Fuji froze the minute he spotted Ryoma's brother behind their captain and coach. Sure he wanted to talk to Ryoga about the next step to take, but not this soon! Fuji still had not organized his thoughts enough; he was not ready to see how Ryoma's brother will react to his reckless behavior. He especially didn't know if Ryoga would want to talk to him once he sees Ryoma won't even go near him anymore.

Fuji kept his eyes on Ryoga even when Tezuka called the regulars to attention. He never looked away when Ryuzaki introduced the older teen as a son of her old student and during the millions of questions from his fellow teammates about Ryoga's relation to their youngest upon hearing the similar last name. Fuji noticed that Ryoga was subtly trying to get Ryoma's attention whenever he could and knew the exact moment the older brother realized Ryoma wouldn't acknowledge him.

Not good, Ryoga seems genuinely concerned.

When Ryoga finally made eye contact with Fuji, he tried his hardest to appear as if nothing was wrong. However, based on Ryoga's narrowed eyes of suspicion, it seems like Fuji was more worried than he first thought. Crap!

~241~

Ryoga had decided to set up matches for the regulars to gauge their abilities. He had never seen the team play before, so he had no idea how to train them all correctly. After seeing each of them play Ryoga hummed and nodded to himself. He clapped his hands and gathered the regulars together for an announcement.

"Now, I've decided to have you all go through the same training my father had chibisuke and I go through."

Ryoma paled and clicked his tongue. "Your kidding."

Ryoga smirked. "Nope." he said popping the 'p' more than necessary. "Ryuzaki-sensei probably had you guys do something similar before since she was the person who taught it to our father. There will be three different colored cones, and the goal is to hit the corresponding colored tennis ball to the right cone. However, the catch is that you will be using a stick instead of a racket. You must do this 100 time consecutively without messing up to complete this exercise. If you mess up at any point, you must run a lap around the entire campus."

Inui's eyes glinted. "Shall I prepare some of my special Inui juice again for those that mess up, Ryoga-san?"

Ryoma's eyes widened. "Aniki! Don't you dare!"

Ryoga looked confused at Ryoma's shout and turned to Tezuka. "I have no idea what he is talking about, so I will let you decide."

Tezuka shook his head. "10 laps around the school should be sufficient punishment."

All the regulars sans Fuji and Inui sighed in relief.

"Ryoga smiled. "Fair enough. Now the point of this is to improve your focus, accuracy, and power. Using a stick instead of a racket gives you limited range to hit the ball, you must hit it right and with enough strength to get it where you want it to go. Also if you mess up the laps will improve your stamina."

The regulars nodded, and Ryoma groaned.

"Good, Who wants to go first."

~241~

After each person completed the exercise, Tezuka, Fuji, and Ryoma being the only ones not to make any mistakes during the whole thing, Ryoga had them play matches against each other again. Because some messed up more than others, the exercise took longer than Ryoga was expecting. It didn't matter though because Ryoga was sure Ryuzaki will have him coach more now that she knows he's in town. So he only had time to do this training and not the other ones he wanted to try with the team as well. However during the matches, the team did notice some improvements in their movements, so time was not a complete waste in Ryoga's eyes. Once practice was over they all thanked Ryoga and made their way back to the clubroom to change out of their practice clothes. Everyone except Fuji because Ryoga had caught the tensai's eye and silently instructed the boy to stay behind. Momo who noticed this exchange frowned but still went back to the clubroom with the others.

When the two were alone, Ryoga spoke first. "Fuji, How is everything?"

"What do you mean Ryoga-san?" Fuji asked innocently.

Ryoga sighed and ran his hand through his hair; he didn't have the patience for this. "My sister, what happened? She seems different, not once had she acknowledged me since that time at the sushi restaurant."

Fuji flinched.

"I figured since you told me you were going to keep an eye on her you would know what was going on."

