(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)

Chapter 34 – The Truth

"Mai, you're growing," Rin excitedly jumped on her, pinching her cheeks. "Aww, you're so cute~, kuwee~!"

Haruka sighed, trying to pull Rin off. "Rin, don't jump her like that!"

Mai staggered a bit, chuckling lightly. "Ah, yeah... Senpai, please let me go. I don't think I can support your weight."

Shizuru walked towards Mai, slinging her arm over her shoulder. "Would you like to skip Rikkai Dai this round?"

"Nah," Mai shook her head, grinning. "I don't think I would want to miss that game for the world. I think I should be asking you that though. Kotetsu's not going to let us out unless she has your blood."

Shizuru noticed Naomi sweating more than normal as helped Mai to the bench. The brunette glanced at her hand until she heard Kiyone screaming and found Ayane being shaken by Momo.

"Come on," Momo twitched a bit. "You might want to wake up unless you're thinking of forfeiting."

Ayane groaned while slumping down on the purple haired Shinigami. "Five more minutes..."

Kiyone slumped down while starting to bawl. "Yane-Yane's never gonna wake up~!"

"Simple," Atobe smirked while he leaned over. "Watch and learn, Getsugan."

Kiyone sniffed while wiping away her tears as the purple haired captain pressed his lips against Ayane's. Everyone held their breath as Ayane's eyes fluttered open only to stare in horror with Atobe only a few centimetres away from her face. Blushing madly, Ayane quickly changed from embarrassed to "raise hell" mode.

"ATOBE KEIGO," Ayane grabbed him by the collar. "You inane human being, I'm going to throw you against a glass wall and then at a cement wall until you can't remember your name!"

Atobe shrugged while turning to the female team. "There, problem solved."

Shishido stared at him aghast. "He's really asking for it."

"Well, can't blame him," Oshitari shrugged. "Shizuru-chan did mention that even a tank from World War II couldn't wake her up."

Ayane glared until a snort came from the other side.

"Bitch, get your ass on the damn court," a sharp voice caused Ayane to whirl around as she found a tattooed regular with muscular arms pointing her racquet towards her.

Ayane glared at the tattooed girl who simply tossed away her scarlet red hair. Unlike Mai whose hair stayed neat in a half ponytail, Chihiro could be mistaken for a heavy metal rock star. Her red hair spiked upward while leaving tendrils at the side of her face. Metal skull hair pins hung loosely on her strands while several silver pins stuck out from above her lip and below. If they thought Konan looked bad, Chihiro simply dethroned her by showing her altered fangs.

"I thought Konan's the monster," Haruka shuddered as Chihiro spun her racquet on the floor. "But, Aragaki Chihiro's even worse!"

Kiyone tilted her head towards Ayane. "Ne, ne, how did a lady-like girl like Wave-san become partners with her?"

Ayane shrugged while smirking. "I bet you she was threatened."

"As if that monkey can take something from me," Chihiro glared while brushing her short hair back. "She can never take stuff from me; I'm just too strong for her. Besides, what's that little runt of yours gonna do to me anyway?"

Kiyone tilted her head while Tsunami scoffed at the smaller girl. "Well, it will take time for her to get it. After all, she's still a child."

Pouting, Kiyone folded her arms while she turned to Ayane. "Hey, Yane...?"

Ayane glanced at the smaller girl. "What is it?"

Pointing at the two other players across them, Kiyone grinned. "Are you gonna let loose today?"

Seeing her point, Ayane gripped her racquet tightly and nodded with conviction. "You better be careful, okay?"

Kiyone grinned while jumping towards the service court. "Okay, here we go – we're gonna beat you, Rocker-tachi!"

"Shut up, you little brat," Chihiro lunged towards her, grabbing Kiyone's collar and lifting up the smaller girl. "You better know whom to respect, brat."

Kiyone however giggled while pointing behind her. "You know – if you hurt me, Yane-Yane's gonna be angry~."

Chihiro looked past Kiyone's hanging body and found Ayane glaring at her. "What – you wanna come and get me!"

Ayane narrowed her eyes until she smirked at the senior. "Well, if you're like that – bring it on, punk!"

"Why you little," Chihiro snorted while looking at Kiyone, swinging around and chanting.

"Yane's gonna kill you, Yane's gonna kill you," Kiyone grinned childishly while swinging from Chihiro's grip. "Weee, this is fun~!"

Haruka slapped her forehead. "She's scared of Konan but not of Chihiro!"

Hitomi glanced through her notes. "Chihiro's physically intimidating but mental damage is a lot worse from physical aspect. Consider Konan's mannerisms, Kiyone hid behind you am I right?"

Haruka nodded while Hitomi pointed out to the Pearl Dragon. "Kiyone's empathically sensitive as well – because she is used to Ayane's wild demeanour and big stature, Kiyone doesn't feel intimidation. However, her fear for Konan came from the fact that she wanted to spray Mai's blood all over the court. It's not the sight that scared her but the intent."

Mai coughed a bit. "Kiyone can deal with bigger people due to small stature – to her, seeing someone bigger than her is normal. It's when they start baring fangs then she feels the intent."

"But, Chihiro displayed a huge set of fangs," Haruka twitched and shuddered at the memory. "How do you explain that?"

Momo leaned against the wall. "I don't think you get what Mai's saying."

"You mean," Rin tapped her chin. "Ooh, ooh, when she smiles?"

Haruka shook her head. "This is where intent makes its appearance I presume?"

"Somehow, Konan did remind me of Sunamyou-san from Yuugetsu Chuu," Isane twiddled with her thumbs. "I mean – it's kinda... scary..."

Kirijo is known to be one of the fastest if I remember right, Mai's eyes watched the two doubles pairs interact with one another. "I don't think it's the rocker we have to worry about."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes. "Kirijo Tsunami – she doesn't have any special attacks of whatsoever compared to us who each have their own special ability."

Momo analysed her structure. "Her legs – if you look at it... they're not built for tennis."

"How sure are you," Rin pointed out. "She's got a racquet you see?"

Momo twitched while rolling her eyes. "Just because they hold a racquet and can hit a ball over doesn't mean they're built for it. Mai's stockier than her; you notice that her legs are the thickness of an aerosol can? That proves one thing – she's a net player."

"Also being a net player proves that she cannot plant herself properly and," Hitomi showed them a chart of her stats. "If you compare Mai who is also almost the same speed calibre, you'll notice that Mai has a higher accuracy rate..."

Isane exchanged glances with Mai and Tsunami. "In other words, Ayane's powerful enough to send her flying."

"Let's not get too carried away," Momo folded her arms. "Ayane may be strong but don't forget – this is a doubles match."

Haruka bit her nail. "However, there's a catch."

