Chapter 13: The New Phantom on the Court

Eikichi."

Nebuya felt a cold sweat drip from his brow when he heard Akashi's calm voice call out his name. For he knew that underneath the calmness was a monster that could very well be unleashed against him. And considering what had just happened, that could be his fate.

"A-Akashi, I-"

"I don't want to hear it." Akashi narrowed his eyes somewhat, a clear sign that he was not pleased. "I believe I already explained the situation to you. Is your arrogance so big that you can't even heed my words?"

Nebuya had messed up. Twice. They were big mistakes. Worse, they were mistakes that could have been avoided if he hadn't let his pride get in the way.

In front of all this, he could only do one thing.

"I apologize." Nebuya bowed his head. "I'll be more careful next time."

There were no excuses to be made. He should have taken Naruto more seriously. That's all there was to it.

Akashi kept his eyes on him for a few seconds longer before feeling satisfied. Their difference in stature didn't mean anything. Akashi was the one in control here.

Hayama and Mibuchi merely watched the exchange in silence, not daring to step in. Mayuzumi showed no reaction, but it was clear that he paid close attention to Akashi's words as well.

This was not going to be like their previous games. Any mistakes, no matter how small, could not be tolerated.

On the Kaijō side, Kise wasn't surprised by the exchange at all. If anything, it was nostalgic to him. It was the way Akashi had commanded them, the Generation of Miracles, in the past.

'No doubt about it.' Moriyama glared at the Rakuzan players. 'He's no ordinary player.'

Commanding people with such authority like that, and the Uncrowned Kings no less. Well, no normal person could do that.

Naruto didn't care for this as much. Like Kise, he wasn't surprised. That's because he already expected something like this from the redhead. It was the only way to explain how he could lead such a powerful force. He had to be a powerful leader.

'Let's just do this.'

The first play had been made. It was time to continue.

Kaijō had managed to take the initiative and score the first points of the game. It was a good start, but they couldn't relax.

'Akashi won't be fazed by something like that,' Aomine thought from his seat.

A bigger impact was going to be needed for that.

Midorima was having similar thoughts, his eyes fixated on the match below.

Next to him, Takao was a lot more relaxed, a small grin on his face.

'Leave it to Uzumaki-senpai to open up like that.'

He was loving it.

On the court, the ball was on the move again. It was Rakuzan's play. Mibuchi threw it to Akashi, who effortlessly caught it before dribbling down the court with the others following suit.

Naruto wanted to jump in right away to crush him, but he held himself back. He was feeling restless, true, but he knew he couldn't go against their formation.

Not right now.

No, the one who stood in Akashi's way was Kasamatsu. Like during the tip-off, the two had a small staring contest. And sure enough, Kasamatsu confirmed that he was dealing with someone dangerous.

'He's so calm and collected…..he's got the aura of a so-called emperor alright.'

It was hard to believe that Akashi was a mere first year, but that wouldn't stop Kasamatsu from giving it his all.

Akashi merely stared at Kasamatsu, his face indifferent. If he had any fighting spirit, he wasn't showing it.

The two kept the stare-off for a second or so longer before Akashi sprung into action. He dipped to Kasamatsu's left, which Kasamatsu was able to read. He moved in that direction to cut off the redhead, but then Akashi cut back and sprinted for the right. He did this with the utmost precision, and no movements were wasted.

'Fast!' Kasamatsu had to acknowledge that much, but despite that he was still able to scurry back to once again cut off Akashi from his intended path.

Akashi saw this and immediately came to a halt. It almost seemed like Kasamatsu had the upper hand, but undeterred Akashi simply passed to his right, where Mibuchi was waiting for the catch.

'This guy, he didn't even turn to look at him.' Kasamatsu acknowledged something else about Akashi here: the redhead had superb field vision and awareness. He was definitely made to be a point guard. However…..

'I thought he would be much faster…..'

Kasamatsu was hit with another bad feeling, but he had to let it go for now.

As soon as the ball was in his hands, Mibuchi was already setting up for a simple three. However, he hesitated for a split second when he saw Moriyama already jumping for the block.

'He doesn't hold back, does he?'

Were all these Kaijō boys the same?

Mibuchi smiled to himself. It was early, but after seeing Naruto's opening move he was feeling a little bold. Why not open up with a little surprise of their own?

Moriyama's confidence took a hit when he saw Mibuchi quickly switch his form. It was nothing to scoff at. It was like watching a master swordsman move into a different fighting stance. That's how elegant it was.

It spelled trouble for him, though.

'It's a fake!'

Mibuchi wasn't going for a normal three anymore. Instead, he ducked down at the last moment while Moriyama was already in the air for an attempted block. It wouldn't have been so bad if things had ended there. But Mibuchi was nothing if not ambitious.

He jumped straight into Moriyama, forcing contact between the two. It was an obvious foul, and Moriyama's spirit was crushed further when he heard the whistle blown.

"That's not it at all." Moriyama's tense face met Mibuchi's smiling one. "When I attack, I always want more. I'm quite the greedy person, even if I don't look it."

He finished this off by still shooting the three. Moriyama watched the ball descend into the net. It hit the rim first, so it wasn't a clean shot. But it still went in.

A foul on a three-pointer. Everyone knew what that meant.

"A four-point play." Takao was no longer smiling. He was now frowning in a similar manner to Midorima. "What the hell did that guy just do?"

Midorima pushed his glasses back up his nose as he focused his gaze on the smiling Mibuchi. 'So that's one of the Uncrowned Kings. The one they call Yaksha.'

