Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you.
Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday.
Reviews:
I just got back from vacation, so it's time for me to start working on the story again. Thanks a lot for your guys' patience!
KobeJordan- Thanks for the review man, and yeah… a year just flew by!
Kalyope Medina Burato- Yeah, I know how work is… is that keeping you from writing? It'd be nice to see more stuff from you soon. And thanks a lot for taking the time to review my story, especially since I know you're busy.
Yoka- Yeah, Ginobili went INSANE. Almost all the shots that San Antonio needed, Robert Horry and Ginobili made. It was a fun Finals to watch.
Thanks for your review, Yoka!
Yun Fei- Haha! Haruko has Sakuragi and Rukawa on short leashes. XD Just kidding.
I am indeed having trouble incorporating so many characters into the story, so I've definitely been skimming a bit in terms of Haruko and the rest of the audience watching the players. I'll try to pay more attention to it. And Rukawa listening to Sakuragi? Eh… those two are always yelling at each other anyway.
And as for Mitsui… neh. We'll see if he can do anything soon. XD
Slack D- Thank you for your compliment about my story; although, there are other great SD stories still on, I'm sure. I haven't had time to read a whole lot, but from what I read, there are still some good stuff if you don't mind the OC/yaoi/romance etc. etc. etc. It's okay if you don't mind returning to the SD universe to often, but you hit it dead on—I wanted to write something that was still true to the series, and was correct in terms of basketball information.
I haven't seen other sports mangas, so I'll take your word for how they are. And yes, SD had such rich and developed characters that it was easy to relate; and Sakuragi was a newbie, so he grew along with the readers that didn't understand basketball, either. I think it was a great move on Inoue's part to do that.
I completely agree with Shohoku's bench problem. It's always been a problem for them, and that's why I'm trying to give guys like Yasuda, Kuwata, Kakuta, etc. a bit more of a role in coming off the bench and giving a spark, although not offensive… or at the very least, maintaining tempo. But you're right; Shohoku's bench is almost nonexistent, and I don't know if I'll do anything about it. Because as you said: I don't think it's realistic to give Shohoku any strong players when their starters are so balanced and talented in their own right.
Thanks a lot for your review and your comments, I appreciate it.
Shadowcleaner- Thank you for a kind review, as always. XD
And I hope school treats you better. Ick. How dare they do something like that to you? -.-
Adjustment- Yep, it's time to get serious or lose the game. Thanks for the review!
Migo- Yeah, when Horry started draining those threes and made that left-handed dunk, I was just freaking out cause I knew Detroit was in some deep crap. And lo and behold, Detroit lost. Sigh.
Haha, yeah, I remember I was cheering for the Kings in the… Western Conference Finals, was it? And when Horry made that three after Divac batted it out, it definitely was the turning point for the Lakers. The Kings played horrible in that final Game Seven, but I gotta say, that was a very memorable series. Too bad to see Horry breaking your heart so much. -.-
Thanks for the review man, and yes, you do get that cookie.
Iron Duke- I don't have MSN, so yeah. Sorry. Although I'll get it someday probably, since some of my relatives use it and I want to chat with them.
The last chapter was indeed a tad rushed, especially near the end cause I was sort of out of juice for that chapter and I wanted to move on to these upcoming ones. Thanks for the review man.
Lonehamster- Stop it. You're making me blush. XD
Yeah, Rukawa was always sort of… invincible during the manga. I mean, yeah, he had bad moments, and he isn't a great three-point shooter, but you're right; he never really struggled until the Sannoh game. Thanks for saying I'm humanizing him more, because it's what I'm trying to do: develop the characters, such as Miyagi and Rukawa, and develop the relationships as well. I appreciate you articulating your thoughts and the stuff I've been doing so well.
You counted the points Sakuragi made? Wow, I'm not worthy. XD And I really, really, am honored to hear that Sakuragi is maturing but still is… well, the Sakuragi you recognize him as in the manga. I've said it before: I'm trying to stay true to the series while still adding my own touches, so when people say that I'm doing it right, it's a huge morale boost. I know I won't be able to write this story forever, so to hear that people are interested, and what's more, think I'm making it a worthy sequel, it makes me very happy.
Actually… I sort of forgot to include a Haruko/Sakuragi moment in the locker. And I had an idea for it too. -.- Oh well, haha. But yes, I'll definitely be working on the love triangle more in later chapters. And you got it right—Kogure was a model for Hiroshi when I first started writing about him.
