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I'm not sure how I feel about this so far, but it feels like it could work out. Let me know if you want me to continue. A word of warning though - this is an intense week at college, so I won't be able to update anything substantially until Saturday.



********************

ALL WHEEL DRIVE BATTLE


Shingo stared in undisguised contempt at the rain-soaked form of his former leader, Takeshi Nakazato. The young man, clad in black like his R32 GT-R, was shaking with rage and misery.
“You lost to an AE86. An Evo. An S2000. And now you've lost to me, twice. You were our leader when you won against our rivals and made the Night Kids strong, but now you make us look weak, a laughingstock of a team that anyone will challenge without fear. Your inability to concentrate and drive has ruined our reputation. I'm overthrowing you, Nakazato, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

Lightning cracked overhead, a tremendous boom of thunder echoing through the mountain pass like a cannon, or the bursting of Nakazato's aching heart. The battles had been fierce and difficult in the freely flowing rain that drenched everything it could land upon. The R32, with its superior traction, should have been the winning car, but Shingo's Civic had dominated time and time again, using its light weight and front wheel drive traction to emerge victorious.

“So you think you can handle the responsibility of heading up this team?” Nakazato asked, his voice dangerously quiet in the pounding rain. Another bolt of lightning lit up the night sky and Shingo caught a glimpse of the murderous look in Takeshi's eyes as he spoke.
“A team I founded with my blood and sweat? With my time and money? Do you know how many hundreds of liters of fuel I burned, how many tires I bought, just to put us on the map? Just to establish us as the Night Kids of Myogi? If you think you can take this team further, and if your team mates back you, then I will not argue.” Nakazato made a sudden movement that caused Shingo to cringe, fearing a blow, but the man was simply tearing the Night Kids sticker from his GT-R. With shaking hands Nakazato held the shredded remains of the sticker that had graced his car for countless years and battles, then dumped it on the rain-soaked asphalt and ground it under his heel.

“From now on, I battle alone. Watch your back, Shingo.” Without another word Nakazato stepped inside his battle-scarred R32, closed the door, started his engine and disappeared into the night.

*

“Fujiwara, I admire your determination in that battle, but your 86 is in need of repair. Do you have another mode of transportation?” Ryosuke asked, chuckling to himself quietly. The young man had over-revved his engine, damaging a number of valve springs in order to make a last-ditch effort at defeating his opponent, an expertly-driven high-rev MR-S. It would take two weeks or more to get replacements flown in that would be of the same incredible quality.
“I can find something,” Takumi replied, pleased that he had won. The intense rain of the battle had thrown him into doubt, but with his typical strike of luck he had pulled through, found his opponent's weakness, and had won. The defeated MR-S driver was staring at his red convertible sadly, shaking his head and carefully probing the depth of the scratches in his gunmetal 17” wheels.

“Good job, Takumi,” Keisuke said with a smile. The rivalry between the two had found a new outlet, no longer a constant battle for superiority but a continual exchange of information instead. The two drivers had improved dramatically in a far shorter period of time than even Ryosuke had predicted.

Returning home that night courtesy of Keisuke, Takumi stopped for a moment outside the door and paused to take a deep breath. How would his father take the news?
“Eh?” Bunta said, putting down his cigarette.
“I over-revved the engine and damaged some valve springs. It will be repaired, don't worry, but I don't have a car to do the deliveries in for a while,” Takumi explained apologetically. Bunta shook his head.
“If I were driving, I wouldn't have damaged the engine. But you're still a crappy driver. As long as I don't have to pay to fix your mistakes, I won't worry about it. You can use the Impreza to deliver. Be careful with it. Don't break it, I spent some time tuning it.” As Takumi climbed the steps to his room his mind suddenly screamed to a halt. Tuned?

*

Nakazato stared at the crumpled rear fender of his precious R32. He had lost control in the heat of battle and bounced his car off the guardrail, ruining his time and allowing Shingo to squeeze past. Takeshi did something he had never done before. He sat down with a notepad and pencil and began to write.

“My failings,” he said as he wrote boldly on the paper. “Loss of concentration. Minimal counter attacks. Minimal strategy. Minimal mind games.” He kept writing, bringing up each and every painful memory, counting all the defeats he had suffered. Then, when he had covered a few sheets, he wrote a new heading.
“Car failings,” he said, the words bitter in his mouth. It was never the car, it was the driver that lacked the abilities. But there was no denying the R32 was heavy, a staggering load was placed on the front tires, the brakes would overheat...

