Breakdown Plan

Sakuragi had been looking forward to the special training, only to arrive at the swimming pool alone. Meanwhile, Akagi and the other teammates were having a rough time after reaching the military base. They had to find meal tickets hidden on the mountain before dark. Otherwise, not only would they go without food, they would also have to spend the night on the mountain.

After changing into his swimsuit, Sakuragi came to the poolside. He was the only one in the enormous facility, and the silence was enough to make even him uneasy.

"Why does putting on a swimsuit suddenly feel so awkward? Hey! You creepy old man, where are you? What kind of special training is this?!"

Sakuragi grew increasingly anxious as no one showed up.

"Oh, looks like I'm the one who's late this time..." Maekawa slowly walked over.

"Hey! Old man, what kind of training is this? It's freezing just standing here!!" Sakuragi complained.

"Haha, you really look like a swimming champion in that outfit!" Yuanhang praised Sakuragi.

Indeed, Sakuragi was already tall and muscular. Wearing a swimsuit on top of that... he was practically showing off his physique!

"So what exactly am I supposed to do?" Sakuragi asked impatiently.

"You're pretty eager. Look at the pool behind you. Go take a closer look," Maekawa said.

Before Sakuragi was an international-standard swimming pool, five meters long and one meter wide. The water was clear, but the pool walls...

"Th-This isn't a swimming pool, it's a fish pond! The water's pretty clear, but the walls are way too filthy!"

The sight of the pool walls gave Sakuragi a fright.

"That's true. I haven't scrubbed those walls in a long time. How about it, Mr. Sakuragi? Please help me clean them today!" Maekawa said without the slightest hesitation.

"You've got to be kidding... Such a huge pool, and you want me to clean it by myself...? Are you trying to work me to death?!" Sakuragi found the idea utterly unbelievable.

"I knew you wouldn't agree. I heard you're competitive, so how about this? We'll have a match in this pool. If I beat you, you scrub the walls. If you beat me, you can leave and go train with your teammates!" Maekawa proposed a contest with Sakuragi.

"Your words, not mine. How are we competing?" Sakuragi was brimming with fighting spirit.

"We'll race these fifty meters."

"Fine! Haha, I forgot to tell you, but I'm a genius at swimming too!" Sakuragi seemed extremely confident.

The moment Sakuragi finished speaking, Maekawa leaped up and crashed into the pool.

"Don't just talk. Get in here." Maekawa was already calling to Sakuragi from the water.

Maekawa's sudden dive caught Sakuragi off guard. He hesitated for several seconds before coming back to his senses.

"Swimming champion Sakuragi Hanamichi has arrived!" With that, Sakuragi also jumped into the pool.

"Both contestants, get ready! Start when I call one!" Kawaguchi became a temporary referee at the poolside.

"...One! Start!"

At the command, the race began.

Maekawa planted his feet hard against the pool wall, launching his entire body forward like a compressed spring. Sakuragi, meanwhile, simply entered the water normally. Right from the start, Yuanhang had already opened up a gap on Sakuragi.

How underhanded!! Using a move like that!!! Sakuragi complained inwardly.

What followed held no suspense at all. Maekawa remained far ahead and reached the finish line, while Sakuragi... had only made it halfway.

"How about it, Sakuragi? You lost, didn't you?" Maekawa climbed out at the edge of the pool.

"You cheated!" Sakuragi protested.

"Maekawa used to be Japan's number one swimmer. In the five-meter, one-meter, and other short-distance events, he won countless awards not only in Asia, but in world competitions as well!" Kawaguchi explained to Sakuragi.

"You could've told me earlier..." Sakuragi looked at Kawaguchi resentfully.

"A bet's a bet, Sakuragi!"

After speaking, Yuanhang began explaining why Sakuragi had been sent here for special training.

"Do you know why you weren't sent to special training with your teammates? It's because of your physical condition. Coach Omoki already told me about you. Although your physical gifts are outstanding, precisely because of that, you've never taken proper care of your body. Every time you got injured, you were always in a rush to return. Again and again, your body was overworked, so it could never recover to how it was before the injuries. And those injuries carry major hidden risks, especially to your back and waist. Those are the most important areas for an athlete. I've seen too many athletes like you, people with exceptional physical talent. But they often neglected maintenance, and their careers ended prematurely as a result, without ever reaching the level they should have. Their outstanding physical gifts became the obstacle standing in their way to success!!! I wasn't swimming that fast. You were simply too slow. Do you understand now, Sakuragi?! So for this week, my job is to restore your body to its former condition. Time is short, and the task is heavy!"

