The Rise of Usui's Ghost

by SilentAssassin11

It's been several months since Impact Blue officially disbanded. Project D has been taking the Kanto area by storm, but after a race in which Keisuke's FD was damaged, they were forced to delay their schedule until the repairs are made. All the while, a mysterious silver car has been making runs across Usui Pass in the dead of night. Just who is this mysterious racer?

25. Chapter 25

The Rise of Usui's Ghost

Chapter 25

---

Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture

1:32PM

Confusion; it was a word that Sakumo rarely ever associated himself with but in cases like the situation he currently found himself in at the moment he couldn't help but think that it was an apt description for his current state of perplexity. So far, the day started off like any other since his return to Japan, a fresh mug of coffee, his copy of the day's newspaper and a hearty breakfast prepared by both his daughter and their recently arrived guest, Kaede. But if someone told him that he would find both Bunta and Yuichi at his doorstep just a few hours after everyone vacated the house to tend to their responsibilities he probably would have dismissed such a notion entirely due to how ludicrous it sounded.

He knew from experience that Bunta never went out of his way to meet someone, regardless of how important or how much esteem he held for them. So it came as a genuine shock to see the man standing by his Impreza casually smoking a cigarette with his arms crossed by the driveway along with a nauseous looking Yuichi. In the end, after a brief exchange that included a series of insults thrown at each other all in good fun and a relentless assault of teasing much to Yuichi's chagrin they decided to all head back to Shibukawa.

Yuichi chose to ride shotgun with him this time around, and while he would have initially preferred to immerse himself in his thoughts regarding his upcoming trip to Hiroshima with Reina and his plans for Yuzuru, the gas station owner had other plans. For most of the drive Yuichi sung nothing but praises after he'd managed to take a good look at his son's Sileighty he'd borrowed for the day, so much so that Sakumo was steadily growing annoyed by his enthusiasm but he eventually joined in on the conversation. A few barbs were traded here and there for old time's sake, their discussions taking on more light hearted banter by the time they'd reached Shibukawa but once again Sakumo found himself reminiscing as he cruised through the streets of the only other place he truly claimed as his home.

A lot had changed in the years since he and his wife had made the decision to move abroad in an effort to advance their careers but despite his attempts to acclimatize to life in each of the countries he settled in for an extended period of time, none of it came close to where his heart truly lay. Japan was his home, the land of his birth and it was also where his children were born. Everything he was, for better or for worse, was shaped by the experiences he went through all the way from the tight corners of Irohazaka, to the winding twists and turns of Akina. For this reason, Sakumo understood better than anyone why Yuzuru sought to return after a series of heart wrenching experiences in New Zealand.

Yuichi spared one of his oldest and dearest friends a glance, catching the sigh that escaped him along with the distant look in his eyes that spoke of his inner discomfort. His countenance was one he had seen on Bunta many times whenever he found the time to dwell on the past or his current state of affairs, but there was also an underlying sadness that was exceedingly difficult to miss. The look Sakumo had in his eyes spoke of the bitterness he felt for his family, the agonizing sting of regret and failure.

As things stood, Yuichi could scarcely imagine the thoughts that were running at the forefront of the former rally racer's mind. Few people were ever given such a rare glimpse of what it was like to be in the presence of a man who was considered to be among the rallying elite and possibly one of the best drivers to emerge from Japan, and even fewer still were granted the rare gift of counting him as one of his dearest friends. The public perception of Kurokawa Sakumo was that of an enigma; a man who had accomplished almost everything he could possibly want in life. In the short span of a glittering eleven-year career in the World Rally Championship Sakumo claimed numerous victories and cleared several stages to become one of the most highly sought after talents the sport had to offer.

He displayed an astounding sense of grace and balance, combined with a tremendous mark of flair and aggressiveness with each and every single corner he tore through in some of the most treacherous rally stages on at least four different continents and in the process, captured the attention of millions of viewers and enthusiasts across the world. Sakumo had once been touted as a World Rally Champion in the making, with his only potential challengers being the likes of Henri Toivonen or Juha Kankkunen in what would ultimately be his final season in the sport given the tragedy that befell his team in May of 1986, the death of Attilio; who had also been a close friend the season prior, and the accident suffered by Ari Vatanen shortly afterwards as well.

Thus at a young thirty-one years of age, the legendary Kurokawa Sakumo retired from the sport he had loved so much. It was a startling revelation and an almost incomprehensible decision for many of his fans and for those who followed the sport, but his reasons then had been sound and rightfully warranted. Group B Rallying had grown far too dangerous and the deaths that ensued in the two previous seasons had driven one of WRC's most beloved characters into early retirement. Here was a man who at the peak of his career, once had offers flying at him from factory teams such as Audi, Opel, Lancia, and Peugeot; each of them had been desperate for his signature as one of the clear favorites to win the championship but even their hopes were shot down by the time he announced his retirement.

In the coming years, many of these teams would often attempt to lure him back into the driver's seat of one of their rally cars but he was never dissuaded. Instead, he had chosen to take on a more senior position first as a chief engineer, and later a team principal. For a few years he worked for Lancia after ending his stint in competitive racing as one of their drivers, and ultimately he would return to Toyota, which is where he continued to work to this day. The media continued to follow his exploits relentlessly, gobbling up every detail it possibly could whilst still portraying him as that calm, humble, and intensely charismatic racer who had enthralled so many in the past.

But like all celebrities or athletes, the same fate befell Sakumo in regards to the perspective those on the outside held on him. In their eyes, he had fame, money, and the title of being Japan's most successful professional racer at an international level. Essentially, the Kurokawa patriarch was a man who had achieved what Yuichi would call a remote human possibility.

Indeed, Sakumo had anything and everything a person could ever hope to ask for but those who truly knew him like he and Bunta did, could easily see that a part of him was still not with them. He was broken, torn, and battered from all of his own personal experiences in life despite the witty remarks and sarcasm all done to poke some fun and shed some humor on any given situation. It was a look he shared with his son, and what he found to be the most ironic is that he either didn't seem to recognize it or did not know how to address and work through it as the boy's father.

'The greatest failure any parent could have; that's what has been eating at him the most,' he realized.

For those fleeting moments Yuichi was able to once again meet with the now eldest Kurokawa sibling, he was able to discern a very raw and uninhibited degree of anguish underneath his thin veil of calm and generally affable demeanor. There was no doubt it was genuine, for at least his brown eyes sparkled with warmth whenever he engaged the others in conversation the day he stopped by his gas station, but he could still pick up on the more subtle and virtually non-descript emotions that surfaced every now and then by way of the wistful gaze that settled on the FD he evidently cherished so much.

There were traces of nostalgia, coupled with a sense of emotional trauma and anguish plaguing the boy despite the well-practiced mask of indifference he carried at all times and Yuichi knew it would have foolish for him to deny that such a sight was not a cause for concern. Yuzuru had absolutely everything going for him at the moment, and his most recent string of victories in Gunma only served to heighten his growing popularity among those who belonged to the local and surrounding racing communities. The fact of the matter was that he was already a force to be reckoned with, another of the many talents produced by their home prefecture and a prodigy in his own right, but at the same time he was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off once all of the emotions he so earnestly kept in check finally broke through the wall he had built around his heart.

A chill ran down the gas station owner's spine, and the ever so familiar sense of foreboding began to settle at the pit of his stomach once he turned his head to stare out the window, silently acknowledging that they were now back in Shibukawa. With every thought concerning both Yuzuru, Sakumo, and the rest of the Kurokawa family beginning to eat at him inside, Yuichi released a deep sigh before vowing to watch over each of them in the coming months.

'The truth is that I care for each of them equally. I've been friends with Sakumo almost just as long as I have been with Bunta and I'd be damned if I just stood aside with my arms crossed and watched them drift apart from one another anymore than they already have.'

Sakumo's brown eyes narrowed on the street light several meters ahead of them and slipped the clutch in order to drop the transmission back into neutral. Yuichi had been unnaturally silent in the last few minutes and while it was not all that uncommon for the man to immerse himself in his own little world as a chance for a brief reprieve he was quiet, too quiet really and it was beginning to unnerve him after being subjected to his chatty disposition for the majority of the trip.

"Everything alright Yuichi? You're starting to scare the hell out of me," he remarked.

"Hm? Oh yes nothing to worry about, I was just thinking really," the elder man quickly dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"You must have been thinking pretty hard since you had this intense look on your face for a bit. Just be mindful of your brain, it could melt in the process if you're not careful enough," the former rally racer teased.

Yuichi rolled his eyes in response but the small smile that stretched across his features gave credence to his amusement. "So says the man who spends half his time contemplating without uttering a single word. I remember there were times when Masashi would grab anything he could get his hands on just to throw it right at you for being so distracted."

Sakumo winced once he registered this comment, easily recalling the few occasions when the first thing Masashi grabbed in order to chuck at him happened to be something sharp, pointy, or a rather blunt object. In the end, he gave a light shrug and snorted after setting the car in first gear.

