Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Brothers in Arms ❯ Shobuda! ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

By: Daiji

<hr size=1 width=100%>Shobuda(Showdown!)The persistent beep of the alarm clock permeated into his
sleep-fogged consciousness. He opened one eye just enough to take aim and
slapped his alarm shut. The light outside was fairly dim, not usual at that
hour. Just a few more minutes. He rolled over to one
side. After some minutes of contemplation, he swept back the covers and swung
his legs over the edge of the bed. Raking a hand through his tousled curls, the
side of his lip curled up.It�s show time.He turned on the shower at full blast. The cold water
revitalized him, waking his senses. He shook his head vigorously against the
downpour and shook the final cobwebs from his head. It will be a fine day.A fine day, indeed. &nbs p; In another household in the district, another youth let out a jaw-wrenching yawn, his
arms stretched everywhere. He looked around him numbly to reorient himself with
his surroundings. With a grunt, he heaved himself from the futon, stretched again and scratched at his belly. It growled back
at him in response. ; Better
take a big breakfast today, he determined as he headed for the kitchen. Because, today, we beat some Kyuuzen butt! ; He plastered a smile on his face as
he waited for the kettle to heat up the tea. Then his smile grew wider, with a
mischievous glint in his eyes as a thought came to mind. &nb sp; And
I�ll show you, kitsune. I�ll show you and Kyuuzen what I�m made
of. Just you wait and see! He cackled, tickled by his brilliant
wit. &nbs p; His eyes slowly opened to his dimly lit surroundings. It was just
moments ago when he recalled falling asleep. Looking at the bedside clock, it
was still eighteen minutes before sounding off. He never recalled waking up
before his alarm went off, either. & nbsp; He�s not himself, alright. The wave of dizziness hit him the
minute he sat up, perspiration forming on his brow despite the cool
temperature. I hope this won�t last long,
he prayed. & nbsp; Gripping the headboard, he hauled
himself up slowly. He couldn�t keep from letting out a gasp at the painful
sting from his injury. He gritted his teeth. He guided himself slowly towards
the door, swallowing back the nausea. Upon reaching the door, he clung to the
doorknob in relief. Breathing raggedly, he cast a determined look at the door
across the hall. &nb sp; �I�m going to make it through this
day, and our team will win,� he said under his breath as he staggered out the
hall. Even if it kills
me. &nbs p; This was what he lived for.It was a wonder why he never remembered it in those two years of
his life he wasted. The air in the locker room was charged with intensity; he felt
the battle aura in it. He looked around the people getting prepared. Ah, yes,
they were ready. His fist struck against his palm. He was more than ready, too.And yet�yet�just
beneath the crackling atmosphere, something didn�t feel quite right with him. He felt it in his insides: a tiny, niggling
warning of something bad about to happen. He learned the hard over the years to
never ignore his instincts.He sauntered over to the other side and sat beside his teammate
without a word. He, too, wore Shohoku�s jacket and
sweatpants, but not his jersey. He would have played with them if not for the
sling on his arm and a busted rib. Looking him over, he was relieved to se the
heavy gauze over the other�s left brow was replaced by a lighter one.�All set, Mitsui?� he was asked.In return, he flashed a smirk before replying, �You kidding? You
bet I am!� A pause. �So how are you feeling?�The other tilted his head in a so-so gesture. �I�m not the one
you should ask that.�Their gazes automatically rested on one other player. He was
wearing a dark red shirt under his jersey, which was unusual in itself. Mitsui
frowned.�I don�t think I�d get a decent answer out of him,� he declared.
�You�re worried about him, aren�t you?��Of course I am,� he replied. �You remember what happened in our
match against Kainan, don�t you?��You know how bull-headed he can be,� admitted Mitsui. He nudged
his teammate gently. �Don�t worry! He knows how to pace himself. And the rest
of us won�t just be standing around.�The eyes behind the glasses looked thankful, gave a small grin.
