A/N: Sorry that this took a while. The documents got deleted and I had no backup! *facepalms* And another reason is because I am trying to fix some few grammatical errors or spelling errors that might have manifested on its own when I posted the chapters here.

Title: Through You

Summary: Right before the start of his third year in middle school, Kuroko got into an accident that made him deaf and mute. He almost quit basketball but his fellow teammates helped him through his loss and kept him playing with them. A year later, Kuroko has grown distant from his former teammates who have changed for the worst. With the help of his new teammates, can he help them just as they helped him back then, or will his wish remain forever ignored?

Disclaimer: I am not worthy of owning Kuroko no Basket.

Chapter 4 - Newbie vs Elite

Izuki is the first to comment when they entered the gym of Kaijo High, "This looks even bigger than our gym."

There is truth to his words, for the gym is much more spacious than their own gym in Seirin. Well, that is very much expected of a school whose basketball team is known nationally. But it still took them by surprise.

Kise can't help but feel amused by their reactions as he led them inside. Now that he's been in the Seirin gym, he could understand what the point guard's comment meant.

He still doesn't accept Seirin to be the right team for Kuroko. But he must admit that they are nice and friendly - which is a good thing since he doesn't want Kuroko to be anywhere near people who are not trustworthy.

Ever since the accident, he started to worry for the teen's well-being everyday. He would always be with the bluenette whenever he got the time. If he had no photo shoot or extra homework to take care of, he'd rush to Kuroko's side and accompany him as long as he can.

The same went for others. They always helped him whenever they could, and would even defend him from outsiders who would talk bad about Kuroko just because he looked pathetic on a wheelchair.

Kise knows that he and his old team had done so much for Kuroko's sake when the latter was in a very depressed state. That is why he can't see the point why Kuroko left their middle school team all of a sudden, and went to a high school that he believes would destroy his friend's future as a basketball player.

He really can't think of any valid reason or anything else to why would Kuroko choose Seirin. And despite that the bluenette said that he chose Seirin because of what he said about wanting to fulfill his promise to Kagami, Kise knows that it's not the only reason.

But even if he asks Kuroko, he has a feeling that Kuroko won't explain to him everything.

"Still. . . . if I don't do something to help Kurokocchi. . . ." He bit his lip. "Sooner or later, he'll face the others and things might get even worse. And I definitely hate seeing that happen."

Despite his efforts to not show any sign of emotions about what he's thinking at the moment, the fear of what might happen when Kuroko faces their other ex-teammates on court doesn't stop him from feeling like he's sweating everywhere even if he isn't.

As he kept on thinking about the same topic, he feels something poking on his arm, and he looks down to see Kuroko probing the skin of his forearm with his index finger.

The bluenette signed, Kise-kun, you've been spacing out for a while.

The blonde just chuckled, "Sorry about that. I guess I got too caught up with my thoughts." he explained but he doesn't go into the specifics. He turned to the Seirin team, and he sees them talking to his coach about some things about the match.

Kise began remembering what happened two days ago.

When the coach first announced the practice match, he said that they'll use only half the court. But then two days ago, Kise was asked by some of his teammates about Kuroko and what he can do. The blond can only assume that their captain told the others that his blue-haired teammate does exist and that made his teammates curious.

Kise didn't avoid any questions and told them the basic things about Kuroko, but he left out the part that the teen is mute and deaf.

Because he knows that despite that, Kuroko plays the same as he does back then. In fact, without hearing or speaking, he becomes less distracted by whatever fuss there will be on the court and the bluenette could observe his surroundings better. In other words, the present Kuroko is even deadlier than before when it comes to playing.

While he talked to them about Kuroko in his star-eyed mode, the coach overheard him and thus he quickly changed his mind about the use of the court. From only using half the court, they would be using the full court in the match. The coach decided that while stating that it's ultimately final.

That's a pretty funny memory for Kise, and he appreciates the feeling that even Kuroko who is not as well-known as them can still strike intimidation in the hearts of others. The fact that his coach quickly changed his decision after hearing what Kuroko, the Sixth Phantom Player can do, meant that he decided to take Seirin seriously.

And that means Kuroko is the primary reason why Seirin is no longer looked down upon by his coach.

He feels a flick in his ear and he winces slightly. Again, it's from Kuroko who flicked him with such strength despite the bluenette's size.

Kuroko said through his hands, You're spacing out again. Are you okay?

Kise nods while rubbing the shell of his ear. It was only a flick, but it stung. Kuroko doesn't apologize that it hurts, but Kise knows that it's partly his fault for often thinking too deeply that he loses his presence of mind.

