Culmination I

By Kyokukou

Disclaimer : I don't own the characters from Ranma 1/2 only the characters that 
I write myself . So please don't sue me ! But if you try to use my characters 
.....there will be ...unpleasant consequences if I find out . Do not repost or 
reprint this without my permission , however if you do ASK there is a good 
chance I will let you .


" Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth ."
                                            -Alan Watts


Chapter 5
Oh great 

    " So Saotome-san ?" She began hesitantly .
" Yes , Kasumi ?" The heavyset man replied .
" What happened to Ranma and Hibiki-san ?" She forced herself to ask such a 
impolite question .
" Oh , they're just out in the Dojo , sparring ." He dismissed .
" No ," She shook her head , determined to continue . " I mean with the temple 
and the first trees that you were talking about your first night here ." 
" Oh that !" He waited for her to refill his tea cup . " Let me start from the 
beginning . We had just waved on a young man with the strangest green eyes a few 
minuets before when we heard the desperate cries for help from this temple we 
were passing by .
    " The poor woman was barely coherent . She was screaming about some hole , a 
woman who was not her girl and her daughter who had fallen in something . I was 
too confounded by her attempts to explain to do much . But Ranma ..." He half 
sighed , half chuckled to himself . " All Ranma knew was that a little girl had 
fallen into something and it was in the temple , and that was more than enough 
for him . He ran headlong into it at full speed . He knew his duty as a martial 
artist , to use his skills to their utmost to defend and protect those who 
cannot do so themselves . He knew his duty and did it . He found a hole in the 
floor that was closing up somehow . He jumped in ...by the time I got there 
after calming the hysterical lady the hole was no bigger than my fist , then 
gone . I went into denial for a while there . After a week or two of scouring 
the temple I turned to the priestess and all the books I could lay hands on in 
there .
    " It took me a while but I finally pieced the whole thing together , the 
priestess helped the most though . As I said before scattered about the world 
are hidden lakes with timeless trees at the center . These trees are focal 
points of the flow of time in this world . From what I learned as it is gravity 
that bends space-time these trees act like bands in this planet's particular 
bend . Like magnetic lines of force or poles ." He paused a moment realizing how 
far over her head he had been talking . 
    " The Kamis use them to peer into his realm and link their own to it . The 
tree's themselves are supposed to be self-aware , but I'm doubtful about that . 
Who could stand to stay still for billions of years ? Anyway , the lakes around 
the trees act as the link to the outside . The lake is connected to the water 
table , and to the rivers , and the lakes , and on out into the oceans . But it 
is all connected temporally just as it is physically . When the water is tends 
to shift in cycles . One moment the water is now , the next it is one thousand 
years ago , the next four hundred years in the future . But always in the lake 
of another tree . You fall in the lake of the a tree in Japan and you might end 
up in Europe during the Roman times or in Australia before the extinction of the 
Dinosaurs !
    " After all the research and lectures the bottom line was this : Ranma was 
gone , he could be any where and any when . Some of the trees are kilometers 
deep into the crust with no exit to the surface . If Ranma ended up in too many 
of those he could starve to death before finding a tree that had a exit to the 
surface . If , if , if , so many ifs . I wrote the other letter to your father 
and resolved to wait and train until my son returned . I knew Ranma wouldn't let 
a little something like being lost in the history of the planet get the best of 
him .
    " It was a year and a few months before Ranma returned . I knew there was 
going to be a age difference one way or another . I could be a year older and 
him only a week older , or he could have been older than me . I was prepared 
either way , so it wasn't his new age that surprised me . It was the new him , 
and the fact that he was not alone . His old friend Hibiki Ryouga was with him , 
and he had changed too . The boy that had left had not yet returned .
    " A man with a daisho and eyes like the blue of the night sea returned . A 
cheerful , confident , brazen , overyhonest , young boy had left . A pensive , 
somber , strong , quiet , older , samurai returned . Ryouga was very different 
as well . I remembered the young , fanged boy that was so quick to shout 
proclamations and challenges to Ranma . Who never backed down from a challenge , 
who was so like my boy but somehow opposite as well . Ranma's friend and rival , 
just as your father and I once were .
    " I was shocked , scared , and sad to see Ranma and Ryouga so different , 
but moreover I was elated to have them back ! As it turned out Ranma and Ryouga 
only spent three years in the past . They had been living in feudal Japan , over 
seven hundred years ago in the middle of a bloody war . One of my first 
questions was how did Ryouga end up there ? As it turns out he had been lost in 
the temple , looking for the exit when he heard the woman . As he attempted to 
find her he watched a young man jump into the hole , then Ranma followed shortly 
thereafter . Seeing that the hole was now closing and that if he did not follow 
Ranma he might not get another chance to settle things he followed . In the 
months following their return I made sure that Ryouga stuck with us . No one 
should have to try to cope with such readjustment alone . 
    " It seems that shortly after exiting the cave that led to the surface they 
had found themselves on a road . Before nightfall they messed up a bandit ambush 
of a merchant caravan . The bandits attacked , Ranma killed his first time in 
that fight ... He said that the man made a steep arc of a slash at him . He took 
his arm and after a joint lock he threw him . Only after the man landed did 
Ranma see that the joint lock had accidentally sent the man's own knife into his 
heart . Ryouga killed two that fight , one hurtled bandana slashed a throat when 
it was meant to block a thrown dagger , and his umbrella struck another a bit 
too hard in the temple . Their dead comrades only angered the bandits . The 
arrival of the caravan was the only thing that saved them from being torn apart 
. For the next year Ranma and Ryouga stayed together but then something happened 
to separate them . For what I have gathered it was something to do with Oni and 
evil kami . They avoided it but were separated . Ryouga ended up in China , 
Ranma found refuge with his ancestors and taking samurai allegiance to their 
lord . For the next year Ryouga was in China and Ranma was groomed as his lord's 
'Living Kodachi' . The year after that Ryouga made his way back to Japan and 
Ranma was no longer his lord's 'Living Kodachi' he had been promoted to 
something else . That whole year was the climax and signaled the end of the war 
. Ranma had been given the way home by that boy who had gone in before him , the 
one with the strange green eyes . Ranma told me that he arrived in that era a 
year before them , he was more powerful than I can dream , and that he was a 
good friend to Ryouga and him . This Kyoujaku Masaru-kancho* was in the same 
predicament as my son , but he did not want to return any more . He had a wife , 
a adopted daughter , and children on the way . So he gave the secret of using 
the lakes to my son . After making the proper arrangements they returned . 
    " The past year I have seen such a change in Ranma and Ryouga . Life and 
youth have come back into them ! Ranma is more his young self now than ever . 
Ryouga is still very different than from before , but much happier ."
" Oh my ." It seemed the only appropriate response she could give .
" Hai ." Genma nodded sagely to himself .
" Do you know anything more specific ?" She ventured .
" A few things ." He sipped his neglected tea . " For one Ranma used to be much 
, much better than he his now . But , I have confidence that he will be back to 
that level very soon ."
" Oh ?" She tried to imagine Ranma topping some of what she had already seen him 
capable of  . " What happened ?"
" He had to leave behind the amulet he wore . It increased his ki , speed , 
strength , and so forth almost two fold . But , it belonged in it's own time so 
he left it in safe hands ." The martial artist sighed before continuing . " Over 
the next year I gathered bits and pieces of what happened , but still I know 
only a small fraction . What I do know is Ranma's eyes ."
" Nani ?" She furrowed her brow in puzzlement . Blue eyes for a Japanese were 
rare but not completely unheard of .
" What color are Ranma's eyes ?" Genma asked in a oddly serious tone .
" Blue ." She answered automatically .
" No , be more specific ." Genma pressed .
" Oh , they're that blue gray of storm clouds before they break ." She almost 
flushed at the statement .
" That is the color they are for my young boy . But when things get serious , 
and Ranma returns to being samurai you will know by how dark they are . The more 
samurai he is the more dark purple they are . When he is totally samurai they 
are the dark violet of the sea just after twilight . Then there is the other 
color , the one you should ask Ranma or Ryouga-kun about . All I know is that if 
you see Ranma's eyes mirror silver or white , run ." 
" Oh my ." She repeated .
" Indeed ." He nodded . " All Ranma told me was that in that state he is the 
'Living Kodachi' again . Whatever that means ."
" I have returned ." Soun pronounced , entering the room .
" Finally ." Genma snorted . " I tell you prunes are the best for it ."
" Ah , but I am not that old yet ."
" It's not a matter of age , it's a matter of convenience ."
" Please excuse me ." She said before leaving . A argument about the benefits of 
prune juice was not something she felt like listening to at the moment .
    Settling herself down on the porch she was about to being to meditate on 
what Genma had told her .
" He may be brash and overconfident , but there is a side to him I haven't seen 
yet ..." She pondered . " I even heard him say in that recording that he 
believed that he was more mature than me even though I'm older . I suppose he 
could be much older than he acts , but ..."
    Her thoughts were interrupted the their subject skidding along the grass and 
into one of the boulder's lining the koi pond .
" You still fall for that one !" Ryouga's voice called from the Dojo .
    Ranma hopped to his feet only to wobble about for a few steps before 
mumbling about 'a good spot' and collapsing into a twitching heap . Ryouga 
stalked up to him , slowly shaking his head .
" Oh my , well at least he isn't serious all the time ." She smiled to herself .

