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

Author Note: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourite and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

"Ah Uzumaki-san, are you also here to check up on Kouta-kun?"

Naruto nodded and focused her attention on Mandalay. The woman offered her a warm smile before flickering her eyes to the passed out little boy sleeping on the brown couch. No hat decorated his head, highlighting just how young he was to her. With the lack of scowl and furrowed eyebrows, he looked just like any five-year-old. An innocent little kid who probably hadn't been through hardship.

But the moment the little boy flashed his eyes, the image would be destroyed and reality would sink back in.

"He passed out the moment Midoriya caught him," Naruto shrugged and folded her arms against her chest as the wolves howled their evening call. Mandalay bobbed her head and the whiskered teen continued. "This wouldn't happen if the kid took it for himself to guard us from that little deviant. I already had plans of what to do if Mineta tried to peak on us."

The woman didn't crack a smile, only frowning even more at the reminder of what happened. Naruto slid her hands deeper into the pocket of her shorts and stared at the tousled hair. She should ask if Mineta had been the one to come back here but that classmate of hers wasn't the type to admit he had done something wrong. The only other person who could have come was probably Midoriya.

"You can blame me for Kouta's action," Mandalay combed through the little boy's hair before picking up the towel on top of his tiny forehead. She squeezed the water from the towel while Naruto knitted her eyebrows together. "Eraser mentioned that there was a boy who was the living embodiment of lust so I asked Kouta to look out for you girls."

The blonde nodded and looked down at the sleeping child. His breath came out like little whistles as he cuddled himself into a tiny ball. It was like he tried to capture as much warmth as he could get. His mouth opened and closed like he was mumbling something to himself. Maybe he recalled the memory of his parents and was trying to get their warmth.

It would be terrible when the boy woke up and recalled they were gone, only a figment of his own memory.

"I'm sorry for how Kouta-kun behaved to you and your classmates," Mandalay said. Warm brown eyes fixated on her, flashing with so much remorse that Naruto felt her stomach churned. The heroine cleared her throat. "You must have gotten a real bad impression on Kouta-kun but he is a good kid."

Naruto pressed her lips into a thin line and rubbed the back of her neck as her eyes focused on the little boy. There were a lot of things she could say to the woman. That the boy was an annoying little brat. It would make the woman think she had no intention of getting emotional attached to the kid. But that would be lying and she was not a liar.

She would omit information, refused to talk about it… but purposely lying to someone would make her no better than that liar. The blonde sighed and knelt down till she was at head level with the sleeping boy.

"I don't actually have a bad impression of Kouta," the blonde curled her lips into a tiny smile. "Yeah he pissed me off when he tried to punch Midoriya on the crotch but that doesn't mean I think he is a terrible kid."

The woman blinked while Naruto looked out to the window. The shooting star flew passed while the owls hooted like they agreed with her. With the window opened as wide as it was, it really should not make her jump up when the wind caressed her face. Her whole body warmed up from the touch, almost as if the wind was trying to give her a mother touch.

A part of her wanted to believe it was the spirt of her mother or even Mikoto-obaachan in the winds but it would be silly if Mikoto-obaachan would watch her.

Mandalay tilted her head and stared at her. "Then what do you think of Kouta-kun?"

What do I really think of this little brat? Naruto schooled her expression into a blank one. Annoying had been the first impression but the kid was like a little bug to her. But annoying was her impression but it didn't really tell what she actually thought of the little boy. Sad was a definite answer because those eyes might have glowed with anger but sadness and hurt were there too.

"I think he is just a little kid who is in a lot of pain," Naruto finally replied. "I know you and Aizawa-sensei will expect me to give him some slack because he is only five or even because he is an orphan. But I didn't want him to think because he had a crappy life that he can treat people like that."

Mandalay frowned and looked at her like she did not know what to think of her words. Brown eyes inspected every inch of her like she was some kind of mystery she wanted to solve. Those eyes moved from her hair to her eyes, probing her for some kind of clue but Naruto only kept her expression blank.

I won't talk about the fact I'm an orphan to her. Naruto bit her tongue and allowed the pain to overcome her senses. The desire to spill her own past was great, ready for her to shout but the whistle-like snore from Kouta helped her to pull in the reigns. The talk was about the emotionally-hurt little boy that slept like a baby on the couch, not about her.

"I don't know what to do with Kouta-kun," the heroine informed her. Brown eyes focused on the sleeping child, never once reverting its gaze at her. Naruto only knitted her eyebrows together into a thin line and scratched her head. "Kouta-kun isn't fond of anyone who wants to be a hero or who is a hero and that includes me. Nothing I do will make Kouta open up to me."

