Genius Sakuragi's "Century Assist"!

"Whew... whew..."

Back in the rest area, Hanamichi Sakuragi dropped onto the bench and panted heavily.

His face was practically stamped with two words—utter frustration.

He had played terribly in the first half.

On offense, aside from winning the opening tip-off against Uozumi, he had barely done anything. Shirakawa and Kaede Rukawa simply would not pass to him, leaving him to run back and forth in the paint like a headless fly.

On defense, he had been thoroughly taught a lesson by Ryonan's captain, Jun Uozumi.

That guy who looked like the boss of a troop of monkeys had rough technique, but his height and strength were absolutely terrifying. Combined with his veteran experience, he had fooled Sakuragi repeatedly with fakes and clever positioning.

If Captain Akagi and Shirakawa had not reminded him from time to time, he probably would have been baited into several fouls and sent off already.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

The more Sakuragi thought about it, the angrier he got. He grabbed a towel and viciously scrubbed his red hair.

"This genius can't keep going like this!"

"In the second half! I will definitely! Make a name for myself!"

He glanced at Kaede Rukawa, who was drinking water, then at Shirakawa, who was resting with his eyes closed beside him. Fierce fighting spirit ignited in his heart.

"Just you wait! I, Hanamichi Sakuragi, am Shohoku's true savior!"

The second half began soon afterward.

Ryonan launched the first attack.

Sendo was still the all-powerful ace. With a beautiful drive, he drew a double-team from two Shohoku players, then fired a precise bounce pass to assist their forward, Fukuda Kiccho, for an easy layup.

32:32.

The two sides were back on equal footing.

"Beautiful, Sendo! Fukuda!"

Coach Taoka excitedly waved his hand. He felt that after the halftime adjustments, Ryonan was finally about to take control of the game!

It was Shohoku's turn to attack.

Shirakawa remained as unhurried as ever as he dribbled the ball across half court. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he passed the ball to Kaede Rukawa again.

Coach Taoka nearly burst out laughing when he saw that.

Passing to him again?

Letting him play one-on-one again?

Coach Anzai, had you really gone senile?

Kaede Rukawa caught the ball and, facing Sendo's defense, entered one-on-one mode once more.

However, after the intense battle of the first half and the brief halftime break, his stamina had begun to decline.

This time, Sendo read his forced drive perfectly, and he nearly lost the ball to a steal.

He could only barely pass it to Miyagi beside him.

Miyagi caught the ball and tried to use his speed to break through, only to find that Ryonan's defensive formation had collapsed inward extremely quickly, leaving him no room to penetrate.

The 24-second shot clock ticked away bit by bit.

Shohoku's first possession had reached a deadlock!

"Damn it! I can't get the ball inside!" Miyagi was frantic.

Just then, a thunderous roar exploded beside his ear.

"Little Miyagi! Pass the ball to this genius!"

It was Hanamichi Sakuragi!

At some point, he had used his beastlike instincts to seize a fleeting opening in Ryonan's paint!

The moment Miyagi saw Sakuragi, it was like seeing a savior. Without a second thought, he passed the ball over!

"It's here!"

Sakuragi caught the ball, and his entire body trembled with excitement!

This was the first time he had touched the ball in the second half!

He was going to score!

He was going to use an earth-shattering dunk to announce the genius's return to everyone!

Standing before him was Ryonan's captain, Jun Uozumi!

"Come at me, red-haired monkey!" Uozumi spread his arms wide, blocking him like a wall.

"Watch me shake you down with the Genius Ankle Breaker!"

Sakuragi roared in his heart, then began his clumsy, utterly miserable dribbling.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

With his head lowered, he pounded the ball with all his strength, trying to replicate the "ultimate move" Shirakawa had taught him.

But ideals were plump, while reality was bony.

Not only did his dribbling fail to shake Uozumi, he kicked the basketball underfoot because he was using too much force!

"Whoa!"

Sakuragi cried out as he lost his balance and fell stiffly toward the floor!

A textbook fall on level ground.

The basketball also slipped from his hands and rolled toward the sideline.

"Pfft—"

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The entire arena erupted in explosive, completely undisguised laughter.

"What is that guy doing? Diving?"

"I'm dying! Is he really a basketball player?"

"Did Shohoku come here to be comedians?"

Ryonan's players laughed so hard they bent over, nearly crying.

Even on Shohoku's side, Miyagi and Kogure covered their faces awkwardly, unable to bear watching.

"This idiot..." Kaede Rukawa coldly spat out four words.

Coach Taoka was laughing so hard he could not close his mouth. Pointing at Sakuragi on the court, he said to the assistant coach beside him, "See that? That's an amateur! That's why I didn't choose him in the first place!"

However, just as everyone was treating Sakura-

gi as a joke.

Only one person did not laugh.

Shirakawa.

The instant Sakuragi fell and the basketball slipped from his hands.

His body moved like an activated cheetah, launching in an instant!

His eyes locked tightly onto the basketball rolling toward the sideline, and within 0.01 seconds, his brain calculated the optimal attacking route!

"Now!"

His speed exploded to its peak!

Daiki Aomine's Ultra-High-Speed Dribbling talent was driven to its absolute limit at that moment!

Like a streak of white lightning, he tore through every laughing, completely unguarded Ryonan player!

"What?!"

Sendo was the first to react. His vision blurred, and that Number 1 had already sprinted past him!

So fast!

Too fast to see clearly at all!

Just before the basketball went out of bounds, Shirakawa lightly hooked it back with the tip of his foot!

Then, catching the ball in one fluid motion without the slightest pause, he gathered and leaped!

There was no one in front of him!

The path to the basket was completely open!

BANG—!

An earth-shattering one-handed tomahawk slam!

The entire hoop structure shook violently, as though it were wailing!

The arena fell instantly silent.

Every laugh caught in everyone's throat.

They stared dumbfoundedly at the white-haired boy clutching the rim, his body still swaying in the air, their minds completely blank.

What... had just happened?

From Sakuragi's fall, to Shirakawa grabbing the ball, to that thunderous dunk.

The entire sequence had happened in a flash, far too quickly for anyone to react!

Shirakawa jumped down from the rim. After landing, he did not even glance at the scoreboard.

He walked over to Hanamichi Sakuragi, who was still sprawled on the ground with a baffled expression, and extended a hand to pull him up.

Then he patted Sakuragi on the shoulder and, in an approving tone, loudly said before everyone:

"Nice one, Sakuragi."

"That assist was practically world-class."

Sakuragi: "Huh?"

Everyone: "???"