Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 248 Opening

"Damn it, Jerry, can't these Japanese people straighten their tongues before speaking English?" a middle-aged white man in a North Carolina blue jacket complained to his colleagues.

"Okay, Chris, stop complaining. What we have to do now is to hurry to the Tokyo Gymnasium, if you don't want to lose your job." The colleague next to him frowned and said while looking at the map in his hand, "If you don't want to be fired by Coach Smith... I heard that Coach Smith thinks highly of this guy named Kaneki Ken."

"Tokyo Gymnasium? Coach Smith? Kaneki?" At this moment, Kise Ryota, who happened to be passing by, turned his head curiously to look at Chris and Jerry on the side of the road, and walked up to them and said, "Gentlemen, are you going to the Tokyo Gymnasium to watch the game?"

"Oh, thank God, finally someone is talking that I can understand..." Chris Bane said with a look of relief, "Yes, kid, we are scouts from the University of North Carolina, and we are here to watch a game. How do I get to the Tokyo Gymnasium?"

"It's a bit troublesome to explain, just follow me." Due to his limited vocabulary, Kise Ryota could only step forward and take the lead. After saying "follow me", he walked towards the gymnasium.

Under the leadership of Ryota Kise, Chris Bain and Jerry Bob successfully arrived at the Tokyo Gymnasium not long after. After expressing their gratitude to Ryota Kise again and again, the two sides parted ways at the entrance of the gymnasium.

"Kise?" Kasamatsu Yukio, who had been waiting at the entrance of the stadium for a long time, looked at Kise Ryota who was walking towards him with a puzzled look and asked, "Who are those two guys?"

"They said they were scouts, something called the University of North Carolina..." Kise Ryota shrugged.

"What?" Kasamatsu Yukio asked with his eyes wide open in surprise, "Are you sure he is really a scout from North Carolina?"

"Of course... North Carolina, I can still understand the words on their clothes..." Huang Lailiangta smiled helplessly and said, "Don't treat me as a fool, Kasamatsu-senpai... What? Is there anything great about this school?"

"A great place? You don't even know North Carolina?" Kasamatsu Yukio asked Kise Ryota with a puzzled look.

"Please, Kasamatsu-senpai, I have a part-time job as a model, I have to participate in team training, and I have to go to school. How can I have so much energy to pay attention to other things..." Kise Ryota said with a wry smile.

"Let me put it this way. Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive championships a few years ago, retired and returned last year to win the championship again this year, is from the University of North Carolina." Kasamatsu Yukio, who follows the NBA closely, immediately listed them like a treasure. "And the Lakers legend, James Worthy, is also from North Carolina..."

"Is it like Fukasawa Sports University?" asked Mitsunari Hayakawa curiously.

"Yeah..." Kasamatsu Yukio smacked his lips and said, "To attract scouts of this level to come to Asia to watch the game... I guess only Kaneki Ken can do it, right?"

……

"Wow, I didn't expect that there are so many people in Japan who pay attention to basketball games." Chris Bane said with a surprised look on his face while looking at the audience.

"That's normal. I've been following these two teams recently. The two teams' ace players are considered to be the most popular players in Japan." Jerry Bob took out a notebook from his bag and shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway, every year we examine at least 800 so-called talented players. Let's take a look first. Maybe we can really find something, a rough diamond."

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Just as Jerry Bob and Chris Bain were talking, a sudden deafening cheer attracted their attention. The two of them couldn't help but look towards the field, and saw the players of the two teams converging towards the field like two long rivers, one black and one white.

"The game is finally about to begin..." Kasamatsu Yukio led the players of Kaijo High School to their seats, looking at the field with anticipation and said, "Although I know that Kaneki Ken can win, I still hope that a miracle can happen..."

"It's too early to say anything, Kasamatsu-senpai..." Kise Ryota chuckled and said, "In terms of physical talent, Murasakibara may not be as good as Kaneki, but he's not far behind."

……

"You did a great job, Murasakibara." Kaneki Ken stood in front of Murasakibara Atsushi in the field. Looking at Murasakibara Atsushi who was slightly taller than him, he said with satisfaction, "You are becoming more and more like a qualified ace."

"Ken...I want to win this game." Murasakihara Atsushi looked into Kaneki Ken's eyes and suddenly spoke.

"Then show me how to do it." Kaneki Ken smiled and patted Murasakibara Atsushi's shoulder and said, "I'm looking forward to your performance."

"Yanzi, I am your Jose!" Murasakihara Atsushi shouted loudly, looking at Kaneki Ken's back.

"..." Kaneki Ken heard the voice coming from behind, paused for a moment, then returned to his own half as if nothing had happened and began warming up.

Under the attention of the crowd, Kaneki Ken picked up two basketballs and began to practice dribbling with his left and right hands. The two basketballs jumped like obedient elves, making people feel like they were watching an exquisite acrobatics.

