Bloodsport ½! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: "Ranma ½" and "Bloodsport" belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a fusion/alt/continuation story.

Author's Note: Due to the slow-down in traffic reviews, thanks to the summer, these stories will be capped at 1000-plus words per chapter. As always, C&C are welcomed.

Part 4

Akane continues her training under the tutelage of Genma Saotome, happy that she was getting stronger. However, there were a few aspects of said training that she disliked…

BAM!

"Huh?" Akane said, as she bolts up from her bed. "What the-?"

"Rise and shine!" Genma said, as he throws water from a pail at her.

SPLASH!

"Ah!" Akane yelled in outrage.

"I told you to always be ready to go train at the crack of dawn," Genma said, as he twirled his pail. "And if you are not, then you get this."

"Grrrr!" Akane growled.

"Now, you have five minutes to meet outside to train," Genma said, as he grins evil. "Otherwise, I might give you the REAL training."

"What do you mean by THAT?"

"You'll see. BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"…"

Other than those situations, Akane DID appreciate her training.

The training proceeds nicely. By the twenty-sixth week, Genma introduced the more esoteric training techniques. Also, by this time, Akane's hair was long enough to tie into a pigtail, which she did in Ranma's honor. In addition to this, Akane was able to convince her father Soun to continue her training in the Earth school after school, this allowing her to train in the mornings under Genma.

Actually, considering the debts that Genma accrued over the years, he had no choice but to get a full time "day labor" job…

Nevertheless, as long as Akane was willing to learn the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling, Genma was willing to teach her.

"Haa!" Akane said, as she punched in Genma's direction while blind-folded. She and her teacher were on a raised training mat that angled up on the ends.

"Ho!" Akane said, as she shifted her footwork, so that she could kick where Genma would end up.

WOOSH!

Genma barely moved out of the way of the kick, only to be forced back towards the edge of mat.

At this point, Akane could have used a finishing move that could knock Genma off the mat. However, instead of doing so, she returns to a classic horse stance, ready for additional instruction.

"Impressive," Genma said, as he smiled proudly. "You might just make it after all."

"With all due respect, uncle, after the hell you put me through, I better," Akane said with a smirk.

"Humph."

Whenever Akane wasn't testing the limits of her body, particularly when learning how to swim, do near impossible stretches, staying underwater for minutes on end and everything else, Akane would complete her meditation exercises, where she would learn how to focus her thought. Meditation techniques included such things as the "Mirroring Exercises", which forces the student to perform mudra hand gestures in unison with a teacher or partner. The whole point is to be able to perform simple tasks with precision, so that the same exercise can be done when the student is blind-folded. Eventually, and after some training mishap, the youngest Tendo sister was giving a final test…

As Nodoka and Genma sat still at the patio table, Akane served lunch, prepared by Nodoka, blindfolded. She expertly placed the food and drinks to their proper places, after setting down the plates, utensils and so forth down onto the table. Once she had completed her task, Akane takes her place at the table, and waited for Genma's next move.

Quietly, Genma picks up on of his tea cups, looks at it, sat it down, and-

SWISH!

THAP!

Akane smoothly caught Genma's right hand, after Genma tried to smack her across the face with a classic hand knife strike.

"It appears that Akane is doing well, Genma," Nodoka commented.

"Indeed," Genma replied. "However, her training continues…"

While performing simple kata exercises, Akane gets smacked from all sides by Genma with a kendo practice sword.

WHACK!

"Oy," Akane said, as she shifts into the next form.

BAP!

"Aiyee," Akane said, as she shifts into a new form.

Genma observes this. He has purposely been rough on the girl because he wanted to make sure that she could both concentrate on her forms with distraction, as well as to see if she could avoid getting angry. If Akane is to master the Saotome School, she would need to be able to set aside her own ego, if she was to learn the Saotome Forbidden Arts from him. He had already begun this process with his son Ranma, before deciding that his Saotome Forbidden Arts should be sealed. That was a mistake that Genma was not about to repeat.

"Continue to practice, so that you are distracted by nothing, and that you are in synch with your body," Genma said.

"Hoooo," Akane said, as she shifts into another form…

A week later, Akane found herself strapped in a device that was designed to stretch her limbs.

YANK!

"Ahh!" Akane yelled in pain.

"That's it," Genma said, as he pulled the ropes that ran through a pulley system that were tied to her limbs. "Let it all out…"

YANK!

"Ahhh!"

"Akane, you're a girl," Genma said, as he tied his end to a hook. "Aren't you supposed to be limber? That Kuno girl is limber. Maybe I should have trained HER…"

"I'm flexible, just fine!" Akane said, as she got used to her situation. "And what does this have to do with my training?"

"The training serves to teach you how to focus past one's pain," Genma said with a sage-like expression. "Why do you think he was able to overcome all those opponents who were technically stronger than Ranma? THAT is the purpose of these training methods."

Pause.

"And if you focus past the pain, you will be able to master the 'Soul of Ice Technique'."

Akane nods her head, as she focused on the one thing that has always given her comfort.

'Ranma…'

Genma could see that Akane that her facial expression was one of peace and contemplation, before she pulled the ropes that held her.

SNAP!

Still stretched out, and in a leg split formation, Akane looks up at Genma.

"Got any more challenges?" Akane said with a smile.

"Indeed," Genma said, as he strokes his chin. "And seeing that you have the temperament has told me that you truly ready for your training."

"Wait, then what do you call this?"

"The preliminaries."

"Huh?"

And the rest was history…

END FLASHBACK!

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Coming," Nodoka said, as she opens the door.

CHUNK!

Nodoka sees Akane and her sister Nabiki standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello, you two," Nodoka said with a smile, as she bowed slightly.

"Hello, auntie," Nabiki said.

"How are things?" Akane asked.

"Oh, it could be better, with Genma ill and all."

"May I see him?" Akane asked. "I want to see uncle before Nabiki and I go on to the airport."

"Of course, of course," Nodoka said, as she moved away to allow the Tendo sisters in. "He will be glad to see you."

And, with that, Akane and Nabiki enter the Saotome home.

Meanwhile, three shadowy figures meet.

"Is this really necessary, sugar?" said one person.

"It is, if it means we can have our revenge on Akane Tendo," said the other person. "HOHOHOHOHO!"

"Would 'Crazy-Girl' stop laughing like that?" said the third person. "Laugh gives Shampoo headache."

"Be as it may, we are all in agreement," said the second person. "Now, I know my dear brother will attempt to follow the harridan, so we can utilize my brother's resources to confront…her."

"Why can't we simply deal with her here, sugar?" said the first person.

"We confront 'Kitchen Destroyer' so she can fail in the Kumate," said the second person.

"And thus, her attempts at honoring our beloved will fail," said the second person. "We will utilize the 'Instant Jusenkyo' to temporarily assume alternate guises, so she will never suspect a thing. HOHOHOHO-!"

"Would you STOP that?" asked the first person with annoyance. "Sheesh…"

Tbc.