AN: Wow, sorry for the delay, you guys. School's been brutal. With ~4 AP classes, I've had tons of homework. Plus, I'm the web designer for my robotics team, and I didn't know very much when I started. So, I've been ridiculously busy and have had almost no free time. I actually punched this out in two very separate sittings. So, anyway, enough about that.
To my reviewers, thank you so much. I believe I've responded to all the reviews for chapter eleven. From now on, I will respond to all reviews on chapters after the tenth one. If you've stuck with my story that far, you deserve it.
Anyway, this is my longest chapter yet! By the title, you should be able to figure out who's playing. Also, this is the first chapter where I really make my own moves/techniques, so bear with the names if they aren't exactly great. So, yeah, here's chapter 12, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own (New) Prince of Tennis. Oh, well, I'll live.
Chapter 12: Synchro
Tezuka cleared his throat. This announcing thing was getting old really quickly. But, it had to be done. The bespectacled captain swept his gaze across the thirteen regulars in front of him (Yukimura was in the umpire chair, Kawamura and Ryoma were at the hospital, and Tezuka couldn't stand before himself. It just wasn't physically possible.). Those that had played thus far were a bit tired, but they were also looking forward to a nice show. The others were all anxious to play. After all, it wasn't everyday that one was able to play against such skilled opponents.
Tezuka grinned. Mentally, of course; he had to uphold the stoic captain image that made him so popular. The next match, though not exactly surprising, would be quite a display. With a gesture, he silenced all players present.
"Doubles 1: Kikumaru Eiji and Oishi Shuichiro of Seigaku versus Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara of Rikkai. Would you four please step onto the court at this time?"
While the four players and the other Seigaku club members cheered, the other regulars groaned slightly. Why was it always those guys?
"Aw, Tezuka-buchou," Momoshiro complained, "couldn't you be a little more original?" The stern glare he received told him that no, he could not have been more original. And, he better shut up if he didn't want to run an ungodly number of laps.
"Saa…I believe he is just pairing up players of equal caliber. Isn't that right, Tezuka?" Fuji asked. The spiky-haired junior shivered slightly at the malice emanating from Seigaku's tensai, but tried to hide it. At the moment, most of it was directed at Momoshiro and Tezuka. But, there was a small portion sent toward Niou.
Instead of a spoken reply, Fuji received a nod, confirming his statement. This angered the boy. What, was he not good enough for a simple "yes"?
For the moment, however, Fuji pushed this to the back of his mind. Although this match was going to be interesting, it would lack the novelty of the Nationals. Therefore, rather than paying attention, he focused on the next part of his plan. Or, more importantly, how to enact said plan. Oh yes, Momoshiro, Tezuka, and maybe even Niou would be in for a world of pain.
Itoshiko Akina was incredibly frustrated at the moment. And rather confused, but mostly frustrated.
Ryoma's condition was the antithesis of stability. One moment, his heartbeat would be normal. The next, it had plummeted or skyrocketed. There was also the fact that his neural activity levels were far higher than they should have been.
Itoshiko looked over the facts. Ryoma's condition should look more like this: a stable heart rate and semi-low neural activity. Basically, his situation was an extended period of sleep. So why was his body going crazy?
The doctor stepped into the room once more and blinked. He rushed to the bed. There was sweat on the boy's brow. Itoshiko checked Ryoma's temperature. It was only slightly higher than normal. He checked the rest of the boy's figure. The symptoms of slight fatigue were obvious.
If it weren't for the random drop heart rate, Itoshiko would have thought the symptoms were those of a person undergoing physical exertion or exercise. Maybe even playing a sport. His eyes widened to inhuman proportions. No, it couldn't be…could it? There was only one way to find out.
If he was right, this could explain everything. Itoshiko called a nurse into the room. After giving her instructions to pull another doctor into the room to act as a substitute, he gathered some materials and rushed off to the nearest place he could think of to test his hypothesis: Seishun Gakuen.
