Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 343: Passion • Strategy • Dodgeball! (Quad-Length)

"This is such a hassle…"

Watching as the players in the gym grew more and more hyped under Bokuto Kōtarō's influence, Kozume Kenma muttered to himself, instinctively keeping a slight distance from the commotion.

But with Kuroo Tetsurō keeping a close eye on him, there was no escape. Besides, while it looked like he had distanced himself, in reality, it was only a few steps away. The real gap was probably more like several million light-years in terms of mental state.

Seeing the utterly lifeless expression on Kenma's face, Akaashi Keiji lowered his head apologetically.

"I feel kind of bad…"

"No, no…I'll keep score…" Kenma's brain worked at lightning speed as he came up with a solution.

He set his sights on the scoreboard and was about to retreat to the sidelines—only for an eagle-eyed Shibayama Yūki to rush over.

"Kenma-senpai! I'll be the scorekeeper! You should play too!"

"…Huh?"

"Don't worry about me! We have to beat Taichi in dodgeball!"

With a bright grin, Shibayama shoved Kenma onto the court before running off to grab the scoreboard.

"Eh?! But I really don't want to play…"

Kenma's expression turned even gloomier, but Nekoma's players paid no attention to his sulking. Even if they had noticed, they would have just dismissed it—he had always lacked enthusiasm, after all.

-----

"I'll be an outfield player!"

"Can outfield players revive teammates? Or not?"

"Dodgeball rules seem to change depending on where you play, huh?"

As the players enthusiastically discussed the details while assigning positions, Inuoka Sō stood nearby, looking hesitant and conflicted.

"Maybe I should be the referee instead…"

He wanted to play dodgeball with Taichi and the Fukurodani players, but after overhearing Shibayama and Kenma's conversation, he felt that as one of the hosts, he should act more mature.

However, the deep blush on his face completely exposed his real feelings.

"…Inuoka, I'll be the referee, so don't worry about it."

Teshirō Kihiko's words made Inukawa's eyes light up.

"Eh?! Really?! I mean, I'm happy, but…but this is dodgeball! We never get to play dodgeball!"

Teshirō didn't really understand what was so special about dodgeball—if you wanted to play, you could do it anytime. Besides, compared to dodgeball, he was far more curious about Kaedehara Taichi.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm not that interested in dodgeball."

"Thanks, Teshirō!"

Inuoka beamed like a giant puppy receiving a treat.

-----

And so, with Shibayama Yūki as the scorekeeper and Teshirō Kihiko as the referee, the highly motivated Nekoma team—minus one very reluctant Kozume Kenma—joined forces with the only fired-up member of Fukurodani to take on a determined Aoba Johsai squad in an intense 8v8 dodgeball showdown.

Team "Cat-Owl" (Nekoma & Fukurodani)

Outfield—Kozume Kenma, Inuoka Sō.

Infield—Bokuto Kōtarō, Kuroo Tetsurō, Akaashi Keiji, Yamamoto Taketora, Fukunaga Shōhei, Haiba Lev.

Team Aoba Johsai

Outfield—Kyōtani Kentarō, Kunimi Akira.

Infield—Kaedehara Taichi, Nakamori Daiki, Tōma Kaoru, Kindaichi Yūtarō, Yahaba Shigeru, Yūki Yōji.

Kaedehara Taichi and Bokuto Kōtarō locked eyes at the centre of the court, both radiating competitive energy. The two aces would decide the first possession with a jump ball, just like in basketball.

As the referee, Teshirō Kihiko tossed the ball into the air, and the moment he shouted—

"Ready—GO!!"

THUD!

Both Taichi and Bokuto had similar strength and jumping ability, but Taichi was just a tad faster. His fingertips made contact first, tapping the volleyball toward Aoba Johsai's outfield.

Kunimi Akira caught the ball. Aoba Johsai had possession.

"Damn it!"

Bokuto clicked his tongue as he landed, but his frustration lasted only a moment before he smirked.

"Heh, fine, you guys can have the first move."

Kunimi casually tossed the ball to an eager Kyōtani Kentarō.

"DIE!!"

Kyōtani took a running start before leaping high, his arm snapping forward like a whip.

"Oi, oi, oi! That guy just shouted something seriously scary!!"

The volleyball rocketed toward Kuroo Tetsurō at terrifying speed.

BANG!

A heavy, dull thud echoed through the gym as Kuroo took the ball straight to the chest—but he managed to catch it.

"Ugh…this guy…he's serious about this."

He had caught it, but barely.

Still kneeling, Kuroo clutched the ball tightly to his chest. Kyōtani's throw had been fast and strong, but it wasn't quite on the same level as his spikes.

"Well, looks like he's still holding back…guess I should give him a little push."

Slowly, Kuroo got to his feet, a smirk creeping onto his face as he met Kyōtani's gaze.

