Chapter 29: First Game in the Nationals

The next day, Tsuna returned to school as usual. The classes were uneventful, just like any other day. Currently, he stood in line alongside the other first-string players, gathered for a briefing about their upcoming opponents in the Nationals.

Assistant Coach Sanada, a serious-looking man, took the floor.

"Our first rivals are Shoto Junior High. They are known for their solid defense. Three of their players pose a real threat to us. The rest..."

He paused momentarily, then continued, "Well, they're not in the same league, but don't underestimate them. Here's a breakdown of each player, compiled by Momoi."

He motioned toward Momoi, who stood nearby with a stack of papers in her hands, a pleasant smile on her face.

"Here's the data, Tsuna," she said, offering him one of the sheets.

Tsuna skimmed through the information Momoi had meticulously gathered. It included everything from their names, hobbies, and past experiences to their stats.

Looking at the paper in his hand, he couldn't help but feel that he should be cautious of Momoi if they ever faced off as an opponent.

While gathering information on their opponents made sense, what caught his attention was that Momoi had also included their weaknesses at the end of each player's profile.

"She's really good at analyzing information and pinpointing their weaknesses. Impressive," Tsuna thought to himself, casting a sidelong glance at Momoi, who had returned to her spot behind Assistant Coach Sanada. She was beaming with satisfaction.

"But, you know, it might be more interesting this way..."

As he pondered it further, Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that Momoi should be on the opposing team. That would make for an exciting match, he mused, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Midorima, who stood beside Tsuna, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he glanced at Tsuna's grinning face. He couldn't help but silently wonder, "What's with this guy..."

Tsuna's unusual behavior had Midorima puzzled. This wasn't typical of Tsuna, and it had started after his return from the United States.

"He's clearly excited about something. I wonder what's got the Kazama heir so worked up," Midorima thought silently. He held a small pot of cactus in one hand and adjusted his glasses with the other.

"Nah, I don't need this. Here, you can take it back..."

However, their musings were interrupted by Aomine, who handed the information papers back to Momoi.

"Why? Wouldn't it be more convenient to know your enemy first, Daiki..." Momoi began, her voice trailing off.

"It'd be way too boring that way. I'd rather have some surprises when I face them later. Makes for a stronger challenge," Aomine explained, grinning widely.

Momoi couldn't hide her frustration as she reluctantly took the papers back from Aomine. "Humph! Don't blame me if you lose later."

"You don't need to worry about that..."

Aomine just chuckled, his grin growing even wider.

Assistant Coach Sanada cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Momoi. Now, let's prepare for some light training for tomorrow's match."

Akashi, who held Momoi's papers, suddenly asked, "Assistant Coach Sanada, could you please share the starting lineup with us?"

This question immediately turned every first-string player's focus onto Assistant Coach Sanada. Even Tsuna, who was usually composed, was looking forward to knowing who would be starting in tomorrow's game.

"Of course, it's good to be prepared," Assistant Coach Sanada replied, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Tomorrow, we'll have Murasakibara as the center, Akashi as the point guard, Nijimura as the power forward, Sekiguchi as the small forward, and finally, Kubota as the shooting guard."

This announcement caused a stir of surprise among the players. Shouldn't the first-year players be the best choice for the starting lineup?

Tsuna nodded in response to the lineup announcement, his expression calm.

'It's a tactical move, not entirely unexpected.'

Tsuna understood the game plan of the head coach and his assistant. They were keeping their best players in reserve, planning to surprise their opponents later in the tournament.

He glanced at Assistant Coach Sanada and saw a shrewd strategist behind his calm demeanor.

"However, all these tactics will become irrelevant when they face absolute power," Tsuna thought as he observed the other first-year players in line.

The future Generation of Miracles hadn't reached their full potential yet, and Tsuna knew he hadn't either. Still, despite being relatively new to the game, they were already better than some of Teiko's regulars, who had secured second place in the previous tournament.

"It's only natural for us to win the Nationals this year," Tsuna thought.

Tsuna was determined to win the Nationals in his one year back in Japan, a promise he made to himself before returning to the US next year. It was a goal he had longed for as he never had any of these fancy trophies in his previous life, and now it seemed within reach.

Conquering the Nationals was necessary for him, but knowing there was a better stage for him to satisfy his desire to be the best of the best, the choice was obvious.

His focus shifted from middle school tournaments to Jabberwock and streetball, where the game's intensity made victory all the more satisfying. 

Tsuna knew that, despite the Jabberwock's fame in the future, they were just one of the best, and there were more talented teams waiting on the stage he was about to create. This thought made his chest pumping with excitement.

Still, he would definitely return to Japan in the future as he knew that some exciting games revolved around Japan because of the plot armor of the protagonist of this world.

Back to the court, Midorima, however, appeared less than pleased with the decision.

Aomine, ever outspoken, voiced his discontent.

"Are you kidding? I want to play in the tournament!" His complaint fell mostly on deaf ears, but he turned to Tsuna, asking, "Don't you want to play too?"

Tsuna shook his head lightly, offering a measured response. "...I'm certainly eager to participate. However, I'll trust the Assistant Coach's arrangement."

Aomine didn't stop complaining after Tsuna's response. Instead of engaging further, Tsuna decided to scan the area, curious about the new player the others had mentioned the day before.

"I heard we have a new addition to the team. But I don't see anyone new here. Where is the new guy?"

Momoi, holding the list of players who had arrived at the training facility, replied, "Oh... it looks like Haizaki skipped training today."

"I see..."

Tsuna nodded, understanding the situation, as he also noticed Nijimura looking rather furious.

And it started to make sense why...

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