                         *           *          *

    " School again ." Ranma sighed from where he walked atop the fence 
displaying a astounding innate sense of balance .
" In case you didn't know it's a year round thing ." Nabiki snorted . Nabiki was 
never a morning person .
" Least it's not boring ." She said .
" I wish it was ." Ranma shook his head . " I just want a normal day or two 
every so often . Is that asking to much , HUH ?" 
" SAOTOME !" The deep voice of Kuno bellowed from the school gate ahead .
" I guess so ." Nabiki rubbed her temple with one hand . 
" Just a sec ." Ranma clenched a fist before suddenly vanishing from the fence 
in a streak .
    She turned her head to watch Kuno skid along the ground until a 
unfortunately placed cherry tree halted the unconscious kendoist with a 
resounding thud . Ranma stood in the middle of the open gate and took a deep 
breath .
" Ranma , I think you went a bit overboard ." She frowned at the Kuno rump 
shaped divots in the high school lawn . 
" Sorry , I guess I did ." Ranma put a hand behind his head but still kept his 
back to them . " I'll get him to the infirmary , you two go on ahead ." Without 
turning he marched over and slung the larger boy over one shoulder .
" Weird ." Nabiki muttered to herself .
" What ?" She inquired .
" It's just that ..." Nabiki gave her a serious look . " That move should have 
left Ranma panting with exhaustion , but " Her older sister stared at Ranma's 
retreating form . " this time he wasn't even winded ." 

