DISCLAIMER: I do not own Prince of Tennis. Takeshi Konami does.


"None are so hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free. The truth has been kept from the depth of their minds by masters who rule them with lies. They feed them on falsehoods till wrong looks like right in their eyes." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Ring. Riinng. Riiinng.

The telephone in the kitchen vibrates alerting anyone in the house to fact that someone would like to speak to them. A man in Japanese monk robes slouches on the tiled floor of the patio to his southwestern styled house; if you can call a two story with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a furnished basement, gourmet kitchen, a full dining room, living room, den and outside pool fixated next to a tennis court a house. He giggles with a large grin on his face as he flips through a special edition of ESPN's top 25 swimsuit models. Ah, Tracey, sweetheart, you could be the next Pamela. Hehehe. The flushed man fails to notice two bright blue eyes peering at him from the lemon tree.

"Hmm, you're a cutie…AGHH! Get off! No, not my precious magazine! Stupid cat! I swear I'll get the brat for this!" The man cries at the cat.

"Meow."

It has the nerve to stare at him innocently, as if it had not just shredded his defenseless magazine.

"I swear the brat taught it to do that!" He grumbled darkly.

RRIINNGG!

The old man finally registered the fact that the phone had been ringing off the hook for the last few minutes. Hmmm…weird, usually Nanako answers right away. Mmmm….oh yeah, she went with Rinko to that lesson thing…where's the brat?….stupid school, don't they know they're keeping his slave from doing his work…he would humiliate the brat on the courts tonight. Hmm… He really didn't think he'd answer, had to get back to the ….oh yeah, stupid cat. RRRRRRIING! Fine, Fine he'd answer the stupid thing. What kind of person doesn't give up when the person never picks up? The man had a strange shudder go down his spine.

RRRRRRRRR… "NANI? Stop calling already! You hang up when a person doesn't answer after-"

"-YOU BAKA NANJIRO I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR THE LAST SIX MINUTES, PICK UP THE PHONE WHEN IT RINGS YOU BAKA! I SWEAR-"

SHIT! The Hag!

"-DO NOT DARE HANG UP ON ME YOU PERVERTED BAKA! I SWEAR I'LL CALL RINKO AND TELL HER WHAT YOU DID IN YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL! DO YOU-"

"-SHUT UP! I'LL LISTEN YOU HAG!-"

"-YOU MANNER-LESS BAKA! YOU NEVER REFER TO A BEAUTIFUL LADY SUCH AS MY SELF AS A HAG!-"

And so the conversation continued on for several minutes before Nanjiro finally remembered to ask why she called.

"So what did you call me for Hag-sensei?"

"Do not call me that! BAKA! Oh…now you've made me forget."

"Don't blame me for your senility."

"Watch it, baka. I have years of blackmail from being your coach that Rinko-chan would love to hear. Ryoma-kun too."

"Don't you dare, Hag."

"Baka. Actually, I wanted to discuss my current tennis team. I was wondering if I could get your help."

"Hahaha! Does the team suck that bad that you need me to come straighten them up? Sorry, I'm not interested in a bunch of talent-less wannabes. I'm busy training the brat! Who happens to be worth my time."

"AS IF I'D WANT YOUR HELP COACHING! You would teach them all your perverted behavior, and they are bad enough without your influence. I swear to Kami- sama, that I don't know why I keep teaching teenage boys! They are all extremely talented tennis players. I have hopes that they can take Nationals this year, as long as they can stay motivated. Besides, it's not really your help I'm interested in, specifically; I think Ryoma-kun would be a great assistance."

"The Brat? Give me one reason I should take the boy on a trip to Japan for a couple weeks just so he can help motivate your team. I am busy training him; he will be competing in the National American Junior Tennis competition next week."

"True, I would like his help in motivating them, but I'm telling you they could push right back at him. None of them are talent-less. You said you want Ryoma to have a reason to play tennis besides to defeat you. They are strong enough to challenge him. And I don't want you to fly in for a couple weeks; I want you to stay for several months."

"What! Hag-sensei I can see the benefit in letting the Brat play with them if they can motivate him, but I can't see the need to move back to Japan just for that. Rinko would never cooperate with that idea. I do have stuff I do here."

"Like read your perverted magazines? I know it's a big step, as I was saying I wouldn't mind Ryoma helping to motivate them, but I need his help with something more, something I know your family specializes in."

"What's going on there, Ryuzaki-sensei?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Meiro is going on a spiritual pilgrimage for the next year and needs someone to take care of the temple. You could stay there. If Rinko asks tell her this will be good for Ryoma. You keep saying the boy needs to socialize more, and if you remember Seigaku's team building, you'll have no problem curbing his anti-social habits. I promise this bunch is especially quirky. Hahaha! Please come, Nanjiro."

Click.

The man puts down the phone looking uncharacteristically grave. He supposed he had better start packing, school starts in three weeks. Haha, brat you have no idea what's in store for you. Quirky. That can only mean they are completely insane. The brat will be a social butterfly now!

"Yes! He will finally bring home cute, teenage girls! Oh, how long I've waited for the brat to get a girlfr- GAH! Get off me you stupid cat!"


Revised: 1/6/17

This might not be the best example of what's to come. Think of it as a prologue. I actually intend for this to a supernatural AU, though that's not clear in this chapter, it will be really clear next chapter!

On another note: If you noticed how Ryuzaki was using suffixes at one point and then not at another it marks a shift from her being conversational to serious.

Thanks! Please Review. I appreciate constructive criticism.

False Sourires