The Magician
A/N: I've noticed a few questions about Naruto's background and his involvement in Blue Lock. Rest assured, there's a reason why he's at Blue Lock. The reasons will be revealed as the story unfolds. His journey might seem unconventional to some, but my creativity isn't always straightforward, even to me. This story will have various flashbacks to help explain and add details to his background and history.
As for his skill level, as a few have questioned, Naruto is highly talented. He will still have a few challenges, but they won't come from who or how you expect. The story is about his growth, not just as a player but also as a person, and that includes facing new obstacles—even at Blue Lock. I will take any constructive criticism you have as long as it isn't just flaming me and my story. Thanks for sticking with the story. Keep reading, and the answers will come. I hope you enjoy the ride!
If you wish to discuss my stories or those of others, you can join AizenTheGoat's Discord server, which is filled with plenty of other authors and readers alike. xjR53BXJb9
A/N: Characters will be called as they are in the anime and manga halfway through this chapter.
Chapter Two - The Magician's Rising
"All three hundred," Ego's voice resounded throughout the now empty hall. "I estimated a few to drop out after hearing my words. But it seems that everyone decided to participate after hearing Uzumaki-san's proclamation." He turned as he heard footsteps nearing him. It was a petite young woman he had met who helped make Blue Lock a reality. "Teireri Anri, 157 cm with brown hair and eyes. Member of the Japan Football Association yet seems to be the only one who wants to see Japan football succeed." She was wearing a variation of the same secretary outfit she always seemed to wear.
"The gears of your master plan have started to turn Ego-san. From this moment, I will follow your every order. I will leave the future of Japan's football in your hands. You will create truly special from one of them."
"Perhaps… we may have to sacrifice two hundred and ninety-nine players for this plan. But it is one that will create one true striker above all the rest. That is the essence of Blue Lock." Ego, his voice filled with wonder, hunched over and brought his hands together. "But maybe not. He has shown me that strikers don't need to be in the front to excel."
Anri stared at Ego, her brow furrowed in confusion. Blue lock was to make the ultimate striker, yet Ego was talking as if it wasn't anymore. "What do you mean, Ego-san?"
"Well, Anri-chan, what do you know about the Magician of football?"
"Well, he is a young star who has dominated the underground and street scene of football all across the world. Also, he is trained by Fukade Tatsuya." Anri knew quite a bit about the Magician. Her passion for football wouldn't let her ignore someone like that.
"Correct you are, but what many don't know is that while Fukada Tatsuya chose to train him, it was for a specific purpose. Fukada made the Magician a project of his own with one goal." Ego stared into her eyes with a conviction she had never seen the man have before. "Fukada trained the Magician to be like the MSN that F.C. Barcha once had. Imagine this: Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suárez all blended together. One forward molded after three talents like them to perfection."
Anri stared at him, amazed at what he was saying. "That's amazing! To think one of Japan's own has trained such a talent." She paused before asking a question that many across the world wished to know the answer to. "But why has Fukada-san kept the identity of the Magician a secret? Surely, he would want the world to know his student."
Ego stared at Anri with a face-splitting grin. "Why Anri, it's because he is here. Blue Lock was once just a project to create the ultimate striker, and it still is. But now, it is the showcase the world will watch to witness the new savior of Japan football."
"But who is the Magician," she asked him. Her initial thoughts went to Itoshi Rin. He was the younger brother of Itoshi Sae, a current member of the New Generation World XI. "No, the Magician has blonde hair," she thought to herself. "Wait, blonde hair!"
"You see now, Anri-chan. Uzumaki Naruto will, as he said, make the world acknowledge him!" Ego had never spoken with such emotion in his life. But he knew he had found the one who had what it took to do what he wanted to before injuries ruined his chance. Uzumaki Naruto would bring Japan the glory of winning a World Cup, and Ego would be amongst the names spoken when Uzumaki's story is told years in the future. "Now, Anri-chan, let the games begin. This will be known in history as football's most critical moment."
Naruto and the others got off the first bus and saw an attractive woman waiting for them. He watched as the other busses pulled in beside the one they were on before turning back to the woman.
