Preliminary Stuff:
I don't own Kuroko no Basuke and you should avoid this story if you're uncomfortable with yaoi/bl content. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!
A/N 1: This is just to let you know next update will probably be delayed due to some upcoming off-line obligations. So just in case you don't hear from me for a while, I hope you like this chapter and will stick with me for the next one. :-)
The Shadow Stratagem
Chapter 9
After he returned home and finished his homework, Kuroko flipped through the notebook that had caused such trouble for him. He stopped each time he came to a passage involving a certain redheaded captain. The notes he'd recorded for Akashi hadn't really been that different from the others, except he had kept track of the number of times Akashi praised his teammates, smiled, or otherwise resembled the warmer person he'd first found so intriguing during middle school. He'd had no worries that Akashi would ask about these random marks because there was only one, easily excused as a doodle or accidental slip of the pen. Kuroko rubbed his eyes tiredly after a moment. Just once, there'd been one rare instance during the Seiho practice game when Akashi had smiled at Kise's antics while the blonde was trying to evade a particularly challenging player named Tsugawa before reminding Kise he was under his quota for the game. He grimaced as his words to Kise-kun from that afternoon kept running through his mind, rehabilitating a first love, indeed. It had been awful last year when, one by one, each of them had stopped smiling while they played. Then the coldness appeared in their eyes along with the unwillingness to consider even one another as equals, and it had only gotten worse. With each successive game that he'd attended, Kuroko had felt the disappointed ache in his chest grow stronger. It became increasingly difficult to reconcile the detached scoring machines with the five prodigies that had so captured his imagination.
He'd been particularly struck by the change in Akashi, whose previous belief in his teammates had allowed them to perform at even higher levels. His Perfect Passes had created an unstoppable rhythm for the team and their assurance in each other's strength had pushed them into the title matches over and over again. Once each of them turned inwards, however, Akashi's skills had altered, too. He still had tremendous leadership over the team and was a successful strategist, but the change in the dynamics had seemed most noticeable in that he no longer supported them as a group, rather each individual became a separate tool to use as needed. Akashi had always seemed reserved but in basketball at least, there'd been a sense that you could see a hint of something underneath that. Kuroko remembered clearly the first game he'd seen in middle school after Akashi's eyes had changed – not only were his irises suddenly differently colors, but neither of them exuded a shred of warmth. Instead they had calmly calculated what was needed to win and executed that plan with the precision of a military strike. In a way, it had been beautifully done. If nothing else it was an elegant massacre, but Kuroko recalled the horror with which he'd watched each of the five players seem so cruelly dispassionate, even bored, by their overwhelming victory.
The championship game last year had broken his heart. Kuroko knew Ogiwara's team was strong; they'd have to be to reach the final round of the tournament. He'd expected to see the Generation of Miracles take the game seriously, but instead, he'd been devastated to see the insolence of the last play when Murasakibara scored on his own basket to make the score match. His friend's team had been crushed long before that moment of the game, but seeing the light go out of Ogiwara as he struggled, then failed, to keep his composure made Kuroko finally realize that Rakuzan was no longer truly playing basketball.
Kuroko had left the Rakuzan game and mindlessly wandered the stadium. He hadn't paid attention to his destination and had eventually found himself watching Seirin's game. The high school team was new, Kuroko heard people talking about how this was their first year, but they had displayed all of the fire and teamwork that Kuroko knew the Generation of Miracles needed. As he watched them play together, he'd begun to draw up the faintest threads of a plan. It was possible to show the Generation of Miracles, to show everyone, that basketball was about what Seirin had.
And now that Kuroko had seen the shy gentleness of the eternally hungry Murasakibara, the awkward mentoring Aomine had provided the kids on the street court, Midorima's misplaced effort to warn him, Kise's surprising display of concern regarding his and Kagami's friendship, and most particularly the subtle clues of something beyond his public face that Akashi had shown him, Kuroko knew he had to bring back that true sense of playing for all of them. It just wasn't possible that the people he'd seen a hint of off the court to be beyond redemption on the court. They had lost much of their love for the game, but it wasn't over yet.
