Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Shohoku's Pride ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

CHAPTER ONE:

A basketball sailed through the air, shooting cleanly through the hoop. A flawless repetition of the three-pointer that helped secure Team Shohoku's win over Ryonan High at the elimination games.

Hisashi Mitsui breathed out a longing sigh, seeing the smile that lit up the face of Shohoku's small forward, Kiminobu Kogure. He propped his elbow on his right thigh, hand cupping his chin. Mitsui doubted if he would ever get tired of seeing that cheerful, charming smile from Shohoku's Vice-Captain.

Memory, however, brought him back to that fateful day months before when he had sought to destroy the basketball club over a broken dream. With his anger, frustration and hatred, Mitsui had hurt Kogure, not just with that bruising slap to his right cheek, but with his determination to see Team Shohoku ruined, same as his troublesome knee. But Kogure stood up to him, firmly reminding the former MVP of the dream that he had ignited in his simple heart.

The National Championship. To become the best of the best in Japan.

True, it was Anzai-sensei's sudden appearance that had caused the outpouring of truth from his soul. However, the hidden truth would never have been revealed if it were not for Kogure. Remembering the tears that had threatened to spill from the small forward's olive green eyes, Mitsui swore to himself that he would never do anything to hurt Kogure again.

There was a loud clang followed by a muffled curse as the ball bounced from the hoop.

"Megane-kun!" Mitsui called out to his teammate. "Bend your right knee a little bit more and then kick out to get more height when you jump."

The shooting guard was immediately rewarded by a sweet smile. With a cheerful "Hai!", Kogure took the advice and scored.

Unbeknownst to "Glasses Boy", Mitsui had another reason for his sound counsel. Next to the small forward's face, he loved watching Kogure's legs. Pale, shapely with out being girlish, nicely muscled, Mitsui found perverse pleasure in watching those long limbs stretch out as he leaped. Already, his fertile imagination was envisioning those long legs draped over his shoulders or wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Missy?"

Mitsui practically zoomed out of his seat like a rocket in his surprise. When he settled back down again, his heart still pounding, he glared at the self-proclaimed "Tensai" of Team Shohoku.

"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times," growled Mitsui menacingly, "don't call me 'Missy'!"

To his chagrin, however, Sakuragi Hanamichi simply ignored him, squinting at Kogure's near perfect shooting form with suspicion. "What were you looking at, Mit-chin?"

Rather defensively, the shooting guard retorted, "I was correcting Kogure's shooting stance so he could do those three-pointers with greater ease. We're going into the Inter High, Sakuragi. I can't be the only player on the team who could do three-point shots."

But Hanamichi continued to stare at Kogure, the brown pupils of his eyes moving up and down the small forward's form. He then faced Mitsui, looking the startled Senior straight in the eye.

"Uh...nani?" asked Mitsui, nervous at the intense scrutiny.

"For awhile there," Hanamichi began, his fiery eyebrows knitting together in a frown, "I thought you were gaping at Megane-kun's legs. The way your eyes kept shifting up and down, up and down, you looked like one of those hentai who ogle beautiful women on the beach."

"I was doing no such thing! I was just making sure that Kogure has the right posture when he shoots!"

"Yeah, right!" the redhead mumbled, unconvinced. Grinning broadly, he inquired with utter devilishness, "Mit-chin, you have the hots for Megane-kun, don't you?"

Furious, Mitsui dragged Hanamichi over the bench, sending the both of them tumbling to the gym floor. Grabbing fistfuls of his teammates T-shirt, he hissed, "Shut up, baka! I do not have the hots for Kogure!"

"Then what are we doing here?" asked Hanamichi in faux innocence. "You don't want Kogure to hear us. It's as good as admitting that you have the hots for him."

"And I told you! I do not have the hots for..." The shooting guard was about to throttle the living daylight out of Hanamichi.

"Mitsui-san?" a cheerful voice suddenly queried. "Who do you have the hots for?"