"I always preferred to measure my words before I speak what's on my mind Yuichi. You should know that better than anyone else," he decided to point out.

"That is very true. But like your son, you also have a tendency to rarely reveal what it is you are truly thinking or feeling. If you also add your particular brand of stubbornness and that of your wife as you have pointed out so many times before, then you've got someone who is twice as obstinate and far more reserved than you are," Yuichi shot back.

For a fleeting moment Sakumo's eyes flared in surprise at his friend's outburst but he didn't dare deny it. Both he and Elizabeth were rather headstrong individuals and were difficult to dissuade from their methods. This was the first time someone outside his family managed to identify those traits in one of his children and he had to admit, the man was right. Where Reina was by far the liveliest when it came to her fiery demeanor and willful disposition, her brother was entirely different due to his emotionally detached temperament. Even if two years appeared to be ample enough time for someone to recover from a series of deep emotional wounds that followed one another in quick succession, Yuzuru's unhealthy penchant for being withdrawn to himself was enough proof for the contrary. The boy may have appeared to be friendly and outgoing on the outside, and perhaps even excited at the prospect of a new challenge, but if left to his own devices he would undoubtedly begin to dwell on his past and what he had lost.

"I don't disagree with your assessment," he steadily began whilst dropping the car back into neutral once he found a suitable parking space once they reached Masashi's shop. "But even if I'm his father I don't believe I will get through to him. There's only one person that can do that at this point and at the moment I don't think she's even aware of all that's happened since we first moved abroad."

Once again, Yuichi found himself in a state of perplexity once he received the younger man's cryptic response. He loathed it when his friends were being evasive, especially when they avoided the chance of elaborating any further than necessary and this was one of the many things both Sakumo and Bunta happened to have in common. It was frustrating to say the least, but seeing as they had finally arrived at Suzuki Motors the gas station owner decided it would be best to shelve the conversation for a later time.

Thus he settled for asking one final question. "Who exactly are you referring to?"

A smirk spread on Sakumo's face as the pair exited the car only to be greeted by an impatient looking Bunta and an enthusiastic Masashi. "I believe you've already met her."

With that, the former rally racer raised a cigarette to his lips and offered a hand to his mechanic friend as a greeting.

"About time you show up around these parts again," Masashi exclaimed.

"It's only been a few days since I was last here you moron," he grunted. "And besides, would you care to explain why you were desperate enough to send Bunta all the way over to Matsuida just to tell me that you needed to see me?"

Masashi cast a sidelong glance to the elder Fujiwara who was too busy attempting to light his own cigarette. The man glared furiously at his offending lighter, scowling once he noticed that he had run out of fuel. Sakumo immediately tossed over his zippo lighter without even missing a beat.

"He was the one who volunteered you know," Yuichi interjected.

"On a Tuesday of all days? You know for a person who operates a rather successful business I'm somewhat surprised you would decide to take a day off out of the blue just to visit me Bunta. Did you miss me that much?"

Bunta cocked an eyebrow shortly after detecting a faint trace of amusement in his friend's voice and blew out a round of smoke. "Don't flatter yourself bakayaro, I still owe you for the favor you did in procuring a new engine for the Eight-Six and I suddenly found myself with some time on my hands. If you want me to leave just say so, 'cause I have plenty of more important things to do."

"Right, because sitting outside your shop all day smoking and reading the newspaper from cover to cover definitely counts as a major priority doesn't it tofu man?" was Sakumo's derisive remark.

Yuichi and Masashi shook their heads at the behavior exhibited by the two former racers. Even after all this time it seemed once Bunta and Sakumo were in close proximity to one another they would revert back to their old habits. Insults were traded as the pair mocked each other, resulting in their banter escalating to the point where one would have mistaken them for a pair of adolescents who got along well enough to shed some humor between them.

"Alright children I believe that's enough," Masashi swiftly cut in. "We'll end up being here all day if you two don't get your act together and while I enjoy reminiscing about the past as much as the next guy none of us are getting any younger with the more daylight we burn."

In an instant the two middle aged men settled down, but Masashi certainly didn't miss the faint smiles they carried as they strode over to his garage.

For a normal week day this particular Tuesday had been rather uneventful in terms of business. Most of the customers that had dropped off their vehicles for some routine servicing or maintenance in the past few days had all been picked the previous day which finally left him with ample enough time to focus on the latest project he had taken on at Sakumo's request. Among the more senior tuning shops scattered across Japan and even those who were rather well known, the name Suzuki Masashi would forever be remembered as the one that belonged to the greatest mechanic to ever come out of Gunma Prefecture and arguably one of the best Japan ever had to offer.

Well over ten years had passed since the day Masashi had walked away from the tuning scene and although he left with a glowing reputation, those select and loyal few who continued to pay him visits were people he held in very high esteem. In some cases, some of these people had gone on to found teams of their own in the professional world of competitive racing. Every once in a while some would come to him with special requests, seeking his input or knowledge whenever said teams were in the process of modifying and adjusting their cars and even then he was extremely selective among the job offers he took on. The simple truth was that he enjoyed his privacy; he enjoyed living a quiet life away from all of the attention of fellow mechanics and magazines who often made a name for themselves by seeking out people like him based on his past exploits and writing articles about them.

Being your average honest and hard-working mechanic offered a semblance of normalcy in his life, and it was a very dependable source of income as a result of his established clientele. His last day as an operator of a tuning shop was back in 1986; the very same day when Bunta, Sakumo, and Kogashiwa Ken all held what would ultimately turn out to be their final street race.

'A flat out three-way battle, no holds barred. I worked on all three of their cars individually in order to prepare and tune them to complement each of their individual driving styles. It didn't surprise me when Bunta came out on top, but that race was one that would go down as the one that cemented his status as a king of the touge. It's hard to believe that it was so tight that Sakumo and Kogashiwa ended up crossing the finish line at the same exact time!' he fondly recalled.

'But nevertheless, all things must come to an end.'

Nowadays, Masashi could readily declare that he preferred the quiet life of being an owner of a little, non-descript shop in Shibukawa. The intimacy it offered, coupled with the young and energetic crew he surrounded himself with continued to keep him on his toes and that was without even mentioning the fact that several of his own employees developed a tendency to place him on a pedestal based on the respect they gained for him, coupled with the vast wealth of knowledge he had to offer as a seasoned mechanic. Very few knew of them knew of his past self and the glittering career he left behind, but on some occasions he would drop a few hints here and there just to see what sort of reaction he could elicit from them. More often than not, his young employees were left thoroughly perplexed whenever they happened to recognize some of his illustrious clientele and rumors would run rampant across the shop.

On one occasion, the famous Tsuchiya Keiichi dropped by for a visit given how well-acquainted they had been in the past; he had been another one of their merry crew of ragtag scoundrels back during their street-racing days and had developed an enduring friendship with Bunta and Sakumo in particular. The priceless looks he received from the kids at his shop that day would be something he would never let them live down.

In his mind, today would be absolutely no different and right as they reached the open entrance to his garage he saluted Nakajima, one of the few who were on shift for the day who just so happened to have stepped out for a quick smoke. The boy offered him a nod in return, as he was still in the process of lighting his cigarette up until his eyes caught sight of the man who trailed behind him. In the span of a quick second, Nakajima froze and his still yet to be lit cigarette tumbled from his mouth only to land on the asphalt surface of the parking lot with a low thud.

Unable to restrain his amusement, Sakumo sent a wink in the young mechanic's general direction before walking into the shop followed by a laughing Yuichi and a smirking Bunta. Masashi had warned him previously of the way the other mechanics would react if they were to be in the presence of a Japanese racing legend and if initial impressions were anything to go by, there was plenty for him to look forward to.

Bunta stole a drag of from his still burning cigarette, his half-lidded eyes landing on the partially disassembled white FD sitting towards the back of the garage. In a matter of just a few days, Masashi had been able to strip the car of its engine, coupled with the entire front end and the breathtaking v-mount intercooler. For a man who always prided himself in being a staunch traditionalist, Bunta couldn't help but admire the pristine condition the car was aesthetically. The ride height was perfectly calculated, and a small part in his mind couldn't help but wonder how the car behaved on the downhill. Balance, suspension, brakes, and weight distribution were by far the most critical aspects a car needed to possess to become a true threat on the downhill and this made it easier to judge Yuzuru's progress as both a driver and a mechanic.

'Not bad at all for a kid who's only nineteen years old. Takumi could learn quite a bit from the boy seeing as he's got plenty of experience when it comes to getting his hands dirty.'

"Two sides of the same coin," he muttered under his breath.

