Title: Spark Boy Summary:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
LOL I don't remember much of what happened so ehhh…. You can thank The Symbol of Faith for this chapter and well getting be back to this in general. The first two chapters were revised and edited (more detail and the like) but you'll most likely survive if you don't reread them and they should be out in a few days.
From there everything quickly set a course for Raimon's venture in the Football Frontier. The game against Occult was a success with Endou figuring out the trick to their 'curse'. That all Endou had to do was disrupt the chant of the off fielders and it threw off their 'spell', but that didn't change the fact that the other team now knew their tricks and could stop them. They were tied at 2-2 and there wasn't much time left. Then Someoka and Gouenji combined forces and pulled out their new duo hissatsu technique Dragon Tornado.
They won but the game was incredibly difficult for them. The whole Inazuma team knew that they were going to have to go through a mountain load of training to win, and they were looking forward to it. The whole team was practicing intensely everyday on the field by the river side since the practice field was always booked by other teams.
This established a new routine for Endou. Everyday he would go to the club room with Gouenji and they would chat for a bit while waiting for everyone to show up. They would discussed whatever came to mind sometimes one of their teammates came early and would join in but more often than not it was just him and Gouenji until five or so minutes before practice began.
Endou didn't need to know that most of the other members were chased out by the platinum haired teenagers steely glare. Gouenji wanted time alone with his captain and he was going to get it.
Then Endou, Gouenji, whoever was finished changing by then would head over to the field to warm up. Someoka, Hanada, or Kazemaru would usually pair up with him for that, because everyone agreed that the time Gouenji spent with the clueless captain right after school was enough and they wanted some alone time too. Well as alone as one could get when one a soccer field during a full team practice.
The practice itself generally had each section (defense, offense, midfielders) working together to improve their plays. Then after they were satisfied they would break apart and work on making their new hissatsu technique or training the ones they have. During the team section practice Endou would generally hop from group to group since there wasn't much he could do on his own. A lot of the time he would pair up with the offensive players and so he could at least get some work done on his own skills a little.
Finally they would end the day with a quick scrimmage that was usually too intense for what was expected of a normal practice. But that was because Endou didn't know the high stakes riding on the game, i.e. the right to walk home with Endou after practice. This was followed by a quick rock, paper, scissors tournament because they couldn't have have the team trailing after their captain through town. That would just be too weird, no matter how much they wanted to do it.
Endou was deliriously happy with how things had progressed and he was excited that they were going to be able to show off how their practice paid off in their game against Nose Junior High. It also marked the beginning of the Football Frontier and was a little more than a month away.
"You won't be able to win. Nose specializes in air attacks and you lot have none." The only problem with Endou's joy was that Natsumi insisted on raining down on it. It was true, though, the Inazuma team didn't have many good attacks that they could prevent the other team from stealing. Both Dragon Crash and Fire Tornado would be low enough for their opponent to steal.
Natsumi stared at them condescendingly. "Well I suppose I can't have you tarnishing my school's reputation by being abysmally inept so I'll give you this." She flicked a ratty notebook in the brunette captain's direction before turning to leave. "It's a training manual, it should be able to help you. If you can read it." With that the girl left with a haughty flick of her shoulder and without a word of goodbye.
An electric shock ran through Endou the moment he got a good grip on the notebook, and he smiled because he was beginning to recognize that feeling. Quickly so he wouldn't miss her the brunette ran to the door and yelled, "Thank you!" Endou didn't know if she had heard him or not so he turned back to his teammates and started planning.
Outside Natsumi paused in her steps and glanced back with a small smile and a slight blush. It felt good to do something nice.
A new player, Domon, joined their ranks just in time for the Nose game, which they proudly won. It was 1-0 but they had won nonetheless. Domon was admittedly not any help during the match but Endou was beyond psyched that somebody had joined the team. Back to the game, though, the Inazuma team had managed to win by using their new hissatsu technique, the one they learned from the notebook, Inazuma Otoshi.
It was a duo skill for Gouenji and Kabeyama and it was perfected super last minute, middle of the game last minute, but still it lead them to victory. It's just what happened after that victory that made Endou regret it a tinsy tiny bit.
