The Prince of Tennis: My tennis skills come from Naruto

One month later,

May 1st, 7:30 AM.

On the highway, three identical silver buses, each bearing the Hyotei school emblem, were moving slowly.

The vehicle in the middle carried only the regular players of the Hyotei tennis team and other important figures.

inside the car,

Sakaki Taro, who was sitting in the front row next to the driver's seat on the bus, stood up and gave the members who were going to fight today some final instructions with a serious expression.

"Although today's opponents aren't top-tier teams, we shouldn't let our guard down!"

"yes!"

Ryo Shishido and the others who were to fight today responded in unison.

At this moment, Kamiya You, who had been leaning back in his seat listening to music, took off his headphones, turned his head, glanced at Sengoku Kiyosumi and the others, and gave Sakaki Taro's final instructions.

"This regional tournament is the first official competition we've participated in since the Hyotei team was reorganized, so we not only have to win, but we have to win beautifully!"

"clear!"

"receive!"

"Minister, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Then, they remained silent the rest of the way.

Soon, the vehicle arrived at the parking lot of the Shirai Tennis Sports Park near Hyotei Academy.

After the vehicles came to a stop in the parking lot, the members of Hyotei got out one after another and walked in a grand procession toward the entrance of the sports park, following the formation they had arranged earlier.

At this moment, the sports park was filled with junior high school students in various school uniforms, interspersed with residents of all ages and professions from the surrounding area.

There was also a reporter, Inoue Mamoru, who was standing alone at the entrance. His camera was ready to capture the first moment of the Hyotei group's arrival.

Today, Inoue Mamoru came alone because his junior, Shiba Saori, was taking classes at university. She had been able to go to Hyotei before because it was a very rare opportunity, so he communicated with her journalism professor to get her permission to go.

"They're here!" Inoue Mamoru's eyes focused instantly; he almost immediately spotted this iconic team.

At the same time, Hyotei's imposing presence also attracted the attention of passersby.

"Oh! Look, isn't that Hyotei!"

"Definitely, because they all wear medals on their chests. And as far as I know, among all the major countries, only Hyotei has this system of medals."

"No, I don't think we need medals to identify them. Just seeing Kamiya-kun is enough to know it's Hyotei. After all, Hyotei's captain is so handsome that he's unforgettable at first glance!"

"I agree, and he's really manly! It's like a king on a royal procession!"

Amidst the surrounding murmurs, Mamoru Inoue quickly pressed the shutter button on his camera.

"Click".

The camera focuses on Taro Sakaki in a suit and Yo Kamiya in a Hyotei uniform with a coat draped over his shoulders, walking side by side at the front. Behind them are Atobe, Mori, and other regular players, each with their own distinct personality and high spirits. Further back are more than fifty ordinary members of Hyotei and more than twenty cheerleaders in blue skirts swaying in the wind.

On the left and right sides of the group, near Kamiya You, followed the shrewd and elegant Fujii Yuko and the fierce and burly Sakai Seiichi, respectively.

More than eighty people entered the park in a grand procession. As they passed, pedestrians spontaneously made way for them, watching them walk toward the registration desk.

"Hiss—just the way he walks is intimidating!"

"As expected of a powerhouse academy that reached the top four in the national competition last year!"

"Hmm, I don't know if they're strong or not, but I do know they're incredibly wealthy! You probably noticed the medal that really handsome minister was wearing on his chest, but I bet you have no idea how valuable the sapphire on that medal is!"

A middle-aged man who loves tennis and works as a jewelry designer pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and exclaimed in amazement, his mind still replaying the sapphire he had just seen, gleaming in the morning sunlight.

"That's a top-quality cornflower blue Ascher-cut sapphire! Although I don't know its origin, a one-carat sapphire is worth at least 50 yen! And with labor costs and so on… in short, this medal is worth tens of millions of yen!"

Holy crap!

"hiss--"

"Wouldn't Kamiya-kun, wearing that medal, be a walking Japanese yen?!"

However, some people expressed doubts, questioning which tennis club could afford to make a medal with such expensive gemstones!

"Are you sure it's not a counterfeit?!"

"Hmph, don't doubt the professional competence of a veteran jewelry appraiser."

"Ah, well, I can only say 6. I didn't expect that the No.1 medal would also have a price that befits its status as No.1."

"Hmm, speaking of prices, something suddenly came to mind. Hyotei's medals from No.1 to No.13 are made of different materials, from gold to wood, and the prices of these internal medals vary drastically."

"Hiss—I feel like this gives me a glimpse into how fierce the competition is at Hyotei Academy. After all, who wouldn't want a higher ranking? Who wouldn't want a more valuable medal?!"

…………

Registration Office

Taro Sakaki quickly completed the registration.

However, because Hyotei reached the top four in the national tournament last year, they were directly seeded this year and received a bye in the first round of the regional tournament.

Therefore, the members of Hyotei rested for an hour in the lounge provided by the organizers.

Then, everyone learned that Hyotei's opponent in the second round was Ibukiyama Academy, a completely unknown junior high school with a team that was even more of a third-rate team.

However, to be honest, according to the intelligence department's investigation, Hyotei's opponents in this regional tournament are all third-rate teams.

Therefore, Sakaki Taro simply fielded only the second team for the entire match, along with the last two players from the first team, with Shimizu Masahiro as a substitute (the final player).

The final roster is as follows: Doubles 2: Shuichiro Oishi and Eiji Kikumaru; Doubles 1: Gakuto Mukahi and Jin Akutsu; Singles 3: Ryo Shishido; Singles 2: Jiro Akutagawa; Singles 1: Kiyosumi Sengoku.

With Kamiya You's earlier words in mind, Oishi Shuichiro and the others were on high alert, and despite the weak opponent, they continued to unleash a barrage of attacks.

Ultimately, Hyotei defeated Ibukiyama Academy in less than fifty minutes, winning all five games 6-0 (the academy's first appearance must have been played in all five games).

The last game,

After winning the final point and the referee declared Hyotei Academy the winner, Kiyosumi Sengoku quickly walked to the net.

Facing a dazed look on his face, clearly still recovering from the storm he had just suffered, Ibukiyama Academy's third-ranked player, Toyota Akihiro, extended his left hand and smiled, saying, "Thank you for the favor."

Akihiro Toyoda snapped out of his daze, but then gave a bitter, resigned smile. He stiffly moved to the net and silently clasped Sengoku Kiyosumi's left hand.

Concession?

But he was clearly beaten to a pulp by him.