Chapter 76 Karasuno vs. Kadokawa "Which school will we play against next..."
"Which school are we playing against next?" Nishiya asked, munching on a banana to quickly regain his strength.
Hitoka Yachi put away her water glass, thought for a moment, and said, "It's Kadokawa."
Nishitani asked in confusion, "Kadokawa? Which school is that?"
Coach Wu Yang, who had walked over, answered, "This school's results were average before, but this year they recruited a super rookie."
"Is it really that strong?!"
Hinata leaned closer, while Takeda-sensei thought about the information he had just seen.
"That newcomer is two meters tall. Although he has only played volleyball for a few months, his strength is undeniable, so Kadokawa should not be underestimated this year."
The group of passionate teenagers didn't hear a word the teachers and coaches said afterward; their minds were completely occupied with...
"Two meters!" Hinata Shoyo began to calculate the height difference between himself and his opponent.
A group of people started arguing noisily about height. On the sidelines, Reborn stared intently at his disciple who was talking to others in the crowd. The disciple was two meters tall. Tsuna shouldn't be afraid of such a fighter.
Sawada Tsunayoshi listened to Hinata's comment that he wished he could grow 20 centimeters taller on the spot. Tsukishima regretfully remarked that even if Hinata suddenly grew 30 centimeters taller, he still wouldn't be as tall as Hinata. The two got entangled again because of their height difference, and Tsunayoshi reluctantly went to break them up, while whispering crickets to Yamaguchi beside him.
“Even though A-Yue knows that Xiao-Xiang cares most about his height, she still teases him every time.”
"This is just a simple debt," Tsunayoshi thought, his feelings complicated.
Tadashi Yamaguchi couldn't defend his childhood friend either, saying, "What Yue said is also true."
These words made Nishiya suspect that he was being indiscriminately shot at, and he was ejected from the spot, joining Hinata in the attack on Otaka Tsukishima.
Yamaguchi looked terrified and rushed over to pull them apart, shouting, "Hey, hey! Daichi-senpai and the others are watching!"
Kageyama looked disgusted and didn't get involved in their dispute. His focus was on the two-meter-tall main attacker. If the opponent gained an absolute advantage, how should he break the deadlock?
Karasuno and the others were just joking about their height, but Sawada Tsunayoshi thought to himself,
Height is indeed an unsolvable factor in volleyball.
Tall people are born with an advantage over short people; the height that a short person jumps with all their might is something a tall person can easily reach.
If Xiao Xiang could really grow taller, then when people see his outstanding skills, their first reaction wouldn't be...
"That unfortunate little guy."
He doesn't need to be too tall. Even if he grows 20 centimeters taller, as Hinata Shoyo himself said, people will see his outstanding jumping ability and reaction talent and say, "That volleyball genius named Hinata Shoyo."
But the established facts will not change. Hinata Shoyo cannot suddenly become a 1.9-meter-tall giant, so he can only keep jumping.
The young leader secretly encouraged himself. After all, he came here to fulfill his dream with Xiao Xiang, and he couldn't be defeated here.
Hinata was eager to try, but when he stood in front of the net, the two-meter advantage of the opponent became very apparent. To the opponent, he was like a kindergarten child, and the opponent couldn't even see him unless he looked down.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why can't someone so tall share the ball with me?" Then he started thinking about whether he could block the ball that the opponent spiked. Hmm, it seems impossible!
Professor Tetsuro Kuroo taught him blocking techniques based on the premise that he could reach the opponent's hitting point. That makes sense, considering Kuroo is quite tall.
Even if he jumps first, it seems he still can't be stopped. A-Yue might be able to, but it's still very difficult. Hyuga's brain is working at lightning speed here.
Catching the ball is definitely the more feasible option!
If you can't stop him, then take the hit. That's how Otoko defended against him before!
Although he doesn't like people mentioning his height, Hinata Shoyo has never said that he would use his disadvantage to compete head-on with others' advantages. In order to win, he will use every means possible to score.
Sawada Tsunayoshi also looked away. The tallest person next to him should be Mukuro. When Mukuro was malnourished, he had an advantage in height. After entering high school, he grew even taller. When Tsunayoshi himself had growing pains because of his height, he would secretly wonder if Mukuro would have the same problem as him, with muscle soreness from growing too fast.
He won't be able to sleep well at night because of this!
When the purchasing department ordered suits last time, they asked about their heights. Tsunayoshi was curious and went over to listen. Takeru was almost 190cm, but Mukuro was already 1.9m tall. And Mukuro was only in high school, so he could still grow taller. He really wanted to ask what Mukuro ate to grow so tall.
But the answer that would be to eat more sweets after asking the question would be something that would make anyone angry. Sawada Tsunayoshi put aside this idea that would not help Hyuga at all and focused on warming up.
The ball that the attacker spiked was easily intercepted by the opponent's block, which was a huge blow to morale and mentality. Hinata stared blankly at his hand. The two-meter-tall main attacker, Hyakusawa Yuta, easily intercepted his ball, and even did so with ease.
Even when Hinata strains to reach out, the ball remains at his fingertips as the opponent spikes it, a spike that goes over his hand.
Another point.
Sawada Tsunayoshi patted his friend's shoulder worriedly, but Hinata shook his head to indicate he was fine. He then smiled wryly.
"I just wanted to see just how big the height difference was between him and me."
Standing behind him, Nishitani saw that the other man's hair was also drooping, and roared,
"Shoyo, volleyball isn't just a sport that takes place in the sky!"
