The Shakespearean Swordsman

         Tatewaki Kuno, the Shakespeare-spouting kendo master of Furinkan High School and older brother to the bent Kodachi Kuno.  Though he's Furinkan's greatest athlete, he's also Furinkan's greatest pervert as well!  Yes, this cultured swordsman thinks of only two things... dating with Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl as well as defeating Ranma Saotome!

        It all started on the morning of Ranma's first day of school at Furinkan High, and he Akane hurried so as not to be late.  But when they reached the school, Ranma watches in surprise as Akane is attacked by every male athlete in the school!  Even more surprising is that Ranma learns from Nabiki that poor Akane goes through this every morning!

         Within a few minutes Akane defeats them all, but then Kuno appears and challenges her.  However, Kuno becomes furious at how familiar Ranma is behaving with Akane, and then turns his challenge to Ranma instead.  Kuno introduces himself as "The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School" (though he's probably the only person who calls himself that).  But when Ranma tells Kuno that he's staying at the Tendo Dojo, the swordsman becomes enraged and immediately attacks!

        Of course Ranma is much too fast for Kuno to land a single hit.  However, it soon starts to rain, but before anyone could notice Ranma change, Genma (as a panda) runs up and grabs his son.  He then dashes off to a supply room where he provides Ranma with a kettle of hot water.  Later on, due to their lateness, Ranma and Akane are forced to stand in the hallway, and during that time Akane explains to Ranma that it is because of Kuno's speech at the beginning of the year stating that if anyone wanted to date Akane they must first defeat her, but so far nobody (including Kuno) has beaten her.  

         However, Nabiki tells Kuno (they're in the same class) that Ranma and Akane are engaged, and hearing this Kuno furiously attacks Ranma in the hallway and reveals to their class his engagement to Akane.  But since a school hallway is no place to fight, Ranma and Kuno take a shortcut out of a third story window!  Ranma's not worried until he realises they are right above the swimming pool!!!

         And even underwater, Kuno attempts to continue fighting Ranma in the pool (not noticing that he changed), and accidentally grabs Ranma's chest.  Enraged, Ranma leaps out of the pool holding Kuno, slams him onto the floor, and then leaps away.  Now realizing it was a female, Kuno believes that Ranma left someone else in his place so that he could escape.  Meanwhile, Ranma has gone atop a tree branch to dry his clothes, and Akane brings him a kettle of hot water.  

         Unfortunately, Kuno is nearby still searching for his opponent, so to buy Ranma some time to change back into a boy, Akane goes and challenges Kuno.  But, during the fight Akane tosses Kuno into Ranma's kettle before he had a chance to change back!  Strangely though, it would seem that Kuno doesn't realise that the pig-tailed girl is Ranma, and angrily he insults his unseen foe.  But of course Ranma doesn't like hearing himself being bad mouthed, so he challenges Kuno as a girl and beats him easily, and before walking away tells Kuno that Ranma Saotome is even better.  Shocked, Kuno lays on the ground wondering who this unknown formidable girl is.

         However, the next day at school, Akane goes through her usual morning fight, but surprisingly Kuno doesn't appear.  Instead, he is trying to figure out the whereabouts of  the "Tree-Borne Kettle Girl."  Nabiki tells him that she knows her, for Kuno swears that he has a score to settle with the mysterious girl.  And so he gives a letter to Nabiki to deliver to the Tree-Born Kettle Girl (Ranma's girl half, which he doesn't know is the same person as Ranma Saotome).  The letter says that he wants to meet her at the second field of Furinkan High School that evening, and it sounds to Akane and Nabiki like a duel and advise him not to go.  But, of course Ranma changes to his girl half and waits for Kuno at the appointed place and time.  However, when Kuno finally does arrive, it turns out that he didn't come to fight, but to declare his love for her!!

         Later the next day, Kuno meets with Nabiki to ask her where he can find "the Pig-Tailed Girl" in order to give her a dolly.  Well, after selling him some pictures of girl Ranma and Akane for 1000 yen each, she tells Kuno that the fastest way to get his gift to the Pig-Tailed Girl is to give it to Ranma Saotome.  

         So, Kuno sends Ranma a letter  and again they meet, this time so that he can give Ranma the dolly.  Based on what Nabiki told him, Kuno asks Ranma what his relationship to the Pig-Tailed Girl is.  Ranma simply tells Kuno that if he has anything to say about it, the Pig-Tailed Girl won't appear before him again.  And as he then turns a corner and starts to leave, he's suddenly splashed when a women from a window above dumps a pail of cold water.  So happily Kuno embraces his beloved Pig-Tailed Girl until Nabiki arrives and dumps hot water on him, and Kuno finds Ranma in his arms now!  Well, Ranma figures that Kuno has figured out his secret by now, but the clueless Kuno then believes Ranma to be a practitioner of black magic and demands him to reveal where he's hidden the Pig-Tailed Girl!

         So Nabiki tries to make it clear by telling Kuno that the Pig-Tailed Girl's "body and soul both belong to Ranma."  But Kuno's not too bright, and believes that Nabiki means that the Pig-Tailed Girl is Ranma's sex slave!   So furious, Kuno attacks Ranma in order to free the Pig-Tailed Girl, but Ranma isn't paying much attention as he discovers the pictures Kuno had bought from Nabiki.  With a warning from Akane, Ranma then becomes serious and with a super fast kick that hits several vital areas, he defeats Kuno!

         But do you think his defeat has in any way discouraged Kuno from his desires?  No, of course not.  He continues to chase Akane and the Pig-Tailed girl, and still has no idea that his Pig-Tailed Goddess is really his greatest enemy Ranma Saotome.  And speaking of which, Kuno still hasn't truly defeated Ranma Saotome (at least not on his own).  Oh well, but on the bright side Tatewaki belongs to a wealthy family, so perhaps he'd be best ending up with Nabiki Tendo!

Ranma Saotome, Genma Saotome, Soun Tendo, Kasumi Tendo, Nabiki Tendo, Akane Tendo, Tatewaki Kuno, Ryoga Hibiki, Kodachi Kuno, Shampoo, Cologne, Mousse, Happosai, Ukyo Kuonji

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