"Four consecutive blocks?! That's insane!!"
Gasps of disbelief filled the gymnasium as Ryonan's powerful defense stunned everyone watching. Even the Shohoku bench was shaken.
"Hey, hey, hey! Dad! Why won't you let this genius play?!" Sakuragi shouted, already halfway out of his seat. "If I don't get on the court now, we're in serious trouble!!"
"Sakuragi! Sit down and behave! Can't you learn to be quiet like Oliver?" Ayako quickly grabbed him, preventing another one of his outbursts.
But the calm and composed "Oliver" that Ayako mentioned wasn't quite so serene anymore. His expression was serious, and frustration was evident on his face.
"Tsk…"
Oliver clicked his tongue. Uozumi's defense was nothing short of terrifying.
Though Uozumi hadn't shown any sophisticated techniques in those last few plays, his monstrous physicality was more than enough. At 202 cm tall with incredibly long limbs, he could close distances others needed two steps to cover with just one. And where most had to strain their bodies to reach high, he only needed to jump lightly.
"What a freak of nature…"
Oliver bit his finger in envy. No matter how many system skills I've got… they still can't compare to this kind of physical advantage.
"Awesome job, Uozumi! Beautiful block!!"
Unlike the gloomy Shohoku bench, the Ryonan team was celebrating wildly. Coach Taoka sat on the sidelines, nodding in satisfaction.
Ignoring his teammates' cheers, Uozumi fixed his gaze on Akagi, his long-time rival.
See this, Akagi? This is how far I've come in just one year!
Uozumi stretched a finger toward the ceiling.
"Let's go, everyone! We're going to win this by a hundred points!!"
"OHH!!"
Fueled by Uozumi's four monstrous blocks, Ryonan's players roared in high spirits.
"Dad!! If I don't get on the court now, it's going to be too late!!"
Coach Anzai, however, continued to smile gently as always, not budging in the slightest.
"Oh, come on!!"
Sakuragi couldn't take it anymore. He bolted up and charged toward the court.
"Sakuragi!!"
"Stop him before he does something crazy!!"
The rest of the Shohoku bench scrambled to hold him back as Sakuragi kicked and yelled.
"Let me go!! You want us to lose to that monkey-faced boss!?"
Up in the stands, Mito and the others watched Sakuragi's antics with amusement.
"Hahaha, there he goes again!"
"That Hanamichi guy just can't sit still."
Mito chuckled, resting his chin on his palm as he watched the chaos unfold.
"He hates losing more than anyone I know. Seeing his teammates get crushed like this… he just can't handle it."
Back on the court, the crowd was electric.
"Go Ryonan!"
"Come on, Uozumi!"
"Let's go, Sendoh!!"
Yasuda, holding the ball, was frozen. He could feel the pressure crushing him from all directions. With Shohoku's key players like Akagi and Rukawa tightly marked and Ryonan playing at a whole different level than anything they'd faced in practice… he was paralyzed.
"Yasuda! Hurry, pass the ball!!"
"Only five seconds left on the shot clock!!"
The Shohoku bench screamed in panic.
Yasuda snapped out of his daze but still didn't know who to pass to.
"Oh no… Yuzumi's blocks really shook Yasuda up."
The bench players looked worried. Momentum and morale were slipping fast.
"It's okay."
Ayako stood with her arms folded, a confident smile on her face.
"Don't worry. Shohoku still has one player who's so cool-headed, he probably doesn't even know we're in crisis."
Suddenly—
"Give it to me!!"
From within the tight defense, Kaede Rukawa made his move. He sprang into space, both arms up, demanding the ball.
"Kaede Rukawa?! Whatever, take it!!"
Without hesitation, Yasuda hurled the ball toward him.
The moment shocked everyone watching.
"Kaede Rukawa actually asked for the ball?! With Uozumi right behind him?! Is he going to take him on head-to-head!?"
Even the Ryonan bench gasped in surprise.
But then, like a lightning bolt—Sendoh, who had been coasting in energy-saving mode, suddenly erupted with speed!
"!!"
Kaede Rukawa flinched as Sendoh materialized in front of him, intercepting the pass with a flawless read.
"Nice pass, Shohoku," Sendoh grinned, snatching the ball effortlessly.
"WHOOOOAAAAA!! SEN-DOHHHH!!!"
The stadium erupted again as cheers echoed off the walls.
Kaede Rukawa stared coldly at the spiky-haired Sendoh.
So, that's how it is? Alright then... time to show my real power.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sendoh burst forward with high-speed dribbling, weaving past defenders like a phantom. Kaede Rukawa sprinted after him, sticking close without missing a beat.
"He's so fast! That's Ryonan's ace, Sendoh?!"
The Shohoku bench was in awe.
"Sendoh!!"
Sakuragi clenched his teeth in frustration.
"Kaede Rukawa is incredible too! He's keeping up with Sendoh-senpai!!"
In the stands, Hikoichi scribbled frantically in his notebook.
"Shohoku's Rukawa… the so-called super rookie. I've gotta pay close attention to this match!"
As Sendoh neared the basket, he took two quick steps and launched into the air for a layup.
"Stop him! Block the shot!!"
Akagi's voice echoed.
"You're not scoring that easily!!"
Kaede Rukawa leapt alongside him, arms wide, cutting off Sendoh's angle.
Sendoh stared at him mid-air with a calm expression… and casually flicked the ball behind him to a teammate.
"What?!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Great pass, Sendoh!"
The teammate caught the ball in rhythm and took a clean jump shot.
Swish!
The basketball sank smoothly into the hoop.
Ryonan had just scored again!
"WOOOOOOOOHH!!"
Ryonan's bench erupted.
"Nice pass, Sendoh-senpai!!"
"Sweet shot, Koshino-senpai!!"
"That was amazing!"
Hikoichi's hands trembled in excitement.
"I have to train harder… I want to be just like them one day!!"
Sendoh smiled as he high-fived the teammate who just scored.
"Let's get another one."
"Yeah!!"
The team roared in unison.
Coach Taoka's smile widened as he stood from the bench.
Uozumi's defense has grown sharper through special training. Pair that with Sendoh's lethal offense…
A shield and a spear—this team could definitely make it to Nationals!
Raising his fist, Coach Taoka declared:
"Let this be our starting point… our first real step to the national tournament!!"
"Our opponent is only Shohoku! Win by at least 30 points!!"
The words hit the Shohoku bench like a ton of bricks.
"That old guy… I'm gonna shut him up myself!!"
Sakuragi growled, clenching his hands and forming a strange hand sign like a "thousand-year kill."
A devilish grin spread across his face.
Just as he was about to make a move—
"Wait."
Oliver, who had been sitting beside him quietly, finally spoke.
He placed a firm hand on Sakuragi's shoulder.
"It's not time for you to unleash your secret weapon just yet."
"But this is a crisis! If we keep playing like this, we'll lose for sure!!"
Oliver's expression turned cold.
"Did I say anything when you forgot about your vacation?"
The sudden, sharp tone stunned Sakuragi. He stopped, confused and speechless.
Oliver looked straight into his eyes.
"Trust your teammates."
patreon(Jutsu_143)