Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 225: Gift to Celebrate Return

[Xiao Taozi: Yan-kun, I'm already at the airport~ =^ω^=]

Just when Kaneki Ken was about to close his eyes and take a nap, a message from Momoi Satsuki came on his phone. Kaneki Ken looked at the playful smiley emoji sent by Momoi Satsuki on the phone screen, smiled slightly, and typed a reply.

[Sasaki, the White-Haired Demon Man: You're at the airport so early? Isn't today the day for the match against Fenghuang High School? Is it okay if you don't join the team? (o)]

[Momoko: "It's okay if I don't go. Before the game, I've already told them all the analysis reports of Fenghuang High School~ And Sakuragi-san has grown a lot now! So Coach Anton agreed to let me take a leave and come here! I'll be waiting for you at the airport gate, Yan-kun~y∩__∩y]

[White-haired devil Sasaki: Yeah! ]

"Hmm?" Tao Jing Mayu looked at the simple reply from the other end of the phone and grumbled unhappily, "What? So perfunctory..."

"Oh, the game just started~" Kaneki Ken, who was just being perfunctory in Momoi Satsuki's words, was actually watching the game broadcast with great interest.

At this time, inside the Tokyo Gymnasium.

"Players from both teams, line up and salute!"

As the warm-up time ended, the referee walked to the center of the court with a basketball, looked at the players from both sides and spoke.

"Please give me some advice!"

"Please give me some advice!"

Players from both sides stared at their opponents, as if sparks were coming out of their eyes.

"Beep beep~"

With a whistle, the basketball was thrown high into the sky by the referee. Shigehiro Kabaji jumped up the moment the basketball was thrown up and easily snatched the ball from Mikio Kawata.

"Press tight all over the court!" Kazunari Fukatsu knew that it was impossible for Owada to snatch the ball from Shigehiro Kabata, so he rushed to Mitsui Hisashi as soon as possible.

"It seems that Fenghuang High School is going all out this time..." Mibuchi Reo sighed as he looked at the formation of Fenghuang High School in the field, "The loss of the high-end combat power of Nijimura Shuzou will have a huge impact on Fenghuang High School..."

"Mitsui Hisashi, don't think you can get past me so easily!" Kazunari Fukatsu stuck close to Mitsui Hisashi who was dribbling the ball and said with sharp eyes.

"Is it so intense right from the start, these guys..." Mitsui Hisashi felt the entanglement of Kazunari Fukatsu, and glanced at Matsumoto Minoru who might come to double-team him at any time, and began to look for a route to pass the ball.

"Xiao San, over here!" Just when Matsumoto Minoru's double-team was about to take shape, Sakuragi Hanamichi made a counter-run, shook off Kawata Masashi, raised his hands high and asked Mitsui Hisashi for the ball lane.

"This guy... is even faster than during the summer league!" Kawata Hiroshi looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi's back with a serious expression, and kept chasing him.

"Great, Sakuragi!" Mitsui looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was alone in front of him, threw the ball lightly, and sent it to Sakuragi Hanamichi who jumped up to catch it.

"Come on!" As soon as Sakuragi Hanamichi landed, Zebei Rongzhi blocked Sakuragi Hanamichi with a serious face.

"Hmph, you can't stop me by yourself, you idiot!" Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at Zebei Rongzhi with fighting spirit in his eyes, and after a simple tentative step, he used a straightforward step to pass by and rushed to the side of Zebei Rongzhi.

"So fast!" Zebei Rongzhi's pupils shrank in shock, his feet kept moving sideways, he clenched his teeth, and forcibly resisted the huge force coming from Sakuragi Hanamichi, sticking closely to Sakuragi Hanamichi who was pushing all the way.

"Sakuragi, be careful!" At this moment, Mitsui Hisashi on the side caught a glimpse of Matsumoto Minoru who was about to step forward to steal the ball, and hurriedly reminded him loudly.

"Pass it to me!" Just when Sakuragi Hanamichi was about to be double-teamed, Rukawa Kaede had already come to the frontcourt three-point line and reached out to Sakuragi Hanamichi for the ball.

"You're dreaming, you stinky fox. I won't let you get away with it again!" Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at Rukawa Kaede with an unhappy face, and turned to look at Izawa Shuji who was also running down.

"Don't even think about passing the ball!" Kazunari Fukatsu looked at Hanamichi Sakuragi and quickly ran, trying to block the passing route between Hanamichi Sakuragi and Shuji Izawa.

With a "whoosh", the basketball turned into a red light and flew out. The target was not Izawa Shuji, but the unguarded Rukawa Kaede.

