The Joker (Kuroko no Basket insert)

As Ōnita returned to the court, Kobayashi realized they still had 10 minutes left in their warmup. Wasting no time, he called for a layup line. While waiting for his teammates to line up, he glanced over at Senshinkan. Their center seemed to have been waiting for Kobayashi's attention before sprinting toward the hoop and dunking the ball or at least attempting to. If Kobayashi could even call it a dunk, it was more of a rim grazer that looked like it went in thanks to luck rather than skill.

The center turned around and smirked at Kobayashi, silently challenging him. Kobayashi stared back for a moment before casually shrugging, completely unimpressed.

Unbeknownst to him, Rukawa, Shin, and Taro had stepped up behind him, each wearing a cold smirk. Their eyes were locked on Senshinkan's center, feeling like his attempt at scaring their captain was laughable. They didn't need to say anything, their stance alone made it clear they were ready to back up their captain.

Kobayashi remained unaware of the squad forming behind him, focused solely on the unimpressive show put on by Senshinkan.

Kobayashi casually turned away from Senshinkan's center, rolling his shoulders as he moved back towards the layup line. He stretched his legs slightly, getting ready to make a layup nothing flashy, just enough to get the team moving. He didn't notice the people behind him or their stares from the Senshinkan's players.

Then Watari's voice cut through the tension.

"Hey, Captain, you want an alley-oop or are you setting the pace yourself?"

Kobayashi paused mid-step, blinking as he looked over to see Watari standing there with the ball in hand, smirking.

Kobayashi turned, finally noticing the trio standing behind him, each looking ready to destroy the rim. A slow smirk spread across his face.

"You little shits... Alright, let's terrify them."

Catching a pass from Watari, Kobayashi exploded toward the rim and threw down a powerful tomahawk dunk. The ball slammed through the net with a satisfying thunk, drawing glances from nearby players.

Rukawa was next, launching into the air with smooth, practiced ease and throwing down a windmill dunk. Shin followed with a vicious reverse dunk, slamming the ball through the hoop with enough force to make the rim rattle slightly.

Then came Taro. His heavy steps shook the floor as he charged the rim. Rising up, he pulled the ball far behind his head, almost scratching his back with it, before hammering it through the hoop. He hung from the rim for a second, letting it rattle violently before dropping to the floor.

The backboard wobbled for some moments before settling down, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

As this was going on, Kobayashi casually strolled toward the center circle, a cocky, shit-eating grin spread across his face. He locked eyes with Senshinkan's captain, who visibly stiffened under his gaze. The captain's confident posture faltered for just a second, his jaw tightening as his eyes darted briefly toward Taro still looming under the basket.

The Senshinkan captain swallowed hard, his eyes flicking nervously between Kobayashi to the rest of the team. Whatever bravado he had a minute ago was already starting to crack.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we'll have a fun game."

As the ref blew his whistle, Onita's starting five took their positions: Kobayashi at point guard, Hachiman at shooting guard, Rukawa at small forward, Shin at power forward, and Taro commanding the center.

The whistle blew, and the ball was tossed high into the air. Taro reacted quickly, jumping up and tipping it back to Kobayashi, who caught it smoothly and started up the court.

Kobayashi brought the ball up with easily. Senshinkan settled into their 1-3-1 zone defense, their guards pressing up high to cut off passing lanes. Kobayashi calmly scanned the court.

Taro planted himself firmly at the free-throw line, standing straight in the middle of their zone. The middle defender hovered near him, uncertain whether to press up or stay back.

Rukawa caught the ball on the wing but quickly realized the zone was collapsing on him. After a second of thought, he swung it back to Kobayashi at the top of the key.

The moment the pass left Rukawa's hands, Taro shifted his weight and set a Gortat screen (Screening a defender to clear a driving lane for the ballhandler) on the middle defender, catching him off-guard. The defender stumbled, unable to recover as Kobayashi saw the opening.

