Author notes: This is my first story here, but I cannot seem to preserve the format of the story though, paragraphs doesn't exactly line up the way I want it to.

So please bear with it for now.

CHAPTER 1: Spotting the problem

The night in the mountain pass was cold and a man had finished watching what he came for

Man: "Just as I thought."

The man got into his car and drove off, heading back home after having watched a battle.

He knew his team was next up against Project D and he had watched all of the previous battles and were quite impressed with the results.

That man was Ryo Takashi, he was known as the fastest at his own mountain pass, fastest on the downhill and he had set the AE86 in his sights.

He drove home in his Toyota Altezza having formed a plan to some extent.

But also with a shock, the uphill section was impressive and hard to cover.

Once he got home he looked in his garage at his GT300 machine that he bought.

Back in 2003 ASL decided to retire their Garaiya for a revision and it was sold off to the public.

Takashi had bought it as a replacement for his last car, but by no means was Takashi a poor man.

In fact if you compared him to the Takahashi he was a lot wealthier.

Takashi: "I cannot run both uphill and downhill, it will be too stressing.

Oh well, I will have to sort that out with the team tomorrow."

Takashi went to bed after looking at his car and the next day he headed out to the local pub they used to hang out in.

The other team members had already arrived.

Outside the pub there was parked some rather impressive cars.

A Subaru Impreza WRX STi version 3, Lancer Evolution 7 RS, Nissan Pulsar GTi, Mazda RX-7 first generation SA22C and a Toyota Supra RZ.

Takashi went inside and one of the team members at the other side of a table howled at him to come over.

"Over here Ryo."

Ryo: "Ah there you are Akira."

Ryo went over the table and sat down with his team mates.

Akira: "So what's your result from watching Project D last night?

Ryo: "That it is going to be tough, very tough."

The owner of the EVO 7 bursted out:

"That can't be so, I mean come on just a FD and an old outdated AE86?"

Ryo: "You didn't see them Seji, I watched them with my own eyes.

I may be able to take on that AE86 driver but the uphill is impossible with just 300 HP and the stress from also racing the AE86."

Akira: "Shut up I can take on that FD, after all I got a 450 HP Subaru Impreza and it is the version 3, the most tail happy Impreza ever seen or driven.

And with my skill I cannot possibly lose to some FD."

Ryo: "Akira, you cannot defeat that FD no matter what you did, I saw him against a high power R34 both GT Turbo and GT-R and may I say that it is going to be impossible for you, even with your skills."

Akira: "So you just want to give up on the uphill?"

Ryo: "No, I slept badly tonight, and fell asleep late.

I was thinking of a solution and I believe we have."

Seji: "Well if it is not Akira or me who is going to drive and not you, who will? Certainly not Yuji and his Supra? He is too heavy."

"You plan on letting me do it then?" the man closest to the wall said.

Ryo: "No neither Seji, Akira, Yuji or you Miki can do this.

Neither can I pull this off, no matter how hard I tried."

Miki: "Then stop keeping us on the sideline then, tell us what you have planned."

Ryo: "We will have to get some outside team help, I have heard he was in Japan right now and he brought his car as well for some reason.

He is a FD driver."

Akira: "What about Tomihiro and his RX-7 then? There must be someone in the team that can drive."

Tomihiro: "Thanks but no thanks, I refuse to battle Project D, I have heard about them and I don't want anything to do with them in a battle."

Ryo: "Well, I am an old friend of this man we can employ.

And tell you what I think he might just do it, he is fast.

DAMNED fast actually he is so fast that I often believe when I see him that it is impossible to drive a car like he does."

Seji: "So how do you know him?"

Ryo: "Back before I settled here in Japan I used to be a mercenary.

I worked on several occasions with that man, though they say he is still a mercenary but at the same time he is racing whenever he can."

Akira: "Well I guess that makes him crazy in his driving, just like you are."

Ryo: "I may be slightly crazy but this guy in comparison is a total nutcase once he is told to go fast.

If my calculations are correct, the FD kid in Project D will have no chance of keeping up."

Akira: "WHY THE HELL IS WE STANDING AROUND HERE FOR THEN?

Hurry up and give him a call, and hear what he has to say."

Ryo: "Allright I will do that, we will meet on the peak tonight anyways for the regular practice, the match is set for the next weekend."

Ryo left the table and headed out to his Altezza and drove off towards home and while driving he called his old friend.

The phone rang 5 times before it was picked up.

Ryo: "Sweeper? Is that you?"

Sweeper: "Yeah, who is this?"

Ryo: "Old friend of yours Ryo Takashi, remember me?"

Sweeper: "Ryo Takashi? Of course I remember you.

I still remember a few of the battles we had together, those were the days."

Ryo: "Well I called you mainly because I got a problem that I think you can help me solve."

Sweeper: "A problem? Sorry I do not use my mercenary experience to exterminate rats…" Sweeper laughed.

Ryo couldn't help but laugh back.

Ryo: "Actually it is related to racing. I hear you are still racing?"

Sweeper: "Well… I guess that's right I did bring my car.

In fact I am currently on my way to the hotel right now, what is the favour you need?"

Ryo: "Well, it is rather simple I heard you would be staying in Japan for a few weeks."

Sweeper: "That's about right, have a few meetings to attend as a security advisor the next week and the week after that before I head back to Turkey for some R&R."

Ryo: "We got this Project D coming over and quite frankly their website pisses me off.

Anyways we have a match scheduled next weekend and we lack a skilled uphill driver.

And then I thought of you, would you mind stepping in?"

Sweeper: "Well I have heard about Project D.

They are undefeated so far right? Despite some rather dirty tactics used as well.

Well maybe I should rather ask when you normally practice."

Ryo: "Well it is tonight at around 2000 hours."

Sweeper: "Well I am currently in Tokyo; I will show up and have a look before I commit to anything.

But most of all I would like to catch up on old times."

Ryo: "Well that you cannot get away from, no matter how fast you drive." Ryo laughed.

Sweeper: "That's a deal then, see you tonight then."

Ryo: "Ok." Ryo hung up and drove home.