Author's Note:
hiya!!! been a while. :))
thanks for being patient with me! my moods and inspiration are very sporadic but i'll try to update more often.
hope you enjoy! read on!
"You've got to be kidding me," Naruto says flatly, blinking at the small audience seated before him.
"Nope," Aizawa says. "We are dead serious."
Naruto turns his gaze towards Nedzu, narrowing his eyes as he takes in all the little details about the principal. "A chimera..." he mutters to himself, awe lacing his tone. Shaking his head dazedly, he relaxes into his chair.
"Okay, cool. One question's out of the way then. Ready to answer, like, a million more?"
Nedzu smiles at Naruto, the same politely indulgent smile, but there's an edge to it and Izuku wonders if this edge is the reason Nedzu is the principal and not anyone else.
"Sure," Nedzu says and places his paws on his thighs, legs dangling by the side of the platform. "But this must be an exchange of information if we are to build an understanding of the situation. Hope you don't mind that."
"Of course not," Naruto returns amiably, lightly grinning. Izuku is a bit awed that the stranger can make a deal with the devil and be so utterly oblivious of it.
"Let's start then," Nedzu says. His voice turns several degrees cooler as he asks, "How did you get inside the UA barrier?"
"What barrier?" Naruto frowns and looks out the slitted windows on the left wall. "Wait. There's a barrier jutsu around this place? How many people are holding it. This plot is huge so it's gotta be some real heavy chakra work, right?"
There's that word again. Jutsu.
"What does jutsu mean?" Izuku inquires before he can stop himself. Something tells him that their chances of navigating this conversation in a straightforward manner are slim to none.
"What– you don't know?" Naruto asks but then his eyes widen as if he's realising something significant. "Holy sh– are you all civilians? That makes sense. I mean, you bunch are still laughably ignorant but you get a pass from me. Jutsu... it is a kind of technique. That we perform using chakra."
"Chakra?" Nedzu questions with a critical eye trained on Naruto.
Naruto's frown deepens and he purses his lips now. "Yeah. Something isn't right here. Not knowing what a jutsu is, is acceptable, however weird it may be– but chakra? No, that's kindergarten level of basic. Are you fucking with me? Is this some kind of prank?"
Nedzu raises a paw as if saying hold that thought, and jumps down from his perch on the elevated platform. He pads his way across the room and stops right before Naruto.
The blond, for his part, lets the principal approach him but his shoulders straighten up ever so slightly and his eyes reflect a scrutiny that Aizawa doesn't expect from the previously exuberant stranger.
"I assure you that we are not playing a joke on you," Nedzu says while looking up at Naruto. Despite the height difference, even when Naruto's seated, there is no awkward ego-imbalance between them. "I think there's something more at play here than either of us anticipated. You are not from Japan, are you?"
Naruto inclines his head in thought, then shakes it. "I've never even heard of such a place. My village is Konoha."
A sobering silence fills the room as it dawns on everyone that there indeed might be something wrong here that might not involve this blond guy being high as kite while spewing gibberish like Todoroki had suspected back at the dorms. Izuku's hackles are still raised, though. The chances of Naruto being in cahoots with the league is still a very plausible option.
"You know... " it's Bakugo that breaks the lull, speaking idly from his spot against the wall. "I think this fucker is a cosplayer. I mean – look at his clothes. They're so edgy."
Nedzu and Aizawa ignore him with ease while Izuku spares him an exasperated look. Todoroki, though, sends a blunted needle of ice towards him with a comment of, "You're the last person who should talking about edginess. Your pores ooze that shit."
Sensing an incoming argument, Izuku clears his throat and approaches Naruto. Any other time, he'd have intervened and stopped the fight Bakugo and Todoroki will surely engage in but not tonight. His apprehension about this whole absurd situation has yet to calm down. But stronger than that is his undoubted feeling of pure curiosity.
He can't help it. This Naruto dude has the word 'interesting' written all over him.
