The Return of the Principal

Kaette kita kocho (帰ってきた校長) is the 114th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Principal Kuno Intro Arc.

Rumors spread around the school that the principal is returning after a long absense. A large snow man is harassing the students in the schoolyard and tries to cut Ranma's pigtail off. Ranma kicks the snowman to reveal a weird looking tanned man with a palm tree growing in his hair.

Attack of the Snowman
One a snowy day in Furinkan, the local High School students have a new topic of conversation, the rumours regarding the returning of the Principal after leaving to the U.S. to study some new teaching methods. As some of the girls hope that the trip loosened the principal up, a snowman appears and attempts to remove the girl's scarf and declares that she'll have a demerit. The snowman then begins terrorising other students, continuously handing out demerits.

Just then Ranma arrives and wonders what's going on. The snowman immediately spots Ranma and jumps towards him before swiftly attempting to cut off Ranma's pigtail. Ranma quickly kicks the snowman away, but this just angers the snowman which comes back more furiously to cut off the pigtail. As the snowman charges he declares himself the Principal, although understandably the students are unconvinced at this statement. In response, Ranma declares that if there's one thing he hates... it's a lying snowman! Ranma then proceeds to kick the snowman, revealing a man with a who was hiding inside.

As the other students look on in disbelief, the Principal hands Ranma a small pineapple which explodes shortly afterwards. The Principal then picks up Ranma by the pigtail and attempts to cut it, but Ranma stops the Principal by kicking him. This upsets the Principal slightly, so he calls over a sleigh and takes his leave, but not before giving Ranma another exploding pineapple.

With the other students recovering from the subsequent explosion, Hiroshi and Daisuke noting that if anybody in this school needs discipline it isn't one of them. Ranma, meanwhile, angrily tells himself that the Principal is going to pay for what he just did.

The Principal's Announcement
Some time passes and all the students are called to gather in the auditorium to hear an announcement from the Principal. Sure enough the man who Ranma fought earlier was the Principal after all. The Principal explains to his students that as he's returned from Hawaii they'll be getting a special gift, but, despite the student's expectations, the Principal reveals his "gift" is a new rule which requires all male students to get while female students must get.

The students quickly show their hatred towards this new rule by throwing multiple objects at the Principal until he's buried underneath a pile of debris. Ranma goes other to the Principal and asks if this his attempt at getting back at him for what happened earlier. But the Principal simply remarks that Ranma was like a Moth to a flame and reveals that he's captured Akane who slowly begins descending from the ceiling (unconscious and restrained by a broom).

Continuing, the Principal turns to Ranma and explains he knows everything about him, so if he doesn't want Akane to get hurt then he make sure he's (Ranma) the first one to get a Buzz cut. Unfortunately, the Principal's plan doesn't work for long as Akane awakes and breaks the broom restraining her before kicking the Principal in anger.

The Chase Begins
After getting Akane to stop throttling him, the Principal also reveals that there is a Coconut with a piece of paper inside which will pardon whoever brings it to him from having their hair cut. No sooner does the Principal finish explaining this than Ranma jumps in and takes the Coconut the Principal is holding away.

Unfortunately the Coconut turns out to be a dud and explodes in Ranma's hands, much to his annoyance. The Principal declares they have three days to find the Coconut and he'll be waiting in his office. As the students get riled up, the teachers talk amongst themselves about how the Principal hasn't changed at all and still does anything to annoy the students. Meanwhile, the Principal tells Ranma he's going to look really cut on the floor with his hair cut, to which Ranma retorts by telling the Principal that he should've stayed in Hawaii.

Some time passes and the Principal goes up to the roof and declares the start of the duel for the school pardon!..

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Yuka and Sayuri
 * Principal Kuno (debut)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke
 * Akane Tendo