Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu or Ranma’s Cousin Iori

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Disclaimer:  I do not own Ranma ½.  That is property
of Rumiko Takahashi.  I do not own The King of
Fighters, that is property of SNK.  I do however
suggest you look up information on these two
properties.  You won’t be disappointed.

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Note:  This takes place after the Ranma ½ manga and
while before the King of Fighters ’98.

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Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu Chapter 11:  Rugal’s Return

It has now been three months since Ranma, Leona, and
Iori have been staying at Nodoka’s home.  All three
have improved tremendously in their skills.  Ranma,
through Iori’s teachings has gotten better control of
his power.  He can now perform Iori’s Fire Ball, Dark
Thrust, and Crescent Moon Slice attacks.  Ranma’s also
been trying to improve all his other attacks by
enhancing them with Orochi power.  Iori was so
impressed by Ranma’s progress; he got one of his white
shirts made with the crescent moon of the Yagami
imprinted on the back of it in black.  Ranma’s worn
that shirt basically everyday.  Leona, with Ranma’s
help, has increased her speed with the Chestnut Fist
training.  She has also become a master in
Environmental Ki manipulation.  Specifically, water. 
This has caused her to have a bit of control on
Ranma’s curse.  She can heat up and cool down the
moisture in the air around him, and turn him to either
his boy or girl forms, much to Ranma’s annoyance;
Ranma can’t stay mad at her, and so it’s okay.  Iori
Is the most changed of the three.  He has mastered the
breaking point training and has reached superhuman
levels of endurance and strength.  He also improved on
his own Ki training by using cold temperature ki,
mixed with his Magatama no Orochi, and is able to make
a Hiryuu Shoten Ha, without having to use your
opponent’s anger, and moving in a spiral.  It comes
out as a purple tornado with purple fire in it.  He
even learned Ranma’s Orochi Hokodan.  Most of all,
Iori’s become more human.  He still hates Kyo with a
vengeance, but has begun to realize there’s more to
life than revenge.  He’s actually started laughing and
smiling a lot more.  He couldn’t be happier.  He has a
good life now, with family and friends.  Besides the
training, the past three months has been pretty
uneventful.  Unfortunately, that’s all about to
change.

(------)

We go into a close up of an abandoned fortress.  It
lies dozens of miles from the nearest human
habitation, in the middle of the Sahara desert.  This
empty fortress has stood as a monument to a destroyed
madman’s dream of total world domination.  Three years
ago, this fortress was the hidden base of the
notorious crime lord Rugal Bernstein.  He had
unleashed the Orochi power in his body that he was
allowed to have, when Goenitz gouged out his right
eye, during when Goenitz had broken the seal that kept
the Orochi imprisoned 12 years ago. This is where
Rugal fought his last battle against the Kusanagi boy,
abusing the power till it overloaded his body and
killed him in a pillar of light.  The fortress as
stood silent since than, until now.  A man with white
hair, that is black at the temples walks into the
center of the room.  He is wearing some sort of blue
military uniform of some unknown nation.  His black
cape wafts with the breeze of air that flows through
the rusted fortress.  He places an amethyst gem that
is about the size of an adult man’s fist.  Energy
starts to pour out of the gem.  The gemstone breaks
apart and purple light envelopes the place.  White it
dies down; there are now three more people in the room
besides the white haired man.  Two of them are woman
dressed similarly, but in different colors schemes. 
One has blonde hair and blue eyes.  Her outfit is a
black dress and white jacket.  The other woman has
dark red hair and reddish brown eyes.  She is wearing
a black dress like the other, but her jacket is red. 
The man that stands between the two women looks worse
for wear.  He is missing half his right arm and blood
is streaming out of his right eye socket.  He has
messy blond hair and he is easily 6’4ft. in height and
has a very muscular build.  He has the symbol of the
Omega tattooed into his back.  The white haired man
steps up to the three people to engage in
conversation.

White haired man (Smiles):  Have a nice trip Mature?
(Blonde looks up).  Vice?  (Redhead looks up).  Rugal?
 (The man jut kneels there, as he tries to catch his
breath.  He appears to be in a lot of pain).

Mature & Vice:  GOENITZ!

Goenitz  (Smile widens):  Ah, you remember me.  I’m
deeply flattered.

Mature:  How can me and Vice forget?  You’re the one
that basically signed our death warrants and had Iori
go nuts and kill me and Vice.

