Chapter 20: Sannoh I
For once, the Shohoku team was one quiet bunch of people. Even Sakuragi didn't make a sound. All of them were still thinking about the semi-final match between Kainan and Sannoh last year, which they had just finished watching a while ago on tape, and was very much stunned to see how easily Sannoh had beaten Kainan with their superb defense and offense (the final score was 83-113, with a difference of 30 points).
True, this was their first time entering the National Championships, and they should have known that there are better teams than Kainan out there, but Kainan is the best team in Kanagawa, that was an undeniable fact, plus the fact that they had been participating in the championships for so many years should also count for something.
Anyway, from what they've seen, the whole match was pretty much dominated by Sannoh's 3 superstars; their point guard, Fukatsu Mizunori (best in defence and passing), their center, Kawata Masashi (best all-rounder, meaning he can play in any position) and their ace, Sawakita Eiji (the number one player in Japan).
Hanayuki was sitting at the back of the room behind the team, since she had already seen the tape before. Now for the bad news, she thought, as she sat up, crossed her legs, and clasped her hands together. "Miyagi-sempai."
Miyagi turned around to look at her.
"Just so you know, Fukatsu Mizunori is still in the team," Hanayuki pointed out.
Miyagi didn't say anything, but he did pale a little after receiving this piece of information.
"It's ok, Ryochin! We'll help you handle that Fukatsu fellow," said Sakuragi, trying to calm his friend.
"Yeah. We'll find a way somehow," said Mitsui.
"Mitsui-sempai's right. Don't worry about it too much, Ryota," added Ayako.
The rest of the team nodded their heads in agreement.
I'm not finished yet, people... Hanayuki clasped her hands tighter. "Anou..."
Everybody turned to look at her again.
"The other 2 are also still in the team."
This time, nobody said anything, as everyone was shocked to silence.
"Not only that, in tomorrow's game, 99 of the audience will be supporting Sannoh," Hanayuki continued, leaning back against her chair. "Which means that we not only have to handle the pressure from Sannoh's top players, but from the audience as well."
"I'm not going to tell you that it'll be easy, even if it's just to make you feel better, because the truth is, it'll be very hard. Even so, you must not allow anything to shake your desire to win. No matter what happens, you must never give up, or lose hope."
She looked at each and every one of the players standing in front of her. "Is it safe for me to believe that all of you will not give up or lose hope regardless of what happens tomorrow?"
"Hai!"
"Can you promise me that?"
"Hai!"
Hanayuki unclasped her hands and stood up. "Fine. I'll hold you to your word. In the meantime, keep your spirits high, and make sure you get enough of rest."
Because tomorrow, we'll be playing the game of our lives...
---
That night...
"Here, this is for your eye," said Minami, as he passed the bottle of eye cream to Rukawa. "I'm sorry for injuring you."
Rukawa, being Rukawa, took the bottle without a word, while Hanayuki looked at Minami coldly, briefly wondering if the eye cream contained poison.
Minami was very aware that Hanayuki was eyeing him and the eye cream suspiciously. "You don't have to worry. It doesn't contain poison."
"It had better not," Hanayuki muttered under her breath, looking away.
Minami smirked at her reaction. "You know, I must say, what you said to me this afternoon really shocked me. I mean, to get it from a guy, I can understand, but from a girl? That was the first time I've heard a girl using such foul words."
"Believe me, if you had so much as laid another finger on Kaede, that would've been the least of your worries," Hanayuki retorted.
Minami raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You mean, if I had injured him any further, you would've killed me?"
"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of torture. You know, make sure you continue living after chopping off your limbs."
"Uh-huh... Well, lucky me I didn't touch him after that," Minami replied with amusement. "Don't mind if I ask, but are you Rukawa's older sister or something?"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sakuragi jumped out. "Nani??!! How dare you say Hana-chan is the kitsune's older sister. She is the Tensai's younger sister!"
Shocked by Sakuragi's sudden appearance, Minami managed to blurt out, "Kitsune? Tensai? Younger sister?"
"Well, yeah! Hana-chan is me, the Tensai's sister, not this kitsune's!" said Sakuragi, pointing to Rukawa. "Besides, Hana-chan is younger than me, and kitsune, and you!" he continued, placing an arm over Hanayuki's shoulders.
"Younger?" Minami asked faintly.
Not one to let go of a golden opportunity to shock someone for the fun of it when she sees one, Hanayuki gave him the peace sign and grinned cheekily. "Hai. By a couple of months actually, so I'm not really 15 years old yet."
Minami looked at Rukawa, who shrugged. In Rukawa's physical vocabulary, a shrug means yes, but of course, Minami didn't know that.
"See, even the kitsune said yes."
"B-But, he just shrugged," said Minami, just as faintly as before.
"In kitsune language, a shrug means yes. Right, Hana-chan?" asked Sakuragi.
"Hai, oniichan. You're absolutely right," Hanayuki replied.
