Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 83: Mada Mada Da Ne! (Patreon)

Masato knew the Basketball Club would change a lot this semester, but the sight that greeted him when he entered the gym still caught him off guard.

There were around thirty new students who had already passed the initial application stage. That was roughly the size of the entire club before the break, meaning its membership had effectively doubled. More astonishingly, these weren't even all the applicants. Plenty of students were still trying to join.

The moment Masato walked in, the other players noticed him and began calling out greetings.

"The captain's here!"

"Hello, Captain!"

"..."

Masato nodded in acknowledgment. He had no intention of changing into his uniform just yet. Instead, he found a seat by the court and watched the others work.

It was the first day of the semester, and the sheer number of applicants meant they couldn't possibly accept everyone. The newcomers would have to undergo evaluations before the coaches decided who could stay.

The older players were helping run the tests, which focused mainly on physical ability and basketball fundamentals. With so many people to evaluate, Masato doubted there would be any regular practice today. By the time they finished, there wouldn't be much time left anyway.

He didn't mind. It was a good opportunity to see whether any of the recruits showed promise.

Unfortunately, after watching one candidate after another, Masato began to lose hope. He shook his head. Players with genuine talent really were rare.

Then again, that was hardly surprising. A truly gifted player was unlikely to choose Kawari in the first place. The team might have earned national recognition, but it still couldn't compete with the established powerhouses for recruits. Elite schools had the resources to identify promising players and spend serious money attracting them. Kawari simply wasn't in the same league.

Just as Masato was about to stop watching, however, one newcomer finally caught his eye.

The boy stood about 180 centimeters tall and displayed impressive athleticism. During the skills evaluation that followed, his feel for the ball was equally apparent. By almost every measure, he stood well above the other applicants.

Masato rubbed his chin, intrigued.

"Now that's a talented newcomer."

Who would have thought Kawari might actually find a gem?

He started to rise, intending to collect the new students' information from the testing area and learn more about the boy. He was the captain now, after all. Keeping an eye on promising players was part of the job.

But before he could move, Coach Nakamura came over and sat beside him. Looking toward the court, the coach chuckled.

"Masa, what do you think of that new kid?"

Masato raised an eyebrow. Apparently the coach had noticed him too.

"He certainly looks talented. I'd like to see how he performs in a real game, though."

"That's true. Some players look fantastic in drills, only to struggle once they're in a game." Nakamura nodded, then smiled knowingly. "But I don't think this kid will disappoint. I recruited him myself."

That surprised Masato. Apparently Masaki Nakamura really did have a few tricks up his sleeve. Bringing a player with that much promise to Kawari couldn't have been easy.

The coach quickly explained how he'd managed it.

"His name's Kaima Kakuzo. He's a second-year transfer student and the son of a good friend from my professional playing days."

"He's got some talent. He'd been training overseas, but with the rise of the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings in recent years, not to mention you bursting onto the scene, his father decided that Japanese basketball was heading into a golden age. That's why he brought Kaima back to Japan."

"I did my best to persuade them, although you were the biggest reason he agreed to come here. I don't expect him to be anywhere near your level, Masa. If he reaches even a fifth of it, I'll be happy."

Now Masato understood. He'd wondered how Nakamura had managed to recruit someone so talented. As it turned out, there was a personal connection behind the whole thing.

Still, it was good news. Masato would be moving on to high school next year, and if his influence could help strengthen the club for the players he left behind, so much the better.

But there was something strangely familiar about the newcomer's name. Kaima Kakuzo. Hearing it left Masato with an odd feeling he couldn't quite explain, and for a moment he forgot to reply.

Nakamura noticed his interest.

"Masa, once the evaluations are finished, how about letting our older players test the newcomers in an actual game?"

He smiled, clearly eager to see what Kaima could do under pressure.

Masato had been thinking much the same thing.

"Sounds good."

...

By the end of the evaluations, Kaima was the only recruit who had truly stood out, although a handful of others had shown reasonably good potential.

Once the tests were finished, Nakamura and Masato's plan was announced to the rest of the club, and excitement spread immediately.

"Haha, the good old welcome match!"

"This is always my favorite part!"

"Hope the new guys don't end up crying!"

"Wonder how hard the captain's going to go on them!"

"..."

The veterans loved these occasions. Who wouldn't enjoy giving the rookies a little welcome lesson? Most of them had gone through exactly the same thing when they joined.

The one notable exception had been Masato. When he'd first arrived, he'd ended up teaching the older players a lesson instead.

The newcomers were nervous, but they were just as excited. Most had joined the club because of Masato, and the thought of playing basketball with him on their very first day was thrilling.

Kaima Kakuzo felt some of that excitement too. He'd only recently returned to Japan, but he'd seen Kawari's incredible match against Teikō.

There was one important difference between him and the other recruits, though. Kaima didn't merely want to play alongside Masato. He wanted to beat him.

He hadn't even realized how much pride his years overseas had given him. The performances of the Generation of Miracles and Masato had certainly impressed him, but he didn't believe he would lose to them.

He could hardly wait to test his skills against theirs.

...

There were far too many newcomers for everyone to play, so only the best few were chosen to form a team against Kawari's starters.

Soon, both sides stepped onto the court for the friendly welcome scrimmage.

The revamped starting lineup consisted of Masato, Ishida, Kenji, and two other third-year players. Ishida and Kenji were completely relaxed, joking as they walked out.

"Kenji, these new guys look pretty good. Don't go getting schooled by a rookie."

"Give me a break. Let's see who scores more. Whoever finishes with fewer points has to call the other guy 'Dad'!"

"Like I'm scared of you!"

"..."

The other two starters were quick to join in. Once they'd settled their little wager, Ishida turned to Masato with a grin.

"You're not part of this one, Masa. Leave the rookies to us!"

"..."

Masato didn't mind. He'd only come onto the court to get a feel for the newcomers anyway. If the others could handle them, all the better.

...

The game began with a jump ball.

With the changes to the lineup, Ishida had taken over as center from Ryota. He was well suited to the position. His natural physical gifts, combined with a recent growth spurt, had brought him close to 190 centimeters tall. Against the newcomers, that gave him a clear advantage.

Unsurprisingly, Ishida won the tip.

Masato didn't ask for the ball. He left it to his teammates, giving them their chance to shine.

The ball went to one of the two newly promoted third-year starters. The boy was visibly excited at the thought of putting the rookies in their place, and he saw the scrimmage as an opportunity to cement his position in the starting lineup.

He knew his selection owed more to his years in the club than to overwhelming ability. His place wasn't especially secure.

He drove forward with the ball, only to find Kaima Kakuzo stepping up to defend him.

Seeing how eager the rookie was, the starter decided to put him in his place. He narrowed his eyes, lowered his center of gravity, and attacked.

His between-the-legs dribble was smooth enough, and in an instant he was at Kaima's side. Convinced he'd already beaten his defender, he couldn't help smiling.

"Heh, rookies are so easy!"

Apparently he'd had nothing to worry about after all.

Unfortunately, the celebration was premature.

"Smack!"

The ball vanished from his hands with a sharp slap.

Kaima Kakuzo had stripped him clean.

"You're still a long way off!"