"Who are those people?" Endou tried to hide behind Gouenji's slightly bigger form and failed for the most part. If only Kabeyama was here his bulk could hide Endou perfectly, unfortunately he was running late and still in the locker room.
It was the team's first day back to practice after their game with Nose and they certainly hadn't expected so many spectators to be hovering around the field. Well Gouenji had on some level having gone through it when he was a freshman in middle school. He didn't mind the obnoxious stares especially because they weren't as annoying as the jealous hateful glares his teammates were giving him. Endou chose to hide behind him they could just off and leave them alone.
"The other teams seem to have sent spies to analyse out playing style." Gouenji forced himself to keep his voice level, he didn't want any outsiders to know of his romantic inclination. It was, quite frankly, none of their damn business.
Endou perked up at this new information. Spies! Why would they want to spy on his little team. They had barely set foot into the Football Frontier and people were already sending others to spy on them?! The brunette's musings were cut off by Natsumi's approach. "You guys aren't allowed to practice your hissatsu techniques in public anymore."
That abrupt and uncalled declaration prompted the predictably outraged cries from the Inazuma team members.
"We don't have to listen to you!"
"Yeah, why should we! This is practice it would be pointless if we didn't!"
"You can't tell us what to do!"
Natsumi was unfazed by their protests and silently waited for them to die down before continuing. "Well, if you want to win it's best you listen to me. Besides I wouldn't want all my hard work to go to waste."
Someoka snorted. "What hard work have you put into this?"
The girl gave an exasperated look that held little patience. "The work I've put in to make sure you lot got into the Football Frontier." The whole group sweatdropped. While it was true that she got them their ticket into the competition it had also come with the threat to end their club if they didn't succeed. Besides they worked harder than her for this. They don't want their work to go to waste either!
"Good I can see that you understand." She snapped her fingers and suddenly there was a commotion over where the spectators stood. Natsumi bid her farewell and headed towards a sleek black limo that was slowly making its way down the sidewalk. On the step of the hill she paused remembering something.
"Oh, yes I'll try and find somewhere more private for you to practice but until then you'll have to make do yourself. Ta." She slipped into the waiting limo with a fluid grace and the whole team watched stunned as she was driven off.
Hanada, the ever so practical Hanada, was the first to break the silence. "Isn't driving up there… illegal?"
Endou shook his head. "Nevermind that how are we supposed to practice now?"
Kabeyama choice that moment to finally arrive to practice and well they figured something out from there.
Hopefully…
They didn't.
After an awkward thirty minutes of practicing but not really practicing the team broke for the day and went their separate ways. Endou, Gouenji, and Someoka (the two who won the silent brawl for the day's Endou Rights) headed to the shopping district in hopes of just killing some time.
"Maybe we could find some empty lots to practice in."
For the past ten minutes Endou had been spouting off random ideas for ways to practice. He was still dejected because they were forced to call it quits early. Neither Someoka or Gouenji knew what to do to console him.
"We practice some passing or-" So caught up in his rambling Endou ended up walking right into somebody. Quick to amend his mistake he hastily picked himself up and spewed out a flurry of apologies to the poor bystander.
"I'm sorry. So sorry, are you hurt do you-"
"Endou Mamoru. Age thirteen. Captain of the Inazuma soccer team." Endou froze from where he was bowing as did the two that were with him.
"... Do I know you?" The guy in front of him looked to be around his age, and his spiky mohawk was a definitive indicator to this kid being some kind of thug. Endou didn't associate with thugs… More like thugs didn't really hang around Endou so he'd never had a real chance to associate with them. Besides making new friends was nice.
"Sugimori Takeshi. Captain of Mikage Sennou, your next opponent in the tournament."
Oh.
Well... maybe they could be friends after the game.
Endou wasn't sure what happened, but somehow he and Gouenji got dragged into a duel with the two players from Mikage. He was really, really, really, really lost, but at the same time Endou was pretty certain it was somehow Someoka's fault. So why wasn't he competing.
The brunette captain shook his head. No use pondering it since they were about to begin.
"Okay, let's get this over with." On the inside though Endou was crying loud piteous cries, why can't they just be friends?
