That declaration was like a spark dropped into a barrel of oil.
It ignited everyone instantly.
"Exactly what I wanted!"
"I've been itching to take down that old man for a while now."
Miyagi spat out his gum and stacked his hand on top.
"National domination…" Mitsui's eyes burned.
"Win." Rukawa was, as always, concise.
Makino Juro yawned, strolling over lazily and placing his hand on top.
"Kind of a hassle… but losing would be even more of a hassle."
"So yeah—let's win."
"Wahahahaha!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi jumped in last, slapping his hand loudly onto the pile.
"Down with Kainan!"
"This genius is gonna show them what a true protagonist looks like!"
"Shohoku!!!"
"Victory!!!"
The roar thundered like a storm, nearly blowing the roof off.
Inside the arena, the noise was deafening.
"Make way! Make way!"
"Reserved seating for the Sakuragi Legion!"
Mito Yohei directed traffic like a police officer.
Takamiya bulldozed through the crowd with his belly, clearing out prime seats for Akagi Haruko and the others.
"Yohei-kun, thank you!"
Haruko's cheeks were flushed—half from the heat, half from excitement.
On the other side, Norio waved a massive banner reading "Flaming Man Mitsui Hisashi", leading a pack of delinquents howling like they were at a funeral.
"Mitsui! For youth! Waaaah!"
They scared the surrounding spectators into thinking a memorial service was happening.
High up in the stands, powerhouse teams gathered.
Fujima Kenji of Shoyo stood with arms crossed, expression serious.
Sendoh Akira of Ryonan sipped lemon tea, his trademark lazy smile playing at his lips.
"Facing a monster like Maki Shinichi… can that guy Makino Juro still sleep through it?"
"The real main course today is those two."
Sendoh took another sip, eyes gleaming with interest.
Suddenly, the arena lights dimmed.
A tidal wave of cheers erupted.
"They're here!!!"
The purple-and-gold army took the stage first.
Maki Shinichi walked at the front, jacket draped over his shoulders, exuding the aura of a king. The crowd screamed wildly.
Then came the red storm.
Led by Akagi, Shohoku's five starters charged in.
Amid the overwhelming chants of "Kainan will win," Makino Juro strolled in at the very back, digging at his ear with an annoyed look.
"So loud…"
He lifted his gaze, piercing through the chaos, locking directly onto Maki Shinichi's.
A faint smirk curled on Makino Juro's lips.
"Ready to get beaten, old man?"
As both teams warmed up, the tension on the court grew thick enough to spark flames.
And then...
At the height of this standoff, a figure practically screaming attention-seeker burst onto center court.
Kainan's #10. First-year.
Kiyota Nobunaga.
This guy was like a hyperactive monkey that had just chugged five cans of energy drink.
Hands on his hips, head thrown back, laughing wildly.
"WAHAHAHAHA!"
"This year's Kainan is the strongest ever! Know why?!"
He scanned the arena, his face practically begging for praise, as if the spotlight belonged to him alone.
The entire crowd froze.
Even Shohoku's players leaned back instinctively.
Where did this clown come from?
Kiyota suddenly pointed at his own nose and shouted at full volume:
"That's because of me—the super, ultra, best rookie—Kiyota Nobunaga!!!"
"WAHAHAHAHA!"
Silence.
A full, stunned silence.
Then—
The arena exploded in boos.
"Who let this kid out without a leash?"
"His mouth's bigger than his skills!"
"We came to watch Maki, not a circus monkey!"
Veins bulged on Kiyota's forehead as he prepared to argue back with these "ignorant masses."
But then—
A sudden pressure crept up behind him.
Like he'd been locked onto by a predator.
He spun around.
What greeted him was a head of blazing red hair—
And a face that screamed I'm number one in the world.
"Yo."
Sakuragi Hanamichi held a basketball, looking at Kiyota with a mix of mockery and boredom.
"So you're just another wild monkey."
Kiyota instantly exploded.
"You're… that redhead from Shohoku!"
"I remember now—you're that amateur who got wrecked by Fukuda from Ryonan!"
"What did you say?!"
Sakuragi's hair practically stood on end, rage maxed out instantly.
That was his sore spot!
Before Sakuragi could erupt—
Kiyota launched a sneak attack.
Smack!
With lightning-fast hands, he slapped the ball right out of Sakuragi's grip.
"Hmph. Amateur's an amateur. Can't even hold onto the ball—pathetic."
Kiyota dashed forward, scooping up the ball.
He retreated a few steps, striking a pose, a crooked villain's grin on his face.
"Watch closely! This is real dribbling!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already entered full "try-hard highlight mode."
Bang bang bang bang bang!
The ball flew between his legs and behind his back at insane speed, almost leaving afterimages.
His center of gravity dropped low, his body spinning like a top—every move dripping with showmanship.
Gasps rose from the crowd.
"So fast!"
"That hand speed… how many years of being single does that take?!"
"No wonder he's so cocky—he's got some skills!"
Hearing the praise, Kiyota's ego swelled to bursting.
Still dribbling wildly, he shouted at Sakuragi:
"Red-haired monkey! I'll tell you one thing—"
"On this court, only the strong have the right to speak!"
"And I, Kiyota Nobunaga—"
The more he talked, the more carried away he got.
His moves grew flashier, wilder—he even tried a no-look behind-the-back crossover.
But as always...
Style never lasts more than three seconds.
Just as he attempted a flashy spin—
His fingers slipped.
Thud!
The ball smashed into his foot and bounced away, rolling neatly back to Sakuragi's feet.
The stunned crowd fell silent.
Then—
The arena erupted in laughter.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA! That move's out of this world!"
"As long as I'm not embarrassed, it's someone else's problem!"
Sakuragi froze for a moment.
Then he burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears streaming down his face as he nearly rolled on the floor.
"WAHAHAHAHA! That's your 'one thing'?!"
"A monkey really is a monkey—you can't even dribble properly! I'm dying here!"
Kiyota's face turned the color of liver.
His whole body trembled as if he wanted to dig a hole with his toes and crawl inside.
"S-shut up!"
"That was just a mistake! An accident, okay?!"
Just as the two "monkeys" pecked at each other like elementary school kids—
A cold figure stepped in.
Rukawa Kaede picked up the ball expressionlessly, glanced at the two of them, and said flatly:
"Morons."
END OF CHAPTER
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