"Hey!"
"Ha!"
Akagi and Uozumi both leapt into the air, colliding like two titans fighting for the opening tip.
Smack!
The ball was slapped first by Uozumi, burning with determination. It fell into Uekusa's hands, and Ryonan immediately went on the attack.
From the sideline, Hikoichi's voice rang out with excitement. "Coach, Uozumi's in top form!"
Coach Taoka nodded slightly, his eyes sharp.
As captain, Uozumi has already led the team into the National Tournament. The pressure weighing on his shoulders has lifted, and with the momentum of yesterday's buzzer-beater… he may even suppress Akagi today.
On the court, Uekusa knew better than to get tangled with Nango's defense for too long. With a quick step back, he created space and fed the ball down low with a crisp bounce pass.
"Akagi, let's settle this once and for all!"
Uozumi caught the ball and immediately started to bulldoze his way into the paint.
The immense force pressing into Akagi's chest was terrifying, but Akagi wasn't Takasago—he wouldn't be pushed around so easily. Lowering his center of gravity, feet planted like roots, Akagi held his ground. The two began a fierce struggle of raw power.
"Unbelievable…" Kosuge, watching from the bench, felt his palms sweating.
Hanagata shook his head solemnly. "Those two are monsters."
The bespectacled old man in the stands leaned forward. "Both of them are third-years, correct?"
"Yes," replied the gray-clad man beside him. "Uozumi in white stands 202 cm. Akagi in red is 197 cm."
"No wonder they toppled Kainan, the long-time kings of Kanagawa. This trip was well worth it."
On the court, neither center yielded an inch.
"Give it up. You're not getting past me!" Akagi growled.
"Hmph, arrogant as ever."
Uozumi suddenly turned, using his height advantage to launch a high hook shot. His form was stiff, not graceful—but the ball kissed the rim and dropped through.
"Uozumi! Nice shot!"
"Captain, keep it up!"
Ryonan's bench and fans erupted. They all knew how badly their captain wanted to surpass Akagi.
Seeing Akagi momentarily grimace, Sakuragi smirked. "Oi, Gorilla, need my help?"
Akagi shot him a deadly glare. "Mind your own business!" Then, to Nango: "Pass me the ball. I'll put this guy in his place."
"Yes, Captain!" Nango even gave a mock salute.
Shohoku switched to offense, and Nango lobbed the ball perfectly inside. Akagi powered into Uozumi, mirrored his move, and answered with a far cleaner hook shot. The ball swished through without touching the rim.
Akagi landed and glared back as if to say: Your turn.
Uozumi only snorted.
On the next possession, Uekusa handed the ball off to Sendoh, who quickly directed traffic. Then, with a subtle signal, he returned it inside to Uozumi.
This time Uozumi was further out, near the free-throw line. Akagi pressed hard, forcing him away from the basket.
I know your range is limited. The farther you are, the less dangerous you become.
But Uozumi's eyes told another story.
Akagi, I know I can't match your natural talent. But I've realized—there are things I can do that you can't. Today, we'll prove it.
With his back to the basket, Uozumi flicked a quick glance at Sendoh. Sendoh immediately cut, using a teammate's off-ball screen to shake free.
At the same moment, Uozumi faked a face-up move, drawing Akagi's attention just long enough. Then—snap!—he rifled the ball to Sendoh, who slipped inside and scored an easy layup.
Akagi spun around, frustration on his face. "Hmph! Weren't you here to settle things with me?"
"Heh. Haven't you figured it out yet?" Uozumi grinned.
"What are you talking about?"
"I have no obligation to tell you." Uozumi turned away, jogging back on defense.
"Damn it… what kind of game is he playing?"
From the stands, the bespectacled old man smiled knowingly. "Ryonan's No. 4 is quite fascinating."
The gray-clad man was startled. "Teacher, you're interested in him?"
"Not to that extent. But… he's promising." The old man's lips curled into the faintest smile, betraying his admiration.
The difference between the two captains soon became clear. Akagi continued pounding away with one-on-one plays, while Uozumi shifted seamlessly between posting up, passing, and screening, turning Ryonan's offense into a flowing machine.
The scoreboard ticked forward: Ryonan 22 – Shohoku 17.
With 8 minutes left in the half, Coach Taoka called a timeout, pleased with what he was seeing.
"Uozumi, outstanding! Keep playing like this!"
The players buzzed with excitement.
"Captain, you're incredible today!"
"We can take the championship at this rate!"
But Uozumi, calm and collected, reminded them, "Don't get ahead of yourselves. The game's far from over."
Akagi clenched his fists. I see now. He doesn't care about personal pride anymore. He's playing for the team's victory.
Even Sakuragi noticed. "Monkey Boss is like a different person today."
Nango added thoughtfully, "His mindset's changed. Without the burden of qualifying and with the confidence from yesterday's game, he's finally playing free. That's the beauty of this tournament—it forces growth. And my butterfly effect is starting to ripple stronger than ever."
"What now, Coach?" Mitsui asked, focused.
Coach Anzai chuckled warmly. "Nango, it's time for you to take control."
Shohoku trailed because Nango had yet to show his full hand, deliberately holding back.
Scratching his head sheepishly, Nango laughed. "I just wanted to give the Captain more chances, hahaha."
"Ho ho ho." Coach Anzai's chuckle was calm but certain. "From here, we'll run our offense through Nango."
"Old man! Stop playing favorites! Give me the ball!" Sakuragi protested. He eyed Fukuda, who was guarding him, and fumed. "That guy's no match for me!"
Instead of answering, Coach Anzai looked at Nango. "Well? What do you think?"
Nango grinned. "Relax. If I go one-on-one with Uekusa, Ryonan will have to double-team me. That's when the rest of you will get your chances. You just need to stay ready."
Sakuragi puffed out his chest. "Hmph! All those opportunities will fall to me anyway. Fukuda doesn't stand a chance!"
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