Atobe blinked in surprise. So, it looked like there was more to this than they'd first thought. It was interesting that Fuji could have acted like this previously. That meant Ryoma wasn't the only person who could put the tensai in such a state. However, Atobe's musings were cut short.
"What do you mean," Oshitari asked, "by 'it happened before'?"
Saeki turned his head to the blue-haired boy. But, it didn't seem as though he was looking at Oshitari. More like…past him.
"It happened about four years ago. You know, before he went to Seigaku. As you know, Fuji is a very protective person. Especially when it comes to the people important to him. These include, but may not be limited to, Yuuta, Yumiko, me, and, apparently, Ryoma. It takes something special to become one of his 'precious people'. But, the point is, he would protect them with his life if he could. Most of the time, that's fine. But, if one of them is hurt, Fuji loses control. That's when things go wrong. Very wrong."
A small, brown-haired boy of roughly four feet in height backed up into the support pole for the swing set. Yet again, one of the taller kids in the class had chosen to bully him. Said bully was advancing upon him like a predator stalked a cornered victim. 'Damn it,' the boy thought, 'why did it have to be today of all days?'
It eluded him as to why anyone would want to harm a fellow tennis player. That's one of the main aspects of tennis. It developed friendships.
He paused in his thoughts, though. Usually, the idiot harassing him would just verbally assault him for a few minutes and leave, thinking he'd intimidated the smaller boy. This time, however, it looked like he wanted to hurt him.
"Ha! You actually think you have what it takes to be a good tennis player?" the taller boy asked in a mocking voice. "You'll never be as good as your brother. You're too short, pipsqueak." The other boys laughed.
That was one thing Yuuta never understood. His brother was also short for his age, why did it matter? Oh well, it was time to retaliate.
"Hey!" Yuuta yelled. "Shut up! Don't compare me to my brother. We're completely different." The bully growled.
"Don't tell me to shut up, runt!" he howled, slugging Yuuta in the gut. He coughed up some blood as he sank to his knees.
"D-don't call me a r-runt, then," Yuuta gasped in pain. "Th-that kid n-next to you is shorter than I am."
"I told you to…SHUT UP!" the bully screamed, punching the smaller brunette in the face. A sickening crunch filled the air. Tears formed in Yuuta's eyes as he felt blood run down his face. A tingle of fear engulfed his limbs.
"Dude, don't you think that was kinda harsh?" one of the other boys asked, slightly frightened by the taller boy's actions.
"Yeah, we should get out of here before someone finds out," another added.
"No," the bully replied. "Let me finish showing this midget why he'll never be a tennis player." He turned back and kicked Yuuta in the stomach.
The younger Fuji brother curled into a ball, trying to escape the pain. But, the world started to fade as blow after blow rained down upon him. Just before he passed out completely, he heard a familiar voice.
"What. The. Hell. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" Fuji Syuusuke hissed, his voice filled with fury and venom.
As the world faded to black, Yuuta heard screams of pain.
Saeki sighed as he finished the story.
"I was with Fuji when he showed up at that playground. When he saw his little brother being beaten like that, he ripped those kids apart. I only gathered the other information when Yuuta woke up and told us what happened."
"What happened to those other little bastards?" Atobe asked, a tinge of anger in his voice.
"Well, Fuji did a real number on them. Actually, his ferocity scared the hell out of me. There were ten kids that day, including the bully. Six of them ended up with minor injuries. Three were sent to the hospital with broken bones and deep cuts. The bully, himself, ended up in ICU for a week. He had seven broken bones, a damaged lung, possible brain damage, and he was in a coma for five days."
Atobe whistled in surprise. That was very, very bad.
"So, basically, we could be facing something similar to that scenario?" he asked.
Saeki nodded. "How badly was Ryoma injured?"
