The Magician
A/N: This is another new project, like Just Some Children From The Districts, that I'm working on to help me get back into writing. I know many of my readers have been waiting for updates on Mandalore the Eternal and Of the Creed & Moon. To be honest, I don't know when—or if—I'll return to them. I've mentioned before that I intended to continue, but somewhere along the way, I lost my motivation—more so with Mandalore the Eternal than Of the Creed & Moon.
The reason goes back to a Star Wars concept I was helping someone else develop while I was still working on Mandalore the Eternal. What started as me giving guidance and ideas eventually became me writing large sections of the first chapter. When I finally finished it, they wanted to claim the work as their own, even though it was my writing. That experience made me feel like my effort and creativity were being taken advantage of. It's one thing to take inspiration from existing media, as fanfiction naturally does, but it's another to have your personal work passed off as someone else's. That experience drained my enthusiasm for writing. For a while, it just didn't feel the same. I'm not saying that I'll never come back to those stories, but I don't see it happening in the near future.
However, this new fic is something I've genuinely enjoyed creating, and I'm excited to share it with you all. Thank you for understanding, and I hope you enjoy this new project as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
Now that that is out of the way. This is a cross-over between Naruto and Blue Lock that I have been slowly putting an idea together for but have recently gotten it more fleshed out after discussing it with AizenTheGoat. I hope to do this idea justice and hope you enjoy it. 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
Note: The characters that Naruto is familiar with will be going by their first names in this chapter and part of the next chapter. I know this differs from how Blue Lock has everyone go by their last names except for a few. But they will be going by their last name, as in the manga next chapter, and the reason will be explained.
Chapter One - Ego Unleashed
Flashback Begin
"Come on, Michael, we can do this! We score one more point, and we beat the older kids," a small blonde child spoke. He had a mix of European and Japanese traits with shoulder-length blonde hair that was on the spikier side but still straight enough to pull into a small ponytail. His blue and purple heterochromia eyes peaked through his spiky bangs. His once-white shirt was now covered in so much dirt that the red spiral was almost unseen.
Michael, the kid he was talking to, didn't seem that interested in what he was saying. Michael was a bit taller than the child before him. He was also European and had blonde hair and blue eyes, and his hair was in a mullet cut. "Naruto, you just want to win because your mom is here."
Said boy tried to refute the claim, but a look to the side where a red-haired woman was cheering for them made him stop and pout. Naruto tried to think of something to say before his eyes lit up. "Come on, Michael! Mom told me she would buy us something if we won today. We can also show her our new celebration!" Naruto was practically vibrating with enthusiasm as he spoke while his compatriot looked like he would rather be somewhere else.
"Fine, you little pipsqueak," Michael answered, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He calmly ignored the shout of annoyance from his friend. "Let's end this, and we can be on our way. I trust you know what to do. Ignore the rest of these fools with us. We'll show them how the game should be played." The camaraderie between the two was palpable, their shared determination shining through.
Without a word, the opposing team kicked off. While the rest of Naruto's team rushed to mark the opponents, he and Michael had a different strategy. They went straight for the older kid with the ball.
Naruto knew the plan that Michael wanted to use would only work if they got the ball back before their opponent got near the final third of the pitch. While he was on the taller side of most seven-year-olds, Naruto truly excelled with his speed and agility. If he could take his opponent down trying to get the ball, he knew he could catch back up with Michael with ease. And seeing how Michael was orbiting around him and his opponent while he pressed him, Naruto knew he had the same idea.
While he didn't like to do it often, especially with his mom watching, Naruto would have to play a little dirty to get the ball loose for Michael to grab. His first thought was to bump and shove his opponent, but he was older than him by four years and had too much of a side advantage on him. "Pulling his shirt could work," he thought to himself. Naruto quickly grabbed at the older kid's shirt and tried to hold on but was constantly shoved off.
"Dammit! How can I get him down without Michael?" He was too frustrated to even see that another of his opponents was getting near him. It wasn't until he heard a yell that he bothered looking to his right and saw one of his own teammates had dove into somebody to stop them from getting near him. "That's it!" With an idea in mind, he set his plan into motion.