Thanks a lot for such a long and detailed review, I'm grateful to have so many fans and I'm happy you can appreciate the story for what it is.
Insomniac- Wow, take a break! You didn't have to read everything in one sitting. XD But thank you for your comments, and get some sleep!
Emberlion- BUM BAM BUM BAM… it's Emberlion! XD
I see what you mean about Rukawa, and I apologize for making his sudden loss of ability so… sudden. But yeah, I'm sure you understand why I did it, though.
Ouch. When does school stop? -.- We want more stories! Thanks for the review, by the way. XD
LackykaDz- Thanks for so many reviews on so many of my chapters. O.o It was flattering, to say the least.
Glad to see I have more readers, and I'm glad to see you like the story.
Chapter 48 – Epiphany
"Watch it! Hiroshi!"
Hiroshi turned his head in time to see that Yoshito had gotten past Mitsui, who was a step behind Sannoh's captain. Hiroshi moved over to switch off Sato and guard Yoshito, but Yoshito made a deft bounce pass to the now-open Sato, who rose up and easily laid the ball in under the hoop.
"Damn!" Mitsui swore. Mitsui turned to Hiroshi.
"Sorry about that, I was a bit slow guarding him."
"No problem," Hiroshi said briskly, taking the ball from Miyagi. As soon as he touched the ball, Hiroshi saw Rukawa already on the other side of the court, motioning for a pass.
Rukawa sure moved fast to offense this time… Hiroshi thought, handing the ball back off to Miyagi. Miyagi followed Hiroshi's gaze before taking off, pushing the ball hard to try and shake off Keita.
"Rukawa!" Miyagi yelled, shooting a fast behind-the-back bounce pass to Rukawa as soon as he dribbled into the paint. Rukawa took the ball carefully, looking down towards Eiji.
Even that dou ahou thinks I'm not playing well… Rukawa thought darkly. Rukawa's anger suddenly turned to slight depression.
First Sendoh… now Eiji… what is this…?
Rukawa drove to the basket, then made a crossover as he cleared space with his left hand before shooting the jumper just as Sato rotated over to help. What is this? This lack of power…
Eiji stumbled a bit forward from Rukawa's arm pushing him a bit. The whistle blew just as the ball swished through the net. The Shohoku bench was just about to jump and celebrate before the referee pointed at Rukawa.
"Red #11! Offensive foul! No pushing off the defensive player! Sannoh ball!"
"That guy's getting desperate…" Sendoh muttered, resting his chin on his arm as the crowd around him cheered. "Come on… is that all you have?"
"Hey, it's okay Rukawa," Miyagi consoled, but was interrupted as Keita sped downcourt, whipping a pass over to Yoshito as soon as Miyagi approached him.
Yoshito passed the ball down low to Mikio. Sakuragi held the mammoth center back just barely, and as Mitsui went over to help double-team, Mikio threw the ball back out to Yoshito. Yoshito had almost a full second to set his feet and shoot, and his three-pointer went cleanly through the net. 62-50.
"Damnit!" Mitsui and Sakuragi yelled in unison. Hiroshi inbounded the ball to Miyagi without a word, and Miyagi held his hand up, motioning for another isolation play for Rukawa.
"It's okay guys! Just hang in there!" Kogure called from the benches. The rest of the Shohoku bench watched nervously as Miyagi drove into the basket, then jerked his hand to the side as he made a no-look pass to Rukawa before he got into Mikio's area.
Rukawa took the pass comfortably, but Eiji reached in, almost poking the ball free. Rukawa glared at Eiji, then again drove for the basket, using all his leg power to try and lose Eiji. In the back of his mind, Sendoh's words when they played against each other one-on-one suddenly resurfaced:
"But during a real game, are you really unstoppable…? I don't think so."
Rukawa stopped, then jumped into the air, holding the ball in his hands as he prepared to shoot the fadeaway over Eiji.
"One-on-one is nothing more than one of the many offensive techniques. Before you truly understand that…"
Rukawa shot the ball, barely above the outreached hand of Eiji.
"…I don't think I will lose to you."
The ball hit the front of the rim, and Sakuragi couldn't get the offensive rebound as Sato took it from the weak side. Miyagi raced in, trying to get a steal but Sato accidentally swung his elbow up, hitting Miyagi in the jaw.