The rumors were true. He was a terrifying shooter. Midorima had to concede as much after that one play.

Moriyama looked crestfallen as the referee called out the foul. That changed when Naruto came up behind him to slap him in the back, hard. Moriyama fell forward, and almost stumbled to the floor if he didn't catch himself at the last second.

"What the-!" He placed a hand on his back while shooting Naruto a glare. "What was that for!?"

It seriously hurt! Damn blond had super strength or something.

"You were looking glum, that's why." Naruto gestured to Mibuchi. "He just issued you a challenge. You're not going to take that lying down, are you?"

Because if so, Naruto was going to be disappointed.

Moriyama understood what the blond was getting at, and all the pain he felt from the slap left him. It was transformed into a burning motivation that needed to be quenched.

"Yeah."

Was he going to back down just because his opponent was an Uncrowned King? Hell no. Stressing over stuff like that was not his style.

Moriyama was going to get his revenge, sooner or later.

"He made it!"

"That's four points!"

"Rakuzan doubled the score in one play!"

"That's the emperor for you!"

The crowd was more or less on Rakuzan's side as Mibuchi easily made his free throw.

"Nice one, Big Sis Reo!" Hayama gave the shooting guard a thumbs up as they fell back.

"I guess I let myself get carried away there." Mibuchi was still smiling as he glanced back to Moriyama. "But I think they got the message."

Akashi wasn't complaining. If anything, this fit more or less into his plans. Right now, they were going to test and possibly exploit Kaijō's weak spots. It was a way to test the waters before they got serious

'They're really looking down on me, huh?' Moriyama was realizing what Rakuzan was planning, and it only pissed him off further.

"I guess they don't know who they're dealing with." Kise threw the ball back in, and it fell to Kasamatsu.

It was their turn to strike back.

Kaijō moved fast down the court, and it only further added to the momentum of the game. They weren't going to let themselves get caught up in Rakuzan's rhythm.

"Ahahaha, they're not wasting any time, huh?" Imayoshi was loving every second of this.

Kasamatsu was soon coming face-to-face with Akashi. There were many things he wanted to do right now, but his personal vendetta came second to winning this game.

That's why he drove forward. To any onlooker, it was as if he was going to use his super charged drive on Akashi. But Kasamatsu wasn't attempting that yet. Rather, when Akashi took the bait, he went for the pass back to Kise who was ready.

Unlike before, Kise had no qualms going in by himself as Mayuzumi was the one who had to defend against him. The silver-haired third year wasn't able to keep up with Kise's speed at all, and with a simple crossover Kise was already shooting past him.

"T'ch, useless!" Nebuya was forced to dash forward to try and stop Kise from making his shot. This left Kobori unmarked, a fact Kise used to his advantage as he faked a jump shot for an alley-oop to Kobori.

Nebuya was only able to turn his head back just in time to see Kobori dunk.

"Ooooooohhhh! Kaijō isn't falling behind!"

"They're facing the emperor head on!"

The crowd's reaction changed again, and Yuki knew that that was probably going to be happening a lot in this game.

"Oh?" Akashi still didn't seem fazed at all. "Looks like they're attempting something similar."

"Don't misunderstand." Akashi turned to Kasamatsu who was shooting him a small glare. "Unlike you, we're not afraid to put all our cards on the table right from the beginning."

Kasamatsu's point was only proven further in the next possession as he and Akashi stood against one another again.

"We're ready anytime. Do your worst."

Those words put a small smile on Akashi's face. It wasn't a pleasant one, though. It was more of a distorted one, a borderline sneer. Like he was looking at a child trying to act out.

That sort of smile.

It really did irritate Kasamatsu, and that irritation only grew when Akashi simply passed again instead of attacking head on.

Akashi then passed again, and it went to Mibuchi who was more than happy to have the ball.

Moriyama narrowed his eyes at this. "So you're coming again."

Mibuchi chuckled. "Don't hate me for this, Moriyama-chan."

This time, Moriyama didn't shiver or anything. He simply stood his ground, ready to intercept whatever Mibuchi threw at him. However, Moriyama had put a greater distance between him and Mibuchi as a countermeasure against that earlier shot.

Mibuchi was more than happy with this setup as he jumped high while also performing a fadeaway at the same time. In response, Moriyama tried to desperately block the shot that was coming, but he was too far away for that.

The three went in, hitting nothing but the net.

'What the hell!?' Moriyama was understandably annoyed by this. 'He can shoot that way too!?'

"Incredible." Sakurai had to admire the shot as well. "To be able to perform something like that is no easy feat. You have to control and maintain your center of gravity while in midair. And it's not his only shot….."

Sakurai knew that he couldn't do something like that.

"Well, it's a clear show of skill." Imayoshi was more humorous about the situation. Why shouldn't he be? He was only a spectator here. "Rakuzan wants to show that their team is better. And they're not wasting anytime in doing that."

Aomine had arrived to that conclusion as well.

'What are you going to do about this, Uzumaki?'

It better not be a half-assed response. That wouldn't cut it here.

Down in the bench area, Yuki was worried as she saw all of this.

"Moriyama-san…."

Being beaten twice in a row like this. Was he going to be okay?

"Don't fret, Sugawara." Takeuchi had his arms crossed as he faced forward, not an ounce of weakness or doubt present on him. "Moriyama isn't that weak. None of them are. Have more faith in this team, won't you?"

