This, a number of you will find, is a tad dark.  It was inspired
by Mike Loader's new character essay so you should all blame him.  :)
I don't know how many parts this may go since they're so short, but it
definitely needs some resolve.  :)

{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim 
them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may 
not be used to make money in any way, shape or form.  Characters and 
certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try any 
funny stuff!} 




Kazuo's Kind
by Lara Bartram

Part 1



	He watched the captain of the team hit the pavement yet again.
This was getting downright embarrassing; some captain Kuno Tatewaki
was.  The kendo team was getting a bad name from the all the idiotic
things Kuno had been doing lately... and getting his ass creamed for
them too.
	Giving his fallen captain a disgusted look, Ochiai Kazuo shook
his head and returned to his practicing.  There had to be some way to
dump Kuno as the captain without a fight.
	Kazuo wasn't stupid; he couldn't beat Kuno in a fight, and
that would be the only way to get rid of the fool.  Sure, Kuno's
skills were considerable, but the rest of the kendo team members were
suffering from the humiliation having a moron as their captain heaped 
upon them..

***

	"It'll cost."
	"I know, but I can't stand it any longer.  The guy's an idiot!
I need him out of the way."
	Nabiki smirked at the desperate person in front of her.
	"This isn't funny.  He's making the kendo team a laughing
stock!  The wins aren't worth it."  Kazuo realized his voice was
starting to sound desperate; that was a mistake when dealing with
Tendo Nabiki.
	It was too late, she had caught him.  Smiling like she had
just seen Kuno drop his wallet, she struck the fleshy part of Kazuo's
weakness.  "Well, I think I can help you then."
	Kazuo sighed.  He would have to take up a collection from the
other members for this, he knew it.

***

	"You!  Ochiai Kazuo!"
	Kazuo looked over at Kuno, a small snarl on his face.  "Yes,
sempai?"  The word didn't want to come out of his mouth.
	Kuno glared imperiously at him.  "It is your moment to spar
with me so I may judge your progress."
	Joy and splendor.  "Thank you, sempai."

***

	Kazuo couldn't believe what he was holding in his hands.  He
didn't want it, was afraid of it even, but this was the only way.  He
had been right about not being able to get rid of Kuno any other
except defeating him, but Nabiki had something else.  Kuno didn't need
to be defeated... he just needed to not be able to do kendo any
longer.
	Kazuo closed the box quickly, afraid of what was in it.  How
could he actually be considering this?  It meant ruining Kuno's
kendo...  Who the hell was he kidding?  Kuno could die from what was
in that box.
	Kazuo fought back the bile that started to rise.  What had he
gotten himself into?

***

	"Tendo-san, I... I can't use that."
	"That's not my problem.  You wanted the dirt, now you've got
to shovel it."
	"But I can't..."
	"Not my problem.  No refunds or exchanges."
	Kazuo let out a strangled cry of frustration as Nabiki walked
away from him.  "What am I supposed to do?" he asked her back.

***

	"Saotome Ranma!  Finally the day has come that I, Kuno
Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of Fu..."
	Ranma looked at Kuno quizically, wondering why he had stopped
his speech.
	Nabiki watched from the third floor window of her classroom as
Kuno seemed to suddenly lose his faculties.  Looking around the yard,
she spotted Kazuo watching from some distance.
	Ranma watched Kuno, almost worried now.
	"Bluuuu...  Thuuu...  Fuuu..."  Kuno's left hand clutched his
chest suddenly and his breathing became wheezing.
	"Hey, Kuno, you okay?" Ranma asked when Kuno's face turned
beet red.
	"Sa... Sa... Sa..."  Kuno suddenly fell to his knees, losing
his grip on his bokken.
	"Maybe we should get the nurse," Akane asked, more than a
little worried herself.  This was simply not Kuno's normal M.O.  They
had never seen him in such bad condition.
	"Yeah, I think so."
	Nabiki watched things unfold from the window.  Poor Kuno-chan.
He wouldn't even know what had hit him.  Or why.  She looked to the
spot she had last seen Kazuo, but he was no longer there.  Looking
back at Kuno, hearing the worried buzz from her classmates, she was
confident that if prompt medical treatment was sought out, Kuno would
be back to his old self without a problem.  Mostly.
	The nurse came running out of the school and bent over the
fallen kendoist.  She sat up suddenly, her face almost panicked.
"Someone call an ambulance!"

***

[THREE WEEKS LATER]

	"How are you doing, Kuno-chan?" Nabiki asked, sliding into her
desk.
	"I am healthy as ever, Tendo Nabiki."
	"That's good.  Feel like buying me some snacks after school?"
	"And why, pray tell, would I buy you snacks?  And even if I
desired to do so, you know that this afternoon I must attend my
kendo..."  The pity that came out in Nabiki's eyes was so... sudden,
such a shock that Kuno stopped talking.  Pity.  Kendo after school.
Pity.
	He looked down at his leg, his left one, that had been
rendered useless by the freak stroke he had had three weeks ago.
"I... I shall be heading straight home this afternoon, Tendo Nabiki,"
he said softly.
	To her, he actually sounded... sad.
	Heading straight home and fighting off the desire to kill
himself as he had done for the past week.

***

	Kazuo watched the others begin their practice.  He was the
captain now; no one made fun of the kendo team any more.  No one
questioned the integrity and ability of its members now.  The kendo
team was finally respected around school.
	"I see you're captain now," a dangerous voice said from behind
him.
	Kazuo turned and almost trembled at the sight of Nabiki.
"What are you doing here?  This is for members only during practice."
He tried to sound strong.
	"The previous captain didn't care," she said smoothly.  "Now
that you're captain, things have changed?"
	Previous captain, like Kuno was dead or something.  But he had
only done it for the other members of the team.  It had nothing to do
with him becoming captain...
	Though he had known that he would be captain once Kuno was
gone...  No!  That's not why...  "Get out of here!"
	Nabiki matched his gaze for a moment, then left.
	When she was finally gone, Kazuo found himself shaking, though
he wasn't sure why.  She was the one that had told him.  She was the
one that had given him the means to...  It wasn't his fault!  Not as
much as hers!
	"Mori-san, please take over practice.  I have some things to
take care of."  Not waiting for Mori's reaction, Kazuo left to get
some time to himself.
	On his way out, he saw Kuno limping slowly off school grounds,
his head down, paying no attention to the other students around him.
Turning away, Kazuo wanted to run away from Furinkan and never come
back, but...  The kendo team.  He was the captain now, after all.

End 1