With a calm smirk, Kobayashi exploded through the gap in the defense, gliding into the lane. He pulled up smoothly just inside the free-throw line and knocked down a mid-range jumper.

They inbounded quickly, pushing the tempo. Their guards sprinted up the floor, threading passes to the wings. Despite Onita's rotations on defense, Senshinkan cut hard to the basket, finishing a clean layup before the defense could settle.

Senshinkan clung to the game with relentless energy. Kobayashi, Rukawa, and Hachiman rotated seamlessly on the perimeter, cutting off driving lanes and contesting every shot. Kobayashi's sharp instincts allowed him to predict passing lanes and disrupt plays, Rukawa used his length and agility to suffocate shooters, and Hachiman was a constant thorn in Senshinkan's side—pressuring the guards full-court, forcing rushed passes, and disrupting their flow.

But no matter how well Onita defended, Senshinkan's shots kept falling. Not clean, confident shots, but awkward, lucky ones. Long twos rattled off the rim and bounced high before dropping in. Deep threes banked off the glass, the shooter barely setting his feet, yet the ball spun perfectly into the net. Another rushed jumper slipped off the front rim, kissed the backboard, and somehow rolled in.

It was maddening.

To make matters worse, Senshinkan subbed players in and out like it was a hockey game. The moment a player so much as slowed down, their coach was already signaling for a sub. The bench moved constantly, a revolving door of sprinting players. No one on the floor stayed longer than a couple of minutes. The relentless substitutions allowed them to run at full speed every minute, keeping their legs fresh and their energy high.

Onita was playing smart, calculated, slow basketball, but Senshinkan's chaotic, high-octane offense kept them in the game. They didn't need to play clean—they just needed their shots to keep falling.

And for now, they were.

Kobayashi kept his composure, but even he couldn't help a sharp exhale after another lucky shot dropped. Rukawa's hands tightened into fists at his sides. Hachiman glared daggers at Senshinkan's guards, lips pressed into a thin line.

The Senshinkan guard who had taken the shot jogged backward with an obnoxious grin, raising his hand casually.

"Bank!" he called out, far too late, long after the ball had already clanged off the backboard and somehow dropped in.

It was painfully obvious he hadn't meant to call it.

Rukawa's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "Seriously?" he muttered under his breath.

Kobayashi didn't even glance at the guard. He simply rolled his shoulders and motioned for the ball.

"Let him have it. He won't get lucky twice."

Onita didn't panic. They leaned on the one constant in their offense: Taro.

Every possession flowed through him. Senshinkan's defense shifted and collapsed toward him the moment the ball touched his hands. Yet, Taro never hurried. He moved slowly but deliberately, shifting into open space with frustrating ease. He didn't sprint, didn't explode to the rim, and yet they couldn't do anything about him.

When defenders lunged in for steals and he calmly fired passes to open teammates. Kobayashi slipped behind defenders for clean mid-range looks. Rukawa found soft spots in the defense, cutting backdoor for easy finishes.

And when Taro decided to score, it looked effortless.

Taro caught the ball at the free-throw line, calmly pivoting to face the basket. The defender sagged off him, wary of committing too early. Without rushing, Taro gave a subtle pump fake, barely lifting the ball above his head. It was enough. The defender bit, launching off his feet to contest a shot that never came.

As the defender landed awkwardly, Taro leaned his body forward ever so slightly, selling the illusion of a drive. Instinctively, the defender scrambled to recover, move toward the hoop to cut off his drive.

But that was exactly what Taro wanted.

He straightened back up slowly, his eyes cold and steady, watching the defender almost fall down when he realised taro wasnt attacking the rim and he was forced to turn around. Taro glanced down briefly at him, as if bored by the effort, and casually rose for a mid-range jumper. He didn't even jump.

The ball left his fingertips and struck the backboard with a harsh thud before dropping cleanly through the net. 

