"Alright, I understand." As captain, Akagi was always a team player, and he accepted Nango's tactical arrangements without hesitation.
Shohoku had possession. This time, instead of attacking the right, Nango shifted left.
Akagi, instead of battling under the rim, stepped out to set a screen. With Akagi's massive frame blocking Sendo, Nango shook him off with ease and drove straight toward the basket.
Waiting there was Uozumi, the "Gorilla King." Both leapt almost simultaneously, Uozumi stretching his arms to cut off Nango's vision.
But Nango had no intention of shooting. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he flicked the ball to Akagi rolling inside. Akagi caught it cleanly and slammed it home with both hands!
When they landed, Nango extended his hand. Akagi grinned and slapped it in a hard high-five.
"Defend this possession well! We're catching up!" Akagi bellowed, rallying the team.
"Yes!" his teammates shouted in unison.
"They're fired up," Sendo muttered, impressed despite himself. No matter how far behind they fall, with Akagi leading, Shohoku never quits. That spirit alone deserves respect…
Ryonan attacked again. Sendo called for another screen from Sugadaira, but Nango had learned from the first half. He slipped around quickly, forcing a double-team with Sakuragi at the three-point line.
Sendo didn't panic, but the pressure was real. He probed for an opening, searching for Sakuragi's inexperience. Sure enough, one fake move was enough—Sakuragi bit, leaving a small gap. Sendo slipped a pass to Sugadaira cutting inside.
Mid-range jumper!
But Akagi rotated over like a wall. His looming presence threw off Sugadaira's rhythm, forcing a miss. Akagi snatched the rebound.
"Fast break!"
Even before he secured the board, Nango and Sakuragi were sprinting upcourt, with Rukawa close behind. Ryonan only had Sendo back.
Akagi rifled a pass past half-court, straight into Nango's hands.
Facing the retreating Sendo, Nango attacked hard left. Sendo jumped to contest, but at the last second, Nango whipped a behind-the-back pass to Sakuragi.
"Hah! Finally my moment! Sendo, watch carefully!" Sakuragi roared, catching the ball in stride.
Wide open fast break, one defender—his dream chance.
He leapt high. "Witness my genius layup!"
Bang!
Too much force. The ball ricocheted off the backboard.
"Ahhh! No way!" Sakuragi's face twisted in despair.
Fortunately, Rukawa trailed perfectly. He soared in, snagged the rebound mid-air, and slammed it through.
"Sakuragi's such an idiot. He wasted the perfect chance."
"Yeah, but Rukawa cleaned it up. Bet he's pissed though, hahaha."
The Sakuragi Gang knew him too well. Sure enough—
"Damn you, Stinky Fox! How dare you steal my thunder!" Sakuragi shouted furiously.
Rukawa ignored him, as always, walking coolly back on defense.
Beep-beep! Timeout, Ryonan.
Coach Taoka gathered his team. Shohoku's morale was surging, and their defense was dragging out possessions. They needed to adjust quickly.
On the other bench, Coach Anzai remained silent, his calm presence steady as ever. Akagi stepped up instead. "Good job! Keep this up—Ryonan isn't invincible!"
"Yes!" Shohoku's veterans responded with fire. Memories of last year's crushing defeat made this moment even sweeter.
Even Yasuda, who had been benched for Sakuragi, had no complaints. The freshmen were carrying their weight. Sakuragi's offense was rough, but his defense was full of energy.
Meanwhile, Nango was lost in thought.
He finally understood Rukawa's coldness.
In the original story, Shohoku's wings were weak, leaving plenty of room for Rukawa to dominate. But with Nango around, the ball flowed through him instead, limiting Rukawa's touches.
On top of that, Nango believed isolation plays weren't the right call right now—further reducing Rukawa's role. For someone who had always been the ace, this was bound to breed resentment.
Should he trust Rukawa more? Nango hesitated.
And Sakuragi? He was still a total novice, only thinking about how to show off. Giving him the ball was a gamble at best.
Nango rubbed his temples. Headache… how do I bring this team together?
But with Akagi and Coach Anzai's support, the weight didn't crush him. He steadied himself and looked Rukawa in the eyes.
"For the next five possessions, the offense is yours," Nango said seriously. "Make every shot. But if you miss… you must cooperate with the team's tactics. Deal?"
"I won't miss," Rukawa replied, ice-cold.
Nango smiled faintly. Inside, he prepared for the worst. If this gamble teaches him the value of teamwork, it'll be worth it.
Just then—
Ding!
"Warning! Warning! Host must not deliberately abandon victory."
"Special Mission: Win the practice game."
"Reward: None."
"Failure Penalty: 10 points deducted from a random physical attribute."
"…Tch." Nango grimaced. He hadn't planned to throw the game, only to test Rukawa—but the system left no room for error.
"Fine. Then I'll take it all—victory and Rukawa's trust."
He quickly recalibrated. Shohoku should be stronger with him, yet they were still trailing. Why?
Because his arrival had changed their style.
Originally, Shohoku thrived on chaos—fast breaks, scrappy defense, and individual brilliance. But with Nango steering them, they now played more structured, tactical basketball. It demanded sharper teamwork, something the players hadn't yet mastered.
Rukawa, especially, was a lone wolf. Forcing him into a rigid system limited him.
But with no time to train, and his promise already made, Nango had no choice but to commit. He'd gamble on Rukawa's offense and shore up the defense himself.
"Captain, the paint is yours," Nango said firmly.
Akagi nodded. That was his pride—nobody scored easily in his house.
Nango addressed the others. "I don't know what adjustments Ryonan will make, but stick to your man. Cut off Sendo's connections. Break the link, and we win. For now, the offense goes through Rukawa. Support him with everything you've got."
"Got it!"
"Beep! Timeout over."
Both teams returned to the court.
On the sideline, Sakuragi sulked. Why does the Stinky Fox get the ball?!
But it didn't matter. The plan was set.
Ryonan's possession began.
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