It was a total ambush from Rakuzan. A successful one at that. No one had seen it coming, after all. For there to be this "new" phantom player on the court…...it was hard to swallow.
It was especially troubling for a team like Kaijō, who had already faced Kuroko and lost to the guy. The psychological toll it took on them was not light, and it showed as the players struggled to regroup.
It was a different story for Naruto, who was struggling for a different reason. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around this Misdirection stuff. He had seen Kuroko play before, so it wasn't like he had no knowledge about it. However, experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. It really was something bizarre. Seeing someone disappear and then reappear somewhere else. Was this magic?
Just what the hell?
There was no stopping the onslaught that came, though.
Especially since Akashi didn't hesitate to use this ace in the hole to its full. And the crowd loved it.
"Rakuzan has magic passes now!"
"Did you see the ball curve!? How are they doing that!?"
"Kaijō can't keep up at all!"
That last comment was especially annoying.
'Goddammit!' Kasamatsu looked positively livid as he tried to intercept another free ball that came near him. But like how it had happened before, the ball was slapped away from him reach just before he could grab it.
The ball flew to its new target, which was none other than Nebuya who was already waiting for it.
Kobori sprung into action when he took notice of this, ready to block the Rakuzan center from scoring. It was no use, though, as Nebuya launched into the air for the dunk with ease. He scored right through Kobori, who fell back with a grunt.
"MUSCLE DUNK!" The dark skinned player shouted right as he dunked.
Say what now?
"T'ch, is that suppose to be a special move or something?" Moriyama said through gritted teeth. He didn't understand the logic at all.
Honestly, it looked just like a normal dunk.
Mibuchi looked exasperated. "You're not the only one who's confused."
It might sound stupid, but it was still effective regardless. That's all Akashi cared about in the end.
The second quarter continued, and Kise was already looking fed up with everything.
'I knew Akashicchi was planning something, but I didn't think it would be this.'
A second Kuroko. It was enough to make Kise angry from the pit of his stomach. He held a deep respect for the quiet boy, so someone trying to claim that they were a "better" version of him only pissed Kise off.
'I won't let you do as you please.'
From the sidelines, Takeuchi noticed the change in demeanor from Kise and stopped himself from calling a timeout. Was it wise? He didn't know, but at the same time when you saw your player looking like that…..there was no way he could stop the momentum now, right?
"Oh man, things are totally looking hopeless down there." Imayoshi was having the time of his life right now, something he wasn't trying to hide "Kaijō is looking pretty lost. They totally weren't expecting something like this!"
Momoi grimaced a little. "None of us were."
Aomine stayed quiet. His eyes were focused on Naruto and Kise.
'What are you going to do about this?'
Rakuzan had managed to widen the gap in the score in their favor in the last two minutes since that Mayuzumi guy had begun to make his move. In that time, Akashi had done nothing but pass. Those passes of his were deadly accurate, more so thanks to those eyes of his. Naruto hadn't been able to stop them so far, and Kise was falling for Mayuzumi's Misdirection every time.
If the two key players couldn't bounce back from this, then there was no hope for Kaijō.
That being said, Aomine was going to be really pissed off if Naruto and Kise lost to this.
Back with the match, Akashi was once again in possession of the ball. His face was calm, almost detached from everything around him. His eyes were different, though. They were focused, ready to destroy anyone who stood in their way.
Naruto stood before him, his face the total opposite. He was agitated, and it showed. This wasn't like the first quarter where they faced off directly. Akashi was making sure to go around him, staying one step ahead thanks to the Emperor Eye. That's how he was able to get the ball out so perfectly without Naruto being able to stop him.
'Your face is pissing me off!'
Not able to stand still, Naruto stepped forward and got closer to the redhead, amping up his defense. His hands went directly for the ball, but Akashi was already prepared for this. He knew what to expect.
Naruto wasn't able to get close enough to try and steal the ball as Akashi was already throwing it for another pass.
It was just like all the other times. It looked like a terrible pass that no one was going to be able to get. But Mayuzumi was already on the move, ready to misdirect the pass to another location.
There was a surprise this time. The surprise came in the form of Kise who stayed with the silver haired boy all the way through.
'Don't mess with me!'
Kise had spent a great deal of time around Kuroko. He had even lost to the boy already. Falling for the same gimmick that someone else was using…...that was terrible enough. But to think the third year was arrogant enough to use it so many times on him.
It was the very definition of idiocy.
But there was more to it than that. Kise wasn't one who enjoyed being looked down on. In the two minutes that had already passed, he was already getting used to Mayuzumi and his movements. Making sure to focus and follow him was getting easier now. Did they really think so little of him? That he wouldn't be able to do this?
"That's not it at all, Ryōta."
Akashi's calm voice broke through Kise's thoughts just as Mayuzumi caught the ball.
The surprise was evident on Kise's face. Why wouldn't it? Catching the ball meant that Mayuzumi couldn't slap it away for the pass like he had been doing so far.
"I don't enjoy being underestimated like this," Mayuzumi said softly. His eyes gained a bit of fire in them as he got into a shooting position. "Comparing me to that other…...it's insulting."
Kise froze as Mayuzumi performed a simple jump shot that went in through the basket with no trouble.
Even Naruto had to freeze at this development. "He can shoot?"
But Kuroko couldn't make shots at all! That's what Kise had told him, and the match he had watched in the preliminaries confirmed it.
"I believe I already told you this." Next to him, Akashi spoke with his smooth voice. "He's not the same as Tetsuya. He's the newer model. He's not as limited as Tetsuya is."