“There's no other way about it,” he said, sighing heavily. He ran his hands over the battered R32, grimacing at the scratches in the door, the gouges in his front bumper, the crumpled rear quarter panel, the crack in the tail light, and the unsettling emptiness where the Night Kids sticker used to proudly sit. He flicked off a pile of dried mud, watching as it shattered on the ground into a million specks of dirt.
“You've been my car since I suffered defeat at the hands of a white R32 GT-R. I've tuned you for power, and I've done my best to adapt my driving style to work with your unworldly grip and your unfortunate understeer. I've improved my abilities ever since Fujiwara triumphed over me, but I haven't made enough progress. GT-R, I've failed you, but you must get into shape as I do.” Nakazato rested his hand on the big black hood, sighed, and shook his head.

“Alright. Let's get to work.”

*

Shingo hit the brakes, another win under his belt. The Myogi Night Kids were beginning to regain their tarnished honor, but it would be a long and weary climb to return to their former status. A new team had eclipsed them on the mountain, and it was this team that they were steadily defeating, car by car. A defeated white S14 was the latest, victim to turbo lag.
“Remember who defeated you,” Shingo said to the crestfallen young woman who was staring at the gashes in the paint on her quarter panel.

From the sidelines, Itsuki was shaking his head.
“That was evil of him,” he was saying to an inattentive Takumi. Iketani was nearby, quietly recounting the S14 driver's skill. She reminded him of Mako, a painful thought to bear.
“He did what was necessary to win. Some race with honor and lose, others race without honor and win. Come on, I'm cold,” Takumi said, headed for the Impreza. The others followed suit and climbed in, Iketani cramming himself in back. The Impreza started up instantly with a rumble and a hint of turbo whine, and the three made their way back down the mountain.

“Who was that?” Itsuki shouted suddenly, pointing to a lone figure standing at one of the deserted curves. Iketani turned his head to see, but the man had disappeared.
“Seeing ghosts, Itsuki?” Iketani joked.
“No, it looked like Nakazato from the Night Kids, but he wasn't racing tonight,” he replied.
“That's because Shingo overthrew Nakazato and took control of the Night Kids. No one's seen him anywhere, or his GT-R. Rumor is he gave up on racing when he couldn't defeat Shingo in a three run battle.” Takumi listened in, paying more attention than usual. It was odd to think that the hot-headed Takeshi would give up on something he loved so dearly, but it was ominous he would be standing by himself, in the dark, at a deserted corner.

*

“Brother,” Ryosuke said, looking up from his computer, “I'm going for a drive. Don't touch my laptop,” he added, picking up his keys and making for the door. Keisuke watched, slightly confused.
“I never touch his laptop,” he said to himself. It sat there on his brother's desk, open and inviting. With a smirk, Keisuke crept into the room as soon as he heard the FC fire up and glanced at the screen. It was still resting on a picture of a page showing a number of package deliveries to a local shop. It was from one of Ryosuke's numerous friends in the tuning industry, emailed a day ago.

“Fifteen kilogram front springs, thirteen kilogram rear springs, specially valved racing shocks, sub-frame connectors, turbochargers, intercooler piping, cylinder head, camshafts, valves, ATTESA-ETS control software... This is for a Skyline,” Keisuke said, scratching his chin in confusion.
“Why would he be looking at Skyline parts?” he asked himself, scrolling down farther. At the bottom of the list Ryosuke had managed to find a copy of the signature for the packages. Takeshi Nakazato.

“Nakazato,” Ryosuke said as he entered the cool shade of the garage. The R32 was up on jackstands, wheels and suspension missing.
“Ryosuke,” he replied, setting down a forged aluminum alloy wheel.
“I like what you're doing,” he said, resting a hand on the R32's unpainted carbon fiber fender. Takeshi looked from the hand up the arm into Ryosuke's calculating eyes.
“What do you want with an overthrown leader?” he asked angrily, picking up a wrench and sitting cross-legged at the rear of his car, removing one of the brake lines.
“I want to help you,” Ryosuke replied. In the quiet that followed he could clearly hear the wrench hit the ground.

“Why help me?” Takeshi asked suspiciously.
“Because I need a new challenge for Fujiwara. It's time for him to think about a new car. The 86 is holding him back. I want him to consider the potency of an all wheel drive platform. His father is currently letting him drive an Impreza. With the remaining teams Project D needs to win against, I need him in a superior platform. I can help you regain control of the Night Kids if you trust me to help modify your car and train you.”
“How would you help me take back my team?”
“By racing against Fujiwara... and defeating him.”

