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Disclaimer: You know the drill it’s all not mine and I’m not pretending it does.
Thanks too all you reviewers out there. Your advice on my previous chapters has encouraged me to go back and make changes. Those changes will undoubtedly make this a much better story.
Chapter 6 – With cat like tread.
Sometimes being a human form intelligent cat is hard. The primal needs and desires of a cat are much harder to handle than the anger of a human being. It’s all vividly there in front of you; The need to hunt prey; The desire to collect a mate; The need to make sure your enemies are taken down for good. It’s all there in sharp detail and ignoring it can be harder than ignoring a subway crowd. So, over time I’ve learned to placate those needs and desires and make them quiet down, instead of ignoring them. If that makes me less human than most people, what can I say; after all I have the spirit of a cat.
Nabiki then started to tell her friend about the previous day’s activities. “Yesterday, Ranma ran into school and smashed right into Miss Hinako first thing. He didn’t think anything of it, but a few people commented about whether or not he hurt the new transfer student. He was able to deflect most of that rumor and most people didn’t realize she was a teacher at all until Happosai caused a disturbance outside. That was when both Saotome and Hinako jumped out a window to deal with the old letch. Ranma didn’t even start moving, when Miss Ninomiya executed the Anything-Goes Martial Arts technique you told me about. It incapacitated Happosai in one move and she grew from a small child into a woman just like you said she would. Although, you might have mentioned exactly how um well developed she was Neko-chan, but no matter.”
“Anyway, right after witnessing Hinako's display, Saotome carried her off to try and get her to teach him the maneuver. Yes, I know you said that’s not possible, but he didn’t know that. Yuka and Sayuri told me that they saw him buy her food, balloons, and that he even gave her his jacket, but she seemed to well accept it like a child and when it was done she headed straight home without telling him anything more.”
Ranma butted into the conversation and said, “Right, Shampoo called me and said she saw the same thing, but apparently Ukyou and Kodachi were with her. The three of them attacked Hinako and lost because of that technique of hers. My new tribe sister was fit to be tied and almost gave Hinako the kiss of death when she woke up later on, but apparently she decided against it because of all the trouble with it in the past. She’s still pissed though and she’s probably going to do something.”
Nabiki nodded and said, “Well that fills in some details for me. You’ve got to tell me more if you get another call from her today and I’m betting you will.”
“Oh why is that?” Ranma questioned.
“Apparently the old Letch found Ranma and told him something about a way to defeat the technique?”
“No way! What is it?”
“Well I have no clue, but apparently Akane and Ukyo walked in on Hinako and Ranma while he was touching her breast today. She drained him for that…No really! On a very good note though I started the betting pool yesterday and that counts as a victory for Hinako in the first match giving us a tidy sum.”
A smile came to Ranma’s voice. “Well that’s good for us, but I bet that he must have been trying for some type of pressure point or something. There’s no way I’d or um he’d just touch some teacher’s breast for no reason. What did Ucchan and Akane do to him?”
“That’s right, Ranma did say something about a pressure point technique or something like that, but Akane and Ukyou just woke him up and beat on him a bit anyway. Later in the day he made a number of other various attempts to touch Hinako's breasts. So, while we might believe the pressure point story, everyone else seems to think he’s a sex fiend now”
All Nabiki could hear on the other side of the line was tremendous laughter. Then she heard a crash. “Neko-chan are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just fell out of my chair. So tell me what happened after that?”
“That’s it for today and yesterday. Who knows what will happen tomorrow.”
“Alright, thanks Nabs. Oh! Wait one more thing.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you on the phone right now, but let’s just say I’m coming by tomorrow to see the fun and talk to you and granny.”
“Alright Neko-chan, but be careful alright.”
Nabiki could hear the slyness in Ranma’s voice as she said, “Hey it’s me.”
Nabiki just rolled her eyes and said, “That’s what I’m afraid of. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yeah.”
The call ended and Ranma sat farther back in her chair. Thinking, I found Neherenia’s contract and it shouldn’t be that different from mine. So I’ll bring it by tomorrow and maybe Cologne and Nabiki can figure something out. At the very least I can watch the spectacle and the old letch will be there too. I wonder how I could convince him to allow me in the school? It better not be anything perverted.