That just spelled more trouble for them, didn't it? If they were going to win this match, stopping Mayuzumi came first.
But how were they going to do that?
It was a bit embarrassing, but in the end Takeuchi made his move and called for a time out. It was the best way for them to regroup considering the circumstances.
"I can't believe this." Moriyama was glaring at the floor. "How can there be someone else like that guy? He was annoying enough."
"You can say that again." Kasamatsu was glaring at Mayuzumi who sat with the other Rakuzan players. "The Uncrowned Kings are already a pain in the ass. We don't need another invisible bastard popping up on top of that."
Yuki looked at them with worry. "What can we do?"
She had already seen how much they had been struggling to keep Akashi and the Uncrowned Kings at bay in the first quarter. Now that Rakuzan was going at full strength, they were being overwhelmed.
"Eh? Isn't that obvious?" Naruto savored another delicious lemon slice that Yuki had prepared for them. It was thanks to that he had a more clear head now. "If we can't stop that guy, then all we have to do is score more than them."
Kobori sweatdropped. "You say that like it's simple."
If they could, they would already be doing that. That's why they were losing like this.
"Besides, not dealing with him is the same as running away," Moriyama argued. "I don't like that at all."
Kasamatsu shook his head. "Sometimes, a strategic retreat is all you can do. If we start to fixate on him, then Akashi will probably just start passing to the others. Then what?"
They would be leaving themselves exposed, even more than they already were.
"If they want to come at us, so be it." Takeuchi looked at his team. "However, we're going to cut right through their defense. You already know what to do."
Smirking, Kise stood up. "I don't enjoy taking the easy way out, but alright. If it means we win, I'm ready to do anything."
"Just go and kill them." Standing up as well, Naruto cracked his neck to loosen up. "I'll make sure to keep Akashi away from the rest of the pack. The rest is up to you."
"You're so nice, Uzumakicchi."
"Shut it. Before I decide to kill you myself."
What good friends they were.
"No, wait. Don't kill them!" Yuki panicked. "What are you idiots saying!? Are you even trying to play basketball anymore!?"
She was cute when she took things literally, wasn't she?
"I think it's already too late for that, Sugawara-chan," Moriyama said, amused and also on his feet.
Kasamatsu and Kobori also got up, the former angry that Naruto and Kise had hogged the conversation near the end while the latter was also amused.
"Whatever, you fools." The captain led his team back onto the court, his face determined. "Let's just go and kill them all!"
Naruto cheered his captain on. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Mayhem solved everything!
Yuki looked like she was struggling to breathe. "What are they even thinking of doing out there!?"
Nakamura shrugged. "At least they're motivated?"
That was a good thing, right?
Hayakawa let out a cheer of his own, showing his approval in all of this. Even Takeuchi was nodding, looking proud.
"Go get them."
Yuki was left sitting on the bench, defeated.
'Why is everyone on this team such morons?'
Kinda late to question that, Yuki.
"Oh?" Imayoshi's eyes gleamed with interest. "Doesn't look like Kaijō has given up yet."
He could see it the moment they got back on the court after the time out. They still had fighting spirit left.
Aomine picked his ear with disinterest. "Huh? That much should be obvious. If they can't bounce back from this, then it's just pathetic."
"Dai-chan, don't say that."
But it was the truth.
"Maybe so," Wakamatsu said, "but what are they planning on doing?"
No one had an answer for him.
"I'm happy to see that you're still standing."
Naruto and Kise were greeted by those words when they walked back onto the court. It was Akashi who spoke them, his face expressing a ghost of a smile.
"I wouldn't be satisfied with an easy victory like this," he added. "That wouldn't be interesting at all. Though, it wouldn't surprise me either."
Kise frowned. "Thank you for the vote of confidence." Sort of? "But you shouldn't act like you've already won this."
Akashi didn't look fazed. "I believe the results are already speaking for themselves. Don't you? Or are you still planning on clinging to whatever hope you have left?"
Did he want them to play or not? Make up your mind!
"So you want to be entertained, huh?" Naruto turned away from him. "We can do that for you. Just don't regret what you ask for, you bastard."
Kise turned away as well, the two joining the others.
Akashi watched them go in silence, but his mind was already made up.
He was going to make sure he utterly crushed them during the second quarter.
Hayama found his excitement rising up as the next play started.
"What's this? Are you taking me on this time?"
You see, it was no longer Kasamatsu who was marking him. No, it was Kise. The strict captain was now on Mayuzumi, who didn't look perturbed at all by this change. It didn't really make a difference for him either way.
Kise felt his eyebrow twitching a little when he saw the excited look on Hayama's face. It was like he was watching a puppy interact with his favorite toy.
Wait, wasn't he the toy in that analogy?
Better not think about that.
"Your captain isn't bad, but it's totally not the same!" Hayama turned feral as he stared down at Kise. "It's gotta be you or Uzumaki, after all. Crushing anyone else just isn't as fun!"
This guy totally reminded Kise of Kagami, funnily enough. If not a bit more stupid looking.
Kise focused back to the play at hand.
"I don't mind giving you what you want. Just don't complain later."
Hayama was sure he wouldn't.
The ball was in Rakuzan's hands, which of course meant that Akashi was in possession of it.
Right away, the redhead noticed the change in demeanor of the blond blocking his way. He was no longer letting his anger show. None of the others were.
'They've calmed down.'
This meant that they were planning something. It was the only reason they could look so calm, so full of intent.
Akashi was going to savor destroying whatever plan they had, and their determination along with it.