"Sorry about that, really." he muttered and Kuroko didn't make a response. He just stood there, because something in him tells him that Kise might say something any minute now.

He looks at Kuroko after a while, and since the younger teen is looking at him, he decides to speak in a very low voice. "You still won't change your mind?"

Kuroko stiffened slightly from the question. He isn't expecting that question at this time, but since he has no reason to ignore the blonde, he nodded once. Kuroko looked away quickly, preventing his lips from forming a frown full of hurt and pain.

He's not in the mood for this kind of conversation with his former teammates, especially in public with a practice match about to begin in a short matter of time.

Kise recalls his talk with his captain a few days ago. What he's told is to try and accept Kuroko's decision, but just like his other ex-teammates, that seems like a very impossible thing to do unless the young bluenette shows a very good reason to why he enrolled in Seirin.

"Kurokocchi, I still believe you're wasting your talent in Seirin. I'm trying to let it go, but when it comes to you, I know that I can't just let it slip aside. If you want to prove that Seirin is a good school, then show a good performance by beating us in the match." he challenged, his jaws hard and his voice tight and serious.

For a split second, Kuroko felt like he's talking to Akashi (minus the intimidating and terrifying atmosphere). It felt a little frustrating.

Then I will. Whether you're playing or not, I'll prove it to you. Seirin isn't weak. Kuroko replied with the same stubborn will.

Kise almost sighed that Kuroko is still bent on staying in Seirin. He holds Kuroko's safety and future in high regard, and even though he knows that Kuroko's teammates will never mean any harm to the bluenette, he highly doubts that they're the right team for him. But the latter seems to ignore that and continues to stay stuck in his choice.

Well, it's not like he expects Kuroko to agree to his offer so easily.

He knows that even though Kuroko is the one with the weakest presence and the least strong among the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko has the strongest mental strength. He has the strongest and most unbreakable will.

It was almost shattered by the accident, but by now he feels as if his friend's will grew even stronger.

Is it because of Kagami, his new light? Is it because of his new team? What is the reason? Kise pondered deeply about it but this time, he did not space out.

"Seirin's not weak? Okay. It's not like I'm looking down on anyone. But. . . . should you lose, what are you going to do? Even if this is a practice match, I know that the outcome of the match is just as important to your team like they're already in an official and public match." he asked, curious about Kuroko's answer.

Kuroko smiles weakly at the blonde's concern despite the ache in his heart.

No, he doesn't want any more of this, he thought.

But he has to prepare himself for these kind of conversations should he meet up with the others. And the next time he encounters Akashi, he must be sure to not let his guard drop or he'll feel like he just betrayed himself.

He always put up a strong front in his team save for when he was still physically disabled, and if he breaks down in front of them, he wouldn't forgive himself for the rest of his life.

"Kurokocchi. What are you going to do. . . . if you lose this game?" Kise enunciated but his voice remains low so that he won't be heard by anyone. He wants to hear Kuroko's answer, because the latter has avoided most of the questions he and the others gave him during that time. He doesn't want another question to be ignored or unanswered, but it doesn't mean he's mad at Kuroko. He never would be.

As an answer, Kuroko shook his head and signed, We won't lose. And even if we do lose, I won't give up. There's still the Inter High or the Winter Cup for payback. Don't take us for granted, Kise-kun.

Kise closes his eyes and inhales deeply. "Well, I'll go and see for myself later on." he sighs.

He already knows that the practice match will prove to him whether Seirin is strong or not, so he should stay stuck on that and not say any more, since he's sure he might have talked too much to Kuroko about the same topic and he really doesn't want to bother Kuroko on that. He's sure he might be pressuring the bluenette more than he should.

Within a few seconds, he reverted back to his usual cherry personality and waves to Kuroko with a quick wink, "Good luck to you." Is all he could say. After all what happened since he visited Seirin, wishing the bluenette good luck is probably the best thing to do and not stress Kuroko further about his choice of school.

Kuroko nodded with a very small smile as a sign of respect and thanks and he walked back to his team. Kagami noticed only right now that Kuroko wasn't actually beside him and was over there with Kise, and he got curious to what happened.

"So. . . . what were you talking about there?" Kagami asked in a tone that's not rough.

Kuroko quickly took out his PDA and answered, We're merely wishing each other good luck before the match. That's it.

"Oh. Well, good luck indeed." Kagami said with a hidden grin, patting the bluenette's head. Kuroko frowned in discomfort as the large hand makes a mess of his light blue hair, but he doesn't make a complaint. It didn't last long anyway as Kagami withdrew his hand and exhaled from the excitement welling up in him. He really can't wait to take Kise on.

