Kuroko's Basketball: I'm not the boss?

Unbeknownst to him, Kise had become dependent on Hikaru. He changed his unique "self" from the Generation of Miracles, but slowly, he also lost his "responsibility" as the ace.

Xiangyang had no idea what Kise was thinking. After all, Kise in the original work hadn't mastered "perfect imitation" at this time. Although he could vaguely sense that Kise was acting strangely, as a "commander," he was content that his ace was so obedient.

At this moment, Xiangyang saw another prominent figure in Yangquan, the second-in-command of Yangquan High School: Himuro Tatsuya.

As the second-in-command of the same organization, Xiangyang's attention couldn't help but be drawn to Himuro.

He has a refined appearance, is about the same height as him, has long hair that almost covers his eyes, and a beauty mark under his right eye... It has to be said, he is very handsome.

Himuro had just taken off his jacket and picked up a ball to warm up when he noticed someone watching him. He turned around and met Xiangyang's gaze, looking puzzled as to why this person was staring at him.

Xiang Yang smiled back and continued his warm-up exercises... if dribbling slowly can be considered a warm-up.

Please have both teams line up to greet each other.

A piercing whistle rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

Hmm? Murasakibara isn't here yet?

Xiangyang was very surprised. The competition was about to start, and they were so late. Was their coach too good-natured?

Strangely, Coach Yangquan didn't seem surprised by Murasakibara's absence, as if he had known in advance.

"Please advise!"

After both teams bowed in greeting, Xiang Yang finally couldn't help but ask, "Um... hasn't Mr. Murasakibara arrived yet?"

Just as Himuro turned around to start the match, he heard Hikaru's question, turned back and replied, "Atsushi isn't coming today." Then he turned and left.

Huh? Xiang Yang stood there dumbfounded. The national competition semi-finals, and your ace player just said he wouldn't come?

Kise was also bewildered and asked, "Komurasaki isn't coming? Could something have happened to him?"

In Kise's memory, Murasakibara was lazy, but he wouldn't do something like skipping a match. He craved victory and hated defeat. Apart from injury, Kise couldn't think of any other reason that would make Murasakibara miss such an important match.

Xiangyang frowned, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

In the original story, Murasakibara and Akashi didn't seem to be in the first National Tournament.

Xiangyang recalled some of the plot, but it was still just a memory, and he couldn't remember some details clearly.

He vaguely recalled that in the original story, Touou defeated Kaijo, and then both Kise and Aomine were injured. Aomine also missed the later matches. Similarly, Murasakibara and Akashi did not appear. The reason seemed to be that with Aomine absent, even if they played, they could not prove that they were the strongest Generation of Miracles. Therefore, Akashi instructed Murasakibara not to play and to decide the outcome in the Winter Cup.

Could it be because we defeated Touou? That doesn't make sense. Neither Aomine nor Kise were injured this time, and Kise is also a member of the Generation of Miracles. Why is Murasakibara still absent?

Xiang Yang frowned, and even the referee's whistle signaling the start of the match did not interrupt his thoughts.

Just as Xiang Yang was dribbling the ball past half-court, his expression suddenly froze.

Although the reason is still unclear, there is no doubt that Akashi is the mastermind, and Murasakibara will only obey his orders.

Chapter 52 Is it a case of letting the water out?

The day before Haichang vs. Yangquan

"What's wrong, Little Red? Why did you call me out so late at night?"

On the quiet street, a tall figure stood by the roadside, asking questions while stuffing snacks into his mouth and making chewing noises. This person was none other than Atsushi Murasakibara, a member of the Generation of Miracles.

Without a doubt, standing opposite him was Akashi Seijuro.

"Murasakibara, don't play in tomorrow's match."

Akashi's voice was devoid of any emotion, and his face was expressionless.

Hearing this, Murasakibara stopped chewing and asked, "Why? It's such an important match. If I don't play, the coach will scold me."

Murasakibara's voice carried a hint of distress.

Akashi looked up, met his eyes, and said in a cold tone, "This isn't like you. Do you even care about the coach's opinion?"

Murasakibara scratched his head and complained, "That woman is such a pain. If I don't play, she'll definitely nag me."

"Besides, I really hate losing. So why won't Akira let me play?"

"You will lose, Murasakibara. Kise defeated Aomine... no, Kaijo defeated Aomine, you have no chance of winning."

Murasakibara didn't notice the change in Akashi's words. He tore open another bag of snacks and put it in his mouth.

