Her eyes fought to stay opened as she poked at her breakfast, having no appetite even though she knew she needed the energy. With her head drooping every ten seconds, the students around her casted concern glances her way.
" Would you look at that, I made too much tea." Iida announced with unneeded volume. " I guess I'll just leave some in the pot incase anyone would like some."
Nobody pointed out that only Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki really drink any tea around here. Besides, everyone knew only Sakura was a fan of the basil tea Iida had put on the stove since the drink was too aromatic for the rest of them.
They all surveyed the Chakra wielder out of the corner of their eyes, anticipating her next move. Once they realized she wouldn't get out of her seat for as long as they were in the room, they all stood up at the same time.
" Ah! I almost forgot my phone!" The invisible girl declared louder than necessary.
" I'll help you get it!" Ashido volunteered while gesturing for the others to head out. " You guys should get going, we'll catch up."
Only Midoriya made a brief visit over to Sakura before taking his leave. " See you at school. Try not to be too late, you know how Mr. Aizawa gets."
The said pinkette scoffed, and once everyone had left, she rubbed her temple in an attempt to stay awake. She got up shortly after and got rid of the food she couldn't stomach down, stacking her tray on top of the others while she leaned against the kitchen counter when she was done.
Her hands trembled as she poured herself a cup of tea and held it up to her face. Sakura allowed the steam to cloud her vision as she recalled the events of last night.
Flashback:
Despite already knowing who was in front of her, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sort of disappointment when she came face to face with Naruto as she stood up. When the blonde made an attempt to hide his face from her, it only made the pinkette more irritated.
Sakura pulled on his mask and watched as it fell to the ground. She knew it wasn't Naruto's fault she was in such a crappy mood, but she couldn't help the sneer that made its way onto her face.
Instantly, it slipped off.
" The hell?" Sakura wanted to say, but she knew even if she could talk, it wouldn't have been able to get above a whisper.
Naruto picked up his mask and tried to put it back on, but he was interrupted when the pinkette slapped his hand away from his face. Confused, the boy spoke up. " What gives, Saku-"
His sentence was cut short when the pinkette took his face into her hands.
" Like I said, I'm an asshole." Naruto tried to go for a grin. " Obaa-chan said it can't be helped. There's nothing she or you can do to fix it."
Sakura wasn't listening though, instead she traced the skin on his cheeks that were peeling away to reveal red flesh that were unlike any human. Her eyes traveled up to the left side of Naruto face, where the whites of his eye had turn black and the cornea a crimson red.
" What's happening?" That was the question written all over Sakura's face.
" My Quirk and my body isn't compatible. Oba-chan had been able to keep it from effecting my body up until now, but it's become worse." The boy answered as if he had spent his whole life learning that one line.
Sakura bit the tip of her thumb in thoughts. Maybe, just maybe, she could do something. Her Quirk had gotten stronger, no doubt about it, so maybe she would be able to-
" I told you already, you can't stop it." Naruto pressed on, but his eyes relaxed back down a little after watching Sakura. " I knew you would be worried. I didn't want to tell you, but then I thought about how you would feel if suddenly I was to-"
The pinkette's eyes widened and she clammed the blonde's mouth with her hands. She didn't want Naruto to finish that sentence, not now, not ever. Determined, Sakura closed her eyes and her seal activated. Before long, she was cupping Naruto's face in her hands.
She was going to heal him. She was going to-
" Stop it." Naruto suddenly said, but the pinkette only tightened her hold on his face, her eyes furrowing in concentration. " I said stop it! It's no use, you can't heal me. Stop, stop, Sakura-chan!"
The pinkette didn't let go even when Naruto started to pry her hands away from him. What's the point of a healing ability if you can't save people? By now, Sakura's hold on Naruto had tightened to the point the boy had no choice but to roughly push her away.
The girl snapped out of her thoughts and stared at Naruto helplessly.
" You can't save everyone, Sakura-chan."
