Starters

"Haruko-chan!"

Haruko glanced over her shoulder, brushing some unruly bangs from her vision as she locked on to the familiar voice. Youhei Mito, along with the rest of the Sakuragi Army, were steadily making their way down the steps of the Ryonan gym. Haruko's face stretched into an ecstatic smile.

"Youhei-kun!" Haruko squealed in delight, glad to see Sakuragi's best friend. During Sakuragi's long lay-off, Youhei had been her most reliable source of information in regards to the redhead's status. The Sakuragi Army had not attended a basketball game since Sakuragi's hospitalization, so to see the former basketball (or more specifically, Sakuragi) enthusiasts back filled her with great joy. She didn't know how much she had missed them until now.

"The Sakuragi Army at your service, once again!" Youhei grinned, the other three members of the gang doing likewise.

The Sakuragi Army squeezed into a row behind Haruko. The Shohoku manageress was with her friends, Matsui and Fujii, the trio of girls tight-knit as always. The Ryonan gym was nearly full—that the Sakuragi Army had found seats so close to their acquaintances was fortunate.

"You guys made it in time. There's just so many people," Fujii gushed, glancing around in awe at the sheer volume of bodies that had been crammed into the stadium.

"Most are Ryonan supporters," Matsui added sourly, pointing to the group of girls holding up signs extolling Ryonan and Sendoh Akira, the star player of the team. In fact, there appeared to be miniature fan-clubs for every single Ryonan player, and the mostly-female audience was truly a sight to behold.

"I'm so excited about Sakuragi-kun's return!" Haruko said excitedly, clasping her hands together in her lap. Youhei could only chuckle at her enthusiasm, partly in disbelief that even till now Haruko didn't seem to have any sense about how many people Sakuragi would go through to hear those words straight from her mouth.

"It's going to be an exciting game, right?" Noma Chuuichirou asked rhetorically, his moustache still making him stand out among the group. He reclined in his seat, nodding towards Haruko in greeting.

"If Hanamichi plays, it will be very exciting," Ookusu Yuuji laughed, brushing back his mop of blonde hair with his left hand and giving Noma a good-natured shove with the other.

"And if it's not, we'll be sure to make him hear it," Takamiya Nozomi said, lifting up bottles that were designed to be makeshift amplifiers from behind his large gut. The girls giggled at his idea, all of them remembering how Sakuragi had played when he had first started basketball.

"Well, most of the gang is here. But what about Nori?" Youhei asked, casually taking in his surroundings. Nori Hotto, the former gangster and delinquent-turned-fan of Mitsui's, was still nowhere to be seen.

"Nori-kun? Don't worry about him, he shows up for every single Shohoku game as long as Mitsui is there." Haruko giggled just thinking of the unlikely Shohoku supporter.

Just as she finished speaking a hush surrounded the group. Haruko and the others glanced over their shoulders to see a small crowd of hoodlums descending the steps of the gym, their threatening presence having silenced all the fans nearby due to their appearance alone.

Nori, leading the group, stopped in the aisle and gave Haruko and the others a threatening glare.

"These seats are awful," Nori commented. "I don't even have a place to put my cheering flag. It's a new one, too."

Haruko merely smiled in return; unlike the rest of the crowd, she knew that Nori meant none of the others any real harm despite his prickly attitude.

"Haven't changed, have you?" Youhei sighed, locking his fingers behind his head. Nori gave

Youhei a dismissive snort.

"If it isn't you punks. Where have you lot been?"

"Busy," Noma said curtly, though anyone that knew the Sakuragi Army could easily figure that was an outright lie. The Sakuragi Army was known for their slacker ways as much as their fighting prowess.

"Too bad for you. Mitsui's three-pointers have been in top form this year," Nori said, hoisting his flag up towards the rafters. Everyone in the vicinity was now watchingthe group of Shohoku supporters, though the attention was clearly unwanted as Ookusu and Takamiya covered their face in embarrassment at Nori's antics. "This is the year to conquer the nation!"

Haruko and Youhei shot a discreet look at each other and chuckled quietly, filled with nostalgia at just the mere mentioning of those words.

"And why aren't you at the benches, Haruko-chan?" Youhei asked casually, remembering Haruko's title as co-manageress.

"Oh, I set up the video camera to take film of the match. And… I just like it better up here."

"Couldn't you take film where the other players are? You're with the team, after all. You might even be able to get us closer seats," Takmiya spoke up. Haruko managed a wan smile at that, looking uncomfortable.

"Well. Maybe some other time," she said quietly. The Sakuragi Army detected a bit of unhappiness in her voice and dropped the subject, unaware of the reasons behind Haruko's negative feelings about being near the court. The ragtag group of Shohoku supporters, now whole again, looked eagerly towards the court and waited for their favorite team to take the floor.