Grabbing at his opponent's shirt again, he smiled when his hand had found purchase on the lower hem of the shirt. Remembering what his teammate did, he used his opponent's shirt to pull himself forward enough that he would swing his body to slide tackle his opponent. He grinned as he saw the ball fly away to an awaiting Michael.
Seeing the chance his friend gave him, Michael took off. He quickly scanned the field in front of him, knowing he didn't need to worry about those behind him. While his friend was fast, he had to buy him time to get up and then run to get into a position to begin their two-man tiki-taka.
As he ran up and to the right, he heard the sound of footsteps nearing him from the left. Thinking quickly, he decided to try something Naruto had taught him. Waiting until the defender got close enough to him, he pulled a Cryuff Turn. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to get him past his defender, even though he stumbled himself. His stumble cost him, however, as two more defenders closed in quickly.
Seeing a flash of blonde in his peripheral vision, he kicked the ball toward his teammate, knowing he would receive it. The squawk of indignation from the opponent he had just nutmegged with the pass was the cherry on top for the eight-year-old.
Naruto grinned as the ball touched his feet. He didn't know why, but his mom always told him that he was faster with a ball at his feet. It confused him, but she was right. To him, a ball at his feet made him feel as if he was released from some invisible chains holding his real speed back. He was broken from his musings when he heard his mom shout. Looking up, he saw a defender running right at him.
His grin grew even more when he noticed someone was also right behind him. Naruto knew just what he wanted to do. Acting just in time for the distance to be closed, Naruto pulled off a rainbow flick that sent the ball to the left. He quickly spun to the right, just in time for his two opponents to slam into each other. The defenders were confused about why he ran right when the ball went left before Michael appeared behind the ball.
Michael trapped the ball before passing it behind a defender where Naruto appeared. The two knew their two-man tiki-taka only worked because of Naruto's speed and Michael's off-ball movement.
"Who the hell are these two kids?!"
"No one this small should be able to play this good."
"This ain't right. These two ain't normal kids; they're prodigies."
"Fucking monsters is what they are."
Naruto laughed with joy at hearing what their opponents were saying as they failed to defend him and Michael. Reaching the final third, Naruto noticed that Michael disappeared with his off-ball skills. Knowing what this meant, Naruto smirked as he eyed the four defenders in front of him while his teammates ran interference against the ones behind him.
Two defenders rushed towards him as he pushed towards the penalty box. Wanting to try something that his mom showed him when she played with him, he waited for the two to get closer. Just as they got within range, Naruto looked to his left and began to move his right foot to make a pass. Just as the left defender took the bait and slid, he pulled the ball back before using his speed and agility to touch the ball forward between the two defenders as the right defender stumbled and struggled to gain his footing.
Seeing the failure of their two teammates, only one defender rushed forward, hoping to beat Naruto to the ball he put forward. "Too slow, buddy. No one here is faster than Naruto Uzumaki!" A quick feint got him past the defender, but not without losing some speed when his shirt was yanked on.
Finally in the penalty box, Naruto used an improvised roulette spin to get by the final defender, but he was better than the rest. He stayed right on Naruto's left side and didn't let him cut in. "He wants to make the area I can score in smaller. Let's see how they like my next trick," Naruto thought with a laugh. The weird look he got from the defender and the goalie in front of him made him laugh even more.
Moving even closer to the right post, Naruto wanted to smirk when the final defender stayed on him, and the goalie moved with them, leaving the entire left side of the goal open. Drawing back his right leg as if to kick was all Naruto wanted as the goalie started diving early to block the shot. He and the final defender were shocked when Naruto's foot went around the ball before snapping back to pass the ball behind him. "Idiots," Naruto laughed. "You were so focused on the great Naruto Uzumaki that you ignored Michael Kaiser!"
It was then that the other defenders noticed that Michael had rushed past them and was on the ball at the top of the penalty box. Before anyone could react, his right leg shot forward and slammed the ball towards the net. No one moved as the ball rocketed into the back of the net. No one moved as the ball fell to the ground and rolled out of the net, too shocked to move.