……

"Since Xiao Chi says we can't win, then we're bound to lose. Why bother playing a match we're sure we'll lose?"

These are Murasakibara's exact words when he asked Yosen's coach, Araki Masako, for leave.

Of course, it's less of a leave request and more of a notification...

"How could that guy so naturally say such nonsensical things? That bastard!!"

Araki Masako picked up her katana and began wildly slashing at the Yangquan substitute bench to vent her anger, as if the bench were Murasakibara. This display of power terrified the Yangquan substitutes, who huddled together, trembling, fearing that one wrong move would mean they themselves would be the ones getting slashed, not the bench.

Damn it, no matter how many times I think about it, I still get angry.

Masako bit her lip, looking at the people competing on the field, a sense of irritation rising in her heart.

I'm going to win! Then I'll lay the victory before Murasakibara and smash that bastard's face to pieces! Do they really think we can't do without him?

The Yangquan players, who were running around on the field, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. Why did they suddenly have the feeling that if they lost this game, their lives would end?

Xiang Yang was suddenly taken aback. Why did the guys from Yangquan suddenly become so enthusiastic?

Forget it, it's better that Murasakibara isn't here. Thinking about it won't lead to any solutions anyway. Let's just smash them to pieces first.

Xiang Yang made up his mind and began to take the game seriously. It has to be said that Yangquan's overall strength is still pretty good. Their three big men in the paint basically shut down all of Haichang's offensive plays in the paint. This was even without Ziyuan. If Ziyuan hadn't been absent from this game, Yangquan's paint would truly be a no-fly zone, and they would have stopped all attacks that came close to the basket.

Unfortunately, Kaijo isn't primarily a team that focuses on attacking the paint. With Kise and Hikaru possessing well-rounded offensive skills, and Kasamatsu's three-point shooting and Kohori's dunks being particularly impressive, Kaijo is, strictly speaking, an all-around team. Their offensive arsenal is incredibly diverse, allowing them to...

Develop offensive plans based on different opponents.

As Xiangyang directed his teammates to employ a three-point strategy, the previously constipated offense suddenly became smooth, and the three-pointers slammed in, widening the gap to double digits within five minutes.

15:4 Haichang Leading

Startled, Masako immediately called a timeout. The first quarter wasn't even over and they were already getting crushed? This was supposed to be a top team; if they didn't intervene, where would she put her face?

"Speaking of which, with Xiao Zi not here, today's match will be much easier."

Kise took the water from his teammate and smiled at Xiangyang. He no longer cared much about proving himself by dueling with anyone; he was happy as long as Kaijo won.

Xiang Yang didn't speak, but glanced at the bench of Yangquan next door: Ya Zi was angry and pointing at a tactical board, probably discussing how to break the three-point strategy.

Xiangyang shook his head. Not to mention how long it would take them to crack the three-point tactic, even if they did, they still had the Bull Horns to use. Moreover, with Murasakibara gone, Yosen's offensive power had visibly decreased. With Himuro alone, there was no way to break through Kaijo's defense. The outcome was already decided.

At this moment, Coach Takeuchi, who had been relatively unknown since the start of the national tournament due to the players' reliability, came over, coughed a few times, and said, "From now on, everyone play more conservatively, hold back, and don't get injured."

Upon hearing this, the Kaijo team exchanged bewildered glances, and Kasamatsu couldn't help but raise his hand and ask, "Coach, I don't understand what you mean."

Takeuchi rubbed his hands together, seemingly a little nervous: "I mean, everyone has had a tough time getting to this point, there's no need to fight to the death. Let's leave some room for each other in the future."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment again. This time, it was Kise's turn to ask, "Coach, when you say it's not easy, are you referring to us or Yangquan?"

Xiangyang, observing Takeuchi's attire, added, "Speaking of which, Coach, you're dressed quite formally today? Not only did you shave, but upon closer inspection... you're even using hair wax? Who are you meeting?" He then glanced at Yangquan's coach, Araki Masako. If he remembered correctly, Takeuchi had previously pursued Masako, only to be beaten up and rejected...

As soon as Xiang Yang started talking, the Kaijo team instantly erupted in excitement, beginning to discuss Takeuchi's outfit for the day. The simple-minded Kohori was very honest, clenching his right fist and slapping his left palm, suddenly realizing, "Coach, do you like the coach on the other side?"

"She really is a beauty!"

"I see, the coach wanted to leave a good impression on her."

