Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 159 What's that redhead up to?

August 7th, the height of summer in Hiroshima, felt like stepping back in time to that year, a day when two suns shone overhead and familiar faces were everywhere.

Outside the Hiroshima Prefectural Gymnasium, the bus carrying the Shohoku team slowly came to a stop at the parking lot entrance.

The moment the car door opened, a wave of heat and the voices of a group of people rushed in at the same time.

"Teacher Anzai!"

The principal of Shohoku High School was the first to rush forward, beads of sweat glistening on his balding forehead in the sunlight. He grabbed Coach Anzai's hand and shook it vigorously up and down.

"That's incredible! Coach Anzai! We've made it to the national finals! This is the first time in the history of Shohoku High School! You've made history!"

The principal's voice trembled with excitement, and behind him stood a row of Shohoku teachers, each with an air of exhilaration on their face.

Coach Anzai was shaken by the principal's hand, his round body leaning back slightly to keep away from the spittle that the principal was spraying out when he spoke excitedly.

"Hehehe. Principal, the match hasn't even started yet," Coach Anzai replied politely.

"It's okay! Reaching the finals is already a miracle!"

The principal completely ignored Coach Anzai's modesty, "You have no idea, the county education committee called yesterday to congratulate us!"

Our ordinary public school in Xiangbei not only won the county championship this year, but also made it to the national finals, creating new history.

The dean of students squeezed through the crowd and shook Akagi Takenori's hand: "Akagi-kun! As the captain of our basketball team, you are the leader of Shohoku!"

Proud of me!

Akagi was taken aback by the dean's sudden enthusiasm. His dark face tightened, and he replied dryly, "Thank you."

"Mitsui-kun!" The third-year homeroom teacher waved to Mitsui. "I never imagined that you could help the basketball team get this far after you returned. I'm so moved!"

Mitsui paused for a moment, then he remembered the two years he had wasted skipping classes, hanging out with delinquents, and even leading a group of delinquents to cause trouble at the basketball court. His throat tightened a little.

The teachers showered their students with praise and pleasantries, making the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boys look nervous.

"Alright, alright," Coach Anzai gently interrupted the enthusiasm of the school leaders and teachers. "Let's go inside and get ready; the competition is about to begin."

The principal then released his grip and took a step back: "All the teachers and students of Xiangbei High School are proud of you. Go, and play well."

After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic school leaders, the Xiangbei group pushed open the side door of the gymnasium and walked into the corridor leading to the locker room.

The sound waves came like a wall from inside the stadium.

"Wow." Miyagi shrank back. "There are probably more spectators this year than at yesterday's semi-final."

Posters of the two teams that made it to the finals were plastered on the corridor walls. Sannoh Industrial's poster was particularly large, black with white lettering, featuring Eiji Sawakita in the center, flanked by the words "King of Sannoh Industrial" and "Japan's Number One High School Student, Eiji Sawakita!"

Sakuragi stopped in front of the poster, pointed at it, and said, "Just you wait. Today, this genius will defeat Sannoh, knock Eiji Sawakita off his throne, and take back the title of the best high school student in all of Japan."

From now on, these posters will be plastered with pictures of me, Sakuragi Hanamichi!

"You?"

Mitsui couldn't help but retort, "A first-year brat wants to be the number one high school student in all of Japan?"

"That's right!" Miyagi added, "Do you even know what it means to be the number one high school student in all of Japan? You're just a freshman, wait a couple of years before you start talking."

"Hmph! I'm a genius! Geniuses are different from you mere mortals!"

"Who are you calling a mortal?"

"Whoever responds, I'll criticize them."

"You bastard—!"

The three of them were making a ruckus in the hallway.

Kogure watched this scene, smiled and sighed. The finals were just around the corner, and they still had the mood to fight.

In the locker room, everyone changed into their jerseys and shoes.

Sakuragi keenly noticed the palpable tension on his teammates' faces; they all remained silent.

"Feed, feed."

Sakuragi stood up and said, "Why are you all so nervous?"

"When I go on stage, you all better support this genius. After I defeat Sannoh, I'll also take the title of the best high school player in all of Japan. The championship will be ours."

"Who wants to assist you!" Miyagi was the first to jump up.

Mitsui joined the fray, adopting the air of a senior, "Exactly. Sakuragi, don't you, a first-year student, know how to respect your seniors?"

"Miji, don't get too cocky. Your three-point shooting still depends on this genius's rebounding!"

The tense atmosphere was greatly eased by Sakuragi's lively personality.