"Yeah, it might as well be that Chihiro's not going to be fast enough considering that her leg is a tree log," Momo smirked at the Pearl Dragon. "By the way Haruka – you might want to take off that weight."

Hitomi rolled up Haruka's sleeves. "You've been wearing that power wrist for the last three weeks, haven't you? Your arm strength has increased by three percent and your flexibility has lowered by a fraction. You're concentrating too much on your upper body."

Haruka sheepishly smiled. "W-Well, I had to improve myself somehow. A Dragon Dance is an art that will never stop evolving..."

Rin jumped on Haruka's shoulders, showing a 'v' sign. "Yeah, she's right – kuwee~! Thanks to Haruka," –Rin revealed her power anklets. "I've been improving in stamina now!"

Haruka, Momo smirked while watching the pink haired half of the Dragon Pair ruffle Rin's hair. It seems to me you guys are getting somewhere. What am I still lacking? Haven't I done anything right?

"Doubles Two will now begin: Hyotei High School's Aragaki-Kirijo pair versus Hyotei Middle School's Kobayagi-Getsugan pair! Game start, Kobayagi to serve!"

Ayane gripped the ball tightly, steadying her breathing while checking the field. Chihiro stood at the receiving end while Tsunami beadily analysed the smaller girl. As the vice captain tossed it in the air, Ayane recalled something that Atobe said.

Power isn't everything, Ayane. Sometimes, skill comes in handy as well.

For once, Ayane smirked while seeing the ball come down. "I'll take your advice, Atobe!"

The ball limply tripped over the net forcing Chihiro to run it down and miss.

"Fifteen – love," the two found themselves facing a smirking Ayane and a cheerful Kiyone.

"Yay, nice shot, Yane-chan," Kiyone grinned while moving to the other side. "Whatcha gonna do now?"

Ayane ruffled the girl's hair. "You're gonna have to do everything I say, got it?"

Kiyone stared at her wide eyed, waving her arms in the air. "But, Yane-chaaaaaan~...!"

"No buts," Ayane whacked the upside of the smaller girl's head. "We have to get stronger and for now, we'll have to change strategy. You got it?"

At first, Kiyone pouted until she gave her a childish grin. "You bet! We'll get stronger, Yane-chan! I know you're the strongest vice captain there is! Together we'll get stronger – you and me together!"

Ayane cheekily smiled while turning to face the seniors. "Look, a little advice before we pummel you to the ground..."

Chihiro raised an eyebrow as Ayane raised her racquet towards her. "If you think you're the best then, that's where you're so damn wrong! We're gonna kick your ass because – we're the one and only DIAMOND PAIR! So, if you don't get what the hell I just said – I might as well show you!"

Chihiro bared her fangs. "You're going down, whiny. You should be taught how to respect your seniors!"

Tsunami stuck her tongue out. "Let's see about that, hotshot."

Ayane bounced the ball, watching Tsunami's movement as she did so. Kiyone on the other hand tilted her head while Chihiro started snarling at her. As Ayane tossed it into the air, Kiyone suddenly brightened up.

"Yane-Yane, don't you think Rocker-san looks like a heavy metal zombie," Kiyone began jumping up and down.

Ayane cracked into laughter while catching the ball. "Kiyone, don't make comments like that!"

Kiyone pursed her lips, pouting impishly. "But Yaaaaaaaneeee~, they're not worth remembering~!"

Momo face palmed while watching the match. "At least Rin was a bit more mature."

"She has to be," Isane sheepishly noted. "I mean – Kiyone- is two years her junior."

Rin hung upside down from the chair. "Hey, look at all the blood go into my head kuwee~!"

Isane blinked while Momo chuckled. "Well, perhaps – you stand corrected."

Haruka yanked Rin's arms. "Rin, you're going to get a headache that way! Also, Momo stop trying to compare their maturity!"

"Not my fault that Kiyone has a good excuse," Momo shrugged while smirking. "Besides, having immature people on the team sometimes is a good thing."

Haruka sighed defeated while hauling Rin up. "I guess you're right."

Chihiro slammed the ball towards Kiyone who dodged it quite easily, giving Ayane the chance to explode it towards the older Amazon. Tsunami dashed right in front of Kiyone causing the smaller girl to nearly stumble but left Chihiro wide open for a volley from the tangerine haired vice captain.

"Thirty – love," Kiyone jumped onto Ayane's back.

"Yay~, we're getting them, Yane-chan," Kiyone punched the air.

Momo leaned back while folding her arms. "Honestly, I didn't expect Ayane to progress this fast. Considering how proud she is of her own power, it was hard making her accept someone's help."

"Arn~, of course she would accept ore-sama's help," Atobe flipped his hair. "After all, she needs all the help she can get."

However, Atobe's haughty smirk concealed the beads of sweat that trickled past his cheeks.

Aragaki's more dangerous than what people say, Atobe folded his arms, watching the ball fly past. Ayane better be prepared for what may come and destroy her. Getsugan's holding her end with Kirijo but Aragaki's a monster. If Godzilla was real and a human then, she would be his wife.

The ball cracked against Ayane's racquet, pushing the first year back but Kiyone pushed it with her own body weight, sending it right over the net. However, Tsunami quickly fired it towards Kiyone's head which knocked the girl down for a tumble.

"Thirty – fifteen," Tsunami and Chihiro gave each other a high five.

Kiyone rubbed her head, slightly whimpering. "Owie~, they gave me a good knock on the head..."

A moment of dreadful silence filled the court as Chihiro chuckled. "Tennis isn't a game for you babies anyway..."

"You," a dark voice came from the other side.

They turned to find Ayane's emerald eyes blazing angrily. The wind blew harshly against them and somehow, everyone present started to feel chilly. Adjusting her strings angrily, Ayane raised her head to face them while gripping hard into her racquet. Blood slowly trickled from her palm, slowly coating her purple coloured grip.

"You are going to pay," Ayane's eyes narrowed coldly as she positioned herself for a service. "Kiyone, stay where you are..."

Kiyone stared in shock while sitting on the sidelines. "Okay, I'll wait for you to beat them up, Yane~!"

As the ball cracked off, Ayane slammed it towards Chihiro who exploded it right back at her.

"Get off the court, monkey," Chihiro grinned maniacally at the speed demon next to her. "This tramp's mine!"

Tsunami sighed as she moved to the side. "Suit yourself; Naomi's going to hurt you if we lose."

The ball exploded between the two players and even bent the strings back of both racquets. Nevertheless, neither one pulled back any punches as sweat poured down their faces and their footwork started getting slower after ten minutes. Sliding across the court, Ayane planted a backhand towards the left corner which forced Chihiro to jump and miss it by a few inches.

"Forty – fifteen," Chihiro growled as Ayane raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all you got," Ayane snorted as she fixed her racquet strings. "I mean – even Kiyone hits harder than you."