“What you ask is impossible. My aim is Shingo and no one else,” Takeshi said, snaking in the new braided stainless steel brake line that would flex less under heavy braking and give him better pedal feel.
“It's not impossible. You've come close before, Nakazato. The weight of your car and your lack of concentration is what ruined you last time. You were slack at the beginning of that battle, and it came back to haunt you. You have the necessary raw materials, Nakazato. Let me help refine you.”
“I still don't understand why you need me, Ryosuke. Find someone else with all wheel drive, or race against him yourself if you want him defeated. Why do you need me?” Takeshi asked, frustrated.
“You'll find this painful to hear, but I mean this in the best possible way,” Ryosuke said carefully.

“Spit it out.”
“Fujiwara is uncomfortable driving the Impreza. He needs a challenge from someone he's defeated before to lull him into a sense of safety. You sucked before, he'll expect you to suck again. That'll give you five minutes to make your break for it and put enough of a gap between the two cars before he recovers and destroys you.”

“Five minutes, huh?” Takeshi asked, removing the cracked tail light from his GT-R.
“Five minutes, no more. You'll need to be five corners ahead to carry it through, and you'll need my help tuning your car to give you that lead, because Nakazato,” Ryosuke said, bringing himself within a few centimeters of the man, “when he recovers, in that car, there will be no hope for you.”

*

A monstrous black power-mongered R32 roared in defiance on the empty Akagi pass, its blowoff valve screaming into the twilight.
“Good,” Ryosuke said, his eyes firmly closed as he sensed the car's motions with his finely-tuned body.
“We need more rear swaybar to help reduce understeer during corner entry,” Nakazato replied.
“No, we can keep the same rear bar if we switch to a wider tire up front. That'll help with turn-in and reduce the understeer without diminishing high-speed stability. How does the brake tuning feel?”
“Solid,” he replied with a grin. “The ABS reacts so much faster. Are you sure it won't overload the tires?”

“You should know the answer to that as well as I do, Nakazato. We've removed eighty kilograms from this car, most of it from the front. You won't have to worry about brake fade as much, or tire degradation. Provided you don't lose your concentration,” Ryosuke warned.
“I won't. Tomorrow night do you want to run your FC against me?”
“No. We need to spend tomorrow tuning your engine. There's a flat spot at 5300 RPMs that's hurting your corner exit times. The ball-bearing turbos are definitely helping in your spool-up time, but we can make it better. Remember, you have to defeat Fujiwara. He'll be in an unfamiliar car he isn't comfortable pushing to the limit, which is where your chance for victory comes in. I can keep the hachi-roku out of operation for another eight days, but that's it. We don't have much time to finish.”

“What else needs to be done?” Takeshi asked, confused. The R32 was in its best shape ever, light, strong, and razor-sharp.
“The carbon fiber body panels helped lighten the car, as did the forged alloy in place of the cast steel. The lighter wheels helped, and the composite driveshaft. Tomorrow we can open up the engine, blueprint and balance everything, put on your new cylinder head and cams, and tune. I've never tuned an RB26DETT before, but I've seen plenty of them in action to know their weak spots. As long as you keep your concentration, you will defeat Fujiwara,” Ryosuke said once more. Nakazato was advancing incredibly, and the power-mongered R32 was a potent weapon. Fujiwara would win, of course, but it would be such a narrow victory that it could only be attributed to the Impreza. Stringing Nakazato along was unavoidable, but it would have the proper effect.

*

The Skyline bellowed in anger, its engine holding at 9,000 RPMs as Ryosuke gestured to the tuner who made the desired modifications to the GT-R's fuel map. Nakazato, sitting behind the wheel and holding the engine steady, was impressed with Ryosuke's dedication. He had dumped his own money into the project to make the GT-R even more powerful. The tuner gestured to Nakazato, who lifted his foot off the throttle and let the engine spin down.

“Four seven five at the wheels,” he said over the roar of the engine.
“Four hundred and seventy five horsepower?” Nakazato replied, amazed.
“You can deal with it, I think. We've retuned the ATTESA-ETS to give you more power to the rear. There's still enough going up front for you to claw out of tight situations, but since you'll be using the front tires for steering and braking, we can't have too much power going up front and using up your available traction.”

“I know that,” Nakazato replied in an irritated voice. “I'm not a beginner, Ryosuke. I appreciate your help and your money, and I will do what I can to assist you, but you have to realize this is my car and I know how to drive it.” Ryosuke turned on him and stared down at Takeshi.
“You don't know how to drive this car. You've lost in situations where you should have won. If you're going to pull an attitude, this will be a discredit to your honor. Not that you have much left,” Ryosuke added, just the right jab to set Nakazato off. The man growled at Ryosuke, unhooked his car from the dyno, and left.

