Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

Unlike Hayato, who had gone out to train again, Kiyoko was quietly unpacking at home. As she pulled items from her luggage, she suddenly froze.

"I can't believe I actually brought this with me… Good thing Hayato didn't notice anything."

In her hand was a small, familiar box. Her cheeks tinted with a slight blush. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Had she really packed this by accident? Or was it a sign of something deeper?

"A girl's heart really is complicated..." she muttered, shaking her head with a half-smile. There was no use overthinking it now.

Putting the item away, she returned to her desk and opened her laptop. There was data to review—match footage, player stats, and opponent strategies. As Karasuno's manager, Kiyoko took her responsibilities seriously. Her efforts behind the scenes played a big role in helping the team advance.

Meanwhile, after training, Hayato checked his phone and saw a message from Shoyo.

Hinata: Hayato-senpai, welcome back!! I've made super big progress while you were gone!

Hayato chuckled.

Hayato: Really? Then I'm looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.

Hinata: Kageyama already noticed! He said I'm controlling my spikes more! I think I'm getting caught .

Hayato replied:

It's fine. At this point, your progress is showing. Let's surprise Coach Ukai tomorrow. After practice, bring Kageyama too.

Hinata: YAY!!!

Grinning, Hayato set his phone aside and headed to the kitchen. He hadn't even started cooking when Hinata's message arrived, and now his stomach was really protesting.

The next morning, just as Hayato arrived at school, he was intercepted by Tanaka.

"Yo, Hayato! Spill it—you and Kiyoko were gone at the same time. Don't tell me it's a coincidence?"

Hayato grinned and shrugged, not denying it. "Heh… It's a secret."

That was not what Tanaka wanted to hear. He playfully hooked Hayato in a headlock. "C'mon, man!"

Eventually, Hayato gave the cover story they'd agreed on: Kiyoko's relative was getting married and her parents couldn't attend, so he went with her. It was formal, responsible-sounding… and vague enough to avoid too many questions.

Coach Ukai was the only one who knew the truth, and both had used the wedding excuse when requesting time off from their teachers—better safe than sorry.

Tanaka accepted the explanation… mostly.

During morning practice, Hayato was approached again, this time by Daichi and Sugawara.

"Kuroba," Daichi said seriously, "Hinata's attack tempo has changed. Did you train him while you were gone?"

Sugawara added, "That one tipping play the other day surprised everyone."

Hayato nodded. "Yeah, we've been working on those techniques for a while—tipping, tool blocks, and speeding up his approach."

Daichi and Suga exchanged looks before patting Hayato's shoulder in appreciation. They knew how hard it was to balance team dynamics, especially when positions were competitive. With Hayato's approach, Hinata's quicks improved, and more opportunities opened for Asahi to shine.

Their gratitude was wordless, but deep.

Later, at the gym, Hinata spotted Hayato and came bounding over.

"Hayato-senpai! Good morning!"

Kageyama followed close behind, reporting his training progress. The moment turned chaotic as the two began bickering, like usual.

Hayato chuckled. "Alright, you two. After practice, we're showing Coach Ukai what you've got."

Kageyama lit up with excitement. Hinata just gave a thumbs-up. He'd been ready for this.

In the afternoon, Coach Ukai gathered everyone for an internal practice match.

Hayato, Tsukishima, Daichi, Sugawara, Tanaka, and Ennoshita formed one team. On the other side: Kageyama, Hinata, Asahi, Yamaguchi, Nishinoya, and Kinoshita.

The pairings mirrored the first practice match from when Hayato first joined—nostalgic, but with one big difference: everyone had grown.

Coach Ukai glanced at the court. It was clear he wanted to see the Freak Quick—the advanced version Hayato had been helping Shoyo perfect.

Holding a ball in one hand, Hayato pointed straight at Hinata and Kageyama.

"Alright, you two. Hit me with your strongest attack."

Hinata and Kageyama shouted in sync: "Yes!"

The rest of the team smiled. Hayato's dramatic challenges weren't new anymore. After all, this was the same guy who once named his jump serve Electromagnetic Cannon.

He tossed the ball up, served with precision—but this time, Nishinoya received it cleanly.

In a blur, Kageyama set the ball and Hinata launched into his Freak Quick.

Boom. A clean point.

The ball landed before Hayato's team could even react.

Hinata high-fived Kageyama and then Nishinoya.

"How's that?! We're not the same duo you saw last time!"

Nishinoya gave Hayato a confident thumbs-up. After weeks of struggling with Hayato's jump serves, this felt like a turning point.

"Then let's go again," Hayato said with a smirk, dropping into a ready stance. "Come at me."

The game had only just begun—but already, it was clear:

Everyone was leveling up.

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POWER STONE!!!

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