"Nyahahahaha! Of course. I'm the Tensai after all! Nyahahahaha! Come on, Hana-chan, let's go and find the others and leave this kitsune alone," said Sakuragi, pulling Hanayuki with him.
"Ja, Kaede. I'll see you later, yeah?" called Hanayuki, before disappearing around the corner with her brother.
Minami shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot believe that she is only 15 years old. I mean, she is your coach, right?"
Shrug.
"Er, ok. I'll take that as a yes. Hmm... a 15-year-old coach? Now that's something new. Anyway, if she isn't your sister, then she must be your girlfriend."
Rukawa's eyes widened... but he shrugged all the same.
"I thought so. I mean, she was so angry after I injured you that she asked me and my team-mates to go to hell."
Rukawa's eyes widened again.
"Yeah. Man, I cannot tell you how shocked I was to hear it from her. I mean, she's a gi-... er... why are you smiling?"
Oops! I forgot that he's still here! Rukawa quickly wiped the smile (small as it was) off his face, and walked off. I'll have to find someplace where I can smile in private.
---
The next day, at dawn...
Swish!
"Very good, oniichan," said Hanayuki. She watched as her brother retrieved the ball and got ready to shoot.
"Aa," Sakuragi replied. He jumped up and shot. He pumped his fist into the air, and the ball went in.
Hanayuki smiled. "I see you can now predict whether the ball will go in."
"Nyahahahaha! Of course, I'm the Tensai, remember?"
"Of course you are," Hanayuki answered.
Sitting down beside her, Sakuragi used his shirt to wipe off his sweat. "Don't worry, Hana-chan. This Tensai will lead Shohoku to win the National Championships."
"I'm sure you will. But, just in case..." Hanayuki held out her little finger. "Promise?"
Sakuragi grinned and linked his little finger with hers. "Promise."
---
In the stadium...
It was halftime break for the Kainan game currently underway, and both the Shohoku and Sannoh basketball teams appeared on the court to practise. The audience practically went wild and started to cheer for Sannoh, and although it was already expected by Shohoku, it was still nevertheless intimidating. Also, the Sannoh players were doing some really fanciful moves on their side of the court, causing the Shohoku players to be under even more pressure.
As the second-half of the Kainan game was about to be resumed, Sannoh ended their practice with a two-hand reverse dunk by Masashi. Not to be outdone, Sakuragi waited until he was the only one left on the court before he himself went for a dunk. Holding the ball in one hand, he jumped from the penalty line, flew to the basket... and missed (unfortunately, the ball hit the rim and he fell on his back). Thus was the end of Shohoku's practice session.
---
In their locker room...
Hanayuki could see that they were intimidated by Sannoh, and so, she tried her best to calm them down. "Don't worry guys. Everything's going to be fine, as long as you believe in yourself and the team. We have our advantages too. Take Miyagi-sempai, for example. His small size will enable him to elude Sannoh's bigger-sized players easily. Besides, we also have Hisashi-niichan. If my guess is correct, they will be sending Satoshi Ichinokura, who is known for his defense skills, to mark him, in order to block out any possibilities of him shooting and scoring. Do you know what that means?"
"It means we are intimidating too?" asked Sakuragi.
"Well... sort of. But, what I'm trying to say is, we shouldn't be afraid or intimidated by them. If you are, then you will not be able to release your full potential. Just relax, and play like normal. Just like how you played in the Shoyo game, and the Kainan game. They were the two best teams in Kanagawa, but we beat them, didn't we? Ok, so we didn't beat Kainan, but we did give them a hard time. And, we beat Ryonan too, who had Aki, I mean, Sendoh, who was dubbed as a genius, in their team. Anyway, my point is, play like how you played against these teams when you play against Sannoh later. Only, you will have to put in more effort and play harder."
Having used up her air supply, Hanayuki took a deep breath, before going on, "So... do you understand what I'm trying to tell you here?" To her dismay, she found them looking back blankly at her. "You don't?"
"Nyahahahaha! Of course we do, Hana-chan. Even if they don't, I do," said Sakuragi, putting on his Tensai pose.
"Yeah, I understand too, Yuki-chan," Miyagi chipped in.
Mitsui winked at her. "Me too, Hana-chan."
"No need to worry, ne, Yuki-chan?" Kogure assured her.
"Phew! For a moment there, I thought my heart had stopped beating," Hanayuki exclaimed, clutching at her heart for effect.
Everybody laughed at her dramatic-ness, and the mood of the team was unexpectedly lightened, which was a good thing, and just in time too. The second-half of Kainan's game ended with the score of 104-49, and both Shohoku and Sannoh entered the court for another session of warm-up.
Still not wanting to be outdone, Sakuragi went over to Sannoh's side of the court, passed the ball to a Sannoh player (who passed back) and once again jumped from the penalty line. Only this time, he succeeded in his attempt, and shocked the Sannoh players in the process.
"Nyahahahaha! That was just a hello. Later, the Tensai will be showing you more!" Sakuragi declared, before trotting off.