Chihiro wiped the dirt from her elbow while giving her the dirty finger. "Shut up, you bitchy watermelon! I can bet your ass that I will wipe the floor with your face!"

A pregnant pause caused everyone to turn towards Ayane, waiting for a snappier comeback however – the vice captain said nothing.

"Only stupid people like you say that is because they don't know how to defend their claim with their racquet," Ayane chuckled causing Chihiro to glare even harder at her.

Oshitari raised an eyebrow at Atobe. "You did a lot of reconfiguring there."

"Ore-sama only made her more flexible in terms of Doubles Play," Atobe folded his arms. "Ore-sama did not want her staining Hyotei's name to a moron after all."

Oshitari coughed out a chuckle. "Oh, is it like that now? What kind of person tells a rival to tell his teammate to back off?"

Atobe hardened his glare at the kansai prodigy. "Oshitari, shut up."

"You can't deny it," Oshitari maintained a poker face. "The only thing you didn't do was tell Kobayagi the truth about that lonesome crack in the wall."

Atobe flipped his hair back. "She doesn't need to know."

"What," Oshitari cut smoothly. "She doesn't need to know that the person that was thrown was not Kabaji but you?"

Atobe snapped his mouth shut, realizing where this was going as Oshitari's volume slowly increased. Ayane and Chihiro continuously exchanged heavy shots until the other one limply dropped over the net, forcing Chihiro to jump forward.

"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan pair: one game to love!"

I can't believe this; Naomi bit her lip as Ayane passed the ball back to Chihiro. Her hands began sweating while her eyes glanced at the players of the middle school division. Rin and Haruka brought down the Osakada-Shou pair without really using their Synchro while Mai doubled her speed when Konan was already known to be a beast in almost every aspect: speed, strength and even lust for blood. Despite never meeting the new pair that Shizuru had scouted, Naomi scoffed inwardly; Chihiro had Ayane moving all over the place.

Kobayagi won't be able to win as soon as Chihiro's weights fall off.

Chihiro revealed her fangs as she fired another backhand. "Isn't this a doubles play, bitch?"

"Sorry," Ayane managed to run down the shot. "If it's something I have pride in, it's my ability to make sure no shot gets past me!"

Soon, a volley slid inside which caused Ayane to back up.

"Love – fifteen," Chihiro grinned as she rested her racquet on her shoulder.

Tsunami shook her head. "Chihiro, you shouldn't be so hard on the poor girl."

"That shitless watermelon's going down," Chihiro slammed her racquet on to her palm. "Stupid bitch has no right to take my title as the Strongest Woman in Hyotei!"

Tsunami chuckled darkly. "Well, it looks like your strength can't do everything, gorilla."

"Shut up, monkey," Chihiro snarled as she took the baseline. "Where's the brat?"

Kiyone stood up to receive. "Yane, don't worry about me okay?"

"If that girl clobbers you again," Ayane smirked at the older doubles players. "Then, she's going to be earning the title 'Panda' once we're done with them!"

()()()()()00000000000000()()()()

On the other hand, Shishido stared aghast at what Oshitari had said. "Atobe said that it was Kabaji who played against Aragaki!"

"Yes," Oshitari raised an eyebrow at their captain. "Do explain to us why you told us that."

Atobe glared at Oshitari before facing the shocked gazes of his teammates, curling his hands into fists. "It all started when ore-sama declared himself King of Hyotei."

"No duh not everyone would accept that," Shishido face palmed. "Seniors are not the type to accept that."

Atobe bit his lip. "At that time, Aragaki was a sophomore along with Kotetsu and the others. Unlike many of the seniors, this girl hated ore-sama no matter what he did. He even tried being nice to her!"

"Well, Aragaki always did have a screw loose," Gakuto shivered at her image. "And then what happened?"

Atobe lowered his voice while watching Ayane and Kiyone play. "Ore-sama was lured to the tennis court under the orders of his senpai. That's when she found ore-sama. Kabaji and I swore to one another to not let anyone know. However, a story came out that she had attacked Kabaji. Ore-sama doesn't even know where that came from."

"You can blame me for that then," a business-like voice came from the other side.

Oshitari turned to Hitomi who continued scribbling and watching the match with her video camera. "You made that story?"

"Not just me but, Suzumiya-senpai as well," Hitomi tilted her glasses while taking a swig of her evil concoction. "As much as possible, Suzumiya-senpai refused to have Aragaki get kicked off the team because Kotetsu-buchou needed a powerhouse to overthrow the current captain of Hyotei at that time."

Shishido winced at the mention of the word 'powerhouse'. "They weren't kidding when they called her the Strongest Female Powerhouse in Hyotei History."

"Nobody could match her power at that time," Hitomi leaned against the wall. "However, another person showed up in the middle of the season as a transfer student."

Staring with a puzzled look, Hiyoshi looked amongst the girls when it finally hit him. "Sanada-senpai was the one who..."

"Momo had taken out two of Hyotei's most powerful powerhouses with the OtoAobaSuiNadareTetsu combination," Hitomi sighed while passing a glance to the Shinigami. "I just never understood how she did that without destroying herself. At that same time, Kotetsu had decided to take Momo in order to make her the next captain when she graduates from Middle School. However, there was one problem between the two..."

Atobe chuckled. "Sanada's head wouldn't wash now would it?"

"Exactly," Hitomi hung her head. "Momo then was labelled as a threat against Kotetsu so, in order to rid her from the regulars – Kotetsu held a ranking match thrice a month to see if there was anyone who could take down Momo. Amongst us seniors right now, Momo was deemed the strongest and the most outstanding player. Many of us had flaws; Momo on the other hand easily found the weaknesses of our senpai-tachi and exploited them until they couldn't fight back. Her victory was short lived however, especially when Naomi finally became a senior."

Ohtori's eyes widened. "Shizuru... she..."

"Momo was too strong and wild for Kotetsu to control hence she sought for someone more naïve and kind but had the same level of untapped power," Hitomi chuckled bitterly. "Lo and behold, her prayers were answered in the form of Shizuru. Because Momo learned how to fight for what she believed in, Kotetsu diverted all her attention to Shizuru by acting as the caring and doting senpai while a few knew of her true motives to why she had devoted all her time to Shizuru."

Oshitari soon began puzzling an entire scenario together. "So, Midoriyama knew about it and that's why..."

"It seems great minds think alike, Oshitari," Hitomi bit her lip. "Naomi personally set Midoriyama against Inuzuka because she knew that Rikkai's Wild Dog would be able to trash Midoriyama in order to silence her. Osakada knew as well hence her strong attachment to Haruka. Rin and Mai had no sort of protection from the senpai but they were going through two clubs so they weren't heavily exposed to Naomi's dark intentions."

