Yo, Tatsugashi here. I have recently uploaded the 3rdchapter of my second story Naruto: The Next Sage so please go ahead and check it out.
This is my third story, which is a crossover between Naruto x Haikyuu so please try it out and tell me what you think. Let's get to it then.
Disclaimer: All work product belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Haruichi Furudate respectively, I own none of the work.
I've decided to name this story "A Fox Among Crows"
Chapter 1
Naruto Uzumaki had fought hard and bravely during the 4thGreat Ninja War, first against the remaining forces of the Akatsuki, then Kabuto, an army of white Zetsu, an army of the undead courtesy of Kabuto and his Reanimation jutsu, then he fought against Obito and Madara who were using the Ten Tails. Then he fought Juubito (Obito who had become jinchuuriki of the Ten Tails) then he fought Madara who later became jinchuuriki of the Ten Tails after Obito. Later they fought Kaguya Otsutsuki, progenitor of chakra and mother to Hagoromo Otsutsuki who legend referred to as the Sage of Six Paths.
He did this in a span of 2 days at just 16 years old.Naruto had fought alongside Kurama (the nine tails) with all he had alongside his teammates but they couldn't beat her. So in a last ditch effort Naruto traded his life for one last jutsu, a forbidden jutsu where the user summons the shinigami to seal either people or tailed beasts. The price for such a jutsu is death of course. The Reaper Death Seal. Naruto used this jutsu to seal Kaguya into the belly of the shinigami at the cost of his life.
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Naruto was expecting to die, but what happened next surprised him. He was standing in front of the shinigami in a completely white plain. "You have made such a huge sacrifice Uzumaki Naruto, at the young age of 16 you sacrificed your life so your world could know peace. You have endured more than anyone else, burdened with the problems of the world since birth. What an incredible young man you are, and because of that you get a second chance at life. You will be reborn in a completely different life, with no wars, pain and suffering. You will have parents and you will know peace. That is my thanks to you for saving this world."
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Minato Namikaze born 11 July 1968 raised as an orphan in an orphanage in Sendai Miyagi Prefecture in Japan, graduated high school then went to college. Graduated and worked as an Accountant and Investment Analyst. Quit his job at the age of 26 and established Raijin Holdings, an investment company that invests in Real Estate, Tech, Healthcare, Finance, Manufacturing Production and also offers services in investment and financial consultation. It also invests in equities and commodities as well as trades securities. Minato had taken his company to new heights, even without the memories of his past life, he was still a genius and he found ways to make use of that genius to good use in this new world.
Kushina Uzumaki born 15 December 1970, both parents died in an accident at the age of 3. Raised in foster care, also born and raised in Sendai Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Met Minato in college as a first year and fell in love, after graduating she went on to work as an Architectural Engineer for about 3 years, was influenced by Minato and she also founded her own company called Whirlpool Architects (I know the name might sound corny but bear with me). A company involved in property design development, infrastructure, engineering consultations.
They got married when she was 22 and Minato was 24 in 1992. Kushina changed her name to Uzumaki-Namikaze. It's safe to say that they are filthy rich but they remain humble and do a lot philanthropic work so kids don't grow up like them.1996 October 10 Naruto Namikaze was born. Blonde hair just and blue eyes just like his father, round face like his mother. No whisker marks because of the lack of influence from the nine tails, and without the marks he looks like a carbon copy of his father.Fast forward it's now January 2012, he has just graduated middle school and was waiting to attend start high school in the beginning of April at Karasuno High(I know that's not how it goes but for the sake of entertainment just bear with me).
Without the worries of war and the struggles that came with being a ninja Naruto was free to live his childhood to the fullest. He focused on his studies and did kid stuff and now he was 16, he has led a normal life. Well as normal as it could get with rich parents and all. He made sure that his school work never lacked behind, he was trying to live up to his family name, even though they never put the pressure or burden on his, shoulders that's something he decided on his own. He would do the Namikaze name proud, that was his personal conviction as a man.When it came to his school work he was neither a genius nor idiot, he was fairly above average constantly scoring in the 60s and 70s. His parents had always made sure that he never lacked anything, but he was not spoilt in fact he was the opposite, humble to a fault.
At 16 he currently stood at 179cm which is approximately 5'10/11''. We find Naruto at the Namikaze mansion with staff walking around, this was the life, of butlers, stewards, housekeepers and chauffeurs. When Naruto was born his mother stepped back from business and raised him, but now that he was old enough she decided to go back full-time. But they made sure never to miss any important events or milestones in his life. He was content.But he was boredddddddd. He currently had nothing to do, he was tired of video games, reading manga, and watching anime. He didn't have friends, mainly because most of the time he kept to himself and his devices. So he was currently walking the streets of Sendai, he was bored and he had nothing to do. All the money in the world couldn't cure his boredom, he wanted something to challenge him that he could conquer by himself. As he was walking he walked past a large that facility that looked like a gym, it had a written sign outside and it read "Sendai City Gymnasium". He decided to walk in, inside were a lot of people he saw people doing different kinds of sports.