And it was with the look in Naruto's eyes that the girl started to see the reality of those words. She had wanted to save everyone, even those who seemed unreachable. Were they just the dream of a naive child all along?
Her shoulders slumped and she fell onto the ground as if the whole world was weighing on her shoulders. Today had been tiring enough as it was, but it was almost unbearable at this point. She didn't cry, all she did was breath in and out as if she was going to run out of oxygen at any moment.
And all Naruto could do was comfort her with silence from where he stood.
" Bubblegum?"
Sakura looked up in surprised and snapped her attention over to where the voice had came from. Bakugou took a step closer to the girl, forgetting about the mop in his hand and the piece of cloth he had wrapped around his head to keep his hair out of the way.
" What are you-" He stopped when the pinkette abruptly stood up and took a step away. The blonde jammed his hands into his pockets and looked away, swallowing down his nerves. " Shouldn't you be at school?"
Bakugou watched as Sakura checked the time with an alarmed look on her face. He softly kicked at the air while the girl set her cup down on the counter and made her way out, sighing when he was left alone with out another look.
" The hell, Bubblegum." Bakugou jutted out his lips and mumbled, his eyes furrowed into a frown. " I wished-"
Catching himself, the blonde jumped and furiously scratched his head.
" Not that I give a fuck, that it." The boy told himself as he angrily walked off to the second floor.
For someone who was usually straightforward in what he want, Bakugou was having on hell of a time expressing himself.
Meanwhile, Sakura found herself running just a tad bit late as she hurried through the halls of UA to get to her class on time. It was her mistake when she didn't dodge an unfamiliar signature and instead took the bump that came with it.
" Eh? Who's she?"
" Are you okay?" A voice asked and a blonde boy dipped down a little, offering her his hand.
Sakura blinked as she eyed the two students in front of her. Scratch that, there was three of them. Out of courtesy, the pinkette took the hand of the boy she had bumped into and pulled herself up, still surveying the three of them as discreetly as possible.
" I know who she is!" The girl exclaimed, patting the second boy on the back repeatedly. " Sakura Haruno! Remember her from the sports festivel? Huh? Huh?"
" Why aren't you three-" Aizawa slid the door opened but paused after taking notice of the small pinkette next to the three older students. " The four of you, hurry on it, we don't have all day."
Sakura slipped through the three students and passed by Aizawa before settling down at her seat, ignoring the glances of her classmates. Her eyes were glued to the front where the three third year had taken their place.
" As I was saying about the work studies, I thought it would be a good idea for you to meet people who had gone through experience." Aizawa explained. " Meet the top three students of the school, also known as The Big Three. Please introduce yourself, starting with Amajiki."
When the boy, Amajiki, gave them all a piercing look instead, Sakura crossed her arms, trying to figure out what his deal was. With his long bangs, dark hair, and intense stare, the pinkette couldn't help but classify him as an ice cube.
She was proven wrong shortly after though when Amajiki turned his back to them and visibly trembled.
" Sorry 'bout that!" The girl laughed. " This is Tamaki Amajiki and I'm Nejire Hado, here to talk to you about the work studies. But wait up, in the back, Haruno, was it? You're pretty cool aren't you? And over there..."
As Hado went on and on about the first years, Sakura shifted her attention over to the final boy. He had on a bright smile that easily grew attention over to him, and the scars on his arms showed the training he had gone through.
" Okay everyone, lets calm down a bit and get back on track. I'm Mirio Togata." The boy introduced with an easy smile. " I know, let's give this a try. The future's gonna be...?"
Sakura's eye twitch. The top students of UA weren't anything like she had expected. One of them were too scare to even hold eye contact, another acted like a curious kindergartner, and lastly they had a goofy weirdo.
As Togata laughed off his failed attempt of a call and response, it was clear Aizawa was getting impatient so the boy quickly thought up of something.
