Author's note: A long time ago, I came to realize that I like Ryoga allot, and I thought it was too bad that Ranma became so much more powerful at the end. I started to think about how Ryoga could possible beat him in a fair fight and came to the conclusion that besides working on his speed, he would need a new technique.
Now, I've read a few fics on this theme before, but I found that almost all of these techniques were based on his old Shishi Hokudan, and rarely very effective. I realized that in order to win over the guy who defeated Saffron, Ryoga would need something in the same league as the Hiryuu Shouten Ha. Tops.
So I sat down to create a tailor-made Ultimate Technique for Ryoga. Then I thought: "Hey, I can make a fanfic out of this!" And that's how it started. As I was writing, more and more ideas come to me and soon the story began taking epic proportions. What was originally a story about Ryoga grew into something greater, something I wanted to share.
I have decided to write all names the Japanese way, with the family name first and surname last. After all, they are Japanese, so it makes little sense to turn the names around.
SECRET OF THE STREAMS
A Ranma½ fanfic by Ghost
"Great floods have flown from simple sources."
-William Shakespeare
Prologue: The Successor of the Three Mighty Streams
It was morning, little more then an hour after sunrise, and a chilly wind rustled the forest in the mountainous Japanese countryside.
On top a large rock in the middle of a small clearing sat a bandanna-clad young man in a relaxed lotus position. Despite that he was bare-chested, the chill of the wind didn't seem to affect him the slightest. Only deep concentration could be read in his face.
In front of him five large wooden poles had been erected. They were all thick as a man's leg and crudely made, as the young man had fashioned them himself from the trunks of young trees before placing them in holes which he had dug with his bare hands. That had been about an hour ago.
Hibiki Ryoga opened his eyes and smiled. Drawing a deep breath of the still chilly morning air, he stood up. Focusing his will, he made the energy that was his life-force surge through his being. What most human martial artists could only dream of doing, Ryoga could do with ease. His ki flared throughout his being and he smiled at the invigorating sensation.
Next, he raised his arms above his head, gripping his left hand around his right wrist and focusing his ki to his right hand in very much the same fashion as he would when performing his trademark technique, the Shishi Hokudan. Then, with a sudden sweeping movement, he struck out with his hand towards the poles.
"Shishi Tsukai Kei!"
His ki suddenly lashed out from his hand like a glowing whip, striking the poles that were all reduced to splinters upon contact. Two swipes were all he needed to completely eviscerate all five of them. He then crouched slightly before taking a giant leap straight up in the air. Swiping his hand downwards, he allowed the rest of the energy to strike the rock, which immediately shattered to pieces.
Landing softly among the rubble, he took a brief look at the destruction. The clearing was littered by the debree left in the wake of his attack.
"Not bad," he said, trying his best to sound optimistic. "It's a good technique." But then he just hung his head and sighed. Yes, it was a good technique. But unfortunately, it would be utterly useless against Ranma.
That ingenious bastard would probably just dodge it, figure out a way of beating it and create a better version for himself, Ryoga thought bitterly. And then I'm back at square one all over again.
The story of his entire career as a martial artist, it seemed.
Picking up his discarded shirt, a slightly depressed Hibiki Ryoga headed back to his camp.
It had been almost a month since Ranma had defeated the Phoenix Emperor Saffron at Jusendo. Since then, life had returned to what most of Nerima's residents would call normality. Some things were different, though. In Ryoga's case, he had finally given up on Akane.
It wasn't that his feelings had subsided; he was still firmly in love with her. It was just that Ryoga had finally accepted that whatever his feelings for Akane were, they were but a small flame next to the bonfire that was Ranma's devotion of her. Ryoga had been a first-hand witness of the battle at Jusendo and while he was ashamed to admit it, he knew that he would not have been able to fight with that kind of passion.
So he had eventually returned to Akari. Their relationship was stable enough, but sometimes Ryoga wondered if they were just two lonesome people being lonely together. Even though she was still just the "second choice" to Akane, he cared deeply for her and felt that she deserved better.
That wasn't his only problem, though, for while he might have given up on Akane, he certainly hadn't given up on Ranma. He tried to convince himself that it was fruitless, that defeating his nemesis was an unreachable goal. Ranma was simply invincible, at least to him. But while Hibiki Ryoga's mind could accept this as reality, his heart could not.
And thus, his pride had forced him out on yet another arduous training trip. Not that he got anything good out of it, save for a couple of unnecessary techniques and a few days of solitude to think things over. And just like always when he thought things over, he had come to the conclusion that life in general sucked and that there wasn't much he could do about it.
After taking a cold but refreshing waterfall-shower, Ryoga got dressed and packed all his things into his enormous backpack before heading off again. To hell with it all, he decided. I'm going home to Akari.
As he wandered through the mountainous area, Ryoga noticed that some of the landmarks were familiar to him and this struck him as very odd. With his sense of location, or rather lack thereof, Ryoga was never familiar with his surroundings.
Maybe I'm close to Furinkan? he thought darkly. He had tried to stay as far away of that place as possibly lately. He ignored the landmarks he allowed his mind to drift. He had found that the less he thought about where he was heading, the greater his chances of actually ending up where he wanted to be.
Before long, he started to notice houses and he now realized that he had entered a community of some sort. How and when had, as usual, eluded him, but he was walking on a street surrounded by buildings and there were quite allot of people there, too. Ryoga suspiciously eyed the surroundings. It didn't look like Furinkan, but then again, Ryoga knew perfectly well that he could walk straight into the Tendo livingroom or the Nekohanten's kitchen without realizing where he was, so that didn't have to mean that it wasn't Furinkan. And he did have the distinct feeling of having been to this place before.
"Excuse me," he said, stopping an elderly man on the street. "This isn't Furinkan, by any chance?"
"Furinkan?" the old man blinked through his glasses. "Never heard of it."
Ho-boy, this doesn't sound very promising, Ryoga thought. "Um, Nerima ward?"
"You mean in Tokyo?" the man replied. "Then yer about five hundred miles too far to the south, sonny. Say, haven't I seen you before?"
"Now that you mention it, you look sort of familiar as well," Ryoga said. There was something déja vu over the entire situation.
Apparently, the man wasn't the only one recognizing him. Some of the townspeople had stopped to have a look at him and Ryoga was starting to feel a bit awkward.
The old man snapped his fingers. "Hey, yer the courageous chap who stopped that mad boar! The one that was rampaging through the village two years ago!"