Annoyed, Masashi asked Eiji to give them a reply, and the latter walked over to Shohoku's side of the court. Just as he was about to dunk, 2 balls were thrown towards the basket at the same time, courtesy of Akagi and Rukawa, and the dunk attempt was botched.
At the sidelines, Hanayuki was approached by Doumoto-sensei, Sannoh's coach. Extending his hand, he said, "You must be Shohoku's new coach. Nice to meet you."
Hanayuki took his hand and bowed her head respectfully. He was, after all, much older than her. "Nice to meet you too, Doumoto-sensei. My name is Tsukino Hanayuki. I'm only taking over Anzai-sensei's place for a while."
"Ah, I see. How is he?"
"He's doing very well, thank you for your concern. Anyway, I hope that we have a nice game together."
"Yes, I hope so too. Good luck to your team."
"Thank you. Good luck to your team too." She bowed again, and he returned to his team.
Ayako, who saw the whole exchange, nudged Hanayuki with her elbow when she sat down beside her. "What do you think he came here for, Yuki-chan?"
Hanayuki shrugged. "Beats me. Perhaps he wanted to find out if I was the coach."
"Hmm, perhaps. But in my opinion, he had some other motives. I mean, look at you. You look every inch a coach. He didn't have to come here to find out."
"You mean I look older," Hanayuki corrected.
"No, that's not what I meant. You look great, Yuki-chan. The clothes are perfect, not to mention the colours, too." She gave Hanayuki a thorough look, from head to toe, taking in her hair (which was clipped up in a bun, every single strand), the red knee-length form-fitting red coat, the black turtleneck shirt underneath, the black pants, and the black pumps. "Trust me, you look fabulous." (A/n: I got the idea from a magazine, which I bought about a year ago.)
"Thanks, but that's not important. Let's put that aside and concentrate on the game, shall we?"
(A/n: Just as additional information, the Sannoh's starting players are Fukatsu, Masashi, Eiji, Satoshi and Masahiro Nobe.)
The game began, and Shohoku won the tip-off. Sakuragi got the ball and passed to Miyagi, who stopped in front of Fukatsu. While going through the game plan, which was a surprise attack with Sakuragi, the ball was stolen by Satoshi, but using his speed, Miyagi stole the ball back and gave Sakuragi the secret signal. Having done that, he threw the ball towards Sannoh's basket. Jumping up, Sakuragi got the ball in one hand and dunked, shocking everyone in the stadium.
It wasn't long before Fukatsu calmly brought the score to a tie, and possession of the ball went to Shohoku. Miyagi passed the ball to Akagi, who in turn passed to Mitsui, who then scored three points, but Sannoh quickly caught up with a lay-up by Eiji.
For the next few of minutes, both teams took turns to score, with Sannoh using Fukatsu's height advantage over Miyagi and Masashi's all-round skills to get in the points. As for Shohoku, they relied on Mitsui's three-pointers. Up till then, he had sunk in 3 of them consecutively.
On the bench...
"Mitsui's performance is exceptionally well today. It's like he's almost perfect. Perhaps it's because he is still ashamed of his past gangster life, which led him to release the desire to seek perfection," Kogure commented.
Hanayuki, who heard him, shook her head. "If he is still ashamed of his past, Kogure-sempai, I'm afraid it wouldn't do him or the team any good. Whenever he thinks about it, he will question his own ability, which will then hinder him from doing his best." She paused, before continuing, "It is time he regained his confidence, once and for all."
On the court, Mitsui drove past Satoshi's defense, and when Masashi came out to block him, he passed the ball to Akagi, who then performed his Gorilla Dunk.
Hanayuki stood up and cheered for Mitsui. "Good job, Hisashi-niichan! Ganbatte yo!" Mitsui grinned and gave her the thumbs-up.
Masashi, who was annoyed at Akagi (he said that it was because of Akagi's 'near-extinct gorilla face'), asked Fukatsu to pass the ball to him, which the point guard did, giving him the chance to score well outside the normal center-area and annoying Akagi in return. Meanwhile, Satoshi decided to wear Mitsui out and began his renowned aggressive defense by shadowing Mitsui.
Noticing that everyone was tightly marked, Miyagi hesitated, wondering what to do. Seeing the opportunity, Fukatsu tried to steal the ball, but Miyagi evaded him with a quick spin and made a shot. As the ball left his hand, Eiji jumped up and smashed the ball away, only to have it hit Sakuragi's face and rebound into the basket.
A little embarrassed, Sakuragi, while wiping the blood from his nose (caused by the hit on the face), laughed and said, "Nyahahahaha! That wasn't an accident. Let me tell you, that was my secret weapon. The 'face shot'. Nyahahahaha!"
"That's right," said Miyagi. "I deliberately let you block my shot so that Hanamichi here can show off his secret weapon."
The two team-mates looked at each other, grinned, and then finished together, "Only 2 Tensais can work so well together."
