Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 386 Kishimoto almost fainted from a fart

With Sakuragi on the court, Shohoku's mobility improved even further.

In Shohoku, Naito played center and Sakuragi played power forward.

In a short period of time, the efficiency of retreating, switching, supplementing, and assisting in defense all improved.

Compared to Akagi, Sakuragi is a bit clumsy and not very consistent.

This is related to Sakuragi's personality, and the fact that he hasn't participated in enough matches is also one of the reasons.

Before entering high school, Sakuragi had only participated in one prefectural junior high school tournament, which consisted of only a few matches, so he didn't have much experience.

However, Xiangyang is unaware of this yet.

At that moment, Sakuragi seemed to transform into Garnett, extending his defensive range even to beyond the three-point line.

For a time, Xiangyang's attack was thwarted, and their efficiency was predictably low.

In the first ten minutes of the first half, Shohoku further extended their lead.

The audience could all sense that the two teams were not on the same level at all.

Besides Sakuragi's role, it was also related to Fujima being restricted by Kogure.

In the Shohoku team, if Fujima loses his effectiveness, it's like a car losing its engine; the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fujima is known for his speed and explosiveness, but unfortunately, his opponent is Kogure.

In these two aspects, Kogure is in no way inferior to Fujima, not to mention his other physical qualities, especially in combat.

Fujima has a small frame, so even with efforts to improve his fighting ability, the results are not ideal.

Kogure is taller and stronger than him, and more importantly, his defense is NBA-level.

This can be seen from the data from both sides.

短短十分钟时间，木暮就获得了15分5助攻3篮板2抢断1盖帽，再次填满了数据表。

In contrast, Fujima only managed 3 points, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers.

This was even without Kogure taking it completely seriously; otherwise, Fujima would have been even more severely restricted.

Beep~
Coach Kitano was helpless and had to request another timeout.

After both teams' players left the field, Fujima sat dejectedly on the bench.

Perhaps feeling ashamed, Fujima picked up a towel and covered his head, too ashamed to face anyone.

Coach Kitano couldn't help but shake his head and started giving Fujima a pep talk.

Shohoku can do without anyone, but they can't lose Fujima, just like Nash of the future Suns.

No one knows what Coach Kitano said, but Fujima suddenly threw off the towel, his eyes shining brightly with fighting spirit, all traces of his previous frustration gone.

"Ito Taku replaces Hasegawa, we'll play with two point guards!"

During the final timeout, Coach Kitano made some arrangements.

Hasegawa opened his mouth, then finally let out a soft sigh.

Although he is now a top defensive player in the country, his defense is still somewhat inferior to that of Ikegami.

This can be seen from Mitsui's ability to take whatever he wants.

Furthermore, Hasegawa offered almost no help to the team on the offensive end.

He can't shoot threes, so he's only reliable with open mid-range shots, but his release speed is too slow.

Under Mitsui's targeted defense, they had absolutely no chance to shoot.

This personnel change also dealt a blow to Hasegawa.

After losing to Mitsui in the national junior high school tournament, Hasegawa planted a seed of never giving up in his heart.

He began to see Mitsui as his target to catch up with, and trained hard every day in order to surpass Mitsui.

He hopes that one day he can stand in front of Mitsui and prove that he is no longer an opponent who can be easily defeated.

Most importantly, he wanted Mitsui to remember his name!

At the national junior high school tournament, Mitsui didn't even remember his name, which was what annoyed Hasegawa the most.

However, when they met on the high school field, Hasegawa found that his efforts seemed insufficient.

Although he made significant progress, Mitsui's progress was even more remarkable.

In this game, Mitsui always managed to find a breakthrough with his superb positioning, coupled with accurate shooting and skillful dribbling techniques, tearing apart Hasegawa's defense time and time again.

Despite Hasegawa's best efforts, he ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.

After two and a half years of chasing, the gap between the two not only did not narrow, but actually widened.

This also made Hasegawa feel desperate. In the face of talent, is hard work really useful?

Coach Kitano was at his wits' end after noticing Hasegawa's unusual behavior.

He had just appeased Fujima, and now he had to deal with Hasegawa.

Fortunately, like Coach Anzai, he is also a master of motivational speeches!
Drink up this bowl of fragrant and rich chicken soup!
"Hasegawa, every player has their own role..."

Under Coach Kitano's guidance, Hasegawa's eyes began to gleam.

There is a play!

Coach Kitano was in high spirits and spoke with even more enthusiasm.

After the timeout, Ito Taku dribbled the ball past midfield.

After weighing the pros and cons, Kogure continued to keep an eye on Fujima.

Meanwhile, Ito Taku will be matched up against Mitsui.

Under Mitsui's defense, Ito Taku had no choice but to lean against Mitsui.

