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Ranma narrowed his eyes a bit. "What did you say, Diasuke?"
Diasuke swallowed and held up his hands. "Nothing Ranma, nothing at all."
Hiroshi smiled and spoke up. "He was just commenting on how pretty your sister is Ranma. That sad look makes her look softer." He nudged Diasuke in the ribs. "He said what ever made her sad should be done more often. She looks really hot that way." Hiroshi started to laugh at the expression on Diasuke's face but he didn't for long. Both of them were soon flat on the grass with Ranma fist prints in their skulls.
Ranma went over to join the girls, on the way he noticed one of the school bullies heading toward Hanzou and watched as he walked. He bumped into Suteko and looking down he apologized and sat next to her.
"Well, well if it isn't Hanzou...right?" Tetsuya's voice teased. Shirow and Ryo had backed out of his plan to humiliate the kid by poking fun at his grandfather thinking it wasn't funny. Tetsuya didn't care. The kid had embarassed him and he had to pay for that.
"What do you want, sempai?" Hanzou said tiredly, looking up from his Seikaze school martial arts book. He had enough people this week teasing him about his age and size. He really didn't need this 'person' messing with him.
Tetsuya smiled inwardly. This was perfect. The kid was all ready upset. It should only take a little bit to break him into tears. He lifted a brow with a smile. "Oh, I take it you're still upset about your gramfather?" Tetsuya teased.
Hanzou's eye twitched slightly, "How does someone with the brains of an ameoba know about my grandfather?"
"I have my ways," Tetsuya answered waving the missing page from Hanzou's journal. "You know, from what I have heard, your grandfather makes a great place to hold a knife." Tetsuya taunted.
Suteko and Ukyou looked over to see Tetsuya messing with Hanzou, both girls showing concern. Ukyo let out a little gasp when she saw his battle aura flare up. That wasn?t good, she knew what had probably happened and hoped he could keep control. Getting up, she began to head toward her young cousin at a sprint.
Suteko watched Ukyo for a moment and then followed her, without a word. Her eyes on the fight that was beginning across the school yard she couldn?t help hearing Ukyo saying something, almost to herself. "You've done well enough to keep yourself under control, cousin, don't loose it now." It was too late though, they watched Hanzou yell and drive a knee hard into Tetsuya's stomach.
Suteko, sped up to pass Ukyo. He may be mad at her but she was not going to let one of the school bullies attack the smaller boy. She was surrprised as she felt a hand grab her arm and swing her about. She reacted almost instantly, starting to swing toward what she was sure of one of Tetsuya?s friends trying to stop her. She checked her blow with a wince and a look of surprise as she noticed it was Ukyo who had stopped her.
"Ukyo? Why?"
Ukyo shook her head. "Bad idea, Sut-chan, his grandfather warned me of this," Ukyou said in a quiet, level voice.
"Warned you about what?" Suteko asked, her eyes turned to the fight, wanting desperately to end it.
"That is not the Hanzou we know." Suteko turned back to look at Ukyo with a look of confusion on her face. Ukyo sighed and continued. "You ever hear about people blacking out in a rage?"
Suteko nodded slowly, tilting her head slightly, her eyes narrowing a bit in confusion. "Of course but what has that to do with Hanzou?"
"He is like that, only it is much worse in Han-chan's case. He loses all self control and focuses all his attention on what caused this rage to surface and then he attempts to destroy it." Ukyou said grimly. She watched her friend?s face for a moment before continueing.
"Right now you being near him and the way he feels about you right now," she paused again, "well he might turn that rage towards you."
Suteko shuddered slightly and then stepped back. She turned her eyes back to the fight without another word. Ukyo waited a few moments to be sure that the older girl wouldn?t do anything. She didn?t need to, she could see Suteko?s desire to help Hanzou but she could also she her holding back from moving, a fist clenched. Ukyo too turned her eyes to the fight knowing there was nothing she could do as the fight continued.
Hanzou, was beyond rational thinking now. One more person talking about his beloved grandfather was too much and he went into a frenzy of kicks all aimed at Tetsuya's chest and stomach. Most of blows connected. Tetsuya had been stunned by the first attach from the smaller boy and he could not defend himself. He tried to get up and made it to his feet but another blow caught him hard in the stomach, causing him to cough blood. Hanzou either didn't notice or he didn't care. He tripped Tetsuya and shoved his head into the ground, hard.
Ukyou ran over to Hanzou and called his name as gently as possible. After a moment Hanzou seem to calm down a little and his eyes cleared. He looked over at Tetsuya, who's nose was gushing blood as some students tended to him, then to Ukyou, a worried expression on her face and he slowly realized what he'd done. His gaze then rested on Suteko, who was standing a few steps behind his counsin. His anger flared up again, slower this time. Slow enough that he had control of himself. He turned his eyes away from her sad eyes and he struggled to maintain a little control.
