Akashi spoke with genuine sincerity. Haizaki could feel it.
But that very sincerity made him deeply uncomfortable.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Haizaki slung his bag over his shoulder and left.
Akashi watched his retreating figure until Haizaki disappeared from view, then turned around.
"Looks like your trip was for nothing, Aomine."
"What trip? I have no idea what you're talking." At that moment, Aomine emerged from a nearby corner. "I was just passing by."
That was a lie.
He'd been worried Haizaki might do something terrible.
"Sure." Akashi didn't call him out, simply smiling. "Yuuto's influence on him runs deep. He's not the Haizaki we knew anymore."
In just one year, Haizaki had seemingly become a different person.
In this regard—
Yuuto had accomplished what Akashi himself couldn't.
What even their former captain Nijimura Shuzo couldn't do.
He'd changed Haizaki.
Meanwhile, the Yuuto they were discussing was currently leading his team through a film study of Yōsen's games.
Honestly?
There wasn't much to study. In their previous games, Yōsen had played it simple.
Murasakibara Atsushi hadn't participated in the offensive end at all. Yōsen had been running their offense with just four players.
Yamashita Shigeo was also struggling to find a solution.
But Yuuto had already experienced this once in his simulations.
"Inside-out."
"What's inside-out?"
All of Seihō's eyes locked onto Yuuto.
His eyes were absolutely broken—able to detect subtle clues and predict his opponents' next moves in advance.
"It's an inside-outside combination strategy." Yuuto grabbed the tactical board, essentially taking over Yamashita's job, and began sketching diagrams.
If Coach Araki Masako were present, she'd be stunned, because Yuuto was drawing exactly the offensive system Yōsen used.
But the Seihō players weren't surprised at all. They'd long since gotten used to Yuuto handling everything from point guard to head coach.
The inside-out strategy was a fundamental basketball tactic.
At its core, it required a dominant scoring threat inside, paired with shooters on the perimeter.
Simply put: kick it out, punch it in. Punch it in, kick it out.
Repeat the process, constantly stretching the defense, creating open looks.
But Yōsen's inside-out was different from the conventional version.
Their interior height was overwhelming, but on the perimeter, Himuro Tatsuya was their only reliable scorer. Point guard Fukui Kensuke was perhaps a half.
Even so—
The chemistry between Murasakibara and Himuro had produced excellent results in his simulation.
"This is likely the strategy Yōsen will employ."
Likely?
That meant it was definitely happening.
Every single member of Seihō believed in Yuuto without question.
To them, Yuuto was their prophet—more terrifying than Akashi's predictive abilities.
"I see. In that case, we need to find a way to cut off the connection between those two." Yamashita finally reclaimed the tactical board.
The inside-out strategy, while fundamental, was considered somewhat outdated in modern basketball.
However—
Tactics never truly become obsolete.
What matters is who's executing them.
Consider the Jazz's legendary coach—he ran pick-and-roll for decades and once led his team to the NBA Finals.
So—
A tactic's ceiling is determined by the talent executing it.
And the inside-out had already proven successful as far back as the '90s.
The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, won back-to-back NBA championships.
They were just one step away from building a dynasty.
Unfortunately—
Jordan, who'd spent two years playing baseball, returned in the very year Houston went for the three-peat.
"Let's wrap it up for today. Go back and memorize all the intel on Yōsen. Don't get careless."
"Yes, sir!"
And just like that, Seihō's brief tactical meeting concluded.
With Yuuto around, Yamashita's job was incredibly easy.
He just needed to handle the team's defense and do what he was good at. The offensive end could be left to Yuuto, the "second coach."
Their partnership was seamless.
Unfortunately, after this year, Yuuto would be leaving Japan.
"Have you made your final decision?"
"Yes."
Yuuto stayed behind for a private conversation with Yamashita in the meeting room.
Even now, Yamashita believed Yuuto was rushing things. Following his planned path would lead to a smoother journey.
Coach Knight might have a questionable reputation, but he was genuinely skilled at helping players succeed.
He would teach Yuuto how to win...
"Honestly, I still think you should reconsider. You're young."
Youth was capital, but it also meant being prone to mistakes, lacking maturity, and buckling under pressure.
Yuuto especially—heading to the other side of the Pacific at barely eighteen to fight for his dreams was no simple undertaking.
He'd face countless challenges, particularly adapting to a foreign environment.
But Yuuto—
Only his body was young. His mind was mature enough.
"Youth is capital, Coach." Yuuto sat down to chat with the old man. "Everyone's drive has limits. Time wears down our edges."
"A comfortable environment makes people fear challenges. I want to do what I want to do while my edges are still sharp."
Edges, huh.
Yamashita sighed silently.
He suddenly recalled his own playing days—a career that ended amid endless choruses of "you're not ready yet."
Back then, he too had been like Yuuto. Less talented, perhaps, but still a nationally celebrated prodigy, daring to challenge the world's summit.
Then his coaches and family had all told him not to rush, that the time wasn't right, that he needed more experience and development.
His younger self had believed them. Had stayed.
By the time they finally deemed him "ready," Yamashita could no longer find his original ambition. He was already in his mid-twenties.
Though he did eventually go abroad, it was as a coach, not a player.
Then—
He saw what world-class truly meant. He learned under Huggins that his talent wasn't enough to gain a foothold in that realm.
Afterward, he brought the knowledge he'd acquired in America back to Japan, became a head coach, and devoted himself to developing the next generation.
Time flew by. Before he knew it, he'd become one of those people who used to tell him "you're not ready yet."
Realizing this, he stopped trying to dissuade Yuuto. Instead, he wished him smooth sailing.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you from Japan. If things don't work out over there, come back. I've still got some connections in the States."
More than "some," actually.
After all these years coaching at Seihō, his former students were scattered across the country.
Even if Yuuto's "challenge" failed, he could still live comfortably upon return. Yamashita would make sure of that.
...
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