Yuanhang's words left Sakuragi speechless. Listening to him, Sakuragi recalled his physical condition over the past few years. His explosiveness and jumping ability were still there, but injuries never stopped coming. And just as Maekawa had said, his waist and back both had serious hidden problems.

"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and scrub the pool walls! I still have to open for business!" Seeing that Sakuragi had yet to react, Maekawa called out.

"You really are impatient. I, Sakuragi, always honor my bets. It's just cleaning a pool. How could that possibly stump a genius like me?!" Sakuragi seemed to have snapped out of it.

"Hey, give me the tools! Don't tell me I'm supposed to scrub it with my hands!!" Sakuragi still sounded impatient.

"Senior Maekawa, are you really going to make Sakuragi clean such a huge pool? This..." Kawaguchi was worried about Sakuragi's physical condition.

"Don't worry. Sakuragi's physical ability hasn't declined to that point yet. The special training starts with cleaning the pool," Yuanhang said.

"Sakuragi..." Kawaguchi worried for him, while Sakuragi had already begun working in the pool...

"That psycho instructor gave us such a ridiculous assignment. This mountain is huge! How are we supposed to find those cards?!"

"I found one!!! I found one!! Yeah!!!"

Meanwhile, just as Miyagi was complaining about being unable to find a card, some of the other teammates seemed to have made progress.

"Miyagi, stop complaining. Use that time to keep looking. Time is running out," Akagi said. It seemed that he had not found one either.

The players began searching all over the mountain again.

The sky gradually darkened. Only five people had found meal cards, and among Shohoku's group of four, only Rukawa Kaede had found one. Wait...

"Hahahahaha! Found one! I found one! Hahaha!"

"That Miyagi..." Akagi was somewhat unwilling to accept it.

In the end, Miyagi caught the last train, returning to headquarters with Rukawa Kaede and four other players. Akagi, Mitsui, and the remaining teammates could only spend an uncertain night on the mountain.

"Huff... huff... huff... I can't go on. My waist is so sore, and my back is numb too. I've been soaking in the water for too long, and it feels like all my strength has been drained... There's still half left to clean. Damn it!!!" Sakuragi's stamina seemed to have reached its limit. He was already on the verge of collapse.

"Congratulations on completing the meal-ticket search. Next comes the after-dinner activity. Wash every piece of tableware used tonight!!" Instructor Maekawa issued another order.

"Are you kidding? The four of us have to wash nearly a hundred sets of dishes...? Are you insane?!"

"Only those who undergo hard training and work diligently can sleep soundly!!" the instructor said.

The four stared blankly at the mountain of bowls and chopsticks. After washing for half the night, it felt as though they had fallen into a bottomless pit, unable to see any way out...

"I want to go back to the base, back to the dorms! What kind of bullshit training is this?!"

Up on the mountain, some teammates began losing control of their emotions.

"Understood, Kawaguchi. You've worked hard."

"But Coach, is this really okay?"

"It's fine. Things are the same over there. This is the core of this special training—the Breakdown Plan!"

Kawaguchi spoke with Coach Omoki over the phone.

"Everyone, raise your spirits. Not returning to base doesn't mean everything is over. Just like in a basketball game, never give up until the final second!!" Akagi said as he saw everyone's morale sinking.

"Although we didn't find meal tickets on the mountain today, I made another discovery. There's a large fruit grove on the southwest side of this mountain, and the fruit is edible. Everyone, work together. Before it gets completely dark, gather some wood and build a temporary shelter. How could such a small difficulty stop our Jaguars? The Jaguars never give up!! Let's move, brothers!"

Akagi's words inspired everyone. They seemed to suddenly be filled with energy as they shouted in response.

"Akagi hasn't been with the team for many years either, but he already looks every bit like a team leader. Akagi! You can do this!!" Mitsui secretly came to admire Akagi as well.

"Huh? My body doesn't feel as heavy anymore. My waist and back feel much better too. Good! I'll finish cleaning it all in one push! I can't let Maekawa look down on me! And Rukawa Kaede too!!"

Sakuragi also seemed to have found his fighting spirit again, scrubbing nonstop in the pool.

"Hey, get to work! Akagi and the others didn't complain even while stuck on the mountain, so we definitely can't lose to them!!" Rukawa Kaede unusually shouted to encourage everyone.

"That's right! As long as we work hard, what's a hundred bowls?!" Seeing even Rukawa Kaede so fired up, Miyagi was infected by his enthusiasm.

With that, the four began washing dishes like mad.

"The so-called Breakdown Plan means first making them feel despair. Only the willpower born from despair is the toughest and most unyielding! And that is precisely what an athlete needs most. If they can forge that kind of will, it's more important than making however many shots!!"

Only after the call ended did Kawaguchi understand. And just as Omoki had said, every group of players would be reborn after breaking down!