Chapter 76: Kuroko's small reunion

A week passed, and Seirin was still reeling from their defeat against Too. They suffered losses in their last two games against Meisei and Senshinkan.

Back to their regular daily schedule, it was clear that the team was finding it difficult to move past the losses. Even during their practice sessions, they struggled.

But with Teppei Kiyoshi back from treatment, Seirin's morale began to improve. Even though they had a friendly game against some local teams, it was evident that their minds weren't quite in the game.

Recognizing that the Winter Cup was their final shot this year, their coach, Riko Aida, called to kick off a summer training camp. She was aware that their fundamentals fell short compared to other elite teams.

They had arrived at a beautiful resort.

"Look at this place, it's incredible."

Teppei Kiyoshi, a teenager with moderately long brown hair that fell around his dark eyes, couldn't help but admire the resort where they'd be staying for the next few weeks.

"Indeed, I picked a resort that's perfect for us." A teenager with shoulder-length caramel hair beamed with pride, her chest puffed out. She continued, "And an excellent basketball court is here for our training."

"Wow, Coach, you're amazing!" The Seirin team couldn't help but exclaim.

Once they entered the resort, they noticed Kuroko standing still, gazing ahead at someone approaching with a basketball.

"Kuroko, what's going on?" Kagami inquired.

But Kuroko appeared to be in shock, his body trembling. Seeing the person with the basketball brought tears to his eyes as he whispered, "...Ogiwara?"

The rest of the Seirin team was taken aback and worried by Kuroko's abrupt change in demeanor.

Moments earlier, Ogiwara appeared to notice the stir in the crowd. He turned toward the gathering by the gate, his eyes growing wide with surprise.

As he spotted Kuroko among them, a broad smile spread across Ogiwara's face. He rushed to the group, exclaiming, "Kuroko, it's been ages!"

As Ogiwara got closer, he spoke with a cheerful laugh, "Haha, you folks must be Kuroko's teammates from Seirin. I'm Shigehiro Ogiwara, Kuroko's childhood friend. It's nice to meet you all..."

The others hesitated before responding and turned to Kuroko, who wiped away his tears and asked, his voice choked, "...Ogiwara, are you still playing basketball?"

Kuroko's strained voice tugged at Ogiwara's heartstrings. He nodded sheepishly and replied, "I met someone who helped me at my lowest, so I decided to continue playing..."

Understanding that Kuroko and Ogiwara needed some time, the rest of the group exchanged glances and decided to step away discreetly.

"I apologize for interrupting your reunion, but Shigehiro still has more training to complete with us..."

However, a voice interrupted the moment before they could leave the two old friends alone.

The voice drew everyone's attention to a black-haired teenager donning a team jersey, standing confidently with someone else behind him, appearing like a loyal servant.

As the new arrival made his way forward, the others unconsciously cleared a path for him.

In shock, Kuroko gazed at the newcomer and muttered, "...Kazama and Senior Nijimura?"

"Y-you..." Kagami, taken aback, pointed a trembling finger at Tsuna and blurted out, "How did you end up in Japan?"

Flashing a reassuring smile at Kagami, Tsuna replied, "Why not? I can go wherever I please, right?"

Frustrated and perplexed, Kagami grappled with his thoughts, burdened by the numerous questions raised by Tsuna's unexpected appearance in Japan.

However, Kagami ultimately couldn't find the right words and could only vent his frustration with a shout.

"Argh!"

The rest of the Seirin team, who were not privy to the conversation in English, watched the scene with confusion.

"Kagami seems to be acquainted with that guy."

"But Kuroko also seems to know both of them. What's going on?"

The entire situation was baffling. First, Kuroko reunited with his childhood friend, and now he was greeting someone else whom Kagami also recognized. The rest of the team could only stand there, whispering among themselves, trying to make sense of the unfolding events.

Tsuna shifted his focus to Ogiwara, ignoring Kagami's outburst.

"Captain, can I do the drills later on my own time? I wanna talk with Kuroko..."

Ogiwara inquired, addressing Tsuna with respect. Kuroko was taken aback once more by Ogiwara addressing Tsuna as his captain.

Observing the exchange between the two, Tsuna sighed and agreed, "Sure, you can complete the drills later on your own time."

"It's been a while, Tetsuya. I'd love to chat more, but I have some business to take care of." Tsuna addressed Kuroko. He continued, "We can catch up later..."

Nijimura simply nodded at Kuroko before accompanying Tsuna into the resort.

As Tsuna entered the building, Seirin couldn't help but notice the name on his jersey: "Fukuda Sogo Academy."

"...Fukuda Sogo. I think I've heard of them," Izuki mumbled.

Aida, on the other hand, was visibly taken aback. Kiyoshi noticed her reaction and inquired, "Riko, are you familiar with them?"

Aida nodded solemnly, her expression turning serious.

She explained, "There were three renowned powerhouses that dominated their region. The other two had a Generation of Miracles within their ranks, so it didn't garner as much media attention."

"However, a new formidable team suddenly appeared, just as strong as the other two powerhouses. They go by the name Fukuda Sogo..."

"...and their Captain, Tsunayoshi Kazama, is rumored to be on the same level as the Generation of Miracles, especially after his performance in the elimination phase," Aida concluded, her gaze focused on Tsuna.

"Wait, isn't he a freshman like Kagami and Kuroko? How did he become their captain?"

When Kuroko casually addressed Tsuna, it dawned on them that Tsuna was their peer. This surprising discovery left the entire team in shock.

"I'm not entirely certain about the whole captain thing," Kagami said, absorbing the surprising details.

"But in terms of skill, although I was pretty surprised, I guess it was as expected of him. I actually know that guy. He used to play on the streetball court in Los Angeles occasionally."

"Really? He's from the States?" Hyuga exclaimed, clearly taken aback.

Kagami continued to explain, "Yeah, he's from there. I used to play streetball, too, and they had different levels based on your age. Most of the time, you'd only play against people your age."

"But..." Kagami fixed a determined gaze on Tsuna's receding figure, underscoring, "That guy, he played on a higher-level streetball court, even against older players."

Back then, Kagami had initially assumed Tsuna was older, but with the information from Alexandra, he learned they were actually the same age.

The members of Seirin were left feeling stunned. They couldn't shake off the thought that the rumors about Tsuna's skills rivaling the Generation of Miracles might be accurate.

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