The Magician
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Chapter Five - Echos of the Magician
"Sigh," Kushina had been doing a lot of that lately. Ever since her son Naruto had entered Blue Lock at the behest of Fukuda Tatsuya, she had been exasperated. She always encouraged her son to follow his dreams and do what he needed to make them possible, but she hasn't seen him in three weeks. She thought Blue Lock would be like a football camp. But no, when something that her son did related to football, it was never simple.
Kushina let it be when Naruto told her he would be living there for an undetermined amount of time. Even when he told her that she wouldn't be able to visit him to check in on him, she went against her better judgment. But after Naruto was already there and told her of what was happening there, she regretted letting him go. Learning that he had his phone taken and that he had to earn his phone back made her furious. It was only his constant communication since then that calmed her down. She still remembered the day he first called her.
Flashback
Kushina was worried. Her son always called her once a day to check in with her. It's been two days, and she hasn't heard from him since he entered Blue Lock. She had watched the press conference that the Japan Football Union put out. While she believed in her son, she was also concerned with how little the JFU cared about the players who failed. It was only thanks to her son's girlfriend Alice reassuring her that Naruto was okay and that the other players needed to worry.
"Mrs. Uzumaki, calm down. What do you think Naruto would say if he saw you now?"
Kushina turned to her left to look at who spoke to her. It was her son's girlfriend, Nakiri Alice. She was a beautiful, fair-skinned girl with short hair and red eyes that contrasted with her skin tone and hair color. Her hair was silver with a longer strand on the left side that reached her shoulders. She was currently wearing sweatpants and a baggy turtleneck. "Both of which she had taken from Naruto's room the moment she arrived this morning, now that I think about it." Naruto and Kushina had known Alice since they first moved back to Japan when Naruto was nine.
"Did you hear me, Mrs. Uzumaki," Alice asked.
"Oh, yes," Kushina answered. "I'm just worried about Naruto. You know how he can get when he plays football." She let out another sigh as she thought about her son. "Without Tatsuya there, I feel that he might end up like he used to be when he played football." It was the only thing about her son that she had reservations about. He was a kind boy who was polite to everyone until they gave him a reason not to be.
Kushina always knew that her son would become a different person when he played. Tatsuya called it his ego or his innermost desires when it comes to football. She didn't understand when Tatsuya first told him about Naruto developing an ego until she saw him play as he developed it. It was like looking at a different person. So she and Tatsuya worked with Naruto to suppress it, but she knew they could never suppress it entirely. Now, she just feared that something would happen that would unleash that ego again, and this time, nothing would be able to suppress it ever again.
"Is that a bad thing, though," Alice asked her. "I know you didn't like how Naruto used to get, but what if it isn't a bad thing anymore? Naruto is competing against two hundred and ninety-nine others, including some of his own friends. Maybe if he lets his ego out again, he will succeed, and he'll stop worrying about what he's going to do in the future."
"So," Kushina began, "you're saying that his ego is the key to his future in football?"
"Yes," Alice exclaimed. "Like it or not, but restraining his ego isn't good for him." Seeing the confusion on Kushina's face, Alice continued. "Think of it like this. When Naruto restrains his ego, it's like he's restraining himself. He can't give it his all because his all isn't being used. Without his ego, Naruto isn't doing his best."
"But-" Kushina started before she was cut off by her phone ringing from across the room. "Who could be calling me at this hour of the night?" When she stood up and saw the photo of her son on the ID, she practically sprinted to the phone.
Alice, who was watching Kushina, sweatdropped at the action. "I swear whenever something involves Naruto, you turn superhuman."
"I don't want to hear it from you," Kushina yelled as he held her phone protectively. "Whenever Naruto is around, you are somehow always with him. You spend more time with my son than I do. I'm also his mother; I'm allowed to care for my son however I want to."
Ring, ring, ring!
"Well, are you going to answer the phone, or do I need to," Alice asked her.
Kushina stuck her tongue out at her in response before putting the phone on speaker. "Hello Naruto! How has Blue Lock gone so far?"
"Hey, mom! It's going well. I'm actually on a team with Tabito and Jin. We don't know where Ranze and Jyubei are, though," Naruto said through the phone.
