"Let him shoot later..."
Tsuna's voice reverberated, leaving Ishida and Ogiwara perplexed. Ishida was confused, "...Why not just prevent him from shooting altogether?"
With Ogiwara by his side, Ishida felt confident in thwarting any attempts to score, as they were attuned to identifying and exploiting any weaknesses displayed by their opponents, whether conscious or not.
"You can do that later, but allow him one shot..." Tsuna instructed.
Though the rationale behind Tsuna's strategy eluded them, both Ogiwara and Ishida nodded, ready to execute the plan as directed, trusting in Tsuna's strategic insight.
"I don't understand our Captain's plan, but unfortunately for you..." Ishida silently recalled Tsuna's instructions, taking a deep breath. His gaze sharpened, yet his body remained relaxed as he purposefully maintained a measured distance from Himuro.
Ishida declared, "Any shoot will be meaningless with our combined force!"
Ogiwara mirrored Ishida's intensity, his eyes honing in on Himuro as they both shadowed his every move.
Under the mounting pressure, Himuro began to break into a sweat. Despite this, his gaze remained resolute as he declared, "I don't care about your schemes or who stands in my way. Whether it's one opponent or two, I'll overcome it all. Nothing can stop this shoot!"
Himuro transitioned seamlessly into his shooting form, the movement so graceful that it drew an annoyed click of Ishida's tongue.
Despite the gentleness and refinement in Himuro's motion, Ishida, ever sharp, immediately leaped to block the shot.
In a clever feint, Himuro, seeing Ishida's swift reaction, held off on his jump momentarily. He tossed the ball into the air with just enough height to give the illusion that he was leaping and shooting in one fluid motion.
The elegance of his movement deceived onlookers, making it appear as if he had executed a typical jump shot.
Unbeknownst to Himuro, Ogiwara's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He, too, immediately made his move.
Feeling the moment had arrived, Himuro's eyes flashed with confidence. He leaped into the air, securing the ball once more before launching his shot.
His voice rang out, declaring, "As I told you, it's impossible to stop my Mirage Shot!"
But, just as the words left his lips, Ogiwara's figure suddenly soared into action, mirroring Ishida's movement from the side. Himuro's eyes widened in disbelief as the ball he had just released was abruptly blocked by Ogiwara, who had swiftly come in as a backup.
As if anticipating this turn of events, Ishida had already stepped back, and with a swift sidestep, he retrieved the blocked ball.
Himuro gritted his teeth as frustration etched on his face.
He felt like he was being played around, and with determination fueling his movements, he sprang into action and chased after Ishida.
However, his efforts proved futile, a realization that struck him too late.
In a synchronized display of confidence, every player from Fukuda Sogo moved with a precision that spoke volumes about their trust in Ishida and Ogiwara to thwart Himuro's Mirage Shot.
Even Tsuna, who was being shadowed by the towering presence of Murasakibara, followed along as soon as Ogiwara made his move.
Ishida couldn't help but smirk as he smoothly passed the ball toward Tsuna, leaving Himuro to watch helplessly as the ball slipped beyond his reach.
With the ball securely in his hand, Tsuna accelerated even faster, skillfully dribbling as he weaved through the court.
Annoyance etched on Murasakibara's face, he couldn't help but shout, "Tsunachin!"
With his towering stature and agility, the court seemed to be a small place for Murasakibara as he swiftly closed the distance, assuming a formidable defensive stance ready for any of Tsuna's moves.
Undeterred, Tsuna pressed on, his movements seemingly accelerating.
In a moment that left the crowd breathless, Tsuna soared into the air, defying gravity with a bold and daring leap.
"....."
The gymnasium echoed with gasps of shock and disbelief as spectators watched, their eyes widening with amazement. The seconds stretched into eternity as Tsuna's ascent seemed to freeze time, the crowd collectively holding their breath.
Murasakibara found himself genuinely surprised by Tsuna's audacity to attempt a dunk right in front of him. His disbelief was evident as he couldn't contain his reaction.
"...That's rare stupidity from you, Tsunachin!" he remarked, his determination evident as he leaped upward to block the incoming dunk.
However, when his hand made contact with the ball, Murasakibara's eyes widened in disbelief.
He gritted his teeth and tightened his muscles to block the forceful dunk.
"...Not a chance!"
Unfortunately for Murasakibara, Tsuna's slamming hand, even when it faced his resistance still managed to break through.
*BANG!
The sound of the dunk echoed thunderously through the court, making an impact as the ball broke into the basket.
The force of their clash was great. And with Tsuna's successful dunk, Murasakibara's form couldn't help but send down the ground stumbling on his butt.
He looked up at Tsuna's face in disbelief.
"Holy crap!"
"What in the world just happened!?"
"Kazama overpowering Murasakibara!!"
Then, as if a spell had been shattered, the gymnasium burst into a symphony of cheers, the sound bouncing off the walls.
The initial sounds were tentative, almost as if the crowd needed a moment to grasp the audacious feat they had just witnessed. However, as the reality settled in, the cheers grew into an unstoppable crescendo, echoing throughout the gym.
Tsuna stepped toward Murasakibara's bewildered form, extending his hand in a gesture of assistance. He spoke with a calm assurance, "...Are you alright? Grab my hand, I'll help you up."
"...Oh? Yeah, thanks, I guess." Murasakibara's response was somewhat muddled, his usual composure momentarily disrupted.
Tsuna shook his head with a small smile on his face, "See? I told you not to hold back at all, Atsushi..."
Murasakibara's eyes widened in response to Tsuna's words, his attention fixed on the sincerity etched across Tsuna's expression.
There was no hint of mockery in Tsuna's tone and eyes.
This reminded Murasakibara of the days they played basketball together in Tsuna's residence during their Teiko days.
Images of Tsuna's past selves overlapped seamlessly with his current one, causing words to catch in Murasakibara's throat.
"...Well, I suppose I should give you some time to process, huh?"
Observing Murasakibara's speechless state, Tsuna sighed and casually strolled back to his position, leaving Murasakibara alone.
"Atsushi, are you alright?"
Himuro approached Murasakibara, his voice carrying genuine concern. Okamura, Liu, and Fukui quickly gathered around Murasakibara, inspecting him to ensure he wasn't injured.
Much to their relief, Murasakibara appeared unharmed.
Despite feeling slightly annoyed by their collective fussing, Murasakibara refrained from voicing his irritation.
Their genuine concern for his well-being softened his usual reticence.
His gaze shifted toward Tsuna's figure, calmly walking away, prompting him to mutter, "...Tsunachin really hasn't changed at all, huh?"
---
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