"My Name is Teireri Anri, but you all may call me Miss Anri if you wish. You will put all of your things into specified lockers with your names when you get to the rooms matching your letter." Naruto didn't really like that rule but knew he had to follow it if he didn't want to piss off Tatsuya. The last time he did that, Tatsuya told his mom, and he didn't hear the end of it for two weeks. "You may get your items back when given permission, or you leave Blue Lock."
Naruto looked down at his new packaged uniform and something that confused him. "I get the V for the team, but what's this number? 240? Maybe I should have asked Tatsuya more questions about what would happen in Blue Lock." Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even realize he subconsciously walked to the locker room he needed to be in.
There were only two others in the room at the time, and Naruto was thankful he knew both of them. "Well, I guess the other two got put on a different team, huh, Tabito, Jin?" Naruto asked.
While Jin gave a silent nod, Tabito showed a small smirk. "Well, boys," he began. "How bout we show these randoms why Tokyo City F.C. is feared in the underground? Even if we're down two members, it just means we gotta change our formation." The other two gained predatory smirks.
As the group began changing, Jin let out a low whistle. "Is that a tattoo, Naruto?"
Tabito turned to where his friend was looking and saw what he did. "Damn! You finally convinced your mom to let you get one? Or are we going to find out about her murdering you when Blue Lock ends?" Tabito was laughing after he finished speaking.
"Laugh it up, you shitty crow," Naruto responded with a glare. "And I got her approval for it… after I already got it done." On the right side of Naruto's neck and across his right shoulder blade were three silver roses with red edges. The black, thorny stems were chain-like and intertwined and ran down his right arm before combining into a solid chain at his wrist that connected to a kunai. "Once she heard that I got it for Alice, she calmed down. Wish I could have stopped her from calling Alice and her mom to tell them about it, though."
Naruto couldn't even be mad when his friends started laughing at his situation. Everyone who has met his mom knows about her temper. Tabito was there with Jyubei after he got his ears pierced. Naruto had never run so fast in his life until he saw his mom walk into their living room with pliers and tell him how she was going to pull them out. He had two saving graces that day: Tatsuya taking the blame for believing Naruto when he told him she approved, and his girlfriend when she said she liked them, which sure stopped his mom.
The next sentence from Tabito made him pause, though. "Should we be preparing speeches for your wedding then?" He was laughing so hard that Naruto thought he might faint from lack of breath. "I see it now, 'To everyone gathered, we put this toast to Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki.'"
"You got it all wrong, Tabito," Jin said. "I think it should be 'We put this toast to Mr. and Mrs. Nakiri.' Everyone knows Alice is going to get her way, and Naruto will take her last name." Naruto was shocked by how casually they were talking about this. It was his future, dammit.
"Ok, ok, you two," Naruto butted in. "We can joke at my expense later. The others will be here soon if they followed the directions like us.
And he was right as eight others began slowly trickling in. Most weren't of much importance when Naruto and the other two saw them. Only one caught their attention. He was shorter than Naruto, probably standing at 175 cm. The most striking thing was his grey dreadlocks and the fact that he had the look of a predator looking for his next meal.
"Ain't that-" Tabito began before Jin cut him off.
"Saramadara Kairu, The Predator of Shonan. Became well known due to the fact that he seemed to be able to read defenses and make shots most wouldn't think of taking."
Naruto didn't say anything after that. He studied Saramadara and could guess the kind of person he was based on how he was acting around the others. While others were carefree and talked about how they would be the ones to dominate Blue Lock, Saramadara studied them. His eyes roamed over their bodies, judging them based on their height, body type, and how they moved. Yet Naruto also knew that Saramadara was the type of person to be overly serious about everything.
"Hello, have you finished changing, you unpolished gems?" Everyone turned to the noise and saw a large TV on one of the walls. "You all see the others in your room. They are now both your roommates and your rivals. Your potential has been estimated based on my judgment and calculations done by my peers. Your potential is also your ranking that is displayed on your uniforms."
Everyone in the room began looking at the numbers on their uniforms with earnest. Naruto was still confused by his low number of 240 until he realized Tabito and Jin had similarly low numbers of 243 and 247, respectively. He deduced it was some kind of ploy by Ego because the only person in all of Japan who had talent and skill relative to himself was Itoshi Sae. "There's no way there are two hundred and thirty-nine people here who are better than me," Naruto thought to himself.