Shimozuru was taking the first shot while Endou was guarding the goal. Personally he didn't think the Mikage player looked that strong. The other boy didn't elicit that same tingly electric sensation Gouenji did or other strong people he knew did, like the Teikoku captain did. Still Endou would stay on his toes because with soccer one could never know.
"Fire Tornado!" Like that. That was completely unexpected. It was on complete instinct that Endou was able to react and use Nekketsu Punch in an attempt to block the incoming attack. The power behind the ball was completely different from what he was use to and he wasn't able to stop the ball from going into the goal.
Shimozuru turned away disappointed while Sugimori began pulling on his gloves. Endou shared astonished glances with his two teammates but they silently agreed to talk about it later. For now they would focus on the duel.
Gouenji went up. He was understandably enraged by having his hissatsu technique stolen from him right before his eyes. He was going to show them how much stronger the original was.
"Fire Tornado!"
Sugimori held his ground, impassively matching as Gouenji took his shot. Waiting until absolutely it was mere inches in front of him to pull out his hissatsu technique Shoot Pocket.
A deafening silence fell over the field before Sugimori sighed. "Hopefully you will be able to put up more of a fight during the actual game." He turned away and left but Shimozuru couldn't resist an additional jab. "We wouldn't want it to as disappointing as this one was."
Someoka began spitting fire at that but didn't go chasing after them. Instead he came over to his two teammates who were both looking down. He wasn't one for reassuring words or gestures and so he wasn't to sure about what he should say.
"Guys…"
Words were really not his strong suit.
"This is why I told you guys not to go practicing in front of the other teams." Oh bless the goddess of victory, someone had saved Someoka from his awkward dilemma. "Why can't boys ever listen to a thing they're told." If only it wasn't Natsumi. Well beggers can't be losers.
Gouenji looked up at the girl a slight grimace on his face, Someoka wasn't the only one that didn't have pleasant feeling for the girl. Said girl caught the look the platinum haired boy gave her and was about to begin an angry tangent about stupid boys and their equally idiotic pride.
"Woooo!" Endou broke in and turned bright eyes to his teammates. "This next game is going to be super tough! Did you see that, he just stopped Gouenji's shoot and- and- and-" His eyes sparkled before he ran over to a stray soccer ball. "We gotta practice even harder now!" The trio couldn't help but smile at the captain's enthusiasm but it was obvious he had forgotten the previous restrictions.
"Come on guys! If we start now we can get one or two hours in!" The ridiculous ease at which Endou accepted their utter defeat mere minutes ago brought some relief to Gouenji and Someoka. If their little pipsqueak of a captain was ok then everything would probably be fine.
Probably.
"Hey, wait a minute." The sharp voice of Natsumi cut in from where the trio of boys from where they had began practicing. "Have you forgotten what kind of situation you're in? What kind of situation you have put yourselves in?" With a startled cry Endou dropped the ball and together the three boys stared at her in shock.
Wah, I forgot she was there…
Endou shook his head and focused on what was more important. "It's getting dark out they won't be expecting us to practice now." As if to prove him wrong a flurry of flashes started and the spies began setting up in their little corner, obviously preparing to get whatever information they could. Inazuma's captain could only stare at their gathering watchers in heartbreak. Why?
Gouenji stared at his beloved captain's pout before turning to glare at the girl Someoka right behind him. The silent message was clear: Fix him!
"Well," Natsumi sighed in response. She might as well. "I was planning to tell your team tomorrow but I happened to catch your pathetic game on my way home." Perking up Endou turned to the girl hope blossoming in his chest.
"I went over some old blueprints for the school and found an old soccer club training room. It was built during the club's prime but hadn't been touched for the past few decades." Gouenji gave a low 'tch' realizing that this could've been the time to shine in front of Endou. On the other hand Someoka was simply glad he didn't have to deal with comforting someone, even if it was his captain.
"I'll show you the way right now, and since it's one school grounds the spies won't be able to follow us." Endou became even more excited his eyes sparkling and sparks began dancing underneath his skin. This was going to be great he just knew it.
Lol that's a good amount and I got a lot covered. So I hope you enjoy and thanks for all the reviews