At this moment, under the double cover of Hanagata and Kishimoto, Fujima barely managed to shake off Kogure.

Ito Taku's timing for passing the ball was not as good as Fujima's, and he was inevitably a step slower.

This directly led to Kogure charging forward again.

After receiving the ball, Fujima had no choice but to abandon his plan to shoot and immediately pass the ball to Minami.

At this moment, Nan Lie had not shaken off Rukawa Kaede.

Without hesitation, Nan Lie began to attempt a one-on-one fight against Rukawa Kaede.

In this match, Rukawa Kaede played rather mediocrely.

This led Nan Lie to underestimate his strength, believing that he could easily defeat Rukawa Kaede.

The moment he received the ball, Nan Lie immediately changed direction and broke through.

In an instant, the two passed each other.

"After all, he's just a freshman!"

Nan Lie couldn't help but feel a little smug, but his hands were empty.

Hey, where's the ball?!

Just as the two were passing each other, Rukawa Kaede reacted quickly and easily made a steal.

"Return to defense!"

The Xiangyang team quickly retreated to defend immediately.

Since Sakuragi entered the game, Shohoku has launched several fast breaks, forcing Shoyo players to speed up their defense.

As a result, the physical exhaustion of the Xiangyang players is further exacerbated.

Seeing no opportunity for a quick counterattack, Kogure slightly slowed down the pace before jogging into the frontcourt.

Fujima immediately came forward, ready for anything.

Without hesitation, Kogure changed direction in front of him.

Fujima quickly shifted his feet to the side, attempting to block Kogure's path of breakthrough.

During this process, the two made physical contact.

At the moment of contact, Fujima staggered and couldn't help but take a step back.

Kogure's fighting ability far surpasses his.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kogure broke through and drove straight to the basket.

In an instant, Hanagata rushed forward.

Facing Hanagata's defensive maneuver, Kogure did not back down and jumped straight up to meet Hanagata.

Hua Xing did not back down; she raised her hands and jumped up as well.

However, the expected fierce confrontation did not occur.

Instead of dunking, Kogure passed the ball under Hanagata's armpit.

After receiving a brilliant pass from Kogure, Sakuragi leaped up and unleashed a tomahawk dunk.

Bang~
The whole process can be described as seamless.

"Senior Kogure, well said!"

Sakuragi couldn't help but give Kogure a thumbs up. Kogure was responsible for at least 70% of the score; Sakuragi only needed to put the ball in the basket.

Offense and defense reversed!

Shohoku served quickly, and within just three seconds, all of their players appeared in the frontcourt.

They started running tirelessly, weaving in and out of each other's positions, and also using screens, picks, and back cuts.

Thanks to his teammates' efforts, Fujima had another chance.

Unfortunately, Ito Taku was too closely marked by Mitsui and missed the best opportunity to pass the ball.

By the time Fujima received the ball, Kogure had already rushed in front of him and used Death Bind.

Under Kogure's relentless pressure, Fujima looked extremely disheveled and had to dribble the ball sideways.

Nan Lie had no choice but to step forward to receive the ball, and Fujima passed it to Nan Lie hand-to-hand.

At that moment, Rukawa rushed towards Nanlie, but Nanlie passed the ball to Kishimoto first.

"Come on, this genius will definitely reward you with another big hot pot!"

Sakuragi confronted Kishimoto, his words filled with contempt for him.

In their previous matchup, Sakuragi had treated Kishimoto to a large hot pot meal.

"This guy is even more arrogant than me!"

Kishimoto gritted his teeth in anger, but still managed to suppress his rage and turned to the left.

Sakuragi immediately moved his feet to block Kishimoto's breakthrough route.

Sensing Sakuragi's shift in weight, Kishimoto quickly withdrew his movement and turned to the right.

Sakuragi reacted quickly, suppressing his discomfort, and pounced on him again.

Kishimoto raised his hand to shoot, and Sakuragi jumped up without thinking.

Unfortunately, this was Kishimoto's feint.

When Sakuragi jumped up completely, Kishimoto wanted to go up to him.

However, Sakuragi lost his balance in mid-air, and under Kishimoto's panicked gaze, he was pinned down between Kishimoto's legs.

Sakuragi jumped too high!
Kishimoto felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and was pinned to the ground by Sakuragi.

Beep~
The referee immediately blew his whistle and raised two fingers.

Sakuragi instinctively gripped the floor with both hands, and then a scorching heat surged into his groin, causing his whole body to shudder.

puff~
The next moment, a stream of air rushed into Kishimoto's nasal cavity, carrying a faint stench that almost suffocated him.

Kishimoto shoved Sakuragi away from his face, panting heavily.

His expression immediately changed, and he had to force himself to hold his breath and use both hands and feet to leave the stinking area.