But still, Mitsui�s uneasiness wouldn�t go away. He stole a glance at their
teammate.You better deliver today, kid.It was ten minutes into the first half. Players on both sides
were very much in the thick of the game. So far, Shohoku
is taking control of the pace, Akagi noted with
satisfaction. The first ten minutes were like a dance, testing the waters. Now
they were taking the lead.As he ran towards the opponent�s goal, the Shohoku
captain took stock of the situation. They were waxing hot on their shots, and
even Miyagi made occasional penetrations in the loose defensive line. Their
defense, from his standpoint, fared better than their counterparts. Even Rukawa, who was yet to score, provided tight defense by the
low-post area.�Rebound!�He leapt up, reaching out for the wayward ball. Basketball in
hand, he hugged it tightly upon landing. Two defenders quickly shadowed him. Through
the gap, Akagi saw Sakuragi
already running half-court.�Gori!�He scowled, but gunned the ball towards the impertinent redhead.�Ryochin! Take it home!� Sakuragi whisked the
ball towards the point guard. Miyagi blazed past the only Kyuuzen
guard and scored a lay-up, upping their lead by four.�Yes!� He jabbed a finger in the air, acknowledging Sakuragi�s pass with a grin at his teammate.The other team called for a substitution, taking out their small
guard. He approached their point guard, and whispered in his ear. The other
grinned and looked at the Shohoku players with
renewed fire in his eyes.�Heads up, team!� Akagi called out. They�re
up to something.�Yes!�They lowered their stances, signifying their readiness for any
assault.Their onslaught began.They made their basket courtesy of the newly- fielded number
eight. Then it was Shohoku�s possession. Miyagi
passed it off to an anxious Sakuragi by the basket
when a blur of white passed in front of the redhead, taking the ball with him.�Damn!� Sakuragi scrambled back.�Go after him, Miyagi!� Akagi
bellowed, watching in dismay as the diminutive guard lagged behind the Kyuuzen cager. He was wearing a
mocking grin as he landed on the floor.Then things began to make no sense.In one moment, they were up against a not-so-strong team. Now,
in the next instant, they were walking all over Shohoku.
Even before they reached their own field goal, the ball gets snatched. They
were forced to quicken their pace, leading to forced shots and errors.�K�so!�
Mitsui spat as his second shot bounced off the rim.�Forget it!� Akagi urged. �Get back to
defense!�What lead they had was taken away. The tables were now turned to
Kyuuzen�s favor, with a 10-point edge over Shohoku. Akagi looked towards the
bench. Anzai-sensei
was placidly looking back. Why wasn�t he
calling a timeout?Three-and-a-half minutes to go, and the score loomed to a 14-point
lead.�It�s impossible!� Mitsui cried as he ran alongside Akagi. �How could this happen?��They�re forcing the transitions,� he tried to explain as they
hurried to their posts, �to wear us out. They can do this all throughout the
game since they have the manpower to spare.��Dammit!� he spat. Akagi was beginning
to notice the ploy was slowly exacting its toll on Mitsui.�We have a long way to go,� he reminded the shooting guard. �It�s
not over yet!�He jockeyed for a good position under the basket. The point
guard was meaning to pass on his marked. He didn�t let him. When he was about
to pass to the right, the ball was tapped out of his hands.And into Rukawa�s.�Go Rukawa!�The audience cheered in anticipation�Here!� Miyagi called for a pass. Rukawa
obliged. Miyagi made the basket for Shohoku after
having been held scoreless for more than two minutes.�Nice pass!� Mitsui slapped him on the back. Rukawa
merely answered with a grunt.Opponent�s ball once more. They didn�t rush this time. But a misread pass opened another
opportunity for their team. Thankfully, Miyagi was quick to sense it.�Our turn again!� he said cheekily at the stunned guard. The
clock was winding down to twenty-eight seconds.He crossed half-court in four seconds.Kyuuzen rallied
back to defensive. They�ve learned their lesson, and won�t be stung twice.Nineteen seconds.Rukawa took the
ball. Looks like he�ll take the last shot.�Pass it here, kitsune! Don�t waste that shot!�He ignored him, still dribbling at the top of the three-point
line. He was looking in Akagi�s general direction. Akagi
tensed in readiness, alert for anything.He saw Rukawa fake to the right. His
man fell for it, and he made a short jump shot.Akagi struggled
for dominance under the basket. He can tell it will bounce off the ring.
