Konnichiwa minna-san, mada mi-chan dess!! How's everyone doin?? Hisogashi desu ka? (Busy??)...Er, okay, I know, perhaps I'll be the only one now who's kinda free, we had our holidays started already!! So I decided to keep this story update and dedicated to all my kawai reviewers (cookies or flowers??) and also to those ppl who love the 4eva kawai no Sakuno-chan.

Standard Disclaimer: Font size? Checked, very standard!! POT and Jubei-chan Ownership: Checked!! Not me...datte, please don't sue me!!

Review of Chappie 6

"What...do...you...want!!" Tomoka shrugged.

"Don't deny, I know you hated her. She cheated on you, she's not your friend!! Come...join me, I'll give you power, the power to eliminate Yagyu Jubei!!" the man laughed hysterically.

"Ya...Yagyu Jubei...yada...yada....iiya..." Tomoka let out a horrified scream.

Chapter 7: The Tennis vs Love Philosophy, Tomoka's Attack

Tomoka breathed profusingly and wiped away those cold sweats forming on her forehead. She scanned around the dark room.

"What was that just now?? Yume ka (Dream)...?" Tomoka shrugged and let out a loud sigh.

"Tomoka?! What are you doing upstair?? Come and help kaasan to baby-sit your brothers!! I'm going out to buy some foodstuffs!!" Tomoka's mother called out.

'Mou...not again!!' Tomoka thought and let out a louder sigh "Hai...I'm coming down right now!!" Tomoka bellowed and quickly walk out of her room. Just before she was fully out of her room she turned back and looked into her room again!!

"Ma...ma, maybe I think too much..." She knocked her head and let out a faint smile.

'Hee...hee...hee...Osakada....Tomoka...Subarashi (great), your lost soul, I shall devour it, Yagyu Jubei...wait and see...hee...hee...hee' the shadow once again emerged and remarked nefariously.

Meanwhile...back to Sakuno...

Sakuno run as fast as she could just to keep Ryoma away from her. She felt hurt of what Ryoma had told her.

'Hm...she runs pretty fast!!' Ryoma who was still chasing Sakuno from behind watched her with amazement. As for Ryoma, who had been recognized by their team as speedy as an arrow, couldn't get hold of an ordinary girl. 'Perhaps she not ordinary afterall. Maybe she didn't know that she could move that fast too!!' Ryoma reasoned and sweat dropped when he saw Sakuno's now very far away ahead of him.

"Mou...Sakuno...." Ryomo stopped and slightly panted as to catch his breathe. He realized there's no point of chasing, besides it's him that Sakuno's reluctant to face.

'Ryoma-kun no baka...baka...baka...baka!!' Sakuno screamed inwardly. While running, she dried up those tears that was flowing unintermittedly from her eyes.

She keeps on running, unknowing which direction will lead her to, leaving both of her tiring legs with distress. Nevertheless she still keep on running and had eventually bumped into someone else when she was at the cross junction. Sakuno instantly fell flat on the ground but it doesn't stop her sobbing.

"Gomen...Ryuzaki?? What are you doing here?" the man shrugged when he saw Sakuno, vice versa, she immediately hold back her tears when she apprehended the guy whom she had bumped into.

"Te...zuka...bu...cho..." Sakuno sobbed and lowered her head to hide her teary face.

Tezuka fumed, but he said nothing at that time. Indeed he slowly approached her and help her to get up.

"Are you alright?" Tezuka asked when Sakuno took his hand and stand up.

"Y...es..." Sakuno who's now standing infront of Tezuka, stuttered and covered her face with both her hands.

"I take it as a joke, Ryuzaki!!" Tezuka exclaimed and let out another fume.

"I suppose Echizen's had sent you back home..." Tezuka asked while looking inquisively at her. She felt butterflies inside her stomach when she heard Tezuka mentioning Ryoma's name.

"Why are you still wandering around the street?" Tezuka shot another question when he did not get any reply from Sakuno.

"Go..men...ne..." Sakuno shrugged and slowly catching her breathe, still feeling embarrassing to face Tezuka.

Both of them stood like that for quite sometimes. Tezuka patiently waited Sakuno to regain her composure.

"Feeling better?" Tezuka asked again, this time knowing that he'll get an answer from Sakuno.

"Hai...gomen ne, bucho..." Sakuno apologized and looked up at Tezuka when he place a hand on her shoulder.

"Ryuzaki...what happened?" Tezuka resumed his previous questions.

"I...ano...bucho...are you going somewhere?" Sakuno asked hastily.

'What was she thinking, replying my questions with another question' Tezuka raised his eyebrow at first and thought annoyingly but somehow he managed to calm himself and replied her nonchalantly "In fact, I'm on my way back home..."

