Before long, all fifteen players had squeezed into the basketball court.
Coach Takato to first pull Takenori Akagi and Jun Uozumi aside.
Although it was the first round of practice, he was very clear about the two core issues.
He patted Akagi's arm first.
"You saw Hanamichi Sakuragi's behavior during afternoon practice; he couldn't even keep up with the others."
Akagi nodded without saying a word.
"So you need to keep an eye on him."
"Right now, Sakuragi needs to improve his fundamentals, not just his fancy moves."
Akagi replied, "Understood, thank you for your Coach Takato."
He then turned to Jun Uozumi.
" Kiccho Fukuda's weakness is defense; he'll definitely be a target for other teams as soon as he steps onto the court."
Jun Uozumi frowned but didn't reply.
"But his offense is incredibly fierce, it would be a shame not to use him!"
"I had him practice defense specifically outside of regular team practice."
Jun Uozumi readily replied, "I understand!"
Takato clapped his hands.
"Okay, go and line up!"
He turned and went back to Moichi Taoka's side.
" Taoka- senpai, I've taken care of Akagi and Uozumi. The rest of the training is up to you."
Moichi Taoka on his hips.
"Alright, relax."
On the basketball court, Taoka stood with his hands on his hips and shouted at everyone.
How was practice this afternoon? Are you tired?
Hanamichi Sakuragi slapped his thigh and laughed loudly.
"This level of training is a piece of cake for a genius like me!"
Nobunaga Kiyota smiled wryly.
"You dare call yourself a genius? You can't even hold a basic defensive formation properly!"
Sakuragi rolled his eyes.
"Tch, I could figure that thing out with just one glance!"
Taoka's lips curled into a smile.
"Okay, seeing how energetic you guys are, I'm relieved."
However, Akira Sendoh, Jun Uozumi, and their group suddenly shuddered, realizing something was wrong.
Taoka's eyes lit up.
"Tonight's training is very simple, just one thing: running!"
Everyone responded in unison, "Let's begin!"
Kiyota shrank back and muttered to himself.
"I thought it was something new! It's just running, isn't it?"
On an early autumn night, the full moon hangs high in the sky.
The basketball court was silent, devoid of its usual shouts and the sound of basketballs hitting the floor; only the rhythmic jogging could be heard.
Everyone had been running for almost an hour, but Taoka showed no sign of stopping.
Kiyota, soaking wet, ran in the middle of the group and complained at the top of his lungs to Soichiro Jin.
"Hey, how long is he planning to let us run?"
Soichiro Jin glanced ahead and, panting, tried to persuade him.
" Kiyota, hold your tongue. Look, Shinichi Maki and the others haven't said a word."
Kiyota's ramblings.
"I wonder what those three monsters are made of!"
Those three monsters were none other than Shinichi Maki, Hanamichi Sakuragi, and Yo Aoki, who were running at the very front.
Taoka stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, taking in the state of everyone.
" Maki, Aoki, and Sakuragi have the best physical fitness; Kiyota, Jin, Takasago, and Akagi are also decent; Mitsui is the worst."
He was caught in a dilemma.
"Should we make a separate plan for Mitsui? That would accelerate his physical development, but wouldn't that just help our opponents make up for their weaknesses?"
Taoka frowned.
He checked the time and shouted, "Stop!"
Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon. Except for Aoki, Sakuragi, and Shinichi Maki, everyone else collapsed to the ground, panting so hard they couldn't even speak.
Hisashi Mitsui was already physically weak, and now he was completely limp, collapsing into a puddle of mud.
Taoka sighed.
"You can't even handle this much? With this level of stamina, you think you can compete in the Autumn National Sports Festival?"
"If you can't even prepare for a full forty minutes, what kind of future can you expect?"
"Let me tell you, this jogging is an endurance test. Starting tomorrow, you'll see what real physical training is all about!"
Everyone's faces turned green, Taoka tightened his expression.
"If you find it too tiring, it's not too late to quit now!"
No one responded.
Taoka smiled.
"Very well, dismissed now. Pack your things and leave."
Everyone carried their bags and walked out. Sakuragi suddenly noticed that Aoki hadn't moved, so he went over and asked him.