"This kid's ball handling skills are pretty good..." Jerry Bob silently wrote down in his notebook, "His static physical talent is outstanding..."

"Hey, Jerry..." Chris Bain seemed to have discovered something unexpected. He took a sip of the Coke beside him and pointed at Murasakibara Atsushi's back and said, "Look at that kid. His height and other conditions are not bad. Maybe he is worth paying attention to."

"Coach Smith asked us to pay attention to the blond boy. As for the purple-haired boy, we'll see when the time comes..." Jerry Bob shrugged without even raising his head, and the pen in his hand kept recording something.

"Whoosh~ whoosh~"

As the dribbling training ended, beads of sweat gradually seeped out of Kaneki Ken's forehead. He flipped his hands, stood near the midfield line, and threw two basketballs left and right, one in front and one behind. The basketballs drew two towering arcs in the air, and then there was the sound of the basketballs brushing the net.

"Is this the strength of Kaneki Ken..." Masako Araki on the sidelines watched Kaneki Ken's effortless moves and couldn't help but stare blankly. In Masako Araki's eyes, Kaneki Ken, who was standing still and shooting, was getting bigger and bigger, gradually becoming an unreachable mountain that stretched for thousands of miles.

"Excellent shooting ability, balanced with both hands..." Jerry Bob's eyes finally revealed a hint of interest, and he once again made a note of the player's strengths.

"The guys on the other side are really tall..." Just as Araki Masako was observing Shonan High School, Inoue Ayako was also observing Yangquan High School at this moment, "Three players over two meters tall, judging from their average height, they are taller than us... They are truly the Wall of Sighs of the Japanese high school world..."

"Don't worry, Inoue-senpai. Ken-kun will take care of it." Taoi Satsuki said with a smile, "And not only Ken-kun and Sakuragi-san, but Rukawa-san and Kabachi-san are also in good shape now!"

"That's right..." Inoue Ayako smiled and nodded, "No matter from which aspect, we are the strongest!"

As she spoke, Inoue Ayako stood up with a smile, took a plastic speaker and shouted loudly to the field: "Shonan!!! Must win!!!"

"Shonan!!! Must win!!!"

Led by Ayako Inoue, the players of Shonan High School on the sidelines also became excited and couldn't help but shout loudly towards the field.

"Senior?" Rukawa Kaede raised his eyebrows and looked at Inoue Ayako, muttering to himself in surprise.

"Shonan! We will win!"

"Shonan! We will win!"

"Shonan! We will win!"

The enthusiasm erupting from the Shonan High School bench gradually spread to the entire stadium, and the fans of Shonan High School also waved flags and banners to cheer for the players on the field. For a moment, the entire Tokyo Gymnasium seemed to have become the home court of Shonan High School. The red waves rose and fell, turning into invisible pressures, smashing down on the heads of the players of Yangquan High School on the field.

"Hey, hey, do you have to be so partial..." Fukui Kensuke was so nervous that his scalp was numb. He forced a smile and teased, "There's not even one person cheering for us?"

"Shonan High School...and Kaneki Ken..." Mikoshiba stopped the shooting training in his hands and looked towards the Shonan High School half with a serious expression, wondering what he was thinking.

"What should I do..." Araki Masako felt that she was about to sweat from nervousness. She looked at the players on the field with a worried look and muttered to herself, "If our momentum is suppressed before we even start, we won't be able to play the rest of the game..."

"boom!"

Just when everyone at Yangquan High School was hit hard and fell silent, a deafening roar suddenly came from the half court of Yangquan High School. Looking in the direction where the sound came from, I saw Murasakibara Atsushi slowly loosen his hands and land steadily on the ground.

"A-Dun?" Himuro Tatsuya looked at Murasakibara Atsushi's back in surprise, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Yanzi once told me... Even if the opponent is a tiger, you have to act more imposingly, so that even if you die, you will die with dignity." Murasakibara Atsushi slowly turned around and looked at his teammates and said, "Although it is true that I hate trouble, I hate surrender even more! So don't make it like the world is ending, cheer up!"

"Really? I never thought that I would be taught a lesson by a little brat like you one day." Okamura Kenichi was stunned at first, then after a moment of silence, he suddenly stepped forward, touched Murasakibara Atsushi's head and said with a smile, "Don't worry Murasakibara, none of the players from Yangquan High School will surrender without a fight!"

"That's great, Murasakibara...you're becoming more and more like a qualified leader." Kaneki Ken chuckled and murmured to himself with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Kasamatsu-senpai..." Kise Ryota looked at Murasakibara Atsushi in the field in silence for a moment, then chuckled and said to Kasamatsu Yukio beside him, "Maybe in this match, we can really see a fierce game."