Nakamura and Hayakawa both looked at her with knowing smiles.

Yuki had no choice but to return them. Because she had to. It was as Takeuchi said. It wasn't just Naruto and Kise that made up this team. The others were fighting too, and they wouldn't give up so easily.

Naruto knew this too, which is why he wasn't worried about Moriyama. He knew the guy could, no, that he would bounce back from this. He was more focused on his opposition as the ball was handed to him.

"Oh, so you're finally coming." Unlike Nebuya, Hayama was more than thrilled to take Naruto on. The giant grin on his face was proof of that. "I was starting to get worried that you had lost your fighting spirit from earlier. I need to make sure I pay you back for embarrassing us."

'This guy….'

Naruto couldn't get a read on him at all. Well, whatever. That mattered very little right now.

Almost like he was changing personalities, Hayama's aura changed as he doubled down on his defense. Naruto's eyes widened a little when he felt this. It was a very familiar feeling, after all. It was a wild instinct, something Naruto had only seen in Aomine so far.

Up in his seat, Aomine sensed the same thing.

Seriously, all these Uncrowned Kings were a pain in the ass.

This didn't make Naruto falter at all, though. He took a deep breath before he was charging in.

'Uwah, so quick!' Hayama saw how Naruto was able to change his speed from zero to max with one quick move. He had never faced anyone who could do something like that before, but that only made him more excited.

He stepped in the way of Naruto's drive, but Naruto was already one move ahead as he dribbled the ball behind his back so that he could dash in the other direction. It was in the same level as Akashi's cut back from earlier, and Hayama almost fell in love with the move right then and there.

'This guy can dribble….!'

It was high praise coming from him. Unfortunately, with all his admiration and Naruto's otherworldly speed, he was left behind as Naruto was already dribbling for the basket.

Nebuya hesitated to move as he shot Kobori a glare. He couldn't afford to leave this guy open, not unless he wanted a repeat of last time.

That's why Naruto was left undefended as he scored his second dunk of the game.

And the crowd loved it even more.

The other players in Rakuzan didn't feel the same way, though.

"What the hell was that!?" Nebuya growled as he looked at the sheepish Hayama. "He got past you too easily!"

"Are you sure about that?" Mibuchi's eyes went to Naruto who was exchanging a high-five with Kobori. "That guy can't be stopped by natural means, you know."

Nebuya couldn't really argue with that.

"It's something we have to accept for now." Akashi got their attention. The redhead wasn't looking concerned. "We continue as is."

The others all nodded, putting their faith in Akashi. He had never let them down, and they had no reason to believe he would start now.

The momentum wasn't slowed, and the ball was live again. As it was Rakuzan's play, the same pattern from before was followed, and the ball was passed to Mibuchi.

'Not again!' Yuki almost groaned when she saw this.

"They're total sadists, aren't they?" Imayoshi said, his glasses glinting. "Going that route again….."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Aomine replied, shrugging. It was boring, sure, but it was getting them somewhere.

But even so, he knew things wouldn't go this way forever.

Mibuchi was smiling again as he prepared his attack on Moriyama, who was in the total opposite mood. He didn't know what to do. Trying to predict Mibuchi's shot…...could he even do something like that?

There was no time for him to think as Mibuchi was already on the move, his hands gripping the ball tightly. From the way he was positioned, it looked like he was definitely going for the three. But what if it was another fake!?

Moriyama couldn't come to a decision, and Mibuchi was sure he could get away with shooting just a normal three-pointer. His other shots were tiring, and he'd rather not blow all his stamina in the first quarter.

That sense of comfort left him when the ball was suddenly smacked out of his hands, though, and by Naruto of all people.

Mibuchi was more than just surprised. He was downright dumbfounded. 'When did he-!?'

"You're making me frustrated just looking at you!" the blond shouted to Moriyama. "Do something already!"

'I think you already did something, Uzumakicchi,' Kise thought with a small sweatdrop before jumping into action. He made for the now free ball, with Mayuzumi attempting to keep up with him. Their difference in speed had already been made clear before, and it was no different now.

Kise was able to scoop up the ball before throwing it all the way down the court where Naruto already was. His fellow blond caught it, but he wasn't unmarked as Hayama was right there for the block.

"Not so fast!"

Hayama was determined to stop Naruto this time, but there was no need for that as Naruto was already throwing a pass Moriyama's way.

Now, it was Mibuchi who had to guard against Moriyama's offensive. The Uncrowned King was still a bit shaken up by Naruto's sudden attack, but he wasn't going to let it slow him down here. But like him, Moriyama had a special shot of his own.

When Moriyama started to go for his Unorthodox Shot, Mibuchi was put on edge.

'What kind of form is that?'

Mibuchi found himself unable to time his reaction properly, and by the time he was trying to slap the ball out of Moriyama's hands it had already been launched into the air.

It was totally bizarre. Mibuchi was sure that such a shot could never go in, but he saw with his own eyes how the ball went right through the net, not hitting the rim or anything.

The spectators burst into cheers, more than happy to see the Moriyama fighting back.

"You may be an Uncrowned King, but let me tell you this." Mibuchi found himself on the receiving end of a powerful glare from Moriyama. "We're still going to win."

"Eh, is that so?" Mibuchi gained a small tic mark in response, looking put off by this.

"Looks like Big Sis Reo is getting serious now," Hayama said, somewhat amused by Mibuchi's reaction.

"I don't know what you mean." Mibuchi wiped some of the sweat off his face with his jersey, his eyes darkening somewhat. "I'm always serious, no matter who I'm facing."