The two boys gazed up to find Kogure grinning down at them. Before Hanamichi could spill the beans, Mitsui hastily clamped a heavy hand over his big mouth.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Mitsui replied sheepishly, a deep blush forming on his cheeks, as he muffled his teammate's furious protests with his hand. "You know how Hanamichi's big mouth tends to run away with him."

"Well, it's really none of my business, but..." Kogure scratched his head, rather embarrassed. "It's nice to have someone who would inspire you. I mean, just look at Ryota over there."

Hanamichi and Mitsui grimaced at the sight of their point guard tailing after team manager Ayako like a lovesick puppy.

"Aya-chan!" Miyagi Ryota panted after Ayako, sporting a large lump on top of his head. "Let me carry your fan for you!"

"That's disgusting!" Mitsui shuddered all over, gagging. He remembered how that large harisen had connected with Ryo-chin's head after a brief altercation with the equally troublesome redhead.

"Hai, it looks that way," laughed Kogure, watching them depart. "But because of Ayako, Ryota is giving his all during every game. It's not just the dream of going into the Inter High." He then turned to Hanamichi. "It's just like you and Haruko-san, Sakuragi."

Hanamichi's blush was as red as his hair. "Hai," he agreed, without his usual bluster. "I wouldn't have made it this far if it were not for Haruko-san's encouragement."

"You know, I do envy you and Ryota sometimes," Kogure answered truthfully. "At least, the two of you have other dreams. Akagi and I..." He looked at Mitsui meaningfully. "And perhaps you too, Mit-chin, and Rukawa as well. All we ever thought about was making it to the Inter High. But now that we're here, I'm scared shitless. What happens to me after the tournament? Perhaps, if I hadn't become too obsessed with the game, I might have found someone special as well."

"It's not too late for you, you know, Kogure," Mitsui said in solemn honesty.

"Maybe, but..." Kogure smiled sadly. "I'm not really a babe magnet like Rukawa."

Inwardly, Mitsui mused, Little do they know what they've been missing.

"Speaking of the Kitsune," Hanamichi interrupted, his eyes roaming all over the emptying gym. "I don't think I've seen his Imperial Majesty."

"Rukawa called in sick," explained Kogure, fixing his glasses. "He said he couldn't make it to practice today."

"No wonder the air in this gym smelled cleaner," the redhead remarked. "Gori's not being around was a huge relief as well, even if his protege, Lady Gori packed a wallop with that fan of hers." Hanamichi gingerly rubbed the lump at the back of his head. "I swear that harridan is a disciple of Genjo Sanzo himself!"

"Akagi is being hounded by the top universities in Japan," Mitsui put in. "He has to think about his future, you know. The college he chooses will be very lucky to have a dedicated sportsman like him."

"But why did he have to bring Haruko-san along?" lamented Hanamichi, pouting.

"Those two are practically inseparable," Kogure commented. "Wherever Akagi is, Haruko will always be around to give him support."

"Well,I do have one consolation," the redhead breathed in relief. "I'm glad that there are many miles distance between my Haruko and that infuriating Rukawa. Then again..." Hanamichi thought aloud. "Don't you think it's rather odd? This is the first time that the Kitsune skipped practice. The obsessed fool that he is, he always shows up whether it be rain, snow or shine. I wonder what happened to him."

The small forward shook his head. "He may look so tough, but Rukawa is not Superman. He's just a human being. I'm sure he's just as stressed as we were during those last few games."

Mitsui saw the opening he was looking for to needle the loudmouth. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about Rukawa, Sakuragi?" he asked, sprouting imaginary devil's horns on his head. "If I know better, I'd say the Tensai has the hots for the Kitsune!"

At that remark, steam pouted out of Hanamichi's ears, although Mitsui and Kogure surprisingly noted the red drop that momentarily hung out of the infuriated redhead's right nostril.

"You take that back, Missy!" Hanamichi challenged the shooting guard. "Or else I'll take your dehydrated hide and beat the crap out of it!"

"I'd like to see you try and do that, Kitsune lover!" Mitsui dared back.

