Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

Kenichi Uesugi scratched his head and spoke sincerely to Kazuki Kishino.

"It was a coincidence, really," he said, as though trying to explain himself. "I didn't mean to hit your head on purpose, you know. After all, Makoto Masaru is not someone I'd deliberately provoke."

However, Makoto Masaru, who had been struck by the ball, didn't quite share the same perspective. To him, it felt like a blatant provocation. He glared at Kenichi Uesugi, his expression cold. His silence wasn't born of anger over the hit, but of sheer disbelief at the newcomer's performance.

Before the game, he had read the scouting reports on Kenichi Uesugi, provided by Taoka Moichi. According to the data, Uesugi was just a newcomer, with the final evaluation saying something vague like, "Maybe he has potential."

But now, watching Uesugi play, Makoto Masaru was forced to reconsider everything. Was this guy really without strength? He had just outperformed him in jumping ability,

easily breaking through Kazuki Kishino's defense. And despite Masaru's full effort, Uesugi had scored a dunk with a tricky technique. Even worse, Uesugi had the audacity to say he was "a little rusty."

Was this really the performance of someone with no ability? Masaru's mind reeled. If Uesugi truly had no strength, then why had he been completely outplayed—not once, but twice? A newcomer, no less!

While Makoto Masaru stood there lost in thought, the players on the red team celebrated Kenichi Uesugi's brilliant move. Aida Hikoichi, in particular, was ecstatic. He had struggled to break through the defense, but Uesugi had made it all look effortless. With such a strong teammate, Aida felt a newfound sense of security.

Watching his teammates celebrate around him, Kenichi Uesugi couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. This competition is supposed to be a trial for us, but they seem more focused on the result of the game than anything else, he thought. Taoka Moichi's goal is to find the players who can help the team, not just win a single match. They've completely misunderstood that.

Outside the court, Coach Taoka Moichi was finally beginning to take Kenichi Uesugi seriously.

"This guy is strong?" Taoka Moichi muttered to himself, flipping through Uesugi's player information. It mentioned that he had only started playing basketball in the second grade of junior high school—less than two years ago. Yet here he was, effortlessly outperforming seasoned players like Makoto Masaru and Kazuki Kishino.

These players were substitutes in a high school team, yet against Kenichi Uesugi, they looked like amateurs—like puppets being toyed with at will.

Moichi's mind raced. He had been feeling disheartened, thinking there would be no standout newcomers this year. But now, unexpectedly, Kenichi Uesugi had shown up, surprising him beyond measure. This wasn't just a lucky shot—it was a real surprise!

Though Kenichi had only launched one attack, it was enough to make Moichi reconsider his initial doubts. Uesugi had shown solid fundamentals and great explosive power. He could easily become a key player on the team.

Taoka Moichi could hardly believe it. He had been looking for someone like Uesugi all year—a player with potential to help the team in the national competition—and here he was, right in front of him. What a turn of events!

As Taoka Moichi grinned to himself, pleased with his newfound discovery, the veteran players of the Ryonan team were also discussing Kenichi Uesugi's dunk.

"Do you think Kenichi Uesugi's dunk is similar to Sendoh's just now?" one of them asked.

"Yeah! I think it's similar!" another player chimed in.

"Not similar, it's exactly the same!" Koshino Hiroaki, who had been the victim of Sendoh's earlier dunk, declared. He knew better than anyone that Uesugi's dunk and Sendoh's were virtually identical.

Koshino was quick to recognize that Kenichi Uesugi was deliberately imitating Sendoh.

Their conversation didn't go unnoticed by Taoka Moichi. He froze for a moment, a look of shock passing over his face. He hadn't been present during Sendoh's earlier training, and now, hearing the discussion, he couldn't help but turn to his assistant coach, Yuzumi.

"Yuzumi," Moichi said, his voice low. "What do you think?"

Yuzumi nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yes, Coach. The attack Uesugi made was nearly identical to Sendoh's, and honestly, it even looks more powerful."

Moichi's heart skipped a beat. His mind raced as he processed the information. Wait… did he just imitate Sendoh's dunk?

The realization hit him like a lightning bolt: This may not even be Uesugi's true strength. What if he was even stronger than what he had shown so far? Could this be the second coming of Sendoh?

Taoka Moichi immediately shook his head, trying to calm himself. No, no. It's still too early to say. Players of Sendoh's caliber are rare... Despite his excitement, Moichi knew it would be foolish to jump to conclusions too soon. There was still much to observe.

As Taoka Moichi tried to steady himself, focusing more intently on Kenichi Uesugi, the rest of the court seemed to fade into the background. The other players, including Kazuki Kishino and Makoto Masaru, were now little more than an afterthought. They're just substitutes, Moichi thought. Uesugi is the one I need to focus on.

At the same time, not far behind him, Sendoh, the ace player of the Ryonan team with spiky hair, watched Kenichi Uesugi from the sidelines. His expression was unreadable, but a glimmer of interest flashed in his eyes.

"This guy is interesting," Sendoh muttered to himself, clearly intrigued by Uesugi's potential.

This version keeps the flow of the action, builds tension around Uesugi's abilities, and emphasizes the reactions of both the veterans and the coach as they begin to recognize his potential. It also adds some moments of introspection, heightening the dramatic weight of the discovery.