Fly High for Me - Haikyuu!! AU

Years Later...

Nice receive Yaotome!"

"Nice kill, Yamaguchi!"

"Nice block, Tskuishima-san!"

"Nice set as always, Kageyama-san!"

"Shoji, get the next one!"

"Yamaguchi, nice serve!"

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Jeez, Yamaguchi-san takes practice way to seriously, Shoji thought as he went to grab a broom from the broom closet. Practice had just ended and like most days, the cleaning was left to the first and second-years. While he didn't like that idea, the third-years said that it was how the club had always been ran and that they were not going to change it any time soon. All it took was one look from their captain Yamaguchi, and all of the first-years would get back in line.

For all of the first-years, the third-years seemed really intimidating when they first met them. There were three on the volleyball team, and only one third-year as the manager; she was the only one that was nice to them on the first day when their captain wasn't there. Their star setter Kageyama was unable to talk to the first-years without scaring them, and the strategic middle blocker Tsukishima was too sarcastic for any of the first-years to relate to. The manager Yachi, however, was a pleasant person and explained to the new comers that the third-years are all really nice, and it was just that they didn't know how to come across as friendly. 

The next day, however, was a different story. The captain had been away for a while, so when the third-years all heard that he was coming back, they stiffened out of fear. The first-years not knowing how bad he was, went to the second-years for an explanation, only to see the second-years praying. How bad can this guy be?! all of the first-years internally exclaimed when the captain walked in. 

Their captain was none other than Yamaguchi Tadashi, and he was known in the world of high school volleyball for not only being a powerful server, but for also being able to keep the geniuses of Karasuno in check. The day he came back, the first-years saw a man about 5'10 with a smile on his face walk in and say, "Guess who's baaack...!"

All of the third-years stiffened except for Yachi, who said to the remaining third-years, "Well Kageyama and Tsukishima, care to explain to him how you scared our first-years silly?"

Yachi recieved glares from the two boys, but they quickly moved their gazes to the captain in the doorway, who now had an angry, yet calm smile on his face. 

"Did I hear that right Yachi? Did you say that they didn't give a warm welcome to our new players?"

"You heard me correctly, Yamaguchi."

"Well Kageyama, Tsukishima," he replied, not once getting rid of that smile while Tsukishima flinched at the captain using his last name. "Let's see how fast you can run, shall we?"

Both boys didn't hesitate to start running before hearing Yamaguchi count down. 

"Ten."

"Nine."

"Eight."

The first years didn't know what to do, so they looked for the second-years, only to see them quake and shout "Quick! He's counting! Run Kageyama and Tsukishima!"

"Five."

"Four."

Those poor first-years, not knowing what happens when he counts down to zero.

"Three."

"Two."

"One..."

"Zero."

Yamaguchi ran out of the gym, seeing how far the third-years had gone, and then went to chase them down. In the distance, you could hear two people cry out in pain before being dragged back to the gym by the ears, getting yelled at by none other than their captain.

"What did I tell you two dumb-squiggly-ass-trees about giving the first-years the proper welcome?! Do I need to be here every damn practice to make it run smoothly for everyone?"

"No captain," the two boys replied as they were dragged into the gym and onto the court.

"Good," Yamaguchi said, finally letting them go by the ear.

"Kageyama, no setting for you today. Tsukkishima, no blocking for you today. You both will be doing diving drills until I say so. And, because I apparently can't keep my eyes off of you for two whole seconds," Yanaguchi said, causing both the players to have their mouths gaping wide. "I have to have Yachi watch you guys do them to make sure you're not slacking off. I'm talking about you, Tsukkishima." he added with a pointed glare.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes, captain."

"Now go do those drills before I serve at your heads."

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Shoji laughed to himself at that memory. Yamaguchi had quickly gained the respect of all of the first-years, and was able to get them into shape for the upcoming games. Of course, they were all in shock at how coordinated they were on the court, and it just pushed the first-years to do even better.

As Shoji walked into the broom closet and delayed himself from having to clean, he noticed a little shrine in the back of the closet. On the shrine was a gold trophy of a volleyball with a plaque on a base of wood that said, "Karasuno High School, Japan's National High School Boys Volleyball Team Champions, 2012-13". Next to the trophy was what Shoji assumed to be the team of that year, and he noticed a few people- the younger version of Yachi, Yamaguchi, Kageyama, and Tsukkishima, as well as all of the other people on the team whom they met at matches. There was only one person in the picture he didn't know, and that was a short ginger. On the opposite side of the trophy was another picture, only it was a single framed picture of the ginger with this dopey smile on his face.

Not knowing who the kid was, he got the broom he needed and went out to ask his seniors about the kid.

"Yamaguchi-san, why is there a shrine in the broom closet?" Shoji asked.

He didn't get a response from the captain- all of the third-years had this wistful smile on their faces, and each of them had a vacant look in their eyes. 

"We'll tell you," Kageyama said with a true smile.

Everyone gathered around to hear the story, mainly because they had never seen their seniors like that before.

"Where to start..." Tsukkishima trailed off with a confuzzeled face.

"How about we start right after we won against Shiratorizawa?" Yamaguchi suggested. "That is  where it all began after all."

"Where what began?" Yaotome asked.

"Our trip to nationals, and one without the team's ball of energy," Yachi replied, answering his question.

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Hello everyone! This is the beginning of a dead Hinata AU, so if you don't want to know how he died and just continue reading, I will let you know at the beginning of the chapter where it explains his death. I hope you enjoy this AU! Please make sure to take care of yourself, and have a fantastic rest of your day!

-Amberly O'Neill