"Huh, weird. That throw looked impressive, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Don't tell me you're not even going all out, Mad Dog-chan?"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

The vein on Kyōtani's forehead bulged as his temper flared.

Smiling innocently, Kuroo continued.

"Ohhh, I get it. If you just mess around and lose, you can always say, 'I wasn't even trying' as an excuse, right?"

"YOU DAMN STRAY CAT!!!"

Kyōtani hadn't been this angry in a long time.

Akaashi, watching warily, thought to himself: So this is what people mean by "sharp-tongued."

He was honestly relieved that Bokuto wasn't on the opposing team. Otherwise, the chaos would be twice as bad.

"Umm…is Kyōtani-senpai playing right into their hands…?" Tōma Kaoru whispered hesitantly.

But his concern was completely ignored.

"Let him be," Taichi said with an easy smile.

Kyōtani had probably been overthinking things lately, trying to act like a responsible senpai. If this was something outside of volleyball, then at least he could play freely without worrying about expectations.

-----

"Let's go, Bokuto!"

"Yeah! Get 'em, Kuroo!"

"Time to show them our post-graduation Phoenix Dodgeball Combo Attack!"

"Yeah!!"

"…What combo attack? That's not even a thing! And you guys weren't even on the same team!"

Muttering darkly from the sidelines, Kenma scowled at the absurdity.

Meanwhile, every single player on the "Cat-Owl" team—except Kenma and Akaashi—was fired up and raring to go.

Kuroo crouched low, gripping the ball as he started his run-up.

Aoba Johsai's defence tensed, ready to dodge at a moment's notice.

"HEY!"

Kuroo hurled the ball to the left, and the moment it reached its peak—Bokuto soared into the air.

"THAT'S NOT EVEN DODGEBALL ANYMORE!!"

Yahaba's protests were in vain. Bokuto lined up his shot midair and slammed the ball down.

BAM!!

"…Huh?"

Kindaichi Yūtarō hesitated for a split second, unsure whether to dodge or catch it. That split second was all it took.

SMACK!

The ball struck him squarely on the shoulder.

"OW!"

"We scored!!"

Bokuto cheered loudly.

But just as everyone thought Kindaichi was out—a small figure dove forward.

It was libero Nakamori Daiki.

In a blur, he lunged for the rebounding ball and scooped it up just before it hit the floor.

"Nice save!"

Taichi called out in praise. The ball sat securely in Nakamori's arms, soft and controlled.

…But was this even allowed? They hadn't clarified the rules beforehand.

All eyes turned to Teshirō, awaiting his ruling.

"If another player catches the ball before it touches the ground, the hit doesn't count."

The moment he spoke, the gym erupted in chaos.

"This is really thrilling!"

"Looking at it this way, playing dodgeball isn't so bad after all! Let's keep going!"

"Agreed. I actually thought Bokuto-senpai was just messing around, but it turns out this can be considered training too."

More and more players on the court began to believe in Bokuto Kōtarō's claim that "dodgeball is volleyball training."

"Haha! I told you it wouldn't be a problem!" Bokuto Kōtarō declared shamelessly.

The match continued.

Nakamori Daiki passed the ball to Kaedehara Taichi. Already itching to move, Taichi took quick strides and launched into his approach.

Boom!

The volleyball slammed against Fukunaga Shohei's arm and bounced out of bounds, landing in Kozume Kenma's hands.

"Funaga is out!"

"Ugh…" Fukunaga Shohei walked off the court, looking dazed.

"I will avenge you!" Yamamoto Taketora shouted in fury. "Kenma, give me the ball!!!"

"Can you not be so loud? It's annoying," Kozume Kenma muttered as he lazily tossed the ball forward.

Yamamoto Taketora assumed the stance of a spiker, preparing his attack. He aimed for a height that was neither too high nor too low—somewhere around the chest to neck area, a tricky spot to receive.

"You think you can catch this? Then I'll target a height that's hard to receive!"

However, Kaedehara Taichi caught the ball effortlessly with one hand. The chest-level height was actually one of the easiest spots to receive cleanly without needing a diving save.

"Heh."

"AAAAHHHH! I MESSED UP!!"

Yamamoto Taketora clutched his head and roared in frustration. His teammates sighed.

"That's just how idiots are."

Kaedehara Taichi wasted no time capitalising on his opponent's brief lapse in focus. He quickly locked onto his next target. The ball left his hand, tracing a low arc before striking Lev Haiba's foot—right as Lev was in the middle of saying, 'Tora-senpai, don't mind it!' to Yamamoto.

"Idiots always come in pairs."

At that moment, Akaashi Keiji, who had been standing idly, suddenly leapt forward. He caught the rebounding ball just before it crossed the boundary line, preventing Lev Haiba from being eliminated.

