Sakuno, Maybe?

Summary: Dying and being place in the toddler Sakuno's body? That's like more messed up than me massacring a hundred of people. With tennis balls, no less.

A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading this story. Please read, review and subscribe :D There will be another AN at the end, I hope that you guys can read it :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis

So... I really think that I became Ryuzaki Sakuno.

In the flesh, baby.

And I can totally speak flawless Japanese, just don't mind the squeaky and terribly high-pitched tone. I'm a toddler.

Must have been anime physics or something.

But still... How could I have become her? And was this even possible? And even though I've dreamt of Prince of Tennis so much, I never really thought that I would be kind of living here.

I mean! It's anime, for god's sake!

Ouch. I think that hurt my otaku pride. But realistically speaking, I being transported here defy logic. Because no matter how much I had wanted to come here, it just seemed... Impossible.

Memories from my past life have... Dulled. I know that I used to watch Prince of Tennis, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Full Metal Alchemist and all those crazy lovable animes. And, I also remember that I was a snarky totally cool and special senior in my high school. I love pockies, just in case any one might ask.

But that's about it. I remember the things I wanted and the things I did but...

I can't remember anyone. I know that I had my parents a set of twin brothers but that's about it. I don't know who they are.

Hell, I don't even know who I am.

I know my personality but not my name. It became some kind of blank hole.

And now I guess that I probably shouldn't just mope around and just get up and move on. At least, I'm alive.

...I think I am.

But... If I really am Sakuno, then...

Hell yeah!

Yukimura-kun, Fuji-kun, Tezuka-buchou, Sanada-fukubuchou, Niou, Eiji, Marui! There are millions of bishies here, hell yeah!

But then again, I'm a total RyoSaku shipper back in my past life so...

Do I make a move towards Ryoma? I mean, essentially I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno but at the same time I'm not really her.

It's making my brain waves explode just thinking about it.

What happens, happens.

I'll just worry about those kinds of things when the time comes but come to think of it...

Should I live as Sakuno and be all dainty and adorable or should I live as me? Which means total awesomeness in the very core.

Heh. Easy choice.

Besides, I probably wouldn't mess up the events, right? I meaaan, it's not like I'm the one who plays tennis matches and stuffs, right?

Speaking of tennis... I think I saw Ryuzaki-oops, Grandma, arrived a while ago. Maybe I should pay her a visit on her room...?

And take a tennis lesson to the boot, too!

Heh, this will be the amazing beginning of the legendary Sakuno Chronicles.

And with that, I sneakily walked out of my baby-ish room. As sneakily as my little legs can take me, that is.

I sneakily opened the door room and looked around like a jounin ninja. Heh, I'm having a Naruto moment and it's pure awesomeness.

That is, until someone coughed and told me, "What exactly are you doing in MY room, Sakuno?"

Bitch. She totally ruined my moment but she was, I think, family so it can pass...

Probably.

Well, off to do what I came here for, then.

I sent her a toothy grin and created the cutest puppy eyes that I have ever created. I tilted my head to the side and I asked, "Can grandma teach me how to play tennis?"

Use super-cute toddler powers: mission success.

Grandma looked at me like I was insane before tears leaked into her eyes and she hugged me furiously like she was some bear. She whispered to me, "Finally! Someone in the family wanted to play tennis!"

Oh.

I think it's safe to say that neither my mom nor my dad does play tennis.

"Why?" I asked cutely in my ultra high-pitched toddler tone, "Tennis is so awesome!"

Grandma pulled back and looked at me like I was some sort of angel that was dropped as a blessing of some sorts. Which might technically be the case, but who knows?

She pulled me up and placed me in her soft and squishy bed that had tennis patterned sheets. She shifted and went to some antique cabinet in the corner of her room and she rummaged under it.

I stared.

Okay, I retract the staring part. I think this may take a while so I'll just reflect while Grandma goes and do her stuffs.