                         *           *          *

    " So Ranma-san ," One of his classmates leaned over to him . " Three ? 
Aren't you tired ?"
" Nan ?"
" One girl just konks me out for the next two days . I mean they just expect you 
to keep going even after you're satisfied ." The boy continued on with a wry 
smirk . " You must be some marathon man to do three and still be awake the next 
day ." 
" You don't mean ..."
" Where do you get the money too ? I have to save weeks for just one night !"
" HEY !" His hand became a fist as his eyes narrowed dangerously . " If I give 
him a rank four or five he might go into shock ...a three should just make him 
faint , yeah , a three sounds good ." He thought darkly .
" WHOA !" The boy nearly fell over backing off , the retreating blood making his 
face turn ashen . " I just wanted to know how you can afford to take all three 
of them out on dates , that's all !" The boy lamented .
" Oh ." He blinked . " I thought ..."
" That I thought - that you - with them ?"
" Yup , sorry ." He looked at his desk , hoping he didn't appear as stupid as he 
felt at the moment .
" Hey I'd never accuse you of two -no- three timing the Tendo sisters ." The boy 
proclaimed nervously . " I like breathing ya know ." 
" Sorry ." He repeated . 
" Saotome !" The teacher snapped .
" Hai Sensei ?" He stiffened unconsciously at the reprimand . 
" Saotome-san , I expect you to pay attention during lecture just like everyone 
else ." The teacher began . " I don't care how well you tested in other subjects 
. This is English , and as I recall your scores say that you need to pay special 
attention in this class.." The teacher droned on for a few more minuets but he 
had long since stopped listening . He only nodded at the right parts and looked 
subdued at the other right parts . Finally the longwinded teacher winded down .
"..SO ! As one of the oldest students in this class I would like you to set a 
proper example as their sempai . Do you understand Saotome-san ?"
" Hai Sensei , I do ." He answered . " Kami-sama , when is this class over ?" He 
asked any deity who cared to listen .
    Appeased for the moment the teacher returned to the lecture as if he had 
never stopped .
" Why does he pick on me ?" He grumbled mentally . " The rest of the class is 
much worse than me ." He glanced about covertly . All around him students were 
doodling , daydreaming , sleeping , reading a manga hidden in their books , 
passing notes , and so forth . 
" What makes me stand out so much ?" He asked himself . He looked down at his 
black Chinese outfit , then at the school uniforms all around him . The weight 
of his braided hair on his back decided to make it's presence felt as he looked 
at the nearly uniform short cuts of the males around him .
" Oh ." 
    When the bell to end the period sounded he all but leapt from his desk . The 
teacher made it a point to call silent attention to the intense frown that he 
was giving his problem student .
    Finally the school day was at an end . He did not end try to suppress the 
grin on his face at the joy of impending freedom . Still he did wait for the 
crowd at the shoe racks to die down a bit . 
" Hey Akane-san !" He called after spotting her .
" Hi Ranma-san ." She greeted . 
" Where's Nabiki-san ?" He glanced about for show . " She hasn't met us here 
once . What does she do ?"
" Oh , she has... business to take care of after school ." Akane dismissed .
" So how's English ?" She giggled .
" Very funny ." He snorted . " That teacher is singling me out just 'cause I 
don't wear a stupid school uniform ." 
" Well , why don't you ?" She asked as they put on their shoes .
" Think about it a second ." He huffed . " One splash and boom ! 'Who's that 
weird cross-dressing redhead ?' ."
" One splash and you're still in man's clothing ." She pointed to his clothes .
" But you gotta admit it's more accepted for a girl to wear something like this 
, than the BOYS school uniform ."
" Whatever ." 
" Excuse me ?" He stepped in front of her and stopped .
" You just can't admit that you're going to be a cross-dresser after one drop of 
cold water no matter what you wear ." She put her hands on her hips .
" You wear a gi right ?" He countered .
" Yeah , so ?" She blinked .
" A gi is a man's uniform ," He grinned as obnoxiously as he could . " so you do 
your share of cross-dressing then ." 
" That's not the same thing ." She protested .
" Why not ?" He feigned puzzlement .
" I just isn't !" She nearly squealed .
" Oooooh ! A lover's quarrel , how kawaii !" Some girl from a passing group 
proclaimed just loudly enough for them to overhear . 
    Both lapsed into sudden silence .
" What's got you two down ?" Nabiki queried , after walking up to them .
" Choose one Casanova ." Some boy heckled as he passed .
" Tendo's hog all the good ones !" A girl added .
" That ." He and Akane mumbled in unison .
" Wow , stereo ." 
" Sempai , just take the stud , Akane's got plenty of others ." A girl stage 
whispered to Nabiki as she passed .
" Maybe we should be getting home ." Nabiki suggested after a glare at the 
receding girl .
    The harassment continued to increase as the trio attempted to make their way 
off of school grounds .
" Double you pleasure , double your fun .."
" And I thought Kuno was a womanizer .."
" Yeah , but girls don't go after Kuno ."