As Ranma was thinking the phone rang. She picked it up and said, “Yo?”
The voice on the other line said, “Hello! Is Tribe Sister Ranma?”
Ranma put some sympathy into her voice as she said, “Hey tribe sister Shampoo. How are things going since yesterday?”
Shampoo spoke in anguished tones, but due to her emotional state she switched to Mandarin leaving Ranma perplexed as to exactly what she had said and meant. Ranma said, “Shampoo, I know that Cologne has me learning Chinese and that Darn rite of Artemis helped me some too, but I’m not that fluent yet. Why not try that again slowly and in Japanese okay?”
The young Amazon warrior said, “I talk in Chinese it be good for tribe sister to learn.” So Shampoo went slowly again in her native tongue saying, “I heard that the Male Ranma kept trying to touch that his evil seductress teacher’s breasts all day. Why would he want to do that when I’m right here for him? You must know something since you have his memories right?”
Ranma thought for a moment and shaded things by saying, “I heard from Nabiki earlier and she says that Happosai taught him to do it. The old letch also taught Miss Hinako everything she knows as well.”
“Aiyah! Male Ranma learned perverted things from Happosai and the evil teacher learned the same. I’m thinking that maybe I should have given her the kiss of death yesterday.”
Concern and Steel entered Ranma’s voice as she said, “No, you had good sense yesterday. This is an unknown woman with an unknown amount of skill and ability. It’s better to examine her and see if she really is a threat.”
Ranma could almost hear Shampoo nod, “You are right tribe sister, but the crazy ribbon girl and the Spatula girl think she must be stopped. They plan to attack tomorrow and I’m thinking of joining them.”
Ranma quickly tried to decide if she should disabuse her new tribe sister on this score and ended up saying, “Three against one seems unfair doesn’t it? Besides, how much do you know about that attack of hers? You should probably wait and think of some idea for how to beat it first.”
Shampoo paused in though and then said, “Spatula girl suggested that we should attack during Gym class. That way the teacher wouldn’t know if we were generating a battle aura or if it was just competitive spirit.”
Ranma hesitated and then crossed her fingers as she said, “I don’t think that’s the best idea tribe sister. Still, it is your choice but, please promise me that if you lose you won’t give her the kiss of death.”
A cheerful voice replied, “I promise tribe sister, but you come by Furinkan high for Gym class and I’ll show you. It will work and we will defeat her.”
Ranma rolled her eyes and said, “Alright I’ll come and watch. See you then. Bye now.”
“Bye, bye Tribe Sister Ranma.”
Nabiki looked at Ranma archly and said, “Your curse? What ever could you mean?”
“Well pops said that my curse, you know that weird lookin’ cat girl, came by the other day claiming to be Ranma. He said he sent her packing and told her to never use the Saotome School again.”
Nabiki rolled her eyes and said, “Is that what Uncle Genma said about her? Well that girl is a friend of mine; I call her Neko-chan, and would appreciate it if you did not insult her by suggesting that she is a curse.”
Ranma looked confused and said, “But, she is right? She’s the leftovers from the magic spell that created me. It says so right here in this brochure…”
“Let me see that you idiot.” Nabiki grabbed the brochure and said read it out loud. “It says Ranma Saotome was spilt into two separate individuals when his curse was magically cured. One is female and the other is male.”
Nabiki stared at Ranma and said angrily, “Nowhere does it say that Neko-chan is leftovers or anything else. That must have come from your idiot of a father. Who, by the way got his ass handed to him by Neko-chan yesterday.”
Ranma seemed almost clueless as he said, “Oh well, anyway can she maybe do me a favor?”
Nabiki stared at the boy in front of her with exasperation and said, “What is wrong with you Ranma? Do you even realize that this girl has your memories, that she’s basically you stuck in female form. Your father disavowed any knowledge of her existence and made her a Ronin. Do you even understand what all of that might be doing to her?”
Ranma stared at Nabiki who was mad for the first time he had seen her and then his memory kicked in and he said, “Hey don’t get mad it was right in the contract. I remember. It said something like as long as it exists the um the Dark Balloon or was it Black Baboon…”
Nabiki sat patiently and tried not to hit Ranma as he searched through his memory. Finally the boy said, “No, it was the Black Moon family they get to keep the something…um yeah byproducts of the curse removal.”
