How was one meant to act after receiving their first kiss? Play it cool and act like everything was the same? Talk about it? Don't talk about it? Yuki really didn't know. She only knew that she wouldn't stop blushing, even after leaving the locker room with Naruto. Nor would her heart stop beating so hard. It felt like it was going to burst out of her chest any moment now.
The blond next to her was the exact opposite, looking the same as always. His clam demeanor was really ticking her off. Why wasn't he as embarrassed as she was? It was a big moment for both of them! She was sure it was his first kiss too, so there was no reason for him to not be embarrassed.
Or was she the one who was overreacting?
'I really don't have any experience with this.'
It was the embarrassing truth, but it also made Yuki happy. She was able to have her first experience with Naruto, so it wasn't all bad. Right?
Right.
"There you two are!"
The pair were greeted by the rest of the team waiting for them outside of the building. Only the coach was missing. Probably went back to the hotel to celebrate or something.
That, or get out of that suit. It really did not suit him. Ahahaha, puns. So great.
…...okay, moving on.
Moriyama glared at Naruto. "Spending time alone with Sugawara-chan in the locker room, were you? Don't think you can get anything past me, Uzumaki!"
Yuki buried her head in her hands, blushing further. "D-Don't say it like that!"
It wasn't like he was wrong, but she didn't want the others to know about their kiss. Not yet. It was far too embarrassing. Her poor heart couldn't take it.
Kise threw her a smirk. "Oh, I think it's accurate. After all, you and Uzumakicchi were-oof!"
"Oh-ahahaha! Come over here, Kise-san! There is something I need to share with you!"
The others all watched and sweatdropped as Yuki delivered a sharp blow to Kise's side, knocking the wind out of the model before dragging him to the side by the ear.
Who knew Yuki could be so tough?
"What's everyone doing out here anyway?" Naruto let out a yawn, quickly forgetting about Kise and his many cries of pain. "Shouldn't we be heading back to the hotel?"
Kasamatsu sighed. "Idiot. We just won a hard-fought battle. Do you really think we shouldn't be celebrating right now?"
His words lacked their usual bite. He was just as happy as the others were to have won against Aomine and Tōō. He was just doing a better job at hiding it.
"You say that, but it's not like we have that much money for a celebration." Kobori was sensible enough to point out the big flaw in their night getaway. Without money, there really wasn't anything for them to do.
"That's no problem." Kasamatsu didn't look concerned at all. "Kise can pay for us."
"What did you say, captain!" Kise was able to slip from Yuki's striking range long enough to complain. "Just how much do you think I get paid anyway!?"
He couldn't pay for the whole team dammit!
"Enough."
So inconsiderate!
"And anyway, I'm not the rich kid here!" Kise was quick to point the finger to Naruto, who was picking his ear with disinterest. "Uzumakicchi is the one who's loaded!"
"Say what?" Moriyama looked at Naruto. "You're rich?"
"Eh." Naruto shrugged. "Sort of."
It wasn't his money, but his mother's. He couldn't claim he owned all that.
"That's a cop out!" Kise pouted. "I saw your house. It's practically a mansion!"
"T'ch, so the bastard has money and the girl." Moriyama nearly spit in Naruto's direction. "How more unfair can the world get?"
Naruto ignored his petty complaints.
"But if that's the case, then Uzumaki can cover for us!" Kasamatsu said, his mood lifted again.
"But I-"
"There's no need to worry, Naruto-kun." Yuki quickly pulled out a credit card from her pocket. "Kaga-sama gave me this in case of emergencies."
And while it wasn't technically an emergency, it was close enough.
Naruto deadpanned. "Why do you have that? I thought my credit card was gone forever."
His mother had taken his credit card from him after he had bought too many ramen cups with it. Nearly enough to fill his room. It was heavenly, but apparently also very unhealthy for him. That's what they claimed anyway. It was going to cause him "problems," his mother said. And Yuki even agreed with her!
Dictators, the both of them. As if ramen could ever betray him.
"Unlike you, I can be responsible with money." Yuki stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm not going to spend it all on ramen."
"Hold your tongue!"
Ramen was to be respected!
Kise looked on in disappointment. "Uzumakicchi…..we really need to talk about this ramen problem of yours."
Problem? What problem? The only problem Naruto saw was people trying to keep him away from the most wonderful food on this planet. Yes, yes. That's what it was.
Delusion at its finest.
"I don't really get it," Nakamura said. "Why do you have Uzumaki's credit card?"
