A/N- This is a Prince of Tennis fanfiction, despite the fact that there is Kanda Yuu. (note- Kanda Yuu is from the manga D. Gray-Man) I didn't put this story in the crossover section because he isn't one of the main characters, and it centrals around Prince of Tennis more. Please remember to review!
A/N- I do not own Prince of Tennis, or Kanda Yuu.
"You're too slow, Tomoe."
Kanda Yuu dodged his younger sister's katana easily as he swung his own down towards her shoulder. There was the sound of steel against steel as Tomoe blocked, and then pulled away. The members of the Rikkai Dai high school kendo club looked on with amazement as they watched their captain and his sister demonstrate what it was like to fight with actual katana. At last, the action ceased when Tomoe lost her balance while blocking and fell, her brother's blade immediately pointed at her throat.
There was a steady round of applause as Kanda withdrew his sword and reached out a hand to help his sister stand up. "Your footwork needs practice," he said to her, noticing that she wasn't too happy about losing.
Even though she lost, Tomoe was one of the most skilled at kendo in the school, aside from her brother. With her sleek black hair pulled back into a ponytail and the ease with which her thin figure moved Tomoe was indeed the essence of grace of the kendo club. No doubt it was because she had learned from the best.
After everyone had settled down from the excitement of their match, the captain then instructed each of them to find a partner to practice with. Most everyone found their partner immediately, except for Tomoe. Her brother had to go around and monitor everyone. And so, she was forced to spar with… Sanada Genchirou.
Before then, Tomoe had hardly noticed him. Sanada rarely made appearances at the kendo club because of his position on the tennis team. To be honest, she was curious as to how skilled at kendo he was.
Kanda's voice announced the start of the sparring session, and the room was immediately filled with movement and the sound of wooden staffs clashing against each other. Sanada and Tomoe fought in the middle of the room, and after a while many had stopped to watch them.
The two appeared equally leveled as they each attacked and blocked in turn. The fight seemed as though it would go on forever, until both of them swung simultaneously, their staffs stopped just an inch away from each other's necks.
"It's a draw," declared the kendo captain as a signal for the two to withdraw.
Sanada and Tomoe stepped away. Out of politeness, the first-year high school girl bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for being my opponent. You're very good, Sanada-senpai." In the corner, she noticed her brother eying the both of them coldly.
Later on, Tomoe was walking down the hallway, dressed back in her school uniform, when she spotted her brother speaking to Sanada about something. When she approached them, they halted their conversation.
"Nii-sama, what are you doing?" she asked her brother suspiciously. Everyone knew that Kanda Yuu was rather protective of his sister, and this was possibly one of those moments.
"It's nothing, Tomoe. Come on, we're going home," replied her brother curtly.
"I have to get to tennis practice anyway," said Sanada dismissively. However, just as he began to walk away, a voice called out to him.
"Sanada-senpai, is it alright if I go with you to the tennis practice?" It was Tomoe. Beside her, Kanda looked at his sister incredulously. As her older brother, he didn't approve of her going anywhere with Sanada. In fact, it was surprising Kanda hadn't already pulled out his katana because Sanada was standing within ten feet of her.
Sanada was equally surprised. "Wh-what?" Had he heard correctly? "Um, I guess you can watch the practice as long as you don't interfere," he finally replied, proceeding to walk out towards the tennis courts. Tomoe followed behind him, but not after glancing back at her brother. He seemed to give her a look of both defeat and disappointment.
The other regulars were already practicing when Sanada arrived at the courts. "Sanada, you're late," called one of the regulars, walking up to him.
"Ah, sorry Seiichi."
"Nevermind that," dismissed Yukimura Seiichi. "Who's this?" he then asked, glancing at Tomoe.
Sanada paused nervously for a moment, and then said, "This is Kanda Tomoe. She asked to be able to watch our tennis practice."
Tomoe smiled slightly at Yukimura. "I hope you'll let me stay. I'm very interested in tennis, and I'd like to watch Rikkai Dai's famed regulars play." Her honest smile and expression hid the underlying flattery, but Yukimura payed no attention to it. He raised an eyebrow slightly at her words, but agreed nonetheless.
And so, practice continued normally, the regulars doing their best to pretend to not notice the new girl in their midst. However, that was impossible once she spoke up. After watching Kirihara defeat Niou, Tomoe asked, "Yukimura-senpai, is it alright if I play a quick match with Kirihara-san?"
At this, all head turned to her. Why was this girl, who seemed so quiet yet confident, asking to play Kirihara, one of Rikkai Dai's demons? Kirihara himself seemed even more surprised. "Eh? You… wait, you can play tennis?"
Tomoe nodded in reply to Kirihara's question. Seeing this, Yukimura said, "I don't see why not. Go ahead, Kanda-san."
The girl's face suddenly darkened. "I'm sorry, Yukimura-senpai, but please don't call me that. I'm just Tomoe-san." There was no response to this, other than an amused glance from Yukimura, who suddenly tossed a racquet at her.
She caught it with surprising ease. It was apparent that this would be an interesting game.
Kirihara served the ball and it flew across the court past Tomoe, who didn't even attempt to return it. The other regulars stared at her curiously, beginning to doubt her tennis abilities.