Only the footsteps of the students of Class B echoed in the room as Naruto locked eyes with the sleeping boy. What could she say? That it was normal? Did she tell Mandalay that it was not impossible? That would be what she would usually say but would it be enough to reassure the woman? She didn't know what to say to comfort the woman.

Comforting someone had never been her forte as Sakura would always yell at her whenever some kid sobbed harder after talking to her.

"I'm sure the little twerp knows he is lucky to have you in his life," Naruto said, keeping her tone steady. Her heart pounded against her chest, ready to explode with fear and doubt but the whiskered teen exhaled. "He is a smart kid but he is also pretty terrified of letting you in. He probably knows if he gets very attached and you die then he will go through the same pain."

Mandalay blinked as the crickets chirped, filling in the silence between them. The woman rubbed her chin and knitted her eyebrows together before flickering her eyes between Kouta and Naruto. The whiskered teen rubbed the back of her neck and twisted her sneakers around. The squeaks filled the air and the blonde decided to continue on.

"Because he experienced the pain before, I think he just decided to lock his heart and pretend he doesn't like you," she finished lamely.

Brown eyes shone with hope at her words and Naruto tilted her head. How was that helpful? It didn't mean anything. Nothing about her words gave any advice to her. It was the least helpful thing for this hero. What did her words mean to this woman? She should ask but the words were jammed into her throat.

After a couple of seconds, the woman finally offered her a smile and chuckled. "You talk about Kouta-kun like you have him all figured out."

Frowning, the blonde regarded the bratty boy on the bed. Her hand hovered above his hair, ready to ruffle it and the whiskered teen withdrew her hand. Maybe with his black hair and hateful black eyes, she had been reminded of her very first friend. She could almost overlay the image of an eight-year-old Sasuke with this little boy.

"I don't have him figure out," the blonde hummed and closed her eyes. "I can only guess he must have love his parents a lot and remembers them every day. I think the feelings he has…are normal."

This pain came from the destruction of my family bonds! How could you ever understand what it means to lose anything!

Furious black eyes played behind her eyes and her stomach throbbed from the lingering ghost of Sasuke's kick. Even now heart mourned like it always did whenever she recalled their last fight. It was irony if you asked her. This was the only fight that scarred her both emotionally and physically, yet it was what made her connect the dots.

"I hope one day he lets me in."

The words were barely loud, only a whisper in the wind but Naruto heard it like the lightning in the thunder storm. Brown eyes teared up but Mandalay did not cry. Her eyes were moist but the woman did not let a single tear drop. To cry in front of a stranger would make the whole air around them awkward.

The whiskered teen zipped her mouth and stared at the young woman who combed through the boy's hair. The little hums and gentle combs through his hair made her heart ache. A misty memory suddenly played before her eyes of warm black eyes. Her heart screamed in agony like it always did whenever Mikoto-obaachan's face appeared. Someone combing through her own hair and telling her that she hoped she would be there for Sasuke because—

"You are probably the friend that Sasuke adores the most and I hope you will be there for him if Fugaku and I fail in our plans. Sasuke will need you the most, Naru-chan because he still has no understanding of the world."

Naruto sucked in a deep breath and shoved the memory back because this was not the time for her to begin remembering things. The hero probably needed her more now then the memory that brought more questions than answers. The hero needed a piece of advice that worked for her.

The thing Mikoto-obaachan and Aizawa-sensei had been doing without any struggle.

"I think you just need to show him that you are going to be there for him when he needs you," Naruto cleared her throat and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm sure one day the little brat will thank you for sticking by his side even when he acted like a little hellion to you and your teammate."

Mandalay did not tear her eyes away from Kouta and sighed. "And why would he thank me? That little boy thinks everything I do is because it is my duty and not because I care about him."

A little smile played on Naruto's lips as her eyes fixated on the black-haired boy. It was not noticeable but the whistle-like snores stopped completely and the boy stopped cuddling his legs. If she placed her ear against his chest then the blonde bet it wouldn't be a slow tempo like a song from one of those boring classical music.

The little brat was awake but she wouldn't call him out.

"I'm sure the little brat knows you are probably the closest thing he has to a mother."

Because that was what Mikoto had been to her but she might be wrong for all she know. But that little teardrop which trickled out of his eye told her that maybe she could be right.

"What might have you see behind the wall?"

