The internal practice match of Xiangbei High School is over.
Led by coach Sanada, the players of Teiko Junior High School walked towards the outside of the Shohoku campus, following the afterglow on the ground.
All the way from the Shohoku gym to the Shohoku school gate, all the Teiko players kept their heads down, looking thoughtful. Coach Sanada could understand the players' mood at the moment and did not say anything to persuade them.
It is normal for a group of young people who grew up in praise to feel disappointed when they suddenly see the sky outside the well.
The group arrived at the gate of Shohoku, and Supervisor Sanada left the team to contact the school bus.
“The top high school players in the country actually play like that…”
"We are still far behind!"
Akashi stood at the gate of Xiangbei school, looking back at the direction of Xiangbei school's gym, and couldn't help but sigh. The internal practice match of Xiangbei High School was a crushing defeat. Sakuragi Hanamichi and others who had beaten them to a pulp were completely defeated by Xiangbei's seniors.
The huge gap in strength made Akashi doubt his choice and wondered whether he should continue on this basketball path.
"I'm going to be a player of that level one day!"
"Not only that, I want to be stronger than those people!"
Aomine Daiki looked determined. Unlike Akashi, after watching this game, his love for basketball deepened.
"Impossible~Impossible~"
"Aomine, you can't do this."
Murasakibara threw potato chips into his mouth and waved his hands in ridicule. He and Aomine were two extremes. This kid didn't have any deep feelings for basketball, and he scoffed at the distant goals that Aomine set for him.
Aomine Daiki showed a bit of displeasure on his face. Before he could react, Kuroko patted Aomine Daiki's arm and comforted him:
"Qingfeng, I believe you can become a top player!"
"And I, as your shadow, will help you reach a higher level!"
Kuroko's words made Aomine Daiki's expression slightly relieved, and he excitedly bumped fists with Kuroko in tacit understanding.
"Yes, definitely!"
However, this gay atmosphere was broken by sudden words.
"Junior high school student, if you really only intend to become the shadow of a strong man, I think you should stop playing basketball."
While the Teiko group was waiting for the school bus, Jinguji Takeshi, who had just finished training, appeared at the school gate carrying a sports backpack.
Unfortunately, he also heard the conversation between Aomine Daiki and Kuroko.
Upon hearing this, Akashi and the others turned their heads and saw that the person coming was Jinguji Budou. They held back the curses they were about to say and greeted him in unison:
"Jinguji-senpai!"
Qingfeng and Kuroko did not bow or say hello. Instead, they stared at Jinguji Budou, as if they were wondering why Budou had just said those sharp words.
"Jinguji-senpai, I'm a member of Teiko Junior High School team, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya."
"I don't know what's wrong with what I just said? As the shadow of a strong man, why can't I play basketball?"
"I know you are very strong and are the trump card of Xiangbei High School, but even so, you can't deny my basketball."
Although Kuroko looks weak, he has his own persistence in his heart. His love for basketball is no weaker than that of Aomine Daiki. Kuroko also knows clearly that his physical condition is not as good as Aomine Daiki and others, but he also longs to stand on the court.
Passing the ball, assisting teammates in attack, and playing like a shadow are the capital on which he relies for survival.
But all of this... was denied by Jinguji Budo.
"Kuroko Tetsuya..." Wudao pretended to hear this name for the first time and repeated it softly, as if he had just met Kuroko. Then he looked at Kuroko and continued:
"Kuroko Tetsu is the same."
"Your basketball can't help your teammates grow."
"On the contrary, you will become a hindrance to the growth of your teammates."
"Strengthening your strength is a very personal thing. On the basketball court, 1+1 may really be greater than 2."
"But... 1+1 is never greater than 2+2."
"Kuroko-san, I'll call you that."
"Your basketball talent is... well... pretty niche."
"But if you only focus on your ability to conduct, I think you won't be able to stay on the court very soon."
It’s hard to say whether Jinguji Budou has a good or bad impression of Kuroko. As for a young man who loves basketball, Budou doesn’t mind giving him some advice.
Does Heizizhe have a talent for basketball? Judging from his physical qualities, he probably doesn't. He is short, not fast, and not strong enough. He is not suitable for basketball.
However, Kuroko's vision, overall view, and passing skills are real. Wu Dao had indeed seen some of this in the warm-up match before.
These are also the valuable qualities of an excellent player.
"Jinguji-senpai....what do you mean?!"