Matsui took a glance at her watch. "Looks like

the match's starting soon," Miyagi observed, glancing away from the clock on the wall. He looked wearily around at the other Shohoku players, trying to calm to butterflies in his stomach.

In part he was nervous because it was an important game. Shoyo and Kainan had again made the Top 4, meaning that those two teams, along with Shohoku and Ryonan, were fighting for the two seats to represent Kanagawa in the Nationals. Shoyo was not the same team it had been, now that Fujima had left. Miyagi was confident that if Shohoku beat Ryonan today, securing one of the spots to the Nationals would be simple. But if Shohoku lost today they would be forced to go up against Kainan in a must-win game.

Another part of his nervousness stemmed from knowledge of Ryonan. Ryonan was a rival team, perhaps one Shohoku's greatest. Miyagi wasn't completely sure what to expect—undoubtedly Ryonan had improved greatly since their last matches during winter.

And Sendoh Akira was always a problem.

"Where's Anzai-sensei?" Miyagi mumbled, trying to distract himself from his troubling thoughts.

"Maybe he went to eat something?" Sakuragi suggested innocently. Sakuragi was standing at the entranceway of the lockers and was tugging on his black and red Nike Air Jordans from last year, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere. Mitsui shifted nervously in his seat on the nearby bench, the veteran player still jittery as always before a match.

"Shut up," Mitsui shot back, defending his favorite coach.

Rukawa was lacing up his shoes next to the vice-captain, outwardly calm and focused. Nonetheless, everyone could sense the competitive fire burning behind his cold gaze. Sendoh, one of the few players that Rukawa genuinely respected, would certainly be a match for the Shohoku star. The prospect of doing battle with one of his greatest foes always seemed to fire up Rukawa a bit more than usual.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, carried a blank expression and was sitting on the floor with his back propped against one of the lockers. The freshman didn't know what to expect and thus seemed serene. He watched the other players suiting up in silence, taking the time to review Shohoku's game plays in his head.

Sakuragi, who had stripped down to his boxers, suddenly realized he was missing an important part of his attire.

"Hey, where's my jersey?" Sakuragi wondered belatedly as he scanned his surroundings.

Mitsui heaved a sigh. "Most people decide what to wear before they put shoes on."

"Did we have a jersey for him, Aya-chan?" Miyagi interjected before Sakuragi could throw a tantrum.

Ayako, who was busy checking her medical supplies, motioned over to a cardboard box sitting in the corner of the room. "I brought the jersey. It's over there, Sakuragi."

The redhead strode over to the box and yanked out the only remaining article of clothing in there. Upon seeing the digits sewn onto the jersey, however, he was quick to throw a fit.

"Number 14? Why am I behind the fox in numbers?"

Rukawa, now wearing #8, stared blankly at Sakuragi. The answer should be obvious, Rukawa's eyes said.

"It's because you're a very late addition. Hiroshi was the last to join before you. And as you can see, he's number 13," Miyagi explained, nodding over towards the freshman. "We can't do anything about it. That's just the way things are."

"At least give me back number 10. Who has my number 10?" Sakuragi glanced around the room, trying to find the culprit. The unlucky winner was Kentaro, who nervously pushed up his glasses upon being recognized.

"Switch!" Sakuragi demanded, advancing on his victim. "You can have Rukawa's smelly #8 instead. The fox can have my number 14!"

"Stop making a big deal out of this—" Mitsui looked up just in time to see Sakuragi having already tugged the jersey off Kentaro, holding up his familiar number 10 overhead in triumph.

"Okay! Here you go, fox." Sakuragi heaved the number 14 jersey over to Rukawa, who simply tilted his body just enough so the uniform would make no contact with him. "We do numbers based on seniority and talent, remember? And I'm far ahead of you in talent!"

Rukawa refused to even grace Sakuragi with a reply, which made the redhead all the more upset. Sensing that hell was about to break loose, Miyagi strode over to Sakuragi, picking up Ayako's roster off one of the benches and thrusting it in Sakuragi's face.

"Look here, idiot! There aren't any numbers to fit you in, even if you wanted."

Sakuragi narrowed his eyes, scanning the sheet's contents. The entire Shohoku roster was neatly laid out in Ayako's beautiful handwriting, by number:

Miyagi Ryota #4 – 3rd year

Mitsui Hisashi #5 – 3rd year

Yasuda Yasuharu #6 – 3rd year

Kakuta Satoru #7 - 3rd year

Rukawa Kaede #8 – 2nd year

Kuwata Toki #9 – 2nd year

Kentaro Ishii #10 – 2nd year

Satoro Sasaoka #11 – 2nd year

Yamasaki Naruhiko # 12 – 1st year

"Kazuo" Hiroshi #13 – 1st year

Sakuragi gave Miyagi a confused look. "I don't get it."