He made to move, which made Naruto's body twitch in anticipation. The whiskered blond was more than ready to block any path the redhead took.
Akashi wasn't here to waste time.
"You're in my way. Bow your head."
His Emperor Eye flared up at full force as he made his move for real this time. He dribbled forward, cutting to the left. Naruto moved accordingly to stop him, but he found himself tripping on his heel again when Akashi cut back.
'Dammit, that ankle break crap again!'
It was beyond annoying, but Naruto had no way of stopping himself from falling to the floor. This allowed Akashi to dribble through with no resistance.
Or so he thought.
'Not yet!' Naruto wasn't going to let something like this keep stopping him. He had fallen for this crap too many times already.
It might be impossible for others, but Naruto didn't let those sorts of limitations stop him. He forced his body to move again the second he hit the floor. That's why he was already looming over Akashi before the redhead had a chance to pass the ball or try to score for himself.
'What!?' Akashi looked back just as Naruto closed in on him.
'How is he standing already!?' Mibuchi couldn't believe it. It was the first time someone was able to shake off Akashi's ankle break so quickly.
Akashi would never admit it to himself, but in that moment he truly panicked. He wasn't able to come up with a sensible enough plan in such a short amount of time, so he was only able to randomly toss the ball before Naruto could steal it from him.
Naruto mentally cursed at this, as did Yuki who slapped her leg in disappointment.
'So close!'
But still not enough.
However, the ball was still in play. Under these circumstances, Mayuzumi was the perfect choice to come in and save the day. Kise was no longer on him, so slipping in with his Misdirection and diverting the ball to someone else should be easy.
Right?
Kasamatsu didn't think so.
"You think Kise is the only one you have to worry about!? Huh!?" The captain shouted as he moved the moment the new phantom player did.
Mayuzumi was a second faster, so he was able to get to the ball first. But Kasamatsu was close enough to block any attempt for a pass.
This did not sit well with Mayuzumi at all.
'This guy…..'
"I already fell for that invisible kid's tricks for a whole match," Kasamatsu said with his eyes narrowed. "Do you think I wouldn't be able to read you as well?"
Kobori and Moriyama were still unable to keep up, so Mayuzumi had assumed Kasamatsu would be the same way. After all, there was a big difference between Kise and someone like Kasamatsu.
His guess had been wrong apparently.
Well, whatever. It didn't really matter.
Switching gears, Mayuzumi grasped the ball and made to shoot.
Kasamatsu felt insulted just seeing this. "Do you really think you can take it that easy!?"
The silver haired boy's eyes widened when his shot was blocked by the Kaijō captain who slapped the ball back down.
"You can't keep surprising us with that crap," Kasamatsu said, glaring at the so-called phantom. At this rate, facing this guy was going to be easier than Kuroko.
Mayuzumi was too shocked for words.
"Nice one, captain!" Kise hadn't been expecting this at all. Mayuzumi had been able to perfectly elude them so far, but it looked like he was quickly losing ground.
That was music to Kise's ears.
Acting quickly, Kise moved for the ball before anyone else could. He quickly scooped it up and sped for Rakuzan's basket.
Somewhat frustrating, Hayama was able to stay on him and stop him in his tracks.
"Not so fast!" Grinning widely, Hayama snickered. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for! Mayuzumi-san might have screwed up, but I'm different!"
Kise wasn't so amused. "Really? I don't see a difference at all."
Just another idiot to get through.
Hayama wasn't able to say anything in return as Kise was already on the move.
"Not letting you through!"
Hayama was still excited to go head-to-head with the blond, but that excitement faded away when Kise pulled out an all too familiar move.
The crowd had to cover their ears again when they were assaulted by the same dribble that Hayama had pulled off in the first quarter.
Said player was stunned. 'Wait a second, this guy is-!'
Grinning, Kise pushed everything into the dribble, using all five fingers unlike Hayama who had only used four so far. This made the dribble all the more powerful.
And elusive.
Hayama was forced to see his own move used against him. He saw the ball disappear from his very eyes, only a streak of lightning being left behind.
Nebuya's mouth was left hanging open after this.
'He copied Hayama's dribble!'
No, not just copied. He was able to perform the next level without even seeing it!
The ending was a bit less exciting than the rest of the play, as Kise performed a simple layup and scored.
The crowd loved it nonetheless.
"Ooohh, Kise copied Hayama!"
"Kaijō stopped Rakuzan!"
"They're not done yet!"
Momoi felt a bit overwhelmed from all the shouting, especially since some of the people were on their feet as they were unable to contain their excitement.
"Uwah, they're really going at it."
"Ahaha, why do you think that is?" Imayoshi had a different expression on him now. He looked down at the court as Naruto and Kise shared a high five with one another. "Kaijō was finally able to fight back."
They had been on the defensive all throughout the second quarter. But now, with five minutes remaining, they had been able to turn the tables.
How fascinating.
Those in Shūtoku were also overwhelmed.
"It's a given that Kise-san is amazing for copying the Uncrowned King, but what Uzumaki-senpai did…..." Takao was at a loss for words.
"H'mph." Midorima readjusted his glasses. "He really is something of a beast."
Almost like they were thinking the same thing, Imayoshi chuckled.
"That guy. He forced Akashi to pass. That's not something I thought I would ever see."
Forcing someone to pass was totally different from a normal pass. It was a sign of defeat.
And Imayoshi was sure that Akashi was taking it that way, if the look of bitterness was anything to go by.
Or was it anger?
Imayoshi couldn't tell, and that was the scary part.
