Summary: Ryoma Echizen is a tennis prodigy. He loves the sport and couldn't seem to get enough of it. But an event changed his view of the sport. He left it and swore not to ever bother with it. But then, arriving in Seigaku might just be the catalyst needed for the Prince of Tennis to return to his throne.

Note: Slight!AU. Gen. Implied Romance. Unbeta'ed. Slow Update.

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis isn't mine along with the canon characters. The plot here that deviates from canon and OC's are mine though. Enjoy reading.

Shadowed Tensai

01:

Nothing changed.

Ryoga thought that if all of them, meaning the Echizen family were to return to Japan, his brother would return to his usual annoying cocky self. He thought a change of environment and scenery would help his brother well. He wanted to see his brother be the arrogant brat he knew from before, if only to confirm that his brother was all better now.

It was probably wishful thinking on his part because Ryoma still continued to be his anti-social self even with being in a different country.

He hadn't been with the Echizen Family for a few years now since his Maternal Aunt got custody of him and he was taken from the Echizen Household but he hadn't lost contact with them, especially with his half-brother. He had already seen Ryoma as the brother he wanted ever since he met him and he wasn't going to cut all of his connections with his father's family, not even if his aunt forbids him.

Ryoma had absolutely zero interest in tennis at first and only played because he apparently wanted to defeat their father. That Oyaji probably harassed Ryoma again and trashed him again and again when his brother finally caved in to their father's requests and whines of playing because his brother had that pissed off look when he demanded that he teach him tennis.

Ah, how they bonded with the sport. Ryoga classified his brother as a genius tennis player the more he began teaching and playing with Ryoma. He had such potential that would make any tennis player green with envy. It was amusing though how Ryoma also made him one of the people in his list to defeat and how he always thought he was no good with the sport just because he couldn't seem to win against either him or their father.

He had once entered his brother in a street tennis tournament just so Ryoma would know his strength. Suffice to say he beat all of his opponents in singles with ease. He already knew that would happen. Roma was just that talented. Only a year and half since he was taught and he could probably already join the tennis professional with constant practice.

He had thought his brother would be pleased with his win. But that wasn't the case. Instead, Ryoma became a tad angry at him because he thought he had something to do with how smoothly he managed to win his matches.

He could only shake his head at Roma's stubbornness.

Speaking of that match. That was really amusing, especially how he taunted his opponents just to get a rise with them so that they would play with him seriously and not mind what he had supposedly told them when he hadn't even said anything to his brother's opponents. The taunts and cocky attitude had been a strategy Ryoma employed at first to get his opponents off guard and to stop them from underestimating him. He said that anger was often a good motivation. He even told him this with full confidence. But it seemed it got carried into his personality.

Really not surprising considering Ryoma already has an annoyingly wit mouth.

He wasn't really supposed to come with them to Japan since his guardian forbade him but he didn't budge. He had purposely infuriated his Aunt to the point that she allowed him to be with his brother and father in Japan because he didn't want Ryoma to be left alone. How his father laughed at his red-faced aunt when she came to the Echizen House and left him there without saying a word. Sure, his brother had their father, Aunt Rinko and Nanako but all of them also couldn't get him to have fun like before.

And he couldn't leave him like that. Ryoma was his half-brother after all. His brother that he had sworn he would protect.

He stared at his little brother reading a literature book at one of the chairs inside their living room from the place he was sitting and shook his head lightly, his hair following his movement.

Before, every free time of Ryoma meant playing tennis either with him or their father. It was hard to even get him to rest for a bit at times. Not only does he have the drive and goal in mind but he also love tennis as well after learning and having fun playing with it. And he already told this, he was good at it and was improving rapidly to the point that he managed to get a 2 point score with him and their father the last time they played with Ryoma still wanting to defeat them, which previously he cannot even do, let alone score a point with them. Ryoma Echizen is the shining example of Tennis Prodigy.

Now, he spends most of his time reading books or playing with Karupin. It's disheartening to know his brother didn't play tennis as he usually did anymore. His talent would not grow at this rate.

He knew Ryoma still loved the sport and still played it from time to time. But he didn't spend time playing it like he usually did before. He didn't have that competitive spark in his eyes anymore. He just… played. It's infuriating that he couldn't do anything to bring back that spark once again.

"Chibisuke!" he called. Ryoma raised his head from the book he was reading to look at him straight in the eye, inquiry evident in his gaze.

"Nii-san?" Ah, that polite way of speaking is infuriating too, he thought but still it made the corners of his lips to rise up even as he tried to suppress it. But damn, he liked hearing it from his usually cocky brother. It made him feel wanted for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

"Let's sightsee!" he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner that had Ryoma's left eyebrow raising up in return, confusion evident in his eyes before it lit in understanding. He then scoffed at him lightly.

