Hey Everyone! Thanks for the reviews!
This story is doing very well, so I'm gonna keep grinding out chapters for you all.
Before I start, I just wanted to address a few things.
Naruto is not emo, he's just not socially adept because he's basically lived on his own his entire life.
I'm still taking suggestions of pairing, but so far Nejire is leading the polls. By the time the Sports Fest Arc is done, I will have picked a main pairing.
Naruto's Quirk is not like the actual DC Hero, Flash. Their power is similar, but Naruto only has the brief slow-motion conficture in which he adapts his body to an action mid 'Flash'.
Hero Names and the Internship Naruto chooses will be announced in the upcoming chapters.
Anyways, thank you for reading my third installation of Flash. Enjoy.
Chapter 3: UA's Villain Hero
Todoroki and Iida stared down the dark hallway that interconnected many of the Stadium Tunnels. Standing with the light outlining his body and the contrast hiding his face, was Naruto Uzumaki.
Momo stood shivering, but still adept in order to fight the Villain she had uncovered. All three had trouble wrapping their heads around the simplicity in which the masked blonde had infiltrated their ranks. The thought of him fooling their teachers and Pro Heroes was baffling.
Their own sensei had seemed particularly fond of him, so how could someone their age fool such high attentive Heroes? If so, then they were beyond outmatched.
"…Uzumaki, how did you do it?" The Half and Half user emotionlessly questioned.
The blonde seemed, in a way, confused by such a blunt statement. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I just wish to see where Yaoyoruzu-san had scurried off to. She did seem pretty frightened after all." Naruto slouched.
Tenya pushed his glasses up, never leaving his fighting stance. The Turbo Quirk user patiently waited for an opening. "No Uzumaki-san, Todoroki-kun means…how did a Villain get into UA? How could one such as yourself, convince so many Pro Heroes, including Aizawa-sensei, that you were not?" The tall black haired boy said with a hint of malice.
Naruto frowned under his mask. "Convince? I did no such thing. I believe you misunderstand…they all already know who and what I was."
Team Todoroki's eyes collectively widened, although Shoto kept himself together better. "I don't understand, you said 'was' as if in past tense!" Momo shrieked.
"I know what I said…my past is my own. No need to act so shocked, we all have our secrets…isn't that right Todoroki-san?" The Fire and Ice user narrowed his eyes dangerously.
The Uzumaki's voice stayed stoic and unaffected, even as the look of pure hatred lit up the UA student's face. "Why should we believe such pitiful lies Villains are so clandestine to use." Shoto said objectively.
The masked blonde gave no retort. "It is nothing of the sort. Just ask Aizawa-san…he is the one who brought me here, after all." The disbelief hung truly amongst the UA Hero students.
"But…Aizawa-sensei is a Hero, why would he engift such trust upon you. Villains don't just stop committing crimes…they are arrested and sent to atone for their sins. So how could you just be cleared to walk freely knowing of your past?" Momo asked instinctively.
Naruto stuck his hands into his pockets. "I guess you wouldn't understand, but that is to be expected. You UA Heroes are taught to see black and white…to save in the light but not the dark. Why is that when the cameras turn off, Heroes completely disregard people like me who called for help. I was a Villain because I had no other choice. That is why…I'm trying to be a Hero now…Aizawa-san saved me and showed me another way. A way in which I wouldn't have to suffer anymore…he gave me a chance. Atoning for my sins is why I'm here, and I won't be stopped in my mission?" The masked blonde said lazily, but with a hint of anger.
Momo recoiled slightly, bowing her head in pity.
"Mission?" Iida questioned confusingly.
The blonde nodded his head slightly. "Yes. How could I prove myself if I didn't have the best Hero Students in Japan groveling at my feet? You come from families famously divine to the Hero World or in wealth. Your chances are many more numerous than my own…but how impressive would it be for an Orphan with only one to decimate an entire Hero Course filled with countless chances. That is my Mission." Naruto spoke slowly and condescendingly.
Shoto scoffed, "Spoken like a true Villain. Greed runs deep within you and you don't even see it." He said with a shake of his head.
"None would believe me if I said I was doing it for countless others anyway. It means no difference to me…I don't need validation from those who would never understand." The Uzumaki turned and began to walk away.
The white and red haired teenager quizzically peered at the retreating form. "So what is your true objective then?" He asked the blonde to stop.
Naruto turned his head to where only one blue orb peaked through the rays of light. "It is the same as everyone else here…to beat the best of the Hero classes in front of Japan." He said monotonously before continuing his motion.
"WAIT! You think you can just leave after admitting you were a Villain?! It is our duty as future Heroes to apprehend such people." Iida yelled towards the retreating form, banging his fist into his palm.
Todoroki held an arm up, extending across Tenya's chest, keeping him in place. "Enough. You heard him…he wasn't lying…far from it. We need to go justify this story with Aizawa-sensei and the others." Shoto said passively.
Iida and Momo's shaking legs released their tension as they stumbled, but kept listening to Todoroki. They almost had to fight an ex-Villain right after getting out of the USJ incident. The misunderstanding the developed black haired girl had stumbled upon, could've caused another incident with a somewhat innocent party.
Although begrudgingly, Iida nodded and marched off with his head down. He couldn't take someone disrespecting UA like that, even if it was someone Aizawa-sensei had saved.
Yaoyoruzu stared at the now empty tunnel from which Naruto had arrived. "Yaoyoruzu-san?" Todoroki asked as he saw the now tear stained face of his fellow classmate.
"I accused someone of such a foul act and he never even raised his voice…A-Are we in the wrong Todoroki-san?" She said dispassionately.
The Half and Half user was having the same thoughts. "No. You did what you thought was right, coming to us was not a wrong choice. He has given me some things to think about as well." He said coolly, leaving the petrified girl.
With one last look down the empty tunnel, Momo soon followed. 'Uzumaki-san says he wants to be a Hero, but not the type everyone expects one to be. What does that mean?' She thought finally.
With Class 1-A
Given a short time for the Finalists to compose themselves and regain their strength, Shouta Aizawa decided to gather his students.
Inside the original locker room 1-A had used for their introduction, the UA Hero Students waited patiently. Some talked quietly with their classmates, while others focused on their future battles.
For some reason, the entirety of Team Todoroki was on edge, and their blatant discomfort rang loudly throughout the room.
"What's with the long face Momo? The final round hasn't even started yet…" the Acid Quirk user, Mina, sang cheerfully. Even if she wasn't nearly the smartest in the room, the pink haired girl read the mood quite well.
As if snapped from a trance, the Creation Quirk user downplayed her nerves with a forced smile. "I was just uh…strategizing…" She said unconvincingly.
"Is it about that?" Kaminari whispered rather loudly.
Said gesture made most of the room fixate themselves on the girl. "What's that Denki?" Kyoka Jiro, the Earphone Jack Quirk user, questioned the nervously sweating boy.
"Oh hahaha…you heard that?" He laughed anxiously, keeping his palm on the back of his neck.
Jiro looked quizzically between the two, "Well whatever it is…shouldn't it be best to get it off your chest?" She offered politely, trying not to sound eager.