Kuroko gives a faint smile when he saw the blazing aura flare out from Kagami. He could feel the flame emanating from the redhead giving his skin the shudders out of thrill for the fight.

He felt this too back then, from his old teammates. And oh my, how much their flames shone and sparked and blazed, that it took his breath away a few times even though he feels the excitement in them every single time they're in a match. It's just so surprising all the while fun that his teammates were having fun with having good matches with the other schools.

Their flames were at its strongest during their first year, and even the spectators at the very back seats could feel the intensity and excitement rushing out from them. In second year, it's the same. During the first half of third year too.

But in the second half, Kuroko could see the fires starting to die out slowly until it's completely extinguished. He couldn't do anything but watch as those embers slowly recede until there's not even a speck of smoke.

Watching the beautiful and colorful flames die gave him a great deal of pain, and he could remember that he was always at the point of shedding tears when he would see his old friends make his enemies give up and succumb to despair even though the matches didn't end yet. Of course, he never let the tears rise to his eyes. He always would keep them down, even if it would leave behind the pain he did not want.

"I can't keep on dwelling on that." Kuroko ground his teeth together, hiding it with his closed mouth. He knows that no matter how many times he tries to not focus on his past, it will always come back. He knows that there's no other way to deal with it than to just let it frustrate him on the inside.

His eyes were looking at the floor at that time as he is in one of his mental episodes again, but when he sees the feet of his teammates moving, he quickly followed them but his mind continued thinking about his past.

Kuroko decided to distract himself from thinking about the match. This match would be good for him and his team if they win, because then it's one way of proving to Kise that Seirin is a good school and thus the latter would finally accept his decision of going to Seirin.

Even if there are still four others who are more fearsome than the blonde-haired copycat player, beating one of his friends is already a very good thing for him.

But. . . . something makes him feel a bit apprehensive about the match. He knows who they're up against, and the possibility that they will be in a tight pinch is very high; all the more if Kise is playing. And to give them a chance to make a comeback in the game, he might show that he can shoot.

And that won't help him at all.

He wants his team to win, but at the same time he doesn't want to show his shooting yet. If he does, the efforts he gave would be for naught since his teammates would get word of it and they would do something to plan against him.

Kuroko knows that the others are hell-bent on beating him to get him to change his school since he made that deal with Akashi. They may not know of that agreement made between him and the red-haired captain, but he's sure that they'll make the same deal with him when they clash on the court.

And he can't force himself to say no, since he knows that if he does, the remaining ties left that still keep them together would be forever severed. And he doesn't want their friendship to be destroyed. Ever.

He continued to delve in his dilemma as they went for the locker room, his team being lead by a Kaijo second-string player.

Kuroko is already all set for the match. He's in his uniform that's imprinted with the number 11, and he has his wristbands and his basketball shoes on. He pulled up his socks to make sure that they won't make any sags on his feet, and he executed a few stretches before taking a drink of water so that he wouldn't be dehydrated.

When Kagami patted his shoulder (and thankfully not his head), he immediately knew that it's time to line up. He went to his position along with Kagami, Hyuuga, Izuki, and Mitobe. The players from Kaijo lined up too, and much to Seirin's disappointment Kise is told to not play and to just stay in the bench.

Riko scowled briefly before sighing. "I guess we have to take them by surprise to make Kise play. They might be thinking that the game would be too unfair already if Kise joins in, but I suppose anyone would think that when it involves the Generation of Miracles."

Beside her, Koganei gulped in worry. "I wish that we won't be so far behind should we lose to them." he muttered, and Riko didn't get irritated at his comment. She could see Kaijo's physical numbers, and they're way higher than Seirin's. It scared her only a bit, but it scared her nonetheless. She quirked an eyebrow when the referee looked confused about something.

Kagami could only sigh in understanding when the referee mentioned that there are only four of them. He nearly laughed at the memories when he and the others thought that Kuroko was not there but actually he was there all along, and his 'sudden presence' would freak them out. He's sure that Kaijo will get the same reactions that they did before, and he can't wait to see it.

At the exact moment that the bluenette made his presence known to the other team by hilariously pulling his uniform over his head, the five starters immediately gasped in surprise.

"What the-?! He was the(r)e the who(l)e time?" Hayakawa Mitsuhiro freaked in his very strange and non-understandable speech pattern, but this time his teammates know what he said unlike the many other times when they would tell him to speak clearer and slower.

"He was there the whole time, but I didn't even notice him." Kobori Hiroshi sighed to get the shock off his chest. "Kasamatsu, did you notice him?"