"Flirting didn't mean sightseeing." Ryoma promptly replied and went back to reading his book. Ryoga scowled at his impertinent brother. His brother might have become an anti-social and shut-in, his arrogance might have been gone with his polite tone changing it, but he became even wittier with his comebacks, sarcastic and a smart ass to boot.

It's like he just changed his attitude and that he was still the same personality-wise, that he was okay when deep inside he was not.

He heard a soft giggle and turned his head to look at the door to see Nanako's eyes giggling merrily at him, with her hand covering her mouth delicately.

"Nanako!"

"He got you there Ryoga-san."

"He did not!" he said indignantly, which in turn made Nanako and Aunt Rinko, who had been in the living room also reading a book to giggle and Ryoma to scoff. He scowled.

Why did it feel like he became an entertainment within the Echizen Household?

At that instant, their father, Nanjirou Echizen walked inside the living room from the bedroom with a large yawn, eyes droopy and still groggy from sleep with his bathrobe still on and a towel on his wet hair.

"Rinko, is the food ready?" he asked with a large yawn again. Ryoga didn't know how Aunt Rinko did it but he was suddenly in front of his father and hand whacked him on the head with the book she was holding. His father yelped and was hopping in circle while holding his head protectively. Ryoga and Ryoma as one snickered with his brother doing it softly while Nanako hid her giggle behind his hand.

"You just woke up and didn't even greet me!"

"Aw, Rin-chan I'm hungry!" his father whined. Like a kid. Seriously.

"Get hungry then!"

"Rinkoo! I have to go to Seigaku after this. Come on baby…"

All of them stopped and stared at him. "What are you going to do there?" Aunt Rinko asked.

"I'm going to enroll Ryoma there of course. He's going to be a First Year in Middle School right now. He have to attend school!" his father said in conviction.

He stared. That Oyaji. Did he even asked Ryoma for this? Did his brother agreed? Or was this only his decision?

"Tou-san, I don't want to attend school." Ryoma said, his voice clear in the silent house. As one, Ryoga, Rinko and Nanako's face turned to look at the youngest person in the house. Ryoma's book was now on his lap and he was staring at his father, ignoring them and not giving in the fact that he was aware everyone was looking at him.

Or probably didn't care.

"You will Ryoma. You need to interact with kids your age. It's not good for you to be Homeschooled once again." Was Nanjirou's unusually calm reply devoid of any mischief, his tone that of serious one. It was rare seeing the Head of Echizen Household to be that serious that they all shut up. Ryoma just watched his father before standing up and, taking his book with him, bowed to them before going to his room, closing it softly and gently.

They all stared at the closed door before Ryoga looked at his father intently. Nanjirou gulped at the look he received. He normally wasn't nonplussed at the looks he sometimes received from both his sons since he had received worse, but with Nanako looking at him with intense questioning gaze and Rinko's disapproval stare, he gulped. Somehow, the combination of emotions in the three's eyes were scarier than anything he'd ever received.

"A-ah…" he inwardly cursed when the only thing that came out of his mouth was a nervous stutter. Damn, he's a grown man already! Why did he have to act like a grade school student who got scolded by his terrifying mother?!

"Nanjirou…" Rinko started, her voice clearly stating her displeasure. He immediately spoke to avoid getting nagged by his headstrong wife. She may have become calm and gentle with motherhood but she reverts to being a fierce woman when being in a protective mode with her family. But she was especially protective of Ryoma, all of them were so he could quite understand what she was feeling. Still…

"He needs exposure." He stated clearly with no tone for budging. He stared at all of them calmly. "At this rate, he would become a recluse all his life and would be afraid of human contact outside the house and family. I don't want that to happen." There were still many reasons why he thinks it's best for their youngest to attend school but he thought that he didn't need to say anything more. Looking at their faces lit with understanding, though there were some reluctance in their part, it's already enough. Even he had some reluctance and reservation with his plan but he had to do it, if only to help their youngest to be better than he was now.

And also, he really didn't want that brat's brilliance in tennis to be a waste. Seigaku was the best school who had a winning streak aside from Rikkaidai Fuzoku. He didn't want Ryoma to go to the other school since it's from a different prefecture and he didn't want to see Ryoma competing against his alma mater, if ever he wanted to join the tennis club.

"Oi Oyaji, you have that calculated look in your eyes. You have other ulterior motive didn't you?"

He just gave his eldest son a shit-eating grin. One that received him a whack on his head by his dear wife, a narrow-eyed concern from Nanako and a dark glare from Ryoga.

'This day would not be a good one', he thought.

TBC.

A/N:

My first ever Pot fanfic. I just wrote this today. I'm going to start the next chapter. Don't hate.

So, how was this? Any help would be accepted.