As he finally drifted off to sleep, Kuroko knew he had to move forward. He was going to have to tell Kagami-kun about both his concerns and his plan. Kuroko didn't want him to find out from someone else and he definitely didn't want the tournament to be the moment of truth. Akashi-kun had been right that it was a risk but it was no longer one he could avoid taking. While Kuroko knew it was the right decision, his dreams were troubled and he slept fitfully.
The results of his restless night were quite evident the next morning as Kagami surveyed his friend. "You look like shit today, Kuroko."
"Thank you Kagami-kun, I appreciate your candor."
"No, seriously, are you okay? Maybe you should go see the nurse when we get to school. Or just go home now. I've never seen you look like this before."
"I didn't sleep well, that's all."
Kagami hesitated; it seemed clear that a missed night's sleep wasn't the only problem, but he also knew Kuroko was a fairly private person and he didn't want to pry. "If you're sure that's all it is, maybe you shouldn't stay late today, Kuroko. It looks like you could use the rest."
"It's nothing to worry about, Kagami-kun. I'll be fine. However, I did want to ask if you have time to go to Maji Burger after practice?"
Kagami looked over at his friend. While Kuroko's voice didn't usually give anything away, his tone seemed particularly flat today. "Sure. I'll be hungry anyway so that sounds like a good plan."
Kuroko nodded in acknowledgement and they proceeded into school without speaking again. They went through their morning routine of changing shoes and heading to their classroom, each caught up in worry about the other.
With a look of resignation at the player seated in front of him, Kuroko pulled out his cellphone and quickly sent three messages using the taller male's body as a screen to stay hidden from their teacher. First he told Riko he wouldn't be able to make it today because he was going to tell Kagami-kun the truth and to please let the team know he'd have a report at the next practice. His phone almost immediately lit up with her reply, "Kuroko-kun, are you sure? I know we all agreed to let you do it when you felt ready, but you don't get to redo this. Just make sure it is the right time."
His reply, "It's not the right time at all, but I don't think I can wait any longer" was returned with a note that acknowledged it was a difficult situation, wished him good luck, and ended with an order to let her know if he needed anything.
The next message he sent was to Himuro-san and his training partner's answer didn't come right away. When Kuroko was able to check his phone during a break, he was unsurprised to see "I look forward to hearing about it. Tell Taiga hello from me."
The last message he sent advising of his plans wasn't returned until Kuroko was packing up to head to his turn to staff the library. "Don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong. He'll understand eventually, one way or another." Kuroko hoped that was true. He really did.
-During practice that afternoon, Rakuzan's gymnasium-
Akashi watched the team practice with an unreadable expression, but he was not pleased with what he saw. Except for Midorima, who would endlessly practice his shots without prompting, it seemed his fellow starters had gotten a bit too complacent. He had found Daiki asleep on the roof earlier in the afternoon and ordered him to attend today's session. The power forward had shown up, fifteen minutes late, but he hadn't completely disobeyed. Ryota was going through the drills but it was clear he was thinking about something else. Atsushi was standing over to the side eating something rather than working in his drill group. Was his team seriously showing less effort than the Seirin upstarts Tetsuya was backing? No wonder he was holding out hope of winning against them. This was completely unacceptable.
Akashi turned his attention to the other members of Rakuzan's team. Taiga was attempting to go one on one with Daiki but the blue-haired power forward was moving sluggishly; it was clear he was protesting being forced to attend and Taiga didn't seem to know what to make of this unusual situation. Akashi watched as Shogo stole a move from a second stringer he was practicing with and the slump in the lower-ranked player's shoulders told Akashi that Tetsuya had been right and this was not the first time such a thing had happened. Somehow his team had gotten out of order. He would no longer tolerate such sloppiness from any of them.
"Atsushi, Daiki, Ryota, surely if the three of you can afford to both a skip practice and then be content to show such subpar effort when you do grace us with your presence, you should be able to show me it is worth allowing you that freedom." Akashi's voice was lethally polite but every single member of the team that was present took notice of his displeasure and felt chills at these words.
The three players that had suddenly found themselves in trouble looked at their captain with puzzlement on their faces. Akashi allowed them to skip as long as they continued to score in games; they hadn't failed to do that, so what had brought this on?
