REVERSED, I, AND HORMONES, OH HORMONES…

Written by Playgirl Eugene

Author's Note : Hi, all. This is the new, revised version of the story Reversed, I, and Hormones, oh Hormones… I realized that my older stories contain plenty of grammar mistakes, event mistakes, and many other errors. So, I decided to repost everything all over again. I hope with this, my old readers will continue to support me and I will attract some new readers as I tried to improve my writing style and grammar.

Standard Disclaimer : The Prince of Tennis and all of the characters, including the original plot and situations, is created and owned by Konomi Takeshi-sensei. I own nothing of it and I do not earn profit of any kind from this and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This disclaimer stands firm for the whole of the story. Furthermore, if I use any material that needs to be disclaimed, there will be individual credit where due.

Summary : Hormones can do wonders. Enough said.

Rating : M/NC – 18/R

Warning(s) : Slash/yaoi/male x male, cussing, cross-dressing, OCs, future reference to explicit and implicit sexual situations, some might be extreme. Be warned that this is not a Mary-Sue fic because I will never do one. If any of the aforementioned warnings offends you, I suggest you turn back now. I will not appreciate anyone flaming me just because they didn't read this.

Setting and Timeline : Utterly AU and has absolutely no connection with the cannon except for the borrowed characters and faint similarities of their original relationship in the Prince of Tennis.

Character Setting : Undecided.

Chapter Details : None in particular.

- Prologue -

"Did you see Seigaku's manager?"

"Seishun gakuen," Yanagi Renji suddenly stood from his seat, the gesture commanded immediate attention from the Rikkaidai tennis team. He calmly placed his notebook and pen on the table beside him and raised face, regarding the other six members of the team.

For two whole minutes, they simply stared at the young analyst with curious anticipation. Marui Bunta decided that the silence was making him dumb and asked, "And… what's with them?"

"They seem to have improved." said Yanagi as he folded his arms, looking thoughtful as usual. "According to the rumours, I heard that Seigaku pose quite a challenge this year."

Marui snorted, blowing his bubble until it burst with a resounding pop. With one hand, he pulled the greenish gum sticking around his lips and licked them back into his mouth. "Renji, even with your closed eyes, I think you can see that Seigaku is weak. Everyone knows that. They failed the nationals two years in a row,"

"Bunta's right, puri." Niou suddenly spoke as he crossed his legs and leaned back on his seat, spreading his arms across the back of the chaise with languid ease. Fondling with his short pony tail casually, he continued, "If I remember it correctly, we only have to worry about Tezuka Kunimitsu. And you know the rumours about his left arm. That leaves us with that half-hearted genius with the smiling face… umm, what's his name again…?"

"Fuji Shusuke." Yagyuu answered as he pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, not once taking his eyes off the page of the novel he had been reading.

"Ah, yes. Fuji Shusuke…" Niou muttered absently, before a touch of leer touched his handsome face. "And the Golden Pair is not strong enough. And so is the third single, Inui Sadaharu." The trickster's smirk grew even wider when Yanagi shot him an icy glare through his slightly lidded eyes. His change in expression was so sudden that Marui and Kirihara squeaked almost pathetically. Yanagi definitely lived to his reputation as one of the Three Demons.

"Sadaharu is not weak." Yanagi's voice dropped in temperature, daring Niou to say otherwise.

Niou chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender, "Touché."

Yagyuu sighed, knowing that Niou was just trying to get a reaction from Yanagi. The whole team knew that Yanagi was always sensitive when Inui Sadaharu's name was brought to his attention in the wrong way. His trickster of a partner really did get off on riling others, but he should really learn how to control that habit lest he wanted someone like Yanagi Renji after his hide. After all, Yanagi was not exactly someone you would want to have as an enemy.

"Aww, come on…!" Marui whined, "Seigaku is so not worth it. And I, as a genius, do mean absolutely not worth it. Especially now with Tezuka out of the way,"

"You know, I really don't get it…" Kirihara, the youngest of them, cocked his head to one side almost curiously. "Why did players like Tezuka and Fuji chose to go to Seigaku? I mean, they could've gone anywhere else, but why Seigaku?"

"Good question." Jackal murmured, a little surprised by Kirihara's random outburst of actual intelligence. While Kirihara was not exactly stupid, he wasn't exactly the brightest of the lot.