The well endowed UA student nodded. "Well it's not as easy as that. This is…different." She responded.
"Kyoka-san is right…being a UA student means we look after each other. You can't go beyond 'Plus Ultra' by yourself…" Deku added his forethought. Although he might have been just as nervous…maybe helping someone else through their own ordeals would shape up his own.
"I don't believe I'm nervous for the finals, no. I think I'm nervous for a certain person in it." The Creation Quirk user simplified.
1-A looked at her puzzlingly. 'Sure Todoroki and Bakugo are crazy strong, but that shouldn't make one of their classmates this petrified. It wasn't like one of them was out to slay her or anything…Okay…maybe Bakugo would,' thought Kyoka.
"What do you mean? Most of the finalists are Hero Course students…so are you telling us you're scared of either a pacifist, a doppelganger Kirishima, or one of the two Gen Ed students?" Sero joined in, curiosity getting the best of him.
Momo's gaze dropped to her feet. "Yes, and for a good reason. You see…Todoroki-san, Iida-san, and I were confronted by Naruto Uzumaki…and he used to be…" The locker room door had closed unexpectedly, halting her midway.
"A Villain? Yes he was." The occupants of the locker room shot towards the voice of their teacher. Eyes wide as saucers reflected the dire shock the room received.
"A Villain?…How did UA allow him to enter if he was a known Villain?" Kirishima exclaimed.
The black haired teacher sighed audibly, "Due to certain circumstances surrounding Uzumaki, I recommended him…it was I who vouched for him." Aizawa beseeched.
The resounding looks he received were comical. Many gazed at him through squinted eyes, presuming to measure whether their teacher had taken a nosedive off the deep end. Of course he didn't blame them.
From day one, kids everywhere were told the rudimentary classifications of Heroes being good, while Villains were bad. That was the simplified and stereotypical draw that even most of society still followed to this day.
Throughout his time as a Hero, he had seen so many neglect this oversimplification. As a Hero, many held this stereotype true to their hearts, because well…it was their job. They were paid to keep the Villains off the streets, even if there were people in foul business begrudgingly.
Naruto had fallen victim to the system that had been working against him since day one. Orphan, poor, and barely able to feed himself early in his teens…nobody was coming to save him. Even he wouldn't have found the blonde gaki if it wasn't for plain luck, and that fact held true for many others like himself.
Heroes saved people in danger, not people in need. It was the cruel truth that many had blinded themselves to. Villains were people acting out of greed or self-interest…Naruto was acting out of desperation to feed himself and the ability to sleep with a roof over his head.
Realizing what he had missed most of these years…it filled him with unbridled distaste for himself and the Hero system. Naruto was trying to change that conficture by being the darkness, not in Villainy, but discovering what the light fails to see.
"But sensei…why would you do that?" Ojiro, the Tail Quirk user asked slowly, sweat dripping from his temples.
Aizawa stared at the blonde boy with bloodshot eyes. "I saw potential for something better than he was."
Tokoyami added his own thoughts, "I see. You caught him and gave Uzumaki an ultimatum." The Dark Shadow Quirk user crossed his arms over his chest habitually.
The black haired Hero scoffed lowly, "No…he left before I had the chance. He was untraceable…until he was found once more a little over a week ago."
"Huh? How can a kid our age go off the grid like that? Even evading you, Aizawa-sensei, it seems kind of farfetched." Sato, the Sugar Rush quirk user, spoke in skepticism.
Aizawa himself didn't know, but Naruto was deathly calculating and smart. With the limited knowledge of his existence, the masked gaki used said inclination, to his advantage. "I know how it sounds…but it is true. Whether you choose to believe that or not, the facts still remain." He said boringly.
"I still can't get over the fact that he's a Villain…I mean what if this is some ultimate ploy to take out one of the Hero students." Uraraka nodded bubbly at Midoriya taking over.
Shouta tilted his head sleepily to the One for All successor. "Even if that was a possibility, problems such as those are for the Pro Heroes to uncover. Plus, taking out a Hero student in the middle of a stadium filled with Heroes is extremely foolish. Think with your head, not your gut Midoriya." All Might's protege embarringly slid back in his seat.
Mineta was shaking in his seat and crying loudly. "Aizawa-sensei! I-if h-he's bloodthirsty, w-wh-what if he kills one of the girls in the final round! We can't let that happen!" The purple ball head boy cried with secret glances at his girl classmates. Many of them discreetly covered themselves. They wouldn't put it past Mineta to discover X-Ray vision.
Eraser Head ignored the easily frightened student. "Enough talk…I came in here to give a brief rundown for the finalists. If you focus on one person, you're destined to get blindsided by the rest…do not make that mistake. Now, as you know already, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki are two strong 1-B students, underestimating them will be your own undoing. You are still being scouted for agencies, so don't make a fool of yourself and push carelessly past your outermost limits." Seeing the nodding from most of his finalists, he continued on.
"The Gen Ed students are fairly unknown to you. I cannot interfere besides providing you advice, therefore, do not allow their ranking in UA to fool you. Shinso and Uzumaki made it this far for a reason, treating them like the media portrays the other courses, and you'll be tasting cement quickly." Eraser Head advised his students carefully.
Team Todoroki sat silent through it all. The others didn't come face to face with the blonde Gen Ed student. Although a brief encounter, his convictions were stronger than their own and an idealistic person, is a dangerous person
They knew most of their classmates would still go out and forget every single piece of advice Aizawa gave them…but they wouldn't.
Naruto Uzumaki was a deceivingly strong and potentially dangerous contender.
Their chances at higher agencies could be extinguished by a single person and that frustrated them. He knew everything about them, but they in return, knew nothing about him. It was unnerving and even if they told the others, Uzumaki was too nonchalant in his behavior to seem like he was a troublesome opponent.
"If that is all, then good luck. I will be in my usual spot and your section will be in sector 10-A with the other Hero students. Do not disappoint…many are still here to see what this class can do." With that being said, Aizawa left, letting his competing students compose themselves on their own. Slung over his shoulder was his yellow sleeping bag, swishing in anticipation of the sleepy Underground Hero.
Kyoka looked around at her classmates, "Um…am I the only one here mildly concerned about having an ex-Villain in the tournament?" She questioned abruptly.
Not many besides Momo and Iida seemed mildly concerned. Unfortunately, being attacked by Villains in their first semester of UA was already enough in their book. It was probably an unspoken rule to take these kinds of things in stride.
"It's okay if you're scared Jiro. You got a cool guy like me to protect you." The blonde Electrification Quirk user to her side said while pointing to himself confidently.
That earned him an earful of unrelenting sound waves, shaking and vibrating the poor blonde into submission. However if one looked closely, a light shade of pink dusted her pale cheeks. "Yeah whatever…" She growled.
With Class 1-B's Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki
The Steel and Vine Quirk users stood silently as their homeroom teacher, Vlad King, made his appearance for the final time.
