SailorStar9: Nya? Chapter 7 goes up and no review. No one is reading this fic! *Sob, sob, wails*

Shizune (Blinks as an arm wraps around her) Tsu-Tsunade-sama?

Tsunade (Drunk to the gills) Put me on th' bottom willya?

Shizune: Eh? Bottom? What are you-TSUNADE-SAMA?

SailorStar9: O-kay...shouldn't be watching this (Watches the scene before her slight nosebleed) Ah hell, roll camera, I can always tape it.

Shizune: TSUNADE-SAMAAAAAAA!

Disclaimers: I own nothing, well except the pairing.

Chapter 8: The Ball Is Our Friend

"Go!" Ryo called, the team starting their practice.

"What are you doing?" Ami barked on the sidelines as Tsubasa bypassed the others easily. "None of you can mark Tsubasa? Really…"

"Alright, shoot from there, Tsubasa!" Roberto shouted. "Go!"

"Wait a second, Tsubasa." The goalkeeper voiced.

"Eh?" Tsubasa stopped. "What's the matter?"

"Coach, look over there." The goalkeeper stated. "Do you see their condition?"

"Everyone…" Ami blinked at the exhausted group.

"This is hopeless…." Roberto sighed. "Well, listen to me, everyone." He declared. "In order to be able to play soccer well, and before learning the various techniques and skills, you have to treat the ball like your girlfriend."

"'Like our girlfriend'?" the team chorused.

"Yes." Roberto nodded. "Oh yeah, you guys are a little bit young for that." He noted. "Well then, become a friend with the ball." He restated.

"Be friends with the ball?" Tsubasa echoed.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Ryo wondered.

"It's simple." Roberto remarked. "You just have to bring it with you everywhere. Be it going to school, or eating."

"Even to the toilet?" Ryo inquired.

"Fool!" Masao bonked his head.

"Wherever you go, always take the ball with you." Roberto added. "But never use your hands."

"No way." Ryo moaned. "So, we'll have to dribble wherever we go?"

"Exactly." Roberto confirmed. "If the ball hates anything, it's being picked up by hands."

"Make the ball our friend?" Tsubasa claimed a ball under his foot. "Okay. Goodbye, everyone." He called, dribbling the said ball back home. "See you tomorrow!"

"Hey, Tsubasa, wait for me." Ryo stated, claiming a ball under his feet.

"Ok, me too." The rest of the group gathered a ball under their feet.

"Understand?" Roberto shouted after the boys. "Don't use your hands."

"Yes." The team chorused.

"Be friends with the ball, huh?" Roberto mused, and sent the last remaining soccer ball into the net.

That night, in the Oozora household…

"You don't have to keep the ball next to you when you're eating, Tsubasa." Natsuko remarked.

"But…" Tsubasa protested.

"You are saying that ball is your friend?" Natsuko concluded. "That sounds a bit simple-minded.

"It's probably hard for your mother." Roberto noted. "She has to take care of two crazy soccer fans, right Tsubasa?"

"That's right." Natsuko agreed, causing a round of laughter from the table.

"Tsubasa, do you like soccer?" Roberto inquired.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tsubasa beamed.

"Okay, so starting from tomorrow, we'll do a special training every morning." Roberto nodded. "I'll teach you soccer, the Brazilian way."

"Yes!" Tsubasa nodded.

"Alright, Tsubasa." Natsuko stated. "A special soccer training is a good thing, but Roberto could also teach you English. Next year, you will go to middle school. Isn't that a good idea? What do you think of it, Tsubasa?"

"Um, I'll think about it." Tsubasa mused. "Well, I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Him…" Natsuko fumed as her son retreated to his room.

"Sorry, I forgot you." Tsubasa returned and retrieved his soccer ball. "Mom, Ami, Roberto, good night."

"Only you, Bas." Ami chuckled. "Only you."

After school, the next day…

"Their training match is about to begin." Ryo stated, the group having entered the Shutetsu training field. "This time we have to carefully examine Shutetsu's playing."

"This is great!" Tsubasa peered into the field on the railing. "To play on such a soccer field. I'm really envious."

"Tsubasa." Ryo chided. "This isn't the time to be so relaxed. We'll have to play against them soon."

"But thinking about it, Tsubasa could really have played soccer on this field." Masao pointed out. "He would have become a regular on Shutetsu. There're no doubt about it. But now, he became a Nankatsu student, he won't be able to play on it."

"Don't say that." Ami chided.

"I really have no regrets about it." Tsubasa assured. "To be a member of Nankatsu and play soccer with you is really great. That's the truth."

