Teiko Middle School

Teiko Middle School. A school that housed an exceptionally powerful basketball club that had over a hundred members, and a new generation of prodigies that were leading them to a new era.

Midorima Shintaro was confused as he looked at his two teammates; Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryota were practicing like there was no tomorrow.

Midorima spoke his thought to particularly nobody.

Midorima: "What happened at the meeting with Kageyama Shun?"

Then a voice spoke from beside Midorima.

Kuroko: "Aomine-kun and Kise-kun got beat by Kageyama-kun, pretty badly at that."

Midorima was startled, but he wouldn't let it show it on his face even if hell froze over. To gain some time to collect himself, he raised his hand to adjust his glasses and spoke.

Midorima: "Can you give me some details, Kuroko-kun."

The ever stone-faced Kuroko replied to his teammate.

Kuroko: "Both of them played one-on-one against Kageyama-kun and lost. Kise-kun lost the game with a score of 11-0, and Aomine-kun lost the game with a score of 11-2."

Midorima's eyes widened as he questioned Kuroko.

Midorima: "Aomine lost by nine-points?!"

Kuroko affirmed as he reminisced about the game.

Kuroko: "The rumors that have been flowing about him, were not false. He has definitely become much stronger than the last year."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

On the other hand, Murasakibara was getting irritated as he played on the court.

Murasakibara: "What happened to you two? Why are you playing like you won't be able to touch the basketball tomorrow?"

Aomine, who was defending Murasakibara, answered his teammate.

Aomine: "In a way, what you say is true. If I don't improve, then I won't be able to touch the ball when I face against Kageyama. He beat the crap out of us at the friendly game we played."

Murasakibara saw the ball coming his way. His passer was intelligent enough to pass the ball high so that Murasakibara would get it without any competition.

Murasakibara leaned a little forward to keep Aomine down with his weight and then jumped at as suitable timing to catch the ball.

Aomine: "Oh, crap! Murasakibara, you giant freak. Don't put your weight on me."

Murasakibara caught the ball and spoke.

Murasakibara: "Well, I don't care if you won or lost. Just don't make my life difficult here. You and Kise-chin are annoying."

Murasakibara ran with his giant strides to the basket and put in a powerful dunk.

He sighed as he cursed his coach.

Murasakibara: "Why did he have to put me against these two guys, they are totally annoying."

As Murasakibara ran to his side of the court for defense, he crossed Kise, who said.

Kise: "Murasakibara-cchi, you should give it all your. We have to aim for the top. So, let's work our hardest!"

Murasakibara sighed as he cursed Shun as well.

Murasakibara: "Couldn't he have just gone easy on them. He is making my job difficult, even when I have only met him once.

I will crush him next time we meet."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Akashi Seijuro looked at his teammates, who were working harder than before.

He had already inquired about the results of the game against Kageyama Shun from Satsuki, so he knew about their motivation to train harder.

Akashi felt a fear that he usually kept buried deep inside, surface. The fear that he had been suffering since his childhood.

Akashi: 'They are going to leave me behind.'

He felt something moving in the recesses of his mind as the fear threatened to send him into a panic.

Akashi Seijuro closed one of his eyes as his face went cold. He analyzed the situation with around the club.

Akashi: 'Things are moving out of MY control. The external influence from Kageyama Shun has begun to take its effect.'

He looked at Ryota and Daiki as they worked harder than before.

Akashi: 'The result of their defeat has lit a fire of motivation in them.'

He especially looked at Ryota and then turned his eyes to look for Shogo, who was yet once again skipping practice.

Akashi: 'I will have to deal with Shogo quickly, he has been a chaotic element in the team for too long.'

Akashi turned his eyes to Atsushi, and he could perceive the changes in Atsushi.

Akashi: 'His height has increased once again, but this time it has come with a significant boost. He is still gaining speed and strength. If the situation keeps up, then he would soon learn to harness that brute strength of his pretty quickly.'

The ever-bored Atsushi wasn't a person to back down. Akashi was sure that soon enough, he will erupt.

He once again turned his eyes to Shintaro and found that he was the most stable one.

Akashi: 'Shintaro hasn't been doing anything than his usual doing everything humanly possible in practice and games, but I can see it the idea of his ideal style of basketball forming in his mind. Soon he too will experience the change.'

And at last, he looked at the talent that he discovered and gave shape till the current stage.

Akashi: 'I heard that he picked up more physical conditioning from the coach. It seems Tetsuya was also affected by meeting Kageyama Shun.

Maybe when this time we play, Tetsuya could keep a hold on Kageyama Shun for a little bit more time.'

Akashi let out a breath as he felt his companion calm down.

At that moment, Akashi's opened his one closed eye, and the cold expression melted away like snow under a hot sun.

He sighed and shook his head. He looked at Kuroko with a smile and thought.

Akashi: 'I should help him with his pass variations. Maybe, that will ease his worries.'

Akashi moved towards Kuroko, deciding to ask him to stay late so he could help him with some passing practice.

Akashi: 'I wonder what kind of plays would I be able to make if Kuroko increased his range.'

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

A faint turmoil was forming in the Teiko basketball club's first-string, and no one had any idea about how the same turmoil would change the club and what it represented.

The rise of the most prolific group of players that the basketball scene of Japan had ever seen was near, and it was going to be anything but calm.

The birth of a few legends that would take basketball to a new level in Japan was on the horizon, and Tokyo was going to become a hotspot for the birth of the legends.