"You think it's because of the chicks? I heard Seigaku has some pretty cute girls." Niou said with a decidedly suggestive leer. Yagyuu shot his partner a dangerous look.

"Fuji didn't strike me like the type to. And as for Tezuka, well that's just wrong somehow." Marui snickered, not knowing that somewhere in Tokyo, one Tezuka Kunimitsu sneezed.

"Saa, I think we should let Renji finished first."

The good humoured conversation ceased almost with startling abruptness. They turned their head to the owner of the soft, demure voice belonging to one elusive form of their fragile looking captain sitting on the pristine white bed of his private ward where they had gathered for their routine of weekly visit.

Until he spoke, Yukimura had been absolutely silent; smiling almost contently as he watched the interaction between his team members. Even as he spoke, the kindly smile lingered on his full lips, but the dangerous gleam behind the gentleness of his dark eyes spoke differently.

Almost like a flipped switch, the air shifted. Even Kirihara seemed to realize the sudden tension in the air because he had wisely kept himself from adding unnecessary two cents into the straying conversation. It was little wonder why Yukimura was the captain and not Sanada.

Yukimura gestured for the analyst to continue his report.

Yanagi nodded. "Judging from their overall performance so far, despite the signs of obvious improvement since last year, little else is known. I personally believe they are trying to hide something." said the data player with an echo of frown between his eyebrows, "This year, they're reconstructing the whole team and training programme to rebuild a new line-up for the team, consisting of formerly eighth grade player Tezuka Kunimitsu, Fuji Shusuke, Kikumaru Eiji, Oishi Shuichirou, Inui Sahadaru, and Kawamura Takahashi. And I also heard that they have two promising sophomores participating actively this year. Momoshirou Takeshi, the so-called prankster who shows several signs of impressive power play and unpredictable style, and Kaidou Kaoru, also known as the Viper, with its deadly, persistent play. Those two are proving to be quite the unexpectedly resilient adversaries."

"In other word," Jackal remarked, "we have more to worry about other than Shitenhouji and Hyoutei this year."

"Che!"

Eyes were turned to the youngest member who had been sitting on and hugging the back of the stool next to Yukimura's bed, wearing a brazen grin on his face while rubbing the skin above his upper lips with his forefinger.

"When you got wonderful, brilliant moi at your service, it won't matter even if we're up against a team with eight Tezuka!"

Marui rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Akaya's head hard.

"Aww, what was that for?" Kirihara whined and pouted indignantly as he nursed the swelling bruise on his head, glaring at Niou who snickered at his expense.

"For being an arrogant brat! Where did you learn to talk like that anyway?"

Kirihara blinked and deadpanned. "Atobe."

"Heh. Figures."

Shaking his head and clearing his throat, Yanagi said, "I want all of you to think about it for a minute. Tezuka was known as the ace of Seigaku and they depended on him to secure Single One. But with one Tezuka Kunimitsu out of the country since the start of the season, don't you all wonder how they managed to make it this far into the tournament?"

Thoughtful silence met Yanagi's words. Of course, with the absence of the captain, the team would work twice as hard to make up for their sudden handicap.

"I heard that they have a new field trainer of some sort this year too. A professional and very skilled apparently, though no one has ever really seen this person and Sadaharu was very tight-lipped about it. He refused to tell me a single thing. But…" Here, Yanagi stopped; an uncharacteristic look of apprehension dawning on his solemn features.

Yukimura noticed this and looked at his teammate with prompting eyes. "But…?"

"But, I've heard some very curious rumours about this person. Ever since the arrival of this anonymous character, there have been noticeable changes in the Seigaku's system."

"Like what?" Marui asked with a hint of impatience.

Yanagi ignored the redhead, "There's a 'super rookie' from Seigaku, a freshman, participating as a regular member this year."

For the first time, Yagyuu looked up from his book. He had a look of faint disbelief playing on his countenance. "I thought Seigaku's policy is not to send out first years until the summer camp?"

"Indeed." Yukimura murmured, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. "This is very interesting. What else have you heard of this… new boy, Renji?"

Yanagi titled his head, "So far, there are very little data on him, except that he's a foreign student and has just recently moved into the country. Many talked about his prowess, but none really managed to gather precise facts about him. It appears to me that Seigaku is trying to keep him as a trump card of sort. They are being very careful about him."