While both teenagers possessed an absolutely staggering capacity to adapt which enabled them to polish their skills as drivers Bunta could still clearly discern that Takumi was the more skilled of the two when it came to his approach behind the wheel. The boy was his son after all, but it was also his duty to point out that he still had much to learn even if he felt that there wasn't much he could teach him personally. In regards to the mechanical aspect of being a street racer, one needed to be able to assess nearly each and every single intricate detail before even one little step was taken. Road conditions, along with varying changes in weather, and debris were all major contributors towards how a driver would choose to set-up a car by selecting a layout that best suited the chosen course.

This was one advantage Yuzuru clearly had over Takumi, and given his knack for hitting the sweet spots for anything which even remotely resembled an engine in addition to his ever methodical approach, he had little doubt the boy would prove to a worthy adversary once he rediscovered the form that had eluded him as of late. The reigniting of the infamous Fujiwara-Kurokawa rivalry was something he was very keen on witnessing, mostly as a reminder of bygone times and to see how the second generation took charge of one of the most distinguished mantles to ever roam across Gunma's touge.

A short smirk passed over Bunta's lips as he turned on his heel to join his group of friends. He took hold of his cigarette, flicking it lightly in an effort to discard some of the ash that hung of its burning end whilst squinting towards the disassembled 13B that sat on a stand beside a work table which consisted of numerous parts pertaining to the twin-rotor power plant. A series of large turbos lay on it, easily nestled between a pair of rotors that appeared to be well-maintained along with the eccentric shaft and apex seals neatly placed on a clean surface.

"I must admit Sakumo, for the most part this engine is in almost impeccable condition. Anyone can tell that she's been doted on quite a bit considering rotaries are notorious for being very thirsty machines in both fuel and oil consumption. Most of the internals are in great shape but the rotors and the housings are what have me worried the most."

Sakumo's eyes narrowed with clear interest after hearing Masashi's assessment. He'd spent his fair share of time helping out Gentaro work on his rotary powered vehicles on many occasions in the past and he had also expected as much of a response once the formerly professional mechanic spent enough time with the FD but it did little to ease the underlying sense of anxiety he felt once he drew closer to inspect the rotor housings.

"If you take into account that this engine has never missed a single of scheduled maintenance, has been rebuilt more times than we can ever hope to count, and experienced a tremendous amount of abuse as a result of consistent racing in the past eight years you'll no doubt realize that it's about time for an overhaul. She's been through a lot and the housings can only take so much more before she gives in."

"I see… and I have no doubt you've already taken note of the hairline crack on the second housing as well," the former rally racer decided to lay bare.

Masashi dipped his head in affirmation, adopting a grim look once he ran one of his calloused hands over the thin crack. He knew from personal experience that all rotaries generated far more heat than the conventional piston engine and with time, the stress built up from constant use and high-revs would undoubtedly contribute to a final blowout once the aluminum housing finally gave in. A full on thermal meltdown would be the ultimate culmination, the moment upon which the FD Yuzuru so desperately cherished would be lost forever. Its fate was unavoidable now, of this he was absolutely certain and although he knew both siblings held a soft spot for the car he wasn't going to sugarcoat it for Sakumo.

In the past few days Reina and Mayumi had been the only two pairs of hands he personally allowed in aiding him in the disassembly process, providing them with the chance to learn and develop their own mechanical knowledge. Working with the two girls had proven to be an enlightening experience, thrilling, insightful and quite fun as well but the reality was that he did not want them to be in his presence once he gave Sakumo his final verdict on the remaining life expectancy of the 13B.

"Yes," he slowly began. "I'm afraid she's just about reached her limit Sakumo and to be brutally honest she won't hold up much longer. What you're looking at now is a thermal meltdown just waiting to happen and the truth is that she's got about three to six months left of life in her depending on the course of action you decide to take. If the FD continues to be raced as hard as it has been in the past with the current boost settings there is little chance she will survive more than a month… My suggestion would be to de-tune the engine and run on lower boost settings, which would mean there would be less strain on the engine and she would be golden at least for a little while but…"

The mechanic paused for a moment, drawing a breath as an excuse to gather his thoughts while meeting the pointed gazes of his three oldest friends. None of them were strangers to this situation, each having been through the painstaking and possibly agonizing ordeal of having to part with an engine they had worked so hard to bring out its best. For any diehard street racer or car fanatic, the engine was a labor of love; one upon which many hours, days, weeks, months, and years were spent in pursuit of their own brand of peak performance. Parts went in and out, multiple runs on the dyno and a meticulous amount tuning was but a few of several steps they each took as they developed their skills. This was perhaps one of the most crucial methods many of them used to judge their progress and if one truly thought about it, it only gave further credence to the saying that a car was only as good as its driver. In essence, they mirrored one another.

Deep down, Sakumo knew his son would take the loss of his beloved FD the hardest not only because it represented how far he'd come in the past few years, but also because it represented something far more profound on a more emotional level. The FD was one of the last surviving ties to his past; serving as both a fond reminder and a curse to what he had gained and lost despite his young age. Having one's happiness torn from them, only to learn that the one person you always knew you could count on was no longer with you was the worst blow a boy of seventeen years of age could ever receive and a burden one no one should ever have to shoulder on their own.

What good were all those cups and medals he'd amassed over the course of a stellar eleven-year career as a rally racer in Group B if he couldn't even perform the one duty he swore to never forsake? Sakumo knew he'd failed in his duty as a father when one of his children needed him the most but this wasn't what stung the most. He remembered the look in his son's eyes shortly after his arrival to Japan two years prior, how dull and lifeless they were and the air of cynicism he seemed to carry with him despite the very convincing mask he held at all times. That warm, child-like innocence he recalled to be so endearing was forever snuffed out and in its place was the cold, calculating and reserved individual Yuzuru became.

Regardless of the vast improvements the boy had made since then there were still traces, there were still signs of that lost and misanthropic personality lurking somewhere beneath his seemingly open and friendly demeanor and he couldn't deny how much this worried him. Losing the FD would be the final nail on the coffin and such a blow would undoubtedly be equally as strong as the previous two occasions. In essence, the FD was the one thing that hadn't abandoned him. She was a constant companion; one that had stuck with him through thick and thin; in the best and worst of times.

Sakumo sighed and lifted his piercing stare to rest on Masashi. "But?" he pressed on.

"But we both know that won't happen…" Masashi finished.

Bunta nodded, recalling several occasions in his own youth when he made a reckless decision and came out paying for it in the end.

"Indeed," the resignation in the elder Kurokawa's voice was clear as day to them all.

"Should Yuzuru decide to increase the boost and go for more power I have serious doubts the FD will be able to survive the harsh conditions of either a downhill or uphill battle given how prolonged they are. The housing will no longer be able to withstand the heat generated and once it slices clean through, the spinning rotor will punch a hole though whatever's left of the housing, it will fry all of the internals and the twin turbos will cook too. All in all it will be one violent blow out and there's a very big chance it will be messier than the one Takumi had in the Eight-Six."

A deathly silence hung over the four near-middle aged men. Not one of them wished to speak, each closely pondering the relatively few options available as their minds continued to digest the thorough analysis provided by the most seasoned mechanic among them. It was undoubtedly a very difficult notion for them to swallow, knowing that there was very little they could do to either save the rotary powered machine or to prolong its life for at least a little while longer than the estimated six months. Bunta experienced it himself not too long ago once the aging 4A-GE once previously housed in his old Trueno was about ready to give out but at the very least he'd been prepared for it. His son's reaction on the other hand, would serve as both a lesson and a reminder of when he experienced it himself in his street racing days.

Letting go of something one treasured so deeply was just about one of the most difficult things any person could do but it was a also one of the most sobering lessons life threw in one's way. Over the course of his forty-six years Sakumo had discovered just how immeasurably cruel life could truly be in this aspect given the number of friends he'd lost in his rallying days along with his most recent and undoubtedly toughest loss to date. Henri Toivonen had once told him that life itself was very beautiful, but it was also tremendously cruel and not for the first time the former rally racer who had accomplished so much felt compelled to agree with his fallen friend.

"So…" Yuichi croaked out, successfully drawing each of them from their inner musings. "What's your plan Sakumo?"

"I've a few ideas to be perfectly frank but there's only one I've truly set my mind on for now."

Each one of them stared at the youngest member of their entourage, expectant glints taking shape on their visage as the man in question stroked his five o'clock shadow in a calculating manner.

"Well?" Bunta grumbled in restrained annoyance.

A ghost of a smile touched Sakumo's lips. "I'm heading down to Hiroshima this coming Thursday and I'm bringing Reina along for the trip. We'll also be paying Gentaro a little visit and I'm curious to see if I can manage to prise one of those engines he's got laying around at his shop."