"Yeah, I remember him now," a younger man said. "He was looking for some high school."
"Two years ago? I don't…" Ryoga scratched his head before suddenly remembering. "That's right! This is the same area I was training in before I fought Ranma in Nerima for the first time!"
"Yes, you left so suddenly last time we never had the chance to thank you," the man said. "Tokyo, eh? Not many city-folks come by here these days. You been hiking or something?"
"Actually, I've been training in the mountains," Ryoga said. "I got a little lost on the way down, though."
"The mountains?" the man said. "You didn't run into the wizard, by any chance?"
Ryoga raised an eyebrow. "What wizard?"
The man pointed at a far-away peak. "Ah, there's an old hermit living in the mountains about half a day's walk from here. Kinda mysterious fella, old folks said he had the power to heal any wound or sickness. Of course, I never believed in them magics myself."
"Wizard, eh? Interesting," Ryoga said, thoughtfully scratching his chin. He nodded in a random direction. "That way, you said?"
"No, that way," the man said, pointing once again at the mountain.
"Oh," Ryoga said, trying his best to keep it in within his field of vision. "Well, I should be going now." He wandered off, still staring at the mountain.
"Good luck, and drop by anytime!" the man shouted after him.
"Haven't changed a bit, has he, Kenji?" one of the onlookers said.
Smiling, the hat-wearing man shook his head.
Ignoring how the scenery slowly changed around him, Ryoga made his way in what he perceived as the correct direction. His plans had changed; he was going to take a short detour to look for this supposed wizard.
If this guy is really a wizard, he might be able to remove my curse, Ryoga thought as he headed into the wilderness once again. Half a day's walk in this direction, he said. That shouldn't be much trouble.
Three days later, Ryoga had absolutely no idea where he was.
"Dammit, where the hell am I now!?" he shouted.
In Ryoga's defense, he hadn't managed to loose himself completely this time. He was on a mountain, and he was pretty sure that he was still in the right part of the country, but that was all. No matter where he looked, all he could see was trees, cliffs and the sky. There were no landmarks and no directions. He was hopelessly lost again.
Seeing his one chance of getting rid of his curse slip away, Ryoga smashed his hand into a conveniently placed boulder, cracking it in two. "Damn! Why the hell does this always happen to me!?"
"Do you mind? Some of us are trying to meditate on the nature of truth in solitude," a voice said from behind him.
Ryoga spun around and found himself looking at an old man was sitting by a fire in front of a cave in the mountainside. The man was giving Ryoga an annoyed look as he poked the fire with a stick.
He was rather small, though not quite as small as Happosai or Cologne. He seemed to be made up mostly of skin, bones and sinews, with a long, pointy beard and hair tied up in a topknot. His clothes were tattered, colorless and of indeterminable model.
Silently cursing his sense of direction, a mildly embarrassed Ryoga approached the stranger. "Um, hello. Are you the wizard I've heard about?" he asked sheepishly. "The one with the power to heal?"
"My name is Senkai," the man responded with a shrug. "I help people in need of help, that is all."
"That's why I came looking for you," Ryoga said. "My name is Hibiki Ryoga, and I've got something of a problem."
The old man eyed him. "What sort of problem? You look like a healthy boy."
Ryoga groaned inwardly. Might as well get it said straight away. "Well, you see, I have this… curse," he said.
"Curse?" Senkai frowned.
Ryoga nodded. "Yeah. See, when I get splashed by cold water… I sort of…" He tried to think of a way of saying it without coming off as crazy, but couldn't. He sighed. "I might as well show you."
Over the fire, a worn old kettle hung. Ryoga gave it a nod. "What's in the kettle?"
"Tea," the hermit replied. "You want some?"
Ryoga shook his head. "Maybe later." He retrieved a bottle of water from his backpack and opened it. "Look, after I do this, would you mind pouring some of it over me?"
"Seems like a waste of decent tea." Senkai gave him a wry look. "Why not do it yourself?"
"Oh, you'll understand," Ryoga said and raised the bottle over his head. "Just pour some over me, okay? Ready?"
Senkai gave him a silent nod. Ryoga turned the bottle upside-down, emptying its contents over his head.
Senkai blinked and his eyebrows shot up.
"Well, that's new," he said and coughed. Taking the kettle off the fire, he turned to the small black piglet sitting in the pile of clothes. "I hope this isn't too hot, because I can't wait to hear about this."
"It has to do with a certain legendary training-ground in China," Ryoga said once he was human and dressed again. "Long story short, each time I get doused in cold water I turn into a small pig, and the only way for me to turn human again is to get doused with hot water."
"A water-triggered curse, eh?" Senkai said and stroked his beard. "Fascinating."
"Right. So, can you help me?" Ryoga asked.
Senkai sighed and hook his head. "I'm sorry, Hibiki-san, but what I do isn't magic. I can heal wounds and help fight illness, but I fear that curses are beyond my power."
"Oh," Ryoga said. "I see. Excuse me for a moment."
Leaving his backpack behind, Ryoga wandered off perhaps a few meters and turned his face towards the sky. He drew a deep breath.
"DAMN YOU, SAOTOME RANMA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Ryoga's mighty cry of anger and disappointment echoed across the rocky surroundings. Then he returned to the rather puzzled hermit with slumping shoulders, as if his last energy had been spent.
"What was that all about?" Senkai asked.
"Oh, just a little habit of mine," Ryoga sighed. "Anyway, I gotta get going. Sorry to disturb you in your, er, hermitage or whatever."
"You're leaving already?" Senkai asked.
Ryoga shrugged. "Why not? There's nothing for me here anyway."
"There's always lunch," the hermit said. "Why don't you stay for a meal? I suspect we could both use some company."
That did sound tempting. Ryoga shrugged and slid his backpack off his shoulders. "Well, why not? What are we having?"
"That depends," Senkai said. "What did you bring?"
Ryoga stared at him for a moment. Then he laughed, opened the backpack and started unpacking his rations.
One campfire and couple of packages of quick-ramen later, the two of them had already gotten to know each other. Ryoga quickly learned that Senkai was a rather sharp-witted and pleasant fellow who would probably have made a better talkshow-host then mountain hermit.
"So, tell me about this curse," the old man said. "I don't think I have seen anything quite like it before."
Ryoga sighed. "It's a very long story," he warned.
