บท 78: Chapter 78: Joint practice
On Shutoku's table...
"Captain, did we see that guy over there during the friendly game before?"
Takao whispered to Otsubo, who appeared to be closely observing the scene. Noticing Kuroko and Midorima's reactions, it was clear that they both recognized the mysterious player from Fukuda Sogo.
Kimura overheard Takao's hushed question and replied, "I'm pretty sure there was no player like him in our previous friendly game..."
Miyaji's brow furrowed in response to this unexpected revelation.
Didn't that imply that Fukuda Sogo had defeated them without their full strength?
Someone acknowledged by the Shooter and the Sixth Man of the Generation of Miracles couldn't be an average player.
On the Seirin's table, the tension hung thick in the air.
"...This is making me uncomfortable."
"I just want to escape from here..."
"I'm with you on that..."
The first-year Seirin players were visibly trembling, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
Even Koganei, Izuki, and Hyuga felt the tension in the air.
"...It's really tense in here." Hyuga adjusted his glasses, and Izuki and Koganei agreed with their captain.
Conversely, Kiyoshi appeared unusually thrilled as he exclaimed, "Wow, things are heating up! We'll be training alongside them, and that's a great chance to witness their training, right?"
Mitobe made a hand gesture, and Koganei translated it for the team. "Mitobe agrees with Kiyoshi!"
Aida's eyes sparkled as she wore a bright smile.
This was a unique opportunity to witness how their team compared to one of the powerhouse teams that had dominated the entire region.
"...Captain, there's something eerie about Coach's smile," Koganei whispered to Hyuga, who couldn't help but notice the unsettling grin on their coach's face.
Hyuga adjusted his glasses and sighed, "That usually means she's got something up her sleeve..."
Whenever she wore that smile, it usually meant Seirin would find themselves pushed to their limits, but they'd always achieve remarkable results.
"I can't help but be excited about this," Hyuga admitted with a smirk. The rest of Seirin seemed to share his enthusiasm, except for the first-years, who were still trembling from the intense atmosphere in the room.
In the midst of all eyes at Tsuna's table, Midorima glanced at Haizaki as he spoke. "So, you were keeping a wild card hidden all along?"
"There was no hiding. Haizaki played in the Interhigh from the beginning. He just happened to forget during our friendly match."
"Do you think I'd believe such nonsense?"
Tsuna shook his head in response, denying any secrecy. Midorima wasn't convinced. He frowned, looking skeptical.
Kuroko said, "But, knowing his character, it's entirely possible, Midorima."
Midorima recalled Haizaki's nature and eventually nodded, conceding the point.
Kagami, curious about the friendly game between Fukuda Sogo and Shutoku, inquired, "You guys played against each other? Who won?"
Midorima, clearly irritated, just clicked his tongue in response without answering.
Instead of answering Kagami's question, Tsuna sported a smirk and teased, "You know, if you had arrived a bit earlier, you might have another surprise..."
This got Midorima's attention, and he glanced at Kagami, curious about what surprise Tsuna was hinting at.
Kagami, perplexed by Tsuna's remark, scratched his head and asked, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Tsuna didn't provide any further explanation. Instead, he shook his head and turned to Kuroko, saying, "I see that you still did it wrong..."
Kuroko cast his gaze downward, struggling to find the right words.
"Your fundamentals are still lacking," Tsuna persisted, and this remark didn't go unnoticed by the Seirin players. Their curiosity was piqued as they overheard the conversation at Tsuna's table.
Tsuna had been encouraging Kuroko to improve his physical fitness and foundational basketball skills rather than solely relying on his unique playing style.
He had been advocating this approach since their first meeting in middle school.
Kuroko had remained focused on perfecting his unique abilities, even seeking advice from Akashi, who saw potential in Kuroko's special skills.
Kuroko's ability was undoubtedly valuable, but Tsuna knew it wasn't sufficient in a high-level match. Every player of that caliber possessed extraordinary skills, and relying solely on such trickery wouldn't suffice.
That was why Akashi had groomed another player with a stronger foundation to employ the same trick. While that player had lost to Kuroko in the original storyline, it didn't diminish the fact that he was a better fit for a strong and well-rounded team like Rakuzan.
However, Kagami was immediately provoked by Tsuna's words and stood up angrily, but Kuroko signaled him to calm down.
"That's fine, Kagami," Kuroko told Kagami, who reluctantly sat back down.
Kuroko turned back to Tsuna and confessed, "I've come to realize that recently, especially after our loss to Too Academy."
Tsuna raised an inquisitive eyebrow and exchanged a look with Midorima, silently questioning whether Kuroko had finally grasped the point he'd been making since middle school.
Midorima, too, exchanged a doubtful look with Tsuna, responding wordlessly, "Perhaps."
But before their silent exchange could continue...
Kuroko spoke up. "That's why..."
With a determined expression, Kuroko turned to Tsuna and declared, "I'll learn to apply my misdirection to other aspects of the game."
Upon hearing this, Tsuna fell into silence.
During their first encounter, Tsuna pointed out the obvious flaws and advantages of Kuroko's low presence, but somehow, his words were misunderstood.
Kuroko appeared to have misinterpreted Tsuna's intentions.
He exchanged a bewildered glance with Midorima, both puzzled by the conversation.
While it was true that Kuroko's misdirection would falter if he drew too much attention by holding the ball, having a solid foundation was fundamental for any athlete, and that's what Tsuna was trying to convey.
Tsuna sighed, steering the conversation toward different topics. As they continued to catch up, Midorima occasionally chimed in, but more often than not, he and Kagami clashed in heated arguments. Their personalities were like fire and water, always destined to spark disagreements.
However, when Kuroko declared, it rippled through the room, surprising Shutoku's members. Misdirection was already a challenging technique; now, Kuroko aimed to take it further.
Nijimura also found this surprising. Although troublesome, Tsuna had mentioned that misdirection wasn't much of an issue with him on the team. But Kuroko's intentions piqued his interest nonetheless.
Their time in the cafeteria ended, and the players began to depart one by one. Fukuda Sogo was the first to leave, worn out from their day of intense training and eager to rest.
Nijimura stayed behind, waiting for Tsuna. Everyone else from Fukuda Sogo had already departed.
When Tsuna was finally ready to leave, Seirin's coach and Teppei Kiyoshi, one of the Uncrowned Kings known as the Heart of Steel, awaited him.
"Ah, hello there, my name is Riko Aida. I'm currently serving as Seirin's coach." Aida reached out for a handshake, which Tsuna professionally received as he introduced himself formally.
As they talked for a while, Aida wanted them to have a practice game during their stay in the resort.
Nijimura whispered to Tsuna that it was impossible, considering they had already worn out from their usual drills. Adding more would be overexerting their body, especially since it was not only Seirin. There was also Shutoku.
However, Tsuna seemed pretty intrigued by this, as he suggested tweaking a bit of their training drills in the morning, and had a practice game to replace it.
In the end, they agreed to do the practice game starting tomorrow.
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