"Mayuzumi-san's moves are being less effective too," Sakurai pointed out. "Isn't that bad for Rakuzan?"
Aomine stared at Kasamatsu, who was looking rather proud of himself. "Who knows. It might have just been a fluke. But that guy is tenacious, if nothing else. It's just another hole that Rakuzan has to deal with now."
That wasn't including Naruto and Kise.
Could Rakuzan do that? That was the question.
This match had just reached another turning point.
'I got carried away.'
Akashi realized his mistake. He had put too much of an emphasis on Mayuzumi since the start of the second quarter. He did this deliberately of course. He wanted to beat down each player from Kaijō, until they no longer had any fighting spirit left. To do that, he was having Hayama, Mibuchi, and Nebuya score as much as possible, showing just how superior they were.
It had worked well in the first half of the quarter, to the point that Kaijō had become completely unorganized.
Naruto and Kise were changing that.
In particular, Kise was changing the tide of the quarter as he took center stage. It wasn't just Hayama's moves that he copied, but Mibuchi's as well.
Hayama learned this the hard way when Kise forced a foul on him before scoring a three just as Mibuchi would.
"You guys really showed off in the first quarter," Kise grinned like a madman. "It's only fair if I return the favor, right?"
Moriyama in particular appreciated that. Seeing someone else fall for the same stupid technique he had…..well, it was refreshing.
"Don't get carried away!" In a burst of anger, Nebuya stepped up to try and stop Kise's momentum. But Kise didn't look fazed by this at all as he rushed right through the center, dunking right through him.
'No way!' Nebuya couldn't believe it as he was pushed back. It was like he was seeing his own powerful dunk, only it was turned on him. Kise was even copying his strength!
Mibuchi was in a similar state of panic. 'So this is his copying abilities!'
He had assumed their abilities would take Kise longer to copy. Now, Mibuchi was seeing that he had been far too arrogant to assume that.
Aomine even felt insulted by their reactions. "Why are they looking so surprised for? Did they think Kise couldn't use their moves? They practically showed him everything he needed in the first quarter."
Momoi understood, though. It was the same infection that had plagued Aomine and the others during their Teikō years.
Arrogance. The Uncrowned Kings were full of it. They might listen to Akashi, presumably because he showed them his strength. But they didn't feel the same way toward the others.
And so, they were learning the hard way. Kise was making sure of that.
And the blond was enjoying it.
"Too slow!" Kise practically taunted Hayama as he dribbled past him, once again using his Lighting Dribble.
'Dammit, I can't keep up!' Never before had Hayama felt so weak in a match, and against his own moves no less! There was nothing that could humiliate him more.
It was Rakuzan who was on the receiving end of an ambush this time, and they fell for said ambush hard.
There was another time out called, the second of the quarter. Only this time it was called by Rakuzan, per Akashi's orders.
"Goddammit!" Nebuya almost kicked the bench in anger. Only the stern look from Akashi stopped him.
"Calm yourselves, all of you." Akashi's voice lacked any anger or frustration. It was actually relatively calm, all things considered.
This only made the Uncrowned Kings the more nervous. Nothing good could came when Akashi sounded like that. It simply hid the anger that was hiding underneath.
"It seems like our lead made you all careless. Is that it?" Akashi narrowed his eyes. "You all knew what Ryōta was capable of. Why are you all so flustered now? Being pushed back like this…...it's beyond pathetic."
Hayama shot Mayuzumi a small glare. "We wouldn't be in this hole if someone hadn't gotten beaten like that."
Mibuchi and Nebuya seemed to be in agreement as they too glared at the only third year in the team.
Mayuzumi returned the glare with his own, but he didn't respond. He already knew this was the way they were. They were willing to act nice and all friendly when things were going well, but as soon as something inconvenient came up they were more than happy to throw him under the bus.
'An expandable pawn, is it?'
"That was nothing more than a little setback." Akashi didn't seem to think the same way, though, which surprised them all. "It is true. We got a bit carried away. We won't make that same mistake twice."
Mibuchi didn't understand. "What are you saying?"
Akashi allowed himself to smile.
"We still have an opening. There is no reason to let it go to waste."
Pretty soon, they began to understand what Akashi was trying to say. It quickly motivated them again.
Yes. There was no way they could lose.
The time out soon ended, and both teams were back on the court again.
The break had made Naruto and the others feel more wary. Rakuzan had reorganized, just like they had earlier. Were they about to pull something else out?
The short answer was no.
Moriyama almost scowled when he saw Mibuchi getting the ball again.
'So that's how it is.'
Mibuchi smiled as he poised himself for an attack. "I hope you don't think too badly of me for this, Moriyama-chan."
"Don't worry. I already didn't like you."
"How harsh."
Mibuchi didn't sound too saddened by this fact, though.
Nothing else was said. They already knew what was coming.
Mibuchi prepared to jump, and like before Moriyama had no idea what to expect. Was it really a jump shot? Or a fake? Was he trying to lure him in, so that he could perform that bullshit shot again?
'No time! Gotta move!'
He didn't have Naruto's explosive power, so if he didn't react quickly than he wasn't going to be able to keep up with Mibuchi at all.
So Moriyama jumped, expecting Mibuchi to do the same.
Only he didn't.
"Too bad." Mibuchi smiled again, only it was full of hunger.
Moriyama's eyes could only widen as he realized too late that Mibuchi had pulled another fake on him.
What came next was obvious.
The whistle was blown the moment Mibuchi jumped to meet Moriyama in the air, forcing another foul on the Kaijō player. Worse still, the shot went in.
