Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Understanding His Emotions
"...How was that even possible?"
The perplexing question reverberated among the teams gathered to witness the game.
At Shutoku, Midorima calmly adjusted his glasses, his analytical mind at work. "That force didn't solely come from Tsuna's raw strength..."
"If not from that, then where did it come from?"
Takao's bewilderment mirrored the sentiments of many, grappling with the idea of Tsuna overpowering the towering Murasakibara.
"Did you notice how Tsuna intentionally accelerated his speed just before launching himself for the basket?"
Midorima inquired, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his attentive teammates from Shutoku.
Everyone in Shutoku nodded at Midorima's question.
Otsubo then widened his eyes in realization as he spoke, "...Did he use that to power up his dunk?"
Midorima responded, "Exactly. Tsuna didn't rely solely on his raw strength. By accelerating before takeoff, Tsuna increased his velocity, which, when combined with his already impressive raw strength, resulted in a more powerful dunk."
Tsuna grasped the likelihood of Murasakibara blocking his dunk if it lacked enough power. Conversely, Murasakibara, confident in his strength to thwart most opponents, expected to nullify Tsuna's attempt, only to be caught off guard by the sheer force behind it.
"He essentially converted his kinetic energy into an explosive vertical force," Midorima analyzed.
Back on the court, Murasakibara abruptly strolled off the playing area, approaching his coach with a nonchalant air.
He extended his hand, "Masakochin, do you have any hair tie?"
"...Call me coach, you brat!"
Araki scolded, her irritation evident. She retrieved her hair tie, quizzically asking, "Why do you need it?"
Accepting the hair tie from his coach, Murasakibara promptly secured his unruly hair. "...My hair is getting in the way."
Araki frowned, shaking her head at his carefree response. Unperturbed, Murasakibara returned to his position.
As the game unfolded, Yosen High gradually came to the realization that there were no more openings for them to exploit.
Nijimura, in his own defensive zone and unimpeded by Murasakibara's formidable presence, asserted dominance over Okamura and Liu.
His individual prowess proved overwhelming for the Yosen High players.
Fukui gritted his teeth.
With little choice left, he made the decision to pass the ball to Himuro, placing hope in the potential breakthrough of Himuro's Mirage Shot, even though it had failed once before.
Yet, as soon as the ball found its way into Himuro's hands, Ishida and Ogiwara weren't about to let him execute his play unchallenged.
Closing in with calculated precision, they exerted even stronger pressure on Himuro, denying him the space and time to execute his moves as they fiercely defended against Yosen High's attempts.
"I can't make the shot!" Himuro's eyes widened.
An instinctual alarm rang in him, signaling that any attempt to shoot would face fierce opposition from Ishida and Ogiwara, cold-blooded in their determination to steal the ball.
He pondered, struck by the sudden understanding. "They let me take that shot before just to toy with me, didn't they!?"
The revelation hit him hard.
It was a deliberate ploy, offering a false opportunity only to block it, leaving Himuro feeling deceived.
A current of frustration and anger surged through Himuro as he initiated his shooting motion, his face etched with unwavering determination.
Yet, Ogiwara, like a predator sensing its prey, acted with predatory precision. His eyes flashed as he moved, grazing the ball before Himuro could fully transition into his shooting form.
Seeing Himuro make an obvious mistake, Ishida couldn't help but think, "...Foolish move, is this why Captain told us to let him the shot earlier?"
He seized the opportunity crafted by his teammate and took possession of the ball as he swiftly passed the ball toward Tsuna.
A complex emotion played across Midorima's face as he observed Tsuna's figure on the court. "...In the end, Yosen High was still at his mercy, weren't they?"
With Tsuna now asserting dominance over Murasakibara, Fukuda Sogo's formation mercilessly sealed any openings Yosen High might exploit.
Meanwhile, witnessing Tsuna gain possession of the ball, Murasakibara snapped into full alertness. His towering figure extended his arms defensively, radiating an overwhelming pressure solely through his imposing physique.
However, Tsuna remained unfazed by the formidable pressure.
