, that's kind of an odd way to activate magical runes..." he mused before shaking it off. "Well, whatever. All that matters is you will be gone forever!"
Despite all his struggling, Mousse was eventually able to load him into the cannon successfully. He didn't remember much after that. As, Ranma's reminiscence came to an end, he was finally feeling brave enough to open his eyes. As expected, the increase in light sent a twinge of pain lancing through his skull. He quickly pushed it aside however, as a new rush of adrenaline flowed through him. His entire field of vision was taken up by a man's face gazing down at him with a slightly curious expression showing through the mask he wore despite the fact that it covered everything with the exception of a single eye. He must have been really out of it to let someone sneak up on him like that.
"Hey," the white haired man deadpanned in greeting. "And you are...?"
gpt
it was a bright and chearful day for young Kin Manami. she was the youngest Jounin since Kakashi himself, and much more feared... considering she'd trained under both Kakashi and Anko for the last three years. a very dangerous combination if there ever was one. she was in training with Kakashi when... something, had fallen out of the sky, way up in the sky and landed with a pretty violent crash to the earth. Kin had been delighted at the thought of a fallen star, a meteor. some of those chunks of rocks had very special metals that could be used to make powerful weapons, and she'd been wanting to take up Kenjutsu(the sword arts). so she and Kakashi had gone to check things out, she herself had been utterly stunned to find a boy! a child of a boy!... well maybe not a child, per-say, he had the build of a ninja, but he was unusually old to be contemplating the ways of flight... of course, as high up as he'd fallen from, perhaps he had succeeded? whatever the case, he was dangerous, she knew that. a spy, an enemy, or just a kid landing int he wrong place, but dangerous all the same.
she had to sigh as Kakashi leaned over him and asked the stupidest question in the world and Kin could only roll her eyes and give Kakashi a swift kick to the ass. "Follow Protocol you lazy bastard!" she demanded. "tie him up and THEN ask questions! he could have slit your neck!" Kin chastised the copy ninja as she drew special cuffs out of her pocket. they would restrain, and block Chackra from being formed, all the prisons where using them now. still dangerous, but with two of them Ranma didn't stand a chance. "now then boy, we're going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer them." Kin stated, her hands on her hips as she glared at the kid who had fallen from the sky... she was very curious, Ranma was very cute to say the least. but was he a spy from another village? or just some unlucky guy who had fallen to earth at the last minute? maybe he was an angel, or a Demon? but the Jinchuuriki where all accounted for, weren't they? so just who was this guy?
Kin herself was aptly named. Kin meant Golden, and it certainly fit. her hair fell to her waist in golden waves, like someone had spun her hair out of wheat and then bonded it with silk. it was punned half up at the moment, a tight bun that fell out into a ponytail that brushed mid back. it was an elegant hair style and made her face even more soft and feminine. her eyes where also a golden color, a deep color like someone had upended a honey bottle and poured the sweet color into her eyes. she was rather tall, but not so tall that she would intimidate a man. her skin was a soft cream color that looked as soft as her hair. there where no scars on her being, which didn't mean much. they where probobly just covered up. the only thing that would look weird to Ranma, was the fact that Kin's chest was a little flat. but in a world of konoichi, many young girls took to binding their chests, so that their breasts wouldn't get in the way, much like Shizune and Hinata did. so while it didn't look strange to the ninja world it might look a little odd to the boy from another world. Kin's outfit certainly made up for that though. she was wearing a sleeveless shirt that came down to her ribs and then stopped, revealing a perfectly flat, milky belly. she wore a very short skirt that would not have hidden the 'naughty bits' if not for the spandex 'undershorts' she was wearing underneath, which stopped about mid thigh, leaving her long, long, beautiful legs completely unhidden. legs that men loved. she beat up more perverts than Anko did!... but then, Anko only beat up the ugly perverts, the cute ones got to cop a feel, Kin didn't allow any perverts. Kin ran a hand through her hair, revealing a black skin tight glove that went all the way up to her elbow, only on her left hand. which seamed rather odd, even for a ninja.
"well, come on then." she stated, hauling Ranma to his feet and steadying him until the boy could manage to stand on his own. "lets get you to the hospital. we'll want you in better conditions than this for questioning. you seam to have a rather severe concussion." Kin admitted simply, shaking her head. "Kakashi get your nose out of that book before i burn it!" and she'd done it before too. his whole collection. Anko was a very bad influence on Kin, because both women where known for setting fire to a man's 'collection' if they got too annoying. and then there was the poison to the genitals, that was always fun.
human
Ranma groaned as he heard a feminine voice yelling behind the white haired man. This one hadn't even waited till he said something stupid to get pissed at him. He couldn't really hear what she was saying through the ringing in his ears, but it probably didn't matter. It was most likely something his pops had done to screw the girl and now she was out for revenge, yadda yadda yadda. He was just waiting for her to take a swing at him with some kind of heavy, blunt object. That was the way these things usually played out. Which was why he was caught off guard with the handcuffs. That usually had a completelydifferentbuild up than this.
He was too busy contemplating this new development to resist being hauled to his feet. Even the brief bit of vertigo that washed over him as he got to his feet only distracted him for a moment. At least the chick had called down now. The conversation was almost intelligible to him. He just barely managed to catch the tail end of her rant. A concussion? Nah, this was nothing. Well, maybe not nothing he thought as he stumbled slightly. OK so maybe he had a little bit of a concussion. Hell he'd probably have been close to fighting shape if it weren't for these damn cuffs. They were messing with his ki somehow. Blocking it from flowing properly. Giving them an experimental tug, he verified that they were, indeed sapping his strength. Looking down at them, he noticed another problem. His trademark red and black silk tangs had been singed pretty badly, even had holes burned in them in places. The resulting exasperated head slump hid his deep blue eyes from view behind a mop of black bangs and even his signature pigtail seemed to droop a little.
"What the hell?" he demanded suddenly, sounding more than a little annoyed as his head snapped back up to glare at the woman and his posture went slightly rigid. It looked like all the world as if he might attack despite the cuffs. Of course, it was all just an act. He definitely had no intention of attacking just yet. The shout, while maybe a touch cathartic, was mostly to draw attention to his face and the change in posture mean to conceal the fact that he was drawing a small piece of metal out of the bracer on his wrist. Unfortunately while growing up with his pop, he had wound up getting a lot of practice slipping out of handcuffs, so he usually came prepared these days.
"Hey, hey," the white haired guy interrupted placatingly, causing Ranma to wonder briefly if the man had seen his little slight of hand. "Why so angry, Kinchan?" he asked in a soothing voice. Somehow, despite the lazy tone though, he gave the words a teasing quality. Ranma picked up on it almost immediately. He had used it often enough, if not quite as subtley as this man was at the moment. He was playfully goading the woman.
gpt
Kin rolled her eyes a little and huffed a little as she realized the stranger wasn't understanding a single word that she was saying. a very bad concussion then. well he'd get himself healed up at the hospital and then they could question him. "Don't tug on you're cuffs!" she ordered, glaring at Ranma and flicking his nose with her finger in a rather mocking manner turning to speak to Kakashi before jumping as the boy shouted and she paused to blink at him for a long moment, examining him intently before scowling a little. "...he's definitely touched in the head..." she muttered with a shake of her head. "completely insane... why can't ANY male ninja be sane!?" she demanded, glaring at Kakashi as she said this. "Shut up Kakashi!" she growled, offering him another glare. out of all the ninja in the village, Kakashi was only one of three that knew her... secrete. Anko and the Kage knew as well of course. how could they not with how they had trained together? Kakashi's expression after finding out had been very, very amusing. "i'm not angry! i'm ANNOYED! i was so CLOSE to kicking your ass Kakashi!" Kin complained, scowling. "and i'm sick of you reading that disgusting book!" she complained. she had NEVER forgiven Jiriya for copping a feel of her ass... at least he'd never tried it again.
"come on then." Kin ordered, giving Ranma a nudge forward. "lets get you to the Hospital." she ordered simply. "and we won't resort to torture... not yet anyway." she admitted with a smirk. "so long as you answer honestly, and aren't here to cause problems, you'll probobly be released from the cuffs by tonight." she admitted simply. "speaking of which, do you know you're name?" she asked, wondering just how bad his concussion was. really, she HAD trained with Anko, she knew how to handle things like this. you find out who they are, their age, and where they are from before they can find the mental capacity to try to lie. "and where are you from? and if you tell me you came from the clouds, i'm going to smack you, concussion or not."
human
Ranma scrunched up his nose in annoyance as she flicked it. He would have simply tilted his head backwards or caught her hand, but the first option probably would have been a bad idea in his condition and the second might have given him away. Instead, he just made a show of huffing and crossing his arms in annoyance. Well crossing them as well as possible with the cuffs anyway. In reality, the awkward positioning actually helped conceal his efforts to pick the lock on the cuffs with the small metal wire while the kunoichi argued with her partner. Kakashi merely feigned a hurt expression at her words, but he was clearly amused by her antics.