"Shiozaki, Tetsutetsu…under my guidance, I have taught you to destroy Class 1-A and I have faith that you will succeed!" Blood Hero, Vlad King, praised his only two finalists from his course. Tetsutetsu yelled out in a battle cry, slightly scaring the green vine haired girl beside him.
Ibara gently raised her hand, "But Kan-sensei…I don't want to destroy anybody…I will humbly win over any 1-A student, but I don't want to really hurt any of them." She claimed angelically.
"Right…anyway, that is not all. If you face Naruto Uzumaki, do not, I seriously mean, do not underestimate him. No matter his position in the school…Uzumaki is by far the most skilled in the finals." Both students looked incredibly shocked at seeing their teacher praise another class.
Tetsutetsu growled, "Sekijiro-sensei! So what if he scraped by in the second round! He's hiding his Quirk because it isn't as strong as ours, at least that's what Monoma told me." The Steel Quirk user raged indiscriminately.
"No!" He gripped both his students' shoulders, "No…I can't reveal other students' capabilities with their Quirk, but I will tell you this. Uzumaki is extremely calculating, he may not look very enthusiastic, but I can bet he already knows the ins and outs of your Quirks. Play it smart, you still have a chance for a Top Agency, and if you ruin it now by attacking an unknown opponent hastily, those probabilities will cease." His students glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. Was the blonde really this tough of an opponent? If he was, then why wasn't he in the Hero Course?
"Don't worry Sekijiro-sensei! Ibara-chan and I won't let you or Kendo-san down!" The pointy toothed boy proclaimed to the ceiling above him.
"I believe you…now go beat 1-A!…and the Gen Eds!" The large Hero pushed the UA Hero students along towards the arena to discover who they were going to fight first.
In the Arena
Midnight and Cementoss had begun the preparation for the final stage. The Stadium was overflowing with eager Heroes looking for interns and sidekicks along with News Reporters finding any tight gap they could cast from.
Online, betting on the winner of the entire tournament had continuously updated since the first round. Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo led the odds followed by Izuku Midoriya, Momo Yaoyoruzu, and Fumikage Tokoyami. Although Naruto Uzumaki had proved he belonged in the Hero Course after his placement in the Cavalry Battle, many still doubted his combat skills. Unfortunately for the internet gamblers, betting on an Underdog no matter how tempting, was ignorant, knowing he hadn't shown his Quirk yet.
The finalists from the final three classes arrived in separate tunnels. Once more, Present Mic did not disappoint with his commentary. "Nowww! Let's hear it for the contenders from the 1-A Hero Course!" The Voice Quirk user received a thunderous eruption of cheers. "1-A will feature eleven of the sixteen slots! Yeaah! Introducing the competitors! Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya, Momo Yaoyoruzu, Fumikage Tokoyami, Ochako Uraraka, Denki Kaminari, Mina Ashido, Ejirio Kirishima, Tenya Iida, and Hanta Sero! Such a Dynamic and Powerful group of young UA Hero students!" The crowd exploded in delight for the group they were all here to see. Though confusingly to the 1-A students, some loud boos from the direction of their section rang loud and unrelenting.
"Wow! If that wasn't enough, then keep it up for the 1-B students, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Ibara Shiozaki!" The grey haired teenager flexed in excitement, completely stealing the spotlight from his classmate. The loud boos were now gone, instead, entirely replaced by loud chants bellowing throughout the arena.
"Oh…just you wait ladies and gentlemen! Don't forget about the local UA tech genius Mei Hatsume from the Support Course!" Power Loader spotted a smile for his student who basked in the glory, showing off her 'babies' to the Tech Companies.
"Coming into the Sports Festival, no one had given the Hero Courses a challenge from all three years, but that is not the same for these young men! These are the first General Education students to make the final round in 10 years! Introducing the Gen Ed Underdogs, Hitoshi Shinso and Naruto Uzumaki!" Whoops and hollers from around the stadium sang relentlessly. Everybody loved an Underdog story, and although not many expected the boys to get far, they had done impressively well for themselves.
Shinso and Naruto walked side-by-side, one with a deadpan, the other with a lazy strut. The two were conversing quietly, though they never looked in each other's direction.
'Without context, you'd think they were the ones being challenged…not the other way around.' Deku thought.
As they approached, Midnight nodded in their direction with a smile. For a reason she did not know, Nemuri felt such motherly pride seeing Japan cheer Naruto's name. Even though they had only known each other for so long, the blonde had really made a mark on her. Although he was a tad apathetic and needed lots and lots of personal connection, she couldn't help but feel motivated to be that person.
She was getting…older…and never tried for that stage of her life. Although she still could…Nemuri would never force herself to love someone she didn't. Having a child was a two person job, and…she still hasn't found that 'special someone'.
Hearing about how Naruto grew up on his own without the love of an parental or familial figure was heartbreaking. Even now, he was still alone and was probably used to the quiet loneliness that she felt as well. Just thinking about it…maybe they could fill those gaps in each other's lives that they were longing for.
Of course she would never force herself into his life, literally only knowing him for a week. But, given enough time and the right words…she could be a maternal figure for him to seek compassion and guidance in.
'Oh YOUTH!' The seductress giggled and squirmed. She was getting ahead of herself again, but something like that didn't seem so far out of reach.
A crack of a whip broke the eerie silence on the field. "Alright! The competitors' names have been generated and filtered throughout a 16 man, 1v1, single elimination bracket. Winners move onwards, whilst still being able to show their potential to Hero Agencies. Kill shots and aggressive shows of violence are strictly forbidden and will be monitored closely by Cementoss, our on floor Proctor." Without needing to say more, the dominatrix fitted women twisted her body towards the screen behind her.
"Here's the lineup for the first round, remember and strategize. We will have a ten minute increment before the first fight." Displayed upon the screen were the matchups, which received rowdy shouts from the crowd.
Match 1: Hitoshi Shinso vs. Izuku Midoriya
Match 2: Hanta Sero vs. Shoto Todoroki
Match 3: Ibara Shiozaki vs. Denki Kaminari
Match 4: Mei Hatsume vs. Tenya Iida
Match 5: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Mina Ashido
Match 6: Momo Yaoyoruzu vs. Fumikage Tokoyami
Match 7: Ejirio Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Match 8: Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochako Uraraka
Naruto passively gazed upon the screen. 'Mina Ashido the Acid Quirk user….'
Shinso was going against Midoriya, yet the blonde felt the Brainwashing Quirk user would display his talents well. The black and green haired boy was easily aggravated by those who belittle his power and easily flustered about his comparison to All Might's own Quirk.
In the end, it didn't matter who was placed before him in a match. Aizawa and UA gave him a task to complete, and he would fulfill his obligation. There may be some potentially strong Future Heroes in this class, but none had the fighting capability he held.
He wanted to try some of the new found abilities of his Quirk as well. Nothing too powerful yet, but they were still strong nonetheless.
It was small…but he was getting a bit more excited than normal.
Hitoshi approached the lazily placed blonde, having shown no reaction to his matchup. Although he had only known Uzumaki for a short amount of time, it was nearly impossible to presume what he was thinking to himself. His emotions were kept sealed tightly beneath his expressionless facade.