Gakuto snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that was almost the same time when Hyotei won their first gymnast gold medal from the Olympics and the first place position in Japan's Street Dance contest!"

The Mastermind didn't say anymore while she continued to watch the match. This proves why Momo and Shizuru are close to one another; they were victims of Naomi's puppetry. Everyone here was just a pawn to increase their powers and see which one would destroy the other. Whoever won was the one Naomi would take in.

Haruka turned her attention to the two smaller girls. "Hitomi, did you ever get an exact force measurement from Aragaki-san?"

"Her power levels rival that of a football player," Hitomi checked her figures. "Not only that, she started wearing weights so if we get the amount of time – say around five months with those on and training with it every five hours – I'd say her power's more than just a football player's level of power."

Haruka bit her lip. "Do I even want to know how strong she really is?"

"It may be something Ayane may not be equipped to handle," Hitomi closed her notebook. "But, that's because I haven't factored in Atobe's training scheme yet."

Rin jumped on Haruka. "Kuwee~, can she be as strong as a car?"

"If it's a Volkswagen running at 10 km/hr down a hill then, that's pretty close to what she's capable of."

Shizuru watched Kiyone throw her entire body forward whereas Ayane played both sides: baseline and frontlines. Though Ayane never liked being by the net, the vice captain started making up for Kiyone's weakness in having a small range for attacking the ball. Kiyone however managed to take shots from the baseline with a few weighted shots. The captain couldn't stop her back from tingling; Chihiro simply flung the shots aside whereas Kiyone and Ayane were giving it their all.

"Aragaki isn't giving her full power, Shizuru," Mai watched the ball fly forward and backward. "Ayane and Kiyone are playing a battle with restraint. Kirijo isn't moving as fast as she should either."

Tsunami dashed to one side. "Hey, what's wrong with you two? Are you guys getting cold feet already?"

Kiyone caught up with Tsunami. "Don't worry about us, Yane-chan and I are doing just fine!"

Watching both pairs exchange shots, Rin bit her nails. "Haruka, do you really think?"

"There's a big possibility that they're just giving way to Naomi," Zhujiang/Yuejiang bit her thumb nail while watching Kiyone jump from side to side. "If I'm reading their movements right, that means they're preparing for a Synchro."

Rin waved her hands frantically in the air. "But, can't they activated it by will power, kuwee~?"

"That's for Ayane and Kiyone," Haruka pointed out to the black haired acrobat. "I'm not sure about these two because they're playing pretty well despite no signal exchange."

Momo watched their movement, seeing Tsunami pivot from left to right. "They're using their feet as signals."

Hitomi nodded while explaining to Rin. "The heaviness of their step plays as signals whether or not to finish the match. Aragaki stomps to warn Kirijo for a finishing shot whereas Kirijo will jump to finish. To us, it doesn't look like signals because we don't feel it unlike them. They use that to prevent exhaustion and also to disguise their tactics."

Hiyoshi folded his arms. "Isn't stomping a stupid way to lose footing?"

"Stomping can do two things for a person on the court," Hitomi pointed out to the Enbu tennis player. "One: it could shock the opponent allowing a straight shot in between their feet and two: it also warns the partner up front that a strong shot will come from the back."

"It looks more like to warn people that there's an elephant stampede coming in," Hiyoshi snorted as he leaned against the fence. "That's a stupid way of Gekokujo..."

Seeing the ball explode back and forth, Lulu whistled as she slung her arm on Nanako. "It looks like we might have to take down the next pair. Shall we warm up together, Nana-chan?"

Nanako remained focused on the match, brushing away the lazy vice captain's arm absentmindedly. "Yeah, we should..."

Seeing the other two seniors leave, Momo tapped the younger captain's shoulder which allowed her to go after them. The Shinigami grabbed Isane's arm, dragging the poor Sniper with her while heading towards the courts that the two former regulars went for.

"Wait," Isane hid behind a tree while Momo ducked among the bushes. "Why are we even following them?"

Momo's eyes steadily focused on the unsuspecting former regulars. "There's something off about this match. I intend to find out what."

Isane hid behind the tree as Momo crept up to another bush. The two seniors watched the formers finally find a court in which they threw down their things for a warm up.

"So, what do you think about her plan," Lulu pulled out her racquet, smiling affectionately at it. "I mean – don't you think they all look so ravishing with the way they are now?"

Nanako glared hard into the vice captain. "Lulu, there are some people who don't need four eyes to see what you really are. These girls have already broken free; let them fly and Naomi should just accept that. I don't get what you two are trying to do. Aren't you afraid of crushing Isane's spirit in tennis? There are some who end up that way..."

Lulu chuckled while smiling darkly at the Doubles Genius. "Hohoho, it seems Momo really knew how to press your buttons now, did she?"

"How all of you people became dysfunctional – I have no idea," Nanako adjusted the strings on her racquet. "You became some psycho rapist and then, Chihiro became a gangster, Tsunami probably is the more Victorian Woman type person, Yuri's a fashionista person, Naomi's some power obsessed freak, Unohana's some candy eating freak and Ruriko's plain creepy with her data. Let alone, how did I end up heaped with you guys?"

"Don't forget that you were the worst among us all," Lulu moved to the other side of the court. "I'm not that bent – it's just, I wonder how that girl's going to get a boyfriend with the way she is."

"Lulu, focus," Nanako prevented another vein from popping. Am I the only one sane around here?

The vice captain tossed back her lavender coloured hair with a slow smile. "Well, simply put – it's nice messing with people's minds."

"I just don't know how Isane managed to escape the insanity," Nanako rolled her eyes while fixing her gear. "So, do we have one rally round before the match?"

Lulu chuckled darkly as her smile became more insane. "Sure, why not?"

Isane, shivering a bit, hid behind the dark violet haired Shinigami. "Momo, she never..."

"This is who they truly are, Isane. That's why," Momo bit her lip. "It was always so hard to get really close unless you want to get burned in the end."

Lulu tossed the ball up into the air. "So, do we fake it or do we go all out?"

"Whether we go full out or not," Nanako lowered her stance while trying to shake off the paralysed feeling in her leg. "I'm sure Isane and Momo would have learned a few things from us. Momo isn't stupid and Isane certainly isn't either."

Firing her serve, Lulu giggled to herself. Well, be prepared Isa-chan – the outcome of this battle doesn't mainly rely on who can surpass in skill.

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"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan: three games to love!"

Ayane tossed her head back while eyeing the two seniors who didn't even bother heaving. Chihiro's eyes remained focused on her while Tsunami didn't look the least bit disturbed that Kiyone started outrunning her. She bit her lip while trying to ignore the sweat pouring down her face and the pair of icy blue eyes that glared holes into Chihiro.

Is that anger coming from Atobe?