"That's okay," Senkai grinned. "I like long stories. You can't believehow boring the life of a hermit actually is. For the most part I only have wild animals to talk to and they don't talk back. A few of them tries to eat me, but it's just not the same."
Ryoga sweatdropped. "…Right. Okay, it all started with Saotome Ranma..."
"The one you were shouting about before?"
"Yes. You see, Saotome Ranma and me have been rivals since Junior High and one day we agreed on a duel. But when I finally got there, I found out that Ranma had left for China…"
And so Ryoga told the tale of how he had followed Ranma, about Jusekyo, and the following two chaotic years. Senkai listened with great interest, raising his eyebrow at some of the more impressive parts. Finally, Ryoga rounded it all off with a sketchy description of the Jusendo-affair and Ranma's battle with Saffron.
"My, this Ranma fellow is really something," Senkai said when Ryoga was finished. "Defeating Saffron, indeed. Not bad for a teenager."
Ryoga wished the old man hadn't been quite so fascinated. "So, you know about Saffron?" he asked.
"Only through hearsay," Senkai shrugged. "I wasn't sure he existed for real."
Ryoga sighed deeply. "Anyway, I want to give up on defeating Ranma, but my pride won't let me. I don't know what to do."
Senkai chuckled. "I do believe you underrate yourself, Hibiki-san."
"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked, annoyed at the old man's carefree attitude.
"If what you've told me is true, then Ranma must be a true genius," Senkai said.
"Well duh! That's why I'm depressed!"
"Yes, yes," Senkai held his hand up as if to calm the boy. "But if he is, what does that make you, his closest rival?"
Ryoga blinked. "Me? Well… I guess…" That was a thought that had never occurred to him.
Senkai placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "You dwell too much on your goals. You should learn to recognise your own worth and appreciate the impact this Ranma has had on your life. Where would you have been today if not for him?"
Ryoga had to smile at the thought. "I… would probably still be using standard techniques in some dojo somewhere." Like a certain girl I know.
"See?" Senkai laughed. "A powerful rival is the best motivation, someone who inspires you to push yourself to your limits and beyond them. And from what you tell me, it sounds as if the same goes for Ranma. He owes you the Mouko Takabisha, after all. And if he had never mastered the Hiryuu Shouten Ha, would he still be alive today?"
Ryoga shook his head. "No, probably not."
Senkai smiled and patted him hard on the shoulder. "You are not as far behind as you may believe, Ryoga-kun."
"I guess so," Ryoga said and smiled back at him. Amazingly enough, the conversation had helped allot to improve his mood. He felt better then he had in the longest time.
"What are you going to do now?" Senkai asked.
Ryoga shrugged. "Well, I suppose I'll head back to Akari-chan. After that… I dunno."
"May I make a suggestion?"
"Go ahead."
"Stay for a few days."
Ryoga looked at him. "What, here with you?"
"Why not? The gods know I could use some company," Senkai said. "You seem to be a very talented young man. I could teach you a thing or two about healing, if you're interested."
"You're not a very good hermit, you know?" Ryoga chuckled. Still, it was an intriguing offer. Ryoga knew a bit first aid and how to use his ki to speed up his recovery, but a more advanced knowledge could prove useful. Besides, there was something mysterious and intriguing about the old man. "Well, I suppose a few more days couldn't hurt."
"Excellent," Senkai said and produced a worn old tanto out of his robes. "We will start your first lesson with a small demonstration."
"Um, what are you going to with…" Ryoga began, but was cut short as Senkai impromptu stabbed himself in the left arm. Ryoga gawked. "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Calm yourself. Pain is an illusion, like most things," Senkai declared as he pulled the knife out of his arm and placed it on the ground next to him. Ryoga felt slightly sickened at this display of self-mutilation. The wound was obviously deep and bled quite allot. Senkai held his good hand up. "Pay attention now, I don't want to have to do this all over again." He closed his eyes and focused. Soon, a gentle green glow appeared around his hand. He placed it over the wound and the glow intensified. He sat like this for about a minute, and then the glow vanished again. Smiling, Senkai held his arm up for Ryoga up to look at. "See? Good as new."
Ryoga stared at the arm in front of him. It was still covered in blood, but the wound was indeed gone. He looked up at Senkai. "That was amazing."
"I'm quite proud of it myself, " Senkai chuckled. "Of course, reaching this level of skill takes several years, but once one have mastered the basics, it is just a matter of practise."
"It's a ki-technique, isn't it?" Ryoga asked.
Senkai nodded. "That's right, though probably not of the kind you are familiar with."
"What do you mean?" Ryoga said. "Ki is ki, isn't it?"
"Is it?" Senkai asked.
"Well, of course it is!" Ryoga said, but suddenly felt doubtful. What he had just seen shouldn't really be possible, after all. "I mean, sure, there's the Yin and Yang aspects, and my Shishi Houkudan uses ki made dense from depression... Oh, and I know Ranma can somehow use ki of different temperatures…"
"See? While ki is always ki, there are many variations," Senkai explained. "You are a martial artist. In battle, you use what we shall call 'hard' ki in the form of destructive techniques. A healer such as myself, on the other hand, uses 'soft' ki to stimulate the body to regenerate. The Chinese call it "Outer Chi-Kung" and "Inner Chi-Kung," but it's just different names for the same thing. If you want to learn how to heal, a fine control of soft ki is required."
Ryoga nodded, listening closely. This was good stuff. "Right. So, how do I get that?"
"I suppose you already know about the chakra and the meridians?" Senkai asked and got another nod from Ryoga. "From where do you draw your ki in battle?"
"The solar chakra," Ryoga replied.
"Correct. Now listen closely. You start by channelling ki the ordinary way. However, instead of focusing on an aggressive emotion such as sadness or anger, you must try to calm your emotions and achieve a state of peace. Only then can your reach into your soul and retrieve the soft ki. Unlike hard ki, soft ki is generated by the heart chakra," he pointed at Ryoga's chest. "So look for it in your heart. Did you get all that?"
"I think so," Ryoga said. It sounded simple enough, which most likely meant that it wasn't.
"Then go ahead and try it," Senkai suggested. "Focus you ki to your hand. You only need a little."
Ryoga did what he was told, and before long his hand was emitting the familiar bluish-green light.
Right, Ryoga thought. Now I'm supposed to calm myself and achieve a state of inner peace. He frowned. How the heck was he supposed to do that? He didn't know anything about inner peace! He decided to simply clear his head and try not to think at all. Almost immediately, he could feel the flow of ki slipping away.
