Kawakami Norifumi's pitching form impressed both presidents of the Seidō.
Takashima Rei, in particular, praised his recent pitch highly.
Not only among the current Second String players, but even within the First String, he was competitive
"After this game, promote him to the Second String first. Let him get more playtime, and by the end of the Summer Tournament, he should be ready for further advancement," Kazuyoshi Ōta declared decisively.
As club presidents, their focus wasn't limited to the First String—they also had to plan for the team's future growth.
With this in mind, Takashima Rei cast a thoughtful glance toward Takumi, who looked startled in the batter's box.
Having Kawakami pitch to him was undoubtedly harsh.
But there was no other way; to make him face reality, his delusions had to be completely shattered.
Baseball wasn't his only path, especially for someone like him with many options.
Not just other sports—even becoming a star, given his looks, was a promising possibility.
Of course, if he could bounce back after such a setback, it wouldn't be a bad outcome for him either.
On the mound, Kawakami Norifumi, having just secured a strike, was in surprisingly good form.
His performance today had been solid; although he'd given up three hits, most were due to fielder's delayed reactions.
For himself, while it wasn't a perfect game, he would rate it at least a ninety-five.
Now facing Takumi, he felt even more confident.
He could already envision the Second String calling to him.
He wasn't a prodigy like Miyuki Kazuya, nor did he expect to jump straight to the First String.
He aimed to climb steadily, step by step, eventually joining the First String and becoming the Ace.
This was the path he wanted.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and delivered the second pitch.
Whoosh!
This time, the white ball in his hand seemed to fly even faster.
Takumi stood in the batter's box, still reeling from the shock of the first pitch. He now fully understood that relying solely on his own strength, it was impossible to hit Kawakami's fastball.
He couldn't even swing at the spot where the ball was flying.
He couldn't handle the speed of the pitch.
The gap between him and Kawakami was terrifyingly wide.
Although Kawakami was a minor player with little presence on the Seidō, his skill was unmatched.
Why had he once considered giving up and slacking off?
Because no matter how hard he worked, he couldn't catch up to him.
That was the most discouraging part.
Fortunately, he was different now.
He lacked over ten years of rigorous training and the solid foundation and experience of his teammates.
But he had a secret weapon.
"Sharingan, activate!"
With the Sharingan activated, the world before his eyes seemed to shift and transform completely.
Kawakami's pitching, once flawless and overwhelming, now appeared different.
It wasn't the pitch itself but the placement that had previously kept him from swinging.
Now, the ball seemed to slow down dramatically.
Not only could he track its trajectory with crystal clarity, but he could also pinpoint its exact landing spot.
The first pitch was an off-speed throw; the second, a straightforward fastball.
Seeing everything so vividly, a surge of fierce determination flooded his heart.
This prodigy-like vision was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
'I can hit it!' he thought, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Gripping the bat tightly with both hands, he swung decisively the moment the ball crossed into the strike zone.
Buzz!
The bat swung through the air, and just as he thought he was about to make contact, he realized his swing was late.
The ball zipped past in front of his eyes.
Thwack!
He swung and missed.
"Strike!!"
The count was two strikes, zero balls.
In just two pitches, he was in a tight spot.
From the dugout came cries of frustration.
"What kind of hitting is that?"
"Can you swing any slower? By the time you connect, the sun will have set."
"You're so slow, you couldn't even catch hot garbage!"
...
They spoke without holding back.
But at this moment, he paid them no mind.
All his focus was on the pitcher on the mound.
Failed?
Having just missed the ball, he was stunned.
Even with the Sharingan activated, he hadn't hit it?
If the Uchiha clan from another dimension knew this, they'd be furious enough to rise from their graves.
Where was the problem?
He quickly realized the key issue.
His eyes were fine; the real issue was that his body wasn't syncing with them.
With the Sharingan sharpening his vision, he could effortlessly track the ball's trajectory and pinpoint its exact landing spot.
There was no flaw in his sight.
In fact, the ball landed precisely where he had predicted.
In theory, knowing the landing spot should have made it easy to connect with the ball.
But the problem was his body lagged behind.
Though he saw where the ball would fall, by the time his bat swung through that spot, the ball had already passed.
'One more chance! This time, I absolutely cannot miss,' he vowed fiercely.
Before he could dwell on it further, Kawakami delivered the third pitch.
He didn't waste the strike count and aimed straight for the strike zone.
After two consecutive inside pitches, his third was placed on the outside corner.
This inside-outside combination created a significant spatial challenge.
Takashima Rei, watching intently from the dugout, suddenly brightened with admiration.
"Beautiful!" she exclaimed.
Not only was the pitch flawless, but the strategy behind it was brilliant.
Judging by the current results, Kawakami Norifumi was already a remarkably mature pitcher.
Unlike Takumi, the players on their team had already turned away, unwilling to witness such a display of failure.
Yet, just as they averted their eyes, a sharp sound snapped through the air.
Ping!
The crisp crack of bat meeting ball.
"He hit it?" someone gasped.
Everyone whipped their heads back in disbelief.
When they looked again, they saw the ball soaring through the air.
The fielders hadn't anticipated it either; by the time they reacted and scrambled to intercept, it was too late.
The ball landed, bounced, and rolled deep into the outfield.
The runner on second, already prepared, sped past third base and dashed home.
"On base!"
"One run scored!"
"Score tied 5–5."
Everything happened so fast that the Red Team barely registered what had just transpired.
"How did he manage to hit that?" someone whispered in stunned amazement.