Nakamura really didn't understand the relationship between Naruto and Yuki. Even if they were dating, they seemed far closer than that. And it was weird.
"It's only natural." Yuki smiled and placed a hand over her chest. "I'm his maid, so of course I'm going to look after him."
This revelation was met with silence from the others, all staring at Naruto and Yuki like they were from another planet.
That is, until Moriyama sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank god. It all makes sense now. There's no way a nice girl like Sugawara-chan would hang around a punk like Uzumaki unless she had to."
This really made him happy. His whole night had been improved by this single piece of information.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "I really want to kick your ass right now."
"T(h)ere sh(o)uld be n(o) fig(h)tin(g) a(m)ong (f)rie(n)ds!" And of course, Hayakawa had to chime in with a statement no one could understand.
But it was still appreciated.
Kise smirked. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, senpai. After all, Uzumakicchi and Sugawaracchi were-oof!"
"It seems we need to talk again, Kise-san!"
There was another round of sweatdrops as Yuki delivered a sharp blow to Kise's stomach, once again knocking the wind out of him.
'She's gotten even more violent, hasn't she?' they all thought to themselves.
They all made a mental note to watch out for Yuki from now on.
The seven players and one girl found themselves a comfy looking restaurant not far from where they had played their game. It was in the direction of their hotel too, so that was a plus.
They were all looking ready to enjoy their celebratory meal as they stepped inside. But immediately, they froze when they saw who was already inside the restaurant.
Imayoshi blinked from where he sat before a smile broke out on his face. "Well, isn't this a surprise. If it isn't Kaijō! Fancy meeting you here."
That's right. It was the players from Tōō. Even Aomine was there, the boy twitching in annoyance when he and Naruto locked gazes with one another.
"Uzumaki."
Naruto twitched as well. "Aomine….."
Kise was more forthcoming, smiling widely. "Aominecchi! So you're here too, huh?"
Momoi was in the same high spirits as the model. "Ki-chan, Ki-kun!"
Wait, Ki-kun?
Naruto pointed at himself. "Are you referring to me?"
"Obviously."
Naruto's shoulders dropped. "What kind of nickname is that?"
It was easy to figure out. Uzumaki….ki, thus "Ki-kun."
Kise turned sheepish. "You might as well just accept it, Uzumakicchi. Once she gives you a nickname, she won't change it."
Like he was one to talk.
"Come on, we should all eat together!" Momoi suggested. She and Aomine were eating alone in one table, so they had plenty of room.
"Say what now?" Aomine and Naruto spoke at the same time, paused, looked at one another, and then glared.
They were not going to get along so easily.
Yuki rolled her eyes. "Don't act like a child."
Momoi huffed. "You too, Dai-chan. Calm down."
Despite their protests, Naruto and Aomine were practically vetoed and made to sit at the same table. Kise was more than happy to follow along with the girls' idea. To him, this was the best setup.
He was laid back like that.
The others in Kaijō joined the rest of the Tōō players, much to Imayoshi's amusement.
"Ahahaha, the world is a funny place, isn't it? We were enemies just an hour ago and now here we are. Eating like the best of friends."
"I wouldn't go that far," Kasamatsu said. He wasn't exactly fond of the glasses-wearer, but he could be polite at least.
"The match is over now. No reason for further hostilities." Imayoshi raised his drink. "We'll make sure to cheer you on. I get the feeling you'll need it."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh, I'm sure you know. If you win in the semifinals, you'll be in for a tough time."
It was just as Imayoshi said. They might have cleared one huge obstacle, but another remained.
"Hm."
"We can worry about that later I say." Moriyama picked up one of the menus. "We should eat and order the most expensive stuff here. That way, Uzumaki will be drained dry. Hehehehe."
Kobori sighed and shook his head. "You really need to let it go."
Yuki was cute, but this was ridiculous.
"I won't."
Moriyama could be petty like that. No shame. No shame at all.
Wakamatsu looked over to Aomine's table and almost grimaced by what he was seeing.
"Things are intense over there….."
Imayoshi looked over as well, another smile forming on his face.
"Heh, it's not everyday you see a group like that together, hm?"
Sure enough, things were getting pretty heated at Naruto's table. It was mostly because of said blond and Aomine, the two looking very uncomfortable with this seating arrangement while Yuki, Momoi, and Kise were all smiles.
"I'm Momoi Satsuki, it's nice to finally formally meet you!"
Formally, she said.
