This was a surprise for me, but I started rewatching Kuroko no Basket and I've fallen in love with this series once again. This idea had been on my mind for a few weeks now, and I thought I'd share it with you all. I hope you all enjoy the read.

A Naruto in the Kuroko No Basket Universe

Oh Captain, My Captain

Part 1 of ?

Kuroko wasn't sure how long he'd been standing in the middle of the court with the ball held between his hands, but it must have been a while. When he arrived, it was still daylight, but the sun had long set, and the chill of the evening was already starting to set in. Still dressed in his school uniform, he'd yet to return home. Truthfully, the last thing he wanted to do was go home. He had a lot on his mind, and his mother would no doubt worry about him. She did that a lot these days. She always seemed to know when something was bothering him. She could tell when something was off with him.

Mother's intuition, maybe? He'd read that mothers seemed to have this sixth sense when it came to their children.

"Hmmm."

A chill of air grazed across the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine as he took his jacket off and threw it carefully to the side. Taking a calm breath, he ran his fingertips across the rubber of the basketball before steadily beginning to dribble it, quickly creating a rhythm to sound out across the empty court. He stood like that for half a minute, his pale blue eyes staring at the hoop that hung a few feet above him.

Images of five teens appeared around the hoop. The Five members of the Generation of Miracles with a tall and lean boy with dark-blue hair standing at the centre.

'Aomine.'

His former partner on the court had been on his mind recently. How could he not be? After the trouncing, Aomine and Too Academy gave Seirin at the Interhigh Tournament. Kuroko knew Aomine's level of play had likely heightened and took to a height beyond that at Teiko, but he didn't think it would be so massive. The moment he came onto the court, Seirin was systematically deconstructed by his style of play. Even Kagami, their strongest player, couldn't compare. The pair were similar in their aggressive styles of play, yet Aomine proved to be the stronger of the two.

Aomine was a monster when he stepped onto the court. In the end, Seirin lost 112-55. They'd been destroyed from top to bottom. It was a humbling experience, to say the least, and not one he wanted to feel again.

It only went downhill after that. Every game after their match with Too Academy had been hard to play, and Seirin ended up being the only team in the Final League of the Interhigh to lose all their games. No one said a word afterwards. They just walked around like zombies, the fire vanishing from their bellies. Even Riko's threats of harder training and punishments had little to no effect. They were going through the motions, but no one wanted to be competitive. No one could get their defeat from Too out of their minds.

Unsurprisingly, Too had reached the finals of the inter-high Tournament but lost their last game to Rakuzan, who were the favourites to win from the beginning. One notable fact was that Aomine didn't play the game, and nor did Akashi. Whether that was by choice or by command, Kuroko didn't know. Either way, both teams automatically gained entry to the Winter Cup, which would take place in a couple of months.

That had been two weeks ago.

Steadily the team had picked themselves up, returning to practise and finding the will to carry on with the rest of the season with one notable change, which came from the Seirin's power forward. During practice, he was still full-on and gave the games his all, but there was a notable distance between himself and the rest of the team. In particular with Kuroko himself. The taller boy didn't think their cooperative power was going to be enough anymore. At least, not against the likes of the Generations of Miracles. If he wanted to be the best in Japan and defeat them, he had to do it himself.

Looking at the hoop, Kuroko stopped dribbling and went to take a shot. It went as well as the pale-blue-haired boy imagined it would as it flew through the air and instantly rebounded off the metal rim of the basket. The dull bounce of the ball resonated through the empty court, with the sole occupier merely watching as the ball rolled back to his feet.

Was Kagami right? Was he holding them back? Holding Kagami back? After all, look at the way Aomine and the other Miracles had flourished in their new teams. Could he say the same about himself? Sure, he'd developed a new technique or two which proved vital in their games and Kaijo and Shutoko, but Aomine and Too quickly rendered them useless.

In the grand scheme of the game, he knew he wasn't a good player. Apart from his misdirection and passes, he was a horrible player with a weak body compared to the giants that played their game. How could he compete?

'Should I give up?'

Such thoughts rarely came to his mind. He loved basketball with every fibre of his being, and in the past, such ideas were quickly banished. Now though, he was beginning to question if he belonged on the court he loved so much. How would everyone else react if he hung up his jersey for good? Would the Miracles be surprised their phantom sixth man left the game for good? Would Kagami and his teammates accept it?

Picking up the ball, he gave it a hard squeeze before lining up for another shot.

"You know, you're a hard guy to track down, Kuro-kun."

The pale-blue eyes of Kuroko blinked in surprise at the new voice. He didn't know anyone else was on the court. He must have been deeper in thought than he realised if he didn't hear them approach.

'I know that voice.' He lowered the ball in his hands and steadily turned around. To his surprise, he came face to face with someone he hadn't seen in years, "Miss Ino?"

The young woman in question grinned at him. She was, to put it simply, beautiful, with unblemished fair skin and pale blue eyes men and women could get lost in. Long platinum-blonde hair tied into a ponytail ran down to her waist with long bangs covering the right side of her face, obscuring her right eye from view with the left side clipped back. She dressed casually in a rather form-fitting purple hoodie that covered but showed off her shapely figure. A pale blue skirt covered the middle of her thighs before black tights covered the rest of her legs. On her feet were a pair of well maintained purple Nike Air's.