He was silently thanking the generator for placing him on the opposite end of the bracket.
Shinso disliked people who were gifted with the amazing abilities you'd see in the Hero course. All of those people never had to struggle for acceptance like he had and that frustrated him the most out of anything.
He could tell Naruto had a great Quirk, and a powerful one bar-none. But, that same jealousy and wanting for another's position was lost on the blonde.
He operated like himself, even with the capabilities that his unknown Quirk had. So how could he hate someone struggling with that same dilemma, especially since being a Villain, as Naruto had told him, discarded him through the most difficult path.
Two Villainous Quirks against Fourteen others loved by their entire home country. It was something written out of a story, although it sounded pretty cliche and he'd bet Naruto would agree with that.
"Uzumaki, let's go. I want a little time to myself before the match." The purple haired teenager spoke.
The others were still fixated on the screen and their own thoughts. Some were satisfied, while others were petrified to learn they'd be facing someone stronger than them.
The masked blonde nodded and followed alongside his classmate towards their course's locker room. As he continued on, he ignored the eyes of the few who kept their attention on him.
Todoroki had run into his Father and Midoriya earlier. He hated the fact that with the upcoming fights, that he might have to use his left side.
If there was one thing he hated the most in this world, it would be the constant shadow of his father's will looming over his head. He could feel the tempting blaze, blistering beneath his skin, trying to balance his frost. He didn't want to resort to his power, no, it was the last thing he would ever do.
Even with powerful opponents like Bakugo and Midoriya, he would never use it unless he absolutely had to. He wanted to prove a point, but…then there's someone like Uzumaki, who doesn't look like a threat, but after actually talking to him…he wouldn't disregard his worth like everyone else.
Momo hesitantly glanced in the masked blonde's direction. She wasn't the best at reading people's facial expressions, but the Creation Quirk user saw nothing. The only visible features on his face were his eyes and hair, and trying to pick the smallest glimpse of emotion, resulted in failure.
The Sports Festival was meant for her to gain some confidence in her Quirk. Overthinking and assimilating too much, never brought about success for her. Going against Tokoyami was going to be hard enough, but having to fight against the blonde if she won!
She had a nagging feeling in head telling her to avoid him. He was an ex-Villain! If he evaded Aizawa-sensei, then he was destined to be a vigorous foe. Losing severly on such an immense stage in front of Heroes in the entirety of Japan, would definitely collapse her sanity.
Nevertheless, Naruto Uzumaki was the last person she wanted to face.
The One for All successor tried to create a profile on Naruto Uzumaki. Something, anything to give him and his classmates an advantage. Unfortunately, he found absolutely nothing.
Deku briefly studied his mannerisms, his battle tactics for the Cavalry Battle, and was left with nothing in his Hero notebook. Knowing what he looked like held no advantage in a competition like this! And even worse, no one even saw him using a Quirk yet!
He wanted nothing more than to be a Hero like All Might. To save people with a smile on his face. And…he completely ignored All Might's advice about the Uzumaki and it made him look foolish.
He was the epitome of the underestimated, and even he was left wondering how the blonde had gotten so far without revealing anything in his arsenal.
Uzumaki operated like a Villain in a Hero school. It was ironic now with the revealing fact that the masked blonde actually was an ex-Villain.
He would be wrong if he didn't feel a bit intimidated, but All Might entrusted his Quirk to him and he wouldn't fail his Hero twice!
Bakugo scoffed at the others being thrown off guard. Uzumaki had already beaten the others with his mind games, however, he was not so easily fooled by undermining tactics.
Ex-Villain or not, he was going to Die!
Top 10 Pro-Heroes
"What's up with that?! There's other opponents than just him you know!" The Bunny Hero Mirko yelled and waved at the students who couldn't hear her.
Down on the field, all of the finalists stared at the back of Naruto Uzumaki as he returned to his locker room. Many gave him wary glances and kept their distance relatively far from where he was.
"I mean he did get into the Finals on his own…but…is that really necessary?" Shield Hero, Crust, laughed awkwardly.
Keigo kept his hands behind his head. There was no point in fussing over stuff like this, although he was a tad curious. The UA students were giving Uzumaki the wide berth, yet he never really deserved such an action.
Maybe there was more than what they were seeing. He was a teenager once too…so they probably had some dramatic school affair going on.
Yagi Toshinori or All Might, sat quietly, sweating slightly. He could see the resolve bristiling in his student, yet even now, he didn't know if Young Midoriya would go to extreme lengths to prove himself worthy.
The circumstances on the field were noticeably different, assuming their homeroom teacher notified them of Uzumaki and his past endeavors.
Could he really blame them though? The UA classes were fairly new to the way the Hero world worked, and they had already seen Villainy firsthand. Just classifying Uzumaki as an ex-Villain inadvertently constructed the Hero students to watch him carefully.
"All Might-san. We were informed you worked at UA now, so what has brought upon such treatment? I mean he has performed impressively, but the others seem almost…guarded around him." Best Jeanist speculated, getting the others to nod with him.
Hawks turned a bored eye to the side.
The Number One Hero laughed. "Hah! There is a reason for it all! I have no doubt they will release the reason for why during the battles! Don't worry!" The large man exclaimed, reimbursing into his muscular form.
Gang Orca gazed puzzlingly at the Top Hero, "So it is important then…I trust UA has it handled?" The large Sonic Wave Quirk user asked professionally.
In return, the suit and tie Hero got a blinding smile and a thumbs up.
Hawks, however, was not satisfied with the sentiment. If All Might held secrecy with something, it was destined to be somewhat important, more or less.
No matter the reason, the Number Three Hero had his sights set on Naruto Uzumaki for an intern. To him, Uzumaki's potential was far above the rest.
15 Minutes Later
Midoriya and Shinso made their way to the center stage. Shouts of anticipation showered in from above, filling both participants with adrenaline.
For them, this was the only chance they got to prove themselves.
Shinso wanted to prove his Quirk was more than it's Villainous ability. He longed to show he could save and fight as well.
Midoriya wanted to prove to All Might and the Hero World that he could be the next Symbol of Peace. Now that he had the power of a Quirk, he could finally live up to the dream of being a Hero.
Beforehand, Ojiro had explained to Izuku the inner workings of Shinso's Quirk. Using said knowledge, the One for All successor felt more confident in his ability to combat the Gen Ed student.
In the UA Section
Naruto watched silently from above. Since he was participating in the finals, the blonde was sandwiched between the two Hero Courses. Expectantly, the coordinators for the event weren't expecting finalists from the lower classes…so his seating was actually a row behind the 1-B students.
Currently, Monoma was giving him a stink eye, though far and few between, seeing as their Class Representative was behind him.
The Copy blonde was obviously a tad sore from his loss.
From the masked blonde's perspective, it was nothing personal, he just needed his points. Of course, he could've targeted higher teams like Team Kendo and Team Bakugo, but there was no point putting himself in the spotlight. Nobody watches the lower teams, and he as a competitor took advantage of that.
