Shohoku's Unusual Behavior

Thump...

Thump...

Two clear, powerful thuds echoed across the court.

Akagi Takenori and Hanagata Toru leaped almost simultaneously, stretching their arms out like eagle talons towards the basketball hanging high above.

"It's too close to call," Kogure Kiminobu murmured, a flicker of excitement in his eyes as he watched the tense scene.

"No, look closely," Ayako called out, reminding them.

Everyone immediately focused their gaze. They saw that Akagi Takenori's hand was half a segment higher than Hanagata Toru's, touching the ball first.

Snap...

With a light, crisp sound, Akagi Takenori successfully tipped the ball, sending it falling downwards.

Immediately after, the basketball landed steadily in Sakuragi Hanamichi's hands.

Seeing this, the Shohoku team's spirits lifted, and they silently cheered.

"Great, we got the ball first!" The first-year players on Shohoku cheered in unison, their faces beaming with joy.

However, amidst the cheers, two people did not join in: Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon.

Just then, Qing Junce suddenly said something quite out of place: "This is truly outrageous."

Shimizu Kanon also wore a look of sighing regret.

At the same time.

Beep...

A sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had just received the ball and was about to dribble for an offense, abruptly stopped. Panic flashed across his face. He quickly turned to look at the referee, his voice trembling, "What is it now? I didn't do anything! I didn't foul again, did I?"

He was incredibly flustered, terrified he had made another mistake.

However, the referee ignored him and pointed at Akagi Takenori, stating sternly, "Jump ball foul, Shohoku number 4."

Hmph...

Hanagata Toru's lips curved upwards slightly, and he let out a smug, cold snort before preparing to inbound the ball for the offense.

Akagi Takenori said nothing, but his expression turned grim, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

In the spectator stands.

Akagi Haruko's face showed a hint of embarrassment seeing her brother foul. "My brother..."

Takamiya Nozomi's mouth hung open in surprise. "I thought only Sakuragi would foul! I didn't expect even Gorilla to foul."

On the other side.

"Shoyo... Shoyo... Shoyo..."

The Shoyo cheerleaders were ecstatic, waving their props with excitement, as if Shohoku's foul was their doing.

These enthusiastic cheers put even more pressure on the Shohoku team, making their already tense mood heavier.

Possession fell to Shoyo.

The Shohoku players quickly retreated to defend, standing ready.

"Alright, let's score first," Fujima Kenji said, skillfully dribbling the ball with his left hand while raising his right index finger, his gaze firm and his tone steady.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fujima Kenji immediately drove the ball, leading the Shoyo players in a fierce offensive push.

The other Shoyo players also moved swiftly, each finding their defensive targets.

Takano Shoichi moved quickly, firmly blocking Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Nagano Mitsuru stuck to Rukawa Kaede like a shadow.

Hasegawa Kazushi faced Mitsui Hisashi, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

Hanagata Toru skillfully sealed off Akagi Takenori, occupying a favorable position in the Shohoku paint.

For a moment, the Shohoku half of the court seemed enveloped in a tense atmosphere, thick with tension.

Miyagi Ryota stepped forward proactively, directly blocking Fujima Kenji.

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...

The sound of the ball hitting the floor was exceptionally clear in the quiet gymnasium.

Fujima Kenji looked at Miyagi Ryota before him, his eyes devoid of any fluctuation, appearing completely calm.

Suddenly, he caught the ball and raised it. Right in front of Miyagi Ryota, he lobbed it directly towards the Shohoku inside.

Miyagi Ryota stared at the basketball flying over his head, his eyes wide, a jolt of surprise in his heart.

He instinctively wanted to block the ball, but due to the obvious height difference, his arm couldn't reach the basketball's trajectory.

At this moment, Shohoku's basket area was occupied by Hanagata Toru and Akagi Takenori.

Hanagata Toru, with his excellent positioning skills, firmly blocked Akagi Takenori behind him, then easily reached out and steadily caught the flying basketball.

After receiving the ball, Hanagata Toru stepped forward without hesitation, then quickly spun and jumped, making a shooting motion.

Seeing this, Akagi Takenori naturally wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

He also stepped forward, not to be outdone, and jumped right after him, thinking to himself, "If I can suppress Hanagata here, Shohoku's momentum will definitely increase significantly."

Off the court.

