Genma Saotome was in a bind. He had dropped Ranma off at a Tokyo hospital, and then disappeared under the cover of one of the moves in the Umi-Sen-Ken. When he returned to the hospital five days later, he found that Ranma was gone, and no one knew what happened to him, because the boy had never been listed under his name.
That had been almost a month ago. It left Genma in a difficult position. Without his son, he had no reason to be on the road. But if he went home, his wife would kill him, quite literally. And if there was anything Genma feared even more than his master, it was death.
So Genma had to find a substitute, and then stay on the road long enough for time to obscure his wife’s memory enough to pass off the substitute child as his own.
It was then that Genma looked around, and realized he was in a familiar town. He’d passed through here about a year ago. He’d met a fellow martial artist here, a very good one actually. Not quite up to his own level, but close enough that he required a hard fight.
What had the man’s name been? Oh yes, Kumon; Souichi Kumon of the Kumon Bear Fist School. As Genma recalled, it was an odd but effective style requiring massive upper-body strength and grappling skill. It didn’t require lots of movement, but when you could throw your opponents around like a toy doll, that could be a plus.
Perhaps Genma could pay a visit to Souichi, and check out the students of the man’s school. Now, where had it been?
Genma then paused as another familiar face came up to him. It was one of Souchi’s neighbors, a woman named Yuki Sanada, if he remembered right.
“Genma? Genma Saotome?” The woman’s face was expectant, hopeful. Genma nodded.
“Oh thank goodness! This must be a gift from heaven!” The woman’s face brightened considerably. “Please, come along, I have to take you to him!”
“What is it, Mrs. Sanada?” Genma’s face was neutral. He had no idea what was going on, and didn’t want to betray that.
“I have to take you to Ryuu! He’s at my house! He’ll go with you; his father told him who you are!”
Genma said nothing, but his eyebrows lifted. He hoped that put forth that he needed more information.
Yuki seemed to understand. “It’s awful, Mr. Saotome! Five days ago, Souichi and his family were at home when a man came to the dojo to rob them! Souichi fought him off, but the man...he killed Ikuko! And Souichi died the same night from his own injuries! Little Ryuu’s an orphan now!”
Genma’s eyes widened to full, and his mouth fell open. After only a second his mouth closed and his eyes narrowed again, and his face settled into a grim expression. “Take me to him, Yuki. Please.”
The woman nodded. As he walked along just behind her, he did some quick thinking, and realized this could work.
~**~
When he and Ryuu arrived at the Tendou home ten years later, and engaged the boy to one of Tendou’s daughters, Genma reflected that it worked even better than he would have guessed.
Which Tendou girl is "Ranma" engaged to?
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(Posted Wed, 11 Feb 2004 21:04)
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