A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to the first chapter of season four! Thank you so much for 2K votes on this book! Enjoy!

edited on february 27th, 2022 @ 12:53pm

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CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT - INTRODUCTIONS

ATSUSHI WAS CURRENTLY WALKING TOWARDS KARASUNO, eating some dango. He glances up, seeing the same banner that was put up in front of the school, congratulating the boys' volleyball team on going to the spring nationals.

"I suppose it wasn't a dream after all..." Atsushi thinks to himself.

"Hinata!"

The sound of Kiyoko's voice snapped Atsushi out of his thoughts. "I forgot to mention this earlier, but we'll be taking measurements for the pamphlets today, so hurry and come see us right after school. Could you tell Tsukishima and the others that, too?" She called out.

That's when Atsushi stepped next to Hinata's other side. "I'm in the same class as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi! I'll pass the message to them!" Atsushi promised.

"Hey!" Kageyama came up next to Hinata's classmate who flinched at his appearance. "Let's see who's got the highest reach."

"Bring it on, Kageyama-kun." Hinata challenged. "I'll even be willing to make a wager, if you'd like."

A lightning bolt struck through Kageyama. "Three curry buns." He said.

"Deal!"

The duo looked at each other competively. Atsushi glanced over at Hinata's classmate who had a worried look on his face. "Don't worry about those two." He spoke, making the poor guy flinch.

"This kind of thing happens more than I'd like to admit. However those two are entirely different people when they're on the court."

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Atsushi was currently waiting with Yamaguchi when Hinata stepped out. "Oh hey, Hinata. How'd it go?" Yamaguchi asked.

"I'm 164.2 cm!" Hinata stated proudly. "I've grown a whole 1.4 cm taller!"

"Wow, that's great!" Yamaguchi told him.

"What about you, Yamaguchi?" Hinata questioned.

Yamaguchi chuckled a bit. "I've grown 5 millimeters and I'm now 180.0 cm!" He replied.

Hinata grabbed onto his head in irritation. "You've gotten into the 180s! Atsushi, what about you?" He asked.

"Hm? I didn't grow that much. I was 182 cm, and now I'm 187 cm." Atsushi responded.

"What about you, Kageyama?" Yamaguchi asked as Kageyama walked out.

"181 cm." Kageyama answered.

"Point..." Hinata trailed off.

"Point 9." Kageyama finished.

"Wow, you grew." Yamaguchi commented.

"Yes! I win!" Hinata cheered.

"How?!" Kageyama questioned.

"I grew a whole millimeter taller!"

"Wait, you actually remember everyone's height, Hinata?" Yamaguchi gave a closed eye smile.

"I guess you're good at math when it comes to this, Hinata." Ennoshita commented.

The door opened as Tsukishima stepped out. "Having fun comparing shrimps and pipsqueaks?" He questioned. "Good work."

"Tsukishima! You jerk!" Hinata exclaimed with irritation.

"Tsukki... Don't tell me..." Yamaguchi trailed off as Hinata was rolling on the floor. "That's amazing, Tsukki! You finally surpassed 190!"

"I order you to shrink, Tsukishima!" Tanaka shouted before tackling Tsukishima to the ground while the third-years watched.

"I wish I could get that excited about getting my height measured." Asahi stated.

"Hey! All of you pipe down!" Daichi ordered.

All of them were later in the gym, jumping up to touch the basketball hoop as Yachi measured their fingertip height.

"Tsukishima-kun got 334 cm!" Yachi announced.

"Wow, that's the highest so far."

"Great job, Tsukki!"

"What are they doing?" A nearby basketball player asked.

"Apparently, they're measuring the highest point they can hit for the Spring Tournament pamphlet."

"Next, Nishinoya."

"Wow... I guess they really are going to nationals."

"Huh! They're jumping higher than me."

"Nishinoya's only about 150 cm, right?"

"I'm 160, damn it!" Nishinoya exclaimed.

"302 centimeters." Yachi announced.

"Next, Atsushi." Kiyoko told the brunette.

"Right." Atsushi replied as he covered his fingertips with the white chalk.

He ran forward and jumped, making sure to mark the basketball hoop with the tip of his fingers as he landed on the ground.

Yachi then measured it. "345 centimeters." She told Kiyoko, who wrote it down. Atsushi grinned over at Tsukishima who just scoffed.

"Next, Kageyama." Kiyoko said.

"Here I go." Kageyama stated.

He runs forward and hits the hoop. "Um... 337 centimeters." Yachi informed.

"Next, Hinata."

"Right!" Hinata answered.

Hinata ran forward as he jumped up, shocking the two basketball players who were watching.

"How many centimeters is it?!"

