Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Three days later, it was the day the school clubs officially began recruiting new members.

After school, Sakuragi couldn't wait to go to the school's basketball gym. As soon as he entered the gym, he saw an unexpected figure.

His gaze swept around the stadium, and then settled on one person.

Sakuragi felt his mood change from sunny to cloudy.

"You stinky fox, what are you doing here?" Sakuragi couldn't help but ask.

Hearing the sound, Rukawa turned around and saw Sakuragi looking constipated.

His eyebrows twitched slightly, his face remained expressionless, but his pupils contracted.

He had a deep impression of this familiar red-haired man.

Last year in the county tournament semifinals, number 15 from Heguang Middle School, wearing the school's standard sports shoes, grabbed more than a dozen rebounds and blocked two of his shots, almost shattering Fuqiu Middle School's championship dream.

If his shoes hadn't been worn out, it's hard to say whether Fuqiu Middle School would have won.

"Huh? You two know each other?"

A voice came from the sidelines. Kogure Kiminobu was standing next to the scorer's table, holding a stack of forms in his hand. His eyes behind his round-framed glasses blinked twice, and his gaze jumped back and forth between Sakuragi and Rukawa.

He was processing Rukawa's admission when he saw this red-haired guy come in and call Rukawa "Fox".

"Of course I know him!" Sakuragi's voice was even louder, so loud that the players who were practicing in the gym stopped, held the ball to their chests, and all looked over.

"Last year in the county-level junior high school competition, if it weren't for my broken shoes, how could Fuchiu Junior High have managed to turn the tables and win?"

Sakuragi was so angry when he said that he was practically grinding his teeth.

Kiminobu Kogure pushed up his glasses, and blinked twice behind the lenses.

He understood. Last year in the county-level junior high school competition, Fuchiu Junior High School played against Heguang Junior High School. Fuchiu Junior High School won, but it was a very close call.

The redhead said his shoes were broken, implying that things might have turned out differently if the shoes hadn't been the problem.

Kogure's gaze swept over Sakuragi from head to toe. He was about 1.8 meters tall, roughly the same height as Rukawa, with broad shoulders, clearly defined arm muscles, and a striking red pompadour under the lights.

With that physique and height, he has a natural advantage under the basket on the basketball court.

A warm smile appeared on Kogure's face. He walked over and handed the form to Sakuragi.

"Hey kid, you're here to join the basketball team, right? Come on, fill out this application form first. Name, class, and your basketball experience from junior high."

His tone was as warm as if he were welcoming a long-lost friend.

Sakuragi took the form and began filling it out while leaning over the record table.

Name: Sakuragi Hanamichi. Class: Grade 1, Class 7. Basketball Experience: Wako Junior High School Basketball Club, Top 4 in the County Tournament.

Kogure watched from the side, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

Heguang Middle School, top four in the county competition.

Last year, the biggest news from Wako Middle School was the emergence of a red-haired prodigy who could dunk and rebound, putting them in a close match against Fuchiu Middle School in the semifinals. It turns out this is the person standing right in front of me.

Kogure felt his heart skip a beat. Rukawa Kaede was here, and so was that red-haired guy. Just imagining the new lineup that Shohoku basketball team had added this year made his blood boil.

Several freshmen who had just applied to join the club slowed down their movements when they saw Sakuragi walk in.

With his red pompadour, his height, his straight, unbending eyes, and that "don't mess with me" aura, the freshmen exchanged glances: "This guy seems like a delinquent."

Kogure was organizing the team members to gather, preparing for the new first-year students to introduce themselves.

He put the whistle in his mouth and blew it, the sharp sound echoing throughout the stadium. The players came from all corners of the stadium and gathered in the center of the court.

Just then, the doors of the basketball court opened again.

A tall figure walked in from the backlight; it was Takenori Akagi.

Seeing the players gathered in the center of the court, especially the two tall players, Rukawa and Sakuragi.

"Huh? There are quite a few newcomers this year."

Sakuragi turned his head and looked at the giant who walked in.

The first thought that popped into Sakuragi's mind was that this guy looked just like the monkey boss, Uozumi.

Sakuragi looked at Akagi, and Akagi saw him too. Their eyes met briefly in the air of the stadium.

Akagi's gaze lingered on Sakuragi's red hair for a moment, then shifted, sweeping over Rukawa, the other freshmen, and finally returning to Kogure's face.

Kogure went to meet him, holding the stack of forms in his hand.

"Akagi, we have several strong newcomers this year. This is Rukawa Kaede, the ace of Tomioka Junior High School and last year's junior high school prefectural champion. This is Sakuragi Hanamichi, a key player of Wako Junior High School and a top four finalist in last year's prefectural tournament."