Akashi's brain works much faster than Kuroko's, and he immediately understood the hidden meaning of Budo's words. Kuroko's current playing style is the result of his suggestions. Perhaps Akashi knows Kuroko better than Kuroko himself.
"Dribble, shoot, pass."
"The combination of these three is the standard configuration of a defender."
“You don’t have to be proficient, but you can’t be completely clueless.”
"Your passing is very good, you have intelligence, you have a broad vision, and you move very accurately on the court. On this basis, if you have a certain ability to attack independently, your role will be different."
Takeshi's words left Akashi silent. He thought Takeshi would have a different opinion about Kuroko, but unexpectedly, he still held the traditional standard of "the latter is the standard".
Self-attack?! Kuroko's survival depends on his thin presence on the court. Once he starts attacking, that thin presence disappears. And Kuroko's offensive skills are really hard to describe... ..
If even the characteristic of "weak presence" is gone, Akashi really can't understand why Kuroko can stand on the court.
Wudao observed Akashi's expression and instantly knew what he was thinking, but Wudao didn't care. Akashi had already set an upper limit for Kuroko in his mind. He felt that if this limit was exceeded, Kuroko would be useless, but Wudao didn't think so.
Who says.... that you can't make a great pass if you're being defended? !
"Kuroko-san, you are probably the type of person who dribbles poorly, moves slowly, and has no accuracy when shooting, right?"
"Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a fighting style."
"But what I want to say is that you are still young. After all, you are just a junior high school student."
"Don't set a ceiling for yourself too early. Dribbling, shooting, and breaking through are all things that can be practiced. When I saw you playing, you had good coordination, and I could tell your touch was pretty smooth when you passed the ball."
"Just take some time, you can learn it through practice."
"Strengthen your passing while expanding your arsenal."
"You can only keep up with your teammates if you work harder than them."
"The world of basketball is very cruel, and talent is really important."
"My talent can no longer catch up. If I don't work hard, I will be left behind by my teammates and defeated by my opponents!"
"He made accurate passes under high pressure defense and was able to seize the opportunity to attack alone when the opponent made a mistake."
"I think you should be able to do this... Kuroko-san."
By the end of Wu Dao's speech, he had already walked in front of Kuroko Tetsuya, lowered his head, and looked at Kuroko Tetsuya.
Kuroko also tilted his head back, looking at this high school senior whose body was filled with "talent", with an emotion called "expectation" surging in his eyes.
Kuroko fell into the scene that Budo had drawn for him.
"If I can do this... I should be able to give Qingfeng and the others a greater help..."
Wu Dao read Kuroko's emotions from his eyes, smiled, and turned away.
"Come on... ..basketball boy."
Wudao waved his hand, bathed in the sunset, and slowly disappeared at the end of the road, disappearing from the eyes of Kuroko and others. Not long after Jinguji Wudao left, Sakuragi Hanamichi hurried to the school gate, looked around and didn't see Wudao, so he asked the junior high school students:
"Hey! Did you see a tall, handsome guy coming out of Xiangbei? If so, where did he go?"
Kuroko was immersed in his own world and did not respond to Sakuragi Hanamichi's words. Akashi looked at Sakuragi and pointed in the direction where Budou left. His eyes also returned to Kuroko. He thought for a moment and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Sakuragi:
"Junior high school students, you guys are pretty good at fighting."
"That kid, your pass is not bad, better than that idiot Qingtian!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi noticed the dazed Kuroko, patted him on the shoulder in a familiar manner, and then quickly ran in the direction where Wudao left.
Sakuragi's words pulled Kuroko back to his senses. Akashi swallowed what he wanted to say after hearing that. He looked at the direction where Jinguji Budou and Sakuragi left, and sighed in his heart: "Forget it... Let Kuroko decide for himself. Maybe Jinguji Senior can see further than me."
... ..
The sudden appearance of everyone from Teiko Junior High School only added a little color to Jinguji Budou's boring high school life.
After that day, Jinguji Budo's life returned to peace again, and he repeated his routine of going to work, going home, and returning home.
Home, school, Fujima's house.
Compared to martial arts, Sakuragi Hanamichi's high school life is much more colorful than his junior high school days. It's not because he plays basketball now, but simply because Xiangbei High School not only has Haruko, but also Rukawa Kaede and other "enemies".
Sakuragi would sleep during class, thinking about Haruko in his head, and after school he would go to the gym to show off his "strength" in front of Haruko, like a peacock spreading its tail. In addition, he could also argue with Yohei and Kiyota, and his life was full and rich.
