The Magician

A/N: 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

Chapter Four - Tactical Precision

Naruto sat on a bench with Karasu and Kiyora. While this kind of one-sided game wasn't making him exhausted, he needed a break. "Listen up, everyone. I hope by now you have realized how outclassed you are compared to us." Looking at everyone in the eyes, he could tell they knew it; they just didn't want to admit it. "The rest of this match will go the same, through us front three."

"What do you need from us," Saramadara spoke up.

"Just more of what you are doing," Karasu answered. "This match is about more than just us winning. We need to learn if we can work you all into a system with us. While someone like Naruto can fit into any system he's put in, I can guarantee none of you can say the same."

"So we stick to defense then. If that's the case, may I put forth a suggestion?" Seeing Naruto nod, Saramadara continued. "Can we change from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3? From what has already happened, you are all talented enough to quickly switch from defense to a counterattack. But if we have higher odds to stop them from getting through to the final third. It will also even the odds when they do that stupid five-person charge."

"What do you think, Naruto? You're the captain, as unofficial as it is," Karasu asked.

"Let's do it. Who knows, maybe if they see a better-defended middle, they might abandon that little strategy of theirs." Seeing as they had another minute before the second half, Naruto made sure everyone got some water.

"Please return to the field! I repeat. Please return to the field."

"You heard her, everyone. Let's get going." With that said, Team V walked back down their tunnel with one thought in mind: Complete Domination.

They might have already done that, though, from what Naruto saw. Only one person didn't look like they had given up. Hiiragi Reiji still had a small amount of defiance in his eyes. Naruto understood the feeling. There was once a time when he wanted to fight against the odds like Hiiragi. But that was years ago. Back when Tatsuya first showed him the difference between himself and pro players.

"Let me end that defiance in your heart. Whether you like it or not, you will acknowledge me as your better, Hiiragi Reiji." When the whistle blew for the second half to start, Naruto didn't move. He watched as Team Y once again tried their strategy of rushing forward with five guys. Naruto thought they would have learned by now that this idea was worthless.

When Hiiragi tried to pass him, Naruto stuck to him like glue. Wherever the white-eyed striker went, the blonde was right with him. This would help his team with their new idea, but that wasn't why he was doing this. Call him vain, but to him, there wasn't a soul in Blue Lock that could challenge him. Of all the absolutes in Blue Lock, everyone would learn that his being the best was one of them.

Hiiragi tried to force Naruto into one of his teammates and was frustrated when, instead of colliding, he used his arms to get around him with ease. When the ball was crossed too far in front of him, he thought that there would at least be enough time to get the ball and quickly pass it. He was wrong. As soon as the ball was at chest height two feet in front of Hiiragi, Naruto appeared.

"I'll be taking that," Naruto jumped up and caught the ball with his extended right leg. Coming down with the ball, he passed the ball to Saramadara. "Kiyora, I'm going to need you to do your disappearing act."

Hiiragi had turned to where he knew the short forward was positioned and was shocked. The area was empty. When he turned to look down his team's side of the field, he still couldn't see him.

"You won't find him," Naruto said.

"What do you mean? He was just right there!" Hiiragi was frustrated. This was Team Y's last chance to score and create some momentum. Now, they were probably in for another half of disappointment and embarrassment.

"Kiyora has been given a bit of saying by his opponents. Whether in high school, street, or underground matches, whoever has Kiyora "The Blade" Jin on their team will most likely win. He is the deciding factor for whatever side he chooses. Without our other two friends, he's playing differently than I would have him, but his adaptability has made him already fit into a system with him, me, and Karasu." Seeing the dejection on his opponent's face, Naruto left him with one last thought. "Did you really think your predictions could have ever matched up to the magic I create on the pitch?"

Looking down the field, he saw that while his teammates had moved up, Karasu was still taking charge. "Come on, Karasu. Lead him to the goal." Seeing as Saramadara followed Karasu, Naruto stayed back with the other three middle fielders.

Karasu would have laughed at getting into another situation similar to what got him his first goal if the opponent hadn't been so bad. With Saramadara running up the middle, he only had the left back marking him. "Now, where are you, Kiyora?" Looking across the field, his friend wasn't in sight. Running into the corner, he used his arms to keep his opponent back. "While I don't have the vision Naruto has, what would he do?"

Karasu was about to just charge in himself and score before the thought hit him. "If it works for Naruto, it might just work for me." "Fuck it!" Karasu pushed past the defender and created a few feet of space before sending a cross into the penalty box. "Kiyora's over there somewhere." He calmly walked back down the field while the ball flew through the air.

