Shampoo Tendo: "Friendly" sparring [Episode 20571]

Akane watched the small red-head carefully as she walked out to the dojo, she didn't look like much... but if she beat Shampoo then she had a lot of skill. The Red-head cast the occasional glance Akane's way, but was more focussed on Shampoo, plainly not completely trusting the Amazon.

Entering the dojo, Shampoo pulled out her bon-bori and twirled them around before leveling one at a wary Ranma:
"Mother say no kill. So Shampoo no kill. Shampoo challenge food-thief, mother say nothing about little beating."

Akane blinked at that and stepped forward:
"Shampoo! You know that..."

Akane blinked as Ranma put a small hand on her shoulder to draw her out of the way:
"Thanks... Akane isn't it? But I'm Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. I don't turn down challenges. If there's no killing and only little beating", Akane noted a slight smile flickering across Ranma's face, "then I don't mind."

Shampoo snorted:
"Hah! Anything-Goes worthless! Amazon style wu-shu is best. Shampoo not tired out from morning of battle, show food-thief just what Amazon warrior can do when is ready for cheap trick!"

Akane bridled at Shampoo's words. The influence of Gel had rejuvenated Soun to the point that he had been willing to seriously train his daughters, however Shampoo had always looked to Gel as her main teacher, then Cologne. Akane had looked to her father first and Gel second. Great-Grandmother Cologne had taken to teaching them both when she was around and Akane had tacitly acknowledged that Daddy was not up to Great-Grandmother's level. Even so, Akane did tend to think of herself as a member of the Tendo School of Anything Goes and Shampoo knew that Akane reacted... badly... to insults to the family school:
"Hey! Anything Goes is NOT worthless you Amazon...", Akane bit back the next bit, she didn't want to go to far with her sister.

Shampoo laughed as she advanced on Ranma:
"Shampoo demonstrate on body of food-thief. It not take long. Shampoo not tired from morning of winning bouts this time."

With those words Shampoo lunged forward, her bon-bori weaving a damaging pattern, only to see Ranma fading, dodging, moving backwards, never quite where the Bon-Bori was. Shampoo's eyes narrowed and she continued to attack with a lethal weave of bon-bori that could shatter bones if the blow landed cleanly. Ranma continued to dodge around the dojo, still never quite being where the bon-bori were. Akane watched from the sidelines, her eyes narrowing as well. As the combatants came to a pause, Akane spoke:
"Ranma, why aren't you counter-attacking? Shampoo left two opening that I could have hit her through, and you're faster than I am."

Shampoo tossed her head disdainfully:
"Little food-thief scared of amazon justice. And Shampoo leave far more traps than 2 in her defences silly sister. You need to look more closely."

Akane smirked:
"You offered gambit openings 3 times and another 3 deception openings that I saw. I'm talking about real openings, you know, holes in your defences", Akane turned her attention back to Ranma, "And Ranma must have seen them, she's too good to have missed them. Are you taking this fight seriously Ranma?"

Ranma stepped back a little, keeping an eye on both Tendo sisters:
"Ah... mostly. Shampoo did spend a week hunting me because of her silly law about killing anyone who beats her. So I'm not gunna give her an easy time... but it wouldn't be right to beat her up when I'm a guest at her place... ah... by the way, those silly laws, you don't follow them do you?"

Akane smirked at Shampoo's anger, then turned her attention back to the wary red-head:
"Amazon laws aren't normally enforced here. Mother Gel doesn't force them on me, Nabiki or Kasumi, although Great-Grandmother was suggesting that I formally join the tribe last time she stopped by to train us."

Ranma relaxed a little and shrugged, opening her mouth to speak. Shampoo blurred into motion, Akane started to react, then pulled herself to a stop as she recognised the stance Ranma was in. Shampoo's attacks whistled by Ranma's ears, time froze as Shampoo stared cross-eyed at the fist in front of her nose, her bon-bori out of position. Ranma smiled:
"This is a friendly match right?"

Akane smiled broadly at the scene in front of her:
"Didn't Shampoo want it to go to a 'little' beating? It wouldn't be fair to stop things at this point, surely it would be an insult to her amazon honor to suggest that Shampoo would give up at the first little set-back."

Shampoo spared a angry glare for her sister. Another hard sparring session was in order. Turning her attention back to Ranma, the amazon dropped her bon-bori, going for a sudden strike at Ranma's ears. Her hands caught wisps of hair between them as Ranma dropped, the took Shampoo in a sudden throw. Shampoo bounced once then came back to her feet, glaring at the red-head, who smiled nervously and asked:
"Can we stop now?"

Shampoo opened her mouth to say something. Akane, mindful of what their mother would actually want jumped in first:
"Certainly. All the requirements of a friendly match have been met", unable to resist Akane smirked at Shampoo, "Anything Goes defeats Amazon Wu-Shu on points."

Shampoo glared at her sister, she was aware that it would be thought very impolite to continue a match called off, and the girl was currently a guest. An idea occured to her, and she faced her sister:
"Shampoo accept decision. Now, Akane's turn to show how Tendo style fares versus Saotome style."

Akane opened her mouth, her initial reaction to protest. Then she shut it and turned to Ranma. She had seen some openings in the Red-heads style that she thought she could exploit... it'd be fun to see if she was right. Taking a deep breath she spoke:
"If Ranma is willing, I'd like to try a FRIENDLY match. Just to first blow, no beatings involved."