"Hi, Mrs. Uzumaki," Karasu shouted through the phone.
"Hello, Mrs. Uzumaki," Kiyora spoke with less enthusiasm than his friend.
"Hello, you two! I hope you're keeping my son out of trouble. You know how he can get without someone to keep him in line." She laughed at the shout of denial from her son. Kushina grew confused when she heard what sounded like someone getting tackled.
"Sorry, Mrs. Uzumaki," Kiyora said. "I'm going to put it on FaceTime so you can see all of us." Kushina had to stifle a laugh when she saw Kiyora holding the phone out so she could see Karasu forcing Naruto to the ground behind him. "You don't need to worry about Naruto. We can take him down when we need to."
"Lies," Naruto shouted, getting the attention of his mother. "I'm innocent! I've done nothing wrong. Karasu, on the other hand, he's being bad. He could have gotten Kiyora hur-" Naruto was cut off by Karasu stuffing a rag into his mouth.
"Did Karasu almost get you hurt, Kiyora?" As Kushina asked, the boys and Alice could have sworn they saw a dark aura surrounding her and that her hair started floating. "I can deal with him if I need to."
Kiyora looked back at the shivering Karasu as he smirked. "You don't need to worry. I have my ways to take care of him." His calm voice and the glint in his eyes made Karasu shiver.
"OK, well, how have your first few days been?" Kushina was genuinely curious. Blue Lock was where her son and his closest friends were. While only Naruto was her son by birth, she saw all of them as her children. "I hope nothing bad has happened."
Naruto, who had finally wrestled his way away from Karasu, took the phone back and answered. "It's fine, great, actually. We had our first game a few hours ago and won."
"I'm glad to hear that. Especially since you three are on the same team. I just wish Ranze and Jyubei were also with you." A frown appeared on Kushina's face at not knowing what was going on with the other two boys. "You said you won, though. I wish I could have watched."
"Probably not; the match was boring," Naruto let out a sigh as he spoke. "We won 9-0 with all three of us scoring a hat-trick. It's actually thanks to us scoring hat-tricks that we could even call you."
Kushina was smiling until it faltered at the last sentence she heard. "What do you mean it was thanks to you scoring hat-tricks that you could call me?"
"Well, they kinda made us turn in our personal belongings, including our phones." Naruto turned around on the phone to look at something she couldn't see, but that didn't matter to Kushina. She was furious.
"WHAT!" Her shout made Naruto lean back away from his phone while Alice fell off of her couch in surprise. "What do you mean they made you turn in your phone?! What if there was an emergency? What if a parent had to call their kid and couldn't reach them? This isn't something that should be allowed. I'm going to call the lawyers and -"
"Mom, stop," Naruto shouted through the phone. "It's a part of Ego-sans plan to motivate everyone in blue lock. What was it, he said again, Karasu."
Karasu looked over at the phone before focusing on Kiyora, who was staring at him threatenly. "He said players ranked higher in the other stratums eat better meals and use greater quality equipment. It's supposed to simulate the difference in lifestyle between the very best players in the world and those who are just getting by."
Kushina nodded slowly before speaking again. "But what does that have to do with you needing to get a hat-trick to call me?"
"Oh, well, Blue Lock has a points reward system, and you get points by scoring," Naruto said as if it was self-explanatory. "One point can get you either a massage or a 300-gram sirloin steak. Three points can get you your phone back. Five points is a better bed, I think. And ten points is a day outside if I remember correctly."
Kushina took some deep breaths to calm herself. While she didn't like that her son had to earn his phone back, at least the first thing he did was get his phone and call her. She tried not to think about the kids who wouldn't get the chance to call their parents.
"Well, it's already pretty late, Naruto. How about you get to bed, and you can call me tomorrow." Kushina let out a yawn as she spoke.
"Yeah, you're right." Naruto let out a yawn of his own. "I am exhausted. If you see Alice-chan, tell her I'll call her tomorrow. Goodnight, Mom. Tabito and Jin say goodnight as well."
"Goodnight, Naruto. And don't worry, Alice has been here all day. She heard you."
