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

The elderly man entered the gym and casually found a chair to sit on.

Then he called Akagi's name.

Hearing the man's voice, the naturally restless Sakuragi Hanamichi squinted his eyes and tossed the basketball aside.

"Time to slack off!" he thought, darting toward the elderly man.

"Hey, old man - this isn't a place for you. You might get hurt if you stay here," he said, grabbing the man's arms with both hands and trying to escort him out.

Sakuragi's actions made the senior team members' faces pale.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi!!"

But because of Sakuragi's reputation, they didn't dare stop his rude behavior.

Sakuragi, however, was completely unaware.

The next second—

Bang!

A powerful fist landed squarely on his head.

"You idiot! Get your dirty hands off him!"

Akagi's face was red, and he was steaming like a boiling kettle. It was clear he was furious at Sakuragi's actions.

"Argh! Damn gorilla, what's your problem?"

Sakuragi threw the old man aside and glared angrily at Akagi.

"You moron - that's Coach Anzai!"

Akagi struck him again, the heavy punch landing right on Sakuragi's head.

Even Sakuragi couldn't withstand two of Akagi's blows. He fell to the ground, clutching his throbbing head while muttering.

"Stupid gorilla."

Seeing the tension escalate between the two, Kogure quickly stepped in. He pulled Sakuragi aside and explained who the elderly man was.

After settling Sakuragi, Akagi rushed to the elderly man and bowed deeply in apology.

"Coach Anzai, I'm so sorry. Please forgive his ignorance!"

The white-haired man chuckled softly.

"Heh heh heh - Akagi, don't worry about it. This year's rookies seem very lively."

Akagi blushed, bowing again to apologize sincerely.

Ryu observed this amusing scene quietly. That elderly man was none other than the famous Coach Anzai, also known as the White-Haired Devil, the current coach of the Shohoku basketball team.

"All of you, gather up!!"

After apologizing, Akagi roared loudly, his commanding voice echoing through the gym.

Everyone quickly lined up in two neat rows.

"Coach Anzai!!"

The greeting was loud and unified.

"Ho ho ho - not bad, not bad. I see lots of new faces this year," Anzai said, his gaze slowly scanning everyone.

When his eyes landed on Ryu, he frowned slightly. From Ryu's expression, he didn't sense any fear—only a strong fighting spirit. It felt strangely familiar.

After surveying the group, Anzai noted three newcomers that caught his attention.

The first was the energetic Sakuragi Hanamichi.

The second was the highly praised rookie, Rukawa Kaede.

The third was the seemingly average Ryu Yan.

"I'm here to announce something," Anzai began.

"In one week, we'll have a friendly practice match against Ryonan High School, another team from Kanagawa Prefecture."

Hearing the name Ryonan High School, the third-year players like Kogure looked serious, as if they were under some heavy pressure.

Ryonan High School? They were one of the top four teams in last year's prefectural tournament, a formidable opponent. Led by their ace, Sendo Akira, they had crushed Shohoku by a large margin—a painful memory Shohoku players didn't want to revisit.

Shohoku often lost in the early rounds of tournaments. It wasn't because Akagi wasn't strong, but because the rest of the team dragged him down.

The thought filled them with shame, and they hung their heads low.

"That's all I wanted to say!" Anzai concluded.

"Since everyone's here, let's have a match between the first-years and the upperclassmen. I want to see what the first-years are capable of. Ho ho ho."

Anzai chuckled softly, but he seemed genuinely curious about the new players' abilities.

"Alright!"

Akagi, energized by Anzai's suggestion, began assigning players for the match.

As the lineup was being decided, Ryu stepped forward without hesitation. With his new skills, he was eager to test his abilities in a real game.

"Ryu? Are you sure your body's okay?"

Akagi raised an eyebrow, looking at him with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine now," Ryu replied honestly.

Although Akagi hadn't seen Ryu play much, he had observed his dribbling practice earlier and was curious about his potential. He agreed to let Ryu participate.

Seeing this, Sakuragi couldn't stay quiet.

"Hey, gorilla! If Ryu, a beginner, can play, then it's only natural for a genius like me to join too!"

"Rukawa, you can sit this one out. Watch me, the genius, shine!"

Sakuragi strutted toward the court, full of confidence.

But after just a few steps—

Two large hands grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him like a chicken.

"Go back and practice your basics," Akagi said coldly, his face dark.

Having witnessed Sakuragi's skills—or lack thereof—Akagi knew he'd only cause trouble if he played now.

Feeling wronged, Sakuragi sulked over to Ayako's side, glaring unhappily at Rukawa.

Rukawa remained expressionless, completely ignoring Sakuragi's gaze.

"Idiot," Rukawa muttered before stepping onto the court.

With both teams ready, the match began!