Kiyora was running on the far side of the field, trying his best to stay onside while also being ahead of his opponent. When he saw the cross sail through the air, he could only think of one thing to say. "Fuck you, you shitty-crow." Seeing that the ball would fly over Saramadara, he sharply turned inward to the penalty box. He had to get there fast before Team Y could. They were all taller than him, and his only hope was that they would react too late.

Seeing the ball start to drop earlier than expected, Kiyora ran faster than he thought he would have to in this match. "With the goalie moving slower, there's a small window to score on this side." Being a few feet away still, Kiyora did something he never had to before with his height: he dove for a header. "This is going to hurt." Turning his body mid-air, Kiyora perfectly positioned himself to head the ball into the bottom left corner.

(Team V) 6 - 0 (Team Y)

Karasu Tabito - Goal - 3', 43'

Uzumaki Naruto - Goal - 14', 30'

Kiyora Jin - Goal - 19', 59'

"Ugh!" He didn't even try to get up. His right arm was numb from how he landed on it. Looking up, he didn't even acknowledge the hand Saramadara offered him. "Let me die here." This is where he chose to live for the rest of the match. When the gray-haired striker forced him up, he wanted to protest, but he focused on trying to find the friend who gave him such a pass instead.

Finding him talking to Naruto, he made a beeline for him with newfound energy. Those around him were baffled to see him running when his right arm hung limply. "If I can't feel my arm, then you won't feel anything for a while." As he neared his friends, he jumped to hit his target. Just as he was about to hit Karasu, Kiyora was caught by Naruto.

Struggling in his friend's grip, Kiyora yelled at his friend while trying to free himself. "Let me go, Naruto! He needs to face his punishment like a man."

Said target of punishment was laughing at his predicament. Karasu didn't want to lead his teammate into a position to get hurt, but he couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him flailing in Naruto's grip.

"You can kill the bastard later, Kiyora," Naruto stated while setting his friend down. "Sit this next counterattack out. You can stay here until after I score." While others would call him arrogant for saying this, no one around him could. They believed that he would score again based on how he had been playing.

Like a broken record, Team Y followed their failure of strategy again. Naruto didn't bother marking Hiiragi this time. Instead, he put his trust in his teammates behind him. He watched as Team Y tried to use a triangle to get past his team. While it worked somewhat, their progress up the field was slow.

Looking around the arena while his team defended, Naruto noticed more cameras. While some looked like the kind of cameras he thought Ego would use to watch them. Others looked more like the ones you would see at professional sporting events. Looking around again, he noticed they were everywhere, even behind the goals. "How the hell did I miss those?" Naruto was confused; there was something else going on that Ego hadn't told them about.

"Loose ball!"

The shout from behind him broke him from his musings. Turning around, he saw Saramadra running towards him with the ball. Receiving the pass that came his way, he quickly passed it back. "Show me what you can do, water boy," Naruto asked him. Naruto smiled as he saw the shock on his teammate's face, but the gratitude in his eyes made his smile grow. "Here's your chance, do something with it."

Turning to follow him, Naruto liked what he saw. While some of the Team Y middle fielders caught up to Saramadara, he handled them well. While he wasn't near Naruto's level, he seemed to be able to predict where the opponent would move to and dribble past them. But Naruto also saw where his faults were. He couldn't score a goal like Naruto and the others did. He needed something that would make him valuable beyond being a defender.

He also didn't want to give up his chance to score, and Naruto couldn't fault him for it. Blue Lock was about being selfish and scoring your own goals. But that didn't mean that Naruto liked the contested shot he took, which was deflected out of bounds to the right of the goal. The only saving grace of it was that it was a corner kick, something he excelled at.

Walking past the gray-haired youth, Naruto gave him some advice. "Don't worry about this. I can already see what might help you succeed in our next games. For now, think about what you believe might give you success. Give me your answer after the game." Seeing Saramadara nod, Naruto continued to the corner.

While it might have looked weird to everyone with him taking the corner when he only scored with his right foot. A left-footed player would usually take a corner on the right side. The shouts of watch for a far post cross made him smirk. They thought he was kicking with his right foot, but they didn't know he was ambidextrous.