"How high was that?!"

Kageyama and Hinata both shouted out in unison. "Just wait!" Yamaguchi told them as Yachi measured the height with the measuring tape.

"Let's see... 333 cm!" Yachi announcced.

Hinata grabbed his head in irritation as Kageyama cheered to himself. "That's about the same as you, Asahi." Sugawara commented.

"Damn it... I'm not gonna lose." Asahi stated. "He's increased 5 or 6 centimeters from before."

"I guess guys really aiming to go higher are different." Nishinoya said.

"Higher?" Asahi repeated in question.

Nishinoya turned over towards the ace. "Well, when you're spiking, you're usually trying to match your height with the ball, right?" He asked. "But Shoyo's absolutely positive that Kageyama will get the ball to him, so he's always trying to jump as high as he can. Form and the starting run... I think those are both important in increasing your jumping ability."

"So you're saying that Kageyama's gradually making Hinata's jumps higher." Sugawara said.

"Is everyone here?" Takeda questioned, coming into the gym.

"Gather round!"

"Right!"

The team then gathered around Takeda and bowed. "Thank you all for your hard work. This is sudden, but I have some big news." He glanced over towards Kageyama and Atsushi. "Kageyama-kun. Ushijima-kun."

"Huh?"

"What is it, Sensei?"

"You both have been asked to attend the All-Japan Youth Training Camp!" Takeda announced. Kageyama and Atsushi widened their eyes in shock.

"All... Japan?!"

"Japan?!" Yamaguchi exclaimed.

"Holy crap!"

"Youth... As in..." Yachi shivered a bit. "The national representatives for Japan under the age of 19... right?"

"Yeah... Wow... That's all... I can really say." Kiyoko replied.

"That's the same as Ushiwaka!" Yamaguchi stated.

"Ushiwaka managed to remain a representative until the end, but who knows if the King will actually last that long?" Tsukishima spoke.

"That's awesome, Kageyama, Atsushi!" Tanaka congratulated them both.

"All-Japan is like super cool!" Nishinoya added on.

"If I remember correctly, it's from the players nominated today that they'll pick Japan's actual under-19 representatives two years from now. To compete against the world. They basically look for 15 and 16-year-olds all around Japan to prepare for that selection in two years, and select a tiny handful of the best of the best." Ennoshita explained.

"Just being invited to something like that is amazing." Narita stated.

"I guess we've been practicing with some insane guys." Kinoshita commented. "I mean, versus the world? They're on a totally different level."

"Please stop."

"Noya-san, knock it off!"

"But the training camp is going to be held for five days at the beginning of December, and right before the Spring Tournament in January, so it's not a requirement to go." Takeda informed. 

"I'll go." Both Kageyama and Atsushi said in unison.

"They should go." Daichi said at the same time.

Kageyama and Atsushi both looked towards Daichi. "I mean, the best in Japan will be there. Not to mention, there's no point in a team like us being timid." Daichi said as Takeda nodded in reply.

"What about me?" Hinata questioned.

Tsukishima tilted his head. "Uh, we're talking All-Japan here. All-Japan. Representatives for all of Japan under 19. Do you understand that?" He asked as Hinata looked irritated.

"Of course, I do!" He shouted.

"So... The only ones who got invites were Kageyama-kun and Ushijima-kun." Takeda informed as Hinata was taken aback.

"Kageyama, make sure that when you get interviewed, you tell them that your wonderful senpai named Sugawara showed you the ropes." Sugawara said.

"Right..."

"Stop trying to slip in suggestions."

"No fair trying to get ahead, Suga-san!" Tanaka shouted out. "Hey, Atsushi! You better do the same for me!"

"Whatever you say, Tanaka-san."

"Honestly, I'm wondering why they haven't invited Nishinoya." Asahi pointed out.

"True... But we are kinda biased." Sugawara agreed.

"Well, in cases like this, I'm sure they considered talent and potential, but I hear they look at how balanced a player is overall, too. There will be a lot of players meeting for the first time, so they probably consider how well they play with others, too. And for a libero, I mean... they'll probably invite someone who's a bit more mature..."

"Mature... Right."

"I can't even argue with that."

Takeda clapped his hands together. "All right, listen up! I have one more piece of news." He announced. "Also happening in the beginning of December... There will be a special training camp for promising rookies in Miyagi Prefecture. Coach Anabara from Johzenji High School just gave me a call. It's apparently an idea to try and level up Miyagi Prefecture's volleyball skills as a whole. This is apparently only open to first-years... It's basically a mock youth camp."

"A mock youth camp?" Daichi repeated.

"One of our players has been invited." Takeda continued on. "Tsukishima-kun."

