Chapter 4 Akane's Training Begins For Akane, the rest of the week was a quiet one, minus the many attacks on her in the morning by the guys. Kuno would naturally follow them up, by trying to attack Ranma and failing miserably. She watched one day as Kuno lunge at Ranma from above jumping from a tree, only to miss and crash into the ground. Then the weekend began, and she woke up around eight ate breakfast, then went to the dojo. She found Ranma wating there for her, sitting in the middle of the dojo meditating. She also saw Ranma's father quietly sweeping the dojo floor. "Good morning, Mr. Saotome," she smiled. Brad looked up and returned the smile. "Morning Akane, Ranma should be finished shortly," he paused then placing the broom against the wall and walked over a corner picked up a strangely designed backpack. He picked up a pair of red arm bans, black pants matching the ones he and Ranma wore. "Here pick out an old t-shirt, then put these on with them." Akane stared at it for a second then grabbed them. As soon as the red arm bans were in her hands she was flunged to the floor. "These things are heavy." Brad's smile widen. "They only weigh about twenty pounds each." "Twenty pounds!" Akane shouted. "You've lifted heavier, right?" Brad asked going back over to the broom. "Yeah, but I don't wear them. What's the point to them?" Akane asked picking herself up. Brad yawned a bit. "The point to them is simple, the more you wear them, the more your speed increases and your body toughens up. That's the turtle hermit secret to martial arts training, right now I wear a fifty ton trench coat, five-hundred pound red under shirt, hundred pound wrist bans, and fifty pound boots." "How can you walk, with all that stuff on? I'm surprised you haven't been crushed," Akane said staring at him in shock. "Ranma, will explain it to you when he finishes his meditations," Brad said twirling the broom like a staff and started walking out. "Where's Trunks and Goten?" Akane asked. "Went home to begin training for the World Martial Arts Tournament, they gave permission slips to their teacher yesterday. Ranma put in both of yours too," Brad trying to suppress a yawn turned to Akane and saw shocked expression. "You got ten months, Ranma will get you ready for it in time." "But with martial artist like Ranma, Trunks, and Goten in it how can I possibly get far in it," Akane stated then watch Brad's face darken somewhat. "What's wrong?" Brad shook himself mentally. "Nine years ago, the finals in the tournament came down to Hercule and Number Eighteen. Eighteen took a dive to keep her family and us out the spotlight, and keep Hercule's reputation as the world's savior intact. There was just one minor problem, many of the Tournament backer's are sexist, they banned woman from entering all the tournaments following that one," he paused and smiled at Akane's reaction. "Bunch of jerks, huh." Akane nodded. "Reminds me of that creep, Happosai." "He was the head backer of the Tournament until two years ago. Nodoka and our Amazon friends approached Hercule, and they asked him to help them buy out the sponsorship," Brad chuckled slightly. "He agreed to help them." Akane was slightly surprised. "Did he do it on his own, or did he get persausion?" "Smart girl, Akane. His daughter and granddaughter were pestering him for months afterward about the stupid boycott on female fighters, he gave in," Brad smiled. "Nodoka, Hercule, and Amazon elder Cologne walked into the main office and ejected Happosai." "Painfully I hope," Akane muttered. "After Happosai's removal, Hercule and Cologne seperated the tournament into three division's youth, adult, and female," Brad smile took on a shark like appearance. "This year is the 15th anniversary of the Cell Games, and I intend to be there. Gohan gave me the inside scoop, this year's World Martial Arts Tournament will be the biggest ever. The youth tournament will have the big eight format. The Female Tournament will have the same, and the finalists of those two will be put in as part of the Main Event." Akane decided she liked that idea, ran over to Ranma and started shaking him. "Come on, Ranma times a wasting." Brad smiled then left the dojo. "Those two are made for each other." Ranma held Akane as they flew over of the ocean, she was now wearing a loose fitting plain white t-shirt, the black pants, red wrist bans, and boots. Ranma explained to her that they would be going to the island that Goku and Krillin had recieve their training when they were kids. Before they left, Ranma decided to give Akane a little sneak peek of the competition she would be facing in the tournament. He showed her videos, of the Cell Games and all the tournaments afterward. He saw how big eyed she became watching Goten and Trunks going at it in the tournament that occurred seven years after the Cell Games. Akane was a little apprehensive that she could be good enough to fight in the Tournament. Yet, she was going to do everything in her power to get ready and make it to at least the semi-final round in the female division. Ranma and Akane landed on the island, Ranma pulled out a small smooth silver metal case. He opened it and it held five small capsule's inside, he pulled out two of the bigger ones and pushed down on the buttons at the top of them. He then toss them to ground to reveal