Vice:  Careful Mature, you know how Powerful Goenitz
is.  Maybe we should listen to what he has to say?

Goenitz (Laughs):  Ah, my dear Vice, always the level
headed one, I will continue as soon as Rugal gathers
himself, so to speak.  (Rugal lurches in pain a new
arm literally shoots through the stump of his old one.
 The blood spurts out of his eye socket leaving him a
new, blood red eye in its’ place).

Vice:  Gross!

Goenitz:  Mind your manners Vice.  You’re lucky that
when you died you weren’t in as bad a condition as
him.

Mature:  Hold it!  We were dead.  How the Hell did you
bring us back?

Goenitz:  That will be revealed in due time my dear,
for now; let us see how Rugal is feeling.

Rugal  (Looks at his arm, smiles):  Ha!  I LIVE AGAIN!
 (Looks over to Goenitz).  You did this?

Goenitz:  Yes.  I brought you all back from the land
of the dead.  For you see, I have use for you all.

Mature (Sarcastic):  Yeah, right!  We’d help you like
we need another hole in the head.  Vice and I has no
interest in what a so called “Heavenly King” and some
third-rate crime boss that had his ass handed to him
two years in a row has to say.  We are out of here. 
Come on Vice.

Vice:  Sure thing Mature.  And my I finally add, so
long Goenitz, and up yours Rugal, you asshole.  (Rugal
stares in shock, Goenitz just chuckles slightly).

Goenitz (Smiles):  So, you two have no interest in
making your returned lives permanent?

Mature & Vice:  WHAT!?

Goenitz (Smiles widens):  That’s right.  Did you
honestly think I’d bring you back without some sort of
catch?  The energy sustaining you is not permanent. 
It should last about 6 months to a full year for all
of you.  If you wish me to make the effect of the life
stone permanent, I’m going to need all of your help.

Rugal:  What do we have to do?

Goenitz (Face becomes serious):  The Tenth Hakkeshu. 
His power has been awakened finally, since the
resurrection of the Orochi has failed.  We need him to
lead us to glory.  If you all want to live than we
need to get enough energy to awaken his power fully,
and to awaken the Orochi’s original body.

Mature:  Original body?

Goenitz:  Yes.  The original body of the Orochi has
been sealed in a place in Japan known as Ryugenzawa. 
There are huge versions of animals from all over the
globe that were brought there as “pets” that grew in
size due to the effects of water from a spring there
known as “The Spring of Life”.  I believe that the
water there, combined with the energy we manage to
get, will make your new forms permanent.  Than, you
can go your ways, and I will go mine.  But for the
moment as you can tell, we need each other.  Do you
accept?

Mature (Frowns):  I won’t like this, but I’ll help. 
The sooner we help you, the sooner you help us, and
the sooner we all get on with our lives.

Vice:  If Mature’s volunteering for this, than I’m
helping too.  (Thinks)  And the sooner we finish, the
sooner I can go find that hunk Iori Yagami.

Rugal:  I’ll help, and I know a perfect way to get the
energy?  Tell me Goenitz, how do you collect the
energy?

Goenitz:  With these.  (Pulls out on of the amethyst
gemstones he brought the three back to life with).  I
have “enhanced” these gems so they can hold a lot of
energy that should go into the surrounding area from
any source.

Rugal (Smiles):  Perfect!  I have just the plan.  You
get your energy and I get what I want in the process.

Goenitz (Frowns):  And what would that be?

Rugal (Laughs):  REVENGE!

Goenitz:  revenge?

Rugal (Smiles so teeth are bared):  YES!  I will hold
another King of Fighters Tournament. I will tell them
I had faked my death so I could train and challenge
them at a later date. They will suspect I’m up to
something and watch me like a hawk for sure.  That
means you can gather loads of energy from the fights
unnoticed.  You get your energy, and I get my revenge
on those that killed me and those who dared to stand
in my way.

Goenitz (Smiles):  Sometimes Rugal, even you amaze me.
 That plan may actually work.

Rugal:  There is one catch.  I want you to see, if you
can raise my aircraft carrier the Black Noah from the
bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Goenitz:  What do you need that for?

Rugal (Smiles, places finger over his mouth and
winks):  Well… that is a secret!  No go, you make the
preparations for my ship to be surfaced, while I go
make a few calls to set up the next tournament.  King
of fighters… Goenitz, what year will this tournament
be?