Ayane glanced at the sidelines to see Atobe tightly gripping the steel fence. The King didn't even bother flickering or flinching at the sight of Chihiro's evil grin as the two seniors cracked their necks and began to stretch. However, Ayane couldn't help but bite her nails as Chihiro began to snigger at her.

"You saw that crack on the wall, right," Chihiro grinned at the vice captain. "What do you know?"

Ayane tightened her grip on her racquet. "You threw Kabaji-senpai against the wall..."

"Technically, that's the truth," Chihiro sniggered while spinning her racquet on the floor. "But, do you know the whole story? I bet that arrogant asshole didn't bother telling you did he? I bet he was scared to lose the respect of his dear watermelon to try something."

Ayane venomously spat. "You mean – you were targeting him all this time!"

"I had thoughts on whether or not to smash his ribs in," Chihiro's evil grin got wider while she noted Ayane's flaring temper. "Stupid brat wouldn't stop talking – wanted him to shut his whiny little trap so he could just stay in one place and die! But, his good friend decided to try and catch him and so they both crashed into the wall!"

Atobe narrowed his eyes until he heard a low venomous hiss.

"Bullshit..."

Chihiro, quizzical, stared at Ayane who raised her head with glimmering green eyes. "What are you going to do to me now?"

Ayane bared her teeth with her threat, barely escaping through her clenched mouth. "You know what I smell? It's called 'bullshit'."

Chihiro folded her arms. "What, you don't take the street's word for it?"

"Not that I don't but," Ayane stared down at her with her anger flickering. "No one beats the junk out of him but me! That's my job! No one beats up Atobe Keigo except me! You got it, tramp!"

Atobe stared at the two while twitching. How could Ayane think like that in a time like this?

"This is new," Oshitari chuckled good-naturedly. "It's to see which woman could rough up Atobe more."

Atobe resisted the urge to punch the kansai genius. "Oshitari, shut up."

"With pleasure," was his humorous reply.

Shishido leaned against the fence. "These guys are going to chew them out with the way this is going. Are you sure you trained Ayane well enough?"

"She's improved over the month, Shishido," Atobe waved his hand to dismiss Shishido's comment. "Ayane's not someone you should mess with."

Yes, take it from experience. Ore-sama had already suffered a punch from her before.

Shizuru folded her arms while trying to stop herself for reprimanding Ayane for the profanities. However, the thought of the former regulars challenging them still kept her mind wandering away. Though Naomi's chiding would have made anyone think she was serious, Shizuru couldn't ignore the tingling feeling at the back of her mind as Naomi continued to smile in front of her. The seniors didn't seem to bang up about their losses and some were even happy. Yuri and Unohana giggled normally but Nanako and Lulu had already gone to warm up. Ruriko continued taking data while these two were being pummelled by their best pair who were only first year students. Nothing added up; no matter what way she looked at it, Shizuru could only groan in annoyance.

Has it finally occurred to you why we're here, Shizuru, Naomi chuckled darkly to herself.

Shizuru gripped her tennis skirt while staring straight at the floor. The tension took a toll on her and luckily, Ayane held her end of the match. Kiyone quickly outran her counterpart but the other didn't seem to even mind. Racking her brains for a reason, Shizuru resisted the urge to pull her hair. Why were they here? What did they want?

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"You know," Lulu drank a bottle of water then splashing it on her face after. "Naomi doesn't really care about winning this. She just wants that one thing..."

Nanako buckled her knees together. "Yeah if this keeps going – Kantou won't have the Hyotei Team in their line-up. The team may even cease to exist."

Lulu leaned against the wall with a small drawl. "Heh, I guess you're right..."

The two remained silent for awhile, seeing that they were done practicing and warming up. Lulu chuckled inwardly to herself as she imagined two possible outcomes: one is Naomi's destruction and the other one was Shizuru's. Pulling out two fruits from the bag, she showed to Nanako.

"Which would break first," she smiled slowly. "Is it the apple or the mango?"

Nanako stared at her quizzically. "Before I answer, where the hell did you get those?"

"I bought some for lunch," Lulu handed the mango to her. "Want some?"

Nanako face palmed. "There's this question you wanted me to answer – I would say the mango, why?"

Lulu tossed them both up in the air. "In truth and fairness, you're right – the mango would smash first."

Nanako folded her arms. "Where's the logic in that?"

"The apple, though it's perfect on the outside," Lulu cut a hole in it, revealing rotten spots inside. "It's rotten to the core. The mango however though not as pretty as the apple – has a soft inside and when you drop it..."

As the two fruits dropped on the floor, Nanako found the mango splattered against her rubber shoes.

"So, the apple is Naomi and Shizuru's the mango," Nanako raised an eyebrow.

Lulu chuckled darkly. "Quick to catch now are we? Yes, you're right. Naomi displays herself perfectly and makes sure that all her "rotten spots" are covered so that she could get away. Shizuru on the other hand is so sweet and kind for her own good that it's going to get her squashed by Naomi today."

"That's not true," a timid voice came from behind, causing the two seniors to find Isane and Momo behind them.

Lulu leaned back lazily. "Really, explain to me then why Shizuru looked so terrified."

"What makes you think she was," Momo calmly retaliated. "It's normal for a human to feel fear."

Lulu grinned evilly. "Does that exempt you, Momo? Frankly, I know you're scared to confront your past especially when it involves my dear Nana-chan."

Momo twitched a bit. What in the world is wrong with this woman?

"What we're trying to say is," Nanako bluntly stated while folding her arms. "Shizuru is dead against Naomi."

Isane shook her head. "That's not true!"

Nanako pointed out to the tall regular. "With your lips quivering and your thumb pressing near it, it's a sign you're doubtful of your claim. Not only that, do you know how it feels like to feel the wrath of a thousand blades piercing through your soul after each hit and drilling itself in as you move on?"

Isane gulped while turning to Momo. "H-How did she...?"

"She's the person who encouraged me to enhance my skills, Isane," Momo kept a stolid face. "She's the one who told me to pay attention to details that are so miniscule that it would make such a great impact on your opponent. I only managed to go for physical attributes however."

Nanako, seeing Momo's hard gaze, laughed good-naturedly. "Don't worry; you guys don't have to be on guard. Momo, I know you're not aware of this but that game against Rikkai was completely rigged."

"They took steroids," Momo gave her a droll stare. "So that's why Inuzuka made her fang reach me..."

Nanako ruffled the Shinigami's hair. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humour. But no – I knew something that I shouldn't have and Naomi had to shut me up."

"The complete personality change was a bonus," Lulu drawled lazily. "Nao-chan didn't want anyone interfering with her plans of making her glory days last."

Momo narrowed her eyes while Isane drew back. "So that means...?"