It was another four point play for Rakuzan.
Takeuchi didn't like this one bit. This was Moriyama's third foul. He was getting close to the red, and it was still only the second quarter.
'That shot…..'
How annoying.
Naruto scowled. "What the hell are you doing? Get your act together!"
He knew Moriyama was better than this.
"That's impossible."
The blond turned to Akashi. "What?"
"The difference in strength is clear. Simply put, other than you and Ryōta, the others cannot hope to stop the Uncrowned Kings. They will not lose."
They were already writing Moriyama out, is that it?
It was something the boy himself realized, and in some ways even accepted. He couldn't read Mibuchi's moves. His two shots were impossible to tell apart.
But still.
"I won't lose." Wiping some of the sweat with his shirt, Moriyama fixed Mibuchi with a glare. "I'll say it again, just in case you forgot. You might be able to score on me, but that just means I have to do the same on you."
Mibuchi welcomed it.
"You can struggle all you want, Moriyama-chan. But the outcome is already a given."
As long as he didn't give up, Moriyama was sure he could pull something off before the game was over. He just had to.
The face-off between the shooting guards continued.
It wasn't just Moriyama who was struggling, though. Kobori was having his own difficulties keeping Nebuya from having dominance under the net, but with little success.
'What is this guy made of?' Kobori was shoulder-to-shoulder with Nebuya, the two fighting to push the other out. But it was Kobori was who was doing the bigger pushing, to no avail. It was like Nebuya was a rock or something. That's how stiff he felt anyway.
"Huh, is that all you got?" Nebuya grinned as he took a step closer to the net. Kobori tried to stop him, but it was already clear that Nebuya had more raw strength than he did.
That's why, when the ball came their way, Nebuya was already in the right position to catch it and quickly go for the dunk. Because Kobori was being pushed out, he struggled to keep up and jumped far too late.
Nebuya was able to score, letting out a shout in success as he did.
Imayoshi didn't like this at all. "He really is loud."
Susa was in the same boat, looking put off by the constant screaming from the Rakuzan center.
He was still powerful, though, and they acknowledged that much.
Unfortunately.
"Now then, what is Kaijō going to do about this?" the glasses wearer wondered out loud. "If those two don't get their act together, Rakuzan will just keep on scoring."
Kise was still able to score for Kaijō, but it still wasn't enough to make up the difference.
Aomine, and Midorima as well, was more concerned with another particular detail.
'Akashi is only passing.'
The redhead had reverted to a strict supportive role. And sure, it was working. However, Aomine knew the redhead wasn't doing it solely because of that.
Midorima saw the same thing.
'He's wary?'
Of Naruto.
As they thought this, Naruto and Akashi came head-to-head again as the redhead had possession of the ball once more. The blond was getting pretty frustrated by all the action that was happening around him. Sure, he was doing exactly what he had promised he would do, keeping Akashi at bay and making sure he didn't score.
But the blond was getting restless. Akashi was only adding to that. The redhead wasn't facing him directly at all, but Naruto still felt like he was losing.
'I have to stop those passes of his.'
It was the best way to help his team right now.
"How careless. You can't stop my passes this way."
Being too caught up in his thoughts, Naruto was even slower to react than normal as Akashi made another successful pass.
Only, it wasn't to Nebuya or Mibuchi.
"Wait, what!?" Kasamatsu yelled, being caught off guard as Mayuzumi disappeared from his vision. It only brought another problem to the table.
Mayuzumi's Misdirection was returning. As Akashi started to move the ball around more, Mayuzumi was able to become invisible again.
The ball curved before it found its way to Mibuchi, who was able to score another three as Moriyama also reacted too late.
The crowd cheered, happy to see that Rakuzan still had their magic passes. They didn't know where the passes were coming from, but they didn't care one bit.
Naruto cursed. At this rate, they were never going to be able to catch up by the time the quarter ended. And going into the second half down by twelve points was not something they could afford.
A change of pace was what he needed.
And Naruto knew exactly how to do that.
The ball was live again, with Kasamatsu throwing it in to Kise who easily caught it.
Hayama was already on him, sticking close as he did his best to make sure Kise had no room to move.
But it still wasn't enough. Kise could easily get by, but when he saw the look Naruto was giving him he came to a stop. It was only for a second, but a second was all the two needed to understand each other.
'Uzumakicchi.'
It was reckless, and totally stupid. It might not even pay off. On the contrary, Kise was sure he could keep scoring if they followed through with their formation. But he also felt the same way Naruto did.
They needed a bigger impact.
He smiled.
'Let's do it then.'
Hayama was caught off guard when he saw Kise passing the ball instead of coming at him like usual.
'What is he planning now?'
There was no need to wonder about that for too long, as the ball was soon in Naruto's hands.
It was almost like everyone else on the court froze for a second or so as they took this development in.
Naruto was challenging Akashi again.
Yuki looked on in worry. 'Naruto-kun.'
She didn't think this was a good idea at all, but that didn't matter. She had to believe in him.
Akashi kept his his face cool and relaxed, while Naruto was the total opposite.
"You've been avoiding me, you bastard." The blond narrowed his eyes, which gleamed with hunger and anticipation. "But I'll change that right now. You'll be forced to face me directly."
"Bring it, Uzumaki Naruto." Akashi didn't buckle under the threat. "I already told you. I am the absolute. No matter how much you struggle, that fact won't change."
This declaration only motivated Naruto further.
The others all watched with bated breaths, eager to see how this turned out. Those in the audience were in a similar state.