The latter shook his head, looking dumbfounded at Kuroko's sudden presence. "I didn't."

"Kise did mention about Kuroko unintentionally having the habit of seemingly popping out of nowhere when he's actually in front of you the whole time." Moriyama Yoshitaka pointed out calmly, but he's just as shocked himself as the others are. "I guess this is an example of that 'habit'." he added with a deep exhale.

Again, Kagami almost chuckled but he didn't want to make a scene right now. He just watched the whole scene while feeling greatly amused on the inside. It always feels nice to see your actions in other people when it comes to something humorous. It could also help the fact that he's annoyed that Kise is not participating.

"I have to do something to make him play. Possibly. . . . I have to give his buddies here a beating." his knuckles made a cracking noise when he clenched his fists together from the excitement that started to resurface.

He is definitely going to do that - give his opponents a beating, that is. He knows that his seniors and Kuroko would be very pleased if he could help them get the Kaijo coach to make Kise play.

Fighting the Generation of Miracles felt like an impossible dream come true to him.

That brief match with Kise made him realize that there are actually people in Japan who are incredibly powerful in basketball. At first, when he enrolled in Seirin, he thought that basketball in Japan was dull and low compared to the States. But apparently, after what he heard from Kuroko and the others, he was overjoyed to know that basketball in Japan is as thrilling as it is in America.

"So. . . . why do we have to go and watch the practice match? It doesn't even involve us." Takao Kazunari asked with a bored look on his face as they rode the train that's headed for Kanagawa. Since he brought the rear car that they will be using once they board off the train, a lot of people had to make a lot of space for him and for his green-haired companion.

"Do you really have to know?" Midorima asked with a sigh. He makes sure that despite the motion of the train, he would not let go of his lucky item and lose it. Since the horoscope said that Cancers have a 50-50 chance of bumping into bad luck today, he keeps a tight hold on his lucky item so that it won't get lost.

"Yes, I would, since I wanted to practice today instead of having to spend my money on the train." Takao replied with a slight frown, which contradicts with his usually-grinning expression.

He really doesn't like it that he spent his money even though it the price is very cheap, in addition to the fact that he's the one who'll be riding Midorima to Kaijo school when they're not on the train anymore.

It always annoys him that whenever the two of them are going to do something else aside from practice and one of the two has to spend money or ride the rear car; he loses in the coin-flip to see who will do the tasks. Midorima always won every single coin-flip bet, and it frustrates him.

Midorima may not be in the mood to talk at the moment, but he decides to answer his friend's question anyway. "Two of my teammates from Teiko are having a practice match against each other. I am merely curious to who will be the victor."

Before Takao could even say a word as his reply, the train sped even faster which threw him slightly off course and made him forget what he was about to say. Midorima just kept a cool form and pushed his glasses up his noise, ignoring the stares of other people - the stares caused by his green hair and his tall height, along with the lucky item he's holding which made him look even more out of the ordinary.

"I'm nervous." Koganei muttered with quivering lips, his legs shaking on their own. Furihata groaned in agreement and Riko sighed when she looked at her teammates on the bench feeling nervous about the match. There is a good reason why they are like that, so she has no reason to berate them for feeling like a bunch of chickens in the midst of wild lions.

"We have Kuroko and Kagami, but how much can they carry us? If they stand a chance against Kaijo without Kise in it, can they still be able to hold their ground when he's on the court with them?" Her eyes move from player to player, reading each of their physical numbers carefully and analyzing deeply in her mind.

Even if this is just a practice game, she wants them to win. Even if it's against one of the elite schools, she wants Seirin to gain victory. She knows that none of them will hold back, but can all their strength as one. . . . hold a candle to the possibly monstrous abilities that Kise has yet to show to them?

Her train of thought is broken when she sees the ball being tossed high in the air, and Kagami jumps high to reach it.

The game began with Kaijo taking hold of the ball, only for it to be quickly smacked away by Kuroko who appeared out of nowhere. With the ball in his hold, he dribbled for the other basket but he ran a bit too slow, therefore allowing the others to catch up with him in a matter of seconds. But at the moment they thought that they got him, he placed the ball behind him and passed it to Kagami who also headed for the basket.

Kaijo quickly dropped their defense on Kuroko and dashed for Kagami with all their speed, but the redhead made a very high jump and slammed the ball in, the dunk making a banging sound that resonated around the entire court that even the spectators could hear the noise. Kasamatsu watched in awe at how powerful that dunk is.

Luckily, Kagami did not destroy the basket but if he applied any more force, the goal would have been broken.

