บท 89: Chapter 89: Predicting His Opponent's Every Step
"Hey there, Nijimura, it's been a while, huh?"
Imayoshi greeted Nijimura, who appeared rather displeased by his presence.
Nijimura, clearly not thrilled to see Imayoshi, muttered under his breath, "What an irritating fellow."
A sly grin crossed Imayoshi's face as he responded, "Haha, you're as grumpy as ever, I see."
"Just make sure you keep your hands to yourself this time," Imayoshi taunted, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Nijimura refrained from replying this time, keeping his attention fixed on the referee approaching the court's center.
Imayoshi wisely chose silence as well. His gaze, however, couldn't help but shift toward Tsuna, standing opposite Aomine. He couldn't shake off the feeling of the overwhelming pressure exuding from them.
The referee arrived at the center and signaled both teams to prepare for the jump ball. He wasted no time with all players in position and tossed the ball into the air.
The ball hung in mid-air, and players from both teams leaped to snatch it. Mochizuki managed to secure the ball, wasting no time passing it to Tsuna.
Tsuna, with a subtle smile, caught the ball and noticed the excitement in Aomine's eyes. As he began to dribble and advance, Aomine's presence loomed ever closer.
"The only person who can beat me is myself, huh?" Tsuna said. He locked eyes with Aomine, continuing, "Those are some arrogant words, aren't they, Daiki?"
Aomine casually shrugged and retorted, "Well, it's how it is. If it bothers you, you'd better make sure not to let me down, Tsuna."
Unfazed by Aomine's arrogance, Tsuna scoffed, and his dribbling speed surged. He weaved the ball around, and Aomine stayed right on his heels, vigilant and relentless.
Tsuna couldn't help but think, "I have to give it to you. You're pretty formidable."
With a wry smile, Tsuna shook his head and remarked, "Well, it's not like I can't find an opening…"
He swiftly put his plan into action. Tsuna's body darted to the right, a lightning-quick move that caught Aomine by surprise, revealing Tsuna's exceptional agility. Aomine, however, wasn't one to back down. He quickly adjusted and mirrored Tsuna's movements.
But just as Aomine thought he had regained control, Tsuna swiftly changed direction, cutting left and racing towards Too's defensive line. Aomine was left momentarily bewildered, pivoting to give chase, struggling to keep up with Tsuna's relentless pace.
In response to Tsuna's rapid advance, Too Academy's defenders quickly shifted to form a defensive wall, determined to halt his progress. Aomine, with a hint of annoyance, barked, "Clear the path! This is between me and him..."
However, Tsuna effortlessly weaved through the defensive line, leaving them grasping at thin air. In a swift, fluid motion, he scored the game's first two points, much to the awe of the spectators.
The entire stadium roared with excitement.
"Unbelievable!"
"Aomine, the Ace of the Generation of Miracles, couldn't even stop him!"
The crowd was abuzz with chatter and amazement, their enthusiasm filling every corner of the stadium.
A tall teenager with green hair and thick black glasses adjusted his frames while keeping his eyes on the match between Fukuda Sogo and Too Academy.
"...Midorimacchi! You're here too?"
Midorima was taken by surprise when Kise, a blonde teenager, approached him with a grin. He inquired, "...How did you recognize me, Kise?"
Kise sheepishly scratched his head, wearing a wry smile. He couldn't help but think that anyone who couldn't spot Midorima, even with his rather lousy disguise, must be a bit of an idiot.
With a chuckle, Kise responded, "Haha, I guess I've got a keen eye..."
Midorima simply shook his head and redirected his attention to the ongoing match.
Kise casually shrugged as he positioned himself next to Midorima, his gaze fixed on the unfolding match.
With a hint of admiration, he questioned, "He's really that good, isn't he?"
In Kise's view, he had witnessed Tsuna's skills in action, which were on par with Aomine's.
"Guess that's why Aominecchi was so hyped to face him. More than facing me," Kise concluded, clenching his fist with a mix of frustration, respect, and determination.
In the intense game, Aomine swiftly gained possession of the ball, dribbling it with remarkable speed.
Standing before him, Tsuna couldn't help but chuckle, noting, "Eager, aren't you?"
Aomine didn't reply, focused on maneuvering the ball with finesse as he attempted to find a gap in Tsuna's solid defense. Yet, Aomine quickly realized that Tsuna's defense was unyielding. Despite his skillful maneuvers, he couldn't penetrate the core of Fukuda Sogo's defensive formation.
The players from Too Academy wore expressions of astonishment. Sakurai couldn't hide his surprise as he exclaimed, "Someone like Aomine got pressured like that?"
"Not quite yet."
Imayoshi, however, shook his head and calmly stated.
Aomine continued his advance, and Tsuna shadowed his every move. They reached the right end of the court, where Aomine sported a confident grin.
He thought, "No big deal, I'll work from the side."
Seeing Aomine didn't even slow down his pace, Tsuna frowned. He signaled to Nijimura, ready to inbound the ball.
Aomine jumped high above the end line, twisting slightly in the air before unleashing an unconventional throw. Tsuna couldn't help but remark, "You've got a few tricks, huh?"
The ball followed a high arc from the end line, landing flawlessly in the center of the basket.
The crowd erupted with cheers once more.
It seemed like Fukuda Sogo had seized the momentum momentarily, but Aomine, known as the Ace of the Generation of Miracles, wasn't about to let Tsuna's display go unanswered.
Tsuna swiftly advanced without a word.
Imayoshi noticed this and yelled, "Get back into position!"
Aomine, too, reacted promptly, hot on Tsuna's heels. Yet, Nijimura was ahead of them as he tossed the ball in Tsuna's direction.
With the ball in hand, Tsuna scanned the Too Academy players ahead of him, thinking, "Imayoshi's quick to catch on, as expected..."
Tsuna's dribbling was impeccable as he confidently pushed forward, declaring, "But these guys aren't sufficient!"
Too's players clenched their jaws, making desperate attempts to halt Tsuna's progress. Yet, his agility and dribbling skills proved too much for them to contain.
Wakamatsu couldn't help but feel frustrated. It seemed like he had Aomine on the opposing team as Tsuna expertly slipped through his defense.
"Don't take me lightly, Tsuna!"
As Tsuna deftly navigated past Too's defense, Aomine arrived in time to intercept his path.
But Tsuna's response was a smirk at this.
Instead of attempting to bypass Aomine, he executed a graceful fadeaway jump shot, catching Aomine off guard.
Aomine's eyes fixed on Tsuna's nimble footwork.
In a smooth motion, Tsuna released the ball, sending it soaring in a perfect arc before it gracefully swished into the basket.
Imayoshi's eyes widened in astonishment.
"He deliberately slowed down just after slipping past our defense to set up that fade away, even with Aomine right on him!"
It was a move that seemed almost otherworldly in its precision. Tsuna had reduced his speed so subtly that it barely registered, a cunning maneuver to execute the shot without risking an injury.
"...That guy read Aomine like a book!"
Imayoshi regarded Tsuna as if he'd just witnessed a supernatural feat. Such calculated plays were nearly impossible in the whirlwind pace of this game unless Tsuna could predict Aomine's movements with pinpoint accuracy.
The crowd responded with an uproarious cheer.
The battle between Fukuda Sogo and Too Academy's star players had electrified the entire stadium. The audience's excitement filled the air, their enthusiastic cheers reverberating throughout the arena as they witnessed this intense face-off.
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