"Let's test the wisdom of the policy, right now. We'll have a small game, the first team to reach 20 points wins. The three of you, versus me and, let's see…" Akashi lazily looked around the gym before settling on two members of the third string squad who appeared to be absolutely terrified they were in his line of vision at that moment. "You two, please join me." The three first string starters looked uneasy, they were clearly better than the third stringers, so what did Akashi mean to prove with this contest?
All the other players scrambled off the court to give them room. At the starting signal, Murasakibara got the ball but before he had managed to do more than register it in his hands, Akashi had stolen it from him and easily maneuvered around both Kise and Aomine before making a textbook three pointer. Everyone watching was holding their breath; this was clearly not a friendly match. Midorima frowned as he observed from the sidelines. Akashi was always exacting, but this match seemed particularly pointed and he didn't know the message their captain was trying to convey.
The remaining points went quickly. The third string players were almost too afraid to move but when Akashi twice sent them a ball with a look that dared them to miss, they of course did not, and managed to score two points each as Akashi ankle-broke Ryota and Atsushi, then used his Emperor Eye to send the ball around Daiki's charge to assist with their shots. It was an attack pattern they all knew, but it had never been deployed against them like this and certainly not with such ruthless precision. His fellow Generation of Miracles members, for the first time since they had all been playing together, not only faced defeat, but they felt real fear of their leader.
It was over in minutes with an utterly devastating score of 21-0. Akashi had taken most of the points himself and he'd almost idly prevented scoring opportunities by his fellow starters. His face revealed nothing and he had barely broken a sweat by the end despite his dominating coverage of both offense and defense. Everyone was thunderstruck as Akashi began to speak, his voice clearly laden with disapproval. "If such a poor result is possible, I have been too lenient. I accept responsibility for my errors as your captain and as such, we will all work harder to prevent future mistakes. There will be no more absences permitted without a dire emergency. There will be no more slacking off. We are here for only one reason, victory, and if you cannot deliver that then there will be consequences. I trust I do not need to elaborate."
Akashi turned toward the third string players he had used for the lesson; they had been trying to subtly ease away from the captain toward the safety of the bleachers. "Thank you for your assistance today. It is striking indeed I should be able to rely more on two players that are unfamiliar to me, than my regular lineup." Here he looked at the three members of the Generation of Miracles who all had stunned expressions on their faces, "As for you three, consider today a warning. Until you can surpass me, you cannot disobey me."
After that they began an intense series of drills and training sessions; the pace was accelerated from even their usual rates. Everyone noticed the change. Akashi had always presided over the practices with the highest level of expectations, but today he seemed to have lost any sense of forgiveness for even the smallest of errors. If they hadn't seen him working just as hard as he was pushing them, it might have been entirely demoralizing. A few players did give serious thought to resigning, but for the most part the team, from third string up to first, felt a renewed sense of purpose. They didn't know why Akashi had suddenly found them lacking, but they didn't want to disappoint him again.
At the end of practice, Akashi asked Haizaki to stay behind. The older teen looked down at Akashi, meeting his eyes arrogantly as he was secure in his worth to the team. Akashi's own eyes were calm but distant. He wasted no time getting straight to the point.
"Quit the team, Shogo. You are endangering our record by stealing the abilities of those on your team. What purpose does it serve? Your gift is advantageous against opponents, but our goal is victory and if you are risking it out of pettiness, there is no place for you on the first string squad. The coach agrees with me and if you decide to stay, you will be demoted to second string, but you will not play in any future games. It is up to you if your pride can handle that."
"What the hell, Akashi?" His voice registered true shock at Akashi's words, he was a strong player and Rakuzan valued strength above all else. "I've been doing my job, what does it matter if I have a little fun at the same time? We're still winning, there isn't any harm in making it interesting, is there?"
"If you were only making it interesting, no. But that is not what you're doing. I refuse to allow any threats, internal or external, to our record while I am captain. I decided to say this to you today so it would not be odd if you left given the new level of training. Everyone knows you don't enjoy the current practice requirements. It would not surprise anyone if you decided it wasn't worth it to continue."
