Chapter 67: Fukuda Sogo vs Shutoku

"...He said he forgot about the friendly match," Nijimura grimly reported after ending the phone call.

Tsuna looked at Nijimura. He shook his head speechlessly. It seemed that Haizaki hadn't changed much.

Ishida chimed in, "I actually believe him. I saw him going through the regular drills this morning even when we had to be in perfect shape for tomorrow's."

Ogiwara scratched his chin, deep in thought. "You know, I saw him too, a few hours before we left. He was in the gym, and I thought he was grabbing something he'd forgotten. Turns out, he was training so intensely that he completely forgot about the game."

He slammed his hand on the seat in frustration. "Damn it, I should've gone with him. I could've trained with my best friend!"

"Stop being an idiot," Nijimura scolded.

Nijimura gave Ogiwara a light smack on the back of the head. He assumed Ogiwara was going to suggest reminding Haizaki or trying to bring him along for the friendly game.

He couldn't believe Ogiwara was thinking about wanting to train alongside his 'best friend.' Nijimura turned to Tsuna, concerned. "Should we arrange another car for him?"

Tsuna shook his head and responded, "No need for that. Let him train by himself. After all, it's just a friendly match..."

Nijimura, loyal as ever, nodded in agreement, not questioning Tsuna's decision.

Tsuna couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

He had thought that playing against Midorima, a member of the Generation of Miracles, would motivate Haizaki to showcase his skills. But it appeared that Haizaki was solely fixated on facing Akashi, the one who had wounded his pride.

There might have been another member of the Generation of Miracles that Haizaki was eager to face, but they weren't up against that player yet.

Tsuna sighed as he glanced at Ogiwara, who was still complaining about missing two hours of training during their journey. He couldn't help but think, "Seijuro seems to have a talent for making people hold grudges against him, huh?"

Akashi had discarded Haizaki like he was nothing, while Ogiwara had been treated as a plaything. In some ways, they shared a similar fate.

"What kind of best friend am I? Leaving my best friend to train on his own? Damn, I'll make it up by running a hundred laps alongside you later, Haizaki!"

But when Ogiwara referred to Haizaki as his best friend, Tsuna couldn't help but let out another sigh. He found it hard to describe how airheaded Ogiwara could be, and he was left somewhat speechless by it all.

After a little over two hours, they finally reached Tokyo.

When they arrived at their accommodation, which was essentially Tsuna's residence in Tokyo, they were taken aback by its sheer luxury. They turned to Tsuna with wide-eyed surprise.

They had always known Tsuna was wealthy, given his constant companion, Sebas the butler. However, seeing a glimpse of his wealth in person left them genuinely astonished.

Sebas then guided them to their accommodations for the day.

The next day, they stood in front of Shutoku High School.

"Wow, this place looks amazing. Legendary King's school indeed," one of them exclaimed.

"Our school is like a tiny speck compared to this," another chimed in, marveling at the grandeur of Shutoku.

The team was genuinely shocked by the sight of the traditional and prestigious-looking school. It was a stark contrast to what they were accustomed to.

"Oh, you guys finally arrived!"

Their awe-filled conversation was abruptly halted when Otsubo, accompanied by Miyaji, approached them with a warm greeting.

Tsuna grinned and asked, "We didn't keep you waiting, did we?"

Otsubo reassured him, "No, not at all. Actually, you're a bit ahead of schedule. Follow me, I'll lead the way."

Although Otsubo appeared friendly on the surface, there was an underlying wariness in his demeanor due to what had happened with Takao. Miyaji shared this caution, and his distrust was evident in his guarded expression as they followed Tsuna.

Nijimura, walking alongside Tsuna, leaned in and quietly asked, "Young Master, did you mess with them somehow?"

Tsuna responded with a casual shake of his head. "No, I didn't do anything."

Nijimura couldn't shake off his suspicions. He cast doubtful glances between Tsuna and the two Shutoku players, narrowing his eyes as he tried to figure out the mystery.

The members of the Fukuda Sogo team, including Ogiwara, gazed around the school building in wonder as they walked.

Otsubo couldn't help but notice something rather unique. He sneakily glanced at them and couldn't help but think, "Being a first-year captain is quite impressive, but it seems like everyone's perfectly fine with it."

But that wasn't the only thing that bothered Otsubo. He noticed that Tsuna and Nijimura led the group while the others followed closely, almost like an organized military formation.

The scene reminded him of a king and his trusted advisor touring the land with their loyal soldiers in tow. It left him feeling somewhat uneasy.

Otsubo brushed aside his unnecessary thoughts as they reached the gymnasium. Once the members of the Fukuda Sogo team stepped inside, they instantly became the center of attention.

Tsuna calmly surveyed the gym, seemingly unfazed by the curious stares. His jersey bore the number 4, and it was clear that many of the other players were fixated on him.

"Is that guy their captain?"

"I thought he was friends with Midorima, so he must be a freshman, right?"

"He's a freshman? Are they playing or what?"

Aside from the Shutoku regulars he had met previously, not everyone knew he was the captain. These unfamiliar faces held the most skepticism about it.

Takao, who stood next to Midorima, visibly flinched upon seeing Tsuna.

"Senior?"

Midorima, looking surprised, voiced his recognition as he saw Nijimura from Fukuda Sogo.

"Shin, you know him?" Takao, who stood beside Midorima, couldn't resist asking.

Nijimura exchanged a glance with Tsuna, who simply responded with a nod. Nijimura then approached Midorima. After all, they had been on the same team before, so greeting each other was the least they could do.

A middle-aged man with neatly combed black hair, which extended to the sides and barely touched his earlobes, seemed to pick up on the subtle exchange between Nijimura and Tsuna.

He thought to himself, "I've heard of him from Otsubo, but this young man appears to be even more formidable than the rumors suggest."

Just from that discreet interaction between Nijimura and Tsuna, he could discern that Tsuna held absolute authority within the team. Shaking his head in slight amazement, he approached Tsuna and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Hello there, my name is Masaki Nakatani. I serve as Shutoku's coach. I was planning to greet your coach, but it seems he's not here. Could you kindly inform me if he will join us for today's friendly game?"

Accepting the handshake with a friendly smile, Tsuna responded, "Ah, there might be some confusion. We don't currently have a coach."

"What?"

Nakatani looked genuinely surprised at this revelation.

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