> ----Begin True Sheol Post----
>Snipped for space<

>      I don't believe that Tenchi-ken is Tsunami's key.  Really, if it had been,
there would
> have been no need for her to give Tenchi that double-hearted ring or for Funaho-ki
to draw
> power from Washu's jewels.  That ring draws power directly from Tsunami and while
it was cut
> off from her in the Souja, it too has some storage capacity (like the ring Youshou
gave to
> Airi, Aeka's own key, and Tenchi-ken).  So, even if Tenchi-ken is a special master
key, it's
> not for Tsunami, but .
> 
> ----End True Sheol Post---- 
> 

But what?  :-D

In regards to the ring, is there any material that states its purpose?  For me, the
ring was simply something to give Tenchi some clothes, specifically Juraian Battle
Garb (TM) like that worn by Aeka.  I would guess the battle garb has some importance

if Aeka changed into it, but what, I don't know. 

I've often thought this was Kajishima's way of answering the question, "Where'd Tenchi
get those clothes in episode 6?"  So he had a scene in episode 7 where Tenchi has
a wooden ring, accidently activates it, "transforms", then Ryu-oh's seed
convienently pops out so that Ryu-oh can be reborn.  :-) 

However, you do bring up an interesting item.  The ring is apparently crafted from
a part of Tsunami-ki.  If this is true and assuming that Sasami's key in episode 2
is also from Tsunami, then Tsunami is capable of giving out powerful artifacts from

herself to those important to her.  So it is still possible that Tenchi-ken is a creation
of Tsunami's.

I think it has been clearly established that Tenchi-ken is not Funaho-ki's key in
light of the fact that Azusa had it in his battle with Kagato and Ryoko YEARS before
Yosho was born and partnered with Funahi-ki.  So, what do we know?

1) Tenchi-ken is a Master Key.  
2) All 1st-generation tree's keys are master keys and can control lesser-generation
tree's.
3) There have been a maximum of FIVE 1st-generation tree's partnered in Jurai's history
(the number may be off by one depending on how Mitsuki is counted, but I haven't been
able to see how she factors in yet).  Two of those are Azusa and Yosho.  For
some reason, I want to say the first emperor of Jurai and his sister had one, but
that may not be true (TS or someone, correct me on this).
4) Keys draw power from the tree that they were created from.
5) Tenchi-ken has been owned by at least three people (Azusa, Yosho, and Tenchi),
two with 1st-gen trees and one with no tree.

There may be other facts which I'm neglecting, but for now that'll do.  

I would also like to state that there are no accidents in the world of TM!R.  It was
no mistake that Azusa was sent to Earth.  It was no mistake that Yosho ended up at
the same spot years later.  It was no mistake that Tsunami was in the right place

at the right time to assimilate Sasami-chan.  It was no mistake that Tsunami allowed
Aeka (and the "stowaway" Sasami) to leave Jurai and go missing for ~700 years.  You
get the point.  :-)

So, this brings me to some questions, some of which I've already raised.

1) Who created Tenchi-ken?
2) Why is it named "Tenchi"?
3) Why is it apparently being passed down from person to person?

I feel that all three of these questions are related.

True Sheol stated he didn't think that Tenchi-ken is Tsunami's key.  I got to thinking
about that, especially in light of the fact that Sasami-chan has a master key.  Sasami's
key *should* be Tsunami's key since that would make sense.  :-P  Sasami is
not partnered with Ryu-oh, and until she and Tsunami are one, Sasami couldn't control
Ryu-oh without something.  Only partners of trees are given keys to that tree.  Thus,
if Sasami had a key that overrode Aeka's commands, it must be a master key.
Since Sasami is officially partnered with Tsunami-ki, it is reasonable to assume that
the key is from Tsunami.  I don't think that can be argued.

However Tenchi-ken is a master key but with it being passed down and controling 1st-generation
trees, it couldn't be from a 1st-generation tree.  Yosho used it to interface with
Funaho-ki and generated LHW's (Funaho-ki's doing).  Aeka used Tenchi-ken
to access Funaho-ki's memory banks to see the time of her arrival on Earth.  Funaho-ki
was a very powerful tree among 1st-gen trees (I believe it was the most powerful 1st-gen
tree but I may be mistaken), but since Tenchi-ken wasn't hers, something
more powerful had to have created it.  It wouldn't make sense for a first-gen tree
to control another, and if Funaho-ki is the most powerful 1st-gen tree, then other
1st-gen trees would have no say.  Besides, Kirito-ki is the only other 1st-generation

tree currently partnered with someone and an active part of the Juraian fleet. 