Goenitz:  It will be the 1998 tournament.

Rugal (Whistles):  Wow, I’ve been dead for three
years?  Wow.  Time sure flies when you’re wallowing in
a sea of eternal damnation.  Oh well, I’ve got
preparations to make.  I just hope the communications
equipment still works. 

As Rugal Walks off into his fortress to look for a
phone that work Goenitz pulls out a cell phone of his
own and starts talking to a contractor to raise the
Black Noah.  Mature looks at Vice.  They both get the
feeling they’re gonna regret helping these two.

(------)

In an old temple Chizuru contemplates her situation. 
The temple is simple.  It has a painting or scroll
here and there, some holy symbols scattered about, and
a few ornate chairs.  She does not understand what’s
going on.

Chizuru (Thinks):  I can’t comprehend what is going on
for some reason.  I’ve felt a powerful presence in
this world, but I can’t pinpoint it.  It would have
been so easy if it were Nodoka’s son.  He has
surprised me.  It’s been almost four months since his
powers unlocked, yet, he has no malice to him.  He has
even got Iori to calm down in so many ways.  And
Leona.  I’ve never seen her show her emotions as much
before she met Ranma.  Perhaps Nodoka is right. 
Maybe, he may have what it takes to overcome this
burden placed upon him.  He is a true martial artist
in every sense of the word.  He may be the one that
can help me if this power I have felt is even too
strong even for the Kusanagi.  I wonder where it com…
(Phone rings, breaks her concentration.  She picks it
up to answer).

Chizuru:  Hello?

Male voice:  Hello, Mirror Keeper, I presume?

Chizuru (Recognizes the voice, tries to suppress the
mounting horror in her voice):  Rugal? 

Rugal:  Ah, you remember me.  That’s very flattering.

Chizuru (Face pales):  How, you died?

Rugal:  Now, now, we all have our secrets.  Let me
just say this.  You saw me disappear in a pillar of
light.  That doesn’t mean, I died.

Chizuru:  You faked your death?

Rugal:  Bingo!

Chizuru:  Why come out now, and tell me this first?

Rugal:  It’s actually quite simple really.  I want to
take my revenge now.  To do that, I need to take back
the title of “The Host” for the King of Fighters
Tournament.  You are the current holder of that title.
 You can do one of two things at this point.  You can
either give me the hosting duties completely, and I
set everything up.  Or, you can share the title with
me and we can work together to make this the greatest,
most extravagant King of Fighters Tournament yet.

Chizuru:  And if I refuse both options?

Rugal:  You can do that too.  I’ll just have my
enemies such as Kyo Kusanagi assassinated.  After all,
I said I want my revenge NOW!  You can have him eating
lead, or you can give him a “fighting” chance to live.
 It all depends on what “you” want to do.  So which is
it?

Chizuru (Voice breaks):  You win.  I’ll share the
title with you…

Rugal:  Excellent Mirror Keeper!  You’ve made the
right choice.  I’ll start sending out the invitations
while you get media attention ready for the King of
Fighters ’98.  Don’t worry.  You can use some of my
money for “funding” to get some of the most exotic
locales for the fights to take place at.  Well, I have
some writing to do.  I’ll talk to you later Chizuru. 
(Rugal hangs up the phone.  Chizuru stands there
thinking what to do next?)

Chizuru:  It has to be him.  He must be the power I
sensed.  This is a problem.  How do I stop him?  He
seems Hell bent on revenge.  Sigh… I had no choice. 
Either they die, or they get a chance to survive. 
Still, if Rugal thinks I’m going to let him get away
with this, he’s wrong.  I’ll have to have a talk with
Nodoka.  I think her son may be able to straighten
Rugal out.

(------)

Dinnertime at Nodoka’s household is now almost always
a battlefield since her son, nephew, and possible
daughter-in-law came to live with her.  Though it is
noisy (due to Ranma and Iori always trying to take
food off of each others plates).  She enjoys the
company a lot.  She lived alone by herself for 12
years when her husband took her son on a training trip
to make him, a “man among men”.  She regrets having
him sign that seppuku contract because she though that
would bluff Genma into staying.  And when he turned
into a girl because of his stupid father’s idea to
train at Jusenkyo, he stayed away from her, afraid of
having to kill himself to maintain honor.  But that
was the past.  She now feels happy because she now has
a real family to share her life with.  And she gets a
feeling; it’s the same for the rest of them.  Dinner
goes by and when they finish there is a knock at the
door.