"Miss Ino? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Dummy." Ino crossed her arms, and a pouty expression washed over her face, "I was in the middle of getting my nails done when your Mom called." She showed her hands, revealing one hand was perfectly manicured with purplish polish neatly layered over the nail, while the other appeared natural, "Don't even get me started on the state my toenails are in right now."

"Oh," Kuroko responded, unsure how else to reply, "I'm sorry?"

"You're lucky I like you." She stepped closer, and Kuroko could see she still stood taller than he did. Standing at 5'6, he had to guess Ino stood around 5'9. She'd certainly grown more beautiful since he last saw her, not that he'd ever say that to her face, lest he wanted her to tease him for all eternity.

"Thanks?"

"Man, you sure are hard to find, you know. We must have checked four different areas before settling on this one." Ino told him before turning around and cupping a hand to her mouth, "Naruto, he's over here. Court Five."

Once again, Kuroko blinked in mild surprise before his gaze rested on a blonde head walking along the chain-link fence. The duo soon became a trio as a man towering over both Kuroko and Ino walked towards them. Like Ino, he was blonde, though more golden in the same way Kise's was, and kept shorter. His eyes were blue too, though, much darker in comparison and his skin tone was tanned. A large orange hoodie covered his upper half with a pair of black Nike shorts reaching down to his knees. The chill of the evening didn't appear to be bothering him. On his feet were a pair of Nike Air's, though unlike Ino's, his were a mixture of black and orange but appeared equally as well-maintained.

"Long time no see, Kuroko."

The pale-blue haired boy's youth formed a small o-shape, staring up at the man in surprise, showing off emotion he rarely displayed off the court, "Captain?" Like many of his fellow teammates and opponents, Kuroko was the smaller of the pair. He was taller than Kagami, Aomine and even Midorima, though he wasn't the extreme height of Murasakibara. A strong and lean frame hid beneath the orange hoodie.

Naruto and Ino both chuckled as the tall blonde came and stood next to her, "You know, you don't have to call me that anymore. I haven't been your captain in nearly three years." His hand came down and rested on the Kuroko's head, ruffling it gently while Ino leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the younger boys cheek. Kuroko didn't often get flustered by acts from the women around him. Case and point being the way Momoi often greeted him and told everyone she was his girlfriend. Ino, however, had a knack for teasing him in the past and made it her mission at one point to make him blush. Since then, he often found himself at her mercy.

Kuroko stared down at the basketball, squeezing it between his fingers before gentle passing it over to Naruto, who caught it with one hand.

"What are you both doing here?" He asked, turning to look at Ino first, "Isn't the Interhigh Volleyball Tournament this week?"

The Interhigh Volleyball Championship was the equivalent of its basketball counterpart, representing the best Academy teams throughout the country. Like their Interhigh, it crowned which team was the best in all of Japan. Ino was an alumnus of Teiko Junior High, and for the lack of a better term, a force of nature when it came to Volleyball. Playing as the setter and eventual captain in her third year, she and the Teiko Women's Volleyball Team went on to win Two National Championships, a winning trait she carried over into Highschool.

"I've always got time for a friend," Ino reassured.

"Your Mom called us." Naruto told him, spinning the ball on the tip of his index finger, "You haven't been yourself recently. You've been quiet. At least quieter than your usual self."

Ino gently tapped the side of his head, "So, she wanted us to see if we could cheer you up, and find out what's going on in that cute little head of yours." She smiled, though there was a cast of worry in her expression, "What's wrong? What's got you so withdrawn?"

"It's nothing, really. I've just had a lot of my mind." Kuroko told them. He didn't want to burden them with his problems. By the tone of his voice, he knew he didn't sound convincing, nor did Naruto and Ino appear convinced. Naruto's face remained neutral, though Ino's expression turned stern.

"You expect us to believe that?" She leaned forward and poked him in the chest with her finger, "Are you telling me I came out all this way for that excuse?" Her mouth turned into a sadistic-looking smile, and before Kuroko could blink, he found her hands pinching his cheeks and began to pull, "You know what happens when someone crosses me!"

Kuroko nodded but didn't say anything. He remembered all too well. The older blonde girl could be as sweet as strawberry mochi one minute and as terrifying as a hungry piranha the next. The sound of a ball hitting the ground made both turn their heads and watched as Naruto dribbled the ball for a few seconds before lining up for a shot from the free-throw circle. As expected, the ball smoothly flew through the air and into the hoop, making a gentle swish sound as it passed through.

Walking over and leaning over to pick up the ball, he spoke as he stood back up, "It's that game you played with Aomine and Too Academy, wasn't it? It's got you shook." He looked back at Kuroko, "And it's not just you that's feeling it, I bet."

"You were there?"

Naruto shook his head, "I had to look after my youngest siblings that day, but I was able to watch it on a stream later in the evening."

Kuroko felt Ino's hands leave his face and rested on her hips, "That's what this is all about? Because you guys lost one game?"

"They didn't really lose, Ino. They got annihilated." Naruto spun the basketball on his finger, not mincing his words. He got a clap on the shoulder from the blonde woman, "Ow! What was that for?"