Moments later...

After a lumpish conversation, Tezuka made a decision and dragged Sakuno to a playground nearby his house. At first, Sakuno was overwhelmed by Tezuka's action, nevertheless, she had gratefully accepted his offer without further hesitation.

Sakuno fondly sat herself in one of the swing beside Tezuka, fixing her gaze towards the sunset's direction. Although she found it rather awkward, but she slowly explained to Tezuka about her feeling for Ryoma, except the kissing part. Tezuka understands what she meant. From the very beginning he had sensed that their coach's granddaughter had build up certain fondness towards their junior.

'It's not Ryoma's charisma, perhaps, she had felt something deeper than that, demo (but), what would Echizen think?' Tezuka silently thought.

"Yappari, there's nothing more important besides from tennis..." Sakuno sadly whispered.

"Ryuzaki...sometimes a tennis player had their hard time as well..." Tezuka commented sternly. 'So it's the professional sickness' another thought kicked into his mind.

"To Echizen, tennis gives him excitement and achievement, he loved tennis more than anything else...yes, indeed he's passionate, but for the time being he only applies his passion towards tennis..." he continued.

Sakuno eyes widen. She didn't know that the Seigaku's bucho could be so sentimental, based on what he remarked earlier. Yes, he's not that talkative type. He's always very discipline, stern and seldom smile. Or perhaps she never had a chance to even get to know him or other senpais. Recently she also realized that besides her obaasan and Tomoka, she also have her senpais who are caring for her.

'He's trying to cheer me up...Tezuka bucho demo, Ryoma-kun...' Sakuno thought intensely and Tezuka's word also making her wanted to understand more.

"Passion? Tennis? I don't understand...if he can have passion towards tennis, then why he felt so confusing when it comes to love...?" Sakuno asked wearily. 'Beside he's the one who stole my first kiss...' she mentally cursed Ryoma again...'Ryoma-kun no baka!!'

"Love??" Tezuka stated and it sounds more like a ponder.

"In tennis, love means zero...nothing!!" he commented sternly.

"This you must have understand, this philosophy always applied by most tennis players..." Tezuka continued.

"Love...nothing...it's sad to learn that, demo (but), it's doesn't bother me anymore...there's something more important for me to worry about now..." Sakuno commented. Tezuka was quite overwhelmed when he sensed coldness in her tone.

"That figures...thank you Tezuka bucho...for clarifying my doubts" Sakuno jump out from her swing and bowed at Tezuka.

"Ryuzaki...sometimes you really complicate yourself..." Tezuka stick an unusual grin at Sakuno.

"It seems so, anyway, gotta go back home right now, otherwise obaasan will be worrying about me..." Sakuno said timidly.

"Ryuzaki...matte (wait), I'll walk you back home" Tezuka said and with that he too rose up from the swing and walk beside Sakuno.

"Arigatou...bucho..." Sakuno smiled and nodded at Tezuka. Both of them slowly leave the playground.

While Ann and Kamio was on their way to the street tennis court, they saw Tezuka and Sakuno walking out from the playground.

"Ah!! Kamio-kun, look!! It's Seigaku's bucho, Tezuka...he's with...Ryuzaki-san?" Ann exclaimed while rubbing her eyes to make sure she didn't mislook anything.

Ann's exclaimation was too loud and was good enough to direct Tezuka and Sakuno's attentions towards them.

"Ann-chan, soshite (and)...ano..." Sakuno suddenly shrugged and blushed when she couldn't recall Kamio's name.

"So you are Tachibana's sister and Kamio Akira of Fudomine..." Tezuka said cooly. Both Ann and Kamio were overwhelmed when Tezuka remembered them. They quickly bowed before him and greet him politely, whereas Sakuno was still a little embarrased for not remembering Kamio.

"Hora, we are on our way to play street tennis, would you all like to join?" Ann quickly remarked to ease Sakuno's embarrassement and gave her a wink and divert her gaze and studied Tezuka's features, whereby he's still sticking his usual stern facade. Nevertheless those mean looks also seems rather attractive.

"Street tennis?? Sou...I've heard it from Oishi before, but, I'm afraid not, besides it quite late already..." Tezuka also politely excuse themselves and gestured Sakuno to leave with him.

"Ano...gomen ne, Ann-chan, Kamio-san, goodbye..." Sakuno make a quick bow before leaving Ann and Kamio with an awe. Ann stared at the leaving couple with her jaw ajar. She quickly pulled Kamio close to her. Their close proximity making Kamio blushed profusingly.

"Ne, Akira-kun, did you see that...why is Tezuka-san walking with Ryuzaki??" Ann asked curiously.