"Now look inside your heart," Senkai instructed.
Ryoga turned his attention towards the special location within his chest, but found nothing. He intensified his concentration. There was ki there, plenty of it, but he found that without an emotion to tie the ki-flow to, there was no way he could reach it. This realization made him irritated, before he could stop it the irritation had turned into frustration. The flow vanished immediately. Ryoga opened his eyes. "Damn," he said.
"It takes time and practice," Senkai said in a comforting tone. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out soon enough. There's a great place for meditation over there." He pointed to an odd formation of cliffs. "Why don't you go there and practice while I make some more tea?"
"Right," Ryoga said and stood up. This isn't going to be easy. Then again, if I do manage to figure it out, I'll be able to do something Ranma can't! Encouraged by this thought, he wandered off towards the cliffs.
It was a great place for meditation. Beyond the cliffs were an open area with a few large boulders and lonely tree, almost like a natural zen-garden. Sitting on the most comfortable boulder, looking out across the mountainous Japanese landscape with the vast, blue sky overhead, it was almost as being in the center of the world.
So why can't I get this blasted technique to work? Ryoga thought as the ki-flow vanished for the umpteenth time. He had been trying for three hours now and he still hadn't managed to produce a single spark of soft ki.
Sighing, he focussed his mind in yet another attempt. Again he reached into the darkness and reached for the dormant energy.
It's just another channel! he thought. I've done this a hundred times before! But that had been a different chakra. This one didn't respond the same way at all, he had to learn the entire procedure all over again.
As his mind was disturbed, he felt his concentration deteriorate and the frustration growing. He tried to keep his mind free from the thoughts of Ranma, which had always been a source of motivation before but was now only a hindrance. There had to be something else to connect to, something that symbolized peace and tranquility…
Suddenly, the image of Akane appeared in his mind and something happened. For a moment, his irritation gave away and he could sense the flow of ki again. He still couldn't reach it, but it was somehow closer now. It only lasted for a second, though, and then it vanished.
Ryoga frowned. That had been rather strange, but since it was the most satisfying results he had achieved in three hours, he decided to try again. This time around, however, the image of Akane was vague and did nothing to calm his frustration, only adding an undertone of melancholy as well.
"Damn it!" he cried and clenched his fists in despair as it slipped though his mental grip once again. Feeling mentally exhausted, he leaned backward against the boulder and stared into the sky. "No fair."
Maybe I'm trying too hard? he thought. No matter what Senkai said, he knew that he wasn't a genius, only very determined. Besides, a new technique wasn't something he'd usually learn in just three hours. It had taken him a whole week to master the Bakusai Tenketsu, after all, and that had been with the old amazon coaching him. But this was somehow different. This was ki, something Ryoga felt that he should have a pretty good grasp of by now. He just wanted some result -any result- to show him that he wasn't just wasting his time.
Feeling his mind become fuzzy as he became more and more relaxed, Ryoga closed his eyes. He must have dozed off without noticing, because when he opened them again, the clouds had broken up and the sun had advanced on its journey across the heavens. He sat up and drew his hand through his hair. For a moment his mind was as blank and clear as the air itself.
Trying too hard. Maybe that was it? He'd get the hang of it sooner or later, just like every other technique he had learned. No need to get impatient; that was the path of negligence and negligence was the same thing as failure.
He made up his mind to go back and talk to Senkai again. Who knows, maybe the old man had just skipped some important part or something? But before he did that, he wanted to have one more go at it, just in case.
Drawing a deep breath, he went through the now familiar procedure. As soon as his mind was cleared, he turned his mind's eye inward. This time it came easier, but it was still out of reach. He tried to summon the image of Akane, but all he got was a blur. Feeling the frustration creeping up on him again, he struggled to concentrate and keep his focus.
Ever so slowly, a familiar face appeared. But instead of Akane, he found that it was the image of Akari he saw, as clearly as a photograph inside his head.
Suddenly, he felt the ki-flow connecting. All his negative emotions, his anguish, anxiety and anger, vanished like smoke in the wind. He was filled with an overwhelming feeling of peace.
And then he felt the energy surge through his body.
Senkai emptied his cup and stood up. The tea had been ready since long but Ryoga had not returned from his secluded meditation and Senkai hadn't expected him too, either. The boy was obviously a determined one who didn't give up easily. Thinking that the kid deserved a break, Senkai wandered off to the cliffs.
He found Ryoga sitting cross-legged on the boulder eyes closed, apparently meditating. As he came nearer, the boy opened his eyes and looked at him. "Hey, Senkai," he said.
"I thought I'd see how you were doing, Ryoga-kun," Senkai said. "Any progress yet?"
"You might say that." Smiling, Ryoga held his hand up and a sphere of green ki formed in his palm. It was small and very dim, difficult to see in the sunlight, but it was definitely there.
Senkai stared at it, looking quite surprised, though pleasantly so. "You've found your soft ki already? You really don't waste your time, do you?"
"Well, it was kinda tricky at first, but then I got the hang of it." Ryoga said. He didn't feel the need to mention that it was the thought of Akari that had helped him. "It wasn't that special, I'm sure Ranma could have figured it out just as fast as me."
Kamisama, there's two of them, and they even know each other! Senkai mused. What are the odds?
"But he won't," Ryoga continued with a manic grin, "because I'll never, ever tell him about it! Whahahaha!"
Senkai sweatdropped. "Well, I must say I am impressed. Normally, it would take weeks even for a talented student. You're a very special young man, Ryoga-kun. However, you still need allot more practice before you can use it properly." As he spoke, the old man suddenly lit up in a bright green light. "Like this."
Ryoga stared, not noticing how his own ki slipped away. The soft ki surrounding Senkai was as large as a battle-aura but radiated nothing but calm and serenity, giving him an almost saintly impression.
"Wow," Ryoga mumbled. "What does that feel like?"
The light vanished, and the man before him was once again the plain mountain hermit. "You'll find out soon enough," Senkai smiled.
Ryoga spent the rest of the day training on his soft ki, with the aide of Senkai's advice and his own experience in using ki. Once he got the hang of it, he could call upon it faster then before and channel much larger amounts at once.
Healing proved to be more then just putting your hand on the wound and hope for the best. A large amount of will was involved and the wound had to be stimulated to heal rather then forced, a concept Ryoga had a bit of trouble getting his mind around. But Senkai was a patient teacher and by nightfall, Ryoga could make small scratches disappear after a minute or two
"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he said.
