Cat Fist Fury Disclaimer: Do I have to keep saying this? <>: Thoughts { } Panda signs Chapter 12 Uh Oh! Ranma and Ukyo walked out of the movie theater arm in arm. It was a bright Sunday afternoon as the couple walked down the street in relative peace. For Ranma, it was a welcomed respite from the craziness that had plagued him ever since he came to Japan. Things had certainly gotten hectic since he arrived in Tokyo. It had been a week since he had admitted his true identity to Ukyo after she had deduced that he was her old playmate Ran-chan. True to her word, she had not revealed this secret to anyone and had started calling him by his new nickname, Ko-chan. As he had promised, Ranma had started taking his friend Ucchan out. Although he had steadfastly maintained that these outings were not really dates, but rather a way to get to know her, Ukyo still took delight in them. She figured that half an okonomiyaki was better than an empty plate. "That was a great movie, Ko-chan." "Yeah? it was nice." Ranma seemed to stare off into the distance, barely acknowledging her presence. Ukyo saw that Ranma's mind was a million miles away. "Hey Ko- chan? What's the matter." "Huh? Oh sorry Ukyo but I was just thinking about a few things and how my life has been going lately." "Well Ko-chan, other than the fact that those crazy Amazons are after you to marry them, you don't really have anything else to worry about." Ranma winced at the statement. The Amazons had been getting more determined lately to carry out that marriage law of theirs. In fact, in the last few days, they had come very close to giving him the Kiss of Marriage. It had been difficult to take Ukyo out, but he had managed to keep their relationship secret. So far, they had been able to go out on three separate dates, making certain that they had gone to remote areas of the city where the Amazons were less likely to find them. One thing that he didn't want to do was to place his old friend in any danger. "Hey Kojiro, don't worry about it." Ukyo gave him a reassuring smile. "No way am I going to let those hussies get their hooks into MY fianc?e." "Well Ucchan, you might want to reconsider fighting those girls." "What do you mean?" "Well? they have this other law of theirs that's kind of extreme." "What is it?" "I've already told you about the Kiss of Marriage thing. Well, they also have the Kiss of Death that applies to any outsider female. Instead of marriage, they kill the girl who defeats them in combat." "Oh." Ukyo was a bit uneasy at that. "You mean they'd really??" Ranma nodded. "If they're this gung ho about their marriage law, then I'm pretty sure that they'd follow that other law too. I read about it in my friend's copy of their tribal laws." "Hey, you don't have to worry about it. I can take care of myself Ko-chan." "Well? I'd rather that you didn't get involved at all. I? don't want to see you to get hurt." Ukyo smiled at the thought as it showed that Ranma cared for her. She then said in a cute voice, "That's so sweet Ko-chan. You really do care about your fianc?e." Ranma winced again as he said, "Ucchan, I really wish you could? uh, back off a little on the engagement thing. Please?" "Why Ko-chan? I mean, we are engaged aren't we?" "Well? yeah, technically speaking, but? I'm kinda? well? I'm just not ready for that yet. Besides, people know me as Kojiro Shinkara, not as Ranma Saotome. Mentioning the engagement is going to arouse suspicions." "Well, if our engagement was known, then maybe it would get some of those girls off your back." Ranma shook his head. "Not likely. Just remember that Pop sold me off more than a dozen times to several families. If all those girls came to Jusenkyo looking for me, then I'm pretty sure that they got wind of Pop's other promises. They would all argue that their claim was better than the others were. And in any case, those Amazons are so determined to get me as a husband that I'm sure that they'll stop at nothing to get me, regardless of how many other fianc?es I have. "Oh, I see." Ukyo was clearly disappointed at her fianc?e's reluctance to accept the fact that they were engaged, but she could understand his line of reasoning. After all, revealing their engagement would also reveal his identity as Ranma Saotome. The other girls that Genma had engaged his son to for food would certainly come looking for him. Competition was something that Ukyo did not want. She didn't consider the Amazons' claim on him to be valid, but the deals that Genma made would hold more weight. As long as Ranma used the name of Kojiro