Upon seeing this, Shirasawa immediately understood Sanae's intention—talking about these things with Sakuragi was perfect for Ichiro Katsumi!
"Wow! Isn't that Kanagawa's Rebound King?!"
"No, no, it should now be called ' King Kong No. 2,' which fought fiercely against Shinichi Maki!"
Sakuragi thoroughly enjoyed Ichiro Katsumi's flattery.
The genius burst into laughter a few times, then put on a smug expression.
"Hmph, although this genius doesn't know who you are, you are indeed an honest person."
Just like that, Ichiro Katsumi and Sakuragi became fast friends. Twenty minutes later, the two strolled out of the conference room arm in arm.
" Xiao Bai, how could such a big event be complete without me, the genius Sakuragi! With me on the team, we're sure to make it to the national championships, hehehe."
Hanamichi Sakuragi was clearly dazed from being hit so hard.
But this is for the best, saving Shirasawa and Sanae the trouble of explaining a bunch of things to him.
With this, the agency has signed its fifth player.
It's none other than the Rebound King, Hanamichi Sakuragi!
Actually, when he left, Sakuragi didn't quite understand what he had signed.
But he knew Shirasawa would never betray him, and that was enough.
Often, trusting your brothers is more important than anything else.
However, Sakuragi still had a lingering resentment.
" Xiao Bai, actually I've been wanting to ask this for a while now, why does Sanae -nee's car smell strange..."
"It always smelled nice before, but this time it feels especially..." Sakuragi racked his brains for an adjective.
Shirasawa raised his hand and patted his shoulder, interrupting him with a carefree expression:
"What are you thinking about? Don't pry into other people's business."
A new king shall rise in Kanagawa! He shall personally hold the torch to light up the long night!
The era of Kanagawa's rule has come to an end!
"This guy's gone mad! He's been cheating for forty minutes!"
"Berserk! 59 points in a single game breaks records! He's the new era!"
The next morning, newspapers across the country were filled with exaggerated and eye-catching headlines.
Nationwide, some people may not know who Shinichi Maki is, but most have heard of the Kainan Team's sixteen-year winning streak in Kanagawa.
That number is indeed alarming.
Once it's broken, it's hard for it not to become a hot topic.
Regardless of whether they know anything about Kanagawa basketball, everyone wants to see which team defeated the legend and how.
Osaka.
Daiei Academy.
Captain Atsushi Tsuchiya ate his breakfast while flipping through the newspaper.
"Captain, Kainan actually capsized in Kanagawa! That Shinichi Maki was ridiculously strong in last year's national tournament."
Atsushi Tsuchiya, still staring at the report, responded with a curt "Hmm" without even looking up.
"Captain, Shohoku's Shirasawa scored 59 points, that's outrageous! Last year in the semifinals, Sannoh played against Kainan, Sawakita didn't even score that many points."
Atsushi Tsuchiya's face remained expressionless, and it was unclear whether he had even heard her. "Yes," he said.
The team members were already used to his style and didn't feel awkward at all, continuing their conversation.
After finishing the last bite, Atsushi Tsuchiya casually set the newspaper aside.
"Alright, let's go."
The selection trials in Osaka started a little later than those in Kanagawa.
Today, they are playing in the quarterfinals.
Atsushi Tsuchiya will lead Daiei Academy into the fray.
Although he didn't say much throughout, his teammates could tell that after reading the newspaper, a spark of eagerness ignited in his eyes!
It looks like we should be worried for our opponents in the upcoming match.
Shizuoka Prefecture.
Jousei High School.
Captain Mikoshiba had just finished his morning training.
Seeing the team members huddled together, chatting happily over with newspapers in hand, I walked over.
"You guys, slacking off here again?"
Mikoshiba walked over, wiping his sweat. He had just finished his morning exercise when he saw the team members gathered in a group.
"We can't afford to be stuck in the quarterfinals again this year."
He was naturally referring to the top eight teams in the country. Jousei High School has always been one of the strongest teams in the country, and last year, under his leadership, they made it into the top eight again—but only the top eight. It seems like they can't get past this hurdle, and this year they are determined to overcome it, because maybe once they do, the future will be bright.
"Captain! Did you know that Shohoku beat Kainan yesterday?!"
Mikoshiba was taken aback. Shohoku?... Wait, that guy Takenori Akagi?
Mikoshiba is a well-known figure nationwide, yet he knows Akagi, who is completely unknown nationwide. The two have a decent relationship, but they don't keep in touch often. Who has time to keep up with the news from other prefectures every day? So, in Mikoshiba's memory, Akagi is still that weak team captain, and he can't even remember the team's name clearly.
He only vaguely recognized the name when his teammates Shohoku.
"You guys said Shohoku beat Kainan? The Kainan that made it to the semifinals last year? The one with Shinichi Maki?"
The team members nodded in unison.
"Captain, you're so oblivious to what's going on outside! Shohoku is the biggest dark horse this year!"
Mikoshiba hadn't recovered from her daze yet.
"Is Akagi this good now? How many points did he score?"
"The report said that Akagi played for 12 minutes, scored 10 points, and then left the game due to injury."
Mikoshiba's eyes widened in disbelief.
