Inside the Shohoku Basketball Gym, the air was thick with the scent of sweat and youth.
Takenori Akagi stood at the front of the line, arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of newcomers before him.
"Since you've chosen to join the Shohoku Basketball Team, you must have the resolve to match it."
"Shohoku has only one goal—national dominance!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the gym instantly turned subtle.
National dominance?
Of course that goal sounded grand, but for the Shohoku Basketball Team, it seemed somewhat unrealistic.
After all, Shohoku was notorious as a "one-man team," relying for years entirely on the grueling solo efforts of Captain Takenori Akagi, and its overall strength fell far short of traditional Kanagawa Prefecture powerhouses like Kainan, Ryonan, and Shoyo.
The veteran players standing to the side wore mixed expressions, clearly accustomed to this by now. As for the freshmen, they had reactions of their own—some excited, some puzzled, and others indifferent.
Meanwhile, Shin Saionji stood quietly within the ranks, silently observing everything.
He knew the era of Shohoku was about to change.
Following team custom, the freshmen took turns introducing themselves so everyone could get acquainted.
With a fiery gaze, Takenori Akagi looked toward the group of newcomers and said in a majestic tone, "From left to right, introduce yourselves in order."
The freshmen stepped up one by one, their tones ranging from nervous to casual as they stated their names and heights.
Finally, it was Kaede Rukawa's turn.
The young man walked up slowly and said indifferently, "Kaede Rukawa, graduate of Tomioka Junior High, 187cm, no fixed position."
His voice was utterly flat, but as soon as those words came out, a murmur of discussion immediately broke out in the basketball gym.
"Tomioka's Kaede Rukawa?! You mean that prodigy from the junior high basketball world?"
"For real? I've heard of him; he was the star scorer in the junior high league!"
"I never thought he'd actually come to Shohoku..."
The Shohoku veterans couldn't help whispering among themselves, while Takenori Akagi, standing at the front, asked, "Kaede Rukawa, what are your usual hobbies?"
Kaede Rukawa thought for a moment and replied, "Sleeping!"
At this, Hanamichi Sakuragi was already overjoyed inside, knowing that Takenori Akagi detested slackers lacking perseverance above all else.
Yet, facing everyone's heated discussion, Kaede Rukawa acted as though he hadn't heard a thing. He merely glanced indifferently ahead, then turned and walked back to the line without a care.
Next up was Shin Saionji.
He stepped forward calmly, stood before everyone, and stated concisely, "Shin Saionji, 189cm, point guard."
His words were as concise as could be, even making him seem somewhat cold.
Yet it was precisely this composure that caught some of the players by surprise.
"A 189cm point guard?"
"Can a guard really be that tall?"
"I thought he was a forward..."
However, Shin Saionji paid no attention to these discussions; he simply returned to the ranks with a blank expression.
He never cared about other people's opinions, nor was there any need to show off during self-introductions.
True strength was demonstrated on the court.
Then came Hanamichi Sakuragi's turn.
He took bold strides, stood at the front of the line with a fully confident expression, straightened his back, and carried a hint of triumph in his gaze.
"Heh heh! It's finally my turn!"
He lifted his chin, took a deep breath, and said with an imposing manner, "My name is Hanamichi Sakuragi, 189cm! I'm the man who defeated Akagi! My hobby is..."
Kiminobu Kogure couldn't help pushing up his glasses, a trace of helpless amusement on his face.
Meanwhile, Takenori Akagi's complexion turned incomparably gloomy.
Just as Hanamichi Sakuragi was about to continue bragging about his "great hobby," Takenori Akagi finally lost his patience and spoke up—
"Enough! Next!"
"Eh? Why?!" Hanamichi Sakuragi widened his eyes abruptly, staring at Takenori Akagi with dissatisfaction.
"Because you talk too much," Takenori Akagi said coldly.
"Hey! You bastard—" Blazing with anger, Hanamichi Sakuragi prepared to charge forward and argue with Takenori Akagi.
But Takenori Akagi merely stared at him expressionlessly, showing not the slightest intention of backing down.
The air froze instantly, and the surrounding players unconsciously took a step back, terrified that the two giants might actually start a fight.
Yet Shin Saionji simply stood to the side, watching the scene with keen interest, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.
The Shohoku Basketball Team was truly interesting.
After the freshmen finished their self-introductions, the basketball team was officially dismissed, and everyone prepared to head back and get ready for tomorrow's tryouts.
Shin Saionji walked out of the basketball gym, getting ready to leave, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Shin Saionji-kun!"
He turned back to see Haruko Akagi standing at the entrance of the basketball gym, a look of expectant joy on her face.
"Congratulations on joining the Shohoku Basketball Team!"
"Thanks," Shin Saionji nodded.
"Tomorrow is the tryout. Do you have confidence?" Haruko asked curiously.
Shin Saionji smiled faintly: "Not bad."
Haruko blinked, feeling that his reply was far too calm.
"Well... I'll come to watch tomorrow!" Haruko said with a smile.
Shin Saionji looked into her bright eyes and nodded gently: "Then I'll look forward to your cheers."