Author's Note- I did it! Here is, the fourth chapterat long last! Thank you all for your patience! I hope you enjoy it!

The next day the Kagami Taiga came to practice alone even though everyone had seen Tetsuya during the school day. And when asked where Tetsuya was he just shrugged and say that his brother had only told him that wouldn't be joining them for practice, and the statement was further confirmed by the coach when she joined them.

"Tetsuya-kun will not be with us today, I asked him to pay a visit to some of our opponents for the Inter-High." But Taiga was not pleased to hear that in the least.

"WHAT?!" Taiga looked like he wanted to hit something, or someone…

"Bakagami! Calm down! I'm not an idiot like some people! The coach snapped at him, whacking the taller boy over the head with her clipboard. "I made him swear to not play, and I have him sending me update texts ever 10 minutes just to be sure he sticks to it." That seemed to cool the fiery teen down at least a little. And he returned to practice with only minimal grumbles of dissatisfaction. Practice was almost over when Tetsuya entered the gym.

"Tetsuya." Kagami announced, being the first to spot his brother when he entered.

"Oh Tetsuya-kun! Finished with your tasks?" Riko greeted him.

"Yes Riko-san, but I think we have a new problem."

"What? What do you mean?" She asked him with a puzzled look.

"Shinkyō has a new player, and he's very tall."

"Eh? How tall?"

"Two meters tall." That got her attention very quickly.

"That's insane! Are you serious?!" And without pausing for a moment snatched the boy's phone from his hand to look at the photos and video he had taken. Then shrieked in frustration when she saw them, realizing the problem wasn't even just the hight, both his arms and legs were insanely long as well.

"Shinkyō? As in Shinkyō, the team we are playing first?!" Hyuga asked worriedly at Riko's reaction to Tetsuya's report. But she didn't answer his question, quickly becoming serious.

"Okay listen up you all! We have 2 weeks before our first match, no breaks from here on out! You won't even have the energy to complaining once were done!"

"Hai!"

"And Kagami-kun, from now on you will be needing a special training menu. And I'm making Tetsuya-kun in charge of it. I trust that is okay with you?" She asked the teal haired boy.

"Completely Riko-san." A flash of excitement crossing his usually expressionless face and Taiga looked like he had just swallowed a fish. He knew things were going to be getting very interesting with Tetsuya in charge, and that was putting it mildly.

And so just like that they all began the insanity that was preparation for the Inter-high.

In the time before their first match Tetsuya made Tagia his training menu from hell and along with it several mysterious sessions with Mitobe one on one, all centered around dealing with the new problem player from Shinkyō. Tetsuya's expression didn't often vary but as the days past the team couldn't help but think that Tetsuya seemed much happier. And in comparison, Taiga looked more exhausted then ever before. But without fail, when the day of the first match arrived, Taiga was incomprehensibly energized.

"You ready to do this Tetsuya?! I am! We're gonna kick their butts!" The redhead declared quite loudly as he raced into the living room of the apartment where his younger brother was with a wide grin of excitement despite the early hour.

"You are too loud Taiga-nii. But yes, I believe your right." Tetsuya answered his brother with a small smile of his own, not as big but equally expressive, as he finished pulling on his jacket. "See you at the game." Was all he said as he headed for the door and Taiga didn't ask for more, he needed no explanation, he already knew were Tetsuya was headed.

"Say hi for me?"

"Sure thing Taiga-nii." Another smile but a bit sadder and just like that Tetsuya went out into the cold, sunday morning alone, closing the door gently behind him as he did.

He had only stopped to buy flowers so Tetsuya was quite surprised when he was beaten to his parents graves by another person, and also one the last people he had expected to be there.

"Hello Tetsuya." He couldn't help a small flinch at sight of his cousin's cold heterogeneous eyes of red and gold.

"Hello Sejiro. What are you doing here?"

"I am here to see you, since you refuse to give me your address." Tetsuya just sighed again in exasperation, Sejiro could be so impossible at times.

"There is a good reason for that."

"Ah, Kagami-kun."

"Yes, my brother. He doesn't like you."

"I still don't see why, it was only that one time…"

"You almost stabbed him." Tetsuya's expression was so frigid it could have passed for a glacier.

"The key word being almost. But in truth I don't like him as well so I'm not really inclined to apologize. But we are getting off point. Come home Tetsuya, my Father is willing to-"

"He didn't accept me before why would he now? I refuse go crawling back to that man. I have siblings, a father. I have a home now…."

'Then why are you here?" The words stung like a slap to his face. Tetsuya stiffened sharply at them.

"You are not the boy I knew. He never would have said something like that."

"Maybe your right. Who know maybe things could have been different…" He trailed off with a bitter smile, so filled with pain Tetsuya almost wanted to look away and just for a moment both eyes were the same deep red, it was so brief he almost missed it. "I see I won't be able to sway you. How about a friendly wager. If you can best all of the Generation of Miracles and win either the inter high or the winter cup I will let you be with your new family and you won't ever have to see me again, if you wish. But if you lose to any of them you will return to the Akashi family with me." The short redhead 's eyes were again cold and unmovable, practically daring Tetsuya to refuse. Tetsuya paused, hesitating to accept, but he couldn't ignore what he had seen and the faint pang of guilt that followed it. So with heavy trepidation he took the outstretched hand and shook it.

"It is a bet. Now if you'll excuse me I have a match to win."