Ranma almost smiled thinking he was winning an argument with Nabiki and said, “So I’m Ranma Saotome and she’s just a byproduct just like the contract said. Just like that time Happosai used that incense.”
As Ranma finished Nabiki realized that he didn’t really want to understand, that for him it was simple. The girl was his curse and he didn’t want anything to do with it, not after all the trouble it had caused him. Except, now something had changed he needed some advantage and wanted, just like he had in previous occasions, to use his curse to gain that advantage. Nabiki smiled and then a thought crossed her mind and she said, “Look, I’ll talk to her, but I doubt she’d be willing to do you any favors Ranma. Heck, from what I understand you’re lucky she doesn’t want to kill you.”
Just as Nabiki had wanted Ranma’s bravado and cockiness came out. “Ah, she’s just a girl ain’t no way she’s better than me. Besides lots of people have been out for me ain’t none of them who could even touch me.”
Nabiki smiled at her easy manipulation of Ranma and then wondered to herself, Okay where is Neko-chan getting her intelligence from? She was once the same way, so how come she seems so sneaky and smart now? I’ll have to ask her the next time I talk to her. All she said to Ranma though was, “So why do you need a favor then?”
“Well it’s the stupid pressure points that the old freak gave me. Every time I try to use ‘em on Miss Hinako people think I’m a pervert. Maybe if a girl tried it…”
The manipulation continued as Nabiki said slyly, “You’re not seriously suggesting that a weak girl should fight for you now are you?”
Ranma backpedaled and said, “No way! I was just lookin’ for a distraction or something. Never mind. I’ll figure out a way to touch those points, even if I have to hide under the gym floor.”
Nabiki almost laughed out loud when Ranma said, “That’s it I’ll hide under the floor and she won’t be able to tell because of all the other auras, so when she’s close I’ll jump up and grab her.”
“Right, Ranma. You do that.” Nabiki walked away thinking. Now, I’ll definitely need to call Neko-chan again. Not only to find out how she got so smart, but also to see what she thinks about Ranma’s plan.
She picked up the phone again and a voice on the other line said, “Oh hi Nabiki-chan. I’m so sorry, but my sister went out with some of her friends from school. I’ll tell her you called when she gets back.”
Nabiki replied, “That’s okay I’ll cal again later Neherenia-san.” She hung up and wondered. That’s twice you’ve picked up Neherenia. Twice that you’ve said you’re Neko-Chan’s sister, but who are you really and what relation do you have to the Black Moon family and their contract with Neko-chan?
Nabiki walked off to do other business, but that thought and her new knowledge of the contract continued to plague her throughout the rest of the day.
Angerona picked herself out of the building wall and walked towards the vanishing fight again. As she approached she noticed that the rest of the scouts were slowing down and beginning to be frozen solid. She immediately ran towards the battle tapping into the soul of ice and sighed in relief as she was unaffected by chill. She reached the battle just in time to block a swipe at Sailor Moon and the she heard a loud shout, “Mercury Star Power!”
Angerona groaned to herself thinking, What the hell? Isn’t she supposed to be on a flight to Germany? She said so today at lunch, so what happened. Did she change her mind while I was at Gymnastics practice today or what? Angerona stopped that line of thought as she deflected more freezing attacks and cursed aloud as she watched the girl start up her attack thinking, Now, here it comes that stupid impenetrable fog. I really hate that stuff.
However, much to Angerona’s delight the new combatant shouted a new attack phrase, “Mercury Ice Storm Blast!” the freezing blast of power subdued the creature and Angerona immediately realized that paradoxically the cold creature was vulnerable to cold. She powered up her own soul of ice with her Nemesis energies and pounced on the creature with a set of freezing chi claws slicing it into ribbons.
The rest of the scouts started to thaw out and Angerona walked up to Mercury. “Hey, that’s a neat attack you have, why didn’t you use it on the flame critter the other day?”
Mercury blushed and said nervously, “Oh, well I just got this new transformation stick today.”
“Oh, sorry I didn’t realize.”
“That’s okay I wasn’t there to get mine. I guess you weren’t either?”
“Nah, I was at Gymnastics practice.”
The rest of the sailors gathered around and interrupted the conversation with a cheer for Mercury who stood straight and said, “I want to apologize to you all. I should have known that my place was here with you all and I promise that I won’t be going to Germany, not today, not tomorrow, and not ever.”