"Whatever it may be, that's definitely not a normal dunk!" he thought, snapping out his daze to defend Mitobe who is currently holding the ball. The silent center took a quick glance of Kuroko who prepared himself to catch the ball, and he quickly passed it to the bluenette who immediately sent it towards Hyuuga who is standing at the three-point line.

The captain quickly jumped in his shooting stance and released the ball. It went in the basket without hitting the rim or bouncing on and off; it went straight in and Hyuuga smirked in amusement.

Everyone is surprised by what they see. Seirin scored the first point, and now they just scored another while Kaijo has yet to make a basket. And the main reason for that is the 'invisible' bluenette who is giving the team a hard time in scoring against Seirin.

"So Kise is right. Kuroko may not be a shooter, but he sure can give people trouble with those passes of his. We have to tell the coach to bring Kise in." And before Kasamatsu could voice out his thoughts to his teammates, the referee called, "Kaijo, timeout!"

Kasamatsu sighed in relief that the coach thought what he is thinking. He and the others went to their benches as the coach discussed to them a few things.

Meanwhile, Kise didn't listen to whatever the coach is saying as he drifted off into a world of his own. His eyes looked carefully at the Seirin team, and he could see Riko praising Kuroko for a job well done and Koganei giving a bit of a pat on the bluenette's shoulder, with the latter nodding politely as thanks. Kagami exchanged a short glance with Kise, and the blonde can tell that there's a powerful fire in his eyes. The redhead really wants to play with him, and the same goes vice-versa.

"Well, you'll get what you want. Because, I'm pretty much sure that the coach is deciding to put me on the court right now." he intertwined his fingers together, his lips forming a smirk.

Playing Kagami once more wouldn't be so bad, and this time he'd get to see if the redhead is someone worth his respect or not. He knew that he jumped to conclusions a bit too irrationally when they first met.

"Kise, I'm putting you in." the coach said, which he heard very clearly. The small smirk on his lips starts to grow by a few centimeters.

"That was great, Kuroko-kun." Riko said as a compliment. Kuroko replied with a small nod of his head. "I didn't expect it, that you and Kagami-kun would make that kind of attack, even though we're up against Kaijo."

I guess they unconsciously did not take us seriously yet. Kuroko typed in his PDA before showing the message to them. They only sighed as they understood what the bluenette meant.

"Either that or we just got lucky." Hyuuga shrugged. "Nonetheless, scoring the first points gives us the advantage. Although it doesn't mean that we should let our guard down. And I'm sure that they'll be putting Kise on the court now." he continued.

Izuki smiled, "But it's for the better. We'll get to see what the Generation of Miracles is like through him." Then he remembered something, and he tapped on Kuroko's shoulder so the latter would look at him. When he got the blue-haired teen's attention, he said, "Kuroko. If I remember right, you said that Kise has the ability to copy others' skills like it's perfectly his own. Is that right?"

Kuroko nodded. Then he showed them the message after a few seconds of typing. He can copy any kind of play. And he adds more power and speed to it. So even if he claims he's the weakest of the Generation of Miracles, he's still very dangerous on his own. He's almost like a lethal weapon.

"I see. We may already five points ahead, but we still can't let our guard down." Riko concluded, and with the snap of her fingers, everyone focused on her. Kuroko followed their gazes, and the brunette coach started to instruct them, her eyes narrow and her voice serious.

"Guys, focus on run-and-gun play. And be sure to not leave any openings for them to go through. They're strong, so we should not take them lightly even for a second." They nodded, agreeing with her statement as she continued. "We don't know exactly how Kise plays aside from what Kuroko told us about his copying skills, but you should not let him through easily." That is exactly what they're planning to do. They started to get more fired up for the match, even though only half a minute of the first quarter has passed.

"That's all. Defend and attack with all you can!" she shouted.

"Yeah!" The starters yelled (save for Kuroko) just before the referee announced that the time-out is over. Kagami popped his right elbow that felt a little stiff, and Kuroko rotated his wrists to be sure that there are not any sprains or stiff muscles that would get in his way when he'll make his passes.

As he flexed his fingers one by one, he remembered his dilemma about whether to show his shooting or not. For now, it seemed like they're not in a tight spot and that slightly relieved him, but there is still 39 minutes for the whole situation to change.

What if the match would suddenly go into Kaijo's favor? He couldn't stop worrying about it, and all of a sudden, his body felt like it's being pumped with too much adrenaline that it's making him lose focus of his surroundings.

To not make others reprimand him about spacing out again, he quickly made himself regain his senses. He continues walking to the court, his eyes blinking repeatedly so he would stop thinking about anything unnecessary.