Yukimura nodded and smiled. "Excellent work, Yanagi." he complimented, "Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"… Well, there is one last thing."

"Yes?"

"Their manager…" For a second, Yanagi looked as if he was about to say something, but then he paused and shook his head. "No, I think that's all."

Yukimura doubted that; Yanagi looked quite apprehensive. But he would not pry for now. He trusted that his reasonable friend had his own reason.

He hadn't been on the court himself for a while now, so what he knew extended to Yanagi's regular update. However, he hadn't been expecting Seigaku to rise quite as fast. Of course, they had Tezuka Kunimitsu, probably the best player of the high school level, and the wily, unpredictable Fuji Shusuke. They were better than most, but Yukimura had never really entertained the idea that they might pose a threat to Rikkaidai.

"So you mean to say that," Marui leaned forward with a frown on his lips, "Seigaku is apparently strong enough to make it into Big Four without Tezuka and they got this mysterious, hard-ass coach who's good enough to rise their level in such a short period of time."

"Not forgetting this elusive rumoured freshman participating recently." Yagyuu added, mild curiosity downing on his otherwise impassive countenance. It seemed that the Gentleman was most fascinated by this revelation than anything else.

"Exactly." Yanagi said, "And what would a team consisting of stubborn, convalescing players—not to mention that we have to count on Tezuka's return for the final—trained under a such efficient and effective condition be compared to us who, most probably have to do with Seiichi's absence this year and not a single new strategy?"

The gravity of the situation finally sunk.

Niou looked thoughtful as Yagyuu closed his book and folded his arms. Marui ran a thoughtful hand through his red hair. Kirihara, not really understanding the situation or really caring for that matter, decided to climb into Yukimura's bed and whined about something, only to have the smiling third year patting on his head indulgently.

Jackal was the first to break the silence by standing up. "I will start the ten kilometres night drill on my way home and tomorrow morning. Please excuse me, buchou."

Jackal was about leave the room when Yukimura, who had taken to stare at his own lap, spoke. "Wait, Jackal-kun."

The Brazilian's sunburned hand stopped midway from grabbing the doorknob and turned his head around at his captain.

"… Make it twenty."

Jackal nodded in understanding and left the room.

Yukimura had a feeling. He was never one to ignore it. Something told him that this year wouldn't be quite as easy as the last two. He was thankful that he finally got the permission from his reluctant doctor to go home in time for the camp, after some severe persuasions from his parts and a dozen of promises to not over exert himself.

He could not and would not be kept here in the hospital bed when everyone else was picking up their pace.

Yanagi picked up his notebook once more. "In that case, I'll tell Genichirou to—"

Marui popped another bubblegum into his mouth. "By the way, is it just me, or did anyone notice where the VP has gone off to?" he asked, chewing carelessly on his sweet.

Yukimura titled his head enquiringly, "Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing Genichirou since this morning either."

Yanagi, as he neatly placed his notebook inside his duffel bag, was the one who answered. "I believe that he has gone to inspect the lodging for the training camp around two hours ago."

It was a humid, sweltering summer day in Manhattan, New York. Billy wondered for a second whether the heat will finally get to him. The air conditioning system of the building had been down for a few hours and the lone desktop fan was the only comfort they had.

"Hmm, aside from Tezuka Kunimitsu and Fuji Shusuke, who do you think we should concern ourselves with, Kevin?" Billy asked as he ran his eyes over the one of the player files scattered on the coffee table of their parlour.

Tall, blond, and disarmingly handsome Kevin Smith, captain to the US West Coast Team, inclined back against his seat and crossed his arms. Disdain was clear in his eyes, and so was conceit in his voice.

"Don't be an idiot, Billy. They're just a bunch of losers, all of them."

Billy smiled. "How harsh."

"It's the truth."

"You're unusually cranky today." said Billy, raising an eyebrow at the snippy looking blond. "Is it that time of the month again?"

Kevin scowled at the taller teen's innuendo. "Am not. They are weak, and you know that. End of story."

The brown haired teen nodded in acknowledgement. Out of the Big Four of Japan's high school league, Seigaku was the weakest. Their doubles were a fatal Achilles' hell, because the players possessed high individuality in their game play and were mostly singles oriented, making them unsuitable for doubles.