Be that a mouse or a tiger. It made no difference to him. He would squash them all the same. He was very different from Hayama in that regard, who could only play seriously against tough opponents.

Akashi stepped towards them.

"That may be so, but I think it's time we performed some countermeasures."

The other four players looked at one another. This was different from what Akashi had said earlier.

It was a bit early indeed, but Akashi was now certain that he couldn't wait any longer. His hand was being forced, but it didn't matter in the end.

He would still come out victorious.

"It's definitely strange." Yuki turned to Nakamura who was looking at Naruto and Moriyama as the two boys traded fist bumps with one another. "Those two are always arguing with one another, but when they're on the court they can play really well together. It's like they're different people."

Yuki gained a small smile in response, nodding.

"Yes…."

It made her more than happy to see that.

"I'm sure that little play made them more motivated, but the fundamental problem still remains." As usual, Imayoshi was more than happy to ruin the parade and look at the situation more critically. "That shooting guard can't stop Mibuchi. That's plain to see. As long as that hole exists, Rakuzan can exploit it over and over again."

"Ha, you really have a terrible personality, four eyes."

Aomine's comment made Imayoshi pout a little.

"You don't have to put it that way."

'I think he does,' Susa thought but kept this to himself in favor of listening to Aomine.

"It's true that, overall, Rakuzan probably has the better players." Aomine smirked as he looked down at Naruto and Kise. "But you shouldn't underestimate those two. They can fill any gap they need to."

Momoi wasn't so sure. "Ki-kun might have been able to stop Mibuchi-san just now, but I don't think Akashi-kun is going to let that happen again."

"Maybe." Aomine shrugged. "But you're underestimating that idiot."

Momoi still didn't look convinced, but if anyone could pull a miracle here than it was Naruto.

The mood was more tense than before on the court as the next play started. Kaijō had been able to break the balance, and the momentum was on their side for sure. At this rate, it was forgiven if anyone thought that the first quarter was going to belong to Kaijō.

But Akashi wasn't one to let such offenses go unpunished. He needed to remind everyone here the difference in status between him and everyone else.

Kasamatsu glowered when he saw who was on him now.

"Hayama."

Said player simply grinned at him.

Their marks had been switched, and as expected it was Akashi who stood before Naruto now.

"So you finally came."

Akashi allowed himself to smile a little. "You've been getting carried away, Uzumaki Naruto. I think it's about time I start bringing you down."

Kise looked over to them, and the worry was clear in his eyes.

'Uzumakicchi….'

It was the same worry that was present in Yuki as she gripped the hem of her skirt.

'So it's finally time…..'

It was just as they had planned.

"What did you just say, Uzumakicchi!?"

"I know you're an idiot, but this goes beyond normal idiocy."

"I can still punch you, Moriyama."

They were in their locker room, and with the game almost upon them. But before they stepped out, Naruto had one thing he needed to tell the others.

Which led to this current argument.

"But Moriyama's right." Scowling, Kasamatsu said, "What you're suggesting is suicidal. If you had Kise along with you, then we would understand. But this is-"

"It's the best option if you ask me." Naruto wasn't discouraged. He knew it may sound stupid, but still. It needed to be done. "I'm not going to be fighting alone. I'll simply be creating a push, one that will have a lasting impact."

"It's still suicidal, though." Nakamura shook his head. "Do you think you can take Akashi alone? After what Kise told us-"

"It's a gamble." Naruto knew that too. Going against Akashi's eyes….it was probably going to be like nothing else he had faced so far. But it still needed to be done. "I'm thinking about the team. Out of the two of us, I have more stamina than Kise. I will last longer. If Kise blows out too soon, we'll be in a position we might not be able to recover from."

It was true. After all, it wasn't just Akashi they needed to worry about. There was the Uncrowned Kings too. If they lost Kise, facing such a force would be much harder for them.

Kise was still not happy about this, though. "Even if it's just for me, do you really think you can win?"

"Ha? Don't underestimate me, you idiot." Naruto almost threw his water bottle at the model again. "Remember what Aomine told us. As long as we have our bond, there's no way I can lose."

"Naruto-kun…." Yuki was just as worried as the others, but after hearing those words there was no way she could doubt Naruto now.

Besides, he was totally serious about this. No one was going to be able to talk him out of it.

"H'mph, I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with this plan, but it's the best we got." They all turned to Takeuchi who had his arms crossed. "Considering what Kise told us, Akashi will be testing us throughout the first quarter. Trying to find our weaknesses and make perfect use of them later on. That's the kind of player he's bound to be. In face of that strategy, there's only one way we can respond."

They had to take the initiative and score as much as possible before Rakuzan had a chance to organize their strategy. They needed an ambush.

"T'ch, if that's your decision, coach." Kasamatsu wasn't entirely pleased with this whole thing, but he would follow the coach's orders. Besides, he knew that Naruto and Kise were the only ones who could face that guy down. He would be giving it his all, of course, but he was also a realist.

"Then what?" Kobori asked. "How do you plan on luring Akashi in?"

Naruto smirked.

"Easy. I just have to get his attention."

Akashi couldn't resist stopping Naruto from interfering with the other plays. That's why he was here now, just as Naruto expected. Naruto also suspected that the redhead was ready to double team Kise if it came down to it as well, but there would be no need for that.

Right now, he was the main target.

And Naruto was happy with that.

Hayama was once again grinning as he now faced Kasamatsu, the ball in his grip.