Suteko opened her mouth to try to apologize once more but she was cut off by Hanzou?s voice. "Stay away from me, or you'll be next" Hanzou growled icily. He then turned around and slowly walked away from the school.
Suteko started to step forward, to go after him but stopped. Her large green eyes slowly fell shut as she remembered the look of hatred, regret and confusion chasing across the boy's face. She shivered visably and let out a small sound as she watched the boy walk away.
Concerned, Ukyo turned from watching some students help Tetsuya to his feet. The bully was holding his nose, which looked broken. With a sigh she turned back to her friend and placed her hand on Suteko's shoulder. She was surprised when Suteko shrugged it off with a choked sound. Ranma and Akane had just joined the two girls and they all watched as Suteko raced out the school, heading in the direction of the dojo.
Suteko spent the time till school would have gotten over just running. She had passed the dojo hours ago and just continued to run. Over and over in her head she replayed her young friend's words. She knew that if he had attacked her she would have let him pummle her senseless. She deserved it. As she once more passed the walls of her home here in Japan she saw her brother, Akane and Nibiki coming down the street. She leapt up, landing on the roof of a building across the street and continued on. Suteko decided during her run that she would head to Ucchan's and try once more to apologize to Hanzou. If he needed to slam her to feel better, then so be it. She would not lift a finger to protect herself. She had stained her honor.
Across town at Ucchan's the mood was very depressed. The usual bright conversation in the restuarant was dampened by the young boy cleaning up the tables. Ukyo was tending to customers in her usual brisk fashion but most of her attention was on Hanzou as he cleaned up. She was debating about once more trying to get him to talk with Suteko when the phone rang.
"Han-chan? Could you get that for me?" Ukyou said, flipping over another order.
Looking up and blink, "Huh? Uh sure," Hanzou replied distantly. He put down the stack of dishes he just cleared and picked up the phone. After a few minutes he wrote down an address and the order. He turned and handed it to Ukyo and returned to clearing the tables as she prepared the order for delivery.
Ito Fukushuu smiled as he cradled the phone. His plan was now in full swing. Soon he would have all the players exactly where he wanted them.
Ukyo prepared the order with her usual effictency and sent Hanzou out to deliver the order. She was just serving a number one to her lone remaining customer after the dinner rush when Suteko looked in though the doorway.
Looking up from cleaning the grill, Ukyo spotted Suteko. "Sorry Suteko but Han-chan is out making a delivery." She took a closer look at her friend. If anything she looked more depressed than earlier. Ukyo took a deep breath, thinking fast. She did not like to see her normally cheerful friend this upset. She leaned against the counter and spoke quietly as Suteko slumped into on of the stools there. "Listen Sut-chan, Hanzou doesn't hate you, he just needs some time to calm down, ya know and sort things out, I mean I should've seen a blow up coming."
Suteko listened to Ukyou, her mind going over both what the other girl was saying now and what she had told her before. She couldn't blame Hanzou for his current state of mind. Things were hard enough on the young boy. After all starting in a school where everyone was older than you was hard enough, then add in not having a father around to teach you things that father's should teach their sons, having a mother in god only knows what part of the world and to top it all off the person who practically raised you stuck in a hospital possibly dying, well that had to be too much for one young child to handle.
She looked up from under her lashes at Ukyo. "So I should be happy he didn't attack me?" Suteko asked quietly.
"Well?by Han-kun's reasoning, yes. He kept that anger towards you contained enough so he wouldn't do something to someone he looks up to, unfortunately all that anger finally broke through and was unleashed on Tetsuya," Ukyou continued hoping that the conversation would at least ease her friend?s worries.
Hearing this did very little to boost Suteko's spirits, but she doesn't let it show.
"Ukyou, if it's all right with you I'd feel a lot better if I tried one last time to apologize to him in person."
Ukyou understood how she felt and slid her a slip of paper that Hanzou had written down the address where he was going.
Sighing, "Thanks Ukyo," Suteko answered as she looked at the slip of paper and then grew pale.
"Oh my god, this address, it's it's Ito's." Suteko gasps.
Ukyo nearly fainted.
Hanzou arrived at the Fukushuu residence, flutteirng down to the gate and ringing the bell. As upset as he was he didn't pay attention to the name on the gate. The sign was small and high up on the gate. Inside, Ito saw him via the security cameras and ordered the guards to let him enter, with a silent signal Natsu went to "greet" him.