"Kurokocchi." Kise said, walking to Kuroko so that the latter would notice his presence. When his blue eyes met with the blonde's golden-brown eyes, Kise made a small smile and moved to the redhead standing beside Kuroko. "Sorry that I kept you waiting." he mused, his lips formed into a smile. It may look calm on the outside, but inside Kise is brimming with excitement.

"You're finally in." Kagami sighed, his expression calmer than his usual fierce one.

Hyuuga muttered, "Are you really a model? You're too intense to be one." Kise made no reply, since what's on his mind is to give it his all against Seirin.

"Kise-kun, you're definitely not putting on a show." Even though his friend would always make cheery expressions, whenever Kuroko would know that the guy would be giving his all, he would get an intimidating - intimidating but not scary - vibe from the blonde. Setting his confusions aside, he decided to just pass and pass without holding back. He reminded himself that he has his teammates; he's not alone.

At the benches, Riko's brown and analyzing eyes went wide when she saw Kise's physical numbers. They're high, way more than just above average. It seems very inhuman, but at the same time it fascinated her. "I can't believe it. After seeing him again, I can tell that Kise is really a monster."

Compared to Kagami's high physical numbers, Kise's numbers are even higher. And that's gotta mean something.

But that is what always what will one see when the person is from the Generation of Miracles. Riko hopes that Kagami and Kuroko's coordination play would continue to give them chances to shoot, even with the powerful copycat already on court.

Furihata chewed on his lips, and his knees wobbled. He wondered if he would be chickening out should he be playing on court. But at the same time, he remembered the pass that Kuroko did, and the dunk that Kagami made. He felt admiration in his chest, at the same time envy. But the envy comes from friendly respect. "They're awesome. . . . those two."

A hand patted his back and he looked to his right to see Koganei. "I can tell what you're thinking. Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun are great, right?" Furihata smiled weakly at his senpai and nodded.

They looked back at the court, and they thought that the match would be resumed, but apparently that event would be interrupted by the loud cheering of girls from the side of the court.

"Kise-kun's fans. . . ." Kuroko thought. He remembered this happening back in Teiko more than a hundred times, and the blonde would always be reprimanded by his teammates. The bluenette is the only one who did not chide Kise for his fangirls always coming to the basketball gym and making noise. Even if the blonde didn't want it, Kuroko knew that they would keep on coming so he let it be.

"What is that?" Hyuuga asked in wonder, staring in confusion at the cheering girls. Kise waved to them happily like it's no big deal, and Kasamatsu sighed.

He really is so not in the mood for hearing their cheers and wails of admiration for the blonde, plainly because it would make him deaf sometimes and it would seriously make him fume. But since they're in a match and there are a lot of people, he only showed slight exasperation in his face to not make a fuss about his thoughts in public.

"Oh that?" he told the Seirin captain. "This happens every time he plays." His legs started to get prepared for something he would always do to the blonde. "And. . . ." He ran to Kise, making a flying kick and knocking his blonde-haired teammate over. "Would you quit waving to them every time they come over?! I'll hit you!"

The latter yelped in surprise as he fell to the ground. He got back up in a few seconds, rubbing the part on his back that got hit.

"Owww. . . . but you already hit me, Senpai!" he whined. "And it doesn't hurt to wave to them. It's just saying hi; it's completely harmless!" he added, making small noises from the sore pain on his back. Even though he has already gotten a lot of hits like this ever since day one in Kaijou High, he could never get used to being kicked or punched or slapped by his captain.

"I don't care! Don't get distracted!" Kasamatsu scolded, and moved closer to Kise. He lowered the tone of his voice, "Besides that, you didn't tell that the others are strong too." He took a deep breath as he suddenly felt like he was out of air. His voice turned tight. "And especially that number 10. Who is he?"

Kise took a glance at the redhead for a moment before answering his captain's question. "That's Kagami." he sighed as the scene of that huge dunk replayed in his mind. It was awesome, he had to admit. The last time he saw a dunk that strong was from a certain tanned ex-teammate from the past who almost destroyed the goal during practice time out of over-excitement. "He's strong too. He has power and height, and he's good at basketball. But I don't know anything else about him so that's all I can say." he continued, his voice slightly cheerful.

He also wanted to tell Kasamatsu about how great Kuroko was in his steal and his unpredicted pass to Kagami, but he knew that he'd be getting a hit on the gut or on the head and he is not up for that. Even though Kagami was behind Kuroko, adding the fact that Kuroko can't hear, the blonde knows that the bluenette must have quickly trained himself to cooperate well with his team and know their movements to make his own despite his lack of hearing.

