Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk. It's Takehiko-sensei's.
The War Has Begun
Sakuragi was waiting impatiently at the school rooftop.
Before the graduation ceremony started, he had asked Rukawa to meet him at the rooftop twelve sharp.
But it seemed that the Kitsune hasn't appear yet.
"Damn, where the hell is he?" Sakuragi crossed his hands.
Maybe he forgot. No, he's not a forgetful person.
Or maybe somehow he fell asleep? No! No! That would be silly! He sleeps in class and while riding his bike, but he's not the kind of person who just collapse and fell snoring everywhere.
"Hmph! Idiot! Baka-Kitsune!!" Sakuragi really yelled out loud this time.
Still crossing his hands, he sat down and leaned on the fences of the rooftop.
He looked up at the sky, but he wasn't really staring at the sky.
His memory played back the scene 2 years ago when he and his gank checked out the announcement board to see which class they entered as new 2nd graders.
FLASHBACK
"Hmm…2-7…I still got the lucky seven," Sakuragi grinned.
"Nani!!?" Suddenly he pulled his own face towards the board.
He stared at the name above his.
"Ru-ka-wa Ka-e-de...?"
He paused for a while.
"KITSUNE!!?? I'm in the same class with that jerk!!??" Sakuragi yelled and made his surrounding stared. Some girls put a dislike stare at him.
"Easy Hanamichi," Yohei tapped his shoulder.
For one whole year, when Sakuragi was still at the first grade, he always quarrels and fights with Rukawa. From words to punches.
Thinking that he's gonna spent a whole year in the same class with that boy suddenly pissed him off.
And the worst really came.
Among the teachers, Rukawa was known as the pupil who always sleeps during the lesson, and they always let him so.
It's not that they're OK with the boy's habit. But Rukawa went berserk--yet still sleeping--if they tried to wake him up.
Sakuragi sometimes fell asleep too during the lesson when he was deadbeat tired after his personal morning practice.
But the teachers always wake him up--by throwing chalks, eraser, or hitting him on the head with a textbook.
Knowing the teachers were treating Rukawa differently about the sleeping-in-class habit made Sakuragi angry.
What's so special about that damn Kitsune?
So, one day when he caught Rukawa--who sit next to his desk at the last row--fell asleep again during the lesson, he stood and yelled at the darkhaired's ear.
"Wake up idiot!!" also adding some slaps on the head, "Wake up! Wake up! We're studying now!!"
"Sakuragi!!" the teacher yelled angrily as Sakuragi messed his class.
"Sakuragi, don't wake him up…" a boy with a fear expression stared at Rukawa who was still hiding his face between his crossed hands on the desk.
"Shut up!!" Sakuragi yelled harder, "Baka-Kitsune, wake up!!"
As he was about to kick Rukawa's chair, suddenly Rukawa lifted up his face.
"Hmph! So you're awake now. Good! Let's continue the lesson," Sakuragi grinned in full satisfaction. He went back to his desk.
As he was about to sit his but, suddenly Rukawa stood up and grabbed his wrist.
"Asshole…" he spoke coldly staring at Sakuragi with his fox eyes.
The whole class got pale.
And in a blink of an eye, the boys got themselves in to a furious fight.
A real fight it was!
They punched, they kicked, they threw their opponents against the wall.
It took almost an army to stop them.
Parents were sent, and the boys had their punishment too. A short restriction to join the basketball team practice which made Ryota--the new captain--really mad at both of them.
But the atmosphere between them didn't change a bit.
It got worse than it was when they were at the first grade.
They fight more frequent and they compete harder in basketball.
It was almost impossible to play them in a match together since they weren't cooperating each other at all.
And this situation was really hard for the Shohoku team.
The team needed both of them on court, but when they were played together, it always ended in a totally mess for the Shohoku team.
Even coach Anzai was having quite a hard time to brought peace between them.
"He's a totally bastard!"
"He's an asshole idiot."
That's what they would say about their enemies.
One day, after a short quarrel between Sakuragi and Rukawa in the class, the teacher sent the two boys to stand outside the classroom.
"Don't try to do anything stupid because I can see you through the window!" the teacher spoke angrily.
Standing outside--with a very wide space between both of them--Sakuragi glanced at Rukawa.
The boy was leaning on the wall, his hands were crossed and his eyes were closed.
"Hey! The teacher told us to stand, not to sleep, jerk!"
Still with his eyes closed, Rukawa replied, "Shut up. Don't start with me now. Tomorrow is a big game against Ryonan, even though it's just a friendship match. I don't want to get in to trouble, because if we made teacher angrier, he'll may restrict us to play…Do Aho…"
"Nani!? Why you…How dare you call me that…" Sakuragi walked towards Rukawa.
Rukawa opened his eyes as Sakuragi grabbed him by his collar.
"I said don't start with me, idiot!"
"Shut up!!!" Sakuragi slammed Rukawa aside, really hard made Rukawa hit the wall by his right side.
"Hey!! I thought I told you two not to do anything stupid!!" suddenly the teacher appeared at the classroom door. His face looked so furious.
"I'm sorry sensei. But it's nothing. I fell asleep again, he was just waking me up, " Rukawa replied cold but politely.
The teacher raised his eyebrows hardly believing what the boy said.
"Is that true?" he asked Sakuragi.
"Huh?...um…" Sakuragi got a little confused.
"It's true, really," Rukawa replied once more.
The teacher stared at both of them.
"OK, but if I caught any foolish act again, I'm really gonna drop a serious punishment to both of you, troublemakers!"
Then the teacher went back in to the classroom.
"Trying to be the hero of the day, Kitsune?" Sakuragi spoke in a rather ditching tone.
"Whatever…Just… don't start."
Rukawa was back to his previous position, but this time he didn't crossed his hands. He just closed his eyes.
Sakuragi glanced at him, still felt angry. But he kept silent until the bell rang.
END FLASH BACK
TO BE CONTINUED