The facility was multiple stories tall boasting spaces like volleyball courts, basketball courts, indoor beach volleyball courts, indoor tennis courts, swimming pools, gym areas with state of the art equipment and a lot more."Is sport the thing I need, and if so then which one. Let me look around, what am I doing here, I've never even tried sports" thought Naruto. The he had boom sounds within the facility, it sounded like something was repeatedly hitting the floor. He followed the sound and came a volleyball court and saw a kid fairly his age jump and hit the ball and it landed on the other side. He stood there watching that he got lost in thought. "Watch him go" was Naruto's train of thought.
"Hey kid what are you doing standing there, I've never seen you here before. Is it your first time?" asked and elderly man who looked to be well in his mid-40s. "Yeah, I was just walking around then I ended up here" replied Naruto. "I'm Coach Keito and I'm the coach here, I coach recreational volleyball in this facility, are you interested?" asked the now identified coach."Nah, I'm just watching" replied Naruto hesitantly. "Well kid I didn't get your name" asked the coach. "I'm Naruto" he purposely held back the Namikaze because once people heard that name they started treating him differently and putting him on a pedestal, maybe in hopes of scoring points with parents he didn't know. He wasn't ashamed of the name at all, in fact he was glad and proud of the empire his parents had built, but sometimes he just wanted to be Naruto, not young master Naruto/Namikaze or anything like that. Just plain old Naruto."Oh come on Naruto, it wouldn't hurt to try. What do you have to lose?" asked Keito. "Nothing I guess" replied Naruto. "Good let's go then" Naruto followed the old coach to the court. "We'll seat here for now while we observe, once they finish this set I'll introduce you" said the coach as they set on a bench right next to the court. "Set?" asked a confused Naruto.
"Ah I forgot you are new to this, so let me start from the beginning" said Keito. Naruto was now intrigued."Volleyball is a team sport where two teams of 6 players each try to hit the ball over the net and land it on the opponent's court while preventing the other team from doing the same" explained Keito. "So how do you play?" asked Naruto. "So each team can hit the ball a maximum of 3 times before sending it over the net, the goal as I have mentioned is to make the ball touch the ground inside the opponent's court, you can't catch or throw the ball, you only hit it, bump it or push it." Further explained Keito.
"There are four ways to hit the ball. Passing using forearms, used to pass or receive a serve or spike.Setting, used to prepare the ball for an attack, you use your hands to push the ball upwards in the direction of the spiker.Hitting/Spiking, the aggressive attack to score points by hitting the ball into the opponent's court. Then Serving, a way to start the game, hit the ball from behind the end line over the net to the other team" as Keito was explaining Naruto was listening and also watching, so whatever Keito put to words, the match put to visual so Naruto was basically learning at twice the pace."The sport has 4 main positions. The Setter who is in charge of the leading the offence. The Libero is a defence specialist that only digs and passes, they do not attack nor serve. The Middle Blocker the one who defends the net by blocking spikes and rack in points using quick attacks. Then we have Wing Spikers, they are a little broad since we have an Outside Hitter also known as a Left-Side Hitter, plays on the left side of the front row they are the primary attacker and go-to scorer, they receive serves and play defence in the back row, they typically have all-around skills (passing, hitting, and defence).Right Side Hitter also known as an Opposite Hitter plays on the right side of the front row, they are the main counter to the opponent's outside hitters, strong defensive role and often the strongest attacker of the team." As Keito was explaining he was also pointing towards players who played those positions and how they played them.
Naruto was mind blown, the game sounded so fun and yet complex at the same time. This might just be the things he's been looking for. "So as you asked, a set is the duration of a match, the first team to get to make it to 25 points wins the set and the first team to win 2 of 3 sets takes it. In the professional leagues they play best 3 of 5 with the fifth set only going up 15 points. Volleyball is not time based and a rally can go on forever so it's important to have the physical conditioning to last that long. And above all else have the mental fortitude to keep on going no matter what. In order to excel in volleyball you need to have the hunger to be better and the drive to do it better than anyone" said Keito in finality.
Now Naruto was sold, this was it. This was what he needed. As the team finished their match Keito stood up and started introducing Naruto to the others.
First is Hanzo Ishikawa 16 years old, 6'2'' (188 cm) and he is an Outside Hitter with explosive attacks and quick reflexes. Highly competitive and a standout player. 2nd year at Sendai High School.
Renji Nakamura 17 years old, 6'0'' (183 cm) and is a Setter. 3rd year at Kakitagawa Technical High School. Reliable and great decision-making and calm under pressure.
Daiki Kobayashi 16 years old 6'4" (193 cm). Tall with broad shoulders, messy black hair, deep-set eyes and chiselled features. 2nd year at Furukawa High school. A Middle Blocker known for his blocking and fast spikes and uses his height to dominate at the net.
Sho Takeda 15 years old, 5'8" (173 cm). Lean, smaller frame, straight black hair, and light brown eyes with a youthful expression. 1st year Libero at Aoba Gauken High School, he is talented with exceptional agility and quick reflexes.