Everyone was broken out of their surprised stupor as Naruto began laughing again. "Finally, Michael, if I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted to put a hole in the net."
Michael just stared at his friend, but even he couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face. His friend had that quality to make everyone smile. "Well, you said you wanted to celebrate, so come on."
Naruto rushed to his friend to do as he said. They had been thinking about a celebration they could do together for the past few days and finally decided on one. Now, after winning this match, they could do it.
Flashback End
"Focus."
A gruff voice broke Naruto out of his thoughts. He looked to his left at the person who spoke to him. It was Fukada Tatsuya, his mentor and main trainer, when it came to football. He was a tall man in his early 30s with a slim build. His dark hair reached past his ears and was unkempt. Naruto couldn't say anything about that, though. He often let his hair hang to his shoulders and covered his eyes. If it weren't for the scarf covering the man's lower face, Naruto would make a joke about the man's attempt to grow facial hair. His black tracksuit was similar yet opposite of Naruto's own white one.
"Focus on what, Tatsuya? There isn't much going on here." Naruto said as he released a sigh. Watching his breath appear in the cold November air. "When you said we were going to watch the Saitama Prefecture Finals, I thought there would be more talent being showcased."
Tatsuya released a sigh at the response. He knew he should expect it, but he thought that watching a game would make him analyze it like he does when he plays. "I know no one here is on your level, kid, but look at the game. Analyze it as if you were on the pitch. What do you see?"
Naruto decided to listen and pay closer attention. His mentor was a former professional himself who played in La Liga. Ichinan High School had a clear 'team above all' type of playstyle. No one person tried to stand out on their own. While that wasn't a bad thing in his mind, Naruto knew it had some drawbacks. Such as the defenders didn't try to focus on one person more that could free another up to get space to create a scoring opportunity.
Matsukaze Kokuō High School had no such issue. They clearly played through their ace Kira Ryōsuke and relied on him like a lifeline, even if they played it off as team play, including passes to each other. Everything for this team ended with Kira Ryosuke. But that had the negative of Ichinan quickly shutting down Kira after his first goal, keeping the game 1-0 in Matsukaze Kokuo's favor.
Naruto kept watching when a player from Ichinan caught his interest. Number 11 for Ichinan was marching down the pitch by himself, ignoring the teammate to his right calling for the ball. Even as defenders closed in on him, he got past all of them without any loss in momentum. When the player pulled off a series of feints to get past the final defender, he called over to Tatsuya. "Who's that kid, Ichinan's 11?"
Tatsuya smirked as Naruto finally saw what he saw. "Let's see," he replied as he pulled out a game program. "Ichinan number 11 is a striker named Isagi Yoichi. Ichinan runs a 4-4-2 with Isagi Yoichi and number 9 Tada Tomonari, another striker." Tatsuya knew that Naruto saw what he did. Isagi Yoichi wasn't even paying attention to anything except the goal in front of him. "Didn't think someone in this game would get close to the Flow," Tatsuya thought to himself. "Even if this kid doesn't realize what he is doing himself."
Naruto refocused on the game as Isagi went one-on-one with the goalie. "If he can pull off a feint, chip, or even a v-pull, he can tie this game." While Naruto knew the kid a year or two his junior might not be able to get the goal in cleanly, there was still plenty of space for him to score. He thought they had the tying goal when Isagi passed it but was proven wrong as the other striker's shot slammed into the post.
He tracked the ball as a Matsukaze Kokuo defender received it. The following pass to Kira Ryōsuke solidified Naruto's final thoughts that the game was over. He stood up as Kira fired a shot into the left side of the goal. "Let's get going, Tatsuya. Ichinan isn't coming back with only three minutes of stoppage time." Not waiting for an agreement, Naruto began walking towards the nearest exit. "If that dumb kid would have taken the shot they could have won,' he thought to himself. 'If he happens to be selected, he better learn to adapt, or he's gonna get left behind."
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Magician!"
Naruto turned from where he was at the front of the large group of Japanese teenagers. Walking up to him were a few familiar faces that he'd known for a few years. The one who spoke stood at 183 cm with spiky purple-blue hair and blue eyes. To his right was a shorter teen, standing at 168 cm with pink eyes and hair with a single braid. On the left was the final teen, standing at 165cm with dark green hair and blue eyes.