Tsuna watched as his childhood friend was fully recovered, jumping up with boundless energy.
"That's right! I have more than just one method: attack!"
His years of hard work and practice have finally paid off. Even if he can't score directly, he still has the confidence to not be substituted.
Because of his height disadvantage, Hinata Shoyo has to work harder than others to stay on the field.
Sawada Tsunayoshi watched his opponent go from dreaming about spikes to diligently practicing receiving the ball. He would learn simple and easy-to-learn setter techniques from Akaashi, and he would run over to listen to Kuroo Tetsuro's blocking tips. He kept moving forward, just to stay on the court.
That's probably why Tsuna wanted to come back to play volleyball. It wasn't because volleyball was the first sport where he gained recognition, but because Sho's mentality was so strong that it inspired him and made Tsuna not want to give up halfway.
Then he needs to work even harder. When Hyuga can't score through offense, Sawada Tsunayoshi needs to keep scoring. As long as Hyuga stays on the court, he will definitely find a way to score.
Hinata took a step back, and Yuta Hyakusawa on the other side was taken aback, but he didn't dwell on the opponent's decision not to rush out to block, and still slammed the ball down hard.
Even the ball's speed was fast. Hyuga pouted inwardly, but his expression was resolute. He half-squatted, his eyes focused on the ball, and then, with a leap, the ball hit his outstretched arm hard and flew into the air.
"Great!" Gu Diren jumped up, holding the child, her face beaming with the same joy as everyone else.
Kageyama nodded, as if in response to Hinata, while on the other side, Sawada Tsunayoshi prepared to jump, raising his hand to signal.
"I'll do it!"
Without much time to think, Sawada Tsunayoshi had already rushed to the net. He wasn't much better off; even if he jumped up and spiked the ball, he couldn't guarantee that the opponent wouldn't be able to block it.
It's still that same two-meter-tall, towering iron gate.
However, Tsuna and Hyuga are a little different. On the surface, they are well-behaved and obedient model students, but in reality, they have fought with the mafia countless times. The little boss always believes that if you can't reason with them, then you can use force to create miracles.
Volleyballs can also be used here.
Sawada Tsunayoshi puffed out his cheeks, gathered his strength, and then forcefully spiked the ball at the edge of the opposite block's fingers.
Yudai noticed that Tsuna wanted to make the thugs go out of bounds, and quickly followed with both hands, but that wasn't all.
The formidable power that was already evident during the serve is now unleashed without any concern about going out of bounds; the young leader is using all his strength.
The opposing blocker's pupils contracted. That ball, even though his hand had already reached it, was still bent backward by the powerful impact and flew out of their court.
"Huh?" Kadokawa's setter stared at the ball in disbelief, instinctively making a sarcastic remark.
"Is that backup some kind of super-strong monster!?"
Wait, such a strong force! He quickly looked back at Bai Ze and asked with concern, "Is Bai Ze's hand alright?"
Bai Zexiong shook his slightly numb palms, silently shook his head, and on the other side of the net, the opposite hitter who had just delivered a fearsome ball was high-fiving his teammates in celebration. The short middle blocker, number 10, was still happily rubbing against the opposite hitter, with a smug expression that said he had gotten his revenge, even though he had just been blocked by him.
With such a slender figure, standing at 1.8 meters tall is indeed short compared to someone two meters tall. Bai Ze couldn't help but wonder how the other person could possess such powerful strength.
The match continued. Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn't actually a very aggressive player when he was in elementary school. Even when he was the opposite hitter, he mostly participated in the team's defense and focused on cleaning up the floor.
After all, it's really hurtful to have your spiked ball caught by the other team!
Tsunayoshi also had his own set of reasons.
But things are different now. They have a reliable libero and Hyuga, a middle blocker who has been playing with the reliable libero for two years. Hyuga is surprisingly strong on the defensive end. Sawada Tsunayoshi doesn't have to think about receiving the ball all the time, and Kageyama doesn't hold back with him. So, in regular training, Tsunayoshi often charges into the net.
Coach Wu, who was in retirement, stood in the stands. The old man next to him couldn't help but exclaim, "That power is comparable to that of Shiratorizawa, the opposite hitter!"
Another heavy artillery support.
Unlike Shiratorizawa, Karasuno did not have the strategic system that the opponent had already established, which was centered on support in their attacks. Crows are omnivores.
Their offensive tactics are not singular.
When they were in elementary school, Sawada Tsunayoshi watched Hinata Shoyo's back as he walked away, and he and Irie Shoichi prayed that their friend could fly to a higher sky.
Five years later, he still thought so.
During the three years of junior high school without Sawada Tsunayoshi's involvement, Hyuga quietly leveled up on his own, and the existence of the eccentric speedster surprised Tsunayoshi.
But it was the opponent's even more diverse and varied offensive tactics that surprised the young leader. That bright and flamboyant sun, after so many years of refinement...
He became a ninja observing from the shadows, and then...
"Smack!"
One fatal blow.
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Author's Note: Yes, Hinata is super strong in this story too! Seeing Hinata later in the manga really gives me a sense of relief, like seeing my son grow up, but it's also heartbreaking [pity].
I'm debating whether to fast-forward through the match, since Karasuno has already won the rest of the series, so maybe I don't need to write too much detail? The focus is still on the National Tournament.
I think it would be better to include more interactive elements. [Sprinkling flowers]
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