"Ryota!" Ayako called in worry as Miyagi's head jerked back, his feet moving backwards to keep his balance. Miyagi stifled a cry of pain as he knelt down, cradling his jaw. The Sannoh team looked at each other, then at the referees in slight confusion. Realizing that the referee wasn't going to blow an offensive foul, Keita took the ball and raced downcourt.
"What the hell is this!" Sakuragi screamed. The referee quickly pointed at Sakuragi and blew the whistle.
"Technical foul, red #10!"
Hiroshi was instantly dragging Sakuragi away before he could get thrown out as Mitsui hovered over Miyagi, checking if he was okay. Rukawa also approached Shohoku's captain, who looked dazed.
"What just happened?" Haruko looked at the court in worry.
"I think… Miyagi got hurt… although I don't know what a technical foul means…" Youhei said anxiously, brow furrowed.
Dr. T: A technical foul is when a player does something unsportsmanlike, such as yelling at the referees, hanging on the rim after a dunk to taunt other players, etc. The opposing team is given one free throw and possession of the ball, and the technical foul called on the person also serves as a personal foul. Two technical fouls in the NBA results in the player being tossed from the game. Some referees are more strict in calling technical fouls, and it depends on the game situation.
"Sakuragi really got worked up," Maki said. "I don't think the referees did that to favor the home team, they genuinely missed the call and just didn't see Sato hit Miyagi."
"Stupid monkey! Maybe he should get thrown out!" Kiyota replied, hardly fazed by the turn of events.
Miyagi worked his jaw a bit. "I'm okay, I think."
Or not… Miyagi thought privately as the taste of blood suddenly filled his mouth. Miyagi realized he had bit the tip of his tongue slightly; not enough to really do too much damage but enough to have cut it and draw blood.
Mitsui looked at Miyagi with concern. "Don't charge in to where the big guys are, man. Are you sure you can keep going?"
Miyagi nodded as Rukawa and Mitsui helped Miyagi to his feet again. Keita went over to shoot the technical shot, and made it without problem. 63-50.
Double-digits again… Kogure thought from the benches. Rukawa… I'm sure you can feel it too… if things don't turn soon, it'll be too late…
Sato took the ball out, and passed in to Keita as the Sannoh offense set up again. Sakuragi muttered under his breath as Keita passed over to Yoshito.
"Stupid fox… stupid referees…" Sakuragi pressed against Mikio, his emotions hardly cooling. "Trying to stop this Tensai…"
Yoshito got past Mitsui again and started to race in towards the hoop, and just as he lifted into the air, Sakuragi caught his movement from the corner of his eye. Moving from the weak-side, Sakuragi instinctively rotated off Mikio, leaping into the air and swatting the layup attempt out towards half-court.
"Nice! Sakuragi!" Kogure and the Shohoku bench cheered as Miyagi was the first to the ball, not stopping as he completed the fast break opportunity with an easy layup.
"Let's go! We're still close!" Miyagi barked as the Shohoku defense spread out again. "Get some defensive stops!"
Miyagi closed his eyes for a brief second as he suddenly felt light-headed, opening them again as soon as he heard Keita approach. Miyagi shook it off and pressed up to Keita, guarding him as tightly as possible. However, Keita still managed to dribble his way out and throw a pass in to Mikio. Mikio leaned heavily against Sakuragi, using up most of the redhead's strength as he backed against Sakuragi before turning and shooting the close shot. 65-52, 15:22 remaining.
"Fat meatball…" Sakuragi growled, his resolve stiffening. Mikio turned and recoiled slightly at Sakuragi's expression, as his eyes were burning with dark rage. "That was your last shot of this game. Mark this Tensai's words."
Mikio smiled gently. "Erm… okay."
Miyagi sighed as Hiroshi handed the ball off to him. Miyagi held his hand up, once again calling a play for Rukawa. Rukawa… we still have trust in you… after all…
Miyagi bounced the ball, safely completing the pass as Rukawa caught it. …You're our ace!
Rukawa posted up on Eiji this time, but found that Eiji had stupendous leg strength and was able to hold Rukawa back. Rukawa tried to use his athleticism, backing off a bit then trying to drive past but Eiji stayed close enough to force Rukawa to pull back again.