"This number will change on a daily basis with several factors taken into account," Ego began. "For example, you may go up or down based on your training or the results of your games." A few in the room smiled at that fact, yet Naruto and his friends guessed Ego had more to tell them than how rankings worked. "And unconditionally, the top five players… will participate in a tournament six months from now. They will be selected as strikers for Japan's U-20 National Team playing at the World Cup."
"You hear that, you shitty crow," Naruto laughed. "There's still a chance for you and the others to make the U-20 National Team with me."
Tabito sneered at Naruto. "What's that supposed to mean, whiskers?"
"Ain't it obvious," Naruto asked him. "I am absolute. The number one spot will be mine, without a doubt. That only leaves four empty places for four more strikers."
Before his friend could respond, Ego continued speaking. "Also, to reiterate what I said before. Those who are defeated at Blue Lock… will be permanently barred from Japan's National Team." Naruto and the others watched as most of the others grew nervous at that statement. But even they couldn't deny having a slight fear of the implications. "We are looking for one crucial component here at Blue Lock… ego. That is what we will measure as you live here. Now, it is time to play tag."
Everyone looked at Ego strangely when he said to 'play tag.' They were high schoolers, not some elementary school kids on a playground. "The time limit is 136 seconds. The player with possession is 'it.' Whoever is 'it' when time runs out… can get the fuck out of here. And, of course, as with all football games, no using your hands." The screen went dark before depicting a crude drawing of a teenager. Beside it, Naruto read Ranking 300: Igarashi Gurimu.
"Tag is but one of the many exercises pro players warm up with. This 'egoism test' I have devised will provide great insight into the selfishness behind strikers. Prepare and attack. This isn't your average game of tag."
A ball dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of a kid with curly brown hair. Naruto looked at his uniform and caught sight of the number on it: 288. Before anyone could move as the time started, the kid called out to Tabito.
"Hey, Tabito, you gotta help me, man. You know how good I am. We can get someone else out together." The kid's voice grated on Naruto's nerves. Just hearing the desperation in it made Naruto want to get tagged so he could make sure this kid got out. Naruto turned to his friend, and before he could ask what he wanted to do, he saw something that made him smirk. The predatory gleam in Tabito's eyes was something Naruto had seen plenty of times. Tabito found a target to look down upon, and he was going to devour him.
"If it isn't Sagamoto Hoshi," Tabito began. "I haven't seen you since middle school, I barely recognized ya." Tabito recognized Sagamoto after a quick glance. He remembered him for one thing only. He was a coward who took advantage of others after looking weak to gain their trust. "Sure, we can work together. Just past me the ball."
Sagamoto did as he asked before Tabito said one more thing. "Oh, and you should call me Karasu."
Sagamoto froze a bit at that. Tabito used a very cold tone as he said it, and it unsettled him. "Wh..why should I call you Karasu? We're friends, aren't we?" His shaking voice made a few kids snicker at him.
Tabito looked up at the clock to see there was only a minute thirty remaining. "It's quite simple. Ego said we're rivals. So we should treat each other as rivals." Without a second more to waste, he shot the ball at Sagamoto who barely got out of the way in time as the ball hit the far wall and bounced back to land at Tabito's feet. "Well, Naruto, Jin. Think we can take out the trash with the minute fifteen we have left?"
Without a word, the other two started moving around the room while everyone watched. When the clock hit one minute, Tabito passed the ball to Naruto, who made a show of dribbling around the other seven people in the room. It wasn't long before the three friends began to use tiki-taka to mess with everyone. Passing the ball just close enough to their feet to scare them but not make them 'it.'
Naruto used a rainbow flick to pass the ball over the Saramadara to Karasu, who then nutmegged another kid to pass to Jin. Naruto looked up at the clock and saw the time was thirty seconds. "Guys, thirty left, time to finish!" Naruto's shout caught their attention, and Jin stopped where he was.
Jin then passed the ball right at Sagamoto's feet. Just as Sagaomoto was going to jump over the ball, though, Tabito slid at him. This caused him to have to jump higher than he would have as Tabito used his sliding leg to kick the ball behind Sagamoto. A few feet behind them was a waiting Naruto, who was already going through the motions of a kick. The ball was launched with enough force that when it hit its target, it was forced him forward a few feet.