" What is with the Tendo's and guys , do they have a man magnet ?"
" Getting engaged to three girls , what a hentai !"
" Kami-sama , to be him on Saturday night ."
" Forget Saturday , the entire week !"
" What do they have that I don't ?"
" Saotome Ranma ."
" Shut up !"
" Saotome-sama ! Forget about them , other girl's have needs too !"
" Three's a crowd , but what a crowd !"
" All the hunks are taken , and super hunk over there is taken three times !"
" Some guys have all the luck , some got the girls , Saotome got alla it !"
    On and on it continued . Finally he realized that his patience was rather 
thin today , and he better do something fast or risk losing his temper .
" Can I shut them up ?" He asked the sisters .
" Sure ." Nabiki said , and Akane nodded .
" Thanks ." He grinned before jumping on top of the fence .
" Oh , now he's gonna show off for his-" The boy was cut off in mid sentence as 
he watched the scene on the fence .
    He had knelt and grasped the pipe of the top in one hand . Showing no sign 
of effort he slowly squeezed the hollow steel from a full eight centimeters in 
diameter into the thickness of a pencil . The gasps around him failed to drown 
out the groaning protest of the metal .
" Gee ," He projected his warning tone without actually raising his voice ." Ya 
know this thing is a lot harder to crush than a impolite person's windpipe ."
    After hopping back down he suppressed a smile at the sudden silence .
" Much more polite , neh , Nabiki-san ?"
" Much more ." Nabiki gave him a crooked but thankful smile .
    Akane just rolled her eyes . " I could have done that ." 
" But it wouldn't have had the same effect ." He explained .
" And why not ?" She challenged . 
" They all know you wouldn't do it to them ." 
" He's got a point ." Nabiki added .
" Whose side are you on ?"
    Slumping his shoulders slightly he felt Akane's anger and jealousy rise . 
The youngest daughter looked from her sister to him , trying to decide who would 
be the first target of her wrath .
" I need something to interrupt this .." He thought .
"< WHERE IS RANMA !>" Shampoo's voice cried out from behind him .
" Thanks Kami-sama ." He sighed with some relief .
"< YOU ! I always find you wherever I hunt Ranma .>"
    He turned to find the violet haired Amazon pointed a bonbori at him 
accusingly . 
"< I think that you're protecting her .>" Shampoo narrowed her eyes .
"< How astute .>" Nabiki deadpanned . "< Let's just say that the red head 
belongs to Ranma .>"
"< I KNEW IT !>" Shampoo crowed . "< Yo is her man ! So you are just a 
obstacle , and obstacles are for removing .>"
" Who were you trying to help ?" He asked Nabiki .
    A noncommittal shrug was all the response he received . Turning his 
attention back to Shampoo he found he Amazon warming up for battle . " Oh , 
great ."
    A fair sized circle of onlookers had gathered around , smelling a fight 
brewing . He caught Nabiki slipping off into the crowed out of the corner of his 
eye . Again his attention was snapped back to the Amazon .
"< It's the custom in Japan to give names before a duel , right ?>" She took a 
ready stance .
    He nodded .
" Then , I Xain Pu of Amazons , I going to defeat you and kill Red head ." 
    She looked at him expectantly . All through the crowd a murmur rose up .
" Shampoo ? What kina name is that ?"
" That girl must really worship hair care products , I mean , look at that hair 
of hers !"
" Purple hair ?"
" I'd kill for hair like that ."
" Maybe her name's something different but she got shampoo confuse with the 
Japanese word for name ?"
" Purple hair ?"
" So this 'Shampoo' chick's gonna fight Saotome ? Get me a camera !"
" Purple hair ?"
" Will you shut up ?!"
    Narrowing her eyes as she caught snippets of the crowd's reaction Shampoo 
renewed her glare at him .
" Oh great ," He thought . " how am I going to give her a name without giving my 
curse away ?....THAT'S IT !"
    He gave his opponent a cold , level stare , but a confident smirk remained 
fixed on his face . " Seeing as how you were so polite ..< Xain Pu call me 
Saotome , the living sword .>" He let the coldness die from his eyes and upped 
the confident smirk a notch . "< Leadoff whenever Xain Pu feel like ..>"
    For minuets they stood there . Shampoo in a battle stance , her bonbori 
poised . He standing relaxed , hands open and hanging at his sides .
    A cough from one of the fidgeting spectators triggered her attack . Shampoo 
had been tired from fighting all day when he had first defeated her in his girl 
form . This time she was fresh , and had improved in her quest to kill his girl 
form . Her attack had been a seamless transition form ready stance to a charge 
that ended with a upward swing aimed to shatter his chin .
    Only it wasn't there when she struck . Her bonbori hissed through empty air 
, his nose barely a millimeter from the steel ball's tip . Shampoo's eyes 
widened in shock . His smirk turned to a grin .
    Thrusting with only one foot from the awkward position of leaning back he 
sailed backwards half a dozen meters . Landing in the same standing posture as 
before he brought one hand up an beckoned for Shampoo to continue .
" How the hell am I gonna get out of this one without her trying to marry my 
original form and kill my cursed ?" He thought frantically .