"Rukawa…" The Rukawa Brigade sobbed sadly as Rukawa unleashed his arsenal of offensive tactics, but to no avail against Eiji. A thought suddenly occurred to Rukawa, as he drove in again, and once he felt he was ample distance from the basket, Rukawa shot the ball underhanded, the ball reaching over Mikio and Eiji's outstretched hands and swishing neatly through the net. Kogure chuckled from the benches as the scores clicked to 65-54.
I remember that… using Eiji's special shot that he had planned to use in America, huh? You copied it last year, too…
Eiji scowled, and motioned for the ball once Keita had passed midcourt. Keita readily gave the ball up to Sannoh's returning ace, and before Shohoku could even notice, Eiji had gotten a step ahead of Rukawa and was racing for the basket. Eiji plowed right into Sakuragi, and as the whistle blew, Eiji concentrated and lobbed the ball up, swishing it through the net.
"Blocking foul, red #10! Basket counts!"
Eiji glanced at Rukawa passively as the crowd cheered. "That's how you actually do it."
Sakuragi growled, walking up to Eiji. "You! Number two in Japan! If you're so great, play me one-on-one instead of playing that fox!"
Eiji brushed past Sakuragi, ignoring him. Sakuragi turned, getting even more enraged.
"Hey! Are you scared? Why are you—"
"Shh, Sakuragi," Mitsui hushed the redhead, putting a hand on Sakuragi's shoulder.
Kogure looked at Ayako questioningly. "How many fouls does Sakuragi have?"
Ayako bit her lip in worry, looking at her stats sheet. "Sakuragi has four, andHiroshi has four..."
Kogure turned his attention back to the game, brow furrowed. Not good… Sakuragi and Hiroshi are the tallest players on Shohoku… if either one of them were to foul out, we'd have a huge size disadvantage…
"Hey! Sakuragi! Play carefully!" Kogure called from the benches as Eiji went to take his free-throw. Rukawa stood off to the side, his hands on his hips as he watched Eiji shoot.
"Rukawa! Sakuragi-kun! You guys can do it!" Haruko cheered from the stands. Sakuragi slouched a bit upon hearing her words, while Rukawa seemed to ignore it completely.
How to stop him…? How? Rukawa frowned, his handsome face taut with stress. It wasn't this bad last year…
"I don't think I'll lose to you." Sendoh had said the words with confidence. The confidence that Rukawa always had in every game he's played… until this year. This year, Sendoh had shown an astounding feel to the game that had left Rukawa bewildered in the Ryonan-Shohoku game, and today…
Anzai-sensei watched Rukawa with interest. Figure it out, Rukawa-kun. I've said it many times before… you're still a level below Sendoh. Can you see why?
Rukawa watched Eiji shoot the free-throw, and it rimmed in and out. Sakuragi leaped into the air, taking the rebound with both hands and growling at the Sannoh players around him.
Miyagi took the ball and glanced at the scoreboard. 67-54.
"Hiroshi!" Miyagi made a quick pass to the power forward, who was cutting towards the basket. Sato managed to stay with Hiroshi, who quickly faked as he approached the basket and laid the ball off the backboard once Sato got into the air.
"All right!" Miyagi slapped hands with Hiroshi as Shohoku went back onto defense. "Nice job!"
Sannoh's offensive plan had become clear as Keita shoveled another pass to Eiji; mirroring Anzai's plan, they were letting the aces battle it out.
"Stupid fox," Sakuragi muttered as Eiji gave Rukawa a glare. "That number two in Japan is going to beat him again. He'll probably fake first…"
Eiji pump faked, while Rukawa stood still, not falling for it.
"Then he'll pretend to pass to a teammate, even though he hasn't the whole game…"
Eiji faked a pass to Yoshito, while Rukawa didn't even flinch, reading his movements as easily as Sakuragi was.
"Then he'll just blow past that fox, and I'll stop him!"
"You talk to yourself a lot," Mikio noted as Sakuragi watched Eiji suddenly explode forward, with Rukawa trailing him. Eiji reached Sakuragi's area and prepared to shoot the jump shot.
"Out of my way, meatball!" Sakuragi quickly tried to maneuver his way around the huge center, but found he couldn't get to Eiji in time. As Eiji released his shot, another figure blurred forward and smacked the ball out of bounds. The ball glanced off Eiji's hand as the referee blew his whistle.
"Shohoku ball!" The referee instantly called as Hiroshi landed.
"Hiro!" Sakuragi laughed, relieved that Sannoh hasn't scored again. "Good job!"