Of course, Kuroko didn't master that, but he sure did well within such a short time.

"I see." Kasamatsu sighed as he looked even more serious. "So we have to be wary of Kuroko and Kagami the most. And Kise," The blonde twitched at the mention of his name. "Let's not go easy on them. It would be rude if we didn't return the favor."

Kise knew exactly what the Kaijou captain meant, and he smirked as he found himself complying with the captain's words.

He'll surely be able to get back at Kagami with the same dunk. And again, he has to thank Kagami for yet another good display.

"HEY! Are you ever going to pedal even for just once?" Takao yelled while grunting at the same time as he pedaled and pedaled on the rear car with all his strength. He's lucky that his stamina got better after middle school, or he would have passed out by now.

"No. I don't plan to." Midorima bluntly replied in a collected tone, sitting on the rick-shaw like it's a comfortable couch for him.

Takao felt a nerve in his head and continued to complain, "We could just walk or take a bus, if you're so lazy to walk! Why the hell did you come up with this rear car when I could have just spent my money on bus fares." The raven-haired teen may not like spending his money for someone else, but compared to exhausting himself pedaling a rear car, using his cash to pay for bus rides is much better.

"Quit flapping your mouth and keep on driving." Midorima said and stayed quiet afterwards.

Takao continued to pedal as it exhausted his whole body. He could see a few people staring at him like he's one hell of a spectacle, and he felt very embarrassed. He started to get more angry and he complained once again, "Midorima! Can't you just pedal even just until the next fucking signal?" It is unusual for him to curse, but this is his worst moment of all his rear-car-riding moments and so he let himself get pissed.

"Like I said, I don't plan to." he answered, uncaring for his friend's state. "Anyways, you don't have to keep on whining. The sign we just passed by means that we're close, so it's just a little further." he said to calm the raven head down, but it didn't help.

"How far, exactly?" Takao yelled as his voice attracted more bystanders. "A 100 more meters?! With this, it would take so long before we even arrive! The match would already be long over by then!"

Midorima closed his eyes so that he wouldn't roll them. He made his ears focus on nothing so that his friend's yells won't be heard, and he wondered if Kise is trying to destroy Kuroko right now.

But then he reconsidered it, since Kise is not that kind of person and he would never do that to Kuroko. But he is at some point, certain, that Kise will try to beat Kuroko to convince Kuroko to go somewhere else.

It's possible that almost everyone is thinking that, especially for two of the five of them who are the most displeased with Kuroko. Midorima wondered if there's any bonds tying Kuroko to them that could still be repaired, since he knows that to Kuroko's eyes, they're one of the most important people in his life. He definitely knows that.

And he's possibly certain that, he knows that Kuroko did not intend to anger any one of them by moving to Seirin. At first, all what he could think of was why Kuroko would choose such a school. For a few days after their not-so-very-pleasant reunion, that was all what he could think.

But as his thoughts cleared later on, as Kuroko said himself, there is a reason to why he would be in a school that has not made a name for itself. He knows that Kuroko is not irrational nor impulsive nor indecisive.

And now, another reason for him to go to Kanagawa to see the match is also to ask Kuroko himself why did he make decisions that lead to the unintentional straining of the relationship between him and them.

Kaijo quickly made their comeback towards Seirin, even though the latter team defended with all they can. Izuki had a good hold of the ball when the game started again, and before he knew it he caught sight of Kise heading at him with his hand outstretched to steal the ball.

He was amazed to how fast the blonde could be, but he reminded himself again that Kise is a member of the elite team. And reminding himself of the same thing was a little frustrating.

Before the point guard could move the ball away, Kise quickly made his steal successful and the ball headed for Moriyama who ran to the three-point line where he quickly released it after a jump. Even though it's very noticeable that his shooting form is very strange, the ball went in smoothly. It didn't seem to be a shot made from luck. It was like even though the Kaijou shooting guard used a very abnormal shooting form, the ball would still go in like it's normal.

Seirin got hold of the ball and dashed for their basket as they tried to evade the blocks of their opponents. Kagami tried to make another dunk, but was guarded by Kise, whose smile on his face didn't seem sweet or carefree.

"Even if my specialty is copying, it doesn't mean that I don't know how to defend on my own." he thought with a silent sigh as the redhead tried to get past him. Of course, he didn't let the latter do so that easily.

Kagami gritted his teeth at the persistent defense. His footwork is fast, but Kise made his faster to prevent him from getting through. Kuroko rushed there to slap the ball away from their sights and pass to Hyuuga who was the most open.

