Against Shoyo

The fifth day of the tournament, the seat are all filled by the crowd coz the top teams are playing today and will decide the team to move in semifinal round.

Separated by into four brackets; a, b, c and d, the winner from each group will face in the semifinals and the last two teams are secured as the representative of Kanagawa prefecture.

The last year's champion is the reigning and defending champion, Kainan High School. There's also another strong team that can match up the champion w/c is Shoyo and also the opponent of Shohoku today.

"Shoyo!"

"Shoyo!"

"Shoyo!"

The Shoyo High that came as runner-up last year and has huge cheering squad behind every game.

"Who will win?"

"Shoyo!"

"Shoyo!"

"Shoyo!"

Back in the locker room of Shohoku High...

"This is a very important game, Shoyo aren't like any other that we have played before" Akagi said.

"Any motivational thing to say" Sakuragi said.

"Shut up" Akagi said.

"Even Akagi is also nervous; I wasn't able to sleep until four am this morning" Kogure said.

"How shameful... it's only Shoyo and you're already this nervous!" Mitsui said, as he goes out the room and this was notice by his teammates.

"Huh?" Sakuragi said.

"Where are you going? The game is about to start, Mitsui" Kogure said.

"Me? I'm going to the toilet..." Mitsui replied.

"Seems like Mitchi is the most nervous here. How many times did he go there?" Sakuragi said.

"Still pretending!" Akagi said.

"Everybody is not the same before." Yasuda said.

"Yeah! Last year they were no. two and was better than Ryonan." Kogure said.

"Will we win?"

"Compared to Ryonan..."

Having stomach ache, Mitsui is having a hard time and was still nervous about the upcoming game.

"Uuh!! It won't come out! Damn it, I was never this nervous when I was in Junior High, hmn..." his thought was disturbed by several incoming the rest room.

"When people come in during a dump, it was even harder to take a dump!" he said and the people that came in had an interesting conversation.

"It's Shohoku's no. fourteen... you know what? Hisashi Mitsui is the MVP of Takeishi High's during his Junior High" Shoyo player 1 said.

"Aah... Yeah, I know" Shoyo player 2 said.

"You guys should stick to him." Shoyo player 1 said.

"Okay!!" Shoyo player 2 said.

Hearing these words, he has already known the identity of these people, "It's should be guys from Shoyo!"

"When I played against him in Junior High, I had no chance of winning but it made me wonder if he really was a Junior High back then." Shoyo player 1 said.

"He's really a great shooter that time." Shoyo player 2 said.

"But that was Mitsui in the past, he isn't good as he used to be." Shoyo player 1 said.

"That's because we have improved so much." Shoyo player 2 said.

"Maybe..."Shoyo player 1 said.

"We definitely can't let him score more than five points." Shoyo player 2 said.

"I'm counting on you guys" Shoyo player 1 said.

"Five points? Who is it!? Tsk!!" he shouted, as Mitsui stood up from the cubicle and chased the two Shoyo players.

"Looks like there was someone who was cocky in Junior High that somehow gone to Shoyo High. If you can, let's see if you can really stop me!" Mitsui said

"It's about time to play!" Coach Anzai is a man of few words

"Yes!!!"Shohoku players replied. Players from Shoyo and Shohoku came out of their respective dug-out.

"Wah! They're coming out! It's Shohoku!"

"Shohoku doesn't look that good!"

"They're no match opponent of Shoyo!"

"There's always chance to win for Shohoku!"

"Wow! There is lot of people in the stands today!"

"Today I'll show my true skill!" Hanamichi Sakuragi said.

"Sakuragi! You're still nervous?!" someone in the stands said.

"Me nervous?!" Sakuragi looked for the source of the voice.

"Are you going to try breaking the record for being ejected in the game five times in a row?"

"We want to see how many points you can get before graduating!" Sakuragi's Gang came to see him and support the team.

"Did you guys come only to laugh at me? Hurry up and leave now!!" Sakuragi said. He didn't notice Ayako came along w/ the gang.

"Good luck!, Sakuragi!" Ayako shouted.

"Ayako-chan" Sakuragi looked at her dumbly.

"Sakuragi! What you're doing! Hurry up!" Akagi shouted.

"We have to perform well today!"

"SHOHOKU!!!" they gathered in circle while shouting.

"Our first time playing Shoyo coz before we are really so we often lose getting past here." Ayako said.

"Yes that's true because they're all still kids while Shoyo's team are all adults and they're all seniors! Now you know the reason, Ayako." Coach Anzai said.

"They're coming out!"

"!"

"Yosh!"

"It's Shoyo!"

"All of them are so tall!"

"This year maybe they able to win against Kainan!"

"The team that's most likely to be champions"

In the general admission area, two more strong teams meet and watch the game between Shoyo vs. Shohoku.

"It's Ryonan and Kainan!"

"The monkey king is here!" Sakuragi's gang said.

"Confrontation?" Hikoichi said

"What are the chances Kainan's of winning, Maki?" Sendoh said.

"Beat them at least ten points" Maki replied.

"What about your team, Uozumi? Kainan's Jin asked.

"Beat them at least three hundred points!" Uozumi replied.

"It's so like the monkey king!"

"Start off w/ such confidence" Sakuragi's Gang said.

"Three minutes left before the game starts" the game announcer said.

"Today's opponent is very strong. Our starters are: Miyagi, Rukawa, Mitsui, Akagi and Sakuragi.

These are first five; you guys are also a strong team. Sakuragi!!" Coach Anzai said.

"Yes old man!" Sakuragi replied.

"Your job is to secure rebound under the basket. Control all the rebounds, you, Rukawa and Akagi. You'll face Shoyo's height advantage, go out there and play hard!" Coach Anzai said.

"Why they send Sakuragi in as a starter?"

"Does Shohoku wanna lose here?" Sakuragi's Gang said.

"Idiots! I'm genius the Hanamichi Sakuragi. I won't disappoint you today, Haruko..." he said.

"Wow! It's so tense here, Shohoku have to work hardest in this game!!!" Haruko said.

"This game will be a hard battle! Shohoku is a tough opponent and so don't let your guard down. During the start of the game, we have to hype up the first basket and this year were no longer no. two but no. 1 in Kanagawa" Kenji Fujima said.

"Their coach doesn't look like strong! Is that old man Shoyo's coach, Kogure?"

"No, that guy is the team's advisor! He knows nothing about basketball. The real coach is both a player and coach at the same time." Kogure said.

"So everyone be on your guard and play your best out there, guys!" playing coach Fujima said.

"Yes!!!" Shoyo's starting five replied.

"Game start!!!" the game announcer is also fired up.

"Wooooo...!" the crowd is hype up as the game about to start.

"I'll control all the rebounds!" Sakuragi said.

"Itou!!" each Shoyo's player name is being chanted by the cheering squad.

"So tall..." the Shoyo player opposite of Miyagi is a head taller than him.

"Takano!!" chanted by Shoyo's cheering squad.

"Nagano!!" chanted by Shoyo's cheering squad.

"Hasegawa!!" chanted by Shoyo's cheering squad.

"Hanagata!!" chanted by Shoyo's cheering squad.

"Hanagata's is a star and people is cheering" Yasu said

A Shoyo player has been staring at Mitsui and it annoys him.

"Hey! No. six you definitely the one who said in the CR that you won't let me score more five points? I don't know where you came from but I'll let you know that I'll score more than that today" Mitsui said.

"This is the first that Shohoku is playing in front of so many people." Uozumi said.

"The game is about to begin between Shoyo and Shohoku! Play ball!!" the game announcer said.