"Ah, Naruto?" he says and waits for the blond to turn his attention to him. "You keep calling Konoha your village? But that's... most of our world is modernised. The only villages remaining are preservation and tourism sites."
Naruto frowns at him with a contemplative gleam in his eyes. Izuku can feel Nedzu's assessing gaze darting between Naruto and him. He forces himself to not fidget.
Suddenly, Naruto looks away and stands up. He's scanning the windows of the room but the blinds are drawn so Izuku doesn't know what's caught the stranger's attention.
Naruto turns back to them, a troubled yet sheepish expression on his face.
"So, I tried it before but I really have to do it again. And it may look odd to you, maybe, but just know I am not attacking any of you. Or planning anything nefarious. Okay?"
Aizawa steps forward, subtly angling himself in front of Nedzu who simply nods, "Go right ahead."
Naruto throws them a thumbs up, spreads his legs and firms his stance. He brings his hands in front of him and closes his eyes.
"Sensei... " Izuku mutters, biting his lip. That is a fighting stance.
Aizawa raises a hand in indication to wait and watch. Behind him, he hears Bakugo and Todoroki coming towards their little huddle.
Naruto suddenly tenses, his fingers entwining into an odd sign and with a deep breath, he shouts, "Kai!"
The air stills. Izuku stops breathing. He didn't know what he was expecting. Something offensive. A weapon thrown at them. A murder of angry crows. A hat-based magic trick.
Or a bomb blast.
How Naruto would have managed such a thing, Izuku doesn't know. All he knows is that the one thing he hadn't expected after mysterious hand signals and spontaneous yells is Naruto sagging onto the ground and promptly lying on it, feet and arms outstretched like the cool tile floor is a warm water bed.
"What the hell," Bakugo utters, looking more confused than enraged.
"It's not a fucking genjutsu!" Naruto announces, looking displeased. "How are you people so goddamn weird then?"
Bakugo huffs and gives Naruto an irritated glare. "The only weirdo in this room is you."
"I know I'm weird floppy," Naruto replies, sighing dramatically. He sits up. "But you lot aren't far behind."
"What is a genjutsu?" Nedzu inquires, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside Naruto. Izuku does the same because screw it, his legs are aching, his shirt is itchy and he's tired.
Naruto considers the question for a bit before shrugging and throwing his hands up in resignation. "Ah fuck it. If any of you try to kill me, I'll rip out your eyeballs out but for now, I'll just be honest. Because I don't know what the hell is happening."
He shifts so he's comfortably seated against the back wall, "A genjutsu is an illusion. A trick on the mind. They're terrible. When I was fourteen, a frenemy of mine trapped me in one. I was walking the road to Suna–290 kilometres–over and over and over," he snaps out of his nightmare daze and casts them all a long look. "But yes, this isn't a genjutsu. You aren't a genjutsu."
Nedzu hums in thought, brushing the creasing on his suit with a paw. "Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Could you tell us what chakra is?"
"You're sneaky," Naruto comments and rolls his eyes. "Last I checked, this is a fair exchange. So it's your turn to answer a question of mine."
"Go on," Aizawa says, joining them on the floor.
"How did your scarf float? If you don't even know what chakra is, it sure as hell can't be a chakra channeling fabric."
"It's sensor controlled," Aizawa answers simply. Izuku hides his surprise at seeing his usually tight-lipped teacher volunteer crucial information so casually. "There's a light, lab-produced metal inside the cloth. That's all I know. It's all high-tech. Built by one of UA's students."
Naruto has that look on his face again. The 'I Am Not Comprehending; Try Again' look that's becoming increasingly familiar.
"How?" Naruto asks. "The farthest I've seen in terms of machinery is a horrible, horrible iron robot that belongs in a haunted house."
Something clicks in Izuku's mind. It's sudden and shocking, but the thought echoes in his head. He can't tell why it appeared there but it did. Bits and pieces of their conversation somehow filtered into this possibility.