Naruto moved first, darting to the right of Akashi with incredible speed. It was just another impressive display of his agility.
Against the Emperor Eye, though, this didn't seem to mean anything at all as Akashi cut Naruto off before he could get very far, already aiming for the ball to smack it away.
Naruto stopped in an instant, while simultaneously dribbling the ball behind his back to his freed right hand. This got the ball out of Akashi's range, much to the disbelief of everyone watching.
After all, Naruto wasn't in the Zone but he was still reacting properly to Akashi's Emperor Eye!?
With the ball secured, Naruto quickly cut back and shot to Akashi's left, where it was open. There was cheering from the crowd as they saw this. It was expected, as Naruto seemed to win the battle here.
Nebuya was too slow to try and stop him as he had been too focused on their face off, so Naruto was free to jump for the dunk without any interference.
But a hand came in at the last second to knock the ball to the side before it could go into the basket. It was almost a gentle tap, all things considered, but it still had the desired effect.
Naruto, eyes wide, turned to see Akashi in the air next to him right after stopping his dunk.
The two boys fell back to the floor, one victorious and the other defeated and confused.
'How did he-?'
Naruto was sure he had gotten around him!
"I believe you're taking me too lightly," Akashi said, almost like he had heard Naruto's question. "Do you honestly believe that's all it would take to defeat my Emperor Eye? It's just insulting."
Naruto clenched his teeth. "What?"
"You're not as unpredictable as you like to think." Akashi turned away from him, almost like he was disappointed. "No matter how fast you are, if I know you're going to dunk, then it doesn't matter. I just have to make sure to be ready for when you inevitably try to dunk. Timing my block at the last possible second when you are the most vulnerable is easy for my Emperor Eye, didn't you know?"
Imayoshi felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the revelation. This is what Akashi had been aiming for all along.
"So it was like before. He purposely lured Uzumaki in and let him think he had won, when in fact he was only falling for the trap."
"But still, to stop a dunk from Uzumaki is just." Wakamatsu didn't have the words for it. He was sure not even Aomine could do that. Not with such precision anyway.
Aomine knew this too. He could do it with brute force, sure, but it was different from what Akashi had just done. It was pure precision, plain and simple.
Akashi gave Naruto one final glance before walking off.
"My Emperor Eye cannot be beaten. With it, changing the future is but a simple matter. That is why I am the absolute. And why you have no hope of winning this."
He walked off without Naruto replying to him, a fact that only made Kasamatsu angry as he came in with a bop to Naruto's head.
"Don't just stand there and say nothing, you goddamn moron! You're going to make me angry!"
"Pretty sure you already are," Moriyama said under his breath.
Kasamatsu was more focused on Naruto right now to care. "You're not going to get beaten like this, right!?"
Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "If you're trying to make me feel better, I could do without the hitting."
"Then stop sulking!"
"I'm not sulking!"
"You totally were! Do you want me to hit you again!? I can totally kick you this time! I'm sure that will help!"
"How is that supposed to make me feel better!?"
"It's tough love! Deal with it!"
"Why you-!"
Kobori shook his head, feeling a bit embarrassed by their back-and-forth. "This is so not the time for this."
Kise chuckled. "I think it is. Helps lighten the mood, ya know? Although you're underestimating Uzumakicchi a little bit too much, captain."
"Damn right he is." Stepping forward, Naruto started to crack his neck again. "I'm not out of this yet. It's the opposite. I'm getting all fired up!"
"You're not the only one." Kise shot Akashi a glare. "I've had it with playing nice. There's only two minutes left in the first half anyway. We need to end it with style."
Kasamatsu, already understanding where they were going with this, slapped the two blonds in the back.
"H'mph, then go! We'll hold the others back. You two just focus on crushing Akashi."
That's all they needed to hear.
Mibuchi had been expecting to see Naruto sulking at his loss, even if only for a bit. But he was totally not prepared to see Naruto's aura amplifying even more than before. It suddenly felt like he was standing in the way of a hungry monster who had been denied his prey.
Basically. Mibuchi didn't want to face him right now.
Naruto wasn't the only one. Kise's whole demeanor changed as well, and Hayama felt it the most as he stood the closest to the model.
Yuki started to worry again. "What are they doing?"
This feeling the two were emitting….they couldn't possibly be that reckless, could they?
Takeuchi didn't look concerned at all, but he did seem a bit defeated.
"Those two. They're totally going to do it, aren't they?"
He said this, but he made no attempt to stop it.
Yuki placed a hand over her chest, her fears rising. But it was like she had said before. She needed to believe in Naruto, and in Kise too. Everyone else on the team was on their side, so she would be too.
Aomine simply smirked. 'Alright then. Looks like they're finally ready.'
This is what he wanted to see.
When the match resumed, Kasamatsu didn't waste anytime throwing the ball to Naruto who charged forward without hesitating. There was no logic here, only pure instinct.
Kise shared that instinct with him, and that's all the encourangment Naruto needed.
"Again!?" Mibuchi was getting real tired of this. "Are you getting desperate or what!?"
Moriyama almost sneered at this. "What are you saying? Just shut up and watch."
There was no doubt in him, and it only made Mibuchi the more anxious for some reason.
The setup was the same as before, as Akashi quickly took his place in blocking Naruto's path. His Emperor Eye was in full effect. After the previous play, stopping the blond here and now would be the final blow to stopping whatever willpower Kaijō had left.
Naruto wasn't holding anything back now, his eyes shooting the all too familiar orange electric current.