“Was that wise?” Fumihiro asked from the shadows.
“It was necessary. I calculate a seventy percent chance that he'll challenge Fujiwara to a rematch and, with that anger inside of him, come the closest to winning he's ever come. If he can keep his concentration, he might even win. It will be the necessary motivation to get Fujiwara interested in all wheel drive, so we can take Project D to the next level.” Ryosuke thanked the dyno operator and tuner and left with Fumihiro.
“Only time will tell. If we hear about his exploits on Myogi, you can count on him challenging Fujiwara.”

ZOMG! Good job again! Keep going. This seems interesting!

O.O great start to your fanfic. will takumi really win? most likely i wonder wat takumi would chose after the 86.

Impressive start. And that is going to be one hell of a battle.

i hav a funny feeling that there are going to be 2 great battles, r32 vs 86 and r32 vs eg6.

This is great, keep it up.

I love this part:
“Fujiwara is uncomfortable driving the Impreza. He needs a challenge from someone he's defeated before to lull him into a sense of safety. You sucked before, he'll expect you to suck again."

Hey that was quick!

Yet another good story and, hey, you've pretty much kept the standard you set yourself so, don't worry about it...now though, I really want to see what you have in store for us!

That said, is it me or it feels a bit like the continuation of your previous story?

your not the only one, it does feel like chapter 2. too bad thx doesnt hav time to make a light racing novel

I'd do the novel but I doubt anyone would read it....

well just do your best with any and all fanfics you decide to write.

I fail to see why they woudn't.

If you keep on writing like this, I'm pretty sure they would stick with you till the end. Heck, the one I'm currently writing is at chapter 40 and it's over 230 pages long and, surprisingly, quite a few (crazy) people are still reading it.

I'd say go for it!

Nakazato let the potent engine of the GT-R idle quietly as he focused his mind. He was resting in a parking lot along Mt. Usui, about to make a run, and he wanted to make it a good one. Takeshi checked the water temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure, and boost level before hopping out of the car to check his tire tread and pressures. After letting a little air out of the rear tires for some more traction, he sat down and buckled in.
“Time to make a run,” he said, pressing the heavy clutch pedal to the floor and pushing the shifter into gear. Letting out the clutch and smoothly letting into the gas the GT-R rolled forward, picking up speed as Nakazato began to tackle the torturous curves of Mt. Usui.

The RB26DETT revved smoothly and quickly up to its 9000 RPM redline before Nakazato shifted, the car surging forward with incredible power.
“Smooth, steady,” he was chanting, “smooth, steady,” as he glided the car through the tight corners, its massive tires barely squealing from the g-forces. The GT-R began to pick up speed, slicing the curves tighter and apexing later. Nakazato began to smile as he realized his rapidly increasing speed.

A set of headlights appeared in his rear view mirror, and Nakazato's eyes narrowed in a predatory manner. It was a white S13, in good shape, and the driver was using drift. Takeshi forced his mind to think. He hit the brakes and moved over to let the S13 pass, and with laser intensity he watched the driver of the S13 as he continued down Usui.
“Drift driver, average acceleration, good control, minimal correction necessary after initiating drift,” Nakazato said to himself, studying the driver in front of him. It had been a while since his last battle, and even longer since his last successful battle. The white S13 was a tantalizing treat dangling in front of him. For a moment he felt the conflict raging inside him. He could give chase, or he could continue practicing.
“I'll practice chasing,” he said with an evil grin, flashing his headlights. The S13 driver hesitated for a moment before putting his foot to the floor and rapidly disappearing into the night.

Nakazato's eyebrows arched upwards in surprise, but he pushed the pedal down harder and began to catch up. The incredible grip provided by the new suspension and tires let him devour the corners, and the monstrous power under the hood pulled him closer and closer to the S13. Takeshi felt the blood begin to boil inside of him and vaguely noticed that he was pushing the brake harder and holding the throttle open longer. A small warning voice began shouting in his mind, but he ignored it in the heat of battle.

The powerful R32 was riding on the bumper of the S13, looking for a chance to pass. Nakazato began trying to push, trying to force the S13 driver to make a mistake. The white S13 remained steady, however, no matter how much or how hard he pushed. Nakazato felt the anger rising inside him as he tried to pass. The front tires were beginning to lose their grip as they became heat-soaked, and his pushing wasn't helping the matter.
“I will pass you!” he shouted, trying to force the R32 past, but it was no use. The S13 driver passed the unofficial finish line and disappeared, while Nakazato pulled into a parking lot and sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel.
“One more task for tonight,” he said in a tired voice, opening the door and getting out.

