Akagi's heart ached for him. "Alright, alright, it's your own fault for running out on your own. I'll put some medicine on you when we get back, and it won't hurt anymore." His tone softened completely.
Haruko nodded obediently. After this series of moves, not only Akagi, but even Shirasawa, the "accomplice," was almost convinced, and even felt a little resentful towards that reckless cyclist.
" Xiao Bai, thank you so much for today." Akagi hoisted Haruko back onto his back before finally having a chance to thank Shirasawa, looking a little embarrassed. It seemed he'd misunderstood earlier; if it weren't for Xiao Bai, his sister would have suffered. Then again, someone who could pass seven exams in one go—his character must be... not bad, right?
Shirasawa forced a dry laugh, thinking that at least his score was better than those other clowns in the room. "Don't mention it, I just like to meddle in other people's business..."
"Captain, I'll be leaving now. I'll leave the others inside in your care."
Standing in front of Akagi, Shirasawa still felt a little uneasy, after all, the faint fragrance lingered on his body, and his hands seemed to retain a soft touch.
"Hmm." Akagi's face hardened again. "Don't be late for training tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned around and carried Haruko home. Haruko leaned on his shoulder, but secretly turned her head and winked quickly at Shirasawa, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
That laugh almost emptied Shirasawa's health bar.
"Hehe, this is interesting..."
the next day.
Hanamichi Sakuragi, Hisashi Mitsui, and Ryota Miyagi, the three main players, all sporting identical dark circles under their eyes, strode confidently into the school.
Having stayed up all night, they felt like they were invincible!
To give an example, yesterday they knew absolutely nothing about the exam, just like they had only just learned that a basketball is round.
But today? They've actually managed to scribble something on the test paper!
For them, this was a complete upheaval.
They even felt that the dream of dominating the whole country... oh no, dominating the exam hall was within reach.
However, in Takenori Akagi's eyes, these guys were probably even worse than that kid Kuwata...
When Tatsuhiko Aota arrived with the same dark circles under his eyes, the principal personally handed out the exam papers.
Seeing Sakuragi and the others looking so haggard, the principal felt a pang of heartache.
These are all our precious gems from Shohoku!
But when his gaze fell on Aota, the principal's expression immediately changed: a black sheep!
But then I thought, this kid has at least brought honor to the school, so oh well, if he can get around 59 points, I'll let him pass...
The group spent the entire morning buried in their work, finally managing to finish all seven papers.
Although I don't actually know much, my attitude is absolutely serious.
Forget everything else, I just piled up all the stuff I'd memorized last night.
After the exam, Akagi immediately led a few people to block the office door, waiting for the results to be released as soon as possible.
The group of guys were muttering incantations, praying to all sorts of gods and bodhisattvas, using every superstitious method imaginable.
A dozen minutes later, the office door opened.
The principal walked out with a smile, and nodded with satisfaction under the expectant gazes of the group.
"Not bad, I knew you guys could do it. Congratulations, you all passed."
"I know you've been working hard preparing for the exam, but don't let it interfere with your training."
As soon as the words were spoken, several people let out a shout, so excited that they lifted the principal up...
Shohoku's pre-match crisis has finally passed without major incident.
Tatsuhiko Aota was also very pleased with himself, and he didn't forget his old profession even when he left.
He leaned closer to Sakuragi and whispered, " Sakuragi, look at the learning environment of the basketball team... it's really better to come to our judo club, we can improve together!"
Shohoku Basketball Gymnasium.
Coach Anzai had previously assigned Hanamichi Sakuragi the task of practicing the three-stage shooting technique, with assessments conducted in stages.
Today is the day Sakuragi faces his first assessment.
The rules are simple: throw 300 balls, and if you make 100, you pass.
During this period, after training every day, the whole team would accompany Sakuragi for extra practice, insisting on shooting 300 balls before disbanding.
From an initially abysmal hit rate, it gradually improved and is now stable at around 30%.
He's just a few balls of luck away from hitting the 100-out-of-300 mark.
"Hooray... Ready? Let's begin." Coach Anzai held his thermos, a look of satisfaction on his face.
Whether he can pass the test is another matter; what makes him happiest is Sakuragi's hard work during this period. Coach Anzai believes that with this kid's talent, he will definitely reap the rewards if he is willing to work hard.
The entire Shohoku team stood around the edge of the half-court, their hearts pounding with anxiety.
Sakuragi's assessment was on everyone's mind, after all, everyone had been with him through thick and thin.
If it works, then everyone's efforts won't have been in vain.
It's like a collective research project acceptance review...
Kiminobu Kogure pushed a cart full of basketballs over and gave Sakuragi a thumbs-up.
" Sakuragi, let me pass the ball to you. Don't be nervous, just like in practice."
From the moment Sakuragi started practicing shooting, Kogure took the initiative to take on the role of passer.
You know what, Sakuragi just can't shoot as smoothly as Kogure when the ball is passed to him.
This can be considered a "crooked method" that the team has come up with...