Haizaki barked out a laugh, it was cruel and anything but humorous, "Fine, you don't want me here? I'll leave, you bastard. I'm just killing time anyway. But I wouldn't be so sure you're going to keep that record. You're not as unshakable as you think. Whatever, it's not my problem anymore. Good luck with saving it." Akashi watched him leave without further comment. He didn't need luck. He was absolute. And he was going to prove that to them all, including a certain blue haired idealist who had dared to challenge him.
-After practice, headed toward Maji Burger-
Kuroko listened intently as Kagami relayed the events of today's practice while they walked to Maji Burger. His friend was almost giddy with excitement about the strength Akashi had shown during their practice. Few things truly inspired Kagami like strong players he could test himself against and he was fired up about the possibility of getting to challenge Akashi during practice like that. Kuroko, for his part, felt a little unnerved and wondered if he had so seriously miscalculated his interaction with Akashi the previous evening.
"It was crazy, Kuroko. He just dominated the whole thing and it went by so fast. I've never seen him really go all out before and I have to say it makes me want to get stronger so I can take him on during one of those games. I don't know why he wanted the two third stringers to play, but they held in as best they could really. I guess it just goes to show how strong he is that he didn't even need Midorima, me, or even Haizaki to win and -"
At this, Kuroko shot a sharp glance at his friend and interrupted him, his voice more harsh than Kagami could ever recall hearing. "Kagami-kun, doesn't it strike you as odd to think you wouldn't need a teammate? Akashi-kun's reasons for that demonstration are his own, but don't be fooled into thinking that's a sustainable method."
"Huh, what do you mean Kuroko?"
Kuroko shook his head. "Let's get you fed first."
A short time later they'd settled into their seats, Kagami with a tray stacked high with burgers, and Kuroko with his milkshake. Kuroko took in the scene and was tempted to smile; it was very much like their first meeting, except Kagami knew he was there this time.
Kuroko waited until his friend had devoured a few of the burgers before he asked, "Kagami-kun, what do you think about your teammates and the games you've seen so far?"
Kagami paused in the midst of raising another burger toward his mouth and cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "Huh? Rakuzan is really strong, just like you told me before I joined. It has been great training with these guys. They seem unstoppable. I know I'm not at their level yet but it really gets me going to think I might be soon. I was worried about the quality of Japanese basketball when I came back this year, but it's been solid. Our games have gone so smoothly, it's unbelievable to watch. None of them are ever nervous, it's just incredible."
Kuroko nodded his head. "And what have you heard about last year's middle school championship game, Kagami-kun?"
"What? Well, not a lot I guess. I know it was a strong win. The coach was saying something recently about wanting to ensure another victory like last time. Why do you ask? Do you think the gap between the middle school and high school levels will be too much for us?"
Kuroko fiddled with the straw of his drink as he tried to determine the best way to broach this topic. Even though this had been his idea he was very nervous, he figured that Kagami would either not believe him or be angry that Kuroko had kept this a secret. Neither of those possibilities were happy thoughts for him, and it didn't help to consider there were even less positive reactions his friend could have.
"I don't think you have to worry about being outclassed in the high school league; Rakuzan holds far too many titles across each of the competition levels for that to be a concern. In fact…that's more of the problem."
If this wasn't an issue that was so important to Kuroko, he might have been tempted to laugh at the gob smacked look Kagami was displaying at the moment. "Huh? How is that a problem, Kuroko?"
"Kagami-kun, you haven't really experienced this yet because it's so early in the competitive season, but Rakuzan's games aren't normally like what you have seen in the practice matches with Seiho or Kaijo. Those teams don't rely on prodigies; they're teams of experts, so it takes a bit more effort even for Rakuzan to beat them. Since the Generation of Miracles really came into their power during middle school, they tend to be more like what you saw from Akashi-kun today. It's not about the game or the team; it's only about overwhelming your opponent."
Kagami looked uncertain, "Isn't that the point?"
The shorter male gave an ever so slight grimace in response to that question. "Winning is certainly a goal of sports, I'm not denying that. And I suppose this won't make sense to you until you really see them in action during the Inter High tournament, but Kagami-kun, you most definitely don't want a victory like last year's middle school championship." Kagami gestured for Kuroko to continue as he kept attacking his meal.