Nakazato leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed across his chest as he waited patiently for the solution to his problems. The mountain pass of Usui provided him with a good test for the R32's new-found abilities, as well as a chance for some sorely-needed practice without exciting the interest of his former team. He stood there, patiently waiting. The blue Sil80 had made fewer and fewer appearances on Usui as of late, which was the only chance he had.
“You look bored,” a woman's voice said from behind him. Nakazato smiled slightly and turned around.
“No money to take pretty girls out to dinner,” he replied, smiling at Sayuki, who blushed bright red and giggled.

“Where'd the money go?” she asked with a smile.
“Here,” he replied, tapping the quarter panel of his Skyline. Her smile turned into a shocked expression as she recognized the sound of carbon fiber.
“How much?” she asked, running her hands over the fender and down the hood.
“Every last body panel. Can you keep a secret?” he asked, turning on the charm.
“Of course,” she said, drooling over the GT-R.
“I managed to pull about 80 kilograms of weight out of the car, rebuilt the entire suspension, powered up the engine, worked over the brakes... the only thing stock remaining is the shift knob. The engine and suspension were tuned by Takahashi Ryosuke.” Sayuki's eyes opened wider.

“What?”
“Yes. That's why I'm here, Sayuki. Shingo overthrew me as leader of the Myogi Night Kids. I need a navigator that can help keep me concentrated. I'm going to race against Fujiwara Takumi, win, and take my place back as the head of the Night Kids. I need your help.”

“But Mako...”
“Mako has been racing less and less, hasn't she?” Nakazato asked.
“Yes...”
“Give me one chance at defeating Fujiwara. That's all I need, Sayuki. You'll get to ride in the passenger seat of a power-mongered, light weight GT-R. How many can say that?”
“Well, you do have my kind of face,” she said softly, staring in admiration at the potent machine resting on its massive tires.

“Will you do it?” Takeshi asked, stepping closer to her. She looked up and smiled at him.
“I will, but we'll need to practice. It took me and Mako years to get as good as we were. I'm not playing down your talent, but going from a lone driver to part of a team is difficult and causes a lot of friction. You better write something down and sign it, because you're going to hate my guts at some point.”
“I've got seven days,” Nakazato replied. Sayuki's face fell instantly.
“Oh. Well, crash course. Get in the car.”
“What about your car?” Nakazato asked.
“I was dropped off. I don't like MR2s so you're doing me a favor. Get in the car and let's drive. Come on!”

Oh man this is getting very interesting. More please!

aw mako has dissapeared . hope sauyiki and takeshi make a good team. i cant wait to see the next part

I liked how the random battle happened, reminds me of my old street racing days...


I see a lot of arguing between those two in the next installment.

I liked the S13 vs R32 battle.

As for Takeshi-Mako pair-up. It's going to be interesting, no doubt.

*Jedi mind trick*

You will update this fic.

" His father is currently letting him drive an Impreza.

“Fujiwara is uncomfortable driving the Impreza. He needs a challenge from someone he's defeated before to lull him into a sense of safety. "

That'll give you five minutes to make your break for it and put enough of a gap between the two cars before he recovers and destroys you.”

I love those lines because as im reading this it seems that even Ryosuke is unaware of Takumi driving it on deliveries and has become very familiar with that car and with Bunta doing some "tunning to it" recently, his theory is flawed with how "unfamiliar' takumi is with awd. thats great because it will be a good battle and surprise.

Keep up the good work im enjoying it!!

Hey nice job... It's really good so far!

The two hopped in and belted up quickly. Nakazato started the engine and let it warm up while Sayuki took in her surroundings. After a few moments she turned to him to speak and instantly noticed that his eyes were straying below her neck.
“Is this why you put racing harnesses in the car?” she asked angrily.
“No, no!” Nakazato stammered. “Of course not. I'm sorry.”
“Alright. Keep your eyes up here when you talk to me. Let's do a calibration run, okay? Drive downhill as fast as you can without changing your style. I'm going to take mental notes of everything and see where we'll have to start with,” she said, settling into the supportive bucket seat.

Nakazato put the car into gear and took off, driving as fast and as hard as he could down the twisting mountain pass. He tried not to notice Sayuki's occasional sighs, but they were coming faster as the tires heated up and lost grip. At the bottom of the mountain he parked the car and let it idle to cool off the motor and turned to Sayuki for her judgement.

“So?” he finally asked, his nerves on edge.
“Well,” she replied, choosing her words slowly, “hold on.” She got out of the car and disappeared for a few moments, kneeling down by each wheel.
“You're overdriving the car and heating up the tires. They get heat-soaked and lose their grip. The tread is fine, you're not chewing up the tires, but you're getting them too hot and they get greasy. The first thing you need to do is replace the air in your tires with nitrogen. Nitrogen is more resistant to heating up, so your tires will stay cooler and you'll keep your grip longer. You also need a bigger diameter rear swaybar,” she said, looking up at him.

