Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters.

A/N: I would like to apologize again for everyone that have been alerted to the deletion of chapter 17 but this is the rewritten chapter and would be the final version of this chapter.

"You are just her replacement for Sasuke-kun."

It had been over 30 minutes since Kabuto spoke those words to him, and despite the laughter and happy chatter from the people surrounding his table, Shouto couldn't bring himself to nod his head at every word Kirishima was saying to him and Bakugou. All he could do was play with his food, eyebrows knitted together as he considered the depth of those words.

"Todoroki, are you alright?" Kirishima asked, putting down his half-eaten chopsticks. Shouto jerked his head up and stared at the boy with knitted eyebrows, earning a frown from the red-haired boy. "You seem more quiet than usual."

Shouto did not need for him to point it out to him. He was still trying to recall all the times that Naruto spoke about Sasuke and tried to think if his mind had been playing tricks on him. He was my first friend when everyone else avoided me. Her blue eyes softened at the time but Shouto only believed it meant that she was fond of him. That shouldn't be a sign of a friend being in love with each other.

"I'm fine." He finally answered, rubbing his knuckles. His mismatch eyes focused on the soba noodles and Shouto picked up the noodle, ready to prove to both Bakugou and Kirishima that there was nothing wrong with him. It was time for him to focus on getting to know his other classmates and become friends with them.

Not the time for him to talk about his doubts with Naruto.

"If Spikey can see something that is bothering you, then you are definitely not fine." Bakugou doesn't scowl or smile, only putting down his chopsticks. He leaned his body forward and fixated his red eyes on him. "Now spill. What the hell is bothering you?"

He stroke his chin and chewed on his bottom lip as two sets of red eyes stared at him. Sweat dribbled down his face, dropping down to the table cloth and formed a single stain. Shouto could only keep his eyes focused on the table. If he was honest with himself, Bakugou was starting to unnerve him. In the months he had come to know Bakugou, not once did his classmate ever care to hear about his problems.

"I was reading a very interesting about a couple and their relationship," Shouto lied, making his voice so low that only Kirishima and Bakugou could hear him. He tightened his grip on the chopstick and took a deep breath. "They have a good relationship but something happened in their relationship that made me question everything about their relationship."

"What happened?" Kirishima asked, tilting his head. He knitted his eyebrows together and leaned his body against the chair. The chair tilted backwards, leaving the chair to stand in its two legs. Shouto could only think it would be a matter of time, before his classmate was going to fall down in the ground.

"The female character has a male best-friend and her boyfriend is okay with that," Shouto explained. "The girl tells her boyfriend that they were close friends, but then the boyfriend heard from her friend that her relationship with her male best-friend might have been more romantic than she claimed. The thing is, why wouldn't she tell him? Why must he wait for her friend to hear about this?"

Smash. Shouto jumped up from his seat when Bakugou slammed his chopsticks on the table, bright red eyes glowing with rage. The blond-haired boy took rapid breaths, nostrils flaring. The older boy grinded his teeth together. "And why does it matter? Maybe there is a reason for her to hide this relationship from him. Why is it a big deal if she has a relationship with her friend before her boyfriend?"

Shouto straightened his back and poked his tongue against his cheek. He could feel his temper rising, getting ready to erupt at the two boys in front of him. He dug his fingers against the palm of his hand, trying to reign in his growing temper. Bakugou wasn't even fazed, only pressing his lips into a thin line while Kirishima glanced at him.

When he finally felt like he could control his temper, Shouto answered. "A relationship is built on trust. If someone enters a relationship then they should have trust between them."

Kirishima chewed on his bottom lip and darted his eyes between them. He rubbed the back of his neck, squirming slightly in his seat as if he wasn't certain about which side to take. His red eyes were now fixated on the ceiling, not once looking back at either Shouto or Bakugou.

"I can see where Todoroki is coming from—"

"—And why would he believe this so-called friend of his girlfriend?" Bakugou interrupted, smashing his hands on the table. The chopsticks jumped up while several heads turned around to look at them. The three of them bowed their heads and the other customers sighed. Bakugou cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Friends can say shit. Has the guy ask his girlfriend? Why would he believe her friend?"

Shouto schooled his expression as his mind went to deep in thought. The only thing that came to his mind was the fact Naruto was amazing in his eyes. She was beautiful. She might have a temper but Naruto cared in her own way. She made it clear from both her words and actions. It would be impossible for her best friend not to have feelings for her.

They had years together compared to the months they had, so it made sense for her to have feelings for him.

What made him different from Sasuke?

"I think it is because he thinks that she is amazing and beautiful." Shouto answered. It was strange to talk about his relationship like this, having a bitter taste in his tongue. He looked at them. "It just make sense in his mind for them to be in love with each other if they were childhood friends."

Shouto knew he couldn't change the past and how stupid it was to think of the possibility, but he couldn't help but think of the what if. What would have happened if Naruto came into his life earlier? Would he have liked her earlier? It seemed so likely in his mind.

