Shohoku attacked, with Nango controlling the ball at the top of the arc, calmly orchestrating the offense.
He took a quick glance around, then lobbed the ball toward Akagi.
In terms of height, weight, and strength, Iwata Mitsuaki was completely outmatched. He could only watch helplessly as Akagi bulldozed his way closer to the basket, spun around with a powerful pivot, and banked the ball cleanly off the glass.
"Nice one, big brother!" Haruko cheered happily. It was Akagi's first basket in the National Tournament.
Yohei rested his chin on his palm and said lazily, "If you look at it, Toyotama isn't that impressive. Their cheerleaders are better."
Okusu chuckled. "Exactly. Looks like today's game will be another easy win."
As the game settled into a familiar rhythm, everyone from Kanagawa could already see how it would end. The outcome was practically decided—Toyotama stood no chance.
After switching sides, Itakura dribbled up the court, but before he could even cross half-court, Nango was on him again—pressing like a shadow.
Minami, who had deliberately stayed behind the formation, called out sharply, "Itakura!"
Startled, Itakura passed the ball immediately, not daring to challenge Nango head-on.
Minami frowned. "We can't let Itakura waste time fighting this kid. This is the National Tournament—there's no room for ego."
With Nango's suffocating defense disrupting their rhythm, Minami took control of the offense himself.
"Rukawa Kaede," Nango suddenly shouted, "guard his shot—allow the drive! The captain's got the paint covered!"
Everyone froze.
Nango rarely barked orders during a game, and even if he did, it was never this directly. Wasn't he just giving away their defensive strategy?
But Nango didn't seem to care. He raised his voice again, "Sakuragi! Protect the rebound and be ready to counterattack anytime!"
Shohoku's players exchanged confused looks—but Toyotama's players were the first to lose their tempers.
"You brat!" Itakura snapped. "Who do you think you are, huh? Trying to provoke us?"
Nango gave him a flat look. "Provoke you? You're not even worth the effort."
That one line hit Itakura like a slap.
He'd spent his entire career taunting others—but this kid, with both his words and actions, completely turned the tables. The humiliation burned deep, but he had to endure it.
Toyotama's supporters, naturally, exploded.
"Minami! Drive in and crush them! Show that brat who's boss!"
"Yeah! Take him down!"
"Idiot, as if it's that easy!"
Minami scowled but stayed focused. Rukawa was already in front of him, defending tightly.
Following Nango's earlier call, Rukawa deliberately left a narrow gap to the right, sealing off Minami's favorite shooting spots while denying any entry through the middle.
Akagi stood tall beneath the basket like an unmovable wall, glaring up at him.
Minami clicked his tongue. He had no choice but to pass to Iwata—to test Shohoku's interior defense.
Iwata's face twisted. Minami! You're setting me up!
He already knew he couldn't handle Akagi. Passing to him now was basically asking to die—but for the team's sake, he had to try.
Iwata squared up, facing the basket. Akagi loomed before him like a mountain.
He hesitated, licking his lips nervously, then faked once—twice—before going up on the third.
Slap!
Akagi's massive hand smothered both the ball and Iwata in one brutal block.
"The Gorilla's block!!" the Sakuragi Gang shouted in perfect unison.
"Counterattack!"
Akagi roared as he snatched the ball and fired a long pass forward—knowing full well no one could outrun Shohoku's first-year trio.
Like arrows loosed from a bow, Nango, Rukawa, and Sakuragi surged down the court.
Nango reached the ball first. He glanced back—no defenders in sight. The rest was up to them.
"Nango! Over here!" Sakuragi yelled, waving eagerly.
Rukawa, on the opposite side, slowed slightly—uninterested in showing off.
Nango smirked and launched the ball high off the backboard.
Sakuragi timed his jump perfectly—
Bang!
—and caught the rebound mid-air, slamming it through with both hands.
The crowd went wild.
"Ohhh! That dunk was insane!"
"The passing was perfect too!"
"Did you catch that on camera?"
"Shohoku's really this strong? They're destroying Toyotama!"
Someone in the crowd pointed at the program sheet. "Those three on the fast break—they're all first-years. No wonder Shohoku's been unstoppable lately!"
The media area buzzed with excitement.
Aida Yayoi jotted notes with a smile. "Even on the National stage, Shohoku's counterattacks and dunks are beautiful to watch. They'll become famous soon."
Beside her, Nakamura nodded eagerly. He might not care much about writing, but Shohoku's games were pure entertainment.
"Solidify the defense!" Toyotama's coach, Kinpei, shouted. "Get back faster and stop their transition game!"
It would've been better if he hadn't said anything.
As soon as his voice reached them, Toyotama's players—hot-headed as ever—reacted in the exact opposite way.
"You want us to hold back? Watch us attack harder!"
And that impulsiveness spelled their downfall.
In the first ten minutes, Toyotama was utterly overwhelmed.
Akagi dominated the paint, putting up 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a single stretch, leading Shohoku to a commanding 29–12 lead.
Standing tall beneath the rim, Akagi bellowed, "Don't get careless! Keep this momentum till the end!"
"Roar!!" Shohoku's players shouted back, voices echoing through the arena.
Nango, however, kept his eyes on Toyotama's bench. He could sense something coming.
"Minami!" Kishimoto hissed. "We can't keep this up! We've gotta defend first!"
Even he, usually reckless, couldn't believe he was saying that. But against Shohoku, they were helpless.
Toyotama's three aces were being dismantled one by one.
Itakura was mentally broken under Nango's defense—he couldn't even get a clean shot off.
Kishimoto, despite several attempts, couldn't escape Akagi's shadow.
And Minami—while he managed to sink two threes—couldn't close the gap alone.
Minami exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. "Then let's get serious."
His gaze locked on Nango. "That number 13… he's mine."
Everyone watching could see what that meant. Nango was the brain and backbone of Shohoku—shut him down, and the whole team might crumble.
Kishimoto hesitated, swallowing hard. He knew what Minami intended… and it wasn't going to be clean. But for the sake of winning, he said nothing.
In the audience, Daiei Academy's vice-captain, Handa Go, muttered in disbelief, "I never thought Toyotama—the most aggressive team in Osaka—would get completely pinned down by Shohoku. This is terrifying… Looks like they'll be our next opponent."
Tsuchiya Atsushi crossed his arms. "It's not over yet. Minami's about to make his move."
"Tch…" Handa clicked his tongue. "Still as dirty as ever… truly, the Shame of Osaka."
-----------
Support me at patréon com/DaoOfPeeking