Shinkara, the young okonomiyaki chef had him all to herself. Ukyo smiled a bit at that last thought. With her Ran-chan seeing her, it would only be a matter of time before something more than close friendship would evolve. She had fallen for him when they were six and being reunited with him only strengthened that bond. She could see it in his eyes too. He was genuinely glad to be with her and although he only considered her as the friend he once knew, Ukyo was looking forward to the challenge of changing his perceptions. With that in mind, she said to her companion, "Oh all right Ko- chan. I won't say anything about it if it makes you uncomfortable. It'll be our secret." Ranma breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Ucchan." Ukyo managed a small smile, then perked up a bit as she recalled something else. "Speaking of secrets, you did mention that you had a secret that you needed to tell me." Ranma gulped a bit as he remembered. "Uh, yeah there's something that you should know about me if we're going to be? seeing each other." Ranma's cheeks became tinged with red as he said the phrase 'seeing each other.' Ukyo couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment. "So what is it?" "Uh, well?" Ranma hemmed and hawed for a bit before finally replying. "Well, maybe it would be best if I showed you. Follow me." The daughter of Haruka Kuonji followed the Neko Ken fighter to the abandoned lot where Ranma had been using as a place to train. After motioning her to stand at one end of the lot, Ranma stepped back a dozen feet from her and faced her. "Ukyo, do you remember when I told you that I found out that you went to Jusenkyo with your father while looking for me?" The brown-haired girl nodded. "Yeah, I remember. So what's that got to do with anything?" "Do you know exactly what Jusenkyo was?" Ukyo shrugged. "Well, no we never bothered to ask the guide about it. In fact, we never even got past the front gate. All we wanted to know was where you and that no-good father of yours were. We didn't think to ask what that place was." Ukyo paused for a moment, then said; "Though I did wonder why the guide called it the Training Ground of Cursed Springs." "Well, the thing is?" Ranma paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to explain himself. "About a couple of months before you came there, Pop and I came to Jusenkyo during our training journey. Pop was still the same idiot that stole your cart and he didn't even bother to learn how to read or speak Chinese when he got hold of a brochure that told about all the best training grounds in China. Jusenkyo was listed as one of them. Anyway, there are a lot of pools over there and each one bears the curse of whoever or whatever drowned there hundreds of years ago. If you happen to fall into one those springs, well, you become cursed to change into whatever drowned there." "You're putting me on." Ranma shook his head. "No it's true. When we started sparring there, I knocked Pops into the spring of Drowned Panda and now, every time he gets hit with cold water, he turns into a panda." "You're joking!" Ukyo looked at Ranma's expression and saw that he wasn't kidding. "You're serious." Ranma nodded as his friend put two and two together. "Wait a minute. If that's true? then are you cursed as well?" "Well? I'm not too certain if you could call it a curse since I don't change with cold water. But I did get knocked into a spring." "Which spring was that?" Ranma sighed as he decided to show her. Taking a stance, he began focusing his inner energies. In a bright flash of chi, his human form vanished and was replaced by a huge, prehistoric, feline predator. Ukyo took one look at her transformed fianc?e and then fainted. Ranma looked down at his fallen friend and sighed. An hour later after Ranma had transformed back and Ukyo had regained consciousness, the Neko Ken fighter began explaining about his powers and how his transforming ability worked. After several demonstrations, Ukyo decided that Ranma's condition was something she could live with. It was bizarre, but it was still Ranma under that mass of black fur, claws and fangs. And it did have its perks. For one thing, when Ranma displayed his hybrid form, Ukyo felt her libido go into overdrive. Ranma's human form was attractive, while his hybrid form was downright gorgeous! As a psuedo- weretiger, he was so tall and buff! His clothes were stretched out to display the lean muscular torso, the strong legs, the feral yet sensuous face and the aura of power that he emitted. It also didn't hurt