Yuto Saito 17 years old, 6'1" (185 cm). Well-built with tan skin, spiky black hair, and piercing brown eyes. 3rd year Opposite Hitter at Miyagi Prefectural Sendai Ikuei High School.
Haruji Fujiwara 16 years old, 5'10" (178 cm). Compact athletic build, short spiky brown hair, bright brown eyes, energetic smile. 2nd year Outside Hitter at Matsushima High School.
Riku Morimoto 15 years old, 5'9" (175 cm). Lean, wiry build, messy black hair, sharp analytical eyes, and youthful freckles. 1st year Setter at Kasennuma High School.
Tatsuya Hasegawa 16 years old, 5'11" (180 cm). Tall and slender, dark slightly longer hair, kind eyes and warm smile. 2nd year Libero at Tamagawa High School.
Kouki Fujimura 17 years old, 6'0" (183 cm). Broad muscular frame, thick dark hair, strong facial features and focused eyes. 3rd year Middle Blocker at Sakata Technical High School.
Yuuto Watanabe 15 years old, 5'7" (170 cm). Shortest player, slime frame, spiky hair, and determined wide eyes. 1st year Libero at Shiroishi High School.
These 10 players all playe at different schools and only come here to practise and refine their skills with each other. Naruto introduced himself "I'm Naruto, I'll be going to Karasuno in a few months." "Man you look familiar, I swear I've seen you before" said Renji. This was what Naruto was scared of, he looked like his father that anyone who looked hard enough could recognize him instantly. "You must be mistaken, I have never seen you before" that was Naruto's answer. "Enough of that Renji, leave the boy alone. I trust all of you will show him the ropes. He's all yours" said Coach Keito. "Yuuto, pair up with and do some passing drills, start with some warm-ups" called out coach. The short Libero did as asked. He started leading and guiding Naruto through some basic and light warm-ups and stretches.
"We do a lot of running and jumping and we use our muscles a lot so it's important that one must be fully warmed-up. Injuries are real in this game but minimal, warm-up just right and you'll do just fine" coached Yuuto. He began by teaching Naruto the right way to stand, proper stance: knees bent, arms straight and hands together. This is called the Forearm pass/Bump. From there Yuuto and Naruto began passing the ball to each other. Since Naruto had never played in his life it wasn't easy, he was all over the place but it was to be expected. Yuuto and the coach helped him by correcting his mistakes.After what looked like 20 minutes had passed, Naruto looked like he was getting to understand what it is he needed to do.
"Okay that's enough, now move to overhand/overhead" said Coach Keito. So Yuuto guided slowly guided Naruto into overhand passes and showed him correct hand and finger positioning. Naruto found overhands harder but that is why he was here, to be challenged. They exchanged set while pointing out what Naruto was doing wrong and how to do it correctly, they also encouraged him to use his legs and body, not just his arms. And then from there he went to Haruki, the 2nd year Outside Hitter from Matsushima. From him Naruto learn how to spike, first he showed him the 3 and 4 step approach and one he seemed to understand that they let him do some spiking drills from the front left then the middle then the front left. He was sloppy at best and sometimes he failed to hit the ball but hey, he was new to this so they were patient with him. They were also like him when they first started.It was getting late as the sun was setting, so for the 30 next minutes he tried out some blocks with Daiki just so he could get a feel.
After 30 minutes "Thank you everyone for helping me, especially you coach. I promise to come back tomorrow" said Naruto as he left the gym smiling. He went back home to the Namikaze mansion. After a couple of minutes of walking he got home to found his parents had come back. "Hey honey you're back, go get ready for dinner and you can tell me about your day" that was his mother Kushina who with the help of the staff was setting the table. "Okay mom" that was Naruto as he rushed to his room to bath so he could tell his parents about his day. After about 30 minutes he came back down and set down, a few minutes later the two of them were joined by his father. "Oh Naruto, you came back. I heard from the staff that you left some hours ago, you're not one to disappear for that long. Are you okay?" it was true, Naruto didn't go out much unless he was going to school, and he basically had no friends. So it worried them that they didn't find him when they returned from work. "Yeah, I'm okay in fact I'm better than okay. I went out to take a walk then I came across this building that turned out to be a gym, I got inside and found some guys playing volleyball. They invited me and I ended up training with them and I loved it. I feel like this is the challenge I need. So I'll continue training with them until school starts" blabbered Naruto, they hadn't seen him this happy in a while.
While he had never talked out loud they knew the kind of shadow that they had casted upon him, and the unspoken expectations that come with being born to some of the most successful and richest people in Japan. So they were glad he had something of his own that he wanted to do. "Oh, volleyball. That's a great sport, we're glad you found something that interests and challenges you, you just make sure you go out there and do your best, okay" that was Kushina. "Thanks mom" said Naruto stuffing his face. "I'm proud of you son and I'm happy you found something that makes you happy. I know it's not easy living in our shadow and the unspoken expectations that come with the family name, I just want you to know that you have no pressure coming from us. You dictate the direction you want with your life to take and we'll support you 110%" said Minato."Thanks you guys, I promise I'll try my best and I won't let you down" the family continued chatting while they ate.
The End
I tried my best so tell me what you think and we'll take it from there.