The group cheered again and a shout went out for ice cream. They quickly transformed into their civilian identities and went to an ice cream shop. Once they were seated at a booth and eating Usagi mumbled something around her ice cream. Rei bonked her and said, “Stop that meatball head! Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners? If you need to say something, stop eating and then say it.”
Ranma had seen the whole incident and responded to it by sticking her foot in her mouth, “Wow! I thought there was only one un-cute tomboy who acted like that.”
Rei stared at Ranma angrily and said, “Hey! What did you call me? You think you can just barge in here, join our group, and then start insulting me?”
Ranma was about to respond, but Rei cut her off. “I mean really, you didn’t have a new transformation stick at the meeting, no one knows who you are, and now you’re insulting me. Maybe you really are an enemy!”
Ranma didn’t think as she responded and said, “Oh please as if! You jump to conclusions, you’re violent, and you’re completely un-sexy. You are definitely just like another un-cute tomboy I know.”
A vein bulged on Rei’s forehead and she went right over the table and towards Ranma with her hands outstretched. She almost reached the other girl, when Ranma easily leapt out of her seat and into the aisle. She pulled her eyelid down and said, “Nyah! You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.”
Rei rushed to attack, but a wailing cry stopped her. “Please stop fighting!”
Usagi had burst into tears and was sobbing. The sounds of the tears made both Ranma and Rei apologize to each other. The two then approached the table and Rei comforted Usagi. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it.”
Ranma sat back down and looked very sheepish as he said, “Yeah, I’m sorry too Usagi, I didn’t mean any of that stuff.”
Usagi looked up at the two and said, “Really? You’re friends now?”
“Absolutely.” Both agreed, not wanting to induce another crying fit.
“Good.” Usagi stopped crying and then she said, “Ranma, Luna couldn’t find a new transformation stick for you, but she thinks that maybe your advisor might have it instead. So, you should check with her.”
Ranma goggled at how Usagi had gone from crying to serious in moments and just said, “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
“Oh good. Let’s finish our ice-cream!” Usagi started vacuuming up the frozen treat as if nothing had occurred and Ranma poked Minako and whispered, “Is she um always like that?”
Minako looked at Ranma seriously and said, “Yes, she may seem a bit strange, but she always gets the job done and has not let us down yet.”
“Oh.” Ranma finished her own ice cream silently wondering how Usagi could possibly lead anyone. When the ice cream was finished Ranma bid the group farewell and went home. Once at her own apartment complex she went to the gym area and there she met up with a bleached blonde haired girl practicing on the mats. “Hey Aiko, after the practice today I didn’t think you’d be interested in more.”
The thin blonde said, “Well, I was doing some more practice and kind of hoping you would be here.”
“Oh what do you need?”
“Well when you did your floor routine today you did a quadruple flip and well, I was hoping you might show me how to fix my double and maybe I could even make it a triple?”
Ranma looked at her pleading brown eyes and said, “Alright let’s get started. We already use extra weights during practice, but have you been wearing them outside of practice like I suggested earlier today?”
“Um, not yet, it’s just that 10 kilos seems so heavy.”
Ranma said, “Yeah well you should try it with the 30 kilo ball my old man started me off with.”
“That much? How did you ever do it?”
“Ah, it wasn’t much and once the wolves started chasing us I hardly even noticed the extra weight.”
Aiko was about to laugh, but when she saw the seriousness in Ranma’s face she lost the chuckle and glanced around the room nervously. Finally she looked at Ranma and said, “Right, well I think I’ll just put on the 10 kilos and walk around for a few weeks like you suggested.”
Ranma hardly noticed and said, “Alright, now that we have that part settled, I think we should work on your tuck. It’s not really tight enough.”
Ranma helped Aiko out with her tuck and then finished her own practice for the evening. After that she said her goodbyes and walked to her apartment. There she sat down and ate dinner while Neherenia questioned her about the day’s events.
Neherenia was in her human form and fluffed her luxurious black hair as she said, “Tell me again about this new transformation stick.”
“Like I said, Mercury and I weren’t at the meeting today, but all of the scouts except Sailor Moon and I received new transformation sticks.”