"Eh...beats me...didn't he just told us that he's going back home??" Kamio shrugged.

"No...no, it can't be, besides his home is that way, not this??" Ann exclaimed with two hands crossing across her chest and points her fingers towards two different directions.

"Ann-chan?? How did you know that Tezuka-san is staying somewhere there?" Kamio eyes widen when he saw Ann confidently point out the road to Tezuka's resident.

"Of course, he's my nii-san's rival afterall, besides, in our school there's lots of girls crazy about him....yappari...Tezuka-san...GAKOI!!" Ann screamed with excitement leaving Kamio slightly filled with jealousy.

"Ah...ah, then he must be sending that Ryuzaki girl back home then..." Kamio annoyingly pointed out. Ann quickly blushed and regain her composure upon hearing Kamio's remarks.

"Heh, great topics, Tezuka-san and the coach's granddaughter!! Perhaps we had just spoil their little date just now!!" Ann let out a slight chuckle.

"Omoshiroi, omoshiroi...(fun), sa...Akira-KUN, we better move faster otherwise the others will be pissed off for waiting both of us!!" Ann continued and dragged Kamio on his hands towards to the open tennis court.

Back to Tezuka's side...

They've been walking quietly for quite sometimes. Neither one of them had broke the silence as they walked along the quiet street causing the surrounding eerier.

"Ah...ah chu...gomen nasai..." Ryuzaki sniffed and excused herself. 'Mou...someone have been thinking about me...' she blushed.

"Feeling cold?...Ah...chu..." Tezuka too sniffed alittle when he let out a sneeze. Sakuno looked at him like an atomic bomb dropping down her head.

"Suman(Sorry)...the weather is typically cold today..." Tezuka murmured and quickly looked away from Sakuno who's now intensely staring at him. Sakuno eventually becomes aware that Tezuka's had notice her stares.

'Mou, Sakuno, don't do that again, it's too rude to stare at people like that' she cursed inwardly and face turns redder when Tezuka once again say something shoving off her embarrassement.

"Sorry...bucho, what did you say?" Sakuno asked timidly and instantly turns frozen when Tezuka pierce his glare at her for not paying attentions. 'Kowai...'

"I said, we're here..." Tezuka let out a fume.

"Oh...oh, yes, silly me!!" Sakuno place a hand behind her head and bowed before Tezuka and hide her reddish face.

"Ano...bucho..." Just when Sakuno was about to thank Tezuka, Ryuzaki-sensei opened the door and was rather shocked to see Sakuno and Tezuka standing in front of her.

"O...Obaa-san...where are you going?" Sakuno asked hesitantly seeing that her granny was about to lock the door.

"Why, I was so worried about you, not coming home at this time...so I decided to go around the street to look for you, in case you're lost again..." Ryuzaki-sensei chuckled when she saw Sakuno's face was all the while blushing, as red as tomatoes.

"But, I'm glad to see you coming back here with Tezuka, although I have not asked him for a favour to bring you back here today..." the coach continued and shot a suspicious stare at both of them.

"So...since you're here, wanna come in and have some tea before leaving..." the coach asked.

"No thanks, besides, my family is waiting for me, it's almost dinner time..." Tezuka replied. He then bowed before his coach and politely excuse himself and proceed to go back home.

"Ano...bucho...thank you, for walking me back home...sayonara..." Tezuka turned around again to meet Sakuno.

"You're welcome, ja mata ashita (see you tomorrow)..." he continued and with that he left the Ryuzaki's resident.

The Ryuzakis watched Tezuka's back slowly vanished towards to the end of the street. Just then when Sakuno turned around and head back to their house, she saw her granny giving her a mischievious grin.

"Heh...see you tommorrow...what does he means...??" the coach said teasingly.

"Hora, obaa-chan, hayakku get inside the house...it cold standing out here..." Sakuno immediately pushed her grandmother back into the house.

"Oh...just before that, Osakada had called up and was looking for you..." Ryuzaki-sensei informed her grand daughter just when Sakuno was about to enter the kitchen.

"Tomo-chan..." Sakuno fridgeted 'Sou yo...I had left her alone in the tennis court earlier...' she scolded herself and feeling slightly guilty for leaving her best friend.

"Arigatou, baa-chan, I'm going to call Tomo-chan now..." Sakuno quickly rush towards the counter and pick up the phone. The phone rang for quite sometimes.

At the Osakada's Resident...

"Oi...oi, don't do that...hora, don't touch this...mou, both of you can't you all just listen to me?!" Tomoka bellowed while keeping her two brothers' hands off those fragile wares. Her two brothers was causing her nuisance. She gently massaged her temples to sooth her headaches that's been there for quite sometimes.