Sakuragi nodded heavily, took a deep breath, opened his arms, slightly bent his knees, and assumed a fighting stance.
As soon as the ball was passed to me, all the key points of shooting flashed through my mind.
Jump and release.
Swish!
The ball went into the net!
A cheer and clapping erupted from the sidelines.
Kogure quickly gestured for Sakuragi to steady himself; this was only the first one, there were still ninety-nine to go.
Speaking of which, Sakuragi's shooting technique can be considered a combination of the strengths of many different schools.
From Shirasawa to Akagi, Mitsui, Kogure, Ichiro Katsumi, and then to Michael Okita and Kenji Fujima...
Both within and outside the team, the number of people who have given him guidance could fill a table.
The lineage of teachers is quite prestigious...
Soon, all two hundred balls were thrown.
Seventy-two have been scored!
The hit rate exceeded 35%!
Just 28 more goals in the final 100, and the mission will be accomplished!
Sakuragi is in absolutely incredible form today!
When the 272nd ball was thrown...
Sakuragi's goal tally stopped at ninety-nine.
The moment the 273rd shot was released,
The atmosphere in the entire basketball arena was like the final, decisive moment of a championship game...
"We made it in!!!"
" Sakuragi--!!"
The basketball traced a smooth arc through the air, cleanly and precisely swishing through the net before everyone's eyes.
Immediately afterwards,
The Shohoku basketball arena erupted in cheers.
Even Shirasawa and Mitsui, who had repeatedly made crucial shots in the prefectural tournament, were incredibly excited at this moment. Although if outsiders saw this scene, they would surely laugh—a player practicing in open positions with a mid-range shooting percentage barely over 35%, what was there to cheer about? But for the Shohoku team, it meant something completely different. After all, this was Hanamichi Sakuragi!
"These days have been worth it! Sakuragi! I love you to death!"
"The Hand of God! You were born to do this!"
" Sakuragi! Sakuragi!"
A barrage of effusive praise came crashing down on them.
Hanamichi Sakuragi grinned, accepting everything without hesitation, his smile radiant.
However, perhaps he got a little carried away by the praise, because he only managed to score one of the remaining twenty-seven balls.
In the end, after throwing 300 balls, 101 were scored.
We barely made it to the target for the first phase, just barely scraping by.
Coach Anzai chuckled softly, "A good result is good. Let's move on to the second phase starting today."
Upon hearing this, Kogure immediately did some mental calculations.
"Coach, Sakuragi's second phase of training is supposed to be assessed within a week. But we're leaving for Shizuoka Prefecture tomorrow." He pushed up his glasses, his tone a little urgent, "According to the original plan, this trip will last exactly seven days!"
With less than two weeks until the national tournament, Coach Anzai and the Jousei High School scheduled the practice matches for this time to allow the players to get a feel for the big competition. Moreover, this trip is not just about playing a few games. As Kogure said, the entire team will be living, eating, and training together in Shizuoka Prefecture for seven whole days, experiencing what it's like to travel far from home.
Jousei High School, of course, also had its own agenda. They were similar to Toyotama High School, considered to be a team on the verge of the top eight in the country. This was Mikoshiba's last year, and Jousei naturally wanted to push forward while he was still there. Shohoku's Shirasawa was renowned, and he could be used as a good whetstone for Mikoshiba.
But to their utter surprise, the cunning and calculating Mitsuyoshi Anzai was preparing a "surprise" for them.
Kogure asked this question because he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
Coach Anzai's next words confirmed his premonition.
"Hehe, Sakuragi won't be joining us on this trip to Shizuoka Prefecture."
Everyone was stunned by these words.
Sakuragi's ability is undeniable, and his importance to Shohoku goes without saying. Their opponent is a top-eight team in the nation! Are we really going to fight them without a key player?
Akagi quickly realized that Sakuragi's improved shooting skills were crucial for the national tournament, as Coach Anzai had previously mentioned. Therefore, his absence from the practice match wasn't entirely unreasonable.
But Hanamichi Sakuragi, the person involved, wasn't having it.
"Dad! How can I not go!" He jumped up and shouted, "They'll be finished without me!"
These words instantly pulled everyone out of their shock, leaving them speechless.
This kid is really outrageously arrogant now!
"Alright! Listen to the coach's instructions." Akagi grabbed Sakuragi's head, making the decision. " Sakuragi, you're not allowed to slack off here either."
Sakuragi was unwilling to accept it, but he knew his father's temper. He could joke around normally, but once his father made a decision, there was no room for discussion.
"Tch..." He curled his lip, forcing a mutter, "Looks like Jousei is just a third-rate team, not worthy of this genius's intervention at all."
However, Coach Anzai then dropped an even bigger bombshell.
"Oh right, Xiao Bai isn't participating this time either, hehehe~~"
The stadium fell into a deathly silence.
Even though it will be much harder to win without Sakuragi, we still think we can find a way if we all give it our all.
But Xiao Bai didn't go either...