'Bastard, he's in Zone again.' Nebuya felt the same fear grip his heart as when the game had begun. He understood right away.
Naruto was being driven by his emotions right now.
'He managed to beat Akashi-san's Emperor Eye before when he was like this,' Yuki thought with hope.
That shouldn't change now, right?
Unlike his teammates, Akashi didn't seem worried by this at all. If anything, he seemed a bit excited?
"Come."
That was the only invitation Naruto needed.
The blond moved forward. He seemed to put everything into his drive, no tricks or anything. Just pure speed. To the other Rakuzan players, this was stupid. Naruto wouldn't be able to outwit the Emperor Eye with such a simple attack.
It was Akashi who realized what Naruto was actually doing first, his eyes widening in understanding.
'He's not trying to pass me at all!?'
Naruto had no intention of doing anything fancy maneuvers here. No, he was simply sending a more direct massage.
Just as quickly as Naruto had rushed forward, that he came to a complete stop before jumping back with his right arm slung back. The ball came for the ride before it was flung to the backboard of the basket, courtesy of Naruto. The ball hit its mark, right before it fell down to the net.
"Oh, it's a formless shot!"
"Uzumaki paid them back!"
It went without saying that this only re-energized the crowd further, if that was even possible.
Akashi was only left staring at Naruto who stared right back.
"Dunks aren't the only thing I can do." The orange sparks around his eyes intensified further. "I'm going to show you just how unpredictable I can really be."
His will hadn't wavered in the slightest. It was also spreading to the others in the team, even those sitting on the sidelines.
Kaijō wasn't going to down that easy.
Akashi was forced to accept this and smiled.
"That's how it should be."
There was no time to waste as Rakuzan quickly launched their own offensive next, with Akashi leading it.
This meant one thing. It was Naruto versus Akashi again.
"The aces are going at it!"
"It's going to be a full showdown!"
Momoi saw more and more people jumping out of their seats, none of them able to contain their excitement any further. And she understood it very well.
These last couple of minutes were shaping out to be the most intense of the game so far.
Neither Naruto nor Akashi were perturbed by the screams. To them, everything else was irrelevant but each other.
"You've caused me some real trouble." Akashi narrowed his eyes. "Bow your head."
He darted forward, dribbling the ball between his legs. He had wanted to avoid further confrontations with the blond this quarter, but that didn't look possible anymore. After being challenged like that, there was no way Akashi wasn't going to respond.
As expected, Naruto didn't hesitate to try and cut him off. In Zone, he was even more aggressive than before. He moved faster than ever before, but it also made it easier for Akashi to cut back and pull off another ankle break. The faster the speed, the harder it was to control yourself.
"You're being too eager," Akashi said softly. "Learn some discipline."
He was already cutting back to the opposite direction as Naruto stumbled, much to the despair of the others watching. It looked like it was going to be a repeat of the first quarter again.
'Even in Zone, he can't stand up to this guy!?' Moriyama couldn't believe it. He wasn't going to. He had far too much faith in Naruto to be able to believe he could be defeated like this.
That belief managed to pay off in the end, as with unbelievable resolve Naruto caught his footing before he could fall back to the floor. He grounded his feet, and with incredible timing smacked the ball from Akashi's hands just as the redhead was dribbling past him.
This left Akashi in a state he had never been before. No, that wasn't quite true. He had experienced a feeling similar to this once in his life. It was during his one-on-one with Murasakibara, right before he had awakened to the Emperor Eye.
This feeling of defeat.
In the midst of the cheering and shock, all the other players didn't take into account of the ball which was still in play.
Except for Kise, who had shared the same faith as Moriyama and was ready for the interception.
'Shit!' Hayama saw this and tried to stop the model, but it was then that he was also met with his own surprise.
Kise was now in the Zone as well.
If Hayama hadn't been able to stop Kise before, now it was but a dream. With speed that rivaled Naruto's, Kise cut right through Hayama's defense like it was nothing. It was almost like he wasn't even there.
'How can he be so fast!?'
With Hayama out of the way, Kise was only left with Nebuya trying to stop him.
"I'm not letting you through!"
Nebuya was determined, but that determination meant nothing as Kise came to a complete stop before he jumped back, looking ready to shoot. Realizing this, the Rakuzan center jumped as well in an effort to block the shot. But Kise performed his own formless shot, his back going almost parallel to the floor as he launched the ball into the air.
Nebuya was only able to watch the ball fly over his hands and into the basket behind him, hitting only the net as it went through.
It was another victory for Kaijō, and it left Yuki smiling from ear to ear.
Imayoshi was also smiling, only his wasn't as sincere as Yuki's.
"So the two aces have awakened."
How scary.
Momoi was more concerned with what Naruto had just done.
"He withstood Akashi-kun's ankle break….."
It was beyond impressive. And even scary.
He didn't admit it, but Aomine was also impressed. From the bottom of his heart. It also strengthened his resolve to face the blond again one day. His legs were twitching, a clear sign that he wanted to be down there and play with them.
From their seats, Takao noticed a similar reaction from Midorima. Only it was his hands that were twitching ever so slightly. And the look in his eyes….they were definitely that of a beast hungry for their prey.
'So you can even affect Shin-chan, huh?'
Naruto was definitely an interesting guy, and Takao loved that.
The Rakuzan players were not sharing that sense of wonder as the others. If anything, they looked worried. That same sense of fear that Nebuya had experienced before was now spreading to the others.
And they didn't like it.
Mibuchi was the one brave enough to speak to their captain.