"You're doing great progress," Senkai said. "But now it's time for bed. I have some other things to teach you tomorrow, so we better both get some rest."
Weary from the efforts of the day, Ryoga had no objections. After moving his backpack into the cave they both turned in for the night. Comfortably tucked into his sleeping bag, Ryoga passed out immediately.
Early the next morning, Senkai woke Ryoga up and took him to a place beyond the meditation area. A natural pathway led them into a rocky canyon where massive cliffs reached for the sky, breaking up a landscape otherwise only decorated by larger boulders and the occasional trees. And though Ryoga couldn't quite put his finger on it, there was a feeling of greatness and awe hanging in the air.
"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Senkai asked.
"Yeah, I can see why you picked this place to settle down," Ryoga said. "So, what are we going to do now?"
Taking one last look around before stopping, the old man turned to him and smiled. "Sparring," he said.
Ryoga returned the smile. "So you do know martial arts."
Senkai nodded. "You don't sound very surprised. How did you guess?"
"Just a feeling I had," Ryoga shrugged. "Besides, you knew a little too much about fighting with ki to be without training."
"You have sharp instincts," Senkai said. "Yes, it's true that I am adept in the martial arts, but I have sworn to only use my abilities to aid those in need. That is why I will rather practise healing then fighting. Still, there's some tricks I could show you, but I need to see how good you are first."
"Alright," Ryoga grinned as he placed himself within a comfortable distance from the other man. "Want me to hold back so you don't get hurt, old man?"
"Small dogs bark the most," Senkai chuckled. "You just wait, this old man has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Ryoga took a position. "Ready?"
Senkai assumed a form of his own. "Anytime."
Ryoga struck first. The kick was high and came from the left, aimed for Senkai's head. The old man ducked down with nimbleness uncanny for his age and seemed to slide forward. Ryoga only barely blocked the punch and drew his head back just in time for the following kick to miss. Ryoga lounged out again, and Senkai circled to the left.
They kept this up for a while, trading blows without going all out, trying to get a feel for each other's abilities.
Ryoga had to admit that the old man was good. Probably as strong as Genma Saotome, actually. He was more agile then he looked and moved fast enough to keep out of the way for Ryoga's attacks. He stayed on the defensive, though, and Ryoga suspected that he didn't pack enough of a punch to pose a real threat.
"You are really quite skilled," Senkai said.
"You're not too shabby yourself," Ryoga said, feeling magnimonous.
"Now let's crank it up a notch!"
"Eh?"
Ryoga blinked, and suddenly Senkai was right in front of him. Ryoga intensified his offence, but every blow and kick was either dodged or deflected with casual ease. Like a tape stuck on rewind, the hermit seemed to move with an unnatural speed. Two hands lunged out and pushed Ryoga with an overwhelming force, slamming him hard against a large boulder. He barely had time to dodge and Senkai's fist smashed into the rock next to his head, cracking it.
Ryoga struggled to regain his composure. Forget Genma! This guy was really dangerous, maybe even comparable to the old pervert and the mummy-woman! Ryoga attacked again but only managed to hit Senkai's afterimage. Then he felt a pressure on the side of his neck, and suddenly his legs went numb.
"Got you," Senkai said, standing casually next to him with his fingers on a pressure point.
Ryoga sank to the ground, ending up in a sitting position. "No fair," he groaned.
"It's been a while since I had such a workout," Senkai said. "You've got a gift for this, no doubt about it."
"You keep saying that," Ryoga muttered. "But all you've managed to prove is that I'm still not strong enough."
"Your strength and skill are both fine," Senkai said. "What you need to work on is your speed. As we are all individuals, we all have different natural talent for strength, speed and skill alike. Now, anyone can become strong in an area where there is a natural aptitude, but it is only when we bring all our talents to their peaks that our true strength can be manifest. Because of this, it is essential for all martial artists to maintain a good balance between the three. You should keep this in mind if you ever wish to defeat your rival."
"Hey, I'm no slowpoke," Ryoga said, as he felt the numbness in his legs starting to go away, "It's just that Ranma is faster."
"And he always will be, same way you will always be stronger," Senkai said. "That's besides the point. Improving one aspect of your Art is the same thing as improving the Art as a whole. Especially if you have a natural weakness in that aspect."
Ryoga nodded. Since his legs seemed to work again, get got to his feet, wobbling slightly. "Okay, then how do I get faster?"
"I'm glad you asked," Senkai said. "I am going to teach you a training method called 'Stream Stepping'. It uses Soft Ki and was designed to enhance speed. Please stand next to me."
Ryoga did as he was told. Senkai adopted a loose stance and raised his hands.
"First, you clear you mind and focus your soft ki," he said. "Let it flow into your joint and accumulate there. Don't be alarmed if this makes your limbs feel sluggish and clumsy; that only means your are doing it correctly."
Ryoga closed his eyes and summoned the mental image if Akari. Feeling the soft ki run through his body, he focused on his wrists, elbows, hips, knees... "I feel... heavy," he said. "No, it's more like I'm standing to my neck in water, or syrup..."
"Keep your focus," Senkai said. "Now, follow my movements." With this the hermit started to movie his arms and legs in what vaguely resembled a simplistic tai chi routine, or a series of slow kata. Ryoga tried his best to imitate them. He felt as if his flesh had been turned into soft led, his blood replaced by mercury. But despite the feeling of weight, he soon fell into the routine.
"Have you got it memories?" Senkai asked, getting a nod from Ryoga. "Good. For normal practitioners, it would take months or even years to achieve results. For you, who have already mastered control of your ki, it should only take a few weeks. One month at the most."
"This is hard work," Ryoga said.
Senkai nodded. "When it gets too difficult to move well, you may want to take a break and reactivate your body." He stopped moving and smiled. "Keep that up for a while, you're doing very well already. I'll fix us up with some breakfast in the meantime."
Back at the cave, Senkai contemplated his luck while preparing the modest rations. Meeting such as talent as Hibiki Ryoga was exceedingly rare, and it was a joy to see how fast the boy would pick up on his little lessons. A short while later the food was ready to be eaten. Senkai wandered off to the training grounds to see how his student was doing.
He found the young man still occupied with the Stream Stepping routine. However, Senkai immediately noticed that something had changed. There was a fluidity in his movements that hadn't been there before, and rather then looking exerted, Ryoga now had a look of calm determination. Senkai recognized these signs, though part of him wondered how it could even be possible. Don't tell me...