Both Masashi and Yuichi gaped at Sakumo, the shock and surprise clearly written all over their faces while Bunta remained entirely nonplussed. He seemed to be giving the matter a fair bit of thought and if there was one thing he knew about the complex man who was Asahina Gentaro, it was that he possessed a golden touch to absolutely anything related to the non-reciprocating design that was the wankel engine. Very few people in Japan knew about Gentaro as much as they did about Amemiya-san, but those true rotary enthusiasts who knew their history along with their facts, held a very profound respect for the man who spent almost his entire career endorsing Mazda's flagship rotaries. Their victory at Le Mans with the 787B could to some extent, also be accredited to him as a result of his tireless work.

'It almost makes me wonder what he's planning to stick under the hood. I very much doubt it will be another normal 13B but if Gentaro is going to be the engineer behind the future resurrection of this FD then I'm willing to bet it's going to be something that could very well land all of us in jail after pulling another stunt like this a second consecutive time.'

---

Irohazaka, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture

1:47PM

To those who knew him, Sudo Kyoichi was a man who was both respected and feared in his home prefecture of Tochigi. He was talented beyond a doubt, and knew a great deal about the intricacies of driving a turbocharged vehicle mated to a 4WD drive train. His technique among those in the Emperors was virtually unmatched and a testament to the years he spent cultivating his skills at the Gymkhana, Iroha Slopes, and ultimately the Todo Juku. Every single street racer in Irohazaka knew who he was and more often than not many of them looked to him for guidance, counsel, and some sort of advice to help them improve their overall technique due to his position as the undisputed leader of the Emperors and their Lan-Evo squad.

Although he would never admit it, deep down Kyoichi knew he enjoyed this relationship he had with his teammates along with those who were looking to test their mettle and polish their skills on Irohazaka. Even with his loss to Ryosuke several months prior it was safe to say that things came out all better for it since it served as the wakeup call he'd needed. Almost all traces of his previous arrogance were gone by now and while he still very much remained the ever prideful and calculating individual everyone knew him to be Kyoichi was now a far more patient and open-minded person thanks to his sobering experience at Akagi.

Whenever he wasn't busy with other responsibilities, he often took the time to work with each and every single one of his teammates and today was no different. As their leader, Kyoichi was acutely aware of each of their strengths and weaknesses in addition to where they were the most apparent; thus he made it a point to focus on them by running practices and pouring over as many posted times they possibly could to see why, where, and how they could improve on the following run. Despite it being a week day, he was free from the constraints of work, and for once his young protégé decided to cut classes early in order to get a head start at Irohazaka for some practice runs.

As thing stood so far, his third best driver continued to display an astounding degree of skill behind the wheel of his red Evo III since claiming a spot among what was hailed as the Emperor triumvirate in Tochigi. For a boy of a mere eighteen years of age, Naruse Toshiro had outperformed and out raced almost all of their most experienced of drivers and Kyoichi was not so blind as to ignore such a talent when it came around. His race against Usui's newest Sileighty was the perfect way to bring him out into the spotlight and while many among their numbers were expecting him to wipe the floor with Kurokawa at Akagi nothing could have prepared him for the revelation he received after meeting him on Akina the previous Saturday.

Merely a full year and a half prior, Kyoichi had just been dealt his first crippling defeat by none other than Takahashi Ryosuke at the helm of his FC. The damage his pride as a street racer and as a member of one of the strongest teams in Tochigi took as a consequence, an almost incalculable toll on his state of mind in addition to his self-delusions since he still refused to accept his loss. Over the course of the next several months Kyoichi spent a great deal of time on his own, attempting to perfect and prove the ultimate superiority of his race circuit techniques in preparation for the rematch he would have against the man known as Akagi's White Comet.

Even then, he'd known that this self-imposed quest to prove all of his doubters would eventually force him to look for new opponents to race against and once he had successfully established himself as the best driver on Irohazaka he decided to scour the neighboring prefectures for a fresh set of challenges. In some cases, Kyoichi encountered some true gems over the course of his travels around the Kanto region and there were a few races which ended up quite memorable for both parties involved but once he decided to head to Kanagawa he discovered a whole other animal.

By the time Kyoichi arrived Kanagawa was abuzz with life in the nearby touge. Sidewinder was the undisputed top dogs when the prefecture's infamous 'Lines of Defense' were taken into consideration and this generated a perfect balance among the street racers who chose to base their operations in Yokohama and the surrounding areas. Nearly every touge he visited was packed with massive galleries and as he settled into the nightlife in Kanagawa he immediately began to pick up on the rumors and stories passed around by word of mouth regarding the an unknown FD bearing Tokyo plates who was already threatening the established hierarchy.

The air of mystery surrounding this hallowed FD along with its unknown driver at the time left him in quite a state of perplexity and a deep desire to see the car who was rapidly becoming known as 'Kanagawa's Kamikaze' to determine if the person was worthy enough to challenge.

'I spent a good number of weeks looking to see if I could build a profile on the driver and I was never able to properly locate a reliable source,' Kyoichi recalled with a certain degree of frustration.

Indeed, Kyoichi knew Toshiro was in for a very difficult and quite possibly tumultuous debut outside of their home prefecture and for good reason. Setting up his youngest teammate against a more experienced and better known driver was a grave miscalculation on his part and there was a very big chance they would both end up paying for it but deep down there was something Kyoichi still couldn't place.

The skill Kurokawa so unabashedly displayed for everyone to feast their eyes upon meant that he was by no means a mere amateur and the grace his Sileighty possessed combined with its very imposing aura was quite the sight to behold but he still lacked that fire, that viciousness he had during his brief tenure as Kanagawa's Kamikaze. This peculiar but albeit crucial detail is what made him stay his hand from calling off the race altogether and so far he had yet to regret his decision.

From Kyoichi's standpoint Kurokawa was a rather complex individual and almost entirely unpredictable which in turn rendered him a very dangerous opponent to people like him. For a boy who was only a full year older than Toshiro, Kurokawa Yuzuru's reserved and calculating demeanor was too similar to that of Ryosuke's for his liking. Despite being more vocal about his thoughts their initial meeting the previous Saturday left him rather impressed after seeing how he stood his ground along with his indifference for much of their conversation. Kyoichi often considered himself to be a good judge of character and once he took the time to analyze the teenager who once struck fear into the hearts of many Kanagawa pass racers he found him to be charismatic, affable, passionate, willful, and a tad bit naïve at heart.

Only time could tell if his most recent deductions on the driver of Usui's newest Sileighty proved to ring true and so he would continue to lie low, tapping any potential sources along the way to see if he could build a better profile before he sat down to analyze Kurokawa fully. What little he knew about him was based on only some of his most recent exploits and a very few number of races towards the end of his time in Kanagawa. For someone of Kyoichi's reputation and standing this fact alone was wholly unacceptable for him and all the more infuriating. Not even some of his most reliable contacts were able to produce a single ounce of new information on the kid's background, history, and previous opponents save for those very few they already knew of.

Kyoichi crossed his arms, lifting his shrewd gaze once his trained ears caught the ever-so familiar exhaust note of a 4G63 in the distance followed by the pleasing sound of a wastegate fluttering. It was a sound no member of the Emperors ever grew tired of and once it drew closer many heads instantly turned, all desperately awaiting the completion of Toshiro's third consecutive run of the day. Just seconds later their youngest member and newest ace emerged from behind the tree line, his red Evo III screaming for the next gear as he tore through the second and final bridge that lay right before the finish line.

Some of their numbers whistled approvingly, others held looks of combined admiration and respect, and then there was Seiji… his second best driver continued to sport that mad grin that didn't seem to leave his face since Naruse's induction just a few weeks earlier and while he did take note of the fact that the burly man had changed for the better as both a pass racer and as a person ever since he took their youngest member under his wing, he still had somewhat of a reckless streak. It was no longer necessary to keep an eye out for him at all times but Kyoichi was still hesitant to let him oversee their new recruit's development by himself.

'Proud, demented older brother indeed,' the blonde man thought with a shred of amusement.

As soon as Naruse's Evo III blew past the finish line Kyoichi clicked his stopwatch, ignoring the expectant looks he received as he glanced down to get a proper read on the latest time posted by their teammate.

"Seven minutes eighteen seconds, not bad at all," Seiji spoke for the rest of them to hear.

"That's at the very least a full ten seconds quicker than his last run!" another member muttered in undisguised shock.

Kyoichi's slipped a cigarette to his mouth, his steely gaze falling on the approaching Lan-Evo.

"It's not his best time yet. Naruse is only just getting warmed up," Seiji reminded their surrounding onlookers. "Once he gets a few more runs under his belt he'll probably trim it down to somewhere in the seven minutes nine seconds range."

"In other words he's being careful because it's still daytime and there may be traffic coming down the pass."

"Precisely," Kyoichi cut in just as Toshiro parked his car a few spaces down from them.

The young high schooler promptly killed the engine and exited his vehicle to rejoin the rest of his gathered teammates. An immense feeling of joy and pride coursed through him as he studied each and every face in their small crowd of nine, enabling him to identify the looks of determination, reverence, and delight. Meetings like these, especially during the day were a definite rarity due to the fact that several among their numbers were always busy with prior engagements and the responsibilities that came with work but this was the first time in the last few months since the close-knit inner circle within the Emperors convened at Irohazaka.