Everyone in the room watched in baited silence as Sagamoto struggled to breathe after getting the air knocked out of him. Naruto didn't care, though. He just watched as the clock ticked down. Five… four… three… two… one… zero.
"Well done, you unpolished gems. Let us continue on to the results," Ego's voice rang out as he appeared on the screen again. "The player that has been eliminated is… Sagamoto Hoshi! You are expelled!"
The screen turned off as quickly as it turned on. No one moved as Sagamoto groaned on the ground. Not even when the kid started crying did anyone move to help him. It was only when two men in Blue Lock staff uniforms came in to drag Sagamoto out did anyone move.
"I meant it, guys," Tabito's voice rang out, and Naruto and Jin turned to him. "We start going by our last names again, like when we first met." Seeing their confusion, he elaborated. "Who said in here we are rivals, so we can't be acting too familiar with each other. People might think we're collaborating." The last sentence was said with a smirk, and Naruto knew he wasn't too serious.
"You guys can," Naruto exclaimed. "Call me Naruto, or I will sick Alice on you. She has a mean streak, and I will make sure it is used against you." Both boys shivered while nodding profusely. They would never wish the wrath of Nakiri Alice upon anyone. "Well, let's get going. These people gotta have something for us next."
"Whew!" Naruto exclaimed. "That steak sure was good. I wish you guys could have had it." Naruto was looking at the ceiling as he walked back to the locker room, so he never saw Kiyora holding Karasu back from attacking their friend. They both got decent food because of their rank, but they didn't get anything as great as the steak they had to watch Naruto eat.
"Ding, Dong!" Everyone in the locker room turned toward the large screen in the room as Ego appeared on it. "We have compiled the results from the last few days. You have all done well, you unpolished gems. Your new ranks should now appear on your uniforms."
Everyone looked down at their rankings with varying emotions. Naruto was among the confused as his rank of 240 only went down to 221. While he couldn't be upset at having a better rank, he knew his rank should have been 001. He glanced at Karasu and Kiyora, who had looks of satisfaction as their ranks increased to 222 and 223 respectively.
"I hope you are enjoying your lives here at Blue Lock." His question sounded sincere to Naruto, but he also wasn't surprised by the reaction of some of the players on his new team. Some complained about the food they ate, while others complained about sleeping on futons. Naruto almost laughed at Karasu's complaint of not playing anyone yet, but he felt the same way.
"Shitty football calls for a shitty environment, you dickheads. With that out of the way, let's talk about Blue Lock." A series of transparent images appeared in front of Ego, like holograms depicting the Blue Lock facility. "The facility has been arranged into five different strata. Twenty-five teams, ranging from 'B' to 'Z,' with each set of five teams living in the same conditions."
"As you know, you eliminated someone from your group. Every other team in Blue Lock has done the same, so a total of twenty-five players have already been sent home. That now leaves two hundred and seventy-five of you remaining. If you were smart, you would be able to deduce that the teams are formed by the ranks of their players. Team B has players from 1st to 11th. Team C has players from 12th to 22nd, and so on."
Naruto and the others looked at each other. They knew that if that really were the case, they would be on Team B at best and Team C at worst. There weren't many players in the country who could compete against Karasu and Kiyora. And the only player in the country who could compete with Naruto was Itoshi Sae, but he moved oversess to play professionally.
"So you, Team V, have been placed in the worst stratum of them all: stratum number five. While you may be the best amongst your stratum, there are still over two hundred players ranked above you. As motivation for you of lower rank, players ranked higher in the other stratums eat better meals and use greater quality equipment. These are meant to represent the lifestyle of strikers who live at the very top of the football world."
Here, the finest football players get to live like kings. So win, improve, and you too can seize such a lifestyle for yourself! This is what it means to be in Blue Lock. So… let the first selection begin."
"This is it! I finally get to actually play," Naruto thought to himself. He watched as a chart appeared in front of Ego. It was one of the charts he learned about from his tutors; two sets of letters were on each side with squares underneath them all.
"The first selection will be between the fifty-five players of the Fifth Stratum. It will consist of a round-robin of the five teams within it. When all is said and done, only the top two teams will be able to advance to the second selection." Ego's face grew serious as he stared at Team V. "It's all or nothing." He then pointed to the images of the points teams will earn. "A win will get you three points, a draw will get you one point, and I think it's self-explanatory if you lose."
