Yo Aoki lowered his center of gravity and kept reaching out to interfere with and try to steal the ball.
Terashima exclaimed in astonishment, "Such strong defense! Yamakawa has absolutely no chance!"
Someone on the sidelines shouted impatiently, "Hurry up and attack! Stop dawdling!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Yamakawa suddenly lowered his center of gravity and charged forward.
Yo Aoki laughed, "You think you're Shinichi Maki?"
With a casual flick of the wrist, he cut off his dribble.
Shirota, arms crossed, watched the spectacle. "These Yamakawa have quite the courage."
Yo Aoki took a step to the side, grabbed the ball, and grinned at Yamakawa: "My turn."
Yamakawa swallowed hard.
Yo Aoki said, "You're here!"
He suddenly lowered his center of gravity and broke through to the right. Yamakawa immediately shifted his weight to defend, but Yo Aoki followed up with a crossover dribble and left hand, accelerating to the left. Yamakawa's vision blurred, and he didn't even have time to react before being easily broken through.
With a three-step layup, Yo Aoki scored.
The crowd erupted in cheers. "Wow! That dribble was incredible!"
Someone chimed in, "What's the big deal? Yo Aoki hasn't even used half his strength yet!"
Terashima was speechless with astonishment. "That's incredible speed! His dribbling was clean and precise, without a single unnecessary movement! This guy is amazing!"
Yo Aoki returned to the three-point line with the ball, smiling as he said to Yamakawa, "Two more shots to go, keep it up!"
Yamakawa's face turned pale, his previous arrogance gone, and he wondered to himself: Who exactly is this guy?
On the second play, Yo Aoki received the ball with his back to the basket and drove towards the basket from beyond the three-point line, overpowering Yamakawa.
The Yamakawa tried everything they could, but they couldn't stop them in the slightest.
Upon reaching the basket, Yo Aoki suddenly turned around, leaped into the air with the force of his legs, gripped the ball with both hands, and used his waist and abdomen to drive his arm power, slamming the ball into the basket.
"Bump!"
"Thump!"
The Yamakawa were shaken so badly that they fell to the ground.
After dunking, Yo Aoki didn't get down immediately; he hung on the rim with both hands.
The crowd erupted in cheers. " Yo Aoki's dunk!"
Wow! That's amazing!
The once quiet stadium was ignited once again by Yo Aoki.
Terashima's jaw dropped. "He's a professional player, right? He's not even in the same league as us!"
After dangling from the rim for a while, Yo Aoki finally let go and jumped down.
The Yamakawa, lying paralyzed on the ground, looked like cats whose tails had been stepped on, utterly bewildered.
Yo Aoki reached out and pulled the man up, patting him on the shoulder. "One more point to go, keep it up!"
But just as he turned to walk towards the three-point line, Yo Aoki suddenly froze— Yamakawa was convulsing, his eyes were red, and he was sobbing and shedding tears.
"Huh? You made him cry?" Yo Aoki looked completely bewildered.
Although the Emperor Team's nationwide training tour has come to an end, no one expected it to end like this.
Those two tears from the Yamakawa sent a chill down Yo Aoki's spine; this kid's pride was far too fragile.
The duel between the two could not continue, and in the end, at the Emperor Team's request, the score was tied, and they would reschedule for another time.
Yamada immediately accused the other person of being a scoundrel, but Yo Aoki didn't take it to heart.
Shirota rolled his eyes. " Aoki, I was really hoping you'd be the coach, but you finished in a flash. That wasn't satisfying at all."
Yo Aoki simply smiled and didn't say anything; in fact, he only cared about one thing right now.
He immediately moved towards the Emperor Team, and Iwai spotted him as soon as he moved. Iwai nudged Hiraide with his elbow and winked.
As Yo Aoki approached, the Emperor Team members tensed up as if guarding against a thief, Hiraide guard warily in front of him. "What do you want?"
Yo Aoki chuckled at his blond hair, then looked at Terashima: "Do you have time to chat for a bit?"
Terashima was stunned for a long time before asking, "You were looking for me?"
Yo Aoki nodded in agreement.
Terashima readily agreed, "Of course!"
The two found a secluded corner, Yo Aoki finally spoke, "I heard you're transferring to a school in Kanagawa?"
Terashima said, "Yes, because my dad was transferred to another school, I had to transfer."
"Have you decided which school you want to go to?" Yo Aoki asked.
Terashima scratched his head and pondered for a moment, "I've heard that Kainan University Affiliated High School and Shoyo in Kanagawa are both good schools."
Yo Aoki smiled and said, "Is it because the basketball teams at those two schools are so strong?"
Terashima scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's part of the reason."
Yo Aoki's eyes held a hint of anticipation. " Terashima, are you interested in going to Takezato High School?"
Terashima was taken aback. " Takezato High School? I've never heard of it. Is their basketball team very strong?"
Yo Aoki said, "It's alright. Let me introduce myself. I'm Yo Aoki, the captain of the Takezato basketball team."
Terashima was astonished. "Really, senior? With your skills, Takezato will definitely make it to the national tournament this year, right?"
Yo Aoki shook his head. "No, it's a pity, we didn't make it to the national tournament."
"What!? Even with the skill of a senior, you can't beat them? Is basketball in Kanagawa really that good?" Terashima gasped.
Yo Aoki said with a smile, "Don't call me senior anymore, I'm a first-year player just like you."
Terashima gasped. If a first-year student already possessed such strength, what about the second and third-year students? He didn't even dare to imagine it.