These nine drivers who counted themselves as members of the Emperors were considered to be the cream of the crop by their fellow peers, each of their positions within the established hierarchy earned through sheer will, dedication, and a vast array of accomplishments against many of their prefecture's most gifted street racers. They were the decision makers, the people Kyoichi trusted the most to handle things whenever he was simply too preoccupied with some specific task but if there was one thing they all knew about their leader, it was that he always had a very good reason for the way he did things. Calling such a meeting meant something big was in the works and Kyoichi, being the ever methodical and coolly efficient strategist he was, already had a part for each of them to play.

Seiji mirrored his leader's earlier actions by crossing his arms, a smirk spreading over his face at the expectant looks they received from all of their top members. "Alright Kyoichi, now that you've gathered us all here would you care to share what all this is about?"

The blonde man nodded silently, taking a few steps forward to address the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming. Now, most of you already know me well enough by now that I rarely ever call a meeting out of the blue like this without a very good reason but to be completely honest with you all Naruse's first battle outside of Irohazaka will be his most difficult challenge yet and for very good reason. There's no doubt in my mind that each and every single one of you will be there to offer him your support and advice every step of the way and while I am thankful for that this past Saturday's developments have forced me to rethink our strategy against Kurokawa and his Sileighty. Simulation Three will not be suffice given the disturbing information we came to learn during our meeting with him."

Murmurs and whispers immediately took hold of the tension that permeated the air, with several of the young men in their group exchanging glances of confusion and genuine surprise. There were even a few gasps here and here, but Toshiro ignored this in favor of the unrelenting conviction displayed by both Kyoichi and Seiji while they studied each of them carefully. Evidently, they had been expecting this much of a reaction from their little group but otherwise exhibited to visible reaction to some of the low comments made by a few.

Nevertheless, Kyoichi waited patiently for the voices to die down, gathering up the small file he kept with what little rumors, reports, or information he'd managed to gather from only the most reliable of sources. A light scowl tugged at his lips, leading him to mentally curse at how thin the file really was. He loathed being in the dark about anyone of his potential targets or challengers and while he did recognize the boy to have a tremendous amount of talent as a street racer he was the kind of person who always kept his cards close. His reputation for being one of the most cautious and ruthless drivers in Tochigi was not unfounded and he always derived some form of pleasure at the chance of picking apart the accomplishments and past excursions done by those who the Emperors sought to race against.

Although some would argue his methods were very underhanded, no one could deny that they always yielded results irrespective of how long it would take him to accomplish them. Kyoichi was very much aware that they still had time on their side and there was a very big possibility that Kurokawa was not racing at his very best. The boy had confessed that he was still growing accustomed the quirks and individualities that came with his Sileighty as the replacement of his FD and this in itself, was yet another advantage for their side. In addition, this would not be the first time the Emperors would have race on Akagi. Kyoichi knew he could still rely on his experience and memory from his last race there which would undoubtedly prove to be an invaluable asset in Naruse's preparation.

A few more seconds passed, but the silence finally returned. Kyoichi took it as his cue to continue.

"Now, while I'm sure you're all curious to know what went down that night I still feel compelled to ask how many of you know of the driver who was once referred to as Kanagawa's Kamikaze?"

Toshiro visibly flinched after hearing that moniker once again, recalling with no small amount of uneasiness just how dark and murderous Kurokawa's previously vacant expression became after Kyoichi's incessant barrage of intrusive questions. It almost reminded him of a wounded animal, an animal that was at its most dangerous when cornered.

Several hands went up in an instant, with only a few who retained a completely neutral expression but it was very important to note that those who gave no visible reaction to Kyoichi's previous statement were those who belonged to the much younger sect of drivers who made up the Emeperors top nine. Most of them were only recent high school graduates pushing towards their early twenties and as a result they were considered to be a different but promising generation by their older peers.

"Forgive me for speaking so suddenly Kyoichi-san, but what does this driver have to do with Kurokawa?" Aoyama their newly demoted No.4 driver asked.

"Everything Aoyama," Kyoichi replied. "Kurokawa showed up to the meeting driving a white FD bearing Tokyo plates. At first I didn't give these details any more thought because I never even considered the possibility that the driver once known as Kanagawa's Kamikaze could have been so young. Many people in Kanagwa considered this mysterious driver to be someone who had loads of experience under his belt and naturally, someone who was at the very least well into his twenties. His technique was practically unrivalled compared to those he faced on the downhill and it would be remiss of anyone to deny how unbelievably skilled he was as a driver given how managed to come out of a downhill battle against Sidewinder's Shinigami completely unscathed even if many would consider the result a draw between the two."

Aoyama's eyes widened and he drew in a breath after registering the severity of their leader's words. "Hold on Kyoichi-san surely you can't be saying that-"

The Todo Juku graduated raised a hand, cutting off the young man's voice as he sighed. "Kurokawa himself confessed to being the driver. In all honesty I even had a few doubts at first but once he started to answer some of my questions everything began to fall into place. Besides, we all know that someone like Takahashi Ryosuke would never be led on by a claim as outlandish as this if there weren't some semblance of truth to it all."

Toshiro remained silent as groans, sighs and a few sparse comments were made by those in his group. In some cases there were even a few who began to clutch their heads or cover their faces in obvious shock. No one would have expected Kyoichi, a figure most revered by their entourage could have made such a grave miscalculation.

Seiji, being the prideful man he was immediately grew disgusted by their display and he growled before turning to address their group as befitting his status as Kyoichi's Second.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing. Are you all really so pathetic that you would give up on one of your top drivers just because this little punk can show off with some of those fancy drifts and reckless moves? Have you all forgotten that the Lan-Evo is by far the superior car compared to something as measly as a Sileighty or the small little detail that he's gonna be up against Toshiro who just so happens to be our number three? You are all members of the Emperors and that's something we all take a great deal of pride in but this little show you all put on after Kyoichi told you the news is nothing but one big slap in the face! This race will be the kid's first outside of this prefecture and instead of cheering him on, instead of providing tips, advice, demonstrating faith and letting him know that he can count on each of you for his battle at Akagi you all assume that he's gonna lose! If I were him I would be insulted!"

In an instant, all eyes were back on their youngest recruit whose face had taken on a deeper shade of red. He was far more embarrassed to be the center of attention more than anything else and while he did find the comments made previously by his other teammates a tad bit offensive Seiji's outburst was more than enough to draw his attention from the direction his thoughts were heading. Several of his fellow teammates had the decency to look ashamed while others apologized outright and so he inclined his head as an assurance that he bore no ill will for their momentary lapse of judgment.

"Are you done Seiji?" asked a stone faced Kyoichi.

Seiji nodded in response, "Yeah you can take over."

"Right; now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Kurokawa will undoubtedly be the toughest opponent Naruse will have faced yet. He is talented and he is a very dangerous target, but I still firmly believe that we can pull through. There were a number of observations I made the night he was up against Iwamura's cousin at Usui and even now I still have trouble reconciling him as Kanagawa's Kamikaze but one thing that was abundantly clear to me is that his temperament behind the wheel of his Sileighty is remarkably different compared to when he used to drive the FD. He has speed, efficiency, and a very bold streak but none of them compared to what he used to be like."

"Wait so what are you saying Kyoichi-senpai? Are you saying that Kurokawa's gotten slower instead of improving in the time since he stopped racing in Kanagawa?" Toshiro inquired.

Kyoichi shook his head. "Not entirely. What I'm saying is that Kurokawa has yet to fully adjust to his Sileighty. He's figuring out its quirks and mannerisms, which means he can't go all out, not yet at least. This generally happens to anyone who finds themselves transitioning from one car to another and the main issues any driver will encounter is growing accustomed to a whole new set of wheels after racing another car for many years to the point where it were as if it had become an extension of his body. It's a very heavy drawback and its one advantage I'm planning for you to exploit to its very fullest."

No one could argue behind that logic. It was an experience many of them were familiar with and a very common occurrence for any driver who'd spent many years developing their technique to suit their particular car. Dedicated street racers, those who aspired to be something greater were the ones who always slaved on their vehicles the most. Kurokawa was no different in this, and it was a weakness only those like the ever so observant Sudo Kyoichi could manage pickup after just one night of scouting.

"There's something else as well…" The blonde man paused in mid-sentence, considering his words carefully before continuing. "Back when Kurokawa raced with his FD in Kanagawa he was far more aggressive in his methods. He raced like a man possessed, like a man who no longer had anything to lose and it showed through his callous disregard for his own safety. He was absolutely brutal when it came to dispatching his opponents and in most cases some races wouldn't even last past the first round because of how effective he was in disarming them on a psychological level. Kurokawa excelled at mind games and to some degree he still does which is why Iwamura was defeated so easily, but it feels like he's still lacking something. I can't really place it myself and its more of a gut feeling than anything else but I'm starting to that he'd either holding back or he's hit a bit of a snag in terms of the overall development of his technique. He's a tad bit slower, there's no denying it and so far the numbers speak for themselves but this doesn't mean we can stride into this race thinking we've already won it."

