Disclaimer: I do not own KuroBasu. Except for my OCs and my plot.

Seiho VS Seirin (1)

Third Person's POV

12 - 0

12 - 0. . .

Seriously? Seirin was lagging behind. . .?

Izanami bit her nail anxiously, as she and the coach watched the on-going match with intense gaze and worried glints. The semi-finals had only started a few minutes ago, and they were still in the first quarter. Yet, the points were already drifting further apart as time goes on.

If it wasn't for Seiho's impenetrable defense, and the baldy's infamous pressure defense on Taiga. . . The gray head mused. Grinding her teeth in irate and anxiety.

Even though they have evaluated and watched the DVD of Seiho's performance the day before the semi-finals, they had no idea in reality, they were this tough. Especially the shaven head - Tsugawa Tomoki.

The baldy certainly has gone over Izanami's expectation. Well, she supposed she could give him enough credits for holding up, and even stopping Kagami with his defenses alone. It was also a first for her to witness Kagami being cornered like this. She was talking about Kagami Taiga - the hot-headed beast who always rush headlong into things like a bullet train, with no one capable of stopping him. You know?

Although there was a time Kagami was in such predicament before when he had faced off with Papa Mbaya Siki, however, this time round was different. He previously struggled with Mbaya's tall build, and that was understandable. Kagami had also found a solution of how to deal with the giant and overcame the height issue fairly quick. If it was any other players, Izanami bet they'd be crushed by that two hundred meter giant as soon as the game start.

But Tsugawa was different.

He doesn't had a tall or large physique like Mbaya - heck. He was even smaller than Kagami in terms of size. Yet, the shaven head could hold a defense on him as if it was nothing! What a scary monk he was. Ever since the Interhigh started, they have only met no one but monsters and weirdos in their matches. Does everyone in the national basketball tournaments in Japan were all like this?

While Kagami was having a tough time and was stuck with Tsugawa, Izuki approached the redhead from behind and said, "Kagami, You're holding the ball for too long! Pass it to me!"

Upon hearing the senior's call, Kagami immediately passed the ball to the eagle-eyed, who had received the pass smoothly. However, Kasuga had seen this coming and was already in a position to ambush Izuki. After having calculated which way he would be heading to.

When Kasuga was going to the right, where Izuki's route originally was. The eagle-eyed saw through it and swiftly changed his course - by maneuvering in the opposite direction preemptively.

"Ohya?"

Without wasting another moment, Izuki went straight for a lay-up. When the ball has left his fingertips and flown towards the hoop, something unexpected happened.

The ball was immediately intercepted and slapped away by the captain from Seiho, as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and did a mid-air jump. Catching Izuki and everyone off-guard.

Obviously, Izuki hadn't expected to see him there. Much less blocking his shot. Just where did he come out from?

"You won't be able to stop us with half-ass attacks like that," said Iwamura in a matter-of-fact tone.

Yes. Seirin knew about it without having them saying. They were facing off with one the Three Kings of Tokyo here, and Seirin never once thought that they could win with half-baked attacks against Seiho. They weren't conceited, nor did they ever underestimate them. But, no matter what attacks they used, Seiho just wouldn't buldge! That was the problem. Like a mountain they could never climb over, stood high and mighty before them.

All in all, the situation was grim and didn't look good for Seirin now. If they don't come up with a strategy or something soon, they'd have to kiss goodbye to not just the Interhigh, but the ticket to the Winter Cup as well.

However, a certain gray head wouldn't let that happen. Too stubborn to let it happen. As if she's going to standby and watch their opponents trampled on their pride like this.

Having had enough of chewing her nails, Izanami crossed her arms. Her foot tapping impatiently against the polished floor as the gears in her head turn and twist. Working harder than usual as she wasn't the type to exhaust herself with thinking. She might not have acute precision like Riko, or an amazing tactician herself. But she was certain she could put in one or two cents in helping the team with an idea or some sort. Even she could do that much, right?

When Izanami was busy exploiting any opening- even if it's just a slight and small ones, she overheard a conversation between a player from Seiho and Tsugawa then.