So, basic information is that I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno, the cute and adorably shy girl that has a crush on the annoyingly arrogant but nevertheless talented freshman rookie who had hailed from states.

This... Universe? World? Afterlife? Whatever. Whatever this is, I am living in a place where the anime and manga series Prince of Tennis happens.

And if you don't know what POT is, I suggest that you go and drown yourselves in the river. I mean, who wouldn't know about them? They have cool DZ, that's Dragonball Z for the ignorant, moves and they're just plain hot and handsome. And they play sports.

So, moving on since I tend to ramble and rant about unnecessary things, I have just decided that I'll live as Ryuzaki Sakuno my own way.

I know that she's adorable and cute and all that, I'm a major fan, but I probably wouldn't be able to handle pretending to be shy and adorable all the freaking time. I might explode!

And then there will be the end of the world and not even Yukimura's Yips can stop me, mwahahaha!

Enough. I sound crazy, maybe even crazier than I think, who knows?

So, I mentally cleared my throat, I'll be Ryuzaki bad-ass Sakuno.

But now that I think about it, Sakuno-chan was bad-ass too. In the manga, that is. Oh well, I'll just make her more bad-ass.

I'm a hundred percent sure that I won't screw up any important events and I wouldn't change them. Probably.

But trust my super great Hyper Intuition, and my super great blood line that I have descended of, and everything will be fine.

And if you didn't catch on which series that came from, you should really watch more anime, you lazy bum.

Before I can get even crazier, Grandma shouted in pleasure since she already found whatever it is that she was looking for. She approached me and handed me something and I blankly stared.

"A tennis racquet?"

And an old one at that. What is this, a family heirloom?

"It's good that you already know what racquets are." She chuckled as she made a move and sat beside me. Well duh, I know about it since Yukimura was probably married to his tennis racquet or something. She gave another raspy chuckle and she added, "But that isn't any other ordinary racket."

What...?

What is it, some sort of Mary Sue equipment that can make me win against all my matches? Or maybe it's something that has made the animals in the Ice Age extinct?

Damn my imaginations. Those things aren't even realistic.

...But then again, it isn't realistic to just go and appear on some Anime world and take the place of one characters, is it?

Touche.

I am so good at contradicting myself, I think that I'll have a good shot in being a hot-shot lawyer at this rate.

Fading back to boring reality, I realized that Grandma was looking at me and probably expected me to say something. So me, being the adorable girl I am, asked, "What does it do? Grant wishes?"

"Kind of." Grandma said with a wistful tone. I can't believe that she actually answered it seriously but before I can think any further, she looked at me with glowing eyes and said, "I had it with me when I won my first-ever tennis match."

Oh. So it WAS some kind of heirloom, but come to think of it, did Canon-Sakuno possessed one...?

I narrowed my little eyes in confusion, "Why are you giving me this, grandma?"

"Because I never knew that someone in the family would take up tennis." She stared at the ceiling and I saw some crease here and there and I realized that she really was of old age. I looked at her and she, in turn, looked at the tennis racquet with a gentle smile that I would never ever dream of seeing her have. She met my eyes and whispered, "But you did, Sakuno, you did."

...What?

She let out a small chuckle as she added, "And at such a young age, too."

The glow of that tender smile somehow infected me, so I smiled as well. At the moment, everything was so... Perfect. Nah, wrong word. It was so nice. So awesomeness.

But all good things must come to an end, as so many other people had said, and the atmosphere was disrupted when the door opened and my mother stepped in and greeted, "It's time to eat, mother."

"Thanks for not asking me to eat as well." I pointed out as I crossed my tiny arms across my chest and looked away.

"Eh, Sakuno dear?" My mom blinked. Once. Twice. Silence hung in the air before she decidedly broke it, "What are you doing in mother's room?"

I looked at her excitedly and announced, "I asked Grandma to teach me how to play tennis!"

"H-ha." My mom's eyes grew comically wide and then her mouth gaped. It didn't mesh well with her beautiful features.