As Taro jogged back on defense, his usual expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of confusion crossed his face. He drifted beside Kobayashi, his voice low and genuinely puzzled.

"How did I almost break his ankles?" Taro asked, glancing back at the Senshinkan defender still recovering. "I wasn't even moving quickly."

Kobayashi turned his head slightly, staring at him in disbelief.

"Dude," Kobayashi muttered, incredulous. "You terrify your opponents."

Taro blinked and tilted his head, clearly still not understanding.

Kobayashi shook his head, a small smirk forming. "Just keep doing what you're doing."

Taro gave a small shrug, as if to say if you say so, and settled back into position, already focused on the next play.

On another possession, Taro took a slow step into the paint. A defender slid over to contest, but Taro simply leaned his body into him, protecting the ball, and laid it in off the glass. It was a motion that Senshinkan simply couldn't stop.

Their defenders grew more aggressive, reaching in, trying to strip the ball. Taro didn't even flinch.

Then Taro noticed something.

Senshinkan's defense sagged toward him, forgetting about Shin moving along the baseline. It was subtle at first, but Senshinkan was so focused on stopping Taro that they forgot about Shin moving quietly behind them.

Taro decided to punish them for it.

The next possession, he caught the ball in the post, letting the defenders swarm him. This time, instead of making a quick move, he grabbed the ball firmly with both hands and launched it over his head, two-handed, into the air. The ball hovered, spinning slowly, hanging longer than anyone expected.

For a second, Shin didn't realize it was meant for him. But as the ball floated above the rim, it became clear.

Shin's eyes widened, and he exploded off the floor.

BAM!

The gym jolted as Shin slammed the ball through the rim with both hands. The rim rattled violently, and for the first time, Senshinkan's players didn't move. They stood there, wide-eyed and stunned, staring at Shin and Taro as if they couldn't process what had just happened. The point guard slowly turned to the center, disbelief written all over his face.

What the hell was that?

The center didn't have an answer. His mouth was slightly open, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from Shin, who had already turned and jogged back on defense like it was nothing.

One of the wings muttered under his breath, barely audible over the silence.

"Who even tries something like that?"

Taro simply shrugged and was already walking back on defense, eyes forward.

But that dunk cracked Senshinkan's confidence.

The next possession, their guards hesitated. A pass that had come naturally in the first quarter now came a second too late. Hachiman pounced, nearly picking it off. Senshinkan's shooter rushed a shot, and it clanked off the rim. On the next trip, their big man fumbled a catch, rattled by the pressure.

The shots that had been falling earlier those awkward, lucky threes suddenly rimmed out. The floaters fell short.

Meanwhile, Onita tightened their grip.

Kobayashi slipped through the defense for another mid-range jumper. Rukawa found his rhythm, catching a sharp pass from Taro and finishing smoothly in the lane. Shin, now confident, kept cutting behind the defense, knowing Taro would find him.

Taro continued to dominate, but always within the flow. Another jumper. Another pass to an open shooter. Another screen that opened up space.

Senshinkan's pace slowed. Their players stopped sprinting on every possession. Their coach's constant substitutions became more frantic, but the damage was done. Onita was in control.

On Onita's next possession, Hachiman caught the ball on the wing and decided to attack. He dropped his shoulder and barreled toward the rim, eyes focused on the basket.

But Senshinkan's center was ready

SMACK!

Hachiman's shot was swatted off the glass, the ball bouncing hard off the backboard. He hit the floor with a rough thud, grimacing as he pushed himself up.

By him, Rukawa was already running back on defense. He glanced at Hachiman, his face betraying nothing, and with a simply raised his palm, telling Hachiman silently.

Stay.

For a second, Hachiman's was annoyed at him. Then it clicked.

The Senshinkan guard who collected the loose ball was already dribbling up the court, completely unaware of what was going on behind him.

Rukawa's eyes narrowed as he turned and got ready for the fastbreak, anticipating what was coming.

A grin slowly stretched across Hachiman's face.

