The court was alive with motion.
Shoes squeaked, the sharp sting of volleyballs echoed, and laughter mixed with the barking voices of upperclassmen. The Karasuno High gym felt like a living thing — not just a place, but a pulse, a rhythm.
Hinata wiped sweat from his brow as he joined the warm-up line. His body felt good. He hadn't expected to enjoy a simple drill so much — but after training in isolation all summer, being on a real court with a real team felt like breathing again.
[System Passive Triggered]Environment: Team GymnasiumEffect: Team Synergy Observation Mode ActiveAnalysing: Movement Patterns, Coordination, Leadership Structure
— Karasuno High, Year 1
• Captain: Sawamura Daichi — Stability Anchor• Vice: Sugawara Koushi — Communication Core• Notable Players: Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi
Cohesion: MidPace: ModeratePotential: High with individual growth
Hinata blinked.
That was new.
The system can analyse team structure now?
Before he could dig deeper, Daichi blew his whistle.
"Alright! Full-court practice match. First-years, rotate in after the first ten. We'll test positioning, passing, and setting. Keep it clean."
Hinata's hands itched. He wanted to play now. But he obeyed.
He watched every rally from the bench, quietly bouncing the ball in his lap, eyes scanning the flow of each point.
Kageyama was rotated in first — as setter.
Of course he was. His skill was unmistakable.
The way he moved, the speed of his footwork, the razor precision of his tosses — it brought back memories. Old ones, painful ones, thrilling ones.
Hinata watched Tsukishima and Yamaguchi get their reps. He observed Tanaka's fearless spikes. He noted how Daichi covered for everyone, how Sugawara adapted on the fly.
But what stood out most… was the rhythm.
Everyone moved in time — but slightly out of sync. Like a jazz song where the instruments weren't quite tuned.
They don't trust each other fully yet, Hinata realized.
[System Analysis: Active]Tactical Gap: Speed Sync AbsentRecommendation: Introduce high-speed combination play to align team tempo
Hinata grinned to himself.
He could do that.
He would.
Ten minutes passed.
"First-years, rotate in!" Daichi called.
Hinata jumped up like he'd been shot from a cannon.
"Try not to break anything," Tsukishima muttered as he walked past. "Or fall on your face."
Hinata gave him a grin. "Don't blink then."
The whistle blew.
Hinata took his spot on the court, opposite Kageyama. For now, they were on different teams. Just like middle school.
He liked it that way.
The first rally began with a serve from Yamaguchi — steady, float-style.
Tanaka received it roughly, but Kageyama managed to make a clean set.
Tsukishima hit a soft spike — Hinata dove to dig it out, the ball bouncing upward perfectly.
Tanaka set it back to him, and Hinata launched.
Jumping felt lighter than ever.
He struck the ball cleanly, his body in sync with every inch of his motion.
[Skill Triggered: Air Delay Lv. 1]Adjusting mid-air — Shot Type: Line Drive / Zone 5
The ball screamed down the sideline and smacked into the floor untouched.
"Wha—" Yamaguchi turned. "Did he aim that?"
"He adjusted in mid-air," Sugawara said under his breath.
Even Daichi blinked. "He's more polished than I expected…"
Hinata landed with a soft breath.
Kageyama stared across the net at him.
Neither said a word — but the tension was rising again. The kind that only players like them could generate.
[System Notice]Rivalry Sync at 12%Synergy Unlock Progress: Quick Attack Pathway — Stage 1 Unlocked
New Skill Acquired: Ghost Step Lv. 1Brief reduction in noise and visibility during approach. Harder to track pre-jump.
The practice match continued.
In rally after rally, Hinata's sharp court awareness shone. He was often a step ahead, even if his passes weren't always perfect.
He covered odd zones, adjusted quickly, and even helped Yamaguchi recover from a bad receive once.
It wasn't perfect.
His stamina dipped after fifteen straight points. His arms ached from repeated spikes. His timing with most teammates still felt off.
But the spark was there.
After the match, the team huddled at the side.
"You've got springy legs, Hinata," Daichi said with a grin. "But you'll need more than that. Keep building your fundamentals."
"Yessir!" Hinata said brightly.
Sugawara added, "You two…" — he looked between Hinata and Kageyama — "might be insane together. If you ever learn to not bite each other's heads off."
Kageyama scoffed. "He's reckless."
"And he's uptight," Hinata replied instantly.
Daichi clapped once. "Good. Rivals that push each other are exactly what we need. Practice again tomorrow. Get used to the team system."
As they walked off the court, Kageyama suddenly stopped beside him.
"…When you jumped earlier," he muttered, "you hesitated. In the air."
Hinata blinked. "Yeah?"
"You timed the blockers and changed your shot. Mid-air."
He turned, eyes narrowed.
"…You couldn't do that before."
Hinata just smiled. "You're not the only one who trained, King."
[System Status: Team Integration — Initial Phase Complete]
Stat Growth Unlocked (Team Synergy Boost Applied):• Reflex: B- → B• Stamina: C → C+• Technique: B- → B
Progress Path: Quick Attack Build[Unlocked] → Step 1: Timing Calibration
As he stepped into the locker room and towelled off, Hinata felt it deep in his bones:
He was back.And this time, the sky wasn't the limit.
It was just the start.
To be continued...