"I wanted to get my revenge on Uzumaki for passing me up, but I guess you'll have to do."

Kasamatsu didn't rise to the bait and kept his cool. Mibuchi had already shown some of his skills, but Hayama hadn't done anything but play defense so far. Kasamatsu was sure there was more to Hayama than just wild instincts.

Whatever it was, he had to be ready.

"Hmm, I guess four will do with you," Hayama muttered as he gripped the ball tighter.

'Four…..?' Kasamatsu didn't get it, but he had other problems to worry about. Such as the dribble that Hayama started to use all of a sudden. It was loud, louder than anything else Kasamatsu had heard in all his years playing basketball.

He wasn't the only one who heard it. Pretty much every player and audience member were affected by this.

"What the hell?" Wakamatsu held his ears as he winced. "What the hell is up with that dribble!?"

'They say it's better to dribble the ball harder, since it makes it faster and harder to steal,' Takao thought, wincing just as much as everyone else. 'But still…..how loud is that!?'

There was such a thing as going overboard, ya know!

Despite the pain in his ears, Kasamatsu kept his eyes on the ball the whole time. Or at least, he tried to.

'No…..my eyes…...they can't follow it!'

It was embarrassing, but it was the total truth. Unbelievable too. The ball was in front of him one second, but then it was gone. And so was Hayama.

Hayama looked determined and smug as he passed by Kasamatsu. It was one of his more straightforward drives, but he was confident it was all he needed against Kasamatsu.

And he was right, as Kasamatsu was unable to respond in time. He knew his defense wasn't as good as Nakamura's, but to be passed so easily like this…..Kasamatsu hadn't felt this frustrated in a long time.

It wasn't just that either. Kasamatsu had been able to see the number of fingers Hayama had been using just now. There were only four fingers, which meant that only four of the five fingers were transferring Hayama's power onto the ball.

In simpler terms, that already powerful dribble still had another level to go!

With Kasamatsu behind him, Hayama headed for the finish line. Kobori was there, but so was Nebuya. Under these circumstances, Kobori knew he was a in losing position.

Thankfully, that changed for him as Kise arrived at the scene for the block just as Hayama was going for the layup.

'What the-!' Hayama was more than just a little surprised when Kise knocked the ball out of his hands. 'How did he get here so quickly!?'

It wasn't just Naruto's speed they had to worry about, but also Kise's it seemed.

"Nice one!" Kobori was more than happy to take the free ball.

Nebuya attempted to block the pass that was coming, but he was a whole step behind which left Kobori free to launch the ball down court.

"Oh? Are you sure you want to do that?" Even before the ball reached its target, Imayoshi already knew what was coming. Kaijō had more than just guts to attempt this already.

Both Midorima and Aomine were of the same mind, but they were also very excited to see what came of this.

The new buzz was understandable as the ball reached Naruto's hands, with Akashi still marking him.

"The aces of both teams….." Yeah, Imayoshi considered Naruto to be the true ace for Kaijō. No offense to Kise, but he saw more charisma and skill in the rugged looking blond. Regardless, it was the face-off between two high level players.

What would come of this?

"This will have a big impact on the game, one way or another," Miyaji Kiyoshi said. He was a third year and the small forward for Shūtoku.

Down below, the atmosphere dropped several degrees as Naruto and Akashi prepared themselves.

"Come, Uzumaki Naruto."

Akashi might not have used his eyes so far, but that was about to change. It wasn't what he had planned, but he had also foreseen this as a possibility. He was more than ready to cut the momentum that Naruto was trying to create.

Naruto was simply excited and on the warpath, as it were. This was the exact moment he had been so impatiently waiting for.

"What did you call me out here for, Kise? And what the hell is he doing here?"

"That's my line. You didn't tell me anything about this. I thought we were going to talk about our celebratory ramen after we win the finals."

Kise found himself in the middle of two very annoyed people. Aomine was on one end, and Naruto on the other. It hadn't been easy to get them here, but he had managed it somehow.

"We have an important question to ask you, Aominecchi."

Naruto scowled. "Speak for yourself."

"Look, I'm serious!" Kise wasn't going to let their petty rivalry get in the way here. "If we want to win against Akashicchi tonight, then we need Aominecchi's help."

Naruto gave him an unconvincing stare, but he relented. "Fine, I'll bite. Just this once. What are you talking about?"

"I can already figure it out." There was only one reason Kise would come to him, and Aomine knew what it was. "Zone. You want to know how to access it again."

Naruto looked curious now. "I thought it was random? That you couldn't control it?"

That's what Yuki had explained to him after her research anyway.

"Typically it is." Aomine sighed, looking a bit put off by this whole situation himself. He had just lost to these guys, and now he was helping them. What a world this was. "But if you can find your trigger, then you can enter that state whenever you want."

There was also the physical requirements that needed to be met, but Aomine was positive that Naruto and Kise met them. So there was no reason to go over them.

"A trigger?" Naruto was trying to wrap his head around this. "What kind of trigger?"

"The whole reason you two were able to enter that state in the first place. What you were focused on back when you were facing me. That should give you your answer."

For Aomine, it was as simple as facing a tough opponent. He needed that challenge, that sense of excitement. However, that was the case only for him. There were different triggers for different people, and he knew that Naruto's and Kise's were different from his.

Naruto and Kise shared a look. They were thinking the same thing.

'How I felt that time….' Naruto turned back to Aomine. "So we just have to focus on that?"