two large buildings. "Ah, home away from home, and the gravity chamber," Ranma said turning to her and smiled. "Okay, it's too late in the day to begin training, so I'll lead you through the training schedule and you can start it tomorrow." Ranma and Akane ran five miles to the Milk goat's house. Akane waited while Ranma talked the walking talking animal, after a brief exchange of words the goat nodded and went inside. Ranma returned and began to explain the training schedule, as they walked through a grassy plain. "First, we'll get up four thirty in the morning, you'll go to the milk man's house and pick up two milk crates and start delivering milk to every house on the island before breakfast," he paused for a second. "You'll be skipping the entire five miles from our place to the milk man's door, then you'll jog to a crop of trees, where you'll zig zag through them to the base of the mountain. From there you'll climb to the peak and cross over a gorge, then through a river by a waterfall. After that your pretty much done, so you can hop foot it home and trust me you will be running." "Is that it?" Akane asked hopefully. Ranma gave her a sour expression. "Nope that's early morning training, after breakfast you start mid-morning training, which is agriculture. There are over hundred farms on this island and you'll getting them ready, using your bare hands." Akane sighed sadly as they walked toward a lake. She suddenly wondered what she got herself into. "After lunch you'll do construction work, until about two. Then you'll come to this lake and do about thirty laps," Ranma said stopping and turned to her. Akane paled slightly. "But, I told you before I can't swim." Ranma then smiled and it wasn't the type of smile Akane liked. He then pulled out her swimsuit and pointed to grove of bushes. She took the swimsuit and stalked off into the bushes grumbling. She emerge few minutes later, she then walked up to the lake shore. "Okay, now get in the water." Akane did so then clinged to the side of the shore, she looked up and notice Ranma hadn't changed. "Aren't going to help me?" Ranma shook his head. "Actually, no, he is," he said then pointed to her right. Akane followed his finger until her eyes settled on to pointed fin heading straight for her. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!SHARK!!!!!!!!" she screamed and took off for the opposite shore. Few seconds later she came back and jumped onto the shore, and ran straight for Ranma. "Ranma, you jerk. I thought you would be different, than your old self." Ranma just stared at her and shrugged. "You swam didn't you?" Akane froze and dropped her arms feeling like she could cry. "I'm sorry, Ranma. It's just this is one of things that reminded me of a lot of the all the stuff I went through." Ranma smiled softly. "I know you can do these things, Akane. It's just that you need the right motivation. If I don't you could be seriously hurt in that tournament, and that's something I could not stand to see." Akane returned his soft smile and hugged him. "Thanks, Ranma." Ranma coughed slightly. "Now, after the thirty laps racing sharky, you'll come home and we'll start another type of training," Ranma pulled out a small gray booklet that Akane recognized. "This training session your mom came up with. It's to give you the ability to be patient." "How's learning to cook, going to help practice patience?" Akane asked. Ranma opened the book. "Each of these recipes are like martial arts techniques, if you do them right they become graceful and flawless. If you do them wrong, it's just sloppy and can hurt you as well as your opponent," he paused reading the book briefly. "Ooh, I wonder if mom can do these," he said drooling. Akane sighed shaking her head looking up at the setting sun and accepted her fate. "How long do we have to do this?" "You'll do this for four months dressed in the stuff you came in and the backpack with the eighty pound weights, while I'll be in the gravity room. When four months are done, you'll be joining me and we'll be sparring in their for another four months," Ranma paused pulling out a black tunic and red under shirt. "Where you'll be dressed like me, the under shirt is double the weight of the backpack." Akane grimaced. "That don't sound good." "It won't be, especially when the gravity in the room will be at hundred times Earth's gravity," Ranma replied then notice Akane's face pale. "Trust me Akane, when everything is finished you'll be on even terms with me." "You positive?" Akane asked. "Of course, plus," Ranma paused. "You have the spirit of the phoenix within you." Post Chapter note's: Another tribute to the original Dragon Ball, and Ranma certainly has a lot of confidence in Akane don't he. As for the first part of the chapter and the conversation between Akane and Brad where Brad was yawning a lot. Two things could of cause that, one would lead to a lemon side story, but I won't write it, the second is the fact that I've never been a morning person and wrote my counterpart as being the same. But I have no qualms with a lemon side story, between Brad and Nodoka, if it's in good taste, but ask before getting ideas. Now, the little joke with the shark, is vintage DB, plus if your wondering where Ranma got Akane's swimsuit, let's just say her mother gave it to him, prior to them leaving.