"Oi Tsugawa, being full of spirits is good, but save some for later will ya?" Tsugawa whipped his head to gaze at his senior while he was still guarding Kagami. His lips pulled into a smug smile. "It's alright. He's not as tough as I thought him to be!"

Ouch.

Izanami didn't even have to see for herself and she already knew what that Bakagami was going to do next. And it wasn't going to end up pretty.

"White! No. 10 Charging!"

Kagami paused. Befuddlement and disgruntlement plastered on his twitching face. By the time he had registered the referee's warning, he could only bellowed out a cry of disbelief. "What!?"

Riko facepalmed at such ludicrous sight. Veins threatening to pop as she spat through gritted teeth. "That fool...! Can't he at least calm down a little!?" The brunette pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed exasperatedly, "he should go and donate his blood or something!" It seemed like they need to talk after the redhead had returned. Yeah. They should. A heart-to-heart conversation between a coach and a teammate.

"I suggest you reconsider, Coach," quipped Izanami in a deadpan manner, "Idiocy are contagious. So let's not have more victims fall into that. One is enough as it is already."

The reserve players on the bench all chuckled at the gray haired's quip. Even the peevish Riko's expression were torn from between one of anger and titter at her junior's gibe on her childhood friend. Izanami certainly don't hold back her tongue when it comes to the redhead. Do she?

After the warning rang out in the gym, Riko requested a time-out for their team. A wise decision anyone could make out of. A strategy was needed if they wanted to turn the table on Seiho after all.

Kagami trudged towards the bench with his head hung low. Hands on his hips as he muttered some incoherent words beneath his breath, which his childhood friend assumed must be curses. Before the redhead could sit down on the bench, Izanami walked up to him and whacked him in the back of his head. Hard.

"Ouch! What the fuck is that for-!"

"I should be the one saying that, you moron!" hollered Izanami. Snipping whatever protest and profanity Kagami was going to gush out.

"Nami-chan is right. You deserve that, Kagami-kun." Riko piped, as she glowered at the redhead with sinister aura, "Kagami-kun, you were being too reckless. And that is the second foul, too..." The bluenette mumbled from the side. His pale blue orbs expressed worry and concern as he glanced warily at his partner.

The bluenette knew Kagami was under a lot of pressure facing Tsugawa, and he could also see that the redhead was frustrated with himself for not being able to do as he pleases. But that's not an excuse to be rash and reckless like that. At this point, they have to be cautious than ever if Seirin wants to change the tide. It was as if they were walking on a tight rope. One wrong step and the whole team is going to fall.

That showed how precarious their state was.

"Tsk. I know. I was being too careless there," sighed Kagami as he ruffled his hair roughly, "sorry." He apologized. The tone was calmer than his previous one, and the wrinkles on his forehead had soothed. No longer scowling at the space or the air.

"Now, let's surmise and devise a plan with what little time we have." Riko said as she coughed into her hand. Seriousness etched onto her face and laced with her tone.

The air around them turned solemn and quiet, as the boys have all gathered around their coach with an austere, and serious expressions once more.

"I don't know whether you guys realize it or not, but there's something. . . special with the way they move." Riko started. Cupping her chin. Though her words sounded more speaking to herself than the team.

Now that the coach has mentioned it, it did struck a chord in Izanami. She began to dive into her sea of memories. When she was young, Alex used to take her around to various basketball matches and tournaments. Ranging from official ones like National matches, to those you almost get to see everyday in a local neighborhood park where a bunch of youths play on a street basketball court. At first, she was kind of reluctant and only grudgingly tagged along. Despite her grunts and unwillingness, she did watched all those matches in the end though. And among the infinite basketball plays she had seen and recalled, as well as some documentaries she had caught a glimpse while switching channels from the television, she swore she knew what Riko had meant.

"What about their movements?" Koganei quirked a brow. Still unable to fathom where their conversation were going.

"The Namba run..." Izanami muttered afterward, as she stared into the distant. Looking ever so thoughtful. Yes. She definitely had seen it in one of the documentaries, about how Namba run is a widely known martial art moves in the karate field. However, to think Seiho would fuse martial art style with sport. . . that was something new. She was certain Seiho wasn't the only basketball team in the world to have done that though.