"Hey, Senkai-sensei, I'm not doing as good progress as before," Ryoga complained. "It was getting easier and easier once I got into it, but now it's like I've hit some sort of limit."
Senkai sweatdropped. "That is because your body is growing accustomed to the training. It is a sign that your natural speed is gradually improving."
"I thought that would take weeks before I could notice," Ryoga said, ceasing the exercise.
"So did I," said Senkai. This boy's talent is amazing! If he keeps this up, he'll have doubled his original speed before the week is over. Senkai's eyes narrowed. I wonder… Can he be the one I have been waiting for? "Tell me, how are you feeling otherwise?"
"I feel great," Ryoga said. "I don't know why, but my mood has really improved."
Senkai nodded. "It is common that one experiences such feelings when channeling soft ki for extended periods of time."
Ryoga shot hi man raised eyebrow and a grin. "It works as an anti-depressive?"
"It realigns your inner balance," Senkai said. "There's nothing odd about that. Come, breakfast is ready and even talented martial artists need to eat."
Ryoga now realized how hungry he was, and back at the cave he happily devoured his share of the food. It wasn't until he had finished his meal that he noticed that Senkai was strangely quiet and was looking at him in a thoughtful manner.
"What?" he asked. "Why are you giving me that look?"
"Ryoga-kun," Senkai said, slowly. "How old do you think I am?"
"Just by looking at you?" Ryoga asked. "Hard to tell. 60 or 70 maybe." Senkai started to grin and Ryoga's eyes narrowed. "Wait, you mean to you're like that little pervert and the old amazon-mummy? That you're 500 years old or something?"
"Oh no," Senkai laughed. "I'm not quite that old."
"Oh," Ryoga said, feeling a bit disappointed.
"No, I'm still somewhere around 200, though I've lost track of the exact number."
Ryoga fell over.
"Ryoga, I'm going to let you in on a great secret," Senkai continued. "I am the last living master and herald of an ancient and very powerful martial arts-technique handed down from a long line of healers. For years, I have been looking for a young martial artist to pass it on to, but I could not find anyone worthy enough and believed that the secret would die with me."
His eyes locked with Ryoga's. "You, however, have proved not only to have the necessary talent, but also a good heart and a powerful spirit. You are worthy of becoming the successor of this technique, should you accept my offer."
"An ancient martial arts technique, eh?" Ryoga said. "Sounds interesting. What kind of technique?"
"It is the San Karyuu Kyodai, the secret technique of the Three Mighty Streams," Senkai said in a serious tone. "An unblockable and unavoidable killing technique that uses hard and soft ki in unison."
"This better not be another ki-blast," Ryoga said. "I already know allot of those."
"Oh no, it's nothing like that," Senkai assured him. "This is the real deal. Trees uprooted, buildings blown apart, mountains shattered." He shrugged. "That sort of thing."
"Oh," Ryoga said numbly. "No, I don't think I know any of those."
"Now listen, Ryoga," Senkai said. "This technique is so powerful that it will almost exclusively kill the opponent. Before I show it to you, you must give me your word that you will only use it when you have no other choice."
Ryoga considered this, then nodded. "You have my word."
Senkai stood up. "Follow me."
Ryoga followed Senkai to the canyon where they had sparred earlier. The hermit looked around as if searching for something; apparently a good spot for the demonstration. Once he found it, he turned to Ryoga. "Position yourself right in front of me, at a distance of," he paused to calculate, "about 30 feet should be safe, yes."
Ryoga quietly wondered that was supposed to mean, but did what he was told. Senkai looked pleased.
"Now, I want you to fire a Shishi Houkudan at me," he said.
Ryoga hesitated. "No offence, sensei, but are you out of your mind?"
Senkai smiled. "Relax, I know precisely what I'm doing," he said as his aura surged. Almost as an afterthought, he added: "Though, I'd hold back anyway if I were you. I might hurt you otherwise."
"Didn't you get that backwards just now," Ryoga said, while a tiny voice in the back of his head told him that he may be in over his head this time.
Senkai's entire body was now glowing in a green aura, not very large but even and clearly shining. Though he was prepared to react instantly, the old man had a relaxed, almost nonchalant look on his face. "Focus, timing and pressure," he said. "Each by itself does nothing but when they are all aligned your strength transcends, and you can achieve a power greater then the sum of it's parts. Strike at me, Hibiki Ryoga. I am ready." Ryoga hesitated, but then he shrugged. Hoping that the old man knew what he was doing, he took his usual position, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on sad thoughts and depressing memories. Feeling the negative emotions surge through him, he lifted his arms, forming the familiar sphere of ki in his hands. Ryoga aimed carefully and finally let it loose. "Shishi Houkudan!"It wasn't a very impressive blast, but Ryoga knew that it was still large enough to knock his teacher off his feet. Senkai didn't make a move to avoid it, though. Instead he threw his fist forward, as if to punch it. There was a sudden flash, and for a short moment Ryoga was staring into a flaring wall of energy rushing towards him.
What happened next wasn't very clear to Ryoga. It all happened extremely fast, too fast for his mind to register it properly. Afterwards, he recalled a flashing blue and green light and a strong sensation of falling backwards. For the fraction of a second all he could feel was an incredible fatigue as his energy seemed to leak out of him at an alarming rate. Then his body struck something hard, sending a shock of pain through his entire being. An unseen force was pressing towards him, suffocating him and preventing him from moving a single muscle. Weakened and trapped, he was completely helpless and soon slipped into darkness.
When he woke up, the first thing he saw was the face of his teacher. Numbness and warmth replaced a momentary pain, and he realized that Senkai was healing him.
"You seem to be okay," the old man said. "Mostly superficial damage. It was a small one, after all:"
Ryoga looked up and had to gasp at the sight before him. A broad, shallow trench now ran from the place were Senkai had been standing up to the cliff Ryoga had struck. It was as if a giant scar, several hundred meters long, had been ripped across the landscape. The very bedrock had been disintegrated and any nearby rocks and boulders had been pulverised. A large, swirl-shaped crater marred the cliff itself. Lying in the middle of it, Ryoga realised that the San Karyuu Kyodai had more or less drilled him several feet into the rock. "That was a small one?" he said in disbelief.
Senkai smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "There you go, good as new."