Akagi's gaze lingered on Rukawa for a moment before shifting to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi was looking at him, his chin slightly raised, his eyes showing no fear or awe, only a kind of curiosity that seemed to ask, "Who are you?"

Akagi's lips twitched slightly. He walked to the center of the court, stood in front of the players, and faced them all.

His height created a natural visual pressure in front of the group, and several first-year students unconsciously took a half step back.

"I'm the team captain, third-year student Takenori Akagi. Newcomers, please introduce yourselves."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the doors of the basketball court opened again.

"Sorry I'm late, something came up!"

A beautiful figure walked in, wearing dark blue athletic shorts, a pink athletic t-shirt, and a red hat, revealing an intellectual and pretty face, with two wavy strands of hair hanging down on either side of her temples.

With a warm smile on her lips, she seemed to raise the temperature in the gymnasium by a degree or two the moment she entered, instantly catching the eyes of the new first-year players.

Ayako. Basketball team manager, second year.

She looked curiously at the new member, her gaze lingering on Rukawa Kaede for a moment. She knew him; he was the ace of Tomioka Middle School and the champion of last year's prefectural tournament. Her gaze shifted to the side and landed on Sakuragi.

His red hair, styled in a pompadour, shone like a burning flame under the lights. He was very tall, probably over 1.8 meters, with broad shoulders. Standing among a group of newcomers, he was like a crane among chickens—no, not a crane, but a flamingo.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ayako Inoue, the manager of the basketball team, a second-year student." Ayako greeted the newcomers familiarly. "Welcome to the Shohoku basketball team, nice to meet you."

As she spoke, she walked over to Rukawa Kaede, raised her hand, and patted his shoulder. "Fumio's junior, you've finally come to our Shohoku! Wow, you seem to have grown taller again." Her tone was casual, like she was chatting, without any deliberate enthusiasm or polite distance.

Then she turned around and walked up to Sakuragi.

She tilted her head back, her gaze lingered on the top of his head for a moment, and then a smile spread across her face.

"Your hair is really unique." She held out her hand, gesturing with her finger next to Sakuragi's pompadour. "Dyed? Natural? It's natural, I think. The color is perfect, it doesn't look like it was dyed."

Sakuragi was caught off guard by her overly familiar manner. He opened his mouth, scratched the back of his head, and said, "--I was born that way."

Ayako smiled and nodded, then turned and walked back to Kogure's side. Her steps were still quick, her shoes clicking on the floor, her ponytail swinging behind her.

The first-year students finally had a chance to speak. They introduced themselves, their classes, and the positions they had played. Most of them said "forward," "guard," or "center," their tone carrying a sense of humility that said, "I know I'm not that good, but I'm willing to work hard."

When Rukawa Kaede announced his name, his voice was very flat. "Rukawa Kaede, Class 1-10, graduated from Tomioka Junior High School, doesn't have a specific position." His introduction was so brief, it was like reading a textbook. After he finished, he shut his mouth, his face expressionless.

Upon hearing Rukawa Kaede's self-introduction, the first-year students immediately began whispering among themselves: "Does that mean he can play all positions..."

"My name is Sakuragi Hanamichi, I'm in Class 7 of Grade 1, and I graduated from Hikari Middle School. My position is... genius. I think I can play any position. Ahahaha...!"

As he said this, he gave Rukawa a defiant look.

He was telling the truth. He played center at Wako Junior High School, but at Ryonan, Taoka guided him towards power forward.

In Sakuragi's dream, Kawamura Eiki is a point guard, and Sakuragi trains in the same way as Kawamura Eiki when he trains on his own.

Upon hearing Sakuragi and Rukawa both say they could play any position, Akagi and Kogure couldn't help but exchange a glance.

After the introductions, Kogure clapped his hands, signaling everyone to spread out and warm up, preparing to begin basic training. The gym immediately became lively, filled with the sounds of basketballs bouncing on the floor, sneakers rubbing against the floor, and players shouting to each other.

Akagi Takenori stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, his gaze following the players warming up on the court.

Ayako stood beside him, holding a pen and a notebook, her ponytail swaying behind her, her eyes following the newlyweds' running path.

"That red-haired Sakuragi," Kogure said seriously, "his strength should be no less than that of Rukawa Kaede."

Akagi's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this.

He knew Rukawa Kaede; he had heard that name from his younger sister Haruko quite often in the past two years.

The ace of Tomioka Junior High, last year's prefectural junior high basketball champion, a sharp offensive prodigy. Haruko's eyes always light up when she mentions Rukawa Kaede, her speech quickens, and her tone becomes excited.

Akagi was so tired of hearing that name that he was practically sick of it.

But now Kogure says that the red-haired rookie is just as good as Rukawa.