Believe it or not, Eiji actually fell for their story, and Sakuragi was subbed off because of his bloody nose. Not long after that, the battle of the aces began, as Eiji stood in front of Rukawa, holding the ball. Glancing to the right, Eiji drove to his left and went for an easy lay-up, shocking the whole crowd.
Later, Sakuragi was subbed back in, and Miyagi passed the ball to Rukawa, who was determined to be the best by beating the best. He drove past Eiji and went for the hoop, causing Masahiro, who was marking Sakuragi, to go up and block him. Even so, Rukawa slammed the ball in, ignoring Sakuragi's call for the ball to be passed to him.
Masashi and Fukatsu scolded Eiji for letting Rukawa slip past him, asking him to either play seriously, or get subbed off. Admitting his mistake, Eiji apologised to them, and told Rukawa that he will start playing the game seriously.
The words were barely out of his mouth when Satoshi passed the ball to him, and because he was too busy talking, Rukawa managed to steal the ball and went for a lay-up shot. The shot was stopped by Eiji who caught up in time and knocked the ball away, but it was a foul. In the end, Eiji was taken off the game and was replaced by Matsumoto Minoru.
At the same time, Hanayuki decided to replace Rukawa with Kogure. When Rukawa sat down beside her, Hanayuki spoke. "Kaede, if you go on a fast break on your own, you will most definitely have to score, because if you don't, and is caught up by the opponent, your scoring opportunity is completely destroyed. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
Rukawa just kept quiet, but secretly, he was angry with himself. In the meantime, another substitution was made by Sannoh. Masahiro, who had injured his hand while trying to stop Rukawa, was taken off, and replacing him was Kawata Mikio, Masashi's 210-centimetre-tall and 130-kilogramme younger brother. By making use of him as their main offense, they were able to score points off Shohoku. Soon afterwards, Sannoh called for a timeout.
---
At Shohoku's side of the bench...
"Nani??!!!" Akagi, Mitsui and Miyagi cried out together.
"But Yuki-chan, don't you think it's too soon to be depending on luck?" asked Kogure.
Hanayuki raised her eyebrows. "Whoever said that I'm depending on luck?"
"Still, it's too risky, Yuki-chan," exclaimed Ayako.
"Ayako's right, Yuki-chan. I must ask you to reconsider your decision," said Akagi.
"There must be some other way, Hana-chan," Mitsui added.
Hanayuki sighed inwardly as the protests continued. When they finally died down, she curved her lips into a small smile and asked, "Are you guys done with all the protesting?"
Noting the firm, don't-mess-with-me and I-am-your-coach-you must-listen-to-me tone in her voice, everybody kept quiet.
"Good." Clapping her hands together, she continued, "Anyway, the decision is final. We will use oniichan as the main offense, and you will pass the ball to him whenever you can. Now come, oniichan. I need to talk to you."
A few minutes later, on the court...
Sakuragi was holding the ball and facing Mikio. Kuso! I cannot use brute force against this King-Kong. What am I going to do?
-Flashback-
"Oniichan, in what areas is Mikio better than you?" Hanayuki asked her brother.
"Nothing, because I'm the Tensai. Nyahahahaha!"
"Actually, it's his height and weight. What about you then? In what areas are you better than him?"
"Bravery, spirits, looks... to make it simple, everything, because I am the Tensai. Nyahahahaha!"
Hanayuki sweatdropped. "It's your speed and agility."
"Eh? I don't understand, Hana-chan," said Sakuragi, scratching his head.
"Oniichan, when you go back to the game later, observe Mikio's offense techniques carefully. If you do, you will understand what I'm trying to tell you," Hanayuki instructed patiently.
-End of flashback-
This King-Kong's offense techniques are always the same. Hmm... I know! He can only shoot if he's near the basket. So that means...
To prove his theory, Sakuragi stopped Mikio from getting anywhere near the basket by putting his hips down, thus lowering the centre of his weight, a technique which Akagi had just taught him a while ago. It worked, and Sakuragi was commended by Akagi for his 'win'. To further motivate him, Akagi made him believe that the King-Kong (Sakuragi's nickname for Mikio) thinks that he, the Tensai, only has brute strength.
This was a motivation alright, because right after receiving the ball again, Sakuragi quickly side-stepped Mikio and executed a quick and clean jump shot. It is to be noted that his team-mates (with the exception of who and who), not to mention the whole Kainan team, went absolutely berserk at this performance. Not that they shouldn't be, since Hanayuki had only taught Sakuragi the basic jump shot.
Later, due to the lack of experience, Mikio accidentally hit Sakuragi with his hand, sending the redhead sprawling on the ground, and earning himself an offensive foul. Surprisingly, to those who knew him that is, Sakuragi brushed it off and said that it was no big deal when Mikio apologised. And then, getting the ball again, he eluded Mikio and scored another 2 points for Shohoku. The first-half of the game ended with the score of 36-34, Shohoku in the lead.
Outside the stadium, a thunderstorm is on the rise... (Remember their game with Ryokufu?)