"If that's all you wanted to know, why didn'tcha just ask?" Ranma replied to the question with a dismissive snort as the first cuff came undone. The noise of it unlocking would have given him anyway, so he casually uncrossed his arms and began to openly work on the other. "I'm Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu," he explained proudly without looking up from his work. It didn't take him more than a moment to finish and, as he looked up, his expression turned contemplative. "And I guess you could say I'm from Nerima," he mused as if he had never considered the second question before. "It's the only place I've ever lived for any amount of time anyway," he added absently in explanation. The white haired guy, who had paused tensely at the first sound, relaxed slightly at the boy's easy manner. Still, he was more alert than he had been before.
gpt
Kin scowled a little as Ranma spoke and she froze at the sound of the cuff snapping open and she blinked several times before offering Ranma a viscous glare. "i should lay you out for that." she grumbled. yup, she'd thought so, this boy was dangerous! "...Satome..." she blinked at him. "the what now? Musabetsu Ryu? what in the world is that!?" she demanded, scowling as she looked his face over intently. as far as HE knew, he wasn't lying... people always made facial ticks when they where lying, even when they didn't realize it. "Nerima? is that in the Fire Country?" Kin asked, looking baffled. "it must be one of the smaller villages?" she asked Kakashi, wondering if this boy was insane or just... 'special'. "ah, a wanderer..." she muttered, examining him intently. "well, come on then, that Concussion isn't about to heal itself." Kin had decided that Ranma's odd words where the result of the concussion. no such thing as a Masebetsu Kakuto, Ryu existed... whatever the blazes he thought that was. and she was fairly certain there was no village called Nerima. unless it was a very small one, but no very small village would have raised a ninja. no siree. and a wanderer couldn't have learned how to puck cuff locks like that under normal circumstances. she would give him the benefit of the doubt.
she paused as something caught her eyes and she reached down and snagged the end of a chain. the same one that Mouse had wrapped around Ranma before shooting him out of the cannon. "...what in the hell?" she asked, stunned as she hefted the length of chain and turned to look at Kakashi. "...forget the healers. we're going straight to the Kage. this isn't normal, this boy isn't normal." she stated, showing Kakashi the glowing Glyphs. very ancient sealing magic, as far as they knew anyway. seeing something like that, would no doubt make Kakashi think the same thing that Kin thought... Ranma was a sealed Demon who had only just broken free of his 'cage'. but... weren't the Jinchuuriki all accounted for? this boy was not a Jinchuuriki as far as Kin could see... but if there was nine Demons... whose to say there weren't more?
human
Ranma's face twisted up into what had to be the cockiest grin the fire country had ever seen when he heard the girl's, so far idle, threat. "You could try, anyway," he replied sounding almost eager. His posture hadn't changed but everything about the boy seemed to radiate confidence. Then, as the conversation continued, his grin was wiped away with an indifferent shrug. "Musabetsu Kakuto is my family's school of martial arts," he explained absently.
When the questioning turned to Kakashi, the ninja simply gave a lazy shrug to indicate that he had never heard of it either. He didn't get a chance to reply, though as Ranma beat him to it. "Fire country? Ain't never heard of it," he told the pair in his gruff manner of speaking, not really sounding concerned. "Nerima is in Japan, though. Just outside of Tokyo," he explained. Then, he frowned. "That idiot better not have shot me to another country," he added, merely sounding annoyed at the possibility.
Everything seemed to pause as the girl did before she bent down. Kakashi glanced in her direction while, surreptitiously, making sure to keep Ranma in his peripheral vision. At the site of the chain, Ranma's face lit up in recognition. "Oh! That's that stupid chain Mousse wrapped me up in before stuffing me in that cannon," he explained readily. "I'm so kicking his ass when I get back."
Kakashi took a quick look at the seal work, his expression serious for the first time since the encounter began. A quick nod in Kin's direction let her know he agreed with her proposed course of action. He'd let her take the lead in this to see what kind of decisions she would make. Even though he had seniority, theyhadbeen out here to train. It would be a good way to evaluate her leadership skills.
gpt
Kin's eyes narrowed as she studied him intently. "Martial Arts?" what in the hell was that? she didn't know, but it was clear this... boy, was not to be trusted. no, not in the least. "Japan? where is that? i've never heard of it, or of Tokyo." Kin admitted suspiciously. "Mouse?" so she was right, there where other Demons. the Mouse Demon had sealed Ranma up in a... what in the world was a Cannon?! a containment device maybe? she didn't know, she didn't trust it. she didn't trust this. she almost panicked when Kakashi nodded to her. she had only been a Jounin for a week! she couldn't take on leadership like this! damn that Lazy ass Kakashi! she was burning his books, poisoning his balls, and then she would remove any hint that he'd ever been a man in the first place! she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. she'd done worse jobs as a Genin... she could do this. that damn Cat was more of a danger than this ratty little boy was!
"Come on then Ranma. we'll go see our Village Leader. he is the Hokage, he should know how to get you back home." she promised. wondering if Ranma was even aware that he had been sealed? or if he was just ACTING stupid? how long had Ranma been... contained? a long time? Ranma WAS a very strange name... very strange. and something called Japan, was that the name of this country before it was the Fire country? or was he honestly from another country? or maybe... more likely, another continent? she flashed her identification at the guards placed around the entrance to Konoha and led the way inside. "This is Konoha. we're going to the tallest building there." she informed Ranma, trying to keep him following her. if he bolted, and she had to take him down... she wasn't sure she could. he was inexperienced and untrained of the ninja way, that you could see just by the way he walked... but he was very good at hand to hand, was powerful as well, and had a strange energy that was neither Chackra, nor Demonic. it made her nervous, so she led the way up to Tsunade and Shizune, who where altogether stunned to find a stranger with Kakashi and Kin of all people.
"Kakashi... you explain." Kin ordered firmly, her courage mostly used up for the day. she had gotten the boy there. it would be the Hokage's problem to deal with now. "and you can kiss your collection goodbye you lazy bastard!"
human
"Naw, not mouse. Mousse," he corrected, stressing the long o sound to the point where he sounded comically like a cow. "He's just some guy that thinks I stole his psycho girlfriend, so he's tryin' ta beat me up or kill me or something," he explained non chalantly. "It's not really a big deal. He kind of sucks."
"Village?" Ranma asked, sounding slightly concerned for the first time since he had awoken. It only lasted a moment though. It couldn't be Nietchezu or they wohld have at least heard of Mouse. When Kakashi raised a questioning eyebrow in his direction, he simply shrugged. "Alright. As long as she ain't no crazy old lady that's gonna try ta get me to marry someone," he acquiesced easily enough. Then once again in that concerned tone, he asked Kin, "You ain't related to her or nothin' are you?"
As the trio entered the village, Ranma frowned. There was something that struck him as odd. Well, besides that big ass statue of the four dudes carved into the side of the cliff out in the distance. No it was more subtle than that. The streets and the buildings looked normal, but something was missing. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then, it hit him. Cars! There weren't any around. Something about that fact bothered him, but he pushed it aside for the time being.
When she pointed out the building he just nodded and noted the name she had given for the village. He didn't say a word as the girl led them through security at the tower. He simply glanced around curiously as they walked. When they were ushered in to the Hokage's office, he just crossed his arms looking bored while Kin and Kakashi began speaking.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began, not batting an eyelash at the 'command' from his ostensible subordinate. "During a training excersize in training ground 36, we witnessed an object falling from the sky. When we investigated the matter, we came across this boy lying in a crater in the approximate area that the object would have landed. We are unsure if the object struck the boy or if he was the object," he explained in an official sounding voice, though his mannerisms still made him come off as lazy somehow. "After checking on him to determine his injuries, we determined that he had a moderately severe concussion. However, he seems to have recovered quickly."
Shifting his weight slightly, Kakashi moved on to the next portion of his report. "After detaining the suspect, we began an initial interrogation. The detainee reports his name as Ranma Saotome. He seems to have some rudimentary shinobi training that focused primarily on a taijutsu style called Musabetsu Kakuto. He was, however, able to successfully and covertly remove the chakra suppression cuffs that Manami placed on his wrists. After a threat assessment, we decided against subduing Saotome and replacing them, as he was mostly cooperative in answering our questions. Continuing the interrogation, he reported that he had a nominal affiliation with a village called Nerima. Given the context, I do not believe it to be a shinobi village. Next, having never heard of a village by that name, we asked what country it was in. Saotome replied that it was in a country called Japan. His body language did not indicate deception. However, we have never heard of such a country."
"Having completed the one initial inquiry, we did a final sweep of the area and found a scrap of metal that appeared to be part of a chain. The metal showed signs of seal work of an unknown origin and purpose," he finished with a smirk and a gesture to Kin, indicating that she should present the chain and finish the report.
gpt
Kin stared at Ranma for a long moment after that first comment. "...Moose? he's a... Moose?" a Moose Demon? really!? well, at least a Moose was more intimidating than a mouse was. "The Lady Hokage doe not have children." Kin stated with a wonder if Ranma wasn't less Special and more... 'special'. Kin listened to Kakashi's report, glad to be out of the limelight for a moment, shaking her head a little as she studied Ranma intently. waiting for him to make any sort of threatening movement. anything at all. he did nothing... in fact, the Ranma boy looked bored. she handed over the chain and watched the Hokage's expression intently. "He has a strange sort of energy Hokage, nothing like i've ever seen before. it's not Chackra, that's for sure. and it's not Demonic either. i honestly don't have a clue what he is, but i am not fully certain that he's fully human. he made mention of a man named Moose, who may, or may not be the reason for Ranma's sudden appearance here." Tsunade nodded, examining the chain intently before her eyes flicked to Ranma and studied him.