that he had a killer butt too when she looked up the length of his tail. She loved the feel of his soft fur as she ran her hand through his silken mane. She breathed in deeply of the faint musk scent that he emitted. There was no doubt in her mind. On a scale of one to ten, Ranma's hybrid form rated a twenty on the hunk-o-meter. Ranma smiled as he transformed into his tiger form and gestured for her to climb onto his back. Once the okonomiyaki chef was aboard, he bounded off toward the outskirts of the city. Ukyo squealed in surprise and delight as she rode the prehistoric beast. It was exhilarating as they raced through the dense forests and foothills near Mount Fuji. Ranma took special care to avoid any areas where people might be as he gave his friend an exciting ride. He also made certain not to go too fast to keep Ukyo from falling off. By the time the sun was just touching the horizon, Ranma and Ukyo were already fifty miles away from any sign of civilization. They stopped on top of a small rocky atoll where Ukyo dismounted. Ranma sat down on his haunches as his friend settled down beside him to watch the sunset for a while before heading back to Tokyo. Absently, the girl placed a hand on Ranma's head, behind the ear and began to stroke it. This caused Ranma to become mellower as he emitted a low purr. Then the okonomiyaki chef rubbed the area on his neck. This made him give off another purr. She then placed her hand on his flank and stroked the area near his belly. It felt really good the way she rubbed down there and it tickled him a little. He gave a sound that was something between a purr and a laugh. Ukyo noticed the pleased response and smiled, becoming mischievous. "Oh, so your ticklish down there, eh Ran-chan?" Ranma was about to transform back into his human form and remind her not to call him that, but then his friend used both hands to rub his stomach in just the right way. Ranma gave into his feline instincts and let off a series of contented purrs and meows as he was on his back and writhing with pleasure. "Rowr! Purrrrrrrrrr!" "Kitchie-Kitchie Koo. Nice kitty. Good kitty." Ranma knew this wasn't dignified, but for now, he didn't care. He just let it happen. For once in a long time, he could let himself go and forget his worries. The playful nature of his cat form took over as Ukyo laughed and tumbled with him on the ground in play. His friend liked it. She had never had a pet cat. Then again, she never had a boyfriend either. With Ranma, she had the best of both worlds. After escorting his friend home, Ranma headed toward his apartment in his human form, his senses always on the alert for anything that might attack him. Using his acute sense of smell, he began sniffing the surrounding area for any sign of either the Amazons or anything that might be a threat to him. He suddenly stopped when a faint, yet familiar odor crossed his nostrils. Judging by the age of the scent, Ranma determined that whoever it was had passed by recently, no more than fifteen minutes ago. Ranma paused for a long while as he tried to determine why the odor smelled so familiar. Finally, he decided to put those thoughts on the backburner, as he was too preoccupied with his current problems with life to deal with anything new. He then went home, not realizing that his troubles were about to increase tenfold. At the Tendo dojo, another scene of great importance was taking place. It was at this time that a certain girl was about to blow her stack. "What?! Fianc?e?!" Akane said in disbelief. "Yes, he happens to be the son of a dear old friend of mine. His name is Ranma Saotome." Soun continued. "You engaged us to someone in which we've never met?!" "Is he cute?" Nabiki asked. "Is he older than me?" Kasumi inquired. Soun gave a light-hearted chuckle as he replied. "I don't know. I've never met him." "Say what?! You expect us to marry someone that neither we nor you have ever met?!" Akane said half in surprise, half in disgust. "It is a matter of family honor Akane. The pledge was made long ago to unite the schools of the Anything Goes Martial Arts. Why even Master Happosai here agrees with it." Soun gestured to the shriveled old gnome of a man who was sitting beside him, while trying his best not to show anything but respect for his sensei. Though some of his thoughts included putting him into a vat of quick drying cement and dropping him into the Sea of Japan. The father of the Tendo girls was more than disgusted with the fact that his home was harboring the most perverted and evil man in Japan. No, make that in