Naruto squeaked and took a step back as Ashido and Hagakure leaned forward. Yellow eyes glimmered with curiosity and excitement and the whiskered teen was certain that the curiosity was also shining in the invisible girl's eyes. Their eyes just seemed to buzz with an eagerness to learn what the boys looked without their clothes.

Standing right behind Ashido and Hagakure were Asui and Yaoyorozu. Both girls gazed at the two girls with looks of disappointment before stealing a glance at her. Frowns decorated their faces and Naruto forced herself to look away from them. No words came out of their mouth but the heavy look in their eyes told her everything.

"I didn't see anything," Naruto forced the words out. Her heart pounded against her ears and the whiskered teen twisted her head around to look at the two girls. Disbelief shone through their eyes and the blonde kept her expression blank. One change in her facial expression and her two female classmates would pounce on her.

Ashido and Hagakure opened their mouths, only to sew their mouths shut when the other girls narrowed their eyes at them. Daggers could come out of their eyes and it would not make Naruto blink. The tension in her shoulders faded away like how the clouds would vanish from the air. It was nice. Talking about what she had seen behind those looming walls made her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Aren't you even a little bit curious to know what the boys would look like without their shirt?" Ashido pouted as Yaoyorozu and Tsuyu hauled the girls away from her. The Vice Class President jerked her head, eyebrows raised before shaking her head furiously. The burned cheeks, on the other hand, told a different story.

Tsuyu only looked at Ashido. "If Uzumaki-chan tells us then we won't be any different from Mineta."

The smiles disappeared from their faces while Naruto blinked. That was a very good point. If those two girls spilled the fact she had done more then try to save those boys then that little pervert would take it as an opportunity to point it out to them. The two girls must have realized too because they slumped their shoulders.

"I just wanna know how good Todoroki looks without a shirt on," Ashido muttered under her breath. Naruto grinded her teeth together and felt the vein on her forehead throbbed.

Naruto knew it was natural to be curious. Shouto was one of the most attractive boys in their year so it was only natural her classmate had this desire to know what the boy looked like without a shirt on. I know she won't do anything. But it was one thing for her to know this and another thing for her to give a hint of how good-looking her boyfriend was without a shirt on.

She inhaled and exhaled like the steady pace of her heart, not allowing herself to get riled up.

"You know I'm more curious about the scar on Uzumaki's chest than to know how our male classmates looked like without their shirts," Jirou admitted.

Silence filled the room as everyone looked at the whiskered teen. Naruto stared at them with blank eyes as her hands crept up against her chest. Until Jirou brought it out, her scar hadn't throbbed but now it burned with pain. She inhaled and exhaled like she was blowing a balloon as crazed black eyes flashed before her again.

"I will break our bond."

Naruto closed her eyes and allowed her hand to fall down her chest. The scar felt rough like the bark of a tree but it was barely noticeable if you asked her. It was barely the size of baby's fist but that might still be too big if the girl noticed it. Her throat tightened as another male voice echoed in her ear.

"This will be a reminder of what that Uchiha have done. You nearly got us killed for your selfish desire to bring back your best friend."

The Kyuubi always healed her wounds but this was the one wound he refused to heal. If Naruto hadn't known better, it would sound like the beast cared for her. But the monster inside of her cared about its well-being and they were connected by a string. The fact she could have gotten him killed was probably why the beast had been irritated with her.

"I got it in a fight," Naruto finally said. She rubbed her chest and forced herself to plaster on a smile. Her cheeks screamed in pain from the fake smile but she couldn't allow them to know that this scar affected her, the most. This amount of information was the amount she felt comfortable talking about. "Probably one of the most difficult fight I have ever been."

Both emotionally and physically if you asked her.

"You shouldn't get into any more fights," Asui said. Naruto blinked as nods of agreement came from everyone in the room. Their eyes glimmered with concern as if they understood what the unspoken words. Maybe they did. Not a single one of them looked like they wanted to push her to talk about the story behind her scar. "It won't look good if you have a lot of scars in your body."

Naruto closed her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest. This would be the only scar in her life. This was a reminder of what happened to her when she got too reckless. It would be the physical manifestation of the pain Sasuke brought to her.

"Your future husband might not be happy by the scar," Hagakure scolded. "So you need to be extra careful to make sure you don't get any scars on you. You should get some medication for that scar."

Future husband. The blonde poked her tongue against her cheek and looked up at the fan rotating above them. Marriage was an odd institution if you asked her. Not something she could picture herself doing, but then again it had been drilled into her head that she would be lucky to find someone who loved her.