But before he did, the blonde took the ball away from Kagami and dribbled it towards his basket and jumped real high, his hand slamming the ball in with force that people thought it was almost equal to that of a small bomb exploding. It looked like the same dunk that Kagami just executed, and others watched in awe.

Kise held on to the rim of the basket for a while, and the rim creaked a little before the blonde fell down to the floor, his feet making a heavy thud when he landed. "Wow, I guess I'll keep on doing more of that in the future." he sighed out while rubbing the back of his head. He batted his eyes to the scoreboard, and after seeing that his team's scored is tied with Seirin's within one minute, he smirked in glee.

"Nice one." Kasamatsu said as he exchanged a quick high-five with Kise, who gladly returned the favor. "I actually thought that you were going to break it." he added, wondering what would they do if that happened. Whenever there's an event when the basket would break from a powerful shot, he could imagine nothing but powerful and unmeasurable tension in the whole atmosphere on the court.

"Well, I didn't, did I?" Kise chuckled and he earned a light jab on the arm, but he didn't mind. When his eyes met Kagami's he decided to approach him and the redhead didn't show any hostility. There's silence between both of them for a second or two.

"I'll say, Kise. That dunk had more power than mine." he admitted, and Kise laughed sheepishly at the comment.

"Oh, come on. It's not that great." he said, as if he's very humble. But he himself also knows that his payback for Kagami's dunk was more powerful; he could tell from the difference of the sounds made when both of them dunked the ball in.

"Oh." His eyes glinted and he turned back to his serious mood. "I can't say the same thing for girls, but be sure to know, that I have never failed to return a favor on court." he stated. He's not bragging, but just stating what he always does. "So Kagami," He walked a little closer, and paused for a slight millisecond when he caught Kuroko watching them from a distance. "Be ready. Any attack you'll give, I'll give as well."

That single sentence sent Kagami back to his fired-up state. "I can't ask for more, pretty boy." he seethed, not out of anger but out of never-ending excitement from fighting one of the basketball elites. The usual grin he'd show took over his lips and he continued, "Don't you dare look down on us. I'm not the only one who's not holding back, and I'm sure that your best friend here also wants to beat you."

At the mention of Kuroko, he looked at Kuroko and they exchanged glances of rare acknowledgement and understanding. Through the looks in their eyes, they knew that the other is telling them 'We'll give our best, for sure.'

Kise looked at the two of them, and something struck him from the inside. It felt like deja-vu, and he wondered to why. His eyebrows slightly creased together in thought of that as the feeling nagged him. Then, after seeing imaginary black and white radiate from the redhead and the bluenette as they bumped fists before starting to attack and defend again, he figured out the reason why he got that feeling.

He grinned the same one Kagami gave, but he did so in a discreet manner. "You two might be like them back then... Kurokocchi and him, and that's nice. I know you have good teammates, Kurokocchi. But. . . . I'm sorry. If I let myself lose, I'm sure you'll face them and I can't handle the thought of what they might do to you and your team. Seeing you hurt once more is the last thing I want. It's not like I want you to lose, but I know that I have to beat you, if it's the only way to help you!"

And he charged forward to make his own move towards Seirin, with his teammates as support.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: I am in a daze now whether to use past tense or present tense at some parts. Sorry for the long wait, it's hard for me to write this chapter.

By the way, when the Seirin vs Touou match comes, do you want me to make Seirin lose or win? It really hurt me to watch that match because Seirin lost and I hate what Aomine did to Kuroko, but I like the rematch in the Winter Cup because Seirin finally got their revenge.

It also delighted me to watch the horrified looks of loss on the faces of the guys in Touou. Take that!

But, I don't completely hate Aomine. I love/hate him. I love his personality when he was still in Teiko, and I love it all the more that he became good again when he lost to Kagami and Kuroko.

What I hate is, again, what he did to Kuroko and to Seirin in the Inter-High. One of the very few things that I liked in their match in the Inter-High was when after Touou won, Aomine heard a teammate of his badmouthing Kuroko and he got really pissed at that.

That's the one of the two parts that I liked. The other is when Kuroko told Aomine, even when it's obvious who will lose, that he will never give up.

And I also hate what he did to Kise in the Inter-High championship league, well not exactly, but I got really upset when Kise cried and I could blame no one else but Aomine for that.

Oh my, sorry for my ranting. XP

If I might be too repetitive about Kuroko's situation, sorry. But it is a very important factor in the story. I really worked up myself on this one to the point that my head is all but mush on one day. Please review, guys! Reviews equals inspiration to write more.