"You don't have to be so blunt."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black."

"It's alright, Miss Ino. He is correct." Kuroko saved his former Teiko Captain, "We had control of the game for the first half, but Aomine came on in the second half, and the game shifted. We thought we were prepared for him." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I thought I was prepared for him, but I was wrong."

Naruto nodded, "Aomine sure has gotten better. The leap in his abilities from his last year at Teiko to his first year at Too is staggering." Dropping the ball and tucking it beneath his arm, Naruto put his other arm around Kuroko, "Come on. I haven't eaten, and neither has Ino. Let's get some food and hash it out. We can talk over a meal."

"You know anywhere local, Kuroko?" Ino asked, skipping next to the pale blue-haired teen with her hands clasped behind her back.

Kuroko nodded, "I know somewhere we can go."

"Manji Burger, huh?" Naruto said, taking a large bite from one of the dozen burgers he had sitting on a plate in front of him, "Not bad. Not bad at all. It doesn't compare to ramen, but it's still good."

Kuroko looked up from his vanilla shake on the other side of the booth, "You're still a ramen addict, then?"

"Of course! There's nothing out there that can ever beat it. It's the food of the gods."

Ino snorted next to Naruto, one hand being used to prop her head up while the other also held a vanilla shake, "Believe me, Kuroko. I've tried. For three years, I've been dating this blockhead and nothing. It's a battle I have long given up." Ino then took a sip from her shake, "Hmm, I see why you like these so much, but is that really all your going to have?"

When Kuroko nodded, she leaned over and swiped a burger from Naruto's plate, putting it in front of him.

"Hey!"

"You have eleven more. Don't be greedy."

"Hmm."

"Thank you, Captain."

Naruto shrugged, "You're welcome, I guess." It wasn't like Ino had given him a choice, "I hear you and your team managed to hold off Midorima in the finals of the preliminaries. That's impressive." Taking another bite of his burger, he asked, "Does he still look at those horoscopes?"

Kuroko nodded, unwrapping his burger and taking a small bite, "All the time time."

"Nothing changed in that regard then, but I hear his shooting has developed to the point he can shoot from the other side of the court." Naruto whistled when Kuroko nodded, "Scary. Very few people can do that. I know I'm not one of them. He's come a long way since you all arrived at Teiko as First Years. You all have, for that matter. You've developed your skills and craft at basketball into something most would dream of possessing."

"Some more than others." Kuroko took another bite of the burger and put it down on the table, "I thought we were ready for Aomine, but I severely underestimated just how far he's come since Teiko. Beating Midorima, even if it was by the skin of our teeth and overcoming Kise in a practice game, I thought we had a chance." Kuroko shook his head, "He stopped all my passes like they were nothing. Like he knew they were coming before I made them."

"I don't know much about Kise, but I always knew those four would ascend. I didn't realise how quickly, though." Ino added, "When our Third Year ended, we could see the talent beginning to shine through on you all as we left. It was clear you all had something special and where your strengths laid."

"We all steadily improved, but Aomine was the first to bloom. It happened during an early game in the Second Year, and he soon became the Ace of the Teiko team. The other teams couldn't stop him. He was too fast. Too unpredictable." Kuroko could remember the faces of the other teams as they attempted to pin him down. The hopelessness. The agony. It was like trying to throw a saddle on a mustang that didn't want to be tamed, "It wasn't long after that game the others started to grow."

"Then you guys swept your Second and Third Years, claimed two more national titles, and I bet Aomine was the primary destructive force for that," Naruto added.

"He was."

"Nice to see the values of teamwork carried over after I left. I hear it was a free-for-all during games. Who can score the most points on their own." Sarcasm was evident in Naruto's voice, and Kuorko couldn't blame him. As the Captain and their senior, he drilled into their heads that teamwork was key to winning games and not individual strength. You couldn't rely on one person 24/7. During practice, Naruto and their coach would put them through all kinds of drills, trying to develop the first strings capabilities as a team and have the rhythm of their plays flow like water. Kuroko could say for certain the ideology of teamwork was at the centre of their First Championship victory.

"I didn't think Nijimura would give up the Captaincy you handed down to him after we left so quickly," Ino added. Despite being part of the Teiko Volleyball Team after joining Teiko in the second year, Ino was a constant visitor to the Team during practice and was always at their games during her and Naruto's third year. She helped to keep some of the players like Aomine and Murasakibara reigned in. Especially Murasakibrara, who would often find the platinum blondes ire in his direction.

"Nijimura's a good player with strong drive capabilities, but when the Miracles began to bloom, and Akashi's talents as a Captain started to show, the writing was on the wall." Kuroko replied, "Also, his father was still sick at the time. He told all of us family came first." The teal-haired boy looked at the tall blonde at that, as did Ino, who shuffled closer to him.

Naruto didn't say much, but he did nod.

"That's good. I'd be disappointed if that wasn't the case."

They sat there for another five minutes, Naruto eating his burgers and Kuroko drinking his Vanilla shake as the two went back and forth on the Miracles, while Ino sat quietly, adding her two cents in when needed. The blonde had tried to follow Teiko's continued success after he graduated, but his focus had to be on his new school and winning Nationals at the high school level.