"Shizuru was just some clueless little brat who didn't know anything about her supposedly 'doting' senpai," Nanako folded her arms, nodding seriously. "Honestly, I wasn't fond of the girl. She was too polite – had no backbone, she always had to rely on the red head. If I were to choose, I would have chosen the cat girl."

Momo chuckled. "You mean – Mai?"

"Exactly, Mai's more dynamic than that little princess of hers," Nanako slightly spat, earning a glare from Momo. "But, Naomi needed someone easy to brainwash because..."

Isane gulped while turning to Momo. "Momo-chan was too strong for her."

"Back then, among the first years – you," –referring the purple haired Shinigami. "You were the most feared; Naomi tried to win you over because you scared everyone to their place. You had that perfect blend of skill and determination but there was one problem: you were so hard headed you wouldn't listen to her. So, she drafted me to get you..."

Momo withheld her anger as much as she could. "You... you were about to turn me into a brainless puppet?"

"After a week," Nanako sighed while averting her gaze from Momo. "I was so disgusted that I decided to train you myself so I could tell you everything before graduating into high school and saving the next generation from turning into another Kotetsu regime. However, Naomi had Suzumiya Ruriko to scout in other schools. Hence, this is when it came to her attention that Hyotei elementary had two wildcards."

Lulu continued on, spinning her racquet on the ground. "She watched them both everyday to see which one was easier to test. In the end, Mai became even wilder and more hard headed than Momo and she took Shizuru instead. No offense but, Mai could easily surpass her."

Nanako rolled her eyes. "Let's not deny the fact that yes, Shizuru has latent abilities as a tennis player but what made her wanted was not the same blend of skill and determination you," –referring to Momo, "had. But rather – she's easily fooled by people who gave her a lot of love, exactly what Naomi did."

Momo sighed while shaking her head. "This is a lot... why did you withhold all this?"

"It's because if I said anything," Nanako sighed defeated. "I would have destroyed the people who would have defeated Naomi."

Isane stared at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Momo, you have the power, skill and determination to destroy any psychological grip she has on your k ouhai," Nanako smiled at the purple haired Shinigami. "Isane was the gentle hearted one who could balance your ruthless personality. You two would've made a great captain and vice captain. Haruka and Rin, if given enough time – would surpass the best Doubles pair in the world. Hitomi could make even the most deceitful players show their true colours. As for the other two, Mai can destroy anyone if motivated enough. Shizuru on the other hand... her skills and grace are still untapped. What you probably see now is how Naomi tried to hold her back. That's another reason why she's here – seeing that Shizuru's become too strong for her, she's going to break her down."

The two seniors kept quiet as Nanako and Lulu stood up. "We're going to tell Naomi that we forfeit the match to you guys."

"No," Momo stood her ground. "We're going to play. We have to look like we don't know what's going on so she won't know what hit her."

Nanako chuckled; Momo stared at her with such fierce eyes that could put Naomi to shame. "Alright, if it's a game you guys want – it's a game you will get."

Lulu shrugged while dragging her stuff behind her. "Ne, Nanako-chan – how are we going to take her down?"

"As long as we have the number advantage," Nanako smiled darkly. "I don't think Naomi's going to stand a chance."

()()()()00000000000000()()()()

Naomi sat on the referee's chair with her usual benevolent smile while the younger captain's eyes became sharper. She watched the first years fight against the seniors as the ball flew past the net towards their side. Seeing that Chihiro had thrown away her weights, the vice captain had been blown away towards the wall several times.

"Game, Aragaki-Kirijo: three games all!"

It has only taken them twenty minutes, Naomi chuckled inwardly as she watched Ayane and Kiyone huddle up for a new plan. No matter what these children come up with, it's not going to work.

However, Naomi found another formation with Kiyone behind Ayane. Oh, what's this new formation?

"Yane-chan," Kiyone hid behind the taller girl. "What are we doing?"

Ayane's eyes focused on Tsunami and Chihiro. "I want you to spring left and right as fast as you can."

Kiyone stared at her quizzically but giggled anyway. "Yay~, time to put all my infiltration training into good use!"

"Infiltration training, huh," Ayane stared at the smaller girl as she started jumping around. "Wait, what the heck did you do?"

Kiyone grinned cheekily. "I decided to use the vents in Hyotei to get what I want! Mole diva always has the best veggie chips in his club room~!"

Atobe glared at the smaller girl. So that's where all our snacks went...

"Really," Ayane folded her arms, tapping her chin for awhile. "Next time you go infiltrating and filching his snack storage – steal me some dark chocolate, will you?"

Kiyone punched her fist into the air. "Okay, how many?"

"A lot of dark chocolate," Ayane grinned evilly, aware that Atobe heard her. He knows I have no volume control after all.

Chihiro scoffed while throwing her racquet into the air. "Do you know chocolate makes you fat?"

"Did you know dark chocolate's good for the heart," Ayane raised an eyebrow at the senior.

Kiyone tilted her head to the left. "Meh, what are we going to do now, Yane~? They caught up to us!"

Biting her lip, Ayane glanced at the seniors while trying to take note of their movement.

Kirijo-san is the fastest among the two of them that's for sure. It's just that, how are we going to get past them if Chihiro blows us both away?

"Aragaki never liked running, Ayane," a smooth voice spoke into her mind. "You have to remember that because Kirijo will be taking most of the shots, she's most likely get tired faster. You seek their weakness, Ayane. Do not challenge them with your pride – challenge them with wit and strategy."

The vice captain turned to the bleachers where Atobe stood. While the purple haired captain smirked at her, she grinned at the other two senpai.

"Alright, prepare for war tactics," Ayane raised her racquet to her face. "You're going down!"

Chihiro grinned manically. "Well, time to crush your arrogant little heart, bitch."

Tsunami wagged her finger at the two freshmen. "Alright, you have to go to bed now, little ones."

Shishido bit his lip, turning to Gakuto. "You're telling me that, Kirijo hasn't used her full speed yet?"

"She's the one who always helped me with my stamina training, Shishido," Gakuto nodded weakly. "After all, before she became a runner – she was an acrobat too..."

Shishido turned to Oshitari who narrowed his eyes at the girls on the court. "Aragaki may have been deemed dangerous but Kirijo is worse."

Taki gulped while looking at the court, trembling slightly. "She's whom we call..."

Flying Tsunami, Atobe bit his lip while watching Ayane. Kirijo Tsunami is not only known for speed but for flexibility as well. In the former female Hyotei team, there were two eagles that soared in the sky while the others attacked from below. Naomi being the general of the army of course, leaving Osakada Yuri as the maestro or the conductor of emotion and Lulu as the interrogator. The eagles functioned as spies while the rest attacked when the team couldn't realize it. This game is more on wit, not skill anymore.