Oh yeah, this is my chance.

Exploding off the ground, Hachiman closed in fast from behind, eyes locked on the guard's exposed dribble. He waited until just the right moment.

YOINK.

The ball was gone.

In one clean motion, Hachiman stripped it and threw the ball down the court.

Rukawa was already there, sensing the opportunity before it even happened.

Rukawa caught it in full stride, his steps quick. He took one powerful dribble, cutting hard through the lane. Without slowing down, he exploded off the floor, rising above the trailing defenders. His body leaned forward as he cocked the ball back with one hand and slammed it through the hoop with a sharp, one-handed dunk.

Senshinkan's players stood frozen, stunned at how quickly they'd been punished.

Jogging back, Hachiman caught up to Rukawa and smirked.

"Not bad, huh?"

Rukawa didn't look at him.

"Don't get blocked next time."

But there was a small, rare smirk on his face.

Hachiman laughed under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome."

Their next possession was a disaster. The point guard hesitated on a pass, and Hachiman nearly picked it off again. Their forward forced a rushed shot that clanged off the backboard. Another turnover followed on the next play, a lazy pass intercepted by Kobayashi.

Taro continued to control the offense. He pulled defenders in like a magnet and calmly passed out to open shooters. Kobayashi drained another jumper. Rukawa slipped in for another layup. Shin added another dunk, feeding off Taro's perfect passes.

Senshinkan's defense collapsed, their offense sputtered, and their bench sat in silence, staring at the scoreboard as the gap grew wider.

When the final buzzer finally echoed through the gym, the scoreboard left no doubt.

Onita High 87 – Senshinkan High 47

Onita didn't really celebrate. There were no wild cheers or flashy reactions. They gathered together, calm and composed, as if this dominant win was simply expected. The scoreboard read 87-47, but to them, it wasn't the final goal it was just another step forward.

As the team huddled near the bench, Rin approached with her clipboard in hand, her sharp gaze scanning each of them.

"Good win everyone" she said with a hint of satisfaction crept into her voice. "But don't celebrate yet. We've got another game tomorrow."

A few of the players straightened at her words, the weight of the tournament schedule settling in.

Kobayashi gave a slow nod. "Back to work."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Exactly. Rest up. We're not done yet."

With that, the team quietly broke off, the same cold focus that carried them through the game still burning in their eyes. This wasn't the time to celebrate.

Tomorrow, they'd be back.

As the rest of Onita quietly made their way back to the locker room, Kobayashi lingered on the court. His steps were steady as he approached Senshinkan's captain, maintaining the same calm demeanor he'd carried throughout the game. Extending a hand, Kobayashi offered a polite nod.

"Good game" he said smoothly, voice neutral but edged with quiet confidence.

The Senshinkan captain hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept the handshake. His grip was weak, barely holding on, the strength completely drained from him. Kobayashi felt it immediately—the defeated, hollow grip of someone who had been utterly broken.

Kobayashi didn't say anything about it. He simply gave a firm shake and let go, watching as the captain avoided eye contact, his shoulders slumped and eyes downcast.

Without another word, Kobayashi turned to head back, but something in the stands caught his eye.

Two figures stood motionless, watching from above.

One of them had messy black hair and sharp gray eyes, hidden behind thin glasses. His expression was unreadable, but his typically closed eyes were slightly open, focused on Taro with quiet calculation. A couple of meters next to him stood another figure, his slightly long blond hair parted down the middle. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were razor-sharp, locked on Onita.

Kobayashi immediately recognized them.

They were the captains for Shutoku and Touou high

Both were studying his team. Watching closely.

A smile crept onto Kobayashi's face.

"Well, would you look at that," he muttered.

He stole one last glance at the two looming in the stands, then back toward his teammates disappearing into the tunnel.

"Looks like we've picked up some new fans."

With a quiet chuckle, Kobayashi turned and jogged back to the locker room, his mind already turning toward the battles still to come.