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

The locker room at Hiroshima Stadium.

"Bang!"

The locker room door was kicked open.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, looking exactly like an overly excited red-haired monkey, burst in.

He placed one foot on the bench in the very center.

Hands on hips.

He threw his head back and laughed wildly.

"Hahaha!"

"Did you all see that?!"

"What?! Aiwa Academy, one of the top four in the nation!"

"You were completely humiliated by this genius, you can't even find your way north!"

"From today onwards, call me Sakuragi, the genius who crushes the top four!"

Sakuragi's smug laughter echoed throughout the cramped locker room.

The vibrations were so intense they made my eardrums ache.

Rukawa Kaede was drying his dripping hair with a towel.

He didn't even lift his eyelids at the noise.

"idiot."

"I almost tripped over myself while grabbing a rebound under the basket."

Rukawa Kaede unleashed his sharp tongue without holding back.

"You damned fox!"

"Are you jealous of my impeccable basketball skills?!"

Sakuragi instantly bristled.

He jumped off the bench, rolled up his sleeves, and was ready to challenge Rukawa to a duel.

After the life-or-death battle with Sannoh Industrial, the relationship between the two has actually improved considerably.

Their current bickering is more like that of a pair of inseparable, bickering lovers.

Lin Bei leaned lazily against the innermost metal wardrobe.

He unscrewed the bottle of mineral water and tilted his head back to gulp down most of it.

"Alright, save your energy."

Lin Bei tossed it casually.

The empty plastic bottle traced a perfect parabola in the air before landing hollow in the corner trash can.

"It was just a little abuse of love and academy, why are you all so excited?"

"Anyone who didn't know better would think we'd already won the national championship trophy."

He chewed gum, speaking casually, emphasizing an invisible way of putting on a show.

Just then, the locker room door was pushed open again.

Coach Anzai walked in with a big, round belly and a beaming smile.

"Oh, hehehe."

"Everyone played well today."

Coach Anzai adjusted his reflective glasses.

The noisy locker room fell silent instantly, and everyone stood at attention.

"However, Coach, I have some new information to share with everyone."

Coach Anzai began to speak slowly.

"Due to venue scheduling reasons."

"Our next quarter-final match against Urayasu Commercial in Chiba Prefecture has been rescheduled to three days later."

"In other words, you're getting a two-day break."

"Everyone, get some rest and recover the energy you've used up in these matches."

After these words were spoken, the locker room fell silent for two seconds.

"What?! Three days off?!"

Miyagi Ryota grabbed his curly hair in frustration.

"Coach, we don't know anyone in Hiroshima...!"

"Are we just supposed to lie on the hotel tatami mats and grow mushrooms for the next three days?"

Mitsui Hisashi was also numb.

"Yeah... I don't even know where to go during the holidays..."

The group of poor high school students looked at each other in bewilderment.

The funds for the national competition were already running out.

Spending three days in a big city like Hiroshima is simply unbearable.

Lin Bei listened to the group's crazy complaints and sighed helplessly.

He pulled a top-tier black card with a shimmering dark gold luster from his bag.

The black card spun nimbly around my fingertip.

"Alright, stop howling."

Lin Bei spoke in a languid tone.

"I'll cover all expenses in Hiroshima."

"Eating, drinking, and having fun—anything that can be solved with money, it's all on me."

"Consider it a celebration that we've made it to the quarterfinals."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next second, Sakuragi Hanamichi transformed into a red cannonball and pounced straight at him.

"Master!!"

"You are my one and only God!"

"I knew you were Shohoku's savior!"

Miyagi and Mitsui were so excited that they whistled wildly and clapped their hands hard.

"Young Master is so generous!"

"Open your mind! Follow Lin Bei, and you'll have meat to eat every day!"

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers, Takenori Akagi coughed heavily.

"cough!"

"You all better tone it down!"

Akagi's imposing, towering face hardened, and his gaze became stern.

"Puan Commercial may not be as well-known as Sannoh and Aiwa."

"But making it to the quarterfinals is definitely not something to be underestimated."

"Relaxing is fine, but anyone who loses their focus in the game is out of the question."

"Watch out for my fist!"

Sakuragi mumbled an agreement while scratching the back of his head, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Lin Bei shrugged, appearing indifferent.

at the same time.

The stands of Hiroshima Stadium were completely empty.

The coach of Meihou Industrial stood in the shadows, staring intently at the exit path of Shohoku.

He was holding the information about Xiangbei in his hand.

"Number 16, Lin Bei... and number 10, Sakuragi."

He gritted his teeth.

Lin Bei's unreasonable and overwhelming style of play on the field made even this veteran player feel troubled.

Sakuragi's terrifying jumping potential is also a hidden danger.

"If we can't defend the perimeter, we'll crush you completely inside."

He turned to look at the corner.

There sat a figure as large as a giant bear.

Morishige Hiroshi was yawning listlessly, showing no interest in anything.

"Ah Kuan".

Coach Mingpeng lowered his voice, revealing a ruthless edge.

"If we face Shohoku in the next game."

"Keep a close watch on their inside game."

"I'll make sure that red-haired brat can't even jump in front of you."

The scene shifts.

The plaza outside Hiroshima Stadium.

The setting sun dyed half the sky orange-red.

Haruko and her best friends Fujii and Matsui stood by the flower bed, eagerly waiting.

"That's amazing!"

"Shohoku actually utterly crushed Aiwa Academy!"

"This time, no one will say that defeating Sannoh was just luck, right?"

Fujii stomped his feet excitedly, clutching the support poster in his hand.

Haruko cupped her cheeks, her little face flushed.

Her mind was filled with images of Rukawa Kaede's ultimate lever pull.

And Lin Bei's terrifying dominance, like a dimensional reduction attack.

"They're out!"

Matsui, with his sharp eyes, shouted.

The members of Shohoku walked into view, carrying their bags and chatting happily.

Haruko's heart raced, her gaze darting back and forth between Rukawa Kaede and Lin Bei.

Just as she took a deep breath, preparing to muster the courage to say hello.

A loud, arrogant roar suddenly erupted from the other side of the square.

"Celebrating Shohoku's secret weapon!"

"The rebounding king is unleashing his full power!"

"Sakuragi Army, form ranks!"

Yohei Mito, Nozomi Takamiya, and two others unfurled an extremely crude banner.

The words written on it in a crooked hand read: "Genius Sakuragi, Dominate Hiroshima."

Takamiya Nozomi twisted her chubby body and blew wildly, breaking the plastic horn.

This quirky behavior drew the attention of passersby.

"Hello!"

"What are you idiots doing here?!"

Sakuragi was taken aback at first, then his lips curled up into a wild smile.

He strode over.

He was cursing under his breath, but his back was straighter than anyone else's.

At that moment, Sakuragi felt incredibly happy.

A few months ago, he was a complete novice in basketball, getting beaten fifty times.

Now, he is an absolute mainstay in the inside game of one of the top eight teams in the country.

The weight of the wooden floor underfoot.

It made him truly feel the meaning of his existence.

At that moment, Haruko's clear voice rang out.

"Sakuragi-kun!"