The eight players continued practicing for a few more minutes until they were interrupted by the managers of their respective teams and Yachi.
"Hinata! Tsukishima! Asahi-san! We need you to head back now!" Yachi called out, along with the other managers.
"Darn it! I was having fun!" Bokuto pouted.
"Well, there's no way around it. We'll have to go back, and we'll only see each other at Nationals!" Hinata said with a grin.
"I hope you guys really manage to defeat Shiratorizawa. I've already talked to Daichi, just like our coaches, and we're looking forward to the incredible 'Dumpster Battle.' And I hope by then, this four-eyes here has completely improved his blocking," Kuroo added, also smiling.
"Just wait and see…" Tsukishima replied with an ironic smirk, adjusting his glasses before leaving the gym first.
"That guy! Even now, he acts all indifferent!" Bokuto observed energetically.
"Well, that's just how he is. But you all saw he couldn't hide his excitement when he blocked Bokuto," Hinata commented.
"And you—don't think you'll score on me so easily with my technique!" Kuroo said accusingly to Asahi, who just shrunk back with a tense smile.
"Wait, that's not fair! If Hinata beats Ushiwaka in an Ace duel, I'll need to face him too to prove I'm better!" Bokuto mused, hand on his chin.
"When we beat Karasuno, you should try beating us—the team that beat them—instead, idiot!" Kuroo teased in a mocking tone.
"But your team doesn't even have an Ace! It won't be as fun!" Bokuto argued.
"HEY! I'M NEKOMA'S ACE! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Lev suddenly interjected.
"YOU'RE TERRIBLE!" Kuroo yelled, smacking Lev on the head.
After saying goodbye to the remaining Kanto teams, the Karasuno players boarded the bus under the sunset, most of them visibly exhausted.
"They finally felt our power! Even though we're still behind Fukurodani, it wasn't by much, and we held our own against Nekoma!" Tanaka said, his voice a mix of excitement and fatigue.
"Yeah! This time, we barely messed up our synchronized attack…" Daichi noted.
"We were surprised when you tried those float serves on the second day!" Sugawara remarked with a smile.
"Yeah, sorry about that! I lost a few points hitting the net. I'm still far from mastering it…" Daichi admitted, scratching the back of his head.
"Nah, like you always say, practice is for trying new things and learning from mistakes!" Hinata reassured him.
After hours on the road, the Karasuno players were finally back home.
"You're all dismissed! And remember to rest—no staying up late, it's almost dawn!" Takeda warned.
"Yes!" they all shouted in unison before heading to their respective homes to sleep.
The next day, they were already back in the gym for another day of training, which went as usual—drills like receives and spikes, but now with Daichi and Kinoshita getting time to practice float serves while Yamaguchi and Nishinoya focused on overhead receives. The session ended before lunch, and the players were dismissed.
"Tsuki!" A boy called out, approaching the gym door. He was recognized as Akiteru, Tsukishima's older brother.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Tsukishima snapped, clearly irritated, drawing the attention of the other Karasuno members.
"Do I need a reason to pick up my little brother from practice?" Akiteru asked with a smile.
"Oh, you're Tsukishima's older brother! And if I remember right, you were also a former Karasuno player," Daichi observed.
"Well, yeah, though I wasn't very successful… I said I'd pick up my little brother, so they let me in," Akiteru explained.
"I never asked you to pick me up…" Tsukishima muttered suspiciously.
"Alright… I also came to invite Hinata to train with us later!" Akiteru admitted, looking at Hinata, who seemed confused.
"Huh? Why do we need him? I already train with them every day!" Tsukishima argued.
"Well, it's not exactly me who wants him. It's Akaizawa… I told him there was a first-year who was better than him, and he got all worked up wanting to meet him," Akiteru sighed.
"Tsk! That show-off old man!" Tsukishima grumbled.
"Are you free?" Akiteru asked.
"Of course! I'm always free for volleyball!" Hinata beamed.
"Great! We'll pick you up at home," Akiteru said.
A few hours later, Akiteru picked Hinata up and took him to a gym where some older players seemed to be training.
"Oh, so you're the first-year they told me about… You're pretty tall, but you don't look that strong!" Akaizawa remarked, sizing up Hinata, whose physique had improved from months ago but wasn't as defined as Ushiwaka or Bokuto's.
"Nice to meet you! Though my power has improved recently, I stand out more for my technique!" Hinata replied humbly, still smiling.
"Oh? Akaizawa-san, it sounds like the kid's saying you only know how to hit the ball hard—and he's not wrong!" a man in a blue shirt laughed.
"Tsk! We'll see about that soon enough!" Akaizawa said, slightly annoyed.
"Let's begin!" Akiteru signaled for a player from the opposing team to serve.
"I've got it!" Akiteru received the serve, directing it to an older guy who seemed to be the setter.
"Let's see if you're as good as they say, kid!" the setter said, sending the ball toward Hinata, who jumped with explosive force, already impressing everyone. A triple block, including Akaizawa, formed in front of him.
"You're not scoring!" Akaizawa declared, watching Hinata in mid-air as he slammed the ball hard, hitting the edge of Akaizawa's hand and sending it out of bounds.
"Darn it!" Akaizawa huffed.
"He got you!" the blue-shirted man teased.
"This isn't over!" Akaizawa snapped.
"Looks like he's gonna go all out now. Your turn!" Hinata said, patting Tsukishima's shoulder. Tsukishima stayed focused as Akiteru served to the opposing side. The blue-shirted man prepared to set.
"LEFT SIDE!" Akaizawa shouted.
"Akaizawa-san!" the man in blue called, sending the set his way.
"On three…" Tsukishima muttered to Hinata and another blocker.
"One, two… THREE!" Tsukishima yelled, timing the block perfectly as they jumped, hands firmly in front of Akaizawa. The spiked ball rebounded off Tsukishima's hands back into Akaizawa's court, leaving Tsukishima with a triumphant grin.