Ryoga stood up and did his best to brush most of the dust off his tattered clothes. It didn't do much good, but his body was still slightly numb and it felt good to move about a bit.
"Well, it was a nasty experience, I'll give you that," he said. "And it sure did some damage to the surroundings, but didn't hurt that much."
"That's because I never used the final move," Senkai said. "If I had, you would be very, very dead right now."
Ryoga scratched his head. "So, how does it work?"
"The San Karyuu Kyodai is a technique developed by a deep and thorough understanding of the way ki reacts in extreme situations," Senkai said. "The first thing you must know is that ki, when projected outside the body, is always connected to that body until the point it returns to its natural, raw state and disperses into the air. Your Shishi Houkudan, for instance, is not so much a projectile as it is an extension of your aura. The same is true for all similar techniques. Understand?"
Ryoga nodded. He didn't quite get it, but it seemed to make sense.
"Good, now listen carefully," Senkai said. "You begin by focusing your aura with soft ki, forming it into a sphere surrounding you. When the opponent attacks you with hard ki, you strike at the centre of his attack, piercing it and forcing it around your own aura. The pressure causes his ki to cascade away from him at a very high velocity. That is the First Stream. The Second Stream is formed by your soft ki, drawing power from the air itself and creating a sort of slipstream that catches your opponent, throws him backwards and slams him into the nearest hindrance in his path. It will then hold his arms and legs in place while the First Stream quickly drains him of ki, as you have yourself just experienced."
"And… the third stream?" Ryoga said.
Senkai held his hand up, fingers clenched. "The Third Stream is your fist, charged with hard ki and drilling a hole through the eye of the storm as you ride the Second Stream towards your weakened and undefended opponent at divine velocity. If he is weak, your hand will pierce through his body and rip him apart. If he is strong, every bone in his body will shatter and his internal organs will explode from the shock."
"That's… amazing," Ryoga said and meant every word. With a technique like this, maybe he could even…
"Yes, amazing. But also terrifying," Senkai said darkly. He pointed at Ryoga's chest. "The attack is aimed for the heart chakra. It's not the sort of technique normally used by peaceful healers."
Ryoga hesitated. "So, what you're saying is that if I'd use this technique on Ranma, he'd die?"
"With your strength and his power?" Senkai nodded slowly. "Yes, without a doubt."
This put a damper on Ryoga's enthusiasm. Ranma was long overdue a beating, but Ryoga didn't want the guy dead. On the other hand, he thought, even without the final move, it's still a formidable technique. It's unblockable, very destructive and drains the opponent of his ki. It might be just what I need to take Ranma on...
He looked up. "Teach me how to do it!"
"Such enthusiasm!" Senkai laughed. "But I'm afraid you have to crawl before you can walk, Ryoga-kun. You have barely mastered healing, let alone the fine skills required to even attempt to invoke the Streams." He patted Ryoga on the shoulder. "For now, you will practice switching back and forth between your hard and soft ki. Come with me, and I'll show you how."
Ryoga was now put to work improving and refining his control over soft ki. However, creating an entire aura with the stuff proved to be much harder then he had expected.
Using hard ki was no problem for Ryoga, but he was still only getting used to soft ki and generating large amounts for extended periods of time took every bit of his training. He found it hard to let go of that feeling of relaxation that came with his new ability, and despite his experience, reverting to hard ki afterwards felt strainful and uncomfortable by comparison. And that was only the beginning.
Learning how to channel soft ki had been hard enough. Quickly changing from solar to heart chakra while channelling massive amounts of ki proved to be exceptionally difficult and required him to turn the entire procedure to instinct. Luckily, Ryoga had experience from this sort of training since learning the Bakusai Tenketsu. Nothing teaches you to trust your instincts quite like a huge boulder coming at you at high velocity.
By the end of the day, Ryoga felt that he was starting to get the hang of it. Feeling utterly exhausted, he crawled into his sleeping bag and immediately fell asleep.
The next morning, Senkai declared that Ryoga had done well enough to advance to the next step. The hermit would fire small blasts of soft ki at Ryoga, who was instructed to hit them charging his regular battle aura. A failed hit would cause the soft ki to reflect to the side, while a correct, direct hit caused it to implode in a harmless flash. Getting the proper aim was tricky, and Ryoga was very grateful for the boost of speed he had gained from the Stream Stepping technique. As he threw punch after punch, he was amazed at Senkai's subtle, precise control, and wondered if he would ever gain such graceful skill.
As the hours went by, Senkai only allowed his pupil a few moments of rest before starting over again. Occasionally he would stop and request that Ryoga go through the exercises of the previous day for a while. And so they kept going for the rest of the day, stopping only to eat and drink. Ryoga went to bed even more tired then the previous night.
On the third day, Ryoga was convinced that he had grasped enough of the theory to attempt the real thing, but instead Senkai had him go through a special kata. Ryoga would start by creating a faint aura of soft ki, throwing a punch, shift to hard ki, and then punch again. The sensation of switching from one chakra to another was not unlike having a bucket of freezing cold water dumped over his head, over and over. It was exhausting, but also invigorating, making him feel dizzy and clear-headed at the same time.
Punching, focus, breathing, punching... The monotony made Ryoga lose track of time. Minutes and hours became the same to him, and nothing existed except for him and the image of Akari in his mind. Finally, Senkai told him to stop and Ryoga found that the day had gone by without him noticing. Nearly drained of ki, he fell into his sleeping bag and passed out instantly.
Senkai, the last living master of the San Karyuu Kyodai, sat awake for a long while, thinking. He had expected Ryoga to pick up the techniques quickly, but not that quickly. The boy had an instinct for learning that was frightening. It was unheard of that a student would master the San Karyuu Kyodaiin a mere three days, but Ryoga was now all but ready for the final test.
Such power is a double-edged sword, Senkai mused. Was that power worth the risk he was about to take? Senkai was pretty sure that he was not mistaken about the boy. But if he was…
Senkai shook his head. Nothing good would come out of worrying. He had chosen this path, and now he had to follow it to the end. Ryoga had already learned too much, it was too late to back out now.
"Tomorrow, we will see if you are ready, Hibiki Ryoga," he mumbled quietly.
In the morning Ryoga awoke and felt as if he has been asleep for a hundred years. Groggily blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he saw Senkai sitting with his back to the cave wall. The hermit had a thoughtful look on his face.
Noticing that Ryoga was awake, her turned to look at the boy. "Good morning," he said. "Today is your big day, Ryoga-kun. Are you ready?"