"Sei-chan, what just happen-"
"Just give me the ball."
Akashi cut him off, and his words only further worried the other four.
"W-What are you saying, Akashi?" Hayama stuttered, which was unusual for him. But what was more unusual was how Akashi was behaving right now. "You can't just-"
"I said. Give me the ball." The way Akashi looked at him made Hayama freeze. "I won't say it again."
Mayuzumi was flabbergasted.
'What's going on, Akashi? Behaving this way…..'
He wasn't giving them any clear instructions at all, but instead heading head first into a confrontation with Naruto again. It was such an emotional reaction Mayuzumi was having a hard time believing he was speaking to the same Akashi he had come to know.
Nebuya, Mibuchi, and Hayama felt the same way as he did. But there was little they could. Disobeying Akashi now…..well, none of them had a death wish.
Kasamatsu had to frown when he saw Rakuzan setting up the next play, the ball live once more as it was thrown in.
'This is….'
"Hey now, is this for real?" Imayoshi almost laughed when he saw what was going on. "They have no intention of stopping, do they?"
Of course, the crowd only went more crazy as Akashi stood before Naruto again, the ball in hand.
Naruto was beyond elated by this. "So you're finally not hiding anymore. Good. Throw everything you got at me."
"Congratulations. You've irritated me." Akashi wasn't one to admit such things, and if it was any other circumstances he might have questioned why he revealed this so easily. But his mind was too preoccupied with the annoyance before him. "You will learn your place."
"Enough with the talking." Naruto's features turned more feral than before. "Just come on already."
The two exchanged glares as Akashi dribbled the ball in place. There was that quiet moment as always, the calm before the storm.
But then both moved at the same time. Akashi went in to Naruto's right, but the blond was already cutting that path off to him. Already having foreseen this, Akashi performed a quick crossover to the other side. But Naruto reacted to this as well, cutting back to stop the redhead from getting through.
Akashi was able to read Naruto's moves again, but Naruto was able to read Akashi's as well. It was a match of speed, and it seemed as though the Emperor Eye and Naruto's instincts were evenly match.
'I can't believe this.' Mibuchi was sure his jaw was on the floor from this display. 'Shin-chan can't get around him!?'
'And what's more, Akashi can't use his ankle break anymore,' Kobori observed with a small grin.
Naruto being able to withstand it earlier had rattled Akashi's confidence, to the point where he wasn't using it. And it was paying off right now.
'But could totally get around Naruto-kun if he just passed,' Yuki thought with wonder in her eyes. 'But he's not doing that.'
What was Akashi thinking right now?
It really was an even match, as the two boys were in a deadlock. But there was a simple factor that decided everything. One that Akashi's Emperor Eye never saw coming until it was too late.
Kise.
Before Hayama realized what was going on, Kise slipped away from his line of sight and joined Naruto and Akashi in their little tango.
It was almost embarrassing really, but Akashi found the ball being smacked away from his hand for the second time in a row, only it was by Kise this time.
Takao's eyes went wider than before. "So easy!"
Midorima understood why this was. As impressive as the Emperor Eye was, it could only hone in on one person at a time. Of course, this wasn't usually a problem, as Akashi was able to quickly switch focus from player to player before they could react. But against two players as fast as Naruto and Kise…..
It was one big weakness.
And Kise was going to capitalize on that.
Naruto grinned at this.
It was about time.
With the ball now free, Naruto grabbed it and made a quick run down the court, blitzing away from the scene and for the basket again.
Panicking, Nebuya and Mibuchi tried to put up a defense against the blond. If they couldn't stop him alone, then maybe together they could have better success.
They didn't, as Naruto simply passed the ball to Kise who was happy to receive it.
Since Naruto's movements were so quick, neither Nebuya nor Mibuchi was in any position to do anything about Kise. But Mayuzumi was. Unfortunately, the phantom player reacted even slower to Kise's movements than Nebuya and Mibuchi had to Naruto's.
There was no contest here.
Kise blew past him, performing a quick drive through Mayuzumi's weak defense.
Only Hayama, who had ran back as fast as he could, was left to try and stop Kise from reaching the basket.
Kise didn't charge at him, though, instead simply passing the ball back to Naruto who was already in the air next to the hoop for the alley-oop.
All of this only stalled Naruto and Kise for a couple of seconds, at most. But it's what Akashi needed to get back in the play. It was a desperate effort, though, and it showed as he jumped to meet Naruto in the air.
'What poor form.' Midorima almost couldn't believe it. To make up for time, Akashi had jumped from an unfavorable position so that he could even attempt to come close to Naruto.
There was no stopping the Uzumaki, though. Not at this stage.
Akashi could only watch in growing anger and even horror as Naruto caught Kise's pass with ease before proceeding to dunk over him with so much force the whole hoop shook. For a second, as Naruto hung from the rim, it looked like it was about to come crashing down. But by some miracle, the hoop stayed in place.
Akashi was not so lucky, though. He came crashing back to the floor on his back while Naruto loomed over him, Kise standing close by.
The whole room fell silent for a couple of seconds, as it took the spectators a few moments to process what they had just witnessed.
Then they cheered.
Kasamatsu could not stop grinning, and Moriyama and Kobori exchanged a high five with one another.
Those on the sidelines were also on their feet and shouting in approval while Yuki joined them.
Only Akashi and those in Rakuzan were not cheering. How could they?
Naruto and Kise had just utterly crushed Akashi, after all.
It was only after that embarrassing defeat that the second quarter ended. It ended with a crushing blow to the so-called emperor.
What would the second half bring?