HEY GUYS! I admittedly have neglected my fictions and despite of being able to write new chapters, I wasnt able to upload them hence the long delay. Unlike most writers here, I appreciate more reads and views than just comments. And apparently, I was very glad to know that despite my fic was old and outdated and i did not receive any comments, likes and follows, I have gained A LOT of reads and views, and some private messages YAY!

Anyways, to stop the delay, I might be posting two related chapters at the moment ^^

DISCLAIMER : Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: Inoue Takehiko, the publisher, the broadcasting company of the anime and etc.

"BASKET NOT COUNTED! OFFENSIVE FOUL - GREEN #5!"

"WHAT?!" Hanagata gasped in shock. The rest as well felt like falling down their knees after receiving such judgment from the referee.

"That was close..." Nobe with a grin, sitting on the ground...

2 seconds...

Hanagata, still up in the air, swiveled his arm down, shifting his arms to the left, throwing the ball up...

"FUCK!" Nobe gritted his teeth as he watched the ball flying towards the hoop before his feet landed back to the ground...

1 second...

THUUDDD!

The ball bounced to the rim of the ring letting out a loud thud...

"SHIIITT!" Hanagata cried out as he landed his feet back to the ground as well... "GET IIIN!" He swiftly shifted his body up once again, reaching for the ball...

0 second... BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPP!

SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!

"AAAAHHH!" Nobe yelped out.

Hanagata, the moment he mindlessly dunked the ball back in, accidentally without noticing hit Nobe, who intentionally stood below the goal. Hanagata's knee hit him on the forehead causing him to fall backwards...

"Nice foul...yo..." Fukatsu approached Nobe reaching out a hand. Nobe grabbed it as well then managing to stand up.

"GAME OVER!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

And once again, breaking the unnerving silence, the crowd went loud, specially the Sannoh supporters...

"SAANNOOOH! SAANNOOOH!" "SAANNOOOH! SAANNOOOH!"

"Looks like it was over..." Ayako said. "It was really a good match..."

"Hmph..." Akagi slowly turning back to head to the stairs down to the exit... "It's over... let's go now..."

Kogure and Ayako nodded, following Akagi, along with Haruko and her friends.

"So that was 'Sawakita' then..." The guy with spiky hair thought. "I have always thought it was Kitasawa... haha stupid me..." He scratched his head before eventually turning his back as well to head for the exit... "That Sannoh... Interesting..."

Sendoh smiled, fascinated. "Finally had the chance to see them play, live..." Sliding his hands on his pocket, he proceeded.

"Gotta head back to our gym... Uozumi-san would surely kill me..."

Along the way though, something made him stop on his tracks. "Hm?"

Meeting someone familiar, who he accidentally crossed path into. "Hey!" Sendoh threw a hand up, greeting the person enthusiastically. "Long time no see! Rukawa..!"

"'tch..." Rukawa, however just scoffed, passing through him and continued walking.

"Wow..." Sendoh confused by Rukawa's usual standoffish reactions thought... "He still hates me even after taking part on that prestigious All-Japan Junior Camp?"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Mika squealed in happiness. "GOOD JOB EIJI KUN! WELL DONE SANNOH!"

"That Sawakita guy..." Naomi still dazed thought, her eyes fixed at Sawakita. "I feel REALLY bad for Shoyo, but I don't understand why do I feel some sort of excitement knowing someone as good as this guy exists here in Japan... I usually see someone as good as this only in America..."

"C'MON GIIIRRRLLL!" Mika grabbing Naomi's hands dragged her along with her, running towards the stairs. "AAAAHHHH! Heeey!" Naomi awakened from her thoughts protested, tagging along anyways.

Shoyo was left speechless, the shock had immobilized them to some extent.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!

The final whistle, signalling both teams to line up.

"Hanagata..." Fujima called out Hanagata who froze under the goal, still lost on his thoughts. "Time to line up..."

"Yeah..." He uttered before following Fujima.

"SHOYO - 67, SANNOH KOGYO - 68" The referee announced, while both teams lined up in the middle facing each other. "WINNER... SANNOH KOGYO!"

"Thank you for the game!" Both teams then gave a bow to each other.

The sound of huge applause started to ensue...

"SHOOOYO! SHOOOOYO!" People started to clap and cheer for the fallen... slowly, louder...

Even those who came to cheer for Sannoh.

"DONMAI, Fujima-saan! That was a great match!" Hikoichi yelled out from above.