"Japan hmm?" she asked, sounding curious as she examined the chain again. "this is not a sealing chain..." she stated, examining the seals intently. "oh how i wish the fourth was here... he'd understand this symbles so easily..." she admitted, scowling as she glanced at Ranma. "Kin, get me the map." Kin nodded and went into the other room and came back out with a large world map. "You, Ranma, are here." she stated, pressing her forefinger down right onto the city of Konoha. "where are you from?" she asked, sweeping a hand over the map. the problem was... there was no Japan... or America, or Russia... there was... nothing there that Ranma would recognize
Short post is short. >< sorry.)
human
Ranma uncrossed his arms and approached the desk, frowning as he got a good look at the map. "Naw this is all wrong," he declared matter of factly before flipping it over and snatching the nearest writing implement. He'd seen enough maps out on the road with his pop to give a rough approximation of his world. It only took a few minutes to draw an the land masses looked some what blob like, except for Australia which he had forgotten about completely, but it was good enough for his purposes. The last thing he added was a series of little circles off the east coast of the biggest blob, err landmass.
"This is Japan," he told them, pointing confidentally at those same circles. That accomplished, his mind turned to the girl's comments about his energy. He didn't understand what exactly she was talking about. First, she had called it chakra, but that could be just what they called ki around here. The thing that puzzled him, however, was that she said it felt different. The only difference he could tell was that they were using a different mental filter to bring it to the surface. He couldn't exactly tell what it was but it was something he hadn't felt before. He, personally, used confidence. It only made sense. He was the best after all. His rival had used depression and anger. These people, though, didn't seem to be using anything at all. It was possible they had some other way to focus it besides emotion he supposed. Maybe that was it.
Ranma felt himself begin to grin as he got a a far away look in his eye. New techniques! These guys obviously had some. Oh, he couldn't wait to see them. The implications of the new mental filter alone were dizzying.
gpt
Tsunade looked a little surprised as Ranma stated that it was wrong and she studied the very clumsy map he had drawn with a scowl. "...there are no such land masses..." she complained softly, examining his map intently before her eyes snapped from Kakashi, to Kin, to Ranma and then back to the map. "Shizune!... get me some Sake!" the apprentice groaned but left to do as she was told and Kin sighed. "Lady Hokage... i don't think now is the time to be getting drunk. we have a serious issue on our hands!" Kin complained, Tsunade snorting. "shows what you know! this is the perfect time to get drunk. because Ranma here just proved a completely crazy theory that the first Hokage suggested might be possible when he found a woman in the middle of the forest claiming that she wasn't from Konoha, and had never lived in any of the Great Shinobi Countries... nor even knew what a Shinobi WAS." she shook her head. "he theorized that she came from a completely separate dimension, and got here using something known as 'Amazon Magic'. i think i'm pronouncing that right..." she admitted. "the woman had been experimenting on ways to travel instantaneously and instead found herself here in Konoha." Tsunade shook her head. "according to reports, it is this woman who is the reason why we have electricity."
Kin had to quickly find a chair. "another Dimension Lady Tsunade?... how can you be so sure!? what's to say the boy isn't lying!?" "...because this map... matches the one that the other woman drew." Tsunade stated as she got up and grabbed a large book, dropping it onto the desk and flipping it open, revealing said funky little map. even clumsier than Ranma's, but with all the land masses there... for the most part. another flip of the page revealed symbols that everyone in the room would easily be able to compare to the chain. "the woman, according to the First Hokage, fell in love with Konoha and never even contemplated a possibility of going back..." she looked at Ranma. "you might very well be stuck here." she admitted. "i'll be calling Jiriya..." she ignored Kin's shriek of protest. "he might be able to figure out these symbols and find a way to send you back to your own world. until then, Kin. you will be in charge of him." Kin twitched, looking horrified. "don't give me that look. you have a guest room. you'll be fine, i can't just let him wander around picking fights with people." Tsunade stated, taking her Sake. "it would be bad form for the Ninja of Konoha to kill a guest from another Dimension..."
human
"Figures,' Ranma groused at the mention of Amazon magic. "Stupid Amazons hit me with so much magic, I'm surprised I don't glow in the dark by now," he explained with an annoyed snort. "Bet that Hokage guy ended up accidentally clocking her one and she forced him to marry her too," he predicted, no doubt sounding a little crazy to the rest of the room. "Oh, Airen!" he mocked in a falsetto, clasping his hands together next to his cheek melodramatically with a vapid expression on his face. It only lasted a second before he dropped the pose in favor of his previous annoyed expression. "Gimme a break."
"Anyway," Kakashi deadpanned in response. "It sounds as if Ranma is familiar with these, what were they called, Amazons?" He half-asked and half-stated. "Sounds like the first Hokage was right, then," he concluded before apparently losing interest and deftly pulling a small orange covered book from a pocket.
Neither of them said much after that. Not until the Hokage's pronouncement on the living arrangements. "Aww, why do I always hav'ta get stuck with the violent tomboys?" he whined, causing Kakashi to smirk behind his book. "Well, whatever. I'm gettin' hungry so can ya show me where I'll be stayin' before the street vendors close?" he asked, not seeming to consider the fact that he had no local currency.
gpt
Tsunade and Kin stared at Ranma for a long moment, clearly wondering is he was sane or if the fall had bashed his brains into mush. "Airen?... are you mocking the creator of our village!?" Kin demanded, furious as she slapped Ranma upside the head. "Never mock the Kage! that's the fastest way to get LYNCHED!... and i'll be at the head of the pack!" she snarled before turning her attention to Kakashi. "Put that Perverse book away!" she demanded with a scowl before glaring at Ranma again, flexing her fingers. "do you wish to restate that comment Mister Ranma? i don't HAVE to give you a free place to live with free food and free clothes and free training after all. i could just leave you to rot in the streets." Kin was smiling innocently, but Kakashi and Tsunade both knew that smile. it was the smile that Kin used before some unfortunate male had his 'wiggly' attacked. "Kin, please be kind to Ranma." Tsunade ordered, looking amused. "he's tired, in pain, and doesn't know our ways." Kin sighed. "fine..." she grumbled. "come on Monkey brat." she ordered, leading the way out into the street. "we'll go to the hospital first to get your brains stabilized. then we'll get food." she promised.
the stop at the hospital went by quickly enough, a glowing hand cured most of Ranma's pain and a pretty pink pill took care of the rest. then they went for food, something fast and quick and a little messy but certainly delicious and certainly nothing Ranma would find odd. it was all the same food he was used to. the buildings where sort of the same, made out of wood and concrete, the people where all speaking the same language that he knew... but the streets where made of dirt, there where no vehicles of any kind save for the carts that people pulled and the occasional horse, but none inside the city gates. they got to Kin's house, a two story place with all the luxuries of modern life in it. there was a Tv even! and a game system, though it wasn't anything that Ranma would recognize. "this is your room." Kin stated, indicating a bedroom up on the second floor. "we'll go shopping for you tomorrow, clothes and toothbrushes and the like. Hokage-Sama said that i'm supposed to show you some of our Ninja Arts tomorrow if your interested in that." she admitted simply, turning on the lights. "you can rearrange your bedroom however you want. i don't care, just don't destroy anything and don't be too loud after midnight. some people do need to sleep after all." and with that she pointed to a room across the hall. "that's the Toilette. the bathroom is down stairs." she explained simply. "it's the room off the kitchen. help yourself to the kitchen anytime you get hungry, and if you get hurt there's a first aid kit in the Kitchen as well, under the sink." she examined him a bit. "goodnight." she stated loftily and went into her own room and snapped the door shut. she collapsed onto her bed with a groan, hoping tomorrow wouldn't be as long and traumatic.
in the morning, Ranma would wake to the smell of cooking food. it smelled like bacon and flatcakes is what it smelled like. being a ninja had it's perks, and being able to function on very little sleep was one of them. "Morning." Kin chirped as she examined Ranma. "go take a bath, i'll have breakfast done by the time you finish, then we'll get you some better clothes. Kakashi dropped off something for you to wear in the meantime, it's in the bathroom." she stated simply. thankfully, it wasn't anything weird. just black slacks and a black turtleneck. ninja liked black apparently. once he was finished cleaning up and getting dressed, breakfast was indeed on the table and Kin was already eating while reading a scroll, a small frown on her face as she studied it.
human
"Ow, whadja do that for?" Ranma shouted in response to the smack on the back of the head, followed by barely audible mumbles about violent girls who didn't listen. He had been making fun of thegirlin the story. Airen was Chinese for husband after all. Kakashi simply took advantage of the distraction the two kids' antics caused to continue reading.
The doctor's visit managed to wash the entire meeting from his mind. During the entire visit, he couldn't take his eyes off the medics hands, especially when they were glowing. He focused his senses, probing the green energy it felt light and calm, soothing. It was like what he imagined having a mother there to read him a bedtime story when he was a kid would have felt like. His mind was already racing, trying to figure out way to replicate it, but there was a problem. He didn't really have a whole lot of experience with those kinds of emotions. With the kind of focus the technique obviously required, that would put him at a disadvantage. Still, he'd get it eventually. After all, Ranma Saotome doesn't lose.
The little food stand they ate at had Ranma grinning. The staff gave him a dubious look at the outrageous size of the order, but the sight of his companions hitai-ite kept them from questioning it. Ninja tended to eat larger portions while they were training, but even for a ninja it was a bit much. When the food arrived, however, all doubts were laid to rest. The young man was a human garbage disposal. Not only did he inhale his own food but, several times, his chopsticks darted out to snatch bites of Kin's as well. All the while, he guarded his own food expertly, using those same chopsticks to nimbly block or trap his eating companion's when she tried to retaliate in kind. The staff had mixed feelings about the display. On the one hand, the boy had horrible manners. On the other, it had been damned impressive, entertaining even.