"I told you that your daughter was interesting, Yukari." Grandma stated, letting out a round of rambocious laughter. She gestured at me and disclosed, "She asked me to give her a tennis lesson a while ago. And such a young age, too!"

She laughed again and she clarified her last statement, "Practicing at the age of four, she'll be good at this!"

Oh, so I was four years of age. I thought I was three or something. Close enough.

"I see." Mom looked at me with a grateful smile before her glance returned back to Grandma's and she said, "Dinner's already prepared downstairs."

"We'll see you downstairs." Grandma nodded her head towards my mom and she seemed to get the message because she bowed at Grandma and sent another smile towards my direction, and then went to who knows where.

Probably downstairs.

Grandma pulled me up the bed but I planted my feet in the ground defiantly. I said, "But I want to practice and learn how to play tennis!"

Damn, I really sounded like a brat but technically my body is the same as a small brat's so it's more or less fine. And no, any objection would be rejected.

"Sure, sure" She patted my head and then let out a chuckle as she reminded, "I'll start teaching you tomorrow, okay?"

"Tommorow?" My lips formed into a frown and I crossed my arms and pouted, "But I want to learn today!"

"It's already nighttime. You'll have a hard time if you can't see the tennis balls." She reasoned out as she forcibly pulled me up. And then in a low tone, she whispered, "And there are ghosts outside at night who will eat disobedient little girls!"

I mentally snorted. Oh, the irony. She's telling that to a ghost who reincarnated? Really?

But, still. I was younger so I was still kind of inclined to respect the older ones so I just monotonously bobbed my head and said, "Sure, whatever."

Grandma chuckled and was about to walked away but then I realized that I had a great idea so I called out and she stopped, "Grandma?"

She turned around and looked at me with pure gentleness into her eyes and I gave a small puppy look as I asked, "Can you carry me?"

I'm a lazy ass, that much I know. But I was a toddler. Walking's too much for me.

...Not sports though. Perhaps.

We went down to a beautiful dining room. I didn't know that Sakuno, I mean me, was this rich. The table were some kind of carved wood that looks elegantly furnished. A set of six chairs that were most likely carved from the same type of wood were scattered opposite each other, three on both sides.

As we arrived and Grandma placed me into a seat, my mother arrived and then she placed wonderful and pleasant smelling dishes right in front of us. She sat on the chair besides me and opposite Grandma's.

There was a pause and mother told me, "So, let's eat ne, Sakuno dear?"

Just the three of us...?

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "Aren't we going to eat with dad?"

"Ah." There was momentary surprise between both of the older women and my mom reminded me, "Dad's working in the US, remember?"

"No."

I talked before I can even process things and I bit my lips as soon as I noticed that it was probably the wrong answer, if their expressions were any give-aways. I cleared my throat and asked, "Is there anything wrong?"

"N-nothing."

My mother shook her head and that was it. Before I knew it, mother and grandmother looked at me expectantly so I yelled in my squeaky voice, "Thanks for the food~"

And then the three of us ate. I almost drooled on the dessert which was a black forest cake and I sipped on my strawberry milk.

The plain combination is just delicious and I think that I might go to sweets paradise after this~

"Aaaah~" I opened my tiny lips as I explained, smiling adorably all the way, "It's so delicious!"

"Hahaha," Grandma chuckled as she patted my head, standing up from her seat and leaving the room in a few, nimble steps.

Eh...?

I tilted my head to the side and projecting my high-pitched toddler voice, I called out, "Grandma...?"

"Sakuno," She gave me a huge smile and then she added, "Grandma's a little tired, we'll start the lessons tomorrow, okay?"

"Promise?" I knew that I sounded... Hopeful. Or desperate. But I really wanted to learn, so...

"Promise."

A smile fell on my lips and Grandma walked out of the room, but not before telling both me and mom, "Goodnight."

"Ah," This time it was my mom who talked and then she approached me and gently asked, "Is little Sakuno sleepy, too?"