However, this peaceful and tranquil campus life was completely disrupted as the county competition approached.
...
“Dangdangdang!
!”
“This is the battle schedule for the county tournament!
”
"We, Xiangbei, got byes in the first few rounds this year because of our performance last year."
"Only in the top 8 to top 4 will there be a match!"
"As long as we qualify for the semi-finals, we'll have one foot in the national competition."
"After that, there will be a round-robin tournament for the top four teams. The top two teams in the semi-finals will qualify and represent Kanagawa Prefecture in the national tournament!"
In the Xiangbei gym, Ayako posted a large match schedule on the "information wall" of the gym to popularize the national competition system to the freshmen.
The senior students have all experienced the county competition, and Ayako's explanation is mainly to give the freshmen a basic understanding of the county competition.
After so many days of keeping a low profile, the county competition is finally here. When the first-year students heard the news, they all showed excited smiles on their faces, especially Oda Ryumasa, who was just promoted to the regular team by Coach Anzai not long ago.
"The county competition! It's finally here."
"I must prove myself on the field!"
Today, Ryumasa Oda is not troubled by injuries, and the training at Shohoku High School has also given him a lot of help. Compared to his junior high school days, Ryumasa Oda's personal strength has made great progress, and he seems full of confidence.
"Hahahaha, this genius can finally show my strength on a bigger stage!"
"Haruko, I won't let you down~"
Sakuragi Hanamichi just glanced at the battle schedule quickly, then glanced at Haruko not far away and smiled brightly. The silly Haruko saw Sakuragi Hanamichi smiling at her, and also waved and greeted him.
Although Sakuragi Hanamichi and Haruko interact frequently, as far as Wudao knows, there has been no substantial progress between Sakuragi and Haruko. Sakuragi Hanamichi seemed to have been hurt too badly in junior high school, and he just released his love but didn't dare to take that step.
Haruko was also a slow-witted person. Although she had a vague feeling, she did not break that layer of window paper.
The vague admiration between adolescent boys and girls makes Fujima Takako, a "veteran", quite anxious.
Unlike them, Takeshi and Fujima Takako are progressing much faster. However, they are the same as Sakuragi and the others in one respect: there is a layer that has not been broken, but it is not window paper.
...
The opening ceremony of the prefectural competition was held at the Kanagawa Prefectural Gymnasium.
After the opening ceremony, the preliminaries of the county competition began. Coach Anxi led the Xiangbei team to watch the two games in the morning, and then left with the players.
There are several rounds of elimination matches before the top 8 to top 4.
As a qualifying team last year, Xiangbei High School also became a challenged team in this county competition.
However, those challengers will need to go through some hard work before they can reach Xiangbei.
Coach Anxi knew the strength of his team very well. In the first few rounds of games, he would not waste time taking his players to watch the games. However, Xiangbei's training also reduced its intensity with the start of the prefectural competition qualifiers. In addition to some warm-up matches within the team to maintain the players' competitive state, Coach Anxi did not arrange any high-intensity training.
Most of the time, I explain tactics to the players, break down tactics, and do some simple drills.
When Shohoku came to the Kanagawa Prefectural Gymnasium for the second time this year, it was already the top 8 to top 4 match.
Their opponent in this game is Miuradai, who broke through to the quarterfinals.
...
Inside the stadium, the cleaning staff was quickly cleaning the floor and making preparations before the game.
In the rest areas on both sides of the court, the players from Shohoku and Miuradai have already changed into their game uniforms and are making final adjustments before the game.
For today's game, the entire stadium was filled with spectators. Although it was only a quarter-final match, the number of spectators was much greater than in previous games.
"Today's game..."
"Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede, Kiyota Nobunaga, Oda Ryumasa, Nango Koichiro."
"The five of you will start the game."
In the Xiangbei rest area, Coach Anzai stood up and spoke to Sakuragi and the others who had already changed into their jerseys. On the other side of the rest area, Jinguji Budou, Mitsui Shou and the others sat together, looking at Sakuragi and the others who were standing in front of Coach Anzai.
Unlike Sakuragi and his team, the veteran starters like Takeshi and Mitsui Shou did not even take off their team uniforms, let alone warm up or change jerseys. They had no intention of playing at all.
Coach Anxi plans to use a team composed entirely of freshmen to help Xiangbei High School reach the semi-finals!
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