Chapter 4: Watching Mitsui.

It was bright and beautiful Sunday morning, Sakuragi was with his friends strolling around the city.

Sakuragi minds was full of images and videos of Ezekiel, he couldn't take away all those memories out his mind. And as usual Sakuragi was shouting like a moron in the street.

[MIYAGI: Don't shout like that in public, Sakuragi. What is going on with you today? You don't seem like you're usual idiot.]

[SAKURAGI: WHAT DID YOU SAY, RYO-CHIN?!.]

Sakuragi and Miyagi are having a quarrel until they've reached the arena and people are having their way on the empty seats, Sakuragi and Miyagi also got their own seats and it was a great view of the court.

As they were watching the game, the pacing in the professional level was very different from the high school level. Everyone was taking their time and passing the ball around in such synchronized fashion.

At 4:32 minute of the first quarter, Hisashi Mitsui entered the game. Miyagi and Sakuragi shouted the nickname of Mitsui so loud that it can be heard in the court.

[SAKURAGI & MIYAGI: MITCHAN!.]

Mitsui look all over the arena but he was unsuccessful to locate the person's who shouted that embarrassing nickname. Mitsui was playing average defense and making the right decision in the possession.

Their point guard steals the ball and pushed the ball to their side, Mitsui quickly runs back and gets into his spot. A right corner three point lane. The point guard pass the ball to the right wing, their small forward gets the ball and swings the ball fast to Mitsui who gets wide open.

Mitsui shoots a three pointer and it went in. The fans of their team cheered as Mitsui made the three pointer.

[MIYAGI: He wouldn't miss that shot.]

Sakuragi nodded in agreement and as the game progressed, Mitsui became the catalyst in this match as he leads Kagoshima Rebnise with 23 points shooting a 4 out of 7 three point attempt. Mitsui gets interviewed by some magazine reporters and Sakuragi alongside Miyagi heads down to see if they can have any chance to make fun of Mitsui.

As this is their first time to see Mitsui playing again for a while.

At the same time, Ryonan was also very excited about this upcoming season, which where they will be more powerful and stronger than ever.

This year where Sendoh, Akira being the captain alongside Fukuda Kicchou and with the new recruits, the point guard Hiro Saegusa, the Shooting Guard Shinji Minamoto and the Center Tendou Wakamitsu.

Ryonan were having a practice match against Shoyo where their first year's completely outplayed Shoyo, with Hiro's playing making and precise passing. Shinji's three point shooting and Tendou's dynamic pick and roll play with Hiro was too much for the weakned Shoyo.

[COACH TAKAO: Hmm…. This is my dream team, the perfect team that can dominate the National's and with Sendoh getting more and more improved. This season was going to be the year where Ryonan will be crowned as the number one school in the country!.]

With Coach Takao's post game message to his team after such dominating performance, the players of Ryonan became more motivated and confident going forward into the season.

But, Coach Takao didn't know is that there are going to be much more threat now than ever, and the new wave of players who are coming in the high school level is now more top notch than before. And other small time schools have been focusing on their sports programs as such, the basketball is becoming more popular in Japan.

Many great players are now coming and looking to get involved with the now growing in rapid speed, the game of Basketball is now one of the main focuses of the country.

And far from Kanagawa. In prefecture of Hokkaido, the largest and most famous school in the country is slowly turning into an international level basketball club. The "Raijinshi Academy."

With their star player.

[RAIJINSHI PLAYER#1: Hey, Rin. You ready to go?.]

A tall, skinny, tan skinned with a long tied up black hair.

[RIN: Yeah.]

*PLAYER INFO*

NAME: OKUGAMI, RIN.

AGE: 17.

Position: Small Forward/Guard.

Height: 193cm

Number: 7

Okugami, Rin. One of the players who became known due to the national tournament and due to the winter cup. He lead Raijinshi in the National up to the Elite 8 where they were defeated by the Kainan in a close match. And in the Winter Cup, the freshman Rin lead Raijinshi won the Winter Cup for the first time in School history against the best team in Japan, Sannoh. Rin named the Winter Cup Most Valuable Player.

[YUUGI: What are you doing, Rin? Get over here fast!.]

A tall, bulky full of muscles, with curly brown hair and a mole under his right eye.

[RIN: Sorry about that Captain.]

Rin said to his captain while scratching his hair.

*PLAYER INFO*

NAME: SATO, YUUGI.

AGE: 18.

Position: CENTER.

Height: 210cm

Number: 4

And one of the main players of the Raijinshi, this year captain, Sato Yuugi. He is skilled at post and can score in the perimeter also can shoot in the three point. But, the main reason why he became one of the popular players was because he outplayed the Masashi Kawata in the Winter Cup finals. He outperformed Masashi with 27 points, 14 rebounds with 6 blocks. His prescene was outstanding under the paint.

[YUUGI: I just got back from the national team duty, and all the time that I had been here. I could see you all the time, slacking and lazing around.]

Rin stopped momentarily and laughs at the fact that he got caught by Yuugi.

[RIN: Hehe, well… what can I say, I'm bored.]

Yuugi shakes his head and told Rin that if he only accepted the invitation to play in the National Team, he wouldn't be this bored.

[RIN: You're right. I could have play against that Ezekiel Caliente.]

Rin grins and Yuugi just took a deep breath.