Compared to Rikkaidai, the two times consecutive winners, and Hyoutei, they were not much of a challenge, especially since there were rumours about the captain, who was the pillar of the team, had been away to treat his shoulder injury.

To think that they had to go through the trouble of travelling half the globe only to face them was a little disheartening, but Billy had a suspicion that Kevin Smith was not bitter about that.

The blond haired teen was sulky and hard to please, but he was not one to be quite so resentful usually. It didn't take a genius to know that he was in one of those 'moods' again. When one had known him for as long as one Billy Cassidy did, Kevin's temper tantrum was nothing sort of unusual. Sometimes, he wasn't sure which was worse; a pouting Kevin or a PMS-ing Stephanie – much as he loved the girl, she could be so unbearable sometimes.

"Kevin, if this is about your issues with your ex-boyfriend again—"

Kevin shot Billy his deadliest glare. He was always sensitive when people brought about that one subject. However, years of tolerating his petulance had made Billy immune to his glares.

"Don't say that you're still hung up about that?" Billy said, studying Kevin's face. "… Fuck, you are."

"Oh, shut it."

"Listen, Kev," Billy used his grown-up voice, hoping to knock some sense into his younger friend. "I know that you guys weren't quite… through when you did. And I mean, first love dies hard, yeah? But you need to get over it and move on—"

"It's none of your damned business, Billy."

The brunet nodded, ignoring Kevin's crude language. "I know. But it doesn't mean that you have to mope every time someone mentions him—and yes, Kevin, you are moping. Since we're all adults here, let's be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable." the blonde snapped back impatiently.

"No, you're not." Billy returned with a stern look, "And this stops now. So help me Kevin if I see you throwing another tantrum when we meet them. It's been two years, for heaven's sake. Get over it already."

Kevin shot him a stubborn, unrepentant look.

"Whatever."

Billy sighed and lamented his fate. If – no, when Kevin Smith met his ex-boyfriend again by the time they get to Japan, he'd already be on the one-way plane to Alaska. He wondered if Stephanie would mind with a little coldness. He could always bribe her to elope with him using that super expensive fox fur coat she wanted so much. Now, if he could only get someone to loan three thousand bucks…

Kendo was a form of discipline.

For Sanada Genichirou, whose very identity was sculpted out of iron-will and authority, it was the perfect control when one was able to control one's physical and mental self and their unnecessary desires.

Tennis was the same.

To Sanada, the sensation was similar. Tennis was a game of power play, tact, speed, refined speed, and finesse. It was an art, much like the beautiful way of the sword.

Like the noble teaching of his family, his played with the honour he placed in his sword and his racquet.

He was proud to say that very little deter that resolution.

For one so young, he had a few but fatal weakness. Surprisingly, there was a few. Sanada always had a soft spot for his erratic, hare-brained mother. He had an unexpected affinity for ohagi, shiruko, and daifuku.

Most importantly, he was helpless against the beautiful, gentle Yukimura Seiichi. Alas, despite all else, Sanada was seventeen, virile, red-blooded, and healthy.

The strange thing was that he had only ever reacted to his fair captain. Oh, his grandfather had hopes upon him – that one day, he'd marry one of his 'lovely and accomplished' students, had a dozen of children or one and a half, and the old man could retire to the mountains and enjoyed his tea.

His grandfather never knew about his little obsession with Yukimura. Hopefully, the old man would never. He was too old to die from an eyeful of sex. He only thought that Sanada respected his strength. The patriarch often remarked on how disappointed he was that his grandson could not win against such a delicate man with a face like a woman's.

Needless to say that Yukimura had been quite offended and Sanada had unwittingly become victim to his vindictive grudge.

For years, Sanada had doubted his sexuality but did not worry himself over it, until one fourteen-year old Yukimura decided that he – either himself or Sanada, he never found out – had been a virgin long enough and flattered Sanada when he practically pounced on the Emperor with unexpected strength that belied his build and proceeded to corrupt Sanada's innocence with unhealthy amount of debauched glee. Ever since then, Sanada's body only recognized Yukimura's.

Shaking off the lewd direction that his brain was taking, Sanada raised his face to inspect the camp's lodging. He silently approved of the slightly secluded training ground. It was recently renovated; spacious, clean, maintained, and facilitated to their effective convenience.