Tsukishima nodded as Yamaguchi widened his eyes at him. "That's so awesome, Tsukki!" He exclaimed. "You're one of the best first-years in the prefecture!"

"A training camp?" Tsukishima said in defeat.

"I mean, Tsukishima was amazing in the finals!"

"What the hell? Why is it only first-years?" Tanaka exclaimed.

"Sensei! What about me?!" Hinata asked once more.

"Um... Well, Tsukishima-kun was the only one invited to this one..." Takeda repeated as Hinata screamed in shock.

"I mean, the Spring Tournament is right around the corner, so I'll pas—" Tsukishima started to say.

"Do your best out there, Tsukishima!" Daichi interrupted.

"Yeah! It's rare for you to get a chance to have guys from other schools mess with you." Sugawara added on.

"Yeah, I get enough of that already. Thanks." Tsukishima commented.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and tell them the three of you will both be participating." Takeda announced before leaving the gym.

"Hey." Kageyama spoke, getting Hinata's attention as he smirked. "I'm going on ahead."

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After practice, Kageyama and Atsushi were walking home together as a lollipop was in Atsushi's mouth. "All-Japan, huh?" Atsushi spoke as Kageyama only hummed in reply. "I understand why you were invited. But I'm starting to wonder if the only reason I got an invitation was because they took a look at my surname and made the connection that I was related to Toshi-nii."

"I really wish you'd stop doing that." Kageyama said, making Atsushi cock an eyebrow up in confusion. "Why do you think everytime something great happens to you, it's because of your older brother?"

"Because usually, it is." Atsushi answered. "Everything I got was because of Toshi-nii. It's one of the reasons why I decided at the last minute to attend Karasuno. I wanted to grow on my own without his help."

"And you did just that." Kageyama stated. "Believe in your own power, Atsu."

The next day at school, Kageyama and Atsushi were looking at a paper as Takeda was talking to them. They also had practice matches with other schools.

"Your legs aren't moving!"

"Come on! Another one!"

"Kageyama and Atsushi are starting training camp tomorrow, too..." Tanaka spoke, looking up at the sky.

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Atsushi was at Kageyama's side as they were at the train station wearing their volleyball jackets. Kageyama took out the piece of paper.

"This is the route from Tokyo Station."

"JR... U... Uto...?"

"Moron. It's Utsunomiya." Atsushi sighed out. "Honestly... How can you be so helpless?"

Atsushi and Kageyama finally arrived at the Tokyo Training Center. "We're finally here!" Kageyama announced.

"Your sense of direction is horrible, Tobio."

"Shut up!"

"Karasuno High School Volleyball Club..."

Both Atsushi and Kageyama turned around, seeing a male with black, wavy hair and two moles on the right side of his forehead wearing a white mask. He had a large, muscular build, standing at 189 cm.

"You two are from the team that beat Wakatoshi-kun."

"You're Sakusa Kiyoomi!" Atsushi announced, getting Kageyama's attention. "Holy shit! Tobio, do you know who this is?!"

"Stop shaking me, Atsu."

"He's one of the top three spikers in Japan! He's friggin' awesome! We get to see him up close! Why aren't you more excited?!"

"I'm Kageyama Tobio, and I'm a first-year from Karasuno High School! I'm a setter! It's nice to meet you!" Kageyama introduced himself.

"And I'm Ushijima Atsushi! Also a first-year from Karasuno High School. I'm a wing spiker. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakusa-san!" Atsushi greeted with awe in his eyes.

"Ushijima? You must be Wakatoshi-kun's little brother..." Sakusa muttered before walking by the two.

"I got to see Sakusa Kiyoomi in the flesh! How totally cool!" Atsushi thinks to himself as he was still stuck in place.

"Let's go, Atsu. Quit your fanboying already." Kageyama mumbled, dragging him by his arm.

Atsushi and Kageyama soon entered the gym where the rest of the players gathered.

"Apparently footage from the court shows up on that screen with a 6-second delay at all times."

"Wow."

"So you can thoroughly examine your plays."

"That's awesome!"

"Gather round!"

All of the players gathered together.

"Now then... Let's have a word from the Japan Olympic Men's Team's Coach, Hibarida. If you would." Hitaki announced.

"Sure thing." Hibarida stepped up. "Let's see... I'm sure you're tired of us old guys talking, so I'll keep it short. "The Japan Team crumbles before height and strength." That phrase is pretty outdated now. Skills and talents aren't meant to be had. They're meant to be shown. When you go up against the world, make sure you go berserk. Let's prove to everyone that volleyball is way more interesting than they thought."

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A/N: Atsushi's fanboy moment with Sakusa is literally everything. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2333 words.