They both conversed about Jiro's visit to Shizuoka, during which he explained that he had a favor to ask of Tsuna's grandparents.
Tsuna glanced at Jiro, shaking his head slightly. He and Jiro had a good relationship, certainly better than Akashi's relationship with Jiro.
"He's just like many other Asian parents, isn't he?"
Tsuna concluded, having met Jiro several times.
Tsuna could completely relate to the situation. He had a profound understanding of Jiro's bond with his son, Seijuro Akashi.
This connection stemmed from Tsuna's previous life, during which he had misunderstood his parents much like Akashi did with his father.
In his present life, things hadn't changed all that much. Hirutora was quite similar to Jiro in terms of being awkward and too reserved around their kids.
However, Tsuna now had a better understanding of Hirutora's perspective, which went a long way in smoothing out any tension in their relationships.
Still, Akashi's limited experience in dealing with such parents made him struggled to comprehend the rationale behind Jiro's actions, finding himself unintentionally viewing the situation from his own perspective alone.
Tsuna, on the other hand, believed that Akashi would eventually come to understand, just as he himself had in his previous life.
"...It took me quite some time before I truly appreciated my parents' unconditional love," Tsuna reminisced, his eyes glinting with nostalgia.
Tsuna reflected on his own brother, Jin Kazama, who bore some resemblance to Akashi in terms of their relationships with their fathers. However, thanks to their mother's influence, Jin had not turned out like Akashi.
A privileged to which Akashi didn't fully enjoy, as his mother had passed away in the past.
Watching Jiro, Tsuna recognized that he was not a cold-hearted person.
He may have been stern and traditional, but his love was sincere. He had gone to great lengths to meet Tsuna in person just because his son's team had lost to Tsuna's team.
It was evident that Jiro genuinely cared about Akashi, even if it was expressed in his own unique way.
Tsuna sighed and shook his head. He couldn't help but think that Jiro's dedication to work might have been a way to cope with the loss of his wife, a distraction from the pain.
This, however, had led to the neglect of his son, Seijuro Akashi, contributing to the way Akashi turned out.
As their conversation came to an end, Jiro said his goodbyes and headed over to Tsuna's grandparents to bid his farewells to them as well.
The following week marked the end of the Winter Cup's preliminary rounds, and the final league, which would determine the remaining teams for the actual tournament, was set. Fukuda Sogo traveled to Tokyo to get ready for the upcoming competition.
They were in a car heading to a bustling gymnasium where the final league would take place. Nijimura sat in the front seat beside Sebas, who was driving.
He glanced at Tsuna, who occupied the passenger seat, and asked, "Why are you interested in checking out today's game?"
"I had an unexpected visitor yesterday, so I'm curious to see what he's up to today," Tsuna explained, shifting his gaze from the passing scenery to Nijimura.
Nijimura's eyes lit up with understanding. He recalled that Tsuna mentioned an interesting conversation with a visitor from the previous night.
Upon reaching the gymnasium, they were greeted by a bustling crowd. The presence of the Generation of Miracles playing today had drawn a significant audience, which was hardly surprising.
"It's really packed," Tsuna commented as he stepped out of the car unassisted.
Sebas let out a resigned sigh, his role was to open the door for Tsuna, but it appeared Tsuna was eager to watch the game today.
"Let's head in, Shuzo," Tsuna said, making his way toward the gymnasium entrance. Nijimura nodded and followed closely.
Amidst the crowd, mostly composed of young teenagers, a blonde-haired teenager seemed to spot Tsuna and quietly muttered, "Isn't that Kazamacchi?"
"Ahaha, I suppose it's time for me to leave, guys..." Kise said with a smile, bidding farewell to his fans before hurrying to catch up with Tsuna.
By the time Tsuna and Nijimura reached the audience seats, the game was on the verge of starting.
"Kazamacchi! Senior Nijimura! ! didn't think I'd bump into you guys here..."
A voice broke their attention, prompting Tsuna and Nijimura to turn around and find Kise, who had just caught his breath after following them.
"...Ryota, huh? What brings you here?"
Tsuna inquired before refocusing his attention on the court.
"Haha, I'm here to watch Midorimacchi play against Kurokocchi, of course!" Kise replied with enthusiasm.
He moved to stand beside Tsuna and asked, "Besides, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you wouldn't be interested in watching their match."
Tsuna chuckled and clarified, "Well, it's not like I'm here for the game itself. I'm here to confirm something..."
"Ah, I get it now," Kise said, even though he didn't entirely understand what Tsuna meant.
The two of them engaged in a rapid-fire conversation, with Kise bombarding Tsuna with questions. This barrage of inquiries left Nijimura scratching his head in annoyance.
Nijimura couldn't help but wonder how Tsuna managed to stay so calm while fielding all of Kise's questions.
On the court, both teams were ready to play. The Seirin team members noticed something different about Midorima compared to their previous encounters.
"Wow, Midorima looks like a completely different person now," Kise remarked, taken aback by Midorima's intense expression.
Tsuna didn't react much to this observation. It wasn't unexpected. Midorima was a proud player who had suffered a loss against Seirin. Obviously, hee would be taking this match seriously, even considering Kagami as his rival.
The game began with both Shutoku and Seirin showing strong, fierce determination. They pressured each other, creating a tense standoff.
Every time Midorima had the ball, Kagami leaped to block it with impressive ease. But to Kagami's bewilderment, Shutoku continued to pass the ball to Midorima, and Kagami had to defend his shots repeatedly.
A perplexed expression crossed Kagami's face as he tried to make sense of Shutoku's strategy.
Midorima noticed Kagami's confusion and decided to clarify, saying, "I don't have any new tricks, Kagami. All I've done so far had been an endurance training."
However, he didn't let Kagami underestimate him. Midorima's demeanor shifted, emanating a different kind of intensity.
Kagami felt somewhat surprised by the change in Midorima's presence.
Midorima continued, "I'm sure you've noticed that I can't keep making those long shots forever. The same goes for your jumps..."
He declared with determination in his eyes, "So my task is straightforward. I'll keep shooting until you can't jump anymore."
Kagami couldn't help but smirk in response. Midorima's challenge fueled his competitive spirit, and he let out a chuckle.
"Alright, bring it on, Midorima!"
---
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