Ryoga smiled and nodded. "Yes, sensei!"
After breakfast they retreated to the canyon. The fresh morning air helped clearing Ryoga's head, and he now realized just how excited he was. Today he would finally get to put the secret of the Three Mighty Streams to the test.
"First I want us to spar one last time," Senkai said. "To see what kind of progress you have made."
And so they sparred, and even though Senkai was still toying with him, Ryoga noticed that he didn't have quite as much trouble keeping up. Evidently his speed training had worked. After a few minutes, Senkai raised his hand. "That is enough. You have made great progress, Ryoga-kun."
"Thank you, sensei," Ryoga replied. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"Now, for the moment of truth," Senkai said and pointed at a nearby rock. "Please take your position by that boulder."
As Ryoga did as he was told, Senkai moved to position in the opposite direction. They were not standing circa thirty feet apart. To Ryoga, the whole thing was somehow reminiscent of the showdown scene in a western movie; not just the way they were facing each other but also tension in the atmosphere, the sense of a calm before the storm.
"You already know the technique in theory," Senkai said. "All you must do now is prove that you can use it in practice." He raised his hands and an orb of bright blue ki started to form between them. "This is the final test, so you can't afford to be concerned with me. I will not hold back, so do not hesitate or you will be hurt."
Ryoga nodded, and his soft ki flared into an aura around him. "I'm ready."
Senkai smiled, and then he unleashed the blast.
Ryoga couldn't have hesitated even if he had wanted to. As the wall of energy came rushing towards him, his instincts took over and his body moved on it's own. His fist flew forward. "San Karyuu Kyodai!"
He felt Senkai's hard ki give way for his soft and sensed the pressure skyrocket. He suddenly found himself staring into a great tunnel of spiraling energy, a vortex blazing in blue and green. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, a breathtaking sight. In the center of the maelstrom he saw Senkai speeding backwards, held in place by the stream. He almost looked like a bullseye.
Ryoga felt himself taking a step forward. The streams were tugging him, trying to pull him in. His eyes were fixed on the target. I can't miss…
He put his foot down hard and had to lean backwards to stop himself, almost falling. The sheer force of the streams made him slide somewhat forward. What the hell am I doing?!
There was a sharp bang and through the confusion Ryoga realized that Senkai had struck the cliffs. The streams were pressing him towards it, slowly boring into the solid rock while ripping the surroundings apart. For a brief moment the San Karyuu Kyodai flared into an enormous flower and then it vanished.
Ryoga fell to his knees, suddenly feeling immensely tired. Not the physical fatigue one will usually experience after using up much ki at once, but rather the sensation of being emotionally and mentally spent. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it did make him want to lie down and sleep for a week or so.
Forcing himself to stand, he hurried over to Senkai. The master had somehow managed to stay conscious through the ordeal and was already picking himself up, brushing the dust of his clothes.
"Senkai-sensei!" he yelled. "Are you...?"
"I'm fine," Senkai said. A pained expression briefly appeared on his face, but he had already started to glow in the healing green aura. "Well, still in one piece, anyway. That was very good for your first try, Ryoga-kun! I'm glad I picked such a soft rock to land on."
"Senkai-sensei, I nearly…" Ryoga shook his head. "I almost used the final move! I don't know why, I did it on instinct. Sensei, what's happening to me? I wanted to do it, I wanted to kill you!"
Senkai nodded. "I told you, it's a perfected killing technique. It draws its power upon dark feelings like wrath and hatred and the hasty shifting between hard and soft ki stimulates them. You will always feel the bloodlust come upon your when using it. Many pupils have instinctually killed their teachers as they mastered the San Karyuu Kyodai."
Ryoga was quite shocked by this revelation. "You knew? Then why didn't you tell me!?"
"It is part of the test, of course," Senkai chuckled. "You didn't kill me, therefore you have proved that you have the spiritual and emotional control required to be the guardian of the secret of the Streams."
"And what if I had killed you?"
Senkai hesitated. "Normally, there would be another master present to… take care of the pupil in case of such an outcome."
"Normally…"
The old man shrugged. "What can I say, I took a chance. I'm glad that I didn't misjudge you."
Ryoga was silent. If what Senkai had said was true, did that mean that his feelings for Akari, whatever they may be, were used to fuel a technique of hatred and bloodthirst? It was a very disturbing thought.
"Don't let it get to you," Senkai said, as if reading his mind. "You should be proud to have mastered this technique. Now the San Karyuu Kyodai is yours to command; it is forever a part of your legacy. Wield it to protect the ones you care about." Then he chuckled and patted Ryoga on the shoulder. "And try to smile more often, Ryoga-kun. This is a good day."
Ryoga stayed with Senkai for a few more hours, but explained that Akari would be worried if she didn't hear from him soon. Senkai understood. "Your young heart still belongs to the world," he said, "and you have already learned everything I had to teach. Don't forget your Stream Stepping forms; you still haven't reached your true limit of speed. And always remember, Ryoga, that once an enemy is within the Streams, they are completely at your mercy." He gave his pupil a last warm smile and a pat on the shoulder. "So, strive to be a merciful man."
"I'll visit you again someday," Ryoga said. "If I can find the way."
And so, with a last wave goodbye, Hibiki Ryoga set off into the wilderness, back to the south and more familiar territories. The hermit known only as Senkai watched him as he wandered off in the completely wrong direction, and felt honored and grateful to have met the strange young man whom he felt, without at doubt, would one day surpass him.
"Live well and long, my young friend," he said quietly. "And may that strong heart of yours never know the burden of killing."
Author's Note: I hope you liked the San Karyuu Kyodai. Make no mistake; designing a whole new martial arts-technique is not easy. I don't know how the mangaka keep pulling it off all the time.
Regarding Ryoga's lousy sense of direction, I always found it to be very inconsistent. In one volume he'd be able to navigate around Nerima pretty well, only to be unable to find his way out of a house in another. I tried to find a pattern to it all and have now developed a theory: Ryoga's sense of direction functions in indirect proportion to the amount of conscious effort he puts into finding his way. In other words, the less he thinks about how to get from Location A to Location B, the better his chances of actually getting there. This is also why his sense of direction seems to work flawlessly in most battles, since high-level martial artists tend to act on instinct rather then conscious thought.
Anyway, that's the theory for now. If any of you guys can think of an instance in canon that contradicts it, be sure to let me know.