“Ryosuke said I didn't need a bigger rear bar,” he said.
“As much as I hate to say this, Ryosuke was wrong. For your needs, you're going to have to install a larger rear swaybar. With your driving style you need to reduce as much understeer as possible. Are you sure Ryosuke wasn't trying to set you up?” she asked.

“Pretty sure. It's frustrating. The car is in such good condition, but I lost to an S13 before I saw you. I don't know what to do. I've tried to get better at driving, but I keep losing focus and overdriving the car. If you can help me in any way, I would appreciate it greatly,” he said honestly, smiling at her.
“I'll help you, but on two conditions. As you know, I'm an old friend of Shingo's. I don't approve of his bump tactics, or trying to hurt other people so he can win. I want him to stop but he won't listen to a girl. You're a good influence on him, Nakazato, but only when you're in power. If I help you return to power, you need to make him stop.”

“What's the second condition?” he asked.
“I don't know if you heard about this or not, but Mako has been cutting back on driving lately. She's gotten involved in a relationship with some fellow named Iketani. They race together, and I've been kind of ignored. It's not that she does it intentionally, but this is her first serious relationship and they're with each other all the time. I like racing, and I love navigating, but I don't have a car to do it myself. I'm more comfortable in the passenger seat.”
“So what's your condition?” he asked.
“Let me be your navigator after we win this battle,” she asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

*

“Brother!” Keisuke shouted as he ran out to meet Ryosuke, “what the hell are you doing?” Ryosuke looked around him and then at Keisuke with a quizzical expression on his face.
“What do you mean?” he asked, resting against the FC's front fender.
“You took money from Project D's funds to buy parts and pay for tuning on a BNR32 GT-R. Nakazato's GT-R. You're not putting that idiot on Project D, are you?” he asked, visibly angry.
“Relax,” Ryosuke said with a chuckle. “Nakazato is not a member of Project D. Would you like to know what I did with the money?”
“Of course,” Keisuke replied.

“The next round of competition for Project D will involve all wheel drive cars almost exclusively. If you've noticed, all the cars we've come across lately have been turbocharged all wheel drive. Your FD is strong enough to compete against these cars, but Fujiwara's hachi-roku has me worried. We've been able to lighten it, stiffen the chassis, and after the valvesprings come in we should be able to power up the motor a little bit more, but we're grasping at straws. I'm grasping at straws, Keisuke. Fujiwara's technique is incredible, but his car is becoming a limitation. It was my thought to force Fujiwara into driving an all wheel drive turbo car by springing a challenge on him in the form of Nakazato. With a potent adversary he would instantly call out for the 86, but against Nakazato I have a good chance of forcing him to race his father's Impreza.”

“So you want him to get rid of the 86?” Keisuke asked, amazed.
“Not get rid of it. Understand that there are superior vehicles out there. His hachi-roku is placing limitations on him that he doesn't need. Remove those limitations by putting him into a more potent vehicle and there's no telling where he would end up. But,” Ryosuke said heavily, “I seem to have lost control of the situation. Nakazato left before I could finish fine-tuning the GT-R, and there have been numerous reports of his appearance on Usui. He's lost to an S13, but won against an S14 and a local Evo. His improvements are attributed to a young woman acting as his navigator, which is why I was at Usui just now. I believe that I've created an opponent for Fujiwara that he won't be able to win against.”

“Why are you losing faith in FR?” Keisuke asked, surprised at his brother's confession.
“I'm running out of time to finish the project, and a single setback now could prevent me from seeing this through to the end. You know as well as I do the limitations placed upon the driver by an FR layout. Both your driving style and Fujiwara's have changed from drift to grip as you come against more difficult opponents, and I've tuned your cars accordingly. The FD still has potential left over, and your ability to drive it has few limits. Fujiwara's talent is as unlimited as your own, but the 86 is a weak point. The race against the S2000 was one example. He should have lost that race, Keisuke, and he would have if God Arm hadn't gotten sick right before the finish line. I can't let Project D's success hang on something so insubstantial.”

“Hearing you think about abandoning FR is scary, bro,” Keisuke said, shaking his head. “Next you'll tell me you're getting rid of the FC.”
“Not quite,” Ryosuke replied. Keisuke stood bolt upright, eyes wide.
“What?!”
“The FC will disappear for a few days. Don't worry about it.” Keisuke looked from his brother to the gleaming white RX-7 and back again. Ryosuke was holding something back.

