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

Immediately afterwards, a shadow fell over the Immortal Path.

Sakuragi Hanamichi crossed his arms, nose in the air, and looked down at Sendoh with his chin.

"Hmph, broom head!"

"How about it? You've witnessed the power of this genius, haven't you?"

"Did that 'combination technique' scare your legs to the point of weakness?"

Sakuragi was smug, as if he had scored 100 points all by himself in the previous game.

Sendoh looked at this red-haired clown, and the smile in his eyes became more genuine.

He offered his hand.

"Yes, it really startled me."

"Sakuragi-kun, your athletic ability is simply monstrous."

"That jumping ability, and the explosive power at the last moment..."

Sendoh paused, his gaze becoming slightly more serious.

"If you can master the basics, you'll learn how to truly play basketball."

"Perhaps next time we meet, you will be my most troublesome opponent."

"Keep practicing, genius."

These words were like a shot of high-concentration stimulant for Sakuragi.

Sakuragi's face instantly turned red, and steam seemed to rise from his head.

He grabbed Sendoh's hand and shook it violently up and down, almost breaking Sendoh's arm off.

"Hahaha!"

"You think so too?!"

"She definitely has an eye for good hair!"

"Don't worry! This genius will make you lose even more miserably next time!"

Sendoh smiled wryly as he withdrew his hand, feeling as if his arm no longer belonged to him.

He shifted his gaze back, preparing to shake hands with the next person.

That was number 16 from Shohoku, the most mysterious and unfathomable guy on the court.

however.

Sendoh's outstretched hand stopped in mid-air.

Because there was no one in front of him.

Or rather, nobody was standing.

On Akagi Takenori's broad back, a dark, indistinct shape was lying on it.

Lin Bei clung to Akagi like a koala, his arms wrapped around Akagi's neck, his face buried in Akagi's jersey, breathing evenly.

"Huff... huff..."

You can even see a snot bubble that swells and shrinks with each breath.

The entire audience burst into laughter.

The Ryonan team members' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Asleep?!"

"At this time?!" Yueye pointed at Lin Bei, his finger trembling.

"That guy who just hit the game-winning 3+1 is sleeping now?!"

Akagi Takenori's face darkened, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

He held Lin Bei's thigh with his other hand to prevent him from slipping down, explaining through gritted teeth:

"Sorry, this thing... is out of power."

"He's the kind of person who automatically shuts down if he gets too much exercise."

Sendoh watched this scene unfold.

The expression on his face changed from astonishment to helplessness, and finally turned into a soft laugh.

He withdrew his hand and looked at the back of the person who was sleeping soundly.

"What an... unpredictable guy."

"Akagi, your Shohoku team is really strong this year."

"Whether it's that newcomer Rukawa Kaede, or this... Lin Bei."

"Of course, there's also that red-haired genius."

Sendoh turned around and waved to the Shohoku team with his back to them.

See you at the county competition.

"At that time, Ryonan will not lose again."

……

The next day, early in the morning.

At the entrance of Shohoku High School, the sunlight was so bright it was almost blinding.

Students entered the campus in twos and threes.

Without exception, the topic of discussion was yesterday's practice match.

"Hey, did you hear? The basketball team beat Ryonan!"

"Really? That Ryonan team that made it to the semifinals?"

Why would I lie to you! I heard it was a game-winning shot at the last minute!

It was in this vibrant atmosphere.

"Thump!"

A muffled thud, followed by a scream, shattered the tranquility of the early morning.

Under the cherry blossom tree at the school gate, four members of Sakuragi's gang were lying on the ground, clutching their heads, like a human pyramid.

"Hanamichi! What are you doing?!"

Takamiya Nozomi covered the swollen lump, her eyes brimming with tears.

"That hurts so much! Was that headbutt meant to kill me?!" Oonan Yuji was also rubbing his head.

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood in front of them, his schoolbag slung over his shoulder, his face full of anger.

"You bunch of bastards!"

"Were you mocking this genius yesterday?!"

"I clearly heard you! You were saying I'm afraid of losing or something!"

"I'm the hero who defeated Ryonan! I'm the secret weapon!"

"How dare you mock a hero! Prepare to die!"

As Sakuragi spoke, he bent down again to deliver another "Genius Headbutt".

Yohei Mito quickly dodged, waving his hands in explanation with a helpless smile on his face.

"Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding, Hanamichi!"

"We're cheering you on!"

"come on?"

Sakuragi paused, looking at Yohei with suspicion.

"certainly!"

Yohei stepped forward, patted Sakuragi on the shoulder, and said, suppressing a laugh:

"Think about it, this was your first time competing, and you defeated an opponent of Sendoh's caliber."

"We're marveling at how Sakuragi Hanamichi always manages to create miracles."

"Although the form was a bit awkward, there were more fouls, and I got dunked on badly..."

"Hmm?" Sakuragi's eyes sharpened.

"Ahem! Anyway! We are proud of you!" Yohei quickly stopped him.

Sakuragi's expression instantly brightened.

That face, which had been so fierce just moments before, was now beaming with joy.

"Hahaha! So that's how it is!"

"You should have said so earlier! You made me waste my energy!"

"That's right! This genius is the man who creates miracles!"

Sakuragi stood with his hands on his hips, letting out his signature maniacal laughter at the school gate.

This attracted the attention of passing girls, who then quickly ran away as if they were looking at a lunatic.

Just as Sakuragi was immersed in self-admiration.

A burly figure blocked their way.

The man, dressed in a judo uniform and wooden clogs, stood at the school gate with a serious expression, like an iron tower.

The leader of the judo club is Tatsuhiko Aoda.

He looked at Sakuragi, who was holding a photograph in his hand; it was a picture of Haruko.

"Sakuragi".

Qingtian's voice was deep and powerful.

"I knew you'd react this way."

"You lost badly yesterday, didn't you?"

Qingtian tucked the photo into his pocket, a knowing look on his face, and said earnestly:

"Basketball, that soft sport, is simply not suitable for you."

"Only judo! Is true romance for men!"

"I heard you went to Ryonan yesterday, and you must have gotten a crushing defeat, right?"

"That Akagi guy, he's probably crying in the locker room again, isn't he?"

"Come on, Sakuragi! Stop wasting your talent!"

"Join the judo club! We'll dominate the nation!"

Aota reached out his large hand, trying to grab Sakuragi's shoulder.

However, Sakuragi did not avoid it as usual, nor was he attracted by the photo.

He stood still, his smile fading.

Those eyes, which were usually a bit eccentric, were now shining with an unprecedented light.

"I think……."

Sakuragi called out.

Qingtian paused for a moment, "Huh?"

You've got one thing wrong.

Sakuragi gave himself a thumbs-up, a confident grin spreading across his face.

"We won."

"We, Shohoku, defeated Ryonan."

"Moreover, this genius has made a great contribution."

Qingtian froze.

"You...you won?"

"That perennial underdog basketball team beat Ryonan in the semifinals?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Sakuragi burst into laughter upon hearing this, "Hahaha! This genius never jokes!"

"Basketball is pretty fun!"

"Especially the moment when he slams the ball into the basket!"

"That feeling... is way more satisfying than beating someone up!"

Aota's heart skipped a beat when he saw Sakuragi's excited expression.

It’s over.

This kid...

I think I've really fallen in love with basketball.