Seeing that time was running out, Akagi took a deep breath and said in a deep voice to everyone in the locker room, "Let's go, it's time to go on stage. Remember, our goal is—"

"Conquer the entire nation!" everyone shouted in unison!

The entire Shohoku team filed out of the locker room, and the moment they stepped out of the tunnel, a wave of excitement and cheers swept over them.

The thousands of people in the stands resembled a boiling Chongqing hotpot.

"Good luck with your flower arrangement!!!"

A deafening roar erupted from Sakuragi's group. Mito Yohei, standing at the forefront with Takamiya Nozomi and two others, cupped his hands to his mouth and roared wildly.

"Mi-chan, do your best!"

The three men, known as the "Men of Fire," occupied the front row and vigorously waved the huge "Men of Fire" banner.

"Don't call me that! It's disgusting!" Mitsui yelled back from the sidelines of the court.

"Go, brother!"

Haruko Akagi stood in front of the stands railing, cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouting, but her clear voice was drowned out by the roar of tens of thousands of people.

The Rukawa Kaede cheerleading squad was even larger than yesterday. They wore matching white skirts, and their colorful pom-poms gleamed under the lights.

They kicked their legs in unison and chanted, "Lucawa! Love! Lukawa! Love!"

The scene in the stands at Sannoh was quite different.

Uniforms covered two-thirds of the stands, and each person held a small megaphone, chanting in unison: "Mountain King! Victory is certain! Mountain King! Victory is certain!"

"Sawakita! Ace! Sawakita! Ace!"

This is the foundation that Shanwang has built over many years. As national champions for many consecutive years, what they have accumulated is not only the championship trophy, but also the way of cheering passed down from generation to generation of Shanwang students.

There are fixed standards for how to shout slogans, when to blow horns, and when to wave support flags.

Takamiya Momo's mouth dropped open: "Sannoh has way too many spectators—it must be two or three times the size of ours."

Yohei and the other two turned to look at the Shohoku team's camp.

The three men, holding up the "Flame Man" flag, waved it energetically and shouted "Mi-chan!"

The four members of Sakuragi's own team were each shouting "Go for it!" on their respective battlefields, their rhythms completely out of sync.

The Rukawa Kaede cheerleading squad was perfectly synchronized, but their cheers were completely out of sync with the other teams.

The others were teams from the Kanagawa Grand Prix, including Ryonan, Kainan, Shoyo, Miuradai, Takezato, and Takezono, where Oda Ryusei plays. They all came to watch the game, wearing their school uniforms or casual clothes, and were scattered in various corners of the stands.

But compared to the uniform white T-shirts and black trousers of the opposing Sannoh team, the Kanagawa camp was a kaleidoscope of mixed colors.

"A ragtag army!" The word suddenly popped into Takamiya Nozomi's mind.

Even the principal of Shohoku High School was taken aback by Sannoh's momentum. He took out a towel to wipe his sweat and said: "As expected of Sannoh, the champion for many years, with this momentum, it would be understandable if we lost today."

On the field, players from both sides take the field to warm up.

On Sannoh's side, Masashi Kawata tossed the ball onto the backboard. The ball bounced off the center of the backboard, and Kawata's massive body was already airborne. He caught the rebound and performed a spectacular dunk, slamming the ball into the basket with both hands behind his back.

A thunderous roar erupted from the stands of the Sannoh stadium.

Before Shohoku could react, Sawakita Eiji dribbled from beyond the three-point line to the basket and jumped, spinning half a circle in the air, his arm holding the ball drawing a huge arc from bottom to top.

Windmill dunk!

The basketball was slammed into the hoop with a loud, dull thud.

The Sannoh stands erupted again, with shouts and chants mingling together, and the entire stadium was shaking.

Mitsui turned to Sakuragi Hana and said, "Sakuragi, why don't you show off a bit and deflate their arrogance?"

Miyagi immediately understood and nudged Sakuragi, "Yeah, Hanamichi. Do a free throw line dunk. You did it yesterday during warm-up against Meihou, right? Do another one, let them see what you've got."

"Alright! Watch my performance!"

Sakuragi walked towards the center circle and then stopped.

All eyes in the arena began to focus on him. Those who had watched Sakuragi perform a free-throw line dunk during the warm-up game between Shohoku and Meihou yesterday realized something. "Look, Shohoku's number 10 has gone to the center circle."

"That redhead? What's he up to?"

"You didn't see him warm up yesterday, did you? That red-haired guy, dunking from the free-throw line."

"Free throw line? That's a joke!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, you'll see."

Whispers spread through the stands, and the eyes of thousands of people in the stadium were now fixed on him.

>