"Unfortunately I have no idea why she hasn't talked to you." Fuji answered. It wasn't a lie; he really didn't know. Fuji thought that Ryoma would instantly tell his own brother what happened. Ryoma was only mad at him right.

Ryoga sighed. "Well, I guess I will have to confront her then." He then laughed nervously. "She might get angry with me though."

Fuji nodded and signaled Ryoga to follow him to the club room where the rest of the team should be. When the two arrived, however, no one was there except for momo. Who was sitting on the bench, eyes closed, arms crossed, and a serious expression on his face.

Hearing people come in momo opened his eyes and looked up at the two newcomers. "I want to know why our freshmen prodigy won't go anywhere near our tensai and why our substitute coach keeps eyeing his own brother with concern." Momo stated right away, causing the two to stiffen in surprise.

Registering Momo's words Ryoga turned to Fuji. "Wait, what is he talking about? Did something happen with you two that's causing my sister to act like this?"

"Sister?" questioned Momo. "I didn't know Echizen had a sister?"

Ryoga blinked at Momo and facepalmed. "Right...you don't know."

Momo growled. "Exactly! I'm tired of being in the dark and believe I have a right to know what the hell is happening with my best friend!"

Ryoga watched Momo for a second and his eyes softened. "It wouldn't hurt."

Fuji seemed to become nervous at this remark.

"Momoshiro, was it?"

Momo nodded. "Momo is fine too."

"Momo, you seem to be mistaken about something. I only have one sibling, and that is my sister Ryoko."

Momo blinked confused. "What about Ryoma?"

Ryoga turned to Fuji. "Not as smart as you, I'm guessing. "

Fuji chuckled, and Momo frowned.

"Ryoma is biologically a girl named Ryoko," Ryoga continued explaining once again directing his attention to Momo. He told him everything he said to Fuji that day at the Restaurant. Ryoga was patient with Momo and answered every single one of the boy's questions. Finally, after about half an hour, Momo nodded in understanding.

"Anf Fuji already knew about this?" Momo asked.

Fuji nodded. "Not for very long, only a couple of days but yes."

Momo nodded again. "That explains so much more now. Especially with what you said about curing Echizen yesterday."

Fuji froze, and Ryoga narrowed his eyes. "What?!" Ryoga asked in a low voice.

Momo looked at Ryoga weirdly but didn't get a chance to say anything because the older teen grabbed Fuji by the collar and shoved him against the clubroom wall.

"What did you say?!" He growled at Fuji.

Fuji shook his hands in front of Ryoga rapidly. "Ryoga-san, let me explain!"

Ryoga snarled but reluctantly let the boy go, although not too nicely.

"Talk, now!" he spat out. Obviously, Ryoga was pissed off, and Momo had no idea why.

Fuji fixed his shirt and tried to talk to Ryoga calmly. "Remember how I told you that I wanted to help Ryoma."

Ryoga glared. "Ryoko."

"Right, well I did some research and looked up ways to help those with dissociative identity disorder. Unfortunately, there wasn't much there except a hypnosis technique."

Ryoga looked like he wanted to say something but decided to let Fuji continue.

Fuji nodded appreciating the chance. "I tried out my theory yesterday, but it had backfired. I didn't think about asking permission first, and I lost Ryoma's trust."

Ryoga had his fists balled up at his sides so hard his knuckles were turning white. "Fuji"

Momo was getting nervous, Ryoga looked like he wanted to kill and Fuji was watching innocently.

"I will kill you."

"AH, wait Ryoga-san!"

"NO! YOU MORON!" Ryoga once again grabbed Fuji and shoved him against the wall. "How could you have done something so reckless and stupid. Not to mention you don't seem even to understand what you did wrong!"

Fuji looked confused. "Was it not that I needed to ask Ryoko permission to try and use Hypnosis to cure Ryoma?"

Ryoga growled. "YOU DONT 'CURE' DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER!"

Momo got up and placed a hand on Ryoga shoulder to calm the teen down. "Ma ma, we should talk this out more calmly."