    " How is he going to keep Shampoo from killing him , but not defeat her ?"
Akane asked her after she was finished taking bets .
" I don't know , but he better ." She tried to sound uncaring and distracted by 
the money she held . If Ranma was actually killed then ... She didn't even let 
the thought go farther than that .
    Looking up she was amazed by the fight . While nether of the combatants were 
out of the Tendo sister's league both were still very , very skilled . Shampoo 
was pressing the attack relentlessly , switching tactics almost every second . 
Ranma , however , was still purely on the defensive , but he adapted to 
everything instantaneously , if not predicting the change beforehand . Nothing 
Shampoo threw came close more than once if at all . 
    Still the dangerous game that Ranma was playing had one catch . It was a 
dance that the first mistake would mean his defeat .
" More like his death ." She corrected after one of Shampoo's misses took out a 
section of the street . Leaving a gouge in the concrete that was only a hand's 
span wide but over ten centimeters deep .
    When no one was watching she studied the two combatants with her trained eye 
. She prided herself on being to read the moves of even the most subtle opponent 
, whether it was in combat of negotiations . Now she turned that skill on them .
    Shampoo was clearly going all out physically , but she was hesitating on 
some moves . Most likely she wasn't going for a kill , only to defeat her 
opponent . Ranma was much , much harder . After carefully watching him evade and 
adapt over and over something became clear . He was nowhere near his physical 
limits , he was trying , but in no real danger so long as he maintained focus . 
There was something there that he was holding in . It dawned on her when she 
noticed after every evasion his hands would tense .
    He was having to consciously stop himself from counterattacking . 
" Is it too late to change my bet ?" A sullen boy asked her .
" Yup ." She gave him an irritating smile before returning her attention to the 
fight .
" His luck's going to run out sooner or later ," Akane observed . " because that 
Shampoo isn't going to get tired anytime today ."
" Maybe ," She replied . " but as long as he keeps focused he'll be fine ."
    The rumble of thunder above echoed like the laughter of some god who did not 
particularly like things going well for Ranma .
" Nan ?" Ranma looked skyward in dismay after landing on a fence . " Aww Damn ."
" DIE SAOTOME !" Shampoo cried , leaping to the attack .
    Ranma's foot shot out so fast that even she didn't read the move beforehand 
. Two snap kicks tore the bonbori from Shampoo's hands . Now wide open his hand 
shot out to strike Shampoo square in the chest with a palmstrike .
" OH SHIT !" Ranma yelped , a instant after realizing what he had done .
    The Amazon flew back the way she had leapt and came to a halt after skidding 
a few meters along the ground . Everyone present held their breath collectively 
until the Amazon rolled to her feet . Anger flashed in Shampoo's eyes , but she 
approached her opponent warily . Her breathing came in intermittent gasps , pain 
showed in her movements but only rage on her face .
    She felt a single rain drop on her nose . " Uh oh ."
    Ranma looked like a cornered animal . He glanced to the sky then to the 
approaching violet haired death .
" SAOTOME GENMA SECRET TECHNIQUE !" Ranma shouted suddenly . " FAST BREAK !"
    Then Ranma disappeared in a blur . After a battlecry punctuated with a 
strike of lighting in the distance Shampoo pursued her quarry .

