Stop That Octopus!

Tako ga neratteru (タコが狙ってる) is the 354th chapter of the manga it is also the first chapter of the Hayato Arc.

While on a search to find who is responsible for trying to sabotage her business, Ukyo finds her old rival.

Ominous Masks
Ukyo is working hard at Okonomiyaki Ucchan's during a typical day when a customer bites into an okonomiyaki and finds an octopus mask inside. She calls over Ranma and Akane to tell them what has been happening. She shows them a trash bin full of the same masks and believe someone is attempting to interfere with her business. When Ranma bites into an okonomiyaki he finds that his food also contained the mask.

Ukyo then senses movement nearby and flings several spatulas in that direction. The spatulas hit near an octopus running around with the mask in hand. They quickly chase the octopus until they come to a nearby field. Ranma senses danger and gets in front of Ukyo, taking her giant spatula and blocking several s. As the person responsible descends, the octopus they had been chasing hops toward him.

An Old Rival
When he reveals himself to the three, they find that his face is covered with the same octopus mask Ukyo had been finding in her okonomiyaki. Unfortunately for him, Ukyo has no recollection of him, even after a supposed bickering they had six years ago. Ukyo demands that he removes the mask, but the mysterious figure is so hurt that she doesn't remember him and runs off.

While he runs away, Ukyo suddenly remembers her past and calls out his name, Hayato. She then explains that while she was training after Ranma abandoned her and took the okonomiyaki cart, she came across a boy who was training to make takoyaki. Being kids, they got into a fight about which is better. Thanks to the large surface area of an okonomiyaki, she was able to beat him easily. She deduces that he came back for revenge, but cannot figure out why he was hiding behind a mask.

Unmasking
Meanwhile, Hayato is being comforted by his pet when he senses someone else. He quickly puts his mask back on and launches a barrage of takoyaki to dissuade anyone from coming near. He is stopped when Ranma kicks him in the face, telling him that he is in front of where he lives. Ranma realizes that Hayato is keen on having his face hidden at all times and offers hospitality to see if he is willing to remove his mask.

They first try offering him ramen, which he graciously accepts. But instead of removing his mask to eat, he simply lowers his head and slurps it all down through the mouth hole on the mask. Next, Ranma offers him a bath. Instead of taking off his mask to wash his face, he sticks a hose up the mouth hole and blasts his face with it. He decides that the only way to see his face now is to forcibly remove the mask while he slept. Ranma sneaks in the room he was staying in and grabs his head, only to find that he put his pet Patoratsyu as decoy. Suspecting that this was a ploy all along, Hayato had been hiding in the ceiling during the night. He comes down to strike Ranma, but Ranma dodges out of the way. Meanwhile, Akane went ahead to get Ukyo, who was beginning to remember why he's wearing the mask.

Ranma finally removes the mask by using Patoratsyu's mouth to pop it off. When Ranma looks at the man he demasked, he finds a perfectly normal looking person behind it. Hayato then sits down and starts mixing a large pot while Ranma hits him on the head repeatedly for making a big deal out of the mask. When the mixture is ready, he splashes it on Ranma, prompting him to scream just as Akane and Ukyo reached the room. They open the door to find the horror behind the scream.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Patorasyu
 * Hayato Myojin
 * Soun Tendo