"I don't think it needs to be said that the players on the teams will be expelled from Blue Lock." There it was again. Another risk added for the players of Blue Lock. Another way for their dreams to be crushed instantly. "Their right to play for the Japan National Team… gone! However… there is one saving grace for those three teams to avoid being eliminated."
Everyone paid attention immediately and forgot their earlier grievances about their ranks. "That is to be the player who has scored the most goals for their team by the end of the First Selection. You may think it a bad idea, but it is a system created for the sole purpose of saving only the best scorer from each eliminated team. The players who proved themselves to be true strikers."
"For this purpose, we have decided to rank players within a team will be ranked according to how many goals they have scored. But… there will be points taken away for penalties." Ego then pointed to a new diagram with different point deductions. Minus one point for a yellow card. Minus three points for two yellow cards in a game. Minus four if you get a red card. And minus five if you get a red card after getting a yellow card.
"Fewer penalties equals increased chances of winning." Ego stared at Team V, but his eyes were specifically on Uzumaki Naruto."Whether you do it by pursuing your own goals or prioritizing your team's victory. The fate of every striker will be decided by the First Selection. You will play football from scratch to work on your foundations. The first game is in is in two hours… between team Y and Team V!
Before Ego could continue, the serious-looking Saramadara spoke up. "You say that all of us in this room will play as a team, yet we are all forwards. Seems like you have set us up for a storm rather than a calm ocean breeze." Once someone brought up having to play other positions, arguments ensued. Naruto wanted to intervene before punches were thrown, but he was stopped when Ego spoke again.
"What's the issue? Football at its core, is a sport where one scores goals. It would only be natural for all of you to play as forwards. You may have the positioning system and tactics that are ingrained in your foolish heads, but that is only one part of football's long history. Unless you are saying that you don't know that in the beginning, football was a sport that was played with everyone as a forward."
The shit-eating grin on his face made Naruto annoyed. Something like that just wasn't taught anymore, so Ego shouldn't fault them for not knowing. "So your football will begin from that same starting point. Then, you can fix your knowledge of football from scratch."
"Some of you seem to get it," Ego stated as he stared at the trio of Naruto, Karasu, and Kiyora. "Throw away your 'common sense and cram this new mentality you should have as a striker down those brains you say you have." The intense look in his eyes grew. "The most important thing for Japan to become the best country in the world is not teamwork! It is to have a 'hero' among them."
Images of the most popular players in the world played on the screen. "Messi, CR7, Neymar. Their sheer presence changed the sport of football forever. New defensive schemes had to be created just to stop them. Yet they overcame those schemes; they evolved newer tactics."
Naruto focused more on the images of Messi and Neymar than Cristiano Ronaldo. He based their play off of them along with Luis Suárez. The once powerful combo of F.C. Barcha's MSN was his inspiration for how he played football for a reason. Each excelled in a different area while also covering the others' weaknesses.
Just like that, one player within a single team. From a single country. Was able to change the world! That is what the sport of football is about." Ego couldn't stop the manic grin that appeared on his face in place of the shit-eating one. "Well, Team V, you have a match to prepare for. So I would figure out your plan quickly." Without another word, the screen turned off.
Ego sat in his viewing room as he turned on Anri's press conference. He knew she would put on a show. Someone as passionate as her wouldn't fail to make Blue Lock a thought that stayed in everyone's minds. "Things are about to get interesting. It's time to cut the wheat from the chaff," Ego spoke to himself.
"There is only one forward in this country worthy of receiving one of my passes. But unfortunately, this country doesn't even know he exists."
Slam!
Itoshi Sae was already tired of being in Japan. He'd only been here for a few days, but he already felt like forgetting about his passport and flying back to Spain. It also didn't help that every interview he has had since landing has been about how the people of Japan would love to see him play in the J-League. "Talk about the bottom of the barrel," he thought to himself.
"There is only one person in this country worthy of my passes," Sae whispered. "I wonder if he thought about my offer, though. With us two plus Leonardo Luna, La Liga would be ours. And then only a few other teams would actually stand a chance against us in the Champions League."