Half a dozen burgers later, the blonde moved the conversation along, "Tell me about Kagami."

Kuroko did just that, "He's a powerful player. He's the closest player in the league to the Miracles with a style of play not dissimilar to Aomine."

"Yeah, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between them. How tall is he?"

"6'3. An inch shorter than Aomine, but his build is a bit thicker. His reflexes are strong, and he played streetball obsessively when he lived in the States."

Naruto looked impressed, "He learned from the source."

"He did. His jumping power is the highest I've ever seen. You could say it's his speciality. It was a big help in Seirin getting through the Preliminaries and into the Final League of the Interhigh. His jumping power even lets him perform Lane-Ups. Kagami loves to dunk the ball over his opponents. It just lights the fire in his stomach throughout the game."

"So where do the Miracles come into the equation?"

"Kagami's goal is to defeat all the Miracles and become the best player in Japan. I promised to help him with his goal." Kuroko admitted, gaining a faraway look on his face, "I want the Generations of Miracles to recognise my basketball, and I realised Kagami is my best option to do that."

"So Kagami became your new light?"

"Yes, but now I'm not so sure," Kuroko replied, looking down at the burger sitting between his hands, "We gave it everything we had against Aomine and Too Academy, and it still wasn't enough. Now, Kagami doesn't think our teamwork will be enough to surpass him and is focused solely on doing it all himself." The burger squashed together as his grip tightened, "I couldn't do anything. Everything I threw at Aomine, he stopped and blocked. I don't know what to do anymore." His eyes turned downcast, "Maybe I should stop playing altogether."

As soon as he stopped talking, he found himself blinking in surprise as Ino's hand appeared on his head, delicately patting him as if he was a dog.

"Naww, poor Kuroko-chan all blue because he lost." She smiled before her expression did a one-eighty, her palm shifting into a fist and coming down on top of his skull, "As if I'd say that, you baka!" Everyone in Manji Burger turned to look at their table, with Naruto muttering an apology to everyone.

A low "ow," escaped Kuroko's mouth as one hand came up to rub his now throbbing skull.

"You guys lost one game, and your response should be to call it quits!?" Ino flicked her ponytail back over her shoulder, "If everyone in the world who played sports quit after losing a single game, they'd be no sports left to play. Did I quit when that pink-haired bitch from Shinkyo Academy beat me during the National Finals of the Volleyball Spring Tournament? Hell no! I laid her ass out and won the Spring Tournament and the Interhigh in my Second Year!"

Kuroko looked at Naruto, "Pink-haired bitch?"

Naruto waved it off, "Ino's archnemesis, Sakura Haruno. She's the setter for Shinkyo Academy. The two of them have traded victories since the start of Highschool, and it's always their teams that make it to the finals. Ino won the Interhigh in their first year but lost in the National Finals. In the second year, Ino lost the Interhigh but won the Nationals. It's a whole ordeal." He looked at his girlfriend, "Ino gets very worked up about it."

Ino carried on, "It's 2-2 for now, but you wait! I'm not losing my final year of High-school Volleyball to her! The Interhigh and Nationals will be mine!"

While Ino stewed and returned to her vanilla shake, Naruto took the lead with the conversation, "Ino does have a point. Yeah, you guys lost pretty bad, and I'm sure it was the deciding factor on losing the other two games in the Final league, but the point of playing basketball isn't just winning. It's picking yourself back up, getting stronger and having fun with the game." Naruto leaned back in his seat, "Look at the Seirin team last year. They got to the Final League, and like this year, they got swept away. Did that stop them from playing this year?"

Kuroko didn't say anything, but he did appear thoughtful. He hadn't thought of that.

"I watched some of their games last year. For a team that only formed that year, they were pretty good. Rough around the edge and still finding their feet, but they were a team I'd like to play with."

Quietly, Kuroko replied, "I didn't think about that."

"Maybe you should. Have you spoken to them about how you're feeling? About the problems with Kagami?" Kuroko shook his head, "Talk to them. You guys are a team. You win together, you lose together, and you come out the other side stronger for it."

Deep down, Kuroko knew his former Captain was correct. He'd been focusing so much on what he lacked individually that he forgot he had the rest of the team to pick him up and help him. That was the point of having a team. When one person fell, the others came along to get them up and push them along. They were likely still feeling the loss but were choosing to put it behind them and continue forward. He'd seen Hyuga, Izuki, Mitobe, Koganei, and the rest of the team in the Gym giving it their all. Riko was right there with them, doing her best to find new ways to help develop and cultivate their talent for the sport.

He had no right wallowing when they were pushing themselves past their limits.

Now, Seirin had Teppei return after a long absence, and his words to him in the Gymnasium started ringing bells. Kuroko was a specialist player, and he knew that. He knew what his limits were, and when it came to everything but passes, he was below average. Aomine was right with what he said on the court. He was the only one who hadn't changed and adapted. He couldn't speak for Murasakibara or Akashi, but watching Aomine, Kise, and Midorima play, they all pushed and practised day in and day out to get where they were.

The first-year hit a wall, and he needed to scale that wall and make it to the other side.

His basketball needed to be stronger.

The team had been hit with a setback, but now it was time to get past it and come out the other side better for it. They weren't ready for a team like Aomine and Too Academy, but they would be next time.