“Well, I certainly don’t have a new transformation item for you, as far as I know you have been given full access to all the powers of Nemesis. You will just need to learn how to channel them appropriately.”
“Okay, right after I steal the Ginzuishou and make Ranma Saotome’s life miserable...”
Neherenia herd the sarcasm in Ranma’s voice and said, “It’s a direct order from Wiseman himself, so I wouldn’t act that way if I were you.”
Ranma felt the anger rise and then she snuffed it out with the soul of ice. She looked at Neherenia coldly and said, “As the Black Moon Family commands, so shall I obey.”
Neherenia saw the anger in Ranma and thought to herself, Exactly what I need from you Ranma. Every time the Black Moon makes you do something you dislike you will be more inclined to find an escape from this contract. I have left mine out for you to find. Find it and break us free from the simpletons of the Black Moon Family so that someday soon I may feel their warm blood running through my hands.
Neherenia and Ranma continued the meal in silence until the phone rang. Neherenia stretched her body languorously and then stood up. “I’ll get it.”
The black haired woman walked to the phone and picked it up, “Hitoshirenu residence this is Neherenia.”
Neherenia listened to the phone for a moment and said, “Ah young Nabiki, you’re in luck my little sister Ranma is indeed here this time. Shall I give you to her?”
Neherenia handed the phone to Ranma who said, “Hey Nabiki what’s up?”
Nabiki told Ranma about her male counterpart’s plan to attack Hinako from under the gym floor. “So tell me how exactly is that any different from the previous plans?”
The voice on the other line said, “I have no idea, I was hoping you could tell me.”
Ranma racked her brain and said, “Well all I can think is that maybe with the auras of everyone else playing the game Miss Hinako might not notice Ranma until its too late. It sounds a lot like the plan the girls are currently making.”
Nabiki asked, “What? When were you going to tell me about this plan of theirs?”
“Hey, I’ve had a busy day and I was just eating dinner okay.”
Nabiki just laughed and said, “Sounds to me like you still have the Saotome stomach.”
“Yeah well…” Ranma paused and then continued saying, “Anyway, apparently Shampoo, Ukyou and Kodachi have hatched a plan to attack Miss Hinako during Gym because she won’t be able to tell the difference between competitive aura and a combat aura.”
Nabiki took that in and then said, “You’re right the two plans do sound similar. So what do you think might happen? Can you give me some idea of odds?”
“Well, as much as I dislike the idiot who has my male side, I’m betting that he’s a lot like me. He won’t lose a second match like this, so even if the floor idea doesn’t work he’ll probably think of something to improvise. Heck, I have a few ideas myself and I don’t even know where those pressure points are. As for my new tribe sister Shampoo and company; I think they have bitten off just a bit more than they can chew. It seems to me, that they will get drained, but don’t count on it as an absolute.”
“So you think Saotome is the odds on favorite to win huh?”
“Yeah I guess so.”
“Well that’ll crap out the odds, but we’ll still be able to come out on top.”
Suddenly an idea came to Ranma as she said, “Wait, I think I have an idea. Can you get Ranma to tell you what the pressure points are and maybe explain this whole draining thing again?”
“Maybe, why?”
“Because I was thinking, what if someone else were to beat Miss Hinako? How would that play out?”
“That would drop us a good amount of cash, but how do you propose that we do it?” Nabiki paused and said, “You’re not going to do it are you?”
“No, people might count me as Ranma, after all that is my name, but maybe I could drop by the Neko-Hanten tonight or tomorrow morning and teach the pressure points to Shampoo. In addition with me there to coach her she might just be able to pull off a win.”
Nabiki questioned, “Aren’t you forgetting Saotome? He won’t just sit out on the sidelines you know.”
“I’m not forgetting him, but he has the same weakness I used to have. When the girls attack him for being a pervert he’ll just take it. That means he’ll be out of the fight.”
Nabiki’s voice had a smile in it as she said, “Meaning that technically Shampoo wins and Ranma doesn’t. That would be brilliant! Do you think you can pull this off? After all Ranma Saotome doesn’t lose.”
Ranma felt a primal urge and said with some venom in her voice. “I’ll work on it Nabiki this is one time that Saotome isn’t going win.”
“Alright Neko-chan.” There was silence on the other line for a moment and then Nabiki changed topics by saying, “So why don’t you tell me. How did you get so smart?”
