Battle at the Garbage Dump.
That was the name given to the legendary clash between a cat and a crow, each trying to claim the spoils left behind at the garbage dump.
In volleyball, this translated to Nekoma High as the cat and Karasuno High as the crow. It was a battle that had never been happening in the courts in the past five years.
And today, it'd be the first time after five years.
"What's the deal with your hair, Ukai? Haha, that's ridiculous!"
A loud, hearty laugh echoed through the slightly aged but well-maintained gymnasium.
"Shut up, Naoi. You should try something new yourself, you know…" Keishin just rolled his eyes as he adjusted his headband.
"Hahaha! I'm too old for that, Ukai. It's been eight years, huh?"
Naoi, a man around Keishin's age, with a sharp jawline and closely cropped hair, clapped him on the shoulder. His grin widened as he added, "You haven't changed much."
"Haha…" Keishin chuckled, "You haven't changed much either, don't you, Naoi!"
"Haha!"
Both of them laughed heartily at their first interaction after such a long time. And just as they were enjoying their reunion, an elderly with a smiley face wearing a red jacket approached, "Keishin!"
"Ah...!"
Keishin froze for a second before quickly bowing, "It's been a long time, Nekomata-sensei!"
Standing before him was Coach Yasufumi Nekomata, a veteran who had guided Nekoma High for decades.
Though they were on opposing sides, Keishin held nothing but respect for the elderly coach, who belonged to his grandfather's generation.
"You still look a lot like your grandfather, don't you?"
Nekomata's tone carried a nostalgia.
"All the better to keep you on your toes, sensei," Keishin Ukai gave a sheepish chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
The coaches, along with Takeda, shared polite exchanges and a few laughs, a tradition before every game.
Meanwhile, on the court...
"Ah, that guy…"
Inuoka's surprised yelp broke the chatter of Nekoma's starting players as they gathered near the net after their warm-up.
He pointed toward the Karasuno side, his eyes fixed on a particular figure.
The team followed his gaze, and there he was—Tsuna, standing tall among the Karasuno players. His intense presence looming over the court was notable.
It didn't take long for the Nekoma players to remember him.
"Isn't that the crazy guy…?"
He was the one who had been chasing Karasuno's beautiful manager earlier, causing a scene that none of them could forget.
"No way," Yaku muttered, "No way he's the Shooting Star, right?"
"..."
It didn't seem possible.
Daichi began, "To be honest, we've only just met as a team, and we're still awkward and uncoordinated. Especially with our new starting lineup..."
It had only been a month since the first years joined the team.
Besides Tsuna and him, some of the notable first years; Kageyama, Hinata, and Tsukishima had all made it into the starting lineup, alongside Asahi and Nishinoya, who were returning players.
They were going to need some time to adapt with their coordination completely.
"I don't know what kind of team we're up against. Nekoma High is still an unknown to us, despite our long history as rivals..."
Daichi continued as everyone listened attentively.
"..."
Tsuna wasn't paying much attention to Daichi's speech. His eyes wandered toward Nekoma's side of the court and quietly scanned their players.
'They all... seem average,' he thought while furrowing his eyebrows slightly.
Unlike when they faced Aoba Johsai, where Oikawa's presence clearly screamed he was the center of the team at the court.
Nekoma's players felt... unremarkable.
Not a single player among them seemed to have stood out at all.
'Am I thinking too highly of them?'
A flicker of disappointment crossed Tsuna's face. He had expected more, something—anything—more impressive.
Even someone close to Oikawa would have been great.
'Or maybe I'm just being too hasty in my judgment…'
Tsuna looked at Hinata, who was bouncing on his feet with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.
Hinata was always full of joy, but he noticed how Hinata kept glancing at particular players on the other side.
Following Hinata's gaze, Tsuna saw one player who seemed completely average—nothing remarkable about him at all, 'Does he know them, or is there something more here that I'm missing?'
After a brief pep talk from both captains, the teams lined up on either side of the court.
"We will now commence the practice game between Nekoma High and Karasuno High!"
Naoi, who had taken on the role of referee for the practice match, raised his voice.
"Thank you for the game!"
The gym echoed with the teams' united shouts of respect as all the players moved to their starting positions on the court.
"Shoyo," Kenma suddenly spoke, noticing how Hinata kept glancing at him.
The innocent curiosity in Hinata's eyes made Kenma feel a little awkward.
For someone as introverted as him, the silence was suffocating. He knew he had to say something to get it away.
"I know I said our team is strong, but it's not just because of me. It's because of all of us..."
"Yeah...?"