Without thinking, he jumped up and sealed their score with a nerve-racking
dunk, to the delight of the crowd.�Sugoi, Gori!� Sakuragi cheered.�Thanks,� he said, then approached Rukawa.�I�m glad to know you�re still with us,� he told him wryly.�Just checking if you were awake,� he mumbled, and turned away
towards the dugout.Akagi followed,
receiving back pats from his other teammates. When he entered the locker room, Anzai-sensei
stood up.�You might have already guessed that they�re trying to tire you
out by running full court,� he began. �You must step up your defense. They only
have three main scorers, and they haven�t even been fielded in at the same
time. Mitsui, you take player number eight. Rukawa,
you take their number twelve player.��What about me, old man?� Sakuragi cut
in, to the consternation of the othersTheir coach laughed roundly. �Ah, you have a special purpose, Sakuragi-kun.�
And he proceeded to explain his strategy. It seemed so absurdly simple to Akagi, but it made sense.�This means the rest of you would have to take turns taking on
two opponents,� Anzai-sensei went on. �But I believe they won�t be much of a burden to
you. What�s important is to eliminate
the easy shots.��You think you can handle it, Hanamichi?�
Miyagi asked.�Ah, Ryo-chin. Losing faith in
the Tensai?�
he asked airily.�He�s just afraid we�d lose because of you, d�ahou,� Rukawa
muttered as he passed by.Immediately, Sakuragi�s face turned a
deep red as he watched the other whisk by him. Akagi intervened,
putting his hand on its usual spot on the redhead.�Let him go,� he said. �We have a game to win.�Sakuragi grinned up at him.�Okay team, let�s do it!��SHOHOKU FIGHT!�They took their places on the court at the buzzer. Their faces,
except Rukawa, were set in a small knowing smile.
It�s their turn this time.�Something�s wrong.��What is it, Kogure-sempai?��Eh? N-nothing.�Kuwata looked a
little doubtful that Kogure gave a shake of the head.
He didn�t mean to say it out loud, but he wasn�t able to contain himself.Anzai-sensei�s strategy worked. With Sakuragi manning the opponent�s goal while the others
worked the offensive, they were able to stop the rally. Seeing a defender in
the low-post area made them hesitate and wait for the rest of their teammates
to regroup. This provided a perfect opportunity for his teammates to force
their own turnover and convert a field goal. Five minutes in the second half,
and Shohoku was now only down by eight points. Rukawa was leading the offensive, but the others weren�t
far behind. It seemed the rookie ace chose to come alive at the precise moment.It was a scoreless two minutes for the other team as Shohoku tightened the defense. It also produced four points
in their favor as Rukawa defied Kyuuzen�s
defenders with a difficult lay-up. And Sakuragi, not
wanting to be outdone, scored with his second camp shot in the game. It was
looking up for team Shohoku.But that Rukawa�s play bothered Kogure. After witnessing with awe how he remained suspended
in the air, he came back to the floor with a slight stagger. He stood there
momentarily before running to the defensive side.For some unknown reason, his strange conversation with Dr. Tanigawa came to mind. What
does he know?The referee�s whistle blew; Kyuuzen
called for a timeout.�Good work,� Anzai-sensei commended warmly. �Just maintain
your guard. We are not out of it yet. Sakuragi-kun, keep up the guard under their goal.��Hai!� was his exuberant response.�Rukawa-kun, can you still carry on?�He was panting heavily, bathed in sweat. A marked pallor tinged
his face, but he answered his affirmation in the usual undertone.Kogure wasn�t
convinced. He caught his look, communicated his concern with a stare of his
own. Rukawa just looked away. He was about to voice out his misgivings when
Miyagi cut in.�Oi
Rukawa,� he saif after
taking a quick drink. �Better watch out. They have eyes for you now.� He wagged
his eyebrows suggestively.�Hn,� he retorted, brushing off the
comment. �Just they try.� He ambled to the court.Kogure went after
him, but sat back unhappily as the buzzer sounded the resumption of the game. &nbs p; Akagi was
forced to agree with Miyagi�s casual remark. Kyuuzen�s
defenders were now double-teaming Rukawa. But they
weren�t completely held powerless, though, with the presence of himself and the
others being scorers. But it bothered him to see his teammate struggling with
two guards. He always had a way to elude his opponents. That is, if he ruled
out exhaustion and illness. They were playing a different set of
players now, all revitalized and ready to bring them down. Their strategy was
also replaced, shifting from a run and gun play to a half-court press. &n bsp; We�re
not that easy, Akagi thought grimly, watching in
dismay as a three-point shot widened the gap by nine points, 52-61. &n bsp; Shohoku
was back in possession. Sakuragi provided a screen against Mitsui�s larger defender
as their long-range shooter posed for a shot. The crowd exploded in
appreciation as the balled cleared the rim. &nbs p; �Nice going, Micchy!�
Sakuragi offered with a toothed grin. &nb sp; �You!�
Mitsui shot back, pointing at the redhead then turned up a thumbs-up sign. &nb sp; But it seemed that their retaliation
wasn�t done. Rukawa shot out from his post and
snatched the ball at mid-pass, surprising everyone. ; �Not this time, freshman!� Akagi heard Kyuuzen�s burly
center as he took off running after him. &nbs p; He sprinted after the two. There was
an underlying premonition in those words that made him pump faster. He�s not going to�! �Rukawa!� Akagi shouted his warning. �From behind!� Damn!