"Basically. Immerse yourself in that emotion. Let it consume you and your play." Aomine then paused here. "But there is a catch. If you let yourself get distracted, if you start to lose focus and worry about other things, then you'll slowly start to exit that state."

Since you were deliberately entering the Zone, that was a risk that was always present. You had to keep yourself focused, after all. It wasn't the same as entering it by accident, where you're already with that mindset.

"That's easy enough I suppose." Kise smiled. "Thanks for the help, Aominecchi."

"Don't think it's for free, you idiot." Aomine walked past them. "In exchange, make sure you win against Akashi. No matter what."

Naruto shot him a smirk.

"That's easy enough to do."

What Aomine taught them…..it was time to put it to the test.

There was another shift in the air, only this time it was coming directly from Naruto. Everyone on the court could sense it. Even as high-level as the Uncrowned Kings were, it still made them shiver in slight terror.

Akashi was the one who felt it the most, though, since he was standing the closest to the blond. He wasn't afraid, however. No, he was simply caught completely caught off-guard when Naruto shot past him like a bullet. He wasn't able to move an inch to try and stop him.

'This is….!'

There was only one explanation for this.

"Heh, so the idiot did it." Aomine couldn't help but smirk at the display. "But to think you're already going for it….."

No, that was probably why.

'How did he-!' Nebuya was just as shocked as Akashi when he saw Naruto get past the redhead's defense in a single move. By this point, the others had already managed to catch up with the two and were on Rakuzan's side of the court.

With no time to think, Nebuya attempted to cut off Naruto from the dunk that was clearly coming.

But there was no stopping it.

Like before, Naruto didn't hesitate to dunk right through Nebuya, who watched with wide eyes as Naruto casually flew over him.

"He got through both of them!"

"No one can stop his dunks!"

The excitement only grew in the audience while Naruto descended back to the ground.

Akashi turned to Naruto, his surprise from before now under control. It had come a lot sooner than he expected, but it seemed as though Kaijō was willing to start this game high.

Kasamatsu hadn't been kidding around.

'So.' Akashi narrowed his eyes. 'It's Zone.'

Orange sparks of electricity shot out from Naruto's eyes as he faced Akashi and the others.

It was time for the ambush to commence.

Nebuya was looking worried as he threw the ball back in. Usually, the coach would have called a time out for this. However, it seemed like Akashi had different plans as he headed straight for Naruto who was more than eager to face him.

'Akashi, he's already looking to settle the score,' Hayama thought when he saw this.

It was unusual for Akashi to be this hasty, but that just meant that Naruto had angered him that much. Akashi's next words only proved him right.

"It seems you're forgetting your place here," the redhead said as he and Naruto stood face-to-face.

Imayoshi leaned in from where he sat. "I'm getting the tingles here."

Naruto might have been able to trick Akashi before, but that wasn't happening a second time. If the blond wanted to truly crush Akashi, then now was the time. In other words….

'It's Uzumaki vs. Akashi….'

It was the real showdown.

All the others on the court watched with growing anticipation. Kise was the most anxious of them, his eyes never leaving the pair.

Yuki shared that distress, her hands clenched over her chest. But she had to have faith that everything would go well. If not, it would be like betraying Naruto and everyone else.

Naruto was feeling more than confident, however. His success just now had bolstered that confidence. He was sure he could take Akashi's offense.

"H'mph, don't insult me." Akashi moved forward just as his eyes started to display a glowing ring around both irises. "I'm going to make you move."

Their movements were fast. Akashi dove for Naruto's left, making the blond turn in that direction just as the redhead started to move. It was clear that, in Zone, Naruto's natural senses were increased tenfold.

'He predicted it!' Yuki was quick to cheer, but that proved to be a mistake on her part.

Akashi had already predicted Naruto's moves as well, all thanks to his eyes. That's why he quickly cut back in the other direction, dribbling the ball between his legs in one swift move.

Naruto saw this and made to follow, but as he did he found himself tripping over his own foot. It was at the moment he cut back to pursue Akashi. Even in Zone, he was caught too unprepared by this to react properly.

Naruto fell back, falling to the floor while Akashi stood over him.

"Remember this. No one that opposes me is allowed to look down on me." Akashi threw the ball for a simple two-point shot, but the implications were clear.

"Bow your head."

This was the power of the Emperor Eye, and it had overcome Naruto's Zone.

"Ahahahaha! I was wondering what he was planning on doing, but he just went right in and did it!" Imayoshi was definitely having fun with this. Not that he wasn't also wary of Akashi. Far from it. All of this was only making more uneasy about the future. If they went up against Akashi, what would happen then? Would they be sharing a similar outcome?

Not fun to think about.

"Not even Zone was able to stand up to the Emperor Eye," Momoi murmured, fearful of what was to come.

Aomine said nothing, his face dispassionate. He had different thoughts on what had just happened, but he would keep them to himself for now.

The others over in Shūtoku were more in line with Momoi, save for Midorima. The glasses wearer was thinking the same as Aomine.

'That just now…..'

Back on the court, Kise was already by Naruto's side, offering him a hand.

"Uzumakicchi, are you alright?"

Naruto took it as the others gathered around.

'I can't believe it.' Moriyama's eyes were wide. 'If he can't stop Akashi then…..'

'What are we going to do?' Kobori finished in his mind, his face troubled.

"Stop thinking pointless crap." Kasamatsu wasn't having any of that, though. He would have kicked them if they weren't in the middle of a match right now. "You're not done yet, right?"

