Inside the Shohoku Basketball Gym, the players were going through their routine training, the echoing thuds of basketballs bouncing off the floor filling the spacious hall. The newcomers had already adjusted to the basic drills; although Hanamichi Sakuragi was still a "basketball idiot," he could at least barely manage dribbling and shooting practices without sending the ball flying out of the gym.
Just as everyone assumed today's training would be like any other, the heavy doors of the gym were slowly pushed open, and a familiar figure appeared before them.
"Ho ho ho, you boys look like you're practicing well."
Accompanied by a light chuckle, Coach Anzai stepped into the gym.
"Coach Anzai!" The players immediately halted their training. Takenori Akagi snapped to attention, and the other veteran players quickly paid their respects to the soul of the Shohoku Basketball Team.
The white-haired, portly old man walked slowly toward the center of the gym, wearing his trademark gentle smile, his eyes squinted as he scanned the newcomers.
"The freshmen this year look full of energy," Coach Anzai said with a smile, his gaze lingering for a moment on Kaede Rukawa, Shin Saionji, and Hanamichi Sakuragi, seemingly taking a special interest in the three of them.
"Coach, these guys look decent, but... some of them are a real problem." Akagi lowered his voice, glancing at Sakuragi with a face full of exasperation.
Sakuragi crossed his arms, and upon hearing Akagi's words, his fur instantly stood on end: "Hey! What do you mean by that, you gorilla?!"
"I mean exactly what I said," Akagi retorted bluntly.
"Wanna fight?!"
"If you've got the guts, win a match first!"
The two locked horns, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense and bristling.
"Alright, alright, can you two tone it down?" Kiminobu Kogure adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Coach Anzai just arrived, don't embarrass the team."
Akagi let out a cold snort, and Sakuragi reluctantly reined in his anger, though the two continued to glare at each other, neither willing to yield.
At that moment, a short-haired girl in athletic wear walked to the center of the court, holding a clipboard and a pen, her sharp gaze exuding an aura of competence.
"Alright, everyone stop," she said loudly. "Coach Anzai is here, so today's training will be adjusted."
"Ayako?" The moment Sakuragi saw the girl, his eyes lit up slightly. "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm the manager of the Shohoku Basketball Team, Ayako Inoue," Ayako said with a smile. "From now on, I'll be keeping track of all your training progress."
"Team manager?" Sakuragi muttered, seeming to struggle with the concept of her role.
"Simply put, she's the pillar behind the team," Shin Saionji said softly from the side, his tone casual.
"Oh oh! So she's a really important person!" Sakuragi nodded vigorously. "Then you must be amazing, right?"
"Of course." Ayako the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile, a flash of amusement in her eyes. "And from now on, your basic training belongs to me."
"Wh—" Sakuragi wanted to retort, but Akagi cut him off.
"Alright, Ayako." Akagi turned to Coach Anzai. "Coach, do you have any special arrangements for today?"
"Hmm..." Coach Anzai stroked his chin, wearing his signature benign smile. "It's time for the freshmen to truly adapt to the team's rhythm."
"So, let's hold an inter-squad match between the first-year freshmen and the senior players."
The gym fell instantly silent, followed by a burst of discussion among the crowd.
"An inter-squad match?"
"We're playing today? Aren't we still in the tryout phase?"
"It's only been a few days since we joined..."
However, the annual First-Years vs. Seniors match at Shohoku had always been announced out of the blue; it was a Shohoku tradition, and the freshmen had no room for refusal.
"You aren't going to back down from a simple challenge like this, are you?" Akagi swept his gaze around the room, his tone steady and intimidating.
Kaede Rukawa stood with his hands in his pockets, maintaining his usual indifference, but a glimmer of excitement already flickered in his eyes.
Shin Saionji remained standing quietly, his deep gaze revealing no emotion.
Hanamichi Sakuragi was the most excited of all, waving his fist enthusiastically: "Great! Finally, we get a real match!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Akagi said flatly. "You have to actually be allowed to play."
"Wh—what do you mean?" Sakuragi froze.
Ayako laughed from the side. "The inter-squad match is an official game. If freshmen want to play, they have to pass the basic training test first."
Sakuragi went blank instantly, his mouth slightly agape as he stared blankly at Ayako: "Seriously..."
"Of course it's serious," Ayako said, spreading her hands. "Besides, the coach won't let unqualified players take the court."
"..." Sakuragi's face instantly fell.
By contrast, the other freshmen seemed much more composed.
"Since it's an official match, what about the rules?" Shin Saionji finally spoke, his tone still calm.
"Same as a regular match, five-on-five, full-court," Akagi replied. "Even though it's an inter-squad game, everyone needs to give it their all."
"Interesting," Kaede Rukawa said, the corner of his mouth curving upward.
"You guy..." Sakuragi glared at Kaede Rukawa. "Don't think you're so great!"
Kaede Rukawa couldn't be bothered with him and walked straight toward the center of the court.
Watching their interaction, Shin Saionji's lips curved into a faint, subtle smile.
"So, who are the five starters for the freshman team?" Kiminobu Kogure looked at Akagi. "How should we line them up?"
"Kaede Rukawa and Shin Saionji are definitely playing," Akagi said without hesitation.
"As for Sakuragi..." Kogure hesitated. "Maybe we should have him start on the bench for now."
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm a genius!" Sakuragi roared indignantly.
"Talk to me after you can consistently dribble and shoot," Akagi retorted mercilessly.
"Urgh..." Sakuragi was instantly left speechless.
Coach Anzai continued to watch everyone with a beaming smile, not chiming in, looking merely like a benevolent old man. But everyone knew his gaze was closely observing the performances of these newcomers—including who possessed true talent and who could integrate into Shohoku's system.
The First-Years vs. Seniors showdown was about to begin!