"If he doesn't like it then he should deal with it," Naruto hummed. Her classmates blinked and tilted their heads to the right, their eyes focused on her chest. It probably sounded weird. A part of her did want to get rid of the scar and make it fade like the rain, but a huge part of her wanted this scar to remain in her body.

Uraraka frowned. "Don't you want to get rid of it?"

"Maybe in the beginning," Naruto admitted. She rubbed her hand against her scar as harsh black eyes flashed before her eyes. The sound of a thousand bird chirping echoed in her ear but the blonde pushed the memory behind. "But my scar tells my story and acts of a reminder to me. It reminds me of my lesson learnt from that fight."

Ashido pressed her tongue against her cheek and stroke her chin. "But it is a real shame, Uzumaki-chan. You have a nice body and that mark ruined your appearance. I hope the person you fought with has a scar too because how can they hurt a cute girl like you?"

Her throat tightened, her nose clogged up and tears threatened to come out of her eyes. The blonde rubbed her eyes, turning away from them. Trying to not cry was difficult, probably more difficult than the times she forced herself to smile at her customers, but focusing on the window made things easier for her.

Why didn't you bring him back?

Her throat dried up even more as moist green eyes played before her eyes.

What do you know of my pain?

Her heart screamed and twisted in agony.

"You are a very strong person, Uzumaki," Jirou observed. The blonde blinked and twisted her head around to meet thoughtful black eyes. The older girl rubbed her back and hummed a small tune as everyone else gathered a round her sleeping bag. "I don't think I would be willing to keep that reminder on me."

Mumbles of agreement echoed from everyone in the room, forming into one loud wave that crashed over her. Naruto gulped down the lump and flickered her eyes to the crescent moon. You are useless. That was what she would hear whenever she looked at the scar, but Jirou made it seem like the scar could be a symbol of her strength.

"It is symbol of your idiocy," The Kyuubi grumbled in the depths of her mind. Naruto blinked and knitted her eyebrows. For the last three years, the chakra beast had been silent. Not once did he talk to her, allowing her to forget of what she was but now a wave of dread crashed over her at his grumpy voice.

Naruto grunted. "I thought you would be happy since you will be free from your shackles."

"I would be forced to reform and that is a headache, Brat," The Kyuubi replied. "But I would rather reform then deal with you two going at it like rabbits! You Uzumaki women can't keep it to your pants."

Her cheeks burned at those words.

Only three students in the no-kill list.

Dabi flipped through the list that Kurogiri had given them to memorize for their mission. Most of the names were meaningless to him. Nothing for him to care about. Their Quirks were listed right beside their name alongside any history that Shigaraki believed would be useful for them to consider when they engaged combat with them.

Most of them had nothing filled with the exception being his little brother. The youngest son of Endeavour. That was the only thing written in the column about his brother. There were more things that could be said. A shackled little boy. A fool. Naïve. Those were all the things he would write but it was not the right time to reveal his connection to Endeavour.

The stage needed to be huge and the world needed an awakening of what that power-hungry bastard was really like.

His turquoise eyes flickered to the bolded print of Uzumaki Naruto. The picture of a bright blond-haired girl with cerulean eyes was pasted right next to the image. She was a pretty girl and from what he recalled of the girl's performance, she was quite powerful. The perfect little bride in the eyes of that bastard. Dabi clenched his jaws together and looked down at the information presented.

She lost her parents on the day she was born. On the very same day, Uzumaki Naruto became a weapon of war for her birthplace but was treated even worse than dirt. Dabi traced the writing and flickered his eyes to Isamu, who kept a blank expression, before looking back down on the list. The most powerful aspect of her abilities are linked to her emotional state. She is also a distant relative to the Uzushiokage.

"I changed my mind when it comes to the girl," Shigaraki informed them. His voice was as loud as a whisper but it was enough to draw everyone's attention to the man. He leaned his body back, locked eyes with Kabuto before flickering his red eyes at him. "She is a powerful cheat and her history would make her connect with our cause. Heroes treated her like dirt as well."

Isamu pressed his lips into a thin line, jaws clenched like he was trying his hardest not to scream at the man for changing his mind on the girl. The male clenched and unclenched his hands, kept darting his eyes to Kabuto like he wanted to blame him for Shigaraki's fickle mind. Kabuto only offered a polite smile and pushed his glasses up.

"Uzumaki Naruto is very stubborn," Kabuto commented. His tone sounded thoughtful while his black eyes gleamed with a hidden sadistic gleam. Dabi only frowned and looked down at the file. You always have a home with us! Violet and green eyes appeared right before his eyes, making his heart ache in agony but the male shoved it away. Kabuto sighed. "It will be very difficult to convince her to join your causes."