Naruto looked at his captain with a feral look, his whiskers darkening. "I'm more excited now than ever."

Facing those eyes for the first time…..it was quite an experience. He had lost that bout, no doubt about it. But the battle wasn't over yet.

Seeing Naruto determined snapped Moriyama and Kobori out of their defeated thoughts. They couldn't be the only ones giving up. They would never let themselves.

Kise grinned as he patted Naruto on the back.

"I was afraid it was going to get to you."

Not a chance.

They just needed to get some payback.

It was just as Aomine and Midorima thought. As Kaijō got their next play on the move, the ball was handed right to Naruto again.

"What the heck?" Takao narrowed his eyes. "Are they insane? Did they just not see what happened?"

Having Naruto face Akashi again like this….

"It's the opposite, in fact." Midorima readjusted his glasses. "If Uzumaki backs down now, it's no different from running away. That would affect the morale of the whole team, which could hinder them for the rest of the quarter. Perhaps even the first half. But they still have a chance…."

They did?

"Uzumaki was able to get by Akashi first," Aomine explained to the others in Tōō. "He can still capitalize on that."

"Hmm, so you say, but I'm not so sure." Imayoshi turned his attention back to the court. "That play relied more on the shock factor of being in the Zone than Uzumaki's skills." There was also the fact that Akashi hadn't fully activated his Emperor Eye at that point.

To Imayoshi, it was Akashi who had the upper hand here.

And maybe he did, but Aomine still believed in that chance. As long as Naruto didn't give up, it was possible.

And Naruto had plenty of determination to spare.

But Akashi had been expecting this. He knew that Naruto wouldn't give up so easily. That's why he was prepared to finish the blond off right here and now.

Naruto didn't bother with slowing down and pressed forward. Akashi's eyes were right on him, following his every more. The two came to a head a second later.

It was Akashi who seemed to go at it first. He thrusted his arm forward, looking to knock the ball out of Naruto's hand. But to everyone's surprise, Naruto was already dribbling the ball to his other hand just before Akashi could reach it.

'Don't tell me….' Even Kise was astonished by this. 'Is Uzumakicchi…..faster thanthe Emperor Eye!?'

It almost looked as if Naruto was in the clear as he was already dribbling past Akashi.

'I don't like to be underestimated so much.' Akashi thrusted his arm again, only this time it was backwards. He was at the perfect distance to smack the ball from Naruto's blind spot.

'No, he let him pass!' Yuki realized this, her eyes wide. Akashi's true goal was what came after, when Naruto was already too focused in his drive. With Naruto's senses enhanced by his Zone, he would be able to see it coming, but since it was coming from his blind spot it would be a split second too late.

And here, that could change everything.

'So that's his game plan.' Aomine frowned. 'And at Uzumaki's speed…..'

Naruto had put everything into his drive. But even so, he could still dodge this sort of attack. He had good enough reflexes for that. Normally, that is. Akashi's Emperor Eye had the redhead timing his attack just right, though, to the point where Naruto was the most vulnerable.

Could Naruto dribble the ball back to his other hand and out of Akashi's reach before Akashi got to it first?

It was a tense moment, and neither side knew what to expect. But Naruto managed to surprise everyone again as he forced his hand to grab the ball before it could fully leave his grasp.

Akashi was startled by this. 'What is he doing?'

He was so startled that he momentarily forgot to check with his Emperor Eye to figure out the answer. And even if he did, it wouldn't have mattered.

Naruto used all the strength he had to not dribble the ball, but instead he grasped it and hurled it for a pass. Yes, he had just managed to stop himself from dribbling in a split second. No, in a shorter amount of time than that.

Aomine couldn't be more impressed.

The hurled ball made its way to Moriyama, who looked very stunned to be getting the ball. Mibuchi was in the same boat, and because of that he was slow with his reaction.

When Mibuchi finally moved to try and stop him, Moriyama was already poised for his Unorthodox Shot. The ball left his hands unblocked, and it easily went into the net.

"It went in!"

"Kaijō isn't buckling to the emperor at all!"

There were many cries of excitement from the spectators, but Yuki was far too relieved to pay attention to them.

'Naruto-kun…..you're amazing.'

It was a trap that would have worked on almost anyone else. But he was still able to escape it.

"That guy is something else." Imayoshi felt another chill run up his spine. "Being able to outwit the Emperor Eye like that…."

Even if he was in the Zone, it was still incredible.

As for Akashi, he was left staring at his hand that he had used to try and smack the ball with.

'That just now….'

"Akashi….." Hayama didn't know what to say, or what he was supposed to be feeling right now. It was the first time he was seeing something like that.

That rang true for Nebuya and Mibuchi as well.

But Akashi didn't let it get to him. He started to feel a different emotion rising in him.

This game was definitely going to be interesting.

The first quarter soon ended after that, and it was a score of 23-22, with Kaijō in the lead. It was a single point, but it was a single point higher than most people had been expecting.

"I forgot to breathe several times," Sakura said with a hand over his chest. He was definitely looking a bit pale. "I had no idea things would get this heated so quickly."

And it was only the first quarter!

"But now we know. Uzumaki and Akashi are on the same level." Imayoshi's face was just beaming with excitement. "What's going to happen next?"

He couldn't wait for the second quarter.

"But isn't this bad?" Momoi turned to Aomine. "Ki-kun was in the Zone for almost the whole quarter. Can he last the whole game like that?"