"If it isn't my three assistants, but there should be four of you here," Naruto spoke with a sarcastic tone. The tick mark that appeared on the purple-haired kid made Naruto chuckle. "You know what I mean, Tabito! A magician is nothing without his supporting cast, and I know no supporting cast better than you guys. But still, where's Jyubei?"
The purple-haired kid, Tabito, responded, "But this magician still follows orders from his queen." Tabito's sharp response drew chuckles from the other two.
"Oi, you know it ain't like that!" The laughing continued, and Naruto got a devilish smirk on his face. "Why are you two laughing, huh?" The two boys froze at Naruto's question while Tabito looked on confused while he laughed. "Ranze, you braid your hair because of her, and Jin, I haven't forgotten what happened the first time you ate her cooking."
If it was even possible, Ranze seemed to sink even more into the oversized jacket he was wearing. Jin, on the other hand, looked away from Tabito's teasing smirk and pretended not to hear anything he was saying. Naruto wouldn't trade these three for anyone. He didn't have many friends, considering he was taught by private tutors while traveling around Japan and the world with Tatsuya. Naruto could count the friends he has that he didn't meet through his girlfriend on his own two hands and have fingers to spare.
"Well," Tabito began again, "Jyubei is still making his way here. The dumbass was still working on his hair when I called him earlier." Naruto looked at his friend in disbelief. He didn't think his friend would choose his hair over this event.
"He's not joking either, Naruto. Last I spoke to him, our giant friend was going on about how he was going to show you who had the more stylish hair." The deadpan stare that Ranze had while he spoke made Naruto sweatdrop. Jyubei, while being very focused on football like the rest of their small group, had a strange personality. Naruto still remembered when Jyubei would visit him and his mom. Uzumaki Kushina may act like a woman who was more of a tomboy, but the day she met Jyubei, Naruto was sure someone had replaced his mother with how girly she acted over different hair products.
"I guess we can go find him," Jin's deep voice brought Naruto back to the present. "There aren't many strikers his size in Japan, and if we don't see him, we can text him to meet us right here by the stage." Everyone agreed with him and picked their bags off the ground. "Maybe he knows why so many forwards were called here; he always says that he's 'in the know' and 'in style.'"
Naruto smirked at his statement. While they didn't know why so many forwards were all selected to come to this building today, he did. It was also why he was glad his friends were here. Their being here showed that others besides him knew they had the skill to go forward.
"Alright, fox-face, shark boy, pipsqueak! Let this crow guide the way to our lost, stylish friend." Tabito only got dead stares from Ranze and Jin while Naruto slapped him upside the head.
"More like a shitty crow, you bas-" Naruto was cut off as the lights dimmed and a spotlight aimed at the stage. It revealed a man that Naruto instantly knew Jyubei would call insane for both his hair and fashion. The man was tall, probably standing at 189 cm by his estimate. His hair was in a bob cut and pitch black, which contrasted his pale skin. As did his black clothing. His glasses, jeans, belt, shirt, and bolo tie were all black.
"Congratulations, you unpolished gems. All of you under-18 strikers have been chosen solely on my criteria and biases to be here today." Murmurs resounded after the man spoke. "All three hundred of you." The murmurs only grew after that. Everyone started looking at each other and asked themselves the same question as earlier, "Why are there only forwards in the building, and three hundred at that?"
Naruto smirked as he heard the whispers behind him. Everyone behind him, including his friends, wanted answers from the man in front of them. He wanted something different. He just wanted the doors behind the man to open so he could start on the path that would put his name on the map.
"My name is Ego Jinpachi, and depending on your choice later, I will be one of two things for you: Your golden opportunity," Ego's face went from blank to sadistic back to blank so fast that almost everyone missed it… almost everyone. Naruto saw it, and it intrigued him. "Or your demise in the world of football." No one needed to look at one another to see the shock on everyone's faces.