"Damn straight!" Aoyama shouted with renewed enthusiasm. He threw an arm over Toshiro's shoulder, a feral grin set firmly in place as he glanced at the kid who had taken his spot in the team's top three less than a few weeks prior. Evidently there were no hard feelings on his end, despite being outshone by someone who was a good three years younger than he was.

Many people would have been surprised given how the general public perception of the Emperors was not all that favorable to begin with since they had developed a reputation as being one of the most arrogant teams in the entire vicinity of the Kanto area, but each of them would be damned if they weren't loyal to one another. One thing Kyoichi had always prized above all else was instilling a sense of unity and fearlessness amongst their ranks. They needed to be a close-knit group, one that behaved like a family and shared their greatest of victories to the worst of defeats only to face up to them and learn from each of these experiences.

None of them cared what other teams or drivers from neighboring towns or prefectures thought of them, they generally preferred to keep to themselves and as a result it didn't come as much of a surprise when they received some very cold treatment from those they challenged but where most would have worked to improve their team image Kyoichi instead viewed it as a blessing in disguise. The Emperors were now a name that became synonymous with all things related Lan-Evos and by extension, their dominant track record at home and away ensured that they were a team to be both feared and respected even if they were viewed upon by their Gunma counterparts with thinly disguised contempt.

Several calls and shouts of encouragement arose from the group and soon most of them were chuckling amongst themselves, all ready to offer their upmost support. Kyoichi's words did more than enough to rouse their spirits, injecting a fresh bout of confidence that hadn't been there just a few minutes prior. Toshiro's upcoming race against Kurokawa would no doubt be one of the toughest any single member of the Emperors would come to face.

The importance of walking away with a favorable result was most certainly not lost on Toshiro, and for a brief moment a spike a fear washed over him. He was afraid; not because all of his teammates were placing all their hopes on him, but because he feared giving his absolute best would still not be enough to pull through with a win.

The young man of eighteen years of age forced back a scowl in favor of pursing his lips, crushing any of his inner self doubts in the process.

'I've a little over two weeks to prepare myself for the downhill battle at Akagi and I sure as hell plan on using that time. I'll show everyone in Gunma and those street racers from Usui that even their precious Sileighty can lose to someone who's fresh on the block if they're not careful.'

Like all experienced street racers, Toshiro was also well aware of the fact that even hot-streaks of consecutive wins could be brought to an abrupt end. All he needed was a good strategy, and an endless amount of patience where he could sit back and watch in order to properly dissect Kurokawa's technique and learn from it himself.

'There's very little I know about Kurokawa's past races but if he's capable of carving his own legend in Kanagawa in the short time span of a year and a half then he means business and I can't afford to hold back any punches. I have to get better, I need to get faster and doing so means memorizing ever crook and cranny Akagi has. There's no room for mistakes,' he thought.

---

Matsuida, Gunma Prefecture

2:16PM

It had been two long years since Shiori had ever set foot in Gunma Prefecture. To some degree she could scarcely believe it had been that long since the last time she'd decided to the prefecture a visit in the hopes of catching some of the action that had been occurring during Takahashi Ryosuke's early days, well before the RedSuns were formed but looking back on it now she could only muster a small, rueful smile.

She spared Tatsuru a quick glance shortly after he brought his S2000 to a halt at a red light, her smile widening a teensy bit more once she caught him appraising her with a raised eyebrow. At times it was rather easy to forget how well the younger man knew her due to the fact that they'd been the closest of friends for many years now and almost as soon as her thoughts began to drift over to the past he instantly fixed her with one of his infamous stares that did well enough to communicate what he didn't need to put into words.

"Sometimes I think you know me almost too well Tatsuru."

The Tochigi native shrugged in response. "I can say the same for you sis, but to be honest you're sometimes quite easy to read. You have a habit of toying with your hair whenever you can't get your mind off something so why don't you get it off your chest before we get to Matsumoto Speed?"

Shiori sighed but nodded nonetheless. "I feel confused," she began. "It's the first time I've come back to Gunma since-"

The young woman paused in mid-sentence, swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat as memories of much happier times flooded her mind. Her heart ached the very moment she tried to force the words out but even now, two years after her whole world came crashing down around her she still found it difficult to carry on despite being in much higher spirits recently.

"Since he left us," Tatsuru finished for her.

"Yes." Her smile faded entirely, replaced by a more contemplative look but it did little to hide the pain in her eyes.

A brief silence fell upon them but it was not unwelcome either. This momentary reprieve gave the pair of street racers a chance to gather their thoughts in an effort to move away from such a deeply emotional subject. They had spoken about it at length many times in the past and as painful as it was for them to bear they knew it was the only way of getting everything off their chests.

Coping with such a profound loss was never easy, it was one of the toughest lessons life decided to teach them despite their young age. Neither of them were over twenty five years of age; in fact, many would argue that they were still in the prime of their lives but Shiori preferred to think differently.

She had both loved and lost, and in the process she discovered that she'd very nearly lost the only other love she had remaining in her life: cars. Shiori looked down to her hands, her piercing stare growing harder while her lips formed a tight line after she registered how they continued to tremble in what she knew was a combination of stress , anxiety, and nervousness.

'I nearly gave everything up, all that time and hard work I put into becoming a mechanic and driver I could be proud of and I nearly threw it all away because I continued to dwell on the past... that is what makes it all the more frightening,'

Tatsuru cleared his throat, setting the car in first gear once the light turned green. "To be honest I rarely ever came to Gunma myself Shiori. Even after I signed for Honda I always avoided this prefecture like the plague because everything was still too fresh in my mind... it still is actually, and you very well know that there were times were I questioned why I even tried to go pro anymore. There wasn't any satisfaction in giving my all to win a race anymore. Everything just felt hollow without him around."

Shiori didn't respond to her friend's statement. There was no need for it. She was glad to know that she hadn't been the only person to nearly lose their way in the time since he left them. That passion, that love they both shared for the rush, the excitement and sense of adventure for anything requiring them to get their hands dirty, along with the ever-so familiar pull of G-forces whenever they tackled a corner head on at such tremendous speeds without even so much as batting an eye was something they would never grow tired of. She and Tatsuru were street racers first and foremost, they lived and breathed pass racing and it was a title they both held a tremendous sense of pride in, as the most decorated pair to ever come out of their home prefectures respectively.

They had cheated death. On more than one occasion Shiori could distinctly recall the several close shaves they'd each had, how close they had come to losing far more than their prized vehicles on a dark night with extraordinarily poor visibility and only their opponent to guide them through some desolate touge as they raced to the finish line with little regard for their own safety. Trading paint had been a common occurrence once things got a little rough and a few bumps here and there from some very frustrated opponents were telltale signs that things were about to escalate to a whole different extreme but their little trio, their infamous Kanto Triumvirate, always walked away with another victory under their belts right up until that fateful night in Kanagawa.

Nothing had ever been the same since then; where most of their friends had done their mourning and moved on with their lives both she and Tatsuru struggled throughout the agonizing process. For a time the young man beside her had been left with a great deal of bitterness in his heart, a thirst for revenge and an unyielding desire to hunt down the cause of so much of their suffering by making things even. It was a foolish endeavor, one she quickly focused on quashing for fear that she would be left alone if something were to happen to yet another person she held close to her battered heart. She had already lost the one person she loved above all else and Shiori was not willing to part with someone she regarded as a younger brother.

She loved, trusted and cherished Tatsuru; he was the one person who had remained a constant companion after their lives were turned completely upside down and for that she would be eternally grateful.

'He's all I have left.'

In a sense, Shiori knew she had come a fair bit closer to finally letting go compared to the previous two years combined and this was due to her newfound determination stemming from her desire to meet Yuzuru. Tatsuru had spoken fondly of him, describing how aggressive and captivating his technique was down the very last detail; how he'd found a whole new sense of purpose from the very first time he'd heard that surname again after what seemed like such a long time.

Kurokawa. It was a legendary name in the racing world, both on the streets and in the rally stages across the globe. It was a name revered by all motorsport enthusiasts in Japan due to the level of success associated with it. Whenever someone spoke of Kurokawa Sakumo, it was usually in the same sentence as Tsuchiya Keiichi or Takahashi Kunimitsu. The man was by all accounts a national treasure even if he never won a title over the course of his WRC career. He was someone both she and Tatsuru had looked up to all their lives, and yet nothing could have prepared them for the one, single time their paths would cross in less than favorable circumstances.