Ranma:  I’ll get it.  (Runs to the door to see a woman
dressed in white robe, black pants, and high heels. 
She has long black hair and brown eyes.  Ranma doesn’t
recognize the woman).  Hello.  Sorry, but, do I know
you?

Woman:  You do not know me.  I am an acquaintance of
you mother.  I have need to speak to all of you.  That
is including Iori Yagami and Leona.

Ranma (Thinks for a bit than lets her in):  Okay. 
Don’t cause any trouble.  My mom gets enough of that
from the training my friends and I do.

Woman (Smiles):  I’m sure she does.  (The two walk to
the three still kneeling by the table.  Their faces go
pale when they see the woman).

Nodoka:  Chizuru!

Iori:  Kagura!

Leona:  Chizuru!  What brings you here?

Ranma (Scratches his head):  Uh, did I miss something?

Chizuru:  Please.  I have need for all of your help at
the moment.  Let me explain.

Iori:  Explain what Kagura?

Chizuru:  Two words.  Rugal Bernstein.  (Both Iori’s
and Leona’s faces pale even more.  Nodoka gains an
expression of worry.  Ranma is totally clueless as to
what’s going on).

Leona:  What do you mean?

Chizuru:  Rugal is not dead.  He told me he has been
in hiding, training, and waiting for the time to have
his revenge.

Nodoka:  So that means?

Chizuru:  It means he wants to set up the next King of
Fighters Tournament.

Iori:  No problem.  I’ll kick his ass.

Chizuru:  Do you think so Yagami?  I have felt a
dreadfully powerful force lately.  At first I thought
it was Ranma here.  But as I kept tabs on him, I
noticed that it wasn’t his aura, but that of another. 
It turns out that aura belongs to Rugal.  He may now
have power beyond compare.

Leona:  What do you want us to do?

Chizuru:  I believe he will send you all invitations
to participate in the next tournament.  I need you all
to enter.  I have watched you all training for a
while.  Together, the three of you (Waves her hand
across Leona, Iori, and Ranma) will possibly have
enough strength to take him down.  That’s why I need
you all to enter as a team.  So you can all face Rugal
as one.

Ranma:  I have a question.  Who the heck is this
Rugal?

Chizuru:  Rugal is an arms smuggler and drug
trafficker.  He is an evil man that has the power of
Orochi because he was there when the seal for the
Orochi broke twelve years ago.  He is an incredibly
powerful fighter.

Ranma (Smiles):  Than we’ll have to be the one’s to
take him down.  You with me on this Leona and Iori?

Leona (Smirks):  Sure.  After all, I have to keep you
out of trouble.

Iori (Smiles, teeth are bared):  Of course.  Rugal
needs to be put in his place after all.  And I could
use the entertainment.

Nodoka:  Wait!  (The four turn to Nodoka to see what
she has to say).  If you’re all going to fight than I
have no choice.  I’m entering too.  (There’s a
collective face fault between the Ranma, Leona, Iori,
and Chizuru).

Ranma:  But mom, I don’t want you to go.  You may get
hurt.

Nodoka:  Ranma, that is exactly how I feel about you,
about all of you.  I wouldn’t have any of you do
anything; I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. 
Therefore, if you three are to enter, I insist that I
go as well.

Chizuru:  Very well.  You may join a team with me
Nodoka.

Nodoka:  I thank you.

Chizuru (Turns to Ranma):  Ranma.

Ranma:  Yes?

Chizuru:  I have a favor to ask.  I want you to find
as many other fighters as you can and try to interest
them in the tournament

Ranma:  Why do you need other entries in the
tournament?

Chizuru:  I need more entries because, I’m sure that
Rugal will not keep his word.  That he’ll attack the
fighters he wants revenge on before the fights begin. 
The more fighters that are there; the harder it will
be for him to try anything sneaky behind our backs.

Ranma:  I can think of a lot of people that would want
to enter the tournament.  Unfortunately for you, I
don’t want to drag them in.

Chizuru:  And why, may I ask can’t you try to bring
them?