Naruto smiled as he heard what his mom said. "Goodnight, Alice! I'll call you tomorrow when I can."
Alice walked into the frame of the phone camera, looking exhausted as she did. "Goodnight, Naruto, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Kushina smiled as she saw how her son and his girlfriend looked at each other. It reminded her of how she and Naruto's father, Minato, looked at each other." Their gaze held nothing but love for the other. With one final goodnight from everyone, the call ended.
Flashback End
Kushina looked outside of her house and saw the security that the Nakiri family had supplied her with. Ever since her son's old friend Itoshi Sae talked about him at the JFU and Blue Lock press conference, she had been hounded by the press every day. Everyone wanted to know about her son and his connection to the football prodigy Itoshi Sae. "Even when Tatsuya helped reveal the truth, they still won't leave me alone. I just hope the others are having an easier time than me with this."
"So, are you sure you want to do this, Alice? I know you want to help clear the air, but couldn't your parents or even your grandfather have gotten a professional to do this?" Tatsuya sighed as he adjusted his tie. Looking to his right, Alice was looking over forms of what questions they expected and what information they were willing to share.
"Of course, you act like I haven't been professionally trained for the press. Did you forget what family I'm from?" Alice was dressed in an outfit secretary outfit similar to what Anri wore for the Blue Lock press conference. "Also, it's best if I can answer for Naruto. You know how he got when he answers any questions relating to himself and football. It's either him being arrogant and thinking no one can beat him, or it's him trying to answer as straightforwardly as possible so he can leave."
Tatsuya didn't like the knowing look she gave him, but she was right. He blamed himself honestly. When he first started taking Naruto around the world every so often to further his training, he did all the talking. Back then, Naruto struggled with anything that wasn't German or Japanese. Now though, he knew several other languages, but his skills when it came to interviews of any kind still sucked.
"Whatever you say, princess," Tatsuya snarked. He knew how much she disliked it when someone other than Naruto called her princess. The pout he received made him smirk. "Let's just get this done. Naruto should be having his final First Selection game in a day or two. And I also gotta answer some calls about the film on his first three games I sent to some of my connections overseas."
"Sigh, you're right," Alice said as she organized the papers in front of her. "Have security open the doors so we can start."
As he watched the press file in the room, he looked at all of the media outlets and was surprised to see some of them. Tatsuya knew that when someone like Itoshi Sae of the New Generation World XI talked, it caught attention. He just didn't think it would have brought the press he saw today. "But me being the one holding the conference could be a factor. I also wouldn't put it past Jinpachi to pull some strings himself."
"Hello, everyone. Before we get to the questions that anyone has, we would like to say a few things. As many of you know, I am Fukuda Tatsuya. I formally played for C.E. Sabadell F.C. before a career-ending injury forced me to retire. As of 2010, I have been the personal coach and trainer of Uzumaki Naruto. Since Naruto himself cannot be here, his girlfriend, miss Nakiri Alice, is here to answer questions I wouldn't be able to answer."
Tatsuya pressed a button on a remote in front of him, and the screen behind him flickered on. An image of Itoshi Sae from the Blue Lock press conference appeared on it. "You are all here to find out more about Uzumaki Naruto after Japan's own New Generation World XI member, Itoshi Sae, brought him up recently." Tatsuya pressed the button again, and an image of Naruto appeared. It was of him with his friends in their personal Tokyo City F.C. uniforms before one of their most recent underground football matches. "Naruto is the blonde one if none of you have seen an image of him yet. So let's get to the first question."
Hands shot up immediately, and Tatsuya knew he had to choose one of the bigger media outlets first. "Yes, in the front."
"Thank you," a middle-aged man said as he stood. "Frank Thomas from World Soccer. You stated that you are the personal trainer and coach for Mr. Uzumaki, yet you are known as the trainer for the anonymous football phenom, the Magician of Football. Are you implying that Mr. Uzumaki and the Magician are the same person?"
"Yes," Tatsuya replied. "The Magician was an alias that we created to protect Naruto's identity when he was younger. It wasn't our intention for it to become such a popular persona, but it has." He looked out and chose another reporter from the back.