"What? Aren't Sakuragi and Rukawa working well together?" Inoue Ayako complained as she watched Sakuragi Hanamichi pass the ball without even looking at the player. "I really don't understand. They work so well together on the court, but why do they always look like they don't like each other off the court..."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh~" Anton Mitsuyoshi looked at Rukawa Kaede who quickly cut into the paint after catching the pass from Sakuragi Hanamichi, and laughed inexplicably, "The way geniuses get along with each other is sometimes so strange. Sakuragi, Rukawa, and Karachi-san" will definitely become the pillars of Shonan High School in the future!"

"Mikio, guard the inside!" Kazunari Fukatsu looked at Rukawa who cut into the inside like lightning. He knew it was too late to step forward to provide reinforcements, so he quickly reminded Mikio Kawata who was standing in the inside.

"Oh oh!" After hearing this, Mikio Kawata nodded repeatedly and ran towards Rukawa with heavy steps.

"Hey~"

Rukawa looked at Mikio Kawata who came to help defend, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. With a quick turn, he easily passed Mikio Kawata's broad body and broke into the basket.

"Be faster when defending next time, Mikio!" Just as Rukawa jumped up and prepared to dunk, Zebei Rongji rushed over and blocked the basketball in Rukawa's hand with his big hand.

"It's no use being fast." Rukawa glanced at Zebei Rongzhi who came to defend. The shape of his hand that was originally dunking changed slightly, and the basketball was lightly pushed by Rukawa, drawing a towering arc and flying towards the basket.

"Jump shot?" Zebei Rongji looked at Rukawa Kaede in surprise as he used his special skill, and was a little bit unbelievable for a moment.

"It's just the simplest trick. Is it difficult to learn?" After landing, Rukawa glanced at Zebei Rongji coldly, then turned around and went back to defense.

"This guy is in the spotlight again..." Sakuragi Hanamichi muttered somewhat unhappily as he listened to the cheers of the fans.

"Hey..." Just when Sakuragi Hanamichi was about to turn around and go back to his room, Rukawa Kaede suddenly stopped in front of him and said coldly, "That was a good pass just now."

"Stinky fox..." Sakuragi Hanamichi couldn't believe his ears. He stared blankly at Rukawa's departing back. Suddenly he smiled and said, "Do I need you to tell me that? I'm the basketball genius Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

……

"That's a great pass! You really are a basketball genius, Sakuragi." Kaneki Ken couldn't help laughing as he looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi, who looked awkward on the screen of his mobile phone.

"What genius?" Just as Kaneki Ken was concentrating on watching the game, a curious female voice suddenly came from the side. "Fuck!" Kaneki Ken was frightened by the sudden voice and almost threw his phone away. When he calmed down and turned his head to look in the direction of the voice, he saw a flexible shadow appear behind him like a dark cloud covering his head.

"Why are you here, Alex?" Kaneki Ken patted his chest and asked Alex Garcia unhappily.

"I got an upgrade." Alex Garcia shrugged and said, "You're not willing to chat with me while watching the game, boy~"

"Damn..." Kaneki Ken held down Alex Garcia's face as it approached, "Dealing with a nymphomaniac who's almost a generation older than me... Don't do that~"

"Well...alright, stop messing around, boy." Alex Garcia struggled to push away Kaneki Ken's hand that was on his head, sat down next to Kaneki Ken inconspicuously, looked at Kaneki Ken's phone screen curiously and asked, "Who did you just say was a genius player? How does it compare to the Miracle Generation that Tatsuya mentioned?"

"That's the red-haired one." Seeing Alex Garcia's increasingly serious expression, Kaneki Ken also straightened his sitting posture and introduced him to Alex Garcia seriously, "Maybe he is still inexperienced now, but in terms of potential, he is not inferior to any of the Miracle Generation."

……

"I will never lose to anyone except Gilgamesh!"

On the court, Sakuragi Hanamichi intercepted Kazunari Fukatsu's pass and decisively launched a fast break. With a simple change of direction, he passed Matsumoto Minoru who was delaying the attack and rushed towards the front court without stopping.

"So fast!" Alex Garcia looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was riding so fast on the screen, his face gradually became solemn - but the performance that shocked him had just begun.

I saw Zebei Rongji taking the lead and standing one step inside the free throw line, staring at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was running towards him, with his legs together and his arms crossed on his lower abdomen. As long as Sakuragi Hanamichi hit him, it would definitely be an offensive foul.

"Come on! It's impossible to stop the car at your current speed!" Zebei Rongji gritted his teeth and looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was getting closer and closer. He seemed to feel the wind pressure brought by Sakuragi Hanamichi on his face.

"The guy you mentioned has good athletic ability, but his basketball IQ seems to be a little lacking." Alex Garcia raised his eyebrows slightly, "The opponent's intention to commit an offensive foul is so obvious..."

"What's the hurry?" Kaneki Ken rolled his eyes at Alex Garcia and said, "Let the bullet fly for a while~"

"Mystifying..." Alex Garcia gave Kaneki Ken a confused look and turned his attention back to the game on the screen.