Yuki beamed. "Sugawara Yuki. The pleasure is all mine."
The two girls shook hands, both expressing nothing but joy at the moment.
It was like the meeting between two high-level beings. Just about all the boys in both teams could see a radiance coming from the two of them, and it was glorious.
Moriyama whimpered, looking ready to cry.
"I-It's beautiful. So beautiful. I'm glad I was born for this moment."
Kobori no longer had the strength to correct him.
"C-Ca(l)m down, M(o)riyam(a)-san! (T)here i(s) no ne(e)d to c(r)y!"
"I'm surrounded by idiots," Nakamura muttered in disdain, his head low.
Kasamatsu looked like he wanted to kick someone, but he held himself back. Tonight was all about celebrating! He could punish the idiots later.
"T'ch, so loud." Aomine glanced back to where the others were. It was weird for him to see both teams getting along like this. Like Imayoshi had pointed out, they had been at each other's throats just an hour ago. And now, they were eating together like none of that had happened.
"Stop looking so grumpy, Dai-chan." Momoi poked her childhood friend on the side. "The match is over. No reason to think about it anymore."
"Shut up." Aomine grumbled as he played around with his food, no longer feeling hungry. He and everyone else at Tōō had already gotten their orders. "I just lost to them. You can't expect me to get over it just like that."
"But yesterday's enemies are today's friends!" Momoi replied, clapping her hands.
'It hasn't even been a day yet.' Aomine wanted to say this, but he kept it to himself.
"Now, now. It doesn't really matter anymore." Kise looked at Aomine. "I know losing can be frustrating, but it's just as Momocchi said. The match is over. We can all get along, right?"
"T'ch, you're all so soft." Aomine frowned. "Especially you, Kise."
"Hm, really?" Kise only smiled at him. "I think Midorimacchi said the same thing to me, but I don't really see myself as any different." He then paused. "But I guess if I had to agree, then I would say that I enjoy playing basketball with the others now. Not just by himself."
Aomine's eyes narrowed. Those words. They were the same as Kuroko's.
"Man, you guys are always going on about such depressing crap. Are you sure you're high school students?" Naruto leaned back in his seat as Yuki slapped him on the shoulder.
"Naruto-kun, manners."
The blond shrugged. "I'm just saying. You guys think too much. You love basketball, right? Then what else matters?"
If playing excited them, then keep playing. Why bother worrying about anything else?
Momoi was amused. "You have a very simplistic view of things, don't you?"
"Basically."
And he was damn proud of it.
Yuki sighed. "I apologize on his behalf. Naruto-kun can be…..blunt."
"Oh, there's no reason to do that." Momoi waved her off and smiled. "It's Dai-chan who's being stubborn for no reason. No matter how many times I correct him, his poor manners never change."
"I get what you mean." A tired look appeared on Yuki's face. "I've been trying to correct Naruto-kun's poor habits for a long time, but he never listens!"
"Stubborn men, right?"
"Yes, I totally agree."
Momoi gained a teary-eyed expression. "I'm glad someone finally understands my pain."
Yuki had a similar expression. "I feel the same way, Momoi-san!"
If a table wasn't between them, the two girls would be hugging each other for comfort right about now.
Kise whistled. "Woah. They're bonding over how terrible the two of you are. That's sort of impressive."
Both Naruto and Aomine grumbled, but only to themselves. They didn't want to give the girls more ammunition than what they already had. It would just be annoying.
A waiter soon came to take their orders. Momoi and Aomine only got a refill on their drinks. They were already full from their initial orders.
"Are you going to stick around?" Yuki asked after the waiter left.
Momoi nodded. "Yep. We want to see how the Inter-High ends. Other than Ki-chan, we have two other friends left in the tournament. So the last few matches will be very interesting for us."
Naruto perked up at this. "Two other friends?"
That could only mean one thing.
Kise suddenly laughed, only it seemed a bit forced and hollow. "Ahahaha, that's right. You still haven't met them, Uzumakicchi. The last two players in the Generation of Miracles."
"I know who you're talking about." Yuki had done her best to memorize the names of the other Generation of Miracles, and what teams they were in. "You're talking about Murasakibara Atsushi-san and Akashi Seijūrō-san, correct?"
Kise nodded. "Yeah. The former center and captain for the Generation of Miracles."
Oh? Well then.
"Heh, I'm guessing they're strong."
Kise shot Naruto a small grin. "You don't know the half of it."