Hinata was confused at first.
But Kenma's words somehow sparked something inside him as he grinned.
"..."
Tsuna overheard their exchange and glanced at Kenma, who was now getting ready to serve the ball.
As Kenma stood behind the line, Tsuna wondered what kind of serve he would make.
Naoi blew the whistle, signaling the start of the play.
Kenma tossed the ball into the air and then served it over the net in a way that Tsuna somehow had already anticipated.
"I knew it..."
He quickly adjusted his position, lowering his body to find his center of gravity.
With his tall frame, he cupped the ball as it made contact, sending it up into the air perfectly for Kageyama.
"Whoa, nice receive, Tsuna!"
Keishin nodded in satisfaction from the sidelines, clearly pleased with his receive. Takeda also smiled, "Looks like his training finally paid off..."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the court...
"Inuoka!"
Kai's sharp voice rang out as Inuoka responded quickly, "Understood, senpai!"
They immediately repositioned themselves as they set up to block.
Nekoma could feel the pressure from Karasuno's #3, Asahi, and Karasuno's #9, Tsuna who both moved toward the net following the receive.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Out of nowhere, a shadow darted past the court, avoiding the Nekoma blockers' positions and heading toward an empty side of the net.
"...!"
Kageyama's sharp eyes caught the movement, and in that split second, he knew exactly where to send the ball. With precision, he tossed it over as the ball arched sharply toward the figure that had just leaped into the air.
Hinata.
The orange-haired first-year soared above the net, swinging his arm forward in a flash. He connected with the ball with a loud pop, sending it flying across the net.
Thud!
The ball hit the court floor on Nekoma's side before anyone could react, the sound echoing loudly in the gym.
"...!"
For a moment, the Nekoma players stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock. They hadn't even seen it coming.
"..."
Tsuna glanced at Nekoma's response as the game continued.
So far, there hadn't been anything particularly notable from them, despite scoring a point back earlier.
The pace felt slow, and a sense of boredom crept into his mind.
As the ball went across the net toward Karasuno. Asahi sloppily received the ball, sending it wobbling toward Kageyama.
He quickly apologized, "Ah, sorry, it's a bit too short!"
"That's because you've been slacking for too long, Asahi-san!"
Tanaka's sharp voice called out from the sidelines, drawing a faint chuckle from a few players. But Tsuna wasn't paying attention to the banter.
His sharp eyes locked onto the ball as it floated toward Kageyama.
Without hesitation, Tsuna darted forward, his tall frame gliding toward the net like a predator locking onto its prey.
His narrowed eyes carried a hunger that Kageyama instantly recognized.
"Tsuna-san!" the setter called out as he sent the ball soaring toward him.
"...!"
Nekoma's blockers felt beads of sweat roll down their foreheads as Tsuna leaped into the air with incredible speed.
His left arm swung with unrelenting force, slicing through the air like a blade.
CRACK!
The sound of the ball colliding with his hand echoed through the gym. It blasted past the blockers' fingertips, hurtling toward Nekoma's side like a bullet.
"Huh...?"
As Tsuna landed, his gaze flicked toward a flash of white. A figure darted after his spike.
It was Nekoma's libero, Yaku.
Yaku lunged for the ball, managing to graze it with his outstretched hand.
"...!"
But the power behind Tsuna's spike was too much, and the ball slipped past him, bouncing off the floor.
Seeing the ball go out of bounds, Yaku gritted his teeth and quickly said, "My apologies!"
"Don't mind, Yaku!"
Nekoma's players were quick to surround him, patting his back in support.
The ball was rolled back to Karasuno's side, but Tsuna remained still for a moment. His brown eyes followed Yaku, his gaze narrowing with a flicker of surprise.
'He touched that...?'
The thought echoed in his mind.
He knew it wasn't unusual for a libero to go after spikes like that, but this was their first game against Nekoma.
Despite that, this libero had managed to read him—even if it wasn't perfect.
His heart skipped slightly, a tiny jolt of excitement breaking through his initial boredom.
The rally resumed as Asahi spiked the next ball, sending it back toward Nekoma. Once again, Yaku moved, diving into position.
This time, his hands connected a bit better than before with the ball despite still failing to receive it.
Tsuna's eyes widened briefly, and then a spark lit within them.
"...It's not luck."
The earlier surprise in his expression melted away, replaced with an expectant gleam. His gaze fixed on Yaku, watching his every move intently.
'I took my words back, this might not be as boring as I thought...'
For the first time in the match, Tsuna's eyes seemed to have been glimmering with excitement.