Anticipating Tsuna's unyielding response, Murasakibara found himself submerged in memories. Echoes of a young Tsuna scolding him replayed in his mind.
"...Open your arms, don't be lazy!" Tsuna's youthful voice admonished a younger Murasakibara, who stood before him, defending against attempts to score.
Despite his annoyance, Murasakibara obediently followed the instructions, spreading his arms wide. Yet, Tsuna's dissatisfaction persisted as he scolded once again, "You spread it too high! I can just slide through easily, lower it down a little!"
"...So bothersome," Murasakibara grumbled, relenting and adjusting his arms to a perfect defensive form.
Tsuna nodded in satisfaction, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Great, that's perfect!"
Tsuna's excitement gleamed in his eyes before his gaze sharpened. "...Now, let me destroy it!"
Without wasting any more time, Tsuna closed in, surprising Murasakibara, who widened his eyes in response.
Swiftly slipping to the right, Tsuna deftly rotated his body in the same direction, skillfully breaking past Murasakibara's defense.
With agility and finesse, Tsuna burst forward, leaping toward the basket.
Murasakibara, no pushover in his own right, kept pace with Tsuna.
As Tsuna could see Murasakibara leaping up to block his attempt, a smirk formed on Tsuna's face.
In a display of mid-air acrobatics, Tsuna tucked in his body, executing a rotation that slipped through Murasakibara's block. With precision, he slammed the ball down toward the basket.
The thunderous sounds of the dunk snapped Murasakibara back to reality. He glanced at Tsuna's figure, now firmly on the ground.
"...Your defensive form is better than the last time I've seen it. Good job, Atsushi," Tsuna's voice, filled with praise, left Murasakibara surprised.
Despite Murasakibara's superior defensive form, Tsuna effortlessly dismantled it, reminiscent of their interactions in the past. Murasakibara shook his head as a sense of déjà vu lingered.
"Well, that was fun..."
As Tsuna prepared to return to his position, Murasakibara's expression soured upon hearing these words. Noticing the change, Tsuna halted and inquired, "Why? What's wrong?"
"...You almost sounded like Kurokochin. It's annoying," Murasakibara clicked his tongue.
However, Tsuna dismissed the comparison, shaking his head as he spoke, "...I'm not asking you to have fun; I said I was having fun playing against you, Atsushi."
"...Hmm, now that you mention it, it does sound different," Murasakibara mumbled, contemplating the nuances of Tsuna's words.
Tsuna chuckled, lightening the mood, "Were you mad at Tetsuya?"
"...Not really, though he's a bit bothersome sometimes. And one of his teammates was the most annoying to me," Murasakibara complained, adopting a somewhat childish tone.
Yet, as he delved into his grievances, a question surfaced in his mind, prompting him to ask, "...How are you having fun, Tsunachin?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how did you know you're having fun? You, Aominechin, and Kisechin said the same stuff over and over again. It's annoying..."
"Oh, that?"
Tsuna smiled as he then spoke, "Well, I suppose you know that training is annoying and tiring, right?"
Murasakibara nodded.
"But isn't it different when you're playing on the court? Although it's pretty tiring, don't you find it not as annoying as when you're training?" Tsuna's smile got even wider.
Pointing at his chest where his heart resided, Tsuna added, "When you play an exciting game, your heart will beat faster as you get into the flow..."
"...It's not just about the physical exertion; it's about the adrenaline, the anticipation, and the joy that comes from pushing yourself to the limits..."
Hearing the same symptom that had perplexed him throughout the game, Murasakibara listened attentively as his heart beat even faster.
"Do you know what it's called when your heart beats so fast during a game?"
Tsuna asked, to which Murasakibara shook his head.
"...That is excitement!"
"Excitement?"
Murasakibara couldn't help but clutch his beating heart, now throbbing with stronger confusion.
However, Tsuna's words didn't end there as he continued, "When you experience excitement, it means the game has captured your heart and soul! And do you know what that means? That means you're having fun!"
Murasakibara widened his eyes in disbelief at Tsuna's words, standing there frozen, trying to comprehend the revelation he had just learned from Tsuna.
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