"Steven Richards, The 18," a young man said. "Is there any proof you can show us that will corroborate your statement? You say the boy in the photo is Uzumaki Naruto, yet there have been those in the past who claimed to be the Magician of Football before being disproven by said person's personal social media."
"It can be easily proven. His own mother has had to be given security because of the press hounding her outside of her own home. If that is not enough, video evidence can be shown at the end of the press conference. Also, I can guarantee that within a few days of this press conference being completed, the Magician of Football will post on all his social media platforms to prove he is Uzumaki Naruto."
"Justin Michaels, ," a middle-aged man stood along with a young woman who was holding a recording device. "Am I right to assume that Itoshi Sae knows Uzumaki Naruto through meeting him as the Magician?"
"You would be both right and wrong," Tatsuya replied. "Naruto met Itoshi Sae in his first few years back in Japan. After Itoshi-san left for Spain to play for the second team of Re Al, they kept in contact. While he didn't know that Naruto was the mysterious rising star, the Magician of Football, he found out after Naruto, his mother, and I made a trip to Madrid, Spain."
"So," the journalist began, "did the two play with each other while you were all in Madrid? It makes the most sense if Itoshi Sae claims that only Uzumaki Naruto is worthy of his passes."
"They played both with and against each other during our time there. During this time, they developed a chemistry you would usually see in most players who have played together for years. This was also during the time that Itoshi Sae transitioned from being a forward for Re Al to being a middle fielder." Tatsuya waited for the journalist to ask more before speaking again. "If that was all, you in the middle."
"Stephanie Michaels, ." This time, it was a woman who spoke. "The Magician of Football is credited with being near the level of the New Generation World XI. Why is Uzumaki Naruto in the Blue Lock project if he could be on a pro club's second team? Surely, he has been approached with offers before."
"That is more difficult to answer, miss, but I'll give you the simple answer." Tatsuya sighed before speaking again. "Naruto has been given offers, but they are all unofficial. As Naruto was a minor, he could not agree to any offer without his legal guardian, which I am not. Naruto also has two focuses in his life. Football, and his loved ones. He would not make any deals if his mother didn't agree."
"Even so", the woman continued. "He became a legal adult a few months before the Blue Lock project started. Surely, he could have accepted one of those offers, however unofficial they were."
"You're correct," Tatsuya agreed. "But as someone who knew of the Blue Lock project before it became a reality, I cautioned him to wait. I will say something to all of you that I have finally been given permission to do. Blue Lock isn't just about creating the best striker in the world—it's about preparing you for the highest level of football. After the Third Selection, there will be a time when these strikers' skills will be showcased on a global stage. The world will see the talent Blue Lock has cultivated, and the strikers will prove that they belong among the best young players in the world."
"So, Blue Lock isn't just to train a striker, but also to show the world that Japan can produce capable players?" Tatsuya only gave her a nod before moving on to the next person.
"Sugawara Sho, Aera." The man was the first Japanese person to ask a question, and Tatsuya was thankful. He wanted people to know Naruto, but he also needed to gain a good rep in Japan. "I suppose I should direct my question to Nakiri-san. So, Nakiri-san, as you will know the more personal aspects of Uzumaki-san's life, what kind of person is he?"
"Well," Alice began. "Naruto is a very kind person and polite to everyone. He can get very defensive of his family and those he deems as close to him. Due to some events that I will not disclose, Naruto believes that respect is something to be earned and not given just because someone demands it." Alice saw the man frown and could guess why. "Do you have another question, sir?"
"Yes, and I don't mean to be rude, so please forgive me if I come off as rude." Seeing her nod, he continued. "Looking at the photo, Uzumaki-san has dyed hair along with tattoos. While foreigners might not understand why I am saying this, those are quite frowned upon in Japan. Could you explain why he did such things, knowing they are viewed negatively?"
Alice had to stop herself from sighing. She expected this question and was more surprised that it wasn't asked first. "It is quite simple Sugawara-san. Naruto is fond of symbolism and showing those he cares for just how much he cares for them. His dyed streaks and tattoos are for me, actually. At first, Naruto dyed his hair the same color as my hair and eyes to show he cared for me. He only got his tattoo a few months ago after an old friend of his convinced him, too. Like his hair, the color of the roses is for me, while the kunai, at least to my understanding, has something to do with his mother's family."