"Let's see how they like this then," Naruto thought. Taking a few steps back, he smiled when he saw Karasu's smirk. His friend knew what he was doing and knew what he needed from him. When Team Y finally noticed that he had changed to kick with his left foot, Karasu started moving from the top of the penalty area to the near post. Naruto ran forward and kicked the ball, adding an insane amount of spin to it. While everyone was focused on Karasu moving to the near post, they didn't think Naruto would aim for the far post. As the ball started curving to the far post, Naruto celebrated. He didn't need to look. He could hear his shot hit the back of the net.

(Team V) 7 - 0 (Team Y)

Karasu Tabito - Goal - 3', 43'

Uzumaki Naruto - Goal - 14', 30', 72'

Kiyora Jin - Goal - 19', 59'

Naruto didn't need to look at the rest of Team V or Team Y to know they were shocked by what had just happened. To them, scoring an Olimpico was only something they could dream of doing. The goal was considered near impossible for a reason, but Naruto didn't think anything was impossible. Some problems just needed more complex strategies to make them possible.

Walking up to Kiyora, who hadn't moved since he told him not to, Naruto sweatdropped. He thought that his friend would have done something. Instead, Kiyora was sitting on the ground and staring at the stars above them. "Here, I thought you would have said something about my goal. Instead, you're just staring at the stars." The grunt he got in response made him sweatdrop again. Pulling his friend up, he ignored the glare that he got.

"What happened to me not moving," Kiyora grumbled.

"I scored, so you can move now. Plus, you're going to disappear again," Naruto stated. Noticing the look in his friend's eyes, he quickly continued. "Don't worry, I'm passing to you this time."

"Why do you want me to score again," Kiyora questioned. "It was Karasu's idea to score a hat-trick, not mine."

Naruto smirked as he knew what he said next would light a fire in his friend, even if it would matter in a later match. "Well, my green-haired friend, it's simple. You haven't been able to sit on that borderline you love so much. But I can feel it. Soon, we will meet a team, and your actions will decide the game's outcome."

Before Naruto could say anything else, Kiyora walked away to get into position. "I've been tempering you for years, Kiyora, but I know you still have further to go." He was broken from his thoughts by a shout behind him.

"Again, with an insane goal! You really can't let anyone else have a highlight, can you?!"

Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw that Karasu had yelled at him. "Well, maybe I would have if you didn't try to use one of my tricks to get one." As Karasu tried to sputter a response out, Naruto interrupted him. Naruto was ticked off; he was all for creating amazing plays, but that was because he knew he could make them. Karasu hinged the entirety of Kiyora's second goal on a bet. "And you couldn't even get the cross to the right spot. If it were anyone else on Team V but Kiyora, they wouldn't have expected the ball to go there. The play would have failed, and you know how much I hate those."

When Karasu tried to walk away to get into position, Naruto ensured he heard one last thing. "And don't think I haven't realized yet. You might think I didn't hear you, but I could hear the 'Fuck it, Kiyora's over there somewhere' from back here." Naruto took joy in seeing his friend freeze before walking away stiffly. "That's my thing, you shitty crow."

Naruto looked at the scoreboard and saw they were in the seventy-fifth minute. He would need to move fast if he wanted his friends to score again. "Well, if it worked once, why can't it work again." With that thought, Naruto took off as soon as Hiiragi passed to his teammate. Instead of going straight at them, though, Naruto ran to their right.

It was apparent that they had both seen him dash at them right as Hiiragi had passed the ball. It was more of reading the body language of the other Team Y forward for Naruto to run slightly to the right. As soon as the forward turned to pass back to a mid-fielder, Naruto used a burst of speed to get close and slide to intercept the ball. Transitioning into running from his slide, Naruto performed a rainbow flick to get the ball over the defender right before him. When he got around the defender, he passed the ball to the right where Karasu was waiting.

When Karasu saw Kiyora disappear immediately, he was thrown off. Then Naruto rushed forward, and he could glimpse some of the plan being made. While Naruto tells everyone that he bases his play style on Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suárze, there is someone else who he embodies. Knowing this made it easy for Karasu to realize that Naruto wanted to draw attention away from Kiyora to give him a more manageable goal.

Before the defense could organize, Karasu put a pass between the legs of the defender, who closed in on him. He didn't need to look to see if Naruto got the ball. Naruto would have seen the pass before he even moved to make it. If there was one thing Karasu envied Naruto for, it was his insane visual prowess.

He was right, though, as Naruto ran behind the defender and took the ball. Surveying in front of him, Naruto saw that there was only the left center back and the left back in front of him. He smiled when he saw Karasu had already moved to draw the right center back and a midfielder away. Naruto slowed down when he got in front of the defenders before performing an elastico to get between them.

