Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the second semester of high school had come to an end.

For many students in sports clubs, the various training camps held after finals were far more exciting than the vacation itself.

On the morning of December 5th, at the Sendai Shinkansen station, four rather unexpected figures had gathered—an unusual combination of individuals.

Kaedehara Taichi, Oikawa Tōru, Ushijima Wakatoshi, and Kageyama Tobio.

(A slight adjustment to the setting: in this version, even the two starting players are required to attend the Japan Youth Training Camp, at least to familiarize themselves with the procedures.)

Four tall and striking young men, each averaging around 185 cm in height, stood together.

If one ignored Ushijima Wakatoshi's blank expression and Kageyama Tobio's perpetually fierce glare, a passerby might mistake them for an idol group.

"Wow! Oikawa-kun, I never expected to run into you here!"

Despite the bustling crowds at the station, it wasn't surprising that someone recognized Oikawa Tōru—the most naturally flirtatious one of the group.

Among the four, the two from Aoba Johsai looked far more approachable.

Though Kaedehara Taichi had a lazy and easygoing demeanour on the surface, any stranger who tried to approach him would be immediately deterred by his piercing, unwelcoming gaze.

Oikawa Tōru, however, was different.

He handled unexpected attention with natural ease. His warm smile was effortless as if he was born knowing how to interact with people.

A few girls who had recognized him quickly gathered around, their excitement and curiosity overflowing.

If only Iwaizumi-senpai were here…Taichi sighed internally.

The reason for this strange gathering was simple—Kageyama Tobio was terrible with directions.

As one of the invitees to the Japan Youth Training Camp, his biggest challenge wasn't competing at the national level—it was simply getting there.

After some discussion at Karasuno, Takeda Ittetsu had, upon Hinata Shōyō's suggestion, asked Kaedehara Taichi to accompany Kageyama on the journey.

Kaedehara Taichi and Oikawa Tōru were already headed to the same sports centre, albeit for different programs.@@novelbin@@

When Taichi heard that Kageyama would be joining them, he decided to casually check if the "lone wolf" Ushijima Wakatoshi would be going as well.

"Mm." Ushijima's response was as succinct as ever.

And thus, the current peculiar four-man group was formed.

"Senpai?" Kageyama Tobio stared at Oikawa, bewildered by his ongoing conversation with the girls. He couldn't understand the point of such meaningless interaction.

"Forget about him," Kaedehara Taichi said, not even bothering to turn around. "Ushijima-senpai, let's head to the platform."

"Alright." Ushijima nodded, following Taichi toward the boarding area.

"Uh…?"

Kageyama was momentarily torn. On one side was his respected Oikawa-senpai, and on the other were two seemingly more reliable individuals. He stood frozen, completely lost on what to do.

"Hurry up, Kageyama!" Kaedehara Taichi called out. Seriously, this blockhead isn't any different from Kindaichi.

"Oh, right!" Kageyama quickly followed.

"Hey! Wait for me!!"

It was only then that Oikawa Tōru realized—no one had waited for him. He didn't even need to guess; it was definitely Taichi's doing!

Hurriedly bidding farewell to the girls, he sprinted after them.

-----

[Tokyo, Kita Ward – Ajinomoto National Training Center]

"We'll head over to the Japan Youth team's facility first. You two go together to the training camp section," Oikawa said as he and Ushijima stood at the entrance.

"Yes! Thank you, Oikawa-senpai!" Kageyama immediately bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

Kaedehara Taichi, on the other hand, merely waved a hand in response. As soon as Oikawa left, he casually sent a message to Iwaizumi.

Kaedehara Taichi: Iwaizumi-senpai! Oikawa-senpai was fooling around with girls at Sendai Station and nearly missed the train.

Iwaizumi Hajime: Got it.

The near-instant response reassured Taichi.

-----

Kaedehara Taichi and Kageyama Tobio quickly found the volleyball training facility designated for the training camp.

In front of the gymnasium doors, a peculiar figure was meticulously disinfecting the door handle.

A face mask, seaweed-like hairstyle, and Itachiyama's team jacket—this had to be Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Surprisingly, Kageyama was the first to recognize him. He hurried forward, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I'm Kageyama Tobio, a first-year setter from Karasuno High. Pleased to meet you."

"…Huh?" Sakusa turned around, eyeing the two unfamiliar figures.

Karasuno? Doesn't ring a bell.

Aoba Johsai? Sakusa's gaze suddenly locked onto the other figure. Their encounter had come a little sooner than expected.

Kaedehara Taichi smiled. "Hello, I'm Kaedehara Taichi, a first-year outside hitter from Aoba Johsai."

But Sakusa ignored their introductions entirely and got straight to the point. "So, you're the ones who defeated Wakatoshi? Was he in bad shape that day?"

He just casually calls him 'Wakatoshi'? If only he knew Ushijima was literally with us earlier—he'd probably lose his mind.

Taichi squinted slightly. He had no desire to entertain Sakusa's blunt interrogation.

Thinking Taichi was caught off guard, Kageyama answered for him, "From what I saw, Ushijima-senpai was in great form that day."

"…Huh???" Sakusa's reaction was comically exaggerated, his brows furrowing sharply.

"Then how did Wakatoshi lose? What trick did you use? Was there actually someone who managed to block him?"

"Uh, Taichi blocked Ushijima-senpai's spike," Kageyama replied, pointing at Kaedehara.

"…Oh?" Sakusa's gaze turned razor-sharp.

"Ah, geez! Sakusa, don't scare the rookies."

A new voice cut in. Without anyone noticing, Komori Motoya appeared behind Sakusa, peeking over his shoulder with a friendly grin.

"We're from Itachiyama. This guy here is Sakusa Kiyoomi, and I'm Komori Motoya. Nice to meet you!" Komori's cheerful introduction lightened the tense atmosphere.

The best libero in the country!

Kageyama, who had just calmed down, suddenly felt his heart race again.

"Nice to meet you, Komori-senpai." Kaedehara Taichi studied the libero with great interest. Compared to their last encounter at Interhigh, both Sakusa and Komori had improved significantly.

[Sakusa Kiyoomi—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 90; Height: 189 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 90, Stamina: 88, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Serve 99, Set 92, Receive 96, Spike 99.]

[Komori Motoya—Libero: Overall Rating: 87;

Komori's setting? It's better than most setters!

Compared to Karasuno's Hinata-Kageyama-Nishinoya trio, Itachiyama's Sakusa-Komori-Iizuna trio felt like a perfected, all-around unit.

Their third-year setter, Iizuna Tsukasa, was probably over at the main youth team facility with Oikawa and Ushijima. No matter where you looked, things were bound to get interesting.

-----

An hour later, all the players selected for the Youth Training Camp had gathered inside the gym.

"Well then, Coach, please say a few words!" Team Manager Kobayashi turned to the coach of Japan's national men's team, Hibarida Fuki.

"Alright, alright," Hibarida waved a hand lazily. "I'm sure you kids are sick of us old-timers lecturing you, so I'll keep it short."

"I want you all to throw away your preconceptions. The conditions of a match aren't pre-determined—they're for you to adapt to in real-time."

"Use your imagination. Cause some chaos."

"You've got an hour to get familiar with your teammates, then we'll jump straight into scrimmages."

"After all, for you guys, volleyball should be a better means of communication than words."

"Yes, sir!!"

_________

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