"Thank you, Nakiri san," the man said as he gave her a slight bow. "I meant no disrespect, but the people who read the Aera would think otherwise if the reason behind them weren't known."
Alice nodded, though she doubted her words would change anyone's mind. Japan was against any kind of dyed hair and tattoos. Thinking they meant you were in the yakuza or were a rebel who didn't follow the rules. The parts of Naruto's hair that were still his natural blonde got enough comments before he dyed parts of his hair for her. "Next person, please."
"Yes, I'm Nihei from the Football Journal." This was another Japanese man, one that Tatsuya recognized. Nihei was usually the person who interviewed any promising or famous Japanese athlete in Japan. "My question is simple. You said that you are in touch with Ego Jinpachi of Blue Lock. Is it possible for us to see some film on Uzumaki-san while in Blue Lock or on anyone in Blue Lock?"
Tatsuya smirked. He had been waiting for this question and he partially answered it when answering the woman from . "Yes, actually. As I stated earlier, after the Third Selection, there will be a time for the world to view the players who still remain. The players in Blue Lock will be able to show everyone that they have what it takes to play for top clubs around the world." He watched as multiple people wrote down what he said, but he was more focused on the cameras focusing on him.
"But at the end of the First Selection, you will get to see what went down in Blue Lock during that time. Just as you watch the Magician's underground and street matches on his YouTube channel, you will watch as he journeys through Blue Lock to be the best striker in the World. Now, I think we can get to the next question."
Naruto waited for the rest of Team V in the film room. They had been watching film on Team Z since the first game. It was the only other team to catch Naruto's interest when they scored six goals in their first match. While Naruto, Karasu, and Kiyora scored three goals each, the top scorer of Team Z scored four goals himself, three of which were assisted by the same person.
This is what allowed Naruto and his friends to put together their hypothesis behind the Blue Lock rankings. They had begun believing that the rankings were wrong on purpose. Team V's and Team Z's following games proved this when Team Z, the supposedly worst team in the Fifth Stratum, was blowing their competition out of the water.
As Naruto was finalizing what film he wanted his team to watch, he heard Karasu's voice coming from behind the door. "Come on, ya bums. This is the last mandatory film night before our game, so stop complaining." If it were anyone else who heard Karasu, they would have been appalled with how he talked to others. Naruto, however, knew it was just how Karasu was, always looking down on others.
"Sit down, everyone," Naruto began as they entered. "Our match with Team Z is in two days. Tomorrow will be like every other day this week. I will have you going through drills to minimize the effectiveness of Team Z's passers."
"Start with the formation, Naruto," Karasu said. "We've been constantly changing tactics to get everyone used to their formation. But we obviously can't do that against them."
Karasu was right, and Naruto also knew that the formation needed to be something he could adapt if need be. "That's the easy part. We are going to go with a 4-2-3-1. While we have only used this formation once in the second game, we have used it plenty of times in practice." Naruto turned to face the rest of the team while changing the screen to a map of the chosen formation with their names on it. "Unlike before, I will not be playing as the center forward. I will be leaving that to you, Saramadra."
Everyone was shocked. In every formation they had practiced, Naruto was always the center forward. Karasu and Kiyora always told everyone that Naruto always planned for a strategy that would lead to the most optimal goal. It just happened that in Blue Lock, with a team of strikers, the most optimal goal happened through himself.
Saramadara stood where he was and gave a small bow to Team V's captain. "Thank you for the opportunity. I won't let it go to waste."
Naruto waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I need you there for my plan to work." Seeing the confused looks, Naruto pointed to the smirking Karasu.
"So that's how ya want to do this," Karasu asked. Seeing the rest of the room besides Kiyora were clueless, he explained. "You all learned that Naruto styled his play after MSN after the first game. Well, what has Messi become known for doing at the start of games?"
"He walks around a lot during matches," a player towards the back said. "But isn't that so he can find space?"
