Remembering their previous encounter, Tsuna glanced at Ogiwara, a sense of uncertainty flickering in his mind.
"I hope this gamble pays off," he thought.
Tsuna was essentially betting on the plot armor effect. In the original story, anyone associated with Kuroko went through their own phases of growth and development.
In Seirin, nearly the entire team had moments of growth and eventually overcame formidable opponents like Akashi, who had three Uncrowned Kings supporting him.
From a technical standpoint, Akashi's team held an advantage regarding their overall skills, including physical strength and basic abilities, compared to Seirin.
However, in the end, they were defeated by Seirin.
Tsuna recalled that Ogiwara was Kuroko's childhood friend. Even though he didn't watch much stuff in his previous life, these stories always had a plot twist where the childhood friend would disappear, only to return later as a formidable opponent or a valuable ally.
Observing Ogiwara's progress since their last encounter, Tsuna nodded approvingly. It had been a few months, but Ogiwara appeared in better shape.
Tsuna had provided him with a workout plan, basketball drills, and a dietary regimen to enhance his foundational skills.
The training regimen Tsuna had designed was undeniably demanding. It required unwavering dedication and a strong work ethic to follow through.
Not everyone possessed the commitment to adhere to such a rigorous schedule. The workouts were strenuous, often leaving participants exhausted and mentally drained.
Given these challenges, Tsuna couldn't help but feel deeply impressed by Ogiwara's determination and discipline. It was abundantly clear that he was investing everything he had to elevate his skills and face off against the Generation of Miracles.
After completing his introduction as the new captain and outlining his plan for changing their training routines and drills, Tsuna cast a heavy, imposing aura that caused a few members, including Haizaki, to flinch.
He spoke with a firm resolve, stating, "I know some of you might not like the idea of a first-year like me being your captain."
He paused momentarily, letting his words sink in before continuing, "But understand this – I'm not here to make friends or be your mentor..."
"..."
A heavy silence settled over the room. The team members were well aware of their former captain, Nijimura, and his formidable reputation as the "Demon King" of the school.
Given this understanding, none felt courageous enough to challenge Tsuna, especially since Nijimura had willingly passed on the position and stood right behind him like a loyal supporter.
Tsuna nodded, signaling that they would commence the new training regimen and drills immediately. He then instructed Nijimura to lead them.
Their regular training, initially introduced by Nijimura, had already been quite rigorous compared to their previous routines. Some team members, particularly the senior ones, assumed it wouldn't be much tougher than usual.
To their astonishment, some of them began to feel nauseous by the time they reached the third set. The situation was even more challenging for the first-year members, with most emptying their stomachs of whatever they had eaten earlier.
The team was taken aback when they noticed that Ogiwara hadn't thrown up, although he appeared to be struggling. Witnessing how he clenched his teeth and persevered without showing any signs of faltering earned him the respect of his teammates.
Yet, what truly astonished them was the sight of two individuals who seemed unfazed by the grueling workout.
Tsuna and Nijimura, despite perspiring, maintained a controlled rhythm in their breathing and movements. This training, which had caused the first-year members to empty their stomachs, appeared to be a walk in the park for the duo.
Once the grueling training session came to a close, every member of the team lay sprawled out on the floor, completely drained and gasping for air.
With a bottle of water, Tsuna nodded approvingly at his teammates and turned to Nijimura. "You did a great job getting them ready for this training..."
Nijimura scratched his head in a bashful manner, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I just followed your instructions..."
Tsuna had advised Nijimura to prepare the team in advance last year, so they were already familiar with these intense drills when Tsuna took over. As for the first-year players, Tsuna had expected them to struggle.
Tsuna didn't fret over whether this intense training would deter them from continuing with the club. It was simple: they could leave anytime if they couldn't handle it. Under his leadership, the club would be no place for the faint-hearted.
He cast a glance at Haizaki, who was now retching outside. This guy had a habit of trying to bail out of these grueling drills midway, but a stern look from Nijimura always managed to keep him in line.
Tsuna shook his head, somewhat amused, and went over to Ogiwara, who was also catching his breath on the floor. Nijimura followed close behind.
Tsuna offered a nod of approval. "You did well with the drill."
Before giving Ogiwara a chance to respond, Tsuna inquired, "Why did you get roughed up as well?"
He remembered instructing Sebas to handle the matter, so Ogiwara showing up with signs of a beating puzzled him.
Ogiwara laughed awkwardly, his hand rubbing his neck as he explained, "I felt bad for the others, so I asked the seniors to give me the same treatment."
"..."
Tsuna was left momentarily speechless by Ogiwara's response, and Nijimura, standing beside him, wore a similar bewildered expression.
"Is this guy for real, Young Master? Are you sure you scouted him yourself?" Nijimura leaned in and whispered to Tsuna.
Tsuna was taken aback by Ogiwara's unexpected character.
"I wasn't aware he'd be such a pushover..."
Setting that thought aside, Tsuna shifted to another pressing concern. "But more importantly, do we have a coach here?"
"Ahh, that? It's a complicated situation," Nijimura responded with a shake of his head. He proceeded to fill Tsuna in on the details.
The previous year, there had been a conflict with the coach. As expected for a school known for its delinquent students, the dispute had turned violent.
While the coach had put up a decent fight, he was outnumbered and ended up with broken legs, landing him in the hospital.
Nijimura had personally expelled the members involved in this incident.
Despite reports that the coach's condition hadn't improved much, he didn't seem inclined to return.
Nijimura recounted these events to the school authorities.
Still, upon witnessing how capably he managed the club and the effectiveness of the rigorous training routines he had implemented, they chose to take a hands-off approach. They left the club entirely under Nijimura's jurisdiction.
Tsuna couldn't help but think that such an outcome was par for the course at a delinquent school. He shook his head at the situation.
However, a spark flashed in Tsuna's eyes as he considered the vacant coaching position.
"Should we make another attempt to visit our former coach and try to persuade him to return?" Nijimura suggested.
"I have a better option in mind for that. I'll keep you posted once we've secured the coach," Tsuna replied with a sly grin, thinking back to a blonde woman he had asked about coming to Japan.
---
As promised, I've uploaded two chapters today. Plus, because we've reached 30 paid memberships, I'll aim to post 2 chapters daily.
Enjoy the read! 😴📚🥋
Do you wanna read 15 chapters ahead of the schedule? Here's where you can find them:
p@treon.com/mythoast