Inazuma Eleven Ultra!

Chapter 7: Motivations

The sun cast its warm orange glow over the streets of the town, signaling the approaching evening. Akira walked alone, his feet carrying him effortlessly along the familiar pavement. His eyes, however, told a different story. They were cast downward, his gaze fixed on the ground as if lost in thought. A mixture of sadness and anger flickered across his face, a testament to the turmoil brewing within him.

The source of his distress was Kageyama's words from earlier. The revelation that someone had been secretly working to hinder the Raimon soccer club's progress had left Akira reeling. He couldn't fathom why anyone would deliberately try to hold the team back. The injustice of it all weighed heavily on his mind, fueling his anger and determination.

As he turned a corner, Akira's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar figure. Tsurugi stood before him, his expression as calm and collected as ever. Akira's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he quickened his pace to catch up to Tsurugi.

"Ah, Tsurugi? Is your house on this street as well?" Akira asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Tsurugi turned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Akira's presence. "Akira?" he asked, his voice even and calm. "Ah, no, I'm just visiting someone before I go home."

Akira's eyes lingered on Tsurugi's face, searching for any hint of emotion. But as always, Tsurugi's expression remained impassive, giving away nothing.

"Oh, I see," Akira said, his gaze drifting back to the ground.

Tsurugi's eyes, however, remained fixed on Akira's face. He noticed the saddened look that still lingered in Akira's eyes, and his expression softened ever so slightly.

"Is everything okay? You look worried," Tsurugi asked, his voice tinged with a hint of concern.

Akira's eyes snapped back up to meet Tsurugi's gaze. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Tsurugi's calm demeanor put him at ease.

"Uh!" Akira exclaimed, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Oh, everything's fine! W-well, actually, no. I've just been wondering, the secretive higher-up who has been stopping the Raimon players from growing, what's his goal? Why would anyone become the club's owner just to stop its players from winning matches? It makes no sense!"

Akira's anger and frustration boiled over, his words pouring out like a pent-up storm. Tsurugi listened intently, his expression unreadable.

"Who knows?" Tsurugi responded, his voice calm and measured. "You see, in this time and era, not everybody gets involved in the world of football just because they enjoy it. Everybody has their reasons for involving themselves in the sport."

Akira's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications of Tsurugi's words. He sensed that there was more to Tsurugi's statement than met the eye, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Akira said, his voice slower and more contemplative. "Tsurugi, why do you play soccer?"

Tsurugi's expression remained calm, but a hint of something flickered in his eyes. It was a fleeting moment, but Akira caught it.

"Well, I would like to keep that to myself," Tsurugi said, his voice even and controlled. "But, to simply put it, there's someone I want to beat. No, I need to beat."

Akira's eyes widened in surprise, and he gazed at Tsurugi in wonder. The intensity in Tsurugi's voice was unmistakable, and Akira sensed that this was a deeply personal matter for Tsurugi.

"Huh?" Akira murmured, his mind reeling with questions. "Someone you need to beat, huh."

Tsurugi's expression remained impassive, but Akira detected a hint of resolve in his eyes.

"What about you, Akira?" Tsurugi asked, his voice calm and even. "Why do you play soccer?"

Akira's eyes drifted downward, his mind flashing back to the past. A faint smile played on his lips as he began to recount his story.

"Well, you see, it all started a few years ago," Akira said, his voice filled with nostalgia. "My mom stepped out for just a few minutes, leaving me inside the house. But she forgot that she left the gas on in the kitchen. Before you knew it, a fire started. My mom was unable to save me because the door was stuck. I was about to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen. Luckily, a certain someone happened to pass our house at that time. He broke down the door using a soccer ball, he ran in and saved me."

Tsurugi's expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued by Akira's story.

"Whoa..." Tsurugi murmured, impressed by the tale. "That's when I realized how cool soccer was! If it can be used to save a person's life, then it's gotta be worth it! After that, I kept training and training. Even though I wasn't accepted into any club until now."

Tsurugi's gaze lingered on Akira's face, his expression unreadable. But Akira sensed a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

"Until the Okawa match," Tsurugi added, his voice low and even.

Akira's eyes sparkled with determination, and he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's right! I'm not going to let anyone bring me down. I'm going to keep pushing forward, no matter what!"

As they stood there, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the street. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of chirping birds echoed through the air.