"In broad terms, I have been tasked to make Japan a team capable of winning the World Cup." Laughs went around the hall, claims of absurdity came from the back of the room, and outright mockery was shouted at Ego. And all Naruto could do was laugh. Laugh at those he already claimed as fools for doubting the opportunity that was about to be offered to them.
Ego himself wasn't laughing, he was analyzing the crowd in front of him. He could tell who had the makings to be something great. And the ones who weren't openly doubting him already were the ones who would actually go somewhere.
"Itoshi Rin," Ego thought as he looked at one of the potential talents. "Dark green hair and teal eyes; stands at 186 cm. The younger brother of Itoshi Sae and one of the best strikers in the who truly knows what it means to be a striker."
"Bachira Meguru, definitely an odd striker, but if he weren't odd, he wouldn't have made it here. 176 cm, yellow eyes with brown hair and yellow highlights. Often plays as if he is playing with someone who isn't physically there, interesting." Ego knew that while this striker could do it alone, he needed someone to bring out the beast that slept within.
"Shidō Ryūsei, 185 cm tall with pink eyes bordering on neon with blonde hair with highlights." He was an odd one in Ego's eyes. While he was an ideal candidate for the striker he wanted his project to produce. His violent tendencies could be the downfall of his future as a footballer. I
Ego then focused on the front of the stage. He watched as five players stood there, but there was a clear leader who stood out from the other four. "Uzumaki Naruto, the Magician of Football. 180 cm with heterochromia blue and purple eyes. Blonde hair with dyed silver and red streaks on the ends of his hair. Taught by one of football's biggest 'what ifs,' Fukada Tatsuya. Uzumaki has taken over the underground and street scenes of the football world."
"But those behind him are Aryu Jyubei, Karasu Tabito, Kurona Ranze, and Kiyora Jin. They often join him in the underground and street scene of Japan. Individually, they play like true strikers. Yet when they play with him, they play very differently. Aryū tends to hold the defensive line with his height and jumping ability. Kurona and Kiyora, though, aid Aryū in by playing outside defensive roles, with Kurona using his speed to link up with Uzumaki to attack while Jin plays more as a failsafe should the two be intercepted. Karasu moves into a defensive midfielder role but also acts as a secondary brain for the team and leader when Uzumaki attacks. Maybe, maybe, this can work for what I have planned if they all make it past the second selection."
Ego had heard of the one called the Magician a few years ago and how he used those around him to his own means. Many spoke about how he brought out the best in his teammates. When Fukada Tatsuya takes a personal interest in someone, people get intrigued. When it was revealed that he was personally training said Magician, people began to pay attention.
"He isn't a true striker, not like those behind him. But if someone were to combine Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suárez into one person, then you get Uzumaki Naruto. He can do it all alone, but he makes art when linking up with others." Ego knew more than most did about Uzumaki Naruto. He was one of his inspirations for everything that would happen through the doors behind him. "According to Fukada, he grew up with Michael Kaiser of the New Generation World XI until he was nine. I wonder if the Magician will show the rest of these strikers the difference between them and what they can only dream to reach. Only time will tell."
Once everyone calmed down and he finished his analysis of interesting prospects, Ego continued. "Let me put it into simple terms for those of you who are simple-minded. Japan only requires one thing to become the strongest powerhouse in football. And that is a revolutionary striker like so many other countries have. From the three hundred of you forwards here today, I will forge the best strike the world has ever witnessed through a project of my own creation."
That got everyone's attention, and Ego knew it. There wasn't a person in Japan who has played football that hasn't dreamt of being the striker that will lead Japan to victory in the World Cup. Most give up before even reaching middle school. But the three hundred in front of him have yet to give up on that dream. Yet only a select few of them had the hunger to actually have a possibility of making the national team in the future.
"Now look here, you unpolished gems. For this very purpose, we have had this facility built. It is called, Blue Lock." Ego watched as everyone became instantaneously interested when a hologram of the pentagon-shaped facility appeared behind him. Specifically the full-sized stadium and pitch in the center of the facility. "Starting today, each one of you will live in this building. You will follow my personally designed training regime to the letter. There is no going home after you walk through those doors."
