Shohoku's New Ace Is Born!

With the "magical boost" of Haruko Akagi's photo, Hanamichi Sakuragi unleashed astonishing potential.

It was as if he had forgotten his exhaustion and soreness. All he could see was the smiling girl on the wall, and the basketball in his hands seemed to have become much more obedient.

Though he still dropped the ball from time to time and his movements remained clumsy, everyone could see that he was improving at a visible rate.

"This guy... he really is a simple-minded idiot." Ryota Miyagi could not help commenting as he watched, but there was less mockery in his tone and more indescribable emotion.

"Using this method to draw out his potential... Shirakawa really is a frightening guy." Takenori Akagi thought silently.

He realized that he was finding it harder and harder to understand this first-year junior who had only recently joined them.

His strength was unfathomable, his personality wild and arrogant, and his actions always unexpected.

Yet everything he did seemed to be moving in a direction beneficial to Shohoku.

With absolute strength, he had ignited Kaede Rukawa's fighting spirit.

And with this unique method, he had forced Hanamichi Sakuragi, the greatest "problem child," to start building his fundamentals.

Without anyone noticing, he had already begun influencing and changing this team.

"Perhaps letting him lead the team wouldn't be such a bad thing?"

A thought that surprised even Akagi himself flashed through his mind.

He shook his head, casting that dangerous idea aside.

"No, it's still too soon."

Training continued.

By the time Hanamichi Sakuragi finally ran out of stamina, unable to dribble the basketball even once more, and collapsed on the floor like a dead dog, the clock on the wall had already reached nine.

Only the few of them remained in the entire basketball gymnasium.

Shirakawa walked over to Sakuragi and nudged his leg with his foot.

"Hey, are you dead? If not, get up. We're going home."

"Dead... I'm dead..." Sakuragi said weakly. "Lord Shirakawa... I feel like my hands don't belong to me anymore..."

"Enough, quit pretending." Shirakawa took a bottle of water and a banana from his bag and tossed them to him. "Eat up and replenish your energy. We continue tomorrow."

"Huh? We're coming again tomorrow?!" Sakuragi let out a cry of despair.

"What else?" Shirakawa rolled his eyes. "Do you think the title of genius comes for free? If you don't put in effort beyond ordinary people, how are you worthy of that title?"

"..." Unable to refute him, Sakuragi could only silently pick up the banana and stuff it into his mouth.

Just then, Kaede Rukawa, who had been quietly practicing on the other side of the court, finished packing up and walked over with his bag slung over his shoulder.

As he passed Shirakawa, he paused.

"Hey."

"What?" Shirakawa turned to look at him.

Rukawa did not look at him. Instead, he stared at the empty basket in the distance, his voice as cold as ever.

"What you said... about a team..."

"Yeah?"

"I... still don't understand." Rukawa said it with great difficulty. For him, this was no different from admitting defeat.

Shirakawa looked at him and smiled.

"Of course you don't understand. If you figured it out in one night, then you'd be me, not Kaede Rukawa."

"..." A vein bulged on Rukawa's forehead. Could this guy not speak properly for once?

"Don't rush, super rookie." Shirakawa patted his shoulder. "The answer will come soon enough."

He glanced at the calendar on the wall. A date had been circled, with two words written beside it—"Ryonan."

"When we play Ryonan in a practice match, I'll let you see with your own eyes what real 'team basketball' looks like." A mysterious smile curled across Shirakawa's lips.

With that, he ignored Rukawa, hauled up Sakuragi, who was still playing dead on the floor, and left the basketball gymnasium.

Rukawa stood where he was, watching their backs as he silently clenched his fists.

"Ryonan... practice match..."

Fire reignited in his eyes.

Early the next morning.

The first light of dawn filtered into the Shohoku Basketball Gymnasium.

Takenori Akagi stood at the center of the court, looking at the refreshed team before him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Kaede Rukawa had arrived earlier than everyone else, his gaze focused.

Hanamichi Sakuragi had two dark circles under his eyes, yet for once, he was not late. He was quietly practicing his dribbling in a corner.

Ryota Miyagi's face held less of its usual carefree irreverence and more solemnity.

Everyone carried themselves completely differently from before.

And the one responsible for all these changes was the white-haired boy yawning nearby, looking as though he had not fully awakened.

Akagi took a deep breath.

He knew the time had come.

"Everyone, assemble!"

At the captain's command, every player quickly lined up.

Akagi's gaze swept across each of them before finally settling on Shirakawa.

His expression was incomparably serious.

"I'm announcing something."

"Starting today, the tactical core of the Shohoku Basketball Team, as well as our primary offensive option..."

Akagi paused, gathering all his strength before saying the name he had considered all night.

"Is Shirakawa!"

The entire court fell silent.

Everyone's eyes focused on the languid boy.

Shirakawa raised his head to meet their gazes. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a smile as if it were only natural.

From this day onward.

Shohoku's era had changed.

A brand-new era, ruled by him, Shirakawa, had officially begun!

Shohoku's new ace had been born!