"Rebound!!"
Oliver shouted loudly at Sakuragi. Under the basket, Yuzumi and Sakuragi collided and jostled for position, their eyes locked on the basketball arcing through the air.
"Damn it…!"
Sakuragi cursed inwardly, feeling the pressure from Yuzumi's towering frame. The sheer presence of someone over two meters tall in the paint wasn't just an abstract concept—it was an overwhelming, suffocating force.
Their shoes screeched across the court as they fought for positioning. Yuzumi glanced behind him and saw Sakuragi struggling to hold his ground. He couldn't help but chuckle in his heart.
The coach was right. This red-haired guy is a complete rookie.
"Rebounds aren't something an amateur like you can just take!"
Yuzumi, who had already secured the better position, leaped high into the air. Sakuragi reacted quickly and jumped as well, but the ball was easily claimed by Yuzumi.
"Ryonan's ball!"
"Great rebound!!"
Cheers erupted from the audience. The Ryonan bench stood up and applauded, clapping and hollering in support of Yuzumi.
"Sendoh!!"
Yuzumi shouted, making a powerful long pass to Sendoh. As soon as he received the ball, Sendoh dashed toward the paint, aiming to break through Shohoku's defense. Oliver and Kaede Rukawa immediately sprinted to catch up and form a defensive wall.
Yuzumi, watching the counterattack unfold, smirked at Sakuragi.
"Hmph… amateurs should just sit on the bench and watch quietly. I can't believe Akagi let a clown like you onto the basketball team."
"What did you say?!"
Sakuragi was instantly infuriated, pointing at Yuzumi's face with rage boiling in his eyes.
"You got a rebound and now you're acting like some big shot, old ape! This genius hasn't even gotten serious yet! I even beat that gorilla Akagi, so you're nothing to me!"
At those words, Yuzumi froze mid-stride. His eyes widened, and he turned back, glaring at Sakuragi with disbelief.
"You said… Akagi lost to you?!"
Yuzumi's breath became rapid, and he yelled angrily, his voice echoing across the court.
"How could Akagi lose to someone like you?!"
Everyone on the court paused, stunned by Yuzumi's sudden outburst. Realizing he had lost his composure, Yuzumi clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and turned back toward the action to chase down the play.
"What's with that guy…" Sakuragi muttered, jogging back to defend the basket.
What Sakuragi didn't know was that during last year's match between Shohoku and Ryonan, even though Ryonan won, Yuzumi had been utterly dominated by Akagi. As a center, he had lost in every aspect—strength, skill, and presence. That defeat had haunted him ever since.
Fearing that people would dismiss him as just a tall guy with no real talent, Yuzumi had thrown himself into relentless training for a whole year. All he ever wanted was one thing—to stand tall before Akagi and finally defeat him.
But now, this loudmouthed redhead, who couldn't even box out properly, dared to claim he had beaten Akagi?
Unforgivable.
---
At the front court, Sendoh had advanced to the three-point line. Oliver and Rukawa leaped into position, arms wide, ready to clamp down on him.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Sendoh dribbled swiftly, attempting to slip past them, but the defensive duo closed in fast.
Rukawa used his wingspan to cut off passing angles while Oliver lunged in for a steal!
"These two are tough…" Sendoh muttered, quickly switching the ball behind his back to evade the steal. But Rukawa moved in immediately—he didn't give him a second to breathe.
"Damn it…!"
Sendoh gritted his teeth. With Oliver already difficult to deal with, the addition of Rukawa was overkill. A solo attack wasn't going to cut it now.
He quickly passed the ball back to their point guard, who was positioned at the three-point line.
Neither Oliver nor Rukawa could switch fast enough to cover him, and Shohoku's substitute, Yasuda, wasn't reliable defensively. Sakuragi was still sprinting back from the basket, and Kogure was already being tightly marked.
No hesitation!
The Ryonan guard pulled up and fired!
"Rebound!!" Oliver's voice rang out once more.
"Sakuragi! Remember what Akagi and I taught you!?"
"Whoever controls the rebounds controls the game!!"
The ball arced toward the rim.
Yuzumi was already there, in a solid position. He sneered as he felt Sakuragi bump into his back.
"You think you can take this from me? Rebounding's all about experience, rookie!"
Yuzumi widened his stance, using his body to push Sakuragi out.
"Damn it… I can't let this ball go again…"
Sakuragi gritted his teeth, recalling the intense training Akagi had put him through the night before.
In that quiet gym, Akagi had pointed at him seriously and said:
> "To rebound, you need to get into position before the ball starts falling. As long as you get in the right spot, even a short player can beat a taller one. Positioning is the key."
Sakuragi snapped out of his thoughts, determination flaring in his eyes.
Position! That's what I need!
Sakuragi made a swift move, slipping in front of Yuzumi and planting his back firmly into him, pushing Yuzumi away from his original position.
"This guy…?!"
Yuzumi was startled—not just by Sakuragi's improved technique, but also by the shocking force behind his movements.
How is he this strong?! Even with my size, I can't overpower him?!
Bang!!
The ball clanged off the rim and bounced to the left.
"This rebound belongs to this genius!!"
"Don't even think about it!!"
Sakuragi and Yuzumi leapt at the same time.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Even Sendoh looked up at Sakuragi in surprise, while Oliver smiled faintly from the top of the key.
Physical dominance?!
There's not a single high schooler in the entire Slam Dunk world who can match Sakuragi Hanamichi's raw athleticism.
Yuzumi stared wide-eyed as Sakuragi soared through the air.
For the first time ever, the two-meter-tall center found himself looking up at someone.
Sakuragi's jump height was on another level.
Bang!
Sakuragi stretched out both arms and snatched the rebound clean out of the air.
Shohoku's Sakuragi Hanamichi had just grabbed his first rebound since stepping onto the court!
"Awesome!! Sakuragi!!"
"Let's gooo!!!"
The Shohoku bench burst into cheers. Even the usually composed Rukawa gave a slight nod of approval.
"This… this is unbelievable!" Hikoichi was practically shouting into his notepad.
"Such power! Such vertical! That rebound was textbook perfect! Coach, didn't you say he was a total beginner?"
Coach Taoka, hearing his name, blinked in disbelief. His eyes were glued to Sakuragi, still in the air as he began to descend.
This can't be real… That clumsy-looking amateur actually grabbed a rebound like that?!
Then Akagi's final words from the previous night echoed in Sakuragi's mind.
> "Once you get the ball, hold it tight with both hands so the opponent can't steal it. Land safely, then pass immediately. Only then can we counterattack. Got it?"
Landing firmly, Sakuragi clamped the ball tightly with both hands, like a steel vise. The rebound was his.
He quickly turned his head, eyes scanning the court, looking for an open teammate.
Shohoku was ready to strike.
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