"Correct," Karasu replied. "But I feel that Naruto is going to use it as something more than just that."
"So you do have a brain in that head of yours, Karasu," Naruto said as he dodged the marker thrown at him. "Messi is known to walk around to both find space and outsmart his opponents. Given what we are currently doing, Team Z has no doubt watched our previous games as well. They are expecting us to run our strategies through me, and we will." Naruto smirked as he changed the formation on the screen. "But at the start, we will be performing a little deception."
Naruto pointed at the three attacking midfielders behind Saramadara. "Kiyora and Karasu will be playing the outside attacking midfielders for this entire match. I will be in the central attacking midfielder position. But this won't be the case for the entire match." Naruto turned to look at everyone as the other positions were filled in with the rest of the team. "I will only be walking and scanning for the first twenty or twenty-five minutes of the match. This will give me ample time to analyze Team Z, and from there, I can facilitate this match to end in our favor. Saramadara, after this time, you and I will switch positions."
Saramadara nodded back at Naruto. He had been watching the same film the rest of Team V had. While he was confident in his abilities, Saramadara knew that Naruto was the best option to lead the attack after he studied Team Z.
"Naruto," Kiyora spoke up. "Anyone specific we should be wary of on this team? Their main scorer should be a point of concern, in my opinion."
"Understandably so, Kiyora," Naruto smirked as the screen changed to show a few players that he had marked as important. "As you know, we have scored a combined twenty-one goals. I have scored eight goals, Karasu and Kiyora have scored five each, and Saramadara has scored three." Naruto turned to look at the faces that appeared on the screen. "However, Team Z has scored fourteen goals of their own."
"Their lead scorer is Shidō Ryōsei with seven goals. Following him is Hiori Yo, with three goals, while Himizu Aiki and Yuzu Haruhiko have scored two each." Naruto pressed a button before the screen focused on Shido and Hiori. "Our main focus will be Shidō Ryōsei and Hiori Yō. All their goals will be through Shidō, with most, if not all assists coming from Hiori. Karasu, when the time comes, I hope you know what to do."
Karasu smirked as he eyed the image of Hiori. He played with Hiori back in Kansai so he knew how he played. What had him smirking, though, was Naruto giving him a target to shut down. While Hiori wasn't the usual weak link Karasu usually targeted to take advantage of a team, he knew why his captain wanted him to target him. If all plays went through Hiori, shutting him down would force the rest of the team to try to adapt. But by then, Naruto would be ready to take over.
"I got ya," Karasu said. "But Naruto, what about that Shidō fella? He has to be decent enough if he caught your attention."
"Just worry about containing him and limiting the goals he can score for the first twenty minutes." Naruto turned to see Kiyora about to speak but cut him off. "And he will score, no doubt about that. We all watched the film on their previous games as well. As long as a pass gets to him in the penalty area, he can score ninety percent of the time. Limit him until I am ready. Then, I will show him the difference in skill between him and me."
Kiyora and Karasu watched as Naruto led Team V through the film of Team Z's other three matches. They were intrigued by the way he had begun playing and planning. Tatsuya and Mrs. Uzumaki had told them about how Naruto used to play. They had all experienced a small portion of what Tatsuya called Naruto's 'ego' but had never seen the full thing. They knew that Naruto had once helped crush a friend of his in a football match and that he changed positions because he didn't feel like being a forward anymore.
Hell, in a way, Naruto did the same to them. While they were forwards at their high schools, when they were with him, they played entirely different positions. It almost felt natural with the ease they played their new positions. Aryū can go from being a forward unmatched in the air to an elite center-back who uses his reach to intercept shots. Kurona turns into a wing-back who terrorizes defenses when he links up with Naruto. Kiyora switches to wing-back as well and sends passes so great you wouldn't think he was a striker before. Then there was Karasu, who turns into a midfielder who acts as a second brain for the team when Naruto attacks.
"Well, Naruto," Kiyora thought as he turned back to the film Naruto was leading everyone through. "When are you going to show us the person Tatsuya calls the Master Strategist and who Mrs. Uzumaki calls the Sadistic Puppeteer?"