"Ah, that was good," he proclaimed as they left, a smug grin on his face. As she was leading them to her house, he spied a fence along the road. As was his custom, he leapt atop it, strolling along as easily as if her were walking on the ground despite the narrow footing, until it ended and he was forced to rejoin Kin on the road.
When they reached her house, he let out an appreciative whistle. "Nice place," he complimented simply. It was about the size of the Tendos' place where he had been staying at before but it was more modern. He even noted, after she showed him around and directed him to the bathroom, that it had better plumbing. "Sweet! A shower!" He shouted happily. He wouldnt have to use a bucket of cold water to wash up or heat up a furo. He quickly got undressed and turned on said shower, sticking his hand in to test the temperature. Unfortunately, it hadn't had time to warm up yet. "C-cold!" he exclaimed in surprise, his voice sounding much different as his body instantly began to change. It only took a split second. Where Ranma had been standing before was now a short, curvy redheaded girl. Other than the height, difference and the hair color though, they looked surprisingly alike. Their facial features were similar, they had little scars in all the same places, even their hair was styled the same way. "Well, so much for stayin' a guy," she deadpanned to no one in particular.
gpt
Kin rolled her eyes. she didn't know any Chinese anyway, just Japanese. she watched Ranma intently as he watched the doctors. when he failed to do anything other than study the healing Chackra, she relaxed. she was a little stunned at the amount of food he ordered, but didn't stop him, she'd take home whatever he didn't eat... only he ate it all... and stole her food too the greedy bastard! she ended that with a well placed punch that sent him to the floor and she easily reclaimed what he had taken from her. "we're working on your table manners." was Kin's only response once all the plates where done and Ranma had finished what she hadn't wanted from her own plate. "and i'm going to need to ask the Hokage for a raise if your going to eat like that all the time." she grumbled, but sounded amused. "i've never met someone who could pack away more food than Naruto." she admitted, watching Ranma walk on a fence... she had to admit, she was impressed. many ninja couldn't even do that. most where too focused on power and technique, not balance. she had a feeling that Ranma could kick Kakashi's ass if he wanted to. she'd have to test that later.
there was a shocking reaction as soon as Ranma turned into a girl and spoke, the door slammed open so fast it wasn't even funny and Kin was suddenly on top of him, holding a Kunai to his throat while expertly pinning both wrists down with her knees. "who are you, how did you get into my house, and what did you do with Ranma!? Speak, woman, NOW, before i start cutting things off!" Kin demanded with a snarl, rage in her eyes and an utter willingness to cause Ranma any pain she could to make 'her' talk. "you have to the count of three to start talking, before i start peeling the skin off that pretty face of yours." then she paused and examined him much more intently. "...you look just like Ranma..." she muttered, looking baffled. "a Twin?" Kin was already relaxing a little as she examined Ranma all over. "you even have the same hairstyle... how weird..."
human
The blow had indeed sent him to the floor, rolling nimbly backwards as he easily dodged under it and out of his seat with a grace that would have put world class gymnasts to shame. Really the attack had been far too slow to be any real threat.
"Aww, whatsamatter? Big bad ninja too slow to play the game?" he taunted cockily. He'd just have to goad her into it. If she was going to show him new techniques he might as well give her something in return, and he didn't know of a better way to train hand speed than chopstick fighting over food. After all, not eating tended to be a pretty strong motivator.
Later that night, however, Ranma's agility didn't even have time to come into play. She was too caught off guard to do much more than meep in surprise as Kin came bursting into the room and pinned her to the ground. The surprise didn't last long, and was quickly replaced by annoyance. When the other girl began to register surprise of her own, Ranma took advantage, using her back and her hips to launch Kin forward onto the her stomach. From there, she somehow transitioned the motion into a handstand before twisting into a midair flip and landing on the girl's back straddling it. She quickly snatched the girl's arm, the one holding the kunai, and twisted it into a joint lock. In the same motion, she grabbed the kunai from the now limp hand while wrenching it further using her body weight. The resulting body position left the back of Kin's hand close enough to a region of the redheads now female anatomy that the blonde could actually feel a little heat radiating off it. The redhead didn't even seem to notice though, despite the fact that she was still completely naked. "I didn't do nothin' with Ranma," she growled in annoyance. Then it faded into her customary cocky grin as she began to idly twirl the kunai. "IamRanma."
gpt
she snorted a little and flicked a Senbon at him, but didn't fight for her own food anymore, she was full anyway. in the bathroom she was too shocked at seeing a female Ranma to really do anything but let herself be pinned. not that she really cared, her mind was whirling as she released the Kunai, more on reflex than anything else. people usually stopped twisting as soon as the weapon was out of hand, and that gave her enough movement to slip free if she had to. "...Ranma is a boy. i would know, he doesn't have breasts. and i'm pretty sure that this." the back of her hand brushed along Ranma's crotch. "is NOT a male part." she paused and then scowled and with quick efficiency tossed Ranma off of her... Ranma just wasn't heavy enough to pin her down with body weight alone. "You've been hanging around Naruto!" she accused. "him and that damn Hetai No Jutsu! i aught to neuter that little blond bastard!"
a country or so away, in the land of Suna, said blond haired Jinchuuriki sneezed
then she studied Ranma again, scowling a little. "no... your not using Chackra... this isn't a Technique..." she muttered, leaning forward and poking Ranma's breast with a quite intensity. "... yes, real..." she muttered, walking around him with a curiosity that normally couldn't be found in a fully grown woman. "your really a girl... how did this happen?" she mused, her head cocked tot he side as the steam from the now hot shower filled the bathroom. "how very strange... do all people from your world change sex so easily?" she asked, poking Ranma's breasts again. "yes... still real... maybe i'm dreaming... still, what a weird dream..."
human
Ranma once again meeped in surprise when she felt Kin's hand brush her... there. She could feel her face turning an atomic red. Her embarrassment, at least partially, contributed to the ease with which Kin was able to toss her. She easily recovered, though, turning the momentum into a hand spring that ended with her on her feet and facing the blonde. Tellingly, she was unable to look Kin directly in the eye. Surprisingly, the embarrassment didn't seem to be extending from a sense of feminine modesty, as she had yet to try to cover herself.
Her embarrassed expression turned annoyed when Kin started groping her chest, however. "Please stop that," she asked in a quietly threatening voice as an angry tic played at the corner of her eye.
Then with a resigned sigh, she explained, "It ain't no technique. It's just more stupid magic." God, she hated this part. "Is very tragic tale of girl who drown in spring 300 year ago," she bitterly parroted the man who had originally explained the curse to her. "Now, whoever fall in spring cursed to take body of young girl," she finished. "So, basically, hot water, guy. Cold water, girl," the redhead summed up, once again talking normally. "And before you ask, I'm really a guy."
gpt
Kin blinked at the 'girl' her head cocked to the side as she studied the man. "hmm... high Jounin Level.. possibly Mid Anbu..." she muttered, more to herself. "good training partner at least, Kakashi sure as hell isn't going to do me any good, the lazy bastard." and that just showed how tough Ninja where. normal people would still be struggling to come to terms with the fact that a boy could turn into a girl so easily. "i'll have to tell the Hokage about this of course... but considering we have boys that turn into Dogs... i think it shouldn't be too hard to handle." she admitted with a small grin. "still, sucks to be you doesn't it? how old are you anyway? certainly old enough to have sex at least... so do you do it with men or with women?" she asked, not an ounce of teasing in her voice, just honest to Ninja curiosity and bafflement. "of course, you could still be a virgin... i would be if i had to turn into a different gender every time i turned around." Kin admitted as she shoved Ranma into the hot shower and then examined him intently, head cocked to the side. "wow, amazing, you DO change into a boy with hot water..." here a smug little smirk lifted her lips. "a very nicely endowed boy to say the least." Kin admitted with a snicker. "and a very nice body for a girl too. nice breasts... i wonder, if you where ugly before you where cursed, would you be ugly in either form?" she wondered curiously as she wandered back into the kitchen.
"you know, you really should have told us this yesterday, it would have saved us a LOT of hassle you know." she complained, completely uncaring that she had practically molested... oh well, maybe she HAD molested her house guest... well, Kakashi would have been flirting with Ranma the second he'd seen her breasts, so she wasn't too worried about it. "get dressed then, we'll pick you up some clothes and then head to th training grounds. if i'm going to house you, then your going to train with me. i'm only a low level Jounin right now, so i need someone who will actually spar with me, instead of sitting there reading porn." she complained, shaking her head as she set a massive pile of food onto the table. fried potatoes, flatcakes, bacon, sausage, baked fish, a massive bowl of rice, and some sweet bean buns. plenty for Ranma to eat.
human
"Hey! I ain't never..." the redhead began to protest loudly. What she "ain't never" done, though, was cut off as she was suddenly pushed backwards. Once again, she was a male and his hands immediately moved to cover his... maleness. The blush reappeared with a vengeance. "Are you finished?" he asked in a low threatening voice, glaring malevolently.
After Kin finally left, Ranma resumed his bath. Once it was over and he was toweled off and dressed, he stood looking at his reflection in the mirror. He would definitely need new clothes. This all black set made him look stupid. Somehow, it just didn't suit him.
