Chapter XIV- Priceless Reaction

~Konnichiwa! 3 Sorry I didn't update for so long. As I've said to my friends there (You know who you guys are) inspirations just soooo darn hard to find! Plus it's been kind of busy these last few weeks. If you guys read my profile I've posted there why I wasn't able to update. : DD Also I've been a little lazy cause my computers malfunctioning and stuff plus some of my data for the story was missing... BUT I've found now soooo I'll update!:"

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! LOVE YOUR REVIEWS! HOPE THERE'S MORE TO COME! :* :) THEY ARE REALLY INSPIRING~!

LET'S START~! :"

NEAR THE TEMPLE

"Ne, Nanjirou..." asked Rinko as she and Nanjirou gather the things to the temple where the grand, or should I say, unexpected gathering will be held.

"Hmn." replied Nanjirou who was trying his best not to let go of the things he's holding.

"Do you think I was too hard on them?" said Rinko with a pitiful face. Don't get her wrong... Despite her strict attitude, her heart is the most thoughtful, caring and loving one... According to Ryoma of course. But when you ask her husband, the most perverted person on earth, most unduly mind ever... Yet the known legend that will never and I mean ever be forgotten on the tennis world and the father of our handsome tennis prince whom he entitled as his "baka oyagi" none other than. (insert drum roll) ECHIZEN NANJIROU.

So back to the topic. When you ask how Echizen Nanjirou will define his wife, the only thing that he will tell you or statement you'll hear from him is "An Echizen."

Want to know why? Well... You'll know on the next chapters.

As Nanjirou observed his wife whose face can't even be painted, he felt something stirring him that rarely happens.

"You know... I think they deserved it." he replied while smirking at her.

"How can you say that?! They aren't even an acquaintance to us and I've punished them like we've known each other for a long time!" exclaimed Rinko, guilt already surfacing her entire system.

"Then why did you punish them in the first place?" said Nanjirou as if letting his wife tell what she really has in mind.

Rinko was a little disturbed with what her 'stupid' husband just said. 'What the hell's the matter with him now?!' thought Rinko as her face started to show how confused she was.

As Rinko continues her internal rant, Nanjirou's amusement was getting larger and larger by the second. He loves watching his wife in times like this. 'Mataku, I'm getting mushy.' thought Nanjirou while smirking. 'Ohh. Seems like she'd done thinking.' he continued as his wife's face immediately lightened up.

"Nanjirou... Are you making me feel better?" said Rinko while smirking now stepping on the stairs towards the temple.

Nanjirou's face can't even be described by what Rinko just stated. He definitely didn't see that coming. 'Yup, he's an Echizen.' he thought trying his best not to blush in front of his wife. Hey, he rarely does sweet things since its always the usual at the Echizen Home. 'Ranting. Boredom. Smart comebacks. Smirks... Thinking of smirks, where's the brat anyway?' he thought. 'Better answer Rinko.' an evil thought came to him like a flash of a lightning.

"Don't flatter yourself woman. You're not cute like Sakuno-chan..." Nanjirou paused as Rinko's face was slowly turning red from anger. "But as beautiful as my woman."finished Nanjirou with a playful smirk on his face while Rinko's face immediately turned scarlet full force. Poor Rinko, she has such a teasing yet caring husband.

"S-S-Shut up." replied Rinko as she decided to went ahead of her husband. She might encounter more than she could handle. ;)

Watching Rinko went ahead of him, his smirk never left his face. Oh, God knows how much he likes teasing his wife.

As the couple have their little talk, somebody was watching them. Not on a singular basis of course but on a plural one. And when you say plural, it means many and when it comes to many I mean about 8 heads. And I know that you guys are already so familiar with those heads.

BY THE 8 HEADS

"Did you guys felt a little deja vu there?" said Momo with a smirk on his face.

The others smirked at him in return. Fuji opened his eyes. Inui's glasses shone. Taka-san was containing the fire within him. Oishi was just smiling triumphantly. Kaidoh was also grinning himself. Eiji whose eyes where closed while smiling which can almost reach up towards his ears, his hands turned to fist as he restricted himself into jumping with joy. And Tezuka... Well let's just say that his smirk is pretty obvious right now.

"Most definitely." They said in unison.

"Echizen got his teasing side from his father. Ii Data." said Inui.

"Don't you think Rinko-san resembles her?" said Fuji, his eyes still opened and his smirk not ever living his face.