Hiroshi brushed sweat off his forehead, not really paying attention to Sakuragi's compliments. That was too close… I almost fouled him…
Eiji gave Hiroshi a glance, wrote Hiroshi off as getting a lucky block, and went to defend. Hiroshi shook his head as he moved back onto offense. I still haven't been able to block like Rukawa's father…
"Okay! Let's get this next one in!" Miyagi told his players as soon as Mitsui had inbounded the ball to him.
Rukawa acted cautious around Eiji, making sure to keep distance so he could get the ball without the fear of a steal. When Miyagi began to look for someone to pass to, Rukawa darted quickly around Hiroshi and Mitsui, using them as screens as he got free for an instant from Eiji.
"Rukawa!" Miyagi threw a one-handed pass over Keita, and Rukawa caught the ball and shot the turnaround jumper. The ball banked off the backboard, but had too much force to it as it hit the rim and came back out.
"Stupid fox! Your shooting sucks!" Sakuragi swallowed the rebound, catching the ball at its peak as the crowd watched Sakuragi show off his jumping skills. However, when he landed, Sato slapped the ball out of his hands.
"Crap!" Sakuragi moved for the ball as it bounced off Mikio's huge rear. Sato got to the ball first, but as soon as he held it up, Hiroshi poked it free from behind Sato. The ball bounced once, twice… and ended up in the hands of a wide-open Mitsui.
"Micchi!" Nori applauded from the stands as Yoshito turned, realizing that he wasn't guarding Mitsui properly. Mitsui focused on the rim and shot the three-pointer, the ball swishing through the net beautifully. 67-59.
"All right!" Kogure called from the benches as Mitsui pumped his fist in the air. Your shooting is as stunning as always, Mitsui…
Fujima glanced at his watch, then stood. "I'll be back. I need to make a phone call."
Maki glanced at Fujima. "Are you worrying about Hanagata? Don't. I'm sure he'll come."
Fujima studied Maki for a moment, then sat back down. "You're right. I know Hanagata will try his best to make it."
Sendoh watched Rukawa casually, resting his chin on his palm. Now… will you be able to figure it out before it's too late? Show us a spectacular dance, because you guys are still in this game…
Keita passed down to Sato this time, who was being guarded by the wiry Hiroshi. Sato was surprised by Hiroshi's strength as he found he couldn't really post him up effectively, and as soon as Sato was about to do a spin move, Hiroshi slapped the ball out of his hands, easily reading his move.
"Captain!" Hiroshi hit the deck without hesitation, taking the ball and tossing it up towards Miyagi. Miyagi raced downcourt, but he wasn't fast enough to finish the fast break as three Sannoh players had already made it back. Miyagi wisely pulled the ball back out and waited for his other teammates to catch up.
Miyagi saw Rukawa motioning for the ball out of the corner of his eye, and instinctively passed to him. Rukawa gave Eiji an inscrutable look, then glanced at the rim for a brief second.
My shooting is off today… Rukawa thought. Is it because this guy's defense is that good? Or is there something wrong with me?
Rukawa put the ball on the floor, and slowly circled around, watching for an opportunity. I have to understand…
"I don't think I'll lose to you."
Rukawa made one final dribble, then raced forward, going chest to chest with Eiji as he drew Mikio and Sato to him. Rukawa jumped into the air, his right arm slightly out to clear a tiny bit of space as his left arm held the ball gently. Kogure watched Rukawa in amazement.
Going up against three Sannoh players… Rukawa, what are you thinking?
The ball left Rukawa's hands… and the pass was sent straight to a wide-open Hiroshi.
"Rukawa…" Miyagi muttered in shock as Hiroshi took the ball, jumped into the air, and threw down a one-handed dunk. Rukawa wasn't able to keep his balance and he hit the floor. The scores clicked to 67-61.
Rukawa picked himself up calmly, his eyes narrowed at Eiji.
"You."
Eiji turned to Rukawa, and blinked.
Rukawa was smiling slightly; it was just the slightest twitch at the corners of his mouth, but it was a smile. It was not as obvious as the smile last year against Sannoh, but it was something that Eiji still recognized. Rukawa's face was no longer stressed, and his eyes were both peaceful and fierce.
"I understand."
"What?" Eiji looked at Rukawa as if he'd gone insane. Rukawa's smile faded, and he replied quietly to the returning Sannoh ace:
"You just have to understand one thing: my team is going to win today."