So far, Sanada had seen something over thirty rooms that were available from the dorm building. Apparently, they would have to share four people in a room. It sounded reasonable enough, Sanada decided. And he had seen the menu – healthy, balanced, nutritious diet – and the place offered six tennis courts, two basketball courts, one volley court, and an Olympic size swimming pool. There was the common room, function room, and the entertainment room on the first floor too.

"Did you see Seigaku's manager?"

Sanada headed for the administration office in the eastern building. When he was about to enter, he saw two students wearing Higa jerseys stepping out of the office and were speaking with visible excitement. One of them was the Higa regular, Chinen Hiroshi, Sanada noted. He did not know the other.

It was quite accidental; Sanada did not mean to eavesdrop, but the two Higa members weren't exactly being discreet or were they trying to, for that matter.

Chinen had a decidedly disturbing leer on his thin face, spiking some discomfort for even the Emperor. "The small, cute one with glasses? Yes, she was kinda cute, wasn't she?"

"Didn't she strike you like the type who would probably cry if you go all the way?" the green haired boy beside him said with a perverted grin on his pimple-infested face, "She seemed so innocent, but you'll never know with that kind of face. They tend to fool ya!"

The taller teen, Chinen, nodded. "Hard to believe that a girl like that will be staying under the same roof with a hundred boys for two weeks,"

His companion snickered, "Wanna bet how many times she got screwed over before the camp ends?"

Chinen grinned, exposing his white, almost sharp teeth. "Thirty-something. Twice, by me. By the time I got through with her, she won't even be able to walk straight,"

The green haired boy laughed and slapped on Chinen's shoulder. "Like, seriously? I'll take that bet!"

Sanada frowned, feeling sick in his stomach, as he watched the two Higa students walking further away. Hearing they talked was wrong on so many levels and it was disgusting. As a male and a teenager himself, he knew that it was difficult to see a good looking specimen without having the urge to act on the unstable hormones, but as a man of honour, it was unbecoming for him to speak of a girl in such a manner.

They spoke as if she was not human. He couldn't believe that he would have to stay with those barbarians under the same roof for two months! The last thing he needed was to catch their virus – idiocy, perversion, and all.

Quickly deciding that he had heard quite enough of their vulgar speech, Sanada shook his head and entered the office.

He didn't remember ever signing up for this when he entered the Seigaku tennis club. Oh, it was a good club, strong and all. But Kaidou had always considered himself to be a decent, normal guy. The outré members and their habitual eccentricity and idiosyncrasy were unexpectedly outrageous, but even to that, Kaidou had grown accustomed and tolerant.

Still, there were things that just weren't suited for his surprisingly weak heart and tender nerve, even if he had become used to that obnoxious club existed outside the boundary of commonsense.

"Kaidou-senpai," said his companion – a younger, dark haired girl with sleepy eyes and slim, silver-rimmed glasses – who was extending her hand at him, "the file that Tezuka-san gave you earlier,"

Kaidou nodded in understanding and reached for the zipper of his nondescript tennis bag, fishing out a stiff, white file folder and wordlessly handing it over.

"Doumo," she muttered before addressing the thin, blond, genial-faced administrator again.

Echizen-san, as they all addressed her, was Seigaku's manager; a very capable, attractive young girl for her age. While she was obviously lacking in the… err, chest area – not that anyone would say anything degrading about her lest the walls did have ears and passed it on to one insane, overprotective Fuji Shusuke – and was relatively challenged in the vertical sense, as she had insisted on phrasing it, she was a complete doll otherwise.

She was very slender, a little skinny even, although she had a pair of very nice legs and equally fine posterior. With her heart-shaped face, petite build, and clear pale skin, she exuded this delicate air that created an illusion as if she was about to collapse at any given moment. That kind of fragility made any man wanting to play as her knight in shining armour.

Even though she did have an arrestingly adorable face and wielded impressive academic prowess, but what made her 'passable' in Kaidou's book were simple facts. For example, she was not a loud, airheaded fan-girl who giggled like a retard in the presence of a decent looking bloke. She didn't do high pitched squeals, she didn't giggle incessantly, she talked less than Tezuka, and she played more than decent tennis.