So, who could have created such a master key?

There's only one tree more powerful than any of the 1st-generation trees.  There's
only one tree who would have command over all 1st-generation trees -- Tsunami.  Thus
to me, it seems logical that Tenchi-ken is a creation of Tsunami.

Does this mean that Tenchi-ken is Tsunami's key?

Earlier I was arguing that indeed this was the case.  However, if Tsunami makes a
ring to provide Tenchi with Juraian Battle Garments and provides Sasami a master key,
then certainly she can create another master key as well.  It may not have the
power to "control" Tsunami, but it would have power over other 1st-generation trees.
In addition, there is evidence that the owners of Tenchi-ken are considered very special,
which I don't think would be the case were it made from anyone else but
Tsunami (more on that later). 

So if she is the creator of Tenchi-ken, why would she do this?

Allow me to quote True Sheol's post on Tsunami's purpose:

"She was looking for a being who's traces were found in the first Emperor of Jurai.
(This encounter is also documented in one of Kajishima's doujinshi.)  Tsunami estimated
that it would take millions of years for that being to appear and so she made
a contract with the first Emperor of Jurai wherein she would protect his family while
waiting for this being to appear."

So, Tsunami makes a contract with the first Emperor of Jurai and Jurai gains access
to powerful trees who can be placed inside special containers, then placed into ships,
and thus Jurai now has a powerful fleet that can't just about can't be touched
(4th-gen ships still being more powerful than the best ships of other nations).  However,
the contract is what would keep Jurai comforted that Tsunami and her trees wouldn't
just abandon Jurai.  What was that contract?

In light of not seeing this information (I don't recall True Sheol ever stating, but
I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong), I look to Tenchi-ken.  If Tsunami gave Tenchi-ken
to the first Emperor as a sign that she and her trees would protect his
family (the Masaki family BTW), not to mention Jurai, then it would be a pledge to
the rulers of Jurai of Tsunami's promise.  That would explain why Azusa had it.  Once
he was partnered with a 1st-generation tree (an EXTREMELY rare occurance), Azusa
would be (and was) the automatic canidate to be next ruler of Jurai and would have
the inside track.  After all, if a 1st-gen tree is going to partner with you, you
are all but a shoo-in.

If Tenchi-ken is an heirloom to rulers of Jurai or those with 1st-gen trees (who would
be assumed the next rulers of Jurai), it would make sense that Azusa would be given
Tenchi-ken.  Tenchi-ken's acceptance of Azusa would be just another confirmation
of his being the successor to the throne.  Then Azusa armed with Tenchi-ken goes on
his Warrior's Journey.

When Yosho was partnered with a 1st-generation tree Funaho-ki, Yosho became the immediate
apparent successor to the throne of Jurai, thus Yosho is given Tenchi-ken.  Much as
with Azusa before, Yosho goes on his own journey (first to the Academy, then
following Ryoko to Earth).  Seven hundred years later, Yosho decides that Tenchi is
the one who will next own Tenchi-ken even though Tenchi will have no tree and with
Tenchi-ken in Tenchi's possession, Tenchi will be the prime canidate to be the next

ruler of Jurai. 

Once Yosho has Tenchi-ken and is stranded on Earth, Tenchi-ken's role changes from
weapon/master key to guardian (sealing Ryoko)& holder of Washu's gem-balls. There
is some thought that Tenchi-ken was also the relay of the gem-ball power to Funaho-ki.

 But did Tenchi-ken relay the gem-balls power? 

I'm not aware of any information either way that states whether Tenchi-ken was the
relay or not.  We know that Funahi-ki was cut off from drawing her power from Tsunami
by being rooted on Earth (vs. the special containers) and to stay alive, Funaho-ki

began drawing power from the gems.  However, if Tenchi-ken could act as a power relay,
then it should be able to relay Tsunami's power.  But keys aren't power relays in
that sense.  They can store power and use power from the tree they were created
from, but feeding power BACK to a tree makes no sense.  Trees do gain power from other
trees (and all ultimately get their power from Tsunami) but not from keys.

Washu's gem-balls were Ryoko's until Tenchi-ken took ownership of the gems.  I've
often wondered why Yosho didn't kill Ryoko once they had crashed to Earth.  Certainly
he would have been justified after what she did to Jurai.  Instead, the gems Ryoko

used for her powers were absorbed into Tenchi-ken (Yosho's owner at the time) and
she was sealed into a cave.  Yet this was no accident.  Indeed once Ryoko was sealed,
Yosho planned to use Ryoko and Tenchi-ken in the future, but Tsunami had other
plans... 

