Slam dunk, hit 100% of the three-pointers at the beginning!

It was already May before anyone realized how quickly time had passed.

The friendly match between Ryonan and Shohoku had quickly made headlines, spreading through the media like wildfire.

Rukawa Kaede, with his middle school MVP title, lived up to his reputation by delivering a nearly flawless performance during the match against Ryonan.

However, the one who truly caught everyone's attention was Ryu.

In just a few days, the name "Ryu the Super Rookie" became famous across Kanagawa Prefecture.

On this particular day, Shohoku's basketball team was practicing as usual. Ryota Miyagi had returned to the team after his brief absence.

It seemed like an ordinary afternoon.

The players exchanged puzzled looks as they watched Ryota, who had just rejoined them.

"Where were you during the match against Ryonan?" someone finally asked.

Ryota's face froze for a moment. He quickly dodged the question, mumbling some excuse.

Seeing that Ryota seemed reluctant to explain, the team decided not to press further.

Suddenly, a loud bang shattered the afternoon's tranquility.

The gym doors flew open as a long-haired man kicked them in.

Mitsui Hisashi walked in with a gang of rough-looking men behind him. His defiant gaze swept over the Shohoku players. His grin revealed a few missing teeth.

"How about letting us join your basketball game?" he sneered.

The sudden arrival of the delinquents interrupted the team's practice.

The first-years, including Kuwata, exchanged nervous glances. It was clear these men were from a notorious group of troublemakers at the school, led by De Man.

Ryu frowned. Just as he had guessed, Ryota's absence during the Ryonan match had something to do with Mitsui and his gang.

"Excuse me," Kogure, the team's vice-captain, stepped forward cautiously. His voice wavered slightly when he saw Mitsui. "You're not allowed to wear shoes inside the gym."

Before Kogure could say more, Ryota hurried to stop him, looking at Mitsui with a pleading expression.

"Mitsui, please... I really can't afford another trip to the hospital."

Seeing Ryota beg only made Mitsui more smug.

"Oh? Weren't you the tough guy? Come on, fight back!" Mitsui jeered, and then without warning, he kicked Ryota hard in the stomach.

"Ugh!" Ryota clutched his abdomen and collapsed to the floor in pain.

"Hey, you can't just hit people like that!" Hanamichi Sakuragi roared, his temper flaring. Despite his usual antics, Sakuragi had grown fond of Ryota. Both of them had been rejected by the girls they loved, which created a strange sense of camaraderie between them.

Sakuragi swung his fist straight toward Mitsui's face.

But before the punch landed, Ryota, grimacing in pain, reached out and grabbed Sakuragi's hand.

"Don't fight," Ryota gasped, his face pale. "If we get into a brawl, the basketball team will be disbanded."

Sakuragi froze, his rage replaced by shock.

"What? Disband the team?"

Kuwata and the others stared in disbelief.

"Yes," one of the senior players, Kakuta, quickly explained. "It's the rule. If a basketball team member is caught fighting, the whole team gets disbanded."

"No way!"

The gym fell silent. No one knew what to do. Disbanding the team was unthinkable; they had all worked too hard preparing for the prefectural tournament.

But Mitsui and his gang weren't going to back down easily.

Seeing their hesitation, Mitsui grew even more brazen.

He unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks on Ryota, who curled up on the ground, shielding his head with his arms. Ryota's eyes were red with tears, but he refused to fight back.

"You don't want the team disbanded because of you, right, Ryota?" Mitsui taunted, kicking him again.

Sakuragi clenched his fists tightly, trembling with rage. He was ready to charge at Mitsui again, but Kogure held him back.

"Don't do it, Sakuragi!" Kogure urged.

Just then, a basketball flew through the air and hit Mitsui squarely in the face.

"Damn it!" Mitsui growled, clutching his bleeding nose.

He glared at the culprit: Rukawa Kaede.

"So, you're the so-called rookie king, Rukawa," Mitsui sneered. "Looks like you've got a lot of nerve. Fine. Ryo, De Man, take him down!"

At Mitsui's command, two of his lackeys stepped forward, cracking their knuckles.

But before they could make a move, Rukawa landed a solid punch on Ryo's face, sending him sprawling.

"Argh!" Ryo spat out blood and a few teeth, shocked by Rukawa's strength.

Seeing this, Sakuragi couldn't hold back any longer. He charged at Mitsui, yelling, "You bastard! How dare you come to our gym and cause trouble!"

The gym descended into chaos.

Ryu turned to Kakuta and grabbed his shoulder. "Senpai, go get Coach Anzai and Captain Akagi. Hurry."

Kakuta hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Got it. Be careful." He slipped out through a side door.

Meanwhile, Mitsui, furious after being beaten by Sakuragi, grabbed a mop nearby.

"You idiots! Do you all want to be disbanded?" Mitsui shouted as he swung the mop toward Ryota, who was still lying on the ground.

But before the mop could hit Ryota, Ryu stepped in.

He grabbed Mitsui's wrist firmly, his eyes cold and intimidating.

"Mitsui-senpai," Ryu said, his voice icy, "don't you think this is enough?"