"It means that you should take #14 and stop making a fuss!"

"Um…"

The arguing duo glanced over at Kentaro, who had managed to recover somewhat from the shock of having his jersey stolen from him.

"I don't mind if Sakuragi-senpai wants the jersey. He'll be playing a lot more than me, anyway," Kentaro said, giving Sakuragi a shaky smile.

"Well said, commoner #1!" Sakuragi chortled, slapping Kentaro on the back and sending the other player into a coughing fit. He turned to face Satoro, the other benchwarmer and the person that had inherited Rukawa's number from last summer. "Commoner #2, trade your number with the fox if he's so against wearing #14."

"But he's already ahead of me in minutes and in number," Satoro observed, nervous that the far larger Sakuragi now had his sights on him. Sakuragi frowned.

"He's not ahead of me though. So he has to get a lower number than #10. You can take his #8 instead."

Miyagi could already feel a headache start to brew, having to deal with the redhead. "Stop making decisions on your own. You got your old jersey back already."

Sakuragi crossed his arms across his chest, steadfast about his decision. "If the fox doesn't want to wear #14 then he'll have to pick another number."

"I've had enough of this. Drop the issue or I'll make sure to tell Anzai that you shouldn't get a second on the court," Miyagi threatened, at the limits of his patience. Since Akagi's departure Miyagi had grown into his role as captain, knowing that he had to stand his own ground when he needed to.

Sakuragi faltered somewhat. "The old man wouldn't do that."

"Give it a rest already, Sakuragi," Mitsui spoke up, getting involved in the conversation. "We have to be sure to show them the results of your secret training."

Seeing that Sakuragi was still not quite ready to give up, Ayako heaved a sigh and sidled up next to Rukawa. The ace player glanced up, giving Ayako his attention. The manageress put on her best puppy-dog face and held up one hand in a pleading gesture.

"Rukawa, could you please just this once let it slide? It'll stop those boys from fighting."

"I don't see why I have to be the one," Rukawa said quietly. He gave Sakuragi a look. "We don't need him to play anyway."

"I'll crush you, fox!"

"As a favor to me. I…" Ayako suddenly had an idea. "I'll give you a spare set of keys to the gym that you can use on Sundays, too."

Rukawa's eyes widened, just enough for Ayako to know that she had struck the right chord with him. He pondered over this deal for no more than a few seconds before getting to his feet with a resigned sigh. Ayako discreetly flashed Miyagi a thumbs-up as Rukawa strode over to Satoro, stripping off his #8 jersey as he approached the other player.

"Let's trade," Rukawa offered, holding the jersey out with one arm.

"Uh… right!" Satoro took off the #11 jersey and handed it off to the star player. Rukawa's face remained blank as he got re-dressed.

"Give the keys to me before practice on Fridays," Rukawa instructed Ayako as he pushed his arms through the uniform, again sporting his familiar #11 jersey,

"Got it," Ayako smiled, heaving an internal sigh of relief that the situation had been resolved.

Sakuragi had a smug grin on his face, now that Rukawa had been knocked down a peg.

"Ha ha! The Tensai has returned and the fox is back to where he belongs!" Sakuragi celebrated, tugging on his jersey and donning his old number. "All the rebounds will be mine!"

Rukawa sighed again, brushing past the redhead and returning to his spot on the bench. Miyagi gave Kentaro and Satoro an apologetic look, feeling that the entire situation had been unjust.

"Really sorry about this, guys. Ayako, can you make sure that Kentaro gets the #12 and not #14? The other first year is going to be out all summer anyway so let's just give him the number."

"Thank you, captain," Kentaro smiled, not looking quite as upset as Miyagi had expected someone to be. "I appreciate it."

"No. It's the very least I can do." Miyagi shot Sakuragi a glare that went completely unnoticed. Miyagi felt that Ayako had been far too lenient with the redhead, but he knew to trust Ayako's judgment when it came to situations such as these.

And a part of him felt… calmer, somehow. Seeing Rukawa and Sakuragi in the old numbers again made him remember a bit of the magic they had captured against Sannoh last year. It didn't mean anything of course, but Miyagi just couldn't shake that feeling.

Before he could mull over this any longer, Miyagi heard the familiar slow shuffle of Anzai's dress shoes. Miyagi turned to face the coach, bowing respectfully in greeting.

"Anzai-sensei. The team is ready."

"Ohoho, it would appear so Miyagi-kun," Anzai chuckled calmly, giving his tie a quick adjustment. The portly coach was impeccably dressed as usual, approaching each game with professionalism and seriousness.