Ranma woke to the smell of food. Overall, it was a much more pleasant experience than the wake up calls he got at the Tendos'. He was down the stairs in a flash and, with a quick cry of "itadakimasu," he dug in. Then the conversation started. "I difn teww you cus you difn ask," he countered, talking around a mouth so full that his cheeks were bulging. At the final command, he simply glanced down at the white tank top undershirt and boxers that he had been wearing since the day before and swallowed noisily, having finished his plate and about a third of Kin's as well. Before she could protest, however, he was dashing up the stairs to carry out her instructions.
gpt
Kin snickered a little. "ah, a virgin." she stated with a nod. "well i'm sure you can find a fix for that." she teased with a small chuckle. "there's plenty of people around here that are Bi-Sexual. they'd just LOVE to meet you." she admitted as she finished patting the rice into bowls. "you have AWFUL Table manners!" she growled, glaring at him. "i'm going to start tying your hand to the table! and then smack you in the head every time you talk with your mouth full!" she grumbled, shaking her head. she didn't stop him from eating her food in any case, she knew it was futile. she had her fill in any case, she made sure of it, she wasn't about to let some snot nosed Taijutsu master keep her from eating! she nearly stabbed him in the fingers with her knife when he tried grabbing her food one too many times. she needed to find a way to get faster, she really did. she waited until he was dressed before heading out to the clothing shops. she'd gotten enough money from the Hokage to buy him any clothing he wanted, so while he perused the clothing shops, she sat in a chair and read a book on lightning ninjitsu, humming as she idly practiced the hand signs, her fingers flipping through the motions effortlessly.
she blinked at the pile of more suitable clothing that Ranma had managed to find and paid the store for the purchases before ordering Ranma to change into one of the outfits so that he was more comfortable. the rest of the clothes where gone by the time he got back, and she was waiting for him with some impatience. "now then. on to the training grounds. i'll show you some Ninja Techniques, if you'll show me how to get as fast as you are?" she offered, smiling a little. "i'm not sure how you work your Chackra, but you have some sort of energy, so you should be able to use at the very least, some of the simpler Chackra exercises and techniques... you might even be able to do the tree walking exercise." she admitted with a nod. "can you run through trees?" she asked, shifting on her feet. "lets find out." and with that she was off, leaping onto the roofs of the buildings and heading for the forest, she knew Ranma would catch up to her. she was more worried about he handled running through the trees. she wasn't TOO worried about it, with the way he could balance, he would probobly find it no effort at all, but there was the slight concern.
human
Ranma didn't take long shopping. The shopping trips he had taken with his mother while he was hiding from her in his cursed form had soured him to the experience, which had already seemed distasteful beforehand. Its was just too girly. Still, if there was one thing Ranma knew, it was how to look good. The outfit he chose to wear was as close to his former Chinese style as he could manage in a world where China didn't actually exist. The shirt was blue silk with a gold trim, double breasted, with a mandarin collar that fastened on his shoulder. He left that fastener and a couple others opened though, allowing the corner of the fabric to fold over in the front, revealing the white inner lining as well as a bit of his chest. For the pants, he was able to find an almost exact duplicate of the ones he had lost in the transition. They were currently tied just above the ankle too keep the fabric from tripping him, while the sleeves were rolled up to just under his elbow. The whole outfit was completed by a pair of black slippers, again, just like the ones he had worn before the 'trip'. Everything was just baggy enough that it wouldn't hinder his movements in a fight, or get ripped open by his 'assets' when he transformed, but not baggy enough that they would look like a tent on him.
Well, they wouldn't look like a tent when he was a guy anyway. He had enough experience with the change now to be able to picture how it would look on 'her'. The opened collar would show just a hint of cleavage, while the hem and sleeves would come much lower. The sleeves would stop just above her wrists while the hem, instead of stopping at just below her waist like it did in guy form, would come down to about mid thigh. The image was acceptable enough, he supposed.
Listening to Kin's plans for the day, as well as her assessment of his 'chakra', he just nodded, an eager glint in his eye at the mention of new techniques. Then, when she issued her challenge, he gave her an evil grin. He was, in fact able to catch up with her, and quite easily too. In fact, after hepassedher during one of the roof hops, he flipped over and, while still upside down, he stuck his tongue out at her while pulling his eyelid down before recovering. He landed effortlessly on his feet and continued on like it was nothing.
Then, he reached the treeline. He wasn't really sure where they would be going after that point, but he still leapt fearlessly into that first tree. He reached out, grabbing a large branch with his hands, and launched into a series of intricate acrobatics as he waited for Kin to catch up. He hadn't left the girl too far behind, he was pleased to note as she caught up quickly. Otherwise, he'd be worried about what kind of a training partner she would make. She didn't seem to be too horrible, he thought. Maybe by other people's standards she was even pretty good. It wasn't really her fault though, he was just the best. Once he saw her pass him again, he quickly finished his little show and began tree hopping as easily as any ninja, keeping just behind her as she led him to their destination.
gpt
she grinned a little as he watched him pick out his clothes. he was such a man, you could see his loathing of having to pick out his own clothes. still, he was very good at it, and he looked very good in them too. she had to admit, the kid was incredibly cute, sexy even. she wouldn't mind trying to seduce him, especially with the clothes that he was wearing now... of course, if she tried to seduce him, she'd have to reveal her own secrete... and while he might turn into a girl and a boy easily, she wasn't sure how he would handle someone else doing the same thing... of a sort anyway. in any case, she would have to be very careful about seducing Ranma if she decided she really wanted to. she smirked as she noticed just how proper the clothes he was wearing was. warrior clothes, for someone very skilled in a quick paced Taijutsu. she wouldn't doubt that he was of a combination of Rabbit and Tiger style. swift movements coupled with hard blows. she herself was more of the Snake, quick movements, sliding between blows, and hitting small areas that where left open again and again until the enemy collapsed from pain or exhaustion... which stunk because Ranma was a hell of a lot faster than she was.
she grinned as she ran though, as much as Ranma had god awful table manners, he at least was fun to be around. she laughed as he passed her and made his faces at her, and she offered him the finger in return, leaping into the trees with the practice of a well trained Ninja on her own turf. she watched him running with a critical eye. she was right, he wasn't using any chackra at all. now she knew that Lea and Gai could do it, as they didn't have a whole lot of Chackra to spare... but even they used their natural Chackra systems to keep themselves balanced... Ranma was not, he was staying balanced all on his own... he was kind of like a jumping flea. annoying and impossible to hit because they jumped all over. she grinned as she took one last good leap and then vanished from sight. hopping down into a large clearing, which had everything a Jounin Ninja needed to train. targets, striking poles, a thick concrete wall with targets painted on it, and a large pond. "welcome to my own personal training field." Kin stated with a smile. "i have it registered and everything, so no one is allowed to use it without my permission." she admitted with a stretch. "Kakashi or Anko might drop by at some point, but i think they're busy today." she admitted.
"now then. we're going to start with Chackra and Ninjitsu." she admitted simply. "mostly because i'm far more curious about the energy your using than i am anything else." she admitted. "Chackra is created using the two spiritual energies that all people have within them. this being physical energy and spiritual energy. i beleive at this point, you are using your physical energy, and your spiritual energy, seperatly, which is why you let off a unique energy pattern. due to this, however, your Chackra System might not be developed enough for you to actually use Chackra. so many of our Ninjitsu, will either have to be adapted, or you won't be able to use them at all... Kin admitted. "i want to do a test first... this is Chackra Paper. i want you to channel your energy into it. i want to see what happens." she admitted. "once we are certain that your energy can be affected by Chackra based items, we'll know for sure whether or not you will be able to use Chackra techniques without proper Chackra Pathways."
human
Ranma simply shrugged. Apparently, she had come to a different conclusion as to the nature of the differences in their 'energy' than he had. He was still pretty sure it was because they used a different emotional focus than he did, but whatever. Because he couldn't help but show off again, he concentrated on his confidence, using it to focus his will and enforcing that will on his internal energy. He let the energy build until it was flowing off of him in glowing blue waves and flares before he finally began channeling it into the paper, causing it to split in two.
Ranma blinked at that reaction. He hadn't been going for that effect really. "So, uhh, is that supposed ta mean somethin' ?" He asked curiously, absently rubbing the back of his neck as his aura died away. Well, obviously the girl had expected something to happen or she wouldn't have had him do it.
gpt
Kin looked rather astonished to say the least as she watched that strange energy build up and then effect the paper so easily. "remarkable..." she muttered softly. "simply amazing..." she admitted, pondering the slip of paper. "there are five different 'types' of Chakra you see... for lack of a better word. 'affiliations' might be better. every person has a specific kind of Chakra that they will do best in. not to say you can't use the other types, but you will find some easier than others. Fire, Wind, lightning, earth, and water." she explained. "these are also the names of the Five great Shinobi Countries, named for their amazing prowess at that particular element. there are also ways to combine the different Chakra, creating entirely new elements, such as mixing Earth with Water to get Wood, or mud. or combining water with Wind to create snow or ice." she picked up the two slips of paper. "to have such a cut and dry reaction, means that my theory on your Chakra was wrong. only a person with well defined Chakra Coils, and Chakra can affect a piece of paper so perfectly. Genin cannot do this, because their Chakra is mostly untrained and unrefined." she explained, pulling out a new piece of paper.
