Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

Kenichi Uesugi's goal brought the score to 27:48.

Machida Sansho still led by 21 points, but the energy on the court had shifted dramatically.

Ryonan, though trailing, was surging with momentum, while Machida Sansho, having been relentlessly attacked by Uesugi, seemed deflated, lacking the fight they once had.

At that moment, if you ignored the scoreboard, you'd swear Ryonan was the one in the lead! The game moved on, and Machida Sansho launched another attack. Inoshita Jiro brought the ball upcourt.

He had initially planned to show off his streetball moves, but seeing Uesugi's intense gaze made him rethink. With a quick decision, he passed the ball.

Uesugi's stare had made him timid. The memory of being outplayed just moments ago loomed large, and he no longer had the confidence to perform in front of him.

The ball moved around, eventually finding its way to Kasahara.

Seeing that Fukuda, the weakest defender on Ryonan's side, was guarding him, Kasahara opted to attack directly, ignoring the pass.

Though Fukuda didn't fall for his fake this time, Kasahara soon found a gap.

He broke past Fukuda's defense and charged toward the basket for a layup—until a blue figure suddenly blocked his path.

Uesugi had read the play perfectly.

As Kasahara's shot was about to go up, a massive hand—a purple-haired giant's hand—swept the ball away.

"Bang!"

Kasahara's attempt was stuffed by Uesugi.

Shocked, Kasahara looked toward Uesugi, still feeling the pressure of that monstrous block. It was as if there was no way out, no escape, no chance.

Before Kasahara could even recover, Uesugi was already in motion.

He seized the ball and held it close to his chest with his left hand, preparing to launch a counterattack with his right.

"What is he doing?" someone on the Machida Sansho bench muttered. "What a strange stance!"

The next moment, Uesugi unleashed an explosive dribble—a Kuroko Tetsuya-style accelerated move.

The ball flew toward the frontcourt at blinding speed.

"Oh my god! That pass is insane!" a shocked player on the bench exclaimed. "Who can even catch a pass like that? It'll bruise anyone who tries!"

Despite their astonishment, no one expected the pass to be caught—except Uesugi himself. He knew that while most players couldn't handle the speed, Sendoh could. And Sendoh had already proved that in the past.

Up ahead, Sendoh saw the ball racing toward him. His right hand still stung from the last time he tried to catch a pass like that, but this time, he didn't take any chances—he grabbed the ball with both hands.

He quickly dribbled to the basket, finishing with a double-handed dunk. The score now stood at 29:48, and Ryonan was narrowing the gap.

The combination of Uesugi and Sendoh was starting to turn the tide, and Ryonan's other players followed suit.

Yuzumi dominated the paint, wreaking havoc on Machida Sansho's interior defense. Fukuda was on fire offensively, throwing down powerful dunks that sent the Ryonan bench into a frenzy.

Even Uekusa, who had been the target of Inoshita's teasing earlier, was now playing with confidence.

Ryonan's collective effort had started to shine, and as the game progressed, Uesugi and Sendoh took fewer opportunities to show off—they were content to let their teammates shine.

Uesugi's "Perfect Copy" had only been used briefly earlier, and he decided it wasn't needed again. If he hadn't wanted to teach Inoshita a lesson with his streetball skills, he might not have used it at all. But since he wasn't exactly familiar with streetball, he'd given it a try.

With another smooth play between Uesugi and Sendoh, Ryonan closed the gap even further: 49:52.

As the score was nearing an even tie, Machida Sansho's coach, Akihiko Kitagawa, finally snapped.

He couldn't allow his team to lose—not like this. And especially not to Taoka Moichi.

Kitagawa called a timeout, scolding his players and reworking their strategy, hoping to hold on to their slim 3-point lead.

When play resumed, Machida Sansho tried to focus on teamwork, attacking the inside line. But Ryonan was ready. During the timeout, Taoka Moichi had made the necessary adjustments, and Machida Sansho's attack came to a halt.

Ryonan swiftly counterattacked, with Uesugi finishing with a layup to make it 51:52.

Frustration began to mount for Machida Sansho. Their players grew increasingly rattled, and the tension continued to build as Ryonan pressed forward with even more aggression.

With every attack, the gap grew wider, and Machida Sansho had no answer.

By the final buzzer, the score stood at 86:62 in favor of Ryonan.

After the game, Machida Sansho's players trudged back to Coach Kitagawa, their faces filled with frustration. What they'd expected to be a simple victory turned into a humiliating loss.

Kitagawa slammed his fist on the bench, his anger boiling over. He could accept losing, but not to Taoka Moichi.

For years, Kitagawa had been Taoka's substitute, and now, after years of success, he had lost to him. Kitagawa could never understand why Taoka kept winning.

A basketball rolled across the floor toward him, breaking his thoughts. He looked up to see Uesugi and Sendoh standing opposite him.

"You need strength to challenge the top," Uesugi said, his tone cutting. "Without it, you're just a clown."

Kitagawa's fists clenched, his veins bulging in anger. He wanted to refute Uesugi, but he knew there was nothing to say. Any response would only make him look weaker after the defeat.

So, he stayed silent.

As Kitagawa prepared to leave with his team, Taoka Moichi greeted them politely.

"Don't rush off," he said. "Why don't you stay and play a couple more practice games? Coach Kitano asked me to treat you well."

The players were stunned. They had no interest in playing Ryonan again.

Kitagawa shot a withering glance at Taoka and left without another word.

As Taoka watched the bus depart, he muttered to himself, "You're talented, but you're arrogant, prideful, and condescending… so many flaws."

Later, back at the gym, Taoka gathered Ryonan's players and praised their performance while pointing out areas for improvement. Fukuda's defense, in particular, needed work, but Fukuda just responded with a nonchalant "Oh."

With the national competition on the horizon, Ryonan's morale was high, and they were all eager for their next challenge.

In the following days, Taoka Moichi led the team on a training trip to Aichi and Shizuoka Prefectures, where they played training matches against top-eight teams Aiwa Academy and Changcheng High School.

Both teams were formidable, and Taoka treated these games as crucial tests for Ryonan, especially considering they had yet to face the caliber of teams they would face in the nationals.

In the match against Aiwa Academy, Sendoh battled Dai Moroboshi, the "Star of Aichi," impressing everyone with his performance. Uesugi's brilliance only added to the shock, and by the end of the match, Aiwa Academy was stunned by Ryonan's strength.

Then, in the game against Changcheng, Uesugi completely shut down their ace player Mikoshiba, throwing Changcheng's offense off balance. With continued strong efforts from Sendoh and Yuzumi, Ryonan took control and won the match.

During both games, Taoka made sure to give valuable minutes to substitutes like Koshino and Ikegami, who rose to the occasion with Uesugi and Sendoh's help.

Taoka Moichi's hope for Ryonan's success in the upcoming national competition grew stronger by the day.