Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

After landing, Rukawa Kaede quickly looked at the basket. How much he hoped his collision could alter Kenichi Uesugi's shooting trajectory. But in the end, he was disappointed. The basketball flew steadily into the basket.

22:10.

At the same time, the referee's whistle blew.

"Beep!"

"White No. 11 fouled, one free throw!" the referee declared. Rukawa Kaede heard the words clearly. Though angry, he could only raise his right hand helplessly to acknowledge the foul.

"It's 3+1! Kenichi is so awesome!" a loud voice shouted from outside the court. Without even looking, Kenichi Uesugi knew it was Hikoichi Aida, the spirited leader of Ryonan's cheerleading team, reveling in his most active moments.

On the Ryonan bench, not just Hikoichi, but all the substitutes stood up, cheering for Kenichi Uesugi.

"Shua!"

Kenichi Uesugi sank the free throw with ease.

23:10.

As the score gap widened, the pressure on the Shohoku players intensified.

The game resumed. Yasuda brought the ball to the front court, scanning his teammates.

He hesitated, unsure who to pass to. Rukawa had been dominated by Kenichi Uesugi on both offense and defense. Akagi struggled to score under Yuzumi's relentless defense. Was the responsibility now his? Could he really be the one to turn the tide?

Before Yasuda could make a decision,

Uekusa acted swiftly, stealing the ball. The Shohoku bench groaned in unison, a collective expression of despair. Ayako stood up, visibly anxious. Kenichi Uesugi's commanding presence had a profound effect on the entire Shohoku team. Their movements became sluggish, hesitant, and uncharacteristically timid.

"Is Kenichi Uesugi really just a freshman?" someone muttered.

On the court, Uekusa quickly brought the ball to the front court and passed it to Uesugi. When Uesugi received the ball outside the three-point line, the entire Shohoku bench rose to their feet, their faces tense with worry.

Rukawa Kaede, defending Uesugi at the three-point line, was at his limit. His mind raced, anticipating Uesugi's next move. Then, Uesugi did something unexpected. He began squatting—deeper than necessary for a normal shooting stance

Rukawa's instincts kicked in. He mirrored Uesugi's squatting motion, determined not to lose his defensive edge. Suddenly, Uesugi sprang up, his legs like tightly wound springs. Rukawa tried to follow, but his legs froze as he stood. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't jump.

Panic flooded Rukawa as he watched Uesugi release the ball. He knew the swish of the net was inevitable. The ball arced perfectly and sank into the basket.

Kenichi Uesugi had used the "void" shot, a technique inspired by Reo Miru. By exaggerating his squatting motion, he lured defenders into copying him. Then, with practiced precision, he sprang up, exploiting his opponents' unpreparedness. The result? A defender frozen in place, unable to contest the shot.

"What happened? Why didn't Rukawa jump?" someone on the Shohoku bench exclaimed.

"Did he give up?" another chimed in. "He could've at least tried to block the shot!"

Confusion spread among the Shohoku players. Even Uekusa, closest to the action, was baffled. Had Uesugi somehow convinced Rukawa to throw the game? The thought was absurd, yet no other explanation made sense.

"It's because of how Kenichi squatted earlier," Shigeichi Tanaoka, Ryonan's coach, explained to the puzzled bench. "Kenichi exaggerated his squat, and Rukawa mimicked him. When Kenichi sprang up, Rukawa's untrained legs froze."

"Then why didn't Kenichi freeze too?" Hikoichi asked, wide-eyed.

"Practice," Tanaoka replied. "Kenichi has trained extensively to condition his legs. His muscles are used to this motion, so he doesn't freeze."

Though Tanaoka appeared calm, his thoughts were anything but. Kenichi's ability to create and execute such innovative techniques was astonishing. How deep did his skills go?

Back on the Shohoku bench, despair loomed. Ayako, typically the team's source of encouragement, struggled to rally the players. The scoreboard now read 26:10, and Shohoku hadn't scored in what felt like an eternity. Kenichi Uesugi's dominance weighed heavily on their spirits, a seemingly insurmountable mountain blocking their path to victory.