Shigaraki tightened his grip on the paper and scratched his neck. "Society chained her and brainwashed her into thinking that heroes are the good guys. They put shackles on her and I will offer her a way to break those shackles."

Kabuto only offered a polite smile and nodded but Dabi did not miss the way those black eyes shone with amusement. Mocking. That was the better term to use to describe that gleamed in his eyes. He only pushed his glasses upwards before throwing a glance at the tight-jaw man standing right beside him.

"Well if you can convince Uzumaki Naruto to join you then it would be a better advantage to Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto picked up his offered drink and his eyes locked onto Isamu. "But all of you must remember Uzumaki Naruto cannot be killed."

Himiko pouted and folded her arms against her chest, reminiscent of a little child who had been told not to take candy from the candy jar. Twice only bobbed his head as his eyes continued to skim through the notes that Shigaraki and Kurogiri had given them. Magne grunted. Muscular scowled and looked at Kabuto like he stole all the fun away from him.

"I joined this group so I can kill that little bitch," Isamu growled. The furious words might not have boomed but it might as well have because everyone turned quiet. Blue eyes glowered with rage and flung a kunai at Kabuto. The gray-haired male caught the kunai, sweating only slightly but the fact he caught the flying kunai was impressive for Dabi.

He hadn't even seen the man take out his kunai.

"Killing her wouldn't be advisable for you since I'm sure that as a seal master that you know how the rumored wife of the Yellow Flash died," Kabuto commented. The smile on his face widened but it felt fake. No, it was fake. Dabi could practically feel the hum of sadistic joy behind the man's eyes. "You know what Uzumaki Kushina was, don't you?"

"Everyone knows," Isamu growled and glared at the smirking man. "An Uzumaki being sent out of her home village while the wife of the First Hokage was dying? Only fools wouldn't have connected the dots together."

The other members of the League of Villains snuck glances at each other before focusing their eyes on him. Dabi only grunted and shrugged his shoulder. What did they expect for him to say? He didn't know a damn thing about Isamu. There were only three facts that he knew about his mysterious roommate.

The man had been a child solider.

He wanted to kill the daughter of the man who murdered his mother.

He was a foreigner.

Those were all the things he knew about Isamu. There was nothing else for him to know about this erratic man nor did he want to get to know him. Actually Dabi did not want to know anything about the people around him. Getting to know them would mean him forming attachment and attachment would make him go insane again.

"To-niisan, I'm hurt! I thought Father would play with me."

His chest tightened and his heart twisted in pain as pained, confused blue-grey eyes played before his eyes. Scarred fingers went down to the burnt marks before reaching for the scars that Tomoyo healed him from. He darted his eyes between the two tensed adult males in front of him as another memory flashed before his eyes.

"Why does Father spent more time with you, To-niisan? Why does he ignore me?"

Hurt, moist grey eyes appeared right in front of his eyes and Dabi felt his chest tightened even more. Natsuo had been fucking six when he questioned him. Six years old and starved from having the acknowledgment of that stupid old man that they were forced to call father. He grinded his teeth and stopped himself from smashing his fist on the table.

"…I don't give a shit of the damn consequence!"

Dabi blinked and jerked his head up. Blue eyes radiated with so much rage as they locked onto the calm man sitting right beside Shigaraki. Dark shadows decorated the man's face, almost making him resemble one of those monster that children would scream about at night, and the kunai dangling at his hand looked like it was going to be thrown at any minute.

The scarred man only thinned his lips. If the bastard went through with that erratic plan of his then Shouto would pay for the fucking consequence. Kabuto threatened him. His foolish, little brother had to get himself involved with a female who had an insane person in love with her. He was not going to let this bastard destroy his brother.

That was his job.

"If you kill that girl then neither me nor Orochimaru would care but I can't say the same for Sasuke-kun, Isamu-kun," Kabuto picked up his glasses and the smile on his face widened. "He might just come running here and kill you once I tell him who murdered his childhood friend. Sasuke-kun gets so irritable whenever someone brings her up."

Author Note: So Naruto and Manadalay has a talk. Naruto opens up a little and we have a sneak peak of what is happening with the villains and Kabuto. Here are a couple of questions for you:

Question 1: What do you think of the whole talk between Mandalay and Naruto?

Question 2: What do you think about the relationships developed throughout the three books?

Question 3: What do you think about the portrayal of the characters so far? And would you like me to go back to putting a couple of flashbacks every few chapters?

Please tell me of your thoughts on this chapter.