36 Chapter 36: Unexpected turn of event

The ball returned to Tsuna's grasp once more. He dribbled it cautiously, his eyes fixed on the looming double-team ahead.

"You seem to be enjoying this..."

Tsuna remarked casually to the grinning Hanamiya, who stood before him.

Hanamiya, still sporting that smirk, replied, "Heh, I always have a blast like this. Don't you find it fun, too?"

Tsuna shook his head lightly and swiftly made his move. This time, it was Hanamiya himself who lunged forward, undeterred by the potential physical toll.

"Is he going for the same trick? Well, let's sidestep then," Tsuna thought to himself as he skillfully changed direction, executing a quick crossover. It was a close call, but he managed to evade the challenge.

"Your IQ seems to be on vacation," Tsuna quipped, eyeing the player before him. "The same trick won't work twice on me."

With Hanamiya's teammate dashing to steal the ball, Tsuna prepared to switch his dribbling hand, anticipating a change in direction.

However, just when he thought he had skillfully navigated through their maneuvers, the player's hand unexpectedly collided with Tsuna's free hand, catching him off guard.

It became clear that this was part of Hanamiya's strategy as he was already there, poised to snatch the ball while Tsuna struggled to regain his balance.

"What!? That's an obvious foul!"

Nijimura shouted from the sidelines, his frustration evident. However, the referee responded with a perplexed expression instead of blowing the whistle, leaving Nijimura bewildered.

Sanada, equally irritated, furrowed his brow. "They did it in a blind spot! What a clever but underhanded way to steal the ball."

Indeed, it was a novel approach to stealing the ball, but it left a sour taste.

"Ah, another score for us," Imayoshi remarked in his typically polite manner, his eyes squinted.

"You must have a black belt in the art of sneakiness..."

Tsuna muttered, his eyes locked onto Hanamiya, who flashed a taunting smile.

Hanamiya counted his lucky stars that this was an official game. In any other circumstance, Tsuna wouldn't have tolerated such sneaky tactics and might have knocked him out cold.

Throughout the third quarter, Hanamiya persistently resorted to these underhanded tricks. He excelled in such maneuvers, no doubt about it.

On the bench, the Teiko players couldn't help but shoot venomous glares at Hibiya's team. The score now stood at 54-53. These devious tricks had allowed Hibiya to narrow the gap.

If this continued, they had a strong chance of winning.

"Well, that was quite the wild card from Hibiya High," Sanada remarked aloud, rubbing his chin as if contemplating the best way to counter it.

"The last time we faced them, this player never used such tactics," Sanada added, turning his attention to Tsuna.

"Maybe I've been underestimating Kazama. To think he could push them to resort to such dirty plays..."

"Coach Sanada, let them handle the defense. I've got offense covered," Tsuna declared, his gaze locked on Hibiya's bench, particularly Hanamiya with his characteristic smug grin.

"Are you kidding m--...!"

Nijimura, catching wind of Tsuna's plan, exploded with protest. However, his words got caught in his throat as he glanced into Tsuna's chilling black eyes. They sent shivers down his spine.

"Alright, we'll go with your plan," Sanada was about to resist, but, upon witnessing those icy eyes, he couldn't help but relent.

"Is this what they mean by not disturbing a sleeping dragon?" Sanada pondered.

As the brief break came to an end, both teams returned to the court.

Teiko's players glared at Hibiya's team with anger in their eyes. On the other side, Imayoshi maintained his usual polite smile.

"Could you please not give us those intimidating looks?" Imayoshi remarked with a mockingly concerned expression.

However, his attempt at humor only fueled the fire of hostility within the Teiko players. Even Nijimura couldn't contain his anger, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

"What a sly bastard..."

Imayoshi, achieving the reaction he sought, widened his eyes slightly and let his smile grow even wider. But then, his attention was drawn to a particular Teiko player, the one who had borne the brunt of Hanamiya's dirty tricks. Imayoshi was genuinely taken aback.

"What a surprise," Imayoshi muttered, his eyes narrowing as he carefully studied Tsuna. He couldn't believe how composed Tsuna appeared, given the ordeal he had endured.

Tsuna paid no attention to Imayoshi for now. His cold, unyielding gaze remained fixed on Hanamiya. It had been a while since he'd been provoked to such an extent that it left him speechless.

Tsuna had a strong distaste for individuals who resorted to dirty tactics, whether in his current life or in his past.

"Kids these days can be pretty crafty, huh?"

The coach from Hibiya couldn't help but muse aloud about the surprising level of cunning displayed by his own players, remarking on the craftiness of middle schoolers these days.

He remained confident, though, that having these "little foxes" on his team would secure them a victory.

Meanwhile, Assistant Coach Sanada observed the unfolding situation with a calm demeanor, silently contemplating.

"...They have no idea they've awakened a beast," Sanada muttered under his breath.

Teiko's newest addition had been nothing short of monstrous in terms of their development. Yet, having witnessed Tsuna's growth firsthand, Sanada considered Tsuna to be a different breed of monster altogether.

"...It looks like we've got this one in the bag, doesn't it?"

Back on the court, Hibiya found themselves in Teiko's defensive territory. They were hunting for an opportunity to score an extra point for their team.

As they searched for an opening, they stumbled upon an unusual sight. Hanamiya stood alone, devoid of any defenders.

Even Imayoshi, on Hibiya's side, was puzzled. He noticed Tsuna positioned in front of the rim without marking any players.

"Is he going after Hanamiya? Looks like he's quite ticked off," Imayoshi mused, a sly grin forming on his face. He decided to pass the ball to Hanamiya, confident that Tsuna was standing too far to intervene quickly.

Imayoshi couldn't help but think, "He was definitely targeting Hanamiya, but isn't he keeping his distance a bit too far?"

Hanamiya held the ball with a smirk, aware that Tsuna had his sights locked on him.

"I don't know what you're plann—"

Before Hanamiya could finish his sentence, he witnessed something utterly unbelievable. Tsuna, who should have been making his way toward him, was already right in front of him. Hanamiya's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"How did you--!?"

Hanamiya's voice trailed off in disbelief as Tsuna seized the opportunity, swiping the ball from Hanamiya while the latter was still trying to comprehend what had just occurred.

Even Tsuna's Teiko teammates were left in shock, their faces etched with amazement.

"What on earth...?" Imayoshi couldn't help but mutter, his eyes locked on Tsuna as he sprinted towards their basket.

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