"Ah, that's actually a complicated situation. Originally, Momoshiro hit him in the face, knocking him out. Before you ask, much of the issue was psychological. Ryoma has been out for three days already, today being the fourth. According to Inui's calculations, he probably won't wake up for another five days after today. But, in reality, Ryoma should have woken up two days ago. The injuries would only have caused a state of unconsciousness for about five hours. This means the gaki is going through some psychological issue. And, he's taking his sweet time about it, leaving us to deal with that insane third-year known to many as Fuji Syuusuke."
The white-haired boy frowned. This was going to be worse than last time. Far worse. Unless they did something to stop it.
"Nya, Oishi, Oishi! What strategy are we going to use?" Eiji asked energetically.
"Eiji," Oishi reprimanded lightly, "this isn't going to be an easy match."
"Nya, what are you talking about? We'll just crush them with Synchro!"
Oishi shook his head slightly. There was no point in arguing with the hyperactive red-head. He, of all people, should know that, so why was did he even bother?
"Okay, Eiji. If that's what you want to do, we'll activate Synchro right from the beginning and destroy them in six straight games."
"Yosh!" Eiji cried, bouncing with joy. When the two synchronized, he felt complete. It felt like there was a part of him that was missing until Oishi filled it.
"Okay," Yukimura began, "because Tezuka was the first to serve last match, Marui-kun will serve first, then Eiji-kun, followed by Jackal, and finally Oishi. So, then, Marui-kun, would you kindly start the match?"
Hearing his name, said boy stopped chewing and blew a bubble. After it popped, he said, "Sure, Yukimura-buchou."
He tossed a ball into the air, bent backward slightly, and served. He dashed to the net, setting himself up for a volley. Jackal, meanwhile, moved to the baseline, ready to retrieve any balls Marui missed.
A nanosecond later, the ball whipped by the stunned Rikkai regular.
Then, the two felt the familiar aura coming from across the court.
Eiji and Oishi were standing side-by-side, wispy whitish-blue vapors swirling around them. They eyes were a golden yellow, and their movements were identical.
"Synchro level 2," the Golden Pair said in unison.
Marui tilted his head in confusion. "Level 2? How's that different than regular Synchro?"
From the sidelines, Inui smacked his forehead in incredulity. "You mean besides the obvious?"
The gum-chewer turned to the data player. "Huh?"
"…For one, unlike the previous two times, they're speaking. That means, along with all the other benefits of Synchro, they are also conscious this time. Also, those two have been working incredibly hard on something that even I don't know about. Basically, you two are screwed."
For some reason unknown to the Seigaku regulars, Marui and Jackal shared a glance, grinning.
"Heh…we'll see about that."
And so, the match resumed, with the Golden Pair winning every point for the first three games. The Rikkai pair didn't fail to notice that the synchronized team hadn't pulled off anything unusual.
Then, of course, the Seigaku pair did. It was now Oishi's serve. Eiji tensed slightly, prepared for the next move. As the ball flew over the net, Seigaku's redhead used his Seal Step, making four projections. With himself included, it totaled at five. These five "clones" spread evenly across the court. When the return came, two of the Eiji's pulled off Hyoutei's Silver Pair's Pile Mirage. They moved in unison, on behind the other, throwing off the opponents' predictions.
"Inui-senpai," Momoshiro questioned, "what's going on? I thought Synchro Level 2 was supposed to be way better."
The data man's glasses glinted. "You'll see, Momo. Just remember this: In Synchro, the doubles partners don't have to communicate verbally."
Again, Eiji formed five clones which spread out across the court. Jackal noticed that Oishi stood at the center baseline, his arms crossed. Thus, he lobbed the ball, hoping to get over the multiple Eiji's. However, one of the clones grabbed another, throwing him into the air. The airborne Eiji performed a modified version of Momoshiro's Dunk Smash.
"Saa…I see what's going on," Fuji quietly stated. As if they were all in Synchro, the watching regulars turned to the tensai.
"Inui was correct when he said they didn't need to communicate verbally. Of course, they don't have to communicate at all; their minds are linked. Because of this bond, Oishi is able to control Eiji's movements. Not literally, but he directs him. It's similar to Oishi Territory."