the whole world. Many years ago, he and Genma had trained under the one known as Happosai, if one could call it training. The processes included stealing, lying, cheating and anything that went to feeding the master's enormous appetites. The little runt would make them pay for each of his crimes, whether it was washing dishes to pay for the meals he had eaten, cleaning mannequins for all the women's underwear he swiped, or get beaten to a pulp after helping him peep into the women's bathhouses. In short, Soun and Genma were his scapegoats. After enduring a few years of torturous training, the students of the little pervert thought they had gotten the better of him by getting him drunk and sealing him into a cave with several sticks of dynamite. After not hearing from him for several years, they thought they were rid of him and went their separate ways. However, Soun was given the shock of his life when Happosai suddenly appeared on his doorstep after having escaped from his tomb last year. Unable to stop him, the little gnome had set himself as a permanent houseguest at the Tendo dojo and Nerima had suffered since then. Soun had spent most of that time groveling in front of his former master. Furinkan High had become one of his most frequent haunts as girl's panties, gym shorts and leotards were constantly being stolen. The entire district of Nerima was always in an uproar as underwear kept on disappearing from clotheslines and restaurants were frequently being stiffed as Happosai would eat and run. To put it simply, it was Hell on Earth. Even Cologne and her Amazons had found it difficult to contend with the ancient master. When it was revealed that Happosai was wanted for stealing some treasures of the warrior women, Soun had a glimmer of hope that justice would finally be done. The females of that fierce culture were revered as great fighters and it seemed that their leader Cologne was Happosai's equal. The two grandmasters had clashed on several occasions and there had been a lot of property damage done. However, the old pervert proved to be a hard nut to crack and the panty raids continued. Soun had despaired at not being able to tell the authorities about the identity of the underwear thief. As of now, he was a member of the neighborhood council and it wouldn't do for people to know about it. Furthermore, the dojo had very few students. Akane was the only student with any real training in their family's style. If Happosai's crimes were connected to the Anything Goes Martial Arts, no one would want to learn the fighting style. Soun's only hope in redeeming the dojo lay with the promise he and Genma made to engage his son with one of his daughters. He turned his attention back to his daughters with that thought in mind. "Girls, if one of you were to marry this boy, then the legacy of this training hall would be assured." "Yes" Happosai nodded as he smoked on his pipe. "And in any case, I'm looking forward to seeing Genma again. On that note, I have an announcement to make." Soun and his family became nervous at those words. "I'm getting on in my old age and I think that it's high time that I picked an heir." The three hundred plus- year old man leered at Akane. The youngest daughter gave him a glare and said, "I'm not going to be your heir!" It was bad enough that the little freak constantly stole her underwear and tried to grope her every chance he got. Happosai smirked and gave her a lecherous smile before turning his attention back to Soun. "Oh don't worry Soun. The person I had in mind is Genma's son. Since he's going to marry one of your daughters and take over the dojo, then it's only right that I take him under my wing and teach him. A girl would never survive the training." Soun and Akane both breathed out a sigh of relief although Akane was irritated at the chauvinistic remark. That feeling was soon to be shattered as they all heard a knock at the door. "Ooh, that must be Ranma!" Nabiki exclaimed as she got up and rushed to the door. Soun also got up and followed her while calling out, "Saotome, my old friend!" He silently prayed that his old buddy would be able to help him deal with the evil master as he did years ago. A moment later, the rest of the Tendo family and Happosai heard the combined screams of Nabiki and her father. Another moment later, they both came running back into the dining room and tumbled to the floor as a large, furry shape came waddling in. The giant panda looked with a depressed expression on its face as he gazed upon the family. When its beady eyes fell on Happosai however, its eyes took on the size of dinner plates. It quickly made an about face and tried to bolt from the room. Unfortunately for the transformed Genma, his old master had lost none of his legendary speed as he leapt toward him and floored the panda with a kick in less than a heartbeat. The mass of black and white fur was sprawled on his belly with Happosai leaning over him. The ancient lecher smiled as he recognized the aura of his old pupil. "Well, well, if it isn't my other student Genma Saotome. I see someone's been to Jusenkyo, eh Genma?" The panda held up a sign while frantically shaking his head. {I'm just a cute little panda!