Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

Kyōtani Kentarō watched as Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi left, a deep sense of defeat welling up within him.

That first-year couldn't have been at Aoba Johsai for long, yet their synergy already looked impeccable.

What frustrated Kyōtani even more was that he hadn't managed to score a single point against them.

Can I really keep going like this?

"Kyōtani, you've been coming here to play for quite some time now, haven't you?" Shimizu Nobu approached him with a relaxed gait.

With the teams on the court short of players, a casual 4v4 had begun—a common sight in the local town sports centre, especially when there weren't many people around.

Handing Kyōtani a bottle of water, Shimizu continued, "I've had my suspicions, but I didn't expect you to actually be a student at Aoba Johsai. Isn't that one of the top volleyball schools?"

"I applied but didn't make the team," Kyōtani admitted quietly.

Shimizu glanced at him, his tone seemingly casual but cutting deep. "So you ran away from the team, wandering around and training aimlessly. That's certainly….an easy and carefree path you've chosen."

"What?!" Kyōtani bristled, an annoyed look flashing across his face. Still, he refrained from snapping back outright—Shimizu had always looked out for him, after all.

"Don't get so worked up." Shimizu chuckled, a faraway look in his eyes as if reminiscing. "I wasn't much different from you back in the day.

"Lone wolf high schooler, huh? Teams are reliable, sure—but they can also be downright suffocating. They're both your greatest allies and the source of crushing pressure."

"So, are you planning to avoid all that and spend your high school days playing pickup games with us old guys?"

Kyōtani fell silent, his mind swirling with thoughts. His love for volleyball was undeniable, yet he had always struggled with connecting to his teammates.

"Those two high schoolers today—clearly, they came looking for you, didn't they? And it's obvious they're strong."

"If you take the initiative to face the team, the team will respond in kind. They've already taken the first step by coming here."

"All you need to do is take a single step toward them, and together, you'll make each other stronger through your clashes and collaborations."

"Cherish this opportunity. Teams like that don't come around every day."

With those final words, Shimizu drained the last of his sports drink, stood, and walked away. Whether Kyōtani could sort through his thoughts and make a decision now was entirely up to him.

Meanwhile, the players on the court had finished their match and were gathering to chat about the visiting high schoolers.

"Aoba Johsai looks really strong this year. They might even make it to nationals."

"But Ushijima Wakatoshi hasn't graduated yet, right? Shiratorizawa has been dominating for years now, and that guy is terrifying."

"It's been years since I've watched Aoba Johsai play. Should we go see them this year?"

"Sure! Let's round up some people from the shopping district and cheer them on. Who knows? Maybe the 'Mad Dog-chan' will make an appearance too."

Nicknames had a way of spreading quickly, and Akiyama thought 'Mad Dog' was a perfect fit for Kyōtani.

Amid the lighthearted banter, Shimizu noticed that Kyōtani had left the gym unusually early.

-----

At the same time, in Tokyo Station, a group of players in striking red tracksuits stood out from the bustling crowd.

"Whoa, this is my first time on the Shinkansen!" Yamamoto Taketora's exaggerated exclamation turned heads.

"Seriously?" Yaku Morisuke chimed in casually.

"Eh? Yaku-senpai, you've ridden it before?" Yamamoto asked, his surprise evident.

"Of course, most people have," Yaku replied with a sigh.

"Yeah, it's pretty normal," third-year Kai Nobuyuki added, joining the conversation.

"I've been on it!" exclaimed the cheerful first-year, Inuoka Sō.

Their chatter created a lively and slightly chaotic scene.

"Hey, stick together! This isn't school, you know." Third-year captain Kuroo Tetsurō's voice cut through the noise, reminding the group to stay focused.

"Yes, Captain!" they replied in unison, only to dive into a new topic the very next second.

"So this'll be the first time we're visiting Miyagi Prefecture, huh…"

"What kind of place is Karasuno, anyway?"

"No idea. I've only ever heard of Sendai."

Indeed, this group was none other than the Nekoma High School volleyball team, en route to Karasuno via the Tohoku Shinkansen.

Their striking red tracksuits made them the centre of attention in the train car, though it was clear they were completely oblivious to the stares.

The team eagerly discussed food and sightseeing spots along the way. While Kuroo Tetsurou tried his best to maintain order, he thought to himself, Good thing today's the start of a long weekend. If this were a regular weekday, the train would be full of office workers, and these noisy guys would get nothing but glares all the way to Sendai.

Thankfully, the passengers today were mostly families on vacation. Children's laughter filled the car, making it far easier to relax.

Aside from Kozume Kenma, who looked like he was barely tolerating the chaos with headphones on as he played a handheld game, the rest of the team was in high spirits. At least Kuroo didn't have to worry too much about them disturbing others.

The reason Nekoma was heading to Miyagi Prefecture went back to an invitation they'd received from Karasuno.

Two years ago, Coach Nekomata returned to the team and rekindled their tradition of practising with Karasuno.

Years ago, before Nekomata became a coach, he was just a regular substitute setter in middle school—Nekomata Yasufumi.

In his second year of middle school, during a match, Ikushi met an outside hitter from another team—Ukai Ikkei.

Ukai's powerful attacks had dominated the game, completely overwhelming Nekomata's team's setter. That situation gave Nekomata an opportunity to step onto the court and prove himself.

After the match…

"Thanks to you, everyone thinks more highly of me now. Much appreciated." Nekomata Yasufumi grinned cheerfully.

"Huh?" Ukai Ikkei knew right away—he couldn't stand this guy.

"And your spikes? Super easy to receive."

"…Someday, I'm gonna crush you…"

From that point on, the two often faced off in practice matches and regional tournaments.

"Relying on brute force alone is outdated. Use your brain for once."

"Next time, I'll definitely beat you!"

However, by their final middle school tournament, Nekomata Ikushi had transferred to Tokyo, leaving Miyagi behind.

Both assumed they'd never cross paths again. But in their second year of high school, at the national tournament, they saw each other's names on the roster:

Miyagi – Karasuno – Ukai Ikkei | Tokyo – Nekoma – Nekomata Yasufumi.

Despite that fateful encounter, their teams were in different brackets and neither made it to the finals. After that, neither of them ever made it back to the national stage.

Years later, by a twist of fate, both Ukai and Nekomata returned to their alma maters as volleyball coaches. With their shared history, it became natural for Karasuno and Nekoma to organize joint training sessions whenever possible.

They played practice matches time and again, but the two teams never faced off in an official tournament.

Eventually, both coaches retired, and their respective teams fell into decline, fading from the national spotlight.

But now, both the 'cats' and the 'crows' were ready to rise again!

_________

[T/N] - VOTE for an Extra Chapter tomorrow!

And, If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!

Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]