*

Takumi sighed deeply as he trudged toward the Impreza, accepting the cup of water from his father with a yawn.
“Don't break the tofu now,” Bunta chided him, “and don't break my car. If you do, I'll take the hachi-roku back and leave you with the Impreza.” Takumi glanced at his father quickly under sleepy eyelids, shook his head, and got in the car to begin his run.

A little farther down the street he turned on the radio, relaxed a bit in the seat, and drove quickly up Mt. Akina.
“I don't want to admit it,” he said softly, “but I like driving this car more than the 86. It's quiet, comfortable, civilized, and it can still handle and accelerate better. Ryosuke would hate me if I asked to race this at our next challenge. It's so fun though,” he said, slicing through the curves faster and faster without spilling a drop. After unloading his delivery, Takumi pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket and placed it on the seat next to him. With a smile, he launched himself down the mountain at full speed, racing desperately against the clock.

ZOMG ZOMG ZOMG!! That's so awesome!! When's the next part. This one seems a bit short. Sorry. More please.

good to see that mako and iketani got over that stuck in traffic incident. takumi is considering a impreza though the 86 is a good match. though wasnt that fc trashed??

Just as a quick note - I'm writing this fanfic outside of the events of my last one, so the FC is fine. If I do write a novel or create a universe, I'll let people know, but my personal belief is that for fanfic stuff on forums it's unfair to create a huge universe and force people to read a number of stories in order to understand what's going on. Having said that, here's a little bit more story for tonight...


***************

The Impreza was powerful, with more torque than the 86 could ever dream of giving him. The boxer engine growled and thrust the car forward faster and faster. With the incredible grip provided by the tuned suspension, Takumi was able to dive deeper into turns and apex later, keeping his speed up and avoiding turbo lag. The Impreza's tires were gripping perfectly, but an evil thought made its way into Takumi's mind and he tried practicing the exit-oriented gutter hook.

He dove into each corner faster and harder, forcing the car to corner quicker and rev higher until he began to reach the stratospheric limits of the Impreza. Out of breath, panting, covered in sweat, Fujiwara leaned back in the seat and glanced at the timer. He had shattered his personal best by five full seconds, the greatest he had ever surpassed himself.
Returning home he looked at the empty spot where the AE86 had sat and felt a strange emotion inside him. With a sigh he shook his head and went inside.

*

“Ryosuke, the springs arrived for the AE86. I'll install them right away,” Matsumoto said over the phone, holding one of the titanium valvesprings in his hand.
“I need you to focus on something else first,” Ryosuke replied.
“What's that? A supercharger?” Matsumoto joked, laughing at the thought.
“No, a turbo.”
“A turbo?!” Matsumoto shouted. “The 86 is a high-rev naturally aspirated machine, running very high compression. I don't think they make low compression pistons for this engine,” he added.
“Not for the hachi-roku. For the FC,” Ryosuke replied, walking through the door and shutting off his cellphone.

“You're going to modify the FC again?” Matsumoto asked, surprised.
“That's the idea,” Ryosuke replied. “I have a little bit of a problem with a GT-R, and if you would install the turbocharger sitting in the passenger seat of my FC that should allow me to take care of it.”

ZOMG! Great stuff so far...

Wow, this is some top-quality stuff!!! Please keep it up, it's great!!!!!.....

“What's better about the new turbo?”
“Ball-bearings and watercooled. It spools up faster than what's on the car now, and its flow is better suited to what I want the FC capable of. Can you do this for me first?”
“Of course,” Matsumoto replied, taking the key from Ryosuke and going out to get the car. The FC rumbled in, and it was soon on the lift and up in the air. Matsumoto looked at the underbody of the RX-7 and whistled in admiration as he always did.

“I feel honored whenever you let me work on your FC, Ryosuke-san. Your dedication in building this car always impresses me. When did you install this chassis bracing?” he asked as he unbolted the exhaust system.
“Two weeks ago,” Ryosuke replied. “The FC's getting older and I need to brace it more. As much as I push Fujiwara to consider a new vehicle, I should be looking into one for myself,” he said with a laugh.
“Still, it wouldn't be right to retire this car after all its done for me. So I persevere,” he said to Matsumoto, who smiled in return.

“You called?” Fumihiro asked, sticking his head inside the garage. Ryosuke nodded to him, and the two stood a few feet away while Matsumoto removed the old turbocharger.
“Yes, I called you for a ride. I'm having a new turbo installed on the FC to help me take care of a problem. Has Keisuke spoken to you about it?”
“I don't think so,” Fumihiro replied.
“You would know if he did. Let's go outside, get something to eat, and I'll discuss it with you. Matsumoto, let me know when you're ready to tune the engine.”