"these pieces of paper will react to Chakra, depending on your affinity. if you are a fire user, it will burst into flames, if you are a water user, it will become soggy and wet, if you are a lightning user, it will crumple up. if you are an earth user, it will crumble into dust, or if it splits into two, as yours did, you have an affinity with wind. Wind is a very subtle art sometimes. it can make you faster, it can make your weapons much sharper, it can even help you to glide while falling with enough practice. wind Jutsu are almost always used in a cutting, or slicing manner." she admitted as she held up a new piece of paper and channeled her Chakra into it, smiling as it burst into flames. "now, being a definable Chakra type does mean that it has it's strengths, and it's weaknesses. for example, fire is weak against water, but is strong against wind. never throw a wind jutsu against a fire jutsu, it will only make the flames hotter and stronger. but Wind IS strong against Lightning Chakra." she admitted as she studied him. "i wonder...." she muttered. "we're going to do another test. one of the simplest ways of exercising Chakra."
she reached down and picked up a single leaf and pressed it to her forehead and then let it go... but it didn't fall. Ranma could feel her energy sticking the leaf to her forehead. "this is a Chakra control exercise, allowing for a person to practice their Chakra control, and make their Chakra stronger and more plentiful. i want you to try." she stated. "be careful not to focus too hard on the leaf, or you'll destroy it. the idea is to be subtle, and gentle. you need to control your energy, not the other way around." she warned before pressing the leaf to Ranma's forehead.
human
Ranma instinctively reached up with his hand to grab the leaf so it wouldn't fall. Then, pulling it away, he stared at it for a moment, frowning as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Oh, he got the whole spiel on the different types of chakra. That wasn't really rocket science, even though he'd never heard anyone divide ki up into different types before. So, that was interesting. Also, that he would be a wind type just seemed fitting. The Saotome Branch of Musabetsu Kakuto was an aerial school and he'd always had a natural focus on speed. He wasn't even confused about her talk of chakra coils. He knew all about mapping ki paths. No, what confused him was this control exercise. Yeah, in theory it sounded like a ki based variant of holding a small weight with your arm fully extended, and that was all well and good. But why emphasize that level of control?
"Hey, that's cool and all," he began as his face relaxed from that look of concentration. "But before we get into all that, couldja just show me what one o' your techniques looks like? Like, just one of the easy ones," he requested earnestly. He'd probably learn better that way, anyway.
gpt
she blinked at him for a moment and then smirked. "no. you have to do the leaf exercise first. once i am sure you are capable of this, i will know you have enough Chakra, and enough Chakra control to do basic ninjitsu without damaging yourself, or worse, your chakra coils. if you harm your Chakra coils, there's nothing we can do to fix them. once damaged, most people never use Chakra again, which has severe, and serious ramifications to your physical body that can lead to death, or permanent crippling." she stated simply. "now do the leaf exercise. if you can hold it there for five minutes, i will be able to teach you Henge, which allows you to take the appearance of someone or something else. Kawarimi, the ability to trade your body for another object, Kakuremino, which... is more of an illusion than a Ninjitsu but with the addition of a little Chakra, can fool almost anyone. and of course the Bunshin, a technique that allows you to make illusion copies of yourself. making it difficult to pinpoint which is the real you." Kin explained.
"there are, of course, other, more powerful techniques, but the last thing we want to do is strain your Chakra coils, expecially when we're not sure if what your using is actually Chakra." here she smirked. "now, as to WHY we use this exersize... it is a matter of controlling the technique. imagine that your Jutsu is a tiny fire, and your Chakra is a gust of wind. not enough wind, and the fire dies. too much wind and the fire is blown out. but if you can apply, just the right amount of Wind, then that little flame can turn into a raging Inferno. for example..." she closed her eyes and slapped her hands together. "Bunshin No Jutsu! a melted puddle of color appeared next to her. "this is an example of not enough Chakra." she repeated the process and this time a lumpy mess appeared next to her, like some grotesque mutated copy of herself. "this is an example of too much Chakra. and this, is an example of just the right amount." a new copy appeared beside her, completely identical in every way. "using the proper amount of Chakra each time, also allows you to use very tricky Jutsu, such as illusion techniques, and it will allow you to preserve your Chakra, allowing you the chance, and the stamina, to du a great many more Jutsu than you would be able to otherwise." she explained simply.
with that, she waited for him to start, and then finish the leaf exercise before she showed him the Henge. a Jutsu that all Academy students where able to preform... well, they had to be able to before they could graduate anyway.
human
Ranma would never understand women. He asks her to show him a technique and she says no. Then, she shows him anyway, like three times! Maybe she meant she wouldn'tteachhim until he got the leaf thing. Well, whatever.
Admittedly, he had been caught by surprise the first time she demonstrated it, since he wasn't expecting it. So, he didn't really get to take in much more than the physical components of it, like the hand motion. That kind of struck him as odd. Since ninja were supposed to be all sneaky and focused on surprise, why add the extra flare? The second time, however, he was able to probe her aura and feel what was going on. That was when he could tell that the hand motion wasn't necessarily superfluous. By the third time, he had all the details committed to memory.
Experimentally, Ranma brought his hands together in the same manner Kin had. Then, that small frown that indicated he was trying to work out a puzzle reappeared. He still couldn't see anything relevant about the gesture. So, he let his hands drop. Next, he closed his eyes and began to feel for his dormant ki. As he did, he reformed the hand gesture and concentrated on the form it took. There! Somehow, concentrating on the hand sign had created a... well, a space was the only thing he could really think to describe it. It was like an intangible mould and all he had to do was pour a little ki into it. He didn't have to focus the ki with his confidence and force it into the shape he wanted like he normally did. That must be why it feels different, he assumed. This ki wasn't filtered through any emotion at all. It felt just like Kin's normally did.
He had a pretty good grasp on it now he thought, so he went ahead and let his ki flow into the 'mould'. That was when he noticed that the mould wasn't quite perfect. It leaked... kind of. It was more like a coloring book, and the edges of the mould were the lines. The ki conformed to the shape of the mould, for the most part, but he had to spare a little focus to keep the energy from bleeding out of the configuration. Even then, he couldn't keep it from leaking a little bit, but he didn't think it was enough to really affect anything. It was nothing like his Mouko Takabisha, where he had to hold its shape through sheer force of will. Now that he thought about it though, if he could use his will to make this pattern of ki without using the hand signs to form the mould, he could probably skip the hand sign all together. That would take more concentration, though and he probably wouldn't be able to do it until he knew the configuration like the back of his hand.
Well, at this point, there was nothing else for it. He gauged the energy to make sure it was right about the same amount that Kin's had been on her third demonstration, 'released' the energy in the same manner that he did when he fired off his Mouko Takabisha. When he opened his eyes, there was a perfectly formed copy of himself. Of course, he couldn't help but give a cocky grin at his success, but that was a given. "So teach, still need to see the leaf thing or can we move on?" he asked smugly.
gpt
Kin grinned a little as she watched him. he was very good at memory recollection. the fact that he was able to imitate the hand signs with little effort was simple proof of that. she studied his Ki and nearly jumped out of her skin when it slowly bled into traditional Chakra signatures. so she was right! he had simply been using a less focused form of natural Chakra! but how had that worked? and would there be advantages to using his form on occasion? she watched him experiment with the 'mold' and she smirked a little as he played with his Chakra, now he would see exactly what she had meant by 'control' and later he would see how each hand seal could create more than one mold, and how adding hand seals could alter those simple molds to form new jutsu, much more complicated Jutsu. she had to clap, impressed when he pushed the Chakra properly, and formed an almost perfect copy of himself. "no we don't need to see the leaf thing. you have enough control for now i suppose. though you did leak out a bit of Chakra, i suppose some Jounin do as well." she admitted. "how did you manage to alter your Chakra like that by the way? how remarkable." she admitted, her head tilted as she studied him.
after that she taught him Henge and other various Jutsu that was D-Rank and Academy Rank. a few Wind release Jutsu, and one or two Fire release Jutsu, a grin on her lips. "your a quick learn!" she admitted happily as she glanced at her watch. "it's nearly lunch time. we'll go and get something to eat, and then come back for more practice." she decided. "it will be your turn to train me." she admitted, clapping her hands together eagerly. "and don't forget, using your Wind and Fire Jutsu together, can triple your attack power." she admitted before taking him down the road to find something to eat. leaping through the trees and pausing to let Ranma choose the place. "Anko!" Kin called suddenly, grinning as she grabbed the back of Ranma's shirt and dragged him over to the sexy sadist. "I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow! welcome back, good mission?" "was it ever!" Anko admitted with a laugh, going into the details of explaining how she'd had to wipe out a bunch of slave traders. "So whose this then?" "this is Ranma. i know, it's a funny name. he's from another world apparently. i've been showing him some Jutsu." Kin admitted. "he's going to be physically training me. we're going out for lunch! you want some?" "Dango?" "you have to have real food first Anko!.... then we can have some Dango. it's Ranma's turn to choose what we have for lunch though." she lied, motioning for Ranma to choose. if Anko chose, they'd have Takoyaki... a nice snack, but certainly not a good lunch. especially for Ranma, who had used a lot of Chakra, and would no doubt be even more hungry than he usually was.
human
Ranma grinned like a loon as he learned technique after technique, each one faster than the last as the system of hand signs became more familiar. He found the concept fascinating. It allowed for much more delicate and specialized ki manipulation compared to the brute force approach he was used to, which would allow for a wider range of effects. There were trade offs, though, mostly in timing. While the hand signs made the mental strain easier, one had to take more care while using them. One had to carefully craft the shape that the energy took instead of just compressing it into a rough ball and lobbing it at their opponent, for example.