"Namba run? What's that?" asked Kagami, as he took a swig of water and draped the towel on his neck. The manager then looked at the redhead incredulously. As if the boy had just asked 'what-does-1+1-equal-to'. And her expression didn't went unnoticed to him of course. Feeling somewhat offended with her gaze, Kagami furrowed his brows at the gray haired. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

A sudden urge of humiliating Kagami for his lack of knowledge openly welled up inside Izanami. But she suppressed it and decided to hold back whatever nasty and snide comments she was going to throw at her childhood friend in abeyance. She - they didn't have the time for that now. Let's just save the laughter and teasing after they have won the game.

Anyway, how could he call himself a basketball player if he didn't even know fusion basketball plays is on the trend now!?

Izanami coughed in her hand slightly as she adverted her incredulous gaze away from him before explaining. "Seiho is using old martial arts movements to train their body," remarked Izanami as she perched on the bench beside Kuroko, "When a player runs normally, his leg that is moving forward and the arm that is moving forward, are from different side; right to left."

From there onward, the manager passed the baton of the rest of the explanation to their coach, who had already stood up and took the role without the gray haired to signal for her to. What a chemistry between them. The guys thought for a moment, before their coach's stern voice reeled them back to reality. "However. With Namba run, the arm you swing forward when running is one the same side as the farthest leg. By twisting your body, there is less burden on it and reduces the amount of stamina needed," elucidated Riko.

"Which means," concluded Izanami, "they can keep going with such exhausting defense until the end. Probably." And that would be the worst case scenario.

After hearing that, the guys started to tense up and looked paler than before. Worries were evidently shown on each and everyone's perspiring faces as some of them frowned, and the usual talkative ones merely kept quiet with their lips pursed. Was there really no way to break out of their cage? Do they have to be pressed down like these until the end of the match? Without scoring a goal?

As if Seirin would accept that and let it happen without putting up a fight.

"However," started Riko, "it isn't completely hopeless for us." Izanami nodded along with the coach's statement. Seemingly understood the meaning behind her words and why she said those with a knowing smirk.

"Is there some way for us to turn the table on them!?" Tsuchida asked. A pitch higher than his usual tone with the now small glint of hope the both women has imparted. All the other players swallowed nervously as they waited for either one of the girls to spill the beans already. Those two sure knew how to take the team's emotion on a roller-coaster today though.

"No matter how impeccable their defense and movements are, they're still high-schoolers." Izanami pointed out gingerly. Making a twirling motion with her finger in the air as she emphasized her last two words. "Exactly," assented Riko, "since they're still high school basketball players, they still have the same physique as normal player and can also fall for feints or be outjumped."

After their explanation had sunk in, the boys expression immediately lit up. If not only a fraction despite they still have not come out of their crisis. But it was a huge step for them to have at least figured out where to go from now on. Since now they knew their opponent's strength and how they could finally begin their counter-attack with the guidance received from the coach and the manager, everything became much more easier. Like a huge boulder that had been hindering them from advancing further was lifted off their path.

"Time's up!" The referee alerted, as he blown into his whistle once more. The starters from both teams began to tread back toward the battlefield. Determination burning wildly in their ever so fiery eyes. Their thirst for victory. . . they looked just like wild beast who have starved for god-knows-how-long. The only difference being they were ravenous for victory instead of food.

However, when it comes to willpower, no other teams could best Seirin to it. The players have prepared rigorously and trained ten times harder than everyone, or anyone else. Just for today. For this moment. They weren't going to back down and throw in the towel just yet.

This was only the beginning.

"They will be alright, right?" Even though they have leaded the guys with their tips, Izanami couldn't help but worried a little. It wasn't because she doesn't had faith in them. She was a pessimist to begin with, and she tends to over-think things when there's nothing to be worried of. Kind of a paranoid she was if you asked.