That worked well for Naruto then. The more competition, the better.
"None of us have seen them since middle school," Momoi said, looking down by this fact. "We have no idea how strong they are now, but they must have changed since then."
Seeing Momoi's dejected look reminded Naruto of the story Kise had told him and Yuki, of how things had ended among the Generation of Miracles. While he still didn't have the full story, it was obvious that things hadn't gone so well for them.
Aomine was a good example of this.
Not that it changed much in Naruto's mind. His objective was still the same. To win, plain and simple.
"So which of them are we playing against first?"
Yuki held herself back from slapping Naruto again. "You idiot, you didn't read the schedule, did you!?"
"We've been over this…..."
Urgh, he made her so frustrated sometimes.
Momoi almost cried. Whether it was from joy or pain, she didn't know. But seeing Yuki like this was like staring at a mirror for her. All that pain, all that misery.
She pouted. "Dai-chan, you idiot."
"What the hell?" Aomine had no idea what she was accusing him of this time. He hadn't even said anything for a while!
Kise merely shook his head at this. His two friends could be such idiots sometimes.
"We're not facing either of them yet," Yuki began to explain, putting her frustration aside. "It's the opposite. In the semifinals tomorrow, it's Murasakibara-san and Akashi-san who are playing against one another."
What the hell? What kind of bullshit was that?
"Why is the fun always denied to us?" Naruto said, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.
Momoi sweatdropped. "Most people would be glad to know they don't have a strong opponent to go up against."
"He's too much of an idiot for common sense," Yuki said to her, shaking her head in dismay.
"It's called fun, Yuki," Naruto chastised her. "You should try it out once in a while."
"Fun and stupidity don't go together, Naruto-kun."
So she said, but reality said otherwise. It's what made the world go round!
"Hah, you're a funny guy." Aomine rested his cheek on his palm, looking bored as always. "But you know, right. If you lose so quickly after beating me, I'll kick your ass."
"Say what now?"
"Yeah, you can't lose. Not until I get my revenge on you."
So that's how it was.
Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to beat you again. You have my word."
Kise looked at the girls. "I don't get it. Are they getting along or what?"
"If you don't get it, Kise-san, then there's no way we could…."
Idiots just had their own language it seemed.
"You should be more wary, Ki-kun," Momoi said as she pulled out a notebook from her bag. It was her personal informational diary, where she stored the data of all relevant players. "It's more than likely that you'll be facing Akashi-kun in the finals."
Naruto was curious. "What do you mean? Are you saying this Murasakibara guy is weak?"
"It's the opposite, Uzumakicchi." Kise's face was dead serious. "Murasakibaracchi challenged Akashicchi in the past…..and he lost. It was a one sided victory."
"More like a one-sided beat down." Aomine had heard about that one-on-one. It was the only reason Murasakibara bothered to listen to Akashi for the rest of their time in Teikō. It was also the day Akashi had "changed."
Not that Aomine cared much for that last part.
Yuki frowned. "Are you saying Akashi-san is that much stronger than the rest of you?"
If so, that was terrifying to think about.
"Hell no." Aomine scowled. "I could have beaten him."
"You don't know that, Dai-chan."
"Shut it, Satsuki."
Their friendship was weird.
"Well, they're both strong." Kise thought about it for a second. "I wouldn't say it's out of the ream of possibility for Murasakibaracchi to pull a win."
It wasn't just Akashi that had gotten stronger. Murasakibara must have as well. That's why tomorrow's match was sure to be interesting.
"It's not as straightforward as that, Ki-chan." Momoi shook her head. "It's not only Akashi-kun that you have to worry about when facing him."
"What do you mean?"
"Three other powerful players joined Rakuzan last year. I'm sure you've heard of them. The Uncrowned Kings."
Naruto was the only one who didn't immediately get it. "Uncrowned Kings? What's that?"
He was met with silence for a few seconds, until Aomine broke it.
"How much of an idiot are you?"
Hey! Aomine was the last person to be saying that to him!
Momoi smiled weakly. "You're funny, Ki-kun. How could you not have heard of them? If you play basketball, their names are bound to come up sooner or later."
Probably sooner.
Naruto shrugged. "I've only been playing for a few months, and most of that time was spent trying to get into the Inter-High. So cut me some slack."
Aomine nearly choked on his drink when he heard that. "Say what!? Did you just say you've only been playing for a few months!?"
