Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Genius Twins
Once they entered the court and completed the customary greetings, they were instructed to warm up for a few minutes on the court.
During their warm-up, Tsuna carefully observed their opponents, focusing on the Genius Twins, who were undoubtedly the opposing team's star players. Tsuna couldn't deny their exceptional skills, but he also noted that the rest of their opponents were quite solid.
It made sense, really. After all, their opponents were strong contenders for the championship, so having a team with solid players was only natural.
When the game finally began, Teiko's plan swung into action.
They swiftly gained control of the game's momentum and took an early lead on the scoreboard. While their offense and defense weren't flawless, the Genius Twins lived up to their reputation.
However, thanks to the effective combo of Murasakibara and Kuroko, they managed to handle their opponents' attacks with relative ease.
As Tsuna watched the Genius Twins in action, the dynamic duo of Kuroko and Kagami came to mind from the canon. However, there was a notable difference between the two duos.
The contrast lay in the roles of support and main attacker. In the case of Kuroko and Kagami, their roles were clearly defined, with Kuroko as the support and Kagami as the primary scorer.
However, the Genius Twins displayed remarkable flexibility in their roles, seamlessly switching between supporting and leading the attack.
While their game plan was unfolding rather smoothly, a minor hiccup emerged in the middle of the second quarter. Kuroko appeared to be visibly fatigued, struggling to catch his breath as they reached this point in the game.
Seeing this, Assistant Coach Sanada asked for a timeout to check on Kuroko's condition. And it turns out the game's intensity was a bit too much for him to handle.
Sanada then told the team to change up their strategy by putting Akashi earlier to replace Kuroko.
Tsuna also agreed with this, as overexerting Kuroko would make him prone to injury.
The unexpected alteration to their game plan caught Kamata West off guard. They had begun to adapt to Teiko's style of play with Kuroko and had been building momentum in an attempt to turn the game in their favor.
However, their efforts were disrupted by this sudden shift, forcing them to adapt on the fly to Teiko's new gameplay with Akashi on the court.
As the first half concluded, Teiko held a commanding lead.
Following a brief respite, both teams returned to the court, ready to resume the game and determine who would advance to the final.
In the third quarter, Kamata West displayed a shift in their strategy. They tasked the Genius Twins with a defensive focus, posing a formidable challenge to Teiko's offense. Scoring became more challenging, prompting Sanada to call for another timeout.
Sanada, observing the situation from the bench, addressed the team.
"Their plan is pretty effective as it's making it tough for us to rack up more points," he remarked.
Casting a glance toward Kamata West's bench, particularly at the Genius Twins, Sanada added, "They certainly live up to their reputation as the Genius Twins, don't they?"
These two players were not only physically and technically strong, but their ability to make clever decisions and devise unique moves and combinations was truly impressive.
Sanada decided it was time to tweak their strategy. He began, "I think we should make a few adjustments—"
But Tsuna interrupted him, firmly stating, "No, let's stick with the current plan."
Sanada turned his attention to Tsuna, curiosity evident in his expression. He gestured with his eyes, prompting Tsuna to elaborate on his decision.
A small smile graced Tsuna's lips as he gazed at the Genius Twins, who showed signs of fatigue. "Let's stick to our aggressive approach and keep the pressure on these two."
Sanada's eyes widened as he noticed the Twins' condition. He realized that maintaining their combo since the first quarter must have taken a toll on them.
Even someone with the stamina of Murasakibara wouldn't last that long under such intense pressure.
"Excellent observation, Kazama," Sanada conceded, acknowledging Tsuna's keen eye.
He then turned to the rest of the team and declared, "We'll follow our Captain's lead. Do you all understand?"
Observing the unanimous nods from the team, Sanada clapped his hands together to emphasize his point. "Great! Let's head back out there and secure this win."
They began to rise from the bench, but one player remained seated, lost in his thoughts.
"Daiki! Daiki!!" Momoi exclaimed, shaking Aomine vigorously. Slowly, Aomine returned to reality, glancing around in bewilderment.
"Huh? Oh?"
Midorima let out a sigh, clearly exasperated. "Seriously?"
"I'll step down for the next game if you keep up like this, Daiki," Tsuna quipped, his tone light. Despite the jest, Tsuna maintained his composed demeanor, causing Aomine to take it seriously.
"Hey, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry," Aomine quickly responded, a touch flustered.
He hurried to clarify, "I was just really pumped about facing such a strong opponent. My mind started running wild with the possibilities of going up against them again and again."
"That sounds like nonsense," Midorima scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
"That's just classic Aomine..."
Kuroko said with a smile as he sat comfortably in the bench, coming to his defense.
"I don't believe it either unless you offer me some snacks."
Murasakibara said nonchalantly.
Aomine, seemingly prepared for this, magically produced a snack out of thin air and swiftly handed it to Murasakibara, instantly earning his support.
"You're quite the opportunist, Murasakibara."
Midorima was left almost speechless by this sight.
Akashi smiled lightly at this, saying, "Although it was quite unbelievable, I'll trust you with this one."
As they kept the banter going while walking into the court, Momoi only looked at them warmly.
Assistant Coach Sanada shook his head slightly, but if you look closely, there was a small smile on his lips.
Although he was mentally a lot older than them, Tsuna himself was glad to come to Teiko and blended in with them as he laughed for a long, completely acting like his physical age.
For the first time in a long while, Tsuna felt like he had friends who were truly friends.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly when in his life, having genuine companions had become a rarity. Most of his past experiences had been defined by hierarchical relationships, especially in his previous life.
Even in his current life, as the heir of the Kazama family, these superior-subordinate dynamics had become second nature to him.
But now, as he listened to their banter, Tsuna couldn't help but think, "This doesn't feel bad at all."
The banter was refreshing, and it continued until the referee was about to blow the whistle, signaling the resumption of the game.
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