Watching it happen, Aomine just laughed a bit and shook his head.
"Poor guy, Tsuna was just messing with him," he remarked.
Although, Aomine was pretty sure they'd figure it out later.
At the same time, Momoi seemed lost in thought. She thought it was a bit early for Tsuna to be so aggressive. While he did have his moments, he wasn't usually the type to talk to someone like he did with Kasamatsu.
Even though she was far away, Momoi could tell Tsuna said something to him. It got her thinking that there had to be a reason for Tsuna's actions.
"I don't understand what he's up to..."
Confusion swirled in Momoi's thoughts as she couldn't quite grasp Tsuna's intentions. A smile played on her lips, and her eyes sparkled with excitement, unable to look away from Tsuna's figure.
As if sensing her intense gaze, Tsuna turned to the audience, locking eyes with her. Caught off guard, Momoi felt a rush of embarrassment flood her cheeks.
Despite this, Tsuna flashed her a smile before redirecting his attention to the court, causing her heart to race.
"I probably shouldn't have stared at him so intensely," she mumbled with a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her face tinged with a deep shade of red.
Back on the court, Tsuna turned towards Nijimura, acknowledging his efforts. "Good job, Shuzo..."
Nijimura was somewhat bashful as he scratched his head in response to Tsuna's compliment.
"Well, it's nothing much. I just did what you told me to..."
"No, what you did was crucial for the game."
However, Tsuna recognized the significance of Nijimura's contribution.
As he observed Kasamatsu's intensified gaze fixed on him, Tsuna couldn't help but break into his signature smirk, causing Nijimura to flinch at the side.
In the midst of this exchange, Kaijo High gained possession of the ball, smoothly passing it to Kasamatsu.
He advanced deliberately with his team, strategically infiltrating Fukuda Sogo's defensive formation.
"They're doing their usual formation..."
Analyzing the situation, Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed as he deciphered Fukuda Sogo's default man-to-man defense, a strategy they consistently employed.
There was an underlying concern among Kaijio's Coach and the team, wary of the possibility that Fukuda Sogo might utilize a defensive tactic akin to Murasakibara's absolute defensive zone, as demonstrated against Yosen High in their previous match.
In this setup, Nijimura assumed a role similar to Murasakibara.
Yet, Kasamatsu recognized the potential downside. Implementing such a strategy demanded Nijimura to be in a constant state of alertness, posing a significant risk of depleting his stamina rapidly.
Recalling Fukuda Sogo's last game, Kasamatsu was pretty sure that if things continued without Tsuna and Murasakibara entering the zone, Nijimura wouldn't last until the end, no matter how good his stamina was.
"Good, then, if I can break past his defense, scoring is practically guaranteed," Kasamatsu thought as Tsuna closed the distance, applying pressure.
His muscles tensed as he felt the impact of Tsuna's defensive prowess crashing into him. Kasamatsu struggled to find an opening, realizing, "That is if I can break past. Who would have thought a high schooler's defense would be this good..."
With a burst of agility, Kasamatsu quickened his pace, the squeak of his sneakers echoing on the court.
In a display of finesse, he executed a lightning-fast crossover, the ball dancing between his skilled hands as he darted to the left side.
However, Tsuna moved in seamless synchronization, mirroring Kasamatsu's every step.
Frustration crept into Kasamatsu's expression, and an audible click of the tongue betrayed his dissatisfaction.
"It's not like I expected this to work anyway..." Kasamatsu thought, his mind momentarily flickering with doubt.
Feeling the pressure, Kasamatsu decided to shift the dynamics. In a sudden and unexpected twist of his body, he unleashed a precise pass toward Kise.
Time seemed to slow as the ball traced a graceful arc, finding its mark with unerring accuracy.
As Kise received the pass, the court held its collective breath.
"Go crush him! Kise!"
Kasamatsu shouted, prompting a confident smile from Kise. Unbeknownst to Kasamatsu, Tsuna's lips curled up slightly as he observed Haizaki and Kise.
A deep breath followed, and Kise's expression shifted to one of unwavering determination.
With the ball in his grasp, Kise focused entirely, slowly dropping the ball and dribbling it with deliberate precision.
"Show me how good you've become, Ryota! Don't disappoint me!" Haizaki tensed his body, preparing to react to Kise's advance.
"Haah, sure!"
With a glint of determination in his eyes, Kise exploded into motion. His first step was a blur, and he appeared to be veering to the right, prompting Haizaki to react swiftly, adjusting his footing to cut off Kise's potential path.
Yet, it was just a mere feint.
In an instant, Kise smoothly transitioned, crossing over to the left with a sudden burst of agility that left Haizaki momentarily flat-footed.
A faint click of the tongue echoed through the court as Haizaki shadowed Kise's every move, refusing to be deceived twice.
As they neared the basket, Kise unleashed a mesmerizing spin, a whirlwind of motion that caught Haizaki off guard. Kise slipped behind him in the blink of an eye, leaving Haizaki to pivot in surprise.
The crowd held its breath as Kise, seemingly defying gravity, ascended with a powerful leap.
"Whoa! That's intense!"
"Kaijo won't go down without a fight!"
"Let's go, Kise!"
The subsequent dunk was nothing short of a thunderous spectacle. The ball met the rim with a resounding clash that echoed through the court, eliciting excitement from the captivated audience.
Upon landing, Kise turned towards Haizaki with a confident grin, locking eyes with Tsuna as if issuing a challenge to the entire court.
"I'll show you enough for the main boss to quickly show up!" Kise declared, not waiting for Haizaki's response before confidently strolling back to his position.
Haizaki, visibly annoyed, tightly gripped his fist. However, he swiftly composed himself, recalling Kise's recent maneuver. Breaking into a wide grin, he licked his lips and turned towards Kise's returning figure.
"Well, it's not bad. Should I take it?" Haizaki mused.
"Go forward, Shogo..."
A voice suddenly snapped him back to the current situation as he turned toward Tsuna and confusedly asked, "What?"
"Just do as I said, I'll pass the ball to you. You want a duel, right?"
Tsuna continued as he walked behind the baseline, retrieving the ball.
Haizaki's eyes widened as he immediately burst forward quickly, prompting Tsuna to smile. With a quick flick of his hand, the ball blurred through the court, finding its mark in Haizaki's hand.
Haizaki's anticipation cracked in the air as he observed the Kaijo players, who appeared to be flustered with the sudden pass.
"Well, let's try out that move from earlier..."
Among them, Kise moved forward to confront his advance, making Haizaki's face break into the widest grin he could muster.
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