Ryoga sneered and shoved Fuji one more time before backing away and sitting on the bench where Momo was at moments ago. He rubbed his temples in frustration. "Ryoko cannot be 'cured'. Besides hypnosis would never work even if you did have permission."

Fuji looked confused. "What do you mean. I know for hypnosis to work correctly there needs to be established trust, but I did have his trust."

Ryoga growled once again. "Her trust isn't what I was talking about. During my early stages of training, I tried hypnosis as well. Unfortunately, with all the times it was used on Ryoko she became aware of the technique rendering it completely useless. Ryoko is immune to hypnosis tactics."

"I see, so she was conscious during the whole process. That still doesn't explain her reaction. If she knew what I was trying to do the whole time why did she explode on me?" Fuji asked in wonder.

"Ryoga glared. "What exactly did you say to her?"

Fuji shrugged. "Nothing terrible, just that I wanted to help and that this was a safe place. A place where he can just be himself and not have to worry about protecting himself."

Ryoga twitched. "What were your exact words?"

"something like 'There is no longer any need to build a protective shield.' 'You are safe' and 'It's okay to be who you want to be. Be Ryoma'"

A loud bang could be heard from the clubroom startling the birds and other animals to scatter away in fear.

"Be Ryoma?" Ryoga asked in a dangerously low voice. Momo shivered in fear at the tone and sight of the cracked bench. He looked nervously at his teammate and the older teen.

"Yeah." Fuji said not noticing the tense atmosphere. "So Ryoma would understand that he doesn't need his alter any more."

"Fuji."

Fuji hummed.

"I don't want you anywhere near my sister ever again."

Fuji opened his eyes wide with shock.

"If I hear or see you go near my sister, I swear I will murder you on the spot. I cannot believe I started to trust you!"

"I don't underst-"

"Shut up!"

Momo was super tense during the whole exchange. He had noticed something earlier and wanted to comment, but he never got a chance to. Right now both Fuji and Ryoga were staring at each other in complete silence. Fuji, not one to back off and Ryoga trying to stop himself from killing Fuji on the spot. Neither boy wanted to leave the clubroom anytime soon, so this was Momo's best chance to say what he wanted. The thing was, he didn't know how the two would react.

Taking a deep breath and calming his nerves some he decided it's now or never and this was important for his best friend.

"I may not be an expert, but..." He paused to make sure he had both Fuji and Ryoga's attention. "The way I see it both of you are in the wrong and don't even realize it."

Ryoga glared at Momo. "I'm in the wrong?" he said with a growl. "I'm not the one who obviously hurt my sisters feelings!"

Momo shrugged. "Maybe not directly..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, clearly Fuji only see's Ryoma. His actions are all revolved around Ryoma. Fuji even uses male pronouns and Ryoma's name to address your sister when she is present. He doesn't see Ryoko and instead sees purely Ryoma."

Ryoga nods, acknowledging that he realized that in these past few minutes and Fuji merely frowns.

"But Ryoga-san you are the same. You only see Ryoko."

A/N: haha so Ryoga found out and now Momo is involved. Lots of stuff to come next chapter. *Evil smile*

Also I was thinking of renaming this story. I don't know the title kinda bothers me, any ideas on what it should be? Unless you all like it just fine.

Anyhoo I want to take a moment to reply to some reviews because I haven't done that in awhile. Lol sorry

Littlepanther: As you can see yes Ryoga did go ballistic, you most definitely need to be praying for the soul of Fuji. Honestly I didn't mean for everything to turn out like this. The original plot line was much happier, but there's just something about those dark twists.

Guest: You asked "What happened between nanjiroh and ryoko to cause ryoma to come out? Does nanjiroh not like his daughter, but his son, ryoma instead?"

I cannot tell you this exact moment because I do explain everything in the future and that would be considered spoilers. Actually all of your questions will be answered once the tension between Ryoga, Fuji, Momo, and Ryoko/Ryoma dies down. So please bear with me and soon all will be revealed.