} "Oh come now Genma. Is that any way to greet your old master? By the way, where's your son, Ranma?" The Tendo family was in a state of shock as they stared at the two. Just what was going on? Some time later? "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT HE'S NOT WITH YOU?!" Genma, in human form, sighed as he sat with the Tendo family and Happosai. After explaining and demonstrating the curse, the father of Ranma Saotome began telling his 'tale of woe.' "You see Tendo, it all began a year ago?" After twenty minutes, Genma completed his story. "So you see Tendo, for a year, I searched valiantly for my poor son, hoping to find him and return him to his human form." In actuality, he had only spent about three months looking for Ranma. The rest of time was spent in hiding as the families that he had engaged their daughters to his son had come looking for him. Many of those families were quite capable of dealing out painful retribution. "So what you're saying is that Ranma is now a giant, saber- toothed tiger?" Nabiki asked, very intrigued by this development. Genma nodded. "Oh what a terrible tragedy! To think that he survived the Neko Ken Training, only to have become a cat himself!" Happosai's eyes widened a bit when he heard this, but he quickly smothered it. "Wait a second, did you say Neko Ken?" Akane asked, very interested that he knew about the fighting style that Kojiro used. "Yes, the legendary Cat Fist." Genma burst out into tears (the crocodile kind). "But what does it matter that he learned the ultimate technique when he'll never be able to fulfill the pledge? I can't even find him!" "Hmmmm? I wonder if that happens to be the same tiger that has been seen in roaming around the neighborhoods?" Kasumi said. "Tiger? What do you mean?" Genma asked. "There have been numerous sightings of a large, black tiger with long teeth running around the city lately." Kasumi replied. "The newspapers are calling it the Tokyo Tiger and even the Amazons are hunting it. I believe that they've gotten more determined lately." "A? black, longtooothed? tiger?" The little lightbulb in his head went off. "Ranma! It's Ranma! I know it! Oh happy day!" "But Saotome, are you sure?" Soun asked. "It makes sense Daddy." Nabiki shrugged. "I mean? how many saber-toothed tigers are there in Tokyo? Or in world for that matter? This Tokyo Tiger has to be Ranma. It fits Mr. Saotome's description of Ranma's cursed form." Soun then bawled out, "Waaaaahhhh! My future son-in-law is a wild beast!" "Don't worry Tendo." Genma soothed as he saw a new hope in this development. "If Ranma's here in Tokyo, then we'll find him. Then we'll find a way to turn him back into a man and then he'll marry one of your daughters!" Soun brightened up as he heard this. "You're right Saotome! We shall prevail! For the good of the schools!" Both men stood up and took a pose. "It's Soun?" "And Genma's?" "Operation Tiger Hunt!" Both men said in unison. At this point, all three girls were in a state of shock. No doubt about it, the two were absolutely nuts. "Now hold on a minute!" Akane shouted. "I'm not going to marry some freak of nature!" "Akane has a point Daddy." Nabiki added. "Shouldn't you find out how to change Ranma back first before you go chasing a tiger that's liable to use you both as scratching posts?" "Don't trouble us with minor details." Soun turned to his friend. "Come on Genma, let's go!" Both men bolted out of the house and were gone, anxious to find the means in which they could retire early. It was also partly because they wanted to get out of the master's presence. "This? can't be happening." Akane said in disbelief. Happosai shrugged as he blew another puff on his pipe. "That's Soun and Genma for you. Once they set their minds on something, they go for it, no matter how stupid the idea is at the time." The ancient lecher shrugged as he put out his pipe and got up. "Those two are such a