"Well, yeah?" What was the big deal with that? Naruto pointed to the smiling Kise. "It was this idiot who approached me right before the preliminaries started. Before then, I had never once picked up a basketball."
As far as he could remember anyway.
Kise chuckled. "He's right. He was a total amateur."
"Still beat you."
"It was a tie!"
"Hmm, that would make sense." Momoi hummed in thought. "There's no way a powerful player like you would go unnoticed for this long otherwise. The reason no one knew about you before is because this is your first tournament."
Basically.
Aomine started to laugh at this, only it came off as a bit deranged. Like he had just been told an unbelievable fact that turned his world upside down. Which really, in this instance it wasn't that far from the truth.
"So I lost to a guy who hasn't even been playing for a year. Is that right?"
Yeah, pretty much.
"Fucking hell." Aomine wanted to drop to the floor and die. Losing was bad enough, but to an amateur?
It was beyond embarrassing.
But at the same time, deep within him, this knowledge also made Aomine excited. There really was such a strong opponent out there. One he could go all out against, where he would have to train in order to beat. Because he was sure Naruto hadn't reached his full potential yet. Not when he had just started.
So while losing sucked, it also made him excited to play basketball again. It's exactly what Aomine had been looking for all these years, that drive to move forward.
But he would keep all this to himself. No way he could ever admit to something like that. To let Naruto know he was the reason his flame had been ignited again. Far too embarrassing and mopey for his taste.
"The Uncrowned Kings are five strong players who would have been called the Generation of Miracles if Dai-chan and the others hadn't existed," Momoi explained to Naruto. "They exist in the shadows, you could say. They aren't as strong as anyone from the Generation of Miracles, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate them."
Especially if Akashi was leading them.
"Hmm." Naruto mulled this over. "So there are five of them. Did they all join Rakuzan?"
"No, only three did." Momoi began to smile. "Actually, one of the others returned to Seirin over the summer. They call him the 'Iron Heart.' He's a very strong center from the sounds of it."
It was Kise who smiled weakly this time. "You sure are quick on the update, aren't you?"
He had almost forgotten how terrifying her information gathering skills were.
Momoi giggled, oblivious to Kise's thoughts. "Of course I would know. It's Tetsu-kun's team. It's my job to know, as his girlfriend."
Naruto blinked. "You two are dating?"
He never would have guessed.
Kise and Aomine both grimaced and looked away. They weren't stepping on that landmine.
But anyway, Naruto was more concerned with these so-called Uncrowned Kings. There were three of them at Rakuzan, and they were being led by the former captain of the Generation of Miracles. Four strong players, who could no doubt be the ace for any team.
That sounded like a combo for disaster for anyone who went up against them.
Naruto smirked. 'I can't wait.'
He was getting pumped up again. The only downside was that they couldn't play Rakuzan next. It was going to be Murasakibara versus Akashi first.
'It's not as fun as playing, but watching them go at it won't be bad either.'
He would have to be satisfied with that.
Yuki sighed when she saw the look on Naruto's face.
'Idiot is probably thinking about playing them.'
He was so predictable like that.
But that was part of the reason why Yuki liked him so much.
"T'ch, just make sure to remember what I said." Aomine glared at Naruto. "Don't lose. Not until our rematch."
That was one promise Naruto was going to make sure to keep.
"I feel like that little celebration turned out to be more exciting than we planned," Kobori mused as the team exited the restaurant.
"We got some useful information out of it." That's all Naruto cared about.
Yuki rolled her eyes. "Information that you should already have known if you only paid attention."
The end result was still the same, so what did it matter?
"Don't get too comfortable yet." Kasamatsu turned to them. "It's true our next match doesn't include anyone from the Generation of Miracles, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down. No matter who we're up against, we'll give it our all. Understood?"
There were shouts of approval from the others. Even Yuki joined in with a nod, looking determined as she stood beside them.
Their next opponent was Ōnita High. They were no Rakuzan, but it didn't matter. They were going to fight as if they were.
And they were going to win.
There was still a buzz of excitement in the air the next day. The match between Kaijō and Tōō had been fierce, and people were looking forward to seeing Yōsen High and Rakuzan High deliver a similar game. Why? Because both schools had a member of the Generation of Miracles in them. People were ready to see Murasakibara and Akashi duke it out.
None was as excited as Naruto who woke up early that morning. The game didn't start until the afternoon, but that didn't stop him from waking up early.
Embarrassingly enough, that morning he was greeted by several messages from his mother telling him how happy she was with his performance, which included several pictures of him playing in the game.