" How about this then, why don't you all fight me at once?" Tagota pumped his fist in the air. " That way you can experience what the work studies we had gone through feels like. What do you say, Eraser Head?"
" I don't care." The pro hero answered simply.
Everything was still quiet among the first years, but it was broken when Sakura calmly stood up from her seat.
All eyes were on her as she walked up front and was about to exit. However, just as she passed Togata, her eyes regarded the taller boy once more and her talking device started up: See you there
Dressed in her track suit, Sakura waited patiently for everyone to arrive, minding her own business when her classmates started to appear. She pulled at her cheeks when she felt sleep overtaking her again, but when Togata started stretching, it was enough for her to be on alert.
The third year bounced about on his legs before finally, he stared at the group of younger students." Now, come at me!"
Kirishima stepped forward. " Do we look that weak? Don't forget, we've fought against pros and villains alike, so don't look down on us!"
In situations such as this, the pinkette would have been the first to attack, but this time, she went for a different approach. The girl studied the stance of the older boy and whacked her brain for information.
She tried to remember the sports festival from last year, but she couldn't recall a single thing about Togata. So instead, the pinkette took to watching her classmates engage in combat.
Midoriya was the first to strike, but when his leg passed straight through the third year, Sakura's lips parted into an O. The girl ignored the clothes on the ground and the nude older boy as she came across new discoveries every time someone would attack Togata.
One, the older boy was fazing in and out, hence his clothes falling off.
Two, he could slip through everything, especially the ground.
Three, she could still sense him even when he wasn't visible.
With over half her classmates already on the ground clutching their stomachs, the pinkette realized it would only be a matter of time before Togata would come for her. Her seal slowly activated as she tracked down the third year with her eyes.
" Incoming." Sakura launched into the air just in time as Togata appeared from where she once stood.
Meanwhile, Midoriya decided to take this chance to counter Togata with a kick that should have sent the older boy crashing to the wall if not for his fazing Quirk. The third year didn't even flinch when Midorya's leg sailed through him and instead focus on where he was aiming.
" Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush!" Togata announced, but quickly changed his position and instead pulled his other arm back. " Heh, I knew you'd take the bait!"
The blonde slammed his fist into Midoriya's abdomen and slipped back into the ground, leaving Midoriya curled on the ground.
" If he can't locate me, he'll be force to come back up and deactivate." The pinkette propelled herself off the ground, and from there, she bounced around in the room.
The constant chatter of Hado and the curled up bodies of the other students made it hard for Sakura to stay focus on Togata alone, and so, to reduce her senses, she closed her eyes so that she could now only rely on her Quirk and ears.
There!
Sakura leapt off the wall with her fist pulled back and tried to land a hit on Togata's back. Unfortunately, her fist went straight through him and she skidded on the ground with her knees. Quickly she recollected herself as she stood up and inspected her surrounding.
She calmed her breathing down as she resorted to one of her common use of her super strength.
" Come out, come out, where ever you are!"
The first year pulled her fist up and got into a firm stance. And then, with one single blow to the ground, the gym floor trembled under her touch, unbalancing both Hado and Amajiki. The gym was quiet for a moment, but everything changed when the ground shattered in shards of cement.
The ground had bellowed and roared before pulsing outward as if it couldn't contain the pressure from in it, shooting debris of cement like raining bullets.
Well accustom to these kind of event coming from Sakura, Aizawa had evacuated the fallen students to a safer distance with the help of Todoroki who hadn't participated in the fight.
The pinkette stood up straighter, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a rush of excitement and her lips parted into an eager smile.
She clenched her hands back into balls of fist and spun around. When she made contact with nothing but air, her smile only grew wider in excitement. Togata slipped back into the ground, but when he reappeared behind the pinkette, Sakura noted how longer it took for him to get back up.
Already sensing him, Sakura bounced off the ground and spun out of reach.
" You know." Togata accused with a wide grin.
" Know what, Togata?" Hado called after. " Come on, tell me! What does she know?"
