Three-Leg Scramble

Sukuranburu ni nin sankyaku (スクランブル二人三脚) is the 160th chapter of the manga and the third chapter of the Hot Springs Obstacle Course Race Arc.

Synopsis
Shampoo and Ukyo's arguing is slowing Ranma and Ryoga down, so the two decide to team up together and win. They are doing well until Ryoga overhears Mousse insulting Akane's legs. Ryoga and Mousse begin to fight and before long Akane and Ranma are together as a team.

Plot Overview
As the race continues, the festival committee officials hear news that there are still six people in the race; which causes a problem as an all-expenses-paid trip to any spring in the world will surely bankrupt the village for at least a year. The Mayor of Zekkyo, however, is much controlled and reassures the other members that, with Zekkyo's many dangerous springs, he'll ensure that there is no way the remaining competitors will win!

Meanwhile, at the alligator hot springs, with Ukyo and Shampoo busy fighting each other, Mousse and Akane manage to regain the lead. Whilst Akane looks back and thinks how Ranma would've won for sure if he just partnered with her, Ranma and Ryoga secretly decide to partner up in order to get away from their current pickering partners.

Ranma and Ryoga's partnership initial seems to work for the better as they quickly overtake Mousse & Akane. Unfortunately, this soon falls apart when Ryoga attacks Mousse to blaming Akane's stumpy legs for their falling behind.

With his current partner busy fighting yet again, Ranma swiftly snatches up Akane as his new partner and the pair soon run ahead. As they run along, Akane asks Ranma how he can have so little sense of compunction for continually switching partners as it doesn't matter who he wins the race with. In response Ranma informs Akane that he should've partnered with her all along, as she's the one for him.

This statement touches Akane deeply, as Ranma tells her that if he's learnt anything, it's that she's the best partner a guy could have. Hearing this Akane questions Ranma if he really means all this; unfortunately for Ranma he soon ruins the mood when he declares to Akane that a race like this nothing beats a "macho jock-chick" like her. Infuriated, Akane slams Ranma into a nearby boulder, quickly followed by an angered Ukyo and Shampoo who attack their fiancé for leaving them behind. Not a second later Ryoga reappears and smashes Mousse into Ranma as well.

After Ryoga tells Mousse to remember his defeat, Akane takes him with her so she can get back at Ranma. Ryoga is overjoyed at being chosen by Akane and the pair soon race on ahead, with the others in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, the Mayor learns that the group has gotten past the alligator springs, so declares that things will only get more difficult from now; whilst the other officials wonder if they are just a festival committee.

Back with the others, and as Ranma attempts to get Ryoga & Akane to stop, Ryoga counters by punching Ranma skyward, giving Shampoo the chance to take him back as her partner (much to Ukyo and Mousse's annoyance). Just then the group find themselves at the next spring which is secretly covered in "land-mine geysers". Shampoo and the still unconscious Ranma jump headlong into the spring and fall foul of one of the geysers.

Seeing this unnerves Akane, but Ryoga assures her that if she sticks with him that they'll be fine. No sooner does Ryoga say this that a terrified Ranma jumps over his head (trying to escape Shampoo's cat form strapped to her leg), which horrifies Ryoga as it means the geysers shot cold water. Not a second later the pair set off a geyser themselves, leaving Ryoga with nowhere to hide from Akane's gaze. Luckily for Ryoga, although Akane does see what appears to be P-chan in the swirling water, Ranma knocks her down with Shampoo. When Akane recovers, she sees Shampoo in her cat form and assumes it was her. P-chan had already run away.

Elsewhere, Ukyo (who had also been hit by a geyser) wonders where Mousse ran off too, as he's quacking as a duck still tied to her leg.

Ranma's terror is stopped abruptly when she slams into a tree. When she wakes up, Ranma sees P-chan and the two enter the hot spring. The Mayor is informed that the group has entered the Rock Baths, meaning everything is going according to plan.

Returning to Ranma and Ryoga, as the pair comment on their luck at finding a hot spring they're joined by Mousse. Meanwhile, Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo agree a temporary ceasefire as they too enjoy the same hot spring as Ranma and co (with only a large rock separating them). Akane and co then wonder where the others went to, deciding that they must've gone on ahead whilst Ranma, Ryoga and Mousse joke about the others being in the same spring as them. Unbeknownst to the others, the Mayor is busy plotting as the other officials talk about this years less-than-brilliant festival.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * The Mayor of Zekkyo (debut)
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Mousse (human)
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Shampoo (cat)
 * Ryoga Hibiki (P-chan)
 * Mousse (duck)

Quotes

 * (Ranma) "I should've teamed up with you all along. You're the only for me, Akane."
 * (Ryoga) "A-Akane... You want me?!"
 * (Akane) "We're the only normal ones here... so we've got it locked."
 * (Ranma) "Just how normal are you P-ch--"

Trivia
To be added