Chapter 200: Happily Dancing on His Palm

"Kise seemed to be aware of what Kazama was about to do, but how did he still fall for it?"

Hyuga couldn't help but express his confusion, grimacing at the recent turn of events on the court. Others shared a similar sentiment, their expressions turning grim as they observed the unfolding scene.

"Kuroko, any insights on how that went down?" Kiyoshi turned to the light blue-haired player, seeking answers.

However, Kuroko confessed his uncertainty with a slight shake of his head.

"...I'm not entirely sure myself, to be honest."

"I think it might have something to do with Kise's balance," Kagami chimed in suddenly, drawing the attention of everyone in Seirin toward him.

"Even if Kise anticipated Tsuna's move, a slight imbalance could still send him tumbling. It's that simple..."

Shutoku collectively gasped in surprise at Midorima's concise explanation.

"But how did he manage to throw Kise off balance?" Miyaji voiced the confusion shared by everyone.

Midorima adjusted his glasses, recalling someone with a similar ankle-breaking ability.

Although their techniques differed, he elaborated, "...Typically, in fast-paced player confrontations, defenders need to adjust their stance. Any sudden change in direction during this crucial moment can disrupt their balance, causing them to lose footing."

While such instances were rare at the highest level of play, where top-tier players usually maintained exceptional and consistent footing, it remained a possibility under the strain of fatigue and lack of focus.

"What does it mean that Fukuda Sogo's Captain was sharp enough to catch that vulnerable moment during the adjustment?"

Midorima shook his head in response to the inquiry, refuting the notion. He was aware of someone who could exploit this precise moment to execute an ankle break.

But it was not Tsuna.

"No? Then how did he manage it?"

"I'm not certain if Tsuna could actually see these moments. However, unlike others, Tsuna didn't exploit such vulnerabilities..."

Midorima explained, his expression turning grim. "...He forcefully creates this imbalance in the defender's body weight with his movements."

Midorima believed it didn't really matter if someone anticipated Tsuna's intentions because Tsuna would lead them to follow his movements, compelling the imbalance to occur.

Akashi closely observed Tsuna's movements on the court.

With his Emperor Eyes, he could execute the exact same ankle break as he was able to exploit the defender's moment of adjustment.

Though he was aware of it since middle-school. Witnessing someone execute the move with force impressed him. 

"...However, that won't work on me, Tsuyanoshi." He muttered with quiet confidence, his eyes ablaze with certainty.

As the first quarter neared its end, Fukuda Sogo escalated their pace. Following Tsuna's directive to quicken the tempo, they were determined not to let Haizaki steal the limelight, and other players started contributing to the scoring.

The heightened tempo exerted immense pressure on Kaijo's players.

They began to grasp the consequences of allowing Fukuda Sogo to dictate the game; the gap would only widen further.

Kasamatsu sensed something awry for a while but couldn't pinpoint the issue. Frustration clenched his teeth as he thought, "...Damn it, I suppose we're left with no choice but to rely on Kise."

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, realization widened Kasamatsu's eyes, and his mind raced with newfound awareness.

"When did we stop looking for and creating openings beyond relying solely on Kise?"

Kasamatsu's internal dialogue continued, a flood of scenes from the start of the game replaying in his mind.

The thunderous sound of the ball slamming into the basket jolted him back from his introspection. Tsuna had effortlessly broken past his defense as he soared for a dunk.

The referee's whistle marked the end of the first quarter.

Surprised, Kasamatsu's eyes widened, but anger quickly twisted his expression. He couldn't help but turn toward Tsuna, who smirked and remarked, "...What a nasty bastard!"

"Oh, please. I thought we got along quite well, Captain..."

Tsuna shook his head while making his way toward Fukuda Sogo's bench, his teammates trailing behind.

Kasamatsu clenched his fist in a mix of frustration and anger as he headed toward his own bench with his team.

"...They've had us figured out from the start, huh?" Kaijo's Coach, Takeuchi, spoke with a frown, massaging his temple in mild annoyance.

Kasamatsu nodded, leaving the others puzzled. He shook his head, explaining, "That guy led us to believe that there was no other option but to pass the ball to Kise for whatever reason..."

"What!?"

Loud exclamations erupted from everyone in Kaijo, with even Kise visibly surprised. He turned towards Tsuna on the opposite side, questioning, "...Why did he have to do that?"

"I don't know why, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth..." Kasamatsu responded grimly, letting out a sigh.

At the start, they showed off a powerful move that got Kaijo's attention. This made Kaijo feel like they might be a bit careless, making them more alert.

Meanwhile, Fukuda Sogo set up their defense in a way that basically forced Kaijo to choose between passing to Kise or Kasamatsu. Because they thought they were already on high alert, passing to Kise seemed to be the obvious and natural choice for them.

Moreover, having Kasamatsu as another choice gave the Kaijo players a false sense of security as if nothing was missing. So, they fell for it without even realizing.

They got so focused on passing to Kise that they didn't try to find openings elsewhere on the court.

"...But why the sudden change of pace at the end?"

Kasamatsu pondered in silence, his gaze shifting to Tsuna, who appeared engaged in a discussion with his team.

"Did he come to the realization that continually involving Kise with Haizaki was futile? Or is there another motive? What exactly is he trying to achieve..."

Despite his reluctance to acknowledge it, even if they were to comprehend Tsuna's intentions, Kasamatsu wasn't sure if they could identify a viable alternative within the limited time they had, ultimately leading them back to involving Kise.

The sudden shift in Tsuna's plan left Kasamatsu utterly bewildered. He struggled to grasp Tsuna's intentions, unable to comprehend the reason behind the change.

Kaijo's coach found it challenging to understand the situation, frowning as he turned his attention to Fukuda Sogo's captain.

He thought, "...That kid is definitely a scary opponent, but I can't figure out what he's up to."

Letting out a sigh, he shifted his focus back to his own players, saying, "Even though we're not at a disadvantage with his unclear intentions, the real problem is their attacks from all directions. So, our main priority should be to tighten up our defense..."

Choosing not to dwell too much on the mysterious actions of the opponent, Takeuchi decided to concentrate on Kaijo's plan to regain control of the game.

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