I wanted to shook my head but then again, that wouldn't look normal. So instead, I just put on an adorable act and I produced a small yawn as I sleepily agreed, "Yes."

"I see," Mother smiled and she nimbly took me into her arms and walked me to bed. How nice, as soon as we reached my little toddler friendly room, I was placed into a large crib that had a lot of stuff toys, I saw a familiar yellow rodent there, and mom kissed my forehead, "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, mom~"

She nodded and she went and left me all alone in the room, not that I was afraid or anything. Anyway, I wonder what I should do tomorrow?

I know that I need to play tennis and that's already taken care off, but how am I supposed to spend my time when some rain comes? It's not like mom will allow me to to play outdoors. Hmmm... I'll just list some books and asked mom to buy it and I'll try to contact dad and coerce him to buying me a laptop.

And a Nintendo DS. I haven't finished the latest installment of Devil Survivor yet.

Aaaah. Now that I remember, an hour before the great collision with the large truck, I was playing with my Nintendo DS, fusing some demons in the said game.

I don't really understand why the hell is it that I can remember details about most of my life except the significant parts, which are the names.

I let out a small yawn.

Oh well... I have a lifetime to think about that.

"Wake up, Sakuno!"

A loud shout and a louder gong of some bell woke me up. I sat straight up, alert, and notice that Grandma was the one who shouted, a grin on her face as she stood by the door a pot on her hand.

What the actual six stages of hell?!

I'm sure that I'm a toddler so why… why the heck I'm I being woken up at so early in the morning and with a military kind of waking, too. Spartan.

I groggily yawned as I looked at Grandma blankly and asked, "Is there any earthquake? Fire?"

"Huh?"

The pure expression of confusion on Grandma's face was totally funny.

"Because, grandma," I paused as I let out another yawn. There was brief silence before I continued, "Why did you wake me up so early in the morning?"

She smiled at me and then she puffed up and informed me, "We're going to start our tennis lesson."

Oh my Yukimura.

Out of pure excitement, I unconsciously sang, "When the daylight comes, I have to go~"

"…"

Grandma looked at me like I was downright insane.

…Oops. Wrong song.

I cleared my tiny throat and asked Grandma, "Get me up…?"

"Fine, fine." She shook her head with a grin on her face and she walked towards me. She held me up and then placed me down the floor and she said, "There you go."

"Thanks!" I smiled and then I mused, "I don't want to sleep in a crib anymore."

No, really. I would prefer a small bed or something. At least that way, I can cough sneak out cough.

"Do you want a bed?" Grandma asked me as she sent me a sidelong glance, walking towards the door.

I followed after her as fast as my little legs can take me and then I nodded my head, "Yep."

"I think your mother had an extra one on the attic." She mused as we continue to walk through the tiled floors of the house. We were silent before Grandma spoke up, "I'll tell Yukari that you would prefer a bed."

"Thanks!" I answered happily as I bounced on my steps.

After we got the racquets from Grandma's room, we walked to the backyard. There was a beautiful garden full of beautiful daisies, lavenders and roses, I think that Yukimura will like this place. But the garden wasn't our destination.

Instead, it was a cemented place which was a tennis court. There was a basket filled with tennis balls and there was also a net in the middle of the cemented court.

I widened my eyes. Are we going to play?

"Not yet." Grandma seemed to have read my mind when she answered my unasked question. She looked at me and gestured to the half of the tennis court, the boundary being the net in the middle. She smiled at me and motioned, "Today, we're only going to use half of the court."

Aww.

"Don't make that face," She told me with a small grin on her features. She added, "Before you can play an actual match, you'll need to learn the basics, first."

But of course, I guess.

After all, I can't just win matches without even learning, and not even mastering, the basics. What am I, a mary sue?

"So…" She motioned to her racquet and told me, "We'll start by learning the proper grips."

Boring.

I want to be a kick-ass player already!

"Don't look at me like that." Grandma sighed and then she met my eyes and she seriously said, "Mastering the grips and finding the one that fits you the most is important."