"Warm-up time is about to end. Players who are not involved, please leave the field immediately."

As time went by, the broadcast above the court began to sound. The substitutes on both sides returned to their benches, put on their coats and sat down, waiting for the game to begin. "Players on both sides, line up and salute!" The referee walked to the center line holding the basketball in his hand, looked back and forth at the players on both sides, and announced.

"Please give me some advice!"

"Please give me some advice!"

After the players from both sides bowed deeply, Shigehiro Kabaji and Atsushi Murasakibara also came to the sides of the center line and stood, waiting for the upcoming jump ball.

"Murasara Atsushi..." Shigehiro Kabaji looked at the huge figure with purple hair in front of him and suddenly said, "Do you still remember the scene when we first fought in junior high school?"

"I don't remember." Murasakibara Atsushi said solemnly, "If I said something bad that made you unhappy at that time...then tell me your true thoughts in the next game!"

"Beep beep~"

As Murasakibara Atsushi finished his words, the referee blew the whistle and the basketball was thrown high into the air by the referee. Murasakibara Atsushi and Kabaji Shigehiro also jumped up almost at the same time.

"These two kids have terrifying dynamic talents..." Chris Bane looked at Murasakibara Atsushi and Kabaji Shigehiro soaring into the air on the center line, and his expression suddenly changed. "Are all the big guys in Asia so amazing now?"

"Uh ah ah ah ah ah!!!" Shigehiro Kabaji's eyes were full of the desire to avenge his previous shame. He roared and stretched out his arms towards the basketball in the air.

"I'm sorry, Karaichi..." Murasakibara Atsushi's eyes were unusually bright, and he spoke word by word, "I must win this game!"

With Murasakibara Atsushi's roar, two sturdy figures collided violently in the air. Kabaji Shigehiro felt a huge force coming, and his center of gravity shifted, and he couldn't help but fall backwards. Murasakibara Atsushi took this opportunity to grab the basketball first and passed the ball to Keisuke Kobayashi in the backcourt.

"Don't be in a hurry, play slowly!" After receiving the ball, Keisuke Kobayashi decisively turned his back and pushed forward step by step despite Mitsui's defense.

"This guy is a little too cautious..." Mitsui Shou muttered as he looked at Keisuke Kobayashi who was looking cautious, "As expected, they are a super defensive team with the fewest points lost per game..."

During the tug of war between the two, Keisuke Kobayashi finally came to the three-point line of Shonan High School and began to observe the running positions of his teammates.

"Kobayashi, over here!" As a clear voice rang out, Kobayashi Keisuke's eyes suddenly lit up. After a explosive shot, he broke through Mitsui's defense.

"What's going on? Do you look down on me so much?" Mitsui Hisashi was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to adjust his steps to stop Kobayashi Keisuke, he found that the sturdy figure of Murasakibara Atsushi had come to his side without him knowing when.

"Pick and roll?" Mitsui raised his eyebrows, took a half step back, and tried to bypass the pick and roll and continue to defend Keisuke Kobayashi.

"Haha, you got fooled?" Kobayashi Keisuke chuckled, stepped back to the three-point line, and instantly opened up a distance of nearly one meter between him and Mitsui Shou. After his feet were stable, Kobayashi Keisuke decisively combined the ball and shot, trying to score the first point of the game for Yangquan High School.

"I won't let you score so easily!"

Just as Keisuke Kobayashi shot the ball, Hanamichi Sakuragi suddenly came up from the free throw line to defend, jumped high, and swatted the ball to the front court. Seeing this, Rukawa Kaede immediately turned around and ran to the front court.

"Come on, Rukawa!" Miyagi Ryouta couldn't help but stand up and roared, "Let's go all out and score this goal!"

Rukawa Kaede's expression changed slightly when he heard Miyagi Ryouta's roar. After grabbing the basketball, he jumped up one step inside the free throw line.

"Uhhhhhh!!"

Just when Rukawa was about to complete the dunk, an explosive roar suddenly came from Rukawa's ears, and a shadow enveloped Rukawa's head, as if a building was about to collapse.

"This guy... actually runs as fast as that idiot..." Rukawa Kaede's face changed slightly. He retrieved the basketball in the air and passed the ball to Sakuragi Hanamichi behind Murasakibara Atsushi.

"The ball was passed a little too far..." Kasamatsu Yukio shook his head helplessly, "Ryukawa is a one-on-one player, so he's really not suitable for organizing offense..."

"What the hell is that you passed to me, you stinky fox..." Sakuragi Hanamichi complained somewhat dissatisfiedly after catching the ball, "It's totally not on the same level as the ball passed by Gilgamesh..."

As he spoke, Sakuragi Hanamichi slowed down, made a simple adjustment to his movements, and then cut towards the basket again.

"Boy, don't underestimate me!"