"When others say it, it sounds fake." Masao noted. "But when you say it, it makes me happy."

"Thank you, Tsubasa." Ryo remarked. "But, I'm the captain, okay?"

"Guys, look." Ami voiced.

"That's not Shutetsu's goalkeeper." Ryo realized.

"You're just noticing now?" Hanji inquired behind them. "Yes, Wakabayashi won't play today."

"You're Urabe of Nishigaoki." Ryo noted.

"But doesn't matter if Wakabayashi is or not," Hanji added. "It's all the same. They're already leading 3-0 against their opponent, Mizukoshi. It'll be an easy win for Shutetsu."

"Damn Shutetsu." Ryo cursed after Shutetsu scored a fourth goal. "Hey, what are you doing, Mizukoshi!" he barked. "You haven't done anything yet."

"Ah, Mizukoshi got the ball back." Ami blinked.

"Okay, now shoot from there." Ryo cheered.

"Great." Tsubasa noted when Shutetsu intercepted. "Nice cut."

"Tsubasa, remember him well." Ryo advised. "This is who protects the goal with Wakabayashi, the sweeper Takasugi Shingo. The game-maker Izawa Mamoru. This is the control tower of the midfield. This swift winger, Taki Hajime. Shutetsu's assist king. And the center-forward, Kisugi Teppei. Shutetsu hasn't weakened since last year. And Wakabayashi wasn't even playing."

"It'll be impossible to defeat them." Masao added.

"Great." Tsubasa beamed. "Shutetsu's team is really amazing."

"Don't say that." Ryo chided. "It makes me lose more and more confidence."

"You're wrong, Ishizaki." Tsubasa corrected. "The stronger the opponent, the more you want to beat him. Shutetsu's team; this is really the best opponent for us. Well, you know what I mean."

"We'll do it, Tsubasa." Ryo nodded, his confidence upped. "Right, guys?"

"Yes!" the team chorused.

"Then, leave the battle plan to me." Ami nodded.

"By the way, do you know why Wakabayashi didn't play?" Hanji voiced. "Wakabayashi doesn't even go to school anymore." He answered his own question. "He's training by himself, very hard every day."

"What?" Ryo echoed.

"Even for Wakabayashi, the goal you scored against him was a big shock for him." Hanji noted. "He's really furious. This time, he won't let Oozora Tsubasa score a goal."

Wakabayashi Genzo… Tsubasa mused.

On the day before the tournament…

"Okay, todays' training is over." Roberto stopped the practice, after having Tsubasa play the role of the goalkeeper.

"Tomorrow's the day." Ryo noted.

"Yes, tomorrow." Masao agreed. "The match against Shutetsu."

"You have put forth a lot of effort so far." Roberto remarked. "Keeping up with my training isn't an easy thing."

"This is all thanks to you, coach." Ryo stated. "And also, we managed to come this far, thank to you, Tsubasa."

"Everyone, let's do our best tomorrow." Tsubasa told the team. "We've trained ourselves very hard for tomorrow."

"Yes!" the team cheered.

"Tsubasa, I think you understand now, why I made you play goalkeeper." Roberto remarked as the trio walked home.

"Now that I played goalkeeper, I understand which shots are hard to block." Tsubasa noted.

"And also, that the goalkeeper reacts easily to some shots compared to others." Ami added.

"And even for the kicker, it's important to follow the goalkeeper's movements and to pay attention." Tsubasa finished.

"Yes." Roberto was impressed by the girl's insight. "You did everything you could. The team also did its best at training. Whether you win or lose, make sure not to regret this match, Tsubasa."

"With Ami's battle strategy, tomorrow we'll win for sure." Tsubasa declared.

Meanwhile, Misaki Taro had arrived in Nankatsu city, with his father.

Back in the present...

"Well, you guys didn't win that match." Genzo smirked.

"You don't have to rub it in." Ami smacked him playfully on the arm.

"Ouch, that hurt." Genzo teased. "I want you to touch me gently, Nymph."

"Genzo!" Ami exclaimed in horror.

(Cyborg ninja walks onto the stage, opens visor and clears throat.)

CN: Hello, I'm Frank Jaeger, some of you may remember me as Grey Fox from Metal Gear 1 and 2.

Kakashi: (Still suspended) Very decent of you.

SailorStar0: No input from you (Presses a button on a remote)

CN:( Convulses, lightning shooting off him) GRAAAAAH! MUST. KILL!

Kakashi: (eyes the electrified cyborg in terror) !