At that moment, Kishimoto finally understood the source of that stench!

His face was like a dye vat, alternating between green and red.

Kishimoto's eyes were filled with rage as he stared intently at Sakuragi.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Sakuragi unusually refrained from glaring back.

Kishimoto asked through gritted teeth, "Did you do it on purpose or by accident?"

Sakuragi scratched the back of his head and replied, "Um, I did it on purpose, it was an accident!"

"Damn it, this year's freshmen are so unlovable!"

Kishimoto walked to the free-throw line, cursing and swearing.

At the free-throw line, Kishimoto dribbled the ball twice before finally releasing it.

Perhaps due to a lack of mental preparation, Kishimoto threw a shot that missed the target entirely.

"Kishimoto, do your best!"

Seeing that Kishimoto was having a mental breakdown, Nan Lie took the initiative to step forward and cheer up his friend.

Call ~
Kishimoto took a deep breath, adjusted himself, and threw the ball again.

Thud~ Swish~
The basketball bounced and fell into the hoop.

Call ~
Kishimoto patted his chest with lingering fear, then glared fiercely at Sakuragi.

He remembered that fart!
Shohoku quickly retreated to their defense, giving Shohoku no chance to launch a fast break.

For Shohoku, whether or not they launch a fast break is not important, because they have several strong points.

Of the five positions, only Kishimoto from Shohoku was not at a significant disadvantage; the other four positions were completely suppressed.

"Sakuragi, don't be easily swayed by feints."

Kogure patted Sakuragi on the shoulder, thought for a moment, and continued, "You can use the same method you used on Rukawa to defend against Kishimoto!"

"Captain, you're truly amazing!"

Sakuragi's eyes lit up; he saw great potential in this.

Soon, Shohoku launched an attack.

In this attack, Kogure broke through Fujima, drew the defense, and then made a brilliant pass to Naito for an alley-oop.

Naito leaped up and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

Bang~
With another loud thud, the basketball hoop shook violently.

Hua Hua Hua~
For a moment, applause and cheers echoed throughout the stadium, completely overshadowing the Shohoku cheerleading team.

When it was Shohoku's turn to attack, Kishimoto quickly received the basketball.

No matter how you look at it, Kishimoto has the greatest chance of success.

Furthermore, they hoped that Kishimoto would knock Sakuragi off the field.

The moment Kishimoto received the ball, Sakuragi immediately closed in and began a deadly defensive maneuver.

Both Rukawa and Sakuragi have mastered the art of the Death Coil technique.

Kishimoto had a very difficult time against Sakuragi's targeted play. Not only could he not shake off Sakuragi, but he was also almost stripped of the ball by the opponent.

Seeing this, Nan Lie quickly covered Kishimoto.

With the help of Nan Lie's screen, Kishimoto immediately shook off Sakuragi and rushed to the basket, preparing to boost the team's morale with a dunk.

"careful!"

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over from the side and behind.

With his explosive power and speed, Sakuragi arrived first despite being behind, and quickly swung his right hand at the basketball.

Kishimoto gritted his teeth and gripped the basketball tightly with both hands.

pop~
Sakuragi slammed his right hand hard against the basketball.

In mid-air, the two engaged in a struggle.

In the end, Sakuragi prevailed, and the basketball broke free of Kishimoto's control, flying straight towards the frontcourt.

Thanks to Max's reflexes, Kogure quickly moved and grabbed the basketball immediately.

Fujima looked slightly flustered and immediately lunged at Kogure.

After a brief standoff between Kogure and Fujima, Kogure realized the opportunity had arrived and immediately threw the ball with great force.

The basketball flew rapidly towards the basket, and Naito leaped up, smashing the ball into the hoop over Hanagata.

Bang~

Hanagata felt a sharp pain in her chest, and then she was sent flying backward.

Naito was nearly 20 kilograms heavier than him, giving him a huge advantage.

Naito, hanging from the basket, looked down at Hanagata with a ferocious grin.

Under the lights, Naito's bald head gleamed.

In the corridor, Morishige Hiroshi seemed to see a guide on his life's journey.

"Captain, I want to learn this!"

"Ah Kuan, don't you do this all the time?"

When Moroboshi Dai was speaking, he felt a slight pain in his ribs.

I was referring to the hairstyle!

Morishige Hiroshi pointed at Naito's bald head.

In Slam Dunk, the only two bald characters are Sakuragi and Naito, who was created specifically for the anime.

As for the players from Sannoh Industrial, including Nozomi Takamiya and Hiroshi Morishige, they all have buzz cuts.

"Nani!"

Love and the three leaders looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

No, is being bald considered a hairstyle?
However, Morishige Hiroshi already had a buzz cut, so shaving his head wouldn't be a problem, and they couldn't interfere.

(End of this chapter)