'So she came.'
How mortifying.
He still saved the messages, though. After making sure no one noticed him of course. Not because they were important or anything like that. Just...because.
Whatever, he didn't need to explain himself.
The rest of the morning was pretty boring. There wasn't much to do before the game started. It was a painful wait for the blond, but thankfully the hours rolled by and soon enough he, Kise, and Yuki were making their way back the building where the Inter-High was being held.
"I can't believe you overslept." Naruto grumbled. He and Kise were in their team jacket and pants, as it was to be expected.
Kise let out a quick yawn. "It's not my fault. Besides, the coach said he wanted us well rested for the match later."
"You still overdid it."
The others had gone on ahead since they didn't feel like waiting for Kise to finally wake up. Naruto had only waited because Yuki had forced him to, saying that he couldn't leave his "best friend" behind.
Since when was Kise his best friend?
"You should relax a little, Uzumakicchi. I know you want to see this match, but I'm sure we won't miss any of the exciting stuff."
Naruto hoped not. Or else, he might just have to throw Kise out a window to help him cope.
Yuki was the only anxious one here. Kise hadn't given them any details about what Murasakibara and Akashi were capable of, but she had heard the stories about their middle school matches. They were strong, and Momoi's words last night only further proved that. What kind of match were they going to see? Yuki didn't know, but she was sure it was going to be out of this world.
As fate would have it, as the trio began to enter the building, a certain tall snack eating player was exiting it. For a second, it looked like neither side was going to notice the other. But that didn't end up happening as Kise almost immediately recognized the other player and turned to him with wide eyes.
"Murasakibaracchi!?"
Murasakibara paused mid-bite from one of the snacks he was munching on. He reacted slower than Kise, looking as if he didn't want to be here right now.
"Kise-chin….."
Naruto openly stared at Murasakibara. This was the first time he was seeing the guy, and it was quite an experience. For one thing, the guy was tall. Really tall. He was even taller than Kise by a good amount. It was almost like Naruto was staring at a giant.
And his presence. Right away, Naruto could see this guy was strong.
'So this is Murasakibara….'
The center for the Generation of Miracles…..already Naruto wanted to face him.
Yuki noticed the uniform he was wearing. It was the Yōsen High uniform.
'So Momoi-san was right.'
The girl was very grateful for this, to know Momoi hadn't tried to lie to them. Yuki was also glad that they were going to have to worry about one less powerful opponent after this first match. She was far more practical than Naruto, who just wanted to face anyone who was strong.
"We haven't seen each other since graduation, right?" Kise laughed as he patted Murasakibara on the back. "How you been? Still eating a lot of junk I see."
There was a whole pile of snacks on Murasakibara's arms. They ranged from chips to chocolate and anything else in between.
'Too much sweets,' Yuki thought with an inner grimace. It was making her sort of sick just looking at all the stuff he was eating at once.
"Ah, you're being too loud right now." Murasakibara took another bite from his chocolate bar. "I don't have the energy to keep up with you."
Even though he was eating all those sweets? Go figure.
Kise didn't seem to mind. "Still the same, huh."
If it didn't deal with basketball or snacks, Murasakibara was basically a total sloth. Trying to get him pumped up for anything else was almost an impossibility.
Yuki then noticed something. "Wait a second, isn't your match going to start soon? Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be with your team?"
Naruto and Kise both perked up at this. Now that she mentioned it…..
"Oh, that." Murasakibara started to lick some of the leftover chocolate off his fingers. "I'm not playing in the game today."
Say what now?
Kise couldn't help but frown at this. "Why?"
"Who knows?" Murasakibara clearly didn't care as much. "All I know is that Aka-chin told me not to, so I'm not."
Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Aka-chin?"
"He's talking about Akashicchi…..our former captain," Kise replied, still frowning.
Naruto was frowning as well. They were on separate teams, but Murasakibara was still listening to what Akashi told him? More importantly, why would Akashi even ask that of Murasakibara? What was his end goal?
"Are you okay with this Murasakibaracchi?" Kise asked. He was not happy with this decision at all. "Choosing not to play…..your team could lose because of this, you know."
"I don't really care. I don't want to play a game where the outcome is already a given."
That would be the same as a worthless effort, and that wasn't Murasakibara's style.
Naruto stepped forward. "What are you saying? That you'll lose to Akashi no matter what you do?"
Murasakibara looked at Naruto for the first time. His eyes were cold. "Who are you?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"That so?" Obviously, Murasakibara didn't care much for that either.
