Screamin' at the Hot Springs!

Zekkyo! onsen batoru (絶叫！ 温泉バトル) is the 159th chapter of the manga and the second chapter of the Hot Springs Obstacle Course Race Arc.

Synopsis
As the three-legged obstacle course race begins Ranma and Shampoo take an early lead with Akane and Mousse right behind them. The normal competitors can barely stay afloat as they ride logs down a rushing river.

Plot Overview
Having packed the night before, Ranma and Shampoo bright and early for the Zekkyo Hot Spring race. But just as Ranma begins to think to himself about his assured victory and finally returning to Jusenkyo, Mousse shouts over to a snowman (mistaking it for Ranma) and telling "him" that there shall be no victory for him. Seeing that Akane is here as well, Ranma jumps over to her and questions her on why she's here, although Shampoo immediately intervenes by commenting on what a cute couple Akane and Mousse make.

Meanwhile, Ukyo busily sells to the many cold visitors to the remote hot springs. Ryoga, however, quietly sits alone whilst thinking why Mousse got to partner with Akane and not himself. At that moment Ukyo turns her attention to Ryoga and tells him to stop sulking whilst she strikes him with her giant spatula. This prompts Ryoga to declare that he was being wistful, leading Ukyo to tell Ryoga to stop "wisting" and go ask Akane again if that's what he wants.

Just then Akane walks past, noticing the pair. Ryoga immediately begins treating the whole thing as a big coincidence (despite him following Akane here), but doesn't manage to get a chance to ask Akane again as Ranma appears to ask Ryoga if he's in the race too. Ryoga initially responds by commenting that there's no place for him, until Ranma points out he could visit Jusenkyo, prompting him to go and enter the race with Ukyo as his partner.

Some time passes and the entrants gather as one of the race organisers explains one the rule of the race; where each pair must have one leg tied together as they run from spring-to-spring.

The race then starts, with Ranma & Shampoo taking an early lead, with Akane & Mousse close behind. Ranma & Shampoo arrive at the first spring (dubbed "Zekkyo Rapids"), which they must travel along using logs as they float downstream.

Whilst the other, less experienced, contestants fall into the rapids, Ranma notices that Mousse has caught up with them (with Akane desperately holding onto him). The pair then engage in a fierce battle using their oars until Shampoo comments on how tightly Akane is holding Mousse, prompting Ranma to declare how he doesn't care how Akane hugs. This leads to Akane kneeing Ranma in the face out of irritation, causing Mousse to compliment Akane on her skill.

Just then, having fallen behind due to Ryoga attempting to run in the wrong direction, Ukyo & Ryoga arrive finally catch up to Ranma and the others. Ryoga immediately joins the fray, leaving Ranma seemingly trapped between him and Mousse. Luckily Ranma uses his oar to jump over the pair as Mousse lunges forward, resulting in Ryoga being hit instead of Ranma.

As Ranma and Shampoo land back on the log, Shampoo can't help herself in commenting on how well the two of them work together. At that moment, however, Ukyo lightly hits Ranma with her giant spatula, before asking him who this stranger is that seems to have such a fondness for him.

Once Shampoo and Ukyo introduce themselves to each other Ranma attempts to distract the pair by declaring that they should work together to reach their goal, but is quickly hit by his two fiancés. Without another moments hesitation, Shampoo and Ukyo begin fighting each other, with Ranma stuck in the middle trying to mitigate.

Seeing Ranma's current situation, Mousse uses this opportunity to take Akane so that they take the lead. Noticing the pair pulling ahead, Ranma follows, dragging the sparring Shampoo along with him as Ukyo tries desperately to wake up the still unconscious Ryoga. But, moments after they regain the lead, Ranma, Shampoo, Mousse and Akane find themselves at the second obstacle, the Zekkyo Falls!

After successfully navigating the falls, Mousse and Ranma are knocked-out thanks to the log Ukyo and Ryoga were on landing on top of them. A few moments pass as Ryoga tells Akane how glad he is that she's safe, as Ukyo and Shampoo continue from where they left off, whilst Ranma continues to dream of Jusenkyo.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Shampoo (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Mousse (human)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)

Quotes

 * (Mousse) "...Hmmmm. [Ranma] seems to be making things worse."
 * (Akane) "So what else is new."

Trivia

 * This chapter finally introduces Shampoo and Ukyo to each other.