"Alright, listen up all of you. The game has only just begun. I want you to put all your spirit, all your strength, all you've got, basically everything you've got into this second-half, you hear me? Nothing less." Hanayuki put out her hand, and it was promptly covered by another hand, and another, and another, until everyone's hand was on top of hers. "It's now or never."
"Shohoku fight!"
The second-half began, and Sannoh got the jump ball. Quickly, Eiji ran to the side and received the ball from Fukatsu. With the help of Masahiro (who was blocking Rukawa), Eiji scored a three-pointer, allowing Sannoh to lead by one point.
It's only been 10 seconds, and already they've scored, thought Hanayuki, as the crowd started chanting Eiji's name.
After receiving the ball from the baseline, Miyagi found himself trapped by 2 Sannoh players (it was a full-court press). Eiji and Fukatsu, who were double-teaming Miyagi, stole the ball from him and Eiji scored another 2 points. Next, Sannoh used the same tactic, and Miyagi again found himself trapped. Attempting to break through their defense, Miyagi was called for an offensive foul.
Two minutes into the second half, Sannoh was leading by 10 points. Struggling from the intense defense pressure, Miyagi tried to pass to Sakuragi, who was still on the half-court line. However, before the ball could touch the redhead's hands, Matsumoto intercepted it. Going for the shot, Matsumoto found Miyagi in front of him, and he passed to Fukatsu, who then passed to Eiji. Another 2 points was scored for Sannoh.
The score was 36-48, and there was 17 minutes and 41 seconds left in the game. It was at this time that Hanayuki suddenly remembered what her father had told her about Sannoh's 'secret weapon'.
It's called the zero-point tactic. It's used to destroy their opponents, first by taking away the 'calmness' of the players, then their ability to judge, their confidence, and finally, their desire to win. If you are to beat Sannoh, you will have to find a way to overcome this problem. But, as long as your players do not lose hope and give up, there's always a chance that you will win.
Preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!! (A/n: Err... that's supposed to be the whistle, I guess... ehehehe...)
"Shohoku timeout!"
Everybody (as in the Shohoku team members) crowded around Hanayuki as she began to give out instructions. "This is important, so make sure you listen carefully. Hisashi-niichan, Kaede, the two of you will look out for Miyagi-sempai and run onto Sannoh's side of the court whenever he gets the ball, so that it would be easier for him to pass to any of you. Akagi-sempai, you will pass from the baseline."
"What about me? What about me, Hana-chan?" asked Sakuragi impatiently.
"You will stay under the basket to shoot, oniichan. Is that clear?"
"Yuki-chan, how about we replace Sakuragi with someone who has better ball handling skills? Wouldn't it be better that way?" Kogure suggested.
Before Hanayuki could give her answer, Sakuragi burst out, "Nani??!"
"Please be quiet, oniichan."
"But Hana-chan, I-"
"I said please be quiet." It was a wonder that Hanayuki didn't start shouting, not that she needed to though. She only had to stare, and her message will get across somehow.
Anyway, she turned to Kogure and said, "No, Kogure-sempai. I don't think it's necessary."
"But-"
"I said no. And please don't make me repeat myself. Now, are you all clear about what you're supposed to do?"
"Hai!"
"Very well. Before you go, I would like to remind you of something. You promised me that you will not give up or lose hope no matter what happens today, and I said I'll hold you to your word." She looked at them expectantly. "It is time for you to keep the promise."
Back to the game, Mitsui took the ball and pretended to be going to the baseline to resume play. Instead, he passed it to Akagi, who was waiting outside the baseline. Shocked, Eiji forgot to guard Akagi, and Mitsui, Rukawa and Sakuragi raced off to the front of the court.
Seeing Eiji's hesitation, Akagi acted as if he was going to throw a long bomb, and did a bounce pass to Miyagi, who quickly broke through Fukatsu's defense and raced to the front court. Matsumoto came up to him and attempted to steal the ball but Miyagi was too quick for him and the ball ended up in Rukawa's hands. Ignoring Sakuragi's call for the ball, Rukawa went for a dunk, but was blocked by Masashi. Jumping up, Sakuragi retrieved the ball and instantly went for a turn-around jump shot which was also blocked.
Sannoh's offense, Masashi was outside the three-point line, and went on a brief one-on-one against Akagi, which he won with ease before slamming the ball in. Sakuragi, seeing that Masashi got past Akagi, ran up to help, but was fouled instead. Masashi sunk his free throw, and the lead was extended to 18 points.
Sannoh returned to their old defense tactic (zone defence), and the ball was passed to Akagi, but every move he made was countered by Masashi. He tried to drive around Masashi and went for a hook shot, but soon after the ball had left his hands, it was swept away by Masashi. Dazed, Akagi made no attempt to block Masashi's three-pointer, which fortunately didn't go in. But because he was not being marked closely, Masashi easily tipped the ball back into the hoop, and Sannoh led Shohoku by 20 points.