The Shohoku team members became excited seeing Akagi Takenori preparing to block Hanagata Toru on the court, and they all cheered for Akagi Takenori.

"Akagi, just stop him," Kogure Kiminobu said with anticipation, cheering loudly.

Shiosaki Satoshi also shouted, "Go, Captain Akagi, show him what you've got!"

However, Qing Junce sneered and said softly, "What an idiot."

Huh...?

Hearing his words, Ayako looked confused and asked, "Qing Junce, how can you call Captain Akagi an idiot?"

The other team members also cast reproachful glances.

Naturally, they were unhappy to hear anyone speak of Akagi Takenori like that, but since it was Qing Junce, they could only complain in their hearts and didn't dare to show it.

Qing Junce ignored the unfriendly gazes around him and explained, "Haven't you noticed Captain Akagi's current state?"

State?

Everyone looked bewildered, completely not understanding what Qing Junce meant.

Ayako pressed, "Is there something wrong with Captain Akagi's current state?"

Qing Junce patiently said, "Captain Akagi's current state is too aggressive compared to usual. If he rushes to block like this without thinking, he'll just be exploited by the opponent."

What?

Hearing Qing Junce's explanation, the Shohoku team members fell silent.

They couldn't immediately judge whether Qing Junce was telling the truth or not.

However, in the next moment, they got their confirmation.

On the court.

Akagi Takenori was tightly guarding Hanagata Toru, trying to block his shot.

Hanagata Toru's body began to lean back, performing a fadeaway jumper.

Fadeaway jumper?

Seeing this, Akagi Takenori's pupils contracted sharply, and he was startled. His movements involuntarily quickened as he tried to stop Hanagata Toru from shooting.

However, at the very next moment.

Snap...

A crisp sound rang out.

Akagi Takenori's hand landed precisely on Hanagata Toru's arm.

Hanagata Toru shot the basketball a moment later.

Whoosh...

The basketball drew a beautiful arc through the air, flew over Akagi Takenori's head, and then accurately landed in the basket.

Swish...

The ball went in.

Shohoku 0 to Shoyo 2.

Shoyo scored first.

At the same time.

Beep...

The referee's crisp whistle sounded on the court. The referee then pointed at Akagi Takenori and said sternly, "Shohoku number 4, foul on the shot, basket counts, and-one."

Boom...

This penalty was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the minds of the Shohoku team members.

No one had expected that Akagi Takenori would commit two consecutive fouls right at the start of the game.

Akagi Takenori snapped out of his brief shock, a hint of confusion on his face, and slowly raised his hand.

"Ah, how could this happen?! You were right after all," Kogure Kiminobu said dejectedly and helplessly.

Yasuda Yasuharu looked nervous and worried, "Two fouls right at the start, this situation is not good."

Shiosaki Satoshi also looked worried and said, "Captain Akagi should be okay, right!"

Ayako's brow furrowed, and she anxiously turned to look at Coach Anzai beside her, suggesting, "Coach Anzai, should we call a timeout?"

Anzai Mitsuyoshi stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then turned his head to look at Shimizu Kanon and asked, "Kanon, do you think we should call a timeout now?"

"Huh?" Shimizu Kanon was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Coach Anzai to suddenly ask for her opinion. She quickly composed herself and said seriously, "Not yet. Everyone has already been given the information. As long as everyone does as we agreed, there shouldn't be a big problem."

Anzai Mitsuyoshi nodded. He had also carefully reviewed the materials Shimizu Kanon had prepared for the players.

He had to admit that he considered Shimizu Kanon's talent to be exceptionally outstanding, even monstrous.

He had never imagined that someone could research an opponent's intelligence with such meticulous detail and thoroughness.

In his opinion, if one were to say who had the strongest individual skill in Shohoku right now, it would undoubtedly be Qing Junce.

However, if one were to talk about who was the most terrifying in Shohoku, it would have to be Shimizu Kanon.

Shimizu Kanon was simply the nightmare of all opposing teams. Her mastery and analytical ability of intelligence could give the team a significant advantage in the game.

Even if Shohoku was originally just an ordinary team, with Shimizu Kanon's assistance, they could quickly grow into an elite powerhouse that no team would dare to underestimate.

However, to everyone's surprise, in the subsequent match, the situation on the court took a sharp turn, completely exceeding Shimizu Kanon's prior judgment and the expectations of everyone in Shohoku.