"Hai, nyaaa~!" exclaimed Eiji with a big smile on his face.

"Wait... Is that a bad thing or a good thing?" asked Taka-san. The others looked at him as if he said something wrong. Tezuka was the one who decided to answer his statement.

"Of course Kawamura." he said. But it seems Taka-san still didn't get the point.

"Sempai, we can ask how they make up when they fight." said Kaidoh.

After Kaidoh's statement, they smirked like they won another competition. Not only because Taka-san got their point but also because they can somehow feel that their jobs were going to be easier.Oh, how wrong they were.

"I wonder where's Echizen? He should be here by now." stated Oishi as his worries began to surface once again.

"Don't worry about him, Sempai! He can handle himself." replied Momo. Though even with Momo's statement, Oishi's worries still didn't decrease but decided that there are more complicated things he should worry about. "Well then, let's go help Rinko-san and Nanjirou-san." he said while the others nodded at him.

SOMEWHERE NEAR THE ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

"Great... They're there." Ryoma said to himself with a sigh. He knows that his sempais mean well, but at times, they only worsen the situation. For example was when Sakuno and the first-year-trio were stuck with a bear when they went for training.

'If they just let me be the first one to attack the bear, then we would have finished sooner and has eaten sooner.' he thought as he mouthed a 'Mada Mada Dane'.

Then another thought came to his mind. 'Then again the best alway scomes in the last.'is what he thought while smirking. His smirk widened when he remembered that Horio was trying to protect Sakuno that time. "Yeah, right." he said to no one. He was about to get lost on his thoughts again when he spotted familiar bodies right on their front gate.

"Yo." he greeted the now lifeless, tired, drained, bruised bodies of their old enemies.

'Woah. Must be Mom.' he thought as he fought his smirk to become visible to them. He thought that maybe this wasn't the right time to provoke them. One wrong move and all their frustration will be transferred to him. And he definitely wouldn't want that now would we.

After a few seconds the once lifeless bodies started to move a bit, like it was telling that they were still somehow alive.

He was about to ask what really happened but was stopped when all the captains spoke in unison.

"Don't ask." They said in unison.

Ryoma's interest were once again in a high meter. He knows what his mother is capable of, but he didn't know it'll damage them this much. Well he never did experienced the real wrath of his Mother... Not that he wants to, he just wants to see it personally. Like the times when his baka Oyagi was beaten up by his Mother, oh how he tried his best not to laugh at his Father's face. But don't get him wrong, he's not that much of a sadist... There's someone who's much much more.

"Why not?" he said. But came no reply.

"Hmmn. Is it Mom?" he continued while smirking at them. The once gloomy aura hovering over them were now even more gloomier. Like... There was no hope left for them.

Of course, Ryoma noticed this. People around him were just so easy to read. Well, when you always see their faces the past few years of his life, who wouldn't? There were just some specific people who he can't read clearly. And I know that you guys already know they are.

"Bye." said Ryoma. But before he can walk around the pile they made, someone tugged at his pants. "What?" he said irritably. But when he turned around he saw not only tired tennis players but also desperate faces that looked like they need some help.

He said after sighing. "Fine. I'll call sempai-tachi." He was about to leave them when their desperate faces turned to confused ones. "What? You think I didn't know they were the ones who brought you guys here? Mada Mada Dane." he said before leaving other teams just sighed.'This is what they get for trying to help him.'is what every single one of them thought.

Inside the Echizen Household

"Tadaima." said Ryoma while taking off his shoes. He was about to go upstairs when their telephone rang. After a few seconds, nobody still haven't answered the phone.'Where are they anyway? Tsk.' he thought irritably. And so, he forced himself to just answer the phone.

Phone call

"Mo-." he said almost irritably but was interrupted by the person on the other line.

"U-uhm.. I-is this Echizen-s-san?" stuttered the cute voice who he knew very much. What better way to lighten up his mood than to hear the sweet voice of her little dense soon-to-be his GIRLFRIEND? We'll see about that.

He was about to answer her teasingly but decided that he should act like he wasn't in the mood. Which is most definitely NOT true.

"Which Echizen-san do you mean?" he said.

"E-ehh! R-r-r-ryoma-kun?!" exclaimed Sakuno as she remembered their previous...Activity.

Ryoma smirked. Sakuno was just too easy to read. Well, he didn't mind. It makes it easier for him.