Ranma (Frowns):  Let me think.  1.  They are all out
to kill me at this point.  2.  I have broken myself
from my past and refuse to go back.  3.  There are
just to many bad memories with these people.  Please
just let me be done with them.

Chizuru (Sympathetic):  I am sorry for you Ranma. 
There is no other choice.  Rugal is out to kill his
enemies.  He is out for their blood.  We need all the
help we can get.  I have a feeling he is what I felt. 
He has gained incredible power.  So please, will you
do this?

Ranma:  Listen.  I think Leona, Iori, and I can handle
this.  There’s no way that jerk Rugal is gonna be any
trouble as long as we’re around.

Chizuru:  Please Ranma.  That may be so, but I don’t
want to take that chance.  Please.  Contact those you
feel will be helpful to stopping Rugal.  (Ranma looks
to the ground, grumbles under his breath).

Leona:  Ranma, are you all right?

Ranma:  Alright, you win I’ll do it.  (Calms down). 
After all, it’s a martial artist’s duty to help those
in need.

Chizuru:  So you’ll help me find people?

Ranma (Wan smile):  Even though I don’t want to do
this, I have to.  I wouldn’t feel good about myself
knowing someone needed help and I turned them down. 

Chizuru:  Thank you Ranma.  If you’ll excuse me, I
must be leaving.  Rugal left me with the task of
finding exotic locations for the fights to take place.

Ranma (Smiles):  Maybe I can help.

Chizuru (Confused):  What do you mean?

Ranma:  Try looking for places in China such as
Jusendo, the cursed springs of Jusenkyo; no wait
forget that one it’s too dangerous, a Chinese Amazon
village, the village of the Musk Dynasty, Mount
Phoenix, and there’s 7-Lucky Gods Mountain.  For
places other than China, I suggest places like
Ryugenzawa and there’s the floating island of
Togenkyo.  I’m sure these will be exciting enough
locales for this Rugal person.

Chizuru (Blinks):  Do any of those places exist?

Ranma:  Yeah, they do.  I’ve been to all of them,
that’s how I know they exist.

Chizuru (Sweat drops):  Well… Can you draw me a map
than, for the areas in China?

Ranma:  Sure.  (Gets a piece of paper and a pen. 
Starts to make little drawings.  He hands it to
Chizuru when done).

Chizuru:  Thank you.  I’m sure Rugal will get a kick
out of these places.  Thank you for your help, but I
must get going.  I’ll see all of you again soon. 
(Ranma gets up and sees her out he returns to the
group).

Iori:  So now what?

Ranma (Frowns):  Simple.  I return to Nerima.  I have
to help her.

Iori (Angry):  No you don’t!  How can you just agree
to help her?

Ranma:  To be honest, I always knew I’d have to go
back sooner or later to tie up lose ends that Pops
made for me, and some I made myself.  This just gives
me the excuse to go back.

Leona:  If you’re going back, than take me with you. 
I want to see this Akane person for myself.  I don’t
like the idea of her abusing you for so long without
good reason.

Iori (Smiles):  You’ll have to take me as well.  I
have some “things” I’d like to discuss with Uncle
Genma (Starts to laugh under his breath).

Nodoka (Sighs):  Well son, nephew, my little sapphire,
I’m sure you all will be very busy tomorrow with my
son’s “friends” when you get there.  So I suggest you
all get a full night’s rest.  That way, you will be on
the alert when you get to see where my son “lived” for
the past 2 years.

Ranma:  Yeah.  We’ll need all the strength we can
gather for tomorrow.  Nerima is a basic suburban war
zone.

Leona (Smiles):  I guess all the military combat
training I’ve learned; and taught you two will come in
handy than.

Ranma:  I’m sure it will.

Iori:  You never know until you try.

Ranma:  Than it’s settled.  Tomorrow we head out to
Nerima.

Leona & Iori:  Right!

Nodoka smiles inwardly.  She knows that, even though
Ranma has some of his worst memories there, he will
get over it.  After all, he has his friends there to
help him. 

(------)

End Chapter 11

Next Time:  Ranma, Leona, and Iori head out to Nerima.
 There, they see just how much the place has changed
since Ranma last saw it.  It’s a day of reckoning in
Nerima.  And wait till Chizuru gives the locations to
Rugal.  

Send your questions and comments to either
RedPriest17@aol.com or Ryutsurugi@yahoo.com.

Note:  All flames will be read and than used to fuel
the Orochi fire.