DISCLAIMER: Ain't mine. Period.

Chapter One: Coincidence?

"Hey, watch it!"

Sakuragi quickly caught the suitcase in one hand and expertly balanced the high pile of pizza boxes on the other.

"You idiot! You almost knocked down my lunch!"

Kogure smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sakuragi."

"Why are you apologizing to him? It wasn't your fault." Mitsui snorted, coming out from the van.

"WHAT?!" Sakuragi exploded. "What do you know?! You didn't even see it!"

"Anywayz," Mitsui continued as if Sakuragi had never spoken. "Only an idiot would bring lunch when there's a restaurant nearby."

"Do'aho." Rukawa agreed.

"Shut up fox! Stay out of thi… Ow! What was that for?" Sakuragi painfully rubbed the sore spot on his head. Akagi's hand was still poised downwards on Sakuragi's head in warning.

"Not another word, Sakuragi. You'll humiliate us all." Akagi admonished.

Sakuragi was still grumbling under his breath when the attendant took the keys to the van and valets carried their luggage as the entire Shohoku basketball team entered a large and old-looking hotel. They checked in, got their room keys and were heading for their respective rooms when Sakuragi suddenly asked, "Why do we need a vacation, anywayz? And whose gonna pay for all this?"

"Anzai-sensei, of course." Ayako answered.

"Why?" he persisted.

She rolled her eyes. "So that we can relax and it's some sort of treat from him because we won the Winter Championships."

"Didn't know the old man was rich." He mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I don't understand it though." Miyagi suddenly spoke up. "Why should Kainan, Ryonan, and Shoyo also have a vacation? And they're also staying here."

"Who knows? Maybe they're jealous."

"Yeah, and they followed us here." A first-year piped in.

"No way. This place is isolated in the first place." Another said.

Mitsui scowled. "Who knows what's going on! Look, maybe we should just relax and enjoy. This was what we came here in the first place."

"Right." Akagi boomed. "I want to see all of you at the lobby after an hour. Anyone who's late will have to do 50 pushups. Now get moving!"

Everybody groaned.

"I thought this was a vacation!" Sakuragi protested.

"Yes, of course. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna excuse tardiness."

"Yo, Sendoh!"

Sendoh turned around and spotted Maki and the Kainan team heading his way.

"Yo!" Sendoh called back, apparently surprised. "What are you guys doin' here?"

"We're on vacation! Just like you!" Kiyota answered cheerfully.

"Vacation? Here?"

"Uh-huh. Funny. Isn't it? Coach never gave vacations until now. And he's also the one paying!"

Sendoh lifted an eyebrow. "That's weird. Coach Taoka did the same thing. And Shohoku and Shoyo are also here."

Maki frowned. "What? Are you sure?"

"Hell, yeah. Yohei told me yesterday that the Shohoku team are going on a trip and I just talked to Fujima a while ago."

"Aiyyo!"

Sendoh and the rest turned towards the voice. It was Hikoichi.

"What's up?"

Hikoichi was panting slightly. "You won't believe it, Sendoh. I just saw Sakuragi and the rest of their team entering a restaurant. I had no idea they were…" Then, noticing the Kainan team, "What the hell are you doing here?!" He burst out.

"I was asking the same thing myself." Sendoh said sardonically.

"We're on vacation." Jin answered politely.

Hikoichi was staring at them, slack-jawed and all, in dumbfounded silence.

"Don't be so surprised. Shoyo's here too."

"SHOYO?!"

"What's going on?" Kiyota demanded.

"I don't know, Kiyota. But I'm gonna find out." Sendoh responded.

Four hours later, the four basketball teams were all gathered at the expensively large lobby.

"What's going on?" Kiyota repeatedly demanded.

"I'm not so sure." Kogure started hesitantly.

Maki clapped his hands, asking for attention. "Alright, people. There's no need to panic. Let's start from the beginning." He turned to Akagi, who was sitting calmly on one of the lounge chairs. "Akagi?"

"Anzai-sensei talked to me the day before that the basketball team needed some sort of breather, a vacation, since we won the Winter Championships. I told him the team was short on funds. The he said he was gonna pay for all the expenses. He told me he was gonna make reservations on this…" Gesturing at the hotel. "So we rented a van and here we are."

"How about you guys?" Miyagi asked.

"More or less the same." All three captains nodded.

There was a momentary silence.

"Maybe…" A Kainan first-year began. "maybe all this was a coincidence?" his statement ending in a question.

"Doubt it." Rukawa spoke up, face expressionless.

"How come?" Sakuragi frowned.

"Because" Kogure spoke, as if talking to a brainless child. "It is hardly usual that we arrive at the same place at the same day, all four teams. And the stories are not so different."

"But…" Sakuragi began.

"A conspiracy." Mitsui suddenly butted in.

Sakuragi scowled a Mitsui for interrupting him but did not say anything.

"A conspiracy?" Kiyota repeated.

"I don't think…" Hanagatta said but did not finish his sentence. His fingers were unconsciously clenching and unclenching. A sign of nervousness. Noticing it, he quickly placed his hands on the pockets of his jacket.

Then there was silence. No one could think of anything to say.

Ayako broke the silence with a laugh, which was obviously strained, "Whatever this is, I'm sure Anzai-sensei wouldn't mean to scare or hurt us. I mean, maybe they talked about sending us all here so that we would all be friends or something. Chill out, guys!"

There were collective sighs of relief and almost everybody relaxed.

Kogure smiled. "She's right. We're overreacting."

"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You wimps! Y'all looked so scared you should've seen your faces!" Sakuragi laughed.

There were a few minutes of bickering, teasing and laughing, which was mostly due to Sakuragi and Kiyota's lazy antics.

"Yeah, well, maybe we should call coach and tell him what happened. He'd have a fit." Jin offered helpfully.

"Right. I'm on it." Maki answered as he headed towards the receptionist.

"May I help you sir?" The receptionist asked.

"I would like to use your phone."

The receptionist's smile was apologetic. "I'm sorry sir, but the town has no phone line nor power line.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not very familiar with the facts about Slamdunk… If there are any errors… Well… Don't flame me… Just inform me… ^_^