After passing the defenders, Naruto moved into the penalty box. With only the goalie in front of him, he knew he had to get close if he wanted his plan for Kiyora to work. Deciding what to do quickly, Naruto ran the goalie but kept a bit to the right. Now that they knew he could also use his left foot, they could be expecting him to use it again.

As he got close, Naruto pulled his right leg back to shoot. Similarly to the first time he scored, the goalie lunged and extended his body to block his shot. Like before, his shooting leg moved over the ball before he pulled hit back. Unlike before, he didn't perform a heel flick to score. He instead performed a backheel pass. Appearing from behind him like a shadow, Kiyora received the ball before kicking it into the net.

(Team V) 8 - 0 (Team Y)

Karasu Tabito - Goal - 3', 43'

Uzumaki Naruto - Goal - 14', 30', 72'

Kiyora Jin - Goal - 19', 59', 80'

Kiyora didn't even celebrate, nor did Naruto and Karasu. They were already moving back to the center of the field. If they wanted to complete their plan of each of them getting hat-tricks, they needed to get the ball back immediately. There wasn't time to waste; they only had less than ten minutes left for Karasu to score.

"I may not have the speed of Kurona that Naruto is used to, but I'm the next best thing in our group." Kiyora knew that when Naruto got into a groove, he would play fast-paced. It's what made having someone like Kurona ideal for Naruto. It allowed him to maintain his fast-paced playstyle while also giving him the freedom to make difficult passes. "While Kurona is faster and a better dribbler, I'm the better shooter. They are wary of both Naruto and me now. This is Karasu's best chance with them focusing on us more than him."

Following Naruto's lead, Kiyora dashed forward when Team Y passed the ball. He was ready to intercept the ball, as Hiiragi wouldn't risk passing to the right again. There was no need to ponder the defeated look of the Team Y striker; Kiyora had other thoughts. Naruto promised that he could play as he desired, on the line of victory and defeat as always. Knowing that he would soon be able to play like that, a fire was lit within Kiyora's heart, and it wouldn't be going out anytime soon.

Like he thought, Hiiragi passed the ball to the left, and he was ready. Receiving the ball, Kiyora didn't need to look for Naruto to link up with him. He would be where he was needed no matter what. A right feint before going left had the right winger struggling to keep up with him. Passing to the right, Kiyora made to dash behind the right center middle fielder. There wasn't a need for him to look for Naruto after that; the ball would come back to him when Naruto deemed it.

Naruto smirked. Kiyora was a difference-maker and played his best when his actions decided the outcome of a game. He didn't need to look past the calm look that Kiyora showed everyone to feel the emotion that Kiyora was giving off. Naruto had no more worries about Karasu not scoring again. As long as Kiyora was ready for his passes, then this attack would end with their purple-haired friend getting a hat-trick.

A backspin pass through a defender's legs was all that was needed for Kiyora to get the ball. Naruto weaved through defenders and around Kiyora, drawing all attention to himself while also giving his teammate room to make a pass. The lob pass that came his way was easily trapped with his chest. Without letting the ball reach the ground, Naruto passed the ball back to Kiyora, who sped past him and the two defenders who were marking him.

Seeing a flash of purple in his peripheral vision, Kiyora knew that Karasu was ready. "Two defenders in front of me, three behind me. Karasu is going to cross behind the two center backs." Pulling his leg back to shoot, Kiyora was glad that the defenders took his bait. As they lunged in front of him to block the shot, no one noticed Karasu. As his foot was about to hit the ball, Kiyora changed from a direct shot on goal to a chip going left.

"He chipped it!"

"Get it! We might have lost, but we can stop this."

As Team Y was yelling at each other, Karasu made his move. Moving like his namesake, he flew past the defenders to where the ball would land. Pulling back his left leg, Karasu laughed as he shot the ball into the top left corner of the goal. "Naruto might call you his hidden blade, Kiyora. But this time, you were the tool of this assassin." As he celebrated, Karasu looked back at the entirety of Team Y and made a gesture of dragging his thumb across his throat. "Target eliminated."

(Team V) 9 - 0 (Team Y)

Karasu Tabito - Goal - 3', 43', 87'

Uzumaki Naruto - Goal - 14', 30', 72'

Kiyora Jin - Goal - 19', 59', 80'

Naruto and the others made their way back to the middle of the field. They didn't think that stoppage time would be issued because of the score. When they did get set, there was only a minute remaining. As the ball was passed to Hiiragi, they weren't shocked that he held it until the final whistle.