It was a 22 to 0 run, and everyone in the stadium believed that Shohoku had lost (some of them were actually leaving, can you believe it???).
Akagi-sempai... whenever trouble arises, you will be there to lead the team. Because of this, if you are beaten, the whole team will collapse, thought Hanayuki.Even as she thought so, it was becoming a reality on the court.
Mitsui, due to Satoshi's outstanding defense, was becoming utterly exhausted. Rukawa, while trying to get past Eiji, fouled him, and Sakuragi double-dribbled while trying to get past Masahiro. Akagi himself was booked for travelling while trying to get past his opponent, and as for Miyagi, he tried to shoot by himself as everyone was tightly marked, but because he was also being tightly guarded by Fukatsu, the shot missed and the rebound was caught by Masahiro.
Left with no choice, Hanayuki called for a timeout. It was their last, so she had to make full use of it. Unfortunately, none of her words could bring some sense back into the players, as they were too tired, and the only thought in their mind was whether they have already lost the game. By the time timeout was over, all of them were still dejected, their spirits an all-time low, and it was all she could do not to lose her temper or burst into tears.
"Oniichan, please come here and sit beside me," Hanayuki called to Sakuragi, whom she had substituted with Kogure.
Upset that he was taken off the game, Sakuragi ignored her.
And Krakatoa erupted. "Damn it! Just come here and sit beside me, baka yarou!" (A/n: Krakatoa is a volcano situated somewhere in Indonesia, I think.)
In a flash, Sakuragi sat himself next to Hanayuki. He stole a glance at her when he heard her sigh.
"You broke your promise, oniichan. You all did."
"Huh?"
Hanayuki smirked bitterly. "In the end, I'm the only who thinks that we can win."
"Hana-chan, haven't you already given up?" asked Sakuragi.
Hanayuki blinked as the words sank into her brain. She turned to face her brother and blinked again, before bursting out laughing.
If he had been confused earlier, he was even more confused now, as he watched Hanayuki laugh her head off, attracting attention from the audience and the players on and off the court. She was laughing so hard that tears were pouring down her cheeks; not tears of laughter, but tears of frustration.
"Oh my goodness! Oniichan, I thought you knew me better than that," said Hanayuki, as she wiped the tears away. "I don't give up. I never give up. Especially not when the game isn't over yet."
Just then, Akagi grabbed the defense rebound after Matsumoto missed his shot.
"Watch carefully, oniichan," Hanayuki instructed.
Rukawa was having the ball, and he tried to shake off Eiji, but failed. He drove around the Sannoh player and went for a quick jump shot, but it missed, and the ball was seized by Masahiro. The ball was then passed to Eiji, who made a successful dunk. The score was 36-60.
"Now, I want you to go through what you've just seen carefully." Hanayuki waited for Sakuragi to recall until the part where Masahiro got the rebound, and asked, "Tell me, what do you think would've happened if it was you who caught the rebound?"
Not waiting for him to answer, she continued, "If we can successfully stop Sannoh's fast break by getting the rebound, Shohoku will have another chance to score. This means, by not allowing our opponents to score, we have increased our chance in getting valuable points. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here, oniichan? If you get an offensive rebound, it is worth 4 points. If you can do that, then you will become our 'comeback ace'." (A/n: Actually, I'm not too sure myself why it is worth 4 points. I have a rough idea, but I don't know how to explain here. Gomen!!!)
You could have heard a pin drop, that is, if you were among the people on the Shohoku bench. Slowly, one by one, the bench-warmers came up to Sakuragi and shook his hand, telling him that he is their only hope. Needless to say, this gave Sakuragi a huge, no, make that humongous, ego boost, and he began to pester Hanayuki to let him go back into the game.
Finally, he got his way, and the first thing he did when he entered the court was poke Akagi in the butt (ahem!) in his attempt to get the latter to return to his normal self. In a way, Sakuragi's 'effort' was successful. At least, he got Akagi to give him a Gori punch again.
Anyway, in his mind, Sakuragi was no longer confused. He was determined to lead his team to victory, because this was the first time in his life that others needed him and relied on him. Making a slight detour, he jumped onto the guest table (commentators table), and roared, "I will beat Sannoh! This is I, Sakuragi Tensai's victory prophecy!"
Sakuragi's 'prophecy' got the crowd standing on their feet, demanding that he be sent off. Immediately, Akagi knocked him off the table and with Miyagi, the two of them pleaded with the referee, hoping that he wouldn't send the redhead off. Fortunately, he didn't, and before the game went on, Sakuragi once again approached Akagi.
"Gori, do you think that we have lost, since we are behind Sannoh by 24 points?" When Akagi didn't answer, he said, "Well, I don't. I'm only a beginner, so the normal principles do not apply to me. No matter how many points we have lost, I think we will win." Then, he shouted to the players on the bench, "All of you had better start cheering, because we, Shohoku are going to win! Oi! What are you, deaf?! I asked you to start cheering!"
For the first time since the game commenced, Hanayuki broke out into a 100 genuine smile.