The next statement by the Golden Pair confirmed his theory.
"You wanted to see the power of Synchro Level 2? Well, here it is. Synchro formation - Oishi Territory: Total Control," they said together.
"Plus," added Eiji with his signature grin, "that's only the first of three formations we created together."
That was all the Rikkai pair needed to hear. They pulled off their weights and turned to each other. With a nod, an aura formed around the two. It was almost identical to the Golden Pair's, but there was something slightly mysterious about it.
To say the rest were shocked would be an understatement. Some of the more animated regulars, like Momoshiro and Kirihara, were freaking out. The more mild of the group had wide eyes and slightly agape mouths. Even Yukimura's eyes widened. Tezuka looked as though his body was trying to break free of the stoic image it was constantly kept in. His eyes were twitching, trying to widen. So was his mouth. In fact, if it weren't for his incredible self-control, he would have been running in circles like the spiky-haired junior beside him.
"So, you two thought you were the only people capable of achieving Synchro? Well, it looks like you were sorely mistaken. We'll show you that Rikkai is truly superior. Synchro formation - Perfect Defense."
And so, the Synchro battle ensued.
"…ten…" Ryoma muttered as he hit a drop shot. Using Higa Chuu's infamous footwork, the shadow was at the net in an instant. As it hit a slightly clumsy return, Ryoma continued, "…eleven…"
With the opponent right at the net, the normal tactic would be to hit a lob over his or her head. But, with Shukuchihou, the shadow would easily be able to reach it. Therefore, Ryoma hit a powerful backhand cross shot, the ball slamming into the court.
"Twelve. Ha, I was right," the rookie said to himself.
The next point flashed through his mind in a maelstrom of images.
"Twenty-six shots," Ryoma stated, slightly startled by the size of the impending rally.
Echizen Rinko opened the front door to the Echizen home. When she did this, she expected a number of possible things to happen. The first was Karupin rushing to the door, hoping to find Ryoma. As expected, this occurred as a brown and white blur sped toward her. Rinko chuckled slightly as the cat stopped on a dime, almost tipping over.
She walked to over to the back porch, expecting to see her perverted husband. It came as a surprise, however, when she found the area deserted.
"I'll bet he's buying more of those magazines," she growled. But, this could be a good thing. This time, she would catch him with his "precious." Then, she would rip said "precious" in half, coat it in gasoline, and throw it in a bonfire. Yes…that would show him.
So, Rinko went decided to use this rare occurrence to accomplish one of the seldom completed tasks on her to-do list: relax.
Thus, she sat down on a couch, leaned back, and decided to wait for her husband to come home.
"I'm sorry, Echizen-san, but I don't believe you have the qualifications for this type of employment."
"A-ah, of course," Nanjiroh replied, "thank you for taking the time out of your busy day for my interview."
With a bow, the ex-pro sullenly left the office. This was the third place he'd tried, and the results had been the same. He just wasn't cut out for business.
"Damn it," he muttered as he left the office building. "What the hell can I do besides tennis?"
Nanjiroh's first thought of employ was, obviously, tennis-related. However, no sponsors would sign with him because of his age and retirement from the circuit. So, he tried to get a job as a trainer or coach. In fact, he would have been hired as a private tennis coach at a recreational facility, if it hadn't been for one woman. This woman was actually the manager of the place. And, apparently, Nanjiroh had tried to flirt with her on more than one occasion. This, of course, does not build a very positive reputation; and the lady kicked him out of the facility with threats of lawsuit.
Normally, because his wife was a very skilled attorney, this wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest. However, the ex-pro had learned long ago that it wasn't healthy to mess with an irate person of the female persuasion.
And, thus, he had fled from the area with the speed he'd built from so many years of tennis.
Unfortunately for Nanjiroh, every other tennis-related job was filled.
And that is what forced him to resort to the business district.