"Mou...it's so troublesome..." she cursed and just after that she heard the phone ring.

She quickly grab the receiver and answered the phone "Moshi moshi, Osakada desu..." she answered gloomily.

"T...Tomo-chan desu ka? This is Sakuno..." Sakuno shrugged when she heard a loud bellow from Tomoka.

"Sakuno!! Where have you been? I was waiting for you all the time!! And earlier I called and you're not back home yet!! Didn't you know that I'm worry dead about you!!" Tomoka was racking over the coals without giving any chance to let Sakuno say anything.

"To...Tomo-chan, sumi masen, sumi masen...I know it's my fault that's why I called up and apologized to you..." Sakuno stammered when she could sense that Tomoka is still in rage 'Hora, she's really mad now...doushiyo...' Sakuno though wearily.

"Mou...Sakuno, you've been like that recently, what was bothering you lately...??" Tomoka asked feeling a little upset.

"Tomo-chan?? I'm...I'm alright!! Nothing had happened..." Sakuno lied.

"Huso (Lie)!! How could you said that? You even lied to your granny that you're staying at my place last night...but...where were you actually??" Tomoka hissed.

"To...Tomo-chan??" Sakuno eyes widen upon Tomoka's ponders "I...I..." before Sakuno could say anything, she heard an uncanny voice over her receiver.

'Yagyu Jubei....hee...hee...hee' the voice laughed devilishly. Sakuno instantly recognized the voice belongs to the stranger that had attacked her yesterday.

"To...Tomo-chan...oh no..." Sakuno immediately put down the receiver and rush out from her house closing the door behind her with a loud bang.

"Hora...Sakuno...what are..." Ryuzaki-sensei paused when she didn't see Sakuno around 'Sakuno??'

'Tomo-chan, Tomo-chan...no, it's my fault...please be alright' Sakuno thought wearily and cursed herself. She runs as fast as she could and within few minutes she reached Tomoka's house. She panted heavily and her heartbeats raises. She wipe off the sweats forming on her forehead and glare furiously at the dark shadow in the front door and later realized that it was her friend Tomoka.

"Tomo-chan..." Sakuno let out a sigh and slightly loosen up.

"Tomo-chan, I thought I've heard something...but..." Sakuno eyes widen when Tomoka slowly walks closer to her. She could sense a familiar killing aura surrounding Tomoka's body.

"Sakuno...give me the lovely eye-patch..." Tomoka exclaimed with a voice that was unrecognizable. Tomoka was being possessed.

"To...mo...ka?" Sakuno trembled vigorously when she saw a man's shadow attaching Tomoka's body.

"Sakuno, the lovely eye-patch...give me...or else, I'll have to take it by force..." Tomoka exclaimed and slowly step by step approaching Sakuno.

"No...the eye-patch, is not here...it's not with me...Tomoka, get hold of yourself..." Sakuno took a few steps backward.

"Sa...Sakuno...the eyes...patch..." with Tomoka's last sentence, she fasten her pace and jump over to attack Sakuno.

"Jubei-sama" a boy bellowed.

"A...yunosuke..." Sakuno was traumatized when she saw a tiny figures that was standing on the rooftop of Tomoka's house. The eye-patch in his hand was glowing radiantly.

TBC

AN: Minna-san, sorry, sorry. This chapter had taken more time to complete than I have expected...I've eventually got stucked somewhere in the middle...eto, but it's okay right now...though I'm not quite impressed with this chapter...hora...I'll do better for the next chapter, minna-san, gomen...

My dedications to:

koori no tenshi - Exams...(trembles and push away), that's the worse fears of my life...mou, though you're so busy you still drop by and read my fics...(sniff, sniff) URUSHI...

Starfreak-chan - Arigatou and I'm glad that you like my fics...I'm so happy!!

hannah-chan - Ah...no worries, the dead cells will regenerate...wha hahaha, and thanks for your support.

zazabeans-chan, Magy-chan, anime-obsession260, zhu-zhu, , glitterfairy, Sourapplegreen, Kiralacus, the Eiji Cat, abc and Sakuya-chan

Minna-san, hontoni arigatou...I'll do better for next chapter...

Preview: Chp 8 - Struggling love, a tainted soul

"Okaeri-nasai (Welcome home), Jubei-chan..." a man stood behind the bench and pick up Sakuno's lugage.

"Otousan...Tadai...ma...(I'm home)" Sakuno quickly ran toward his father and gave him a warm embrace.

"Yagyu Jubei and the eye-patch, you must have it with you...in order to eliminate the grudge..." the devilish voice remarked.

"Hai...Toukushiden-sama..." Tomoka amenably replied her master.