When Sakuragi refused to switch, Akagi was about to scold him—after all, the victory of the game was the top priority. But Nango quickly stopped him.
He knew Sakuragi well enough to realize he would never agree to step aside now. Calmly, he reasoned,
"Captain, there's still plenty of time left in the game. If you take over now, both of you will wear each other out, and you might rack up fouls too. It's better to let Sakuragi defend first. Even if he can't stop him, we can make up for it on offense."
"Exactly!" Sakuragi nodded vigorously. "I'll shut this guy down!"
Akagi frowned. "And what if you just let him run wild in the paint? If he gains confidence, the rest of the game could slip out of control. We must limit him now."
This was Akagi's last chance—his final year. He couldn't afford unnecessary risks.
"Gorilla! I swear I won't let him score again!" Sakuragi insisted.
Nango pressed further. "Just like against Ryonan—if we shut down their support and stop them from connecting inside and out, it won't matter how many points he scores. We'll still win."
Reluctantly, Akagi gave in but laid down his condition.
"If things go wrong, both of you must listen to me."
"No problem." Nango agreed instantly, trying to ease the tension. "Captain, we're aiming for the national stage. There's no way we'll fall in the first round."
"That's right, Gorilla, relax!" Sakuragi echoed, satisfied with the outcome.
"Hmph, as long as you know… but who are you calling Gorilla!" Akagi snapped, bonking Sakuragi on the head.
On the other end, Murusame clenched his fists.
"Naito, well done! Keep crushing Shohoku!"
"Mm." Naito nodded indifferently.
Just moments ago, it had taken three Shohoku players to drag him down. That rush of dominance thrilled him. Basketball really was easier than rugby.
The next possession, Sakuragi was whistled for a blocking foul.
Kogure thought to himself,With that bulky build, he probably can't shoot free throws, right?
But Naito calmly sank both shots.
Nango quickly brought the ball up, blowing past Araki at the perimeter.
"Hmph!" Naito grunted, charging forward. Even if you held me earlier, I won't let you through now!
"Sakuragi!" Nango lobbed the ball high for an alley-oop.
"Not happening!" Naito leapt up, intercepting.
At the same time, Kawasaki Akio (#8), who was guarding Akagi, also rotated over.
But Nango smirked. "Too naive." He flicked his wrist, sending the ball to Akagi instead. The captain rose unopposed and slammed it in with both hands.
"Tch…"
Murusame grimaced. "Naito, don't be so reckless! You're chasing everything like in rugby again!"
"Mm, understood." Naito nodded, though inside he found Murusame irritating.
On defense, Nango reminded, "Sakuragi, don't let him build momentum, or—"
"Got it," Sakuragi cut him off.
Miuradai continued to funnel their offense through Naito.
Round two began.
"Big bald guy, you're not getting past me this time!" Sakuragi growled, planting himself.
"Oh really?" Naito smirked. "Let's see about that."
Sakuragi still gave him too much space. Naito lowered his shoulder and drove like it was a rugby scrum.
Bang! They collided hard. Sakuragi staggered backward several steps, while Naito barely gave ground.
The result was clear.
Beep! "Blocking foul, number 10 red!"
"What?!" Sakuragi shouted. "He ran into me!"
Before he could protest further, Akagi yanked him aside. "Idiot, just raise your hand!"
Fuming, Sakuragi complied, muttering, "This damn bald gorilla…"
On the bench, Noma rubbed his head. "That guy's a beast—he's got Sakuragi beat twice already."
Takamiya snickered. "Think Sakuragi will blow up and fight?"
Okusu shook his head. "Before, yeah. But he's grown a lot recently."
Yohei, however, worried. "But how can we stop that monster?"
Once again, Naito sank both free throws.
Shohoku responded. Nango knifed through the defense, drawing Mitsui's man. Mitsui slipped to the wing, wide open.
As expected, Nango kicked the ball out. Mitsui caught, rose, and buried the three.
From then on, the game turned into a duel: Naito vs. Sakuragi.
But while Miuradai's offense stalled around Naito's one-man show, Shohoku's teamwork flourished. Nango's drives created easy shots for everyone, and the lead steadily grew.
Naito's dominance wasn't translating to results. Miuradai's rhythm broke down, their confidence shaken. The court felt heavy, every possession an ordeal.
Murusame thought back to last year against Hainan—the same suffocating atmosphere that slowly crushed them.
I've trained so hard for a year, just to repeat the same mistakes? No… I want to defeat Hainan. I want to reach the nationals!
"Hey!" Murusame barked. "Pull yourselves together! If we lose, I won't forgive you!"
His words were harsh, but his grin gave them strength.
"Captain…"
Though sharp-tongued off the court, in games Murusame was a pillar of trust. His fire reignited his teammates' spirits.
"Offense!" Murusame commanded, driving forward.
"Yes!" Miuradai's players rallied around him.
Up in the stands, a middle-aged man by the railing smiled faintly.
"You've grown a lot, Murusame."
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