The looks of shock were as he expected, as were the looks of fear at his next sentence. "As of now, consider your football careers as you know them, over. And before you react brashly, let me say this. If you manage to survive in Blue Lock, if you manage to defeat the other two hundred and ninety-nine players in this room. As the last player standing, you will have become the best striker in the world. That is all for the details, now make your choice."
The hall was dead silent. Naruto knew his choice and the choice of his friends, even Jyubei, who joined them just after the start of Ego's little speech. They would follow him into Blue Lock and try to prove themselves. But Naruto knew they were already the best of the best in Japan, with few others being better. The only thing they needed to show was that they wanted it more.
"Hey," a voice broke the silence. "Sorry, but I can't agree with what you said."
"Hmm, Kira Ryōsuke," Naruto thought to himself. He didn't understand why he didn't agree with Ego. His team clearly played through him, and very few of the goals his team scored this year weren't him, according to the data websites. "What's your angle here, Kira?"
"Most of us have our teams as our number one priority. Particularly, there are still those of us here who'll compete at Nationals. There's no way I can just accept those kinds of terms. I won't just throw away what my team works for because you said so."
Naruto wanted to laugh. This kid was just given a golden opportunity, and he wanted to refuse it. "Maybe him being selected for the U-18 team is just a sham." Others soon began to speak up. Some were of the same mind as Kira, some were for reasons such as having to live with others. Naruto saw something change in Ego's eyes when shouts of wanting to see someone who was well-known in the football world came. "I heard you were blunt, Ego-san, Tatsuya said you didn't care who you talked to, everyone was treated like they were dumbasses."
"I… see," Ego breathed out. "All of you are really fucked in the head, huh." That caught some people off guard. Naruto just let out a laugh while his friends tried to look like they didn't know him. "Then get lost. If you want to leave, go right ahead." The look in Ego's eyes made Naruto stop laughing. It was the look of someone who was completely serious about what they were talking about. One he had seen Tatsuya have when he got serious about his training.
"Your teams are what? You would choose your teams, a few short years of high school football over becoming the best striker in the world? You would choose a high school in this shithole of a country over becoming a striker the top leagues would fight to have? Am I hearing you correctly?" Many in the room looked uncomfortable at Ego's words. "When I look at all of you, I cringe at the thought of Japan's football future." Many grew red in the face at the comment, but Ego could not fault them. They still clung to their pitiful pride.
"You don't get it, do you? When it comes to organizational skills in football, Japan is the best. Most attribute this to our innate national character. But even then, we're second rate." Many of those who were already angry grew even angrier for the implied insult towards some of their favorite players. "Now I want to know something. What is football to all of you?"
Naruto knew his answer to that question. It was his key to paying back everyone who had ever helped him and his mother. But it was also the only way he would be able to play the sport he loved with his best friend.
"Is it a sport where you try to score goals in teams of eleven? Will you say, 'Our bonds are important,' or will you say, 'I play for my teammates'?" Ego scanned the crowd and noticed those he pointed out earlier seemed bored listening to him. "You're wrong. That style of thinking is why Japan lacks football skills. Blue Lock will show you what football really is. For at its core, it's a sport about scoring goals, even if they come at the expense of your teammates."
"So, Ego-san," Naruto spoke up. "From what I'm hearing, the best player is the one who scores the most. Correct me if I'm wrong." Naruto knew what Ego was doing. He wanted to rile up everyone, and he was all for helping him do that.
"Correct, Uzumaki-san. The best player is indeed the one that scores the most," Ego responded. "If you want to play pretend football instead, then get lost already. Yet I know Blue Lock is exactly something you want. Without even being on a pitch, you already give out an aura of hunger for goals." A wide smile grew on Ego's face as he said that. He had been around enough footballers in his life that he could instinctually tell who had what it took to excel in the sport.
"How insulting!" Kira yelled. "Take those words back right now. Honda, Kagawa, and many others. Those who shape Japan's National Team. They are the ones who have shown us the value of team play. They are our heroes! You're wrong about football."
Ego would give the kid one thing: he was passionate. "Honda and Kagawa, you say. Hmm? Do you speak of the squad that has yet to win a single World Cup? Why would I care about trash? I'm talking about becoming the best team in the world, come on. Do I need to give you examples of what I'm talking about?"