"Kagami-kun, the Generation of Miracles is far more notorious than it might seem given you spend so much time with them, they probably appear more normal to you than they do to outsiders. But they have a reputation that exceeds aggressive. They don't cheat, they're not underhanded about it, but they toy with their opponents in a way that shows they've lost respect for both the game and the competition itself. That's why I have to tell you something, a few somethings, actually." He drew in a breath here and Kagami noted the utter seriousness on his companion's face.
"First, they change during an actual game. The last vestiges of humor or teasing that you see during practice vanish completely. It's not about having fun, working together, or even improving individually. Those scoring quotas aren't in place to motivate everyone to have a good game, but to keep everyone focused because they're bored – they know they'll win so they don't care about anything else."
Kagami started to interrupt Kuroko so the shorter teen asked him to please wait until he was finished. Kagami subsided but he didn't look happy about it.
"The reason last year's championship was so brutal is that they deliberately made the score match, 111-11, by ending the game with a score on their own basket. My friend's team was the opponent and they were utterly destroyed, it was cruel to end it that way."
This was more than Kagami could take and remain silent as he interjected forcefully, "Okay so that seems a little harsh, but is it really worth getting that upset over, Kuroko? I'm sure because it was your friend's team it seems additionally personal, but they're more mature now. They've probably realized that was a mistake."
"No, they haven't Kagami-kun. If nothing else, then Akashi-kun's performance today tells me that. He used those third stringers to demonstrate to Kise, Aomine, and Murasakibara that he doesn't consider them to be his equal; in effect, he stated they were interchangeable with any player that could take up a position on the court. Victory is the only thing that matters, and the pursuit of it means drastic measures can be taken. Which brings me to the next thing, Kagami-kun…" Kuroko's eyes had gone flat at Kagami's defense of his teammates, he wasn't really surprised, but it was proving to be difficult to process nonetheless. "The reason Akashi-kun asked me to come to your practice the other day is that he found a notebook of mine I dropped after Murasakibara-kun lifted me up. I made a lot of notes about all of you during the time I studied in the gym, and he found something out about me that made him curious."
Kagami, after adding two and two here and naturally getting seven, interrupted again, "Do you…have a crush on someone on the team, Kuroko? Is that what he found out? Because he was reading your journal? Look, that's totally not his business; I can talk to him if you want."
Kuroko couldn't help it; he burst out laughing at this rather charming, if unnecessary, show of support. "Kagami-kun, thank you for that, really. But that's not exactly where I was going with this." The combination of Kuroko's sincere amusement along with the inadvertent release of his anxiety meant that it took Kuroko a few moments to get himself under control; but finally he was ready to continue and felt much better about it now. Kagami looked a little put upon but waited until his friend had managed to contain himself.
"Kagami-kun, the notebook had strategies and training notes in it, that's all. Akashi-kun began changing some of the techniques and regimens that Rakuzan utilizes after the last day I watched practice because he implemented a lot of what I'd written. It was never my intention that he or any of the others see it, I'm just used to writing down ideas when I watch basketball, but since he did find it, he was curious about my knowledge of basketball. That is why he asked you and Aomine-kun to invite me to practice the other day. What he'd found out about me is that I played basketball for Rakuzan for two years on the elementary squad and he wanted more information."
"You…used to play? Why did you stop? Why didn't you say something before now?"
"I stopped playing for Rakuzan for a few reasons, one of which was simply that the emphasis on victory to the exclusion of all else became too great a burden for me. The reason I haven't brought up the nature of Rakuzan's policies before now is that I didn't want to detract from your experiences Kagami-kun. You seem to be thriving on the team, and I was rather hoping you'd pick up on it yourself, but it has reached a critical stage now." Kuroko looked absently out of the window for a moment. "Kagami-kun, I am playing basketball for a different school, I play for Seirin, in Tokyo. And one of my teammates is Himuro Tatsuya."
Kagami's brain refused to process what it had just been told. He slowly set down the hamburger he'd just picked up and stared uncomprehendingly at Kuroko. "Tatsuya is in Japan and you are playing basketball with him…at another school?"
"He transferred to Seirin after the summer break last year. I began training with them around then as well. I commute to Tokyo most days after your practice to train with Seirin. At some point after you transferred to Rakuzan I brought up your name and he mentioned the two of you have some unfinished business."