"Lev, I told you to stop spacing out!"

Kuroo Tetsurō scolded. How was this guy already in his second year and still not improving?

"Nice save, Akaashi!" Bokuto Kōtarō cheered as if he had done it himself.

"Mm. Thanks, Bokuto-senpai," Akaashi Keiji replied, expression unchanged.

The Cat-Owl Team looked tense—they had nearly lost two players in a row.

"Let's keep going."

The game resumed. Both teams kept launching powerful throws at each other. The fast-flying balls filled the court, but even when players were hit, their teammates managed to save them at the last second. With neither team losing players, the match was deadlocked.

From behind the scoreboard, which still showed 0-0, Shibayama Yūki clenched his fists as he watched the game.

Suddenly, a thought struck him—

For a dodgeball match that ended when all players on one side were eliminated…did they really need a scoreboard?

Why had Kenma-senpai insisted on keeping track of the score?

Doubt crept into his mind.

"Akaashi, that libero is troublesome."

"Yeah. Compared to a spike, a dodgeball throw is slower, which gives him more time to react and save every shot."

Hearing Akaashi's words, Bokuto Kōtarō fell into rare silence for a moment. Then, suddenly, he exclaimed:

"Ah—I GOT IT!"

The Cat-Owl Team all turned to look at him curiously.

Bokuto Kōtarō took a deep breath and shouted toward Aoba Jōsai's side:

"TIMEOUT! TIMEOUT!"

"Huh? Since when does dodgeball have timeouts?"

Despite their complaints, Aoba Jōsai's players stopped moving.

Bokuto Kōtarō gathered his teammates in a huddle and lowered his voice.

"I completely figured it out."

Everyone leaned in expectantly.

"Listen up...Dodgeball and volleyball are not the same!"

Mere moments later, the Cat-Owl Team's court erupted in complaints.

"This is nothing like what Bokuto-senpai said earlier!"

"Enough, just shut up! I don't want to hear any more of Bokuto-senpai's nonsense!"

"I'm such an idiot! I actually believed Bokuto-senpai! I'm a complete idiot!"

The Aoba Jōsai players glanced at the commotion with suspicion. Meanwhile, Bokuto Kōtarō was desperately trying to calm his teammates down.

"Wait! Just listen to me! It's because dodgeball is different from volleyball that—"

"—we should target the libero!"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Yamamoto Taketora and Lev Haiba both looked confused. Akaashi Keiji hesitated before speaking.

"…I think he means we should deliberately target the libero, who is usually avoided during volleyball serves, so that the opposing team won't have a chance to save the rebounding ball."

"Exactly! I'm a genius!" Bokuto's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Lev Haiba turned to Kuroo Tetsurō with a frown. "Kuroo-senpai, can we trust this?"

Kuroo Tetsurō glanced at the overly confident Bokuto and reluctantly nodded.

"It actually makes some sense."

He then grinned and patted Bokuto on the back.

"Bokuto, did you just use up your entire lifetime's worth of brainpower?"

Bokuto Kōtarō shot him a glare.

"Kuroo, what kind of compliment is that?!"

The timeout ended, and the game resumed.

Aoba Jōsai launched their attack once again. Yūki Yōji's throw was intercepted by Kuroo Tetsurō.

The Cat-Owl Team counterattacked!

"Aim for the little guy!"

Kuroo Tetsurō and Bokuto Kōtarō charged forward at the same time.

"Take this!"

As Bokuto shouted, the ball left his fingertips.

It flew straight toward Nakamori Daiki. He made a split-second decision and immediately dodged.

The ball didn't hit anyone, soaring past Aoba Johsai's side of the court, where it was caught by Inuoka Sō from Team Cat-Owl's outfield.

"Inuoka, keep targeting the libero! Aim for him!!"

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Hearing Bokuto's words, Inuoka Sō quickly grasped the strategy. He shouted, "Take this!" and hurled the ball at Nakamori Daiki.

"That's bullying! You city boys are shameless!" Kaedehara Taichi defended his underclassman.

It looked like Nakamori had nowhere to run. Just when everyone thought he was about to be eliminated—

"Yūki, I'm counting on you!"

"Huh?"

Nakamori Daiki swiftly darted behind the utterly confused Yūki Yōji and said, "Be my shield! Don't worry, if the ball hits you, I'll save it!"

Yūki Yōji: "???"

Smack!

"Ow!"

"Nice catch, Yūki!" Nakamori praised loudly. "So this is the advantage of having a tall teammate!"

"…This guy is awful," Kaedehara Taichi muttered with a deadpan expression. "I have no idea who he takes after."

Using Yūki Yōji as a shield, Nakamori Daiki weaved through the small court space with incredible agility.

Thanks to his swift movements and the cover provided by his towering teammate, he managed to dodge Team Cat-Owl's relentless attacks for an unexpectedly long time without anyone getting eliminated.