"Noel Noa, he managed to win the Ballon d'Or over the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now the likes of him and Marc Snuffy are talked about as the former were for years. Who is the G.O.A.T of football? Someone will tell you one of those two. In Noel Noa's own words, 'I feel better losing 3-4 after scoring a hat-trick than winning only by 1-0 with an assist.'"
"The legend Eric Cantona once said, 'When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.' Pelē, who is arguably the best football player in history and a winner of three World Cups, will simply tell you one thing. When it comes to every position on the field, 'That is me.'" Ego saw the shock run through them as their worlds crumbled, it was refreshing to him.
"So what do you think?! Aren't they awful?! But no one bats an eye when they say this because they are the best of the best! They are all revolutionary strikers! Their extraordinary 'Egoism' is what Japan's football lacks. And… you will not become the greatest strikers in the world unless you have the ego to match."
"I have one purpose here with all of you. To create such an extraordinary player in Japan. From the corpses of two hundred and ninety-nine players… one of you will arise as a hero in all his glory." Ego stopped once again and eyed everyone in front of him. "Let me ask you one last question, you unpolished gems."
"Imagine you are at the very finals of the World Cup. You are playing under the eyes of eighty thousand spectators in a stadium. The score is 0-0, and you are in stoppage time of the second half, and it's the very last play."
Naruto was doing exactly as Ego said. Immersed in his mind, he saw what Ego was saying. But to him, it wasn't a random person who passed him the ball, it was Itoshi Sae. Naruto and Itoshi Sae were doing exactly what he and Michael did when they were kids. They tore through the opposition's defenders like it was nothing. A through pass from Sae had Naruto alone with only one person in front of him.
"It's one-on-one with the goalkeeper. There's a teammate six meters to your right, and if you pass it to him, you'll probably score the goal."
Naruto looked to his right and saw a teammate with no facial features. He could pass and score, but it was further behind him that both confused him and solidified his decision. He saw Jyubei playing center back with Japan's rising star Aiku Oliver while Ranze and Jin at right and left back, respectively. Tabito was with Itoshi Sae as a midfielder. There was one thing they were all shouting, though. "Shoot!"
"The hopes of all of Japan lie on your shoulders. You are at a turning point at the World Cup Finals. Without hesitation, you would shoot if you desire that rebellious 'Egoism.'"
Naruto did just that. He kicked the ball with all he had and sent the ball flying past the goalie's outstretched hands and into the back of the net. A moment later, his team was piling on him, even the ever-serious Itoshi Sae.
"Step through the gate behind me if you dare. And I'll say it once more… football is a sport to develop strikers. Everyone else on the field is just there to support you. Your common sense… throw it away. When you step on the field, you are the star. Your greatest joy as a striker is scoring points and nothing else. You live for the excitement of that very moment… when the ball flies into the back of the net. Now that… that is 'striker,' don't you think?" Silence filled the hall. No one moved until Naruto and his friends began walking up the steps of the stage. "Oh, you believe you have what it takes, Uzumaki-san?"
"Of course," Naruto replied. His voice was just loud enough for Ego's microphone to pick him up so everyone could hear him. "I already know who has what it takes to make it here in Blue Lock. They're right behind me." Karasu and the others smirked at that. "These other fools can let their chance to go beyond Japan die right here. But us, we're gonna fight for it."
"So," Ego began, "what are you going to do about these fools? I agree that they are dumbasses for not taking this opportunity, but what are they to you?"
Naruto smirked as he heard the questions. "It's simple. They are just my stepping stones to reach my ultimate goal. " Naruto and his friends began walking to the gate but were stopped by Ego's one final time.
"And what is this ultimate goal, Uzumaki-san?"
"By the end of Blue Lock, Ego-san. The entire world will acknowledge me." With his piece said, Naruto and his friends walked through the gate and officially entered Blue Lock. None of them cared for the shouts of others, declaring to be the one to come out on top. They didn't care. Karasu and the others knew that as it stood now, Naruto was absolute.