" Aoki, aren't you going back?"
Yo Aoki smiled.
"You guys go back first, it's still early, I'll practice a little longer."
Everyone's eyes popped out of their sockets.
What? He already trained so hard today, and he wants to do extra training? Is this kid made of iron?
These people were all very concerned about their image, and seeing that Aoki wasn't leaving, not one of them actually left; they all stayed.
Aoki couldn't help but laugh.
"These people have no shame."
Sakuragi tapped Kiyota's nose.
" Wild Monkey, it's time to settle our score!"
Kiyota laughed strangely.
"You overestimate yourself! I'll teach you a lesson!"
The one-on-one match between Sakuragi and Kiyota really got everyone excited.
Hisashi Mitsui gestured towards Soichiro Jin.
"Play with me?"
Soichiro Jin gave a curt reply.
"OK."
Kaede Rukawa spoke coldly.
"Fight me."
Akira Sendoh shook his head helplessly.
Ryota Miyagi raised his chin and looked for Kenji Fujima.
"Do you dare to have a match?"
Kenji Fujima curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
"You?"
Takenori Akagi and Shinichi Maki stood side by side in the basketball gym of Kainan Affiliated High School, watching the Shohoku Team members, except for him, all jumping around looking for one-on-one matches.
Although they are all stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat, their rebellious nature makes them seem like a group of problem children.
Just then, Akagi suddenly noticed that Yo Aoki had moved and was walking straight towards him.
Akagi knew perfectly well that Aoki wasn't targeting him; his real target was clearly Shinichi Maki standing next to him.
As expected, Yo Aoki stepped past Akagi, stood in front of Shinichi Maki, and grinned.
" Captain Maki, how about we team up and practice?"
Shinichi Maki raised an eyebrow, looking quite arrogant.
"No problem."
Right now, five one-on-one games are being played in the basketball court.
They are Sakuragi and Kiyota, Mitsui and Soichiro Jin, Kaede Rukawa and Akira Sendoh, Ryota Miyagi and Kenji Fujima, and Yo Aoki and Shinichi Maki.
Of these five matches, the most exciting one was undoubtedly the duel between Sakuragi and Kiyota, those two "monkeys".
Kiyota has top-notch jumping ability and stamina, and his breakthroughs are consistent. He is a well-known rookie king in Kanagawa and definitely has some skills. Therefore, his match against Sakuragi actually has the least suspense.
Akagi, standing nearby, frowned as he looked at Sakuragi.
Although Sakuragi is good at rebounding, he can't fully utilize his skills in a one-on-one situation, not to mention that Kiyota's abilities are even superior to his.
On the court, Kiyota held the ball and faced Sakuragi. He was only 1.78 meters tall, which was a disadvantage in terms of height, but he was not afraid at all. Instead, he shouted at Sakuragi.
" Red-haired Monkey, you can't stop me!"
Sakuragi, hands on his hips, raised his chin and retorted.
"Hmph, Wild Monkey, this genius isn't afraid of you!"
Kiyota rolled his eyes.
"What kind of genius are you? You're just an idiot!"
Sakuragi's hair stood on end.
You're the idiot!
After a few exchanges, the two guys actually threw down the ball and started hurling insults at each other.
Akagi, his face flushed with anger, couldn't stand it any longer and rushed over, smacking Sakuragi on the head with a loud "thud!"
Sakuragi clutched his head and wailed.
"Oh my god! Gorilla, are you crazy?!"
Akagi's face darkened, and he grabbed Sakuragi by the back of his collar.
"End this lousy competition! Go see how others compete!"
Akagi dragged Sakuragi along, but Sakuragi remained defiant.
"You Wild Monkey, you wait!"
Kiyota waved his hand to tease him.
"Bye-bye, idiot!"
Akagi threw Sakuragi to the ground and patted him on the shoulder.
"Watch others play and learn something."
Sakuragi squatted on the ground and looked back.
Who is it?
I happened to catch Mitsui and Soichiro Jin playing; their shooting motions were the most standard in the entire prefecture, practically textbook-perfect.
Mitsui was holding the ball with both hands, panting heavily, while Soichiro Jin, who was defending him, was strolling around leisurely, not tired at all.