                         *           *          *

    " That was really brave of you back there ." Akane leaned towards Ranma over 
the table . " Running for your life from someone you could have beaten with one 
hand ."
    Ranma winced .
" And in front of half the school too ." Akane added .
    Another wince .
" Wow , you must have really made an impression on everyone ."
" Just shut up willya ?" Ranma said in a voice barely above a whisper .
" What was that O'brave one ?"
" I said just shut up ." Ranma repeated only a fraction louder .
" Um ," Akane made a big show of looking as if she were considering it . " no ."
" Then ya don't give me another choice ." Ranma stood suddenly . 
    Akane tensed , fearing that she had gone a bit too far , only to relax as he 
padded out of the room quickly . 
" What ? You thought he'd actually hit you for that ?" She snorted at her 
younger sister .
" Hey !" Akane hid her embarrassment in the way she hid everything , by getting 
angry .
" Or are you just trying to keep yourself out of the running ?"
" Huh ?" Akane's anger paused in it's mounting .
" I can't see why you don't like Ranma even a little bit ." She leaned back 
casually .
" Why should I like that..that.."
" He's the answer to just about everything you complain about in boys ."
" Oh yeah , how ?" Akane challenged .
" He's much more mature than any of the buffoons that flock to you ," She began 
ticking the reasons off on her fingers . " He is one hell of a marital artist , 
he isn't after you already , he's nice when you're nice to him , he's a ten on a 
hunk scale of one to ten , he doesn't yell at you even if you're mean to him , 
he's pretty forgiving for a guy with so many enemies , he means well if nothing 
else , he may not show it but he's smarter than he let's on , and-"
" If he's so great why don't you take him ?" Akane sniffed and looked the other 
way .
" I just might , or I might dump him on you ." She stood and began to leave the 
room . " I haven't decided yet ."
" You haven't-" Akane began to sputter .
" I just have some more info digging to do , that's all ." She told herself 
after she was out of anyone's hearing .



* kancho   : Master . A title that I'm using as a honorific . Even though I'm a 
bit unsure if this is correct usage .