A resolute expression washed over Kuroko's face, "Captain, can I ask a favour from you?"

A curious expression appeared on the blonde's face as he was mid-bite, "What do you need?"

"I need to evolve my style of play. I can't keep the ball for too long. Otherwise, my misdirection won't last. That prevents me from being able to dribble the ball and drive past opponents. I need to overcome that weakness and get past my previous limits." Kuroko took a sip from his vanilla shake, "Also, I need to learn how to shoot. Would you please help me?"

The blonde could see the resolution behind Kuroko's eyes and felt Ino slip her free hand into his own beneath the table. She gave him a look as if already knowing what the answer was going to be. Well, she was correct. It wasn't like he was going to turn his junior and former teammate away.

He shrugged, "Sure, I'll help you out. Do you remember my home address?" Kuroko nodded. He'd visited in the past and had it solidified in his mind, "The best time is in the evening to practise. I look after Karin, Honoka and Menma after school gets out and they don't have club activities, but if you head over around seven, we can practise for an hour. Sundays, I'm free all day. I'll whip you into shape."

"That's perfect."

"Aww, look at you too. If I didn't know any better, I would have said we jumped back in time three years." Ino commented, before leaning up and kissing the tall blonde on the cheek, "Aren't you a big softie."

Naruto groaned and went back to his burger, eliciting a giggle from Ino and a smile from Kuroko.

"You should see him with the girls. He's a big marshmallow." Ino pinched his cheek, eliciting another groan from the blonde as he tried to continue with his burger.

Kuroko was about to comment but stopped when a familiar red-haired teen appeared at the counter of Manji Burger. As always, he ordered a dozen burgers and had them all thrown onto a tray. He looked dressed for the court, a pair of gym shorts and a baggy shirt caked in sweat patches. Beneath his arm, a basketball rested as the waitress behind the counter handed over his food.

"Kagami?"

Hearing his name, the tall teen turned and stared at the much shorter first-year, an expressionless gaze on his face.

"Kuroko? What are you doing here?" He took a few steps in their direction. His gaze lingered on the basketball resting next to Kuroko, "You've been out practising?"

"I have," Kuroko confirmed, "Though I wasn't making much headway." His pale blue eyes looked at the basketball in Kagami's possession and noticed the light sheen of sweat covering his brow, "You've been practising too."

Kagami nodded and soon noticed two faces he'd never seen before. He glanced briefly at Ino, trying not to blush when she turned her attention his way. She played sports, that much he could tell, noticing her Nike Air's right away. The guy was a different story. The red-haired teen knew what he played the second he looked at him. He could spot a basketball player from a mile away. He wore Nike Air's too, and although he was sitting down, Kagami knew the guy had some height on him.

"Who are your friends?"

Kuroko motioned to Ino first, "That's Ino Yamanaka, and the guy next to her is Naruto Uzumaki. They're old friends and upperclassman of mine from Teiko."

As soon as Kagami heard the word 'Teiko', warning bells went off in Kuroko's head. Instantly, Kagami's interest 100% diverted to Naruto, who was rather nonchalantly eating another burger and trying to steal a sip of Ino's vanilla shake. Said girl was batting his hand away with an annoyed expression.

"Come on, give me a little bit!"

"No, get your own!"

"Teiko, huh?" Kagami stood a little straighter and spoke with Naruto directly, "Did you play for the Teiko Basketball Team? With the Generation of Miracles?"

The blonde looked up at Kagami, locking eyes as blue and red met. He could see the fire burning in those iris's of his, "Only for one year, though they weren't really miracles back then. Just four juniors with an appetite for the game." Naruto leaned back and spread his arm out to rest against the top of the booth, "Kuroko tells me you're pretty good and that you've had some run-ins with Aomine and Midorima. The former of which has you questioning a few things with your team."

Kagami looked at Kuroko from the corner of his eye. To the shorter first-years credit, he didn't look away, nor did he look intimidated. He merely glanced back at him. Kagami knew his stance on things. Now, with his fire beginning to return and doubts cast aside about his future with basketball, he could only hope Kagami does the same.

Fist clenched, Kagami put his tray down on one of the nearby tables and held his basketball out in one hand. His gaze never wavered from the blonde.

"Play me, one on one."

Kuroko's eyes marginally widened. He partly expected such a declaration, given Kagami's character. Kagami wasn't afraid to play anyone, no matter what level of skill they were at. He proved that time and time again when confronted with his former Teiko teammates. There was a fiery passion for the game that no one on the Seirin team could match. Few could match or exceed it, and one of them was sitting in front of him. Basketball was like breathing for them. It was in their blood.

Though, this time, he wondered if Kagami had bitten off more than he could chew.

"Kagami," He said lowly and leaned closer to his Seirin teammate, "That might not be the best idea."

Ino groaned, noticing the half-grin beginning to form on Naruto's face, "Don't bother, Kuroko. He already made his mind up. You'll have an easier time climbing Everest than changing this knuckleheads decision."

"Sure," Naruto's half-grin became a full one and stretched across his face, slightly unnerving Kagami. When he stood up from his seat, the younger teen couldn't help but trail up the blonde's body with his eyes, trying to get a judge of the guy's size and strength, "Let's play."