She was perhaps the only female at school that commanded immediate respect and attention from the boys – the tennis team, specifically – without resorting to acting coy and helpless. She was admittedly quite aloof, and was known for her moody temperament, but it didn't bother Kaidou the slightest. As long as she could make him a stronger player, as long as she could bring his tennis to a whole new level, everything else could cease to matter.

Kaidou was not easy to please, and certainly not one to be impressed over a pretty face. But his beloved mother aside, Echizen-san might be the only female alive that commanded his utmost respect as a tennis player and as a comrade, and Kaidou had learned that reality the hard way.

So, suffice to say that Kaidou was not pleased that the object of his admiration was treated as some sort of porn magazine model.

The boys were leering appreciatively and indecently at the poker-faced girl wearing the Seigaku's trademark green uniform. They were openly eyeing the shapely, long legs exposed by the short pleated skirt. Their lecherous grins and wandering eyes were blatant and openly suggestive, giving people a frontal view of their inappropriate thoughts. Kaidou suddenly wished that Fuji-senpai was around. He would love to see what that demented tensai would do to them lot.

Soon, the boys were catcalling, wolf-whistling, and name-calling at the girl. Some were vulgar and crude, others leery and suggestive. They tried to get her attention to no avail. Echizen-san expertly ignored the lot of them as she continued to speak in quiet voices with the administrator.

One guy apparently didn't take well of being ignored and made an offended, growling sound at the back of his throat and stalked at her direction. Kaidou narrowed his eyes as he saw the brown haired guy raised a hand to grab the petite girl.

Quite suddenly, the audacious brunet found himself being shoved back with none too subtle push. Indignant, he shot a venomous snarl his assailant but it faltered under the more practiced glare of the infamous Kaidou Kaoru. The tall, sullen youngster stood protectively between the girl and the group of coarse teenage boys.

"… Touch her and die." Kaidou hissed through his teeth, slipping both hands into his baggy trainings. Perhaps he should just call Fuji-senpai after all. He could handle matters like this far better, considering how he had appointed himself as Echizen-san's personal bodyguard and did one fine job with it.

"What?" the brunet spat, looking positively enraged. "Just who do you think you are, asshole—" He was about to lunge at Kaidou when two of his friends grabbed him by the shoulders and arms.

"Don't!" the green haired one hissed, "Are you nuts? He's that infamous Snake from Seigaku!"

The previously passionate brunet stiffened and paled considerably, his posture immediately losing its previous aggressiveness, but apparently he still had it in him to throw one last, scathing glare at Kaidou, only to lose to Kaidou's threatening hiss before turning to scamper away and save himself from further humiliation.

"Fsuu!" Kaidou glared distastefully at the retreating back of the brown haired boy and his little band of friends. The remaining boys now watched him with weary eyes, unsure of what had just happened. Annoyed, Kaidou redirected his glare at them, earning some pathetic squeaks and a few whimpers. "What are you looking at? Scram!"

They immediately compiled; some even stumbled in their haste.

"Che!"

How pathetic, Kaidou snorted mentally as he watched the cowards scurry away.

"Kaidoh-senpai, that's enough." He turned his head to the girl who had just straightened up while slinging her tan satchel bag around her delicate shoulder and hugging the file folder to her chest. He caught sight of the amused look on the administrator's face, who in turn winked at him, causing him to blush.

"We're heading back."

He nodded curtly, glaring at the few boys they passed as he followed her leaving the administration office building just for the good measure in case any of them had the gall to approach her under his watchful company again after that little display earlier.

Once they stepped outside, Echizen-san sighed and turned to face him. "Kaidou-senpai, you don't have to go that far." Her tone was flat, but stern.

"Fssuu, I know." Kaidou answered, "But those bastards were—"

"Their kind is petty and vindictive; you'll never know when they will use you against yourself. I don't want any trouble before the nationals."

"… Usu,"

Echizen-san eyed him with a levelled gaze that unnerved him. She always had that thoughtful, faraway look on her face but when she spoke, she always looked into her opponent's eyes. Truthfully, it was slightly intimidating because her nonchalant eyes seemed to be capable of stripping something to its barest form and appraise it. Those eyes knew plenty, but shared very little. Kaidou supposed that it was a part of her quiet charisma.