The two old friends got into Fumihiro's MR2 and drove to a nearby restaurant. After sitting down and ordering, Fumihiro looked expectantly at Ryosuke.
“So, why keep the hachi-roku inactive and install a turbocharger on your own car?” he asked.
“It's a difficult decision. I was sharing this with Keisuke this morning. The cars that Project D has come up against lately have all been all wheel drive with turbocharged engines. A number of Evos and Skylines. Keisuke has been able to take care of his opponents, but I've been worrying over Fujiwara. His AE86 is a potent car, and he's an incredibly talented driver, but there's only so much that can be done with a car. I want him to consider upgrading to a new car, and his father's Impreza is a suitable vehicle.”

“After all we've done to the 86, I doubt his father would accept it back for daily driving in exchange for his Impreza,” Fumihiro said, taking a sip of green tea.
“No, but it would allow Fujiwara to see the potential of all wheel drive. It was my thought that with Keisuke and his FD, if I could get Fujiwara to upgrade to an Impreza or Evo Project D wouldn't have to rerun any races. As you know, I don't have much time left, and any setback would hurt our time table.”

“True, but do you think it's necessary to force him? Shouldn't you ask him instead?”
“I should, but he wouldn't like it. He's attached to that AE86 on a spiritual level. He's bonded with that car, whether he knows it or not. It's an extension of his body and he's able to do things with it that no one else can. He has an incredible amount of capability when it comes to FR, capability that would be incredible if he switched to all wheel drive. I've been hearing some rumblings from Akina about Fujiwara driving his father's Impreza on delivery runs and breaking his old record times. He has the ability, but I don't know if he has the desire.” Ryosuke paused to eat, letting Fumihiro digest the information.

“And there is no thought in your mind in allowing Fujiwara a more powerful FR?” Fumihiro asked.
“Again, the time table is my concern. Fujiwara's current car is a liability, and we need an all wheel drive turbo car to be able to compete on a level playing field with our future battles. It makes sense to replace his car with all wheel drive. Any number of cars out there would fit the bill, but the Impreza or an Evo would be desirable, an Impreza more so since he already knows how to drive one.”

“I don't know, Ryosuke. Why the FC?”
“Hmm? Well, you won't hear me admit this often, but I've lost control of an experiment.” Fumihiro choked on his tea and coughed loudly.
“What?” he managed to say in a strangled voice.
“As part of my devious plan to force Fujiwara into the Impreza, I wanted to set up a challenger for him that would push his abilities, but he wouldn't be afraid to tackle in a car he wasn't comfortable with. I chose Takeshi Nakazato as that challenger, but he needed help in order to be anything resembling a challenge for him. I raided Project D's funds to help him, and tuned his car for him. I left one weakness in his car, a slight tendency to understeer. With his driving style it would overheat his front tires rapidly and make him lose grip, slowing his time. I sabotaged his car, Fumihiro, so that Fujiwara would win by the skin of his teeth and swear allegiance to the Impreza. I think I overstepped my bounds.”

“I would say so,” Fumihiro said, surprised at Ryosuke's behavior.
“So I attempted to alter things. I heard about Nakazato's exploits on Mt. Usui with the aid of a girl named Sayuki who acted as his navigator. She helped him fine-tune the suspension and undid the damage I'd done. Since then, he's defeated a number of cars. S14s, Evos, even an S2000. She's fixed his temper problem and helped him focus. His skill and the car have done the rest. I paced him on his run against the S2000 and I saw something from him I've never seen before. He's got abilities, Fumihiro. The only thing I can do right now is to defeat him and shatter his confidence. If I can do that, then Fujiwara still has a chance with the Impreza.”

“You mean Nakazato would defeat Fujiwara right now?” Fumihiro asked.
“If they raced right now, I believe he would. Matsumoto is putting a new turbocharger on the FC so I can shake Nakazato's confidence and drive a wedge between him and his navigator. If I can split them and get Takeshi driving on his own, he'll be easier prey.”


“Forgive me, Ryosuke, but that sounds very cold, cruel, and deliberate. That's not very sporting of you to do and it makes me uncomfortable.”
“I'm sorry, Fumihiro. My time is growing short and I don't want to waste it on Nakazato. I overlooked his latent abilities, and I didn't take into account this Sayuki girl helping him. It pains me to do this, but I need to neutralize the threat he poses before Project D is derailed because of my ego.”

This post has been edited by thx712517 on Oct 3 2007, 06:49 PM