Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Fuqiu Middle School's attack came quickly.

The ball was inbounded from the backcourt. The point guard dribbled for two steps and, before the defense from Heguang Middle School could settle down, passed the ball directly to Rukawa Kaede on the right side of the three-point line.

As soon as Rukawa received the ball, the double team from Kou Junior High quickly moved in.

The two players on the outside rushed over the moment Rukawa received the ball. One of them stood right in front of him and put his hand in front of his face to block his view of the shot.

Another person blocked his path from the side, turning their body to the side and moving quickly.

Without hesitation, Rukawa slapped the ball on his right hand, leaned his body to the right front, and the defender's center of gravity shifted accordingly.

But Rukawa Kaede pulled his right foot back sharply the instant he stepped out, switched the ball from his right hand to his left, pulled his body to the left, and stepped over the gap between the two people in one step.

He successfully broke through and drove into the paint.

Oda came over to help defend from the left, his arm outstretched, trying to block his layup route.

Sakuragi pushed outwards from under the basket, his massive body forming a wall between Rukawa and the rim.

Rukawa Kaede's body suddenly stopped moving at high speed, and the soles of his shoes made a sharp, long sound as they rubbed against the floor.

He pulls up for a jump shot, leans back, and uses his core strength to keep his upper body balanced in mid-air. He raises his arm overhead and flicks his wrist back.

Facing Oda's lunging block, the ball slipped from Rukawa's fingertips, its arc high and graceful, spinning under the lights as it flew towards the basket.

"Swish." The needle went into the net.

In the guest seats, Taoka clenched his fist.

That's it.

He stopped abruptly, leaned back, and calmly made his move while surrounded by three opponents.

Rukawa Kaede possesses all of these qualities: ball control, spatial awareness, and the ability to make correct judgments under pressure.

Taoka's gaze was fixed on that figure, and the thought in his heart was firmer than ever before: This child must be brought to Ryonan.

The support group for Fuqiu Middle School erupted in cheers from the stands.

"Lucawa...! Lukawa...! Lukawa...!"

The screams from countless girls were several pitches higher than at the beginning.

Haruko Akagi hugged her classmate next to her, their arms tightly entwined.

Haruko's pupils reflected the figure of the white number 11 on the field.

His shooting form just now kept replaying in her mind, as if someone had pressed a loop button.

The angle of the backward lean, the extension of the arm, the flick of the wrist, the arc of the ball... every detail is so perfect.

Her heart was racing, her cheeks were burning, and she clutched her chest with both hands, feeling like she was about to float off her seat.

On the court, Oda Ryusei's face was not good. He couldn't stop that ball even with three players surrounding him.

Oda turned around and walked to Sakuragi's side.

"Sakuragi," Oda said in a low voice.

"Hmm?" Sakuragi was watching Rukawa's back, his brows furrowed, his expression as if he were pondering a puzzle he couldn't solve for the time being.

"I'll pass the ball later, you spike it in and teach him a lesson."

"Fine!" Sakuragi also disliked that guy.

Heguang Middle School attacks.

Akiyama dribbled the ball past half-court, spun it twice on the outside, and passed it to Oda.

Oda dribbled past his opponent and drove to the free-throw line, where he was double-teamed by Tomioka Junior High. Two players closed in from both sides, their arms outstretched, blocking his passing lanes and shooting space.

Xiaotian flicked his wrist, and the ball was tossed into the air.

The ball traveled a high trajectory, rising above the free-throw line, over the head, and falling towards the right side of the basket.

Coach Shigeichi Taoka, sitting in the VIP section, had his first thought the moment he saw the ball fly out:

"Did we make a mistake?"

But Rukawa Kaede doesn't think so.

He stood under the basket, with Sakuragi to his left. The instant the ball was thrown, Rukawa's body reacted instinctively. His knees bent slightly, preparing to jump for the rebound. But Sakuragi was a fraction of a second faster.

Sakuragi's buttocks suddenly slammed backward, pushing Rukawa's body half a step back, causing his feet to slip and his center of gravity to fall backward.

With that half-step, Sakuragi took the first step, his right foot landing firmly, his left foot following, his knees bent, and his arms swinging back...

take-off

When he jumped, everyone in the stadium looked up.

Sakuragi's body rose from the floor, faster and higher.

With both hands raised high above his head and fingers spread, he steadily caught the falling ball in mid-air.

In the guest seats, Shigeichi Taoka's mouth gaped open.

His pupils dilated slightly, and his gaze shifted from Rukawa Kaede to the red-haired figure.

Sakuragi leaned back slightly in the air, raised the ball above his head with both hands, tightened his waist and abdomen, and transmitted his core strength from his abdomen to his arms, then slammed it forward.

A loud crash!

Sakuragi slammed the ball in with both hands.

Sakuragi hung from the rim with both hands, his entire weight suspended on the metal ring. He paused for a second to regain his balance, then released his grip and fell back to the ground.

The soles of the shoes made a dull "thump" as they stepped on the wooden floor.

He steadied himself on the road, turned his head, and glanced at Rukawa Kaede.

His mouth was turned to one side, his eyes were squinted, his chin was slightly raised, and he looked smug.

Then he slowly turned around and ran towards his own half of the field.

The stadium erupted in cheers.

"A powerful two-handed dunk...! A middle school student's powerful two-handed dunk...!"

"What's that red-haired guy's name? Sakuragi? Number 15 from Wako Junior High!"

"Did you see how high he jumped?! How high did he jump!"

"My God, is this a middle school basketball game?!"

The gasps of the audience surged from every corner of the stands, converging from all directions like a tidal wave, forming a massive soundscape.

Several boys jumped up from their chairs, covered their heads with their hands, stared wide-eyed, and gaped with their mouths agape.

There are already few players who can dunk in junior high school basketball games. One-handed dunks are rare, two-handed dunks...

This is the first time many people have ever seen such a scene on a junior high school sports field.

In the guest seats, coaches from more than a dozen university basketball teams did the same thing almost at the same time... taking out their notebooks and writing down a name on a piece of paper.

Taoka Shigeichi's gaze lingered on the red figure slowly retreating to defend, two voices clashing in his mind.

One is "You came to see Rukawa Kaede," and the other is "This red-haired kid seems pretty good too."

He came to see Rukawa Kaede. Ryonan needs Rukawa Kaede.

Sendoh, Uozumi, Rukawa... they form an inseparable triangle. He can't afford to be distracted.

But his hand still reached for the notebook in his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and didn't take it out.

In the stands, Yuri Yanai felt her heart start racing again.

Looking at the red figure slowly retreating to defend on the field, she felt something blocking her chest, like a glass of water that had been poured too full. The surface tension caused the water to swell but not overflow, and it would spill out with just a gentle touch.

She lowered her hands and placed them on her knees, her fingers slowly gripping the fabric of her skirt.

Kato Rena leaned back in her chair, her mouth slightly open, her eyes fixed on the field.

Then he turned and glanced at Yanai. Yanai's ears were red. Kato said nothing and turned back.

Rukawa Kaede stood beyond the three-point line, reaching out for the ball. The ball was inbounded from the baseline and passed to him.

He dribbled the ball, his gaze sweeping across half the court before landing on the red-haired man under the basket.

He switched the ball from his right hand to his left hand, and then from his left hand to his right hand, the ball making a dull, rhythmic "thump, thump" sound in his palm.

Then he started it.