"Congratulations Uzumaki-san on getting into the Finals. You did really great!" Itsuka Kendo, the Big Fist Quirk user and 1-B's Class Rep bowed politely in praise.
The masked blonde looked lazily at the girl turned around in her seat. She had long silky orange hair that was swept over her brow and the rest elegantly kept in a ponytail. Accompanying her tangerine colored hair was gleaming emeralds and lightly tanned skin, accenting her beauty.
Yes, overall to Naruto, she was quite beautiful.
Naruto nodded his head in return. "Thank you. You did particularly well yourself." The blonde said stoically.
Confusingly to him, Kendo was completely flustered by his response. Monoma came to her rescue by opening his mouth, "Kendo-san! Are you talking to the enemy? He beat my team to win, you know!"
Suddenly the orange haired girl swung an enlarged fist at his head and successfully sat him back in his chair….though Naruto supposed he could have a head injury from such a heavy impact.
Itsuka laughed awkwardly at Monoma's immature act. "I apologize for him…it's just that some of our classmates were…surprised…to be beaten. A few of them thought you were targeting us for 1-A's sake." The Big Fist Quirk user said while rubbing her arm.
"I see. I took away some of the other's chances at getting recognition and 1-A is still seen as the superior class because of my choices…but regardless of that…I do think 1-B is a collectively stronger unit than 1-A." The masked blonde answered honestly, but never raising his face above expressionless.
Overhearing their Class Rep's conversation, many turned their heads swiftly after Uzumaki called their class the strongest. They had only heard their homeroom teacher say that…and he's…well… extremely biased.
As if magically healed from head trauma, Monoma's head shot up. "Is that right? I do suppose we are pretty strong, 1-A is just carried upon the shoulders of Todoroki and Bakugo. The rest of those clowns have no real talent, I mean they seriously have a midget with balls on his head." The Copy Quirk user cockily smirked in the direction of the median between the two Hero courses.
The Teleportation Quirk user lazily kept his head forward with half-lidded, oceanic orbs. "…as I was saying, 1-B has their strongest student in Neito Monoma and possibly their other strongest in Juzo Honeuki and Ibara Shiozaki. They have much versatility in their Quirks, especially Monoma-san. Nonetheless, I don't believe anybody in this class won't have interchanging spots for the strongest. That being said, 1-A has questionably specific Quirks, while 1-B has consistency and simplicity. Sometimes simple is best and in this case, it is." The blonde monotonously drew out.
Impossibly, the smug grin on Monoma's face threatened to split his face. Comically, the smugness seemed traceable amongst all the students, though some hid it more than the rest.
Itsuka was dumbfounded by the blonde's compliment. Although, it didn't really sound convincing, seeing his face never break above a slightly raised eyebrow. Kendo had never seen such an emotionless looking face before, no wonder people thought Uzumaki was Aizawa-san's son!
"Thank you! 1-C has a really great contender in Shinso-san as well. Hopefully he can beat a Hero Course student." Itsuka lightly drifted everyone away from their smugness.
Naruto nodded. "Shinso will do well, but I don't think he will win." He said with a hint of annoyance.
The orange-haired girl frowned slightly, "Aren't you supposed to cheer on your classmate? He could win, you never know with this kind of stuff."
"Midoriya just happens to be the worst opponent for someone like Shinso. There is one thing the 1-A boy can do…and…should I say he is the best at it?" The others stared at him strangely. 1-B was a close knit group, and the fact that Uzumaki was somewhat downplaying his classmate's chance was triggering.
The masked blonde sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't want things to end that way…But…I hope he pulls out a victory. People like Shinso deserve a chance for the Hero Course and agencies as well." Naruto said with a hint of a smile completely hidden by his mask.
"Oh? Don't you deserve a chance as well?" A girl with green hair bemusedly spoke from a row below Kendo's. Setsuna Tokage if he remembered correctly. Her Quirk was fairly impressive from what he had seen of it.
The blonde thought for a second. "Deserve? No. They don't hold an obligation to give me anything. I will do my best with what I've got, and if I get recognized for my efforts, then so be it." He said intelligently.
The orange-haired girl smiled at his logic. "You're pretty cool Naruto-san. We could've been friends before this…so why haven't I felt like I've seen you around UA before?" The green eyed girl mellowed out towards the end.
"Um…thank you. As to why you haven't seen me…hm…I've only been at UA for a week." He simply stated, getting shocked faces in return.
"W-what?! How's that possible? I thought that wasn't allowed unless you were recommended…wait…you were recommended to the General Education course?!" The Big Fist Quirk user exclaimed, making some of the other 1-B student's faces stretch to impossible quantities.
Naruto sighed, was it that big of a deal? He thought people got into the Hero Courses on recommendation pretty frequently. "Yeah. It's too much of a drag to talk about though." He yawned, making a pineapple haired shadow user sneeze, somewhere out in the multiverse.
"Huh? You were pretty talkative a second ago!" The Steel Quirk user yelled angrily. Surprisingly, it had been the first time he talked the entire time….however, witnessing the large raised first hovering above his head, he probably had a good idea as to why.
'Another troublesome woman, how lucky.' The masked blonde's head gazed upon the slightly scary spectacle.
"From the General Education course, we have an Underdog, Hitoshi Shinso!" Present Mic waved his hands around, ultimately finishing in his signature pose. The crowd of Heroes and Citizens ate it all up, cheering and clapping for the impressive display shown so far.
"And from the Hero Course, The Freckled Menace, Izuku Midoriya! Yeahh!" The mohawked Hero yelled proudly through the stadium speakers.
"Ooh! It's about to start!" Itsuka turned quickly, zeroing her eyes on center stage.
Naruto wasn't much of a wishful thinker. He was a realist, calling it how it was, no matter how blunt. Shinso had a chance, and knowing the Deku boy, Hitoshi would lure him into a trap. After that, Shinso never had a gameplan, and that was where he failed the most.
He wasn't as strong or fast as his opponents, and relied solely upon his Quirk, like many others. Brainwashing was a powerful tool, but making it the only thing you're good at versus someone who has a somewhat athletic build and endurance, was destructive for Shinso.
And his Quirk had two weaknesses, one being the person had to respond to his speech, and two, his Quirk's control was decimated by inflicting pain on the victim.
If there was one thing Midoriya was good at…it was destroying his limbs with his impressively strong Quirk.
(Canon Fight)
"Shinso is down! Midoriya with the excellent move at the end!" The Stadium applauded vehemently, many were impressed with his willpower.
On the ground, the purple haired teenager grit his teeth venomously. What did he expect? He was destined to lose once more, as people with Villainous Quirks did.
In the Stands
"Wow! I really thought the Gen Ed guy had him!" Tsubaraba, the Solid Air Quirk user from 1-B shouted while holding his head.
As 1-B rumbled to themselves about a Gen Ed nearly besting a Hero Student, Itsuka looked back at the blonde. Sitting with his head in his palm like before, the Uzumaki seemed totally unfazed. However, based on how he was talking before the match, he already knew the outcome.
"So you knew it was going to end like that? That was what you meant by Midoriya being the worst opponent for him…he broke himself out of Shinso's Brainwashing!" The Tokage girl pointed at the masked blonde, as he looked upon the verge of snoozing.
