A Bad Cut

A Bad Cut (けがはなくとも) is the 13th chapter of the manga and the fourth chapter of the Ryoga Hibiki Intro Arc.

Synopsis
Ranma saves Akane and they both run away to buy some time. They share a hug before realizing what they are doing and getting angry at one another again. Ryoga comes across them and the fight continues until Ranma tells Akane she's getting in his way.

Plot Overview
Ryoga's Umbrella is still flying towards Ranma and Akane. Ryoga then says that if his Umbrella doesn't get them, his bandanas will. He then proceeds to remove more bandanas from his head, spin them round in his hand, and the throw then towards Ranma and Akane as well. Ranma then kicks Ryoga's Umbrella upwards, opens it, and uses it as a shield from Ryoga's bandanas. While stopping the bandanas Ranma also picks up Akane and jumps away from Ryoga (using the Umbrella to help them to travel further after jumping). The other students look on in surprise at the fact this girl is able to pick up the incredibly heavy Umbrella.

As Ranma and Akane get away from Ryoga, he shouts at them calling them cowards to which Ranma replies telling Ryoga to hold his horses. Ranma then lands on top a bike shed, where she sighs. Ranma then realises that Akane is hugging her, as does Akane who quickly moves away. The two then have a moment of awkward silence and shout "You" at each simultaneously, followed by more silence and them they both say "What" simultaneously as well.

Ranma then finally speaks and says to Akane that it was her fault for interfering. This angers Akane who then says to Ranma that she couldn't beat Ryoga as a girl so she was going to get the water to help. Ranma then angrily tells Akane that was interfering and you never butt into a man-to-man fight, which Akane responds by asking Ranma who the other "man" is as well as calling her a pervert.

While the argument between Akane and Ranma continues, Ryoga walks silently up to the bottom of the bike shed. When he gets there, he takes the belt around his torso, as the other students watch wondering what Ryoga's going to do. Ryoga then flicks the belt making it as straight as a rod, he then proceeds to cut one of the poles supporting the roof of the bike shed twice. Ranma and Akane obviously don't notice this, but eventually realise when they feel the roof of the bike shed giving way. Ranma then grabs the Umbrella just as Ryoga jumps up and attacks with his belt (which is still straight as it was when he cut the bike shed pole), Ranma tries to defend with the Umbrella but it gets cut in two by Ryoga's belt.

Ranma and Akane then begin to fall towards the floor. As they fall Akane demands Ranma lets go of her, to which Ranma replies she isn't holding onto Akane because she wants to. Hearing this upsets and angers Akane, so when they do land she slaps Ranma and begins to angrily walk off. Ranma tries to get Akane to stop, but she can Ryoga attacks Ranma again with his belt. Ranma kicks Ryoga in the arm and tells him to give it a rest, however, the kick forces Ryoga to loose his grip on his belt and it spins into the air. Ranma then runs towards Akane to try and make her stop, but Akane turns around and tells Ranma they as far as she's concerned they're strangers. As Akane turns around, however, her hair stretches out and into the path of Ryoga's belt, cutting her hair in half.

Akane, Ranma, Ryoga and the other Furinkan High School students stand in silent shock at Akane's hair being cut. As Akane remains in silent shock at what's just happened to her hair, other female Furinkan High students and Ranma try to get her to talk to see if she's okay. After Ranma says that Akane's in shock the female students begin to talk to Ranma saying that she's lucky she didn't die with a haircut like that and that she (Ranma) should know since she's a girl too. The students then begin to ask Ranma who she is anyway (as they don't know of Ranma's curse) and where Ranma went. Ranma quickly dissolves the situation by saying that Akane's the importance at the moment.

Ryoga then asks if Akane got an injury, to which Ranma replies no but she did get a bad cut. Ranma and Ryoga then tell Akane she can hit for the fact they've been responsible for starting the fight which led to her hair being cut. Akane then proceeds to slap them both and walks off, while Ryoga comments on how agreeable Akane is. As Akane walks home she passes a lamppost with "Happy Hour" written on it. Akane then punches the lamppost but afterwards realises her ankle is hurt from when she tripped on the tree root. She continues walking regardless, saying to herself she'd best see Dr. Tofu as Ranma watches her walk away from atop the lamppost she just hit saying she still thinks Akane's mad.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ryoga Hibiki
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke
 * Tofu Ono (mentioned)

Quotes

 * Never butt into a man-to-man fight! Who's a "man" you pervert?! - Ranma telling Akane why she shouldn't interfere with her fight with Ryoga and Akane's response.
 * ''You don't have to explain. Because starting now... you and I are strangers!! - Akane yelling at Ranma for what she said earlier.
 * Agreeable girl, isn't she? - Ryoga after Akane slaps him and Ranma.

Trivia

 * This is the first chapter in which Ranma's male form doesn't appear at all.
 * The pun made by Ranma about Akane getting "a bad cut" is a rather more obvious pun in the original Japanese version of this chapter. This is because of when Ryoga asks: "Kega (injury) ga nakute yokatta jyanaika.", Ranma responds with: "Kega (injury) wa nakutemo ke ga (hair) nakunattan dazo.".