By the time lunch rolled around, Ranma was ready for it. Well, honestly, he was always ready for lunch, but this time he was evenmoreready than usual. The only thing that kept him from expressing his enthusiasm was a growing sense of unease. During the whole training session, he had somehow managed to not piss his instructor off, not even when he pulled off that stunt with the bunshin. With how volatile the girl had been before, he had half expected her to pound him into the ground for ignoring her instructions. Instead, she had actuallycomplimentedhim and he was actually havingfun, all while in the presence of a girl no less. The universe must be winding up for something big, he decided. Well, whatever. He could take whatever the universe could dish out. He was Ranma Saotome after all.
So, putting the feelings of impending doom aside, he quickly followed after Kin. When the girl paused, he kept walking, only to have his forward momentum halted by a hand grabbing his shirt and dragging him backwards causing his arms to pinwheel comically. He quickly righted himself, though, standing upright and straightening his shirt while grumbling about pushy women. Then, he finally noticed that he was being introduced.
"Heya," Ranma greeted appropriately before effectively bowing out of the conversation. While the two women chatted, he glanced around with a disinterested expression. One might even have described him as looking bored. He was only half-listening when Kin caught his attention by saying his name, startling him out of his day dreams.
"Uh yeah, how 'bout over there?" The pigtailed boy suggested quickly with a nod in the direction of a nearby resteraunt. Ranma thought the place looked cheap, but, at the same time, thought it could handle some volume. It actually kind of reminded him of Ucchan's, despite the fact that it wasn't an okinomiyaki stand. It just seemed to have that laid back working class/after school atmosphere.
gpt
Kin honestly couldn't beleive it, how could someone be so good at this? most ninja took at least a couple of days to figure out how to work their Chakra into a new Jutsu, Ranma was barely taking minutes on each one, if that. did he had a learning advantage because of how he was working his Chakra before? or was it simply easier to mold Chakra where he was from? Kin didn't know, but she wanted desperately to find out. still, if she was being honest with herself... and she was always honest with herself, she's swear that she was having FUN. she never had FUN. she took enjoyment out of some things, but she'd never had fun before. being... who she was, she'd had to train three times as hard in order to become the best that she could be. there hadn't been time for 'playing Ninja' because she WAS a ninja. she'd have to try him out on a scroll next. see if he could learn from books just as well as he could from watching her. somehow she doubted that a bit, he seamed to be a bit like Naruto. hyper, almost, learned best by doing, probobly a little on the illiterate side. not that they couldn't read, but she was pretty sure Naruto had more than a touch of Dyslexia. she really aught to introduce the two... they'd get along real well no doubt.
she grinned when Ranma motioned to a restaurant and they went inside, it was on the cheaper scale, but they had a bit of everything, from Ramen to fish to everything else really. "are you sure it's alright for him to be ordering that much food?" Anko asked, looking shocked at how much Ranma was ordering. "yes. Ranma get a third plate of Dango, i'm not sharing mine with you." she ordered sternly. "and don't try to steal Anko's. as fast as you are, i doubt you could dodge her every time, and she'll cut your balls off with a dull knife if you mess with her food... oh they have Octopus today!" Kin stated eagerly. ordering her own meal of stir fried octopus... cooked in its own ink, and well over twenty servings of Dango. Anko just ordered Dango. Kim grinned as she shoveled down her own meal, happily engaging Ranma in a chopstick spar over the defense of her food... if he even went after it, her food looked like a pile of black sludge. not many could stomach dome of the thinks that Kin enjoyed. even if he didn't go for her food, she still went after his, and she even managed to steal a piece or two. Anko thought they where both freaks and sat well out of reaching distance.
"so he's from another world huh?" "yeah, some place called... what did you call it Ranma? Japan? he was launched out of a Canoon... i'm not sure what that is either, but it sounds painful." Kin admitted with a grin. "and he does this super fascinating thing when exposed to Cold water." "shrieks like a little girl like a sane person?" Anko asked, feeling very amused. "nah, i'm pretty sure he's not sane." Kin admitted with a laugh. "but at least he's not as annoying as Lee or Naruto, or even Kiba!" "ugh, Dog breath." Anko complained, making both girls laugh. "we're probobly going to go back to training. Ranma promised to help me with my speed and sparring." "ah! so that's what the steeling of the food was about." "yes. i figure if i battle him over every meal, i'll see a 12% increase in my seal speed." "very impressive. better than what Kakashi does." "well at least he doesn't try to feel up my ass anymore. not after he found out..." Kin paused, snickering and Anko giggled. "i never saw him turn so green!"
human
"Now yer gettin it," Ranma praised as he heard Kin explaining the food training to Anko. "But this ain't nothin. If you want speed, I got somethin even better," he bragged, the accompanying grin more than a little sinister. He did end up sampling the octopus, octopus balls were his favourite after all, but decided he didn't much care for it. Still, he couldn't just let his training partner off that easy, nor could he pass up the opportunity to show off. So, the next time Anko opened her mouth to take a bite of Dango, Ranma's hand flashed out quicker than the eye could see, stealing a piece of the octopus and tossing it in Anko's mouth. That should teach her to say I scream like a girl, he thought smugly.
Ranma almost choked on his food when he heard Kin mention Kakashi trying to grab her ass. Did the man have a death wish? Girls got downright scary with stuff like that, or the girls he knew did at least. That thought didn't prevent him from blushing slightly, though, and he got fairly quiet for the rest of the meal.
When it was finally over and they stepped outside, Ranma waved at the two girls. "Hey, I'll meet you back at the trainin ground," he told Kin, "I got to pick up a few things for your trainin." With that he started off in a slightly different direction before pausing and turning back to the girls. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find some chestnuts would ya?" He asked, sounding a little sheepish.
gpt
Anko blinked a little, looking puzzled at Ranma. "so... he doesn't scream like a girl when exposed to cold water? Kakashi screams like a little girl. it's funny as hell." Anko admitted with a smirk before she proceeded to choke on her piece of Octopus. she HATED Octopus! neither girl was entirely sure what had happened though, so all Anko could do was glare at Ranma, no matter how innocent he looked, and how little... nonexistent, proof she had, she KNEW he had been the one who did it. Kin had dissolved into silent giggles at Anko's furious face and finished off her food with low little snickers. "Kakashi never did have much of a brain... he made the mistake of thinking Kin was sweet and laid back." Anko explained to Ranma with a grin. "he forgot that i was the one who inducted her into the Jounin Ranks." Anko's grin turned far, far more sinister than anything Ranma could pull off. "what was it you did to Kakashi after he touched your ass Kin?" "much less than what you would have done... i actually let him keep his man parts. still... he wasn't able to piss without a massive amount of pain for a few weeks after." Kin admitted with a small chuckle as she looked at Ranma. "a word of advice. never hit on a poison specialist." Kin stated calmly. "someone like Anko? a single scratch can be deadly."
they both stared at him in utter bafflement as Ranma asked about Chestnuts. "...er... there's a grocery store that way." Kin stated, pointing in the proper direction and handing him several large bills of money for him to use to buy chestnuts. "...maybe he's still hungry?" Anko mused, Kin shrugging. "So have you told him yet?" Anko asked with a grin once Ranma was out of earshot.... once they THOUGHT Ranma was out of earshot anyway. "Kami Sama NO! can you imagine how he would react!?" that set Anko to laughing. "you never did tell me what happens when he hits cold water." "he turns into a girl." "bullshit, men can't just turn into girls Kin." "sure they can... well, ok no most can't but he was cursed somehow." Kin admitted with a shrug as they walked to the training grounds. "he seams to be incredibly sensitive about it, i don't think he understands just how much of a gift he's been given." "if he can REALLY turn into a girl.... imagine the missions!" "i know! no one would suspect a cute girl to be dangerous, especially when their all looking for a boy!" "i wonder if it could be hereditary?" Anko mused. "could be a very nice Gekkai Genkai." Anko mused. "have you had one of the Hyuuga look at him?" "No! like i wanna share with those pompous ass holes! they can have Ranma over my dead body!" "possessive much?" "you know what those bastards would do to Ranma, with or without the Kage's permission."
they both fell silent as they waited for Ranma to return, looking rather bored once he did return. Anko, shockingly, did not immidiatly try to turn him into a girl. she just sat on the sidelines, ate some Dango, and watched as Ranma built a fire, placed the Chestnuts inside a pan and explained what to do. "...you want me to... WHAT!?" Kin demanded, her eyes wide with shock. "...you had better not be screwing with me Ranma Saotome or you're going to end up missing a very important part of your anatomy!"
human
As it turned out, Anko didn't need to bother with cold water. Ranma was already in female form when she tromped into the training ground, carrying a bag of chestnuts and a pile of firewood. She didn't even seem to acknowledge Anko or Kin as she set up the wood and ignited it with one of her nifty new techniques, all the while grumbling about produce vendors and their stupid water cans.
"Alright," the short red head called out irritably. "Here's the deal. This is a conditionin excersize that'll increase yer hand speed" she explained as she reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of chestnuts. "Alls ya gotta do, is grab the chestnuts out ta the fire before it burns you." Then came the inevitable protests, and Ranma had to suppress a grin. This was kind of fun. No wonder her old man pulled this kind of crap on her all the time.