Once the gems were under Tenchi-ken's control, how did they start feed Funaho-ki?
From the anime, I felt that the gems just began feeding Funaho-ki and kept her alive.
Certainly, this was no accident.  In order for Tenchi Masaki to be born, Yosho
had to stay alive.  In order for Yosho to stay alive, Funaho-ki had to stay alive.
:-D

This brings me to the naming of the sword.  If Tsunami was looking for Tenchi and
gave the sword/master key to the first Emperor, it would make sense that she would
name it after the one she was looking for.

This leads me to a question though.  How often is the name of the sword/master key
mentioned in the anime?

I don't have the time to re-watch the entire series, but at present, I only recall
it being mentioned by name in episode 2.  In fact, the anime goes out of its way to
mention this fact while at the same time it doesn't take the time (however brief)
to
explain how the floating onsen got there.  The former would appear to be an important
point to the story and the later has no bearing on the story.

Next, why was Tenchi Masaki the one Yosho was going to send back to Jurai?  

Yosho had married Funaho's niece Kasumi and she even took at least one life-extention
session via Funaho-ki.  Funaho and Yosho were fruitful and multiplied.  So why didn't
Yosho feel that one of these children or grandchildren would be the one to go
back to Jurai in his stead? 

Then we have Yosho's 2nd marriage, this time to Airi-san.  He's already fathered a
daughter with Airi who works for Seto-sama.  Why wouldn't Minaho go back to Jurai
in his stead?

OK, for whatever reason, she didn't make the cut.  Airi comes to Earth, and she bares
another daughter to Yosho -- Kiyone. So why wasn't Kiyone the one to go back in his
stead?

OK, Kiyone isn't it either.  Now Kiyone meets one of Yosho's decendants Nobuyuki and
marries him (I'd love to hear how they met and fell in love).  They too have a daughter
and name her Tennyo.  But for some reason, Tennyo isn't the one either.

Finally some 62 years later, Kiyone and Nobuyuki have a son.  For whatever reason,
they name him after the sword/master key -- Tenchi.  For some reason, Yosho knows
that THIS is the one to return to Jurai in his stead.  Immediately he and Kiyone begin

training Tenchi to accomplish Yosho's plan.  Kiyone acclimates Tenchi to Ryoko's cave,
knowing that Ryoko's astral body is there.  Yosho begins training Tenchi in the Juraian
arts (including sword arts) in addition to Shinto stuff.

Somehow, Yosho knows that Aeka is out there on Ryu-oh.  Thus when Tenchi gets curious
enough, Yosho will allow Tenchi to have the keys to Ryoko's cave (it wasn't an accident
that Tenchi wound up with those keys in episode 1), he'll take possession of
Tenchi-ken, free Ryoko, Funaho-ki will alert Ryu-oh, Tenchi will defeat Ryoko, and
finally Aeka will come in and take them both back to Jurai.  With Tenchi is possession
of Tenchi-ken combined with his defeat of Ryoko, Tenchi will now be the prime
canidate for leadership of Jurai. 

Apparently, Tenchi's being in possession of Tenchi-ken (meaning the sword/master key
accepted him) would carry great weight on Jurai for Yosho's plan to succeed.  Of course
he didn't know that Tsunami had other plans.  Tsunami gives out only the
information she deems required for the situation as we saw in episode 9 (much like
Kajishima-sensei does in the TM!R OAVs).  So while Tsunami was apparently in communication
with Yosho during his time on Earth (based on his converstation with his
mother in episode 13), she allowed him to know only certain things but not all things.
Thus Yosho did what he wanted, yet ended up doing what Tsunami wanted.

These are my LENGTHY thoughts on the subject.  I'm not saying I'm right.  Someone
might say, "Hey ANB!  In the doujinshi "Techi Something", Kajishima-sensei says blah-blah-blah,
thus your point on such-and-such is invalid."  Certainly I will bow to
such revelations and if you have them, please share!  :-D 

However, I have tried to show you why I believe Tenchi-ken is a creation of Tsunami.
I am no longer stating that this is Tsunami's key, but I am saying that it is a master
key created by Tsunami.  Tsunami has a master plan in action, and folks are
out there doing as they will, yet in the process doing what Tsunami wishes and thus
bringing about Tenchi and helping him become the person he's supposed to become.

Thanks for reading!  :-D

-ANB