Oh?

I tilted my head to the side and she continued, "It's like this, if you compared it to making a house. Grips will be the material that will be the composition of your house. If you use one that is the most natural to you, that means that you're building with a brick but if you use one that disables you in some way or form that means that you're building your house with straw."

Wise words.

"Ah." I nodded my head and then I said, "So that means that if I master the most natural one for me, it will bring out my potential or something like that?"

"Yes, you're smart for your age."

Naturally.

"But, we'll also need to learn all the grips," She informed me and then she added, "That way, we can find what will suit you the best. On another note, you don't necessarily need to master all of the grips but each of them should be at least passable."

I nodded my head again. Grandma's good at this but… isn't she overworking a four year old?

Not that I'm complaining, but…

"It's good to start young." She informed me and then returned back to the lesson. She motioned to the octagonal shape of the handle and she said, "Tennis handles have eight sides, since you're right-handed, you use the clockwise motion when you want to change grips."

I nodded my head and she continued, "Think of the top of the handle, the narrow side that looks down on the edge of the frame, as 12 o'clock."

"This is the Continental Grip." Grandma informed as soon as she showed the grip. She placed her hand on the racket and made some sort of V by forming her thumb and forefinger at 11 o'clock. She added, "You can use this grip as a flat grip to serve, volley or smash. You can also use it to slice a dropshot from the back of the court."

Slice?

"We'll cover about that on the next lesson," Grandma smiled and then she continued on, "Show me how you can do it and make a few swings using the Continental Grip."

I swear, Grandma sounded like some drill sergeant but I did it nonetheless. I formed my thumb and forefinger at the 11 o'clock and formed some kind of V. I swing my racquet back and forth.

"Good." Grandma nodded in acknowledgement after I made a few more swings.

"Next is the Eastern Grip." She moved her hand clockwise and her thumb and finger is somewhere between 12 and 1. She explained, "This grip allows a small amount of racket acceleration to the ball and will spin it slightly and keep the ball relatively flat."

I copied the movement, placing my thumb and finger similar to where Grandma placed hers and I noticed that it was somewhat like hand-shaking. I made a few swings and we moved on.

"Next is the Semi-Western." She moved her hand further round and placed the racquet in a deeper position. The thumb-finger is in between 2 and 3 o'clock. She said, "This is an ideal grip when you're trying to generate both the spin and the weight of the shot through the ball."

I nodded and placed the fingers in place, swinging a few more times than with the other grips before we continued.

"Now we have the Full Western," Grandma placed her grip beyond 3 o'clock. She informed, "This grip is twisted far so that the ball will be hit with the opposite face of the racquet and will generate a lot of racket speed."

I think that this one is easier than the others grip-wise because the position is anything beyond 3 o'clock. I swing a few times before we proceeded to another type of grip.

"This is the One-handed Backhand," She started from the Continental grip and then she moved it anti-clockwise. "Depending on the spin of the impact, you'll be moving the grip anti-clockwise."

I nodded and mimicked her grip. It was a little harder than the former grips but then again, I suppose it was because it was a different type.

"The last one is the Two-handed Backhand," She placed a forehand grip on her left hand and she explained, "You play with the non-dominant hand and for the right-handIers, you use the neutral continental grip."

I nodded and then tried it the continental grip with my left hand. It was a little tricky but I eventually got the hang of it after about thirty strikes.

By the end of the introduction of the grips, I was hungry.

I retract my statement from before because the grips were actually pretty interesting. Tiresome, too.

I felt my body clam up a little and I used the racquet to support my weight a little bit as I catch my breath. I remembered that even though I have about 16 years of mental age, my body was still that of a four year's old.

I wonder why Canon-Sakuno didn't take up the sports when she was younger. Since the anime-Sakuno was a total fail at tennis, I guess that the body I took might have been manga-Sakuno's, After all, the latter won a tennis championship in her second year of tennis experience. I took that from Horio, hahaha!