"Tch, so much for the big bad ninja," she scoffed. It sounded like it was time for Kin's introduction to the Anything Goes combat doctrine, 'Poisoning the Well'. "I guess this kind of thing is too much for a weak girl. So, I guess we'll just have to work on something easier," he mused, a little more dramatically than strictly necessary. "Hey Anko, you know any little kids that can spar with Kin? No one too advanced. Maybe a 4 year old..." he asked, turning to the girl who he was now addressing, casually snatching all the chestnuts from the fire and holding them in her hands so the girl's could see.
gpt
Anko was staring, wide eyed at Ranma in utter shock and amazement as she realized that.. Kin hadn't been pulling her leg. Ranma had really, really turned into a girl! she was staring, open mouthed and Kin had dissolved into a fit of giggles before she sobered as she too stared at Ranma, clearly thinking that the 'cross dresser' was insane. she couldn't stick her hands in hot flames! then Ranma started spouting his mouth and her eyes narrowed, with each insult, Anko started inching away from Kin, wary of the girls foul temper. as the four year old Comment came out, Kin snapped and she drove her fist into the earth, watching in satisfaction as the ground completely shattered. no four year old could do that! Anko sighed a little as she nibbled on another Dango as Kin shoved Ranma out of the way with enough force to have broken someone's shoulder, had they been normal. someone like Kakashi would have been flung several feet... someone like Ranma... maybe he might have gotten a small bruise... maybe.
"i wouldn't talk to her right now Ranma." Anko stated calmly. "you've really pissed her off. she'll poison you." Anko warned with a smirk. "and even as fast as you are, i doubt you could dodge ALL of Kin's attacks when she's in a rage." Anko admitted with a grin. "i have to admit though, your better than i am." she admitted as she offered Ranma a stick of her Dango. "Kin is completely impossible to work with once she gets like this. she'll work on that now until she gets it, or she passes out, so i guess i'll take care of you until then." Anko chirped, ignoring Kin's soft curses as she burned herself. "you do make a very cute girl." Anko admitted with a grin. "i have the desire to introduce you to Jiriya..." "Let that Pervy old bastard ANYWHERE near Ranma and i'll chop your hands off Anko! i know where you sleep and i know how to get past your traps!" Anko grimaced a little and then smirked. "i knew i shouldn't have taught her everything i knew." Anko grumbled with a snicker. "or so she thinks anyway... so you've been working on Jutsu have you? how about i teach you a few specialty jutsu while Kin is obsessing?"
human
Ranma managed to halt her tumble after a few feet. As she got up, rubbing her shoulder and mumbling about violent chicks, she started walking over to Anko. "I ain't gotta talk to her now. She's doin what I want her to," she explained, looking a little smug about the fact. "And 'sides, I ain't gotta dodgeallher attacks, just the ones she manages to get off before I beat her," she added casually, as if her victory was a forgone conclusion.
Ranma's expression turned sour at Anko's compliment. "I'm a guy, damnit," she protested testily. The next comment, however, cause her eyes to narrow in suspicion, suspicion that turned to anger when Kin chimed in with her comment about perverts. She sat, fuming quietly, as the girls bantered back and forth. Her eye developed a slow tick and her aura gradually began to grow into the visible range. Instead of the ethereal blue, almost mist like waves it normally manifested in, it was , instead, a deep crimson that danced around like flames lapping at the air. It, somehow, seemed to make the area surrounding the trio dim. At the same time, her eyes began to glow a soft white, obfuscating her pupils and making her appearance that much more intimidating.
"Who didja want ta introduce me to, Anko-chan?" She asked in a deceptively sweet voice, though it was strained through clenched teeth. Her expression was similar in that it was a smile, but the tightness of her jaw gave it a more shark like cast. One might be surprised at such a reaction, but those people obviously never met Happosai.
gpt
Anko chuckled little. "this is true." she agreed, fairly certain that Ranma would win in a spar against Kin. "oh don't get all pissy. i only wanted to introduce you to Jiriya so you'd beat the crap out of the lecherous old bastard. he has a habit of sneaking in to peek in the women's baths." Anko grumbled. "Tsunade could beat him up, but she doesn't bother because she doesn't give a damn. i figured that if Jiriya leered at you, you'd get so pissed off you'd leave him in traction for a few months." Anko admitted casually, taking another bite of Dango. "i've tried... i've tried beating him up, but most of my poisons don't work, and he's faster than i am." Anko admitted. "Kin's managed to get a good blow on him, he'll leave her alone, but the rest of us are fair game." Anko admitted with a small sulk. "he's impossible to deal with. worse than a bad case of leprosy and twice as annoying." kin was nodding.
"he fondled my ass." Kin commented suddenly. "i had to make him suffer." she admitted. "he still leers at me though, the perverted old bastard. at least Kakashi limits his perversion to his little books." Kin complained with a scowl. "it's bad enough that Jiriya writes those damn books..." she complained with a small sigh as she poured more chestnuts into the pan... having failed to grab any. "Kin... your going to the hospital after this right?" "why? it's fine..." "...your getting burs." "they'll heal." "stubborn bitch." "cock tease." Anko smirked. "you know it." Anko fell silent for a moment and then turned to Ranma again. "so, how about it? you wanna put a lecherous old bastard into Traction for us? he fondled my boobs you know. it's just not safe." Anko complained with a sulk.
human
Ranma blinked in surprise at Anko's request, immediately dispelling the sinister effect as if it had never existed. "Oh, is that all?" she asked, sneering distastefully at the thought of willingly attracting the attention of another high powered fighter/perverted old man. Luckily, there was a way around it. "You're going about it the wrong way, anyway," he commented. "A beatin' won't do notion. He's probably gotten beat for it before. Ya gotta get inside his head and deliver a real punishment. You'll need a room that he can't bust out of, a whole bunch a used men's underwear, a girl ta use as bait, and, if ya really wanna stick it to 'im, a bunch of pictures o' ugly old dudes," she listed off, matter of factly.
"The girl has ta be a decent actor, and she's gotta be willin' ta flirt with the old coot. She has to make like she wants ta fool around with 'im or somethin, then take 'im back to the room. Then she opens the door for 'im and let's him go in first before flippin on the light and lockin him in," Ranma explained the procedure, not bothering to spell that the room was supposed to be filled with the other items she had listed. She just figured that was obvious. It was a slightly modified version of the plan she had used on the old letch and, in her opinion, it was an even better one.
gpt
Anko grinned a little as Ranma relaxed. "i didn't think you'd actually go for it." she admitted with a shrug. "you are a boy after all, on the inside if not always on the outside." "ignore her Ranma. she's had bad experiences with Men and it has forever tainted her ability to perceive if a man is a perverted lech or not." Kin commented, anko scowling. "i have not!... ok maybe i have, but it's not MY fault all the men ever want is my breasts!" she complained, scowling down at her sizable boobs before staring at Ranma. in fact, Kin was staring at him as well, both of them gaping at him before utterly maniacal gleams filled their eyes. "i'll go get Ino." "i'll go get Sakura." and with that, they where both gone. they where gone only ten minutes before returning through shuunshin with two older, very pretty girls. Ino and Sakura, two of the top most amazing Kunoichi in the village.
"So, you must be Ranma." Sakura stated with a smile. "it's nice to meet you... do you think i could study your transformations sometime? it's simply fascinating..." she admitted, Ino rolling her eyes as she shoved Sakura out of Ranma's way. "we're not doing Medic Nin experiments right now Sakura, we're riding the world of a lecherous old man who can't keep his hands to himself." "right." Sakura commented with a grin. "i brought my dads old underwear." "and i have kinky old men pornos." Ino stated, dropping magazines onto the ground, filled with nasty pictures of gross old men doing incredibly gross things. "The question is... how do we keep a Sannin locked in a room? he's too strong to be affected by mere steal and concrete..." Kin complained, frowning as she examined the things that they where going to torture the man with. "he'll just break out if we use normal doors..." "...lets lock him up in the caves?" Ino suggested. "the ones under the hokage mountain. he won't be able to break through THAT, Tsunade can't even break through most of those doors." Sakura commented.
human
Ranma opened her mouth to ask who Ino and Sakura were, but before she could get a single word out, the pair had vanished. So, with a little bit of a frown, Ranma glanced about the clearing. She took note of the forgotten yet still burning fire and, deciding someone should probably do something about it, set about extinguishing it. Then, about ten minutes later, the girls were back, only this time there were four of them.
Ranma opened her mouth, again, to respond to the pink haired one that first addressed her, to let her know that she would definitelynotbe lettinganyonestudy her curse, only to be interrupted by the blonde. By this point, she was visibly fuming at her inability to get a word in edgewise, when the girls brought out the items. Ranma blanched at the mention of the magazines and, slowly, cautiously, she picked one up by the corner with her thumb and index finger, holding it at arm's length as if it were toxic.
"Why do you have..." she began to ask with a horrified expression on her face before shaking her head and deciding she reallydidn't want to know. With a full body shudder, she allowed the magazine to fall back onto the pile. "Anyway," she started, trying with all her might to eradicate all thoughts of Ino's collection from her mind. "This ain't a bad start, but we're gonna need more than this," she observed with a sage like nod. Scratching her chin, she seemed to consider the matter. "Ya'll wouldn't happen to know anyone who runs a laundry wouldja?"