Akagi only plays for 12 minutes, Shohoku can beat Kainan? Are you kidding me?!
Seeing his naive and unsophisticated attitude, his teammates sighed helplessly. "Captain... isn't he a bit out of touch?"
Did they really think Shohoku was Akagi's team?
"Captain, you might not know, Shohoku's ace right now is Shirasawa, a first-year student who scored 59 points against Kainan!"
Mikoshiba was dumbfounded.
"How many? 59 points?!"
He snatched the newspaper and began to read it carefully, his brow furrowed.
After a long while, he muttered, "Is this newspaper reliable...? It's way too exaggerated..."
Aichi Prefecture.
Meihou Industrial High School.
The head coach stared at the players training on the field for a long time, then shook his head in dissatisfaction.
The team's current form is far from meeting his expectations.
However, when he turned his head to look at the bench, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
There sat a tall, burly guy over there, dozing off, his head nodding off.
Big, and enormous—these two words perfectly describe him. His physique was simply unbelievable; his arms were as thick as other people's waists, so you can imagine how terrifying his strength must be.
This big guy is the head coach's only hope, Aichi Prefecture's super rookie this year, Hiroshi Morishige!
Whether he plays or not directly determines Meihou Industrial is a pushover or a powerhouse. In the head coach's eyes, Hiroshi Morishige has that ability.
A few years ago, a super center emerged in the national tournament, who single-handedly led his team into the national top eight. That player is now the number one center in the country Shota Sugiyama.
Meihou Industrial's head coach believes that Hiroshi Morishige can not only surpass Shota Sugiyama, but he will surpass him this year!
"Wake up, now is not the time to sleep." The head coach gently nudged Hiroshi Morishige.
Hiroshi Morishige rubbed his eyes and asked immediately, "Finished practicing?"
His attitude clearly showed he had no interest in training and didn't bother to pretend in front of the head coach.
The head coach had no choice but to shake his head and hand him a newspaper.
" Hiroshi, look at this! A remarkable newcomer has emerged in Kanagawa Prefecture."
Hiroshi Morishige glanced at it casually and smiled faintly.
"Not bad, uncle. If I were in that position, I'd probably get 70 points and 20 rebounds."
The head coach nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.
He knew that Hiroshi Morishige had absolutely no idea what Kainan was, let alone who Shinichi Maki. Even so, the kid could still say something like that—in the head coach's eyes, this wasn't ignorance, it was fearlessness!
This is precisely what makes Hiroshi Morishige so outstanding.
Moreover, his fearlessness is not just boasting; in a few days, Meihou will face Aiwa Academy in the semifinals.
That match was the moment for Hiroshi Morishige to make a name for himself!
What Star of Aichi, what National Top Four?
Your good days are almost over.
Kanagawa Prefectural Shohoku High School.
As students entered the school gate one after another in the morning, they all felt that the school sign seemed brighter than usual.
The Shohoku Basketball Team's victory over Kainan has boosted the school's reputation, and it looks like it's about to become a renowned basketball school.
The school's official honor roll is covered with newspaper clippings today.
The news was all about Shohoku's victory over Kainan, with photos of the starting players prominently displayed.
Hanamichi Sakuragi probably won't need to cut out his little photo and stick it on his clothes today.
"The basketball team was amazing this time! I was so excited last night I couldn't sleep, even though I wasn't the one playing..."
"How can it not matter? Our school is really proud now! From now on, we can hold our heads high when we Shohoku!"
" Shirasawa from Class 3, Grade 1 has really become a celebrity. My neighbor even asked me for his autograph."
"Sigh... The biggest worry right now is getting tickets. It's our own school's game, but we can't even get in to watch it. I remember the basketball team used to give out tickets willingly..."
The students gathered in groups, chatting enthusiastically, making the campus even more lively than usual in the morning.
Not long after, Takenori Akagi and Kogure also arrived at school.
As soon as they appeared, they were immediately surrounded by a crowd of students.
Akagi wanted to walk over discreetly, but the road was already blocked, so he had no choice but to stand there with a straight face, though he was secretly overjoyed.
Kogure then temporarily acted as a spokesperson, cheerfully answering everyone's questions.
Then Mitsui, Miyagi, and Hanamichi Sakuragi arrived one after another, and the atmosphere at the school gate completely exploded.
These students, who used to be troublemakers, have now become heroes who bring honor to the school.
The students' gazes towards them had long since changed from fear to admiration.
Besides, Shohoku has changed a lot under Yohei.
Bullying has long ceased on campus; if you really want to settle things, you have to go off campus.
Nowadays, if any Shohoku student suffers injustice outside, they dare to go directly to Yohei or Tetsuo Hotta for support.
Yohei and his friends were happy to help...
We don't like to bully others, but we're not pushovers either.
I can't let my skills become rusty!
Even the principal had a special talk with Yohei and praised him in person.
Yohei and his team have certainly been busy during this time.
They joined forces with Tetsuo and wiped out Ryu's former influence.
The Tetsuo Corps rose again and began a new battle in Kanagawa.
" Shirasawa is here!! It's Shirasawa!"
After a few shouts, a white sedan stopped at the entrance of Shohoku School.