But really, manga-Sakuno won third place on the women's division, according to one of the PairPuri's that I've read before, that is.

Before I can even think any further, my thoughts were cut off since I saw my mom approach us and yelled, "Breakfast's ready!"

I smiled and felt adrenaline run in my little veins as I ran to the food like I was a tribute in the Hunger Games.

The food didn't disappoint me, too. There were cinnamon cereals in the table, accompanied by a set of apples. I took a frapple and bit it, aaah, it tastes so good.

What's even better was that, I had strawberry milk!

This is the life, yo.

When we finished eating and cleaned up the table, Grandma smiled at me and she asked, "Should we continue tomorrow?"

I shook my head.

No way in hell will I give up now that I had already started.

But of course, I couldn't say it that way because four year olds probably didn't curse so I rephrased my sentence, "I want to continue today."

A bright smile fell on Grandma's lips and her hands went and ruffled my hair. I jumped out of my seat, to the surprises of my companions, and landed gracefully. Well as graceful as I can be, anyway.

So we went back to the cemented court by the garden and I looked on to Grandma with excitement and I asked, "What will we do now? Twist serve? Triple Counters?"

"Hahaha," Grandma let out a chuckle and she shook her head, "We're going to change and practice the grips today."

Whaaaat?

"All day?"

Please, no.

"Yep."

I groaned but I still complied.

Through-out the afternoon, I was ordered to swing and practice different types of grips. It was hell but it was for development so I guess that it's okay.

Kind of.

"Continental Grip!"

"Eastern Grip!"

"One-handed Backhand!"

"Western Grip!"

"Eastern Grip!"

"Semi-Western Grip!"

That was the drill and by the end of the afternoon as dark clouds tainted the red sky, I felt my arms soring up a little, but not too much.

After all, I was supplied with breaks from time to time so that my little four year old body can keep up with the exercise. I'm actually amazed that I didn't fell or got dizzy or something.

In fact, I felt like my body was, little by little, getting the hang of things. But that's not to say that I already mastered all those grips. That's impossible because one, I'm just a four years old and my physical capabilities wouldn't allow that. The second is that I just learned it today and even though I memorized the types of grips, that doesn't mean that my body already mastered and perfected it.

Hey, I know that I have super analytical brain cells and everything but my body isn't like that.

After all, what am I, a Mary Sue?

Unless I'm one, I probably wouldn't be able to master some techniques in a day, not even in a week. A half a year sounds plausible and a month doesn't sound impossible as well.

A yawn escaped my lips and I just noticed that mom was watching us practice from the door. I sent her a sleepy smile and as Grandma approached me, I took her hand and walked with her.

…I wonder what's going to be our dinner for this night?

A/N: And that... is the end of the chapter :D This was 5K+ words. The longest I have written in any of my stories ever. O.O

I know, I know. Practicing at the age of four? But hey, if you want to be good at something, you better start young. I think. lol. There's some plotholes here and there but I actually left it there because it will be filled in on the later chapters.

Replies to reviews:

kuriko-chan: I updated! Thanks for the review and as you can see, she doesn't have a name so we can either call her New-Sakuno or Not-Sakuno, lol. Or even Sakuno. :) Whatever works for everyone, though, I myself kept calling her Not-Sakuno.

EnzeruFataima: Thanks, haha. I think my idea was unique lol. *gets hit by an apple* Canon-Sakuno's death. See, it's not dead per se, but something else entirely. It will be revealed in later chapters but yeah, Canon-Sakuno isn't in her body because Not-Sakuno is residing in her body. I don't know if I'm making any sense OTL.

About the RyoSaku pairing, it will depend on my mood when I write. That goes the same with other pairings too. :)

Tanaka Yue: Hahaha, thanks! *bows* I kinda liked the idea too. lol. *bricked*

casuallychich: The story will be a roller-coaster story with the ups, the downs, and the thrill. But that's the only thing that I can say :P