Author: I own the characters that are NOT from Slam Dunk…. If they are from Slam Dunk, they are property of Inoue Takehiko. Please don't sue me… Also, a foreword, I tend to be long winded when writing my fics, so at least you get the overall picture, as well as the locations/background, and worth your dollar on Internet charges! LOL Please do email/review me, and I can update the previous chapters. Thanks!

Words in italics or between slashes are thoughts, words within ^^ are actions, unless otherwise stated, words in brackets are locations usually before each section.

(=^_^=)  Chapter 31 – The Sweaty Salty Games   (=^_^=)

"We can't wait for Mitsui or Sakuragi any longer…" Akagi said thoughtfully, looking around for the two missing starting members.

"But…" Kogure and Kimiko started to say.

"Can we enter the match now, Anzai-sensei?" Akagi continued.

A loud shout suddenly rang through the court.

"MATTE!!!!! (Wait)"

Sakuragi and Mitsui ran through, into the court.

"Mitsui, what happened to your face?" asked Kogure, his expression full of shock.

"Mit-chan, are you all right?" asked Kimiko, her worry etched clearly on her face.

"Coach, I'm sorry to make you worried. But I didn't participate in the fight. I didn't raise a hand to fight with anyone. Please believe me."

Anzai-sensei looked at Mitsui. "I believe you. Now I have to count on you all now. Go now."

"Hai!"

"NYA HA HA HA HA! Now you can rely on the Tensai, Sakuragi Hanamichi, King of Rebounds to lead you all to victory!" cried Hanamichi.

"King of Ejection, more likely." Snorted Rukawa.

"Have a taste of my DEATH GLARE!!! Teme Rukawa!" (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^ Laugh you guys! LOL)

"What ARE you guys doing, now isn't the time to have a staring contest! The match is about to start!" cried Kogure, trying to appease the two, nearly hysterical.

However, the starting members were Akagi, Mitsui, Rukawa, Miyagi, and Kogure.

"Old man, why didn't you put me in the starting members???" cried Sakuragi, bouncing Anzai-sensei's chin.

"Stop that, be good and STAY PUT!" growled Akagi, landing a Gori punch on Sakuragi's head.

"Itai, I know!" wailed Sakuragi, face plastered onto the floor. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^ LOL)

Kogure was doing his best, doing lay-up shots to score points, and fast footwork. But it was short lived, for he sprained his ankle doing his footwork.

/Kuso, why should I be so distracted now? / Thought Kogure.

Kogure was thinking about what happened this early morning, about the conversation he had with Kimi-chan and Mitsui. He just couldn't get it out of his head, but he wasn't going to let anyone know THAT.

"Kimi-kun! Are you all right?" cried a worried Kimiko.

"I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle, I think." /Darn it! /

Ayako sprayed the medicated spray onto Kogure's leg, as Kimiko continued to take notes of the game.

Sakuragi went into the game, and was soon ejected due to five fouls, and executing his supposed death glare, much to the exasperation of his team mates.

"Gori! You tricked me! WHAT technique, 'kill with your eyes'!!! You liar! You fake! You idiot captain! You… you GORI!" Sakuragi shouted accusingly at Akagi, causing Akagi to sweat drop, and earning him another whack from Ayako's fan.

In the end, Shohoku won over Takahata, 103 –59.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During the game against Shoyo, Mitsui was fuelled by the fact that Kimiko was with him, both in heart and by the ring on her finger. He made sure that he gave his all when shooting his three pointers against Hasegawa, who claimed to prevent him from scoring five points for the entire game. He had been very surprised that Kogure had relinquished his place in Kimiko's life for him, but he knew that it was so not to cause his Miko-chan any more anguish. He knew Kogure was that caring.

With two and a half minutes left into the second half of the game, Mitsui did a wonderful save of the ball, passing it to Rukawa, who made a dunk, making the score even! Mitsui collapsed on a heap of chairs, and was helped by Kogure to the benches.

"Are you all right, Mitsui?" asked Kogure, concerned.

"I should be asking you that question, Kogure…"

"……"

"I'm sorry. For everything…"

"Don't be." Clipped Kogure.

