Chapter 43: Unqualified

Hey guys, I apologize for the delayed updates. I fell asleep :(

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The next day, Teiko returned to Yoyogi Gymnasium to face off against Kamata West. Winning this game would secure their spot in the finals, and a mix of nervousness and excitement filled the air.

In the team's designated locker room, Nijimura exchanged a subtle nod with Assistant Coach Sanada, who was rubbing his temples.

"...You can't be serious," Sanada muttered under his breath, although he secretly supported Nijimura's decision. The rest of the team stared at Nijimura in disbelief. Such a situation had never occurred before in the history of Teiko's Basketball Club.

In fact, it was unprecedented.

Yet, Nijimura faced their astonished expressions with composure and made his announcement.

"After our last game, I realized that I might not be qualified for the captain's position. My composure slipped," Nijimura admitted, turning to Tsuna. "If it weren't for Tsuna stepping in and stopping me, we might have been disqualified because of my actions."

He continued, acknowledging that Tsuna had prevented a potential disaster and rallied the team when frustration threatened to overwhelm them. Tsuna's quick thinking and leadership had led them to victory, and Nijimura felt humbled as the captain.

"That's why," Nijimura declared firmly, "I believe Tsuna would make a better captain."

This took Akashi aback.

After hearing the full story of the last game the previous night, he recognized Tsuna's exceptional leadership. Akashi acknowledged Tsuna's leadership capabilities. But, seeing him receive such recognition still surprised him.

Deep down, Akashi felt a sense of constriction. Both he and Tsuna came from influential families that ingrained the idea of always being the best in them.

Glancing at Tsuna, who listened attentively to Nijimura, Akashi couldn't deny that he had to respect the scion of the Kazama family. He thought, "...As much as I hate to admit it, there's a lot I could learn from him."

"Holy cow, Tsuna, that's incredible!" Aomine exclaimed, his excitement evident. Kuroko nodded in agreement, equally surprised.

"This is probably the first time something like this has happened in our school," Midorima remarked as he tended to his bandaged fingers.

The others gazed at Tsuna in amazement, even Murasakibara, who usually only cared about basketball.

Tsuna simply listened, not offering any immediate response, his attention now on Sanada, who held the authority to make this decision.

To his own surprise, Tsuna found himself not averse to the idea of being captain. He was accustomed to leading much larger groups, like a multimillionaire company, so leading a small basketball team felt like a breeze in comparison.

While initially hesitant, the senior players had developed complete trust in Tsuna's leadership, especially after their last game. This trust in his decision-making was evident as they supported Nijimura's suggestion.

Seeing that no one appeared to oppose the idea, Sanada let out a sigh and turned to Tsuna. "Are you comfortable with this?"

"I don't mind taking on the role," Tsuna replied with a casual shrug, and Sanada nodded in acknowledgment.

"Very well, starting today, I officially appoint Tsunayoshi Kazama as the new Captain of Teiko's Basketball Team," Sanada declared with a tone of authority. He then turned to Nijimura and continued, "However, I expect you, Nijimura, to assist Kazama in familiarizing himself with the role. You will be the Vice-Captain from now on."

Nijimura nodded in agreement.

"Let's move on to discussing our strategy for today's match," Sanada said, gesturing to Momoi to distribute the opponent's data to the starting players.

As usual, Aomine rejected the form, a habit everyone else ignored.

"They have some strong players, especially those Genius Twins," Sanada remarked while scrolling through the data on his tablet, provided by Momoi.

"We need to keep an eye on their combination plays. Given their aggressive style, we'll focus on a more defensive approach and counter their attacks," he explained.

After everyone nodded in agreement, Sanada turned to Tsuna and asked for his input. Tsuna, nodding in approval, said, "That sounds like a solid strategy."

"But," Tsuna continued, "I have an alternative approach in mind."

Sanada, intrigued, encouraged Tsuna to share his thoughts. "Go ahead, let's hear it."

Tsuna explained, "I suggest the opposite. We should come out aggressively right from the start and take the game to them."

Akashi looked concerned as he voiced his doubts. "But Kamata West is known for their aggressive playstyle, too. It won't matter if we keep scoring while they do the same."

Midorima chimed in, supporting Akashi's point. "They're also known for quickly adapting to their opponent's tactics. We shouldn't underestimate their defense."

Sanada nodded in agreement, and Tsuna responded with a calm smile. "I've considered those points as well. We won't stick to one pattern. I will do a combo with Kuroko to initiate different attack patterns over and over again."

Tsuna described his strategy in detail, assigning specific roles to each player on the court. He also emphasized the importance of Kuroko and Murasakibara working together on defense.

To make sure Kuroko's skills were at their best for the first half of the game, Tsuna decided to have Akashi sit on the bench temporarily. He planned to bring Akashi into play during the second half when they switched to a different game plan.

As the game progressed and Kuroko's misdirection tactics began to lose their effectiveness, it would be time to bring Akashi onto the court.

Tsuna and Murasakibara would take charge of the defense, while Midorima and Aomine, supported by Akashi, would be their main attackers. Tsuna believed this arrangement would be the most efficient way to keep racking up points.

Of course, Tsuna and Murasakibara would maintain a strategic distance just in case they were needed during an offensive play. The rest of the team would each mark an opposing player to apply defensive pressure.

Tsuna didn't factor Haizaki into the equation. Haizaki had also skipped today's game, claiming he was sick, although this was a common excuse for him.

Tsuna wasn't entirely sure how this new strategy would affect the mindset of the future Generation of Miracles. He knew they tended to play more aggressively once they realized they didn't need to play conservatively, especially as they entered their second year and began approaching their full potential.

However, Tsuna mainly focused on achieving the best possible results with the most efficient strategy, regardless of how it might change his teammates' mentality in the long run.

Once Tsuna explained his plan to the team, Sanada agreed to try it, curious about the potential outcome. The other players didn't voice any objections.

With the strategy in place, they exited the room and went to the court to face their opponents.

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