The moment the gang of delinquents entered, they brazenly shoved over a basketball rack beside them, sending basketballs rolling all over the floor.
Kaede Rukawa happened to be in charge of putting away the basketballs that day. Seeing his hard work undone, he immediately spoke in an icy voice.
"Pick those balls up, you bastards!"
Kaede Rukawa was very good at fighting. Although he did not like starting trouble, he had never been afraid of it. Fighting was an everyday occurrence for him.
Provoked by Kaede Rukawa, the delinquents immediately turned their attention toward him.
Toku Hotta, a fierce-looking third-year delinquent at the school, walked straight up to Kaede Rukawa. "Kaede Rukawa, you bastard, it's you again! I'm going to give you a proper beating today!"
As for Toku Hotta, he was a die-hard fan of Hisashi Mitsui. He had not only stood by Hisashi Mitsui throughout his delinquent days.
After Hisashi Mitsui returned to the Shohoku Basketball Team, Toku Hotta also often cheered him on with a flag reading [Flame Man Mitsui].
However, this guy was actually terrible at fighting. He had already fought Kaede Rukawa on the first day of school, when Rukawa had single-handedly knocked all four delinquents to the ground.
Kaede Rukawa was holding a mop. Ruthless and a man of few words, he immediately moved to raise it and attack Toku Hotta in front of him, but someone grabbed the mop in his hands.
That person was Ryota Miyagi, the main reason the delinquents had come looking for trouble that day. He quietly tried to talk Kaede Rukawa down.
"Don't be rash, Kaede Rukawa. You'll get kicked off the basketball team for fighting in the gym!
They're here for me. I'll just go outside with them."
Taking responsibility, Ryota Miyagi walked up to Hisashi Mitsui. Afraid of affecting the entire Shohoku Basketball Team, he spoke in a much more subdued manner.
"Mitsui, what happened today is entirely a personal matter between you and me. I'll go with you, so leave everyone else out of it."
"Ha! You think I have to listen just because you say we should go outside?" Hisashi Mitsui had no intention of taking Ryota Miyagi outside. He had come for the entire Shohoku Basketball Team, so how could he possibly leave just like that?
Walking up to Ryota Miyagi, Hisashi Mitsui threw a swift punch toward his stomach.
But a blond figure swiftly appeared beside Ryota Miyagi and caught Hisashi Mitsui's fist with one hand.
Naturally, the person who appeared at that critical moment was Ryota Kudo. The moment Hisashi Mitsui entered with the delinquents, he had immediately set a series of actions in motion.
He told Ayako to find a chance to slip out and fetch Captain Takenori Akagi and Coach Anzai. He also contacted Tatsuhiko Aota by pager, telling him to hurry to the basketball gym and help.
Only after doing all this did Ryota Kudo come over to deal with Hisashi Mitsui and his gang.
Under Hisashi Mitsui's incredulous gaze, Ryota Kudo easily shoved him a considerable distance away with just one hand.
Hisashi Mitsui stumbled back five steps before regaining his footing. He looked in surprise at the tall blond boy opposite him. He had only ever felt strength like that from his good friend, Tetsuo.
But Tetsuo was a terrifyingly muscular man, while the blond boy before him looked well-proportioned.
Before Hisashi Mitsui could speak, Ryota Kudo spoke first with a smile.
"Mitsui, you're awfully weak these days. Is it because you haven't played basketball in so long?"
"You bastard!" Hisashi Mitsui's face flushed with anger at having his sore spot struck. Throwing all else aside, he charged up to Ryota Kudo and punched at that hateful face.
But Ryota Kudo, already on guard, merely slid sideways to dodge the punch, then stuck out a foot to trip Hisashi Mitsui as he charged at full speed.
Hisashi Mitsui hit the ground hard and cried out in pain. Furious, he scrambled up and charged at Ryota Kudo again with a shout.
At that moment, Ryota Kudo noticed that Hisashi Mitsui was missing several teeth, making him look quite comical.
Moreover, compared with Hisashi Mitsui's MVP form in junior high, his speed, explosiveness, and strength had all declined far too much.
To be honest, Ryota Kudo felt somewhat disappointed. He could only hope Hisashi Mitsui would regain his form as soon as possible after returning.
The first to arrive was not their outside reinforcement, Tatsuhiko Aota, but the Sakuragi Gang, making a stylish entrance as all four leaped down from the gym's second floor on ropes.
Standing in the center, Yohei Mito said confidently, "The whole Sakuragi Gang is here. Leave the rest to us!"
Ryota Kudo noticed that all four members of the Sakuragi Gang had injuries on their faces. Clearly, they had already been fighting outside the basketball gym.
That was indeed the case. Hisashi Mitsui had brought six delinquents from outside the school this time, with another three from within the school.
Three of them had already been dealt with outside by the Sakuragi Gang.
While the delinquents' attention was entirely on the Sakuragi Gang, Ryota Kudo gave Ayako a look. She immediately slipped out to fetch Takenori Akagi and Coach Anzai.
Knowing it would cause serious trouble if the basketball players fought, the four members of the Sakuragi Gang loyally took on the delinquents.
Yohei Mito in particular held his own against three delinquents at once.
At that point, only one delinquent was still standing where he was, calmly smoking. He was Tetsuo, the strongest fighter among them.
Seeing the delinquents losing despite their numerical advantage, Tetsuo threw his cigarette onto the floor and charged at Yohei Mito like a black bear.
Tetsuo, who had completely failed to react, clamped Yohei Mito under one thick arm and ran toward the entrance. When he reached the iron doors, Tetsuo hurled Yohei Mito hard at them.
Everyone present was astonished by that explosive strength. With physical abilities like those, he would certainly have excelled as a rugby, baseball, or basketball player.
Unfortunately, Tetsuo had already taken the path of a delinquent and could no longer turn back.
Just as Yohei Mito was about to crash into the iron doors, they opened, revealing a tall figure outside.
Yohei Mito flew straight into the man's arms. Smiling, the man caught him and set him down on the floor.
"You all right, young man? I'm not too late, am I?" The man who had opened the doors was naturally Tatsuhiko Aota, captain of the Judo Club.
Once Tatsuhiko Aota arrived, the outcome was no longer in doubt. Even the seemingly powerful Tetsuo did not last ten seconds against him.
With a ground submission hold, Tatsuhiko Aota choked Tetsuo unconscious in seconds. As for the others, not one could last a single exchange against him.
This thoroughly demonstrated to everyone that they should never pit their hobby against someone else's profession. It was like smashing an egg against a rock.
Not long afterward, Ayako arrived at the basketball gym with Takenori Akagi and Coach Anzai.
Facing Coach Anzai, the "god" in his heart, Hisashi Mitsui tearfully spoke those classic words.
"Coach, I want to play basketball."
In the end, Hisashi Mitsui successfully returned to the Shohoku Basketball Team, bringing the farce to a close.
However, someone still had to take responsibility for the delinquents entering Shohoku High School and causing trouble.
The four members of the Sakuragi Gang and Hisashi Mitsui's die-hard fan, Toku Hotta, stepped forward and took the school's disciplinary punishment.
The Shohoku Basketball Team emerged unscathed and could devote all its efforts to preparing for the Kanagawa Prefecture tournament.
Before you continue