Yet another sigh escaped Shiori, only this one was far more audible. She made a conscious effort to extract herself away from any lingering negative thoughts that had occupied her mind for the past minutes but it did little to aid her when it came to how torn she truly felt about being back in Gunma.

"I know that Shibukawa is almost an hour drive behind us by now but I think I would like to stop there on the way back to your place if you don't mind. I-I still haven't visited Kakeru and it's high time I did," she suddenly spoke up.

Tatsuru inclined his head in acceptance, the corners of his lips offering the ghost of a smile as reassurance. "I think he'd like that very much. I'll be sure to make the stop once we finish things up here in Matsuida but for now let's focus on you getting to meet the kid alright? The last thing I want you to do is get all emotional once you see him," the amusement laced in his voice was not lost on Shiori and she gave him a playful shove in response.

"Did you have to bring that up now?" she asked.

The Tochigi native gave a light chuckle, glad to see the teasing remark successfully brought her out of her inner musings.

"Aw c'mon Shiori, you may act all fierce and independent on the outside but we both know you're one big softie on the inside."

This time around the dark haired mechanic hailing from Kanagawa raised a closed first, regarding young man driving with one of her infamous inscrutable looks. No words needed to be spoken between them, they had been through this countless times and they all knew how it ended. One silent threat was all that was needed to put even a certain pro racer with no small amount of pride back in his place.

"Alright, alright relax mattaku," Tatsuru muttered under his breath. "You need to learn to take a joke every once in a while and careful where you aim that thing, you know I bruise easily!"

Shiori laughed once she heard her friend's comment, leaving her companion with little doubt as to whether or not it was genuine. It was good to see her lively again.

"Sometimes it's just better for you to quit while you're ahead Tat-chan."

Almost immediately Tatsuru felt his spirits soar with joy.

'She hasn't called me that in years,' he mused.

It had been a very long time since he'd been last heard the pet name Shiori bestowed upon him shortly after they'd first met and to hear it once again only brought forth a fresh wave of nostalgia.

"So, how far are we from Matsumoto Speed?"

"Not far at all, we're already in the center of town so just a few more blocks. I made sure to get a good look at the map before we left Maebashi," he assured her.

The young woman crossed her arms from her place in the passenger seat, satisfied with the answer she received which in turn gave her the chance to properly gauge the small town that lay around them. Compared to Shibukawa or Maebashi, Matsuida was significantly smaller, operating as more of a resort town that lay just off Usui and neighboring Nagano. Some of the streets were particularly narrow as well, which undoubtedly was due to the rough terrain that surrounded them among the mountains but there was an undeniable sense of calm and ease that just raced through her once she took in a breath of fresh air.

'I could get used to living in a place like this.'

At best, the town of Matsuida had a population just shy of seventeen thousand inhabitants. It was a far cry from the well over three million that resided in her home city of Yokohama and admittedly, a welcome change to the bustling city life and nightmarish traffic jams she'd grown accustomed to over the years.

"It must be nice to live around here, very peaceful and quiet," she remarked.

Tatsuru nodded in acquiesce. "Mm, and not many people either but I still can't wrap my head around how Matsumoto manages to keep his shop running when he's practically out in the sticks. I've known him for quite a few years now and aside from you he's always been the only other person I've trusted to work on my car but it also goes to show how loyal his customers are to him. Many people come through this town because they've heard just how good he is at what he does and it seems it's picked up a whole lot more in the last few months."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Ryosuke was there a few weeks ago and I managed to catch up with him this past Saturday when we were waiting for the kid to show up. It turns out Yuzuru has been working for him for almost six months now and he's impressed Matsumoto as well."

For an instant Shiori's eyes widened considerably, the surprise she felt was fairly evident across her striking features but before she managed to inquire any further she was distracted by the quick series of downshifts as the famous tuning shop finally came into view.

A vast array of vehicles all ranging in makes and models were neatly parked beside one another and what was most incredible to her was how they seemed to stretch for three entire rows before leading up to the large and equally spacious garage that so proudly displayed the name of Matsumoto Speed.

For someone who already had plenty of experience working as both a mechanical specialist and an ECU programmer, Shiori knew that she would be lying if she said nothing of what she was witnessing was impressive. The degree of meticulousness and constant strive for perfection all the mechanics physically embodied was nothing short of a marvel to witness and for a while she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to work at a shop that operated with such efficiency.

As much as she abhorred admitting it, Shiori already knew that the shop she worked for in Yokohama paled in comparison to the sheer presence Matsumoto Speed exuded from the very moment they pulled into the parking lot. In terms of her current position at her shop back home she happened to be the only in-house tech who had built her reputation as one of the best in Kanagawa, selling custom made ECUs and tuning cars for customers requesting for her services exclusively even when she wasn't on the clock. Few people in the tuning community even knew who she was, but they did know the moniker she'd adopted and made her own for in the last two years.

Tsugumi.

To most people it was a relatively unassuming name, one that held little meaning other than it being a nice name to bestow on one's daughter but for Shiori it was something to uphold and a mark only she could bear. When written out in kanji it translated to "beautiful black jewel", a rarity since it was far more common for people to write it with two characters rather than three but the simple truth of the matter was that it had been the name her former love once bestowed to his beloved SW20.

This name, this title she took on was something she did out of remembrance and the level of intimacy their trio shared as one of the fastest teams in the whole Kanto area. Each of their vehicles had been given a name by their respective owners, as something that signified how much work, time and effort they placed into building their machines to become some of the fastest across many a touge. These names were terms of endearment, of a bond forged with their cars through countless hours spent tuning, tweaking, testing, and practicing in order to improve on their skillset.

Of the few people she'd allowed into her closest circle of friends, Tatsuru along with her current boss happened to be the only two people who knew of her identity as the famous or rather infamous Tsugumi, the black jewel of Kanagawa, and an absolute genius ECU programmer. Even some of the biggest tuning shops across Japan were struggling to get ahold her but as soon as they tried to follow the ever miniscule trail of bread crumbs she'd left behind for others to try and find they were instantly refused by her boss.

Like always, this would ensure that rumors would spread far and wide across the entire prefecture and truth be told she was completely fine with that as well. She was already making a decent living selling her custom made ECUs and chips aside from the work she did at the shop she discovered that she was rather fond of her own privacy.

Shiori was the kind of person who enjoyed being left to her own devices, especially when she was focused on a particular project and so she was content with leaving big names like Amuse, A'pexi, Mine's and HKS (to name a few) furiously scratching their heads in wonder, all curious to know who had developed such ingenious methods of programming.

'At least that two year degree I took amounted to something,' she inwardly snorted.

The twenty-five year old mechanic let a small chuckle slip past her, taking some small measure of amusement in knowing that her patented software program was virtually untraceable to anyone who even attempted to discern who 'Tsugumi' really was. To add even more credence to the rumors surrounding this persona of hers, Shiori always made sure to leave only a serial number and on the ECU box along with those same three kanji characters neatly scratched into every single one she built.

Once he'd parked his car in one of the few open spots available for visiting customers, Tatsuru spared Shiori one final glance. A smile of reassurance and an undeniable trace of warmth in his eyes took shape as the young woman returned his gaze with a certain amount of nervousness. She was toying with her hair again; a lone index finger curling an end of her chin-length bob whilst she worried her bottom lip.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. If he's anything like him, then I'm sure he will probably treat you with a great deal of respect," Tatsuru felt the need to assure her.

Shiori nodded, steeling her resolve as she drew in a breath.

"Let's go."

The pair swiftly exited the vehicle, now slowly walking through the parking lot as their trained ears picked up on quite a few distinct exhaust notes that made them shudder at sound of such a wonderfully tuned engine. It was then that a young girl, possibly no older than twenty years of age approached them with a clipboard on her right hand and a pen in her left. She fixed them with a pleasant smile of her own and Tatsuru couldn't help but blush once he noted that she was of impeccable beauty.

'A little too young for my taste though.'

"Welcome to Matsumoto Speed, my name is Hasegawa Kaede and I believe you are-" the girl paused for a moment, flipping through her clipboard quickly in an attempt to look for a specific name which ultimately yielded successful. "Iwamura Tatsuru, am I right?"

"Indeed you are correct young lady, but I'm afraid our visit here is more of a social call than anything else. We happen to be looking for someone I mentioned when we were on the phone earlier but we would also like to speak with your boss for a moment as well. I'm a good friend of his so I figured I could catch up with him for a bit as well."

Although there was a hint of playfulness in his voice, Kaede seemed to take his attempts at flirting with her in stride. Shiori had to admit; she was more than a little impressed to see someone other than herself appeared to be immune to Tatsuru's often infuriating teasing once he decided to turn up what he dubbed to be his "roguish charm".

"Sure not a problem, I'll go fetch the boss first, then he can lead you to Yuzuru himself. He happens to be at the moment with a car that just came in," she replied without so much as losing an ounce of composure. "Just follow me into the garage, I wouldn't want you two to get soaked out here since it looks like it's gonna come down real hard soon."