Ever the peacemaker, Kogure insinuated himself between the two boys. Raising his hands to ward them off, he said placatingly, "There, there! Let's just calm down! It's just the heat of the summer that's getting to you. Since it is getting late, why don't we hit the shower room so we could all go home?"

Like an overacting soap opera star, Hanamichi stared aghast at the naive Senior. "Megane-kun! Have you not cleaned your glasses well enough that you would make that suggestion to...HIM?" He even pointed at a suddenly pale Mitsui.

"What's wrong about that?" Kogure asked innocently. "I always take a shower with Akagi."

"But that's King Kong!" the redhead insisted. "Gori would never take advantage of a virgin like you. Not like Missy over there."

"How dare you say that, kusottare!" Mitsui exclaimed, both in grave offense and utter embarrassment. "I maybe a hooligan during my two years in High School, but no one's virtue has been in danger from me!"

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" cried Kogure, just as flustered. "Since when did my virtue become an issue here?"

The small forward instantly shrank back as his two teammates suddenly seemed to tower over him with flames shooting out of their eyes. Before he knew what was happening, his wrists were grabbed and he found himself being hustled towards the shower room. Pausing before the door, Hanamichi and Mitsui glowered at each other.

"Listen," Kogure timidly put in, "if you're so concerned about me, why don't we three just take a shower together?"

Hanamichi's reply was to shove Kogure inside the shower room, slamming the door right in Mitsui's face before the shooting guard could get in as well.

"If that's the way you want it, fine!" Mitsui exclaimed, grabbing his clothes in a huff. "I'll use the shower room at the judo club!"

As the angry Senior stomped away, Hanamichi waved and sneered, "Say hello to that baka Aouta for me!"

Neither of them noticed the tousled head that was peeking at them through the window.

"That wasn't very nice, Sakuragi," Kogure chided the redhead as they walked across the basketball court.

"Hah, Megane-kun!" Hanamichi waved his hand dismissingly. "I don't know how you managed to survive three years of High School being so naive."

Kogure pouted at that comment. "I wish you would stop rubbing it in."

Emerging from the gym, the two boys stopped at once, seeing the pouring rain. Waiting outside with a large umbrella was Mitsui.

"Looks like the rain isn't going to stop any time soon," the shooting guard remarked. "Come on, Kogure! Since Akagi's not here, I'm going to walk you home."

"Oh no you're not!" Hanamichi pulled out a much larger umbrella from inside his duffel. "I watch the weather report too, you know." He grabbed the small forward's upper arm. "Let's go, Megane-kun!"

Kogure suddenly found himself jerked towards Mitsui. "Oh no, he's not! His place is near my house! I'm taking him home!"

"No, you're not!" Hanamichi pulled the shocked Senior back.

"Yes, I will!"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!"

"YES, I WILL!"

"Would the two of you knock it off?" Kogure shrieked, yanking his arms back before they could get wrenched out of their sockets. "I could go home on my own. I'm not a helpless girl who needs a chaperone."

But the redhead insisted, "You do not need a hentai chaperone like Mit-chin!"

"Sakuragi..." Mitsui snarled menacingly.

In the shadows, a dark figure watched the three boys bickering. Seeing them distracted, he snatched his bag on the ground and sneaked inside the gym.

Hanamichi caught that darting movement out of the corner of his eye. However, by the time he turned his head, there was no one there.

"Hey!" he called to his teammates. "Did you guys see something just now?"

"Nope! Not a thing!" answered Mitsui casually, his voice seemingly moving farther and farther away. "Sayonara, Sakuragi! I'm taking Kogure home now!"

"MITSUI!" growled the redhead, especially when he saw how the shooting guard had locked his arm around Kogure's. Frantic, he hurried after his teammates, yelling, "Get your dirty hands off Megane-kun, Missy!"

---

Ball gripped tightly in his shaking hands, Rukawa silently watched his teammates leave the school grounds. Despite himself, he felt envy rise inside his heart, seeing the way Mitsui and the Doahou doted upon their congenial Vice-Captain.