"But what if she never had those feelings for him?" Bakugou asked. Shouto blinked, taken back by the quietness of Bakugou voice and the seriousness in his eyes. For a brief moment, he wondered if his classmate figured out the truth behind his relationship with Naruto but dismissed the idea. They were being careful about things. "Maybe that was be the reason why she never told him."

Kirishima cleared his throat and straightened his back when both set of eyes turned their attention to him. "If that happened to me, I think I would just ask her or her other friends if it was true."

Maybe Kirishima had a point, maybe he should just ask Gaara about the relationship between Naruto and Shouto.

The restaurant was buzzing with life as customers walked out of the door with smiles on their face while the other customers walked inside the room. When Gaara decided to pay Yaoyorozu back for helping him buy a suit, he didn't think for a moment that the café was going to be this busy. Only just twenty minutes ago, the restaurant had been as silent as a ghost town.

"Gaara-san," Gaara looked away from the opening doors and stared at Yaoyorozu. The black-haired girl tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath as if trying to gather the courage to say something to him. Finally, the girl cleared her throat. "I have been meaning to ask you this…but what is your home like?"

The blazing sun flashed through his eyes alongside the various glares from the civilians and his fellow shinobi. For the last few days, he didn't have the time to think about it. With his constant packing and looking around I-Island, Gaara did not have the time to think of what his life would be like when he returned back to Suna. He should think about it. In a couple of months, he was going to become Kazekage.

The freedom that he currently had would creased and he would be forced to sit on the chair that his father once sat.

"Gaara-san, if you don't want to talk about it then it is fine." Yaoyorozu said softly, smiling apologetically. "I'm just curious to know about your home."

"It is fine…I was just taken back by the question," Gaara admitted. He looked down at the steak Yaoyorozu recommended he should try. It had been tender and juicy in his tongue, something he wouldn't mind having again, but the portion had been too large for him to finish. The red-haired teen took another deep breath. "My home is very hot, almost like a desert."

Yaoyorozu blinked and blinked, looking so surprised at his words as if he just announced that he was the President of one of those countries. The girl said nothing and it was not long before her cheeks flushed red. He felt his lips twitched when Yaoyorozu covered her face with her hands, letting out a little groan. She looks cute. Gaara blinked, cleared his throat and looked away from her.

"Was there something wrong with what I said?" He finally asked once he regained control of his thoughts.

"No! I asked the question!" Yaoyorozu waved her hands at him and let off a little nervous laugh. She shook her head and offered him a tiny smile. "I was just embarrassed that I gave you such a terrible gift. It isn't useful if your home is hot."

He stared at her, almost uncertain of what to say or what to do with her words. He had the sudden urge to smile, to allow his lips to twitch at the memory of the teal scarf but Gaara held himself back from making such a strange action. Instead, Gaara cleared his throat. "I like the scarf, Yaoyorozu. No one has given me a gift like you did."

It was the absolute truth because Gaara couldn't recall someone making a gift for him. Even now at the age of sixteen, he could recall every present his father gave him. The balls. The toy shurikens. The stuffed teddy bear that he used to carry around but never slept with like the other kids did. But not once did his father give him a gift that could fill him with such warmth.

Yaoyorozu flushed a brighter shade of red, looking as red as a tomato. She smiled widely at him, black eyes twinkling with joy and warmth. But then the smile faded, replaced with a small frown. Gaara only grimaced. He wondered if he said anything to make the younger girl sad.

"What about your parents?" She asked softly, chewing on her bottom lips.

Gaara doesn't say anything. He could lie to her about his parents, claiming he and his siblings had been orphaned as toddlers and had no memory of them. But his stomach turned at the thought. It was a terrible lie. A lie that Yaoyorozu didn't deserve, not when she had been so kind to him.

But that kindness would fade if she learnt about his status as a jinchuuriki.

"My father used to give me gifts in order to have some control over me…to make me believe he loved me," Gaara said, clenching his hands into a fist. He took a deep breath while Yaoyorozu frowned at him. "And my mother died giving birth to me."

"Gaara-san." Yaoyorozu said softly. Gaara looked away from his unfinished steak and focused his teal eyes on the black-haired girl. Her dark eyes radiated so much sadness that it made him tilt his head to the side. Why was she so sad? Maybe it had been a terrible idea for him to give a half-lie to her.

The door swung opened and footsteps glided towards them but Gaara didn't think much about it. He didn't even turn around until someone cleared their throat, forcing him to look away from Yaoyorozu. His teal eyes widened at the sight of Todoroki standing before them. His eyes shone with apology and another emotion that Gaara couldn't pick up on. Was it concern? Fear? He couldn't really tell. There was only one emotions he could recognize were loneliness and fear.

"Gaara, can we talk?" Gaara blinked and Todoroki took a deep breath. "I have a few questions to ask and you are the only one that can answer my question."

