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

The other side of the stadium.

Rukawa Kaede was soaked through, with sweat dripping from his black hair.

He didn't even glance at the commotion on Sakuragi's side.

He stared intently at the small television screen on the sidelines, which was playing a loop of Michael Jordan's game footage.

Every sudden stop, every tentative step, even the slightest sway of the shoulder.

Rukawa Kaede watched as he held the ball in place.

They were secretly replicating their frantic pace and feints.

"Not enough."

"This kind of rhythm can still be figured out by truly top-tier defenses."

Rukawa Kaede was panting, his eyes as cold as knives.

He absolutely refused to fall behind that idiot redhead in the upcoming practice matches.

He wants to prove himself in the upcoming real-world battles.

To prove that they are the team's sharpest spear.

As time went by.

The training venue was moved from the basketball court to the top-of-the-line weight room at the Berto Center.

The pungent smell of sweat mingled with the clanging of metal instruments.

Inside the weight room, an extreme training program targeting the core strength of the lower body is underway.

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood in front of the squat rack, his muscles trembling uncontrollably.

Before him was a barbell with heavy discus hanging from both sides.

It weighs a terrifying 200 kilograms!

This is well over twice his own body weight!

Faced with such an inhuman challenge, ordinary high school students would have been scared away long ago.

"Don't tremble like a coward!"

Rodman stood to the side, holding a towel and roaring loudly.

"If you want to establish yourself firmly in the paint like a nail, without core strength, you're just a paper tiger that falls over at the slightest touch!"

"Get inside and carry it!"

Sakuragi gritted his teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes.

He bent down, wedging his back firmly under the barbell, his hands gripping the cold steel tightly.

"rise!"

Sakuragi let out a beast-like roar.

His thigh muscles tensed instantly, and veins bulged wildly on his forehead and neck.

The heavy barbell left the support, pressing down on his spine with a sickening crack.

"Squat down!"

Rodman coldly issued the order.

Sakuragi gritted his teeth and slowly bent his knees.

The weight of 200 kilograms felt like a mountain pressing down on his shoulders, threatening to crush him completely.

The muscle fibers were being pulled wildly on the verge of tearing, and the extreme pain blurred his vision.

He was struggling internally.

"So heavy..."

"My leg is going to break..."

Sweat stung my eyes.

At the moment he reached his lowest point, Sakuragi felt that he had exhausted all his strength and could no longer stand up.

Countless images flashed through my mind.

Shigehiro Arimori's arrogant, condescending gaze.

There was a powerful collision between the mountain king and the small river fields.

Haruko stood on the sidelines, her eyes filled with expectation and tenderness.

"Sakuragi-kun, I believe you can do it!"

And then there was the deafening oath that Captain Akagi led the entire team in before setting off.

"We will dominate the entire country!"

"I'm...a genius!"

Sakuragi's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to stand up.

But the barbell seemed to have taken root, pressing down on him tightly, and even began to sink slightly.

Just when he was about to be exhausted, Lin Bei, who had been leaning against the door with his arms crossed, walked over.

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the noise of the weight room.

"Sink your breath into your lower abdomen, close your mouth, and inhale through your nose."

"Push all the power up your spine from your heels."

"Don't use brute force, use this 'qi' to support your waist and stance."

This is an extremely profound core breathing method in Tai Chi and Bajiquan, which Lin Bei secretly instructed him on.

Sakuragi had learned a few moves from Lin Bei before, but he couldn't find out where the dantian was.

Instinctively following Lin Bei's instructions, he abruptly shut his mouth.

Take a deep breath through your nose and let it sink directly into your abdomen.

The previously scattered core strength was twisted into an indestructible steel rope by an invisible force at this moment.

"Get up!!!"

Sakuragi let out a muffled growl.

Through sheer willpower and breathing techniques.

His waist suddenly straightened, and his legs seemed to turn into hydraulic presses.

Under Rodman's incredulous gaze.

Sakuragi, carrying that exaggerated 200-kilogram barbell, stood up straight and steadily.

Not long after, he successfully completed the last set of squats!

"boom!"

Sakuragi slammed the barbell back onto the shelf.

He leaned against the equipment, completely exhausted, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his face.

After a brief silence.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Rodman clapped his hands heavily, first a few times, then it turned into a frenzied applause.

He walked forward laughing and grabbed Sakuragi's neck.

He vigorously rubbed the sweaty red-haired head, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.

"Well done, you unreasonable beast!"

"I have to admit, you're incredibly persistent!"

Outside the locker room after the special training session.

Rodman casually tossed a large package into Sakuragi's arms.

"Here you go, you red-haired brat."

"These are my last signature sneakers from my rookie season, along with a pair of specially made thick knee braces."

Rodman put his hands in his pockets, unusually putting away his arrogant demeanor.

"Don't embarrass me in the competition."

"If you encounter a fat guy who only knows how to use his body, use the method I taught you: kick his ass until it bursts!"

"I'll be waiting for you in America."

Sakuragi, holding this incredibly profitable package, was stunned for a moment.

Then he grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

Thanks!

"But remember this: the name of this genius will one day resound throughout the entire United States!"

Just then, a series of steady and powerful footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

Michael Jordan, dressed casually, was spinning a basketball in his hand, with Pippen following behind him.

The real test is here.

Jordan's gaze passed over Sakuragi and locked onto Lin Bei, who was standing in the shadows.

"Training behind closed doors cannot reveal true quality."

Jordan stopped and spun the basketball rapidly between his fingers.

His eyes burned with a fierce flame called competitiveness.

"Lin, you've made such a big fuss."

"What, as the leader, aren't you going to get out there and stretch your muscles?"

Lin Bei did not respond to Jordan immediately.

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was drenched in sweat but had a determined look in his eyes.

His gaze swept over Rukawa Kaede, who was staring intently at the video screen in the corner, his muscles taut.

His gaze swept over Takenori Akagi, who was emitting a beast-like growl from inside the weight room.

As the special training draws to a close, these once-naive Kanagawa boys are undergoing an astonishing transformation at a visible pace.

Looking at his teammates, who were burning with passion for dominating the country, Lin Bei's fingertips twitched slightly.

A long-lost, indescribable itch in my hands.

It climbed all the way up the spine to the scalp.