A bit of venom was still in Ranma’s voice as she said, “What do you mean?”
Nabiki’s heart rate soared as she said, “I’ve gone over our discussions and your actions recently and they all show a marked increase in intelligence.”
Ranma replied drolly, “I think I ought to be insulted.”
Before Nabiki could say anything Ranma interjected, “But, I’m not. In fact it is true or it is in a way. I actually realized it earlier today when I was having ice-cream with some friends. I was sitting with them and then I said something wrong. Instead of thinking about what to say next I went into something of a fight mode.”
“I think that’s always been my problem, because of the way Genma raised me I tend to view everything as fighting or martial arts. So I turn on my reflexes and go, but that sort of thinking only works well in a fight where fast thinking can help you see three, four, and even up to seven moves in advance of the combat. That’s my edge, but it sure doesn’t work for regular life and regular conversations. That sort of thinking is what got me in his situation in the first place.”
Nabiki’s voice broke in and said, “Okay I see how that works in regards to Saotome and you Neko-chan, but how does that explain your thought process now?”
Ranma laughed and said, “The Saotome Secret technique.”
Nabiki questioned, “Run away?”
“No, Run away and think of something to do.” Ranma corrected. “The Saotome Secret technique gives you time to think about your opponent and their style and if you are like me, then you start to see the weaknesses and openings in the technique and take advantage of them.”
There was a pause and Nabiki said, “Go on Neko-chan tell me the rest. How does that make you smarter?”
“Well not smarter exactly, but ever since I got stuck like this I’ve been employing the Saotome Secret technique. Stop and think about what I’m doing. Stop and think about things to see if there is some way to win.”
Ranma could almost hear a smile in Nabiki’s voice as she said, “I think I get it. You take your time and think things through now, instead of just reacting. That’s the difference between you and Saotome.”
“Yeah, that’s the difference” Ranma was going to leave it there when her anger increased and she said, “Well that and the fact that he stole my life.” Ranma continued to speak as the anger spiked even higher and started to radiate from her. “But, hey why shouldn’t I let another male take my things. Why shouldn’t I allow another male to be in my territory?”
Nabiki could hear the anger and with worry in her voice she said, “Neko-chan! Ranma, what’s going on? Snap out of it.”
Anger continued to well up and Ranma stopped speaking. All she felt were her own primal urges and desires demanding that something be done. She fought against the primal feline instincts, but they were given additional power by Nemesis which demanded that the scale be balanced and justice be served. Her claws extended outwards and she virtually pulsed with the power of Nemesis. The anger and her primal urges mixed together and she felt the need to hurt the male who had taken over his territory. Ranma fought against it. Fought down the primal urge and the demand for justice and in those moments as he was fighting his own instincts he had perfect clarity and realized exactly why she hated Ranma Saotome so much.
It wasn’t the fact that Ranma Saotome was male, and he wasn’t. No, instead it was the fact that Ranma Hitoshirenu was male and Saotome had taken his territory and his mates. Despite her outward appearance, Ranma Hitoshirenu had a male cat spirit and it was reacting exactly like a male cat towards another male cat.
With a great deal of effort Ranma pushed all of his the primal urges down. The voice on the other line was almost yelling, “Neko-Chan? Ranma! Are you alright? What’s happening and why are you calling people your mates?”
“Hey Nabs, uh sorry about that. Um look it’s really complex, and even I’m not quite sure right now. I’ve go to go and meditate okay?”
Nabiki sighed and her voice was laced with concern as she said, “Okay Ranma, but don’t scare me like that again okay. Now, I’ll see you tomorrow during Gym class. Remember it’s the second to last period so you’ll have to skip out of Juuban.”
“I’ll remember. See you tomorrow Nabiki.”
Ranma hung up and she wondered how well he would be able to control his new instincts if he was in front of Ranma Saotome. She walked to her room and meditated trying to gain some control or perhaps she could figure out a way to convince herself that he didn’t actually want his territory or mates back.
Author’s Notes: The italics at the end are to emphasize the conflict. Ranma Hitoshirenu has a male spirit and male cat desires despite being in a female body. That is one of the reasons she feels the way she does about Ranma.
The rewrite hardly affected this chapter at all…