Disclaimer: I do not own PoT, and you know for the reasons I torture them endlessly. = D Thats why I am a fanfic writer.

Chapter 18 Ryuuzaki War I

Eiji and Momoshiro was stoaked in pure energy, they were going to make sure their plans will work out! They had borrowed the fairy tale books from Sakuno this morning and begun diving into the books in hopes Ryoma will appear at the end, her prince in charming.

-Phase 1 -

"Thank you Ryoma-kun for walking me to the canteen. I don't know why Eiji sempai insisted."

Ryoma didn't reply as he shrugged, internally he knew the plan and that was why he had his secret weapon with him. Just as he thought of it a tennis ball came flying directly at Sakuno, Ryoma who anticipated this quickly swerved and was prepared to take out the tennis raquet when he realized... it wasn't in there...

There wasn't time, so he used his tennis bag in hopes to deflect the tennis ball but instead the bag was so empty and boneless that it went right through and was caught by buchou!

Ryoma had no idea when did he appear, but he saw Fuji and Inui sempai right beside Sakuno. It seems that once Buchou saw the flying tennis ball and realized that Ryoma had no tennis raquet quickly slipped inbetween Ryoma and Sakuno just to catch the tennis ball.

Tezuka clutched the tennis ball tightly as he turned towards Inui without asking if Sakuno was safe.

"Where did this come from?"

Inui pushed up his glasses as he did a few calculations to his book before replying in a very calm way

"70% northeast 75 degrees with a distance of 100 meters, 30 % chance that it was northeast 75 degrees with a distance of 88 meters."

Before Tezuka was about to ask where was that exactly was that, Fuji pointed at ease and said

"I think its where Eiji and Momoshiro are standing right now."

Ryoma wished Inui and Fuji didn't make things so complex. He was sure they stole his raquets and make Tezuka walk with them! Tezuka who was not suspicious demanded Eiji and Momoshiro to come towards him. They were guity as charged for they arrived with raquets in their hands.

Their heads were kept down as they apologised but internally the war raged.

"It is very dangerous the way your tennis ball was travelling, if you want to train you should do so at the courts."

"Sorry Buchou..."

With that he finally turned at Sakuno, he gave her one top to toe check up and said

"We should all be headed to the cafeteria."

"Ha...hai!"

Sakuno's eyes did looked a bit starry from Eiji and Momoshiro's point of view. They then in turn looked at Ryoma with a demanding look saying 'explain'! Ryoma shrugged as he threw them his empty tennis bag and as soon as Eiji and Momoshiro held it, relevation was instant!

Kennichi waddled up to them and gave them each a peck on their ankle before ruffling its feathers and walked right between his parents like a proud peacock.

"I think Kennichi is not a duck, he must be a breed of a peacock mixed with a turkey."

said a rather sour Momoshiro as he glared at the trio who planned it all, and rubbed his painful ankle. Eiji and Ryoma personally agreed, but they all knew Kennichi was 100% duck down to his very tailfeathers. It was just Ryoma's arrogant peacock striding behaviour that was now being displayed.

"Nya! We'll have to work harder!"

- Phase 2 -

It was a rest day given to the Seigaku regulars so that they could recouperate tonight. Eiji and Momoshiro initiated another plan! Kawamura was just the person required! Once Sakuno was clearly by herself, Kawamura who was wearing a monster mask leaped out and took her over his shoulder.

"!"

Sakuno was shocked and surprised but Kawamura made a dash towards the designated coat room and not-so-roughly pushed her into the coat room as he said into a voice changer

"You shall stay in here until I get what I want."

Sakuno was ever so terrified, she forgot she was inside Tezuka's house and in his coat room. She was more afraid of who that man was and the fact that he sounded rather strange. Now that Sakuno thought about it, the man was quite strange. He didn't sound threatening nor did he sound very keen on doing anything bad to her.

Fear gripped Sakuno once more when she realized she couldn't open the door. Panic was rising in her chest as she tried pounding the door when... a light flashed bright in the room as if there was a light bulb in here. She turned and saw...

"EEPP!"

She squeaked in surprise, only to see Inui with a torchlight strapped to his head. She sighed in relief.

"Don't worry. We are all just playing cops and robbers."

Sakuno couldn't understand what he meant so she tilted her head slightly and asked

"What?"

