บท 201: Chapter 201: A Vicious Adversary
Meanwhile, on Fukuda Sogo's bench, Tsuna's gaze shifted from Kaijo, lingering on Kise for a moment, before turning to Haizaki. "...Let's pick up the pace in the second round."
Watching Haizaki's improvement firsthand, Tsuna acknowledged the guy's skills, recognizing that he had outdone even the Uncrowned Kings in overall ability, supposedly reaching the starting point of the Generation of Miracles.
The same went for Nijimura, who managed to handle Murasakibara using his Knight Perception, placing him at the basic level of the Generation of Miracles.
However, Tsuna's presence had completely changed the original power dynamic, making the Generation of Miracles even stronger.
Despite this significant shift, Tsuna found it interesting that Haizaki couldn't entirely outshine Kise, as it was supposed to be following the pattern of the original storyline.
It was a bit surprising for him.
"Ryota has certainly come a long way, hasn't he?"
In the original story, Kise pushed himself despite injuries, motivated by his defeat at the hands of Aomine during the Interhigh.
However, with Tsuna's presence during that time, Aomine, who hadn't taken Kise seriously, unconsciously put in more effort to end the game quickly.
This resulted in a lighter injury for Kise, as Aomine had thoroughly dominated him without straining his body too much.
And seeing Tsuna defeat Aomine must have been an awakening for the blonde-haired Generation of Miracles.
With his fully healed injury, Kise reached greater heights compared to the original storyline.
Tsuna didn't care much about Kise at the moment. It was great that Kise had improved, as he was one of the talents Tsuna wanted to scout. But his priority for today's game remained his main agenda.
"...Well, if Haizaki wasn't enough to force him to reveal his hidden card, then I'll apply more pressure to his entire team."
Tsuna considered it the best option for the moment.
He wanted Haizaki to confront his weaknesses. Despite the newfound determination Haizaki had lit up back in the States, Tsuna deemed it insufficient.
He believed Haizaki needed a reality check, especially from someone he despised.
Understanding Haizaki's character well, Tsuna knew this was necessary.
"Hideki, I need you to get in faster than we originally planned..." Tsuna turned to Ishida, who eagerly nodded with a wide smile, excited about the upcoming play.
"And Kazuhiro, I hope you don't mind being subbed out earlier..."
Turning to Mochizuki, Tsuna continued.
Mochizuki sighed, feeling a bit unfortunate but not discontent. He knew his time would come soon. He smiled with ease, giving a thumbs-up and saying, "That's alright, Captain."
With everything set, Tsuna nodded in satisfaction.
On the other hand, Haizaki clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't help but turn toward the scoreboard, which displayed 27-19.
Aware that Tsuna had tweaked the plan because he hadn't effectively subdued Kise, Haizaki felt a mix of emotions.
Initially, he was pleased that he managed to maintain momentum against Kise, but it wasn't to the extent that Kise couldn't fight back.
It seemed below Tsuna's expectations of him.
Though Haizaki felt good knowing Tsuna had high expectations, he was frustrated for not living up to them.
The fact that Tsuna didn't reprimand him made him feel even worse.
Ogiwara observed Haizaki's reaction silently, cheering him on. "...Let's go, buddy, I know you got this!"
Without much delay, both teams returned to the court as the second quarter was set to begin. The crowd, once again, started to buzz with excitement as the game was about to resume.
In this quarter, Kaijo High embraced a newfound determination and will actively search for openings in Fukuda Sogo's defense while strengthening their own.
As the ball found its way to Kasamatsu, he was dribbling it slowly. The court's atmosphere tensed as Tsuna approached, closing the distance.
"...What are you planning, Kazama?" Kasamatsu questioned.
No matter how many times he mulled it over, he just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Was Tsuna attempting to wear out Kise?
That seemed like the most logical conclusion at the moment. Although, it didn't align with Tsuna's usual playstyle, given that the guy often preferred showcasing dominance over his opponents.
Tsuna just slightly raised his eyebrows and then offered a light smile in response, saying, "Well, why don't you take a guess? It wouldn't be fun if I handed you the answer, right?"
"I thought you were a well-mannered freshman. It seems like I was wrong. You're one nasty bastard, Fukuda Sogo's Captain..."
Kasamatsu frowned as he dribbled the ball slowly, his words tinged with frustration and a hint of anger.
However, Tsuna just smiled as he suddenly executed a swift move, catching Kasamatsu off guard. Kasamatsu's eyes widened in surprise as Tsuna's maneuver was entirely different from his previous actions.
Caught off balance, Kasamatsu attempted to react by stepping back, but it was too late. Tsuna deftly grazed the ball in his hand, causing it to slip away.
Gritting his teeth, Kasamatsu helplessly watched as Tsuna snatched the ball.
Anticipating Tsuna to charge forward, Kasamatsu was taken aback when Tsuna instead flicked his hand, sending the ball blurring across the court towards Nijimura, who was already advancing.
"How did he get there so quickly?"
Kasamatsu exclaimed in astonishment. It was a move entirely outside of Kasamatsu's expectations.
"Shuzo is quite unpredictable sometimes; I hope you don't mind it..." Tsuna spoke lightly, shifting Kasamatsu's attention to him.
"...I take back what I said. You're not just a nasty bastard. You're one nasty fucking bastard, Tsunayoshi Kazama!"
Kasamatsu spoke, his thoughts racing to figure out how to counter Fukuda Sogo's sudden change in pattern.
He had gravely misjudged Fukuda Sogo's abilities as a captain. It wasn't just about his technical skills; the real challenge lay in his ability to manipulate his opponents, making him a tough adversary.
Despite being a friendly person off the court, Fukuda Sogo's captain was simply vicious during the game.
Tsuna just shook his head, turning to see Nijimura's figure returning to his position. He commented silently, "Not bad. Seems like he's getting better at reading my moves."
Nijimura swiftly moved past his marked opponent when Tsuna subtly shifted his body weight to steal the ball from Kasamatsu, who was oblivious, thinking Tsuna would undoubtedly attempt a steal.
While Nijimura knew Tsuna could navigate forward independently, he was also aware that if he positioned himself well, Tsuna would likely choose to pass the ball, given its efficiency.
Tsuna smiled lightly as he looked at Kasamatsu and said, "You know, the first quarter was a bit dull. Why don't we pick up the pace a bit?"
Kasamatsu silently clenched his fist as he scoffed and turned away.
"...I won't let you do whatever plan you have in mind," he silently vowed as he strode away.
---
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