"You're excited," Ino said, leaning against the chain-link fence and giving Naruto a knowing look as he took his hoody off and handed it to her to look after, "What? Basketball on Sundays aren't enough for you anymore? Or those late nights sessions in the middle of the night when you think no one's watching?"

He rose an eyebrow as he did a few stretches, "How do you know about the midnight sessions?" He asked. They were back on the court they found Kuroko in earlier, with said teen off to the side with Kagami.

"Grandma Tsunade and I talk regularly. You're a topic of conversation every time."

"That's a frightening thought. What else do you talk about?"

"Oh, not much. The girls. School, and what we're doing once Highschool finishes," Ino replied, "We're going for a spa day together after the Interhigh is over. I think we deserve some pampering."

"You didn't invite me?"

"Do you want to come?"

"Not really, but it's nice to feel included by being asked."

Ino snorted, "Big baby." She muttered before glancing around him and watching Kagami warm-up, "So what do you think?"

"I'm not sure yet." He answered honestly, "But I've watched some of their past games, like the one against Shutoku and the one against Meijo. Plus, what Kuroko told us earlier."

"Well, do me a favour." Ino asked, looking at him partly serious, "Don't overdo it."

"It's just a little one on one. When do I ever?"

"Do you want an honest answer?"

A few meters away, Kagami watched the pair from the corner of his eye, "So they're both from Teiko?" He wondered why he'd never heard of the blonde before. If he was from Teiko, he would've thought Kuroko would have mentioned him.

Kuroko nodded, arms at his side as he looked up at the red-haired teen, "Yes. I met them both in my first year, and they were in their Third. Naruto was the Captain of the Teiko Basketball Team for the duration of that first year."

"What position does he play?"

"Small Forward mostly, but he dabbles with the Point Guard position when it's necessary."

"Point Guard? How big is he?" The Point Guard was typically the shortest member of the team.

Kuroko shrugged, "6'7, I think. He looks the same height as Papa Myabe Siki."

Kagami hummed to himself, excitement brimming in his gut, "So he's a National Junior Champion too? Like the other Miracles? What about the girl? I didn't know Teiko had a Girls Basketball Team."

"Two time National Champion. Teiko placed Runner-up in his first year, but that was a big improvement from not making it to Nationals and being in a decade-long slump before that." He then pointed to Ino, "Miss Ino doesn't play basketball. Instead, she plays Volleyball. She led the Teiko Girls Volleyball Team to two National victories as the team's setter. She's very good at it." A shiver ran up his spine as said woman glanced in their direction, "She's also very scary, so don't cross her."

Kagami grunted a response. As expected from people that went to Teiko Junior High, "Understood." He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders before announcing, "Let's go."

Naruto nodded and started walking over with the basketball in his grip, "Alright, sounds good." He passed the ball to Kagami, who caught it with two hands and switched their positions, so he had his back to the basket, "You start. I'll go second."

"Suit yourself," Kagami replied as Naruto took a defensive stance and watched as the younger teen started dribbling the ball. Kuroko went and stood by Ino, both silently watching as the one on one began.

Red eyes met blue as Kagami lowered his shoulders and tried to edge forward, the ball hitting the ground at a rate only those who practised day in and day out could achieve. He tried to go right but found Naruto blocking his way with one arm stretched out to stop him. He backed up a step and tried to go left, switching the ball between his hands but again, the blonde was there to block him.

Trying to go right again, he pushed forward further, but at the last moment, spun himself around and went left, running towards the low post. He thought he got past him but was left slightly dejected when he found the blonde already caught up with him. A tch sound escaped his mouth as he backed up again a few steps before deciding to move through the blonde. His right shoulder pressed against Naruto's chest and tried to overpower him and force him back a step, but what disheartened him was to find his opponent was as strong as he thought.

'This guy's not going to be forced back as easy.' He thought.

Feigning to go forward again and brush up against Naruto, Kagami instead surged off to the right and grinned when he managed to pass the blonde. Taking two big steps, he pushed himself off the ground and jumped into the air. To the side, Ino looked somewhat surprised at the height of the younger teen's jump but then trailed her eyes back to Naruto.

Just as he was about to put the basketball through the hoop, another hand appeared in his vision and swatted the ball out of his hands, sending it rolling across the court and hitting the chain-link fence. It was enough to catch him off guard and stumble as he returned to the ground.

A grunt left him as he found the blonde smiling back at him, "Nice try." Naruto told him, "If it ever looks or feels too easy, it's usually because it's a trap."

The red-haired first year didn't say anything and moved into a defensive position. Kuroko passed the ball over to Naruto, whose turn it was to be on the offence. Like Kagami, he dribbled the ball, though started at a much slower pace as he swayed side to side, moving the ball from one hand to another. Kagami kept his eyes locked on the blonde, waiting for a slip-up.

A half-grin swept over Naruto's face.

Instantly, before Kagami could blink, his opponent accelerated forward, going right and sweeping past the Seirin first-year. His eyes widened, throwing his whole body as he turned around to try and catch him.

'That speed!'