Naruto scowled. "Answer the question."
He was beginning to get a bit irritated with this guy. He didn't seem to care about basketball at all. It was totally different from Aomine or even Midorima. The two might be stuck up assholes, but they still loved and respected the sport. It was something Naruto could admire in them. But Murasakibara didn't seem to harbor such sentiments. For Naruto, who had found salvation in basketball, it was annoying.
There was a pause, and Yuki was afraid that a fight was about to break out between the two boys. But even she couldn't have predicted what happened next.
Murasakibara started to pull on Naruto's cheek. "Those markings…..what are they? Birthmarks? They seem like drawings to me."
Naruto was left speechless for a few seconds before he exploded.
"What the fuck are you doing!?"
He tried to say that, but since Murasakibara was pulling on his cheek it came out as gibberish.
"Oh wow, they really are birthmarks." Murasakibara looked on in amazement, like a little kid visiting a zoo for the first time. "How weird."
"Get the fuck off me!"
"Eh, you're being too loud."
"You're the one who started pulling on my cheek! What? You wanna fight? Is that what you want!?"
"Just shut up already."
"Why you…..!"
Yuki didn't know what to think about this. "Kise-san, your friend is rather….."
She didn't know how to put it.
Kise had a resigned smile. "Yeah, he can be rather dense. Some even say he's got a screw loose for a head. But he's still a strong player. Even Aominecchi has a tough time scoring on him."
If Aomine of all people could struggle, then Yuki knew Murasakibara was not someone to be underestimated. For sure.
"I'm getting tired just from talking to you." Murasakibara sighed and turned away from the fuming Naruto. "Whatever, I was already leaving. I don't want to play basketball today. That's all."
This guy….
Kise looked down in dismay. "So you're still like that."
It was a shame, but if Murasakibara wasn't going to play then the first match for today was practically unimportant now. It wasn't going to be the game everyone had been expecting to see.
"Hah." Naruto scoffed at Murasakibara's retreating back. "I didn't take you for that kind of guy. You're nothing but a coward I see."
That comment stopped Murasakibara dead in his tracks. He turned back to Naruto, his face annoyed. "What did you say? I'm not a coward."
"But it's plain to see. You're running away, right? Looks like I overestimated you. If you're like this, then there's no reason to fear you if we ever face off. It'll be an easy victory for us."
Murasakibara looked even more annoyed now.
Yuki was just plain worried again. "Naruto-kun, stop trying to provoke him."
Kise said nothing, partially because he agreed with what Naruto was saying. He was really disappointed with this development.
"You take basketball seriously, don't you?"
It was a rhetorical question from Murasakibara. He could already tell what type of player Naruto was. The type that he hated most.
"You're so heated." Murasakibara walked back to Naruto, his face darkening as his hand loomed over the blond. "That it makes me want to crush you."
Naruto didn't flinch and glared back at him.
There was only one natural solution to this, and they both knew it.
Yuki had no idea how it happened. One minute they were heading to see a match. Nothing too exciting, right? Just a normal day between friends before they had to compete in their own game.
But now, they were out in one of the street courts nearby that no one else was using. Which was lucky for them.
Naruto and Murasakibara were the only ones on the court. The two had discarded their jackets and were now in their team t-shirts. Kise and Yuki stood to the side as spectators while Murasakibara's snacks lied safely on the ground next to them.
"Shouldn't we stop this?" Yuki wondered. Was this even legal? She was sure there was a rule against players participating in unofficial matches.
"You're taking it too seriously, Sugawaracchi." Kise had a quick solution to that. He shrugged. "They're only practicing. It's not an unofficial match at all."
Right…..such a convenient excuse.
It was a simple one-on-one, Naruto versus Murasakibara. Kise was fine with not taking part in this. He knew that Naruto felt a lot more strongly about this than he did, so he had no problems letting Naruto take out some of his frustrations on Murasakibara.
Of course, to Murasakibara this was nothing more than a simple way to put someone in their place. It was going to be quick and easy.
"Five points," Naruto said. "First to get five points wins."
There was an odd sense of déjà vu for Murasakibara when he heard this, but he ignored it.
The one-on-one was on.
It was Naruto who started out with the ball first. Murasakibara took his normal position under the basket, looking laid back as usual. It was like he didn't care about this at all.
It only annoyed Naruto further.
"Let me ask you something."
"Hm?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he dribbled the ball in place.