Riko side-glanced the gray haired from the corner of her eyes. Her lips tugged into a small smile as she looked at her junior gnawing at her nail once more. "You worry too much, Nami-chan. They will be fine. Trust me, and trust them." Riko gave a small pat on Izanami's shoulder, before riveting her attention on the heated match once again. Thanks to the coach's words, Izanami did feel a little more at ease now. She stopped her chewing and let her hand fell to her side. Her gaze flitted with the players movements and the ball as she cheered along with the rest of the reserved members on the bench.

If it's them, they should be fine. Izanami mused. A smile ghosted over her features as she immersed herself in her thoughts. She ought to change this overworrying trait of hers. Whatsmore, Kagami has Kuroko by his side. Others she wouldn't be so certain about it. But if it's the bluenette, then Kagami was in good hands.

Now, the Seirin was leaded by the thought of their opponents still have the same reflexes as normal high school players, and they have finally went for the offense and bare their fangs. As usual, Tsugawa was still sticking like a glue to Kagami with his pressurize defense. Not giving the redhead an inch to bulge, let alone showing any opening in them. The shaven head thought that he was doing a great job and the result would still be the same as before the break.

However, he was gravely mistaken.

It took him a second. A second too late to realize what the hell had just happened before his eyes, as he felt a gale whisked past him. And when he re-focused again, Kagami was gone.

"Wha-!?" Tsugawa gasped, as he barely registered the blur of red dribbled past his screen in a lightning speed through his peripheral vision. Boggled by the whole scene. How. . . how did he break through that!?

Too shocked by Kagami's lightning-fast cut, Tsugawa floundered before his legs gave in and collapsed onto the floor from the force of it. He blinked dumbfounded at the spot where Kagami once stood at. Still trying to process whatever had just occurred.

Kagami went straight for his signature dunk as he leaped through the air, slamming down the ball into the hoop with a loud 'thud!'. Finally succeeded in breaking through and making the first goal for Seirin in the latter half of their first quarter. "Yosha!"

The gym soon erupted into a fit of cheer and exclamation after that, as all spectators were taken aback by the sudden twist in the game. They never expected the previous Seirin whose team was still stuck in a pinch, made a reversal that fast. As well as the lightning-fast cut and flashy dunk shown by Kagami, which had stirred an uproar in the nearly packed gymnasium with his unforeseen moves. In a good way, of course.

"Nicely done there, Kagami!" shouted Hyuga, as he jogged over to the freshman and gave him a slap on the back. Sending the redhead stumbled clumsily in an attempt to catch himself. Kuroko, too, gave him his one of the rare smile at his partner while the other second-years either high-fived the redhead, or simply grinned at him and shot a thumb up. It might look like they were overreacting for just a single goal, but only people who have played basketball, knew exactly how much that score meant to the whole team. Seirin's morale had boosted tremendously. Thanks to their ace.

And with that goal, the counter-attack from Seirin has officially begun. By taking the momentum created by Kagami, the others ride on it and began to burgeon. Showing off their individual skills one after another; Izuki's eagle eyes which allowed him to grasp whatever was happening on the court, Hyuga's rampant three pointers, Mitobe's hook shot, as well as Kuroko's misdirection, and his almost flawless co-operation plays with Kagami.

Thanks to the Seirin's team play and unyielding mettle, the first quarter ended with a tied from both teams.

Although there was a small 'accident' when Tsugawa mistook Kuroko for a reserve player, as he hadn't notice him because of his low presence till then. Fortunately, everything kind of sorted out when Kuroko proved him wrong by stealing his ball in the game and scored another goal with the cohesive plays with Kagami. Needless to say, Tsugawa was amazed and surprised. He thought they were weak at first. But somehow, his impression on Seirin was slowly changing and he was starting to enjoy himself. He could feel the adrenaline rush through out his body. Blood pumping wildly like it had never been before.

Then, a lopsided grin crawled its way to his perspiring face. What fun would there be if everything go smoothly without a hitch like this? This was getting fun.

The players didn't know how nerve-wrecking it felt for those who were watching at a side. Especially in Izanami's case. Ever since after facing Shinkyo in their preliminaries, her mental state was always put on edge due to all those psychological warfare and tension between players, etc.