The rookie charged on, unmindful of the warning and the giant at his heels.
Then the center caught up beside him just as Rukawa
made the leap. &nb sp; A sound emanated from him as he and
the other player collided midair, his arm still stretched forth towards the
goal. The whistle blew. The orange sphere rolled in. But to Akagi�s
horror, he saw Rukawa crash to the floor and skidded
a few feet under the basket. & nbsp; He distantly heard the referee count
the goal and awarded the center a deliberate foul. But he didn�t stop running.
He�ll deal with the idiot later. His concern was for his fallen teammate.�Rukawa, daijobu ka?� he inquired after the writhing form, a hand on his arm. His
clammy skin was also burning. Akagi gasped. Just
underneath the trembling palm, there was a dark stain on Rukawa�s
jersey.He was instantly brought back to reality when he heard his kohei�s speak in
a quavering undertone.�Don�t� let them�see�� Th e Shohoku bench was up in arms. Shioichi, Kakuta, and Sasaoka were yelling at the opposing bench, while Ayako was having a field day screaming at the offending
player. Kogure didn�t bother placating them. His gaze
was fixed at the figure under the basket.He�s not getting up� Akagi reached him, saw him look about
him. The referee came, then declared an injury
timeout.Ayako stopped in
her tirade and turned to him, alarmed. �Rukawa��A general wail came somewhere from the courtside bleachers,
followed by a loud murmur from the rest of the audience.He struggled to quell the reeling sensation as he stood up to
meet Akagi, who bore Rukawa
on one shoulder.�How is he?� Kogure asked at seeing
the freshman unresponsive.Akagi glared at
him, signifying that he save his questions for later.�What happened, Akagi-kun?� Anzai-sensei asked calmly from his seat.�He collapsed from exhaustion,� he answered promptly, then
turned to Ayako. �Come with me, and bring the medical kit.� The last words
were spoken in a low whisper.�Kakuta-kun, go in and take the shot for Rukawa-kun,� Anzai-sensei said.�H-hai.� The other removed his shirt, revealing his jersey underneath.Kogure made to
follow Akagi and Ayako,
feeling he was more needed there somehow. When he reached the hall leading to
the dugout, he heard Akagi�s voice.�You have to remove your shirt.�He came to the open door. Akagi was
standing behind Ayako, who was kneeling in front of Rukawa. He was slumped against the locker doors.Rukawa was
breathing raggedly, but slowly shook his head in response.�What happened?� Ayako demanded.
Getting no reply, she turned to Akagi. �What�s wrong
with him?��He wouldn�t tell me,� Akagi said
without hiding the annoyance in his tone. He and Ayako looked up
at Kogure�s approach.Kogure stared in
return, then at Rukawa. His arms were clutched about
himself, a hostile look in his dead-white face.Three stubborn heads won�t accomplish
anything. �You have to get back to the game, Akagi,� he reminded him. &nbs p; Akagi only
gaped at him but said nothing. Kogure drew beside him
and laid a hand on his shoulder.�Don�t worry,� he said. �We�ll take care of him.�There was a rumble in Akagi�s throat.
He turned towards the door and closed it. They could hear him bellow out orders
to someone to get back to the bench.Kogure turned his
attention towards the two. Ayako was looking beseechingly
at him, Rukawa looking curious and apprehensive. He
reached out a hand towards the lockers and gingerly lowered himself.�You�re not helping anybody, especially yourself this way,� he
told Rukawa. �And this is not going to get you back
in the game.� He didn�t have to look stern; Rukawa
knows the truth behind his words.He took one grudging look at Kogure
before lowering his arms. The senior�s eyes widened a fraction at a dark blot
on the freshman�s uniform. He helped Rukawa out of
his upper clothes with one hand.�Oh my� Rukawa�� Ayako�s
hushed tone was laced with alarm. A gauze dressing was plastered to his side,
half-soaked with blood. Kogure had to nudge Ayako twice to get her started on giving Rukawa first aid.Whatever discomfort he was experiencing, Rukawa
bore it quietly, though the closed eyes would tighten from time to time as Ayako pressed a gauze against the
wound. As soon as the bleeding stopped, she began cleansing it. Kogure felt him tense under his hand. He gave his shoulder
an assuring squeeze.�Are you going to tell us how you got that?� Ayako
asked after while as she taped the bandage in place. Rukawa
just glanced away.Kogure saw Ayako�s fist tighten in her lap and the frustration
struggling in her face. He knew he had to do something. Anything.He beckoned her aside and took her to the other side of the
dugout as Rukawa looked on.�You can go back out there for now, Ayako,�
he instructed.She lifted puzzled eyes at her upperclassman. �But what will I
tell them? And Anzai-sensei?��Tell them, � he said, with a glimpse
at the figure half-sprawled on the floor, �that he collapsed from his illness. They
can�t know about this�not yet, most especially Anzai-sensei.�She was shaking her head. �But why?� she finally asked.�I�ll explain later,� he said in a whisper. He gave her a gentle
push towards the exit.Upon closing the door, he turned to Rukawa.�I hope now that we�re alone,� he began, �you would be more
forthcoming.�Rukawa�s head came up slowly, gazing at him with a clouded expression.
