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.
"Back to what I was saying..." Anzai-sensei resuming to his speech, fixing his collar. "Don't you realize what I am trying to say?"
Still, everyone was left speechless not having a single idea what to respond.
"You are this nameless team who dethroned the National #1... UNPREDICTABLY..." He continued. "People once thought less of you guys as nobody expected this team to have such incredible players like you guys. On the other hand, Kainan, or even Sannoh, always have consisted of the top players. Everybody knew how strong they are... Everybody knew of their greatness... even every possible earth shaking acts they might do..."
"The predictability...!" They spoke under their breath upon realization.
"Once the chain is broken, it would be hard for them to mend it back again. Every single time you guys, a nameless, yet rapidly improving team face them, is an additional experience gained, increasing familiarity to them as an opponent. Let me tell you guys something..."
This time, the words Anzai sensei delivered started to make sense...
"Kainan won as the #2... whilst Sannoh, who felt the bitterness of defeat for the first time, are now desperately doing their best to exceed their limitations and skills. This brings back Sannoh to zero so now theyre striving hard to be back on top."
They still remained quiet, reflecting on everything that happened during the I.H., good and bad.
"Being the 'best' sets one to its ceiling, gaining reliance to what has been only attained hence it stops improvements. This is what happened to Sannoh..."
"B-BUT!" They uttered.
"This year's Sannoh's lineup is their strongest in the history...!" Mitsui interposed.
"They are. Undeniably..." Anzai-sensei nodded. "But, their improvements weren't fast enough, someone finally caught up to them... At some point, of course, it could've been sheer luck to all of us... Look at Shoyo..." Anzai-sensei suggested.
"Being consecutively the second, we have dethroned them. And see how fast did they improve ever since?" He continued. "It means, they finally went out of their comfort zones and had a reason to improve further after the realization that they weren't yet at their best at all..."
"Being the best... Setting oneself to limitations..." Rukawa uttered under his breath, being reminded of his rivalry against the Japan's #1 High School Player, Sawakita.
"And for sure, Kainan knows to themselves that..." Anzai sensei paused for a while to sip some tea.
"...That they would definitely lose again to us this Sunday..." Doumoto-sensei stated. "At some point, even though we have always said not to underestimate the opponents, we have thought lowly of Shohoku once... thinking they won't win to us..."
6:30 pm.
The whole Sannoh team gathered at an outdoor basketball court at a nearby seaside, they used to occupy to practice on eversince they arrived at Kanagawa. And it's getting dark.
"Anyways, today's rehearsal will be just up to now." Doumoto-sensei told, glancing to his watch.
"PHHHEWWWW..." They all sighed in relief as before they started rehearsing this 4 in the afternoon, they spent the whole day draining their energy on studying.
"Tomorrow we'll be following the same schedule as today so make sure to sleep early after dinner, then we would wake up at 6, and start studying at 8 until 3 in the afternoon."
"HAI!" They all responded in unison.
"No more of that racket you guys had this morning, for tomorrow I'll be supervising you the whole time you'll be studying, UNDERSTOOD! SAWAKITA!" Addressing to Sawakita, Doumoto-sensei warned.
"Yes sir..." Sawakita muttered reluctantly... "It was actually Masashi who started it..." He mumbled on.
"MASASHI!"
"Yes sir!" Masashi then looking back at Sawakita with a gloating look.
"Okay! DISMISSED!... Back to the Inn!"
"SANNOOOOOH!"
"OU!"
"(wheeze)... (gasp...)... (wheeze)... (gasp...)"
Kiyota ran around the court, still Kainan rehearsing at this moment of time.
"KIYOTAAAAA!" Jin blurted out, throwing the ball frantically to Kiyota.
"AH?"
KAAAABBLLAAAAMMM!
Kiyota went head first to the floor after getting slapped on his face hard by the ball Jin just passed him.
"Kiyota! Dude you okay?!"
The rest of his teammates running back to him.
SPRRROOING!
"OF COURSE I AM!" Springing back up, Kiyota blurted out like nothing happened. "At this moment of time, we needed to practice EVEN HARDER... and this Super Rookie is the key to the victory of this team NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"If youre already tired, you can now go home so we can sub you out and we can continue with our practice..." Maki suggested running back to the game.
"AAAHHH NOOO! MAKI SAN! Im not even tired a single bit. (wheeze)... (gasp...)" He wailed waving his arms up and down. "Next Sunday, it's our turn to face Sannoh..." He then went from goofy to serious.
Maki stood on his tracks. "So?"
"You guys were able to face them last year..." Kiyota continued, eyes set down on the ball he was fiddling on his hands. "And they thrashed you out with a 30-point difference... considering none of them retired, and that #9 guy, Sawakita Eiji is still there, I was thinking how would it be like going against him... specially that Sawakita by that time was still a rookie just like me..."
"T'ch..." Maki just shook his head grinning, as he walked back to Kiyota, grabbing his head up, messing his hair around...
"AAH! My hair...!"
"You don't belong to this team if you think so lowly of yourself like that..." Maki then proceeded to running back to the game. "So not you at all..."
"Maki-san..." Kiyota uttered as he watched Maki back to the game.
"HAHA! Makes sense...!" And once again, Kiyota's usual arrogant grin is finally back to his face, as he dashed himself back into the game as well..
Sprinting as fast as he could to the goal...
"Eh?" The rest with a confused look gave way to him... "What is he up to?"
Kiyota then threw the ball up in the air... "Hah!"
...then leaped up high catching the ball with his hands...
"Single alley-oop huh?" The rest just shook their heads. "Classic Kiyota... haha"
"Take this SANNNOOOOOHHH!" He roared as he soared up high, about to slam the ball in to the goal.
SLAAAAAAMMMMMM!
The ring shook as he was still hanging up to it. "NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled as he jumped down, landing his feet to the ground. "Finally got it perfect..." He smirked full of confidence. "Sawakita should see this with his own eyes, HMPH!"
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!
And then they flipped the score chart adding 2 points to the seniors team.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Kiyota blurted out in dismay. "W-WHY TO THE SENIORS?! THAT WAS MY SCORE FOR THE FRESHIES!"
"You shot it at the wrong goal..." Jin explained. "Thanks though!" Jin smiled back at Kiyota, patting him on the shoulder before running back to the court.
"Yeah, Sawakita should really see that..." Maki added sarcastically. "I told you if youre tired, you can finally go home..." He then dashed back to the court as well.
"Maki-san, why so mean..." Kiyota muttered as he staggered to the benches.
END OF CHAPTER 17