Kagami instinctively reached for the ring he wore as a necklace, he didn't even know where to start. His last meeting with Tatsuya…could it really have been a year? Kagami had tried to call Tatsuya to let him know that he was moving to Japan and hadn't managed to reach him, he couldn't believe that Tatsuya had already been here and not let him know. His eyes were completely focused as he looked at Kuroko. "You better explain this from the beginning. I won't interrupt you this time so say what you need to."
Kuroko nodded in acceptance of Kagami's invitation and he went over the history of the Generation of Miracles, explaining how he had watched them change and the results of their increasing apathy. He told Kagami about his shock over the game with Ogiwara's team and how he'd come to work with Seirin, including the special provision he'd uncovered. He paused when it came to discussing Himuro but Kagami shot him a look that conveyed more clearly than words it was in his best interests to continue. So he did. He told Kagami about the results of being discovered by Murasakibara, the confrontation in the gym the other day, and even about most of the train ride with Akashi the previous evening. And when he was finally finished, the silence was beyond heavy. When Kagami finally broke it, his words were devastating.
"Kuroko, I know this is important to you, clearly it must be. But it is difficult to believe they can really be that bad. Are you sure this isn't just some type of misplaced regret about quitting the team?" Kuroko understood Kagami's response, but that didn't lessen his disappointment.
His reply was quiet, "I can't make you believe me, Kagami-kun. I have no other proof but my words. But I did want to warn you because of the Inter High tournament coming up. It's possible we won't play each other, however my goal is to show the Generation of Miracles what they've lost with their style of basketball. I want them to smile again and to play like they did two years ago. And maybe it won't be enough, but this is my plan."
Kagami hesitated before asking, "Kuroko, why did you make friends with me? Was it part of your plan?"
Kuroko sighed. "Kagami-kun... don't be ridiculous. For one thing, we met before I knew you were a basketball player. For another, my plans went into effect long before you got here. Honestly, I didn't really intend for us to be friends, but it happened anyway and I truly value that, Kagami-kun. I could have watched Rakuzan practices anytime I wanted; they're not closed to the public. I didn't need you to bring me in there to get an inside scoop. That was never part of my plan anyway, I want to win fairly or there won't be any point to it. As I told Aomine-kun, I did hope your arrival on the team might remind them of how they used to play, but I'm not sure it was enough. If my plan does eventually work, you'll be part of it, but not because I took advantage of our friendship."
Kagami nodded. "I hope you find what you're searching for, Kuroko, even though I don't completely understand it. I'm looking forward to playing you and Tatsuya, but I really can't see us losing. Maybe when you're back on the court with us it won't seem as distorted as it did from the stands."
Kuroko's voice was stoically polite as he replied, "Perhaps not, Kagami-kun." He knew he didn't have the right to expect more from Kagami, who hadn't had a real opportunity to see what the Generation of Miracles was capable of, but he'd held out hope that his friend would at least understand that he should be more wary of his teammates. Kuroko unhappily reflected that Akashi had been right; it had been a matter of when it would be most strategically effective for Kagami to know. Kuroko had rushed it in his effort to head off the other teen. He had lost this gamble.
Kagami was jabbering on about his assurance that there would be amazing games to see in the tournament and Kuroko had to admit his loyalty to the team was admirable. He was at least happy that Kagami wasn't angry about his keeping this a secret from him; although he felt that that his friend wasn't completely ready to see Himuro again. Kagami hadn't communicated his thoughts on the matter and Kuroko understood it was tabled for the moment, but he had no doubt it would come up again.
They stayed and talked for a while, Kagami was interested in hearing Kuroko's thoughts on many things related to basketball and they had a lively debate on a potential dream team of players. As they were finally taking their leave of one another, Kuroko revised his earlier assessment. He had lost in terms of the most effective time to reveal the nature of the Generation of Miracles, but he had strengthened his friendship with Kagami-kun. That was enough for the moment. He had other moves to contemplate and he knew Akashi would be doing the same. Seirin's first game for the Inter High preliminaries was next week and Kuroko had a lot to prepare for his team to be ready. Things would be moving quickly now.
