Changing Players (2)

"So, does that mean he's the one you've chosen as the next minister?"

"He's just a substitute. Although his personality is a good fit, he's still lacking something on the court."

Yukimura has not yet confirmed Tamagawa's identity, but he still holds great hope for him.

The only thing Yukimura was certain about was Kirihara, the next vice-captain of Rikkai Dai.

Bang!

"Hey! Little Jin! We told you to control your power, are you trying to tear the whole school down?!"

"Seriously, Kintaro, you almost ruined the court!"

After a loud noise was made at the Shitenhoji tennis club, the roars of Shiraishi and Zaizen could be heard.

"Haha, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to try out the new racket Grandma Sugi made for me, I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

Amidst the dust and smoke, the figures of the Shitenhoji could be vaguely seen, with Kintaro, the culprit, laughing and apologizing to everyone.

"Our club is already poor. If you really ruin the court, that penniless Coach won't pay to fix it."

"But seriously, Xiao Jin's new racket seems to be even better than yours before."

At this moment, Kazuki Yuji and Konjiki Koharu emerged from the dust, arm in arm, praising Kintaro's new racket.

"It seems Grandma Sugi has put a lot of thought into this."

"Xiao Jin, your strength has increased even more!"

"That's right! Grandma Sugi said this new racket is more suitable for me now. Next time I meet Horio, I'm sure I can beat him!"

Kintaro himself deeply understood what Shiraishi and Chitose had said.

Because he could clearly feel that he had become stronger, his desire to compete against Horio became even stronger.

"Alright, alright, what are you doing making such a commotion... Hmm? Why did that tree fall down!? Kintaro! It was you again!"

At that moment, Coach Watanabe Shu appeared. He had been looking relaxed when he saw a tree uprooted not far from the field.

Although it wasn't a big deal, his stingy nature still caused him a pang of heartache.

"Ashu, please don't be angry. We'll replant it later."

"It's not us! It's just you!"

Kintaro was still somewhat afraid of Watanabe Shu, but what he feared most was Shiraishi's left hand, which was wrapped in bandages.

Upon hearing that Kintaro had included them, the rest of the Shitenhoji shattered Kintaro's last remaining illusions with a single shout.

"Alright, alright, now that the National Tournament is over, you should start thinking about recommending new talent."

Shiraishi Chitose, you third-year Senpai need to plan for the future of the Shitenhoji Tennis Club. I'm waiting for your good news.

After saying that, Watanabe Shu left the court, leaving Shiraishi and the others looking completely bewildered.

Does the Coach mean he doesn't care about these things?

"He doesn't even care about something as important as recommending new talent... that's really his style."

"However, we really need to prepare for recommending new talents. We have to take this seriously for next year's National Tournament."

Hello, who is this?

"Hey kid, it's me. The guys from the First String and second teams will be back the day after tomorrow, but they're only coming back to rest for a few days before going overseas for training again."

Your so-called National Tournament should be over by now, right? Even if it isn't, get back to the Training Base and teach those kids a lesson.

In the training hall where Horio often practiced extra, he suddenly received a phone call after finishing his practice.

A familiar yet gruff voice came from the other end of the phone, and Horio smiled.

"I've been looking forward to this for so long, you old geezer."

As soon as Horio finished speaking, the phone went dead.

"Tch, still as bad-tempered as ever, he actually hung up on me."

On the other side, deep in the mountains, stands a small hill.

On this small hill, a burly figure with a scraggly beard and a disheveled appearance stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance.

He held a satellite phone in one hand and the same unchanging wine flask in the other.

Dozens of eagles were perched in the sky not far from him, as if guarding him.

"I've been searching for an eagle capable of tearing through the skies of this world; now, unleash your sharp claws!"

The gaze fixed on the figure in the distance suddenly sharpened, and then he uttered this domineering statement.

"Are you going to that place again? Anyway, the National Tournament is over, so go if you want."

"Thank you, Coach. I don't know when I'll be back, but if anything urgent comes up, just give me a call and I'll come right back."

After being hung up on, Horio immediately called Coach Ryuzaki and asked for leave without a specific date.

Coach Ryuzaki didn't refuse. Seigaku's training wouldn't benefit Horio at all, so it was better for him to be free to roam.

After obtaining Coach Ryuzaki's consent, Horio politely promised to return if there was any emergency, fulfilling his responsibility as a member of Seigaku.

The next day, Horio packed his things and set off for the U-17 Training Base.

Just as Horio was leaving Seigaku, the Wimbledon Open, one of the world's four major tennis tournaments, was about to take place in London.

As the organizer, we specially invited outstanding youth teams from all over the world to participate in an exhibition match this year, as a warm-up for the main competition.

As Japan's representative, Shitenhoji Wimbledon Open tournament committee extended invitations to Seigaku, Rikkai Dai, and Hyotei.

The invitation arrived on Coach Ryuzaki's desk on the very day Horio arrived at the U-17 training camp.

"Finally arrived. I really don't understand why a national team training camp would be built in this crappy place."

After a half-day journey, Horio finally returned to the U-17 Training Base.

Perhaps having learned from his previous experience, Horio had barely reached the entrance when the large iron gate blocking his way opened.

Seeing that the iron gate was open, Horio did not stop and walked inside.

Not far inside, Saito Itaru appeared.

"Oh, it's Horio. I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

"I was originally planning to come with my teammates after you sent out the training camp invitation, but that old geezer said that the First String and second team players will be back tomorrow."

I couldn't wait to play against them, so I came back.

"I see... We were originally planning to send out training camp invitations in the next few days, but it seems that Seigaku and a few other schools won't be able to come these days, so we postponed it."

Saito Itaru was not surprised when he heard the reason for Horio's return.

Horio, on the other hand, looked puzzled after hearing Saito Itaru's words.