"Naruto," he speaks up, meeting Naruto's electric blue eyes. His hand is throbbing again. He ignores it. "Can you... can you tell what year it is?"
Naruto doesn't break eye-contact. He doesn't relax or laugh in his face. Izuku feels like he understands him, that Naruto gets what is running through his brain right that moment.
"Sure," the blond replies, voice smooth. "It's year 1279, Post-Sage era."
Izuku blinks.
"How much more bullshit will you spew?" – that's Bakugo.
"What?" – that's Aizawa.
"Sage? As in the plant?" – Todoroki, genuinely inquisitive.
Naruto still hasn't looked away from Izuku though. He clutches his elbow just as the pain in Izuku's palm intensifies.
"What... " Naruto says through the chaos of comments coming from the other four. "What year is it for you?"
It's such an odd question. To ask what year is it for Izuku specifically. But it makes sense. He doesn't know the details but the pieces have already fallen into place. Izuku just needs to take a step back and observe the picture that's formed.
"2150," Izuku responds. "Common Era."
"Wow," Naruto says, rubbing his hand down his face. "Why does this shit always happen to me?"
Izuku feels silly but he has to ask.
"So. League of Villains. You know them?"
The mention of their greatest adversaries makes a hush fall over the room. It doesn't last long though.
Because Naruto is snorting, slowly and quietly before it turns into full blown laughter.
"What kind of stupid name is that?" he says, amusement so apparent in his tone. "Who are they? A kid playfighting group? Kami, Konohamaru would probably fit right in."
"...Okay," Izuku says.
He's confused but he accepts the answer anyway. There's something awfully sincere about this guy, something that makes him want to believe everything that comes out of the stranger's mouth. And that's unsettling.
"I think there is only one way to sort this," Nedzu gives this non-sequitur, getting to his feet. "From what I understand, you are not from this country... or time. Unexpected, but not unbelievable. However, I am still skeptical of your honesty."
The principal says all this clinically, calmly. Like time travel isn't the most insane thing ever. Like everyone else in the room is not going through eighty-one stages of denial.
"Eh... so what is that one way?" Naruto questions, standing up as well. He stretches his arms over his head and the built of his muscles is not difficult to spot. Izuku wonders if Naruto is a trained fighter, like him, like his friends. He's seen hints of it already, that instinct for a fight he can recognise anywhere now.
"A lie detector," Nedzu says politely. "I am sure I can get my hands on one by tomorrow. You assure me with this and I will hold back on notifying the authorities."
Naruto flexes his neck side to side. Then walks upto Bakugo who suddenly looks alarmed. Aizawa is closely following the blond's steps but doesn't try to intercept him. Bakugo's ready with his fists by the time Naruto is right in front of him.
But Naruto makes no moves to attack. He simply pulls out a white piece of cloth – a handkerchief, Izuku realises – and shoves it into Bakugo's hands.
Then, Naruto smiles at him, bright and sunny, "Keep this safe for me, won't you?" and outrageously, he pats Bakugo's head, walking away before the blond can register the action.
"That's a promise," Naruto declares, pointing at Bakugo. "I'll come back for it. Okay? Cool. Bye, then."
Aizawa whips out his scarf, but stops short, making a frustrated sound. It's a little too late again. Naruto's vanished mid-step, smoke billowing in his place.
Izuku's head is going to burst open.
Todoroki grips Bakugo's shoulder and gives the white handkerchief a critical look.
"Hmm... yeah. Pretty sure that's some sort of medieval peace offering," he gives the blond a sweet, too-sweet smile. "That– or he just hit on you."
Author's Note:
the t in todoroki's name stands for trolling. :P
anyway, that's it for now! alot of things from canon of both shows are changed in this fic but they're small things. more of naruto's story the mystery pains of izuku will be revealed soon. you're free to guess tho!
anyway, thanks for reading!! all feedback is welcome and i hope you have a great day ahead!