Hehehe~

Listening to everyone's gossip, Takeuchi blushed with embarrassment. He clenched his fists and shouted, "I told you to fucking throw the game! Do you understand?" Murasakibara wasn't there, so it was already a sure win. Otherwise, even if Takeuchi liked Masako a lot, he wouldn't joke about the match.

Seeing their coach get angry, everyone quieted down and nodded to indicate that they understood.

Unfortunately, Takeuchi's voice was too loud... so loud that Masako on the other side could hear it too.

The woman stormed over, brandishing a katana, looking like she was about to kill someone. She demanded menacingly, "Takeuchi! You actually told your players to throw the game? Are you even human? Do you deserve to be a coach? You look down on me, don't you?"

This barrage of questions completely bewildered Takeuchi, who quickly waved his hands and explained, "No, Masako! I meant to make sure they don't get injured, otherwise during the finals..."

Hearing his coach's answer, Xiangyang was speechless. What kind of low EQ response was that? He's usually such a shrewd person. Does love really make people stupid?

As expected, Masako's temper flared even more.

"The finals? You mean you've already beaten us? Fine! Listen to me, Takeuchi, if you dare to let your players throw the game, I'll chop you up after the match!"

Takeuchi covered his mouth and nodded repeatedly. He realized he had said the wrong thing, but what's done is done.

Watching Masako's departing figure, Takeuchi wished he could slap himself twice. He looked at the Kaijo members around him who were snickering and shouted angrily, "Don't you dare hold back! Anyone who doesn't take it seriously, go back and run fifty laps!"

Chapter 53 Akashi Seijuro

After Coach Takeuchi gave the order, the Kaijo team dared not slack off anymore. If they didn't take it seriously, they would really be punished when they got back.

However, Hai Chang took it seriously, and Yangquan cracked open.

Having just been stunned by the three-point tactic, Yangquan started using a spread defense to try and limit Haichang's shooters and prevent them from standing outside the three-point line and running rampant. However, without Murasakibara anchoring the paint, the spread defense directly resulted in Yangquan's interior becoming wide open.

Under Xiang Yang's leadership, the Hai Chang team repeatedly broke through Yang Quan's defenses, and the score difference was widening.

Masako sat on the ground, fuming. She called a timeout and gave the players a thorough dressing down. Despite her outburst, she knew in her heart that even with Murasakibara there, they might not have been able to beat Kaijo. Now that Murasakibara was gone, Kaijo and Yosen were not even in the same league.

There was nothing she could do. Masako knew it wasn't her players' fault; she simply couldn't win, so she could only vent her anger on Takeuchi…

I told you not to release the water, and you really didn't.

Xiang Yang was speechless. He had originally planned to secretly slow down the pace of the attack so that Yangquan would lose more gracefully, but Wu Nei gave a direct order. Who would dare to slack off now? It's no wonder that they beat you up and rejected you. Your emotional intelligence is even worse than Kobori's. At least Kobori could tell that you liked the opposing coach.

At this moment, Hori pounded his chest with both hands and shouted excitedly. Ever since the Generation of Miracles appeared, he had been getting beaten up in the paint in every game. It was rare to meet a team without the Generation of Miracles. For some reason, Kise and the others didn't seem to have much offensive desire. Hori was the one doing all the offense. This was the first time he had such a high tactical position, which made Hori extremely happy.

The substitutes on the next bench, Yangquan, also heard Hori's roar. Masako's eyes were practically turning into knives. She glared fiercely at Hori before turning her gaze to Takeuchi.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Xiangyang's forehead. He decided to ignore it and pretend he hadn't said anything. In terms of emotional intelligence, Kobori and Coach Takeuchi were about the same.

"My stomach hurts a little, could you please help me out, Kasamatsu-senpai?"

Xiangyang ultimately decided to try and save Takeuchi, since he had a pretty good impression of his coach.

Kasamatsu nodded, understanding what Xiangyang meant. Anyway, with Kise around, Yangquan couldn't cause any trouble.

After consulting with Takeuchi, Xiangyang left humming a little tune. He did need to go to the restroom, but he didn't plan to come back. What if Takeuchi forced him to continue playing?

While pondering what to do after using the restroom and wondering why Murasakibara hadn't come, Xiangyang strolled over to the restroom. He entered and found someone standing at the sink—a short, red-haired boy. Xiangyang thought to himself, "Even such a young kid has dyed his hair? This world is crazy… Wait, red hair?"