The game started again, and Sakuragi, who knew that he wouldn't be able to do any rebounding as long as Masahiro was on the court, began to think about how to get into a good position. At the same time, Rukawa made a shot, and the ball hit the rim.
Kuso! I can't get into a better position! How am I going to stop him from getting the rebound? Think, think! You are the Tensai, Sakuragi Hanamichi! You should be able to come up with a good idea. Think! Think! Thi-... Aha!
He glanced to the left.
He glanced to the right.
He reached out his hand... and pulled Masahiro's jersey.
Distracted, Masahiro lost the ball to Sakuragi, who quickly jumped up to catch it and put it back into the basket. It was Shohoku's first 2 points since the second-half began, and it put the life back into the players. Unfortunately, Mitsui was at the brink of exhaustion, and Matsumoto easily got past him. Without Akagi in the middle (he didn't return to his normal self after all), Rukawa went to block him. Seeing Rukawa in front, Matsumoto passed to Eiji, who was wide open, but the ball was intercepted by Miyagi.
"Our own victory can be only gained by ourselves. Ganbatte, minna!" Miyagi rallied his team-mates. Despite having said that, deep down inside, he knew that it was easier said than done. Rukawa was being guarded tightly by Eiji, Mitsui was too tired, and Akagi was no longer 'thinking about the game'. As a result, Miyagi had to do the scoring by himself.
His three-pointer attempt was unsuccessful, and once again, the battle between Sakuragi and Masahiro for the rebound was set in motion. This time, Sakuragi only pretended to pull Masahiro's jersey, but it was enough to make the poor guy hold onto his own jersey with both hands, giving Sakuragi the chance to do a screen-out and reverse-tip the ball back into the net.
As for Akagi, in his mind, all he could register was that he must beat Masashi. He was no longer concentrating on the game, and instead of passing to his team-mates, he made a desperate shot, one that looked very much like one of Sakuragi's old attempts (before his training, that is). As Masahiro jumped up to catch the ball, Sakuragi, who jumped later, appeared from behind and tapped the ball away from Masahiro's hands. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Sakuragi jumped up again to catch the falling ball.
Every player on and off the court was astounded at the speed and height of Sakuragi's jump; he can jump twice using the same amount of time needed by others to jump once. Impressed, Masashi instantly went to double-team the redhead, who passed to Akagi. However, Akagi, who was still very lost, did nothing when Masashi spun around to guard him. Going for his Gori Dunk, Akagi smashed into Masashi, who was already in a defensive stance. In the process, he hit his head on the floor, and the game paused once again.
"Akagi-sempai!" Ayako stood up, and was about to rush onto the court when Hanayuki held her back.
"Look."
Ayako turned, and was surprised to see Uozumi standing in front of the fallen Akagi... peeling a carrot.
"What is he doing, peeling a carrot?" asked Ayako, totally dumbfounded.
"Er... I think he's trying to say something?" answered Kogure uncertainly.
"Where did he get the carrot from anyway? I mean, don't tell me he carries a knife and a carrot with him wherever he goes?"
"You never know," said Hanayuki.
A while later, security guards appeared to take Uozumi away, but not before he told Akagi that Masashi's skill was as graceful as a kind of fish, while Akagi was another kind of fish, which hides in the sand. Then, as he walked out, he nodded his head at Hanayuki, who bowed to him with a grateful smile on her face. Arigatou, Uozumi-san.
"Anou, Yuki-chan, I think I can understand the fish part, but why the carrot?" asked Kogure.
"In sashimi, the carrot is the side dish, the supporting role." Hanayuki sighed. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. I only hope that Akagi-sempai does."
Meanwhile, the exhausted Mitsui was muttering to himself, "Masashi is Masashi, Akagi is Akagi..." Beside him, Akagi finally understood what Uozumi was trying to tell him.
There are many other offensive players in the team, so even if I cannot beat Masashi, Shohoku won't lose. At this stage, Masashi is much better than me, but we, Shohoku will not lose!
At the same time, Matsumoto eluded Mitsui and went for a lay-up. Instead of seeing the hoop, he found the 'original' Akagi in front of him, jumping up to block his attempt. Being an ace player, Matsumoto did a fake and tried to shoot pass Akagi, but once again, he found another player in his way, this time, Sakuragi, who smashed the ball out of bounds. It hit Matsumoto's foot before landing outside, and so possession of the ball went to Shohoku.
The ball was once again in Akagi's hands. This time, however, instead of shooting, he passed it to Miyagi. All this while, Mitsui was still mumbling to himself, "Masashi is Masashi, Akagi is Akagi... Who am I then? Tell me... who am I?"
Straight after passing the ball to Miyagi, Akagi and Mitsui performed a 'pick-and-roll', leaving Mitsui wide open. Miyagi, having noticed that Mitsui was free and standing behind the three-point line, passed the ball to him. Matsumoto, who had been wondering why Mitsui was not taken off the game since he was so tired, shouted, "Mitsui Hisashi!"
