Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Where it began
Both teams made their way onto the court after a brief warm-up break. The referee signaled the start by blowing the whistle, and the ball was tossed into the air.
Murasakibara from Teiko swiftly secured the jump ball, and their team rushed forward in unison to seize the opportunity.
Aomine gained possession of the ball and attempted to advance, but a Kamizaki player managed to thwart his progress and successfully stole the ball, kickstarting Kamizaki's counterattack.
The player who halted Aomine's advance was none other than Tomoya Inoue, Kamizaki's renowned ace player.
Tsuna had already noted Inoue's talent when he observed him during the warm-up.
Comparing Inoue to the Genius Twins regarding individual skill, Inoue was undeniably superior.
This became evident as Inoue continuously thwarted Aomine's attempts, causing Teiko to struggle to increase their score. It seemed like their primary scorer was having a tough time.
However, Tsuna remained confident in his team. He signaled for Kuroko to assist Aomine, just like the iconic combination of Kagami and Kuroko in the original series. This collaboration was crucial for their strategy to run smoothly.
"But, in the end, having one skilled player won't be enough to stop us."
This thought crossed his mind as Aomine successfully made a breakthrough with support from Kuroko.
Although Kamizaki was a formidable team with Inoue as their ace.
In Tsuna's view, the combined strength of the Genius Twins was even more formidable than Kamizaki's ace player, Inoue. Dealing with these twins proved to be a greater challenge.
With Aomine back in action, Teiko seized control of the game's momentum, steadily widening the gap on the scoreboard.
Kamizaki, however, wasn't an easy opponent, and they began to fight back as they grew accustomed to Teiko's offensive strategies.
But Tsuna had foreseen this from one of the tournament's top contenders and decided to switch up their lineup.
The change in Teiko's players disrupted Kamizaki's attempts at retaliation.
As the first quarter concluded, Teiko had built a substantial lead, with the scoreboard showing 21 - 7. The frustration among the Kamizaki players was palpable.
"Woah, their ace is seriously good!" Nijimura remarked as he watched the opposing team's star player in action.
He couldn't help but be impressed by how effectively Inoue contained Aomine. Without Kuroko's support, it would have taken Aomine considerable time to break through Inoue's defenses.
"Nijimura, you're up," Tsuna declared, breaking into Nijimura's contemplation.
"What? Me?"
Nijimura asked in surprise, pointing at himself for clarification.
Teiko had placed great trust in their first-year players during the tournament. It wasn't just because they were talented; it was also about giving them valuable experience to help them grow.
Since Sanada didn't object to the change, Nijimura accepted it with a nonchalant shrug. "Sure, why not..."
On the Kamizaki side, their coach appeared to have devised a strategy to counter Teiko's known patterns. He instructed his team to focus on Tsuna and Kuroko, recognizing that they were the linchpins of Teiko's gameplay, orchestrating the flow of their strategy.
At the start of the second quarter, Kamizaki's determination to disrupt Teiko's momentum was quickly derailed by yet another unexpected change in Teiko's game plan and strategy.
Frustration gripped the Kamizaki team as they struggled to adapt and anxiously awaited a timeout called by their coach, who proved to be quite skilled at making swift adjustments.
During the timeout, the Kamizaki coach devised a new strategy to counter Teiko's tactics.
To everyone's surprise, when the game resumed, Teiko made another substitution, bringing in Haizaki this time.
Kamizaki's coach furrowed his brow even deeper as he watched the game unfold. Sanada, who usually stuck to conventional strategies, wore an uncharacteristic smile. This unconventional approach puzzled Kamizaki's coach.
Knowing Sanada personally, he couldn't believe Sanada would initiate such an unorthodox strategy. The Sanada he knew was rather conservative in his coaching style.
Suspicion filled Kamizaki's coach as he scanned the players on the court and finally spotted Tsuna, who had called the team together not long ago, just before they shifted to a different approach.
"...So, it was you," the Kamizaki coach murmured to himself.
As the game continued, Tsuna gave instructions whenever he saw signs that Kamizaki was adjusting to Teiko's rhythm.
Tsuna was determined to make the most of this game, knowing it was his last one with the team. He wanted to leave a lasting impact. Teiko had a total of 10 players, 5 starters and 5 substitutes.
Typically, strong teams like Teiko didn't use most of their substitutes unless there were exceptional circumstances, because starters were usually the stronger players. However, Teiko was in a unique situation where their skills matched closely.
And Tsuna decided to fully take advantage of this fact.
As the game continued, Teiko executed their strategy flawlessly, steadily increasing their lead. Kamizaki, on the other hand, grew increasingly frustrated and desperate as they struggled to find a way to counter Teiko's tactics.
Kamizaki's coach called multiple timeouts to regroup his team and analyze Teiko's tactics. They were trying to decipher all the strategies Teiko employed during the game.
However, Tsuna had expected this response. Glancing up at the scoreboard, which displayed a lopsided score of 89 - 24, Tsuna shrugged and muttered, "I guess it's time."
With a calm demeanor, he instructed the team to revert to their initial strategy, which they had used at the beginning of the tournament.
This strategy included Tsuna, Akashi, Murasakibara, Midorima, and Aomine—the original first-year players who had joined the club when they first started.
Tsuna was a bit of a perfectionist. That's why, for his final game, in the last quarter, he wanted to finish it with the same teammates he had started with.
"We're beginning this final quarter with the same group we started with," Tsuna said, as they gathered on the court.
It was quite a moment for them, a reunion of the team's original members before Haizaki or Kuroko joined in.
"Is this intentional?"
Akashi asked Tsuna, curiosity in his eyes. The rest of the team looked on, waiting for an answer.
Tsuna smiled in response as they walked onto the court together, side by side. Akashi shook his head, smiling as well.
"It feels like when we first joined the team," Aomine remarked, his voice carrying through the court. They all remembered those early days when they had made the first string right after their tryouts.
Midorima adjusted his glasses, a small smile playing on his lips. He couldn't deny the nostalgia. Meanwhile, Murasakibara wasn't quite sure what he felt, but he didn't mind the warmth in his chest.
In position, they exchanged determined looks and said in unison, "Let's finish this."
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