"It's up to you now…" said Mitsui, looking at the court.

"We will win."

Both males looked at Kimiko, who smiled at them both.

"Definitely." Both said.

Kogure replaced Mitsui on the court, and played with all his might, with the given time constraints. Kogure took the ball, and passed it to Sakuragi, who made a passionate dunk, that sent Hanagata sprawling on the court floor. Unfortunately, it was considered a foul. The rest of Team Shohoku on the court didn't give up, especially Kogure. /Kimi-chan, we will win this for sure! /

Sure enough, they did. Shohoku won over Shoyo, 62 – 60.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the match with Kainan, it was extremely gruelling, for Kogure had to enter, when Rukawa ran out of energy to play. But Kogure did well, for he saved the ball, by pushing it to bounce off Kiyota's knee, and out of the court.

"Way to go, Kimi-kun!!!" cheered Kimiko loudly.

Kogure gave Kimiko a thumbs-up sign, winking. (L.I.D.[author]: Kawaii!!!! Ne?)

The game continued, and Akagi managed to gain possession of the ball, passing it to Mitsui, who immediately made a three pointer.

"Ganbatte, Mit-chan!!!" cried Kimiko.

/In! In! In! / Chanted everyone in their mind.

But it didn't go in, much to everyone's disappointment, for Kiyota had blocked it with his fingertips. And when Sakuragi had mistakenly passed the ball to the Akagi look a like from Kainan, Shohoku was devastated. Shohoku lost, 88 – 90.

Soon, much Kimiko's and the rest of Team Shohoku's amusement, Sakuragi had shaved his head.

"Kawaii!" cried Haruko and Kimiko, rubbing his head. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank goodness that Kimiko had foreseen that Takezato High was a somewhat weak team, since they were defeated by Ryonan, and had managed to appease Akagi from erupting like a volcano, thus persuading him to go on with the game without Sakuragi. She was right. In the end Shohoku won, 120 – 81.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(L.I.D.[author]: Gomen if a skipped a bit!)

Now it was the game against Ryonan High. They were competing for the second place for the Inter High Games. Mitsui collapsed, due to sheer fatigue.

"MITSUI!!!" cried Kimiko, Akagi, Miyagi, Rukawa and Sakuragi.

Kimiko ran to where Mitsui was, and helped him to the benches.

"Here. Drink this, Mit-chan…" Kimiko said, handing him a can of Pocari. "Ishii-kun, help Mitsui to the locker room, please. Mit-chan, I'll be right with you."

Mitsui nodded, allowing Ishii, his kouhai (Junior) to help him.

Kimiko then went over to Kogure, who was about to enter the court, to replace Mitsui.

"Kimi-kun, do you best ne?"

"We are strong. We WILL win."

Kimiko made sure that Mitsui was out of sight, before planting a chaste kiss on Kogure's cheek, smiling.

"Kimi-chan…" Kogure began speaking.

"Go kick some Ryonan ass." Kimiko winked, leaving a blushing and very determined Kogure running into the court.

Kimiko went behind to look for Mitsui, and served him several cans of Pocari.

"We will win, won't we, Miko-chan?" asked Mitsui, drinking.

"Absolutely. When you think you've rested enough, we'll go back." Kimiko said, entwining her hand with Mitsui's, as their rings clinked together.

Mitsui smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the two returned to the court, they saw that Sakuragi had gained the ball, and on contrary to what the coach from Ryonan had thought, Sakuragi had passed the ball to Kogure instead. Kogure got the ball, and proceeded to shoot a clean three pointer. /This is for you, Kimi-chan, myself, as well as everyone in Shohoku! / Thought Kogure, as he made that shot.

"YEAH!!! Kimi-kun! Way to go!!" shouted Kimiko.

"Yosh! Ganbatte, Kogure!" cheered Mitsui.

It soon turned into the final few seconds into the game, and everyone was holding their breath to see who would shoot the final shot. Would Shohoku High or Ryonan High win? Shohoku, for Sakuragi had made a final Slam Dunk. That basket made Shohoku High have a 4-point lead against Ryonan High. Shohoku won the game, 70 – 66.

