Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Hainan's substitute bench.

Gao Touli stopped folding his fan.

He squinted and stared intently at Sakuragi on the field.

"incredible……"

Gao Touli muttered to himself.

"With that kind of impact, an ordinary person would be lying down for at least five minutes."

"That number 10... instantly regained full health?"

"In terms of physical fitness and recovery ability alone... even Mu might not be able to suppress this newbie who has only been training for three months."

Gao Touli started waving the folding fan again, but this time at a much faster pace.

"That Lin Bei is a freak too, he was hit like that and didn't even break any bones..."

"What did those guys from Shohoku eat to grow up like that?"

……

The game continues.

Possession of the ball remained with Shohoku.

Sakuragi, like a warrior on steroids, relentlessly dominated the paint.

"Give me, genius!!"

A high-hanging banner was hung in the palace.

Sakuragi leaped from the ground with incredible speed, his terrifying jumping ability igniting the entire stadium once again, overpowering Takasago Kazuma and picking the melon with one hand.

"Alright! Watch this genius's layup!"

Sakuragi landed and was about to turn around.

A sense of oppression, like that of a mountain, washed over me.

A tall figure stood firmly in front of them.

Dark skin, a resolute face, and that suffocating aura of a king.

Shinichi Maki!

"I'll keep an eye on number 10."

Maki Shinichi's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Did I hear that right? Maki Shinichi went to keep an eye on Sakuragi?"

"The best player in Kanagawa, defending against that novice?"

"Maki is actually serious... His regard for Sakuragi even surpasses that for Rukawa?"

On the field.

Sakuragi held the ball without fear.

Instead, he frowned, leaned closer, and examined Maki Shinichi's slightly "mature" face up close.

Eyes wide open.

Maki Shinichi frowned slightly, preparing to defend against a breakthrough.

Suddenly, Sakuragi spoke, his tone revealing genuine confusion:

"Hey... Uncle, how old are you?"

"..."

The air freezes.

Maki Shinichi's perpetually poker face twitched visibly.

But he was, after all, a seasoned king, and he took a deep breath.

He said in a deep voice, "I'm a high school student..."

"ha?!"

Sakuragi, as if hearing a fairy tale, pointed at Maki Shinichi's nose, then turned and roared at Kiyota Nobunaga:

"Hey! Wild monkeys! You guys in Hainan are so dark-skinned!"

"You can't beat this genius, fine, but how can you call in outside help?!"

"Or is it this kind of adult who looks like a headmaster?!"

Kiyota Nobunaga, who was defending against Mitsui, almost couldn't catch his breath.

Enraged, she snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting, you red-haired bastard?!"

Qingtian pointed at Amu and roared:

"That's our Sheriff!"

"He's a genuine third-year student!!"

"He's only 17 years old!!"

"You're 17, you bastard!!"

This roar was filled with Kiyota's protection of his captain, as well as a kind of inexplicable sadness.

Sakuragi's eyes widened.

I turned around and checked Maki Shinichi's weathered face one last time.

Then he turned and angrily rebuked Kiyota:

"17 years old? You're kidding me!"

"Look at that face! Is this really a 17-year-old?"

"You could say you're 37 and people would believe you!"

"Look at those nasolabial folds! You dare say he's a high school student?!"

"puff……"

On the Shohoku bench, Lin Bei, who had just recovered, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Despite the pain all over his body, it didn't stop him from appreciating this classic scene.

"Well done, Sakuragi..."

"That's true damage, the kind that ignores magic resistance."

Lin Bei clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.

On the court, a vein bulged on Shinichi Maki's forehead.

No matter how stable your mindset is, having your nasolabial folds discussed in front of thousands of people is a devastating blow to your mental health.

"Enough!!" Kiyota jumped up and down in anger.

"You're just jealous!"

"That's the charm of a mature man!"

"You naive red-haired monkey, what do you know!"

"Who are you calling a monkey?! You wild animal!"

"You're the wild animal! You're an orangutan!"

It looked like the two were about to have a full-blown fight.

"Beep! Beep!!"

The referee rushed over with a dark expression:

"No chatting during the match!"

"Especially the number 10s on both teams! You better behave!"

"besides……"

The referee glanced at Maki Shinichi, whose face was ashen, and a hint of sympathy flashed in his eyes.

"Number 4, you should also control your emotions."

Shinichi Maki: "..."

I didn't say anything!

I'm the victim here!

……

The heavy doors of the stadium were pushed open.

Aida Yayoi, disregarding her image, squeezed into the inner area, panting heavily.

"How is the situation?"

She straightened her disheveled business attire while anxiously scanning the court.

The moment her gaze fell upon the scene, her breath caught in her throat.

Number 4 in Hainan, the man known as "Emperor".

At this moment, it was like a towering black mountain, firmly blocking Sakuragi Hanamichi's path.

Maki Shinichi lowered his center of gravity to an extremely low position, his arms outstretched like wings.

There was not a trace of disdain for the newcomer in his eyes, only the coldness and focus of a apex predator locking onto its prey.

"Oh my god..." Aida Yayoi's fingertips trembled slightly.

"That arrogant Maki Shinichi is going all out against a first-year student right from the start?"

This suffocating defensive treatment was something Sendoh Akira experienced in the second half last year.

The air pressure on the field was frighteningly low.

"Middle-aged people!"

"Don't get in my way!!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi roared, trying to bolster his courage with his loud voice.

The ball slammed heavily onto the floor in his hands, and his body shot out like a fully drawn bowstring.

It must be admitted that Lin Bei's grueling training was remarkably effective.

Sakuragi's first step was so fast it seemed to create a whoosh, prompting Kiyota Nobunaga on the sidelines to gasp in surprise:

"So fast!"

But in Mu Shen's eyes, this breakthrough, though fierce, was full of flaws.

"Too young."

Mu Shenyi scoffed inwardly, his footwork deftly slipping away.

With just a half-step to the side, it was like a welded iron gate, completely blocking all of Sakuragi's attack routes.

Bang!

Two strong bodies collided without any frills.

Sakuragi gritted his teeth. If he couldn't break through, he would just have to force his way through!

In the instant he lost his balance, he relied on his animalistic instincts to forcefully jump, throwing the ball toward the basket in a contorted posture.

"A nobody makes a layup!!"

"Innocent!"

A loud shout rang out.

Maki Shinichi jumped up almost simultaneously behind him.

Although his height is slightly inferior, his grasp of timing is unparalleled.

Just as the basketball left his fingertips, a large hand, with unparalleled strength, slapped it down hard.

Snapped! ! !

The crisp sound of the lid being sealed echoed throughout the entire building.

The basketball slammed against the backboard and bounced high into the air.

"The rebound is mine!!"

Akagi Takenori let out a deafening roar.

He had already locked up his position inside, his back like an iron wall blocking Takasago Kazuma behind him.

With a burst of power from his legs, his massive body rose from the ground.

His eyes were fixed on that orange-red sphere.

That was Xiangbei's destiny, the cornerstone of their national domination.

Takasago was stunned by this momentum and was a beat too slow, so he could only watch helplessly as Akagi took the board off with both hands.

"Good shot! Gorilla!!" Sakuragi excitedly pumped his fist after landing.

Unexpected changes often occur when one's mind is most relaxed.

Akagi landed on the board, his body tilting slightly from the impact.

His left foot.

Unfortunately, he stepped on the foot of Kazuma Takasago, who had just landed.