Inui pointed at the door and then he replied

"Kawamura is playing cop and he is catching people and throwing them in. I wasn't playing either but it seems he managed to catch people that didn't know the game was still on."

"Oh."

Sakuno smiled in understanding as she sat next to Inui as they talked about tennis until Ryoma opened the door and his face looked red and his eyes looked slightly worried or alarmed. Sakuno on the other hand looked at him with a smile and her hand over her head to ease the light that was now flooding in.

"Oh, so were you caught too Ryoma-kun?"

"Quack!"

Sakuno leant forward to see Kennichi right behind Ryoma, she smiled and nodded before saying.

"Ah, so Ken-kun was also playing cops and robbers. Well, has it ended yet?"

Ryoma was shocked speechless, he saw Inui inside the same coat room when he only expected to save Sakuno or pretend to be the one to find her and play hero. Worse yet, Sakuno thought it was all a game!

"Quack."

"Ok then Ken-kun, Inui Ken-kun says he will let Kawamura know not to catch us anymore."

She threw Ryoma a smile and wished him good luck in getting out if someone comes to save him. Inui threw a malicious smile as he followed Sakuno out of the coat room.

Ryoma could not say a single word! THEY HAVE BEEN OUTSMARTED!

- Phase 3 -

"Ah! Ryoma-kun. Oishi told me to give you this. He says you dropped it somewhere earlier."

Sakuno bounded up to Ryoma holding something which resembled his towel. Surprised that Oishi would actually have his towel he still waited for Sakuno to come and give it to him. Ryoma took the towel and nodded. Sakuno smiled.

Just as they were going to part, Momoshiro walked by and shoved Ryoma and Sakuno into the small cramp storage room. Ryoma this time wasn't alerted as to what the plan was! Now he found himself in a situation where he was stuck in a small cramp room with the lovely Sakuno.

Sakuno was rather surprised by Momoshiro but that was not the pressing problem and it also wasn't the worse problem on her mind. She found herself in close proximity to Ryoma, and that alone was making her forget her shock.

Ryoma was felt like he almost forgot to breath as he stared into her lovely brown eyes. He hoped his heart would calm itself but it seems as though it was beating erractically. He could smell her strawberry shampoo and feel her hands on his chest because of the proximity.

This was it! Or so Ryoma thought, he gathered his thoughts together. This was the best time as any to tell her his feelings... the perfect opportunity!

"Ryuuzaki..."

Sakuno who was busy wondering why it felt SO cramped, and that she didn't remember this place being so small. But because she was so close to Ryoma, she decided it was probably how small it really was... there was also the fact of being this close to Ryoma that made her feel very uneasy.

As Sakuno looked into his eyes she suddenly felt slightly heated perhaps it was the way he said her name sounded serious and he looked serious too. But he never seemed so serious outside of the tennis courts before.

All of the sudden, the head carrying a torchlight appeared. Ryoma swore internally as Sakuno almost screamed. It was INUI! Why was Inui here of all places?

"I am playing hide and seek with Kennichi, but do continue..."

Ryoma found himself opening the door and both of the went out and shut the door behind them. Sakuno giggled as she looked at Ryoma who looked pale as a sheet. Inui was definitely related to the mushrooms! He pops out too suddenly and nearly made Ryoma die of heart attack and killed of his chance with Sakuno. He watched as Sakuno walked away waving goodbye, DAMN INUI!

Eiji and Momoshiro claped their hands as if a job well done and walked away leaving Inui hanging on one of the poles that were used to hang washing. Inui stared at the blue sky not noticing Fuji had crept up to sit beside him.

"Lovely day,"

Fuji commented alerting Inui of his presence. Inui said

"I am right here."

Fuji opened his Azure eyes and replied

"I know."

"Oh. Who did you leave to hide in their next plan?"

Fuji smiled as he looked at the sky in a very lazy way.

"I left Kennichi and Kaidoh in there."

Just as Fuji said so, they could hear screams erupting from the house one of which they were sure it was Sakuno's and ther other perhaps Eiji or Momoshiro. For they have left one of the scariest guys in a dark empty bedroom with a very scary duck.

"Not bad."

Grinned Inui.

"Not bad indeed."

-To Be Cont. -

Do you love me now? Feeling happier? XD OK, enough with love talk. Next up is Ryuuzaki War II, its gonna be just as good. = 3 I hope I will finish it soon. I reedited this too. I Hope this was a good read. SnowRider14 Signing out!