Slam dunk, hit 100% of the three-pointers at the beginning!

Shōhoku High School, Basketball Gym

As Sakuragi Hanamichi stepped onto the court, all eyes locked onto him.

"Heh, let's see what that big oaf can do," someone snickered.

"Yeah, show us that confidence you had when you were dribbling earlier!"

They were eager to see if this braggart could back up his claim of settling the game with one dunk.

Meanwhile, Hikoichi found himself a seat in the lively gym. The buzzing atmosphere had him unusually excited.

"Looks like I came at just the right time. Is this an intra-team scrimmage?"

"Yosh, I need to observe every single player closely."

He glanced around and noticed the scoreboard. The numbers made him freeze.

"Huh? 30-13?"

"The first years are leading by that much?"

"Seems like I'd better watch closely," he muttered, pulling out a notebook to start taking notes.

First, he observed Akagi Takenori, then Miyagi Ryota, and the other senior players. Next, his eyes shifted to the first-year trio: Rukawa Kaede, Sakuragi Hanamichi, and Ryu.

Rukawa, the middle school basketball prodigy, was undoubtedly Shōhoku's ace. But when his gaze landed on Sakuragi and Ryu, he was utterly baffled.

"Who are these guys?"

"No, no, I've got to study them carefully. This is crucial intel for Ryonan."

He shook his head and focused intently on the game.

On the Court

Ryu stood with his hands on his hips, giving Sakuragi a meaningful smile.

"Sakuragi, it's your show now."

After a drawn-out duel with Miyagi, Ryu felt his stamina waning and knew he couldn't last much longer. His earlier three-pointer seemed to complete his system's tasks for the day, so he decided to conserve energy for the key plays.

"No problem, foreigner," Sakuragi said confidently. "You've done great so far. Leave the rest to me, the genius!"

Sakuragi shoved his hands into his pockets and gave Ryu a big thumbs-up, looking smug. Then his eyes darted over to Rukawa, practically sparking with electricity.

"Rukawa, don't count on me to pass you the ball," he sneered, curling his lip in disdain.

Rukawa glanced at him without a word, preparing to continue the game.

Akagi inbounded the ball, and the match resumed.

This time, Akagi passed to Kogure instead of Miyagi.

"Kogure, teach that Sakuragi a lesson," Akagi grumbled.

As Kogure caught the ball, Akagi whispered instructions. Now that Sakuragi was on the court, it was a prime scoring opportunity and a chance to knock some sense into the disrespectful rookie.

"Akagi, isn't this a bit much?" Kogure muttered while dribbling.

Ryu might have been playing possum, but Sakuragi was a genuine beginner. Bullying a novice didn't sit well with Kogure.

"Just do it. I'll create an opening for you with Miyagi," Akagi replied, then sprinted toward the frontcourt with Miyagi.

Kogure sighed in resignation. He had no choice but to follow through.

The Duel

Kogure brought the ball to midcourt, where Sakuragi stepped up to defend.

With a reassuring smile, Kogure said, "Sakuragi, watch out. I'm going to break through."

"Ha! Four-eyes, go ahead and try!" Sakuragi burst out laughing, full of confidence. "You can't get past me, the genius!"

Kogure's modest performance so far didn't worry him at all. After all, Kogure hadn't even scored a single point yet.

"Sakuragi! Focus!" Ryu barked, frowning.

Just as the words left his mouth, Kogure sped up and made a sharp move to Sakuragi's left, breaking through with ease.

"Huh? Damn it, Four-eyes, I wasn't ready!" Sakuragi yelled, scrambling to catch up.

Seeing Kogure's breakthrough, Akagi moved into position for a potential inside play.

"Nice, I got past him," Kogure thought, relishing the rare sense of accomplishment.

But before he could celebrate, Sakuragi's towering figure suddenly appeared in front of him again.

"You can't shake off a genius like me that easily!" Sakuragi declared, relying purely on raw speed and reflexes.

Kogure froze in shock.

"So fast!"

The same thought flashed through Akagi and Miyagi's minds as well. Sakuragi's instincts and reaction time were clearly exceptional, even for a beginner.

Ryu, watching from afar, smiled faintly.

"Don't underestimate Sakuragi. When it comes to raw physical ability, he's unrivaled."

If only Ryu had Sakuragi's stamina, he thought wistfully, he'd be unstoppable.

The Turnaround

Before anyone could recover, Sakuragi made an incredible steal, knocking the ball out of Kogure's hands.

"Yes! Stolen! Fast break, fast break!" he shouted, imitating Kuwata's excited tone.

Everyone but Ryu stared in disbelief. Sakuragi's sheer athleticism had left the court speechless.