"What is basketball to you?"
Murasakibara frowned. "What does that matter to you?"
So he wasn't going to explain himself.
"If you have anything to say to me, I'll hear you out right now." Murasakibara raised his massive hand again. "Here, on the court."
That suited Naruto just fine.
No more words were exchanged. There was a tense moment where the only sound was that of the ball hitting the ground. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Then, without a signal, Naruto launched his body forward. Even though this wasn't an official match and it wouldn't count for anything, he was still going to give it his all.
Murasakibara had annoyed him that much.
The purple haired teen didn't seem fazed by Naruto's speed at all. Even when Naruto was right in front of him, Murasakibara didn't bat an eye. It almost seemed like he wasn't going to do anything as Naruto made to get around him by his left side. But then, just as Naruto was going to shoot past him, Murasakibara sprung into action.
Naruto didn't hide his surprise when Murasakibara blocked his path, cutting him off from dunking.
The blond quickly stopped to asses the situation for a moment.
'He's fast.'
That was the obvious observation. Naruto had been expecting Murasakibara to have a slow reaction time given his size, but it was the opposite.
It was honestly shocking.
"Well?" Murasakibara drawled out. "Are you coming or not? Or are you all talk?"
Naruto held himself back from taking the bait. Losing his cool right now would only jeopardize his chances for victory. Murasakibara's attitude might piss him off, but that had nothing to do with his skills.
Annoyingly enough.
Murasakibara felt surprise rise in his chest when he saw Naruto start to dribble the ball slower than before.
'This is…..'
He recognized this. He had seen it many times back in Teikō.
As he predicted, Naruto launched forward again. It was an amazing thing, he had to admit. Changing speeds like that was not something just anyone could do. Naruto's speed was also doubled from before.
The blond really was serious about this.
Like before, it looked like Naruto was going to try and get past Murasakibara with a straightforward drive, using his speed to get the advantage over Murasakibara.
It was then that Naruto realized something else. Even if Murasakibara couldn't fully react to his speed, that didn't mean he couldn't stop him. With those long arms of his, Murasakibara was able to reach lengths most people couldn't without really trying all that much.
That's what Naruto found out as he tried to jump after being able to get around Murasakibara's initial defense.
'I won't score.'
Not at this rate. Not when Murasakibara's massive hand loomed nearby, ready to strike at the appropriate time.
Murasakibara felt like victory was upon him. Naruto couldn't go anywhere else under these circumstances. Once he jumped, Murasakibara would smack the ball out of his hands. He was sure of it.
But there was another twist in this face off, only this one came from Naruto.
Acting quickly, Naruto dribbled the ball harder than before, making sure it bounced higher than normal. Not expecting this, Murasakibara was caught off guard when the ball launched past his shoulders.
'What is-'
He couldn't finish his question as Naruto spun on his heels and ran to the other side where the ball was waiting for him.
Murasakibara saw what Naruto was trying to do and immediately spun around to try and stop Naruto's dunk for a third time.
It was an amazing thing for Kise and Yuki to witness. It was Naruto's speed against Murasakibara's reaction time. Which one was faster? It's what would decide the play.
As it turned out, Naruto's speed proved to be faster this time as he launched into the air a second faster than Murasakibara who had been slowed down by his initial defense. By the point the center tried to smack the ball from Naruto's hands, the blond was already dunking it.
"He did it!" Despite her initial hesitation, Yuki was still more than happy to cheer for Naruto and his first victory over Murasakibara.
Kise didn't share her enthusiasm, however. From the pit of his stomach, he just knew that this was far from over.
Naruto could sense this as well as there was a sudden spike of anger from Murasakibara.
"Ah, I totally understand now. You're definitely one of those players, aren't you."
If Murasakibara had any doubts before, they were gone now.
Naruto faced him, sweat dripping down his cheek. He could feel, nay almost taste the intense pressure that was washing off Murasakibara, like a purple aura that threatened to swallow anything it touched.
'He looks totally different now.'
It was like he had awakened the beast.
"You enjoy basketball, is it?" Murasakibara clenched his fists as he towered over Naruto. "I'll show you….just how cruel of a sport basketball can be."
It was so revolting, Murasakibara could puke. Watching players squirm for victory, trying to reassure themselves through "hard work." He had seen it many times, and it always ended the same way.
In defeat.
"I'll crush all of it," he said, his face darkening. "Your work, your faith, your determination."
Murasakibara was going to grind them into the dust.