disappointment. I had high hopes that Genma's son would be able to carry on the school, but now it seems that I may be forced to choose one of them. In any case, I've got to go out myself for a little? exercise." "You mean go on a panty raid." Akane snorted in disgust. "Hey, who said that stealing panties wasn't strenuous?" The youngest Tendo was about to say something nasty about what she thought about it, then reconsidered as Happosai turned to leave. "Er? Grandfather Happosai?" "Yes my dear Akane?" The little gnome looked back at her. The smirking leer he was giving her was obvious to all. Especially when his gaze lingered at her chest. Akane quickly smothered her irritation at the way he was undressing her with his eyes. "Do? you know anything about the Neko Ken?" Happosai's face took on a surprised look, then he did something surprising, despite the fact that he was about to steal women's underwear. He got serious. Turning around so that his back was facing Akane, he answered quietly. "Yes Akane. I know of the Neko Ken. However, it would be best that you forget about it. I didn't think that anyone would be stupid enough to try to learn that powerful yet horrible technique, but I guess Genma proved me wrong when he subjected his son to it." "But what exactly is it?" "I said forget about it." "But?" "I said no!" With these angry words, Happosai walked out the door and was gone. A while later, after Happosai had gone, Nabiki was in her room and thinking about the day's events and revelations. At first she didn't want to believe it, but after seeing Genma's curse, hearing his story and news footage of the Tokyo Tiger, there was no doubt in her mind that this Ranma person was the same person. After all, it fit in perfectly. Saber-toothed tigers were supposed to be extinct and the appearance of one plus the fact that Ranma had fallen into the Spring of Drowned Monster Tiger was a connection that went far beyond mere coincidence. Then she thought of something else as well. The mention of the Neko Ken reminded her of only one person who claimed to be a master of it. Nabiki began looking though the notes that she and her flunkies had compiled about the Tokyo Tiger and on Kojiro. She began remembering when she had first laid eyes on the Neko ken fighter. The No Holds Barred Tournament. She then recalled that she had a video of that event that one of her associates had gotten from a hustler from Himoto High, Kai Metsubana. She went through her desk drawer and retrieved it. She then went downstairs and sat down in front of the television in the den. Inserting the cassette into the VCR, she pressed the play button and began watching. On the screen, she became fascinated at the sheer strength and speed of Kojiro as he dispatched his opponents with ease. It was then that she started to notice something. Although she wasn't a martial artist, she had observed Happosai, Akane and her father often enough to recognize several of their moves and stances. Her eyes widened as she saw Kojiro take a basic Anything Goes stance when facing off against a wrestler from another school. "No way." Nabiki then hit the fast-forward button and sped through the tape until she got to the part where Kojiro had faced off against Akane. He eyes became even more entranced as she saw him dance around her enraged sister. The dodging maneuvers were more graceful and fluid than Akane could ever hope to accomplish, but they were definitely from their family's style. Akane had been too angry to realize at the time that Kojiro had used her own style against her. She had also seen Happosai use similar evasion techniques during his panty raids, when he was being chased by an angry mob of women. There were displays of Kojiro's claw techniques and chi attacks, but the way he melded them together suggested the Anything Goes. After all, the basis of the school was to combine several different styles into a totally free-form way of combat. The Ultimate Neko Ken that Kojiro used was very powerful and effective, but he seemed to fall back on the Anything Goes at times, as if by habit. Nabiki thought back to Genma's story about losing his son and that he had been changed into a saber-toothed tiger. Then there were the reports of such a beast roaming the outer limits of the city. She thought back to the date of the first sighting. It was two days after the tournament after Kojiro came to Furinkan High to restore everyone's hair and drive off the insane principal. She then remembered when the principal's henchmen had run screaming from the school, claiming that