"Speed, 151 kilometers per hour. Accuracy, 87%. That wasn't your normal speed, was it, Kirihara-san?" said Tomoe, nonchalantly tapped her racquet on her shoulder, completely relaxed and satisfied with herself.
Kirihara was dumbfounded. "How-how did she know that?" he muttered to himself in astonishment. Yukimura and Yanagi, however, only smirked.
"That, Kirihara," began the tennis captain, "is Tomoe-san's playing style. By just looking at the shot, she can determine its speed and accuracy. By reading your body movements, your footwork, she can even predict what shot you are going to use. That is, simply put, analytical tennis. Am I correct, Tomoe-san?"
Tomoe nodded, her brown eyes sparkling with a newfound delight. Even so, Jackal remarked, "I still don't think that's a very effective style. It doesn't help to be able to read movements if you can't even return the shot."
Just then, a tennis ball grazed past his ear at shocking speed, hit the ground, and bolted through the air, lodging itself between the links of the fence behind them.
Jackal gaped first at the ball, then at Tomoe. "Ah, gomen, senpai," she called to him with a completely innocent smile.
"Yanagi, I'd like to ask you a question."
"Hai?"
"Do you think she would make a good addition to the team?"
Much to Kanda's relief, Tomoe came home perfectly safe, although later than he had expected. He was prompted to ask, "What took you so long to come back home?" Her 'observation' of the tennis team couldn't possible have taken that long.
"I was playing tennis, that's all. Is there anything wrong with that?" replied Tomoe, avoiding her brother's eyes with a sort of puzzling defiance. There was an unnerving silence for a few moments, until Tomoe broke it with her sudden words. "Nii-sama, I'm thinking about joining the tennis team at school."
At first, her brother's only response was a surprised stare, and then an exclamation of astonishment.
"What?! Tomoe, you can't join the tennis team! You already have kendo and martial arts."
For all their lives, the two siblings had been taught martial arts from their father. When he suddenly passed away, Tomoe's new mentor had become her brother. The sports seemed to dominate their lives. Until now.
The younger sister nervously pushed her hair behind her ear, giving her brother a clearer glimpse of her eyes, tainted with a kind of shy and timid passion. "Well, I though I could take a break from kendo for a while."
That was it. Kanda couldn't take anymore. "No, Tomoe. I won't allow you join tennis," he concluded, raising his voice.
"You won't allow me? Since when did you control my life? You're not Father, Nii-sama!" she shouted back at him, turning back towards the door. There was no way she could bear to be in the same room as him. However, just as she was about to slide open the paper screen door, her brother's voice reached her, quiet and menacing.
"If you quit kendo, you destroy everything Father worked for."
The hand hanging at her waist tightened suddenly into a fist, and suspense hung in the air like a threatening predator. Making her decision, she slid the door open and then slammed it shut behind her.
Outside, Tomoe ran, rain beginning to fall slowly onto the ground. It didn't matter where she was going, as long as she got away from her brother for a while. Her footsteps echoed across the wet pavements as second passed, minutes. She finally stopped to lean against one of the walls that lined the sidewalk, her breath quick and shallow, the rain mixing with the tears falling from her eyes.
Where am I? Why am I even here? Her thoughts raced, lost and confused behind a curtain of tears. She suddenly recalled her brother's words. Could he… was he right? Am I wrong in wanting to join tennis?
Have I… betrayed Father?
It was all so confusing. Her new love of tennis had turned her brother, the one person she could fully trust, against her. And now here she was, alone, lost and soaked in rain. The wet fabric of her uniform clung tightly to her skin as she hugged herself, chilling her to the bone.
I want to go home.
"Tomoe-san, are you alright?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Tomoe looked up and was surprised to none other than… "Sa-sanada-senpai?" she stuttered, hardly believing her eyes. Out of all places and situation, she had to meet him here? At the time it seemed like a coincident, but an inaudible voice inside her said it was fate.
"It's raining hard; why are you standing out here?" Sanada inquired, moving closer to her so that the umbrella he held sheltered both of them from the rain.
Tomoe blushed slightly as he looked up at him, but then averted her eyes towards the ground. "I don't know. I don't even understand why I'm out here in the first place," she sighed. This was followed by a short, unexpected coughing fit.
Before she could even move, Sanada had slipped off his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
This reminded Tomoe of her brother, and even more so when Sanada said, "You'll catch a cold, standing in the rain without a jacket."
I want Nii-sama to forgive me.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, the second-year high school boy sighed. "I think it'd be best for you to get inside, or you really will get sick. My house is just around the corner. You can stay there until I call your brother."
With this, a gentle smile played on his lips as he glanced at the girl standing next to him. For a short moment, their eyes met and Tomoe hoped that, through the rain, Sanada had not seen the faint pink that had emerged in her cheeks. The smile he gave her had warmed her much more than the jacket.
I don't want to be alone again.
Sanada led Tomoe inside, still marveling at how he had only been going to the store when he had found her alone like that. But where was her brother? He hardly ever left her side. Oh well, there would be time for questions.
"Arigatou… Sanada-senpai."
He turned suddenly towards Tomoe, who was still hugging the jacket around her shoulders. Her lips had hardly moved, yet he could hear her words clearly. "Ah, don't mention it. It's not like I could have just left you out in the rain like that."
"No… thank you for everything. For being my opponent, for bringing me to the tennis practice, for lending me your jacket… and thank you… for your smile."