Upon arriving in Tokyo, Nango—already familiar with the area—led everyone straight to the Nittaidai Gymnasium.
As the doors swung open, Akagi immediately pressed Sakuragi's head down. Together with the others, they bowed deeply and shouted in unison,
"Excuse our intrusion!"
The Nittaidai players merely glanced at them before calmly resuming their training.
"Hahaha! I told you Shohoku would be the first to arrive, didn't I? But you just wouldn't believe me!"
Coach Kawasaki, standing by the court, laughed as he spoke to the middle-aged man beside him.
"Should I introduce you?"
"No need," the man replied with a smile. "I watched the finals, and I'm already somewhat familiar with these children."
"Hehe, is that so?"
The middle-aged man then walked directly toward Nango and the others. Instinctively, they straightened their posture, assuming he was the coach of the Youth Team.
Stopping in front of them, he looked them over carefully.
At the same time, Nango and the others were also observing him. He appeared to be around the same age as Coach Domoto of Sannoh Industrial. His height was close to Rukawa Kaede's, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses. His neatly styled hair and loose-fitting tracksuit gave him a gentle, refined air.
His gaze finally settled on Akagi.
"No need to be so nervous," the man said warmly. "You must be Akagi, correct?"
"Yes!" Akagi replied loudly.
The man smiled again.
"My father has mentioned you many times. It seems Shohoku's training has largely been entrusted to you. You've worked very hard—thank you."
His father…?
All five Shohoku players froze, surprise flashing across their faces.
"Ah!"
Realizing their confusion, the man suddenly slapped his forehead.
"My apologies! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Anzai Jitsurei, head coach of the Youth Team. Coach Anzai is my father."
Sakuragi immediately jumped up, pointing excitedly.
"Oh! Oh! So you're the old man's son!"
Bang!
Akagi's fist landed squarely on Sakuragi's head.
"You idiot! Show some respect! Apologize immediately!"
"I know, I know!" Sakuragi groaned, rubbing his head.
Before he could finish, Anzai Jitsurei waved his hand with a laugh.
"No need. My father has told me all about Sakuragi's straightforward personality."
Hearing that, the tension instantly melted away. Knowing he was Coach Anzai's son—and such an easygoing one at that—made everyone feel much more at ease.
After a few casual exchanges, Mitsui asked,
"Coach Jitsurei, are we starting training today?"
Jitsurei checked the time and turned toward Nango.
"You've been to Nittaidai before, haven't you?"
"Yes," Nango nodded.
"The National Tournament ended not long ago, and you rushed straight here. You probably haven't rested properly," Jitsurei said kindly. "Why don't you take Akagi and the others to look around today? Rest well. Formal training will begin tomorrow."
That's… incredibly considerate.
Mitsui—whose stamina was the weakest—nearly wanted to hug him on the spot.
"The accommodations are arranged inside Nittaidai," Jitsurei continued. "If you're unsure where to eat, just return before dinner."
"Understood."
As they walked away, Nango couldn't help thinking that Anzai Jitsurei felt less like a coach and more like a parent. Perhaps that ability to naturally connect with young players was precisely why he could lead the Youth Team.
"Rukawa, let's go."
Nango patted Rukawa, who had been staring intently at Nittaidai's practice.
Throughout the conversation, Rukawa's attention hadn't been on Jitsurei at all—but on the university players. He wanted to gauge their level and, if possible, learn from them.
Unfortunately, they were only practicing positioning under Hyuga Yuichi's guidance, making it difficult to judge much.
After Shohoku left the gym, Coach Kawasaki smiled.
"These kids are the future of Japanese basketball. What do you plan to do?"
"Young talents?" Anzai Jitsurei adjusted his glasses, smiling faintly.
"Let's see how things look tomorrow."
Outside the gym, Mitsui asked curiously,
"Akagi, do you know anything about Coach Anzai's family?"
Akagi shook his head.
"Coach never mentioned it. I never asked."
Mitsui clasped the back of his head and sighed.
"I never imagined Coach Anzai had such a grown-up son—and that he'd be the Youth Team's coach!"
"Idiot," Akagi scolded. "Coach's age makes that perfectly normal."
"True," Mitsui laughed. "So where are we going now?"
Nango pointed ahead.
"Let's drop our luggage at the dorms first. Then I'll show you around."
Watching female university students pass by, Mitsui exclaimed,
"University girls really are different. Their style feels so mature!"
Nango chuckled.
"If Miyagi were here, he'd probably already be asking for phone numbers."
Mitsui nodded with a knowing grin.
"Huh?"
Sakuragi suddenly squinted into the distance.
"Isn't that Monkey Boss and his crew?"
Uozumi, who had been asking for directions, turned around.
"Sakuragi?"
Sendo followed his gaze and smiled.
"Looks like quite a few people have arrived."
Ryonan had four players selected this time—Sendo, Uozumi, Fukuda, and Sugadaira. Combined with Shohoku's five, that made nine players already present.
Nango silently frowned.
The overall quality of this Youth Team… seems questionable.
Sendo's selection was obvious. Uozumi and Fukuda were understandable. But Sugadaira's inclusion was puzzling.
What Nango didn't realize was that this training camp would only last one week. With limited time, Anzai Jitsurei intended to first observe everyone rather than conduct intense training.
The impact of this National Tournament had been enormous. Shohoku and Ryonan's emergence as dark horses forced an expansion of the original fifteen-man roster.
Thus, Anzai Jitsurei decided to gather all outstanding players nationwide, then gradually eliminate them until the final twelve were chosen.
Of the nine present, how many would remain was still unknown.
There were genuine young talents—but also those merely filling spots.
The real competition would begin tomorrow.