How had he applied for so many jobs so quickly? Amazing footwork, perseverance, and motivation in the form of angry women with whom he'd flirted.
He would only be able to check out a couple more places before he'd be forced to return home. For a moment, he considered the idea of working at…..less distinguished and professional places. Places that might be seen as non-T-rated… But, then an image formed in his mind. It depicted Rinko, having found out what he did for a living, throwing him through wall after wall, with no reprieve in sight. She was also stomping on a rather sensitive part of his anatomy. All told, it did not present a pretty picture.
Nanjiroh looked back up at the workplaces nearby. He spotted a flashy, but professional, wanted sign. As he stepped closer, he was able to distinguish the message on the sign:
WANTED
Persons with mastery over the art of communication. All applicants must have the ability to confidently speak with potential customers. They must also show initiative, confidence, and responsibility. Personal salary depends upon the ability of the employee. Please see a secretary inside for further details and to set up an appointment.
The, seemingly, limitless possibilities of this job intrigued Nanjiroh. Luckily, it was still open, so he stepped inside with a calm, even gait. His entrance attracted the attention of the only remaining secretary. The others had gone home for the day. She beckoned him forward. The pseudo-monk opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the woman behind the desk.
"I believe I can answer all you questions with a single word: Entrepreneurship."
In the Golden Pair's joint mindscape, Eiji and Oishi were discussing the match thus far and what to do about it. Rikkai's pair had evened the score in straight games, the score now three games all.
"Nya~ Oishi! What should we do now?"
"Relax, Eiji," he replied, "we can just use the next Synchro formation."
"Yosh! What would I do without you Oishi?!"
Seigaku's mother-hen just chuckled in response.
The aura surrounding the Golden Pair warped slightly, and the color changed to a greener tint. Their demeanors were completely different now. They looked as though there were slightly frustrated with something.
"Synchro formation - Unrivaled Aggression."
As soon as Jackal served the first ball, both moved forward. Eiji hit a return, and the two continued moving to the net.
Marui was at it in an instant, hitting it to the net, the ball landing on it. As it started to roll down, Oishi flew forward and hit a Moon Volley from the unusual position. But, Jackal was there before it touched the court, volleying it toward Eiji. Said redhead was ready and slammed the ball into the empty space in the court. The other redhead was at it again, hitting an incredibly high lob.
However, the Golden Pair was prepared for this eventuality. Eiji formed six clones with his Seal Step. The first hopped onto Oishi's shoulders, the next doing the same to the first clone. The final Eiji nimbly climbed the human ladder and jumped.
"Synchro Smash!" he cried, smashing to an open area. But, the Rikkai pair was already at the ball's destination. Hitting the ball together, one racket behind the other, they copied Jyousei Shounan's Tanaka Twins' Duo Union.
Oishi dove from under the pile of Eiji's, countering the return through sheer willpower. Jackal met it head-on, flipping the ball over Oishi's head.
Eiji, who was still airborne, pushed off the chest of another clone, and sped toward the neon orb. He hit a between-the-legs shot in mid-flip as he landed. Marui returned this, the ball bouncing off the net-pole. Both Oishi and Eiji rushed toward it, the black-haired boy getting there first. He caught the ball with the middle of the racket face, the ball on the side facing Eiji. Oishi spun, the ball staying still, and hit a forehand with serious power. In fact, it was enough to break through Jackal's racket.
Everyone was silent for several moments, stunned by the incredible display of skill and teamwork. Then, the cheering began.
"Sugoi!"
"Those guys are amazing!"
"Go Golden Pair!"
"Come on Jackal and Marui!"
All four doubles players were smiling broadly; this was the most exciting match they had ever played in their lives.
And, so, the rallies continued into a tiebreak. Each time, they pulled out a new move or increased their efforts. All the while, the Golden Pair were discussing an important matter in their mindscape.
"Oishi, should we try the final formation?" Eiji inquired.