"Sakuragi, stop now!" Mitsui Hisashi looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who seemed a little drunk and reminded him anxiously.

"Be careful about getting fouled, Sakuragi!" Miyagi Ryouta, who was off the court, couldn't sit still anymore and quickly stood up to remind him.

"What are you all so anxious about?" Sakuragi Hanamichi murmured as if he had turned a deaf ear to his teammates' reminders, "I am the basketball genius Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

"This feeling..." Zebei Rongzhi stared at Sakuragi Hanamichi in front of him and couldn't help swallowing his saliva. His whole body suddenly tensed up. Sakuragi Hanamichi's tiger-like pressure made it difficult for him to move.

"I am... the ace of Shonan High School!" A beast-like roar came from Sakuragi Hanamichi's throat, and his eyes were filled with a fighting spirit that was so hot that it made people feel a little hot. The fiery red hair seemed to set the entire court on fire, and he jumped up with the ball one step away in front of Zebei Rongji.

"What on earth is he trying to do?" Alex Garcia stared at Sakuragi Hana who seemed to be flying into the air with his mouth wide open, thinking, "With such a short braking distance, he will hit the defender even if he jumps..."

But Sakuragi Hanamichi's next action brought all her thoughts to an abrupt end.

Sakuragi Hanamichi jumped into the air, spread his legs, held the basketball high with his right hand, and unconsciously pressed his left hand on Zebei Rongzhi's head with a little force. The whole person flew over Zebei Rongzhi and glided towards the basket.

"What the hell!" Haizaki Shogo, who was watching the game on the sidelines, stared at Sakuragi Hanamichi's flying figure with a look of horror, "Another skill that I can't plunder..."

"Ahhhhhh!!!" Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was flying in the air, could only feel the wind whistling in his ears. His vision was blank except for the basket.

"Dunk it, Sakuragi!!!" The players of Shonan High School on the sidelines stood up excitedly. They also realized that they seemed to be witnessing a historic moment.

"boom!!!!"

With a sound like the basket exploding, the basketball was stuffed into the basket by Sakuragi Hanamichi.

"Amazing..." Alex Garcia stared blankly at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was being celebrated by his teammates on the screen. The figure of another disciple of his appeared in his mind and he couldn't help muttering, "This guy's jumping ability... is probably even more abnormal than that of Ouga!"

"Sakuragi Hanamichi is now 190 centimeters tall." Kaneki Ken looked at Alex Garcia's dumbfounded expression and added softly, "He's about two to three centimeters shorter than Kagami-san."

"So you're saying..." Alex Garcia turned his head and looked at Kaneki Ken blankly, "With this level of talent, due to lack of experience, he is not yet a match for the Miracle Generation?"

"I can't say I'm not his match..." Kaneki Ken raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "I can only say it's more difficult to deal with him."

"These kids called the Generation of Miracles...what kind of monsters are they..." Alex Garcia had completely lost the arrogance of a retired WNBA player at this point, and couldn't help but worry about her two disciples.

"What kind of monster is this guy..." Masashi Kawata sighed as he looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was standing under the Fenghuang basket with empty eyes, and there was even a hint of trembling in his tone.

"You can't stop me, you idiot." Sakuragi Hanamichi turned around and said to Zebei Rongji with extremely sharp eyes.

"Alas, it seems that this game... has little hope..." Domoto Koichiro looked at the unfavorable situation on the field at this time, sighed with some regret and said, "If I could have successfully recruited Kaneki-san..."

"Coach, Kaneki is too independent-minded. If he really goes to Fenghuang High School, you may not be able to control him." Nijimura Shuzo's eyes flashed with a hint of gloom, and then he forced a smile and looked at Domoto Koichiro and teased, "Isn't it good now? Although it is indeed uncomfortable to lose, everyone has tried their best, right?"

"Yeah." Domoto Koichiro listened to Nijimura Shuzo's comfort and nodded without comment.

The result of the game was exactly as Domoto Koichiro had expected. After Sakuragi Hanamichi's dunk over Zebei Rongzhi's free throw line, except for the three players of Fukatsu Kazunari who were able to maintain their basic fighting spirit, the other players of Fenghuang High School all ran around in a daze, with their technical moves distorted.

In the end, with the strong performance of Sakuragi Hanamichi, Shonan High School defeated Mineo High School with a huge score of 122:76 and successfully advanced to the second round.

"Thanks to you, Sakuragi! We defeated Fenghuang!" At the moment the game ended, Mitsui Shou excitedly rushed to Sakuragi Hanamichi, hugged his arm and roared.

"Yes, we won..." Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at Mitsui's excited expression, smiled belatedly, raised his arms and shouted loudly, "We are..."

"The strongest!!!" the players of Shonan High School responded in unison.

(End of this chapter)