"Old man!" Sakuragi was quick to drape an arm over Anzai's shoulders. "This Tensai is ready to lead us to victory!"

Anzai managed another of his characteristic laughs. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Are we changing starters, sensei?" Ayako asked as she corrected her roster sheet for the changes in jersey numbers.

Anzai shook his head. "There's no need to rush things. The starters will be the same: Miyagi-kun, Mitsui-kun, Rukawa-kun, Yasuda-kun, and Kakuta-kun."

Sakuragi's explosion occurred a second after the announcement.

"What's the meaning of this, old man?" Sakuragi demanded, slapping Anzai's double chin in protest. Miyagi was quick to give Sakuragi an authoritative kick in the rear, effectively halting the redhead's assault on the coach.

Anzai, now just a bit more ruffled than when he first entered the lockers, adjusted his tie again as if nothing had happened.

"I do want Sakuragi-kun to play today. But it would be preferable to ease the new players in. This includes you, Hiroshi-kun," Anzai-sensei added.

Hiroshi, who had gotten to his feet and had remained silent during Anzai's announcement, nodded obediently in response. Unlike Sakuragi, the fact that he wasn't starting despite being better than the reserves didn't seem to upset Hiroshi in the slightest.

Anzai turned back towards Sakuragi, who was mumbling under his breath about his planned retaliation against Miyagi.

"Sakuragi-kun. You and Hiroshi-kun will take the floor after you've studied Ryonan's defense. You two are now the anchors of defense under the basket. Show Ryonan, and the basketball world, why you are our secret weapon."

Any previous misgivings Sakuragi had dissolved upon hearing this. His eyes lit with pride. "…Secret weapon?"

Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa heaved a collective sigh. How much longer is that idiot going to fall for that?

"It will be important to study how Ryonan has changed. Their roster is very similar, with the exception of their new center: Judar Braun," Anzai continued, knowing he had gotten through with the redhead.

Hiroshi's ears perked at the mentioning of the name. "Judar Braun from Germany?"

The other players gave the rookie quizzical glances.

"Are you acquainted with Judar-kun?" Anzai asked curiously.

Hiroshi nodded, a grim look overtaking his usual placid gaze. "I played against him when he first came to Japan once before. He's a giant of a player."

"Against him? How'd you do?" Miyagi asked out of curiosity.

"He was better than me," Hiroshi said frankly. "Insane athleticism for someone his size. Makes him harder to guard. But his offensive game is still developing, which might be our only chance. We're all undersized compared to him."

Hiroshi shot Sakuragi a glance. "We'll have to work together on defense to contain him."

"Won't be a problem for this Tensai!" Sakuragi commented, flexing a bicep in response.

Hiroshi gave the redhead a small smile, trusting his senior's words. The others, however, didn't seem to share this confidence and a silence descended in the locker room.

Ryonan hasn't lost any strength even with Uozumi's departure then, Miyagi thought to himself. In fact, now that Sendoh is captain, perhaps they even improved…

Without Akagi, can we do this?

"Idiots."

Everyone's attention was caught by not just those blunt words, but also its source: Rukawa.

The Shohoku ace's expression didn't change as he slipped on his black armband, still sitting at his spot on the bench.

"We will crush them. I will handle Sendoh. The rest of the defensive assignments will be up to all of you."

"Oh?" Sakuragi seemed skeptical at Rukawa's prediction "You were a loser fox every time we played him last year. He'll probably surpass you again!"

Rukawa gave Sakuragi an equally hard look. "All trash, what you're saying. If you get a chance to play today, guard the basket with your life."

"Don't order me around, fox!"

Rukawa sighed and straightened his armband before getting to his feet, deciding not to waste any more effort on Sakuragi.

Anzai chuckled in response, looking pleased that the two promising second-year players were egging each other on again. Miyagi, sensing it was time to get going, clapped his hands together to catch everyone's attention. Instead of saying anything, the point guard brushed past Anzai and headed for the basketball court.

Where they belonged.

"Let's go, guys!" Miyagi shouted, hearing the players fall into step behind him. "And never forget…"

The Shohoku High basketball team followed their captain into the dark corridor, their voices becoming one as they strode towards the bright lights of the game waiting for them.

"We are strong!"

Shohoku High Roster:

Miyagi Ryota #4 – 3rd year

Mitsui Hisashi #5 – 3rd year

Yasuda Yasuharu #6 – 3rd year

Kakuta Satoru #7 - 3rd year

Satoro Sasaoka #8 – 2nd year

Kuwata Toki #9 – 2nd year

Sakuragi Hanamichi #10 – 2nd year

Rukawa Kaede #11 – 2nd year

Kentaro Ishii # 12 – 2nd year

"Kazuo" Hiroshi #13 – 1st year

Yamasaki Naruhiko #14 – 1st year