He didn�t speak.Kogure exhaled
slowly. �It was that boy who came up from behind you, wasn�t it?�The other just blinked in surprise.�I saw him, remember?� Kogure stepped towards
him. �He struck at you. With a knife.� He hunched over
in front of him. �He had a knife. I wasn�t sure, but this confirms it.�The freshman merely scowled at him, but the apprehension stood
behind his stare.Kogure hung his
head with a sigh. �Just rest here,� he spoke dejectedly as he stood as he made
for the door. He wanted to try to convince him some more, but saw no point in
prodding further. He thought he would have more luck than Akagi
or Ayako.�He did.�He paused in his steps and turned around, doubting to have heard
the rasped reply. He stared at Rukawa questioningly.�Why didn�t you tell me?� he implored. �My doctor never told me
about this!��I didn�t want him to,� he answered simply, lowering his gaze.�But why, Rukawa?��I wouldn�t be allowed to play.�That�s it? �All this secrecy just to play?� he said in mild irritation.
�Have you ever thought how you might have endangered yourself?� His hand
massaged his temples gently. Does this boy ever think of anything other than
basketball?Rukawa�s stare flicked away with a shamefaced look. The dugout echoed
with his shallow breathing.Kogure ran a
weary hand through his hair. �I�m sorry. I know how important the game is to
you, I really do. But�what are you doing?�The question came at seeing Rukawa
push himself off the floor. He shot out a steadying hand behind the lockers.�You�re not thinking of going back there�?��What else?� he panted, taking a step. Kogure
moved to put himself between the door and his advancing teammate.�Let me pass, Kogure-sempai,� his gruff request came in a
whisper.�I can�t let you continue, Rukawa-kun,� he said quietly. �Not in your
state.�The rookie�s chin tilted up defiantly. �Why
not?� he asked. �Akagi-sempai played on against Kainan despite
his injury, and you never stopped him. Why should this be different?�He didn�t answer at once. �I admit I should have done
something,� said Kogure slowly �But this is also
different because I�m partly responsible for what happened to you.� His eyes
automatically lingered on Rukawa�s wound. �I can
never forgive myself if something happened to you due to my own neglect.�He saw Rukawa�s stern gaze soften. The
silence grew until the roar of the crowd attracted their attention. Kogure was worried at the determination and urgency
returning in Rukawa�s expression.�Don�t do this, Rukawa-kun,� he stressed, a hand on the other�s
arm as Rukawa took another step.Rukawa lowered
his head with a sigh. When he looked up, there was a tinge of regret in his
face.�I�m not going to let you stop me, Kogure-sempai,� he voiced softly. �I�m sorry.�In height and strength, Rukawa had the
advantage, even in their respective conditions. Kogure
knew he won�t be able to keep him from playing any longer. The desire to win
still sparkled in the younger man�s eyes. He, too, wanted Shohoku
to win badly. But what can he do? Between the two of them, Rukawa
was still capable of making that possible. The look about him said it all.�Then play for the both of us,� Kogure
spoke in granting his hesitant permission. He handed the shirt and jersey that
slung on his shoulder. �But be very careful.�The light of gratitude briefly shone in the other�s eyes before
he slipped into his uniform. The scarlet patch was almost dry, blending
discreetly with Shohoku�s color.As Kogure opened the door, they were
greeted by the deafening roar emanating from the court. They glanced at each
other, nodded in unison.�Rukawa-kun?�<p&g t;�Hai?��Could you do one more thing for me?�The rookie looked on in question.�You and I are going back to the hospital to have that wound
treated after the game. I hope there�s no argument on that.�Rukawa regarded
his upperclassman without a word before a tiny tug at his lips formed, he
nodded his assent.Kogure clapped
his kohei on
the back. Then the two walking wounded tread their way towards the court.Tsuzuku...