Sakuragi leaned over and patted Akagi's arm.
" The Mitchy seems exhausted?"
Akagi stared at Mitsui and said in a deep voice.
"Today's training intensity was definitely too much for Mitsui."
He then looked at Soichiro Jin, his tone tinged with admiration.
"Look at Jin, he doesn't look tired at all. The training intensity in Kainan is really terrifying."
Jin and Mitsui are completely different types of people. He doesn't have Mitsui's talent. Coach Takato once said that he was not suitable to play center, but he gritted his teeth and persisted, shooting five hundred baskets every day. His determination never wavered.
At this moment, Mitsui suddenly broke through with force, but Soichiro Jin's defense was impenetrable, and he had no chance at all.
Mitsui could only stop abruptly, retreat, and jump to shoot, but because his stamina couldn't keep up, his movement was a beat too slow.
"Smack!" Jin reached out and easily blocked the ball.
He looked at Mitsui, his tone calm.
"You're too tired right now, let's compete another day."
Mitsui gasped for breath and wiped away his sweat.
"I'm so tired, this feels exactly the same as when we were playing against Sannoh."
He gritted his teeth and said, supporting himself on his knees.
"No need, continue!"
Mitsui possessed extraordinary talent, but he once lost it. The past two years have filled him with regret. Fortunately, he has now turned over a new leaf and does not want to lose everything he has now, so he must persevere. This is a test of willpower.
Sakuragi wasn't thinking about that; his gaze drifted back to the duel between Kaede Rukawa and Akira Sendoh, a true visual feast.
At this moment, Kaede Rukawa is attacking with the ball, bending over to lower his center of gravity in front of Sendoh, and constantly passing the ball with his left hand.
Suddenly, Kaede Rukawa pushed off the ground with his left foot, stepped his right foot to the side of Sendoh, and dribbled the ball.
Sendoh immediately stepped aside to block him, trying to prevent him from breaking through.
Rukawa could jump horizontally and throw the ball in mid-air.
Sendoh didn't even have time to react, and didn't even have time to reach out his hand.
"Swish!" The ball landed precisely in the basket.
Sakuragi's eyes widened, his mouth agape.
"You can even get in like that?"
Akagi turned his gaze away from Rukawa and patted Sakuragi on the head.
"If you could develop Rukawa's touch, you could get in too."
Sakuragi leaned closer, his eyes shining.
" Gorilla, how can I train to do that?"
Akagi's face was tense as he stared at Sakuragi.
"Practice with all your might, don't let your guard down even a little bit, work even harder than that kid Rukawa!"
"Of course! I'm a genius!" Sakuragi thumped his chest loudly.
Akagi smiled slightly and added another sentence.
"That's good. In the upcoming Winter Selection Tournament, you'll have to shoulder the responsibility of being Shohoku's inside player!"
Sakuragi tilted his head and made a loud noise.
" Gorilla, are you quitting?"
Akagi nodded.
"Yes, I've discussed it with Coach Anzai. This Autumn National Sports Festival will be my last competition."
Sakuragi's eyes lit up, and he instantly imagined himself wearing the captain's armband.
" The Gorilla suddenly said this, does it mean he's passing the captaincy to me?"
"Teacher Anzai has decided that the captaincy will be handed over to Miyagi."
With a "thud," Sakuragi landed squarely on the floor, the impact making him grimace.
" Sakuragi, you have to listen to Miyagi and stop causing trouble every day."
"Enough with the nagging! I know!" Sakuragi got up and turned to look at Miyagi.
Fujima faced off against Miyagi, and their style was completely different from the previous two matches; the entire game could be summed up in one word—fast.
Having been tempered by the national tournament, Miyagi's playing style is incredibly steady. He uses agile footwork and speed to find opportunities to break through.
But Fujima also relies on speed and agility, and Miyagi couldn't find a single opening to exploit.
Sakuragi pouted and made a boastful remark.
" Gorilla, look at Miyagi, he can't even beat a substitute, how can he be captain?"
Akagi bristles and roars.
"Idiot! How many times have I told you? He's not a substitute, he's on par with Maki!"
Taking two deep breaths, Akagi's tone softened a bit.