"Itoshi-chan!" A cry from behind him broke Sae from his musings. "You did it again! At this rate, the media and all of Japan will hate you."
Sae just stared at his manager as the man caught up to him. He couldn't care less about this country. "Girolain, I came back to this country for one reason: to renew my passport. If this country hates me, then so be it. Only one person here holds my interest, yet I haven't heard from him in months."
The two continued walking while Sae ignored his manager. It wasn't until they turned a corner that something caught both of their attention. A large media hall was overly crowded on a day when the building was said to be empty except for them.
"... And thus, we have gathered three hundred of the most exceptional strikers from all over Japan. This is in order to create a true striker who will be capable of leading Japan to its first World Cup title. We call this the Blue Lock Project."
Multiple reporters began speaking at once. Some commented on how revolutionary the project would be for the football world, while many complained about how the project would affect the players. Sae was about to walk away from the door before the woman at the media table stood up and slammed her hands on the table.
"Well, that's right! This project was made with the purpose of not just creating the best striker in the world but to fix the broken football being played in Japan." Sae had to give her props; she was passionate. "Don't you want to see it? When Japan's football creates its own hero!"
"For almost twenty-five years, Japan's National Team has evolved itself. That was because of the dream not just the team but the country of Japan yearned for." Anri pointed to the screen behind her as various images shifted on it. "In 1992, the J-League was founded. 1997, our first World Cup appearance. 2002, we reached the Round of Sixteen in the World Cup. 2010, we managed to make it past the group stage despite what the world thought of us. Finally, in 2018, we drove Belgium into a corner, yet we once again fell short in the Round of Sixteen."
Anri looked out at the press with passion before she continued. "With that said, if we want to cross the last step, make it further than ever… the state of Japan's National Team cannot continue as it is. We have always had our eyes set on the World Cup's glory. To do as our predecessors wanted and carve out Japan's place in the football world." She took the shock on the press's face as a good thing. It meant her message was gettin across to them, hopefully.
"When did we as a country turn away from that dream? Thus, I proclaim this to be the time for that dream to be revived! From this day forward, Japan's football will enter a new stage!" She took a breath before she continued. Anri knew what she said next was what the people had already hated about Blue Lock since they had heard of it. "A future led not by adults who have lost sight of our dream, but by a single star born from these three hundred high school students."
"When you refer to the World Cup… do you have the courage to look at this new dream and believe in it? All of those in Blue Lock believe in it. They are primed and ready to compete to be the one to make our dream a reality." She took a deep breath and waited for the screams to come. "That is all for the press conference."
Sae turned to walk away before a thought came to him. "Wait… if they have three hundred of the best forwards in all of Japan here, there isn't a chance that he would ignore this opportunity to prove himself." He knew he needed to speak before the yells started, so he grabbed Girolain's clipboard and slammed it on the ground while ignoring the incredulous looks that were sent his way.
"Miss, I have a question of my own." Everyone turned to Sae as he spoke, and he was a bit surprised that no one tried to get in his face for an interview. Seeing the shocked nod from the woman, he continued. "You say that you have gathered three hundred of the best strikers in Japan for this Blue Lock Project. Could you tell me if a specific person is currently in Blue Lock?"
"O...of course, Itoshi-san," Anri began. "Just ask, and I will answer."
"Uzumaki Naruto. Is he in Blue Lock?"
While confused at first by his question, a smile slowly grew on Anri's face. Ego said Fukada Tatsuya trained Uzumaki Naruto. "But if he also knows Itoshi Sae, maybe we already found our prize striker, as Ego-san said." "Yes, Itoshi-san, there is an Uzumaki Naruto within Blue Lock. May I ask why you want to know about him, though?"
"It's quite simple. There is only one person in all of Japan who is worthy of receiving my passes, and that is Uzumaki Naruto." Without another word, Sae exited the room, ignoring the shouts from the press about who Uzumaki Naruto was.
"Itoshi-chan, we should leave," Girolain stated. "There isn't much time left before your return flight to Spain…"
"Cancel it now," Sae told him. "I will judge the star forward born in this new Japan with my own eyes." Even if he didn't realize it, the ever-serious Itoshi Sae walked away with a grin growing on his face. "Show me, Naruto. Show me that you are still worthy of receiving my passes."