The Zone was supposed to be very taxing. Kise had dropped dead exhausted after only being in it for two minutes. She knew Naruto had more stamina, but still. She was worried.

"I can't give you a good answer to that." Aomine stared at Naruto who was now sitting next to Yuki. "But I can tell you this. He still has plenty of stamina left."

It was scary, the amount of stamina that blond idiot had. That was the thing Aomine feared the most about Naruto. It wasn't the guy's speed or strength. But his stamina. If Aomine was going to combat that, he knew he needed to increase his.

But that was for the future. For now, seeing how this match ended was all that mattered.

"Man, that was insane. I can't believe you managed to pull that off."

"I wa(s) le(f)t t(o)tall(y) sp(ee)chless!"

"I surprised myself," Naruto admitted after chugging down his water. "I honestly thought he had it there for a second."

"T'ch, and after thinking you looked cool. You disappoint me," Moriyama said while shaking his head.

Hey, it was still cool!

"You really don't do anything halfheartedly," Kobori agreed, half-smiling half-exasperated.

"Well, we followed the plan, but we weren't able to put the dent we were expecting." Takeuchi stood in front of his team, his face thoughtful. "That Emperor Eye. It's definitely formidable."

"Akashicchi has grown faster and stronger too." Kise eyed the redhead on the other side of the court who was sitting calmly with his team. "He's also gotten more annoying with his plans."

Kasamatsu had to agree there. That damn redhead had been taking it easy on him, probably to just test things out. It was only when Naruto had forced his hand that he had shown his true skill.

'I say that, but why do I still feel so uneasy?'

Could Akashi be hiding something else? No, that wasn't possible. What else could he have besides his Emperor Eye?

"So what do we do?" Nakamura posed the most prudent question. "We were able to take the first quarter." Barely. "But going like this…."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kise stood up. "We need to increase our firepower."

Naruto sighed. "You're not going to listen, are you?"

"What do you think?"

Stubborn fool. But so be it.

Rakuzan was having their own talk, only it was more on the frustrated side.

"Looks like we can't deal with Uzumaki Naruto through conventional means." Nebuya shot a side glare to the blond in question who was saying something to Yuki, which made the girl giggle. "Should we focus more people on him?"

"And what about Kise?" Mibuchi shook his head. "He hasn't done anything big yet, but we can't let ourselves be caught off-guard."

Not again.

"It's as Reo says." Akashi got their attention. "Stopping the two of them will be difficult, almost impossible even for the Uncrowned Kings. That's why it's time for us to press forward with our next plan."

The three knew what he was talking about. They looked to their fifth player who sat in silence.

"We're going to open a hole, one that neither Uzumaki nor Ryōta will see coming."

Their coach, a man in a well-kept suit by the name of Shirogane Eiji, just stood back and let Akashi take care of everything. This was how things had been going since Akashi had joined the team, and he had no problems with it.

It's what would lead them to victory, after all.

The excitement started to grow again as the second quarter came. Right away, everyone saw that Naruto was no longer in the Zone.

"So they're changing things up." Takao chuckled. "Do they have something else up their sleeve? I wonder what the emperor is going to do about this?"

Midorima wondered the same thing.

The ball was thrown in as the whistle was blown, and it was in Rakuzan's possession. However, unlike how it had been in the first quarter, they seemed to be taking things slow as Akashi maintained his position.

Naruto was confused, unsure of why Akashi wasn't coming straight at him like before.

'What is he thinking?'

Under these circumstances, trying to go for a steal would suit Naruto just fine. But the risk for failure was high. As long as Akashi had those eyes activated…..

"The mood is definitely different," Susa observed. "Is Rakuzan planning something?"

No one knew, but his answer came quick as Akashi finally moved. Except it wasn't in the way people were thinking.

He threw a pass rather than facing Naruto directly, which made the blond frown.

'Are you running away?'

Akashi merely smiled in response.

'No, that's not what's important.' Kasamatsu saw it. That pass from Akashi just now…..it was coming straight for him!

Had Akashi missed somehow? But that didn't seem possible. Someone like Akashi making a careless mistake like this? What were the odds of that?

Kasamatsu wouldn't bother with the numbers and instead savored the opportunity that was presented to him. He held his hands out to catch the incoming ball. It was like getting a gift on Christmas. That's how good it felt anyway.

Kise was also taken back by the careless pass and turned his head in that direction to see what came of it.

It was then that it happened.

A familiar feeling spread through Kise's body when Mayuzumi, the one he was supposed to be watching, suddenly disappeared from view. No, not disappear.

He vanished.

Aomine saw the same thing and nearly stood up from his seat. 'The hell!? That's-!'

It was Misdirection.

The ball that was mere inches away from Kasamatsu was suddenly slapped to a different direction, more specifically toward Mibuchi who was already awaiting its arrival.

'What!?' Kasamatsu's eyes widened, and his felt his breathing stop for a moment.

Moriyama was also caught off-guard by the sudden pass and wasn't able to stop Mibuchi from shooting his three. But that was secondary to what had just happened to them.

"This is impossible." Momoi's eyes were full of disbelief as the crowd cheered around her. "That person just now…."

"He used Misdirection." Kise couldn't believe it. "But how…..?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "The same as Kuroko?"

"No, it's not as simple as that." The blond glanced back to Akashi who was looking calm but satisfied. "He may have the same traits as Tetsuya, but all the specs are one notch higher. You may even say that Tetsuya was the previous model."

And now, Mayuzumi Chihiro was the new model for the phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles.

This match had taken another turn.