The pinkette wasn't fazed when Togata dropped back into the ground, and when he showed up with his fist inches from her face, the pinkette was already reaching to block his hand. The older boy easily passed through the girl and fell out of view.
" I could keep this up all day." Togata's face appeared on the ground and said before vanishing again.
Sakura knew the truth behind those words and bit her lips. She held up her hands in front of her and soon, faint crackling filled her ears. Her fingertips stung and beads of sweat formed around her forehead as she poured in more Chakra.
And then, with electricity buzzing in the air, a large force field surfaced into existence. It wasn't one of her measly shield sized barrier that could only blocked things smaller than a ball, this was a proper force field that was a couple feet taller than Sakura.
The tip curved a bit, as if it would form a dome if it was completed.
The plan was simple. With the path Togata was heading at, the pinkette knew he was going for a frontal attack. The only thing she needed to do was keep up the barrier and when the time was right, she was going to send it colliding against the older boy.
Speaking of the right time.
Three
Two
One
The girl pressed her fingertips on the force field, signaling it to fly forward. However, her eyes widened when it flew through Togata, which she knew might happen anyways. The only problem was that his fist didn't change its form.
With his body still midway in the force field, his hand was free of his Quirk and he slammed his fist into the girl's stomach, sending the pinkette to the ground. Togata stood over Sakura's quivering body and acknowledged her when she started getting up right after.
" You knew, and I knew. But I knew something you didn't know so I took what I knew and used it." Togata grinned.
" Wait, what?" Sakura clutched her stomach in pain and winced as she gave him a confused look that the boy quickly picked up on.
" Sorry, I meant that I knew you could sense where I was, but you didn't know when I was using my Quirk." Togata explained as he got back into his track jacket and readjusted his pants. " Anyways, I was surprised."
" Finished, huh?" Aizawa commented. " I was going to stop you two if it had carried on any longer."
A recovered Midoriya joined the group. " Wow Sakura! You lasted the longest and held on pretty good! How did you do it?"
The pinkette caught herself from typing down everything that was going on in her mind and instead just shrugged her shoulders. Her smiled had left her face and she made sure to narrowed her eyes a little.
The pinkette scooted away from her classmates as they all grouped up into a crowd, marveling at Togata all as once.
" Your Quirk was way too strong!" Kaminari exclaimed.
" No, I made it a strong Quirk." Togata wagged a finger in front of him as he explained what his Quirk was. " Everything goes through me when my Quirk is fully activated, including oxygen, vibration, and light. So I'm basically senseless."
" Wanna know what it's called, huh? Huh?" Hado skipped over and asked. " Premeation!"
" It's Mirio's turn right now." Amajiki spoked up, but the cheerful girl didn't seem the least bit effect by his words.
As Togata continued on, going over his years of training, the danger of his Quirk, and his dream to become a hero, Sakura looked at her hands. Togata's Quirk reminded her of-
" Hey, doesn't that sound like Haruno's Quirk too?" Mineta said, making the said girl jump.
As all eyes went over to where she was, Sakura hid her hand behind her back and took a step back. Midoriya perked up, remembering what he had learned about the girl's Quirk during the sports festival.
" Yeah, that's right. Chakra's just a mass of energy within its user." The green haired boy turned to Sakura with a smile. " That's amazing! You and Togata both turned your Quirk into something-"
Sakura turned away from him and crossed her arms as she made her way out of the gym. According to Aizawa, class was suppose to be almost over anyways, and besides, she didn't need any more unwanted attention, specifically from The Big Three.
Once outside, the pinkette looked up at the sky and watched as the clouds drift away from the sun, leaving it to shine brightly.
Today she had felt an emotion she hadn't felt since the summer camp. An excitement and thrill whenever she would fight, not out of fear or instinct to survive, but just a good old friendly match.
Little did she know that Togata was one out of three people who would help her get back her light.