The bright blue eyed teenager stoically raised his eyebrow. "Yeah….Lower your decibels, you're too loud." He said, showing the first signs of emotion besides stoicism.
Team Monoma and Tetsutetsu laughed after hearing his casual write off of Tokage. Said girl looked at the boy embarrassingly, while trying to calm herself from wringing the necks of her classmates. "Oh yeah?! Well…your mask is stupid, I bet your hiding your horribly ugly blimp lips." She bit back at the blonde, not letting him get the last laugh.
Naruto quirked another eyebrow, "Yeah something like that, troublesome woman." He sighed while crossing his arms over his chest.
Monoma and the others stared at each other…before breaking out in laughter once more at the stoic Uzumaki completely disregarding her.
"Nice one Tokage-san! You almost had him!" Monoma grinned at her, holding back his laughter. The green haired girl looked dangerously in his direction.
One collective gulp resounded from the group.
"For Match 2 we have the Highest Overall Student in the Cavalry Battle, Shoto Todoroki!" The Class 1-B students once again returned their attention to the field. For some, it saved them from the wrath of another scary woman in their class.
"Annd from the 1-A as well, The Elastic Hanta Sero!" Present Mic howled.
"Ready…Begin!" Midnight announced with a crack of her whip, sending the resounding sections into a frenzy.
(Canon Battle…kind of)
"What the hell! Are you serious?!" Tetsutetsu, the Steel Quirk user, shielded his face as ice completely sprouted in front of their section.
'Such strength…his raw output levels are high above some Pro Heroes. Although…his attack patterns seem rather simplistic because no one has ever given him a real challenge. That is a major weakness.' Naruto presumed, sitting silently behind the frightened Hero students in front of him.
Juzo, the Softening Quirk user, was sitting diagonally from Naruto Uzumaki. Out of the peripheral of his eyesight he could see the blonde conversing lightly since he sat down.
When the massive attack came in from Todoroki, everyone, including himself, jumped to protect themselves. Seeing the attack close in but finally stop, it sent a collection of relief throughout their class.
Even if he wasn't paying attention for most of the time, being more concerned about himself, the blue eyed masked student never flinched or moved from his original position…
Watching the charging ice, everyone was sent into a
fray. It was a basic survival instinct, a classic fight or flight. So why did Uzumaki…seem so familiar with that feeling that he didn't even twitch a finger?
Even with his lazy and stoic exterior, something inexplicably wrong was burrowed beneath. He was more than what met the eye, and that was why so many had underestimated him during the first two stages.
It was intimidating to have someone like that competing for their spot in the Hero course. His aptitude for deceit could be mistaken for a Villain's. How did such a person as him get recommended for UA, knowing the characteristics of his person.
"…I don't want to kill anyone, so could you change my name please?" Honenuki was broken from his stupor by Shiozaki pleading for a name change?
"…O-ok! The wonderful and peaceful Ibara Shiozaki of 1-B!" An Arena wide sweatdrop proceeded the slight altercation in which the vine haired girl of 1-B was mistakenly introduced as 'assassin'.
Said student bowed politely in thanks, and replaced her smile with the serious facade. "From the 1-A Hero Course, introducing the electric Denki Kaminari." Once again, the cheering reached unreal levels, shaking the foundation of the UA Arena.
'Kaminari has a potentially powerful Quirk if he knew how to use it, but Shiozaki is much more in tune with her vines. This should be an easy victory for her. However, she holds a major weakness herself…she is a pacifist in a profession that calls for physical harm to your opponent.' Naruto chided the two fighters as they now faced each other.
(Canon Battle)
"What was that 1-A?! I think he said he was going to beat her in one move!" Monoma laughed maniacally, clinging to the barrier that separated the two Hero classes.
As expected, a giant fist gripped his midsection and dragged his cackling form back to his seat. Monoma was rightfully just in a way…Kaminari was beaten severely and he's supposed to be sort of a troubling competitor.
"Okay! Let's keep it rolling with this next match up! Coming from the Support Course, Tech Genius, Mei Hatsume!" The pink haired girl with the cross hair eyes, giggled and locked her eyesight on the Tech Corporations' booth.
Present Mic blared through the speakers, "Don't forget the 1-A speedster, Tenya Iida from the Iida Family Dynasty of Heroes!" The navy blue haired teenager puffed his chest in pride.
(Canon Battle…kind of)
Hatsume went through her entire repertoire of 'babies' over the course of 15 minutes before stepping out of the ring.
She showed very concerning commitment to the tech side of the Hero World, but even Naruto had to give her props on her ingenuity.
Her Hydraulic powered equipment would have beaten Iida if she was actually taking the fight seriously instead of showcasing her inventions to the luxurious Tech Companies.
It was obvious her sights were on something else.
Naruto stood up, his fight was next and they were allotted five minutes before the actual fight took place. He didn't really need the previously held locker rooms to calm himself, but he would allow it for his opponent.
Mina Ashido. There wasn't anything exclusively powerful or challenging about her. She wasn't particularly powerful with her Quirk, although it did have it's diversity and effectiveness.
Overall, she was barely above average in the class.
There were a few others stronger than her in the final round and she was…unfortunately…just in the way.
"Good luck Uzumaki-san. You are going against a 1-A student, so I don't doubt the others will root for you." Itsuka smiled at the stoic blonde.
For a second, Naruto believed she was just saying it to be polite, but seeing a tinge of pink tint her tanned skin…confused him. "I won't disappoint, thank you." He uttered with a lazy bow.
As he started to walk away, he put his hands into his pockets, thinking about how he was going to finish the match. He didn't want to expose his Quirk or have a long drawn out match, so maybe he'd do that.
Yes, he did want to try out his newest weapon in his arsenal. Regretfully, Ashido would be his Guinea Pig.
Once he was out of hearing range, the green haired girl from 1-B peered at their Class Rep slyly. "He's pretty cute, since no one else is interested in him, I might just ask him out on a da-" She was stopped towards the end by an uncharacteristic death stare from the orange cream haired girl.
"No! I-I mean, he's probably not interested in anyone, so I wouldn't want you to get rejected for anything." Kendo chuckled, getting Tokage to grin wider.
"Oh? Thank you for telling me Kendo-san, I wouldn't want to overstep my boundaries." Setsuna smirked toothly.
Kendo smiled sickly sweet at her classmate. "No worries, I wouldn't want someone to get hurt, getting too close." She grumbled through her teeth.
Seeing the staredown between the girls, most of the 1-B Hero students moved a couple rows away, with Monoma trying to stay out of Kendo's eyesight.
Waiting Room 2
Naruto waited patiently at one of the tables. His head was held up by his fist, while his mind stared on dreamlessly.
The creak of the door opening alerted his senses to a person entering the room. "Wow, that wall must be very interesting…maybe I should give it a try?" A distinctly feminine noise Naruto didn't recognize, filtered throughout the mostly barren room.
