"Nodoka, I don't want to speak out of place, but you really should get out more. We're worried about you," Minako Honda said as she walked with her friends along the Nerima shopping district.

"What are you talking about, Minako, I'm out here with you, aren't I?" Nodoka Saotome replied defensively.

"This isn't what we mean, Nodoka. You need to interact with people outside of shopping," Kikuko Tamura clarified. "You need a hobby."

"But..." Nodoka protested weakly. She knew her friends had a point. There were days when she didn't speak to another person. She sighed. "I... you're right. But what should I do? I don't have a lot of money to spend on hobbies."

Something caught Minako's eye a short distance away. "Hey, what's that? That wasn't there last week."

Kikuko turned to face the sign her friend was pointing at. "Join the JSDF Reserves. Be a part time soldier to aid Japan."

"You know, that's not a bad idea. You should look into that, Nodoka."

Nodoka wasn't sure what to make of that. It would be nice to be useful, but the army? It seemed a big commitment. "But what if I'm away when Genma returns? I could be away for months at a time."

"Do they do that with the reserves? What's the harm in asking?" Minako asked rhetorically. She was glad that her friend hadn't rejected the suggestion out of hand. This would get Nodoka out and meeting people and maybe even bring in some money. She could meet a suitable man. Certainly someone far more suitable than her current husband.

Kikuko walked up to the uniformed man and smiled politely. "Hello, what does it mean to join the JSDF Reserves?"

"Hello, Madame, the JSDF Reserves are basically an emergency army unit that can be called upon to defend Japan. In all likelihood, it wouldn't be in combat, but the JSDF reserves have often helped out with natural disasters. Clearing rubble from earthquakes, deploying sandbags to prevent flood damage, that sort of thing," the smartly dressed man answered.

Kikuko turned to Nodoka. "Do you have any questions, Nodoka?"

"I... well, how long would I be away for?" Nodoka asked, slightly embarrassed by this situation.

"Well, the basic training would be over the course of six weekends. You'd learn fitness, map reading and basic gunnery skills. Upon completion of that initial training, you'd be offered the chance to go on to the next stage of training. This training is split up into two phases, Alpha and Bravo, each over the course of eight weekends."

"Weekends?" Nodoka repeated.

"Yes, this Reserves are part time soldiers. You will be paid for your time with us, though it's not as much as a full time soldier would receive."

"And what happens once she's passed the training?" Minako asked. "What kind of commitment are you looking for?"

"Four weekends every year as assigned via rota," the solider explained. "Though in the case of disasters, you could be called up to help protect towns from flooding or help evacuate villages from forest fires."

"That doesn't sound too bad, does it, Nodoka," Kikuko smiled. "You could meet some nice people."

"There are some wonderful people in the JSDF Reserves, though I must warn you that not everyone is suited to the military lifestyle."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"Well, not everyone reacts well to orders being shouted them and guns are a lot louder than the movies suggest. Not to mention the mud," the soldier admitted. "But if you're up to the challenge, it can give you a great sense of camaraderie that you don't normally see in civilian life."

"What do you think, Nodoka? Fancy giving up a few weekends for a challenge? You never know, you might like it enough to get Ranma to sign up when he's old enough. Can you imagine how he'll look in a uniform?" Minako smiled.

"He would look manly…" Nodoka said with a happy, far away look in her eyes. "Alright, I'll talk to my uncle, he's in the JSDF. If he thinks it's a good idea, I'll sign up."