Yay! I'm writing again! Thanks to those who reviewed, and thanks for the advice! This time it's the Rikkai Boys! Heh, I just love Marui. Anyway, enjoy!

I do not own Prince of Tennis no matter how hilarious I would find it. I am also unfortunately not being paid for this fanfic.

Research Studies with Rikkaidai

"Marui-senpai, pay attention! You were the one who suggested this topic on the first place!"

"I thought I suggested a sugar-in-food study..."

"I'm tired of this project already. Can we change it?"

Yukimura was highly amused at his team's interest, or lack of interest, in the Research Project they were supposed to be doing. It was surprising, really, considering the Research Project was tennis-based, being done by a bunch of boys obsessed with the sport. He didn't mind this project himself, and he'd diligently done a bit of researching on his own. So had Sanada, his ever-reliable vice-captain. And Renji, but Renji didn't count because he researched everything anyway.

"That's strange...According to my calculations, a group of tennis freaks like us would have at least a 90 percent interest rate. My recordings, on the other hand...An interest rate of five out of a hundred isn't so good, is it?" Yes, by "Renji researched everything", Yukimura had really meant "everything".

"Since we've already decided on this, can we just get down to the important bits?" The baby of the team was visibly annoyed.

"Come on, Kiri-kun, we have the entire semester for this, we can afford to relax" And trust Niou to bring his laidback lazy attitude into Research Studies as well.

Marui flopped onto Jackal's bed and started counting how many marshmallows he could fit into his mouth without choking. The owner of said bed paled drastically and tried to pull Marui off it before he choked and puked a messy mixture of marshmallow and spit all over the comforter. Marui bounced out of reach and stuffed in another five."Do you think I can make the Guiness World Records?"

And thus, a beautiful Saturday afternoon opened with the Rikkaidai Team sitting in Jackal's bedroom, ostensibly to discuss the Research Studies project that each club had been assigned.

A Week Ago...

"Each club has been told to conduct a research Project that will span the whole of the first school semester. We are to come up with a topic by next week, and at the end of the project, we have to submit a full group report of 3000-5000 words, complete with research that we have done. There will also be a peer evaluation session, to ensure that no one slacks off." Yukimura was a little worried about how his team would take this.

The team was scared stiff for a full minute and the only people who remained normal were Yukimura, who admittedly enjoyed this rare moment, and Renji, noting down stuff in that evil notebook.

A Few Days Ago...

They had all agreed upon the topic of "How Tennis can affect a person's life". Predictably. They were sure it was a project they'd all actually take a bit of interest in. But they were all to learn how horribly wrong they could be...

End Flashback

"Wait...we have to do SURVEYS for this? I thought all we had to do was research! It's called RESEARCH studies!" Exploded Kirihara. It never occurred to him, of course, that it would take the entire team all of about 20 minutes to do research on how tennis could affect a person's life. Make that ten minutes, since they could just lift everything off Renji's notebook. Compared to a whole semester, this would seem rather short

"Therefore, the task could not be so easy as to simply look up information on the internet. Kirihara loses two intelligence points..."

"What intelligence points? You're not keeping a record on each person's IQ are you!" Kirihara looked like he was ready to cry.

"Of course I am." Renji ignored his poor kouhai's spluttering and went on. "I'm pleased to say that Sanada has the highest score at the moment consisting of 30 points. Yukimura has 27, but I'm thinking that might not be so accurate since he took a month off when he was in hospital, making it virtually impossible for me to observe him during that period. Fortunately for you, you have been rescued from the last position by Marui, who ends the list at -4."

Much to Jackal's chagrin, Marui choked.

Puking partially masticated marshmallows onto the bed.

Before the normally mild Jackal could kill his double partner for messing up his beloved Winnie the Pooh comforter, everyone's attention was immediately transferred onto Yukimura as they heard the quiet voice of Rikkai Fuzoku's most wanted guy. "I believe it's Yukimura-Buchou, and Sanada-Fukuchou...oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"

He was mildly surprised to see his entire team looking immensely sorry and apologetic. Especially in Niou's case. However, he did want to get this project done as soon as possible and to do that he'd needed the attention of the team, who he knew would jump off a thousand foot high cliff into the treacherous ocean and waiting rocks if only he told them to. But first he needed their attention. That little tactic had worked, as always.

"It's okay, really. Anyway I think we've had quite enough fooling around for today, and we should be working on the project instead of getting distracted. We have until the end of the semester but I'm sure you all want to get it over with, am I right?" Of course he was. Yukimura, the most wanted guy in Rikkai Fuzoku, was never wrong. Accompanied by that trademark smile that melted the hearts of everyone within a fifty-foot radius of it, that gentle voice never failed to persuade. And I mean Never.

"Yes Buchou!"

"Good. Jackal, we'll make it up to you for making your house like this, I promise. Renji, what data have you got? Or rather, what data have you Not got?"

"Only the surveys. I have everything from different personalities' reactions to tennis, to the effects tennis can have on one's physical, mental and or psychological state. May I add that at the rate we are progressing now, it should only take another six months before we are able to come up with the full report, inclusive of survey results and data tabulation."

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, even and especially the captains. It was a relief for all to know that there was someone so meticulously monitoring their work, even if a bit too meticulously. Even Jackal was relieved, to the point that he forgot to murder his doubles partner, who took the opportunity to scuttle away.

Renji scribbled down the team's reaction to what he'd just said, and subconsciously thought of ways to exploit this gratitude. He then held his pen at the ready as he delivered the bombshell.

"Unfortunately, if you look carefully at the calendar you'll find we are in the middle of the first term, which now gives us a total of three months to complete this research project..."

End

A/N: And yet another mindless fanfiction is contributed to the world. I hope this one is a bit more organized than the last, although I sidetracked...a lot. I don't really plan much before writing, I just write what comes to me as I go along. I'll try planning for the next chapter though! Next up are the Seigaku boys!