In the moment when Sakuragi Hanamichi was delayed, Himuro Tatsuya had already arrived. While Sakuragi Hanamichi was still unstable, he clapped his arms and the basketball instantly escaped from Sakuragi Hanamichi's control and flew towards the sidelines.

"Captain, ball!" Himuro Tatsuya roared and said to Okamura Kenichi who was closer to the sidelines.

"Leave it to me!" Kenichi Okamura rushed out like a tiger pouncing on its prey, and pushed the ball back into the court at an angle almost parallel to the ground. Mike Okita was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and he stepped forward to grab the basketball.

"That defense just now was very good!" Araki Masako suppressed her inner nervousness and yelled to the players on the field, "Slow down the pace of the next game!"

"Although she is a young lady from a yakuza family, Araki Masako's understanding of basketball is no less than that of any professional coach." Takeuchi Genta sighed, "Among all the Miracle Generations, there is almost no team that wins by speed..."

"You did a good job indeed..." Kasamatsu Yukio nodded slightly and said, "Neither the offense nor the defense scored. Does this mean this game will be a tug-of-war?"

"It's not that simple, Kasamatsu-senpai..." Kise Ryota shook his head noncommittally and said softly, "If Murasakibara and Himuro hadn't returned to defense in time for the inbounds pass just now, Shonan High School would have already scored the first point..."

As he said that, Kise Ryota turned his gaze to Kaneki Ken who was standing aside with a calm expression and said, "But on the other hand, Kaneki hasn't even touched the ball yet..."

"Damn it, does Kaneki Ken think that he can be compared with us with just Sakuragi and Rukawa?" Mike Okita frowned and whispered, "Don't be ridiculous!"

As he spoke, Mike Okita's expression became stern. He stepped forward heavily with his right foot and exerted force with his legs, as if he wanted to make a deep hole in the floor, and rushed towards Rukawa Kaede who was waiting for him.

"This guy..." Rukawa frowned slightly and quickly adjusted his body to try to slow down Mike Okita's impact. However, as a huge force came, Rukawa couldn't help but stagnate, and Mike Okita took this opportunity to break through Rukawa's defense.

"Okita, over here!" Seeing Mike Okita's successful attack, Keisuke Kobayashi on the side immediately came to the bottom corner and stretched out his hand to Mike Okita to ask for the ball.

"Captain Kaneki has repeatedly warned me not to underestimate you..." Izawa Shuji, drunkenly, came to Keisuke Kobayashi and said with a barely perceptible smile.

"Damn it! Not only Kaneki Ken, the other guys from Shonan High School also switched defense so quickly..." Mike Okita frowned, shook his right hand lightly, and the basketball turned into a stream of light and flew into Himuro Tatsuya's hands.

"Don't even think about going over there." Rukawa Kaede appeared in front of Himuro Tatsuya with a frown.

"You are Rukawa Kaede..." Himuro Tatsuya looked at Rukawa Kaede in front of him and said, "You really are worthy of being the ice beauty that Alex mentioned..."

"Ah?" Rukawa was slightly stunned, and said to himself in confusion, "What is this guy talking about?"

"I'm saying..." Himuro Tatsuya responded with a smile, "As a fellow mortal on the extension line, I will never lose to you!"

As Himuro Tatsuya finished speaking, Rukawa Kaede only heard the sound of a jersey rustling in his ears, and Himuro Tatsuya's figure disappeared from his sight.

"Alas, a big part of the reason why we lost to Yangquan High School is because this guy is really hard to deal with..." Sendoh Akira smiled as he looked at Rukawa Kaede, whose face was slightly moved in the field, "This guy's speed is comparable to Zebei Rongzhi from Fenghuang High School... So, how would you deal with this guy? Rukawa Kaede!"

"Whoo~"

Rukawa Kaede in the field frowned slightly and adjusted his body shape, and his footsteps blocked in front of Himuro Tatsuya again. But when Rukawa Kaede was about to steal the ball, Himuro Tatsuya in front of him suddenly turned into a residual shadow and disappeared.

"What!" Rukawa's pupils shrank slightly, and he turned his head to look behind him, only to see that Himuro Tatsuya had already jumped with the ball, ready to shoot against Sakuragi Hanamichi's defense.

"You really jump very high, Sakuragi, just like me..." Himuro Tatsuya sighed as he looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi in front of him and said, "But I can't block this ball... and neither can you!"

"Ah..." Sakuragi Hanamichi listened to Himuro Tatsuya's murmurs, and slapped the basketball in Himuro Tatsuya's hand with his big hand, but was surprised to find that he had just slapped a ball of air.

"This ball... no one can block it..." Himuro Tatsuya said, staring at Sakuragi Hanamichi who looked puzzled, "This move... is an unstoppable skill of tranquility!"

(End of this chapter)