"And don't forget that I am your kantoku, Kaidou-senpai." Echizen-san said as she titled her head to one side. Her longish bangs fell away from her sleepy eyes, exposing her face even more. "Fuji-san is delusional, but I assure you that I handle my own case."

Actually, that was not why he did it. Kaidou had always had a feeling that Echizen-san, despite her constant denial, was well aware of her physical disadvantage. It was always a problem for her because she constantly dealt with males thrice her size. But then, she always seemed to know just how to make them squirm where they stood, as if she knew how to make herself appear 'bigger' than she actually was and she never hesitated on using it on anyone.

"I don't want to see you in another fight. You can't risk an injury now of all time. Do you understand me?"

She was not admonishing and she was definitely not asking. Echizen-san expected him to obey her, and that he would.

"Fsssu, hai."

Echizen-san sighed and shook her head. It seemed as if she already knew what Kaidou's main concern was. "… If this is about Fuji-san again, he's being an idiot. Don't mind him."

Kaidou shuddered as he recalled the chilling gaze that Fuji-senpai had shot him. It had shocked him where he stood when he felt those ominous blue eyes upon him. Those eyes promised him a very bleak future and bloody, immoral death as he stripped Kaidou's limbs one by one. He did not even want to think about going back to school, let alone going back to school without the team's precious manager.

Fuji Shusuke could be vicious, vindictive, and demented – a very bad, unhealthy combination – and not to mention, blind when he was in a protective mode. Especially since it concerned one Echizen-san; he could be pretty much unreasonable to a point of being literally impossible.

Kaidou fought the urge to wallow in self-despair. Why did buchou send him again? He could've sent someone else, like say, Oishi-senpai or Kikumaru-senpai since Fuji-senpai trusted them enough not to try and do anything to Echizen-san – not that he was about to try something, mind you – because Oishi-senpai acted more like a mother than a teenager and because Kikumaru-senpai had the mindset of a five-year-old. Or he could've even sent Momoshirou, simply because Kaidou would take guilty pleasure of seeing his rival tormented in his place. But really, he should've sent Fuji-senpai. That would've saved so many innocent lives from some grotesque, untoward ends.

Well, one thing that he did know was that Fuji-senpai really didn't like it when someone ignored him. He became twice as vicious when ignored. So it was out of the question really. The only people who could get away with it were probably buchou, his little brother, and Echizen-san. Well, maybe just Echizen-san.

"Anyway, we should head back soon. Practice is over in less than an hour and I did promise Fuji-san to return before it ends." Echizen-san said as she glanced at her chic black and red sport watch. She had this thoughtful look on her face for a minute, before turning to Kaidou. "Ne, did you wear your power weights, Kaidou-senpai?"

Kaidou was a little surprised at the sudden question but nodded.

"On your ankles and wrists?"

Again, he nodded.

"The weight?"

"Around two pounds each. Why, kantoku?"

She produced some weight from her bags – which seemed to carry all sort of things from first-aid kit to toothbrushes – and tossed it at his direction. Kaidou faintly wondered how heavy that satchel bag she always brought about so carelessly.

"Add three plates each." Echizen-san instructed decidedly, "How far is from here to school?"

Kaidou suddenly had a really bad feeling. "Umm, around thirty minutes by train?"

"Hmm, I think Kaidou-senpai," she remarked idly, "You may want to take a head start and run now if we're going to make it back on time before practice ends."

End's Note : So, that's the revised version. I forgot to mention before that this fic is inspired by The Ultimate Uke Syndrome, a fine ManyNaru (mainly SasuNaru). I must say that I like it much better than the previous version. I hope it's not confusing anymore? So what do you think of it? Please review. Oh, and I welcome criticism and vote for pairings.

So far, the pairing votes are (and still open though I think the Fuji/Ryoma is definitely a sure pairing. Hnn, and Sanada/Yukimura too since everyone seems to think that they're compatible):

Fuji/Ryoma – 45

Tezuka/Ritsuka – 18

Kevin/Ritsuka – 13

Tezuka/Ryoma – 9

Atobe/Jirou – 4

Sanada/Yukimura – 2

Inui/Kaidou – 1

Oshitari/Gakuto - 1

Atobe/Oshitari/Jirou – 1

OT5 – 4

OT6 – 4