章 38: Chapter 38: Natural-born leader
"...Phew, that was a close call, huh?"
Imayoshi's voice carried a polite tone as he glanced over at Teiko's bench.
If Nijimura had landed that punch, there was no doubt that their team would have been instantly disqualified, handing Hibiya the victory by default.
Teiko was still leading in the score. They had turned the tide with Hanamiya's underhanded trick, almost catching up.
However, Tsuna's disruption had nearly shifted the momentum back in Teiko's favor.
But the situation had its silver lining for Hibiya.
Furthermore, thanks to Hanamiya's recent prank, which had escalated the tension on the court, it was uncertain whether Teiko could maintain their composure and regain their momentum to secure a win.
Imayoshi watched Hanamiya, who seemed to be enjoying himself and couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.
"What a spiteful guy."
From the look on his face, it was evident that Hanamiya didn't care about whether Hibiya won or lost. All he cared about was seeing his tricks succeed.
"They definitely won't be able to stay composed with that kind of play," Hibiya's coach sighed and shook his head. "We need to maintain this momentum in our favor to win."
"I trust your judgment on this, Imayoshi. You can instruct your team however you see fit to maintain this momentum," Hibiya's coach concluded, giving Imayoshi a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I understand, Coach," Imayoshi affirmed.
Normally, in a situation like this, it would be evident that the game was leaning in Hibiya's favor.
But Imayoshi couldn't be so sure, especially when he cast a glance at Teiko's bench. His attention zeroed in on Tsuna, who was strangely composed. There was no hint of emotion on his face, just an eerie calmness that sent shivers down Imayoshi's spine.
"I wanted to win this, but that freshman is incredibly unnerving..."
Imayoshi thought to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Meanwhile, on Teiko's bench, tension hung heavy in the air as anger clouded their minds.
Assistant Coach Sanada sat there, massaging his temples, trying to devise a strategy to help the team regain their composure. He knew that if he didn't do something, Teiko was bound to lose because the players were allowing their anger to control them.
Nijimura clenched his fists tightly, shooting venomous glares toward Hibiya's players. If it weren't for Tsuna stopping him, he would have gladly shown that spiteful guy a lesson.
"If you hadn't stoppe---"
Nijimura began to voice his frustration, turning towards Tsuna. But the words got stuck in his throat as he locked eyes with Tsuna's dark and chilling gaze. A powerful presence emanated from Tsuna, sending shivers down Nijimura's spine.
"Stay calm, Nijimura," Tsuna's voice was calm but had undeniable authority.
Despite the calm words, an overwhelming pressure seemed to radiate from Tsuna.
Everyone on the team turned their attention to him, their fury slowly dissipating as they looked at his nonchalant expression and those piercing, chilly eyes. The team couldn't help but gulp, feeling the weight of his presence washing away their initial anger.
Seeing that the team had now regained their composure, Tsuna nodded slightly.
"Good. Now that everyone's settled down listen closely," Tsuna continued, briefly glancing at Hibiya before refocusing on his team. "We're sticking to the same formation. I'll take the center, just like before. But this time, move forward with me..."
"Clear?"
Tsuna scanned each of their faces, one by one, waiting for their acknowledgment. When no one raised any objections, he nodded with satisfaction.
"And there will be a special case this time," Tsuna continued as he turned to Kubota, who was their Shooting Guard. "Listen to me well..."
Listening along with the plan. Assistant Coach Sanada nodded in agreement. He wore a slightly surprised expression, not anticipating that Tsuna would be able to regain the team's composure so effectively.
"...He's a natural-born leader, huh?" Sanada thought silently.
Typically, sticking to the same strategy or formation that previously failed wasn't a wise move.
However, it was different now that Tsuna had successfully brought the team back to their senses. The question shifted from whether the old strategy could work to whether their opponents could stop them this time.
"Alright, let's go with Kazama's plan this time," Assistant Coach Sanada instructed. The rest of the team members nodded in agreement.
As the referee blew his whistle, both teams returned to the court, ready to face the final challenge and determine the victor.
Both teams briskly moved into their positions, and Hibiya's players were taken aback by how composed Teiko's team appeared. This was especially evident in Imayoshi, whose expression reflected disbelief.
"H-How? That shouldn't be possible..." Imayoshi muttered in amazement.
Nijimura, who had regained his composure, responded, "It seems we're fortunate to have someone capable of getting the team back on track."
Nijimura had managed to control his anger, understanding that letting it affect his judgment would be detrimental to his performance. Instead, he channeled that emotion into motivation to play better.
Imayoshi shivered as he recalled the remarkable freshman on the opposing team. He could only assume that Nijimura was referring to Tsuna, who maintained his composure throughout the game.
As the game pressed on, Hibiya gained possession of the ball and swiftly passed it to Imayoshi. He dribbled it calmly, carefully assessing the court's situation.
Noticing the peculiar formation with Tsuna at its center once again, Imayoshi furrowed his brow. He changed his pace and attempted to outmaneuver Nijimura's defense.
The players weaved left and right, with Imayoshi searching for an opening. But during a critical moment, just as Imayoshi crossed into an apparently undefended space guarded by Nijimura, Tsuna arrived on the scene, swiping the ball away.
"...Damn, he deliberately left that gap open, didn't he?" Imayoshi cursed as he realized that Nijimura's apparent lapse in defense was a deliberate ploy.
Tsuna didn't sprint forward at full speed when he gained possession of the ball. Instead, he controlled it, allowing Hanamiya to catch up.
This time, Teiko moved in unison, advancing as a cohesive unit. Imayoshi furrowed his brows and signaled to his teammates, instructing them to maintain their designated defensive positions while attempting to catch up with Tsuna and Hanamiya, who were already sprinting ahead.
Hanamiya, too, noticed this but paid it no heed. He dismissed Tsuna's taunt with a scoff.
"Hah, quite the bravado..."
Hanamiya pursued Tsuna and positioned himself to obstruct Tsuna's progress. Tsuna responded by deftly dribbling the ball left and right, displaying remarkable speed and skill.
Charging toward Tsuna, Hanamiya unleashed his bag of tricks, attempting to disrupt Tsuna's movements. Tsuna, however, skillfully countered each trick with precision, frustrating Hanamiya and causing him to wear a displeased expression.
Hanamiya's eyes darted towards the referee once more, searching for an opportune blind spot.
But Tsuna's keen gaze caught this moment, and he swiftly veered to the left, taking Hanamiya by surprise and leaving him scrambling to react and intercept Tsuna's drive.
"...Damn, that's your game plan!"
Hanamiya muttered a curse under his breath as he chased after Tsuna. Tsuna had now positioned himself beneath the basket.
Much to Hanamiya's amazement, Tsuna appeared to slow down intentionally, his eyes fixated on Hanamiya with an icy gazes that sent a shiver down Hanamiya's spine.
---
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