As soon as the serve cracked off, Tsunami leapt forward for Kiyone's short serve as Ayane got ready to attack. Giving Kiyone a look, they started emitting a white aura that caused their eyes to dull thus allowing them to move without any difficulty.

Chihiro slammed the ball towards Ayane. "Shit, they're on Synchro!"

Kiyone wordlessly volleyed it over while Ayane dodged Chihiro's shot to seal off Tsunami.

"They're moving faster than the last time," Tsunami stared in horror as Ayane jumped up for a smash coming down.

So, this is the power of Synchro. I'm surprised though, how a bunch of brats could figure it out.

Another shot exploded from Chihiro but had it countered by Ayane and Kiyone swinging their racquets together.

"Their level of Synchro is more on support than offence," Haruka watched Kiyone combine her strength with Ayane's again. "As long as the two of them are together, they're going to become the ultimate pair. Kiyone may not be a counterpuncher like Shishido but her control makes up for it. Ayane's what everyone can simply say is a wall. Her strength makes up for her agility."

Rin watched Ayane and Kiyone move with the same rhythm. "There's something missing..."

"It's not their connection," Haruka shook her head. "Rin, that's why our Synchro is still one level above theirs."

Hitomi tilted her eyeglasses. "They do not have the experience that both of you have. They can only connect with each other."

"Whereas Haruka and Rin learned how to connect with all on a higher emotional plane did they not," Ruriko smirked while tousling her hair back. "But don't worry, Ayane and Kiyone are getting there."

"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan: five games to three!"

"Tsk," Chihiro spat while wiping the sweat from her face. "How did these two brats get that kind of power so fast?"

Tsunami rolled her eyes. "Chihiro, the answer's right there – that's because they know each other very well enough to connect."

Chihiro hissed while tying up her hair. "But, activating that power by will is downright impossible!"

"It's plausible," Tsunami shook her head disdainfully. "We're just not at that level yet. Maybe it's because you're such a brute."

Chihiro glared at her doubles partner. "You're the prissy little princess!"

"Heavy Metal Gorilla," Tsunami folded her arms with her nose in the air.

Naomi rubbed her temple while staring at the two doubles pair. God, when will they ever stop yelling at each other?

Shizuru glanced at Ayane and Kiyone before checking out the score.

"They're doing pretty well," Mai sat next to her. "I mean – these are the most troublesome seniors in Hyotei's history."

Shizuru, nodding stiffly, turned to Naomi who looked a little more uneasy than the last match. Naomi kept her grey eyes focused on Ayane and Kiyone for a moment before she let out a small chuckle.

If our doubles pair loses, at least – this will give me a chance to crush that seed.

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"Let's play a game now," Momo stood at the other end of the court. "I want to know something. But, it's just you and me – Midoriyama-senpai."

Nanako raised her eyebrow. "Now, why do you want that?"

"There's something that I need to show Isane," Momo monotonously raised her racquet. "It's something I need to clear up before anything else."

Nanako nodded before taking one side. "Lulu, I'll leave the officiating to you."

Momo glanced to the taller silver haired regular. "Isane, you're the line judge."

Moving towards the line, the silver haired regular watched the Shinigami take her position as Nanako readied herself at the other end. Biting her lip, Momo fired a serve heading towards Nanako's right side which the Doubles Genius easily returned and sent it towards the left side. The Shinigami ran down the shot while taking notice of Nanako's left ear.

"Burst like sound," Momo narrowed her eyes at her opponent. "Oto!"

Nanako tilted her head while bringing down her racquet for a backhand. "The Oto is a technique used to disillusion opponents with a vacuum however, the range is limited. If the shot is timed properly, the Jack Knife is a perfect counter move for it!"

Seeing it fly towards her, Momo got it back with a forehand while staring her down. "Smash like an avalanche, Nadare!"

Multiple balls flew at Nanako while the girl simply looked down. "You can never create but only fool the person into believing that there are many."

Lulu yawned while watching Nanako return the Nadare with a drop shot, forcing Momo to come forward.

"Float like the leaves, Aoba," Momo slipped the ball over, bringing Nanako for a lob.

Isane stared at the height of the ball. "It's a chance ball!"

Momo jumped while staring down at Nanako. "Uncontainable like water, Sui!"

The smash burst forward forcing Nanako to move back and return it with a forehand to nullify the power. However, Momo lunged forward for a volley which gained her the point.

"Fifteen – love," Lulu called out while watching Momo take a small breather.

Nanako looked at her racquet. "If you're truly trying to differentiate yourself from Sanada then, you've made very little progress."

Momo stared at her incredulously as the Doubles Genius showed her the racquet strings. "Burst like sound, Oto is another way of saying "Swift like the wind, Fuu". The Sui and the Ka are almost similar except that they are counterparts of one another. The Aoba and the Rin are the same, seeing that it nullifies anything and the Nadare is the only original move in your arsenal if you don't consider Tachibana's Abare no Dama and Akazawa's Akazawa Magic Shot."

Momo bit her lip while hanging her head low and falling to her knees. Seeing the marks on the court, the Shinigami curled her hand into a fist while trying to sort out her thoughts. What am I supposed to do? What am I doing wrong? Is there something right under my nose...?

Nanako glanced at the marks on the floor. "However... you've surpassed him long time ago."

The Shinigami stared in awe as the Doubles Genius walked over to her. "Momo, you've been trying to get past a barrier that has long been behind you. The day you transferred from Rikkai Dai to Hyotei was already the start of your surpassing of Sanada-san. Not only that, you became a regular on your first week here. Though it was unacceptable to some, you beat them with the virtue of power, skill and ethics. That was something that set you apart from him already. Seeing his former matches, Sanada proved to be ruthless to his opponents but... Momo, you have shown something that allowed your powers to expand infinitely."

Isane watched Nanako stretch her hand towards Momo. "You had the willingness to accept defeat and use it as a stepping stone. His head became caught up in being emperor thus throwing out whatever chances he had of being stronger because he could not rely on other people. You opened your heart, you gave yourself to the team... and that's what makes you different. Sure, your tennis techniques are almost the same but... it's in the way you use it that sets you apart from him."

Tears slowly dripped from the purple haired Shinigami's eyes. "I...I never expected this..."

"I know you've been holding it in," Nanako sat next to her. "But you can't keep it piled up inside you forever. Not everyone is like me; Naomi doesn't even care if Shizuru loses her ability to walk. But, you have to understand that someday – someone will eventually reach you and sometimes, they won't even try attacking."

Momo chuckled darkly while raising her head to Nanako. "Really now, sometimes – even the greatest defense falls to a stronger offence."

"Though there may be some truth to that," Nanako ruffled Momo's hair. "But there's one thing that they both lose to in the end..."

Momo raised an eyebrow as Nanako smiled.

