Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 145: Tendō Satori

With just one play, they reclaimed the serve from Oikawa Tōru—this was already the best start Irihata had achieved in all their practice matches so far.

"Iwa-chan...and Taichi too..." Oikawa smiled in resignation.

Aone Takanobu stepped up to the service line for Irihata.

Bang!

Aone's powerful jump serve was received by Terushima Yūji.

Without hesitation, Oikawa sent the ball to the right wing. Ushijima Wakatoshi soared.

Thud!

A single blocker stuffed Ushijima's spike—Tendō Satori!

"Touch!" Tendō shouted to the back row.@@@@

Goshiki Tsutomu sprinted toward the sideline to save it, and Shirabu Kenjirō moved into position to set from the left wing.

Here it comes!

Kaedehara Taichi charged from the back row and jumped explosively.

"Double block!" Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yūtarō had read the play perfectly this time, positioning themselves to block Kaedehara.

"Too bad, there's an opening~" Taichi smirked.

He aimed at the gap on Kunimi's left and unleashed a fierce spike with his left hand.

Smash!

Powerful and precise, the ball hit just inside the left boundary of Team Washijō's court.

[Team Irihata 2 - 0 Team Washijō]

"Incredible..." Goshiki murmured.

Ever since Taichi had sought advice from Ushijima about generating power with his left arm, Goshiki had noticed his straight shots improving day by day.

It was one of the few skills Goshiki prided himself on being better at than Taichi...

"And now, what are you better at? Receiving?" Shirabu's blunt words pierced Goshiki's ears.

"Taichi is a first-year, just like you. That means he'll be your rival for the next three years," Shirabu added, locking eyes with Goshiki. "When Ushijima-san graduates, can you, as Shiratorizawa's ace, defeat the team he leads?"

"I..." Goshiki couldn't answer.

It was the first time Shirabu had called him the ace, but the recognition didn't bring joy.

Honestly, he had never thought about a Shiratorizawa without Ushijima.

His heart sank at the realization: this is the kind of opponent I'll be facing for the next three years?

"Goshiki, Coach Washijō has high hopes for you. So do we upperclassmen," Shirabu continued. "If there were no Taichi, we'd have time to help you grow at your own pace. Every player at Shiratorizawa is strong."

"But with Taichi as your opponent, you don't have the luxury of time." Shirabu's tone grew serious.

"Goshiki, you need to grow—both your skills and your mindset."

"Yes, Shirabu-senpai!" Goshiki's eyes burned with determination. He would live up to the team's expectations as their ace!

-----

Koganegawa Kanji watched from the sidelines in awe as Tendō blocked Ushijima's spike by himself.

"Hey, Koganegawa! Date Tech has its own blocking style!" Futakuchi Kenji scolded him.

"Yes, Futakuchi-senpai!" Koganegawa stammered, flustered.

The ball was close to the net and low. Kindaichi Yūtarō jumped straight up, fully extending his arm to block the angle, intending to simply keep the ball on the other side of the net.

But Tendō suddenly withdrew his spiking arm.

The ball hit Kindaichi's block and bounced directly into Irihata's court.

Kindaichi blinked, bewildered.

"???"

What just happened? Was that a free point?

Tweet! The referee signalled a fault—over-the-net interference.

Point for Team Irihata.

[Team Irihata 3 - 2 Team Washijō]

"Perfect score!" Tendō spread his arms wide, revelling in the moment.

"Tendō's on fire today," Inubata Nobuteru chuckled, glancing at Coach Washijō. "You've got a keen eye for talent."

"Hmph." Washijō scoffed with a hint of pride.

Tendō's instinct-driven, intuitive playstyle thrived under Shiratorizawa's system only because it was built to accommodate both Ushijima's overwhelming presence and Washijō's precise, calculated coaching.

Before high school, Tendō's unconventional style had been met with rejection.

When his predictions were right, he shined. But when he missed, he became a glaring defensive liability.

Few coaches understood the inherent risk and reward of his gameplay—and even fewer gave him the freedom to explore it.

Coach Washijō was one of those rare individuals.

For most, Washijō's concept of strength boiled down to "height and power." But it went beyond that.

Some players had talent but didn't fit a team's dynamic, relegating them to the bench.

Others, like Shirabu Kenjirō and Tendō Satori—players seen as either too average or too eccentric by conventional coaches—were precisely the ones Washijō knew how to use effectively.

As Ushijima once said, Shiratorizawa was fertile ground.

A team backed by an elite coach, state-of-the-art facilities, and top-tier players from across the region—it was an environment built for growth, where dreams turned into achievements.

Tendō knew one thing clearly: To be free, he had to be strong.

That's why he had chosen a powerhouse team where freedom wasn't a privilege but a responsibility.

Shiratorizawa's high level of competition allowed for liberty. But with freedom came a demand for results.

Here, Tendō had finally found a place where he could unleash his full potential.

And for that, Tendō was grateful—to Shiratorizawa's system, to the overwhelming force that was Ushijima Wakatoshi, to the twisted genius of Coach Washijō, and to teammates who could have been aces at any other school.

He understood: Shiratorizawa accepted him because this was where he belonged.

University volleyball, though, would be different. His current freedom wouldn't last. The three years at Shiratorizawa were a fleeting miracle—

Which was why Tendō had already decided: his volleyball career would end in high school.

But before it did, he had one wish—to stand across the court from Ushijima Wakatoshi, the teammate who had defined his journey.

And he would defeat him.

_________

EXTRA CHAPTER SCHEDULE - Monday, Wednesday and Friday @ 16:30 GMT (Give or take a few minutes).

[T/N] - 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 - /Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]