She thought she had aged ten years when the shaven head made yet another mistake with his mouth running so bluntly. Though she doubts Kuroko would lose his cool because of it. Heck, she don't think Kuroko would ever get mad at somebody to the point of dropping his infamous poker face.

But it was still. . . scary. The atmosphere just now - that is.

After the first quarter had ended, both teams were given ten minutes break before proceeding to their second quarter of the match. Feeling a need to breath in some fresh air and relax her mind, Izanami decided to head out of the court for a bit. The coach has already given her consent, provided that she buys some lemons from the nearby convenience store on her way back for the boys. Now, that was a little disconcerting. Does Riko planned to have the guys to eat those raw lemons, just as it is. . .?

Good grief. Izanami could already imagined what faces and reactions the guys were going to show once they see those. They have her sympathy.

The gray haired strolled down the deserted hallway alone, before walking out of the entrance and embraced the warm breeze fleeted by. Sending her locks flying back and drifted along with the wind. She then took a deep breath of the humid summer air. Feeling the sun shining down on her and enjoying the breeze as she closed her eyes for a second. Gradually, her shoulders slumped and exhaled. In such weather, it made her crave for Popsicle badly. Maybe when she drop by the convenience store, she could pick up one for herself if she had any leftover money after doing her errand.

As Izanami ambled down the pavement, she passed by an oddly familiar vehicle, parked not far away from the building. She halted her steps before the vehicle. Scrutinizing it for a moment as she tried to recall when she had seen it before. Doesn't this belong to Midorima-kun...? She mused. Rubbing her chin.

Then, almost instantly, her amber orbs were glazing with mischief when the sun's ray reflected on them. The corner of her lips curled up involuntary into an impish grin, as an idea popped up in her head. Since she had came upon the trishaw, of course she has to leave a vestige of some sort as a greeting. No?

After all, the trishaw had saved her on that day when she was late for the training. She needed to leave a trace of herself as a remembrance of that fateful day.

Hopefully, the four-eyed won't hold a grudge on her. . . No. He won't. In fact, he'd love it.

"Consider this as a present for me. . . Midorima-kun~" The name rolled off Izanami's tongue sweetly. A playful smirk dancing on her lips as her hands busily moved around. Light chuckles occasionally escaped her and earning her a few suspicious glances from passerby. But she paid them no heed and promptly finishing up her soon-to-be masterpiece.

-On the other hand-

While washing his hand in the washroom, Midorima suddenly felt a chill tingled down his spine. The hair behind his neck stood on its end as he shuddered. What was that? The verdant whispered in his head. Clearly perturbed by the odd sensation he had felt earlier. His mind then traveled to what Oha-Asa had reported this morning, and he instantly frowned at the memories of it.

'Today, Cancer has the worst luck! Beware of trickster, as they will be the source of your despair today.'

A/N: *bowing in a 180 degrees* I'm so so so, sorry! I made all of you waited for a long time! May and June have been two hells of a month to me. Unfortunately. Lots of troublesome troubles arise one after another. My family and I were going through quite a hard time during that two months. So naturally, I've lost all motivation to write and was in a slump till now. My apologies if this chapter didn't live up to your expectation. My writing kinda gotten rusty in my two months of hiatus and needed time to adjust back.

But hey. I'm back now! Banzai~! *showering confetti*

Actually, I wanted to finish the semi-finals in this chapter and get on with Shuutoku in the next one. But it seems like I have to split it up into two parts. The Seiho match is longer than I had expected. Sorry. I sincerely ask for your patience and please wait a little more longer. Do let me know if there's any mistakes, errors, or misinformation in the story. You see. One of the bad things with being away for too long is that, you became paranoid. Which is what I'm doing now. *sigh*

I don't know whether people have noticed it but, I took out the quotes that I usually posted before I begin my story. Reason being... to provide more space for my story? I mean, people prefer it more to have a longer chapter. Right? (Or was it just me?) *laugh awkwardly*

P.S. My birthday is like... what, 2 weeks away from now!? Hopefully I can update before that though. No promises! But will do my best to update as early as I can.