"You guys did a great job!"

The whole team looked around, to see that everybody recognize the great job they did keeping up with Sannoh... The cheers have awakened them from the shock. It wasn't too bad after all... Despite the defeat, Fujima and the rest of the team never had any regrets. They raised a hand as a sign of gratitude for all of the support as they marched back to the exit, their faces without any traces of hard feelings.

It was just a Practice Match after all.

Nope. It's actually a preview of how things would go for them this Winter Invitationals...IF, they ever get the chance to get there.

"Fujima...yo"

Fukatsu approached Fujima, reaching out his hand.

"Looking forward on seeing you as well in the Winter Invitationals.. yo."

Fujima looked back. With a smile, he shook his hands. "Yeah... we'll be trying our best..."

"You too! Hanagata!" Nobe called him out.

"Yeah..." Hanagata as well smiled back as they eventually turned back to head to the exit.

"'tch... That Sannoh..." Kiyota scoffed as he walked along with Maki towards the exit.

"You see that Kiyota?" Maki pointed out. "That is why we lost to them in the Inter-High by 30 points last year..."

"After all, Sannoh is still Sannoh..." Jin added. "Matter of fact, the luck was on our side. Considering the fact we were'nt able to face them last time..."

"MAKI-SAN! JIN-SENPAI!" Kiyota blurted out... "Why do you guys talk like this! Making Shohoku sound like some hero for defeating that Sannoh just like that!"

"We were'nt even talking about Shohoku here..." Maki shook his head.

"This time, we needed to prove to the whole Japan that with or without facing Sannoh, we deserve that Japan's #2 title, no matter what..., and that it was never about luck..."

"It's kind of a pity not being able to have a match against such a great team like them during the I.H..." Doumoto-sensei remarked.

Back to the locker rooms. The whole team taking some rest after such an energy-sapping match. "At some point, we already learned a lesson that we should be more careful about teams that we have never faced yet before... even the C-rank ones... looking back at what happened to us with Shohoku..." He ended.

"This team was actually said to be the ones next to Kainan in this district... Considering Kainan being this year's National's #2..." Nobe stated.

"Hmph... taking advantage and credits of the favor Shohoku did. Eliminating us out on the first match giving way for them to the top..." Masashi contemptuosly added.

"That's what we call a tasteless victory yo..." Fukatsu interposed. "They just got lucky..."

"I've heard during Kanagawa's Final's, Shohoku ALMOST dethroned Kainan by one goal again by another luck..." Minoru supposed.

"That Shohoku..." Sawakita spoke as well... "To think they used to be a C-rank team back then."

"Oi! Mikio, where are you going?!" Masashi, interrupting the conversation upon noticing Mikio heading for the door called him out.

"Toilet..." Mikio responded as he proceeded to open the door.

"Make it quick, we will be leaving in a few..."

"Alright brother..." He yelled out so to be heard after closing the door.

"Dammit... How could I miss this again! Only making it to the last 10 seconds..."

Hikoichi mumbled to himself as he walked along the noisy hallway, feeling regretful about arriving too late not being able to witness once again how Sannoh, Japan's #1 rules a game. To think their team would be facing them the next two weeks and he needed to check them out for the preparation.

Luckily, looking around at the end of the hallway he found some accompaniment.

"SENDOH-SAAAN!" He yelled, running towards the spiky haired Ryonan's ace. "Glad to find you here!"

"Hey!" Sendoh greeted Hikoichi back. "Zzup!"

"Heading back to our School Gym..." With a disappointed pouty face Hikoichi replied.

"What's with the long face?"

"I was too late to see the match... I did not make it..."

"Haha! Whatta bummer..." Sendoh chuckled. "I saw it though, like from the start to the last... They were REALLY good, specially Kitasa- I mean, Sawakita..."

"AAAAAAAHHH! YOU SAW SAWAKITA-SAAAN! I'm soo jealous!" Hikoichi wailed. "Wait... AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT OUR GYM REHEARSING?!"

"Hahahaha, I woke up too late so I just decided to cut it instead, and headed to watch here... haha!" Sendoh scratched his head laughing sheepishly, turning to the other side of the hall... "Uozumi-san will surely kill me haha!"

"Ah? Where you going, Sendoh-san?"

"I just decided to go home..." He looked back still with the smile in his face. "Please, don't tell anyone you saw me here..."

END OF CHAPTER 13