"He's good at running, huh?!" Bokuto grumbled in frustration.

However, as long as Aoba Johsai failed to catch the ball, they couldn't counterattack. Kaedehara Taichi wanted to go on the offensive.

"Just dodging won't get us anywhere," Taichi frowned. "Yūki, stop dodging. Let the ball hit you."

"Hah?" Yūki was utterly bewildered by his respected Taichi-senpai's words.

"If you get hit, Daiki can save the ball," Taichi explained patiently. "That way, I can launch a counterattack!"

"…."

"…Isn't this the real bullying?" Kozume Kenma muttered, speechless as he watched.

Kuroo Tetsurō threw the volleyball with a dull thud, and it smacked into Yūki Yōji. Nakamori Daiki immediately set the ball toward Kaedehara Taichi.

"Got you!"

Without giving Kuroo time to react, Taichi hurled the ball at him with force.

"Lev!"

Kuroo yanked Haiba Lev, who had been spacing out, into the path of the throw. The ball struck Lev's lanky frame and bounced upward.

"AHH—!" Lev let out a tragic wail.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your funeral!"

Kuroo sprang out from behind Lev, who was dramatically collapsing, and passed the rebounded ball to Bokuto.

"Finishing blow!"

Thud!

The volleyball slammed into Kindaichi Yūtarō and bounced away.

"Kindaichi is out!"

"Damn it!" Kindaichi groaned. His chance to shine was cut short before it even arrived.

-----

Playtime—no, training—passed quickly.

In the end, only four players remained on the court: Bokuto Kōtarō, Kuroo Tetsurō, Kaedehara Taichi, and Nakamori Daiki.

Somehow, the atmosphere grew tense.

"Daiki, I have an idea," Taichi whispered, taking advantage of the final moments.

"Let's try it!" Nakamori nodded. "It sounds fun!"

Seeing the eerie smiles on their faces, Kuroo grew cautious. "They're planning something."

"No problem!" Bokuto declared confidently. "No matter what they plan, we just have to catch the ball when it comes our way!"

On the court—

Taichi sprinted forward, holding the ball in one hand. Seeing his advance, Kuroo and Bokuto both braced for impact.

However, Taichi never threw the ball. Instead, midway through his motion, he flicked it backwards.

A feint!

Nakamori Daiki emerged from behind him.

A libero. A short guy. People instinctively overlooked Nakamori's offensive potential.

"No way?!"

"They're using the tall guy as a screen so we won't see where the ball is coming from!"

Kuroo and Bokuto could only brace themselves and hope they caught the incoming shot.

"Now!"

Smash!—

The ball was even faster than they expected.

"Kuroo, I'm counting on you…" Bokuto ducked behind Kuroo as the ball smacked into him.

"No—!" Bokuto wailed dramatically.

He desperately stretched out his arms, but the ball barely grazed past his fingertips and rolled out of bounds.

Bounce, bounce, bounce…

The volleyball tumbled further away.

"Kuroo is out!"

The court fell silent. Victory was within Aoba Johsai's grasp.

"Heheheh…."

"Keh keh keh…."

Nakamori Daiki and Kaedehara Taichi let out villainous chuckles, looking downright sinister.

"…I see how it is." Bokuto stood up with a solemn expression. "Kuroo, I'll carry on your will."

"BRING IT ON!!!"

Bokuto snatched the ball off the ground and roared at the top of his lungs.

"TAKE THIS! SUPER POWER SPECIAL BALL!!"

With a side-arm throw, the ball whooshed through the air, spinning as it hurtled toward Taichi. Just as he reached out to catch it, the ball suddenly veered off course.

"Crap!"

"HAHAHA! As expected of me! I actually threw a curveball!!"

"Not a chance!"

The ball struck Taichi and bounced off. Nakamori dove to save it.

"…It's over."

Taichi coldly declared the match's outcome as he leapt up and spiked the ball downward.

BAM!!

"I won't lose!!"

Bokuto planted his feet, threw his upper body backwards, and—

Braced his hands against the floor to stabilise himself.

"…HE CAN DO THAT?!!"

The volleyball whizzed past, and just as an outfielder prepared to catch it, the ball swerved again and kept flying forward.

"Oh, you're all here. Don't stay too late training—AH!!"

Mizuguchi Sadayuki had just pushed open the gym doors.

SMACK!

Everyone on the court instinctively shut their eyes.

No one saw the exact moment when Kaedehara Taichi's curveball hit their team manager squarely in the face.

After reverting from dodgeball players to volleyball players, the entire group suffered harsh scoldings from their respective coaches. In this moment, they were united under a common cause—keeping their mouths shut.

Thus, the all-out dodgeball match in Nekoma's Third Gymnasium came to an end.

The final score: A tie.

_________

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