He'd been bored lately and decided to try something entirely new.
While he still viewed Kuno as one of the village idiots, the kendo star was also had the funds and if he worked right, well, having a delusional samurai at his command could make things interesting for a loop, not to mention he might be able to use it as a way to avoid Kodachi.
Thankfully, he'd managed to avoid Jusenkyo's curse this time, but he hadn't managed to talk his way out of the problem with the Amazons this time, rather shifting it slightly to at least avoid the kiss of death problem.
Of course, he'd managed to ditch pops for a bit, tricking the older man into plowing through Mousse was quite useful there.
Trying to outwit his opponents as well as defeat them was showing promise though.
"Oh what a web you've woven," he commented while sidestepping the bokken using a technique picked up from a loop involving other realities, or at least a version of it.
He paused, grabbing the other boys wrist and twisting just enough to force the training weapon from his grip.
"What do you mean," a surprisingly normal answer.
"You've set up one of the most magnificent traps I've ever seen," Ranma responded, "Of course, the complication is that you trapped yourself here."
A pause as he kicked the weapon up and caught it in midair.
"I'd heard of your little challenge about the girl," he snorted, "Did you honestly expect it to work with you lurking to deal with her on your own after she so quickly mauled dozens of people, I mean even if your better than a dozen or so of them together, she seems to use them as something akin to bowling."
A brief pause and a chuckle, "And if one of those idiots manage to take her down, what then, if you interfere with whatever sort of date happens, you'll have lost credibility and your word means nothing."
The cheshire grin across his lips was pure amusement as he continued.
"And then there's all that money her sister's been conning you out of," Ranma faced the boy head on while inspecting the bokken, "Think about how much you end up paying for, and how much those two get out of toying with you."
He waved at the shattered remnant of the group.
"And after seeing this, it seems that they're trying to get rid of you or me by having us face off after our fathers set up that damned deal of theirs," the look of annoyance wasn't an act, "Honestly, even if they do have the looks, I'd prefer not to deal with either a fighter nor a con artist."
"You can have the poisoned fruit if you want," he added with a disgusted tone while the boy looked perplexed.
"Then there is the rest of your house of cards, I mean those jokers that Akane so casually smashed are all underneath you, and if they're willing to go that far, well, imagine what happens when they get a shot to displace you."
A grin as he tossed the weapon back.
"And then there's the teachers, I mean your pop is supposed to be in charge, and eventually, they'll make a move to get rid of him, and you by association."
Another chuckle.
"Why should I believe you about the pure and tidy Akane?"
"For fucks sake man," Ranma added, "I'd just met her and she dropped a god damned statue on my head, not to mention that her own sister called her a violent maniac."
He grinned.
"You may like a walk on the wild side with your 'tigress'," he commented, "But I'd rather not get mauled by someone with the makings of a bobit."
A slight shudder went though him.
"Personally, I'd rather like someone calmer to deal with."