"Who else do you expect to answer? Why did you call anyway?" he pretended to sound irritated.

"A-actually I-I was expecting Na-Nanjirou-san t-to answer. O-or, R-ryoga-nii-san..." she answered.

"Hmmn. Why?" replied Ryoma.

"E-Eh? Actually... Na-Nanjirou-san called e-earlier and said t-to come over... B-but O-baa-chan isn't free t-tonight b-because of some paperworks." explained Sakuno.

"Yeah... So?.." Ryoma said still waiting for Sakuno to finish her explanation.

"Well... I j-just called to say that maybe I-.. I... I'll be..." Sakuno was as nervous like she's about to sing in front of her class. Ryoma was getting impatient. He has a bad feeling about this.

"Say it already." said Ryoma irritatedly. This time it's not a pretend-thing.

"Uhmmm... I'll be the only one t-to come o-over." replied Sakuno as she heard no reply from Ryoma.

"R-Ryo-." "NO." she was cut-off with a clearly irritated answer from Ryoma.

Ryoma CAN NOT believe what he just heard. 'She knows very well that sempai-tachi are here. Is she insane?' he thought as his mind thought of different things they're going to do if she did came over.

"B-but-."Sakuno was a little surprised at first but its not right not to come over especially if you were invited.

"I said no, Sakuno. And that's final." said Ryoma curtly as possible. He beginning to feel really pissed by now.

"B-But Ryoma-kun! It won't be right i-if I won't come over!" said Sakuno as fast as possible. She doesn't want to be cut off anymore or else she can't explain things to Ryoma.

"And why not?" replied Ryoma darkly. 'This girl... Is as stubborn as ever.' he thought while massaging his temples.

"B-because Na-Nanjirou-san invited me. Also Ryoga-nii-san told me some things... Soo I-I just got to come over." said Sakuno as she tried her best not to blush as she remembered what Ryoga just said to her earlier.

Ryoma was beyond pissed by now. Especially when he heard her say his brother's name so lovingly... He definitely didn't like that part... NOT. AT. ALL.

"What did he say..." Ryoma said darkly. 'Oops. Wrong move... Why did I say that anyway?!' thought Sakuno nervously.

"J-Just s-something Ryoma-kun... Do-don't worry about it." replied Sakuno. But no reply came to her. She was about to say something when Ryoma started to talk.

"Sakuno... If you don't say it to me now... I'm going to break our promise... I'm serious." replied Ryoma as he heard a gulp on the other line.

'Mouuu. Why did you I have to say that? There is no way I'm telling Ryoma-kun that! Mouuu. So be it. Besides... I miss his warmth... Where did that come from?! Mouu.'thought Sakuno as she was now blushing full force. She can't believe she had those kind of thoughts.

"Well? It'll be my advantage neither way." said Ryoma as he started to smirk.

"M-mouu... R-ryoma-kun you know t-that I don't like t-those things..." said Sakuno as she tried her best mot to blush anymore.

Ryoma smirked at that immediately. He was having a great time, besides his brother part.

"Do you really Sakuno? Bet you're remembering what I've done to you, huh?" teased Ryoma. He is definitely having a great time.

"R-ryoma-kun! Mouu! I'm not really going to tell you! No way!" exclaimed Sakuno.

"Ok then. I'm coming over. Ja." replied Ryoma as Sakuno now hears the toot sound.

End of phone call

Before she can even react her mind was still slowly registering what just after she finally registered it.

"Eh?... EHHHHH?! exclaimed Sakuno which was heard by a boy who smirked evilly.

Ok, so first of all! I will not stop updating this story. I love it too much~! XD Thanks again for those awesome reviews.

So? How was that? Tell me what you guys think. ;DD

Wanna know when I'll update? Follow me at twitter RuthMi_chu smile all the way~!

Wanna be friends? Add me at Facebook

SORRY IF IT WAS A LITTLE SHORT. Hihihihi. XD Just felt I want to leave it with a cliffhanger. ;))) LAV YALL~! :*

So, I'll be leaving differently this time. :D No more titles for the next chapters. Just 'possible' scenes. ;)

Next Chapter: A baby arrives?! Wants Sakuno to be his Mom?! How will Ryoma, the Regulars, the other teams who barely made it react? A fast flashback how the other teams survived. Will Ryoma's sempai-tachi be able to finish their task? What will they do now?

REVIEW guys. :* :D :) :P ^~^V 3