He stretched his arm out and jumped forward, hoping to get a touch on the ball and knocked it off course from the hoop as it left the blonde's hand. To his chagrin, as the ball left Narutos palm, his outstretched fingers gave the ball the extra oomph it needed to avoid his block. All Kagami could do was watch as the ball hit the backboard and made that satisfying swish sound as it fell through the hoop.

"1-0 to Naruto," Kuroko announced.

Kagami took a deep breath as he regained his bearings, watching as Naruto collected the ball and threw it back to him.

'This guy can accelerate at a moments notice,' He thought, watching Naruto fall back into a defensive stance, 'Just like Aomine.'

Was this guy on the same level as them?

Frowning, he dribbled the ball once more, but this time didn't wait. He wanted to catch the tall blonde by surprise. By the third bounce, Kagami took off down the left side of the two-point field area. The blonde was on him in a second, trying to push him further away from the hoop and using his body as a shield. Luckily for him, that was what he was hoping for.

When Naruto was in the right spot, Kagami stopped suddenly, did a 270 spin and bolted down the other side. As soon as he was a suitable distance from the hoop, he jumped in the air again, though higher than before with his right arm stretched out to dunk the ball.

At least, that was the hope. He and the ball were over the hoop and was about to release it when Naruto intercepted him again, much to his disbelief. Hand slamming against the other side of the ball, Kagami didn't have a sliver of hope as the blonde threw his upper body strength into the swing and knocked the ball out of his hand for a second time. Again, Kagami stumbled with a memory from earlier that year springing to mind. It was him, intercepting Kise performing the same move on him, only for the blonde Miracle to successfully dunk the ball past him.

"That was a nice move. You threw me there for a moment." Naruto's grin was beginning to grate on Kagami's nerves. Picking himself back up into the defensive position, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He wasn't going to let the blonde get another one over him.

That was what he hoped, but Naruto had other plans. Dribbling the ball between his legs and swaying his shoulders, he accelerated like before and made to turn right. Kagami was prepared for him, following after him and throwing his whole body into blocking him from getting past. However, Naruto stopped midstride, decelerated, and turned to go left, feigning his previous movement to throw the younger teen off.

Kagami cursed at himself mentally, not being able to stop him in time. It was such a rookie move to make. He should have seen it coming! He jumped in the air in the hope of swatting the ball away, but there was little he could do as Naruto performed a gentle lay-up, the swish of the ball going through the net once again before his fingertips could touch the ball.

"2-0 to Naruto."

This time, Kagami huffed and grabbed the ball himself as he readied to go on the offence.

"Again!"

Naruto made a motion, still grinning as he went on the defensive.

"After you."

Kagami was fairly sure his opponent was no ordinary player. There was just no way in hell. He could barely feel his legs as he fell on his butt, watching in disbelief as the blonde jumped in the air and did a 360 spin before slamming the ball through the hoop, the echo of the impact resonating through the court. His breathing was deep and raspy. It felt like his lungs were on fire.

"25 baskets to 1." It was Kuroko again, his voice beginning to grate on his nerves as he reminded them of the score. He managed to get a single dunk on the blonde about fifteen minutes ago, jumping in the air as high as he could. Using his jumping power in full was enough to momentarily stun the older player long enough to prevent him from blocking. He'd whistled in wonder and complimented him, but that was the final time he managed to get one over on him. The blonde was on him like a bad rash.

This guy was like a copy of Aomine. His style of play was so unorthodox he could barely keep up with it. He'd definitely learned on the streets. He could tell that much. Offence. Defence. Shooting. Was there anything he couldn't do? What made it worse was that the guy didn't even look tired. He was sweating like crazy, and yet this guy barely had a sheen on his forehead.

'This guy. What kind of monster is he?'

"Okay, I think that's enough for one evening." It was Ino who spoke, pushing herself away from the chain-link fence and throwing the hoodie tucked beneath her arms back to Naruto. Said blonde caught it with one hand and threw it over his shoulder while tossing the ball over to Kuroko.

"Yeah, I think you're right. It's been a long day." He stretched his back out, letting out a small hum, "Man, I'm tired. Kuroko, you remember what we take about?"

"I do," Kuroko nodded, "And thank you again. To both of you." He turned to Ino but found himself glomped by the young woman, wrapping her arms around his head and lowering it to rest on her bosom.

"You're very welcome, Kuroko-kun. Don't be a stranger, you hear?" Ino's smile lit up like fireworks, "In fact, I'll even be there every Sunday cheering you on."

"That's very unnecessary."

"Fuuuu, you talk as if you have a choice in the matter." A chill ran up Kuroko's spine as she patted his head, "You should know that by now."

As Ino and Kuroko said goodnight, Kagami noticed Naruto turn around after slipping his hoodie back on and extended his hand out to him, "Good game." He said, still smiling. Kagami looked at his hand for a moment, wondering whether to take it or not, but ultimately decided not to be that guy. He took the hand and felt himself get hoisted back into his feet, taking a moment to steady himself. His legs only recently healed but were looking like he'd be icing them tonight. The coach wasn't going to be happy.

"You're pretty good." Naruto told him, "I can see why you're Seirin's Ace and gave Midorima so much trouble in your game against Shutoku."

Kagami looked at him with a furrowed brow, wiping some of the sweat away with his arm, "So you really do know the Miracles, huh?"

