Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

at the same time.

A deafening scream suddenly erupted from the Shohoku bench.

"What?!"

The unified sound pierced through the noisy stadium.

This not only attracted the attention of the Sannoh Industrial substitute bench not far away.

Even the spectators in the surrounding stands craned their necks to look, curious about what had happened on the Xiangbei side.

The expressions on the faces of the Shohoku players were more interesting than if they had seen a ghost.

Akagi Takenori's eyes widened, and his tough-guy face finally broke down.

He looked at Coach Anzai in front of him.

"Coach, isn't that too risky?!"

Takenori Akagi couldn't help but loudly retort.

"The other side is Sannoh Industrial, the national powerhouse!"

"The match has only just entered its most intense phase. Isn't it too hasty to entrust the offensive focus to him and let him try his luck?"

Akagi Takenori was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Rukawa Kaede, who was sitting in the corner, was originally resting.

Upon hearing Coach Anzai's tactical instructions, he abruptly put down the towel.

Rukawa Kaede slowly raised his right hand. "I object."

Rukawa Kaede retorted sarcastically without holding back.

Just as everyone was expressing their protests.

A loud, arrogant, and incredibly irritating laugh echoed across the bench.

"Hmph hmph hmph hmph..."

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted back, laughing wildly, even showing his back teeth.

His red, buzz-cut head gleamed under the ceiling lights.

"You background characters, shut up, you're all just playing supporting roles!"

"The coach has a keen eye!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi pointed at the crowd with utter arrogance.

Coach Anzai ignored everyone's objections and instead smiled at Sakuragi Hanamichi.

"Sakuragi-kun."

Coach Anzai began speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Do you still remember the grueling training I arranged for you at school last time?"

Upon hearing this, Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes lit up.

He patted his chest hard, making a dull "thump" sound.

"Of course, Dad!"

"How could I possibly forget!"

"I am Sakuragi Hanamichi, a basketball genius that comes along only once in a century!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi shouted triumphantly, completely oblivious to the idiotic looks he was getting from others.

Coach Anzai nodded in satisfaction, his eyes behind his glasses filled with kindness and trust.

"very good."

"Sakuragi, remember this: after all that special training, you're now one of Shohoku's ace players."

Upon hearing the weighty phrase "one of the aces," Sakuragi Hanamichi practically leaped into the air.

Like a ghost, he smugly approached each of his shocked teammates.

"Did you hear me? Did you hear me?"

"Dad says I'm the ace!"

"Gorilla, did you hear that?"

"Fox, are you jealous?"

"This genius has finally been officially recognized!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi was giving Rukawa a barrage of flirtatious messages right next to his ear.

His face made you want to punch him in the face.

Rukawa Kaede barely suppressed the urge to punch him on the spot, turned his head and said, "Super idiot."

Just then, Lin Bei, who had been sitting to the side chewing gum, slowly stood up.

He casually stretched, and his bones cracked all over.

Lin Bei's eyes still held their usual languidness.

But the oppressive feeling that emanated from the very core of their being made everyone unconsciously quiet down.

"Since the coach has said so, let's do as the coach plans."

Lin Bei spoke calmly.

He turned his head and glanced in the direction of the Sannoh bench, then chuckled softly.

"Leave that Zebei to me."

"I will give it my all in the last 5 minutes of the first half."

Then, Lin Bei turned his gaze to Rukawa Kaede, who was sitting on the bench.

"Rukawa".

Lin Bei's voice carried an irresistible air of authority.

"Your zone actually has a lot of flaws."

"You rely too much on visual deception techniques to create blind spots."

"Once someone sees through your rhythm or has a stronger beastly instinct, they will be severely punished by Zebei just like before, who seized the opportunity to exploit your weaknesses."

"When you're on the field later, observe, learn, and think more; don't just recklessly charge around."

Lin Bei instructed him like a strict teacher.

Rukawa Kaede didn't say anything, but silently clenched the towel in his hand.

But the burning resentment and intense desire to win in his one exposed eye said it all.

Finally, Lin Bei walked up to Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was still wildly entertaining himself.

He looked the single-celled organism up and down, which seemed to have inexhaustible energy.

"Sakuragi".

Lin Bei suddenly spoke up, interrupting Sakuragi's smugness.

"Do you remember the 'thousand-pound weight' technique I secretly taught you during our special training at the hot spring inn in Shizuoka Prefecture?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi paused for a moment, scratched his red head, and looked puzzled.

"A thousand-pound weight?"

He struggled to search his pitifully small brain for the word that sounded impressive.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had remembered some peerless martial arts manual.

"Oh! I remember now!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi excitedly slapped his thigh.

"It's the ultimate form of that toilet squatting defense technique, isn't it!"

"This is the legendary—the advanced version of Buttock Kung Fu: Super Buttock Kung Fu!"

Upon hearing this, the entire Shohoku bench fell into a deathly silence once again.

Takenori Akagi covered his face in anguish.

I feel like I've lost all face in my life today, and my blood pressure is soaring to my head.

Lin Bei rolled his eyes speechlessly.

But he quickly regained his composure thanks to his strong mental fortitude.

"What your name is doesn't matter; what matters is your technique for generating power."

Lin Bei corrected him with a cold face.

"That fat guy from Sannoh will definitely try to overpower you with his weight later, attempting to force his way into the paint."

"Remember what I taught you: lower your center of gravity to the ground and use your lower body to stabilize your defense."

"Use the power of the earth to combat his flabby, muscular body, and deliver a devastating blow!"

Lin Bei earnestly gave his instructions.

"Leave it to me, Master!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi confidently gave a thumbs-up, revealing a set of white teeth.

The highest point of the stands.

The four members of Sakuragi's gang were leaning on the railing.

His mouth was wide open, and his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

Yohei Mito picked at his ear in shock, completely unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Hey, did you guys hear that?"

Yohei asked incredulously.

Takamiya Nozomi swallowed hard and nodded blankly.

"Mmm, I heard it very clearly!"

Da Nan and Noma shouted in unison, their eyes wide as saucers.

"Coach Anzai actually said that idiot in flower arrangement is the ace!"

In the stands not far away.

Haruko Akagi covered her mouth tightly with both hands, her eyes welling up with tears of emotion.

She looked at the red figure on the sidelines doing exaggerated warm-up exercises, and her heart began to race.

"With Sakuragi as the main force..."

"Initiate the attack!"

Haruko's voice trembled with disbelief.

But more than anything, there was deep anticipation and boundless pride.

"Beep—!"

The referee's whistle rang out sharply again.

Both parties are reminded that the pause has completely ended.

The game continues!