Hanzou followed the guards with a slightly surprised expression. It was not often that a place as rich as this one seemed ordered take out from a small restuarant like Uchhans. Something was trying to tell him something but he just pushed it out of his mind. "Gotta get back for the next delivery." He entered the door that the guard held open for him and was greeted by a serrated dagger that raked by his cheek.
"Owww," he hissed in pain and noticed the clear green liquid on his fingertips.
"That hurt didn't it? Well don't worry in a few days you'll be with your grandfather " Natsu laughed.
Hanzou was drained from the earlier fightwith Tetsuya and was in no condition to put up a fight. He tried his best to dodge the attacks of the mysterious woman but most of her blows got through. He tried to do a spinning back fist but his arm was caught and broken at the elbow. He let out a shriek as the joint tore away and sagged. Natsu took advantage of the boy's state to strike a blow on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. She quickly searched him and pocketed his martial arts manual.
Back at Ucchan's Suteko is sitting with her head in her hands as Ukyo called the team together once more. A short time later they were gathered about and they waited for Suteko to speak. She took a deep breath and looked about. "We have to go back in gang. Ito has by now captured Hanzou and is probably making his life a living hell." She turned to Ukyo. "You know the story better than I do, Ukyo. Tell them."
Ukyo quickly filled them in on the history between Ito and Hanzou's granddad. The team listened in silence and then Ranma went to his sister's side and put an arm around her.
"Don't worry sis, we'll get him out of there. We beat Ito before, we can do it again." He nodded to Ukyo who looked worried but determined.
Suteko answered really quietly, "just remember he knows about what we all can do now."
Hanzou was awakened by a splash of cold water in the face. He let out a strangled cry which grew to a scream as he jerked back and pulled on his right arm. It was shackled to a wall above his head and it bent oddly at the elbow. He swallowed the pain but winced as he felt his wings strain against his back and what he knew to be a wall.
"Interesting, I'd no idea this boy had a curse like your daughter," Ito said to Atsuko
"What do you plan on doing with me?" Hanzou said weakly, fear clear in his eyes.
Ito gained a cruel smile, "simple boy, you are to serve two purposes, 1 to be bait for my granddaughter and grandson, and 2," he reached for a small hand held cross bow. "You are my amusement."
Atsuko had found over the past few months that she didn't like the decision she had made to throw in her lot with Ito. During the quiet of the night when the house was still she found herself remembering the days of happiness she had as her daughter grew up. There had been a time, before she had been contacted by the clan that she had forgot all about the child's father and her shame. But the meeting with Ito had changed things. He could be messmerizing when he chose. And she had believed him when he told her that herone time lover had to pay for his crime. She had even swallowed her doubts and did as he asked, kidnapping the boy Ranma. When during the attempted rescue of the boy, her daughter had shown she was cursed to change into a boy she had been shocked into seeing a few things. And when he had told her about the damage that had been done to what he called "that little traitorous bitch" she started to find herself doubting her choice.
She looked at her grandfather's face and her eyes grew troubled. The look of intense satisfaction on his face was too much like the look he had as he made Ranma attack Suteko all those months ago. She shuddered and came out of her distraction as she heard a thwang, and a choked scream. Turning to look at the boy in horror. Sprouting from his shoulder was the feathered shaft of the bolt. She let out a small strangled sound as the image that swam in front of her eyes was not a small boy with tears streaming down his cheeks but that of Suteko, bravely swallowing the pain and trying to protect her brother. Atsuko brought a hand to her mouth to stiffle the cry and looked at her grandfather with a new sense of undertanding and terror in her eyes.
"Oh come now, you can scream better than that? Right Natsu?" Ito said sarcastically.
Natsu nodded, the expression on her face one of almost sexual pleasure at watching the pain of the child. She shivers and then looks over in time to see Atsuko slipping her staff from the air and preparing to attack Ito.
Her voice chocked with emotion Atsuko stepped between her grandfather and the boy. "There's no need to make him suffer anymore, stop this insanity now!"
In surprise Ito dropped the crossbow to his side. For a moment he looked as if he had been bitten by a beloved and trusted dog. Then his eyes narrowed. "So, it appears you have turned against me," he turned slightly away from her. "Natsu, remove this woman from my sight," Ito sneered and put down the crossbow, contemplating what tool to use next.
Natsu nodded with a smile and rushed Atsuko with a quickness the older woman could not hope to match.. Atsuko, seeing her danger attempted to bring her staff around to hit Natsu, but it was no good. Natsu was younger, faster and trained better than Atsuko and she anticipated the attack and grabbed the end of Atsuko's staff. Using the momentum of the swing she sent Atsuko through the window and 10 feet down, into an ornate fountain.
to be continued
go forward to chapter four, part one
If you want to contact the writers of this story you can reach David here and Lisa here.