Yo Aoki's tone suddenly turned serious. "I think your skills are quite good, and I'd really like to play with you. I sincerely invite you to join Takezato High School."
Terashima paused for a moment, then bowed respectfully and said crisply, "Thank you for your invitation! I will definitely consider it seriously!"
Yo Aoki smiled and nodded in return, then turned and left.
He stopped nagging and trying to persuade him; these things can't be forced, and it depends on the individual's choice.
After taking only two steps, Yo Aoki turned back. "By the way, why did you choose Fire Phoenix as the first stop on your team's long trip?"
Terashima squinted and thought for a moment, "I remember it was recommended by a friend of Yamakawa's, his name is..."
Terashima said confidently, "I remember his Ryo."
Yo Aoki's lips curled upwards. "So it was him!"
He truly hadn't expected that the instigator this time was Matsumoto Ryo.
Back in Gunma Prefecture, neither Yo Aoki nor Shirota realized that Matsumoto Ryo had any connection whatsoever with the Emperor Team.
What's the point? The name? Or something else?
But none of that matters; those are not his concerns.
After saying goodbye to Shirota and Yamada, Yo Aoki went home.
The moment I stepped inside, my phone started ringing loudly.
He strode over and picked up the receiver. "Hello, this is the Aoki residence. Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, it's Aoki." A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
" Sakuragi?" Yo Aoki's smile instantly lit up.
"What do you need me for?" Yo Aoki asked cheerfully.
" Aoki, is there any way for me to surpass Kaede Rukawa?" Sakuragi's loud voice almost shattered Yo Aoki's eardrums.
Startled, Yo Aoki quickly moved the receiver half a meter away. " Sakuragi, are you trying to shake the building down by shouting so loudly?"
A few minutes later, Yo Aoki had a clear understanding of what had happened.
It turns out that during Shohoku Team's training session earlier, Rukawa suddenly challenged Mitsui to a one-on-one match, and the two fought so fiercely that it spurred Sakuragi on.
Sakuragi immediately jumped out to challenge Rukawa to a one-on-one fight, but ended up getting Rukawa so badly that his eyes went blank.
Sakuragi, Mitsui, and Miyagi squatted by the court. Mitsui advised Sakuragi, "You're challenging Rukawa too early. To be honest, I'm not even confident I can beat him."
Hearing Mitsui's words, Sakuragi felt even more aggrieved.
Miyagi chimed in, trying to persuade him, "Let it go. You can settle your score with Rukawa later. Right now, you have other tough battles to fight. They're a nationally top team, after all."
Sakuragi's mind flashed with Morinaka Hiroshi Morishige's face, and a sense of urgency immediately rose within him. Only then did he remember Yo Aoki.
Sakuragi felt his skills improved rapidly after seeking advice from Yo Aoki twice before, so he called again.
When Yo Aoki heard that the caller ID showed Sakuragi's name, he paused for a moment, then quickly answered, "Oh, Sakuragi?"
Sakuragi's booming voice blared through the microphone. " Aoki! Teach me how to surpass Kaede Rukawa!"
Aoki was about to confidently agree, but then he suddenly stopped, a scene from the basketball manga he'd read countless times flashing through his mind—he remembered how, after Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa's one-on-one match, the Shohoku guys, having failed their exams and having to retake them, had drawn all over Akagi's face. He quickly changed his mind. " Sakuragi, let me come see you the day after tomorrow!"
Sakuragi's voice instantly rose eight octaves. "Why not tomorrow?"
Yo Aoki suppressed a laugh, "You little rascal, you'll probably be so busy tomorrow you won't have a moment to breathe."
The entire Shohoku team is determined to make it to the national championships, which will begin in ten days. Therefore, they have arranged a week-long joint training camp at Jousei High School in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Coach Anzai patted Akagi on the shoulder. " Akagi, following the rules of the last practice match, I'll have Teacher Suzuki lead you."
Akagi replied crisply, "Yes!"
Mitsui scratched his head, noticing that Sakuragi hadn't joined the group but instead stood next to Anzai with his hands in his pockets, looking like a little kid with candy in his pocket. He asked, "Teacher, Sakuragi, he..."
Coach Anzai chuckled and stroked his beard, " Sakuragi isn't going with you guys; he's staying with the team for special training."
"Special training?" Everyone turned to look. Sakuragi's face was practically beaming with pride. Anzai added, "And for this special training, Sakuragi invited a special person."
"Someone special?" Everyone's hearts were pounding as they guessed, when a clear voice came from the doorway. "Sorry, Professor Anzai, I'm late."
Akagi and the others turned around and stared wide-eyed. " Yo Aoki?!"
Who would have thought that Sakuragi would actually invite Yo Aoki to be his sparring partner?
Coach Anzai maintained his nonchalant smile and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, Aoki."
Then he turned to Akagi: "Let's regroup."
Despite their many questions, Akagi and the others had no choice but to set off.
The train swayed slowly towards Shizuoka. Akagi stared at the shadows of the trees outside the window. "That's what Coach Anzai said: There are less than ten days until the national tournament. For a rookie like Sakuragi, even just ten days can help him improve a lot."
" Sakuragi has a strong ability to learn and improves at an absurdly fast pace."
"In these ten days, instead of having him play practice matches with other teams, it would be more effective to have him focus on honing his individual skills."
" Sakuragi's growth will definitely boost the team's overall strength."
Miyagi scratched his head. " Anzai is giving that idiot individual guidance? Why is Yo Aoki here too?"