Shiori and Tatsuru both bowed to show their gratitude, the two street racers taking great care to trail behind the law student by no more than a few steps as they each took in their surroundings coupled with the number of vehicles that were being serviced at the moment.

Aside from the three that were up on lifts with at least one mechanic underneath each of them individually, Shiori could count another three cars all being worked on by a small unit of two mechanics to each. Never before had she seen such a remarkable display of cohesion and understanding; a pair working earnestly, trading banter left and right all while they stood around an engine that had evidently been extracted from the Toyota Chaser sitting in front of it. Much of the 1JZ had already been disassembled but she found that she was far more enthralled by their diligence. Where one was cleaning and assessing all the parts that had already been stripped away, the other was carefully scrutinizing the wear and tear on the block along with the remnants of the exposed cylinder head. Numerous parts were sitting all around them, from the headers, screws and bolts, to the massive turbo on the worktable nearest to them, all cleaned and polished to shine like new.

She knew from personal experience that their job was nothing but a standard overhaul. It was something she'd done many times herself but what struck her the most as she observed them was how passionate they were about their work. The two men who were possibly no older than she was, perhaps a year younger or two, but one thing she couldn't possibly ignore was how much fun they appeared to be having together.

It was an infectious sight, one that warmed her battered heart and doubled as a reminder of how driven she'd once been.

'I guess I lost far more than I could have ever truly bargained for.'

As disconcerting the stray thought was, Shiori swiftly tore herself away from it knowing it would only lead her into another one of her melancholic states. Falling prey to such negative views would do little to help her cause and thus she settled for turning on her heel, opting to immerse herself in the environment around her and wafting smell of petrol she'd grown so accustomed to over the years.

Clinks and clangs rang throughout the shop followed by the periodic buzz and sputtering of a torque wrench in use - bringing yet another smile to her face as she made her way around the shop to focus on the next car that happened to be a few meters away down the line. Seeing as she'd already wandered off on her own and Tatsuru was somewhere around the shop seeking its proprietor, it left her with plenty of time to go about and see what other sorts of eye candy Matsumoto Speed had to offer.

Unlike the Chaser before it, the white Fairlady Z parked before her was far more aesthetically pleasing and this one left little doubt that it was heavily modified. An aggressive body kit she recognized to be made by Mission, paired with border side skirts, vented over-fenders in the front and rear, a Kevlar hood, matching roof spoiler, GT wing and a pair of black Volk Racing TE37s were but the icing on the cake for this car; even if Shiori had always been loyal to her much beloved MR-S she knew it would be foolish to ignore that this Z32 was a machine capable of slaughtering the competition with the right settings.

Once she was done admiring the bodywork, she drew a little closer to get a proper look at the VG30 sitting under the hood and was thoroughly surprised to see that it had been converted to run on a single Garret twin-scroll turbocharger instead of the traditional twins that came from the factory.

She peered down the exposed engine bay, stealing a quick view of the turbo's ridiculous size; remaining blissfully unaware the she had managed to catch the attention of one of the mechanics who had been sitting in the driver's seat typing away on a laptop.

'This beast must at least make upwards of 400BHP with these kinds of mods.'

"Quicker boost response, definite increase in low end torque, less mixing losses and reduced fuel consumption. Gosh, whoever decided to put this beast together really knew exactly what they were looking for when they decided on this kind of set up," she muttered to herself.

Akio cocked his head to the side, an eyebrow raised in confusion once he stopped typing. He looked up, only to spot a rather attractive young woman leaning over the exposed engine bay, deeply engrossed in her own inner musings.

'What the hell?'

A loud clang closely followed, forcing him to turn away and peer down to his companion, who was currently underneath the car.

"Everything alright down there?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," came the muffled response tied with a string of curse words he barely managed to pick out since they were all spoken in English.

"You don't sound alright to me man, get out of there. I'm a little stuck up here and I could really use your help in setting this ECU up."

"Again Senpai? How do you ever expect to learn how to program an ECU if- gah! Fuck!"

In an instant, Yuzuru rolled out from under the car aided by his use of the creeper and was on his feet glaring at the back of his left hand and cut the that was now on it.

Akio immediately set the laptop down, exiting the vehicle to inspect how bad the damage was. Small injuries like these were pretty common in their profession since their work environment was often littered with sharp objects or sometimes even the cars themselves carried some nasty surprises.

Blood flowed freely from the boy's injury, running down to the palm of his hand before it started to drip, forming a small puddle at his feet.

"It looks worse than it really is Yuzuru but I'll admit you sure as hell got lucky. I had to get stitches the last time I got a cut similar to this," the older mechanic offered while his partner hastily grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and the first aid kit sitting in of the their worktable's drawers.

"That doesn't mean it hurts any less Akio-senpai," the brunette scathingly returned before dabbing his wound with thick a gauze pad.

The man hailing from Nagano merely shrugged prior to shaking his head. "Just make sure you're thorough when you clean it. After that grab another gauze pad and the hand wraps in the first aid kit you see there. You're going to need to wrap it up tightly to put pressure on the wound so it stops bleeding."

If Yuzuru gave any indication as to whether or not he'd paid his statement any heed Akio would never know, for almost as soon as he turned to address their only eyewitness she had all but blown past him, a mixture of wonder and shock easily discernible on her previously curious expression. He only had the chance to catch a single word before she was standing before his co-worker, who was now unnaturally still, bearing a look of recognition and dare he say pain?

'I don't know what's going on, but it's obvious they either know each other, or recognize one another,' he managed to deduce.

Shiori carefully reached up, bringing her hands to rest on either sides of his face in a gentle caress, ignoring the smudge of oil on one of his cheeks which she thought to be only all the more nostalgic while she continued to struggle for words. The boy before her was practically the spitting image of the person she once held so dear to her heart, the resemblance between them almost uncanny were it not for his slightly longer medium length hair that sported a rich shade of auburn.

He was taller than she was, she noted; standing at least a full seven centimeters above her all while boasting a slim figure that seemed to compliment his very prominent foreign features but these were quickly left forgotten once she recognized the strong myriad of emotions he was struggling to keep at bay as a consequence of her appearance. The sense of surprise she received from him was almost instantly overshadowed, swallowed up by the pain, anguish, and the genuine warmth his dark stare displayed.

It was all she needed. One look, just a simple glance her way and she could already see how much the boy, possibly no older than twenty years of age had suffered in the past few years. The look in his eyes was one she had seen a great many times, one that had followed her wherever she went and it was the main reason she had had an aversion to mirrors during those first few months of mourning.

Dull, lifeless, and hollow; these were the only words that were able to come to Shiori's mind as she carefully studied the young man's eyes. As far as things went, it was obvious that he still had not completely moved on from his own loss just as she had and in a way, it made her feel closer to him than ever. Even as Yuzuru stood before her, it was very evident from the get-go that he was still far from being truly whole again. Instead, he bore the look of someone who had had everything he loved taken away from him in the blink of an eye. He was but a boy, and yet it seemed that he was desperately clutching the pieces of a heart broken by the experiences of his young life all while still clinging to the hope that someone would be able to mend it once again.

Nevertheless, there was one extraordinarily crucial detail Shiori discovered the very moment she immersed herself in his brown depths and it filled her with such sorrow to know that she recognized the flicker of agony his eyes still carried within them after all this time.

'He didn't just lose Kakeru… he also lost someone else, someone he loved with every fiber of his being and by the looks of things it must have taken place around the same time,' she managed to deduce.

A pained smile flitted across her lips, one she held for a little while longer as she stroked his left cheek, ridding it of the smudge that had been there earlier as she fought the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Yuzuru offered a smile of his own, followed by a nod as he took her hands in his before bowing to her as a sign of deep respect. There was no need for him to convey what they both already knew in words, they had heard much about one another in the past even if this happened to be their first official meeting.

"You look just like Kakeru," she whispered.

The brown-haired mechanic chuckled lightly, though it held no real mirth. "I suppose I do."

---

A/N:

I know I'm gonna get slaughtered for taking so damn long on this chapter but hey as it stands you should look forward to the fact that the Omake I promised is only a few weeks away from today. I have done an extensive amount of proofreading and editing in the last few months and while I originally planned to release it on the same day as this chapter there were some parts I simply was not satisfied with on a more personal level. The thing is that this chapter and the Omake tie-in together, and you will find that some things will start to make sense even if this purposely done loosely.

As a side note, you should also know that I have in fact been using my time wisely even after such a tremendous amount of time between updates, which means that I already have a few chapters all planned out for the coming months.

Anyway, my dear readers, I simply cannot apologize enough for keeping you all waiting for so much time and I will avoid making any promises I know cannot keep but I do hope you enjoy this chapter. It is my longest one yet that totaled to nearly thirty pages in length!

I hope to hear from you all again soon!

SilentAssassin11