some monster was inside. This was after Kojiro had run into the school. The same night, the Tokyo Tiger appeared on the streets. Nabiki ran up to her room for a notebook where she had written down the dates and times where the tiger had been sighted. She then compared the times in which she had her flunkies tail Kojiro. The times where the Amazons were chasing Kojiro and the times where the Tokyo Tiger appeared were only minutes apart and always within a closed area. Then there were the unconfirmed reports of a transforming cat being battling a young boy. They had torn up a good section of abandoned buildings and one eyewitness claimed that the boy had turned into the Tokyo Tiger. She smiled as she made the connections. She began working out all the facts. Genma's story about Jusenkyo and his son falling into the Spring of Drowned Monster Tiger. Kojiro's sudden and mysterious appearance and his claim to have mastered the Neko Ken. She had also confirmed though her contacts that Kojiro had spent several months in China. The documents had been forged and the school board had obviously been paid off to keep quiet. The similarities between his fighting style and the Anything Goes Martial Arts. Finally, the fact that Kojiro always seem to disappear whenever the Tokyo Tiger would make an appearance. The end result was? the Tokyo Tiger was Kojiro and Kojiro Shinkara was? Ranma Saotome. Nabiki was ecstatic. For weeks, she had been frustrated over the mystery of Kojiro?er, Ranma and after hearing Genma's story, she finally had the final piece of the puzzle. Now, just how was she going to turn this into something profitable? In another part of town, the person in question was running for his life. He had had good reason to. Hot on his heels were five amorous and very excited warrior females that were chasing him with the intent to give him the Kiss of marriage. Ranma cursed his luck as he had taken a path back to his apartment that ran into all five Amazons, just as they were finishing with a large delivery. "WO AI NI!" "WODE AIREN!" "KOJIRO NO GO!" "BUBBLES WANT TIGER HUSBAND!" "COME BACK BEAUTIFUL TIGER AND MAKE SHAMPOO PURR!" It was those last two statements that almost made Ranma trip over his feet. He then remembered that they had seen him battle Brittany Diggers. Ranma then triggered his transformation and became the Tokyo Tiger. He then began to widen the gap between himself and his pursuers as he accelerated up to 90mph, causing roof tiles to be torn off and scattered about in his wake. The Amazons were momentarily shocked to see the object of their affections become a huge predator but they remembered that they had seen it before and redoubled their efforts to catch him. Mascara and Cologne were very determined to add his genes to the tribe as they weren't about to let this much raw power slip from their grasp. Besides, the girls had gotten a pretty good look at his hybrid form and had been having very naughty dreams about their wedding nights since then. On street level, Soun and Genma were standing by an intersection, discussing their plans as to how to go about finding the Tokyo Tiger. Genma had admitted that he hadn't thought about it as much when he led Soun out of his house. He just wanted to get out of the master's presence and that excuse seemed the easiest way of doing it. "Oh come on now Saotome! Think! We have to figure out a way to find your wayward son! It's not like he's going to appear right in front of us!" As if on cue, they both heard a tremendous roar from above. They both looked up and saw a huge black shape leap over the rooftop of a three-story building from across the street to land one the sidewalk in front of them. With its back turned to them, it didn't see the two startled men as it looked off to one side. When it caught sight of the Amazons approaching in the far distance, it made a right turn and bolted down the street. Genma and Soun looked at each other and said at the same time, "Ranma!" They then started running after the future of the Anything Goes Martial Arts. A couple minutes later, the Amazons ran by, thereby starting one of the most hectic chases in history. To be continued? Author's Notes Well, I'm finally done this part. As one might expect, Nabiki has deduced Ranma's identity and this will not bode well for the Neko Ken fighter. Genma is back and this will also not be good for poor Ranma. As readers have constantly told me, I have changed the name from Cojiro to Kojiro. I will make the corrections to the other chapters eventually. Time for the mayhem to begin!