Upon hearing his name, Mitsui fired the shot and said, "Yes, I'm Mitsui Hisashi! A man who will never give up...!" The ball went into the net, and the score was 43-60.
Sannoh's offense, and Fukatsu calmly scored a three-pointer, bringing it back to a 20-point lead. As Shohoku prepared for their offense, Mitsui told Miyagi to pass the ball to him, and then slowly ran to the front.
Damn! Some kind of stupid stamina I have. I can't even see clearly now, not to mention defend against that Matsumoto. Oh well... at least I can still see the basket... only the basket...
Right after he finished the thought, the audience cheered, because he had just scored another 3 points.
In another Shohoku offense, on his third attempt, the ball hit the rim and bounced out. Both Shohoku and Sannoh went for the rebound, which was eventually grabbed by Sakuragi. It hadn't been easy though, for he had to jump 3 times continuously before he could catch the ball. The first jump was to knock it out of Masahiro's reach, the second was to knock it out of Masashi's reach, and the third was to claim it for himself. On the third jump, he landed awkwardly, but managed to pass the ball to Mitsui, who then scored yet another 3 points.
It was an amazing sight, and the Shohoku bench erupted into a frenzy cheer, as well as the Shohoku supporters (they consisted of Haruko, the gundan, Mitsui's friends and Rukawa's fans). Hanayuki herself was on the verge of tears, as she commented, "The reason why Hisashi-niichan can still go on is because he has a group of wonderful and dependable team-mates. There is Akagi-sempai, who will block off the defenders; Miyagi-sempai who will pass the ball as soon as he is free; and oniichan, who will get the rebound should he miss the shot. It is this deep trust he has for them that is keeping him going."
Just then, Mitsui knocked the ball away during a pass from Fukatsu to Matsumoto. Quick as a flash, Miyagi was off to chase the ball, with Fukatsu right behind him. To stop the fast break, Fukatsu fouled Miyagi, and was booked for an intentional foul, which gave the Shohoku side 2 free throws and possession of the ball. Carefully, Miyagi put in both free throws, bringing the lead down to 12.
Shohoku's ball, and once again, they tried to make Mitsui their main offense, but when Masashi and the others went to guard Mitsui, Miyagi passed to the Akagi, who dunked. The lead was cut to 10 points, and right away, Masashi was instructed to mark Sakuragi.
The fact that Sakuragi was being guarded by Masashi because of his rebounding abilities brought a smile to Hanayuki's face, while the others were just plain shocked. Sakuragi, being Sakuragi, laughed and said, "Nyahahahaha! Come on! Use all your strength to guard me! But even then, you can't stop Tensai!"
Right at that moment, both of them jumped up to get a rebound, and Sakuragi was knocked to the ground as Masashi got his hands on the ball. After taunting the redhead, Masashi threw the ball to Eiji, who was already running to the other end of the court. When Rukawa tried to stop him, he threw the ball back to Masashi, alley-oop style. However, as the Gori-man (Sakuragi's nickname for Masashi) jumped up, Sakuragi appeared out of nowhere and slapped the ball out of bounds.
"Baka kitsune! Are you still sleeping? Don't get tricked so easily!" Sakuragi shouted. "If you really are Japan's number one, you wouldn't have let that Eiji baka pass the ball!"
Eiji was also mocking Rukawa, saying that even if Rukawa was the most noticeable rookie, he couldn't beat him (Eiji). It was as much as Rukawa could take, and he challenged the second-year, who accepted.
Meanwhile, Mikio and Masashi produced a 'pick-and-roll' (A/n: I think it's also known as a 'switch'.), and because Sakuragi was a beginner, Masashi was open to receive the ball and prepared to shoot. When he saw Sakuragi jumping up to block him, he paused before jumping up himself to take the shot, but instead of seeing wide open space, he saw Sakuragi still in the air. Totally taken aback, his shot missed, and Miyagi caught the ball. As for Sakuragi, he was already running back to the other end of the court.
On the bench, Hanayuki started to cry, touched by Sakuragi's amazing leg power, which enabled him to stay in the air for a long time and sprint off the moment he landed on the ground. Otousan... if only you are here right now. Then you can see for yourself that someone better than Yazawa-san has appeared. Someone who can realise your dream...
On the court, Sakuragi missed his lay-up, and Rukawa fixed the problem by dunking the ball back in.
And there are 2 of them...
---
Author's notes: I knew it! I just knew it! Gomen, I guess I'll have to continue the game in the next chapter. It's just too long to be put in one chapter. Gomen... Anyway, I think some of you may be confused by the list of Sannoh players. It's easy for Shohoku, because they only have those starting 5, but for Sannoh, they have 7 in this game alone. Satoshi, I think was substituted by Matsumoto during the second-half, and Mikio by Masahiro. That's all to it for the time being. Before I forget, thanks a lot to Nakkie, Ice Queen and devil-gurl for reviewing. Thanks to the rest for reading. Ja!