Team Shohoku was going to the Inter High.

/We've won…/ thought Akagi. /That's strange, after the match, my foot starts acting up again. Hn! Let it be so then. /

"Sakuragi!!! We've won!" cried an elated Kogure, who was being noogied on the head by a genki Sakuragi.

Sakuragi: "NYA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"

"If not for your shot, I don't know what would have happened!"

"That's because I'm the Tensai!"

"Yes, you might JUST be a Tensai after all, Tensai Sakuragi! Ha ha!"

Sakuragi: "NYA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!" (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)

"Megane-kun, this isn't your last game you know, contrary to what you said... And you owe it all to this Tensai!" Sakuragi said, pointing to himself.

Kogure looked at Sakuragi, tears threatening to flow though his tear glands.

"Don't make me cry, you baka basketball trouble maker…" Kogure said, raising his glasses a notch in order to regain his composure.

Chibi Sakuragi: "NYA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"

"You'd better go off and line up now. After that we'll all go and see Anzai-sensei…" Mitsui said to Kogure.

"Yosh! (Yeah!)" Kogure nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that Team Shohoku was going to the Inter High games, their spirits soared, and their determination as well. And a camp at Josei High had been arranged, and the whole team would be going. All except Sakuragi Hanamichi and Toyowara Kimiko.

"WHAT!!!!!!! Oyaji (old man), Why are you doing this?????" wailed an upset Sakuragi.

"OHOHOHOHOHO…" laughed Anzai-sensei.

Kimiko: ^Sweat drop^ "Daijobu, Sakuragi, ne?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This was all planned by Anzai-sensei…" mentioned Akagi.

"A special training session?" asked a confused Kogure.

"Anzai-sensei felt that Sakuragi could learn more from him about the basics …" Akagi replied.

"That lucky guy, getting special treatment from Anzai-sensei, if I had known, I would have stayed back too!" muttered Mitsui.

"Yeah, man!" snorted Ryota.

"What's the matter Mitsui, are you scared of the training camp? Ha! The real training starts now! All of you, give me a 'virtual-sit' of 1CM!!!!" shouted Akagi.

"Akagi! NOT ON THE TRAIN!!!!!" sweat dropped Kogure. "Mattaku! REALLY!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(=^_^=) Meow!

NYA HA HA!!!! More humour and mush in this chapter! *goes off to stretch her tired muscles* Oh man, I'm aiming to finish this soon, and please give me the power people! More reviews means I get more inspiration, and it means I update faster!! Chop chop people! Thanks!!!!

Replies!

Popochi-chan: Glad you liked the last chapter! ^_~ It's all right, and I hope you'll support my other fics ne? ^_^ How's your pc now? ^_^ Erm, nope I didn't receive your fanart… please send it again? Onegai? Hope to see your reviews grace this fic once again! ^_~

Icko14-chan: LOL But she has gone back to Mitsui. Hmm… Will Kogure fight for her? You better persuade him then! LOL

Renei-chan: Yeah, I'm grateful to the people like you who have given me much encouragement! *Bows* Will check out your fic, send me the URL won't you? ^_^ Paalam!

Nellie-chan: Well, will Kogure fight for Kimiko? Stay tuned! ^_^

Fehrocious-chan: Ah, chemistry! Was better at it than physics. LOL When will your exams finish? Keep me informed!

Super rookie-chan: THANK YOU FOR BEING THE 200TH PERSON TO REVIEW!!!!! *hugz* Anyway, to reply you, yeap, Kogure is one heck of a nice guy… Too bad Kimiko doesn't know… LOL

JCM-chan: ^_~ Thanks! *Sweat drops at interview* LOL! ^_^

Joy-san: Yep, for now, what we know is that Kimiko is with Mitsui, and Kogure is suffering… ^Sweat drop^ Thanks, and do leave reviews on my other fics, ne? ^_^

F5C-chan: LOL Fickle! And don't worry, blabber as much as you want! :p

Mitsui no Miko-chan: Great! I hope you like this chapter! ^_^

Madiha-chan: Yeap, Kogure's too soft for his own good… I will strive! *Wears bandanna and types*