"Tweet, Tweet, Tweeeet! Team V wins with a final score of 9-0!"

Naruto walked up to Hiiragi, who fell to his knees with a look of despair. He didn't do anything for a few minutes, instead choosing to analyze everything he saw his opponent do during the match. It was only when Hiiragi spoke that he moved.

"You're him, aren't you?"

"I'm who," Naruto asked. "You gotta be more specific than that."

Hiiragi looked up at him. "You're the Magician of Football. The player everyone knows about but doesn't know who he actually is. Your teammate even called you the Magician." Naruto had to give him credit. Most would have heard Kiyora's words and laughed at him. "You also talk like how the Magician does."

"Kiyora could have been joking," Naruto said. "And how do I talk like the Magician?"

"You made multiple references to your plays being magic. According to videos, he says that a lot while playing. I also follow the Magician on social media. He constantly makes references to magic when talking about how he plays." Hiiragi was sure he was right. While his predictions failed him in the game, his intelligence was not failing him now. It only took one to connect the dots.

Naruto smirked down at him. Hiiragi was right about him, but he only missed one thing. "You're right. But I thought the biggest giveaway would have been my hair and my eyes. After all, the half mask I wear when on social media or when I play in the streets and underground only covers the lower half of my face and neck." Naruto almost laughed at the embarrassed blush on his opponent's face. "Do you realize now, though?"

"Realize what? That we were outclassed and stood no chance." Hiiragi let out a frustrated huff. He should have known that they stood no chance the minute Kiyora called Naruto the Magician. Every football fan around the world knows about the Magician of Football. He was touted as being near the level of the New Generation World XI.

"Yes," Naruto answered. "But also, that of all the absolutes in Blue Lock, me being the best in Blue Lock will always remain true."

With that said, Naruto walked to the tunnel with the rest of his team. There was nothing left for them on the field, only the defeated forms of Team Y. His position as the leader of his team was easily secured. Now, all that was left was to complete the First Selection. "Hiiragi Reigi, you are just the first stepping stone of many that lay in my path to reach my goals." With that final thought, Naruto and the rest of Team V walked into their locker room, hoping to enjoy some rest before their next match in a few days.

"Yes, little magician. Show the world what you can do even when not trying your best." Ego sat in his viewing room, watching as Team V walked off the field. He didn't care that Team Y stayed on the field and took out their frustrations on the field. There was only one person in this match that he was watching. "If only you would let the restrained ego of yours out to play."

Tatsuya told him about how Naruto acted when he played before he was forced to restrain himself. Naruto was arrogant, thinking of those around him as nothing more than pieces in his strategies. The moment he walked on a pitch, he wasn't Uzumaki Naruto. No, he was the Magician of Football, the sadistic strategist who forced others to perform their best even if they didn't realize it.

"I can't fault Tatsuya for restraining that ego, though. He always preached about team play, but not Uzumaki-san's style of team play." Ego looked at a monitor that was displaying Naruto's scolding of Karasu. "But it seems that even you couldn't lock away that ego completely, Tatsuya."

Click, clack, click, clack

"Mr. Ego, the press conference went well," Anri spoke as she walked up behind him. "Something interesting did happen, though."

Ego turned his chair around and stared at the brown-haired woman. "And what was so interesting that I need to know?" He could guess what she was talking about; he had watched the press conference.

"Itoshi Sae was there, and he spoke about Uzumaki Naruto." Seeing as Ego didn't interrupt her, she continued. "Itoshi-san said that Uzumaki-san was the only forward in Japan worthy of his passes. It caused quite a stir, and now we are getting calls and messages requesting information on Uzumaki-san."

"I should have expected that, but don't worry. Uzumaki-san knows people who will help with this." Ego thought that would satisfy her, but she clearly expected more. "And regarding Itoshi Sae and his connection to Uzumaki Naruto, they are old acquaintances." Ego then got up and walked towards the door before Anri spoke up.

"There's more to it, though, isn't there, Mr. Ego."

"Well, Anri-chan. I have seen film of Itoshi-san and Uzumaki-san playing together." He turned to look at her over his shoulder, an intense look in his eyes. "If the world were to see them playing together, they wouldn't only be calling Itoshi Sae Japan's greatest treasure."

Ego then walked out, leaving Anri alone in the room with only the monitors giving her light. She decided to watch the recording of the Team V vs Team Y game to try to understand Ego's interest in Uzumaki Naruto. "Well, Uzumaki-san," she whispered to herself. "Let's see why Mr. Ego and Itoshi Sae are so interested in you."