"Not unless we have to Eiji. The equal skill levels have created this amazing match, so we don't want to crush them and end the match early. Plus, we haven't really completed it, so it might not be effective."
"Nya~ I guess you're right."
Fuji had been pulled from his musings in the fourth game of the match, when the Golden Pair had started using the Synchro formation – Oishi Territory: Total Control. The tensai had expected a match of the same caliber as that in the Nationals. How very wrong he was.
The match had set the kindling of an idea into the flame of a plan. He'd been able to develop his next plot of revenge in during those first three games, but hadn't been able to finish thinking. However, when the match rose to new levels of play, Fuji pulled some ideas from it and added them to his plan.
Now, though, his attention was focused solely on the match before him. The level of skill was far higher than any Fuji had ever witnessed, possibly including Ryoma's match with Yukimura. The strength of the bonds between partners remained uncontested.
It appeared, however, that the match was at its end. But, the tensai had a feeling the Golden Pair was holding back slightly. Oh well, another thought for another time.
Marui was at his limit. Even if the redhead wouldn't admit it, Jackal knew instinctively that they were on the edge of failure. It wasn't exactly a match to be ashamed of, though. This simple tennis match had escalated, to say the least.
With the tiebreak score at 207-208, Seigaku leading, it came as no surprise when Marui fell to his knees in exhaustion. Jackal did his best to cover for his fallen partner, but it was a futile effort. The ball flew past him, effectively ending the match.
Both pairs deactivated Synchro in unison. The three who had been standing fell to the ground. Marui, himself, passed out. However, because it was only due to exhaustion, there was no cause for alarm, and visiting the hospital, yet again, would be pointless.
The other three slowly followed him into the darkness, all of them having gone far past their limits. Amidst the cheers, Momoshiro, Inui, Sanada, and Yukimura each strolled onto the court and picked up a respective teammate, carrying them over to a grassy patch of earth beneath a nearby tree.
Tezuka was beyond pleased with the performance of his fellow regulars. It had been a match for the history books, going beyond the skill level of some pros.
As he waited for the four conscious regulars to return, the brunette looked back at the matches so far. There had been the match between Inui and Renji, with Inui winning easily. Tezuka looked over at Renji, who had been completely broken apart by the match. It appeared he was recovering, as he was now talking to Kirihara. The next match had been between the Niou-Yagyuu pair and the Kaidoh-Kawamura pair. Due to an unfortunate accident, Kawamura had been sent to the hospital, forcibly ending the match. Following that fiasco had been his match with Sanada. Due to the huge difference in training regimens, Tezuka had won the match with relatively little effort. But all of those matches paled in comparison to what he had just seen.
The four carriers now back, Tezuka turned to the regulars.
"That completes the Doubles 1 match. The final two matches are singles matches. In five minutes, I will announce the next match. The four of you who haven't played yet might want to take the chance to warm-up."
Tezuka went back to his musings. No matter what, the following match couldn't compare to this one…could it?
AN: So, you got to see part of Fuji's past. Don't worry, there's much more to come. Next chapter will have a nice long flashback between Saeki and Fuji that none of you will expect (maybe). Some of you may have noticed that Ryoma's getting very little spotlight in the last few chapters. That's more of a writing error than anything else; a rookie mistake. I progressed his match too quickly, so now I have to extend it by only putting small bits in here and there.
So, yeah, the usual. If there are any story/character/grammatical inconsistencies, please tell me. It really helps as a writer to know when you are making mistakes. And, REVIEW.
Oh, by the way, visit my profile for updates on the status of my stories/chapters. The issues mentioned in the Author's Note before the chapter will persist for a while, so updates will be slow. And, if you have the time, go and read my other story A Day in the Lives of the Freshmen Trio. The language is a little extreme, but the humor is my way of lifting my mood after doing semi-dark stuff. So, yeah, thanks again to all my readers and reviewers....especially reviewers, you guys are AWESOME!
See ya in the next chapter!