"I do. Well, four of them. I was gone by the time Kise came around, but I hear he's just as skilled as the rest of them." The blonde looked up at the night sky, "Haven't seen them in a long time. It's only Kuroko that kept in contact."

Kagami hummed, looking between the tall blonde and his Seirin teammate. They seemed like an unlikely pair, but then again, he thought it was strange that someone with little talent for the game had such a strong love for the sport. Kuroko seemed to have a knack for making friends with people with exceptional basketball skills.

"How did you get so good?"

"How?" Naruto asked, his smile turning into a half-grin once again, "Two reasons, really. The first reason I trained my ass off every day from the moment I woke up to the second I fell asleep for the last eleven years. I didn't have a natural talent for the game, so I had to work extra hard if I wanted to get to the level I'm at. It didn't matter if it was raining, snowing, or in the middle of a storm. If you pick up a basketball, you better throw your all into making that ball go through the hoop."

Kagami understood that first reason. He breathed basketball. It felt like the sport was ingrained in his DNA.

"And the second reason?"

"Teamwork." He revealed, surprising Kagami by the answer, "Not everyone's blessed with it, but if you have a good team behind you who all want the same thing as you, you'll ascend to levels you never thought possible."

Kagami was sightly taken aback by the answer, "You really think that?"

Naruto nodded and replied, "I do, so let me ask you this." He pointed to his Kagami's shoes, "My Gramps told them this years ago. We're both wearing Jordans, so I don't need to ask whether you like him or not. He's the best, right? The best basketball player to have ever lived."

Kagami wholeheartedly agreed. Jordan was the pinnacle of basketball talent, despite what some people out in the world said. He could do it all.

"Do you think Jordan would have won six championships in eight years because it was him doing everything? Do you think he would have won his second three-peat by his talent and skill alone?" Naruto asked, "Or do you think he won because he had a team that all wanted the same thing and trusted each other with every fibre of their being. Do you think Jordan would have retired with three more consecutive championships if it wasn't for people like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tony Kucoc and Steve Kerr behind him every step of the way between 1996 to 1998? Or if he had a coach like Phil Jackson backing him up and believing in him."

Kagami wanted to speak, but he found himself not being able to answer. The blondes words found themselves resonating inside of him, instinctively looking in Kuroko's direction. Behind every great player, there was a solid team and foundation around them. You just had to pick one of the greats, and the story would be similar.

"Teamwork. That's the key. If you can master teamwork then the sky's the limit." Naruto frowned and tapped the younger teen on the forehead, "All this solo business? It won't do anyone any good. You'll find yourself losing out. It's no fun playing basketball alone. It's a team sport for a reason."

"Naruto! Let's go, already!" The platinum blonde woman had her arms crossed. She was ready to go home.

"I'm coming. I'm coming." The blonde replied, before muttering beneath his breath, "Pushy woman"

"I heard that you know!"

He groaned before looking at Kagami and Kuroko, who came to stand beside his teammate, "I think the two of you need to have a good long talk with your team and sort some stuff out. Don't let this one defeat get you down. Use it to better yourself. We all lose at some point." Naruto pointed his finger to the sky, "It's just whether or not you can get back up and keep going. Even the greats lose a game here and there. Don't forget that. No one's invincible."

Saying his piece, the blonde turned and joined Ino, who was halfway across the court with her hand held out waiting for him. He took it in his own, fingers entwining together. Watching them walk away, the red-haired Seirin player had one last thing he needed to ask.

"So you wanted to be like Mike? Was he your hero?" Kagami called out, his voice carried out across the court. Michael Jordan was his hero. He was a hero to everyone who played the sport of basketball. The blonde stopped and turned his head with a big grin on his face.

"Like Mike? Nah," He shook his head and added, "I wanted to be like Magic."

With that, Naruto and Ino walked out of the court and disappeared around the corner, leaving the two Seirin teammates alone in the court. Both boys stood there for a moment in silence before eventually turning to look at one another.

"I guess we've got some work to do, huh?"

"Look's like it." Kuroko hesitantly held out his fist, holding it in the air towards the taller teen. Kagami stared for a moment before reciprocating, bumping his fist against his teammate.

"So, we good?"

"Yeah, we're good. The captain is surprisingly good at the advice stuff."

"I guess so. You have some interesting friends," Kagami replied.

"I hear that a lot."

...

"That blonde girl is kinda scary, though."

Kuroko had to agree, "She's the devil incarnate. I pray for the Captains health."

Thanks for reading, everyone.

A few things I wanted to address at the end. So, Naruto is two years older than the miracles, and that puts him in the same year group as characters like Kasamatsu. I have a fairly decent grasp on Basketball, so I hope I did the one on one between Naruto and Kagami justice. I'm still learning the in's and outs of the game.

The Naruto/Ino pairing is something I have always enjoyed. There's something about the two of them together that just makes sense to me, and I wish we had more of them together in the canon, even if it's as friends. Ino as a star Volleybal player came around recently by watching Haikyu.

Some of you might be wondering why I didn't go into Naruto's Highschool Basketball career. The reason why was because I wanted to leave that part open-ended. If I do a second part, then that'll be where I explain it. So, I guess we'll see what happens.

Please review, and let me know what you all thought.

Take care and stay safe