🏟️ Scene 1: The Gym Erupts
The whistle blew.
Shohoku vs. Fukuda High.
Crowds screamed, sneakers screeched. The energy was voltage-level.
Tip-off. Akagi wins. Ball to Miyagi.
I cut in, yelling: "NOW!"
He lobbed the ball—high, clean, spinning.
I sprinted past my defender—eyes locked on one thing:
Sakuragi Hanamichi, midair like a war god.
He snatched the pass, cocked his arm back, and hammered the dunk.
BOOM.
The gym exploded.
Commentators gasped.
"WAS THAT… THE BENCH GUY?! AND SAKURAGI!?"
Sakuragi screamed to the crowd:
"TOLD YOU I'M A BASKETBALL GENIUS!!"
Even Rukawa nodded.
🧢 Scene 2: Enter the Rival
Then, the shift.
Fukuda High subbed in their ace:
"Number 7, Haruki Naruse."
A 6'3" shooting guard. Calm, fast, surgical.
Minami gave him one nod.
"Erase them."
The next 3 minutes?
Naruse scored 10 straight points.
Broke through Sakuragi twice.
Blocked Rukawa once.
And stared me down every time he landed a three.
Haruki: "That dunk was cute. But it's my game now."
🧠 Scene 3: Kudo's Breaking Point
The scoreboard:
Shohoku 39 — Fukuda 47
Coach Anzai called timeout. The air was heavy.
Sakuragi looked frustrated. "Why can't I stop him?"
I clenched my fist.
Because Naruse… was like Akira at his peak.
And my instincts were clashing:
Kudo's humility vs. Akira's killer drive.
Ayako shouted, "We need something else!"
So I stood up, walked to midcourt, and told the team:
"Back me up. I'll handle Naruse."
Everyone went silent.
Miyagi: "You sure?"
"No. But Akira would've never run."
⚡ Scene 4: The Unleashing – The Ghost Step
We subbed in.
Naruse smirked. "You again."
I dribbled.
1-on-1.
Crowd quiet.
Pressure crushing.
I triggered it:
The Ghost Step.
A fake cross, pivot, then delayed acceleration—so sudden it created a two-second blind spot. A gap in human reaction.
I slipped past Naruse.
Layup. Score.
Crowd: "OOOOHH!!"
Naruse: stunned.
"What… was that?"
I didn't answer.
🌀 Scene 5: Back to Fire
Next possession?
I intercepted his pass.
Fed it to Rukawa.
He drove. Kicked back.
I no-look passed to Sakuragi.
DUNK. AGAIN.
The gym was shaking.
Shohoku 52 – Fukuda 49.
The storm had turned.
📓 Final Thoughts
That day, we didn't just survive.
We announced ourselves.
Sakuragi's power.
My mind.
Our bond.
Shohoku's future.
And as Naruse sat down, breathing hard, he said:
"You're not just a player…
You're something else."
Maybe I was.
Maybe I still am.