Peaking at the figure through his peripheral vision, he was met with a Hero he had never been acquainted with before. She had an orange bandanna draped over mint green hair, with a happy grin plastered on her lightly tanned skin.
Her hero costume consisted of orange and green pinstripe pants, accompanied by a black sleeveless buttoned up collar. Yellow and orange gloves draped under silver bracers on her forearms, with an added smiley face belt plastered around a rather developed stature.
"Oh! That's right, Shouta-kun probably doesn't talk about me." The woman pressed her fingers together with a small blush.
The masked blonde knew Aizawa's first name was Shouta, but he didn't know he was in a relationship with somebody. "I apologize for not recognizing Aizawa-san's significant other." Naruto slowly stood from his seat and bowed slightly at the now flustered woman.
"Haha, no worries, me and Shouta-kun are….are getting married one day!" She gave him a thumbs up with a beautiful smile.
Although it was nice to meet Aizawa-san's fiance, he was still confused as to why she was here. "Um…I don't mean to be rude, but did Aizawa-san send you or something?" He said with the most perturbed and respectful voice he could muster.
The smiling Hero was definitely a large contrast from Aizawa's personality. A VERY large contrast at that. He wasn't here to question his mentor's taste in women, but she was very beautiful.
"Oh well…I owed him a favor, and he told me to tell you 'good luck' and that he 'believes in your strength to show itself'." She giggled out.
There really wasn't any need to do that, but the sentiment made his chest fill with fierce determination. There weren't many people he trusted in the world, but Aizawa-san was definitely one of them. Underneath the intimidating visage of his image, laid a caring, deeply morally run person.
Naruto wondered how he acted in private with-, "I forgot! How rude of me! My Hero name is Ms. Joke, but you can call me Emi-chan. Shouta-kun sounds very invested in you…so I will as well. Good luck and do your best!" She slapped his shoulder before running off right back through the door.
Yes, compared to the black haired Hero, Emi-chan was very…bubbly. Thinking of the Underground Hero matching said characteristic made him shiver unconsciously.
Gazing up at the clock above the door frame, the time shifted to 3:45, conveniently meeting his walk-out time.
In the Arena
Mina walked up confidently with a smile on her face. She waved at the crowd the entire way, getting cheers and whistles for her entrance.
She was a proud Hero student and wanted to do her best to get a Hero Agency internship. After hearing Aizawa-sensei confirm that Naruto Uzumaki was indeed an ex-Villain, she couldn't help but gulp loudly.
So she was trying to make the best out of her scenario with a slightly intimidating blond. She believed she could use this fight to her advantage.
By defeating an ex-Villain, her draft worth would tremendously increase, resulting in heavy offers and fame! Such a treat for beating someone who hid their Quirk because it probably wasn't the strongest was an amazing chance for her.
She may be not one of the smartest tools in the shed, but her physical attributes were her strong points. Villains usually neglected things like that, working in the shadows and all. Now he was operating in Heroes space, in the light, he'd struggle against someone like her.
A rather loud escapade of shouts broke the girl's stretching routine. Coming in from the other side of the center stage was her opponent…with his hands in his pockets.
His stoic face made her frown. People should be happy to compete in a setting like this. The Sports Festival was very serious, yet it was supposed to be fun too. He looked to have digested…neither.
"Ooooh! Match 5 is underway! Give it up for the Lovely Pink Hero Student, Mina Ashido, from 1-A!" She threw up peace signs, acknowledging the applauding Fans and Heroes.
"Annd the Challenger from Mustafu! UA's very own Villain Hero, Naruto Uzumaki from Gen Ed!" Present Mic hollered, but instead of cheers, a deafening silence reigned. The Heroes and fans looked around confusingly at each other. 'Did he just say Villain Hero?'
Aizawa in the booth took his chance to take over, seeing the disturbing quiet of the crowd. "Uzumaki is an ex-Villain who was recommended to UA for rehabilitation after being detained under the law." He said monotonously through the mic. What was meant to calm the crowd down, only led to unbridled detraction.
"A Villain in UA?! They reward criminals with that now?!"
"Unbelievable…I was just cheering for someone who
fiends on terrorizing our livelihoods."
"Think about it though, he's under surveillance by the staff and All Might, there's no way he could do anything!"
"Everyone deserves a second chance! It's not right to treat a kid like this!"
The reactions were mixed, some saw the reasoning behind it, while others were blinded by their fear. On duty Heroes made their way towards the ensuing chaos that had erupted within the crowd, all of it centered around the Uzumaki.
Something needed to happen soon before things turned violent. The Heroes turned their head towards the Top 10 Hero Booth in order for the Symbol of Peace to diffuse the situation.
Top 10 Heroes
"Ah, I see now. So that was the secret All Might…what are you going to do now? This can't continue and you're the only one who can settle an entrie stadium." Number Four Hero, Best Jeanist, readied himself in case everything turned south.
"I see why you did it, but what does it prove? Are we still missing parts of the story here?" Shield Hero: Crust questioned the burly blonde Hero.
The Number Three Hero, Hawks, was standing directly to All Might's left. The man was definitely not hesitant to go down…it looked as if he was listening to others for their opinion on the matter first.
He didn't envy the Number One position…everyone looked at him for the answers, but even as strong as he was, All Might was still Human. That pressure could destroy someone if they didn't handle it correctly, and he had seen before with Endeavor.
"I knew there was something odd about Uzumaki. Just because he was a Villain, doesn't mean he was doing it of his own will. There are many situations for us Heroes in which we've seen all types of Villainy. For all we know, Uzumaki was trying to feed his family by his own accord." The Red Winged Hero added his own advice. The knowing looks he received, had eased the tension tremendously.
All Might nodded vigorously at Keigo's comment. "To keep it brief. Although close…Naruto has no family. Young Uzumaki is an Orphan who was dropped from the Governmental Program for Orphans when he turned twelve. He lived in poverty doing odd jobs for sketchy people and ended up running with questionable people. He was just…surviving…the best way he could. Desperation attracts vultures who prey on defeated people like Young Uzumaki. Now please understand, he is a victim of circumstance, not the other way around." The usual bellowing voice of All Might was quiet now.
Downcast looks from the Heroes drew upon the boy who stood stagnant. He had yet to react, as if…he was used to such venom from strangers.
"I will be going now! Haha!" The man exploded out of his seat in a massive lunge. The crowd noticeably quieted at the sight of the overly huge man crashing down in the middle of the arena.
"Always one for dramatics…I bet Endeavor is pissed beyond belief…him taking over and all." Mirko said, still visibly upset at the scenario unfolding, but trying to crack a small joke.
Keigo knew Endeavor was pissed…his son not using his fire and now this, yeah, no way he wasn't.
Center Stage
Midnight handed her mic off to the towering man, who gave her a blinding smile in return.
The way the crowd was going at Naruto-kun was really pissing her off. They knew nothing about him, yet they judged him so quickly, just the things she was hearing disgusted her.
The boy looked far from defeated, but seeing him stand there, taking on everything alone…filled her with sadness. Such mental strength to stand his ground and not run away from this obvious negative feedback to his past mistakes was a message in itself.