Tsurugi's gaze drifted away from Akira's face, and he nodded curtly. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Akira watched as Tsurugi turned to leave, his eyes fixed on the hospital building behind him.

"Hey, Tsurugi!" Akira called out, his voice curious. "You're visiting someone in the hospital?"

Tsurugi turned back to face Akira, his expression calm and collected. "Yeah, that's right. I'm just visiting a friend."

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly, his mind racing with questions. He couldn't help but wonder who this friend of Tsurugi's was, and why he was visiting them in the hospital.

As Tsurugi turned to leave once more, Akira's curiosity got the better of him. He decided to secretly follow Tsurugi, hoping to catch a glimpse of this mysterious friend.

Akira trailed behind Tsurugi, keeping a safe distance as they walked through the hospital's corridors. The fluorescent lights overhead cast an eerie glow over the scene, and the sound of beeping machines and murmured conversations filled the air.

As they turned a corner, Akira caught sight of Tsurugi stopping in front of a hospital room. He watched as Tsurugi took a deep breath, his expression calm and collected, before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Akira's eyes widened with curiosity as he wondered who could be inside that room. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should investigate further, before his curiosity got the better of him.

As Akira reached the door, he slowly turned the handle and pushed it open. The door creaked softly as it swung open, revealing a dimly lit hospital room. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant and the beeping of machines.

Tsurugi stood beside the hospital bed, his eyes fixed on the woman lying there. Akira's gaze followed Tsurugi's, and he was taken aback by the sight before him. The woman was deathly pale, her skin almost translucent. A breathing mask covered her nose and mouth, and a tangled web of wires and tubes snaked out from beneath the blankets.

"Okāsan, good evening," Tsurugi greeted the woman, his voice low and gentle.

Akira's eyes widened in shock as he realized the significance of Tsurugi's words. If he was referring to this woman as his Okāsan, then that meant...

"No way..." Akira thought to himself, his mind reeling with the implications.

Tsurugi's expression was etched with worry as he gazed at his mother. "Are... you better?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Akira watched in amazement as Tsurugi's emotionless demeanor cracked, revealing a deep-seated worry and concern for his mother's well-being.

The woman struggled to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "Well... I-I a-am b-b-better..."

Tsurugi's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "Y-you don't sound okay!" he implied, his voice tinged with worry.

The woman's eyes fluttered closed, and she struggled to speak again. "I'll b-be bet-b-better... I.. I p-p-pr-promise..."

As she finished speaking, her body went limp, and she lost consciousness. Tsurugi's face contorted in anguish, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"O-Okāsan...? Okāsan, wake up, wake up!" Tsurugi's voice cracked with emotion as he pleaded with his mother to awaken.

Akira felt a pang of sadness as he watched the scene unfold before him. He had never seen Tsurugi show such emotion, and it was clear that he was deeply devoted to his mother.

As Akira stood there, frozen in shock, Tsurugi's thoughts turned to his father. 'Otosan...' he thought, his mind seething with anger and determination. 'I swear I'll crush you...'

Akira realized that he had stumbled upon something deeply personal and private. He felt a pang of guilt for intruding on Tsurugi's moment of vulnerability. Knowing that he had crossed a boundary, Akira quietly turned and left the hospital room, leaving Tsurugi to his grief.

As Akira stepped out into the cool evening air, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He had witnessed something deeply personal, and he knew that he had to respect Tsurugi's boundaries.

Akira made his way home, his mind reeling with thoughts and questions. As he stepped into his house, he called out to his mother, "Okāsan! I'm home!"

The silence that greeted him was familiar, and Akira wasn't surprised. His mother often stayed out late, and he was used to coming home to an empty house.

"I guess she's not home yet. As expected," Akira murmured to himself, shrugging off the familiar feeling of solitude.

Akira went about his evening routine, taking a bath, making dinner, and watching TV. But his mind kept wandering back to the hospital room, and the scene he had witnessed between Tsurugi and his mother.

As he lay in bed, Akira's thoughts swirled with questions and concerns. He wondered about Tsurugi's past, and the circumstances that had led to his mother's illness. He wondered about Tsurugi's relationship with his father, and the anger and determination that had flared up in his eyes.

But as the night wore on, Akira's eyelids grew heavy, and he knew that he had to let his questions wait until tomorrow. With a final thought about Tsurugi and his mother, Akira drifted off to sleep, the darkness of the night enveloping him like a shroud.