Rather than give thought to his true feelings, Rukawa shook himself like a wet puppy and broke into a furious run, dribbling the ball, heading for the far court. As he neared the goal, he leaped high for a lay up. To his dismay, however, the ball bounced from the hoop, something which was entirely new to him.. Again and again, he tried to drive the ball into the basket, but failed each and every time.

At his fifteenth attempt, Rukawa nearly came close to knocking the hoop off its moorings from the backboard at the force of his failed dunk. The minute his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled under him, as the pain he was trying so desperately to ignore shot like a lance through his ass radiating to his lower belly. He all but wilted to the floor, grimacing and whimpering in pain, body curled up in a fetal position as his arms wrapped around his lower abdomen. At the same time, he felt the heat of blood wet the seat of his sweat pants.

Rukawa just lay on the floor for several minutes, trembling all over, forcing his mind away from the pain and its cause. What his mind focused on was that scene he had stumbled upon between his three teammates.

"Why?" he sobbed, his voice ragged and hoarse. "Why do you protect only him? Don't you care about me too? Doesn't anyone care?"

But no answer was forthcoming.

Swiping his fists over his eyes, Rukawa gingerly got to his feet, only to be jarred by the sudden sliding of the gym door.

"So this is where you've been hiding, Ru-chan," that hateful voice spoke from the doorway.

Quietly, Rukawa answered, "I couldn't practice with the team this morning because of...because..."

"Because of what happened last night, you mean."

"I have to practice. Shohoku is going into the Inter High. They're all counting on me to help them win. I'm not going to let them down."

"And while you're doing so, you're forgetting your obligations to me. Remember, if it wasn't for me, your mother would be dead by now."

Rukawa shook his head. "No, I haven't forgotten, but I told you, when I left for High School, that I would pay you back everything I owe you. But not in THAT way." Tears welled up in his eyes once more. "When I said I would do anything, I didn't mean THAT!"

"So that's why you left." That very tall figure slowly approached him, that he shrank back.

"I was just a child, and you...and your men... I just couldn't do it anymore. But I truly meant what I said. Once I succeed, not only in school but in basketball as well, I will pay every yen that I owe you. You have my word on that. But I won't do this. Not now. Not anymore!"

"In the meantime, your debt to me continues to rise and with interest." A hard hand reached out, the fingers digging painfully into his cheeks. "You don't know this, Ru-chan, but I'm the one who's been paying for your tuition into this school, as well as your okaasan's chemotherapy. Did you think she's making money from that paltry little grocery store of hers?"

Rukawa's eyes flew wide. "No, that's not true! Kaachan would never...."

"Never underestimate the power of a mother's heart. She would do anything for you." A clucking tongue. "Too bad, Ru-chan, that you didn't tell her the truth about your little part-time jobs with me."

Rukawa fell to his knees in shock. *There's no escape. No escape!*

He barely felt strong hands raise him up once more, a hard body supporting him as he was led out of the gym. He didn't even notice the brief pause as his bag was picked up.

"Let's go, Ru-chan," his tormentor urged him with an impatient jerk. "You'll have enough time for basketball practice and the Inter High if you behave. For now, you need a different kind of practice. You wouldn't want to disappoint our clients now, would you?"

Rukawa's eyes closed tightly, trying to stop the flow of tears. Help me! Somebody please help me!

---

Hanamichi was the first to enter the gym the following morning, determined to improve in his shooting skills. He was not about to make a fool of himself at the Inter High. More than anything else, he wanted to have a crack at that MVP Trophy and win it, so he could present his prize to his beloved Haruko-san.

In his firm determination to start practicing, he did not see the fallen basketball right in his path.

"WAAAAAH!" Hanamichi cried out as he slipped on the ball and fell face first on the floor. His bruised face snapping up, he snarled, "Who's the baka who left this damned ball on..."

The power forward never got to finish what he was going to say, his eyes focusing on the large stain marring the rich honey brown finish of the hardwood floor.

Hanamichi knew a blood stain when he saw one.