She wanted him to run away, to not take people's shit, to say something. However…for the little time she had known him, Naruto spoke with his actions rather than his words.
He still hadn't fought, and he was settled in the lapse of proving himself. She knew he had a message for those that doubted his willpower, so it gave her some comfort shortly.
"Hello Japan! Do not fret over the rumors you hear! Young Uzumaki is here to stay and his resolve to be a Hero is one of the strongest I've seen in this generation! Do not judge over the prejudice Villains have displayed in the best, judge Young Uzumaki on how well he can serve Japan in the future as a Hero! Being an ex-Villain changes nothing, if you don't trust him yet, then trust my word when I say…Uzumaki will prove himself to you!" The One for All Hero echoed throughout the UA Stadium.
"Naruto Uzumaki is a UA student, my student! Treat him with the respect he deserves! By coming to UA, he has already shown his resolve to serve Japan as a civil protector! Villain or Hero, as long as he saves lives along the way, he is a proud student of mine! Plus Ultra!" The 8th Successor bellowed loudly. Even with a shorter speech, the defining qualities of All Might seemed to cause a sudden reflection amongst the fans.
Many looked to All Might as their saviour, many on the verge of God worship, but even a few lines could stir the most angered fans. The true power of the Number One Hero was not strength, but absolute conviction to those who couldn't protect themselves.
Those tend to forget frequently…Japan doesn't serve All Might, no, the Number One Hero serves the country of Japan as their last line of defence!
There was some reluctance, but when the shouts of approval came filtering in resounding waves, the entire crowd was washed away with thunderous encouragement.
"Show us what you got 'Villain Hero!'"
"If All Might says he can, then let's see it!"
"You can do it!"
"We believe All Might! Plus Ultra!"
"Damn him…I can't believe he can sound so convincing!"
"Is he steaming?! All Might's so strong that sweat evaporates off him!"
"To Japan!"
Mina was beginning to shrink in on herself. Whatever confidence she had, was now completely decimated with the entire Stadium now praising the person they just fussed over.
Looking at the blonde who began to raise his head. She expected to see tears or a smiling face.
No…his face was blistered venomously with determination. His eyes zeroed in on her form, making her feel small and hopeless. The lazy slouch disappeared, replaced by veteran of combat, waiting for the beginning of the fight.
She felt as if she had already lost.
"Wow! Naruto Uzumaki has gone from the most hated to the most loved in 10 minutes! What an unbelievable sight to behold!" Present Mic exclaimed, trying his best to commentate over the roaring crowd.
As a last attempt to confide sportsmanship to her opponent, Mina said, "I hope to have a good match as equals Uzumaki-san!" Finishing with a smile, she waited for his response.
"I do as well, but I'm afraid we aren't equals." The blonde stoically concluded.
The smile upon Ashido's face disintegrated.
Midnight took the mic back from the Number One Hero, who had stylishly returned to his section.
"Fighters Ready!….Go!"
Ashido shot sideways in an arc, getting a feel for her opponent by attacking long range. Her battle IQ was better than her book smarts, so hopefully this allowed her some insight on the unknowns of the blonde.
Globs of acid sang truly through the air as she released her pent up tension upon the still masked blonde.
Naruto dodged all the globs easily, weaving through them all without unprecedented fluency. The masked blonde's face remained flat and unmoving through it all.
He was going to end this quickly. For Naruto, this was no drawn out game of skills, no, he was meant to be cutthroat. No Mercy.
'Bansho Tenin' he extended his hand in her direction. A booming ping of anti-gravity split the air, scratching the counteracting forces like a buzz saw.
His newest ability allowed him to teleport things to him, although it was slower than his instant flash in which he enacted on himself. Being and objects that weren't on his person, were harder to attract to himself, therefore, the drawback was a force that acted like anti-gravity and pulled alive constituents and objects at 40 miles per hour towards himself.
Even Aizawa had never seen him enact this move. It was powerful, but still the weakest in his arsenal. That went to show how strong he was without using the main components of his Quirk.
(Bansho Tenin Naruto Sound Effect) "Woah! Ashido is being pulled off her feet! What is that?!" The Voice Quirk user grabbed his head in disbelief at the ability.
Mina kept up her ruthless attack with no effect. It was so frustrating…maybe it was better to battle him up close. Her hand-to-hand combat was her strongest quality after all. Suddenly, she lost control in her body as she began to hover for a split second.
Her entire form was sent spiralling towards the blonde's outstretched hand. 'I can't move! What is going on?!' The Acid Quirk user approached, getting dangerously close to the boy.
Grinning under his mask, Naruto pulled back his hand and lifted his right leg to begin an axe kick upon her paralyzed form. Calculating her speed upon arrival, he twirled effortlessly, and connected a devastating boot to her jaw, sending her straight towards the side boundary.
Mina watched helplessly as Naruto closed in upon her face with his foot. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best…
"What a vicious kick!" The 'oohs' of crowd enacted at once, seeing the girl's head snap with the calamitous heel connection.
The worst pain she felt since becoming a Hero, instantaneously met her jaw, spitting blood out of her mouth. She tried to fight the enclosing darkness, but nevertheless, it overtook and claimed her body.
The horned girl flew through the air, it was evident that she was unconscious as her form was limp. Hitting the concrete with a roll and sprawled out limbs crossing the inevitable white line. Midnight and Cementoss nodded to each other.
In ten seconds the fight was over. It was a no contest and the most vicious in approach of the day.
"Winner by Incapacitation! Naruto Uzumaki!" Impossibly, the crowd erupted in pure unbristeled entertainment.
It was one of the moments which lived on for years in people's memories. The unforgettable roar of the crowd, the pure adrenaline running through countless veins. Once again, the blonde stole the show, that wasn't even aimed for him in the first place.
'Just as I expected, hopefully there are better combatists.' Naruto turned towards the 1-A student section and stared down his potential opponents.
"Has this turned into the event of the year?! It's now the Hero Students vs Japan's Uzumaki! Yeah!" 1-A and 1-B looked back upon the blonde, putting his hands back in his pockets. All felt a tremendous amount of sweat drip from their bodies.
It was another Declaration of War, but this time, their Opponent was out for heads.
In a blink of an eye, an ex-Villain rallied an entire country behind him due to the indirect efforts of the Number One Hero.
Elsewhere
"Uzumaki? So that's where you've been…" A man with light blue hair scratched viciously at his neck as he watched the blonde conclude his first round fight.
End
Thank you all for the reviews, I love reading them so keep reviewing to your heart's content.
So we have seen another ability Naruto possesses. I have classified the 'Bansho Tenin' under his 'Teleportation' Quirk. He will have other capabilities, but you'll have to wait to see for those.
Hero Names and Agencies will be soon.
Next Chapter: Naruto vs 1-A Finals
Anyways leave a fav and follow if you enjoyed it! Reviews are welcome as always!
I'm always up for suggestions and pairing suggestions, so keep them coming! I love to improve my stories by adding things that I think work, so give me your ideas! (Please haha)
Decision will be made in the next couple of chapters.
Ja Ne!