"It's the mind that always wins in the end."

Isane took a seat next to Lulu. "Lulu-senpai, why...? Why did this all have to happen?"

"It's probably a growing experience for all of us," Lulu looked up into the sky, lazily drawling. "One day, the world will be run by those who seek the sky."

Isane, quizzical, soon found Momo being embraced by Nanako. "So, how are we going to break it into the team?"

"We can't just do it is the problem," Nanako ruffled Momo's hair, earning her a small smirk. "What we can do is warn them of the impending dangers ahead."

Lulu dropped her laziness almost instantly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

()()()()()00000000000000()()()()

"Game, Aragaki-Tsunami: five games to six!"

Ayane, feeling heavy palpitations, closed her eyes to calm herself down as Chihiro managed to gain the last two sets from them. While Kiyone started slumping on the ground, Tsunami could barely keep her head up as the two powerhouses managed to glare at one another. The tennis ball suffered heavy shots and the racquets looked like they were going to fall apart. Chihiro's arms dropped limply on her side while she grinned maniacally at Ayane.

"Come on now," Chihiro gave her a rocker sign. "What's the matter? You're giving up already?"

Ayane searched around the court, noticing Kiyone and Tsunami on their knees. "We're practically at our limit."

"Your point," Chihiro raised an eyebrow at her. "Tsunami could just lie on the ground for all I care."

Ayane smirked while looking at Chihiro's legs. "Momo-senpai taught me this: look well at your opponent and exploit all weaknesses visible."

Chihiro raised an eyebrow as Ayane raised her racquet towards her, smirking.

"Your knees are laughing," she snickered while Chihiro glared at her.

"What are you," the senior then found her legs suffering, swelling up considerably.

Ayane folded her arms. "You're a nut job you know that?"

"I'm not an idiot, bitch," Chihiro seethed through her teeth while glaring at the current vice captain. "Why don't you just go run to your little king and flirt with each other?"

Ayane twirled her racquet. "Sorry, I don't swing that way."

Chihiro scoffed while getting ready for another serve. "So, what's it going to be?"

Ayane picked up the ball while handing it to Kiyone. "Can you handle another serve?"

The smaller girl cheekily grinned. "I'm gonna make it a doozy~!"

Tossing it into the air, Kiyone jumped up for a serve causing it to slip right in front of the net and forcing Chihiro to run for the ball. Though she managed to return it with a lob, Ayane smashed it down which forced Tsunami to run after it. The two freshmen soon switched places which caused the other two to try and cover one another.

"It's impossible for them to execute the Australian like this," Tsunami quietly thought to herself but soon found their eyes flickering differently.

Chihiro raised an eyebrow. "Well, it seems that these brats are really looking for a death wish."

"If that's what they desire," Tsunami chuckled darkly. "Then, we should give it to them then."

Kiyone volleyed it over while Tsunami attacked Ayane. "Yane-chan, they're slowing down again..."

"That means they're losing it," Ayane narrowed her eyes. "Kiyone, it's time we switched!"

Naomi raised her eyebrow, leaning on her knuckles. Alright, then – show me what you have.

Chihiro slammed the ball towards the baseline until Kiyone flipped it over, revealing a very familiar technique.

Hitomi glanced at her notebook. "Because Kiyone is the youngest, she has a chance to absorb all the techniques of the other regulars – perhaps even the ones of our best."

"That's the Hofuku Yamaonna," Haruka stared in awe. "I thought I had good control but..."

Mai folded her arms. "We can't stop evolving – after all, a baby always takes after her mother and sisters."

"Kiyone may have the weakest physical attributes but with the most latent potential," Hitomi smiled while scribbling down. "Hopefully though, she doesn't make it too obvious."

Tsunami managed to return the Hofuku Yamaonna. "Hmph, your body's too stiff when you do it. You won't be able to do it twice!"

"Yane-chan," Kiyone jumped back, revealing the tangerine haired vice captain sneering at her.

Chihiro's eyes widened. They set it up! But how did they...?

"Not all First Years are stupid, Aragaki," Ayane grinned while slamming the ball straight at Chihiro's feet. "Besides, what makes you think I'd lose to a moron like you!"

Atobe folded his arms while watching Ayane progress quicker than he thought. To think ore-sama always thought that she was unaccepting of ore-sama...

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Atobe," Ayane hissed through her teeth as she slammed the ball from the baseline. "Nobody has that authority but me! You got that!"

Chihiro howled while throwing the shot back at Ayane. "You wished, you whiny skank!"

Kiyone volleyed it back towards Tsunami with the reflected force causing Tsunami to fall back and Kiyone to tumble.

"Kiyone," Ayane helped the girl up. "Are you okay?"

Kiyone giggled offhandedly. "I see stars..."

"She's alright," Ayane sighed as the ball rolled right on the baseline.

"Game and match, Kobayagi-Getsugan pair: seven games to five!"

Kiyone jumped up from her dazed state. "We won, Yane-chan~!"

Ayane punched the air. "Heh, see what happens when you underestimate us?"

Chihiro, glaring hard into Ayane, lunged towards her while grabbing the vice captain by the neck. "Why I ought to...!"

Before she could snap the first year girl's neck, two balls slapped her hand causing her to let go – revealing Isane and Mai who finished their serves.

Shizuru narrowed her eyes at Chihiro. "I suggest you put her down."

"Why should," Chihiro stopped midsentence when she saw the current captain's eyes blazing.

"Chihiro," a calm voice came from the referee's chair.

The punk like girl glared at Naomi. "What do you want now?"

"Let her go," Naomi's gaze remained frigid. "It's no use for you to snap her neck out of nowhere. You have better things to do with your time."

Dropping her to the ground, Chihiro shoved her hands into her pocket. "Let's go, Tsunami."

As the two seniors walked away, Ayane hauled Kiyone on her back. "The next time they try that again – I'll beat them so hard it won't be just stars that they'll be seeing."

Kiyone grinned while latching onto Ayane. "Yay~, Yane-chan's gonna kill them~!"

Ayane sneered at the two who walked off the court. "You bet I will."

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Ayane: YEAH, WE WON!

Kiyone: Yane-chan's gonna murder them all~!

Mai: (face palms) How did they become this insane?

Momo: Well, that's what happens when you hang out with the team too much.

Shizuru: Kiyone, Ayane, please stop planning their untimely demise...

Ayane and Kiyone: Sorry buchou.

Haruka: (shrugs) Well, who's next?

Isane: I guess that would be us.

Momo: (smirks) Let them see the true power of the Cannon Pair.

Me: Before anything else guys, please remind the readers...

Hitomi: (eyeglasses glinting evilly) Review or else... I will feed you my...

Rin: (jumping on Hitomi) Please review! Thanks~, kuwee~!