What on Earth could he ask him?

There was no one else in the alleyway behind the restaurant. The laughter and chatter from the main street echoed throughout the alleyway as friends swung their hands over their friend's head. The sun shone over them, burning anyone under its gaze. It should be a happy day with such a nice weather but Shouto could only stare at Gaara.

No words were spoken between them as Gaara continued to stare at him, lips pressed into a thin line as he raised a non-existent eyebrow at him. Shouto only needed to look at the single eyebrow to know the silent question. But he needed time to think and gather his thoughts. To show his emotion to Gaara was the least thing he needed.

Finally when Shouto was certain that he could keep his emotions in check, he asked. "Gaara, what do you know about the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto?"

Teal eyes widened and Shouto wondered if there was any truth behind Kabuto's words. Could Naruto have lied to him about the nature of her relationship with Sasuke? Or was she trying to forget her relationship with Sasuke and using him to forget her problems? Because why else would Gaara look at him like this? There must be some truth behind Kabuto's words.

"Why do you want to know about their relationship?" Gaara asked.

Shouto chewed on his bottom lip, pushing it back and forth as teal eyes stared at him. The chatter of the pedestrians got louder and louder as each second passed or maybe his mind was playing tricks on him again. It would not be the first time that his mind played tricks on him. The last time it happened was a few weeks ago but…it had been a daydream and luckily Naruto hadn't noticed it at the time.

It would have been a round of awkward questions and answered.

He took a deep breath. "I heard from someone that Naruto and Sasuke might have had a romantic relationship, is that true?"

Gaara stared at him for a good couple of seconds. His teal eyes never wavered, searching him as if he was trying to figure out what brought it on. Shouto only schooled his expression. He straightened his back and unclenched his hands. The red-haired teen sighed and looked up at the clear blue skies.

The longer Gaara took his time to answer the question, the more Shouto began to sweat. All he could recall was the warmth of Naruto's smiles. Her boisterous laughs as she hugged him. You are just her replacement for Sasuke-kun. In that moment, the image of Naruto in his mind cracked and his heart ached against his chest, a constant ache that he couldn't heal.

Was there some truth behind Kabuto's words.

"Naruto and Sasuke were very close," Gaara answered, teal eyes radiating sincerity that it made Shouto falter. He fixated his eyes on him and took in another deep breath. "But they were never together."

Shouto bobbed his head, relaxing his shoulders at those words. The lack of hesitation alongside the straightened shoulders told him that there was no lie behind those words. Either Kabuto misunderstood the nature of their relationship or there was something else he didn't know about Sasuke and Naruto.

But there was still one more question that he needed answered.

"But did they have feelings for each other?"

Gaara frowned, rubbed the back of his neck, and admitted. "I could never really tell Naruto's feelings towards Sasuke but I could always tell Sasuke's feelings whenever he looked at Naruto."

His heart raced at those words, beating wildly against his chest as if it was ready to run for its life. He could feel his sweat dribbling down his face as those teal eyes continued to stare at him. His mind could only come up with one possibility of how Sasuke looked at Naruto.

He needed to confirm it because he might be overthinking things.

"How does he look at Naruto?" He asked, clearing his throat. Shouto took several deep breaths, praying that his voice didn't shake when he asked the question.

Gaara pressed his lips into a thin line. "Like he was hopelessly in love with her."

Well that answered the question of how Sasuke feels towards Naruto. His throat burned and his fingers itched to dig against his hand. Shouto couldn't even blame Sasuke for looking at Naruto in that way. With her warm smiles and sparkling blue eyes, it would make anyone love her. You had to be a heartless monster not to feel anything when Naruto gave you a smile.

Of course, he might believe that because Naruto was his girlfriend.

"You are just her replacement for Sasuke-kun."

He grinded his teeth together and pushed the memory aside. The confirmation of Sasuke's feelings towards Naruto was one thing but there was still Naruto's feelings for him to consider. As much as he liked Naruto, if she carried feelings for Sasuke and was using him to replace him then it wasn't right.

It wasn't fair for either of them because they would be living a lie and Shouto didn't want to spend the rest of his life pretending to the whole world that he was doing fine.

"Do you think Naruto is in love with Sasuke?"

Gaara stared at him. Seconds passed and the loud chatter from the street in front of the restaurant seemed to be dying down, fading to the point that Shouto's ears could not even pick any sound. The world around him seemed to blur, becoming like a fuzzy picture in his eyes as he waited for Gaara to answer him.

"Why don't you ask Naruto?"

That was the only answer Gaara gave Shouto before walking away from him, leaving Shouto alone to ponder over what would be his next course of action.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter. What would you do if you were in Todoroki's shoes? Or have you ever been in a similar situation like Todoroki?

-I would also like to know if anyone want me to finish the original Nirvana. If there are a lot of people that are interested to see it finish, I would like to inform ahead of time that chapter 64-68 would be rewritten with new content.

STLHero